I Found $50 Cash At Target Today

I'll tell you about it in a minute. Gotta tuck my kid into bed -- I do it on the dot at 9:00pm most nights -- and sing to him. He's usually out by 9:15.

The cash was neatly folded up like it had been in a kid's pocket, not a mom's wallet. Two twenties, a five, five ones. It was on a shelf, next to a pair of little boy's size 3 snow boots in the shoe department.

Frankly, Frank -- September Honor Roll Honoree Today

For some reason or another, I thought I had already MET Frank Paynter. I think we all feel that way about Frank. And so I was quick to tell him "oh, so sorry" that I can't pick him as a September Honor Roll Winner for that reason ... until I realized I actually had NOT met him! I could hardly believe it but I really hadn't met him. I even thought I'd slept with him, you know how these things go, but I hadn't done that either. I mean, if I hadn't met him .... I couldn't have possibly ... could I have? ... well, you get the drift. [Note to self: Gotta make sure to write those names down on a little list for reference ... just kidding, just kidding.]

Anyway, I was so glad I was mistaken ... I mean ... that I hadn't MET Frank, because frankly, he's terrific and I think if you haven't been visiting Frank -- you should. More links to follow.

TGIF

Heading out to do some stuff. Won't be back til later. Have fun today.

Classic Weinberger Today

David's sounding very typically David today. Don't miss: Why Bruce Springsteen should not be made the skipper of a nuclear sub.

September Honor Roll Winner For Today

No brainer.

Andrew Sullivan.

Elect That Man

Or Woman, if you don't mind. Just turned off the radio after listening to Tom Ashbrook's program On Point talking about this wide and wild field of Democratic hopefuls and I know who I'm voting for. I'm voting for Eli.

You don't know Eli? Well, he was a guy from Ann Arbor (I think?) who called in to the radio show to set them all straight. He's a guy who gets it -- he's got my vote. He explained to all the pundits who were taken with the idea that Dean is some radical left-wing politician that first of all when he goes to a Dean event, as a dad of two kids, he doesn't see radical anti-war protesters, he sees regular folks. He sees lots of different kinds of people. He sees US. He sees US RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT ... and he sees that Dean gets that this election is about us. We -- regular people -- are going to win this election. We're making it about US.

Here's what Eli didn't say, but I'll bet he "gets" and I'd love to talk to him about. He sees the last election stolen from the people. Who stole it? Obviously if you start with HOW the President was elected the insiders stole it -- how much more inside can you get than The Supreme Court? Who else stole it -- oil millionaires -- nice work if you can get it. Who else stole it -- the delightful folks who live inside the BELTWAY -- hate that expression. Who else stole the election -- the oh-so-boring-way-too-INSIDE-political media pundits. Boring, boring, boring. Who said they are allowed to call this horse race?

I've written about it before. We all got schnookered. We all got taken. The last election was the last election run BY THEM. Why are bloggers so excited about this election? Just like everything else in Blogland -- we are finally getting to hear the voices of real people. We are finally getting heard. Bush has created a country of HAVES and HAVE-NOTS, based on an arrogant media and elite of KNOW and KNOW-NOTS. They think they KNOW everything and we know nothing. Bloggers say, "Hey wait a minute, maybe we DO know something."

We are winning this election. We are winning this country. We want it back. We may be naive but Eli and I actually think we have a right to vote ... we read something somewhere that said we were allowed to have an opinion and even a vote. We want it back. Who's the election belong to? It belongs to us. US -- us guys who have no jobs and are paying frigging $1000/month for COBRA if we can even get it, because all of us are out of work or know someone who is and it's frightening.

So who's going to take the field? The guy who understands WE want to win this election. Right now that guy is DEAN, but I don't know if he can make it all the way. We must have someone who can make it all the way. What was that political jingle you used to hear, it's gone out of fashion, but it went something like ... of the people, by the people ... I'm sure you've heard it once or twice. Who's going to take the field? We are. Us regular guys. Mothers. Divorced people. Out of work people. Union people whose unions have been almost decimated. Parents with kids -- baby boys and baby girls -- in Iraq who are sitting ducks. Our soldiers are Vietnam wannabees without the pot to ease the pain and without the rock and roll to make it through the night and with a great chance being dead before anyone casts a vote -- that's an absentee ballot George Bush does NOT want to open -- one with the box checked off in blood from a guy who didn't last as long as the postage on the front.

