Happy Birthday, HB!

By the time many of you (how optimistic of me) read this, it will be the HB's 8th birthday. Technically, 10:30am EDT is the time (he was born just outside of Boston right before we moved back to LA). He INSISTED on coming out feet first, so my wife had a c-section. My calendar for that day still reads "10am--Have HB" (that's when me wife and I went into the OR).

Both my wife and I will be taking the day off and a friend of the HB's is coming over around lunch time. We'll chase him off around 2 since my s-i-l wants to take the HB shopping. Then, both of our families are coming over at around 5 for pizza, cupcakes, etc. Our nephew, who's 14, is staying the night since we are taking the boys to New York from Saturday through Wednesday. My nephew's never been on a plane, so that should be exciting. We took the boys to the SF Bay Area during winter break and that went well. I'll give more details about the NYC trip tomorrow.

My wife got back from DC last night, but since she's meeting a friend for dinner the HB and I had one more bachelor night. Hopefully she's not too late as tonight will be the last opportunity we'll have to knock it out until next Wednesday.

On another note, I still haven't heard back from Lynn. I'm not sure if I'm surprised or not.

How Do You Fire a Friend?

This is going to suck. Occasionally, Lynn needs some money to keep the wolves from her door. When she asks me for some I'll send it to her (and sometimes I've sent her some when it's clear that she needs it). There's no way she would ever be able to pay it back, so she'll work it off by doing some back office work for my firm. This isn't government make work. There are occasions where I do need this kind of stuff to be done, so it really is a win-win. In general she does an OK job.

Three weeks ago I asked her to do some updates on my website. No programming, just copying-and-pasting into a template and updating some links. At the time there wasn't a rush, so when she wasn't making much progress it wasn't a big deal (and I told her so). Last week the project took on some urgency because I knew an article that was going to be published on the web about some work I had done was going to drive traffic to the site. Simultaneously, I was launching some pay-per-click advertising as well. She and I spoke about this and she told me when she was going to be able to work on it. I spent some time with her on the phone going through (again) what I needed done and left her a message last Friday asking if she needed any help. Long story short: Come yesterday she still hadn't done the work. I spent yesterday doing the work she told me she was going to do. Then I sent her an IM and an e-mail to let her know that she had been relieved of this particular duty. I'm not looking forward to her response/phone call.

Bachelor Days

The HB and I have been having a great time while my wife is away (she's back today). We tried to go on an adventure yesterday to the Mexican Cultural Institute to see an exhibit of Joe Bravo's work. What makes it special? He paints on huge tortillas. Now that's art a kid can relate to. So, I picked him up from gym camp and we thrash through LA rush hour traffic (at 3pm...ugh). We get to the museum only to find that the person who runs it decided to closeup shop early. Fuck. The exhibit is going on for a few more weeks, so we'll still have a chance to check it out.

The museum in on Olvera St., which the HB hadn't been to before. We cruised around, poking our heads in the outdoor market stands (I was hoping someone would be selling tamales, but several of the stands were also closed). We did go into a sweet shop so that the HB could get a candy skull, so it's not like the trip was a total bust.

The Meaning of Small Government

Ah, a quiet house. A perfect opportunity to have a drink (or two) and actually get through an entire Sunday paper. Woot!

As a Libertarian, I'm always psyched when it's written/talked about in mainstream media. Today's dose was in the LA Time Current (opinion) section. The author is quick to distinguish between the rise (theoretically) of libertarian ideas vs. the fall (theoretically) of the Libertarian party. I thought he was making bread out of crumbs. Reagan is held up as a relative paragon of libertarianism, but his federal spending was the highest (by any economic measure) of any administration. The writer talks about the rise of anti-big government regarding Iraq, but, face it, we've rolled over to Bush's Big Brother government.

The other interesting article was about the LA Catholic Worker soup kitchen that, get this, doesn't register with the IRS to have tax exempt status. Why? They don't want to worry about the government's strings. So, if you give money or stuff to them it's because you believe in their mission not because you can lower your taxes. You may not believe in their politics (there are seriously against the war in Iraq), but you gotta admire their libertarian stance on how they run their affairs. Besides, how can you not a like a group whose newsletter is The Agitator?

Bachelor Days

My wife's traveling on business for a few days (Sunday am until Wed evening), so the HB and I will get in some bachelor time, which is cool. It's a tad inconvenient this week. It's the first of his two weeks off for Spring break and the hours at the camp he's going to aren't as long as his hours at school. So, I'm going to be doing some scrambling from meetings to get him in the afternoon.

We have today free, so we'll probably do some local hiking and then get some groceries. The second part is key because we have a seafood extravaganza when the wife's out of town. In the 24 years that I've known her, I've seen seafood (and that includes tuna out of a can) pass her lips exactly twice: Once we were eating at the Top of the Hub restaurant in Boston (I'd link to it, but the site's obnoxious) and I ordered lobster egg rolls. She LOVES egg rolls, so something in the wine got her to try a bite. She didn't ask for another. The other time were were eating at Le Cirque in Vegas. One of the appetizers was cold salmon in sauce on a spoon. Much to my surprise, she ate it. When I asked her why, she said, "For what we're paying for this meal, I'm eating every fucking thing they put in front of us."

