California: Schwarzenegger and Reagan, all the way!

Come Election Day, it’s a no-brainer that this state, the fifth largest economy in the world, will not go to Bush. California is indeed Kerry country. Guess that’s due to our “liberal leanings”, right? But what does that mean exactly?

No, seriously. Words like “liberal” and “left coast” – what do these phrases bring to mind?

For me, I think of draft dodgers, or perhaps a place where there is casual drug use on the streets. I think of hippies sporting peace signs, “kooky” Hare Krishnas selling flowers in the airport, gay poet coffee houses, or maybe people so devoid of morals that their “freedom of choice” battle cry is because, as lovers of casual sex, they demand their abortions the next morning. Similarly, the word “democrat” is for some reason synonymous with people having their hand out to be paid by the government.

How come I don’t see any of these things in Los Angeles? Why is it that the John Kerry supporters tend to be the most educated people? On my recent trip to Stanford University, virtually all the faculty offices had anti-Bush paraphernalia. What’s the connection between support for the Democrats and educators at one of the best universities in the world?

I’ve traveled quite a bit in this state recently and all I see are honest, hard working people who care desperately about their country, want the freedom to live their lives without interference from the government (a Republican mandate), value the beauty of their beaches and streams, and the health of their families.

That doesn’t sound too liberal at all, does it? But wait a minute!

California is a state that voted in Arnold Schwarzenegger, he’s Republican! What’s that about? In fact, I did some research, if you go back to the year 1930, you’ll find that Republican Governors outnumber Democrats 9 to 3 in this state! Where do you think Ronald Reagan got his start!

Could it be that the dirty little secret to California is that it’s not a liberal state at all? Could it be that this is a place where the majority of people see past an affiliation and vote for a good leader when they see one?

California is not a state of kooks. It’s a place with hunters, ranchers, farmers, and yes, gay poet coffee houses. With that kind of mix, we have proven ourselves party blind. I submit that California is a state that tends to judge without bias.

And as a majority, we are a state that is done with George W. Bush. That’s not liberal Democrat hooey – it’s just common sense.

Don't you think that Leonard Nimoy Should Eat More Salsa? Well, now theres a foundation that will encourage him to do so.

I don't make em up folks, I just pass them along.

You are Woodstock!


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Lighting Up the Blogosphere

You hear the news from Iraq, but it all sounds so far away. Time for a new perspective...

Take a look at this post written by Juan Cole, Professor of History at the University of Michegan that asks the question, "If America were Iraq, What would it be Like?"

This is one of the hottest blog entries the last couple days. (link via Daily Kos)

Coolest Thing EVER

So I'm poking around my regular internet haunts and pay a visit to Brooks Blog, where I learn about something called Geocaching.

Where the heck have I been that I'd never heard of this?!

Using a GPS navigator, geocachers trek through urban or rural settings to find hidden treasures placed there by others. Ingenius!

Some of these caches are riddles to find something new, others contain a guestbook for you to sign. Check out the Geocaching website, put in your zip code and learn about the treasures that may be hidden right near your home!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to fill in the hole from where my head was in the sand...

HB to Cellar Door!

Yep, it was one year ago today I started this blog. In my first post, I made a disclaimer that I had no idea what I was doing.

Today, things are brighter, and flashier with more links and photos... and yet I still have absolutely no clue what I'm doing. Kinda like life.

But thanks for stopping by.

Got Aspirin?

Fresh off my week in San Francisco, I was hankerin' to blow off some steam at yesterday's Inland Invasion concert. Note to self... next time wash down alcohol with food! Oy my head...

The highlights for me were The Killers and Tears For Fears, but Billy Idol was an awful lot of fun. The fact that Morrissey didn't show reminded me of the old days when promoters used to sell Morrissey tickets with the full knowledge that Morressey himself would not likely attend. Seems there's always a chance of bad weather or bad attitude.

Is it Talk Like Pirate Day again already? Has it been a year? Arrr!

Post College Reality Check

I've always looked back at my college years as the time I became who I am. Because of that, I've felt a certain kinship with college students and seen them as my younger philosophical brothers. We probably share political outlooks, an open-minded spirit, a love for cool hair, and a fondness for binge drinking.

Then, this week, during my work trips to UCSF, Berkeley and Stanford, I got a good update for what college students look like.

Holy crap! What a wake up call!

Kids with high school acne, bony arms, and ladies who look like they're still in middle school! There is nothing wrong with this, of course, it just serves to remind me how much I have romanticized my own college years.

I'd still love to be shoulder to shoulder with them in class, even if I am a little greyer...

San Francisco Tour: 2004

I'm off to the bay area for work through Friday. First stop, UCSF. Then we hit Berkeley and round out the week at Stanford.

I had considered extending my stay to check out Green Gulch. Instead, I'll be attending the Inland Invasion with some friends.

I haven't been to Frisco in ten years, much less seen these campuses. Forecast calls for photos.

Don't be fooled by the name of this week's link, Worst Country Song Titles. They are in fact the BEST Country Song titles and are quite funny.

Bush Bounces: Chaos Reigns

I have ants in my shower.

They emerged from a crack between the tiles above the shampoo bottles, marched across the hardwood floor to refresh themselves at the cat's water dish before moving on to the garbage. The exceptionally hot weather in LA seems to give them extra numbers for their invasion. At least the ants aren't in my car like they were a few years ago (some sort of cross-promotion with Nissan).

Hurricanes Charley, Frances and now Ivan have blasted Florida in as many weeks... I had a relationship end... I found myself paralyzed in a social quagmire... and I'm still coughing from being sick two weeks ago.

These strange events can only mean one thing: Bush is up in the polls.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's my assertion that the 2000 election of Dubya has opened a hole in the space continuum that must be sealed before the universe collapses. Until either of those things happen, we will continue to see the chaos in nature and life circumstance played out in this metaphor.

I can only hope that I will survive the next 54 days and that I don't wake to find an ant hill in my bathtub.

Thoughtlets 3: Is it Just Me??

Every now and then, there's not enough to fill a whole blog entry -- just half-thoughts and observations.

* Note to my fellow males out there: Cologne is meant to be splashed on, not poured! If you enter a hallway and smell a man's cologne, but cannot see the man wearing it, they are wearing too much!! Is it just me?

* Is the Olympics really over?? You sure they didn't forget some events this year? Synchronized trampoline? NASCAR?

* Jake Gyllenhaal was the Bubble Boy?? Why did I not know that?

* SETI has apparently found a signal that appears intelligent. Also here.

* River Phoenix would have turned 34 a couple weeks ago. I resaw Running on Empty and had forgotten how talented this guy was. When I think about Johnny Depp's career, I can only imagine what incredible roles River would have played if he'd not lived so close to the edge.

* As polished and produced as the Democratic Convention was, I expected the Republican Convention to be doubly so. But it's not. Not nearly as slick. Is it just me?

* Finally, a google for "Is it Just Me?" didn't reveal any blog by that name that I could see. Is it just me, or would "Is it Just Me?" be a great title for a blog?

Somebody go run with that!