No Gold For Me, Just a Beautiful Letdown

I ain't got nothin' to say. Maybe it's laziness. I dunno.
At least it's not a hundred freakin' degrees today.

22 Medals for the U.S.
(currently)

20 for China. MUST BEAT CHINA.

I actually don't really care that much for these Olympics, though. Handball? Do we even play that in the United States?!? Water polo? Canoeing? BMX?!?!? Badminton?? Whatever.

I'd much rather be watching Mogul Skiing, Downhill, Snowboarding, Hockey... not synchronized freakin' diving. Like gag me with a spoon.

All I know we oughta beat China! I also know it's still not right for that damn Communist nation to be hosting something that should be respected... it's very difficult to respect this event (the Summer Games as a whole) in a place where human rights don't really mean a thing. Just sad.

If anyone is checking this blog for a newly posted Grateful Dead show or something from Garcia or anything else within the immediate GD Family -- you're still out of luck. Sorry.

Every single day I keep meaning to...
so very, very soon. I hope.

There's been quite a drought lately but I've not given up.
Easily I could just post up links like so:

http://rapidshare.com/files/135720162/Garcia-BlackMountainBoys_3-6-64.rar

...but that ain't my style, yo.

(By the way, please don't comment on that here... not that I really expect anyone to... that's actually supposed to go with my next GD (Garcia) posting so wait on commenting, would ya? Thanks!)

That posting should happen soon. We'll see. I'd really like to get back to putting shows up regularly... so if you (yes, you, you who is reading this) have been checking now and then for something new, keep checkin' back 'cause this Dead blog ain't dead yet!

3:45 p.m. -- only 78° F & overcast but rather humid & still kinda warm

Tuesday Afternoon Run: 18 minutes 25 seconds

+ 8:50

XXXXXXXXXXXX ·Aug? :: -2 sec· XXXXXXXXXX

7 runs in July: approx: 2 hrs 11 min June: 1 hour 47 min May: 4 hours 46 min

I've been VERY upset with myself for going (almost) 5 days between runs.
Bad.
Five days with no significant exercise is just plain pathetic.

Finally this afternoon I ran.

With the relatively low temperature I was able to add a significant amount of time to what I'd been running (when it hasn't been 100 degrees.)

Part 1 -- 14 minutes 34 seconds. Long. My cardiovascular system was feeling it. A continuous run so short is for me a run that's actually kind of long at the moment. I think it's been awhile since I've run for almost 15 minutes straight; it's something I've got to get used to again. Because of the temp, I made it okay and could have actually run even longer.

Intermission: no sitting in the shade sipping my Gatorade to cool down. Yeah, I had some Gatorade but I kept walking the whole time. Felt pretty good.

Part Two -- Just a short, 1-song 3:51 add-on to extend My Total Time.
No problem.

I'm still unhappy that I went 5 days without a run... but with my time today I'm feelin' good... just hope I can keep it up.

Running tunes...
	Switchfoot The Beautiful Letdown 2003
Meant To Live This Is Your Life More Than Fine Ammunition Dare You To Move Redemption The Beautiful Letdown Gone On Fire Adding To The Noise Twenty-Four

Christian music that's not Christian music -- that's exactly what Switchfoot achieves on their fourth album, The Beautiful Letdown.

This is not preachy music.
There's no declaration of faith.
There's not a single direct reference to God or Christ.

It's not really Christian music... but the band members are all Christians who live a Christian life. So in the lyrics here, there's a message in every song but what they do is question much in this world, stimulating people to think. They also steer clear of subjects that would contain anything offensive to even the thumpiest of Bible thumpers.

Basically this is some great freakin' music, one o' the best albums I've heard all year, Christian or otherwise! Meant To Live (YouTube video link) got tons of radio play and it probably gets played quite often still to this day. It's a great, powerful, driving song with plenty of guitar and just a loud feel to the end. That sound permeates throughout the album, with some mellower sounds interspersed here and there but never anything that would even remotely put the casual listener to sleep.

The songs here may not appeal to those wanting to hear light and fluffy God Is Great praise and worship and that is reflected in the fact that The Beautiful Letdown made it all the way to #16 on the Billboard music chart in 2004. At the same time Christians by the millions gobbled this album up, pushing it to the top of the Christian chart. Not bad on both spectrums.

find a dload @ Música Cristã MP3

320 kbps mp3 download

"Meant To Live"
live at the Parachute Music Festival,
Mystery Creek, Hamilton, New Zealand - January 28, 2008
(HORRIBLE quality videos like these should be BANNED!!!)

Yayyyy! The Olympics are Here!!!

The 2008 Summer Olympics
have officially kicked off today in Communist China.

Hooray?

Normally I like really dig the Winter Olympics.
Just about everything except figure skating
I could watch from start to finish.

But when it comes to the Summer Games,
usually I'm like, "eh, whatever."

This summer is different.

I'm not like "eh, whatever" because China
absolutely should NOT be getting any glory
from hosting these Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee...
who chose Beijing to be the host city in 2008...
should be bloody ashamed of themselves.

"Tibet...Tibet had been an independent country since ancient times. Tibetan have been protecting the teachings of Buddhism for centuries. In 1950, China's military invaded Tibet. China deprived Tibetan people of their own country. China deprived Tibetan people of Buddhism. 99% of Buddhist temples have been destroyed in Tibet. China deprived Tibetan people of their families. The number of Tibetans who have been murdered during the past half century has reached 1.28 million."

"A certain person said to me,
"Don't mix up sports with politics. Sports should be removed from politics."
I answered as follows,
Many lives of innocent people are threatened at this moment. How can anyone enjoy Beijing olympics while knowing that many lives of innocent people are threatened? We should raise a voice in protest now.
It is a moral principle.
It is a human action."

