Dream Job

The one posted here is close- seasonal ranger at Isle Royale with EMT duties included. Not this year, but some summer soon!

Tribune...

Recently sold a book to Tribune Kansas. I queried the customer as to why his town is named Tribune. The answer is Horace Greely publisher of the New York Tribune. Accordingly Tribune is in Greely County and finally the county even once had a town named after Greely's dog Horace.

Weekly Poem

Mental Moonlighting starts creativity.

My office: a cabinet and thumb drive.

If excessively proper is prim then I must be exceedingly scruffy and lax.

Cheney-ism-Pure as Mud

From Dowd's NY Times column, "And how, I asked him, can Dick Cheney tell ABC News that British troops getting out is “an affirmation that there are parts of Iraq where things are going pretty well,” while he says that Democrats who push to get America out would “validate the Al Qaeda strategy.” Isn’t that a nutty?"

Vilsack Out

Tom Vilsak who I had high hopes for is dropping out of the Dem. Predisential race.

Weak Idol

Weak job by the 'boys' of American Idol. Bunch of no personality candy asses who sang sappy non challenging pop songs.

Having suffered through this crappy dozen it would seem almost impossible that the next Idol will come from the 'girls'.

Weekly Poem

Whitingly Blind as I think of my card Valentine's card smorgasbord.

Often you see signs that are 2 days/weeks/months out of date.

Many a winter I've made it thru warmed by a sweater and t-shirt.

Recently the feted Dixie Chicks serve as a Civil War substitute for those w/o courage to stand up
to the war.

Winter walking w/o wind is welcome.

What I can say is that I'm a positive thinker but not the kind that thinks things move in an angst
free line.

Clinton's new War Stance

“If the most important thing to any of you is choosing someone who did not cast that vote or has said his vote was a mistake, then there are others to choose from.”

Gutsy I guess, but I will choose one of the 'others'

Butts at the Beach

While contemplating an smoking ban at city beaches Muskegon Commissioner Spataro had this concern, "You also have to look at what effect this would have on the hospitality industry."

Well, round about 25% of Americans smoke while causing 20% of the nations deaths.

1. Wouldn't the hospitality industry rather worry abouts what's best for the majority of the customers.

2. Wouldn't this public official want to address the death issue?

Solid Frontline

Good job by the 1st of a 4 part Frontline last nite. Got into the current 'news wars' while giving good historical background.

For instance they interviewed Earl Caldwell a central figure in the Branzburg case.

Of course, Joseph Wilson IV was mentioned. I was curious to the 'IV' as I am also a rate 'IV'. Usually a IV after a name indicates a bit of a legacy. It's true for Wilson as his relatives include a 'Frisco Mayor and 2 California Governor's.

I look forward to the next 3 episodes.

Unique Week

This week we had the coldest high since 1912.

& it was 7 months to our marriage.

while wedding card labels got printed.

& thus a unique week's sequence.

Links of Note

• World Sailing League
• Glycemic values
• The late Molly Ivins' archive
  

Kayaker Presumed Dead

I'd been following Andrew McAuley's Trans Tasman kayak voyage. He'd made it most of the way, but with under 120 KM/75 miles to go he posted a distress call and is now missing and has been declared dead. Sometimes things are a little too real!

You just never can know.....

Politics

Obama has a stop the war plan. He also offers this comment, “What people are looking for is judgment.” This as opposed to experience.

If the correct judgement is that the war was wrong from the start then there are least 23 senators with better judgement than Hillary.

US Senate Not the Worlds Greatest Deliberative Body

Headline:

G.O.P. Senators Block Debate on Iraq Policy

Definition of deliberative: a discussion and consideration by a group of persons (as a jury or legislature) of the reasons for and against a measure.

In the midst of winter...

Snow flies off the shovel-low friction.

Reading and snoozing on the couch. When I wander the house and then lay back down dog greets as if a new phenomenon each time.

Winter might mean sunny and warm or perhaps the rainy season. Here it means: cold, snow and wind. We now have it and will keep it.

Someday I'd like to live on an island. Get on island time. Is there an island famous for it's winter?

Frigid wind, heaps of snow, below 0 wind chill. Not a blizzard- they have more miserable standards.

Footballer Favre to continue and I will continue as a fan keeping some youthful feeling flowing.

Out the window: snow coats the air as if frozen in place by frigid atmosphere.

Dean's effect

From the NY Times: "However, if he needed any validation of how he has changed Democratic politics, it came from Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the New York Democrat who –- consciously or not, and certainly without credit — appropriated another trademark Dean line in her own speech:

“We have to take our country back!” she said."

Quotes

Bill Richardson, The New Mexico Governor says, "The War in Iraq is not the disease. Iraq is a symptom. The disease is arrogance."

John Mccain, "“What drives my decisions is not experiences that I’ve had a generation ago,” Mr. McCain said. “What drives my decisions is my knowledge, information, study, consultation that makes me decide on any issue. My views on the world and life are not driven by my experience in Vietnam.”

Dean's refrain

Book Condition Scale

Here's the scale BookScoutLookOut uses to rate our books:

10 New
9 Read Once
8 Crisp Copy
7 Wear, but no tear
6 Damaged
5 Typical Used Book
4 Missing Dust Jacket
3 Readable but poor cosmetically
2 Broken Spine
1 Missing Pages

Dean already said it, Feindgold continues

In 2003 Howard Dean said: "What I want to know is why in the world the Democratic party leadership is supporting the president's unilateral attack on Iraq. "

Yet Dem's like one my Senator's Carl Levin still can't get off the dime and actually oppose the war.

Russ Feingold is a different cat and is being true to Dean's now 4 year old question and demand. He has had the courage to get the troops out!

The Warner led compromise simply and wimpily disagrees still lending support no matter how they spin it.

How different would things be if we had elected Howard Dean?

Clinton Defies Logic

Hillary Clinton says, "If I had been president in October of 2002, I would not have started this war." But since she was a Senator she voted for the war! Really this just takes us back to the fact that Hillary wants to win not do what's right.

She then says, ""If we in Congress don't end this war before January 2009, as president, I will." Given the track record of illogic, who are we to actually believe this?

Links of Note

• Tran Tasman Kayaker
  
• Easy Being Green
• Solar Cookers International

Weekly Poem

So soft plaque breaks free easier & genetic alterations raise heart attack risk. These are beyond sight. Beyond, control too?

19° w/o wind. It's the essence of that temperature. There is no wind to accelerate the affect. Walking against those invisible health factors.

Daily task: find 5 minutes. Use it to discover what you like about yourself. Plan future successes.

Crisp Point named after a lighthouse keeper. Could well have been keeper's point or just 46 north latitude etc. Place of sand, stone, pines and fierce conditions takes your name and goes on charts and maps. Gaining a toponym not often planned.

When a 36 year old dies unexpectedly thoughts are caused. Why plan the future as it might be your most useless endeavour, regardless of deep positives you know.

It's a collection of chances and risks. What determines...plaque, exercise?

How are you remembered on a map or as one of the unexpecteds...