My home 'puter finally died about a week ago, my new one arrived yesterday (Dell Inspiron 15R- sweet!)

This is the most disturbing piece that I've read in a l-o-n-g time: Led by an innocent into a web of evil The investigators had seen so much, but the image of the toddler clutching a stuffed rabbit floored them. They had to find him, and they did, building a case that led from a Milford man, Robert Diduca... to a serial abuser in the Netherlands, Robert Mikelsons, and to child pornography traffickers in 7 countries and counting. It was a vast global network and, unthinkably, just the tip of the iceberg. I don't know how these investigators keep their sanity, let alone fall asleep at night, viewing such vile content as part of their- good- work. Child molestation is perhaps the most evil act that I can think of- yes, even moreso than murder, rape of an adult (at least an adult is capable of realizing that they are the victim, that they did nothing wrong; a young child cannot), or almost anything else- the only thing perhaps being worse is recording such despicable acts for one's future/further "enjoyment" or to "share" with others. You want to seriously put a dent in child pornography, child molestation, pedophilia, et al? An automatic death sentence for anyone convicted of producing, distributing, or knowingly possessing such vile material. I know that the Christian thing to do is to somehow forgive them, and I know that the Catholic Church opposes capital punishment. But for those depraved monsters? If any forgiveness is due them let it be from God, after they are put down like the animals that they are.

Anyway, onto lighter topics... The Patriots opened training camp last week- yay! Very good things are expected of them again this season (which is more than can be said for the local baseball nine.)  The Olympics have been fun to watch so far, with our US athletes more than holding their own. Whether it's a popular event or an obscure one you have to respect the commitment and training these athletes do to compete at such a high level... Got a rockin' haircut last week- did it need it!  Been getting out and about as work and all permit, enjoying the summer here, it's been pretty nice this year, not too hot and humid, mostly sunny- nice! And been able to work on my tan a lil more than last summer :) I'm headed up to Maine this weekend to visit my brother and his family up there, looking forward to it, should be a good time...

What I'm Reading Now: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, Charles Duhigg; Los Angeles Stories, Ry Cooder

10 on shuffle...
#1 Crush, Garbage
Flashdance- What A Feeling, Irene Cara
Love To Love You Baby, Donna Summer
Harlem Shuffle, Rolling Stones
Tattooed Love Boys, The Pretenders
Don't Leave Me This Way, Thelma Houston
Dick Tracy, The Ventures
I'm Free, The Who
I Can't Help You Anymore, Aimee Mann
Pot Can't Call The Kettle Black, Jerry Jeff Walker

"Cause the pot can't call the kettle black/Cause the trains all runnin' on the same ole track/Can't feel nothing but your life flyin' by/You got trouble on your hands, trouble on your mind..."

Smuttynose's Summer Weizen is the post-workout adult beverage du jour this afternoon- cool and light :)

Overall things are well here, doing well, feeling well- work has still been a lil busier that anticipated (hoped for!) so far this summer but the schedule is looking a bit better over the next month+. Hey, it keeps me busy, and pays the bill$... Had an interesting- and fun!- night out last Thursday, albeit en drab, with several friends from college; I was a lil worse-for-wear the following morning (it really was like one of those, um, sessions I used to indulge in with too much frequency back in my younger days!) but I answered the bell Friday morning, got in- a rough- six miles, work, hit the gym after work, etc... I seldom-if-ever imbibe quite like that anymore, so one night that way, hey... good times with great people are important!

I'm still feeling perfectly well; my oncologist started me on a slightly different chemo regimen the beginning of this month (FOLFIRI, for those interested; irinotecan is the new addition.) We'll hopefully begin to see if/how effective it is in beating back the cancer again soon. And fortunately side effects have once again been virtually non-existent; no nausea or other GI disturbances, no fatigue to speak of, no hair loss to speak of, etc... Speaking of hair, I finally made an appointment to get my hair done again- it has been waaaayyyyyy too long (almost six months- yikes!) Just really hadn't had/made the time to get over to the salon. But it def needs it, and my gal over there (Liquid Hair Studios) does a great job!