Why she doesn't eat seafood is a bit of a mystery. The more common (but not the only) reason she gives is eating some bad cioppino as a kid. Then again, she doesn't like swimming in the ocean because she might step on a fish. I think she's a closeted fishist.

So, the HB and I will get in some fun time doing the things the wife doesn't like (read: eat fish and hang in the jacuzzi).

On the basketball front, I was quite torn on the UCLA/Kansas game last night. I grew up watching the Wooden era Bruins kick ass and take names EVERY year so I've always been a fan. On the other hand, I had Kansas winning it all in my pools. Well, I guess I'm done in my pools and can root for the Bruins the rest of the way.

Saturday 8 (from Lola)

1. do you have a myspace account? why or why not?

Nope. I barely have enough time to keep this blog going. That would change if myspace started attracting more business-to-business networking rather than social networking.

2. do you have an IM client? why/why not?

ILU IM. It helps me take care of quick work stuff with my nominal partner, the folks who work on my webpage/marketing and a few clients. I also like using it to stay in touch with friends during the day.

3. do you think that an employer has the right to require you to have an IM client, even if its on your own personal computer?

Yes. If your software has to be compatible with their network and security they'd be foolish not to.

4. due to work and personal reasons, i have a ton of IM 'identities' and use multiprotocol instant messaging applications. currently, i use both trillian pro for XP desktop and laptop, and then proteus for OS X. do you use a multi-account IM client like trillian, gaim, adium, or proteus? why or why not?

I just don't IM with that many people, so I don't really need it.

5. do you have a flickr, picasa, photobucket, snapfish, or other photo-sharing account? why or why not?

I have a website for HB pics and stuff, so I don't see the need to expose my friends to another company's ads. If someone wants a hard copy of one of the pictures I'll get them one.

6. due you purchase songs/mp3s or movies via iTunes for download? why or why not?

The big reason I don't is that neither mine nor the wife's car can play MP3s. Neither has the capability to play from an MP3 player. And I would NEVER use a service that is so proprietary that I could only play the songs on their hardware.

7. do you use (or have you ever used) a file-sharing program like napster (pre-lawsuit), limewire, or kazaa? why or why not?

I'll use them to listen to new music to see if a CDs worth buying or not.

8. if you play this meme, you probably have a blog or a blogger identity. do you have currently or have you used another blogging tool/service in the past, like wordpress, MT, qumana, imeem, etc.? how did that go?

Nope, this is my one and only.

Should We Stay or Should We Go Now?

Among the worst fucking things about being in Iraq is that there is NO good way out. We barged in as uninvited guests then proceeded to completely screw everything up. But, we can't leave because things will be even worse for the Iraqis when we do. I just love our argument to the Iraqi government:

"Umb...I know that we started this war, but you need to take it over now. We'll still help and stuff, but, y'know, it's yours now. Oh, and by the way, we are soooooo pissed at you for not taking over our war sooner. In fact, if you don't start fighting our war better we are going to punish you by leaving and making it harder for you to fight it. That'll teach you. So, when should we leave?"

The big problem now is that neither Bush or the Democrats have a good response. Bush says, "Hey, it's going fine. If we just keep fighting we'll win." The Dems say, "Well, there's no way we can win this, so we should quit fooling ourselves. We should leave on such-and-such date." What's maddening is that they are both half right. Bush is right in that setting a specific date is stupid. All the warring parties will lay low until that date, then all hell will break lose. The Dems are right in that the war is not winnable for the U.S. We might be able to leave conditions so that the Iraqi government can win it (eventually), but there will not be peace in Iraq while our troops are there.

From a management point-of-view you would think that if we set certain standards (x number of Iraqi combat ready troops, y number of police, etc) we could leave after those are met. However, to this point we don't seem to be making good progress on those kinds of things because of how poorly the war and its aftermath was planned (not sending enough troops to maintain security, firing all of the low-level Baathists from the military/police, etc.).

Given that the House bill on the troop funding doesn't have a hope in hell of passing in the Senate (let along having enough votes in the House to override a veto), the Dems are going to have to negotiate with Bush to get something done. Unless their real motive is to use the war as a political stick for 2008. Nah....they wouldn't do that.

WW #24

Courtesy of Lola. Though, I think my responses may be on the (more) boring side than usual:

1. have you ever had sex with someone you met online? how did that work out?

Nope.

2. do you feel that online dating is a place to find your soulmate, or do you feel that it's just there to be used for nefarious purposes or to find a FWB?

I think different people will find different things there. But, FWB's will be much more available.

3. How do you feel committing to an actual relationship with someone who had sex with you nearly immediately after meeting you?

Hey, some people just click.

Hoop Nightmares

I know better than to get too excited about a game until the final buzzer sounds, but Tennessee blowing that 20 point lead against Ohio State last night was tough to handle. They were KILLING them in the first half, then they lost their aggressiveness and missed way too many free throws (their Achilles heel all season). Plus, I was in a bar with several OSU fans (the local CBS station was showing the UCLA game here). Ugh.

