Out and About

Work beckons.

I'm out of state on business and won't be around for a few days. But a good opportunity to test the ability to work this via smartphone.

Keep your fingers crossed.

The Real Deal...

This is a man who knows where he's been, and where he's going. America needs this.

The Official Announcement...that everyone's seen

Security. Unity. Prosperity.

Security.

Get it first, and get it right.

Read this http://stoptheaclu.com/archives/2007/09/06/new-osama-bin-laden-tape-will-address-american-people-on-september-11th/

Stop and think, and please remember what happened a short six years ago.

I'm away from home then, as I was on the 9/11. Business.

I've felt uncomfortable travelling those dates, ever since, but.... I still travel. I really want to use some harsh language for Osama, and the rest of his ilk, but it's a family friendly blog.

But permit me...

Osama, go kill yourself.

And if you see something, say something.

Tough Time for a True Friend

Just got back from calling hours for a good friend's Dad.

Charles, the Dad, died at age 76. He had a storied career as an educator, and champion of youth. His sons, honoring that tradition, served as a policeman and fireman. There were, from what I hear from reliable sources, about a thousand people that paid their respects.

Police, Fire, Teachers, Students, Politicians, and others in the know. They came to say thank you, in a way that they may never have said it before. A student, from some twenty-five years ago, and with no apparent connection to the present-day, came to say good-bye.

What is the measure of a man? A thousand plus friends and strangers that come to say, "Thanks." Not with an exclamation point, but a period. It was a muted respect for a man that took the time, to take an interest.

Teacher. Educator. Parent.

In my mind, they are one. In the larger world, who could be blessed by anything greater?

My friend, Steve, grieves. For what it's worth... ten years after my Dad's death, there's not a day I don't miss him, cherish him, and wish he was here. It's just so hard, and I wish I had the strength of My Father. I wish the same for Steve.

Steve, you're loved. I grieve with you. And if you'll forgive me, I know you got this sense from your Dad.

"My friends, I'll say it clear, I'll state my case of which I'm certain.
I've lived a life that's full, I've travelled each and evr'y highway.
And more, much more than this, I did it my way."

The measure of Charles.

Godspeed, Sir. We'll see ya soon enough, and thanks for the lesson.

It's coming, "lizabeth.....

Well, tomorrow's the big day. Fred IS on Leno. Lemme guess.....

Newsweek's profile is a good read for background. Find it here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20546334/site/newsweek/

My very quick thoughts.

I'd be hard-pressed to snuggle the Butter Princess. And I like butter. (Land-o-Lakes. Salted, thank you.) Look, it's a lot to schmooze. I'm not comfortable with it, and apparently Fred's not either. I want him to be a president. And I bet the Butter Princess would agree.

Fred's lazy. Yawn. He's NOT lazy, dammit! He's not as insanely egocentric as the rest of the people in the pool. From Newsweek, "But in his long, meandering career—as a young Tennessee prosecutor who won 14 of 15 bank-robbery cases, a twice-elected senator and Washington lobbyist and an accidental actor who stars in one of the most popular shows on television—Thompson has never lost a job, or a campaign, because of a lack of effort. "If I had to pick one thing that qualifies him to be president," says (Howard) Baker, "it's this: he approaches things calmly, deliberately—and he doesn't shoot from the hip." Yup. I hate those qualifications. Get it? Because he did this, he's lazy. Hard work equals lazy. I'm soooooo confused.

I never had a friend named Chunky Moore, but I wish I did. How cool is that? Chunky.

A man that insists on marrying his pregnant girlfriend at age 17 is... a man. It shows character and responsibility. I wish there was more of this,especially when I see some entertainers touting responsibility, but ignoring their offspring. Good for Fred, and good for Sarah's parents for relenting. And even in divorce, they're adults.

Fred built pews. A man that works with his hands, usually develops a good mind. It's patience, and attention to detail. And a oneness with something more important. I believe we call that faith, or God.

Fred graduates near the top of his class. With a scholarship. From law school As a father. Who worked odd jobs to support his family. (Here's the tipping point for politicos. Most people would appreciate the sacrifice. Partisan Democrats would never admire this. They're not sure why, but they know to appreciate this would empower Fred, and hence a Republican, and that would be...bad.)

As a Republican, Fred worked for the Republicans, when asked. Egads!.

Fred asked the question that everyone knew. "Were there recording devices..." He had the forum, and asked it. If he didn't, he'd be a partisan hack. That escapes the opposition, who want to vilify him for no other reason that he's a Republican.

Fred served in private practice, and then as a lobbyist. Sometimes lobbyist represent people with whom fifty percent of the population disagree. That's why people hire lobbyists; that is, to convince the other half of the population of the meritorious nature of their argument. It may work, it may not. Aristede? Probably not so much. Insurance and asbestos? Maybe.

