If there is something to desire,
there will be something to regret.
If there is something to regret,
there will be something to recall.
If there is something to recall,
there was nothing to regret.
If there was nothing to regret,
there was nothing to desire.

– Vera Pavlova

When a relationship ends, there are a certain questions that inevitably run through my head. What could I have done differently? Why is this so difficult? Would I get busted for toilet papering his front yard? Mostly though, I just want to watch Bruce Willis movies.

As a realist, this was definitely the most logical decision. You know, deal with the little hurt now as opposed to the wall of pain later. Surely, this was for the best. Gah, how I despise that phrase. In any case, this was likely the most wretched move from the perspective of a romantic. Having never been one, I am certain that I have no idea. Unfortunately, it seems that someone broke through the cynical candy coating and left my sugary nougat center a bit exposed. And you know what? I find that to be okay.

My new romantic self sees that I am capable of being a warm, caring, unsarcastic person. I can be affectionate and loving and still stay true to angry little me. Sure, right now life sucks, boys are stupid, and easy outs are for cowards, but you know something? That’s okay, too.

Oh who am I kidding.  Dr. Icepick left it in my car, and I babysat for a few hours.  I fell in love.  I decided I really needed to have one.  The thing is, when you get such an extravagant object, there is a need to justify it as useful.  You can’t just have things because you want them anymore.  So for all of you teachers toying with the idea, let me give you the justification.

In this next series of posts, I will be going over the tools that I have been using.  I have done some trial and error with different ones, so my mistake amounts to your solution.  Okee doke?

A little 411 about Robotron (that’s its name):

Size:

32 GB.  I figured, do I really need to put all of my music on something that I really don’t want to take out on the el?  [Aside: There seems to have been a rash of thefts on the el involving the snatching of iProducts. If it's out, apparently it's up for grabs. Long story short, keep it under wraps.] As it turns out, I have a treeeeemendous amount of space on this thing, so I put somewhere in the neighborhood of a bazillion songs on it, with room to spare.  If you are going to be loading a lot of movies and the like onto it, you may need to get the larger one.  If you are only going to load a few for the occasional trip, the 32 is more than enough space.

As for putting every book you own on it?  I cannot read on this thing.  It strains my eyes, and has too many bells and whistles to distract me.  It’s fine to throw a few textbooks on it, but for an ebook reader, get an ebook reader.

3G or not 3G:

I toyed with this one for a while.  It’s a bit of a tricky thing.  Do I really want to pay the extra hundred something and then have to pay for the 3G on top of it?  Short answer, nope.  I have wifi at home, school, in coffee shops, and at most of my friends’ places.  No need to be connected every five minutes.  After all, that’s what my Android is for.

Though, I will say this:  there was one point that it would have come in incredibly handy.  I was at school and I was trying to connect to the system.  Apparently, I needed to install some kind of key.  They emailed it to me and said that all I needed to do was install it and follow the directions.  Do you see where I am going with this?  To install the key, you need to get into your email which needs to be connected to the system that you are trying to get connected to in the first place.  3G would have come in handy.  Then again, I just went downstairs to Cosi, made a little use of the free interweb, got the stuff running and stepped back in the building to make sure it worked.  Inelegant, but a workable solution.

Accessories:

I got the apple branded case.  Like Mr. Solo said, she might not look like much but she’s got it where it counts, kid.  This thing has the thinnest profile, is light, and extremely protective.  I really haven’t seen one with a better design for the weight.  It also picks up dirt as quickly as the shiny iPad screen it’s charged with protecting.  I swear, it looks like I was putting up sheet rock.  They really should make this thing in a dirt repellent color, like beige or something.

I also picked up the VGA adaptor.  This thing is very deceptive in its usefulness.  I won’t get into the details now, but let’s just say that if you plug in an external monitor, you are not necessarily going to see the same thing that is on your iPad.  In the infinite wisdom of Apple, they decided that the individual software designer was going to need to determine if their software is VGA compatible.  WTF, right?  So the plug and play thing that you have grown accustomed to?  GONE.  The plugging in of a projector to show a demonstration on the Mandelbrot set?  Out the window.  So the adapter is kind of necessary, but not as useful as you would hope.

