Hillary supporters are the meanest . . .

this is one of the things I have learned as a volunteer for my favorite candidate.

A John Edwards supporter would engage with you on the issues. Bill Richardson supporters were also quite nice, certainly full of respect for their candidate. Of course, my candidate's supporters are thrilled to hear from a fellow supporter and are happy, excited and full of hope, but also able to speak intelligently on the issues. But those who plan to vote for Hillary Clinton and receive a call from a volunteer for another candidate are, in my experience, the quickest to be sarcastic, caustic and/or yell "I'm voting for Hillary" into the phone and hang up on the volunteer. A suspicion or mistrust hangs heavily in their voice.

And now, the Clinton campaign has purported to say who Ann Richards would have supported in this race, even over the objection of Ann Richards' sons. This disgusts me.

I can't wait for next Tuesday. But before then, I have a million precinct captain calls to make.

P.S. I should add: this analysis of meanness does not apply to my dear friends who like Hillary Clinton. They would never be mean, to me or anyone, and are nice to me despite the fact that I keep putting my foot in my mouth about their fondness for their candidate.

Now you will understand.

When I read this interview of Texas Governor Rick "Good Hair" Perry by NY Times writer Deborah Solomon, I literally choked with laughter. Governor Perry, you see, just wrote a book about how much he loves the Boy Scouts and how much he hates my favorite civil rights organization. While there are many wonderful quotes in the interview, this is, in my opinion, the money quote:

Solomon: I know they have a dog-care merit badge, but why not a child-care badge?

Perry: Why not teach scouts how to change a baby’s diaper and help out moms? I don’t have a problem with that.

I love that while the writer is pointing out the Boy Scouts' sexism in not having a child-care badge, Perry responds with uber-sexism, assuming the Scouts can help moms, not dads, with child care. Perfect!

A Perry anecdote: my friend's ex is an official with a powerful firemen's union and he had a photo-op a few years ago with the Governor. While they waited for the photographer to get ready, Governor Perry looked down at Brian's boots and said something like, "Those are nice. Where do you have them made?" Our Governor is so out of touch that he assumed a fireman has the money to have his boots specially made, which is a very expensive proposition.

Sometimes I wonder how in the world I've managed to live here for 20 years.

The best $90 I have ever spent.

In the last several years, I have worked hard to be smarter with my money. So I was surprised that an impulse buy I made yesterday turned out to be such an unregrettable decision.

Staring at the American Airlines quick check-in kiosk at the Jacksonville Airport, I had to make a choice. I could simply check in and take my very respectable window seat near the front of the coach section. Or, I could accept the airline's offer of a first class seat for only an additional $90. My memory veered back to the flight to Jacksonville, where I had found myself hungry at lunchtime, smelling the aroma of the first class lunch offering, but with only trail mix available to me. Not only that--I was feeling sleepy, as if a cold was coming on, and was laboring under the grief brought on by the fact that my laptop's hard drive had just been diagnosed with a serious, possibly terminal, illness. I desperately craved a comfortable flight experience.

It will not surprise you that I chose the first class upgrade. I don't think I have ever paid for a first class seat before, having only enjoyed that experience once when the airline offered it gratuitously for reasons I no longer remember. But there is something truly decadent and wonderful about being served with a drink of water even before takeoff, nibbling on warmed nuts, receiving your choice of wine for free and then enjoying a well-rounded dinner of pasta, salad and . . . mmm . . . very good cheesecake (not to mention the hot towel), just before taking a nap. (Note: first class isn't perfect: that section also has a jerk who hacks and coughs the whole way home without ever covering his mouth).

I doubt I will have the chance to fly first class again anytime soon--at least not in a price range I am willing to endure. But every now and then, it's nice to luxuriate in being pampered.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine courtesy of right wing news, via althouse.

Where did my mojo go?

I'm perplexed by where my blogging gumption has gone in recent months. Maybe it's that I have been too busy with work and other stuff to take time to think the introspective thoughts I like to write about here. Maybe it's that much of what I would like to write about I cannot . . . like the lawsuit I am pursuing against the lying jerks who sold me my house, a lawsuit made more difficult by the fact that I am a nice person who didn't want to sue them unless I absolutely could not solve the problem they caused on my own. Maybe it's that I have become so shallow I don't have anything meaningful to write about anymore.

Despite my best resolve for 2008, I haven't been keeping up with family or friends in the way I would like, nor have I been working on my physical health as I would like. I am, however, a billing machine at work. And I have listed some of my photographs for sale. Soon I'll have a piece of my own art to hang on my wall at work . . . I'll photograph it for you after it arrives. And I do have a cute new haircut that makes me want to live up to the stylishness of my hair.

I miss my camera, which has been tucked away in the closet with no place to go. But next week, we're going to Florida on a business trip, and at the end of March, we're going to Arizona for another business trip, this one with baseball, too. And I'm going to work to help Barack Obama win the Texas Democratic Party primary on March 4th.

