UPDATE: 9:25 pm Okay I just found another funny incident (even at this late hour). Having just discovered Baer 'The Turk' Tierkel’s blog via GavinThink and lo and behold there I am on Sunday when yes I did one of my favorite activities: the lone charge of an enemy machine gun nest.
SourVoodoo
So yeah, I have no problem with the nickname 'The Lone Ranger' although I believe all three Amherst Center columnists already used it to disparage Hwei-Ling Greeney.
But you gotta wonder about The Turk describing the standout of a half-dozen O’Keeffe Peepers (although Greeney gets two or three time that) holding signs as “impromptu”.
And so much for the Professor’s complaint/comment today about my giving people nicknames. I actually stole “The Turk” designation from one of Stephanie’s (other) biggest supporters.
UPDATE: 7:25 pm. Okay so I’m trying to think of the funniest incident of the day and boy it’s hard so I’ll just list all three (besides the animatronics Marinette for Romero video I posted)
Greg Saulmon at the Local Buzz has some fun with the overly educated Amherst ACE folks this afternoon (I can only hope he discovered them thru my posted link on Friday)
Local Buzz Bomb
So after leaving town center where I held a sign for Hwei-Ling for an hour so my phone rings and caller ID shows Otto Stein. “Hi this is Diana Stein and I’m running for Select board…do you have a moment” At first I thought it was a recorded message but I said “sure” and she went into a 30 second elevator pitch closing with “So can I have one of your two votes tomorrow?” Of course by now I’m laughing and I reply “Diana do you know who this is?” Ahhh, no she says. “I stood by you in town center two hours ago holding a red sign”. She actually kind of got a kick out it (as did I) saying “Well I guess I can’t count on either of your votes.”
And a not so funny incident where a pimple faced teenager came up to Hwei-Ling in a most direct manner and complained about her placing one of her signs on “town property” without anyone actually holding it (although we were only 20 yards away).
I said to Hwei-Ling not to worry about it as the kid was too young to vote anyway and obviously with his attitude has parents had already brainwashed him.
click to enlarge
Larry -
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of campaigning, I think it's great that the Amherst Taxpayers group has endorsed a slate. Endorsements are such a double-edged sword, though. Some people vote “with” the endorsements, and some people will vote "against" them, just like some of our neighbors vote “with” our lawn signs, and some probably vote “against” them. Either way, endorsements provide guidance, I suppose. Having said that, to interpret them, it's important to know who is doing the endorsing. So in the case of Baer, Clare and Andy, we know that they are the ones doing the endorsing. Likewise for the Amherst Bulletin (although I understand that some people are concerned with a local newspaper endorsing candidates). I may have missed the list, but I don't know who is in the ATRC group besides you and Stan G.
Another issue…you have all those nicknames (The Turk, Boss Hogg, his lordship) and adjectives (amateur, pimple-faced, crusty, etc.). The nicknames are sort of like the names for the guys in the Winter Hill Gang in Boston (e.g., Steven "the Rifleman" Flemmi; Francis “Cadillac Frank” Salemme; Kevin "Turtleneck Pants" O'Neil), and I always thought they were pretty cool. Of course, my guess is that those guys helped choose their nicknames. But I realized that we never see clever nicknames or adjectives for you, at least not on your blog. With all of this acrimony in the air, the Town needs something light to get us past whatever happens Tuesday night. How about a contest once the election is over to come up with clever nicknames for you? I read one today that I thought was amusing, but I don’t want to upstage the person who used it. Of course, really offensive words (c-words, p-words, etc.) should not be used, even as jokes. What do you think?
Jeff “the Professor”
Hey Jeff,
ReplyDeleteDid I really dub you "the professor"? Damn...I thought I was more clever than that.
During a firefight on Masslive/Amherst forum about five years ago somebody dubbed me "Osama Big Larry" and my compatriot Izzy Lyman (at the time the token Conservative Columnist for the Gazette) "Icky Lyman". She liked it so much she used if for her blog name. And I still use both nicknames whenever I email her.
I believe 11 ballots were cast in the Amherst Taxpayers for Responsible Change vote to endorse Greeney and Rhodes (Hey, Stephanie did get one vote).
what on earth is that? I can't make out the signs...
ReplyDeleteThis video is a classic! What is going on in it? Is it some kind of Rube Goldberg machine? The snow actually adds a lot and I like the music. I also like this nickname contest idea. I think of you as "Only in Amherst" Larry. Or maybe Karate Kelley?
ReplyDeleteHey Mary's! It's a sort of an animatronics Marinette for Romero truck with sound system (yeah not the sort of thing you expect for a stodgy School Committee seat--but you gotta love it).
ReplyDeleteMy nickname all thru karate has been "Kickin Kelley".
I can't tell which candidate that guy is sponsoring, but they apparantly advocate puppet abuse.
ReplyDeleteOsama Big Larry, minor correction. I was dubbed "Icky LIEman." Apparently my columns were gross fabrications to the artful nicknamers.
ReplyDeleteHey Icky! Oh, yeah. I forgot that part. He was such a clever dude. Posting anonymously of course.
ReplyDelete