...he thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse.
Every once in a while, I play taxi driver and give my dad a lift over to the college where he teaches. Yesterday, most of the conversation spun around "Bush being an idiot, everyone's villifying the Muslims, etc."
It's probably a good thing he doesn't know half of the opinions I have on things political, or I'd find myself written out of his will faster than I could blink.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Selling Myself
Did that get your attention?
Every once in a while, I check my counter, just to get an idea of how many people are coming by, and how long they're staying, and what they're looking at.
I find that most people are the equivalent of a 50mph drive-by visit, not even staying long enough to register a visit length. Probably just bored out of their skulls, hitting the "next blog" button until something holds their fancy.
Some people are referred by Technorati, if I happen to gripe about any sort of current event. And some people find my site while doing Yahoo! searches for "Paige Hemmis Nude". Which makes me wonder if I have nude pics of Paige hiding in my site somewhere.
But every once in a while, I will get a visitor that pulls up a chair and stays a while, checking out different posts from times past. I'm flattered that my writing will actually catch someone's attention. Even rarer still, the visitor leaves a message.
This site is the equivalent of a rural farmhouse with a seven mile long driveway. Very few people visit here, and I just haven't been into pimping myself out so that I get attention. This is why I was surprised to find that I appeared on BlogShares. And that my imaginary valuation at this point is $3,673.07
How cool is that? Maybe I'd better start selling myself to boost the value of my site for stockholders. But how? Oh yeah, the Paige Hemmis pics...
Every once in a while, I check my counter, just to get an idea of how many people are coming by, and how long they're staying, and what they're looking at.
I find that most people are the equivalent of a 50mph drive-by visit, not even staying long enough to register a visit length. Probably just bored out of their skulls, hitting the "next blog" button until something holds their fancy.
Some people are referred by Technorati, if I happen to gripe about any sort of current event. And some people find my site while doing Yahoo! searches for "Paige Hemmis Nude". Which makes me wonder if I have nude pics of Paige hiding in my site somewhere.
But every once in a while, I will get a visitor that pulls up a chair and stays a while, checking out different posts from times past. I'm flattered that my writing will actually catch someone's attention. Even rarer still, the visitor leaves a message.
This site is the equivalent of a rural farmhouse with a seven mile long driveway. Very few people visit here, and I just haven't been into pimping myself out so that I get attention. This is why I was surprised to find that I appeared on BlogShares. And that my imaginary valuation at this point is $3,673.07
How cool is that? Maybe I'd better start selling myself to boost the value of my site for stockholders. But how? Oh yeah, the Paige Hemmis pics...
Now for something completely different...
Ever had days like this?
"Ford."
"Yes?"
"I Think I'm A Sofa."
"I Know How You Feel"
My wife and I checked out the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy the other night, not having really any expectations. It made me laugh harder than I have in a long time. Not because everything was absolutely hilarious, but because it was so unexpected. Like the yarn people:
When these guys make the "jump to lightspeed", there is always some unexpected temporary side-effect, usually happening to the crew of the ship. Like turning into sofas. Or Yarn.
And Marvin the paranoid android? Bloody Brilliant! I had always imagined something along the lines of a sulking C-3PO, but this was much better. He has the appearance of a large toy, and the voice of Alan Rickman (Snape, Harry Potter), and his depressed, sagging stance is perfect.
"Marvin... you saved our lives!"
"I know. Wretched, isn't it?"
Overall, it was a great show, with some pretty good visual effects and great humor. We usually won't watch movies with our oldest daughter because she is constantly asking questions about the whole show. This time, we had all the kids sit down and watch it, while my wife and I went upstairs and took a nap. When it was all over, my two daughters had memorized most of the words to "So long, and thanks for all the fish". A definite unexpected by-product of the show. Perhaps that improbability drive irradiated her from the television?
All Photos taken as screen shots from the Film "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
"Ford."
"Yes?"
"I Think I'm A Sofa."
"I Know How You Feel"
My wife and I checked out the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy the other night, not having really any expectations. It made me laugh harder than I have in a long time. Not because everything was absolutely hilarious, but because it was so unexpected. Like the yarn people:
When these guys make the "jump to lightspeed", there is always some unexpected temporary side-effect, usually happening to the crew of the ship. Like turning into sofas. Or Yarn.
And Marvin the paranoid android? Bloody Brilliant! I had always imagined something along the lines of a sulking C-3PO, but this was much better. He has the appearance of a large toy, and the voice of Alan Rickman (Snape, Harry Potter), and his depressed, sagging stance is perfect.
"Marvin... you saved our lives!"
"I know. Wretched, isn't it?"
Overall, it was a great show, with some pretty good visual effects and great humor. We usually won't watch movies with our oldest daughter because she is constantly asking questions about the whole show. This time, we had all the kids sit down and watch it, while my wife and I went upstairs and took a nap. When it was all over, my two daughters had memorized most of the words to "So long, and thanks for all the fish". A definite unexpected by-product of the show. Perhaps that improbability drive irradiated her from the television?
All Photos taken as screen shots from the Film "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
Monday, September 26, 2005
Just So You Know...
War is hell. I am so pro-life, that I don't hunt animals, only catch & release fish, and often catch spiders in our home and release them over in the neighbor's yard (their house being vacant since last December; I don't think they mind.) I would often work within inches of hornet nests when I worked for the phone company, and wouldn't bother them.
The only time I am not pro-life is when something directly threatens my family. Then the spider is squashed into oblivion, the mouse meets its fate in the spring-loaded trap, hornets thoroughly doused by hornet spray, etc.
I can't stand the thought of anyone's loved one coming home in a body bag, I can't imagine the pain that a mother must feel when her son's body comes home in a flag-draped coffin, or the heart-wrenching that a wife faces when her husband returns home in a pine box, or the thought of the innocent children who must be told that Daddy won't be coming home.
But I would go if needed, and I would raise arms against the Islamofascist threat that is looming against us. Anyone who says that fanatical Islam is not a threat to us in North America is so far away from reality that the Hubble Telescope would have trouble finding them. And I stand by those words.
Again, war is hell. But sometimes it's necessary. Because simply ignoring the threats of stark raving mad islamic lunatics does not make them go away. Ask those who were directly affected on September 11th. We did not start this war, but we ought to damn well finish it.
The only time I am not pro-life is when something directly threatens my family. Then the spider is squashed into oblivion, the mouse meets its fate in the spring-loaded trap, hornets thoroughly doused by hornet spray, etc.
I can't stand the thought of anyone's loved one coming home in a body bag, I can't imagine the pain that a mother must feel when her son's body comes home in a flag-draped coffin, or the heart-wrenching that a wife faces when her husband returns home in a pine box, or the thought of the innocent children who must be told that Daddy won't be coming home.
But I would go if needed, and I would raise arms against the Islamofascist threat that is looming against us. Anyone who says that fanatical Islam is not a threat to us in North America is so far away from reality that the Hubble Telescope would have trouble finding them. And I stand by those words.
Again, war is hell. But sometimes it's necessary. Because simply ignoring the threats of stark raving mad islamic lunatics does not make them go away. Ask those who were directly affected on September 11th. We did not start this war, but we ought to damn well finish it.
More number crunching...
political and not.
100,000 = Huge Crowd
100,000 people is definitely a huge crowd in some circles. Way more people than would have fit in our home for the wife's baby shower last weekend. But in other arenas, is 100k really all that much?
The big anti-war demonstration "descended" on Washington this past weekend. Estimates are that 100,000 people were in attendance. It can't be said, however, that all 100,000 of the attendees were pro-Sheehan, anti-war activists. There happens to be a fair contingent of the "You don't talk for me, Cindy" crowd, which consists mainly of a lot of parents of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a crowd from the anti-anti-war people who are just damn sick and tired of the anti-war peeps and their continual whining.
Protestor Robert Fox from Miami, Florida, was quoted as saying:
Number crunching time: 100,000 divided into 296,000,000 = 0.0033%
I'm glad to note that 0.0033% of the nation's population can start the "winds of change" blowing across the political landscape, and that it can swing the mood of the entire country. If 0.0033% can accomplish that, and "change congress in 2006, and take back the White House in 2008" (quote - Rev. Jesse Jackson), then I'm sure that when I tell my employer that roughly 5% of the company agrees that my wage should be doubled, he'll have no choice but to agree and immediately make the change.
Free Gas
Tesoro Gas stations here in Utah are running a promotion. When you sign up for their "advantage" card (or whatever they call it), you can get free gas. Here's how it works: You get a card that can hold 24 stamps on it. You get a single stamp for each time you fill up with 8 or more gallons. When you accrue 24 stamps on your card, you are awarded with up to $5.00 in free gas. Yay!!
Number crunching time: 8 gallons times $2.79 per gallon times 24 fill-ups = $535.68
You get $5.00 in free gas for spending over 107 times that amount in purchasing gas from their company! Sounds like an unbeatable deal to me! That reward translates out to 0.0093% of what you put into it, which isn't much, but is roughly the equivalent of 300,000 people descending on Washington for political reasons, turning the "winds of change" into a Category 5 hurricane that would effectively obliterate all political structure in the United States and Europe. Wait, this is a separate number crunching! How the hell did politics drift into this paragraph?
Okay. 0.0093% must be a better deal than my 3% Discover Card. And spending $23.04 less on the same amount of gas at Costco certainly isn't quite the same as getting $5.00 in free gas. So where do I sign up? Do I need proof of lobotomy?
100,000 = Huge Crowd
100,000 people is definitely a huge crowd in some circles. Way more people than would have fit in our home for the wife's baby shower last weekend. But in other arenas, is 100k really all that much?
