Veddy Interesting!!!

It's week three of my unemployment adventure. I've lost six pounds by exercising a lot, and have rested and have applied for upwards of thirty jobs that are listed in this area (or are for telecommuters). Nothing yet, but have a few bites and some interest.

The race for the presidency is becoming veddy interesting. Of course you already know I'm for Obama, and was happy to see so many Kennedys come out for him. That was a relief for me; I was worrying that perhaps I was "wishful thinking" that Obama was a worthy heir to the legacy that was cut short by assassination (twice) over forty years ago, but after hearing Caroline Kennedy say she wanted a President who would inspire her own children, and that Obama is her choice for the next President, that felt good. I was also glad to see Senator Kennedy endorse him, but more wary than with Caroline. Senator Ted brings baggage and a lot of anti-Kennedy sentiment with him, and the last thing I want to see happen is a rift/chasm develop again between people of differing opinions. I want our next President to bring people together and create the kind of America that knows we're all interlinked, that when one American suffers unjustly, we all are diminished by that suffering. I think Barack (Barak means "bless" in Hebrew -- interesting, huh?) Obama is just the man for such a time as this. Senator Clinton, bless her heart, brings too much vitriol and animosity into the mix, and her husband is being crass and clueless as far as what he has been saying to try and turn the tide back to Hillary. I wonder if his heart bypass has affected his reasoning abilities. (Not an uncommon side effect of heart surgery.) I still think Bill Clinton's presidency (notwithstanding Monica) was one of the best and most representative of all of them, but the winds of change and the urgent desire among Americans for a new kind of hope are just palpable. I haven't sensed this kind of anticipation since RFK's candidacy. I'm totally jazzed.

I like McCain but see in him a continuation of policies engendered by the current President...and frankly I don't see much worth continuing from the Bush administration. I especially wonder what McCain would do about Iraq. Warriors are warriors, and it's hard to get them to consider options that don't require weapons. To a hammer, everything else is seen as a nail, something to be pounded.

Think about the Cuban Missile Crisis and how President Kennedy's military advisers were itching to engage Khruschev, which could have touched off a nuclear war. I think we're best de-escalating provocative actions. We have made our point -- that attacks on America will not be answered with a whimper, but with muscle: military, financial, ideological and practical. With boycotts, financial seizures, embargoes, measures and other methods of retaliation. But when we respond "in kind" to insane acts, the hatred burns that much hotter and the gulf separating ideologies just gets wider. Fight fire with fire and eventually both houses will burn down -- and all sense of proportion and justice will go right out the window...

On other subjects...

I went to Wal-Mart this morning and saw a slew of new STAR TREK (original generation!) greetings cards and some wonderful wacky, wild, very funny political greeting cards. Jackie has a birthday coming up (Groundhog Day) as does Margot Worthington (Feb 12th), so of course I had to get cards for them. Jackie is a Republican to the core, so I got her an Obama-based birthday card that will crack her up! (We agree to disagree on politics; we're both peaceable about allowing others to make their own decisions on who should be President). Margot is an original generation fan, so I got her a card with Spock on it, only because it was perfect!

I have registered to help the Obama campaign in Washington until the caucus late in the second week of February; haven't heard back yet, but just registered last night, so it would be pretty freaky to hear back this soon. But time's a 'wastin' and I have the time, so I hope someone calls me soon and gives me some marching orders!

My car might have a transmission problem, so I may have to get a new (or used) one very soon. I'll probably get a Kia Rio. They get 41 mpg and only cost $8K new and have a good warranty and good reviews. I'll decide on that when I get my next work... sooner if the Saturn craps out!
(Nice Saturn.... sweet Saturn.. I need you right now... please hang in there until I have a job again!) I have the money in savings -- I just don't want to use it, in case I need it, before I get a job.

Tonight is another basketball game for Casey's team, so I'll be there at six.

I jumped on a mini-trampoline for 35 minutes yesterday while watching Oprah (after spending 35 minutes earlier in the day walking "with" Leslie Sansone on her DVD) and did a number on my left hip; it's aching in a tiny spot this morning, so I'm foregoing exercise today to allow it to recover....

What else?

Oh! Billie Rae Walker just interviewed me again (for an update on my new De book) for a STAR TREK newsletter. If it's accepted, and she gives me permission, I'll include a link to the newsletter when I get it.

Stay tuned! If you can't wait that long, you can always access our FIRST-ever interview at STARTREK.COM. Here's the URL to take you directly to the interview:

http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/features/specials/article/30875.html

And here's a link to a Treks in Sci Fi podcast I did with Rico Dostie at about the same time during STAR TREK's 40TH anniversary:

http://www.treksf.com/podcast/Treksf.com_79_Real_McCoy.mp3

Hey, Rico, it's about time for a follow-up podcast interview, isn't it?