Zero to Hero In No Time Flat

Welcome to what I hope will be a regular occurrence here at the Key of G. We'll try it weekly that way I can be sure to at least post something throughout the week that's topical. I can't promise prose but it will be contemporary, most likely political, hopefully funny, and probably bitchy. Just wanted to let you know what your in for. You don't agree post a comment, if you do agree post a comment. If I enlighten and cause you to ask question something my job is complete, but if I offend you probably haven't been on the Internet all that long because there is much more objectionable material on the net than little old me. So without further ado:

Thursday May 29th 2008

Conservative commentator and guest host of The O'Reilly Factor (da Factah here in Boston) Michelle Malkin made waves this week when she complained about the new Dunkin Donuts ad featuring Rachel Ray. What could she possibly have to say about this decades perky domestic diva? I'd complain too if I had to watch one more commercial from the overly caffeinated Up With People personality. However the criticism was not over her spunk but with her scarf.

Apparently according to Malkin's keen fashion sense; Ray's new look closely resembles that of a Keffiyeh. Although worn in many Arab nations in many different variations. Malkin is asserting that Ray's scarf is none other than a direct nod to Muslim Extremists comparing it to the one commonly adorned by Yasser Arafat. Michelle honey, that's paisley not PLO. Over my many years of visiting Dunkies I never thought my Medium Regular was covertly being used to support the destruction of Israel. If that's so why do they sell Bagels?

Malkin, you like the sound of your voice and its sad that you use your soapbox to continue to drive a wedge down the cultural melting pot that is this nation. All Muslim's are not extremists, you don't want to buy DD's coffee fine, I submit to you that you may want to hoof it from now on because where do you think the gas from your car comes from. Your claims are ridiculous although not surprising considering your support of Racial Profiling during the latest War on Terror and the Japanese Internment Camps of WWII.

Until I walk into the local Dunkies and have someone call me an Infidel; you Michelle Malkin are this week's Zero.

On the Flip side!!

Who's that out in Left Field??? Holy Crap I think its Scott McClellan!! Who knew my first Hero would be Scott. Tuesday this former orifice for Right Wing propaganda released excerpts from his first Book What Happened. In it he unabashedly criticizes his former boss. Stopping short of telling us that the President out-and-out lied to us about the reasons to go to war in Iraq, he does say "I had allowed myself to be deceived into unknowingly passing along a falsehood," and further he says that the President "managed the crisis in a way that almost guaranteed that the use of force would become the only feasible option." Well well Scott what took you so long? Maybe this is how long it takes to build a conscience, even if it is a little guilty.

The Whitehouse's response was as familiar as it was reaped with irony. "Scott, we now know, is disgruntled about his experience at the White House," said current White House press secretary Dana Perino, a former deputy to McClellan. "We are puzzled. It is sad. This is not the Scott we knew." I say ironic because it was Scott himself who back in response to Joe Wilson's book The Politics of Truth; which chronicles amongst other things his wife's outing as a CIA agent, called Joe "disgruntled" and "disappointed at his appointment in the current administration".

Well Scott for your new found conscience and ability to eat crow I crown you this week's Hero!!

I hope you have enjoyed this weeks Hero to Zero file. If you like it please comment; if you don't let me know as well. Until next time I leave you with this quote from Abraham Lincoln ~ America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.

Let Me Tell You About My Perspicacity

So while I am on lunch and over caffeinated I figure I would put up a list. As most of you know I am avid reader and as a natural side effect you expand your vocabulary. Normally I don't use words like the one in my title, its just pompous. Of course as Elizabeth would tell you I'm pompous anyways so that's why I am breaking out the big words today and one day only. I don't mean to Pontificate but over the years there have been several words that I have used over the course of my career which have vexed certain co-workers. I wish to share those magnanimous words with you today.

Malaise
Venture
Usurped
Manhandle (apparently others can use the words just not me)
Indicative
Jaunt
Pallid
Credence
Conundrum
Ambiguous
Contention
Quaint
Obligatory
Verbose (how Ironic)
Urban Sprawl
Slacks (apparently it makes me sound like I'm 50)

How about you? Is your vocabulary just copacetic or do you have any words that cause people to cringe? LOL

Back In Business . . . And Ain't It Grand

Well well well. Where to begin. Last I posted online here, I was in Vermont having a great time. Sure enough the remainder of my time there was just as great as how it started. Even more important than what I did when I was there was what I took away from the experience. I was unfocused before I went. Sure I was me, but I was going through the motions, I was surviving not living, and I felt as if I was missing something. So I had high hopes for this time off, and amazingly it paid off.

