New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

Once again sorry for the delay, this time it was my fault. I have posted the winners from the previous contest, as well as the New Yorker finalists where applicable.

The Solomon Key

While many eager readers, young and old alike, await the arrival of the sixth installment of the Harry Potter series, those of the latter category are undoubtedly awaiting The Solomon Key. The Solomon Key is Dan Brown's next installment into the Angels & Demons/ Da Vinci Code series featuring Harvard cryptologist Robert Langdon. The key is rumored to be based mainly on the Freemasons but at this point little can be confirmed save the title.
-for more information on the novel check out
www.cultofdanbrown.com/ubbthreads/ postlist.php/Cat/0/Board/solomon

PSP

I just got a PSP and wow yes it is really that good. In part enjoy it so much partly because I splurged for a 1 gig memory card (set me back a bill) so I can store songs and movies. I hope to get some more, by the way this thing is much cooler than the IPod! "If you have the means I highly recommend you pick one up" (Ferris Bueller)

Gary's weekly e-mail

Good Morning all...

Yesterday and today, Central Park plays host to the annual JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge. The 3.5 mile run through the park is taken seriously by some, enjoyed by most and represents a serious challenge to those of us who are out of shape. For those that do not run regularly, 3.5 miles which seems short in the grand scheme of things all of the sudden seems like a lifetime. I ran the respectable 10-minute mile, but was hamstrung coming out of the gate by the many people walking the race. In addition, of course, grabbing the cup of water and throwing it back down along the sideline, all without breaking stride, never loses its allure. One of the things that come along with marriage is getting to know your spouses friends. This could be a daunting task since you really want to show that you are interested and that you want to get to know all of said people that are a major part of your spouse’s life. My challenge is more difficult, it seems that nearly every single one of my wife's close friends refers to themselves as "ME" under every circumstance. I will pick up the phone to hear on the other end, "Hi! It’s ME." Had they given me a name it would have been hard enough, the ME makes it a step worse. It is amazing how many messages (I stopped counting) we get on the machine from ME. I guess my wife can recognize the voices without a problem--I cannot. Then when I meet these people I real life I am always asking-are you "ME"? I think I do a good job of holding a conversation for enough time to figure out who is actually calling. If I do not hopefully, it will signal to the person that they are not as close as they thought and they should get back to their name until they take the friendship to the next level. We are headed on our honeymoon this afternoon and of course, the most difficult thing is packing for a trip that lasts longer than a week. No matter what we bring, we will end up using only half of it and missing half of what we need. However, you try your best. I am always impressed with people who know what and how to pack. Of course, unlike those people we are lucky enough to bring back some cool things that we bought along the way. Saving the best for last, I would like to wish congratulations to my wife, Lesley, on her completion of three years at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and her embarking on a PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Later all.

GT

Delays and Farewells

Sorry for all the delays but I was undergoing finals, now its all over. Which means I get to think about Columbia this summer! Okay so here's what's happening first I would like to wish a congratulations to Simeon (Simcha) Botwinick on winning an Ipod shuffle -I still have no idea what that is but congratulations none the less. Simeon won said Ipod in the raffle that all participants of the psychological experiment were entered into. I would also like to wish everyone a great summer everyone going on TVI, Yad B'Yad, NYC826 etc. Those attending NYC826, acually only one MTA student, have the oportunity to work amongst some of the greatest writters of our time one of whom, David Sedaris, happens to be a personal favorite of mine. Well good luck to all and enjoy!

Duane Reade

Can anyone explain to me why there are so many Duane Reades in the city do they have a monopoly or something. I know I'm not the first one to notice this but seriously, I mean there are better drug stores. Even if it was the best drug store do you need one every block?
- I am only mentioning this fact because today I must have passed more Duane Reades than Starbucks ( I'm not exagerating!)

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

Sorry for the latenss it was posted late on the New Yorker website. I'll post the winners to the preivious contests soon.

Gary's weekly e-mail

Good morning all. Despite the horrible weather we have been having as of late, it is nice to be in NYC. For those of you who find the heat a little unbearable think about this: many public schools are not equipped with air conditioning at all. In fact, some teachers recorded temperatures as high as 103 in many of their classrooms this past Tuesday. This Sunday is Father's Day. This means Bar-B-Q's, family get togethers, ties, cologne and of course power tools. It also means that the lucky few who read through this message will know the history of the day. Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's Mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington State. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across American other people were beginning to celebrate a "father's day." In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally, in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day. Mazel Tov to the Spodek clan on the recent addition of Maya, mother (Michelle), father, baby and big sister (Shaina) are all reportedly doing well. Apparently, there is a new reality show on TV entitled "I want to be a Hilton". Is this really, what the world is turning into? The premise of the show: Kathy Hilton (mom to Paris and Nicky) hosts an engaging and humorous series that follows 14 eccentric young contestants as they vie for the opportunity to live the glamorous lifestyle of high society. Kathy Hilton guides the contestants through a variety of weekly challenges set in glamorous Manhattan and ranging from art and culture to beauty and fashion. Each week Kathy eliminates those who "didn't make the list." The finalist will win an extravagant prize package including a $200,000 trust fund! So apparently, the mom is now trying to cash in on the famous name. I thought these people owned a profitable hotel chain—do they really need our money? In addition, I am still trying to figure out what type of role model this woman represents? She married into a hotel business and never had a worry other than what her two daughters were up to. Have we run out of smart, innovative, creative or humorous writers? Are we all out of ideas? Worse yet, have audiences tired of watching 14 people trying to survive on an Island with nothing? Me--I will continue to pay up for HBO and watch 6 Feet Under, and Curb Your Enthusiasm--if I need to be in front of the TV. Best of luck to the 14 contestants.