Alpha Male Coming To A Theatre Near You

Wait! Don't get too excited. It's not a movie ... yet! But I just finished my book proposal for the book How To Become An Alpha Male In 18 Easy Lessons and shipped it off to my agent. It's full of sex and lingerie and fancy dinners and cool cars and bacon, even a little death, just to spice things up and I think it would make the greatest movie. I hope my agent is ready to sell the thing to some publisher with a pile of money burning a hole in their pocket.

Bacon?! I know you're wondering. I have a friend who says everything's better with bacon. So I've added bacon to every chapter.

Not The Kindof High School I Remember

One reason, among others, that I picked Zach Hale as my honored blogger is I got rather hooked reading his blogged descriptions of what he does at high school. He's taking a class in Cisco Networking !! Sure wasn't the kind of thing I remember taking in high school. When he's not doing that, he's taking AP (Advanced Placement) Statistics. Wow! Are all high schools in Washington state like this? Who's the principal of the school? Bill Gates?

September Honor Roll -- Zach Hale @ Wayblur

Zach's a senior in high school in Lake Stevens , Washington. His blog called Wayblur is way cool. He's my September 3 Best of the Bloggers Honor Roll winner. Why? Because he told me his blog was cool and asked me to nominate him. Nominated and now officially stamped with the Halley Good Housekeeping Seal of Blog Approval. Way to go Wayblur. I love people who ASK for things.

Hey Kevin Marks

Hey Buddy, just sent you an email to your old address @mac.com -- is that correct? Wanted to do some JOB ANGEL stuff with you if you've got the time. Email me if you don't get the one I sent. Got a good idea.

Ole Points Me To Comet Halley

Thanks Ole, isn't it weird that I have this new super improved eyesight and so do the folks looking for faint transneptunian objects ... and suddenly they catch a peek of Comet Halley?! I can't help thinking the events are related. Thanks for the link. (Don't like the suggestion I have a hard icy core however, nor the idea that I'm a dirty snowball. Still, don't I look vibrant in bright light with that electric blue background?)

Vogue Not For Light-Weights

Yes, everyone's been commenting on this new issue of Vogue Magazine which is about the size of the Boston phone book and weighs twice that. I took it off to Vermont this weekend and nearly had to pay an extra trucking tax at the state line as the car was so weighed down.

Don't miss Kottke and Gawker on the subject today:

KOTTKE: Meg's issue of Vogue arrived today and I about got a hernia carrying it up the stairs. The damn thing is more than an inch think and weighs about 5 pounds.

GAWKER: It's official. Vogue can now be measured by weight. Currently a stunning 4 pounds and 8 ounces, the magazine is now heavy enough for multi-tasking fashionistas to do little bicep curls while they treadmill.

Don't miss the Victoria's Secret ad with the lacy black boycut panties featuring a pink ribbon that zig zigs from the waistline down the girl's behind like a corset string tied demurely at the place a bunny tail might be found. What do you wear with such a pair of panties? well, you go topless, of course, but be sure to bring along your pink mink stole if it gets breezy. And don't you love their 404 girl in the black panties, black push-up bra and black laptop? This is, of course, what I always wear when debugging, downloading or playing with a hard drive.

Adam Curry -- September 2 Blogger Honor Roll Winner

Adam is a terrific blogger, and I recommend that everyone keep up with his blog. But the really important gem on his site is an essay he wrote in May of 2002. I'm STILL thinking about it.

