About that prediction.

Mike says, "278? Looks like you were off by almost 100, my friend."

And I have never been happier to be wrong.

Why the paranoia? 2000 and 2004 conditioned me to expect the worst. And, honestly, I really do think that electronic voting machines are the tool of the devil (at least without a paper trail).

On a personal note, I really wish my father had stuck around for this election. He was a civil rights liberal in the best sense of the phrase, even if he was a little quick to see prejudice everywhere. I don't have the faith to think he's watching somewhere, but I know that if he were alive, he would be ecstatic, proud, and ready to join the spontaneous celebrations.

Obligatory Election-Day post.

In 1992, the Republican excuse for obstructionism was that Bill Clinton didn't win a majority of the popular vote. (I still remember Bob Dole gleefully declaring himself the "representative of the 53% of the nation that voted against Clinton.")

In 2000, the Republican rallying cry against obstructionism was that the popular vote didn't matter, and we needed to heal the country and stand behind "our President."

In 2008...

Let's say Obama wins with 60% of the vote. What will they say then? I humbly suggest this: "In a year like this, he should have won 70% of the vote, therefore he's not legitimate." Start your engines!

And my prediction, if anyone cares: Obama, 278 electoral votes. (It's low, compared to some, because electronic voting favors the Republicans.)

Blasting from the Pasting.

Where were you in 2001?

Yes, I'm Godwin'ing.

Michael Brown is on the news as an "expert" on disaster relief.

I'm beginning to think that if Adolf Hitler were alive, he would be a talking head "expert" on genocide when the media covered Darfur.

The Reasons Pneumonia Sucks.

I know, I know; like you need reasons?  Well, waking up every morning looking like you've just been in a boxing match is right up there.  My lips are swollen like they've been punched, and my eyes are so bloodshot I might as well be on heroin, except I don't have that whole "getting high" thing to make up for it.

I know I'm getting better--I can breathe easier now, and I'm not coughing up nearly as much phlegm--yet I feel worse today than I did yesterday.  Ironically, the best day was the first day AFTER I started antibiotics.  I actually felt normal--no fever, I could think straight, and if I was weak, well, that was probably because I hadn't eaten in three days.  But after that, it was like my body suddenly realized, "Hey!  I'm sick!" and went on strike.

You don't realize just how important bacteria are until you're on multiple antibiotics that are killing even the good bacteria.  You don't realize just how much you hate yogurt until you're forced to eat it to restore said good bacteria.  You don't realize how sharp your teeth are until you bite your upper lip while you're sleeping, creating the aforementioned puffy face.  And most of all, you don't realize how tiring it is to take care of your two kids until your wife finally has to stop caring for your sorry self and go earn a living.  (Thank you, K.  I couldn't have survived without you.)

There were so many things I had planned for these past two weeks between the end of summer camp and the beginning of school.  Gone now, like... like... Another problem is that pneumonia makes coming up with similes difficult.

Update.

Along with the rest of the world, I was in fact accepted into the Developer Program on Friday.

And in the meantime (I think I'm allowed to talk about this) I was hired to write a program.  I don't think I'll say what it is yet, but some of you who know me personally will be quite surprised to hear I accepted it.

Watch this space for details.

We interrupt this hiatus.

The iPhone App Store opened yesterday.

For those who don't know, back in the jailbreak days of, oh, less than a year ago, I wrote one of the most popular unauthorized third-party programs for the iPhone: the very first eBook reader.  It's still one of my proudest achievements.

Naturally, when the iPhone SDK beta was announced, I signed up on the first day.  But I was never accepted into the program.

So yesterday I saw the store open. And obviously, I'm. Not. In. It.

Surprisingly, it hurt.  A lot.

Department of Obviousness, pick up a red courtesy phone.

As you've no doubt guessed by now, Rooster Spice is on hiatus, but before making it official, I wanted to share a few notes on things personal and political.

• 2007 was the worst year I've ever had, but we're still alive, and no one killed anyone else.  As far as I know.
• I really don't have a horse in the Democratic presidential campaign, but I voted for Barack Obama on Tuesday's primaries.  While I think Hillary Clinton would make a good president--better than Obama in some ways--I really, really don't want our history books to have the following list of Presidents: Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton.  That's all there is to it.  We are not a hereditary monarchy.  At least, we're not supposed to be.
• I have no reservations, however, about the results in a nearby congressional race.  I used to live in Al Wynn's district, and I couldn't be happier that Donna Edwards took him out.  True fact: along Route 50 there's a small airport which is dotted with campaign signs, most small but a couple billboard-sized.  In 2004, the billboards were for Bush-Cheney; in 2006, for Governor Ehrlich and Michael Steele.  This year, they were for Ron Paul... and Wynn.  Do you need any other proof that Wynn is the kind of Democrat only a hard-right Republican would love?
• Finally: if you ever wondered, I do look ridiculous when I shave my head to look like William Shakespeare.  But that's nothing compared to how I look when the hair I shaved starts to grow back in.  (Got a good review, though.)

Until next time, I remain...