LittleJoe

Tiki bar ...getting there

On Thanksgiving weekend while Ben was home from college for a few days, we started building a bar ...with a bit of a Tiki theme in mind. No real plans. I sketched some ideas on notebook paper, took some measurements, eventually settled on a sketch of more or less what we were going for, and then bought some wood and supplies and we had at it. One can buy varying quality of finished bar for anywhere from about US$300 to around US$1500 ...probably more if one's been drinking. I'm guessing by the time it's done I'll have close to US$400 in this one. About double my original estimate ...just like when I'm writing code ;)

So if you click the thumbnail image you'll see the bar as it was last night. Most evenings I try to at least do something to make a little progress. Too busy tonight, so I'm posting instead. In general, it's supported by 4x4 inch posts on casters with an overall dimension of about 2 feet by 4 feet by 40 inches high ...the idea being to keep it small and mobile enough to roll inside if a hurricane is coming. Plywood all around, 3 shelves, bamboo slats wrapped around with heavy split bamboo trim at the edges. Lots of paint and water sealing. All wood joins glued and screwed, seams caulked, etc. I want this unit to be able to live outside (under the lanai cover) with no worries.

For the bar top, we're gluing down pieces of colored glass to form a random mosaic, with a palm tree design front and center. We'll grout and seal the top after we're done gluing down what seems to be about 5 million little pieces of glass.

But we're getting close ...getting real close. And I tested the Corona opener this evening after I got done on the treadmill :)

New treadmill: Great! and evil

We've had the Bowflex Series 3 Treadmill for a week now. Happily, it arrived last Tuesday, several days earlier than had been predicted. Gosh, treadmill technology has come a long way since we bought our last one (while taking the old one apart to recycle what we could, we discovered part of the frame that had pretty much disintegrated ...I suspect it may have been wounded during the cross-country move to Florida). This new device is definitely evil ...in a good way, I guess. It has a number of built-in 'programs', so I can select a program, enter how long I want the workout to be, and then let this electronic demon force me through a more rigorous workout than I would do if left to my own slothful ways. So I'm still doing 3 miles a day, but the miles are harder. Sometimes faster. Sometimes at more of an incline (much more). Usually a mix of both. And always harder. A good solid sweat-fest.

So I am developing a real love/hate relationship with this critter. But I'm part masochist, so it's all good :)

My dad's old house; health insurance

We were down in Cape Coral and Ft Myers this weekend, visiting my former step mom ... or something like that. She was my dad's wife until a divorce a couple of years before he passed away. Anyway, she lives in Cape Coral. Over 20 years ago, they built the house pictured here (click the thumbnail for larger image), located in Ft Myers (across the river from Cape Coral). When my dad bought the lot for the house, he'd paid about US$30,000. I chatted briefly with the current owners, and they said that the lots in that neighborhood (this is right on a canal) now sell for over a MILLION dollars! That's just the value of the land, not the house.

Unfortunately, my dad and his wife decided to take a risk and go without health insurance for a few months when they'd each started a new job. It's often the case that one must be with a company for 90 days before being eligible for health insurance through the employer. So they opted to forgo purchasing individual coverage. Then my dad had a heart attack, and his wife was diagnosed with cancer. They ended up selling another property to cover those medical bills, but they were then uninsurable. And so eventually (after a later heart bypass operation and other medical issues) they declared bankruptcy.

It was a poor decision to skip the health insurance. And there were disastrous consequences.

I am extremely fortunate to be employed at a company that provides excellent health insurance. As is the case for many folks, I pay a portion of the premium, but my wife, my son, and I are all insured. It is a travesty that in the USA there are so many who go without health insurance ...who can either not afford the premiums, or whom the insurance companies refuse to cover. These folks are left with few or no options other than skipping proper medical and dental care ...reliant on hospital emergency rooms for those times when medical attention is deemed necessary. Incredible.

Old treadmill died; new one ordered

Some years back - maybe 10, maybe more - we bought a Weslo Cadence LX25 treadmill at a Wards store in Portland, Oregon. For the past 5 or so years, it's been a little funky. It would adjust the speed a little all by itself. There *are* some treadmills that have built-in workout routines that vary the pace. This is not one of those machines. Well finally a couple of days ago it got to the point where we just can't use it. And that's a BUMMER, 'cause I'd been pretty regular with doing 3 miles a day. But having it kind of skip a little speed - and then pick right back up - with literally EVERY step ...that's a little too much to handle ...and a bit dangerous, actually.

So what to do?

Well, we checked Consumer Reports reviews on treadmills (thanks to my bro' Pat for giving us a subscription last year), and then surfed over to Amazon and placed an order for a Bowflex Series 3 Treadmill. It's spendy (US$1,000 ...OUCH!!!) ...but if it lasts 10 or so years like the other one, then that's only $100 per year for my favorite cardio workout. And given that Shirley recently dropped her Curves membership and is now working out at home (in the room we call the 'dungeon' - since it harbors our Bowflex weight lifting machine and the treadmill and an inversion table) ...we're also saving on that monthly membership fee. But it's driving me nuts waiting for the thing to arrive; it's not supposed to get here until Friday (24 Nov).

