PSoTD

How many hours of NFL football games do you watch on television each week?

you get stuff like this.

"He always used to kid around about bringing things to school and hurting kids," she said at a gas station nearby where students and townspeople gathered.

It isn't acceptable to kid around about this.

American kids haven't gotten this message yet? If someone says they have a bomb, you tell an authority. If someone says they're hijacking a plane, you tell an authority.

If someone says they're going to bring something to school to hurt people, you tell an authority. There's no leeway in this. Too many times something happens, and too many times kids admit later that the attacker had said something in advance about what they were going to do. It doesn't matter what the statistics are, even if 99 out of 100 kids that make such threats do not follow up on it. There's no grace allowed for making such a threat. Tell an authority. It doesn't matter if the kid gets in trouble, it doesn't matter if the parents get pissed off. Make a threat, get in trouble. It's worth it to reduce the number of times a community has to see this kind of story in their schools.

Last night I spent about 15-20 minutes going through Yahoo's Local Section for restaurants in the Camp Hill, Pennsylvania area, giving up to 5 star reviews to some of my local favorites. It's a quite underutilized feature, which is a shame, since there are many restaurants around here that we haven't tried and that a consensus "star" review would be very helpful.

On the other hand, I think it's a little silly that people will take the time to give a review to a national chain restaurant, particularly giving them 5 out of 5 stars. Denny's, Baskin-Robbins, Waffle House... it makes me wonder if someone was tasked with the job of just giving out perfect ratings to some of these chains. The whole point of a restaurant chain is to provide a consistent level of restaurant service and ingestibles across the entire group of restaurants, so if you eat at Burger King in Atlanta you know what to expect at a Burger King in Carson City. So why would anyone bother giving a chain a local rating, unless it was below standard or for pay? I know I wouldn't. There's nothing truly "local" about the chains.

I think the terrorists have figured that Americans are quite susceptible to applying reverse psychology. Why, if the terrorists are mocking Bush, that means they are really afraid of him! Anyone the terrorists mock I will support!

If terrorists want to keep Bush in unfettered power, they have to dance with Bush in just this fashion.

We'll see if they're right about Americans on election day.

It's Friday afternoon. Where do you think your Congressional House of Representatives member is?

President Bush suggested Thursday that Democrats don't have the stomach to fight the war on terror, battling back in the election-season clamor over administration intelligence showing terrorism spreading.

Dear America - quit worrying about the freaking fat guts of politicians, and start worrying about the addled brains of those in charge. Of course Bush would focus on the stomach. He can't afford a discussion about mental capabilities.

Democrats - please focus on fighting the War on Terrorism smarter. Ignore the bait about the stomach - it's a poison pill. Focus on the brain. We need to tackle terrorism smarter. Period.

Isn't this terrorism?

Have you seen any news account call it terrorism?

If Duane Morrison had been from Iraq, and done the exact same thing, would it have been terrorism?

Isn't this terrorism?

I just don't understand why Senators - but particularly, Democratic Party Senators, would vote to allow the dumbest President in the history of our nation to define torture. The guy can barely talk. Why the deference? Utter abdication of responsibility by the Congress.

Epix Internet Services purchased by Citizens Communications Company. I've used epix in some form for 12 years. Hopefully the transition will NOT involve a change of the domain epix.net.

Any new network series you find pretty entertaining?

Yesterday I asked what inhibits people's blog content choices the most. A few responded, but for most this may be a question that may take a while to consider. I know for me, there are financial reasons - business, that limit what I blog about. I'm also sensitive to my choice to remain semi-anonymous, which limits choices. In general, I also choose not to blog about personal relationships.

I think consideration of this question, and a public statement of areas in which a blogger feels inhibited to go with content, can be quite useful for bloggers - an examination of the choices they do and don't make in posting. I'd like to see more bloggers make such a post, if only for a reference point on the blogger's intent and expectations.

Well, that, and as an example for journalists.

What does Tim Russert feel inhibited about covering in his programming? What does Chris Matthews feel inhibited about? What about Nedra Pickler? David Broder? There's no way for the public to know what potential stories, or topics, that reporters and talking heads won't participate in because of personal reasons. It's not like these folks have to spend valuable air time or print space stating these inhibitions. Perhaps it should be a standard practice that all "talent" in the news industry post such items on the Web - it is a cheap delivery mechanism, and allows the public to frame the personality of the news deliverer in the context of coverage.

I don't buy that those in the news industry are without personal inhibitions that affect their choices. I also don't accept that coverage choices are an "open process". Pretending that it's all open isn't open.

