12.31.04
Be safe tonight, whatever you choose to do with your final hours of 2004. And I wish for you all a spectacular 2005. --Loba

12.30.04 :: bullets over wal-mart edition
Remember when Wal-mart banned Sheryl Crow's self-titled CD because her lyrics in "Love Is a Good Thing" state, "Watch our children while they kill each other/With a gun they bought at Wal-mart discount stores"? (Tangential comment: Remember how Wal-mart demanded the lyrics be changed because they don't sell guns...even though they really do? Remember how Sheryl Crow absolutely rocked by refusing to change the lyrics?) Maybe if they'd allowed more people to purchase Crow's CD and learn from its message, they wouldn't now have Kitty Cat Rambos on-staff, blowing away Fluffy and wrapping him in shrink-wrap.

12.30.04 :: appropriately named edition
I like how the photograph that accompanies this article on Amish voters was taken in Intercourse, Pennsylvania. Sort of appropriate since the little "w" administration is so good at screwing the country (missionary position only, of course).

12.30.04 :: seasons of change edition
I think my brain took some back roads back home because it wasn't with me at work on Tuesday. And Wednesday...well, I was doing surreptitious things that kept me away from the lair. Perhaps I'll share at a later date. Let's just say that change is in the air. Today, I'm going to pretend that I am a valuable member of society. It's going to be a difficult performance, but I think I can handle it.

If you can, please consider making a donation to Red Cross for the survivors in South Asia.

I don't know if the country is ready for New Year's Eve with Regis. I hope that Dick Clark continues to heal from his stroke and that he's back to welcome in 2006.

Lumiere has passed away. I know Jerry Orbach had a much more prolific career than playing the voice of an animated candlestick, but whenever I saw him, I always could hear "Be Our Guest" in my head. Perhaps I'll watch Beauty and the Beast tonight...

12.27.04 :: pack of two edition
Jodie and I hit the road this afternoon as the sun began to melt the small amount of snow that fell the previous day. It was a quick melt from what I could see, which I think was a merciful gift to a people not equipped to deal with winter precipitation...and I'm not talking about their lack of plows and salt. I saw several townsfolk out driving cars/trucks still completely covered minus the tiny hole they had carved through the snow on their windshield for "vision purposes" (I use quotation marks because I'm using that phrase very loosely). I hurried away from town as quickly as I could and swore to never berate the D.C. snow scene ever again...at least not with my normal vigor.

Of course all form of hurrying ceased once I hit I-95. I won't bother venting about traffuck here, as I'm sure everyone knows what it's like to do the holiday stop-n-go. I will, however, share with you my listening choices for the journey:
Green Day, American Idiot.
Sheryl Crow, The Very Best of Sheryl Crow.
Evanescence, Fallen.
Future: A Journey Through The Electronic Underground.
Madonna, Erotica.

All good traveling music, if you're interested.

Now it's just Jodie and me. I realized tonight that my apartment felt very empty and very, very lonely. I'd just spent almost 6 days constantly around family and a house full of pets (my family is its own humane society). And now it's just Jodie and me. Oh well. Tomorrow morning is a workday, so I must head to bed now...

12.26.04 :: jack frost goes south edition
In February of 2003, the D.C. metropolitan area was hit by a horrendous snow storm that, in the end, dumped almost 2 feet of snow on us. I drove from where I live to BWI Airport and back that morning. It took me 6 hours total, but I did it.

There's now less than 2 inches of snow and ice on the ground in the lovely little North Carolina town where my parents live and I'm homebound. Why? Because the country folk here don't quite know how to deal with the white stuff the way we do up North. They have no snow removal equipment. They don't salt the roads. The last time they were hit by a comparably small amount of snow, the local police department reported 600 accidents. No, that's not an extra zero.

So rather than going home today the way I planned, I'm sitting here. I'd rather not play auto pinball with the locals. But that's all right. I wasn't quite ready to go back to work tomorrow anyway.

Excuse me now...I smell wontons in garlic sauce being reheated and I must partake.

Stay warm, snoggees...

12.25.04 :: happy holly dog edition
Happiest holiday wishes to all snoggees near and far, no matter what holiday you celebrate.

12.22.04 :: i.p. freely edition
I love 7-Eleven. I can buy a huge coffee the size of half a carafe for less than half the cost of a Starbuck's grande frodolocochewbaccalattecino. Only thing is, I then had to stop at every friggin' rest area along I-95. Such is the compromise of the caffeine addict...

12.21.04 :: myotonic wolf edition
My boss gave me the most unexpected holiday present this morning. She told me that the VP of our division came to her and said that I could have Wednesday off--on the company's dime--for all that I did for her this weekend. My boss also said that the VP said all this with a smile of gratitude. I was so stunned, I felt my legs locking up like one of those myotonic goats that just fall over when startled. I controlled my urge to fall over in her office though. I think that was a wise move, don't you?

12.21.04 :: a semi-happy ending edition
The robbers are still on the loose, but the employees are fine.

And the official release date for the next Harry Potter book is July 16. Elation pulses through my veins.

12.21.04 :: why are we so ugly to each other? edition
Another reason why I don't like the fact that little "w" is here for another 4 years: The Amuhrachrists are just getting out of hand with their ignorant comments. "Anti-Christmas jihad"? "Secular Jews who control Hollywood and hate Christianity"? First, using the term "jihad" to describe something so ridiculous as saying "Happy Holidays" over "Merry Christmas" is offensive. People have been ripped apart, left bloodied or dead because of fundamentalists carrying out a true jihad. Using it in such a flippant manner is a vulgar insult to every person who has died because of those killing in the name of their holy war. Also, just because someone is Jewish doesn't mean they hate Christianity. It just means they would rather not be wished a Merry Christmas. How would the Amuhrachrists like it if someone wished them Happy Hanukkah? Or even better, Blessed Solstice?

Is this the next way they'll want to change the Constitution? Establish Christianity as the one "true" religion of the United States? I hate this hypocrisy!

12.21.04 :: violence does not take a holiday edition
I hope this doesn't turn into something worse than it already is...

It's at this time of year that the futility of war is even more obvious. Good people are dying daily. I wish...I wish more people believed in peace on earth by way of acceptance rather than by way of domination.

I wish peace on earth was a possibility...

12.21.04 :: half-blood prince edition
YES!!

12.21.04 :: pain killers edition
Now I've gone and done it. I came home tonight and fell asleep on the couch for 3 hours. Add to that the fact that I had a lot of chocolate and now you've got one wide-awake wolfette.

This is why I'd rather suffer through my pain. I used to take Aleve all the time. Now I take Advil when I absolutely have to take something. I'm going to just keel over at any minute, aren't I? Guess someone should have told the pharmaceutical companies that "pain killer" doesn't mean it's supposed to kill the person taking them...

Little "w" is still defending Rumsfeld, this time saying that Rumsfeld isn't really the man he revealed himself to be with his insulting comments to a room full of soldiers. I'd like for Rumsfeld to make the same comments to the face of the soldier profiled in the Post magazine this past week.

12.20.04 :: glutton for punishment edition
Yeah, I came to work today. I got in around 11:30. Went to lunch with a coworker at noon. Got together with some other coworkers to exchange presents. Shared stories with them about my unbelievable night/morning. Made my rounds, dropping off presents to other coworkers. Watched funny MPEG files with the coworker with whom I went to lunch. Went to the property owner's holiday party. Now I'm getting ready to go home. Sweet day, no? Makes up for the 10-hour marathon on Sunday night/this morning...plus the late night Saturday work. You'd think that I was curing diseases or something with all the work I do. I am helping to gain continued employment for my coworkers, so I guess that's the silver lining.

At this point, though, I'd prefer a fluffy cotton lining that I can curl up in and sleep a little more. I was so wired this morning that I actually ended up wrapping Christmas presents for a half hour before going to bed. Don't worry. Even I know how totally whacked out that is.

Haven't even looked at any news today, so you know Loba doesn't have all four paws on solid ground...and now I'm doing that giddy "Holy Mary Mother of God, I'm sleep deprived" laugh at everything. Yeah, definitely time to go home. Definitely, definitely...

12.20.04 :: excused absence edition
Remember excused absences from school? Weren't those awesome? I hope all you loverly snoggees will grant an excused absence to your favorite lupine linguist. Let it be known that it is right now 4:30 EDT on Monday morning and (are you all sitting down?) I just got in from work. I'm only online right now because I had to check for return receipts in my e-mail (if that didn't make sense, count yourself lucky). Now I'm going to curl up and go to sleep...and whenever I wake up is when I end up going to work. Isn't that fun?

I wish for you all a happy and warm Monday...

12.19.04 :: "use the buddha finger" edition
Isn't that a great bit of instruction? It's a sampling of dialog in one of the song's on the Oxide and Neutrino CD I bought in London. Cracks me up every time I hear it. Wonder if it has anything to do with the "real" Buddha finger. This sounds to me like the Buddhist equivalent of the Shroud of Turin.

I know I'd like to use one finger in particular to salute Time for their mind-numbingly stupid choice for Person of the Year. If you want to celebrate a puppet, I think Elmo would be a better choice. At least the hand up Elmo's ass isn't connected to the gargoyles that make little "w" speak.

I think Florida is trying to change their reputation as a place to take your children. After all, this isn't the first time a cop has Tasered a kid. This time it was a 12-year-old special needs student. I guess that's better than zapping a 6-year-old...

12.17.04 :: such a drag edition
I'm being made to work the whole weekend. Go ahead: Ask me how happy I am right now.

So, I have a secret confession/realization: I like movies about drag queens. I love To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. I adore The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. And there were parts of Connie and Carla that had me flat-out laughing my ass off. I've gotta say, I wish Toni Collette had been given the part that Nia Vardolos had...not because Nia wasn't good. It's just...I don't know if this is going to sound like a compliment, but I mean it as such...Toni Collette makes a damn great drag queen! She was far more convincing as a "woman playing a man playing a woman" than Nia was.

That's my 2 cents on the matter.

12.17.04 :: lick it up edition
I don't eat salt anyway, but now I'm never going to use the stuff in a restaurant. I just read a "Dear Abby" in which a writer stated that they watched a child lick the top of a salt shaker...and then the mother simply had another of her children exchange that shaker for a clean one from another table. See, that's just dirty. Dirty mom, dirty child, dirty salt shaker, dirty trick. DIR-TAY.

Okay, that's out of my system now...

12.16.04 :: playing with fire edition
It's always disconcerting to hear local places named on the national news. It almost feels like a violation of sorts. These areas don't belong to everyone. They belong to us, the people who live here. I felt this way during the sniper attacks 2 years ago. I feel this way now, with the Indian Head arson case. It just isn't right to think that everyone is going to hear the names of these areas and not know anything else about them beyond the bad. Is that silly?

12.16.04 :: selling out edition
I have many loves when it comes to music, but I have few to whom I am completely devoted. Madonna and Aerosmith are two on my very short list. I think this is why their pandering absolutely pisses me off. Madonna whoring for Gap and Estee Lauder? Okay, I get it. You haven't really had a great CD since Ray of Light and American Life tanked worse than the Exxon Valdez. So sell some songs from the CD and try to turn a buck. Never mind that you had the top grossing concert of 2004...

Then there's Steven Tyler obviously showing his indentured servitude to Sony by advertising their CyberShot digital camera. Fine. Then there was the commerical that used "Just Push Play" to hock a Dodge Ram truck. Whatever. But you've pushed me too far with this last one.

Aerosmith has been recording music since 1973. Their very first album included one song that has become, throughout their 31 years as rock gods (IMHO), one of their signature songs: "Dream On." This wonderful song belongs in any collection that symbolizes all that is glorious about rock music. IT DOES NOT BELONG IN AN AUTO COMMERCIAL.

I can't say anymore on the matter. I'm just too distraught.

12.16.04 :: wax attacks for jesus edition
I don't know which of these articles is more humorous: the Guardian's account or, surprisingly, the Clarion-Ledger's account. You know, I may have to go with the Mississippi commentary. It's just damn funny. The line about the Liberty Bell...I love visual sarcasm and this one was sublimely vivid.

12.16.04 :: not an isolated incident edition
Blarg. I guess I can't say that it's just a regional offense from a North Carolina zealot. However, I'm happy to see that some people in Alabama are kicking their brain cells into gear to contemplate. However, I'm troubled by this quote: "It is also silly for Christians to act like a persecuted minority." They aren't acting like the persecuted minority. They are doing what I said they were going to do. They are the Amurhachrists and they are flexing their newly attained muscle. So again I say, blarg.

12.16.04 :: et tu edition
Oooh, Trent Lott doesn't like Donald Rumsfeld. But he's not calling for Rumsfeld's resignation. Same with John McCain. Then why the hell say anything? Are they so afraid of the axis of arrogance that they won't do anything more than simply whine about Rumsfeld? Personally, the only thing I fear about Rumsfeld being removed is who little "w" would find to replace him. No matter how evil one person is, there's always going to be someone out there who is worse...

12.16.04 :: afternoon delight edition
I rarely eat lunch. I rarely leave the office during the workday. I come in. I work straight through. I stay late when needed. I think that needs to change. So today I decided I would indulge and actually take my lunch break. I went home and watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Jodie. Actually, Jodie just slept on the couch. I've never seen a full episode of Buffy, so I was totally clueless as to what was happening...but I was entertained, which was the sole purpose.

The Guardian has this great Flash program on how each of the states voted in this last election. Imagine them creating something so detailed about another country. How many people in the United States would have a clue about anything pertaining to other countries except why we should dominate them...or hate them?

Remember right after September 11 how the entire civilized world wanted to support and comfort us? Remember the French headline, "Nous sommes tous Américains"? Then the civilized world realized how thoroughly uncivilized our government leaders are. Or did we forget the Congressional "Freedom Fries" mandate? Or the "Mission Accomplished" incident? Or Abu Ghraib? Or the neverending moments of arrogance and vulgarity that flow from the little "w" administration?

12.16.04 :: fake it 'til you make it edition
I loathe the thought of karaoke. There isn't enough tequila in the universe to get me to do that, because I know damn well I'd sound worse than Kimmie from My Best Friend's Wedding,only I'm not Cameron Diaz so no one would think it was cute. Pornaoke, though...now that sounds like fun...and completely devoid of any need for pitch or harmony. Sweet.

12.15.04 :: semitic semantics edition
I read an article in the Sunday edition of my parents' newspaper that left a very sour feeling in my stomach. Apparently, a local preacher ran a full-page advertisement that called for his parishioners to take their business to stores where the employees wish them a "Merry Christmas" rather than the ubiquitous "Happy Holidays." Part of the ad stated that "96 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas." Beneath this text, the ad continued by stating "Five percent celebrate Hanukkah." (Never mind that the preacher doesn't cite where these numbers come from...although I smell a rat, or in this case a fairly unbalanced Fox.)

Now, is it just me, or does this sound like the preacher is calling for his parishioners to boycott stores run by non-Christians, particularly Jews? After all, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Wiccans...none of them celebrates Christmas. So why not mention all the different holidays observed at this time of year in conjunction with Christmas? Why single out Hanukkah?

And really, Christmas doesn't have anything to do with Christ anyway. December 25 was actually the day the Romans celebrated their "Victory of the Sun God" festival. Emperor Constantine was the one to change the pagan celebrations of the Roman people into Christian celebrations, and this festival became the celebration of Christ's birth. It has no religious root. Plus, many of the trimmings of the Christian holiday, such as Christmas trees and mistletoe, are rooted in pagan traditions. And, of course, the Church Lady filled us in on the Santa anagram...could it be Satan?!

So again I ask, why single out Hanukkah when calling for parishioners not to shop where they say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"? (The preacher insisted that he was not calling for people to boycott these stores...simply to not shop there. Okay, and how is that not the same as boycotting?)

If you listen very closely, you might even be able to hear the holiday goose-stepping down Main Street...

return to 12.16.04 contemplation.

12.15.04 :: feeling blue edition
My thoughts are with the Gore family today.

I think I'm coming down with a case of blue flu. It's a slow-acting illness, but I definitely think I'm going to need at least one day off work to recuperate...

I don't think I'm going to be able to have a completely blue Christmas though. I love Amazon.com and Target...but I'm pretty much in the clear for everything else that's important since both of my favorite bookstores are "blue donors" (big surprise, literate people support the Democratic party...oops, did I say that outloud?). As for Wal-mart...that store frightens me on many levels, and this is just one of them (sort of like the many levels of Dante's inferno). Driving along Interstate-95, I notice these pockets of urban sprawl that seem to be just vomited up by the flattened earth where trees and nature once bloomed...and right in the center of the bile is a Wal-mart super center. I think these boxy stores are the modern-day counterpart to a Borg cube. They completely decimate the uniqueness of an area and turn everyone into a member of the collective. Resistance is futile, indeed...

One of my coworkers introduced me to the GOP Party Monsters. She played a few of the songs for me and they were quite funny. I particularly enjoyed "Condoleezza in D Minor," which sounded like a seriously deranged Dr. Seuss rhyme set to classical music. It sounds like a delightful stocking stuffer for the beloved Democrats in your life...

12.14.04 :: driving miss jodie edition
Back home for a little while. It's always an adventure when I'm driving with Jodie. She hasn't been many places outside our "home turf" so everything is new to her. Favorite "new" moment from today's journey? An introduction to vending machines. I forgot that she had never seen one of these magical mystery boxes. Her ears shot straight up at the sound of change clinking down into the Pepsi machine and she must have sprang backward at least 2 feet at the sound of the Mountain Dew clanking down into the vending slot. But she's a smart one. When I bought a bag of Keystone mix (party mix midgees for a roadtrip!!), she pushed her head into the slot and almost grabbed the bag in her mouth!

Other than that, the ride home was pretty uneventful. I love to drive long distances so 5 hours? Meh. Five hours is nothing. Five years is a long time...but 5 hours is meh. I guess, though, that any length of time is only relevant if someone gives it significance.

Perhaps I'll have something more poignant for tomorrow once I have plugged into the collective and absorbed some newsworthy thoughts...

12.13.04 :: galaxy far, far away edition
It's such an adjustment to come to where my parents now live. North Carolina operates on an entirely different baud rate. I'm not so sure that's a bad thing. Good example: The "top story" on last night's news? Pets available for adoption at the local humane society. That was literally the biggest thing going on in this area. Helluva huge change from the murder of the minute mentality where I live. Could I live here? Not right now. I feel like I'm in detox without my constant connection to my bible. Yeah, my parents get the local paper delivered every day...but I swear the entire paper is the same size as the first section of the Post. Again, not that much going on, not that much on which to report.

However, I did see on the local newscast that California nominated Scott Peterson for the prestigious role of executionee. I think this is spawning another one of my "humans really aren't that far removed from animals" questions: Why do people watch executions? Does it really provide the closure they think it will? Does it make them feel any better to watch the person who took their loved one die? It doesn't bring the dead back. It simply adds to the body count. Besides, it just has a whole "Let's go watch the prisoners be torn apart by lions at the Coliseum" kind of feel to it.

Is this me saying that I don't agree with the death penalty? I think so. Do I think that Scott Peterson deserves to die for what he has been accused? My naturally vengeful side says, "Shit yeah! Fry the fucker!" But what point is there to this? The only ones who suffer from death are the living. And obviously the death penalty isn't a deterrent. Plus there's the fact that we are a fallible species. How many innocent people have been executed? How many innocent people are sitting on death row right now? How many people have been executed who didn't understand why they were being killed? Little "w" allowed a mentally challenged man to be executed while he was governor of Texas. Bill Clinton did the same thing while he was governor of Arkansas.

We as a country took such offense when Singapore authorities wanted to publicly cane Michael Fay when he was caught vandalizing property...yet we're all right with sending electricity through a human being's body or injecting them with serums designed to stop their heart from beating. We thought Singapore was animalistic and backward for what they wanted to do to Fay. So what the hell does that make us?

Honestly, I've had a huge problem with the death penalty ever since I read Dead Man Walking. I have never been more moved by any piece of writing than I was by the absolute clarity and honesty in Sister Prejean's account.

Anyway. That's my incoherent, barely formed thought on the subject. For anyone who cares. I'll be flaming up the Interstate tomorrow...so if you see a speed-demon zipping up the high-speed lane and you happen to notice "The Beautiful People" cranking through your closed windows...I would recommend you move...

12.11.04 :: personal jesus edition
Roadtrip! And Marilyn Manson was my co-pilot for the better part of the journey. Manson, Jodie, and a giant cup of coffee. Bet you all wish you were along for the ride, right? So please forgive me if I am away from the lair for a little while.

I've changed my mind about running for office in the Ukraine. I know it's not funny, but reading about Yushchcenko made me think of that scene from The Sixth Sense with Mischa Barton..."Now don't tell me this tastes funny!"

Sick, sick, sick...

12.10.04 :: low cloud ceiling edition
The clouds are so thick again tonight that the city lights are bouncing back down to earth and making it bright as dawn outside. Just another day in paradise...

I saw a commercial tonight advertising Tupac's latest CD. I think at this point they're at the bottom of the barrel, like selling recordings of the last time he called in a pizza at Domino's.

I have a "humans really aren't that far removed from animals" question: Why do people like boxing? Think about what the sport really is. It's an arena full of people watching two guys (or sometimes two girls) beat each other full-force until one drops. What talent is there besides figuring out the best way to avoid being beaten? But that's not really talent...that's self-preservation. And what's your reward? Oh, I know: Parkinson's disease.

How about a random question: Why are homes or apartments on crime shows never dusty? Really, how come you never see Sara Sidle picking up a dust bunny with her tweezers?

Random enough? Good. Ponder away and let me know what you think...

12.10.04 :: better late than never? edition
Okay, so I first mentioned this slight problem of Honda's way back in July. And they're just now addressing it? Um...happy holidays from Honda?

12.10.04 :: waxing poetic edition
Kylie Minogue as an angel. Samuel L. Jackson as a shepherd. The Beckhams as Mary and Joseph. A little bit of wax seems to have gotten everyone's knickers in a knot. I think the only thing I find offensive about the display is little "w" being depicted as a wise man, although I'm hoping that was just a great bit of dry British humour coming through.

Actually, I think the whole thing is pretty clever in a sociological commentary sort of way. The wise men are all politicians/royals not exactly known for being the brightest crayons in the box. The shepherds are all popular entertainers, which to me symbolizes how we flock to the entertainment industry like brainless sheep. Kylie Minogue as an angel...I'm a bit lost on this one. Angelic vocals with a devilish body? I actually think it would have been a bit more brilliant to have used Dido. Her first CD, after all, was named No Angel and her first video from her second CD featured David Boreanaz, who played the vampire Angel.

As for the Beckhams as Mary and Joseph...well, again, I think it would have worked better with Madonna and Guy. You know, Madonna as the madonna...maybe with "Like a Virgin" playing in the background. However, since Madonna/Esther has gone all cabalistic on our asses, I guess that wouldn't play well with her. Is it right to have the Beckhams as Mary and Joseph? Sure, why not. Marriage doesn't mean anything to anyone anymore. The divorce rate in the states is a 50-50 crap shoot, and who knows how many of those "successful" marriages are hiding dirty little infidelities just like the Beckhams' "unity." They are the Mary and Joseph of modern relationships.

Another thing to consider: Church officials should be thankful that people today even know enough about the nativity to get Madame Tussauds' spoof. I mean, honestly, Christmas isn't even about Christ's birth anymore. It's about getting. It's about "All I want is what's coming to me! All I want is my fair share!" So materialistic scions representing the nativity? Perfect.

