There... Already

Happy 4th of July!

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:43:00 +0000

Happy 4th of July from beautiful Morrison, CO!

The picture above is from the incomparable Red Rocks Amphitheater where my friend Steve and his lovely lady Wendy just tied the knot. Congratulations to them and all I can say is he'd better never forget their anniversary!
Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday. Enjoy yourselves responsibly, but by all means have fun!

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Salmon - It's What's For Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:37:00 +0000

If everything goes well you should see, somewhere in this post, what my family will be eating for dinner tonight.

That's right, sitting there on that piece of foil is a salmon filet, seasoned with red onions and other herbs and spices, that's about to be placed on the grill. I know already it's going to be delicious because everything my wife cooks is excellent.

What we're having for dinner is not the point of that picture however. Instead its a part of my continuing evolution to mobile blogging via Blackberry from my tethered past of laptops and PC's.

I'm not sure how this post is going to look, not sure if the picture will be clear or fuzzy or above, next to, or below the text. This is all still in the experimental stage but so far so good. Later on I'll figure out how to insert hyperlinks, format text, place photos where I want them, etc. But for right now you get... salmon.

Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - Michael Jackson, 1958-2009

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:07:00 +0000

What a tremendously sad day. Michael Jackson has passed away. This is a devastating loss for the music world and the world in general. Many people my age grew up, came of age, and matured along with Michael Jackson and his music. We watched the Jackson 5 cartoons on Saturday mornings, sang along to "I Want You Back" and "Dancing Machine." We watched as he hit the superstar level with the "Off the Wall" album. Everone knows that happened after that - "Thriller" - only the best selling album of all time, followed by another mega seller in "Bad." Everything Michael Jackson touched turned to gold. Even some obscure dude named Rockwell was set up for life thanks to a hook sang by Michael Jackson in the song "Somebody's Watching Me" which you might know from the current Geico commercials.

Michael Jackson is a legend likely never to be surpassed in the field of entertainment. I'm just happy I had the opportunity to enjoy his music first hand, and to now watch my 11 year old discover his music a generation later. His music just had that affect on practically everyone, across the generations. I haven't even touched on his live performance ability, but having seen him and his brothers live on the Victory Tour, consider me a witness to his electrifying ability on stage.

I could go on and on, but there are only so many ways to describe the indescribable and the incomparable. Plus you're here for the music, so here is one of my favorite Michael Jackson songs, "Man In The Mirror." Here Michael sang about himself and his inner struggles in a personal way, and the song's message is still today one that we all should listen too.

Rest in Peace Michael. The world will not soon, if ever forget your name.

Don't forget the rest of the Old School Friday crew. I'm sure there are some great tributes up much more eloquent than mine.

Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not - SoulAfrodisiac - Bria Bria - CCGroovy -

English (and Football) Only

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:05:00 +0000

What do you call a person who speaks two languages?

Bilingual.

So what if that person speaks three languages?

That's easy right, trilingual.

So what do you call someone who only speaks one language?

The answer: An American.

Sorry for the corny joke but that one has been going around in my bilingual circle of friends for years and there's more than a bit of truth to it. We Americans are notorious in our stubbornness to speak English and only English, which is a disservice to us all, but particularly our kids.

When it comes to opportunity these days, speaking additional languages is a major advantage. To illustrate that fact, all you need to do is visit practically any service related industry and look who's the people are who are front and center. In many cases it's a bilingual English/Spanish speaker because hey, companies aren't stupid and definitely understand who their customers are and which customers they would like to have. In a lot of cases, those new customers speak Spanish.

Not to say they don't speak or will never speak English, but you reach people where they are at. That's why I make it a point to practice my Spanish with whomever allows me to inflict it on them. In fact, if there's anyone out there with a similar mindset let me know in the comments and we'll figure out a way to practice together.

A lot of people feel that English is the unofficial global language but I disagree. The true international language that most Americans also don't speak is soccer, or more accurately, football. I'm a big fan of the game, especially the internatinal tournaments pitting national teams, one of which is going on right now. It's the Confederations Cup being held in South Africa which will also host the World Cup next year. The American team is doing quite well in this tournament, so far advancing through group play and defeating the mighty Spanish team today to earn a spot in Sunday's championship game.

Quite an accomplishment though you wouldn't know that living here in the States. Anywhere else such an achievement would be cause for celebrating in the streets, but not here. Most of us just don't pay any attention to soccer, I mean football, at all. Just like our inability to carry on a conversation in anything other than English, we are pretty much incapable of conversing in this global language of sport as well, and I think that's a shame.

So in addition to pummeling anyone who'll engage me with my Spanish, I'm trying to do the same in regard to soccer. The question is whether anyone's listening.

Anyone?

When PAC's Attack

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:04:00 +0000

I was watching one of the Die Hard movies the other night, the second one I think that was set in an airport. The head honcho at the airport was none other than Fred Thompson, he of the recent failed Presidential bid. I couldn't help but to think what an amazing leader we missed out on by not electing this man President.

Ok, not really. The Republicans didn't even see fit to elevate him to the top of the ticket, and they're never wrong about that sort of thing.

Anyway, imagine my surprise to receive an email this morning from the FredPAC, Thompson's political action committee, lambasting the Obama administrations handling of the current situation in Iran.

I won't bore you with details but suffice it to say it was the same old refrain of "weak" in the face of a challenge, etc. without laying out a more effective strategy of his own.

Opposing for the sake of opposing, in other words.

What was conveniently not mentioned is that the U.S. has a less than stellar track record as far as Iran is concerned and virtually no influence in their internal affairs whatsoever. Not that it would matter if they had remembered to include those facts.

In my opinion the Obama team is handling this thing just right, so that no matter what emerges on the other side of this situation, the U.S. is still positioned to take on the challenging negotiations ahead in regard to their nuclear program and other issues. We currently have no idea how this thing is going to play out but I have a hell of a lot more confidence in the current administrations ability to handle it than I did in the prior administration. Or would have in a Thompson administration.

