Monday, October 31, 2005

He won, let him nominate who he wants (Appended)

Scooter: 1 Nov05. Apparently I was not clear from both the comments included here and from the commments the boyfriend direct to me last night.

I did not mean to say that I like Alito or that Bush can nominate anyone. What I meant was, Harriet Meirs was not qualifed. This guy is. He is at least smart.

And, he is going to be confirmed, they have the votes and the backing. This isn't a fight we can win - so we gotta make the best of it. He is going to roll back rights for everyone in this country. The right to be held without trial (or even being charged), the right to legal abortion - lots of things. But don't kill yourself arguing against him. He will be confirmed.

original post

You know, I don't like Bush. I don't admire him. I don't think he good for the country. I think we are poorer as a nation and a community of Americans because of him.

But...

He won. So he is nominating a really right wing guy. Well duh. That's what he said he was going to do during the race. That's what he has done.

When Clinton won we got Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

When Bush won we got the only appleate judge on the 3rd circut that thought Congress could not regulate private ownership of automatic weapons. This is not a surprise. Does no one remember the NRA said if Bush won their guy was in the white house.

So, good luck Judge Alito.
To everyone else, there is usually at least 6 months from hearing a case, until the decision is handed down. I suggest you use that time wisely if the outcome will effect you.

Just give me the heart attack now (but let me beat SC first)

So, we watched the Bruins (UCLA) on Saturday.

First, the Bruins did not show up to play. For the first 3 quarters of the game (and for 6 minutes in the 4th quarter) the Bruins were no where to be found. This is a high scoring, fun team.

But Stanford in Palo Alot is the ban of the Bruins. We have lost the last 3 times wer traveled their. Last time we were in the top 10 and riding a unbeatean sctreak (2001), we traveled into Palo Alto - got our asses kicked, and promptly lost the next 6 games in a row.

The got the woobie on us.

So, with 9 minutes to go in the game, as they score their 3rd touchdown (after a UCLA interception) to go up 24-3 - well, Scooter was not a happy camper.

And, then.... And, then... The sun peaked through the clouds (metaphorically - it was a night game), Yasmin Bleath ran across the beach without a bra, and the gods of football shined on yours truely. In less than 8 minutes, 8 MINUTES, we scroed 3 times to tie it. But that was not the most amazing twist. Ahh.. the Bruins have come back like that before.

No, the true miracle. The "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" moment. The "Mrs. Mitchell, your divorced is granted" smell of success. Our defenses (110th best in the nation against the run) held Stanford to 3 and out, not once, but TWICE. Sure we can score 21 pints in 8 minutes. But we usually let them a scare 14 back.

We held.

Spencer Haver is my hero. (He is our only defense consistent player). Spencer is my man.

But on Saturday. Ifeel in love with number 17 (I will look up who it is before I publish this). Number 17 sacked the Stanford QB in regulation to force apunt.

Number 17 scaked the Stanford QB in overtime to force a a field goal. A FIELD GOAL. They scored 3 points in OT and dared us to match them. Are you kidding me? We just scored 21 points like nuttin'!

Oh we ran once just for show. It didn't go far enough on fast enough and we were tired. So Drew Olsen heaved a pass on second down into the end zone and the game was over. And Scooter was exhausted.

Number 17: Justin Hickman (you think he looks scary here -= image him tackling you for a loss and giggling).

Friday, October 28, 2005

This Really Happened

(forwarded from Lynnie) Subject: Fw: Thanks Again For All Your Advice

I want to thank all of you who have taken the time and trouble to send me your chain letters over the past few years. Thank you for making me feel safe, secure, blessed, and wealthy. Because of your concern...

1. I no longer can drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

2. I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans.

3. I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.

4. I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.

5. I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

6. I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

7. I no longer receive packages from UPS or FedEx since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.
8. I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our troops.

9. I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a stupid number for which I will get the phone bill from hell - with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.

10. I no longer eat prepackaged foods because the estrogens they contain will turn me gay.

11. I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.

12. I no longer go to bars because someone will drug me and take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.

13. Thanks to you, I have learned that God only answers my prayers if I forward an email to 7 of my friends and make a wish within 5 minutes.

