Hillary's Halloween Message

Love it!

Rachel Maddow interviews Obama

Obama makes a good point in talking about Republicans, saying they should not be lumped in with their leadership. It's sort of like talking about the Catholic Church and reproductive justice. Most Catholics support women using birth control or choosing to have an abortion. It's the Catholic hierarchy that hold the extremist position.

And here is part two.

Happy Halloween

I'm an alien?

What Kind of Monster Are You?

There were a few questions where I didn't like any of the answers, so I just picked the one that amused me the most. So am I really an alien?

Stuck on you

No time for blogging ... Bella and BAC were busy giving blood today. Yes, we were both stuck and are now sporting bandages on our left paws. In a shameless play for sympathy we decided to share this photo with you. We are both fine ... but Bart's in the bathroom looking for a bandage to put on his left paw.

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Big Dog and Obama on the trail in Florida

[ Find Your Polling Place | Voting Info For Your State | Know Your Voting Rights | Report Voting Problems ]

STOP the War on Women NOW

This election isn't just significant for the fact that we will select the next president. There are serious ballot initiatives in a number of states, and while same-sex marriage has received much of the focus, there are other equally important measures to consider. We must STOP the war against women and girls.

CA - VOTE NO on 4

California may be ground zero on the same sex marriage debate, but CA residents also have an opportunity to vote down a proposition that endangers young girls.

Karen, at Beautiful Day Rule, has some great posts that explain why Prop 4 in California must be defeated:

Vote NO on California's Prop 4

This is how bad it would be if Prop 4 passes

Beethoven says, "Vote No on Prop 4"

CO - VOTE NO on 48

Colorado voters will decide the fate of an amendment that would give a fertilized egg the same rights as a living person. Amendment 48 is designed to not only prevent almost all abortions, but it could even threaten access to some forms of birth control.





SD - VOTE NO on 11

South Dakota voters will consider Measure 11, the most radical abortion ban in the country. SD residents have voted similar measures down in the past, but anti-abortion extremists aren't giving up.



This war on women MUST STOP! If you live in any of these states please VOTE NO on election day! And encourage all your friends and family to do the same.

Tough times for McCain

It's been a tough few days for Sen. John McCain. First, respected Republican and long-time friend Colin Powell announced his support for Obama.

The Obama campaign announced campaign contributions of $150 million in September.

And John Amato reports on Crooks and Liars that McCain's economic advisor Douglas Holtz-Eakin said Obama's health care plan is better for America. Yikes!

And now this!


I think Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars said it best: "It looks like someone is just putting in the motions this week, biding her time for her next chance in the spotlight. I'm sure the McCain campaign appreciates the hell out of this."

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Oprah steps up to the plate

It's always refreshing when wealthy people do the right thing. Progressive blogs often fall into the trap of bashing anyone with money -- or at least most people with money. So it's nice to be able to say something really good about someone who is really wealthy.

Everyone knows by now that Oprah Winfrey is supporting Obama -- she may have been responsible for helping turn the primaries his direction. Well guess what? Should Obama win on Tuesday, Oprah stands to lose a bunch of money.

You see, under the Obama tax plan Ms. Winfrey would pay and estimated $16 million MORE in taxes, while under the McCain plan she would receive an estimated $9 million tax break! So even though it's not in HER financial best interest to support Obama she is doing just that.

Like I said, it's nice when wealthy people do the right thing.

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Vote NO on 8 blogswarm

It's a religious liberty issue:

It's a basic fairness issue:

Look out--it's another cross-post! Don't Stop at the Top!

I submit to you the rare cross-post between here and the angry impeachment bloggy, because I think this is an important issue. Hope you don't mind the brief political rant here at beginningtobird. Back to the birds soon, I promise!

Today I'm participating in Write to Marriage Day, a blogswarm against Proposition 8 in California. I hope any Californians out there in birdybloglandia will VOTE NO on Prop 8. Just remember--vote all the way down the ballot, because the propositions are at the bottom of the ballot.

As you all know, my own attempt at marriage didn't work out so well, but I will always support the right for two consenting adults to get married--whether I ever decide to go there again or not. "Civil unions" are merely the latest example of our country's propensity for trying to foist "separate but equal" institutions on us.

Perhaps the solution is to keep "marriages" in a religious context; if you get hitched in a church, we'll call it a marriage. If you want to be legally joined, with all the legal benefits (and drawbacks) therein, we'll call it a "civil union." Period. That would certainly uphold the idea of separation of Church and State, which is a separation I believe in.