12.09.04 :: idic edition
Allow me to enlighten you and, in so doing, reveal one of my deepest loves. IDIC stands for "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations." It's from Star Trek. Yes, I love Star Trek. I've mentioned it in passing before, but tonight I'm going to come completely clean. You see, I watched Trekkies 2 tonight and I loved it even more than I loved the first Trekkies documentary. I even recognized a few people from the piece on the Baltimore fan convention, Shore Leave.

Yes, I've attended Trek conventions, and Shore Leave was my first. Yes, I own a fantastic Trek memorabilia collection. During my high school days I even penned a novella, which was published by a fanzine company and sold at Trek conventions on the East and West Coasts. Even cooler, I met Gates McFadden and presented her with the first copy of the finished product (the story was all about Dr. Crusher).

Do you now think me a geek? Know what? I couldn't care less. See, I had a less than ordinary childhood and sometimes all I wanted was to disconnect from an often unhappy reality. Because I had guidance and love in my life, I didn't choose to escape through drugs or alcohol or dangerous behavior. I chose Star Trek and let it remove me, for a while, from the things over which I had no control.

Stow away the violins. I'm not playing for sympathy. I'm simply stating a fact. Star Trek was there when I needed it. It gave me hope that things would get better. It gave me positive role models. It pushed my limits for acceptance and understanding.

People always think that Trek fans are geeks and losers. I don't think that at all. When I went to Trek conventions, I saw a spectrum of amazing people. I saw the truly creative finding the appreciation they deserved. I saw the interminably shy release their inner extrovert through costumes and role play. I saw the people who were ridiculed and tormented daily for being different find a place where they were accepted for their differences. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. Everyone there was their own unique person...and for that reason, they belonged.

I don't expect everyone to understand. Some people are terminally closed-minded. Those people don't really matter to me. I am who I am. I don't expect everyone to like Trek as much as I do, or even to like it at all. But don't waste my time by deriding it. That just reveals an ignorance for which I have no time.

Oh and for those who are interested, I'd be happy to discuss Trek with you...and if you're really nice, I may even share with you where my fanzine is still stored online. But you have to be really nice...

12.09.04 :: lupine balance edition
An ecological yin yang effect is occurring as wolves reclaim their position in nature's pecking order. I'm so happy I could howl...

12.09.04 :: pictures > 1,000 words edition
Nine have left; six will remain. Two of those six don't really register on the radar that often. One seems to piss off little "w" so I'm glad he's staying. The other three are evil and the only good thing I see from them staying is little "w" won't be able to replace them with someone more heinous than they are. I'm not going to specify who is who. I'm going to let you all figure that one out. But I think, if you pay attention to my inane ramblings, you'll all figure it out...

Now, is it just me or does this looks like the poster for Twins 2? Or maybe Dumb and Dumberest? Call me crazy but I always feel a sense of apocalyptic doom when world leaders start dressing alike.

12.09.04 :: indecency crusaders edition
I think the most telling moment from this article was a statement from one of the "entertainment analysts" for the Parents Television Council who said that when she watched something questionable as a teenager, her mother watched the show with her. Parental involvement...there's a novel concept. Maybe instead of wasting time watching Sex and the City for a living, she and her cohorts should place more emphasis on the "Parents" part of their title. Television monitoring is something that parents should do. It's called being a parent and it's a job way more important than your 9 to 5. Even my dad, working all the crazy hours and overtime he did, still found time to be an integral part of my life. That's what you do when you have children. And people who need to be reminded of this basic information probably shouldn't be parents.

I suppose I'm just sick of how everyone in this country wants to blame everyone else for why we are the way we are. That's BUNK! We are ultimately the only ones responsible for our behavior. It's not the job of Hollywood. It's our job to say when something is offensive. And our job inevitably to choose to watch or not to watch. Case in point: I don't want to see a show where someone snorts cocaine off another person's ass cheek. Therefore, I have never watched an episode of Nip/Tuck. I don't mind seeing blood and gore, so I watch CSI. But I don't then try to emulate what I have seen, because I know it's all make-believe.

Same as when I was growing up. I always would plop down on the couch and make my parents watch a television show or a movie I wanted to see. We watched all sorts of things together and we accepted that it was fictional drivel and we moved on. I learned the lesson then and I follow the lesson now.

Another novel thought: If more people refuse to watch shows or movies because they're offensive, the ratings will fall. Hollywood lives and dies by ratings...and they always give us what we make popular.

It's not the economy. It's not the culture. It's the parental involvement and personal responsibility, stupids.

12.09.04 :: ho³ edition
I'm trying to appease one of my coworkers who has made it her goal to get me into the holiday spirit. She decorated my cubicle with shiny holly garland and gave me a Scooby with reindeer antlers and a Santa hat. I'm indebted to anyone who offers me anything with Scooby on it. So I'm trying. I'm listening to the A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack. I even tried renting a "holiday" movie...I rented Bad Santa. Hmm. You ever watch a movie and think, "Gee, I really wish I could get my 2 hours back"? After watching this movie, I thought, "Gee, I really wish I could reduce the lifespan of the people who produced this piece of shit by at least 2 hours." I should have stuck with A Christmas Story...

Mia Hamm played her final game last night. Lucky Number 9. She epitomizes to me what an athlete should be. She played for love of the game, not love of the green. She was responsible and respectable and was always a positive role model. Good on ya, Mia.

12.08.04 :: kahleeforneea dreaming edition
I don't know exactly what it is about this article that irritates me, but it just does. Maybe it's the overall tone. Maybe it's Arnold's brush-off of picketing nurses. Wait, I know. It's this putrid quote from Maria Shriver about women in the workforce: "We are dressed to kill at the office and dressed to play at home." What does this mean? That women are snipers who play badminton in their free time? How many times do you think a line like this has ever been spoken in the company of men only? Focusing on a woman's fashion choices demeans her intellectual accomplishments and her contributions as a valuable member of the workforce. And the fact that this statement came from a silicone-based entity that used to be a woman makes it even more insulting.

Oh, and the day I pay even $1 to attend an event at which Laura Schlessinger will be appearing--even if it's to watch her clean the restrooms--is the day I hope someone takes away all the sharp instruments in my reach because I will have officially gone certifiably insane.

12.07.04 :: american idiot edition
Fear not, snoggees. I'm drowning in work this week, but I am trying to surface every now and then. I feel sort of helpless without my constant connectivity to news events (I'm like a Borg; I need to be plugged into the collective all the time!). However, I'm absolutely loving the nominations Green Day received for their CD, American Idiot. Guess where they found inspiration for that title? I really hope they win...

Oh and lest I be remiss in noting the resignation of Tommy Thompson (can you feel the little "w" loyalty just flooding you?), here's an interesting rundown of all the things that Thompson should have worried about while he was HHS secretary...but apparently playing political toady to the American Idiot was more important than actually doing his job. Thanks for saving these until after you resigned, TT. Glad to see that you thought about the people above your own asskisser position in the little "w" administration.

I also enjoyed the wrapup on the intelligence bill finally passing through the House like the giant, painful kidney stone it is. Maybe it's just me, but I think the House GOP needs a giant pimp-slap for this chest-beating display.

Yeah. On a final note, I've had this goofy song stuck in my head all evening. It's something that my dad used to sing when I was a kid. I don't know where it comes from, but it perfectly captures the quirkiness of my family and my childhood. And, oh special snoggees, I will now share it with you:

Great big gobs of greasy, grimy gopher guts
Mutilated monkey meat, petrified porpoise pus
Little pink puddles of pelican puke
And me without a spoon.

Welcome to my world...

12.05.04 :: how would you wrap that? edition
Just saw on eBay that a woman is auctioning her father's ghost in an attempt to assuage her son's fears. It seems to be quite a lucrative auction...which means you know what's next: an all-Amurhkan mass marketing blitz, which will create a 10-minute fad that will die the death of the bargain bin remainder at your local Wal-mart. They'll be called something like "Essence of Death"...little keychain personal ghosts that'll be like the Tamagatchi craze, only better since your ghost can't die again.

12.05.04 :: quirky suburbia edition
I guess the Blair Witch encounter was just an hallucination...although I'm now trying to figure out where that weird stick figure amulet hanging from my rearview mirror came from...

I was awakened this morning at around 7 by the sound of someone yelling outside my window. She was speaking in a language I didn't understand, but I fancy she was yelling about pink bunny slippers and a missing can of Spam.

Today was another shiny, happy global warming kind of day, so I took Jodie for a romp through the park...or as I prefer to call it, the "journey of a thousand sniffs at every step." Now I'm trying to accomplish some online holiday shopping. The Internet really should be called the Introvert-net, because it's been helping me avoid social interaction for years. Thank you, Al Gore, for inventing such a wonderful tool!

Have I ever mentioned here that I live near a bagpiper and a psychotic Labrador retriever? No? I discovered the bagpiper two weekends ago as I was walking Jodie one evening. He was standing next to an upper-level window in his townhouse playing his bagpipes, and I could see his shadow against the blinds. It was actually quite hypnotic...in a "dear god, that sounds like you've shoved a flutophone up a cat's ass" sort of way. Needless to say, I think he's a bit new at the instrument. Either that or I've now learned that I really don't like the bagpipes.

As for the Labrador...if Mike Tyson was dead, I would swear he had come back as this dog. It somehow senses whenever Jodie and I are passing by and it will literally launch itself against the balcony door when it sees us. And it's not just once that the dog does this...oh no. He rams the door repeatedly with such strength that you can see the door bulging outward from the impact. All the while the dog is barking and snarling as though it's Cujo on crack.

That's my update on suburban quirkiness for now. We're by no means a home to desperate housewives...but we can hold our own...

12.05.04 :: back to burkittsville edition
I ran into the Blair Witch tonight while out clubbing. She likes to be called "Keds" and, contrary to the testimony of Mary Brown, she actually isn't covered in horse fur. It's just a little fuzz on her upper lip that's only noticeable because of her dark hair color. She said that she was just down in the city for the night. It gets lonely up in the hills and her Internet connection has been down all week.

I asked her if she'd ever visited the lair while online, and she surprised me with a yes. Apparently, she stumbled upon my contemplations one night while running a Google search on the Wicked Witch and the Mormon Temple. She said my Blair Warner Project spoof poster made her laugh. Then she said that she was in the market for a new sidekick. Josh's nicotine addiction made her house stink. Mike was a little too bipolar for her liking. And Heather...well, Heather just screamed all the time.

I politely declined her offer and told her I didn't play Gabrielle to anyone. She didn't really understand what I meant, but by then we'd both slammed enough Jägermeister that she was okay with the rejection.

She's pretty cool and we're going hiking in the morning...but don't worry. I've got a GPS tracker on my cell phone. What's the worst that could happen?

12.04.04 :: underworld edition
Loba has not left the lair permanently. I just needed to retreat from the taxing effects of corporate overexposure. I'm not a creature for corporate cruelty, particularly of the excessively malicious and irredeemably unnecessary variety (although is there any other kind?). Especially when it forces you to bear witness to the rewarding of the absolutely worthless and the inevitable termination of the competent. That's another lesson that I understand now: The Powers That Be don't want to surround themselves with competent people. TPTB are greatly threatened by competence. Thus the birth of the term bozo explosion. I warn you now, ducking and covering will not protect you when this bomb hits.

Anywhoodle. I watched Underworld and Run, Lola, Run to help remove myself from reality for a while. What better movies than those to cause a disconnect from the desert of the real? Kate Beckinsale as a vampire and Franka Potente flaming through the streets as a divinatrix of sorts with an awesomely bad dye job.

I'm off...but only slightly...

12.03.04 :: run, loba, run edition
I understand now what Agent Smith said to Morpheus: "Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet." We are an ugly, treacherous species.

And that's all the explanation I feel like giving for my absence from the lair...

11.30.04 :: danger, will robinson, danger! edition
Oh no! Now who will warn me that I should be on alert for something awful that might happen to me, but I can't know exactly what because that information is classified?!? I said it once before, I never could understand why Tom Ridge was the Secretary of Homeland Security to begin with. Now maybe we can get someone in there who's actually qualified for the...

Wait. I forgot for a moment who was president. Never mind.

11.30.04 :: eifersucht edition
No sense in trying to hide it: Ich bin eifersuechtig. One of my coworkers just left for a 2-week trip to Germany. I offered to carry her luggage for her while she was there. Unfortunately, she thought I was kidding.

I'm glad that someone finally addressed this rampant problem with Hollywood mommies and daddies.

I can say this: After reading about these kids' names, I'm never going to complain about my "vanilla" name again...at least not where any of you will hear me...

11.29.04 :: 80s movie night edition
I brought work home...but I never got to it. Instead, I ended up watching Some Kind of Wonderful on AMC. I know, it's just a reversed sexes Pretty in Pink with a different ending...but I still love it.

Of course, that got me on an 80s movie jag and so I've been sitting here for the past half hour, reading quotes on IMDb from various movies I loved from my childhood. So here's a little quiz for you. Can you name the movie this line comes from? "Dogs barking can't fly without umbrellas!"

I'm jumping for the answer...

11.29.04 :: the stress is killin' me edition
No, seriously...it is. It's killing all of us, apparently. Or at least making our insides shrivel like guys in the Polar Bear Swim Club (vivid, wasn't it?).

So, thinking like a good citizen of the Litigious States of Amurhka, does this mean that I can sue the people who are causing my premature physical decline? Wouldn't that be great?

11.29.04 :: death row edition
Okay, let's just imagine this family conversation, shall we? "Hey, sugar dumplin', did you have fun at school today?" "I did. We went to the Texas Prison Museum and saw all the cool ways our state murders people. We also learned how George W. Bush allowed the execution of 152 inmates during his 6 years as governor." "That's right, darlin'. And he's seen to the death of a lot more people now that he's president. More than 1,200 U.S. soldiers and counting...and now he's got another 4 years."

Doesn't it make you proud to know that the leader of this country has such a wonderful humanitarian track record? By the way, as of right now, out of 1,382 coalition deaths, 1,236 are American soldiers. And 51 percent of this country voted the moron in charge of this slaughterhouse back into office. My thought? Then those people who voted for him can be the first in line to volunteer to fight in Iraq when little "w" comes looking for fresh meat for the fray.

11.28.04 :: friends in incarcerated places edition
I'm glad to read that Martha spent Thanksgiving in the company of people who appreciate her. Although there's a sitcom hidden within the incarceration-inspired companionship shared between the domestic diva and a nuke-bashing nun.

11.27.04 :: consuming edition
I live in one of the most dangerous places in America: downwind from a McDonald's. I swear, some nights the air is so thick with the Pavlovian scent of French fries, I find myself fantasizing about salting Jodie and dipping her in a deep-fat fryer. How Beavis and Butthead of me...

I could hug this doctor. She's gotten it right on so many levels. Am I saying that because what she wrote about is what I'm always kvetching about here? Of course. I am American, after all. It's within my genetic code to be, on some level, completely "me-me-me" about things. But she's right. Parents are so caught up in achieving materialistic Nirvana, a myth propogated by ad execs. You can never have everything, because there is always going to be Bigger, Better, Faster, More. And while they are struggling to purchase eternal happiness for them and their own, their children are learning a dangerous lesson both through the absence of their parents and the reason for their absence.

Second reason to hug this doctor? She gets it. She understands that "middle-class" and "blue-collar" are not the same thing. That earns beaucoup respect from me.

11.27.04 :: knuckle abrasions edition
Alabama proves yet again that walking upright is an evolutionary talent still not achieved by many in the Deep South.

11.27.04 :: coldblooded capitalists edition
Chinese workers are finally saying enough to being expected to produce everyone else's crap for painfully low wages and under abysmal working conditions. So I wonder, if they continue to find their voices and resist working 60+ hours a week for the equivalent of $120 a month...well, what country will Amurhka exploit next?

After all, it's not like we can bring these companies back to this country. It costs too damn much! Our workers unions have the audacity to demand enough pay for their members to survive the bloated cost of living in this country! If only we could get rid of unions! Then we could force the blue-collar workers to live in dormitories at the factory and eat in the factory's cafeteria, and give most of their paltry wages back to the company while they send the meager remainder to their families. And if their morale ever starts to drop, we can send Kathie Lee in to sing them some songs. That should be punishment enough to stop their complaining!

Does anyone else remember the "Look for the Union label" commercials they used to play on television? Does anyone else remember the pride we used to take in buying things that were made in this country? What the hell happened? We've decimated our industry towns and enabled pre-union abuse against workers in other countries. For what purpose? Basketball shoes? Creepy looking "Bratz" dolls?

What do we create in this country anymore?

Return to 09.15.05 contemplation.

11.27.04 :: absolute power rocks absolutely! edition
How about this? For ChrismaHanaKwanzikah, we go ahead and chemically castrate all the Democrats still in the House. Or is that already on the top of Hastert's short list of gift ideas?

Or how about this? The remaining Democrats stop letting themselves be reamed ragged by Mr. "Majority of the Majority" and start raging against the GOP machine. Start acting like stubborn mules and less like whipped little jackasses! I mean, come on! Look at this photo! The glee on Roy Blunt's face is the type I suspect funeral directors secretly felt on September 11...only they at least had the decency to hide their gallows joy.

Does the "Dem" in Democrat now stand for "demoralized"? Our party has been hobbled like Paul Sheldon at the mercy of his "number one fan." Well...ENOUGH MISERY. It's time to clock Annie Wilkes upside the head with a typewriter and get the hell out of that creepy cabin in the woods! (End Stephen King allusions here.)

11.27.04 :: buy nothing edition
I didn't even know this was a globally observed "anti-holiday." I'm glad to hear that it is, though. I can't imagine anything more ludicrous than doing a Dawn of the Dead shuffle with the other zombies to a mall on the day after Thanksgiving. I've never understood this ritual, and I understand it even less now that it has taken on this frightening life (it's now even ridiculously known as "Black Friday"). Some stores opened as early as 5:30 a.m. Please, please, please...could anyone tell me what piece of plastic crap (made in China, of course...when was the last time you bought anything made in this country?) that will break mere months after its purchase could be worth me hauling my ass out of bed to be at a store with other lemmings at 5:30 in the morning?

11.26.04 :: lots of turkey edition
Steven Tyler served turkey on Thanksgiving at a women's substance abuse prevention center. I think Aerosmith is the best thing to come out of Massachusetts (other than politicians, of course), so good on ya, Steven.

Across the pond we go, to where Brits voted Baywatch the worst U.S. television import ever. Really? I can understand the thoughts behind that vote. What worries me, though, is they find Baywatch to be worse than The Anna Nicole Show. Perhaps because they've been subjected to Baywatch longer and David Hasslehoff's hirsutism finally made them snap?

Final turkey spotting: AP brief on little "w" seeking more funding for abstinence education even though preliminary state studies show the programs don't have any impact on the choices teens are making. However, those who support the programs don't want to wait for more substantive national data, because these programs are "what parents and students want." If the parents want their children to know this so badly...then why aren't they teaching their kids themselves?

Kids listen to their parents more often than even parents realize sometimes...

11.26.04 :: monster teeth edition
I watched Monster this afternoon. I already knew a great deal about Aileen Wuornos...I'm sure it comes as no surprise to anyone that I have a certain fascination with the darker aspects of life. I guess in that regard, I'm kinda like Sigourney Weaver's character in Copycat...just without the agoraphobia and Holly Hunter trying to save me from Harry Connick, Jr. But other than that...

Charlize Theron was great. But...well, I hate to mention this because then I'll make others as aware of it as I was. It's just...her prosthetic teeth. They obviously irritated her. A lot. Because she's constantly doing this weird thing with her lips, either to readjust them or just because she subconsciously recognizes them as a foreign presence. I mean, I think she gave a sublime performance as Wuornos. So great, in fact, that I really didn't even think of her as being Charlize Theron playing Wuornos. That's pretty damn good.

But those teeth...

11.26.04 :: read between the lines edition
Just got home a little while ago. I know, you have no idea what time it is (damn me for refusing the time-stamp option!)...trust me, it's late. Or early, depending on how you look at it.

Sarah McLachlan kept me company on my long drive home (I drove 66.6 miles one way today...I only mention the exact number because it cracked me up when I saw it on my trip odometer). I listened to Afterglow tonight. It's not her best CD, but it's still beautiful. One song in particular struck me in a way I'd never before noticed...

I will be the answer at the end of the line
I will be there for you while you take the time
In the burning of uncertainty I will be your solid ground
I will hold the balance if you can't look down

If it takes my whole life I won't break I won't bend
It'll all be worth it worth it in the end
'Cause I can only tell you what I know
That I need you in my life
When the stars have all gone out
You'll still be burning so bright

Cast me gently into morning
For the night has been unkind
Take me to a place so holy
That I can wash this from my mind
The memory of choosing not to fight

If it takes my whole life I won't break I won't bend
It'll all be worth it worth it in the end
'Cause I can only tell you what I know
That I need you in my life
And when the stars have all burned out
You'll still be burning so bright
Cast me gently into morning for the night has been unkind...

These are lyrics drawn from some place so deep...so raw...so honest...and so vivid in reflection, in need, in promise.

Beautiful.

11.25.04 :: imminent tryptophan overdose edition
All diatribes have been stored away on the top shelf for the day. Must make room for turkey, ham, and all the stomach-stretching accoutrements that always come along for the ride.

Again, there is no real purpose to this contemplation. No rage against the machine. Just me, taking a moment to mention that for which I have been grateful this year. I thought this year would be a difficult one for thankful moments...but I was wrong. You simply have to look a little harder...

Obviously, the top of my list every year is the love of family who accept me for the left-handed, left-leaning, wolf-hugging, nature-loving, über-Democrat Anglophile smart ass that I am.

Now, a mish-mash of "thankful" moments this year...

Jodie. Friends who share their homes, their hearts, their laughter, and their tequila. Sammy (35,000 miles and going!). Seabiscuit. Used bookstores. Soft leather couches and lattes at the Coffee Beanery. The semi-conscious comfort of sleeping in the passenger's seat on a road trip. The combination of sculptures and spring-time gardens. Cafe du Monde coffee with chicory. Test tube shooters. 1980s cover bands that play all night. New Orleans cemeteries. Bourbon Street during Lent. New experiences with new friends. Kiwanis roasted chicken next to a corn field. How rain can't spoil the beach. Kohr Brothers twist cones with chocolate jimmies. White pizza and fish tacos. Candy corn. The awakening of political awareness in the masses. Intimidating Northeastern Liberal Amazons. Netflix. Fan fiction. Honesty. Life.

Happy Turkey Day.

11.24.04 :: polar ice...cubes edition
He's bloody brilliant! Refuse to sign the Kyoto treaty. Roll back funding to the EPA. Deny even the existence of global warming. Why? Because that's what he believes? No! It's his grand plan to reduce the heating oil needs of his constituency! I mean, here it is, almost December in the D.C. area and--with the exception of maybe 3 nights--I haven't had to turn on my heat at all this fall. I'm still only wearing my leather jacket; haven't even thought about breaking out the heavy winter digs. He's a goddamn environmental genius! Thank you, little "w"! It's worth the destruction of our planet so that I can have cheap gas bills every month!

