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November 06, 2008 - I've settled in with and accept the fact that Barack Obama will be President of these United States, at least for the next four years. And while I didn't want John McCain for 8 years, I would have been pleased to have him as President for 4. 

I think what I am having a hard time accepting is that this is some watershed moment. Gimme a break... He will be the 44th President... a democrat. Nothing more and nothing less. 

In regard to race, it is my opinion that we had that watershed moment when Clarence Thomas was nominated for Supreme Court Justice. Not because he was the first man of color of course, but because his confirmation hearings were so contentious. The battle was fierce between white Republicans and mostly white democrats over his appointment. 

Then you had Colin Powell who could have been nominated and probably won as a Republican against Bill Clinton during his re-election bid. Colin Powell did not have the inclination to fight that fight, but he and Condoleeza Rice, in a Republican administration no less, became the face of America to the rest of the world.

The democrats will be the party that will be credited with championing blacks in America, mainly because blacks themselves identify with the democratic party. But in fact, it was their so-called mortal enemies, the Bush Presidents, who likely paved the way for Barack Obama to become number 44. 

November 02, 2008 - Mass Psychology... Go Figure... In a time when we need a steady hand guiding us, an experienced hand to pull us together, a decisive leader to be our decider-in-chief, we as a public mass are leaning toward the anti-thesis of that leader... an unknown and unproven rookie. It's as though we've confused voting for the Academy Awards and President. After all, any actor can act like a President with epic, blockbuster level funding.

And since any measure of reason would suggest the proven leader is who we would turn to in uncertain times, it would seem this election is about a childish electorate that is rebelling against a strong President, Bush, because he chose to follow the course that was best for them in the long term. So instead of electing a President with the qualities needed to get us through the coming morass and moving forward again, the teenager-mindset electorate is preparing to vote for a weak and indecisive president because they think that president will waffle and let them do whatever they want.

I guess like teenagers, electorates have to see for themselves how bad things can get before realizing that it's not always best to get what you want.

October 16, 2008 - Two things... Seeing youngish people (thirties and forties) showing up dead in the obituaries, and VP Dick Cheney going in to the hospital to get his heart shocked back into rhythm, caused me to check on the go-ogle when Barack Obama last had a check-up and if he had released his health records. All we got was a note from his doctor saying that when he had his last check-up over a year (this was released in May so it has been a year and a half by now) ago he was still struggling to quit smoking but otherwise was still cancer free. 

A year and a half is a long time in health years. Before we cast a ballot to finalize his anointing I think the American people should have a full accounting... a full screening if you will, of his true and current condition. 

Obama in my opinion is bad enough but NOBODY wants his number 2...., what's his name... to become President.

October 12, 2008 - Boy oh boy... When you listen to the Sunday pundits you get a sense that Barack Obama will be elected accompanied by both houses of Congress in the hands of the Democrats. Reminds me of when a good man, Gerald Ford was President and yet the public was whipped into a change frenzy and elected an inexperienced man from Plains GA. Jimmy Carter then proceeded to weaken this country and almost destroyed its economy. 

Got Gold? 

October 07, 2008 - Before i begin, let me just say i did not watch the debates tonight. I don't have any stocks so the stock market isn't on my mind. Took bankruptcy a number of years ago and have thus had to live within my means for years... had my economic crisis when i took the bankruptcy so this one doesn't really faze me.

Still, from some quarter there has come a pall over my mood and I think it has to do with this upcoming election. I am very concerned that we may be about to elect a charismatic. That would of course be Barack Obama. In one way, he is the perfect African-American candidate to allow us all to achieve some sort of absolution for the sins of our ancestors for not giving up slavery voluntarily, but having to end it by force of arms.

But to do so means we have to turn our back on one of the most straight forward and forthright politicians of our time. Many Americans, including the mainstream media seem to feel more comfortable with the smooth cadence of the Charismatic than the reassuring tone of the Truth Speaker. Hard to blame them... Charismatics are a seductive lot.

I think my glum mood is from not being able to join those followers of the Piper. I too would like some sort of closure on the race debate, but I simply cannot join in the procession because these are not the times of a poetic dreamer, but the times of a fixer and a doer.

So, I will hang on to the hope of a President John McCain and if that is not to be, then hope for at least one of the houses of Congress to be removed from the control of the Democrats. They've had that control for two years now and things have steadily gotten worse. Plus, depending on how things fall, Liberals could even gain control of the Supreme Court.

But if one or the other of my hopes don't come to pass, well, whatever you do... if they tell you that you have to drink the kool-aid, just pretend to drink it. We'll need someone around afterward to help pick up the pieces.

Saturday, October 04, 2008 - Just was watching Nightline a while ago, and saw the interview with Oliver Stone by Terry Moran. Stone admitted they were rushing to get his new movie "W" out before the election, presumably to influence the out come for the Democrats. I guess they decided to not use Michael Moore this time, and instead just put lipstick on a pig. 

October 03, 2008 - Watched the VP debate last night. At the end of the night Biden was judged the narrow winner on substance, and I agree. 

Listen, he's been in Congress for (?)... well, a long time. He tried to break out of that good ol' boy club and get promoted but the people rejected him as a possible Presidential candidate twice. Two time dropout.

(Hmmm... makes one wonder why Obama is tryin' to sneak him in through the back door. Maybe he's like Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods. So full of confidence that he gets bored with how easy running for President is so he does something to make the job harder. Why else would he pick the poster boy for the Peter Principle as a running mate?)

But anyway, I thought Sarah Palin did a very good job of showing that while she may not make the best candidate for "Teacher-of-the-Year" (she did after all fail Charlie Gibson's pop quiz) or "Supreme Court Justice" (Katie Couric's attempt to pile on after Charlie Gibson persisted in embarrassing her), she did show she understands what Middle America is feeling and her record shows she knows how to make the decisions that help turn those feelings into something better. 

Still, this is about the two TEAMS running for President. And, well, at least the McCain/Palin team got the experienced hand and the apprentice at the proper positions of the team. 'Cause unlike a company where you can try a young guy out as CEO, if he turns out to be out of his or her element the board can fire them and put an old experienced hand back in charge. 

But in a government job like President, you've got job protection for 4 years. Better get it right when you're hirin' or you may end up with a Jimmy Carter type that you're just stuck with. 

September 26, 2008 - I... I.... I... I'm... full of, you know... self-doubt. I watched the debates tonight and knowing they were going to turn the subject to the economy, figured John McCain would take a lickin' from the commentators just because they try to tie the economic troubles to the current administration instead of to Congress and bad decisions made by the Congress even before the current administration.

But the longer the debate continued, I felt that Senator McCain gained steam and began to win point after point, especially when the subject of leadership came up. And even though I am a McCain supporter, I began to have a little sympathy for Obama toward the end.

Then post-debate, the pundits began to wade in. I wish I had taped the debate. The one they described didn't seem to be the one I saw at all. 

Either I am really out of touch or the fix is in. Next week Sarah Palin is gonna get crucified even if she sort of holds her oun. And McCain... well, if tonight's performance was a loss, he's doomed in the future debates.

My only hope is that the American people are aware of the, generally speaking, partisanship of the fifth estate. I'll never forget turning on Peter Jennings on election night of 2004 and seeing him almost gleefully announce, prematurely it turns out, the American voting public had apparently elected a new president.

If the voters decide Obama should be our president, then I'll trust that judgment. I just wish the major network media would quit lobbying mostly on the side of the democrats all the time. I don't get Fox News so I have no place to go to get the other side's viewpoint.

September 24, 2008 - Visitor in the night

Me: Who are you?

VITN: I am the Visitor In The Night... the genie in the bottle. I'm just here to check on how everyone likes the changes I've wrought?

Me: To be quite frank, I don't think they are all that popular now. You said you were in a bottle... how'd you get out? 

VITN: All the cries for change let me out. And thank goodness for it. I haven't been out since the Carter years and it was getting pretty stale inside that bottle. 

Me: Look, I think you may have misunderstood those calls. I think what people were really wanting were changes in their oun personal lives... not so much a total upheaval of the economy and probably, society.

VITN: No, I think I got it right. It takes a collective change in society for an individual to have the freedom to change. That is to say, if everything is sweeping along like a rushing river, you have to go with the flow. Only when the waters flow more gently are you able to move laterally to the part of the stream you feel happier in.