Tampa's got the Blues

Our good Dem buddy James gave us a call this afternoon to let us know about a bunch of blues acts that were playing this evening at Skipper's Smokehouse. James is on the board of the Suncoast Blues Society, so he's got the full skinny on the local blues scene. Man, there is some awesome blues talent in Tampa! And for only $5 admission each, what a deal! Great music, old Florida atmosphere, grilled fish, beans/rice, cold beer. Yeah, baby! I've been dealing with a bit of a sinus infection, and this was just the ticket to kick back and relax with toe-tapping blues. We'd never been to Skipper's in the almost 3 years we've been here -- that's a bit of sacrilege, really, since this is THE place to catch the local music scene. Wednesday's are Reggae nights with $2 Red Stripe, so we may have to head back in a few days :)

Dems win! I am happily surprised

Yes, I am surprised. There were many voting problems including:

• Florida. Some Diebold machines showing votes as cast for Republicans when they'd been cast for Dems. The incorrect selections would appear on the confirmation screen; the voter could go back and again select Democrat candidates, and the summary would sometimes continue to show the choices as being for Republican. The official word was to the effect that these were machines in heavy-voting areas, and the machines were buckling under the strain.
• Indiana. Last night I read reports of 75 precincts that could not vote due to problems with the voting machines.
• Ohio. Of course. Some precincts where not a single machine would work.

I don't know if these and other problems were resolved in time for everyone who showed up to vote to actually be able to exercise their right.

And that's why I'm surprised. In spite of the expected issues with this immature technology, in spite of bad weather in some areas (which often bodes poorly for Dems), in spite of the 'October surprise' I feared would appear - but never did ...the Democrats have won control of the House, have won a number of governor-ships, and appear poised to have the majority in the Senate as well.

After George W Bush was awarded the slimmest of victories 2 years ago, he crowed about having 'political capital' and intending to spend it. I have sadly become cynical enough that I half-expected the Democratic leadership to take a similarly partisan stance and begin gloating.

Happily ...at least so far ...what I've been hearing from Nancy Pelosi (soon-to-be Speaker of the House) and from Rahm Emanuel (chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) is far more sensible. They have been speaking of the fact that all members of Congress must work together if anything is to be accomplished to truly help better this nation.

Rahm Emanuel has mentioned, among the many issues desperately needing action:

...minimum wage; direct negotiations for lower prescription drug prices; a vote on the 9/11 commission recommendations; an energy policy in which we take the $12.5 billion given to Big Oil and move it towards research for energy independence and alternative energy and new sources; slashing the interest rates on college loans in half; and pay as you go rules on the budget; and also on stem cells and getting a vote on that; and also on Social Security.  ...

The 2006 campaigning is done. I've followed our standard ritual on the day after Election Day and have removed the many candidate bumper stickers from my car. Now the real work starts.

Electronic voting: seemed to go smoothly

Shirley and I each voted today, and things seemed to go very smoothly. The folks working at the polls directed voters through the check-in, to the voting machines, and on to deposit one's voting card (which activates the machine) in a box on the way out. The verification screens correctly displayed my selections. So at least that part of the process was good. The sad thing is that we have absolutely no way to know whether our votes were counted correctly inside each machine, nor whether the totals from each machine will make it to the final tallies, nor whether or not those final tallies will be accurate. And if there are any questions ...well, that's just too bad, because the current state administration does not see fit to require a paper audit trail.

But it's still important to do what we can. If you are a Florida registered voter, you can vote early through Saturday 04 November; if you miss that deadline, then you will cast your vote on Election Day, Tuesday 07 November. Here in Hillsborough County, many libraries are open 10am until 6pm through Saturday for early voting (if voting on Election Day you must instead go to your designated polling location). The county has a web site about voting, and they do list all early voting locations ...but they post it as a Microsoft Word document, which shows yet again how out of touch Buddy Johnson is (local elections supervisor ...known to take time trading his company's stock while he should be working). For those who need the information in a more accessible format, here's the list of early voting sites  converted to a PDF file.

A real cowgirl

Makayla, our awesome little niece is going as a cowgirl for Halloween. As she explains it: "the kind of cowgirl that rides a horse, not a cow that is a girl."

I'll try and get a pic from my sis to post :)

Chris Matthews is a jackass

I'm watching the 'debate' on the local NBC station right now ...this is supposed to be a debate among Jim Davis, Charlie Crist, and Max Linn (the 3 gents running for Florida Governor)- moderated by Chris Matthews. I've watched Chris Matthews on Hardball a few times and am always struck by how incredibly RUDE he is. We don't need more of this impolite behavior in politics. What we NEED is honest debate.

What we have this evening is Chris Matthews blathering on and interrupting the candidates. Each candidate should be asked the same question and have the opportunity to respond to that question. Matthews is trying to run this 'debate' the way he would run Hardball. It doesn't work.

Prior to this evening's show (it's more of a show than a debate), Matthews had said that he considered '5 words' to be the ideal question. Hell, his interruptions of the candidates are each more than 5 words.

I'm afraid NBC has demonstrated that the networks cannot be trusted to broadcast honest political coverage. NBC is a business; they are in it for the bucks, and there is nothing wrong with that ...except when it comes to our elections.

Florida voting machines changing votes

Here in Florida we are able to take advantage of early voting. So tomorrow I'll be heading to the local library and will carefully cast my votes. I'll report back on how it went. I'm rather distrustful of the voting machines, since there is NO paper trail, and therefore no way to do a recount. All we can do is trust that the machines will tally votes correctly and that the totals from the individual machines are properly combined.

Well, I'm a computer programmer, so I know that it is easy to write programs with errors. It is easy to also write programs with intentional 'errors'. It is a much more involved task to write quality programs and to then design and execute detailed test plans to ensure that the programming operates as it should.

