MudHoler

Change Happens ...

2008-06-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

... and so does divorce (the real enemy of marriage).

I'm not sure I can emotionally continue Mudholer here on this blog as everything has now changed. But I might continue my writing elsewhere. I'll let you know soon.

As Winston Churchill once said, “There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction”.

All Good Things Must ....

2006-11-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

Come to .... an open ended ending of some sorts.

You've got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing. - Arthur Ashe

I’ve loved the last twnety plus months of writing for MudHoler. During this period I’ve learned a great deal about myself, my life, MudHole, and the world around me. I enjoy this blogging thing. But, lately, keeping up with the posting responsibility has been a continual challenge, and the reality of life these days is that I simply need more time for my kids, my family, and my friends. So, with that being written, MudHoler will come to a bit of an extended vacation. I’m not putting it to an end, just yet, but I am relieving myself of the responsibility of frequent posts.

After the election in 2004, I was a lot more depressed than I cared to admit. I sincerely believed in the bumper sticker that stated, “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention!” And although MudHoler is much more than a political blog this site gave me a place to vent my frustrations and hope that my words could do some good.

Ultimately, this site also gave me a forum to explore some creative writing and communicate with distant family and friends. It has given me a wonderful opportunity to express my thoughts and fulfill a promise to myself to write more (as I’ve had a screen play running through my head for about ten years now). MudHoler has been incredibly helpful in working through the process of getting my thoughts out through my fingers and down onto something readable to share with others. With a bit more time, who knows what might be next .... that screen play maybe?!

So, after the election results from Tuesday started rolling in, I felt a great relief. I experienced a bit of a burden being lifted from my MudHoler shoulders. I’d like some of that time back now because life is good. The new house is really taking shape. There are a ton of fun yard work and garden projects still to start and finish. The holidays are coming up. The Smokin’ Hot Wife’s job is simply sky rocketing now. I’m enjoying doing a ton of cooking. I’ve recommitted to the gym (not that I ever stopped, it just has fallen to once/twice a week instead of my required three minimum). It is, after all, the middle of football season. And I simply don’t feel the need to put writing as high on the priority list.

Please understand, this is not necessarily the eulogy for MudHoler. I intend to keep writing on my thoughts and events near and dear to my heart. I will still link to things I think are unique and should be discussed. This little online journal of sorts will keep chugging along, just not with the frequency it used to have. In fact, for those who got tired of my political rants and raves, you might enjoy this site a bit more now. If you haven’t already noticed, it has already taken a turn toward the fun side and away from the negative that politics can put forth.

So, until the next time ...

For My Birthday

2006-10-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

I think I need to get one of these for my birthday.

For Those About to Blog, We Salute You

2006-10-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

New words have been noticeably absent in my blog. I have reviewed this pitiful output over the last few months. And I suck. My resolve, my willpower, has been ... elsewhere.

My yard looks good, though. All my sprinklers are in working order. The garage has stayed fairly maintained as we can still park two cars in it. I’ve been going back to the gym with much more regularity. I am dedicated there, no doubt.

I will admit, I’ve “thought” about blogging quite a bit. I’ve gotten quite close what with all the political fodder out there. I’ve had a lot to cheer for as my Wolverines and Detroit Tigers are doing very well. But....

Inspiration to put it all down, however, has been lacking. Hopefully, I can again rededicate myself here at MudHoler. First, I need a nap. Sleep, lately, has been about as easy as blogging.

I Believe

2006-09-19T08:12:00.000-07:00

I had my doubts. I’ll admit it right here. I just wasn’t confident that Michigan could beat the Golden Domers. I really didn’t think the defense could hold up through the fourth quarter. I had real doubts the offense would be able to throw downfield with any consistency.

But, this is a new year. This is Michigan football 2006. This is one of the most complete games against a substantial opponent that I have seen in a long, long time.

GO BLUE!

Go Blue Saturday

2006-09-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow starts an important new day. It is the start of the 2006 college football season and another round of cheering on the maize and BLUE.

Right now, everything is possible. Michigan could go undefeated, gain the Big 10 title, and maybe win the National Championship. It could happen.

I just got a call from best friend, Unka’ Tim. He is making his way to the game with a car loaded for tailgating. If you have never been to a big, college football game it is worth it at least once. I enjoy hanging out near the band building listening to the drum corp whip the crowd into a frenzy. I get a thrill joining the crowd marching behind the band up to the Big House. I like watching the teams rush the field and hearing the crowd grow crazy. The first day of Michigan football is a huge day in the year because it is full of football glory.

I hope the Wolverine D plays tough for all four quarters. I’d like to see a strong running game to support an exciting passing attack. I want to witness Michigan football at its best.

More than anything, I want this 2006 UofM team to prove that last season was just an anomaly. I trust this team is motivated to prove to the rest of the college football world that last year was an aberration.

Tomorrow, I wear the Blue hat with the big, maize ‘M’ and the Girlie will sing “Hail to the Victors” with me at each touchdown. And the Boy and I might throw some passes at half-time. Life is good again. Football is back.

Go Blue!

To Blog or Not to Blog. That is the question.

2006-08-31T12:51:00.000-07:00

Blogging has been difficult over the last month. I've been on trips to a wedding in Indianapolis, a week long work conference in Hollywood, and a fantasy football draft weekend in Las Vegas with my wife (and a handful of friends). And we all know what happens when you are away from the office for some time..... Blogging has not been a priority.

However, I have been keeping a list and have actually started a few posts that should find their way to the site shortly. I have no plans for the three day weekend and look forward to some quiet time with the laptop.

Rumsfeld's Misunderstanding of Dissent

2006-08-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism. -- Thomas Jefferson

...and Kieth Olbermann couldn't agree more. He doesn't blog often, but when he does, he is brilliant.

In response to Mr. Rumsfeld's speech to the American Legion the other day, Kieth's response is poetic .... and I loved the quote from journalist Edward R. Murrow at the end.

We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law.

We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were for the moment unpopular. - Eward R. Murrow, 1954.

The Lunatic Fringe at the Airport

2006-08-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

lunatic fringe
NOUN: The fanatical, extremist, or irrational members of a society or group.

It takes less time to do a thing right than it does to explain why you did it wrong. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I just returned from a cousin’s wedding in Indianapolis. It is always fun to reunite with family. However, this was a quick trip to see the people I love. It was hurried. There was very little time to relax. But, I had plenty of time to think. I thought this ...

It started at the airport, LAX. I hate being late. I don’t like to rush. I’d rather be early and bored than late and frantic. So, I got there real early. Good thing I did, too. I stood in a line for ATA instead of airTrans Airlines. It was a simple mistake. The two airlines were just two desks apart. I was comforted in my stupidity by the fact other intelligent folks made the same mistake.

Late and frantic. The Lunatic Fringe ... Most people at least attempt to leave on time. Most people attempt to park as close as possible to diminish the distance and time of walking. Most people wait until the last possible minute. At the airport, nearly everyone glanced at their watches to judge how far off the mark they were to their schedules. Eventually, as the lines took longer and longer to shuffle through, I watched as the fear of running behind crept into reality. By the time they got through the security corrals, they realized they were now quite late. Anger started to fester in their necks. Panic took over. They walked fast. Faster. Some lurched forward in a slight jog. Did they make it? I guess they did. They never showed up back at the bar where I enjoyed my people watching and newspaper. I am sure those lunatic people still succeed. They just look like lunatics. And at what price?

My way is to leave early. Depending on the flight (or appointment), it might be just a ten minute cushion or it could be up to an hour. It depends on the airport or appointment. See, I prefer to not deal with the hectic. I prefer calm. I’d rather watch the frantic, lunatic people than be a frantic person. Actually, I just don’t want to be at fault for whatever might happen (like standing in the wrong line). It is one thing to have a plethora of problems occur in life and deal with them accordingly. It is another to cause the problems myself. I don’t want the responsibility for problems. So, I just go early.

Think of it this way. In business, UPS and FedEx are making a killing off of lunatics and frantic people. We have become a culture of last minute, on-the-go convenience. Do we plan out the weekly dinners or do we pick up fast food on the way home? Do we casually fill the gas tank when it gets down to about a quarter a tank or do we wait until the light comes on and frantically look for the next station, no matter the price? Do we do the safe thing and buy tires for the car when they start to show the appropriate wear and tear or do we wait until they are dangerously bald? Do we shop for gifts at the last minute (like birthdays and weddings) succumbing to what they registered for out of desperation or do we take the time to find something appropriate and personal and tuck it away months in advance?

I believe there is a subtle difference between urgent (last minute) and important (planned). Urgent is always a cop out. It is simply too easy and justified in the minds of the lunatic people. Everyone can agree when something is urgent. Urgent trumps important everytime. Everyone gets heated over a crisis. Mistakes happen. People miss things. Urgent is easy because everyone agrees about Urgent. Urgent is vital. It is pressing ... Urgent sucks.

No, I’d rather languish in Important. One can have a beer or a glass of wine and still deal with Important. One can study what is right and correct with the appropriate amount of time. Important is weighty. It is central and valuable. Nothing about Important says late and frantic.

It is easy to justify panic when you are running to catch a plane. But in today’s culture it seems to be harder to justify simply getting up a half hour earlier to avoid the problem altogether. A stroll to the flight gate might seem like a waste of time. I see it as an important part of the travel schedule.

Room Addition

2006-07-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

I can't remember a time when I was able to park my car in a garage. I've had plenty of carports, but garages, not so much. Our old house had a single-car detached garage, but was used mainly for storage of countless boxes, tools, furniture, etc.

Now we have moved into a bigger house with a two car garage and an automatic garage door. In fact, my wife (the SHW) and I have been driving around sporting door openers clinging to our visors even though, technically, we still had too much stuff left over from the move sitting in the middle of the space. We couldn't, yet, park in it.

But Sunday, we became king and queen of a new room to our castle. I dedicated about four hours of cleaning and organizing to transform a habitual, family storage area into a working garage. The boxes are all stored in shelves and off the floor. The ladder is hung from hooks high up on the back wall. All my tools have found their way to appropriate places in cabinets along the side wall. The electrical extension cords hang on hooks. The kid's bikes have a parking spot. The golf clubs are tucked neatly away. The garden fertilizers and lawn care accoutrements have their own special cabinet, too.

At the end of the project, the space felt like a clean cave with a cool breeze blowing in from the back door. The dust and dirt swept out, into the dust pan, and thrown in the trash. Black Dog even enjoyed a brief nap in the middle of the cool concrete slab.

Ultimately, I had the honor of parking our dual silver vehicles into their new home. This morning, instead of walking out to the driveway to a dusty car with bird poop on the hood, I walked into the garage (to a dusty car with bird poop on the hood ... mental note: wash the damn car). I enjoyed the experience like it was the first time. It was the first time.

This is a welcomed change to the morning and evening routine.

Like Sands Through the Hour Glass, These are the Scars of My Life

2006-07-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory ... lasts forever. – Shane Falco in The Replacements

I have a scar at the tip of my left big toe. One day in the second grade, I was shuffling my way to sharpen my pencil. I wasn’t wearing shoes as it was winter and I’d left my boots by my coat where they could drip dry near the radiator. Somebody, probably that Dunbar kid, had sharpened a TinkerToy and set the flat end against the wall. As if lined up like a hammer on a nail, that little piece of wood spiked straight through to bone. The unusual part of the story, I didn’t know what happened. My toe hurt like crazy, but there was no blood. It was like this stick went in and the skin closed up immediately around it like nothing every happened. But, I could hardly walk home that afternoon. After soaking it in the tub, I convinced my mom that it was time to go to the doctor. The pediatrician gave me a numbing shot and then proceeded to dig out the TinkerToy. Since I could no longer feel my foot, I enjoyed his expertise with scalpel and tweezers. Mom had to leave the room and sit with her head between her knees for a while.

I have a scar on my left index finger. It reminds me of the summer I spent working the stage crew for a music camp in northern Michigan. I was cutting wood pieces, keystones and corner blocks, for stage flats. I was using a band saw and getting into a good, repetitive rhythm. Then I stopped being careful and the band saw hit bone between the last knuckle and the finger nail. It took me a long, long time to stop the bleeding.

There are two curve liked scars at the web part between my index and middle finger on my left hand. I was in New York City at the CMJ radio conference sometime in the later half of the 1980s. I had been drinking and I was at CBGBs. Enough said, I think.

I’m not sure it is still there anymore. But I should have a scar on my head from a fall forward onto a granite fireplace ledge. I was only about one year old. I’m told my dad wrapped me in a bed sheet, took me to the infirmary, and the nurse stitched me up. Supposedly, it receded into my hairline. Supposedly, I shall be seeing it again in the near future when my hairline retreats toward the top of my head.

