Let's Take a Break From Politics: This presidential race has everyone angry and exhausted!

The X Chromosome Resurfaces in the Twenty-first Century

Or, I briefly examine a new study about homosexuality in men, and ask some outlandish questions.

*
A recent study lead by Andrea Camperio-Ciani once again raises the issue of gay genes. I am not thinking about blue jeans worn by homosexual men. Rather, I am writing about a constellation of attributes that are related to male homosexuality. The study titled “Evidence for maternally inherited factors favoring male homosexuality and promoting female fecundity” was based on a sample of 98 homosexual men and 100 heterosexual men, and their relatives. It indicated that genetic factors, and childhood environment coupled with cultural experience all influence male homosexuality. However, I am specifically concerned with parts of the study that discuss a relationship between components of male homosexuality and Mom's X Chromosome. While I was not able to find any in depth material on the study, I did discover that In an interview Camperio-Ciani carefully pointed out that these components are probably located on other chromosomes as well.

Back in the “Gay Nineties” of the late Twentieth Century (Pun intended) several studies pointed toward the possibility that male sexuality was bimodal, like handedness. That is, one is either right handed or left handed. By analogy, one is either gay or straight. And, by extension, like all oppositions in Western thought, one member is dominant and the other is minor. I have a particular bimodal study in mind. It was headed by Dean Hamer (1993), who claimed that male homosexuality was linked to the X Chromosome. The logic behind the premise was further expounded by Chandler Burr in his book, A Separate Creation. However, Hamer’s study demonstrated that homosexuality could be inherited from a variety of sources in addition to the direct inheritance of one or the other sides of a bimodal sexuality exclusively from the X chromosome as Burr claimed. Like all oppositions, the theory of bimodal sexuality in men disallows any other possibilities for the variation of sexuality in human beings, and it begs the following questions. If sexuality is bimodal in men, why are some men bisexual? Why are some men asexual. Why do some heterosexual men have sex with men (such sexual activity even has a name these days, “sex on the down low.”)? Additionally, Hamer himself said, and I am paraphrasing, that half or more of sexual variance is not directly inherited. How then is is it possible for homosexuality in males to be bimodal?

It is interesting that the Camperio-Ciani study is careful not to take the bimodal path to the X chromosome. It is also interesting to note that old fashioned, early to mid Twentieth Century psychology and psychotherapy had claimed that a dominating mother was the cause of homosexuality in men. Instead, Twenty-first Century science is staking a claim that the mother’s genes are dominant because the mothers of homosexual men are more fetile than those of heterosexual men. So, “Mommy made me this way” is back. Additionally, both Twentieth and Twenty-first century research into sexuality are concerned more often than not with male homosexuality. What happened to lesbians? Why aren’t researchers concerned about the causes of male, and / or female heterosexuality?

Further, I wonder, if the the Campiero-Ciani Study is verifieable - and that has yet to be determined - why is it that the genes of mothers of homosexual men are dominant? I realize that the following is speculative, nevertheless, might it actually be beneficial for Mother Nature not only to sustain the homosexual population, but to cause it to increase? A world with more gay men is better than a world with less gay men is an interesting notion. It’s too bad that the idea is idealogical and not provable.



Bailey, J. Michael, and Pillard, Richard. "A Genetic Study of Male Sexual Orientation," Archives of General Psychiatry 48 (December 1991): 1089-1096

Burr, Chandler. A Separate Creation, New York: Hyperion, 1996.

Camperio-Ciani, Andrea, Corna, Francesca, and Capiluppi, Claudio, “Evidence for maternally inherited factors favoring male homosexuality and promoting female fecundity,” The Royal Society, Proceedings: Biological Sciences – Homepage, “http://www.pubs.royalsoc.ac.uk/proc_bio_homepage.shtml,”
© 2004, Saturday, October 23, 2004, 10:59 PM EDT.

“Clip Art Index,” Anti-War Committee: Oranizing Against US Wars Around the World, “http://www.antiwarcommittee.org/images/ClipArtIndex.html,” Sunday, October 31, 2004, 11:23 EST.

Hamer, Dean, H.; Hu, S.; Magnuson, V.L.; Hu, N; and Pattatucci, A. M. L.. “A linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation.” Science 261 (1993): 321-27


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Time to get Serious

Just in case any Republicans cruising through cyberspace happen across my almost diurnal liberal (dirty word!) diatribes - and you’re able to get past the first sentence - you might think about the following before voting for President Bush on Tuesday.

