Dream

I woke up with a headache today. Not sure if it's because of the way I was sleeping: on my back, with my head on two pillows, creating a bend in my neck? Plus I'm sure it doesn't help when the air mattress loses air and I sink closer to the floor. My dreams have been vivid lately, but the subject matter is odd. Last night was the 2nd time I dreamed of being in a new house. This house had a huge first floor (actually I don't remember there being a 2nd floor), seemed like 3k square feet, in a southwestern open layout. It was the holidays and we were decorating. We had friends over, I didn't recognize them. I could sense Joanne's presence, but I never see her, same as in other dreams. I see people talking to her, and I hear her talking to them, but I never see her. The decorations are unlike any I've ever seen, yet we are happy that our new house is big enough to hold all of them, as if we've had them for a long time but were unable to bring them all out until now. Last week I dreamt of another housewarming event we had, at another place that was not this house, and I remember a face. She had thin dark straight hair, to just under her chin. Her face was plain but bright, her eyes were brown but big. It seemed as if I knew her well, yet I don't recognize her from anyone I remember in real life. Is she someone I've met, or have yet to meet? Another odd thing in these dreams is that I seem younger than I am now, like 20 years younger. Usually my vivid dreams (or parts of them) come to life many months later, but I'm confused as to how this will happen if I'm younger in my dreams. I don't know if the dream gods will be upset with me publishing these things and I'll be banished from dreaming anything memorable again. I also believe that my ship blanket must not be upside down, that the masts must point North like my head. My dreams don't last very long, not sure why. Maybe it's because I wake up every hour to re inflate the mattress. I wish I could find that slow leak. I would love to sleep uninterrupted for more than an hour. It seems like all I want to do is worry less and sleep more. I like my work duties, they keep my mind busy. I don't like my home life, and now that both girls are living here and neither are currently working, I no longer have time or space to myself other than in my room, away from the rest of them. They do the same in their own rooms, so it all works out, but the house is no longer all mine. Bills are piling up, calls are more frequent. I see a light at the end of the tunnel, I believe this will all end soon, one way or another. Time to go and find out...

What, indeed

I used to work with a guy whose favorite saying was “What does it all mean?”, and I remember how it would both crack me up and make me wonder it myself, for various reasons. This was a smart guy, smarter than most, and he was a manager of a full service coffee shop-type restaurant. I was one of his assistant managers, and he was highly regarded (at the time) by upper management, so I was very fortunate (career-wise) to be a part of his team. Of course I knew that this was not going to be the life for me, and I was equally surprised as to why he was here when he could be doing just about anything in an engineering or science field. Our jobs were not very glamorous nor financially rewarding for the amount of hours and labor that we put in to it, but it was work at a time when things were not economically as strong as they are today, and in an industry that would never lack for customers -- plus there was always free food if you wanted it (Survival -- first order of business!). That saying of his has stuck with me to this day. What does it all mean? We live, we work, we sustain, we provide, we survive, we die. Don't worry, this will not be one of those philosophical rants. Not yet. It just occurred to me as I woke up today but stayed in bed (it was warm and cozy) while I ran through my thoughts...about the new job, about my financial woes, about my family, about things that I need or want to do around the house, about people and how they act/react to things, about the current political and economic climate, and so on. I see the tv in the distance. It's after 6am, which means Morning Joe is on. But I find that I'm not as easily swayed in jumping up to turn it on as I used to be. Things have changed. They always do, I know that. Robert Frost was so right when he wrote "nothing gold can stay." It's not profound on the surface, but it sure hits the spot when you think about it. Your favorite thing can never stay the way it is. And why does that always have to be? This tv show was off the radar for so many years, but it was the like the best-kept secret among talk shows, which allowed it to be bold, creative, and thought-provoking. But as the word got out, it began to evolve, as if to placate the new fans as well as the long-time viewers. Which led to the romance with ratings, which leads to addiction to get more, which steers you away from what made you so great in the first place. It happens to everything. "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" is a recent example. When it first aired, it was on once a week, hosted by Regis Philbin, and it was compelling, especially to us trivia geeks. Then it changed, when the buzz was out and people cried for more. It aired "special" episodes outside of its normal viewing time, and they would tweak the rules, and the audience and contestants would also evolve. Then they changed the host, and tweaked the show even more, aired it more times during the week, adding more confusion to the lives of those who enjoyed it as a welcome escape but could no longer keep up with the changes -- and then, it hit a saturation point and viewers moved on. The show itself moved to syndication, which translated into more money for the producers, but by now it had lost its edge with those that enjoyed it for what it once was. {sidenote: we now have daily HQ Trivia, and I find myself looking for tell-tale signs of evolvement, as I know it will, too, change for the worse sooner or later, until it burns out} What does it all mean? We stop here, as the day begins and the new job calls, but we will come back to expand on this -- and hopefully not after another 3-yr break...

