Quick thoughts

We're now about 75 percent sure that Cynthia is carrying a girl, at least that was the doctor's confidence level. She's very happy. There were no signs of a penis on the ultrasound. There's a joke there, but I'll let one pass for a change.

Bree and Doug Reynolds are leaving. I'll put this real plain: This is a crushing blow to CNMI education, and this is a school that can scarcely afford such a loss. If you want to see the net result of our underfunded schools, go check out Hopwood. Nowhere else is it more obvious and more harmful.

I went to 360 for lunch. I'm becoming a big fan, and the daytime view is outstanding. The food is both good and reasonable in price.

Adults shouldn't put words into the mouths of teenagers. There is not even a slight chance a high school student wrote this letter. If you want to offer your thoughts, show some guts and offer them, don't put them upon a high school student. We went through that crap when MPLA was disbanded.

I've had two people tell me recently they hate "the blogs." Not necessarily my blog, just "the blogs." Both said they read the blogs daily, and both have been known to comment from time to time. There is a simple response to that feeling, don't read them. I hate most network television, so I simply don't watch much of it. Probably eighty percent of blogs in the world indeed aren't very good, but the concept isn't going away, they're democratic and they're helpful. I call Angelo's Master List a blog graveyard for good reason, most of them are dead. Blogging takes work. The better ones offer an array of hyper specific information that has long been otherwise unavailable, and the existence of which are indeed a great service. I find blogs very useful when I travel or research unfamiliar locales.

Walmart and Circuit City screwed up family presents by trying to send things Fed Ex when Fed Ex doesn't deliver here -- at least the branch of Fed Ex service those bozos picked. You guys suck.

KAP finished hibernating and made some comments on the blogs today. The blathering got old he said in explaining the long slumber. Boy did he pick the wrong time to come back.

I watched Talk to Me on dvd the other day. It was a good though hardly great movie, but Don Cheadle is a fantastic actor.

I saw the Magic Show last Christmas Eve at the Hyatt, and it kind of sucked. I might go again this year for the different show. Advice appreciated.

As much as I loathe the Boston Red Sox, I think I hate the New England Patriots even more -- at least right now. The league is watered down, and I just don't' accept that this team belongs with the Packers of the 60s, the Steelers of the 70s, the 49ers of the '80s or the Cowboys of the 90s. They have a Hall of Fame coach and qb, and no one else of that caliber, at least until Moss came around. The coach is a humorless, cantankerous SOB. Please let them lose in the playoffs.

Things learned in Rota from Bruce Bateman:

WWII was started by Franklin Roosevelt, not Hitler or Tojo.

Bruce goes to bed at like 8:00 pm and it's not because his mom makes him.

Bruce has no qualms of driving 30 mph backwards on dirt roads because he's capable of doing 70 backwards. Not with me in the car you're not.

A sick child is a real bad feeling

If there is a worse feeling in the world for an adult parent than the crying of a five year old who is sick and in pain, I don't know what it is. I had a slight fever the other day that Alex must have caught. I know getting sick is part of life and natural and all, but God is it horrible to see a five year old feverish and ill. He had chicken pox last month and really suffered with it as well. I can't even imagine the pain of parents with small children with serious illnesses like cancer and such. I just don't see how they both handle it.
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For any teacher with those lousy Gateway silver laptops PSS purchased a few years back, remember to back up your data. Those things are awful. I had my second crash with one this weekend. I only lost a bit of data this time.
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The revolving 360 Restaurant at the Nauru building is pretty damn good. I went there Friday night. They are opening for lunch next week, which I also look forward to. That must be a spectacular view in the daytime as well. The food is very good and very reasonable in price, and Rick Jones wears a tie and seems to be a lot busier than he was at Java Joes. Go Rick.
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Harry Blalock shaved his goatee and looks like he could enter the witness protection program, as he is damn near impossible to recognize now. Cynthia thought it might be him at 360, I took three looks said nah it isn't him, but only the sight of Kelli, blocked at first by angle from where I was standing, gave it away.
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Taco Bell has people lined up out the door. I can't believe the clamoring over this place, but it does show there are investments that can work in Saipan. The early returns have that place doing big time business. It does taste similar to the Bell in the states, which I never thought the case to be with KFC here. I wonder if KFC will improve now as well. Shelly's Pizza changed locations to Susupe now. I believe they are next to Ebisuya now. I'll have more options than my not so beloved Subway.
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I finished the second season of HBO's Rome series. That was one heavy show that presented an amazing take on the Ancient world. Even in the wealthiest, most successful empire of antiquity, life really was lousy back then -- unless you were in the aristocracy, and even that had issues as well. I was just astonished by this series.