I watched an episode of The Simpsons tonight that summed up for me the relationship between little "w" and Big Time. Ever see the episode where Burns pays Homer to do complete ass-hat things in public? Homer eats a vintage comic book, wears nothing but a giant diaper in a men's room...I also like to refer to this episode as "The Randy Panda Plushies and Furries" episode.

So I wonder what Big Time paid little "w" for this total Beverly Hillbillies moment? I'm sure all that Prime Minister Koizumi is thinking is, at least the son doesn't puke on my people like Daddy Bush did. And I'm sorry, but is little "w"'s barn door open? Guess that's what happened when Rove decided to move the "mystery bulge" to a more appropriate place...damn that crappy tailor!

Thanks, PoLT, for bringing this one to my attention. It was a laugh I definitely needed yesterday...

11.24.04 :: camp cupcake thanksgiving edition
Turkey Day in the Big House. I actually find this thought sad. I also can't help but think that if Martha had donated more money to the little "w" administration, she wouldn't be in jail right now. After all, he looks out for his pioneers...just ask Ken Lay.

11.23.04 :: gender-confused wolf edition
No, I'm not referring to myself. I'm quite certain about my gender, thank you...and my species, too. That was just one of the many lines from Shrek 2 that made me laugh so hard I had to rewind the DVD several times. I admit, I was somewhat annoyed when I heard Hollywood was making a sequel to a movie I thought ended perfectly. I was slightly ameliorated when I read that Jennifer Saunders was going to do one of the voices (have I mentioned I'm a big British culture whore? And I worship the ingenious mind behind Absolutely Fabulous?).

"Edina Monsoon" sings! Delightfully well! And I swear, if you listen very closely to the first song the Fairy Godmother sings, there's some Eddy-worthy raunchiness going on there. Antonio Banderas still can't carry a tune in a bucket, but Puss in Boots delivers one of my favorite moments, which I won't give away. I'll simply say, think "feline genetic protection against pelt-induced asphyxiation."

It was a delightful movie and a great distraction from my thoughts for the evening. I'm very happy I rented it.

Anyway, I don't really have anything else to say tonight. I had a horrid night's rest last night, topped off by hearing someone in a nearby apartment sobbing rather heart-wrenchingly at around 2:30. "The walls here are so terribly thin..."

'Tis the season...

11.22.04 :: bon anniversaire edition
Today was my 5-year at work. My company gave me a mug. Hot damn.

So I was thinking about lighter fare than normal this afternoon. I had it pointed out by a denizen that "blog monkey" reminded them too much of "Curious GWB." That's most definitely not a good thing. So I was thinking, how about combining "snuggly-soft" (since I think that's what you all are) and bloggees (another appropriate title), with a slight tip of my hat to British slang...and poof! You are all now "snoggees"!

Hmm. I don't know. I think I'll have to ponder this one a little longer...

11.22.04 :: minnesota rocks! edition
I read this article on Sunday, but I wanted to find a photo of the duo described before I referenced it here. Ghandi once stated, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." I couldn't agree more, and I think the kind souls who responded to Michelle Rafferty and Timber's dilemma prove this point tenfold. And I think Rafferty absolutely rocks for her unflinching willingness to slap down the plastic to pay for Timber's cataract surgery on her own when it came time to step up.

11.22.04 :: here it comes edition
Before I launch today's diatribe, I would like to draw a line of demarcation between those who have faith in the Christian teachings of Jesus and also have the intellectual ability to show tolerance toward those who do not share their faith...and those who want to pound their religion into every orifice of your body until they gain wet, weepy submission of all your higher brain functions. I respect the former. I have no use for the latter. Unfortunately, the latter is what is currently feeling the absolute corruption of absolute power.

Therefore, from this time forward, I shall refer to the latter by their new Loba-approved designation: "Amurhachrists." I think it fits well. After all, they've unfortunately gained unlimited political power (omnipotence), they think they know everything (omniscience), and they want to be in everybody's business (omnipresence).

So, the Amurhachrists want to protest the new movie, Kinsey, which is about the studies of sex researcher Alfred C. Kinsey. They blame Kinsey for high divorce rates, child abuse, incest, pornography, STDs, and AIDs. Guess he was in cahoots with the queers, because my high school promoted the belief that AIDS is God's plague against homosexuality.

So if Kinsey is such a scapegoat, why didn't Jimmy Swaggart blame him for his sexual indiscretions with a hooker? Why didn't Rudy Giuliani blame Kinsey when he cheated on his wife? Why didn't Newt Gingrich blame Kinsey when he dipped into an extramarital honeypot (or two)? When is Bill O'Reilly going to step forward and blame Kinsey for turning him into a porno-talking vibrator slut?

Know what I think? I think it's a bunch of bunk. I think it's Amurhachrists flexing their new muscles and this movie just happened to move into their range at just the wrong moment. The director of the Culture and Family Institute pretty much said just this: "Just as Reagan was not content to contain communism but announced a rollback, pro-family organizations are not content to protest the latest outrage anymore, but will seek legislation and will punish sponsors of lewd entertainment."

Guess I should refrain from pointing out that Reagan divorced his first wife...was he a Kinsey disciple?

And these people want to punish "sponsors of lewd entertainment"? Let me guess...they'll also be the judge of what is lewd. Okay, let me point out why this is a bad thing. Again, going back into that painful well of memories that was my elementary and high school experience, one of my classmates wasn't allowed to watch Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman because one show depicted American Indian spiritual ceremonies, which her father deemed pagan and unfit for her Christian soul.

I think it's time to re-read The Handmaid's Tale...

return to 12.16.04 contemplation.

11.21.04 :: abysmal pot pourri edition
See what I mean? So does this suspension without pay also cover all the money these guys make from product endorsements? No? Oh. I didn't think so. Could you imagine being able to wale away on your clients or choke your boss and all you receive is a "suspension"? Right. Real world response? Handcuffs, lawsuit, and immediate termination. Plus you become an unemployable pariah. Fantasy sports world? These guys will become even more popular as they work their Bad Boy reps. More endorsements. More money. More adoration.

I loathe American organized sports.

Here's another Rorschach test for you all. Tell me what bothers you the most from this sentence: "The head of Miami-Dade County Public Schools is asking police to never again use stun guns on elementary school children, as officers have in at least two recent cases."

The two cases to which this Post national news brief refers? One was a 12-year-old girl on whom police used a Taser when they caught her skipping school; she was apparently intoxicated. The other case involved a 6-year-old boy. Police used a 50,000-volt stun gun on him because he was cutting himself with a shard of glass. They used the stun gun because he was threatening further harm to himself.

Now, answer my question: What bothers you the most?

You know, instead of the obvious partisan gutting of funds for abortion services, I have a more difficult but, in the end, more beneficial suggestion. Establish a nonpartisan committee to review the initiatives and offices of each government agency, perform a cross-section analysis, and get rid of the overlap, the redundancies, and the downright ridiculous pet projects that are wasting far more funds than the abortion services cut saved. I mean, with the fraction of knowledge I possess on government-funded initiatives, I could recommend right now a cut, a reshuffling, and a few interagency partnerships that could save nearly $10 million, weed out useless projects, and strengthen the benefits of current useful initiatives.

I'm one person. Think of what a committee could do. A committee that won't give a damn about the egos that are attached to so much of the government's wasteful spending. Then again, what would our government be like without the crushing weight of incompetents with Diva Egos?

return to 12.19.04 contemplation.

11.21.04 :: no real point to this edition
I have nothing poignant for this contemplation, so skip it if you'd like. These are simply typographical perambulations for a Sunday afternoon.

I ran to Target for dog food and I found the widescreen version of American Beauty for fewer that $10, so I bought it. It's one of my favorite films, but it also contains one of my favorite scenes from any film: The plastic bag scene. Perhaps beyond my smart-ass exterior, I secretly am prone to excessive schmaltziness, because when Ricky Fitts explained, "Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in"...those words clicked into place inside my head in that perfectly imperceptible way and they have stayed with me ever since.

Anyway. I'm going to go read the paper now, and then I'm going to do a little work. I might be back later, or maybe I'll plunk down with some coffee and Jodie and watch the highlight of Lester Burnham's day.

"It's all downhill from here..."

11.21.04 :: oil can what? edition
I have to admit, after reading Maguire's take on the socio-political machinations of Oz before Dorothy dropped in, I am now saddened when I watch The Wizard of Oz. How can one not be saddened by The Powers That Be turning a child into an assassin for their side of a civil struggle to which she is innocently unaware? After all, as Glinda told Dorothy at the end of her time in Oz, "You've always had the power to go back to Kansas." Then what was the purpose of Dorothy's journey? Self discovery? Are we such a violent culture that we can only experience such epiphanies through the cost of life? Or could it have been that they needed an outsider to rid them of their "malignancy"?

Have I put way too much thought into this? Am I ruining a perfectly wonderful childhood memory with my typical, overly analytical approach? Besides, before she was Elphaba the Misunderstood, she was pure evil and, as such, my favorite part of the 1939 film.

Also, some of the lines from the film are truly wonderful. My absolute favorite line from tonight's viewing came from the Scarecrow when he asked Dorothy if he could join her journey: "...and I won't try to manage things, because I can't think."

My, my, how times have changed since 1939...

11.20.04 :: time lapse edition
Yes, snuggly ones, Loba does have a life beyond the lair. After yesterday morning's contemplation, I went to play hooky at the local craft festival. I met up with some family and we spent the day taking in the annual offerings (plus I found a beautiful wolf photograph to add to my collection). We had coffee, we did dinner, we talked...and at the end of the day, I was so pleasantly tired that I just curled up and fell asleep.

Today I have been the epitome of lazy. I have read a little news, which did cause those slumbering gears in my mind to start clicking. Want to see what happens when we elevate some of our lesser mortals to god status? I don't know why anyone bothered to break up this little party. Why not just bar the doors from the outside and let them all finish each other off. Talk about a positive step toward increasing the national IQ level.

Why, you may ask, do I sound so heartless? Because these ass-clowns are considered role models in this country. They are raised so high on undeserved pedestals that they believe they can behave in the most primal of ways without repercussion. And usually, the "punishment" they receive is a fine that barely dents their bloated bank accounts and maybe suspension from a few games. How many in recent news have been arrested for fights? For DUIs? For sexual assault? For domestic violence? For murder? Are these people the best this country has to offer as role models?

They don't care about being a role model. But they unfortunately are considered as such. And we always want to be just like our role models.

11.19.04 :: "kiss this" edition
I can't believe the Post devoted an entire article to examining the kisses that little "w" planted on Condi and Mags while he only shook Alberto's hand. How dare anyone question why manly Dub didn't kiss another man. Women are soft and perty and are supposed to be kissed when they've done a good job. Men are rough and leathery (at least real men who work on ranches; not those sissy wind-surfing types) and they deserve rough claps on the back and punches in arm and pats on the ass (but only if they're wearing spandex pants and helmets).

Honestly. You'd think reporters would instinctively know these things. Women get different treatment because they're women.

Wow. Even as a sarcastic posting, this makes me nauseous...

11.18.04 :: earth-mother republican edition
I don't know about this one. I mean, sure, Margaret Spellings is another little "w" lackey from Texas and I think it's wonderful that the new Secretary of Education is named "Spellings," but she's a DIVORCED mother of two young children. That's not sending a very good family values message to our country, now is it? Where's the man she obviously needs in her life, to keep her from doing hysterical things like coming to her own conclusions about the "traditional family."

You know, I think I actually like good ole' Mags. Methinks I might read up on her a little more...

11.18.04 :: midgee edition
I opted against time-stamping. It just felt too institutional.

I don't know what I would do if the vending machines stopped carrying the Keystone Party Mix that I crave almost daily at this time (bet you wish I did time-stamp, eh?). I love that sodium soiree that sambas through my system almost as much as I love alliteration. But I have one question: What the hell is a pretzel "midgee"? It's not in the dictionary, and that greatly upsets my editor alter ego. Honestly, the word makes me think of a cruel underwear-yanking move one would do to a vertically challenged adult: midget + wedgie = midgee.

That does not make for an appetizing word.

Any thoughts?

11.18.04 :: sharp contrast edition

He was my first. And we never forget our first, do we? One day I would like to visit the Clinton Presidential Center. I wish I could have been there for the opening. I can't help but wonder what the little "w" library will contain. The Bible...KJV only, of course. Perhaps a copy of My Pet Goat?

11.18.04 :: liberal amazon edition
Sorry. Read an article this morning on New York's post-election depression and the reporter described Hillary Clinton as an "intimidating northeastern liberal amazon." SweeT! I swear, I want that on a bumper sticker.

I wonder who is cleaning up all that irony that dripped through the White House yesterday when little "w" presented Ray Bradbury with a National Medal of Arts. Does little "w" even care at what temperature books burn? Something wicked this way comes, indeed...4 more years of it, to be precise.

11.18.04 :: clickity claws edition
I just took Jodie on her final walk for the night. It's after midnight here, so it was just Jodie and me moving about (no, I don't go walking after midnight usually...tonight was special circumstances). I realized that Jodie's claws were clicking against the concrete as she trotted along. Someone's been a lazy girl...and that someone would be me. I guess I need to start walking her more often, to wear down those clickity clackety claws. Exercise. Blarg.

So I'm highly distraught tonight, for two reasons. One is this article from the Guardian discussing the decline of British spelling aptitude. Say it ain't so! I've already suffered the great disillusion of a vice president who couldn't spell "potato" and now the indignity of a president who can't master anything beyond a monosyllabic vocabulary. Now this?

Worse yet? The Guardian article does something I have already mentioned as irksome: They use the word "sexy" in an inappropriate way. This time it was in reference to Scrabble! Dear god, we're all now doomed.

I'm going to bed now. My brain is tired and my teeth are clean. I've been brushing with Crest VanillaMint...I swear, it's like brushing with frosting.

Isn't that sexy?

11.17.04 :: make and break rules to fit your whims edition
So let me get this straight: In 1993 the GOP House members established this rule to punish Democrats for their "ethical lapses." Now they want to change THEIR OWN RULE to protect THEIR OWN CRIMINALS.

WHATHAFU? I have to stop reading the paper now, because I'm about to have an aneurysm...

11.17.04
You know, I was slightly pissed before over the whole "abstinence education grant" issue. Now I'm furious. We've got money to waste on programs designed to cater to religious zealots and their fantasy programs while hospitals throughout the D.C. metropolitan area, and across the country, are forced to close down their psychiatric wards because of lack of funding. The mentally ill are now being placed in prison cells because there aren't enough beds to send them to hospitals. Where's the fucking compassionate conservatism now?

11.16.04
No smart-ass comments for this. Why the hell? All Margaret Hassan wanted to do was bring some humanity to a part of the world that needs it the most. I had sincerely hoped this would end better for her than it has for so many others.

I am truly sorry.

11.16.04 :: rorschach edition
So, tell me what you see in this image?

11.16.04 :: restructured edition
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't remember previous presidents experiencing the shake-up in their Cabinet hierarchy that we have witnessed before the beginning of little "w"'s extended reign. I admit that my memory does not go back very far, but 6 out of 15 members of little "w"'s Cabinet have turned in their resignations...and more are reportedly expected (crossing fingers: "Please be Rumsfeld next!"). Call me kooky, but this just seems extreme to me.

Anyway...little "w" has officially tapped Condi to replace Colin. Not much of a shock there. But thank goodness. In these perilous times, the one thing we desperately need is a specialist on the former Soviet Union to take over one of the most prominent positions in the world spotlight. I'm breathing a little better already...

11.16.04 :: beavers and bathrooms edition
Nice heading, eh? Should I start dating my contemplations? Let me rephrase that: Should I start time-stamping my contemplations? I kind of like the random approach, but I thought I would toss out the question...

Anyway, back on twisted track: They should offer a class to criminals to teach them where not to hide their stolen loot. If I had reported on this story, I would have pushed for the headline to read "Stolen Booty Used to Patch Beaver Holes."

I wonder if I'm alone on this one: I can't stand it when coworkers try to engage me in conversation in the restroom. In fact, the only thing I detest even more is when they expect me to respond to their attempts with equal enthusiasm. Pardon my base thought here, but the last thing I want to do as I'm hovering precariously over a public toilet, concentrating on not allowing any part of my person to come in contact with the bowl is to have a freakin' chit-chat session!

Okay, soapbox relinquished for now.

11.16.04 :: "stack 'em up out back!" edition
So, if the police raid your land and find 334 dead bodies lying around, could you plead anything other than guilty? And the touch about giving concrete dust to the bereaved in place of their relative's ashes? Nice. How would you like to find out that you can take "Grandpa" out back and patch up those cracks in the patio? This guy has taken "Lazy American" to a whole new extreme.

The thing that really bothers me is he's only looking at 12 years behind bars for 787 criminal charges of "theft and abuse of a corpse." That's a little more than 5 1/2 days in prison for each charge. That's less time than I think "honest" undertakers should receive for the price gouging they do every day to bereaved families.

11.15.04 :: show me something beautiful edition
I've been rediscovering a kick-ass CD: Drain STH's Freaks of Nature. Too bad they disbanded. They rocked.

I just read how a man set himself on fire right outside the White House. We all carry our own personal pains. We just need to learn how to balance the good with the bad. Sometimes, some of us forget to do just that...

...which is why I'm making this request to my snuggly-soft denizens: Show me something beautiful. Send me a photo of something that you cherish as beautiful and tell me why. It could be a person, a place, a pet...hell, it could be a photo of a pint of Guinness. If I get enough responses and none of you mind, I might even set up a little viewing area somewhere in the lair. Life is too short to not share beauty with others. I'll start off the party...

This is Jodie, the most beautiful part of my every day. She's 7. I adopted her when she was 6 months old. She had been at the humane society for almost the full 6 months. No one could see the beauty and loyalty that burned in her mismatched eyes. I thank God they didn't, because that saved her for me. She chases her tail with great joy...and she always catches it. She sits quietly at my side when she knows I've had a rough day. She greets me every evening with a yodeling howl that says all at once, "I missed you, I need to pee, feed me now!" She represents to me everything that is good and decent...everything I long for in this world. She will never lie to me. She will never hurt me. She loves without motive. Her favorite thing in the world is that bedraggled bunny resting with her after one of their rambunctious play spurts. She trusts me enough that sometimes she even lets me play, too. That kind of trust is golden.

Okay...now it's your turn...

11.15.04 :: and then they came for me... edition
thoughts inspired by this article from my Sunday paper reading...

"First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist, so I said nothing. Then they came for the Social Democrats, but I was not a Social Democrat, so I did nothing. Then came the trade unionists, but I was not a trade unionist. And then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew, so I did little. Then when they came for me, there was no one left to stand up for me."

--Pastor Martin Niemöller (thank you, M.H., for reminding me of Niemöller...oh, and sorry for the Hulk jab).

We are supposed to be "one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Fred Phelps and his poisonous ilk would like to see that change. Our own president would like to help change this as well. We cannot let this happen. If the people of Sand Spring, Oklahoma (where the clay and the votes are always Republican Red), can stand with their own, shouldn't we all do the same? We are one nation, and we need to start acting as such.

If you stand in silence as one group is targeted because you don't belong to that group, who will stand for you when finally you are targeted?

11.15.04 :: salvaging his dignity edition
Colin has called it quits. It's a shame, too, because he was one of the more rational of the gargoyles. He was also one of the lesser supported members (although the way little "w" cut Condi loose during the 9/11 Commission hearings was a pretty low point on the support-o-meter). PLUS, Veneman and Abraham are flying, too. Dayum. I don't have any beef with Veneman (hee hee...get it...USDA...beef...sorry). Abraham? Meh. Another one of those "winners." Little "w" put him in charge of DOE after he lost his reelection bid for his Senate seat in Michigan. At least he didn't lose to a dead man (ahem, Mr. Ashcroft).

I still wish that Rumbo would fly the coop...

11.14.04 :: in and out edition
I've returned, but only for a moment. I'm a little tired after my cleaning jag, so methinks I'm going to go curl up in bed and catch an early flight to the land of Winken, Blinken, and Nod. I do have some thoughts inspired by tonight's reading of the Sunday paper, but they will have to wait until the morning. Good night, snuggly ones.

I'm off like a prom dress...

11.14.04 :: what a difference a day makes edition
I'm sure it's mostly psychosomatic, but I feel so much better after just a day with my new humidifier (it's a hard-working little machine...it hasn't stopped running since I plugged it in!). I felt so great, in fact, that I was inspired to spend most of the day cleaning...I vacuumed, dusted, changed the linens and towels, washed the bathroom, and gave my roommate a bath (hey, I have to pay special "pet rent" for her, so she qualifies as my roommate).

THEN! I went to the store, bought adult groceries (get your bloggy minds out of the gutter! I meant as opposed to the "starving college student" fare I've been living on for a while), and am now in the process of making beef stew. What can I say: I had a domestic diva day.

Now while my stew finishes simmering, it's off to read the Sunday paper...so I'm sure I'll be back again before the evening is over.

Hope you all are having a delightful weekend, no matter what or who you were inspired to do.

11.13.04 :: leapin' lizards edition
Nothing is worse for the skin than the winter. I woke up this morning feeling like one of those rubber-headed lizard people from V. Even Jodie was looking a little like the new spokesdog for Head and Shoulders. Yes, my snuggly ones, it's as attractive as it sounds. So after showering and using about 2/3 a bottle of Jergen's lotion this morning, I ventured out to find a new humidifier to replace yet another dead one (Honeywell humidifiers suck!). Sear's just happened to be running a sale on humidifiers in honor of Veterans Day Weekend (the Brits wear poppies...we slash prices on our Chinese-imported merchandise...what luck!).

Nothing ever seems to be as simple as that though. Case in point? I ended up clocking a salesperson in the head with one of my rings. See, I wear several rings, including one on my right index finger. I've lost weight this past year so all my rings are loose, none moreso than my index ring. Plus, when it's cold my fingers contract even more and my rings are as loose as a sorority girl at last call (ooh, was that too low?).

So when I went to point to confirm the aisle to which she was directing me, I ended up launching my ring right at her head. See, our parents always told us that it wasn't polite to point! Sadly, this is the second time I've done this. The first time, I ended up beaning myself in the head (don't even ask how that happened...I'm still trying to figure that one out). So I ended up giving her many apologies, my commission, plus I bought the extended warranty she offered me...and I still ended up paying less than regular price for the humidifier.

And there's a small glimpse into a regular day in the life of Loba B.

11.13.04 :: shameless self-promotion edition
I have a faster link to access the contemplations. I know, that's exactly what you've all been waiting to hear, right? So spread the word, my snuggly-soft blog monkeys: incite.thought can be accessed or linked to at think.lobablanca.com.

11.13.04 :: one word edition
Holy crap. I don't even know how to process this one. "Reproductive rights" is a politically inflammatory phrase? This is a joke, right? Or, wait...I know. It's a nightmare. Someone slipped me a rohypnol (because my abstinence education class didn't prepare me properly) and I just haven't been able to wake up yet.

I'm reading blog entries on Wil Wheaton's Web site. SHUT UP. Check it out for yourself. Then make fun of me if you must.

11.12.04 :: one by one they leave... edition
Another vulture leaving the nest. Interesting turnover rate for the secretaries, isn't it? Let's see: Poor Christie T. was the first to go. It didn't really matter all that much though. It's not like environmental protection is something that little "w" gives a damn about in the first place.