Return to Melancholy

Welcome back. Where have we been? What have we missed? Why does it matter? There is a time in history that is generally known as The Era Of Good Feeling. I don't recall the nature of the Era and specifically why it was tagged as such, but the moniker always stuck with me. I would often wonder what it would be like to experience an Era of Good Feeling. Given humanity's basic instinct to perpetually self destruct, I find it interesting that there would actually be a time and or place that could hold back the perpetual negativity of human advancement. I woke up this morning feeling very low, yet (as always) very aware of perspective. I don't see myself as one to wallow in misery. It does not compute, and I would prefer to do anything to snap out of it quickly, as depression seems to be a waste of energy. And yet here I was, facing the reality of another day, another challenge of meeting expectations. Is that what life is really all about? A daily affirmation of the challenge to meet expectations, for you, for your immediate family, for those who want or have to depend on you? I often wonder how others in human history have come face to face with this mental anquish, and wonder how they handled it. I am certain this dark mental cloud has overwhelmed many, from ancient greek philosophers, to roman soldiers, to egyptian servants, to feudal serfs, to asian merchants, to african elders, to colonists, to ship mates circumnavigating the world, to mid level industrialists, to spouses of power hungry men...the list is not unique, there have been millions just like me, who reach a certain plain of mental awareness because they seek it, only to be disappointed when they get there because they realize it's not the right place to be and we need to climb higher.

“I do believe that an AK-47, a machine gun, is not a sporting weapon or needed for defense of a home.” -Ronald Reagan, at his 78th birthday

— Small Penis Gun Club (@SmPenisGunClub) August 21, 2013

Goodnight! pic.twitter.com/zM995uHPBl

— Fascinating Pictures (@Fascinatingpics) August 16, 2013

Vroom! Maserati for the middle class? @Streetsignscnbc @SullyCNBC https://t.co/9BviOloRiE

— Amanda Drury (@MandyCNBC) August 12, 2013

Doing the math on what Fed tapering will mean for investors: http://t.co/6yMRk9EIq2

— MarketWatch (@MarketWatch) August 16, 2013

test1a2b3c

The Professor is absolutely correct on the Iggles gimmick offense being exposed as beatable when the regular season starts. #calledit

— Phillip Aldrete (@phillipa_nc) August 16, 2013

Welcome Back, Mitt

There's an old saying that "Politics makes strange bedfellows" (apologies to the bard). The upcoming Michigan primary is setting itself up as a prime example of this saying in the sense that the Prodigal Son, Mitt Romney, is finding himself in a virtual dead heat with the Tea Party favorite son Rick (I never met a gay person I didn't hate) Santorum. If Mr. Romney is asking himself, "how in the world is this happening?", I'll be glad to offer my help. In my humble opinion, Mitt seems to be almost too aloof to the seriousness in front of him, starting with the way he dresses to town hall events. Here's a tip, Mitt: in times of trouble, most people are "resolute" and rise to the challenge, but at the same time, most would appreciate a hand-up by a mentor that is there to support them all the way back. Mitt, you have to present yourself as that mentor -- you certainly have the qualifications, but you give the appearance that you are trying too hard to drop yourself down a few levels to as to "relate" to those you are trying to win over, and I have to ask "why"? Here's a couple of ideas you need to implement now if you want to turn the tide: (1) Stop with the patronizing and stop with the clumsy attempts to dumb down your speeches! I'm not suggesting you talk in Harvard professor levels, but you don't have to do the silly "I love lakes...I love the trees here...I love cars!" rube. Just be yourself. Voters want to see a leader that cares but also a leader that shows he's not afraid of the obstacles in front of him and won't be distracted by the height of trees. (2) Stop wearing jeans to a town hall event. Wear a suit, but with NO TIE, just a plain open-collared look. Shows you are relaxed, but also shows you mean business. We know you have a ton of money, and sure, you're allowed to enjoy a nice pair of jeans just as much as the next guy, but you're running for POTUS, not leader of the local auto union chapter. (3) Take the Michigan voters to task! Don't ask for their vote -- TELL them you deserve their vote! You were born here, your family has deep roots here, you need to press it home that you expect them to support you because of it. Openly take offense that you are lagging in the polls. Transfer the burden from you to the voters, and watch what happens...

Carl said it right:

"Here is something for you to really consider......

We all heard of the great loss to mankind with
the passing of Steve Jobs.

I honestly feel like I have lost a friend with his passing.

Here he was, 56 years old, loved by millions.....

Handsome, clever, witty, enriched countless lives....

....and had Billions of $$ in the bank,
one of the wealthiest people on earth....