So FredPAC, if you deem someone withthis line of thinking as not worthy of receiving further emails from your fine organization, I understand. I hope you keep me on though. As the old Reader's Digest magazine proclaimed, "Laughter is the best medicine" and your email was the best laugh I had all day.

The Cure For The Lazy Blogger - Well, Maybe

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Well it's a well established fact that I'm a lazy blogger but I've been racking my brain to figure out why.

I mean, I don't think I'm lazy in the true sense of the word. I work hard every day, I can write effectively when motivated to do so, and if the subject is something I'm truly interested in I'm capable of generating a ton of material in relation to it. So what gives? Why has it been so difficult lately to regularly post on my blog?

The answer? Well... I don't know, but I have a theory. I think it boils down to technology, time, and motivation.

First technology. Most of the blogging I've done over the years was on my laptop. Over the past few months however I've basically stopped using the thing, instead using my Blackberry for most of the same tasks that the laptop formerly was the instrument of choice. Not to mention the fact that I can take pictures and make phone calls with the same device. And it weighs a few pounds less. To make a long story short, my blogging has slowed because I don't tote the tool around nearly as much as I used to.

So what about time? I have as little free time as I've always had, yet blogging output has decreased tremendously. Work consumes, but that's nothing new. So it must have something to do with motivation.

The latest Presidential campaign and all of its twists and turns provided an endless source of inspiration, yet once it ended it was like the air leaving a balloon. There are still endless topics worthy of discussion that I have opinions on but the motivation to write about them in depth just hasn't been there lately. I'm sure it will resurface but in the meantime... nothing.

So I've decided what I'm going to do, and basically that is to start blogging using my ever present Blackberry, to create posts whenever time allows at work or at home, and to try, try to focus on a topic of real interest at least once a week.

This post is the first test of the new There... Already blogging protocol. Stay tuned, there's definitely more to come as long as my thumbs don't wear out first!

Swine Flu, Politics,Smartphones, and Bean Pies?

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Sun, 03 May 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Random thoughts in no particular order of importance for your Sunday morning.

I'm a little bit worried about the H1N1 flu virus because I'm in schools all of the time. Not to mention grocery stores, church, and all kinds of other places where people, and flu viruses, congregate. But I'm not so worried about it (yet) that I'm pushing the panic button. Looking at the news reports, you'd think it was the second coming of the bubonic plague. Maybe it is, but until we start flipping out about the regular flu that kills tens of thousands every year, or car accidents, or gunshot deaths, or..., well you get the idea. We're going to be careful of course, but life still has to go on.

This first round of this year's NBA playoffs have been outstanding so far. Of course I'm beyond thrilled that the Houston Rockets finally made it out of the first round for the first time in 12 years. This after trading away their starting point guard and having their "best player," Tracy McGrady, sidelined for the season. I think the Rockets are going to give the Lakers a tougher time than anyone seems to think right now.

President Obama is doing a good job. No elaboration, I just think he's doing a pretty good job all the way around and I'm looking forward to his first appointment to the Supreme Court.

Arlen Specter? Sometimes you should just lie to people. I mean, you don't want your fate decided in a Republican primary? Come on man, weren't you a Republican for like 45 years? What an insult to the people who voted for you, although I'm sure a lot of them are switching parties right about now too. I remember when Ben Nighthorse Campbell won a Senate seat as a Democrat way back in 1992. I voted for him. Then, I think within a year or so he switched to the Republican side. I know I was hot then and I'm I'll bet a whole bunch of Pennsylvania Repulicans are plenty pissed off right now too. But oh well, that's the way it goes I guess.

Still haven't bought the wife a new smartphone yet. Hey, it's not me. She's resisting. I'm pretty sure I know what phone I'm going to get her. Want a hint? We're on T-Mobile, she uses Google for everything, needs directions or phone numbers all of the time, and can't text on her regular phone keypad to save her life. Based on that, can you figure out the phone she'll be getting?

Speaking of smartphones, I know all of the talk is about iPhones and the App Store, but I've got to give it up to Blackberry and their recently launced App World. Talk about a utility for pretty much everything with more coming online everyday. And a lot of them are free, like Slacker Personal Radio. There's a war going on in my office, half of the people are iPhone fanatics and the rest are just as crazy about their Blackberry's. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out over the long run, especially when Palm jumps back into the fray.

The pirates are still attacking and capturing ships. How about a central government that works?

Finally, my wife makes a mean bean pie. Now if you're not Black and/or you haven't been around those Nation of Islam brothers at some point in your life, you probably don't know what a bean pie is and more than likely have never tried one. Well we're Black, non-members of the Nation, but we do like bean pies. One of her best friends however is neither; she's of Puerto Rican descent, born and raised in Chicago and has spent the last quite a few years in Texas. No bean pie exposure in other words. Until this past weekend when our families got together for dinner at our place and my wife made a bean pie for dessert. Suffice it to say they loved it! So much so that she's been working all week trying to make them herself. For some reason, the thought of it just brings a smile to my face.

And that's where I'm going to end this post, smiling. Happy Sunday.

I'm DP, and I'm a Lazy Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Sun, 03 May 2009 04:31:00 +0000

They say admitting it is the hardest part, so I admitted it. I'm a lazy blogger. There's no excuse for the lack of posting here.

Well, actually, yes there is, but what's the point of repeating them when there are so many internet based tools that can do it for me. Take this excuse post generating tool for for example:

Geez I just discovered I have not updated this since last month. You would not believe how insane my life has become. I prostrate myself in sorrow and beg thy forgiveness.

I am overwhelmed with work, personal projects, just generally being a nuisance to society in general. My day is full to overflowing from sun up to sun down and beyond. I am looking at rectifying this, but hey, life happens.

I won't promise anything to you but I will update you with my nefarious activities as soon as I get a chance. Well, I'll try. What do you mean you don't believe me?

Not bad huh? And to think that was generated by a postbot on some blogger's site from halfway around the world and all I had to do was a little minor editing. Like I said, it's too easy to be lazy and still post on your blog every now and again. And obviously I'm not the only one out there, witness this guy who I lifted the Lazy Blogger certification from.

See, there's still hope for me yet.

Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - If Mama Only Knew

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:06:00 +0000

If Mama Only Knew. That's today's theme for Old School Friday. Where to go with this one? The obvious choice would be to cue up a couple of songs that made her pull her hair out back in the day and say "What's wrong with you kids? That's not music!" I'm sure we've all experienced that, it's a generational thing that I'm now saying/doing with my own daughter. But I'm not going to go there because this theme presents the opportunity to go a little deeper.

Most of y'all know I lost my Mother last year at the way too young age of 64. That threw me for a loop no doubt. As time goes by, I find myself reflecting more on what she meant to me, the things she taught me, and the sacrifices she made for my siblings and I. The unconditional love in other words.

I've also realized that there were points in my life where the unconditional love wasn't returned to the full degree that it should have been. Nor was the acknowledgment of and appreciation for the sacrifices she endured to raise us kids adequately expressed nearly enough by me in plain, easily understood language. Now that she's gone, what I want to say, know I should have said or done, and wish I still had the chance to say or do is amazingly clear in my mind.

But it's too late.

So If My Mama Only Knew how much I love her, miss her, and cherish each day that I had with her; and how the lessons she taught me in life I'm really just beginning to understand; and that I can still see and hear her in the voice and mannerisms of her granddaughter; I think she'd be proud and happy.

So how do you express all of that emotion through song? By playing one of the best songs ever written to express just those feelings of course. Here's Maxwell doing his version of Kate Bush's "This Woman's Worth."

Unfortunately most of Maxwell's videos can't be embedded, but here's a link to the original music video.

That's it, and I hope you enjoyed my interpretation of the theme. Happy Old School Friday and don't forget the rest of the OSF crew!

Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not - SoulAfrodisiac - Bria Bria - CCGroovy -

Pirates- Does Anbody Have A Plan?

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:36:00 +0000

There's been lots of talk about piracy in the news lately, what with a huge international naval flotilla patrolling the area to interdict it, and now the news that after scores of attacks on vessels from seemingly every country on earth, at long last the pirates have got around to attacking an American flagged ship. Unfortunately for them it looks like they attacked the wrong ship.

The pirates tried to hijack the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama on Wednesday, but Capt. Richard Phillips thwarted their takeover by telling his crew of about 20 to lock themselves in a room, the crew told stateside relatives. The crew later overpowered some of the pirates, but Phillips surrendered himself to the bandits to safeguard his crew, and at least four of the pirates fled with him to an enclosed lifeboat, the relatives said. It was the first such attack on American sailors in about 200 years.

Wow. That's one bold, selfless, bad-assed Captain. Or a sad, sorry lot of so-called pirates. Either way I'm glad that at least a small victory against such lawlessness has been won. But the war is still far from over because we (meaning U.S.) don't seem to have a strategy in place to deal with the broader issues of piracy in the Horn of Africa region. Sure, there are a hundred naval ships in the waters off Somalia, but even this massive military show of force hasn't slowed down the number of pirate attacks. Or as stated by Galrahn at the influential Information Dissemination naval blog:

...the naval power accumulated off the coast of Somalia includes the greatest collection of global naval power collected since the invasion of Iraq, and even with virtually every major navy in the world involved, the pirates are winning.

That site by the way is a fantastic resource if you're interested in international naval and maritime issues, but I digress. Strategy. Ours isn't working because apparently there's is nothing in that part of Somalia that a decent person can do that remotely comes close to paying the bills like being a pirate. Throw in the fact that there's no central government and thus no one to turn pirates in to even if they are caught, and you start to see the true scope of the problem. In other words, you can't solve the piracy problem at sea. It has to be dealt with on land and that means helping establish a stable, central government. Wait a minute, I seem to recall..., remember this?

...So let me get this straight; the U.S. backs an Ethiopian invasion of Somalia in order to bring peace and security to the region even though the Somalian Union of Islamic Courts had already pretty much done that.

...Regardless of the fact that the Islamicists had, through their earlier victory, ushered in the longest period of relative peace in Somalia since the late 1980's, the decision for regime change was made because hey, they're Islamic. Unfortunately for the Somalian people, that aforementioned period of peace only lasted for about 6 months.

Yep, that was your boy DP writing in April 2007 about our support of Ethiopian invasion induced peace and security, and the one size fits all approach to fighting terrorism. Here we are a couple of years later and Somalia is in worse shape than before and now the whole world is feeling the effects.

I truly hope the Captain of the Maersk Alabama makes it home safely. But I can't help but wonder what might have been, for us and the Somalis, if we had left well enough alone back then. With the attempted hijack of an American ship, I can only hope it influences our best and brightest to come up with a proper strategy to deal with the issue in all of its complexity.

My Wife Needs A Smartphone, A Moral Dilemma

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:26:00 +0000

My wife needs a new cell phone. She really does. You see the picture over there on the left? Well, her phone's not quite that old, but it's getting there. Some folks are just creatures of habit about certain things and she is definitely that way when it comes to cell phones. Currently she's using an old Samsung flip that can't do much more than placing a call.

Yeah, I know, that's what you want a phone to do, but in this day and age they can do so much more, especially with broadband. Like playing your music, text messaging, instant messaging, taking still and video images, playing games, and browsing the internet, to name just a few things. Not to mention the GPS capabilities and the myriad other applications being developed every day.

The reality is she needs what a smartphone can provide. For example, she's constantly printing directions to places she needs to go. Can you say GPS? Think of the trees saved over the long haul if nothing else. She also listens to music, manages a couple of internet groups, runs a vegetable coop, and home schools the kid. In other words, always on the go, even when she's at home. So she needs a more capable phone, but which one?

Dilemma? Well that's not really it. Here's my real issue y'all, and I'd appreciate your help in the comments.

As you know, I switched to the Blackberry Curve 8320 a few months ago, and have been amazed by all of the things that I can do via phone now, rather than the laptop. So much so that I've pretty much stopped toting the laptop around everywhere I go because it is basically a 5 pound redundancy. My version of the Curve was basically 3 year old technology when I bought it, and the newer models like the Storm, Curve 8900, and Bold have all been brought to market since then. And those are just the Blackberry phones. There's also all of the various touch screen models out there, like the iPhone, Instinct, HTC Touch, and G1. Having scratched the surface of what my current Blackberry can do, and being a gadget/technology guy, I'm already ready for a new phone myself. Which leads to my question. Should I:

1. Go ahead and buy her the type of phone I think she would like and use and wait to get an upgraded version of my own later, or...