More lobbying. Yawn. Fred's elected. Fred smokes a cigar from Bill Clinton.

Fred gets campaign finance abuse reform. Fred gets to look at Bill. Fred says Dems and Repubs are equally not so good on financing. Republicans (well not really, it was Trent Lott) get steamed. Fred earns the enmity of the powerful. (Well not really, it was Trent Lott.)

Fred's daughter dies prematurely. Fred is tired, and mortal, and doesn't run for re-election. This indicates to the liberal press, that Fred is a slacker. Obviously, Fred uses this to political advantage, and decides not to run, because he's an opportunistic Republican. You know, just like when he respected family and got married at seventeen. Because a lifetime of commitment to family can be so harmful to the national image, and it shows a lack of diversity, or something.

Acting takes hold. Release for the Fred psyche? I hope so.

Fred's image is solidified by portraying the hard hitting DA Arthur Branch in "Law and Order." It's not a stretch. He's been an Assistant US Attorney. Close, but not the same. However, he exudes authority as the NYDA. Television audience? They love it. (Caveat....been there, done that; got the t-shirt...and still wear 'em with pride! Actually, it's DANY. And for all the naysayers, Law and Order is spot on. He is the persona of a DA, and a DA that the average Joe expects from a DA. Ya got an issue? Post a comment.)

Fred marries a younger woman. Jealous libs cry foul. People attack the wife, saying she can't have a normal thought because she is attractive. This passes as discourse.

Fred may be a cool President because he's acted as one before, but if we're smart, we won't elect him.

End of article.

Conclusion?

Reagan was an actor, and Bush pretends to be President, so this is what's next. Fred's an actor who'll do us harm. "it's much harder to play commander when you don't have a script." Get it? It's all a game. It's acting. Fred could never compete with the other candidates. Athlete, family man, prosecutor, senator, lobbyist, father. He can't hold a candle to those normal people. You know, those normal people. Those everyday Joe's... Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, etc. They understand. They've been there. Really? Show it to me.

Is there a one among them that's lived the life of Fred?

You know the answer.

Fred enters tomorrow. Let's pay attention from here on out.

Thanks for the ear.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Department

After raising better than sixty-three (that's 63!) million dollars for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, octogenarian comedian Jerry Lewis is under attack.

Apparently, after eighteen hours of raising money for a good (yes, good) cause, Jerry had a moment and used the "f" word. I'm shocked! Shocked! Oh, it wasn't that "f" word that you think it is, but if you listen to the breathlessness, you'd never know. Here's CNN's link as proof: http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/04/jerrylewis.telethon/

But wait a minute... if you watch the video from CNN, at about the 1:20 mark, they screw up the quote feed. They actually drop a page from what Reggie Aqui is reading. Ya know something? I forgive CNN and I forgive Jerry Lewis. (As if they need it, but....) Jerry's apologized. CNN? I'm waiting. But in the grand scheme of things? It's not about GLAD, it's about the kids.

Give the guy a break. Huh? Tempest meet teapot.

And ya know, I bet that MDA money even goes to kids who are gay.

AP Reports

DES MOINES, Iowa - Republican Fred Thompson, whose entry into the presidential race has been long anticipated, will officially launch his candidacy Sept. 6 in a webcast on his campaign site, followed by a five-day tour of early primary states, the Associated Press has learned.
The campaign of the former Tennessee senator and "Law & Order" actor is to disclose details about how he will formally enter the race in an afternoon conference call with supporters.
A tour of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina will quickly follow the Internet announcement, with stops in Florida as well, and a homecoming event in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. on Sept. 15.

It's breaking....

MSNBC, and many wire services, are reporting Fred will announce his candidacy on September 6th.

And from CNN...
The sources said Thompson would travel and campaign in key primary states following the Internet announcement.
The Web announcement will not take place before Wednesday's GOP debate in New Hampshire, the sources said, adding they did not expect Thompson to attend.
Early this week, the New Hampshire Union-Leader called on Thompson to attend the debate.
"If Thompson announces before the debate, New Hampshire voters will expect him to be at the University of New Hampshire with the other announced candidates," the newspaper said. "A no-show will be counted here as a snub.

"So over time we are going to lose a battle or two."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20466414/site/newsweek/page/0/

It's not a game. It's why we need strength.

Hare, meet Tortoise.

Patience, young grasshopper.

I believe this.

Last week, Barack Obama curtailed his schedule after he complained that it was just too much, and he was reportedly looking gaunt.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post_group/ObamaHQ/CJHT

This week, Fred Thompson states that he's still on schedule, and that there's plenty of time left to campaign.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0807/5519.html

Let's all relax.

The party hasn't started yet, and most of the players have finished the entree.

Back in the saddle, again.