What is open is being public about the areas in which a journalist does not feel comfortable - not due to ignorance, but due to personal experience - in covering. And I think it would be a healthy process for those in the news industry as well.

I'm a Reds fan, but it sure seems to me that Pete Rose is looking for subtle ways to embarrass Major League Baseball so that they feel removing the lifetime ban would be less newsworthy.

A recent survey of 10,000 English men revealed that 48 percent actually fall asleep during sex.

Okay, that looks like an urban legend. Still, according to the article, perhaps they're just getting a head start on men around the rest of the world.

Check out Shakes' Ode to McCain.

Have an opinion on "Should Pennsylvania's judges have accepted the pay raise"? If so, let PCN know in comments, they may read them in their Journalist Roundtable program on the issue.

Let's face it - even though we blog, there are things out there in our lives that inhibit what we choose to blog about, or at least how much we choose to blog about something.

Today's question: What inhibits your blog content choices the most?

Note to pet owners: pets don't always know not to eat wild mushrooms, as this sad story attests.

And the same goes for people.

Bad things are coming out of the woodwork concerning George Allen. Most of it has to do with him. But a tiny part of it, I think, is in preventing the George W. Bush model again. There's no way that an imbecile - and Allen's behavior, if true, is imbecilic among other things - should be in position to have the stars align so that he or she could win the nomination of his party for President. Lesson learned with George W. Bush. And so, the powers that be, the people who know stuff and the people who suspect stuff, about candidates without adequate brain power and usage to be Presidentin', are going to shake those potential candidates until they are damaged beyond possible candidacy for the highest office in the land - before they even run for it.

If only the former friends of George W. Bush had hammered him with the truth in 1998.

Meet vcempreved. What a pain.

I see where Fox News is trying to quadruple their rate for cable systems to provide their channel.

But Fox News has seen its prime-time ratings fall for 11 months in a row (it was down 23% last quarter from the same period a year earlier), just as Murdoch is trying to get $1 per viewer instead of its current 25 cents out of cable and satellite operators. Murdoch is also eager to launch a business channel.

I just want to say, I would appreciate if you would shop around on programming and give local marketplaces a vote on what they want to be paying for. I'd really like to know the options of what the Harrisburg Comcast marketplace could get for both 25 cents and for $1.00 per viewer. Why not survey us?

Sure seems like a great niche for some self-appointed television "self-help" guru.

When I was a little kid, Johnny Bench was my favorite sports hero. I was a Cincinnati Reds fan, and Bench did lots of great things on the ballfield. I own two "celebrity autographs" (it really isn't my thing), and Johnny Bench's is one of them.

Good to see him doing something valuable for another community that can use encouragement: people with hip problems.

Publishers around the world are collectively putting their foot down against search engines in a new global initiative to regain control of their content.

The initiative, called Acap (Automated content access protocol), is intended to stop search engines aggregating content in breach of permission or copyright.

Where would you recommend people go to see the most colorful fall foliage?

I watched a fellow on TV today discuss how he was an Independent, but could be a moderate Republican or a conservative Democrat, and that the extremes of both parties were destroying the nation and the center of the political spectrum - the moderates - need to stand up and take over.

I find such language incredibly stunning. I don't understand how the "extreme left" can be blamed for much of anything, in as much as they don't really have any power. Last I checked, the federal government is pretty much in the hands of conservative Republicans, including the extremes of that party.

So why is the left being lumped into this at all? The fact is, I understand the anger of the left. We're out of power, and things are awful, and are in decline. I feel this nation has been hijacked. Anyone who has been paying attention for the past five years has to have some of that feeling. Perhaps some in the left might be guilty of incredibly impassioned language. But what have they actually done - to "destroy the nation" - the past five years? If the center feels that the nation has been damaged the past five years, it has to get off its ass and assign blame to who deserves it - those in power, and those who put those people in power. And that includes the center.

And then put them out of power.

This "extremist" blathering is just more labeling of people and no ideas. This time, however, it's the center labeling the poles, rather than one pole labeling another. This isn't better politics. It's the same politics, just a consolidation of targets. You can't argue that governing needs to be inclusive and blanket attack folks at various spectrums - especially when some of those folks at some of those spectrums haven't had a say in governing in five years. You can attack anti-inclusivity - and that should be done. But you can't attack points on the spectrum without being as guilty of anti-inclusivity as those you attack.

It's been a week and I still haven't been able to find the sweet spot in blog posting. I can find interesting enough stuff to snip, I guess, but I was just getting into a bit more writing when I left last week. The disruption has thrown off my focus, I think.

