The Good, the Bad, and the Really Ugly:

It has been a very Good year.  I had a very Good Christmas with all of my family and friends; my niece had an excellent go at her presents.  This year has brought damn Good writing, and Good times to my life.  I am truly lucky. 

Complacency has been spotted at an all time high this year and this has allowed Bad things to come from Good people worldwide.  Though people are inherently Good, Bad continues to surface in daily tribulation after daily tribulation.  Imagine a different outcome this year. 

Finally, the Really Ugly would have to be the incessant assault on our human senses by the one truly and unequivocally influential advertising/or commercialism.  I am, I realize, a hypocrite (for I willingly fall into the commercials of television and magazines like the rest of us and upon a dollar offered would gladly sell my writing like one possessed of the selfish/mercenary mentality that plagues the world's inhabitants, [though I'll never sell out entirely, nor yield my soul]), but I stand to resist the commercial media as much as I can and to help others to do so also.  It is time we humans fought back.  Subliminal and direct advertising assaults our senses every day and it is on us to at least be aware of as much of this -- these blatant swaying tools -- to retain our freedom over our own decisions and behaviors. 
    Therefore, I'd like to make known a recent travesty that has come to my attention.  Inside Greenwich Village there is a sign advertising a certain A&* television show.  During the middle of December this sign was erected with a new feature:  as one walked into the targeted area, surrounding the sign, beams of ultrasound shoot you and changes the audible sound so that you hear, without warning, an advertisement for the television show.  This direct assault on one's brain and personal space is the first of its kind.  Advertisers dreamed up a way to get you, because once you stray into the targeted area you cannot stop hearing the advertisement until you find your way out of the targeted area (and far away from the billboard).  Anything could be programed to rape your ears and you have no way of knowing when it will come, or when the attack will end. 
    Now the billboard I speak of has already been turned off.  It still stands, but the company ended the audio pillaging after one week, which begs the question:  why create an expensively innovative advertisement just for one week.  It is possible that heat has already been brought down upon this technological travesty that once beguiled our freedom to turn off the commercial.  Maybe they were avoiding flack, just "experimenting", or maybe the company was merely trying to keep the Really Ugly assault under the radar.  Well I am informing everyone possible, and I stand ready to fight to remove such dire devices from our already chained existence (see Plato for information regarding the shackles keeping us in the "cave").  Here is a link to an article regarding the billboard.  If anyone has any information, or feedback please leave it here and I'll get back to you.

http://www.cnet.com/8301-13645_1-9836453-47.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5

I wish everyone Peace and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Rob Huneke

Today marks my fourth Newsday review appearing in Newsday.  I am in a frenzy as my classes are wrapping up and my honors history class will require a steady stream of studying from now until Tuesday, when I can collapse in relief.  Celebrating will be in order, one week from today, so watch out all!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS to everyone I know (and don't); I hope the holidays bring everyone good things in this world.  Merry Christmas!

I have made the greatest discovery since Fire:  I just cooked bacon in the microwave!  WoW!  Life is good.  This morning has brought the first snow of the year on L.I. and there is no better weather to finish up the book I am reading and write and watch football.  I am content.

I have my next Newsday Impulse Review assignment and will be published again soon (possibly the week of December 10).  The Sixth Ward is said to have the closest Guinness formula...

This past week I saw the movie Beowulf in 3-D.  The story differs from the poem and at times was a little drawn out, but overall the 3-D effects, CG, and look was really cool and fun to watch.  The 3-D glasses will not become a staple of my wardrobe yet the feel of watching the movie with them was awesome.  My buddy Antdawg (of Antdawg Productions) appeared to have potentially found a staple look as a filmmaker in those glasses.  I leave you all with a GREAT JOKE:

According to Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe, as the teams were leaving the field after last Sunday's game against the Colts, the Patriot's Randy Moss found a cell phone on the floor of the tunnel near the visitor's locker room at the RCA Dome. He immediately recognized it and returned to the field to give the phone to rookie referee John Parry. Parry was grateful to get his phone back, but inquired of Moss how he had known who the phone belonged to. "Easy," Moss told him, "I just looked at the display. It said, 'Nine Missed Calls.' I figured it had to be yours."

My Grandfather, the great Railroad photographer and historian, has sent me this incredible picture of Rockaway Junction Tower from the early 1900's for this site.  For anyone who would like to know more about the Long Island Railroad and other great lines and steam engines throughout the northeast and the country and see many great photos (plenty of which were taken by Arthur Huneke himself) you can check out his amazing website:   http://arrts-arrchives.com/

This is an awesome photo!  Check out the cool garb of the tower workers and their derby hats!  R.J. Tower!  Thanks Grandpa!

I have been crunching my work, time, and ignoring weariness for a couple of weeks now.  As a recap I had a good stroll through the Museum of Natural History with the beautiful Claudia, who met me for lunch and a look at my favorite dinosaurs on Sat. 11/19 (pictures are below).  We also went cruising Central Park that night and I finally got to see John Lennon's former apartment and the Strawberry Fields Memoriam.  Imagine.  That one man could do so much to make people think, and think for the better.  The world needs such great people.