can we survive incumbency

The mid term elections are upon us. Some things to consider:

- over 2500 US soldiers have died in Iraq so far
- over 25,000 US soldiers have been maimed in Iraq
- somewhere between 50,000 and 650,000 Iraqies have been killed in Iraq
- the 2 original principal reasons for the Iraqi war are proven to be unfounded (WMD and connections to Osama)
- many questioners of the war and/or it's execution have been displaced or ridiculed(Powell, Shinseki, White(Army Chief of Staff))
- the leading proponents for the war have been promoted or awarded or are still in office(Bremmer, Wolfowitz, Tenet, Rice, Cheney, Bush)
- Afghanistan is now the largest producer and exporter of opium in the world
- the Taliban is making a comeback
- the latest terror cells found in the US and Europe have been manned by local nationals
- North Korea has nukes and the finger on the button is attached to the hand of an unstable dictator
- Iran will soon have nukes and a religious fanatic leads the effort
- Osama is still uncaptured
- 2 of the 4 world's largest religions are in a global jihad
- the "democracy" in Palestine elects Hamas
- the current reason for the Iraqi war is also proven wrong - creating a safer place for Americans
- anyone with a US passport is unsafe in over half of the world
- Lobbyist Abramhoff on a first name basis at the White House
- Congressman Foley(R) admitted child predator and not outed for over 6 years
- Congression Cunningham (R)outed for millions of $ in bribes
- Congression Ney (R) outed for Abramoff scandal
- Congressman Jefferson (D) caught with alleged bribery cache
- Congressman McKinney (D) whips up on a House security guard for doing his job
- Congress votes to build a wall along the US/Mexican border. Why not go after the reasons for Mexicans wanting to cross the border?
- 46.6 million Americans can't afford health insurance
- federal spending is at records levels with the executive and legislative branches under control of the supposedly fiscally responsible Republicans
- New Orleans has a population less than half that of pre Katrina
- the president and congress intervene in the Terry Schiavio case
- apparently the president doesn't care to follow the Geneva Convention humanitarian treatment of prisioners - shouldn't the only super power nation take the high ground on ethics and human rights issues?
- PA legislature votes for huge pay raise in the early morning hours without public debate
- Congressman English (R, PA) reneges on a term limit promise made during his first term election ................
- Senator Santorum (R, PA) cyber school bill costs his "hometown" over $60,000. Why aren't public schools ok for a US senator?
- Both English and Santorum resort to negative compaign ads and smear tactics

Can we afford the current leadership?!!

Grandpa's hand

Callused and coarse from decades of milking his herd his hand would reach back as I approaced from behind. My stretched reach would find his and they would become one. Although he had much to do his pace would slow to match mine. In later years the hand would become stiff and sore, but the bond never waned. A child's memories remain lucid even decades and a death after the walk.

Another Milestone on the Journey of Life - My First Root Canal

Last week at 3:14am I woke up with a throb in my rear left, bottom molar. During the day not too bad. The next night at 2:16am another celtic dance nerve party. The following day a throb that would incapacitate most mortals. Late Friday afternoon a date with the dentist. I got to the dentist's office 45 minutes early! On purpose. Ready for some immediate relief.

They promptly laid me down on the examining table and then had me wait the full 45 minutes with every heart beat sending my afflicted tooth nerves into a high pitch frenzy. Finally the doc shows up. He wanted to verify which tooth was the culprit by banging on it with a metal rod. Hello idiot. I've lived with this dental alien for 3 days so I should know which ivory needs to be attended to. Post haste. He banged anyhow and created a scream heard throughout the county.

His prognosis, a cracked tooth with a likely abscess. The options: yank it or root canal. That's like beat me in the head with an icepick or ballpeened hammer - some choice. I opted for the root canal because the extraction sounded more painful. Besides, I'm not ready for one of those hillbilly grammy gaps.