If I'm ever going to be a writer, I need to remember this experience. Write every day, even if it's crap, because the process encourages thinking, and eventually something good will flow out.

When was the last time you played Go Fish?

Our six year old has the fever, and we play almost every day right now.

I'm relatively new to the Amanda Congdon phenomenon or whatever you want to call it, but so far I'm really enjoying Amanda Across America.

In addition to all other reasons, it's probably not good for you at all.

I would strongly recommend not staying at this place if you visit the Cayman Islands. The owner did not deal acceptably with us after he double booked the property for the same week in 2005. Can you imagine being in a party of 13, travelling to a foreign country, then finding out that your accomodations were filled with other people? It's really not fun.

We didn't get to stay there due to the double booking, and stayed at lesser accommodations without reimbursement. The location of Cayman Sands may be great, but the ownership and management is anything but.

It was to be a four family stay at this location, and when it fell apart, we ended up being split up into two locations. One, in the Carribean in the middle of summer, without central air conditioning. As it turns out, this was our last vacation with my Dad, which makes it that much more bitter to accept the incompetence of the owner of this place. And accept it we must, because the laws of Virginia and the laws of the Cayman Islands really prevented us from doing anything without risking considerably more money just to get back what should have been refunded to us. It's a shame, really, that people are allowed such dodges.

Ridiculous to speculate until confirmed.

Call me ridiculous. But as I read it, if this is true, it is obviously welcome news for the United States but not necessarily good news for Bush. One - he was allegedly in Pakistan, a supposed ally. 2 - Bush can't take claim for taking him out with Typhoid, can he? 3 - Hard to predict what the responses in the Middle East will be if this pans out. 4 - With the figurehead of 9/11 gone, would Americans be more likely to separate the issues of terrorism and the Iraq War in November?

according to Rasmussen.

What do you do for a living? Orgasm coach?

Shaping up nicely...

From the White House today:

Q Mr. President, after 9/11, would the United States have actually attacked Pakistan if President Musharraf had not agreed to cooperate with the war on terrorism? He says that the United States was threatening to bomb his country back into the stone age.

And, President Musharraf, would Pakistan have given up its backing of the Taliban if this threat had not come from Armitage?

PRESIDENT BUSH: First, let me -- she's asking about the Armitage thing. The first I heard of this was when I read it in the newspaper today. You know, I was -- I guess I was taken aback by the harshness of the words.

All I can tell you is, is that shortly after 9/11, Secretary Colin Powell came in and said, President Musharraf understands the stakes and he wants to join and help route out an enemy that has come and killed 3,000 of our citizens. As a matter of fact, my recollection was that one of the first leaders to step up and say that the stakes have changed, that attack on America that killed 3,000 of the citizens needs to be dealt with firmly, was the President. And if I'm not mistaken, Colin told us that, if not the night of September the 11th, shortly thereafter. I need to make sure I get my facts straight, but it was soon.

I don't know of any conversation that was reported in the newspaper like that. I just don't know about it.

PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF: I would like to -- I am launching my book on the 25th, and I am honor-bound to Simon and Schuster not to comment on the book before that day. (Laughter.)

Honestly, Washington Press Corps - it isn't funny. Are you going to let every head of state use such a reason to not answer a question?

I'll tell you, Duke's Political Science department ought to try to convince this guy to quit mentioning where he's from, because he's convincing a generation of bloggers that they're teaching students to be the world's biggest whiners.

President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan says the United States threatened to bomb his country "back to the Stone Age" after the 9/11 attacks if he did not help America's war on terror.

The threat was delivered by Richard Armitage, then the deputy secretary of State, to Musharraf's intelligence director, the Pakistani leader told CBS' 60 Minutes.

"The intelligence director told me that (Armitage) said, 'Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age,'" Musharraf said in the interview to be shown Sunday on the CBS television network.

I suppose it's too late to send any of Bush's guys to Dale Carnegie.

It seems to me that some enterprising liberal superblogger - one with the resources for such a project - should begin to compile every available photo of Bush and McCain together that is out there. They should be available for bloggers to peruse online. McCain has done plenty, including the shrug on the Geneva Convention standards, that should attach him to Bush. The "maverick" label is undeserved and we have two years to attach McCain to Bush more effectively.

And I do mean "we". There are too many wuss Democratic Party Senators that will piss all over any national message to emphasize McCain's attendance to Bush. Too many journalists will do the same. It will have to be a grassroots effort, or it won't happen at all.

So why is Doing Business so anti-worker protection?

