My Super Social Weekend....

So Friday night I headed up to Maine early from work. I met up with Brandy in Saco. There was some running around, multiple phone calls and some jittery nerves as Brandy plotted on the phone with Michelle and Christine over the party plans. Brandy was to head over to Rosie's and help set up for the party. Rosie's is a small laid back pub in Portland's Old Port that is frequented by my friends in Maine. Since she was headed to Portland she dropped me off at John & Michelle's apartment where I met up with John and Jim Musson. Tim showed up shortly and after a few beers we headed off to Rosies. The plan was that Tim was going to try and convince John that the party was really somewhere else... somewhere more up scale. Tim said we were just heading over Rosie's for a few drinks before the actual party, which could be believable since this is how Tim's 30th birthday party unfolded. It was a valliant effort by everyone to pull it off, but I think John was on to everyone. When we walked up to Rosie's and "The Gift" from the Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat album was pouring out the door.... well I think at that point John knew that we wouldn't be leaving Rosies.

It was a good evening of beer, a shot of yager... (more like a cup) snacks, and of course conversation and laughing. John's friend from highschool Chris Buellens (sp?) was an interesting guy who naturally became a center of attention. One of the more amusing moments of the night came when he put Enrique Iglesias on the Juke Box and sang along with him. It was an unexpected event, especially in the midst of the music snobs that most of us are. It was hysterical.... bravo Buellens. I think the only way he pulled it off is that it was essentially the very anti-thesis of every politically incorrect, foul-mouthed joke spewed forth by him all night.

After Rosie's we headed to Amigo's (my favorite dive bar> sarcasm intended) for last call, and then on to Michelle and John's to close out our late night, or early morning (to be accurate). Brandy drove Tim & I back to their apartment in Saco. Upon arriving I promptly collapsed on the futon.

I was in rough shape the next morning.... Pabst always seems to somehow pack more of a punch.

Brandy & Tim drove back into Portland to pick up Tim's car and we had breakfast at Kathy & Dave's, a family restaurant/luncheonette on outer Forest Avenue. After we returned to Saco, there was a brief segment of vegging out before the 1.5 hour haul back to Melrose.

Once at the apartment, I took a brief nap, cleaned up, checked my directions... and then headed to Berwick, ME which is just over an hour away, near Portsmouth NH. Jeremy Viles was in town for the weekend. He and Chris Pike were headed to the Pat's game on Sunday. Chris invited several friends over to watch the World Series Game and catch up with Jeremy while he was around. When I arrived Chris's brother Tim, Brian Gregoire, and Chris, his wife Kerri, and Jeremy were already tipping back some cheap beer. Jeremy Storrer later arrived with his wife Lisa. When we weren't watching the game the evening was primarily spent rehashing old memories from St. Joe's. Jeremy suffered through some mild guilt or "gaining a conscience" as he put it in regards to many unflattering nick names he gave to both people he knew at St. Joe's, as well as the unassuming recipients, those he had seldom spoke to, if at all. Gregoire ended up regressing a bit (well... regressing would suggest that his sense of humor had "matured"....and it hasn't), and got a hold of Kerri's laptop.

The surfing began by attempting to find out what exactly caused urine froth after a short discussion on the topic. Froth, or foam, as in "the bubbles" in the bowl or urinal when well... you get the picture.

Jeremy used to use "the froth" as a running gauge on how intoxicated he was. As more alcohol is imbibed the urine becomes clear and froth-less as you continue to dehydrate. Brian and Jeremy were somewhat quiet about their search efforts when Kerri questioned what they were doing with her laptop. She hadn't been paying attention to them initially, and I suppose they were attempting to prevent an intervention that might have impeded the search process. This search ultimately bore little fruit..... Brian was pretty incompetent when it came to googling/ researching. I think he searched for urine froth, without reference to alcohol or dehydration. Urine content, composition, urea... all things he could have used. When suggested by others in the room the typical "In a minute...! In a minute!" response was blurted out, while Gregs was distracted with the shiny object of the moment. Dismayed with his poor googling skills, Gregoire moved on to looking up people on Myspace voyeristically (is that a word? It should be.)

Eventually the game came on. The early part of the game was rather slow, the Sox dominated, but only because the the Colorado offense was just a little more bleak than Boston's. In the fifth inning, Dice-K began showing his typical signs of fatigue, and he was replaced early in the sixth. The game got very competitive from this point out. I ended up staying until the 8th inning, at which point I decided I needed to begin my journey back to Melrose... despite the excitement. I listened to the remainder of the game play out on AM radio on the return trip.

It was good seeing everyone, especially Jeremy and Brian who I haven't seen in years. We joked (well not really..) that we'll probably see each other in two years. Brian asked if I could fit him into the schedule... I'll see what I can do.

Jeremy has gotten his 15 minutes of fame in a reality TV series called Big Medicine. The second season is coming up and Jeremy said he has some good air time. They perform some of the surgeries in his OR. I'm going to have to tune into a couple and see if I catch a glimpse.

http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/big-medicine/big-medicine.html

Last on the agenda was hanging out with Kate on Sunday afternoon. We went to Margarita's in Waltham for lunch. We walked briefly around the river after our meal, but headed back to Brookline after.

Of course last on the agenda was the World Series. Game four was a good one. I got myself a small Pizza from the neighborhood joint "Theo's", and sat back and watched history unfold. Bobby Kielty's (oops realized my confusion on the train this morning... not hinskey... thats what I get for cutting and pasting) home run was a nice surprise and I thought Mike Lowell's MVP trophy was well deserved.

Silent Movie, a forgotten past

I like the piece with the family feeding their infant, it is beautiful and yet unsettling because by now that child, born in 1895 has long since passed away. It is a transient ever changing world in which we live in. Live life to the fullest, and most of all... enjoy it.

I'm obviously postponing the post on the weekend yet again, stay tuned.

World Champions Again

That's right NY Yankees, we aren't just a flash in the pan.

Speaking of which.... Please Red Sox Management... Don't sign the second biggest ass, jerk, (whatever you prefer) in baseball. I can't stand A-Rod... I sort of believe it was meant to be when we didn't get him the first time.

We currently have a great 3rd baseman in Mike Lowell, MVP of the World Series I might add. Do the right thing, resign him. Use the rest of the money you could waste on A-Rod on something positive.

Anyway, after a lack luster second half of the season, I was thrilled by the post season performance. Lets do it again next year!

I had a good weekend which I'll write about in detail tomorrow night.

When is the Parade!!!

Papelbon Imitators

It is only Tuesday....

And yet it feels like Wednesday...
Kate and I moved our night together up so she could go volunteer tomorrow as a tutor for GED students, and so I could watch the World Series. Both noble causes ;)

We went to Mike's in Davis Square where Kate had a Meatball Sub and a hearty helping of french fries, and I a heaping plate of pasta with Meatballs and garlic bread. It was sinfully glutenous, but totally worth it.

We walked around Cambridge a bit before finally going our separate ways.

There's so much in the news right now I don't know what to write about. I think tonight I'm going to keep it simple and free of politics.

So... Tomorrow is Wednesday and the week is half over. Happy Hump Day.

American League Champions!