The big anti-war demonstration "descended" on Washington this past weekend. Estimates are that 100,000 people were in attendance. It can't be said, however, that all 100,000 of the attendees were pro-Sheehan, anti-war activists. There happens to be a fair contingent of the "You don't talk for me, Cindy" crowd, which consists mainly of a lot of parents of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a crowd from the anti-anti-war people who are just damn sick and tired of the anti-war peeps and their continual whining.
Protestor Robert Fox from Miami, Florida, was quoted as saying:
"Whether [Mr. Bush] listens or not, it doesn't really matter. We just need to show all of America that there's a very large group of people that don't agree with his policies."Fox, and his wife Vilma, had attended an anti-war protest in 2003, and noted that
"The mood of the country has definitely started to swing the other way."
Number crunching time: 100,000 divided into 296,000,000 = 0.0033%
I'm glad to note that 0.0033% of the nation's population can start the "winds of change" blowing across the political landscape, and that it can swing the mood of the entire country. If 0.0033% can accomplish that, and "change congress in 2006, and take back the White House in 2008" (quote - Rev. Jesse Jackson), then I'm sure that when I tell my employer that roughly 5% of the company agrees that my wage should be doubled, he'll have no choice but to agree and immediately make the change.
Free Gas
Tesoro Gas stations here in Utah are running a promotion. When you sign up for their "advantage" card (or whatever they call it), you can get free gas. Here's how it works: You get a card that can hold 24 stamps on it. You get a single stamp for each time you fill up with 8 or more gallons. When you accrue 24 stamps on your card, you are awarded with up to $5.00 in free gas. Yay!!
Number crunching time: 8 gallons times $2.79 per gallon times 24 fill-ups = $535.68
You get $5.00 in free gas for spending over 107 times that amount in purchasing gas from their company! Sounds like an unbeatable deal to me! That reward translates out to 0.0093% of what you put into it, which isn't much, but is roughly the equivalent of 300,000 people descending on Washington for political reasons, turning the "winds of change" into a Category 5 hurricane that would effectively obliterate all political structure in the United States and Europe. Wait, this is a separate number crunching! How the hell did politics drift into this paragraph?
Okay. 0.0093% must be a better deal than my 3% Discover Card. And spending $23.04 less on the same amount of gas at Costco certainly isn't quite the same as getting $5.00 in free gas. So where do I sign up? Do I need proof of lobotomy?
Friday, September 23, 2005
To be blissfully unaware...
I sometimes have to admire people who are naïve, or just plain innocent of some of the crass elements of our society.
Some friends with the last name of "Hunt" decided not to name their son "Michael" when he was born. My wife asked why. "Because some people make fun of the name Mike Hunt." Again she asked why. I had to explain that depending on where you put the dipthong, in this case, the "K" sound in his name, it could be pretty vulgar. Again, the blank stare. I then very blushingly explained that the word in question was a lewd term for a part of a woman's anatomy. "Oh," she replied. I couldn't tell who was more embarrassed: Her for not knowing something pretty commonplace like that, or me for telling her that I did.
Another case in point: I was looking at my mom's "wall of shame" (wall covered with pictures) while visiting her last week, and noticed a recent pic of one of my younger brothers wearing a t-shirt with "Got MILF?" emblazoned across the front in big, white letters. I wonder how he explained that one when my mom asked him what it meant. I think I'll keep my big mouth shut on this one, and pretend to be blissfully unaware.
Some friends with the last name of "Hunt" decided not to name their son "Michael" when he was born. My wife asked why. "Because some people make fun of the name Mike Hunt." Again she asked why. I had to explain that depending on where you put the dipthong, in this case, the "K" sound in his name, it could be pretty vulgar. Again, the blank stare. I then very blushingly explained that the word in question was a lewd term for a part of a woman's anatomy. "Oh," she replied. I couldn't tell who was more embarrassed: Her for not knowing something pretty commonplace like that, or me for telling her that I did.
Another case in point: I was looking at my mom's "wall of shame" (wall covered with pictures) while visiting her last week, and noticed a recent pic of one of my younger brothers wearing a t-shirt with "Got MILF?" emblazoned across the front in big, white letters. I wonder how he explained that one when my mom asked him what it meant. I think I'll keep my big mouth shut on this one, and pretend to be blissfully unaware.
And now, shift gears...
Relegating the heavy political rant to a back burner, or quite possibly a shelf in the fridge, I get back to the stuff I really enjoy...
Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm....
I LOVE Cheeseburger Brown's writings. He is the same one who did the Darth Vader blog shortly before Episode III premiered.
He talks about being a wonder-ghoul, and imagining what it would be like to accompany famous people from the past as they get a peek at our world. A kind of "Kate and Leopold" type thing. I know there are better movies out there that work this theme, I just can't remember them.
I used to do this every so often, only with my dead grandparents. I used to imagine giving them a tour of everything that's gone on since they died 20 and 24 years ago.
Anyway, give it up for Cheeseburger Brown, and yet another excellent post that opens your mind up, blows out the cobwebs and makes you go "Oh....wow"
Flying With Caesar
Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm....
I LOVE Cheeseburger Brown's writings. He is the same one who did the Darth Vader blog shortly before Episode III premiered.
He talks about being a wonder-ghoul, and imagining what it would be like to accompany famous people from the past as they get a peek at our world. A kind of "Kate and Leopold" type thing. I know there are better movies out there that work this theme, I just can't remember them.
I used to do this every so often, only with my dead grandparents. I used to imagine giving them a tour of everything that's gone on since they died 20 and 24 years ago.
Anyway, give it up for Cheeseburger Brown, and yet another excellent post that opens your mind up, blows out the cobwebs and makes you go "Oh....wow"
Flying With Caesar
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Crunching the Numbers on Iraq
Warning! Political!
As of today, there have been 2,094 coalition soldiers killed. My hat is off and head is bowed for every one of them. From the good natured "Apple Pie" type of soldier, to the roughest, most hardened of them all - each of them has my undying gratitude and respect for keeping the world a safer place.
That being said, let's talk about Iraq for a moment. I will try to be brief. Just a brief look at casualties from other American wars shows us the following:
With the exception of the 1st Gulf War, every other major military action that our nation has seen has literally dwarfed the Iraq war in terms of casualties. So why the big uproar?
First, let me reiterate - Every one of those soldiers who have died in Iraq is somebody's child, parent, sibling, lover... you name it, that soldier meant the world to a lot of people. I could never denigrate their sacrifice by simply relegating them to a statistic.
Secondly, let's quit treating those soldiers like children. Yes, they knew that in signing up for the military, there was a risk that they would see military action. The government doesn't pay for your college education and your once-a-month stint in the reserves just for the hell of it. These guys knew what they were getting into, and most were damn good and ready for it. Let's quit denigrating them by assuming that they're just a bunch of average citizens that have been shanghaied and swept away to a foreign country for absolutely no reason at all. If a soldier has a problem with fighting, he/she should not have joined the military.
There remains the question of "Is Iraq a moral or legitimate war?"
Let me approach this question from another perspective: Insects. Near my house, on the park strip between the sidewalk and the street is a rather large dead spot in the grass. It wasn't created by a wandering troupe of dogs with highly acidic urine, nor was it underwatered, nor was it a product of heat stroke (yes, grass can sometimes get that too, if the root structure isn't deep enough). The primary cause of this dead spot is a tiny little varmint known as "cutworm". The spot didn't start out being big; it was just a few blades of grass to begin with. But it has grown unchecked at a steady pace, because I made several other excuses as to why the grass was having problems in that area. Finally, upon close examination, it was determined that it was cutworm, and so the appropriate measures now need to be taken.
In order to protect the lush, green grass across the sidewalk from the maurauding insect, do I put up barriers all around the grass? That might protect it temporarily, but you must consider something here: The spot that is now dead, ugly and blighted is bordered on all sides by concrete. The pioneer cutworm that started that mass of destruction wasn't lying dormant in the clay for the past four years, just waiting to attack a future lawn. Neither did said worm cross the hot asphalt street with a vision of the promised land in its tiny little eyes drawing it ever closer to our little plot of paradise. The worm arrived by other means, whether by some migratory insect (like the little lawn moths that I try to run over with the lawn mower), or tiny little worm eggs blown through the air on some of the demon winds that plague our area, or some other unexplained method. The point is: They got to the park strip, and they could very easily get to the main yard itself, no matter how tall the border I erect, or how far below the surface it extends.
Use common sense, you say! Poison the little buggers! Okay, so now I've bought my bag of Ortho "Knocks Lawn Vermin Dead" bug poison. Where do I apply it? Do I *gasp* actually apply it to the area where the cutworms are causing damage? Or do I just do a "preventative maintenance" sweep on the main yard, and let the park strip be completely consumed by an ever-multiplying host of grass killers? Those of you who do any measure of yardwork will immediately know the correct answer.
Now back to Islam. Are you starting to see what I'm getting at here? Am I comparing Islam to a maurauding, destructive parasitic insect? In a way, yes. Examine the present fruits of Islam: Beheadings, brutal treatment of women and children, homocide bombers, death, death and more death, violence... By their sheer numbers alone, the evidence shows that if the muslims were a peace-loving and productive society, the whole middle east would be blossoming like a rose. We would have literature, art, science, technology and medicine emanating from these countries in such quantities that it would make your head spin.
Unfortunately, the fruit of Islam seems to be subjugation and violence. Believe like they do, or pay the price.
