Wow.

You know, I used to be a Republican. In my first Presidential election, in 1992, I voted for the first George Bush. I voted for him because I trusted him and didn't trust Bill Clinton. I voted for him despite the fact that he had a Vice President who couldn't spell potato (you remember this, right? Trying to project a studious and mature demeanor, he was lassoed into running a spelling bee for 6'th graders. When one of the kids was given his word, potato, he wrote it onto the chalkboard. Quayle, not checking the card he was reading the word from, said something like "you're so close....but you forgot the "E" at the end").

Sixteen years and a switched party affiliation later, I have voted for Barack Obama. Not because I dislike John McCain, but because I dislike what John McCain believes. Not because I don't trust John McCain, because he seems like one of the most honest, integrity-filled people in politics today. I simply don't trust that his beliefs are right for the nation. I rooted against John McCain in this election, but I am still surprised he lost. Not to mention the manner in which he lost, by virtue of what every channel has deemed a "landslide". Surprised that unlike what happened to John Kerry in 2004, the support Obama had garnered manifested itself all through Election Day and did not waver.

McCain needed that wobble, and he did not get it. He needed the people disenfranchised with politics to stay away, as they had done so many times before. This time, those disenfranchised people swamped polling places and led to lines reported as long as 90 minutes. 90 minutes!! And unless you lived in the middle of the country, those disenfranchised people voted Obama, and that made the difference.

Congratulations, President-elect Obama...! The hopes and dreams of a nation are riding on your shoulders now. Be honest with the people, as you pledged throughout your campaign, and again in your victory speech tonight. Reach across party lines and build on the goodwill that you will see from a Congress eager to make a good impression on a new President. Make friends....actually, I should say get our old friends BACK. We have alienated many with GW Bush's independent act-alone policies and we need them to make this world a better, safer, more environmentally-conscious and friendly place.

History was made today. Savor it and hope no wacko does anything stupid to ruin it.

short one

Just a quick note, more to come later if I don't get mesmerized by the time-sucker that is NFL football... I have known for a long time that I'm pretty lucky. Lucky in love, lucky to have a GREAT family, and lucky to have the friends that I do.

Truly, truly blessed. Many of you are the reasons I am the person I am today. For that I can only say thank you.

Vacation

So much has happened since I last wrote! Not. The highlight of things is that I am now on vacation. I have been counting days for a good long while to get to here. It's soooooooo nice knowing that I don't have anything at all on my plate for a week and change. Here's the itinerary:

Saturday: Mike and Michi's wedding! And in a side note, did YOU know there is a music group called Mike and Michi?! They have a MySpace page and everything. Ha.

Sunday: Oh yeah. Off to Tahoe and Camp Richardson we go!

Monday: Fishing. Hopefully, lots of fishing and not much waiting.

Tuesday: Kids Cook Night. Heh heh heh. Since I'm in charge of the entree and EVERYONE knows I don't cook, there has been some much deserved worry. But this year, a surprise is in store for the unsuspecting patrons of Kids Cook Night as the entree will be scrumpdiliumptious. Or everyone may have to run to the bathroom.

Wednesday: Um.

Thursday: Um.

Friday: Leaving Camp Rich =( Birthday dinner!

Saturday: Lori's birthday dinner!

Sunday: Heading home =(

Monday: Um.

Tuesday: Um.

Somewhere during the Camp Rich time there will be hiking, kayaking and lots of games, eating and picture taking, where I get to test my birthday present, a used Sony a100 that I got an absolute screaming deal on. Who else do you know shops for his own birthday present and tries to save money?!

Till next time..........................=)

Open letter

An open letter from the CEO's of 12 major airlines was sent to news agencies and some customers today. The letter asks Congress to put a curb on excessive oil speculation, which they feel drives the final price of a barrel of oil up anywhere between $20-$60. We've all seen and felt in our wallets the damage that a jump in oil prices can do. Every time oil jumps, gas jumps with it and the fill-up you made last July 10 costs you about $15 more today.
The letter directs you to a site where you can e-sign a form letter to your local politicians asking them to sign reform laws currently proposed in Congress, specifically designed to limit oil speculation. There are more technical aspects that I won't bore you with, they are all on the website.
As someone who drives 33 miles a day to work and gets about 19 miles a gallon, I get about 300 miles to a tank of gas before the little light says I had better put some gas in. Merely driving to work and back is a fill-up every 4th day at about 15 gallons a pop, and that's not the extent of the driving I do. You do the math.
Here's an article from CNN and that website I mentioned. The link is to the FAQ section of the site with the more technical aspects of speculation. The link to send the letter to your representatives in Congress is on top where it says "Tell Congress to act now". Please encourage our lawmakers to do something productive for a change and get these regulations passed.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/09/news/companies/airlines_speculation_letter/index.htm?section=money_latest

http://www.stopoilspeculationnow.com/site/page/answers_to_common_questions

The July newsletter

Sorry, I am a couple of days late. So here's the news.