A survey designed and conducted by Johns Hopkins, Columbia University, and Al Mustansinya University in Baghdad found that almost 100,000 Iraqis have been killed since the preemptive American invasion of Iraq on March 19, 2004. Many of these were women and children. The sample size of those questioned was relatively small, a few thousand, but the type of study is one that scientists usually consider to be quite accurate. *

I find the focus on missing explosives instead of the loss of life and human suffering to be “bloody awful,” pun intended. It is extremely offensive at the least, and I can’t help but wonder about our so called “family” and “Christian Values.”

At the same time, Vice President Cheney stated yesterday, right here in Pennsylvania, my friends - Yes, right here in good old Pennsylvania he said - the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq will go down in history as “brilliant.” *2

*3

The man is a Fascist.

I’m sorry.

No, I’m not!

The Vice President is a Fascist.

Dear Journal,

When I was writing to you on Thursday, I forgot to mention the best news about my catheterization. My family physician said that I could have my hernia repaired, and the sooner the better, since my heart is in such good health. He was subconsciously shoveling out a subtext that read, “and you’re so old we don’t know how long that ticker is going to stay healthy.” Ruth called yesterday and I told her about it and she went apoplectic on me.

“You can’t be seriously thinking about having surgery at your age, Dad.”

“The catheterization was surgery,” I said.

“They put you to sleep for hernia surgery, Dad. It’s much more risky than the catheterization was.”

Ruth always knows everything. Once again, she thinks she has my best interests at heart. However, I am the person having a great deal of discomfort, and, besides, the hernia seems to get bigger every day. Also, I certainly don’t want to have a strangulated hernia the day after my heart decides not to be healthy any longer, because, in addition to being incredibly painful a strangulated hernia demands emergency surgery, or I’m a dead man. Wow, what a terrible sentence!

I answered Ruth by saying, “I certainly don’t want to wait until I’m any older to have surgery!” Of course, this means I’ll have to put off my trip to Florida one more time. I hope to be able to go by February 2005.



* “Study puts Iraqi toll at 100,000,” CNN.com, http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/mcast/10/29/irazdeaths/index.html, Friday, October 29, 2004, posted: 1:10 Am EDT

*2 for the Associated Press article about Cheney’s speech, go to AOL News

*3 Corky Trinidad, “Cheney’s going to be on the ticket” posted February 29, 2004, Barefoot and Naked, a blog by Bob Harry, “http://www.retrograde.net:” Saturday, October 30, 2004, 10:12 A.M. EDT.


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Down the Tubes

*

I am getting more depressed and angrier as the election approaches because so many Americans are not bothering to think about the actual issues at risk in this election. For example, as I drove home from the doctor’s office yesterday, I couldn’t help notice all the campaign posters on peoples front lawns. There seem to be almost as many signs for the Democrat Contender as for The President. I’ve also seen that here in Lancaster county there are Bush / Cheney and Kerry / Edwards signs at the outer edge of some estate lawns, the big house / mansion set proudly acres back from the road. At the same time, I’ve noticed more Bush / Cheney signs stuck into the three foot slice of dirt and weeds in front of row houses in lower middle, mixed ethnic, working class neighborhoods. I can’t help but wonder what is going on. I don’t like to think that more rich folk are able to think through the dilemma proposd by this election than their poorer fellow citizens. Perhaps Mr. Bush’s rhetoric about terrorists has created fear in our hearts. Perhaps we are willing to overlook all his blatant anti middle-class and anti lower-class policies and his poorly thought through war in Iraq because we hope he, like some great father figure, will be able to protect us from terrorists. Nevertheless, this thought process does not make sense to me since the war in Iraq is creating terrorists, not doing away with them. For instance, where are those 380 tons of stolen plastic explosives, enough to blow up major buildings in every city in the world. How could we not protect that when the United Nations had warned us of its presence and exact location in Iraq. If, as G W. says, the terrorists will blow us up if John Kerry is elected, they will do it with the explosives lost during President Bush’s watch. Additionally, I for one certainly don’t like the image of George W. Bush as “Big Daddy,” though it’s very Southern, and Texans like to think of themselves as Southern. Thus, I understand why Texas will vote for Mr. Bush.