An article from Saturday's Miami Herald describes multiple instances during our current early voting cycle in which voters saw their votes for Democrats displayed as votes for Republicans on the confirmation screen.

When you vote:

1. Review your ballot carefully before removing your voting card
2. If ANY of your candidate selections are incorrect when reviewing, inform a poll worker immediately.
3. Go back and attempt to correct your selection. If you still are unable to make your selections, ask for the poll site supervisor to shut down the machine, and write down the machine number, the poll site supervisor name, and ask for another voting machine to made available.
4. Report all irregularities to your local political party (for me, here in Hillsborough County in Florida, that is the Democratic Party (813-876-1945)

It's a very scary time when we cannot trust our elections.

Wasp sting - not fun

Two weeks ago I was pushing my way through the bamboo in our back yard and 'discovered' a wasp nest. It was about the size of a deck of cards. My first clue was the searing pain on my right arm. After flailing wildly while running inside, I doused the sting area with some vinegar to help neutralize the venom. The image here was take 2 days later (10 Oct) when the discomfort was the worst. You can't really tell here, but my arm was quite red from the sting site down about halfway onto the forearm. I was working from home when I took this picture, and spent a good part of the day typing with my arm resting on a bag of ice. I was also downing antihistamine and some acetaminophen. That night I had some liquid anesthetic ;)

Well, after administering the immediate first aid on Sting Day, I had to exact my revenge. I grabbed a can of wasp spray in each hand (basically nerve gas for bugs - bad stuff - and very cool, since it shoots a stream about 30 feet) ...and then went back to the scene of the crime and kicked at the bamboo. The wasps came swarming out and I blasted a steady stream out of both cans, criss-crossing the poison jets as the poor little guys dropped to the ground. That's when I spotted the nest that I had dislodged. Until this time, I'd thought the nest was intact, and I'd merely disturbed it.

Wasps, unlike bees, do not die when they sting. They will sting and sting and sting until they no longer feel threatened. My guess is that it was a single wasp that got me, but the angry little warrior had a bit of a field day on my arm and jabbed a few times before bidding adieu. By Wednesday (11 Oct) it felt like I had a small pillow under my elbow ...since it was a bit swollen and rather mushy.

So now it is 2 weeks after the sting. The discomfort is completely gone, and the discoloration is almost gone. It's amazing the effect these little critters can have!

East Hillsborough Democratic Club

Last night Shirley and I went to a 'Meet the Candidates' rally, sponsored by the East Hillsborough Democratic Club. Gosh, it felt like coming home, to pull into the parking area and see all the signs, bumper stickers, t-shirts, and buttons for the progressive candidates. What a wonderful evening. We'd heard about the rally through Joyce at our Brandon Drinking Liberally regular Thursday gathering (7pm every Thursday at Old Chicago Pizza in Brandon map ...we ususally sit in the outdoor area - this IS Florida, after all).

Well, we knew about the rally, but I didn't know much about the local Democrat club. What a great group! We plan to be at the next meeting. The East Hillsborough Democratic Club meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, from 6:30pm - 8:30pm, at the Valrico Recreation Center (map). So the next meeting will be 14 Nov 2006. See you there!

East Hillsborough Democratic Club - Meet the candidates this Friday (Oct 20)

The East Hillsborough Democratic Club is sponsoring a rally at the Barn at Winthrop (map) on Friday, October 20th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.  We will have local, state and Congressional candidates in attendance.  There will be live music, food and drinks.  We would like to get over 200 people out there so mark your calendars!!!  With the media anticipated to be in attendance, this is an opportunity to show that Democrats plan to reclaim eastern Hillsborough County.

Directions: Take Providence to Bloomingdale, and turn left on Bloomingdale.  The barn is 1/4 - 1/2 mile on the right (map).

October surprise? Will Cheney stage a 'terrorist' attack?

So with the growing realization that invading Iraq was a monumental mistake, that every U.S. household owes $550 per month (so far) for the next 30 years to pay off the national debt, with the increasing exposure of corruption in Washington (Jack Abramoff, Ralph Reed, the latest bit from Foley, etc), the blatant greed of KBR and Halliburton and others flagrantly overcharging for 'services' in Iraq and elsewhere, the methodical dismantling of the Constitution, torture of 'enemy combatants' (the definition of which continues to broaden), mounting death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan ....

With all of this mess from the Bush Administration, recent polls show Republicans losing ground in the upcoming elections. I can't help but wonder if Cheney will stage some kind of terrorist attack ...something between now and the elections to try and bump up the support for the neocons. Stranger things have most certainly happened.

Hopefully, the elections will come and go and no 'attack' will happen ...and some will think me a fool. I can live with that.

USA economy will collapse if we stay in Iraq

We need to get out of Iraq. Now. The alternative is the collapse of the economy of the United States of America.

Consider:

• The current cost of our occupation of Iraq is over $2,300 per year PER US CITIZEN (cost is approximately $7 BILLION per year divided by the 300 million USA citizens). And the cost is going up.
• The current National debt is over $28,000 PER US CITIZEN. And the debt is rising.
• The average USA household owes about $72,800 ($28,000 x the average household size of 2.6 people). With the additional debt we're incurring in Iraq, the household share is expanding.

If the national debt did not increase, your household's share would work out to $534 PER MONTH for the next 30 years (at 8% amortized over 30 years). The $534 that you need to be paying each month will, of course, be going up rather steadily as Bush continues to steamroll our nation into financial ruin, with the complicity of our rubber-stamp Congress.