It's called The Big Lie, and it addresses transparency, the media and blogging. I think it's worth revisiting, or if you've never read it, go read it right away. Although it takes events in Dutch politics as a jumping off point, which many Americans will find confusing (shame on our American-centric political naivete), I think it will prove prescient when it comes to our current political situation in America and the role blogs will play in the future. Listen to this:

"There Are No Secrets

This has been the tagline of my weblog for years.

Now that the internet has empowered any man or woman to have a voice, the truth can be found.

...

Our task here is to ensure the truth remains openly exposed.

We have the tools to do this. "

Of course the tools he's referring to, are weblogs.

I See What You Mean

This piece appeared in the Guardian last week -- the day after I had eye surgery -- about a blind man who regained his sight. It's wonderful to read. My experience doesn't even come close, but we share an appreciation for how beautiful this world can be.

Andrew Sullivan Back And Not Mincing Words

I hated Andrew Sullivan taking a blogging hiatus this summer, but you can tell the guy needed a break. He's back and "Wow!" is all I can say.

"So far, I've been manfully trying to give the administration the benefit of the doubt, especially given the media's relentlessly negative coverage of Iraq. But they're beginning to lose me, for the same reasons they're losing Dan Drezner. They don't seem to grasp the absolutely vital necessity of success in Iraq. And I can't believe I'm writing that sentence."

When Sullivan gets fed up with Bush -- well, then you know something's not quite right in this world.

Gawker So Darned Good

Another non-winner in the Best of the Blogs Honor Roll, only because I already met Elizabeth Spiers last June at the Jupiter Weblogs Conference and I'm not nominating anyone I have already met. But here's an interesting piece about shake-ups in the men's magazine arena. I like what she's got to say.

Gephardt in NH Yesterday

CSPAN just covered Dick Gephardt's speech yesterday in a New Hampshire backyard. Wish I'd been there. It was terrific. I like him.

They covered all the casual conversations AFTER the speech as well, as Gephardt got down from the porch and wandered around the yard, meeting the local New Hampshire folks and answering their questions as a cook-out was going on. That was particularly interesting. Here's his site.

September Best Bloggers Honor Roll -- Today's Winner

I won't post it until later. Make sure to check out Dervala -- yesterday's winner -- if you haven't already. I'll give you a hint in the meantime. Animal/Vegetable/Mineral -- Animal. Person/Place/Thing -- Person . Male/Female -- Male. Mono-lingual/Bi-lingual/Multi-lingual -- He's definately Bi, probably Multi. Feel free to guess. I won't post it until about 9PM EST.

Goldhaber Blog

New blog I just noticed. Cool. Hey, Michael, welcome to Blogaria! (Editor's note, sorry I can't put you in my September Honor Roll yet as I haven't really gotten a chance to read you in much depth.) Blog on, Man!

Isn't Your Face Supposed To Look Like Mount Rushmore AFTER You're President?

There's something about John Kerry's terrific chiseled good looks that suggest he's ALREADY president. Looks like he's already part of Mt. Rushmore. Looks like he's already on a dime, or maybe a quarter, or maybe a shiny new half dollar. The story is already over.

There's something about his wife looking so good. She just looks too good. She needs a Pat Nixon cloth coat make-over.

There's something about American politics that makes you want to support the underdog. You want to watch a hero story in action -- a story of the guy who's a ZERO in the beginning and fights his way to HERO by the end. You want a guy who looks like he could lose and you can help him win by cheering him on. Kerry doesn't look like he needs our help. I'm not sure why.

Listening To John Kerry On CSPAN

Kerry's announced that he'll run for president. Yesterday on vacation in Vermont on the beach at Lake Champlain, I was talking with my girlfriend -- a mom and a lawyer -- about him. We both live in Massachusetts where he's been a senator for a while. Both of us are not at all sure WHO he is ... that is, what he really represents. We want to know more about him, but find his good looks and wealthy demeanor off-putting.

Extroverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving -- ENFP

I took the personality test below ... hmm ... not too far wrong. Listen to this:

"ENFPs have a great deal of zany charm, which can ingratiate them to more stodgy types in spite of their unconventionality. They are outgoing, fun, and genuinely like people. As SOs/mates they are warm, affectionate (lots of PDA), and disconcertingly spontaneous. However, attention span in relationships can be short; ENFPs are easily intrigued and distracted by new friends and acquaintances, forgetting about the older ones for long stretches at a time. Less mature ENFPs may need to feel they are the center of attention all the time, to reassure them that everyone thinks they're a wonderful and fascinating person. "

Got my number, I'm afraid.

Come on, you don't REALLY need to get that report done noon. Go get another cup of coffee and take the test.

Harvard Business Review Piece Finally Out

The case study I wrote on blogging in HBR is finally live on their website -- it really IS September. It's a summary -- not full text. Big thanks and congratulations to fellow bloggers (David Weinberger, Ray Ozzie) and non-bloggers (Pamela Samuelson and Erin Motameni) for their commentary.

"It was five minutes before show time, and only 15 people had wandered into the conference room to hear Lancaster-Webb CEO Will Somerset introduce the company's latest line of surgical gloves. More important, sales prospect Samuel Taylor, medical director of the Houston Clinic, had failed to show. Will walked out of the ballroom to steady his nerves and noticed a spillover crowd down the hall. He made a "What's up?" gesture to Judy Chen, Lancaster-Webb's communications chief. She came over to him. "It's Glove Girl. You know, the blogger," Judy said, as if this explained anything. "I think she may have stolen your crowd." "Who is she?" Will asked. Glove Girl was a factory worker at Lancaster-Webb, whose always outspoken, often informative postings on her web log had developed quite a following. Will was new to the world of blogging, but he quickly learned about its power in a briefing with his staff. After Glove Girl had raved about Lancaster-Webb's older SteriTouch disposable gloves, orders had surged. More recently, though, Glove Girl had questioned the Houston Clinic's business practices, posting damaging information at her site about its rate of cesarean deliveries--to Sam Taylor's consternation. This fictional case study considers the question of whether a highly credible, but sometimes inaccurate and often indiscreet, online diarist is more of a liability than an asset to her employer. What, if anything, should Will do about Glove Girl?

Four commentators--David Weinberger, author of Small Pieces Loosely Joined; Pamela Samuelson, a professor of law and information management at the University of California, Berkeley; Ray Ozzie, CEO and chairman of Groove Networks; and Erin Motameni, vice-president of human resources at EMC--offer expert advice. "

Just Heard The Bell

I have CNBC on in the other room. Interesting interview with Forrester Research's Josh Bernoff earlier this morning about who downloads music and other entertainment of the web and where the CD and DVD market is going -- down the drain, essentially. They surveyed 12 to 22 year olds ... aka KIDS ... slightly radical but right on, if you ask me. They really will give you the inside dope on where things are going.

It must be 9:30 -- just heard the bell ring to open the market. Maria Bartiroma looks good in a post-holiday ponytail and a pretty haphazardly ironed blouse -- she just get off the Hamptons Jitney or something?

Take The Test

Dervala did a post last week about the Myers-Briggs test which helps you determine what your personality type is. She talks about how they use it in MBA programs. She puts her "type" on her resume.

Here's the free-version of the test.

Here's her post about it.

Dervala Doesn't Stay At The Hilton

Dervala kicks off my September Best Bloggers Honor Roll. She's my September 1 Blogger of the Day.

If you haven't read much of Dervala Hanley's blog and I tell you she does a lot of travelling and is one of the best travel writers I've ever read, you might think she stays where the rest of us stay. But, boy oh boy, would you be wrong.

The first buildings turned out to be abandoned villas that were once owned by King Sihanouk, part of a complex called the Black Palace. Now they were completely gutted. Everything had been stripped and sold during the famine, and only the walls and marble floor tiles were left. They were pocked with bullet holes and covered with graffiti. Even the shell, though, still looked ready for Architectural Digest—some French playboy's villa on a mountain, with a magnificent terrace that looked all the way down to the sea. The sun was sinking behind the pines and miles away we could see little boats head out into the Gulf of Thailand for the night's fishing.