Okay, July 11th.

So much since then. But here it is in a nutshell....

Microsoft still can be very bad, but I've fixed a number of issues.
Military Leave was good, serious, and fun.
The new job, with the same company, is very, very good.
New boss, smart guy, and a whole different atmosphere. No dopes. Great gym. Hard work. Who could ask for anything better. (Well, the opportunity to blog, would be good....)

A lot has been happening, but I'm back on an even keel, and expect to have some more blogging fun. I've followed the campaign, while not having time to comment. This shall change.

It's difficult to be loyal, Microsoft. Very. Difficult.

Remember the issue I had with Outlook 2007? Well, I thought I had it fixed, after five hours on the phone, before I left for vacation. Nice try, but no dice.

I spent yesterday on the phone again. 324 minutes, to be exact, with a bunch of semi-cheery folks from Bangalore. Ultimately, all issues are resolved....for now.

But here's the rub, 50 minutes on hold, before I hang up, after I'm told I'll be spoken to in approximately 2-3 minutes. (I actually couldn't believe that it was taking that long, and presumed something wad VERY wrong, hence, the hang up.)

I call back, and am told it will be 7-8 minutes before I am connected to a tech support person. The time on hold? 73 minutes. For shame, for shame, for shame.

Best moment of the day...

I'm transferred from Outlook support, by Outlook support, to portable device support. The outlook issue affected my ability to sync my phone. Outlook was fixed, and I needed to fix the Mobile Device Center issue. Ahmed, at portable device support was going to charge me. I explained the issue, and he transferred me to Outlook support, and told me to tell them to document the file for a "grace case," and then have them transfer me back to him, so he could read the file, and start to solve my problem.

Really.

I complied, only to ease my pain, but I asked him if that was "my job" as a customer to inform their support people on file completion, that is, to instruct support personnel to document a file, and he replied that he thought it was.

Really.

Beautiful.

I work for a Fortune 100 company. Their Customer Service Rep's can see how long someones in the cue...73 minutes would lead to someones firing. It's not the tech support person's fault, it's Microsoft's.

Here's a clue, Microsoft, hire more people. You CAN afford it.

The man's a lobbyist, I tell ya!

As Fred Thompson's campaign continues to gain traction, so do the stories that examine Fred's background. One issue that lurks in the shadows is his prior lobbying history. I sense this will remain an undercurrent for a few reasons. One, lobbying connotes Fred as a political insider, and further, that's a "bad thing." Two, most people have no idea what lobbying involves, but have a general queasiness about it. And three, most people no longer understand the ethical obligations of attorneys.

Now to be fair, I'm an attorney. And yes, there are some bad and some famously bad ones in our midst. There are even some famous ones who are not really that bad, but who come off as buffoonish in the press. Some of the famous ones have been lionized when their actions really didn't deserve it, and others have been unduly criticized for doing their job.

Most lawyers are not what you see in the news. Most toil in obscurity and are good at what they do. They make a reasonable, not wealthy, living while dealing with the minutiae of paperwork and picayune clients who are rarely happy with the result, no matter how good that may be.

The role of attorney has been denigrated. That's been mostly self inflicted, I think, because of tacky, greedy lawyer advertising, and Hollywood style trials and commentary. (I know, or have known, and worked with some of the more famous ones you now see in various forums on television, and truthfully, it's mostly an embarrassment. It's nothing more than self-promotion disguised as analysis. But that's the subject of another post.) The importance of law, and lawyers, to America has been reduced to the level of cocktail banter. We're a punchline. Denny Crane is the new Atticus Finch.

But the essence of a lawyer as independent thinker, defender of rights, and advocate is as important today as ever. Healthy discussions about democracy, law, and the adversarial system have been lost to snippets of tabloid sensationalism. And a quick perusal of the the Fred Thompson was a Lobbyist! headlines suggest the sensationalism runs rampant.

Now, let me put this plainly.Fred's lobbying efforts were part of his work as an attorney, and it's part of what his former law firm did for clients.

Notwithstanding what your personal thoughts on lobbying are, it is a legal and regulated endeavor. And an attorney's obligation is to his client, and in these matters, the attorney's work consists of pushing the ideas of his client. It's the lobbyist's job to have access and bend the appropriate ears. It's not illegal, nor unethical, and it shouldn't be the subject of a plainly hidden whisper campaign.

Let's move on.

Oh, Canada.

Well, folks, I'm home. Camping with my son was as fun and challenging as ever. Canada continued her unique hospitality; daily rain for a half hour or so, chilly evenings, great food, exciting history, and the nicest, kindest people I've ever had the pleasure to meet.