Yet, you and I are infinitely wealthier than he is...

.... As WE HAVE TODAY, and sadly, he does not.

Spend your infinite wealth today on something
that matters, enrich people's lives like Steve did.

Spend your day today,
like Steve Jobs would spend it if he could.

Make today count!"

Wednesday Non-politics Rant (for those outside The Gang)

Yo, dudes -- is there anybody ALIVE out there?? (cue the Springsteen)...getting CRICKETS! Hope you all had a good summer, now it's time to hunker down and prepare for Ol' Man Winter (or as they call it in Maine: "next week")...and also, it's Time to Layeth The Smaketh Down!


1) NFL -- starts tomorrow. Who ya got for SB? I'll admit, I'm getting geeked up for a surprise season from my RAMS, and I see that several TV "experts" are jumping on the bandwagon. Yeah, the RAMS are only as good as Bradford will take them, and if he goes down, you'll hear the scream from where you live. My boys play The Dream Team right off the bat, so no dicking around here. Here's hoping the RAMS will do what the Lakers could not do to the other Dream Team -- close them out. Some other good matchups out there, let's start with Cowboys at J-E-T-S. Another great test right out of the chute. I took Big D in the nephew's Pick 'em Poll cuz I think Dallas has more on the line than NY and, even though it's an out-of-conference game for both teams, the 'boys cannot afford to lose this game. Also still not convinced that NYJ can score points when they need them most, and if it's a close game late, the home team may pucker up. Plus we'll have Tony and Jim going against Richie, so I expect the smak to be Epic. Other game of note: Packers over Saints (home team decides this matchup); ATL over CHI-town (are you there? Say a prayer, for the Pretender); Lions over Tampon Bay (another Pretender/Contender game); Ray-ray over Big Ben (another one of those where it matters who plays at home); Broncos over the RAY-DAhs (but who's watching that game besides Tebow groupies?).

2) CFB -- started last week, but is it me or does this season now seem anti-climatic, like a waste of time while waiting for the Year Of The Super Conferences? More on that in a minute. Couple of good matchups this week, starting with Bama at Happy Valley. Anytime the Big Ten loses is a good day for me, so Roll Tide. Also interesting is Golden Homers at MEEE-chigan. Man in the boat overboard here!! Brian Kelly is so working his way out of this job. Love to see the good Catholics turn purple as they watch him throw F-bombs more times than Bibi Jones loses her laundry on twitter (ahem, or so I hear). USC was pushed to the limit last week, but glad to see them hold it together against a crappy Big Ten team (all gets better for Tommy Trojan as their Star RB comes back from double secret probation, just in time against Utah). Sun Devils get a big test against Mizzou this week, after destroying Little Sisters of the Poor last week. ASU wasn't the only team playing lower class teams in openers (Darren Rovell was all over it), and props to those teams that have never stooped to that level (I'll let nephew enlighten you here), but my bigger concern is whether ASU can finally win a friggin' big game. It's been a long time since we shut out Nebraska, it's time to put the money where the mouth is or else DE should be putting his house on the market come Monday. I really hoped Utah State would take down War Eagle, if only to stop the annual ESS EEE CEE head swelling, but didn't matter, Oregon did all Pac 12 fans no favors by falling to LSU on national TV -- whatchu got now, Phil Knight? Meanwhile, in Columbus, they're partying cuz finally another team has risen to be the SEC Bitch.

3) MLB -- it's OVAH. Races are just about done, which provides more support for Bud Lite to slam thru his agenda of adding another wild card team to the playoffs. The good news is that, barring a Mets-like last-minute collapse (sorry, nephews), the D-bags should stop the Battery Chuckers from having a chance to defend their title (and I just threw up in my mouth for saying those last words). Thought I was gonna have to reach into the wallet cuz my Dodgers looked like they were going to finish with a much worse record than the Mets, but hey, it's just about tied now as both dogs limp to the finish line. All I want for Christmas is a new owner!! LA has a Cy Young candidate AND an MVP candidate, plus the fastest player in the league, so the future looks bright -- as long as they dump that POS McCourt. C'mon, Bud, you owe us one for allowing that garbage to buy the team in the first place! It looks like the Yankees are peaking just in time, while the Sawks are limping themselves. Brew Crew are killing everybody, but the Phighting Phillies look like the team to beat for the whole enchilada, over the Tigers. Yeah, I said it. Who you got for the WS?