I got a stylus.  I lost it in the first two days of ownership, though it felt like I was writing with an eye shadow applicator, and kind of felt flimsy.  If  I didn’t lose it, I would probably have mashed the tip within two weeks.

Did I get a keyboard?  Nope.  I have 2 laptops and a netbook (all from different jobs, not from deep pockets) so what do I need another keyboard for?  Besides, you can only look at the screen in the portrait format.  Who wants that?  I type on my computer, throw things into dropbox, and get on with my life.

And that was the initial purchase, my friends.  Next time, I think that we are going to have to discuss the Office type apps.  How exciting.

For those who are just catching up, my students are a little nuts.

On the plus side, they say ridiculous things on a regular basis.

In an argument today with the bickering duo (names have been changed to protect the ridiculous):

Kee:  Your fat ass is going to rip its way out of those pants.

Cay:  Well if these pants rip, I’m going to sit on your face.

Kee:  Um…  That’s a little gay.

Far be it for me to take sides, but Cay, that is a lot gay.

While some aren’t, most of them are completed.  And bitches, I’ve got the photographic evidence to prove it!  That is, on some of them.  So by the end of next week, I will have completed my list of things on another list that I am to document.

Yeesh.

I have been seeing pictures on the news with gatherings of hundreds of people.  Some were calling for revolution while others secession, all carrying signs targeting the President and his administration.  Were they expecting that all of the economic troubles that began years ago to disappear within the first 86 days of the new Presidency?  Or maybe it has something to do with the unregulated bailout money doled out under Bush. Or is it the newer regulated bailout money that signals too much government oversight. Or maybe they are all making over a quarter of a million dollars annually and can’t handle the extra 3 percent.

And why on tax day?  Surely this isn’t symbolic of the high taxation.  Personally I am getting back far more than I expected, as are most of the people I know.  Does the protest involve anything besides sloganeering and the waving of teabags?  Are they boycotting the income tax?  Did they file a return?  I hope so, as they probably have a nice refund waiting for them.

In any case, I am interested in knowing the deal, as it doesn’t seem like there is a precise focus on this protest.  From an outsider’s perspective it kind of looks like a free-for-all amongst the far right-wing constituent micro-minority.

It’s been a long while since my last list of favorite apps, so I guess it’s time to make a new one.

Let me start off by saying that I am not what you would call an early adopter.  I am not one to look for all the bleeding edge apps, and I could care less if I get the first post on the reviews.   With that said, here is a list of the apps that I am using constantly.  By the way, they are all still free.

In no particular order:

1.  Toggle Settings – developed by cooolmagic, this is a pretty handy app that lets me toggle any setting you might imagine.  I love that it has easy access in the notifications bar, and profile settings.  If it could allow for adjusting the 2g/3g setting based on profile, I would love it.

2.  Toggle WiFi – developed by Andrew Schwimmer, it toggles the WiFi.  That’s it.  You can set up a notification that let’s you know if the wifi is on even if there are no available networks, and that is really swell.  I use it and the toggle settings together.

3.  Astrid Task/Todo List – developed by we <3 astrid, this is a pretty nice to do list.  You can set up some pretty aggressive reminders, and it really does get you checking things off.  Nice application, though the interface is a bit on the clunky side.  If you want a much more paired down version, go for the Tag ToDo List by Teo.

4.  SnapPhoto – developed by Bratag, this is a really nice tweak for the camera.  What is really great is its pseudo-image stabilization.  I am not exactly sure how it works, but it helps a lot.  Because the small lens does not allow much light, this feature is a lifesaver.  I will say, when I don’t pay attention and leave it on accidentally, it has a tendency to eat up the battery.

5.  Twidroid- developed by Zimmermann & Marban, this is a twitter app.  Yes, I know that I mentioned it in the previous list, but it’s my list, and I will do what I want.  There has been a lot of updates since in the past four months, each one better than the last.  It is very stable, simple to navigate, and allows for ample personalization in regards to settings.   Very nice and still free.

