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Ted Nugent is running for governor of Michigan. I did not know this, nor do I know why he chose to announce it in the UK. But I did find amusing the sage bits of advice one savvy blogger offered the Nuge:
"During media interviews, refrain from teaching the journalist how to shoot an AK-47, and don’t pull out a hunting knife to trim your nails. These behaviors will not help with the urban vote.""...Firing a .22 out of the window of your pick-up truck while shuttling members of the media may be constructive while running for office in Texas; however, voters in Michigan view this as falling outside the range of normal behaviors for a politician."
"As governor, your chief foreign policy issue will be trade. Saying that you 'don't have to placate some Arab numb-nut because he holds all our fuel' doesn’t leave much room for trade negotiations."
And lastly, my personal favorite:
"Simple policy statements are always the most effective--especially with conservative voters. Even so, your statement 'How do you get peace, love and understanding? First of all you have to find all the bad people. Then you kill them.' will cause some voters to question your ability to work through complex issues."
Ah, this is going to be fun.
Life has gotten in the way of writing, as it often seems to do. I was deep in the muck of final projects for school when I got word that the friend of a friend had died suddenly (actually, the husband of a friend's sister). Dan was 44 and in good health, leaving behind a wife and four kids. I'd only met him once or twice, but his death shook me up nonetheless. We are just not prepared to say farewell to people that young, especially these days, when life expectancies are so much longer. And the reality of losing someone that young is shocking, no matter how well you knew the person. Anytime I hear of someone dying relatively young, it sends a shiver up my spine, a sharp reminder of how short life can be, a jolt of motivation to truly live it. Dan did just that and I plan to live by his example.
So it was in a strange funk that I completed my first semester back in academia, but relieved to put away my books and notes for a few months. No classes offered this summer in my program and boy, am I sad about that. Something along the lines of "Aw, shucks" was, I believe, my official reaction.
So, apart from a job I enjoy, I now have three months to finally explore all the nooks and crannies of this fabulous city, see friends who'd so patiently waited out my semester, make some new ones, visit some others far away, along with my family in NYC and elsewhere. Ah, summer in the city... how I'd missed you.
Today, however, I want to wish everyone a happy Memorial Day and remind you all the reason why most Americans have a day off. No, it's not strictly for the purpose of beer consumption. While you're out enjoying a picnic (as I was yesterday in beautiful Golden Gate Park) or BBQ or ball game or what-have-you, please take a minute from grilling or lounging or pumping your keg to remember the reason you're there. Take some time out of your day to remember all those who have served their country, those who have served and died and all those who continue to serve today. No matter your opinion on the "war on terror" or any other struggle our government engages us in, our troops deserve every ounce of support we can muster.
This is personal for me and some people I love who are all thinking of our friend Craig, currently serving his third tour in Iraq, away from his wife and daughter for 8-12 months for the THIRD time since 2003. Craig sent this photo Saturday of himself in the midst of a sandstorm. While we enjoy our picnics and BBQs, Craig is sweating through 110-degree days in a dry desert halfway around the world, far from the people he loves. He and all the men and women he's serving with and has served with in the past more than deserve our thoughts and prayers today. Happy Memorial Day.
New, wonderful website find of the day: ITMFA.com.
And, as overheard by one of two barely post-pubescent males loitering outside the SFSU campus library last night:
"I know, dude, but she gets really mad when I drink every day."
Ahhh, the hallmarks of college life. You've just got to wonder if he was talking about his girlfriend or his mom.
So, Karl Rove seems to think poll numbers hovering at 30% mean Bush is still well-liked, but Americans are just sour on the war. Who is he trying to kid? Even once-loyal cohorts of Bush's own party are fed up with his inability to get a bloody thing done.
Lee Miringoff of the Marist Poll notes this is something of a reverse of the line the White House gave when President Clinton's poll numbers dipped during the Lewinsky scandal (from today's NY Daily News):
"The notion then was, 'You may not like him, but he's doing a good job.' Now it's, 'He's not doing a good job, but you like him.'"
Which would you prefer, America? A president whom you don't necessarily like but who indubitably gets the job done OR one who's awfully gosh-darn likable, but has failed miserably at every aspect of his job?
Played hooky from work yesterday to spend the gloriously sunny, breezy afternoon with a friend. We strolled through Golden Gate Park, where these little lovelies are blooming all over the place:
Anyone know what they are?
Trying to finish not one, but two major final projects for school while also hosting wonderfully enjoyable houseguests leaves time for little other than eating, sleeping and pooping. That means the ol' bloggy-blog gets neglected. But only for a little while longer.
Meanwhile, you may enjoy reading this marvelous column by one of my new favorite SF Chronicle writers, Mark Morford: Bring On The $6 Gallon Of Gas.
From Rubber Hose, via Daily Kos:
A summarized comparison of how three U.S. presidents answered the question, "What was the best moment of your presidency?":
Carter: The Camp David negotiations.Clinton: Resolution of the Kosovo crisis.
Bush: That time I caught a big-ass fish at my ranch!
The clincher? Bush boasts of catching a perch weighing in at 7.5 pounds. But according to The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the world record (set just 2 months ago) for the largest freshwater perch caught is only 4 pounds 3 ounces!
So Bush managed to quietly break the world record? Impressive! OR, he's lying through his teeth. Hmm... which could it be?
Apparently, having the IQ of a Little Leaguer forces you to lie about even the totally IRRELEVANT stuff! Kind of like the way little kids cheat at Chutes & Ladders or peek underwater during Marco Polo. Rather disturbing, when you consider the horrific worldwide consequences of our president's inability to tell the truth.
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I've been a busy little bee since my return from L.A., but eventually, I'll get around to writing something other than another half-assed dig at the prez.
This was the very noisy scene about a block from my office today:
So, you want to live in the U.S.? Well, then, it may take time and effort, but your "To Do" list is pretty straightforward: get a social security number, pay taxes, work on your English and take the oath of citizenship as soon as possible. That's it. That's what my parents, grandparents and extended family did when they came here. They made the effort to become American citizens and took the process of naturalization seriously. That's all we need ask of any potential immigrant to this country. As long as you're here illegally, you do not have the right to stay indefinitely. PERIOD. There are more than enough people who are proud to live and work here and actually go to the trouble of becoming legal citizens. As far as I'm concerned, they are the only ones who have earned the right to call America home as long as they wish.
P.S. Stephen Colbert, you are the sugar in my coffee.
Update: I was informed the Colbert link I used yesterday directed you to a random YouTube video. It's been corrected. Thanks for the heads-up!