-Still going, 7 months and counting. And even though I'm annoying and a slow walker, she puts up with me, which is good because I can see my future in her eyes.

-Work is still work. For those that know me, you know what I mean.

-Moving to parts unknown, by September 1. I have but two goals for my new residence. 1) Clean, safe, and relatively cheap...or as close as I can get to all of the above. 2) Close to one of two places, her house or my work. Hopefully by then, both.

-Trying in vain to plan another trip to Yosemite. Hard to plan around a schedule that's always changing.

-Trying to also schedule classes for the fall. This is being made much more difficult by me not knowing where I am going to live and work, and with regards to work, again...it's hard to plan around a varying schedule.

-Was taught pusoy dos (sp?). A game at which I find myself losing, frustratingly more often than not. Which makes it all the more challenging.

-Saw Kung Fu Panda. Funny, funny movie. Ska-doosh.

-Had one of the worst case of the shanks I've ever had. If you have ever been so amazed that you have to laugh, you know how I felt. It was one of those rounds where everything went badly. I was actually thankful to be done. But I'll be heading out soon to try my hand again. Addicting game.

-Reminded myself of how absolutely stunning Edgewood Golf Club in Lake Tahoe is. What a beautiful setting. For my money it is Yosemite's closest rival, setting wise.

Stay tuned.

And now, for the newest update.......

In what is looking like a semi-monthly installment, here is what's new since the last time I put in something.

-She still hasn't gotten sick of me. After 6 months and counting. I am amazed. Although I know she finds me annoying (who doesn't, really?) and that she is a hair short of beaning me with her golf club most days, we are still happily together. Lucky guy I am =)

-My Dad's old truck, Waipahu, is moving around quite well after a tune-up and repair of some miscreant parts in cylinder 6.

-I am going to be moving sometime in the near future...again...my friend, who I am renting from, has decided to sell the condo =( So it's probably bye-bye to San Ramon, sadly. I have come to like it here and will be sad to leave. But it means I will probably be moving closer to work in Berkeley (now watch me get transferred again) and my rent will probably be less than what it is now, so I can start to put aside money again. It's been pretty much impossible to do that lately and it'll be good to get back to that habit.

-Went to a wedding this past Saturday, and saw two friends tie the knot in what was one of the quickest ceremonies of all time. About 40 minutes from the groom walking down the aisle to them walking out as husband and wife. Got to see a bunch of people who I hadn't seen in ages, which was great. As the not-so-proud owner of what is typically referred to as the "worst schedule in history" I haven't gotten to see anybody much over the last few months, so it was really good to see the gang again =) Looking forward to more fun and games soon.

-Saw "Iron Man" and "Indiana Jones". Iron Man, very good. With Indy, it was hard because the series had been so good that expectations were correspondingly high as well. A good movie, but not one I'd go to see again.

Now that's really all I have for now. Check back in about a month.

All the news that's fit to print. At least, that I can remember.

So it sure has been a while since I've written in here. Or anywhere else really.

Since I wrote last:

-Still seeing Miss Josephine, and things are going VERY well. You can take that to mean she hasn't gotten sick of me. Yet. I'm very lucky.

-My car was absconded with. Situation still unresolved, which translates into "car go bye-bye". Along with most of my golf clubs, my IPod, gate opener, all of my softball gear and a bunch of other stuff. Lesson learned? Don't keep so much junk in your car.

-Diet and get in shape plan begins May 1'st. The one exception is whenever I hang out with Mach. Whatever night that ends up being is buffet night. Period.

-Got recertified as a Pharmacy Technician, so I'm good for three more years before I have to certify again.

-Found out, much to my dismay, that jean shorts evidently have been out of style for quite some time. Whoops.

-Was presented on Sunday with "Waipahu", my Dad's old truck. Now my old truck. Which is better than my old car.

-Got transferred to Berkeley for work, leaving Richmond. Ironically, it takes me just as long to get to work even though it's 5 exits earlier.

