Far West China Blog - utterly fascinating

I have no idea how I wound up on a blog entitled Xinjiang: Far West China, but that is one of the best parts about just random surfing. You find something good/great, but couldn't retrace your steps to save your life.

Well, I don't want to lose this one, and I can think of a few CIT readers who will be interested to tune in. The author is a 20-something American named Josh, who has lived in a large town/small city in Xinjiang for three or four years. He and his American wife teach English, do some travel writing, and, it seems, spend a lot of time traveling the province on their second hand motorcycle, taking pictures, writing, and generally living as big an adventure as seems possible in the 21st Century.

I am fascinated by Xinjiang. It is, to me at least, as far off the beaten path as anywhere on the planet, yet has a history which goes back thousands of years. Josh's blog is a completely different, and very informative, view of this beautiful and remote place.

Go check it out. Drop Josh a note. Tell him CIT sent you!

We're back, we're bad. I'm not black, and I'm not mad.

OK, so I butchered a line from the immortal Lethal Weapon II in the headline. Sue me.

God, what a long strange trip it has been. I have been trudging the road of compulsion, desperation, and redemption for months now. I have reached, if not the end of the road, at least a decent place to stop and smell the flowers.

Thanks to my Dreamy brother, we have picked up some new readers here at little CIT. I guess Bonedome is a bigger draw than we thought. Nice surprise. AH, if it's paying off, you owe CIT a couple of beers. Since the guy who actually earned them is two time zones away, you can pay me next time I venture into the underbelly.

We've picked up at least one other new reader to whom I am very grateful for their patronage. Stand up and take a bow, RJD. Perhaps some of the group will get to know you soon.

So, it's been weird around here for some time. Let the weirdness begone! We've got all kinds of stuff to rail about in these virtual pages now:

- The Cowboys - dead one minute, heroes the next. Not buying it quite yet.
- That little git Ahmadinejad - still crazy after all these years.
- Israel is almost, sort of, nearly willing to slow down settlement building.
- Afghan women set themselves on fire rather than stay in shite marriages? No kidding? Where have you been for like the past 30 years? This isn't news. It's horrible, but it ain't new.
- The War of Terror continues wherever it can. Peshawar, Kabul, Ellis County.

So many hot topics, so little time.

I hope I'm back. I want to be back. I have new motivation to be back. As long as I can avoid an aneurysm and/or a malice-wielding perjurer, I intend to be back.

Good times in Phoenix

The extended blog hiatus is nearing an end. I'm wrapping up the Project Conference in Phoenix today and tomorrow and will be headed home for the weekend, and the foreseeable future.

There's certainly a lot to get to upon my return. College and pro football, the Rangers' improbable season (which may or may not be winding down), Afghanistan, Israel, health care reform, hurricane season.

My gosh, I can hardly wait!

A little professional blogging

I'm doing some blogging regarding my professional life over at the Catapult Systems EPM Team blog.

Come check it out!

Resurrection!

After a week of extreme strangeness, little CIT has been restored from death. Our prayers have been answered, and, like Christian Jesus, we are risen!

Hallelujah!

If you don't know what I'm talking about, drop me a line and I'll share the whole story.

In the meanwhile, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Happy Birthday, CIT

On Sept 28, 2005, we brought a bouncing baby blog into the world. Three years, and 1,600+ posts, later, we've solved nothing, changed nothing, wasted countless hours, had a few giggles, and generally entertained ourselves far more than the rest of you.

Thank you for indulging us. Thank you for reading.

As we go forward in year four, I'll remind you of our two-point plan for world peace and prosperity:

1. We must end our dependence on oil.
2. We must legalize, control, and tax drugs.

It really is that simple.

Happy Birthday!

The biggest news ever in the history of this little blog

And I am totally NOT overselling it in the headline.

We have the biggest, most exciting news ever in the 2-plus years this blog has been polluting the Internet. And that news is: We have been joined by a new contributor.