14. I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl who has been dying for the past seven years.

15. I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating In their special e-mail program.


I will now return the favor. If you don't send this e-mail to at least 1,200 people in the next 60 seconds, a large bird with diarrhea will fly over your head at 5:00 pm and the fleas of a thousand camels will Infest your armpits. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of a friend of a friend's neighbor's cousin, and he's a lawyer!

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Song Girls

CNNSI has a photo spread of song girls. The UCLA Girls are in many, cuz they are cute.

(You know where this is going, don't you?)

On the other hand, there is one shot of the USC song girls - looking their best. It's either the end of "Tusk" (for godness sakes, give that horrible song and routine a rest, Fleetwood Mafc recorded it with your band, like, 3 zilliion years ago) or someone has lost a contact.

Perjury: Then and Now

Sunday, republican Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison was on Meet the Press. She said thus.

I certainly hope that if there is going to be an indictment that says something happened, that it is an indictment on a crime and not some perjury technicality where they couldn’t indict on the crime so they go to something just to show
that their two years of investigation were not a waste of time and dollars.


Hummm.... You know sometimes I say we should review the same comment and wonder what everyone thoguht if it was Clinton. Well we don't have to on this. I belive "some perjury technicality" was what the Republicans impeached Clinton for.

FYI - Senator Kay voted to impeach Clinton for this.

Monday, October 24, 2005

Reagan and the Brain Speedometer

How dumb do Radio News reporters think we are? I am listening to the news about the new exhibit at the Reagan Library. The 707 that was his Air Force One has just opened there in an exhibit about how the Air Force One was used by 7 presidents, but Reagan used it the most.

Well the news reporter says, “Today Ronald Reagan’s Air Force One goes on display. Well… I mean Ronald Reagan didn’t actually sit at the controls, but he was the President that most often flew it. You know, as a passenger.”

I think to myself – what are there thousands of people who were thinking, “Damn, that man was not only a great Prezdent – but he could fly that bad boy too!”? I think not.

And then, a commercial comes on that makes me question that thought. There is some new natural herb that will help your brain think faster. It is at GNC. Don’t believe them? Don’t take my word for it – they offer a free, on-line brain speedometer to measure your Brain Speed before and after the herb.

And I think, “Brain Speedometer?”

Okay, maybe there are thousands of people who think that Ronnie actually was flying Air Force 1.

Friday, October 21, 2005

Lynn hits the nail on the head

Lynn forwards some dozzies sometimes (don't we all!), but I liked this one. Mainly because I feel bad for all those little kids riding the bikes with helmets on...
--------------------
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. (Scott-> My favorite was riding standing in the front seat and when we hit the brakes my dad and mom would both puts their arms across me).

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on (or when dad whistled).

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. (Scott -> Okay - never built a go-cart, but I get the idea).

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chatrooms .......... WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Light Bulb time for Scooter

Oh my gawd…

So, I get along with the Indians (from India) at work very well. A bunch of them used to report to me in Chennai. I flew back and forth a couple of times – took them out and generally made them feel at home.

So, when I am walking the halls, we joke around and all.

Well, I just joked with one of them and got a gaw-faw completely out of proportion with my comment. And I realized, - they are laughing because I am the boss.

My first inclination was to wonder if they ever thought I was funny? I know, hard to believe. I quickly came to my senses however and realized they only laughed EXTRA cause I am a big cheese. They laughed before.

My second inclination was pure Karl-Rove evil. I kind of wanted to make inane jokes that didn’t connect at all (okay – MORE inane jokes). And watch them try to laugh.

I have decided to ignore the truth here and continue on joking and enjoying myself. So what if they laugh cuz I am a big cheese. There are worse things – like having to laugh at the jokes my big cheese puts out there.

