What I Read on Vacation

In a process similar to the NCAA bracket, I narrowed down a pile of books and picked a few to take with me on vacation. Curiously enough, of the seven books I took with me on vacation, none of them was fiction. I ended up reading four from start to finish, kicking off the week by reading the last few chapters of a fifth. Here's what I read in chronological order:

"The Big Short," by Michael Lewis. I had hoped to finish this one on the trip that preceded by vacation, but that didn't happen. So I read the final eighty pages or so the first night I arrived at the beach cottage in Connecticut. I like the way Michael Lewis writes, and it's not simply because he's married to Tabitha Soren, or because I had the chance to meet him (following an industry event when he was promoting an earlier book, "The New New Thing.") Lewis translates very complicated topics and presents them in a way that makes you wonder why you had problems understanding them in the first place. His break down of the financial crash in 2008 is top-notch.

"The Last Lecture," by Randy Pausch. At times a tear-jerker, I brought this book since it's been on my reading list forever. It's tough to argue with a man who passed after suffering from cancer, but there are some things Pausch believed that I disagree with. He argues that life is black and white; not sure how that's even close to the case. Still, his verdict in the final chapter is right on: If you live your life the right way, good karma will take care of the rest. Your dreams will come to you. Randy's kids should be very proud of their dad.

"Bicycle Diaries," by David Byrne. Yes, you read the author's name right-- It's David Byrne from The Talking Heads. I saw him in concert in Boston in 2001. Byrne chronicles his many trekks, on his bike, through cities around the globe. Like Byrne, I am a city person (I think, anyway), and his extolls on the benefits of cities strike home to me. The first section of the book, which follows Byrne through several second-tier U.S. cities, is a must read. One also must love how he speaks in striking and disparaging terms about his hometown of Baltimore. This was the book, above all the others, that I was definitely looking forward to read on vacation.

"The Five People You Meet in Heaven," by Mitch Albom. I wasn't expecting this book to be fiction, given Albom's first book. However, this was a surprisingly touching read. We are all connected on this planet. Not sure if anyone reading this has seen "The Sliding Doors," but the interconnectedness of who we meet and see each and every day can have significant consequences. And many the afterlife is when we actually figure that out.

"Bringing Down the House," by Ben Mezrich. This book had been on my reading list since I went to Las Vegas something like five years ago. The pages are even starting to yellow. The only problem with this book is it will give you the consistent urge to drop everything and go to a casino. I resisted the temptation, even though the two Connecticut casinos were mere minutes away from where I was staying.

A Crazy Weekend Ahead?

Point O' Woods Beach

South Lyme, Conn.

July 22, 2010

Baseball is a Radio (Beach) Game

At the Cottage

Point O' Woods, South Lyme, Conn.

July 21, 2010

Pull up a beer, and it's like you are at the ballpark. I am listening to the Yankees play the Angels this afternoon while on vacation in South Lyme, Conn. I bought a cheap Radio Shack radio a few years back, and I use it to listen to games while I am on the beach (or sitting, as the case may be, at the table in the back yard of the cottage).

Baseball is a game that is paced for the radio. When I watch baseball on TV, I typically have a few things going on at once. I am paying bills. I am catching up on correspondence. The game is in the background. With a 162-game season, how could one possibly pay attention to each and every pitch?

Baseball is really the only game I can listen to on the radio. For that reason, it's tailor-made for the beach. You can hop in the water in-between innings.

For the record, the Yankees are beating up on the Angels right now.

Connecticut Beach 2010

Point O' Woods

South Lyme, Conn.

July 20, 2010

I am back on the Connecticut shore this week for vacation, staying at the Levanto family compound. Ok, it's not really a compound, but it's a nice cottage that I co-own with my brothers and my parents.

Connecticut doesn't have a public shoreline, like California and some other states. And there are not many public beaches in the Nutmeg State, either, so I was fortunate that my grandfather owned a cottage at Point O' Woods, a private beach in South Lyme. I have been coming here since I was born.

