Let the annoying television ads begin!

Hillary Clinton has formed her presidential exploratory committee. That brings the number of candidates whose names I know off the top of my head to two -- let the presidential politics begin.

I don't know much about Barack Obama, but what I have seen and heard from him I like. Senator Clinton isn't so fortunate. Even the announcement on her website rubs me the wrong way.

"The stakes will be high when America chooses a new president in 2008.

As a senator, I will spend two years doing everything in my power to limit the damage George W. Bush can do. But only a new president will be able to undo Bush's mistakes and restore our hope and optimism.

Only a new president can renew the promise of America -- the idea that if you work hard you can count on the health care, education, and retirement security that you need to raise your family. These are the basic values of America that are under attack from this administration every day.

And only a new president can regain America's position as a respected leader in the world.

...

This is a big election with some very big questions. How do we bring the war in Iraq to the right end? How can we make sure every American has access to adequate health care? How will we ensure our children inherit a clean environment and energy independence? How can we reduce the deficits that threaten Social Security and Medicare?"

Several points in the statement bother me.

• Senator Clinton was elected to office in the same election as President Bush. Why wait until the final two years of the eight years you'll have been in Congress to fight the guy?


• Bring the war in Iraq to the right end? Why not take a stand before conducting polls and say what you think that end is? Even after her most recent trip to Iraq Senator Clinton didn't make any sort of firm statement.


• Finally, in 2008 we will have a new president regardless of who wins the election. Several times in the statement the phrase "only a new president" is used. I'd feel a lot better about Senator Clinton if her statement didn't make it sound like she has no idea that the 22nd amendment exists. I know it is written to make her look like she is running against all that W is about, but please wait until after the primaries to drop the level of the campaigns to below a fourth grade level. You're insulting the educational system you're proposing to save -- possibly intentionally -- with statements like these.

A Wreck on Every Overpass

College Station is shut down today. No classes on campus, all schools closed, even Ana's daycare is shut down due to the bad weather. This is the third time this has happened since I've lived in College Station. I'm certainly glad that just about everything is closed too, because the roads are just bad enough to make traffic a mess.

Ana and Lidia were out of town over the long weekend visiting my brother-in-law. I went to Houston last night to pick them up. The trip was uneventful until we were just two miles south of College Station. One overpass was closed due to what appeared to be a car and an 18 wheeler getting together. On the next overpass, the last before I turned off of Highway 6, the three cars in front of me all slid off the road when they hit ice and tried to use their brakes. I rolled/slid through the middle of them and made it home ok.

This morning we took Ana to the doctor. I think the thought of travel is what makes her sick. Nothing serious this time, just a cold on top of her newly diagnosed asthma. The airline lost their luggage on the flight to Georgia so Ana missed two doses of medicine, which probably let the cold work its way in.

On the way to the doctor we stayed on the access road and on two of the overpasses we saw accidents. Returning from the doctor's office we saw accidents on every overpass that hadn't had an accident on it on the way to the doctor. There hasn't been anything serious that we've seen -- just some folks sliding slowly into the concrete barriers or off into the median or ditches. Even the accident with the truck and car last night didn't look like more than a fender bender. For that we can all be grateful.

Hopefully it will warm up enough to stop the sleet from falling and melt everything well enough that classes can start tomorrow and folks can stop sliding around.

Not Guilty by Reason of Cuteness

As Bubba's Sis has noted, Ana has me wrapped around her little finger already. I've certainly been wrapped around her finger for some time now, but it has recently become very obvious.

In the last month my darling princess has managed to

• Toss my cell phone in the potty -- it managed to survive


• Lose my wedding ring the week before Christmas. I recovered it this past week from a tunnel on one of her toys where she was hoarding a nice assortment of small things.


• Lose Lidia's wedding ring. It was recovered very quickly from the diaper bag since we had just realized my wedding ring may be gone forever.

Had any of this been done by someone other than Ana said person would have been shot. Ana has survived because I realize her attention span is too short to remember where she puts most things sure, but primarily because she's my little girl. It is hard to get angry with someone you think is so cute.

They're Back

Yesterday afternoon as I walked across campus enjoying the emptiness and sunshine I heard them. A not so far off cadence being sounded out as cadets ran down the street. I thought it was too early for formal all-out Corps activity, so I assumed it was a small group that had returned to campus early. I had a good swim and didn't think about it.

Then late last night I made a grocery store run. We needed baby food and we had spotted a sale on strawberries, so off I went. At 9pm the store was packed. It is official, the students have returned to campus for the spring semester. The month of bliss between semesters is over and now the stores and streets will once again be jammed with students yapping on cell phones, oblivious to anything happening in the world around them.

I doubt that signs posted on Highway 6 on either side of town saying, "There was a mistake with your grades. You've failed out. Sorry. Now go back to your parents!" would actually work. I'll just have to remember that long ago, in a century far, far away I myself was one of these annoying undergrads occupying space in town. And so the spring semester begins.