I notice that the posting time and date are just about five months from the moment the whole world turned upside down.

I’m referring, of course, to the act of “evildoers.” It would be useful to take a long look at how life has changed since that moment. Some changes are immediately noticable, while most are underlying. I cannot shake the deep-seated sense of dread that The Moment brought on. Some sort of innocence has been lost. Some freedom has been taken away. Some bastards from a faraway country succeeded at not only killing thousands, but also destroying the trust of millions.

The world is a less friendly place. It is a colder place. We have been put on a treadmill of fear, always having to watch our backs.

What really sucks is that I was actually thinking the world was learning how to get along. For a brief moment, it seemed that Israel and the Palestinians would find common ground. America wasn’t involved in meaningless wars. And the economy was rising to ever-greater heights. Prosperity seemed everywhere, and few problems seemed unsolvable.

Then all hell broke loose again. For all the jabbering amongst the so-called economic experts, the country is in a funk. The world is in a funk. People are waking up to the new reality and are finding it depressing. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to compare these times to the fall of Rome. Where do we go from here?

And yet, the sun still rises. My brother had a son last week, an adorable baby boy. And I am set to become a father in August. These babies show that light can exist in a darkening world. They show that love can persevere.

What kind of world do I want for my children?

I just got back from meeting my nephew for the first time. He is wonderful! All the parts are there, including his feet, which he got from his daddy, Allen! He’s got blue eyes (for now), and good hair.

He’s a very peaceful, calm baby. I enjoyed the way he studied my face when I hummed to him. Allen and Tanya sang and played music for him while he was in the womb, so music must seem very familiar to him.

His local grandparents, aunts and uncles were all happy to meet him. The whole thing makes Kelly and me anticipate the Bambino’s debut even more!

My nephew Judah Elias Turner arrived this morning at 1:22 AM EST, weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces. He and his parents are doing fine.

That’s about the extent of what I know about my newest nephew. I will go to Rex to meet him in about two hours.

My fortune Linux screensaver is playing tricks on me. When I came back from lunch today, I was thinking of how Thomas Jefferson would view today’s hyper-security-minded police state known as America. Then the longish quote that was crossing my screen ended – the words were Thomas Jefferson’s.

I also have been happily reading the writing entries of the Bulwer-Lytton contest. As I returned from a trip down the hall, the 1986 winning entry from the contest was scrolling across the screen.

Now, I just need to seed the file to get the winning lottery numbers…

The Bulwer-Lytton is a contest for bad writing. The results are hideously bad, and quite hilarious. An example:

Dolores breezed along the surface of her life like a flat stone forever skipping across smooth water, rippling reality sporadically but oblivious to it consistently, until she finally lost momentum, sank, and due to an overdose of fluoride as a child which caused her to lie forever on the floor of her life as useless as an appendix and as lonely as a five-hundred-pound barbell in a steroid-free fitness center.
–Linda Vernon, Newark, California (1990 Winner)

The record warm weather here has reminded me of my days in San Diego. Why do I work inside again?

RECORD WARMTH IS EXPECTED AGAIN TODAY AS A STRONG HIGH PRESSURE AREA REMAINS NEARLY STATIONARY OVER THE REGION. THIS HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN STRONG THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT BEFORE GIVING WAY TO A COLD FRONT ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

UNDER MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES TODAY… HIGHS WILL REACH WELL INTO THE 70S WITH SOME LOWER 80S. SOME ALL TIME MONTHLY RECORDS MAY BE TIED OR BROKEN WITH THE EXPECTED WARMTH TODAY. FAIR SKIES TONIGHT WILL LEAD TO PATCHY DENSE FOG ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS AND PIEDMONT. LOWS WILL BE IN THE 50S TO LOWER 60S. ON THURSDAY… EXPECT SOME INCREASE IN CLOUDS WEST… MAINLY SUNNY EAST. NEAR RECORD WARMTH AGAIN WITH HIGHS IN THE 70S.

Walking through the still-darkened halls of my office, it occured to me that being a contractor is a lot like being a spy:

I wasn’t hired, I was “recruited.” I don’t work a job, I work an “assignment.” I’m tasked with fitting into the target organization as best I can. I pledge my loyalty to my onsite manager, though I really work for someone else. At the end of the week, I leave my timesheet at a dead drop and get paid through the mail. And occasionally my handler appears seemingly out of nowhere to check up on me.

The CIA is nothing more than Manpower with a bigger budget.

The mild weather we’re experiencing (sunny and 70F), have got me dreaming of exotic places.

Just got back from Delaware for the funeral of Kelly’s grandfather, T.V. He had been sick with Alzheimers for quite some time, so his death wasn’t a shock. It was a bit of a relief in some respects.

Everyone seemed to be upbeat, and enjoying each other’s company. In fact there was quite a bit of laughter Saturday night, courtesy of some Canadian friends.

What is it about Canadians that makes them so funny? America could take a lesson on how to live from our friends in the Great White North.

Anyhow, news of The Bambino kept everyone’s spirits up. We were glad that we could finally tell people.

Yesterday, we went about telling our close friends. Kelly and I stopped by Gerry and Mandy’s and spent an hour talking baby stuff. Then we raced home to grab some dinner – before we passed out – and set up a visit with Scott and Dawn. We just barely got to tell Scott before he had to head to hockey, but Dawn and her sister Tracy peppered us with questions for a while.

Amazing how soon we’re beginning to feel like authorities on pregnancy even though it’s only our first and millions of couples have gone before us.