A sad prediction along these lines was written almost 2 years ago: The United States damages future living standards

The Iraq war is immoral ...thousands - or tens of thousands or more - civilians have died. Over 2,700 US troops have died; 20,000+ have been wounded. The casualties in Afghanistan number fewer, but are no less tragic. This "pro life" administration has demonstrated a callous disregard for human life - indeed an utter disdain for any semblance of decency. And so, the argument must turn to all that they care about: Money and Power. I am choosing to discuss money, since it can be quantified.

It doesn't matter if the neocons want to call leaving Iraq "cut and run". I don't care what kind of ridiculous spin these bastards want to put on any strategy that calls for ending our occupation in Iraq. Just get us out!

Amy Goodman; Tampa parking

Last Tuesday Shirley and I joined a throng of fellow truth-seeking liberals and popped over to the historic Tampa Theatre to hear Amy Goodman speak. I listen to Democracy Now! almost every day (via audio podcast while driving or running). So I knew she'd be worth hearing. And she was. And it was just good to sit amongst others who are sick of the lies of Bush, et, al; sick of so many dying needlessly (and now we have the report stating what so many of us already felt, that our invasion and occupation in Iraq is making the terrorist threat worse!)

It's a treat in Tampa to be around liberals, because, well, coming from the Pacific Northwest, we were accustomed to the majority of people caring about mass transit and the environment and education and freedom of religion and ...you get the idea. One of the benefits of being in Tampa is that it is truly a melting pot. Well, a mixing pot anyway. We have many different cultures and nationalities here, and there are lots of conservatives folks. So it sometimes makes for good discussion.

But the parking in 'downtown' Tampa is terrible. It was pouring Tuesday night (if you have never been in a tropical downpour, then you cannot know what I mean!). I dropped Shirley off at the theatre and went to find a place to leave the car. A couple of blocks away was a lot with some open spaces. And a machine where one pays to get a parking receipt to place on one's dashboard. And there was a rather long line. In the pouring, driving, dumping deluge of a tropical rainstorm that decided to unload on Tuesday. So after about 30 minutes, it was finally my turn to pay for my parking. I was, of course, completely drenched by this time (yes, I had a jacket and hat on, but they can only help so much). And the machine was having a problem reading credit cards, so I inserted a $20. And tried a different $20 bill when that one was rejected. And then reinserted it. And after I don't know how many attempts, I did get the machine to accept my payment ...and it issued my change: 15 one-dollar coins. I have not seen one of these in years (actually there were 2 kinds, the Sacagawea coin and the Susan B Anthony coin; I received several of each). And I was either short-changed, or dropped a coin, or missed taking all of my change, as I ended up with only $14. Yay.

It's always wonderful to see the look of delight on the face of the recipient when you pay for goods or services with these coins (note to anyone outside of the USA who may not know: folks hate these coins, since they're about the same size as a 25-cent piece, yet worth 4 times as much ...and they are so rare that they are hard to recognize ...but not rare enough to be worth more than face value :)

But hearing Amy Goodman was worth it.

Airlines: no hair gel, no problem

Well, I thought we weren't allowed to bring hair gel on airplanes anymore. After the terror plot was  foiled that was going to blow up planes in the UK using liquid explosives, the ruling was made to disallow passengers from carrying liquids and gels when boarding a plane. This happened right before the primary elections, but I'm not saying that there was any connection.

Not that we have any definite plans to travel soon, but I do typically pack a little hair gel. I don't have much hair, so I try to keep both of them looking reasonably in order. But with no hair gel allowed, what could I do? I downed a mojito for courage (or because I'd been working in the yard for hours in the 90F+ sun and was feeling like a cooling-off treat) ...and went inside and trimmed my beard ...and the rest of what was left on my dome. The pic on the left shows the sink after the trim (the color is a bit off; my hair's not that dark). The pic on the right shows my new 'do:

OK, so now that I have my aerodynamic and exercise-friendly haircut (not to mention very quick and easy and free to refresh the haircut :) ...it turns out that now we can take liquids on planes. WTF? Could it be that Nigel Wylde is right, and the idea is untenable that evildoers could be able to take a few chemicals on board and mix them and blow up a plane?

If it were truly that easy to toss a few chemicals together and cause a massive explosion, then why, after the alleged terror plot was foiled, did the security folks have everyone pouring all of their liquids together into the same containers before passing through the security check? Wouldn't the danger be at least as great of a massive explosion? Someone else posed that question a couple of weeks back, and it is worth considering!

Oh well. At least I can now save the 34 seconds per day that I used to have to spend combing my hair.

The philosophy behind Bush and the neo-conservatives

I've been struggling for some time to understand just why the hell Bush was so intent on invading Iraq. The reason for the invasion was stated differently as time went on, and Bush has always (as recently as LAST NIGHT) tried to get Americans to associate the attacks of 11 Sep 2001 with Iraq. None of this made sense.

Now it does.

My wife and I have been watching The Power of Nightmares, a 3-part BBC documentary. We have one hour left to watch of the 3 hour series. This series describes the history behind the neo-conservatives in the USA, and the fanatic fringe Arab minority claiming to be Muslims.

A short summary about Leo Strauss, the father of the neo-conservative movement is available for reading in the AlterNet article, Leo Strauss' Philosophy of Deception. The father of the radical Islamist movement, Sayyid Qutb, is outlined in the NPR article, Sayyid Qutb's America. Or you can simply search the web with either gentleman's name for plenty of information.