Well three years later and they do it again!! It was scary in the 5th inning, there were a couple of questionable calls that the Sox got lucky on, and later an error by Lugo... I definitely broke a sweat... but in the end the Red Sox offense took off showing that even if the correct calls (V. Martinez getting thrown out by Manny when he was visibly safe comes to mind...) had been made we would have still overcame the efforts of Cleveland. So to celebrate, here's "Sweet Caroline" a 8th inning sing along tradition at Fenway Park. A fan took this and posted it on Youtube... while definitely rough and amateurish, I thought it was a nice window into the ambiance that is the Fenway experience.
There were more "Riverdance" sequences performed tonight by Papelbon but I imagine it will take a day or so for that to show up on Youtube. I'll be sure to look for them.




And of course no Red Sox celebration would be complete without the Standells... so here they are in their amusing TV video for "Dirty Water".

Red Sox Victory (Ye-yeaaaah!)

Hayes... the title is a tribute to your celebratory yelp.

Anyway, I had a good day which began with a lot of apartment cleaning. I threw out quite a bit of paperwork and other crap... and managed to make space for the air conditioner in my closet.

Last night I had stopped off at Jason's apartment to catch up... I caught him in the middle of consuming a large plate of syrup (Aunt Jemima) laden buttermilk pancakes. Anyway we had a quick chat and agreed to cooking something up Saturday night prior to the Sox game and then sitting down tow watch the event.

So tonight at 7:00 Jason & I cooked up some tacos, had some Brazilian beer called "Brahma" which I've gotta say was pretty good. The bottles have no label, however the name is etched in the glass and they have a curvaceous shape, much like a woman. But aside from that it was quite tasty and refreshing too.
The game was great... Schilling and the Sox offense proved to be more than we could hope for. J.D. Drew... thank you.

So here I am... post game rambling...
Aside from this I did buy the Traveling Wilbury's Collection finally which is currently out in the car. I look forward to enjoying the collaboration between Harrison, Lynne, Petty, Dylan, and Orbison. Additionally I added to my collection of "The National". This latest CD, even with a cursory listen, sounds phenomenal. It is called "Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers" and It was released in 2003. Kate and I saw this Low-Fi Indie label act from Williamsburg NYC back on the 6th at the Roxy. Another Williamsburg based band... with Interpol, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Nada Surf, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and many others.... there has to be something good about that run down part of Brooklyn I just didn't pick up on.

Anyway.... I think I'm going to chill out for a bit with my new tunes before finally slipping into slumber.

Some Dancing....

In honor of tonight's Red Sox victory..... I'm looking forward to Saturday.

The Celtics Pre-Season game

I went to see a game where a Boston team won! It's the first for me in probably a couple of years. (Since the Sox game in Tampa with Kate and Jason) Lately I can't even watch a game on TV without the team losing. So my luck has turned.... Cleveland, watch yourself!

The ticket to the game was thanks to Mike Caprio who emailed me on Monday asking if I could accompany him. His roommate Matt has season tickets and couldn't attend. The seats were one row from the top, however they were free, and they were smack in the center too so I can't complain. It was a fun game to watch with a final score of 101 to 61.
Big Three Leads Celtics to Dominant Win Over Knicks

Caprio made a point of routinely cheering on the every move of Celtics Red-head Brian Scalabrine. Additionally we attempted to cheer for the game to attain symmetrical score (example 95 to 59) at several points in the game when it seemed to be a legitimate possibility... unfortunately fate was not on our side and we had to settle for beating the New York Knicks by 40 points.... sans symmetry.

Arrggghhh!!

I had to stop watching the Red Sox right after the first couple of runs scored for Cleveland in the fifth inning. It was just too painful. I've checked into Redsox.com periodically which seems to offer me some emotional protection as opposed to seeing it play out on television.

Well thankfully it looks like we may have avoided another political blunder. I noticed that CNN chose not to even headline this potential embarrassment: Dems Withdraw Support of Armenian Genocide Resolution I'm sure it is probably buried somewhere on their page. Pelosi suffered a blow in her attempt to cause U.S. soldiers grief and suffering. Luckily enough Democrats defected support (came to their senses) on this one. Everyone understands the Ottoman Empire's actions against the Armenians were horrible. That being said, this had not been brought up for many years, and the timing was not a coincidence, it was intended to be a calculated blow at the U.S. military. If this bill had gone through, Turkey threatened to end or severely cut back our alliance as they did recently with France when a similar measure was taken. Pelosi is a smart woman, and she knew EXACTLY what she was doing... it is borderline... no it IS TREASON. It could be argued that she is a traitor to the very government she should be supporting. Of course proving that her specific goal was further destabilizing Iraq for the intent of political gain, while really obvious... would be tough to demonstrate.

First Baby Boomer Files For Social Security Benefits: This article goes into details about how our current social programs may not be fiscally viable in the future.

From Article: Walker (the comptroller general of the Government Accountability Office, Congress' legislative arm) said over the next 75 years between Social Security, Medicaid and other entitlements, the federal government will be in a $50 trillion hole.

The irony is certain Presidential Candidates are discussing the creation of an entire new health care social bureaucracy.... instead of first figuring out how to fix the ones that are already underfunded and essentially broken.

Friday... Red Sox implosion...Kate's Birthday

Well... Happy Birthday Kate... It is the official day, or the last couple of minutes of it as I write this. It has been a weekend long celebration for Kate starting with dinner on Friday night. Kate's friend Kevin was in town again on business with his coworker Julie. We went to Zenna Noodle bar in Brookline and had a nice meal. The cuisine is described as Vietnamese Fusion.

Saturday Kate and I got up and I made pancakes on the griddle that she purchased for my birthday last month. With some maple syrup from Jillson's farm in my home town of Sabattus, ME they were a heavenly delight. Kate and I spent the afternoon walking around Boston, specifically the Charles River. We decided on a whim to go to Thornton's Fenway Grille which is off the beaten track near Kenmore square. Located on Peterborough St. if you walked down the main routes out of Kenmore, you would easily miss this bar located in a small oasis of eateries including a Mexican, Thai, Greek, and sushi restaurant side by side.

I had intended to meet up with Tim Hayes who had organized a group of our friends to meet up and watch the second game of the Red Sox playoff against Cleveland. The group had decided to stay at the Baseball Tavern longer, so I went ahead and got food with Kate. I originally thought we'd all meet up and eat together, but I was starved and my stomach just didn't want to wait. As luck would have it Steve, Tim's brother ended up suggesting the Thornton Grille to eat, and everyone met us there. Kate not being a baseball or beer fan headed back to a quiet night in Brookline and I remained behind with everyone. Watching everyone eat was a bit weird, but lucky for me my friend John had also eaten. We decided to go outside in the sidewalk cafe area and drank our beer while John smoked. Soon we headed back to the Baseball Tavern, which I actually enjoyed. Some sports bars lack character, but the upstairs here had great decor comprised mostly of old black & white photos of baseball players. A moose head adorned one wall and it's rack held a baseball bat. The windows looked out at the back side of Fenway park, and we would occasionally glance over to see if a well hit ball could be spotted above the walls. Unfortunately as luck would have it, and otherwise great game imploded in extra innings with the Indians winning 13-6.

