¶ Computers are my life: And they'll probably be the death of me, too.

As unbelievable as it might seem, I've been fiddling with a PC recently. I inherited an on-the-fritz Compaq Presario 5461 from our nextdoor neighbors, and I've been trying to get it going so that I can erase Windows 98 from the hard drive and install Red Hat Linux 7.1. Since the system returns a "Can't find system disk" or some such error immediately upon start-up, it's either a bad hard drive or a bad motherboard. If it's the former, I'll just buy a cheap IDE replacement drive and keep on trucking. If it's the latter, then I'll send the beast straight to recycling after I pull the CD-RW drive.

Now I don't really need a Linux box, this is true. But it seems like it would be something fun to play with, and who knows? Maybe I can use it as an MP3 server or something. I have the 802.11b wireless card for it already.

I have that card because we took a family trip up to Fry's in Wilsonville today. I had to stop there to return a different wireless card (D-Link, in case you're wondering) that the braindead Fry's clerk repeatedly assured me would work with my Mac. I should have stopped listening to him after he told me that 802.11g cards were incompatible with 802.11b networks. That's just wrong, and I knew it was wrong, but I trusted him on which card to buy anyway. Bad move.

We returned the D-Link card (and lunched at Burgerville) and picked up a wireless card that would work in Zephyr, my souped-up Power Mac 7600. Here's the thing for those of you who might have an older, non-Airport-ready desktop Macintosh: If you get a wireless PCI card that uses the Broadcom chipset, Apple's Airport software will recognize it automatically and you'll be in business in no time. Which cards have the Broadcom chipset? It took a bit of research, but here is the answer: The 802.11g cards from Belkin (F5D7000), Buffalo (WLI-PCI-G54), Linksys (WMP54G), Microsoft (MN-730), and Motorola (WPCI810G). I bought the Belkin for $50 (after $10 mail-in rebate), which was the cheapest of the lot.

So I've now got Zephyr running 10.2.8. Erin has to go into Classic for Integrade, her grading program, and I have to boot Mac OS 9 to run my music software (at least until I upgrade to Digital Performer 4), but otherwise it's a complete Mac OS X machine. That's a nice feeling.

I've started doing a little playing with Rendevous, Apple's auto-detect/auto-configure protocol. It's works for iChat, iTunes, iPhoto and more. Since both machines are typically in the same room it's not terribly useful at the moment, but some day they'll be in different places and it'll be cool. Also nifty is Apple's iSync software. I've got identical Safari bookmarks, iCal calendars, and Address Book contacts on both machines. Very handy, and, if you've got two (or more) Macs, not a bad reason to spend the $99 a year for Apple's .Mac service.

¶ The USDA is trying to kill you: Honestly, it makes about as much as anything else judging by what they've done and failed to do.

Major kudos to Burgerville for switching to organic, hormone-free beef for their burgers. There's now a fastfood restaurant at which I can dine, even if the closest one is some 30 minutes away.

So there's been a new Mad Cow variant—absolutely undetectable by the limited USDA testing—discovered by Italian researchers. Early speculation is that this variant may, and I'd emphasize may, be in part responsible for the 300 so-called sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease cases in the US every year. I'm sure we'll find out the truth eventually, but I'd lay money that we won't find out from the USDA.

There is considerable evidence that the USDA has lied to the American public to protect the interests of the beef industry. This was first made obvious to me when I heard the news report that some Bay Area restaurants had received the potentially tainted Mad Cow beef, and the USDA had contacted the restaurants but would not tell the public which restaurants these were! Since the USDA's meat recalls are—unbelievably—not mandatory, they claim they're obligated to keep sales and distribution records confidential. Putting public health and safety behind the cattle industry's profit has understandably not sat well with some folks.

It gets worse if you care to read about it. Me? I'm sanguine. I believe that by eating vegetarian for most of our meals and eating only organic, hormone-free meat for the remainder, we can protect ourselves from the ravages of the US beef industry. It's for damn sure that USDA won't.

¶ Thankfulness and daycare: I read the studies and I don't know what to think, but I feel grateful.