On the work front, I think I picked up a new client today. This person had heard me present and responded to something I put out on my e-newsletter list. Sometimes this marketing thing does work.

Meanwhile, the HB officially starts on Spring Break on Monday. We'll have him in gym camp (which he's not so wild about) on M-W. He'll hang with my parents on Thursday. Friday's his birthday, so the wife and I will take the day off and find some grand amusements. We'll be in NYC for the 2nd week of his break. I'll write more about that later.

Why I'm Suing My Parents

I had a happy, non-abusive upbringing. Loving parents, friends to play with in the neighborhood, good public schools, etc. But, I gotta take my parents to court. Why? Because even though I exercise 5 times a week, eat low-fat foods and don't consume much red meat, I just found out that my cholesterol is 285. Clearly, it's due to heredity. This isn't a surprise in that it's always been high, but shit. My doc jokes that I'm doing a good job on everything, except those things that I can't control (my genes and getting older). So, while may not happen this year, at some point I'll be a big pharma's doorstep buying some meds to lower my cholesterol. I'm going to sue my parents for the cost of buying 40+ years of that shit.

Oh My God, There's an Atheist In Congress!

First, I got some new kicks, and I totally dig them!
















So I read the other day how Rep. Pete Stark of the SF Bay area is...gasp...an atheist! As one myself, I've come to grips with the fact that we live in a Christian nation. The Pilgrims were religious nuts who wanted to enforce their brand of Christianity on others and the Founding Fathers clearly were Christian believers. While the constitution contains certain separations between church and state, all of the public god references (see our money, being sworn in, etc.) clearly show that we live in a theist, if not Christian, country.

I was intrigued by the reaction, or lack thereof, of Stark's "outing". On one hand, it was a momentous occasion in that in the history of elected officials in Congress. He's the first one to admit that he doesn't believe in god. Women, racial minorities of every color, openly gay men/lesbians and people of just about every theist religion (ok, maybe not Wicca) had been elected before an open atheist had been. Shit, there was a Muslim elected the House of Representatives, who was sworn in on Thomas Jefferson's (nice choice) Koran, before someone ran as person who didn't believe in god.

Yet, the story about Stark got a big yawn, even in the conservative press. National Review online? Nada. Fox News' website? A small blurb off of a wire story. Focus on the Family's website? Zero. Yeah, there were a few see how godless those democrats are missives from som tiny organizations, but you get my point. Could they think that it's not such a big deal? That it's no surprise that someone as liberal as Stark is an atheist? Or, more likely, that in a Christian society like ours running a non-theist is the kiss of death? I'm thinking the latter. Sigh.

A Pretty Good Day

Had a good business meeting today. I have a client where they have several people who do what I do and they contract their overflow work to me. So, today I met with my client and one of their internal clients on a project which, in some ways, is add on to some work a did a couple of years ago. Seemed like they had a good idea of what they wanted to accomplish and a budget, so my sense is that this one is going to be a go. This is good since I've checked off just about everything on my "things to do when business is slow" list.

On my way back I called my brewing buddy to see if he wanted to grab a Tommy Burger (an LA delicacy). Unfortunately, he had a noon to 1 conference call and I couldn't really afford to hang out that long. That was one good chili burger.

The beer we made is coming along great. It just about blew the top of the fermenter off (which is good because it means the yeast is active and we gave it some really good food). It has a few more days of fermentation until it goes into the bottle.

I spoke to Lynn today. The cast she got when she went home doesn't seem to have been done very well (it's cracked, etc.) so she's seeing a doctor tomorrow. Hopefully, they'll be able to put her back in the boot.

From Bad to Worse

So, the other night my wife and I had an upstairs date. Yes, not very romantic or spontaneous, but with an almost 8 y.o. and her work schedule, it's the way things go more often than not. After dinner she worked for a little then we chatted while having a couple of glasses of wine. She talked about her frustrations with work and got some things off of her chest then we went upstairs. Then, while we are in flagrante delicto, she began crying. Sure, those 45 seconds of pure pleasure from my 3.5" pole can do that, but this was different.

The floodgates were open about everything that was bugging her. I don't have a problem talking about those things, though I wasn't appreciative of the timing. So, among other things, we decided (again) that we don't spend enough time together. The next day I lined up our babysitter and made a reservation at a very cool restaurant for St. Paddy's night.

Saturday comes and the three of us have a fun day. Then, at about 6pm (the babysitter was coming at 7) the plumbing backs up. WTF? We use a warranty service for this kind of thing, so we put a call into them. While we are waiting to hear back, it becomes apparent that my wife is very uncomfortable with having the babysitter handle this (the restaurant is about 45 minutes away). There go the reservations at the cool place. So, we head to a neighborhood Italian place that has pretty good food, though uneven service. We get a quite table. Or, should I say what was initially a quiet table as a group of four was seated near us. They weren't LOUD, but enough of a distraction that there was no way that we were going to talk about the stuff we wanted to. We get a call from the plumber right after we finished our main courses, paid the bill and headed home. Very dissatisfying. I don't know when we're going to get back to her issues, but I hope that it's soon.

