These are the most interesting times that I have lived in. I was born in 1944 — I've seen some interesting times. I would really prefer not to live in interesting times but I don't seem to have much of a choice.

This blog has been my way of dealing with these interesting times. I don't watch TV — not since May of 2001 when I moved into this house on Honeymoon Lake. (There is no TV reception here and I would rather pay for DSL than cable TV. I am also one of those terrible zombie TV viewers. My family laughs about it but it's true. When I am in a room with a TV on I immediately turn to it like a deer caught in headlights — then I start drooling. Not watching TV is self-preservation.) So, although I did watch the appointment of the pResident on cable TV (leaving permanent mental scars), I pretty much have missed everything else on TV since May of 2001. I did watch the endless tape loops a year ago on 9-11 at Zoe's, but that has been about it. That has helped immensely with my mental health.

The linking to political and world events, in this blog, increased dramatically a year ago as I turned to the web papers, journals, and blogs for information and explanations. Doc, Dave, Craig, Mark, and Steve led me to other blogs and sources until my head was ready to explode. Taking all that I was reading, synthesizing it, and putting it down in this blog has kept me saner than I might otherwise be. I don't read Doc and Dave much anymore but I always check in on Craig, Mark, and Steve, along with many others.

As a writer (or at least as an organizer of information that I feel no well educated person should be without), creating something for others to read, I am always surprised when I find out that someone else actually reads what I put together — I mean, at least I know I can count on my sister and her anarchist son (Thanks Madelane and Cameron!) to check in. It was with surprise, and some sense of validation, when Craig and Mark added me to their blogroll. (I just checked, I'm still there.) Wow!, someone actually reads what I put together and comes back for more. And they don't have to! Cool! And then, when I started to check Daypop, Google and other blogs I started to find gordon.coale listed in other blogrolls. Wow! I didn't know there were so many discerning bloggers out there!

And then, a couple of days ago, I found enthusiasm. I was in his blogroll. He had a couple of items I liked and posted them here. Then, Tuesday, he posted: "Also, I've had visits from at least two of my very favorite bloggers, riley dog and gordon coale, both of which have linked back here, which pleases me even more." Now I'm a favorite blogger! When is this insanity going to end? The pressure!

Actually, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that comes by here. It's an honor to read a blog I admire and find that they were able to use something I've found. The linking of all these little blog/soap boxes provides so much more information and insight than we had during Vietnam. It gives me hope. I’m proud to be a teensy voice amongst a myriad of other teensy voices. So, thanks again for your time. I hope that what you find here will continue to inform and amaze, along with the occasional smile.

These are interesting times.