PRESENT HASSLINGTON MOOD INDICATOR READING: IT HAS JUST SHIFTED FROM "NORMAL" TO "LOOK-OUT, EVERYONE!"
I don't mind telling you that I'm angry right now. I'm quite angry indeed. You see, I just wrote an extensive post regarding the present scenario with Iran, but, just as I was about to publish it, the blog-site "went funny" and it was suddenly erased...even though I had previously saved it. It is presently nowhere to be found...nowhere at all, and I'm told by those more knowledgeable about computers than I that it has most likely gone to "Blog-Post Heaven." Upon hearing this unfortunate news, I almost "acted-upon" my computer in a manner that would have rendered it "nowhere at all," if you catch my drift, but I calmed down enough to at least refrain from such behavior, thank goodness. It's an indication of how inwardly-heated I became that I am presently drinking a soothing cup of tea, which Mrs. Hasslington loves but I often find pointless when compared with coffee. (Coffee would assuredly be counter-productive insofar as my present mood is concerned.)
I hope to discuss the Iran scenario with you sometime relatively soon, but for now I will simply state that a Hasslington reader e-mailed me regarding the Russia/Georgia scenario, to which I sent a reply. But if you're interested in my take on that situation, please refer to my August 9th post (that was last Saturday), which can be accessed by scrolling down the screen.
HASSLINGTON VICE PRESIDENTIAL POLL BLOG-SITE RESULTS, SO FAR....
The temporary Hasslington vice presidential poll blog-site has seen rather heavy voting traffic of late, and the results so far are not particularly surprising: U.S. Senator Joe Biden (Delaware) and Governor Sarah Palin (Alaska) are presently in the lead, though there is still time for that to change...or solidify.
As of early this afternoon, 112 people have voted in the Democratic poll, and Senator Biden is presently in the lead with 48 votes (42%). In second place is Bill Richarson (21 votes; 18%), with Evan Bayh in third place (16 votes; 14%) and Hillary Clinton in forth place (8 votes; 7%). This is unsurprising, as all four of these individuals bring with them years of foreign policy experience (particularly Joe Biden and Bill Richardson). I will repeat my suggestion that I consider an individual's judgment in both foreign and domestic policy to be the most important factor regarding whether he or she is qualified to be the next president; Senator Obama's judgment is very strong indeed. Yet it would greatly enhance his chances of winning the presidency if he were to marry someone else's experience with his judgment when he selects a running mate.
One thing that surprises me regarding this poll is the fact that foreign policy expert Sam Nunn has yet to receive a single vote.
So far, 39 people have voted in the Republican poll, and Sarah Palin is leading with 14 votes (35%). In second place is Mitt Romney (6 votes; 15%), with Joe Lieberman in third place (3 votes; 7%), and several other people tied for forth place (2 votes apiece; 5% apiece). This is also rather unsurprising, as Sarah Palin would bring both excitement and perhaps a sizeable amount of the female vote to the rather stodgy McCain campaign. Similarly, Mitt Romney would most likely help Senator McCain in swing-states such as Michigan and New Hampshire, and, since he is an Independent-Democrat, selecting Joe Lieberman to be his running mate would re-inforce the "maverick" image that Senator McCain has cultivated.
One thing that surprises me regarding this poll is the fact that both Tom Ridge and John Thune, who I consider strong potential running mate selections, have received only one vote apiece (2% apiece).
There is still time to vote in the poll, which is located at http://hasslingtonvicepresident.blogspot.com/ and will remain open until the candidates select their running mates and make their selections known to the public. If you feel the political spirit move you, go ahead and vote in the poll right now.
"AUSSIE TRAV" TAKES IN YANKEE FUNDRAISERS AND YANKEE BASEBALL GAMES
Before I forget, I would like to wish my good friend Trav--who is originally from Perth, Australia but who has for the past few years lived in Britain--a good and safe flight back to his native country, to which he is returning for the first time in a long time, and where he plans to stay on a semi-permanent basis. I met Trav when we both taught in a high school outside of Bury Saint Edmunds, England during the 2005-2006 school year. (I taught English and he taught...Religion, which is rather funny to think about if you know him.)
Trav just left the Twin Cities here in Minnesota, which he visited for a week after first visiting New York City for a week. He stayed with us, and, given his interest in international politics, it didn't surprise me that he insisted on attending the recent Elwyn Tinklenberg fundraiser which took place in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. He even asked Mr. Tinklenberg a question regarding the future of U.S. domestic energy policy as it relates to both internal U.S. transportation issues and U.S. procurement and use of foreign sources of oil, to which Mr. Tinklenberg provided a thorough response. Trav informed me later that he was impressed by Mr. Tinklenberg's response, which I guess would be a bit more of a positive development if Trav were an American voter who lives in Minnesota's 6th District, but, unlike me, he isn't, and, like me, he doesn't.
On Monday, we took in the Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees baseball game at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. If you could imagine me with my British wife and my Australian friend ordering food at the concession stand, you could most likely also understand why the lady working behind the counter thought we were doing a post-modern Marx Brothers-esque "funny accents" routine at her expense. But it got sorted-out, as these things tend to do. The Twins won, thankfully, which prompted Trav to suggest that it was "...good to root against the Yankees...." That statement contained multiple meanings, but most were in jest.
At any rate, he informed me that he enjoyed his time in the U.S., and that Mrs. Hasslington and I are invited to his home country at any time, which prompted me to think that it is indeed a small world, after all.
GEORGE D. SHUMAN'S "18 SECONDS" IS A NOT-SO-TYPICAL TAKE ON TYPICAL SUMMER READING FARE
Sherry Moore lost her sight due to a tragic and violent event during her childhood, but that event also opened the door to her future career as a police liaison who can "read" the memories of recently deceased people. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Kelly O'Shaughnessy is the daughter of a former cop who has risen through the police ranks herself, to the point where she has recently gained significant authority, though these professional accomplishments coincide with the apparent break-up of her marriage. Both women are intelligent, and both are extraordinary in other unique ways, as well: Sherry's insights help people find some semblance of resolution (if certainly not total reconciliation) regarding those they know who are killed tragically at the hands of others, and Kelly's tenacity and doggedness serve her well professionally, if less well personally.
Both women are very lonely in their own ways, and in his debut 2006 novel "18 Seconds" (yes, I know that the titles of novels are meant to be underlined or put in italics, but I don't have those options, so....), George D. Shuman clearly attempts to draw connections and distinctions between the two in order to suggest that they are foils for each other, if foils who genuinely admire one another and are on the same side of the law. Mr. Shuman succeeds in this task, mostly because in these two women he creates often distinct and almost always interesting (if occasionally generic) individuals and situates them in a story that, while a bit far-fetched, is nonetheless well-drawn, especially for a first novel.
Like many first novels, this one includes about a half dozen too many superfluous major characters, many of whom are similar enough to one another that they seem to morph into each other after a while, to the point where the reader simply doesn't see the purpose for their inclusion in the first place. (They're probably just there to move the plot along.) Also, is it really necessary that the serial killer both Ms. Moore and Ms. O'Shaughnessy are chasing has to be dying from terminal cancer...and does this cancer really have to be derived from the serial killer spending lengthy amounts of time in what amounts to a toxic waste dump?
Yet, due to their singular natures and determined mindsets, the two lead characters sustain the narrative throughout, and, though my attention regarding the story itself wavered in the latter stages of the novel, I found myself constantly interested in the interplay between these women and those with whom they surround themselves. The novel was good enough for me to have recently purchased Mr. Shuman's 2007 follow-up, "Last Breath." I'll be reading it soon.
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