A mere nine years and two presidents into the war in Afghanistan, and things couldn’t be going better. But what to do next? More troops? Have our drones blow up a few more wedding parties? What’s a Nobel Peace Prize winner to do? To answer that question, Press the Meat has Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Sen. Carl Levin ferocious warrior Lindsey Graham, Barry McCaffrey, and former Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, Richard Myers. At the roundtable, it’ll be the National Journal’s Ron Brownstein, WSJ hack Paul Gigot, BBC America’s Katty Kay, and former journalist Bob Woodward.

Over on Faze the Nation, it’s the US Senate version of Frank Burns, chinless ferret face, Mitch McConnell, Jack Reed, David Ignatius of the WaPost, and Iraq War cheerleader Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution.

At Fux News, whiny Weaselface Wallace looks at the economy with Steve Wynn, Chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts,
Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana, and Mark Zandi of Moody’s Economy.com. Then it’s a fucktacular panel of fuxheads with Bill Kristol, Nina Easton, the evil spawn of evil, Liz Cheney, and token Juan Williams. Plus the “Power Player of the Week,” Deborah Hersman, Chairman of the NTSB.

On the Goebells network, it’s Generals, Democrats, DINO’s, and thugs, as George Snufalufagus has DINO Dianne Feinstein, Rethuglican Senator Saxby Chambliss, Jim McGovern of MA, who’s introduced a bill that would require the Obama Administration to submit an exit strategy in Afghanistan, and retired general Jack “the surge” Keane. Then it’s a roundtable with Arianna Huffington, former Bush Communications Director Nicolle Wallace, Donna Brazile and George :jerk: Will.

At CNN, Fareed Zakaria talks Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Diamond industry.

Later, on 60 Minutes, Scott Pelley hangs out with a U.S. Marine company in Helmand Province – part of Peace President Barack Obama’s troop buildup in Afghanistan. Bob Simon looks at new studies showing that athletes who suffered many blows to the head, became brain damaged (gee, there’s a news flash; they needed studies to figure that out?). And Steve Kroft reports on the Birdmen – men who don wing suits, jump off mountain tops and glide at speeds of 140 miles per hour. And occasionally wind up dead. Looks pretty cool, though.

Have a good Sunday.

I must admit, I was a bit surprised to hear that Obama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but the announcement seems to have really tweaked the wingnuts, so I’m pretty much down with it. To be fair, the more “grown up” GOPers seem to smart enough not to make fools of themselves, but the loudmouth “pundits” (and idiot token Michael Steele, of course) just can’t seem to help themselves. Much like their reaction to Chicago losing the Olympics, I don’t really understand the whole “rooting against the home team” thing. Rush Limbaugh actually said he found it hysterical that he agrees with the Taliban and Iran. I mean, really? Isn’t that aiding and abetting the enemy in a time of war or something? I did like the statement from State Department Spokesperson PJ Crowley, though:

“Certainly from our standpoint, this gives us a sense of momentum — when the United States has accolades tossed its way, rather than shoes.”

Granny is off to Albany this morning for the Single Payer NY/PNHP Fall Meeting. Hopefully she won’t catch Swine Flu from any of the dirty disease vectors in attendance. Here, the dogs and I are eagerly awaiting the noon kickoff of the SU – West Virginia game (well, OK, the dogs are actually eagerly awaiting a trip to the park). After a disappointing loss last week to USF (a game we really could have won, were it not for seven – count ’em, seven turnovers), we’re hoping (though not actually expecting) for a win today. Part of our many years of shame here is the fact that we haven’t beaten WV since 2001, so it’s not only to get a win, but to take back the Schwartzwalder Trophy (named for Ben, a West Virginia native, who was center and captain of the WV football team back in leather helmet days, and is SU’s winningest – yes, that’s a real word; I looked it up – all-time coach, having racked up 153 wins in his 25 years, including our only national championship fifty years ago). Speaking of the 1959 team, they’ll be renaming the football field “Ernie Davis Legends Field” today (about friggin’ time) during the game (Ernie, the first black guy to win the Heisman Trophy, died of leukemia at the age of 23).

