Chapter 47.6: Can You Say Escalation?

Well, anybody expecting a significant number of troops to return from Iraq in time to rally voters in November must be sorely disappointed with the comments made by President Bush, who said he'll be ordering more troops to deal with the "terrible" sectarian violence. While I'm not particularly crazy about the war -- and not a fan of our president's policies in general -- I actually think this is a necessary move. Had the president truly downsized the American presence in Iraq, I think a civil war there would have followed. And that would have been worse for us -- and certainly worse for a region that is having enough problems already. I think President Bush should have listened more closely to Colin Powell a few years ago when he was telling him that more troops would be necessary.

Chapter 47.2: Diamond Syd

Sad news. Syd is dead. Syd Barrett, one of the founders of Pink Floyd, passed away last week. Though I can't say I listen to them much anymore, I've been a Floyd fan since I was a kid and have nostalgic memories of sitting on my front yard listening to Umma Gumma on my Walkman on a summer night, grooving with a Pict.

Of course, as a lover of elephants, I'm both pleased and horrified by the bouncy Effervescing Elephant tune -- horrified because the sage pachyderm dies at the end. And as I walked home yesterday, I hummed See Emily Play.

She's often inclined to borrow somebody's dreams till tomorrow.

Syd, you're in our dreams and prayers now. Borrow what you need.

Chapter 47: The Second Half

It's been an advenutrous year, and the second half will be more of the same. Actually, it may be more adventurous, but certainly not the same. I'm in the process hiring a new writer; my deputy editor has departed. And my wife and I are embarking on a pleasant adventure of our own -- well, I don't know how pleasant it'll be, but I'll get into that at some other time.

I've also started a new blog about the books I'm reading and have already read this year. I've started to write book reviews as a sideline within my job, and since I've been reading so much anyway, it seems like a good idea to do something with what I'm learning/experiencing. Frankly, I've been disappointed in myself because it's not enough just to read something, one must think about it. That's important, because books can -- and should -- change your life. So, instead of just marking another notch in my bedroom reading list (well...on the train, mostly), I've begun to write about what I'm reading. Ok, I should probably edit what I've just done, but as Anne Lamott says, you're going to write shitty first drafts. The problem with a blog is that most people publish their crap, as I'm doing now.

In looking at my personal goals for the year, I've seen a lot of areas where I can improve. I won't go into too much detail about them here, but let's just say that I've changed a deadline (or two) on the editing of my first novel. I'm still committed to getting a draft ready for an agent this year. And, I will start the second book. This time, however, it might not be a novel. There are some things I need to work out. If I follow through out it, it'll be a baseball book.

Of course, another adventure is what's going on at Shea Stadium and throughout the National League, where my Mets are dominating. Unfortunately, the only game I've seen in person was the one-hitter the Yankees tossed against them on June 30. With the All-Star game happening on Tuesday, I have a few days to rest and plan when I might be able to catch a game at the home of the soon to be NL East Champion Mets. Ok, I don't want to get cocky yet; they've not won anything yet. But they're looking good -- the fourth and fifth starters notwithstanding.

On to the second half.