Little did I know that the real fun was about to begin. First the x-rays. The assistant was fresh out of the local dental training program. She couldn't get the hold my mouth open gizmo located in my mouth to her satisfaction and kept asking me to bit down on the handle. Yup, I got a tooth that would craze Godzilla and she wants me to bit down on a hard object. Next she couldn't get the x-ray lens close enough to my jaw. In the process she banged my jaw with the sore fang at least a dozen times. Finally I asked if I could simply move my head to the machine instead. BTW, all this happens before the sweet magic of novacane.

Next the drilling. Not too bad. Next the needle punch. Apparently the process is to drill to the very tip of the tooth roots, but not quite through. The through part is left to a thin needle that is used to punch through into the jaw where many more nerves reside. Well let me say that the magic of novacane hadn't prepared me for this new set of screaming nerves. The first root was a surprise and it was over before I knew what had happened. Well almost. But I had a second root and I had wised up to what as about to happen again. I soon realized that waiting for pain is much worse than the actual pain. Root number 2 took forever to punch through. Finally done.

Paid the $900 tab. Apparently, BMW payment was due. Went home and waited for the novacane to wear off, which happened all too soon.

Da Vinci Code

Saw this flick a few days ago. I have to admit that the professional critics got this one right. Entertaining with an interesting storyline. But overall, kinda boring. I and apparently 2 blind Austrailian outback aboriginies are the only 3 people left on earth that have not yet read the book. Anyhow, the movie was no better or worse than 100's of other adventure thrillers made and lost in the great panavision archives.

Regardless of the movie's entertainment value, what are the right wing Christians up in arms about? How could anyone think this was a spiritual wedgy on current Christian dogma. Get a grip folks, this is a movie not a scientific documentary.

BTW, how did Leonardo come to know the secrets. He only painted the Last Supper several hundred years after the alleged meal. And that "M" thing. Holy crap it could have been a "V" and meant that the vino had soured.

I on the otherhand would find it rather intriguing that someone like Jesus might have been human enough to have a wife and an offspring or two.

quiet winds

Some of life's aphrodisiacs:

- 80 degrees, quiet early summer air and a clear blue sky with a few scattered cumulus clouds
- serenading whipperwills
- a late afternoon training ride on carless back roads
- a freshly mowed lawn
- a freshly hayed field
- Venti sized Starbucks hot chocolate with the whipped cream while on a road trip
- the 10 mile bridge run on an early am in Colebrook
- mid summer, early evening, takeout dinner with family at the pond
- family ponies in the late afternoon grazing in the pasture
- fresh snow
- a pat on the back
- a tough 1 hour workout
- polished black foreign sports car
- OBX with the family
- Christmas eve lights drive
- dinner with the girls
- spring leaves
- hotel room with a king and chilled wine
- long weekend
- thought provoking movie
- 6 pack abs
- laughter
- 70's music
- underdog win
- well fitting jeans
- cowboy boots
- pets
- new car smell
- UPS delivery
- new book
- Sunday paper
- powdered sugar donut holes
- cow chewing its cud
- doe and fawns under the apple tree
- Munich Oktoberfest
-

when boys were men and skiis were wood

Yesterday, the day before the official start of fishing season, 1000's of farm raised trout were released into the favorite fishing holes of this wannabee wildlife state. Today, the official start of fishing season, 1000's of juiced up Daniel Boone wannabees stand shoulder-to-shoulder with carbon rods, reels of nylon and baited bobbers trying to lure yesterday's release. WTF!

I bet aquarium fishing becomes an Olympic sport.

It just makes you scratch your head and shout WTF!