4) Music -- what's your Top Ten Most Listened To songs on your iPod? I'm diggin' on new Chili Peppers and Foo Fighters. Also playing lots of Classic Rewind stuff from Third Eye Blind and Gin Blossoms, et.al. Speaking of which, SiriusXM needs to add a channel that plays alt 90's/'00's stuff -- where's the FOB/Death Cab/Toad/Jane's Addiction/Fuel/Incubus/Liz Phair stuff? OK, Tony, give us the 4-1-1 on what was the best concert of the summer? VMA's did a nice job of trying to one-up the Grammys by awarding a no-name winner. Gaga's performance was boring after the first 2 minutes, but I did admire her for having the nads to do it. Props to Jessie James for showing some pipes in a very karaoke-like role -- she's another one I'm adding to the iPod. My teenager tells me that Chris Brown and Rhianna are back together again, but flying under the radar cuz of fear of public outrage. Dude can dance, no question.

5) MISC -- add it, we'll rant on it. Topics next time could include New Fall TV lineup, current EPL standings (how's Liverpool doing?)...OUT.

Tailgunner Trump

A lot has been said lately about the "birther" controversy, to the point (or some would say New Low) where the POTUS unveiled his birth certificate long form to the public yesterday. As expected, and to no one's surprise, The Donald quickly jumped on the opportunity to proclaim victory of his accomplishment, complete with no shortage of pride or chest-pumping. Many see this as a major step towards his credibility as a viable candidate for POTUS in 2012, whereas most political pundits realize this is nothing more than "more of the same" from a celebrity who loves to rattle the cage yet, because he has not officially declared himself a candidate (something the current POTUS had no hesitation in doing), he remains exempt from counter-accusations, which seems all too convenient. One can easily return the challenge to The Donald by way of demanding the release of his personal financial statements (as all candidates are required to do), or insist that full disclosure be made in regards to his roles in the three bankruptcy petitions he filed on behalf of his companies, but since he's not officially a candidate, he has no incentive to do any of this. And of course there's the recent gaffe he made about being "a friend to the blacks"...did you notice how no one really took that seriously? It wasn't because it was irrelevant -- it was because it was wonderful fodder that was stashed away to be used in another time if and when The Donald becomes an official candidate. I, for one, have a huge problem with this condescending comment, but I will give him credit for not being a fake about it. I find The Donald amusing at best, and given his shallow position on real issues, I don't expect him to be an official candidate any time soon -- even he knows he cannot afford the scrutiny that will follow that action, as I'm sure he painfully remembers the last time he had to go under the microscope when he filed his last BK. I don't know if anyone caught Boone Pickens on CNBC yesterday, but when asked what Boone thought about The Donald's point about challenging OPEC, Boone quickly scoffed it off as being ridiculous because of the real facts -- something that The Donald seems to shy away from, and maybe that's because he's never been one to let facts get in the way of a good story. More on the Pickens conversation later...