I have a scar at the base of my right thumb. What is that game you play with a knife and your hand spread on a wooden surface?

There is a small slice from the tooth of The Black Dog. It is located halfway between the inside of my elbow and my wrist on my left forearm. He didn’t mean it. We were just playing.

And, I believe if one were to look really close, she would find a very small scar on both the left and right testicle. A doctor created those a few years back. I was very brave. And shaved.

Critical Drinking

2006-07-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

Do consumers take the world of beer seriously? Maybe it is because I live in California, but the mainstream news media seems very distant in comparison to the burgeoning media on wine. Most dedicated beer lovers I know seem fairly ambivalent about the ground gained in the craft beer market. I think we owe a great deal to the Anchor Steams, Sam Adams, Firestones, and Sierra Nevadas of the beer world in their continued efforts to show mass produced beer can still be real good (and further proving that the standard yeller beers are just ... Swill).

I used to frequent a place called Spikes in San Luis Obispo. They had the typical beers from around the world with a good emphasis on the California microbreweries. I say “had”, as Spikes still exists, only because I don’t go their much anymore. I remember the day when Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, my beer of choice, started showing up on-tap at other bars and restaurants, places with better food to go with my beer. It was a bitter-sweet time. My hang-out was in decline, yet now I could find good to great beer in just about any other establishment. That was fine by me.

However, to this day it is still difficult to find a good lambic beer without a dedicated effort. Lambics are from Belgium. I’ve always said if life dealt me a cruel hand, before I’d end it all, I would like to give myself completely to the ways of the Belgium monks who brew lambic beer as if it were the 16th century still today. Lambic beers are rather complex. They tend to be fairly fruit-flavored. They are delicious, no doubt.

And now, I find that THIS is happening in Boston in October. I simply MUST attend. Somehow, some way ... If this is the RETURN of the Belgian Beer Fest, how come I hadn't heard about this tribute to the nectar of the gods before?

Name Change

2006-07-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

From here on out in MudHoler, she will no longer be called The Wife. No. That doesn't EVEN tell the story. She will now be known as The Smokin' Hot Wife.

That is all!

Monopoly Debit Cards

2006-07-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

We've all played the game. Being the banker was fun, however, I always hated counting out the money.... two gold $500s, two yellow $100s, two blue $50s, and six, SIX green $20s, etc. Well, now there is no need to count out that darned colored money. The new games come with debit cards.

Go figure!

... or better yet, Do Not Pass Go figure! Ha!

Atlas Shrugged - The Movie

2006-07-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

The good folks at Lionsgate are making a movie of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Sounds like it is to be a trilogy.

... with Angelina Jolie as Dagny. Hmmmm.

There is a Place

2006-07-06T00:44:00.000-07:00

...an incredible place, a family place in northern Michigan. I don’t go back home very often. But I can always close my eyes and be there as if it was yesterday. The Lake is home. It is, and always will be, my sanity.

It is a place every child should spend time. The Lake is a place that once you visit, a piece of you stays there for ever. It is a place of peace. Sleep is an experience like never before. Most importantly, it is place to be a child.

My kids are there right now. They have been with my mom and dad for a week or so now. Tomorrow, I myself return to stare out on the water, to fish, to play, perhaps sail, and watch my kids as if they were my sister and me thirty years ago.

I’ll only be there a few days. But, the quick trip from California will be worth it to be a kid again.

Another blog post to enjoy

2006-07-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

I stole this post from kottke.org. But it is good....

Too Much Pablo Neruda

2006-06-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

Summer Distraction: A Poem

The days appear elongated.
Drawn out.
Perhaps, the summer solstice
Or the lazy, activities now around
Tempt this distraction.
Perhaps the recent obsession
Won’t let the mind move forward.

It is stuck in breathtaking.
Bliss.
Thrilling.
Heady.
All wonderfully stuck
Together and intertwined.
A gift.

The sun draws high.
The green grass at the park is there
For relief. Sleep.
The collared work shirt comes off.
The socks and shoes removed
To feel the grass.

The sun simply must distract.
The warmth soaks deep.
The breeze refreshes.
Yet, twenty minutes is not enough
To change the beautiful torment of the mind.

Lunch is soon over.
Back to work. Indoors.
The sun and the park again tomorrow?
Yes. It is best to let it go.

Fiddlesticks, Fishfuzz, and Father's Day

2006-06-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

Fiddlesticks: According to dad, it is what happens when the fiddle gets stuck.

Fishfuzz: The stuff that proves certain types of fish have reached puberty and/or they are now keepers.

I find it amusing. It is almost funny. June 18 is my tenth Father’s Day. It is the eleventh if you count the year I knew I was about to become a dad. It is a thought that still gives me pause. This "time does fly" thing does not escape me. I do realize all to well the natural acceleration of the perception of time.

If history provides any glimpse into the future, ten years from now The Boy will be known as The Son and I will be known as his lunatic idiot and somewhat goofy father (I’ve started practicing already, by the way). He will be full of self confidence. He’ll have at least some idea of where his passions take him in life. But when this happens, what kind of an adult is he to be? Will he stay the sensitive, caring person he is now? Will he be self-assured? Will he be a critical thinker? Will he be an architect or a musician? Will he ever put down the PlayStation and leave the house?

Ten years from now The Girlie is to be bound for a senior year in high school. That scares me to death. Will it be ballet or gymnastics? Cheerleader or drama geek? Dress designer or wine maker? Will dad still be the apple of her eye or, dare I say it, will there be other male influences of the boy idiot persuasion? Obviously, I know not much of girls having never been one and I’m not adequately prepared. Worse than that, I know boys. And THAT will ultimately prove to be this father’s greatest test, no doubt.

What will ten years bring? I have no idea. I never did get the handbook at the hospital when they were born. So my wife and I have been winging it from day one. Although despite our improvisational leanings, my wife has enjoyed the advantage of that natural mommy instinct. Moms are in tune from before birth. They have breast feeding and stuff. On the other hand, Dad’s from the instant kids are born are emotionally all thumbs. Oh, I think I acted the role of a life-time, worthy of an Oscar. When it comes to the dad’s role, Lee Strasberg’s got nothing on me. I act a phenom father. On the other hand, there is the off chance I may have already done some horrendous thing of which I still remain clueless to this day. But I am not worried. I am an "in the moment" dad.

Given all of that ... I can fight this universal daddy angst when I ponder what my father went through with me (and my sister). It puts me at ease to consider my dad successfully lived through these years, managing to raise two kids who turned out pretty well, with out a father of his own to reference. My dad never knew his father. He had a step-father for a while. But really, he didn’t have a history to fall back on. Though ultimately and to his credit, dad chose excellent role models. When it came to the day-to-day role of father, my guess is he just went with his gut.

I remember the day everything changed on us, my dad and me. It happened the moment my father became a grandfather, when he walked into my house to see his grandson for the very first time. The change wasn’t celebrated. The switch wasn’t even noticed. Obviously, the new, pink, happy baby boy was the center of everything at that moment. But something hugely understated took place. An event considered huge in my memory. A passing of time I’m not sure either of us realized had taken place.

I ... was the man now in charge.

My father no longer had the final word. He was not responsible for this happening. I had managed this all on my own. I know he was proud. He, gladly I might add, surrendered his family position to take a new one. Patriarch. Grandfather ... Papa.

Thanks, Dad, Papa, for that unspoken moment, one of many moments that has made fatherhood for me great adventure. When it comes to this immense responsibility of being a dad, I believe we are all groping around in the dark. However, I have learned quite a bit via osmosis. I’ve learned enough to know I can be a good dad without having to understand everything. I don’t have to know all the answers. That’s what Google is for.

Father’s Day is a celebration of instinct. It honors a dad’s life without the handbook. And it doesn’t hurt to have a sense of humor.

Why blog?

2006-06-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

Recently, I’ve been posed the question, “Why blog?” “What’s the point?” “Why you?” “What do you get out of it?” The answer isn’t an easy one to explain. But, I will try. But, before I explain this topic to death, you must understand the reasons have morphed quite a bit since February of 2005. Life has morphed, changed, grown, and MudHoler has gone along for the ride.

My original blogging intent was multi-faceted. Most importantly, though, MudHoler is about writing. I have never claimed to be a good writer. I write for work every day and am proud of my work. I probably spend close to six hours a day writing and re-writing marketing pieces for the architecture firm. My task seems to be an endless effort of finding new ways to say the same thing again and again with less words and more impact. I enjoy it. However, those words are not mine necessarily. They belong to the firm.

You’d think after all that writing for work the last thing I would want to do is write more in my free time. I never kept a journal before, so why now? The closest I ever came was a series of sketchbooks in college. But words? No. Never. Not me. Drawings, yes. Words, you must be joking. Look at me now.

I was in a bookstore the other day and picked up Naked Conversations: How Blogs Are Changing the Way Business Talk with Customers. I work in the marketing arena. It is important for me to be one with these marketing and public relations “trends”. This makes it sound a bit like MudHoler is some kind of experiment. I’d have to agree. While I write professionally (just one aspect of my job), MudHoler gives me a chance to creatively portray daily experiences. I can take off the ‘professional clothes’ and write what I feel.

I have something to share. No matter how few actual readers pass through the blog, MudHoler has encouraged me to branch out and tread a bit in uncharted territory. I can be a bit more polished. Or, I can ignore the writing rules and thumb my nose at Strunk & White. Either way, I have enjoyed and benefited from the writing process. At least in my head, writing this blog has cured me of a long list of writing hurdles and fears.

Or ... Maybe it is this ...

Interestingly, a large body of work over the last two decades has shown that writing regularly about one’s experiences clearly has beneficial effects on well-being and health. It even makes a measurable difference to immune function. Writing seems to have its healing effects whether the experiences written about are negative or positive ones. Thus the explanation is not as simple as a venting of otherwise pent up negative thoughts. I suspect that writing itself allows us to become more mindful of our thoughts, and at the same time take distance from them, replicating in a way the effects of mindfulness therapy or meditation. – from Happiness: The Science Behind your Smile by Daniel Nettle

That might well be a large load of crap. But I will say this: These posts have helped organize my thoughts. I am much more clear in my critical thinking by having put down a lot of these issues in this virtual world.

Another consideration has to do with a vague notion of letting people know what is going on my life. As anonymous as I try to stay with MudHoler, I personally know a number of the visitors. Friends and family read on a regular basis. So, this is a low-pressure way of keeping people involved in the small, subtle happenings of our household.

On a completely different train of thought, the MudHoler content is most interesting to me. Ultimately, politics is the easiest to blog about. I hold a great deal of respect for the blogs out there that create communities and stick their virtual necks into the places where voices are not welcomed but need to be heard. However, the best posts seem to be a mix of pop culture, family life, and casual observations of the world around me. Throwing myself out in the mainstream politics with a vain hint that my words may convey some sort of actual influence is silly. Only, one CAN dream. I don’t dare compare myself with the big political blogs. But, it is nice to get all the political venom of the day off my chest sometimes.

Additionally, the unique aspect of blogs is illustrated in links. I try and post original writing as much as possible because those are the most rewarding. However, I enjoy the aspect of linking to other places of personal importance. These links and blogs/sites listed to the right are yet more clues into what I find amusing, interesting, and important. Take that for what it is worth, I guess.

Essentially, for me, MudHoler starts and finishes with conquering writing demons. And, it seems to be less and less demonic as the months go by. If I happen to change the world while posting, all the better.

On my drive to work today I turned off the morning sports-drive radio show and thought long and hard about “why I blog”. Given the above, you know about as much as I do. Although, maybe Thomas Edison new a bit about the future of blogging...

Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress. - Thomas Edison

I hadn’t thought about restlessness and discontent ... Hmmmm!

Feng Shui - Superhero

2006-06-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

We have hit the “we’re in the new house and almost emptying the boxes” phase. Now what? Where does all this crap go? Do we really want to keep THIS? We should get new living room furniture. Paint the bedroom…soon. But what color? The old brass fixtures in both bathrooms need to be replaced. New flooring is a must. We need lighting in the ..... aaahhhhhhhhHHHHHH!

It is the main reason we drink more these days. Although, I must admit, my wife and I have rarely disagreed on much. I keep waiting for the big disagreement about something, but we both are on the same page about most of our design and decorating ideas. We are simpatico. We have “chi”. And we haven’t really called for Feng Shui to the rescue, yet.

Feng Shui is more of an experience than a design philosophy. Quite literally, Feng Shui means “wind and water”. It has more to do with life aesthetic and energy (chi) than simple interior and/or landscape design.

