Out of the Inkwell

Welcome to the blog of many parts....

First, some unfinished business – here's the photo of Moon's Arch on South Woodstock VT, the domed stone structure that predates Native Americans and is believed by some to have been constructed by wandering Celts. Joe Citro informed me that there are no historical regulations protecting the many such constructions in the state. This is amazingly short-sighted in my opinion.



I love seeing these things that are not always easily explained away. There is something very reassuring to me that mysteries in the physical world still exist.

Department two – Head over to my animation review site for my opinion of some new animation to home video.

Department three– Another segment in the continuing drama of a reporter's life: I'm always amazed when an elected official is actually on time for an event. Last week, I had little hope that most of the time allotted for Senator John Kerry's campaign swing through Springfield – a meet and greet at a local restaurant – would be spent waiting for the junior senator. I was wrong. I arrived at the same time he did and while he was talking to a cluster at the door, I made my way in and positioned myself outside of the door of the function room.

You see once the politician goes into the room of waiting supporters – people who are going to give him money and put his bumper stickers on their cars – of them care little to mingle with the press. We are useful, but only at certain times.

The fact that Kerry seldom ventures into Western Massachusetts except when he is running for re-election is a hard and fast rule and I wondered in the several minutes I waited actually what I could ask him that would be of interest or use to my readers and wasn't typical campaign blather.

I wound up asking him about what the Senate could do about gas prices and he told me he was sponsoring a bill that would set up an investigative unit at the Justice Department that would look at how speculation has driven up the price of petrol. He also blamed the Bush Administration for not encouraging energy companies to seek out alternative fuel sources.

Fair enough, but has he been vocal on the subject for the last two years or so as prices began their upwards creep?

Given that I had about three minutes and he told me I needed to be brief, I thought I did okay.

I followed him into the love fest, which is indeed a love fest for some and an obligation to go kiss the ring for others.I'm always surprised who shows up and who doesn't at this kind of event. I stayed for an hour and noticed that only one local mayor turned up, as well as one state rep and one Springfield city councilor. Perhaps more turned up after I left.

One person told me she was there as an observer not as a supporter and said she worked for Kerry's Democratic challenger Ed O'Reilly but left that campaign for unsaid reasons. She said that Kerry was "the lesser of two evils."

If I had more time and I hope along the campaign trail I will I'm going to ask Kerry how he think he has benefited Western Massachusetts. I bet there will be many generalities.

© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs