Category: Old Stuff

Old posts here from 1998 – 2003. Frankly, I’m too lazy to sort them, and I don’t think anyone cares, really.

Some Local Flavour…

Posted on by Eric Brooks

Welcome to my Metropolis: The bustling city of Stroudsburg, PA… the epicenter, the “command center” (if you will) of the Poconos. Where the plans for a new resort are presented, where the judges decide your fate, where all things “Pocono” are first presented before a committee, where the news reports it all…

The town I left NYC for. I lovingly refer to Stroudsburg as “The city that goes to bed at a reasonable hour.” :0)

My job is to present the news online to 60,000 people a day. What goes on the front page is my call. In lieu of the Three part AP series “The man without a face”, I opt to feature Dr. Kirit Kothari and his work.

It’s politics mostly. Dr. Kothari is a big advertiser at the Pocono Record. He’s the sponsor of our Pocono Weekend site, and I had the pleasure of finishing his Pain Management site last month. He takes care of us, we take care of him. Simple.

It’s “race weekend” here in the Poconos. Despite my personal feelings toward Jeff Gordon, I still put him in as Top Local Sports. Gotta be objective in the news biz. :0)

Since Thursday, the front page was covered with the tragic death of Dominick Lockwood. Struck down while crossing the street, three blocks from me. An area where two men were sprayed with bullets from an uzi a few weeks ago.

The story of Lockwood’s death was touching. The photo featured the motorist breaking down and crying, clutching a parking meter… seeking solace and forgiveness from the cold metal object.

He was a prominent man here in the Poconos. A lawyer, a developer… truth be told, the first time I ever saw the words “beloved” and “landlord” used in the same sentence. The sad countenance of the newsroom all this week let me to believe that all of today’s columns and editorials would be about him. What a great guy he was… yadda, yadda, yadda.

Truth be told, I never understood why it was such a “big deal”. It was sad. It was tragic. But was it front page news for three days? While I am slowly growing in power, and meeting the key players here in the Poconos…

Still, I eshew the conventional, if I can help it.
I gravitate toward the quirky and offbeat.
*They* make life interesting.

My mind travels back to certain lunch hours, where I’d trek down to the A-Plus convenience store (former place of employment of Carole & Melissa.). I think of this funny-looking little man, with wild hair & a bow tie. Truth be told, he looked like he wandered out of a time machine from the late 1800’s.

The girls behind the counters giggled, as he tied the line up with one of his anecdotes, or his stories. He made people smile though.

He fascinated me.

Once upon a time I loved meeting the colourful characters that put that extra “zing” in life. I spent lunch hours as a messenger in NYC buying a homeless person something to eat, and sitting with them for a while. To get inside their minds, see life though their eyes, to absorb a little bit of their psyche and keep it within me forever…

But that was then. Now… I’m nothing more than a broken and bitter warrior who posted a “No Vacancy” sign over my heart. No one was getting in. Not even the wierd little guy that I couldn’t stop staring at.

… and don’t think he didn’t try. :0)

We came to an understanding that he could say “hi” and make me smile when he saw me… and that was it.Dominick Anthony LockwoodToday, it seemed my world and Stroudsburg’s collided. As I assembled the touching stories, and the fond memories, and the obituaries for today’s edition…

It turns out, I knew Dominick Anthony Lockwood all along. He was that strange, charasmatic character that tried to make me smile at A-Plus the whole time.

Dammit.
All the missed opportunities, the chance to be stimulated by such a brilliant mind. Gone, because I wont let anyone in anymore.

Few men will leave the legacy that he did in the Poconos.
His friends are all at the funeral today to say goodbye. The powerful and elite, the man that didn’t mean to kill him, the people that he made smile on the streets. But rather than mourn his death… they will celebrate his life.

… because sometimes life is about living.
… siezing the day.
And making people smile.

WWIII in Memphis…

Posted on by Eric Brooks

11:25 PM EST – Round one… ding ding.
(To be updated countinously through the night…)
I’m keeping up on MSNBC.Com and Associated Press, because I couldn’t get tickets at Fernwood.

Gawd, I’m pathetic. :0)

ROUND 1
Tyson comes out jabbing, and Lewis jabs back. Tyson bulls Lewis into corner and Lewis lands two right uppercuts. Tyson misses wildly with left hook. Lewis holds Tyson. Referee Eddie Cotton separates the fighters. They clinch again. Tyson backs Lewis up with left jab. Lewis holds Tyson. Tyson lands a left hook with 50 seconds left. Lewis holds again and Tyson pushes him into ropes. Lewis lands jab and misses right.

Lewis’ round. (hee hee… guess who I’m rooting for?)