If Feng Shui was a superhero, my kids would be her arch enemies. Feng Shui stands no chance against the evil nemesis Pink Plastic Girlie or the casual, scientific genius of Boy Thunder. Pink Plastic Girlie commands all of girlie world. There is no room that is completely clean from: the unsightly deposits of indestructible, perdurable pink and purple Polly Pocket pieces; nude Barbie dolls; and the occasional small, white stuffed animal. Boy Thunder controls the evil empire of all Hot Wheels, Lego, and Bionicle pieces. Anything electronic simply bows to the knowledge of this ten year old boy’s mind. PS2 games, DVD players, and GameBoys jump from room to room at his whim.

Feng Shui controls more than just wind and water. It is rumored she wields a balance of power in fire, earth, and metal, too. She is from Chinese decent and follows strict guidelines of Heaven-Earth-Humanity to exert subtle design preferences and a healthy respect for nature. She believes that nature created itself and should be venerated as a strong source of life. Her path is clear: respect experiences, learn from the past, understand both science and theology, and combine it with aesthetics. She is my super hero of choice. You’d think she could rule in our MudHoler house.

However, Feng Shui stands little to no chance against Pink Plastic Girlie and Boy Thunder. They are two powerful counter forces against her. To live in a house divided against itself is simply too strong for the melodic ways of Feng Shui. Oh, my wife and I have tried. We’ve started in our bedroom, one of the few places in our world where the powers of the kids have little to know effect. There, we have embraced the Feng Shui concepts. Our bed is, indeed, “situated in the opposite corner from the door. There is a clear view of the door from the sleeping position.” In our bedroom, Feng Shui is invisible but everywhere around us ... like air ... or the sound of the wind chimes through the balcony.

But the rest of the house? Please ... not a chance in MudHole.

Ear Candy

2006-06-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, I read about a security company in the UK. They were using high-pitch / high-frequency tones to annoy the hell out of young kids who hang around certain business. They called it The Mosquito. See, the young kids hear these tones while most of the older folks cannot. Crazy? Not really.

NPR recently reported the kids are using these high-frequency tones as ring tones on their cell phones. That way they don’t get caught using their phones in places like the classroom (although my first thought was simply they could switch the ring to vibrate).

I am proud to say I can actually here the tone. It sounds like white noise for dogs. Also, in using the scientific method, tests with others around the office proved it did indeed work.

Dinner Table Conversation (?)

2006-06-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

The FDA recently approved the Gardasil vaccine. It protects women against cervical cancer and some sexually transmitted diseases. Hurray! However....

It costs nearly $400 and it needs to be given, by injection, to girls before they become sexually active. It is recommended to be given around the age of twelve.

Also, because it is a vaccine, there are potential issues about long-term effects.

So, let’s see how THIS conversation is going to go at the dinner table. Somehow I think dads (and moms, too) are going squirm at the thought.

Big Splash

2006-06-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

LOVE HER!

On Board with Apple

2006-06-02T13:03:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen Al Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth, yet. I will, no doubt about it. So, lately, I have been reading quite a bit about the movie before I go.

I'll admit and am proud of the fact I am a Mac guy (and I really dig the new Mac commercials with Justin Long, the kid from that NBC show, Ed). Funny thing, in the movie Gore's presentation was produced with Apple's Keynote....For those not in the know, Keynote is to the Mac as PowerPoint is to the PC. Only Keynote is better and allows for more creativity (sounds like an Apple commercial)....I'm going to enjoy the movie even more, it would seem.

I'm on board with with Keynote and with Apple. So is Al Gore. In fact, he is on the Board.

UPDATE: I just had a wonderful thought. If indeed Al Gore decides to run for President and if indeed he wins, then maybe he'll push the agenda of making Macs the official computer of the United States (in the same way Bush is pushing the official language as English). It would be consistent with the rest of our American workings....like how we use feet/inches instead of the metric system....and how we favor degrees Fahrenheit instead of Celsius. Yeah, that's it. Let's ALL go Mac. Let's make it official.

Divorce, the Real Enemy of Marriage

2006-06-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

I am furious with Bush’s political agenda of discrimination and his pushing for a Federal Marriage Amendment. Does he not understand this measure actually threatens the freedom of all Americans because it denies the civil rights of a whole group of individuals. If we allow THIS, then who is next? ALL Americans deserve equality under the law. Writing discrimination into the Constitution is simply wrong. What we really need is an amendment that specifically bans President Bush from doing any further damage to our Consistution.

So, President Bush, stop catering to your right wing buddies and the far-right conservatives, and start showing respect for all Americans, not just the ones with which you agree. Your job is to protect the Constitution, not skew it to favor select citizens.

And, Members of Congress, if this President is indeed willing to promote eliminating the civil rights of gay and lesbian Americans, then this responsibility now lands with you to defend the rights of the people...ALL of the people. According to the news, it sounds like this won't get through Congress. It better not. You must oppose this Amendment. This attempt to amend the Constitution simply to deny freedoms to a minority of Americans is an attack on the equality of all Americans.

I'd Smack Bill O'Reilly, but Shit Spatters

2006-06-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

... and Kieth Obermann smacks Bill O so much better than I... I actually stopped to watch Mr. Olbermann and his continued (and justified) obliterating of Bill O'Reilly.

Never have I seen an anchor on TV demolish another host in such an eloquent way. I admire Keith Olbermann more and more each day because of his humor and class. (I even listen to the hour on sports radio where he joins Dan Patrick on ESPN.) His tar and feather of O'Reilly was a memorable moment, no doubt.

The response to Bill's recent "mistake" should be viewed by all WWII vets who still think O'Reilly actually "supports our troops." This should clearly illustrate to all Americans how idiots like O'Rielly say absolutely anything the want, no matter how wrong, to defend their indefensible positions.

The key to the fight against people like O'Reilly is to push and PUSH BACK HARD. Idiots do not do well went confronted with courage and accountability. KO has shown us the way. Rock on Keith Olbermann. Rock on!

Homophone Home Sacarcasm

2006-05-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

This should go all the way to the halls (hauls) of the Capital. (Or is it Capitol?) It should be discussed (or disgust). People must come to their senses. (or is it census?) I read (red) recently where (wear) California may soon require textbooks to feature the contributions of gays and lesbians throughout history. This would (wood) never happen in a red (read) state. I'll bet the local Parish (Perish) gets involved.

Well, soon is already here (hear). Can you believe it?! MudHole Unified is already teaching homophones in the second grade. Something must be done. When it comes to kids in school, it is the principal (principle?) of the thing.

Never mints (mince) words.

Did I miss won (one)?

Courtney Love, Meet my Dad. MudHole, I'd like to introduce you to Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart, you already know Hercules.

2006-05-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

We suffer as a society and a culture when we don't pay the true value of goods and services delivered. We create a lack of production. Less good music is recorded if we remove the incentive to create it. - Singer Courtney Love (2000)

...not that Cortney Love knows what is right with the world. But she brings up an interesting point.

My father loves the Wal-Mart Superstores. He often states with enthusiasm the price of turkey bacon at Wal-Mart in comparison to typical grocery store chains. He saves almost 20 or 30 cents on that turkey bacon. As a coupon shopper, I get that savings. My dad is right. It adds up. Dad is a Depression era child. Frugality was a common buzzword throughout the Depression. Families spent as little money as possible on their bare necessities. Americans of more recent generations could learn a lesson here (I'm talking to you big SUV and Hummer drivers of the world). It does, indeed, pay to be a bit thriftier in the ways of spending habits.

However, I am not a big fan of Wal-Mart. I’m not much of a fan of any big box stores. I try to use the local hardware stores in lieu of Home-Depot as much as possible. I feel a small amount of guilt with every dollar saved at CostCo. And yet, saving money is just that, saving money. Saving money is a good trait, is it not? We could all use a bit of frugality in our lives. The big box stores offer a hint of the frugality I'm looking for. But are the big box stores good for the community? Some of them are, I believe. Wal-Mart ... not so much.

WalMart, brings other issues to a community. A year or so ago, a UC Berkley (2004) study showed that when Wal-Mart enters the economy of a community, retail worker's wages drop close to 31 percent. Many Wal-Mart employees are forced to depend on food stamps and Medicare. The study shows it costs California taxpayers $86 million annually on government assistance for California Wal-Mart employees.

MudHole has a big decision to make. It seems a WMSuperstore is on the way. The debate is just getting started in my community. The city managers are circumventing the city council and wooing the store into our borders. The city council is very apprehensive and a bit un-nerved. MudHole...I give you Hercules!

Hercules, if you remember your legends and myths, saved the local townsfolk from the wrath of the mighty Hydra by chopping off the heads (all nine of them) one by one. Well, Hercules (this time the town of Hercules), California, has chopped of the first head of the mighty Wal-Mart. They used the new rules in eminent domain to clamp down the spread of the chain. The city council of Hercules voted unanimously to condemn the site, thus forcing the world's largest retailer to abandon the project.

It is just a first strike, but a smart one. It is not over for Hercules. The retail giant has deep pockets and a couple thousand lawyers. But I do admire the creativity and genius of the action.

One way or the other, I feel there are better ways for my community to generate revenue. There are also alternative ways to be frugal without feeding a corporate giant and supporting the local little guys.

Bush and the Altruistic Motive

2006-05-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

Every major horror of history was committed in the name of an altruistic motive. - Ayn Rand

So, this leak from within ATT announces that Bush and the NSA can have all the access they want and not just a simple list of who called whom. They can phone tap just about anyone they want and for any reason. Obviously, the other service providers have fallen in line, too. No one is safe. All they have to do is put forth some miniscule fear and button pushing regarding "terrorists" and "security" and we all roll over without a fight for our personal rights.

I have no doubt that the next election will be tapped. I suggest the progressive movement get conversant with Morse Code, learn Navajo, use smoke signals, and/or go back to snail mail (where supposedly it is still illegal to open personal mail). Allowing the Bush administration to listen in on anyone and granting them unfettered access is like handing a 17 year old kid the keys to the shiny, new sports car in the garage and telling them not to drive it while you are away on a two week vacation in Europe. You know that kid is going to drive it. It is too hard to resist. Bush has done nothing to earn my trust. This entire administration has deception all around it. I know he is going to drive that car. Period.

However, if the Bush administration is allowed open access to our lives I suggest we reciprocate and push the transparency in government buttons harder. If you want to see everything about MY LIFE, then I want to see what YOU are doing, too. My taxes pay your salary. I want to see what you are doing with my money. In fact, let us all just take it one step further. If the FBI is allowed to randomly go through a Senator's mail and such, then I believe all the Senate members should be allowed access to the correspondence between the Whitehouse and the NSA/FBI/CIA.

I'm just sayin'...

Virtues and Vices

2006-05-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

In regards to the President, the Democrats should steer the political argument toward the Churchill way of thinking.

He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Why wouldn't this sit well with the average 'merican?

Quote This ...

2006-05-11T22:43:00.000-07:00

"Attention to health is life's greatest hindrance." - Plato (427-347 B.C.)

"Plato was a bore." - Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

"Nietzsche was stupid and abnormal." - Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)

"I'm not going to get into the ring with Tolstoy." - Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

"Hemingway was a jerk." - Harold Robbins

.....

"Go Figure!" - Mud

Sarcasm is just another service I offer here at Mudholer.

2006-05-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

So, the latest deal with the President is that he has spawned another war. It is a war between the CIA and the Pentagon. THAT... is just what we need.

After all, he is the WAR PRESIDENT.

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It's good to be back.

Overcoming Moving Hell

2006-05-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

It's not what you accomplish in this life that matters, it's what you overcome. - Golfer Jonny Miller

Death to a blog is sudden inactivity. However, SO MUCH has happened over the last month to the Mud household that I now have a plethora of new things to share. So, if you think MudHoler has disappeared, you would be wrong. We have simply been swallowed up in Moving Hell...

...from one MudHoler house to another one. The new house is within sight of and a hop, skip, and a jump to the Mud. The MudHole is a beautiful, little lake with a park and a zoo and bike paths and ducks and fishing. There are joggers and dog walkers. The MudHole hosts a lot of activity to be utilized by this family. I need to buy a boat.

We are all just this week emerging from a landslide of boxes and have taken the flattened cardboard to the giant recycle containers at the dump. The only boxes left to unpack contain vast quantities of CDs and DVDs. We don’t have a cabinet for them yet.

We aren’t completely moved in, but we have all turned a corner and hardly think about the old house anymore. I’ve even stopped driving by the ol’ place. I no longer have a need to know what the new owners are doing to it (or not doing to it, more likely).

We now have internet access again. Turns out we had it all along but had plugged the DSL into a jack that was for a deactivated second line. Who knew! We’ve said that kind of thing a lot.

We have ordered the new dining room furniture and thinned out a couple of tons of old furniture that has lost function in our new world.

The garage now has enough room for one of our cars. When the remaining furniture is gone, I shall be able to park my car. That will be the first time in... since... How pathetic is this? I have never parked my own car in a garage. Ever! I can’t wait.