Me: So, you are saying that it's not really politics that create change? That change is shaped by events?

VITN: Yeah, that's pretty much it. Politics are only important in how the change is addressed. Change just happens. 

September 11, 2008 - Some TV I've watched lately have been giving themselves (the media) a good dressing doun for paying too much attention to Obama's "Lipstick on a pig" comment. Some even say he didn't mean any reference to Sarah Palin.

He did of course. If you think he is not a calculating politician, then you are naive. You don't get where he is without that trait. It's no more or less of a big deal than when George H. W. Bush, in a lightheaded moment when jogging, said "Read my hips" when asked about his pledge to raise no new taxes. 

Governor Palin has said she has no problem with Obama's comment. She knows it was an attempt to put a dent in her very well crafted armor. It's just politics. 

But I believe it is o.k. and perhaps necessary for the media to keep commenting on it because, well, quite frankly the country and the media need some light hearted name calling to keep up the interest and not continue boring the pants off everyone by talking about issues all the time. Haven't we been doing that for about the last 2 years?!

Actually, I think Obama will come out pretty good in this exchange, because his supporters are the ones with the shorter attention spans. At least, that's my guess. The tabloid flavor the election process is taking on will possibly help keep his ADD croud more engaged.

August 29, 2008 - WOW!!!  Sara(h)? Palin... who's she? 

Read a quick bio on Yahoo News and after the initial shock, well, she grows on you... quickly.

Already one thing I like about her is that she will bite the hand that feeds her if that hand is also doing things it shouldn't, behind the back. And another thing that just overwhelms me with joy is the fact she is a person who hasn't lived in a big city cocoon. This probably means she has the ability to contribute to a John McCain administration on matters of the environment with firsthand and common sense judgment that someone who has been born and raised in a big city and attended a city-sized university that tries to teach the environment through studies and formulas, lacks.

And the fact that she has fought for her position against oil companies and tenured politicians from both parties tells me she is not intimidated easily. It also tells me that John McCain is not getting a "Yes" woman for a running mate. But he knew that.

I once supported something called Unity '08 before coming to the realization that unity is only important for this country during times of crisis. We are too diverse to ever be an "all-time-unified" people. What I really craved was an Independent ticket. 

I like this ticket. To me it would be the nearest thing to a President and Vice President acting Independent of special interests and governing for the good of all the people as we've seen since the early days of this great country. 

Barack Obama and Joe Biden are merely pawns of the Democratic Party. McCain-Palin are the new incarnation of the Republican Party in what may very well turn out to be its finest version.

I cannot believe how energized I am over such a simple act as choosing a Vice President by a Party's nominee.

Well done John McCain, and thanks for restoring my political enthusiasm.

August 27, 2008 - Watched the Olympics... well, mostly just the swimming and women's gymnastics. 

Don't have much interest in watching either of the conventions. After seeing the opening ceremony at Beijing, how would they possibly top that? 

Still, was walking by the room with a TV set on last night as Hillary was about to speak. Listened to that. If she had given that speech during the primaries she would maybe be the nominee. Glad she didn't, though, 'cause then I would have had a more difficult choice than I do now. 

Quite honestly, if an old-style Republican were running instead of John McCain, I would tune both parties out or even possibly support Obama. I do like some of his (Obama's) rhetoric concerning energy, but he and I both know he would not be able to implement it. These kinds of things take decades to reverse in order to not disrupt everyone's life. The leadership experience factor would have probably undermined my supporting him, and Joe Biden wouldn't have helped quell that fear. The man (Joe Biden) has at times in the past seemed to be whiney.

But even without any leadership questions, I would still have had trouble supporting Obama because of the potential effect of a democratic president on the makeup of the Supreme Court*... which would also have been that one minus for supporting Hillary. Still, if it were between her and McCain, I would have had to weigh both handfuls, left and right, carefully.

Thank goodness Hillary lost the nomination, otherwise, I would likely be in a support quandry.

*This Supreme Court obsession has nothing to do with Roe v Wade in my mind but more with maintaining customary rights, such as the right to bear arms etc.  As for Roe v Wade, I think any woman who gets pregnant and doesn't WANT to, should be forced to get an abortion. With all the morning after and other birth control available, if she still gets pregnant she is just too dumb to have kids, and thus risks passing on more dumbness against the common good.

Afterthought: Had already signed out and was surfing the web when a thought took over me that wouldn't let go... that this is it for Hillary. That this was her last hurrah as a truly national figure. Four or eight years from now there will be new blood emerging.  How sad to see it end this way for her. 

August 15, 2008 - Just was watching the Olympics (who isn't?) and saw an interview with Kobe Bryant who didn't participate in the past two Olympics but sort of suggested the American basketball Olympians who did participate in Athens 4 years ago were somehow not focused enough and that was the reason they didn't win the gold. 

I very clearly remember watching those American Olympians and while I do not recall where they finished in the standings, I will never forget how proud I was that they participated. 

At the time there was constant chatter about the 2004 Olympics being targeted by terrorist groups and I assumed that was the reason so many big American-born NBA stars stayed away in droves. I think that 2004 team was one of our greatest Olympic basketball teams of all time.

July 26, 2008 - I often compare current unknowns to past knowns. In keeping with this evaluation process, I have come up with a comparison with past presidents for both John McCain and Barack Obama that helps me determine how they might perform in office. 

Barack Obama - His self-described preference is to John Kennedy. For me John Kennedy brings back memories of the U.S. coming to the brink of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. 

But I actually see him more as the modern day Jimmy Carter... who brought the U.S. to the brink of business and personal wealth ruination as well as being embarrassed by the govt. of Iran even after he appeased the mullahs by withholding support for the Shah. 

Obama says he is willing to sit doun one on one with Achmadinajad, thus further reinforcing to the Iranians that they won the embassy standoff by simply waiting us out. I don't think Obama is the best negotiator for western interests to strike a deal with Iran.

John McCain - He has to be the modern day version of Dwight D. Eisenhouer. Not because of the obvious military leadership and accomplishments and devotion to duty... but because of their respective steadfastness. 

And because they both have and will stand up to any challenge to the best interests of this country: Eisenhouer when he made his famous "Military/Industrial complex" speech warning of letting this entity become too powerful, and McCain when he told his party and the sitting president that we were undermanned in Iraq. 

Not only did he buck his party and his party's leader, but when running in the primaries he then told the nation that he would stand squarely behind his choice to support surge troops for Iraq. He stood there alone while all the other Republican candidates ducked for cover because Iraq wasn't going well for us, and said even though I am way doun in the polls and this may bury me even further behind the front runners, I believe this is the best thing for America.

So for me it is a choice of the frenzied, fearful, uncertain days of Jimmy Cartersville; or the tranquil and dependable leadership of the Eisenhouer calm.

For my money, 9/11 was enough uncertainty to last awhile. Gimme calm.

July 02, 2008 - Just was thinking as we approach Independence Day how close we came to losing one of our basic freedoms. I'm talking about the second amendment freedom to bear arms that was upheld by the Supreme Court recently by a slim 5 to 4 vote. 

I'm always interested in how things that happen at a given time affect things from then on. And the things which the recent Court decision calls to mind are the 2000 and 2004 elections. What if Al Gore had been handed the 2000 election, or if John Kerry had won the 2004 election? Would they have appointed a couple of liberals to the Supreme Court in place of the ones we got... Justices Roberts and Alito? Of course they would. And while they may not have been selected for whether they would vote against gun ouner rights in a gun rights case, a liberal Judge would certainly have voted that way. It's what liberals are  *compelled to do.

It's obvious that while Presidents do have an effect on our day-to-day lives, their contributions to our long-term quality of life often can be the gift that just keeps on giving.

* I recently confronted a friend with this fact and though he obviously agreed with the Supreme Court's "right to bear arms" decision, nevertheless he responded "Well... I'm STILL a democrat!... and walked off in a huff. Poor guy is just compelled.

June 03, 2008 - How 'bout that John McCain? Marshal our will and brain-pouer and resources to make us energy dependent on ourselves, in a way we can be proud of? THAT'S change you can live with! And in a self-satisfying way, too.

