Blog Log August 14th thru 21st

Fear And Loathing In The Blogosphere will be updated daily from August 14 through 21st. See announcements of newly published postings below.

From The Writer's Nook...

New visitor? Proceed to this post and respond to the "get acquainted" questions...
Exercise Your Brain And Get In The Game

Vietnam Minus Jungle Add Sand And Repeat {August 16} - New Post!

A Philosophy Of Success {August 13} - Updated August 15 - Post Complete

Things I Think I Learned ...From YouDoItOurWay {August 12} - Updated August 15 - Post Complete

{Toilet} Paper Tiger and George W{imp} Bush MIA {August 11} - Updated August 15 - Post Complete

All *Blog* Stars Introduction (August 9} - Updated August 15 - Post Complete

The Car In The Middle Of The Road {June 24}

Have I Mentioned...? {June 23} <-------

Coming Soon Installment 3 - The Hitchhikers Guide To The Blogosphere

The News...The Blues...The I Don't Know What To Dos {June 21} - Under Construction

This, That And The Other {June 12} - Updated August 14 - What are YOUR ABC's?

Things That Jump Off The Page {June 7}

What Price Must Be Paid? {May 30} - Updated August 13

Happy CINCO de MAYO

The Day That Was, The Day That Wasn't And Days It's Hard To Believe What You See

Vietnam Minus Jungle Add Sand And Repeat

Photograph by Kilroy_60

"I had a monumental idea this morning, but I didn't like it." - Samuel Goldwyn

I lived in Washington, D.C. in the days when the city was not an armed camp. Ronald Reagan resided at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and George Herbert Walker Bush was a heartbeat away from the Presidency.

Yes, D.C. had one of the highest murder rates in the country. Such facts, though, were never taken into consideration. When we went to a bar in the Mount Pleasant area, for pitchers of beer and some of the best pizza you could imagine, you were likely to never see a police car. Not in "little Vietnam". Perhaps it was because we were oblivious to threats as much as we chose to ignore dangers.

Those were the days when you could walk into the United States capital without hassles and the possibility of a cavity search. You could walk freely throughout the complex and sit in the galleries to watch the Senate and the House of Representatives in session. No one questioned where you were going or what you were doing. Or maybe I ignored them and no one pressed the issue.

There were nights we sat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, smoking joints and watching the eternal flame flickering on Kennedy's grave across the Potomac River. You could walk over to the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial anytime of the day or night. There would always be people there. It would be quiet.

A Philosophy Of Success

"Keep away from small people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." - Mark Twain

Photograph By Kilroy_60

A Philosophy Of Success

By TheAnnointedOne

Did you do your best? That question has been a guiding force in my life. It is the question my father asked when I brought my school report card home. It is the question I ask myself at the end of every day. It is the question I ask my team now that I serve as President of a company.

After graduating from college, I chose to pursue an opportunity with a small business. This decision came easily when I weighed it against the job offer presented for a position in pharmaceutical sales.

I wanted something that would challenges me; something that would provide a broad range of opportunities; something that would allow me to make a difference in the life of an organization. In short, every day I would be tested to know if I was doing the best job possible.

WeBeGreat Corporation is the company with which I chose to pursue a career. WeBeGreat is a direct marketing firm that provides services for commercial firms. We also recruit blood donors. Over the past eight years I have had the opportunity to work with new businesses as well as some of the best known companies in the nation.

There are things I have learned through this experience that, I am confident, will benefit any organization. One thing is certain. It is critical to understand, and to convey to everyone in your company, that the performance of each individual contributes to the success or failure of the endevaor in which you are involved.

Our business, at WeBeGreat, is all about providing superior service. Dedication to excellence is the driving force for us. I am confident, due to this philosophy, that we have some of the most satisfied clients of any company in the direct marketing industry.

The success our company has achieved, I believe, is based on creating a team environemnt. Each member of the team is assigned tasks that not only utilize their talents but challenge them; they are given the freedom to excel; and we provide new, more responsible assignments to those who excel.

I learned very quickly that the most valuable employees are those that solve problems. Every challenge has an answer to overcome it. Once you identify this, you can spend the majority of your time making progress on issues instead of worrying about them.

It is critical for a person to be confident in their own decision making ability. Too often, I see people that are timid to make a decisions. This causes ideas or plans to stall. Often, the wrong decision made quickly is much more effective than the best decision being made after taking too long to analyze it.

Since I began holding management positions, the individuals that have had an inner drive to succeed are the ones that have been most successful. This trait can not be taught, coached or cultivated. Find people that want to succeed, provide very clear end goals and allow people to achieve those objectives. That is the roadmap to success.

I believe strongly that I would rather have someone ask for forgiveness than ask for permission. People are given responsibilities and the authority to make decisions. It is critical to allow them to do that consistently. It gives people more personal freedom, more confidence and allows them to learn much faster than if they were taught every step of the way.

Put every member of your team in a position to say answer yes when asked if they did their best on any given day. Your company will thrive beyond your imagination if you are succesfull in doing that.

I invite your to visit our website at www.WeBeGreat.com. If direct marketing is not yet part of your success strategy, WeBeGreat is prepared to do the job that takes you where you want to go. Otherwise, we are able to partner with an existing direct marketer; to be sure they are doing the best possible job for you. Beyond that, come and visit us to see what makes WeBeGreat a world class organization.

Things I Think I Learned ...from YouDoItOurWay

"It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out - it's the grain of sand in your shoe." - Robert Service

Photograph by Kilroy_60

Working with YouDoItOurWay Behavioral Healthcare opened my eyes to things I never knew, things I could never have imagined and things I still do not believe.

I'll skip over all the facts about mental health and mental illness(es) which are readily accessible with a GOOGLE search or three. I think I've learned a few things that people who have accepted {been convinced more likely in the case of men} there is a need to seek treatment for a psychiatric illness.

I have boiled this down to the Top 10 Pieces of Advice for a person who is preparing to seek treatment for a disease of the brain.

{Disclaimer ~ Anyone reading this post may be in treatment, know someone who is in treatment, know someone who should be in treatment and/or know more about this subject than I. You will note the title of this posting is "Things I Think I Learned". I may use incorrect/inaccurate terminology if I have not already. My field of endeavor is not behavioral healthcare. I do, though, believe that in general terms I am on the right track with this list as far as assisting someone who is considering the need for treatment or is preparing to take the step. Please do not hesitate to comment whether or not I get it right. Whatever "it" may be.}

---> Identify symptoms you are experiencing.

Ask people {who you believe know you best} to assist you. When you meet a person for the first time in the best of circumstances they develop an impression of who you are within 10 seconds. When you first meet the therapist or psychiatrist it will not be the best of circumstances and it will not take them long to start developing opinions. The more aware you are of what problems you are experiencing the easier and the more productive the meeting will be.

---> Prepare questions prior to your first appointments {with the therapist and psychiatrist}

When you are a patient/client/consumer it is essential to establish and maintain trust with the people treating/providing care for you in order to achieve the best possible outcome. You need to understand the differences in application of The Medical Model vs. The Recovery Model in treatment.

I believe that the best resource to assist you to prepare for these meetings - and to progress through treatment with the greatest chance to achieve the highest level of success - is The National Empowerment Center.

---> Remember, never forget, you are a person with an illness. You do not BECOME the disease.

---> You will receive a diagnosis or a number of diagnoses. Again, the diagnosis is not what you are. The {or each} diagnosis is a label.

The reason for the diagnosis is to establish medical necessity for the treatment you will be receiving. More clearly, a diagnosis is necessary so insurance billing can be generated.

---> Do not become a victim of Sheep Syndrome.

The worst thing you can do is walk into a therapist and/or psychiatrist office with the attitude that they know what is wrong with you, they know how to fix it and all you have to do is what you are told and everything will be better.

It's essential to ask what options you have. How are we going to work together and what specific goals are we going to pursue? What is it about this medication that the doctor feels makes it best for you? You may not want to decide at that moment; you may want to ask what other choice(s) there could be and to return with an answer after you learn more.

---> Research and learn as much as possible.

The better you understand your diagnosis/diagnoses, the course of treatment, the medication(s) prescribed...the chance of things going more smoothly and having a positive outcome are greatly increased.

Knowledge is power. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Expect to receive answers and do not accept refusal to answer. There is frequently talk of training and experience as reasons you should do as you are told. In reality, the same thing(s) do not work the same for everyone. There is trial & error at best and guesswork at worst. No one KNOWS how the mind works.

--->I believe, although I very well maybe wrong, that many if not most mental illnesses are chronic. You should understand that you will feel "better", but are likely not to be "cured".

The goal of mental health providers is to gain control of the symptoms being experienced and to find a level at which they can be managed which allows the patient/client/consumer to achieve the highest possible quality of life.

I found something interesting doing this work. There is a regimented process to establish what is wrong with a person. But there is no process through which a person is declared to be "healed".

---> You are RESPONSIBLE.

You are responsible for your behavior. Whatever symptoms you are experiencing, you do the best that you can and you continue to maintain responsibility for your actions.

As much as you hate it, there will likely be a chemical component to your treatment. You are responsible to take the medication(s) as they are directed. You are responsible to be aware how the medication is affecting you and to report that to the doctor. You are responsible to work with the therapist and to complete tasks you have agreed to do as part of your therapy.

Something that is helpful for many people is to journal. That can be easier said than done. Any notes, though, are more helpful than to depend on your memory. When it comes time and you are under the gun to answer questions the greatest percentage of chance is you are not going to know the information that you want or need to share.

---> Do Not ISOLATE.

This is one of the easiest things to do and at the same time one of the most harmful. It is extremely important to create and maintain a support network. Treatment for mental health is such that it is not a straight line from where you are to where you want to be. There will be good times and times that are not good. Some days something will be easy and other days that same thing will seem impossible.

Keep in mind that you are going to see a therapist and a psychiatrist for a very short amount of time in the grand scheme of things. Whether it's once a week or whatever number of times a week or a month the majority of the time it is going to be you and the people with whom you are connected.

---> Manage your care and stay aware.

There has been talk of preparing for initial apporintments. Discussion of asking questions, seeking explanation and exploring options.

Keeping in mind that you learn/understand as much as possible about your illness, medication and treatmetment while avoiding Sheep Syndrome --- it is essential that you manage the treatment you receive.

This is again where journaling comes into play. If you have a written record you will be able to evaluate for yourself where you were, how you have been doing, where you are at the moment and where you want to be.

And this leads us to trust and awareness. There are cases where it is dangerous for a patient/client/consumer to know what is in their chart. I would tend to believe the majority of the time that is not the case.

I would also believe that mental healthcare professionals are not enthusiastic about wanting to share what is in your chart. They may actively encourage you not to look. They may seek to convince you that there is no benefit to you reading the chart because research shows nothing productive for the person in treatment comes from gaining that knowledge.

It is important that a person makes every effort to work with a therpist on an ongoing basis. One reason is there is a "getting to know you" period. So every time you change that starts anew. You should expect that things will not always go smoothly or as well as you wish with that therapist. It could be learning to work together, it could be a problem with the therpist or it could be a result of symptoms. I can't say give it "this long" and if things are not progressing change. it is a very individual situation. The same goes for the psychiatrist.

Asking to begin looking at your chart immediately is going to put your healthcare provider(s) on the defensive. This does not aid in establishing trust. Again, there is not a specific period of time I can reference as to when you should begin looking. What is important to understand is that in the 15 or 50 minutes you are with that psychiatrist or therapist they are noting their observations, perceptions, impressions, opinions about you. When they write them in the chart, though, they become considered as facts due to the professional expertise of the people writing them. Does that mean they are necessarily correct, no. Many people chart poorly; they do not get basic facts correct let alone accurately portray what transpired in the session. There is an aspect of Covering One's Ass when they are writing chart notes as no one knows what happened in that room other than the two people who were there.

Facts, yes I said facts, I just stated will be objected to, disputed and judged wrong by professionals in the mental health fiield. There is no benefit to me to say these things. I have worked with mental health professionals, dealt with people involved in client advocacy and spoken with patients/clients/consumers to develop this material. You can take it for what you feel it is worth.

~ 30 ~

What do you think?

{Toilet} Paper Tiger and George W{imp} Bush MIA

"The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." - William Faulkner

Photograph by Kilroy_60


How many countries in the world face the question of whether they have the right to exist? How many countries are bordered by nations that want nothing more than to destroy them? I don't know the answer to "how many" in either case. I do know one country that qualifies in both cases, the State of Israel.

I do not agree with everything Israel does. I wish at times that Israel conducted itself differently than it does. I want Israel to work things out with the Palestinians so they will have a sovereign state.

I admire the courage of the Israelis. I believe Israel is right to do what is necessary to maintain its security and to ensure the safety of its citizens. Which brings us to the hostilities of the past month, the (toilet) paper tiger called the United Nations and the spineless response of the United States of America as directed by George W. Bush.

Since September 11, 2001, George W. Bush has spoken of The War On Terror. It seems that any time he can, regardless of how far he has to stretch, if it serves his need he evokes the events of September 11th and speaks of The War On Terror.

The events of the past month in the Mid-East have been THE DEFINITION of Terror. There has been one player conspicuously missing in this drama. The United States of America led by George W. Bush.

I may be mistaken, but I believe that for several years the government of Lebanon has basically surrendered the southern region of it's country to the terrorist group Hezbollah. The terrorists have established strongholds in this town and that. The have well fortified bases of operations.