In more important new, Phil has lost a friend. He is far from home . . . please drop by and give him a virtual hug.




P.S. I should add this: even though I will be angry if I lose this case because I was nice, I will never, ever regret being the nice person who lost, as opposed to the jerk who lied. Never.

Video Sunday, and Other Tidbits

Who would have ever thought I would find myself saying, "Way to go, Montel! Tell it like it is."



Via Susan at "Kiss My Big Blue Butt."

******************************************

This video made by supporters of Barack Obama is really wonderful:



Who would have ever thought that I would be so thoughtless and conclusory in my support of Barack Obama as to spend a chunk of my nice walk with a friend this morning bashing Hilary Clinton, only to realize, not nearly quickly enough, that my friend is a Clinton supporter? I feel like a jerk. I need to think more before speaking.

******************************************

This is totally awesome:



Via Kottke.

******************************************

And finally, I cannot get this Sarah Silverman song out of my head (BUT FIRST--The video is even funnier if you FIRST check out the links in this story about the background behind it):



Via People.

Befriending Saddam

This is a really interesting article about the FBI agent assigned to draw information from Saddam Hussein. He had only been in the FBI for five years when he was assigned to him. The agent was made to seem more important than he really was by, among other things, guards scurrying around to please him whenever he was on the scene. The agent believes Saddam saw him as having a direct line of communication to the President of the United States.

Here's my question: the Administration has used the "state secrets" excuse a billion times to avoid producing information in connection with lawsuits against it, on the grounds that disclosing the information would impair our ability to obtain information from terrorists and others. If that is the case, why is this FBI agent free to talk to 60 Minutes about how he engaged Saddam Hussein?

I wish he would tell us what he really thinks.

Who? "Roosh." The scary thing is: I think he is right.

*****************

From the "How stupid does the Harris County DA think we are?" category: this story.

*****************

Off to pack bag, work a few hours, then off to Atlanta for a meeting. Back tomorrow night!

Hodge and Podge

I've been trying to figure out what I feel about Heath Ledger's untimely death. The easy answer is sorrow for his daughter and Michelle Williams. A part of me feels tired, tired of young people with so much promise dying for no reason--at least, no reason that makes sense. Yet another part of me knows that, as with the death of River Phoenix, I will always remember where I was and what I was doing when I learned of this death. Simply put, I believe he was a great actor whose ultimate promise will now never be known, and by all accounts, he was a devoted father. What a loss.

Last night, I found myself turning to "The Station Agent." Perhaps it was the Michelle Williams connection (she plays a librarian in the movie), or perhaps not. Each movie I love, and I do love this movie, fills a particular need in me. "Jerry McGuire" is the movie I turn to when I'm feeling unappreciated in my career. "The West Wing" (admittedly, a TV series, not a movie) is for when I'm lonely or dreaming of a more stimulating career. "The Philadelphia Story" is simply comforting, transporting me to a time years ago when it was possible to have a romance with Cary Grant. It's funny . . . I never realized the consistency of those themes--of wishing for something better--until I wrote this paragraph just now.

Anyway, I'm not sure I have anything more uplifting to offer at the moment, just these thoughts.

In a rare act of diligence,

I have created a post of the NYC visit I experienced just one week ago . . . check it out!

An Honor

Stepping into my neighborhood coffee shop on Monday, I learned a special honor had been bestowed upon me in my absence: I was named "Customer of the Week":



The prize? A free venti non-fat latte every day this week. How great is that?!?

This is the most perfect video ever.

And not just because I loved the movie "Election":

I am posting from New York . . .

and no longer missing in action. Sorry for my absence from the blog . . . I have been working hard, closely following the primary campaign season and swamped with volunteer duties as well.

In fact, I'm in New York because I was called upon at the last minute to fill in for a colleague who could not make it to our organization's national board meeting here. I am exhausted by the heavy reading to prepare for the matters discussed, as well as the late nights and socializing. I also find myself feeling exhilarated by the inspirational people I have met. Due to the late notice of my trip, it was difficult to get plans in place with friends, but I'm determined to do something "New Yorky" before leaving town tonight and hope to get to spend time with them also. One thrill of the trip thus far was sitting at Dorothy Parker's "round table" at the Algonquin Hotel while out for drinks last night.

I hope to write more after I have slept a bit, and not to let too much time pass before that happens.

About that "new life" . . .

I've been thinking a lot since my return from New Hampshire late last night. Thinking about how to summon up the willpower and focus to make the changes needed in my life. Thinking about the kind of work that will make me happy. Thinking about how the proudest moment of 2007 for me was when a 22 year-old staffer for my candidate told me I would make an excellent political operative, based on my ability to connect with, charm and explain the issues to the voters I spent five days calling.

I need more time to think. But tomorrow I return to work and I have to really work hard to make up for my lack of productivity last year, while I was distracted by things I love so much more. I thought I would be ready and excited, but I'm not . . . a part of me wants to cry. Each of my parents spent many years working at jobs they did not love so that my brother and I could have good lives. I know I can do this, too, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life wishing I had done something that made me excited to get up every morning.

