tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-190205112011-11-24T14:27:54.912-08:00<i>None but a blockhead writes but for money. -Samuel Johnson</i>Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comBlogger471100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-34911703665035112012011-02-20T15:29:00.000-08:002011-08-12T00:16:22.256-07:00

Special to SelfindulgentRants.blogspot.com and KennFong.blogspot.com Trevor Bayne got one helluva birthday present. Starting from the 16th row in only his second NASCAR Sprint Cup race, the 20-year-old won the 2011 Daytona 500. With only partial funding, Bayne expected to run less than half the schedule for NASCAR legends, the Wood Brothers, a team which had fallen on hard times. This win will

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-49945852939332626292010-12-31T10:41:00.000-08:002010-12-31T12:34:55.337-08:00

The bowl season is now well under way. Today and tomorrow you can overdose on college football if you want. There are so many bowls I wonder why there isn't Campbell's Soup Bowl. A Kellogg's Cereal Bowl. Or a Charmin Toilet Bowl. There will never be a true National Championship. There's too much money in the system the way it is. So long as there isn't a true championship playoff series,

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-61274459083368176522010-12-25T19:23:00.000-08:002010-12-28T12:57:34.300-08:00

Here's a sweet story about generosity and kindness and how a benefactor learned it really is better to give than to receive. --30-- Leave a comment or write KennATKennFongDOTcom

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-55853415764482534332010-12-21T12:31:00.000-08:002010-12-25T14:31:25.862-08:00

The Edmund Gwenn version AMC is running Miracle on 34th Street every night. As I watched I thought of a couple things. If it were made today, the movie looks like a 96 minute paid product placement for Macy's Department Stores. But I also thought — and this is sad — about how the world has changed. In the first act, Cleo (Theresa Harris, the housekeeper, lets Phillip Gailey (John Payne), a

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-47848880212440257902010-12-19T17:19:00.000-08:002011-01-16T23:16:44.324-08:00

About 40 years ago I was playing a lot of chess. I was nothing special, but I could beat just about anyone who didn’t play in tournaments. Bobby Fischer had just become World Champion, and chess was booming in the United States. The Bay Area was a thriving greenhouse of chess talent, perhaps second only to New York City, because of its proximity to the University of California in Berkeley, and

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-7439961495258283602010-12-10T18:58:00.000-08:002011-01-11T12:11:35.736-08:00

Recently I joined the East Bay PEN, the Professional Experience Network, an organization composed of professionals who help other professionals. Couple of weeks ago, I attended my first General Meeting. Although I'm a new member and I haven't yet completed my training, my résumé coach, Mr. Ben English, looked me square in the eyes and said, "You're going to attend this meeting." We'd only just

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-36242650995084723552010-12-08T13:31:00.000-08:002011-01-11T23:48:55.412-08:00

Alistair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge Before we've had a chance to finish our seconds on Thanksgiving, independent television stations and cable channels dust off (metaphorically, as they're no longer kept on film or videotape) the classic Christmas movies. Had he lived today, Charles Dickens would be amazed at the myriad versions of his A Christmas Carol. Dozens of actors have breathed life into

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-90880935000558258092010-12-05T18:48:00.000-08:002010-12-25T16:48:18.078-08:00

On Monday, one of America's true innovators, Dave Brubeck turns 90 years old. Brubeck did some amazing things with tempo. He took chances, he went way out there on the high wire, but took us with him on the way. He challenged us to come along, but he always made us feel safe. The other great thing about him is he was very secure. If you listen to "Take Five," all the flourishes are given to

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-89306376996221984392010-12-04T23:09:00.000-08:002010-12-25T15:01:07.892-08:00

In Sunday's New York Times Op-Ed pages (yes, pages, even though no trees were sacrificed for my convenience), comedian/actor/musician/author Steve Martin wrote about an unpleasant experience he had at the 92nd Street Y as part of their speakers series. Mr. Martin is currently on a book tour promoting his new novel, An Object of Beauty, about the world of art, a subject Mr. Martin, a serious

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-24349059902800604592010-11-30T19:15:00.000-08:002010-12-05T01:41:19.535-08:00

Guest post from my friend Dennis Fritzinger, aka "Dennis the Poet" (dennisDOTfritzingerAThaasDOTberkeleyDOTedu). stranded nothing to eat but cake and pie; cookies drop out of the sky like coconuts--i wonder why. i'm stranded on a dessert island. nothing to drink but soda pop and kool-aid, drop by drop by drop; doesn't look like my sugar rush will stop-- i'm stranded on a dessert island.

