Skateboarding to the Left, to the Right

I should never have commented on the jumping skateboard boys. Now that I've commented, I'm seeing them everywhere. They're even vanishing on me!

Last night I came around the corner and there was a couple of boys doing the traditional skateboard straight-up jump, failing to make a nice landing, as usual. I got right to the garage, got my cell phone out, I was going to snap a picture of them through the garage window, and they were gone. Within 30 seconds! I went running to the front door and out. I looked up the street, down the street, across the street, and even over on a different street. But they had vanished. It was weird.

Since then, I saw another kid somewhere else today, doing the flipping into the air thing, without success. And lastly, so far lastly, I happened to be looking across the road and there was two more boys (or maybe it was one) flipping it into the air, then tipping it up at a 45 degree angle.

They're everywhere!

More Skateboarding

I chanced to observe another earnest kid, a teenager, working at his skateboard. Kind of hunching, hulking over it, his head down, eyes trained on the board, then doing his best to flip it up in the air, turn it over, or whatever.

It looked like an unsuccessful attempt, but I only could see one attempt while driving by.

Skateboarding

I saw something amazing today, something I'm glad I lived long enough to see. And in a way I saw it twice, but let's just go with the first one first:

I saw a kid on a skateboard who seemed to be using it as a means of transportation. That is, he was going from here to somewhere else, in a straight line, on a course that, if pursued, would get him there.

This is amazing for obvious reasons. As we all know, skateboards were apparently made for simply standing on and trying to flip over, or to jump curbs. That's about all you ever see anyway, kids endlessly trying and failing, trying and failing, then occasionally succeeding, to flip it over and remain upright.

The other incident -- and this isn't as rare -- was a kid on one of those two wheel skateboards, which must be fairly new -- new to me -- and he also was going from one place to another. But these look like they're designed more for getting around, and they look like they ride in a smoother way.

Later in the day, then, my normal sensibilities were restored, when I was driving along and saw a kid with a skateboard. He waited for me to pass, then I looked in the rearview mirror in time to see him standing on it and trying to flip it over. Of course he failed.

Gitmo: Nice Play to Live

Senility Alert #7452:

During a question-and-answer session with Walter Isaacson today, Sen. John McCain said Guantanamo Bay is “one of the nicest places in the world to live in.”

Let's see, a detention camp, barbed wire, a little cell, no way out... Yes, that sounds most pleasant.

Spiritual/Political Absurdities

We find it hard to believe these things are being discussed as though any of it makes any rational sense whatsoever:

John McCain's campaign ad "The One" has generated a lot of buzz regarding the "Left Behind Series." Political commentators are comparing McCain's portrayal of competitor Barack Obama with the blockbuster apocalyptic series' depiction of the antichrist. But even the series authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins don't think Obama is the antichrist. What may have been created as a farce has generated a firestorm of controversy on the internet.

"I can see by the language he uses why people think he could be the antichrist," adds LaHaye, "but from my reading of scripture, he doesn't meet the criteria. There is no indication in the Bible that the antichrist will be an American."

The article goes on to consider seriously the fictional Antichrist character of the "Left Behind" books, as though there could be any clue there about Obama. Look through history; the track record on identifying "the Antichrist" is so far a big fat zero.

This is simply stunning stuff for the ignorance of it all. If there's ever a book called "The Decline and Fall of the United States of America," by one of Gibbon's descendants, there will surely be a chapter on this kind of thing!

UPDATE: The actual truth, of course, is that Ronald Reagan faked his death, and is even now in an underground lair in California, directing world events. He is the true Antichrist, twisting knobs at a big media console, planting devious thought seeds in every enemy of the good. He wears a helmet sort of like the one Ming wears in Buck Rogers movies.

Horray for Mike Myers!

McCain featured Dana Carvey and Mike Myers in a scene from Wayne's World ("We're not worthy") in one of his scurvy ads.

Myers' people called and threatened McCain with legal action unless they took it down. They did, and released an edited version.

What really is wrong with this twerp, McCain? Can't he be a serious candidate, and let us know his serious plans for the country? What positive reason would anyone have to vote for him? He's simply worthless in every way.

Horray for Mike Myers! Except if I have the bucks these guys have, I don't threaten, know what I mean?

Cokie Roberts Thinks Hawaii is "Foreign"

A tip of the hat to "Hope Reborn's" diary at Daily Kos, with some great pictures.

John McCain has been trying to paint true American Barack Obama as "foreign," and now he's getting some help from Cokie Roberts. Obama was born in Hawaii and went there for his vacation. He has family there. She calls this a bad move, because Hawaii is "foreign."

So, one of the United States is actually foreign? 50 states, right? 50 stars on the flag, right? All about the same size? Not 49 regular stars and one tiny one with an asterisk. This is absurd.

