Tis the season to be stupid.

Good Morning: Now that I've binged and purged in honor of being thankful, I'm off to do some shopping. There are some special deals on appliances and I need to buy some stuff I can't afford. I will be most interested in watching the folks who are buying shit they don't need, probably don't really want (somebody told them they should have it or give it) and usually can't afford. Things like a second bidet for the double wide; or granite countertops. I think when I get my house finished ("when" sounds so much more "positive" than "if") I will have amassed a lot of stuff at clearance prices--no other way I could do this. Well, the sciatica is still beating me up, so I gotta be off and away while I can still motivate. I'll be glad when I feel well enough to be my usual, vituperative self.

YOW, it hoits!!

I had some nasty sciatica once. It went away for about 3 years--it's baaaaaaaaack! I think that perhaps driving nearly 2,000 miles last week did not improve the situation but that was my choice--to spend time with peeps I like. I gotta go to the gym and see if I can "spin" some of this out on the recumbent bike. I got back here in Oswego and found about a foot of snow in my yard--and a nice "plow sundae" in my driveway. Moving that mess may have been contributory to my back pain as well. I think a snowthrower is on today's shopping list. I was sitting in my 44 degree bedroom yesterday, sending a rant to someone, when I noticed that there was tapping going on that was not a.) my fingies on the keyboard or b.) my castanet teeth. I went over and tapped on the freshly rocked wall and was rewarded with the sound a skwerl makes when he's feeling threatened (I've heard it a bunch of times now and, yes, they were right to feel threatened). I whanged on the wall with a piece of 3/4" plywood (so's I wouldn't screw up the shitrock) and cousin treerat vacated the premises. When I went outside a few hours later I saw the spot he had found to gain access; a never completed bit of siding by the previous owner. Of course it was 12-16 or so feet off the ground on a gable rake. So, after shoveling not one, but two, small roofs I got out my tools and started removing the builder's felt (tarpaper) to see what I needed to do and guess what--the bastard was home! I rousted him again and then put 16" x 30" 28ga sheet metal panels all the way up the rake to cover the gaps (no more than an inch or two, but those ratbastards are supreme opportunists). If he comes back he's gonna need goggles and a cutting torch. A friend I was chatting with last evening said that she was told by an environmental police officer (they have the death penalty for littering here!) that killing the squirrels will never solve the problem as they just keep making more and expand into the vacant territory--he sounds like a goddamned treeratofascist to me, I wonder if HE can see Russia from HIS house. I think I may have to start putting non-progress reports on the house in here, as well as photos--seeing as everything is hunky dory now that we have a sane president in the wings. Then again, I was just over at Ed Brayton's "Dispatches From The Culture Wars" on this thread: http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2008/11/dunbar_tries_to_backpeddle.php Maybe it's not over even WHEN the fat lady sings or the "Rapchure" get's called on account of demand side lesberalism. Google "democommie" and follow the fun. There's over 330 comments and at least half of them are batshit crazy fundies and reichtards (is that a redundancy or cies) Another day, another poem or two. The following two pieces were written about the same time and I used to like having people read them back to back and watch their faces as they finished the "nice" one and then the "sick" one (their general take on the first and second, in that order). Well Mannered That moment when you touched him; I knew he was not your man. The touch was soft, yet, not tender nor, did it linger, for another moment's warmth. It was a simple courtesy, perhaps even a kindness. It was not the touch of a lover; not the touch of a true friend. It was a gesture of grace, a moment of thoughtfulness, one human aware of another. "Excuse me, please." not, "Hey, you!" 2/18/01 Unemployment This morning, like most, was a welter of confusion in the moment that I woke. Then, I sorted out the imagined and the factual. I realized I was alone, in the sense of not having you next to me. I realized my adventure had been milliseconds of REM. I realized I was still sleeping underground, a vampire in the cellar apartment. A vampire who had chosen unemployment over the bad job. You said I was sucking the life out of you with my nihilism, negativism and cynicism. I have to admit that I was being pessimistic, a response I thought extremely logical, given the state of the world and our relationship. I took the coffin of my self-hatred and went underground. I hunger for the warmth and sustenance of living in someone else's soul; I do not act on my hunger. I sit here, unemployed, looking through the employment ads that call themselves, "Personals" I read about a lot of rosy prospects, no mention of the work involved. I read about the rewards that will come from blindly answering an ad with a letter that has a code instead of a signature. They ask for a picture. I can't send one--they would see the fangs 3/11/01 Bear in mind, these were written when I had been living alone--and not dating--for about 6-1/2 years. I'm not sure if I owe my sanity to my celibacy but there are several lucky women out there who probably owe THEIR sanity to it.

