candy stores

sites like these

majorgeeks.com
download.com
tucows.com
grc.com

drive me bonkers.
it's like walking into the candy store - i want to play with every single thing i find there. this addiction started back when i bought my first commadore 64 and you had to know dos in order to load a program.
usually the only thing i "accomplish" at these sites is a fresh clean install of the original o.s.
all in good fun.

odd rules

during my one month stay in TX last year, the tags on my little "blue bomb" expired. no biggie right? nope.
except! in TX - you need a TX state driver's license (and a myriad of other things - of course) in order to receive new little "blue bomb" tags allowing you to drive around all legal like.

[never mind that the TX state office did not clue me into the little known fact that i could get temporary tags until i got home to TN. right? right.]

anyway on to the tale.

i wait until i need new tags here in TN to go get my driver's license switched back to TN (it hadn't even expired when i had to get a TX one) - which is my legal state of residence.

(by the way, i have lived in and had a TN drivers license for almost 10 years, thank you, grrr)

so, after stopping and asking "what all do i need in order to get my drivers license?"
i gather up all these things and head on back to the drivers license place to get a spanking "brand new" one.

tis not to be.

my original - yes, from the week i was born - birth certificate was not good enough - shrug. ok, fine.
so i go to the passport office and send off all my stuff (including my not good enough birth certificate) to get a new passport.

well - my passport is here

tomorrow? i go back to the drivers license place and will give my spanking "brand new" passport over to this state office to get - yes! you understand now! - a new drivers license.

oh, wait - did i miss something here?

go figure. just another one of those riddles that perplex me i guess.

i am not going to cry

dang it !
roland just buried jake.
eyes are stinging.
had to put the book down.

in case you do not know who roland and jake are. have a visit - Stephen King

run dick run. see dick run. run jane run. see jane run.

MarryAnAmerican : No good American will be left behind!
or you could try here
Migration Expert - Australia
or here
Switzerland Residency

but keep in mind - of course

"Remember that Nixon was reelected with a bigger margin than Bush, but faced impeachment within a year."
Ten Reasons Not to Move to Canada

me?
think i will just stick around and watch the fallout

found words

---

my brothers and i, watching ships as we wait for the one that will take us to okinawa

---

[found on an envelope]

without your past experiences you've learned nothing to prepare you for what lies ahead.

don't look back with regret. life can be very painful, but it only opens the door to the real you.
it makes you stronger and wiser as you go.

the desires you have previously chosen have brought you precisely were you are. right now.
just as surely as the desires you focus on today bring about the substance of your tomorrow.

though you won't get it perfect, do it anyway.
though you don't think you have the time, do it anyway.
though it will challenge you and make you uncomfortable, do it anyway.

only you know what must be done. you know what actions will bring the results you desire.
you know what is right and what is wrong.
you can spend a lifetime making excuses, thinking of reasons why not, but where would that get you?
touch your own sense of excellence and do the right thing.

do it anyways in spite of the bring me downs.

take yourself to the next level.

*i have since found out that this was written by my number two son.
dang jord - i can't express in words to you how much i admire your insight.

bushwhacked

4 more years of this.
i smell another vietnam in our history. we just love to meddle.

Vietnam Timeline v.s. Iraq Timeline

The damage to U.S. prestige in the world for its illegal invasion of Iraq is already done. The danger now is that in his desperation to avoid a humiliating U.S. defeat, the repudiation of his entire presidency, and a generation-long disdain for U.S. military power, Bush will resort to apocalyptic barbarism. This is exactly what Nixon did trying to salvage "peace with honor"� in Vietnam. It is this temptation that only the American public can force Bush to resist.

Robert Freeman - Is Iraq another Vietnam? Actually, it may become worse.

So where are the similarities between Iraq and Vietnam? They reside in Washington.

Joe Galloway - Iraq No Vietnam, But There Are Parallels

Cost of War

oh, wait, i don't do politics.
away - i go.

my boys girls

some interesting stuff going on around here maynard.
a couple of girls have been here the last 2 days - hanging out.
tis odd to wake up and see a woman come strolling out of my son's room.

[usually on my way to the head after i wake up, i trip over all these guy bods sleeping on the living room floor recovering from their night of music and gaming].

anyway. my oldest boy has a new "interest", nice lady. she has been chasing after him for around a year and a half and well, she finally snagged him. they haven't been off each other for hours now. they practically sit on top of each other, holding hands, making faces at each other. coolest thing is she is 11 years older than him.
wonder who is teaching whom what. not that this is any of my business - it just felt "odd" to have the baby/condom talk with a woman her age.

we all know the number one son is not interested in any type of "long term thang" and i was concerned this might turn into an issue since she had been building up in her head all this stuff about him for the last year. he assured me he has it under control, is being up front and honest with her. ok babe. your boat.

haven't had the baby/condom talk yet with my number two son's new love interest. did hear tell she asked a good friend of hers' if it was possible to get pregnant by swallowing.
ok - for sure the talk needs to be real soon. but ! um. did your momma not tell you about this stuff honey ?

my number two son is a sensitive guy and hasn't had a g-f in ages. so, i need to be concerned about this one in a sensitive manner - not my usual - "you got a condom? you do know that babies suck up your life in a positive manner 'IF' you are ready for it? no - of course you don't since you don't have any kids yet. so - let's talk about this. if you are not on birth control now? .. hey! let's go".

yes - of course, i do love my boys - deeply.

altruism

cross cultural solutions ~ 1 - 12 week volunteer program.

matching donors ~ if you have worked with or around anyone needing a transplant - than you understand the dire need.

peace corps ~ have wanted to sign up for a stint with the peace corps since i was 16 yrs old. have had the application sitting here for a couple of years now ... getting closer in my life stage where this could happen.

lawn decorations

kerry/edwards sign in the yard. not sure which one of the guys in the house put it up.
just want to cross out all of them

! Pat Paulsen for Pres ! - really wish he were here for this one.

music

Rock the Vote - This Land Is Your Land - listen up.

Scissor Sisters - some funk. they call it indie now [it's still funk to me]


tiny music

Scientific American: Scientists Turn DNA Tubes into Nanowires - spiffy