Then Melquiades flew away. Oh, I'm sorry. Most of you probably don't know his full name. He liked going by his good ole boy name: Mel. Mel Martinez. He only whipped out the ethnic name when he was trolling for the ethnic vote. Ironic side note: Did you know that Melquiades is the Spanish god of myth? Very befitting for a secretary who never really seemed to exist. He was the silent head of HUD...although, again, the Republicans really don't give a damn about housing for the proles either. It's a common belief that if Daddy Bush hadn't been such a failure, he would've probably dismantled this agency in his second term. Anyway...Mel came from Florida. Hmm, an apointee who came from Florida and didn't really do much of anything in his high-profile position...and then headed back to Jebida...I mean Florida to run for U.S. Senate...with the full support of the presidency and all that national name power that comes from being a big-time government playa.

Okay, now indulge me just a little longer. Alphonso Jackson replaced Martinez when Mel baby went home to Florida. Jackson was the assistant secretary under Martinez...appointed to the position by little "w." He was the only assistant secretary in any federal government agency to be appointed by the president. Guess where he comes from? Nope, not Florida. YES! Texas. Where he was in very tight with little "w." Don't you just love this little incestuous love fest?

Okay, next two to leave: Ashcroft and Evans. Johnny Boy is leaving? Now who will protect us from the Evil Breast of Justice? Anyone else catch the cruel irony that Ashcroft assisted in hiding the "Spirit of Justice" from the American people? His replacement? You guessed it...another buddy of little "w." Interestingly enough, this was a choice that has riled some Republican feathers. Oh no. That's just terrible.

Evans has flown relatively low on my radar. However, the first line from his biography on opensecrets.org pretty much put him in perspective: "He's been George W.'s best friend since their early days in the oil business." Texas again. Did I miss something? Are there any other states in the Union anymore beyond Texas and Florida?

Now Paige is leaving. Do I even need to say this? He comes from Texas. No! Say it ain't so! Yeah. And now he's leaving...and we won't have our first line of defense against those awful terrorist teachers!

So who will be next? Is Colin still thinking about fleeing before he loses all dignity and self respect? Or would he like to spend another 4 years as the White House's lawn jockey? What about Norman Mineta, the sole Democrat in little "w"'s closet...er, cabinet? Want a funny piece of gossip? During a conference I worked on, I heard rumor that Mineta, head of the Department of Transportation, didn't like to fly.

Isn't that delicious?

So...any bets on who will be next? Any preferences? Personally, I'm rooting for Donald Rumsfeld...

return to 01.14.05 contemplation.

11.12.04
I was beginning to wonder if California would be the next state we should eliminate after Florida. I think I lost most hope for them after the O.J. verdict. Then, I read about an apparent kidnapping that took place in the parking lot of a shopping mall in Corona. The incident was captured on surveillance tape and it shows witnesses watching as the woman involved is chased through the lot by two men, captured, and stuffed into the trunk of a car. Nice. Talk about love thy neighbor.

This, however, does help redeem the state slightly.

I still think we should get rid of Florida, though. After watching them put Martinez into the Senate, I've completely lost hope for them.

11.11.04 :: no place, no way edition
Reasons numbers 435 and 436 of why religion has no place in politics OR science. Did you know that last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gave away $31 million in "abstinence education grants"? $31 million to tell teens to not have sex? Great. Because telling a teenager to not do something is the best way to...make them go out and do it. Could we give these kids any less preparation for the real world? What happens to the teenaged girl who is raped at a party and has no idea what to do because her sex education class consisted of being told "Don't have sex"? What about the girl who is slipped a date rape drug in her drink...she might have been more aware if she had been warned about this in a decent sex ed class.

What happens to teens who don't listen to this deep and meaningful advice (as teens are apt to do) and they have sex, but they don't use protection because they weren't taught about how important it is...teen pregnancy isn't going to go away because you've told them "don't do it." Not even the devout can thwart the problem with this blatant lack of preparedness. At my good ole Baptist school, I knew four girls who ended up pregnant during my high school years (which is a pretty good percentage when you consider that my Senior class only had eight students), including the pastor's daughter. Nice.

What about STDs? Oh, my bad. We are talking about a group of people that believes that AIDS is God's punishment for homosexuality...so I guess STDs are punishment for heterosexuals who disobey God's mortal, moral messengers.

Right. I'm so glad to hear that my federal tax dollars are being put to such good use. Because as far as I'm concerned, this is $31 million flushed down the shitter...although a coworker suggested that we could recycle all those poignant "Just Say No" bumper stickers from Nancy Reagan's drug combat days.

Next reason: Dr. W. David Hager. I advise every woman in this country to learn this man's name, and to do everything she possibly can to ensure that he is never appointed to any government position, especially chairman of the FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee. My next recommendation is for Dr. Hager to be placed in a room full of women suffering from PMS and armed only with the Bibles that he recommends these women consult when they are in pain...because I'm willing to bet that those women would know exactly what to do with those Bibles.

New suggestion: Could we have a choice in where our tax dollars go? Because I work damn hard for all the money that is taken out of my paycheck every 2 weeks. And I detest the thought of any of that money going to this crap. I'd instead like my money to go for stem cell research, environmental protection, funding to make higher education accessible to everyone, PURE scientific research...things that don't serve the religio-political agenda of stupidity.

return to 11.13.04 contemplation.

11.11.04
To our troops, to our veterans, to my great grandfather, to my grandfather, to my father: Thank you.

Arafat has died. We would do best to stay the hell out of whatever happens next. Why? Because we are currently led by someone who believes that the first step toward the Second Coming of Christ is for Israel to retake the site of Solomon's Temple. That is not a reason for us to become involved. But inevitably I fear this will be reason enough for little "w" and his Christian Crusaders to interfere. Apparently, we have decided we have been ordained the world police (never mind that we can't even fix our own problems at home).

We are a country at the mercy of a man who leads by "gut feelings" (his way of describing divine intervention). I'm beginning to wonder how different we are from the "infidels" we're killing in Iraq.

11.10.04 :: cor, chief! edition
Check out Club Dangermouse for a healthy dose of DM and Penfold. Plus, there's news that A&E has a deal to release DM on DVD here in the states! You have no idea how excited this made me. It rivaled the joy when I found the first two seasons of Scooby Doo on DVD. Will I ever grow up? Not if I can help it. As far as I'm concerned, I'm just a big kid with the legal right to buy alcohol.

11.10.04 :: a moment of silence edition
One year ago yesterday I was flying home from London. My backpack was filled with gifts and goodies and several rolls of film to document my excursion.

I'm still trying to finish all the tea I bought. I don't know how the English can consume so much in one day. My Paddington Bear sits on top of my stereo, keeping my homecoming tiara company (don't even laugh). My St.-Martin-in-the-Fields CDs are in my stereo...I love listening to them while reading the Sunday Post. I wear my Dangermouse T-shirt and love it when someone recognizes "the greatest secret agent in the world." The Italian wine I bought at the airport is still in my pantry. I was waiting for a special occasion. All of the "special" occasions I have experienced since my return have made me want to drink, just not for the right reasons. So the wine waits...

So you see, it's no wonder that England holds such a fascination for me. It was a good time. It was a great time. I watched gypsies pickpocket passersby in Leicester Square. I saw plays every night because they were readily accessible and affordable (just don't do the conversion in your head). I walked alone through Trafalgar Square at close to midnight and I wasn't afraid (and I learned that "aware" and "afraid" really are two distinct feelings and that you can be one without the other). I ENJOYED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

I'm sure that the honeymoon would end soon if I actually lived there. But a girl can dream, can't she?

Okay. Now back to being a Disgruntled Democrat...

11.09.04 :: holy horsemen of the apocalypse! edition
One of the gargoyles is leaving the castle? I don't know what to do with this information. I'm overjoyed...and yet frightened. Aren't these guys like Gremlins? So one is leaving...there's probably a whole room full of oozing Gremlin cocoons just waiting to burst open with a replacement.

For now, though, I'll be happy.

11.09.04 :: flying monkey-free zone edition
Ever since my entry on the Mormon Tabernacle and the "Surrender Dorothy" bridge here in the D.C. area, I've been trying to find a photo for those of you who may never get a chance to see this sight. I finally found the perfect photo, which I promptly doctored slightly (for greater effect):

Tell me this isn't an amazing sight to behold...even if it is for those wacky Mormons and their special underpants.

11.09.04 :: if there is a god... edition
If there is an all-powerful deity, regardless of which religion correctly depicts him/her, then let this remain true. Because I honestly don't think that we could survive yet another Bush violating the White House.

Princeton has this interesting voter breakdown for each U.S. county. Because I'm such a nerd, I'm trying to find a simple map outline that I can overlay onto this map so I can see more clearly the county breakdown by state. I really did end up in the wrong career...

11.09.04
I came here with other things to say, but I became sidetracked by one of the funniest things I've had the pleasure of reading on the London section of Craig's List. By all means, only read this if you have a healthy sense of humour and humility (which will eliminate a large cross-section of the Amurhkan public). If you do fit the above description, please don't miss this before it expires from the message board.

And long live the Queen!

11.08.04 :: run, don't walk edition
I'm perusing some of the Guardian's archived articles on the first 4 years of the little "w" regime. I found this interesting quote from little "w" during his first visit to Europe: "I think the Europeans are going to find that they have got a trustworthy friend in the Bush administration, one that will stay steady and true."

Should it make us feel better that he didn't lie to just us all those years? Brits, RUN! Get as far away from us as you possibly can! And if Tony Bliar (what a delightfully dyslexic jab!) insists on remaining little "w"'s lap dog...well, who's your next best? Because these next 4 years are going to be even uglier than the last.

Case in point: I'm mortified to learn about this totally heinous video. These things were actually shipped to churches to be shown to their congregations. Just in case the sheep needed further convincing on for whom they were being commanded to vote. Here's the delightful little description of George W. Bush: Faith in the White House:

Like no other president in the history of our nation, George W. Bush boldly, publicly, and genuinely lives out his faith on the job. According to BBC correspondent Justin Webb, "Nobody spends more time on his knees than George W. Bush. The Bush administration hums to the sound of prayer. Prayer meetings take place day and night. It's not uncommon to see White House functionaries hurrying down corridors carrying Bibles."

It's worse than I thought. We are now truly living in a theocracy.

11.08.04 :: come to jesus edition
Yesterday's final contemplation sprang from my attempts to understand the majority of people who still voted for little "w" in spite of his never-ending list of betrayals, screw-ups, blunders, and deceptions. It's a plausible theory, though, right? Maybe?

Now I'm sidetracked by trying to understand those people who helped push the numbers for little "w" over the top. Yes, now I'm trying to understand the religious voter. Why? Because, personally, I find many things about this part of the election fervor to be incredibly offensive. First is the implication that Democrats are not moral. Just because I don't bring my Bible to work does not mean that I'm not moral. Just because I don't pray before every decision does not mean that I'm not moral. It just means that I'm realistic. I mean, let's look at it this way. The faithful love little "w" because he prays before he makes every decision.

Okay. Let's say that we're all on a train. Let's say the train is heading for a tressel and let's say that the conductor has received information from dispatch that the tressel has been damaged and the train won't make it across the rocky gorge below. Now, do you want a conductor who absorbs this factual information and responds by stopping the train? Or do you want a conductor who ignores fact and instead falls to his knees to pray for guidance?

Now, let's say that we're stuck in a winless war. We receive intelligence reports every day on the worsening conditions, the increasing violence against our soldiers, the uprisings, the riots, the growing hatred toward our presence. Do we want a president who listens to fact and makes choices accordingly to protect our soldiers? Or do we want a president who ignores fact, deems questioners to be traitors, and listens to "God's guidance"? You know, Joan of Arc claimed that God was guiding her and they burned her at the stake. Oh, wait...she was a woman. She obviously didn't know her place...

I know many believe that "the most poweful position is on your knees"...I think we all learned that with Monica Lewinsky. But haven't we had enough people getting off in the Oval Office in this position? Besides, didn't we learn after September 11 how dangerous religious zeal is? How is what little "w" is doing in the White House any different from what Al-Qaeda is doing? Same zeal, different gods. Same end result: Death.

11.07.04 :: brewing theory edition
I have a theory about how little "w" was able to win this time. Have you ever met someone who has no problem telling you whatever you need to hear to ensure that they always get their way? Have you ever had the misfortune of befriending such a person? That's the worst. Because by the time you realize what a truly reprehensible person they are, it's too late. You care about them. Plus, admitting that they are truly reprehensible means admitting that you are such a lousy judge of character that you were so easily manipulated by them. And so comes the ugly cycle that you know you should break and they hope you never do break, because then they will lose the unparalleled joy of always getting what they want, no matter what. All your other friends see what is happening, and they try their best to open your eyes. But you blunder blindly ahead, always holding out hope that this time will be different. You offer tabula rasa time and again...and each time the slate is marred by the same shit.

I think this is what happened to this country. Many were collectively fooled 4 years ago by little "w" and his lies of working to ensure bipartisan cooperation and that ridiculous "compassionate conservatism" creed...an oxymoron that hit the White House DOA and was quickly buried in the backyard in an unmarked and quickly forgotten grave. His first 4 years in office revealed him to be arrogant and unqualified. His "re-election" campaign was filled with pretty promises that even members of his own party knew he could never keep. But still enough people believed, even though our global friends tried to open our eyes...but it was too little too late. And now he's back for another 4 years. This pompous little prig will continue to feed the country pretty promises...he's already stated yet again that this time he will work on bridging the partisan chasm (one that his arrogance helped to widen to its current gaping size). He will continue to tell us what he knows we want to hear, and we will continue to believe because really, who wants to admit that they are so pathetic to keep setting themselves up for heartache over and over?

I guess Velma Kelly sang it best:
I know a girl
Who tells so many lies
Anything that's true
Would truly cross her eyes
But what that mouse is selling
The whole world buys
And nobody smells a rat.

Works just as well for presidents, too...

11.07.04 :: foaming at the mouth edition
I've taken many quizzes in my life, but this was one of the odder ones. I am proud to announce, however, that

Interested in finding out which horrible affliction you are?

Don't forget to share with me when you find out...

11.07.04 :: just theodora edition
Being the eternal English major, I always have a stack of books on my coffee table, because I have never been able to read just one book at a time. Every now and again, Jodie will pass by this always changing stack, sniff the edges, and probe the pages with a gentle slurp. Yes, that's right: Jodie likes to lick books. I don't really know what to do with this information, but I found it too delightful to not share.

I opted to not take my late night Beltway joyride, for one pathetic reason. Parking. Trying to find a place to park in my apartment lot is such a pain in the ass. I hate it. So there you have it. I opted to stay in because I didn't want to lose my parking space. That's actually very sad.

I instead watched one of my favorite movies: The Haunting. No, not that atrocious 1999 remake. The original 1963 version, with Claire Bloom and Julie Harris. Great film with one of my favorite fictional characters: "Just Theodora." Besides Holly Golightly, I can't think of another character who makes basic black more stylish.

I decided to see what I could find online about the original film and I stumbled upon this amazing site. Amazing effort. Bravissimo.

11.06.04 :: lazy saturday edition
I didn't wake up until noon today. I suppose it was from staying up until 2 the night before and until 1:30 the night before that. Such late hours for a school night, no? The trauma of having to give a presentation in front of a full room robbed me of sleep one night...and then the odd euphoria of post-presentation delight kept me up the next. It's a weird trip, to be sure.

Now I'm all hopped up on caffeine (always my drug of choice) and I have this bizarre notion of putting Jodie in the back of my car and driving the length of the Beltway. Don't ask me where this thought came from, but I've been entertaining it for about 2 hours. I have, after all, lived in the D.C. area nearly 3 decades and I have never once taken a full trip around the Loop. Plus, I'm figuring that the middle of the night would be the best time to avoid the typical Beltway "traffuck." Hmm...

I just finished watching a show on Spike TV (screw it being the first channel for men...I love Spike TV!) on the worst jobs in the world. I was intrigued by the "Crime Scene Cleaners," who go to suicide scenes and clean up the mess...especially when the guy explained how brain splatter is like concrete when it dries. Mmm. And do you know what city holds the title "Suicide Capital" in the United States? Nope, nowhere in Washington State. It's San Francisco. Guess people are leaving more than just their hearts there. Gives a whole new meaning to "San Francisco Treat." Okay, I'll stop now.

My favorite on the list of worst jobs? The owner of DogDoo.com. This woman will package dog shit and send it to anyone you want her to. And it's anonymous. Plus, you can purchase different sizes. What a delightful thought. And you can even have her place a special message on the heat-sealed packet of revenge. "Vengeance is mine," sayeth the turd. I could go bankrupt at this site.

11.06.04 :: still online edition
I ended up having the weirdest conversation this evening right before I left work...a conversation that led to me checking out an equally weird site. Remember Blair Warner? From Facts of Life? Lisa Welchel played her. Somehow, my coworkers and I ended up talking about how Lisa is now this über-Christian who homeschools her kids and believes in saucing. No, it's not what I was thinking it was. It sadly has nothing to do with drinking excessively. Although it sounds like something that someone thought up while severely tweeked on something. It's where you condition a child to not bite their nails or suck their fingers by putting a drop of hot sauce on their fingers.

Mommy Dearest called...she had some useful suggestions for what to do with those pesky wire hangers.

Anyway, for some reason I decided to go to lisawelchel.com. It's like this weird sociology experiment. I'm mesmerized and frightened at the same time. I just don't understand. I went to a Christian school for 13 years...but I still don't understand. That world is so foreign to me. I don't understand how so many people can place unwavering trust into writings that are inconclusive.

I have a problem with going on blind faith on religion. There are just too many questions that remain unanswered. And too many religions, all claiming to be the right one. By whose authority? The Bible? Again, how can we disprove things based on writings that have never been proven true?

I guess I'm just thinking excessively about all this because I'm trying to understand that huge swatch of red bleeding through Middle America and all the statements that people there voted so overwhelmingly for little "w" because of his "morals" and his faith. Is it the "know thine enemy" approach? Maybe. I don't know. I just can't wrap my brain around placing blind faith in unproven stories. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think it's a coincidence that "theory" and "theology" both start with the same four letters (same with "theocracy," which none of us need to be defined, correct?).

11.05.04 :: somewhat disheartening edition
Just read a report that Iowa went red. Last time they voted Republican was for Ronald Reagan in 1984. Guess they like to vote for people who are good at playing roles. I'm not going to take out my frustrations on Iowa. It's a moot point anyway. Plus, I've met wonderful people from Iowa. I'm not even going to vent on Ohio. Part of my lineage trails through Youngstown, via Kentucky. I'm even linked to Kansas. I come from hearty Midwestern stock. Hell, I could have, in some weird parallel universe, ended up being a farm girl. Maybe one of those church-goers...married...with kids. I could be in a dress right now in that universe.

Blarg.

11.05.04
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. I've been sitting in an orientation meeting ALL DAMN DAY. This is the first chance I've had to even check the news online (do people even buy printed newspapers anymore?). I was shocked, shocked to see that nonpartisan analysts are saying that...well, there's no way in hell little "w" is going to succeed in keeping all the pipedream promises he made concerning the deficit and his fairytale budget. Yeah, really shocked. About as shocked as I was to see this article on how even the Euro is worth more than the U.S. dollar. Our money is about as worthless as our word? Figures.

As for the influx of Americans visiting the Canadian immigration Web site...kudos, my fellow Disgruntled Democrats (and Republicans, because I cannot believe that every registered Republican supports the mandate of hate). Canada is beautiful, tolerant, environmentally friendly, and they make great beer. However, please remember that in order to effect change, we must remain strong in our numbers. So, even if you do decide to save yourself the horror of living 4 more years under the emperor's reign...don't forget to come back and help swing Democracy back on track in '08.

And for those of you who have visited the site because you are simply indulging the same fantasy that I have often indulged about hopping the pond...don't worry. You are not alone in your mindset. But again, I go back to this thought. We really, truly are not alone. We are strong in our numbers...we just weren't strong enough. At least not yet. Give us time though.

And for now...let's just say that I have very strong activist feelings growing within me. I have always felt strongly about politics, and I still believe that we can make a positive change. I also believe that it is our duty to remain vigilant. We let down our guard 4 years ago. We were complacent from the general success of Bill Clinton's 8 years in office. We cannot be complacent anymore. There is way too much at stake.

11.04.04 :: delicious thought edition
First, I'm very sorry to hear about Elizabeth Edwards. I hope this turns out for the best for her and her family.

I'm up to my hair roots in work tonight. Again, the curse of the competent. I have so much that I would like to say here right now, but it must wait, hopefully just until tomorrow night. But I just had a delicious thought that I couldn't wait to share here.

I received an update from MoveOn.org. Obviously, things did not turn out the way we of the PAC had hoped...but there is a hopeful strength in all the numbers of voters who came out to the polls, some for the very first time. But that's not what drove me to blog. No, no...it was this thought. Little "w" now has free reign in office. He's received validation from 58 million voters that all the atrocities he and his gargoyles have committed were good "moral" actions (ugh, what a word to associate with the GOP...talk about selling a ketchup popsicle to a woman wearing white gloves). That means he's going to keep pulling deception after deception and digging us in deeper into multiple quagmires here and abroad.

I'm thinking, another 4 years of Republican pestilence prying open more eyes to the evil of this empire combined with the rising rank of young voters (MoveOn.org reported that record numbers of voters in the 18-30 age group hit the polls this election) who voted predominantly Democratic...if enough things throughout the next 4 years piss off enough people (and let's face it, that's going to happen...it's just a given), and we can keep this political fervor burning as brightly and as beautifully as it did on Tuesday...well, I'm just thinking aloud here for a minute...just enjoying the delicious thought I'm having...savoring its delightful flavor...

I can't wait to have another Clinton in office.

11.03.04 :: second wind edition
You know what? Leaving this country isn't an option. It's a fantasy that, I admit, I would love to indulge. But I have family here...even if some of them took the passive-aggressive approach of not voting yesterday. I have friends here. My life is here. Plus, I'd hate to put Jodie through the trauma of quarantine.

I'm just tired. I'm tired of feeling bullied. I'm tired of watching the incompetent and the undeserving rise in the ranks. I'm tired of watching those who play dirty win the game. I'm tired of feeling disillusioned. I'm tired of the silent disenfranchisement of the working class. I'm tired of the bloatedly rich getting richer and the lower classes being fitted with Bible-blinders so they can't see the gaping chasm between the classes.

I'm tired. But I'm not finished. You thought I was a Disgruntled Democrat before?

Just You Wait.

11.03.04
I am more disappointed and disgusted than any words could possibly express. Barely more than half the country supports the decision. Sadly, this simpering boob doesn't care about the half that doesn't support him. He will continue to allow the chasm of derision and partisanship to grow. He got what he wanted.

There aren't enough volunteer troops to continue to support his Quixote crusade in Iraq. What happens when all the volunteer soldiers are dead or too maimed to fight? I am afraid.

The current Supreme Court justices aren't going to live forever. New ones will need to be named. I am afraid.

The promise of permanent tax cuts while we're sinking deeper into debt and bloodshed? I am afraid.

The U.S. Constitution: how many others can we declare are second-class citizens? I am afraid.

Wildlife no longer protected because of the possibility of a few barrels of oil, which will be quickly depleted by the cadre of GOP-driven road boats. I am afraid.

Are you afraid, too?