The peaceful followers of Islam understand the Meccan tradition of Mohammed, while the fanatics understand the later Medina tradition of Mohammed*, when looting, pillaging, raping, killing, deception and dishonesty abounded. What both need to understand is when you pick up a stick, you pick up both ends. The peaceful followers need to understand that a "Jekyll and Hyde" dark side exists to their religion of peace. Maybe they do, and maybe that is why there is so little outrage from the Muslim world about terrorist acivity. Is a religion that "embraces death" really compatible with the rest of the world? Can we erect a border that will protect the rest of us "infidels" from the maurauding forces that would destroy us?
No. It would not protect us effectively or permantently. We need to "poison" fanatical Islam much like we would poison the cutworms that are making quick work of my grass. Unfortunately, there are no bags of Ortho "knocks fanaticism dead" poison on the shelves down at the Home Depot, so we must rely on a much more effective weapon: Democracy. Yes, you heard me. Democracy.
Democracy, and the freedoms that it brings with it wipes out the disease of religious fanaticism faster than any other prescription could. We cannot force democracy on a people, but contrary to popular belief, a huge number of Iraqis actually want democracy. They want freedom. And their neighbors are taking notice. Look at what has happened in Lebanon: Syria has finally ended its occupation because the Lebanese wanted freedom. Look at Afghanistan: Democratic elections in which women not only voted, but a woman also ran for president as well. Look at Iraq: Democratic elections in which women voted and were given a voice. We may have lost over two thousand soldiers during our stay in Iraq, but several times that number of Iraqis have died at the hands of "insurgents" for the rights that we, as Americans, largely take for granted.Look at Pakistan: One of the first Islamic countries to actually investigate Islamic schools because of reports of sexual abuses. Look at Iran: Millions of Iranians called in sick on the day of Bush's 2004 inauguration in order to watch the president's speech by satellite, and especially his call for democracy. Many Americans may not care what Bush says, but many middle easterners do.
Mark my words: Anything that gives freedom to and elevates the status of woman in society, is a direct threat to the poisonous, fanatical and extremist cultures around the world. The best cure that we have in our arsenal presently: Democracy.
Iraq may not have directly participated in the events of September 11th. Maybe they did. I know that it wasn't Iraqi Airlines that crashed into the World Trade Center Towers, and that the hijackers weren't chanting Saddam's name in praise as they met their maker in a huge fireball. Saddam hasn't been covertly sending recordings to Al Jazeera taking credit for every terrorist act committed. But Saddam's Iraq was a fertile field for terrorist vermin. Weapons, money, counterfeit documents, and more importantly, a safe place to call home were all found in Iraq. After attacking the single biggest terrorist haven in Afghanistan, we set our sights on the second biggest haven, Iraq. Whether or not there was an immediate threat may truthfully never be known. Some have compelling evidence that yes, Iraq was a threat, while others say that the lack of evidence was compelling.
Iraq was second in line of our responses to a war that Osama bin Laden declared on America on August 23, 1996. That bears repeating: We did not start this war. We were dragged into it by the slaughter of thousands of innocent people on September 11th, just as we were dragged into World War II by the slaughter that took place at Pearl Harbor. This war may take our troops into places other than Afghanistan and Iraq before it is over, but as we go, we will take the seeds of freedom and democracy to plant while we're there. And we'll certainly leave the places in much better shape than we found them, on many different levels.
Just as the Ortho bug killer is making changes to the forces that threaten my landscape, freedom and democracy are making changes across the middle east. It is good that we are there, and it is our own lives that we are ultimately protecting by breathing 21st century life into 14th century Muslim society.
As of today, there have been 2,094 coalition soldiers killed. My hat is off and head is bowed for every one of them. From the good natured "Apple Pie" type of soldier, to the roughest, most hardened of them all - each of them has my undying gratitude and respect for keeping the world a safer place.
That being said, let's talk about Iraq for a moment. I will try to be brief. Just a brief look at casualties from other American wars shows us the following:
With the exception of the 1st Gulf War, every other major military action that our nation has seen has literally dwarfed the Iraq war in terms of casualties. So why the big uproar?
First, let me reiterate - Every one of those soldiers who have died in Iraq is somebody's child, parent, sibling, lover... you name it, that soldier meant the world to a lot of people. I could never denigrate their sacrifice by simply relegating them to a statistic.
Secondly, let's quit treating those soldiers like children. Yes, they knew that in signing up for the military, there was a risk that they would see military action. The government doesn't pay for your college education and your once-a-month stint in the reserves just for the hell of it. These guys knew what they were getting into, and most were damn good and ready for it. Let's quit denigrating them by assuming that they're just a bunch of average citizens that have been shanghaied and swept away to a foreign country for absolutely no reason at all. If a soldier has a problem with fighting, he/she should not have joined the military.
There remains the question of "Is Iraq a moral or legitimate war?"
Let me approach this question from another perspective: Insects. Near my house, on the park strip between the sidewalk and the street is a rather large dead spot in the grass. It wasn't created by a wandering troupe of dogs with highly acidic urine, nor was it underwatered, nor was it a product of heat stroke (yes, grass can sometimes get that too, if the root structure isn't deep enough). The primary cause of this dead spot is a tiny little varmint known as "cutworm". The spot didn't start out being big; it was just a few blades of grass to begin with. But it has grown unchecked at a steady pace, because I made several other excuses as to why the grass was having problems in that area. Finally, upon close examination, it was determined that it was cutworm, and so the appropriate measures now need to be taken.
In order to protect the lush, green grass across the sidewalk from the maurauding insect, do I put up barriers all around the grass? That might protect it temporarily, but you must consider something here: The spot that is now dead, ugly and blighted is bordered on all sides by concrete. The pioneer cutworm that started that mass of destruction wasn't lying dormant in the clay for the past four years, just waiting to attack a future lawn. Neither did said worm cross the hot asphalt street with a vision of the promised land in its tiny little eyes drawing it ever closer to our little plot of paradise. The worm arrived by other means, whether by some migratory insect (like the little lawn moths that I try to run over with the lawn mower), or tiny little worm eggs blown through the air on some of the demon winds that plague our area, or some other unexplained method. The point is: They got to the park strip, and they could very easily get to the main yard itself, no matter how tall the border I erect, or how far below the surface it extends.
Use common sense, you say! Poison the little buggers! Okay, so now I've bought my bag of Ortho "Knocks Lawn Vermin Dead" bug poison. Where do I apply it? Do I *gasp* actually apply it to the area where the cutworms are causing damage? Or do I just do a "preventative maintenance" sweep on the main yard, and let the park strip be completely consumed by an ever-multiplying host of grass killers? Those of you who do any measure of yardwork will immediately know the correct answer.
Now back to Islam. Are you starting to see what I'm getting at here? Am I comparing Islam to a maurauding, destructive parasitic insect? In a way, yes. Examine the present fruits of Islam: Beheadings, brutal treatment of women and children, homocide bombers, death, death and more death, violence... By their sheer numbers alone, the evidence shows that if the muslims were a peace-loving and productive society, the whole middle east would be blossoming like a rose. We would have literature, art, science, technology and medicine emanating from these countries in such quantities that it would make your head spin.
Unfortunately, the fruit of Islam seems to be subjugation and violence. Believe like they do, or pay the price.
The peaceful followers of Islam understand the Meccan tradition of Mohammed, while the fanatics understand the later Medina tradition of Mohammed*, when looting, pillaging, raping, killing, deception and dishonesty abounded. What both need to understand is when you pick up a stick, you pick up both ends. The peaceful followers need to understand that a "Jekyll and Hyde" dark side exists to their religion of peace. Maybe they do, and maybe that is why there is so little outrage from the Muslim world about terrorist acivity. Is a religion that "embraces death" really compatible with the rest of the world? Can we erect a border that will protect the rest of us "infidels" from the maurauding forces that would destroy us?
No. It would not protect us effectively or permantently. We need to "poison" fanatical Islam much like we would poison the cutworms that are making quick work of my grass. Unfortunately, there are no bags of Ortho "knocks fanaticism dead" poison on the shelves down at the Home Depot, so we must rely on a much more effective weapon: Democracy. Yes, you heard me. Democracy.
Democracy, and the freedoms that it brings with it wipes out the disease of religious fanaticism faster than any other prescription could. We cannot force democracy on a people, but contrary to popular belief, a huge number of Iraqis actually want democracy. They want freedom. And their neighbors are taking notice. Look at what has happened in Lebanon: Syria has finally ended its occupation because the Lebanese wanted freedom. Look at Afghanistan: Democratic elections in which women not only voted, but a woman also ran for president as well. Look at Iraq: Democratic elections in which women voted and were given a voice. We may have lost over two thousand soldiers during our stay in Iraq, but several times that number of Iraqis have died at the hands of "insurgents" for the rights that we, as Americans, largely take for granted.Look at Pakistan: One of the first Islamic countries to actually investigate Islamic schools because of reports of sexual abuses. Look at Iran: Millions of Iranians called in sick on the day of Bush's 2004 inauguration in order to watch the president's speech by satellite, and especially his call for democracy. Many Americans may not care what Bush says, but many middle easterners do.
Mark my words: Anything that gives freedom to and elevates the status of woman in society, is a direct threat to the poisonous, fanatical and extremist cultures around the world. The best cure that we have in our arsenal presently: Democracy.
Iraq may not have directly participated in the events of September 11th. Maybe they did. I know that it wasn't Iraqi Airlines that crashed into the World Trade Center Towers, and that the hijackers weren't chanting Saddam's name in praise as they met their maker in a huge fireball. Saddam hasn't been covertly sending recordings to Al Jazeera taking credit for every terrorist act committed. But Saddam's Iraq was a fertile field for terrorist vermin. Weapons, money, counterfeit documents, and more importantly, a safe place to call home were all found in Iraq. After attacking the single biggest terrorist haven in Afghanistan, we set our sights on the second biggest haven, Iraq. Whether or not there was an immediate threat may truthfully never be known. Some have compelling evidence that yes, Iraq was a threat, while others say that the lack of evidence was compelling.