"Chinese military attacked and invaded Tibet in 1950. China occupied Tibet who was the fully independent nation before the invasion of China. China has been torturing and slaughtering enormous numbers of innocent Tibetan civilians since 1950. TIBETAN VICTIMS of CHINESE ATROCITIES reaches 1.28 million people. Tibetan people have been suffering from China's cruel and bloody repression. Please don't apply the word "Human Right Abuse" to what is going on in Tibet. What is going on in Tibet? China has been committing "Cultural Genocide" against Tibetan people in the form of ethnic cleansing since China's invasion. "Cultural Genocide" against Tibetan people should be called "Unforgivable Humanitarian Tragedy".

"Tibetan people have the legitimate right of racial self-determination as well as the independence of Kosovo was acknowledged by the international community. The population of Kosovo is 2 million (90% is Albanian). The population of Tibetans is more than 5.4 million only in China. Tibetan people have the right to declear the independence from China. China is just invader. The international community should condemn China as invader violated Tibetan's sovereignty."

TAMAGAWABOAT
http://tamagawaboat.wordpress.com

Human Rights Watch -- www.hrw.org

Human Rights In China www.hrichina.org	Olympic Watch www.olympicwatch.org

Caring...

Click anywhere... give

This world works so beautifully, doesn't it?

WEEKEND, BABY! Yeah, that actually doesn't mean much to me. I don't have to work again until Sunday night so I do have (most of) the weekend off... but that's not always the case. Working a Saturday or a Sunday is a usual occurrence for someone who serves the community.

Anyway, let's see here... anything of substance this morning?

Burma/Myanmar sucks. Their IDIOT government wants foreign aid in the wake of the cyclone that struck there a week ago. But right now aid workers are sitting on their asses twiddling their thumbs in neighboring countries while visas are continually being denied or taking for-freaking-ever to be issued. Meanwhile -- people suffer. Meanwhile meanwhile -- much of the world doesn't care. I dunno for sure, that's just a cynical guess. All people can do, basically, is give a few dollars but I wonder how much of that is going on. As it appears at the moment, supplies are hardly getting to those who need them anyway. The brutal, murderous junta (military dictatorship) "running" that country is the biggest example of schmuck-face dooshbagery in this world right now. They almost make Ahmadinejerk and Kim Jong Mentally Il look sane. They certainly make the Bush regime look like a bunch of haloed Easter bunny genius angels in Santa Claus suits with bells on. Hurricane Katrina and the response to that was a spilled glass of water compared to the cyclone and aftermath in Burma.

The events there have turned from tragic to... I'm literally shaking my head at how insane this all is. In many affected parts of the nation, there's NO sign of any aid at all. Corpses, decomposing, lie about here and there with no one to pick them up. Not a few, not a hundred... thousands of them.

WHY DOES THE WORLD ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN?!? The world, collectively, goes about their business and allows a "government" like the one in Myanmar to do whatever they want... and now TENS OF THOUSANDS are dead, MILLIONS are suffering, homeless and without food and water. Military dictatorships who treat their people worse than dirt need to be forcibly removed from power. Sanctions against these nations just prolongs suffering and things do not change.

God, I envy (sometimes) the Americans who go about their lives not giving a crap about the rest of the world outside of their immediate line of sight.

I just can't be that person.

still muddy trail but getting close to being runable... for now still indoors.

Friday After Work Run: 20 minutes 15 sec

+6 sec

XXXXXXXX++++++·14 sec·++++++XXXXXXXX

Run Time May: 1 hour 40 minutes April: 3 hours 51 minutes <-failed to pass March March: 3 hours 57 minutes

Couple hours ago, after my shift was over at 9 a.m. this morning, before I came home, turned on the news and got mad and sad, determined to keep up my current running frequency, I headed straight to the gym to the get my needed exercise in.

5th run in 9 days. Nice. Another good 20 minutes. I've been having no ill effects from this increased amount of running and these days these runs go pretty smoothly. After that misfortunate leg fracture last spring, I've certainly recovered and am doing well on my way to longer and longer running times... of course that's taking forever, it seems, but slow and steady wins the race... not that I'm running a race but what I'm a sayin' here is slow and steady is helping to better assure myself that I'm not pushing it too much, possibly dangerously so. Last thing I want is to be sidelined.

Running tunes came from the album of the day...
	Fee We Shine 2007 (debut)
All Because Of Jesus We Shine Glorious One Burn For You Beautiful The Blood Happy Day Life High Victorious Grace Will Be My Song Broadcast Faithful You Are The Light

This is a fairly kickin' album. I had a feeling it would be. At the moment I don't listen to Christian radio but occasionally I check a Weekly Top 20 List and Fee, with the song "We Shine" (I think) was on their for awhile... maybe even reached #1? Just checked again and they have a song at #5. Popular new band, they are. Very cool.

Their debut from last September has really put them in a national spotlight. Lotta loud songs here with a nice amount of guitar to give a good edgy sound at times... especially with the Number 1 single here -- "We Shine". Holy cow, the video below shows them (loudly!) playing this song in church. How cool is that?! Other songs on the album aren't as fast and as "alternative" sounding as We Shine but overall it's a good mix that doesn't get too fluffy. Lyrics stay right down the middle, not overly preachy but at times they are raising up Christ directly by name rather than wandering into ambiguous territory. Some Christian music reviewers will not exactly applaud Fee calling them unmemorable and cookie cutter but they are what Christian music needs in order to give fans a wider array of artists to listen to.

find a dload @ Música Cristã MP3

VJ time!
From the North Point Community Church
in Alpharetta, Georgia -- Fee with "We Shine"

You might need their help someday... right now they need yours

This afternoon I was planning on posting up a Jerry Garcia Band show... but right now a Jerry show is far from what's truly important; right now my mind is thousands of miles away with concern for what's happening in Burma a.k.a. Myanmar.

