who pissed off God?
Bonnie. Charley. Frances. Ivan. Jeanne. They all brought it and I’m still kicking. Course, I suppose it helps that I wasn’t living in central Florida in a trailer home. Though contemplating the proximity to Orlando, one would think that perhaps the Mouse brought about all the smiting. Idolatry, false gods and what no. Hmm.
But all is well here at least. The house remains upright and for the most part, so do I. Yet, the meteorological pundits are saying October is supposed to be the busiest month for storms hitting Florida. Egads. It was suggested by a good friend that I go out and capture some hurricane goodness such as trees flying across my face, big waves washing away the beach and rain literally flying sideways. I suppose it would have been kind of cool. Then I saw the yahoos on news broadcasts getting pummeled by wind and rain, falling down and nearly getting tattooed by swirling tree limbs and other projectiles. Yeah, you know I wasn’t about to jump in the middle of that. No, no I stayed inside and watch the trees bend nearly parallel to the ground as the gusts blew in. Then snap in half or get uprooted. Yep staying inside good. See all the action and no impaling by branches or siding. Good enough for me.
»Comments (1)
Monday, September 13, 2004
four-wheeled idiocy
Sometimes I wonder about the mental requirements needed to run a business. I mean there are times when the sheer lunacy of something really stretches the limits of comprehension. Take this vehicular abomination for example. It’s good to see that the good old American sentiment that bigger is better has not died a well-deserved horribly agonizing death. I especially like this choice line from the marketing monkey, “We can see it a as a vehicle for business people who want to make distinct impression. For personal use, it's for people who want to make a statement”. Wow. And at a price point of $100k that’s a pretty expensive way to prove you’re a complete moron. I mean you could do it just as effectively for half price if you get one of those Hummer H2 atrocities and still be able to roll up to the taco bell drive-thru. Um, just yeah. I can’t help to think that this was some focus group gone terribly wrong. If not, I hope there’s a special place in the brimstone room for people who green light this stuff and for those who are in its market.
»Comments (1)
Sunday, September 12, 2004
collegiate football joy
What a great weekend of football! My favorite sporting part of the year is back! Some great games and upsets this weekend. It’s why I love college football so. OU looked a lot better this weekend against Houston and granted the opposition was cake Adrian Peterson is living up to the hype. I look forward to seeing him progress as the year goes on. Oh hey Tim sorry about Mizzou. That’s a rough pill to swallow. Ohio State squeaks out another win, Fresno State pounds on Kansas State,
Yea college football and yea to HD coverage (to ESPN anyway, ABC still believes college games aren’t worth it… ABC sucks).
»Comments (3)
Thursday, September 09, 2004
democratic debacle and the republican wreck
I have become weary of the tact Democrats have taken in their campaign. And the fact that James Carville has taken a strategic advisory role in the Kerry campaign demonstrates just how awful Kerry’s campaign team has and continues to perform. If Carville’s performance on the Today show this morning is an indication of what’s to come, shame on Kerry and shame on Democrats for advocating that brand of slime politicking. And really, I think O’Reilly was dead on in that if he elected to take up a position of strategist for Bush, he and Fox would have been lambasted, tarred, feathered and then drawn and quartered. Then criticized for trying to spin the reaction as overblown and biased.
This was a race the Democrats had to lose. About the only thing that could have destroyed their victory was if Osama Bin Laden himself was captured and executed at the first debate. But who would have imagined that the Kerry campaign would be so inept at establishing a winning platform in the midst of a lagging economy, a record deficit, a controversial war that continues to cost lives and money with no real end in sight, a decline in American sentiment around the world and a population majority who voted against Bush. Seriously, if the Democrats couldn’t mount a successful campaign with all of that they don’t deserve to win this election. Even I’m a mad as Zell about all of this!
But even more so, I’m sick and tired of hearing each side blast away at the other for being unpatriotic, un-American, lying, thieving bastards out to take your money and destroy the United States. It’s absurd. This isn’t kindergarten. Is this really what American politics has degenerated into since the days of Lincoln and Douglas? Name calling and finger pointing? What happened to discussing issues, not to place blame but to find answers? What happened to using the best form of government we have at the moment to find a better way to govern? What happened to the dignity and honor of serving as a public statesman?