In short, philosopher Leo Strauss believed that there is a right of the superior to rule over the inferior, and that this requires Deception, leveraging the Power of Religion, and the fostering of Aggressive Nationalism.

The neo-conservative followers of Strauss believe that for the most part Americans are adrift without moral compass, and that this will lead to the downfall of our society. It is therefore necessary to deceive the masses. The masses need to be reigned in by religion (which needn't apply to the enlightened rulers). The masses should be told only what the rulers choose to tell them; the truth is irrelevant and indeed harmful. Order is to be maintained through constant external threat.

Until now, I've not understood why some seemingly intelligent people could also express an irrational total hatred toward Bill Clinton. These folks pressed and pressed to find anything to pin on Clinton, finally impeaching him for lying about a blow job. Meanwhile, Bush starts a war of choice for false reasons, resulting in the deaths of thousands of brave Americans and coalition forces, the deaths of 100,000 Iraqi civilians, and the plunging of Iraq into civil war ...yet there still exist some who think of this man as "pro-life". Incredible. Well, in light of the philosophy of Strauss, I now understand the basis of the neo-conservative agenda. These deluded folks believe they are saving humanity, just as the radical Islamists believe that they are fighting to save humanity . But they are all trying, if you will, to cut off the nose to spite the face.

The real-life implications are, sadly, orders of magnitude more tragic than the loss of a nose.

Know a Liberal: Gay Marriage

(This post is another in my personal 'Know a Liberal' series. Note that the category is Know a Liberal, not Know all Liberals)

If two adults love each other and wish to declare that love publicly and commit to each other, they should be able to do so.

I absolutely do not understand the fear or hatred or whatever the heck is the motivation behind the Defense of Marriage Act that Clinton signed. Even more ridiculous is Bush's proposal for a Constitutional Amendment "protecting marriage". Protecting marriage from what? With the most recent available numbers putting the divorce rate in the USA at 43% it would appear that we heterosexuals don't have such a good track record when it comes to respecting the sanctity of marriage.

As far as marriage needing to be between two individuals of the opposite sex, just why is that? It seems to me that this 'requirement' is based on individual prejudice. That prejudice may well come from one's religious affiliation, but that should have no bearing whatsoever on public law. Many religions have rules or teachings to which others do not adhere. Some Jews wear a yarmulke (skullcap); muslimas might wear a khimar (headscarf); Hindus might refrain from eating meat. Religious practices differ widely, and as long as these practices do not restrict the rights of non-believers, that is fine. Preventing two people from marrying on the basis of one's own religious beliefs is wrong.

Strawberry Daiquiri

Continuing our selfless quest to refine and perfect recipes for tropical libations, we experimented a bit this weekend with Strawberry Daiquiris. I typically am more a fan of drinks on the rocks, rather than blended. But this turned out pretty nice :)

After a few modifications last night and this afternoon, here's our recipe for a frozen Strawberry Daiquiri:

• 1 1/2 shots rum (or round it up to 2 ;-) ...we've tried dark and light rum and like them both
• 8 big strawberries
• 1/2 shot sugar syrup (to make sugar syrup, just heat equal parts sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved ...we always keep a couple of cups of sugar syrup in the fridge)
• juice of 1/4 lime (or 1/2 lime if it's a little one)
• 6 ice cubes

Toss it all in a blender and let 'er rip. When it's turned to slush (or the blender can't spin anymore), then it's time to pour / spoon the strawberry rummy goodness into a glass, add a fat straw or two, maybe a mint sprig for garnish, and enjoy.

Know a Liberal: Gun ownership / gun control

I am a liberal. To many (especially those who unfortunately rely on the likes of Fox "News" for their information), that immediately defines everything about me, and there is no need to even bother with an attempt at further definition. Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, and the other prophets of the Right have already spoken.

Well, just as there are all manner of individuals who regard themselves as "conservative", there are many different views among self-declared liberals. Time for some clarification to hopefully dispel (or confirm :) some of the stereotypes.

So I'm starting a little series to talk about how THIS self-proclaimed liberal feels about various issues. Today's topic in the 'Know a Liberal' series: guns.

I don't own a gun. But I've been considering it for 20 or 30 years, and may buy one this year (or next ...or never). I enjoy shooting -- shotguns, rifles, pistols, whatever. Though I certainly don't go shooting very often (sometimes years go by between outings at a range). I'm not a great shot (especially with revolvers), but not horrible either. There is absolutely no reason for any civilian in the USA to own an assault weapon. Period. There is a Constitutional right to own a rifle, shotgun, handgun, etc ... firearms that are legitimate for hunting and protection. Concealed weapons permits are fine by me; gun safety education should be required before being granted a concealed weapons permit.

The reason for starting with a topic of Guns? Well several of us at a recent Drinking Liberally meeting were talking about how we like to shoot and were talking about getting together at a local range to do just that. And we were also chatting about how it seems that the stereotype of liberals is that we are all for registering all guns, or flat-out prohibiting ownership or something. Nope.

Seafood feast with Chef Karl

Sat Aug 12 our friends Karl and Chris Ann came over. Karl is a remarkable chef and prepared a feast of oysters, crab legs, mussels, veggies, shrimp ....Mmmmmm, I'm getting hungry just writing this and looking at the pics (click the link to see pics of the magic). This is Florida living at its finest. Good friends, incredible food, grilling outside, enjoying conversation and food and beer sitting on the lanai by the pool. We are so fortunate. Thank you Karl!