I guess summer IS over.

I got back from a week of visiting friends on the MA and NH seacoast and found a foot or so of wet heavy snow in my yard. Too.damned.early.for.this.shit. Oh, well. I had a a good time sleeping around and yakkin' with pals. I would have liked to visit some folks I keep meaning to spend time with, but there were certain things over which I had little or no control. I need to return a rental car, pick up insulation and get back to work. So, all you're getting now is this poem: Appetite When I was young I was so hungry, I had such a great hole in my soul. I gorged myself on hatred and self-loathing, feeding on the rage until my heart was as bloated and hard as a blood filled tick. I became so ill. I nearly died. People in my life tried to give me love, but there could never be enough, because I didn't know what "enough" felt like. It tasted so good, love did, that I wanted to take everyone's away; not leaving them any, I was so greedy. Too nice, too rich, too much. So I went on the "I don't need anybody" diet. It works pretty well, most of the time. I just keep telling myself that my hunger for love will pass; that loneliness is bearable, that the pangs of longing will fade, that I'm better off alone. Then I see you, we speak, I learn your name; I learn to expect your welcoming smile. It's like that old potato chip commercial one is not enough, I want them all I remember how good it felt to be a part of someone's life. I forget the sense of loss that came with partings. I feel like singing for my supper but, if I open my mouth, it will be to scream out my need. I must remember that hunger is not starvation; that satisfaction has more to do with restraint, less to do with gluttony. I want to taste the sweet, bitter, salty, sour, crunchy, soft and chewy that life offers. I want to know the difference between enough and too much. 12/30/00

Zoomin'!

I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Newburyport, MA; buying some bad coffee to get free web access. As is the usual case when I come to visit it is hard to try to connect with all of the folks I want to see--I consider a .250 average to be very good. I read something the other day that spoke about relationships. I'm paraphrasing here, but the essence of the piece was that there are two sorts of friends--those who need constant affirmation of their status in word or deed; and those who figure a friend is a friend. I fall into the latter category. I have picked up where I left off with people after incredibly long layoffs (in one case almost twenty years). It's not my reason for being here, but I was asked to answer some interrogatories in a friends divorce proceedings. When I had finshed printing them out I had to get them notarized and the two of us walked to a nearby attorney's office to have that done. The nice lady who applied her seal and asked for my license to make sure I was me, finished the paperwork and said "you're welcome" to our "Thank you"'s. I then said "(her name); you don't remember me do you?" She looked at me and said, "No.", but she knew that she should. I laughed. She said, "NOW, I remember you!". She used to bartend for a friend of mine and I think it really took her back to see me after something like 7-8 years. I like my life and I like to be able to move around to see the people I love and care about. In fact, I'm sitting in front of YOUR house, right now.

The 1st an 2nd Amendments to the U.S. Constitution

I pulled these from an online "Bill of Rights" website. Article the third [Amendment I] Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. This says that we can say what we want to say to and about others. It does not say that we cannot be held responsible if our utterances are the proximate cause of a crime against a person or the state or if such utterance is a crime against sundry local, state or federal statues (libel, slander, assault--for instance) in an of itself. Article the fourth [Amendment II][4] A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. This says that we can all have guns (at least in the minds of the current SCotUS re: Washington D.C.'s ban on ownership of handguns in the District). Whether it means everybody in the country can have guns is not settled law yet. Our political opposites (and, in many cases, social and intellectual opposites--hint: smart and friendly, they're not) like to think that the 1st and 2nd Amendments are their exclusive birthright. They would have us think that, in light of their superior patriotism and obvious moral righteousness that they may decide who has the right to free-speech. In their minds that right is not universal; it is reserved for them and their fellows. They would likewise have us believe that they have an unfettered right to keep and bear arms, regardless their lethality or utility. When I have commented on other blogs that they might want to think about what that means in terms of the people they are so afraid of having the same rights they are silent or, more typically, abusive and dismissive. I often wonder at the apparent dichotomy of the pick-ups and other vehicles I see with bumper stickers that espouse anti-abortion views; the notion that GOD is actually driving/navigating the vehicle(it's often unclear which--although I don't believe GOD gets pulled over for DWI); that JESUS loves the occupant and it's reciprocal AND that GUNS are fun, necessary and BY GOD the vehicle occupant's until death do them part. I am pretty much an atheist these days, but I did spend 13 years in parochial school getting the lessons of Catholicism poured over me like the saving waters and I don't remember JESUS or GOD being Life (+eternity) NRA members. As is obvious from yesterday's post and the comments in the thread I have new readers. People like Serr8ball, who see themselves as the arbiters and guardians of MurKKKa do have those first and second amendment rights. They would do well to remember that WE ALL DO. I could simply ban the idiots but it is interesting, in the way that viewing a surgery on cable is interesting, to learn what they think. I've been invited, numerous times to various reichwing blogs. WTF? That's not an invitation any sane person who disagrees with such people would be interested in accepting--especially given comments to the effect that one would be assaulted at said sites. No, I think I'll stay here in my little blogtopia with my make-believe friends--at least they're sane and decent folks. Thus endeth today's rant.