Sunday I spent doing some things around the apartment. Later in the afternoon I went out and got Kate a "cookie cake" and brought it over. We went out to Moogy's for steak sandwiches and walked around for a little bit. After I got home that night I slept well. I think I was still tired from the prior night of drinking.

Monday was a rather slow day at work. Thankfully I was looking forward to going to the Sunset Grill for supper which is just off of Harvard Ave in Allston. I had a Smuttynose Pumpkin ale with the grub. Kate and I ordered a half plate of nachos and a platter of "wimpy burgers" and "wimpy fries" (mini burgers). It was delicious. After our meal we walked back to Brookline for some of the cookie cake for desert.

Anyway... I think this is where I wrap up this weekend summary.

Tax & Spend

Chance of Increased Taxes if Hillary Clinton is Elected

Ouch... and this is coming from the mouth of Dick Morris, former Bill Clinton staff member. Biggest tax increase since the "New Deal". Targeting dividends and capital gains in a way that will probably create a huge blow to investment. I'm no financial expert but I would guess that it would deal quite a blow to the markets, and business in general, bringing an already cooling economy to a free fall.

Nobel Prize Winner Gore? (Groan)

An inconvenient Peace Prize

Read why the Nobel peace prize has become somewhat of a joke, and simply a political statement.

There is nothing wrong with educating people on Global Warming, however there are several misconceptions which are repeatedly supported. The most common of these is perhaps that everyone on the coast will drown in 50 years if nothing is done. The last is that we as a population can prevent the adverse effects from happening. Scientists who aren't a part of the miss-information machine will explain that the damage can not be reversed, and earth will have to repair itself.

Global Warming 'Past the Point of No Return'

It's actually simple chemistry. Plants remove carbon dioxide from the air, when they die the take it with them decompose and may eventually become deposits of fossil fuels in thousands of years. By burning this fuel we are quickly releasing all of the Carbon Dioxide removed by plants over the course of thousands of years of world history. The world CAN NOT process this increased carbon dioxide as fast as we create it.

Does this mean we shouldn't bother eliminating fossil fuels from our diet? Of course not, but when you fill people's heads with garbage, and they figure out that you are just either:
A. using a cause as a platform to make money, or gain political power; or
B. trying to scare people into responsible behavior, they'll lose respect for you, and your cause.

Not to mention.... Al Gore really doesn't follow his own advice.

The Not-So-Green Al Gore

Democrats: War Mongers

Turkey threatens repercussions for U.S. : So the Democrats have decided after 80 years to let the Turks know they disapprove of actions inflicted upon Armenians by the Ottoman Empire. A dumb move on the part of the Democrats, or is it just a Machiavellian tactic? I hate to say it, but the timing reeks of a Machiavellian tactic... This really is something to post votes up on because these people (the dems) are voting DIRECTLY for more war. Once they come in... I'll get the names.


Nancy Pelosi on the timing: “Why do it now? Because there’s never a good time and all of us in the Democratic leadership have supported” it, she said.

From the article: Turkish warplanes and helicopter gunships attacked suspected positions of Kurdish rebels on the border this week and Turkey's parliament was expected to vote next week on a proposal to allow the military to pursue a large-scale offensive in northern Iraq.


From the article: Historians estimate up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I. Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the killings didn't come from a coordinated campaign but rather during unrest accompanying the Ottoman Empire's collapse.

They are right... about it being genocide. But does this 80 year old horrible event really need to be brought up again? Additionally the 1 million dollar question is why are the Democrats bringing it up now in the middle of a war where the Turkish are amongst our only allies in the area? My morbid guess is to make things worse. Intentionally. Their few attempts to scale back the Iraq war failed and this is their new morally bankrupt tactic. Burn more bridges, cause more death, destabilize a peaceful region of Iraq, all with the hopes that you can blame it on Bush and the GOP with the intent of getting VOTES AND POWER. Nothing more, Nothing less. Evil. Despicable. Or incredibly poor judgement. It's as though they are playing with the emotions and prejudices of a region, just to make their own dreams of grandeur come true.

Horses should stop being slobs

How did Menino get elected? Better yet, how did he get re-elected?

In the Boston Metro, the Mayor Thomas Menino explains the equine digestive process of Boston Police horses. The impression given is that they are unique due to their thoughtfully maintained diets. This is cutting edge stuff.

Perhaps he is being rude or sarcastic in response to a rather silly complaint. (The complaint was over horse poop.) Regardless I don't get how his public relations people let this response slip by.

Metro moments with the Mayor from the mayor's response: "April, the Boston Police Mounted Unit feeds their horses natural products and, as a result, their manure is bio-degradable."

The take home message: Feed a horse Twinkies and Diet Coke and perhaps you can start a rubber plant.

Also on that note: Paper is bio-degradable, as are food products... does that mean we can litter as long as the litter in question will return to nature in a relatively short time?

For April who wrote the following: "People step on it or cars will run through it. Since people are required to immediately take up after their pets, why is this same procedure not followed with these horses?" The way I see it April: A) Enjoys walking down the middle of the street, rather than on the sidewalk. Or.... B) April is incredibly lazy and doesn't think she should pick up Fido's crap. Or.... perhaps C) If the horse can take a dump in the road why can't April?

Oh...wait Maybe... April just needs a job and she wants to follow the horses around all day with trash bags, just waiting for them to crap. April could catch the crap in mid air and would ask for only some of that wonderful natural food that the Boston Police horses chow on. After all, Whole Foods can be pricey.

I can't imagine what a person such as April must be like when she has a real problem.

Playoff excitement, Thompson the bland

Thoughts on the Indians-Red Sox matchup and more I take issue with the following from Tom Verducci's "Inside Baseball" column.

"The Red Sox got what they wanted: an ALCS matchup against Cleveland rather than yet another exhausting Armageddon with the Yankees."

Just because most of us here in Boston were thinking it, doesn't mean we want to hear it coming from other people. And the choice of "Armageddon"? Please.... We would have crushed the Yankees, no problem. Really.

Thompson met lowered expectations, barely Thompson performs, as I expected him to. Romney and Giuliani scuffle... and Romney infuses the negative attack politics into the debate. Romney's negative, dirty politics have been the central point of his campaign to date. It is a preview of what the Nation will have to endure if he is chosen as the GOP nominee. In our current political climate, the broader spectrum of the American populace, (outside of the far right who may show up for the GOP primaries) WILL not have the stomach for this. I believe a vote for Romney in the primaries will essentially amount to a vote for Hillary Clinton. Hopefully we will never find out if I'm right, or wrong.

1st Weekend in October

The weekend came and went in a flash, proving to be a very enjoyable one. The highlights of the weekend would be a night out "on the town" with Kate Saturday. We went to P.F. Chang's for dinner and of course got their signature lettuce wraps as an appetizer. It had been a long time since we had been there. It was nice to find out that the wait (which used to be as long as 2 hours) was all but eliminated. This is likely due in part to another location that opened up at Copley Plaza. P.F. Changs seemed like an obvious choice due to it's proximity to the theater district which is where our evening would be taking us.

After dinner, we headed over to "The Roxy" on Tremont St. to see an Indie act called "The National". I bought their recent album "Boxer" several weeks ago and fell instantly in love with it. When I saw that they were coming to Boston, I didn't have to think long and hard about whether I'd be going to the show. Not long after I had a pair of tickets in my possession I bought two of their earlier albums which were also excellent. A blurb from Wikipedia gives some info on their history.

