The cicadas are humming, the pool is fantastic, and I'm blogging from Nona's backyard deck

Dateline: Nona's place, Terra Haute, Indiana, 28 August 2005

I am really glad we moved to Indiana. I've met more nice and polite people in one month than I did in living 20 years on the East Coast. I guess I was simply imprinted too deeply by my childhood to find any charm out East.

No offense to all the Bush haters, but I understand why the guy stays out of DC as much as possible. I would do the same as president.

No great slight meant for Easterners. I guess I just proved that you can take the boy outta the Midwest, but you can't take the Midwest outta the boy.

But the big thing is simply access to family: at Nonaís the past three weekends and at my Momís for Labor Day. Then someday soon, our own home as a place for others to visit.



But enough sociology. I want another dip in the pool before we head back to our collective prison cell.

Here's the daily catch, all from Nona's DELIVERED NYT! (I have discovered, for the second time, that the NYT doesn't deliver to my zip back in Indy, but I fear not, as my little neck of the woods is growing):

■ The winning strategy in Iraq, the winning Army in Iraq

■ Trading soldiers' lives for election-year votes

■ Beijing is too busy to invade Taiwanóuntil 2008 at least

■ Africa's answers are found down below

■ Hamas votes for extinction

■ The revolution will be unmanned--finally

■ Want connectivity, want the content too