-Realized just how much I enjoy Camp Richardson. Can't wait till September, when the whole family will be there, hopefully all of us with our significant others. That will be great.

-Saw "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". Very funny movie.

That's all I can think of for now. See, now you're all caught up. Tell your friends. Speaking of friends, I'm lucky to have great friends and family. It's too bad that some people don't. But I do. And I am thankful every day for them all.

Hi, it's me again

I know, I know. It's been what, a month, since I put anything in here? I've been busy, sorry =)

So just a couple of thoughts that have come up recently...

1) Barack Obama, offered a VP slot in a Hillary Clinton-led ticket. Interesting strategy she's using, trying to marginalize him in the minds of voters. Also interesting that she used it first, being in second place. Desperate times, perhaps? John McCain's camp must be absolutely loving this. And he had better hope Clinton wins the Democratic nomination.

2) This from the USA Today..."Kaz Matsui will miss four to five days with an anal fissure." Uh...I'm not a doctor, but that sure doesn't sound good. Reading on, it is described as "an unnatural tear or crack in the anus skin". Ouch.

Beautiful.

Valentine's Day

For once I have something to celebrate, so I won't wax on about how this Hallmark holiday sucks. Sorry. I plan to enjoy it this year. In the meantime feel free to read this excerpt, borrowed from the SF Chronicle from one of their fine columnists, Leah Garchik. It's kind of long (spread out over two days in the paper) but funny. Enjoy and have a Happy Valentine's Day!

First, individuals contemplate imaginary prospects:

-- "I get attractive ... after six drinks." (Woman on the dance floor at office Christmas party, overheard by Mark Larson.)

-- "I'm not a bad guy ... a little creepy maybe, but not a bad guy." (Man to man, overheard walking near the UC Berkeley campus by June Vonich.)

-- "I need to find a boyfriend because I need to argue with somebody." (Woman to woman, overheard on Hayes near Fillmore by Ronn L. Robbins.)

-- "I'm so tired of dating people who don't have decent jobs or career goals or lives, or can put themselves together or even have their own car. From now on, I'm only going out with people who have the 'tions: compensation, transportation, motivation, ambition, attraction." (Woman to man, overheard by Tim Wu.)

-- "If I were a vegetarian, I'd brag about it. I'd probably get laid a lot more often." (Man to man, overheard on Telegraph Avenue by Christina Tuccillo.)

-- "He wants to have kids, so he's going hetero." (Guy on a bicycle to another guy on a bicycle, overheard while leaving AT&T Park by Ricardo Morrissey.)

-- "I don't have a relationship with a man, so I decided to have a relationship with my hair." (Woman at the Fairfax Theatre, overheard by Shae Irving.)

-- "It's not that that I'm afraid of, but the broken heart afterward." (Woman to companion, overheard at Nordstrom in San Mateo by Sam Ainsworth.)

-- "I'm looking for a green man: high productivity and zero emissions." (Overheard in Macy's in Corte Madera by Jon Dreyer.)

-- "If only I was 20 years younger and lesbian." (Woman speaking about her yoga teacher, overheard by Elaine Geffen.)

-- "Call your wife first. And then call the contortionist." (Fifty-something male to companion, overheard at the ESPN zone for NBA All-Star weekend in Las Vegas by Anthony Passanisi.)

Next, they meet flesh-and-blood versions of those prospects. This is called "dating":

-- "I'm glad you're meeting someone interesting. It must be that new medicine you're on." (Female nurse on cell phone, overheard at Kaiser in San Francisco by Peter Washburn.)

-- "How is it that I get set up on a blind date with the one guy in Santa Cruz that's a Republican?' (Woman on cell phone, overheard on Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz by Amy Wolitzer.)

-- "Well, he lives in the Lower Haight and works in Marin. He's like a jock-thug-hipster." (Woman on cell phone describing her new love interest, overheard on the 22 Fillmore by Rachel Huysentruyt.)

-- "In human relationships, there's a male energy and a female energy. ..." (Woman to woman, overheard on the Claremont Canyon fire road in Berkeley by Mike Palmer.)

-- "Every new boyfriend makes you get rid of the things the last boyfriend made you buy." (Woman overheard at Cafe Flore by Brian Bringardner.)

-- "I'm supposed to meet him here but I can't remember if he's hot. Is he hot?" (Woman on cell phone, overheard on Chestnut Street in the Marina by Mark Pitta.)

