Political Trivia

I tend to be more plugged into these things nowadays. Here are some interesting DC political factoids:

A new Hays Research poll shows Alaska Republican Gov. Sarah Palin now has 54% positive rating and 42% negative rating among Alaskan voters. That's a dramatic change from the 86% positive and just 9% negative a year ago.
Today is budget day, when the Obama Administration releases the details of its next fiscal year's budget.
Republican and Presidential wannabe Mitt Romney is making his primary residence at the family home in New Hampshire, the site of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary.
The Maine Legislature yesterday gave final approval to a gay marriage law. And the governor signed it into law (that last part was a bit of a surprise).
In 1669 Cardinal Richelieu had the tips of his dinner knives ground down when he saw a dinner guest picking his teeth with a knife tip, marking the first time dinner knives had rounded tips (okay maybe that isn't a current bit of gossip but it's interesting anyway, in a Sarah Palin sort of way).
Alpha is Alan Tudyk (okay well that's not at all related to politics old or new but it's still very cool and you all should be watching the season finale of Dollhouse this Friday at 9 PM, and click HERE to get all caught up).

Phone?

I changed cell phones from a regular cell to an iPhone. Work offsets the cost some. And I wanted something that integrated better with my Mac computer.

To say it's a phone is simplifying a bit. Phones are morphing into other beings. As are computers. And televisions. And movie theaters and cars. Everything is evolving. Maybe we get tired of the slow pace of human evolution and want to spice things up with some induced evolution in the things we make.

So my "phone" does almost everything my computer does. Just a bit smaller. I can go on Facebook and Twitter and watch video and listen to music and do email and messaging. I could also probably blog here, too. In fact I know I could. And - oh yes - I can even talk. With my mouth. That older form of communication.

Get Caught Up on Dollhouse in less than a dozen minutes

PG Porn

Well, okay maybe R-rated, because of the use of the word that must not be named. And maybe it's not porn, really. But it's funny. And it stars Alan Tudyk.

Click here <----- Yes! Right there!

Week Ends

Sunday, and the beginning of a new week. Or ending of an old, depending on your view. Or your calendar.

My Mother heads home today. To hers in Pennsylvania from ours in Virginia. I'll drive her part way there. A few miles up Interstate 270 to the Shady Grove station. Last station on the Metro Red Line. Then she's going solo the rest of the way. But my part of the drive north will be the hardest part. Through what little Sunday morning traffic there is. Around the tricky beltways and ramps and exits. To the straight concrete ribbons that connect and head eventually northwest.

Then she will go that way and I will go this way. Back down the Red Line to DC. Then the Blue or Yellow to Alexandria.

We've had a nice week. Good dinners and walks and, last night, Hadyn's Creation at the Kennedy Center. Die Schöpfung. A nice rendition of a "beginning" to end the week. And the visit.

Whiskey

I totally missed it. Last night. On Dollhouse. One line. "Whiskey."

I mean I heard the line. And then moved right on. I didn't make the connection. Didn't connect the dots. He was looking at Dr. Saunders. Right after he looked at Topher and said "Topher." Right after he looked at Adelle DeWitt and said "Adelle." Then he looked at Dr. Saunders. Ready to give him an injection. And he said "Whiskey."

The NATO and aviation radio call word for the letter W. Like Echo and November and Sierra and Victor.

And Alpha, too.

May Day

Today marks the beginning of May. It used to be a day of celebration in the old Soviet Union and other communist countries around the world. Aren't too many of those left anymore. So I don't know how much celebrating there is going on today in the communist block. Maybe in Cuba or China or Viet Nam. Communist countries celebrate May Day because of its labor connections (it's commonly known as international worker's day or labour day (which is not the same as the U.S. Labor Day because it's missing the "u" and happens in September)).

When you look way back, May Day has its roots in the Celtic (not Boston Celtic) Beltane celebrations and the Germanic Walpurgis Night (the W is pronounced like a V). And in pre-Christian Europe, May 1 was the first day of summer.

Then there is the mayday radio call signal for help. But it has nothing to do with May or summer or labourers (with a u). That actually comes from the French venez m'aider, meaning 'come help me.' Which is a call we might be hearing from some of the former communist and not so former communist countries these days. A lot of people being in need of help.

Happy Beltane!