This is why the 80s and 90s were better than the 00s

This is why the 80s and 90s were better than the 00s

1) 80’s and 90’s look cooler than the 00’s

2) 80’s and 90’s sound cool than the “aught’s”

3) 80’s -> macho = horse
90’s -> macho = SUV
00’s -> macho = Hummers (over compensating)

4) 80’s-> Political Intrigue = Trading Arms for money to give to anti-commie rebels
90’s-> Political Intrigue = Getting a hummer in the oval office
00’s-> Political Intrigue = Outing CIA agent cuz your pissed her husband went after the Prezdent’s “honest mistakes” in his State of the Union speech (by the by – this is a throw back to the Nixoian 70’s)

5) 80’s -> Madonna, New Wave (death of disco)
90’s -> Cher, Latin Boy Bands, JoLo
00’s-> Rap

6) 80’s-> Scary tough guy = Casper Weinberger (I don’t know who he was – but he always sounded tough)
90’s-> Scary tough guy = Mad Madaline Albright
00’s-> Scary tough guy = Dick Cheney (and if the thought of him does send your sack north – you are a big fat liar)

7) 80’s-> First Lady role model = Mary Tyler Moore (smart, tough, but stands by her man)
90’s-> First Lady role model = Heather Locklear (smarter than her man, but dumb enough to love him, kicks ass (but Heather –SO MUCH cuter))
00’s-> First Lady role model = 50’s sitcom wife (smarter than her husband but has to clean up after him)

8) 80’s First Kid -> Ron Regan? That scary daughter with the big blond curls?
90’s First Kid -> Chelsea
00’s First Kid -. The Hammered Bush Twins (okay, her the 00’s kick ass)

9) 80’s -> Commies
90’s -> Japanese Industry
00’s -> Islamofacisum

10) 80’s -> The Cosby Show
90’s -> Melrose Place
00’s -> The Biggest Loser, Law and Order I – VII, CSI:Fargo, Extreme Home-Make-Over-and-Liposuction

Just random thoughts last night as Ed was sick with the Flu.

Come on - you have to apprciate the irony in this

Okay - regardless of political bent you have to laugh at the irony of this. Follow me for a moment.

George Bush appoints Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court.

Harriet, never having been a judge, never written an opinion on Constitutional Law or done anything that would make her qualified for this role - gets hammered by the left and the right.

Laura Bush goes on NBC Today show and says, some of the attacks on Harriet Miers are sexist - because she is a woman. But Larua knows and trusts her.

And everyone nods a little and says, well Laura is a little off-base here; but no reason to go after Laura Bush.

Now reread this as Hillary Clinton goes onto the today show, says trust Bill on picking a smart judge -even though there is no proof. And, Hillary says, if you dont' agree you are sexist.

Tell this to a Republican and watch them stammer as they tell you why it is different (boiling down to they hate Hillary and/or Bill).

Really, you have to appreciate the irony. I do.
Cuz if Bill Clinton said trust me - I would sign on right now. But Bush says trust me - and I think Weapons of Mass Distruction?, I think fund Raising during Hurricane Katrina? I think not.

It all depends on yoru point of view.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

My Mother fully gets into this whole "Montana" Thang

My mom was, when all the world made sense to me, a girl who refused to put up with cold. Oh, she would occasionally visit the white-death for a hour or two - but she never enjoyed it.

And, her move to Montana was prompted (I had assumed) by a nice offer to get away from her other kids (If they don't move out - I'll move out).

Be that as it may. My mom has now fully embraced the Montana life style. she sent these jokes, which I was going to say were over the top. But on my way to work, I heard a woman in Topanga Canyon bitch that since they have been there and bought a million dollar house - she has had to worry about Fires, now maybe Mudslides. Sometimes it doesn't seem worth it. I have clue - Move! If you can afford to live in Topanga Canyon - you can afford to live somewhere else. Suddenly my mom's jokes hit a little closer to home. At least closer to the Canyon.

FOR ENTERING MONTANA
The following list of rules applies to each person as they enter Montana. Learn 'em and remember 'em.

1. Pull your droopy pants up. You look like an idiot.

2. Let's get this straight; They're called gravel roads. No matter how slow you drive, you're going to get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way.