11.02.04 :: do you really think i could sleep... edition
This is worse than what it was like on Christmas Eve as a kid! I couldn't even focus on CSI tonight. I've tried watching DVDs. That didn't work. Now I'm reading fan fiction online...because, let's face it: I need to be online right now. Only I keep abandoning what I'm reading so I can refresh the electoral maps on Yahoo! and the Washington Post Web site.

I'm more wired than the day at work I washed down half a box of chocolate-covered espresso beans with coffee....

11.02.04 :: record breaking edition
Possible record breaking turnout at the polls for this election. I just heard them announce this on the evening news. When I voted this morning (got there 5 minutes before the polls opened!), there was nowhere to park and the line was already three-quarters of the way to the street. I couldn't be happier about all this. Because to me, this shows that people realize how important this election is. They understand how much is at stake. I couldn't be happier.

Well, I could be...but I'm hoping that happiness will start to come later this evening as the polls close and the votes are counted...

I suspect it's going to be a long night...

11.02.04 :: VOTE edition

VOTE!

(Don't make me come after you...)

11.01.94 :: swallowing my nerves edition
This is awful. I'm literally feeling jittery about tomorrow...some sort of bizarre pre-election fit of nerves. WTF? I'm not even running for any sort of office. I didn't even feel this way the first time I voted. I didn't even feel this way the last time I voted for a presidential candidate. Have I let this overtake too much of my life? Have I let it become more important than it should be?

There was a great article in this Sunday's Washington Post Magazine on a man in Muskegon, Michigan, who I found very relateable. His name is Ted Prus and the article was all about why he has no plans to vote on November 2. He very much reminded me of the heritage of which I am so proud. He's a blue-collar worker who has seen more hard times than good, who knows that the chips are stacked against him and that there is no representation for him in Washington, D.C. He understands that he and his own are the only things that matter in life and that he needs to be the one to take care of what needs to be taken care of. No politician is going to give a damn about him. He is part of the silently disenfranchised in this country.

He reminded me very much of my father, who served his country in Vietnam and then went on to serve the federal government as a capable and dedicated mechanic. My dad's thank you for his dedication? He was seriously injured on the job and was unable to return to his work. This was 3 years ago. He is still fighting with the Department of Labor for his compensation. All he gets is jerked around until he's finally dumped into the voicemail of an unmanned telephone extension. He knows the only way he'll ever see resolution to this is to hire a lawyer, who will want a huge chunk of my father's money. Money that my father earned with years of overtime, years of split fingernails, strained back muscles, scraped knuckles, and at the end of his career, a broken hip...years of busting his ass (literally!) just to make ends maybe not meet but to at least be in close proximity.

Who represents my dad in Washington, D.C.? The same people who represent Ted Prus. No one. Neither political party represents these men...blue-collar workers who both parties are trying to convince are "lower middle class." That's about as ridiculous as the politically correct title they gave my dad for his job: "area maintenance technician." He was a mechanic...the damn best mechanic this area could have ever asked for. And he is working class, just like so many in this country. Thousands who have been left without a voice, and they know it. People like Ted Prus, who are doing what they have to to survive and asking for nothing in return...because they know that if they don't ask, then they won't be disappointed when they get the nothing in return that is awaiting them.

I'm still going to vote tomorrow. And I'm going to hope for the best, which in my mind is to change the course of this country by changing the management. But when I cast my vote, I will not forget that neither party is representing my blood, my family...

11.01.04 :: "sexier" edition
What's up with the sudden obsession with the word "sexier"? I've been noticing it more and more, in places where it just looks stupid. Reporters at the Washington Post have been using the word in their articles. I've heard it casually dropped by pundits and reporters on CNN and MSNBC, describing things that aren't even remotely sexy, let alone sexIER. Politics are not sexier than anything. World affairs are not sexier than anything. And by no means is Dilbert sexier than anything.

ENOUGH WITH THE SEXIER.

Besides, nothing is sexier than the Lair...

return to 11.18.04 contemplation.

10.31.04 :: most wonderful time of the year edition
Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. I love scary movies, dressing up, playing at being someone or something else. It's just great. I have to admit, I miss trick-or-treating...not for the candy, but just for the sheer joy of wandering around the streets in full ghoulish regalia. I was tempted to do just that tonight...but my responsible side reminded me that I need to be sharp at work in the morning. And if I went out tonight, I would have no plans of maintaining any form of sharpness...

10.29.04 :: ramblin' rose edition
Little "w" is campaigning with Ahnold now. So, why is it just peachy for Republicans to make fun of Kerry and his Botox injections...but it's cool for little "w" to get help from a man whose family is keeping plastic surgeons on Rodeo Drive fat and happy? I mean, is Maria Shriver even biodegradable anymore? (Yeah, she's a Kennedy Democrat, but she was at the Republican National Convention. She pulled a Stepford that only Tammy Wynette would appreciate). And Ahnold's eyes have been tightened so many times that he's starting to get a creepy rodent squint.

When I went to pick up my mail this evening, there was a greeting card-sized envelope stuck along the top of the mailboxes, waiting for the mail carrier to return it to the post office as undeliverable. What first caught my eye was the cute Pinocchio postage stamp...what held my attention was the name on the return address: "M. Geller-Bing." Damn but I love quirky people.

One of tonight's episodes of CSI had a subplot about a girl who was apparently drained of blood by a "vampire." One of the suspects was a character named Lazarus Kane, who was found to be wearing a vial of the victim's blood around his neck. Want to guess who played Lazarus? James Haven. Look him up on IMDB if you don't recognize his name and check who his sister is...I hope you love the irony as much as I did.

I'm tired tonight so I think I'm going to log off and plug in to some happy REMs. I just wanted to check in and drop a few thoughts from my busy brain...

10.28.04 :: wolves for kerry edition
Wolves in a little "w" campaign ad. How interesting. Especially considering that the little "w" administration has helped roll back laws preventing the arial hunting of wolves in Alaska and is trying to move wolves from endangered status to "threatened," which would make it all right to hunt them in the contiguous states where environmentalists have been working for years to reintroduce wolves to the land. Yes, I'm a bleeding heart environmentalist, too. And I don't take kindly to watching my favorite species used by an administration that has abused it as greatly as this one has.

10.27.04
In carrying on my musically themed week, I was sitting here listening to Les Miserables..."I Dreamed a Dream"...and all of a sudden Patti LuPone sang, "I had a dream my life would be/So different from this hell I'm living." I've had such a crap-ass week at work that these words literally made me laugh at the delicious irony. My coworkers suggested that I stencil the lyrics on the walls of my cubicle. I laughed even more at that. Maybe a bumper sticker? A T-shirt?

How exciting it must be to live in one of those "hotly contested" states in this political season. I'm quite spoiled by living in a state that will unquestionably go Democrat (minus that gubernatorial glitch we currently have in office...but that was by fault of the Democratic candidate's shear arrogance and stupidity). I feel almost left out, though. No political mud-slinger ads on heavy rotation on our channels. I have to go to cable to even see what these ads are like. Oh well.

10.26.04 :: music of the night edition
Hmm. Two and three entries ago it was Wicked. Yesterday is was a reference to Chicago. Today? Today it's all about Erik! I'm happy/hesitant/reeling/reticent over the impending arrival of The Phantom of the Opera in theaters this Christmas.

I love this story. It is quite possibly my favorite book. I used to read it at least once every year (I've tried to tone down a little since I'm now on my second copy). I think it is one of the most beautiful, heart-wrenching stories ever told.

I love this musical. It was the first musical I ever saw as an adult. It is the musical that didn't necessarily start my obsession with musical theater, but it most definitely made the obsession burn stronger.

I'm going to have faith that Hollywood is going to do this right. Evita was okay (I love Madonna. Her voice is beautiful. The movie just felt too Hollywood-glossy). I loved Chicago.

I have faith.

10.25.04 :: lost day edition
I thought today was the 24th. Where did the 24th go?

I don't have anything political to say anymore. All I can say at this point is, vote. Please. Vote your conscience. Vote for the candidate you prefer. But just vote. Don't let your voice go unheard.

There was a great piece in the Sunday Post's travel section on New Orleans at Halloween. What a blast! I never really even thought about Nawlins for Halloween, but it makes perfect sense. The home of Lestat? Crypts? Midnight graveyard tours? I always wanted to go to Georgetown on Halloween...now my motto is Roxie Hart's motto: "Think big, Roxie! Think BIG!"

10.23.04
I had a semi-serendipitous moment this afternoon. I was returning from visiting my grandmother and I was coming around a curve on the Beltway at the crescendo of "Defying Gravity" (yes, I'm the one who cranks Broadway musicals in my car when I'm driving) and there it was...the Mormon Tabernacle, spiraling up to heaven, looking for everything like the Emerald City.

Anyone who lives in this area already knows exactly what I'm talking about. If you haven't seen the tabernacle from the Beltway...you're missing quite the cinematic spectacle. For years, the train tressel that passes over the Beltway right as it curves closer to the tabernacle used to have a bit of grafitti that perfectly summed up the view: "Surrender Dorothy."

I'm not one who usually defends grafitti...but I think it's a shame that the Powers That Be have removed those words. Someone tried to get up there and repaint the words almost a year ago, but someone quickly covered them again. I understand that you can't be discriminating about grafitti...but I miss the smile that always came to my face when I saw those words. As a child, my dad would always tell me when the "Surrender Dorothy Bridge" was coming up.

I miss that smile.

return to 11.09.04 contemplation.

10.22.04
Know what I miss? I miss the sun. No, I'm not trying to be mysterious and imbue my words with more than the obvious answer...I miss the sun. It has rained every day this week. Do you know how hard it is to drag my ass out of the bed when it's dark and cold in my apartment...but it's nice and warm under the covers and I have a big fluffy dog lying on my feet?

So the PBS Broadway special ended last night. Overall, I thought it was great. I was a little disappointed with the final 2 hours. I was really surprised with how truncated the piece on Andrew Lloyd Weber and Cameron Mackintosh was. I understand, they're English. This was about the American musical. But Weber and Mackintosh helped Broadway remain viable throughout the 1980s. Plus, Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera are both phenomenal musicals with amazing songs and beautiful sets. They both deserved more than just a flash across the screen. But I was very happy they played several pieces from Wicked, including a clip of Idina Menzel singing one of my favorite songs from the soundtrack, "Defying Gravity." I bet that's really cool to see...

10.21.04 :: buh-bye edition
I can't imagine happier news (other than Kerry winning the election): ABC has dropped the Miss America Pageant. People who defend this meat fest by saying it's a scholarship competition just don't do much in the way of convincing me that this was ever a good thing. If it's such a great pageant, then why isn't there a male equivalent? "Because this is a way of helping women gain higher education in the face of gender bias," may be your answer.

My response? Any scholarship competition that requires you to trim your pubic hair for a skimpy swimsuit does not offer anything positive. Besides, how does how you look in a swimsuit have anything to do with earning a college education? It's just another way this country tries to make women feel as though their appearance is more important than any other quality they possess.

So buh-bye to Miss America. I hope no other channel picks up the rights to air it...

10.20.04
PBS is running a delightful miniseries this week on Broadway: The American Musical. I caught the first part last night and was so blissfully content. I love musicals. I wish I could see Idina Menzel in Wicked. I suspect, though, that I will merely have to settle for the cast recording I have and whatever snippet of her performance they choose to show in this series. But that's all right. I'll catch the traveling company when it hits the Dirty City.

I have a lot of concerns regarding politicizing medical research. I feel as strongly about keeping politics out of medical and scientific research as I do about keeping religion out of politics. The Union of Concerned Scientists is a wonderful Web site to go if you feel the same way.

10.19.04 :: minor epiphany edition
I was just scanning through some of my earlier contemplations from this round and I came upon my entry from 9.02.04. Nice that Big Time Cheney and his Stepford Wife never once acknowledged their fellow Republican Alan Keyes when he called Mary Cheney an "abomination," yet Lynne Cheney declared that Kerry was "not a good man" for simply stating the truth. A truth, I might add, that she vehemently denied during the 2000 election.

Nice. Way to "[speak] as a mom," Lynne. You're an inspiration to hypocrites everywhere. Especially in the way that you fully support a leader who would like to amend the Constitution to deny rights to your daughter and her partner. Perhaps you consider this their joint Christmas present? And you consider Kerry "not a good man"? Then what the hell is little "w"?

10.19.04 :: foreign affairs edition
No wonder little "w" took such great umbrage at Kerry's "global test" statement. It's another test that he is failing miserably.

I cringed even more than usual when I read the abysmal Yankee responses sent from this country to the Guardian Unlimited. "[S]tupid, yellow-toothed pansies"? What a multi-layered embarrassment. We as a country have devolved from the cognoscenti to cogno-simians in our ability to communicate rationally, to debate, to hold an intellectually challenging conversation. Thanks to the Jerry Springer flood of base emotional responses, we cannot argue any point without using personal attacks.

I won't even copy the rest of the humiliatingly ignorant e-mail from which I pulled that insult against the English. I would just like to make this one comment: I find it vulgar that these supporters of little "w" take such umbrage to the harmless (translation: no blood being shed) initiative of the British to encourage our political future...yet they find no fault with the unsubtantiated invasion and occupation of Iraq "for freedom and democracy's sake." Lives are lost every day because little "w" decided he knew what was best for another country. How many lives have been lost because of the Guardian's letter-writing campaign?

10.19.04
Must suck when even your hometown turns against you. Little "w" is always so proud of his Texas "roots"...looks like Crawford doesn't really share the love. Excellent editorial piece from The Lone Star Iconoclast...also, just a damn fine name for a newspaper. Thanks again to Mr. Trudeau for this wonderful piece of reading.

10.18.04 :: homesick edition
I just finished watching Love Actually. Damn, I miss London. It's been almost a year. It's been almost a year since the last time that I was totally, sincerely, obliviously happy. I wish to god I didn't know now all the shitty things I've learned since then. I wish time could have frozen at that imperceptibly perfect moment of sitting by the fountains of Trafalgar Square at night, drinking coffee and just...being.

Would I move to London? I honestly don't know. I have to admit, I think about it more and more all the time. If I was presented with the opportunity, would I refuse? Highly doubtful. So if there are any companies that would love to take on a highly motivated, hard-working American who is currently trained in the intricacies of Government Printing Office editorial style, but is very quick to learn other styles...my e-mail address is kw@lobablanca.com.

And if there are any sympathetic blog monkeys out there who would like to make a loving donation to a london-lonely loba, I wouldn't complain about receiving an Amazon.com gift certificate so that I can purchase Love Actually. Again, my e-mail address is kw@lobablanca.com.

10.17.04
Here's a thought. How about we call up all the families who have lost sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters...or all the families whose loved ones have lost limbs or been horribly wounded...and we ask them which they think is a more important election question: How wrong Kerry was to mention Mary Cheney in one of his answers during the last election, or how wrong little "w" was to lead innocents into an unwinable war.

I think the reason the Republicans are so pissed is because they don't like the thought of someone playing on their dirty turf. Yes, I thought it was questionable that Kerry invoked Mary Cheney's name. But was it any more questionable than the GOP creating a campaign advertisement using images of the September 11 attack? Is is any more questionable than Big Time Cheney inferring that voting for Kerry will bring more attacks on American soil? Is it any more questionable than trying to smear Kerry's war record when neither of the highest-ranking members of the GOP ever once saw a day of war because one was able to get deferrments for being fertile and the other was able to make keg runs for his National Guard buddies after Daddy bought him his stateside "service"?

Is it any more questionable than leading this country to war for personal reasons rather than truly trying to make us safer? Do you feel any safer? When you turn on the television and Tom Ridge is telling us that we're going back to code orange for unspecified reasons...does that make you feel safer?

Give me a break. The GOP play dirty. They always have. Watching them show indignation over Kerry's comments is an appalling sight that literally made my stomach turn from the hypocrisy.

10.16.04 :: going to the chapel edition
Congratulations, Shelley Shell. I hope that you and Ronnie have years of happiness together. Love ya, Chiquita :-)

10.15.04 :: hooky happiness edition
I blew off work today. Well, that's not completely true. I told people that I wasn't going to come in today. I took some of the stockpiled comp time I have accrued.

I woke up, took Jodie for a walk, made a nice breakfast of sunny-side-up eggs on toast with some orange juice, watched a little television...then I went downtown to the National Gallery of Art.

The gallery is the one place I always go when I need to remind myself that there is beauty in this sometimes hideous area. It broke my heart when I walked in and saw the metal detectors at the entrance.

I quickly journeyed from the West Building to my goal in the East Building: "Dan Flavin: A Retrospective." This exhibit showcases Flavin's light sculptures. It took a little shifting of my mindset when it comes to art to prepare for this exhibit. My interest in art begins to wane as the tide shifts toward artists like Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol...M.C. Escher and Piet Mondrian are about as contemporary as my tastes run.

However, I wanted to give this a try. Honestly? I liked it. I found the lights appealed to what I think is our intrinsic attraction to primary colors. I'm afaid that I can't really pontificate on them the way I could bore you all to tears about paintings from the more classical collections at the gallery, but I gave it a try and I enjoyed myself enough that I then went through the rest of the modern art exhibits. I still don't really care for modern art...but I think I understand it a little better.

Art is a reflection of our times and our struggles and our emotions. Artists like Jasper Johns and Jackson Pollock created their offerings during a time of civil unrest. Their works seem to capture a sense of trying to find beauty in chaos and confusion...maybe trying to take the muddle of the times and force us to see that yes, it is a cacophony, but it is ours and we must love it, hate it, accept it, reject it...whatever, but we must see it. We must know that it is there and raw and it's not going to turn into a DaVinci or a panel from the Sistine Chapel.

I don't know. Maybe I'm just pulling that completely out of my ass. I just thought that I would give everyone a break from the political platform.

10.14.04
I watched the final debate last night. I decided against posting an opinion. I was tired, so I read the rest of What Dreams May Come and then decided to pursue my own dreamscape. I'm not even going to analyze the debate today. Let the talking heads who are paid to do this make critiques. I know how I feel. I know how I will vote. I will say that I don't think little "w" was forthcoming about anything last night. I think he dodged every question he possibly could.

All I truly know, though, is what I know from my own circumstances. That wonderful tax cut that little "w" gave Amuhrka? The one that was supposed to invigorate the economy and encourage spending? I put every cent into my savings account. I was afraid to spend it, because I was afraid that I would be out of a job soon. My company has downsized so much that the parking lot looks like the Metro lots on government holidays. Every single person I know did the same thing with their tax cuts. They either squirreled it away or else they used it to pay off debts, healthcare expenses, tuition expenses...how does that invigorate the economy?

Are we better off than we were 4 years ago? I'm not. What's left of my coworkers aren't. We have become indentured servants to little "w"'s horrid bastardization of government contract work. We send out resumes every week, desperately trying to find new work. We are one of thousands trying to find jobs.

I have such a strong disdain for little "w" because I think he is a bafoon, one to be pitied in life but feared in the presidency. He is a puppet of warmongers and corporate vampires. He is clueless, petulant, and churlish...a child dressed in "big man" clothes, defiling the cloak of the presidency with the blood of innocents sent to fight a winless war.

I have no respect for little "w." Further, I am losing respect for the office of President of the United States. As it is now, it is just another office to be bought. Our founding fathers would collectively vomit if they knew what had become of the government they fought so valiantly to establish. This oafish man-child with military access, playing war with absolute impudence, treating the preciousness of lost life as though it's just green plastic melting in the sun. Don't worry, we can always buy another bag of little green soldiers. They're a dime a dozen.

I read a great article by E.L. Doctorow, "The Unfeeling President," that perfectly captured a lot of my sentiments.

10.13.04 :: bumper and bulge edition
Damn, I love a good alliterative allusion...

I saw a great bumper sticker the other day. It read "What Would Jesus Bomb?" I was telling a coworker, who in response told me of another one that was even better: "Practice abstinence in '04: No Bush. No Dick." Now that's just damn funny...and it's on-message with the GOP!

Meanwhile, I'm cracking up at the growing clamor about little "w" and his mystery bulge. Apparently, there is now a Web site dedicated to discussing it, isbushwired.com. Personally, I think that if he was wired during that first debate, he needs to fire every person on the other end of that connection...because he just downright crashed and burned. Although, hey, why don't you keep them on staff, little man? I'm not complaining about that kind of "help" for your side.

10.12.04 :: blog of dorian gray edition
I admit to the charges that my blog is often rancorous, especially in my thoughts toward the current administration. However, I never intended this to be a fluffy blog. This is my electronic Dorian Gray. It absorbs the vitriol and allows me to vent frustrations that might push me to run you over in a parking lot if I didn't rid myself of them (please note that I am being overly sarcastic in that last comment; I love my car too much to ever do this).

Anyway, to show that I do know how to laugh, I offer this. My aunt sent me the following photo comparison in response to my comments about Tootsie. Even I have to admit, this is pretty damn funny:

10.12.04 :: what dreams may come edition
I'm nearly finished with Richard Matheson's book, What Dreams May Come. What a beautiful story, to love someone so much that you'll fight for them even in the afterlife. We should all be so lucky to find someone like that in this life.

I've finally found a replacement for the flyer someone removed at my job. I've decided to replace it with a photo of Superman that I found at capedwonder.com. I loved the first Superman movie; it was one of the movies I could watch over and over when I was a wee wolf pup. So for me, there has always been and will always be only one Man of Steel: Christopher Reeve. I refuse to be effusive. I just know that his performance brought joy to me as a child, his accident in 1995 greatly saddened me, his struggles afterward inspired me, and his death broke that piece of my heart reserved for superheroes.

10.11.04 :: "big issues" edition
Little "w" recently held a fundraiser in Denver for Pete Coors, the Republican running for the Senate seat currently held by GOP Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell. In past comments, Coors has stated his disagreement with the little "w" decision to invade Iraq as well as saying that "we should be more worried today" about North Korea and Iran than about Iraq in regard to their growing nuclear capabilities.

Little "w" had this to say in response: "Oh, I might not get him to vote every way, every time the way I want him to.... He's kind of an independent fellow. But I know I'd be able to count on him on the big issues."

The "big issues"? So, have you decided that since you were obviously so damned-dirty-dead-wrong about this war that you'll now downplay its importance? You think that saying things like this will make it true? That the war will no longer continue to be a "big issue"? Great way to show respect to all the families who have lost loved ones due to your cowboy politics.

10.11.04
Damn. I just saw the front page of washingtonpost.com. Superman died?

Damn.

10.11.04 :: deferment edition
I have previously quoted his father. Today, I will defer to John Eisenhower's explanation of why he is no longer a registered Republican and why he is voting for John Kerry (thank you, Mr. Trudeau, for this wonderful URL).

10.10.04 :: latest obsession edition
I don't know why I never watched it before. Maybe because it's on CBS, and I honestly can't ever remember seeing anything on CBS that I liked. But Spike TV plays it every night...and I love Spike TV. And now I love this show.

Yes, I have now become a CSI whore. I assume this is how junkies feel about drugs. I can't get enough of it. It feeds my need for precision...my puzzle-solving, obsessive-compulsive, "devil's in the details" burning need to analyze every last bit of anything (have you noticed this about me?). I also enjoy that the focus of the show is not the personal dramas of the characters. There's very little personal exposition, and the tiny bit that does find its way into the storyline appears in such a way that you are intrigued and would like to learn more. I like that. Nothing kills a show faster than dragging it into the mire of nonstop personal drama. Look at West Wing. Even better, look at ER. Both of these shows used to be great. Now I wish someone would take them out back and do an Old Yeller moment of mercy.