In hoops news, none of the top seeds have been eliminated, so my bracket is in OK shape. And Tennessee is off to the Sweet 16. Woot!

Why I Would Never Vote for Hillary Clinton, #1

I am not one of those people who rants and raves about how Hillary Clinton is to the left of Jane Fonda or that that she's a radical feminist who hates men. While I do think she's a carpetbagger, her record in the senate is moderate (shit, she voted for Bush's dumbass war). She's smart and, like other successful politicians, conniving. And why she stayed with Bill is between those two.

What I don't like about her politics is that she feels that more government is always the answer. For instance, when she came up with revamping heath care during the Clinton presidency, her idea was to get the government more involved. Now there is a big problem in the mortgage industry. Turns out that mortgage companies like customers (and to make money) and people like to buy houses, even when they can't afford them. It's a classic case of a zealous seller and an overly zealous buyer. The end result? Some mortgage companies are going to go bankrupt and some people who should have known better than to get a home loan (and or didn't read what they were signing) are going to lose their homes and have some serious black marks on their credit. This is all very unfortunate, but it's how capitalism works. The flip side (because there are always winners and losers) is that where housing prices were inflated because of too easy to obtain credit they will become more affordable for people who know how to manage their finances.

How does Ms. Clinton respond? By saying the government has to fix it. To which I respond, "No, it doesn't." If there were crimes committed in how the mortgages were sold, that's one thing. But my guess is that in 99% of the cases there wasn't. Bush gave us a government of Big Brother, but Clinton would give us the government of Big Nanny. Make no mistake, the Big Nanny approach is detrimental to our society. When people build in a flood plain (and they do) and their houses get flooded, the government steps in and rebuilds their homes (thanks, FEMA). Or, more accurately, you and I rebuild their homes. So, people continue to rebuild homes in flood plains because there is no financial risk associated with it. And the cycle continues.

Ms. Clinton proposes bailing out people who took out loans they could not afford. Note that you and I would pay the difference in the interest rate between how much the government can get the loan for and how much interest they would charge these people who it is bailing out. Yes, you and would hold the mortgage for people who couldn't pay the first one. Hm...I wonder how many will default on this second loan they probably still can't afford? But, they'll take the loan because it's financially almost risk free.

This Big Nanny approach to government rewards people for not taking responsibility for their actions. Would you do that with your kids? I thought not. Do we want a society where people are encouraged by the government to take less responsibility for their actions? That is why I would never vote for Hillary Clinton.

Oh, I picked 24 out of 32 games right in the men's NCAA bracket. Not so good, but none of the teams that I picked to go deep into the tournament were upset, so I'm still in good shape.

Fitting In

After the HB was accepted (for lack of a better word) to the school he's in 3 years ago, they sent us tickets to their annual fund raiser, gratis. I have to tell you, their process of bringing on new families is awesome (my clients could learn from it when getting new employees acclimated to the company). But, I digress. The first thing we noticed about the tickets was that they were $125 a pop! Clearly, we were not in Kansas anymore.

Both the wife and I grew up in middle-class families. Both of our dad's were engineers. My mom worked part time while my brother and I were in school. Her mom stayed at home to raise the four kids she was emotionally unsuited to take care of (but that's another entry). Until we started looking for school's for the HB (to save him from the morass that is the LA Unified School District), neither one of us had ever set foot in a private school. I won't go through that whole process, but I'll be happy if I only have to do it one more time (his school is K-8).

My wife and I both have six-figure incomes and we have no debt, so we are not paupers. However, the opulence of some of the school functions definitely gives us pause. For instance, I received the following in an e-mail about the upcoming silent auction at the annual fundraiser:

The silent auction committee is trying to put together some trip packages and we need your help with some plane tickets and hotels. Anyone who might be able to help us should contact...

Wish List:

100,000 airline miles or 2 round trip tickets to Hawaii
3 nights at a hotel in Hawaii (we have 2 nights already)
5 nights at a hotel in Tokyo
dinner at a restaurant in NYC

Oh, and I just got this for the pre-event items:

(1) 24 - Visit the set of this hit series and meet Jack Bauer! Meet and greet with Kiefer Sutherland and take home a basket of show merchandise. Limited to four people. Subject to Availability. Contact So-and-so for arrangements.

Like I said, this thing is totally over the top and will probably raise more than $250K. The LA Times recently had a story about the crazy jack that these school fund raisers bring in (tho' I can't find the link to save my life). When I read the story I thought, "I am SO glad they didn't mention the HB's school, or else I'd never hear the end of it from my parents."

I should mention that everyone we've met at the school is very nice and we haven't run into any spoiled fucking brats who run amok. But still, the big dollars make my wife and I uncomfortable (we'll be passing on the big event this year). It makes me wonder if you are where you came from or who you roll with.

