Late November, in the woods of a mid-atlantic state.
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No more complaints; give someone reason to be thankful

Al Mascitti's Thanksgiving Day column in the News Journal makes a point we should bear in mind: no matter how much we may have invested in the rancorous red/blue arguments of this past election, the biggest positive influence any of us can have at this point is to pitch in, and help out, our fellow folks.

In Memoriam: Bob Smith

I'm sad to learn that Bob Smith died last week. Bob was a salesman at WGMD FM, in the resort area here in Sussex County, Delaware. He had been a radio announcer, salesman, and station manager. His final 25 years in the business at were at WGMD. He was the station's first employee.

I met Bob when I first started working at that station back in Spring of 1986. He was what a salesman should be, in an industry too often represented by folks who demonstrate what a salesman should not be. WGMD owner David Schoumacher puts it very well, I think, in his memorial to Bob:

He never lied ... never exaggerated. If Bob said something, you could be sure it was true. Businessmen planned their weeks around Bob's schedule and Bob was always there right on time.

Apparently, the editors at the Cape Gazette agree. They have honored Bob today with an editorial column in his memory. I have the sense that this is a rare honor; one he deserves.

Bob sold commercial time, wrote copy, and recorded commercials. He had the classic radio sales voice -- a bit syrupy but solid and dependable. You always knew his work within a word or two. I was only in the radio business a few years, but much of what Bob taught me in that little station has served me well in the several jobs since that time.

I remember the first time I recorded an ad at WGMD. Bob watched me closely and, when I was done, said something like: "Good. You pronounced 'jewelry' correctly.' It was that sort of attention to detail that stays with me.

I lost touch with Bob after leaving the station; I still live here, but that has never been the sort of station I take to as a listener. I do want, however, to say a late, maybe lame, "thanks" to Bob.

He was a good man to have known.

I Can't Help You With The True Meaning of Christmas Just Now

But here is a wonderful take on the true meaning of Thanksgiving. News Journal columnist Harry Themal provides his personal take on the holiday, as an immigrant to these shores at the time of the holocaust.

Accidental On-Line Irony

A story in today's Seattle Times documents the discovery of an ancient Native American village during excavation for a transportation project. This is a serious issue for all of the folks out in Washington state, and I do not mean to make light of it, but I was struck by the odd irony of the advertising on the Times' web site.

The ads rotate, so this is not always the case, but when I first clicked to this story, there, above a photo of boxed remains of some of the earliest Americans -- and above details about how those remains will have to be relocated -- a graphic of cardboard boxes and text offering ways to "make your move easier."

The Election May Be Over...

... But the issues remain, on both sides.

During the recent election, I was closely tracking the race for the seat on Sussex County Council that serves my area. After a squeaky close race, challenger Jud Bennett conceded to incumbent Lynn Rogers. Last week, Jud published a letter to the editor thanking his supporters, suggesting that he may be back, and outlining his immediate plans: going fishing.

Maybe the fish weren't biting. This week, Jud is back in the paper with a letter critical of the County Council on the issue he made the main focus of his campaign: development. What's wonderful, as an observer, is that Jud's letter this week immediately follows Lynn's "thank you" on the Cape Gazette Letters to the Editor page.

Lynn Rogers is a very nice man. He is a business leader and a leader in the local volunteer fire company and a true gentleman, from all that I have observed.

His letter to the editor ("Thanks to Sussex Countians for support") is a fairly well-written thank you, with appropriate credit to supporters:

I would like to thank all the people who worked hard in my re-election over the last several moths. Your hard work and kindness will be ingrained in my heart and memory for the rest of my life.

He reflects on the wonder of our democracy:

Our democratic process has proven to be still functioning after 200 years. Many times during an election people get the attitude that one vote will not make a difference. I believe my race has confirmed that every vote counts, that the majority rules and that your voice can be heard.

And he looks towards the future:

I am committed to following the laws of the land, continuing to improve the quality of life for Sussex Countians and protecting your property rights. While we may have many tough decisions to make in up coming years, it is time for all Sussex Countians to join together and work towards a better future.

Immediately following this is a letter from Jud Bennett ("County council is paving over Sussex") in which he takes County Council to task for approving a rezoning of the old Three Seasons Campground [PDF] to high-density, with duplex units and townhouse units. Ironically, Lynn Rogers recused himself from the vote, one of the engineers for the project having solicited campaign contributions for Rogers in the recent election.

Bennett argues that the Council should have followed the recommendation of the Planning Commission and kept the property zoned for single-family homes:

This is what the existing AR 1 zoning permitted and this is only what should have been allowed. The Council however chose to permit a zoning change which allows the maximum coverage of this property and the maximum profit for the developers.

He goes a step further and the barbs come out:

We cannot blame the developers because they are in business to make as much money as possible and move on to the next enterprise. We can only blame the elected officials who allow these abominations. Soon you will see a Lynn Rogers sign advertising the development and see the Tyvec application advertising Dukes Lumber covering the buildings. It is "business as usual."

Things are heating up here in eastern Sussex County. Issues do remain.

Harmonic Personal Convergence on West Wing

This evening's episode of The West Wing featured a story line which neatly encapsulates two of my current interests -- weblogs and the Toyota Prius.

