or how i learned to elevate the mundane

In my infrequent forays into blogging, I have yet to write about politics (I think).  Over the years since I was first able to cast a ballot, I have drifted ever left-ward in my political leanings.  I think perhaps that history may be more unkind to George W. Bush than the present.  It’s very likely that he will be remembered as the Worst President in American History.  Whether that mantle gives him any more comfort than being seen as one of the most Forgettable Presidents in American History only he can decide.  Perhaps it’s better to be remembered infamously than as just another name in a list that might be on the exam.  Who’s to say?

There’s no doubt that there are millions of people around the globe who feel Bush and his administration has set America and the World back.  And who knows how he might feel about that.  But I have to think that there’s at least 1 person who is pissed as hell.  And George will probably never live it down, and perhaps he even feels a little bad for the guy.  That person is, of course, Jeb Bush.  The likelihood that the country will allow another Bush into the White House after the debacle that is the GWB presidency is the lowest it has ever been.  And if it werent for the generally anti-intellectual sea of which the electorate is made up of, I would say that it’s impossible for it to ever happen.  But sorry to say that in American politics, nothing is impossible.  Nevertheless, Jeb Bush has got to be hoppin’ mad that his big brother has pretty much single-handedly killed his presidential aspirations.  Not that I worry too much about that, of course.

I so clearly suck at this.  BFF.

I resolve to write in this blog at least 4 times a week, even if it’s only a couple of lines of inane observation (which is, after all, what the blog is basically titled). 

I want to become more consistent about it because I need something that I’m fully in control of at home to be done on a consistent basis.  Who knew kids had free will from the day they were born?

I had this big post about my last day at Microsoft and my starting up at Adobe, but for some reason WordPress ate it.  And now I am not motivated to rewrite it.  Perhaps in a few days I can muster up the energy.

It’s amazing what you can’t find the time for.

Part of me likes being sick during vacation because I don’t have to burn sick days and be out of the office getting behind.

OTOH, part of me doesn’t like being sick during vacation because it makes vacation less fun.

So, I’ve got some kind of bug now and Christmas is quickly approaching and there are things to do, but all I want to do is to lay about and pretty much do nothing.

I just can’t seem to make time for it.  Lame.  Oh, Scoble, I have let you down! 

Hey!  We’re okay after the big blow of ’06.  We lost power just before 11pm on Thursday evening.  We regained power right around 2:30pm on Friday.  After thinking about it, the power decided it had prematurely reinstated itself and promptly went away again at 9:30pm that same day.

The next morning, we were still without power.  Therefore, it was the perfect time to get a Christmas tree, which we did after managing a short gas line.  On our way back from successfully killiing another tree, we pondered whether or not we were going to be able to man-up for another brisk night.  Y’know, cuz we have small children and all.  So, on the way back I got on the horn with Starwood Hotels reservations (Starwood being our hotel chain of choice).  There was ONE open room across ALL of the Starwood properties between Everett and Tacoma.

Being mindfull of the rising Christmas bills, I chickened out and didn’t pull the trigger.  Happily, when we got home, the ol’ Alternating Current was rockin’ the Hong household and we were set to fire up all of our electronic gear.  I tell ya, without the soft hum of at least a dozen electrical machines running in the background, it’s downright spooky in the house!

Now, we’re cuddled up in the warm glow of plasma radiation and microwave technology.  Just as Norman Rockwell would paint were he still be alive (ummmm, if he’s still alive, my apologies).

I don’t know how many of you read “The Closing of the American Mind” by Allan Bloom.  I did, just before I entered college mostly because Prof. Bloom taught at the university I was shortly to attend. 

But that book isn’t what this post is about (though I highly recommend it for those interested in powering through).  Instead, I look around and, by God, I think most people are just getting dumber every day.  Just look at what’s going on:

• Art is Offensive?  Apparently, when you’re talking about Texans.
• Until recently, pop (milk, too!) can assplode planes (too many links to link to), or so believes the TSA.  AND WE ALL GO ALONG WITH IT LIKE SHEEP.
• ADL must explain Borat (when you have to explain the joke…).
• People believe flight attendants wield Star Trek-like hand-held scanning equipment.

And to show that I’m an equal opportunity critic of dumbass-ness:

• Dems might actually run Hillary Clinton in ’08.

The ’08 Presidential Election should be shaping up as one of the most straightforward opportunities for the Democratic Party to win back the White House.  That is, if they don’t field a nominee that turns off half the country.  I’m a Dem and even I would have to think long and hard if it were to come down to a Clinton/Giuliani election.

I got my Father’s Day gift a couple days early.  It’s 8 of these.  Really nice for doppios, though they’re not quite big enough for a little half-n-half.

I think at some point I want to swap out ALL of our glassware for these.