The “Other” Palin.

For me Michael Palin is THE Palin.  I am become accustomed to another Palin, Sarah Palin, the V.P. choice for Senator McCain.  Probably for supporters of Sarah Palin, Michael Palin is the other Palin.

It is a gutsy choice.  The right choice?  Too early to tell.

Alaska would be a good place for a Pioneer Party.

Using the English Language Properly.

     I grew up in Brooklyn, not exactly a place for perfection of the English language at times.  Others may say different types of English are correct for their region.

     I did not pay attention to the English I used as a child.  My mother yelled at me, but to no avail.  My mother’s yelling made me less likely to listen.  Now, I am making up for lost time.

     When you write, the words mean something.  I studied the Chinese Language in college.  Look at how I just structured that last sentence.  Most people in Brooklyn would say “I took Chinese.”  OK, where did you take ‘em?  Does that mean you took them on a trip?  A tour?  Did you kidnap them?  Even just the phrase, “I studied Chinese.”  Chinese what?  Language, people, culture, economy?

     The last paragraph was written for several reasons:

1.  It is my blog and I can write whatever I damn please!;-)

2.   The mood struck me at this moment.

3.  Chinese is expressive in the written language by writing the correct charachters (zi in Mandarin) for the thought.  The English tone uses all the senses, seeing the correct word on paper, hearing the correct tone, using the most accurate word in conversation.

    

     English has become an International language, because it takes words from everywhere and provides accurate words to describe situations.  (Well, yes, Inuit words have many different words for snow, but we do not need that).

     It has nothing to do with being verbose either.  It is short, sweet and using the correct word for the occasion.

     I shall shut up now.

The Battle of the Coffee Cup.

     I need the coffee in that cup.  Most Mormons would tell me I did not need that, but I am not a Mormon and cannot help it.  I need that coffee. 

     I picked up the cup and the battle NOT to spill coffee on me begun.  I wrestled with that cup.   The coffee was sneaky though, and out on my shirt it came. 

     I am bleeding coffee.   No Frank Vincent style dapperness for me on this Friday before Labor Day.

Why I Will Never Be as Dapper as Frank Vincent

     That one is simple.  This morning, I put on a white t shirt.  I had coffee on it within minutes.  Another losing battle with a coffee cup.

     I am too sloppy and too much like the absent minded professor.  Dapper and me do not work in the same paragraph.  Just that simple.

Yerbie and Straws

     Cats see play as practice for hunting.  Give Yerbie a straw and he is occupied for quite a while.  Actually, Yerbie is going through both the terrible two’s and the teenage years at the same time.  It is a parent’s nightmare LOL!

     I’d name Yerbie after the Orange Crush, the long time Denver Broncos defensive line, but Yerbie is too small for that role.  He got a good thumping last night too.  He enjoyed every minute of it. 

     Yerbie certainly did not draw the short straw.

Democratic Convention, Night One

     I’ve never been this indecisive in my life.  I cannot disagree with much of the Democratic platform, it is the candidate.  I do like Joe Biden as V.P. though.  The debates may sway me too.

    Michelle Obama DID give a good speech and try and reach out to all.  Still, the Democrats are trying to get Obama set up as the next JFK.

     What concerns me, is I don’t think Obama has a particular issue he is concerned about.  (Here we go, more Python), In Families and How to Survive Them, they had a chapter called “Politics and Paranoia.”  For McCain, the military/security are the issues.  For Obama, I don’t know.

     I will be curious to watch the Republican Convention next week to see the difference.

The Louisiana Section.

     This will not be the case for long, however, in Saguaro Romance Writers the women who sit at the check in table, Suzanne and Vicki are both from Louisiana.  I tell people who come for the first time, you have to go over to Louisiana to check in.   Since we are in Arizona, I DO get some rather odd looks.

     Please allow me to take you back to 1976, our bicentennial year.  I was what was called an Alumni Assistant (a sort of intern) on a program called Close Up.  It takes high school students to Washington D.C. for a week to teach them about the Federal Government. 

     The first week I was there, I met three lovely young ladies from Shreveport/Bossier City Louisiana named Julie Collier, Van Smith, and Shawn Thayer.  (Of course, married names would be different).

     I had fun doing it.  Years later, I got to visit New Orleans (pre Katrina).  Now I have the Louisiana Table at Saguaro Romance Writers until we elect our new board.

Pioneer Party. Down to Earth Candidates.

No one wants to take anything away from the heroism of John McCain.  How much does he know about the average American at this point.  Just asking.

How much are we really represented in Washington by people who understand?  There is so much money involved now in even running for anything.

Pioneer Party, More on Defense.

We have seen the recent Russian invasion of Georgia in the Caucasus Mountains.  I received my issue of the Economist.

Russia will not be able to rebuild the old Soviet Union, though Georgia was their “Jewel in the Crown,” like India was to Britain and an independent Georgia does not impress them much.

I bring this up, because some things are not our fight.  There is nothing we can do about it and we have more pressing problems within our own borders.  We need to take care of one another as Americans and neighbors.

Saguaro Romance Writers, August 23rd Meeting

Phoenix author Christina Skye came to speak to us about plotting out our stories.  She is more of a China scholar than I am.  I had a great time, learning and then we went to Barnes and Noble afterward for coffee and chatter.  Will have to do that again.  My friend Soni made the meeting.  I hope she joins.

I wrote a second novel in a month.  Working on my new Tucson Homicide Detective.  Now, I can attend the citizens police academy and ask questions.  I wont look as dumb as I tink I am.;-)