6.  Kevin – developed by Chris Capaci, it’s like the game Simon but called Kevin.  That’s it.

7.  Simon Tatham’s Puzzles – developed by Chris Boyle, it’s a bunch of very geeky mind games.  The interface is awful, and the games are range from cake to oh-my-god.  All the same, I am rather fond of this thing.

8.  Sky Map – developed by Sky Map Team, it’s a map of the stars.  It takes a while to get the hang of it, but once you do all I can say is wow.  A little hint, if you use the moon to orient yourself, you won’t mistake Venus for Uranus.

9.  Facbook Sync – developed by Mike Hearn, this application syncs the facebook profile pictures of your friends with your contacts.  All you need to do is log into facebook, and it does the rest.  Though it isn’t perfect, it works pretty well.   It is a one shot deal, so it will not be updating the pictures as your friends do, but who cares.  You can always run it again if that is a concern.

I think that’s it for now.  These are the ones that I use on a pretty regular basis.  Admittedly, I am interested in trying out the cupcake emulators, if only for the tweeks on the home screen.  I have tried the free version and while it isn’t too bad, I think that I am going to just wait for the rollout.

Just like everyone, I am annoyed by the twitter-like feed. It is a completely valid complaint. Figure this: when you send out a tweet, you do your thing and are on your way. I can see what you’re up to, maybe a link to a blog entry, or even a picture. Sure, you might send a couple of @messages, but as a follower I can easily block that out. That’s that. No more.

It’s like a news ticker, but with friends.

On the other hand, Facebook is a completely different monster. People spend long swaths of time on the book of face. Heck, I do too. They are stalking, gaming, or answering stupid quizzes. The result: every friggin’ thing ends up on my feed, one right after another. I open facebook and what do I see? More often than not, it is the wasted timeline of one single person. Sure, it might be a different friend at any given time, but still. Of one particular friend’s spouse, I quickly learned top 5 books, movies, beers, unforgettable albums, her House character, the country she should live in, and how many eggs she has found. I’m really not that interested in seeing how much spare time she has. As much as I would like to block the dreck, the only way to shrink this insane image of her is to block her from my feed completely. What’s the point of that? This new binary system of the feed selection is ludicrous.

You know, when the second to last big change came out, I actually liked it. I didn’t complain and I thought that with a few tweaks, this could be a really elegant system. Now? Ugh. It’s a hot mess.

Don’t even get me started on the right side of the screen.

Fast forward to now. I was getting ready for bed when I discovered my pen safely nestled in my ponytail. I’m a genius. A genius with a green pen.

I love it, love them, and wish them the very best.

People in love are just adorkable.

On New Years Day  (okay, yesterday), I looked over to see if there were any that I might check off.  Happily, there was one:

 18. Reconnect with a long lost friend.

Mind you, it was no herculean effort.  It’s just the brave new electronic age in which we live.  It was as simple as looking up Miss on the book of face, finding that there were 17 matches, seeing one particular gal who is pals with a certain other IS 7 alum, and click, click, click.  Voila!

Different states and new decades make it difficult to stay connected, but I must say that the magic of Facebook makes the distance a bit easier.  So in honor of my very first friend, I am making a new list.

Here are my ten favorite things about the Miss that I knew and the woman that she is now, in no particular order:

1. She has a wonderfully bizarre sense of humor that I have never seen in another human.
2. She has long since realized that bologna and ketchup sandwiches are truly disgusting.
3. She is conscious of how a mom’s self image can be passed down to her daughter.
4. Not only does she remember the name of Miss Hooks, my archnemesis of a third grade teacher, but also recalls the completely inappropriate behavior of our fourth grade teacher,who will remain nameless.
5. She threw me my first and only surprise party, for which I will always adore her.
6. She is from Staten Island and still has the accent to prove it.
7. She has an awesome dance to go with the ringtone on her phone.
8. She calls her parents by their first names.  I don’t know why, but I love it.
9. She has a daughter with multiple tiaras, which is very amusing if you know Miss.
10. She is my friend.

Sometimes we can see old friends and there is a disconnect.  We grow our separate ways and are content with the history that we have had.  But other times, if we are very lucky, we find that even with a decade or so apart we are still on the same road.  

Or at least running wonderfully parallel.  