-- "I'm not going there to get laid, but I might have to leave early to avoid it." (Self-assured young man to friend, overheard near the UC Berkeley campus by Marilyn Pon.)

-- "I don't know if we'll get along. He's a liberal Democrat and I'm a communist." (Woman at Caffe Trieste, overheard by Donna Bero.)

-- "She'll probably talk about you on her blog tomorrow." (Overheard hiking up the Eagle Peak Trail on Mount Diablo by Mike Palmer.)

-- "I don't see us being a girlfriend-boyfriend thing. I mean, we could be, but it's so obvious to me we won't that I felt I should mention it." (Boy to girl, overheard at Jupiter in Berkeley by Dave Bourdon.)

-- "He can't get totally wasted because he's gotta donate sperm tomorrow." (Young woman to young woman, overheard on the 33 Stanyan by Tom Canaday.)

-- "It's not every day you find yourself dating a bullfighter." (Woman to friend, overheard in front of the Conservatory of Flowers by The Chronicle's Anastasia Hendrix.)

-- "Yes, I told him I have a boyfriend and a girlfriend. I mean I live in San Francisco, don't I?" (Person on cell phone on Montgomery Street, overheard by N. Stricker.)

-- "The first time she tried to break up with him, they weren't even going together." (Teenage girl to teenage boy, overheard in Alamo Square by Donna Laemmlen.)

-- "I'm glad you asked. Yes, I was once charged with attempted murder." (Couple on what seemed to be first date, overheard at NOPA by B. Stormont.)

If all goes well, they get down to business:

-- "So I told him, 'If she's standing close enough to kiss her it means she wants you to.' " (Man to friend, overheard at Pasta Pomodoro on 24th Street by Gerald Nachman.)

-- "Even my hips hurt the next day." (Woman to companions, overheard at Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves in Sonoma by Leslie McLean.)

-- "So I told him, 'I don't want your phone number! I just want to make out.' " (Young woman on cell phone, overheard at City College in San Francisco by Hallie Strock.)

-- "We tried a popsicle cover, but it broke." (Teenage boy to teenage boy, overheard on the 43-Masonic by Dedo Tres.)

-- "Did she de-virginize him?" (Man on cell phone, overheard on Guerrero Street by Walter Gorman.)

-- "Barack Obama. We've made it our new safe word." (Woman to woman, overheard at the bar at Cafe Rouge by Desmond Yen.)

-- "Two small regulars." "Regulars?" "Yeah, I have a different lover this morning." (Young man talking with barista, overheard early morning at the French Hotel Cafe in Berkeley by Robin May.)

-- "I had to get a king-size bed. I'm dating a couple." (Customer overheard at White Horse Bar in Oakland by J.T.G.)

This from Day 2.

In the February of a relationship, buds form on its trees and tender love seems to flourish:

-- "Remember the first time we kissed?" "Oh, yeah. Was I wearing my white top or my green one?" (Teenage couple, overheard walking on Fourth Street in San Rafael by Patti Brennan.)

-- "He kept trying to put the moves on me, but then again, I was the one without clothes on." (Woman on cell phone, overheard outside a ground-floor window by Paul Hamberis.)

-- "And I thought, 'Wow, she looks hot.' Then I realized I was looking at myself in a mirror." (Woman to friends, overheard across the street from Cole Coffee in Oakland by Derek McCulloch.)

-- "My grandfather found himself another woman." (Fourth-grader telling fellow Marin County carpoolers why he has an extra grandmother, overheard by Jill Sperber.)

-- "I feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the world, 'cuz I keep running into these beautiful women with low self-esteem." (Guy to friends, overheard on the Alameda-Oakland ferry by Jennifer de Graaf.)

-- "I know he's going to propose to her. Guys don't just go into jewelry stores to look around." (One young woman to another, overheard on the F line by Donald Clausing.)

-- "Are you buying for a man or a woman?" (Man to man, shopping for Valentine's Day cards and overheard at Walgreens on Sansome by Ken Roberts.)

Specific things may impede progress:

-- "High maintenance doesn't begin to cover it. Dump him." (Middle-aged woman shopper, examining coffee mugs and dishing out advice, overheard at Bristol Farms in San Francisco by Elizabeth Partridge.)

-- "He's so cheap, he could have gasoline dripping from his nipples and he still wouldn't drive his car across the bay to see me." (Woman in line at Noe Valley Bank of America, overheard by Dennis Gordon.).

