Simple things

This morning the temperature gauge read 68 degrees. It's August. The mildest summer in my memory and wettest in history.

It's funny how sometimes truth slaps you upside the head in the most unlikely places as if God is saying,"Hey...remember me?" I read various other blogs of others who are actually paid to write. And in one today that has yet to really touch on the religious I stumble upon this..."If life was a bad miracle it would still be rather impressive. But when it's a good miracle, you have to stop and count your blessings. And they are innumerable." Amen.

Nothing I could say...

Just read this.

Lord of the Hypocrites

Today I would like to uphold my promise seen above. I'll try to rant. I might annoy....and maybe even inform. You may be getting tired of this, but I will once again turn my sights on everyone's favorite "documenter" (term used loosely), Michael Moore. You see, he hates Bush (current President of the United States), the war, Republicans, people who own guns, and from what I can tell, the truth. He dislikes George Bush so much that he made a movie about him...and about how "his" war is the worst idea ever. I will not debate that point today. Today I am here to ask you to do nothing more than to heed Michael Moore's heartfelt request.
You see, Mr. Moore has a little petition. And it basically asks you, trusty voter, to never cast a ballot in favor of any Democrat who supported the war. I quote:
YOU ARE EITHER WITH US OR YOU ARE FIRED!
Take the pledge and let the Democrats in Congress hear you.
"I pledge to never vote again for any Democratic candidate for public office who has voted in favor of George Bush's war in Iraq."
We call on the Democrats in Congress to oppose a war on Iraq, to vote "No" to Bush's war cries. We pledge to never again vote for any Democratic member of Congress who supports George W. Bush's war against Iraq. To the Democrats in Congress, we give you fair warning: You are either with us, or you are fired.

Well worded. I couldn't have said it better myself. That means the 68 Democrat representatives and 26 Democrat Senators that remain should be updating their resumes for life in the private sector. I'm not sure Mickey understands what he's asking. And he's not leaving my Democrat friends many choices. Recently, he was confronted with this fact by none other than Ralph Nadar on Bill (the "Ultimate Blathering Idiot") Maher's show on HBO. Conveniently, the link has disappeared from his official website, but despite Big Mike's attempts to hide his obviously contradictory political stance as he campaigns against Bush during this election year, I was able to find it Top Secret Link. So it did exist. And just in case you were wondering, here are some of the names of Congressmen to whom you should not give your vote: Martin Frost (TX), Patrick Kennedy (RI), Max Sadlin(TX), Henry Waxman(CA), Robert Wexler(FL) and -ahem- Dick Gephardt(MO). Those guys are on some important commitees...are you sure Mickey? The Senators? Well, Michael Moore kindly requests you not vote for such luminaries as: Tom Harkin(IA), Chistopher Dodd(CT), Joe Biden(DE), Joe Lieberman(CT), Chuck Schumer(NY), Mrs. William Jefferson Clinton(NY), Tom Daschle(SD), and drum-roll please your Democratic Presidential ticket, John Edwards(NC) and --the truth is so satisfying-- John F. Kerry(MA). Bill is gonna be ticked.
Oddly enough, even with Kerry's statement that he would still vote the same way on the war if he knew then what he knows today, Mr. Moore has not recanted nor spoken out against him....or would that be returned to his original belief? Who knows? Not Michael or any of those other liberal knotheads. They just know...or believe...or someone told them in the media...whatever, that they should hate the President and support the other guy, even if they actually completely disagree with "the other guy". Intellectual honesty is as foreign to them as a military stand by the French.

I like to build.

I always thought I might, but never really had the opportunity. I'm ok with a hammer. I understand the term "square" and operate one mean tape measure. It's even in my blood. My grandfather has worked as a carpenter and just recently completed an addition to his house. But yet I have almost nothing to add to my own building credits. Other than prefab furniture, the cupboard is empty (is that a pun?).
As previously mentioned, I recently spent a week building pews for a church in Mexico. Even though I worked up to 11 hours a day in the Mexican sun (sort of like the Arizona sun, but spicier) I found that I was enjoying myself. Cutting wood....excuse me, lumber. Sanding (the DeWalt rotary sander is my personal fav). Drilling. Sanding (Did I mention I spent one 14 hour period over two days doing nothing but sanding? My wrist is still a little "loose"). Fashioning pieces together with screws and glue. I found it all quite pleasing. The pleasure was greatly accentuated once I saw the finished product and that it could actually be used for the purpose intended. I sat and it neither wobbled nor collapsed.
The result of this revelation has been 4 trips to various Lowes/Home Depots in the week following my return. It's very odd. Those places always bored me to tears but now, instead of seeing useless tools, I now see instruments out which book shelves, patio tables, Feng shui rock gardens, and grill caddies can be borne. The thought of finding myself in the garage with saw dust flying seems almost romantic. I'm really not sure what happened. Maybe I'm trying to reconnect with my manhood in this expanding climate of gender-neutrality. Maybe I need more fiber. Or maybe I just like to see some tangible evidence of the fruits of my labor. Whatever it is, I can't get the idea out of my head. And once that "power tool dam" breaks, I'm not sure where it will end. Of course, I might wake up tomorrow and forget the whole thing...but dangit!, I like to build.