A month ago Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers near the border of Israel and Lebanon. Israel responded with force sending in its Air Force and began shelling Hezbollah. The terrorists, of course, had positioned themselves where they were surrounded by civilians. Which meant that there were immediately civilian casualties and Israel's actions were condemned.

There has been significant damage to the Lebanese infrastructure, including the Beirut airport and the national highways system, as Israel sought to cut off supply lines to Hezbollah who is being supported by Syria and Iran. Israel has repeatedly asked Lebanese civilians to leave the area so they will be out of harm's way while continued airstrikes and rockets pinpoint Hezbollah outposts and bunkers.

How did the Administration of George W. Bush respond? Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was going to go to the Mid-East. And then she was not going to go. And then she was going to go. And then she went...to Rome for a G8 Summit. Rice held out when they sought to call for a ceasefire. Our leaders put on a shameful display as rockets rained down upon Lebanon and Hezbollah bombed Northern Israel day after day after day.

This past week Israel began a ground assault. It had become clear that as well dug in as the terrorists are, attacking from the air and with missles is not going to get the job done. As Hezbollah was allowed to function as a state within a state, it is somehow Israel that is bearing the brunt of damnation from the world community for the current state of affairs.

As far as I'm concerned responsibility for the current situation rests on the shoulders of the Lebanese government, the United Nations and the United States government.

Lebanon allowed Hezbollah to set up shop and have done nothing for years to kick them out. The United Nations has had troops on the ground in Lebanon for decades. {Remember when the United States Marine barracks was bombed...in 1983!!!} And finally, the response of the United States government has been absolutely worthless.

If we are fighting a war on terror, it should not have been the Israeli Air Force flying missions alone over Lebanon. The United States military should have been there doing everything possible to wipe Hezbollah off the map forever. But our forces are stretched paper-thin in Afghanistan {where the victories we won are slowly but surely being eaten away} and Iraq {where the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is admitting that the country is moving closer and closer to Civil War if it is not there already}.

Today there are reports that the {toilet} paper tiger is about to announce a resolution that will cease military operations. Israel and Lebanon are said to be ready to agree on specific wording. I fail to see what difference yet another resolution is going to do. Hezbollah has operated in spite of an existing resolution. The UN had resolution stacked on top of resolution stacked on top of resoltuion stacked on top of resolution related to Iraq from the time that Bush I supposedly led America to a victory in the first Gulf War. There are resolutions against North Korea and Iran; they continue doing whatever the hell they want to do.

The solution to stopping the war between Israel and Lebanon is simple. Eliminate the terrorists. It is your move, President Bush. How serious are you about The War On Terror?

All *Blog* Stars Introduction

"Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow." - Mohandas K. Gandhi

Photograph by Kilroy_60

I am pleased to add Fear and Loathing In The Blogosphere to All *Blog* Stars. As an introduction, 29 things about me and my little corner of the blogosphere...

1. In the Gonzo spirit, you can expect an approach to blogging which blurs the distinctions between author and subject while merging fiction and nonfiction.
2. Photography is a passion in my life.
3. I think the duckbill platypus reflects God's sense of humor.
   
4. My favorite form of transportation is hot air balloon.
5. My life has been touched by cancer.
   
6. In my office I have prints of M.C. Escher's Reptiles and Ansel Adams' Redwoods.
7. I think that fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers are among the best in all of sports. Pittsburgh is a drinking town with a footbal problem.
   
8. To be spiritual, I believe, is essential to have a most fulfilling life.
9. One of my favorite hobbies is traveling to new places. Another is returning to places I have enjoyed.
10. I prefer to give gifts when I choose instead of when they are expected.
    
11. Golf, I think, more than any other sport replicates life.
12. I've remained close friends with my college roommate, who is a psychiatrist and an attorney, for more than 20 years. He's a championship fisherman who is known among friends as The Master Baiter.
13. 13 is my lucky number.
    
14. Going into space is something I would love to do that I don't see in my future.
15. I frequently publish blog posts and comments with typographical errors expecting that people are accustomed to reading tyopese.
    
16. I love sunrises, but more frequently see sunsets.
17. My preference for journaling is pen and paper {specifically legalpads} instead of the computer.
18. I think racists and homophobes are people with troubled minds and that that is no excuse for their behavior.
    
19. My approach to politics is one of independence not influenced by the agendas of political parties.
20. I think the sports memorabilia industry has fractured the relationship between athletes and fans.
21. Today I bought a shot glass for one of my shadow boxes.
22. The last book I bought was Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner; the last book I was given was Wishing - Shooting Stars, Four-Leaf Clovers And Other Wonders To Wish Upon, compiled by Gloria T. Delamar.
23. When I visit the grave of my loved one I leave photographs wrapped in plastic and a handful of pebbles.
24. I am amazed every time I visit one of Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings.
25. Speaking to the writers at this past weekend's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, I expect L.C. Greenwood will be elected next year.
    
26. Two of my favorite indulgences, that I can freely speak of, are John Wm Macy's CheeseSticks and D.L. Jardine Salsa.
27. I look forward to the return of Deal OR No Deal.
28. This has been difficult for me because I'm more interested in exploring new things and learning about other people than I am talking about myself.
29. There are 29 items in this list because I am a Leap Year baby.

Posted at All *Blog* Stars

YouDoItOurWay Behavioral Healthcare

Photograph by Kilroy_60
I thought I'd introduce you to another one of my consulting clients, YouDoItOurWay Behavioral Health.

YouDoItOurWay is the Frankenstein created when three mental health agencies were merged under the stewardship of a CEO coasting to retirement. For people lacking health insurance and those on medicaid, YouDoItOurWay is basically the only game in town.

The main players at YouDoItOurWay include:

MakesNarcissusAppearModest - President and CEO
QueenBeeOfTheHive - Director of Human Resources
ColdHeartedBitch - Senior Vice President of Clinical Services
PutOnYourSeatbeltIt'sGonnaBeABumpyRide- Director of Outpatient Services
WalksAsGodOnEarth, MD - Medical Director
SeeNoProblemBeNoProblem - Director of Quality Assurance
YouWantThatDoneWhen?- Director of Health Information
DoYouWantFriesWithThat?- Director of Consumer Employment Services
AGeniusInMyOwnMind - Public Relations
SqueekyWheelGetsTheGrease - Consumer Advocate

Transitioning from the outgoing to the incoming President and CEO, re-engineering the corporate culture, addressing issues related to provision of services and finding solid financial footing on which the organization can stand. These are the tasks assciated with this project.

Chaotic Madness! Unabashed Mayhem!! Extreme Excess!!!

Have you ever gone looking for something...found this, that and the other...until finally you were left to wonder what had started this ill-advised endeavor in the first place? No, I'm not talking about Iraq!

I started out thinking I was going to do nothing more than open a drawer. The next thing I knew I was exploring. Then I began investigating. This led me to sorting, organizing and purging. I now have an office that looks like a staging area.

I still needed to find it. Back to The Writer's Nook. I checked the file drawer; Sorted through the stack of papers on the desk; Went over everything on the bookshelf; Looked on the table. No luck. Well, that wouldn't be entirely true. I found some interesting things, but not what I was looking for.

I keep too much stuff. If you have been reading this blog for any period of time this will not come as news to you. The problem seems to be that however long I keep anything, when it finally reaches the point that I am convinced it will serve no useful purpose and I throw it out...almost immediately a need arises for which that item would serve perfectly.

So, now I think...the information I was looking for must have been in a website I was looking at. I know it's not been that long since I saw it. I would say put my hands on it, but at this point I'm not sure what the it was that started the search. So, now I start going through my bookmarks.

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About this time, my IT guy showed up to look at my network. I heard him muttering to himself as he went from one computer to the other.

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Where is all this leading?

Create Your Own Ticket

Coming Soon...The Third Installment of

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Blogosphere

If you visit any of the blogs in my Link Exchanges In The Blogosphere or Blogs of Note lists, tell them you came from Fear And Loathing.

Misadventures, Blunders And Psychopathy

Photograph by Kilroy_60
Since beginning this endeavor, I have avoided writing about work. The time has come for that to change.

Being a consultant, and a self confessed workaholic, I devote a great deal of time to dealing with other people's issues. One of the reasons I have not written about work previously is because blogging is a way to escape. At least for a short period of time now and then.

Ultimately, I have come to realize that incorporating tales from my consulting experience maybe interesting. I have, of course, considered that in truth such sharing could be quite the opposite. Most importantly though, at this point, I think it will serve as a means of therapy. And, finally, a peripheral benefit is that it will help curtail instances of bloggus interruptus.

In the vein of therapy, there is one client that bowls over all others in terms of bloggability, WeBeGreat Telemarketing.

First off, WeBeGreat Corporation doesn't want to be called a telemarketing company. It wants to be known as a a marketing company, or a direct marketer, or a teleservices firm. Being an agent of change in the best circumstances is not easy. Making changes in a coporate culture where the company does not want to admit what business it's in is, to say the least, an extraordinary challenge.

Now, introducing the main cast of characters...

• BigChiefTwoFaces - Chief Executive Officer
• TheAnnointedOne - President
• BullshitterSmokesALot - Sales Manager/Executive VP
  
• ResultsSansEthics - Director of Operations
• KnowsWhoseAssToKiss - Director of Client Relations
• WantsToBeADiva - Director of Human Resources
• WorksWithTiedHands - Director of IT
• PlaysWellWithChildren - Corporate Training Manager

There is, of course, a supporting cast. Some who play a critical role, others nothing more than human capital to be spent and cast aside.

Working with WeBeGreat is a situation where you have a company that has problems, recognizes there are issues to address and has no idea how to fix them. It's a company that on it's best day is good. The feeling you get from talking to the principals is that they are a David walking among Goliaths; they see the world through eyes colored by the ego of one.

Unlike weather forecasting, success in consulting is based on results. The problem with that equation is you can not force anyone to take good advice. Which leads us to...

Journeying through the Mountain Range of Change

The first step on this adventure is reaching Acceptance. The journey then requires traversing The Bridge Of Implementation and Navigating The Winding Road of Transition. The Follow-Up Roller Coaster is a fun ride exceeded only by a trek through The Maze of Troubleshooting and Problem Solving. At this point, you pull over to the Weigh Station of Results. Optimally, you have your ticket punched for entry into the Land of Success at which poiint you are able to exit the ride. At times, though, you find that the load you have been carrying has shifted in ways that could not be expected or controlled which requires a course adjustment and you're on the road again.

Deliverables in this case include:

• Building the Corporate Brand locally, gaining an upper hand in the industry and establishing a meaningful presence among the business community at large.
  
• Driving leads to sales who need assistance to close deals and helping operations function in such a way that the clients do not run screaming into the night
• Teaching the managers to lead in a meaningful way that facilitates long-term success

Amazingly, that is merely an Executive Summary of the tasks at hand in working with WeBeGreat Corporation.

Perhaps now my bouts with bloggus interrupus are more understandable. In that same vein, I did not reach my target date of August 1st to complete Thursday's post let alone the others. So, I will continue plugging away at those and begin writing posts on a regular basis.

As for this posting...mark it Done!

A Cornucopia Of Bloggables

Searching for the next Hunter S. Thompson in the Age Of Technology...An interesting take on how The Good Doctor had it easy. We must excuse those who are ignorant of their subject matter.

Photograph by Kilroy_60

I think I'm going to Katmandu
That's really, really where I'm going to
If I ever get out of here
That's what I'm gonna do...

I know I'm gonna miss the U.S.A.
I guess I'll miss it every single day
But no one loves me here anyway
I know my plane is due
The one that's going to Katmandu
Up to the mountains where I'm going to
If I ever get out of here
That's what I'm gonna do...

- Bob Seger

Bloggus Interruptus

Work has been requiring an inordinate amount of time of late. Thus my recent bout of bloggus interruptus. Time to get caught up. To any of you who have messages among the 250ish emails sitting in my Inbox I will be responding ASAP, "P" being the variable.

As I write this, I am also completing the 7 posts that are at the moment still "to be continued". There's plenty of material to go around. Catastrophes and crises, bad behavior, leadership failures, destruction, senseless violence and death. {After the weekend, everything will be wrapped up tight...like a flag draped coffin being delivered to Dover Air Force Base.}

The Leader of the Free World {sic} and his compatriot from across the pond are conducting a joint news conference as I am writing, or more clearly stated trying to write, this. Time and time again my train of thought is ripped off its tracks by the spewing of deluded, misconstrued, ill-advised assertions and delusions from our {gag} leader. George W. Bush has to be the preeminent manure distributor on the planet.

Spilling Out of The Horn of Plenty...

