I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with typewriters.-Short

Boy, howdy! This is turning out to be some week for me. I've been dealing with some personal drama (no, not going to talk about it here, but to my good friends...thank you for being there for me! It helps to be able to talk sometimes!) and I've been really stressed out. This blog has actually been one of the bright points this week. Quite a few people have told me how much they like it, and I've been INUNDATED with emails of things to post on here. As I am a frustrated writer (I've been working on a compendium of short stories I've written for a few years now that I'd love to get published, but there's something kind of cool about having that unfinished book that you want to finish, PLUS I do get pieces published here and there with my freelance gigs, so I do get some gratification!), seeing all the emails lets me know that people really do read this thing and that THEY LIKE IT--It's a good feeling!

Quirky, but cool!

I'm going to list for you some sites that are just really neat for all sorts of reasons...

One of my library amigos told me about this really cool site called Pandora--it's an intuitive online radio station that lets you load songs up and then starts recommending songs based on your picks.

Looking to track the latest tropical storm? Click here!

How about video tutorials on everything from C# to erotic massage? Yobler has the answer!

I'm not even going to try to explain The Museum of the Obvious!

For a good cause...

Most of you have no idea who Bruce Parker is. That's okay, I'll fill you in. Bruce is one of the nicest guys to ever walk the planet. If you have been to one of the Patchogue Riverfront Committee events (such as the SeaFair), Bruce has touched your life as well. He is always the first person to jump in and help someone, and now it's time to help him by attending a fundraiser in his honor on October 18 at the Off Key Tikki. For more info, take a look at the postcard/flyer below:

Rock and roll hoochie koo...

This little hoochie mama (and I mean that in a nice way) has been hearing about some great acts coming our way...

Raina Rose at Once and For All in Patchogue on Thursday, October 9.

Johnny Cuomo at Grounds and Sounds Cafe on Friday, October 10.

Homegrown String Band at Heckscher Park this weekend...love them!

Iain Campbell Smith Saturday night at the Eclectic Cafe.

Bob Malenky at a house concert on October 10, reservations required. Call 212-662-6575.

Ghost stories!

Here's a spot for the whole family...White Post Farms does child friendly hayrides, $8 per person, FREE during the week!

This one is great, from what I hear! Camp Pa Qua Tuck does a spooky walk that gets a five bat rating!

This sounds cool...a brand new Halloween adventure! The Twilight Pumpkin Spectacular features over 3,000 lit up jack o' lanterns...I must see this!

Apple dumplings...

October 11 and 12 brings us Mill Neck Manor's Fall Harvest Festival! With a country store, baked goods, and a pumpkin patch, plus lots of things for kids...this is a must attend!

The Jericho Cider Mill is one of my favorite places this time of year!

Naughty cartoons!

The Cinema Arts Center brings you some rather adult content this week in what would normally be thought of as a children's format...The Dark Side of Dr. Seuss and another one that I will not put the title of here as this is strictly a PG format will be featured!

Life on an island...

is wonderful, to be sure! Thank you, Paula from FINS, who forwarded so much to me...as this one is relevent right now, I'll take the liberty of cutting and pasting right now:

Special Fire Island Lighthouse programs in October include the Columbus Day Hike, at 11 a.m. on Monday, October 13, and Ghost Stories and Legends of Fire Island, to be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 25. Both of these programs are free.

I'll add more of Paula's info as the time comes!

Now, I promised I'd do a Best and Worst Dive Bar edition...I could name a few, to be sure! But I'm reaching out to all of you--tell me about the best and worst dive bars you have found. Feel free to elaborate!

All for now...I'll be back in a few days with lots more! Got something that should be here? Let me know at cheap.date.long.island@gmail.com! (By the way...the spacing issues are something with Blogger! I keep going in and fixing the HTML, but mysterious tags keep magically appearing! UGH!!!!