Virtual Rants

Give It Up!

This started as a comment to Kris over at Wonder Mom, but I couldn't resist, I had to post it.

I won't take sides in this election in writing on the web, but I do agree with your title "The Longest, Most Painful Presidential Campaign Ever to Afflict Humanity" I trust that by asking and answering "When’s the election over? Tuesday?" you are inferring that the election will be over on Tuesday.

I have a fundamental problem with this inference. This election could be every bit as close as the last one. And there is an army of lawyers poised, on both sides, ready to pounce on some unsuspecting pole worker the moment he comes back from lunch 5 minutes late. This election could go well into December, and the winner could be determined by the courts. The truly sad thing is that no matter who wins, half the country will not accept that candidate as the legitimate winner. The Bush/Gore race of 2000, and the subsequent fight over recounts did more to harm the country's respect for the office of the president than any thing since Watergate.

I despised the decision of Ford to pardon Nixon. Nixon had betrayed our trust, and I felt that he should pay the price. But Ford did the right thing. He put Watergate behind us so that the country could begin to heal more quickly.

My hope is that your inference (that the election will be over on Tuesday) is correct. I have no hope that there will be a clear winner. But I can hope against all odds, that one of the men will see the wisdom and GIVE IT UP! He would be a true hero in my eyes for allowing the country to start healing, and getting us back on the road to being "one nation" again.

Time for a Quickie?

I lay down on the bed. 10 minutes. That's it just ten minutes with my eyes closed, thinking of nothing, and of my love. The phone rings. Well, its just as well, I shouldn't be napping while I watching the neighbour's kid.

How do you refresh yourself?

Mom, yoo-hoo!

This post was inspired by amberbamberboo. Check out her harrowing experience.

If I just pull a little and you, ah … push we might jusssssssst. Oh, sorry are you OK?

When I was six, I would suck on soda bottle hard enough to create a vacuum. If I stopped sucking and moved my lip over the bottle's opening, the bottle became stuck to my lip. No big deal, but before there were 50 channels of kids shows on twenty-four hours a day it was just something to pass time. Then one day I had the bright idea of creating the vacuum and instead of my lip, I stuck it to my tongue, only problem was I couldn't get it off. Try screaming for mom with a yoo-hoo bottle stuck to your tongue.

A Little to the Right, No, a Little to the Left, Perfect!

Which way do I lean? I try to keep my posts as politically neutral as possible, ( for job related reasons.)
I was told in private, however, that you could tell from my last post which side I support.

Read Porcine On TV and tell me which side of the fence I'm on and how you came to that conclusion.

Porcine On TV

What do a soldier with an amputated arm, and a girl who lost her mother in the World Trade Center attack have in common?

They are both being used in campaign adds by swine who would rather play on your primal emotions and fears, than talk about the issues. It doesn't really matter what side each commercial is for, because in both cases, they were not paid for, or approved by the candidate. It is enough to make me sick,(these third party adds with no accountability.)

I live in a "battle ground state," so I'll see a lot more of this crap from both sides of the pig sty for a couple more weeks. Then it back to the good old' commercials where wild boars lie about how affordable their products are and how if you don't use them , buy them, eat, drink or wear them you'll be doomed to a life of abject poverty, and perpetual loneliness. Gotta love TV.

The Phoenix of the Seasons

I read this wistful nostalgic post over at Mad Mommy Chronicles it starts: "Whenever I smell burning leaves, it never fails to remind me of my childhood."

Like so many good posts, it got me thinking. Here are my thoughts:

I grew up in New York, so close to Connecticut that I considered myself a New Englander, so I know exactly what you mean about the smell of burning leaves. When I was 18, I moved to North Carolina, where I lived for 25 years. Sure we had pumpkin farmers and cider. People even burned leaves, but somehow the magic of fall fell further and further away from me. No offense indented to the good mountain folks of North Carolina, but even your highly touted fall colors literally pale in comparison the fall colors of my New England my youth.

I felt the detachment from the seasons. I was starting thinking that it was just me. That some how aging had gotten me further and from my appreciation of the seasons. Then eight years ago, a little reminder called Colter came into my life. I started anticipating the seasons for him, planning for Halloween, or Christmas, getting all excited for a summer vacation. Then in pre-school, there were the projects, drawing and coloring, around a seasonal theme, and making silly little gifts for Mom and Dad for our respective Parent's Days. The rituals of my youth were being reborn in my son.