Now, I am old enough, I guess, to have some "when-I-was-a-kid-and-walked-uphill-both-ways-to-school" types of stories, and they are popping out while I have been here. The biggest one, as an example, involves bicycles.

When I was a kid, I rode my bike all over Point O' Woods, which is a collection of cottages on private land. The rules were simple: As long as I did not go under the railroad tracks that marked the main entrance to the private beach, I was fine. I was not alone; dozens of kids like me rode around in their bikes, exploring the tapestry of roads and pathways.

This week, I have not seen many bikes at all. There are many golf carts, however. The kids don't ride their bikes, because they hop in their golf carts and ride everywhere. It makes me sick.

Then again, I am on vacation, and it is nice to be here. Back in my home state, where I can watch the Yankees in HD as part of regular cable. By the way, a random fun fact: Three years ago, when I was on vacation at the beach in Conn., Alex Rodriguez hit his 500th career homerun. This week, while I am here, he might very well hit is 600th.

The Quest For The Perfect Beach Chair

Two years ago, I had the perfect beach chair. It sat low to the sand and was rugged enough to handle a 210+ pound man. It provided full support for my back and my butt without any support bars pressing my contour in uncomfortable ways. It was easy to carry. Its colors were attractive to the eye.

Someone stole my chair two years ago at the end of the summer, for when I returned to my family's beach cottage in Connecticut, it was gone.

Since then, I have been on the quest for the perfect beach chair. It some ways, the quest has reminded me of a great West Wing Episode featuring the quest for the perfect turkey carving knife. The President (played by Martin Sheen) sends his personal aide Charlie out on a mission to find a carving knife appropriate for Thanksgiving dinner. Charlie tries time and time again but cannot find a knife to the President's liking. As the episode is nearing its conclusion, Charlie finally brings a knife to the President that is acceptable. As a reward, the President givens Charlie a knife from the family heirloom, which just happens to have been first created by Paul Revere.

Well, my beach chair hunt was equally as time consuming. Last year, I went to Walmart and purchased a chair that is acceptable, though not early perfect. It has trouble keeping a specific reclining angle-- the handle often slips and causes my back to jerk back. There is a support bar under my derriere that is rather uncomfortable depending on my seating angle. While I used the chair all last summer, it was not satisfying.

After coming up empty this year at Walmart, I went to Target. I purchased a nice beach chair that is also not the perfect chair. It's a RIO Beach SC68OC 2010 model, nicknamed the "Genuine Beach Bum(TM) Beach Chair." There's a lot to like about the chair. It's got a beer bottle holder. It also has a head rest, which is quite comfortable. However, the chair sits high off the sand and is rather difficult to carry. It's also a bright reddish-orange color. I bought the chair for 50 bucks.

Despite a few trips to other stores, no luck on finding a better chair, so this weekend I took my RIO to Cape Cod and it performed well under the elements of Red River Beach in Harwich.

Then this morning, on the way to the Pancake Man, the magic happened. I spotted my old chair sitting at a beach supply store. It's a beach mania sand chair in rainbow colors.

The perfect beach chair? In my apartment in Boston.

July 11, 2010

It's as close to the perfect beach chair as I can find. The only problem is the chair doesn't support my head when I sit in it. However, it was so close to perfect I bought the chair they had on display at the store, called Pizazz on Long Pond Drive in South Yarmouth. I paid 42 bucks for it.

By the way, it turns out the beach chair industry is quite a beast. There are different types of beach chairs and many different models. It would seem the perfect beach chair means different things to different people.

Happiness Is...

...copious amounts of Beacon Hill parking in the summer. My car is visible in the distance below, with numerous spots behind it on Chestnut Street. This much parking on one Beacon Hill street happens once a decade, and it happened on Friday.

Chestnut Street, Beacon Hill

Boston

July 9, 2010

Ross's Traveling Pet Peeves

I am in San Francisco for the fourth time this year. After a nice amount of airplane travel to finish off the first half of 2010, I wanted to outline what are clearly big annoyances for me when it comes to flying. These have nothing to do with the airlines. They have to do with my fellow passengers.