Received this email from United Airlines last night:

Support United's bid for Dulles to Beijing route

United is petitioning the Department of Transportation to be allowed to be the first domestic carrier to have a direct route between Washington, D.C. Dulles (IAD) and Beijing, China (PEK). Right now, 28 other world capitals have this route to Beijing; Washington, D.C. deserves to be next!

We are asking our members to please add their name and support to this initiative. It will only take a few moments of your time.

Maybe DC deserves the flight, maybe it doesn't, but United Airlines surely doesn't deserve it. They can't get me from Philly to Bakersfield in under 26 hours with perfectly good weather, and they want me to help them get MORE passengers? Why should they be provided additional opportunity to completely screw up international traffic?

If there was a petition that said under no circumstances should United be allowed to have that route, I would go sign it.

For everyone who posted a comment or sent an email of condolence about the passing of my Dad, I just want to say

Thank You.

Here, we are all passing vessels in a sea of words and ideas, and I'm comforted that so many take the time to pass along kind and hopeful words. It means a lot.

I just paid invoice 120 of our long-standing account with pair Networks. Ten years of great work on their part. Thanks, pair Networks.

Based on looking at PAFundraisers.com, I would say the top two locations in Harrisburg for political fundraisers are:

1. The Harrisburg Hilton
2. Scott's Grille

I found the White House bio of Chester A. Arthur a bit interesting.

Arthur demonstrated as President that he was above factions within the Republican Party, if indeed not above the party itself. Perhaps in part his reason was the well-kept secret he had known since a year after he succeeded to the Presidency, that he was suffering from a fatal kidney disease. He kept himself in the running for the Presidential nomination in 1884 in order not to appear that he feared defeat, but was not renominated, and died in 1886. Publisher Alexander K. McClure recalled, "No man ever entered the Presidency so profoundly and widely distrusted, and no one ever retired ... more generally respected."

We live in the era of antiChesterAArthurarianism.

I gave one of the eulogies at my Dad's funeral on Tuesday. It is a very humbling experience. The challenge of writing something appropriate, in sum, to honor another person's life, can be a rocky journey.

On the other hand, I found that sharing those feelings and thoughts to the voluntary family of those who loved the soul dwarfs the challenge of writing it. It is like the difference between mountains. Speaking is like a hike in the Rockies - struggling for air, drymouth, lightheadedness - versus "writing the walk" in the Appalachians - sweaty but meandering and searching.

Both writing a eulogy and speaking it are scurries with nature - human nature. Writing is a constant mixing and testing of language and memories in an effort to find the palette best to paint your personal vision of the spirit. The process doesn't stop - as I said, it meanders. You search. I changed some of the text an hour before I spoke. I was, and am, content and serene about what I wrote, although I'm sure that I would have more changes today if I was yet to speak. I do believe that Dad, wherever he is, enjoyed it.

I practiced the eulogy alone in our hotel room and discovered a problem. I couldn't get through it without crying. I kept trying, and eventually was able to get through it with just a few small choke points. I accepted that was about as well as I could do it, and considered myself ready as I was going to be.

There were a few suggestions of strategies to get throught the eulogy. I didn't want to just stare at my notes, or focus on just one person. I wanted to experience this - I wanted to see the faces of all that came for that hour to recognize my Dad's life. I did decide, if I were to stumble, that I'd focus on my son's face, who at six is almost always smiling, for recovery. I didn't want to see tears, so I didn't want to take a chance on my wife or my daughter or any other member of my family.

The service was, in my opinion, perfect in tone and approach. It was upbeat, with smiles and laughs. When it was my turn to speak, I tried to calmly tell the audience about my Dad. That's where it gets most humbling. We tell ourselves we can control our emotions, if only for a little bit, if we must. For me it apparently all depends on the emotions and the tasks at hand. I was fine - a few funny stories about Dad, some favorite tidbits, until I neared the end. Two paragraphs left, I could feel the tears welling up, and a want to stop, and a fear that if I did I would not be able to continue. I spoke slowly. I took uncertain pauses. I looked at my son. I looked at one of my Dad's best friends. I sniffled. The brain is powerful but the soul knows its weaknesses, and the mind will eventually fall into agreement. I had to cry, but quietly, maybe five seconds, maybe ten. Another sentence, a bit raspy, an uncertain pause, a few more tears, another sentence, my mind insisting I not race through the last few lines, my heart agreeing but requiring some tears in exchange.

