Lite Blogging, Again

Sporadic blogging for the next week, I am going on a work trip to Napa and Sonoma, yeah I know real tough assignment. It should be great, I get to meet some winemakers and owners that my company represents, and Northern California is a wonderful place to spend any time in. I'll post some pics when I get back.

Losing A Great Journalist

David Halberstam died last week in a traffic accident, he was a journalist and writer of great talent. His Vietnam era reporting and books, "The Best and the Brightest," and "Quagmire," were some of the finest works on the Vietnam disaster. Halberstam had won a Pulitzer and in recent years had turned into a damned fine sportswriter. I got a chance to meet him after he lectured one of my PoliSci classes at George Mason in 1995. He was incredibly generous with his time and stayed for over an hour after his lecture to answer our questions. He was self-effacing and really fascinating guy. Halberstam was one of those great old-school war reporters who was instrumental in helping change public opinion about the war in Vietnam, he will be missed.

Some Impressions

I finally sat down and watched the debate from last week, and I have to say, Blaaah. Is this all we have to choose from? I know this is the first debate and all, but Obama looks completely unqualified and inarticulate, Hillary is still a calculating ice queen, and Edwards wasn't much better, and a guy who runs on the theme of two America's shouldn't be getting a damned 400 dollar haircut. The only guy that I liked was Bill Richardson, he stumbled a bit but I liked some of his answers, and he is by far the most qualified guy. Please tell me Al Gore was watching this and is going to save us from ourselves.

Blogging Break

I won't be posting until later next week, the wife and I are taking a little vacation. Some friends of ours are getting married in Naples FL, so we are headed to the land of palm trees, alligators, and retirees. Hopefully we will experiance some warm weather, this has been the coldest spring I can remember here in VA. After all the tragedy, and a very busy work week, it will be nice to not turn on the computer or tv for 5 days, hopefully.

Horror In Blacksburg

As I sit here watching CNN the death toll from the senseless killings at Va Tech continues to grow, right now it is 31 souls. This is absolutely shocking and I can't even process it. I have spent alot of time on that campus, and seeing news footage of a tragedy like this in a place you are famalier with is unsettling. My Dad, Uncle, Sister-in-Law, and many good friends went to Tech and the sleepy mountain town of Blacksburg seems like an unlikely place for a massacre like this to happen. The details are still sketchy but it seems that the gunman was looking to kill his ex and her lover and apparently as many others as he could find. What makes people decide to do things like this? My thoughts and prayers are with these kids families and the whole Tech community. What makes this country so prone to these mass killings?

So It Goes

Kurt Vonnegut died yesterday at the age of 84. Vonnegut was one of my favorite writers in high school and he has remained a favorite. His blend of satire, science fiction, and social criticism was always a joy to read, Breakfast of Champions and Slaughterhouse Five are some of my favorite works by a 20th century American author. Vonnegut witnessed the horror of WWII firsthand and his novels always had a strong anti-war current running through them. His disdain for rampant American consumerism was also a mainstay in his black satire that made me question things as a young reader. Vonnegut was a truly unique writer who will be missed. I think I'm going to reread Cat's Cradle for the tenth time. RIP Kurt.

Smoker's Rights?

OK, first of all I friggin hate cigarettes, secondly I live in Virginia which is the colony that tobacco built and my city of Richmond is the worldwide headquarters for Philip Morris the biggest tobacco company in the world. For the past three years a GOP legislator in the General Assembly has introduced a smoking ban in restaurants and public spaces, last year it failed by less than six votes and this year the Governor signed on, but it still failed. It will eventually pass, the public outcry in favor of the ban was vocal and to tell the truth surprised me a bit. Secondhand smoke causes cancer period, and the Governors support for the bill was to protect restaurant workers who are exposed to second hand smoke. This is something near and dear to me as I worked for years in restaurants and my wife's family owns restaurants so she is exposed to smokers. The "smokers rights" morons were all over this vote and were loudly decrying the ban. Screw that, you don't have a right to blow toxins in my face in a public place, smoke at home, in your car, or outside, is that so damned hard? Cities and states that have enforced bans have seen upswings in bar and restaurant revenues in almost every case. I say all this as a former smoker, I smoked my last at the age of 25, I'm 33 now, so its been awhile. If cities like NYC and Dublin can pass bans, I think we can get one here, I'm going to have to send more letters and emails next year.

The Scientists Speak

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is releasing their report on global warming and it is dire. Millions of miles of coastline threatened, melting polar ice and glaciers, intense storms and droughts, just for starters. Not surprisingly the report has been toned down thanks to some pressure from the US, China, and Saudi Arabia. Why is our govt so f'ing anti-science? You can argue about how fast the effects of global warming will be felt, but some of W's "scientists" deny that it exists. We will have had 8 years when Shrubs term is up, in which we have rolled back environmental protections and drastically increased our CO2 emissions. It will take alot of work to undo the damage that this administration has wrought.

Pot, Meet Kettle

So today while holding his little press conference in the Rose Garden, and criticising Speaker Pelosi for attempting, Gasp, diplomacy! W rebuked the Congress for being on vacation and not giving him the blank check he wants for Iraq. This from the cocksucker who has been spent 2 out of every 5 days during his presidency at his freakin ranch in Texas! Thats not even counting his days at Camp David. Absolutely incredible the shit that spouts out of this morons mouth.

Please Shut Your Trap

Jesus Rosie O'Donnell is an idiot. People like her make all of us Democrats and Lefties look like morons. I have no problem with her criticising Bush policy etc., but spouting off whack job conspiracy theories about 9-11 and how Bush caused it is asinine and counterproductive. The Right has kooks like Ann Coulter and Pat Robertson, and we get stuck with her. Rosie stick with what you do best, stand-up, and adopting kids, throw in an occasional barb at the GOP, but leave the nutter conspiracy stuff at home. Thanks.

Henry Kissinger, How We're Missing Ya......

Remember the old Monty Python song? Well guess what Bushies? The fat lady has sung, so to speak. Kissinger said yesterday that Iraq is not winnable and that we should begin pulling our forces out. Why do they insist on prolonging this thing, will it play out like the fall of Saigon? Will the stubborness and ineptness of this administration continue to bleed the armed forces and the treasury?