Confessions

I was a big soap opera supercouple fan.

I like lazy Sundays watching football.

I love handing out Halloween candy.

I love watching 90210 reruns. Seriously, was that twenty years ago?

I facebook stalk.

I don't mind Star Trek.

I have grown to like Tex Mex.

There are times I miss Detroit.

I'd be a music blogger if I could quit my job.

I am rooting for the Lions again.

Krugman is a Moron

My favorite line:

“This is going to be terrible. In fact, future historians will probably look back at the 2010 election as a catastrophe for America, one that condemned the nation to years of political chaos and economic weakness.”

Second:

“In a recent interview with National Journal, he [Obama] sounded a conciliatory note, saying that Democrats need to have an “appropriate sense of humility,” and that he would “spend more time building consensus.” Good luck with that.” Too little, too late.

Obama has had two years to build consensus. Why does he only want bipartisanship now, when he's on the edge of losing a comfortable Congressional majority? Why is consensus only important when the GOP is poised to gain the edge?

2010 is going down in history as the year that voters took back this country. It is the year they will reject Obamacare, reject Cap & Trade, reject the politics of Pelosi, reject card check, reject the stimulus and too big to fail, and reject the role of Government as Big Brother, lecturing us as to what is in our best interests. We aren't scared, or clinging to guns or religion. We have never been more ready to take this country back. Otherwise, the only thing we'll be endebted to Obama is years of crippling debt and ultimate catastrophe.

Things for Thursday...

I had a dream last night, a car trip, I think, and Grandpa was in it. Today is the six year anniversary of his death. Some subliminal way of reminding me? I don't know.  I was very fortunate to have him for 28+ years, but I'm sad that he was the last of that generation of family to be a part of my daily, physical life, and I didn't see as much of him in his last years. I know he is so happy to be with grandma in heaven, though.

I've been enjoying some new music lately.  The Lissie album is lovely, and I think I'm going to download it. In Sleep, Everywhere I Go, Bully, everything on it is touching and catchy. I'm enjoying some Guster tunes, too, and I am a fan of the new Kings of Leon. Man, I missed my computer.

Five days before the election, and I'm so tired of campaign ads. I can only imagine what the rest of the country is feeling. How big will the victory be? Senate majority still in play? Predictions to come!

And it's Halloween. I don't care, other than I want to see Joey in his Donald Trump costume. I was never a huge fan of Halloween. Not a big candy or dressing up fan. It's okay not to be too into Halloween, right?

Time Traveler or Prank

This is fascinating, as the country celebrates the 25th anniversary of Back to the Future.

Babies

Lots of babies lately...I have lost track of them lately, as they arrive every few weeks. LL's had his latest, Jane. Beautiful little girl, named after her big sister. Former housemates, work colleagues, former classmates, friends from DC, and friends from the Georgetown crew. Babies being born in the year of the baby.

Do I feel a bit bittersweet about this? Of course. Of course. I have days when I really want to be a mom, and other days, when I am happy I am able to run 10 miles in 1:23:24 (what a time!).  And days when I feel bittersweet about the entire thing.

Maybe next year. Or the year after.  I don't know when, not in ten or eleven years, though! I just want it to be right.  Whenever that may be, if I am blessed and lucky enough.

Official Results

Gun / Net	Overall	Sex	Div	6.5Mi Split	Net Time	Pace
1:27:03  /  1:23:24	4795 /21636	959/9581	215/2010	0:55:09	1:23:24	8:20

Army Ten Miler

Today I ran ten miles again. And kicked my time from last year--about 1:23:25? I am still waiting for the results.

I met up with Erin and her friends afterward for brunch at Front Page. And I felt good.  Not like great, but I ilwasn't feeling slightly ill at the end of this like I often do at races.  I ate a ton, which was good, because I was hungry!

This is my fourth race of the year...8K, half, 5 miler, and now 10M.  And a 5K to go.

Having gone from being the last picked in gym class to being able to run 10 miles 8:30s is pretty darn good.

Not so much free speech on NPR

NPR fires Juan Williams for speaking his mind about the threat of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism.

Political correctness run amock.

More--SCATHING!

