AliveAndKickN

Mullett? Yah fer sure!!

The family and I took a 10-day holiday to Vancouver, mostly Vancouver Island, spending time in Victoria, Tofino and Campbell River.  Whales, salmon, mountains, beaches, seals, eagles, bears, surfing.  I was hoping to get to Alaska, but apparently the distance from Vancouver to Alaska is like Jersey to Florida.  My states visited count remains at 45.  Aside from the usual joy of taking three boys on a 6-hour flight and 5 hotels, I of course had to take in the surroundings.  Lots (dare I say oodles) of old growth and new growth trees, biodiversity, and wildlife blended within the population.  Everything was clean.  Most of the cars and houses were smaller, and the 5-year old couldn't keep up with the amount of buses.  You saw more recycling containers than individual pieces of litter, and there was definitely potential for abuse.  With all of the fried food/coffee house/donut shoppes, Vancouver could easily be as polluted and overweight as anywhere USA.  Cigarettes were prevalent however, as was beer (more expensive, but higher alcohol content).

So how was it like the USofA?  Although my media following was minimal, it appears their political and economic issues are similar.  Revenue and therefore tax collections are down, so it's easy to blame the other guys, whoever they may be.  Mills, car dealers, retailers closing as overspending stops.  Soldiers overseas.  Hockey all over the sports, even in August.

On the flight back, we had 6 hours of clear daylight to see the earth below.  I skipped 17Again and Confessions of a Shopaholic and read The Family and more of Atlas Shrugged.  The story in The Family flat out scares me.  American politics as a holy war for several decades?  I hope not.  The view was amazing - Great Lakes and Rockies still inspire.  Forests and lakes of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota are impressive.  Plains states look like jigsaw puzzles of crops separated by highway.

Came home to Jersey and rotator cuff surgery and a guvernatorial election with two qualified men reduced to mud-sligging.           

Lead by Example

Last Friday, Bill Maher, one of my favorite commentator on politics, gave our President a hard time about some of his recent habits, seemingly in order to seem more like most Americans.  He started eating at burger joints and playing golf.  And if someone is going to lead by example, our President should continue his habits from before he got elected - eat right, and play hoops, both of which are good for you (never mind the cigarettes for now).  Maher's point, and I agree, are that both golf and industrial food are bad for the environment.  One recent habit seems to have caught on however, visiting National Parks.  While out west pitching the healthcare reform package, the President visited Yellowstone, among other sites.  This year so far, 4.5 million more people have visited national parks than 2008.  Of course, our local congressman was against making the Great Falls in Paterson, the second highest waterfall on the east coast behind Niagara, a national park this year.  Amazing.

Renewable Energy World was pleased to report how utilities are in the process of solar installs on a significant basis.  Duke, PSEG and Southern California Edison are leading the way.  Assuming they are successful in goals - cost/watt produced, etc., the rest could join the fray shortly thereafter.  Of course one of the biggest problems is the cost of electricity in the coal belt.  At such a cheap cost of electricity, it doesn't matter how much energy is saved, it doesn't always have the quick enough ROI. 

Today, I launched my first fundraising effort on behalf of the Bergen Volunteer Center, where I just became a Board Member.  We'll see the result.  Hopefully I'm successful, as the Volunteer Center, as with every NFP, could use the money in these lean times. 

Glenn Beck

Advertisers are pulling their money from Glen Beck's show.  Some were actually spending money on the show by accident previously.  I find it hard to imagine that Fox would willingly put advertising there on purpose.  Hopefully, there should be enough penis enhancement drugs on the market to fill the empty void.  If not, the color changing beer cans will.  If I don't know the proper temperature of my beer, it just won't be as good, and might negate the effect of my free $89/month non-enhancing pills.  Lucky us. 

Is it ever simple?

I apologize for being away.  I was interviewing to be part of the Obama administration death squads who would be the ones deciding euthanasia.  Based upon the nonsense coming out in the media, I can think of a few good places to start if I get the job.  As always, who wins and who loses in these types of debates, and are they even debates if the goal is to simply make the other guy lose, regardless of the outcome?  Anyway, for a change of pace, Mrs. Semicolon decided to have her appendix out at the last minute, and 24 hours later, after laporoscopic surgery, she was home resting uncomfortably.  I somehow managed to switch gears and cook and clean, filling my husbandly role.  Speaking of simple, I made what turned into an awesome vegetarian chili - 2 cans of red beans, leftover corn kernals, can of crushed tomatoes, chili powder/sugar/salt to taste, herbs from the garden to taste and slow cooker for as long as you want.  Tres bien!!

Shark Week is in full tilt on Discovery.  As always, use terror to attract viewers and show the plight of the shark.  Eco-tourism for shark viewing is now impeding on surfers.  Chum is being used to attract sharks for the tourists, drawing sharks off Africa into waters with people.  People occasionally lose.  This still doesn't make up for the gazillions killed annually for shark fin soup.  What a waste, and burden on our ecosystem.  Thankfully, I had the Joan Rivers roast on Comedy Central to switch to.  It's amazing how much humor can be achieved from one person's face.  With any luck the Michael Jackson funeral will continue to hold court as well.  I miss the headlines.  

I couldn't help but notice that the Birther Movement has the same initials as another movement.  But after a bowel movement, at least one feel's relieved instead of having more anxiety.  Maybe Fox and Lou Dobbs will pick up this movement?  The product placement tie-ins would certainly be better financially.  Think of all of the cereal advertisers who'd jump on the opportunity.  Someday, I hope Coney Island counts as part of the United States.  If I ever become important, I don't need the controversy.  

Is America stupid, as Bill Maher says?  Do we really not know a lot - branches of government, what are the Bill of Rights, belief in snopes such as Bush knowing about 9-11 beforehand,  Amazing.