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A Night With 101 Survivor & Amazing Race Vets

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:59:43 -0400

If you’re reading this, (I would hope) you have an appreciation for some of the best reality TV shows ever to grace the flat-screen, Survivor and The Amazing Race. If you’re one of the million people I know who would never deign to watch reality TV, may I interest in this picture of a duck?

OK. Now that’s that’s out of the way (and we’re alone here), on with the stories. On the far-off chance that any of the contestants with whom I spoke happen to read this, please don’t hate me. You were all very nice and I’m trying to be mindful of any contractual issues you may have vis a vis the producers of your shows.

Well, the first thing that happened was that my partner and I realized that were were impossibly underdressed. Since we had no idea what to expect, we came in jeans and (nice) casual shirts. How were we to know that some folks would be in tuxedos? We’ll do better next time. I promise.

As we entered, the entire coterie of guests were lined up for a group picture. There, we realized that in addition to Survivor/Amazing Race vets, there were a scattering of other quasi-famous folk a vet of Pirate Master (didn’t get to talk to her, sadly, since I was the show’s viewer), two American Idol cast-offs and the entire cast of Southern Belles.

What? You’ve never heard of Southern Belles? If it weren’t for The Soup, neither would I. It’s on SoapNet. It’s set in Louisville. It follows a bunch of pretty ladies from town.

Now you know as much as anyone does. (In fairness, if a show was set here in Columbus, we’d be all over those folks too. So ... )

One the four Survivor million dollar-winners got their group shot, the gang broke. And who came to approach us, but ...

Bobby Mason
from Survivor: Panama, Exile Island. Super nice guy. Had to ask about if he ever found love. (He famously proclaimed his undying love towards a castmate he had only seen from a distance on the show.)

He said that that was done as part of a strategic move which backfired (and wasn’t edited to look that way). As I expected before walking into the room, complaints about the way they were edited (Survivor) and unfair treatment from production during racing (Amazing Race) would be a recurring theme.

And I know how that looks on a page. But it really does is far more complex than the stereotypical “I’m mad that I was made to look like a jerk”-when-you’re-really-a-jerk thing.

Next was Jessica "Sugar" Kiper from Survivor: Gabon. Words can’t express how pretty she is. She actually takes your breath away. Plus she was amazingly gracious. I complimented her knowledge of classic music and she admitted to being an actress (something she kept from producers before being cast).

About this time, I spotted two of my favorite Racers ...

Dennis and Andrew Hyde from The Amazing Race: Season Two. Dennis (r) is Andrew’s (l) dad and they raced as the “father and gay son” team. I can’t say enough nice things about these two. I knew from reading their blog entries that they do these charity things all the time. And, being from Dayton, OH and Lexington, KY, I really hope get to see them again soon. (Plus, Andrew was so cute in trying to get all the gay folks in the room together for one picture. Adorable! ... Plus I find his dad dreamy. But that’s another story.)

Suddenly, we were approached by Gillian Larson from Survivor: Gabon. She was one of the more annoying personalities to be on the show. She seemed nice enough in person.

But I can kind of see why no one wanted to hang around her. (We even think we saw her wandering downtown alone the next day. Which is kind of sad.)

In quick succession, we talked to Bruce Kanegai and fan-favorite Rupert Boneham (both from Survivor: Pearl Islands, with Rupert also having been on All-Stars). Both were very nice. Rupert was really gracious and has a lovely daughter. But I think having done this for a few years now, they might be kind of tired of it.

Over in the corner, I spied Eliza Orlins of Survivor: Vanuatu and Fans Vs. Favorites chatting with Eric Sanchez winner of Amazing Race: All-Stars and runner-up the season previous. Midway though the conversation, Jennifer Hoffman from Amazing Race: Season 14 (a Louisville native) popped in, trying to pass herself off as a random attendee. Eliza mused on the Survivor “car curse,” saying that she knew she wasn’t going to win the whole shooting match anyway, so why not take a car? Eric was charming to the extreme and a really sweet guy. I knew I was pressing my luck, but as I was ending the conversation I asked him privately about “what was the deal with those pictures?”

He shot me a withering look.

I would have done the same.

Explanation: As soon as his first season ended, pictures of him and his teammate frolicking in very suggestive manner with his competitors, hippie-team B.J. and Tyler. It was a tad shocking, but it seems pretty clearly a big goof. Eric said, as I expected, that it was their attempt to play a trick on the bloggers who kept saying they were all gay.