1) A carry-on item should be small. I typically check my bag, and I walk onto the plane with my computer bag, which is big enough to carry toiletries, books and all my work materials. I slip the carry on under the seat in front of me. I take up zero overhead space. So it's pretty annoying to see people coming on board the plane with suitcases that are bigger than the one I checked. And to those people who have the large carry-ons, if you see people like me, who take up no overhead space, you should say "thank you."

2) You don't have to queue up to get on the plane as soon as boarding starts. Generally speaking, what happens is the gate agent announces that they are boarding zone one, and all passengers get up and line up next to the gate. While they are not boarding out of turn, they are blocking everyone else from getting to the gate to get on the plane, and it's impossible to know if the person standing next to the gate is trying to board or not. A simple suggestion: Don't even get up to get on the plane until your zone is called. Don't worry, the plane won't leave without you.

3) I share this one with my brother Brett: The fasten seatbelt sign means get your butt in the seat and fasten your seatbelt. It doesn't mean this is a great time for me to get up, stretch, chat with my co-worker, or leisurely make the walk back to the bathroom.

4) Don't recline your seat unless you absolutely have to. On my flight west last night, the gentleman in front of me decided he wanted to recline his seat, even though he spent the entire flight reading or watching the in-flight movie. Which meant I could barely look at my computer screen, given the angle his seat pushed back in front of my face. Remember, an airplane is shared space. (I, for one, never recline my seat.)

That's it for now. Enjoy your flight; make sure your tray table is up!

P.S. Very sad to hear that American Airlines is stopping direct service to San Francisco from Boston as of November of this year. A flight attendant told us that last night.

Quick Check on The Lowly Red Sox

As my plane from Chicago was set to take off for Boston this past Sunday, a fellow passenger two seats over from me quipped, "It's good the Celtics are winning, since the Red Sox are horrible this year."

It makes me laugh out loud. The Red Sox are the lowly Red Sox. So, I figured I would take a look at where the Red Sox stand.

As of today, the Boston Red Sox are 38-28, ten games above .500. They have the fifth best record in the Major Leagues (there are 30 teams, overall). They would lead three other Major League divisions if they were not in the American League East.

If that means the Red Sox are "horrible," then I think New England fans need to take a breath. Or at the very least they need to talk to fans of the 18-47 Baltimore Orioles.

Speical Event: A Celtics Championship?

Brookline Avenue, near Fenway
Boston
June 15, 2010

The Boston Police are getting ready in the event the Celtics pull it off, with "No Stopping" signs out on Brookline Avenue near Fenway. I guess they figure they don't want cars on the street so revelers won't be tempted to flip them over?

I Am The Reason The Celtics Will Win Or Lose

I have a confession to make. I think I am the reason the Bruins lost their playoff series against Philadelphia. During the pivotal Game 7, I was sitting at the Red Hat bar on Bowdoin Street. The Bruins scored to go up 3-0. I turned to my friend and said, "This is going to be a rout!" She said, "If we lose, now I know who to blame."

We all know what happened next. The Bruins gave up four goals to lose 4-3. My friend has never let me forget it.

Well, I don't want history to repeat itself, and somehow I feel tied to the Celtics fate. Here's why:

The Boston Celtics are 3-0 in The Finals when their games take place while I am in an airplane. That's right, each of the Celtics three victories in the current championship series has taken place while I have been either in the air, on the tarmac, or at the gate. The Celtics are 0-2 in games that I am able to watch, start to finish, from some permanent location.

I don't consider myself a superstitious person, but the facts are the facts. And given how the Bruins fared, I admit I am a bit concerned. I don't have any travel planned for this coming week. Game 6 is tomorrow night. If this series is forced to a Game 7, I might have to book a trip somewhere, anywhere, to be in a plane for Game 7. And I will be soliciting donations for the cause.