I say an ideological battle because my comments on "The O’Reilly Factor" are being distorted by the self-righteous ideological, left-wing leadership at NPR. They are taking bits and pieces of what I said to go after me for daring to have a conversation with leading conservative thinkers. They loathe the fact that I appear on Fox News. They don’t notice that I am challenging Bill O’Reilly and trading ideas with Sean Hannity. In their hubris they think by talking with O’Reilly or Hannity I am lending them legitimacy. Believe me, Bill O’Reilly (and Sean, too) is a major force in American culture and politics whether or not I appear on his show.

Years ago NPR tried to stop me from going on "The Factor." When I refused they insisted that I not identify myself as an NPR journalist. I asked them if they thought people did not know where I appeared on the air as a daily talk show host, national correspondent and news analyst. They refused to budge.

This self-reverential attitude was on display several years ago when NPR asked me to help them get an interview with President George W. Bush. I have longstanding relationships with some of the key players in his White House due to my years as a political writer at The Washington Post. When I got the interview some in management expressed anger that in the course of the interview I said to the president that Americans pray for him but don’t understand some of his actions. They said it was wrong to say Americans pray for him.

Later on the 50th anniversary of the Little Rock crisis President Bush offered to do an NPR interview with me about race relations in America. NPR management refused to take the interview on the grounds that the White House offered it to me and not their other correspondents and hosts. One NPR executive implied I was in the administration’s pocket, which is a joke, and there was no other reason to offer me the interview. Gee, I guess NPR news executives never read my bestselling history of the civil rights movement “Eyes on the Prize – America’s Civil Rights Years,” or my highly acclaimed biography “Thurgood Marshall –American Revolutionary.” I guess they never noticed that "ENOUGH," my last book on the state of black leadership in America, found a place on the New York Times bestseller list.

This all led to NPR demanding that I either agree to let them control my appearances on Fox News and my writings or sign a new contract that removed me from their staff but allowed me to continue working as a news analyst with an office at NPR. The idea was that they would be insulated against anything I said or wrote outside of NPR because they could say that I was not a staff member. What happened is that they immediately began to cut my salary and diminish my on-air role. This week when I pointed out that they had forced me to sign a contract that gave them distance from my commentary outside of NPR I was cut off, ignored and fired.

And now they have used an honest statement of feeling as the basis for a charge of bigotry to create a basis for firing me. Well, now that I no longer work for NPR let me give you my opinion. This is an outrageous violation of journalistic standards and ethics by management that has no use for a diversity of opinion, ideas or a diversity of staff (I was the only black male on the air). This is evidence of one-party rule and one sided thinking at NPR that leads to enforced ideology, speech and writing. It leads to people, especially journalists, being sent to the gulag for raising the wrong questions and displaying independence of thought.

Good News

Two of our guys that I've know for a while just received judicial appointments.

The sun is coming out.

Army ten miler is in a few days and I can run.

My new music is back. I missed you laptop.

The Ron Chernow bio on Washington is a must-read.

Even if no one comes to our election night party, we will still have a good time.

New Tunes

The laptop is up and running and all of my very precious, valuable music has been restored. No, it would not have been the end of the world if I had to re-upload some pieces, but I would have been very unhappy.

I am enjoying new tunes by Tired Pony, Lissie, Angus & Julia Stone, Guster, Pete Yorn, and many other finds. Almost too many to recall right now. And I'm listening to the new Kings of Leon right now on Spinner, and I agree that the single Radioactive is quite catchy and maybe worthwhile of purchase.

I really could spend hours organizing and re-organizing my music. In about 10 weeks, I will get to come up with my long-awaited best of 2010.  I have a few ideas of what definitely will go on, like Frightened Rabbit, Shout Out Louds, the National, Delta Spirit, etc. but it will require a great deal of music reviewing to come up with the final list.

Yeah New Laptop

About time!

That is all...

Empire of Liberty

Last night, I finished Gordon Wood's Empire of Liberty, the second book of the Oxford History series.  I've previously read What Hath God Wrought and Battle Cry of Freedom, which covered much of the 19th century.

