james 3:5

wikileaks' unauthorized release of confidential diplomatic documents leaves politicians globally scrambling to repair fences and salvage some national dignity. the way i see it, there are two separate issues here.

there is the issue of freedom of speech and the legality of leaking classified documents and the morality of julian assange. 

the more immediate issue, i say, is why we the world over pay our diplomats and politicians so handsomely to be indiscreet embarrassing gossips. someone needs to tell the über-politician, watch your tongue, it is a consuming fire.

adeste fideles

a strange thing happens when i sing this with the umpteenth radio replay today. the words briefly pass through my mind on their way out and cause tears to spring to my eyes. how does a word become an act? how does a fact become a value? how do i begin to adore this babe who is born the king of angels? 

cyberbusiness

we post some items on ebay. this is very exciting. will anyone view them? watch them? bid on them? reject them? calm down, we tell HOM. five of the nine views are by you. this will skew the statistics.

christmas fatigue

we are ambushed by carols at every grocer's department store on every radio station and along every sidewalk. it's cold so that everybody is picturesquely bundled up. the stores are alive with purposefully striding humanity. my mailbox overflows with gift catalogs and mystery cash rewards. everyone i meet asks about my holiday dinner and other plans. today i realize that i have forgotten to remember the shame and wonder of christmas amid all this noisome chatter.

tetany

i get neck cramp and finger panic practicing the closing hymn for tomorrow. there's nothing like the protracted final line in rejoice the lord is king to afflict an accompanist who gets by mainly with a bit of improvisation on nicely spaced out chords. do re mi fa soh la ti do re do ti doooo, with a different chord per note. it hurts.

billet doux

J1 gets a speeding ticket for going 48 in a 35 zone. what i say is, a soft answer turneth away wrath. what i would like to say otherwise is plenty more.

precious mem'ries

HOM building the r.c. boat with J1 and J2
r.c. 'plane crashing on maiden flight
formula one sundays with R at our table
escaping the heat at the big c a/c
jesters' bike ride with J1 and J2

rug foraging trips to bangkok

friday dinner dates around pattaya

fuji, m.k., thom had, chae chut, tai tai

deep fried corn fritters at banglamung farm

all american fun

J1 and i treat ourselves to the norman rockwell exhibition. it is delightful. his paintings are lovingly meticulous playfully mundane and quite simply enchanting. you look at his works and grin from ear to ear. the gallery is crowded with cheerful faces. i want to write like he paints.

my two favorites are:

the window washer

the flirts

size matters

every winter, the question i face with my jeans is this, do i need to upsize for the season? it becomes progressively more arduous to coax the denim up over uncooperative topography from thanksgiving dinner onwards each year.

scrooge

what i say is, at this time of year, the only thing they should be allowed to repeat on radio is handel's messiah. these days when the d.j. announces his holiday selection or season's offerings my blood curdles at another rehash of traditional songs in brass or voice or harp. there's just so much goodwill a body can handle. that's what i say.