Baltimore and Beyond.

I like poking around Craigslist. I jumped on the Rant And Raves this morning to check out the whining and saw a plea for help. Some poor sap was in need of knowing what was good about Obama. I am not a democrat, alas; I’m a halfhearted Republican. But I felt the person needed to hear my worthless opinion, so I emailed the following:

Hi,

I don’t have any names to call you…(what was up with the guy on Craiglist calling you an a-hole?) I do, however, feel his sentiments; it won’t make any difference who you vote for. There’s no way we can get a simple thing like campaign reform to come about. They have the power and we have nothing, but an empty vote.

Maryland will vote Democratic in the General election and no matter what I say or do will change that. Whether you vote for Obama or stay home, MD will still show up on “the big board” as voting for Obama.

I think McCain and Obama are a bit too tied to lobbyists, special interest groups and maintaining the status quo. That is a bad thing. The Federal Government needs a big change, not talk of change. It has grown so large and the ball is rolling down the hill so fast I don’t think it can be stopped any more. Even, my man, Ron Paul, can’t turn it around.

I also don’t think Obama can really change the huge mess in Iraq, either. I don’t think anyone can. There are about 14 mega bases over there with the acreage of cities, i.e., 15 miles across. He’s going to abandon them? Not likely. You can make yourself feel better for voting for him, but he’s just another suit.

Don’t get me wrong, the guy exudes confidence, his oratory is second to none, and his square jaw is carved right out of the same stone as Mt Rushmore. But take all that away and the suit just falls to the floor.

I will write-in Ron Paul because he is the only one that has old ideals of what I think America should be and stand for. Again I say, it’s a wasted vote, but what else can I do? If my vote or your vote could change this country do you really think they’d let us vote?

I don’t mean to come off simply negative. I really think the country is off mark, though. My life is good. Good job…I can afford the high gas. I still dine out, but the leaders are not serious. They are “leaders” in name only. Where are the leaders? Just one would be nice. Do you know any leaders in congress?

Shouldn’t Congress be working on issues related to the war? Isn’t that why so many voted for the change from the Republican run Congress to the now Democratic Congress? Did it even make the slightest difference? Today I hear they will bring up the issue of the Preakness horse that died after the race. I say WHA…? Was Barry Bonds busy? At least 4 from Bush’s administration have been called before Congress and refused to go…without consequences. I am left wanting.

Find something else to do with your life besides counting on these people. I say that with concern, not in a flip way. Or be one of those people that make a difference. (Don’t use the word “change” if you go that route).

See you at the revolution.

Your friend,
Doug

Hi,

I came home from a ride knowing I needed a new rear tire. I love the
Panaracer Fire XC Pro and what do you know when I get home the new
Nashbar catalog is there waiting for me. Better yet, the tire I love, is
50% off! I was sooooooo stoked! I almost fainted.

Get online to oder it and find it’s only 27% off. What the heck, I order
it anyway…

…cause I need it

…cause I love it.

But in the “notes” at the bottom of the order I joking ask, “Where’s my
$7?”

The big day arrives and my new tire comes, right before an evening ride.
What luck. I look all though the box, but No $7…what up? I put the
tire on, (I was all giddy), finished that up, grabbed a beer and sat
down with the new catalog that came in the box with the tire. Once again
it’s 50% off the tire I paid $7 too much for.

Just checked online and it’s now up to 46% off, (item number and link
below, but don’t be surprised if it’s different now). Is it that you can’t
decide?

So, once again, not as jokingly as before, where’s my $7? Where’s an
explanation for the discrepancy? Where is my sense of humor?

Your Pal,
Doug

Item No: PA-FXCW

Link: http://tinyurl.com/4cfsyg

A great Google tool I use, (that is not easy to find), is a pedometer. It’s great to use to see how far I ran when I don’t stick to a regular neighborhood route. It’s good for bike rides and to see how far is the walked to the grocery store. I used it once to see how far it was, door-to-door, from my house to my friend Michelle’s in Leeds, England.

I used the pedometer this morning to see how far away poor Nancy Schmidt was who got murdered yesterday morning.

The murder was 0.0954 miles from my front porch to Nancy Schmidt’s porch.