Florida friendly planting

When we put up our back yard fence, we were required to install it 3 feet from the retaining wall that runs along the property line. Since it is such an incredible waste of water to grow lawns -- not to mention the harm to the water table with all the runoff of fertilizers and other lawn chemicals -- we've been slowly converting our back yard to a Florida-friendly landscape. That means plants that are drought tolerant, among other things. In this little strip of land we have now planted 60 golden peanut plants (the lighter colored ones with the little yellow flowers) and 110 dwarf jasmine. Despite the names, the peanuts do not really produce peanuts, nor does this variety of jasmine produce a fragrant bloom. But they DO fill in well and should serve well to hold the soil during heavy tropical rains. And I will no longer be mowing back there! We'll most likely install a little drip irrigation system in a few months when the dry season hits. So the bottom line was 170 plants at US$4 each (yee-ouch!) and a bunch of sore muscles from all that digging. But it looks nice, will not be wasting water the way St Augustine grass would, and it will be very easy to maintain :)

Love is in the air

Well, the love bugs aren't quite here yet (but soon) ...but these 2 geckos were feeling amorous nonetheless. I think maybe we need to pressure wash our wall now.

Snakes On A Plane. Awesome.

Hell YES, we saw this movie! Just got home. It was everything we'd hoped for, and was far FAR more logical than anything that's come out of the Bush administration, that's for damn sure! Between the real job and home, I've been working plenty, and with all the craziness going on in the world, a campy, predictable movie with a few scares, a few laughs, and an absolute guarantee to NOT win any awards was precisely what was needed.

OK, so stop reading and go! See. This. Movie. HELL yeah!

"Time is tissue"

The answer lies within

Life's been hectic lately. OK, so when is it not, right? What with getting some health issues addressed, my dad dying, Ben starting his senior year of college, Shirley making some career decisions, a few financial items ...oh yeah, and the insanity of local, national, and global events.

Yesterday afternoon I did a half hour on the treadmill, which is often a time for thinking. A little later I sat down and meditated. There was a string of many years when I was always meditating twice a day, every day, no matter what. I've been missing that inner peace. When I went to bed last  night, I gave myself a Reiki treatment (and sent some Reiki to others).

During the night I had a 'flying' dream. It'd been a while since I'd had one of these, but they are always very vivid for me. The feeling of peace this morning is rather profound ...and sorely missed for quite some time.

I can't say that I'm back to meditating regularly and practicing Reiki regularly (I hope so), but I do now recall (why had I forgotten?) that the most peaceful I've ever felt ...regardless of the events in the physical world ...was when I made the time every day for some spiritual practice. I do believe the universe could benefit from more folks feeling inner peace. At least part of my simple mission is clear.

Record death count in Baghdad July

The Bushies and other war mongers are no doubt quite happy to see attention diverted to Lebanon ...and now to the breakup of a possible terrorist plot to blow up airliners.

Meanwhile, the mission in Iraq, long ago "accomplished", is anything but. I don't know at what point of chaos the Bush administration will be willing to admit that Iraq has deteriorated to civil war. The reality is that the Baghdad morgue counted the highest number of dead bodies since the US invasion began (according to this Washington Post article, the July 2006 count was 1,815 dead. Sadly, a record high number).

And sadly, rather than supporting our troops by bringing them home, Bush has quietly increased our troop presence.

Debate: Florida Senate Dist 10

A debate among Florida Senate District 10 candidates Stephen Gorham (D), Sandy Murman (R), and Ray Young (R) will be held this week:
    When:  Thursday, 10 Aug 2006, 6pm
    Where: Riverview High School, 11311 Boyette Rd (map)

The debate will be moderated by St Pete Times political editor Adam Smith, and by Bay News 9 anchor Al Ruechel. A recording of the debate will air on Sunday, 13 Aug 2006, at 11:30am on Bay News 9.

Insane Tony Katz hits Joe Redner with chair

I received this update in my email yesterday. I wholeheartedly support Joe Redner for Hillsborough County Commissioner. Local internet talk show idiot Tony Katz disagrees - violently (the debate will be replayed on TBCN on Wed, 09 Aug 2006, at 6pm).

Local Republican buffoon Tony Katz goes nuts and hits Democrat Joe Redner in the head with a chair on live television. Joe refuses to press charges but challenges Mr. Katz to boxing match for charity to even the score.

watch the whole thing here...
http://www.bleepintruth.com/joe-tony.html

Seems like a microcosm of the neocon reaction to anything.

Israel has no right, even under attack . . .

I received an email from an overseas friend last week - decrying the horrific terror that Israel is raining down on Lebanese civilians with reckless abandon and the blessing of the US. Having just lost my father, I feel especially tuned to the feeling of loss that so many in Lebanon (and Israel and Afghanistan and Iraq and Congo and so many other violent places in the world) are suffering with now. This letter is reprinted, unedited and with permission:

I'm angry again. They say that you should never write a letter when you're angry, but too bad. I can't vent in any "letters to the editor" sections and I don't have a blog, so I'll leave it to you to carry the torch.

I consider myself a friend of Israel. I believe that it has a right to exist and to defend itself. I cringe every time a suicide bomber kills innocent civilians in Israeli cities, or when blindly aimed rockets land in populated areas. Think of the terror.