Last week, I had to have a catheterization to check for coronary artery disease, which I don’t have, and that horrible procedure proved it, thank you God. After watching my heart being probed and dyed, on television while enduring the incredibly annoying and somewhat painful sensation (despite intravenous drugs) that a large pipe was being jammed into my groin and up into my abdomen, I was taken to the recovery room. In the curtained off area next to me another senior citizen, evidently not as well off physically as myself, was holding forth with a conservative political tirade. I was amazed because he prefaced the diatribe with the statement “ I don’t know how I will afford to pay for all the medications I will be on after having these stents placed to relieve my clogged arteries.” Be that as it may, he proceeded to describe Mr. Bush as our defender against terror. Nurses and staff listened and replied with “yes,” and “Um-m H-m-m-m,” and “right” as he proceeded. He railed against Kerry and Edwards, and praised Bush / Cheney. Finally I couldn’t stand it any longer and I said, “And Mr. Bush doesn’t want to allow you to buy less expensive medications from Canada. He wants to privatize your Social Security and Medicare. That means that in the future you pay for all this, surgery, hospital, and medication, not Medicare.” The man continued on as though I wasn’t there. Perhaps he was delirious. Perhaps all the Bush / Cheney folks are delirious.

This afternoon, I’m reading “An unmannerly pre-Election Day splenetic,” by Tony Kushner in the Advocate. In the article he sums up my apoplectic wonderment at all those middle class folk who love President Bush. As Mr. Bush is selling them down the pike to the oil interests, fighting an unnecessary war that has made us a debtor nation once again, bypassed the clean air and water act, given tax cuts and breaks to the wealthiest 1% of Americans, allowed the flow of middle class jobs to the 3rd world to continue unabated with no plan to fix it, caused a new energy crisis, these folks foolishly plan to vote him back in office. During a 2 page, four-column long temper tantrum, Tony says the following that just about sums up my confusion and anger.

People who know what they’re doing are going to do something dreadful. And they know. You don’t need to read the liberal progressive media or to have read the 10,000 books published in the last two years cataloging Bush’s complete failure as a president, his failed and child-abusive education policy, his fake health care policy, his wicked environmental policy, his massive giveaway to the rich disguised as a failed economic policy. You can barely escape the bad news even if you only read, with a little skepticism and discernment, The Economist or The Wall Street Journal as these conservative publications report the findings of Bush’s own CIA. You can be a decent, sober, intelligent Republican averse to all hyperbole and still hear what’s blowin’ in the wind: “DISASTER! THIS CLOWN IS A DISASTER!” Everyone knows everything! Dear God, even the Log Cabin Republicans have given up on him!

There. Tony has said it. I don’t have to rant and rave. I am just sitting here in my little apartment at Pine Needle Manor Retirement Home in a total puzzlement. How is it possible that people can ignore all this, I ask myself. And, I haven’t even touched on Mr. Bush’s Machiavellian scheming to make my kind of people, lesbians and gays, second-class citizens in a country that is supposed to require the treatment of all its citizenry as equal under the law.

I am so fearful that the implication for the United States of America in my title “Down the Tubes,” is all too possible should Mr. Bush be reelected.

*QuarkNet- Associate Teacher Institute at Rutgers University, Summer 2002,
http://www.njaapt.org/QuarkNet/QuarknNet%20at%20Rutgers%202002%20A.htm, Sunday, October 24, 2004, 1:02 PM EDT.

*Kushner, Tony, “An unmannerly pre-Election Day splenetic,” The Advocate, October 26, 2004: 44 - 46.


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This Past Friday was October the 22nd, right? It wasn’t the 13th, correct?

Why am I asking?

Friday morning I had an appointment with my cardiologist because I’ve been having strange fluttering sensations in my chest. I also become light headed, and my heart literally feels like a runaway steam engine when the episodes happen. The cardiologist interviewed me for about a half hour - that is what it felt like because he covered my entire life - and said that he thought I had coronary artery disease. He gave me the option of having a catheterization immediately at Saint Joseph’s Hospital on College Avenue, or going to Lancaster General Next week, Friday. He also said that I might have to have “stents” placed in some of my damaged arteries. “If you need the "stents," I’ll have to keep you in the hospital over night, perhaps longer, but if not, you will go home the same day."

I decided to get it over with. Why prolong the situation. Besides, if, as one of the forms I signed said (I’m paraphrasing of course), I had hit the one in a million lottery and died, better it should happen right away, rather than I should sit around and worry about the possibility that it might happen for the next week.