2. Get the phone I want and let her have my 4 month old Curve.

You can see the conundrum here right? I mean I think she'd be happy either way but, well you know where I'm going here. It could go completely the opposite direction too.

So I need the help of you, my informed and enlightened readers. What would you do and please explain your rationale.

Texas Progressive Alliance Weekly Round-Up

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:44:00 +0000

A day late and a dollar short (as usual) but...

It is Monday, and that means it is time for another edition of the Texas Progressive Alliance's weekly blog round-up. Here is your round-up for April 6, 2009.

Neil at Texas Liberal writes about Off the Kuff takes a look.

Justin at AAA-Fund Blog writes about the Pew study indicating Asian American students in Fort Bend and Pasadena ISDs face some of the highest segregation rates in the nation.

At McBlogger, we take a look at Ag Commissioner Todd Staples' efforts to make people sick. Nice work, Todd!

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme is thoroughly disgusted with the crony-loving Texas Supreme Court which is hereby officially renamed the Texas Cronies' Protection Agency. Workers and consumers beware!
Labor gets its own television talk show, as MSNBC prepares to introduce Ed Schultz as part of its evening progressive lineup. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs has the details.
WCNews at Eye On Williamson has a round up of The state of the stimulus money in Texas.

WhosPlayin's MexicoBob took time to poke fun at the Republican Tax Day Tea Parties, wondering what other necessary evils that Republicans might protest next.

Over at TexasKaos Libby Shaw updates us on Houston KBR corporation's onging legal problems. It seems they got paid and paid and paid to create electrical death traps for our troops. As one civilan expert put it , " It was horrible - some of the worst electrical work I have ever seen. Read the rest here:
Lawsuit Claims KBR Responsible for Deaths of US Troops in Iraq

BossKitty at TruthHugger was struck by a single line on the news describing an Austin man turned away from medical care for lack of insurance, then going on a violent rampage, No Insurance, Meds Denied, Tate Mayhem and Perryman Murder - Op Ed. On a lighter note, it is amusing to watch opponents to gay marriage wring their hands in despair every time a court reverses the ban, Gay Marriage Apocalypse - Really Now

Vince at Capitol Annex points out that Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-Tyler) has decided that the Iowa Supreme Court gay marriage decision signals the end of American civilization.

Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - If I Were A Boy/Girl

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:22:00 +0000

Happy Old School Friday! Y'all bear with me as I'm trying to get back int he swing of things in the blogging world. The theme for this week's Old School Friday is If I Were A Boy/Girl.

Ok...

Not exactly sure how to handle that one, but here's what came to mind. I've been dealing with 11 year old daughter issues lately surrounding the whole Chris Brown/Rihanna episode. In a nutshell, the kid, because she's a bigger fan of Chris Brown than she is of Rihanna has been having a really difficult time wrapping her mind around the fact that no matter what the reasons or rationale, no man should beat a woman like that. Ever. Of course forgiveness and all of that stuff comes into play, but as a Dad, I feel it's my duty to take a hard line on this issue right now and try to set in her mind that she should NEVER accept that type of treatment from someone who says he loves her.

With that in mind, I interpeted today's theme as the types of songs/artists by male artists that I would hope my daughter would identify with as it pertains to relationships between men and women. Feelings, emotions, dedication, etc., all come into play here, and there are dozens of artists I could have chosen to represent my ideas here, but I've decided on these two.

First Up, Van Hunt with Being a Girl.

And next, an rock and roll classic from Led Zeppelin, All of My Love.

This was by far the most difficult Old School Friday theme to interpret so far, but I hope you understand the points I'm trying to make. Let me know in the comments, and don't forget about the rest of the Old School Friday crew.

Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not - SoulAfrodisiac

P.S. I know more of y'all have joined up since I last participated so please drop your url in the comments and I'll add your site to the links.

Where The Heck Have You Been?

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:01:00 +0000

What's up y'all?

Wait, now don't be like that. Before you say anything, I know I've been missing in action for a long time. I know this blog hasn't been updated since mid-November, and we all know that a lot has happened since mid-November. I know I haven't been making my regular blog rounds to the fantastic sites that I usually frequent either. And I haven't left a comment anywhere for a while.

Look man, I know.

So what's the deal? Honestly, that I really don't know. The usual excuse is "I've been busy," and the truth is that I have. Since my last post we've sold a house, moved into another, been on the road a lot, continued to build a national organization from my current state base, hired a new employee, parted company with an old employee, hauled and humped 4 yards of garden mix topsoil for my wife's garden, started planning a golf tournament and gala for early September, become very familiar with my Blackberry 8820, rebuilt about 300 computers, met some really cool military veterans through my work, dealt with a daughter devastated that one of her musical heroes beat his girlfriend down, watched the Obama administration roll into office with a take charge attitude that I ultimately think will benefit the country, watched with trepidation as that same administration seemingly tries to address every issue facing the country today in one fell swoop, watched my beloved Dallas Cowboys collapse monumentally down the stretch, again, and not even make the playoffs even though they're probably the most talented team in the league, saw my equally beloved Houston Rockets shut down their so-called superstar for the year, trade their starting point guard, and become a better team, and oh yeah, I moved into new offices too.

Whew. I think I probably missed a few things in there somewhere, but you get the idea. What I haven't been doing is blogging as y'all well know. As a result, I've missed the opportunity to comment on all kinds of stuff that normally I would've been all over. Like bailouts, Afghan surges, Iranian satellite launches, and all of the other stuff in the previous paragraphs. Not to mention Old School Friday's and Texas Progressive Alliance roundups. In other words, I ain't been on my blog job and some of y'all haven't been shy about letting me know that. So Regina, Angie, Mick, Neil, Boo and everybody else that has said "start blogging again" in so many words, this post is for you. I can't say how often I will post because blogging is really a job in itself, but I'm pretty sure I can better the one post in 4 months pace I've been on.