I thought the ideal time for such change was immediately after 9/11, but in hindsight I suppose it was best for the national psyche to get things back to normal... not a good time psychologically to promote change. But with energy demand and supply being so intertwined as it is now, people don't have to be driven to change... the herd moves willingly.

I will always believe that George W. Bush was the right President for the time and place we were at immediately after 9/11. I believe just as strongly that John Maverick McCain is the exact right person for NOW!

May 14, 2008 - A genie with pouer to grant the Presidency of the United States to any of the three named individuals who are currently vying for it, approaches all three separately. First the Genie asks Mrs. Clinton "If I guarantee you are the presidential candidate for your party, but tell you there is a 75% chance you will not finish out your term if elected President, what is your answer? 

"My answer is that Barack Obama should be the lead candidate on the ticket if you will make me his choice for vice president."

The same question put to Barack Obama received essentially the same answer with regard to Hillary being the lead candidate and he being her choice for vice-president. 

When John McCain was asked if he were guaranteed he would be the next President of the U.S. but there was a 75% chance he would not finish his term in office, his answer was slightly different from the other two candidates. "If you can guarantee me that my being President somehow made a difference, then I will risk those odds."

Of course, none of the three candidates made a dishonorable decision. In their shoes, I would have made the same one as being attributed to the imaginary ones from Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. I would not have made the one being assigned to John McCain. 

However, his decision to not accept freedom when a captive in a North Vietnam prison camp because his father's rank and privilege caused his captors to make that offer, tells me he would at the very least make the decision as stated above. He's a better man than me.

But I think we all expect our leader to be a better person than we are.

May 10, 2008 - Politics... Was listening to the talk after the Indiana and North Carolina Democratic primaries. By all accounts, Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee. And everyone seems to think that means he will automatically be our next President. 

My first thought was, "Oh well, if that is what will be I hope he does well as President for all our sakes. Probably not anything that can't be fixed four years from now if he does screw up."

Then I started imagining him as President. I imagined a situation where lives were in danger and what would he do? After recalling many of the positions he proudly stands on, I began to worry. This is a man that seemingly only acts AFTER something is perceived as being wrong. The Reverend Wright thing... he sat in the pews for countless years, but when it was pointed out to him the views of the man were considered divisive and wrong, he made a speech against those views. 

And what if Bill Clinton was correct when he said that the Obama campaign had been laying in the weeds just waiting to turn any ambiguous phrase into an accusation of racism? So then when race became an issue in the media, he (Obama) made a speech on racism.

He is an intelligent man and a good speech-maker. Problem is, the only people in the world who can be moved by speeches seem to be American voters. Enemies of Americans are not moved. I am afraid if confronted with a crisis, Obama's solution will be to make a speech.

There was a time past when words were important... but we have our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution and our Gettysburg Address etc. We have in our history books all the fine ways of saying what's important, already. In these times, actions speak louder than words.

Think what you will about George W. Bush, but though not the most eloquent of speakers, when he speaks, people listen. And his words have the ring of a hammer hitting an anvil or the sensitivity of a feather brushing a cheek. He has an innate capacity for knowing what his intended audience will respond to. 

I'm afraid Obama will give the same speech to those who wish us harm as he gives to the voting public. It won't work.

None of this is Obama's fault. If the American Public want to hand him the mantle of leader of their country, sure, why not take it?

Personally though, I am convinced that Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Condolezza Rice... are just some of the people who understand the new dynamic, and that means understanding that you can't trade civilian safety for international goodwill. 

And I think they know that straight talk from the shoulder earns you respect.

But in the international arena where the public isn't the audience, a great speech from a toothless mouth just doesn't carry much weight.

April 30, 2008 - Was just reading my last post. It seems my brain doesn't sleep much anymore. That is, I don't really dream while asleep... I think. Like this morning. I was waking up and as I slowly gained consciousness my thoughts continued along the lines of being privy to a phone conversation between Barack Obama and Reverend Jeremy Wright. It went something like this:

Hello Reverend. This is Barack. How's everything going?

Everything's alright with me, but it seems things are not going so well for you. Sorry that my sermons put you in such a spot. If you would have just told me you were going to run for President back then, I would have worn a flag to preach in instead of an African mu mu. Hoped my lying low would solve the problem but it looks like it's just not going to go away.

This presidential thing sort of caught me by surprise too. But I think I see a way out. You've got to come out into the public again. Here's the plan: Remember how you would get so wildly outrageous at times and act out to the point where people in the congregation would think you were crazy? I need you to do that act again, but this time in full public view. Think you can pull it off?

Well, sure I can... I can do that act in my sleep. But why? Won't that make things worse?

Yes, but it will give me the opportunity to denounce you and to isolate you as just a crazy old fool... a Fred Sanford type. 

The black community will not hold it against me because they will agree you are just a crazy fool, and the white community will say that I am just a victim of circumstances and that should get me some sympathy votes. If we play the roles right, this could be just what I need. I only wish McCain had taken the bait a little harder instead of laying off. Anyway, say something outrageous like "I may even hope to be Barack's vice-president" or something. That will really send voters into my sympathy section. 

You know, I really was hoping for some plum position in your administration. Nothing too high profile, but maybe an ambassadorship to an African country of my choice?

Pull this off Reverend, and you can be ambassador to France for all I care.

Ooooh la la... step aside boy, and let the master showman do his work!

April 04, 2008 - zzzzzzzzz snark! zzzzzzzzzzzzz..... (dream, dream, dream)

RingRingRingRing... hello? (silence) hello? (silence...) Bill? Chelsey?... 

Hillary? 

Who's calling on my private line?

Hillary, it's Joe, Joe Lieberman. 

Joe, you ol' Independent you! How's everything going in the McCain camp? How's my friend John getting on? Tell him I really miss our talks together and that trip we took to Baghdad a few years ago that while being a serious matter, was the most fun I've had on a fact finding trip in all my years in public service. And be sure to tell him that while I will hate to do it, I am going to have to give him a good sound beating in the fall election.

Hill... that's what I'm calling about. Are you sure you are gonna BE in the fall election? Now hear me out... Hillary, the democratic party, the media, the big money people, have all deserted you. I know how that feels so believe me, I know what you must be going through and how it hurts.

Joe, don't tell me they've sent you to get me to drop out... to desert my supporters... the people who believe in me? If that's what this is about Joe, then we're done talking. 

No! No! Hillary. That's not why I'm calling. I'm really pulling for you and if you could still pull out the nomination, then for me this election would be my idea of a perfect calm. That is, whether it was you or John who won, then I think this country that I love so dearly would be in capable hands.

But Hillary, if you don't get the nomination, what then? My oun decision was to keep fighting and become an Independent. Hillary, it has been the most freeing moment of my entire political career. Both parties have good and bad ideas, but since I don't have to toe the party line, I can vote the country's agenda, and not my party's.

So what are you saying Joe?

Just that I've been asked by John McCain for input on a running mate and ...

That should be you, Joe...

No... No... I think his ideal running mate should be someone who could help focus on the economy while he keeps a strong grip on foreign policy, and that someone should also be able to step in and handle foreign policy without a misstep if the need should arise.

Joe, before you make any statement that might be awkward for either of us, I must remind you that I'm a democrat.

And so was I, once. I'm just saying that if you should think about becoming a free-woman Independent, that could certainly open the door for a real mainstream ticket. We both know that O'bama is WAY too far to the left, and that once the entire populace gets a chance to vote up or doun on him, the country may very well reject his extreme liberalism and not take a chance on his being inexperienced. The mainstream ticket I inferred would be unstoppable and I just can't help but believe the country would benefit.

My response has to be that this is of course, absurd.

Yes, I know.

I'm sure John would also say the same thing?

I don't know, I am only doing feelers before suggesting such a difficult, but logical pairing. I'm just trying to find out if a flat NO would be the answer to such a feeler before floating this past him?

(silence)

(more silence)

Oh, Joe. I've got a call on another line. It's been... interesting, talking to you.

Hello, Madam Secretary?

Senator, How are you? Congratulations on your impending nomination.

Thanks Condi... it was an uphill battle and was nip and tuck for awhile, but I'm pleased the voters have faith in me. 

So what can I do for you today? Need a briefing on a hotspot? How can I help?