3. They are horses, cattle & oil wells, and that's what you smell. They smell like money to us. Don't like it? I-90 and I-94 go East & West, and I-15 goes North & South. Pick one.

4. So you have a $60,000 car. We're impressed. We have quarter-million dollar air conditioned tractors that we drive 3 weeks a year, & a couple of $300,000 air conditioned combines that get about 10 days use each year.

5. So every person in every pickup waves. . . . They're being friendly. Try to understand the concept.

6. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of geese are coming in, we WILL shoot it out of your hand. You better hope you don't have it up to your ear at the time.

7. Yeah, we eat Walleye and Trout. If you really want sushi & caviar they are available at the corner bait shop.

8. The "Opener" refers to the first day of deer season. It's a religious holiday held the closest Saturday to the first of November.

9. We open doors for women. That applies to everyone, regardless of age.

10. No, there's no "vegetarian special" on the menu. Either order steak, or you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the 2 pounds of ham & turkey.

11. When we fill out a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables, & breads. We use three spices, salt, pepper and Alpine Touch.

12. You bring "coke" into my house, it better be brown, wet & served over ice. You bring "Mary Jane" into my house, she better be cute, know how to shoot, drive a truck and have long hair.

13. High School Football is as important here as the Vikings, Seahawks and Broncos, and a dang site more fun to watch.

14. Colleges? Try Montana State or the University of Montana. They come out of there with an education, plus a love for God and country.

15. We have more folks, per capita, in the Navy, Army, Marines and Air Force, than any other state. So don't mess with Montana. If you do it will get your butt kicked by some of the best.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Three things

Well, the nincompoopery isn't until the bottom (I refuse to rant) so let's start with fun news.

1. Eddie posted the pics from Chicago on Ofoto. I look like a tub of goo in them, but I will link anywho...




More Pics.

2. Trevor is taking after Eddie now. He loves to gaze over the city at night.



3. Harriet "Details Oriented" Miers, the best person that he could find for the Supreme Court, wasn't licensed to practice law in DC this year. No big deal - probably not needed as Legal Counsel to the President. (See answer #11 in her answers to the Supreme Court).

But, no biggie. She fixed it.

Earlier this year, I received notice that my dues for the District of Columbia Bar were delinquent and as a result my ability to practice law in D.C. had been suspended. I immediately sent the dues in to remedy the delinquency. The non-payment was not intentioned, and I corrected the situation upon receiving the letter.

So this is the best qualified person in the United States to sit on the court. Someone who couldn't remember to qualify to practice law! Kids, this isn't just an oversite. Part of being a lawyer, is being licensed. So we have dizzy, doe-eyed Gladys Gravits as our next Supreme Court judge. Oh yea, she will be very neutral when deciding a case that Gorgie-Porgie has brought up.

You're Dreamy....

Monday, October 17, 2005

Back in LA

Eddie and I are back in LA after a week-end in Chicago. We met Jane and Lisa for the week-end. We ended up seeing some cool stuff (we went on the Architectural River Tour). It was fun. Eddie played with his new camara - so pictures will be forthcoming.

We also saw Suzzane in the Windy City - and Patti and Jay came up for dinner.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Transition

Being surrounded by nasty incompetent assholes has a limited lifecycle where it is humorous. It segues to unpleasant quite quickly.

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Trevor Info (and Pics?)




Trevor has taken a liking to both Ashford and the water. Uh oh...

Speaking of Creepy

Speaking of creepy goo-goo eyes. Compare and contrast, this will be on the final.



and now this

"He's my hero," Katie Holmes this summer.

"He is the smartest man I ever met," future Supreme Court Justice Harriet when-do-I-get-my-gavel Meirs.

Is it me - or is this just gross






Come on, you can't fool me. This is just kind of gross. I mean the King of the Schitzo's and the Amazon Virgin Queen.

I mean I like a good Svengali relationship as much as the next guy - but "Stands-With-Moraphine" has the creepy eyes.