What I'm Reading Now: L.A. '56: A Devil in the City of Angels, Joel Engel

Odds and sods... My Patriots open training camp next week- are you ready for some football?! One area of concern, at least to me, is RB; where they lost Benny Green-Ellis in the off season, is 2nd year Stevan Ridley ready to step up? How much is left in the legs of Colts' castoff Joseph Addai? Hopefully another successful season will be on tap for the men from Foxborough... And my UMass Minutemen step up to D1-A/FBS competition this season as well (and playing their homes games at Gillette Stadium as well.) A challenging non-conference schedule, and an appropriate opener at the UConn Sled Dogs. I'm still pondering if I'll add the MAC to the three other conferences that I wager on (ACC, Big East, Big Ten...)  I have to step up my training a bit if I want to successfully compete in the BAA half-marathon I plan to run this fall, need to work in some longer-distance runs at least once a week... I've been able to work on my tan a lil more this summer! Last summer, between the surgeries and the beginning of chemo and all (and I still have to limit time/session, as chemo makes one more easilu susceptible to sunburn- dammit!) I was the most pasty I'd been in years, ugh... Recommended: Red Bull Sugarfree: Red Bull Sugarfree is Red Bull without sugar, with only 3 calories per 100 ml... Two thoughts on the recent movie-cinema shootings: 1, unless the shooter is proven insane I hope that Colorado has a death penalty, and that he receives it. 2, and it may sound callous but what kind of parents would bring a six-year old, let alone a six-month old, to a midnight showing of any film?! What were they thinking? Were they even thinking?! Those children should have been home, in bed.

Current items of interest to me...
Why Are Blondes Considered Dumb? For all of the blondes out there... :)
The Upside of Freedom Americans who actually appreciate the Declaration of Independence call it self-reliance, minding your own business, staying out of unnecessary wars, and raising everyone’s standard of living by pursuing your own profit...“For hippies and bohemians as for businesspeople and investors,” freedom is desired. And freedom works.
The Best Strategy for Reducing Stress ...what can you do about the stress and frustration that comes from unmet expectations? You have two choices: Either change the reality around you or change your expectations.
The New Science Behind America's Deadliest Diseases What do heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, stroke and cancer have in common? Scientists have linked each of these to a condition known as chronic inflammation... Tho' on the flipside, I've always eaten a lot of fish, taken fish and flax supplements, olive oil, yogurt, and low-dose aspirin therapy, exercise, and I still got cancer, ack!

Shades of last Thursday... :)

Enjoying a bomber of Offshore Ale's Menemsha Creek Pale Ale while hoping everyone enjoyed their 4th of July celebrations yesterday! We had some storms roll thru during the festivities on the Esplanade last night, but hey...

Things are going pretty well here, considering. Still feel fine; I have a CT scan scheduled for this coming Monday (re-scheduled from tomorrow.) Hopefully no new growth or spread will show up- I should know by next Wednesday at the latest, when I meet with my oncologist prior to chemo. I try not to let my life be defined by the cancer, and day-to-day it isn't, but occasionally I do feel a need to give some expression to it. Prior to this I'd never had any serious health issues and at times it still is a strange thing for me to wrap my mind around. Again, it doesn't define me but it is now one of the many other things that make up the totality of who I am as an individual. It is what it is I suppose...

Anyway... I may have mentioned it before but Ernesto's white (bianco) pizza is to-die for; better than sex! (Well, maybe... :)... Bummer- my 14 yo nephew is now taller than me! (Not that that's saying too much; I'm- barely!- 5'6"...) I've been able to tan a lil more this summer than last; I still hafta limit it some now due to the chemo (makes me far more susceptible to sunburn) but I have been getting a lil color- luv to tan! I still plan to run the BAA half-marathon this fall, health- and training!- permitting... Work has been a lil busier than I anticipated so far this summer (off tonight) but I do anticipate that slackening a bit over the next few weeks... I plan to make a trip to Maine a lil later this summer, and wouldn't mind getting down to the Cape once or twice; again, time and all permitting...The wife of a very good friend of mine had some surgery and has been suffering with some health issues recently, frustrating for her and for him- hang in there, Jim, you folks are in my thoughts and prayers... I do have some political commentary I've been biting my tongue on- difficult to do. All I'll say for now is that, while I'm not especially enamored of Mitt Romney, I never thought I'd see a President in my lifetime more inept than Jimmy Carter; I stand corrected in light of the current Administration and President. Sorry folks- not all of us are far Lefties who feel that they must support the "progressive" agenda across the board because- yes- the Democratic Party gives better rhetoric (and occasionally results) on one set of issues (LGBT.) If you subscribe to that whole agenda, fine, but don't presume that all of us do- celebrate diversity!

What I'm Reading Now: The Passage Of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Robert Caro (a long one!)

10 on shuffle...
I'll Never Be Through With You, The Bangles
Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart, Stacey Kent
Heartbreaker, Grand Funk
Twilight of the Hepcats, Aqua Velvets
I've Been Drinking, Rod Stewart
Sweetest Thing, U2
You're All I've Got Tonight, The Cars
Good Thing, Fine Young Cannibals
Hand On Your Heart, Kylie Minogue
The Facts About Jimmy, Shawn Colvin

"I used to get drunk to get my spark/And it used to work just fine/It made me wretched but it gave me heart..."