-- "Yeah, he's addicted to love. But he's allergic to life." (Man discussing high school classmate, overheard at Thanksgiving dinner by Bruce Wodhams.)

-- "And then I saw that he had an aol.com e-mail address, and that pretty much settled that." (Punky young woman to friend, overheard at Naan n' Chutney in the lower Haight by Eric Kessell.)

-- "Dude, you can't give wine in a box to chicks." (Young gent to pal, overheard at the College Avenue Safeway in Oakland by Peter Shelton.)

-- "There's a million men in the world. I don't need to take the one she wants." (Woman to woman, overheard in the cafeteria of the state Capitol in Sacramento by Mike Welch.)

-- "Well if she can't even say no to her siblings, how is she ever going to reject some jerk who has sex with cows?" (Woman standing in line at the Lumiere, overheard by Tosha Silver.)

-- "That's horrible. I would have spit right back at him!" (Woman on cell phone, overheard on Chestnut Street by Shirley Davalos.)

-- "Tell him if he says anything about last night, I'm never sleeping with his girlfriend again." (Woman on cell phone, overheard in parking lot of Kaiser Hospital in Redwood City by Capt. Harry.)

-- "He's a Sagittarius. That's why it took me so long to land him." (Woman to woman, overheard in Healdsburg Square by Carole Manners.)

-- "It's really hard to make major life changes and keep the same boyfriend." (Young woman on the 38-Geary, overheard by Steven Marker.)

Or there may be more general misunderstandings:

-- "Babe, I just told you, I'm a hero, not a zero." (Man talking loudly on cell phone, overheard at 24th and Mission by Kristian Nergaard.)

-- "Sushi is a date food. I don't want to have to say, 'This is not a date.' " (Overheard at a hotdog stand at Montgomery and Market by Michael Raifsnider.)

-- "You should just be happy that I didn't break up with you." (Young man on cell phone, overheard at 18th and Castro by David Liebendorfer.)

-- "He was too mellow for even, like, sarcasm." (Young 20ish woman to companion, overheard at Pine and Montgomery by Robyn Todd.)

-- "No, Claire is my roommate. Kevin is my girlfriend." (Man to man, overheard at the elevators at 77 Beale by Vernon Jenkins.)

As every country and western singer knows, some activities are dangerous:

-- "My girlfriend is Russian, so does that mean it's OK to cheat on her?" (Man to man, overheard in an elevator by Ashly Russell.)

-- "I wouldn't care if he was cheating with a man or cheating with a woman. It's still cheating." (Woman to woman, overheard at 24-Hour Fitness in Vallejo by Sharon Silveira.)

-- "I never lie to you! I almost always tell the truth." (High school girl on cell phone to her boyfriend, overheard on Mission Street by Simon Blint.)

Marriage is a scary prospect:

-- "You know you've gotta be careful when you marry, because divorce is forever." Woman to woman, overheard at Crissy Field by Patricia Molino.)

-- "The elephant for the wedding has gout." (Woman passenger overheard by A.G., driver of a Luxor Cab.)

-- "Elope!" (Bride in full wedding regalia to passing teenagers who offered congratulations, overheard at Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan by The Chronicle's Nanette Asimov.)

-- "I'd marry you just to divorce you." (Woman to co-worker, overheard in office by Casey Taylor.)

-- "She's Buddhist, he's Catholic, so they're meeting each other halfway and having the wedding in Vegas." (Woman to woman, overheard at a holiday party by Kareasa Wilkins.)

Once again, this is from the SF Chronicle columnist Leah Garchik, who also has a book coming out entitled "Real Life Romance", that has more quotes like these. Enjoy!

Genius of the day

This excerpt is from today's San Francisco Chronicle.

(01-16) 07:32 PST Kokomo, Ind. (AP) --

A man accidentally shot himself in the groin as he was robbing a convenience store Tuesday, police said.

A clerk told police a man carrying a semiautomatic handgun entered the Village Pantry demanding cash and a pack of cigarettes. The clerk put the cash in a bag and as she turned to get the cigarettes, she heard the gun discharge.

Police say surveillance video shows the man shooting himself as he placed the gun in the waistband of his pants. The clerk wasn't injured.

A short time later, police found 25-year-old Derrick Kosch at a home with a gunshot wound to his right testicle and lower left leg.

Kosch was released from the hospital Tuesday and booked into the Howard County jail on a charge of armed robbery, criminal recklessness and battery. He is being held on a $100,000 cash bail. A jail official did not know if he had retained an attorney Wednesday.