Returning
Well, vacation has come and gone, and now it's time to return to a routine.

By now, anyone who was visiting this blog in hopes of seeing something new every day has left, never to return.

But now, I have so many things to talk about. But will I take the time to do it? Some things on my mind, of late:

• Politics: Sorry -- bored of it. I know I'm voting for Kerry. There is nothing "W" can do or say to change my mind. Still, he is likely to say enough divisive things between now and the election that I will have to comment. But not today.
• Gay Marriage: Actually, the topic I'd rather cover is the focus on homosexuality within the church. Lately I've been formulating a rather lengthy essay in my head. I need to organize it. We Bible-believers are being sold a bunch of skewed half-truths, and I would like to get some of them put on ethereal paper, for my own sense of well being.
• The problem is, it will get to be book length. Because, really, the topic of the set of essays is the modern Evangelical focus on division, rather than union. Gay Marriage is just the convenient leaping-off point. Though the Roman Catholic Church has added another example, in their recent decision to ask pro-choice Catholics to exclude themselves from Holy Communion.
• Choices: I can't figure out why some people don't get this: your satisfaction with life relates directly to the choices you make. Some people need a clear explanation of that. It might be pop psychology, but it's a message many people need to hear, in this age of misplaced accountability.
• Transitions: When your children become adults, there are so many transitions to consider.

Perhaps I can manage these in small chunks.

And yet, I still wonder -- is there a real purpose to it?

Entertainment - they got it right
Finally, I have seen Spiderman 2.

And, just in case there is someone reading this who does not want some of it spoiled, here is the link to my review with spoilers.

Anyway, a very enjoyable night at the movies. I attended with Sherry, and with Don. Don and I came to an arrangement that we needed to see it together since it had been out for almost a month and we had not seen it yet. We both needed a specific appointment to make ourselves get out of our house and into the movie. All of us are glad we did.

(So, there, a non-political, non-whining blog entry. I knew I could do it eventually!)

I? A Vulture?
Face The Music is closing.

The end is getting very close indeed.

Today, I bought some supplies at 60%, even 65% off.

I am tempted to buy some of their D&D miniatures at 80% off. Will I ever paint miniatures again?

Who cares, at 80% off?

And Unlimited Star Wars packs at something like 50-cents! I haven't bought them yet. But won't I regret it someday if I don't?

But they still have Mercadian Masques selling for about $3.00 after discount. Still too much. Same for Homelands.

But there is something satisfying about picking at the dying bones of this store. For though it was done in more by music piracy than anything else, it could have survived if it had invested time into its gaming side, I think.

Well, its loss is Jimmy Jam's gain. And mine. And the other vultures.

The approaching wave
Within a few days, a tremendous amount of work is headed my way. It is forseeable. I am bracing for it. I am preparing for it. But preparation will only make it less damaging, not reduce its size.

Fortunately, it is important work. I would be dreading it much more if the result of weathering the onslaught was meaningless.

Blacklisting
So, Whoopi Goldberg gets dismissed as spokesperson for SlimFast because of an (admittedly) off-color remark about the President. Apparently SlimFast customers are upset.

I certainly expect, then, that those same customers are demanding the removal of that associate of the President who told a distinguished elected official to, well, perform that impossible sexual act.

I mean, fair is fair.

Oh yes, the level of discourse and bipartisanship has certainly reached a new level, as promised by Candidate Bush in 2004. And, I'm sure his re-writers of history could even convince Fox News watchers this is exactly what he meant.

Singleness, or at least Single Parenting-ness, ends soon
Sherry has been gone since Friday morning. Tomorrow night she'll be back, if things go as planned.

I have had several days of single parenting. This has not been the difficult chore it used to be, when the kids were all pre-teens. But there is still all the typical grown-up stuff to do. Stuff which I am used to sharing (or leaving almost entirely to Sherry, like the laundry) and I will be glad to share it again.

And, ahhh, to have that friend to talk to at the end of the day. Someone to listen to, smile with, gaze at, sit with - this I miss. I think it's pretty clear, I am someone who was always meant to be married.

So, one more evening of gaming, and chores. And then I'm part of a couple again.

It definitely suits me.

There must be a name for this....

Psychologists must have a name for severe frustration brought about by technology....

We are so dependent on technology these days.

Especially the part of "we" which includes me. And "dependent" as it relates to leisure. So this is no serious matter, in the grand scheme of things. But...

My Cable Internet has been so flaky lately. It will just drop out, intermittently. This would be no big problem for most folks. An annoyance for sure, but it would not cost them real dollars.

Me, I play "Magic Online." So, I dole out $13.07 to play in a draft tournament, I choose my cards, and then, just before my first match is to begin, the Cable Internet drops!

It's been weeks of this now, and the cable repair person should show up Wednesday. Let's hope they can make it all better now.

That's enough whining.

Happy Birthday, Dad!
Yep, it's the birthday of Dr. Walter E. S. Will! I've already called to wish him a good one.

My night last night was filled with "Magic Online." I'm really beginning to understand how people get so addicted to this game. I met a guy online last night who owned some real cards, but had never used them. It's so EASY to play when there are hundreds of people looking for a game at almost any time!

I did work around the house already this morning, so I think I'll be gaming a good portion of today. I'm somewhat tempted to go to Jimmy Jam's (a game/comic store) because today they are having some comic book artists do sketches as a benefit for the library. But I probably won't. It's a hot and humid day.

Hmmm -- looks like I don't have anything pithy, profound, political or poetic to say today.

I think it's because I really want to get to some gaming!

Everyone


Everyone thinks about it.

You know they do.

No one talks about it,

But they think about it.

What if you just spoke up?

What if you said something?

How bad could it be?

So why not say something?

They all think about it, after all.

Everyone knows they do.

But then again,

Since everyone thinks about it,

Why bother saying anything?



You think that's what everyone thinks?

And now, a little free advertising for
the blog of Michael C Hacker, a gentleman, scholar, and friend.

Politics and Comics
One of my daily routines is to go to a set of comic strip sites. I have a group of comics which do not appear in my local paper, but which I find amusing and/or thought-provoking. Some of these are available for free. Others I pay a nominal fee ($10/yr) to be able to view.

One site which I include in my "comics" list is a calendar site. This particular calendar is the "365 Stupidest Things Ever Said" site. Most of the time, it's just silly little things. I'll bet the first version of this calendar was really hilaroious, but this is the n-th year of it, and they run out of big names to quote saying stupid things.

Except they can go back to "W" from time to time.

Here is today's:

On Being a Good Patriot

And so, in my State of the?my State of the Union?or State?my speech to the nation, whatever you want to call it, speech to the nation?I asked Americans to give 4,000 years?4,000 hours over the next?the rest of your life?of service to America.

(President George W. Bush, on his community service initiative)

After the recent death of "The Great Communicator" it is striking to see the leader of the free world be so utterly inarticulate.