I’ve researched spa maintenance. The spa supposedly works just fine. However, it has been left half full of water for most likely a year. This is the weekend of spa rejuvenation.

The house came with a raised bed, irrigated garden. There has already been a flurry of weeding and planting. The corn didn’t take, but we are all looking forward to tomatoes, soy beans, and strawberries. There is still quite a bit of room for more. We shall see if there is still time in the schedule this weekend.

I have pruned and sprayed the fruit trees. The Pippin Apple tree looks the healthiest. The aphids look like they attacked the others. The spraying helped some. We shall see if the others, a pear and a plumb, produce any fruit. I haven’t seen the birds attacking them yet. The pear tree is a lost cause, I’m afraid.

I could go on and on. And I will. MudHoler is back. It feels good.

I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message.

2006-04-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

I’m taking a vacation (from work at least) in a week from Tuesday (at 5 p.m. sharp). However, an actual vacation it will not be. We are moving from one MudHole house to another. More specifically, we are moving from a one bathroom / two bedroom bungalow to a two bathroom / three bedroom 70s style house on a hill. I hope the bathroom thing is not lost on you. THAT has been the number one issue.

Quite honestly, we are moving closer to the actual mudhole… four houses from the mud, to be exact. We all are rather excited.

So this is the part where I exclaim that I will not be blogging much in the next few weeks. My life is to be consumed with packing, transporting, and unpacking. As much as I would love to jump on the political bandwagons available to me, given the recent turn of events, this is the time where I must be totally devoted to a tremendous move. I trust my fellow bloggers can carry the torch in my stead.

I will say… family is everything. I treasure these moments. This move, only two and a half miles away (and closer to the mud... did I mention that?) is going to be family therapy for everyone. Not that we need much, but hope is on the immediate horizon.

I’ll be back soon…… Mud

Free Beer, Bingo Night

2006-03-31T21:45:00.000-08:00

There used to be a local band that played a rock-a-billy, punk country thing. They were a blast. They called themselves Bingo Night. It was fun showing up early to watch a few adventurous elderly women walk in the club to play some bingo. Then a band came on stage. They were usually taken a bit off guard by a punk version of Walkin' After Midnight.

There was also a band, rumor has it, called Free Beer. I don't recall where they called home. I think it was Denver. I'm probably wrong. But I always said, those two bands were meant to be together in a double bill. Bingo Night, Free Beer! One Night Only. Imagine the old ladies and college students..... what fun!

Now, my best friend emails me this.....

Ohio U. to reimburse Michigan student for destroyed bike

ATHENS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio University says it will reimburse a graduate student from southwestern Michigan for the bicycle that was destroyed after officials mistakenly believed a sticker displaying the name of a punk band was a bomb threat.

The band's name is This Bike is a Pipe Bomb. The sticker on Patrick K. Hanlin's bike, chained outside an on-campus restaurant, led authorities on March 5 to shut down four buildings on campus, block off streets and summon a bomb squad from Columbus. The bomb experts destroyed the bike to find no bomb inside.

Athens is about 65 miles southeast of Columbus.

I doubt this will ever be a triple bill. Thanks, Tim, for the heads up.... but if This Bike is a Pipe Bomb comes to California, let's hope they play at a club far, far away from LAX. But let's go anyway.

My Mayan Ancestors Rocked!

2006-03-29T21:43:00.000-08:00

According to David Byrne, my Mayan ancestors enjoyed the occasional hallucinogenic enemas. Yes, I said hallucinogenic enemas.

My reading material tells me that the Maya took hallucinogenic enemas. Amongst the materials found at digs and matched to images on walls or codexes were leather and/or rubber tubing and narrow bone funnels for inserting up the bum. Through these would flow pulque (a fermented agave brew) or chih (dunno what this drink is)…or hallucinogenic teas. The Huichol (central Mexico) still do this with infusions made from Peyote buttons. No pictures available.

I tell 'ya, given all that is going on right now, that sounds rather fun and maybe relaxing!.... maybe.... not!

My Grandfather would be so proud. (Sorry, Mom!)

Although, if you haven't hit his link to the right column over there on this MudHoler site you really should read David Byrne's blog posts. He is a weekly read for me. I have a tremendous amount of respect for this man. Plus, his music was (is) inspirational to me. As a former college radio/alternative rocker (and Program Director of KCPR) in the late 80s and early 90s, David Byrne and the Talking Heads were staples in the repertoire. Now, he continues in my weekly blog repertoire.

99 Bottles of Beer in the Tub

2006-03-27T12:57:00.000-08:00

For my next vacation, I plan to indulge in vast quantities of beer. I intend to drink a few, too.

This Post Will Improve Your Text Life

2006-03-23T12:19:00.000-08:00

WHOA NELLIE!

Keith Jackson, collegiate sportscaster with a memorable style, is retiring. Didn't he do this once already?

Never the less, Jackson has a unique color commentary style that is fun to imitate. The folks over at The House Rock Built have put together another opportunity with a wacky version of Keith Jackson Mad Libs.

It is way mad fun. Here is mine:

Whoaaa, Deloris! Have we got a donnybrook! It's third and ten, sorry, make that fourth and 2, and UCLA is in striking distance after a thinking pitch and catch that netted 4 yards and resulted, actually, well it actually resulted in a gain of 99. The receiver took that ball and ran like he had a coffe mug full of aisan flan strapped to his air conditioner. Now let's see what Madden has up his sleeve. First down, and here's the snap. A quick pitch and he slashes for 6. Boy, that back is one furry basket of putty knives. You think you have him socksed up and he spears over you like a saber tooth tiger going after a top sirloin! And it looks like we're out of time, so they will fall to... no, wait a minute, it's a touchdown. It's a touchdown apparently. He sashayed through the pile and shploited into the end zone for the score right as the clock croaked. And that's the way it will end, in a tie, as overtime, as you know, does not exist in College Football. For Dan Fouts, I'm Keith Jackson, wishing you a pleasant President's Day.

My Vote for Google Idol

2006-03-21T17:15:00.000-08:00

Google Idol is fun. Check it out.

I'm voting for Pomme and Kelly. Vote now. It doesn't cost a dime. It'll make you smile....

Silence is Not Golden

2006-03-18T21:34:00.000-08:00

...[non-violent] non-cooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good.
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We are at the third anniversary of the Iraq war. At the beginning, I was one of many (or maybe only a few) who verbally stated my opposition to the war. Some of us considered the President’s reasoning and justifications flawed, to say the least. Time has only provided proof of our opposition, while the reasoning and justifications have shifted for our leaders.

I have never understood the rally cry, “If you are not with us, you are against us.” Those who utter those words seem to believe my opposition to this war is unpatriotic. I fear those who believe in this simplistic stance are blind to true patriotism and what it means to be an American.

I am a proud American, proud enough to speak up against leaders who show cavalier disregard for cultural differences. I will not tolerate an American bully. Part of being a patriot is standing up and pointing out the difference between patriotism and (thug) nationalism.

As we reach a milestone in our occupation of Iraq, for the record, I’d like to state, this is not a war I chose to fight. And as long our leadership insists on fighting this war in the name of all American citizens, I must say no and put aside any hint of silence.

To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of human beings. - Abraham Lincoln

We Packed Up the Future

2006-03-17T21:54:00.000-08:00

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. - Alan Kay, computer guru

I haven't posted about our impending move. Don't worry! We are staying in MudHole. We simply seek a slightly larger house with a second bathroom. It would be nice if the potential house offered a bigger kitchen, a place to host a dinner party for at least ten, and a kids play room that didn't double as the formal living room. But, really, it is the second bathroom that drives the move.

So, since the house is NOW on the market, we have been packing up things we normally would keep handy. If we really don't need it in the next two to four months, then it is packed up and taken to the storage unit. The library of books was on top of the list. The Girlie was tremendous help last weekend in dusting off and boxing up all our wonderful books, all twelve boxes of them.

One of the best parts to packing books is revisiting all my friends. With one of my old favorites, I ventured into a bit of "Bibliomancy" or "Stichomancy". That is fortune telling with books. It is a practice of blindly opening a book and pointing to a paragraph. The passage you identify is your fortune. The quote to which my finger landed?

Marriage is a serious matter on which rest the security of the family and the stability of the state. But marriage can only maintain its authority if extraconjugal relations are not only tolerated but sanctioned. Prostitution, my poor Louisa...
- The Razor's Edge, W. Somerset Maugham

I'm glad I don't believe in witchcraft, tarrot cards, crystal balls, or ... bibliomancy, either.

Undivided He Posts

2006-03-17T20:48:00.000-08:00

I've been catching up, lately, on some of my favorite blogs. I havent been here in a long time.

If you are a parent, read this. It is one of the best blog posts I've ever read. Brilliant!

Bush, St. Patrick's Day, and Guiness

2006-03-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

In honor of this special holiday...

President Bush decided to to start drinking again in honor of St. Patrick's Day. So he traveled to Ireland and walks into a pub. He clears his voice, squints a bit, and in his cowboy way speaks to the crowd of drinkers. He says, "I hear you Irish are a bunch of hard drinkers." He pauses and bobs his head like he is proud of this knowledge. "I'll give $500 'Merican dollars to anybody here who can drink 10 pints of that Guinness back-to-back." The room is quiet and no one takes up the President's offer.

One man even leaves. Thirty minutes later the same gentleman shows back up and taps Mr. Bush on the shoulder. "Is your bet still good?", asks the Irishman.

Mr. Bush says "Yeah!" and asks the bartender to line up 10 pints of Guinness. Immediately the Irishman tears into all 10 of the pint glasses drinking them all back-to-back.

The other pub patrons cheer as the President sits in amazement.

Mr. Bush gives the Irishman the $500 and says, "If ya don't mind me askin', where did ya go for that there 30 minutes?"

The Irishman replies, "Oh...I had to go to the pub down the street to see if I could do it first!".

My Guiness awaits. At 5:30, I will celebrate the holiday.

UPDATE: On a sad note, today is the last day of McCarthy's, a San Luis Obispo institution. McCarthy's will continue in memory only... many, many, many memories. I hope they find a way to relocate the bar again. I'll be one of the first in line. Even if that means I need to be there at 6 a.m.

Blogging is to Journalism, as Home Brew is to Corporate Beer

2006-03-17T13:01:00.000-08:00

I LOVE this analogy.

Glenn Reynolds makes that analogy about journalism and home brewed beer in his new book, An Army of Davids. Analogies can be shot full of holes, but I like this one. The article/review in the Economist says,

JOURNALISM is like making beer. Or so Glenn Reynolds says in his engaging new book. Without formal training and using cheap equipment, almost anyone can do it. The quality may be variable, but the best home-brews are tastier than the stuff you see advertised during the Super Bowl. This is because big brewers, particularly in America, have long aimed to reach the largest market by pushing bland brands that offend no one. The rise of home-brewing, however, has forced them to create “micro-brews” that actually taste of something. In the same way, argues Mr Reynolds, bloggers—individuals who publish their thoughts on the internet—have shaken up the mainstream media (or MSM, in blogger parlance).

Few mainstream journalists would deny that the blogosphere keeps them on their toes. Make a mistake, and a swarm of furious pyjama-clad scribes will pounce.

I've often thought the main stream media stopped going for quality when they were put under the entertainment divisions in the network organizational charts a decade or so ago.

To further the point, The Project for Excellence in Journalism has just released its annual report on American journalism: The State of the News Media 2006. The report is the third edition in the annual effort to provide a comprehensive look each year at the state of American journalism. This is an excerpt from the conclusion:

In the first two years of this report, we sensed the news media in America trapped by the twin phenomena of changing technology and economic success. The former created the need for the news media to change fundamentally. The latter bred conservatism and aversion to risk. The role of the press was changing, yet the companies that controlled the media, insulated by high profits, seemed neither to fully understand nor ready act boldly. The problems on the horizon seemed to lead to marginal tinkering, not long-term strategizing. .... we can see differences even from 12 months ago. In a year that on the surface looks dark for the news media, when measured in profits and numbers, our attempts to probe across the industry hint at something positive, too. The answer, we suspect, will be in the journalism, not merely in the business strategies that fund it. And if the past tells us anything, it’s that the two sides cannot flourish unless they move together.

... and on blogging...

Although blogs are often seen as a symbol of the new, democratized citizen media that Dan Gillmor and others have championed, there is some evidence that the heaviest readers of blogs are members of the Washington establishment.

I hope that means the White House as been reading MudHoler(insert your Bush reading joke hear).