ROUND 2

 

Tyson comes out and they clash heads. Lewis is warned by Cotton for throwing an elbow after Tyson complains. Lewis lands a right uppercut 30 seconds in. Lewis begins jabbing and Tyson misses a wild left hook. Lewis lands another uppercut at 1:46 of the round. Lewis is warned again by Cotton for holding. Tyson rushes in and is caught with a right uppercut. With a minute left, Lewis begins using jab, landing four or five. Lewis lands an uppercut with 15 seconds left.

Lewis’ round.

ROUND 3
Tyson head-butts Lewis as round opens. Lewis towers over Tyson and pushes him off when he comes inside. Again, they clinch and Cotton forces them apart. Lewis is throwing jabs, dancing around with 1:30 left. Lewis is controlling the fight with his jab and Tyson can’t find the range. Tyson hits on Lewis’ ribs while they clinch. Tyson tries to move his head to avoid jab but it still lands. Tyson lands left hook with 47 seconds left, his biggest punch. Tyson is cut on the right eye. Blood is running from the cut. Lewis works on cut. Lewis lands good right as bell sounds.

Lewis’ round.

ROUND 4
Tyson rushes out again but is tied up and Lewis lands two jabs. Lewis lands a big right hand with 2:25 left. Lewis misses a left but lands a right. He is pushing Tyson around. Lewis jabs Tyson, who appears confused and unable to do anything to keep Lewis off of him. Lewis’ confidence is growing. He hits Tyson with two jabs and a right uppercut midway through the round. Lewis lands a big right with 1:14 left as Tyson tries to hold him. Lewis hits Tyson with two big rights. Tyson swings wildly with 40 seconds left. Tyson is desperately trying for a big punch but can’t land it. Lewis jabs him, then hits him with a right hand and Tyson goes down on his back with 10 seconds left. Cotton rules it a slip.

Lewis’ round (SWEEEEEEEET!!!!!!)

ROUND 5
Lewis lands his jab early. Tyson simply standing in center of ring taking it, unable to punch. Lewis lands an uppercut then Cotton stops fight and talks to Lewis again for pushing. Tyson is an easy target for Lewis’ jab. Lewis jabs again late in the round. Tyson is unable to get off a punch and is beaten to the punch.

Lewis’ round

ROUND 6
Tyson’s corner is trying to prevent swelling on both his eyes. Lewis hits Tyson then pushes him across the ring. He seems to have no fear of Tyson’s power. Lewis lands a big left-right with 2:15 left. Tyson tries to throw a right and misses, then misses another and they clinch. Lewis lands a succession of jabs midway through the round, then a right hand that backs Tyson up. Lewis is pushing Tyson off when he clinches. Tyson finally lands a right hand but it doesn’t faze Lewis.

Lewis’ round.

ROUND 7
Lewis has some swelling under his left eye. Tyson is cut over both eyes. Lewis is dominating with his jab. Lewis lands two jabs and a right, then is warned again by Cotton for using elbow. Action slows in this round, but Lewis’ jab is still accurate. Tyson is bleeding from the nose and from cuts on his eyes. With 23 seconds, Lewis left lands good left and right and Tyson hits him below the belt. Lewis buckles Tyson’s knees with a right hook with 8 seconds left.

Lewis round.

Lewis KO’s Tyson to Retain Titles
By TIM DAHLBERG
AP Boxing Writer
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Lennox Lewis showed the bully who was boss.

Using a masterful left jab and landing his right hand at will, Lewis battered a befuddled MikeTyson before stopping him with a crashing right hand in the eighth round to keep his heavyweight titles Saturday night.

Tyson was bleeding from cuts over his eyes and from the nose when Lewis landed a punch that sent him sprawling on his back in Lewis’ corner. Tyson tried to get up at the count of eight, getting to one knee, but was counted out.

It was a sudden end to a dominating performance in which Lewis overwhelmed the former champion from the opening bell.

Referee Eddie Cotton counted Tyson out at 2:25 of the eighth round.

YESSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like I predicted in the comments … KO in the 8th round! YES!

 

Here’s some fun filled facts…

Posted on by Eric Brooks

Please note: I’m not Jewish (a common assumption with my last name). I’m stating that for the fact that I really don’t know anyone currently living in the Middle East, and I have no ulterior motives, or vested interest for writing this… I’m just stating some facts. And here is my opinion, it’s open for discussion here… in fact, I encourage it.