Whatever the eventual solution to what is, in my opinion, a non-problem--I hope you'll join me in recognizing that the marriage of two people of the same sex does absolutely nothing to "weaken" the institution of marriage or any other silly right-wing talking points. I think enough straight couples weaken that institution all on their own without any help from the gay side of the aisle, thank you.

So vote no on Prop 8 -- unless you believe this:

Multitasking Can Make You Lose ... Um ... Focus

Okay, so as I was surfing the web trying to decide what to post tonight, I was also giving the dogs their nightly treats, making sure they went outside to powder their noses, I brought in some plants from the deck that keep falling over in the wind and probably need to come inside anyway because it's getting cold out there, finally settling on a story that not only looked interesting, but sort of fit in with my last few weeks ... all while watching the Pussycats and Missy Elliot on Dancing With the Stars ... which I must confess did capture almost my complete attention for the entire three minutes they were on the screen.

So why would a New York Times story on multitasking seem like the perfect post?

Isn't it obvious? It's what many of us do MOST of the time. And what I listed above is nothing compared with the additional tasks parents face.

Some people look at you funny if you want to complete one task before starting another. You can hear the comments under their breath ... lightweight ... wimp ... loser ...

Okay, maybe they aren't quite that harsh, but you must admit they at least look a little suspicious.

The story probably also resonated with me tonight because multitasking caught up with me today when I realized I'd made a pretty big mistake. Let me just say this about that ... making a mistake that costs money is not what you want to do during tough economic times. I also feel bad about it because I let a good friend down -- and I hate that. Thank goodness I have a very forgiving friend.

We are engaged in activities leading up to the election, getting ready for our annual meeting the following week, and I've had changes is staff that have left my department a little short handed right now.

Let me just say that the people in my department are terrific, and they are working their butts off. We also have a great staff, which accounts for why I can make a mistake and have the person who is inconvenienced the most be so understanding.

I kept replaying the day as I was driving home, so I'm sure I wasn't as alert as I could have been. Traffic seemed more congested than usual, and as I passed a number of cars I noticed the drivers were either talking on the phone or texting.

Traffic came to a complete stop a few times, and I had to wonder if it had anything to do with the drivers ahead of me who were possibly talking and texting, and therefore not really focused on the drive home.

Can we do it all? Can we multitask and not lose focus? I think the answer is obvious ... no.

As you are reading this article, are you listening to music or the radio? Yelling at your children? If you are looking at it online, are you e-mailing or instant-messaging at the same time? Checking stocks?

Since the 1990s, we’ve accepted multitasking without question. Virtually all of us spend part or most of our day either rapidly switching from one task to another or juggling two or more things at the same time.

While multitasking may seem to be saving time, psychologists, neuroscientists and others are finding that it can put us under a great deal of stress and actually make us less efficient.

Although doing many things at the same time — reading an article while listening to music, switching to check e-mail messages and talking on the phone — can be a way of making tasks more fun and energizing, “you have to keep in mind that you sacrifice focus when you do this,” said Edward M. Hallowell, a psychiatrist and author of “CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap!” (Ballantine, 2006). “Multitasking is shifting focus from one task to another in rapid succession. It gives the illusion that we’re simultaneously tasking, but we’re really not. It’s like playing tennis with three balls.” [...]

But despite what many of us think, you cannot simultaneously e-mail and talk on the phone. I think we’re all familiar with what Dr. Hallowell calls “e-mail voice,” when someone you’re talking to on the phone suddenly sounds, well, disengaged.

And as I thought ...

Their 2001 study, published in The Journal of Experimental Psychology, found that for all types of tasks, the participants lost time when they had to move back and forth from one undertaking to another, and that it took significantly longer to switch between the more complicated tasks.

Although the time it takes for our brains to switch tasks may be only a few seconds or less, it adds up. If we’re talking about doing two jobs that can require real concentration, like text-messaging and driving, it can be fatal.

The RAC Foundation, a British nonprofit organization that focuses on driving issues, asked 17 drivers, age 17 to 24, to use a driving simulator to see how texting affected driving.

The reaction time was around 35 percent slower when writing a text message — slower than driving drunk or stoned.

So what is the solution? Again ... it's so obvious!

So the next time the phone rings and a good friend is on the line, try this trick: Sit on the couch. Focus on the conversation. Don’t jump up, no matter how much you feel the need to clean the kitchen. It seems weird, but stick with it. You, too, can learn the art of single-tasking.

Ahhhhhhhh .....

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Cape May!