New York Observer, Nick Denton, the host and publisher of Gawker Media (described by Arianna Huffington as the “Rupert Murdoch of the blogosphere”)... fears that the big media companies will destroy the independent, grass-roots spirit that bloggers believe separates them from the mainstream media, which they deride as the MSM: “The whole point about blogs is that they’re not part of big media,” Denton told the Washington Post. “Consolidation defeats that purpose.”

In otherwords, MudHoler is the Old Stinkfoot Ale or the Honey Basil Ale of the journalism world. I can live with that. I'm sure as hell not Bud Lite.

Rich Wine Man, The Pour Man

2006-03-17T12:59:00.000-08:00

Eric Asimov is the main wine dude for the New York Times. I rarely read his stuff because he hardly writes about the Central Coast wines around MudHole. However, he is now blogging over at The Pour. He just started it and only has a few entries. Maybe as a blogger, I might read him a bit more frequently. Besides, I like the premise of his blog...

This is a new blog about the pleasure of drinking wine, and beer and spirits, too. Thats drinking rather than tasting.

...and...

....Of course, we all realize that wine is a very serious business. People knit their brow and frown when they raise their glasses. They sniff and grope for the right analogy. They spend thousands of dollars on wine-tasting classes so they can impress their dates and avoid embarrassing themselves in front of their bosses.

If only it were that easy.

I hope I can steer you to some great wines. As for impressing your date, you’re on your own.

I hope he gets to some great VALUE wines, too.

Statutory Grape

2006-03-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

I rather like bad wine . . . one gets so bored with good wine.
- Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield (1804 - 1881)
Sybil; or, The Two Nations [1845], bk. I, ch. 1

I've brewed my fair share of beer. Some beers were good. Some were immediately dumped.

Wine is not beer. And I have never dreamed of making wine. In fact, I worked a harvest once for a local winery and, although it was great fun at the time, I determined the winery life was not for me.

However, this little item intrigues me. My wife won't let me get this WinePod. But, I have a few friends who need to get this.... You know who you are.... Buy it and let’s play! Let's make bad wine and laugh.

To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with.
— Mark Twain

If I Was More Conservative.....

2006-03-07T21:48:00.000-08:00

.... these folks would be my leaders.

Can they do this?

2006-02-27T17:59:00.000-08:00

Let me get this straight.... Tom DeLay's fundraising lawyer is concerned that the Texans for Public Justice (the group that pointed out the illegal fundraising which eventually ended Tom DeLay's Majority Leader status) might be successful. So, the DeLay fundraising lawyer contacts another lockstep Delay congressman and asks him to point the IRS in the direction of the group (TPJ). That congressman does exactly what he's been told. The IRS does what they are told. And now the Texans for Public Justice must jumpt through all the IRS hoops.

Is this legal? I would think this would get that congressman (Rep. Johnson) in some serious trouble. According to this article in the Washington Post, there is a ton of evidence to this turn of events.

The lesson here is, again, don't speak out or the IRS will audit you. Or...don't do anything wrong so the IRS can't find anything.

Dear Hummer....In your world what color is the sky?

2006-02-27T12:56:00.000-08:00

Ok. You are an indie rock band and Hummer wants to pay you 50 grand to use your song in a commercial. What will you do?

This band said no. Bah, Hummer!

I am going to buy their music, just because....

Democratic Voice

2006-02-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. - Bertrand Russell, quoted in the book A Word a Day

I haven't figured out yet, is Bush a fool or fanatic?

I always hear how the Democrats have no voice. I disagree. I think it is just that Democrats are wiser people and have doubts in the way things are going. Democrats want to think and do things the correct way.

So, what should Democrats do now? Do the Democrats have their voice? OF COURSE THEY DO…

Next week, when Congress returns from recess, the Democrats should immediately introduce resolutions to block this port thing and overturn the Foreign Investment Committee’s actions. They should convince the GOP incumbents to do the right thing and vote against this resolution (and Bush).

The Democrats should remind the American people, that Murtha was right……Redeploy, Replace, Reallocate, and Reconstitute. We should not be in an Iraq civil war right now.

AND ... And ... The Democrats need to introduce legislation that requires a congressional oversight (checks and balances) of the Foreign Investment Committee.

Bush’s a fanatic in the ways of oil and this foolish policy should not be allowed to supersede what is needed in the name of national security.

404: Article Not Found

2006-02-22T12:28:00.000-08:00

I can't locate the local article on line. It is 404. That is a problem.

See, I have a daily habit. I read the local newspaper over lunch. I have been doing this for years. I sit quietly in my favorite lunch spots in a comfortable, bright, warm corner and spread out the paper. I eat and read. It takes me about 20 minutes to complete a typical, local daily. It might take more depending on the quality of the letters to the editor.

Lately, I have had to fight my wife for it (mostly on Wednesdays when the wine reviews and industry related articles are printed). She needs it for work now, too. See, it is silly for us to buy two paper subscriptions just so she can have her own paper on Wednesdays (… and yes, I’ve made the obvious suggestion that the paper is only 50 cents. That didn’t go over too well.).

This brings me to my point. Why doesn’t the local paper offer subscriptions in RSS (Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication)? RSS is nothing more than XML formatted content for distributing headline news and other basic information on the web.

This could be an historic opportunity for The Tribune. I have no doubt, RSS is the future to delivering news. It is being done already. Just think about it. In just a few years, I believe major papers will sell paperless, wireless RSS readers with every subscription. There will be ad sponsored sections and articles.

If the papers don’t do this soon, they might just die a slow death at the hands of citizen journalists and bloggers like me. Do you know why I can get through the entire paper in less than half an hour? It is because all the national news, major sports, arts articles, and political points of view I read on line yesterday. Most of the syndicated editorials that make it into print have been referenced in the blogs I visit daily. I power up my laptop in the evenings and get the RSS feeds from AP, Reuters, MarketWatch, ESPN, etc. In fact, I’ve thought about canceling the paper subscription altogether. As soon as there is a local RSS network, the local paper is history.

RSS would be good for my marriage. I wouldn’t have to fight for the paper on Wednesdays. Her important articles would automatically come to her via RSS the minute they were posted. It wouldn't go "404" on us. That would be a good thing, for both of us.

A Blog ... And your crybaby, whiny-assed opinion would be...?

2006-02-21T00:42:00.000-08:00

There is a decent article about blogs in the Financial Times. It is a good, long read. But for those of you wanting to better understand the evolution, growth, and impact of the blogosphere, it is well worth the time. A few of my favorite quotes:

Each blogger was his, or her, own printing press, spontaneously exercising their freedom to criticise. Which is great. But along the way, opinion became the new pornography on the internet.

Which brings us to the spectre haunting the blogosphere - tedium. If the pornography of opinion doesn’t leave you longing for an eroticism of fact, the vast wasteland of verbiage produced by the relentless nature of blogging is the single greatest impediment to its seriousness as a medium.

This is not an office. It's Hell with fluorescent lighting.

2006-02-16T12:22:00.000-08:00

Make sure you have had your coffee first. Warning: turn down your volume a bit.

A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

2006-02-15T21:13:00.000-08:00

I don't usually do wine reviews. I rarely have the palate. However, in this house, wines fly. One night we're tasting this, the next, that. Yes, we have our standards and fall backs. But since The Wife has left the corporate world of wine we have been, shall we say, branching out a bit. We no longer are shackled to the household sponsor.

So tonight, on recommendation, we tasted something from New Zealand. And, we picked it up in Von's... on sale even.

The Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc 2005 is a perfect Maria.

It has a screw cap, which I have come to believe is sensible and good. Let's call that the flibbertijibbet. Screw Cap = Flibbertijibbet.

The wine is a rather full-bodied Sauvignon Blanc and somewhat intense in character. Hints of lemon grass and apple are at the front, with a crisp palate that lasts quite long in the mouth. Let's call that the "will-o'-the wisp!" This is the spinning on the mountaintops.

The wine lingers. It is “Fa” ....... a long, long way to run. You can drink it before dinner, during dinner (salmon with spicy ginger sauce), and after... and after... and now it is bedtime. This is the clown. This wine makes me laugh.

I will say, however, no wine can accompany artichokes. How do you solve an artichoke problem with the Villa Maria?

Steve Martin is Funny

2006-02-15T12:58:00.000-08:00

Steve Martin is posting on The Huffington Post. I only wish this was an audio post.

One Hand Clapping

2006-02-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

Start where you are; use what you have; do what you can. - Arthur Ashe

One year ago today I posted in this blog for the very first time. Over the last few nights I have reread most of the posts here on MudHoler. A lot has happened in a year. The last line of that very first post I wrote, “It'll be a feat to just record it appropriately.” Although not everything around me has made it into MudHoler much of it has managed to get from my head through my hands, fingers, and keyboard and posted out into the blogosphere. I can live with that.

At the time I started this blog, I wasn’t really sure where it would go. I wasn’t even sure I could do this correctly and, honestly, that concept hasn’t changed much. I have barely progressed from starting something to simply staying at it (271 posts later). One thing is for sure though. MudHoler has changed the way I experience the web. I have moved away from the regular, standard web sites. I find much more enjoyment with the active, personal space consisting of user-generated content. Blogs!

The MudHole Father/Daughter Dance

2006-02-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

It is an annual event. Other fathers at the MudHole Father / Daughter Valentine’s Dance said they had been here last year, too. There has never been an evening quite like this one.

I came home Friday from a work trip and immediately changed into a pressed suit and tie. My second grade Girlie dressed up in a black and gold dress. Our reservation for dinner at 6:45 was right around the corner. The pink, sparkly corsage and boutonniere (thanks to the fore thought of The Wife) were in the fridge ready and waiting. Why was I so apprehensive about a father/daughter dance?

Dinner was wonderful. The place was packed with other dads and daughters. We arrived at the pavilion fashionably late. As we mingled and danced, it struck me that each father there was undoubtedly convinced that his daughter was the most beautiful girl in the room. Hopefully, each girl was confident that she was dancing with the most dashing dad in town.

At one point, I looked down to watch our feet. Her feet were on top of mine as we glided almost effortlessly in circles. I noticed about a half dozen other daughters doing the same.

I’ve never been a big Valentine’s person. But, this Valentine’s day, for a few precious moments, I got to dance with the prettiest girl at the ball.

Detroitism

2006-02-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

From the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris: Not that I condone fascism, or any -ism for that matter. -Ism's in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an -ism, he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon, "I don't believe in The Beatles, I just believe in me." Good point there. After all, he was the walrus. I could be the walrus and I'd still have to bum rides off of people.

Well, we did it. My wife and I walked into the local Toyota dealer to look at the ’06 Prius. She has been driving an older model GMC Jimmy for far too long.

At the time, we needed an SUV. Even if it was used. We had small kids and two dogs and it came with leather seats. However, times have changed. Gas has quadrupled, it seems. She no longer feels comfortable driving it. She wanted to feel good about her new car and she wanted a Prius.

So, we sauntered in under the guise of just looking. We walked out with a silver, used (yet only 8,000 miles) ’05 Prius. Ta da!

Sloane: What could happen to it? It's in a garage.
Cameron: It could get wrecked, stolen, scratched, breathed on wrong... a pigeon could shit on it! Who knows?

We are now the poster parents for The Detroit Project.

Toyota is about to become king. Are you listening Detroit? ... Ford? ... GM? ... Bueller? ... Bueller?

A Pirates Lie for Me

2006-02-08T00:38:00.000-08:00

It hit me the other night while watching my favorite parts from the movie Pirates of the Carribean. The current Bush administration is made up of pirates.

Elizabeth: You're pirates. Hang the code, and hang the rules. They're more like guidelines anyway.

I believe, intellectually at least, Bush and Company believe in the Constitution of the United States. But, from what I see, they treat it more as a necessary evil. Much like they mock the Geneva Conventions against torture, the Constitution to them is merely a set of guidelines.

Jack Sparrow: [after Will draws his sword] Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again.
Will Turner: You didn't beat me. You ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd kill you.
Jack Sparrow: That's not much incentive for me to fight fair, then, is it?

Jack Sparrow: You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates you are well on your way to becoming one: sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga, and you're completely obsessed with treasure.

Update: Old joke but redone for the post.....

Aarrrrr... My name is Cappin’ Bush and I’ve a story to tell, ya’ see. Sailin’ the high seas south of Bourbon Street Cove, my second mate, Pirate Brownie and me were set upon by a hurricane. It was a nasty one, too. It blowed us into some rocks and our ship, which we had stolen fair 'n' square from some landlubber, began to sink. We barely survived by haulin' our aarrrrses and our big, bag of booty into the skiff.

After bein' adrift fo' 2 days, we was staaarrrrrtin' to get a might hungry and we set about searching the booty for a bite to eat. Looking through the loot, I found a lamp and started rubbin' to see if there was a genie inside. Brownie almost fell off the staaarrrb'erd when the genie appeared and offered me a wish. Now, I hadn’t had a real drink in yearrrrs. I couldn't hep meself, I asked for the sea to be turned into rum. The genie clapped once and disappeared, leaving us afloat surrounded by RUM! I immediately stuck my face in the rum and drank heaarrrrrrtily!