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-87341533136541661282010-11-29T12:32:00.000-08:002010-12-09T16:23:35.150-08:00

Stephen Moyer and Rashida Jones NY-LON is about Edie Miller (Rashida Jones), a New Yorker who lives and works in a record store on the Lower East Side and Michael Antonioni (Stephen Moyer), a London banker. It’s a seven episode series shot on location in 2004 on two continents first shown on Channel 4 in Britain; now free to us on Hulu. Nearly all love stories are a variation on Romeo and

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-35503371638824870072010-11-22T17:37:00.000-08:002010-11-22T17:58:16.372-08:00

"Hello, my name is Kenn Fong, and I'm a writer." "[many voices as one] Hello, Kenn." "It's been two years since I've been to a meeting." "[muffled] that's okay, we're all friends here." "I can't help it... I booted up..., I thought I was okay, that I could do it myself" "We all need help once in a while." "I opened Word... and.... [choking....] "I-I-I saw the empty window... [sobs] "And I

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-20596559399110805432010-11-22T16:48:00.000-08:002010-12-05T01:24:19.323-08:00

[If you are not interested in NASCAR just skip this one.] If you follow NASCAR, you probably know Jimmie Johnson drove the #48 Lowe's Hardware Chevrolet to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship again for the 5th consecutive time. This is an incredible feat because the competition is so strong. (Just a few years ago, there were some races in which the winner was the only car on the lead lap!)

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-46767482295039650942010-11-22T10:45:00.000-08:002010-12-05T01:27:08.779-08:00

47 years ago today, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. I wonder what he would have thought about the world we live in today. We've conquered one of his goals: putting a man on the moon, and we got a lot of benefits from the technology used to get there. I'm alive because of the space race. During my cardiac surgery, vital signs were monitored and I was kept alive using machines which

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-29050668950643302232010-11-21T16:36:00.000-08:002010-12-05T01:58:23.074-08:00

I can't understand why people ask what a word means or who a person is when they're already on the damned Internet and can look it up themselves. It's a sign of disrespect to me that they are so freakin' lazy and think that my time is worth so much less than theirs. I can't understand why airport security treats everyone the same: poorly. Terrorist hijackers all come from one demographic. You

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-51811589004647873662010-11-19T21:23:00.000-08:002010-12-05T01:32:58.220-08:00

He got on the bus in grimy coveralls carrying an old-fashioned lunch box, the kind that looks like a barn with a rounded top made for the Thermos flask inside. Like me, he went straight for the back. Once you get there, you can settle in and release the day slowly, so when you get home, the worst is over. He was average looking in every way, the kind of guy spy agencies recruit because he can

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-63232299718795087552010-11-17T18:54:00.000-08:002010-11-17T20:24:22.429-08:00

1) Sweet Potatoes My whole life I've been eating yams. Yams in Chinese food in the form of Yams & Broccoli at Chef Jia's place, yams as a side dish at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, yams & tofu at home. But I'd never eaten an actual sweet potato. Tonight I had my second meal with sweet potatoes, a quick stir-fry with broccoli stalks and lots of sliced garlic and a splash of soy sauce. (

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-64150541929043395822010-11-14T19:03:00.000-08:002010-11-14T19:03:32.853-08:00

As I was saying... If I were in charge, all library branches would be open on holidays and weekends, and open until 9 two days a week (if safe). If I were in charge, I'd use surveillance cameras to catch graffiti vandals and force them to do community service cleaning up buses and bus stops. If I were in charge, cigarettes would be a controlled substance, and smoking in any public place, even

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-14860573588985757272009-01-03T09:49:00.000-08:002009-01-03T10:07:03.378-08:00

It's a small thing. See it, right there, in the first word. An apostrophe.There are many things which insult this old copy editor's eye. The worst of all of them is the incorrect use of our friend, the Apostrophe.Folks, apostrophes are not used to indicate plurals. Please don't insert an apostrophe between the terminal consonant at the end of a noun and the "s" indicating a plural.It's just wrong