"Hope Reborn" has some great pictures, videos, and things, including one of a memorial to Pearl Harbor. You might recall, Pearl Harbor wasn't "foreign" in 1941. We went to war right after it was attacked.

Cokie, such a tool.

First to Know

I'm going to be "the first to know" who Sen. Obama chooses to be his running mate. True story.

Barack Obama is about to make one of the most important decisions of this campaign -- choosing a running mate.

You have helped build this movement from the bottom up, and Barack wants you to be the first to know his choice.

This is going to be exciting, I hope. I'll be walking around with this knowledge and everyone will be going, "So who was it?" But of course I can keep a secret, so my lip's zipped.

If I ever choose to reveal it to the world, please check back here because this is where I will post it, if I ever do.

Or, I guess -- and this won't be as fun for me -- you can click the link and also be the "first to know."

8-8-8

How big a deal is 08-08-08? I guess it isn't really a big deal.

Unless Nostradamus said something about it. Did he?

It's just a nice coming together of digits, with several arbitrary elements. But it's OK. Eight has to be one of the fattest feeling numbers, plump on the bottom, equally plump on top. It's a very feminine number, the curvy look. What other things could be said for it? It seems like the number of "too much" or "an added bonus." If you think of seven as the number of completion -- which is the way it's referred to a lot -- eight is one more, therefore a bonus.

You can roll in on all eights, flip 'em over and roll back out!

The Polyphonic Spree

Have you ever heard the song, "Section 10 (A Long Day)" by The Polyphonic Spree?

I had never heard it before, and was listening to the album while writing a blog post. Since I'm basically concentrating on writing that -- the article "I'm Withholding Judgment," on John Edwards having or maybe not having a love child -- I'm not paying strict attention to this track playing in my earbuds.

It's fine as background, then I start to notice that it's going on for a while, and that it's a lot of prolonged, mechanical sounding tones played without a lot of variance and melody. So I look at the CD cover and it's timed at 36:30! That's interesting.

There's like 26 or 29 people in this group, but I don't think they all had a part in this track.

It doesn't sound like a track for listening to if you're just listening to songs. But if you're doing something else, it's kind of a nice! I heard the whole thing, which might not happen that often.

McCain AWOL Since April, Wants Congress to "Work"

Let's see, if you're a senator who hasn't been at your job in Congress literally since last April, and it's now August, maybe you're the last guy who should be insisting that Congress get back to work!

The Next Cheney

The Democratic party is getting ready for John McCain's veep pick. There's a website in advance of the announcement, called "The Next Cheney."

Included there is a rogue's gallery of some of the possibilities. Whether any of them would ever live down to Dick Cheney's abysmal standards, I hope we never have to find out. It's a scary prospect, though, something best left to stories told around the bonfire at Halloween.

And speaking of Halloween, there's an interesting quote over there that really just about puts the last nail in the coffin of whatever was left alive of McCain's judgment. "With a little more luck, I might have been able to ask you to be my Vice-President." — John McCain to Dick Cheney, 10/23/01.

Please join me in a horrified cry: "God forbid that John McCain ever becomes president!"

Don't falme me pleas

That's funny, a pathetic little nothing of a diary, by Joan Evan.

But this part makes it worthwhile, a true LOL moment:

"Don't falme me pleas"

Merry Christmas

Well, it's August! So let me be the first to wish you a Merry Christmas.

It is a blessed time of year, certainly, and it revives the ancient hope that all of us have, of "Peace on Earth, good will toward men."

And it also has its fun side -- no big secret there -- since most of us have great memories of what we're going to get, what Santa has put in our little sock, and of the family meal and gathering. And who can forget visions of sugarplums?

May all the joy of the holidays be yours this year, from my family to yours! Merry Christmas, everyone!

Pray at the Pump

Here's one for the ages, folks holding prayer services at St. Louis gas stations thanking God for lower gas prices and praying that they'll go lower. Those who pray at the pump also sing "We Shall Overcome," putting in this new verse, "We'll have lower gas prices."

Is this what the spiritual life is all about? LOL. Praying for lower gas prices, even at the pump itself?

Hey, since prayer is being treated as such a frivolous thing, I have a request. Anyone watch All My Children? Please pray that things will work out for Greenlee and Aiden. There's some contention now with Greenlee hearing that Ryan still loves her, and it really could go either way.

This Is Your Brain on Hope

Cute one from MoveOn.org. Effective, too, I think.

Is This Old Dweeb Even Trying?

Hey, I know what it is to have trouble with short term memory. The other day I fed my cats, got distracted and did it wrong. We have their dry food in a plastic container. But I somehow put the plastic container itself where their food goes and the food wasn't there for them to eat. I quickly caught the error before the cats starved, thank goodness.

