I wrote this several years ago, seems a fitting topic for blogging.
I walk a mile around a park near my house every morning. The park is inhabited with a large flock of Canadian Geese. These birds are the most vile creatures imaginable. They crap all over the place, the grass, the benches, the walking path. Everywhere. The funny thing is that like most parks there is an ordinance mandating that you have to pick up your dog poop when you walk your dog. They even have plastic bag dispensers at the entrances to the park.
It is funny to notice all these dog owners walking their dogs around the park carrying these little sacks of dog poop - like restaurant doggie bags. It's a doggie bag alright, but it’s not all that tasty. As we walk the park, carrying our own little pet prize bag; we have to tread carefully to avoid the unrestricted quantity of Goose crap that is all over the path! When I am walking and I approach an area of the flock (there have been baby geese as of late), the vile repugnant creatures actually hiss at you like snakes flap their wings, and assuming an attack stance. Hey, it’s MY park you filthy flying rats!
The whole problem with these things is that the people in this area wouldn't harm one. There must be few natural predators. The disgusting things have absolutely NO FEAR of humans! If they are in the road, cars stop and wait and wait and wait for them. I on the other hand rev my engine and honk my horn wildly and creep into their midst. I'm not trying to kill them, but if one ended up under my tire, too bad.
I hate these f-ing things.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Welcome to me
Mr. Digital Rants and Raves - my new blog. Entry number one...
Who am I? Why am I here?
I have watched the blogosphere develop and mature for a good number of years. And have often thought - "What about me? I have things to say." Last week, I decided to jump in and open a blog. So even if no one is listening, here it is. It took me a while to select an appropriate blog name; one that describes what you might expect to see here. So Rants and Raves - yes - I think that will cover it nicely. That being said - I do anticipate you will read more Rant than Rave. It just seems easier to put down the former as opposed to the latter.
So who am I? I'm Mr. Digital from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, Earth. I grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Spent a year of my childhood in Eagle River WI (8 weeks each summer for 8 years), went to university in central Iowa, spent a few years after school in central Illinois, and in 1984 settled in the frozen tundra of Minneapolis. All told - I'm solidly midwestern - with all the rights and responsibilities thereof. I'm married with two teen boys. I am politically right in a very left leaning state (and politically right in a very left leaning religion - Judaism.) I have worked in the information technology field for my entire adult life. Snapshot complete.
Why am I here? I have watched the blogosphere develop and mature for a good number of years. It is truly a phenomenon and a paradigm shift in the volume and variety of opinions that are now available to us. I am not one of those people who believe that you need to have a journalism or polital science degree to have a valid political opinion. I am one of those people who would scan the front page of the paper first, read one or two key articles, and then immediately head for the opinion page. Once there, I would often swear at the newspaper about their leftie agenda, and underline and scribble on the page to vent my frustrations. But isn't that what the opinion page is all about? The *newspaper’s* opinion - not the reader's opinion. So I got fed up, voted with my pocketbook, and dropped the paper about 10 years ago. Methinks I'm not the only one - looking at the subscriber counts over the last 5 years. Truth be told - I still look at the Minneapolis StarTribune (or Star and Sickle as I have often called it) online edition. I still get frustrated with the editorials, but at least I don't draw on my computer screen to vent.
So why a blog? I have often thought that I have things to say, even if no one is listening. I do comment on articles on the StarTribune website. I have a few friends and family that have decent blogs. I like to think that I am an okay writer, not near as witty, emotive, or flamboyant as my friends The Happy Hausfrau or Kerfuffle. So last week, I decided to jump in. It took me a while to select an appropriate blog name, one that describes what you might except to see here. If nobody subscribes or reads the blog - no biggie. It is cathartic just to vent my thoughts and hopefully become a better writer in the process.
Blog entry one
So what to write about for my very first blog entry? Well, there was big news last night. Big BIg, BIG news that our intelligence services in combination with our elite special forces (super secret SEAL Team 6) were able to track down and kill Osama Bin Laden. Let me start by saying that I don't rejoice in his death because it will have zero effect on worldwide terrorism. But justice was done. Osama Bin Laden may be dead, but Al Qaeda lives and breathes. When you cut off the head of a hydra - two grow back. And make no mistake about it - Al Qaeda is a hydra.
Since this is my first blog post, you need to know that I disagree with our president on just about everything - but he is the president and deserves my respect for the office. President Obama also deserves the credit for continuing the hunt that President Bush started, and bringing it to this successful conclusion. No loss of American lives and minimal collateral deaths. You also need to know that I am a right wing conservative and am, at my core, FAIR and LOGICAL – not generally emotional. Even though I disagree with Mr. Obama - I would be the first to give him credit where credit is due. And President Obama is due credit here. He approved the ground mission, after squelching an opportunity to bomb the compound in March. He knew we needed the body and the DNA confirmation. President Obama gets the credit and my thanks. On top of that, his televised announcement of the operation was absolutely perfect. He brought together a good combination of the facts and the history, evoking the imagery of 9/11 and the justice due to the families of the murdered. I thought his recalling how our country united after 9/11 was appropriate and well stated. However, it was also a sad reminder of how much we have divided in the almost ten years since. President Obama seemed very - well - presidential. And that is good for America and good for the office of the President. In contrast, there have been other times in the last two years that he has not seemed presidential. The announcement revealing his long form birth certificate last week - not presidential. The speech in Tucson at the memorial service for the victims of the Gabrielle Giffords shooting - presidential. I call 'em the way I see 'em.
