Insomnimusing: Allons-y!

One of the top news stories out of the Associated Press today, by Beth Fouy, begins as follows: HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton accused rival Sen. Barack Obama and his allies of trying to stop people from voting as some of his backers have called on her to drop out of the presidential race. The Obama campaign rejected the charge, dismissing Clinton's criticism as "completely laughable." In a series of television interviews in states holding upcoming contests, Clinton vowed to press on with her campaign and suggested Obama and his supporters wanted to keep those states from playing a role in selecting the party's presidential nominee. "My take on it is a lot of Senator Obama's supporters want to end this race because they don't want people to keep voting," she told CBS affiliate KTVQ in Billings, Mont. "That's just the opposite of what I believe. We want people to vote. I want the people of Montana to vote, don...

This is truly hysterical!

I was listening this afternoon to a great new radio station we've got going here. Its slogan is "We play anything." They really do, too. And somehow, it always seems to be stuff I like. It's a good little illustration of how I don't seem to fit in anywhere. I was singing along to the Scorpions' "Rock You Like a Hurricane" as I pulled up behind a church bus thinking about back in high school when I used to love that song. Then it was followed immediately by Simon & Garfunkel's "Kodachrome," to which I shouted, "I LOVE this song!" and proceeded to sing along with every word of that as well. Then I did the same with Pat Benatar, Donovan, the Monkees, Bob Marley, Matchbox Twenty, Men Without Hats, Styx, Bananarama, Van Halen, UB40, and so on. I realized at that point that I must have a tremendous amount of brain space occupied by song lyrics through the ages, and maybe I should try to make my fortune on one of those "Don...

I feel so powerful! Two days ago I said that I wanted to hear the candidates address the economy, and today, all three did! (Okay, I'm kidding that I think my comment had anything to do with it. I'm not delusional - just a little unwell.....hehe) I have to admit that I wasn't able to get all three speeches in their entirety (and the president's speech on the war on terror - it was a busy day!), so I won't be making any specific comments on the speeches. I'm following the new pastor debacle - Pastor James David Manning calling Obama "trash" and "born of trash." This one's going to be interesting. Even Sean Hannity argued that Obama is a human being and deserves to be treated better and that such speech was completely unacceptable. Well, I think there might be a little less controversy about this pastor problem. But then again, I've been proven too naive before....

In addition to my head cold, I experienced the joy of tooth extraction today. I'm going to bed...

American Idol notes: - I thought Jason Castro's number was fantastic. It wasn't vocally brilliant, but it was just such a sweet tune and the execution was quite lovely. - Brooke was nice but completely forgettable tonight. - Michael Johns is not going anywhere that's for sure. I thought he was slacking for a little while there, but he was back tonight. - Carly got a little screechy. - Wonder boy Archuleta got a little too obscure, didn't he? Not a bad performance, but nothing exceptional. -Kristy Lee Cook's song choice was brilliant. It was screamingly obvious - but Simon called it - pretty ingenious. - LOVED what David Cook did with Billie Jean! YES! "Blazing molten hot!" Randy said. Indeed! My call: Hmmm.....I'm putting Ramiele and Chikezie in the bottom. Could go either way......

Some who know me are questioning how I - a once-avowed Conservative (although I have since disavowed any labeling of myself, as I have found it to be far too limiting) - can support Barack Obama in this election, especially as he has been identified as one of the farthest-Left members of Congress. Different periods in history have different priorities and of course, different circumstances. Who is the right man or woman for the job depends on the time in history. It is my belief that this particular time in history needs to see a beginning to healing of the racial divisions in this country. Granted, there are several of his positions politically that I don't necessarily agree with, but I can live with that for several reasons. On the war: Public opinion so staunchly against the war that continuation of it, regardless of outcome, will be met with protests of growing vehemence from the public. The only option at this point, for an incoming president, would be to either pull out the t...

I came across this and had to share .... 40 Mistakes Men Make When Having Sex With Women . The rest of the blog is pretty good too, so check it out!

I'm watching the news every day, and I think I'm just getting too burned out on it all. I'm not going to repeat myself as CNN chooses to do every 46 minutes, so I'll make a brief statement on ALL of the other headlines I'm seeing lately - WRITE A HEADLINE WHEN A MAN DOESN'T CHEAT - THAT WILL REALLY BE NEWS Now I'm going to bed...

I'm not generally a fantasy art fan....although I can see the appeal. But this one stole my breath away for a moment.......

Things I came across randomly today: - Geena Davis' name is misspelled in the opening credits for Thelma & Louise. No, seriously. I've never watched the movie, but it came on TV today, and I saw the opening credits. I couldn't believe it and looked more closely. There it was: "Genna Davis" - Bloggers and columnists are impressing me - and the TV folks are depressing me - on their coverage of Obama's speech. TV folks seem to be focusing on Obama's refusal to sever all connection with his pastor. Seems a little off to me... - Beyond America's Original Sin in today's New York Times. Read this. Please. - This story is tragicomedy at its finest BUMMER - Late breaking news tells of some contract workers checking out Obama's passport application papers. Two workers were fired and one was reprimanded, it seems. Oh, and this apparently happened two months ago, and it's just now getting out. This is going to get interesting over the next few da...