President's Day

The day started like any other weekday: via the mellow annoyance ring tone of the cell phone's alarm clock. Alex came out of his slumber and reached gently over to the nightstand on his left, finding his phone exactly where he laid it the night before, and tapped the "dismiss" button on the touch screen. It was 5:30am, and he knew another alarm was programmed to come on in 30 minutes, per his set-up preference. Usually he took advantage of this "customized snooze function", but not today, too much was on the plan for the day. He rolled to his right and noticed that she was gone, which was no surprise per her schedule, and his mental complaint was quickly followed by a mental thankfulness for the solitude. Not that he didn't appreciate Layla's company -- she was becoming more of a comforting fixture around the house -- but she was also a very important and equally busy woman with a focused agenda when it came to her job, and he was all too willing to stay out of her way when it came to the workday week. Tonight was the start of a 3-day bank holiday, but until 6pm rolls around, he knew (as it always was from Sunday night to Friday evening) that Layla's free time was few and far between.
As he lay there, he took a quick mental survey of his physical situation -- all seemed ok, maybe some slight soreness in his hamstrings, but otherwise all was well enough to earn a small smile of content. Another fringe benefit of Layla's work style was that she suppressed a lot of tension and she was all too eager to let it out when they were under the sheets, which was almost always followed by mutual appreciation in various forms. But that was just about enough lingering for Alex; he had his own agenda today and was eager to get it started. As his feet hit the ground, he heard the whirr of the coffee grider/brewstation begin, also, per programmed schedule. "Ah, nothing like a great cup of coffee brewed from freshly grounded beans to start the day", he thought to himself. Coffee was one of his guilty pleasures and he always tried to find new ways to enjoy his favorite daytime beverage. However, before he could partake of that first sip, he would be faced with a 10-minute brew cycle, so he used the time to take an assessment of the interior of the house. He grabbed his phone as he took off down the hall and down the stairs, and he noticed that he had a new text message. It was from Layla, with an attachment. "Hey, you! Thx for the great evening. Smooch." Attached was a picture of her blowing a kiss to him, and by the looks of it, she took it before she left -- he recognized the interior decoration of his master bathroom in the background. She didn't have her blouse on yet, but her arms were strategically placed so that nothing scandalous would appear. Layla was nothing if not through, and it was one of the many attributes he enjoyed about her. Alex quickly closed it and moved it to a private folder within his phone, where it would join the others. As he took a quick survey of the inside of the house doors and windows, the coffee aroma was equally quick to envelope the kitchen area.
Having turned on the kitchen TV and changing the channel to CNBC, Alex's thoughts moved to the agenda of the day: his pipeline. Alex was a portfolio manager for a very exclusive commodities fund that held several millions of dollars under his control. His clients were not your everyday investors -- these were people in mid-to-high levels of executive leadership, referred to him by a small circle of private asset managers he had helped over the years. The A-Fund, as it was known, was their idea because they saw how Alex had a unique vision of the market that always resulted in a return well above the Dow average. His fund was seen as the perfect hedge to the market volatility, but it was only open to a select few. Alex had many offers on the table to take on more clients with larger investment dollars to be used at his sole discretion, but he was not interested in getting over his head too quickly. He had seen too many of his peers get greedy too fast and subsequently lose their focus because of the pressure they either did not expect or could not tolerate psychologically, and he wasn't about to make that same mistake. A-Fund made him a very comfortable living while still allowing him enough freedom to not be fully constrained to a time clock. And today was predicted to be somewhat volatile in several international financial markets, which could present some welcome opportunities if played right. So far, per the CNBC ticker and side-bar numbers, all was going according to plan.
After pouring himself a cup before heading to the shower, Alex heard some noise that sounded as it was coming from his backyard. He moved to the bay windows of the breakfast nook and peered through his plantation shutters. He saw his neighbor, David, running after his dog Lolly, a cute but independent labra-doodle. Lolly was a recent addition to the house next door, and Alex had seen David and his partner Tim taking the puppy for her daily walk as Alex would drive home in the afternoons. Lolly had apparently taken off after a squirrel or something, against his owner's wishes. Alex had to suppress a laugh as he watched David plead to Lolly to come back, and Lolly seemed to be enjoying his owner running in all directions after her. It was barely daylight, yet Alex noticed that David was impeccably dressed in pyjama-and-slippers set straight out of a Brooks Brothers catalog. "He certainly looks better than my grungy look of shorts and t-shirt", Alex thought, and was just about to move upstairs when he noticed David getting more frustrated as Lolly ran between the thick hedges. Alex opened the door to the sun porch and walked out to his patio. David seemed equally grateful and embarrassed. "Need some help?", asked Alex as he quickly scanned the hedges for any sign of the dog. He noticed David doing a quick once-over at him as he smiled back. "I'm so very sorry, I hope Lolly hasn't woken you up", David replied. "No worries, I was up anyway", said Alex as he moved to the hedges. He then made a few vocal clicks and Lolly immediately came out just long enough for Alex to gently but firmly grab her collar. "You bad dog!", David exclaimed to the dog as Alex walked him to his owner. "Again, I am so sorry for this! She's usually a very good dog, but something this morning set her off". Alex noticed a slight British accent, very subtle, like Madonna or other American natives who think they sound classy but not obnoxious with it. "Don't worry about it, I don't mind", said Alex, "she probably caught on a scent and wanted to check it out". David's eyes seemed to light up at Alex's calm demeanor, as if to be thankful for not running into a cranky morning-mood neighbor. "She came right to you!" said David, "you must have a knack for pets or something." Alex was quick to smile back. "I don't think so, but good to know I might have something to help for next time". David returned the smile, said several Thank You's, and started to walk back but then abruptly stopped half-way. "Oh -- now that you are here, we wanted to let you know that we plan to have a small get-together tonight. Mostly just friends and co-workers from the bank. It's a holiday weekend plus I hear the weather will be great, so we wanted to enjoy it with friends". Alex was gracious in his reply. "Sounds like fun! I heard it was going to be a nice weekend, too. If you need extra parking space, you are welcome to use part of my driveway." "Oh, thank you! We appreciate that! Say...Tim and I would love to have you over! You are more than welcome -- and please bring your girl friend!" Ugh. Alex knew they must have noticed his "girl friend" coming and going from his house. He wondered if they also noticed it wasn't always the same person. "Um..sure! What time?" said Alex. David seemed even more pleased. "We told everyone to come around 7:30ish, but you are welcome to come over any time! It's a nice mix of people -- I promise you won't feel uncomfortable! Hope you see you tonight!" And with that, David turned back to his house. To David, it was a coup. Tim would be so shocked and happy to hear that they finally caught up with the neighbor-slash-enigma! Alex noticed that David was still smiling as he walked back to his house, Lolly in tow close behind. Alex turned back to the sunroom, walked back into the house and mentally assessed his wine inventory for a suitable gift to bring to the party. "Oh, well", he thought, "they finally got me. It's only been over a year since we all last spoke, so I guess it was due." Alex wasn't upset with the exchange -- he knew that David and Tim were the perfect neighbors that anyone would love to have: well-manicured lawns, front and back, plus great landscaping and a warm, inviting porch. Their home's curb appeal was a positive addition to the cul-de-sac and Alex was very grateful for it. Who knows? It could be a fun evening and a welcome start to the weekend. As Alex walked back into his house, he noticed the kitchen door to the garage was slightly open. Even worse: his phone was missing.

