Sipping- slowly- on an ice cold Smuttynose Portsmouth Lager, a bit worse for wear this evening, self-inflicted (I think the Red Sox are the only ones hurting worse than I am as I type...)

Dug out and have been listening to some Townes Van Zandt recently...not sure why, just seems to fit of late...

Random ramblings...Have you ever driven behind a smoker? Seen 'em dangling their cigarette outside their window? Why? If they luv smoking so much, you'd think they'd wanna keep all of that good smoke from escaping, keep it inside their car, breathe it in deeply!...What? They don't like the second-hand smoke from their cigs? Guess what- neither does anyone else! Ya wanna smoke, keep it to yourself!...Tho' I will say (and I'm not a smoker- I find it a filthy, disgusting habit) that some of the anti-smoking zealots go too far...if they're adults, and their smoking is not intruding upon anyone who doesn't want it, ease up on 'em a bit...or, if the anti-smoking zealots truly wanna show the courage of their convictions, criminalize it like marijuana and other addictive substances...I don't wanna be around it, but if others choose to smoke, and if businesses choose to cater to smokers (and can find employees willing to work in a smoking environment) hey, that's part of what being free is about. Everyone has the right to make stupid choices!

I don't know what the true or whole story is/will be re. John Mark Karr (the self-confessed killer of JonBenet Ramsey) but I believe I've mentioned before- there ought to be a special place in hell for child molesters and elder abusers- truly the vilest of the vile...

Only a true degenerate bets on preseason football...

Insult to injury...this is especially true of credit card bills, but can be applied to almost any bill (and yes, I should pay all of my bills online...wiseguys!) Why is it that, between the bill itself, and any and all fees, interest, etc... they also sock you for postage?! What- 39 cents is gonna kill 'em? Sheesh...

The colors we assign to our political parties are all askew: Republicans "red?" Democrats "blue?" Greens, well, "green?" Seems to me the Republicans, so often described as the party of "the rich" would be better colored green (ie, the color of money.) The Greens? Given their Marxist/leftist leanings, perhaps red would be more apropos? The Dems? Hmmm...part of me wants to say pink (ie, a lighter shade of red, given the left-leanings of many of them and their supporters) but to be charitable I can let 'em live with blue...the Libertarians? Purple might fit 'em best given our existing palete (a mixture of Republican red and Democrat blue, given their affinity to wanna stay out of peoples' pocketbooks and bedrooms...) But what do I know? I'm color blind!

"You weren't your mama's only boy/But her favorite one it seems/She began to cry when you said goodbye/And sank into your dreams..."

I believe I've mentioned previously that I find Matthew McConaughey to be a very, um, talented actor, yes?! I haven't seen Failure To Launch yet (looks kinda funny!) but I recently watched (and I guess it was an almost-straight-to-DVD release) Two For the Money, where Matthew plays a busted-up ex-college QB turned sports tout (it co-stars Al Pacino and Rene Russo)...it's worth a viewing...

My best (and last single) friend from college is getting married this coming weekend. The wedding is down in New Jersey; a bit of a trip, but hey...It promises to be an interesting- not to mention well lubricated!- event (one of our friends will be "officiating" after getting Rev. Jim from Taxi-like credentials!) Again, it should be fun, and of course I wish the groom and bride all the best...On a personal note, it also serves to drive a few things home to me...don't get me wrong, I enjoy my, um, other friends immensely; I think the world of them. But in so many ways I'm not the person I was even, I dunno, 10-12 years ago, never mind 15-18 years ago...not only that I've become somewhat more responsible, more mature (tho' there are many who would- and could!- question that!) but also my comfort, indeed my embrace, of this (this being the reason most of you have visited my website, blog, etc... ;) I barely even look like I did back then (my hair is the longest and my weight the lowest since- probably- my first year of high school, nevermind college) Lord knows I can't drink like I did back then (a good thing!) But also, with his marriage, it serves to bring home that that- marriage- is probably something that is not in the cards for me. I can deal with that, I can accept that, but it is something that- at times- obviously I feel as if and question how and why I've missed out, or chosen to miss out, on. In short, it's one of those events that gives pause to consider and assess the countless life decisions made over the last many years, the route, the paths, that, combined, got me here from there, good, bad, and/or indifferent.

The latest contretemps in the Middle East (and I don't know how some folks can blame this on the US, or President Bush...but I know some folks will try)...In the past I've usually been at best a lukewarm supporter of Israel; hardly a Buchananite critic, but hardly a member of the "Amen Corner" either. Some of their policies (I'm thinking specifically of the "settlements" established in lands beyond the defined borders of Israel) have fomented- at times legitimate- anger amongst the Arab peoples residing in the Palestine region. But...in this go-round, I find it almost impossible to fault Israel. Hezbollah initiated all of this by it's kidnapping of Israeli soldiers and it's launching of rockets into Israel. What was/is Israel expected to do? I use the following analogy- if an extremist group operating out of Mexico was kidnapping US soldiers and launching rockets into, say, southern Arizona, and the established Mexican government could not- or would not- take decisive action to police within their own borders, to bring those extremists to justice and swiftly end their terror campaign, would not the US take decisive action to do so? And would not the US be justified in doing so? So the same here. Since the established government of Lebanon can not- or will not- take decisive actions to bring the Hezbollah thugs to heel in attacking, from within their borders, another sovereign nation, that other sovereign nation (in this case, Israel) IMO has that right, and indeed, has that obligation to it's citizens, to do so. Is it a shame that civilians, be they in Israel or in Lebanon, are dying? Of course. But Hezbollah is launching rockets specifically at civilian areas in Israel (and seeming not to care a whit if these areas are populated by Jews or Arabs) and often launching these from civilian areas inside of Lebanon, using Lebanese civilians as human shields. It is a tragedy, and one that truly didn't need to occur, save for Hezbollah's latest initiation of savagery.

I have the world's worst feet! Every time I have to buy new shoes, especially athletic shoes, I can never get a pair that fits and feels right right out of the box, I always have to go through an almost-two week breaking in period! Part of it is my feet- I have pretty small feet as is, and I have an extremely high arch. In addition, my left foot pronates (or is it supinates? I can never keep that straight!) big time, due to a broken foot I suffered my sophomore year of high school that apparently never healed quite properly. So my left foot never sits quite right, in any shoe (dress or athletic) until the shoe molds itself to my foot. And with both feet- again, I have a really high arch and a fairly narrow heel. Bottomline- for over a week, I end up w/ blisters and abrasions on my feet, even as I just wear my new pair around until they get comfy enough to run in (or workout in, or simply wear.) Someone give me a foot massage, please!

Happy birthday Mom!

"All of my friends have a ring on their finger/They have someone..."

NOT a good day...and I've been having FAR too few good days of late...I'll probably be paying for this tomorrow...but it's just been one of those days today already, and this just seems the thing to do...

It's Five O' Clock Somewhere- Alan Jackson
The sun is hot and that old clock is movin' slow,
And so am I.
Work day passes like molasses in wintertime,
But it's July.
I'm gettin' paid by the hour, and older by the minute.
My boss just pushed me over the limit.
I'd like to call him somethin',
I think I'll just call it a day.

Pour me somethin' tall and strong,
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane.
It's only half-past twelve but I don't care.
It's five o'clock somewhere.

Oh, this lunch break is gonna take all afternoon,
And half the night.
Tomorrow mornin', I know there'll be hell to pay,
Hey, but that's all right.
I ain't had a day off now in over a year.
Our Jamaican vacation's gonna start right here.
Hit the phones for me,
You can tell 'em I just sailed away.

And pour me somethin' tall and strong,
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane.
It's only half-past twelve but I don't care.
It's five o'clock somewhere.

I could pay off my tab, pour myself in a cab,
And be back to work before two.
At a moment like this, I can't help but wonder,
What would Jimmy Buffett do?

Funny you should ask that because I'd say:
Pour me somethin' tall and strong,
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane.
It's only half-past twelve but I don't care.

Pour me somethin' tall and strong,
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane.
It's only half-past twelve but I don't care.
He don't care.
I don't care.
It's five o'clock somewhere.

What time zone am on? What country am I in?
It doesn't matter, it's five o'clock somewhere.
It's always on five in Margaritaville, come to think of it.
Yeah, I heard that.
You been there haven't you?
Yessir.
I seen your boat there.
I've been to Margaritaville a few times.
All right, that's good.
Stumbled all the way back.
OK. Just wanna make sure you can keep it between the navigational beacons.
Between the buoys, I tell you.
All right. Well, it's five o'clock. Let's go somewhere.
I'm ready, crank it up.
Let's get out of here.
I'm gone.