Right now there might be as many as 10,000 human beings dead from a cyclone (hurricane) that struck over the weekend. Reportedly the military dictatorship in charge of Burma gave their citizens NO warning about this storm... because they have no real concern for their people.

The number of affected is in the millions... and they need help.

Save The Children

International Red Cross

World Food Programme

World Vision

Pro-democracy demonstrations last year caused soldiers to fill the streets, willing to murder in order to put an end to activities that put their government in a bad light.

Now the soldiers are few and far between in helping out in the aftermath of this tragedy. Getting aid into Burma is nearly impossible. The government there is one of the worst in the world, taking away almost every basic human right that people should have.

The government of the United States is the most generous in the world and they will do what they can if the officials in charge of Myanmar allow them to help. Unfortunately, odds are that their government will misspend that money and/or just keep it for themselves without doing the right thing with it.

Non-governmental organizations will best use money in order to help the helpless who are and will be suffering because of this horrible event.

Please consider helping. It doesn't have to be $100, it doesn't have to be $50. No matter who you are, I know you have $2 or 2£ to give. Every little bit matters.

Stoopid Diseases

If you could save a child's life... why wouldn't you?


April 25

World Malaria Day



a net could save someone's life... maybe a child's life.

click either image to learn more and/or learn how you can help.

Brrrrrr Fogerty Run

Weekend. NJ Devils lost in the playoffs again. They make it there like every year but success just ain't guaranteed. Worst thing is they lost to the NY Rangers. No one worse to lose to.

NY Mets are doin' well... or at least better. Always good to beat the Phillies! Always good to beat anyone.

This is boring... even to me. I think I'm lazy. To blog about heavy, important subjects I'm just not often into... not that heavy, important subjects aren't on my mind. They are. A lot, especially since so many people just don't give a crap about the world and doing something to help out. Others have gotta pick up the slack... for the slackers, and do more caring about things like...

like the fact that China still sucks. And North Korea has not disarmed yet even though they said they would. Hmmm... did people really think they would? I had some hope but I'm not surprised they haven't ... no one should be surprised they haven't. Maybe one day they'll be dangerous to humans other than their own citizens. Same thing with Iran. But neither should be allowed to get that far. Of course some people think John McCain will be bombing Iran if he is elected President... total B.S. because he has never stated that; the idea is a liberal fabrication to make McCain look like another warmonger.

Fact o' the matter is Iran needs to be stopped from developing nuclear weapons and diplomacy ain't working. That happens in the world when a world leader wants to spit in the rest of the world's face. That's exactly what Ahmadinejerk is doing. I fear that if a Democrat is elected President, nothing will get accomplished when it comes to Iran and then one morning we're going to wake up to learn Israel doesn't exist anymore because they had a little nuclear genocidal cleansing courtesy of Iran. That's not okay.

But I can't do nothin' about it myself... so I went running this morning... and way too early in the morning. Been back for almost an hour now; all clean and rested and aching I am.

Decided to skip driving a few miles to Rec Center at the University or to the gym, and then having to drive back, and went down to the end of my road and hit the trail that runs near my house. I'm not even gonna check when my last time running outside was -- December maybe? Long freakin' time ago. If I ran on the road I'd have been able to spend time running outdoors a bunch of times this year... but I'm a trail runner and so it's either been too slushy or just too darn cold out. 25 ain't too bad for 20 minutes so out I went. Ahhhhh... and brrrrrrrr!!!! Huge difference from running on a track inside when the temperature's like 72 degrees. Zoinks! Wasn't quite ready for this but gotta start getting into it again eventually. Today was eventually. Because of weather making the trail so sloppy, I don't think I'll be outside often over the next month... but this morning it was a good thing. Yes. Good. Yes....... good.

first time outdoors since December? 25° (-4 C)

Saturday Morning Run: 19 minutes 10 seconds

+4 sec

XXXXXXXX++++++· -6 sec ·++++++XXXXXXXX

Run Time April: 1 hour 54 minutes March: 3 hours 57 minutes February: 3 hours 11 minutes

First time running in 5½ days -- BAD!!!!!!!! Way too long to go between runs, idiot. I just don't know where the week went.

Not an easy run -- partially because my lungs were seemingly en fuego and my thighs -- my quads -- man, they were not liking what I was doing to them. About four or five times I had to completely push myself to keep going and not just quit. Oi! I made it, though. When the trail is nice, fine and dandy in the summer and fall, I can turn around and finish right at my door practically ... not with the snow. Couldn't find a good spot to turn around and thus my walk back was much longer than I would have liked -- and my quads HATED me for it.

But I got my run in. To be able to reach a total time for April that eclipses March is not looking like a possibility right now. Not good. We'll see. For now I'm just glad to be back inside. It was so freakin' cold out there but with a fresh log thrown in the wood-burning stove, tis a nice morning by the fire ... and I think I'll take a nap soon to rest this achin' body o' mine.