Has "Californication" jumped the shark?

I'm a big fan of the show since it started, mostly because of the writer angle. Having lived in SoCal and having been a semi-pro lothario myself (complete with self-loathing), I also enjoy the banter and challenges that Moody faces almost every episode (and there's a few Moody Moments that I can relate to from my own past -- my fav was last year when he had all three girls in the same room, at the same time, and none knew the wiser. Yes, that happens, and Yes, his reaction was spot on). I do agree that Epi 1 of Season 4 left much to be desired, but I blame it on the writing and I suspect that Showtime is going more for the sizzle and less of the steak. I was disappointed and I believe they can do better -- if they want to. It almost makes me wonder if the writers on the show can actually relate to the situation, or are they just guessing because they've never walked in those shoes? Sure seems that way to me. Viewers are subject to lots of questionable dialog that would almost never be said, in any state of inebriation or sexual excess. I do enjoy the sporadic Moody opinions about contemporary literature and what sells today (loved his take on The Twilight Saga -- and very bold of Showtime, the "exclusive" Twilight channel, to let it fly), but we don't get enough and I'd love to know Moody's take on Larsson, Patterson, et.al. Was there too much T&A last night? Yes. Did I mind it? No. Just as I did when I sifted thru the girly babble and banter within SATC to find (and savor) the gems of modern human dating behavior found beneath, I am content (for now) to accept the gratuitous T&A as the price to pay to enjoy watching (and vicariously reliving) Moody's exploits and quick wit -- I just hope the writers get the message and we will see equal amounts of steak AND sizzle as the season progresses.

decision breakdown

Lots of great discussions on Morning Joe this morning, all generated from analysis of President Bush's interview by Matt Layer. Good to see he recognized a few "mistakes". Very good point made by Joe re Waterboarding vs. Massive drone attacks that show no discrimination. More to follow...

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Rand Paul and the New Bohemians

random thoughts about last night's election results...
Who would you rather be -- Christine O'Donnell's opponent (who won), or Rand Paul's opponent (who lost)? I only mention Chris Coons in this example because, prior to the primaries, he was labeled as a very weak choice to run for the Dems, everybody knew it, and yet here he is, Mr. Senator-elect, thanks to being the more-sane option in the statewide election. He should be thanking his lucky stars today. Then again, if you are a student of political science, you would know that the U.S. political history is full of stories about how certain winners came to be because of the weakness or blunders of their otherwise heavily-favored opponents. We do know one thing: he can't blame witchcraft! And how about Jack Conway in Kentucky -- dude, not only did you lose your election, but you just lost to Rand friggin' Paul! Now, I'm not either for or against Paul, and I really wish him (and all the other winners) well -- they have a huge weight of expectations on their shoulders today going forward -- but Conway should have (and could have) run a more effective campaign that what he did, especially given his opponent. Paul and his fellow tea-partiers are fringe at best, and they still have not come up with alternative and specific solutions to the problems they rail against. If you have read my previous posts, you would know that this is a pet peeve of mine, especially in the past two elections when the Dems were all too caustic against President Bush, but had no specific solutions of their own. Now we see why -- it's not as easy to solve issues as it is to point them out and complain about them.
In my opinion, I believe the American voters have seen and felt this, too, and have finally expressed their displeasure via their votes. The Dems knew we were in crisis mode when they came into power two years ago, and yes, they have accomplished a few things, but in this day and age of "instant gratification" and "what have you done for me lately", immediate actions speak much louder than words. Gone are the days when Washington can sit on an agenda and take their time to iron things out. We are used to having things NOW: The tv is instant-on; just about every kitchen has had a microwave in it for years; refrigerators and/or freezer are stocked with microwavable foods; we support one-stop shopping for clothes-groceries-banking-dry cleaning-etc; our creditors expect immediate payment (and have no tolerance for slack); the world of information is not only at our fingertips via our computer, but our computer has the ability to operate with the latest, fastest broadband width conceivable (and then some); we all have mobile phones that do much more than just make phone calls, making us instantly available...and I can go on. The point is that we have this mind-set in our sub-conscious and therefore we no longer tolerate slack from anything, whether it's our vendors, our neighbors, or our politicians. So Good Luck, you new Tea Party peeps -- just be sure to understand that you are not beholden to all of your agenda, you would be wise to pick your battles. Good Luck, John Boehner -- personally, I believe that you will be a huge improvement over Nancy Pelosi (the bar is very low to begin with), just don't make the mistake that Newt Gingrich did and let it all go to your head. The nation awaits -- but remember, don't take too long to act!

