Adios!

I'm shutting down all blog activities until August 9.  I am bound for Europe, spending four days each in Barcelona and London.

Catch ya when I get back from the other side of the pond!

Meow indeed

I have a cat, and I have wondered in the past what it would say to me if it had the chance, just one sentence.

I had Dexter declawed and "fixed" when I got him, since he was destined to be an indoor cat.  He now lives with two female cats, and there have been many times that I have seen him looking out the windows to the trees in the backyard, wishing he could go out there and help himself to a snack. 

So Dexter lives a life of quiet desperation, unable to romance his two roomies and unable to act on his predatory instincts.

There are times when he will sit in my vicinity and eyeball me, expressionless.  No matter what I do, his gaze stays upon me, and I have imagined many times what he would say to me then if he could.

I think it would be "You did this to me, made me less of a cat, denying me a life of pleasure; I shall avenge myself someday, when you are not looking, by doing vile things inside your box of Grape Nuts."

99% of the time Dex and I get along fine, of course.  He's well fed, lives in relative comfort and gets to do whatever he pleases, except reproduce and rip birds to shreds.  He deals with it.

Easter in July

Were I one who had mastered the art of including digital photos in this blog, you'd be looking at a rabbit that I saw in my backyard yesterday.  It was the size of Manitoba.  I thought it was a donkey when I first saw it.

I read something not long ago that 2003 was the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese calendar.  I think they were off by a year.  Rabbits are everywhere this summer.  My mother plants a large amount of flowers and plants in her yard every year, and this is the only time I can recall seeing so much of her work devoured.  There is a chain link fence that separates the back yard from the parking spots by the garage here, and Mom planted some multi-stemmed flowers along it.  Today, it looks like she planted chopsticks for there is nothing left of those plants except the stems.

I discovered that we had a rabbit's nest (or is it den? lair? boudoir?) in the front yard early in June and carefully avoided it when cutting the lawn for the rest of it's time.  The baby rabbits (rabbitlings?  I kind of like that) are long gone now, though I'm sure that they have been helping themselves to the greenery we have provided them.

The "donkey rabbit" that I saw yesterday truly amazed me.  It didn't hop, it waddled.  I watched it wander over towards the garage where there are large hostas planted in front and saw as it casually reached over and ripped a whole stalk out with its mouth and inhaled it.  The thing was gone in two seconds.

I don't mind the rabbits, really.  When I was a kid they were a rare sight.  This year it is rare not to see one every time I am outside.

But if they ever decide to organize, we're all in big trouble. 

Nailed it

All I will say about John Kerry's acceptance speech tonight is that he established himself as very different from President Bush, so whatever your preference, at least there will be a clear choice for all come November.

Kerry spoke well.  I thought he might stumble a little as I have seen him do so in the past.  I loved the level of speeches at this convention: Clinton, Obama, Edwards and Kerry.  The democrats did a fine job of running a positive convention.

So now we wait a few weeks, until the GOP gathers in NYC.  Despite my obvious preference for the democratic way, I will watch with interest what the republicans have to say when it is their turn.  I do not expect them to avoid the negativity like what I just saw in Boston.  I hope they prove me wrong.  I'd love to see an American presidential campaign that focused on accomplishments rather than slime.

Send me!

I'm really not much of a fan of political conventions.  I don't see their point when the fact is each party has a rock-solid nominee before the convention anyway.  I've read about conventions back in the earlier parts of the 20th century, when there was doubt over who the nominee would be, and I sensed it to be very dramatic.  I don't think I've seen anything in any convention in my lifetime that I would define as dramatic.

However, I did see Bill Clinton's speech tonight, and I can say that I don't remember a more perfect presentation of the differences between the two main parties in America.  I loved the speech; I'm sure I will see and hear plenty of conservative pundits trash it tomorrow.  Like it or hate it, you cannot have seen that speech and not admit that Bill Clinton is one of the finest public speakers alive today.

And that may not be a good thing for the Democrats.  There will be a huge amount of pressure on John Kerry Thursday night when he gives his nomination acceptance speech.  He could easily be overshadowed by Clinton's speech tonight if he does not do as well. 

There was a point in Clinton's speech where he mentioned how he has benefited from the tax cuts of the Bush White House, and how he found it ironic that for all the trouble the Republicans caused him when he was President, they helped him as soon as he left.  He was being satirical, of course, but as he made his point I could not help but think that Clinton could actually be doing Kerry a disservice by giving such a great speech. 

And it was exceptional.  I hope come Thursday I can say that it was the second-best of the convention.

...and I know what's happenin'

Superhero time!  What boy doesn't spend most of his childhood dreaming of what he would do for humanity if he only had unlimited powers?  Well, me, for one, but now that I am grown and have time to think about it, all you have to do is ask.

I would enter into legend as "Matrimony Man."  Some would say that Jennifer Lopez has beaten me to that, but it's not what you think.  There was a time in my life when I had a tendency to be the next-to-last man a woman dated before she married, meaning that as soon as she and I were through, she'd meet the man of her dreams.  I can first recall this happening in college, and it went on through most of the last decade.  The time we spent together was irrelevant; all you had to do is go out with me once, then WHAM!, prepare to be dazzled-by whoever came along next.

Sometimes I think it would have been the right thing to do to try to actively seek out those distraught about the lack of companionship.  I can picture the scenario-it's a Friday night, and Ms. Smith sighs as she looks out her window, wondering when, if ever, she is going to meet "the one."  My nuptials sense tingles, I sprint into action with a bouquet of roses and reservations to the sleekest joint in town.  Next thing you know, Ms. Smith has a rock on her finger and is picking out a dress, but I am far away, waiting for my next call.

Who needs a marriage amendment anyway?

I am soon to be married myself, so "Matrimony Man" has seen his time come and go.  But it was a great run while it lasted.  Can superheroes consult?

I have the touch

That was quick-the billboards I mentioned just seven or so hours ago are gone.

Anybody want something else done before the magic disappears?