Final convention post

Just finished watching the Kerry speech, and after all this convention stuff, I am properly fired up. Now, it doesn't really matter all that much whether I'm fired up or not, because I can't vote. Still Swiss. However, if I'm fired up, maybe that means other people are fired up too. And they'll most likely be even more fired up after they hear the speeches at the Republican National Convention. So, if I can't vote, maybe I can at least drive several people who can vote to a polling place. Anything to avoid another 4 more years of Bushie.
Overall, Kerry's speech was pretty good. I heard some commentators say that he did what he needed to do, jumped over the high bar he had set for himself, and hit one out of the park. I generally concur, although i don't think it was the best sppech since they anoounced the invention of sliced bread.
I liked Baraka Obama's speech. His speech was pitch perfect, and I'd like to watch it again. Rev. Al Sharpton's speech was great to watch too. He went over the alloted time by 15 minutes, and he said what the audience wanted to hear. The kids went wild.

Bloggers at the GOP convention

The folks who run the GOP convention have invited Bloggers to keep track of it all. Read here.
As I wouldn't want the GOP to miss out on any of the fun that the Democrats are having now, I have some suggestions to make their convention more interesting:

• Invite cute little baby seals.
  
• Ask a group of circus-performing squirrel monkeys to spread their love and joy.
  
• Whenever someone says something slightly offensive, show a picture of a golden retriever puppy.
  

That's just a beginning, but I think it will soften everything up and give everyone the warm and fuzzies.

Democratic Convention

Been watching the DNC, and was eagerly awaiting Howard Dean's speech. It was a good speech, but not really overwhelming. I thought he would be a bit more "upset" like he was during the campaign, but Kerry must have reined him in somehow.
Also saw Ted Kennedy, who I thought started off slow but then got the people behind him at the end. Also, Teresa Heinz Kerry, who was really impressive and will be a fantastic First Lady.
However, the star of the evening was Baraka Obama, who knocked one out of the park. He had everyone on their feet, and I was riveted. Very empassioned, enthusiastic. I would watch it again if I could.

Bill

I just watched Bill Clinton speak at the democratic national convention. Real cool. It's a great time hearing that man speak, maybe because it's such a stark difference between the dude we have in office now. It was a very enthusiastic speech that drew huge responses from the crowd.
Howard Dean will be on tomorrow, so I'm gonna make sure I can watch him speak, as it's bound to be interesting.
I don't think I'll be able to stomach the republican convention in NY.

Grey with rain

For the last three days, it has been either been raining profusely or oppressingly grey. Thank Gog I live somewhere where it's verdant as opposed to, let's say, Newark.
I got back from a rather uneventful weekend in Clonton to celebrate my nephew's birthday. I say uneventful, as no one lost any limbs or fingers and no one left in tears. However, several of us got stung by wasps. We had set up a pinata for the ten kids to break. I was standing on top of a play set, along with my bro, filming. All of a sudden, someone yelled out, and I paraphrase, "Ow! I'm stung." Followed by another, and another. It looked like we were being picked off one by one by an army of wasps. People went screaming and crying off into the house. My niece Emilie was stung five or six times, and by bro-in law (her dad) was understandably freaked out as a history of allergic reactions to wasps runs in his family. We drove out on a search for benadryl cream for kids, and then we rushed back. The sis and bro-in-law took emilie to the emergency room as a precaution.
OK, so I shouldn't say uneventful.
I gave the little dude a beach boys greatest hits CD that he dug. It was in the CD player all of Saturday morning. We had a nice breakfast and people left throughout the day. I was the last to leave.
I went to a mall close by in bridgewather, with the intention of seeing The Bourne Supremacy. Righ when i get to the ticket window, they say that it's sold out. So, on to the next place I go.
I caught it later in the evening. While this was fun and had one of the better car chases sinse Ronin, I didn't like it as much as the first. This was too MTV-ish, with all sorts of wobbly camera movement and jerky shots as well as a whole bunch of pretty, shiny things to keep me distracted.
Soon, I have to go on to work. I hope it rains more. I feel much better being in the store if the weather is crap.

This land

I wanted to write a long post, but i forgot what i wanted to write about. Drag.
Here is something funny, though. This Land, as performed by Bush and Kerry. Hilarity ensues!

Hear ye!

My roommate just started a new blog, called Sick Day. "Random thoughts from the depths of Central Jersey," as he would say. It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry. It's better than Cats!

Family

Over the course of the next few weeks, my whole family - 3 sisters and 1 brother- will be here. As I'm not very good at feigning injury or sickness, I'll be there, too. It's only taken one day, but there's already been a skirmish between two of my sisters, for reasons I'm not going to get into. I couldn't be bothered to type about it, really.
The two sisters, and the respective children, are staying at my parents place. My brother is in Clinton. My last sister arrives in two weekends.
Many pictures will be taken, many eggshells it will feel we are walking on. I will seek refuge in my rectangle atop the stairs.

If I coulda, I woulda...

Bush wants to be called the peace president. When I was a kid, I wanted to be John Lennon. Bushies' goal seems about as likely as mine. Bush will be the peace president about as much as I'll spontaneously combust.

Read

A friend sent this article. It's from the New York Times, so you'll have to register, and it basically says that if you don't read, your mind will rot.
 
