Bruner Blog
All Bruner, All the Time
Enron's Online Auction
Elizabeth points out that Enron is having a going-out-of-business sale, auctioning off much office equipment and technology online.
- 9/13/2002
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We're Oil Behind the President
From Mark. Wish I knew to whom to give credit as the creator.
- 9/13/2002
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NYT Areal Photos of Ground Zero
I like the interactive features the NYT has been running lately on their site. Here is a nice multimedia photo series of areal shots of Ground Zero by sunset.
- 9/13/2002
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Sick
 Who could actually get away with wearing these hilariously offensive t-shirts?
Okay, this one might not be exactly "hilarious," but check out the featured "insensitive T-shirt of the month" when you click through, and tell me that's not funny (even tho I'm too chicken to feature it here).
Still, you couldn't wear any of them out of the house, unless you were 16 years old with pierced temples. In fact, when I was about that age and John Lennon was killed, I thought it might be funny to wear a shirt that said "Happiness is a warm gun," but I thought better of it.
- 9/13/2002
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Test Tube Penile Parts
Don't blame me. This stuff actually happens, the press writes about it, and then Mark forwards me the stories. How can I resist? Scientists are now growing penises in laboratories. (Too bad Reuters doesn't carry pictures with these Oddly Enough pieces.)
- 9/13/2002
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Sept. 11 NY Lottery: 9-1-1
Un-freakin-believable. I'm beyond speechless. Just plain scary. The winning number for the NY state lottery on September 11th was: 9-1-1.
- 9/13/2002
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Andrei Codrescu's Cynical Poetic Take on '9/11'
I love the Romanian-born poet and essayist Andrei Codrescu, particularly for his commentaries on NPR. The sound of his voice alone is so seductive. He is also a brilliant writer and observer. Despite my aversion to the repetition of "9/11" (instead of Sept. 11th, as I've said before I would prefer we all called it), I found his poem, "9/11 (with Allen Ginsberg in mind)" very powerful when he read it on the air for the anniversary.
My favorite verse:
9/11, you were a boon to advertisers and publicists and flag manufacturers, and they sold you with cars and pizzas and they drained you of your raw primal power even as they pretended to grieve for you! Zero down payment until Doomsday!
- 9/13/2002
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Prophetic 1998 Interview With WTC Security Chief
Very compelling video clip. Quoting from AtomFilms copy:
A truly chilling example of foreshadowing, The Voice of the Prophet is an interview with Rick Rescorla, the head of security for the investment firm Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. Filmed on the 44th floor of the World Trade Center in 1998, Rescorla details the future of warfare long before Osama bin Laden became America's Most Wanted.
A retired Army colonel, veteran of combat in three wars and a survivor of the 1993 bombing of the twin towers (in which he saved the lives of hundreds of Morgan Stanley employees), Rescorla was killed in the WTC attacks of September 11, 2001. In this interview, Rescorla all but predicts the events that lead up to the September 11 attack and the war on terrorism that followed.
Thanks to John Robb for the tip.
- 9/13/2002
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Friday the 13th
Great, just what we need after yesterday's anniversary.
- 9/12/2002
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Windy
Furious wind blowing in NYC today. The Hudson is splashing up on its banks. In three years of living here, I don't remember the likes of it. Strange.
- 9/11/2002
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- 9/11/2002
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Two and a Half Months
Nick was appalled when he saw me using an analog camera on the 4th of July. "How long is it going to take you to get those photos online?" Well, yes, I should have been able to get to it faster than this, but I think they're nice photos anyway, so better late than never.
FYI, that's the privacy-loving Peter on the left and Nick, in mid-blink (there wasn't even a flash), on the right.
- 9/10/2002
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Serbian and Klezmer Brass, Knitting Factory, Sept. 23
 We are all looking forward to the Gogol Bordello concert at the Knitting Factory on Sept. 22 (and 21, for that matter, I notice, which might be the better night to see them, Ildi et al, as that's the Saturday).
But here's a scoop: the very next night, Sept. 23, the Knitting Factory has another amazing line-up they're calling "Brotherhood of the Brass." It's a double bill with the Boban Markovic Orkestar, a Serbian Gypsy band hugely popular in Hungary (and familiar to anyone who's seen Emir Kusturica's films "Arizona Dream" or the outstanding "Underground" and "Black Cat, White Cat") and Frank London's Klezmer Brass (of Klezmatics/Hasidic New Wave fame). It will be a Monday night to remember.
