Writers block

Lately I've been struggling with what to say here. There are plenty of topics I've seen. The new Xbox and debates over an always on console, John Kerry and his "demands" to North Korea, Boston and some of the absurd conspiracy theories I'm seeing, my battle of the bulge and so on.

I guess none of hem really strike me. I will say that I seem stuck at the 40lbs point which is frustrating. I did start tracking my blood pressure today and it was "normal". Resting heart rate was at 68 which is excellent. Hopefully I'll see the same results when i go back to the doctor in a month or so.

One other thing, I always shake my head when Merinda says "enjoy" when I go to the gym. I don't particularly enjoy the gym. I enjoy the results of it. After all I can see the changes in my body, but it's hard work. I just wish I had someone to go with.

uh oh...

Didn't we get tied up in Iraq over stories that were similar to this?

As I recall it was:

Saddam is evil
Saddam has WMD's!
Saddam is tied to Al Quaida!

GO GET HIM!

Can we not go down this path again?  Look I don't think Iran should have nukes.  To be blunt I don't think anyone should have them, but that cat is out of the bag.

Boston....

I know I'm a day late, but I'm still in shock about what happened at the marathon yesterday.  I lived in Mass. for 16 years, and went to BU.  I've been to the Marathon a bunch of times and know people who run it.  My heart goes out to everyone up there and I hope your friends/family are safe and sound.

I sincerely hope they catch the person(s) responsible...

not even close...

I really need to stop reading news on the Internet.  I do.

This article showed up on my Facebook feed courtesy of a high school classmate.  Really that's about all it's good for anyway, and I clicked on the link.  I should have known better because this classmate, who shall remain nameless, mostly posts useless drivel and "cute" pictures of animals.

I'm not opposed to gay marriage on any grounds.  I think gay people should have the right to commit to each other and share retirement, benefits etc...  Just like I think straight couples should be able to share benefits if they live together.  An argument that I got into with HR when I was at EDS and found out that my ex-wife (then my girlfriend) couldn't go on my benefits even though I supported her.  A benefit that was provided to gay couples.  They didn't like it when I suggested I was being discriminated against because I was straight.

Anyway, to be blunt I don't care about gay athletes.  I'm sure there are some, and to compare being an openly gay athlete to what Jackie Robinson did is absurd and belittles what he did.    It's similar in the same way an apple and a banana are both fruits., but that's it.

Not nearly as dangerous, courageous or changing sports.  It's not like there's a "Homo-Leage" for gay baseball players.  Or the GayBA for gay basketball players, and they are EXCLUDED from participating.  A gay athlete simply keeps their sexual orientation to themselves.  Which, quite honestly, is where everyone's sexual orientation belongs...

RIP Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher died today, and while I won't be popular with my Irish wife, her family or friends, I am sad to see this.  I came of age during the end of the cold war, when Ronald Reagan was the president, and Britain was our biggest ally.  I was young, idealistic and conservative and shared my beliefs with Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.  She demonstrated that a woman could be an equal to any man at a time when women were struggling with that in the US.

I remember her standing up against the Russians with the US, and the incredible fortitude I saw from her.  The Iron Lady is how I will remember her, and with her passing a little bit of my childhood fades away.

I was saddened to find out she was suffering from dementia as she got older.  I can accept many aspects of getting old, but the one thing that truly terrifies me is the thought of suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's.  I would prefer a bullet to that.  As painful as my mom suddenly dying, I was a little glad that she never had to deal with dementia.

On a final note, if you have no idea who Margaret Thatcher was, or even if you do, you should watch The Iron Lady.  Glenn Close is a remarkable actress and she plays the role flawlessly...

Thank you spotify

Love that you have a native Linux client.  Just wish you had a little more classic rock (Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd etc...)  I get that most people who use Spotify won't care about it, but it's a deal breaker for me...  Too bad because I really like the service otherwise.

Give me a break

So I made the mistake of reading CNN today and an article on immigration caught my eye, that and CNN's ongoing campaign against Carnival Cruise lines..  I'm more than a little interested in this, especially as my wife and stepchildren all have green cards.

What bothers me is that now it's "de-humanizing" to call someone an illegal immigrant because as this story says "When you inaccurately call me 'illegal,' you're not only dehumanizing me, you're offending them. No human being is illegal."

Are you fucking serious?

It means you are here (as in the US) illegally.  Not that any specific human is illegal.

And there is a campaign to "drop the i-word"...

How about a campaign to drop using Spanish in every store, automated system and in the DMV?  Oh, so sorry, we can't do that because it's "racist".  I guess all those people who congregate at the 7-11 in Herndon are here LEGALLY???

Give me a fucking break.