I finished and stepped down, hugged Dad's wife, nodded in understanding with my brothers, held my wife's hand, stroked my kids' hair. I was glad to be first. Everyone else that spoke was great, with funny stories, and tears, about Dad, and that's the way it should be. I was able to listen and appreciate what was said rather than worry about getting through my own words.

In the end, it was important to me to say what I did, but more important to witness what others had to share. I can't recommend giving or not giving a eulogy, but I do recommend going first if you're to give one. Do what you can to make it easier on yourself to share with others, and to allow others to share with you.

I have spent a lot of posts kvetching about airlines. I just want to say that Southwest Airlines did exactly what we needed for this trip - relatively low priced tickets bought at the last minute because of the urgency, direct flights, no delays no hassles no problems. Thanks.

Tired and completely out of the loop on political developments of the past week. I'm sure I'll be writing more about my Dad in the next few days, but an aside about Bakersfield - it must be the Car Wash Capital of the World. I don't ever recall seeing a town with so many large, relatively high profile car wash businesses.

I hope the "Day Fire" is under control tomorrow...

U.S. airlines are doing more with less and carrying more passengers than they did last year but flights are noticeably longer, government figures showed on Thursday.

Nonstop flights overall were more than 3 percent longer and average trip length per passenger on all flights was up nearly 2 percent for the period that did not include the heaviest summer travel.

Remember the good old days when airlines offered bereavement fares?

My dad passed away yesterday morning at the age of 70. He had a good life, in general, although suffered the past several months from liver cancer. A year ago we were planning a surprise 70th birthday party for him when doctors found the tumors, and he began a regimen of chemo and radiation to slow them down. We had a smaller, non-surprise party, but it was unfair that he didn't get to enjoy the event we way we were planning it. Life is unfair, and it reminds us of it when least expected.

A little more than a month ago I was again in Bakersfield, and he and I were still able to visit the 34th Street Car Wash for burgers. But cancer can be a series of plateaus and slippery slopes, and shortly after I left he started down the final decline.

I probably won't be posting much in the next week or so, once the details are determined for the funeral I'll be going out there again. The photo I posted previously is the view of my Dad's backyard, where he'd sit in the evening as the Bakersfield temperatures barely fell. Although he didn't move to Bakersfield until I was on my own, I have many great memories of that backyard - swimming there, first just me and my brothers, later on, our families with the kids in the pool. Sitting in the hot tub, drinking a beer on a hot night, or all of us playing cards in the morning at the table in back, laughing and hollering, or just two of us playing darts. That's how I remember my Dad best - playing. He liked games, he liked conversation, he liked telling jokes - he just liked playing.

It's a comforting way to remember my Dad, and also the easiest. I'm not a heaven and hell kind of guy, but much more focused on the way we spend our time while here on the planet. Making everyone around them smile a bit more and enjoy their time adds up over 70 years. I'm content to know that my Dad did just that.

Not quite sure what to think of this idea. Anyone out there playing "Fantasy Husband"?

For all of the Football Widows whether you're a wife, girlfriend or just a smart single lady who wants to have some fun, this is your answer to man's football addiction. We will provide a weekly domestic scenario wherein you choose three men to be your Fantasy Husbands.

I didn't realize that the movie coming out "Everyone's Hero" had Christopher Reeve as a director.

Regardless, this movie looks putrid. I love baseball, and the idea of an animated movie about baseball for kids, one that might raise the game's attraction to the youngest generation, is great. Baseball needs something like this.

But from the commercials and the trailers, Everyone's Hero isn't going to get it done. A talking baseball and a talking bat? My kids - including our six year old who likes baseball - don't want anything to do with this movie. Our son is prime market, and the marketing has turned him off.

The good news: Ed Helms gets a movie role. He plays Hobo Louie.

PR

If George W. Bush has proven one thing, it's this - if a President cannot be convincing on his or her own with their own PR, both to Americans and to the world at large, that President will be seen as a failure to the majority of the world.

The President is America's top PR person. Because of that, the President must be able to present to the world an image that America can be proud of. That image is one of the tools the President can - and must - use in order to sell America's values and expectations around the world.

One term - four years - is a long time for one person to be on such a stage. The essence of a person will shine through no matter how good the handlers are - there is just no way to gloss over the character of a person under such scrutiny for so long. The Bush people tried. It can't be done.

In 2000, the Bush choice was for a "strong but dumb" character over whatever the perception was of Gore. Bush was seen as an "everyman", the kind of guy you'd "like to have a beer with"... which were code words warning America that Bush was ordinary, at best. Not enough of America took the warning. And America's image, saddled with Bush as the daily advertisement, has been diminished daily for 6 years.