The game’s on at least three of my channels today, but I’m not sure if it’s blacked out around here or not (the local Time Warner cable station has it, but I don’t have cable). Fortunately, you can find almost everything on the Internet these days, and there’s always the radio. Of course, I’m fully expecting another disappointment (as an SU and Jets fan, I’ve become accustomed to disappointment), but, hey, you never know, right?

Oh well, I guess I’d better go find my power cord, ‘cuz my laptop battery is just about dead here. Have a good one.

Sure is nice to be home again, and to sleep in my own bed. I don’t think I’ll ever be much of a world traveler – not unless I get to bring my wife and dogs with me, anyway. My plan for today is to just slide through and get to the end of the day. Normally, I’d work Columbus Day to get another day off down the road, but this year, I reckon I’ll take the three-day weekend. We got some interesting information regarding the whole Swine Flu craze. Turns out, the NYS Department of Health isn’t allowing hospital emergency departments, clinics, or doctor’s offices to test for H1N1 without prior approval, and they’re rationing the tests. So, if you get a Swine Flu diagnosis here in NY, it’s really more of a guess, based on self-reported symptoms (which are a lot like symptoms of any other flu, or even a bad cold) than anything else (now I know why Cornell supposedly has 700 cases; every kid with a runny nose is probably getting diagnosed with the flu). Apparently, they wouldn’t want facts to get in the way of the declared “health emergency,” and their plans to force a vaccine on us. Fortunately, you don’t even have to bother getting a “diagnosis” from a doctor’s office. Now you can diagnose yourself online. If you say you “feel feverish,” have a cough, and have shortness of breath, you get a message that says:

Based on your answers, you probably have the flu and you might be very sick.

Call your doctor now!

Of course, you might have a cold, too. Never fear, since you need to enter your zip code, and have the option of sharing your results with “researchers,” you’ll no doubt be added to the list, adding to the “outbreak.”

This is “science-based” medicine at its finest.

Where I work, they’ve decided to interpret the DOH mandate as meaning everybody should be forced to get the vaccine even if they don’t have direct or indirect patient contact. So, a mandate from an unelected Commissioner (who, incidentally, says he’s not getting the vaccine, because he doesn’t have patient contact) is now being escalated by a non-elected sanctimonious prick head of employee health to include staff who not only don’t ever get near patients, but who don’t even work in the hospital.

So, the President seems to have won the Nobel Peace Prize. That’s nice, I guess. I don’t really recall him bringing about peace anywhere, but he does give a good speech. Since the nomination process ended in March, I think, I guess whatever it was he did, he did it the first couple of months in office. Or maybe it was all his hard work as Senator from Illinois (or maybe the Nobel committee felt bad that the IOC blew him off on the whole Chicago Olympics thing).

Well, I guess I better get a move on and get this day over with.

Right now I’m (hopefully) somewhere over Ohio or something, with about an hour to go before arriving in Philly. Then it’s the mad dash across the airport to hurry up and wait for the flight home. The last leg is on a Dash 8, so hopefully we won’t be experiencing icing conditions (or at least there isn’t a rookie flight crew). Well, one way or another this should all be over soon. A good time, and a lot to cram into my brain in such a short time. Can’t wait to see the dogs again. Oh, and the wife, too. But then I have to go back to work again tomorrow? How’s that not gonna suck?

Ah, finally at the last day of what seems like a month-long conference. Last night was the big Max Awards ceremony and the “Sneak Peeks” look at things in development that may or may not ship as (or in) future products. And some mighty cool things indeed. The event was hosted by Mark Hamill (aka, Luke Skywalker) and had (predictably) a Star Wars theme. It was actually pretty funny, and there was a huge party afterward, which I bailed out on fairly early, since no sleep and not eating right (to the extent that I actually do in the first place), make me a very dull boy indeed. Another full day of workshops and sessions, and then a few hours to kill before the trauma of the airport and security and all that nonsense they run you through (not that I want to get blown up or anything). Well, I better get packing (literally). Have a good hump day.