Love you Miss!

Seems that Google did a little house cleaning before setting up the Android market.

Inasmuch as I would have liked to have a retinal scan available, I am making due with what is there.  Let me tell you, there isn’t a whole lot.  Don’t get me wrong, there are things being added every day (and believe me when I say that I am looking).  I guess I was hoping that what was there would be more… I don’t know. Useful?

So without further ado, in no particular order, here is my list of apps that I mostly love:

1. Anycut:  Like many other reviews, this seems to be a universal.  Anycut allows you, for the most part, to make a shortcut out of anything.  This means that rather than rooting through your settings to turn off the WiFi, you can just make a shortcut on you home page.  That function alone makes this app worth it.  (By the way, if you want to make a shortcut to a website, just do a long-press on the home page, go down to shortcuts, and select a particular bookmark.)
2. SpellDial:  The hardest thing to get over when moving from a regular mobile to a smart phone is the keypad.  As the G1 tucks its buttons out of reach, it is a little exasperating.  SpellDial to the rescue.  Sort of.  When calling up the app, a keypad pops up on the screen.  Then, just start spelling out the names t9 style, and voila.  Frankly, I am not sure why this functionality wasn’t included in the core system.  Regardless, it is remedied here.  Now if they incorporated this into the dialer rather than as a separate app, that would make my day.
3. Twidroid:  For those who twitter, this tool is invaluable.  Most of the bugs have been worked out, and is a pretty stable app.  Though, it does have a tendency to flake out when it can’t find a data connection, I have only really had that issue once.  Then again, I was attempting to twitter from Obamapalooza.  Can you imagine?  Like I was ever going to get data in or out of that bottleneck!
4. The Weather Channel:  A really pretty application that tells you all sorts of weather details.  Though, I still can’t figure out why it wants access to as much of your information as it does.  Regardless, great app.
5. Coloroid:  An oddly relaxing, addictive game where you just start matching colors.  It seems stupid at first, but you really don’t want to stop once you get the hang of it.
6. Quickpedia:  A well designed wikipedia browser.  For those who want their wikiality now.
7. Ringdroid:  A pretty decent app that lets you turn your sound files into ring tones.  Works well, and is pretty self explanatory.  Would be better if it would let you loop, fade, and replay from specific points rather than from all the way at the beginning, but not a bad start for this app.
8. WikiNotes:  I have to admit, I didn’t quite get it at first.  Then I started using it.  To digress a little, in my line of work, I have to remember a lot of names pretty quickly.  Let’s say you are giving a meeting, and there are 10 people there.  While you are there, you remember everyone.  What happens a week later.  Well, if you are headlining, everyone will have no problem remembering you.  Will you remember everyone else?  Or what about the name of the one person who was so completely engaged in the meeting?  Names are tough.  I found myself writing notes about the event, such as participants,and then turned those participants into wikiwords (LiKe ThIs).  From there, I wrote little notes so that I could remember those people the next day.  So WikiNotes.  Very handy.
9. Zombie, Run!:  A bizarre use of the GPS feature, but unbelievably fun!  All you are doing is trying to get from here to there without a zombie attack.  Best part, you are running so quickly, you don’t even mind that people are looking at you like you are insane.  

That’s all for now.  I can’t really think of any more that I love.  I know that there is a lot of love out there for things like ShopSavvy and CompareEverywhere, but frankly it seems a little understocked.  And since I don’t really use my phone as a music player (afraid it will kill the already mediocre battery life), I can’t really answer for the imeem or tuneswiki.

Next up, my wishlist.

You following?

Edit:  Do you think it’s possible to have more tags and categories than words in the post?  Just wondering.

By the way, if you are heading down to the park. you should take a look at the following:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-obama-rally-qanov02,0,5894064.story

Long story short, I got the G1.  I might consider going into the selection process, my likes and dislikes, and all that, but instead, I will say this:

Facebook will work on the G1.  Using the browser, head on over to the facebook iphone web app page:

http://iphone.facebook.com/

It might not be the new version 2 iphone app, but it’s not so bad.  As long as facebook doesn’t start up with it’s anti-google rage, it’s a pretty nice option until a dedicated app gets built.