It's not that Bush's policies weren't bought by a Congressional rubber stamp. It is that almost every one of them has run into problems early on after becoming practice - usually quite foreseeable - and forced Bush into re-selling them - and over and over and over again, Bush can't do it. In this country, Bush benefits because the members of Bush's party push many of the same things, and usually better, than Bush does, and so the message gets through.

But internationally, that doesn't work. Russia doesn't give a shit about John Boehner's speeches. Iranians don't have a clue who Denny Hastert is. Even McCain's statements barely make the radar out of country, and he's the expected frontrunner for the Republicans in 2008. It's up to Bush. And Bush can barely speak. Convincing a nation of something? Other than force, Bush has no tools. And force isn't "convincing".

American cannot afford this again. We couldn't afford it this time. Voters have to consider the PR capability of the candidate - can this person actually sell the nation, and the world, on his or her policies, and be the lead person in that push? And if the answer is no - then the vote must be no against that person.

The Republican Party needs to lose the next couple of elections, for the good of the country and the Republican Party.

With the Official Seal Generator...

Elayne finds the neatest things...

In my ever-continuing pursuit of grossing out visitors to the site, I submit to you this challenge:

What member of Congress would be most entertaining as casting as the lead of "The Ron Jeremy Story"?

It seems like it has been said many times lately that the military wins battles, but politics wins wars.

Doesn't it seem that the Republican Party - the party in charge of Congress and the Executive Branch of this government - spends considerably more effort and brainpower in political battles to beat the Democratic Party in electoral campaigns than they do to win either the War on Terrorism or the War in Iraq? What do most of the actions of the Republican Congress and the actions of the President seem to be focused towards? Beating the Democratic Party.

So who do they think is the enemy again?

Show off your knowledge in comments. I'm looking for artist AND album title, any of the 9.

Click on the image to see a larger version.

I was too young to really understand the John F. Kennedy phenomenon at the time - the Camelot image. Sure, his wife was beautiful, he had young kids, he was handsome. But I wonder how much of his legend came because he was also optimistic and hopeful, and came after 8 years of General/President Eisenhower and Nixon rule. When I think of "the Cold War", the two terms of Eisenhower come to mind first. That period of time in America seems grey to me, although, again, I don't remember it first hand.

Obviously, the Bush II period has been darker than grey, and makes me wonder if Americans are ready to embrace an optimistic, hope-filled candidate. Is that what also happened in 1976 with Carter? And how important is it for America to have children living in the White House again? Does that add to the hopefulness - and remind us regularly of hope for the future, as current and future generation of Americans reside in the most important house in the land?

I'm not saying we need a Danny Kaye-ish candidate, but I do think that the times we live in seem to be ripe for a candidate like John Edwards.

Last year I did a poor job of managing my front lawn at the end of the summer, and thanks to grubs and crabgrass and my late and sloppy action on both, I ended up with dead spots in the lawn. We didn't get much snow this past winter, so I was forced to look at my handmade disaster most of the winter. Before Easter, I took a look at the front, and determined that the dead patches were shaped so that it looked like a squared version of a standing giraffe. Fortunately my yard sits on a slope, so some of the dead patches were practically unnoticeable from the sidewalk, but anyone that came to the door could see my shame.

I seeded before Easter, and watered and provide top soil and cared for the patches. Some patches grew well, some patches did not because of a very thin level of soil in general in those sloped spots. I kept at it. By early summer, most of the patches were covered, although some by thin grass. It didn't look great, but the giraffe was gone.

Unfortunately, this summer came with many weeks of no rain. I watered, intermittently, but by late July the giraffe was back, mocking me. My wife wanted to bring in professionals to resurrect the front yard. I said no - we're remodeling our house, there are going to be trucks in our yard in various places anyways, and some of the lawn is going to die because of it - and that has happened. Just not in the front yard - yet.

The past three weeks, we've had milder temperatures and a decent amount of rain. The grass has awakened from its dormancy and has returned with a vengeance. I've mowed more in September than I did all of July. The giraffe has disappeared again, for now. My yard now blends in with the quality of some of the yards of my neighbors.

Next year, however, I'll be much more aggressive about the yard. I have some soil replenishment to do, and some ridge shaving as well. I'm not a lawn freak, but I don't want the neighbors laughing about "the giraffe", either.

Well, just in case.

Of course, now I'm going to say something jerky. It seems, as I read it, that this was put together by Peter Daou. Who is employed by Hillary Clinton. So my question is, was this really about President Clinton, or was this the opening effort in a campaign to open up ears of "A list" bloggers for Ms. Clinton?