And I know that some of y'all will let me know if I start slacking off again. But hey, that's a small price to pay for all of the love y'all send my way. I really appreciate and am thankful for you all.

Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - Jazz

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:19:00 +0000

Happy Old School Friday! I'm excited about today's theme: Jazz. When it comes to America's contributions to the world of music, jazz is without a doubt the greatest. Jazz has spawned the Blues and Rock & Roll, among other musical forms, and musicians from around the world have adopted the form, adapted it to their needs, and made it their own. There are so many different jazz forms, like Latin Jazz, Cool Jazz, BeBop, and maybe my favorite, Acid Jazz.

Today I'd like to present a couple of my favorites, both hailing from Great Britain. First up is Incognito, led by J.P. "Bluey" Maunick on guitar, with a live version of 'Collibri.'

How about that, pretty funky huh? You probably need to chill out for a minute now, so here's Ronnie Jordan with Tinsel Town.

That's it for this week, and I hoped you enjoyed it. Don't forget to check out the rest of the Old School Friday crew. And by the way I haven't forgot about adding links for you new OSF players. I'm still on the road and just haven't had the time. Please leave a comment if I missed you.

Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not - SoulAfrodisiac

Obama 12 Step

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:12:00 +0000

I think I'm the last person on Earth who used an HP iPaq 6315 on a regular basis. In its time it worked well for me as a phone, PDA, email, and web browsing, and had just enough bells and whistles to help me stay productive in or out of the office. I even used it to post to this blog during Hurricane Ike. But last week I finally put the 6315 out to pasture in favor of a Blackberry Curve 8320.

Let me just say that I thought I was hooked on the 6315. In less than 4 days I've become hopelessly addicted to the Blackberry. Even the move from the Windows Mobile operating system hasn't tempered my enthusiasm, and I know I haven't even scratched the surface of what can be done with this baby. I'm out of the office a lot, so for me a smartphone is a must. I really can't imagine doing business without one. And apparently I'm not the only one.

For years, like legions of other professionals, Mr. Obama has been all but addicted to his BlackBerry. The device has rarely been far from his side — on most days, it was fastened to his belt — to provide a singular conduit to the outside world as the bubble around him grew tighter and tighter throughout his campaign...

...But before he arrives at the White House, he will probably be forced to sign off. In addition to concerns about e-mail security, he faces the Presidential Records Act, which puts his correspondence in the official record and ultimately up for public review, and the threat of subpoenas. A decision has not been made on whether he could become the first e-mailing president, but aides said that seemed doubtful.

Give up the Blackberry? Email? Communication with the outside world? Man, that's cruel and unusual punishment. The job is going to be hard enough with forcing our new President to go through withdrawal at the same time. That's just cold.

I don't know how he's going to do it, but I wish him luck. He's going to need it. Thankfully, my correspondence is just not that important so I'll continue trying to figure out ways to maximize the potential of this new device. I'm open for suggestions. How do you use your Smartphone/PDA? Which one do you have? And what are the killer apps that an addict like myself shouldn't be living without?

Me - A Superior Scribbler? Thank You, Thank You Very Much!

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:29:00 +0000

I just don't know what to say! Texas Panhandle blogger Jobsanger has presented There... Already with the Superior Scribbler Award. We are honored, especially since scribbling is basically what we do around here.

In the spirit of spreading the wealth (wink, nudge, wink), I've decided to pass this award along to five other deserving blogs. Now before anyone gets irate at being overlooked, there are literally dozens of blogs that I read regularly that I could have also presented this award, but alas, I'm limited to five. And since Jobsanger is already on the list along with several others I personally care about, here's my five.

Regina's Family Seasons - Regina's blogs about life, family, religion, politics, and... well a little of everything. Definitely one of my favorite spots on the web.

Para Justicia and Libertad - XicanoPwr always breaks it down from an H-Town brown perspective.

Raw Dawg Buffalo - Speaking of breaking it down, Torrance open eyes in a Paul Laurence Dunbar kind of way. That means insightful, intelligent analysis spoken in the local dialect! Be prepared.

SES: Science, Education, and Society

Our society needs to focus more on science and education, and it's just not cool to be dumb. For those reasons and more you should check out the Urban Scientist.

Off the Kuff - Hey, I live in Houston and need to know what's going on. Kuff to the rescue.

And since I'm a rebellious, mavericky kind of guy, I've unilaterally decided to add a sixth awardee.

Fifth Lung

Alright full disclosure on this one. Will is one of my little sisters grade school friends and now they've both grown up and become movers and shakers in the world. But you have to check out Will's journal and photo essays documenting his double lung transplant. Incredible.

So that's it. There are a ton of others deserving as well, but you know, limits are limits. For those of you who were awarded, please share the love and nominate others. Here are the rules.

• Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.
• Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.
• Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.
• Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!
• Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - 1967

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:11:00 +0000

It's been a long time, I shouldn't of kept you, without a fresh beat to step to! But I'm back in the Old School Friday mix with this week theme - Songs from your year of birth. In my case that's 1967, which was a great year for music. I've chosen a couple of numbers that not only are from 1967, but convey as well my feelings on recent political developments in this country. I'll let you figure out how my choices relate to my politics; it shouldn't be too hard.

First up, live from 1967 is the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin with Respect.

And now here are the Doors, with Break On Through (To The Other Side)

That's it, and pretty darn eclectic don't you think? I hope you enjoyed and don't forget to check out the rest of the Old School Friday crew. Remember I've been out of the game for a few weeks, so if I've missed anybody, just leave a comment and I'll add you in.

Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not

Just So You Know...

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:39:00 +0000

Folks, I have it on good authority that the picture at left is of the Obama's arrival at the White House this afternoon for their meetings with the Bush family. Seeing that reminds me of how giddy I still am from election night and I can't wait for his team to get on with the business of governing the country. Yet I realize that a significant part of the electorate is not happy.

At all.