Cheers.

Real life.

Well that, and I have been seduced by the facebook.  Maybe it’s the combination of speed, feedback, and instasnark that has me so beguiled.  Why spend an entire afternoon spell-checking something that may or may not be read by anyone when I can throw out one or two smart ass comments every hour or so?  

On the downside, I think that my writing skills have atrophied beyond redemption.  So October ninth resolution, get back to it.  

Egad, this is like taking antibiotics.

If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color), he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Ms. Ferraro followed it up with this:

Racism works in two different directions. I really think they’re attacking me because I’m white. How’s that?

And this:

If anybody is going to apologize, they should apologize to me for calling me a racist.

And her resignation letter:

The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won’t let that happen.

I think that’s enough of that. With all of the commentary flying fast and furious in every which way, my favorite remark was delivered by Democratic analyst Keli Goff:

The real crime in all this was not the initial statement. It was how she behaved afterwards. You know, people tend to give the benefit of the doubt, to allow people to explain the context and what have you. And to come back and say that she’s the victim after making such… It was like she inserted one foot in her mouth, Dan, and was so hungry she had to go for the second. It’s ridiculous.

Word Keli. At some point, Hillary needs to take Gerry aside in a calm and rational manner and tell her to “SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!”

The wonderful Samantha Power was chatting with the folks over at The Scotsman when she made this little doozy of a statement. Set aside the point that off the record doesn’t seem to hold the same respect as it once did, is it really a big deal?

For the most part, Obama’s campaign does not make a habit of hurling insults, nor do they care for the fear-mongering techniques of Hillary’s campaign, nor do they make a practice of spouting lies and half-truths. They have tried to stay above this politics as usual not because they can’t hack it, but because nobody wants to hear that tired old game anymore. And yet, this small remark seemed to get everyone’s panties in a bunch.

So what’s the big deal. Hillary can compare Barack to Kenneth Starr, endorse John McCain, and pretty much have her husband say all of the obnoxious things she can’t say out loud. Does Barack retort that Howard Wolfson, Bill or even Hillary herself resign? Not really. But then again, an on/off the record comment is definitely worse.

The reality is that Hillary has been running a very messy campaign. She has been slinging mud since Iowa. And then, Hillary bitches and moans about unfair coverage in the press. Well you know what? She brought it on herself. You reap what you sow, my friend.

If she really stands by her record, her myopic vision she calls legislation, and her conservative outlook on everything besides health care, then work it. Don’t waste everyone’s time and energy doing the bidding of the Republican party. A dirty campaign now just means another 4 years of Republican control. With Hillary’s eyes on the prize, she is losing sight of the bigger picture. She says that she’s the best for the country. She wants to be president at any cost. We get it. If she really wants to do what’s right, she should win cleanly. Not like a mudslinging, dirty swamp thing.

Samantha Power, we will miss you. Even if you weren’t getting paid.

At least for now.

Rather, I offer up the first of three rebuttals to all of you killjoys:

In the Illinois State Senate

Serving in the Illinois State Senate for 8 years, Barack has sponsored over 800 bills. On closer inspection, you will find that the issues near and dear to him were those that represented his constituency. This includes gun control, poverty control and health care. Yes, health care. His reputation for careful consideration and integrity was respected by colleagues in both parties. Just ask his Republican pal State Senator Kirk W. Dillard. But hey, why listen to his colleagues when you can take a look at a few of his legislative accomplishments?

• State Gift Ban Act (1998) – Co-sponsoring this bipartisan effort, this law prohibits the soliciting and receiving of gifts from those with governmental interest. Further, this bit of legislation offered transparency in the realm of expenditures and contributions. This was the first state ethics reform bill in 25 years. Believe you me, in a state like Illinois this is a very big deal.
• Job Skills Enhancement (1999) – This amendment of the Public Aid Code created a pilot program in Cook County to provide the unemployed and underemployed with a means to move up. He never said it would be easy, just that we should all be shown a way.
• Domestic Violence Training Curriculum (2000) – This amendment to the Public Aid Code provides those who with domestic violence issues a means to personal empowerment. Not just lip service, this act provides counseling, training, and protection in the workplace during rehabilitation.
• Train Noise (2000) – Okay, so this one never went anywhere. I include this because as some of you know, the issues around municipal noise abatement is near and dear to my heart.
• Videotaped Interrogation (2003) – The passage of this bill was uphill through snow both ways. Passed into law in 2003, law enforcement is now required to electronically record all custodial interrogations and confessions of a capital offense. This passed in the state house by 108 to 7, and in the state senate by 58 to 0. That, my friends, is what we call bipartisan.