Observations From the Road

Colorado River from near the Hoover Dam

Arizona/Nevada Border

June 11, 2010

Those of you who have been following me on Twitter know that I have been on the road this week. I flew to New Orleans on Sunday for work to attend Microsoft TechEd, the annual conference for users and developers of Microsoft software. Thursday, I continued west to Las Vegas to meet up with my brother Brett and his wife Holly. We're celebrating the end of Holly's service time with the U.S. Navy.

In the past week, I have been to two conferences, of sorts. I mentioned TechEd, and last Saturday, I attended the Mass. State Democratic Convention in Worcester, Mass., where I spent time with other Democrats.

A few observations, as I sit this Saturday morning in my Vdara hotel room in Vegas:

First, I have decided that going to conferences is fun. Generally speaking, the people there are passionate about a specific topic, and they enjoy hanging out with other people who share their passion.

Second, the city of New Orleans can't catch a break. There was this weird stench in the air during this week's trip. I am not sure if it was because of the stagnant muggy air, or perhaps the oil in the water in the nearby, but it smelled kind of like B.O. everywhere.

I ran into a couple of people directly involved in the oil cleanup efforts while I was in the airport getting ready to leave. Two guys had left the boat drilling the second relief well that aims to ultimately pour cement into the current leaking well. They said things were going well and sounded confident. One other man had just quit his job cleaning up oil on the shoreline. He didn't sound as confident, noting he needed his lawyer to force his employer to let him leave.

Third, hotel room coffee (you know, the coffee they let you brew yourself in your room) isn't bad, but it's better if they give you real creamers and not the powdered kind. I drank a lot of hotel room coffee this week.

Finally, the Boston Celtics are now 0-2 in The Finals in games that I watch from start to finish. They are 2-0 in games that take place while I am in flight. The good news for Boston fans? I am in the air flying back home tomorrow night, when the Lakers and Celtics play game 5.

I will be watching the England/U.S. soccer match today from poolside at the hotel. Go USA!

Democratic State Convention Redux

With Josh Dawson, my district's teller, at the lead (third from right), the various whips and asst. tellers and delegates listen to the roll call.

Worcester

June 5, 2010

Yesterday, I attended the Democratic State Convention in Worcester, and it was an honor to represent my fellow democrats living in Boston's 2nd Suffolk Senatorial District and Boston's Ward 5.

A few observations:

-- Governor Deval Patrick noted how he wants to "finish what we started." In general, I think the Governor needs to be careful about touting his accomplishments too much, given the high level of anxiety across the state about the current economy. The average voter could very easily say, "What does he have to gloat about; I am very worried about my job and my family." Which is why other themes within the speech resonated with me, including his discussion of ways he will continue to stimulate the economy, and the fact that he will "not rest" until every person who wants a job has one. I also liked his discussion of "generational responsibility," but that will be the topic of a separate post on this blog.

-- In my opinion, Mike Lake stole the show. The candidate for auditor had an impressive campaign organization on the floor, with whips for every voting location and numerous signs, t-shirts and even hats (Can I have one, please?). His speech was the best I have heard him give, and he was passionate. He also stressed his independence, which is key in this anti-incumbent year. Many no doubt came into the convention wondering if Mike would get the 15-percent needed to be on the primary ballot in September. He walked away with 24 or 25 percent---far more than what was needed---and impressed many delegates and potential donors in the process. (Admittedly, I am biased, as Mike is a friend, and I support him enthusiastically.)

-- Democracy in action is refreshing to see. So many people worked hard yesterday, on a hot Saturday in early June, to move democracy forward. There were the candidates, their campaigns and their volunteers. There were the staff members of the Democratic party and the party's volunteers. There were the representatives of the various causes that packed the expo hall adjacent to the DCU Center to give out literature and talk to delegates. There were the tellers, whips and many others supporting the individual delegations. It was truly organized chaos (emphasis on organized).