Even so --and, yes, I dare to say even with all the moral credibility behind Israel due to the  Holocaust,--  Israel has absolutely no right to to go on a civilian killing spree to answer the current attacks against their population. Even many Israeli's --under  attack-- are saying the same thing. Bush nicely suggests that Israel give a "measured response" and they have instead been killing a fly with a sledge hammer ... and too bad for any "collateral" damage. Those are KIDS, damn it! Screw the concept of "acceptable losses"! Hizbollah (correct spelling) MUST stop their attacks, yes. But Israel MUST find a way of dealing with this problem which doesn't KILL KIDS EACH TIME THEY ATTACK (Funny, no one has mentioned this about Palestine, by the way. Guess we're used to it.  Maybe Israel was counting on this apathy for their Lebanon operation too?). I'm very much afraid that today's horrible massacre will only motivate more crazy Hizbollah members to take revenge in an equally horrible way. And round and round we go.

Israel's president Olmert wants "just 10 more days" to "put things in order". Jeez. I'm getting shivvers from memories of VietNam catch-phrases.. Anybody else reading this (who is old enough to remember) know what I mean? Bet you a nickel that "ten days" will drag out to ten months, if Bush doesn't use his wild card as Israel's billion-a-year big brother.

Time to mount up, peeples. Don't let this go on for ten more days. Our inaction is just as immoral as the massacre. Get the word out, please, today. INUNDATE Congress and White House with emails, of course. But PLEASE, spread the word actively and try to get at least a couple of friends to act too... and ask them to do the same. Then you can feel like you've really done something this year.

To the friend I have reading this whose parents were in the death camps, I repeat: I am a friend of Israel, and you know that very well. But I also repeat: Israel has absolutely NO right to massacre all the innocents and kids among Hizbollah. If you want to email me about it seperately, I'll be glad to discuss it with you, but I warn you, I won't put up with anymore hypocrisy (the Israeli Army is going to investigate itself), santimonious "how dare you's" , cynicism ("they bombed themselves" or "yes,
Israel bombed those women and kids, but they were actually victims of Hizbollah") or "me, me, me" selfishness. When Israel can start crying foul when OTHER genocides occur (complete silence during Cambodia, Rwanda, et al), they'll make up for the some of the credibilty they've lost in these unreasonable attacks. Time to cut the shit.

To my other friends, your comments are equally welcome.

Sincerely yours,
Christopher N.

Well said. And sadly, the killing only continues. The grieving only swells. The defense companies get richer. And the USA has agreed to a 'rush' sale of bombs for Israel.

Hug your children. Kiss your spouse or partner and tell them that you love them. Try once each day to take a peaceful approach when you might be tempted to curse someone (even if silently; thoughts matter). It's time for any step we can take to increase the love in the world.

Goodbye Dad.

Sometime during the night, my dad died.

The pic here was taken several years ago (5 or more, I think). But it's one of the very few that I have that shows all of my brothers and me and our dad (from the left, that's my younger brother Mike, older brother Pat, my dad, me, and oldest Bob). I've also got 2 younger sisters, but didn't know how they'd feel about having their pics posted. The brothers can deal with it :) ...so right now there's a real odd blend of emotions inside. My mom died over 20 years ago, and the grandparents had all died some years before that. It's always a time of forced reflection when friend or family pass on. I've been doing my share of crying today - partly from thinking back on being little, when my dad was around, and we would all often play together. He did truly enjoy spending time with his kids. And some of the grieving is from thinking of the choices he made that tore the family apart - that devastated my mom - and that leave me in large part looking at his life as one of huge potential ...with so much unrealized.

My dad was a great 'people person'. He spent most of his life as a newspaper advertising exec. He had a very keen sense of humor. I do think I got some of my ample BS and the sense of humor from him. Since our family name is 'Little' (my wife and I combined letters from our names and I changed mine to Litton when we got married), we always referred to our bad puns as 'Little Humor'. Dad had a zest for life, loving to travel, play tennis, be on in or near the water, get together with friends and family. He moved to Florida after leaving a newspaper job in Washington state. Shirley and I first saw Florida when we came down to visit my dad and his wife after my mom had died.

My dad, like most folks, was not perfect. I remember being in the early grades of school, and my folks seemed happy ...although periodically when walking past their room in the morning, I'd see a note on the vanity that he'd left for my mom during the night ...saying that he'd gone out for a drive. That's what he'd do when they'd fight. I'm guessing he'd gather his things for work and go out driving for a while until it was time for work. By the time I was past the first few grades, he had other relationships going. I remember my mom crying. A lot. My mom was the first of 3 wives, and the deception and selfishness that my siblings and I eventually recognized in my dad was hard for all of us to take.

He and his 3rd wife had split up several years ago, so his last few years were spent living with one of my brothers, scraping by on about $900 each month of Social Security. He enjoyed life a little TOO much ...never putting away anything for retirement. Over the years I'd caught him in too many lies, and hurting too many people to be able to have much respect for him. I last spoke with him about a month ago. We got along OK, but (along with at least one or two siblings) I'd finally realized that there was no point hoping for him to change. All we really wanted was honesty. He did honestly love us all and I know he was proud of his kids and grandkids and wanted only the best for us all.

In addition to the humor and some social skills (ok, some would differ on the terminology ;-) ...my dad was indirectly responsible for me being determined that when I got married, it would be a lasting relationship. I vowed to myself that I would never cause someone else the pain and anguish and loneliness that my mom suffered.

*sigh*

So later this week, I'll head back up to Washington. A brother from North Dakota will be coming over. The six siblings will all be together again for the first time in a few years ...to say goodbye to our dad, to reminisce about our times together ...to laugh together and to grieve together.

Life and love can sure be messy.