- Why do car driving smokers crack the window while smoking?
- Why do people order the fat dripping kalbasa and supersize fries with a diet coke?
- Why do baldies do an ear-to-ear comb over with 9 12" hairs?
- Why are men with man-boobs not arrested for indecent exposure for going topless in public?
- Why are women without boobs arrested for decent exposure for going topless in public?
- Why doesn't the men's room have a sofa?
- How come men don't get to have a time of the month?
- Why would anyone willingly eat boiled cabbage?
- How come teenagers are so smart?
- Why do women who dress to the nines become offended if they are hit on?
- Why do men who dress to the nines become offended if they aren't hit on?
- Why do teenage boys dress like street alley beggars with more underwear than common sense?
- Why does our government subsidize tobacco and alchol and outlaw all other feel good drugs?
- Why are the income tax laws so complex they require a CPA and three Philadelphia tax attorneys to have an 80% chance of getting the 1040EZ form approved without an IRS audit?
- Why are there over 1,000,000 lawyers in the US and only 2,000,000 engineers?
- Why does our right to bear arms exclude surface-to-air missiles, rocket launchers, and Apache attack helicopters?
- Why does our right to bear arms include assault rifles, mace, and M50 rifles?
- Why do $100,000 RV's tow a second vehicle?
- Why would someone with nail bed fungus take a cure that puts their liver in jeopardy?
- Why is there a golf channel?

the pathetically clueless

What does one have to do to make it on the "pathetically clueless" list? Here's a few starters.

- toss a butt out the window of your car.....you have yellow teeth.....the car reeks of smoke.......your breath would knock a camel down.......but you can't stomach putting the butt in the ashtray
- toss a butt on the sidewalk and give it a good foot twist to grind the dark deep ash into the concrete.......real attractive
- toss a butt anywhere but in the ashtray
- wear a bumper sticker that says my kid made the honor role.....BTW, absolutely no one cares
- circle the parking lot 13 times looking for a spot closer to the door
- park between the only 2 cars in the lot.....if you're that lonely and need human contact......visit Manhattan and ride the subways at rush hour
- park next to my car..........the only other car in the lot
- park in the handicapped spot..........even if you're handicapped
- leave your grocery cart in the middle of the isle to read the label on the Campbells tomato soup can
- leave your grocery cart in the middle of the parking lot...next to my car...on a slope...in the wind
- run a red light......you're as likely to be deep-sixed as the poor fool you hit
- pass school bus while it's lights are flashing.......your kids might be on that bus
- pass a semi on the right
- sell cars for a living........never met one that I liked
- sell insurance for a living......
- work for the IRS.........if the tax system was simple and direct these drolls would be out of jobs and off the public payroll
- tailgate.......has anyone ever sped up because they were being tailgated
- let your kids loose in the store, resturant, ....
- talk on your cell phone on an airplane, in a bus, on the subway, ....
- write Dear Abby........for real
- internet date.......for real
- watch Survivor, Amazing Race, American Idol, Who Wants to be a Millionare, ....
- send me religous propaganda....of any kind
- send me political propaganda....of any kind
- wear your religion on your sleeve.....don't you trust your faith?
- whine about the weather.......like it's better in the Amazon and the Artic
- whine about the traffic......like you're not contributing to it
- whine about your job.......if you call it your job then it's a job and it won't be any fun by definition
- in fact, whine about anything
- state that you work very hard.........who doesn't in their own mind
- rubberneck at an accident............do you think that will save the victims
- ask for a tip for a service already paid for........charge the market rate
- perpetuate rumors.......scum
- gossip.......more scum
- start gossip.......worst than scum
- ambulance chasing lawyers......who advertize on billboards and TV
- sit next to me and my date in an 1/2 empty theater
- talk during a movie
- get to the movie 10 minutes after the trailers have ended
- hum or whistle in public.........it ain't cool
- talk about your personal finances......no matter how bad or good they are
- brag about your kids......no matter how bad or good they are
- condemn drugs but chain smoke cigs and swill alkie
- wish for the good old days.........like when caves were the new suburbia and the sabertooth was to be feared
- claim to be old fashioned.........like having a desire to do the laundry on a wash board and salt the meat
- proclaim God Bless America..........what's wrong with the rest of the universe
- don't understand today's kids.........were you understood as a kid
- watch golf on TV.........it's boring enough playing the game
- whine about being abused.........it's turning out that everybody was abused
- let the pets run your life
- put the vet's phone number on speed dial ahead of your doctor's number....and mine
- pay 2 dollars for a 10oz bottle of water and whine about the cost of gas.....and beer
- order Sam Adams beer thinking it's a fine microbrew
- order Budweiser thinking it's a beer
- a priest taking a vow of celibacy and abusing kids of the flock....if they truly believed, then offer them an option of being neutered

Olive Garden Disappoints

One could only hope that after a bad, bad cimematic experience that the dinner could save the evening. Not to be.

