peacefinder's Journal: Senatorial Visit [Updated]

My Federal gosh-darn Senator, the Hon. Gordon Smith, is due here any minute. He's the Republican half of Oregon's split delegation. I respectfully disagree with him on a number of issues, of course, but he seems to be a decent fellow.

He's here to campaign on behalf of the Republican candidate for Governor, who is also going to be here. He strikes me as a complete tool, but so does the incumbent Democrat. (As one local wag put it, it's a choice between a Goldschmidt crony and a Goldschmidt consigliere. Both probably knew about the ex-Governor's rape of his babysitter and helped cover it up until the statue of limitations ran out.) I think I'll write in Ben Westlund.

Anyway, the nominal purpose of the visit, and the reason they're coming to our clinic, is that they're here to support the Reach Out and Read program by reading to a bunch of kids in our fancy new waiting room.

Staff has been asked to leave politics aside for the day. Our focus is to be on the literacy program, not the political overtones. Therefore, with some regret, I have decided to avoid the event and the surrounding media circus. I'll probably be hiding in the server room.

If his tour of our facility happens to lead him to me, he'll probably notice that I happen to be wearing my Portland Bill of Rights Defense Committee shirt. Strictly a concidence, of course - it was on top of the heap of clean laundry. Really.

But if my plans go completely awry and I happen to chat with Sen. Smith, I might suggest to him that, with all due respect, an excellent use of literacy is for Senators to read the bills presented to them before voting upon them.

Update: The managing partner steered the tour well clear of me. I expect everyone is better off.

That you in the server room pic?

[Tsunayoshi]

If so, you are NOTHING like I envisioned. I expected someone more "geeky".

I like the kilt though. :-)

And why would a Senator read a Bill? That is what interns and staff members are for.

Re:

[Shadow Wrought]

I can vouchsafe that a) that is him, b) the kilt fits him well, c) he's even cooler in person, and d) he is one of the few people who could actually carry a claymore around and not have it look out of place;-)

Re:

[peacefinder]

And I'm not even Scottish!

(I'm pretty sure my Viking ancestors must have carried off a few Scottish women, though, so I guess it's all good.)

Re:

[Shadow Wrought]

The age old question, Claymore or Battle-axe?

Re:

[peacefinder]

A claymore is pretty, but I can't help thinking an axe would be more practical. (Unless we're talking about claymore mines, of course.)

Re:

[Shadow Wrought]

A friend and I were once discussing who would win in a match between a rapier and a claymore. Since my briefest of flirtations with fencing left me with a bitter taste (talk about arrogance!) I was on the claymore side. After we'd been going back and forth a 3rd party asked me what the advantage of a claymore was if it was such a slower weapon than a rapier. I answered, "Because it doesn't so much cut as cleave."

Re:

[peacefinder]

Hmm. Let me guess: You enrolled at Salle Auriol?

Try Salem Classical Fencing [classicalfencing.us] instead. Much more low-key and no Olympic ambitions or pretentions.

Re:

[Shadow Wrought]

Actually this was (as much as I'm amazed by it) a decade ago at UCSB. Snotty rich kids talking about how if they were only allowed to carry sharpened swords in public they would need never fear crime. They certainly did not appreciate me pointing how much I would rather have the .45 ;-)

They also gloated over beating me in a match. Not that I particularly cared since (a) they had been fencing for years and (b) it was my first attempt! Yeah, that's a victory to be proud of!

Re:

[Tsunayoshi]

Years ago I caught part of a history show on some channel where some researchers had found diagrams of sword fighting techniques, basically a kata for 2 person 2H sword sparring. They found a pair of swordsman and had them train the kata until they could do it full speed.

It was rather impressive how fast you can whip a large sword around when you knew what you were doing, and in a very controlled manner.

For me

[Marxist Hacker 42]

It's the choice between the guy who will fix PERS by renegotiating my union contract and the guy who will fix PERS by firing everybody in the union and deunionizing the state. As a public employee, I bet you can guess which one I feel forced to vote for.

The shot of your server room...

[Timex]

...looks like you're the proud owner of a UtiliKilt [utilikilt.com].

Nice.

Re:

[peacefinder]

Yessir. I've had it for a bit over three years. Highlt recommended.

Re:

[Timex]

Yessir. I've had it for a bit over three years. Highlt recommended.

I've been debating it since I found out about them a couple years ago...

I currently live in a city that is predominantly of Portuguese decent (usually first, second, or third generation). I think a kilt would be lost on them.

I may get one anyway. Wife won't like it, though. :\