It’s on the TV news, it’s on the radio news. It’s sad…all the neighbors are talking and everyone is a bit on edge. Many are going up to the house to look…not to see anything, but, I don’t know, to come to grips with it somehow.

There is a sensation I get when these types of things happen. Everyone familiar with the tragedy has a sense of gloom, but those that aren’t aware behave normally. That contrast is creepy for me. I remember when I was young and my Grandmother died and our family was grieving and people we’d pass couldn’t care less. At the time it seemed extra strange, but why would people that don’t know something bad happened be upset?

I got that same feeling last night as I was going up the stairs in the dark and hearing the sound of the ice cream truck, ding-a-ding-ding. Happy sounds on a gloomy street. Just so eerie.

How does that “thing” happen? That thing where you are in a room full of people and you look across the room at something, maybe at glasses on the bar, and for moment you glance to the side to a person that just at that same moment turns to meet your stare.

There have been several lately when I’m in my car at a light and the person I glance at doesn’t even have me in their line of vision and they quickly *turn around* and see me looking. If I had been sitting there staring at them ok, but I just glanced for a second before they turned.

Doesn’t that piss you off to have that feeling of guilt for staring at them? You didn’t stare, but you got caught anyway. How does that “thing” work? You and I have been on the other side of that “thing” and thought someone had been staring at us.

What is that “thing” called? Isn’t there a name for that?

Is that “thing” the same thing as when you think of a loved one as the phone starts to ring and it’s THEM on the phone?

That “thing” should have a name. I have a few, but decided they were to stupid to post.

Speaking of stupid names…what’s the name of the moon that orbits the Earth? The damn thing is called the Moon…how dumb is that? I could have come up with that name. Let’s petition to get a REAL name for the Moon or change the name of the Sun to Star.

Continuing with stupid. How old is “rising” and “setting”? The Sun and Moon don’t do those things, ya know? That concept of a fixed earth with moving heavenly bodies around us is from early man, yet we say “rising” and “setting”. Petitions for this are need first, then to rename the Moon and a name for that “thing”.

I don’t have time to get petitions going for any of this, I’m going out to get a pair of horse blinders retro-fitted to my head.

I don’t like him. He struts through the club like he owns everything. His entire personality oozes pompous.

There are many reasons to join the intelligence services. You might do it for your country. You might do it as a matter of knowing you are protecting your family and loved ones. You may feel it’s your duty after coming up though the ranks in the Marines. It is possible to join just to for the fun of being a spy. I didn’t know there could be a reason so far fetched that it would bother me. I think it’s wrong to to be a spy because of your love of deceit. That is Husten Brockings.

That strutting slime just passed as I was taking the stole from my wife’s shoulders. She smiled far too nicely at Brockings and then turned and winked at me. I know that smile from many intimate moments with her and it made me uncomfortable. AND, she topped it off with a wink to me! Has she been swooned by this…this wretched pile of a man

Brockings has be married three times and has a way with women that turns the stomach of most members I’ve talked too. Aside from his ability to avoid alimony and child support by using his high powered connections, it’s his working his way though many of the single and married women of the club that disturbs us.

Who names their child Husten anyway? What man wears shoes that click when he walks that are distinguishable above all the ladies in the club? Why does he need to be noticed, “I am Brockings and I am walking here!”

Geesh!

Being this obsessed over the wad bothers me more that the actual person. That in turn makes his presence all the more unpleasant.

Mary and I have been members of the club for 25 years, since we were newly webs. At that time we were the youngest ever accepted into this fine establishment. It’s as much a place to relax as it is an extension of my professional life and I take it seriously. I’ve served on many committees and just recently headed the finances committee. Now Brockings is about to head things up while I return to the general ranks of the finance committee. I am not looking forward to this. It will be delicate work to disguise my despise.

The evening ended uneventfully for Mary and me. There was something in that cheese that hung on my tongue and no amount of port could wash it off. I needed relief. I pulled the car into gas station and went into the convenience store for something, anything to rid my tongue of the film.

A shocking fireball rolling around my mouth was doing the trick!

Pulling into the lot as we drove away was Brockings. Needing a different kind of relief now, I let it slip, “Mary, the way you smile at Brockings gives me the creeps. I have to know what you see in him.”

“Really, dear?! Are you missing the joke?! I know he’s influential and I smile only to be polite. I can’t stand that douche!”