-- In the end, the voters get to decide. All the candidates who spoke yesterday made the primary ballot, which means all Democrats in Massachusetts will ultimately decide who will be the party's candidates in the November elections. I think this is great. The Democratic party has set a low threshold at the convention for candidates to make the ballot (15-percent of delegates' votes). As Boston City Councilor and State Treasurer candidate Steve Murphy put it yesterday, the party believes that all competent and worthy candidates should be considered for elections. The primary season has begun, and the three candidates for auditor and two for treasurer now face the full body of Democrats in the state, as it should be.

-- Finally, it was great to see Mac D'Alessandro, who's challenging Steven Lynch in the Democratic primary to be my congressman. As I have written here before, I am not very happy with Rep. Lynch; it's good he has strong competition.

Special thanks to Rep. Marty Walz for inviting me to the SEIU breakfast Saturday morning for the much needed coffee!

Endorsement: Steve Grossman for State Treasurer

As part of my day job, I represent several technology companies in Massachusetts. It's very fulfilling work, because I get to help very smart people who have come up with innovative ways to use technology to solve common problems facing businesses around the world.

Several weeks ago, I attended the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, a group that represents industries I care about deeply in New England. The group pledged at the meeting to help the industry come together and create thousands of jobs over the next several months by remaining committed to innovation. I thought it was a shame I didn't recognize any state officials at the meeting.

When I spoke to Steve Grossman just week or so ago, he told me he has plans to use the office he seeks-- the State Treasurer's office-- to affect the technology industry and to help it grow again. He wants to use the powers of the office to put in place positive changes across numerous areas of the economy. He even offered to meet with representatives from the industry groups that represent the tech industry.

That's the type of thinking that we need from our elected officials to help us fully recover from the economic malaise. And it's why I plan to cast my delegate vote at the Democratic State Convention this Saturday for Steve Grossman to be Massachusetts' next Treasurer.

I have already voted for Mr. Grossman once; he got my vote at the Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee meeting in May, when he picked up the group's endorsement. His presentation to the group that night was impressive; there's little doubt to me that he has the passion, the energy, and the will to make tough choices for Massachusetts in the Treasurer's office.

Endorsement: Mike Lake for State Auditor

Mike Lake addresses supporters at his campaign kick-off.

Boston

April 28, 2010

Today I start a series of posts that outline how I plan to cast my delegate votes next week at the State Democratic Convention in Worcester.

If you sense a theme across my choices, you will see it is one of activism. I was surprised to learn that each of the statewide offices in Massachusetts can have an active role influencing issues that matter to me, including healthcare and investments in the private sector technology economy (which is the sector I work in).

The State Auditor's job is to make things run more efficiently, saving money and cutting waste. And Mike Lake is the right person for that job. I worked along side him in 2008 as a part of now State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz's field operation. She was a grassroots candidate, and grassroots candidates need organization, which Mike Lake helped provide. As one of the downtown Boston field coordinators with Mike, I marveled at home he kept the ship moving even in the middle of the madness of election day.

Mike is a scary smart person. He has something like four or five or six degrees; I lost count. He also worked in an operations position within the Clinton Administration at a very young age. His academic accomplishments should not overshadow the fact that Mike is, fundamentally, a people person. He's been working very hard to meet as many people as possible during this campaign.

And when he speaks to people, what comes across is that Mike has three or four ideas about how, from the first day as State Auditor, he will make a difference. Cutting waste and saving taxpayers money. He wants to engage the public to make citizens aware of how the Auditor's office can help.

Mike will bring 21st-century efficiencies to an office that has not had a new leader in a long time. Just by listening to him for a few seconds, one gets a sense of the passion he has for his potential role. Mike is certainly not the typical politician. His speech is one of action, not of past laurels.

He might not be the most well known candidate, and given the long-term political connections of his opponents, that's not a surprise. But Mike is competent, bright, and deserves the chance to be evaluated by all Democrats in Massachusetts via a primary. I look forward to voting for him at the convention to give him that chance.

Are The Red Sox Even Playing?