I didn’t mean to make him think I was asking about these other pictures which some dirty-minded people think are of him. And that’s probably more about that than I wanted to say.

Somewhere along the way, I encountered that same B.J. Averell from Amazing Race: Season Nine who, as expected seemed really stoned. Naturally, he autographed my program, “Don’t Do Drugs” and gave cryptic answers to every question. Yes, he’s a hippie I like.

I also met and chatted briefly with “frat boy” team member Daniel Honig from Amazing Race: Season 13. While he was signing my program, I jokingly asked if he had been taking dancing lessons, referring to his famously uncoordinated moves on the show. “Very funny,” he deadpanned before he moved to get away from me as fast as he could. (I really didn’t mean to piss him off.)

As we mingled, I stopped to chat with both Joe Dowdle and Sierra Reed from Survivor: Toncatins (who is another stunner, I must say). She’s just a doll. And his knee has recovered.

Next was the married couple of Dave and Mary Connoly from Amazing Race: Season 10 and All-Stars. Their tag was that he was (and remains) a Virginia coal miner and they had never been outside of the area before going on the Race. They were amazing. Impossibly nice. And she’s nearly due with her third child. In the interim, comic Rosie O’Donnell took a shine to them (and their Race pals Erwin & Goodwin Cho) and gave them a free Rosie Cruise.

Oh, and she gave them a house. ... An actual house.

It seems they just finally go the house recently and are loving it. And it couldn’t happen to nicer people.

And here’s where things started to get really interesting.

Ohio native Chris Daugherty, winner of Survivor: Vanuatu, popped into our picture. I had to go talk to him, since he seems the most unusual million-dollar-winner. He hasn’t spent much of any of the money he won and lives the exact same life he lived before as an Ohio highway worker. And he likes it that way.

And so did one inebriated event-goer who pawed him, played with his ponytail and almost tripped on to me. I think he thanked me for helping him get out of that.

Next, a quick stop to chat with contestant and super-fan Erik Reichenbach of Survivor: Micronesia, Fans Vs. Favorites. He admitted that, indeed, being star-struck is what led to his mammoth blindsiding on the island. Survivor: Gabon winner Bob Crowley explained how he got cast on the show, despite admitting he wasn’t prepared lie and be deceitful to be on the show.

And then, over by the dance floor, who do I see but Amazing Race: Season 14 contestant Jodi Wincheski (of the flight attendants team of Christie and Jodi) talking to (in my estimation) the most irritating Survivor ever, Benjamin "Coach" Wade.

They actually seemed (from afar) to be rather chummy, and I didn’t want to interrupt them. But, since a friend of Doug’s actually likes “Coach,” Doug insisted on getting a picture with him.

Now, I didn’t want to have to speak to him, but, standing that close, I had to say something. After a quick handshake and hello, I turned to Jodi and asked her if being a flight attendant helped her at all. (It didn’t.) But I was surprised to find that not only is she warm, sweet and charming, she was sooooooo glad to have me come to get “Coach” away from her. (Seems the boor had been hitting on her pretty hard.)

At this moment, “Coach” came back.

I felt I needed to say something and hoped against hope that he wouldn’t ask if I liked him on the show. Here, I noticed the odd necklace around his neck. A hand-made item, it spelled out “Survivor.” I cringed. He said it was made by a fan.

Which situation is less likely, that it was made by a fan. Or that he has a fan? Discuss.

Doug got a picture with the man. I had no interest. You know that bit I said about liking everyone? I lied.

Moving on, we shifted over to Erik Huffman and Jamie Dugan (now Jamie Dugan-Huffman) of Survivor: China. Both gorgeous. Both lovely. And now just off their honeymoon, Jamie made reference to the fact that Survivor, with two contestant couples having wed, has a better track record, romance-wise than The Bachelor/Bachelorette.

Matty Whitmore of Survivor: Gabon introduced us to his then-girlfriend, now-wife to whom he had proposed out in the jungle. They were both beaming, having also just come back from their honeymoon. Asked if being a personal trainer helped him in the competition, he said that being clueless about the game was more helpful. And then he “Billy Bobbed” Doug. (Folks are forever saying my partner looks like Billy Bob Thornton. We often find it insulting. I always find it funny.)

We made quick passes to greet Yau Man of Survivor: Fiji and Micronesia, Fans Vs. Favorites. I think I put my foot in my mouth in talking to him and moved on to chat with Michael "Frosti" Zernow of Survivor: China.

