I can see russia from my house

In recent days (did anyone see her interview with Katie Couric?), Sarah Palin has tried to buttress her foreign policy experience by mentioning that Russian diplomats fly over Alaska on their way to Washington. She said that somehow this proposed bailout of Wall Street should satisfy those seeking health care reform and it will create jobs too.

So I've decided to run for President. I live near the ocean and I'm sure lots of foreign dignitaries have flown over the ocean. Essentially my oceanside town shares a national border with every oceanside nation in the world. I never really knew of my hidden talents until Sarah Palin showed me the way. I had sushi for lunch so expect me to score new trade agreements with the Japanese when I take office. Since I'm posting this on all of the Internets, that pretty much makes me the Ruler of All Things.

Schadenfreude

There's a blog I enjoy called Rude Cactus. He lists a weekly schadenfreude, which is taking pleasure from the misfortunes of others. So here's my chance to post an example. I saw this reported in the news and it really speaks a lot about humanity. And yes, I'll say it. Arrogance. It's being called a "rookie mistake", but I'm going to label it arrogant.



His early celebration of his first NFL touchdown ended up costing him the touchdown. And it's not his first time with this either. His Wikipedia page references a high school play where he attempted to somersault his way to a touchdown...and landed on the yard line.

Hopefully 2 experiences with early celebrations will teach him a lesson. I remain skeptical.

the veepstakes

I've tried not to care about the Veepstakes, but since I have a B.A. in PoliSci, I can't help myself. Plus, what else is a B.A. in PoliSci for anyway?

I can't say who will be picked by either presumptive candidate, so instead I'll spout off about who I think they should pick.

Obama

Hillary Clinton. Hands down. There is no other choice in my opinion. I don't care if he doesn't like her or if he feels she has baggage. She received more votes in the primaries than he did. Oh, did you not know that? Linkage. The superdelegates want you to believe they've rallied behind the choice of the people; however, the reality is they've rallied behind the winner based on rules that they created. The actual winner of the popular vote, Hillary Clinton, gets this election's Al Gore Award for losing the win.

Barack Obama has tried to make it seem like he's the unified choice of the party with a mandate. The problem is, his mandate is as big as the one George Bush thought he had when he won his loss to Al Gore.

Some say Barack Obama can't choose her since he's running his campaign as a Washington outsider. Well, big news. He's a Washington Senator. So is she. And if he hopes to make anyone think he is going to get things done by bringing together Democrats and Republicans in Washington, how will he accomplish that if he can't reach across the Democratic Party aisle to the majority of Democratic voters who didn't vote for him?

McCain

The idea has been floated that McCain might choose a {gasp} pro-choice candidate. That candidate would be Tom Ridge, former governor of Pennsylvania and former Secretary of Homeland Security. I think that would be a master-stroke choice. More independent types would vote for him, in my opinion, and together they would have a rock solid reputation for international relations and homeland defense.

If Obama does not pick Clinton, what if McCain rocked the house and chose a woman for his ticket?

George Carlin

George Carlin died yesterday. It was over 30 years ago that I somehow was allowed by my parents to purchase his On the Road album. They must not have known who he was or what he said. Previously, my only comedy album was by Bill Cosby. They must have trusted that George Carlin was similar.

Listening to that album was, I think, one of my first glimpses outside my childhood to see the world in a more critical eye.

As he goes, I feel that I now grow older. So long, George. If you get a chance, let us know if you can say those 7 dirty words in heaven.

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Quick quizz : Which film hero are you?

Yoda (Star Wars) : 72%
Jim Levenstein (American Pie) : 72%
Hannibal Lecter : 71%
Néo (Matrix) : 69%
Eric Draven (The Crow) : 69%
Forrest Gump : 68%
James Bond : 66%
Indiana Jones : 63%
Tony Montana (Scarface) : 63%
Batman / Bruce Wayne : 61%
Maximus (Gladiator) : 59%
Schrek : 58%

Which film hero are you?

what do you have to be grateful for?

I saw this on the Pacifica Riptide blog today.

Linkage

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive the week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people around the world.

If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than almost 3 billion people in the world.

If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the people in the world.

If you have money in the bank, cash in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still married and alive, you are very rare,even in the United States. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than 2 billion people in the world who cannot read anything at all.

Lately I've been traveling between my home in Pacifica (pop. 40,401) and McCloud (pop. 1,343). It's really a larger contrast than just 40:1 since Pacifica is really just part of the concrete known as the San Francisco Bay Area, home to 7.2 million people.

Here in McCloud, there's one bank, one post office and one market. There are 8 students in the high school. It's 10 miles from the next town. People wave to me as I drive down the 2 blocks of Main Street. People I've never seen before. It's weird. But cool.

It causes me to reflect on the life I have in Pacifica and how complicated and disconnected it is. I grew up in the Bay Area. That contributes to the illusion that life in the Bay Area can be "normal". But the deceit creeps up over time until one reads that San Mateo County (where Pacifica is) is the 4th most expensive housing market in the United States. And that's only because we fell from 2nd place.

Hanging out in McCloud, one hears...nothing. Virtually nothing. At 5:10 pm, the dinner train departs to take passengers on a tour of the McCloud railroad while they have dinner. It toots back in about 8 pm. Other than that, you have to be here on July 4th to hear anything else. I once heard a siren. Once.

It's a slower world here. I read somewhere that Fed Ex Overnight means "give it a few days" in McCloud. There's no home delivery of mail here. Everyone has to have a PO box. But I did have success this week when I ordered something from Amazon.com and it was delivered via UPS. I felt a sense of victory that I had somehow bent the two ends of my world together.

Tomorrow I head back home. Yesterday I was self-conscious of my bluetooth headset as I walked through the McCloud market. After I return home, I'll look odd if I don't have it on. Which is "normal"? I used to think the Bay Area is living in the "now" and McCloud is left over from "then". I'm starting to think of McCloud as "real" and the Bay Area...isn't.