Anyway, I've been doing my own Crime Scene Investigating at my apartment complex. Actually, I think what I've been doing is more comparable to Mrs. Kravitz from Bewitched. Sad but true (although that was another show I adored). I'd rather not go into the sordid details. Let's just say that I received another lesson that we should not cast judgment based on unsubstantiated visual evidence.

Ooh. Now I want to watch Bewitched.

10.09.04
I just watched Tootsie on Turner Classic Movies. I had never seen this movie until last year, but I have to say it's a damn funny movie. It's also an interesting commentary on words and actions and wants and truths...and how they just never seem to synch up. I also liked that slow reversal of fortune, I guess you could call it. That way that all of Michael Dorsey's insensitivities and lines come back to haunt him. For instance, when Michael Dorsey as Dorothy Michaels ends up having his tired lies handed back to him by Ron Carlisle, Dabney Coleman's sleazy director character. Remember? How Ron said that he was seeing other women behind Julie's back but he didn't tell her because he didn't want to hurt her. Remember Dorothy's response? "Bullshit." Interesting response from someone who said the same thing in reference to Sandy, Teri Garr's character. Very telling too. He knew it was bullshit when Ron said it because he knew it was bullshit when he said it about Sandy. Amazing how so many can justify lies from their own lips but bristle when they see the lie from the other side. Too bad more people can't see the end result of their lies.

See? I can't even watch a movie without analyzing the hell out of it.

Anyway, it's such a great movie. I should definitely get it on DVD...anyone know if there are any plans to release a special edition?

return to 10.12.04 contemplation.

10.08.04 :: second debate edition
Not only do I watch the debates on C-SPAN, which is devoid of subjective commentary favoring either political persuasion, but I also turn off the television right after the gratuitous grip-and-grin session begins. Because I want to form my own opinions or flesh out opinions that I began forming while I listened and watch.

My opinion about this second debate? I think that Kerry did a remarkable job of addressing and squashing the little "w" administration's repeated attempts to make him out to be indecisive. I think that little "w" showed a certain uncontrolled, screechy, frenetic quality, especially when he again could barely wait his turn for rebuttal. Little children behave this way. Not presidents.

I think that little "w" made a huge mistake when he said on his first response that you have to be consistent when you're president. I both agree and disagree (oh no, does that mean that waffling is a liberal's disease?). I agree that you have to be consistently vigilant, thoughtful, and understanding of the holistics of any given situation. I disagree that you should be consistent when you have obviously begun down a wrong path...a path that leads to massive death, casualties and debt. I do not want a president who remains consistent in a flat-out wrong choice.

I agree with John Kerry's statement that this was the wrong war at the wrong place at the wrong time. We were not attacked by Saddam Hussein on September 11. We were not attacked by Iraq that day. Why the hell did we switch course and go after the wrong target? I think Kerry beautifully justified this statement tonight when he said that Afghanistan was the right place for the right war at the right time. I also think that Kerry did a wonderful job of showcasing little "w"'s piss-poor record throughout his tenure as president.

I think little "w" was dead wrong in how he answered the last question posed to him. He was asked if he could name three mistakes he had made while exercising his decionmaking powers as president. His response? Personally, I think his response showed the contempt he feels for anyone, whether it be press or the people, who question him. He immediately began to defend his decision to invade Iraq and then began to tell the woman who questioned him, "That's really what you're -- when they ask about the mistakes, that's what they're talking about." Hmm. That's really what you're asking? That's what he was getting ready to say, right? How can you stand before a crowd of people and tell them that you respect them and are working for them and have their best interests in mind...and then turn around and tell one of these people to whom you are trying so desperately to pander that you know what she's really trying to ask? She asked if he thought he could name any mistakes he had made as president. I think the way he dealt with her question was just one of the most recent mistakes he has made.

I respect the way John Kerry answered the question posed to him about assuaging a voter's worries that federal money might be used to fund abortions. That was not the response of an irresolute person. That was the response of a man who knows his faith, but also knows that legislation is no place for religion. He was honest in his answer. He also showed that he does not blindly vote according to biblical persuasions. Little "w" tried to take him down for his response. I think he failed. Because Kerry showed that he has given this thought, which little "w" obviously has not...because little "w" bends to the pressures of his religious right constituency...a constituency, I would like to point out, that typically has no reply when you ask them what they are personally doing to assist the women to whom they wish to deny abortions. My old high school, for instance, was adamantly against abortions of any kind. However, when I asked what sort of services they had in place to help these women who found themselves in this situation (yes, sometimes a situation of their own doing...but sometimes not)...well, they didn't have any response. Because they didn't have any help. And really, how is that a representation of Christian charity or "compassionate conservativism"?

Oh, and the question about importing drugs from Canada? Right, we can't do that because that might be unsafe. Because, you know, Canada is such a third world country and we keep reading so many reports about how Canadians are dropping like flies because of their pills of death. Or maybe little "w" is concerned about terrorists poisoning the pills before they make it across the Canadian border. Right.

Here's one for you: I bought a bag of candy corn from Target last week. Printed on the back of the bag were the words, "Made in Mexico." I'm sure this is a result of one of what I consider to be President Clinton's worst decisions, NAFTA. If little "w" is so concerned about potential terrorist plots using consumable items imported from other countries, why the hell is he allowing the importation of candy that will be given out to our children? Maybe it has something to do with how much the pharmaceutical companies in this country have donated to the little "w" administration. I can't remember ever hearing that Brachs was a huge Republican stronghold in the donation department...

OH! And let's not forget little "w" trying to hype his environmental record. Although denying the existence of global warming does not make a very strong record. Neither does trying to hype your energy bill, which your puppet master vice president helped hammer out behind closed doors in undocumented meetings with members of companies who think environmental preservation means stuffing the polar bears of ANWR after killing them for the unjustifiable and ultimately insignificant amount of oil hidden beneath their home. Although I suppose you have to do what's necessary to keep on the good side of the selfish prigs who are right now lumbering down the roads in land boats adorned with Bush-Cheney stickers. Oh, but don't think that we aren't going to be punished for the sins of the gasoline gluttonous. The Department of Energy is now predicting that Americans, particularly those in the Northeast and Midwest, are going to be slaughtered this winter by a an across-the-board increase in heating expenses. Proof that we all suffer when we are not all vigilant to the wastes of others.

Wow. I didn't realize that I felt so strongly about so many of tonight's issues. Tonight obviously helped bolster my support for John Kerry and my absolute disdain for little "w" and his myriad wrong decisions. I only hope that tonight helped swing those undecided voters a little closer to voting for John Kerry.

10.08.04 :: "excellent" edition
Yeah, yeah...I never got back to you on my thoughts on the vice presidential debate. But you know what? I think someone out there on blogland captured my thoughts so perfectly that I don't need to say anything further.

Big House Martha has hit the hills of West-by-God-Virginia. I'm sorry, but I find something obsessively fascinating about Martha Stewart behind bars...which reminds me: Spike TV is playing a "Babes Behind Bars" marathon tonight in honor of Martha's status as "Fresh Meat."

10.08.04
Two debates in one week? Yummy. I'm especially excited now that the Labor Department has released data that the job market in this country still sucks wind...plus the Duelfer report...oh, I can't wait.

10.07.04
I have seen a lot of questionable things at my current job, but yesterday brought about a whole new low. I actually used the words "morally reprehensible." How do you step back from that ledge once you reach it?

Speaking of morally reprehensible, I can't wait to hear the follow-ups on how little "w" and his gargoyles are going to spin the latest report on those wascally WMDs.

10.06.04 :: no respect edition
Rodney Dangerfield. Damn funny man.

Today is my grandmother's birthday. I wish she still had the sharpness of intellect about her that she could debate with me the points I argue in my blogs.

I haven't gone back through the transcript of last night's debate yet. There's something that's pissing me off even more. A friend from North Carolina once made the statement that "Arkansas is too Southern, even for me." I kind of understood what she meant...but not really. After seeing this flyer, I completely understand.

Okay...let's just ignore the irony that the GOP is imposing their values through a flyer decrying how the "Liberals want to impose their values"...although isn't it the popular ultra-conservative belief that liberals don't have any values?

Am I the only one who paid attention during history class when we were taught that the Pilgrims came to this country to escape religious persecution? What's most frightening about this flyer is A) there are people in the conservative regime who have no qualms using the Bible to instill fear and justify their own agenda, and B) there are people who will immediately believe them because they have been trained to have Pavlovian responses to the trappings of Christianity.

The reality of our imperfect world and our imperfect minds is this: You can distort the Bible to support anything you want it to support. Case in point? Exodus 21:2-6. Colossians 3:22. Ephesians 6:5. I Peter 2:18-21. Each of these verses was used by Southern ministers as biblical validation of slavery. Ironically, abolitionists also used the Bible to argue that slavery was not biblically correct.

I suppose I'm too much of the same mindset as Susan B. Anthony to place much faith in the practice of basing arguments on biblical beguiling: "I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires."

I also appreciate Thomas Paine's sentiments: "It has often been said that anything may be proved from the Bible; but before anything can be admitted as proved by the Bible, the Bible itself must be proved to be true; for if the Bible be not true, or the truth of it be doubtful, it ceases to have authority, and cannot be admitted as proof of anything."

Maybe Shakespeare said it best: "The devil can cite Scripture for his own purpose."

Guess I won't be nominated as an exemplary alumnus of the Baptist high school I attended.

10.05.04 :: clorox wipes edition
I'm definitely going to have to re-read the transcript from tonight's vice presidential debates. Because, maybe it was just me, but I got the feeling that both candidates were really only waiting for a chance to say what they wanted to say, whether or not it had anything to do with the question they were asked. So I need to go back and review the transcript.

I do know this: The more I listened to Dick Cheney, the more this overwhelming feeling of dirtiness pervaded my overall being...until I literally reached a point where I felt compelled to pull out the Clorox wipes and start cleaning. I kid you not. I ended up wiping down all the counters and cabinets in my kitchen while listening to the debates on C-SPAN. I just couldn't resist the cleaning urge, which flared each time Cheney opened his crooked mouth. Even I acknowledge that's not normal.

Can't wait to take a shower in the morning...although maybe I should take a bath instead...

10.05.04 :: "ree! ree! ree! ree!" edition
I know I mentioned in yesterday's entry that Janet Leigh died. However, I love horror movies and Psycho is one of the best (even if CGI has jaded me enough that I laughed when Norman's mother was finally revealed in all her mummified glory). Anyway, I just finished a wonderful "Appreciation" piece on Ms. Leigh in today's Washington Post that I couldn't resist noting here. It's very refreshing to read that this woman, with her impressive cinematic ouevre, never pulled an "I am not Spock" moment concerning that one 45-second scene for which she was most remembered and adored. She embraced her reputation as the woman who helped make showers terrifying. She was happy with her place in movie history. Even Fay Wray at times balked about her association with King Kong. But Janet Leigh...she was the original "Scream Queen" long before Laurie Strode babysat us all on that awful Halloween night...

10.04.04
Janet Leigh passed to that giant shower stall in the sky. Tell Norman and his mother that we said hi...

I don't know how much longer that photo of little "w" is going to stay on this page. It pisses me off every time that I see it. Actually, you know...ever since I saw this photo, it's been irritating me. I know I've seen this look before. And then it hit me! Check this out:

Personally, I would rather have The Church Lady running things right now.

My CD orders arrived this weekend. I rolled into my work parking lot this morning, rattling my windows to Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People." That CD stayed in my car, though. Wouldn't want to scare the office Bible study group, would we? I am, however, in a happy country place right now. Anyone who is a fan of old school country music (not that bubble gum pop amalgamation introduced by Shania Twain and eagerly copied by Faith and Co.) should definitely buy Gretchen Wilson's Here for the Party. It's just good, non-jingoistic (translation: it's the remedy to Toby Keith), twangy country music. She's got a great voice, although if you close your eyes, you would swear you're listening to Natalie Maines (especially on "When It Rains," which sounds scarily like the Dixie Chicks' song, "Tonight the Heartache's on Me"). Plus, there's something about the photo on the back of the CD that reminds me of a great friend I had during high school. And that makes me happy.

10.02.04
I've been in an Elephunk all day. There's nothing more refreshingly depressing than sleeping away a Saturday, watching old movies like Parenthood during those moments of consciousness. Maybe it has something to do with the perpetual dark clouds...although there's something ominously beautiful about gray clouds against blue sky.

Ever notice how I can't describe anything with monosyllabic words?

I'm so happy to read that I'm not the only one who noticed the petulant body language that little "w" displayed during the first debate. I think this photo from the debate pretty much sums it all up for me. This is the kind of look I would expect to see on the face of the churlish punk shuffling around behind the counter at Taco Bell. This is the kind of look that teenagers make when they've just been told they can't go out on Friday night! This is not the kind of look I want to see on the face of this country's president.

10.01.04
I'm going to try to convey excitement when I write this: My company won back the contract on which I work. That's pretty much all I want to say on this matter.

I thought of another thing that I enjoyed about last night's debate: I absolutely loved how Kerry used the words of little "w"'s father to strike a blow to little "w"'s regime. That was delightful.

9.30.04 :: master debater edition
Really, are you going to listen to my thoughts on tonight's presidential debate? I mean, it's already obvious that my very liberal leaning lent to my interpretation that Kerry really shone tonight while little "w" looked antsy and at times overly aggressive (really? Who would have thought that Mr. "I am a War President" would be overly aggressive?). Kerry never once lost his cool. How many times could little "w" barely wait for his turn to launch his attacks and counter-attacks?

I'm also a big observer of body language. I love watching people who accentuate their speech with hand gestures. To me, it shows a unity of body and mind. Maybe this is my own bias since I often speak with my hands. I do it because I feel so strongly about what I'm saying, because every part of me is in such agreement with the message I'm trying to convey, that my body language and my spoken words are in accordance. Kerry's body language was effective. He stood erect and maintained a serenity through even the more confrontational moments. He conveyed absolute belief in and agreement with what he was saying tonight. Little "w" sometimes spoke with his hands, but it was usually to pound on his pulpit...oops, I mean his podium...whenever he was repeating his same tired catch phrases. Usually, however, he seemed hunkered over and tense, which just made him look more like the sawed-off little tyrant he is.

Unlike those who have changed their tone about Kerry's speech at the DNC, I still believe that he was an effective speaker that night. But I think tonight he really showed his prowess as a debater and as a future leader.

I will, however, only use one quote from tonight's debate...and it is attributable to little "w": "It is hard work going from a tyranny to a democracy."

I couldn't agree more. I don't know about the rest of you...but I'm willing to put in that work to change the tides of this country away from the tyrannical reign that will only worsen if little "w" is re-elected.

9.30.04
Just what we need: a baseball team in Washington, D.C. As if we don't have enough traffic in this area (anyone who doesn't believe me has never been stuck on the Metro on Wizards game night...or stuck in the Beltway football crawl). Although maybe with the revenue brought in by the new team, D.C. can finally start fixing itself up. Of course, that would require competent, honest people in charge...instead of what we have now. I mean, we are talking about a city whose previous school superintendent was pilfering the money piles so she and her cohorts could buy fur coats and fancy televisions. Not even children's funds are safe from the sticky fingers running the "Dirty City."

Besides, saying that revenue brought in by a sports team will benefit anyone other than those associated with the sports team is a big crock of crap. Don't believe me? Go look at Landover, Maryland, where the Redskins play at FedEx Field. I just wouldn't recommend leaving your car there very long. A coworker's husband works at the sports annex there and they've had their car stolen twice in less than a year.

What's the saying? "You can put a pig in a dress, but it's still a pig"? You can shove a fancy sports complex in the middle of uncontrolled violence and chaos, but that's not going to change the fact that the complex is sitting in the middle of violence and chaos. And really, building a new stadium for this loser ball team (let's not forget, it's the last place Montreal Expos, who have never won a World Series. Ever.), with public funds? You're begging for trouble there. How many dirty hands are going to be dipping into that cookie jar?

9.28.04
Command of the moment: All you blog monkeys must buy Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. You will then all become apostles of Charlie Kaufman. You will spread his gospel and toast him at bar mitzvahs and weddings...but only those to which you have not been invited.

Once upon a workday dreary, while I pondered with eyes gone bleary,
Over government publications that made me cringe,
While I shuddered, nearly screaming, suddenly I started scheming,
As of some one vainly scheming, dreaming I could come unhinged.

Welcome to the continued cracking of my brain...watch long enough and Cadbury creme might start oozing...

9.27.04
I think I'm coming completely unhinged...it's that delicious loosening that drives someone to order Debbie Gibson's Greatest Hits and Marilyn Manson's Antichrist Superstar in one shot. My latest favorite song is Godsmack's "I F*cking Hate You." I don't necessarily think these are bad things. Maybe if more people think I'm cracking, they'll all leave me alone. Of course, this is probably just wishful thinking on my part, inspired by my revived belief that investing anything into interpersonal relationships is a huge waste of time. People suck.

9.24.04
It's not that I haven't been reading the news the past few days. It's just that nothing has sparked the release of a diatribe from my ever-churning brain. Yeah, Dan Rather and CBS screwed up with those "official documents." I guess a combination of Rather's desire for one more moment of greatness and CBS' desperation to distance itself from Janet Jackson's "Titgate" incident helped fuel that blind race to break fake news.

Beheadings continue in the Middle East. Is this a surprise to anyone? Soldiers continue to be slaughtered. Any surprises there?

Bottom line is, evolution has ground to a horrible halt and it has now reversed. We are devolving to a point where we know only how to respond to our most primal urges. Even those who wish to pretend they are part of the intelligentsia in the end are slaves to their savage needs...and they don't give a damn who gets destroyed by their self-satisfying quest. Some use religion as their excuse...but it has nothing to do with a higher power. It has to do with the gods of their own dark heart: their ego; their lust; their greed; their burning want to satiate themselves.

No, bottom line is I'm thoroughly disgusted with everything right now. Disgusted to a point where I don't give a damn anymore. Really, what sparked my diatribe today was the end of a movie review I read in the Post on the new Julianne Moore movie, The Forgotten:"The movie's so much better when you don't have a clue what's going on. People have said the same thing about life. And I can't dispute that one. Nor can I think of anything more to say."

Is there really anything more to say?

9.19.04 :: "i'm just a girl who cain't say no" edition
Sexy though Poe made this song from Oklahoma sound with her vixenish vocals, I have to say there is nothing sexy about not being able to say no to someone...or in my case, anyone.

Case in point: My Saturday evening and early Sunday morning hours have been spent writing, editing, and formatting proposal pieces for a former project director...because I was raised to be loyal, to provide support where it is needed, and to give my all to whatever I do. Translation: I'm an employer's wet dream.

So here I sit, frittering away valuable free time, waiting for confirmation that The Powers That Be have received my paltry offerings. I suppose I should be pissed...but really, the only person with whom I can be pissed is me.

Isn't that just an ass-chapping realization?

Meanwhile, Jodie looks bling-a-licious with her new purple ID tag, which arrived this afternoon. She even seems to realize that she is sporting a new sexy look...although maybe that's just my reading of her pimp swagger.

9.15.04
It's amazing that we will never truly be able to plumb the depths of D.C.'s stupidity in any of our lifetimes. Although, I suppose everyone deserves a second (or third...or fourth) chance. I mean, hell, we have a coke head running this country. Why not re-elect Crack Pipe Barry for political office again?

Speaking of stupid people, I would like to think that the people of Wisconsin aren't stupid enough to base their presidential vote on whether or not John Kerry pronounced the name of their football stadium correctly. I mean, really...and the way that little "w" and Big Time are playing up this faux pas is pathetic. It sort of makes you wonder, do they not have anything else more important to discuss on the campaign trail? Like...oh, I don't know...the deficit, healthcare, the war, the lies and secretive creepiness of this administration? Or is it that they think the people of Wisconsin are so stupid that they can be easily persuaded to change their presidential vote based on a misspoken word? Because really, little "w" is the last person to mock another for butchering the English language. Besides, while I have never been to Wisconsin, I have worked with two people from this state, and both of them are sharp as tacks (and yes, one of them owns several Cheeseheads for herself, her husband, and their two children).

I think the thing that really kills me about all this is a statement about Kerry made by Jennifer Millerwise, a Bush campaign spokesperson: "He tries [too] hard to fit in with Wisconsinites, and he fumbles every time." Yeah, it's ridiculous that Kerry is trying so hard to convince people that he can relate to their geographical idiosyncrasies. Sort of like the "Connecticut Yankee in Davy Crockett's Court" display that little "w" gives all the time. He's not a Texan! He's a spoiled brat elitist from New England. So why not make the same statement about the stilted Southern mangling that little "w" does all the time?

9.14.04 :: humorless corporate edition
I've never made it a secret at my office that I am a Democrat. I have also never made it a secret that I don't particularly like little "w" (perhaps you've noticed?). However, this is only because I have always worked with very liberal-minded individuals. Well, it appears we have a Republican in our midst. Either that or just a humorless corporate minion who took it upon themselves to de-politicize my cubicle.

You see, I had a MoveOn.org flyer taped to my bookshelf that decried little "w"'s "Mis-State of the Union" from 2003 (it was an old flyer but I really, really liked it). Someone has removed this flyer. This beloved, dog-eared, wrinkled flyer that has been on my bookshelf for more than a year...gone. Not even removed and placed on my desk with a typical corporate dirge about nonpartisan work ethics. No, no...someone swiped it, tape and all!

But...that's all right. Wait until they see what I put in its place...

return to 10.12.04 contemplation.

9.13.04 :: post-vacation depression edition
I feel so trapped right now. I miss being outdoors, taking my dog for a walk, driving empty backroads with the windows down...just being anywhere other than my overly air-conditioned veal pen. Blarg.

Oh, I learned one of PetsMart's dirty little secrets this past week. I wanted to buy a new identification tag for my dog while I was at my parents' house (I suppose I had tag envy since all my parents' pets had perty colorful tags while Jodie had a rather worn stainless steel tag). However, when we got to PetsMart the tag engraving machine was opened and a gentleman was futzing around with its computer system. We asked if the machine was broken, and his response was: "No, I'm just downloading information, but it's going to take a while."

Downloading information, you ask. What sort of information? Why, all the names and addresses that people have plugged in while purchasing pet tags. I don't know why, but that just really bothered me. You never think that something as innocent as buying an engraved tag for your pet will get you marked for marketing...but dammit, this is Amurahka: Marketing is our greatest commodity.

Needless to say, I didn't wait around and I didn't go back. I just returned to the online store where I've bought previous tags. Soon Jodie will be resplendent in purple metal, bone-shaped grandeur. Nothing less for a dog of such refined tastes...

9.12.04 :: back to work in the morning edition
Back home in the land of liberals am I. I returned last night from a week-long sojourn through the great state of Nawth Kurahlahna (or North Carolina for the Southern-impaired). I finally visited my parents in their new home. They've relocated to a quaint but poised-to-blossom town on the outskirts of a larger college town. You can literally feel that this place exists on the cusp of the Old South versus the New South, where all the tractors are still John Deere but the traditional Ford and Chevy trucks are mingled with Volkswagens, Hyundais, and Toyotas...even a misplaced Hummer driven by a relocated Yankee. It's a place where the local paper runs daily syndicated columns by New York Times reporter Maureen Dowd right next to the Editorial page, where one morning I found a letter written by a local man who believed that "Christians must reconcile [their] vote with their faith." The area shrinks and expands with the semesters of the resident college, which is home to a possible descendent of Captain Jack Sparrow (yes, I'm being secretive, but I've given enough clues that you could figure it out if you tried).