I mean the Black/White; Christian/Muslim, Socialist/Communist, Terrorist-sympathizer won, and I’m sure a lot of people are wondering how the hell that happened. Of course, a lot of those folks live here in Texas, which predictably fell into the McCain column on election night. But I’ve noticed something strange since then, and I wonder if any of you are experiencing the same thing. Right now I’m calling it the “If an election happens and I voted for the losing candidate(s), does it still count if I don’t talk about it?” syndrome.

I mean, this was the first time I’d ever come to work the day after a national election, and no one wanted to talk politics. Last Wednesday was a political dead zone around my office building, and dramatically different from the last national election. I could tell that some folks were upset about the results. I also know that a lot of people were very pleased with the outcome. While in conversation with like-minded people I’ve expressed my justifiable joy at Barack Obama’s victory and overwhelming pride at its historic significance. However I (and seemingly everyone else) basically tip-toed around the folks on the losing side of the election, and let them grieve in their own way. Well no more.

This post is my official notice that I’ve ended that policy and will from this point forward express my unbridled pride and optimism towards the incoming Obama administration every chance I get. I’ve been unhappy after elections too, yet it didn’t stop me from discussing the results with people who agreed or disagreed with me. In other words, I don’t really care if you’re over it or not, although I hope you are. You just can’t expect for the nearly 3.5 million of us in Texas who voted for the winning candidate to continue to spare your feelings.

I guess looking back it was predictable that something like the “If an election happens and I voted for the losing candidate(s), does it still count if I don’t talk about it?” syndrome would happen...

I remember a conversation I had in Nov. 2004 with a guy who worked in my building, let's just call him G.D. Now G.D. was a conservative. I mean to the core. The kind of person who would get all fired up listening to Hannity, Limbaugh, and Fox News and come to work looking for someone with an opposing point of view to argue with. Invariably, he’d find me and rattle off the talking points of the day, and I’d invariably rebut them. This went on practically every day for the 2 years we worked together in that building, and while I disagreed with his positions on just about everything, I definitely respected G.D. for his commitment to his opinions, and willingness to defend them in open debate.

After the 2004 election Bush was reelected and a Republican majority in Congress elected, and I made the point to G.D. that Bush and the Republicans were most likely going to overreach, and that it would come back to hurt them in future elections. He vehemently denied that would be the case, and laid out the argument that the Republicans were more in tune with the American people than Democrats/Liberals/Progressives. I simply said “wait and see.”

Well, the Republicans under G.W. Bush not only overreached, they did so seemingly as a matter of policy. So much so that a lot of us were/are suffering from outrage fatigue, making it impossible to stay angry at anything for too long because the next outrage is always right around the corner. You had to pace yourself in order to maintain your sanity during the Bush administration.

And lo and behold the last two election cycles have proven me right, with the 2006 Congressional elections flipping control of the House and Senate to the Democrats, and the last Tuesday’s results speak for themselves. The funny thing is that after the 2006 Congressional elections, G.D. stopped talking politics with me. Just like that. Cold turkey. Anything but politics. I thought it was strange at the time, and an isolated case. However with the overwhelming results from last Tuesday apparent, I recognize it for the serious ailment that it is, and that its effects are more widespread than previously thought.

Regardless, pretending there’s not a problem is not helpful to anyone, so I’m not going to do that. I just hope y’all get over it soon.

One Of These Days I'll Get It Together And Submit a Round-UP Post

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:18:00 +0000

Until then, please check out the following from folks who already have their stuff together.

It is the Monday after the election, and that means it is time for another Texas Progressive Alliance weekly blog round-up--but with a twist. In this edition, TPA member blogs bring you some of their best posts from the last year of election coverage. Enjoy this trip down memory lane, courtesy of the TPA.

Muse enjoyed all things Hillary leading up to the March 4th Texas Primary. There was the Hillary endorsement post that made her mom cry. A high point was the event where Muse fulfilled her lifelong dream to touch Bill Clinton. (Little did she know there would be a more up close and personal opportunity.) She got to see Hillary four times in person, including this event. Even her Prius got in the act: Prius Owners for Hillary!

BossKitty at TruthHugger is angry that Sarah Palin's nasty rhetoric has ignited hateful fallout, she let the white Supremacist Genie Out Of The Bottle, Thanks Sarah - There are still 'stone aged' creatures marching around calling themselves Christians, wearing NAZI paraphernalia! Woe be to anyone who would harm the first family of America! On a more personal note, BossKitty has ideas about what to do when you lose your job ... but, the most daunting agenda on our plate is that our New America Must Reduce It’s Seven Deadly Sins if we want to survive as a nation.

Brains and Eggs had the good, the bad, the ugly, and some TBD in a series of election postmortems, and then a little more of each. PDiddie wrapped last week with the finger-pointing and recriminations that marked the last throes of the McCain-Palin campaign, which included an luxury undergarment update.

It's been a tumultuous week for everyone, but at McBlogger it was remarkably calm. We're chalking it up to a change in prescription medications. First up was Donna Keel attacking Austin Interfaith. Then there was an attack on Diana Maldonado by her parish priest and, for us, that was enough religion for all week. The funniest thing we saw was a commercial shot by former celebrities going after Al Franken that made us want to move to Minnesota and vote for him. There was also some funny about people upset that they weren't getting help from the Federal Government, even though they didn't need it. Wrapping everything up was our final farewell to those who loved them some Austin Proposition 2.

Justin at AAA-Fund Blog covered the presidential primacaucus in Texas including Clinton’s sweep of Asian American surrogates and both candidates' Asian American outreach . Justin also scolded Hubert Vo, evaluated Noriega’s immigration plan, and was amazed that both Barack Obama and Sherrie Matula were "That Ones."

Off the Kuff has some early observations about what happened on Election Day, plus a look at turnout figures and statewide trends.

