Double vision....

Somehow I was recruited for some kind of "commitee" at work to relaunch the vision statement for I/S Client Services. Client Services is the group that includes the Help Desk, as well as other customer support-oriented groups.

I put the word "commitee" in quotes because I haven't really felt like my input has been valuable. Honestly, there are days I feel like I was an afterthought. After all, there's another analyst from the Help Desk on this commitee. The commitee is headed by a Help Desk manager, and I sometimes feel that she's just going through the motions of this as a formality, and that she's just looking for someone to rubber-stamp what she wants, without having to do any of the work herself.

Autumn....

There is finally a crispness in the air that testifies to the arrival of that season also known as fall. Fall sounds direct and brutal; autumn sounds lighter, and less harsh. Both evoke emotions. Fall has the snap of football and the crunch of dead leaves; autumn has the fiery colors of leaves in their splendor, and the home-hearth warmth of Thanksgiving.

In either case, it is a season of mixed emotions for me. The season typically starts with Maryanne and me celebrating our wedding anniversary, while only two weeks later after we enter October we're reminded of the passing of my father. Football season brings the arrival of the only sport I watch regularly on TV, and a changed Thanksgiving not only reminds me of how things used to be, but makes me wonder about the future and what new traditions will be established.

Demoralizing....

John Kerry is bad for morale.

The truth....

Here are some more facts regarding the weapons targeted by the recently-expired assault weapons ban.

Semper Fidelis....

The sound of gunfire, late at night, drifts through the air from Ft. Leavenworth. It is the sound of the brave men and women of the armed forces in their preparations. They prepare because they choose to fight --perhaps even die-- for something they believe in.

Constitutionalism....

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich offers some commentary of what he refers to as "popular constitutionalism" and how it not only does not overstep any bounds, but is a legal tool that has been used by such past pressidents as Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Apathetic....

The United Nations, once viewed by Americans as a benevolent force in the world, is now, at best, treated with apathy, and at worst, treated with hatred and contempt. Blame it on the hipocrisy of an organization whose deeds betray its words.

Waffles....

The Packers lost Sunday. It was a close game for a while, a real shoot-out, for a while, but Green Bay's defense was too slow to adjust. By the time they did, it was too late. Javon Walker's fumble, while ending a potential tying drive, was really just the nail in the coffin. I don't blame him; he should never have been put in to a position where he had to make a catch on a tying drive. The defense should have adjusted sooner, contained Indy to some degree, and kept the score more even, if not actually in favor of the Packers.

Personally, I blame John Kerry.

Geek day....

Yesterday was geek day, and we finished The Speaker in Dreams. It was really the first time I had run through an organized event-based adventure, and it was an interesting experience. I didn't really have to railroad the players at all. Parts of it were a little less challenging than I expected, as the module is designed for four players, and our group has five.

I think the module was most useful to me in that it really showed how to design and run an event-based adventure, as opposed to site-based adventures like the standard dungeon crawl. It's an interesting change of pace, and I think it allows for a more complex storyline.

Third Edition D&D in general has been an interesting experience. A lot of the mechanics have taken some getting used to, especially after having played First and Second Edition for so many years before the release of Third Edition. In general, things are much more interdependent, and there aren't any "throw away" skills or attributes. The "pacing" seems to be better as well; challenge ratings and encounter levels make for more balanced and better paced game play. On the other hand, a lot of the changes have been a big adjustment. Initiative works so differently that at first combat moved more slowly, and saving throws have been an adjustment as well.

The next adventure will be The Standing Stone. I haven't look at it closely yet, which is just as well. I know some of my players read this blog, so I can't give away any secrets!

New kid in town....

Newcomer Michael Wilson has created is own forthcoming documentary in response to Michael Moore's vitriolic Fahrenheit 9/11. Wilson's documentary, ironically titled Michael Moore Hates America, has a slower, more deliberate pace as it sets a more optimistic tone, and hopes to prove to be more thought-provoking than the dreck offered by Moore.

Into the blogosphere....