The New Version of the Old Scene

So I heard on Morning Joe this morning (of course) that if Sarah Palin runs for President in 2012, then the Democratic Party will resurrect from the pit of despair by way of this single event. The Dems, you see, have been in a bit of a slump lately, and with the mid-term election only hours away, the gloom is starting to take over the doom that surrounds the conjecture of the massive losses they will incur at the voting booth. Most of this malaise comes from the consistent inconsistency that we see daily from the White House, in addition to the low approval ratings tied to the public's dissatisfaction with politician's ineffectiveness during an economic crisis within our country. Having someone as polarizing as Palin run for POTUS would rally the troops a la 2008 and would be a much-welcome pain reliever. That got me to thinking: Palin is so polarizing...wait, I've seen that word used before, for another political target...oh, that's right, it was when every political wonk in 2007 was talking about Hillary Clinton's run for POTUS! Yes, I remember it well. The 'publicans were all up in arms about how dare this woman even think she's qualified for the top job, grab your pitchforks and torches, this just cannot happen!! And yet, as we moved into the 2008 campaign, we saw just how humanizing Hillary became, to the point of being driven to tears (gasp! the horror!). The longer we saw Hillary on our every-day televised events and commercials, the more subdued we became and the more we began to like her as a person. Many of us were starting to accept and legitimize her candidacy as a viable option to some of the ultra right- and left-wing zealots. It all ended during the primaries when Obama just out-ran her, but for one shining moment, she reached the top of the credibility mountain, after what seemed a lifetime of fighting to clear her reputation and show her viability. Flash forward only two years later and we are here again, only this time with a GOP version in the form of Sarah Palin. Watch out, 'publicans -- karma is a bitch (no pun intended)!

The Dem's Beautiful Nightmare

As we enter the final weeks before mid-term elections, the rhetoric increases daily about how the Democrats will lose a lot of ground to the GOP because of voter sentiment and dissatisfaction. It's no secret that Americans vote their pocketbooks, but don't think this election is in the bag for the majority party. There's still a slight hangover from the previous administration and the Dems are doing all they can now to remind voters of it. Is it too little, too late? You may think so at first, but I believe it's a well-planned effort by the DNC to not be so quick to point fingers so as to give the RNC more ammunition to fire back. Both parties want to be on the defensive because voters like to see the responses, and he who laughs last usually wins the fight. The RNC knows this and that's why you see continuous "baiting" from them on any/all fronts, whether it's the Don't Ask, Don't Tell issue (funny how that just came up this month) or the economic downturn (but not too fast -- we don't want voters to remember how it all started...or do we?). DNC, on the other hand, has their own baiting with the recent Foreclosure Moratorium (again, funny that it just came up this month) and the economic downturn (but not too fast -- we don't want voters to remember how's it been going in the past two years). It's a bob-and-weave scenario that will play out for another couple of weeks. We see that former President Clinton is now starting to stump, and the current POTUS is positioning himself for his own last-minute stumping, too. Frankly speaking, it's the "quiet" consensus among the pundits that the best thing for Obama is to have the GOP regain the majority in the House, reason being that (1) history has shown more success when the Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch are controlled separately, and (2) this will give each of them a "legitimate" target to blame if things take too long to resolve or initiate. Fact is that voters want to see results that both parties worked on, and no more bitching about the other side. Sure, there's always room for complaints, but remember that those complaints are usually designed to get the other side to compromise and move stuff forward. Of course the DNC will never admit that this is what they want, and it's so funny to see Obama come out now with weak admissions of failure to get out the true message and trumpet the successes of the administration in the past two years (and yes, there have been a few). If the Dems keep control of Congress, hurray, the voters have spoken and we get more of the same. If the GOP regains control of Congress, hurray, let's see you put your money (well, actually, our money) where your mouth is and get off the pot! Just know one thing, as we head into the 2012 general election: be careful what you wish for.

Guest Writer Time!!

Today's contribution comes from Ms. Andrea Aldrete. Hope you like it as much as her proud Dad did...