As a preface, the local Olive Garden has been a favorite feeding spot for me and family and even a few business meals over the years. In most cases the experience has been good. Last night was BAD.

Let's walk through the ordeal. First the parking was excellent with a spot very near the entrance door. Warm greeting by hostesses. No wait and a quick walk to non-smoking section. Planted right next to table with two large gals who had apparently arrived just before us. We might have just as well been seated at the same table. We walked right by a couple of more private booths but we must have looked like we wanted dining company. I ordinarily would have requested a nore private table but opted out this evening. We were seated and waitor was soon upon us. After a brief chat we ordered drinks and our meals. The salad showed up, what there was of it. Olive Garden serves their salads in a large bowl and the diners serve themselves from it. We must not have very looked hungry because our bowl wouldn't have fed a pigmy couple. Still no drinks. The breadsticks arrive. I love Olive Garden's breadsticks. I used to love Olive Garden's breadsticks. The four we got were cold, and had dried out on the ends. The drinks finally arrive. I had a direct view to the bar from my chair and there were no patrons in the bar so I am clueless why a Corona and red wine would take 15 minutes to serve. It got worse. No glass for the beer. Now this will seem very picky to most people but I like my beer in a glass, preferrably in a frosted glass even if the brew is already in a cold bottle. Not to be. BTW, I have rarely been in a resturant where they will serve the second beer in a new frosted glass even though the first one was frosted. Do the servers and proprietors think only the first serving needs all the frivilities. Apparently I looked like a college frat hack who will gladly take their swill directly from the keg spout this evening. In the meantime the waitor is back to inform my date that the meal she ordered couldn't have the chicken portion because they were out. How can a resturant be out of chicken on a Saturday evening at 9:00! She asked him to just add more beef. The meals eventually arrive and it turns out that the shish ca bobs she ordered were not shewered because they also ran out of shewers. WTF. Five minutes later her side vegetable arrived after she's well into her meal. I had the spagetti with sausage. The sausage was good, but the spagetti was already drying out on the edges of the plate. By this time I realize why we were seated next to Dawn and Donna. The other sections were already empty and the staff was cleaning them up. Apparently it is more important that the resturant be promptly readied for the next day than for today's diners to have a quiet spot to enjoy their dining.

I pay Jason and give him an overly generous tip for the service. Actually any tip would have been overly generous. Now one could put all the blame on Jason and he certainly deserves a good share. But the managemet owns most of it. They should not allow dried bread sticks. They should not tolerate depleted inventories. They own the quality of the full experience.

On a "I will definitely go back" to "I gotta barf" scale of 10 to 1 this experience was a 4. It will be awhile before you see me at the Olive Garden again. Oh, Jason get another job you suck at waiting.

Firewall Flop

Two movies in two weeks!! Holy cimematic freakout Robin. After the Brokeback experience my longing for widescreen entertainment drew me and my date to a more traditional movie storyline. What a disappointment.

