KEN LAYNE: " I notice the moccasins I'm wearing on this cold, wet day. They say 'L.L. Bean' but they also say 'Made in China.' The sole is rubbery plastic, made from petroleum. The sheepskin was boated in from Australia..."

By golly, I'm wearing those very same slippers!

Hee hee hee! Watch the ad. I laughed out loud when the girl opened the door and said, "Hey! You forgot Poland!"

I know I said it on Sept. 11, 2001, but this time I really, really mean it: This changes everything.

Dang, now I feel guilty. Because I'd given up on the Red Sox actually making it to the World Series. I stopped paying attention. I let my eye off the ball.

Hm... I wonder if that's why.... Naw.

*

The other day I ran into an acquaintance who says he reads my blog. "And I always say, 'Doesn't this guy have a restaurant to run?'" As if to say, Scott writes in his blog so much, how does he find time for anything else..." Whereupon I immediately recognized that this person read my blog once, maybe twice, not even bothering to look at the entry dates.

*

I don't see any reason not to mention this here: Tulip Cafe is for sale. Highest bidder. I want my life, sanity and my journalistic career back, and my partners in this venture are not willing to help out.

Don't get me wrong. I don't want to close Tulip. I love the place; I just don't particularly like owning it anymore. In the best case scenario, somebody would come along and offer a decent price for 51% of the company. I could stay in as a passive minority shareholder -- although I don't have to. (As 51% owner, you can pretty much do anything you want.)

Ideally, this prospective buyer: a) has experience in the restaurant business, particularly in Prague; and b) actually likes Tulip -- the food, atmosphere, and concept.

To me, Tulip is like a big lovable dog that's not particularly happy in its current living environment. Apartment's too cramped, owner's away all the time, doesn't feed it properly. I could keep the dog, because I love it so much; but then it would suffer. Or I could give it to somebody that would take proper care of it. Perhaps I would have visitation rights, perhaps not, but at least the dog would be happy.

Contact me privately if you know of anybody with serious interest.

The New York Times > International > Middle East > Logistics: Inquiry Opens After Reservists Balk in Baghdad: "'I know soldiers are deeply concerned and have been deeply concerned about the equipment shortages,' said Paul Rieckhoff, who was an Army lieutenant in Iraq for almost a year, until February this year, and is now executive director of Operation Truth, a New York advocacy group working to draw attention to the needs of soldiers in Iraq and returning veterans.
'When you don't have proper equipment, you feel vulnerable,' Mr. Rieckhoff said. 'We haven't evolved quickly enough to meet the enemy threat, which is rocket-propelled grenades and roadside bombs.'"

I knew that guy in college. He was two years behind me. Big, burly, smart dude with an attitude. Had a show on WAMH, where I was general manager, called "Rieck on the Mic," which only sounds good if you know that Rieckoff rhymes with mic-off. He's exactly the type of guy I'd want fighting in the U.S. Army. If anybody happens to read this who happens to ever speak to Paul Rieckhoff, tell him I give him mad props.

In any case, this is a great story, and it's interesting that the presidential campaign sort of brought it to the attention of the public, rather than vice versa.

UPDATE: Yes, it's definitely the same guy I knew... Here's a Salon piecethat mentions his background. "Rieckhoff, a political independent, looks like the former football player that he is: 6 feet 2 inches, and 250 pounds. His head is shaved bald. At Amherst College he played tight end, and after graduating in 1998, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves."