Monday, March 24, 2008

Sex scandal stops Hillary from Whitehouse!

Really! I was reminded recently during the after Easter-dinner political discussion that a Sex scandal is really to blame for Hillary’s woes. And it has nothing to do with Bill this time.

We’ll get to that in a bit.

Is it an age thing? Do politics become more interesting the older you get or has it just been an interesting couple of seasons?

In 2000 we had hanging-chads! Al Gore is inches from conceding, I think he even picked up the phone to call Bush. When, all of a sudden, he gets the notion to drag the whole thing down into the mud err courts. But then looses anyway so that he can go off and invent global warming. Thank God.

The whole thing was a huge spectacle that went on for months. All the while it was interesting but does it really matter who is in white house? The president is important but most of the time what he does is pretty detached from our everyday events. Then on 9/11/2001 we were attacked. I for one was glad we did not have Al Gore in the White House on that day.

The following presidential race has not been disappointing. For the last few months I have been watching the primaries with increased enthusiasm. What should have ended on Super-Tuesday has turned into an interesting contest between Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama. For details see the recent internet.

Then I was reminded that if we start at the beginning the story is even more interesting. It all starts with Jeri Ryan, wife to Jack Ryan Illinois Republican Senate-hopeful. Apparently she refused to go over and above her wifely call of duties and later divorcees Jack in 1999.


Jeri Ryan as 7 of 9 on Star Trek Voyager.

From Wikipedia:
…when Jack Ryan's Senate campaign began, the Chicago Tribune newspaper and WLS-TV, the local ABC affiliate, sought to have the [divorce] records released. Both Jeri and Jack agreed to make their divorce records public, but not the custody records, claiming that their release could be harmful to their son.

On June 22, 2004, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Schnider agreed to release the custody files; the decision generated much controversy because it went against both parents' direct request and because it generally reversed the early decision to seal the papers in the best interest of the child. It was revealed that, six years previously, Jeri had accused Jack Ryan of asking her to perform sexual acts with him in public, and in adult clubs in New York, New Orleans, and Paris. Jeri Ryan described one as "a bizarre club with cages, whips and other apparatus hanging from the ceiling." Jack Ryan denied these allegations. Although Jeri Ryan refused to comment on the matter during the campaign, the document disclosure led Jack Ryan to withdraw his Republican candidacy for an open United States Senate seat in Illinois.


So the Republicans scramble and send Alan Keys to the rescue to run against Barack Obama and of course looses.

If Jack Ryan had won the Senate seat, which is not that hard to imagine, Hillary would have had almost no competition in the primaries and would have had a much easier time fighting the Republicans for the White House this November.

As it stands now it’s unlikely she will even win the primaries all because the liberal press and liberal judges where out to get a Republican.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Imminent doom

A raging war is going on inside me at this very minute. Go on look closer. Behind my eyes. See it yet? No? Ok, let me help.

For those that do not know me I can be a very strongly opinionated person. I prefer to call it stubborn. The problem is I often know I am right and when you know you are right why should you let others persuade you otherwise?

The dilemma occurring is because of a long standing rule I have is being tested. You see, I have a deep seeded apathy for movies that are not complete stories when they end.

To appreciate my mind set here is some background. In the summer of 1977 I was 12 years old and my parents took me to see Star Wars! It changed me forever. I formed a religion in my head that day. I became a card carrying member of the Star Wars faith.

In January during the Academy Awards “Annie Hall” won for best picture. Beating out Star Wars! To this day I resent “Annie Hall” and I have never seen it.

When “The Empire Strikes Back” came out I could not wait to see it. Riveted to my seat “Luke Join Me, Together as…”. THEN it ends and is clearly not finished!? What is that about?

Today when I am asked to put the 6 episodes in order I put #5 near the bottom because I still take off lots of points for being incomplete. I know that now it is so common place it kind of feels silly complaining about it. But I feel movies are expensive and if I pay the $20 per person (because you have to have popcorn, a soda, and M&Ms) you should get a complete experience before you leave.

So let’s review: I do not like movies that are incomplete because my parents took me to see Star Wars when I was 12 and impressionable scarring me for life.


Now enter stage left recent news that the upcoming Harry Potter 7 movie will be split into two parts “because it has so much content”. It really does have a lot of content.

I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I have all the books. I went to get them at the midnight book store parties. I have read them 3 to 5 times each. I have seen the 5 movies that are out each several times at the theater and on DVD.

So you can see where this is going. I have an irresistible force meeting with an indestructible object within! How do I allow myself to like the 7th movies? The 7th book is my favorite and I know the movie won’t be as great as the book but will be good.

In an effort to settle this; I am trying to figure out where in book #7 I would end the first half of the movie. Maybe it will be ok?

WARNING - Harry Potter 7 spoilers follow.

So here is what I am thinking. I would end the first movie with the death of Dobby. It’s a bit sad I know but you get a great climax with the heroes escaping from Malfoy’s Manor after a good battle scene.

This would put lots of action in the first half movie: The battle of seven Harrys, escaping from the wedding, the planning and attack on the Ministry of Magic, the battle with Voldermont in Harry’s home town, getting the Gryffindor sword and then being captured by the Malfoys and finally escaping. Dobby would die as they look to the future. The end. Bah, it would suck but it would be full of fun.

The second half movie would start the trio planning to break into Gringotts, inside the vault, the escape on the dragon, the battle in Hogsmead, and then we would see the whole Dumbledore story.

Maybe splitting the 7th book won’t be so bad. The previous 6 books were very tied to a structure. Harry starts a school year and adventure happens as the school year goes by. Splitting one of them would be awkward, it would be clear the year didn’t end. The 7th book has no predefined structure.

Anyway thanks for listening.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

David Graduates from Cub Scouts

David graduated from Cub Scouts on Friday at the Blue and Gold pack meeting. He earned the Arrow of Light which is Cub Scouts highest award.



To earn the Arrow of Light he had to earn several Webelos activity pins involving several different disciplines; fitness, first aid, citizenship, outdoorsmen etc. In addition he had to know and recite Mottos and Laws of the Boy Scouts. In general they are a good group of things to know and live by so I was glad to see David learn them.

I was an assistant den leader for Davids den and was responsible for learning how to construct these ceremonial arrows. All the boys each built their arrows prior to receiving them at the meeting. Also they each were responsible for staining and or decorating the wooden plaques.

David has decided to go on to Boy Scouts. Boy Scouts is quite a bit different. The Boys are required to do much more of the planning and preparing for all the events. They also have more meetings and go "Camping" every month. Our knew Troop leader said it like this "Cub Scouts is about fun. Boy Scouts is about Adventure."

The arrow of light patch you earn for your uniform is the only patch from Cub Scouts you can wear on your boy scouts uniform.

We are very proud of David.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Wake up call

These are edited excerpts from my personal journal that I wanted to share.

WARNING this article contains adult content.
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THURSDAY - 2/28
Apparently at lunch-time recess, at David's school, a grade school bully was kicking ice at David over and over again. Despite David repeatedly telling him to stop. At some point Zach sees this and intervenes. This is great because it means Zach cares some for David, or just hates bullies. Zach tells him to stop and draws the attention. After a moment he pushes Zach resulting in Zach using his Hapkido knowledge to throw him on to the ground. It turned out that Zach is a black-belt and has been learning it since 2nd grade. He and David are in fifth grade now.

Anna learns all this from Zach's mother and Anna then suggest to her that David tags along with Zach at a Hapkido class. It turned out there was one that night. Zach and his father go 3 times per week. David and James went and they liked it a lot. David said it was a tough work out and he and Zach threw each other on to mats.

He wants to start taking classes also, three times a week. I think this is a great idea.


FRIDAY - 2/29
Anna went to see "The other Boleyn Girl" with some of her friends.

David lost a tooth at dinner. We put it in a little baggy and then under his pillow for the tooth fairy.

Soon after I put the boys to bed the phone rang. It was Private Name / Private Number. As a rule I normally do not answer those but since it was about 9:20 pm I thought it couldn’t be a telemarketer and maybe it had something to do with Anna. So I answered it. It was a young male voice asking for David. I asked who it was "Rashid" is what it sounded like. I don’t know about any of David's friends by that name. I told them that David could not come to the phone and could I take a message. There was a pause. Then a deeper voice gets on the phone "Please give David this message: Tell him I want him to anal fuck me. I want him to anal fuck me hard all night long." I was stunned. I said nothing and the person didn’t hang up until after a few seconds. Which I now find disturbing. If it was someone new to talking like this to strange adults it seems they would have hung up immediately. They were waiting for a reaction from me. Hoping for one. I am glad they didn’t get it. I said nothing and after a few seconds they hung up.

First I tried to use *69 but it didn’t do anything. I was hoping an adult would answer. I had not tried that in years so I am not even sure if I can without paying an extra fee which I am sure I do not pay. I then called the police. It turns out in my town you need to call 911 even if it is not an emergency. I told the police what happened and that I wanted to file a report. Within a few minutes they had a policeman at my door. I think it was the same officer that gave me a ticket a few months ago for rolling through a stop sign.

I told him what happened and he agreed with what I was thinking that it probably had to do with the playground incident. He gave me the number of the report that will be filed.

After all this I forgot to be the tooth fairy!


THRUSDAY - 3/6
David and I went for a walk and I told him there is no Tooth Fairy. "I know dad. I started to suspect when I got a carwash token!" He had a big grin on his face and it was a good moment. I told him that most kids loose all their baby teeth long before 11 years old and that the tooth fairy was invented to keep little kids from being too worried about the whole process of losing their teeth. I also told him not to tell James who has not lost a tooth yet.
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Ok I can explain the carwash token. In my den I have a glass jug with lots of loose change in it. When it is time to be the tooth fairy I grab a large handful from the jug, sneak into my sons room and swap it for the tooth. There must have been a token in the jar that night.


Innocents lost –
Months ago I was trying to decide when to have “THE TALK” with David. I decided next summer before he begins middle school. I have heard from multiple sources that in middle school the swear-word lexicon increases exponentially and I want David to be prepared for that and not look foolish. How can I explain terms without having “The Talk”? You can’t. So I planned to wait as long as I could before moving David a few steps away from innocent.

After this phone call sadly I realize I might be a bit too late. Clearly there are clumps of fifth graders that know quite a bit of lexicon.


My master plan was already altered some last Month:

MONDAY - 2/11
I talked with David about some things he learned in a Puberty class at School. He didn’t request it but I wanted to make sure he didn’t have any questions and was just not asking them. We went over a few terms from the glossary of the booklet that came home; wet dreams, sperm, erections, testicles. It was not that uncomfortable for me but David still didn’t seem to have any questions.
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I now wonder if I should move up at least more parts of “The Talk” to explain to David more terms?