As I'm not prepared to devote the energy to give the concert a proper review (really... it was so good I don't think I could do it justice) I'm going to link you to this review of a live performance by "The National". http://www.brightestyoungthings.com/live-dc/livedc-the-national-930-club/

I tend to casually say The National sounds like a lo-fi Indie band with a touch of new wave. I heard one description claiming they performed "bar soaked blues". I sort of like that one myself.

One observation that did strike me was the great relationship the band members seemed to have with each other. They joked amongst them selves and with the audience with ease, as though we were just old friends at their private party. Additionally, there were improv jams and changes to songs that were all impressive. Sometimes bands tend to take away from their own material by doing this, however The National just blew us all away.

For those who have not been to the Roxy, it actually was a nice venue. The club has good sound, high-tech lighting, set in a grand old ballroom complete with chandeliers and balconies. My only complaint was that if you want an unobstructed view of the band you need to be right on the dance floor in front of the stage. There are various bars and lounges around the perimeter of the venue, however because the dance floor is raised a foot, it partially blocks one from watching the band from those vantage points.

The Paradise remains my favorite club-venue in Boston primarily because the Balcony access provides for a great vantage point to catch a show.

Sunday Kate and I went out for breakfast with her friend Kevin who was in town for a business conference. Kate and I are bringing Soundbytes in Somerville a lot of business. I think we should get a discount!

After eating we walked around the Tufts campus a little bit. Kevin had a flight out of Boston early Sunday evening so we tried to make use of the little time that we had.

During the course of our walk we had a couple close encounters with some feisty squirrels. One such squirrel even screeched at Kate when she walked by a tree it was perched on. Both Kate and the squirrel seemed equally threatened by the other's proximity and repelled as though they were magnets of the same polarity.

When Kevin had to head over to Logan, I drove to Brookline with Kate. We decided to go out walking in Newton and enjoyed the crisp fall afternoon. We walked circles through the affluent neighborhoods, admiring flowers, leaves, and the general "Rockwellian" quality that the community has. When we arrived in Newton Center it was probably past 6 pm and Kate and I were beginning to get hungry from all of the walking. We decided to go to a diner called "Johnny's Luncheonette". For the type of restaurant we thought it was a little pricey, but the food was good, and they dished out plentiful helpings. Kate had a fried chicken dinner, and myself, a roast turkey dinner complete with stuffing and cranberry sauce. I don't even think I was able to eat half of what they gave me. I just finished the leftovers tonight.

I hope everyone else is enjoying the fall, get out and go to a fair or carve a jack-o-lantern! At the very least, bake yourself some chocolate chip cookies.

Romney: Dum dum dum dum DUM!

First: Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Thanks Manny for coming through tonight, that 3-run homer was BRILLIANT. Red Sox 2, Angels 0.

Giuliani criticizes GOP on spending from article: "We lost control of Congress because we were just like the Democrats as far as spending is concerned — shame on us," Giuliani told the anti-tax group Americans for Prosperity.

Right on Giuliani... and now lets see what John Ker.... I mean Mitt Romney has to say.

From article: Yet Romney has argued Giuliani is vulnerable on the issue because the former mayor fought to eliminate a line-item veto, which a president can use to reject spending, and because Giuliani maintained a commuter tax in New York. And Romney advertises that he has signed a pledge not to raise taxes, which Giuliani has refused to do.

"Actually, as governor, I used the line item veto more than 844 times," Romney said. "I can't wait to do it in Washington."
At the presidential level, the line-item veto was short lived. Congress passed it in 1996, President Clinton used it in 1997, and the Supreme Court struck it down as unconstitutional in 1998.

Romney, Pay attention, It might serve you to actually know "Common Knowledge" law. Anyone who reads the news should know about the history of the line item veto. The Republican Congress "Famously" gave Clinton the line item veto which Clinton did not approve of. And yes.... it was deemed unconstitutional because it in theory gave the executive branch too much power.

Why don't you drop out right now, save us from yourself... and perhaps come up with a better way to transport your dog across country.

The child health care nightmare continued....

As expected the fall out has begun over the Bush veto. This may be single handed, the most brilliant political ploy by leftists in the United States to date. The pathetic Republicans who voted against what they claimed to stand for assured that they will lose seats by an even larger margin. Many will be doomed by association, and those of the few that did what is right could face a loss of their seats due to public ignorance. If they had stuck to the principles that used to define Republicans before they became Democrats who are religiously intolerant, Bush may have had stronger ground to stand on. McCain, and Elizabeth Dole (Former head of the Red Cross) voted against the bill and they are MODERATE Republicans. They did the right thing.

Because this bill passed by large margins Jon Stewart (among many commentators) was able to devote much of tonight's broadcast saying W has left the realm of "Nixon" and entered the realm of "Montgomery Burns". That he is evil and wants to hurt children... and the audience... much like most of America is eating it up.

OK... enough of me reiterating my anger of this major blow to fiscal conservatism and loss of independence from government control.

Hillary already was looking like a Shoe-in for 2008.... now I'm beginning to think it will almost be tough for her to lose. Promise people gold and they'll give you their souls.

OK as promised: MY IDEAS FOR HEALTH CARE

Children: They are the most important, and the innocents in the health care debacle. This is the ONLY age bracket that needs or requires additional government assistance to provide mass coverage.

In this case I actually would like to see a variant of the Romney/ Hillary Clinton managed health care plan, with a couple of exceptions. I like the idea of mandating that all children are provided with health insurance. (Much like Hillary's new plan for everyone, and Romney's Mass-care plan here in Massachusetts)

I don't like mandating that adults purchase health insurance. I think if you don't want health insurance that is your own err in judgement. Some people who are really healthy feel they can go a while without paying $250 a month to be in a PPO or HMO and I feel that is their prerogative and right as a free citizen. Politicians and media always use statistics about the uninsured, but a good chunk of this # are people who are uninsured by choice. Could they sacrifice cable TV, entertainment, or minutes on their cell phone to pay for it? Probably. But young and middle aged alike seem to think it is more important to see what happened on Dancing with the Stars then to have affordable doctor visits.

Anyway I digress: Children's Health care should be mandated. Not providing health care to children is child abuse in my opinion. It is the responsibility of those who brought the child into the world to provide for the child, NOT THE GOVERNMENT. Given the fact that there are many criminals and selfish people out there, the U.S. government could rise to provide health care when these people break the law.

An additional difference from the Romney/Hillary plans (aside from excluding adults) is that there will be NO government run insurance. Instead, determinations will be made on income and the lower class will have their health care subsidized. People will still choose providers that compete in a free market. Additionally, the government will choose the most affordable provider for children of deadbeat parents. How do I propose paying for it??

Good question, and this actually works into enforcing the plan. For every year parents do not pay for insurance they will be fined for the cost of the plan. If they are the legal guardian, they will not pay this fine until the child comes of age. Since this fine could accumulate to large sums over a child's life, payment plans will accordingly be created. Additionally each parent will be responsible for the full fine rather than jointly. If the insurance premiums are paid by an action of one or both parents, then neither is parent is responsible for the fine. This will make it in the best interest of parents to work together to fulfil the obligation for their child, regardless of their situation.

