Alberto Gonzales's father

From the outgoing AG's comments today, as he announced his resignation...

"I often remind our fellow citizens that we live in the greatest country in the world and that I have lived the American dream. Even my worst days as attorney general have been better than my father’s best days."

Is he lifting this directly from a Horatio Alger dime novel? It just doesn't seem to fit. Imagine for a moment...Gonzales's worst day (visualize Chuck Schuman, calling you out for being a liar on national television). Now if we're to believe him, just imagine what kind of hell his father must have lived as a construction worker in Texas.

I know it's hyperbole, and the guy is obviously preoccupied with status/wealth, but it still seems pretty dismissive of the American working class and the lifestyle that they can afford. "Thinking of relaxing with the family this weekend? Don't bother, any joy or feelings of contentment that you experience will be a figment of your imagination. Just keep working. When you have wealth, you'll understand."

Then again, he's a lawyer, and while he may have wanted us to infer it, technically he didn't say that his father's lower socio-economic status had anything to do with why he was so miserable. Maybe there's another explanation: just imagine being a parent in that household if Alberto's seven siblings were all as frustrating as he is.

I hope that he'll still be prosecuted for perjury. It might help him to understand the benefits of an honest living.

Heatmiser at a wedding in 1992

For any Heatmiser/Elliot Smith fans. They're playing the song "Dead Air" from the album of the same name. The weird thing about this is that I got a tattoo from a woman (I think it was Infinity Tattoo) in '92 or '93, and we were talking about bands and I mentioned that I had been going to a lot of Heatmiser shows. She was a friend of the band, and if I remember correctly, she said that Heatmiser had recently played at her wedding. I doubt they played many wedding gigs. I don't know who posted this, but it brought back some memories.

Rocco's Pizza & Grill

Mary and I like to support independent businesses, and especially independent restaurants. We don't habitually patronize the underdog...we're just accustomed to liking independent places a lot more than chains.

One of the bigger complaints we have about the Hartford area is that it's the kind of place where the chains really dominate, and independent businesses struggle to get enough business to survive and keep up, and usually they don't keep up.

So if we find independent restaurants that we like, we'll mention them to people. My Google maps will eventually be filled with places we like to go, and with my new SD750 around, hopefully I'll be able to snap a photo or two while I'm there.



We've been wanting to try Rocco's since they opened, and last weekend Mary suggested it, so we stopped in for lunch. They're starting off with a limited menu (it's not so bad), which makes sense. I want fresh food, even without as many choices, and they don't want to see food spoiling while they're trying to build a customer base.



We like booths when we can get them, and that's what Rocco's had for us. Nice lighting too. That's a kitchen in the back.



I got a tuna grinder, and it was really good...enormous. I now know just where to go when I'm really starving. Mary got the last few bites of this one. Normally I'm finishing her meal for her.



I can see us returning sometime soon for a pint or two if we want to get out of the house and watch the game one of these nights.

More bandwidth from my ISP

It's some kind of burst technology, supposed to give me up to 10 Megabits per second now. Here's my first test...



Ok, I looked it up, and it's something called "PowerBoost" (WHOOAAAAA!!!) that Cox licensed from Comcast. Apparently if there's excess bandwidth, they'll give it to you for a few seconds (maybe 10-20 MBs worth). Then you can get a good chunk of your streaming video buffered so that you won't have to wait for it later...that kinda thing.

I support this move.

Google gives you My Maps

So Google decided that people who waste time reading my blog want to see where I go when I'm out and about in the Hartford area, and I'm perfectly ok with that. Nothing to hide here. At least nothing that I'll be linking on my Google maps.

Here's my first entry, which should grow as I go out and do stuff (maybe I'll start carrying a camera more often when I go out to eat).

Tonight after work I'm heading to the Wadsworth for music, art, drinks, socializing, etc. It's fitting that my first geographical bookmark is almost exactly in the center of the city.