One thing I like about Maine, is that opportunity to exchange ideas with my family and friends. With my parents, we talked about the already-developing hopefuls for Democratic nominations: Dean, Kerry, mostly. I heard a soundbyte from Kerry "Half the lives in Viet Nam were lost from Pride: Let's make sure that won't happen again." -- he has my vote.

I told my parents that I felt our present president was the worst one I'd lived through, and while I've said that before, we had a chance to discuss it in more detail. We compared him to Nixon. Dad felt that GWB is just plain stupid, while Nixon was evil. I countered that GWB will thus be more evil, because he can be the working mouthpiece for those who are truly evil. My mom said, that at least Nixon had a brilliant foreign policy -- and I couldn't disagree. With C, she talked about her relatives who believe that Clinton is the worst president, mostly because of Lewinskigate: "He desicrated the white house!" We both heartily agreed that couldn't possibly be the worst thing.

With my sister, we talked about bringing up baby -- education mostly. Our conversation began with a report on Maine PBS about the state's refusal of the "No Child Left Behind" program initiated by GWB. The tenants of that program call for people having a choice in public schooling and minimum certified standards for teachers: Maine balks as it is a rural state. And rightfully so, through their own efforts (Yankee ingenuity?), they continue to have some of the higher educational standards in the country. SL and I talked about a Ritalin nation, obesity, nutrition and exercise. I suppose my parents were appalled that she was breast-feeding in the restaurant, but honestly, she did it discreetly and no one noticed. Welcome to the 2000's!

It was so good talking to SL.

At present, Dad has taped McNeil Lehrer Report and is watching it while I tap this out quietly. More later, when I've returned to OHio. Why O Who O. Dreams of leaving my job and living up here permanently.