What I Love About Buying Fuel

I was going to complain about buying gas, but then changed my mind. As a matter of fact, I love that I have freedom of choice when it come to purchasing fuel. Like the price of a cab ride in Lagos (Nigeria); the price can vary from day to day, especially during peak season.

What I love is that I can do something along the lines of dollar-cost-averaging. A fancy way of saying, I'll pay only twenty dollars when I buy fuel, regardless of where I go. Now that I think about it, I drive mostly for pleasure. I prefer to take public transportation when I can, for commuting purposes.

If I could wave a magic wand, I would have a car that runs on the stuff that nobody wants or can't wait to get rid of.

Something To Add To Your Bucket List

Read the King James Version of the Holy Bible, in alphabetical order,
one page per day. I just finished, and it has been quite a ride.

So Long Michael and Farrah

To the Smooth Criminal and the Angel, R.I.P.

Don't Cry For Me Argentina

I thought nothing could glue me to CNN as much as Decision '08, until Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina spoke at his press conference. I mean I couldn't believe how much James Carville had CNN's Campbell Brown blushing as he commented on it. Seriously though (to Carville's point), the big news isn't that Sanford had an affair, but rather the circumstances surrounding the affair. It was no surprise to me. If your staff and your wife don't know where you are for four days, survey says, "you're having an affair."

What surprised me was how revealing Sanford was. He was almost bearing his soul. I think he wanted to get caught so he could stop scheming.

How To Make Your Mother Happy

Invite her to a wedding of someone with the same last name as yourself.

Conch

I had Haitian "Seafood Conch" at my cousin's wedding yesterday, and it was absolutely delicious. Conch is a little tougher than lobster in consistency. It's rare, in my experience, to be found in a non-Caribbean or non-West African restaurant.

My first taste was as conch fritters in Key West back in 1994. I then proceeded to try it in just about every variation I could find. I prefer it curried and spicy.

I used to be able to get it locally (Cambridge, MA) at a Caribbean joint called Rhythm and Spice back in the mid-nineties. Alas my little piece of Jamaica is no more. More red tape, less Red Stripe I guess.

Is The Iranian 2009 Election Their Bush 2004?

In almost typical fashion there was major political outrage at the results of the 2009 Iranian presidential election. Surprise-surprise, the person public opinion (here in the U.S.) wanted out, the incumbent, won.

I had one foot in the bandwagon myself, then I listened to National Public Radio's, On Point with Tom Ashbrook, to get some perspective. There were people who thought the whole thing was rigged, not unlike our Bush 2004. Then there were those individuals who felt that based on the political make-up of the country, and a previous poll, it was more likely than not, the right guy was declared president, even if they didn't or wouldn't have voted for him.

Then I asked myself if I thought the election was stolen. I couldn't neither prove nor disprove the point with any credibility, because I don't live and breath in Iran, nor do I have a sense of the political climate to the level that I do here (in the U.S.).

The good news for Iranians is that the president-elect is on notice to improve the lot of the disenfranchised. He, not unlike Dubya, would ignore the people at his peril.