Busy day again yesterday. Got to see some clips from a new movie – Avatar – that was filmed in 3D. Well, I guess they’re all filmed in 3D (except cartoons), but you know what I mean. They used a new method, so instead of the crappy cardboard glasses, they handed out some snazzy polarized ones. The effect was like looking through one of those GAF ViewMaster things. There was a scene in the jungle with bugs flying around that looked like they were all around you. Kinda cool. Not sure the movie is all that great, but the 3D was good.

Met the stereotypical LA “actor” working as a catering guy at the Convention Center last night. Been in 67 movies and is tight with Quentin Tarantino (but, sadly, keeps catching him “between projects”). Doesn’t know how to do e-mail, though, which he thinks is slowing him down. His wife “the writer” is good at it though, so maybe she can give him some tips. If you’ve ever seen the Starz show “Party Down,” this guy would fit right in.

I haven’t been paying much attention to what’s going on out there in the world. I assume everything still sucks, everyone’s still obsessed with David Letterman, and Swine Flu is poised to cull 50% of the human population. I did see that the WaPost has seen fit to do a profile on everybody’s favorite Dentist/Lawyer/Birther/Gabor Sister, Oily Taintz. Nice, they see fit to legitimize that nut. Damn liberal press.

Oh well, time to get ready to get ready, I guess. One more night here, more conference shit all day tomorrow, and then the red eye back to Philly (I’ll be there between about 6:00 and 7:30, Andy, if you wanna grab a cheesesteak at the airport/mall; you’ll need to figure out how to get through security, though) Wednesday night into Thursday morning (sure am glad it’s an hour shorter flight on the way back; I hope the Jet Stream is crankin’ tomorrow night), before getting home somewhere around 9:00 EDT. I’m definitely looking forward to getting back to Eastern Time, though not especially to being back at work on Friday. I think maybe I’ll go to work on Pacific Time, and then kinda ease my way into EDT by the end of the day.

Have a good’un.

Yesterday was a day-long, rather technical workshop in a very hot room packed with computers and sweaty geeks. Not as glamorous as it sounds. You haven’t lived until you’ve spent a day learning how to optimize threads and caching techniques, trust me. They seem to have employed about a million people, all dressed in black Adobe outfits, holding signs I couldn’t read, and checking to make sure you have your badge on, all while smiling and asking how you are and being friendly and shit. It gets annoying pretty quick. The swag so far has been pretty unimpressive – a crappy friggin’ reusable grocery bag that isn’t big enough to actually be of use as a grocery bag, and a water bottle that’s OK, but, who really needs another water bottle? The badge lanyard has a 4-gig flash drive built into it, and the workshop dude yesterday handed out a business card-size 2-gig drive yesterday. OK, I guess, but, like water bottles, not exactly something I really need. This is definitely going on the evaluation (fewer friendly sign holders and better crap next time, please; oh, and let’s crank up the a/c in the labs, fer crissakes). Today is the first official day of the conference, so hopefully the vendors will have some decent shit to hand out.

Got into LAX more or less on time yesterday afternoon. On the drive from the airport, I was struck by the fact that there appeared to be a bunch of tall buildings off in the distance, though they were obscured by what appeared to be a big ball of dirt. As we got closer, I was surprised to see the vague outline of some mountains in the background (again, hard to see through the dirt), and then I even saw the Hollywood sign. Once you’re inside the big ball of dirt, it isn’t noticeable, though I kind of wonder about breathing the air. Not that there’s an alternative, I guess.

Big sports-type weekend here. My hotel is right across from the Staples Center here, and there was a big party going on for the first LA Kings (that’s hockey; yes, they have hockey in LA, but no NFL) game. Lots of excitement, though they wound up losing to Phoenix (Phoenix has hockey?). Everybody was also all psyched up for the USC/Cal football game, too (kind of a Southern Cal vs. Northern Cal rivalry, I guess). A little more luck for the home town team there, as USC won big. Tomorrow, there’s a triathlon going on, and the street my hotel is on is going to be blocked off (hope they’ll let us cross on foot).

