I'm going to run for office within the next two years.

A politician (Nancy Barto) came to my front door last week asking for my signature on a petition and for my vote for the state legislature. My vote is important to me, so I took it as an opportunity to ask some questions about her positions on global warming/climate issues, education, economic incentives, etc.

She doesn't believe that humans are contributing to climate change. I was *astonished* and at the same time terrified. I also asked about education and she said that she endorsed vouchers, and wanted to do nothing for the public education system as it is today. I was aghast. Does she realize that Arizona ranks near the bottom of all 50 states in education? You aren't going to fix that by privatizing all primary and secondary education. I told her that our economy could be invigorated by a commitment to alternative fuel instead of diverting all of our resources to supporting the oil economy. She thought only the private sector should be focused on this. I pointed out that we don't pay the true price for oil because we also pay (through separate budgets) for the defense of our oil supplies, as well as through farming subsidies which buy fertilizer that also consumes large amounts of petroleum. She didn't seem to care. I think we should subsidize alternative fuel programs so that we are energy independent and are not destroying our planet, not to mention not creating the "brown cloud of muck" over downtown Phoenix.

So I'm going to run for office. I have to figure out exactly how to do this, but I will do it. Somebody sensible needs to be representing the intelligent citizens out there who actually care about the planet and America's role in the world.

This couple is breaking up next to me on the plane.

And it's really uncomfortable and awkward. Can't wait to put my iPod on.

I feel full...

Day #2 on the Shangri-La diet. I'll later talk about my motivation, etc., but I had the most unusual feeling today of being "full" and a little "too full" on far less food than normally would create such a feeling. I biked in this morning, then had some cottage cheese, then some water, a break, and a tablespoon of sugar (with water), then more time, then eventually lunch. Lunch consisted of a small cup of soup and salad that looked kind of big, but honestly wasn't really. It's size was a function of the leaves and peppers and other weirdly shaped vegetables creating a structure that was taller than normal.

Afterwards I felt full. Didn't think about food until my meeting (and did the 1-hour no food, then sugar water, then 1-hour no food again) and just recently had a cup of fruit. I feel full. I don't want a big dinner.

Why am I doing this? I feel fat. I look fat. I was on a trip last week and watching the videos I was *unhappy* with how fat my belly looked. I recently hit 200 lbs, which on a 6-foot frame isn't necessarily flattering (even if I have a larger frame than others). I still have too big a belly.

10 years ago, which is not too long ago, I was 165. I've been up to 205. Ugh. Oh, this morning, in my early-morning-weigh-in, I did see the "other" side of the 190 line for the first time in probably years. That would be the 189 side for those keeping track.

So, I'll try to blog more, and read the book tonight. For now I want to catch up on some work stuff...

Mold in my washing machine

I have so many other more interesting and more important things to write about (not the least of which is why I haven't just converted to Dvorak once and for all), but now I must lament about mold in my washing machine.

Maybe in and of itself the mold isn't an issue. What I really take issue with is the fact that the instruction/care model doesn't even mention it. That's *absurd*. I different word came to mind (one that I use at work all the time), but I don't want to offend anybody who might be reading this.

Mold is a fact of life on front-loading washing machines, because if you close the door when not in use, and there is any water left over, you've created a perfect environment for mold. Why then, does the instruction manual not mention this? Why does it not mention how to clean the washing machine?

So I Googled it, specifically "Kenmore washer mold" and WHAM! So many hits you wouldn't even believe it. To make a long story shorter, I ran to Walmart and bought some bleach and Tilex for mold and gave the washer a good scrubbing. Per some other articles on the web, I also poured bleach with Cascade into the machine let it run for a while. I'm in the midst of the first cycle, then will run another cycle. It already smells better.

Oh, I didn't even mention how disgusting the hose was. I need to check it again later, and probably clean it again AND perhaps tilt the machine so I can get to the other hose that is inside and connects directly the drum. we'll see...

That's it for now, I have to get back to work.

A Chapstick Confession

I may have written about this before, and maybe I'm just feeling extra guilty about it now, but I need to confess something.

When my son has chapped lips, I put Chapstick on him when he is sleeping.
He won't put it on himself. I could "force" him to do it, maybe sit on him or something, but why? Who needs the trauma? Or am I missing an opportunity to "teach" him something? The path of least resistance is to put it on him while he is sleeping so his lips heal. Do I tell him later? I know he'd *freak* out at me if I told him that I did it in the morning.

I tried doing this the other night to my youngest son. He woke up *immediately* and then I was toast. He didn't see the Chapstick, but insisted that I pick him up and then we went and slept on the couch together. It was actually very sweet, but he still has chapped lips sort of under his lips. Like when you bite your bottom lip. He might be sucking his bottom lip when he sleeps or something...

Huge slices of watermelon...

The warriors start the battle...

Ilan at the end, dripping with sweat and watermelon juice;
Aaron barely got started, and asked me to take over (and I obliged).

Boys eating watermelon...

Ah the sweetness of summer... swimming, long days, bbq's, and of course the slurping of a fresh piece of watermelon. The seedless still aren't quite as sweet as the good-old-fashioned-pre-genetic-engineering-seeded type, but they've gotten better in recent years, and the convenience sure is worth it...

So after cutting up a watermelon, along the long side, first in half, then quarters, then eigths, Ilan proclaimed that he could eat a whole piece (which was twice the size of his head). So I did what any proud father would. I let him try. As usual, he surprised the heck out of me with his appetite, perseverance, and just all-around coolness. Aaron also did pretty well on his slice, and I devoured mine, but there's nothing unusual about that...

Slurping video below. Photos follow in the next post...



The warriors start the battle...

Ilan at the end, dripping with sweat and watermelon juice;
Aaron barely got started, and asked me to take over (and I obliged).

When I shake the phone, do you move?

So Aaron is just one of the sweetest children in the world. Yesterday he got a new shirt, which he was *sooooooooooooooo* excited about, but that isn't the funny part. He asked me, which I thought was very clever, if when he shook the phone (that he was talking to me on), if I moved. Well, maybe it isn't that clever because he never saw me move in the house, but he also never saw me when he was on the phone with me... Anyway, at least it was cute.

Then he tried shaking the phone to see if I moved.. :)

Why babies sleep...

I concluded today that the reason (most) babies sleep so much is not
because of any cognitive or regenerative need. It's because their
parents need them to. A child who consumed ALL of the waking (let
alone sleeping) time of its caregiver would have killed the caregiver
through exhaustion, or killed itself because the caregiver was too
exhaused/frustrated to help the child. I say this after having spent
the afternoon with my usually-pleasant daughter who we call girl-baby.
I got *nothing* else done, even to the point of having to postpone
going to the bathroom and eating...

Where to place the Mezuzot - Part II

Here is a front yard picture. My guess is "A"
since you are entering the house; but could it
be "B" since that is the path you follow?

I'll post it when I know it...