At Texas Kaos, the bitter and the sweet mix together as we look back on an amazing rollercoaster of an election season. While it looked like there was a contest for the U.S. Senate nomination, Boadicea put together Rick's answers for Democracy for Texas to paint a picture of the candidate, This is Rick Noriega-Texas Progressive Leader Covering the snark beat, our friend from the Soggy North, Fake Consultant, gave some pointers to a hockey mom thrust onto the national stageOn Dressing for Success, Part One, or, How Much is Armani, Anyway? and followed up with more helpful tips in On Dressing for Success, Part Two, Or, We Costume Palin… for 2/3 off! Lightseeker took a reasoned and sober look at a more serious element this election: Respecting Life, Making Hard Choices and finally makes the point that the Nov 4 vote was not an ending, but a beginning, Looking Now, Looking Forward.

Ah the memories at The Texas Cloverleaf during the 2008 election season. The candidates would make their case on WWE Monday Night Raw. We learned that McCain would lose early on, with our own Congressman Michael Burgess advising him on healthcare . We wished Governor Palin well on her first Grandparents Day. We learned Texas Republicans can't figure out education, much less spell it correctly. But we finally came out on top with Barack Obama, and some mixed Texas results. Here is to a classic 2008!

Vince Leibowitz of Capitol Annex focused a considerable amount of energy this cycle covering Texas Democrats' attempts to retake the Texas House of Representatives. From racist mailers and decitful TV ads in Dallas and Houston area House districts to the battle to unseat Texas' most ethically compromised legislator, down to catching Republicans telling blatant lies, this was a busy cycle in Texas. In the primary, he was one of a few Texas bloggers who supported Senator Hillary Clinton, and offered her this open letter when she left the race.

Neil at Texas Liberal offers up his post on early voting in Downtown Houston. The post tells what Democrats Neil enjoyed voting for and also has colorful pictures that will please the eye.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme debunks 10 Republican excuses.

In the 2008 primary and election, Jobsanger continued his penchant for supporting losing candidates by backing Bill Richardson, Rick Noriega, Sherrie Matula and Nancy Moffatt, before finally breaking through with a winner in Barack Obama.

What a long strange journey it has been for the Easter Lemming. Gary has started pushing for a poll-workers union after working the primary and then another election this Spring. He found out people read blogs about as much as newspapers! Guess who the Easter Lemming supported? And finally, he ended too tired to party but not too tired to blog with a special mention that MoveOn.Org is bigger and more important than the NRA in politics now.. And here is the rest of it.

Obama's Victory - My First Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:08:00 +0000

Barack Obama is the President-elect of the United States. I still really don't know what to say.

Though I expected the Democrats to win and win big, I've got to say I was unprepared for the wave of emotion that flooded over me when the race was called for Barack Obama. Our little family just grabbed each other, hugged, and held on. Then we said a prayer of thanks to God for the blessing of the day, and of thanks to our ancestors for persevering through it all and making a day like yesterday possible. Another significant date has been added to the panopoly of sacred dates/events in the advancement of African-Americans up from slavery, joining the Emancipation Proclamation/Juneteenth; the culmination of the Civil Rights Movement (in the form of the Voting Rights Act of 1964); and now the election of the first person of African descent to the highest office in the land.

This is not simply a victory for Blacks, but rather an overwhelming victory for the American people. However based simply on my own history and experiences, at first glance I have to look at it from the perspective of being a Black man. I've been conversing with friends, family, and blog buddies since last night, and keep ending up in the same place. Namely, that just a few short years ago when I was coming up, we used to joke (in a serious way) that a Black person would never, ever become the President of the United States. There were just too many obstacles in the path of such a victory.

For example, there just aren't enough Black people in this country to elect a President. We only comprise 12-13% of the population, so on a good day, if all of us voted for the same candidate and could vote in the same state, we'd have trouble electing a governor in California or Texas by ourselves, let alone a President.

Then there's racial prejudice. In the world I grew up in in East Texas, it was quite clear to everybody that a color line existed and that major obstacles faced Blacks trying to advance in almost any endeavor. That same line existed, sometimes in more subtle fashion, pretty much everywhere else I've lived and worked. White folks simply would not vote for a Black candidate if a viable (read White) alternative was available. National level politics? A President? Yeah right, quit dreaming.

Yet here we are in 2008 and not only is an African-American the President-elect, his victory is due in very large measure to the millions of Whites who voted for him. Oh, I'm not leaving out Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and others who formed part of the victory coalition, but the fact that Obama captured such a large percentage of the White vote is amazing and gratifying to me. I am proud that so many folks voted based upon their best interests instead of out of fear or ignorance. In so doing, the impetus has been provided for America to take another great leap ahead as a country.

In many ways this election validates our hopes in regard to America's future. I know when I've discussed issues of history and race with teenagers, a lot of times it's as if they have no idea what you're talking about, and their almost universal refrain is that "that was then and this is now. Things have changed." Apparently they are right. Our kids all get along until they're taught not to, and the youth vote in this election proved that beyond a doubt.

Now I haven't buried my head in the sand to the point where I think that the race issue in this country has finally been dealt with definitively. Maybe it never will be. Like Obama, pretty much all of us (especially Blacks and Whites) are mixed-race if you go back far enough and uncover some of the forgotten leaves in our family trees. We're from the same families in other words, and the problem is that historically one side of the family tree reaped the majority of the inheritance. That reality and other deep rooted issues can't be washed away based on the results of a single election.

But Barack Obama's candidacy exposed an essential truth that I hope is built upon in the coming years. That truth is that we Americans have a lot more in common than different. Our interests are the same. A lot of us even have the same names, and common ancestors. We all want to be able to provide for our families, for our kids to get a good education, and to be afforded the opportunity to live healthy and in security. The current administration and its policies has shown us all that we're in the same boat. High gas prices, unending wars, and organized theft from the national treasury affects us all, and we'll be paying the price for two G.W. Bush terms for years to come. Last night's victory is a great start towards that recovery, and a spingboard for a better future.

I sure hope so anyway, and I really wish some of those people who meant the most to me in my life could have lived to see it.

YES WE CAN!!!

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:02:00 +0000

Oh my God!!!!

BARACK OBAMA

IS GOING TO BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT

OF THE

UNITED STATES!!

Words absolutely escape me right now. Excuse me while I celebrate.

Looks like a landslide

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 03:51:00 +0000

Wow.