Later all.

gt

News

Sorry guys its been a while since I posted, ie. Not my brothers e-mail or the contest. So naturally there is a lot going on. Firstly Entourage, the second episode played the first night of Shavuot so I watched it on demand 30 minutes before my gemara final. Speaking of my gemara final,(which was today) it was also a very important event in my life I am no longer under the control of Rabbi Handel. Why that is so awesome well to quote the uncle of a friend of mine upon hearing Rabbi Handel was still teaching at MTA " I had him 30 years ago and he was the worst Rabbi ever". On the lighter side of things I have posted the winners from the past to Cartoon Caption Contests. Unfortunately the next cartoon will not be posted till this coming Sunday (rather than last) due to the New Yorkers double issue last week.

Gary's weekly e-mail

Good morning and welcome to Hazy, Hot and Humid New York City.

For those of us to have to wear a suit to work every day (even through the summer) we pray for nice weather on the weekends and cooler-more manageable weather during the week. Although I honestly never understood why some firms (including mine) are not willing to budge on the expected attire even during the summer. How business-like do I look when I get to work dripping wet looking as if someone had sprayed half of my shirt with a water gun? Don't they want me to be comfortable? Next week we will be celebrating Shavuot, the holiday of weeks which commemorates the giving of the torah as well as the harvest season. The holiday carries with it many traditions/customs. For example, many stay up studying throughout the night on Shavuot to compensate for the fact that the Jews overslept the morning of the giving of the torah. What about dairy? I think I ask this question every year. I have found several sources for this tradition ranging from: the laws of Kashrut were passed down at Har Sinai and the Jewish people did not have the opportunity to properly slaughter animals. There is also a tradition to decorate homes and synagogues with flowers for the holiday. Many say this came from the Jews having found Har SInai blooming with flowers and shrubbery. Sometimes you wonder if the crazy driving of some of these cabbies ever leads to consequences. IN traveling to and from JFK airport this week I watched both drivers get tickets. The first was subtle; the driver decided to take Queens Boulevard to save time. He tried to make it through a light as it was turning yellow. He missed. I watched the flash from the camera in the intersection go off. I know he saw it too because he turned around to see if there was a car behind him hoping, he was off the hook. There wasn't, he wasn't. On the way home from JFK my driver failed to see signs for construction and got into the wrong lane. It was late--about 1 in the morning and you would normally expect light traffic. But I knew that our lane was too light. We were the only ones in it. When he saw the cones to our left it was already too late. There was a police car in front of us and the road ahead was all chopped up. We ( the driver received a ticket) and I hoped he didn't have too many hours left on his shift because he was clearly tired and now irate. There is always a bright side--he had just saved 20% on his insurance by switching to Geico. A happy and healthy holiday to all. Later.

gt

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

Last week's results were slightly less then that of the week before but hopefully this week we will take it to new hights!

Curb Your Enthusiasm

For those of you who didn't belive me about the return of the show here is a paragraph taken directly from the HBO FAQ:
When does the next season of Curb Your Enthusiasm begin?
Curb Your Enthusiasm will return for a fifth season in late summer 2005. The ten-episode fifth season will begin production in early 2005.
http://www.hbo.com/corpinfo/faq/curbfaq.shtml

Entourage!!!

Tonight the season premier of Entourage is at 9 watch it!!!

I'm Back!

Sorry about lack of posts this week I was away on the Jr. trip to lake geporge I notice the low amount of posts for the cartoon caption contest which is surprising considering the fact that this weeks was easier(In my opinion) either way I plan to resume posting
-I have added ads on the side I recive a small amount of money everytime they are clicked so please click

Gary's weekly e-mail

Good Morning all.

I should probably begin with apologizing for neglecting to mention my mother's birthday in last week's message. I try my best to include everyone-and typically end up forgetting everyone-but in any event, happy belated. I think Snoot's birthday was in May also so I guess I missed that as well. The Salute to Israel parade will take place this Sunday, June 5 in its usual location, 5th Avenue between 57th and 79th streets. The Salute To Israel Parade, is the single largest gathering in the world in support of Israel, not to be misread as the largest gathering of Singles in support of Israel. Many people make that mistake, but few are let down. The weather forecast for Sunday looks good: Warmer and more humid with times of clouds and sun

High Temperature: 85 F

RealFeel®: 84 F

Winds: WSW at 8 mph

Wind Gusts: 15 mph

Maximum UV: High (6)

Thunderstorm Probability: 18%

Amount of Precipitation: 0.00 in

Amount of Rain: 0.00 in

Amount of Snow: 0 in

Hours of Precipitation: 0 hrs

Hours of Rain: 0 hrs

This means that although it will actually reach temperatures as high as 85 degrees it will actually only feel like 84 degrees. Break out the sunglasses. Imagine my disappointment when I checked the Mega Millions results this morning and realized we did not win. My first mistake was checking the results after arriving at work-although had I won I imagine walking out to a group of clapping co-workers is more fun than calling in from the press conference. The good news is that we all have a chance to take home the 106 million jackpot this weekend SO if I see any of you rolling down 5th Avenue riding a NY State Lotto float on Sunday, I will have a pretty good idea that you picked the right numbers. How many of us have seen the famous movie Terminator where the premise, that at some point in the future machines control the world, seems completely out of hand. Flip to today where computers dictate exactly what we do. A crash in the computer system at the New York Stock Exchange forced trading to end early yesterday. Robots can be purchased to clean homes, and perform similar menial tasks. Heck, we are not even allowed to use an iPod during the first 30 minutes of an airline flight for fear that the little computer inside the iPod may communicate with the big computer that is actually flying the plane and tell it to go the wrong way. And, most ironic of all, the very cyborg from the movie is now running the state of Caleeeeeforneeeea. I wonder where we will be in another five years.

Later all

gt