The female half of the table (minus Laura, who hadn't gotten there yet, and minus me who's taking the picture)--L to R: Susan Gets Native, Birdchick, Beth the Lurker who owned up to her lurkiness AND positively ID'd lifer Lynne as Hasty Brook, said Lynne of Hasty Brook, and KatDoc of Katdoc's World (all links in the sidebar).

The male half of the table, joined by Birdchick who's everywhere that birders are!--L to R: John of DC Birding Blog, Birdchick, and Jay Davis of Birdjam.

Well, my whirlwind trip to Cape May included getting lost on the way there AND on the way back, but I made it there and back again in time to have my breakfast with The Kid. More on that later; first, the birdy roundup.

I should go ahead and confess that I got ZERO pictures of birds, even though I did end up with two lifers: a black-crowned night heron (spotted by KatDoc) and a lesser yellowlegs (spotted by me, and confirmed by the Hawkwatch Platform person). Both were too far away to get decent pix of.

I did get some pictures of these lifers, however:
Lynne, doing a Lifebird Wiggle (TM BOTB) after seeing her first black vulture:Kathi, rolling up her Ohio State sleeves and preparing for what would turn out to be a Penn State victory--sorry, KatDoc!:and John from DC Birding Blog! (not John Riutta, who didn't attend--my bad)Sweet sweet birders, all of them!

I also saw a life reptile, a black/rat/something snake that no one could ID with any certainty:He was very zig-zaggy: Here are Laura from Somewhere in NJ, Jay, and Susan outside the Grand Hotel:and lest you think I only got pictures of others, here's one that someone took of me and a certain nerdy Birdchick:Wow!

So--I made it back Saturday night/Sunday morning, in the rain and the fog, getting in at about 1:30 a.m. On Sunday, I had breakfast with Em (whose pic doesn't go on the blog or it would be mobbed by her fans). We had a great time, and she thoroughly approved of my new digs and my new wheels. It was, however, a bittersweet experience for me; I loved seeing her and talking with her about how her life is going, but I was reminded of how much my life has changed in just a few short months. My sense of loss was palpable. Still, she told me I'd always be her "other mother," and it felt good to know I'd see again in her just a few weeks (Thanksgiving). And, ever the wise one, she told me that life just goes like it goes, and we can't change things once they've happened. That's one smart kid.

Ted Stevens Guilty

It couldn't have happened to a more deserving person!

The Hill reports:

Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Senate Republican in history and patriarch of Alaska politics, was found guilty of felony charges for making false statements.

The verdict could spell the end of a 40-year Senate career for a man who rose to be one of the most dominant figures in the upper chamber and who helped transform Alaska in its 50 years of statehood. The verdict was reached after the jury deliberated since Wednesday and found the 84-year-old senator guilty of failing to report more than $250,000 in gifts from Bill Allen, the former head of Veco Corp., and other friends.

The jury did not seem to buy the explanation from Stevens that Allen showered him with gifts he didn't want and was unaware of, and that he believed the $160,000 he gave to another contractor covered all costs for the home renovations.

Lock him up and throw away the key!

Hey Newt ... Which Marriage Are You Protecting?

Your first, second or third?



Newt Gingrich has been married three times. His first wife, Jackie Battley, was his former high school geometry teacher. He married her when he was 19, she was 26. They had two daughters. In 1980, Newt served Jackie with divorce papers while she was still in the hospital undergoing treatment for cancer. What a guy!!

Six months after his divorce from Jackie was final, Newt wed Marianne Ginther. He remained married to Marianne until 2000, when they divorced. Funny thing about this one is that Newt was having an affair with a young woman on his staff at the same time he was leading the charge to impeach Bill Clinton. As Alanis Morissette would say "Isn't it ironic."

So soon after his SECOND divorce, Newt married Callista Bisek. Maybe third time is charm for ol' Newt, but if Callista likes being married to the guy she better never leave him alone with another woman!

Oh, and a fun aside to this marriage is that during the time Callista worked in Newt's congressional office she received a couple of pretty healthy salary increases, around $19,000 one year, without the benefit of either a promotion or title change. Looks like the taxpayers were paying for this dalliance!

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Cape May update coming tomorrow!

Sunday Funnies

Challenging the Glass Proscenium

Playwrights like the sound of 'standing room only' -- even when talking about challenging the status quo Off Broadway. The New York Times reports:

Frustrated by what they describe as difficulty in getting their work produced, enough female playwrights to make a standing-room-only crowd are planning to attend a town hall meeting on Monday night to air their grievances with representatives of New York’s leading Off Broadway and nonprofit theaters.