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-12039872541877533042009-01-01T13:21:00.000-08:002009-01-01T13:55:28.680-08:00

Yesterday I was waiting for a bus. I like Alameda because it has a small-town feeling. Graffiti is still present, but I don't get the feeling I've stumbled onto a location set for a rap video, as I did when I was living in Oakland.A young mother was seated inside the shelter, waiting for the bus. I greeted her, "Happy New Year!" and she smiled and said "Happy New Year." From her accent, I guessed

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-82812044943705931382009-01-01T13:20:00.000-08:002009-01-01T13:21:48.101-08:00

Here I am again. I hope all of you a very Happy New Year.--30--

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-70281326292857145632008-11-22T00:12:00.001-08:002008-11-22T00:12:43.931-08:00

AFter a few months away, I'm starting over. Stay tuned. Or not.

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-12473276277815837552008-05-25T14:34:00.000-07:002008-05-25T18:44:51.740-07:00

Remember:Race Length: 600 milesLaps: 400 - 1.5 mile lapsConfiguration: quad-ovalBanking: turns: 24°, straightaways: 5°Pit Road Speed Limit: 45 mphPace Car Speed: 55 mphDale Earnhardt, Jr.#88 National Guard/AMP Energy Drink ChevroletHendrick MotorsportsCrew Chief: Tony Eury, JuniorSpotter: T. J. MajorsFueler: Chris FakulaJack: Rick PigeonFront Tire Changer: Adam EmmertFront Tire Carrier: Ben

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-7263069883962209732008-05-25T14:18:00.000-07:002008-05-25T14:33:34.294-07:00

We’ll be live-blogging the Coke 600 in a few minutes, beginning at approx. 2:45 (PDT) Sunday, 25 May 2008.Notes:Green-flag drops: approximately 2:45 PM PDTVenue: Lowe’s [Charlotte] Motor Speedway Television: FoxRadio: PRN and SiriusDon’t forget: Jayski.com--30--

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-80902820854164886072008-05-25T13:21:00.000-07:002008-05-25T14:17:47.072-07:00

Junior fans check back when the race starts. I’ll be live-blogging the race. I’ll be tracking pit stops and reporting on s radio channel.I was bored by the 500. Comedian Jackie Vernon used to say, “I went to a boxing match. A hockey game broke out.” I watched a series of caution laps, and the Indy 500 broke out.Once Danica was out of the race, so was I. I think all the Indy drivers should follow

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-44213401555754518322008-05-03T18:18:00.000-07:002008-05-03T20:43:02.039-07:00

TJ Majors spotting for Dale JR. Lap 203 - Truex in the 1 car passed to put Jr 5th.Lap 205 - CAUTION IS OUT207 - 4 tires and fuel. In 5th, came out 6th. 14.2 215 - running 4th. Next fuel window, Lap 300?220 - 15 car into the wall. 223 - JR: (feels like ) 4 flat tires. Tony: Okay, I can bring it back to where it was after the first pit stop.231 - BIG WRECK CAUTION... 7 or 8 cars involved, JR.

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-22642130861554086522008-05-03T16:06:00.000-07:002008-05-03T20:42:15.990-07:00

I’ll be live-blogging the Richmond NASCAR Sprint Cup Race tonight.About tonight’s race:Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400Richmond International Speedway.750 mile, D-shaped Oval400 lap race, 300 milesmoderate banking, 14% in turns, 8% frontstretch (the “D”), 2% backstretchImpound race, look for some teams on the owner’s point bubble to make an early stop to change from qualifying trim to race

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-45204508737255413152008-05-03T15:11:00.000-07:002008-05-03T16:05:36.921-07:00

My Superfecta:6. Z-Fortune (17-1)18. Recapturetheglory (47-1)19. Gayego (21-1)20. Big Brown (7-2)--30--Post-Derby UpdateMy ticket didn't cash. #20 Big Brown came in the winner, but the filly Eight Belles placed, to spoil my day. Even worse, she fractured both ankles during the cool-down lap and was almost immediately euthanized. I wish someone at her side had read about Molly. --30--