On my second day visiting, I forced my parents to lead me to my Mecca: the nearest bookstore. Delightfully, there was a Barnes and Noble plopped in the heart of the college town, where I wiled away the morning perusing the shelves. You can learn a lot from the reading patterns of the local people. In the bargain priced bins, there were books that in the D.C. area we were salivating to get our hands on (Al Franken and Michael Moore, in the bargain bins?!?). The Biography section was dominated by Ronald Reagan while the heart of the store was dedicated to several long rows on "Christianity." All the way in the back of the store, tucked away on the fronts and backs of two lonely shelves were the Women's Studies, Philosophy, African American Studies, and Gay and Lesbian Studies sections. In the Fiction section, there were very few books written by Anaïs Nin, and the few they were selling were either clearly marked "Erotica" or else shrink-wrapped. Anaïs Nin, shrink-wrapped!

At first, my uppity Yankee sensibility was irritated by these observations. But then I realized that A) This is a reflection of the prevailing culture of this area, and B) The very fact that this bookstore even sells Anaïs Nin shows the fluctuation of this established culture. I think that's what truly feeds...no, what forces change: The introduction of people with new ideas and beliefs that do not mesh with the rock-hard nature of established thought. Even tiny droplets of water can wear away the toughest stone if constantly applied.

Does any of this make any sense? I don't know. I guess I'm just rambling because I don't want to go to bed...I don't want to hear that alarm clock in the morning, signaling the official end of my vacation. That's another belief I struck upon while I was off: Summer vacations are wasted on children. I don't know how many times I whined about boredom during my summer breaks. Now I would give anything to be handed 3 solid months of no responsibility. Never once would the word "bored" ever pass through my thoughts...

9.05.04 :: whimsical vacation edition
I'm far, far away from the nearest print edition of the Washington Post. I'm so grateful for Internet connections at times like these...

And now, I submit an ode to my seasonal visitor (pictured below):

praying mantis! offering psalms with alien palms, your silhouette evangelical. preying mantis! watchful eye as I stride by, your posture puritanical. playing mantis! limbs so strange, colors that change, your image so fantastical. My dog would love to eat you.

9.04.04
Don't think for a second that I have ceased fuming over the RNC and all of the heinous speeches given throughout the duration. But really, there are bigger things to worry about...more important things. Such as the horrible events that have unraveled in Russia. I just don't understand how anyone could do such things to children.

I'm also upset by news of President Clinton's impending bypass surgery. I hope that all goes well and that he is soon back to his rakish self.

9.03.04 :: "my fellow Amurahkins" edition
Ugh. I think that it should be necessary for every person in Middle America to live in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area for one year so they know there is more going on behind the great political machine beyond what people like little "w" spout during their pretty little packaged appearances before the media eye (an eye that is controlled more and more by those with their lips surgically attached to the ass of the GOP elephant [not that I'm pointing my finger at any one Clear Channel]).

This way, they will have a keener ear to detect bullshit such as when little "w" again made the erroneous statement during his acceptance speech that John Kerry recently stated that "the heart and soul of America is found in Hollywood." What Kerry actually said was, "Every performer tonight in their own way, either verbally or through their music, through their lyrics, have conveyed to you the heart and soul of our country."

Not really the same things, are they? And this isn't the first time that little "w" and his speech writers have bastardized Kerry quotes. Thank God Kerry is finally starting to respond to this weeklong attack.

I think the only thing during the entire speech that came even remotely close to honesty was when little "w" stated: "One thing I have learned about the presidency is that whatever shortcomings you have, people are going to notice them..." Same holds true for your opponent, no? Only, you need to finish that quote in the true Republican style: "people are going to notice them, distort them, and exploit them."

I knew I shouldn't have watched his speech. Now I'm never going to fall asleep...

9.02.04
I'm biding my time until little "w" gives his speech to close this atrocity of lies and vitriole known as the RNC.

Last night I watched part of Zell Miller's speech and part of Dick Cheney's speech. All they did was make me angry. I watched practically every major speech from the DNC and they gave me hope. These speeches are designed to instill anger. They ridicule. They chide. They mock. They are cruel. And they are painful in their hypocrisy.

For example, Dick Cheney took the stage last night before a wall of monitors showing family photos. Obviously, the Republicans have decided to focus heavily on family values...but only values that include family members who fit properly into the square pegs of the RNC's agenda of hatred and divisiveness. Twice I have heard Lynne Cheney speak and twice I have heard her speak extensively about her daughter. Not daughterS. Daughter. The happy heterosexual who is producing grandchildren.

What I would like to ask of Big Time and his Stepford Wife (I really do love using that term!) is this: How can you stand before a crowd of people and tout family values when your boss wants to amend our Constitution to ban your very own flesh and blood from ever sharing the same rights you are trying to exploit as uniquely Republican? How can you stand upon a platform that is being built by people like Alan Keyes, who called your daughter "an abomination," and Mel Martinez, who called his own Republican opponent in the Senate primary, "the new darling of homosexual extremists."

As far as I am concerned, the RNC is proving to me that Republicans, particularly those of the rabid fundamentalist persuasion, are no better than the Muslim fundamentalists who wish to destroy those who refuse to submit to their beliefs. Only instead of strapping bombs to their bodies, our fundamentalists are on a political jihad in which they want to hold our most sacred political document hostage. They wish to amend the Constitution to deny rights and freedoms to those who violate the beliefs of one tiny sect of the universal cacophony of religious dogma. Let me repeat that again: They wish to amend the Constitution to deny rights. Not allow previously denied rights, but to put a stop to such rights ever being allowed.

These same people who decried the abuses suffered by women and children under the reign of the Taliban in Afghanistan are no better than those they now tout deposing.

But I digress. I guess I shouldn't think so much. I guess it makes me inaccessible to Middle America. I guess it earmarks me as an elitist of the Democratic intelligentsia. I guess I should just go slack-jawed and believe everything I hear spoken from the RNC. Like when Dick Cheney announced that "Our nation has the best health care in the world and President Bush is making it more affordable and accessible to all Americans," I guess I should ignore the Census statistics that adamantly refute such a statement. Or when Cheney states that "The Bush tax cuts are working," I should ignore the fact that in fiscal year 2000, we had a surplus of $236 billion and now the Congressional Budget Office is projecting a $422 billion deficit. So I wonder, for whom are these tax cuts working? Afghanistan? The Republic of Halliburton? Because obviously they aren't working over here.

return to 10.19.04 contemplation.

9.01.04
Didn't watch the RNC last night. I was busy celebrating. Yes, I shall reveal another personal tidbit about myself: Yesterday was my birthday. And I'll be damned if I'm going to watch a bunch of talking Republican hair on my birthday. Although I will read the transcript from Ahnold's speech later on. I'm interested in seeing how he can speak to a party being led by the antithesis of his beliefs. After all, the platform on which little "w" stands is pretty much anti-everything for which Ahnold is pro- and pro-everything that Ahnold is anti-. Perhaps I'll have more thoughts on the matter after I've read his speech.

I also want to read Laura Bush's speech. I'm dying to read what she has to say about her husband. Although, pardon me for being repetitive, but I'm sure it was a typical Stepford contribution. I actually read this quote from Trudi Dickert, a delegate from Virginia: "I think Laura Bush is the most elegant first lady we've ever had. She is...a Southern lady in many ways. She knows her place."

She knows her place? And what place would that be? See, that's why Republicans have such a difficult time with Hillary. She knows her place, too...and it's wherever the hell she wants it to be. Thank God I was never raised to "know my place." What a limiting statement...and a statement that is never used in reference to a man. Do we really want to keep such archaic dinosaurs in charge of this country?

Knows her place. Where the hell's my lighter...I suddenly feel the need to burn my bra while singing "We Shall Overcome"...

8.31.04 :: "i can't be nonpartisan" edition
I really did try. I sat down last night with my dinner and I clicked on C-SPAN, and I really, truly tried to watch the RNC. When I turned on the television around 6ish, they were showing the Republican Women's Forum. I watched perhaps a half hour of Lynne Cheney's speech. I bit my lip as she pumped sunshine for all the Bush women: the matriarch Barbara, Laura, the twins. But when she called Laura a leader for all women in this country, I physically cringed. This woman, who has absolutely no control over her obnoxious, spoiled, American (never French) designer-wearing, beer swilling daughters is supposed to be my role model and leader? Uh-unh. I don't think so.

It was like watching a rally of Stepford Wives. Then Cheney started touting how safe she felt because little "w" and Big Time were running this country and how wonderful life is now...for the people of Afghanistan. I kid you not. She talked about all the jobs and security and educational options and freedom they're enjoying.

Hello? Little "w" isn't the president of Afghanistan! He's the president of the country that now has a huge, gaping deficit, increasing unemployment, LOTS of children being left behind, more and more citizens without healthcare. He's the president of THIS country, and he's f*cking it up more and more every day.

I don't think I'm going to be able to watch much of the RNC. I really, really tried. But I don't think my blood pressure can take it...or my sense of disdain over the small part of Cheney's speech I saw last night.

8.26.04 :: 4 minutes till midnight edition
Like the frantic editor I am, I'm trying to finish this entry before deadline, which right now is the midnight mark that will change my posting date. It's sometimes the little things that drive us onward. Guess it's time to test out my 75 WPM talents.

I've hit upon several news stories that have begged for a typical malcontent rant here, but the intent is typically washed away in the tidal wave of work that has been slamming me like the Outer Banks during hurricane season.

Don't think that I have forgotten about these rants. Oh no. I will touch upon them soon. But now I'm going to do a little mindless perusing online and then go to bed. Tonight is the first one in a long time that I have had to myself and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I read a book tonight. I would like to say more about it (which I'm sure I will later) but for now I would simply like to recommend it: The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst.

Like I said, I will say more later, but it's now a minute before midnight and I'm nearly falling asleep on my keyboard.

Sweet dreams and I hope to have more to say in the morning...

8.16.04
I'm going to say something that many will consider pure blasphemy: I'm glad the U.S. men's basketball team lost to Puerto Rico on Sunday night. I thought it was disgusting how, 12 years ago, this country whined for permission to send professional basketball players to the Olympics because other countries were allowed to do so. Yes, other countries were allowed to send their professional players. "Professional" in other countries is nowhere near the demi-god definition of "professional" in this sports-whore country. Unfair is an understatement when you're playing professional athletes from Lithuania against Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird (members of the original "Dream Team" when we first sent our pro players).

I find it particularly delightful that the U.S. team's undoing came from the Puerto Rico team's skill in what I think truly defines a remarkable basketball player: the ability to sink a 3-point shot. Michael Jordan gave airtime a poetic grace, but I miss the uninimitable ability of Larry Bird to sink a 3-pointer. That's skill. Hanging off a basketball rim when you're more than 6 feet tall...that's akin to playing the kiddie version of skee ball where you just reach over and drop the ball into the 100-point hole. No challenge.

8.12.04
You know, I don't know what annoys me more: How Bush and Cheney are ripping into Kerry and mocking him for his answers to his vote on Iraq, or the fact that Kerry and Company aren't throwing it back into Bush's court. I mean, it's pretty ballsy for that little imp to mock Kerry for a vote he made based on misguiding information the Senate received from the Bush administration! So why isn't Kerry focusing on this fact? Why? WHY!?!

Whatever. It's too far into the summer and too soon before the fall to focus on politics right now. Last night, I went to see Sarah McLachlan. She is stunning, with the lyrical and vocal beauty of a world-wise angel. Plus, she sang mostly songs from what I consider her two best offerings: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy and Surfacing. My only regret is that I didn't take my digital camera with me. I could have gotten some sweet shots from where I sat...maybe next time.

I'm so finished for the day...

8.10.04
I keep going back to what happened in Florida. Six lives brutally bludgeoned out of existence over a video game system and some clothes. One of the victims, the young woman who removed the Xbox to the residence that became her final resting place, was beaten so badly "that even dental records were useless in trying to identify her."

She was 22 years old.

What the hell do you say to that? What the hell do you do to stop this from ever happening again?

8.09.04
There's a serious devolution going on in our society. And it's not just in this country.

Have we back-stepped through the evolutionary door to the point where our common sense no longer works? Where our morality fails us? Or where we just no longer listen to our internal moral indicators?

This is just too frightening to not think about...

8.05.04
I realize that I haven't been fair to the other side in my contemplations. I should give the GOP their fair air time, right? So, in the interest of fairness, I give this space to a piece of a speech that little "w" gave at a right-to-life rally in Tampa, Florida, on June 17 of this year:

"We must always remember that all human beings begin life as a feces. A feces is a living being in the eyes of God, who has endowed that feces with all of the rights and God given blessings of any human being."

Next, I dedicate this space to a quote from a speech little "w" gave on July 29 at the signing ceremony for a $417 billion defense spending bill:

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we....They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

No wonder his administration shies away from transcripts.

8.03.04 :: summertime goof-off edition
Break from the political for a moment. I've been watching surgeries online. How cool is that?

Of course, if you're not one for blood and gore of any type, then there's FilmWise, which has a pretty ingenius "Invisibles" quiz section that I find addictive.

And for the politically minded (because I just can't help myself), this is an awesome site for people who want to know how their representatives are voting...or for people who want to learn who their representatives are...

8.01.04
I can't wait to revisit this article when it's time for Fox News and Bill O'Reilly to cover the Republican National Convention. Of course, it doesn't matter to me what O'Reilly or Chris Matthews or any of the other talking heads thought of the speeches at the DNC. I watched it all on C-SPAN, the channel of choice for true politicos. No interjecting voices, telling me what I should think and how I should feel about what was just said. Just me and the uninterrupted speeches.

I think the least surprising quote from this article is, "Mr. Bush's advisers plan to cap the month at the Republican convention in New York, which they said would feature Mr. Kerry as an object of humor and calculated derision." I've already said several times to those around me that the RNC is going to be a bacchanalia of negativity and cruelty. Because, when you look at it, what does the GOP have to tout that is positive and hopeful? Besides, I figured that little "w" would turn into the snarling jerk his father became in 1992 when he realized he had strong competition in Slick Willie.

Apparently, the GOP never learned that if you can't say something nice, then shut the hell up and move out of the way...

7.30.04
Yes, I thought the salute was a little hokey. But it was earnest. Yes, I thought he dwelt a little longer on his service during Vietnam than he did discussing domestic issues. But we are embroiled in a war and our current "leader" never once saw battle. Wasn't that a huge issue with Republicans concerning Clinton? How can we have a Commander-in-Chief who never served in the trenches? Why are Republicans not asking this about little "w"? Yes, I'm still obsessing over his "middle class" harranguing. Yes, I wonder if and how he is going to implement all that he spoke of doing. But John Kerry has my vote in November. Because I know where the road leads down which little "w" is dragging us. Further divisiveness and deceitfulness.

I don't know exactly what is down the path that John and John wish to lead our country...but the promise of achieving and reclaiming all that they both spoke about is enough for me. And I'm glad to see that some swing voters were equally intrigued enough to consider the possibility of going Democrat...at least for this election...

7.29.04 :: "help and hope are on the way" edition
I'm not here to talk about the "bounce." I'm not here to analyze every single word spoken tonight by John Kerry. I simply wish to state that I am hopeful. I haven't felt hopeful since the Supreme Court ruling almost 4 years ago.

I am by no means blinded by the exuberant lovefest that was the DNC (although I admit it was wonderful to allow myself to be swept up in the tide of optimism and hopeful longing for a future scripted by different hands).

As the daughter of a blue-collar worker, I'm annoyed that Kerry referred to only the "middle class" in his speech. I can assure you that blue-collar workers are not part of that world. Working class is working class...and the working class has almost completely lost its voice in this country.

Last night John Edwards' chant was "Hope is on the way." Tonight, John Kerry's refrain was, "Help is on the way." Even through my jaded patina of political disdain, I can't help but feel charged. I only hope that Kerry and Edwards remember the grassroots base of the Democratic party: the working class, unions, civil and women's rights activists, environmentalists...everyone whose voice is drowned out by the machine of big business that runs the GOP.

7.29.04
Tonight John Kerry accepts his nomination from the DNC. He will be introduced by Max Cleland, a former U.S. Senator from Georgia. Cleland lost 2 years ago to Republican Saxby Chambliss in a campaign in which the GOP ran ads that linked Cleland to Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. Ads that questioned his patriotism because he voted against an early version of the homeland security bill.

Max Cleland is a triple amputee. His legs and right arm were destroyed by a grenade blast during his service in Vietnam. I'm sure some would say the GOP had major cajones to run a smear ad against the patriotism of a triple amputee Vietnam veteran when their highest party leaders chickened and ducked out of service through deferments and pilot playtime stateside. Just like I'm sure there are some out there who must think it's wonderful to question the patriotism of John Kerry and mock him for "waffling." Because little "w" is strong in his resolve.

Great...little "w" makes a decision and sticks with it while Kerry waffles. Never mind that little "w" made a decision based on faulty or old intelligence that had changed significantly. Weapons of mass destruction? Years ago they were there. Years ago a preemptive strike might have been warranted. Now?

Kerry is intelligent enough to look at the situation with the understanding that facts CHANGE. Information changes. And that changes decisions. I would much rather be led by someone smart enough to understand that we live in a world of ever-fluctuating truths and we must adjust our actions and choices accordingly. I find much more comfort in that than in some gung-ho G.I. Joe wanna-be who "shows resolve" in his incorrect decision...an incorrect decision that results in death and dismemberment of soldiers, civilians, children...because war is indiscriminate.

I'm by no means one for the hyper-jingo need to wrap myself in the American flag and deem everyone who opposes my beliefs to be unpatriotic...but I have to say it enrages me to think that people who have never once seen combat would ever dare to speak out against those who not only served, but returned wounded, incomplete, scarred...decorated for the atrocities they witnessed and survived. Atrocities that have left them thoughtful and wary because they know that choices of war are life altering and frightening. They are choices not to be made lightly.

These are truths that the current administration can never understand. Yes, little "w" shows resolve...the kind of resolve reserved for the ignorant and inexperienced. So again I return to a quote from Bill Clinton's speech: "Strength and wisdom are not opposing values."

7.28.04 :: confessional
I have a confession. When it was my state's turn to vote for the Democratic presidential candidate...I didn't vote for John Kerry. I actually voted for John Edwards. It's not that I didn't think Kerry was suitable for the job. In fact, I deliberated for a very long time between Edwards and Kerry and found myself waffling in my decision right up to the last minute (see, that's what thoughtful, contemplative people who want to consider all outcomes do...they waffle as they weigh their options). It was Edwards' optimism and positive campaign that finally won my vote. I have absolute respect for how he ran his campaign on the high ground. He spoke of his dreams, his hopes, his outlook for this country...and he painted it all in such vivid, bright colors. Brightness is something we so desperately need in this country right now.

I do not regret voting for Edwards that day. I do not regret that Kerry won. I understand that right now, with the state of the world, we do need someone in office with a little more experience and war savvy than Edwards has. But I am thrilled that Kerry, too, saw Edwards' brightness and optimism and tapped him as his running mate.

Tonight, John Edwards accepted his nomination from the DNC. The ebullience and joy I saw during his previous campaigning was still there. And it gave me hope...

7.28.04 :: "not ashamed of my intelligence" edition
I'm disgusted by articles like this one, which tell about students purposely failing high school so they have more time to increase their GPA to earn college athletic scholarships. These students are encouraged by college recruiters to fail academically so they can succeed athletically! I suppose I should be impressed that these students are even interested in college at all since now we're making it possible for them to go straight from high school to the professional circuit.

It's not elitist to be intelligent. And if we keep acting as though it's wrong to strive for intelligence, we're going to keep ending up with presidents like little "w."

7.26.04 :: dnc ebullience edition
I just turned off the television after watching the first night of the Democratic National Convention. I feel a resurrection of the joy and resolve that I first felt in 1992. I was too young to vote, but I knew already to which party I would be loyal. And even then, I fought with determination and devotion to be heard in my support. It's the feeling I had that first time I walked into a voting booth and pulled the lever to close the curtain behind me...and felt the weight of power...and choice.

I will always feel immense pride that my first presidential vote was for Bill Clinton. Just like I will always feel the same pride in voting for Al Gore, a man who tonight showed that he truly is presidential material (a fact that more than enough Americans knew 4 years ago).

I did not agree with everything that Clinton did while in office. But that's the wonderful truth about our political system: We have the freedom to disagree with the choices our leaders make. And we have the power to rid ourselves of those who prove themselves unworthy of the office of President of the United States. I disagreed with some of his political choices. I disagreed with several of his moral choices. But never once did I not view Bill Clinton as the worthy Commander-in-Chief.

I do not believe that little "w" is worthy of the title or office he usurped. Despite Clinton's moral proclivities, he left this country in a swell of prosperity and hope for the future. In 4 years, that swell has plummeted into xenophobia, war brought on the wings of questionable "proof," class division, increasing joblessness, fear, partisanship, a massive national deficit, miserable excuses for healthcare...the culmination of which dims the brightness of the future to which we all once felt entitled.

I feel a rejuvenation of my resolve that little "w" must be removed. Because, like him or not, Bill Clinton still remains a marvelous public speaker, able to call the masses to his cause. In my mind, it still remains to be seen whether or not John Kerry will prove himself to be a worthy cause (I am salivating to hear his speech...it will be the first time I will hear him speak as The Man Who Would Be President). I hope he is worthy. I hope he is the strength AND wisdom we so desperately need in this country...

Strength and wisdom are not opposing values.

7.21.04
I had an unsettling epiphany this morning while talking with a coworker. She said that her daughter, who attends a university located in a traditionally Republican portion of our liberal-minded state, told her that many of the students from the area were registering to vote for the first time...and they weren't registering to vote Republican. Seems that the locals are becoming more and more upset by seeing all their high school friends come home from Iraq in coffins. Either that or they come home alive and furious...like the local unit of the National Guard that just returned from Iraq with horrible stories and definite opinions on how our soldiers shouldn't be over there.

Then it hit me. I couldn't understand why little "w" was allowing the armed forces to extend tours for soldiers who have been stationed in Iraq, some for more than a year. Why would little "w" and his goons want to keep soldiers over in that hostile land rather than allow them to come home?

Because when they come home, many of the soldiers speak out against the war...and that means very bad press for little "w" during an election year. Better to keep them over in Iraq where, even if they do talk to the press, their comments will never be heard by the muddled drones who lick up the sugar-sweet GOP candy from Fox News. Better to keep them over in Iraq on extended tours where their only chance of coming home early is in the silent embrace of a flag-draped box.

Really unsettling epiphany to have first thing in the morning...

7.20.04 :: fairly unbalanced edition
I'm not a fan of Fox News. I guess it's because I'm guilty of wanting to hear all the news, not the conservatively massaged drivel that oozes from this channel. That's why I'm very interested in the new documentary, Outfoxed.

I'm also interested in the documentary, Orwell Rolls in His Grave. I still maintain that everyone in this country should be required to read 1984. I also think everyone should have to read Fahrenheit 451, The Handmaid's Tale, and Brave New World. Each of these books were written as warnings of what might happen if we weren't careful. Now they almost read as modern-day news...the truly fair and balanced kind...