Alot of things I experienced were personal and will not be shared here. Sorry but its just how I roll. Having been back down here for a few weeks now I can say that euphoria has not gone away. Sure the tasks of everyday life have resumed but I feel like my soul has been restored. That my friends is the crux of it. You see many people go on vacation and end up not wanting to come back. Its a sign of a great vacation. You question why you have to go back. Well the answer is its not sustainable. Chances are you saved and spent thousands on that great vacation. I spent nothing, well almost nothing, and had a great time. Had I wanted to do any of the stuff I did up there I would be spending some big bucks. I did not. The way of life is just that much simpler and the people that more honest. You really have a sense of community where I am afraid my experiences down here have shown that you are more left to your own devices. I concede maybe that's just my experience; however, I used to walk to lunch everyday, and everyday I saw people who could not give a damn about the person they almost just ran down. They couldn't be bothered to say thank you to the person who just made there Low-Carb burrito, with no onions, extra cheese and lite on the guacamole, even though they have to make something for 20 more assholes just like them in line. My experience is that its all a "ME" society today here, and when your focused on "me" you don't care about "you". There needs to be a balance its called "us" and its definitely out of whack down here.

So those of you that read this that have dissenting opinions (and I know your out there) should be asking "well why don't you just leave then". Have no fear I intend too. Just not right now though. Yes that was the biggest thing I took away from my vacation. I will be moving to Vermont. Those are long term plans though, and something to work toward for future plans in the years to come. Right now though I have a great job, and one that I believe I still have alot to contribute to. Its a great company its just not in the place I want to be.

Massachusetts is my birthplace and I love it for what it is, but its not my home, its not where I recharge, its not my future. So I will be looking for opportunities that will get me what I want. The more I learn here the easier it will be for me to move on later. What's important to me is not what's important to most people I meet everyday, and that's the biggest issue. City life is good and you can experience alot, but I want a house and a garden, so unless I commute in for a hour and half to work everyday its unlikely I'll get what I want. I also don't want to be the eternal college student rooming with people in ridiculously overpriced apartments. I don't want to be sitting in a bar with same people I was with 10 years before, wondering where my life went.

You can stay young in mind and spirit, but you can't relive the "glory days" those days are past and its time to write the next chapter. After all who wants to read a book if nothing ever changes after chapter 2. When I look back on my life I want to see a life of experiences, not someone trying to reclaim the good old days.

My true friends down here understand this, and support me. In fact many have the same opinion as they look to building there own futures. Whether it be moving to North Carolina, building a new house, changing a career, or even getting married they all know that life is full of changes some are forced upon you and they make you stronger. Some are chosen and that my dear reader is what defines our lives. Anyone can react to a challenge, but how have you chosen to change your life for the better. What new chapter do you want to have in your book, and is merely surviving what you really want?

Blue Skies Smiling At Me

Well I just got back from my morning expedition in the woods of Vermont. Apart from wrenching my shoulder climbing over some rocks I'm in good spirits and while I rest up a bit before deciding what to do for the remainder of the day I thought I would inform you about the rest of yesterday's events. As you know from previous posts my best friend Mat flies hot air balloons as a hobby. Well he and Mitch decided to pay me back in kind for the help I gave them last year. While I would have been just as excited to crew I was told that I would be going up.

Now lets be straight with something. I like to fly. In PLANES. I kind of have a thing for heights. Its not usually a good thing either. So needless to say I was a bit apprehensious at first. Of course though there was not to much time for nerves. I really kept pushing it aside until we actually got to the fairgrounds and started taking the balloon out.