(Explanation - if needed, "Stands-With-Fist" was the name of the white girl in "Dances-With-Wolves", which - by the by - was Kevin Costner's name in the movie. Well it was the movie name too. Dances with Wolves was the movie name, not Kevin Costner. Kevin Costner was the Star's name. Well, Kevin Costner was the Producer / Director's name too. But not the Editor's name. The movie was like 18 hours long, I don't think there was an Editor.
Now that Field of Dreams, that was a good movie. And it zipped right along. What-ever happened to that girl thay played the wife. I liked her.)

Anywho... back to Svengali relationships, even Bo Dereck and Jane Fonda could turn to face the camara.

I think the picture above is one of the few good arguements against gay marriage. Not to imply Tom is a fagala. No, but image if Tom Cruise bagged Dawson instead of Joey (Joey was Stands-With-Moraphine's name on the show). Now imagine James Van Der Huge Head standing like that given Tom the goo-goo eyes. That is just creepy.


Plus Tomjohn doesn't have the same flare as TomKat does.

Oh well, as John Luc Picard would say, Go and Spawn in Peace.

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

So - why so cranky

Usually I am ha ha funny. (Okay - If I am not, this SO isn't the time to tell me!) But not lately, why Scott.

Is it because they killed Vaungh on Alias? No that is Ed.
Is it becasue your hair is turning grey? No.
Well, yes, but that explains the last 5 years of cranky - not the last two weeks.
Is it because of the general plight of the world, and the ennui towards the little child, and the tear it brings to your eye - slowing inching down your face? Huh?

No. My boss went on vacation for two weeks. And, specifically against my instructions, left me in charge.

This has not made me happy.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Mickey's Mom has E nuff

So Mickey came out to Palm Springs last Saturday night. His mom and dad (from Chicago) were in town. Gavin and Mickey plus Mickey's Mom and Dad were going to Vegas (while Mickey, Mom and Dad are all Catholic, some-one else is using Yon Kipper vacation days on the strip).

Anywho, Mickey brought his parents out to Palm Springs to break up the drive and see the sights. They went up the tram. They drove by where Mickey sings (he is in the Agape Choir in LA, and the have a couple a concerts a year in Palm Springs). They had dinner out at a Mexican restaurant. Then they came over to our house. Mickey wanted us to all kind of hang out and break up the drive to Vegas. (Gavin? Oh yea, he flew and met them there - nice son-in-law.)

So Mom walks in and is greeted by our 3 dogs. Let me say, Mom is not a dog person. Mom has spent most of the day in the car, and, when she was out of it, in 100 degree weather. Mom has spent the last 4 days with Mickey and Gavin and their new barky puppy and their two older barky dogs. Mom's face fell a little to be greeted with such fervor by yet more dogs.....

Trevor licked her toe (sandals) and Mom said, in a sing-song voice, "Little Dog, if you lick my toes again I may have to kick ya. Yes, I might. Yes I might. Ask Mickey - I almost had to kick the asshole dog of theirs. Yes I did."

Mickey's Mom was, so to speak, just about done with dogs, heat and presentation.

So imagine how happy she was when we let Mom and Dad use Lynn's room - with a Real Live Girls bathroom (as opposed to Mickey and Gavin's guest room). And, since it was Lynn's room, we said, don't let our dogs in because Lynn has a dog and we don't want our dogs marking her room. And there was a big pretty clean bed and a TV.

She changed, and - I imagine- steeled herself for the evening. She was happily surpirsed to come out to the front room; where Ed, Mickey, Mickey's Dad and I were drinking beer and margaritas and watching UCLA football.

Dad and Mom are big sports fans. They sat with us and we all routed for the home team. And we won. We won ugly. We didn't deserve to win - but that's okay in my book. And Mickey's Dad was really happy for me. Mickey's mom was happy for me - and she was happy the dogs slept through the entire game.

After the game she went to bed - for a great night's sleep. Dad, Mickey, Ed and I stayed up until after midnight playing Chinese Rummy and talking. Of course, the first thing I was told was that Dad was a little deaf - so I screamed at him all night and he probablhy thinks I am crazy.