The gathering was organized by the playwrights Sarah Schulman and Julia Jordan, who have rallied their colleagues to the cause, contending that their male counterparts in the 2008-9 season are being produced at 14 of the largest Off Broadway institutions at four times the rate that women are. More than 150 playwrights appeared at a meeting last month to discuss the issue, and all 90 seats at New Dramatists, the playwriting center where Monday night’s meeting is scheduled, are already spoken for, and there is a long waiting list.

“I personally don’t think playwriting is a gene on a Y chromosome,” said Theresa Rebeck, a playwright whose work (“Omnium Gatherum,” “Mauritius,” “The Scene”) has been produced frequently on New York stages, including on Broadway. She added that there has been a reluctance to confront the issue: “Many of our male peers find the debate intolerable. Men in the community seem to think that everything is fine.”

Of course the men think everything is fine ... it is for them!

“It’s harder for women playwrights and directors,” said Oskar Eustis, artistic director at the nonprofit Public Theater, because “it’s harder for professional women in the United States.”

One possible explanation for the imbalance is that most artistic directors, who have a large say in what shows are produced, are men. The men say they "don't relate or connect with women as much as men." This same explanation could probably be used to describe MOST discrimination in the workplace. White men are more comfortable working with other white men -- which leaves women and people of color out.

Ms. Rebeck said that male friends “in the system say to me I have to keep my mouth shut; don’t be part of the problem, don’t be a whiner.” But Ms. Rebeck, who has written on the subject in the London newspaper The Guardian and attended the last meeting, has disregarded their advice.

“I think it puts in question excellence,” she said. “Whether it’s cronyism or bias,” she added, the result was that a message is sent that what is put onstage is “not about excellence.”

You go grrl! Keeping quiet is never the answer.

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If you live in Florida Vote NO on 2

What the good guys are up against ...

Today's the day for ol' Cape May!

this photo shamelessly taken by and stolen from Laura at Somewhere in NJ; this is some of us last year at the 2nd Avenue jetty in Cape May. From left to right, Susan in the water, me and Birdchick digiscoping, and Jay Davis from Birdjam looking cold and pensive as he walks down the beach

So I'm squirming in my seat at work, trying not to watch the clock as the day slowly moves on. I'm all packed up and ready to hit the road after a quick gas-up. Last night, gas was down to $2.85, though it may have gone back up for the weekend, as it often does. I sure hope not, because I'll be kicking myself if I have to pay more pennies today because I didn't feel like gassing up last night.

Such are the concerns of today's driver. When I started driving in tenth grade, gas was 79 cents a gallon. What was it was you first started driving?

Tomorrow morning, I'll be birding with Susan Gets Native, Laura H in NJ, KatDoc, Lynne from Hasty Brook, and -- thanks to my high school bud Liz Gordon--her hubby Jeff Gordon! Pretty exciting! I tell you, birding here in PA, usually on my own, is always fun. I get to walk around some of the prettiest woods Nature ever made and see and hear birdy magic all around me. It's the most exciting and yet calming thing, a paradox you fellow birders probably all understand.

But going to these festivals is such a blast; birders from everywhere come together, share their knowledge, joke and laugh and drink and eat, spot and help others spot birds of all sorts, and pretty much just have fun. There's nothing like it. This will be my second Cape May trip, and my third festival overall. I know that once I get there, I won't want to leave.

more silliness from last year, with Laura helping me take my own self-portrait for some weird reason

Meeting people whose blogs I've worshipped from afar is a real charge; birding with them is like... well, let me put it into a literary context. Let's say you've read Shakespeare's plays all your life and you just love him. One day, you find a room in a library you've never visited, and in the room, sitting at a table, is William Shakespeare himself, just hanging out and reading a book. You walk into the room, sit across from him, and talk about books, plays, movies, and what have you.

That's what birding festivals are like for me. I read these people's blogs and admire their photography skills and their birding field craft; I learn about their lives, which are all just as crazy as mine; and I realize how much alike we all are, no matter where we live or what we do. So when we get together, we're already like old friends who've travelled together and hung out at home with crazy kids and pets together, and gone out and birded together. They'll all laugh when they see themselves described in an analogy as the birding equivalents of William Shakespeare, but hey -- they're being modest, just another thing that makes them so cool.

I probably won't get to blog again until next week, so have a good weekend: see some birds, hang out with friends, and read a good book by your favorite author.

What would you write about?