But even I wouldn't forget having used the word "timetable" just the day before if I happened to be a candidate for President of the United States and that was a particularly big issue, as it is this year. I want to be gracious and not call McCain a liar (at this minute anyway). So what is the problem? Just confused? Or something worse? An old man with no memory?

Albums I Think Are Exciting

Qkumba Zoo - Wake Up & Dream -- This is one I got at a garage sale a week ago on Saturday. It was a quarter. It also was marked "Not For Sale" so it was a promo copy. How the folks at the garage sale got it, I don't know. It wasn't a group I'd ever heard of, but for a quarter I'm usually in the mood to take a chance. I haven't heard the entire thing, but parts of it I've heard several times. I love it. It has a world vibe going on, some foreign tribal words in it of some derivation. And some beautiful vocals and exotic tunes. The first several songs are the ones I'm familiar with to some extent. They are very catchy and dreamy, including one called "The Child (Inside)." Very nice song. All of them are quite cool, but this is a very neat one. The group on the cover has a weird, eclectic look, strange hairstyles and all quite exotic.

Roxette - Joyride -- I've been listening to this one almost constantly. I got the CD "Look Sharp" at Goodwill sometime in the last couple months. I listened to it so much that it's hard to believe, because it's great right straight through. So I ordered this one, Joyride, and it's also great right straight through. Some of the songs have a very exciting guitar presence. There's something about some of Roxette's intros -- on Look Sharp and Joyride both -- that remind me of the intro to "Last Train to Clarksville." There's a lot of very nice guitar stuff going on. Then there's the vocals, so sweet. The title song is an exciting one, which is lovable from the first listen. "Hotblooded," I'm thinking it's a cover song, but it's not. She's "hotblooded, baby," and that's good. The other songs -- there's some slow ones, but OK. "Soul Deep" is another title that is recycled, but it's a completely different song. This is a fast one, with a soul vibe. Exciting song. "The Big L" is an exciting song too, love and lust. The last song, "Perfect Day" is a slow one, a thoughtful song to wind up the album. As on Look Sharp, in a way, although, "Listen to My Heart" isn't quite as mellow. To me, and I haven't charted it out, I hear echoes of the Beatles in the album Joyride. Nothing too blatant, but some of the phrasing, such as in "Joyride," the word "joyrider" reminds me of Day Tripper. There's also lyrics including "no reply" and "hiding away," and just some sounds that hint at the Beatles without coming right out and saying it. Anyway, this and Look Sharp are both fantastic albums.

My Cell Phone Drowned

I'm very careful with keeping water, coffee, liquids out of electronics. I remember when keyboards were new and expensive, the place I worked they were strict about not getting your coffee near the keyboard.

When it comes to my phone, I'm very careful as well. But since you're expected to carry it around all the time -- through many bumps and travails -- all kinds of things can happen to it. It's there, then it isn't because you've forgotten it somewhere.

One day in the winter I had gone somewhere and returned to the place we were staying. And a couple hours later I went to check my phone and it wasn't there. So I retraced my steps, which led to the car, and guess what -- the phone was lying in the middle of the street! It was a cul-de-sac and has little traffic, and there was a car right across from my car, so any car that happened through there would've had to straddle my phone. It was winter, as I said, and cold, so for a while that day my phone was very sluggish. But it recovered.

Then the other day I went to get a pizza. I called the pizza place a few minutes before I got there to order. And I thought I put the phone on the seat, but maybe I put it on my lap. Just before I got there it took off with a huge downpour, raining. So when I got to the pizza place, I jumped out of the car and went running in. I'm standing in there and felt down for my phone and it wasn't there, so I thought it was on the car seat. When I got the pizza, 10 minutes or so later, I went running back to the car in the torrential rain, and there was my phone, lying in a puddle, getting soaked to the bone.

I picked it up of course, but it never worked from that point on. I dried it out, took it apart, etc., but nothing could bring it back from the dead. So I had to go get a new one.

They're so hard to keep track of entirely. It's a regular job to keep a cell phone from getting lost or destroyed.

Bush: "A Total Failure"

Nancy Pelosi, bless her heart, in an interview with CNN, had some interesting things to say about President Bush:

"You know, God bless him, bless his heart, the president of the United States, a total failure, losing all credibility with the American people on the economy, on the war, on energy, you name the subject."

She also said the Congress was busy "trying to sweep up after (Bush's) mess over and over and over again ... The president knows it. He needs something to talk about. Because he has no ideas."

Every once in a while someone says something that boils down the argument to just a few words, and puts the truth out there in as plain a way as it deserves. This is one of those times.