"Do you remember when you were in elementary school and your teachers would have you write an “essay” and you would think it was the hardest thing to do? But in reality it was really only two paragraphs long. Then when you got older and went in to high school and an “essay” suddenly became three pages. I was the kid who had no idea what to write and would just sit and look around not even thinking about what I should write. Here and there a thought about what I should write would come to mind, but I never put that much thought into it because I'd much rather think about what mom would be making for dinner, or when the teacher would tell us it's time to go to recess. Then there would be the kids who would always start right away and then five minutes later when you would look back at their paper they were already done. I always hated that...always. Not much has changed since elementary school to be honest. Actually now, even though I'm in high school, if we're given time to write the essay in class, I'm still that same kid who just looks around and can't think of anything to write... I'll be honest with you I just stopped typing and started looking around for about ten minutes before I started typing again. The point in what I'm writing isn't about elementary school and how hard we thought it was to write an “essay”. The point in what I'm writing is the fact that people are given simple tasks to do each day, for example “the essay”, and we always make such a big deal about how our teachers suck because the gave us “really hard work”. Then when you think about it the “paper really wasn't that hard or that long...I think that people take themselves way to seriously most of the time, when we should be grateful for the things that we do have, because if you compared “your hard work” to somebody else and their actual hard work, you wouldn't have even thought about saying your work was hard at all. Think about the people who's everyday life is being in the war, seeing things that you wish you could have never seen, or the people who's life is just trying to find scraps of food to survive... But we bitched and moaned about how hard it was writing an “essay”. Seriously, was it really that hard? Life is meant to be difficult, if it wasn't there wouldn't be a point in going through all that we do. Everybody has their own problems and everybody thinks that their life is the worst it could ever be at one point. I know because I've been there. I've been to the point where I wished I could just stop time around me, pack up my things and leave without anybody knowing. That way I could go somewhere else and just start over. Start a new life with new friends and meet new people, but then I realized, that new people are only new for a day. Then when tomorrow comes, they aren't new anymore. I've been to the point where I just wanted to end my life completely because I didn't want to go on anymore in misery. Then one day my dad told me what I still look back on today and will never forget. He said “Andrea, each day will get a little easier. Tomorrow will be just a little bit better than today was.” I thought he was an idiot for saying that and that he had no idea what he was talking about. But then again what child thinks that there parents are right I mean really? In the end, he was right, and personally, I think that it was the best advice that anyone had ever given me, only because, it's so true. The point in you knowing what I just said was that if a fifteen year old girl is saying this now because she got through it just like her daddy said, and I was fourteen when I was going through it, that anybody should be able to pick themselves back up and eventually get back on the right track, eventually."

Dodger Blues

It's not looking good for LA's favorite baseball team to make the playoffs this year. And no, I'm not talking about the Angels -- as far as I'm concerned, they'll always be from Anaheim. The Good Guys in Blue seem to be hitting a wall just at the wrong time. Wrong time because the front-running Friars of San Diego are hitting their own improbable skid, creating the best opportunity all season to take over the division (or at least get the wild card). But no, not this Dodger team. They seem to want no part of it. There's speculation that the team is suffering under the psychological weight of the just-started divorce proceedings between the owners of the club. Frank and Jamie McCourt bought the team several years ago, mostly by credit and IOU's (a questionable financial arrangement, even by then-credit standards, approved by Major League Baseball in an equally questionable fashion). The once-happy couple is now at odds with each other, accusing each other of infidelity and irreconcilable differences as they wash their public laundry on the front pages and 11 o'clock news. The team itself is currently managed by a former skipper of the recent New York Yankee dynasty, but even he seems to have had enough and may retire at season's end. The general manager is in his first stint at this position, hired by the club from the arch-rivals to the north and therefore will always has his allegiance questioned with every losing streak, and there's been plenty of those to go around. Nothing heals wounds as fast as a winning streak, and if the Boys In Blue pull a 180 and show some actual fight as the month ends, the city will re-embrace these guys as bold heroes that faced adversity like no other -- well except for the Padres to the south, who are (and have been) leading the division by way of smoke and mirrors, having to work with a fraction of the payroll the Dodgers have; or except for the Giants to the north, who are in a close second place with the same payroll challenges, aided by players that were also-rans and cast-offs from several other clubs and therefore are vulnerable to rising (or should I say lowering) to their own Peter Principle. If the Dodgers don't make the playoffs, several huge changes will be in store for them, and we fans (at least the less-emotional and more rational ones) will not be shocked to see surprise moves and/or trades of some of the regular players here that have not lived up to expectations. Not to mention the result of the divorce and the answer to the question of just who will be the owner of the team, and, more importantly, how deep are the pockets the club will be left to work with as they try to field a winning team next year and beyond. And who will be the manager of that new team? The club has a great candidate available and ready in their minor league system, but there's also talk that the current skipper will anoint his protege (and current hitting coach -- did I mention that the hitting has slumped badly lately? but let's not go there) to take over the team, as a return favor to the skipper for agreeing to take over the team in the first place. Only time will tell how this year will affect the club long-term, but in the short-term, there's lots of 'splaining to do...