A friend of mine told me it has seemed for a while as if I am waiting for something to come along and change my life. Most of my major life changes so far have not happened at my own behest. I cannot quite see what lies around the bend, but more than anything else this year, I resolve to have the courage to go out find it, rather than waiting and hoping for it to come my way.

Benazir Bhutto

is assassinated, giving rise to extreme uncertainty about the future of Pakistan. And yet again, President Bush is caught with his pants down, on vacation in Crawford and "scrambling" to react to the implications for the U.S. regarding Bhutto's death:

U.S. officials _ who had labored to promote stability in the nuclear-armed country that has been an anti-terrorism ally _ huddled to assess the impact of Bhutto's death two weeks before legislative elections in the turbulent nation in which her party was expected to do well.

Here is her New York Times obituary.

And the Washington Post has now written that the U.S. brokered Bhutto's return to Pakistan in an effort to keep their chosen rights violator in power. How telling that our Administration would place Bhutto in such a dangerous position and then fail to protect her. Sound familiar?

Christmas Tidbits

Gosh, I have accomplished a lot this weekend. The completed items from my to-do list:

• buy adult and children's drinks for Christmas Eve
• buy presents for friend's mother and stepfather
• buy 14x25x1 filters for upstairs AC/heat unit
• buy Christmas present for dogs
• find Christmas present bought long ago for Dan
  
• return unused tree lights to Target
• buy skirt for Christmas tree (I own about three of these, but can find none of them)
  
• complete work project for taking to New Hampshire
• tidy up house
  
• locate gloves to take to New Hampshire
• prepare photographs for live sale and submit more photos for review at PhotoShelter
• see "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"
  
• get pedicure

And the items remaining, some to be completed today and some to be completed before or shortly after the holidays are over:

• more billable work
• retrieve gifts from my office (DONE)
  
• print boarding pass for tomorrow's flight (DONE)
  
• wrap gifts (DONE)
  
• wash clothes/pack for New Hampshire trip (DONE)
  
• select reading material for New Hampshire trip (DONE)
  
• facial
• car repair
  
• see "No Country for Old Men," "Charlie Wilson's War" (DONE), "The Savages," "Juno" and "The Kite Runner"
  

The picture-guessing contest will remain open until Christmas morning, when I shall reveal the answers before flying off to New Hampshire.

I find myself longing for Paris, where I spent four days, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, two years ago. Paris seems the right place to be for Christmas. Maybe next year . . .

Happy Holidays, Dear Readers!

As a special Christmas prize, the first person to identify each of these photos (by name, location or event) may ask me to answer any question they like.*

*Subject to my ultimate approval of the question asked, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.

******

Clockwise, from top left:

Seattle
Central Park, NYC
Orley
Monk seal, Kauai, Hawaii
Shelburne Farms, Vermont
Nepali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii
Sammy Sosa's 600th home run, the Ballpark in Arlington (home of the Texas Rangers)
Kip
Sunset in Kauai, Hawaii

I believe Kell came the closest to accurately guessing all pics. Thanks for playing, and Merry Christmas!

I was in Austin the other day . . .

. . . and the Texas Capital looked really pretty, all dressed up for Christmas:

Annoyed by all the focus on the destroyed CIA torture tapes,

Dick Cheney says, "I'll show you document destruction!" and sets the building on fire. It's the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, known as the "OEOB" to devoted West Wing watchers.

Unbelievable!

I wanted a Christmas tree and said yesterday morning that I might get one. As it turns out, this isn't an easy task less than 10 days before Christmas.

The easiest part was buying the tree. At the nursery just around the corner from my house, I found a lovely 7-8 footer for half price at only $37.50. The place was nice enough to deliver the tree to my house so I didn't have to sully my beloved car (though I do adore driving a Christmas tree home in December in a convertible with the top down).

I was sure I had a Christmas tree stand at home, but could not find it. Locating a stand in the retail world was no easy feat, requiring trips to two different Target stores and, ultimately, a Home Depot store where I purchased a used display model for one dollar.

Finding white lights also carried a high difficulty rating. There were multi-colored lights, blue lights and button lights in pearl or satin finishes, but no plain white mini-lights. At long last, I was able to find what was literally the last set of white mini-lights in two large Target stores near my house.

Wrestling the thick-trunked tree into the stand proved to be a challenge with no other human around to hold the trunk upright. But I'm proud to say that I ultimately prevailed in this battle, though the star tree-topper is a little "scrunched" against the ceiling.

My favorite part of holiday decorating is pulling out all of my Christmas ornaments and other thingamabobs. Each one has a memory attached and I revel in remembering.

This morning, I pulled the vacuum cleaner out of the closet to try to pick up all the fallen needles. And there I found my tree stand.



Now if only the vacuum would work and I could find the Christmas tree skirt . . .