Compared to the speed of the blogosphere, the mainstream media is painfully slow, lumbering clumsily through traditional, sometimes antiquated methods. The circumstances starting the fracas over the faked Texas Air National Guard memos began the very night CBS aired them on 60 Minutes II, and it was more than a week before CBS admitted they had been duped. Now that mainstream media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, have finally caught up, it leaves CBS left holding the bag. It's CBS's move, and nothing short of a very public exposé and apology will fully restore their credibility. The repurcussions of not doing so could prove to be explosive, not only for CBS, but for the John Kerry campaign, as well.

Happy Anniversary!

Maryanne decided to go to The House On The Rock for our second wedding anniversary. I had never been there before, and it had been a very long time since Maryanne had been there. It was... interesting. Some of the stuff was absolutely intriguing, others merely interesting, and a few things were downright creepy. The drive out to the Spring Green area was interesting, especially since we were able to drive past Taliesin (pronounced "tal-yes-in", not "tally-essin"), Frank Lloyd Wright's estate. We plan on checking it out in the spring.

Legislating from the bench....

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) offers an interesting op/ed piece regarding the venerable Constitution of the United States and what the judiciary branch, unknowingingly or (worse yet) knowingly, is doing to it.

"It's a small world..."

Yesterday Amy threw what has turned into an annual party around the middle of September, and there were a few surprises in store for us. Not only did Greg and Jeneen make it out, but so did Angela, who we had not seen in two years. We also saw Dan again, whom we also had not seen in two years, and he had a girlfriend with him by the name of Bobbie Jo. It turns out she went to Oconto High School, which was in the same athletic conference as my high school, Sevastopol. On top of that, she knows our friend Heather, who works at WPS with Maryanne. What a small world!

We stayed a little later than we should, because it wasn't until around eleven that we were able to head over to Fitchburg and meet some people at the Great Dane for Rachel's birthday. Jeff said I need to keep this blog updated on our gaming activities. I suppose I do. Our next session is set for September 26th, and we'll be completing the second half of The Speaker in Dreams.

"Fully automatic propaganda...."

Mike S. Adams goes to town on all the misinformed or just plain ignorant people speaking their outrage against the expiration of the so-called assault weapons ban.

Over-worked....

The last couple of days at work have been very frustrating. Some new rollouts had caused a steady increase in calls pretty much throughout the day, and my personal feeling is that we have been ill-prepared for it. We've lost four members of our regular staff, though one of those is only on military duty, and it was a long time before any steps were taken to "replace" them. It wasn't until last week that some additional staff was brought in to support one of the new rollouts that some of the Help Desk regulars had been supporting exclusively.

I'm still not sure we're adequately staffed. The high call volume and the frustrated and sometimes combative callers have sapped my energy and left me frustrated and with low morale.

It's Blog!

The speed of the "blogosphere" may be instrumental in exposing fraud in the fracas over what could be forged documents in regards to George W. Bush's service with the Texas Air National Guard. Unfortunately, CBS News lacks the speed of the Internet, especially when the muscle of 60 Minutes and Dan Rather defensively retorts calling it a "counterattack" from "partisan political operatives." Even the New York Post is getting in on the action.

Transitions....

Today I was able to finish The House of the Seven Gables. It was OK. It didn't find it nearly as interesting as The Scarlet Letter, or any of the rest of Hawthorne's work, for that mattery.

Next I'll be starting on Don't Open This Book!, a collection of short speculative fiction pieces selected by Mavin Kaye. It contains short fiction by the likes of Tanith Lee, H.P. Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark, and Jack Vance. It even contains a piece by Nathaniel Hawthorne. How's that for a transition?

Hypocrisies....

Doug Painter, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, lays into John Kerry's hypocritical posing on gun rights.

No respect....

There once was a time when the venerable New York Times was one of the mightiest newspapers in the land, earning respect all around through the credo of "all the news that's fit to print." How the mighty have fallen! Not satisfied to stop at the recent debacle caused by a reporter creating news from thin air, and an editor resigning from the pure embarrasment of it all, the paper is now editorializing on a topic while completely ignoring the facts. What seems to be paranoia or righteous indignation is probably neither. More likely, it is the result of a hidden agenda to disenfranchise voters overseas, throw a wrench in the works of the republic, and let the election hang in the balance.