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-38376628273894602702008-05-02T00:19:00.001-07:002008-05-02T14:03:57.714-07:00

Who doesn’t love penguins?Wildlife expert Lirpa Loof presents a heart-warming story about a most remarkable evolutionary adaptation. Instead of huddling together all winter to keep each other warm, these penguins have learned to... well you’ll just have to see it yourself.--03--

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-43041806948811623972008-05-01T11:59:00.000-07:002008-05-01T13:31:42.594-07:00

Last Saturday, a wonderful thing happened on a softball field in a Division II NCAA tournament women’s softball game between two intense rivals, Central Washington and Western Oregon. (It’s altogether fitting and proper that such a thing happen in Division II since Diviision I, both women’s and men’s games resemble professional sports more and more each day.)With two runners on in the second

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-75790369206523549282008-04-27T23:48:00.000-07:002008-05-07T09:09:14.378-07:00

Bruce Bochy and Peter Magowan have a big problem.Barry Zito.Today, Mr. Zito lost his 6th consecutive start, and is 0-6 for the season. Mr. Magowan spent a total of $126 million signing Mr. Zito as a free-agent for the 2007 season, and has lived to regret it. Although Mr. Magowan’s grandfather was the Merrill in Merrill-Lynch, he doesn't have $126 million to squander.Though the fans are going nuts

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-82544886547816733422008-04-27T23:28:00.000-07:002008-04-27T23:31:38.716-07:00

If you don’t like NASCAR, you’ve got a six-day break. I think I won’t write about NASCAR again until next Saturday night.--30--

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-58295101588405838102008-04-27T11:20:00.000-07:002008-04-30T12:58:07.686-07:00

If you are not interested in NASCAR, please scroll down for something else.I'm monitoring DirecTV’s HotPass channel 791, the Jr. channel. There's a very slight delay so they can try to catch Jr.’s profanity, but they always miss the first syllable, and then end up cutting off the specific matter he is complaining about. I also hear his spotter saying clear when the TV shows a car at his door.

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-23200986702997106372008-04-27T01:37:00.000-07:002008-04-27T01:57:11.189-07:00

NASCAR.com is giving away Trackpass free this weekend. You do have to sign up, but the first two races are free, and then you cancel.I also have DirecTV’s HotPass, and I will be monitoring the Dale Jr. Channel. I’ll be posting pit stops and any scanner chatter I hear. Hit REFRESH frequently so you’ll see the updates.There’s a possibility of rain tomorrow at Dega, so if the race is postponed, I'm

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-41191474572830234332008-04-26T20:34:00.000-07:002008-04-27T01:58:31.457-07:00

Keith J. Kelly in his Media Ink column in the New York Post reported this week that the Old Grey Lady of American journalism is cutting 100 news room positions in a few days. New York Times Executive Editor William Keller is looking for 100 staffers to fall on the sword for early retirement (with pension) and three weeks pay for each year of service.At the turn of the 21st Century, Craig Newmark’

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-73760962028360967242008-04-26T14:25:00.000-07:002008-04-26T16:34:03.059-07:00

NASCAR’s Jack Roush, owner of Roush-Fenway Racing, had a “conversation” with representatives of Indy Car driver Danica Patrick. Speed TV reports Ms. Patrick’s contract with Motorola runs through 2009 and it’s likely the Andretti-Green Racing contract is the same.When her previous contract with Rahal-Letterman was up for renewal, Ms. Patrick also talked to NASCAR. Last week, she said, “... when

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-25496433402476896592008-04-25T19:12:00.000-07:002008-04-25T22:17:49.066-07:00

Retired major leaguer Doug Glanville is writing a series of op-ed pieces for the New York Times, about the rhythyms of a major leaguer’s life. Here are the first three.The Boys Of SpringBaseball  has begun — in Tokyo, as the game expands worldwide — but the teams other than the Red Sox and A’s are still in Florida and Arizona, and for a few more days they’re all contenders. (26 March 2008) more.