When I got back up, Brownie was starin' at me with that look he gets, like he doesn’t know wha’ ta’ do. Then he says to me, “Arrrr, now ye done it. Now we gotta piss in the boat!"

Murtha Policy to Redeploy, Replace, Reallocate, and Reconstitute

2006-02-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. - General Douglas MacArthur

In his State of the Union address the other night, the President said, "Hindsight alone is not wisdom, and second-guessing is not a strategy." Well, Congressman John Murtha wrote a letter to the President before the State of the Union. Mr. President, this is a far better policy than the one you put forth. There is no second guessing here.

Also, this is Murtha's response to the State of the Union speech.

It isn’t what the president said in this speech; it’s what he didn’t say. He still has no viable solution to the energy crisis. It’s clear that his open-ended policies and his nation-building efforts have failed, and he still hasn’t accepted the fact that U.S. forces will have to redeploy to the periphery of Iraq sooner than he’s telling the American people.

I would have liked to see Murtha give the Democratic response to the State of the Union.

Blinded by Science

2006-01-31T10:41:00.000-08:00

I read an article the other day from the Washington Post. It was about global warming. The focus was on Dr. James Hansen, NASA’s main guy on climate change. He stated according to records last year was the warmest year ever. I found it alarming. Oh, global warming isn’t alarming to me. I’ve maintained a solid awareness of the impending problems for a long, long time. No, what alarmed me was the stuff BLINDLY IGNORED by the Post article.

Recently, according to the New York Times, the Bush administration has continued in their attempts to silence our scientists and climate experts on the subject of global warming. NASA administrators have ordered staff to monitor all of Dr. Hansen’s articles, lectures, interviews, and NASA web postings. In fact, George Deutsch, a NASA PR/public affairs officer (read spin doctor), put a stop to an attempt by National Public Radio to interview Dr. Hansen stating his (and NASA’s) job was to make President Bush “look good”.

I am alarmed. And I'm not blind. It is obviously more important for George Bush to look good over the scientific facts that say we need to change our day-to-day habits for better world tomorrow! Clean Air Act? Yeah, right.

The Bush administration is attempting its spin and PR illusions again. Thwarting attempts to provide scientific evidence is shameful. We all could do more. However, the Bush administration doesn’t want you to know about the dangers because the costs associated with improving our world don’t jive with his make the rich richer schemes.

I wonder if he'll talk about this in the State of the Union speech tonight? ... doubtful. But I'll be listening... and watching... because won't turn a blind eye.

UPDATE: 02-09-06
As it turns out, this George Deutsch guy is a complete fraud. See this article (sent to me by my dad... thanks dad) from toady's NYT. This is the last three paragraphs of the article.

In this case, the censor was George Deutsch, a functionary in NASA's public affairs office whose chief credential appears to have been his service with President Bush's re-election campaign and inaugural committee. On his résumé, Mr. Deutsch claimed a 2003 bachelor's degree in journalism from Texas A&M, but the university, alerted by a blogger, said that was not true. Mr. Deutsch has now resigned.

The shocker was not NASA's failure to vet Mr. Deutsch's credentials, but that this young politico with no qualifications was able to impose his ideology on other agency employees. At one point, he told a Web designer to add the word "theory" after every mention of the Big Bang.

As Dr. Hansen observed, Mr. Deutsch was only a "bit player" in the administration's dishonest game of politicizing science on issues like warming, birth control, forest policy and clean air. This from a president who promised in his State of the Union address to improve American competitiveness by spending more on science.

It's Roshambo. I’m a Professional.

2006-01-27T12:14:00.000-08:00

The voice came from the back seat of the car, “Hey, Dad? Can we play PS2 together when we get home?”

“Sure,” I agree. “What game? NFL? Car racing? That new one with the pod races? I like the pod races. Let’s play the pod races.”

“I wanna play the car racing?” … pause... “I’ll Rock, Paper, Scissors you for it?”

“We’ll play what ever you want. But, let’s Roshambo anyway.”

“Rosham – what?”

“Roshambo. Rock Paper Scissors. I'm really good at it. In fact, I don’t think your mom has ever beat me. I’m a professional.”

Yep! I’m a professional. Seriously!

Print This and Keep it Handy

2006-01-25T13:00:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've spent an exhorbinant amount of time on the phone trying to get to a human to answer some tech support questions.

The latest was with Toshiba. I have a large t.v. (It is a 57" rear screen projection thing that I happened to own because I put my name in the right square on a Super Bowl board). Lately, a spider has decided the inside of the base would make a nice place to call home. His webs are getting bigger. In fact, I believe he has spawned.

The best I could get from Toshiba tech support is to contact a certified local tech support service. I hope they show up with bug spray and large cotton swab. More importantly, I hope they can show me how to get inside the damn t.v.

Now, I had much better results with SBC Yahoo! My problem was fixed in no time.

But, THIS LIST (I got this from kottke.org) might be well worth the time to print and file away someplace. It gives you the steps needed to reach a human for a plethora of tech support lines.

Architecturally Speaking

2006-01-23T12:58:00.000-08:00

My father and I needed a little father-son time. During our quick weekend visit we experienced the inherent culture of all that is Los Angeles, at least as much as one can on a Saturday and Sunday in January.

Architecturally speaking, Los Angeles is a study in and of itself. It is a city in constant, promising transformation with a wide array of global architectural influences. I’m a great admirer of Southern California designers Frank Gehry, Morphosis’s Thom Mayne, and Eric Own Moss, among others. Through them, I’ve forged the belief, best stated by architect Frank Israel, that architecture should be incremental. It should be a juxtaposition of both newer and older structures. Architecture should grow. It should maintain its past. Both coexist.

The Getty Center – In all my years studying architecture, I have never been much of a big fan of Richard Mieir. I’ve studied his smaller scale designs, mostly residences, and found some wonderful spaces mostly due to his mastery with light. Like my father stated Mieir seems to design “sterile hospital” very well. There is no doubt, however, the Getty stands as a beautiful, conservative monolith on the hillside overlooking the eclectic history of the city. It is an extraordinary achievement in civil engineering. The materials alone are exquisite. Mieir again mastered the art of light with both the exterior spaces and the interior lighting. On a beautiful day, it is worth the trip just to walk around in the gardens and take in the grand vistas of the ocean and the LA basin.

Disney Hall – I’d seen Frank Gehry’s masterpiece before. I've driven passed it on numerous occaisions. But, I had never ventured into the hall to see the music. It is hard for me to distinguish the difference between the quality, first rate musicianship of a great orchestra and an experience enhanced by near perfect acoustics and superior architectural beauty. The Disney Hall both architecturally and musically is a virtuoso performance. Music here is so visual that warm melodies from the stage mingle with the flowing, orange wood above. It is grace in stainless steel on the outside. It is a superior acoustic experience on the inside.

Venice Beach – No weekend in LA would be complete without a walk down Venice Beach after breakfast on a lazy Sunday morning.

330 Miles Per Gallon

2006-01-18T21:15:00.000-08:00

Now THIS is what I'm talkin' about.Additionally, this can be found in the comment section.

*License plate: The plate is recessed with a flush mount Lexan cover (like an aircraft landing light). Our designer hurt his wrist and was not able to complete the renderings before the press release. Images on the website will be updated in due time.

*Bumpers et al: The Aptera will be treated as a motorcycle in the eyes of the law, but that doesn't mean it's unsafe. On the contrary, it will have the same type of airbag-in-seatbelt technology used in newer light planes. Additionally, the dirver and passenger sit in a 'crashbox' thats underneath the aeroshell...or body. There's crushable/absorbing material between the aeroshell and body as well. The crashbox design, still being modeled and simulated, offers much more protection than most car doors/pillars.

*cold weather: Since the core material of the crashbox sandwich has a very high 'R' value, the Aptera should lose/gain heat very slowly. Meaning, it doesn't take much energy to heat or cool.

Thanks, Steve

I See You Took Your Annoy-Me Pills This Morning

2006-01-18T13:01:00.000-08:00

Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime. Seriously! Last week, President Bush signed into law a prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity.

First of all, who determines the limits of being annoying? I have two kids at home that need to learn these limits. However, making this a legal term for the internet is just wrong. I'd love to understand these new legal boundaries.

Second, doesn't the First Amendment guarantee we have the right to write things that might annoy someone else, even anonymously?

MudHoler might be in trouble.... Here is some of the text from this new law

."Whoever...utilizes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet... without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person...who receives the communications...shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."

I choose to be semi-anonymous for purely personal, but justified reasons. This is not right, not right at all.

Left Speechless - Revisited

2006-01-18T12:50:00.000-08:00

The White House attempted to discredit Al Gore's thoughts and charges in his recent speech. They did so by attempting to say it was Clinton's fault; that he set the precedent.

Well, all this did was allow Al Gore more air time in order to respond.

The Administration's response to my speech illustrates perfectly the need for a special counsel to review the legality of the NSA wiretapping program. The Attorney General is making a political defense of the President without even addressing the substantive legal questions that have so troubled millions of Americans in both political parties.

There are two problems with the Attorney General's effort to focus attention on the past instead of the present Administration's behavior. First, as others have thoroughly documented, his charges are factually wrong. Both before and after the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was amended in 1995, the Clinton/Gore Administration complied fully and completely with the terms of the law.

Second, the Attorney General's attempt to cite a previous administration's activity as precedent for theirs -- even though factually wrong -- ironically demonstrates another reason why we must be so vigilant about their brazen disregard for the law. If unchecked, their behavior would serve as a precedent to encourage future presidents to claim these same powers, which many legal experts in both parties believe are clearly illegal.

The issue, simply put, is that for more than four years, the executive branch has been wiretapping many thousands of American citizens without warrants in direct contradiction of American law. It is clearly wrong and disrespectful to the American people to allow a close political associate of the president to be in charge of reviewing serious charges against him.

The country needs a full and independent investigation into the facts and legality of the present Administration's program.

Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not themselves. - Abraham Lincoln, April 1856

Left Speechless

2006-01-17T12:56:00.000-08:00

I am impressed with Al Gore's speech yesterday. I've now read it twice. I almost want to reprint the whole thing here in MudHoler. It deserves to be reprinted in it's entirety. However, it is rather lengthy (so go here for all the Gorey details). The portion of Gore's speech that most significantly grabbed me was his comparison of today's willingness to sacrifice liberty in exchange for security in the face of terrorism to the refusal to sacrifice liberty during the American Revolution itself, World Wars I/II, and the Cold War....

Fear drives out reason. Fear suppresses the politics of discourse and opens the door to the politics of destruction. Justice Brandeis once wrote: "Men feared witches and burnt women."

The founders of our country faced dire threats. If they failed in their endeavors, they would have been hung as traitors. The very existence of our country was at risk.

Yet, in the teeth of those dangers, they insisted on establishing the Bill of Rights.

Is our Congress today in more danger than were their predecessors when the British army was marching on the Capitol? Is the world more dangerous than when we faced an ideological enemy with tens of thousands of missiles poised to be launched against us and annihilate our country at a moment's notice? Is America in more danger now than when we faced worldwide fascism on the march-when our fathers fought and won two World Wars?

It is simply an insult to those who came before us and sacrificed so much on our behalf to imply that we have more to be fearful of than they. Yet they faithfully protected our freedoms and now it is up to us to do the same.

Bravo! Well said. Well said, indeed.

David Byrne says....

2006-01-16T22:25:00.000-08:00

... stop buying CDs from Sony, BMG and EMI. And, here is why.

Ok. Maybe he is going a bit overboard. But, I get where he is coming from. I buy CDs because I can't burn MP4s from iTunes onto a CD that my Scion MP3 player will recognize. So, I still prefer to by the CDs. Now, even if I buy the CDs, I can't necessarily burn copies? This is wrong.

Holy Crap! 160 GBs? In a Laptop?

2006-01-16T21:03:00.000-08:00

My fairly new laptop is already obsolete. Go figure!

Seagate, the largest hard drive manufacturer in the world, has started to ship its first drive for notebooks based around perpendicular recording techniques, a shift that increases capacity by 25 percent.

The Momentus 5400.3 is a 2.5-inch diameter hard drive, shown off last year, designed for notebooks that hold 160GB of storage, the equivalent of 40,000 songs or nearly three hours of high-definition video.

I remember 4 MB hard drives. Actually, I remember the WANG 2200 and the whole card thing. When will these yearly exponential advances in computer technology happen with miles per gallon? It can happen...

How about never? Is never good for you?