Sitting here watching the election results and it looks like Barack Obama is going to win this thing. Right now the West Coast polls are about to close. California should come into play here in a few minutes, and that should take Obama over the top in combination with any combination of other states.

Barring a miracle, I can't see any way John McCain can come back and win.

None.

The exit polls are telling all kinds of stories, and most of them speak well of this country and how far we have actually come. Almost every demographic is coming out in favor of change as embodied by Barack Obama. It's truly amazing and humbling.

I don't want to start celebrating before the definitive results are in, but my little family is preparing to celebrate this historic occasion.

Oops, there goes Virginia into the Obama camp! This party is about to get started!

Today is the Day - VOTE!

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Damn, where ya been DP?

I guess you could say I've been in a secure undisclosed location, loosely translated as working my behind off and not really having many spare moments for blogging or anything else. But I couldn't let this day go by because it's Election Day.

This is the day I've been waiting for since watching incredulously while John Kerry conceded while hundreds, maybe thousands of people were still waiting in line to cast their votes in Ohio. As bad as that day was, that election did spawn Howard Dean and the 50 state strategy which has put states into play all around the country that the Democrats and Progressives typically just abandoned. That national strategy provided the springboard for the phenomenal campaign of Barack Obama, and now we're on the verge of history.

We've all been waiting, and the tension is like the last two minutes of the big game; your team is up by a field goal and the question is can your defense hold? Well, we're about to see.

I exercised my right to vote last Friday in Ft. Bend County Texas, so I can officially admonish everyone else to get out there and vote. Personally I hope more of you vote for Barack Obama than for John McCain because hey, I'm pretty much fed up with being broke and watching the country go to hell in a handbasket under Republican "leadership." That's plenty enough reason for me to vote Democratic. Not to mention the Democratic candidate seems smarter, has a better plan, and doesn't seem to attract the most vile element of the American electorate like the other side does.

But there's the added bonus of the possibility of the first African-American President being elected, and that makes me very proud, almost to the point of giddy. I know that's not a position that everyone is comfortable with, but I can't help that. I feel the way I feel, and why shouldn't Black folks be proud at such a historically significant moment? Regardless of the outcome, this is another chapter in the amazing story that is Black folks in America.

My mother passed away in July. My Dad passed in 2001. My younger brother, grandparents, and a whole bunch of other people did not live to see even the possibility of this day. But I have, and the joy I'm sure I'll feel if Barack Obama pulls this thing off will be compounded by the fact that so many others who worked tirelessly and anonymously for this day to arrive, did not have a chance to to see it come to pass. So I'll be celebrating for the multitudes of those who came before me and helped pave this road to where we are now.

Or I might be grieving for those same multitudes, but I don't want to think about that right now.

So go vote. Preferably for Barack Obama and all of his down-ticket Democratic buddies, but exercise your right whoever your choice is. Too many people of all races fought, marched, struggled, and died for anyone in this country to be apathetic. And the razor thin results of 2000 and 2004 should dispel any notion that your vote doesn't matter.

A.I. (After Ike) - Reality Sets In

noreply@blogger.com (DP) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 07:08:00 +0000

It's been nearly a week since Ike slammed into the Houston/Galveston area, and for the most part things are still pretty screwed up.

In spite of it all, I have to say that actually God was very good to this area because since the storm we've had a cold front that's kept the temperatures in the mid 70's. That is a blessing any way you look at it because normally we'd be in the 90's, and with heat like that, no air conditioning, and everything else going, I'm not sure people would be as calm and patient as they have been.

It's going to take a long, long time to get this placed cleaned up. For example, the tree in the picture above is about 70 years old and is currently sitting on top of my man p.buzz's house. There are long lines for gas, the grocery stores don't have many of the necessary staples (milk, meat, etc.), the power is still out in most of the city, and just like during Katrina, FEMA in the form of Michael Chertoff shows up four days late. Not to mention the unsolved mystery of what happened to all of the people who stayed on Galveston Island during the storm. Officials aren't talking, and I just pray for their safety.

Since Katrina in 2005, the insurance companies have pulled a fast one. They now write hurricane and wind damage waivers into the homeowners insurance policies that we're all required to have. These waivers call for deductibles based on a percentage of the amount the property is insured for rather than a flat rate. So your hurricane coverage that used to have a $1000 deductible for a $100,000 insurance policy for example, is now $5,000 based on 5% of the insured amount. Wind, hail, tornados, and flood are all seperate polices. Prepare to hear stories from all kinds of people who are about to get screwed because the insurance companies are simply not going to pay. Also get ready to see a lot of reconstruction NOT taking place as homeowners will simply not be able to afford it.

Y'all know the old parable about those not learning from history being doomed to repeat it, right? Well I think we're going to be repeating this process over and over again.

Now don't get me wrong, area governments have done a pretty good job of providing basic necessities while working to get things back on track. But I'm really talking about how fragile our situation is here in this country (and globally) and the fact that no disaster plan seems to work as designed because we depend on a national/global grid for all of our needs.

Food. Power. Water. Everything.

And when any section of that grid is disrupted, it affects everyone, everywhere. The easy example is the price of gas. With the refineries off line here on the Gulf Coast, prices have gone up everywhere because the supply of gasoline has been disrupted. So even in an area where the vast majority of the countries gasoline is refined, the price is still high and we're waiting 30 minutes or more to fill up.

That in turn has affected the availability of food. Because most food is not produced anywhere close to where it is consumed, when the trucks can't bring it in (because of the shortage of fuel), then that particular region suffers through shortages. Like we're seeing now. Thankfully the water supply wasn't disrupted for an extended period of time. I'd hate to see what would happen in a situation like that.

Now I know you can't undo 50 years of globalization in an instant. What I do think is that people themselves better think of how they're going to provide for their critical needs and necessities in times of crisis. With the frequency of disasters hitting this country, the time seems to be approaching where those who don't produce at least some of their own food, aren't going to be eating. Some long term family planning is in order.

Like I said, things are calm here and everyone is patiently waiting for life to return to normal. I just hope and pray that the power comes back on before the sun comes back out.