My brother, Dan Elkin, has agreed to come on board here at little CIT as co-blogger. Starting really soon, you'll see his fine work appear in this space, alongside the drivel I contribute on a somewhat regular basis (OK, OK, a lot less regular than it used to be).

A few words about Dan: My bro is two-years-and-a-bit younger than me, which also makes him a 40-something white guy. He's married, has a kid (a son who's now 10), and lives in the wilds of Northern California. He's the top dog at a charter school in the area since the summer. Prior to that, he was a high-school English teacher for many years.

Dan is my polar opposite in many ways. Much more politically liberal, much better read, and a deeper thinker than I am, he's going to lend a much different take to the offerings here at little CIT. Which I think is great.

My reasons for inviting Dan to contribute here are pretty varied, but it boils down to my obvious diminishing of interest in keeping this thing going. I've invested a lot of time and effort into this blog, but I was at the point where it was either shake it up big-time or close it down. I think this is going to be a big, and welcome, shake up.

At any rate, please welcome Dan to the forum, and keep reading!

So overdue...

Oy vey, have I been a crap blogger. If you can't tell, sometimes this thing turns into a giant albatross.

Well, I'm back for a bit. I hope some of you are still with me...

The sun has returned to Texas

Here I am on the forty-something floor of the Bank of America Plaza (which is about the 7^th name of the tallest building in Dallas, the one outlined in green argon at night). I look out the window, and see, for a change, sun. It probably won't last, as big, grey clouds are blowing up to the west, but it's a welcome change from one of the wettest Mays ever here in Big D. Perhaps my recent blogging malaise can be traced to the weather. Or the pollen count. Or Mars' retrograde thru Aquarius (what?).

Hail the sunshine, baby!

Back from the dead

Hey now.

For those of you who feared for my safety and sanity (and there were a few of you, for whom I am grateful), please be assured I am physically and mentally fit as ever.

Which is, admittedly, not saying much. On either front.

My absence is due to nothing more than apathy and inertia. But I have overcome both of those constants of the universe, and hope to be present here in these pages more frequently.

Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated

Contrary to popular opinion, I am not dead. Believe me, you, the faithful CIT reader, would be the first invited to the funeral.

I'm not much for excuses - I've been busy and have had very little to say. That, my friends, is a combination sure to quash blogging, at least temporarily.

At any rate, I'm back now. Not sure how long it will last, but let's ride the wave whilst we can, shall we? Onward!

2006 Review

You’ll read year-in-review articles everywhere in the next week or so. For the most part, they’ll be a beating, and this one will be no exception. I often struggle with things like this: Is it worth wasting electrons on my screen to even go thru this exercise? Will anyone care? The answer to that is, of course, NO. But who cares about any of the crap I write about here? A few of you do (and I appreciate every one of you), but, for the most part, I do this whole bit just for me.

So, with all the usual self-flagellation out of the way, I think this will be some fun to look back at in the near and distant future. Here goes:

News Story of the Year

The knee-jerk is to say something like “Iraq” or “War of Terror”, but that’s pretty broad. If we’re going to narrow it down a bit, then we should focus on a specific event. To me, that’s the mid-term elections.

The Republicans losing control of Congress was no surprise – they’d doing everything in their power to hand it over for several years, and it was only Democratic ineptness which prevented it from happening at least two years ago. Not a surprise, but an historic, game-changing event nonetheless, and an opportunity to make some new moves at last. Would Rumsfeld still be at the Pentagon if the Dems hadn’t won? Dunno, but they did and he’s not. That’s a start, but, obviously, not nearly enough. I don’t know what the answer is in Iraq, but the status quo obviously ain’t working. I’m not going to say “anything would be better than what we’ve got”, because that’s foolish and untrue. However, there are better approaches available, and its way past time to start trying them. The change in DC makes those other approaches a legitimate part of the debate, where they might not have been before.