SiteRev.com is poised to have a very good month thanks to my parents' willingness to watch Jonah. I'm so glad that he's able to spend a day with his grandparents rather than having to hang out at daycare. Not to impune all daycare centers, because there are some fine ones out there I'm certain, but the statistics on it aren't exactly confidence-building. The last study I read (see article about it) concluded that any amount of daycare even at the best of daycare centers was detrimental to the child's development. That sounds worse than it is—there are many levels of "detrimental" and most kids turn out fine regardless—but, well, here's a quote from the above-reference article on the NICHD study:

...Researchers have found a strong relationship between the total number of hours in daycare and problem behaviors; moreover, the negative effects continue into kindergarten. The problem behaviors could be classified as aggressive: bullying, fighting, and defiance. The negative effect was present regardless of quality or type of care. It applied to boys and girls, rich and poor. In addition, children who had been in care 30 hours or more per week were nearly twice as likely to have high problem-behavior scores in kindergarten as children in ten hours or less of care (17 percent compared to 9 percent).

Admittedly, I don't know how much to make of this. I suspect there's a balance that could be achieved, a line that could walked, that would mitigate most if not all of the problems found in the study. I can even envision scenarios where a little quality daycare could be a beneficial thing. It's no substitute for parent-child interaction, of course, but as an occasional supplement it seems like it would be potentially just another interesting experience for the kid. But the truth is that I honestly don't know what to think about the subject.

¶ Erin kills Dr. Lucky: I was all set to do him in myself when Erin got in my way. Great times in Battle Ground nevertheless. My kind of Presidents' Day.

Cheapass Games isn't quite the name I'd pick for a company, but I suppose it accurately reflects their biggest selling point. Their Kill Dr. Lucky game is only $10 or so and a raging good lot of fun to play. This evening's Kill Dr. Lucky affair was part of a larger good time Presidents' Day party at Joe and Carol's. We joined Eileen and Dave, Susan, Linda, and Joe and Carol for a great turkey pot pie dinner and delicious dump cake dessert before hunting Dr. Lucky. I can't believe he escaped my grasp, though I'm surely not the only one at the table who had that thought cross their mind.

One thing that we have really grown to appreciate is everyone's willingness to hold and play with Jonah. I'm sure it's not entirely altruistic—Jonah's a pretty fun toy—but it nonetheless gives Erin and I a chance to relax for a bit. So a hearty thank you to everyone who took a turn holding Jonah. We're grateful, and I'm sure he enjoyed it.

Speaking of enjoyment, we stayed over in Joe and Carol's—good thing, too, since I never would've made it back to Salem after the party broke up around midnight. As we always do, we had a lovely time with them, and send big thanks in their direction for letting us spend the night.

My kind of Presidents' Day.

¶ Thirty-five ain't half bad: Oh sure I've got my complaints. The USDA and FCC for starters. Wesley Clark for finishers. Lots of love to iTunes in between, though.

I love the bit where the USDA, having been unable to find any of the cows in the herd with the confirmed Mad Cow bovine up in Washington, has now simply abandoned the effort and told consumers "all clear." What a useless agency.

Speaking of which, I can't believe that the FCC has, uh, gotten its titties in a twist over the Janet Jackson Super Bowl thing. I didn't see the actual unveiling, having been appalled enough by the initial Timberlake-Jackson bumping and grinding to mute the set and walk away. Nonetheless, who really cares? Sales of star-shaped nipple shields are up, but otherwise does this make any difference to anyone? Shouldn't we be much more concerned that the FCC has allowed increasing big media consolidation, the effect of which is that our choices for receiving news are skewed and controlled by relatively few corporations (who almost undeniably do not have our best interests at heart).

Thanks to a couple iTunes gift certificates, I've plopped into the iTunes Music Store and downloaded a bunch of songs. My collection's long been shy of '50s rock, so I've added a few of my favs along with, well, more of my favs from various eras.

Here's the list: Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & the Comets; Wake Up Little Susie by the Everly Brothers; Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis; Yakety Yak by The Coasters; Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin; The Peter Gunn Theme by Ray Anthony; Runaround Sue by Dion; The Wanderer by Dion; It's My Party by Leslie Gore; Oh, Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison; Monday, Monday by The Mamas & the Papas; Summer in the City by The Lovin' Spoonful; Ode to Billy Joe by Tom Scott & The LA Express; Incense and Peppermint by Strawberry Alarm Clock; Gitarzan by Ray Stevens; You're So Vain by Carly Simon; Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry; Convoy by C.W. McCall; I Just Want to Be Your Everything by Andy Gibb; Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet; Strawberry Letter 23 by Brothers Johnson; Kiss You All Over by Exile; On Broadway by George Benson; Whenever I Call You "Friend" by Kenny Loggins; Hold the Line by Toto; Every 1's a Winner by Hot Chocolate; Cars by Gary Numan; Drivin' My Life Away by Eddie Rabbitt; Guilty by Barbra Streisand; Time Is Time by Andy Gibb; Miss Independent by Kelly Clarkson; Calling All Angels by Train; The Remedy (I Won't Worry) by Jason Mraz; Are You Happy Now? by Michelle Branch; Préludes, Book 1: No. 8, La fille aux cheveux de lin by Joshua Bell; Tutti Fruitti by Little Richard; Immigration Man by David Crosby and Graham Nash; Fire On High by ELO; and Superman by Five For Fighting.