<> Midadventures, Blunders and Psychopathy {Yes, work has been keeping me busy}
<> Playing With The Redhead
<> The War on...
<> Vietnam Minus Jungle Add Sand And Repeat
<> OBL/CIA/MIA and the Coward In His Spiderhole
<> Our Partners in The War On Terror
<> Iraq Prime Minister Addresses Congress
<> Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah and America's Head Is In It's Ass
<> Cowboy Diplomacy On Brokeback Mountain
<> 1984-----------> "We The People..."<-----------Bush II <> Lance Bass is gay...More than just a happy boy {This is considered "News"}
<> Got gas? 8 keystrokes, how much profit did oil companies gain in that moment?
<> Housing Market Goes Exclusively FSBO; Realtors Flock to McDonald's and Wal*Mart for Job Security
<> Shoeless Joe, Charlie Hustle, Barry Juice and The Hall
<> Headbutts by Buttheads
<> Latrobe, Pennsylvania...home of Rolling Rock beer and the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers training camp
<> The ESPY Award for the Team of the Year goes to...The Pittsburgh Steelers! {Oh Bus...Magic Bus...}
<> Debating death with dignity in the wake of Hurricane Katrina
<> Congress Approves Funding for Lifesaving Medical Research - Bush Issues First Veto
<> Prime Minister of Japan sings, "Wiseman say, only fools rush in..." standing next to George W. Bush along with Priscilla and Lisa Marie at Graceland
<> NASA celebrates safe, extremely successful space shuttle mission...Next!
<> Will Valerie Plane become Dick Cheney's Paula Jones?
<> Department of Homeland Security Issues List of Top Terror Targets
<> Puggles, THIS is what people have a problem with? !? Children and adults are mauled to death. Talk of banning breeds that are not only proven dangerous, but that serve no other purpose...The response is Out of the question! Create hybrids that bring joy to people whil posting no threat?...To Hell with That! comes the response. I find myself confused.
<> Andrea Yates, Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity

At the Box Office
Movies I've been watching recently:

• Fargo
• The Undefeated
• What About Bob?
• Soylent Green
• Instinct
• Something's Gotta Give
• Random Hearts
• The Sons of Katie Elder
• The Mighty WInd
• Dogma
• 12 Angry Men
• Cocoon
• Airport
• Key Largo
  

{Note: I somehow lost the commentary about this concert that I originaly wrote. I was looking over things after posting last night - August 3rd - and it was gone. I have absolutely no idea how it happened. This is a reasonable facsimile of what was originally written.

Willie Nelso represents the best of what America has to offer. He embodies what America should be. If you don't understand these statements, you should do a bit of research. If you disagree, I advise that you reconsider your position.}

...Whiskey For My Men! ...Beer For My Horses!!

Since I last wrote TheSpecialOne surprised me with tickets for a Willie Nelson And Family concert.

Let's see, where do we start? I don't know if you've read Willie's Book The Facts Of Life And Other Dirty Jokes, but he's got a new one out that no one should miss, The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart.

This was the fifth time I've seen Willie Nelson over the years; including Farm Aid I and IV. It's never been less than a memorable time. These gatherings are more than conccerts, they're events!

We had a bit of a laugh as we walked to the civic center and saw the buses parked out back. Toby Keith's song about Smoking Weed With Willie came to mind. How tempting it was to want to go and knock on the door.

With more than 20 years having passed since my first show, it was interesting checking out the crowd that was filing in. I couldn't help but wonder what those who are Willie's age were like in their heyday...or how they are now! There were bikers, which of course means there were also biker babes, cowgirls and, as TheSpecialOne noted at one point, more men than you could ever imagine holding beer and dancing alone. They seemed to be everywhere.

Having seen shows at a college football stadium, in arenas, at a ribfest and now an auditorium what is amazing is how he seems to be able to create that Texas Roadhouse feelings whereever he plays. On this night the smell of reefer hung heavy in the air and beer flowed freely. Not just at the concession stands, there were bars set up on the floor of the auditorium. A cowgirl walked by in a halter that showed her bare back; how sexy it is, I thought, seeing the tanned skin on a woman that is normally not visible.

You don't have to like country music to enjoy Willie Nelson. He plays everything from country to rock to reggae. I don't know why he hasn't yet been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Something I'm sure he doesn't care about. No doubt in that one second I thought more about it than he ever has.} The sage from Austin has written thousands of songs and can easily sing anything from anyone and make it his own.

The one thing you can't dismiss when you think of Willie Nelson is Texas. That was evident as the state flag unfurled behind the band as they dove into their traditional opening song Whiskey River.

I couldn't begin to recite of set list of what we heard on this night. In fact, at one point I said to TheSpecialOne that I wondered if they came out knowing exactly what they would be playing at all. The group progressed from one song to another with Willie talking to the crowd just a bit here and there. He introduced his sister who was featured playing piano on a couple songs and two of his sons that play in the band.

Considering the catalogue from which he has to choose, it seemed like Willie played a lot of medleys and people were happy to hear even a bit of their favorite song. I especially like the new I Ain't No Superman tune Willie's written.

A funny thing was Wllie wearing hats for a short time and then throwing them out into the crowed about six different times. After what I think was a couple hours, Willie put down his guitar and took off his guitar strap. He walked to one side of the stage and was greeted by a roar form the crowd. At this point, it was to the front of the stage where a sea of outstretched hands reached out to greet him. Slowly he went across the stage shaking hands and signing autographs. The only comparable thing I'd ever seen was when B.B. King played in a small cabaret and at the end of the show people went up to him and he signed autographs. Once he reached the far end of the stage he acknowledged the fans in the crowed there. Again, a roar greeted him.

Willie Nelso then turned and as quietly as he had entered, he walked off the stage. The show was over. The Nelson family would be on the road again.

Fore!

I've been playing golf, normally a couple times a week. Three times now and then. I find it helpful getting away from the office...and my clients. I do, though, at times carry a pad of paper in my bag when I have an especially nagging problem to work out. Ideas seem to come easier when I take time to walk and think.

One morning I went to the course where I'd played with SchemesALot and FinnickyExaggerator. Finding TheRed-head stocking a cooler, I stood in in the doorway for a minute and watched. She closed the cooler, looked over and asked me if I saw anything I liked. I asked if she had Nantucket Nectar. TheRed-head stood there silent for a few seconds; then she asked if the boys were going to be joining me. Told that I was there alone she invited me to have a seat at the counter. It's quiet here on weekday mornings, she said, and asked if I might keep her company for a bit.

We chatted while I had a couple of eggsalad sandwiches....then some chips...then a draft beer. She asked if I'd be playing 9 or 18. I told her that I planned on playing 9 because I had a lot of work to do that day. She asked if I had so much work to do why I was out playing golf. Before I had a chance to answer she suggested I play 18 and she could join me for the back 9. What was she going to do about the snackbar, I asked. She told me I didn't need to worry about the snackbar. Go play, she said, and she'd see me in a couple hours. This was a first...although not the only first of the day.

I went out and shot a 47. I was convinced if TheRed-head had not been wearing those bicycle shorts and crop top that a few putts I hit that came ever so close would have dropped. And I'd have carded my best score ever.

When I came walking up the fairway to the ninth green she was sitting in a golfcart under a tree. That was a nice shot she said; now let's see you make the putt. I asked if she was sure it wasn't close enough for a gimme. She said she knew I didn't want her to make it that easy on me. You're right, I told her. I picked up my ball and told her I'd consider it a two putt.

As I went walking over, I noticed she didn't have any clubs. But there was a cooler on the cart. She pointed out that she said she would join me on the back, but she didn't say anything about playing. When I aked about the cooler she said, You are hungry. Aren't you? I told her I was and she suggested that a picnic would be more enjoyable than eating in the clubhouse.

We went to a grove of trees that sits between two tee areas. In all the times I'd played that course I never paid any attention to those trees. It was merely something the cart path wound around. And I got more than enough opportunities to look at trees when I went to find the balls I hit. As she unloaded the treats she'd prepared for our picnic, I came to find that TheRed-head had more than golf or lunch on her mind.

Exercise Your Brain And Get In The Game

Welcome, returning friends... And to the intrepid blogosphere travelers visiting for the first time, Greetings...

{A quick not to those of you returning, I have started responding to or leaving not related to comments. If you have written one, perhaps you can have a look. Interested in what you think.}

I'm not sure how this happened, but I have 7 posts in the process of being completed. I could delete them and move on, yes, but that would be the easy way out. Which has never been my style. Unfortunately, it is characteristic that I have not taken a traditional approach of writing a post completely before publishing Not that it has been intentional or done for effect. it's just the way things are {at times} in this little corner of the blogosphere.

Photography by Kilroy_60

I made a mistake with this blog. I sought to create what I felt was {somehow} meaningful content while doing nothing to attract visitors. {Something else I need to take care of this week}

I am passionate about learning, but that is impossible when the only point of view you have is your own. Should you be so inclined, I would welcome you to explore, see what posts strike you one way or another and share your thoughts. {Don't be shy} No, there won't be a prize, sorry. Unless a link to provide you with a bit more exposure would be considered a prize. The downside would be that I will visit you and comment. {Some of you know how painful that can be}

I am interested to learn about my visitors as much as I am curious about what you think of the content offered here. If you would indulge me, I have 17{ish} question for you...

1. A person opens a fortune cookie ~ What does the fortune say that you have written?
   
2. You are having a long lunch at the Time Travel Diner ~ what three people from history will be joining you?
3. What has been the primary area in which you have worked and what other job would you be most interested in pursuing?
   
4. The last thing you had to eat was what?
5. What has been the most memorable musical performance you attended live? {When was it?}
   
6. Your favorite fragrance is what?
7. What happens to you when you die?
8. What do you collect?
9. You have the opportunity to spend one day anywhere in the world ~ Where do you go?
10. The thing you find most interesting in nature is what?
11. Given the opportunity to order one meal {Your last?} ~ What do you have to eat?
12. The first thing that comes to mind when you see the word romance is what?
13. You are getting a tatoo {or another one}? Where are you getting it and what will it be?
    
14. Friday night, what is your favorite thing to do?
15. The last television program you watched was what?
16. What do you find most confusing in life?
17. What question do you wish had been on the list? And what is the answer?

If there were a prize for answering the questions, what would you want it to be? Do you have a blog you would recommend to visit other than your own?

One last question...

{ This banner isn't a live link. }
What is the target market and to what type of website was this link pointed?

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." - Albert Einstein

The Golf Gods Smiled + Bob Dole Suggests Viagra For Brokeback Mountain Cowboy Diplomacy

I escaped work and purposefully avoided watching the news over the weekend. The Golf Gods smiled and I got out for 18 both days. The weather was perfect all weekend; the kind of days you want to bottle and open up by the time the middle of February rolls around.

Drove an hour on Saturday to play one of my favorite courses. Arrived at the perfect time...just after the guys who think they should be playing The Tour were leaving and the ones waiting for the weekend discount to kick in were sitting at home watching the clock. I walked and played two balls. Shot 90 with one and 93 with the other. They have a great snackbar where the blonde behind the counter came ever so close to making the cut for Playboy. I had two Italian sausage sandwiches between nines with perfectly grilled red peppers on the side. It was delicious. Oh yes, the sandwiches were very good too. The blonde's twin drives the drink cart; it seems like I'm always thirstier when I play there.

Late Sunday morning I got a call from SchemesALot. I was still in bed after a night of debauchery with TheSpecialOne. He asked if I wanted to join him and FinickyExaggerator for 18 that afternoon. I called him back a couple hours later to say I'd go. TheSpecialOne had given her blessing and gone to sleep. She was getting together with the girls for the evening.

SchemesALot told me we'd go to the course where he's gotten to be tight with the owner. The worm turned when I arrived to pick him up. He'd been drinking since he called me. SchemesALot wanted to tell me about his latest venture to make money without paying taxes. I could do it too, he told me, and I could use his PayPal account to be sure the money couldn't be traced. Next he wanted to show off his garden...then we went outside to see the other garden. Where was FinickyExaggerator I asked two or three times. Finally SchemesALot stopped talking. I asked him again and he told me we were meeting at the course.

SchemesALot never stopped chirping while I drove the roundabout way to the course. We drove twice as far as needed when he had me turn the wrong way. Twice. FinickyExaggerator was not there when we arrived. Normally he'd have arrived early enough to putt a bit, hit a couple buckets of balls, have something to eat, brush his teeth and be shopping in the proshop for the latest gadget. SchemesALot called to find out he'd gone to a different course. Of course SchemesALot didn't understand how it could have happened, but he told me it would be good as we'd have more time to hang out and talk.

SchemesALot suggested we go to the snack bar to wait for FinickyExaggerator. The statuesque red-head smiled wide as we walked in...like the cat that ate the canary. It quickly became apparent that SchemesALot was convinced if he tipped her enough that he was going to score. After a couple beers he told me he'd go and pay my greens fee so he could bullshit with his buddy. I was happy to be rid of him so I could have a couple sandwiches in peace. As he was walking away with my fifty dollars he told me we wouldn't have to pay for carts. I shook my head and the red-head laughed. He's really something, she said. "Something" doesn't begin to describe it, I told her. The fact that the red-head felt the need to comment spoke volumes. It was apparent that she was quite accustomed to attention and knew how to work with what God had blessed her.

FinickyExaggerator came in and asked what was going on with SchemesALot. Not only had he sent him to the wrong course, he told him I was coming at a later time. FinickyExaggerator didn't know how he was going to be able to play without time to prepare properly. I saw the red-head looking out of the corner of her eye with a mischievous smile on her face. The red-head didn't have the first three drinks FinickyExaggeator asked for; finally he settled for bottled water. He headed out to his car to change shoes and hit some putts.

I haven't seen you here with them before, the red-head said as FinickyExaggerator walked out. I told her I didn't know if she'd see me there with them again, but I wouldn't mind coming to see her. The red-head told me I was sweet and batted her eyes. Just then SchemesALot came bouncing in and asked if I'd seen FinickyExaggerator. Told he'd gone out to the parking lot, SchemesALot told me to come on...that we were burning daylight. I paid the red-head; as she took the money she looked into my eyes intently. I'll remember what you said about coming back, she told me. SchemeALot stuck his head back in the door...C'mon, man, let's go.