Old POWARHERO's never STFU, they just become irrelevant

You know, it seems like just yesterday I was lamenting the fact that I have very little charity in my heart for the unrepentant asshats that, now they have lost the election, want to make hating america a KKKristian virtue. Oh, wait, it was just yesterday. So, it seems that John McCain, fresh from his disastrous presidential campaign wants to go help Saxby Chambliss get re-elected in the runoff election down in Jawjuh on December 2 (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-mcnay/max-clelands-chance-for-r_b_142365.html). I was all for poking him and likeminded shitheads with a sharp stick anyway, but now it appears that I would be justified in doing so. He is, he really is a p.o.s. of breathtaking stupdidity. I wonder if he and George The Worst have some sort of side bet going for who can lose the most stature in the shortest amount of time. I know Bushkins has an awesome early lead, but McCain is rapidly closing the gap. UPDATE: Oh, boy! I've just gotten my first real knuckledragger troll, Serr8d, whose blognomen is obviously sharper than his wit. It will be interesting to see how much bile he can spew. For those who remember Nashville is talking or MCB blogs, Serr8d and a few of his gang from Sickmeat buffet were startrolls over there. They all have their own blogs but they love to pollute others when they're not busy shitting into their own feed troughs. It will probably be getting nasty here, soon. Oh, dear!

My songbook don't got no "Kumbaya"

Good Morning: Here it is, the beginning of the first full week of the brand new era (let's hope it's at least as long as the "Permanent Republican Majority") of the sovietization of America. Well, no, it's not, really; but, that is the way the reichwing blogospewers are protraying it. President-elect Obama (as differentiated from Pretendsident-SELECT or Pretendsident-RIGGED Bushkins) has been given, in the words of a blogger elsewhere, "a -77 days 'honeymoon'". He is being vilified at least as viciously and loudly as Bill Clinton was from the day he won his first term. There is a call to join hands with the opposition and work together to pull this country out of the Bushcomire that it was driven into. This is all well and good. We should welcome, allow and encourage those genuine conservatives who want a stronger, safer, healthier and fairer america into the fold, so to speak. For those, however, who are filled with hatred and misdirected rage we need to exercise vigilance and remain ready to refute their lies. James Dobson, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter and the rest of that sick, twisted legion of perverts need to be shouted down at every opportunity. I have a new golden rule: Don't make nice with idiotic, hatefilled assholes. Keep your hearts, eyes and ears wide open.