Iraq was second in line of our responses to a war that Osama bin Laden declared on America on August 23, 1996. That bears repeating: We did not start this war. We were dragged into it by the slaughter of thousands of innocent people on September 11th, just as we were dragged into World War II by the slaughter that took place at Pearl Harbor. This war may take our troops into places other than Afghanistan and Iraq before it is over, but as we go, we will take the seeds of freedom and democracy to plant while we're there. And we'll certainly leave the places in much better shape than we found them, on many different levels.
Just as the Ortho bug killer is making changes to the forces that threaten my landscape, freedom and democracy are making changes across the middle east. It is good that we are there, and it is our own lives that we are ultimately protecting by breathing 21st century life into 14th century Muslim society.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Missing the news...not. *Updated*
Being away from civilization for a few days, I've kind of lost touch with the current events in the world. The one thing I can be sure of, though, is that the news will contain most of the following:
Let's crack open the news ticker and take a look, shall we?
New Orleans:
Sounds like a pissing contest between the mayor and the federal government to me. Something you don't see a whole lot of in the news is that the Mayor of New Orleans and the Governor of Louisiana weren't fully cooperating with the federal government, and that their actions actually hampered the fed's attempts to provide rescue and relief. The Washington Post reports:
Update: According to Snopes.com, the timeline on the Governor Blanco vs. the Federal Government that I quoted above is inaccurate. According to the State of Louisiana website and the White House website, federal aid was requested on August 27th, and granted the very same day. However, the issue of federal levee funds being diverted to build marinas and gambling ships, and the issue of hundreds of school buses that could have been used for evacuation that just sat in a flooded yard... remains unanswered.
Iraq:
Nothing new here. More explosions, more deaths from insurgents. Why not call them what they really are? I think the word "Cowarrist" covers it pretty well. A cross between "terrorist" for the indiscriminate way they kill civilians and US troops alike, and "Coward", of course, for the completely cowardly way they do it. And the chanting. Chanting "Allahu Ackbar" (God is Greatest) while in the act of killing someone. Makes you wonder why I'm pretty jaded toward Islam really being a "religion of peace".
Supreme Court:
Yahoo News headline: Roberts Avoids Specifics on Abortion Issue
Makes me wonder why the one single issue that people are most interested in when it comes to nominating a Supreme Court Justice is the killing of babies.
Nowadays, abortion is described with more neutral, politically correct terms like "termination of pregnancy". Every effort is legally, socially and scientifically made to de-humanize the fetus before it is born, thus making it not a matter of killing as much as just a medical procedure.
I belong to a very conservative church, with very strict guidelines concerning morality and the such, and even this church acknowledges that there are times (very few, however) when an abortion might be considered.
But abortion in the name of convenience, or a way to escape consequences for a screw-up (pun really not intended) is just wrong on so many different levels. And yet, the right to do this is so critical in the eyes of so many! I just don't get it. I've been blessed with three (soon to be four) beautiful babies, and I can't even imagine what kind of cold heart it takes to want an abortion.
Where is the sanctity of human life? We kill our unborn and call it a procedure. Muslims kill their wives and young daughters and call it honor. We really aren't all that different, I guess.
Tropical Storm:
Whaddya know? Tropical storm Rita (R....we've had that many storms already?) is on it's way to the Florida Keys. Please be smart and weather the storm out somewhere safe.
George Bush:
Ah yes, now who would have guessed? This attack comes from a man with more hot air than the Kalahari Desert, and less substance than a microorganism. Heeeeeeerrrrrre's Johnny:
In college speech, Kerry upbraids Bush Administration...tests waters for presidential run.
I've read his speech from one end to the other. The good Senator is very skilled at putting words together to stir emotion, creating catch-phrases and the like. He is among the finest when it comes to levelling blistering attacks against the Bush administration. But I did not see him offer any specific solutions. Just like 2004 all over again.
Herein lies my fear: I have seen a few instances where a historic property that was submerged in debt was purchased by a real estate developer, with promises to restore the building to its former glory and make it a tourist and community attraction. Then, mysteriously, in the dead of night, the building catches fire and burns to the ground, leaving nothing but sorrow. The developer collects the insurance money and is never heard from again.
My fear is that the Democrats, with Howard "Unhinged" Dean at their helm, will finally land a candidate in the White House, and figure out that they don't have solutions to the nation's problems, and then they will cut and run. And really, I've examined the speeches of the top Democratic leaders with an open mind, but I keep coming away from them wondering just what planet these guys are from.
Kerry was right in his speech; we need to work together if there is any hope of having a strong nation in the years to come. How do we do it? By sacrificing. I know that our nation isn't really familiar with the concept of sacrifice like we saw in the days of World War II, when families had to ration sugar and other substances.
We have organizations like the ACLU assuring us, through expensive litigation that is literally sinking the vitality of this nation, that we have the right to not have to sacrifice, or suffer, or go without every luxury known to man; that we have the right to not be offended by anything. Now tell me, with organizations like that heralding the endless list of "rights" that we have, celebrating "divisiveness" (oops, I mean "diversity), how can we possibly be united as a people?
It would take a miracle. But let's not speak of miracles, for they are associated with religion. And we all know that it's not kosher to speak of religion. Or to use the word kosher, since it has religious meaning too.
Mindless Hollywood:
Never one to disappoint. Yahoo News headline: "Strapless styles sizzle on Emmys red carpet" They live in a world of their own. Honestly, they do.
- Something about New Orleans
- More death in Iraq
- Something about Supreme Court nominees
- Some tropical storm on its way to Florida or the Gulf States
- Something that George Bush said or did that pissed someone off.
- Something entirely mindless from Hollywood.
Let's crack open the news ticker and take a look, shall we?
New Orleans:
Sounds like a pissing contest between the mayor and the federal government to me. Something you don't see a whole lot of in the news is that the Mayor of New Orleans and the Governor of Louisiana weren't fully cooperating with the federal government, and that their actions actually hampered the fed's attempts to provide rescue and relief. The Washington Post reports:
"Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday.Here is another good link that further describes the hesitation from New Orleans and Baton Rouge. And another.
The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request."
Update: According to Snopes.com, the timeline on the Governor Blanco vs. the Federal Government that I quoted above is inaccurate. According to the State of Louisiana website and the White House website, federal aid was requested on August 27th, and granted the very same day. However, the issue of federal levee funds being diverted to build marinas and gambling ships, and the issue of hundreds of school buses that could have been used for evacuation that just sat in a flooded yard... remains unanswered.
Iraq:
Nothing new here. More explosions, more deaths from insurgents. Why not call them what they really are? I think the word "Cowarrist" covers it pretty well. A cross between "terrorist" for the indiscriminate way they kill civilians and US troops alike, and "Coward", of course, for the completely cowardly way they do it. And the chanting. Chanting "Allahu Ackbar" (God is Greatest) while in the act of killing someone. Makes you wonder why I'm pretty jaded toward Islam really being a "religion of peace".
Supreme Court:
Yahoo News headline: Roberts Avoids Specifics on Abortion Issue
Makes me wonder why the one single issue that people are most interested in when it comes to nominating a Supreme Court Justice is the killing of babies.
Nowadays, abortion is described with more neutral, politically correct terms like "termination of pregnancy". Every effort is legally, socially and scientifically made to de-humanize the fetus before it is born, thus making it not a matter of killing as much as just a medical procedure.
I belong to a very conservative church, with very strict guidelines concerning morality and the such, and even this church acknowledges that there are times (very few, however) when an abortion might be considered.
But abortion in the name of convenience, or a way to escape consequences for a screw-up (pun really not intended) is just wrong on so many different levels. And yet, the right to do this is so critical in the eyes of so many! I just don't get it. I've been blessed with three (soon to be four) beautiful babies, and I can't even imagine what kind of cold heart it takes to want an abortion.
Where is the sanctity of human life? We kill our unborn and call it a procedure. Muslims kill their wives and young daughters and call it honor. We really aren't all that different, I guess.
Tropical Storm:
Whaddya know? Tropical storm Rita (R....we've had that many storms already?) is on it's way to the Florida Keys. Please be smart and weather the storm out somewhere safe.
George Bush:
Ah yes, now who would have guessed? This attack comes from a man with more hot air than the Kalahari Desert, and less substance than a microorganism. Heeeeeeerrrrrre's Johnny:
In college speech, Kerry upbraids Bush Administration...tests waters for presidential run.
I've read his speech from one end to the other. The good Senator is very skilled at putting words together to stir emotion, creating catch-phrases and the like. He is among the finest when it comes to levelling blistering attacks against the Bush administration. But I did not see him offer any specific solutions. Just like 2004 all over again.
Herein lies my fear: I have seen a few instances where a historic property that was submerged in debt was purchased by a real estate developer, with promises to restore the building to its former glory and make it a tourist and community attraction. Then, mysteriously, in the dead of night, the building catches fire and burns to the ground, leaving nothing but sorrow. The developer collects the insurance money and is never heard from again.
My fear is that the Democrats, with Howard "Unhinged" Dean at their helm, will finally land a candidate in the White House, and figure out that they don't have solutions to the nation's problems, and then they will cut and run. And really, I've examined the speeches of the top Democratic leaders with an open mind, but I keep coming away from them wondering just what planet these guys are from.
Kerry was right in his speech; we need to work together if there is any hope of having a strong nation in the years to come. How do we do it? By sacrificing. I know that our nation isn't really familiar with the concept of sacrifice like we saw in the days of World War II, when families had to ration sugar and other substances.