I went outside to find that SchemesALot had put our clubs on a cart and FinickyExaggerator had a cart parked next to his car across the parking lot. C'mon, man, SchemesALot told me, let's get over there. FinickyExaggeator is playing for free, SchemesALot told me as he burned tires making a quick getaway from the clubhouse. I asked about my change and SchemesALot told me he'd paid for the golf and would catch up with me later. I started to ask about the deal he was getting and SchemesALot told me I shouldn't worry so much. We're here to golf, he told me, chill out. I heard the red-head's voice in my head. He's really something.

SchemesALot had enough warm beer stashed in his bag to get him through the front side. But he had to keep taking cigarettes from FinickyExaggerator who smokes a European brand. This, of course, didn't go over well with FinickyExaggerator who kept pointing out that they have the generic ass cigarettes SchemesALot smokes in the clubhosue. SchemesALot never carded more than a bogey which FinnickyExaggerator continually questioned. He would recount shot for shot what had transpired on the hole we'd just played. Meanwhile, FinnickyExaggerator never shot more than par...according to the scorecard.

FinickyExaggerator was talking about his business venture, the newest gadgets and clubs he'd gotten to cut strokes off his game, how much money he was spending on various home remodeling projects and what he was buying for his boys. As we drove from one hole to the next SchemesALot contested whatever conversation I'd been having with FinnickyExaggerator. He made sure to point out that this didn't cost that much and how he had facilitated deals to get things done for FinnickyExaggerator at little or no cost.

I saw more of the course in nine holes because of SchemesALot looking for lost balls {balls abandoned by other players not onces we had hit} than one would normally see if they spent the whole day playing. Time and time again, as he drank more and more, SchemesALot narrowly avoided crashing carts with FinnickyExaggerator.

What I shot I have no idea; I stopped counting after the second hole. I did enjoy the game, though. The course was nice to look at and a challenge to play; beautiful houses lined the fairways and there were a few points where you were high atop hills with the most wonderous views.

When we came to the turn it was back to the snack bar. It was busier now as the discount crowd was arriving. FinnickyExaggerator left to buy a new glove; the one he was wearing just didn't feel right. SchemesALot had a couple quick beers and headed off to the bathroom. The red-head walked over, rested her hands on the snack bar and began tapping her freshly manicured nails. I don't have to close tonight she told me...then asked what we boys had planned after our game. I told her I didn't know what they had planned, but I'd had my fill for the day. The red-head said she was sorry to hear that and again reminded me she would keep in mind what I'd said about coming to see her again.

I thought of TheSpecialOne and thought I should be on my way. As I was walking out SchemesALot practically ran me over. I made an excuse of being tired, said I was concerned that my play was holding them up and that I would have to be heading home. SchemesALot told me he would walk me out to the car.

As I was putting my bag in the car he switched his over to FinnickyExaggerator's cart and pocketed a fresh pack of FinnickyExaggerator's cigarettes that were sitting in the cart. I thought FinnickyExaggerator was going to have a stroke when he came out and saw how SchemesALot had disrupted where he had things placed in the cart. SchemesALot asked FinnickyExaggeator for a cigarette who again said they have the generic ass cigarettes you smoke in the clubhouse and noted how much he paid for the European brand. He was so upset at his things being moved in the cart that he didn't notice the pack had been taken by SchemesALot. SchemesALot meanwhile made fun of the situation and talked about how much less the cigarettes actually cost than FinnickyExaggerator claimed while he went to his car for another pack.

I'm not sure to have ever been so happy to be leaving a golf course as I was when I looked back in the mirror. The two of them were still sitting in the cart clearly having a lively exchange. I clicked through the CD stacker to get to the one I labeled The Relaxinator and headed for home. I stopped at a nine hole course on the way, walked and shot 56. I have to say after the first nine of the day, it was the most enjoyable 56 I'd ever scored.

TheSpecialOne called me for a bit of phone sex before falling off to sleep. Orgasms always help her sleep better she told me. Before we hung up for the night TheSpecialOne told me what an enjoyable night she had with the girls and how happy she was when I told her I had a great time golfing. She encouraged me that I should take more time away from work.

I had a passing thought of the red-head before falling asleep. To be more accurate, I laughed thinking of TheSpecialOne's words and wondered if SchemesALot had gone to make time with the red-head after the game. Had he spent the rest of my money trying to take her home after closing. The thing I didn't have to wonder was whether the red-head had taken the bait SchemesALot attempted to dangle.

Through it all, I have to say the old adage is true. A bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at work.

Photograph by Kilroy_60
Oh, yes...Bob Dole Suggests Viagra To Strengthen Brokeback Mountain Cowboy Diplomacy Effort Of Bush Administration. I watched the news tonight. I will write about that another time.

At the end of the day... At the end of the day it's tomorrow.

The more blogs I visit the more of these self analysis tests {blogthings} I run across that identify you as this or that. Being such a fan of labels, I thought I'd try a few...

You Are Somewhat Machiavellian

You're not going to mow over everyone to get ahead... But you're also powerful enough to make things happen for yourself. You understand how the world works, even when it's an ugly place. You just don't get ugly yourself - unless you have to!

How Machiavellian Are You?

Your Dosha is Pitta

You have a quick mind, a gift for persuasion, and a sharp sense of humor. You have both the drive and people skills to be a very successful leader. Argumentative and a bit stubborn, you have been known to be a little too set in your ways. But while you may be biased toward your own point of view, you are always honest, fair, and ethical. With friends: You are outgoing and open to anyone who might want to talk to you In love: You are picky but passionate To achieve more balance: Be less judgmental of those around you, and take cool walks in the moonlight.

What's Your Dosha?

Your Inner Blood Type is Type B

You follow your own rules in life, even if you change the rules every day. Sure, you tend to be off the wall and unpredictable, but that's what makes you lovable. And even though you're a wild child, you have the tools to be a great success. You are able to concentrate intently - and make the impossible possible. You are most compatible with: B and AB Famous Type B's: Leonardo Di Caprio and

What's Your Inner Blood Type?

You Are Wind

Strong and overpowering A force to be reckoned with, no one dares cross you You have the power to change everything around you You are best known for: your wrath Your dominant state: commanding

What Type of Weather Are You?

I'm a Talent!

You're a risk-taker, and you follow your passions. You're determined to take on the world and succeed on your own terms. Whether in the arts, science, engineering, business, or politics, you fearlessly express your own vision of the world. You're not afraid of a fight, and you're not afraid to bet your future on your own abilities. If you find a job boring or stifling, you're already preparing your resume. You believe in doing what you love, and you're not willing to settle for an ordinary life.

Talent: 62%
Lifer: 44%
Mandarin: 33%

Take the Talent, Lifer, or Mandarin quiz.

You Are From Neptune

You are dreamy and mystical, with a natural psychic ability. You love music, poetry, dance, and (most of all) the open sea. Your soul is filled with possibilities, and your heart overflows with compassion. You can be in a room full of friendly people and feel all alone. If you don't get carried away with one idea, your spiritual nature will see you through anything.

What Planet Are You From?

You Are 5: The Investigator

You're independent - and a logical analytical thinker. You love learning and ideas... and know things no one else does. Bored by small talk, you refuse to participate in boring conversations. You are open minded. A visionary. You understand the world and may change it.

What Number Are You?

You Are Mexican Food

Spicy yet dependable. You pull punches, but people still love you.

What Kind of Food Are You?

What Your Soul Really Looks Like

You are quite expressive and thoughtful. You see the world in a way that others are blind to. You are a grounded person, but you also leave room for imagination and dreams. You feet may be on the ground, but you're head is in the clouds. You see yourself with pretty objective eyes. How you view yourself is almost exactly how other people view you. Your near future is in a very different place (both physically and mentally) from where you are right now. For you, falling in love has never been easy. You can only fall for someone who is very patient and persistent.

Inside the Room of Your Soul

You Are A Poplar Tree

People tend to look up to you, and it's a bit lonely at the top. Inside, you are not always self confident, but you show great courage. Mature and organized, you are reliable in any situation. You tend to have an artistic or philosophical outlook on life. You are very choosy in love and take partnership seriously.

What is Your Celtic Horoscope?

You Are 55% Normal

While some of your behavior is quite normal... Other things you do are downright strange You've got a little of your freak going on But you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself

How Normal Are You?

You Are a Martini

There's no other way to say it: you're a total lush. You hold your liquor well, and you hold a lot of it!

What Mixed Drink Are You?

Your Aura is Blue

Spiritual and calm, you tend to live a quiet but enriching life. You are very giving of yourself. And it's hard for you to let go of relationships. The purpose of your life: showing love to other people Famous blues include: Angelina Jolie, the Dali Lama, Oprah Careers for you to try: Psychic, Peace Corps Volunteer, Counselor

What Color Is Your Aura?

Your Personality Is Like Acid

A bit wacky, you're very difficult to predict. One moment you're in your own little happy universe... And the next, you're on a bad trip to your own personal hell!

What Drug Is Your Personality Like?

Well that was fun. More labels!! And I know as much now as I did when I started...
"I yam what I yam, and that's all I yam." - Popeye The Sailor Man


Photograph by Kilroy_60

"A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Want, Will and Hopes of the People

"Man is by nature a political animal." - Aristotle

Photograph by Kilroy_60

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the
thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.


We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

The Declaration of Independence - Full Text and More

Saluting American Democracy...

• The United States of America - Wikipedia
  
• United States Declaration of Independence - Wikipedia
  
• United States Constitution - Wikipedia
• Declaration of Independence
• Studying the Declaration - About.com
• The Declaration of Independence - History Channel.com
  
• Interpreting The Declaration of Independence by Translation
  
• Constitution for the United States of America
• The Constitution of the United States Annotated
  
• Resequenced United States Constitution
  
• United States Constitution: Information from Answers.com
  
• National Constitution Center
  
• The U.S. Constitution Online (Since 1995)
• The National Archive Experience
• The National Archives Online Exhibits
• The United States Senate
• United States Senate - Wikipedia
  
• United States House of Representatives
• United States House of Represetnatives - Wikipedia
• The White House
• Supreme Court of the United States
  
• The Library of Congress
  
• FindLaw
• Pledge of Allegiance - Wikipedia
  
• The Star-Spangled Banner - Wikipedia
  
• United States Government Printing Office Online
• Arlington National Cemetery
  

• A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace

The Viewpoint of One...Twisted, Perhaps, But A Viewpoint Nonetheless...

Red States and Blue States {Be sure to put the Red before the Blue} have become a mainstay of the American lexicon. Boil everything down and that is the root of the problem in that we should be Purple.

Not that everyone should share the same beliefs. But it needs to be about US not We and Them --- or We and Them. People are flocking to the far ends of the spectrum, not only abandoning the middle but seeking to ignore {at best} or deny {at worst} the existence of the other. One thing for sure, the agenda of whichever group you do not belong is likely being dismissed. There is no meaningful dialogue, no debate, no exchange of ideas. Let alone any effort to find common ground.

Further, we seem to have lost sight of a basic principle on which this nation was founded. While the person {man thus far} who lives in the White House is said to be the most powerful in the world we should not forget it is because he works for US --- ALL OF US --- Red and Blue and Blue and Red. And the people who work in that building with the big dome at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue {the ones who are empowered to choose the wage they will be paid} are charged with representing us.

Who is the "us" that is being represented in Washington, D.C. and {insert the name of your state's capital city}? It's the fanatics at the farthest ends of the spectrum that are setting the agenda and creating the environment in which we are expected to survive. The majority of us are silent in terms of what counts.

You (whomever you may happen to be} are more likely to have voted for the winner of American Idol than for the people who are charged with representing you in our government(s = local state and federal). You are most likely also not one of the people making telephone calls, sending emails, transmitting faxes or writing letters to the people responsible for creating policy and making law.

If you are happy with the way things are then you likely needn't do anything. {All indication are there are very few of us who are happy with the way things are.} Continue as you are and there will be no improvement. Although things could get worse.

Starting tomorrow declare REAL independence. Stop being part of the silent majority.

Engage in conversations about political matters with people you know and people you don't know. Don't have fear to express what you think or to stand up for what you feel. Don't forget that communication means listening not just talking and hearing. Listening and considering the value of information that is offered to you. It's not about being right or wrong; it's about finding what is best for the country as a whole. Not for whatever particular niche to which you belong.

Write an email, make a telephone call, fax, dare I say write a letter to someone who is representing you at the local state or national level each week. As this becomes a habit perhaps you'll contact one at each level on a weekly basis. You can make contact to support what that person is doing, to object to what they are dong or to suggest an adjustment in their stance to better reflect what is better for your community or your state or your country.

Don't be silent. Don't whine or bitch to people who don't have the power to do anything about the situation with no follow-up. Do encourage people {those who agree with you and those who don't} to write that email, make that call or send that letter.

One last thing. Whether you're happy or unhappy with the way things are do one thing ----------------------------VOTE. {Talk about twisted ideas. I'll call tomorrow to look into mental health treatment}

Views On The News Of This Sort And That

"There are things that I've done that have been hard for people to get into. They haven't liked everything. They want me to do the same thing over and over, and they think I'm inconsistent and erratic when I don't. That's a very narrow viewpoint, I think. Just because I don't do what people like, I'm not erratic. I am lucky to have new ideas. I just try to stay open." - Neil Young

Photograph by Kilroy_60

Not since the pairing of George W. Bush and John Kerry by JibJab has anything swept the web with the power of Mentos Added to Diet Coke. Check out the Eepy.com website!