2006-01-15T10:04:00.000-08:00

I really do want the President to be able to go after Al Qaeda suspects. I so want that to happen. I want the end of terror. But spying on Americans without the checks and balances of the courts? I’m not thrilled at this power grab.

However, I’m particularly concerned that our President is telling Congress, “How about never? Is never good for you?” Even if I believe the President should have a few extra wartime powers that limit our personal liberties, what happens if this terrorist threat looks permanent? What happens if terror is now just a part of our normal lives? If Alito is confirmed, I ask this key question.... When will we ever get those liberties back? It seems like the President is also telling American citizens, “How about never? Is never good for you, too!”

It is time Congress, both the Dems and the Reps, stand together and collectively state, “No! Never is not going to happen!”

Milo Opens the Door

2006-01-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

I have a thing for cover songs. More often than not, I enjoy the cover more than the original. My favorite cover songs of late are:

Gail Swanson – Sympathy for the Devil
Audio Adrenaline – Let My Love Open the Door
Cake – I Will Survive...better than disco.
Shawn Colvin – This Must be the Place (Naïve Melody)
Patricia Maertens – Ramble On... better than the original, in my humble opinion.
Texas – Revolution
The Candy Skins – For What It’s Worth
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals – Sexual Healing

If I had listened to Audio Adrenaline’s cover before the Who’s original, I might not have gone through life thinking it was Milo who opened the door.

Slip Sliding Away

2006-01-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

Our dignity as persons is wrapped up in our autonomy and our ability to control who has access to us, whether physical contact or video surveillance. If we cannot live our daily lives without our every innocent and trivial movement being recorded and analyzed by government agents, then we have lost something significant. To the extent that the government spies on us, it can control us. - Carlton Vogt

Our civil rights are slipping away. I can feel it. I know I am not the only one. There are hundreds of my fellow bloggers posting this feeling, too.

President Bush has now apparently challenged the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution and a handful of other constitutional articles by randomly ordering the bugging of American citizens seemingly without court warrants. He makes no apologies and argues this eavesdropping is only for the enemy. He also won’t say whom he has been spying on because of national security reasons. Are we just supposed to accept this? I don’t think so. The President is still accountable. Our democratic system says he is accountable to our other two branches of government.

I also have a tremendous fear for the effect of the Patriot Act on our basic constitutional rights (mainly the Fourth Amendment again).

Interestingly enough, I have recently heard comments from family, friends, and colleagues regarding some of my posts. They seem to be worried my views and political leanings might put me in line to be investigated, that the government might now red flag me to find out what subversive groups I hang with and what library books I read. If ordinary citizens are concerned about this blog and my opinions posted here then don’t you think that that alone is a shining example that our rights are, indeed, slipping away.

My answer is simple. I am someone who values my rights as a citizen of the United States of America. I pay attention to what the government is doing to my rights. I fear for them right now so I speak openly about them.

It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once. - David Hume

It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word they are saying.

2005-12-28T17:49:00.000-08:00

Media Matters has posted some of 2005's most outrageous quotes. We are all, shall we say, challenged by the unique point view from these people who dared speak such lies, atrocities, and hate.

And read the comments, too.

An Open Letter to My Beloved Detroit Lions

2005-12-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

Dearest Beloved Lions,

We have been together a long time. We are like old friends, you and I. It is this friendship that gives me courage to talk to you now. Yes, I fear we need to have a chat.

I wore your hat today to work, you know, the black one with Honolulu blue trim around the bill. It looks coordinated with the blue t-shirt and my long-sleeved black sweatshirt. I wore it to your game against the Ravens. People seem to like it. Although, I admit, I’m a little confused with the snickering that goes on after someone comments on it. They don’t seem to do that when I wear the other “collector” hats. Oh, don’t worry. I only wear "those" for a change of pace. I would never cheat on you. I only purchased "them" to help me remember the various stadiums and football road trips I have taken in the last few years. The trip to Seattle and the one to San Diego were memorable. But, Ford Field is my favorite and I still like your hat the best. I promise. Really.

I opened my PalmPilot case today and two pieces of paper flittered down to the floor. It turned out to be the bets I placed at a Las Vegas casino before the season. See, at the beginning of the year, every year, I have so much hope for our future that I actually place some of my hard earned money out there on the chance that we will “Win the NFC Championship” and “Win the Super Bowl”. The mere fact I still won’t throw them out this late in the season when mathematically we have been eliminated from contention should be a testament to our strong commitment to each other. I still believe in you. But I also fear it is becoming a one way relationship. I’m putting all this emotional support out there for you and I’m beginning to feel it is not reciprocal. I feel you have given up on us. I don’t care about the money. I am worried about our future.

Today, I found myself reliving our past. I remember the day in 1980 when we drafted Billy Sims out of Oklahoma with the first pick in the draft. I remember it was April and there was still a few remnants of snow on the ground. Football was far away but I was so excited for us. I remember our depression after losing our first playoff game. That missed field goal against the 49ers on New Years Eve in 1983 is a memory I wish would just go away. I do, however, remember the great Barry Sanders. I, too, would have liked to see Barry get that record. Herman Moore has been good for us, too. But, you have a bad habit with your quarterbacks. Eric Hipple and Scott Mitchell should have been a warning far before Joey Harrington. I even know Jeff Garcia’s cousin. She worked with me a few years back. I like Jeff Garcia. But he is not the answer. Mooch is gone now. We have so much to do. We need to talk about this when you aren’t so depressed. Let’s finish the season. When you are capable of thinking clearly, and the snow has started melting, let’s have a frank discussion about the 2006 NFL Draft. O.k.?

We go back along way. I really want to wear my hat with pride. Please, don’t be offended if Santa gives me a Piston’s hat for Christmas. You know football is the only real sport for me. But, casual dress Fridays at the office would be a lot better without the hassle. Thanks for understanding.

We’ll restore the roar. Yours forever,

Mud

I am NOT a Splog

2005-12-14T18:51:00.000-08:00

I am NOT a Splog ... or, at least I try not to be. Creating original content is a lot of work for a typical dad, working 40 plus hours a week, with two kids, a full time working wife, two dogs, a big yard, and bungalow house built in 1913. I write when I can.

But, I quite like the idea that Mark Cuban invented it.

The fun, sad, stupid part of it was. My wife was there as i was writing it, and I specifically said to her: Â” Im going to come up with a stupid word that i think may stick. How crazy would it be if it caught on and became widely used.Â”
We both cracked up when Newsweek picked up on splogs and headlined a full page article with it.
Its a crazy world. You just never know !

O.k. I did it again. This isn't so much original content as it is passing on content I find amusingng around this MudHoler household. Original content forthcoming. I promise.....

'Tis the Season for Lutefisk and Lefse

2005-12-13T20:31:00.000-08:00

I can't really call this a craving. No! I had it far too long ago. I was maybe twelve when I was subjected to this meal. I don't have fond memories. However....

I may be asking for punishment here, but I'd like to try it again. Just so my adult memory catagorizes this Christmas meal properly.

I haven't met many people in California who even know what Lutefisk and Lefse is, much less what tastes it produces. I like fish so I suspect I'd enjoy the Lutefisk. I vaguely remember liking the Lefse.

Any suggestions?

It's a Wonderful Life Redux

2005-12-10T22:22:00.000-08:00

Just thinking.... Tom Hanks should remake the movie "it's A Wonderful Life!"

Potter = Bush

2005-12-10T20:48:00.000-08:00

It was on t.v. so I pass on the anology....

POTTER
Peter Bailey was not a business man.
That's what killed him. Oh, I don't
mean any disrespect to him, God rest
his soul. He was a man of high
ideals, so-called, but ideals without
common sense can ruin this town.
(picking up papers from table)
Now, you take this loan here to Ernie
Bishop... You know, that fellow that
sits around all day on his brains in
his taxi. You know... I happen to
know the bank turned down this loan,
but he comes here and we're building
him a house worth five thousand
dollars. Why?

George is at the door of the office, holding his coat and
papers, ready to leave.

GEORGE
Well, I handled that, Mr. Potter.
You have all the papers there. His
salary, insurance. I can personally
vouch for his character.

POTTER
(sarcastically)
A friend of yours?

GEORGE
Yes, sir.

POTTER
You see, if you shoot pool with some
employee here, you can come and borrow
money. What does that get us? A
discontented, lazy rabble instead of
a thrifty working class. And all
because a few starry-eyed dreamers
like Peter Bailey stir them up and
fill their heads with a lot of
impossible ideas. Now, I say...

George puts down his coat and comes around to the table,
incensed by what Potter is saying about his father.

GEORGE
Just a minute – just a minute. Now,
hold on, Mr. Potter. You're right
when you say my father was no business
man. I know that. Why he ever started
this cheap, penny-ante Building and
Loan, I'll never know. But neither
you nor anybody else can say anything
against his character, because his
whole life was... Why, in the twenty-
five years since he and Uncle Billy
started this thing, he never once
thought of himself. Isn't that right,
Uncle Billy? He didn't save enough
money to send Harry to school, let
alone me. But he did help a few people
get out of your slums, Mr. Potter.
And what's wrong with that? Why...
Here, you're all businessmen here.
Doesn't it make them better citizens?
Doesn't it make them better customers?
You... you said... What'd you say
just a minute ago?... They had to
wait and save their money before
they even ought to think of a decent
home. Wait! Wait for what? Until
their children grow up and leave
them? Until they're so old and broken-
down that they... Do you know how
long it takes a working man to save
five thousand dollars? Just remember
this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble
you're talking about... they do most
of the working and paying and living
and dying in this community. Well,
is it too much to have them work and
pay and live and die in a couple of
decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my
father didn't think so. People were
human beings to him, but to you, a
warped, frustrated old man, they're
cattle. Well, in my book he died a
much richer man than you'll ever be!

POTTER
I'm not interested in your book. I'm
talking about the Building and Loan.

GEORGE
I know very well what you're talking
about. You're talking about something
you can't get your fingers on, and
it's galling you. That's what you're
talking about, I know.
(to the Board)
Well, I've said too much. I... You're
the Board here. You do what you want
with this thing. Just one thing more,
though. This town needs this measly
one-horse institution if only to
have some place where people can
come without crawling to Potter.
Come on, Uncle Billy!

George leaves the room, followed by the jubilant Uncle Billy.
Potter's face is grim with hatred. The "frustrated old man"
remark was gall in his veins.

POTTER
Sentimental hogwash! I want my
motion...

He is interrupted by a babble of talk, as the directors take
up the argument

Question?! Has there ever been any studies on the cops, Ernie and Bert. Where these the original from Seasame Street, or what?

And just so you don't forget the end of the movie....

"Dear George, remember no man is a failure
who has friends. Thanks for the wings, Love Clarence."

TV Ads for Bad Mileage

2005-12-04T15:31:00.000-08:00

It is Sunday. I’m watching football. The kids are riding bikes outside and my wife has the flu and would rather I not be anywhere near her. So I am hiding out in the kitchen. I’m baking bread in the bread machine, drinking a Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, and watching football on the small screen.

But I digress from the subject of this post. I just saw a commercial that bothered me. It was another in a long line of Detroit automaker commercials. They were touting a car's drivability all the while bragging about 28 m.p.g. I am simply amazed at the American auto industry’s resistance against substantial improvement in gas mileage.

Let’s look to the computer industry as a good example of selling the "more efficient equals better". You don’t see computers advertised with slow processors, do you? No, we buy computers almost yearly to “keep up” with more sophisticated, efficient, faster machines and software. If computers never progressed we’d be happy simply to keep our old ones, with the old software (until we simply wanted an Apple because they simply look sexy).

In other words, if mileage requirements became progressively higher because of demand, I think people would be inclined to upgrade continuously toward better and better vehicles, similar to what we do with computers. We would buy more cars if the gas mileage (and other smart technologies) became a distinct benefit to us.

There is no doubt that low prices on Detroit cars are enticing. You get what you pay for, I believe. But are they really THAT much lower, given the savings in gas prices of good mileage vehicles? Is it worth having all that roomy space when I can’t afford to drive an inefficient vehicle more than 50 miles a day?

I think the race is in efficient technology, not bigger and wasteful habits. There already are auto manufacturers that think like the computer industry. They are the ones winning the race. So why are some manufacturers proud of 28 m.p.g.? I don't undertand it.

Look at the Green Car Congress site. You can see who are tomorrow’s winners.

No Place Like Home

2005-12-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

Conversation with The Girlie after Gandmother returned the kids from a trip to the beach.

Mud: Girlie?! Why do you have a baggie full of sand?

Girlie: So the shells will feel like home!

... That makes sense to me....

My Tanned Carcass

2005-11-30T16:16:00.000-08:00

The Boy was home sick from school on Monday and the Wife stayed with him. The Girlie caught his bug, a stomach virus, so today it is my turn.

