The Goat Pen

So much wrong with that article. Just don't have the time. Anything that neglects the glaring issues of Hank Sanders and the admin of Alabama State just can't be taken seriously, after they themselves open the door.

But, hey, it was well written. They turned it into an interesting narrative, so there is that....

Racist

I will admit, I don't know shit about the inner workings in Alabama politics...besides it (allegedly) helps if you went to UA and were a part of that "The Machine" shit. So, I'll take your word that the article was biased and the political machine is fucked up on both sides. However, it was compelling about the demographic change in elected Democratic officials (which seemed to be the result of a Democratic backfire), the gerrymandering (which does happen in every state by the powers that be at the time, I know) and general lack of any bipartisan compromises (par for the course nowadays across many states, it seems).

There is no substantial difference between Alabama Republicans and Alabama Democrats. Other than the name, I suppose. It is essentially a false dichotomy, philosophically. Demographically, there is some difference. No doubt.

I was technically part of "The Machine" - yes, the Greeks ran the SGA at UA, but it doesn't help nationally or statewide. The real reason why UA has a disproportionate number of alumni in office is because UA has the law school, and not because they were in a frat at Bama.

The concept "I have no real desire to move to Alabama" needs no justification or even clarification. It is axiomatically self-evident...

You're a beacon of truth this morning, hedge.

I think you meant to say he's an idiot.

but he did use the word "axiomatically." That has to account for something.

"Anything that neglects the glaring issues of Hank Sanders"

What are the glaring issues of Hank Sanders?

Birmingham is a fine town, as are its suburbs...

Great Mexican food too.

alot of shit has happened while I was on vacation - Robin Williams, Ferguson, UK playing 6 games (how is that allowed?) in the Bahamas

for now I just want to comment on the vacation. With teenage kids, vacations like the one I took cost twice as much and are half as much fun. Next time, we'll take two - a cheap ass vacation with the kids geared around them being able to stare directly at whatever computer gadget they have in their hands for long periods of time and a vacation with me and the wife that is actually enjoyable.

Also, with 4 of us in a room sharing a single bathroom, I realized just how much I poop on vacation eating rich food all the time - you are constantly on a poop schedule. Oh, we're getting ready to take a 4 hour bus tour? I better poop...We're getting ready to go eat a sit down dinner - not before I poop first, No, are you crazy, I can't eat those fresh blackberries from the local farmer's market, I'll poop all day and we're not going back to the hotel until after dinner! Long drive tomorrow - everyone poop before we go! I'm not sure when pooping became focal point to my daily trip planning but it seems on these vacations I'm always in a state of or about to poop. Probably because there isn't an ice cream stand I can't pass or a salad entree in which I refuse to consider (meaning I'm ordering the potato heavy meal instead).

This vacation was a "greatest hits" Northeast - places we went before and enjoyed. Drove from Cinci to Montreal - stayed at a place next to the Metro line in Montreal and bought subway passes for the day hopping around the city to various sites - I'd strongly consider moving to Montreal to live in the city once/if the kids move out. I like the European vibe it has. Yes, I would like dix Propel McCroquettes.. Ok, ok, I meant to say 10 chicken nuggets. je suis en vacances you snobby teenage waitress. Then headed over to Bar Harbor, Maine - Once you pass into Maine from Canada - the northern most part of Maine is amazing rugged landscape. I'd love to have a remote cabin there. Bar Harbor/ Acadia was nice - its a tourist trap - and one you have to drive 40 miles on a 2 lane traffic packed road to get to, but once you are there its pretty cool. The place we rented had a front porch with some wicker chairs with a view of main street so you could people watch. Had a soft serve ice cream place right off the porch with homemade blueberry pie. I'd get up early in the morning and walk around the pier watching the fisherman load up and go out.

Finished up in Portland which must be competing with its Oregon namesake for percentage of hipsters. Scheduled a boat tour and had to hang out downtown for a couple of hours so we chose to let the kids go to a comic book store and wife and I hung out in a park full of urban skateboarders. Cop would come by and hassle them whenever he could think of a reason to do so. I'm not sure any of them had a place to stay that night. One girl had an eye patch which I decided was dead sexy and would do her. Good thing I'm married because I really need to evaluate what I'd stick my penis into at my age if I was single.

Anyways, finished up the trip with a drive from Portland back to Cinci and lucked out - no traffic jams which I'm glad because it probably would have pushed me over the edge. Drove about 2300 miles in 5 days all told.

eCat that was excellent

Starting week 2 down here today. They have all the gadgets they need and chargers as well. I get up at 6 and walk the beach till sunrise. Then I go grab a paper. I wake them both at 6 to see if they want to come with. Sometimes they do, sometime they dont. They are 17 & 14. They like to stay up later than me by hours. If they say yes they usually just go back to sleep after. Then I have peace reading my paper and catching up on Internet stuff. I wake them at 10 and they are expected to be ready to go at 11 until at least 2. Doesn't matter what we do, just trying to keep them from the sun at those hours. Shopping, movies, putt putt, parasailing, jet skiing with shirts on, ziplining, more shopping. We get back around 1 or 2 and chill for an hour. Then we hit the beach and the pool for a few hours. Then we Clean up, hit a place to eat or just make shit in the microwave for dinner. We hang till around 9 walking the beach again and the tv. I go up at 9 and I let them be on their own after that. They know when I expect them back. They know all my stories growing up down here on winter, spring & summ er breaks. I give them just enough rope to hang themselves. So far so good.

Went to Universal Florida last week. Do yourself a favor. Stay on the Universal properties. The express passes meant that no ride was longer than 30 minutes (except Harry Potter which doesn't accept express passes). To get express passes for 3 days would have cost us over 900 dollars. Staying on the properties, cost more, but not $900.00 more and you get the express passes for free, plus you get early admission to the parks.

My wife has been asking me to take her to Universal for 2 years now because of that Harry Potter shit. I've been begging off hoping she changes her mind.

If you've read the books or seen the movies, you'll like it.

oh she's all over it.

me, not so much

Never touched it. I'm not much for science fiction.

Oh I liked the movies well enough but after awhile they seemed pretty redundant.

I really liked Lord of the Rings much better than any of the Harry Potter movies and I've managed to watch one of those dwarf movies in the theater which is rare for me lately.