Or, more gruesomely, if you don't read, the rats and cockroaches of time will squirm into your brain, wrecking more havoc than all the hurricanes and Big Macs could ever cause as well as eating away at your precious memories until all you are left with is nothing wrapped in a coat of emptiness. So read a book.

Not so much stealing, as it is liberating...

Someone stole tapes for a new U2 CD. I wonder if the U.S. did this, as a pre-emptive strike on the war on terror.

Already?

I've been watching VH1's I Love the 90s show for the last few days. Granted, Michael Ian Black is funnier than monkeys, in a droll, sarcastic way, but it just seems so early to be nostagic for the 90s. I'm not far enough removed from that decade to see it as funny. The 80s, sure, as poking fun at that decade is only right. But the 90s? Maybe it's because the 00s have been such crap that we're grasping for straws.

Monday

Last week, I felt disjointed and out of sorts. No day felt like the day it was, and my mental clock must have been low on batteries.
Anyway, I'm totally, unequivacally convinced that today is a Monday, as no other day could possibly be this gloomy. Why I had to watch that Cure Trilogy DVD this morning, I don't know.
I want to go home.

notes on a sunday

It's been a busy weekend, so let me break it down into easily digestible chunks.

• Went to see Spider-Man 2, finally, saturday night. I took my nephew, and he got a kick out of it. I also took him to dinner, which was nice. I noticed something quite interesting, as well. Since I had the little dude with me, the waitresses were all sorts of friendly to me. The waitress eeven wrote a little "thank you" on the receipt. I think they could tell I wasn't his parent. I mean, really, do i look or act like a parent. I may have to try this experiement further.
  
• Helped paint my brothers kitchen on Saturday. It's nice to actually accomplish something. Also brought a mini backetball hoop that they set up in the basement. So they got a kick out of that. I'm making good inroads on becoming the cool uncle.
  
• Learned that fortune cookie girl has decided to leave her full-time gig at borders for greener pastures at a magazine in princeton. She will stay on part-time. I'm glad for her, as the position is a pretty good one, but it will make the place that much more emptier. It's gotten progressively less interesting there since paula, lisa, and donna have left. Well, donna's there one day a week, but i haven't talked to her in a while, so in essence, she's not around. I wonder, even when I get a job with more money, if i can tear myself away from there. It's like a cacoon.
  

Nephew

Over the last few weeks, I've been able to spend much more time with some of my nieces and nephews. My bro who moved up to Jersey has three boys a girl. One of my sisters, who is moving from Virginia to Maine, stopped off here. She has two girls and a boy. My sister in switzerland has two girls and a boy, and they'll be coming to visit this month.
My niece and nephew from Va. have spent alternate weeks here with their grandparents, and I've gone around to bother them after work. I've taken each of them to Borders and to dinner, and acted like an "Uncle."
I took my nephew Ian yesterday. He really dug it, and he actually said that he enjoyed spending the time with me. How cool is that?
I don't think I really come across as a mature adult, but it's nice to play as one now and again.

shy

As if I needed further proof that I'm shy.
I was at B&N this afternoon after work, just to read a few magazines. I take a seat and spot this girl in her early to mid 20s. She's sitting on the armrest of a wooden chair, which i find curious in an intriguing way. She's kind of like a hippie-chick, which I go for. I think we exchange a few glances (this could just be my imagination), and she does eventually take a seat in one of the plush chairs next to me. it seems as though we exchange a few more glances. I get the feeling that she wants me to say something to break the ice, but i don't, or can't. She leaves about 10 or 15 minutes later, and I didn't say anything, although I'm sure I missed an opportunity.
I can attack shyness with all the rational and tangible logic I can come up with, but i guess shyness is irrational and intangible. It's like climbing a mountain to find yourself...when it comes down to it, the only thing you really find is that you are on top of a mountain. I don't think that quite makes sense, but whatever.

mean roo

This just goes to show that you can never trust an animal that has a better right jab than you do.

Vegas, baby, Vegas

My friends are trying to organize a trip to Las Vegas for this labor day. It sounds like a whole bunch of fun, so I'll try to scrape the cash together to hop on the plane and go.
I also said I'd to Europe at some point this fall, wo we'll see what happens with that idea. I really need to get my resume updated so I can start going on soul-destroying interviews again. Not looking forward to that process at all.
The new roommate has moved his stuff in, but hasn't really set anything up yet. He's been in california until yesterday...My previous roommate has taken his time to move his stuff. It's already the sixth and he still has his kitchen stuff and various stuff in a hall closet. We'll when this gets taken care of.
On 88.5, I heard two bob dylan songs in a row, so that immedietly got me to thinking there was something wrong. Is that morbid? I checked yahoo when i got home, and thankfully didn't see the bad-news headline. So, that's nice.

july 4

Rather busy weekend, spent out in the sun. First, went to Terhune Orchards to pick raspberries. They still need a few weeks, but i got some good one. The family and I also went to Howell Living History Farm. After the orchard, I was planning to head to my parents place before going to the farm. So, one wrong left turn later, I wound up in Hopewell, and just figured I'd head out to the farm.

I just got back from work, and my roommate is finishing the last of his move. Or, more exacting, watching "Independence Day," taking a break from moving. The new guy will be in late tomorrow evening.

I have off tomorrow, which is a nice change. I may head up to Clinton, but we'll see. I have the urge to see water, so I'll head out to the delaware.

Bummer that I missed all the fireworks this year. Oh well.