So blog post number one is complete. How did I do? I anticipate that you will see a cornucopia of topics here on the Mr. Digital Rants and Raves blog; from political commentary, to goofy local happenings, to rants about everyday family life here in the frozen tundra of Minnesota. If I’m overcome with a wild hair of optimism you might even see a rave – time will tell. I will try to blog once a week (probably on the weekend), so no need to check back every day. Oh, and please comment if you are wont to do. I don't really need to know you are there, but if you choose to let me know - great.
See you in the blogosphere.
Who am I? Why am I here?
I have watched the blogosphere develop and mature for a good number of years. And have often thought - "What about me? I have things to say." Last week, I decided to jump in and open a blog. So even if no one is listening, here it is. It took me a while to select an appropriate blog name; one that describes what you might expect to see here. So Rants and Raves - yes - I think that will cover it nicely. That being said - I do anticipate you will read more Rant than Rave. It just seems easier to put down the former as opposed to the latter.
So who am I? I'm Mr. Digital from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, Earth. I grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Spent a year of my childhood in Eagle River WI (8 weeks each summer for 8 years), went to university in central Iowa, spent a few years after school in central Illinois, and in 1984 settled in the frozen tundra of Minneapolis. All told - I'm solidly midwestern - with all the rights and responsibilities thereof. I'm married with two teen boys. I am politically right in a very left leaning state (and politically right in a very left leaning religion - Judaism.) I have worked in the information technology field for my entire adult life. Snapshot complete.
Why am I here? I have watched the blogosphere develop and mature for a good number of years. It is truly a phenomenon and a paradigm shift in the volume and variety of opinions that are now available to us. I am not one of those people who believe that you need to have a journalism or polital science degree to have a valid political opinion. I am one of those people who would scan the front page of the paper first, read one or two key articles, and then immediately head for the opinion page. Once there, I would often swear at the newspaper about their leftie agenda, and underline and scribble on the page to vent my frustrations. But isn't that what the opinion page is all about? The *newspaper’s* opinion - not the reader's opinion. So I got fed up, voted with my pocketbook, and dropped the paper about 10 years ago. Methinks I'm not the only one - looking at the subscriber counts over the last 5 years. Truth be told - I still look at the Minneapolis StarTribune (or Star and Sickle as I have often called it) online edition. I still get frustrated with the editorials, but at least I don't draw on my computer screen to vent.
So why a blog? I have often thought that I have things to say, even if no one is listening. I do comment on articles on the StarTribune website. I have a few friends and family that have decent blogs. I like to think that I am an okay writer, not near as witty, emotive, or flamboyant as my friends The Happy Hausfrau or Kerfuffle. So last week, I decided to jump in. It took me a while to select an appropriate blog name, one that describes what you might except to see here. If nobody subscribes or reads the blog - no biggie. It is cathartic just to vent my thoughts and hopefully become a better writer in the process.
Blog entry one
So what to write about for my very first blog entry? Well, there was big news last night. Big BIg, BIG news that our intelligence services in combination with our elite special forces (super secret SEAL Team 6) were able to track down and kill Osama Bin Laden. Let me start by saying that I don't rejoice in his death because it will have zero effect on worldwide terrorism. But justice was done. Osama Bin Laden may be dead, but Al Qaeda lives and breathes. When you cut off the head of a hydra - two grow back. And make no mistake about it - Al Qaeda is a hydra.
Since this is my first blog post, you need to know that I disagree with our president on just about everything - but he is the president and deserves my respect for the office. President Obama also deserves the credit for continuing the hunt that President Bush started, and bringing it to this successful conclusion. No loss of American lives and minimal collateral deaths. You also need to know that I am a right wing conservative and am, at my core, FAIR and LOGICAL – not generally emotional. Even though I disagree with Mr. Obama - I would be the first to give him credit where credit is due. And President Obama is due credit here. He approved the ground mission, after squelching an opportunity to bomb the compound in March. He knew we needed the body and the DNA confirmation. President Obama gets the credit and my thanks. On top of that, his televised announcement of the operation was absolutely perfect. He brought together a good combination of the facts and the history, evoking the imagery of 9/11 and the justice due to the families of the murdered. I thought his recalling how our country united after 9/11 was appropriate and well stated. However, it was also a sad reminder of how much we have divided in the almost ten years since. President Obama seemed very - well - presidential. And that is good for America and good for the office of the President. In contrast, there have been other times in the last two years that he has not seemed presidential. The announcement revealing his long form birth certificate last week - not presidential. The speech in Tucson at the memorial service for the victims of the Gabrielle Giffords shooting - presidential. I call 'em the way I see 'em.
So blog post number one is complete. How did I do? I anticipate that you will see a cornucopia of topics here on the Mr. Digital Rants and Raves blog; from political commentary, to goofy local happenings, to rants about everyday family life here in the frozen tundra of Minnesota. If I’m overcome with a wild hair of optimism you might even see a rave – time will tell. I will try to blog once a week (probably on the weekend), so no need to check back every day. Oh, and please comment if you are wont to do. I don't really need to know you are there, but if you choose to let me know - great.
See you in the blogosphere.
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