We have organizations like the ACLU assuring us, through expensive litigation that is literally sinking the vitality of this nation, that we have the right to not have to sacrifice, or suffer, or go without every luxury known to man; that we have the right to not be offended by anything. Now tell me, with organizations like that heralding the endless list of "rights" that we have, celebrating "divisiveness" (oops, I mean "diversity), how can we possibly be united as a people?
It would take a miracle. But let's not speak of miracles, for they are associated with religion. And we all know that it's not kosher to speak of religion. Or to use the word kosher, since it has religious meaning too.
Mindless Hollywood:
Never one to disappoint. Yahoo News headline: "Strapless styles sizzle on Emmys red carpet" They live in a world of their own. Honestly, they do.
The Midlife Crisis moment that was...then wasn't...then was again
I wasn't even going to write about this one. I had a dream about a week or so ago. I was 18, and watching our house while my family was on vacation. This almost sounds like that movie "Risky Business" from the 80's. Anyhoo, in the dream, I meet a girl who is a few years younger than me, and I liked her, and she liked me, and things progressed from there. I won't go into the R-rated version of the dream, but I was just blown away by how she - for lack of better wording - completely shared herself with me.
It was the strangest thing, because I haven't experienced that in my life. Not from anyone. Including my wife. The girl in the dream had no problem with her sexuality or hang-ups about her body, and there was never any fear of her taking off with someone else. It was as if she was a missing half to me that I never knew about.
This, of course, spawned a bit of depression as the contrast between what I felt in the dream, and what I have in reality (presently) became pretty pronounced. I fought the depression and the wandering thoughts good and hard for several days, and came to terms with it. Until yesterday.
We attended church up near Yellowstone before coming home yesterday, and sitting down the row from us was a newlywed couple. She had gorgeous tan legs, and a lovely figure, and the tall dark and handsome husband sitting next to her. It wasn't the girl or the guy that I noticed so much, as their hands. She held his hands and was massaging them, playing with them, caressing them, and being about as romantic as you could possibly be while just holding hands.
In our ten years of marriage, I don't think my wife has held my hands like that for at least 8 of those years. Again, lots of questions about what I really wanted out of life started swirling around in my head, to the point that I really didn't hear much of what the speaker had to say. I know one thing that I don't want, and that is divorce. Thus, another several days of fighting depression and wandering thoughts are slated for the rest of this week.
Just so I don't sound like some selfish, one-sided bastard, let me assure you that I have been trying very hard to keep the fire alive in our marriage. I'm not just sitting around saying "things aren't right, and it's all your fault!" No, I have been flirting with her (which she hasn't noticed because the pregnancy has left her feeling so run-down and sick most of the time), helping with house chores, holding her hand in the car whenever we go anywhere, telling her she looks beautiful (even when she looks like the cat dragged her in UNDER the door), and doing the little occasionals that are supposed to make someone feel special.
My wife called at lunch today, and she was commenting on how badly she felt that we don't spend any quality time together, and how it felt like we were just two strangers living under the same roof. That's one step in the right direction. At least she recognizes it too, and perhaps we can really build on this, and improve our relationship. I hope we can, I truly do.
It was the strangest thing, because I haven't experienced that in my life. Not from anyone. Including my wife. The girl in the dream had no problem with her sexuality or hang-ups about her body, and there was never any fear of her taking off with someone else. It was as if she was a missing half to me that I never knew about.
This, of course, spawned a bit of depression as the contrast between what I felt in the dream, and what I have in reality (presently) became pretty pronounced. I fought the depression and the wandering thoughts good and hard for several days, and came to terms with it. Until yesterday.
We attended church up near Yellowstone before coming home yesterday, and sitting down the row from us was a newlywed couple. She had gorgeous tan legs, and a lovely figure, and the tall dark and handsome husband sitting next to her. It wasn't the girl or the guy that I noticed so much, as their hands. She held his hands and was massaging them, playing with them, caressing them, and being about as romantic as you could possibly be while just holding hands.
In our ten years of marriage, I don't think my wife has held my hands like that for at least 8 of those years. Again, lots of questions about what I really wanted out of life started swirling around in my head, to the point that I really didn't hear much of what the speaker had to say. I know one thing that I don't want, and that is divorce. Thus, another several days of fighting depression and wandering thoughts are slated for the rest of this week.
Just so I don't sound like some selfish, one-sided bastard, let me assure you that I have been trying very hard to keep the fire alive in our marriage. I'm not just sitting around saying "things aren't right, and it's all your fault!" No, I have been flirting with her (which she hasn't noticed because the pregnancy has left her feeling so run-down and sick most of the time), helping with house chores, holding her hand in the car whenever we go anywhere, telling her she looks beautiful (even when she looks like the cat dragged her in UNDER the door), and doing the little occasionals that are supposed to make someone feel special.
My wife called at lunch today, and she was commenting on how badly she felt that we don't spend any quality time together, and how it felt like we were just two strangers living under the same roof. That's one step in the right direction. At least she recognizes it too, and perhaps we can really build on this, and improve our relationship. I hope we can, I truly do.
White Fluffy Fire-Breathing Flying Hippopotamus
Looking at the sky yesterday while driving home from our weekend vacation to Yellowstone, I tried to discern shapes in the clouds. The first one, of course, was a fire-breathing flying hippopotamus. The next one could have been "Opus" from the Far Side comic strip, the third looked like somebody had taken a bicycle pump to the starship Enterprise and made it all bulgy. I decided that perhaps I should pay more attention to the road than the nubulous ever-shifting cottony shapes floating in the sapphire-blue sky. The same sky that just 24 hours earlier was dark grey, pouring rain down on tourists that had just shelled out 20 bucks to see wildlife and geysers. Tourists just like us.
I don't think my youngest two daughters have ever seen Yellowstone on a nice day. Ever.
Yellowstone wasn't all that bad. We did see the aforementioned wildlife. Up Close. Up Really Close.
We were driving past the entrance to the Firehole River, when we noticed a few buffalo trotting down the other side of the road, heading our direction. Of course, this had been stopping up traffic on the opposite side of the road, but our side was nice and clear, until one of the bison decided to trot right out into the road, and then continue heading our direction. Down the center of our lane. Instead of veering around the lumbering beast, we decided to shift into neutral, and slowly drift backward down the lane, maintaining a bit of space between us and the approaching hairy mammoth, lest he should decide to change direction at any time. He didn't. He kept coming straight at us. Coasting backward down the hill worked until a tour bus came roaring up behind us. The buffalo decided to pass us on the side, coming within two feet of our car as he did so. Look girls, here's a good picture of a buffalo, dont'cha think?
We have discovered the proverbial grease that makes the whiny part of the vacation quiet down: Personal CD players and headphones. Sometimes they would listen to their own CD's, sometimes they would share. You could tell when they were sharing because they would be crooning to the same song. Other than the obviously amusing way our girls would slaughter a song, there was the humorous way in which their hearing was affected:
Me: Look girls, antelope!
Daughter: Canteloupe? Where?!
or
Daughter: When was the fire, Daddy?
Me: About 17 years ago.
Daughter: Twelve hundred years?! Hey McKay, the fire was twelve hundred years ago!
I don't think my youngest two daughters have ever seen Yellowstone on a nice day. Ever.
Yellowstone wasn't all that bad. We did see the aforementioned wildlife. Up Close. Up Really Close.
We were driving past the entrance to the Firehole River, when we noticed a few buffalo trotting down the other side of the road, heading our direction. Of course, this had been stopping up traffic on the opposite side of the road, but our side was nice and clear, until one of the bison decided to trot right out into the road, and then continue heading our direction. Down the center of our lane. Instead of veering around the lumbering beast, we decided to shift into neutral, and slowly drift backward down the lane, maintaining a bit of space between us and the approaching hairy mammoth, lest he should decide to change direction at any time. He didn't. He kept coming straight at us. Coasting backward down the hill worked until a tour bus came roaring up behind us. The buffalo decided to pass us on the side, coming within two feet of our car as he did so. Look girls, here's a good picture of a buffalo, dont'cha think?
We have discovered the proverbial grease that makes the whiny part of the vacation quiet down: Personal CD players and headphones. Sometimes they would listen to their own CD's, sometimes they would share. You could tell when they were sharing because they would be crooning to the same song. Other than the obviously amusing way our girls would slaughter a song, there was the humorous way in which their hearing was affected:
Me: Look girls, antelope!
Daughter: Canteloupe? Where?!
or
Daughter: When was the fire, Daddy?
Me: About 17 years ago.
Daughter: Twelve hundred years?! Hey McKay, the fire was twelve hundred years ago!
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Much Needed Break
We are taking a much needed 3 day vacation to Yellowstone, where I can wear my funny hat and purple sunglasses and blend in with the German tourists.
I have been getting four or less hours of sleep each night this week, and I... just... need... a... break!
I am going to try and keep this blog running for a number of reasons. One being that I am not a quitter, another being that September is the month that an inordinately high number of blogs bite the bullet. I don't really wish to become part of a popular statistic.
I realize that this blog is mainly for me, though there are people who wander in from time to time and say hi. I appreciate ever so much hearing from you.
I also need a place to post pictures of my baby boy when he decides to make his appearance!
If you happen to be in Yellowstone this weekend, and see someone who looks strangely European (in a Bruce Willis-ish sort of way), with a distinctive Utah accent, be sure and say hi.
I have been getting four or less hours of sleep each night this week, and I... just... need... a... break!
I am going to try and keep this blog running for a number of reasons. One being that I am not a quitter, another being that September is the month that an inordinately high number of blogs bite the bullet. I don't really wish to become part of a popular statistic.