I've been called naive more than once in my life (always figured it had more to do with my appearance and personable disposition than with any real perception of my understanding of the world). I always denied it, but I'm beginning to think it's true. I waited with great anticipation for Barack Obama's speech yesterday. It was everything I wanted him to say, but more than I'd ever hoped possible. For too long now, open discourse has been nonexistent in this country, as there are certain topics that we're just not allowed to talk about. In our modern America, the biggest taboo topic of all has been race. There is no understanding, because in any case of misunderstanding or lack of knowledge, we're NOT ALLOWED to ask. I was elated to hear Obama speak so openly and passionately from his own experiences on this issue - opening the door for more candid discussion all the way around. After experiencing this moment in history, I could not imagine that anyone could ...

I wanted to make available to anyone who might have missed it the full text of Barack Obama's speech (

To me, "conservative" means smaller government, lower taxes, individual freedom, personal responsibility and accountability, and less government involvement in our private lives. That said, I'll be the first one to admit - to argue strongly, in fact - that the vast majority of politicians representing themselves as conservatives are the furthest thing imaginable from that ideal. And while I generally have identified myself publicly as a conservative, I will be the first to say - nay, to STRESS EMPHATICALLY - that I hold many views on issues that are decidedly NOT conservative in conservatism's current incarnation. For just a few examples, I support gun control (done CORRECTLY - thoughtless and broad bans of guns just criminalize gun ownership, and the criminals aren't terribly concerned about that); I support an independent Palestinian state; I support the right to gay marriage (the slippery slope and/or destruction of the family arguments are complete crap - and...

I just needed to share this extraordinarily well-written and well-presented item....... Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

I'm just thinking about time.... Is time spent in a failing endeavor time wasted? No, it can't be. I don't even have to ask that. And with the relativity of time, the time spent can't even be quantified - or at least, it can't be qualified. Sometimes, it's hard to know - to recognize from within the situation - when it's time to spend time somewhere else. We can't be in two places at once. We place value on our time. But how much of that time do we spend on things that might not be worth our time? Or at least, not worth so much of our time. What are we missing out on during that time spent? Are we gaining more than we are losing, and when that balance shifts, how do we recognize it? It begins with frisson. With time comes comfort and familiarity. But time can also bring friction. And friction unchecked can lead to destruction. Giving it more time doesn't make anything better. How about effort? Is it worth the effort? I'm running out of effort. I ...

I made a person smile today. It was a small thing. All I did was recognize a job well done. But still, that person appreciated the recognition and responded with an enthusiastic "thank you" e-mail, and I knew there was a broad smile behind it. I'm not particularly close to this person, but still, it felt wonderful to know that I had brought this instant of happiness to someone. It seems a trivial thing really. Now, I'll admit, there's a sort of preteen, bubblegum, girly feel to the personal slogan, "Make someone smile today." But think, wouldn't it be nice if more people thought that way? It doesn't have to be something important - just the tiniest little thing can bring a smile that can carry on as a slightly lifted spirit for long after the moment itself. Honestly, what girl CAN'T say that it feels good even hours later when someone in passing during the day says something as simple as, "I LOVE those shoes!"? (I'm sure guys mu...

All over the news today, it's all about New York Gov. Spitzer's prostitution scandal. One of the area news channels put together a package of "man-on-the-street" clips. I wasn't paying much attention (as I said, it's been on all day), but one young woman's quote leapt out at me: "There aren't very many noble people anymore." I could write a treatise on the nobility - or lack thereof - of man. And I could write it just from the events of these past few days or so. But that particular mood of that particular moment has passed, and I am enjoying the moment now. Isn't that what we need to do sometimes? Especially when we look around us every day and we recognize that the nobility of man is so very lacking, don't we sometimes need to just find one moment and relish it for a while? I was 'accused' of being a romantic today. It's probably true. But still, take a little moment. My little moment today was a small spontaneous event ...

Part of my horoscope for today: "Today, your feelings will only get in your way and distract you from doing what you need to do." Nailed it. Hoping for maybe a little talk with a friend today. Thinking about...possibilities. Comes a time in life when one just HAS to step up and take a chance. The question becomes, "Why not?" Are there really any arguments against it anymore?

Something about today had a strange kinda vibe. Did you ever have one of those days that on the surface appeared completely normal and nondescript, but something just felt *wrong* about it? That was me today. A big part of me is thinking that an upcoming trip just might spell the end of an "us" - or maybe the beginning of the end. No particular reason. There's just something that feels *wrong.* I guess I'll have to wait and see. Yes, patience. At some point does patience become cowardice? Sometimes we just have to wait for something to come around, but do we reach a point when we are just waiting because we're afraid to actively go after it? Curious too.....that patience in one area of life can in some way seem to stoke a fire in another area. Ever notice how a stagnant period in a relationship can spur one on to attain new career achievements? Or vice versa. Are we trying to compensate for what we are lacking - as if we SHOULD have everything all at once? Or may...

