The beautiful young girl offered me coffee. The first taste peeled back many years...
"I finally met the Turk one moonless night. His caravan was camped at a nameless oasis at the mouth of a wahdi many miles east of Marakesh. He had no love for me, but his hatred for Dar Mahmoud was deeper than any well. He poured syrupy black coffee into tiny cups with his own hand, splashing the inky brew over the rim of mine onto the saucer. A spoon would almost stand in my cup. The Sahara wind cooled as it blew in across the oasis and made the fug in the tent almost pleasant. I relaxed and listened with half an ear to the Turk recite Mahmoud's crimes, real and imagined, and to what the Turk proposed he and I would do to mete out justice. And garner profit at the same time, of course..."
"Dad, I know it's strong, o.k.? There's half and half in the fridge."
Mom got waffles with strawberries this morning, and a sewing machine one cut below industrial grade with which to make the curtains she's been planning on "just as soon as I can get this tensioning problem fixed" with her old machine.
I'm off to watch "Serenity" with her. Remember, treat your mother well!
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Hurry Hurry Hurry
Politics:
Voted for Cannon and Hatch yesterday, at the convention. Voted Cannon twice - runoff with Jacobs in June.
I spent forty minutes on the phone with Mr. Cannon on Thursday night, got my questions answered, got some context (with references to applicable sources) to some particularly egregious soundbites attributed to Mr. Cannon, and made my call. We'll see how things play out in the runoff election.
Oh, and in the body of the linked article there is this:
"Overall, it was not a happy convention as former U.S. Rep. Enid Greene, now state party vice chairwoman, was loudly booed and shouted at as she tried to conduct a morning vote on a controversial party constitutional amendment."
The amendment in question was supposed to clarify which level of the party, state or county, had primacy in determining how delegates were chosen. I think the language was amphorous, at best, and voted against the measure on that basis. But to call the entire convention "unhappy" was inaccurate. The calls and boos from the floor were from a few hundred out of over three thousand attendees - probably the same folks who were handing out the "No New World Order" and "Stop Being Duped About Terror" handouts in front of the hall. One of Senator Hatch's opponents ran soley to get his seven minutes at the podium to condemn the "sexual and physical torture" at Abu Grhaib and Gitmo. Go figure.
An interesting day.
Voted for Cannon and Hatch yesterday, at the convention. Voted Cannon twice - runoff with Jacobs in June.
I spent forty minutes on the phone with Mr. Cannon on Thursday night, got my questions answered, got some context (with references to applicable sources) to some particularly egregious soundbites attributed to Mr. Cannon, and made my call. We'll see how things play out in the runoff election.
Oh, and in the body of the linked article there is this:
"Overall, it was not a happy convention as former U.S. Rep. Enid Greene, now state party vice chairwoman, was loudly booed and shouted at as she tried to conduct a morning vote on a controversial party constitutional amendment."
The amendment in question was supposed to clarify which level of the party, state or county, had primacy in determining how delegates were chosen. I think the language was amphorous, at best, and voted against the measure on that basis. But to call the entire convention "unhappy" was inaccurate. The calls and boos from the floor were from a few hundred out of over three thousand attendees - probably the same folks who were handing out the "No New World Order" and "Stop Being Duped About Terror" handouts in front of the hall. One of Senator Hatch's opponents ran soley to get his seven minutes at the podium to condemn the "sexual and physical torture" at Abu Grhaib and Gitmo. Go figure.
An interesting day.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Well, Howdy!
I'm not blogging much these days.
It's ten minutes to nine in the evening as I write this. I got home from work fifty minutes ago. I'll leave the house tomorrow at five thirty a.m., as usual.
It's going to be a beautiful project when it's done, four or five years down the road.
Politics:
I attended a candidates debate between Cannon, Cook, and Jacob last Saturday night. As of this moment, I see no good reason to return Mr. Cannon, and by extension the majority of Republican multi-term incumbents, to Washington. Mr. Cannon let drop a line in the debate that effectively removed him from consideration for my support:
"We can't deport twelve million illegals."
No, we can't. But we can sure as hell disincentivize employers hiring them, concurrent with reforming our INS to effectively deal with a LEGAL immigrant population. NO amnesty, NO worker program, NO "it can't be done". They don't have work, they deport themselves. Then we talk about legal entry.