This will be like the "Rachel Ray" post; quickly prepared, nutrilicious truthiness in under 5 minutes. Obama got elected. Now we have to lay into OUR side to force them to do what's right for this nation, not their own interests. We need to make it safe for women, gays, people of color and those who differ (even with those of who are self-aware and awesomely enlightened) to speak, love, live and strive in ALL of our nation's cities and towns. We must cease to pretend that it's okay for some areas of this country to be run as if they were not subject to the same constitution as the rest of us. AND we must figure out a way for the GOD bothers to have their eucharist--and eat it,too--without imposing their beliefs on the rest of us. I'm done for today. I gotta get to work--and so do YOU! Violins con dios! S'okay, it was done, but then I decided to inflict a poem on you. I wrote it in 2004 and it's ostensibly about two people, but it's really about all of us. The Half-life of Intolerance The half-life of intolerance is a phenomenon of relationships. That which was a ripple on the fabric of love, Becomes the garment that chafes our hearts. What has been irritating becomes unbearable. It is not the thorn in our side; The burr under our saddle; The stone in our shoe. It is our fear; Of becoming irrelevant, Of becoming peripheral where we were epicentric. It is the fear of being once again, and forever, alone. Drowned in a desert; Starving in the midst of bounty; Dying of thirst in a river of your love. The more I dwell on this the farther I move from my center. I feel as if I’m the only one who is lost or hurt. Then I see the sadness in your smile. I hear the pain cracking the melody of your brave voice. I realize then that we are both afraid. I realize that it is, perhaps, why we are together in this place, now. We are meant to add the strength of two often enough to become one. 2/07/04

I'm singin' under the truck...

We didn't just get a new president last night. We got. HOPE. Perhaps that Jackie Deshannon hit ("Put A Little Love In Your Heart") can be revamped. Think of your fellow man Lend him a helping hand Put a little HOPE in your heart You see it's getting late Oh, please don't hesitate Put a little HOPE in your heart And the world will be a better place And the world will be a better place For you and me You just wait and see Another day goes by And still the children cry Put a little HOPE in your heart If you want the world to know We won't let hatred grow Put a little HOPE in your heart And the world will be a better place And the world will be a better place For you and me You just wait and see, wait and see Take a good look around And if you're lookin' down Put a little HOPE in your heart And I hope when you decide Kindness will be your guide Put a little HOPE in your heart And the world will be a better place And the world will be a better place For you and me You just wait and see Put a little HOPE in your heart Each and every day Put a little HOPE in your heart There's got to be a better way Put a little hope in your heart Don't you think it's time we start Put a little HOPE in your heart

Happy Obama Day

I think the title says it all. Now I gotta go work on my frikkin' truck!

Don't forget to vote todayt.

VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE.VOTE. I know, it seems redundant but I want to make sure you vote at least once!

HOPE, is not a four letter word

Good morning, my preciouses: I went to a concert last evening and heard David Roth http://www.davidrothmusic.com/index1.html sing wonderful songs that were, by turns, silly and sublime. Gentle, kind hearted and uplifting music, performed by someone who cares, deeply, about the world that he inhabits and all of those in it, even those with whom he disagrees. His politics were no mystery to me; but, he never really mentioned them until just about the end of his set. When he did, it was not about red/blue; it was about me and you. I don't have that much equanimity and magnanimity in my heart, just now (if, in fact, I ever had) but I am grateful that someone like David exists to do the things that I am just unable to do in that regard. In three days we will know, hopefully, who our next president will be. Barring massive voting "irregularities" it appears that the winnners will be the Obama/Biden ticket and a largish chunk of the electorate. The GOP for whatever their reasons might be (they are opaque to me) have tried, since 1980--at least--to change this nation into something that is nearly unrecognizable to those of us who actually read and believe the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. It's past time for a change, it's time for a paradigm shift. Let's keep our hearts and eyes open and our fingers crossed. UPDATE: Check this out: http://whitenoiseinsanity.com/2008/11/02/real-hockey-mom-kicks-sarah-palins-ass-video-included/#respond

Mmmmmmmmmmm, Stew

Okay, so it's cold out this week. I took this opportunity to make stew: "Ragoút au Réfrigérateur avec trois saussice" (Three sausage refrigerator stew) Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a 5qt dutch oven. Saute, briefly 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning (store bought or your own mix), briefly, to help release flavors into oil. Add; 2 oz thinly sliced pepperoni 4 oz grilled "hot" italian sausage 8 oz "hot" chorizo After sausuage is browned (3-4 minutes at moderate heat) Add: 1 huge or several smaller onions 2 Tbsp of minced garlic (unless you like more--there is no "less" button) 1 10-12 oz package of button mushrooms 1/2 oz sundried tomatoes (whole or hacked, up to you) 2 ribs of celery--roughly chopped 4 normal sized carrots--roughly chopped Continue sauteeing until mushrooms have gotten floppy and you want to start picking them out and eating them all by themselves. Add: 1/4 C Dry Marsala 3/4 C decent or better beer (retain leftover beer for chef) heat for a minute or two, stirring ocassionally, to avoid that raw alcohol taste we all hate in our food. Add: 1-1/2 to 2 qts or broth or water A healthy splash of EVOO 2 bay leaves fresh ground black pepper & salt (if you really think it needs salt, with all that sausage in there) Simmer for as long as you like (at least an hour) Add 1 can black beans, bring back to simmer. adjust seasoning and serve. I think I need to go have breakfast, now. Mangia! Next time I'll save the skwirruls! Ciao!