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THIS, to me, is too funny to be true. But who could make this up?

Wimbledon Threatens Crackdown On Cleavage

The article specifically mentions Maria "Make Every Shot A Power Shot" Sharapova, Tatiana Golovin and Maria Kirilenko. Normally I don't publish pictures that I have not taken. It appears, though, that the good people at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club have more to worry about when it comes to Ms. Sharapova than breasts. What image does it create for the tournament when this type of behavior is being exhibited between sets, Dr. Freud?

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The launch of Discovery was scrubbed today because of weather concerns. NASA is hoping to launch the space shuttle on the Fourth of July. If things go as planned it would be the first itme we've launched a manned mission our our nation's birthday. This is one of the most anticipated flights in history; failure could lead to the shuttle program being grounded permanently. {Note: $1.3 billion has been spent on repairs since the last mission.} Have been tuned into the space program for as long as I can remember; I for one hope this is a smooth trip from launch to landing.

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I've looked at this note I made yesterday several times. Mexican citizens living in the United States were said to be flocking TO Mexico to vote in the country's Presidential election today. It's the first time those living outside the country have been able to vote. With the raging debate about immigration reform and National Guard troops being deployed to build a fence along our Southern border there seems to be something wrong with this picture.

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Reports out of Cleveland are that the Cavaliers have offered LeBron "King" James a 5-year contract paying $80 million. That's the most the Cavs can offer under the bargaining agreement with the players. Since James came North from Akron, after graduating from high school, the team has steadily improved and made the playoffs this past season for the first time since 1998. James is atypical in this era of athletes chasing the almighty dollar with no thought of long-term consequences.

Kilroy_60 predicts this future Hall of Famer will be staying in Cleveland and eventually bringing the first NBA championship to the city.

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Everything I read and see about Al Gore's An Inconvent Truth is positive. It doesn't have any Fahrenheit 9/11 feel to it. (What Michael Moore has to say...and...Fahrenheit's website? Yes, that's right. The movie was a winner in Cannes; why wouldn't it have a website.)

An Inconvenient Truth on the web...

Gore's 'Truth' Is A New Kind of 'Action' Movie

Scientists Give Gore 19 Thumbs Up

The Sundance Film Festival
...Al was a winner.

This is all well and good. It's one of the most important issues we will ever face. Meanwhile the United States Senate is spending time arguing over an amendment to The Constituion against flag burning. {sic} while ignoring global warming.

For my money, if Al Gore is the Democrat candiate in '08 he loses. {Actually loses this time, I mean, not getting screwed out of winning} He says he's not going to run...Tipper says she doesn't know. Can you imagine Al Gore debating Hillary Clinton trying to win the nomination??

In case you missed it the flag burning legislation failed to pass by one vote. It wasn't a partisan act to try and push this legislation through, of course. It was only a coincidence that the last time it came up was leading up to the 2000 election.

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12 years have passed since Monday Night Football was interrupted by a sloooooooooooooow speed "follow" along the freeways of Los Angeles. {It was anything but a "chase"} Al Cowlings drove O.J. Simpson around for three hours before parking the infamous white Bronco at the former football star's Brentwood estate. Simpson went in to have a glass of orange juice and get his head together before the police took him into custody for murder.

It doesn't take much for a man to hit a woman let alone to beat on one as O.J. did Nicole. Clearly he didn't have the balls to pull the trigger as he kept threatening during the "follow". It's neither here nor there to me that the the Simpsons were of different races...O.J. killed Nicole and Ron Goldman. That was clearly proven in too many ways for any other conclusion to have been drawn.

Alas, through the wonders of the American judicial system Mister Simpson has been free to search for "the real killers". Meanwhile things are such that he will never have to pay any of the $33.5 million from the civil judgement where he was found to be liable for the killings.

There was an interesting item recently saying that Nicole's sister Denise is no longer consumed by hate for O.J. whom she has called evil while stating, "I think he's the devil walking around on Earth."

What are the chances do you think that the person(s) who did these killings plays golf in Florida? Someday, OJ won't have some jackass prosecutor screwing the pooch or the best attorneys money can buy to save his ass. He'll be burning in Hell.

We would have all been better off if he'd have splattered his brains all over the back of the Bronco and had it done with.

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Watched the 1975 Thrilla In Manilla on ESPN today. When Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier got together it wasn't boxing; it was war. I don't look for opportunities to watch boxing. But, when an Ali fight is on television I don't find myself turning it off either.

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Speaking of war...The United States Supreme Court weighed in this past week regarding The War On Terror. President Bush's plan to try detainees at Guantonimo Bay before military tribunals was determined by the Court to be illegal. What the President will do next is....go to Congress to get authorization to pursue this course of action? We'll see...sooner or later. Most likely later.

Three things I have found most intersting about the reporting on this story..

Chief Justice John Roberts did not vote on this case because as an appeals judge he blessed the President's plan with a "go ahead"...

Only a small percentage of those being held are actually going to be tried for one thing or another...

Among the majority who will not be facing trial, we do not know how we're going to dispose of them because for one reason or another they can't be returned to their country of origin.

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Didn't get any updating done on the "to be continued" posts, but this one is done...written in the moment. And I've added a BLOGS OF NOTE category to my sidebar.

One thing that's been escaping me for awhile is carrying on the tribute to Hunter S. Thompson. Without The Good Doctor I don't know that I'd ever have undertaken this endeavor. So, to close, a Hunter S. Thompson moment...

"Work was impossible. The geeks had broken my spirit. They had done too many things wrong. It was never like this for Mencken. He lived like a Prussian gambler--sweating worse than Bryant on some nights and drunker than Judas on others. It was all a dehumanized nightmare...and these raddled cretins have the gall to complain about my deadlines."
- Hunter Thompson
Bad Nerves in Fat City
Generation of Swine

As The Moment Passes, What Are You Left With?

"The road is filled with homeless souls,
every woman child and man
Who have no idea where they will go,
but they'll help you if they can
Now everyone must have some thought
that's going to pull them thru somehow
The fires are raging hotter and hotter
But the sisters of the sun are going to rock me on the water now"
- Jackson Browne
Rock Me On The Water

Photograph by Kilroy_60
Returning to,
A Hitchhiker's Guide To The Blogosphere...

I like the adventure of visiting blogs based on the name as they roll by freshly updated at blogger.com. These are my most recent "finds"...

(If you find any repeats from the first installment, you're checking and I'm not. Gonzo Guilt!)

Opiate Of The Masses
Inside Of An Introvert
Small Paintings By Howard
Glimpses Intangible
GrizzBabe's Den
Opinion Dominion
The Life That Is Waiting For Us...
Smoldering Embers In A Mohawk Campfire
Stubborn Liberal
Here We Go
The Incredible Edible Internet
PostSecret
Epiphany In Baltimore
Chew And Swallow
Livin the Crazy Life
Thinking And Writing
Down On The Corner
The Bestest Blog Of All Time
American Philosophy
Just For Kicks And Giggles
Running and Rambling
Rumors Of War
Diverse Things
Blah Blah Blog
Penelope And Bumblebee
A New Chapter Begins.......
The Pessimistic World Of A Happy Fat Guy
Queen's Day To Day Diary
What We All Want
I'm Awake
A Sort Of Journal
Captain Future's Dreaming Up Daily
Conservatives For American Values
The Concept Of Irony
PHOTOREFLECT
Got Sand?
Sarah By The Sea
Educated And Poor
Random Observations Made In The Search For Myself
I Try To Think, But Nothing Happens
Heartfires
Shamelessly American (Executive)
Religion, Politics And The Great Pumpkin
CHOOSE: Death Of Ideals Or Life Of Procrastination?
Queen Of Pentacle's Blog
Backwards City
For God, For Country And For Yale

More blog names I've seen that I liked (enough to go for a look)...

Princess Thoughts
A Song Always Tells A Story...
The ICES Diaries
At Least My Shoes Matched
Savoring The Truth
With A Sense Of Poise And Rationality
Born In The Wrong Era? No. There Is No Wrong Era.
The Other Side Of My Window
Slackers, Inc.
Shut Up And Write!
Lasting Impressions
There Are Places I Remember
High Heels
Countryside Dreams
Just My 2 Cents
The Fallen Angel World
Poetic Justice
Culture Kills ...Wait, I Mean Cutlery
Essays Crucial To The Survival Of Humanity
The Strange Effect
Alice In Wonderland
One Flew Over The Gypsy's Nest
Exploding Fury
Enjoy Every Sandwish
Can't Turn Back No More
DREAMTROOPER
Know My Heart
French Kiss
Haunted Emotions
Evil Influences
Emotional Library
Bits And Pieces Of My Observation
Life's A Square
Donate Your Weight
Random Anomolies
Justifiable Anger

Not Everything That Can Be Counted Counts, And Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted

(Yes, I purposefully left a blank line both because I think this "statment" is so true....and it's the LONGEST name for a blog I've seen)

The Car In The Middle Of The Road

"It's time to get authentic and get serious. Make your whole life radically congruent with what you believe." - Andrew Harvey

Photograph by Kilroy_60

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning." - Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore, Apocalypse Now

Blogus Interuptus...

Counting this one I have 9 posts in various stages of production. (Is that the way this is supposed to work? Likely not, but that's what makes it more of an adventure.) I've got notes written in my daily planner, website printouts and newspaper clippings to fill everything in. I'm planning on not writing any more posts that can't be done and completed "in the moment". In the meantime - between home life, work life and life as it comes uninterrupted, unplanned and unpredictable - I will get those marked "to be continued" done.

Re: Comments...

I have a jackass who comes now and then to post a snotty message because he doesn't like my attitude or my viewpoints and doesn't have the intellect to grasp Hunter S. Thompson. I delete this rubbish, but it's not because there's disagreement with me.; comments for or against are welcomed. Personal attacks from a lowlife who fancies himself important and believes he is talented...who tosses "anonymous" insults like a vandal passing in the night are not going to stand. If you have something to say have the balls to take responsibility. Otherwise, bend over, stick your head back up your ass and don't bother me. I take it that should be clear.

And to my friends and colleagues who choose to send email either because they disagree and do not wish to air their feelings publicly or do agree and don't want people to know....that's fine too.

A Passing Thought...

I don't believe it was curiosity that killed the cat. Those who are not inquisitive tend to take things at face value, accept what they are told and march in lock step. More likely the curious cat was splattered by the Thought Police driving a humvee.

to be continued...

Have I Mentioned...?

"All right everyone, line up alphabetically according to your height." - Casey Stengel

Movies I've been watching recently:

<> The Bridge On The River Kwai <> Now & Then <> It Could Happen To You <> M*A*S*H <> The African Queen <> Angels In The Outfield (1951) <> The Blues Brothers <> Fargo <> Pale Rider <> Knute Rockne, All American <> Scarface <> The Outlaw Josey Wells <> The Wizard Of Oz <> The Godfather Trilogy

Photograph by Kilroy_60

Invariably when I go to blogger.com I see an interesting name roll by of a blog that had just been updated. Being a curious sort I don't judge a book by its cover nor a blog by it's name. So, I've been going to check them out. While they won't be appearing in the next "A Hitchhiker's Guide To The Blogosphere" posting, here are some interesting names I've run across recently...

• It's Snowing In My Heart
• Sleeping_Through_Reality
• Alternative Brain
• When Opportunity Called, It Had The Wrong Number
• High Society
• Spiritual Woman
• Life-Long Dream
• An Occassional Glimpse Into My Life
• Metro Goddess
• My Joy of Life
• Escapist Entryway
• Living My Dreams
• The Distance In Your Eyes
• Random Ponderings
• Two World Views
• Dreams Come True
• Midnight In A Perfect World
• White Noise Insanity
• Raw Curls
• Draftscript Of My Life
• Out Of Me
• A Personal Account Of Lies And Whatnot
• Midnight Glories
• Lost In A Cloud
• Mind Noise
• Blogitty Blog Blog
• Live Out Loud
• Walk By Faith
• Walking On Fire
• Rememberance Of Words Past
• OK, So What's The Speed Of Dark?

It's gotten to the point when I open a blog and see certain backgrounds, I know most lkely I am not going to pursue reading. Why is it that so many people who choose a black background use font colors that you can barely see on the page? It never fails the type size is such that it can barely be read either.

to be continued...

Fracturing The American Dream With Bad Craziness

Things do not happen. Things are made to happen. - John F. Kennedy

Photograph by Kilroy_60

Millions? No. Billions? C'mon, we' re a superpower. We SPEND like a superpower. And we have the $10 TRILLION debt ceiling to provie it.

Does anyone remember the National Debt Clock? {Don't Miss This Link!}

This is ironic; one of the best article explaining the history of THE Debt Clock in Time Square appears on the Pravda website. {Question the source? Here's some backup data from CNN.}

The concept of the national debt escapes many people. Let's be very clear. Once you have paid your bills and taken care of whatever living expenses you have --- the "national" debt is in fact YOUR debt to be paid. {United States Public Debt from Wikipedia}

Take a good look at your next paycheck. Think for a minute about what that money is being used for. Money being taken from your pocket by the people you send to Washington to represent you. {Whether you vote or not it is your responsibility who sits in those chairs} Just paying your fair share, they say, for the freedom you enjoy. Putting money aside for you to receive Social Security benefits when you retire. Let's all get up extra early in the morning...the sun will be rising in the west.