What national politican seems the most "hopeful" to you? What I'm wondering is which politician inspires your most hope in our nation and hope in our future.

Term search at Whitehouse.gov:

31 results for "Support the Troops"
7 results for "Support the Republicans"
3 results for "Support the Citizens"
0 results for "Support the Voters"

How many times do we have to hear "Support the Troops" in the news media?

It's not that I disagree with the sentiment, but frankly, it is a given. I just think we need to start hearing "Support the Citizens" a lot more. What is the primary objective of the troops? To protect the citizens - and the will of the citizens?

The will of the citizens, at this point in time, is to develop an exit strategy for Iraq. A July Gallup poll found that roughly 2 in 3 Americans want the U.S. to exit Iraq. Significantly, 31 percent wanted the exodus to begin immediately. Where is the support for these citizens? We are suggested to be treasonous, or schizophrenic. We are not respected. We are not supported. There are arguments for setting a date for withdrawal. There are strategies that go along with withdrawal. They certainly aren't any worse than the "more of the same" approach we are being promised. And yet, these ideas are refused responsible consideration.

I acknowledge, for the next two months, that it is the power of our action that prevents that respect and support. Polls do not represent the power of the commitment of a vote, and certainly aren't even close to the commitment of volunteering for the military. But an election in which candidates are elected as a rejection of Bush's "strategy" in Iraq must be listened to. It must be respected. The citizens must be supported.

So, news media... Support the Citizens. And, of course, everyone vote.

Who has jurisdiction?

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing a Connecticut state agency, saying it cannot force two telecommunications companies to answer questions about whether they provided customer records to the federal government.

The lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday, says the state Department of Public Utility Control overstepped its authority when it ordered AT&T and Verizon to answer questions from the American Civil Liberties Union.

The ACLU petitioned the state DPUC to investigate whether the telecommunications providers disclosed customer phone records to the federal government without a court order, warrant or subpoena since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The ACLU has called the disclosures illegal government spying, and launched a nationwide campaign in May in an attempt to determine which companies complied with government requests for the records.

I wish whoever associated with the Video Professor would quit spamming bulletin boards that have nothing to do with his service. Sell to goobers, fine, but quit spamming bulletin boards.

Show off your knowledge in comments. I'm looking for artist AND album title.

Click on the image to see a larger version.

Wow. By 7.5 points, according to Zogby.

My father-in-law and his wife are flying home today from visiting us.

I'm not too interested in flying today myself. I would if I really had too, but if I were in their position, in which their trip schedule could have happened any day this week, I think I would have preferred a different flight day.

My father-in-law bought their tickets through Priceline, and set his own bid. I wonder now if he picked a return date of September 11th because it was cheaper than any other day this week, because the marketplace is full of people like me, who just see flying on September 11th slightly riskier than any other day on the calendar, all other things being equal.

Nationally, 9/11 is the saddest day of the year. Nothing else is even close - not Memorial Day, or Pearl Harbor Day, or April 12th, the first day of attack in the Civil War.

It's not just because so many people died due to the most heinous crime committed in our lifetimes. It's not just because many of the mastermind criminals behind it are still at large, and Bin Laden is still mocking this nation today. It's not just because this nation's government has stumbled - continually - from one incomplete effort to another since 9/11, small and large, displaying to the world the slow humbling of a giant in eclipse. What have we resolved in the past five years? Catch bin Laden? Catch the anthrax killers? Clean up Afghanistan? Fix Iraq? Fix WTC? Financially strengthen our nation? Heal divisions in our nation? What have we achieved?

It's all those things, and more. September 11th is a sad day. The past five years have been sad years for our nation. Petty. Vengeful. Empty. Bankrupting. Self-destructive.

Maybe this isn't the Great Depression. But it has been the Great Unhappiness, or the Great Dismay... Clinton declared himself The Man from Hope. The Bush era has seemed like The Ban of Hope. Can anyone honestly say they are less worried - less concerned - less depressed about the future of the nation today than they were in August 2001? Especially anyone that hopes to have another 30 - 50 years living in this nation?

We mourn the loss of so many innocent souls on September 11. But as time goes on, it feels like we're mourning the loss of our country's health as well. We shouldn't accept it as permanent. We have to find a way to get better as a nation. What we're doing is not working. After five years, we have to start trying some new strategies. And in order to do that, we have to accept new leaders. Our nation, more than anything, needs hope again. Today it seems that hope is flickering, an old candle greatly in need of replacement. We need hope that shines brightly like a roaring bonfire, beckoning all to warm themselves at the edge. We need leaders that can inspire such hope.