I don't believe the fine alone is enough of a deterrent, so additionally each year premiums aren't paid will result in 520 hours of community service for a charity or government service of their choice (which must be approved by the program). This will boost the sense of community and increase the strength of charitable organizations. (Again this will be performed once the child turns 18).

We sadly live in a world where people are no longer expected to be accountable for their own actions. This would punish people who don't do the right thing, who have somehow become morally incapable of providing for their offspring. Additionally by including the community service we will all benefit as a community, and hopefully the law breakers will benefit as well on a personal level.

Parents should sacrifice for their children. If they can't afford to pay for the one child they have, they shouldn't have more. While this can't be enforced in a "free" country, a program like this could be a deterrent. If they have trouble buying health care because they are spending $120 a month on cigarettes and $60 on cable then they need to cancel these practices, or have it figured into what they can afford. While I don't see that the government should make a practice to outwardly enforce this rule, I believe parents should be asked, and potentially face penalties for lying about it.

Many Americans take for granted the luxuries they have, and then they expect more on top of it. People do not realize the value of money. They don't realize how important it is to be responsible for themselves and their loved ones. This character trait is getting worse, and government run programs like the one proposed by Congress, and the one proposed by Hillary create a lethargic dependent society, rather than a healthy competitive society.

The program may need initial monetary incubation from various luxury taxes. I probably wouldn't take cigarettes off of the table, but I might have an extra 5% (instead of 40%) but include alcohol products which would likely produce much more income and be more constant over time then the shrinking tobacco using population.

Now I know everyone is thinking what about the elderly... they can't afford to pay for their drugs etc. I'm not saying there can't be improvements or government regulations imposed to keep insurance companies honest and affordable. The elderly are not innocents. Like it or not, we have a lot of time to prepare for the inevitable. Some of us can afford to, some of us can't. Some of us drive economy cars and others have a Lexus. Many of these people saved nothing for retirement, didn't take care of themselves, and then they turn around and expect the government to pony up and try and reverse the years of accumulated damage they've inflicted upon themselves. People get old, people die. Some of us work to try and make ourselves secure. Why should we be punished to pay for those who don't? Actions have Consequences. Medicare and Social Security provide much more security for the elderly than most Nations have, and yet it isn't enough.

Social Security is in trouble because it wasn't run properly. Money should not be "borrowed" EVER from its coffers. Medicare's recent expansion was a gift to big business and was overly complicated and too expensive. Both of these problems need major overhauls.

In terms of everyone's coverage, government oversight of private industry can help prevent abuses by insurance companies and Big-Pharma. However, this needs to be done responsibly. While health care is expensive it is also debatably more advanced, and readily available to people than it ever has been in our Nation's history (contrary to popular belief). Pharmaceutical, Medical device companies, and insurance companies should be allowed to be what they are: Businesses. When that ends so does the advance of medicine, as will benefits not only to the American population, but to that of the world.

Rarity: George W. Bush is right

For the fourth time W is using the power to veto, for the first time he is 100% right on this one. Unfortunately most people won't "get it".... and with Hillary Clinton dreams of leftist grandeur on deck, and a Democrat controlled Legislature, these misconceptions of reality could not come at a worse time.

Bush vetoes child health insurance plan from the article:
The president had promised to veto it, saying the Democratic bill was too costly, took the program too far from its original intent of helping the poor, and would entice people now covered in the private sector to switch to government coverage. He wants only a $5 billion increase in funding.
Bush argued that the congressional plan would be a move toward socialized medicine by expanding the program to higher-income families.

Additionally, the method for paying for this is laughable. Cigarette tax increase of 40 cents a pack? Please. It will come up short of the amount needed to fund the program (as usual). Additionally this is supposed to be helping the lower class. It is commonly understood and statistically supported that the lower class is more likely to smoke heavily. If you smoke a pack a day it is going to cost you ~$150 more a year (1% of $15000 after taxes). If you smoke a pack every other day it will cost you $75. Now I suppose this could deter smoking which is good.. however it will only take more money away from people that need it the most.

While I do feel that more can be done to make sure children are taken care of in this country, expanding a government operated insurance program is not the way this should be accomplished.

McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion from the article:
"The American people have rebelled against out-of-control spending. If they can find a legitimate way to pay for it, I would consider it," he said.
Expanding the program to cover children in families up to 400 percent of the poverty line would an "unfunded liability," the Arizona Republican said. "Just like the Medicare prescription drug program."

John McCain you have succeeded where many of your colleagues have jumped ship. You have not given in on this one to get votes, you have not done what is popular. The offenders have sold out to socialism, communism, and dealt a blow to the free market, and the greater freedom of Americans over something as fundamental as health. You, Senator McCain have recognized that what seems attractive, may not always be what is best. I believe that most ALL of the Republicans who voted for this bill, and probably even many of the Democrats did so not because it is "the right thing to do" but because it sounds good. It sounds so good.... so unbelievably wonderful, that anyone who votes against it sounds borderline evil. Brilliant strategy on the part of the Marxists.. I mean Democrats.

Shameful: Child Health Veto Will Be Election Issue from the article: Eighteen Republicans in the Senate supported the measure when it passed, including four who face difficult challenges next year. In the House, 45 GOP lawmakers defected.

To clarify, by defect they mean only 45 Republicans did the right thing and voted down the Socialist foothold. This bill represents everything that Republicans are supposed to be against... however lately the only thing that seems to divide the conservatives from the commies is whether they are 700 club fans or not. These are the issues that are important and this is a massive failure. A retreat from the GOP platform of "individual control", a retreat from smaller government, a retreat from lower taxes, a retreat from state control over federal control. This is selling out for votes and power... Nothing more, Nothing less. These people are destroying democracy... they are burying the frequently invoked Kennedy phrase "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." The are replacing it with a Utilitarian pipe dream making people, and families further dependent upon the government. Mark my word... this is the beginning of the end of any last lingering hopes of personal choice. Big Brother.... apparently the masses just want to obey.

Many of you may think I'm over reacting..... well let me ask you this, if you want reliable transportation are you going to use a privately owned airline or bus line... or Amtrack? (There is a reason they are unprofitable.... and it isn't American disdain of mass-transit). If you want a package shipped overnight, are you going to go U.S. Postal service, or perhaps FedEx or UPS? Now imagine that you remove all of the competition and the only organizations left are Amtrack and the Post office.... these quasi government run monopolies still have competition. Imagine the effectiveness of these organizations with NO competition. Getting the picture yet? Now imagine that instead of shipping a package or getting to NYC we are talking about your health or the health of a child. Are you sure you only want one option on the table? Are you sure you want that option to be the U.S. government? Well, that's where this is headed.

I've listed the enemies of American Freedom Below, These are just the Republicans.... almost all of the Democrats voted "Aye", after all they know how to run your life MUCH better than you do.

