Don’t the Kerry people watch West Wing? In the debate negotiation episode, Rob Lowe suggested that they give up “multiple debates” in exchange for having a debate that allows for ACTUAL DEBATING.

This thing tommorrow night is silly. You can’t ask the other guy a question? What kind of debate is that? And the TV crews arent allowed to show the face of the other guy responding. Although thank god the networks are balking.

Why do they negotiate this crap anyway? Can’t we have a non-partisan group to set the rules in the best interest of the public? Oh, wait, we do have that! Both campaigns are ignoring them.

Michael Beckner sent this image to someone else. But I know him, so I am stealing it for entertainment purposes. Look at it. It is NOT moving. Try holding your breath and see if it stops. How do people figure out how to do this?

Of course the Jets are going to go 16-0 this season on the way to the Superbowl, BUT the question is who will they beat in the superbowl. Here is the answer: The Dallas Cowboys. Vinny Testaverde and the Tuna (Bill Parcells) will lead the Cowboys to the Superbowl and LOSE to the Jets. Vinny will play 34 more seasons before retiring. He is a machine.

No matter what my brother and father say, Vinny belongs in the Hall of Fame. Number 7 on the all-time career passing list. The man is in the AARP and still starting in the NFL!

The presidential debates are this week. I’d love to be there to watch the practicing. I wish we had the Real World “Presidential Edition”. Meanwhile the campaigns try to low-ball expectations. Here is a quote from the Bush camp:

“Senator Kerry has been preparing his whole life for this moment,” Bartlett said. “He was an all-star debater in prep school and an all-star debater in Ivy League. He was 20 years in the most august debating society in years, the United States Senate. Will President Bush step on his own line and maybe not pronounce a word right? I bet he will.

This is the only time the campaigns say the other side is better than they are. It’s comical. Besides, these debates aren’t even debates. They are parallel press conferences*.

* I read this somewhere. It’s funny, but my wife gives me a hard time whenever I claim that I made up a line without a footnote.

This morning Jared said, “George Bush is President. George Bush is bad. George Bush needs Time-out!”

After staring at him for a second, the only thing I could say was, “Yes Jared. He is. And he does. Good boy.”

I think choices can be looked at in two ways.

The first is: You make a choice, it is either right or wrong. Wrong = Bad and Upset. Right = Good and Content.

The second is: You make a choice. It doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong. The exciting thing is the opportunity to make a decision. Exciting = Good and Happy.

We usually make minor decisions like, where to eat lunch or What shirt to wear today. But we sometimes are asked to make a bigger choice. Like, Is this a good career for me? Should I move to a new community? Should we have more children?

One choice I think we often do not make is: “How should I feel about that?”
This is often the biggest choice of all. I pointed this out in my first statement. We often do not make a choice about how we feel about things. We just feel the way we feel and do not modify that feeling.

Are we capable of modifying how we feel about things? Or are we locked into our defaults? Is it a skill one can learn? Or a talent one is born with?

I do not think there are “right” answers to these questions, but it is exciting to me choose an answer.

Yesterday, Jared was on the potty. Katie was helping him learn to use the toilet. The problem was, things were a little too HARD for him. It was one of those movements that hurt. So, of course, he started to cry. He asked for a diaper back on and then asked if he could lie down.

This was the saddest thing I have seen him do. It’s hard to be a toddler.

This morning Jared and Ethan are playing. Ethan pretends to hit Jared. Jared Screams and comes running (crying) to me.

“Daddy, Eeeftan hit me. I say Peas Top! You spank his bottom!”

He then turns to Ethan and yells, “You in time out!”

I said, “Ethan did you hit him?” Ethan says, “No, I just pretended to hit him.”I respond, “Could you please cut it out? He keeps screaming when you do that.”
Jared chimes in, “Yeah, Eeeftan! I say Peas Top!”
“Ok”, I say, “Jared, stop whining. Ethan stop hitting.”

Silence lasts for 35 seconds. Jared comes running in crying. “Daddeeee, Eeeftan hurt my heart! Kiss it”

I blow two distracted kisses his way. “Thank you!” he calls as he runs back to play with Ethan.

What should I do with them? Can’t sell them.

Look at this.

A woman who has lost her son protested a speech by Laura Bush. Her shirt said, ‘President Bush You Killed My Son’. She was arrested for defiant trespass, put in handcuffs and taken away. What kind of world is this? This is just pitful.

Check out this NY Times Article.

Now look what I said 48 hours ago.

The NY Times is reading my blog! Or maybe not.