Then, we spied the especially adorable James "JT" Thomas Jr., winner of Survivor: Toncantins alongside his tribemate Erinn Lobdell (and her super-hunky boyfriend). J.T. gave me palpitations and I had a tough time concentrating. And, seeing as he was one of the most in-demand people there, I let him go. So, that gave us more time to talk to Erinn who is as beautiful as she is nice. She let us on how everyone managed to not get eaten by wild animals or killed by eating something poisonous. And she gave us a poster. Love this girl.

Now, all night we had been trying to find the gay reality show mafia. So, Andrew finally walked us over to Tom Rock & Terry Cosentino from Amazing Race: Season 10. (Sadly, that was one picture I forgot to get.) Both, darling and cute as a bug. And about the only people on the room who didn’t make me feel short.

The reason I didn’t get a picture of them is because I was busy helping out “married hillbillies” (as they were called) team of Linda and Steve Cole from Amazing Race: Season 14. No one was more down-to-earth than these two. And they acted more like fans themselves, asking us to take pictures of them with other teams for them. So sweet. If only they were better at navigation.

Finally, we found the gay it-couple, Survivor: China winner Todd Herzog and his boyfriend, Survivor: Toncantins finalist Spencer Duhm. Todd, we already knew was a pocket hottie (and really nice). But TV didn’t do justice to Spencer, who is so much taller and better looking that he looked on the show. (Not that he didn’t look nice there, but ...) We got to talk to him for a really long time. Of course, being the youngest contestant ever (he’s all of 20 now), he didn’t get most of my references. But he was sweet for pretending. And, as we knew from interviews, he consciously didn’t come out to anyone during the competition. (And I guess straight folks’ gaydar isn’t that well tuned, since he only told them once he was out of the running.)

The night was getting long and we made quick work of talking to super-hunk Terry Dietz of Survivor: Panama, Exile Island (there went my knees again), Godwin Cho of Amazing Race: Season 10 (who gave us tips on bargain pricing for Rosie cruises) and loveable big lug Mike Bortone of Survivor: Micronesia, Fans Vs. Favorites.

We thought we’d call it a night, but I still had a few folks to greet in the lobby. The as-skinny-as-she-looked-on-TV Courtney Yates of Survivor: China seemed to be getting giddy with Survivor: Toncantins runner-up Stephen Fishbach. I don’t know if I believed them that they had just met. But if these two ever get married, they’re sure to have the kids with the best sense of humor in school. (She joked that she routinely tells people that she’s either from Rock Of Love Bus or The Biggest Loser.)

And I also got to talk (in Spanish) to Survivor: Gabon’s Susie Smith. She explained that her Mexican mother gave birth to her and her eight siblings in Iowa ... even though this left Doug to ask me what we were talking about later.

Finally, I had to have one last story. So, there I was talking to Mike Bortone and Eric Sanchez and Chris Daugherty. I asked Chris if he kept up with anyone from his season (which is one of the earliest ones represented). One or two, he answered.

I asked about Twyla, the Missouri transportation worker he beat out for the prize. He said that he had promised to buy her a Harley if he won. But when after he did, and one didn’t arrive, she left him angry messages asking for the bike. Frustrated, he bought a toy Harley, wrapped it nicely and sent it to her.

She was not amused.

“I never said it was going to run on gasoline!” he said he told her.

Ah, good times.

Thanks, folks, for making this one of the most memorable nights of my jaded middle-age! And I can’t wait to go back next year!

(Check out the full-quality images below.)

Escape To Louisville ’09

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:07:01 -0400

If you’re new here, welcome.

You’ll be very lonely.

And if you’re not new, I’d like to know who you are. ‘Cause there’s probably only one of you.

In any case, this past weekend, I hightailed it out of Columbus on account of this huge HippieFest they have (literally) on my front stoop every year. Everyone in town just worships the damn thing. It drives me clear out of my mind (and my home). (You can read about our escape two years ago here.)

So, to escape this year, we went to Louisville, Kentucky. In part, because it is about four hours away. And there were a few people we wanted to meet with. (As it turned out, only one of six was available. C’est la vie.)

But, by far the coolest thing was that we learned (after deciding to go) that there was this huge fundraiser happening that same weekend featuring dozens of veterans of two of my favorite shows, Survivor and The Amazing Race. I was beside myself with glee.

Since I’ve realized that nearly none of my real-life friends care a bit about reality TV (and my online friends probably don’t care about my personal life), I’m splitting this up into two entries. One for my stuff. One for the TV stuff.