*

I’m a bit more wrinkly, saggy, and baggy than this illustration

As it turned out, I made the right decision because the catheterization showed my arteries to be clear for a person my age. I did not need any stents, and I was able to go home Friday evening. I didn’t have anyone from THE BIG NEEDLE come get me because they would have totally freaked, and I would have been stuck in the hospital for a week. Instead, I called my daughter; Ruth and she came and got me. She’s a pain, and she had all my artwork taken to Pittsburgh, and I’m still angry about that. Nevertheless, I look at it this way. I was able to run Ruth raged Friday night. She had to come get me. She had to make arrangements for her husband, Samuel to come and pick up my car and drive it to Big Needle Gulch. I insisted on outside help being hired to stay with me overnight, so she had to make those arrangements.

Actually, to Ruth’s credit, she wanted to stay herself, but I couldn’t put myself through that, and cantankerous person that I am, I told her so.

I am not allowed to move about accept to go to the bathroom, so Ruth must run in and bring me a meal twice a day. I’ve insisted that management here at THE PRICKLY NEEDLE not know about the catheterization because they would panic and faster than a speeding bullet I’d be sent back to the hospital. So, I have spent the weekend writing, reading, and watching the Boob Tube. I’m trying to do the best imitation of a couch potato I can. And, I guess I shouldn’t complain because as it turned out, my heart is healthy and I’ll probably live to be at least one hundred.


*”Left Heart Catheterization,” Medicine Plus Medical Encyclopedia, A.D.A.M. Inc. also known as the American Association Health Care Commission (www.urac.org). Updated by the ADAM Medical Illustration team on 3/23/200. Page last updated September 28, 2004. Sunday, October 24, 2004 PM. EDT.


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Jacques Derrida and Superman are Dead: Part II

*

Derrida, a French philosopher died at age 74 of pancreatic cancer on Friday, October 8, 2004. Unlike Christopher Reeves his life was not People Magazine Cover worthy. However, his notion of deconstruction has been applied to texts in architecture, philosophy, law, linguistics, and literature and will probably influence Western thought for centuries. Having said that, I refuse to embark on a description of deconstruction because Derrida himself denied that the process can be divulged in logical form. Yet, it is not a process to do away with authority in texts, rather it is to be used to describe and understand discrepancies within them. Additionally anything I might say about Derrida’s ideas can be deconstructed, and so proven to be one of many possible seemingly conflicted positions concerning Derrida.

Instead, I write a brief ditty that leads nowhere and everywhere.

A juicy onion,
Sharp, sweet, and
Provoking
has layers.

Lift them away
One by one
Till there
Is not
one.

Dice it.
Cook it.
Puree it.
Grill it.
Caramelize it.
Eat it raw.
Eat it with liverwurst.
Have it any way you like.

It doesn’t matter.
You and I will beg to differ.

It is not one.
It is not the other.
It is each and every.
It is all.
It is none.

* Horacio Portel “Derrida en Castellano,” Jacques Derrida, “http://personales.ciudad.com.ar/Derrida/” Friday, October 22, 2004, 11:59 PM EDT.


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Jaques Derrida and Superman are Dead

*
Christopher Reeve was a superman! The world feels a shade darker this week. I read about Mr. Reeve’s death the other morning as soon as I went on line. However, somehow it didn’t seem appropriate to attach Christopher Reeve as an after thought to either my enty on the Presidential Debates, or my Electoral College entry, dear journal.

I have a special tie to Mr. Reeve. At least, it is special to me. In 1979 I drew a ground graphite portrait of Mr. Reeve, just his head and part of his shoulders, 32” x 40.” I worked on it for a week, and at the end, I felt as though I knew the man. I had created a series of these and through the work, I often felt an intimate tie to the personalities of those whose portrait I created. I suppose it was something akin to the prehistoric hunter/artist’s shamanic cave images. The prehistoric artist wished to acquire the animals he drew for their meat. Instead, I felt as though I might acquire knowledge of the person’s central character , something of the essence of their Being, and so become a better, or at least more knowledgeable person.

One day during that same period, I sat opposite Christopher Reeve on the subway in New York City. His eyes, those magnificent and powerful eyes, looked just past and to my right, focused on naught but thought in the dark spaces beyond the subway window. I said nothing to him about his portrait because I did not wish to bother him with the unnecessary news. We all have the right to privacy, despite the current cultural phenomenon that seems to allow each and every one of us to rip out and expose every tidbit in the lives of persons of note whether good, neutral, or evil for public observation and titillation.