Running tunes came from the album of the day...
	John Fogerty The Blue Ridge Rangers 1973 debut [1994 CD re-release]
Blue Ridge Mountain Blues Somewhere Listening (To My Name) You're The Reason Jambalaya (On The Bayou) She Thinks That I Still Care California Blues (Blue Yodel #4) Workin' On A Building Please Help Me, I'm Falling Have Thine Own Way, Lord I Ain't Never Hearts Of Stone Today I Started Loving You Again

Fascinating material. How does a guy from Berkeley become a country music singer? I've never really listened to a lot of Creedence Clearwater Revival... and I've never heard a John Fogerty album until just a few days ago when I gave this a couple listens for the first time. I know a bunch of CCR's music and I know Fogerty's Centerfield (the song) very well, but was oblivious to the rest. Here's John with his post-CCR solo debut, an album on which he played all the instruments but wrote none of the songs. What this is -- a loooooong way from Berkeley, that's what this is. I like it just fine, good stuff here, well done. It'll be interesting to eventually play his 2nd album and see if he's kept this Tennessee country music sound or progressed to something else, a sound that's more rock and roll.

320 kbps dload @ Back On The Road

Wabbit Muttering

If I just posted this up without saying anything here I'd be a horrible person. Okay, maybe not horrible but it's just not like me to "just post" something. But what to say, what to say?

Went flying today for a whole hour. Whoop-di-doo, a whole hour. Slept most of the day, I did, thanks to working the Friday overnight shift into this Saturday morning. Not being used to night shifts, I can't figure out if it's best to sleep before work or after. After it seems like. I dunno. Nothing makes sense. The world is warped... or is that just my brain? A little a both, I s'pose.

Okay, I'm not in a hugely typey mood for a meandering intro rambling about anything in par-freakin'-ticular so how's about I get on with some of dese here precedings... yo...

Unconscious Mutterings

a free association game -- I say... and you think ... ?

1. Silence :: shhhhhh ... be vewy vewy qwuiet... i'm hunting wabbits.

2. Wall :: The -- Floyd :: Pink

3. Killed :: Saddam Hussein ... hmmm, thinking so quickly as if this is Jeopardy, my mind came up with that dillhole. I don't know why. I'm not glad he was killed... he should be spending the rest of his pathetic life in prison... but I am glad, as everyone should be, that he was removed from power... unfortunately the powers that be sat on their collective butts for too many years and just allowed him to keep on ruling his country as he saw fit. What a shame that the world, in general, was a bunch of wussie cowards who would rather allow evil to reign than remove evil in the name of having more peace and giving more human beings a chance to live without fear and in freedom. There was no freedom for most Iraqi people under Saddam Hussein. Now the country has a chance. Very sadly, every life lost in the struggle for a free Iraq will have been completely in vain if the U.S. abandons that nation before there is stability. The world will become a much more dangerous place if happens.

4. Wishful :: Thinking ... I wonder how many came up with that. Amazing how two words sometimes go completely hand in hand.

Many kids in the world are wishful for a slice of normality in their lives when they have to deal with certain diseases, when cancer doesn't allow them to be a normal kid. Before this sentence I had to pause....... and again because it breaks my heart that people suffer whether it's by the hand of Communist/Socialist/Stalinist leader... or by something like Leukemia. These illnesses cause so much sadness. Someday they'll be eliminated. Somehow. But it takes money. Not government money -- it takes the funding of citizens and corporations because that money gets spent properly, at least a lot better than what a government does with money. Funny thing, though -- so very ha ha -- most citizens would rather make sure they spend on themselves because if someone suffers, hey, that's not their problem, right? Not until it happens in your family. Strange thing -- it's never happened in my family. No one's ever had to deal with any massively debilitating disease. Then why do I care so much? Because I'm a human being and maybe because some of us need to care more in place of the many who are so selfish. Selfishness sucks. Give. Help bring an end to cancers that can affect any of us. Help bring an end to cancers that don't allow a child to just be a kid the way every child should be a kid. Help those who do suffer have something in their lives that brings a smile to their face. Just help somehow.

5. Poodle :: No!!! Big, cool dogs only! And for God's sake -- do not put clothes on your dog, dye it pink, or put a bow in it's hair! NO!!

6. Sullen :: Buck up, little camper!

7. Do not disturb :: Hotel room sign

8. Philadelphia :: Pennsylvania

9. Anticipation :: Wanting, Waiting, HURRY UP!!!!

10. Sidewalk :: Yes ... I've been on one before, thank you for asking.


Ain't nothin' better to watch
than Looney Tunes!

China Sucks, Volume 1

Clicking the image will bring you to The Dharma Shop
where you can purchase Tibetan items
and/or learn more about Helping Tibet.

To help or not to help...

I can't imagine not having enough food to supply me with at least what I need.

There are some people who are perfectly capable of working some job to earn money to eat but they'd rather rely on the government for a handout... and that ain't right.

But then there are those who absolutely can't manage. And what about children who have parents who can't sufficiently feed the kids they have? Should those children suffer because of their parent(s)? No.

Sometimes I wonder what others think about those who have very little or even nothing to eat...

Living a comfortable life, spending all sorts of money on self, even spending often on items that are completely unneeded for living, whether it's a new DVD, a pack of cigarettes, a swimming pool for the backyard, or the nicer convertible rental car rather than the budget option...

is that way of living
more important than helping others?

is that way of living
more important than children who have no food to eat?

Hawkeye State Hodown

This Iowa Caucus deal I just don't get.

Reading about exactly how the whole confounded dilly of a pickle works (I didn't read at that link, I read somewhere else) I thought they were choosing delegates to go to the State and then the National Conventions where there they'd officially choose the person who'll get the nomination to run for President. And they're also choosing the candidates that they like most? Ya know what -- I really don't care. Maybe delegates are sort of synonymous with votes. More delegates were chosen for Obama so those "votes" will go to the state and national conventions to make it official? Some moronic crap like that.

Annnnnnnnyway... What happened to Bill Richardson tonight makes me feel a little bad for the guy. Having only gotten about 2% of the vote, he's well behind the other three contenders. This isn't really surprising but as far as the Dems go, Richardson I like wayyyyyy more than the other three.

