Re-Entry with Links

View from 39,000 feet over some city somewhere in the Midwest.

In the words of John Denver, damn it's good to be back home again. Fifteen hours in a plane will definitely take its toll, but the nicotine gum and the knowing what awaited helped make the sleeplessness, the cramped quarters, the bad movies (The Stepford Wives and The Terminal) and the grumpy neighbor on the Amsterdam to Cincinnatti leg worth everything. There's much to catch up on--over 500 new posts on Bloglines, some e-mails, a few happy dogs that actually seem to have missed me, and a DVR'd debate--so this place might be quiet for a few days while I get reacclimated.

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I finally put up a "Search" option for this site. It's basically a google search of the archived posts. Now you can see what, if anything, I've written about your favorite subject. Hard to believe that I've referenced Madonna only 14 times. (Thanks to Bradley's Almanac for the code.)

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Hard to believe that I went over 180 days without seeing any measureable rain. Though some was forecast for Amsterdam while I was there, it missed me. I figured that I would go another few months, but whadayaknow, I awoke this a.m. to a downpour. A nice tropical feel in the saturated air, a low pressure that opened up the heavens and ended the longest rainless streak in San Diego history (beating last year's record by a day or two). More is promised, so I've put this blog on "Storm Watch 2004."

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It was sad hearing about Christopher Reeves' passing, even sadder to read about Ken Caminiti's death. I hate to think that my lasting image of the guy will be as a long-faded superstar limping around in a Braves uniform, badly trying to fill a void that the Braves needed to fill. By all accounts, he was a good guy who despite his physical strength could not be strong enough in the face of his demons, and it seems they finally won. Geoff over at Ducksnorts has a nice post about Caminiti.

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One of the highlights of the trip was finishing David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas. The novel more than lives up to all of the hype surrounding it. One of its main strengths is that it has almost no weakness. Even the futuristic settings, something I often find difficult to suspend my disbelief against, were genius. If it seems like I'm overdoing the praise, I can only tell you to go now and buy a copy of this book. You won't regret it.

*****

Bill O'Reilly likes phone sex. Huh? Anyway, San Diego writer Michael Hemmingson had a little velitation with O'Reilly over a quote from O'Reilly's novel that Hemmingson used in one of his own novels.

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E.E. Cummings 110th birthday was last week. You probably know that I got the name of this blog from a line in a Cummings' poem, but it's not my favorite of his poems. That honor goes to this one:

the way to hump a cow is not
to get yourself a stool
but draw a line around the spot
and call it beautifool

to multiply because and why
dividing thens by nows
and adding and(i understand)
is hows to hump a cows

the way to hump a cow is not
to elevate your tool
but drop a penny in the slot
and bellow like a bool

to lay a wreath from ancient greath
on insulated brows
(while tossing boms at uncle toms
is hows to hump a cows

the way to hump a cow is not
to push and then to pull
but practicing the art of swot
to preach the golden rull

to vote for me(all decent mem
and wonens will allows
which if they don't to hell with them)
is hows to hump a cows

Comments

[Lena]

I love that O'Reilly calls a loofah a 'falafel' in that transcript.

What a genius.