Last Friday evening, during the presidential debate, Senator Kerry mentioned “Chris Reeve” as a good friend who leads in the fight for stem cell research. Christopher Reeve fought to gain control over his damaged body after a 1995 equestrian accident. Shortly after the accident he was told by physicians that there was no hope for improvement in his condition. Nevertheless, In recent years, he had been abel to give up his respirator. He had worked out a rigorous regimen of exercise that helped him to to gain sensation in his limbs. Mr. Reeve had through strenuous exercise also regained movement in one of his fingers. He was determined that one day he would walk again, and felt that stem cell research might have given him a short cut or at least an assist to that goal. He saw and understood the benefits that might be gained by millions of people doomed to die young, or stuck in their sick beds and/or wheel chairs through the felicity of stem cell research. He was a tireless advocate, appearing at organization meetings, important functions, and on television in support of the issue.

Christopher Reeve lived a life that purposefully demonstrated that there is hope for persons with spinal cord injury. He showed us how to be a beautiful and strong man. He demonstrated that these are qualities a man may be fortunate to posses on the inside as well as the outside. And, he used these qualities and his life as tools to influence the world around him.

Somtimes they are stars, and sometimes they are called great human beings. Often they are special people who over time have become better and / or more than the rest of us can hope to be. One of those bright lights that illuminate our lives has gone out recently.

And, there is another I wish to talk about.

To be continued...

*”Below is a list of Autographs,” Pops Autographs, “http://www.pops-autographs.freeserve.co.uk/,” Monday, October 11, 2004 11:01 EDT.

Who Won the Presidential Debates?

Does it matter? Of course it does. However, as long as George W. Bush or any Republican can use the term “Liberal” as a dirty word, no Democrat has won anything. In last night’s debate President Bush (Oh, I’m being so good.) used “left” as the pejorative, saying that John Kerry was far left of Ted Kennedy, in one instance. Left is probably Carl Rove’s choice of wording since I doubt that Mr. Bush has the presence of mind to use that term over and above the word, “liberal.”

You see, in the West, we tend to think in terms of opposition, good versus bad, black versus white, day versus night, male versus female, straight versus gay, right versus wrong. In a universe of opposites, one of the pair is always weaker than the other. There are never other positions. There is always a winner and a loser. In such a universe, left is always the dark side of right. Well, actuality is a bit more complicated than that.

In this particular case, left equals liberal. Never mind that women vote in our country because millions of liberal minded women, and men, I might add, fought for that right. Never mind that two-hundred-twenty-eight years ago it was liberal minded men and women that fought for freedom from an oppressive king in England. Never mind that ever since the colonies were founded liberal minded men and women from all over the world have fled to our country in order to have the right to practice their own religious beliefs. The notion of a democracy was and still is one of the most astounding liberal thoughts mankind has expressed. This country is founded on liberal principals, and the most important of these is the idea that all men are created equal. Thus, men and women left of center demand that no constitutional ammendments be passed limiting the rights of an entire class of American citizens. Our position is not only the correct liberal position, it is the only RIGHT position.

It is time liberal Democrats stood up and said. Yes, we are liberal. Our God is a liberal. Men prescribe devisive and destructive negative politics. God does not.

Damn it, John Kerry. Say it. “ I’m proud to be a liberal Christian American!”


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The Electoral College Will Elect the President, Not You and I!

*

The President has 301 electoral votes to Senator Kerry’s 237. (I’m still calling him “The President” despite his nasty temper tantrum in Friday night’s debate. Did you see that America?!?) Unfortunately, if the presidential election were held tomorrow, the day after Columbus Day, The President would win a second term in office, even if he lost the popular vote. We would have a two term president who was elected by the Supreme Court for his first term, and by the Electoral College for his second, neither term by the popular vote of the people of the United States!

I think its time to begin a national debate about The Electoral College. It’s a process that is tied to the constitution, and it exists because of a debate among the founders of our nation as to whether or not the president should be elected by popular vote, or by Congress. As such, it represents a 228 year old compromise to level the playing field between these two positions. In some states electors don’t even have to vote according to popular vote in their state! The constitution is supposed to protect our rights, so what is wrong with this picture?

I have many more questions. Are there any advantages to having the Electoral College? What might these be? How are electors chosen? Does the college provide any kind of practical checks against anything other than the popular vote that you and I have the greatest stake in? Finally, should we keep it or not?

1. For more information on the Electoral College, go to NARA/Federal Register/Electoral College.
2. For arguments to keep the Electoral College, go to Amend the Electoral College, Don’t End it! at The University of Washington Student Newspaper website.
3. For arguments opposed to the Electoral College, go to The Electoral College, Source of Inequality at Geocities.com.