Like those two volumes, which I enjoyed immensely, I liked the refresher course on the time shortly at the American Constitution.  I'm about to embark upon Ron Chernow's latest on George Washington, and to have a bit of a refresher on Washington's presidency and the 1790s was great. I read quite a bit of this on the train to NY last weekend. It was a quick, easy read. I was a little enthralled with the sections on religion and art, caring more about political history. I enjoyed the chapter on the War of 1812, and it gave me my first good glimpse into the Madison presidency.  Other than his contributions to the Federalist Papers, which Hamilton really deserves the most credit for, I wasn't sure what to think about Madison, other than he was the so-called Father of the Constitution, a close crony of Jefferson's, and someone who promoted a form of republicanism that philosophized on certain ideas while governed on others.  Wood thought the War of 1812 really contributed to strengthening the nation, as opposed to being pointless. Granted, there weren't many casualties, but previously, I really thought the War's greatest effect was in heralding Andrew Jackson's role in political Americana.

Politics was certainly as divided then as it is now, on the eve of the election. There was only one real party at the turn of the 19th century, because the Federalists were nearly no more. I think most folks forget their history when they discuss today's current divisiveness. The Civil War, the 1800 election, the 1876 election, and of course, the 1860 election demonstrate that divisiveness has existed long before the Age of Obama.

Feel Good

The ongoing Chilean miner rescue is in the news today. I watched a few moments of it this morning, and I was struck at how profound and almost spiritual the operation was. The gratitude, the faith in God--truly, the celebration that each and every rescue was an event--it does feel good.  Many have expressed that God was with them over these past two plus months, and in a time when that level of faith is not emphasized, it is a good day.

I am sure Hollywood will dramatize this somehow, but there's no need. What a wonderful story, and as the rest are rescued, I hope things continue to go so smoothly.

And here's one sweet angle:

Richard Villaroel, 26, said by phone that he was excited about reuniting with his wife, who is expecting a baby this week. "I didn't sleep at all last night," he said. "I couldn't."

Birthdays

Not sure I want to write about the latest wedding. So here's a mini tribute to two important from my life:

Grandma would have turned 98 years old on Saturday.  She was a beautiful woman, with beautiful skin, who always had grace and integrity even though she was so sick for so long.  She loved her Charlie perfume.  She loved her fashion and her handbags.  She held such deep religious beliefs, and she is a role model for all Catholic women--all Catholics, really.  Her name, Mary, symbolized the role model she was. She was great with crossword puzzles.  She was a fantastic cook and baker, and I wish I could remember more of her meals, but they were always a treat.  She loved Grandpa, and was a wonderful partner in their marriage.  She had a beautiful smile, and I will always remember her sitting at the back of St. Mark's in her wheelchair, cheerfully greeting everyone.  She was a card shark, pinochle, and I wish she could have taught me to play. 

Paul is my youngest brother, and today he turns 31.  He was a cute kid, a great smile, and irresistible.  He's now a devoted husband, hard-worker, a great fantasy football opponent, and a people pleaser, but that is a good thing.  He is hospitable.  He is friendly.  He is a great sports fan, U-M or Cincinnati or Detroit teams alike.  He likes movies, like Grandpa did.  I am a bit sad that we've been living apart now for over half of our lives, since he was not quite 15 when I started college.  I am a lucky girl to have such great brothers.

Nobels gets it Right, This Time

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Liu Xiaobo, the Chinese dissident. 

He is someone far more deserving than last year's winner.  He is imprisoned, for his beliefs, because he supports human rights and democracy in China.  And China is aggrieved at this award, threatening relations with Norway.

Good.  This is the kind of person to honor, someone who seeks to create a better world despite facing horrible sanctions.  He is a hero.

No Title Necessary

I am not having a good day.
I've kept my door closed until recently, so I don't appear anti-social.

I'm having a hard time.
I am so worn out, I just want to call my mom and dad and go to them and just be with people who love me, unconditionally and without anything asked in return.

I want to be with people who don't demand my constant apologies, who don't demand that I prostrate myself at my feet and spend a day in tears. Because I need to be the one to forgive. I can't have someone call me horrible names, horrible horrible names, and tell me I deserve it.