BTW--I went 12-4 in my NCAA picks yesterday. Hopefully today will be better.

WW #23 (courtesy of Lola)

Strange that Lola actually wants something smaller, but we're down to 3 q's per week now. Here are her q's:

1. breast size: how large is TOO large!? much of porn suggests society feels that "bigger is better" and that implants are ok. how does that work for you?

There's a limit--too large is just grotesque. If a woman is so concerned about her looks that she would want to spend that kind of jack on boobs (post-mastectomy patients excepted), she wouldn't be for me. Nothing morally wrong with it, just seems like misplaced priorities.

2. on a sexually-related board, a recent poster claimed that large, long labia were a turn-on. he even stated that he'd TURNED DOWN women for sex due to the fact that they had tiny or non-existent inner labia. what's your take on that ... are meat curtains attractive, or would you rather see everything tucked up there nicely?

That dude is waaaaaay too picky, IMHO. Haven't been with someone with, uh, meat curtains large enough to catch my attention. But, I wouldn't think that it was a big deal either way.

3. fairly recently, there have been posts about cisco adler's LOW hanging scrotum, as well as pete, the singer from the group dead or alive. i've seen scrotum-reduction surgery on TV.
would you reduce your scrotal size, or ask you SO to do so, if they were seriously low-hanging or large?

A friend of mine asked me if I knew of this kind of surgery, so I guess I know what the answer is now. Unless they started inhibiting normal activities (like sitting, exercising, etc.), I would leave them be.

On Stealing From Lola (who stole from Mia)

[A] - AVAILABLE: for only those that I love
[B] - BIRTHDAY: July 28
[C] - CRUSHING: Elle McPherson, Salma Hayek (well, until recently), Catherine Deneuve, and Lynn
[D] - DRINK YOU LAST HAD: Iced Tea
[E] - EASIEST PERSON TO TALK TO: Lynn
[F] - FAVORITE MUSIC BAND OR SINGER: Metallica (today)
[G] - GUMMY BEARS OR GUMMY WORMS: None of the above
[H]- HOMETOWN: Southern California
[I] - INSTRUMENT(s): Bass
[J] - JUICE: Cranberry (with vodka)
[K] - KILLED SOMEONE: Not yet
[L] - LONGEST CAR RIDE: LA to Knoxville, TN
[M] - MILKSHAKE FLAVOR: Chocolate malt
[N] - NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: One older bro
[O] - ONE WISH: What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?
[P] - PERSON WHO CALLED YOU LAST: A client
[R] - REASONS TO SMILE: Nearly everyone and thing in my life.
[S] - SONG YOU LAST HEARD: Ball & Chain (Social Distortion)
[T] - TIME YOU WOKE UP: 6:45am
[U] - UNDERWEAR: Boxers
[V] - VEGETABLE(S): Green beans with garlic and almonds
[W]- WORST HABITS: Ruminating
[X] - X-RAYS YOU’VE HAD: Hm...elbow and dental
[Y] - YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL: My pug
[Z] - ZODIAC SIGN: LEO

NCAA Touney Picks

I love the NCAA men's basketball tournament. In fact, the first two days are official holidays at my company. In the spirit of the myriad of pools I'm in (not for gambling purposes, of course), here are my picks, subject to change before tipoff on Thursday. Feel free to comment with yours

Midwest
Round 1 Winners: Florida, Arizona, Butler. Maryland, Notre Dame, Oregon, UNLV and Wisconsin
Round 2: Florida, Maryland, Notre Dame and Wisconsin
Round 3: Florida and Wisconsin
Final 4: Florida

West
Round 1: Kansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Southern Illinois, Duke, Pitt, Gonzaga, and UCLA
Round 2: Kansas, Southern Illinois, Pitt, and UCLA
Round 3: Kansas and UCLA
Final 4: Kansas

East
Round 1: North Carolina, Texas, Wash St., Georgetown, Michigan St., USC, Geo Wash, and Boston College
Round 2: North Carolina, Texas, Wash St., and Georgetown
Round 3: Texas and Georgetown
Final 4: Georgetown

South
Round 1: Ohio St., BYU, Tennessee, Virginia, Louisville, Texas A&M, Creighton, and Memphis
Round 2: Ohio St. Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Memphis
Round 3: Ohio St. and Texas A&M
Final 4: Ohio St.

Kansas and Georgetown in the final with Kansas winning it all.

Stars Like Us

I need to let you in on a secret: Movie stars and other famous people live here in Los Angeles. I'm pretty nonplussed by this because a) I had the opportunity to meet a lot of artists in the record business when I worked at my college' radio station and b) I'm just not that into celebrity. I was the program director at the radio station, so I always had the record companies' college representative (the lowest dude/chick on the record label totem pole) and independent labels calling me about their bands, and vice versa. The station was way ahead of the heavy metal curve at the time and there were a lot of bands on small labels such as Metal Blade, Relativity and Shrapnel that were about to make it big (Metallica, Megadeth, RATT, etc.) that we were playing. It was pretty easy to get their records and concert tickets as well as swag for other bigger acts. Whenever I got the chance I would interview the bands for the station or just do a meet and greet.