*I got this image from “Abolish the Electoral College,” at “http://20dissidents.com/” visited, Sunday, October 10, 2004, 11:41 AM EDT.


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The VP Debate and the Flu Bug

*

I did not stay up to watch the Vice Presidential Debate Tuesday as I’m still recovering from the flu bug. It’s the one that gives you the head, throat, stomach, and bowel thing all at once. There were several days where I thought I would die, and I didn’t say anything to the powers that be here at the BIG NEEDLE because they would have rushed me off to the hospital. Foolish me. My daughter, Ruth, the one who hates both me and my art work kidnapped me and took me to the doctor yesterday. He was furious.

“Isaac, Ruth is right. You could have died. At your age flu is extremely dangerous.”

“Well, I’m here now. Able to stand up and take nourishment. Well, not much of the latter.”

“Go home. Go to bed. You’ve made it over the hump as they say, but you are extremely exhausted. Get lots of rest. If there is the least bit of a sniffle in the next several weeks, I want to see you immediately.”

“Yes, Sir,” I said a bit sarcastically.

“Ruth. Do you hear me?”

“I have had less than no control over Papa during the past year.” She said in exasperation. “Ever since...”

“Let’s not go there, Ruth.” I said, as I cut her off before she could do her wounded daughter act.

Back to the World


I suspect that the shut down of that vaccine plant in Great Britain is an International plot to destroy the senior population of the world. Be that as it may...

I’m saving up my stay-up-late minutes for the Presidential Debate tonight.

Are you reading Stephen Gulliver, dear Journal? Things are getting pretty nasty in that alternate reality where Bush the Second won two terms in office.

Family Business

My great grandson, Adam is coming to visit this weekend, Sunday I think. He has off Monday because of the Columbus Day holiday. I can’t wait. He is one of three teachers in that generation of my family, and I think he may be gay.

* “What’s Up” News Letter, ©2004Orange County Health Care Agency, “http://www.ochealthinfo.com/newsletters/whatsup/2004/04-01.htm,” Friday, October 8, 2004, 6:28 AM EDT.

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The Fall Flue Bug Bites - Part Two

*

I am feeling better. Especially after reading CNN’s pole results that put Senator Kerry in a dead heat with President Bush. But, of course, all that could change tonight with the Vice Presidential debates. Or, Carl Rove could come up with a new spin for Friday’s Presidential debate that will deflate Senator Kerry’s balloon and send him in a tail twisting spiral downward.

I know I am being such a pessimist. Can’t help it. Perhaps when I get rid of this flu bug completely, I’ll see the campaign through rosier glasses.

Hernia

I noticed this nasty little bulge on my abdomen last week after having had an especially nasty bout of coughing followed by a (bleep) session vomiting my guts out in the bathroom. It goes away when I lay down on my back, but comes back within a few minutes of standing up and staggering around the apartment. So my first task upon loosing the flu bug is to make a doctor’s appointment and check it out.

See, this is what happens when you get old. One physical part breaks down after another. I get every bug I never had before in my life, and before I can get em taken care of, something else breaks.

No, I’m not feeling sorry for myself. I’m just realizing that I must seize the moment and get “cracken” as soon as I feel better. Back to Florida I go. I’m not staying up here where the weather and the people are so - o-o-o cold. There must be some gay old farts like me around down there in the subtropics.

*Fraser Health info, © 2002 Fraser Health, “http://www.fraserhealth.ca/Home/Default.htm,” 10:27 PM EDT, October 3, 2004

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The Fall Flue Bug Bites

*

I haven’t been writing, dear journal. I promise I will surpass my past entries as soon as I’m feeling better. I am so looking forward to getting back into my writer’s harness and galloping off into old man journaling mania.

I forced myself to stay up to watch the Presidential debate Thursday night, and between runs to the bathroom I got the sense Senator Kerry was demonstrating that he is consistent, dignified, and more presidential than the President.

There, I did it. I broke down and called Mr. Bush “the President.” I will try to be more dignified in my response to the man. I know I’ve made that promise before, but, honest, I mean it this time. Still, I don’t understand how Kerry remains 4 to 8 points behind the President in the polls.

And, Nader’s campaigning in the swing states.
Oh, that he would just disolve into a dew!

It’s so DAMN frustrating!

*Fraser Health info, © 2002 Fraser Health, “http://www.fraserhealth.ca/Home/Default.htm,” 10:27 PM EDT, October 3, 2004

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