Here are the GOP traitors in the House: AL-4 Aderholt, Robert [R]; LA-5 Alexander, Rodney [R]; AL-6 Bachus, Spencer [R] LA-6 Baker, Richard [R]; TX-6 Barton, Joe [R]; IL-13 Biggert, Judy [R]; CA-50 Bilbray, Brian [R]; FL-9 Bilirakis, Gus [R]; MO-7 Blunt, Roy [R]; OH-8 Boehner, John [R]; AL-1 Bonner, Jo [R]; CA-45 Bono, Mary [R]; AR-3 Boozman, John [R]; TX-8; Brady, Kevin [R]; SC-1 Brown, Henry [R]; FL-5 Brown-Waite, Virginia [R]; FL-13 Buchanan, Vern [R]; IN-5 Burton, Dan [R]; MI-4 Camp, David [R]; VA-7 Cantor, Eric [R]; WV-2 Capito, Shelley [R]; TX-31 Carter, John [R]; DE-0 Castle, Michael [R]; OH-1 Chabot, Steven [R]; NC-6 Coble, Howard [R]; OK-4 Cole, Tom [R]; FL-4 Crenshaw, Ander [R]; WY-0 Cubin, Barbara [R]; TN-1 Davis, David [R]; KY-4 Davis, Geoff [R]; VA-11 Davis, Thomas [R]; PA-15 Dent, Charles [R]; FL-21 Diaz-Balart, Lincoln [R]; FL-25 Diaz-Balart, Mario [R]; CA-4 Doolittle, John [R]; VA-2 Drake, Thelma [R]; CA-26 Dreier, David [R]; TN-2 Duncan, John [R]; MI-3 Ehlers, Vernon [R]; MO-8 Emerson, Jo Ann [R]; PA-3 English, Philip [R]; OK-5 Fallin, Mary [R]; NJ-7 Ferguson, Michael [R] VA-4 Forbes, James [R]; NE-1 Fortenberry, Jeffrey [R]; NJ-11 Frelinghuysen, Rodney [R]; PA-6 Gerlach, Jim [R]; MD-1 Gilchrest, Wayne [R]; OH-5 Gillmor, Paul [R]; TX-1 Gohmert, Louis [R]; VA-5 Goode, Virgil [R]; VA-6 Goodlatte, Robert [R]; TX-12 Granger, Kay [R]; MO-6 Graves, Samuel [R]; TX-4 Hall, Ralph [R]; WA-4 Hastings, Doc [R]; NC-8 Hs, Robin [R]; NV-2 Heller, Dean [R]; CA-2 Herger, Walter [R]; OH-7 Hobson, David [R]; CA-52 Hunter, Duncan [R]; SC-4 Inglis, Bob [R]; CA-49 Issa, Darrell [R]; LA-1 Jindal, Bobby [R]; TX-3 Johnson, Samuel [R]; IL-1 Johnson, Timothy [R]; NC-3 Jones, Walter [R]; FL-8 Keller, Ric [R]; NY-3 King, Peter [R]; IL-10 Kirk, Mark [R]; MN-2 Kline, John [R]; MI-9 Knollenberg, Joseph [R]; NY-29 Kuhl, John [R]; OH-14 LaTourette, Steven [R]; CA-41 Lewis, Jerry [R]; KY-2 Lewis, Ron [R]; GA-7 Linder, John [R]; OK-3 Lucas, Frank [R]; CA-3 Lungren, Daniel [R]; IL-16 Manzullo, Donald [R]; TX-24 Marchant, Kenny [R]; CA-22 McCarthy, Kevin [R]; TX-10 McCaul, Michael [R]; LA-4 McCrery, James [R]; NY-23 McHugh, John [R]; CA-25 McKeon, Howard [R]; WA-5 McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R]; FL-7 Mica, John [R]; MI-10 Miller, Candice [R]; KS-1 Moran, Jerry [R]; PA-18 Murphy, Tim [R]; NC-9 Myrick, Sue [R]; CA-21 Nunes, Devin [R]; TX-14 Paul, Ronald [R]; PA-5 Peterson, John [R]; WI-6 Petri, Thomas [R]; MS-3 Pickering, Charles [R]; PA-16 Pitts, Joseph [R]; PA-19 Platts, Todd [R]; NV-3 Porter, Jon [R]; OH-15 Pryce, Deborah [R]; FL-12 Putnam, Adam [R]; MN-3 Ramstad, James [R]; OH-16 Regula, Ralph [R]; MT-0 Rehberg, Dennis [R]; WA-8 Reichert, Dave [R]; AZ-1 Renzi, Rick [R]; NY-26 Reynolds, Thomas [R]; KY-5 Rogers, Harold [R]; AL-3 Rogers, Michael [R]; MI-8 Rogers, Michael [R]; CA-46 Rohrabacher, Dana [R]; IL-6 Roskam, Peter [R]; FL-18 Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R]; WI-1 Ryan, Paul [R]; NJ-3 Saxton, H. [R]; OH-2 Schmidt, Jean [R]; WI-5 Sensenbrenner, F. [R]; TX-32 Sessions, Peter [R]; CT-4 Shays, Christopher [R]; IL-19 Shimkus, John [R]; PA-9 Shuster, William [R]; ID-2 Simpson, Michael [R]; NE-3 Smith, Adrian [R]; NJ-4 Smith, Christopher [R]; IN-3 Souder, Mark [R]; FL-6 Stearns, Clifford [R]; NE-2 Terry, Lee [R]; KS-4 Tiahrt, Todd [R]; OH-12 Tiberi, Patrick [R]; OH-3 Turner, Michael [R]; MI-6 Upton, Frederick [R]; MI-7 Walberg, Timothy [R]; OR-2 Walden, Greg [R]; NY-25 Walsh, James [R]; IL-11 Weller, Gerald [R]; KY-1 Whitfield, Edward [R]; NM-1 Wilson, Heather [R]; VA-10 Wolf, Frank [R]; FL-10 Young, C. W. [R]; AK-0 Young, Donald [R]

Here are the GOP traitors in the Senate: TN Alexander, Lamar [R]; MO Bond, Christopher [R]; MN Coleman, Norm [R]; ME Collins, Susan [R]; TN Corker, Bob [R]; NM Domenici, Pete [R]; IA Grassley, Charles [R]; UT Hatch, Orrin [R]; TX Hutchison, Kay [R]; IN Lugar, Richard [R]; AK Murkowski, Lisa [R]; KS Roberts, Pat [R]; OR Smith, Gordon [R]; ME Snowe, Olympia [R]; PA Specter, Arlen [R]; AK Stevens, Ted [R]; NH Sununu, John [R]; VA Warner, John [R]

I repeat: These are the people who value their re-election and party's power more than individual freedoms.

Thankfully the Democrats are just short of the votes they need and it is unlikely they will get them. Democrats begin push to override veto of kids health insurance bill Although it appears Pelosi and her comrades will try their damnedest to prey on the insecurities of the floundering GOP. I hope, that the Democrats will not be successful in convincing us to let them take control of our lives, but Pelosi is much like the witch in Hansel and Gretel... and Americans are nothing more than greedy fat children who are always looking for more hand outs. Lets just hope we don't get cooked.

Tune in soon when I make a suggestion on how health care access to children can be improved in a way that is fiscally responsible and encourages accountability rather than complacency.

Blackwater: The name explains it all

Seriously, if you were going to start a securities firm would you name it Blackwater? Why don't they just call it poison? The news on this military for hire is down right stomach churning. As a fan of the television show "Jericho" I recall from last season, organizations such as Blackwater were shown in an unflattering light. They depicted them as having a total disregard of rules of engagement, lawfulness, and to put it bluntly "life". The recent controversy which has erupted almost validates that there is some truth to fiction.