This one’s me.

We stayed at the amazing 21C Museum Hotel in downtown Louisville. All around you is art. In the lobby. In the (fantastic) restaurant called Proof. In your room. Even on the street outside.

Here’s a movie I made featuring some of the coolest pieces.

So, if that intrigued you, check out the Mobile Me gallery I made of the pictures from the hotel, our visit to Churchill Downs and the (insanely named) Big Bone Lick state park outside Cincinnati. Please to enjoy.

The iPhone 3G Drama

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:16:50 -0400

Before I even get started, let me say a couple of things.

• I know I’m a giant nerd with a neurotic need to be the first kid on the block with a new toy. This foible was fostered from years working at Apple among people far more afflicted with this particular malady.

• I know there are far more valuable ways to spend one’s time other than waiting in line for a new toy.

• I know I could have just waited a few days and gotten one with less fuss.

All that said, I was gonna get a new 3G iPhone one way or another and that’s all there is to that. (I could say something about needing GPS and faster wireless for work purposes, but who would believe that line of bull?)

So, on Friday (iPhone 3G release day) I got up earlier than I normally would and thought, "You know, I can just get the 2.0 firmware now an it'll tide me over until next week."

And when I noticed that it wasn't posted, I got neurotic and looked up the closest ATT store and went there.

There was a line of some 35 people there, and after the first guy came out and said the store only had some 30 phones, I foolishly drove to the Easton Apple Store. (I knew they would have plenty from my years with Apple and the experience last year when I ambled in a week later and just got one.)

The line there was pretty damn insane, stretching from the store down to a breezeway a few stores away and then down the breezeway to the parking lot. It moved slowly for two hours and then not at all for another 45 minutes. In that time I was subjected to a gaggle of screaming toddlers behind me (because children just love to quietly wile away the hours by standing in line) and a young straight couple about to fornicate right in front of me.

When the novelty of reaching down the back of each other's shorts wore off, the pair decided it was time to play catch with a full, one-liter water bottle.

I knew this couldn’t end well and would likely involve me getting beaned with the thing.

After a few minutes of this, the chick backed right into me. And when she made contact, she acted like I burned her with a hot poke and screamed "Don't hit me, BITCH!" right in my face.

After reminding her that she's the one who banged into me and refusing to get all thuggish ruggish bone on her ass, she backed off and I went back to wondering why the line wasn't moving.

Finally, I totally gave up and left, full of regret and shame.

Only to spend the next three hours trying to get my old iPhone to complete the freakin' 2.0 upgrade and to log into MobileMe.

All in all, not a proud day in the our household. Nor was it one for Apple or ATT.

The next day, I went to the AIDS Walk, which ended just about the time the Apple Store was opening. So, being the fool I am, I went back for more. (Thankfully, I knew that the server problems that accounted for most of the delays Friday were over, for the most part.)

This time, the line was shorter and I wasn’t subjected to Stupid Human Tricks. Much.

After about two hours (which went by rather quickly, thanks to the much-needed distraction of my existing iPhone), I was inside and buying my new toy.

Which isn’t to say there wasn’t the requisite example of moronic Apple customer behavior (beyond my own, that is). Some fool two people ahead of me for the entire time stood there and heard them announce that the store couldn’t process any special discounts. In fact, he was there the four different times that someone came out and made the same “don’t waste your time in line if this is your situation” speech.

And, needless to say, he was shocked when, after the two hours were almost up and he was two people from getting his phone, he finally heard the news. Of course, he was all huffy with the store manager and insisted that no one told him this until he had invested all this time.

You don’t know how freeing it is to finally be able to call people on their bullshit on stuff like that.

What’s Going On

Wed, 9 Jul 2008 16:27:26 -0400

A couple of friends have asked what’s been going on during the enormous time since my last posting, so here goes.

• Earlier this year, I got involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central Ohio. (Don’t congratulate me.) I did this thing they call Project Mentor where you go into a school once a week to meet with your “mentee,” a 13-year old.

Now, we had training of sorts and they made like they were preparing us for a number of “types,” from the totally distant to the overly friendly. I was nervous about it, but willing to give it the old college try. (This was motivated by my memories of my own childhood mentor, recalled here.) But my assigned kid was not only distant, but seriously challenged by home issues, even more so than his schoolmates. Still, I was willing to give it a shot.

