The Best - and Worst - of the Blog

When I was kid, I remember complaining that I was bored. My dad looked at me, somewhat incredulously, and told me he was never bored. In fact, he said, he could use an extra hour every day.

I was stunned - I honestly could not fathom what I do with an entire hour more each and every day.

Fast-forward. I want my extra hour. Or extra day. Whatever I can get, I'll take.

But to be honest, that's not the only thing that keeps me away from blogging. Lack of desire, some days, does it. Other days, I prefer to be just a consumer of blogs. And still other days, I run across blog entries that are so self-serving, so self-righteous, that I think I cannot possibly, for one more minute, contribute to the blogging world.

Today, apparently, I am, once again, feeling self-important. Because here it is, not even 8 a.m., and I'm at the computer. And to be honest, I have no topic in mind.

I could write about Houstonfest this weekend (high school German competition) - had a post all prepared in my head about how academics deserve more recognition, about how when I was in high school we were not permitted to participate in math relays held at the university campus that my school was part of, though we would never, ever have missed a track meet, a basketball tournament. But it hardly seemed getting too worked up about.

(For the record, Alison did very well, placing fifth in extemporaneous speaking and first in poetry. The school placed fourth. She was only eligible in a handful of categories, as she is considered an "advantaged" speaker, even though she really only met one of five or six criteria. She's going to state in both events, and she could not be more excited. Though she did not request my help as a chaperon ... which is OK. You can't watch any of the actual competition, so it's just as well that I stay home. Hanging out in hallways supervising kids is not my No. 1 way to spend a Saturday, and I did my duty over the weekend.)

I could pontificate on Super Tuesday, on upcoming primaries. Texas will really count - yay! A debate has been scheduled here for the Democrats, and the GOP is working on one, too - I anticipate visits from everyone in the days leading up to March 4 (I've heard the talk of a big Obama rally, but nothing definite for anyone else ... that will change). But my views are only mine. And while I know others agree with me, it can sound boring to ramble on and on about my political views. They're mine, and I value them highly. But others are not obligated to listen to what I have to say..

And people like to, for whatever reason, feel that they are somehow above the fray, saying that the candidates who are running for president do not inspire them, the media coverage is too intrusive, the campaign too long.

People said the same thing in 1960, that neither candidate did anything for them. I wonder who this dream candidate is, the one who would solve all our problems and inspire people to become part of the political process, all without negative ads and with just the right blend of charisma and talent. We end up with mere humans running. None of them is perfect, but I will give credit to anyone who tries to make a difference - Mike Gravel, Tom Villsack, and Duncan Hunter included.

And frankly, this year, the candidates have as much experience as any other year - we have former governors and senators among them. Just what is you people want, anyway?

And these comments are surprisingly upbeat from a cynic like me, let me tell you. Plus, I take offense at the media coverage jabs - I still consider myself part of the media, and I can tell you, most newspapers and TV stations offer exactly what the public wants. Look at the ratings. Personally, I love political coverage - I love to sit and watch election returns, listen to the speculation, the possible scenarios. In 2004, I loved that interactive map from the LA Times that showed what would happen depending on who won which state - I loved to change the states from red to blue, seeing how many states would be needed if my candidate did win Florida, or Ohio, or New Mexico. Fun stuff - on election night I was all set up on the sofa, laptop at my side, ready to play along with the live coverage.

But that's just me. And I never claimed to be normal. (Though I'm guessing Pete would understand.)

I could share the outrageous saga of the Harris County DA. I could write about what my girls are up to. I could blog about lots of little things I find entertaining, or amusing, or annoying.

Not in the mood. But by tomorrow I can share about another party, if you're interested. Or something new will have me inspired.

So, essentially, I have invested the last several minutes writing about nothing. Talk about self-absorbed ... blogging at its best.