Some highlights included homemade bread for campsite toast, inside information on a wonderful chocolatier on Île d'Orléans, thirty stories of steps at Chute de Montmorency, the Citadelle, Bistro Sous le Fort, an out of the way fromagerie outside of Trois Rivieres, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Chaka Khan, Soul Live, Streetnix, Whipcream, Vasti Jackson. And last but not least, Jacques, Jocelyn, Viola, Gwen, Glenda, Ku, Micheline, Elodie, Catherine, and Daniel and his family.

Thank you, Canada and new friends!

I am...Tanned. Rested. Ready.

Yikes!

Hey folks, here's the scoop. Major problems with email, and hours on the phone with Microsoft support. It's taking up lots...lots....of time. And I leave for five days of camping with my son tomorrow morning.

The long and short...

Microsoft says they'll call tonight at nine. It may get fixed, it may not. I'm back on the fifth.

In the meantime... Fred may announce around the fourth, although I've heard it may be pushed back until the second or third week of July.

Until I get the issue fixed, I'm in limbo. Stay in touch, and email (yeah, right) with updates. See ya soon, and thanks for the continued support.

ACYIFTC

Stay true to your school.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19263100/site/newsweek/

Newsweek is out with commentary on Fred. As Glenn Reynold's says, read the whole thing.

I'll add my two cents on the main bits.

Georgette Mosbacher, and Fred the bachelor.

I'd lament missing a trip with Georgette Mosbacher, too. She's smart, savvy, connected, and wealthy. Europe with her. Ten out of ten. Newsweek's point?

Cigars and Clinton

The cigar reference is, to me, an equivocal statement, and can be read to be either supportive of Clinton and a gentle ribbing, or needling of Clinton and a gentle ribbing. I understand that not every conversation or attitude needs to be vitriolic. Attorneys do it all the time. One can have an acerbic presence in the courtroom, and still remain congenial in the hallway and in correspondence.

Fred's archives at the University of Tennessee

I'm glad Fred's records and correspondence are open for review. Today's candidates run from their history. I don't know, and I bet neither does Newsweek, if Fred believed that, "he had forever traded Washington for Hollywood when he agreed to put his eight years of Senate records, including personal correspondence, in a public archive at the University of Tennessee."

Of course, the implication is that this was somehow a tactical error, since any smart candidate would have withheld the records from public review. (Get it? It's smarter, and more politically savvy to hide your personal record from the people who have the most interest in reading them. We wouldn't want any of those pesky constituents learning the truth and making informed decisions.) I'm not so sure The Fourth Estate wishes to endorse secrecy, but by inference, they sure seem to.

Abortion

I don't see inconsistency in Fred's prior statements. See his most recent statement, below. (Straight Shooter http://fredthompsonscourt.blogspot.com/2007/06/straight-shooter.html)
Formerly, he has endorsed the rule of law, while disagreeing with the rationale. Upholding the law while not agreeing with it is not inconsistent, it's a belief in the system and the rule of law. I think not calling for anarchy is a good thing. I've always felt the logic of Roe v. Wade was squishy, and even more so today with advances in neonatal care. (Really, explain the nuance of trimester calculation and the medical intervention based upon that, and we can have a discussion or three.) I'm not sure who Fred's "opponents" are on this issue. Is it the Right to Lifers? The Pro-Choicers? Fred states he disagrees with abortion, upholds the law and seeks a political and legal solution to the issue. Is there a there, there?

McCain-Feingold

Fred led the investigation into campaign fund-raising abuses. As a former prosecutor, he did what a good former prosecutor should do, and that is, follow the evidence. So he does, and sees some untoward things by Democrats AND Republicans, and has the audacity to pursue it, and earns the enmity of his party machine, and gets bitten by the ego of Trent Lott. And now after seeing the results of this reform, Fred thinks there could be some tweaking. The result? He's being criticized by both sides of the aisle for his change of mind. I guess Congress just hates new learning curves. Once you get the money and power thing down, any change to that machine just cuts into the bottom line.

Stay true to your school, Fred, you're doing just fine.

Talk amongst yourselves.

The Fred Thompson Report on the Council on American Islamic Relations.

Just yesterday, CAIR released a report on anti-Muslim bias incidents in the US.

Agenda?

http://abcradionetworks.com/article.asp?id=427045&SPID=15663

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northshore/chi-cair_20jun20,1,4898266.story?coll=chi-newslocalnorthshore-hed

No Big Whoop.

Michael Bloomberg. Ken Livingstone. NYC. London.

What flies in the city, probably won't fly in the country.

What do you get with a few billion? A Nanny State of trans-fat bans, smoking bans, congestion pricing, private gun stings, and property tax rebate gimmicks to name just a few. As an added bonus, it's delivered with a whiny, patronizing tone!

Self-aggrandizement is one thing; governing is another.

Not to fear.

Welcome.

Hello to my fellow Town Committee members. Browse, comment, pass along.

Thanks!