If we really believe our nation stands for values that should remain eternal, we greatly need a transfusion of life blood - and that is hope.

From Andrew Sullivan:

Next week, I'm informed via troubled White House sources, will see the full unveiling of Karl Rove's fall election strategy. He's intending to line up 9/11 families to accuse McCain, Warner and Graham of delaying justice for the perpetrators of that atrocity, because they want to uphold the ancient judicial traditions of the U.S. military and abide by the Constitution. He will use the families as an argument for legalizing torture, setting up kangaroo courts for military prisoners, and giving war crime impunity for his own aides and cronies. This is his "Hail Mary" move for November; it's brutally exploitative of 9/11; it's pure partisanship; and it's designed to enable an untrammeled executive.

I'm just not buying any of this. Way too over the top, even for this White House. Destined to fail, and doomed to tear apart the Republicans in the process. I think this is a head fake - whatever the REAL unveiling will be will seem tame in comparison, and easier for moderate Republicans to accept.

If every town in America can celebrate their 250th birthday as nicely, and look as sharp, as Lititz, Pennsylvania, then our future remains bright.

We spent yesterday afternoon in Lititz. Visited the Wilbur Chocolate Factory and, of course, the Sturgis Pretzel House. After the parade there was a street fair of various artisans, musicians and food and it made for a great afternoon.

A few pics of the afternoon...

Was C-SPAN doing a shoot there? I don't know, but their bus was there...

There were at least three "cakes" on display. This was the smallest of the bunch...

If you find yourself in Lancaster County, Lititz makes for a very relaxing afternoon.

The brand looks ready to suffer a self-inflicted, but catastrophic, injury tonight.

Would he still be smiling?

From the Boston Herald:

As college students returned over the past week, cable and telecommunication companies were battling it out around campuses.

Companies like RCN Corp., Comcast and Verizon Communications were carrying out big guerrilla marketing campaigns in an effort to woo college students to their cable, Internet and phone services.

"This is by far our busiest time of the year," said Paul D'Arcangelo, Comcast's regional vice president for the Boston. "We anticipate about a quarter of a million students that migrate into this area."

And each one of those students represents a potential customer, he added. So the cable company rolled out various attention-grabbing tatics around the city's colleges, including flying airplane banners over the streets and handing out fliers from Comcast-branded Segways.

RCN also had big plans, passing out over 3,000 branded backpacks full of coupons, handing out free pizza and hosting an MTV2 video jockey contest, said Peggy Nickerson, director of sales and marketing for the Boston market.

Verizon Communications set up tents and parked a branded Ford Explorer or General Motors Hummer on college campuses, while passing out frisbees and hackey-sacks, said Tom Orzo, Verizon's group manager for the New England marketing team.

Wow! I guess we know where some of the old radio station marketing honchos have ended up...

I just want to say, I think the sportswriters that suggest the Bears are toothless this year are about to be proven wrong. I have no doubt that the defense will not be as good as last year - we were very lucky in team health on that side of the ball - but that it will be plenty stout and within the top 10 defenses in the league.

On offense, I expect a considerable change. I expect Rex Grossman to play with confidence and WITHOUT rust. I expect the running game to be successful still. I expect Bernard Berrian to bloom this season as wide receiver. And I expect Lovie Smith to open up the offense quite a bit.

So... let's get going!

From the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality:

Nearly 84 percent of medical interns reported that they are continuing to work hours that exceeded the limits of a 2003 national standard implemented by the medical profession, a new study finds. A related study concludes that interns are much more likely to injure themselves mistakenly with a needle or another sharp instrument when working in a hospital more than 20 consecutive hours, or at night.

The studies appear in the September 6, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association and were funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Brigham and Women's Hospital. These findings build on previous research and the growing awareness that sleep-deprived first-year doctors in training (interns) working traditional 24-hour shifts make many more serious medical errors and crash their cars more often than those whose work is limited to 16 consecutive hours.

And why aren't the standards being followed?

Study authors offer several reasons why non-compliance with the ACGME work-hour rules may be high. Because the standards were created without taking account of financial or technical implementation, residency programs may not have the resources to redesign their programs appropriately. Non-compliance might also be due to the culture within a particular medical institution. Some senior physicians have expressed disapproval of work-hour limits, while others do not believe fatigue represents a threat to patient safety.

I suspect we're going to see a rash of lawsuits relative to this in the near future... which unfortunately, appears to be how these medical institutions are going to be forced to follow the standard, as penalties for failure to enforce.