He doesn't see border security as a priority - that's my considered opinion, not a quote of his. It's just the impression that I get.
I hope that Republican state nominating convention delegates across the country feel exactly the same way, too.
I am not worried that conservatives will stay home and allow the Democrats majorities in either house. If you have to choose between a flighty baby sitter who runs up long distance bills on your home phone and orders movies on your cable network or John Wayne Gacy, the choice is simple. Staying home is not an option, and neither are third parties.
BUT I think there's a whisper of fear running through Republican staff offices as nominating season approaches. I hope there is. The party has behaved abominably with the trust it has been afforded, and there has got to be some way of correcting the trend despite incumbency, short of shooting the damned horse by allowing Democrats any chance at national power.
Home:
The new windows rock. My sprinkler system didn't erupt into fountains when I tripped the valve; after fixing the two bum sprinkler heads, I now have a chance at keeping the rolling plains around my house somewhat green this year.
Family:
Each day Mrs. Tmj leaves her software QA job just like Sherman left Atlanta. The code boys and girls at her company have NEVER dealt with a woman who loves to break software as much as my lady does.
The kids are all passing their classes. Oldest Goddess gets her driver's license this week or next. Youngest Goddess is pushing hard for a room remodel - floor to ceiling in a black/pink motif.
I still have plantar fasciitis, but the Columbia boot company is going to see one of my C-notes real, real soon and I hope the situation improves after that.
Blogs:
You must read Protein Wisdom (and donate, if you think it's worth it - it's fundraising time there) and American Digest DAILY.
O.K., daily - please. Great stuff, both places.
And now - y'all have a fine night, and a better tomorrow.
We live, after all, in wondrous times.
It's ten minutes to nine in the evening as I write this. I got home from work fifty minutes ago. I'll leave the house tomorrow at five thirty a.m., as usual.
It's going to be a beautiful project when it's done, four or five years down the road.
Politics:
I attended a candidates debate between Cannon, Cook, and Jacob last Saturday night. As of this moment, I see no good reason to return Mr. Cannon, and by extension the majority of Republican multi-term incumbents, to Washington. Mr. Cannon let drop a line in the debate that effectively removed him from consideration for my support:
"We can't deport twelve million illegals."
No, we can't. But we can sure as hell disincentivize employers hiring them, concurrent with reforming our INS to effectively deal with a LEGAL immigrant population. NO amnesty, NO worker program, NO "it can't be done". They don't have work, they deport themselves. Then we talk about legal entry.
He doesn't see border security as a priority - that's my considered opinion, not a quote of his. It's just the impression that I get.
I hope that Republican state nominating convention delegates across the country feel exactly the same way, too.
I am not worried that conservatives will stay home and allow the Democrats majorities in either house. If you have to choose between a flighty baby sitter who runs up long distance bills on your home phone and orders movies on your cable network or John Wayne Gacy, the choice is simple. Staying home is not an option, and neither are third parties.
BUT I think there's a whisper of fear running through Republican staff offices as nominating season approaches. I hope there is. The party has behaved abominably with the trust it has been afforded, and there has got to be some way of correcting the trend despite incumbency, short of shooting the damned horse by allowing Democrats any chance at national power.
Home:
The new windows rock. My sprinkler system didn't erupt into fountains when I tripped the valve; after fixing the two bum sprinkler heads, I now have a chance at keeping the rolling plains around my house somewhat green this year.
Family:
Each day Mrs. Tmj leaves her software QA job just like Sherman left Atlanta. The code boys and girls at her company have NEVER dealt with a woman who loves to break software as much as my lady does.
The kids are all passing their classes. Oldest Goddess gets her driver's license this week or next. Youngest Goddess is pushing hard for a room remodel - floor to ceiling in a black/pink motif.
I still have plantar fasciitis, but the Columbia boot company is going to see one of my C-notes real, real soon and I hope the situation improves after that.
Blogs:
You must read Protein Wisdom (and donate, if you think it's worth it - it's fundraising time there) and American Digest DAILY.
O.K., daily - please. Great stuff, both places.
And now - y'all have a fine night, and a better tomorrow.
We live, after all, in wondrous times.
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