Of course I have my Amazon list, but for family then there are always other items that don't exist I'd love to have so here are a few quick thoughts.

Babylon 5 podcast mentions the DVDs are on sale I have season 1, but would love the rest.

You, me, and a Chicken Fried Radio Tshirt or Bumper Sticker would be great!

Microbrewed Adventures or the beer style books like the Hefeweizen

Last and if someone wins the lottery or is feeling really generous this will always be an option.

"I don't think movie theaters will ever go away"

So spoke a man who probably hasn't seen a film in a theater with sticky floors, bad sound system, or even noticed how overpriced the popcorn is in years.

I only see a film or two a year in theater, most of them aren't a priority. Not that I haven't wanted to see some of them, just the experience isn't worth the trouble. Probably part of the reason I signed up with Netflicks. I can wait a couple of months after release to see things. No rush.

Theaters can't compare to an environment where you can ocntrol the start and finish times, the temperature, the neighbors with cell phones, and the overpriced food stuffs. With today's surround sound and big screens we have our own theaters and we really won't need theirs.

A coworker was very excited about Rumsfeld’s resignation. Too excited really I thought for someone who had never worked in DC, defense industry, or the military. It bothered me but I couldn’t quite put my finger on the why.

This morning I awoke with my answer, it reminded me of the often ugly side of DC life. Those narrow-minded folks who were more tied to their party identity over the fact that at the end of the day we were and are all Americans. All too often in DC I would be in a perfectly pleasant conversation at a reception or party and eventually the question would come up “Where do you work?” With my response some people would turn and leave the conversation though it had been perfectly nice up to that point. They valued that party affiliation over friendship and conversation while it bothered me, it more depressed me that they were such shallow people.

I understand that my coworker doesn’t like Rumsfeld and that is fine, but the man has committed the better part of a lifetime working for public service and that ought to earn some basic level of respect.

Goldwater’s autobiography did influence me in this way, I enjoyed the section where he talked about at the end of the day, regardless of the political debate he and Kennedy would often sit down and play cards together. I tried to carry that same mindset with me to DC, because some of the best people I got to know and still remain friends with were working for the other side of the aisle.

I think it comes down to this are you an American or are you a party affiliation?