In this episode, as the West Wing web site notes, "Josh (Bradley Whitford) test drives an oversized SUV and crashes into a hybrid car resulting in bad publicity for The White House." What does he hit? A Toyota Prius.

The episode starts with Josh car-shopping and discussing the Prius with a salesman. I was interested to note that this (fictional) dealer admits to marking-up the cost of the car by several thousand dollars and justifies this by pointing out that other dealers are jacking-up the price even more. I'm fairly sure that my dealer (CF Schwartz, Dover, DE) resisted that temptation. I was also amused at the notion of only an eight month waiting list; my wait was almost eleven months.

There was much discussion of the possible motives for buying a Prius -- environmental holier-than-thou-ism, monetary economy tied to fuel economy, "striking a blow" . . . For me it's more simple. The Prius is a cool car, with lots of hi-tech fun built-in. It was cool in 2001 when I bought my first; it is even more cool now.

The story line continues with Josh running afoul of a fictional Capital Hill gossip blog that takes up the issue. I think that blog was likely based on Wonkette, the tart DC blog that has become a cultural icon of late. Like the real bloggeur, the author of the West Wing version is also a woman.
This all got me thinking: there must be some Prius Blogs out there. And there are, but only a few. There are plenty of blog posts about the Prius.

Mocha, in a (rare) pensive mood

I'm not sure who snapped this shot of young Mocha, but I like it. It was either Karen, Colleen or Christina, but not me.

Mocha is our newest family member, and she's a klassic krazy kat. She was born on or about Earth Day last April and came to us several months later. Her mom was a stray taken in by Nurse Kate, the combination school nurse and advanced dance instructor at the Southern Delaware School of the Arts. Kate (Kate Walker) also owns the Sussex Dance Academy and has been a positive influence on the girls.

Mocha joined Shoe, who has been with us for some 9 or 10 years now. Shoe, himself a former jet-cat, was not thrilled by the advent of his jazzed-up new partner, but they seem to be settling in together.

Aafter an initial descent into a resigned weltschmerz, Shoe has perked up and now gives about as good as he gets. He has also started to generously pass on to Mocha some of his more interesting habits, such as gleefully romping in wet bath-tubs after we shower.

I keep telling these two that cats don't like water, but they just won't listen.

Back? Not Back?

I've been tracking, for several posts, the (maybe) return of DelaTacit, which was at one point a humorous and irreverent look at issues in Delaware. The original site went down in October, with several different theories out as to the reasons for its demise.

Last week, DelaTacit seemed to be back, but this morning, the new URL returns a "Not Found."

What gives? I have a slight suspicion that the "new" site was that of a pretender. It seemed to lack the intelligence that redeemed the original. There were only two posts, and one included a link directly to a pornographic site, which seemed ... questionable.

Meanwhile, the more likely heir apparent has been DelaVoice, which arose to fill DelaTacit's place in the pre-election debate. DelaVoice seems to mostly fill the bill, providing an acerbic right-wing commentary.

I will say that I am disappointed with some of the anonymous comments posted in discussion threads on the site. Many of these folks seem determined to simply take adolescent pot shots at Delaware Governor Minner. I have thrown in some counter-balancing thoughts, mostly asking for a more reasoned discourse. It has earned me some pot-shots of my own. Such is life on-line.

So. We have DelaVoice. Do we have DelaTacit? We'll keep watching.

UPDATE (11/15/04): As of 7:31 a.m., site back up, but with the message: "Gone again. Sorry."

Well, it Was a Film Festival

This week-end was the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival and we celebrated by going to the movies on two consecutive days! Of course, instead of the art-house classics that most Festival patrons were there to see, we saw (among the four of us) the mainstream films The Polar Express, After the Sunset, and The Incredibles.

On Saturday, Christina and I went to The Polar Express while Colleen saw After the Sunset with several of her friends. Polar Express is a visually stunning film, with a sweet "the true meaning of Christmas is in your heart" plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I will admit that I am a sentimentalist -- have been since the girls were born -- so I am a sucker for this gentle sort of film with a deep but not preachy or too treacly message.

And the visuals of this film are gorgeous, using innovative new techniques to capture the craft of great actors such as Tom Hanks and liberate the film from the constraints of film reality. The characters in the movie are clearly animations, but the performances are true. What most impressed me were the fore- and backgrounds, they were deep and rich and imaginative. They brought to the screen that wonderful visual version of a story that we all saw on our inner movie screens as young children, sparked by book illustrations but sparkling to a life of their own.

On Sunday, Karen, Christina, Colleen and I all went to see The Incredibles. This film is all that we have come to expect from a Pixar production. Visually interesting and challenging, funny, with a strong plot and plenty of adventure. Good stuff, and enjoyed by all in a crowded theatre.

I had felt bad about not going to see any of the hundred or so movies featured at the Film Festival. The truth is, though, that as much as I love The Cinema, what is more important at this point in my life is sharing that love with the girls and helping them build their film-going experiences up to a point where, when they are grown, they will be able to draw full enjoyment and value from all types and genres of film. For that purpose, the films we saw this week-end were the right sort of Festival.