I'm dreaming of a white halloween!

It's 37 degrees outside. It's 48 degrees inside. This is what happens when a bad knee slows down the renovation process. This project is taking longer than I would like it to for a number of reasons, but the knee is definitely an impediment. Oddly enough, I view this situation with considerably more aplomb than I do a lot of other challenges in my life. I also find that it makes me much more aware of the plight of the homeless and others who have somehow not made the $250K necessary to gain entry into the McMiddleclass. I mean I'm sitting here eating my Generi-O's with a banana and some raisins and drinking a nice hot cup of coffee, my jeans are heating up on the portable radiator and I'm waiting for 8:00 AM to roll around so that I can start making noise. I'm not toastee, but I'm okay. I have a full belly (well, maybe a bit more than that) pretty decent health (no insurance, though), relatively acute mental faculties and a shrinking but still visible cash cushion. On the one hand: I am not wearing $300K's worth of nomination duds or even $150K's worth of campaign couture; flying around on an executive jet; being courted by the movers and shakers of american business and religiopolitics or lionized/demcnized by the various news and fauxnews organizations. OTOH: I am not sleeping under a bridge; driving a busted down shopping cart; being rousted from a heating grate by the cops; being vilified/pitied by the various news and fauxnews organizations or being used as an object lesson/cautionary tale for the young and impressionable. Okay--I'm not so sure about that last one. But, hey, I'm a big boy, I'm doing what I said I wanted to do these last many years. As usual, per my brilliance, I have elected to walk the highwire, blindfolded, on crutches while someone shakes the pylons. But I CHOSE this. Many of the poor, the uninsured sick, and those yearning to breathe free (I'm speaking about non-violent offenders in overcrowded prisons,here) did not choose to be born into their situations and "fail" in life anymore than a gay person chooses to be gay; It just happened. So for that we should hate and fear them? Apparently so, if you're a reptilican. I am sick and disgusted to hear the GOP's candidates campaigning, as usual, with the only two tools which they seem to know how to use--fear and hate. I guess they are limited in their selection of tools by the fact that they have no coherent policy for changing the downward direction of the economy or the nearly eight year long train wreck of Bushco policy, both foreign and domestic. They hate "the other", they hate science (except that related to fast food and weaponry), they hate non-KKKristians and, it appears, they hate black americans with the temerity to run for the highest office in the land. Fuck them. Fuck their attitudes, their platitudes and their false "GODLY" gratitude. If Jesus were to suddenly show up at a mPALINccain rally and start preaching his gospel of love and forgiveness he would be evicted, arrested, beaten or worse. The GOP has been reduced, by it's association with the religionationalists to a shrill, keening shell of the party that once had room for Rockefeller, Goldwater, Eisenhower and a host of other men/women who actually cared about their nation and its people and not just fulfillment of their own delusional dreams of conquest and rapture. GOP, God's Own Phobics.

Never say never.

Having finished the champagne and twinkies I am back to my usual churlish form. Some strange things are occurring the last few days. Game 5 of the WSoMLB (I think it looks cool that way, like SCotUS) was suspended because of inclement weather, rain. I think we are getting that rain in Oswego today. It's coming in sideways. Police in Arakansas arrested a pair of neo-nazi shitheads who were "planning" on beheading 14 african-americans and shooting 88 more. It was reported that these numbers mean something special to the white supremacy movement. A police spokesman said that the plan was not very far advanced or sophisticated. I'm still waiting for the reichwing to start blaming the liberals for this--I'm sure it won't be long. John McCain is trumpeting his abilities as a seer. He says the pundits are gonna get egg all over their faces when he and the McHuntress win the election. Two of the three of these I sorta understand--but that last one, wtf? Is McDivotface smokin' the same cigarettes as me? The "centrists" (so called) of the GOP are jumping ship in droves. It appears that the ImPalinator is bringing the Whackomoms (and dads) out in large numbers--and shooing the independents in much larger numbers. I honestly can't see how McCain could win at this point, but then again I didn't see how Bush could get one term, never mind two, in the WH. You all really need to impress upon your family and friends that nothing can be taken for granted. Every vote DOES count. I spent most of Sunday going up and down the ladder to plug holes in fascia that the squirrels were using to gain access. I caught one inside and trapped him out this morning (walnut oil and peanute butter is great bait). He is now communing with his seven squirrel brethren who preceded him in death. I hate squirrels, unless they are WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY out in the woods. I gotta get back to work.