Now all we need is to get Kultur Shock out to NY, Seattle's answer to Gogol Bordello (I've been meaning to rave about their newish album "FUCC THE I.N.S." here for a while now but haven't gotten around to it yet).
- 9/10/2002
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Snouts, They're What's for Breakfast...Not
So, in the interest of full disclosure and follow up, snouts turned out to be not as appetizing as I hoped. Strange, last night I was looking so forward to eating my hot souse for breakfast that I had to fight myself not to get out of bed for a midnight snack, but somehow when I woke up, my mood had changed to foreboding. I actually ate cereal for breakfast, but screwed up my courage for snouts for lunch.
Cutting slices from the souse log revealed big white gristly hunks. As it fried up, it disintegrated into a red, pasty, snouty mess. Served it with an egg on toast. Couldn't do it. Got a couple of bites in and, while not as disgusting as, say, tripe or brains, let's just say I determined I'm not a snout man, after all.
- 9/10/2002
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Speedy the High-Speed Hamster
This just in: British police nab a hamster driving at high speed on the highway. I wonder if was shouting "Arriba, arriba, andele, andele!"
(While this sounds like a Mark story, it was actually pointed out to me by Dana, who has no web site.)
- 9/10/2002
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National Women's Football League
 Women and sports, a great combination. The fairer sex (I assume that phrase refers to complexion and not equanimity, in which case I might take issue) presently dominate U.S. spectator interest in soccer and tennis. I also love the WNBA and am sorry it doesn't get more major network airtime though glad that it appears to be surviving, at least. Even women's boxing is taking off, because, let's face it, girls fighting is cool. But women's tackle football? Who knew? Sounds awesome, except that under shoulder pads and helmets they don't look very sexy. (Crass, yes, but then I'm a marketing guy.)
- 9/10/2002
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Think the Media's Full of It? Drop Them a Note
I love HereinReality.com. Leigh Ann knows how to stirs the shit. She just put together a list of email addresses for 84 media commentators. Let them know what's on your mind.
- 9/9/2002
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Mmmm, Snouts
One of the things I love about living in Harlem is soul food. I'm within a few blocks of one of the best and best-priced markets in NYC (things are cheaper in Harlem!), Fairway, but a couple of blocks closer and without the big hill in the way is Met, a much more neighborhoody affair, but still a reasonably good market.
One of the advantages of Met's besides being closer is products like Arnold's Hot Souse. What is it? Well, a search of the phrase Arnold's Hot Souse on Google finds only four links (none of them relevant), and I still don't have my digital camera, so I'll have to paint a picture with words. Basically, ground red stuff punctuated with gristle in a breakfast-sausage form. Chief ingredient "pork snouts." Besides snouts, it's basically just seasoning. Can't wait for breakfast!
- 9/9/2002
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Mmmm, Stuffed Camel
Thanks to Cameron for this recipe. Actually sounds tasty, and it serves up to 100. Perhaps something new for Thanksgiving?
- 9/9/2002
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I Want This T-Shirt!
- 9/9/2002
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DayPop Breaks on Italian Vacation
Nick answers my question: DayPop's creator, Dan Chan, is on vacation in Italy and the servers crashed and he can't debug it remotely. Ouch, indeed.
- 9/9/2002
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More Running For Dollars
I've actually never participated in a charity race before, or any kind of organized running race for that matter, but now I just committed another $30 to run in the Let Freedom Run race in Manhattan this Saturday. No, this isn't a new mania for me, I promise, it's just that another friend, Alev, has been bugging me to sign up for this race for weeks. I was hoping it was the same one that Brent already talked me into, but no, they're separate, and this one is to benefit Sept. 11th charities. Whatever. All good causes, social opportunities and exercise, so why not. Ironically, Alev's interest in getting friends to join was to inspire her to get in shape for it, but sadly that failed to happen and she suspects she'll have trouble with one mile (it's also a four-mile race).