All I have ever wanted was love. And I thought marriage would be enough, marriage would bring me that. Instead I am constantly compromising myself, crying bitter tears and wondering if I deserve to be alone, like they told me so many years ago.

And now my door is closed again.

Marie Claire Blogger Controversy

This Marie Claire piece in the November issue has generated loads of attention around the blogosphere, with loads of bloggers alleging author bias, libel, jealousy, hypocrisy etc.

I read the blogs in question, and I agree that the piece does not accurately represent the full picture.  None of the women profiled are overly skinny, and none of them portray themselves as fitness/health experts, though I do think some good points are made.

For example, I questioned their motives for the "Healthy Living Summit" because frankly, only one of them had any real credentials on health, and that was only recently.  A few of them have freely taken corporate endorsements, free trips, ego trips in magazines, etc.  A few of them do appear to have some issues with eating, excessive exercise--it always irritates me to read of "easy-peasy six mile morning runs" without them appearing to have unlimited appetites later.  A few of them have alluded to health problems.  And a few aren't the greatest writers, either.

I hate the culture of groupthink on the comments to the blogs as well, because any criticism is immediately refuted and "trolls" are chastised for being mean girls. Seriously.  Yeah, these girls blog their private lives, never seeking celebrity, but because they accept payment, they are doing a job and are subject to criticism.  If you want fawning, switch to a private blog where only fans can respond. 

Nothing was libelous in the piece, though the author did selectively report on statements designed to fit the angle of the story she was writing.  Seriously, who unquestioningly trusts an author?  You had to be deeply naive to not realize she had an agenda: everyone easily googled her earlier pieces critical of the healthy living movement. And she appeared to have her own issues as well.

It's been interesting being a fly on the wall to this, because while I read, I don't actively participate.  And yeah, it's partly because I can get caught in those comparison traps myself. I'm a decade-ish older, several inches taller, and several pounds heavier than most of these healthy living blogger types.  I have no desire to run a marathon, mostly, though there are times I wonder why I lack that motivation. I see the toll that it takes on their bodies, and a few of them constantly complain about long runs. Why in the hell do you need to run a sixth marathon when you don't enjoy it? And I do think some of them hold superior attitudes about their eating habits, but when you work at home all of the time, of course you have more flexibility in what you eat.  But not all of us have that luxury.  And yes, a couple of them appear to have wealthy families backing them up. Such is life.

Interesting to see if MC responds.  I actually think they are the best of all of the woman's magazines. Yes, they are a bit hypocritical, especially with an anorexic looking Victoria Beckham on the cover.  But they routinely run social/human interest stories, talk about jobs/careers/money issues, and they certainly don't pander to the Cosmo crowd.  Those who are so critical probably haven't picked up an issue. And I certainly have no intention of canceling my subscription because of this. Frankly, Self's awful airbrushing of Kelly Clarkson and its anorexic/orthorexic editor in chief offend me far, far more.

Texas

Julie's wedding, despite a little drama, was fantastic.  Having mom and dad there was special, and I miss them already.  They arrived Thursday and we drove to South Padre and had dinner at Dirty Al's and drinks at Wahoo's--mom really liked the Wahoo drink!  Friday was more food, stuffing ourselves at Los Alsados, and watching Aly enjoy his ribs at their rehearsal dinner. Saturday was the wedding, with a touch service at church followed by a buffet dinner at the Harlingen Museum.  Really very special few days.

It has been a tough couple of weeks. I'm exhausted, feeling fat through this inexplicable weight gain, and I don't like the change of season. I wish someone would just admit that Fall isn't the best season! I prefer spring, when days grow longer and warmer, instead of shorter and colder. It's cold out today, and it's been rainy and dreary.  It was great being back to summer in Texas, and I rather appreciated that.  I'm tired of looking out at gray skies in the 36 hours or so we've been home.

And it was nice having family nearby. It's so hard without it, so hard not having familiar faces to vent to nearby.  It was cute seeing mom and dad dancing; I'll remember that.  It was great having a baby and kids running around, and it made my heart yearn for that. It was great to feel comfortable. At least the holidays are just around the corner.