On this day in history: 1147 The Seljuk Turks defeat German crusaders under Conrad III at the Battle of Dorylaeum. 1936 Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini create the Rome-Berlin Axis. 1938 The Archbishop of Dubuque, Francis J. L. Beckman, denounces Swing music as "a degenerated musical system... turned loose to gnaw away at the moral fiber of young people", warning that it leads down a "primrose path to hell". 1944 Heinrich Himmler orders a crackdown on the Edelweiss Pirates, a loosely organized youth culture in Nazi Germany that had assisted army deserters and others to hide from the Third Reich. 1949 A major rent is torn in the fabric of spacetime or timespace (scientists are unsure of which) by the squalling of a red-faced infant democommie. 1962 Cuban missile crisis: Adlai Stevenson shows photos at the UN proving Soviet missiles are installed in Cuba. 1972 The Washington Post reports that White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman was the fifth person to control a secret cash fund designed to finance illegal political sabotage and espionage during the 1972 presidential election campaign (see also Watergate scandal). Born on this day, in no particular order: Klaus Barbie (The Butcher of Lyon), James Carville (political strategerist--Bill Clinton's Rove), Father Charles Coughlin (Roman Catholic priest and pro-Fascist radio broadcaster--Bill O'Reilly in a cassock), Bobby Knight (winningest coach in D1-NCAA Men's Basketball--Bill O'Reilly in polyester slacks and a sweat shirt), Ed Powers (porn star with a number of "rough" sex videos), Richard F. Syron (CEO of Freddie Mac--not no more!) Good managers, all! The following subversives were born on the same day. Max Stimer (Existential German nihilo-anarchist), Minnie Pearl (Cheap hat, great comic), Nancy Cartwrigth (the voice of Bart Simpson), Johann Strauss (composer, "Blue Danube" waltz), Bobby Thompson (1951 home run brought Giants to the Series), Richard Byrd (American explorer), Billy Barty--nee William John Bertanzetti (small person, american actor), Milena Roucka(Canadian former model current professional wrestler of Czech and Costa Rican descent), Pedro Martinez (Dominican Major League Baseball player, former BoSox). Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso (October 25, 1881 – April 8, 1973) was an Andalusian-Spanish painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. As one of the most recognized figures in twentieth-century art, he is best known for co-founding the Cubist movement and for the wide variety of styles embodied in his work. Among his most famous works are the proto-Cubist Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) and his depiction of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, Guernica (1937). And, of course, ME, YOURS TRULY; FUCKIN AY! I am happy to report that I'm typing this, which is a good thing. It means my arthritic fingers and my semi-nimble mind are still working, sort of. Unfortunately, I must also report that my character was formed more by those aforementioned subversives than by the true patriots and all around ubermenschen whose births I noted in the preceding paragraph. I will, somehow, live with it. In lieu of cards, flowers, candy, gift certificates, offers of whatever sort of sexual escapades you may be interested in--please simply send a small donation (a single Benjamin will do) to the address I will furnish to all who e-mail me. Your donations will help to defray the expense of my upcoming "OBAMAWINS,OBAMAWINS" party or, in the event that the GOP is able to engineer another electatheft, for funding my escape to Oz to live with a group of aboriginals who have maintained their culture (but DO think that cold beer is one white devil convenience that they can live with). I will be listening to jazz, by Matt Vacanti and ESP, this evening at Patz on the River in Oswego. If you're all going to come, I would suggest reservations. Tell them I sent you and maybe they'll give me a free drink or something. You know what I love, even more than my country? I love my friends--and that's really about all I need for my , your friendship. Well your friendship and some nice Dom, a couplea lobstahs, a few nice buds, the company of a winsome young lady (or one who thinks that way) and breakfast at Tiffany's. Ciao, for now. democommie

The Empress' new clothes.