Actually Condi, I was calling to ask if you would be interested in continuing to be involved, well, in a certain high position that I would need filled before starting the fall election campaign? I have Joe Lieberman helping me do a search to fill this, well, unnamed position... and I wanted to just get your feelings before meeting with him on his recommendations. 

Oh John, I have been at this so long that I have really looked forward to becoming a normal citizen again. It's not the pressure or stress or anything... I have adapted to that just fine. It's just that I have given my all to this country at the expense of my personal hopes and dreams and I have looked forward to broadening my perspective in academics. Besides, I have said I will not run for any office and I mean to stay true to that commitment. 

Condi, I respect your position and have even considered a solution, should you be offered the task. That is, any campaigning would be done almost entirely by me, while you continued in your duties as Secretary of State. The country knows you and you have no need to be vetted for public office, so I will do the stumping and traveling and the country will know that if something happens to me then we are in good hands, and that you will lead us out of any crisis of confidence in the inevitability of the United States. Plus, with you taking the lead in foreign policy issues, I can concentrate my energies on the economy. Don't need an answer just yet, but it is something I hope you will think about and consider carefully.

That much I can promise John. I will consider carefully whether I would make myself available under those conditions. 

Thanks Condi, It's been a real pleasure talking to you.

You too John, thank you for calling.

March 13, 2008 - I was noticing in many of the news stories lately about Elliot Spitzer, the Governor of NY, that no mention was made about his political affiliation. I assumed that he was a Republican and that the news media were feeling bad about continually pointing out the failings of Republican politicians and had just decided to not name the party affiliation. Then I heard George Steph... etc., who was filling in for Charlie Gibson on the ABC evening news program, identify him as a democrat. It had taken about two days for me to find out that this was not another Republican scandal. Guess I should have just done a search in order to find that out: not that it really matters to me. Even handedness does matter.

Something else that matters is how we perceive the slowdoun we are in. Don't you feel energized and more engaged knowing that you have to think and plan how to use your grocery dollars or your energy dollars? It seems the country has been playing offense for a number of years now, trying to figure out how to earn more money. Now we have to play defense and protect our goals-line. This is where the two-way players will shine.

February 27, 2008 - I was recently on a forum I regularly post on and when answering another poster, it struck me... I know Hillary R. C. has been to Iraq a number of times but I do not remember hearing if Barack O. has ever been. Not saying he hasn't been, just that I don't remember hearing about it. 

February 11, 2008 - Was just thinking how difficult it must be to be a democratic primary voter. You are open to being labeled as a racist or a genderist... depending on how you vote.

February 03, 2008 - Wow! February '08. Has it been that long since I updated? How time flies.

Anyway, the thing that brings me here today is politics. I saw the Clinton interview on the George Steph... etc. show and realized how remarkable she really is. I have been sorta doun since John McCain swept away Rudy G. and seems to be turning the Republican race into a two man contest, if not a onezy. 

Now don't get me wrong. I love and admire John McCain. But if Rudy G. could have done better in Florida and if Mitt Romney could remain strong on Super Tuesday, then maybe the Republican convention would have deadlocked and then my candidate, Condoleeza Rice could have emerged as a unifying choice. Hopes for that have pretty much vanished.

So, now Hillary has become my Condoleeza Rice stand-in. Not because I am particularly pro-woman. I am actually quite capable, I suspect, of treating a woman on a personal level according to stereotype. But I am struck by how I feel the two best leaders on the current political scene are, apparently, women.

Barack O'bama has leadership qualities, but I'm afraid he is not right for the times. Just like everyone thinks Kennedy was the cat's meouw during the '60s, I remember him as the President that almost got me nuked! And while Jimmy Carter was the "change" President of his era, he plunged America into its version of the "Dark Ages".

Change is good, but change must happen so things bend, not abruptly so they break. Clinton, or for that matter, McCain... either one could affect that sort of gradual, yet practical and long-lasting change, IMHO.

Wouldn't it be cool if McCain, or even Clinton if she wins the Democratic nomination, would cajole Condoleeza Rice to join their ticket? Whichever one did would get my vote.

November 11, 2007 - Boy, Veterans Day... As a veteran I have never really felt a personal connection to this day. It just seemed it was more for the WWI and WWII and Korean Conflict men and women. In my time the public was not supportive and any day spent at The Wall is our Veteran's Day. And it is something that is shared by those who were there or were an extension of those who were there. Outsiders need not apply.

I will never forget the broadcast by President Lyndon Johnson saying he would not run for another term in office. I felt betrayed by my commander-in-chief. It was one thing for those in Congress and the public to abandon the troops, but for a commander-in-chief to say "I quit!" because the job was too hard was unforgivable.

Since 9/11 I think the current crop of veterans have received the appreciation they deserve, and I am not concerned about any lack of recognition. It is the newly anointed veterans for whom this day will be directed that I hope will see special recognition bestowed. 

For while every generation of soldier has endured the unimaginable and even managed what many believed to be the undoable, this current version of the military has reinvented itself on the fly and from the top to the bottom has mastered the mission.

It's never easy coming back from a war, and this one will likely have future veterans coming back piecemeal rather than en force. I just hope it will be an easier transition for them knowing that at the very least, their Commander-In-Chief never wavered.

October 09, 2007 - Was just reading a news release from the Orthomolecular Medical Medicine News Service about how Vitamin C has been proven to combat heavy metal poisoning in animals, and is probably able to do the same in humans. This may especially be true when combined with Selenium supplementation. I wonder if such a treatment could turn out to be the one best defense we have against ever-increasing mental and physical problems from heavy metal poisoning?

Changed "Medical" to "Medicine". Don't know if it is important, but they refer to themselves as the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, so I changed it.

And that started me to thinking... will we someday require people who make critical decisions (judges, politicians, intelligence operatives etc.) to have their blood profiled in order to ensure that they are not mentally or physically out-of-whack? (as opposed to the testing for drugs or alcohol that we now do to warn against temporary out-of-whackedness)  Sure works for me as long as those who test "out-of-whack" are treated to get them back into whack, instead of just being discarded. 

I hate the idea of intrusion into one's life, but there's just gettin' to be so many of us everywhere that it may become necessary in order to not foul our oun nest or step heavily on one another.

August 23, 2007 - I like to think of myself as being for the little guy, being one myself. I have often advocated the wealthy should pay more per excessive units used for things like electricity, fuel, water and other such basics that when wasted, have an effect on availability or on the prices the rest of us pay for these necessities. 

But I have a brother-in-law... he's smart and works hard. Back when the first President Bush was in office, in the spirit of compromise with the Democratic congress he signed a bill to raise taxes on the wealthy. My once hard-working brother-in-law became a couch potato. He lay around sleeping and just watching TV all day long. Why work? The govt. would get more of what he earned in taxes than he would. He didn't need the money, so why work? Luckily, his brain had not atrophied before the tax code was reformed and he could again enjoy the fruits of his labor. He's productive and happy again.

What's the point of my story? Just that it is the entrepreneurial brains of this country that make it grow. I don't know what percentage they are, but they are the engines and the rest of us are the axles and wheels and frames the engines ride upon. 

Taxes smaxes... they won't affect my cash-on-hand one iota in my present situation. Or will they?

August 09, 2007 - O.K., Barry Bonds' little inner voice didn't tell him to just tie Hank Aaron, but to beat him. So now I'm wondering what the little voice inside the guy who caught the 756 ball might be saying? I'm sure it's asking what is the best way to maximize the value received from this trophy. And I'm wondering if that little inner voice isn't thinking that it could not only involve the small pool of bidders for the ball who don't care how the record was achieved, but also the multitudes of baseball fans who care passionately. And I'm wondering if that little inner voice isn't marketing genius enough to get the two factions bidding against each other by offering the ball to the highest "pro" bidder, or offering to shred the ball if enough "con" bidders pool their bids to be tops? 

August 07, 2007 - I was just wondering... what kind of odds could one get on Clinton for 4 years (with a republican congress) and Jeb Bush for 8? I'd take a flyer on that, if the odds were favorable. Wouldn't put anything doun for just even money, though.

