We are noisy neighbor magnets

We were awoken (again) at 3 a.m. last night by our college-aged downstairs neighbors' loud talking and door slamming. I had to get the guard at the apt. to go tell them to can it...again! What the hell is it with Jenny and me? In Oakland we had the squealing über-bitch and her slovenly, loud-laughing, D&D boyfriend, and now we've got the stoner fraternity....

All we want is a peaceful night's sleep! Realtor.com, take me away!

U-S-A! U-S-A!

I'm so psyched! I'm going to RFK Stadium tonight to watch the U.S. Men's national soccer team take on Panama in a World Cup qualifier. If the U.S. wins, we will go on to the final round of the qualifiers, where the top three teams go to the World Cup in Germany in 2006.

I've never seen the national team live, so I'm really looking forward to it. Go USA!

The propaganda just keeps on comin'

Good news, bretheren! In case you haven't heard about it, there's an alternative to that lying, naysaying Michael Moore film for all of you evangelicals out there. Faith in the White House tells how our wonderful president prays constantly on his direct, exclusive line to God. Hallelujah!

Man, people are messed up in this country. Here's some of the drivel on their Web site promoting this hogwash (emphasis mine): "According to BBC correspondent Justin Webb: 'Nobody spends more time on his knees than George W. Bush. The Bush administration hums to the sound of prayer. Prayer meetings take place day and night. It's not uncommon to see White House functionaries hurrying down corridors carrying Bibles.'"

Does that scare you as much as it scares me?

Sad Movie + Green Leaves

After going out to a bar/restaurant w. Jason to watch the Red Sox (we won't talk about the game -- too depressing), I came back to the hotel and watched The Notebook. Predictable, but still very sad. The main character had dementia and had no memory of her life, her children, her husband. It is so painful to watch what heartache these types of diseases cause to loved ones. It also shows you how lucky you are if you find that person who just "gets you" and accepts you with all your flaws.

On a lighter note, no major leaf turning here yet. I am guessing that peak leafing will hit the Boston area in about 10 days.

Where do you fall on the political spectrum?

joepolitics
Originally uploaded by Xose.

I recently discovered a cool web test, The Political Compass, that asks your opinion on lots of different topics to determine where you fall on the political spectrum.

I've always thought of myself as moderate (with my conservative views on crime and punishment and welfare reform "moderating" my liberal views on pretty much everything else), but it turns out I'm more left and more libertarian than the Dahli Lama and Nelson Mandela. At least I'm in good company down in the SW quadrant.

Where do you fit in?

Mantra

After work tonight (I am here in Boston for work) found a neat restaurant called Mantra and Jason and Sara met me there for dinner. It is an old bank converted to a bar and restaurant. The bathrooms are bizarre. The doors of the stalls have one-way mirrors. So you look out at the sinks but those at the sinks cannot see you. SO weird. I now know what it would be like to be a vampire (sans the urge to drink blood -- phew), where you have no image in the mirror. I kept waving and waving and it's so odd to not have the mirror on the opposite wall reflect your image.

Jenny gone. Joe sad.

Jenny is on another Boston business trip, leaving me to my own devices here in D.C. Of course, my devices include not much more than playing guitar in the living room; driving around random neighborhoods, map in hand, jotting down notes as to which would be acceptable for us to buy in and which are not; and watching unending episodes of Seinfeld reruns.

None of it blunts my horrific trauma of missing Jenny. :-(

Come home soon, honey!