While there are many, many more, I won’t bore you with details. Just trust me when I say that there are a whole bunch of them.

In the US Senate

There is no doubt that Barack’s career in the US Senate has been a bit on the short side. With that said, I would venture a guess that in comparing his current legislative achievements to that of a certain New York Senator you might find that any shortcomings do not belong to Mr. Obama.

• Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2006 - In a bipartisan effort with Dick Lugar (R-IN), this bill is commonly referred to as the Lugar-Obama bill. Included as part of the Department of State Authorities Act of 2006, it is designed safeguard and dismantle unsecured conventional, nuclear, chemical and biological weapons stockpiles of formerly Soviet republics. Signed into law in January 2007. (FYI: These two seem have ignored the usual pub/dem bickering seeing as how they have co-sponsored at least seven bills together. Who says Illinois and Indiana can’t play nice?!)
• Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 – Another bipartisan effort this time with Tom Coburn (R-OK). Commonly referred to as the Coburn-Obama Transparency Bill, this bill directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to create a publicly accessible website where users can view how their money is spent domestically. The site is up and running at usaspending.gov. Signed into law in September 2006,
• Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 – One of the key ethics points, written by Barack and Russ Feingold (D-WI), requires political lobbyists to disclose the who and what of their dealings. Huge. Signed into law in September 2007.

For a first term junior Senator who, like all of Congress, is trying to get work done while an increasingly obnoxious President vetoes willy-nilly, he seems to be pretty rock solid. While I have listed a few of the humongous pieces of law, there are many more bills being reviewed in committee.

I have to say, while some of Barack’s bills deal with larger issues like Iran, war, ethanol, education, health care and trade with China, it’s the amazing amount of smaller bills and resolutions that frame the annoyingly myopic world of a US Senator. These include things like postage stamps, goofy holidays, sports team recognition, and everything in between. Nonetheless, please rest assured that our Senator is hustling like you wouldn’t believe in order to make this country a better place.

So for all of you who proclaim that Barack Obama is all rhetoric, I just have one thing to say:

Face.

The pundits say that for the first time in many years, the winner of Super Tuesday will not reveal the possessor of the Democratic nomination. With two excellent candidates, I can see why such is the case. Rather than fearing the dilution of the Democratic message, let’s be thrilled that we have such astonishing options. Let’s be energized that either will offer the change that we so desperately desire. Let’s be hopeful that the moment is now.

With that said, on this Super Tuesday, I would be remiss if I didn’t take one last ditch effort to persuade my nearest and dearest to cast their vote for my Illinois senator, Barack Obama.

On the huge issues:

• Iraq – Quite possibly Barack’s strongest plank, his position on Iraq has been clear and on record as early as 2002:

“The consequences of war are dire, the sacrifices immeasurable. We may have occasion in our lifetime to once again rise up in defense of our freedom, and pay the wages of war. But we ought not – we will not – travel down that hellish path blindly. Nor should we allow those who would march off and pay the ultimate sacrifice, who would prove the full measure of devotion with their blood, to make such an awful sacrifice in vain.”