I'm saddened that Edwards edged out Hillary. People of Iowa -- have you any brains? No one campaigning could be more of a phony than John Edwards. When you live in a 28,000 square foot home (no, that's not 2,800) that's worth $6 million dollars and you get $400 haircuts, I'm tellin' ya, that's not someone in the middle class I can identify with. In some ways he probably can be just a regular guy in a bar. But look, if he's so darn passionate about wanting to help the middle and lower class, why doesn't he do more to be able to identify with them? I'd be a helluva lot more impressed if he sold his mansion, freed his slaves, gave away to charity all the money he doesn't need to live a luxurious life, and moved into an average-sized, middle class American home in a working class neighborhood. I'd actually have some respect for him if he did that. He's still way wrong on so many issues... but at least he'd truly be taking a step towards making the case that he's on our side.

The winner of Iowa -- Barack Obama -- is also so wrong on so many issues. He actually supported allowing Saddam Hussein to keep on living his deceitful, dishonest, murderous, torturous, genocidal life. Hussein filled schools with weapons, not books. Contrast that with the tremendous opportunities the United States of America is giving to the 25 million citizens of Iraq. We're giving them a chance to be free.

Free.

We take our freedom so seriously in America. We treasure it and we bask in it and we want to preserve the hell out of it!

Why, then, is freedom for others not important?

It is. Obama clearly doesn't think so.

Hussein didn't think so. He didn't want to be a nice leader. He had every chance in the world to be a sane man, a President who did the right thing, or at least tried to. Instead he was evil.

He and his Baath Party made deals with the United Nations which allowed Iraq's ruling party to pursue much of what was needed for various weapons programs. They went behind the back of many countries which were in agreement about sanctions against Iraq... and some of those countries ::cough:: russia ::cough:: france ::cough:: germany ::cough:: they were even in cooperation with Hussein! President Dillhole bankrolled hundreds of millions of dollars, building luxurious palace after luxurious palace while living a lavish life.

Was that okay? No. All of his treasures came at the expense of his very own people who suffered. He hijacked the the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program for his own personal selfish gain. That's not what it was meant for. It was meant to help people that he ignored.

Oh, but he did win every election -- approximately 99% to 1%. Of course citizens were forced to vote for him or they'd go to prison ... but he did win.

Obama, by not supporting Hussein's removal, must have believed Saddam was an okay guy, at least okay enough to keep on being President of his country. Believe Obama and I guess we shoulda just left Hussein alone to do as he pleased. Right? If he wanted to fill mass graves, that was his choice! And if he wanted to pay the families of suicide bombers a reward, that was his choice!

Wait, so he supported terrorism, also? And Obama thought it was best to leave Hussein alone? I'm blown away by this thinking. Again, to ignore the plight of millions of people in chains -- immoral and unjust.

And that's my Democratic punditry for this evening. Probably for this whole year. Writing about politics is not my pleasure. Over the past two days I've done more than enough.

But one last thing -- what seriously bothers me about the whole process to have a candidate nominated -- American citizens in many states are discriminated against from having their opinion matter when it comes to choosing who runs for President. When the time comes for certain states to collectively make their decision, some candidates by then have dropped out. And sometimes the candidate is already chosen thus an American citizen's opinion can absolutely mean nothing.

Well, that's actually not that strange considering the fact that politicians make decisions time and time again that only a minority of people support. So long as lobbyists support certain agendas, no reason to let citizens have a say.

Anyway, it's not right that not everyone's opinion counts when it comes to choosing who runs for President. Until it's changed it's even a reason to not vote.

Leave Hitler Alone, Let The Jews Die

from www.iowacaucus.org

Today this great land takes its first significant step in electing a new President in November. In the great U.S. state of Iowa, residents have the opportunity to take part in their state's caucus -- some idiotically insane process to decide who will become delegates to go to the Republican and Democratic National Conventions where, theoretically, those delegates, along with delegates from the other states, will decide who will run for President from each party. These conventions are probably just a huge friggin' waste of money because each candidate will be known well beforehand.

Ron Paul, a "Republican" senator the great state of Texas, is basically a joke in this campaign so far. Thankfully he is no threat to become Bush's successor. But because the election is on the news like every hour of the day, and I watch the news almost all the time, and because, as much as I completely despise it, I try to stay on top of our nation's politics, the dang wackazoid can't escape my mind.

Turn back the clock to the time of World War II. Ron Paul's non-interventionist foreign policy might have him saying something like:

"No, England. No, Europe. We're not going to take part in your war. Unless Mr. Hitler directly attacks our shores, we will not intervene. We're going to leave Hitler alone. You will simply have to fight for yourselves. If Mr. Hitler viciously slaughters every last Jew, then so be it. We simply will not fight a battle to protect the lives of ANYONE, unless we are directly attacked here at home."

Of course that is just speculation but still, it sure makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

Going now Back To The Future in our DeLorean time machine... we have this little threat to deal with from one serious [there aren't enough mean names/curse words in the world to describe him] named Osama bin Laden plus all of his little terrorist suicide bomber wannabes who hate Christians and Jews and atheists and even Muslims who don't subscribe to their extreme brand of Islam. They probably hate Catholics and Mormons and Hindus and Sikhs, as well... and probably even the Amish! Oh, and freedom.

These people want to spread their way of life around the globe. There's no room for cohabitation with us. Our destiny in their minds? Pretty plain and simple -- Death.

Ron Paul's desired way to deal with this threat? Pull back ALL of our troops to within our very own borders, do not form any alliances with anyone, do not offer assistance or advice to anyone. Leave the nations of the world alone to deal with their own problems. No U.S. intervention whatsoever.