Let's see, John Edwards' $400 haircuts were "scandalous" to the reichwing of the KKKRepublican Partei and bHUSSEINobama's an uppitylitist. So, in an attempt to assuage the fears of Joe Six-Pack (no relation to Tupac Shakur--I can assure you) and Joe DePlumber that their candidate for the Vice Presiduncy is out of touch with the "common man" the GOP decides that it's not a good thing that Sarah Palin is a bit couture challenged, while Cindy McCain looks like a runway model (now I didn't say she had done a Kate Moss and become a junkie, did I? Prove it, I dare ya!). So, they sent a note to Mrs. McCain (2) to tone down her appearance and leave the pearls in the dresser drawer (right next to her "Lady Glock" Model 26, 9mm semi-auto--and to start wearing one of these (http://www.zazzle.com/pink_gun_lady_glock_shirt-235151653112786202). They did that, right? Oh, nos!!, they didn't. Instead, they sent Sarah to the clothing department at Neiman Marcus and Saks where she spent about $125K on a few nice things. Well, once she was Sarah, "Plain and simple"; now? She's still simple, but not so plain. No word on whether she got a few goodies from Victoria's State Secrets. In the same account where Sarah's clothing bill was discussed (http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/2008/10/22/blog-buzz-sarah-palins-150000-rnc-shopping-spree-barack-obama-and-john-mccain-release-dueling-robocalls-al-qaeda-website-endorses-mccain.html) there was word the RNC also shelled out over $8,000 for John McCain's makeup artist (those necrocosmetologists do not work on the cheap--I'm sure the DorkLordCheney loaned McStain his rolodex for that one). It would appear that "lipstick on a pig" has gotten somewhat expensive. Okay, so you know what I meant, right? You know that I was dissing the "Cariboob™©®" and not the Extinguished Senaturd from Aritwilightzone? Yeah, so, sue me. Hey, I'm not even a republican and I wear plain cloth coats and pants and hats. They may be a little threadbare and frayed around the edges but I'm an American (cue patriotic music and flag waving--from a cruciform flagpole--over amber fields of grain, covering nu-Q-lar missile silos) and damn it, I have smallminded values just like Sarah and JohnnyPOW's supporters.

The choice

Good morning, all you beautiful people: Jim Voorhies (http://jimvoorhies.com/index.php) posed an interesting thought over at his place. Who should we vote for, bearing in mind that the recession we haven't been in for the last year or so, will be found hidden in Nancy Pelosi's hard drive on 1/22/09? No, those were not Jim's exact words--I'm not sure if they're mine either--read his piece. Anyhoo, I think it makes a difference who we vote for(subliminal message:OBAMAOBAMAOBAMA) because of the following reasons (among others): A.) Getting our foreign policy and military readiness situation in order. B.) Watching the genuine conservatives (yes, the do exist) tell the talibanigelicals to have a huge helping of STFU hot dish. C.) SCotUS, SCotUS, SCotUS. Besides if Obama gets elected we might wind up eating dog food. If McStain gets the job, we might wind up eating the dog.