Can I talk about guilty, secret pleasures? We all have them, in varying degrees of severity. I'm indulging in one right now. It's the Courteney Cox series "Dirt" on FX. I cannot stand to watch - and therefore, I actually DON'T watch (for the most part *wink*) - the latest celebrity scandals in the tabloids or the pseudo-news 24-hour streams on cable. But fictionalized, I am loving it. Season two is taking a bit of a turn from the season one direction, but I'm finding that I'm still hooked on it. I recommend the show to anyone (is there anyone?) reading this.... It's followed by another dirty little secret of mine, "Mad Men" on AMC. Has anyone seen this show yet? Some of the best television writing I've seen in ages. "Do you want another drink?" - "I don't know...." - (whole room in unison) "Not a writer." Hahaha! Brilliant! (Ok - you probably had to be there....or be a writer.....) Want another naughty, s...

Wanted: One kind and truly beautiful soul willing and capable of giving me a love as pure and complete as the love I offer in return. Is that too much to ask? Now, what about this thing called love? What it is really? That's one of those questions that if you asked a hundred people, you'd get 99 different answers. (I say 99 because one of them would be, "agree with everything my sweetie says" - that one would be wrong, of course - but somebody'd think it anyway.) And for love to work, does it require that both parties see love in the same way? Or to look at it another way, could it even be that in order for love to really work, both parties need to see love in different ways that complement and complete each other? And is it ever ok to settle for less than that? What's worth settling for, and what is settling? And if I were to come across someone, who in another circumstance of life might be perfect for me, but in life as we know it, can never be a real and la...

This just in.....there's a blizzard warning in effect until 4 p.m. tomorrow....ugh.....I'll never get to leave the house again.... In our MSN convo yesterday - and again in our call today - *** informed me that his favorite music site had been busted, and it reminded me that I have not yet begun to replace the hundreds - if not thousands - of music files I lost in a recent software glitch. Some of those files were back-ups of CDs that have since become damaged and unusable. Now I'm working on back-ups of back-ups. I hate to lose music. Now, while this seems like a good opportunity for a discourse on the morality/legality of music downloading, I won't be getting into it tonight. I just don't have it in me right now. Looking at headlines, I see that Hillary Clinton is in Wyoming right now marketing herself now as the "underdog." I think yesterday she was the one to beat again (but not if you look at the math of it really...) - the one with all the momentum. ...

Well, the snow hit. And boy, did it hit! It started about four hours ago, and I have yet to see it actually fall to the ground. As near as I can tell, it's moving directly from left to right. It must be hitting the ground at some point because I can see it down there. Really....this hibernation idea is looking better and better.... ---- Seven hours in, and this snow isn't getting any lighter. On the contrary, it seems to be getting even heavier. I don't think I'll be going anywhere today... Most of my day was spent working, and the rest has been wandering around online - which actually, is *work* for me, in a way. I write a weekly column about the Internet, so surfing is part of my duty. Besides, lately, the poker rooms at Facebook and the blogs of a few of my friends and other persons of acquaintance are my only contacts with the outside world. Good thing I kick ass at Texas Hold'em. :) I look forward to the weather clearing, so I can get out some time within the c...

Have you ever seen one of those nature specials that shows the massive chunks of ice breaking away from the iceberg and crashing into the sea? I feel as if I'm living in one of those today as the temperature rises and the inch-thick layer of ice is being shed from the roof. Sporadically and without warning, the house rumbles and a huge sheet of ice falls past my window. I'll be sure to take care when I go out today and step quickly from the threshold to my car. **** Now my new blog will begin to take on its anticipated shape. (Random and meandering.....don't even TRY to make sense of it.....)  Probably a good thing nobody's reading it yet - it'll give me the opportunity to break it in a bit. :) It's late at night....and as usual, I'm nowhere near falling asleep.... The big thaw came today, and I ventured out again. It appears that not a single tree in the region escaped damage from the ice. Picked up some Chinese food and got back to my cubby. Can't beli...

I was awakened by a text message informing me that school was canceled for the day. No surprise there. A quick glance outside tells me......I can't see outside for the glaze of ice on my window screen. Well, it was a late night working on the election results, so at least I was able to roll over and go back to sleep.  I was awakened a second time by another text message....this one from *** informing me that the weather is still awful in Toronto, and he wants to go home. After Thursday, his schedule will be empty, and he doesn't return home to Vancouver until Tuesday, but he still can't find time to travel an hour to meet me in Buffalo, while I'm willing to find the time to drive seven hours to get there. Ah well... I can't let it bother me so much anymore. I did get to have a lovely chat yesterday with a dear new friend across the pond who wasn't feeling at his best. I'd hoped to be a comfort to him, but I think he managed to make me feel better instead. Or...

As I embark on the new adventure that is my life, I invite the faceless masses to peek into my world - and thus, the adventure begins.......