10.29.08

Not giving up on summer yet. The winter will kill me if i give it half a chance.
Who has the time to go to a rally on a Wed. morning?
Only "dance" music I enjoy = LCD Soundsystem, !!!, & The Faint (sometimes), but Of Montreal has bought enough stock with me over the years that I've stuck with their last 2 albums, and it sounds great. Would probably sound better at midnite in Brazil or Coachella, but, eh.
Long day, slow start, catching up quickly.

10.28.08

Keep getting lost, need roads on a grid
Saw an ominous sunset last nite, menacing trees, apocalyptic darkness, not used to those sights.

First song on new Ray LaMontagne album is best soul song in 30 yrs

10.27.08

Quiet Monday- no alarms & no surprises
Too many things not done over wknd, need more rest during week, stay fresh

Yard looks terrible- grass too high, covered in leaves, hopefully dry Fri/Sat for yard work.

Finished "The Wordy Shipmates" by S. Vowell yesterday. Good book, not near great, wish it was short story + essay instead, but take what you can get

10.26.08

First snow of the season
55 degrees yesterday, obv. temp drop
very light, almost like rain, but not, and that's the point

Fine feeling- waking up early & tired on cool morning, with nothing to do but read and let coffee wake you up. Not too many mornings like that, get bitter when interrupted of them.

Good new books & music to come.

Ghosts

When I was growing up, a mile west of Philadelphia, I always thought that it was the greatest city ever. Mike Schmidt was the best ball player, Randall Cunningham & Reggie White already belonged in the Hall of Fame, Charles Barkley was my role model, some years it snowed on my b-day, some years it didn't snow at all. The shore was an hour away and for all the talk about Philly Chzstks (which you really really really have nver had), it's the pretzels. Got to be the pretzels. They are so amazing (again, you haven't had them). The Mets were my enemies and Chicago was my nemesis. My best friend visited Chicago in '89ish, and my idea of it & the midwest was largely "Uncle Buck", so I though, blah, why bother with that place. I eventually grew to love it, though it's always been hard for me to feel like I fit in, more so in Milwaukee & Minneapolis, but even as a lad new to town, the word pop sounded retarded. The most interesting thing to me about the first night game at
Wrigley was that it was against the Phillies, but otherwise the Cubs were division rivals. The Fog Bowl soured me on da Bears for a good long time. Back in the day, Buddy Ryan had a heart attack(?) eating a pork chop, and Ditka renamed his chop (at DITKA'S) after Buddy. I didn't like Ditka or Chops for some time afterwards.
When I was leaving Chicago at the end of July, my dad and I got together for lunch (as we usually did every month) and we had lunch at DITKA'S in Oakbrook. I had the Chop. It was amazing. My last meal out living there and it was the best chop I have ever eaten. I'm finally proud of Ditka's chop, and I'm proud of how much he helped Barack's political career. Amazing what could have been...

He walked down a busy street
Staring solely at his feet
Clutching pictures of past lovers at his side
Stood at the table where she sat
And removed his hat
In respect of her presence
Presents her with the pictures and says
These are just ghosts that broke my heart before I met you.
These are just ghosts that broke my heart before I met you

Opened up his little heart
Unlocked the lock that kept it dark
And read a written warning
Saying Im still mourning
Over ghosts
Over ghosts
Over ghosts
Over ghosts that broke my heart before I met you

Lover, please do not
Fall to your knees
Its not
Like I believe in
Everlasting love

He went crazy at nineteen
Said hed lost all his self esteem
And couldnt understand why he was crying, crying, cryyiiing...

He would stare at empty chairs
Think of the ghosts who once sat there
The ghosts that broke his heart.
Oh the ghosts that broke my heart
The ghosts that broke his heart
Oh the ghosts that broke my heart
The ghosts the ghosts the ghosts the ghosts the ghosts the ghosts
The ghosts that broke my heart before I met you

Lover, please do not
Fall to your knees
Its not
Like I believe in
Everlasting love

He says Im so lost,
Not at all well

Ooooooooooohhh x2

Do as done and there is nothing left to be
Turned out Id been following him and he'd been following me
Do as done after it was over
We were just two lovers crying on each others *shoulder*

Lover, please do not
Fall to your knees
Its not
Like I believe in
Everlasting love

Lover, please do not
Fall to your knees
Its not
Like I believe in
Everlasting love

The Truth About Sarah Palin

via Rolling Stone

THE MYTH: "She took the luxury jet that was acquired by her predecessor and sold it on eBay. And made a profit!" — John McCain, at a campaign stop in Wisconsin

THE FACTS: No one bought the jet online. It was eventually sold through an aircraft broker — at a loss to taxpayers of nearly $600,000.

THE MYTH: "I told the Congress 'Thanks, but no thanks' on that Bridge to Nowhere." — Sarah Palin, convention speech

THE FACTS: Supported the infamous pork project in her 2006 run for governor, even after Congress had killed the bridge; derided its opponents as "spinmeisters." Reversed her stance a year later — but kept the money, doling out the $223 million in federal funds to other pork projects throughout the state.

THE MYTH: "We ... championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress." — Sarah Palin, convention speech

THE FACTS: As mayor, employed a lobbyist who also worked for Jack Abramoff to secure $27 million in pork spending for Wasilla — more than $4,000 per resident. In her two years as governor, requested $453 million in earmarks. Alaska ranks first in the nation for pork, raking in seven times the national average.

THE MYTH: "I found ... someone who stopped government from wasting taxpayers' money." — John McCain, introducing Palin

THE FACTS: Signature accomplishment as mayor: building a $15 million hockey arena that plunged the city into debt. Broke ground on the project without finalizing the city's purchase of the land; the resulting fiasco cost Wasilla $1.3 million — roughly $200 per resident.

THE MYTH: "Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems — as if we didn't know that already." — Sarah Palin, convention speech

THE FACTS: "I beg to disagree with any candidate who would say we can't drill our way out of our problem." — Sarah Palin, July 2008

THE MYTH: "We began a nearly $40 billion natural-gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence." — Sarah Palin, convention speech

THE FACTS: With federal approval years away, not a single section of the pipeline has been laid. State could end up paying the pipeline's contractor $500 million — even if it never breaks ground on the project.

THE MYTH: "She's from a small town with small-town values." — Fred Thompson, convention speech

THE FACTS: Wasilla and the surrounding valley recently named the meth capital of Alaska, with 42 meth labs busted in a single year.

THE MYTH: Palin has "taken on the political establishment in the largest state of the union." — Fred Thompson, convention speech

THE FACTS: Served until 2005 as director of fundraising group associated with indicted senator Ted Stevens.

THE MYTH: "She's fought oil companies." — John McCain, introducing Palin

THE FACTS: Collected $13,000 in campaign contributions from oil and gas lobbyists, including Exxon, BP, Shell and Chevron. BP was a sponsor of her inaugural ball.

THE MYTH: "She's been to Kuwait. She's been over there. She has been with her troops. The National Guard that she commands, who have been over there and had the experience." — John McCain, highlighting Palin's national-security credentials

THE FACTS: Never had a passport before 2007, when she made a brief photo-op trip to visit troops in Germany and Kuwait. Has never been to Iraq, and has not met a single foreign head of state.

THE MYTH: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending." — Sarah Palin, convention speech

THE FACTS: As governor, sought travel reimbursement for 312 nights she spent in her own home.

this is mine:

THE MYTH: She looks just like Tina Fey

THE FACT: She looks just like an elf Tina Fey