Here's more of her amazing night camping in a palace.

Dervala And Spanish Online Dating

Dervala meets very interesting people in airplanes. This lady was on a mission:

She was relieved, and confided in a loud whisper that it was especially important that she look well today. She was meeting her Internet boyfriend for the first time at the airport. They'd met at an online dating site and corresponded for three months. Juan was Mexican, distinguished, very passionate. Since she'd lost her business, she'd spent up to eight hours a day talking to him online and by phone.

Dervala Hanley is my September 1 Blogger of the Day for my September Blogger Honor Roll.

Dervala In The Cloud Forest

My Blogger of the Day for September 1, Dervala Hanley, likes to take these little trips ... like down 2000 meter drops into Ecuadorian rainy cloud forests.

Clouds have a power here that lowland countries never experience. In my indoor, mostly sea-level life, I looked up occasionally and noticed an especially fluffy cumulus, or a gray bank that looked 'threatenin' ', as we say at home. In the Andes, a wall of white rolls towards you, not above you, like smoke along the floor of a burning building. You watch it swallow trees and ridges ahead of you, knowing that soon you will be walking through a cold sauna, and that taking off your glasses won't clear the pearly fog.

Read all about it here.

Man, When Dervala's Hungry, Watch Out!

More from my September Honor Roll Best of Bloggers, Dervala Hanley. Dervala did a very very long seven-day fast in Thailand and got a little scary. Check this out:

"I could have eaten a farmer's arse coming through a ditch. A baby's arm through a wicker chair. I was that hungry."

And don't miss her rather explicit and frightening encounter with her pet gecko while enjoying a high colonic ... or low colonic or something, I was a little confused.

How Long Has This Been Going On?

Do you remember the song? It's a great one, about finally understanding that your lover has been cheating on you ... finally understanding that as much as the cheating hurts, what's really distressing is that you were not in on the secret, but everyone else was. The singer poses the question, "how long ..." and I've been toying with that in my head every day since I got my eye surgery a week ago. It's a question that says, "How long have I been walking around this world with the wrong fundamental assumptions about what's going on?"

It's the best phrase I can use to describe how earth-shattering it is to find out what the world really looks like. How long has this been going on -- the way everything looks -- how long have I been missing it so totally!? It actually feels really sad sometimes. I was so wrong. I was missing so much. I thought I was seeing something. What the hell was I seeing?

I spend a good part of every day thinking, "How long?" How long has the banner on this page of BloggerPro been not just flat plain blue, as I assumed, but dark blue with faint light blue half-moon shaped semi-circles decorating it? How long has my cordless phone receiver been a little stained yellow and in need of a bit of cleaning and a wipe with a wet wash rag? How long have the words HI and LO been printed on the fan over my stove hood, instead of little squiggly designs of white against black, as I thought they were when I could not see? Talk about words ... how long have all these words been living on my appliances throughout my kitchen ? The place is blooming with little words -- PRESS -- ON/OFF -- SIMMER -- CHOP! The place won't shut up.

How long have plain cotton socks had all these little rows of knit and purl that you could actually see? How long have freshly folded lavendar bath towels had so much spikey pile to them? How long have I been a prisoner of a bad model railroad town where the phoney spongey trees are one dull green color, the rubber shrubs are the same dumb green color, the train station is a flat brown and nothing is really real? How long have white jet trails in the sky been two white stripes ... not one ... as I suddenly realized the other day when I saw that for the first time and a friend confirmed it really was that way? How long can I stare at my son's face without crying big splashy tears of joy to see the boy!?

Dervala Day -- September Honor Roll -- Best of the Bloggers

Okay, back in Boston after a great vacation in Vermont and I'm starting my September Honor Roll For My Best of the Bloggers. Can I mention one important determining factor -- I'm not picking any bloggers I've already met -- that would seem too biased.

One blogger I always love reading is Dervala Hanley and I figure you will too.

Go read her "About" page and then I'll give you some other great links. She is Irish, funny, a great writer, a world traveller and a rather amazing babe. Check this out.