Barack - love ya, but really...

It is your election to lose. I only fear that you are peaking with your extremely hot performance overseas at the same time that McCain is bottoming out (I mean, really, can you get any lower than going to a German restaurant to compare to your Berlin appearance?).

I just want to be sure you can pull this off through the actual election. Sounds great right now that you can be so presidential, but McCain (ick) does seem to be pulling up in polls. I do enjoy watching you right now, but I remember a time that I loved watching Michael Dukakis driving a tank - and we know how that ended up.

Jack

What A Bird (the video)

Almost three years into this blog (and yes, I know it has been "sparse" this past year), I finally have a video of the Bird who inspired it. Meet Rick...




With Election 2008 running into high gear, you will be hearing a lot more from me (and Rick). Hopefully I can reconnect with some of you who I have corresponded with over the last few years.

Tornadoes in New Hampshire!

And Rhode Island? Anyone still wondering about climate change problems?

Facebook, Part 2

Man this Facebook stuff is addictive! A quick recap of my first month:

• Contrary to what I expected, I actually have reconnected with old friends that I have not heard from in many years. In fact, it has been fun. That alone has made the awkwardness of setting up, revising and re-revising my profile worthwhile.
• Currently, I have 70 "friends". Some of my "friends" have hundreds of "friends". Some of my "friends" are people I have spoken to once or twice. Ever. People I have hardly ever spoken with have accepted my friend requests and conversely, people I hardly know have sent me friend requests (which I eagerly accepted). Do not get me wrong, I would be friends with these people under any circumstances. Most are traditional friends, and the rest are people I would be friends with. But I completely see how cyberspace has changed what a "friend" is. Maybe I just take the whole friend thing too seriously.
• I learned too late that every profile change you make is broadcast to your "friend network". I managed to find the control panel for controlling that behavior (I am in IT after all).
• The social gaming online in Facebook is completely addictive. But what in Cyberspace is not?

So if you are on Facebook, drop me a line, maybe we can become "friends".

Generation Kill

HBO's new mini-series "Generation Kill" is based on Rolling Stone reporter Evan Wright's best selling book about his experience as an embedded reporter with the first recon marines during the early days of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

This is a true story being told from the point of view of an outsider who was allowed to ride along and write what he saw. As a result, we see a very narrow view of the Marines as they carry out their mission. When the war started, I very hesitantly supported it. I had a very hard time believing our president, even this president, would commit our men and women to war without a good reason. I also had a brother in the Marines, and he was part of the initial invasion. He was, in fact, part of the first recon Marines being depicted in "Generation Kill".

So 5 years later - we know there were no WMDs, no harbored terrorists and the tentative faith I put in George Bush that month have been replaced with contempt and a desire to see him in prison. And my brother survived this invasion, and a second deployment to Iraq a year later. And I am a fervent believer in ending our involvement with this war. But I do watch this series and see what it wants to tell us, because they were doing what they do, and I want to have an open mind about it.

I suggest we all do.

Riding the T

So the Partner has been car-less for a while now, and he has also been getting very involved in the antique and collectibles business. So I pretty much have given up my car to him on weekends and even during the week sometimes because I can get around on the "T" (MBTA - Boston Transit system).

One recent change on the "T" is that they announce at each station when a train is "approaching" and then again when it is "arriving". Other than the words "approaching" and "arriving" these announcements differ by about 5 seconds. I mean really. Really? Do we need both announcements?

I like the T - it works for me most of the time. Even when that moron stands in front of the subway door acting like they did not realize it just opened to let people on and off. Even when that person who just can't quite manage the personal hygiene thing sits next to you. Even when I get to the station just as a train is leaving. Even when..... do I have to go on?

But I love the Partner so I put up with it.