Chavez, Chavez, Chavez

Chavez seems to have two things that he's got to deal with. How is he going to balance the 36% inflation and the mandatory belt tightening with his bid to become dictator for life?

How is going to blame us for this?

Watch out for this Wiley Fool. A military man knows that a military creates jobs when wars are manufactured. The price of oil goes up when a war is manufactured. Powerful leaders tend to stay in power when a war is manufactured.

My guess? Civil war, or close- using troops to aid his buddy in Bolivia. He (hopefully) won't move into Columbia, but he doesn't need to in order to solidify his power and squelch the opposition back home!

Wanderlust

You know those Southwest Airlines commercials that ask you, "Wanna get away?" Well, yes. Generally I do. It's not that I don't like Texas. I really, really, do. I just want to get away. It's not my fault, anyway. It's genetic.

As a kid, I lived in five different houses before I started Kindergarten. That house lasted until the end of 3rd grade (why do Canadians say grade 3?). Then, there was a whirlwind of moving inbetween my 8th birthday (spent on a plane crossing the international date line, if I remember correctly) and my 12th birthday. There were really too many homes, and flights, and countries, and cities, and adventures to count here. Sure, there were some 4 month stays here and there, but that was about it. Then I settled down in La Porte for 6 whole years. Then, right after graduation, left and began again- though spending most of the next few year somwhere in Texas.

In college, my now wife and I, lived in the same place for a few years, but I got away to Japan for a semester. Now, we've been where we are in the metroplex for a while, and I'm feeling the urge.

I keep telling myself that I just haven't found the right place yet, but I've seen what happens when people never do. My dad's still got it bad, but is too physically limited to act on it. Biology has forced him to one place.

I don't want my son to get what I call "the disease" but I want to move. I feel like I need to move. I need to find a place I can stay. The problem is, I'm not sure what that will take.

John Irving

Do you ever come across someone who is so good at something that it makes you realize how awful you would be at it? A person who just raised the bar so high that no matter how much you practice your Fosbury impersonation, you know you'll never pass over it?

John Irving is like that to me. I get a story in my head, and then I read one of his books and realize how much better the story would be in J.I. penned it. Then I get sad. Susanna Clarke also had this effect on me, albeit her repertoire is much more limited than Mr. Irving's.

I guess it's much like when I used to think I could play baseball well, until I played with people who could actually play well. Sure I tried to get better. I still love the game, and I can hit the hell out of a pitching machine, but I know if I took the field with someone with real talent, I would be tempted to put my bat back in the hall closet where it now resides full time.

Currently I am reading A Son of the Circus. Half way through and I think that every paragraph is as good as it could be, and they are all very good.

So, I guess I should thank John Irving for showing me what can be done with words, and curse him for bringing to light exactly how much better he is than I.