Isn't that wonderful! Those under attack from war or from a genocidal dictator, let them suffer and die. That's their own problem, not ours.

If we had a president that took that stance, well, just the thought of that is depressing the hell out of me. We're not just Americans here who need to look out for ourselves. We're all human beings. We are all neighbors. To let others suffer and not intervene is immoral and unjust.

Ron Paul isn't completely an isolationist, though, you see, he has a plan to deal with the potential threat of terrorism...

trade and cultural exchange.

Perhaps with fruit baskets and good tidings from New York and Hollywood, Osama bin Laden will like us and pledge not to hurt us. And all his little terrorist wannabe followers will oblige.

Yay! We'll be safe and all it will take is trade and cultural exchange.

Dennis Kucinich has said he's seen a UFO, right? Ron Paul was on board that alien craft. The little green men were in the act of deporting Ron Paul and unfortunately our planet is the one that got stuck with him.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's 2nd in command says:

found at www.freerepublic.com

Përshëndetje

How many people went out drinkin' for NYE?
Some stayed home and took it relatively easy?

I worked. Yay. Calls were up for a Monday night, that's for dang sure. Probably equal to any given Saturday. Twasn't that bad, though. I had a few minutes here and there to rest, check some e-mail and futz with my people counter. For the most part, NYE kept us pretty busy and gave us a lot of funny calls. I'd happily elaborate but I'm so spent right now, I seriously can't muster up any humor, or humour for you non-Americanos.

Within minutes from now I'll be sleepin' which bums me out but gonna be sweet relief! I'll be catching Zzzzzzzzz's until about 6 or 7 o'clock this evening. That ain't bad. Don't gotta work till Friday morning so I've got time to get back to a normal sleeping schedule. Flippin' from day shifts to night and back and forth and to and fro and so on, it ain't impossible but definitely a bit screwy.

In any freakin' case, coulda really used a beverage after work. The downside of working overnight and finishing the shift at 9 a.m. -- no bars open to go relax and have a pint of Guinness or Alaskan Stout. Orange juice just ain't the same.

Now there's loads of college football on.

Watching little girls play a man's game is not fun. Pass.

Also on is the NHL Winter Classic NOT from Buffalo like the announcers keep saying.

ORCHARD PARK, New York is NOT in Buffalo. But Orchard Park is where the former Rich Stadium is, a.k.a. Ralph Wilson Stadium (its current name) where the Buffalo Bills play... and where the Grateful Dead have played a few shows, a few of which I was at.

Very cool watchin' the NHL in a football stadium with 73,000 fans rather than indoors with only 18 or 20,000. Just too bad that little runty dweeb Bob Costas is anchoring the event. Worst sports dude ever.

Anyway... yesterday was Monday. Today is Tuesday.

What has changed? Nothing substantial. I can dig revelers partying like it's 1999... but celebrating? Celebrating what? I don't get celebrating having to put up a new calendar or remembering to write 8 instead of 7 after 200. That's nothing to celebrate.

Ahhh well... I'm done rambling. Bite me.

And when you're done biting me, Support Our Troops, alright? So many are away from the land that is their home, they're away from family and friends, and they're working so diligently to bring freedom to millions upon millions of people... and make sure those scum sucking Islamo-fascists don't set up their little dooshbag training camps where they train to kill you and your family. Don't need none o' dat, yo. Don't need no more training camps for hijacking idiots who hate freedom. So damnit, Support The Freakin' Troops! ....... [fighting the urge to keep rambling about the blog I visited earlier and still this person... urge won] ... this person STILL on January 1, 2008 is insisting Bush lied his way into the war... of course there was no evidence posted, just the statement, no reason why he lied, nope... man, crap that pisses me off. Impeach Bush!!!! Yeah, that's goin' real well, huh? Morons. People've got brighten up and I don't mean have a sunny disposition, I mean Get Smart and I ain't talkin' about Steve Carell or Maxwell Smart, I mean realize that mistakes were made about WMD but not lies and realize that Hussein did not leave office peacefully so he brought war upon him all on his very own. Damn dictator, that's what get! Couldn't be a nice respectable leader, huh? Couldn't play nice, have sanctions lifted, do what's RIGHT for your people? Nooooooooo.... so instead he got war to remove his ass and while things in Iraq have been horrible, they're better now. Many lefty people know that but they won't admit. And the worst STILL keep beating the drum of LIAR and TREASON and IMPEACH and BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW and we simply cannot just pull our troops out in cowardly Congressional defeat. The tragedies would be so horrible. The consequences would be on our shoulders. I'm shakin' my head thinkin' about soldiers who've had a limb blown off over there and what do some of 'em want to do? They wanna go back!!! They wanna go back and help finish the job over there. Smart soldiers and that ain't sarcasm.

Wow, that went on for minutes more than I thought it would.

I'm just gonna leave it at that and go to bed. Goodnight -- do you say that when you go to sleep at 11:30 a.m.?

08 Celebration of What, exactly?

WOOHOOOOO, it's 2008 in eastern Australia. Just a minute ago I watched the (still going on) fireworks there live on TV (on Fox News.)

But around the world, how does spending millions upon millions of dollars each every December 31st help people who suffer in poverty?

One of the saddest things I ever saw on television -- watching some of the celebrations at the Millennium, on ABC with Peter Jennings hosting, there was a correspondent in Eritrea, I think. At midnight for that Time Zone, he, the reporter, did a brief live shot from a refugee camp in the desert.

There was No celebrating. No one even clapping. No one was even seen. The tents were dark and quiet.

People there could care less that it had just turned from 1999 to 2000.