I went week after week, but nothing I did seemed to make a difference, with the kid not even showing up most of the time. I felt like I had been thrown in the deep end of the pool.

And seeing as I’m not really keen on kids in general, it was a really precarious place for me. I’ve pretty much decided not to do this again. (This is why I said not to congratulate me. I feel like a total stinker. I’m being lobbied to re-up, but I really don’t know if I’m cut out for this.)

• In other news, we went to Las Vegas in the Spring. I had never been before.

And I shall never go again.

Doug has been after me to remember the good stuff, so here is what was good:

The restaurants were terrific (even if we could never afford the super-fancy spots where the Top Chef constants work). The shows were great, particularly the spectacular Beatles Love. We also saw Heart in concert and Penn & Teller.

And I’m so glad I finally got to see the Liberace Museum. It’s a sight to behold. My long-ago friend Alan once went and refused to describe it, saying that words would not suffice. They don’t.

Here’s a picture, just so you can get a taste of the flamboyant flakiness.

Also, as we were leaving the museum, the shuttle bus was playing one of his TV specials and I about fell off my chair laughing the following bit, which encapsulates the man in six minutes flat.

Oh, and one more good thing. Ten minutes after we got there, we wandered into the Paris and who would be standing there but Zach from the then-recently completed Big Brother 8. If perchance you read my earlier entry on my freakish obsession with it (and my revulsion at the adulation poured upon the eventual winner “Evel Dick”), you’ll understand why I was eager to tell Zach that I was rooting for him and was disappointed at his loss.

As for the rest, we’ll start with the fact that I don’t gamble. I’m even kind of morally opposed to it, but if people want to throw their money away, they can. I just wish government wasn’t in bed with the gaming industry to fleece people too stupid to know better.

And, speaking of the gaming industry in bed with government, let me add one more fact: I detest smoking. With a purple passion.

In fact, one of the things that sold me on Columbus when we were considering moving here was that they had (then recently) enacted a ban on smoking in indoor public places, including bars and restaurants.

The fine citizens of Nevada have enacted a similar ban. With a couple ... small ... exceptions.

Brothels. (Big deal. Wasn’t going there anyway.)

Bars which don’t serve food. (Grrr. I suppose the life of bartenders aren’t as valuable as those of waiters and waitresses.)

And ... casinos.

Now, I said I don’t gamble. So, I figured that wouldn’t be too big a deal. But what I had forgotten was that in Vegas there is a casino (or at least slot machines) in between any rwo things. Between the sidewalk and your room. Between your room and the elevator. Between the elevator and the street. Between the street and the monorail. Between the monorail and your show. Between your show and your restaurant. And so on.

I came back coughing up blood. Seriously, I can smell someone smoking a cigarette down the block. And it raises my blood pressure almost as much as the thought of Bill Orally.

• There have only been two other major events aside from that. First has been my total immersion in Facebook. If you’re not already, be my friend. You can find me here.

I’ve found that it’s much easier to share random things, fun, political or pensive there. (And if you’re over 30, don’t worry. There are others like you.)

• But what has been eating my brain most of the time has been my other blog. A couple of friends asked me why I didn’t do a blog about all the TV and movies I watch. I said that it didn’t seem feasible, since the TV stuff is dated three hours after each show is over.

But I did it anyways. Although I think my friends would have preferred I focus on good comedy and dramas (which I do enjoy), I can’t see myself doing that. What I have focused on instead was reality show recaps. I started out with American Idol, Trading Spaces, Top Chef and Flavor Of Love. It consumed my life.

I was rather pleased to find that some of them developed a small but regular following, This was mostly the Top Chef one, but the others did get a surprising number of visitors.

I was damn glad that the seasons ended, though. Now I’m doing Shear Genius, which is delightfully silly. Check it out.

• Lastly, we recently went to Indianapolis to go to the Indy Jazz Fest to see R&B great John Legend. And what great joy did I experience when I saw this as we were walking in ...

It seems that the outdoor event was sponsored by an Indianapolis stop smoking group. My heart leapt.

And then there was John Legend himself. Wow.

I knew he was amazingly talented, but I had no idea the man was so ... damn ... sexy. Sheeeeeah.

Instantly, he’s entered my top five hottest guys in the history of rock & roll.

My.

If you’ve read all this, thanks. And drop me a line.

I promise that next time I’ll write something that has at least marginal philosophical value.

In the meantime, check out the pictures from Indy.

Chow!

Which Way You Goin’, Cliffie?

