Monday, June 9, 2008

We're Having a Heat Wave

The daytime temperatures have been in the mid-nineties. I really have no desire to go outside. In the world it's steamy outside and comfortable inside plus I don't really have anything to do out there.

I did make it out the last two days but only in the early morning. I biked yesterday and ran this morning. I feel like I should be feeling guilty but I'm not feeling anything like that. I'm just trying to stay productive indoors. Going to work doesn't count since I'm never outside for more than 5 minutes.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Have the Democrats Finally Picked a Candidate?

Today was primary day in New Jersey. In the old days we would have been picking a candidate for president but we did that a few months ago. Today we were picking a candidate for Senate, a sheriff for Union County!, and some Chosen Freeholders (whatever they are).

The big news, though, is that today is the last of the primary contests for president. In a striking blow to our concept of democracy the outcome will not be decided by the voters but by a bunch of people called super delegates. Some of these people were elected but lots of them are just party officials, people that just work for the Democratic Party. Barack Obama has won a plurality of the delegates but not enough to secure the nomination. Now it will be up to the candidates to twist enough of these delegates arms to get them the required number of votes to win the nomination. I really don't understand how this is the will of the people and why anyone thinks that this brings forward the best candidates. Of course, it probably doesn't and that goes a long way to explain how we are where we are.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Wayne's World

Some of life's most important lessons can be learned from silly movies.

Wayne's World, the classic 80's film about young adults that don't quite grow up is a case in point. At one point in the movie everything is going wrong for Wayne; he has a fight with his girlfriend and he walks out on his cable television show and his best friend. Wayne starts to complain to the camera which, bored with his whining, starts to drift away. He realizes that he is just feeling sorry for himself and coaxes the camera back. "It's not really so bad", he says.

I'm not having a bad day or week for that matter. The year has been pretty good too.