I realize that this blog is mainly for me, though there are people who wander in from time to time and say hi. I appreciate ever so much hearing from you.
I also need a place to post pictures of my baby boy when he decides to make his appearance!
If you happen to be in Yellowstone this weekend, and see someone who looks strangely European (in a Bruce Willis-ish sort of way), with a distinctive Utah accent, be sure and say hi.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Cough or Death Rattle?
My apologies to anyone who ended up here looking for information on the gurgling sound known as a "death rattle."
I'm only talking about the blog here.
Over the past several weeks, I've become busier...and busier...and busier, to the point that it's a rare thing to have all of the dishes done at once, and the house all vacuumed up, and the lawn mowed, my laundry put away, etc. There's a few more chores on that list, but I won't bore you with details.
Reason? My wife usually handles a lot of things around the house, but she's pregnant. A high-risk pregnancy, nonetheless. So, being that none of our family is really available to help (most of them living within an hour's drive of us), I pick up ALL of the slack. Which leaves me exhausted. In every freaking way imaginable. No imagination left.
Which brings me to the blog. What exactly does a blog sound like when it's dying?
And is it really dying?
Or am I?
I woke up this morning, after spending most of the night up with a flu of some sorts (I think Kim nailed it on the head when she addresses the ol' "school aged kids = carrier monkeys" topic). So anyways, woke up, extreme pain, nauseated...ad nauseum.. couldn't see myself safely navigating those 50 miles to work this morning, so I went back to bed. Had great hallucinatory dreams. Woke up, took a hot bath, went back to bed, got back up again, fixed lunch, took a long nap, got up, wandered around the house aimlessly for a while, laid down again, got up again, drove three blocks over to the school to pick up the kids, came home, got sick again, had dinner, wandered around aimlessly again for a while, sat down and typed this, went to bed. Yep, think I'm dying.
I really want this blog to stay alive, but it won't really look like much over the next few weeks, as exhaustion and time deprivation REALLY set in.
And I really think a change is due here. Sure, the masthead looks kind of nice, but I'm talking about format, too. I will finally get my links in order, maybe some category tags, etc.
I'm changing right now. I don't think it's a midlife crisis, because I'd be pretty surprised to actually make it to 72 years old. It's more of hitting a "T" intersection on the road you've been travelling along. You have two directions to choose from, and neither is the one you were originally going.
Did I mention that I'm trying to quit swearing? What will I do with all of that free time?
I looked at a picture that was taken of me, and I can't figure out which looks more ridiculous: Shaved head or the receding hairline. As long as I'm wearing glasses or a hat, it's not too bad, almost Bruce Willis-ish.
I really most go before I keel over here in the chair.
Until next time...
I'm only talking about the blog here.
Over the past several weeks, I've become busier...and busier...and busier, to the point that it's a rare thing to have all of the dishes done at once, and the house all vacuumed up, and the lawn mowed, my laundry put away, etc. There's a few more chores on that list, but I won't bore you with details.
Reason? My wife usually handles a lot of things around the house, but she's pregnant. A high-risk pregnancy, nonetheless. So, being that none of our family is really available to help (most of them living within an hour's drive of us), I pick up ALL of the slack. Which leaves me exhausted. In every freaking way imaginable. No imagination left.
Which brings me to the blog. What exactly does a blog sound like when it's dying?
And is it really dying?
Or am I?
I woke up this morning, after spending most of the night up with a flu of some sorts (I think Kim nailed it on the head when she addresses the ol' "school aged kids = carrier monkeys" topic). So anyways, woke up, extreme pain, nauseated...ad nauseum.. couldn't see myself safely navigating those 50 miles to work this morning, so I went back to bed. Had great hallucinatory dreams. Woke up, took a hot bath, went back to bed, got back up again, fixed lunch, took a long nap, got up, wandered around the house aimlessly for a while, laid down again, got up again, drove three blocks over to the school to pick up the kids, came home, got sick again, had dinner, wandered around aimlessly again for a while, sat down and typed this, went to bed. Yep, think I'm dying.
I really want this blog to stay alive, but it won't really look like much over the next few weeks, as exhaustion and time deprivation REALLY set in.
And I really think a change is due here. Sure, the masthead looks kind of nice, but I'm talking about format, too. I will finally get my links in order, maybe some category tags, etc.
I'm changing right now. I don't think it's a midlife crisis, because I'd be pretty surprised to actually make it to 72 years old. It's more of hitting a "T" intersection on the road you've been travelling along. You have two directions to choose from, and neither is the one you were originally going.
Did I mention that I'm trying to quit swearing? What will I do with all of that free time?
I looked at a picture that was taken of me, and I can't figure out which looks more ridiculous: Shaved head or the receding hairline. As long as I'm wearing glasses or a hat, it's not too bad, almost Bruce Willis-ish.
I really most go before I keel over here in the chair.
Until next time...
Thursday, September 8, 2005
The future of used vehicles
A man distinctly resembling John Cleese of Monty Python fame approaches us. Complete with the predatorial smile.
"Hallo, and welcome to Pan-Galactic Vessels! How may I be of service?"
"Um, we're looking for a new vessel... don't really have anything in mind...could we take a look around?"
"Could you?! Most certainly! These vessels are arranged in no particular order, so we'll start over here. This one is a beauty, a real space-saver. It may look like a briefcase on the outside, but press a button and it instantly unfolds into a small flying saucer-type vessel with a clear glass dome on top. Man named Jetson owned it, used it mainly to go to and from work.
Over here, we have something a bit larger, a bit older, but in pretty good shape. The round shape makes it so that people can't tell if you're coming or going! Ha-ha! Right, then. It's called the Jupiter 2, and it was owned by a family that lived in it for a few years while they wandered around the galaxy. Perhaps you've heard of them...the Robinsons? There was also a Major Don West that was with him, and it seemed that any time that man took the wheel they'd crash land the thing. Shame, really. So yes, there's a few scuffs and dents, and one of the three landing gears will short out from time to time, nothing serious. The bridge has a nostalgic feel to it, with lots of blinking lights and what have you. Moving along...
Here we have a single seater, more of a mid-life crisis vessel, if you know what I mean (winking). Its twin ion engines make it a fast little craft, but previous owners have complained about a rather loud, almost screaming sound that the engines made, which - of course - is ridiculous, because in space nobody can hear you scream. Which brings us to our next craft, the Nostromo. Ha, just kidding! The Nostromo, as you well remember, was lost because some ninny accidentally hit the self-destruct button. Too bad, really, because even though it was a mining ship, it was great as a vacation craft. Think of all the equipment you could haul around in her! Moving on...
Here, we have a rather flashy vessel that we're willing to part with for a reasonable price. Other than the hyperdrive having a glass jaw, this little beauty was also bombed on a landing platform at Coruscant. It has been completely rebuilt, stronger than ever, and it's also one of a kind. It was originally the royal cruiser for the Naboo uppity-ups, and what with the empire essentially having taken control of everything in that quadrant, there's really no need for a royal cruiser at this point. Again, hyperdrive is dodgy, but you won't find a flashier vessel this side of the galaxy. Speaking of the empire, we have a few more of their vessels over here.
Now, if size is important, there's nothing quite like parking one of these babies out front for the neighbors to see. Powered by three huge engines, it sits at just over 1600 meters long, and can haul a few thousand of your closest friends, family, or enemies - if you prefer - in the brig section. It's armed to the teeth with ion cannons, tractor beams and the sheer power of intimidation. One thing to never forget is to jettison the garbage before you make the jump to lightspeed! Oh, did I mention lightspeed? It can.... okay, I already see the little missus shaking her head and tugging your sleeve. Moving along.
Shuttle Tiderium here is actually an impound. She's in tip-top shape to be sure, it just so happens that someone parked her on a landing platform on some forest moon of Endor, and then with the Death Star blowing up - again - and all the fracas that ensued, everyone completely forgot about this little peach. A short 20 meters long, graceful folding wings, a back seat and good fuel economy, this little package will get you from point A to point B in style, and will last forever! Good, solid Imperial construction, that one is.
Now that one... I don't know if it interests you or not. You're only shopping for a vessel, but this is more like a mobile home. We procured it through a Federation auction agency, but really can't figure out what to do with it. It's fast, mysterious, has all the bells and whistles... but no human interface. A bit like trying to use a CD player without the faceplate...know what I mean? Anyway, a rather attractive lady with some electronics fused to her head has been inquiring about it.
Now this baby here is a classic! A federation design at only 305 meters in length keeps it in a mid-size class. Not too big or too small. Shields, phasers, photon torpedos and transporters! I'm told it also has transwarp capabilty. Originally an exploration vessel, it was decomissioned recently as a training vehicle. It's had a few scrapes, a few holes blasted through the saucer section here and there... but completely repaired, and cleans up rather nicely. It's powered by a dilithium crystal reactor, which you DON'T want to open while it's hot. They lost a science officer a few years back from that. The Enterprise also comes complete with a security system, should anyone steal it from you. All you have to do is say 'Computer, initiate destruct sequence 0 - 0 - 0.' Works jolly good, I'm told.
We had another ship parked here...another Federation design. Looks like the Voyager is out on a test drive right now... some lass named Janeway taking it on a three hour tour...