This is the Freedom II. It is just about double the size I helped launch last year. The bigger the balloon the more cargo can go. For this trip it was Mitch, Mat, James and myself. This was really the last picture I could snap before things got moving to fast. Once that thing gets filled with hot air you are on the move. So before I knew it I was jumping in the basket securing my spot for flight. For those that have not flown you should know that this is (usually) the most jostling part of the experiance. With only Mat and myself in the basket there was not as much weight and that balloon wants to fly so it pivots on the point that its being tethered too and that is the basket, so we rocked back and forth until James jumped in and finally Mitch. At that point it was time to go. So the crew time let go and we were off, and amazingly all that bumping around went away. We started to fly up and since we are only going as fast as the wind. Its as if you are just floating away. Not at all like the forces when you take off in a plane. It was really quite peaceful.

See the conditions need to be just right to fly and the Balloon enthusiast community is not that big, so when its going to be a good day. Like it was yesterday, its not uncommon to have friends fly in the sky with you. There were to other balloons flying yesterday with us. The Multi-colored one whose name I did not get was piloted by a Marketing Exec from Ben & Jerry's. The second balloon that was even bigger than ours was piloted by another gentleman who flies professionally. He also happens to be the guy who will be Marrying my friends Mat and Tina on Saturday. He flys the Inn at Essex. Coincidentally this is the maiden voyage of that balloon. It had only been flown once in Spain. This was the first time here in the states so there was much hooplah around it. We flew about an hour and I took many pictures which I have posted here. There are alot of the Inn at Essex Balloon pictures. Since it was its maiden flight I thought it only fitting to have a good record of the event. Plus I know the pilot was not in the best of spirits do to an incident that occured at the Bachelor Party. I figure a good shot or two of the balloon would raise his spirits. After all when you are flying in a balloon its kind of hard to take pictures of it. Which is why I don't have to many of Freedom.

We flew for about an hour playing Cat and Mouse most of the way. All totalled we went about 3.5 miles. As we came in for our landing which is not as bad as you would think. I have heard some stories about landings. This one was textbook. Didn't even require a drop line to help the balloon come down on target. All the while we were flying we stayed relatively close to the deck since that was where most of the wind was in the direction we wanted to be heading. It allowed us to fly over alot of houses in low enough to talk to people. Once again just want to point out how friendly Vermonters are. People stopped their cars and came out of their houses and started waving. You can't help but wave back. We even passed over a house having a party and they wished us a happy Cinco de Mayo. (Remember that) I felt like we were on parade. Once you are in the air though people don't always just watch you fly by. The try and catch up with you as well. So when we landed we had a nice little contingent of fans that showed up some were of the furry variety like our pal Iko here. We were fortunate enough to land in a parking lot with plenty of room. Remember you can't steer a balloon you land where the wind tells you when you run out of fuel. We landed about 20 minutes before sunset, and were packed up by sun down.

That's not quite the ending to our story. You see for years now I have listened to my friend talk about Ballooning not once did he talk about any of the traditions. To enhance the evening and make it more special I was given a nice ceritificate for my first flight and we all shared in a glass of Champagne. However not without a little abject humiliation first. I enjoyed it all and it was in good fun, I felt like I really was initiated into the club. We had the sabreing of the Champagne. Mitch gave us (well me) the speech of the birth of ballooning starting all the way back to Roger Bacon. Then it was time for the toast. However I knew things were going south when Margaret took my glass from my hand and placed it on the dirt. As you can see from the pictures. After Mitch said is last words, I had to then drink it. Without using my hands on my knees. There was much cheering and I as documented here able to do it. We headed out for one last tradition. There is a local pizza place nearby that is sort of a post flight haunt, and we all showed up for dinner having earned it. Remembering that it was Cinco de Mayo from our flight I drank myself to blissful inebriation on Corona, and thus ended a very very fine day. I am not sure when I will be able to fly again, but I now know why it is that they do. There is an incredible amount of freedom thats felt by being up there in the sky. What once may have been a fear is now in my blood, and I'll be honored to earn my keep by crewing for another flight. "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." -- Leonardo Da Vinci

Just Another Manic Monday - NOT!

Greetings from the Green Mountain State. So far my impromptu vacation is turning out to be one of the best ones I have taken in my life. It started on Saturday by attending a Black-Tie event for the Triangle Organization. It was a fun rewarding evening, despite the fact that I was missing the festivities in Vermont I did have a good time. It also provided a good opportunity for my co-worker Katie and to bond. The Hyatt in Cambridge is a rather nice hotel. I had not realized this until I stepped foot in it Saturday night.