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-5699838895718072042008-04-24T18:08:00.001-07:002008-04-24T23:32:41.146-07:00

After working in a movie theatre for nearly the last seven years, I’ve got a number of observations to make about seeing movies in theatres, and why I hope I never do it again.Probably the worst problem I faced while working as Head Usher at the movie theatre was the customers. Of course, the vast majority of my customers were a pleasure to deal with. They knew that seeing a movie in a darkened

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-54654035668016784452008-04-23T14:32:00.000-07:002008-04-26T20:32:23.001-07:00

This weekend I saw The Shop Around The Corner for the 6th or 7th time. It’s one of those movies I could see every year and not get tired of it. [more on this topic to come...] Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan play lovers with a hidden romance complicated because they’ve never met, cultivating their love via correspondence.The story itself is an evergreen. The script, written by one of director

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-12670912898319530962008-04-22T22:17:00.000-07:002008-04-24T17:03:34.675-07:00

Ever since I could remember, I’ve had a problematic relationship with food. As much as I loved it, I also hated it because it added to my waist line, and eventually hastened my heart attack.But after the heart surgery all that changed. For once, I had to be completely serious about what I ate. I never ate a lot of red meat, so that was easy. Now I rarely have red meat at home, but when I go out,

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-56848297142410681522008-04-22T16:18:00.000-07:002008-04-22T17:06:38.973-07:00

Last night, the three remaining presidential candidates appeared on the World Wrestling Entertainment’s Monday Night Raw. In an effort to court wrestling fans, each adopted a wrestling persona as they read off Teleprompters™.“Hil-Rod” gave the best promo, as they’re called in the trade. She was the most natural as she read her part, with a playful look in her eyes and smile on her face. She

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-28820670369487544052008-04-21T17:54:00.000-07:002008-04-24T17:04:46.999-07:00

The 3rd Monday following the 3rd Sunday is a state holiday in Massachusetts, Patriots Day, commemorating The Battles of Lexington and Concord.Patriots Day was a favorite of my late mother. She grew up in Boston and New York, and followed her mother’s example by graduating as Valedictorian of Boston Girl’s Latin High School. In those days, public schools were a lot stricter and the education more

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-45802881103433725282008-04-20T17:41:00.001-07:002008-04-22T17:19:22.300-07:00

I’ve got some good news and some bad news.My pants don't fit. That’s the good news. Since I've been limiting my glucose intake I've been losing weight steadily. I was 174 on 28 March, and today (20 April) I'm 161.2. That’s about 4 pounds a week. For the first ten days, I lost nearly a whole pound a day! I limited myself to one slice of bread per day or 2 cups of brown rice or pasta.I got either

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-63857083387468443632008-04-19T20:59:00.000-07:002008-04-26T16:32:04.247-07:00

In her 50th Indy Car start, Danica Patrick won her first race in Twin Ring Motegi race track in Motegi, Japan.Starting 5th, Ms. Patrick battled understeer the whole race. Demonstrating that smart is better than fast, Ms. Patrick and her crew chief, Kyle Moyer, decided to save fuel and skip a final splash ’n’ go pit stop. For most of the final 40 laps, she drove conservatively, dropping back to

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-19147770406640891432008-04-18T11:47:00.000-07:002008-04-20T12:14:22.273-07:00

It’s a woman, not a young man, but the rest of the analogy rings true. This fully-grown African lion shows his gratitude to the woman, who rescued him six years ago from a traveling circus when he was emaciated. She nursed him back to health in her sanctuary, and now visits him every day.By the way, I showed this video to Jewel the Cat, and she hissed at it!--30--

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-69331054530912514752008-04-17T22:58:00.000-07:002008-04-19T17:42:47.225-07:00

Earlier this week, the New York Times ran a story about American Idol callers who dial the wrong numbers when they vote for contestants, creating a nuisance and running up charges for innocents whose telephone numbers are one or two digits off the legit numbers.It doesn’t surprise me, as one only has to consider who has the time and inclination to call and vote. One could easily imagine that if

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19020511.post-46193768018261982102008-04-16T18:29:00.000-07:002008-04-22T01:58:03.553-07:00

Yesterday, I spent almost two hours waiting in line to turn in my federal income tax returns. Although I thought I could just walk in and drop off my return, I was told by 3 separate bureaucrats that I would have to take a number and wait for a clerk at one of the windows just for the privilege of handing in my completed return and payment.I was prepared. I brought last week's New Yorker and

Kenn Fongnoreply@blogger.com