Congrats to the Boston Celtics, who last night won the NBA Eastern Conference Championship and have advanced to NBA Finals for the second time in three years. The C's were not supposed to get this far. In fact, they weren't even supposed to get close.

It's great the NBA Finals will come back to Boston. Two years ago, the NBA did a great job bringing the basketball theme to the Rose Kennedy Greenway by the Garden. They erected a huge replica of the NBA logo and, of course, a giant basketball. It was neat.

And every local fan I talk to is happy the Celtics can distract them from the lowly Red Sox. In fact, I am not even sure why the Red Sox are trying. So far as I can tell, their fans have given up. A few weeks back, I was able to get reasonably priced, good seats to a Red Sox-Yankees game the day before the game. There is surprisingly less pink in the Fenway Park stands of late.

Except for one problem. The Red Sox are not playing that badly. At four games above .500, the Red Sox would actually be in first place of their division if they made their home out west. (Texas, the current leader of the American League West, is a game behind the Sox in the standings).

I hear that David Ortiz is horrible. Except when I look at the stats, he's doing much better now (or perhaps fans just have a ridiculously inflated sense of how he should be doing). He's batting .265 for the year (including his admittedly very slow start). Not great, but certainly not as bad as people claim. He's tied for the team lead with 10 home runs (More HRs, by the way, than the Yankees A-Rod).

The problem is the Red Sox are in a very tough division. Of the nine teams across the Majors that have a better record than Boston's sluggers, three of them are in the same division (Tampa Bay, my New York Yankees and Toronto). But that doesn't mean Boston stinks.

So while the Celtics continue their march toward a Championship, the Red Sox are quietly gaining momentum. Of course, not if you ask a Red Sox fan. To them, the season might as well be over.

And by the way, I am a Yankees fan. How about that?

Congratulations Mercedes and Jason!

Mercedes Fereck and Jason Carrasco introduced as husband and wife.

Hyatt Regency Boston

May 15, 2010

Neighborhood Bars

A week ago, I had the honor of witnessing the marriage vows of Mercedes Fereck and Jason Carrasco. Following the ceremony, I had some time to kill. A few of Mercedes' family's friends from Maryland and Scranton, Penn. wanted to go visit the bar that inspired Cheers on Beacon Street. I decided to escort them there. One of the guests asked me, "Well since you live nearby, when we enter Cheers, will everyone know your name?"

He thought the answer was yes. As anyone who lives in Boston knows, the answer is definitely "No." The Hampshire House on Beacon Street is primarily a tourist destination (even though its owner is a very, very good neighbor). But when one thinks of Boston, they think of Cheers, and they think of the neighborhood bar. And Boston certainly has them.

I love neighborhood bars. I love going to the counter and simply ordering "a beer." [Side note, why can't one just go to a bar and get served when simply ordering "a beer"? They do it in the movies all the time, but when I try, the bartenders get rather agitated.]

A neighborhood bar should not be part of a chain. It should be friendly and be staffed by people that live at least nearby, if not in the same neighborhood. It's owners should be concerned about the quality of life on the streets around the establishment. The beer should always be cold.

The neighborhood bar on Beacon Hill that I like the best is "The Hill Tavern" on Cambridge Street. I went there first when I didn't even live in Boston. On New Year's Eve, 1998, a group of high school friends and I traversed into the city from Arlington, and we landed at The Hill.

The Hill is friendly, has a nice menu, and it offers outdoor seating. I often go there after community meetings.

However, my favorite neighborhood bar in Boston is "The Mission" over on Mission Hill (in Roxbury Crossing). I am not sure why I like the bar so much; maybe it's because there is always a good deal of activity there by people who actually live in Mission Hill.

Of course, I have not been to too many neighborhood bars in Boston, and I am always open to visiting new ones. So if you see some guy who says simply "I will have a beer" at a watering hole near you, it's probably me.

Side note: A friend told me last night that if you step up to the bar in Pennsylvania and order "a lager," you get a Yuengling. I guess that's getting close to my ideal.