Yes, I think it would be lovely if the Palestinians and Israel would work out thier differences, Israel pulling out of the Gaza Strip, and Arafat and Sharon doing the maypole dance together…

Guess what, guys? Do you *really* think that’s going to stop terrorism? Bring peace to the Middle East, which has been a fucked up shithole for centuries? Are you really that naive? Do you think Osama bin Laden even gave a shit about Palestine before he saw his face on a gazillion posters and saw all their support for his role on September 11th? Do you think Israel can pull out of the occupied territories, and Hamas and Hizbullah are “suddenly” going to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist?

Which Came First – Terrorism or “Occupation”? – Major Arab Terrorist Attacks against Israelis Prior to the 1967 Six-Day War. Yes it’s from the Israeli Government’s official site. But these are historical facts, unlike the propagandistic, post 9/11, drivel I’ve seen circulating on MetaFilter … (I’ll find the links later). You’ve seen them: Gory pictures of children missing body parts, captions like “Look at what one of your leftover bombs from the Gulf War did…”

Well, Saddam, you fucking moron. You invaded Kuwait, tried to take over the world’s oil supplies, you were ordered by the U.N. to pull out or else… what did you expect?

But I digress…

I suggest a little more fact finding before sides are taken. It’s a lot more complicated than just a so-called “illegal occupation”. Terrorism is more than just a “last resort” these days. It’s BIG business. Someone is getting rich selling these guns and bombs… and I doubt highly that they’re going to close up shop.

I don’t believe that certain people *want* peace out there. If Israel pulls out of the Gaza Strip, then these people will be strapping explosives on their children for something else…

There was terrorism *long before* the Six Day war…
There was terrorism *long before* Israel was even reformed…

You don’t give in to terrorists. It doesn’t work that way.

“Peace will come when the people of the world will want it so badly, that their leaders will have *no choice* but to give it to them…”
– Superman IV: The Quest for Peace –

The movie sucked, but what a great quote.

Banner ads on EricBrooks.Com

Posted on by Eric Brooks

A bunch of lovely new banners on EricBrooks.Com:

  • One from The Back Porch
  • One from the multi-talented Maria of “Dayzed & Confused” fame
  • And two from the mysterious and sexy Hormonal Bitches

    • (And sadly, retired the Simply Lee and Fathom5 banners.)

    If you wanna place a 274 x 58 banner here (for free) for some additional traffic you can go to my Banner Ad Section, where I have just redone the forms so they’re less confusing…

    Eric Brooks - WHUZZUP®!

    And in the “Great Minds Think Alike” department…

    I found this at Deb’s (Whom we’re all chipping in to buy her a comments section)…

    SimilarMinds.com Compatibility Test
    Your match with Deb you are 90% similar you are 92% complementary

    So, how Compatible are You with Moi?

     

    Newz & Gossip

    Posted on by Eric Brooks
  • South Park Bloggers – Well, you got the CyberPal, you got Faith, you got Batgrl, you used to have Aaron (but he “accidentally” deleted most of his entries. Uh huh.) and now you got Jon Sullivan.Someone needs to assemble these together and make a gallery, so we can make parody flash movies. (hint. hint.)
  • Top secret project – Kare’s got something coming down the pike… so secret she wont even share with me. But what little I heard, it sounds like a great idea…
  • Nico learns you “can’t please everybody”. Shit. I gave up on that a long time ago.
  • Tammie misses Phil. Everyone goes “Awwwww….”. :0)
  • Tracy – DykeWrite – You have officially been plugged. That will be $50.00 please.
  • Intimate details – BobtheCorgi tells all about Mr. Sami. Film at 11.

    • An open apology to my friends

    Posted on by Eric Brooks

    In regards to one of my previous remarks on “Enemy of the State”… the one where I said “I have no friends”.

    I know I should have dealt with this sooner… this has gone though many, many drafts on my desktop, all while the other posts were going on.

    I’ve concluded that the more I say… the worse I’ll make it. To some of you, this will look like I’m just copying and pasting this from your emails when you complained. This isn’t for you. This is for all of the others I hurt that *didn’t say anything* to me. No links. You know who you are.

    Do I have friends on the web? Of course I do.

    I have friends, who were freshly burned by Kaycee, and sent me money to get my kids back, anyway. I have friends that sent us christmas cards, and gifts for the kids, knowing I couldn’t do the same for them. I have friends that listened to me cry on the phone. I have friends that I have shared the most painful, crippling moments of this entire ordeal with… the chapters of the story that will never see its way to a web page. I have friends that knew when to give advice. I have friends that knew when to just listen. I have friends that have *never* cast judgement. I have friends that cut me slack at work when family problems were overwhelming. I have friends that offered me a home on their websites, servers, and comment boxes when I needed a place to let it out. I have friends that have done some absolutely phenomenal things for me and my children, and have sworn me to never tell a soul what they did. I have friends that saw me say “I have no friends”, and weren’t offended…. they dropped me a line to say: “I know exactly what and who you meant by that.”