There’s a place across the street that purports to have the world’s most beers on tap. I didn’t count, but they certainly have a pretty impressive keg room and distribution system, and I was able to get a good IPA. I just wonder if they flush the lines every night. Sadly, every place around here except for he ESPN Zone gives you beer in a warm (or at least not cold) glass. Well, I suppose you have to make certain sacrifices when you’re out roughing it. Otherwise, I spent a lot of time walking around yesterday before finally packing it in and trying to get some sleep. After a sleepless night the night before and not much luck trying to snooze on the plane, I did get some decent sleep.

Anything interesting on the Boobleheads today? Maddow on Press the Meet’s roundtable. Levin, Zinni, and Skelton on Faze the Nation. Talk about Iran, and an interview with Colombia’s president on Fareed Zakaria’s GPS. Fux still sux. Guess that’s about it.

The hotel gets HBO, so at least I’ll be able to watch Curb Your Enthusiasm (if I can stay up that late, which is unlikely), but I’ll miss most of the football today, which is too bad, though I should be able to catch the second half of the Jets/Saints game (if it’s on out here, which is probably doubtful).

I’m still three hours ahead so now I just have to sit here for a few hours and wait for LA to catch up with me. Have a good Sunday.

I’ll be leaving for the airport in a few minutes, heading off to LA for the Adobe Max conference. It should be an interesting (and somewhat exhausting) time, since I’m taking what would probably be a month’s worth of workshops in four days. Hopefully I’ll learn something. I’m not real crazy about the whole traveling thing – especially the hassles involved with flying (and a six-hour flight from Philly to LA; my knees start to ache after about an hour of sitting). The worst part is not being able to watch the SU/USF game today. They play at noon, so the game should be just about ending as my flight lands in LA (assuming we’re close to being on time). Then again, given that South Florida beat Fla. St. last week, maybe it’s better that I don’t have to watch.

I also have to admit to being a bit of a wimp when it comes to being away from my home and my dogs (oh, and my wife, too, of course). But I reckon I’ll survive for a few days (not like that horrible summer I had to spend in DC; hard to believe that was three years ago already). My hotel has Internet access (of course), but I don’t know how much time I’ll have to post anything (not that anybody would probably notice), so feel free to fill in the gaps, should you find yourself motivated. And on the odd chance my plane crashes, well, it’s been nice knowin’ ya.

Have a good weekend.

Our hero, Senate Majority “Leader” Harry Reid, made a bold statement on health care reform in a conference call with some Nevada constituents yesterday, declaring “[w]e are going to have a public option before this bill goes to the president’s desk.” Way to go, Harry. I had my doubts about you, but, by golly, I think you’re finally starting to get it. But wait a minute. While speaking with reporters later in the day, Harry said “[r]emember, a public option is a relative term. There’s a public option, there’s a public option, and there’s a public option, and we’re going to look at each of them.” :smack: Uh. Well, alrighty then.

So, I guess David Letterman was forced to admit to having sex with women who work on his show after some clown tried to extort $2 million from him. It’s a sad commentary on the state of the nation when highly esteemed late night talk show hosts start acting like common Republican political trash. Well, except for all the blubbering, job abandonment, and “soul mate” nonsense. I’m not sure how we’ll ever recover from this national nightmare, but all we can really do is try and carry on. Stiff upper lip (among other things) and all that.

Everybody’s new hero, Florida Rep Alan Grayson, appeared on the Ed Schultz show yesterday. The split screen featuring their two giant heads was very impressive (it was a bit like watching Kodos and Kang). It amazes me that it’s taken this long for a friggin’ Democrat to realize it’s a good thing to stand up to bullies. I mean, didn’t they ever see “A Christmas Story” where Ralphie goes all medieval on Farkus’ ass? It amazes me (though it shouldn’t) how Republicans play the outraged victim role. After all the lies about death panels and “sex clinics” and killing grandma, suddenly they’re feelers are hurt when somebody calls them out on the obstructionist bullshit. What a bunch of whiny losers.

Oh well, another week on the verge of being over with – about a day too late, if you ask me.