Put aside "the war", the one that is not possible to win through military force. {A quick link of special interest here, Our National Debt as reported by Aljazeerah - THE news source in the neighborhood where we hang our military hats these days} Every spending bill that passes through the hands of Congress and is signed by the President has little gifts thrown in from both the House and Senate side to support pet projects of individual legislators. This member of the House has an updating readout of The National Debt on his homepage. Somehow it feels good to know someone on Pennsylvania Avenue is acknowledging it.

Everything you need to know about contacting the President and Congress. Here's a site that has greatly informative about the National Debt and it's FUN too . {sic} Once you arrive click REFRESH in IE or RELOAD in either Firefox or Netscape {at any time however long you are there} and the number is updated. Pay special attention to how much is required from your household to pay this bill. (This link has a running clock so you don't have to take any time for the page to upate)

TED STEVENS - THE POLITICAL EQUIVALENT OF A FLESH EATING VIRUS TEARING AWAY AT THE FABRIC OF OUR SOCIETY

Senator Ted Stevens, Republican from Alaska, is an ass monkey who dances to the tune of oil companies that are scoring billions of dollars in profit beyond what they have ever been able to imagine. It has appeared that Stevens' mission in life was approval of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; he's likely been walking around with a hardon for the past month.

Stevens is prototypical of government inefficiency, Sadly, he's hung around long enough to gain positions of power that allow him to roust about like a bull in a china shop. Stevens is a spoiled brat who stamps his feet when things don't go his way. Worse yet, as a hearing chair he bullies forward casting aside conscientious members dedicated to doing the peoples work in order to further his personal agenda.

Stevens' latest misadventure:

Alaska Senator Offers Compromise On Net Neutrality

Tales of misdeeds by the Senator from Alaska are legendary. Amazingly, he keeps ahead of the loop to screw us all at every turn. Given any issue this self serving prick can sink his teeth into, thought of the public good is cast aside without hesitation. The best barometer for what will be truly good for America is to find where the Senator from Alaska stands and vigorously pursue an opposite stand.

FEAR AND LOATHING IN GEORGE W. BUSH'S AMERICA

We invaded Iraq, based on piss poor intelligence, where we were to be greeted as liberators, according to the Bush bumblers, and had no plans to deal with insurgency. Paul Bremmer and Tommy Franks received medals for their performance in Mess-O-Potamia. Now as sectarian violence rages we're assured again and again that there is nothing resembling civil war. Based on past performance, I have every confidence that there should be no question as to the accuray of assessing the situation on the ground. The President held a summit to formulate a strategy for Iraq (sic) then went to Baghdad for a surprise dog and pony show. "Our REPRESENTATIVES" in Congress joined in the show passing a resolution declaring that we will win the War or Terror and not set a date for the withdraw of troops from Iraq. Meanwhile our troops are being investiaged - in multiple incidents - for murdering civilians. We've done a great job of cleaning up our act after the disgrace of Abu Ghraib. The word from Guantanamo Bay is that any intelligence being gained is of little value and steps are being taken to arrange for the repatriation of detainees. What exactly is it that these people did and what benefit has come from our investment of money and manpower? The latest news is that two United States soldiers have been captured in Iraq's Triangle Of Death. Meanwhile, we're negotiating with Iraq to stop enriching uranium and warning North Korea to not test a new missle capable of reaching our West Coast. How many years has North Korea been defiantely thumbing its nose in our faceand what message has this inaction sent to Iran? We're pushing the UN Security Council to impose sanctions upon Iran so it is isolated from the world community. How successful has THIS strategy proved to be so far? The icing on the cake for George W. Bush and His Band Of Fools is that the billions of dollars spent on emergency preparedness since September 11th have left us unprepared to respond to terrorist attacks let alone natural disasters. You have to score one for Michael Chertoff, he's shoving responsibility off on the shoulders of of anyone and everyone he can think of before the next failure of his Department of Homeland Security.

Hartford Wailers Win Stanley Cup! (Sorry Connecticult, It was just a dream)

I picked the winner in the Stanley Cup Finals...

Carolina Takes Cup By Storm

The thing that is so great about the Stanley Cup is that every player of the championship team get's their name inscribed on the trophy. {Don't you love it when incorrect information is passed from one to another as though it's fact} I think it's so cool that each team member gets to take the cup home for a day...among other places.

A Father's Day Thought

Photograph by Kilroy_60
It only requires sperm for a man to become a father. He needn't have the balls or the backbone to be there when the life he has created arrives. It takes much more for a man to be a dad...heart and soul.

My life has been cursed by the former and blessed by the latter. To borrow a quote, which I shall at this point not purse the attribution, There are no illegitimate children; only illegitimate parents.

The sad - the most painful - part is what a man deprives his offspring of sharing when he runs away to create another family. One is denied the opportunity to know a brother, or a sister, nieces and nephews...because a man lacked the will and the courage to take responsibility for doing the deed.

Child support payments do not make up for the actions of a coward. No, you do not get to take a mulligan in the game of life without penalty.

My biological father died last year. It's bad enough not to be able to stand up to the woman you had your way with. How much of a MAN are you when you run from your child the first time he lays eyes on you? If there's justice beyond this life there should be space set aside in a special corner of hell for pricks like he was.

Happy Father's Day is a misnomer. Fathers who are nothing more than sperm donors is a rampant problem. What it's really about is celebrating Dads. For that, I am thankful to be able to say Happy Day and Thank You, Dad.

Super Bowl Winning Quarterback + Motorcycle + No Helmet =

"Houston, we've had a problem." - Jim Lovell, Apollo 13

Official Website of the 2005 WORLD CHAMPIONS!

After 25 years of

• losing
• rebuilding
• winning but not winning enough
• getting ever so close only to come up short in the end

...what you want to do is SAVOR YOUR VICTORY and STAND STRONG TO DEFEND YOUR TITLE.

You never want is to see your starting quarterback turn up as "...Breaking News Out Of Pittsburgh" on all of the 'round the clock news stations...

Having never been in such a position, I can't understand how a person who basically has the world at their feet, who is at the very top of their profession, who has been blessed with the type of life most people can only dream of would purposefully choose to not only put their career in danger, but more importantly put their life on the line with absolutely nothing to gain.

And yet, with just a bit more than a month to go before the beginning of training camp, we have this to contend with...

Roethlisberger Breaks Jaw, Nose In Motorcycle Crash

I can't help but think back to Terry Bradshaw reporting from training camp last year questioning how smart the guy really is. Then you look at this laundry list that came from Mercy Hospital and don't know what the hell to think:

-- fractures to his upper and lower jaws-- mild concussion
-- fractured nose
-- fractured facial bones
-- multiple head lacerations
-- multiple abrasions and contusions
-- lost 2 teeth
-- chipped several teeth
-- no evidence of any major structural damage to knees
-- CT scan of brain showed no injury

I've made enough mistakes, taken enough senseless risks, know damn well I'm lucky be be alive let alone having never been in jail for foolish stunts and bad behavior.

Maybe it's the same personality traits that allow for greatness on the football field which fuel bad behavior off. I don't know. There are so many negative stereotypes about athletes and this is unfortunately a prime example of what brings those images to life.

With that thought in mind, this story from last season jumped out...

Roethlisberger Developing Favre-like Qualities

The Sporting News has been hot on the story...

Roethlisberger Will Regret This For A Long Time

Being An Athlete Means Giving Up Risky Things

Steelers Should Stick With Batch

This Should Have Been Enough Of An EXAMPLE For Anyone...

Winslow Becomes Another Sad Statistic

Ultimately we can only hope that Big Ben regains his health. At the end of the day, that's what is most important...he's a person not a quarterback. Hopefully he'll walk away from this a smarter person off the field. And if he is able to hold the Lombardi Trophy high once again, won't that be sweet for all of us.

It was, admittedly, good to see this story...

Roethlisberger's Injuries Won't Threaten His Career

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Roethlisberger Says He's "fortunate to be alive" After Crash

Steelers QB Roethlisberger Vows To Wear A Helmet

This, That And The Other

"Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice" - Sidney Freedman

Photograph by Kilroy_60

EVERY Day there is a 1 in 20,000 chance that a meteor, 1/2 mile across or greater, will collide with the Earth. Those sound like good odds for our side. Consider, though, that the odds against winning the lottery are much higher. Someone is almost assuredly winning a state lottery - let alone one of the multi-state megajackpot games - most days of the month. It might be worth considering how safe we are with odds of 20,000 to 1.

The ABC's

I was once asked to describe myself based on the ABC's; to identify a characteristic of my personality for each letter of the alphabet. As a counter balance, it was requested that I consult with a female friend to compile the list. {It should be noted almost all of these were her contribution not mine}

The results...

A ~ Assertive
B ~ Bright
C ~ Curious
D ~ Determined
E ~ Empathetic
F ~ Flexible
G ~ Generous
H ~ Humorous
I ~ Insightful
J ~ Judicious
K ~ Kind
L ~ Loving
M ~ Mischievous
N ~ Negotiator
O ~ Outgoing
P ~ Positive
Q ~ Quick
R ~ Real
S ~ Social
T ~ Task-Oriented
U ~ Understanding
V ~ Visionary
W ~ Whimsical
X ~ X-Rated
Y ~ Young-at-Heart
Z ~ Zealous

In The Blink of An Eye...Minutes Turns Into Months!

Photograph by Kilroy_60

Back on January 2nd when I wrote:

"During the leap second we had on Saturday, I decided one posting addressing a potpourri of subject matter would be the optimum approach for an update. Looking back through last years Daytimer pages, it became clear I had far too many notes to create a post for each one."

I never imagined there would be a need to return to those thoughts six months later. While change in inevitable and ongoing, unfortunately some things stay the same...

At the moment I have a half dozen partially written blog posts and a blizzard of notes scralled in my Daytimer and on bar napkins, empty rolling paper packs, restaurant placemats and hotel stationery.

Retiring to The Writer's Nook...

There Should Be A Special Corner In Hell...

Friday marked the end of Tom DeLay's congressional career. This fucking prick exemplifies what is wrong in Washington where corruption has become a given. Slimy backroom deals are dismissed with a wink and a nod as being what is necessary to do the people's work.

I don't know how long DeLay's Official Congressional Webpage will be available. His "farewell address" is a classic for this weasel who worked diligently to ensure the best government money could buy. It got to be so bad that even FOX News had to report on Greed And Noise And Tom DeLay.

I couldn't help but wonder what legacy Tom DeLay will be leaving behind. Or, at least, what the perceptions of the moment may be of that legacy...

This is an interesting webpage, The Two Faces of Tom DeLay, whose description proclaims, "This is an enemies of religion page. You will find Tom Delay here. you will find conspiracies here. You will find danger here. You will find dirty politics here. You will find corruption here."

A Couple Oldies But Goodies from The Washington Post...

DeLay Indicted in Texas Finance Probe

DeLay Ethics Allegations Now Cause of GOP Concern

Notes from the end (last 3 months) of 2005...

Photograph by Kilroy_60

<> From January 1st

George W. Bush is called to serve as juror #286 in Crawford, Texas. He was to report for duty the following Monday. I'm overtaken by a tsunami of thoughts with no words to express them.

There was a controversy because people were now being allowed to take scissors on airplanes. The story went on to say that cargo under the plane is not inspected. Chalk up two more for Homeland (In)Security

Jan Carl did a story on Entertainment Tonight, introducing the segment saying "Set phasers to stun."...Plug Mr. Sulu is gay into Google to find more than you ever want to know...Sheryl Swoopes being gay also made "news". If a person is gay there shouldn't be a need to have it serve as a discussion topic. But that's still not the way things work. As long as Red States/Blue States is an integral part of political thinking that certainly won't be changing. The degree of ignorance in this country is staggering...I can't imagine many things that are a greater waste of time than homophobia. I can't say anything more about this.

Oprah was on Letterman. It was a big night, The Color Purple opened on Broadway, because she hadn't appeared on the show since 1989 when Dave was at the peacock network. The best part of the segment was when Oprah gave Dave a gift...and had him upwrap it. This was funny when I watched it and seemed harmless when I decided to include it. Finding a story about it at the CBS news site is understandable in that it's self serving to the weasels that run the network. To find that this was newsworthy to the Washington Post seems disturbing.

<> November 30th

My note reads simply, which could be related to being written on the back of a matchbook, John Murtha, D-PA, decorated Vietnam veteran, Withdraw Troops...This guy is a true patriot who embodies what service in the United States Congress is supposed to be. How pleased I was to later learn that Murtha represents my home district!

