Hello, on Saturday

Already posted three times, so you can tell how productive this Saturday is starting to look. However, I did get up early (surprise!), and hit two gas stations. I filled up the Pathfinder and three five gallon containers at the first; and filled up the 4Runner at the second. (Two gas stations? Maxed on on the pump with the credit card at the first.) All of this is getting ready for Ike, which now appears to be dipping south of us.

As I saw the new track for Ike laid along the east coast of Cuba, it occurred to me that Katrina-like devastation there might finally cave in the regime. I wonder if our planners are thinking about this? I don't wish any further hardship on the people of Cuba; I'm just speculating.

I also wonder if McCain's "change" plans include lifting the embargo on Cuba? If so, I doubt he would say so. Would Obama be more likely to do so? I doubt he would say so either. Raul Martinez, the former mayor of Hialeah, and someone I admire (in part because the Herald hates him) is running for Congress from our district as the Democratic nominee. (Martinez has always been a Democrat, which is rather anomalous in Miami-Dade.) Martinez has thrown his lot in with the younger generation of Cuban-Americans who are not scandalized by the idea of rationalizing our relationship with Cuba. (Notice that I did not say "liberalizing" our relationship; this liberal/conservative dichotomy continuously fails us . . . or betrays us. For example, tell me again what "compassionate conservatism" means, please?)

As to challenging the beltway mentality, it is finally apparent that we have both Presidential nominees advocating change. McCain is finally being seen as alongside Obama on this point, and he may be on the verge of completely co-opting that idea. At the risk of sounding partisan (who me?), I would suggest that the differences between the two include, but are not limited to, (that's lawyerspeak) this: McCain really means change or, if both really mean it, McCain has the backbone and experience to effect it. Where is Palin in all this, besides eye-candy (which, by the way, is a complete justification for her being nominated)? She is a profound gesture to traditional American values and to the (completely consistent) idea that women are entirely as capable as men, with the added feature of being able to produce the next generation, and should be at liberty to do what they are lead by the Spirit to do. (Let me, for example, talk to you about my daughter and daughters-in-law.)

More reasons to like Palin: (1) She's having trouble with her teenage daughter. (2) Her teenage daughter is having trouble with her. (3) Her husband looks like a great guy who has put up with a heck of a lot and still has a genuine looking smile.

I'm thinking about whether I want to see the 'Canes dismantled by the Gators today.

Nah.

Well, I better get to work. I'm down at the office, looking at the end-of-week mess. Time to do the GTD comprehensive, weekly review.

Mmmm!

"Spicy Vegetarian Chili" from Carol's kitchen this evening!

UPDATE: Note the fresh green salad in the upper left hand corner and the bottles of oil and vinegar. The little bottle is extra virgin olive oil from Carbonell. As gifts, we bought several sets of these little bottles in the train station last April in Córdoba as we were leaving on the leg of our trip that would take us to Toledo. Carbonell has its own little store, there in the station. As one US retailer states about Carbonell:

Carbonell has been in Córdoba since the 19th Century, where it has produced a quality oil from the seemingly endless olive groves, which carpet the rolling hills of Andalucía. This extra virgin olive oil from Carbonell is the leading national brand of olive oil in Spain. Many of you who grew up in Spain remember that your mother had two Carbonell containers in her pantry. The green-labeled bottle of Extra Virgin Carbonell can be used with salads, fresh vegetables and gazpacho. This extra virgin oil has a mild but tasty blend of Andalucían olives.

Since our trip to Spain, I have taken to putting the oil and some balsamic vinegar on my salads. The vinegar is from Italy. The combinaton really gives the salad a great, fresh taste.