Nature is way cool

On the drive in to work this morning, I spotted what looked to be a mink hopping around off to the side of the road near a marshy area. At least I think it was a mink - some sort of semiaquatic mustelid, at least. Sadly, I couldn't snap any photos, having only my cameraphone and driving with other cars behind me. RIT's campus is very near the Genesee River, and parts of it used to be wetland. Anyways, I thought it was cool and I'm sharing this mundane detail with you - now he's blogging!

We need to get better

In an attempt to escape the heat last night, I went to see Michael Moore's new movie. OK, so let me start with the usual Moore disclaimers: yes, the end of the film is a big stage-y set piece that's probably the weakest and most egotistical part of the movie, but overall Mike's message is loud and clear. And really, I didn't need much more persuading. Our health care system is tremendously dysfunctional, and we need to do something to bring it in line with that of every other industrialized nation's. Call me a liberal; I don't care. This issue transcends all partisan labels (or ought to), because for the vast majority of us, it's our own personal security and well-being that is on the line.

But I was most struck by something Mike said in the voiceover about 3/4 of the way through the film: what kind of people are we? Obviously he is trying to convince his viewers that we deserve better (not hating on America, as his critics will no doubt claim). Of course, we all can ask ourselves that same question and even answer it, to an extent. Americans are good people, among the best anywhere. We're good people with a bad government. Not a bad system of government, an actual bad, reckless, pathological government - and unfortunately, those assholes represent us to the rest of the world right now. There's a lot of healing, rehabilitation and recovery that needs to happen within our government before anything will change in the health care system. We need to elect a healthy government, for starters.

What have I done?

You know me - I rarely make impulse purchases, being a good practical guy. But today while in Target I bought The Yellow Album, a CD of songs from Spongebob Squarepants cartoons. Yeah. Explain that one. I think the heat and humidity are frying my brain. Target did not have either the new Wilco or the new White Stripes album, so I guess I just didn't want to go home empty-handed (or with something more than dish soap and cat litter, at least).

But it does have the Ripped Pants song on it!

Controlled destruction

How did I spend my mid-week, rainy Independence Day holiday, you ask? Two words:

Mythbusters. Marathon.

My initial plan was to grill up a nice steak, too, but the weather precluded that. Plan B involved going back to Wegmans and purchasing some hot dogs, which can easily be cooked until charred and blistered on the stove top.

Happy 231st birthday, America. You don't look a day over 112 (mostly because we seem to have returned to Gilded Age style politics).