I would rate all of these 4 or 5 stars, with the possible exception of Convoy. A 1970s hit, Convoy is perhaps the greatest unintentional comedy song of all time. I can't even listen to the iTunes 30 second sample of it without feeling embarrassed. I don't know if that means it rates five-stars or one-star, but either way it's easily worth the 99 cents.

While I'm on the subject of unintentional comedy, I thought I might mention ex-presidential aspirant Wesley Clark. I'm sure Clark's a bright guy and a great general, but the campaign trail is a poor place decide one's political views. After vacillating on or otherwise mangling just about every possible domestic issue (abortion until the moment just before birth, anyone?) , Clark in the end proved an exponent of and great believer in "Clark for President" and virtually nothing else. How voters somehow found this insufficient as a voting criterion he probably still finds baffling. From the lofty early hopes of his candidacy down to this: I hope the Veep nomination doesn't come within 10 square miles of him.

¶ Nine months old and pretty darn well: How old is Jonah and how's he doing?

Jonah turned nine months old last week. He's crawling readily now, walking around with help, pulling himself up to standing, babbling important phrases like "hi da da" without knowing what he's saying, and trying to learn how to clap.

The Well-Baby check up uncovered a bit of an ear infection so Jonah's been on bubble gum-flavored antibiotics since then. He eagerly quaffs the stuff three times a day right before meals. The only downside has been that it's changed the smell of his poop to be even worse than before, something I would've sworn was impossible.

His daytime naps are solid, but night time has proved a bit rough of late. In the last few weeks he's been up once or twice a night. I can get him back to sleep within 10 minutes, tops, but I've been unable to do the same for myself. That's made for several quite groggy days.

Jonah's started to experience a little separation anxiety, becoming upset when Erin and/or I leave the room. Who can blame him for thinking we're wonderful people to be around? Certainly not me. Accompanying this is a bit of stranger anxiety as well, I think. Jonah's not upset with others. He just wants to check things out before he commits to being happy about it. Nobody should take his lack of immediate smile as dislike. Once he gets to know you, he'll smile, laugh, and maybe even plant a big wet one on ya. (You've been warned.)

The crib we ordered from Baby Depot in August finally arrived. Worth the wait, I think. It's a pecan colored C&T Silver model featuring inset hardware, wing nuts for raising and lowering the mattress (so you don't need a screwdriver), and a big drawer under the crib itself. Very attractive too, if I do say so myself.

As near as I can determine, life for Jonah ain't so bad.

¶ Like David missed Goliath: Given the expectation built up around the Dean campaign, the letdown of the last month has been momentus.

Although it's not inconceivable that Howard Dean could pull a victory in Wisconsin then ride it to the nomination, it's pretty darn close. His fundraising apparatus continues to pull in the dough—he's still easily outraising Kerry and has more cash on hand—but virtually none of this money has translated into votes, or more importantly, delegates. So what does it matter? It's like being in a football game where you dominate the other team in yards passed, yards rushed, and time of possession only to get blown out on the scoreboard.

I don't see Lieberman's exit from the race as being a factor, other than making me feel better. He rode that Joe-mentum thing right into the oblivion his political convictions deserved. I expect Clark to be next out—his waffling answers on important questions doesn't really cut it, and Edwards is simply sharper on the stump. I'm not convinced that Edwards can carry enough of the south to stop the Kerry steamroller down there, but it's for darn sure that Dean can't do it.

So I think Kerry will be the next president. I'm reconciling myself to that, and the sad fact that the Democratic Party is unlikely to exact any meaningful reform once in the White House. Do you see a President Kerry fixing the social security mess? Balancing the budget? Dramatically expanding health care coverage while reducing its cost? If so, good for you. I think he'll roll back some of Bush's more egregious measures (from which there a good number to choose), but I don't see Kerry as a man of any grand vision. Indeed, I think he may be a one-termer himself, losing in 2008, I'm afraid, to Jeb Bush. You heard it here first.