OK so its the last day of the year and what are your New Year's resolutions?

Other than wanting World Peace - more so than Sandra Bullock - I would like to see that we all manage to get through 2009 just fine. Not a huge wish but a significant one nonetheless.

I will be busy learning and fighting the good fight.

Watch out City of Sammamish - I am going after your plans to destroy wetlands.

Cheers to you all

Honour to Patrick Cecil "Paddy" O'Neil-Dunne on the 100th Anniversary of his birth.

I would be remiss if I did not recognize that today would have been my father's 100th Birthday.

A visionary, some called him a genius. Reviled by some, admired by many, never one to leave you feeling ambivalent, in the more than 20 years since his death, there have been few days when I have not been eternally grateful for his guidance and even some of his bloody mindedness.

As the old joke goes, "when I was 15" said the young man - "I though my father was an idiot." "When I was 25, I was amazed at how much he had learned in 10 years."

So too was I.

So here's to my father, POD. Fighter, inventor, gambler, story teller, man. You are still missed.

Oh how I hate bad technology...

So here is the transcript of my conversation with "Jenn" Alaska Airlines virtual Assistant.

So seats are showing sold out on the web. So I wanted to see (since I am a premium traveler) if I could get a seat assignment. Here is the transcript.

She REALLY gets me....


Turn Sound Off Turn Sound On

Jenn: Hi, I'm Jenn, your virtual assistant for the Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air Web site. If you need help, or have a question, simply type it below.

You Asked: can you get me a seat?
Jenn: I'm not sure how to answer that. Please try rewording your question.

You are on a page that I will not direct you away from. To leave this page, you must self-navigate.

You Asked: I would like a seat assignment
Jenn: Make sure to select your seats from the blue squares, which indicate an available seat.

You Asked: how can I get a seat
Jenn: Make sure to select your seats from the blue squares, which indicate an available seat.

You Asked: I need help
Jenn: I know quite a bit about traveling with Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. What can I help you with?

You Asked: seat assignment
Jenn: Make sure to select your seats from the blue squares, which indicate an available seat.

You Asked: this is not helping - can you help me get a seat when it is saying seat assignment at the airport
Jenn: Please click on the links provided to find the information you are looking for.
Display Seat Map_PA
No Seats on Seat Map_PA

You Asked: No Seats on Seat Map_PA
Jenn: If there are no seats available on the seat map, it does not mean that the flight is sold out. Seat availability is limited on the Web. You will receive your seat assignment on the day of your flight at the airport. To proceed with your purchase, click "Continue".
Return to Jenn Live Chat

Alaska Airlines Home

The US Navy 1, Whales 0.

Final Result. Referee Rules.

The US Supreme Court in its infinite wisdom has decided that warfare is more important that protecting species. Proving once again that killing trumps life for Homo Sapiens.

I still fail to see where Sapiens comes into this.

The US Supreme Court is lifting restrictions on the US Navy's use of sonar in training exercises off the California coast, a defeat for environmental groups who say the sonar can harm whales. The court, in its first decision of the term, voted 5-4 that it agreed with the plaintiffs that the US Navy needs to conduct realistic training exercises to respond to potential threats by enemy submarines.

This will have far reaching implications for all whales that migrate up and down both US coasts. Particularly vulnerable will be the Killer Whales in the Puget Sound Area.

Another Bush legacy. Thanks W.

Haikus For Bush end
A farewell to GWB
A little light today

Farewell Bush. You Dog.
Your reign is over. Thank God
And God bless you too

W heads back to Ranch
Place he never should have left
Now we have shambles

Cheney go to hell
None of us e’er wish you well
Thanks for left overs

Cheney and Palin
What a horrifying thought
The puppeteer and?

Poor JM chose bad
Chose Palin over JL
He’ll rot in some hell

Palin or Biden
Each could be pres one day soon
Send Sarah to moon

Vote for Ralphie
Yet another wasted ploy
Secret GOP

Fey for President
She’s a better Pailin Yes?
Originals bad!