Boston Ward 5 Endorsements

It was a long night for Boston's Ward 5 Democratic Committee this past Tuesday, but in the end, the group handed out endorsements, just days ahead of the Democratic Convention in Worcester.

Following a candidates forum for those running for statewide offices, the Committee endorsed the following candidates:

Governor-- Deval Patrick (By Acclamation)
Lt. Governor-- Tim Murray (By Acclamation)
Attorney General-- Martha Coakley (By Acclamation)
Secretary of State-- Bill Galvin (By Acclamation)
Treasurer-- Steve Grossman

Steve Grossman received 19 votes from the committee, versus nine for his opponent, Boston City Councilor Steve Murphy. All 19 of those votes were needed for the endorsement, as a 2/3 vote of members eligible and present is necessary.

No endorsement was made in the race for State Auditor. Mike Lake and Suzanne Bump both received 12 votes. Guy Glodis did not attend the forum ahead of the meeting, and he was not nominated as part of the endorsement proceedings.

By the way, Lt. Governor Tim Murray addressed the forum during the night, and he was fantastic. Too bad I didn't wear by Tim Murray t-shirt!

Mother's Day Fun Fact

Mother's Day is a huge day for restaurants. My mom told me this morning it's actually the biggest day of the year for eateries. And the reason is pretty simple. Most guys don't cook; so they take their moms to brunch. Meanwhile, for Father's Day, typically families eat in. Fittingly, I discussed this with my mom over brunch this morning.

Happy Mother's Day, mom!

Scary Scott Brown: Episode 1

I did not vote for Senator Scott Brown, but I respect that he is the current junior Senator from Massachusetts, and I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. At first, I was ok with some of the moves he made. He voted to pass the jobs bill, proposed by the President and other Democrats, shortly after he took office. Better yet, he was authoritative about his vote, which he delivered early in that roll call.

But this week I saw a very scary side of Scott Brown. His latest proposal would allow the United States to strip citizenship from anyone, without a hearing, if it is believed that person is a terrorist or is aiding terrorists. It is one of the most ridiculous, anti-American proposals I have ever heard of. To put it in perspective, as "The Massachusetts Liberal" points out, even Glen Beck says the proposed law is unconstitutional.

Citizenship is a cherished right, and certainly it comes with responsibilities. However, there is a constitutionally outlined process that allows the U.S. government to strip someone of its citizenship. It's called treason, and it's punishable by death. However, in the spirit of our democracy, treason must be tried in federal court. The law proposed by Brown and his equally delusional counterpart, Sen. Joe Lieberman, would allow the government to strip citizenship without trial-- without a hearing, even.

Jim Braude provided a simple example of the law's ludicrous nature during yesterday's "Jim and Margery" Show on 96.9 WTKK-FM. As he put it, certainly in the past many Irish Boston residents supported the efforts of some of the groups in Northern Ireland who were pushing for independence from the U.K. By certain definitions, those groups were terrorist organizations, meaning under the law proposed by Scary Scott, contributors to the groups could be stripped of their U.S. citizenship.

What bothers me even more is that I think, deep down inside, both Sens. Brown and Lieberman know their law doesn't have a chance to pass Constitutional muster. They made the proposal for two reasons. First, they can tell their constituents they mean business. A caller to "Jim and Margery" yesterday said, "It's about time we grew some balls." Those callers are, of course, Scary Scott's base, and they can cry liberal foul when the law is challenged by the lefties.

Second, and this scares me the most, by proposing the law, Scary Scott can "compromise" by "settling" with a second proposal that is perhaps not nearly as aggressive--but still strips Americans of there liberties. The second proposal would be like a much more powerful Patriot Act. It may or may not pass the Constitutional test, but that doesn't matter to the New England Senators. At that point, they would have tried not once, but twice, to pass a law that "simply cracks down on those citizens whose actions would indicate they don't want their citizenship anyway."

Scary, scary stuff, people.