    That remark was *NEVER* directed at my friends.
    We’re going to leave it at that.

    *You* have changed the lives of a family you may or may not ever meet. You need to know that. You need to know what you’ve done with your random acts of kindness and friendship. You need to know all you’ve done for me.

    And *you* need to know that *I* know it too.
    It may seem at times that I forgot all that, but I never did.

    I am alone right now.

    Not as a wounded puppy afraid to limp out into the sunlight again.
    I am alone by choice.
    It is the driving force at the core of my being.
    It’s who I am.
    I would have never found it again if it weren’t for my friends.
    This is not so much an apology as much as it is an acknowlegment, a “thank you” to you…
    …my friends.

    For I am truly blessed, and sometimes wonder what I ever did to deserve any of you.

    Now enough of this “reality” bullshit, y’all… I’m gonna have a good time anyway! ;0)

    The truth about boys, Uhm, I mean MEN…

    Posted on by Eric Brooks

    I posted this really frisky dream I had last night in someone’s comments section. Of course, not here… you’d have to know where to look.

    Not that you *care*… I’m just saying. :0)

    I would also like to add to the ongoing discussion, and confirm Miss Smarty pants’ allegation that men “stalk” too…

    We sure do BAY-BEE!

  • I can’t tell you how many times my “Little Black Book” had numbers from girls whom I overheard giving it out to someone else, then I had to come up with some clever answer when they asked how I got their number…
  • Or how many times I’d take an alternate route home from school, for the sole purpose of following a girl (that usually didn’t even know I was alive) home…
  • Or my explaining to my boss that I was an hour and a half late because of “train problems” (which the “problem” entailed me getting off at a different stop, because that’s where a real cutie went..)

    • See? Sure us guys are generally dumb as posts… but we have our tactics too. :0)

    (*My apologies to any males who feel this is, in any way of a “betrayal”, giving out some of our tricks… but “wimmenkind” think we’re “totally dense” and, I’m trying to correct that*)

    In this day and age, maybe “stalking” probably isn’t the best word to use. But there is a *fundamental difference* between a guy following you around, trying to summon up the courage to ask you out… or an emotionally disturbed individual who wants to put your head in a jar of formaldehyde, okay? A *BIG* difference. :0)

    And if Ruth (from the third grade, whom I gave a black eye once) is reading this: I’m sorry…I *really* didn’t mean to hit you that hard, and *YOU’RE* the reason I am obsessed with redheads, baby! YOW!!!! :0)

    Of course, you’re, like, really friggin’ *old* now… EEP!

    An open apology to my “friends” is coming up… I didn’t mean for this to run so long…

    The truth about women…

    Posted on by Eric Brooks

    Here is a *GREAT* blog entry, for us men… also known as “The Dumber Sex“:

    “Men, did you honestly think that you saw us wherever you went due to some oddly karmic twist in fate? NO! It took a lot of hard work and dedication to just turn up when you least expected it, seemingly at random! ”

    Oh, well ain’t *THAT* the friggin’ truth!!!??!!??

    I remember when I used to hang out with my best friend John. He had a studio in the back room of his apartment, we did a lot of recording, or just hanging out.

    A lot of the times I was there, John’s wife, Janet, had a friend over. Made perfect sense. She and her friend, Carole both kept each other company while the “hotshot musicians” played in the back room.

    She also came bearing gifts too… my greatest weakness…FOOD. (I was surviving on ketchup sandwiches at that point.) Trays of it. She was a caterer.

    Well, even with her constantly around… it took “Mr. Badass Guitarist/Singer” weeks to finally get the courage to ask her for her phone number.

    … and it took *years* of marriage to Carole for her to finally admit it was a setup all along! Everytime Janet heard I was coming over, she called Carole.

    So HA! HA! on YOU Tess!!!! I’m blowing the whistle on you and, all of wimmen-kind!!!!!

    They’re plotting against us, guys!!! BE VERY AFRAID!

    And…and… they make you *fat*, so you’re repulsive to other women. That’s how they keep you.
    *PPPPTBBBTHHHHHHHHH!!!!!*

    The web, real or fake?

    Posted on by Eric Brooks

    Some people feel that the web is too fake…

    As I said in Lynn’s comments today, people’s websites are people telling their *OWN* stories.

    “It’s not that different on the web. It’s still people, and ‘their side of the story’. People need to realize that the very nature of a weblog is someone ‘telling their story’. You will only know what they want you to know. It doesn’t make it right or wrong.

    It’s all as real or as fake as you allow it to be.”

    If you ask me, I have found the web to be way too damn real in the past few months.

    What do you think?

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