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Are you thinking of writing a 50,000-word novel? Can you finish it in 30 days?

If you could (or are!), what would you write about?

P.S.--this is a rare double-post, here and at the Impeachment blog. It's not often that the worlds of backyard birding and political turmoil collide, so try to ignore the resulting sonic boom. I can't wait to compare and contrast the comments from both sites!

The loneliness of the long-distance flyer

Last year, when I was driving back home after experiencing my first Fall Migration at Cape May, I remember being overcome with sadness as I watched a flock of cormorants winging their way south over the highway. I told this story here. Prior to that moment, I had just never thought about how many birds die during the migration. Beginning to bird, indeed.

Photograph: Eric Hosking/Corbis

Well, this morning, I found this story of a migrant that reminded me of the happy fact that most birds DO make it, and they make it FAR.

I won't see a bar-tailed godwit in Cape May this weekend, but I know I'll see two lifers, Lynne and KatDoc, and I'll again see some of my favorite birds: Susan Gets Native, Laura H Somewhere in New Jersey, Birdchick, Patrick Belardo from the Hawk Owl's Nest (aka Mr. Thousand-Watt Smile), and John Riutta the Born Again Birdwatcher. I'll be checking these gems off on my lifelist, playing in the waves, watching some birds, and thinking about that bar-tailed godwit.

Bill Bennett and Rick Davis on: What Liberal Feminist Think

Taylor Marsh had this to say:

What liberal feminists like me think about Sarah Palin is that she would not only set our civil rights back a century if she had her way to enact policy, but that she's not up to the standards for which we've fought for two centuries. One word: equality. This means that we're treated equal to men, paid equal to men, not because we're "attractive... confident... or happy," but because we earn it through our skill sets and preparedness.

Go Taylor!

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Passages ...

I couldn't let the day pass
without mentioning that my
wonderful little Braco Lee
would have been 12 today.

I still miss her a lot.

Karl Rove is a big fat liar ... and other stuff

When I saw this at Crooks and Liars I was compelled to write the headline of this post. Karl Rove IS a big fat liar. He has no conscience. He can look directly into the camera and tell flat out lies. The man should be in jail.

LA Times:

At the annual convention of the Mortgage Bankers' Assn., former White House guru Karl Rove debated the 2008 presidential election -- and the current economic meltdown -- with former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell.Up on the stage walks a well-dressed woman, name as yet unknown. First she complained that there was no woman on the panel. Then she drew out handcuffs and tried to arrest Rove for treason.

She was quickly ushered off the stage.

And speaking of people who tell lies ... or at least grossly stretch the truth ... how well do you know Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin? Take the Sarah Palin - Tina Fey quiz and find out!

I scored 12 out of 12 ... which was interpreted as meaning: "You are either a highly conscientious political citizen or have an unhealthy interest in Sarah Palin or Tina Fey. Or both."

Okay, I'll fess up ... I've had a crush on Tina Fey for years!!
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Florida Woman Jailed over $7.45 Bill

Who says there's no free lunch? Maryanne O'Neill, a 66 year old Florida woman, has decided to go to jail rather than pay her $7.45 bill at a Fort Pierce Waffle House restaurant.

Apparently the woman entered the establishment, ordered coffee and a sandwich, and then refused to pay the bill. When an officer asked her to pay or go to jail, she refused to pay.

O'Neill, released on Monday from the St. Lucie County Jail, was charged with a second degree misdemeanor for obtaining food with "intent to defraud" the restaurant. If convicted she could face up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

So why do you think O'Neill is in this pickle? Is she simply too poor to pay the $7.45 bill? Is she looking for free room and board for the next 60 days? Was the food bad? What do you think?

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A flight with the flock

I'm doing a little fall migration of my own this Friday. I'm driving to Cape May on Friday after work (trying to get out early!) to meet up with some of The Flock! I'll finally get to meet Turkey-Vulture-fan Lynne and vet-to-the-stars Katdoc, and I'll get to see Susan and Laura again! I was hoping that Matty McMatterson would make the drive with me, but he's got some business to attend to here in town, so it'll just be me. I'll spend Friday night having pillow fights and prank-calling people with The Flock, and then after a full day of birdy nonsense, I'll drive back to PA. I've got a breakfast date with Em on Sunday morning, and I'm really looking forward to seeing her. It'll be the first time since--you know.

Anyway--getting excited! I'll finally have some good birdstuff to post about. The Bew River fest (in April 09) seems so far away right now, but this little trip will be just what some doctor somewhere ordered for me.