• Foreign Policy – He is realistic in the knowledge that our relationship with the global community is critical in securing the safety of our country:

“I believe [the American people] will also agree that it is time for a new generation to tell the next great American story. If we act with boldness and foresight, we will be able to tell our grandchildren that this was the time when we helped forge peace in the Middle East. This was the time we confronted climate change and secured the weapons that could destroy the human race. This was the time we defeated global terrorists and brought opportunity to forgotten corners of the world. And this was the time when we renewed the America that has led generations of weary travelers from all over the world to find opportunity and liberty and hope on our doorstep. We can be this America again. This is our moment to renew the trust and faith of our people—and all people—in an America that battles immediate evils, promotes an ultimate good, and leads the world once more. “

• Economy – A large part of Barack’s plank involves federal fiscal discipline. This includes a federal pay-as-you-go spending, disclosure and transparency of special interest funding, and an end to tax shelters for the wealthy few and corporations:

“The cost of our debt is one of the fastest growing expenses in the federal budget. This rising debt is a hidden domestic enemy, robbing our cities and states of critical investments in infrastructure like bridges, ports, and levees; robbing our families and our children of critical investments in education and health care reform; robbing our seniors of the retirement and health security they have counted on. . . . If Washington were serious about honest tax relief in this country, we’d see an effort to reduce our national debt by returning to responsible fiscal policies.”

• Health Care – Probably the greatest difference in the health care initiatives proposed by the two democrats are that Obama is the method of implementation for universal health care. While he is for universal coverage, including mandated coverage for children, he proposes this largely by making health care affordable. This means that those in need will be offered subsidies, small businesses will be offered tax exemptions, and the cost of insurance will be reduced by limiting the profit margins of the insurance companies. Further, he proposes to keep costs lower by changing the way we purchase medicine, discounts for preventative treatments, and yes, trimming down the fatties.

“My mother died of ovarian cancer when she was 53 years old. And I remember in the last month of her life, she wasn’t thinking about how to get well, she wasn’t thinking about coming to terms with her own mortality, she was thinking about whether or not insurance was going to cover the medical bills and whether our family would be bankrupt as a consequence. That is morally wrong. It’s objectionable. That’s why I put forward a comprehensive legislation for universal health care so that all people could get coverage. My attitude is, that since you are paying my salary as taxpayers, you should have health care that is at least as good as mine. And the key to that is not only a good plan, but we’ve also got to overcome the drug & insurance company lobbies, that spent $1 billion over the last 10 years to block reform. As president, I am going to take them on.”

Yes, there are many more issues that can probably be covered. He was a supporter of care for our veterans before it was a sexy issue, is pro Roe v. Wade, he is pro gun control, and he is so many more things. He is a devoted civil servant and family man, he is an orator and intellectual, and he is a shining example of the American Dream. I can try to outline it for you, but I think that I am done for now.

If this doesn’t persuade you, perhaps this very incomplete list of endorsements might:

Bill Bradley
Ken Burns
Warren Buffet
Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Tribune
George Clooney
Kent Conrad
Tom Daschle
Robert DeNiro
Richard Durbin
Arianna Huffington
Garrison Keillor
Caroline Kennedy
Edward Kennedy

[EDIT: You know, I started doing this list, and then came across this far more complete list on Wikipedia. I stopped with the links, but you get the idea. I will finish with the links soon.]

Ethel Kennedy
John Kerry
La Opinion
LA Times
Ned Lamont
Patrick Leahy
Steven Levitt
George Miller
MoveOn.org
Toni Morrison
Janet Napolitano
Ben Nelson
Ed Norton
NY Post
Deval Patrick
Federico Peña
Philadelphia Inquirer
Kathleen Sebelius
Maria Shriver
Will Smith
Theodore Sorensen
Paul Volcker
Oprah Winfrey

I am not an excellent golfer, but rather a mere enthusiast. Besides being super fun, golf has somehow occupied a special place in my world. You see, it is the first time my parents and I have anything in common. Before golf, the holidays were an exercise in tedium. It was an unending Law & Order marathon, with respites of knockdown drag-out arguments. Now that we have found golf as a commonality, well what can I say. For the first time in my adult life, my parents and I like to hang out.

To those who are unfamiliar with a golfer’s day, let me say that many of our tee times begin in the wee hours of the morning. These days usually start off with my mom gently prodding me awake in time for a shower and some eats before heading out to the course. All this before sunrise. [Aside: Did I mention that in being retired, my parents reset their internal clocks to wake up with the roosters? That is, if there were roosters in Redondo Beach.]

To be honest, this is probably the only part about golf that I can’t get behind. It isn’t that I am not a morning person. Once I am up and out, I am fine. It’s just that I hate the up and out part. I really like staying in bed.

