Ants in My Pants
Friday, July 30, 2004
Limited Political Posting
I liked the speeches that I listened to this week at the Democratic Convention. Actually, one that I like a lot was Ron Reagan's. It was short, and to the point. And it didn't get too political (I'm sure with that last name, even with his progressive bent, he can't bash the Republicans too much). But he did point out a few obvious things. The life of a person is more important than the existence of a few cells that have the capacity to become a person. We should embrace science and the possibilities it suggests, not bash it for political purposes. There is an important choice we have to make in November.
Other Stuff
Last week I read The Lives of a Cell, by Lewis Thomas. Written over 30 years ago. Worth reading now.
Less than 4 weeks til I get to Thailand...wheee!
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
On the road again...
Woo-hoo! Finally did it! Bought my one-way ticket to Thailand today. Am I happy camper or what? Yep, I ain't what, I am a happy camper.
I leave in 5 weeks. Can't wait now. Funny, it still took me several days of web searching, comparing, rationalizing, comparing, looking, before finally buying the ticket. When I first went on a long trip, I realized that the hardest step is not leaving, it's deciding to actually leave; actually going ahead and buying the damn ticket. But now once that's done, it's as easy as pie.
Next several weeks will be: finishing work (12 work days left), shopping (stock up the med-kit, visit The Strand for books worthy of swapping on the beach once I'm done with 'em), buying some travel insurance (I think I found some for $350 for 8 months), pre-packing (can I fit 3 frisbees this time instead of 2?), catching up with a few people (funny how I can be here for 8 months and still barely have seen some people), getting those last minute minor details in order (i.e. "shit, I should get a visa", "where IS my money belt?")...all the fun stuff! Can you tell I've had a sh*t-eating grin on my face since about 12:30pm today???
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
See, now I feel like I should write something that has nothing to with politics. Although, as I pointed out to a friend last week, EVERY conversation lately ends up coming down to politics. And I don't even LIKE politics! Heck, that's one of the reasons I moved away from D.C. all those years ago. And that was even when the Administration was one I tended to approve of! ...Maybe, though, it's not that every conversation lately comes down to politics, maybe it's that, to me, all these issues come down to common sense:
Isn't it common sense: To avoid cutting down all our forests? To keep the government out of people's bedrooms? To recognize that we live in a smaller, more globally connected world, where bully-ing our allies and enemies will cause us to be more alone and in greater danger? To realize you can't stop people from having sex, but giving them condoms (and education!) CAN help with population control? To see that the life of a human being with a disease is more important than the sanctity of a few stem cells?
Aargh. Forget it, I'll stop, funny how I keep going down this road though.
Went to the beach this weekend. Water is still pretty damn cold, but refreshing if you work up a sweat first. Throwing the frisbee in hot loose sand helps with that part. Could use a couple of storms to get the waves going though, more fun if I could go body surfing. Driving along the Ocean Parkway between Jones Beach and Robert Moses, reminded me that, we really do have some pretty beachfront areas on Long Island. Gorgeous, actually. Now, if only we had warm weather all year...
Made a damn fine pork laab with sticky rice the other night...I can never get it as good as my friend Gan in Thailand, but it wasn't bad. Good with a couple of fresh stringbeans from the garden.
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Entertainment Grab-bag
I saw two movies over this past 3-day 4th of July weekend. In Spiderman II, one of the quotes they use again from the first movie is "With great power comes great responsibility." Spiderman learns this. In the other movie, Fahrenheit 9-11, it's clear that George W. Bush does not.
Recently finished reading The Deerslayer, the last written but first in story chronology of the Leatherstocking tales by James Fenimore Cooper. His language can be a bit over-the-top at points, but the stories themselves are still excellent. I did like reading Last of the Mohicans in college, and this one is just as good. I'm also currently reading Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. Science-fiction, I've always heard good things about this book so now I'm finally getting to it, and it's really captivating.
Before seeing Spidey II yesterday, I stopped off in The Strand bookstore in Greenwich Village, where I picked up yet another 6 books. One of which is Winter's Tale, by Mark Helprin, one of my favorite all-time books about NY, magic, desire, love, fantasy, etc. I needed a new copy because: it's one of those books that you always want to loan out to people because you like it so much, and then those people either disappear from your life or just never return the book, so this must be the 3rd or 4th time I've bought this book! Looking forward to re-reading it, it's been 8 years or so I think...
Friday, July 02, 2004
What we have here, is a failure to communicate.
A criticism of the media, how they let us down in re: the rush to war. Alterman's right on target, once again.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Big Brother
I suppose it shouldn't surprise me too much in this day and age, that an email provider is allowed to read its subscribers' emails. But I do so hate that word "surreptitious"
Even better than Guinness??
Where do they come up with these studies?