One of the things that I took from the experience was that there wasn't one type of famous (or almost famous) person. Some were hard working and quiet and others were pretty full of themselves. A few were really bright and a few were dumb as a box of hair. At this point I figured out that they're just people and there's nothing to get all wound up about when you see them at a restaurant, shopping, or whatever.

I bring all this up because some of the kids at the HB's school have famous parents. Not tons, but a few. A couple are in that category of, "Hm...s/he looks familiar, but I can't quite place the name" while others are OMGITs (oh my god, is that....). Last week the school had a goofy fund raiser where you sponsor your kid/parents/teachers for how many baskets they can make in two minutes. There's one OMGIT who is great about showing up at these things. And not in a "Look, I'm famous and care about my kid" kinda way. Rather, he does the things all of the other parents do, like chatting with anyone who comes up to him, talking to the other parents he knows, and not drawing unnecessary attention to himself. Good to see in a world where there is so much cynical media surrounding celebrity.

I'll have my NCAA men's basketball picks ('cuz I know that you are dying to see them) tomorrow.

Are We Destined for Opposite Lives of Our Childhood?

As I mentioned in a earlier post, I had a chance to brew on Saturday. Turned out to be a fun evening eventhough the rest of Joe's family flaked out on us. We brewed, bbq-d (it's been really warm here, so I grilled some chicken and veggies) and soaked in the jacuzzi. I LOVE the smell of freshly made beer in the kitchen. I have been made aware that the pleasantness of this aroma appears to be gender specific.

While hanging in the tub, we talked about places we'd want to go that we haven't been. He work for a giganto technology company, so he has recently been on trips to South America, Asia and Europe. My biz travel isn't nearly that exotic. However, between that and vacation travel, I've pretty much been to every city in the US that I want to go to (which isn't to say that there aren't some places that I want to go back to). The flip side is that there are plenty of Big Nature places I'd like to see (e.g., Yellowstone, Arches, etc.).

Joe was totally down on the nature vacation. A big reason for this was when he was a kid he would go on church camping excursions which would almost always be low budget trips to national parks led by a hyper protective guide. Not a lot of fond memories.

My parents are both from a big city in east coast, so ALL of our family trips were back there (with one exception). It was OK since I really like my cousins, but it didn't really expand my horizons. So now my wife and I take the HB to as many places as possible (Yosemite, Sequoia, NYC, San Francisco, etc.).

It's all good. I figured out many years ago that my parents were trying to live the east coast live style in LA--it's what they grew up with. One of the only good things to come out of the 6 years the wife and I lived in Boston was that we lived there like tourists. We made a mental note to bring that kind of openness to living here when we came back. And I'm sure that the HB will go with his family on completely different family trips. Note: If you are taking the kids and/or visiting family you are on a trip. Only if you leave the kids at home and don't see family are you on a vacation. If you're parenting you are not on vacation.

Saturday 8 (Thanks Lola!)

1. what was your favorite TV show as a child/teen?

Bugs Bunny and Monty Python's Flying Circus

2. there are a lot of specialty TV networks now: the golf channel, LOGO (gay/lesbian), G4TV (gamers). do you watch any specialty TV networks?

Not unless you count ESPN.

3. If you think about the percentages of TV you watch currently, what ranks at the highest? why?

Sports--by far--because I enjoy it. The drama, strategy and physical prowess of the players.

4. Is there a television personality that you cannot stand, and why?

I don't watch TV personalities and I usually watch games with the sound off. So I guess my answer is no.

5. What is your guilty TV pleasure?

Cartoons with the HB

6. HDTV: do you have it? why or why not?

I have it because sports are awesome on it.

7. cable: yes or no? "how much" cable do you subscribe to, and why?

I have DirecTV. With the DVR, etc it runs about $60/month. But, they just sent me 10 free pay-per-view movie coupons!

8. Which TV series would you love to last your lifetime?

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Brew Bash

It's a beautiful day. The sun is shining, birds are singing and later today I'll be making beer. Woot! Er...Wort! For those of you who care, me and my buddy Joe will be whipping up some oatmeal stout.

I've been brewing for about 15 years. I knew some people who made beer in college and it sucked. It wasn't until a friend of mine made some good beer that I tried making my own. I don't make my own wine because I've never had good homemade wine. I'd say outside of the china, I use the brewing equipment more than any other wedding present the wife and I got (we were married in 1993).

I won't go into the details of brewing (the classic book is Papazian's, even with it's cheesy 70's pictures), but it's like making a liquid cake to start a yeast farm. You want to give the yeast something good and (at first) sugary to eat so that they piss alcohol and fart carbon dioxide. Using different grains, yeast and hops affect the flavor. For examle, the darker the grain the richer the flavor. Some yeasts give off crisp, big bubbles (like in a pale ale) and others give off smaller, creamier bubbles (like in a Guinness). Hops give beer it's bitterness and floral aroma. I'm a "hop head" in that I like my beer the opposite of women: cold and bitter.