FYI - Dad is a d-shark - I am glad we didn't play for money.

Mickey's Mom has E nuff

So Mickey came out to Palm Springs last Saturday night. His mom and dad (from Chicago) were in town. Gavin and Mickey plus Mickey's Mom and Dad were going to Vegas (while Mickey, Mom and Dad are all Catholic, some-one else is using Yon Kipper vacation days on the strip).

Anywho, Mickey brought his parents out to Palm Springs to break up the drive and see the sights. They went up the tram. They drove by where Mickey sings (he is in the Agape Choir in LA, and the have a couple a concerts a year in Palm Springs). They had dinner out at a Mexican restaurant. Then they came over to our house. Mickey wanted us to all kind of hang out and break up the drive to Vegas. (Gavin? Oh yea, he flew and met them there - nice son-in-law.)

So Mom walks in and is greeted by our 3 dogs. Let me say, Mom is not a dog person. Mom has spent most of the day in the car, and, when she was out of it, in 100 degree weather. Mom has spent the last 4 days with Mickey and Gavin and their new barky puppy and their two older barky dogs. Mom's face fell a little to be greeted with such fervor by yet more dogs.....

Trevor licked her toe (sandals) and Mom said, in a sing-song voice, "Little Dog, if you lick my toes again I may have to kick ya. Yes, I might. Yes I might. Ask Mickey - I almost had to kick the asshole dog of theirs. Yes I did."

Mickey's Mom was, so to speak, just about done with dogs, heat and presentation.

So imagine how happy she was when we let Mom and Dad use Lynn's room - with a Real Live Girls bathroom (as opposed to Mickey and Gavin's guest room). And, since it was Lynn's room, we said, don't let our dogs in because Lynn has a dog and we don't want our dogs marking her room. And there was a big pretty clean bed and a TV.

She changed, and - I imagine- steeled herself for the evening. She was happily surpirsed to come out to the front room; where Ed, Mickey, Mickey's Dad and I were drinking beer and margaritas and watching UCLA football.

Dad and Mom are big sports fans. They sat with us and we all routed for the home team. And we won. We won ugly. We didn't deserve to win - but that's okay in my book. And Mickey's Dad was really happy for me. Mickey's mom was happy for me - and she was happy the dogs slept through the entire game.

After the game she went to bed - for a great night's sleep. Dad, Mickey, Ed and I stayed up until after midnight playing Chinese Rummy and talking. Of course, the first thing I was told was that Dad was a little deaf - so I screamed at him all night and he probablhy thinks I am crazy.

FYI - Dad is a d-shark - I am glad we didn't play for money.

Democracy

Apparently it means different things to us in the US vs. us in Iraq.

A little know problem has cropped up with the Iraqi Constitution, as you probably know. The Sunni Arabs (the bad ones that supported Sadam Hussain - not the Shites who are the good ones now and support Iran (who is part of the Axis of Evil - but let's move on)).

Where was I? Oh yea, the Sunni's don't like the constitution. Mainly because it is "federal" not national. It gives a lot of power to the "states" in Iraq. The Sunni states are poor, the Kurdish and Shite have a ton of oil. That kind of sums up the issues right there.

The constitution can be voted down by a majority, or by a 2/3s majority in 3 of the states. The Sunnis can probably muster that - or can they? According to an AP writer, the definitions have been finalized in English and Arabic for the "official" rules.

Well the definition of the word "voter" means 2 different things. Not all that unusual in a document, but in this case "voter" means 2 different things in the same sentence.

The constitution will not be approved if it doesn't receive approvel from 1/2 of the voters nationwide. So if 100 people vote, it needs 51 of them to vote for it. Also, the constitution will not be aproved if it rejected by 2/3s of the voters in 3 states or more. So, one would assume, if 100 people vote in each of 3 states and 67 of them vote no in all three states it would be rejected.

No quite. Turns out that in the first case (51% to win) it is 51% of the voters. In the second case (2/3s of voters in 3 states say no) it is 67% of registered voters.

Problem solved.

(Here is a Link to the NY Times if you don't believe Salon)