Bye-bye Kenny Boy

Back in the late summer/early autumn of 2001, I became but one among thousands of former Enron employees. We may never know just how many of the executives were guilty of intentionally duping so many fellow human beings... obliterating the life savings of so many good people, trashing the energy market in California and elsewhere, and so many other greedy acts -- all to improve their own personal bottom line. I learned after the fact that some folks thought I'd joined Enron with the expectation of getting rich. The truth is that I joined Enron because I thought I'd get to work with the integration of SAP and Lotus Notes (I never did work with SAP), and the net effect on my paycheck when I joined the company was that I could not afford to participate in the 401(k). It's a bit funny that there were those who thought I was making a move out of greed, when the reality was a net decrease in my take-home when I started my new position ...and it is ironic that not being able to particpate in the 401(k) may have saved me from making the mistake that so many had made of sinking all of their retirement into Enron stock. So often what seems like a negative, ends up being a blessing. I was among the lucky ones. I worked with very talented and dedicated individuals, learned a heck of a lot, and was fortunate enough to not lose my retirement savings when I was laid off (we'd rolled my earlier 401(k) funds into a separate IRA fund).

But many folks did lose everything when the company collapsed. And definitely there was evil done by some of the execs. So this evening I put on one of my Enron shirts, and hoisted a brew (with fellow Drinking Liberally colleagues Ben W and Mike R) to Kenny Boy (Ken Lay) and the rest of the Enron royalty. It is not to me to judge who was guilty of what, nor what punishment may be appropriate for the guilty. But here's to the hope that karma is real, that good results in a multiplication of that good, and that evil results in lessons learned and the effecting of real and positive change, be it now or in a future existence. Cheers.

Managing cholesterol with Niacin

I've had borderline high cholesterol for years. But after moving to Florida in January of 2004, I'd been so busy getting things going with a new job, new house, new life for our family, that I'd pretty much stopped exercising. Well, 2 months ago I tested around 300 for total cholesterol, 39 for HDL, over 400 for triglycerides. I started on Zocor (40mg/day, but have stopped that). I'm now taking niacin, but the main thing I'm doing is plenty of exercise. As of last week, the total cholesterol is around 200, but more importantly the HDL is up to 52 (so far), the triglycerides are 160, and I'm feeling more fit. I usually put personal stuff on this site and mainly tech stuff on my other blog. But since I know a lot of geeks that need to get healthier, I've posted more details about the cholesterol stuff over at joelitton.net.

Hurricane prep: Stabilizing the pool cage

Here in Florida, if one has a swimming pool, one often has the pool area within a screen enclosure.  Folks typically refer to the encosure as a pool cage. The idea is to keep leaves and debris from falling in the pool, keep mosquitos and other bugs and little critters out, and help provide a little more safety. We've heard stories from several people about pool cages blowing away in hurricanes, including one person who described seeing a pool cage wrapped around a telephone pole and pretty much just flapping in the wind.

So with these stories, and after having read from multiple sources that it is recommended to increase the bracing of one's pool cage beyond the minimum that building codes require, we decided to add a lot more bracing to our pool cage. Our hurricane insurance deductible is between $5,000 and $6,000, so if we were to lose the cage, we would quite possibly have to forgo replacing it for a while.

As built, our pool cage had one guy wire at each end. Each of these is a steel cable, secured at a top corner of the cage, and running diagonally down and secured into the cement with a metal plate and a couple of masonry screws. Today we added 4 more tie downs, and we plan to add yet another 4 (2 on each of the end walls of the enclosure). One of the gents where Shirley used to work has a business replacing pool screens, and we were able to order the tie downs from him at US$24 each. We figure the roughly $200 and a bunch of sweat is pretty good insurance. There's some more bracing we'll be doing, and we'll post pics of that work also, but for now, here's the pics from today's work:

Gay & Lesbian Pride Month

Yesterday was the last day of June - the last day of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. I've never understood why some folks get so crazy about homosexuality. Gosh, if 2 people love each other and want to be together, that's great. So many people spend an entire lifetime never knowing true love - never knowing what it's like to have found someone with whom to share a life. The fuss, the rabid anti-gay sentiment of the religious right misled just makes no sense.

For any who may not know, June became known as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month due to the Stonewall Rebellion in 1969 in New York. The Stonewall Inn was finally recognized as a National Historic Place 7 years ago.

I'm a white, heterosexual male, and so really have no way to comprehend what it would be like to live with the irrational prejudice with which one is faced if one is non-white, female, gay, physically or mentally challenged, or any of the other scenarios for which some ignorant folks choose to discriminate. But at a previous job I did have a coworker who summonded the courage to come out to the rest of our group and tell us he was gay. It was no big deal at all to any of us, but the obvious struggle this gentleman had endured was heart-wrenching. Why on earth anyone should have to suffer so much is beyond me.

We are all brother and sisters on this earth. Let's start acting like it.

First my brother, now me

My previous post was about my brother being on the cover of the print edition of The Postal Record. On a smaller scale, I've been taking a little ribbing for having a pic of my lovely mug in The Weekly Planet - a local Tampa paper. The article was about the Brandon chapter of Drinking Liberally, a national (international, actually, now that there's a chapter in Dublin!) group of liberals who get together periodically to have a beer (or water or diet soda or whatever) and discuss politics, current events, and whatever else comes to mind.

Well, if you happen to have an inkling for sitting with friendly folks and discussing a fairly wide range of topics - sometimes political :) -- come on out to the Drinking Liberally near you. Cheers.