Abroad at Home I'm on vacation. But I'm not going anywhere. Instead of taking a vacation from my life, I'm taking a vacation in my life. Instead of dealing with airports, hotels, and entertaining a 2-year-old in unfamiliar places, I'm basically exploring what it would be like to be unemployed with plenty of money, at least for a limited time. So, I'm fixing up the back yard, reading some novels I've been meaning to get to, going to karate, and spending time with my wife and kid without checking my email or taking calls every 5 minutes.
It's funny that the difference is so pronounced, since as a telecommuter, it's not like this is a big change of scene. But it's amazing how much the reprieve from the barrage of email/calls/deadlines matters to my mental state.
I heartily encourage all telecommuters to try a vacation at home next time around to reconnect to your domestic space as a domestic space.  ¶ 1:10 PM 0 comments

  "Sweet Neo-Con" Wonkette blogged the NYDN story this morning about Mick Jagger's up-coming song, "Sweet Neo-Con." Amazingly, Mojosmusings has accessed a secret pre-release copy of this song, which, oddly enough, seems to be a direct rip-off of Guns 'n' Roses' "Sweet Child of Mine"

He's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of Ayn Rand's theories
Where everything
Was as clear as the bright blue sky
Now and then when I see his face
He talks about lasers in outer space
And if I'd stare too long
I'd probably break down and cry


Oh, oh, oh, oh Sweet neo-con
Oh, oh, oh, oh, let's bomb Tehran


He's got eyes that tell blatant lies
As if they'd thought things through
I hate to look into those eyes
And see Fallujah too
His hair reminds me of a deep dark wood
Where Wolfowitz eats Red Riding Hood
And I pray for
Scooter Libby
To quietly pass me by

Oh, oh, oh, oh Sweet neo-con
Oh, oh, oh, oh, let's bomb Tehran

Where do we go
Where do we go now
Where do we go
Sweet neo-con, let's bomb Iran, sweet neo-con

  ¶ 10:59 AM 0 comments

  Freeze Frame Interesting article in the NYT on George Lakoff who has clued the democrats into the power of "framing" the debate.

The most interesting part of this article is the "eight words":

''I can describe, and I've always been able to describe, what Republicans stand for in eight words, and the eight words are lower taxes, less government, strong defense and family values,'' Dorgan, who runs the Democratic Policy Committee in the Senate, told me recently. ''We Democrats, if you ask us about one piece of that, we can meander for 5 or 10 minutes in order to describe who we are and what we stand for. And frankly, it just doesn't compete very well. I'm not talking about the policies. I'm talking about the language.''

At the end of the article, Lakoff suggests eleven words for the Democrats: ''Stronger America, broad prosperity, better future, effective government and mutual responsibility.'' But, as Matt Bai points out, these are more vague concepts than the Republicans words. I like them, but they're not as clear.

So, how about:

"Fair Taxes, Good Services, Safe America, Fair Business Environment"

Needs work. Nancy Pelosi, if you're reading this, call me...  ¶ 10:18 PM 3 comments

  Colin Powell, Venture Capitalist Colin Powell has joined Kleiner Perkins. And here, in best '80's Letterman-rip-off style, is the Top Five Reasons Powell Will Thrive at KP:

5. Has shown understanding of entrepreneur's dilemma that sometimes you have to do the wrong thing if that's what your backers want.
4. Thanks to role in Gulf War, knows how to get companies to "Blow Up Big"
3. Has already abandoned "Powell Doctrine" of overwhelming force to Rumsfeldian "Go to Market With the Product You Have"
2. Role as AOL board member in the '90s taught him when to hold them, when to fold them.
1. Knows from personal experience when someone is standing in front of Powerpoint and lying through their teeth.

OK, most of those were lame. But it's late.

Hey, maybe KP's new Govt Cred means Sergey and Larry will get a chance to run Admiral Poindexter's Total Information Awareness initiative.

Sergey & Larry v. Osama?

We can only dream...  ¶ 12:26 AM 0 comments

  NYC2012 NOT4U Thank god. What a nightmare that would have been.  ¶ 6:03 PM 0 comments