I needz to see some bewds!

The Incredible Shrinking Society

As I read the story of a Pennsylvania woman who suffers from environmental illness I couldn't help but think about Lily Tomlin's character Pat Kramer in The Incredible Shrinking Woman. When Pat Kramer, an ordinary woman, is exposed to a unique mix of chemicals, she begins to uncontrollably physically shrink. Now it could be argued there are other symbolic reasons to explain why Pat is literally disappearing before are eyes, but more than 25 years after this film was released there is evidence the chemicals we ingest daily are having an impact on our physical health.

The Associated Press reports:

Ten hours a day, every day, Elizabeth Feudale-Bowes confines herself to a galvanized-steel-and-porcelain shed outside her house. Inside are a toilet, a metal cabinet, a box spring with the metal coils exposed, and a pile of organic cotton blankets. Aluminum foil covers the window.

The place is as austere as a prison cell — but it's also her sanctuary from an outside world that she says makes her violently ill.

She and her husband call the structure "the bubble."

This bubble, though, may be about to burst: A judge has ordered it taken down by the end of the month.

Some of the couple's neighbors in suburban South Whitehall Township complained that the 160-square-foot building is unstable and so unsightly it could drag down their property values. The couple also hooked up electrical, water and sewer service without securing permits.

"For the wife's medical problems, there is sympathy. For the owner's defiance of the township's lawful directives, there is no excuse," Judge Carol McGinley ruled earlier this month.

Feudale-Bowes, 52, says she was diagnosed several years ago with "environmental illness," described as extreme sensitivity to everyday substances.

Some doctors question whether environmental illness is a genuine physical disorder and suggest it is psychological. Feudale-Bowles says she was diagnosed by Dr. William Rea of Texas, who has been accused by the Texas Medical Board of promoting "pseudoscience." He vigorously disputes the charge and continues to see patients.

Feudale-Bowes says fabric softener, nail polish, perfume, new sneakers, upholstery and many other items can make her body go haywire. She says she has suffered from a range of chronic ailments, including migraines, joint pain, bladder inflammation, seizures and temporary paralysis. Her insides, she says, have sometimes felt like "fire with ground glass in it."

Is this a hoax? Is the food we eat and the air we breath literally making us sick? Have you ever noticed a change in how you feel following something you ate, drank or from the air you were breathing? So what do you think?

Sunday Funnies

CA and SD Vote on Choice

Obama and McCain at Al Smith Dinner

Reel Fun at Ben's Chili Bowl

Last night was opening night for Reel Affirmations 18, the LGBT film festival in Washington, DC. The 11 day festival, presented by One In Ten, is the premier event organized by the group -- who also produces comedy shows, mini-film festivals and other fun events throughout the year.

I served on the board of One In Ten for a number of years, so opening night is always a good chance to catch up with some good friends.

The opening night film, Breakfast with Scot, was quite fun and I would highly recommend it. The comedy features Tom Cavanagh, of the hit series ED, Scrubs, and the new series Eli Stone, and Ben Shenkman of Angles in America and Law & Order.

Eric (Cavanagh) lives for all things hockey, manly and orderly. His partner Sam (Shenkman) suddenly finds that he is temporary guardian of his young nephew Scot - a swishy 11-year old who was recently orphaned. As the three settle in Eric soon begins to rethink the compromises he's made in his own life in order to be 'accepted.'

The breakthrough with the making of this film is that it's the first time a professional sports league has allowed their logo and uniforms to be used in a gay-themed movie.

Breakfast with Scot is a touching film that should be viewed by the whole family. It deals in a subtle way with prejudice, and how one young boy manages to bring even the school bully around to become his friend. The film is available on DVD, so if you get a chance to see it, do.

By this point you might be wondering why the title of this post is "Fun at Ben's Chili Bowl." Well, before the film started my friend and I ducked into Ben's for a chili dog and fries. Ben's Chili Bowl is a landmark in Washington, DC -- a place where it's not uncommon to see Bill Cosby when he's in town, or a host of other celebrities. Well last night Ben's lived up to its reputation in that regard.

Almost as soon as we sat down, out walks Sarah Jessica Parker -- who had been dining in an adjacent room. A couple of young women quickly surrounded her to have their picture taken with the Sex in the City star. Sarah looked great, was very friendly with everyone, and said hello to my friend and me as she passed our table.

As she left Ben's I turned to my friend and quipped, "I only take you to the best spots in DC!" ha

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"Joe the Plumber"

The Associated Press answers the burning question: Who is 'Joe the Plumber'?