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 12:14:14 -0500

An old friend from whom I hadn’t heard in forever wrote me recently about the election. She wanted to know which candidate I was supporting in the (at this writing) upcoming Democratic primary. On one level I found this heartwarming in that the last time we discussed politics (over 20 years ago) I was yelling at her about her insistence on not voting at all based on not being politically aware.

One hundred points there! You have to hand it to Bush. He’s really gotten a nation of previously apathetic people up off the couch and into the political process. He really is a uniter!

Now my friend is in California and had just voted in the primary. I gather from her comments that she has made a reasoned decision and has chosen to back Hillary Clinton. Good for her!

Meanwhile, the strangest thing happened when my mother, who had been a registered Republican as long as I can remember, told me that she was officially fed up and switched to the Democratic party. (Dad was always a registered Democrat because back in the 1960s you didn’t get a voice in Florida if you were a Republican. Plus he liked to vote for the “worst” Democrat to smooth the path for the GOP candidate, so go figure. I try to avoid politics with him, forever fearful of stepping on a land mine.)

In any case, my mother asked me with a tone of grave importance which Democratic candidate I wanted to see elected president, Clinton or Obama. After getting over my initial disbelief that she would consider either, I told her what I told my friend: I still don’t know.

We don’t vote in Ohio until March 5 and I’ll probably change my mind four or five times by then.

See, initially I figured that by the time the election came here, everything would be sewn up and I’d just go ahead and throw my vote at Dennis Kucinich, who no one expected to win a single delegate anyway, but is the one whose positions are closest to my own (much to my dismay). Who knew the “Pocket Dem®” would bow out and we’d be still fighting this one out in March?

So, what am I to do? Looking into my heart of hearts, I have to say, I really don’t like Clinton. For the eight years of Bill Clinton’s presidency, I just didn’t understand why people had such extreme reactions to her. I couldn’t see why so many people couldn’t stand her. And I couldn’t see why so many people worshipped her.

I was always neutral on her. Since she got elected to the Senate, though, I’ve seen what she’s done, what she’s said, what positions she’s taken and, well ... I’m not a fan.

And then there’s Obama. I was all about him at first. Then I learned that his positions on most issues are a.) pretty damn close to Clinton’s (which isn’t really bad) and b.) further to the right than I would like. But, hey, I’m a pragmatic guy, so I can suck it up and deal.

But then he had that incident a few months back where he had the gall to have a virulently anti-gay (hell, even “ex-gay”) minister speak at a campaign event. I gave him up for dead after that.

He apologized and I sort of accepted it. But when he went into black churches and talked about the truth of the homophobia in the African-American community, I was genuinely impressed.

So that should settle that, no?

Nope. Leading up to Super Tuesday I’ve read all manner of endorsements from PowerGays of Clinton and suspicions about Obama. All I take from that is that Clinton has the best, biggest and strongest gay operation. For what that’s worth. (After many years of blindly believing the “gay leaders,” I’ve learned to question their leadership when necessary.)

And another thing ... The freakin’ gay issue is no longer the sine qua non of my political being. The war, the economy, health care, chuch/state separation, reestablishing respect for the Constitution, curtailing the ever-expanding reach of the Executive Branch and putting some transparency and oversight in government are far more important to me now. Even if I still want to be able to get married and want gays to be able to serve openly in the military.

On all those issues, I think it’s a draw ... except the secrecy and executive power issues. From all she’s done and the history of Bill Clinton’s presidency, I have a gnawing fear in my gut that she would be loathe to hand back so much of the executive power that Bush has snatched for that office. And if elected, I think it would be minutes, not months before I hear the first invocation of “executive privilege” in keeping some vital information from the public.

Soooooo .....

I'm right where I started. Do I vote with my hopes and brace myself for a possible broken heart and disappointment with Obama or do I vote my fears and brace myself for years of different kind of disappointment with Clinton?

Looking down.

Yep. Still on that fence.

UPDATE: I voted for Obama. I’m getting more and more comfortable with that idea on a daily basis. Still, I think I summed it up best when my accountant asked me what I thought of him.

“I kinda like him,” I responded. “The thing is, I’ve been around long enough to know how this works.

“In this country,” I continued (he isn’t from the U.S.), “they take someone and build them up to godlike status. Once they’re up there, the race is on to tear the person down and drag them through the dirt and prove that they are horribly flawed. Once that’s done, they pick them up again for the requisite story of redemption.

“So, right now we’re on Chapter One. I’m expecting the others.”

They laughed.