From Wikipedia: "Blackwater USA is a self-described private military company and security firm founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark. It has been alternatively been referred to as a mercenary company by numerous sources in the international media"

Most important to current events are Blackwater's involvement in Iraq.

Recently: Blackwater boss grilled over Iraq (Bullets below are from this BBC article)

• Earned more than $1bn from US government contracts since 2001.
  
• Staff involved in 195 shootings in Iraq between 2005 and 12 September 2007, with Blackwater firing first on 163 of these occasions.
  
• Allegedly drunk employee killed Iraqi vice-president's guard in 2006, but was flown out of Iraq and faced no criminal charges.
  
• 28 staff in Iraq sacked for weapons-related incidents, 25 for alcohol and drug violations.

Victims of an Outsourced War: This article goes into detail about Blackwater, the death of several Blackwater employees this past March and controversy surrounding not only what Blackwater does, but how they are treated by the U.S. government. Apparently there are angry family members of deceased Blackwater agents. Personally I think the idea of additional compensation for these deaths is B.S.

From article: "Blackwater's defense revolves around the issue of who has legal responsibility when something goes wrong. Blackwater's lawyers say the four men were operating as part of the U.S. "total force" in Iraq. As such, they claim, the company could no more be sued than the U.S. Army could for something that happened in a war zone. And they argue that any compensation for the families (28 Blackwater men have died in Iraq) would have to come from the U.S. government, not from Blackwater."

Perhaps their families didn't know the risks on their lives, but Blackwater members certainly did. That is why the were paid so much for the tasks at hand, far more than the average military personnel.

Ongoing complaints outside of compensation are in regards to more clarity on why these soldiers for hire died. I understand the desire of the families for answers, and yet at the same time I understand the need for confidentiality. Releasing this information could and likely would give away strategy of the organization. It is typical for the military to be discrete, but as Blackwater is a private enterprise, it becomes more difficult to stomach.

Families of the deceased wrote the following testimony delivered to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Allegations are that Blackwater was ill suited to perform the duties that were asked of the contract employees.

More recently: Mom: Blackwater should never forget my boy

So after several years of primarily being the fodder for conspiracy theorists, bloggers, the families of those effected, and least of all a reoccurring plot detail in the Jericho T.V. series the mercenaries for hire, (namely Blackwater) have been thrust into the front page news. The unraveling fiasco will likely involve legal ramifications, allegations of political corruption, and ultimately, I feel a legitimate call to dissolve these organizations. I thought I'd put up a few more of the recent links detailing the irresponsible, disorganized, corrupt disaster that Blackwater appears to be:

Pilot said 'this is fun' before fatal Blackwater crash from article: "You're an X-wing fighter Star Wars man," an NTSB report quoted the plane's co-pilot, Loren Hammer, saying during the flight -- a reference to the dizzying battle in the 1977 film.
"You're [expletive] right. This is fun," the pilot, Noel English, responded.
About eight minutes later, the plane slammed into the wall of the canyon, which was flanked by ridgelines that rose nearly a mile above surrounding terrain.

Iraqi official says video shows Blackwater guards firing on civilians from article: "They are always frightened, and that's why they shoot at civilians," al-Amri said. "If Blackwater gets to stay in Iraq, it will have to give guarantees about its conduct."

Iraqi official: Blackwater involved in second shooting September 16 from article: When the Blackwater convoy tried to drive against the traffic flow, he said, an Iraqi police vehicle -- its officers unaware of the Nisoor shooting -- tried to open the road by stopping civilian vehicles from driving toward the convoy. But the official said Iraqi police report found that the contractors opened fire at the police and civilian vehicles, wounding at least three civilians.

Blackwater denies involvement in illicit arms trade

Condoleezza Rice Orders Team to Iraq to Review Blackwater Security

Blackwater incident witness: 'It was hell' from article: "I saw parts of the woman's head flying in front of me, blow up and then her entire body was charred," he said. "What do you expect my reaction to be? Are they protecting the country? No. If I had a weapon I would have shot at them."

I'd like to conclude that I feel that these activities have to be left to the Military not private firms. If the U.S. military lacks the size it needs to work properly they should figure out ways to rectify this other then hiring a group of morally bankrupt hit men. Yes I said it. It is one thing to join your military and protect your country. It is an entirely different thing where you are hired into a position that may involve large monetary compensation for well... murder. The honor just isn't there. The people who are shooting randomly at Iraqi police and citizens, regardless of whether it is out of fear, are war criminals. After an investigation is performed the guilty should be rounded up and prosecuted for these potential war crimes. These Blackwater employees are private citizens and aren't bound by service to the military. In theory if they get more than they bargained for in Iraq they should take a flight home. Blackwater should If the Blackwater organization is found to sponsor this behavior or encourage, or coerce it, then the criminal trials should effect people right up the ladder in the organization. I should hope that the U.S. government will prevent usage of securities firms in this manner from happening again.

What is scary is how accurately a TV show captured the behavior of some of these soldiers for hire.

And now.... The exciting conclusion to 9/07

On the first day of October, two thousand and seven years, Anno Domini I shall attempt to illustrate the awe inspiring events of the past weekend. (Shouldn't weekend be plural? I mean technically it represents Saturday, one end of the prior week, and then Sunday the front end of the present week? If you don't consider Sunday an end, then perhaps only Friday and Saturday can technically be a weekend? And further more... is the North Pole really the top of our planet... can't it just as well be the South Pole? Wouldn't it just depend on your perspective? For answers for these and other questions.... don't ask me.)

So Friday evening I went to the gym after work. I used the elliptical for just over a half hour, did some stretching and what not... and then showered up. I used profuse amounts of the free foamy soap available in Bally's Total Fitness shower stalls. After drying myself off with my stinky gym towel and the aid of the wall dryer, I got dressed quickly trying to avoid spontaneous conversation in the locker room with strangers. Time was of the essence and I could not be ensnared in this ritual, which is usually undesirable regardless of whether I have some place to be. What can I say... I'm just kind of a locker room snob.

At 7:30 I met Kate, we went to Ace's Pizza on Massachusetts Ave (Mass Ave) and had a couple of grinders. Kate and I got cheap rubber balls out of a vending machine for 50 cents. They were called "porcupine balls" and the gimmick is they have little rubber spines and are squishy. The machine had false advertisement displaying them with googly eyes. Both of our porcupine balls lacked googly eyes to our great dismay, or at least my great dismay. I noticed there were some porcupine balls stuck to the hanging ceiling above the vending machine. No doubt someone else was disgruntled over the lack of googly eyes as well and threw them up there.

Despite our balls having an absence of googly eyes, we decided against sticking them to the ceiling. I took my ball out of its little round case long enough to unwrap it, give it a couple of gentle squeezes, and then I put it back in its case and into my back pack for safe keeping. Kate on the other hand began stretching her ball out. She next began smashing her fist down on top of her ball as it sat on the table. Additionally she would pinch it until it looked as though it would burst. Suddenly Kate exclaimed "hey there's gross stuff coming out of mine!" Sure enough I looked at the ball and a tiny hole, probably where they injected the gel to begin with, had opened fresh. Kate declared "Ewwww it's gross!" but instead of stopping the ball brutality she continued squeezing it. The ball appeared to be pooping bright white goop (a technical term). Of course it was permanently dented... I offered to spend (or waste) another 50 cents on a new ball but Kate refused, and tried to give me the damaged goods. I snapped back declaring that I didn't want it. From here we walked to Inman Square then on to North Station via Cambridge St. Since I had my 5k in the morning I had to get to bed and we went our separate ways.