Over here, we have a couple of larger vessels... both very similar to each other. A very hearty and solidly-built ship, that battlestar is. It's the last of its class, the rest of them having been destroyed in one form or another. The darker battlestar is supposedly an improvement, but it's smaller, and you cannot find your way from one end to the other without getting lost in those catacombs of hallways. Even though the black one has an FTL drive, it's built completely of CGI, and often has some whiny arabic-type music playing on the soundtrack. Very new agey. And the technology on that one? The old grey battlestar has it beat by leaps and bounds. Even though one of the landing bays was completely gutted by fire, and there are lots of scrapes and dents, it's all been rebuilt and just as strong as ever. A little Bondo here and there, and good as new. However, she's a slow, lumbering giant that just guzzles fuel, and when one of your only sources of Tylium is a planet crawling with Ovions and guarded by interstellar minefields, well....
Now over there, by that moon....here's where you're supposed to say 'that's no moon - that's a space station!' Ha-Ha! Erm...right, then. Anyway, the Death Star. People say that both Death Stars were destroyed by the Rebel Alliance, blah blah blah...how could you have a Death Star? Must be a fake...blah blah blah. What you've got to realize is that the Empire was just like any other big government. Why build just one, when you can build two at twice the price? She's priced only for the most serious of buyers, though. And the planet blasting weaponry? Disabled. Though, I have been told that it can be easily reconnected. Just like cable television in the 1980's.
Just a few more to look at here. This one here is a real deal. She's had a few modifications done to her, like these huge aquariums built inside the storage bay. I've heard it's quite soothing to cruise through the stars with a few humpback whales floating around and whining. She's also got warp capability, and a cloaking device. The interface is completely in Klingon, but you get a feel for it soon enough. I just use a pad of yellow post-its to tell me what the different controls are for. Only 109 meters long, she's small but fast.
And then theres... oh, for the love of... I can't believe we actually have one of these on the lot! It's a Bespin pod-car. It really shouldn't be here at all, as we normally don't sell vehicles like this. I would almost be willing to pay you to take it away. Nothing says 'gay' like a twin-pod bespin car. And here's our last vessel on the row.
The Phoenix, originally owned by a group calling themselves 'G-Force'. Talk about your recreational vehicle! It has an accessory fighter plane, motorcycle, a race car and...and... whatever the hell that thing is that the little guy drove. It can fly through atmosphere and space, and can operate under water, too. Once they were no longer pursued by that loony Zoltar character, they sort of lost interest. Went their own ways. Ships in good shape, though. And for when you want to really impress somebody, you flip this switch over here, and it becomes the 'Fiery Phoenix'. Of course that feature is a real gas guzzler.
There. We're at the end of row 1. Only 2243 remaining to go. Hey, where are you going?
"Hallo, and welcome to Pan-Galactic Vessels! How may I be of service?"
"Um, we're looking for a new vessel... don't really have anything in mind...could we take a look around?"
"Could you?! Most certainly! These vessels are arranged in no particular order, so we'll start over here. This one is a beauty, a real space-saver. It may look like a briefcase on the outside, but press a button and it instantly unfolds into a small flying saucer-type vessel with a clear glass dome on top. Man named Jetson owned it, used it mainly to go to and from work.
Over here, we have something a bit larger, a bit older, but in pretty good shape. The round shape makes it so that people can't tell if you're coming or going! Ha-ha! Right, then. It's called the Jupiter 2, and it was owned by a family that lived in it for a few years while they wandered around the galaxy. Perhaps you've heard of them...the Robinsons? There was also a Major Don West that was with him, and it seemed that any time that man took the wheel they'd crash land the thing. Shame, really. So yes, there's a few scuffs and dents, and one of the three landing gears will short out from time to time, nothing serious. The bridge has a nostalgic feel to it, with lots of blinking lights and what have you. Moving along...
Here we have a single seater, more of a mid-life crisis vessel, if you know what I mean (winking). Its twin ion engines make it a fast little craft, but previous owners have complained about a rather loud, almost screaming sound that the engines made, which - of course - is ridiculous, because in space nobody can hear you scream. Which brings us to our next craft, the Nostromo. Ha, just kidding! The Nostromo, as you well remember, was lost because some ninny accidentally hit the self-destruct button. Too bad, really, because even though it was a mining ship, it was great as a vacation craft. Think of all the equipment you could haul around in her! Moving on...
Here, we have a rather flashy vessel that we're willing to part with for a reasonable price. Other than the hyperdrive having a glass jaw, this little beauty was also bombed on a landing platform at Coruscant. It has been completely rebuilt, stronger than ever, and it's also one of a kind. It was originally the royal cruiser for the Naboo uppity-ups, and what with the empire essentially having taken control of everything in that quadrant, there's really no need for a royal cruiser at this point. Again, hyperdrive is dodgy, but you won't find a flashier vessel this side of the galaxy. Speaking of the empire, we have a few more of their vessels over here.
Now, if size is important, there's nothing quite like parking one of these babies out front for the neighbors to see. Powered by three huge engines, it sits at just over 1600 meters long, and can haul a few thousand of your closest friends, family, or enemies - if you prefer - in the brig section. It's armed to the teeth with ion cannons, tractor beams and the sheer power of intimidation. One thing to never forget is to jettison the garbage before you make the jump to lightspeed! Oh, did I mention lightspeed? It can.... okay, I already see the little missus shaking her head and tugging your sleeve. Moving along.
Shuttle Tiderium here is actually an impound. She's in tip-top shape to be sure, it just so happens that someone parked her on a landing platform on some forest moon of Endor, and then with the Death Star blowing up - again - and all the fracas that ensued, everyone completely forgot about this little peach. A short 20 meters long, graceful folding wings, a back seat and good fuel economy, this little package will get you from point A to point B in style, and will last forever! Good, solid Imperial construction, that one is.
Now that one... I don't know if it interests you or not. You're only shopping for a vessel, but this is more like a mobile home. We procured it through a Federation auction agency, but really can't figure out what to do with it. It's fast, mysterious, has all the bells and whistles... but no human interface. A bit like trying to use a CD player without the faceplate...know what I mean? Anyway, a rather attractive lady with some electronics fused to her head has been inquiring about it.
Now this baby here is a classic! A federation design at only 305 meters in length keeps it in a mid-size class. Not too big or too small. Shields, phasers, photon torpedos and transporters! I'm told it also has transwarp capabilty. Originally an exploration vessel, it was decomissioned recently as a training vehicle. It's had a few scrapes, a few holes blasted through the saucer section here and there... but completely repaired, and cleans up rather nicely. It's powered by a dilithium crystal reactor, which you DON'T want to open while it's hot. They lost a science officer a few years back from that. The Enterprise also comes complete with a security system, should anyone steal it from you. All you have to do is say 'Computer, initiate destruct sequence 0 - 0 - 0.' Works jolly good, I'm told.
We had another ship parked here...another Federation design. Looks like the Voyager is out on a test drive right now... some lass named Janeway taking it on a three hour tour...
Over here, we have a couple of larger vessels... both very similar to each other. A very hearty and solidly-built ship, that battlestar is. It's the last of its class, the rest of them having been destroyed in one form or another. The darker battlestar is supposedly an improvement, but it's smaller, and you cannot find your way from one end to the other without getting lost in those catacombs of hallways. Even though the black one has an FTL drive, it's built completely of CGI, and often has some whiny arabic-type music playing on the soundtrack. Very new agey. And the technology on that one? The old grey battlestar has it beat by leaps and bounds. Even though one of the landing bays was completely gutted by fire, and there are lots of scrapes and dents, it's all been rebuilt and just as strong as ever. A little Bondo here and there, and good as new. However, she's a slow, lumbering giant that just guzzles fuel, and when one of your only sources of Tylium is a planet crawling with Ovions and guarded by interstellar minefields, well....
Now over there, by that moon....here's where you're supposed to say 'that's no moon - that's a space station!' Ha-Ha! Erm...right, then. Anyway, the Death Star. People say that both Death Stars were destroyed by the Rebel Alliance, blah blah blah...how could you have a Death Star? Must be a fake...blah blah blah. What you've got to realize is that the Empire was just like any other big government. Why build just one, when you can build two at twice the price? She's priced only for the most serious of buyers, though. And the planet blasting weaponry? Disabled. Though, I have been told that it can be easily reconnected. Just like cable television in the 1980's.
Just a few more to look at here. This one here is a real deal. She's had a few modifications done to her, like these huge aquariums built inside the storage bay. I've heard it's quite soothing to cruise through the stars with a few humpback whales floating around and whining. She's also got warp capability, and a cloaking device. The interface is completely in Klingon, but you get a feel for it soon enough. I just use a pad of yellow post-its to tell me what the different controls are for. Only 109 meters long, she's small but fast.
And then theres... oh, for the love of... I can't believe we actually have one of these on the lot! It's a Bespin pod-car. It really shouldn't be here at all, as we normally don't sell vehicles like this. I would almost be willing to pay you to take it away. Nothing says 'gay' like a twin-pod bespin car. And here's our last vessel on the row.
The Phoenix, originally owned by a group calling themselves 'G-Force'. Talk about your recreational vehicle! It has an accessory fighter plane, motorcycle, a race car and...and... whatever the hell that thing is that the little guy drove. It can fly through atmosphere and space, and can operate under water, too. Once they were no longer pursued by that loony Zoltar character, they sort of lost interest. Went their own ways. Ships in good shape, though. And for when you want to really impress somebody, you flip this switch over here, and it becomes the 'Fiery Phoenix'. Of course that feature is a real gas guzzler.
There. We're at the end of row 1. Only 2243 remaining to go. Hey, where are you going?
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
New Baby
This one won't quite *fit* in the hospital nursery...
This little cutie gets between 36 and 42 mpg on a pretty regular basis, meaning that I have reduced my fuel consumption by more than half. She's also the little mouse that occasionally roars, as I was lucky enough to get one of those VTEC engines in it. Not only is it a six year old car with only 77,000 miles on it, but it also has all the bells and whistles, too.