Originally for this extravaganza, Joe and his wife and kids were going to come over and we'd brew, grill and hang in the jacuzzi. But, true to how things tend to work with him, the family part went by the wayside, so it's just going to be him. This made my wife a bit, er, bitter. So, at this point I don't know if it's just going to be me and Joe with the wife and the HB at her mom's house or what.

On the work front, things are a bit slow but, uh, brewing. I have some good things in the pipeline and had a meeting to review a pilot project with a client and his boss on Wednesday. My client's boss's reaction was, "I wish we would have done this with all the groups instead of just a pilot." So, I think I'm in good shape on that one. I'm still going to have some time to catch up on a few things (like continuing education credits) before anything really kicks in.

Scootin' to Prison?

No, not me. I'm not going all Andy Dufresne on you. Rather, I was thinking of the I. (Scooter) Lewis Libby (lotta handles for a preppie) verdict. For those who don't follow these kinds of things, here's the Cliff's Notes version:

1. Bush was staring through the looking glass for reasons to invade Iraq.
   
   
2. Through a series of forged letters, he came to believe that Iraq had obtained yellow cake, which can be processed into enriched uranium which can eventually be turned into the kind of uranium used in nuclear power plants or bombs.
   
   
3. The CIA had heard about these stories and sent a former African Ambassador, Joe Wilson to check it out. Funny story--it was all bullshit.
   
   
4. In his State of the Union address, which was vetted by then CIA Director (and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient) George Tenant, Bush used the yellow cake as evidence of WMD in Iraq.
   
   
5. Mr. Wilson was upset by this and unleashed his tongue in a New York Times opinion piece that accused the Bush administration of manipulating intelligence to support the case to go to Iraq (you don't say?).
   
   
6. Veep Cheney, outraged that anyone would have the balls to challenge his desire to go to war decides that he has to trash Wilson. For some reason, he decides the best way to do this is to ruin Valerie Plame's (Wilson's wife) career as a covert CIA agent. Read that again--Cheney wants to fuck with Wilson, so he outs an undercover CIA agent. Oh, and her specialty in the CIA? WMDs--you know, the stuff we're trying to keep out of the terrorists' hands. Don't want too many of them doing their jobs.
   
   
7. How does Cheney go about this? First, he implies that the whole thing is a boondoggle for Wilson setup by his wife. OK, I know nothing of the Wilson/Plame marriage. But I'm thinking if a trip to Niger is considered a boondoggle, they need some serious counseling. Second, he and his aides (particularly Karl Rove and Lewis) and the State Department (Richard Armitage) start leaking her name and what she does to the media (I'll get to them later). Robert Novak then blows Plame's cover in his column.
   
   
8. As it turns out, and I'm sure you'll be shocked by this, it's illegal to blow the cover of a CIA agent. Go figure. However, the law is not as cut-and-dried as you would think. The Justice Department decides that this needs to be investigated and they put Patrick Fitzgerald on the case.
   
   
9. As a result of a grand jury investigation, none of the leakers are indicted. However, Scooter is indicted for lying about what he knew when. Despite using the normally effective Steve Martin defense (I forgot....), he was found guilty on 4 of 5 counts.

There's tons about this episode that gall me. Starting with the obvious, Bush et al can't stand to be criticized. No surprise there. The extent that it bugs them and the pettiness to it is way over the top.

A big issue during the grand jury proceedings was whether journalists, such as Judith Miller and Tim Russert (what about Novak?) should have to provide information about who their "anonymous" sources are. The standard journalistic claim is that if reporters can't keep the confidentiality of their sources, knowledgeable people in the government won't spill their guts because of fear of retribution. OK, let's buy that argument for a minute. Ms. Miller was a reporter for the New York Times when Plame was outed. One of her big scoops in 2001 and 2002 was detailing how Iraq had stockpiled WMDs. Those stories were based on discredited Iraqi dissidents. But, it's not hard to see how they made her a favorite in the administration. This would allow her to develop sources for other stories. And, it may be the case that she could not have researched this story (note that she never wrote about it) or others without having these anonymous sources.

Now for the flip side of anonymity. Is someone more likely to spin (ok, lie about) a story if he knows he will remain anonymous? I'm sure that journalists need to weigh this every day. But, for an administration that's so fast and loose with the truth, why go to the mat (and Ms. Miller spent about two months in jail over this) for someone who's blowing smoke up your ass? If we're talking about whistle-blowers, I'm in favor of the anonymity, but a member of the government who's a witness to a potential crime? I'm not buying it.

Since the announcement of the verdict, Libby's lawyers have (predictably) announced that they'll go for a new trial or an appeal. In the meantime, his legal team may be angling for a pardon, like Bush the First gave to Caspar Weinberger, one of the Iran-Contra wheelers and dealers. An interesting tidbit about Mr. Libby: before joining the Bush administration, he represented Marc Rich (a very rich tax cheat whose wife was a big donor to Clinton and the Democratic party) when he successfully petitioned Clinton for a pardon. I'm sure he'll be able to put that experience to work now.

