Let's run the numbers

Best Bars in Marathon It was an interesting trip to the Keys. I’d never been in October. Apparently either the hurricanes scared all of the locals out, or they usually all go on vacation then. It was like Paris in August. Some restaurants, attractions and shops were closed. But what was left was really nice, and fortunately the hurricanes hadn't hit there. As many of my regular readers know, I like to take a drink every now and then. On vacation in the Florida Keys, I managed to convince Mrs. Datanerd that a predinner drink was a requirement. So, we stopped at four tiki bars before dinner in the time we were there. Two of them stood out. Burdine’s was our favorite. On the second floor of a quickie-mart for boats and boaters, this bar stands out for its views. It’s right on the boat channel into Boot Key harbor, across from mangrove where multitudes of birds roost. Looking out on the channel, you can watch the sun set. Beers were cold, served with coozies t

Debates As you know, I was away during the second debate. However, I did watch it down in the Keys. Pretty much a tie, with a slight edge to Kerry. Tonight, I give it to Kerry. He had his facts together better than Bush, and provides a more optimistic vision for the American people. Bush says a lot of things about the failed policies of the past, but Bush's policies are the ones that have failed us. It's time to try something different. This time, I didn't make notes or anything, so I can't cite the times that Kerry did better. But I think he really did. Anyway, I'm not going to blog too much about politics for the next few days. Instead, I'll be treating you to reviews of restaurants, bars, and tours and activities in Marathon, Florida, the heart of the Middle Keys. Me and Mrs. Datanerd had a wonderful trip down, and only regret that it was so short.

Post-VP Debate Edwards did well. Cheney did fairly well. I don't think we'll see any substantial changes in the campaigns because of this debate. And, yes, I'm sober this time. Good night, I'm signing off to get back to packing for Florida.

Vice-Presidential Debate I'll be watching the debate, and will try to post some notes afterwards. I'll not be drinking (much) and won't be running back and forth from my easy chair to the computer. That was just too much work. This is the bout of "Mr. Sunshine" (Edwards) versus "The Human Grumble" (Cheney). The format will be Cheney's best friend. He looks good behind a desk, a virtue that Halliburton put to good use. The facts will be Edwards best friend. Let's hope he can hammer them home and keep Cheney on edge. Let's face it, while the debate will in one sense ride on the facts, it'll also ride on how the candidates appear. And Cheney has learned from Bush's woeful performance, so I doubt he'll be scowling as much as usual. Oh, and if I do have a drink during the debate, it'll be Magner's Cider (Sold in Ireland as Bulmer's). Mrs. Datanerd loves the stuff, and we were thrilled when they started i

Post-debate comments As I noted, I was watching the PBS coverage, apparently the only one that didn't go to a split-screen format so you could see the opponents reactions. People who watched the split-screen thought Kerry won by much greater margins than those who only saw the one speaker. Yes, I know that seeing the President's facial expressions and his slumping on the lectern is style over substance, but considering the way Al Gore got savaged for much less, all I can say is "Payback's a bitch". And speaking of payback, James Wolcott has some comments on the debate, and President Twitchy. James Wolcott : In birding, those fanatical about building up the life lists of species are known as 'twitchers.' But there was no bigger twitcher last night than the bird-hating Bush, who once ignorantly shot a killdeer during a photo op thinking it was a dove, according to Karen Hughes' merde-eating memoir. Bush's face suffered a silent outbreak of To