Its really apparent to me this weekend how varied my tastes are. As happy as I was Saturday night all dressed up, driving around the city at night, listening to Sinatra on the radio after coming home from this gala event. I was just as happy up here in Vermont. As fancy as the dinner was on Saturday, the cookout Sunday night at Mitch's house was just as enjoyable. I can't help but be reminded of how much more pleasant people in Vermont are. From standing in line at the store to letting people go in traffic. There is simply no comparison. To be honest I have met Mitch only a handful of times, the longest time I spent with him was last year ( see post: Ka-Ching ). Granted I helped him out but I felt like family at his house the other night. Honestly meeting people like that this day and age does make me sad at how cynical I have become over the years. I suppose Boston has its charm, but the city folk can be less than charming.

The sun set and so passed Sunday. Monday I awoke really without having to much planned. I knew there were a couple of things I wanted to do but really I was just going to let the day go as it unfolded. I was able to sleep in with no alarms and my own internal clock decided to shut itself off until about 10AM can't tell you the last time I slept that late. I had a nice lunch downtown at a favorite restaurant called Sweetwaters. This lead to me driving a short while down route 7 to South Burlington. There I went exploring in Red Rocks Park. I opted out of the beach and went for the trails which were so curved and looping I estimate I walked about 3 miles on the trail and and down hills.

It was time well spent as I was able to experience, even for a short time, that connection to nature. Yes the scenery was classic Vermont. Yes it was a beautiful day, not to hot and not too cold. I did though run into a few things you don't see everyday. First I was able to take notice of the various birds. While resting a woodpecker landed right in front of me on a tree and started pecking away. It was kind of fun to watch him do his thing. Shortly there after I was able catch sight of a Hawk close up. Now I've been in the city so long I forget what the birds sound like other that seagulls and pigeons. I was truly a marvel to see the Hawk in its natural environment as it stalked its prey.

Then as I was walking back I turned the bend and came across a man and his wolf. Yes wolf. It was as long as the man was tall and it was a great beast of a creature. Your don't realize how big they are when you always see them in pictures. This one was well behaved, I know it was domesticated but you can't help notice the sheer power and build of the animal. It may have been passive but you can't help but respect the creature and to my surprise I was not scared in the least. Not sure why my flight or flight never kicked in. Eventually we parted ways after a passing conversation and as I was heading back I decided to head down closer to the water to stick my feet in the lake.

The date is May 5th. Just a few short weeks ago it was still snowing in Vermont so of course the lake is no where near swim worthy, but it was refreshing just to stand in for a few minutes to cool off. As I was sitting on the rocks with my feet in the water I became aware of movement behind me. Not footfalls like a person, but of an animal. So I turned and found myself face to face with my wolf friend. Who stopped looked at me and quietly walked past me into the water. He too decided he needed to cool off. I cursed myself for not bringing my camera I only had my cell camera and it was buried in my bag. Finally he decided he had enough and went back on to the rocks and sat by me for a few minutes. I know he was a he because his owner soon started calling him and his name was Aaron.

Call me nuts or a fool, or both but I felt this connection to this creature and knew that it would not harm me. Even though it is fully capable of doing so. Soon Aaron and his owner were on there way and I decided to follow suit since I needed to be back in time for round two of my day.

To Be Continued . . .

Get Lost!

So for the past few weeks I have been catching up on a little TV. In fact, I have watched most episodes of Lost online. I can't help it, its a very addictive show, and as I said I was making a concerted effort to get caught up. That is until today.

I made it all the way up to this season. There are only 3 episodes that I haven't seen yet and I would be caught up. ABC had other plans and decided to take down the most recent episodes. DAMN YOU!!! Now I can't watch tonights episode after all, and unless this is just a minor glitch I'm going to have to become friends with someone with a DVR who watches it real fast.

There could be worse things in life but this just irks me. I was planning on packing and watching some TV tonight. Some really no stress stuff oh well. Is it me or is anyone else really getting hit hard this allergy season. Normally I got a week or two of sniffles and red eyes but seriously I look like I smoke pot and sound like I have cotton balls shoved up my nose. That being said I can't help but notice that one of my neighbors must be cooking bacon. Its about the only I can smell right now.