One last thing about Mr. Lewis is that he's an author of a book called The Apprentice (ranked #5,147 on Amazon and let's say that the online reviews are less than kind).

Is there a moral to all of this? Of course (sorta): First, in Washington, the cover-up always bites you in the ass more than the crime (regardless of who committed the crime). Second, big media is way more interested in protecting their sources (and the perks that come with access) than reporting the truth. Keep that in mind next time you're asked to trust an anonymous source.

Wet Wednesday #22

Courtesy of Lola:

1. have you ever watched a self-help sex DVD? why or why not?

Nope. No interest...I have a fertile imagination. OK, that's probably the wrong adjective, but you know what I mean.

2. have you ever read a self-help sex book? why or why not?

See above.

3. if you and your partner were just not clicking sexually, would you ever see a sex therapist to "save" your relationship? why or why not?

Yes. Some stuff you just can't "cure" by yourself.

4. premature ejaculation, limp erections, frigidity ... what is your biggest sexual frustration (besides not getting any).

Getting into a routine. Variety is the spice of life, y'know.

5. if you could choose a great, healthy, trusting, life-long marriage/relationship with no sex OR a so-so marriage/relationship with someone you had great, awesome sex with, which would you choose?

The first. You can always find at least good sex someplace else.

OK, You Want Universal Healthcare Because?

I am fortunate in that my wife, the HB and I have pretty good health and health insurance. I realize that is not the case for many people in this country. Many presidential candidates call for a universal, single-payer plan. The logic is that this takes the profit incentive out of the system which will lower prices and allow more of the uninsured to have health care.

I have only three problems with this:

1) The government can hardly deliver the mail, and you'd trust them to treat your health? I'll bet the Iraq vets wouldn't. It's only an aggravation when some underpaid, poorly motivated government employee is filling out department of transportation requisitions. I do not want some underpaid, poorly motivated government employee wielding a scalpel in my direction.

2) I would question whether more money per health care dollar is spent on regulation or goes to the bottom line of the insurance/hospital companies. I don't the answer, but I gotta believe that its close. And do you think replacing private hospital administration with government administration is going to lower the price? Shit, Walmart does a better job of negotiating drug prices than the government.

3) Beyond basic and emergency care, people should HAVE to directly pay for their health care. Otherwise, it has no value and some people will overload the system even more.

IMHO, universal coverage will only work if they can develop a plan where health insurance works just like car insurance.

• You legally have to have it, so it spreads the risk.
  
  
• Regular maintenance stuff is affordable and can be paid out of pocket by most folks.
  
  
• There's money in the system to pay for big stuff when the shit hits the fan. But, you can keep your premium down by having a bigger deductible.

I'm not holding my breath.

John McCain Announces Run for President

I read online that John McCain was officially running for prez. No surprise there. The biggest surprise is how the Straight Talk Express is now the Ass Kissing Choo-Choo. Here's one example:

In 2000 McCain said, "Neither party should be defined by pandering to the outer reaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance, whether they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton on the left or Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell on the right." Last year, he got a much better sense of who is going to butter his bread in the primaries by giving a commencement address at Falwell's Liberty University.

I'm not naive. Politicians have to get in bed with the people who are going to give them money (and, presumably, vote for them). Also, a candidate has to be a bit to the right of the mainstream to win in the Republican primaries. But, sheesh. McCain's got the balls to stand-up to Bush on torture (the irony of the chicken hawk telling the guy who spent time as a POW what torture is or isn't), but not the clowns on the extreme religious right?

Let's face it--the Christian Right doesn't feel that they have a good candidate now. They should be bending over backwards to find ways to agree with McCain, not vice versa. Guiliani's stand on social issues trumps his 9/11 and pro-war stances in their eyes and I honestly don't think a lot of these southern Christians trust Romney, who's a Mormon, regardless of what they tell pollsters. If the Christian Right sits out the primaries, Guiliani wins in a walk. If they support McCain (or Romney) it'll be a dogfight. If McCain wins, does he then choose to use his political capital to speak truth to powerful interests? Or, does he take the tracks up their asses in search of more votes later?

Just Another Day

Not much going on today. A bit slow at work which has allowed me to get ready for a meeting tomorrow and do some invoicing--woot! I'll be doing a local conference tomorrow and Saturday. Good news is that the hotel is included in registration. The HB's going sleep over at his cousin's, so the wife and I will get to use the room. BTW--she came home the other night with a pile of work and a set of tampons on the vanity, so the UT-UF game on the DVR came in handy (no red wings for me that night). So, we'll see how the weekend goes. Oh, the Vols absolutely throttled the Gators, which will help Tennessee's seeding in the NCAA tourney.

A couple of weeks ago I ordered a cover mover for my Jacuzzi. Looking at the parts, I thought that I got a model that wouldn't work. But, after some poking around and finding alternate instructions, I think it's going to work--it just has an extra piece that's supposed to fit around the curvature of the tub (it doesn't) that I don't need. That should make for a good Sunday afternoon project.