<> November 28th

I had a problem with a delivery from UPS. Actually, the problem was that the delivery didn't come. I didn't know anything about it until I got a call to find out why I hadn't called to say I'd gotten the package. It was at that point when I found out exactly what Brown could (and couldn't) do for me. I got online and found how to contact UPS customer service to track a package. Then I made a call to find out the tracking number which led me back to the UPS website and then the first of three calls to Atlanta. The clerk at the local UPS office put the wrong address on the shipping label when the package had been sent a full week before. I was told I could file a claim; but I could not do that "now" when I know the package is lost I have to wait until I have the package in hand. Once I had the package I could call, paperwork would be sent to the sender who would fill it out and submit it to receive a refund of the shipping charge. Keeping in mind this is the World Leader In Shipping. I don't know if you've received a package in recent years from UPS - there was a time when a human being would not only ring your doorbell or knock on your door, but they would be standing there when you opened the door to deliver the package. Those days are LONG GONE. Now they practically run to the door, drop the package, knock once or ring the bell and race back to the truck for the next delivery. The woman in Atlanta, though, assured me that if it was not "my" address on the package it would not be delivered. How do they know if it's "my" address or not...it's my name on the package and there's a lable with an address on it? And...If it were such that I'm not the only one at the address how do they know if it's "my" address or not, I asked. There was no answer to either of these questions, only assurance that it had not been delivered to the wrong address. Then when I called the second time I was told that the package had been found in the "local" warehouse "here", but the truck was out so nothing could be done until the next day when I should receive it. I was assured that it would definitely arrive the next day. Within a half hour of that call the package was on my doorstep...with snow on top of it and no UPS truck in sight...luckily I had to go out and shovel the driveway. So the third time I spoke to a supervisor. I still couldn't file a claim, I was told, even though I had the package. That would have to be done by the sender at the office where it was sent. I was told that the person who sent the package should have called Atlanta and made the claim and it would have been handled with no problem. I tried to explain to the supervisor that to the people sending the package the local office IS UPS Customer Service and these people in their late 60's and early 70's aren't getting on the web to look for answers. Could the local office be contacted from the Atlanta Customer Service Center to receive the information about the mishandling of the delivery so paperwork didn't have to be sent to make a claim? No. I was told that data in the computer in Atlanta could not be communicated to the local office where the shipment had originated. There's no need for that, it was pointed out to me. All that needs to be done is for the sender to contact the Atlanta Customer Service Center and everything is handled without problem. This circular logic wound it's way around for about half an hour. Finally, I was able to have the supervisor in Atlanta understand that she could phone the office where the package originated, relay the information and the claim could be processed without paperwork having to be sent. She said that she could call to make that local office aware that there had been a problem, but there would still have to be paperwork filed in order for any refund to be processed for the cost of the shipment and the perishables that were included (home baked cookies for Thanksgiving) could not be covered as they are not guaranteed for delivery. Two days later I received a notice from UPS saying that there had been an attempt to deliver a package to me which was unsuccessful and I would be receiving it the follwoing day. In short, I learned what Brown can do TO me, but still haven't found what Brown can do FOR me.

Meanwhile, the Colts kicked the Steelers ass. There was an 80 yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game. The Steelers hadn't given up a pass longer than 20 yards all season.Things weren't looking good. (For the eventual Super Bowl Champs!!)

<> November 24th

This note is short and sweet: TORTURE Dick Cheney vs. John McCain

Plugging: Dick Cheney vs. John McCain on torture into GOOGLE I come up with some interesting results:

John McCain v. Bush from The Village Voice "Liberty Beat"

U.S. To Drop Geneva Rule, Officials Say from The Baltimore Sun

I LOVE this one from MSNBC...Cheney In The Bunker
Bloodied But Unbowed, The VEEP Has A New Number Two. Game On.

CNN Reports...Ex-CIA boss: Cheney Is 'Vice President For Torture'

I remember thinking what a heartless bastard Dick Cheney is. How does that jackass have the balls to even think about discussing torture with John McCain?

<> November 23rd

I was brainstorming an idea for a magazine article...

No person is an island. And no business is as successful as it could be if it is a sole endeavor. Building and effectively utilizing a team of top not people is the lifeblood of any business that achieves high level, long term success.

This is an interesting note... <shaking my head>

1,300 people unidentified in morgue - Louisiana and FEMA fighting about who pays for DNA testing

I was watching M*A*S*H, got this from a conversation between Hawkeye and Trapper --- Dean Lodge, Is that a nice place to stay? I'd like to work that into a novel

<> Mid-November

There was a great interview with Joe Paterno when Penn State was a featured game of the week. For two years it seemed like the college football community wanted nothing more than to help old Joe pack up his belongings and move into a nice assisted living facility.

Joe Pa pointed out that during the two losing years he never felt that he had lost his squad. If so, he noted, he'd have packed it in. He added that there was never any feelings of being a need to vindicate himself. It was Great seeing Joe Paterno coaching a Big 10 Champion team!

I attended the homecoming game at The University of Michigan against Minnesota. Love these college rivalry traditions --- in this case the battle for The Little Brown Jug. It hasn't been a battle, though, for a long time as the jug has been home in Ann Arbor since 1987. Things went back and forth on this day, down to the final minute when the Golden Gophers pulled it out! Seeing the UNBRIDLED ENTHUSIASM of the Minnesota team at the end of the game rushing across the field to retrieve The Little Brown Jug from the Michigan sideline was Amazing! It's wasn't about a formal ceremony where the trophy is handeded over...it was all about THIS IS OURS and WE WANT IT NOW!!!

<> November 14th

There was news on Ohio Governor Bob Taft. He was indicted earlier in the year and eventually copped a plea. Being convicted of a crime and getting to continue as the top polotico in your state...ain't America grand. It did shine the spotlight on the wheeling and dealing the weasel's been doing since his days as Attorney General which have passed as "public service".. Taft was named one of the three worst Governors.

LeBron "King" James became the youngest player ever to score 4,000 points in the NBA. The youngest had been.......Kobe Bryant. James seemed destinted greatness when he was a high schooler playing in Akron, Ohio and is now carrying the Cavaliers on his back. The franchise has completely turned around since James arrival. Continuing as he has played, James and Bryant should both be enshrined in Springfield, Massachusetts.

<> November 13th

Notes from the Steelers game... Simply stated, when Pittsburgh and Cleveland get together, it's Smash Mouth Football.

Speaking of future Hall of Famers, Hines Ward became the all time leading receiver in Pittsburgh Steelers history passing John Stallworth with catch number 638. It was noted, also, that Ward is known around the league as the best blocking receiver in the game. As a precursor to the Super Bowl, Ward caught a touchdown pass from Antwan Randle El

<> November 4th

Had to look at this one a few times...

A prisoner in Iraq, surrounded by thousands of Marines, somehow managed to walk away. - Murderer walks out of jail in Harris County, Texas

<> October 30th

I was watching a television program, Cold Case I think which I'd never seen before, and as part of the story they had the broadcast of a Martin Luther King Jr. speech. King said,
"We must learn to live together as brothers or we are all going to perish together as fools."

Had another note from Andy Rooney's 60 Minutes spot...
"Maybe I'll hang a sign around my neck in case I get hit crossing the street. Don’t take me to a Hospital, a Doctor or a Funeral Home that ADVERTISES."

<> October 28th

There was a lot on the news about Mars...

View Mars at Its Best Saturday: Closest Pass Until 2018
from SPACE.com

Starry Night Times - Your Monthly Companion To The Stars
This was an interesting link that came up when I did the GOOGLE seach

Let's see, one more thing and we'll call this post "done"...

Photograph by Kilroy_60

Most Wanted

"I am big. It's the pictures that got small."
- Norma Desmond, Sunset Boulevard

Photograph by Kilroy_60

The Most Wanted Man In Iraq...WANTED NO MORE

If you accessed ANY type of media today, there was no way to miss it...

Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi Killed in Air Raid

The Dirty Deeds of The Godfather Of Terror * Al Qaeda's Response * Autospy Findings * The Man & The Myth from Pakistan media

The last word on Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi from Wikipedia

NOW...Onto THE MOST WANTED

Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden Are Next

Hopefully we've learned lessons from the capture of Saddam Hussein. He talked about how he would stand and fight to the end, how he would never be taken alive. Then when the deal went down he was hiding in a hole, cowering. The best thing that could have happened would have been that when they pulled him out remains of his splattered brain were left behind. As it is, he's turning his trial into a circus and making the prosecutors look like fools. Osama bin Laden, and al-Zawahiri, deserve justice. For my money, the more pieces their bodies are in when they are "delivered" the more just it will be.

Championship Picks

It's great seeing two first timers in the NBA Finals. While I don't have a preference of who wins, Shaq and Pat Riley have rings from their respective championships seasons in LA. So, for me, that makes the Mavericks the sentimental pick. And Mark Cuban's a Pittsburgher, so this is as close as the Steel City is going to come to an NBA title. If the Mavs win, maybe Cuban's wife will give him permission to buy the Pirates and we can see October baseball at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers again.

As long as it had been since the Steelers hoisted a Lombardi Trophy I feel empathy for the fans of the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL Finals. Four years removed from the finals, the taste of the one win they scored in the 2002 series is still sweet for the fans in Carolina.

Kilroy_60's picks - The Dallas Mavericks and The Carolina Hurricanes.

Things That Jump Off The Page!

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." - Albert Schwietzer

Photograph by Kilroy_60

Watched two great movies back-to-back today...Pleasantville and Planes, Trains & Automobiles.

to be continued...

6-6-06 - A Good Day To Go To HELL (Michigan)

Photograph by Kilroy_60

There seems to be a misunderstanding sweeping the planet today related to the date on the calendar.

The "new millennium" was celebrated as December 31, 1999 turned to midnight January 1, 2000. In fact, the NEW millennium didn't began until January 1, 2001.

Today a movie premiered, a new book went on sale and a music CD was released all based on the date reflecting "666". There were women requesting C-Sections yesterday so as not to give birth today...along with others who are "holding off" until tomorrow. (How does THAT work?)

Talk of the day is how this is a once in a lifetime event; which likely hasn't gone over well with the people on Willard Scott's list of people celebrating their 100th birthday.

The Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse will not be arriving on 6-6-06. The world won't be coming to an end based on a typo. In any case, it has been a great day to visit Hell, Michigan. They're having a festival there...the demonic bastards!

No Need for 5 Million Reasons...Only 26.

One may wonder if NBC planned how Deal Or No Deal would roll out over time or if audience reaction caused the schedule to evolve. What is not left to question is whether it's a hit.

Trying to think if there's a game show that I've chosen to watch with any regularity for the past couple decades...none come to mind. I've quite enjoyed this game, though. It's funny sitting with people yelling at the television. Needless to say, my advice is always No Deal. That drives 'em crazy.

Deal Or No Deal Parties are becoming quite the rage. There are lots of party games you can play while watching the show involving one type of bet or another. They're good for both drinking and bong games. {Can you say BOTH!} More on that another time.

Howie Mandell has never been a favorite of mine as a comic. It seemed like he was goofy just for the sake of being goofy...not that it was funny (to me). I like him hosting this show, though. He's seemed to have found the right groove in this setting.

While they make the banker out to be the bad guy, what would the show be without him? He is as entertaining as possible within the role they have given him to play. His blog is a riot. And the producers of the show have done a great job throwing in specials as part of the offers he makes.

And then, there are the models. "One" of PEOPLE magazine's most beautiful people entries. Which leads us to the season finale. The jackpot is $5,000,000. There's not need for 5 million reasons to watch though. Only 26.

Ladies, please...

Thank you, ladies.

What Price Must Be Paid?

"I have had an eye on him since 1966. He's remarkable! His dad wanted a lawyer or engineer. Mom wanted a doctor. To bad, all they got was a legend." - Keith Jackson on Joe Paterno

Photograph by Kilroy_60
Where do we stand with, The War On
...Terror?
...Drugs?
...Porn? {laughing}
...Poverty?

My assessment is
...we are losing
...we lost
...{Still Laughing}
...we lost

to be continued...
last updated August 12

A Hitchhiker's Guide To The Blogosphere

Visiting the BLOGGER login page, watching the names roll by of freshly updated blogs can be an interesting adventure. Especially finding such destinations as...

Self Publish Blooks
Some Snohomish Women
It Is A Numeric Life
The Company Bitch
My Daily Rant
Intentionally Left Blank
What Do You Know?
Terrorism News
Working With Words
Troubled Times: an online journal of policy and politics
Cranky Princess
The Delicious Life
Just A Photo
Chickball
Always Write
Politickybitch
Adventures Of A Single Woman
Clutching Boxes
Life Without Principle
Peach and Pearl
Sourpuss ...not for the faint of heart
Brainster's Blog
A Taste For Good Life
We Three Bitches
Child of Illusion
Self Improvement
The Medium Is The Message
The Evil Koolaid Report
Library Garden
Because I Should Tell You
The Bitter Law Student
Marketing eYe
Burn The Liberals
Total Balls

Found some great names that either didn't have content to match, which was unfortunate, or I just didn't "get it"...

Publish Or Perish
It Must Have Been The Roses
Sunsets At Dawn
Twists & Turns
The Voyage
I Am A Cheeseburger
Words Are Flying Out Like Endless Rain
My Tiny Voice In This Big World
Living As Therapy
Princess Sparkle
The Garden Window
Do People Confuse You Too?
The Days In Between
Thoughts In A Bucket
Suburban Safari
Liberty In Chains
Live Your Dream
Would You Blog Me
Love Is More Than A Feeling; It's A State of Mind...
Sophisticated-Perfectionist
A Doctrine Of Life
Designing For Life
The Lock and Key
Sugar and Spice
Thoughtful.

Last Updated... 6/6/06
That's it for this trip....................................................Have you made any interesting stops recently?

Out On A Limb

Questions abound. Answers are few and far between. Attempting to apply logic to the events of the day proves to be a futile exercise. The best one can hope may be to survive today and have faith tomorrow will be better. In the meantime, have strength, believe in yourself and focus on moving forward...not looking back.

Photography by Kilroy_60

I've been book shopping recently. Reading a bit here and there of this one and that one. The titles I've been focusing on are:

The Meaning of Trees: Botany History Healing Lore <> Morning Notes <> Coming To Our Senses <> memories of John Lennon <> The Power of Intention <> Hardwiring Excellence <> Good To Great <> the etiquette of illness <> Full Catastrophe Living <> Healthy Aging <> Working with Emotional Intelligence <> Super Foods <> and from The Good Doctor, Generation of Swine: "Tales of Shame and Degredation"

"...the reasoner can produce an effect which seems remarkable to his neighbor, but the latter has missed the one little point which is the basis of the deduction." - Sherlock Holmes Quoted by Marilyn vos Savant

Marylyn adds, "That one puzzle piece might be right in front of your nose, but you must recognize it!"