Some might ask where I’ve been and what hype I’ve been reading because politics never was like that. Maybe. Perhaps it never was, but why can’t it be? Are we, after all these years, still so petty to keep letting self-interest get in the way of progress? Really? At what point does the public realize that our elected leaders are no longer truly working toward the tenant spelled out for them in their very own mandate, the United States Constitution?
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of AmericaNow some will argue that it’s their side doing just that and the other is preventing or doing the opposite. Well, the way things are going now I don’t see either side conducting themselves in a manner befitting the leader of the free world. I’m fed up with it and I suspect I’m not the only one. As it stands now I’ve no choice but to vote for Nader. Yeah I said it, Nader. Who would have thought? But I just can’t see rewarding the two major party candidates with my vote after what both have done to further desecrate what I believe public office should be.
Let it be known on this day that I will initiate my own involvement in politics. If you can’t make changes from the outside, the only way then is from within.
»Comments (2)
Friday, September 03, 2004
it's the size of Texas sir
The exodus heading north on I-95 has one wondering if indeed Armageddon was headed our way. Hurricane Frances continues to steam toward Florida and being as big as the lone star state, all of south Florida is heading out. Local reports here say there is no need for a mandatory evacuation and based on some of the current tracking models, Frances will hit central to south central Florida. But no matter where she hits, it looks like some serious damage will occur across a lot of the state.
I myself will be heading up to Atlanta to spend the Labor Day weekend hanging out with some of the folks I met up with in Miami. Hopefully a good part of the evacuation traffic will have cleared up some. The plan was to light up Miami again and try to ride on some of post MTV buzz, but Frances pretty much killed any dreams of running into Alicia Keys. Ah well perhaps some other day. At any rate, for now it looks like casa Roland will survive another hurricane unscathed. But this is just the beginning of the peak season and it looks like there is some more stuff brewing in the Atlantic. Good grief.
»Comments (0)
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
reporting from storm central
Okay Charley had his fun and now it looks like Frances wants in on the action. Egads man! Well since I’m still stocked from hurricane Charley I guess I’m set if I decide to brave it out in the house or run away. Things still look pretty open at the moment as far as where she’ll strike land so it’s too early to start screaming bloody murder and racing to get stuck in evacuation traffic. Man, if I surfed I’d be stoked, but I don’t so. Anyway, I’ll keep you posted.
GOP nuit deux
Oh man the GOP was lit up last night. Seriously, those joking about Schwarzenegger running for president in the near future may not be snickering quite so overtly anymore. I have to admit his star power was in full effect and I dare say it may have pulled in some critical votes. But I bet some overly sensitive girlie men or economic experts for that matter may be having fits. Plus calling out the U.N. like that was a little rough, but hey he was Conan. And George W. severely understated when he said he married above himself. I don’t know how but he lucked out big time. Laura was in fine form last night and no doubt demonstrated why she’s the President’s go to man, so to speak. And why isn’t George P. Bush all over the place for Dubya? I mean if they are trying to court the woman’s vote and all, as effective as the first lady is, I’d imagine the P would have things locked up, no?
For the GOP last night was all about showing the Republican compassion. Everything from faith-based good works to prisoner reformation (Miss America in a federal penitentiary?) to adoption to leaving no child left behind was on display. The Republicans, as they’d like you to believe, have cornered the market on being compassionate. I mean damn, if compassion or compassionate were the magic words in your drinking game you would have been in the emergency room an hour and a half into the convention. And speaking of drinking… those Bush twins. Good night that had to have been the worst introduction I’ve ever heard. I hope they wrote that stuff themselves because if they were aided by a professional speechwriter, that person is the greatest charlatan ever. And if the twins did write that speech, with one earning and English degree and the other attending Yale, well it was just bad on too many levels. I’m thinking some degrees should be re-evaluated. I mean I hate to say it, but with Jenna and Babs chuckling during the whole thing, it was eerily reminiscent of Beavis and Butthead. Not saying it was the intended effect, but they are their father’s daughters I guess.
On other notes I give props to the C-SPAN camera crew. I don’t know if it’s intentional or not but some the reaction shots they capture to the speeches on stage are comedy gold. And they seem like finding all the Republican hotties. I wonder if they’ve got a little competition between them or if they are just scoping the crowd and the director cuts to them or something. It’s good stuff. The hotties, not necessarily the convention.
»Comments (0)