“My Friends”. End is near
Truly thought I was doing
Good things for you all

GOP and Dems
All agree, the thing that be
Go Vote tomorrow

(substitute for tomorrow – Go and Vote Today)

Political Haikus

10 Special Commemorative Haikus for November 4th 2008

Farewell Bush. You Dog.
Your reign is over. Thank God
And God bless you too

W heads back to Ranch
Place he never should have left
Now we have shambles

Cheney go to hell
None of us e’er wish you well
Thanks for left overs

Cheney and Palin
What a horrifying thought
The puppeteer and?

Poor JM chose bad
Chose Palin over JL
He’ll rot in some hell

Palin or Biden
Each could be pres one day soon
Send Sarah to moon

Vote for Ralphie
Yet another wasted ploy
Secret GOP

Fey for President
She’s a better Pailin Yes?
Originals bad!

“My Friends”. End is near
Truly thought I was doing
Good things for you all

GOP and Dems
All agree, the thing that be
Go Vote tomorrow

(substitute for tomorrow – Go and Vote Today)

Goodnight Yankee Stadium

Tonight - for the last time players and fans will pile into that crumbling structure. And it will be the end. After tonight they start demolishing the Stadium to make way for next season when a new Yankee Stadium will be inaugurated.

The sense of history is palpable.

Sadly only once did I pass through its hallowed halls. When the fans meander out they will no doubt be taking what they can with them (being New Yorkers you can expect them to walk out with everything that is not actually permanently attached. I know some guys who are smuggling in tools so they can take seats out with them...

Cheers Babe!

Cheney tries to create new 4th branch of government

Well we know the law is an ass... and we know that the current US Administration has no bounds for its determination to circumvent key provisions of written and case law. Let's leave aside international law for the moment. So VP Cheney's office argument that his office was a part of the government but not bound by the government protocols.

I quote from CNN:

"Cheney chief of staff David Addington has told Congress that the vice president belongs to neither the executive nor legislative branch of government, AP reported. Instead, he said, the office is attached by the Constitution to Congress. The vice president presides over the Senate."

Last time I checked the US Constitution states clearly there are 3 part of government. Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. Cheney I think we can surmise was trying to create a new 4th category. Let's call it the Bushery.

Colleen Kollar-Kotelly is a well known Judge - her Wikipedia entry makes interesting reading. She is definitely her own person. Appointed by Clinton - she did support the White House in a FOI case this year. But ruled that Cheney is no such thing as a 4th Branch of the Government and therefore as VP he must maintain all records. Boy will that make great reading when he leaves. I want to see the duck hunting entries!

Cheers

Timothy

Multimedia message

Hello

Matt Drudge - bad for America

I have just returned from Europe and was in the UK when the story broke about Matt Drudge's outing of Prince Harry in Afghanistan.

Well done Matt. You are a fine ambassador for the USA. Up until now most of the rest of the world could personify the things that are bad in Iraq on the door step of the personage of George W Bush. But the outing of Prince Harry apart from being stupid and completely insensitive now places all Americans (in the eyes of at least the British) in the same place as the current President.

If that was the mission for Drudge - then he has been highly effective. For me this confirms the real line between bloggers and journalists. There has to be some ethics in what and why you publish.

While I am not a journalist nor even a consistent blogger - I do believe that we all have the responsibility to behave to a code. While it may not be hard coded, I just hope that people will read my blog(s) with the view that I don't publish everything I find out for sensationalism. Further check the facts and implication. I promise to try.

Cheers

Timothy

Comments? either comment here or send me an email personally to timothyo@t2impact.com

Mike Smith RIP

MieSmit of the Dave Clark 5 passed away yesterday. Another icon of my youth gone. He was the consumate musician who played for the love of it.

I actually sold my last car in the UK to his wife. They were good people!

Cheers Mike