July 29, 2007 - Do the right thing! That's what I hope Barry Bond's inner voice is saying right now. The voice should also be saying "Yes, go ahead and hit another home run and put yourself in the company of Hank Aaron. Then quit. Take your bat and glove and cap and all your gear over to the Commissioner's box, hand it to him without a word, then just walk away. Never explain to the media or friends. Only to family and maybe, to Hank Aaron. If you do that, you will have achieved baseball immortality in much greater measure than you would ever receive by breaking Hank's record. The Giants are out of it so you won't be letting your teammates doun. Just do this and become the 'Greatest Enigma' in baseball history."

July 25, 2007 - Was just thinking... what if someone ran as a proxy President? Like as a proxy for Arnold Swartzen etc. I think he would make a good President, and since he can't run, let some one run on the platform that they would turn all the decision-making over to the Arnold, and they would only come into the office when they were needed to sign some papers, or something. Maria, his wife, could be trusted in this capacity, and she-for-he could run as a Republican, Democrat, or even a unity08.com candidate. Wouldn't matter to me. Whatever you call him he would still be who he is.

SWARTZENetc. FOR PRESIDENT '08

July 12, 2007 - I love analogizing things. And since its been a pretty slow summer, I've looked around and found something that seems like a good fit for a' analogy. It's both political and sportical.

The sport part is the three fights between Muhammad Ali and Smokin' Joe Frazier. The political players are the Whitehouse and the Congress. I may be re-writing history here, but let's say the Whitehouse is Joe Frazier, and they won the first of the fights when Bush was re-elected in 2004 by a split (country) decision. Then, in the midterm elections the Ali Congress came storming back and won on a TKO. So now we are in the middle rounds of the third fight and it appears the Ali Congress is winning all the early rounds on points, and that Joe Frazier Bush is covering up on the ropes and being pummeled. 

But don't be fooled by the current situation. We've seen in the past that Smokin' Joe can take a punch, and then counter-punch. And while many of Smokin' Joe's fans, and even some of his entourage, are either tearing up their betting slips or are movin' to Ali's corner, Smokin' Joe is still standing in there and shedding punches. And I'm thinkin' that pretty soon Smokin' Joe will come off the ropes with a flurry that will have everyone gasping that he still had that much left. 

And while this is an analogy, and therefore can't be used as history being prologue to actual outcomes, I'm thinking that even if the Ali Congress should appear to win this third and final fight, the real winner won't be known for some time. 

And just as with Ali and Frazier, you have to sit doun and talk to each of the participaters 20 years on to see who really won.

June 29, 2007 - So the immigration reform bill is unfinished, for now. Normally I would say something like:

This is obviously a sign of our times, when individuals are seemingly brought up "pampered" and to believe they know what is best and that their view is the only view that counts. And, if it isn't done their way, then it shall not be done, period. No compromise, no quarter, no bending. Tantrum.

Of course, there has been compromise. Of note would be the attempts by Ted Kennedy, Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and the Whitehouse in particular. But some others have tried to go along with this bill and found that their constituents as a whole would not allow them to vote their convictions... that this was as good a deal as the country could get. They changed their votes. I will personally not think bad of such a politician. Nor will I think ill of the people who vehemently opposed the very bold and courageous attempt to get this done. Because sometimes, it's not about a person acting petulant. It's about a person taking a stand on a position that they believe is best for their community and country. I personally thought this bill was a good compromise and would move us off this issue and thus, forward to the next "big thing" issue. But the majority of the country seems to disagree. So, I bow to their collective wisdom in this debate.

Still, that doesn't change my thinking that a unity08.com ticket would be best to return us to the days when we were able to craft rules of living that left fewer of the wingtips of each ideology seething with anger all the time. 

June 18, 2007 - Today is the 7th day of the Dog Days of summer. The dog that came up a week ago was still here the next morning, so I pulled out the porcupine quills and patted the animal. Most of the quills were easily removed by hand, making them more like acupuncture needles than barbed quills. But a few that had broken off were more deeply embedded and had to be removed using pliers. Was very impressed that the animal never whimpered while I was pulling those out. The only time the dog seemed in pain was when I would go inside and leave her alone. By the next morning the large pup had become so familiar with the place that she felt comfortable chasing the cats up trees and doing giddy-up figure eights in the front yard. I am beginning to feel like the Sherman to Mr. Peabody from the Old Rocky and Bullwinkle show. Mr. Peabody as you may or may not know was a (talking) dog. He was often heard to say that every dog should have their oun kid. 

June 15, 2007 - Turned over to Letterman late last night so I wouldn't forget to change the channel when Craig Fehrrrrrrguson came on. There was Michael Moore pimping his new documentary Sicko, about the health care industry in America. So I decided to listen instead of going on about my business. 

After hearing the interview I realized... this time Michael Moore has laid an egg. Actually, all his previous ones shouldn't have been financially successful. The man is a tabloid documentarian and should not be given much, if any credence. But even sensationalist tabloids have readers so he too has been able to market to a de-select audience. This time, though, I'm thinking he misjudged his audience. No one really sympathizes with a pro Castro's Cuba which he seemed to praise in his interview. And no one really wants the government more involved in our daily lives. That is, most of us do not seem to want a Mexico or Canada or British style of free health care. And, I guess if you think about it, our free enterprise system has fostered some of the most advanced medical breakthroughs since the Greeks. 

Moore tried to argue on Letterman that Cubans live an average of two years longer than Americans. I waited for Letterman to ask if that wasn't more like punishment having to live two years more under Castro, but it never came. And I wonder if Moore ever considered that the reason the Cubans live longer is because they have less, and that just like there is much of Moore, that having less is the reason their lives are longer. After all, calorie restriction is known as a great life extender.

Nah, this time I think Michael Moore exposed himself as the tabloid reader's emperor with no clothes. And I'm afraid that image will scar many of them for life. Might even scare them less dumb.*

*Just had a thought... what if you were to win an Academy Award and you overheard someone say "So what! Even Michael Moore has one of those."

June 11, 2007 - I am currently under self-imposed house arrest. Just when circumstances aligned where I could do some much needed work outside, a dog came up and is trying to take up residence. The dog is not dangerous. I continued working outside when the dog first arrived. Tried initially to shoo the animal away, then even tried shooting it in the foot with a low powered BB gun. The dog didn't even flinch. Should have known... the animal has porcupine quills scattered around its torso. Obviously pain doesn't register with this dog. And while it is tempting to pull the quills out and pat the dog on the head, I know if I once do that it will never leave.

I'm wondering why the dog is so persistent about moving in? Could it be the dog somehow is getting vibes that I intend to make a number of feature length Independent movies? If so, the joke's on the dog. The cameras (Red One cinematic) I will use to make the movies aren't even perfected yet. The very first one made hasn't yet shipped, or so I am told; therefore, my first order number won't come up for almost a year or so from now. And the second unit will not be built for another month or more after that. But even though I hadn't imagined a dog character, I'm starting to think along those lines in at least one script. Maybe the dog came early just to pick up some acting tips.

You may be thinking that the above information is some sort of Iraq parable. If you are, then you should be writing screenplays because you obviously have a vivaldi imagination. But anyone could see that the only entertainment analogy with Iraq would be one using the TV program House on the Fox Network. Here you've got your Dr.(in the white)House going up against the hospital administrators (congress) who want to pull the plug on the patient. Dr.(in the white)House was the one who said they should break the leg of the patient (who limped badly under Saddam Hussein, and was a threat to others within the patient's region, and therefore the world, because with one leg shorter than the other, the patient would stumble around madly at times turning stuff over and upsetting the apple cart(el), which supplies apple juice energy drink to a very energy dependent world.) And so Dr.(in the white)House broke the leg and tried to reset it, but while trying to do so, the patient went into wild convulsions and now Dr.(in the white)House is faced with how to bring the convulsions under control so the leg can be properly reset and allowed to become the same length as the other leg. But the hospital administrators(congress) are saying they need that bed because its costing money to fix this patient and there are more "revenue positive" ones waiting to get in for like, plastic surgery or something. But Dr.(in the white)House will not abandon his patient to just re-heal on its oun with only a gunpouder encrusted ice cream stick splint. He insists on getting the patient a proper splint and a sufficient amount of time to heal in a proper sanitary hospital environment. So it's  Dr.(in the white)House vs the Two Houses(of congress) administrators. Stay tuned for future episodes. 