He is Joe Wurzelbacher, an Ohio man looking to buy a plumbing business who came to symbolize the notion of 'spreading the wealth' in Wednesday night's third and final presidential debate.

The Trail, a daily diary of the 2008 campaign published on WaPo reports: reports:

Joe the Plumber is not exactly a plumber, he's "not even close" to making the kind of money that would result in higher taxes from Democrat Barack Obama's proposals and has such an aversion to taxes that a lien was filed against him by the state of Ohio.

Such is the whirlwind of information that has come out about Joe Wurzelbacher of Holland, Ohio, since Republican John McCain made him famous in last night's debate. McCain mentioned him more than 20 times to use him as a symbol of hard-working Americans who would be hurt by Obama's tax policies. Obama and Wurzelbacher met earlier in the week in Toledo, where Wurzelbacher said Obama's plans to raise taxes on those making $250,000 a year or more would penalize him in his plans to buy the plumbing business for which he works. [...]

Wurzelbacher, 34, told the Associated Press that he was not a licensed plumber. Because he works for a small company that does residential work, he said, he doesn't need to be licensed.

Wurzelbacher, whose legal name is Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, owes the state of Ohio $1,182 in personal income taxes, according to tax records that show a lien for that amount filed against him in January 2007.

So what do you think about Joe?

Stayin' alive

I know it seems like I've disappeared, but I've been kinda swamped in political and journalistic pursuits (I volunteer for a local community paper, Voices of Central Pennsylvania) lately.

I'm still on the fence about whether to go to Cape May (just drive up for a day or something, just to hang out with The Flock when they're not on guided walks). But that's the first weekend Em will be in town since--you know--and we have a standing date at the Waffle Shop (a great locally owned place). So I just don't know if I'll make it.

As for birding around here, chances are pretty rare right now. There are some upcoming hawk watches, but while that last one I went on was cool--I think that was only because I'd never been to one before. Other than that, the local bird club and other birdy pals aren't planning any other field trips. I think we'll start to get some good ducks in November, but in the meantime--the bird pickins are slim.

I'll try to wander around outside soon--I'm definitely missing it.

The Winner and Still Champion …

Clearly the winner, and still champion, in this presidential contest is Sen. Barack Obama. Sen. McCain threw everything at Obama tonight (including the kitchen sink) and nothing seemed to stick. McCain clearly seemed unable to change the minds of the uncommitted voters featured on CNN’s instant dial poll.

With 19 days to go it would been dangerous for any progressive to take this election for granted — though God only knows why after 8 years of George W. Bush it hasn’t been an absolute runaway for the Democrats. In politics a week can be a lifetime.

That said, the CNN debate team outlined just how difficult it would be for John McCain to win. He literally would have to win EVERY toss-up state, and then some. Winning all the current states too close to call still has McCain short of the 270 electoral college votes needed to win.

So keep pushing! It's only 19 days until election day!

McCainiacs

To help you get ready for the debate!

Clean as a Whistle

WARNING: The following post might contain too much information for some ... read at your own risk ... you can't say I didn't warn you!

Posting has been a little light the past couple of days, as I prepared for my first colonoscopy. Yeah, ugh!

As some of you might know from a previous post, I did get to meet Katie Couric earlier this year, and for a fleeting moment I considered asking her to go to the hospital with me ... since she is largely responsible for the significant increase in colonoscopy screenings nationwide.

She launched a one-woman campaign following her husband's death from colon cancer.

I largely tried not to think about it, but as it came closer to C-day I was forced to go to the pharmacy to get the PEG/Lytes solution (more on this later) and to pick up a few food items for the day before.

My exam was this morning, so yesterday I began my day with two eggs, toast with blackberry jam and a bottle of water. I should have made the Jello the day before, but who knew it would take so long to set? (For those who don't know me, I'm the person looking for "toast" at the grocery store!) So, the eggs became that last solid food I would consume for another 30 hours or so.

I was given four laxative tablets to take at 3 pm. Also, because I'm bad at reading directions the PEG/Lytes solution that should have been mixed and placed in the refrigerator at 1 pm, wasn't mixed until about 3:15 pm. So it won't be quite as cold ...

The first part of the "fun" begins at 7 pm. For the next two hours I drank an 8 oz glass of the solution. It's kind of a thick liquid, not the best tasting stuff in the world -- but it might have been better had I remembered to get the Crystal Light to add to it at the store. Note to self: Be sure to take a shopping list to the store!