Because of my dawdling, there were a few times that we were… let’s just call it “a bit hurried.” For those who don’t know, this behavior is simply intolerable to my Pops. He is the irritating type who is always so early, he makes you feel guilty for showing up on time. I have no doubt that he questions my legitimacy each time he sits in the car waiting for me. Not that I mind, really. I do the same every time I find him waiting in the car without letting me know that he was out there.

Familiar with my way of being, Pop warned me the night before our big day at Oak Quarry that we would be leaving at 6:10 AM. Sharp. As my mother wouldn’t be joining us, she would probably be sleeping in. Ergo, there would be no friendly wakeup snuggle. It would be just the blaring alarm to shock me out of bed.

Waking at o’god o’clock, I went through the regular morning ablutions, got into the cutest golf outfit ever, and got my act downstairs. Oddly, all was quiet. So when there was neither hustle nor bustle, I was confused. The Krups was hot and the coffee was fresh. I checked their room. No sign of them anywhere. I called out, but there was nothing. It wasn’t making any sense. It was as if they just disappeared. It was 5:45 AM and I was alone in Redondo Beach.

Now it might have been the ungodly hour, or perhaps it was because I was still wiping the sleepies from my eyes, but for some reason, my reduction by way of Occam’s razor led me to believe that I must have been Left Behind. Yes. Please notice the capital letters. I don’t mean forgotten because I spent too much time primping. Truly, I believed that the Rapture came and went, and I didn’t make the cut.

I thought, “this is it. I will have to get the mark of the devil to buy apple juice. I am so screwed. I bet Dawn and John are already in heaven right now. What did they do in that Kirk Cameron movie? Maybe the zombie infestation has already begun. Crap! I don’t have an exit strategy mapped out for California!” I ran to the garage to see if my father was waiting for me, as he is wont to do. No dad. Slight panic set in. They wouldn’t all Rapture without me. They’d wake me up before they go go. Where the hell is everybody?!

Wait Connie. Think. Think. No car. SUV’s aren’t taken up during the Rapture, are they? In case you haven’t figure this out, I am quite stupid in the morning.

It wasn’t until a 45 minutes later when my father returned home. As my relief set in, I shot him the same look he usually shares with me.  He was late and he knew it. With a slightly sheepish look, my father asked if I was ready. With all the excitement of the Rapture past, you can bet your bippy I was!

” You’re with who?!” *

Setting the way back machine, let us recall a time when we were the Gals of Corwin L. Many a night was wiled away engaging in deeply philosophical discussions. They ranged from my brief political infatuation with Ralph Nader, to whether or not a particular roommate was guilty of cutting the crotches out of panties.

At the core of one particularly heated debate was the following question: Would you rather date someone who was universally handsome but equally regarded as an a-hole, or would you rather be dating someone who paints not quite as a pretty picture but is an all-around nice guy?

College girls. It was a fascinating discussion, to be sure. While it might not have been one of our more socially conscientious discussions, it was an interesting journey into our own personal foibles. At the heart of the matter was what you believe your choice in a partner reflects in you.

When toting a Chloe Apple Clutch, one wonders how someone like you can manage to snag such a hottie. On the other hand, they also might wonder what’s wrong with you that you would subject yourself to such a ridiculous accessory. Believe what you will. Someone will always think one or the other. Either way, they will covet your prize.

Conversely, when going for the sensible messenger bag, others may think you can rock a better look. Then again, they also see that you are not only sensible, but wonderfully content with your baggage. If you are lucky, they will see you for the unpretentious gal that you are, rather than someone with no self-esteem who can get a lot better. Be happy that everyone will agree that he has a great personality.

In the end, I guess it doesn’t really matter. No matter who you chose, someone will always wonder what you are thinking. As Tim Gunn might say “Chacun à son goût.”

Unless of course you are the Brices. Then everyone will just be jealous.

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* I know its whom. It just doesn’t sound right with question and exclamation marks. And for the record, I would chose Masi in a heartbeat every single time. Adorable and brilliant. A total winner in everybody’s book. I know he is not exactly a messenger bag, but you get the idea.