A WHST Radio Playlst - Volume 1

Photography by Kilroy_60

"My train of thought has no caboose." - Sherri Hamilton

Music to stimulate the mind, warm the heart, touch the soul and embody the spirit as selected by Kilroy_60

--> Roll Over Beethoven - Chuck Berry
--> Old Time Rock & Roll - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
--> All My Life's A Circle - Harry Chapin
--> What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
--> That's The Way That The World Goes 'Round - John Prine
--> Everyday Is A Winding Road - Sheryl Crow
--> It Don't Come Easy - Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band
--> Doctor My Eyes - Jackson Browne
--> My Life - Billy Joel
--> Up On The Roof - James Taylor
--> Instant Kama [We All Shine On] - John Lennon
--> The Pretender - Jackson Browne
--> Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35 - Bob Dylan
--> Heart of Gold - Neil Young
--> Don't Cross The River - America
--> Shower The People - James Taylor
--> Peaceful, Easy Feeling - The Eagles
--> Handle With Care - The Traveling Wilburys
--> Runnin' On Faith - Eric Clapton
--> Teach Your Children - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
--> People Puttin' People Down - John Prine
--> The Authority Song - John Mellencamp
--> Only The Good Die Young - Billy Joel
--> On The Boulevard - Jackson Browne
--> Flashback Blues - John Prine
--> Hard Times - Eric Clapton
--> Lonely People - America
--> Before The Deluge - Jackson Browne
--> Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
--> Lock and Load - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
--> The Times They Are A-Changin' - Bob Dylan
--> Power To The People - John Lennon
--> Get Over It - The Eagles
--> The River of Dreams - Billy Joel
--> It Makes No Difference - Th Band
--> (What A) Wonderful World - David Bromberg
--> Something So Right - Paul Simon
--> Common Sense - John Prine
--> Feel Like A Number - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
--> I Go To Extremes - Billy Joel
--> Cabaret - Louis Armstrong
--> Oh Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
--> Roll Another Number For The Road - Neil Young
--> Looking East - Jackson Browne
--> Illegal Smile - John Prine
--> The 59th Street Bridge Song - Simon and Garfunkel
--> Groovin' - The Rascals
--> Dreamin' Man - Neil Young
--> Someday Never Comes - Creedence Clearwater Revival
--> The Shape I'm In - The Band
--> One Day At A Time - The Eagles
--> One Of These Days - Neil Young
--> Souvenirs - John Prine
--> Suffer To Sing The Blues - David Bromberg
--> Help! - The Beatles
--> Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
--> Peace To The World - BB King
--> Joy To The World - Three Dog Night
--> Everybody - John Prine
--> End Of The Line - The Traveling Wilburys
--> Imagine - John Lennon
--> Here Comes The Moon - George Harrison and Dark Horse
--> Rock Me On The Water - Jackson Browne
--> Uncloudy Days - Willie Nelson
--> Please Don't Bury Me - John Prine

Happy CINC0 de MAYO!

Photograph by Kilroy_60

"You know that I could have me a million more friends and all I'd have to lose is my point of view..." - John Prine

It's another Tequila Sunrise! I've been making mine with Patron Anejo...

This makes looking at the news of the day much more palatable. Well, maybe after another glass or three might make things easier to swallow.

---> How did Howard Dean become Chairman of the Democratic National Committee? Is the plan to concede in November and cancel the Presidential election? Jeb's been sharpening his disaster recovery response in Florida. Following W to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue culd be the equivalent of taking on a job that makes cleaning up after Katrina look like a walk in the park. Sounds perfect for The First Brother. True, Al Gore DID win the majority of votes in the 2000 election, but can he be the best chance the Democrats have to regain The White House? John Kerry? Hillary Clinton? I'm not sure if it's the tequila or whether I need to spin up a few doobies of Acapulco Gold, but I can't get Howard Dean out of my mind.

Dean: 'I have all kinds of warts'

Scripting News, January, 2004

Let's see, how would the front running Democrat respond to finishing third in the Iowa Causus

"Not only are we going to New Hampshire. We're going to South Carolina and Oklahoma and Arizona and North Dakota and New Mexico, and we're going to California and Texas and New York. And we're going to South Dakota and Oregon and Washington and Michigan. And then we're going to Washington, D.C., to take back the White House. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!"

How might that SOUND?

Web Samples Dean Scream from NPR

Dean Scream Gaining Cult-like status On Web

Remixers Make Howard Dean's Scream Funky And Danceable

Defending Dean's Scream from CBS News

The LEADER of the Democratic Party...

From THE NEW REPUBLIC Online, April, 2006
HOWARD DEAN'S MESSIAH COMPLEX. Scream II

--->

to be continued...

The Day That Was, The Day That Wasn't and Days It's Hard To Believe What You See

"It's 106 miles to Chicago
We got a full tank of gas
Half a pack of cigarettes
It's dark
And we're wearing sunglasses."
- Ellwood Blues

Photograph by Kilroy_60

As Hines Ward was on television saying he was going to Disney World, and taking The Bus, the telephone rang in my hotel room. It was my old roommate from Park College. The conversation had a familiar ring to it.

"Are you ready?"... "I was wondering how long it was going to take you to call"... "My plane will be in at 9".... "I'll be there"

In the wake of the Steelers Super Bowl championship, the impending anniversary of The Good Doctor's suicide and the absence of my birthday on this year's calendar...There didn't seem to be anything more appropriate to do than set out on a road trip.

When we were rooming together he was a Liberal Arts major, a political junkie and a fanatic when it came to the Steelers. We were in the thick of things when the hometowners won their last two Super Bowls gaining the title as the the 1970's Team of the Decade. I remember looking down into Market Square from our dorm room as the championship parades rolled to a close and the players came out to party with the fans. Another thing that stood out from our first day together was how well versed he was about pharmaceuticals.

Since then he's become a Psychiatrist...AND an Attorney. Talk about learning how to cover your ass! He's also a championship fisherman. Among friends he's known simply as The Master Baiter.

I would soon come to find that Master was well prepared for this trip. We weren't on the highway long when he pulled a paper bag out of his suitcase...from which he took a sealed freezer bag....before revealing a cigar box wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. The fragrance would best be described as the scent of a sweet smelling skunk. The box was filled with joints that were perfectly rolled using cannabis that had come from a friend doing research at the Purdue University "Center For New Crops and Plant Products". He'd also won a Super Bowl bet with one of his colleagues, I'd find out later, scoring two bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

It was a bit after 4 a.m. when we got to Pittsburgh. Again, the feeling was a familiar one as our first stop was Primanti Brothers. There were times when we were at Park College that we'd walk the 17 blocks to Primanti's...to and from on some nights! Other times we would take a taxi one way or the other. Part of the fun, though, was walking and smoking. In those days Primantis only had one location; it opened at midnight and closed at 3 pm. {I don't ever remember seeing the place when the sun was shining.} There was a small bar area in the corner in the back. The place was ALWAYS packed in the wee hours of the morning. You'd find business people in thousand dollar suits sitting comfortably next to people who looked like they'd begged money for a sandwich. You never knew who would walk in the door; what you did know was the food would be great and all would be welcomed. Today Primanti's is perfectly commercialized. franchised and homogonized. But the sandwiches are still like nothing you find anywhere else.

After Primanti's we checked into the Hilton. Our room looked out over Point State Park. The fountain was lit...beyond that barge traffic traversed the Ohio River. We sat for hours, each smoking joints of our own, talking and laughing.

{The Day That Was}

One of the things we talked about was Hunter S. Thompson. We still laughed remembering our favorite Thompson stories, acts of senseless violence, the time a reporter went for an interview finding that he had to mow the lawn before the discussion could begin. But it wasn't the same type of laughter.

It had been almost a year; but the memory of that day still was all too fresh in my mind. As I do every morning, turning on the news was the first order of business. And there it was, Hunter S. Thompson blew his brains out. Looking at the police report, it all seems so simple...but whether you loved him or hated him --- it was ANYTHING BUT simple.

Thompson's death gained attention across the country and around the world from Canada to The UK to Australia. Whether it was The New York Times, ESPN, Rolling Stone, or any number of blogs everyone made room for Thompson.

And it was at about this time that we headed out into the city.

{The Day That Wasn't}

It's amazing how things change so much...and how things stay so much the same. We walked from one end of The Golden Triangle to the other. At one point we were walking down The Boulevard of the Allies and Master started singing....

"When you're alone and life is making you lonely
You can always go - downtown
When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry
Seems to help, I know - downtown"
Petula Clark, Downtown

It was about that time that we came to The Post Tavern and decided to stop in for breakfast. As would be expected the way the past day had gone it turned out not to be a "conventional" breakfast...Iron City beer and hard boiled eggs with Franks's hot sauce. As it worked out, breakfast wound through lunch - bacon cheeseburgers - and onto dinner. By that time we were ready to head back to the Hilton for a nap.

Part of the reason we stayed at The Post so long was a belated celebration of Master's birthday, which had been a week before, and an early celebration of mine. In fact, we celebrated my birthday two years early. The day that wasn't this year was my birthday, February 29th. We were in this same bar 26 years ago in the same back corner booth when I had my sixth birthday! One of the reasons that was so memorable was a guy took a barstool outside after having an argument with the bartender and threw it back in through the front window. The third "Doobie Brother" Wayne Holmes was with us that day. Wayne used to laugh saying he never knew anyone as interested in "time" as I am who never wore a watch. I suppose that comes from having an "official" birthday only every four years. As I have gotten older instead of celebrating my birthday on February 28th or March 1st I start on February 26th and end on March 3rd. Then, on the seventh day, I rest.

It's about TIME...

{Days It's Hard To Believe What You See}

Notes from the start (first 3 months) of 2006...

<> March 31st

National Debt is over $8 Trillion and is expected to top $10 Trillion. The National Debt Clock in Time Square does not have enough digits to accommodate $10 Trillion.

<> March 29th

Have a note there was a full solar eclipse, but it was not viewable here in The States. The next one to appear in this part of the world, 2017. I have had the good fortune to see one total solar eclipse. I don't have the words to describe how spectacular it was.....how strange the colors of everything were.

<> March 28th

Andy Card left as President Bush's Chief of Staff. Replacing Card, Joshua Bolten who was the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. {National Debt $9 Trillion} Stepping in for Bolton as Budget Chief {National Debt $9 Trillion} is Ron Portman who has long-standing ties to the Republican-led Congress. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget {National Debt over $9 Trillion} has authority over every federal agency's spending and operations. Did I mention the last one to have this job is now the President's Chief of Staff?

<> March 26th

There was a new Ron White special that premiered on Comedy Central - You Can't Fix Stupid - that was funny.

<> March 20th

I was writing notes on a restaurant placemat so these aren't perfectly clear

Theree years ago today we kicked in Operation Iraqi Freedom with the Shock and Awe bombing attack. Remember how that was going to put them on their knees, eliminate all resistence and have American's be greeted as liberators. We had Paul Bremmer handling the governmental transition and Tommy Franks managing the more than adequate deployment of troops on the ground.

The notes appear to say something about spending Half a Trillion Dollars in Iraq --- The United States House of Representatives is scheduled to be in session 97 days this year which is the shortest calendar in 50 years --- The Vice President was blaming the press for lack of support among the majority of people at home, The Secretary of Defense was comparing pulling out of Iraq to turning Germany over to the Nazis and Representative John Murtha of Pennsylvania was talking about the state of civil war in Iraq.

insurgency and secterian violence rage in Iraq. {But there is no Civil War nor is there anything resembling a Civil War we are assured by Bush's bumbling band. They had begun at this time replacing the phrase The War On Terror with The Long War.

{That phrase, The Long War, may go down in history as a tag for the Presidency of George W. Bush. He came to office with an agenda to go to Iraq and take out Saddam because he had to finsih the work his father started. Bush II has gotten us into something that there is no easy way out of - he has no iea how to get us out nor do any of his staff - and I've heard no explanation by anyone as to how victory is going to be able to be decalred in this "war". Thereis no "enemy" to fight and beat.}

The one good thing I see here say... 30th Anniversary Broadcst - Prarie Home Companion

Finally, there's a note about two invesitgations being conducted related to the United States military murdering civilians in Iraq.

<> February 26th

NBC went out on a limb promoting it's coverage of the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. For weeks leading up to the games the peacock network was crowing about how this was the best United States team EVER! There was Michelle Kwan, posing ever so gracefully. Bode Miller flashed across the screen taking a tight turn flying down the mountain. We're going to Torino...better than EVER!! Apollo Anton Ohno looked to bring home FIVE GOLD MEDALS. He would be one of the brightest stars on our best winter Olympic team EVER!!! There turned out to be one problem; no one told the team. Michelle didn't skate, the biggest news Bode made was talking about how tough it is skiing drunk and the young man with the soul patch didn't bring home as many meals as hoped. In short, our team sawed off the branch on which NBC was sitting. The team scored fewer medals than four years ago and not as many were gold. Not to fret. We're already looking forward to 2010 in Vancouver, it could be the Best United States Olympic Team..... Never mind.

to be continued...