Back from Thanksgiving

Did I miss anything?

Bring it on

Okay, Ahnold, let’s see what you’ve got:

Asked whether the Constitution should be changed to allow U.S. citizens born in another country to run for president, 67% were opposed. But when the question was asked with a mention of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was born in Austria, disapproval dropped to 58%.

That’s fine, but if you run, Ahnold, be prepared to meet your match. Canadian-born Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan will clean your clock – count on it.

So much for the hiatus

Just when I thought I’d gotten away from the blogging …

I can’t let it go, though, when a prominent blog like Atrios’ Eschaton posts something about Brevard County. Go check it out. And tell him Blast Off! sent you.

A blogger’s dilemma

Well, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?

I’ve taken some time off from Blast Off! to collect myself. You know, pay attention to some other aspects of my life, give consideration to my priorities, tie myself up in emotional knots, come to grips with my mortality – just standard, run-of-the-mill, everyday stuff.

Probably like many of you, I have had a challenging time staying interested in politics during this post-election period. I had a great deal of optimism going into November 2, and to see what I thought was a significant lead evaporate under the harsh morning light of November 3, well, it was hard to deal with. Now, that’s not to say I’ve given up. Just yesterday, I received my package from DemStore.com, including all of my Democracy for America gear (T-shirt, bumper stickers, buttons). I kept that K/E sticker on my car until this morning, when I replaced it with a DFA sticker. I wanted some yahoo with a B/C sticker (preferably the noxious “W ‘04″ variety) to ask me why I hadn’t removed the K/E sticker yet, so I could respond with, “When you take that piece of crap off your car, I’ll take my sticker off.” Alas, that never happened.

I know that eventually – maybe even soon – I’ll get back into the swing. It’s hard, though, to maintain a blog, even a modest one like this, whilst traveling (as I did last week and will be doing more of for Thanksgiving, plus December and January) … it’s hard to keep folks like you visiting it, especially when I have to generate interest in it through my posts on other blogs like dKos and Atrios … it’s hard to blog when I have a lot of other things on my mind. And, believe me, I’ve had more on my mind during November than I ever thought possible.

Still, though, I think the break has been good. It’s allowed me to step back and be a little more introspective, to try to understand who I am and where I’m coming from at age 39, and how that differs from me at age 29 or age 19. I’ve had a chance to decide what really matters to me and make some decisions … while at the same time leaving some decisions unmade, because I realize that I can’t control everything, whether it’s a presidential election, a relationship, or ending up with a Big Mac in a Quarter Pounder box (as I did today, to my consternation).

And therein lies my dilemma. I want to continue the blog, and I’ve appreciated the good thoughts and support I’ve received over the last several months, but I just don’t have as much to say, nor as much time to dedicate to staying abreast of the news and politics and all. I don’t think a general interest blog would be very readable or desirable, and a “Life of Sinfonian” blog is best left to someplace like LiveJournal¹ rather than here. Therefore, I find myself, and Blast Off!, at a bit of a crossroads.

No doubt I will be struck with inspiration again eventually, or something will happen that will hurl me back into the maelstrom of political intrigue and upheaval. Right now, though, my focus quite simply is elsewhere … or, more accurately, nowhere at all. At least not on politics.

So, I guess I will ask you to check back periodically to see what’s going on, and maybe, just maybe, Blast Off! can be restored to the hit parade before long. I imagine I can get on here a couple of times a week, and maybe I’ll even get some inspiration sooner and/or more frequently than that. (No telling what a couple of days with my rabid right-wing family over Thanksgiving might do to encourage blogging.)

In the meantime, then, I wish you all a tryptophan-and-fun-filled Thanksgiving with friends and family, for we truly do have much for which to be thankful. See you real soon.

¹ Let the record reflect I neither have a LiveJournal nor have any desire to start one. So you all can rest easy.

Quiet time

Sorry for the dearth of updates … I’m going through a bit of a time personally and have had to put the blog on the back burner for a couple of days. Back soon – please check back periodically. Thanks.

Colin Powell resigns (UPDATE: and then some)

Another rat has abandoned the sinking ship.

Secretary of State Colin Powell, once one of the few Bushies with any dignity before he shot his reputation to hell by lying before the United Nations, has thrown in the towel. (Check the AP wire for updates.)

I’ve always felt a little kinship with Powell, mostly because his daughter was a friend and fellow theatre denizen of mine in college (the other siblings also went to W&M, unfortunately including FCC Chairman Michael Powell), but I thought he sold out pretty blatantly. One wonders what the Bushies had on him in order to get him to kowtow the way he did.

So now I guess a lifetime of speaking engagements and book writing, maybe teaching, awaits Gen. Powell. Despite the way he rolled over for George and Dick, I can’t help but wish him well. He’s better off away from those scumbags anyway.

UPDATE (12:59 pm 11/15/04): And then there were four. Following Powell out the door are Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, Education Secretary Rod Paige, and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham.

And it looks like Condi Rice is the likely successor to Powell. That was my biggest concern: we’d lose some noxious Cabinet members, sure, but the replacements may be even worse …

Evening at the Improv

Dick “Dick” Cheney was hospitalized today briefly, complaining of shortness of breath. An EKG and scan of his pacemaker were normal.

1. I thought he’d be diagnosed with shortness of temper.
2. You know, no matter how many times I hear it, I’m still surprised that Cheney has a heart at all.
3. It could be worse. If Cheney dies, Bush would be president.
4. Your punchline here.

Truly, the comedy writes itself.

Vignette

A scene from Friday night, out to dinner with a group from my wife’s office:

Obnoxious Wingnut [showing pictures from the recent Bush rally at Space Coast Stadium]: “Hey, want to see some pictures of a great man?”

Me: “Sure … but all you have is pictures of George Bush.”

Cheap, but satisfying.

You give law a bad name

When the confirmation hearings begin for Attorney General-designate Alberto “VO5″ Gonzales, one thing is clear: Senate Democrats can oppose his nomination not only on political terms, but on the grounds of (in)competency as well.

Straight up: Gonzales is not a good lawyer. And my only hope is that the Senate Dems don’t lap-dog this one like they’ve done so often before.

Another caption contest

You all did a nice job with the last contest, so take another crack.

Here’s today’s pick of the litter (and I do mean “litter”):

Have at it.