International Story of the Year

Ariel Sharon’s catastrophic stroke, North Korea joining the nuclear club, Iran starting the application process for the same club, general zaniness from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hugo Chavez, and the continuing horror shows in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Burma are all noteworthy, but the story of the year in the International section has to be Israel vs. Hezbollah.

For most of the mid-summer, Israel, Hezbollah, and, to a lesser extent, Hamas, Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan had a serious disagreement. The roots are, of course, one of the most complex, frustrating, and violent differences of opinion in the history of mankind. The immediate cause was the kidnapping (or capture, depending on your perspective, I suppose) of three Israeli soldiers by Hamas and Hezbollah.

The result was weeks of open hostilities, the resolution of which is unclear at this point. Israel certainly did not lose, but it’s difficult to tell if Hezbollah and Hamas did either. Hamas and Hezbollah didn’t win, but it’s difficult to tell if Israel did.

One thing we know for sure coming out of this little soiree is the Israeli govt has lost most, if not all, of its stones. Sharon, and most of the PMs before him, knew that, if it comes to shooting at anything above the platoon level, then it’s time to throw everything up to, and including, the kitchen sink at the other guys. Half measures don’t get it done. However, all Olmert and his tottering coalition could muster was half measures.

VERY discouraging!

Sports Story of the Year

A close one here: Mavs going to the NBA Finals was BIG, but I have to go with Vince Young and Texas winning the National Championship. That Rose Bowl was an All-Timer – I proclaimed it the Greatest College Football Game Ever, and I stand by that. There was MUCH rejoicing all over Texas and at the CIT Compound in particular back on Jan 4.

Entertainment Story of the Year

My vote goes to Sacha Baron Cohen’s emergence as a major comedy star. I have been a fan of the guy since I first laid eyes on “Da Ali G. Show” several years ago. Talladega Nights and, of course, Borat have introduced Cohen to mainstream America. Not everyone gets him, but well north of $150 million in box office for Borat indicates that enough do. Borat takes its place with Monty Python and The Holy Grail, Team America, and Blazing Saddles as the funniest, most offensive movie ever in the history of ever. Shockingly, my smart and insanely hot wife laughed her ass off at it, which is a bet I would have lost for sure.

Local Story of the Year

It’s hardly ever good news in the City of Dallas, and this year is no exception. The big story was the unveiling of plans for the giant new Jerry-Dome in Arlington. The news is all good for Arlington, the Jones family, Cowboy fans, and probably humanity in general. However, its just one more example of Dallas’, and especially Laura Miller’s, inability to get it done.

Best Week of the Year (Personal Edition)

Back in June, I got to attend Microsoft’s annual Tech Ed, this year held at the spiffy new Boston Convention and Even Center. The week-long event was excellent, as always; well-planned, well-executed, well-attended, and chock full of great info. And, since it was in Boston, I got to make a bit of a vacation of the whole thing.

In my 10 day stay, I managed to: spend two days in Providence RI, boating, eating at nice restaurants, killing many brain cells, and generally reliving my college days; see cousins, aunts, and assorted other family from both sides on a number of occasions; go for several runs along the Charles on spectacular New England early summer days; go for several walks through Back Bay and the Financial District on spectacular New England early summer days; get introduced to City Bar, a new entry on my very short list of favorite Boston bars; and enjoy several meals in Back Bays finest restaurants.

I need more business trips like this one!

Big Time Family Story of the Year

There’s a litany of events in the running. Rather than boil it down to a single one, let me briefly list the big stuff:

Our five-year-old son, who has an extremely rare metabolic disease called Tyrosinemia Type 1 and who got VERY VERY sick before he was a year old, started Kindergarten and is learning so much, so fast that I literally can’t believe it. In addition, FISD and the folks at his school have really accommodated him. It took minimal effort from us on some things, and quite a bit of effort on some other things, but we are very pleased with how things have worked out for him.