Dear Reader: I, democommie, your "Dear Ranter" have decided to put a couple of comments that I made on two other blogs up instead of doing my usual exhaustive investigational reporterage BEFORE I write nasty shit about scumbags and scumbaguettes. This comment is from here: http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2008/10/candidate_comedy.php#commentsArea (Ed Brayton's "Dispatches from the culture wars") Coriolis: (you said) "I think he doesn't think things through very deeply, and he's fairly stupid, but ultimately I don't think he's an evil man. Which is why I think he goes into the type of stupid crap he does (Ayers, Palin, etc.), but at the end of the day he does see the results and he doesn't like it." That assessment + the "football"= Vote for Obama. All pols are actors, plain and simple. They have to be able to turn it on and off like a lightbulb. That is not to say they don't have genuine emotions, or that they are not subject to exposing them in embarassing ways. McCain has had hundreds, if not thousands of interviews and he's done the speaking/lecture circuit for years. I think what makes McCain show so badly (in terms of facial tics, grimaces, etc.,) during the debates and in unscripted moments is that he's playing to an audience that isn't conditioned, as is the MSM--until very recently--to simply accept the notion that he is a decent and honourable man. Is McCain "Evil"? I suppose that depends on how it's defined. Is McCain Stupid, vainglorious, self-aggrandizing and venal? now, THAT'S a softball question. So, an evil clone of a much beloved U.S. (POWARHERO) Senator and an evil, neo-cryptic HUSSEINOFASCIST walk into a bar. ___________________________________________________________________________ This comment is from the "Palin to appear on SNL" thread here: http://loosetncanon.blogspot.com/ (William is a very smart, very musical guy) William: Hey, I thought you wuz gonna lay off putting your filthy commie lies on the internets tubz until after the "selection". Now that "anonytroll" that got re-assigned to put stupid comments on somebody else's blog is gonna have to get re-re-deployed to come back over her and spout nonsense. Do they use teleprompters on SNL? Is Campaign mPALINccain so comfy with their lead that they think they can afford to have Sarah work with comedy writers instead of Senator Lieberman (Pariah--CT) and the Rovebots? I admit these are not very serious questions, or I will, just as soon as John McCain says that picking the McHuntress as a running mate was a joke. democommie _______________________________________________________________________________ I highly recommend both of the blogs I mentioned (not so highly that I think you should, like, go there, instead of coming here, capeeesh?). Fair warning, I sometimes say things--on other people's blogs, never my own--that might be considered rude, offensive or just plain fucking nuts. S'okay, somebody has to be willing to be the voice of the lone loon on a pond full of mallards (yes, I know; the simile is meaningless but you get the idea).

John McCain, the UnMaverick

Good Morning, all: I have been busy with trying to make my house less porous and more livable, so I haven't been able to spend the time thinking about making my thoughtless comments here. I lifted this, with permission, from "God Is For Suckers" blog. It was put up there by Eve. _______________________________________________________________ OK, I confess, I just thought this was funny - though not to the Mavericks, it seems… [snippet] “I’m just enraged that McCain calls himself a maverick,” said Terrellita Maverick, 82, a San Antonio native who proudly carries the name of a family that has been known for its progressive politics since the 1600s, when an early ancestor in Boston got into trouble with the law over his agitation for the rights [my emphasis] of indentured servants [but conversely was one of the first owners of black slaves in the colonies]. It appears that Ms. Maverick’s ancestor Samuel Augustus Maverick (in pic), a Texas cattleman who among other acts signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, had a habit of not branding his livestock, which led to unbranded cattle being called “Maverick’s” and later “mavericks.” The term then became applied to people who also stand out from the herd, so to speak: “refuse to abide by the dictates of or resist adherence to a group; dissenter[s]; [are] independent in thought and action or exhibit such independence” (The Free Dictionary). The Maverick family didn’t just inherit this legacy, but have continued to illustrate it as well. Ol’ Sam’s grandson Fontaine Maury Maverick, who won both a Silver Star and Purple Heart in World War I, got himself labelled a “Communist” by conservatives, costing him his re-election bid for San Antonio mayor. He went on to serve the Roosevelt Administration in the Smaller War Plants Corporation and coined a term of his own, “gobbledygook;” we use it nowadays mostly as a synonym for any gibberish, but Maury Sr. was referring to the dense bureaucratic language that so infuriated him. His son Maury Jr., a World War II veteran (Marines), kept up the family tradition as a civil libertarian, lawyer, Texas legislator, and columnist who defended those “scorned by society,” like atheists and draft resisters, with a famed passion. His last piece (I’m still looking for it), published post-mortem by The San Antonio Express-News, strongly spoke out against the impending Iraqi invasion. And his sister Terrellita herself is no slouch, either; she’s a member emeritus of the board of the San Antonio chapter of the ACLU. [snippet] “It’s just incredible — the nerve! — to suggest that he’s not part of that Republican herd. Every time we hear it, all my children and I and all my family shrink a little and say, ‘Oh, my God, he said it again.’ ” “He’s a Republican,” she said. “He’s branded.” _______________________________________________________ I think that Ms. Maverick has a lot more on the ball than the Paris Hilton's "old white-haired dude." Re: The "debate" of last evening (Thank GOD, that fucking travsty is over with!!). In solidarity with Joe The Plumber, I am flying my trou at "half-staff", so to speak. For, when "plumbers' cleavage is outlawed, only outlaws will have "plumbers' cleavage."