Mutant Poodle

From June 1st until yesterday, I spent more time on the road than home, a pattern that has mercifully come to an end.

If I’d had anything truly earth-shattering to say, I probably would have said it. Sadly, my insight level over the past six weeks makes that thesis impossible to prove or disprove.

That said, one theme seems to be emerging in the presidential campaign. John McCain keeps questioning Barack Obama’s foreign policy judgment, while shifting his own foreign policy positions to closer match Obama’s.

I’m not the only one seeing this, right?

I’m off again (to this highly tolerable part of Long Island, among other places), so no posting until after July 4th. However, allow me to predict that John McCain and Barack Obama will still be running for President upon my return.

Enjoy the holiday.

It was one year ago today that I took fingers to keyboard (I am a four-finger non-touch typist) and starting posting stuff on this blog.

With one whole year of experience under my belt, I have a healthy respect for people who do this full time, and am unbelievably impressed with people who post regularly and have, you know, jobs.

Red Smith once was asked about writing, and he replied that it was easy - you just sit at the typewriter until the drops of blood ooze from your forehead.

For me, it’s not so much the writing - when a juicy idea comes along posts often almost write themselves - but (a) finding that juicy idea, and an original one would be nice (and one where I feel I have some kind of unique perspective), and (b) editing. I probably spend more time polishing than writing, which is doubtless genetic.

All this is a long-winded way of saying blogging is hard, and I respect those who do it, for whatever reasons. I started because I had a few thoughts rattling around my head, and I find writing them helps me form them better. That some people come by and read them is icing on the cake.

Because it’s my blogday, I’ll just say that in addition to my first post manifesto, which holds up pretty well, I think, I’d tag these five as posts I look back on with minimal embarrassment.

• In lusum est spes . A piece about the slowly growing acceptance of gay athletes in high school and college sports.
• The Vapidity of Domestic Spying. Why it doesn’t really make us safer.
• My pre-9/11 mindset. How I miss the constitution.
• Growing Up. A comparison of the respective maturity of George Bush and Andre Agassi.
• Right Wing ju-jitsu. A discussion of the GOP talent for making someone’s strength into a weakness.

My posting frequency is off recently, for two reasons. First, I have been working more, and those deadlines take precedence. (I am a procrastinator when it comes to writing, and combine that with no deadline, and you have trouble.) Second, I haven’t had anything earth-shattering to say. Or, more accurately, less stuff is driving me to the keyboard in a righteous fury. It’s not that there isn’t egregious stuff out there, but it’s pretty well handled by my colleagues, both with and without the large followings.

The irregular posting will continue for a bit. I have a lot of travel coming in the next month, and I choose not to post while on vacation. I suspect that I’ll get more fired up later in the summer, when the election season is in full swing, and the lunacy is flying fast. Until then, I’ll see you when I see you, and when you stop by, feel free to drop a note.

I can claim geographical allegiances to at least four cities/regions, but the college years in New England have stuck the hardest. So I was rooting for the Celtics against the Lakers. Some allegiances will never die. And will eventually be rewarded.

Is it just me, or did the Lakers lie down in from the third quarter on? It’s one thing to be embarrassed, but geez…

So I’m back from Hawaii (this picture was taken at South Point, which is, as you may have guessed, the southernmost point in the United States) and am watching the swirl of politics, the ebb and flow of the NBA Finals (go Celtics!) and generally trying to stay relaxed.

This will fade fast enough.

But I thought I’d post an image from the trip - this very simple boat, moored in unusually calm and incredibly clear waters, at one of the boundaries of our country.

Oh, and I have to say, although I don’t get golf in the slightest, that was one helluva playoff today. Tiger and Rocco - who makes this stuff up?

Heh.

That said, it’s probably a better sell than John “when we bring troops home is not that important” McCain getting on TV and saying what, to the best of my knowledge, he actually believes.

[H/T Scientific]