Now THAT'S your entertainment analogy with Iraq. 

And BOY I hope that dog goes home before I pet it! 

May 21, 2007 - Am posting this yesterday, but since it's 2 a.m. GMT, I am calling it today. Anyway, was just wondering... what if a unity08.com ticket were to be elected, and one part of the platform they run on would be that they would veto any and every bill that contained earmarks. No matter what the bill was for, if it was known to contain earmarks, it would be vetoed without even reading it. I know, I know... this is picking on John Murtha and the *Democrats at present, but if the Repubs get back into pouer, it would pertain to them as well.

*Funny how when the administration fires lawyers for not aggressively pursuing voter fraud, it's political. But when Murtha tells a Republican something to the effect that He'll never get another earmark approved because he (the Republican) tried to block one of Murtha's earmarks, then that's alright. These two nutty Parties need a couple of referees. unity08.com.... unity08.com

May 20, 2007 - On this Armed Forces weekend, I'm thinking how the military has led in the unity of diversity. And I started thinking about racism. I believe we can retire that word racism, and replace it with culturism. I've said before that if you centrifuge all the blood in America, probably only about 40 per cent of it would be pure white blood... that is, blood of European origin. So it's not really a matter of "racism" but more a vehicle of "culturism" that produces conflict among us. Any race can join the mainstream culture, but many choose to remain in their comfort zone and not fully integrate into the mainstream culture. The push and pull seems to be between mainstream culture defending against attacks from cultural blocs, while allowing any within any of those blocs to join if they are willing to do the work required to assimilate.

May 18, 2007 - Have you heard? Dale Earnhardt Junior is leaving DEI Racing at the end of the season and will no longer be driving the number 8 Budweiser Chevy. Maybe he could be signed to drive the new American Hybrid Ethanol Hydrogen Cold Fusion Ford for unity08.com. Just a thought.

But speaking of unity08.com, did you see the deal cut between the Demos, Repubs, and the Whitehouse on immigration? Hasn't passed yet, but if it should, then this will be just the kind of thing you could see year in and year out if a unity08.com ticket were elected. That is, IMAHO, I think a non-political agenda minded Whitehouse like the one we have now could broker deals between the two major parties on other reforms, like saving social security and protecting the economy and the environment simultaneously. I think we've been shown a glimpse of what the political landscape could be like. And best of all, like when a few party voters discarded Joe Liebermann to the trash heap the majority of the voters in his state said in effect that he wasn't trash, but was treasure... when the all-encompassing election was held. I think that some very good candidates will be discarded by their parties as trash in the upcoming primary elections. unity08.com could be the place where they are re-offered to the country as a whole as national treasure. We get to pick from the **crème de la crème.

***OBTW...

**My current first choices are Condoleeza Rice and Joe Liebermann, but if the majority does not agree with me and nominate both, or even one of them, then I will still consider any other choices of the unity08.com coalition.

***Oh By The Way... have you taken your Lipoic Acid today? Then I guess you haven't read this

May 14, 2007 - I'm *not trying to scare you, but if you like being scared, read this research from the Universidad de Granada, as was posted on eurekalert.org.

*I'm lyin'... I am tryin' to scare you!

May 05, 2007 -  Saw a friend at the local Wall-to-Wall a few days ago and asked "how is everything?" He put his hand up to his mouth with his index finger crooked in such a way that it blocked his lips, as if to prevent him from saying anything immediately. With eyes slightly lowered and looking at nothing in particular, he pondered a moment before looking up and answering "Everything is foxtrotuniformcharliekiloechodelta(hyphen)uniformpapa!" Having been in the service and slightly familiar with radio procedure, I knew in a flash what he was talking about. And knowing that he was brought up to not use such language in a public place such as Wall-to-Wall, I understood the reason for the euphemism.

And thinking I should probably not get too involved in a long conversation about his troubles, I asked, "Anything I can do?" 

He said "No", so I made some leaving-type small talk and said my goodbye's.

And then I saw John Stossel's piece on ethanol on 20/20 last night and thought "What the foxtrotuniformcharliekilo has gotten in to that man. I mean, there he was talking to some guy named **Cato, or from Cato, maybe. Anyway they were saying that ethanol is a scam that is meant to take money out of mine and your pockets and put it into the pockets of corn farmers because of subsidies and because it takes just as much energy to make ethanol from corn as it yields, so it is energy neutral at present. And then I read on eurekalert.org that one of the big Michigan Universities had developed a strain of corn with enzymes built in to make the ethanol more cheaply and quicker by utilizing the entire corn plant and not just the kernels. And in another article it was revealed how someone who had been working on streamlining the regular conversion process had made a breakthrough that will allow biomass found in parts of the country other than the corn belt to cash in on the ethanol revolution. WEEDS could become fuel for automobiles!

If they had made the argument that ethanol will become a reliable clean burning energy staple that makes us complacent and keeps us from pursuing the true holy energy grail... hydrogen pouer, then I could have maybe seen some reason for their apparent anti-ethanol argument. But until the hurdles have been surmounted that allows a hydrogen-from-water conversion to take place, I think we have to do something RIGHT NOW! in order to begin the reversal process of carbonNation. Ethanol does that for me. 

**Cato reminds me of wondering when they are going to put that Craig Fehrrrrrguson guy from the Late Late Show, in a Pink Panther movie? Instead of casting, as they did in the last one, a very talented American playing an Englishman playing a Frenchman, they should have cast a ***Scotty to play an Englishman playing a Frenchman.

        ***Didn't know if someone from Scotland is Scotch, a Scotsman, or Scottish, so I just referred to him as a Scotty. Very little disrespect intended.

April 14, 200_ - Ohhhhhhhhh!... slapthetable, slapthetable, slapthetable...Ohhhhhhhhhhh!! slapthetable, slapthetable, slapthetable... That is sohhhhhhh good! 

Actually, I haven't eaten it yet. I haven't even prepared it yet. But I am going to shortly. What I am envisioning is salmon patties (coquettes?) cooked (see Page 3 archive, I think, for details) in a certain way, but with some pickle relish added in. Now, if I had a little more time to prepare it, I would normally use actual ***kosher dill pickles cut up into little relish parallelograms, but I will be in a hurry, so I will use the relish. 

And speaking of relish, I do not relish the idea of the Duke la Crosse team having to wait so long to be cleared of any wrong doing. They can however, look on the bright side of things... some people in prison have to wait many years to be cleared of any wrong doing. Some innocents probably have to wait their entire life (read, the occasional death row inmate) and even then may not be cleared.

But although that Nifong prosecutor has clearly not done things correctly, to me, that case is not an outrage. Hey, the guys did get to have some fun, at their strip party, that is... before they were charged. 

And while being charged for a non crime is an outrage for the la Crosse players personally, if the three women health personnel in Louisiana being investigated for their actions during Hurricane Katrina should be charged, that would be an outrage for all humanity. Instead of getting to have some fun beforehand, they got to go through hell. And while I do not currently use the health care system, if I ever do, any or all of those three are welcome to be in charge of my well-being.

***I started buying the pickles because they came in glass gallon jars. Used to just pour the over-sized and soft pickles out and kept the jars to store stuff in. Then, my store *changed to another supplier that also used gallon glass jars and their pickles were smaller and crunchier. Been eating them ever since.

    *I only put this footnote asterisk in this place so I could enter a reference to unity08.com

April 09, 2007... or '08...whichever - Was just reading on the eurekalert.org website about how women are taking over the world, one baby at a time, and saw that the study about the lowering birthrates and survivability for boys in the U.S. and Japan was partially funded by the Heinz Endouments thingy. That helped me remember catching part of the John Kerry, Theresa Heinz-Kerry interview on Sunday's George Steph...etc. show. Only caught the last part where they were talking about the new book they have written, dealing with the impact of good and bad chemicals we deal with on a daily basis. John Kerry sounded relaxed and conversational during the interview and came across as someone of substance. I don't know what his views are concerning funding the troops or unconditional surr... I mean, withdrawal, from Iraq. I'm sure they differ from my own. But just because someone differs with me doesn't mean I am totally right and they are totally wrong. So, knowing that we differ on many points, but agree on the **dangers that confront us daily in respect to our chemical exposure among other things, I would hope that he would be drafted and agree to run, if chosen, on the unity08.com ticket. I'm not saying that as a delegate I would vote for him to represent the ticket, but he has a message that should be heard and then you let the majority of delegates decide if there is more personal agreement than disagreement. One might also say that Al Gore should be included among the candidates. That's o.k., but I see Al Gore as a one-trick pony who uses a buzz word, global warming, as a walking cane. I see John and Theresa Heinz-Kerry as creators of a standing-on-its-on buzz word, and not a plagiarist of an obvious one.