They could care less that it was now Saturday and no longer Friday.

They just wanted a place to live that was safe and without war.

Many just wanted food and water so they could keep living... and so they could keep their children alive, as well.

When so many human souls live in such horrible conditions, what exactly is there to celebrate on New Year's Eve?

The thought of this night -- it makes me so sad. It pains me... it literally hurts me.

What exactly is there to celebrate? Ya know what tomorrow is? It'll be Tuesday... just another day.

NYE is just an excuse to shoot off fireworks, have a party, and selfishly spend money without a single care in the world for the needless suffering of others.

Hooray.

p.s. i still wish happiness and good health to everyone in '08.

Peace, Love, and Support The Troops!

Do Something Or Shut The ... Up!

What good does complaining do?

Take an issue like, oh, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) voting to raise fares on New York City unlimited ride monthly MetroCards... or whatever the heck they're specifically called.

I'm sure many folks out there in the land of this whole interweb dealie are complaining to their hearts delight on their blog, folks like my favorite Brooklyn blogger Erica. She rocks, she puts up great post after great post with some wacky fun thrown in for good measure... she calls people dooshbag which I've adopted even though calling people names I don't especially care to do. But when I do, dooshbag's usually pretty accurate!!

In any case...

the way I see it, complaining on a blog accomplishes next to jack diddly squat. Well, I mean, you do have the chance to get something off your chest. I guess that's better than strapping a couple guns to your person (God, I hate that term) along with a few extra clips or magazines or whatever you wanna call the things that holds the bullets and going to some school or place of business or wherever people gather to start blowing random people away because you're mad as hell and you're just not gonna freakin' take it anymore.

Call me crazy but I guess any time that can be prevented, that's a good thing.

Alright, so a fare hike probably won't drive anyone to go to such extreme lengths but really, I wouldn't be surprised if it happened. Sad, huh? Annnnyway... mayhaps a complaint on your blog also garners some sympathy. "Woe is me, this bites and I'm kinda down about it but I'm also feelin' angry!!! And I wouldn't mind a cyber hug or two." Okay, that might work, as well.

What else does complaining do? Does complaining get anything changed? There have been times, though I can't specifically name any, when the power of bloggers became the power of the people and positive change took place. It can happen.

Let's look at the cold hard facts, shall we, straight to the numbers -- okay, I don't have numbers but seriously, compared to the sheer number of complaints posted each and every day to blogs of the world, how often does that alone bring about change? What's the percentage of positive outcomes? .000000000000002187004% maybe? Something like that, right? Give or take a few zeros.

What if, say, twenty thousand people complained to actual real live human beings, as useless as the people being complained to might truly be, using actual letters folded and put inside actual envelopes mailed using actual stamps? It's often difficult to be optimistic about positive change coming about... especially when you don't know if anyone else in the world is also going to speak out so vocally about the same issue that concerns you... and especially when you're dealing with the government!

"My one letter won't do anything," you might say to yourself.

Yeah, well, my one vote in an election won't do anything either. And if my one vote won't help get anyone new in office, then your one vote doesn't mean anything, as well. No one's one vote will make a difference. Hell, why doesn't everyone just not f-ing vote!?!?

But look, my vote plus someone else's vote multiplied exponentially, well then, we just might have a way to bring about change. Hmmm...

Okay, similarly but concerning... poverty, for example. It's great if 100,000 people say that they truly care about poverty in the world. It makes them mad and sad that children die of hunger...

but does caring alone get anything accomplished?

No.

You might as well just quit wastin' your time and just say you really don't give a crap. Inaction is all you're really about if you don't do at least a small part to help.

Back to letter writin' -- one letter plus someone else's letter multiplied exponentially, that could mean something. And no, not freakin' e-mail because in essentially one brisk click hundreds of e-mails can be deleted and never even opened. The same is true with letters, I suppose... but an actual letter is more likely to be read than some e-mail. It might sit on someone's desk just calling out to be reread. Maybe whoever you've written it to will put it in a briefcase and take it home and ponder it there. Stacks of letters makes a statement. How exactly do e-mails stack up on your office floor if they're all in one computer? An e-mail won't have that power to be so personal. You can put your emotions into an e-mail but on paper, in an envelope that's been personally addressed, they mean more. You have actually taken the time to truly reach out to someone to let them know how you feel. I know, doing an e-mail can also be taking the time to actually reach out to someone... but it's just not the same.

Look, don't just blog your complaint and think you've done your part. How is that actually trying to accomplish change?!?? You might think that's a good thing. You might feel better when you turn off the light at night to go to sleep or do whatever you do in the privacy of your bed... or on your webcam for the whole internet to see, hey, whatever you're into, I'm not gonna judge at the moment... all I'm a freakin' sayin' is COMPLAINING AND THAT'S THE END OF STORY will get NOTHING accomplished as far as bringing about the change that you want to see.

It almost makes sense that if you don't try your small part in fixing what you want fixed, then you have NO right to complain. But of course you have the right to complain, well, especially here in the United States of America. In Iran... or Cuba... or North Korea... not so fast there, loudmouth. People in those nations can't even complain much less actually do something to bring about change. The same was true under the Taliban rule in Afghanistan... and the same was true under Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Amazing, huh, not even being able to complain without fear of persecution. But here, as much as the Constitution is being "shredded" by our "idiot" President, you very much STILL DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN!!!

But wait, there's more!!!! It goes BEYOND that -- here you have the right to actually do something to bring about change. You might face huge odds and what you want to accomplish might never get accomplished at all... but complaining and leaving it at that means you're not even trying.

So, yeah, while you have the right to complain, if you don't do anything else other than that, just shut the ... up, capisce?