I, for one, am done with the New York Times. They've lost my respect.

Pining for the fjords....

Once again James Lileks has produced an interesting piece on architecture, of all things. He was spurred by a new development near Rochester, Minnesota, where the homes basically look like shoeboxes from IKEA. They have a modern, minimilistic approach, and their garages are detached. Doesn't seem the type of thing you'd want for a cold Minnesota winter.

An article on the development just dotes on them, though, while pooh-poohing the idea of what it calls "McMansions," a word describing larger, cheaply made, but functional homes with attached garages.

It seems to me that if you're building a planned community on the Minnesota prairie that maybe, just maybe, you could build them in a classic Prairie-style design.

Ulterior motives....

If this is true, then it opens a very big can of worms.

"And a woolly jaw"

Today is a much better day in regards to my allergies. I refilled my prescriptions for Allegra and my Rhinocort nasal spray, and I think the latter has made a big difference.

Good thing, too. Maryanne and I have decided to start calling the cat Daisy since it's about the only name we can agree on. She's starting to warm up a bit more. Some noises still scare her, but she comes out of hiding much sooner. We're debating whether or not to get her declawed, with our skin and clothing suggesting we should go ahead and do it.

Eric and Tina recommended we get a toy for her called a Woolly Bully Mouse. It's kind of clever, really, being made of all natural materials such as wool and leather. Daisy managed to chew part of the tail off this morning and eat it. We'll see how it agrees with her when we get home.

We highly recommend the Wisconsin-made Cat Dancer. Daisy loves it!

Cat scratch fever....

Maryanne and I spent Labor Day weekend in Door County, though much more cheaply than most. The weather was OK; Saturday was hot and muggy, Sunday much improved, and some rain came through Monday, rain that was badly needed in the area.

Mom had somehow acquired a mysterious addition to her rock garden: some kind of lily of unknown type and origins. We took some photos and did some research. A recent newspaper article in The Door County Advocate reported some other people with similar experiences. The columnist suggested it was a resurrection lily. Additional research suggested Mom has one, but it's a bulb, and she doesn't remember planting it. I've seen a few more throughout southern Wisconsin, including one in our back yard. Supposedly it's not supposed to be able to grow at all in Wisconsin. A sign of global warming? Hrm....

Sunday we stopped at Wilkins & Olander to talk to Caly, and in the bargain I found a very nice shirt on sale. Huzzah!

Monday we returned to the Door County Humane Society and picked up a new addition to our family: a cat named D.J. We're not sure if we're going to keep the name; we're leaning toward changing it to Daisy. She's pretty friendly and very affectionate. She was pretty scared for the three hour drive home, and it took several hours for her to come out of hiding once we got her home. She's been warming up quickly though.

She's been affecting my allergies, of course. Since being tested for allergies, it's now certain I'm allergic to cats. Last night and this morning I could definitely tell, but rag weed is coming in to its prime as well, so it's hard to know for sure what's making things miserable for me.

Take it back....

The McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law may have seemed like a good idea at the time, a way of leveling the playing field. As it turns out, what it's mostly been good for is covering the ultimate source of campaign donations, through the loophole of organizations known as 527s. Everything was fine and dandy so long as most of these were liberal, hiding behind such benign names as Take Back America and Move On. The amount of money flowing through them seemed capable of rivaling even George W. Bush's vast sums. Once conservative groups caught on, and John Kerry's resentful Navy swift boat peers formed their own group, the Democrats cried foul. Well, you can't have it both ways. Fortunately, Byron York sees it the same way I do: censorship of political speech. The solution? Repeal McCain-Feingold, of course.

Judged by looks....

Jon Caldara has come to see that the so-called assault-weapons ban was one of the goofiest gun laws on the books. After a long, slow conversion, he realizes just how superficial the law was, calling it "racial profiling for guns."

Coming soon!

Journalist and screenwriter Bridget Johnson shares the buzz on some new movie alternatives to the dreck produced by the likes of Michael Moore, including a satirical send-up from Trey Parker and Matt Stone.