The politics of dancing, the politics of ooo feeling good

I don't talk about my politics very often - I really don't like conflict and much political discussion deteriorates rapidly into Crossfire - so it might suprise some of you that I was a political science major. I continue to be very interested in politics - one thing I miss about living in DC is the aura of politics that permeates everything up there. All of this is just a very long preamble to recommended reading for others of you who might want to keep up with the world of politics but may not have the time to read all the national papers. I really enjoy Howard Kurtz' on-line columns on www.washingtonpost.com. He quotes and comments on stories from papers around the country and I feel he does so in an even-handed way (but that just might reflect a bias that we both share so I don't recognize it). Anyway, it helps me stay informed and cut through some of the extremist rhetoric favored by both parties.

I head to Nashville tomorrow for my third Marathon! Really looking forward to spending time with friends and cheering my sister on as she completes her first marathon.

I don't know where I'm running now, I'm just running on

Rather belatedly, I got my 20 mile pre-marathon run in yesterday. Training has kind of taken a backseat lately and I wasn't sure how it would go, but it went well. I ran the whole way without stopping and finished in 3 hours. No soreness today, which I had been concerned about. Looks like I'm as ready as I can be for Nashville next Saturday. Can't wait to hang out with everyone and cheer my big sister on as she runs her first marathon!

Sin City

So, I had been looking forward to seeing this movie based on the buzz, previews, etc., and decided to go see it last night (I'm out of town this week and it didn't really seem like Karyn's type of movie). Well, I was very disappointed. The whole thing came across as pretty sterile to me - I just never really got into it. It kind of had the feel of a Tarantino film, but without the excellent use of music and humor to draw you in (and no Uma Thurman!). It used black and white with splashes of color, but not as effectively as other movies (e.g. Rumblefish). I just never was really transported into the story and therefore the violence just seemed gratuitous and the black & white left me cold. I can always tell that a movie hasn't pulled me in if I find myself checking my watch during the film - well, I checked my watch 3 or 4 times during this film. Interesting sidenote - I kept thinking that Rosario Dawson looked like a dominatrix version of Condoleezza Rice...or maybe that is just what happens to us Political Science majors as we become dirty old men. Anyhow, the best part of the whole experience was enjoying movie theater popcorn mixed with peanut M&M's (even if it did cost more than the movie) - now THAT'S sin city!

I'm baaaack

You probably knew that I couldn't stay away too long...

What brings me back, you may ask. Well, I've spent a lot of time with my family lately and that has certainly helped lift the fog that I've been under. Here are some recent highlights:

- Baking and eating chocolate cakes with Mattie and Grace based on the recipies that they created
- Playing frisbee with Haley and Mattie
- Practicing softball with Grace, Mattie and Haley
- Yard work with Karyn and Haley
- Traveling to Tucson to visit Karyn's Dad & Stepmom
- Traveling to DC to attend a birthday party at the zoo for the son of longtime friends
- Reconnecting with aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, parents (although this came about due to the deaths of two of my uncles)
- Running long distances (12 miles, 15 miles)
- Interviews for jobs in Roanoke (wow, what a concept!)
- Spring!
- Emails, calls, blogs of friends


And, finally, I found the procedure for verifying the death of a Pope to be quite humorous (thanks to Karyn for pointing this out to me):

"The Prefect of the Papal Household calls in a special bishop called the Camerlengo. He is the one who has to verify the Pope's death. He takes a silver hammer and taps the Pope on the head three times. He also calls out his baptismal name three times. If he doesn't respond, he says, 'The Pope is dead.' He verifies the death in front of the Master of Papal Liturgical Ceremonies, the Cleric Prelates of the Apostolic Camera, and the Secretary and the Chancellor of the Apostolic Camera. Then he takes off the Pope's ring and smashes it so no one else can use it. The Chancellor of the Apostolic Camera creates the death certificate. "

Would that be Maxwell's silver hammer by any chance?