Meanwhile, my challenge to other NYC bloggers to help me raise pledges and run with me in the first race is off to a disappointing start. Jacob wrote back promptly and said he'd love to but then flashed the handy Jewish holiday excuse (Sukkot). Peter lamely said he'd do it only if Nick did, which he thought assured his non-participation. Nick, like Jeff, Anil and Cameron, has so far just ignored me altogether. Oh well, I tried. I guess I wouldn't have made DayPop with it in any event, what with it being broken an all.
An update: Elizabeth has, in fact, agreed to run! Yipee!
- 9/9/2002
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Re-imagining the World Trade Center
Many thanks to Nick Denton for pointing out this great feature in the New York Times on truly creative architectural approaches to Ground Zero. Check out the interactive feature, it's nicely done.I have been doing some thinking on the memorial and rebuilding and will share my own thoughts in a few days.
- 9/8/2002
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Bulgarian Disco Still in Business After All
I've just heard it from my sources that my previous posting was alarmist and the Bulgarian disco was indeed open for business this weekend. Details.
- 9/8/2002
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DayPop Still on the Fritz, Caterina Surprised
I still haven't seen an explanation anywhere for what's up with DayPop Top 40, one of the most popular sites in the blogosphere, which has definitely been out of order for almost a week. The normally dynamically updated list has been static for days with all the links untitled.
And for some weird reason, most of the links on the frozen list point, seemingly arbitrarily, to various archived pages of one paritcular (lucky) blogger, Caterina. I dropped Caterina a note about it, and she wrote back saying she was surprised to hear it was still the case. Someone had pointed it out to her a few days ago but she assumed it would have been fixed by now. She said she's going to check her traffic logs. I'm sure she'll be pleased with what she sees.
- 9/8/2002
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Send Me a Charity Pledge: Race to Deliver
I was looking for a running partner to enjoy the beautiful afternoon with today, and after calling a bunch of blogger and Budapester buddies, I came up dry and am about to head out alone momentarily (doing a brilliant job procrastinating a client deadline). But first, I let Brent talk me into registering for a charity run in a few weeks (Sept. 22), Race to Deliver. It's organized by the NY Road Runners club and benefits God's Love We Deliver. I'd never heard of the charity and am an irreligious person, but I see they deliver food to people ill with AIDS. That's certainly a cause I can get behind, and refreshingly it has nothing to do with Sept. 11 and is probably hurting financially because of that. So I pledged the standard $20 and am in for the race. I'm not really a competitive runner, but it's only four miles and a good cause, so what the heck.
The event also seeks pledges from other contributors for the runner of their choice, so I figure I'd put out the appeal on the blog. (Note: this is not a wagering event. I do not plan to win.) Sadly, I see their process is quite old-fashioned. You have to send me a check payable to "God's Love We Deliver" (my mailing address (a Mailboxes Etc., for all you wackos) is Rick Bruner, 2840 Broadway #148, NY, NY 10025). The race isn't till Sept. 22, so you have plenty of time to get those checks in, if you write it now! (Of course, if they had their act together, they'd have a PayPal account where folks can pledge for a friend, but sadly they're not switched on enough to target the blogger demographic.)
BTW, you're allowed to form teams. Nick, Peter, Anil, Elizabeth, Jeff, Jacob, Cameron, et al, shouldn't we form a bloggers team? We could all wear NYC Bloggers T-Shirts with our URLs on the back. Or, maybe not... We certainly won't win, place or show, but we could probably all finish, and with our combined Net savvy, we could probably set up our own PayPal account for pledges and drive quite a lot of charitable contributions. We could even bring digital cameras and wi-fi devices have up-to-the-minute coverage. :-)
I throw down the gauntlet. Are we more than just post-irony, neo-snarky geeks and weenies? Are we not men and women of even this much good character and ability? Are we not, in some post-Sept. 11th way, little tiny everyday heroes ourselves? We can do more than go to the theatre and buy new SUVs to do our part. Are we not Devo? D.E.V.O.?
- 9/8/2002
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Tragic Relativism: The Left Coast and Sept. 11
I like California. I really do. (Sort of.) But I share Jeff Jarvis's anger with people (many from that state, in his round-up on the subject) who deny us the moral right to feel bad about September 11 because it doesn't measure up to AIDS or famine in Africa or whatever. It isn't a contest. What happened a year ago was bad, and reflecting thoughfully about it is necessary and good.
- 9/8/2002
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