One bell (or whistle) that really surprised me was the after-market remote to lock and unlock the doors. I had no idea that it did anything else until a few nights after I bought it, I was taking some garbage out to the curb, and noticed that the engine was running and the stereo playing. I was mildly freaked out that the car might be possessed, but then found that I had accidentally hit the "autostart" button just a few minutes earlier. Nice. Gotta watch that button.
My little baby is also a form of bribery for my two-year old baby. Any time I really need her to eat her dinner, or stop crying, I promise her a ride in Daddy's car. Her car seat sits in the middle of the back seat, and she loves to have the sunroof open with the wind blowing her hair. The Civic is small enough that I can comfortably reach back to her car seat while I'm driving, and she holds onto my fingers as we go down the road. You can certainly put a price on the car, but you can't put a price on an adorable child sharing a happy moment with her da-da.
More later (sometime)...
- Length: 175.20 Inches
- Weight: 2304.6 lbs
- Gender: Female (Always)
- Color: Iced Teal Pearl
- Race: Loves to.
This little cutie gets between 36 and 42 mpg on a pretty regular basis, meaning that I have reduced my fuel consumption by more than half. She's also the little mouse that occasionally roars, as I was lucky enough to get one of those VTEC engines in it. Not only is it a six year old car with only 77,000 miles on it, but it also has all the bells and whistles, too.
One bell (or whistle) that really surprised me was the after-market remote to lock and unlock the doors. I had no idea that it did anything else until a few nights after I bought it, I was taking some garbage out to the curb, and noticed that the engine was running and the stereo playing. I was mildly freaked out that the car might be possessed, but then found that I had accidentally hit the "autostart" button just a few minutes earlier. Nice. Gotta watch that button.
My little baby is also a form of bribery for my two-year old baby. Any time I really need her to eat her dinner, or stop crying, I promise her a ride in Daddy's car. Her car seat sits in the middle of the back seat, and she loves to have the sunroof open with the wind blowing her hair. The Civic is small enough that I can comfortably reach back to her car seat while I'm driving, and she holds onto my fingers as we go down the road. You can certainly put a price on the car, but you can't put a price on an adorable child sharing a happy moment with her da-da.
More later (sometime)...
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
This chaps my hide
If I wore panties, they'd be in a twist right now. Today has seen a lot of different things that have made me stop and reflect about life. On my way to lunch, I passed a car accident that had just happened. Police were already on the way, and nobody was seriously hurt, but I wondered if there was something I could have done to help out. But even that didn't get my goat as much as watching the husband of one of our hydraulic engineers walk into the office and deliver divorce papers for his wife. (Before I say the next word, please understand that I have actually been cutting way down on my profanity, but this word really fits the bill:)
Dipshit.
To the soon to be ex-husband: What kind of idiot who is dying of cancer pushes away his wife and children, just for the need of some time alone? Guess what buddy? You'll have PLENTY of time alone pretty soon here, just you and that 6 foot thick blanket of dirt that'll be covering you! I think that your cancer pretty much stuck a knife into both your wife and childrens' lives, but you seem pretty intent on twisting it around a bit. Seriously, if it was me, I'd want to have my wife and children with me when I leave this earth, not alienated and mourning from afar. I've made some pretty poor choices here and there down the road of life, but I think yours makes mine pale in significance.
One last bit of counsel for you: There is no "undo" button that will erase this choice of yours. You cannot erase the damage that you have caused in the lives of your children, all in the name of a selfish decision.
Moving right along...
I'm just sitting here in the office, eating some "Shrek 2" fruit snacks that my wife threw into the lunchbox today. I just picked one up where the ol' Shrekster is missing about half of his face. Probably some flesh-eating bacteria that he caught livin' in that swamp. The "donkey version" looks a little bit more like Pumbaa the warthog than Eddie Murphy's CGI persona. And there's another shape I can't really recognize. Maybe an amoeba from the aforementioned swamp. But I digress. There are worthier things to post about than artificial fruitstuff.
They come in threes
Deaths of famous people, usually. We had Chief Justice Rehnquist, now Bob "Gilligan" Denver, and I'm wondering who the third will be? Our secretary suggested that maybe one of the many hundreds of hurricane victims might count as the third, she being a little afraid to admit that number three might actually be one of our employees who has cancer.
On the topic of Hurricane Katrina, my heart and prayers go out to the survivors. I cannot imagine the tremendous upheaval in their lives as many of them have not only lost all of their material possessions, but loved ones as well. What the people need is help, not politics. I have put aside the "politics" part of my life, because all it seems to do is raise my blood pressure. But when I saw this, my blood boiled. Having followed a number of political blogs on both the right and the left for over a year, I know that the blogs represented there are actually the cream of the crop for their respective ideaologies. Meaning, they're the sites that get the most traffic. I could not believe the number of people blaming whatever they could on George Bush. One guy emphatically refuses to donate - even a dollar - to the hurricane relief efforts, and has this to say:
I have given blood already, and will find a way to donate money when the next paycheck comes.
Okay, enough of the rant. I know I promised an entry or two over Labor Day Weekend, but as the name denotes, I spent most of the weekend "Laboring". I'm hooking up with two friends tonight to take a long look at this little blog. One friend is named "Illustrator" and the other "GoLive". We'll see over the next few weeks if there are any good results. But I will post a few pics tonight. Honest. I think.
Dipshit.
To the soon to be ex-husband: What kind of idiot who is dying of cancer pushes away his wife and children, just for the need of some time alone? Guess what buddy? You'll have PLENTY of time alone pretty soon here, just you and that 6 foot thick blanket of dirt that'll be covering you! I think that your cancer pretty much stuck a knife into both your wife and childrens' lives, but you seem pretty intent on twisting it around a bit. Seriously, if it was me, I'd want to have my wife and children with me when I leave this earth, not alienated and mourning from afar. I've made some pretty poor choices here and there down the road of life, but I think yours makes mine pale in significance.
One last bit of counsel for you: There is no "undo" button that will erase this choice of yours. You cannot erase the damage that you have caused in the lives of your children, all in the name of a selfish decision.
Moving right along...
I'm just sitting here in the office, eating some "Shrek 2" fruit snacks that my wife threw into the lunchbox today. I just picked one up where the ol' Shrekster is missing about half of his face. Probably some flesh-eating bacteria that he caught livin' in that swamp. The "donkey version" looks a little bit more like Pumbaa the warthog than Eddie Murphy's CGI persona. And there's another shape I can't really recognize. Maybe an amoeba from the aforementioned swamp. But I digress. There are worthier things to post about than artificial fruitstuff.
They come in threes
Deaths of famous people, usually. We had Chief Justice Rehnquist, now Bob "Gilligan" Denver, and I'm wondering who the third will be? Our secretary suggested that maybe one of the many hundreds of hurricane victims might count as the third, she being a little afraid to admit that number three might actually be one of our employees who has cancer.
On the topic of Hurricane Katrina, my heart and prayers go out to the survivors. I cannot imagine the tremendous upheaval in their lives as many of them have not only lost all of their material possessions, but loved ones as well. What the people need is help, not politics. I have put aside the "politics" part of my life, because all it seems to do is raise my blood pressure. But when I saw this, my blood boiled. Having followed a number of political blogs on both the right and the left for over a year, I know that the blogs represented there are actually the cream of the crop for their respective ideaologies. Meaning, they're the sites that get the most traffic. I could not believe the number of people blaming whatever they could on George Bush. One guy emphatically refuses to donate - even a dollar - to the hurricane relief efforts, and has this to say:
"You 60 million losers who voted for this loser open YOUR wallets. This president declared war on the poor long ago, and while some of us cared enough to vote for someone who gave a damn, you buried your heads in the sand, babbled about abortion and family values, and voted for the doofus."- BlunderfordThis is why I am not a liberal, and never will be. The single most important thing I learned from reading all those poli-blogs over the past year is: The conservatives sometimes have a problem finding their arse with both hands, but the liberals can only complain while doing essentially nothing. Check out that page of the right-wing vs. left-wing blogs again. The conservative bloggers rolled up their sleeves and went to work......and the liberals? (crickets chirping)
I have given blood already, and will find a way to donate money when the next paycheck comes.
Okay, enough of the rant. I know I promised an entry or two over Labor Day Weekend, but as the name denotes, I spent most of the weekend "Laboring". I'm hooking up with two friends tonight to take a long look at this little blog. One friend is named "Illustrator" and the other "GoLive". We'll see over the next few weeks if there are any good results. But I will post a few pics tonight. Honest. I think.
Friday, September 2, 2005
2-Minute Plug
I'm supposed to be outside, dressed in orange and catching West Nile Virus as I survey the boundary of a pond.
I am, however, stuck in the office today, scrounging up work to do. I hate today, and this is why:
Mood: Hot and Bothered. Grrrrrrr
Also, I'm tired of people thinking that my job consists of a desk and a magic wand, and that the end result will be as inexpensive as they had hoped. I'm not even going to talk about the people who are building a mansion and freaking out over a $400 bill...
Gas prices jumped 52 cents in just one week.
*sigh*
Read it now, 'cause I'll probably delete it later...
I am, however, stuck in the office today, scrounging up work to do. I hate today, and this is why:
Mood: Hot and Bothered. Grrrrrrr
Also, I'm tired of people thinking that my job consists of a desk and a magic wand, and that the end result will be as inexpensive as they had hoped. I'm not even going to talk about the people who are building a mansion and freaking out over a $400 bill...
Gas prices jumped 52 cents in just one week.
*sigh*
Read it now, 'cause I'll probably delete it later...
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