Tim and Brandy arrived around 8:45 am on Saturday and we headed out to Soldier's Field along the Charles River for the race. Kate met us there to watch us finish, photograph the event, and then go out to brunch with us afterward. It was a gorgeous day for a run. Tim finished first, I second, and Brandy last, but we were all with 10-15 seconds of one another. I had gone to the gym frequently the prior week, and the race I believe was the catalyst I needed to keep myself going. Tim has really got to be proud of the progress that he's made just over this summer in terms of his running performance, and fitness. I predicted he'd probably beat me, and sure enough he did... and Brandy caught up with me, but declined to race me me to the finish line. I'm not a particularly competitive person, however I was inspired to start working harder at keeping in shape. Perhaps next year all three of us will be finishing in the mid-twenties instead of the late-twenties (time in minutes). Tim's sister Jen and her friend also came out to walk the route. Pictures are Brandy running (top) and then myself. Unfortunately Kate did not see Tim cross the finish line and missed him.

The dog pictured was an object of obsession for Kate. She took a couple of pictures of it before the race to practice using the camera. Admittedly it is really cute, however the dog's owner nearly caused an unfortunate accident by thinking she could run the 5k with the dog. She (the owner) started at the front of the pack instead of the rear where she should have been. Really I pity the poor little dog because it could have gotten trampled, and also... if I'm out of breath after running how is a creature with 8 inch legs going to be feeling at the end? It will be like running two marathons for the poor dog. It is sort of animal cruelty really....

After the race we headed back to my apartment to clean up. Brandy & Tim brought their power book and showed Kate & I some of the pictures from their wedding. They mentioned that they'll email me some of them. Once I get them I'll try and post a couple.

Next we headed over to Soundbytes in Somerville for their awesome breakfast. Brandy and Tim seemed just as taken with the eatery as Kate and I are. I was treated for my birthday by Brandy & Tim (Thanks again guys!) While we were there sitting by the sidewalk Brandy thought she saw Scotty (Scott Wilkinson my first roommate and old friend from Saint Joseph's College) who lives a block away. When we looked up and down the street he wasn't there. Brandy took off down the road and tracked him down at a nearby deli. On the way back Scott stopped by and chatted for a few minutes. Kate finally got to meet him and it was a nice coincidence.

Kate took off on her separate way and I drove Tim and Brandy back to Melrose so they could get their car and things from my apartment. We hugged each other goodbye, tears were shed... etc etc (Its always tough to leave me).

After the departure I had to pack my things for an overnight up in Maine. My Aunt Rita was up visiting from Maryland. It is the usual tradition that she visits the first week in October so that she can go to the Fryberg Fair with my Aunt Gigi and my Mother. I took advantage of this to spend some time with Jess Wheeler Saturday night. It had been a long time since I'd had a chance to talk with him outside of Tim's wedding and Bachelor party. So we ended up getting some Thai food and then going out drinking afterward. Amusingly instead of going into Portland we jointly decided to visit the dives on outer Forest Avenue within walking distance of Jess's place. Truthfully none of them were really dives in the traditional sense, except for one which we avoided per Wheeler's advice. Bruno's was probably the nicer of the group in terms of the volume of the noise, beer selection, and the prominence of plasma screen televisions. Bruno's also seemed to have a younger crowd. The one truly un-enjoyable bar was CJ's which turned out to be some hip-hop near-dive dance club. Two other places were truly townie bars attracting a middle aged clientele. They were nicely maintained and had decent atmosphere. After our little EtOH binge we headed to the Wok Inn and brought back an order of Kung Pow Chicken and Teriyaki sticks to Jess's to finish off the night.

The next day I woke up around 10:30-11:00, showered up and had a cup of coffee. Jess's old roommate had roasted the coffee beans herself with her boyfriend and given them to Jess. I usually have cream and sugar when I have coffee, but Jess did not have any. I haven't enjoyed black coffee since I was a Junior in college (when I discovered it was much better with cream and sugar). However, perhaps because it was freshly roasted, or perhaps it was because I so desperately needed the caffeine.... it was a damn fine cup of coffee, no enhancement necessary.

So next I hit the road arriving at my parents only to find that they were out shopping. It occurred to me that I was not going to be eating anything till 4 or 5 pm. I walked up to the Village Store by my parent's home and got a Maine Italian Sandwich which I virtually inhaled. When my parents arrived later my mother complained that my breath was bad from the sandwich. Brushing my teeth, flossing, gargling.... Mom still complained... irritated I stormed off up to the store again for some gum. I get back..... and my mother says "George? I was wondering if you could do me a favor? could you go to the store and buy a jar of relish?" With my shoulders drooped and my head hanging I headed back out the front door and up Crowley Rd.

As I walked into the store I smiled at the cashier and said "Hello Again!" She laughed while I found a jar of Cain's sweet relish and plopped it down on the counter. So this cashier looks at me and says... "Is your name George?" I'm a little weirded out, but reply yes, and ask how she knows my name. She then claims to remember me getting on the bus as a kindergartner (the implication was that she was one of the "big kids" as us youngsters called them back in the day). I would have never guessed she would have attended school with me because she appears a lot older than I am....but then I'm forgetting I'm 30 again.

She goes on to tell me fond memories of going to trick or treat at my parent's house. My dad used to bring back all of the full sized chocolate bars that they wouldn't sell at the Bath Country Club (He was the head Golf Pro there when I was a child) and give them out for Halloween. She said all of the kids specifically came to our neighborhood because of this. I give a quick explanation of the chocolate bars from me. I know she is just hearing blah blah blah "they're rich" blah blah blah, because that's the misconception full sized chocolate bars put in the heads of children. Misconceptions like that in a small lower class town just grow and stick with a family like a stigma. The golf-pro bit doesn't help either because the locals assume you must be rich to have anything to do with the sport. For my family the exact opposite was really true and it would ultimately lead to my Dad quitting what was his passion only to take a miserable job in a shipyard.

She politely asks if I and my parents live nearby, and again I respond in kind. Smiling I walk away, although it fades as I exit the door of my beloved Village Store. It only takes a few seconds and the knowledge of the rapid passage of time settles upon me like a heavy blanket.

I eat hamburgers and hot dogs and nibble at a vegetable platter with my family. It is a quiet night and we really don't talk very much. I watch the Red Sox and the President's Cup (golf) with my Father and my Mother and Aunts are off at the kitchen table talking amongst themselves. Around 6:00 I decide it is time I head back to Melrose so I can be home by 8:00pm and have time to unwind. I give everyone hugs and kisses goodbye, and slip into the car. As my red focus meanders down Interstate 95 the new Iron & Wine album permeates my environment and the sun is setting beyond the silhouette of the tall White Pines.

The Ducks are on the Charles River, Kate took this as a practice shot to get used to using my digital camera. I thought that it came out pretty nice.