Our eight-year-old daughter got recruited for select soccer. She’s very athletic, which is shocking, considering how nonathletic her dad is, and, when she’s into it, is an outstanding player. We’re working on the “into it” part, and playing at a higher level should help. This is quite an honor, though, and something we’re all very proud of.

I changed employers, moving from International Network Services to Catapult Systems back in Sept. The work is exactly the same, but I’m doing all of it in the DFW Metroplex of Love. Other than a day trip to Houston and a day trip to Austin, I haven’t traveled for business since I made the change. I actually have time to help Aly with her homework, make the kids dinner, do baths and bedtime, and have a hobby or two. What a revelation!

Robynne continues to add to her legend in the medical community in Dallas, Collin, and Denton Counties. She’s had parents say to her, “I had to wait a month to get an appointment with you, but it was worth the wait.” That’s pretty high praise. She’s had huge positive impacts on so many families in North Texas through her work – it’s great to see her do so well at something she clearly loves to do. She is, quite literally, an inspiration to me.

Thanks for sticking with me thru this outrageously long post, and with the blog thru long periods of less-than-active posting (and less-than-interesting content). Have a great Holiday Season, and a happy 2007!

Hey. We're back!

Whoa. Sorry. I meant to take last weekend off from blogging, and it turned into an entire-week hiatus.

So, we're back. How about a few quick-hittie items by way of catch up:

• The Palestinians are trying to kill each other. Again. Now Abbas is calling for new elections ASAP. I'm sure the Hamas boys will not be too thrilled with that.
• Judith Regan, the genius behind OJ's planned "If I Did It" book, got canned by Murdoch yesterday. There is some justice left in the world.
• In Cowboy news, the humiliation by the Saints warmed my heart. Nearly as much fun was Quincy Carter's latest drug bust (bailed out by Grampa Urine of all people) and the unveiling of the $1 billion Jerry Dome earlier this week. Whee!
• It took Florida 34 minutes and two injections to kill convicted murderer Angel Nieves Diaz the other day. You would think Floridians would be really good at dispensing medication, but apparently not. I'm not sure if Diaz's thoughts were along the "Hurry up" line or the "Keep screwing around" line.

We'll be back to regular posting in the next day or two. In the meanwhile, Happy Hanukkah to all!

Another blog worth reading

Jim Allchin, longtime head honcho of the Windows group at Microsoft (and, therefore, one of the top 10 most powerful people in tech) has started to blog. One assumes that, with Vista about to RTM and his own January retirement date approaching, he finally has found the time.

This is another one to keep an eye on. His unfortunate name aside (Allchin? Tragic.), this guy is no dummy.

Uncle Barky needs your help

For those of you who reside in the mighty Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex of Love, allow me to submit a new blog and website for your perusal: Ed Bark, the long-time DMN TV critic, also known around these parts as “Uncle Barky”, is now online, and it’s pure Internet goodness.

You may or may not know that Uncle Barky has left the no-longer-nurturing biosphere of Belo after a, shall we say, difference of opinion with the most senior of senior DMN management. This is DMN’s loss (and God knows they’ve suffered a few of them recently – Jean-Jacques Taylor is now a SportsDay columnist, for God’s sake), but the Internet’s gain.

There’s a link to Uncle Barky on the left side of CIT, for your linking pleasure. I suggest you visit early and visit often, and absorb all the pop-culture morsels Ed so liberally sprinkles about.

Tell ‘em CIT sent you!

Upgraded to the new Blogger

I've been invited to the new Blogger Beta, and have just upgraded CIT. I'll be adding labels to posts when I get the chance.

I'd appreciate any feedback you've got on the new setup, or the any component of the blog!

Ty is back

My favorite substitute blogger ever in the history of ever is back - Ty Walker is filling in for The Great Sturm while Bob slacks (more than usual) for a week.

Ty is a fan of the picture, the hot chick, and the picture of the hot chick. And he finds some good SPOOOORRRRRTTTTTSSSS to link as well. What's not to like?

Go check out his fine work RIGHT NOW. Drop the spatula. Go. Now.