Since I was home, I decided to cook. I’ll make use of that turkey carcass (the Wife made turkey on Sunday so we could have leftovers in our own house, too).

I thumbed through a couple of standard cookbooks. I even searched on-line a bit. Only one set of directions for turkey stock sounded good.

I have never browned turkey bones before. But if Julia Child tells you to do it, you do it. She writes in the wonderful cookbook, The Way to Cook,

Its agreeable dark color (the Brown Turkey Stock) comes from browning the bones and vegetables before the simmering starts.

Browning bones was fun.

I love Julia Child recipes. Granted, one must have an afternoon or two. Her art requires patience and time. If I were to give her art a title, I’d call her a French Cooking Deconstructivist. As I watched her cooking shows as a child and randomly stumbled across certain recipes, she showed me how easy things really were in the kitchen. She made that room a bit less intimidating for me. Granted, my mom helped out a lot, too.

I was in New York City a year ago with a free afternoon and evening on the day the papers reported her death. I read everything the NY Times printed over a wonderful meal and a fine bottle of wine at Pastis in the meatpacking district in the Village. It was, indeed, the perfect place to pay homage to a legend.

Today, Julia Child has come into my home once more to teach me how to brown turkey bones. Just the aroma is therapy needed for the Girlie. And me.

Thanksgiving Football

2005-11-24T11:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Here is an article on the history of Football and Thanksgiving Day. Note how the Lions lost their first game, too.

Your Average Playboy Centerfold

2005-11-23T12:58:00.000-08:00

I really like this image. This is a digital average of 10 years worth of Playboy Centerfolds. I admit, however, I am toying with the idea of getting a print of this for the house. It would go nicely in the bathroom. With the door locked.

Bush's Exit Makes US Proud

2005-11-20T17:25:00.000-08:00

He is just SO good with the whole international diplomacy thing....

Sorry, Mr. President, I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.

Not to be out done, then there is the US Congress..

Random.... my favorite blog from Kieth Olbermann. He hits the center of every issue, like this one, the war issue as seen by the House. My favorite quote from Mr. Olbermann:

...evidently, any time on the floor of the House, at the top of your lungs, making sure you debate not the issue but the assumption that criticism at home is somehow more dangerous to our soldiers than the bullets and bombs of Iraqi insurgents

Vatican Vetos Vision (of Intelligent Design)

2005-11-18T17:23:00.000-08:00

My issues with Church are my own. However, I was glad to see the Vatican denounce Intelligent Design. Hallelujah.

The over-zealous, religious right folks must be squirming in their pews. They have just been exposed as hypocrites who would sell their religion for political gain. Now, without the backing of the Vatican, there is no place to justify their political positions. The Vatican has just backed off. I haven't heard anything in the Bible or the teachings of Christ that support the Intelligent Design (non)theories, either.

Hey, religios right, listen up. We're not in Kansas anymore. Good luck finding anyone who will listen now.

Forget Football .... Table Tennis Anyone?

2005-11-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

Last year, my best friend and I were in Michigan for our annual football trip. It was our chance to yell "GoBlue!" a few thousand times at The Big House.

As we checked into the freeway hotel outside of Ann Arbor, I flipped on the television to see if there was any pre-game babble. But where the remote control stopped was on a ping-pong tournament on ESPN2. Now, normally I wouldn’t watch table tennis. I mean, what’s the point? I’ll watch nine-ball tournaments and celebrity poker, maybe. But ping pong?

“Oh my! Tim, you gotta come check this out,” I yelled from the room out to the hallway where Tim was dragging in his suitcase. “I think we should blow off the early dinner and stay here to watch this table tennis tournament.”

Tim, now putting his suitcase in the closet, chuckled, “Yeah, sure. Let’s go get beers and camp out here to watch ping-pong.” Obviously, he didn’t understand I was serious.

I pushed my bag over to the second bed and sat down to watch. I was instantly mesmerized. I had just discovered Biljana (Biba) Golic. At the age of 27, she is easily being dubbed the Anna Kournikova of Ping Pong ... only Biba can win. So maybe the better analogy is, Biba is the Maria Sharapova of Ping Pong. What ever the analogy, I was hooked.

Tim finally turned his attention to the t.v. “Wow! You’re not kidding,” he said pulling out the pillow from the other bed to relax. We were in no hurry to go get beer. The big football weekend could wait a few more minutes. This was Biba’s time.

Biba Photo Gallery here.

God Save the Queen

2005-11-18T07:57:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this open letter from John Cleese. It has been circulating for around a year or so. It is quite funny, really.

Aluminum Hats: The Next Fashion Wave for Geeks

2005-11-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

This article is worth every second spent reading it. I'm going to make mine into an oversized, Tom Petty-esque Top Hat.

Update 11/18/05 And now check this out, too.

Hops

2005-11-15T16:23:00.000-08:00

You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.
 - Mr. Frank Zappa

I knew this all along. Beer is healthy. Or, the hops vital to beer are good for you. One way or the other, this is good news.

When the Wife and I were first dating and slightly before we were married, we lived in a small yet wonderful corner house a few blocks from downtown SLO. The house had red counters in the kitchen. We liked it a lot.

That spring, we grew hops. I constructed a few taught wires across the back patio in hopes the plant would trellis out and create some interesting, seasonal shade over the patio furniture. I was disappointed only in that they didn’t stretch quite as far as I would have liked. They only grew about half way to potential. Yet, come harvest time, I had cultivated some actual hops. I bagged quite an amazing amount of clusters. In fact, I brewed some good home brew with them. If my memory serves me right, I used them for my patented (stolen) Honey Basil Ale recipe.

I should make that again…!!!. That beer was phenomenal.

On the Level

2005-11-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I went to The Big Smoke. I’ve been to this Vegas event before, but I do think this year’s show was one of the best in recent visits. I managed to bag my fair share of cigars and will enjoy them each, individually, at the proper time and place.

I will, however, walk away with one distinct memory from this year’s Smoke. I discovered Level Vodka. I have a new favorite. I was pleasantly surprised to see their web site, too. I give it five (on a scale of one to five) martini glasses, both for the vodka and for the site.

Stooge Boy

2005-11-12T20:03:00.000-08:00

I have vivid, boyhood memories of our house in Midland, Michigan. We had a room toward the back of the house where we kept the t.v. The family room was where I watched the classics: The Waltons, Hogan’s Heroes, Charlie’s Angels, UofM and Lion’s football, and….. The Three Stooges.

I love The Stooges. Their vaudeville act, their slapstick, makes me laugh. I laugh out loud. I can, on occasion, snort.

Last night, the Wife and I joked about how my son is at the perfect age and would now get a kick out of the Stooges. Today, she, bless her heart, found the perfect video for their dinner entertainment. They picked up a Stooges DVD during a trip to our Vid Palace for the weekend’s entertainment.

For an hour or so, I was ten years old again. Not only was I given permission from my wife to watch The Stooges, but I was granted rights to introduce them to my son. And, he laughed. He belly laughed. He screamed with laughter. He actually fell off the couch and onto the floor. He couldn’t catch his breath. It was a good time. It was memorable.

Eventually, though, I had to explain, NEVER DO ANY OF THAT TO YOUR SISTER. EVER!

It's Easy to Get Along with the 'Right' ... "Once You People Learn to See It Our Way"

2005-11-11T19:54:00.000-08:00

And that would be like Bill O'Reilly sees it.

update 11/12/05.... and then the coverup by O'Reilly and/or his staff to delete it from the transcripts on his show.

And Pat Robertson, too.

I'd like to know, is the 'Right' proud of these statements?

Apple is Better. Period.

2005-11-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

Check out this post from SmartMoney.com. Essentially, the Macs are showing better and better for mainstream users.

I believe that, at the moment, Apple makes the best computers, and the best operating system, for mainstream consumers doing typical tasks — email, web surfing, office-productivity functions such as word processing and presentations, photo organizing and editing, playing and collecting music, and editing home video.

Of all the major computer makers, Apple is the most focused on consumers and small businesses. Most make the bulk of their money, and take most of their cues, from the information-technology departments of large corporations.

Apple's iMac G5 consumer desktop is, in my opinion, the single best home computer on the market. Its PowerBook laptops are among the top portables.

And I'm still in love with mine.

Life Lesson at Ten

2005-11-09T08:01:00.000-08:00

Last night The Girlie called me at work to see if I would be willing to meet the rest of the family at the MudHole Denny's for dinner. They know I don't particularly like Denny's very much, but on Tuesday nights kids eat free. Plus, I sensed they had a plan. So, I agreed.

Shortly after being seated, My Boy got rather formal and asked if he could talk with me for a minute. It seems while I was in Las Vegas this weekend, he spent most of his birthday money on getting his bicycle all updated with chain guard, a new helmet, a bike lock, etc. He was ready to start riding his bicycle to school.

Now, I new this was coming. There is a take home quiz the school asks all kids and parents to do before kids are allowed to ride bikes to and from school. He and my wife completed the quiz weeks ago. He just needed to hand it in.

So, last night I agreed. We talked about the route and how he will stay on the sidewalks the whole way. We talked about all the scary intersections he will cross both going to and coming home from school. We worked out all the scenarios of concern. He was excited.

This morning he got up early before the alarm went off. He got dressed and ate a good breakfast before any of us even got out of bed. He was ready.... then he looked outside to see..... RAIN.... overflowing gutters.... puddles in the driveway. He had a moment. How could he not?! He's ten years old. I got up to talk with him. I reminded him about his new responsibilities. Part of that responsibility is understanding he can't always ride when there are changes in the normal plan. He bucked up a bit. He understood, but it was hard.

Friday is a holiday. So, Monday is to be the day. It should be sunny.

Monday, for a ten year old, is a very long time from now.

Tim Russert Bingo

2005-11-01T12:21:00.000-08:00

Normally, I like Tim Russert. I am,however, following his involvement and conversations with Libby.

I find this story funny. This is classic. I would have loved to have been there AND in on the joke.

MudHoler Quote for the Day

2005-10-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

From Carl Bernstein, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter for exposing the Nixon administration...

But what the Plame leak investigation has unveiled is what the press should have been focusing on long before and without let up--how we went to war, the dishonesty involved in that process in terms of what the president and vice-president told the American people and the Congress, and the routine smearing by members of the Bush administration of people who questioned their actions and motives.

Anticipated quote from either Bush or Cheney sometime in the next few months...

Chaos, panic, and disorder --- my work here is done.

Powerball Dreams

2005-10-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

After golfing on Wednesday, Drew and I stopped to get our Powerball tickets. Since the pot was somewhere near a record $340 million, it was worth throwing my $5 into the pool if for no other reason than it provided some “what if” day dreaming on the drive up to Portland.

We experienced a bit of excitement the next day when Drew got a phone call from his cousin, Seth. Turns out, the winning ticket was purchased “just outside of Medford”. However, we purchased our tickets in Talent, not Jacksonville.

Barber Rules

2005-10-21T22:17:00.000-07:00

I looked at myself in the mirror the other morning after a rather full night at the Six Rivers Brewery. After brushing my teeth, I realized the problem was not my breath. It was my hair. I must find a barber.

Now, I have been going to my barber, Ray, for darn near twenty-two years. I have only strayed a couple of times. Once, I agreed to my wife’s salon (note to self: not saloon...salon). The other time, I tried a place in MudHole close to the house. I won’t go back.

This morning I strayed again because, well, I looked terrible and needed a quick fix. I pulled out my handy-dandy set of barber rules.

Rule Number One: There must be the red, white, and blue striped barber pole prominently displayed near the entrance. No barber pole, no real barber.

Rule Number Two: The barber must have a one syllable first name. Ray is good. Bob, Dave, Don, and Mark are good, too. Bud, Ed, or Pete is better. Stephen, Jonathan, or Thadeus is out of the question.

Rule Number Three: The barber must use warm shaving cream and a straight razor for the edges behind the ear and on the back of the neck.

Bonus Points: Fishing and hunting trophies are a bonus. Old Field and Stream magazines are an adequate replacement.

So, I found an appropriate place in McKinleyville with a prominent barber pole out front. Bob had the warm shaving cream machine sitting right on the counter. And, for the bonus points, he had an actual stuffed bear standing up in the corner.

I didn’t provide much for him to work with, however. Bed head is a barber’s worst nightmare. But he gave me a more than adequate haircut. I thanked him, paid, and asked where I could find a good, local place for breakfast.

"Denny’s", he said with all honesty.

"Denny’s? Next door here?", I asked a bit dumbstruck, yet still handing him the tip.

"Yeah. I just lover those skillet things."

"Thanks again!" I smiled and left.

Rule Number Four: Never ask a barber advice on breakfast locations.