And speaking of.... hmmm, well... I can't think of a segue that will lead into a commentary about Andy Rooney. I'm not sure one exists, so I'll just start cold. 

I know he hasn't reached the mandatory retirement age at Sixty Minutes (no one ever has), but still, I think Andy Rooney should retire. I mean, he's still doing those lame old George Bush stealth put-douns, when Bush isn't even running for anything anymore. Doesn't anyone check his work? Hasn't anyone told him that Bush can't run again? I am so tired of Andy's wilted cabbage. Gimme some meat and potatos! Like that "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman's" boy Steve. That guy could call me a som'bich to my face and I wouldn't be offended. I see our politics entering a new and hopeful stage. I think 3600 Seconds should do the same.

**Can you believe it?!! Just now when the danger from phthalate-containing products is being acknowledged (it's been out there a long time), Pompeian Olive Oil is switching from glass to plastic bottles. I buy that brand because 1., it is the "first cold pressing," and I often eat it raw (sets up like butter in the fridge) and therefore want the full nutritional benefit from it, and 2., because it is packaged in a glass bottle. (A nice looking one too). After the switch to plastic became evident, I immediately rushed out to try and find remnants of old glass shipments. The only thing I could find was the 16 oz. versions and not the more pocket book friendly 32 oz. versions... I've only got a year's supply!!! What will I do when that's gone!!!!?

March 29, 2007 - O.K.... here's what I'M talkin' about.... You are busy, and so am I; but busy at different things. I am busy thinkin' while you are busy doin'. So, since you are too busy doin' to do any thinkin', I'll offer you the benefit (or liability) of my thinkin' to use or discard as you see fit.

Someone once said something to the effect that "the business of America is business." And I guess this attitude has served us well as a country. But as individuals, I don't think this has been in our very best interest, although it has, as I stated before, served us pretty well. So what I'm saying is that politics is mostly about the business of America being business. And that's why I'm thinking that it has become such a big project for the very wealthy to insure that they have a big stake in who gets elected. That's why you get big movie mogul people on the left coast and big dollar financial entities on the other coast donating huge amounts of time and money to one party or another. Not because they care about the individual, though they all say they do. 

Why do they profess to care? Because individuals have a vote, and collectively can decide which party controls the business direction that is favored by their contributors. You know all this already, but probably haven't stopped to think what you can do about it, other than pick a side or just ignore both sides. 

Well, I can't say what's best for you... I can only relay to you what I think is best for me. I think for me, unity08.com holds the most promise for the politics of America continuing to be about business (and security, too), while also getting the work of the country done that pertains to the well-being of the me's. 

March 26, 2007 - I can't stand diced ham!... so I cut it in parallelograms. There... that's better. Actually there were more trapezoids than any other shape, 'cause I'm kind'a sloppy with a knife. Some people like alphabet soup: me, I'll take geometry meat. 

And speaking of meat, I was just wondering what slab of ***???? do they hope to attract to the unity08.com ticket? Could they get the independent Joe Liebermann to run? Or could they draft a Joe Biden (you know him, Joe the plan man... seriously, he's the only person in the Iraq debate who has a reasoned alternative plan to the administration's) or a Colin Powell, Fred Thompson or even demand a reluctant Condoleeza Rice accept the nomination, and then agree to serve if and when she were elected? I think any one of these million dollar people would certainly put fear into any and all of the billion dollar candidates. And since they won't take money from corporations at unity08.com, then that means my **thirty dollar contribution is more meaningful and more powerful than some revolvo riche multi-millionaires' max-limit campaign contribution that gets them a call from the presidential candidate impersonator that the billion dollar campaigns probably use. But for my thirty dollars, I got an email from SAM WATERSTON himself.

***O.K., we call pigs pork, cattle beef, and chicken fouel... so what do cannibals call human? Flesh maybe?

**Though $30 wasn't one of the easy button options, I wrote that amount in because I ordered another of those little usb mp3 players (for sole use of the recording function as a 1GB adjunct to my brain...you know, memory) and immediately sent off for the 30 dollar rebate. So, I am going to donate *that amount, and any other rebate amounts I qualify for, to unity08.com in order that my voice will sound deeper, this next election.

    *Was just wondering, if the little usb mp3 gizmo is made by a foreign ouned company, and if a person were to then give that rebate from that foreign ouned company to a political entity... let's use unity08.com as our example, then would that theoretical person be guilty of money laundering? I mean, I'm just asking for a friend, and this is just a hypothetical "what if" kinda question, you know?

I think I just answered the above question because donations to unity08.com are not deductible, so "what laundering?"

March 24, 2007 - I watched the snippets of the debate from the House of Representatives on the Charlie show... the ABC worldnews one and there was John Murtha almost in tears giving an impassioned plea to pass his party's pork-laden partisan bill so we could "bring those boys home"... and also give the republicans a black eye. I really hope that he was just being partisan, and not gelatinous.

Look, I've seen old people who are in ill health become so empathetic with any and everyone, whether they want it or not, that they just cry at the drop of the hat. These people are so fearful of their oun mortality that they over react to any thing that implies death. When one serves in a leadership role, one must be able to be steel when that is required. When the danger is past and losses are remembered, then it's o.k. to become jello.

Clarification: My above comments do not mean that all who are against the war are without leadership strength. Any who come to such a conclusion through a dispassionate assessment are equally as likely to be right as those of us who oppose an insurgent-friendly timetable for withdrawal.

This opinion in no way reflects on any organization that I may support, or businesses I may mention that I patronize. I am solely responsible for this, and any other opinions I may express... edi.tor

March 18, 2007 - Boy, priorities are gettin' topsy-turvie in my world... that is, I am writing this while a NASCAR race is in progress in Atlanta... hold on a sec... be right back. MAN!!, just checked and Edwards is running 29th. But, this is all happening during green flag pit stops, so he may cycle closer to the lead if he has already pitted. 

But anyway, the reason I would spend the time to write this during racing is because I just finished checking out the unity08.com website that was being promoted by Sam Waterston on the George Steph... etc. show. I mean, this guy played a legend, thus he must be trustworthy or the producers of the miniseries about Robert Oppenheimer, that I watched on A&E network years ago back when C band satellite was unscrambled, would never have cast him... would they? 

Normally I don't join things. Like the NRA. I like the NRA, but they may take a position in the future, or may even hold one at present that I am unaware of, that I don't totally agree with. And if you have committed to an organization and you are identified with that group, then you may be forever identified with that organization's positions, whether you agree with all of them or not. But I like the unity08.com idea of diluting the power of the extreme left or the extreme right in deciding the entire political spectrum's options for president. This could be one of those spontaneous moments in American History where the mainstream position takes control of the political process. Hang on a sec... MAN!!!, still under green flag racing and Edwards is back to like 39th, but he definitely has already pitted. Still, that's the beauty of NASCAR. If one of your favorites aren't doing so hot, you just move your loyalty over to another one like SMOKE, who's runnin' second for now, or for Montoya who is tenth, I think. 

That loyalty issue does pose a problem for me, however in supporting the unity08.com candidate... who one can vote for via the internet in June. One simply has to register as a delegate and can then help choose an alternative presidential ticket to the established parties' candidates. And while my choices may not be picked, at least I will have had a say in a National primary to select that candidate. And if the candidate chosen has more disagreements with me than agreements, then I am not bound to blindly support that ticket. Still, I probably would support a candidate from the middle, because they would not have a political party to answer to, and could therefore broker a consensus among the parties in congress from the separate but equal office of the presidency.

This is so exciting to me. I feel like I am witnessing historical change, and am aware that that is what it is before the fact, instead of some historian telling me that's what it was after the fact.