[sarcastic title withheld]

Friday night: stay out late wooohooooo!!

Saturday morning: sleep in!!!!!

Nope.

Work.

Another overnight shift it was, 9 p.m. -> 9:00 a.m. ... oh joy.

Since I got home around 3 hours ago, my trying to sleep has been a failure. I need freakin' sleep! I freakin' need sleep!

December 1. It's cold: -1°F (-18°C.) All i wanna do today is keep putting wood in the stove, veg out and do NOTHING. Laziness is good? No. Maybe once in awhile.

In About 360 Miles, I'd Reach The Beach

Is the freedom of Americans
more important than the freedoms of other human beings?

According to some Congressman debating the embargo against Communist Cuba on C-Span last night, yes, the freedom of American residents and citizens is what's most important. He kept bringing up over and freaking over the fact that the U.S. government does not allow Cuban citizens to travel back to Cuba more than once every three years, and that regular citizens can't go at all. That freedom is being withheld from us.

But the schmuck Democrat Representative McGovern barely addressed the fact that Cuban citizens are essentially prisoners on their island. People opposing the government -- they're prisoners in jail.

McGovern seemed more concerned with the rights of Americans rather than his fellow human beings who have very little rights whatsoever. I think he said it's not for the U.S. government to judge how the Cuban government treat their citizens... or some lunacy like that.

On the one hand, the embargo is a bad thing because if we were allowed to go there we could speak to Cuban citizens to our hearts delights about FREEDOM and they could have a PROPER REVOLUTION against the Communist government who keeps them (basically) in chains. But on the other hand, Communist Cuba has in the past sponsored terrorism and if the embargo was lifted, they'd have billions of dollars flowing into THE GOVERNMENT and not necessarily to the people -- what exactly would they do with that money? They are already best buds with that Socialist jerkwad Hugo Chavez and I bet Ahmadinejad wouldn't mind being a nice little part of that threesome, as well. Iranian nukes linked with Cuba so close to the United States? That may be far-fetched but is it seriously without a shadow of a doubt not a possibility?

The embargo does not hurt the Cuban people. They have what they need to survive. It's their repressive Communist government that hurts their people. If Bush is considered a "dictator" by some, then what exactly the hell is Castro? A nice man looking out for his people? They can't buy a nicer home. They can't just go buy a car. They can't buy certain foods because the government hordes them for themselves, for resorts serving Canadian and Spanish visitors, and for overseas trade. They can't just open a business in order to thrive better than they live now. They can't travel to Cancun or Mexico City, to Chicago or London or Montreal. They have no free media. They have no free voice. If you tell your friend that you hate Castro but your friend loves Castro and he tells an official what you said, you will go to prison. Last time I checked, that doesn't happen in the United States of America. People bitch and complain about Bush "shredding the Constitution" and how our rights are being thrown out the window. Give me a break. Seriously, come on, we are WAY above and beyond much freer than Communist Cuba. There the government works to control every aspect of peoples lives. It might seem like that here sometimes but when you look into it it's easy to see that in Cuba, citizens have very few human rights at all. Why is that okay? It's not. But it's America who's the bad guy? Look, it's not the United States who makes Cuba maintain a totalitarian police state. We're not controlling them and making them do that. That's under their own command.

Cuban citizens are prisoners but it's the freedom of Americans that certain politicians are concerned most about? What the hell?

Damn I hate life sometimes. It's so easy to understand how ignorant Americans can go about their Happy Go Lucky lives not caring about such things because they'll have no sadness about such matters. What they don't see, what they don't know about, what's the problem then? Not for them to worry about.

What if it was you who wanted to escape Communist Cuba to have a better life? Wouldn't you want others to give a damn and try to help you out somehow?

This should be its own post. Easily I could do 3,000 words on this subject because it bothers the hell out of me... and it should bother the hell out of everyone.

Man, all I wanted to do this a.m. was say: this morning I went for a run... OUTSIDE... as it's rather warm today...

· Run Time -- 13 minutes 33 seconds (+0:17)

· 25° F (-4 celcius) -- overcast, but 25 is now considered kinda warm!

· Total Running Time for November -- 1 hour 50 min 32 sec
______________________October --- ______57 min 06 sec
____(starting Oct. 1)
· Weight Loss Goal -- 24 pounds (11 kg)
__________· So Far -- 9 lb.

Yeah, once again: it was warm! It's like 16 or 17 degrees ABOVE average right now. When i looked at the thermometer I had to a do that classic double take to make sure it really said what I thunk it said.

I was mentally prepared to head on over to the Rec Center again... as I would for every run between now and about March... but with this temp I decided on hitting the trail.

Fresh snowfall in the past few days made it nice and soft. What a contrast to the hard running surface indoors. I added 17 seconds onto my run and if the day before yesterday was a 5 on the 0 to 10 Easy Scale, today was about a 7 -- relatively a piece o' cake. Adding on slowly is working just fine for me. I'm looking forward to 20 minutes but I'm in no rush to get there. Just wanna make sure I progress nice & steadily as well as easily.

I won't count on any more warm days. Today may've been just a fluke. Back to the gym tomorrow!

3 running tunes from my morning music...


The Fixx

Reach The Beach

1983






One Thing Leads To Another
The Sign Of Fire
Running
Saved By Zero
Opinions
Reach The Beach
Changing
Liner
Privilege
Outside

Mmm, cool stuff! This is the second album from this new wave/modern rock band from London, England. Two songs here -- One Thing Leads To Another and Saved By Zero -- are two of their few most popular. I've known those from way back. Great to hear 'em again. And the rest ranks right up there. Another excellent band healping to lead the way in England's post-punk days.

find a download @ Yesterday Lives On