I got through the first hour fine, and was probably a little too cocky about it all. The second hour was a different story.

The drink became harder to get down. The directions said wait a few minutes between drinks if you are feeling a little nauseous -- and I was.

By the end of the first hour everything began to kick in and it was back and forth to the bathroom about every 10 minutes or so. The dogs, who normally accompany me to the john, got a bit bored after the fourth trip and decided to just hang out on the ottoman and wish me well as I sped by.

The directions say to drink a total of eight glasses over the two hour period, and the seventh one was really hard to get down. I was only about 15 minutes behind schedule at this point and thought to myself "I only have one more to go ... I can surely drink one more."

By glass six it feels like you are doing number 1, only everything is coming out of opening number 2. It's quite and odd feeling, and since that part of the body is not accustomed to passing liquid it's not as capable of holding it in while you make the trip! My advice to anyone who is still reading this ... stay close to the bathroom after glass five!

It was time for the last glass, and while it was very hard to get it down I did feel a sense of relief. Finally, no more thick liquid. Things were flowing smoothly, so I wouldn't need to drink any more. The deal is, if things aren't clear -- or at least yellow -- you have to keep drinking until they are.

My stomach was a little upset, so I decided to drink a little ginger ale. That might have been a mistake, because it caused everything to come right back up! I was really pissed, because I had just gotten it down and didn't want to have to drink any more of the stuff.

I decided to wait awhile to see what happened.

Whatever remained in my stomach was enough to do the trick, so no more thick liquid!

At this point, even though you haven't eaten all day you really don't want to eat anything because you don't want to have to go through the process again!

This morning I got up early, fixed breakfast for the dogs, took my shower and I was off to the hospital. I thought I knew when I was supposed to be there, but I found out after I arrived that I was an hour late! I panicked, because I didn't want to miss my appointment and have to go through the prep again! Thank goodness they rushed me right in and I went through the hospital prep in record time.

Before I knew it I was in the procedure room, being hooked up to a heart monitor, blood pressure monitor and getting my least favorite thing at a hospital -- and IV. I warned the IV nurse this was my least favorite part and not to take it personally. It took her a long time to find a vein (I could never be a IV drug user, as my veins are so hard to find). Once she did, she had me hooked up in a snap! I must say it didn't hurt at all.

The doctor came in for a pre-exam chat. He looked alert and seemed in good spirits -- a good thing. I apologized for being late and he said not to worry. Another patient had come in an hour early so they just switched our times! Clearly the Goddess was looking out for me.

There was some confusion among the nurses about whether or not I would be completely sedated, or just given something to relax me. They thought sedated, so I asked for a CPAP machine. I suffer from sever sleep apnea, and didn't feel comfortable being fully sedated without letting someone know. A wonderful woman named Margaret came in and hooked me up.

The doctor seemed at ease about everything and I didn't have to fear that I would stop breathing, so I was good to go!

As it turns out, I was pretty much awake for the entire procedure. I was facing the monitor, so I got to watch the whole thing! It's really amazing looking at the inside of your body. I had a similar experience recently when I had a sonogram of my heart. Watching my heart beating was really cool!

The music playing in the room was old Blue Eyes. Frank Sinatra is fun, but everyone agreed the sound track didn't quite fit with the images. An underwater sound track might have been more appropriate -- maybe something from Waterworld.

The procedure itself really isn't that uncomfortable. They are putting air in to open everything up, so that gets a little uncomfortable at times. It was only really uncomfortable once (and only for a few seconds). When I mentioned it to the doctor he said they were "turning a corner" and that it would be over soon. The nurse in the room pressed on my stomach, which helped ease the pressure.

The entire procedure only took about 25 minutes. The doctor and nurse were thrilled that I was "clean as a whistle." I asked for a copy of the report -- which includes pictures(!!) -- and the results say "normal colon, no polyps." Great!! It also says that I should be screened again "in several years!" More good news!

I'm glad I did it. As others had said to me, the prep is worse than the procedure, but it's not really that bad. Being uncomfortable for a few hours the night before, and 25 minutes the day of, is certainly worth it. The consequences of not being checked could be so much worse.


I think the music works, don't you?

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More fun stuff ...

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are some of the winners. Read them carefully. Each is an artificial word with only one letter altered to form a real word. Some are terrifically innovative:

1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stop bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

4. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

5. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

6. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

7. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

8. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's, like, a serious bummer.

9. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

10. Glibido: All talk and no action.

11. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

12. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

13. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

14. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

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Sunday Funnies