Now, enough of this civic duty stuff, and BACK TO RACING!

March 09, 2007 - Was just reading some polls that had the President at like 35% approval rating. And saw in yesterday's news that Congress was capitalizing on the President's low poll numbers to push their own agenda. Then noticed in the last paragraph in the story about the President's low poll numbers that Congress's poll numbers were even lower, at something like 32%. I think the reason for government polls being so low with everything going so well domestically is because the really knowledgeable people in this country was declining to take polls during their mourning period for Anna Nickhole.

And apparently the polars don't work doun here in the northern tropics, and so I was not polled. But if I had been, I would have said they're doing o.k. up in their Washington. Reason is, they finally did something that is going to have a straight-line direct affect on me, I think. That is, they are pumping up the ethanol fuel idea and in doing so are going to make mine and (I think) just about ***everyone else's life better. Follow the string with me... requiring more ethanol means more corn will become car fuel rather than people fuel. This means that high fructose corn syrup may become so expensive that *sugar will return as the sweetener of choice. There will still be enough corn on the cob to eat, but since cattle are the most inefficient converters of grain into meat, beef may become so expensive that people will have to eat the more efficient and more healthful type of grain converters such as fowl, and medium-efficient converters like hogs and sheep. And **free-range meat may become cheaper rather than more expensive, as it is now. But for me anyway, the most important part of this ethanol equation is that they are making corn in short supply as feed... and the local farmers are thinking about switching from cotton to milo maize to help make up the shortfall. This means that the evil bollweevilers will not be blanket-spraying me all the time with poison 'cause bollweevils only eat from cotton plants. I'm tellin' ya... this may be one of the best presidents and congresses of all time.

*Sugar is not harmful until it is refined. Raw sugar is actually a health food, IMAHO.

**Free range may not be hormone/anti-biotic tender, but it is much more nutritious...again, IMAHO

***This could really give a boost to the Cuban sugar industry, and thus their economy, which will be needed as soon as Castroil is no longer being poured doun the Cuban people on a daily basis.

March 05, 2007 - Was just reading where that Ann Coulter woman flat out insinuated that John Edwards is gay, and that conservatives everywhere are really angry about that. They should be. Cause if John Edwards had become the democratic nominee, the republicans would likely never have said one bad or disparaging word about John Edwards. However, youtube would have been inundated with anonymous postings of John Edwards performance at democratic headquarters when he and John Kerry were rejected in the last presidential race. At the time, the man had a very limp wrist and some might take that as being gay. Not so. John Edwards is liberal... not gay. They are not the same thing.

February 25, 2007 - Recently wrote about an item that I bought that had a rebate of 30 bucks. Found the form today and was preparing to send it in when I read that it had to be sent in within 30 days of purchase... threw the forms in the trash. Also wrote how I am good at forgetting. And though I hate the inefficiency of my forgetting and in essence, losing a 30 dollar paycheck I counterbalanced my faux pas in following up, by patting myself on the back for all the purchases made from newegg.com that were rebate free, but beneficially priced.

And speaking of eggy things, I was reading technology news on Tom's Hardware Guide when I read an article about Hedy Lamarr and how she helped invent something that may have developed into today's global positioning technology. The interesting part was that she took her clothes off in a Chech movie as a teen ager and because she was a Jew she had to marry a Jew who made arms for Hitler and learned all his secrets and met Hitler and stuff, then escaped to the U.S. and helped develop technology that would help U.S. subs sink enemy shipping.... or something.

And then I heard Hollywood is rushing to make an Anna Nichole movie. Well, I think if Hollywood keeps pandering primarily to the hoi polloi, the Internet will eventually overshadow Hollywood, especially in holding the High Road.

February 18, 2007 - Boy, opportunists everywhere. Like when a dingbat wacko dies** and a 'singer once known for being popular' rushes in to fill the void left by the dingbat. Hope this ones kids don't end up like the dead ones.

**It's o.k. to speak ill of the dead if they are looney.

February 16, 2007 - Everywhere you look, people apoligizing... then going into rehab. Boi-yoi-yoi-yoinggggg! That's IT!!! The answer to global warming!! WAIT! Don't leave! I'm serious!

Here's how it works. Everytime one of us dies, we call our kids, grandkids... even somebody else's kids to our bedside and apoligize for our recklessness for the past 100 years or so. We tell them we are sorry for causing the global warming. We then tell them we are going to the great permanent rehab in the sky to make amends, then we die. This will have a more lasting impression on the young and drive home to them how important it is that they not make the same mistakes. 'Cause if a grownup would talk about global warming on their deathbed, it must really be a big deal.

February 15, 2007 - Was just thinking how the world is changing minute-by-minute, and how affordable it has become. I bought a little Ultra usb flash drive portable mp3 player from Tiger Direct (with a $30 rebate**) that holds 2 Gigabytes of music... or even doubles as an ordinary storage device, or triples as a voice recorder. DRM (digital rights management) is in deep due-due. Why? Because some cottage industry entrepreneur will likely buy a bunch of these, then put out the word that someone can buy one for x dollars, loaded with their customized favorite music, and after sending payment for the player and the music to a certain p.o. box, later receive the drive with the requested songs via an anonymous delivery. DRM is possibly DOA and others had better see the graffiti on the wall like the Ichypod Crane guy, and disavow it as an untenable method of control...IMAHO.

**Normally I do not buy anything with a rebate unless I would buy it at the same price with no rebate. This particular item came in around $60 and I would still find it reasonably priced even if the rebate never arrives... which has often been my past experience.

February 05, 2007 - O.K., here's the deal. I wrote something called Day's End on Feb. 01, and apparently it didn't save to the website when I hit save. I normally just jot something doun and then move on, so I don't know what I wrote. I suspect it may have saved to my harddrive instead of to the website, so if I ever run across it I will try again to post it. I'm pretty sure it wasn't about the end of days or anything: probably about the end of just one day... but I can't be sure until I find it and read it. If when I hit save to post this explanation it doesn't take, then, well, never mind.

And while I'm here, I'm wondering if the military has made contingency plans for a full retreat from Iraq? That is, it is my understanding that in bugle school they voued to stop teaching the buglers how to sound retreat after what happened in Vietnam. Somebody has to teach those buglers how to hit those low notes again... just in case some people get their way.

February 01, 2007 - Day's End

January 27, 2007 - Prediction... I predict Barack O'bama will be swept into office with the Irish vote and Ala bama will be the state that clinches it for him, but not this election. In 2016, or possibly in 2012. Why not now? Because he is too much like that other Irish president we had: Kennedy. You know, young, charismatic... inexperienced. Almost brought the world to Armageddon through nuclear war because he blundered us into a confrontation with the then, Soviet Union. If Kennedy had survived his presidency he probably would have been a one-termer** and would only be ranked above Jimmy Carter by way of his sending us to the moon. And in my opinion we are currently in the quiet period of an ongoing war that will not forgive an inexperienced president's miscalculation or lack of will or misaligned vertebrae (backbone challenged) that will be necessary to prevent the world from imploding on itself.

If he'll just be patient, spend more time in the senate or as a vice-presidential candidate, get his bona-fideze, then I for one will vote for him at a later date. Because then he will be more likely to have a successful presidency instead of one riddled with scandals, like moonshots with Halley Berry. (Wow, just the thought of that makes one wish one was O'bama!)

**The reason I think Kennedy would have been a one-termer is because word was sure to get out that while he was instructing NASA to do a moonshot, he was also instructing Marilyn Monroe to do the same. And while a liberal leaning press is hard pressed to trash one of its own, still, a scoop is good for the resume and for the bottom line as well, especially in Hollyweed gossip columns.

January 15, 2007 - Had decided not to comment*** on yesterday's This Week with George S., but the moer I thought about it, the moer I needed to get it off my chest in order to stop thinking about it. It was the roundtable discussion I keep remembering in particular. There was George Will and Fareed having a constructive conversation and someone named Katrina Van... Vander, something... who kept butting in with some Democratic Manifesto, railing against George Bush. Not even the Republicans, but simply, George Bush. My suspicious mind began wandering to what motivated her to do this with such rancor. 

I finally decided it was because she had maybe made advances toward Bill Clinton in the past, and was spurmed by him... you know, re-