A Late Entrant to the Race

I save money from not having to endure a grueling primary.


I fully intended to choose Nipsey Russel as my running mate, until it was brought to my attention that he died several years ago. Other than that, we'd be unbeatable.


As such, I want the guy who works at Costington's in the Simpsons, who always says "Yeeesssssss!" (his name is Franko Nelson, I understand...). I'm figuring that way, he'll agree with all of my policy directives.






Somebody pranked me with this today. Whoever it was, "You won this round!"


Actually pretty slick, I must say.

Fight for the Blue and Gold

Hens vs. Terps today at 3:45. Be true to your school.

Go Delaware!

In My Lifetime

I never imagined.

Words fail me right now.

Five Ways to Tell if You Were Born in the 70s (#2)

Back after a hiatus. Kind of like when Archie Bunker's Place went away for "retooling". Actually bad example, because that came back even crappier...

How many do you recall?

* Console TVs - We had a nice one in our living room. Integrated speakers, lovely faux-wood paneling (to prevent fall-apart), and a built-in stereo - which had both a record player and an 8-track. Avant garde no doubt.

And true to DL Hughley's stand-up, when it finally died, we kept in the room, and just sat a newer tv on top of it.

Back story - it had a remote, but when that went on the fritz, I filled in admirably as a "human remote." This consisted of sitting near the tv, to the side (never in front of it, unless I was keenly intent on an a**-whipping), while my Pop had me do a full run of the channels - all 11 of them.

* Coca Cola Rugby Shirts - Sweet. I'm from the Benetton generation, and nothing said we're all children of the world more than wearing corporate pablum on your chest. And I don't even like Coke (gives me the wind something awful).

* Intellivision - Proof positive that I can apply myself when the stakes are high. I earned an Intellivision (and a copy of NFL Football - animated stickmen at a jaw-dropping 3-5 frames per second) by averaging 95 percent on my mid-term exams in the seventh grade.

* NJTL - The National Junior Tennis League. Pleased to know it's still in existence. I spent my tween summers playing tennis for the Ramsey Rec Center. It kept me and my brother out of trouble while Mom was at work, and I actually got pretty good at it, believe it or not.

* Run DMC - I remember walking through the quad during break during freshman year, and my buddy Orson had a tape made by these two guys from St. John's University. I'd never heard anything like it. The beats, the stuff they talked about. Granted, Grand Master Flash had gotten socially relevant years earlier with "The Message," but Run DMC made hip-hop accessible in a way other MCs had not.

Per their instructions, I pulled the shoestrings out of my Adidas shelltops, Walked This Way, and wore one of these.

Yeah, I know. Strong.

Happy Birthday Mommy

Nothing like child-painted pottery to assuage your concerns about
watching the odometer roll over.

They are definitely the children of their mother (as my pop likes to
say). Their love of reading, art, reality television all comes from
Meaghan.

I on the other hand can only claim responsibility for their sense of
humor, vibrant personalities and peerless athletic ability.

So it's clearly a draw...

Things I learned from my mother (Birthday Edition)

How to sense how other people are reacting to what I'm saying or doing

How to say 'eggplant' two different ways in Arabic

How to get along with anyone (as long as they're not jerks - sometimes even when they are jerks)

How to carry a pencil when running through the house (for the kids at home, it's with the point facing down)

How to treat people

That I could easily make it through an entire summer with three ingredients - couscous, cinnamon and sugar

That people can do amazing things when circumstances force them to

That everyone else drives way too fast

Not to leave a hamster unattended with a cat in the house

No matter what else comes and goes, you always have family.


Happy Birthday Mom. If I show up at your house with a knife and fork in my shirt pocket inquiring about lasagna, you know what to do...

Back Again

Part of the reason for the lack of posts over the past week or so lies about 100 miles south of Hockessin. Yes, we just completed another week at the beach, this time with Meaghan's family.

The weather was fair to middlin'. We had some sun, some clouds, some flies and some grasshoppers (I think flies and grasshoppers are the first two plagues that hit Pharaoh, right?). But the food, the family, and the time off from the job all were very welcome (and enjoyed).

Besides, I've been looking for a reason to use this awesome version of "Somewhere over the Rainbow," which you have probably heard, even if you think you haven't.

Meaghan's Links 8/2

Been bugging the Mrs. that she should have a blog of her own. She certainly has more relevant things to say than I do, IMO. 

I'm sensing that's not going to happen, but I did get her OK to post a couple of the articles she recommends to me through Google Reader.

So, here's the debut of Meaghan's Links:

The Walkman Makes a Comeback - Probably a nice candidate for a 'Five Ways' post. I can still remember my Walkman getting stolen out of my locker in the 7th grade. I would've kicked someone's a** if I could fight then. I couldn't.

The Spread of Walmart. Just plain scary.

Held Suspect. A long, sobering read, but worth your time.

Enjoy.