Sunday, April 27, 2003, 6:00pm, EST- Mike Turrigiano sighted! It has been reported that Mike was seen addressing a small crowd of young people in an office building in Midtown Manhattan last night. This gathering called, "Submerge" was called together as a new church plant targeting the young, unchurched, secular majority that populate Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs.

There have been many Mike sightings reported over the past weeks that have turned out to be bogus, but this one has experts buzzing because people who know the "real Mike" say this sighting hs the ring of legitimacy to it becaus they say, his "obssession with reaching the next generation and seeing young leaders plant new churches in New York City", is famous. This blog will keep a close eye on any further developments of this information.

French's Mustard needs our help. Apparently their sales are suffering big time as a result of all the French backlash that's been going on in our country lately. Good old French's Mustard, the yellow stuff on hot dogs, wants us to know they're not French and have nothing to do with France. Founded by R.T. French, a good Ol' American, "there are not many more American brands than French's... it is an American icon and the only confusion in consumers' minds is about the brand name and not the brand heritage." A company spokesman commented, "Just because French's is yellow doesn't mean it's French." (National Review) Now, got that straight?!

To all our ministry friends out there- This coming Sunday night the NYC Vineyard is launching a second Manhattan congregation which will meet Sunday evenings in Midtown. It's being called "Submerge". I am leading a team of young, enthusiastic, relatively untested leaders. I'm encouraged and excited. Please remember us in your prayers. - mikeT

Thursday, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY, 1:30pm, EST - Mike Turrigiano was sighted in the right field bleachers at the Blue Jay game, yesterday afternoon. He was allegedly seen leading a cheer of the rightfield "Bleacher Creatures"- "Yan-kee base-ball... Yan-kee base-ball...Yan-kee base-ball... Toronto sucks... Boston sucks... Mets suck... box seats suck..." Aware of the growing MT body doubles controversy, our embedded reporter at the big stadium in the Bronx, immediately called the Vineyard office in midtown Manhattan to check out Mike's where abouts. He was told that the person at the Stadium couldn't possibly be Mike because, " Pastor came in early this morning- before anybody else- went into his office and hung a 'do not disturb in prayer' sign on the door, and hadn't come out yet!"

The craziness continues... It was noted here on 4/14, that a Manhattan bartender was killed enforcing a controversal new law that was supposed to protect and improve his health! Well I heard that a local polititian is proposing an additional law allowing off duty and retired cops to "patrol" the bars and the street outside these "smoke free" establishments in order to protect workers and patrons from crazed "ciga-terroists". Yeah, and I can see the City coming up with an alert system similar to the Fed's color-coded terror alert system. I can hear the morning news now, "It's TGIF here in the Big Apple. Alternate side of the street parking rules are suspended today. And remember its the weekend, that means our smoke alert level will once again be raised to code orange - 'high and immediate danger'. Expect delays because of the beefed up smoke security and additional check-points that will be set-up at your local bar or resturant through Sunday."

Latest Mike Turrigiano sighting:

Sunday, 11:30pm EST; Several customers of the Rodeo Bar, a good time night-spot in the Grammacy Park section of Manhattan, reported seeing MT and close associates, wife Char (this woman stands by her man!), son Mark, daugther-in-law Liz, and two West Coast friends, Steve and Sam Rethmier enjoying a few "refreshments" and the tunes of the Howard Fishman Quartet...

A "health hazard" and a bit of irony

Front page of the New York Post this morning: SMOKE BAN MURDER. "A bouncer at an East Village nightclub was fatallyh stabbed after asking a customer to snuff out his cigarette, police said." Let me get this straight. This unpopular NY smoking ban was put into effect in order to improve the work environment of bar and restaurant workers. The idea was to protect them from the so-called health hazard of second-hand smoke and make their workplace safe. Do I have this right? Well I wonder what the PC-environ-"mentalists" are going to come up with next in order to "improve and protect" the work place? Take away public bathroom privileges???

(from your man on the street reporter embedded in Manhattan)

Mike Turrigiano Sighting

Is he back blogging or is this just some sort of hoax perpetrated by fans???? The controversy swirls! Was the "I'm still alive" posting of 4/9 actually him? Eric Keck, long time friend isn't so easily swayed. He is quoted as saying that nothing short of DNA evidence will convince him. Rumors are now surfacing that for years Mike has several look alikes to cover for him in public. These doubles have been surgically altered to look like Mike down to the slightest details such as his famous angel tatoo and the scar on the side of his head caused by an angry classmate's lunch box. It has also been revealed that for years Mike has employed ghost writers in order to create his on-line persona of the "man of the world-whitty intellectual". What we have been getting over the last couple of years may be total fabrication and that the real Mike Turrigiano is somewhere on Nantucket Island.

Mike and family members have floated the story that since his liver transplant he is a "changed" man. His wife, Char has told friends privately, "Mike's youthfulness is scaring me..." Certainly reports indicate that whoever this public Mike Turrigiano really is, he's a new and improved model. Physically he looks younger, shedding almost 35lbs. Youthfully energetic and very animated in the pulpit. Mike has been quoted as saying, "I'm half the man I used to be, but twice the fun!" But is he really? Is the real Mike Turrigiano truly back and blogging??? Or is this just a ruse - a scam by some of his die hard fans wanting to keep his legend alive?

Stay tuned to this site for late breaking updates on this story...

Hey I could use some help... I'm working on a sermon (of course some of you out there who have to put up with what passes as my preaching each Sunday would question my using the term "working"). Anyway, I'm asking those of you that are baseball fans, to give me an everyday equivalent (from the work world, professional world, etc.) of what Barry Bonds achieved last year. Specifically, he basically did what he wanted to do on the field. At times, opposing teams just plain gave up on the idea of trying to get Barry out (thus 198 walks - 8 intential walks with no men on base!). I'm trying to come up with some kind of imaginary equivalent from outside baseball so that non-sports fans can understand and appreciate Barry's masterful performance. Any thoughts?.... I'll give you credit.

I'M STILL ALIVE!

Mike Turrigiano is alive and well. He has been sidetracked over the last forty-five days because 1) He was adjusting to new medication for his liver that disrupted his ability to concentrate on blogging- by the way he has adjusted quite successfully! 2) He is an idiot when it comes to computer technology- he was overwhelmed trying to learn to run his church and communicate with his staff largely through the use of email. This had him running around cyber space like a chicken without a head for a while. He reports that he feels he's begun to get a handle on, for what is for him, a t new form of team work.

Mike wants assure those of you were concerned about his well being that all is well and that he is back in the saddle. Blog on! (for Mike's latest thoughts log onto his page on www.nycvineyard.org)