It’s a little after 4pm on a Friday, and although I have no boss and can leave the office whenever the heck I want, I’m still here, working, and preparing to have a beer or two on a balcony in our building, which happens to be 2 blocks from the beach here in Ventnor, NJ.

I’m feeling good 20 minutes ago, but then I got some horrible news. One of my all-time favorite human beings, Tim Russert, has died. I’m pretty shaken up by this because this country and our society will never be the same. I wrote once that I didn’t even know for sure what political party Russert belonged to – and that was why I loved the guy so much. Maybe he leaned to the left because of his blue-collar background, I’m not sure, but I found him to be the last of a dying breed, a throwback, and a legitimately objective political reporter. I see no reason to watch any political commentary on TV now, at least not right this very moment. And I think we’ll be hard-pressed, in this day and age, to ever again come across such an extraordinary political pundit. He was [...]

Usually, when people are jamming “Support our Troops” down your throat, it’s not exactly about the troops – it’s about another agenda. Honestly, saying you support our troops is like saying you’re against Cancer. Of course we support the troops.

I’ve always supported them – I’ve also always been against Cancer – but I’ve never found a way to tangibly offer some of that support, until now.

My wife’s first cousin, who is a Master Sergeant in the Marines, is currently in Afghanistan. He’s already done two tours in Iraq, losing a finger in one of them, and he’s volunteered to go to the desert a third time. He’s dined on filet mignon at one of Sadaam’s castles in the past, but he’s hurting now. Where he’s stationed now in Afghanistan, they simply don’t have access to the necessities and basic supplies they’re usually able to obtain in the field. These individuals are working in extreme dessert conditions, extreme heat, sand storms, isolated areas, sometimes hostile conditions, and with little or no comforts. These people are even low on underwear and socks, and some apparently have bagged even wearing drawers for some reason it’s so bad. I don’t understand the [...]