I wasn't into this flop 10 minutes and I was starting the let's blow this joint countdown. This was soooooooooooo boooooooooooring and so like 100's of other hero action storylines. Let's recap. Hero action dude and family get's put into situation where action dude must save himself, his family and the world(in this case some money)from master villain and villain helper dudes. Hero dude tries various attempts of twarting the bad act and ends up getting son nearly dead and a villain helper shot by master villain. Of course, in today's digital world there's the need for banks of computers, an unimpregnable security system, hence the name firewall, and obviously a way around the umimpregnable. There was absolutely nothing new or stimualting in this flick. Let's see we had the usual near escape by the family and the recapture just as they we starting the car. Wow, so original. Then we have the action hero stumbling across all the right clues and a helper to put the villian on the defense. Then we had the family pooch wearing a GPS collar so action hero can find villains and family. And to top it off and played out so many times the action hero goes fist to fist with master villian. After a few broken windows, tables and walls action hero happens upon a pick and ends the villian dude. The only cliche not played was the final resurrection of the villain with the pick in his back to taunt the hero or family member one last time before we're all put out of our misery.

Man, this thing was bad. In the wise words of my oldest daughter that's two hours of my life that I'll never get back.

Brokeback Moment

I don't see many movies on the big screen but Brokeback Mountain dug it's claws into my sensibilities and won't let go. I don't pay much heed to professional movie critics as art is pure subjectivity and a critic is merely providing their opinion from their own context and prejudices and happen to get paid for it. My simple gage of a movie is how quickly the two hours passes, whether I merge with the characters, and to the degree that the movie haunts me afterwards. Well, score 10 on all 3 accounts. I didn't want it to end. I felt a deep connection with all three of the main characters and I can't stop thinking about it.

BTW. My sexual orientation runs as straight as a Kansas highway.

This is not a gay cowboy flick. Think Love Story between 2 people who happen to be Wyoming cowboys and not Boston preppies. Think Romeo and Juliet in a 1960's western setting riding horses, herding sheep and speaking in western drawl rather than Shakespearean English. This is a movie of human passion. It's a depiction of a raw deep connection between two humans in an environment of social and emotional conflicts and taboos. This movie hurts and fulfills on so many levels. One feels depressed at the ending but soon realizes that the characters experienced something to be cherished forever. I doubt many will ever be so fortunate to feel something as strong as this in their lives but I would argue that one hasn't truly lived unless they do.

To shun or be afraid of this story line is a lost opportunity of witnessing one of life's true passions play out in the cinematic art form.

Part 2: You might be a real Vermonter if

- your 1st power tool was a 30cc chain saw.
- your 2nd power tool was an ice auger.
- your 3rd power tool was an electric beer cooler.
- driving lessons were bull raking hay after school in the 1st grade.
- your wife drives your pickup more than you do.
- your wife can out arm wrestle you and all your male cousins. At once.
- your wife has more hand calluses. Than you. And your cousins. All together.
- you have more teeth than your wife, although yours are removable.
- pro-choice is drinking the beer of your choice.
- pro-life is Sunday morning after a Saturday night at the county fair.
- women's liberation is getting your pickup back.
- social security is a barn full of hay and a silo topped off.
- medicare is a care package with bag balm, horse liniment and ace bandages.
- subsidies are 5 cent returnable bottles.
- tax reform is for idiots that pay taxes.
- national security is a 30-06.
- border patrol is a 30-06, 3x scope and a stocked beer cooler.
- inhuman treatment of animals is an empty meat locker.
- kindergarten was cleaning manure gutters, feeding calves and getting down hay.
- sex education was a guy with an oversized plastic glove, 2 foot reach and a long glass rod.
- your family pets included a mad rooster, kid killing gander, a pair of roof perched guinea hens and a car chasing mangy cow dog.
- a Sunday country ride included equine.
- a snow day meant a long walk in tall boots.
- a mud day meant a day off.
- a hay day was a long day.
- a sugaring day was a longer day.
- a power outage meant hand cramps and mastitis.
- the world doesn't exist west of the Ausable Chasm, south of the Flume in Franconia Notch, east of Mount Washington, and north of Sherbrooke, Quebec.
- education reform is a bigger stick.
- college prep was 4-H animal husbandry.
- sand lot baseball was a freshly hayed field and 10 siblings.
- a morning jog included 60 head with bloated bags, bull thistles, and fresh lane pies.
- an afternoon workout included 200 75 lb overhead hay bale tosses.