Just as I was about to get accustomed to this rhythm, it changed again. We moved to Florida. One long summer, broken only by a week of autumn, and a weekend of spring. We can't even welcome the occasional frost that signifies a couple hours of winter, because the frost damages the local crops.

Once again, Colter helps me stay grounded. The traditions and the rituals of the seasons are still fresh to Colter and through him they are given new meaning to me.

What is your favorite season, and what reminds you of it?

Cabin Fever

Ever tear out a ceiling?
How about put in a hardwood floor?
Ever replace the front door, or paint the entire inside of a house?
Maybe replace all of the gutters and downspouts?
Was your big house project to replace most of the lighting and ceiling fans, add insulation over the ceiling of five rooms, or replace half of the trim and molding in the house?
Maybe it was to rip out half a wall and build twenty some odd feet of built-in books shelves and a built in computer desk?

Well these are the home improvement jobs that I'll be taking on in the next month or so. The ones that should be done before we move in to our new house. There are almost as many fo after we move in.

If you could improve one part of your house, what would it be?

If You Could ...

Got these Q's from inkjetbluesjournal and his, If You Could ... Game
Go check it out. Here are my answers:

1. If you could be a piece of candy, what would you be?
A. One of my wife's favorites, licorice.

2. If you could be a sweater, what color would you be?
A. I don't care about the color, sweaters are for warmth, so I would be made of Polartec fleece.

3. If you could travel to any country on a free, week-long vacation, where would you go?
A. The USA, COLTER'S HELL, AKA Yellowstone. My son is named after John Colter and we've yet
to see the park.

4. If you could be anybody famous in the world for one day, who would you choose?
A. Bonnie Raitt That way I could experience being a woman and a great musician at the same time.

5. If you could do something you've never had the courage to do, what would it be?
A. Quit smoking.

6. If you could have a romantic date with anyone for one night, who would you pick?
A. My wife.

7. If you could re-play one day of your life over, what would it be?
A. The day we conceived Colter, I wouldn't change a thing.

8. If you could appear on any current TV show, which one would you like to be on?
A. Joan of Arcadia Then I could play God, but all in good fun.

9. If you could watch a movie by yourself on a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon, what movie would it be?
A: The Untouchables. It has a scene that is an homage to The Steps of Odessa, a scene out of the 1920's Russian classic The Battleship Potemkin.

10. If you could establish a new national holiday, what would it be?
A: Bipartisan Day. All politicians would vote from their hearts on as many bills and laws as possible without regard to political affiliations. All voting citizens would respect the integrity of the votes made by politicians on that day.

How would you answer these questions?

I Love My Wife

What more need be said?

Good Questions?

Today I took the Rockchild Challenge. This site may offend some people so use caution while reading.
If you haven't read his posts you are in for something. Exactly what, I'm not sure.
Take it or leave it, it is something different.

**Rockchild's 10 Q's #2**

1. What's the first thing you buy if you had $1,000,000?

A safe.

2. What is your favorite snack?

Butterscotch. But it is a secrete. Please don't tell.

3. Are your teeth white, yellow, brown, or gone?

First they were white, then yellow, then brown, then gone, now they are white again.

4. Have you ever played street hockey in the street?

No, but I like the word "Puck."

5. Did you ever get hit by a car and lived to tell about it?

Not in this life.

6. Did you ever have a doll that made pee-pee, and did she ever pee on you?

What makes you think it was a she?

7. Are you very hairy, or just your feet?

Trick question, no fair. Just my head.

8. Have you ever pick your nose?

I was born with this one, I wasn't given the option to pick or choose.

9. Are you still doing it, or did you get caught?

If you get caught choosing what happens?

10. Did your mom ever hit you in the head with a plate like a frisbee by accident like my mom hit me last Saturday?

Frisbee is a registered trademark of the Wham-o corporation. My mother never hit me in the head with anything like a registered trademark.

Now, my question for the readers:

11. Could you ever be disingenuous on your site?