7.16.04 :: total censure edition
Slim-Fast dropped Whoopi Goldberg as their spokesperson because she made the obvious comparison of little "w"'s last name to a portion of female anatomy. I love this statement from the article: "The Slim-Fast Foods Co. is based in West Palm Beach, Fla., where President Bush's brother, Jeb, is governor." I actually expected Dixie Chicks-banning Clear Channel Communications to own Slim-Fast, but this is close enough. So what I would like to know is, if you're a GOP ass-kisser company, why would you hire someone like good ole' Caryn "Whoopi Goldberg" Johnson in the first place? Since when has she ever made a name for herself as being anything but outspoken, crass, and liberal?

In Seattle, a college student taking photographs of a railroad bridge for his final exam was apprehended, questioned, and photographed by Homeland Security agents who told him that he had broken a law by taking photos of a federal facility. It wasn't the first time this student was questioned in such a manner while he was taking photographs for his class. Wonder if it had anything to do with his Middle Eastern appearance? Of course, he's not the only photographer to complain about being hassled for taking pictures.

Then you hear the gentleman interviewed in Fahrenheit 9/11 explaining how FBI agents came to question him because people at the gym he went to reported him for making comments against little "w" (not threatening remarks, mind you...just remarks that were not supportive of the little thieving moron in office). They were just comments made during a conversation. He wasn't preaching. He was just talking.

Offred, the main character in Margaret Atwood's book, The Handmaid's Tale, said it best: "Nothing changes instantaneously: in a gradually heating bathtub you’d be boiled to death before you knew it."

Welcome to the slow boil...

7.13.04 :: "no to bombs, yes to humping bunnies" edition
Clear Channel Communications recently refused to rent billboard space to a Berkeley-based organization that wanted to post an anti-war billboard in Times Square during the GOP convention in August. According to Clear Channel, the proposed billboard is "distasteful."

So, it's all right to have a huge billboard advertising the new "BunnySutra" Swatch watch that depicts humping bunnies, but it's not all right to post a provocative but more-tasteful-than-copulating-rabbits billboard that speaks out against the war in Iraq. Nice. Of course, what do you expect from Clear Channel, a company whose employees have given almost $400,000 to support the GOP. Oh, and did I forget to mention that a major shareholder is Tom Hicks, who purchased the Texas Rangers from little "w" in 1998? But that's not important, right?

7.13.04
Interesting article in today's rag about how the rest of the world perceives Michael Moore as a "typical ugly American." They're right, of course. He, just like most people in this capitalist cacophany of avarice and arrogance, is concerned only with what he wants. In this case, however, he wants what many other Americans want: little "w" booted out of the House in which he's been squatting for the past 4 years.

Yes, Moore was emotionally exploitative, just as he was in Bowling for Columbine. Only this time, it was far less bullying and cruel (that entire part of Bowling... in which Moore left outside Charlton Heston's home the photograph of the little girl who had been killed by her 6-year-old classmate was one of the worst scenes of emotional manipulation I have ever witnessed in a film. That little girl deserved far better committed in her memory).

Really, though, I thought that Moore's offering this time was far more focused and subdued than his last piece. Yes, he's an ugly American. But he's also trying to do something to change the ugliness that has grown throughout this country during little "w"'s time in office. Ugliness like trying to alter the Constitution in an attempt to pander to the religious right...people who invoke the Divine only when it serves their own fallible purposes.

7.12.04
Dammit. Weezie moved on up to that deluxe apartment in the sky...

You know, I completely forgot to mention that I saw Fahrenheit 9/11 on Independence Day. By no means is this a reflection of my opinion of this documentary. I actually think that it is a million times better than Bowling for Columbine and I think it should be mandatory viewing for every registered voter in this country, regardless of whether they plan to vote for little "w" and "Big Time," Kerry/Edwards, or Mickey Mouse.

7.09.04
Damn work for keeping me from blogging...

I like how Honda is saying that it doesn't think it needs to recall the 2003-04 CR-Vs, even though they have a little problem of bursting into flames after the first oil change. That's not a big problem, right? I mean, this is the summer...and what's better in the summer than a barbecue?

Speaking of summer, I have a great new fashion suggestion...it's light-weight, it's simple...and it's approved by the current administration! What could be better?

Better yet, go here, get the sticker, register to vote, and don't let little "w" and his toadies scare you away from cleaning House this November...

return to 12.10.04 contemplation.

7.03.04
"It is an amazing, complex, but orderly universe. And we are only specks in it. There is surely something -- a God if you will -- who created all of this. And we don't have to go to church to appreciate it. It is all around us. This is our church."

This is a quote from an excellent article in today's Washington Post on Sandra Day O'Connor. O'Connor's father said this to her when she asked if her father believed in God. I don't think I've ever read a quote more compelling than this one. Or a more compelling article, for that matter.

The Godfather has passed away. I suppose a higher power made him an offer he couldn't refuse. And actor James Doohan of Star Trek "Scotty" fame, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Sad that a man so intrinsically linked to the near Utopia of Roddenberry's future should succumb to such a monstrous modern-day destroyer.

7.01.04
Time to ramp things up a little bit. I don't want little "w" to be president anymore. We must not elect him in November (spare me any corrections on that statement...he wasn't elected the first time). All jokes about the "axis of idiocy" aside, nothing good has come from this administration. NOTHING. We have a huge and continuously growing deficit, the job market sucks, the federal payroll is even larger than it was before Mr. "Small Government" stole the office, political partisanship is worse than ever...and I haven't even mentioned the sucking chest wound that is Iraq. And now there's an inkling of a rumor that scares the hell out of me: the possible reinstatement of the draft. Whether or not little "w" and his sadistic cretins are contemplating this, even the thought frightens me, especially when you read in the International Herald Tribune that a proposed draft might call on men and women, and the age limit could be set as high as 34. Screw that. That's about the time that I decide to help out NAFTA by donating my skills to Canada. Hell, I might even skip on down to Mexico and see if they need help building Volkswagens.

Meanwhile, another rumor is growing in Democratic circles about how Kerry is going to tap Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate. I am from the "Love Her" camp when it comes to Hillary. However, I think this is a bad idea, rumor or not. It's far too soon. Besides, how would that look if she abandoned her seat after promising that she would complete her first term as New York senator? Go with John Edwards. Hillary's time to shine will come soon enough. And, for God's sake, Kerry, ramp it up!

6.30.04
A co-worker just gave me a peach. Not a store-bought peach. Nope. This is a true-grown farm peach. It's practically perfect. The fuzz is delightfully soft. The color is consistently mottled in bright peachy colors. The smell is scintillating. This peach is the best part of my day...

Couldn't you just scream from the simplicity?

6.29.04
Why didn't I think of this? Cheney defended his potty mouth comment to Senator Leahy by stating, "I felt better after I said it." Since obviously "Big Time" and little "w" are sanctioned holy men of the Christian "right," this must mean that such an explanation is biblically sound. Just think of all the comments I could have made in my old school if only I had stated afterward that I felt better because of what I'd said...

And of course, Big Time's cronies in the little "w" regime defend him. The same people who condemned John Kerry for his comment to Rolling Stone last winter that he didn't think little "w" would f*ck things up so badly with Iraq. But hey, now we know that such a comment is okay since I'm sure that it made Kerry feel better to say it. I sure know it made me feel better to hear someone finally say it out loud...

6.25.04 :: bar of soap edition
It's funny. When I read the Washington Post article this morning that discussed Cheney's snarky comment, I didn't even blink twice at the fact that the newspaper wrote out the entire word (even though I opted to asterisk out a letter in my own entry here). Apparently, I'm far more desensitized than others...

6.25.04 :: self-gratification edition
Seems the pressure of mediocrity and mayhem is starting to frazzle little "w" and his goons, especially Old Man Cheney, who told Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy (D) to "F*ck yourself." Nice vocabulary, "Big Time." Do you kiss the Christian Coalition with that mouth?

Kudos to the Irish for coining a delightful new moniker for little "w": The Toxic Texan. I think that's second in accuracy only to what my father calls him: The Fascist Usurper.

Oh, and way to go on earning the nickname "Terminator," Ahnold. What if we cut the limit on bad movies from six to three before we euthanized has-been actors? Let's see, Twins, Junior, Jingle All The Way, Batman and Robin, End of Days, The 6th Day, Collateral Damage...come on Big Guy, you would have earned a one-way on the Gasland Express just with your performance as Mr. Freeze. So why not have a little pity in that pig-valved heart of yours and stop trying to cut in half the number of days that stray animals can stay at the pound?

6.24.04 :: "jesus loves you..." edition
I just returned from seeing Saved!. First, I have to say that my opinion about Jena Malone is yet again bolstered by her performance in this movie. When I first saw her in Bastard Out of Carolina, I knew that she was going to be a prominent and talented player in the Hollywood game. I’m glad to see that my prediction seems to have been quite on target with her...

Honestly, when I read articles about how Christian groups were upset by Saved!, I thought that it would be a lot more scathing than it was (I guess I momentarily forgot how quickly Christian wrath is incurred). I actually found the movie to be quite honest and right on target for the most part...and I think that's the scariest and funniest thing about this movie.

I mean, everyone in the theater laughed, but many of them were probably laughing because of what they thought was the absurdity of this movie. I was laughing because so much of it was dead-on accurate. Our youth pastor actually once said to us, "Who's down with G-O-D?" We had "come to Jesus" calls at the end of most chapel services. At a forced Baptist retreat, I had the opportunity to go to the firing range for some Christian shoot-em-up time. Plus, there were myriad other little things that succeeded in capturing the essence of life in a Christian school (I will refrain from nitpicking about the things that broke the Baptist spell...I mean ciggies, booze, babies, dancing, cursing? Only if you’re really good at playin' it on the QT...which [ahem] several of us did come close to perfecting).

As for Hilary Faye...oh, you better believe she exists. She and her Holier-Than-Thou clique, disguising their perverse need to gossip in the deceptive cloak of "prayer circles"...turning cold and cruel toward back-sliders...fake, frightened, and oh so insecure. Jena Malone’s character at one point asked, "How can someone so beautiful be...so ugly?" Because it's so easy to be ugly to people you consider inferior because of their supposed spiritual imperfections. Besides, judging others is a great way to distract people from judging you...

There is so much more that I would love to say about this movie...so many layers that I would love to analyze. But I've already rambled enough. Bottom line...I really enjoyed this movie. As I was driving home, I actually found myself reminiscing about the days when I was at my Christian school. I've had a decade to come to terms with those years. I realize now that they helped sculpt the person I am today...and I really like who I am.

Why did God make us all so different if He wanted us to be the same?

6.24.04
I still haven't bought the new Clinton memoir. I did, however, cringe in pain when I read the first sentence. Note to Alfred Knopf: Just because he was once leader of the free world, that does not mean that he doesn't need an editor. Seriously. One sentence should NEVER be that long. Second note to Alfred Knopf: I'm a phenomenal editor and I believe in the "a job worth doing is worth doing well" work ethic.

Looks like it's almost time for another "commission." This time it will be the "Abu Ghraib Commission" to go along with the "9/11 Commission" and the "WMD Commission." A commission. What a great way to pretend that you give a damn.

6.23.04 :: restless early morning edition
It's after 1 in the morning. I'm still awake. I'm usually still awake at this time. I don't sleep much anymore. It's the curse of constant thought.

I read earlier that another beheading has occurred. He begged for his life on tape and a day later his body was found. Photographs and video of his broken, sobbing family play across the screen...but none of us will ever know the horrible pain we think we understand because we can see it streaming from their eyes and ripping out of their mouths in shrill, gasping screams.

Meanwhile, the regime stands firm in its denial of condoning prisoner torture at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib. Little "w" even stated during a press conference, "I have never ordered torture. I will never order torture. The values of this country are such that torture is not a part of our soul and our being." Really? So what part was over in Abu Ghraib stacking up naked men and giving the thumbs-up to humiliation and degradation? I have another famous presidential quote that later was proven to be a lie too: "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

Question is, which lie is going to hurt us worse in the end?

Tonight the news showed police units swarming all over the University of Maryland at College Park. I don't know why beyond a "nonspecific threat" received from the Department of Homeland Security...but dammit, this pisses me off! I don't take kindly to having my alma mater threatened.

I'm still not tired. I should probably lay off the Midnight Madness coffee blend and the news...

6.22.04 :: borg bondage edition
Remember Star Trek: Voyager's "Seven of Nine" and her lusty, busty, padded spacesuit from the Starfleet BDSM collection. She was the pertiest Borg you ever did see, wasn't she? Too bad the show's writers didn't consult with her husband at the time...I bet Congressman Ryan could have come up with some delightfully devious dilemmas for his lovely Borg bride.

Methinks GOP should stand for "Greedy Ogling Perverts."

Of course, this story will probably fizzle out just as quickly as the Washingtonienne scandal. Where was the Democratic equivalent of Ken Starr, crying for the name of the little "w" toadie who dropped 400 bucks to gain a, um, backstage pass to Washingtonienne's concert of debauchery? If Clinton had ever even said the word "buggery" in earshot of the press, the GOP would have called for his head (ahem). Besides, I would think that little "w" wouldn't mind sacrificing another of his regime to the media wolves. Another distraction from the coffins that keep coming home every day...

Oh, by the way, President Clinton's memoir, My Life, is now officially in bookstores. I will, of course, purchase this at some point and place it proudly next to Senator Clinton's memoir.

DemocRAT till the day I die...

6.19.04
The leaders of the Al Qaeda cel responsible for beheading Paul Johnson are now supposedly dead. How very Old Testament.

I don't understand why our "leaders" in this country continuously seemed surprised when things like this happen. Or were they all more than just hiding on September 11? Were they in a stasis field that left them completely oblivious to the fact that we are now locked in a war with people who DO NOT CARE what they do in the name of their religion and their beliefs?

This isn't playtime in the Texas National Guard like it was back in the good ole days.

6.18.04

6.14.04
Ya know, I miss the days when our biggest concern was a white stain on a blue Gap dress. Yes, while Clinton was in office we had terrorist attacks. I'm not stupid enough to try to rewrite his time in office as perfectly peaceful. But I take great offense to how practically every day, there's something even more disturbing in the news because of our presence in Iraq: Another in a long string of car bombings; justified torture using dogs; another alleged domestic terrorist onslaught...

Meanwhile, I have to say that the most subversively poignant moment from the final Reagan service came from Ronald Prescott Reagan, who said of his father, "Dad was also a deeply, unabashedly religious man. But he never made the fatal mistake of so many politicians wearing his faith on his sleeve to gain political advantage." Little "w" would do well to try to emulate this part of his political idol's personality rather than trying to convince the Vatican to encourage American bishops to stump for his "compassionate conservative" agendas. I wonder, how does Bob Jones University feel about little "w" seeking religious help from the Catholic Church (for those of you lucky enough to know little or nothing about good ole BJU, they used to keep books on Catholicism in the "Occult" section)?

Hmm, notice my focus on religion? Guess I'm just reaching a point where I'm tired of everyone hiding behind what is supposed to be the greatest universal love to justify incredible atrocities, including the little despot in the White House right now.

6.13.04
A bigger, more important celebration than TC's induction into the Grand Ole Opry...my little cousin's graduation party. When did this happen? When did she become old enough to graduate high school? I used to pull her around in a wagon and push her on swings. Now she's becoming this amazing, talented young woman. Life really does fly by so quickly and we just have to grab on to the important moments and hold on...

6.12.04
I'm a political geek...but in my heart of hearts, I've donned my black cowboy hat, jeans, boots (Docs, of course), and I'm cheering at the top of my lungs, "Yee haw, Terri Clark!" She was a "redneck woman" before it suddenly became chic. The Grand Ole Opry couldn't be luckier right now...

6.11.04
Political pomp and circumstance caused the cattiness of partisanship to grind momentarily to a halt. Ronald Reagan has left the building to begin his final journey home.

I didn't make the Disney-like pilgrimage to view the casket. I have very strong feelings against post-mortem ceremonies. I do, however, respect his passing as we should respect the passing of any life from this world. I mourn for the fracturing of two souls that lived as one for 52 years. And I leave my thoughts for now at that...

6.08.04
"No good deed goes unpunished." But neither does talent go unpraised. I'm tickled...green that Idina Menzel won a Tony for breathing life into Elphaba.

Ev'ryone deserves the chance to fly...

6.07.04
I've been back and forth about what I've wanted to write here since I heard that Reagan died on Saturday. I wasn't the ravenous political dork that I am now when Reagan was in office (I was too busy dancing to my Smurfs All*Star Show record and coloring Shrinky-Dinks to trouble myself with politics at that point in my life). I know what my father thinks about Reagan...and I respect his views, particularly those of the political persuasion. I also have memories of things Reagan did toward the end of his presidency and around the beginning of my political awareness...and I know those things didn't impress me as being the actions of the great political leader the GOP would like everyone to believe Reagan was.

I also remember hearing his words of comfort to a nation mourning the loss of the Challenger astronauts. It was like listening to a grandfather comfort his children (which I was at the time, frightened and confused).

I remember Ollie North. I remember the air-traffic controllers. I remember Iran-Contra. I remember "The Land of Confusion." I remember watching a tired, befuddled, old man responding again and again, "I don't recall."

I remember.

Alzheimer's is cruel. Among the many negative feelings I have toward Reagan's presidency, I am thankful that Nancy Reagan has stepped forward to call for the continuation of stem cell research, opposing little "w" and his ban. I may not see Reagan as the political god the GOP worship, but I see the good that may finally reveal itself beneath the myriad jokes we all made at his illness-induced senility.

6.04.04
I try to ignore all the reality television shows. I tell myself that I don't have to watch them. I don't have to talk about them. Therefore, I try to ignore their presence and the degenerative effect they have on our country's collective IQ. But dammit! Of all the scum to get a reality show...of all the murdering, lying wastes of genetic material!

I don't know which is worse: The fact that O.J. Simpson might get his own show, or his vulgar statements in his interview with Greta Van Susteren. He's angry with his ex-wife? Yes, I do believe he was. It takes an awful lot of anger to almost behead someone. By the way, how's the case coming along in finding the real killer? Maybe that's what his reality show can be about...the continuing search.

Oh, and here's my favorite quote from today's Washington Post article on George Tenet's "surprise" announcement: "Was Tenet finally being served up as a sacrificial lamb by an administration that loathes to admit a mistake?" No...could this be true? Why would anyone ever ask such a question? Get real. I think the actual animal you want to call him is "scapegoat," not sacrificial lamb. A sacrifice, after all, is typically made for the greater good...

6.02.04 :: evening disbelief edition
Hassle the Hoff? He wants to rap? And Ice-T is going to produce? If the article had been dated April 1, I could understand...but this is just too wrong.

6.02.04
Want to know why I have a really difficult time taking people who live in D.C. seriously when they complain about "Taxation Without Representation"? How can you take them seriously when they keep taking Marion Barry seriously? What's his campaign slogan this time? "One Vote. One Snort." Or maybe "Marion Barry: A Rock in Every Pipe."

Meanwhile, a kid offers to buy a girl a Slurpee and now he's dead. He would have graduated high school in a week. Instead he's on a coroner's slab, being autopsied to determine whether he died from being beaten or from being struck by two cars after his attackers left him on the side of the road.

Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets.

5.27.04
Playboy offers and a possible book deal...so I was half right about what Washingtonienne would receive for being a political prostitute. I'm so sick of this society that rewards people like her for the simple act of being trash. She is irredeemably immoral and so are we if we continue to lavish her with undeserved positive attention.

Oh, but don't think that I have forgotten that she whored herself out to an appointee from the little "w" administration. Penchant for buggery, eh? I'll refrain from the obvious political comparisons. Really helps push home that faith-based initiative. And the GOP's call for Constitutional rewrites to reflect what little "w" refers to as upholding our biblically influenced morals. And what would those morals be? It's not wrong as long as it's done by a man and a woman...for money? Sounds about right for the U$A...

5.25.04
Quick, disgusted thoughts about the "Washingtonienne" debacle: If you prefer to behave according to devolved morals, fine. It's your prerogative and your life. But don't waste my federal tax dollars giving your venereal discourse while "meeting boys and showing off [your] outfits" at your "easy gov job."

I already see the book deals and high-paying interview circuit in this woman's future. Why? Because we're a society that celebrates depravity. And I'm sure she'll have no problem whoring herself out to celebrity...

5.19.04
You can only read so much of the news before your brain just overloads. I can't focus on the atrocities anymore...not right now. The sun is just now burning through the layers of rain that have saturated my day. The air is thick with the ethereal thrum of cicadas (yes, I dwell in the path of the much hyped "BROOD X" [sounds like a cheesy sci-fi movie, doesn't it?]). My life has come to a conundrum of a crossroad...but tonight I'll go home and enjoy dinner with my family. I'll watch my dog terrorize the "treats" that she thinks have arrived solely for her own amusement and culinary delight. I'll visit my grandmother who doesn't remember who I am anymore...but I remember her. I remember the recognition I once saw in her crystalline gaze. I remember the voice untouched by the years, as melodic as an aria. I remember the intelligence and wit, both razor-sharp and quick. I remember her...and that's what matters most. To be remembered and loved for the memory you leave.

Remember the small things in life. The important things. Save the conundrums for another day.

5.11.04
Daniel Pearl. Fallujah. Abu Ghraib. Nick Berg. Not to mention coffin after coffin hidden from cameras as they make their final journey home. Bring it on? Is this what little "w" was calling for when he made that vulgar, simian-brained threat to a society filled with people who willingly crash planes into buildings and behead journalists for the unforgiveable crime of their lineage? Bring it on? How about two quotes from a real president. A president who actually served his country during combat (rather than playing pilot stateside): General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity."

"Our American heritage is threatened as much by our own indifference as by the most unscrupulous office or by the most powerful foreign threat. The future of this republic is in the hands of the American voter."

return to 10.11.04 contemplation.

5.06.04
If we truly want to show our penitence for the abhorrent treatment of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib, we know what we must do. Vote in November. Get little "w" and his band of sadistic goons out of the White House.

Things fall apart...the center cannot hold...

4.29.04
Big day for little "w." He and the Puppet Master appeared before the 9/11 Commission. In a closed-door session. For only 3 hours. With no transcripts permitted (by insistence of little "w," even though he won't answer why he didn't want transcripts of the session).

Hell, why worry about transcripts? Soon the memory holes will be installed and history will be rewritten by the second. HELLO?!? Is anyone out there paying attention to what's going (wr)ON(g) with our government?

4.28.04
Lots of witnesses are testifying behind closed doors concerning the alleged victim in the Kobe Bryant case to determine whether or not her sexual history should be brought into question at the trial. I have a simple solution: If you want to admit her prior sexual history into question, you also have to bring Kobe Bryant's prior sexual history into question. That simple.

Of course, we won't go into how questioning her prior sexual history is about as irrelevant as asking a man who was mugged about whether or not he had ever given money to someone before his "alleged" mugging.

4.20.04
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Columbine shootings. I refer back to my contemplation on Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Have we learned anything from this incident as a country? I have no doubt that day has inalterably affected the residents of Littleton...but as a society, have we tried to understand the social factors that led to these two young men snapping in this violent and avoidable manner? Have we tried to eliminate or at least temper the abuse that students like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold received for being different?

I am by no means trying to justify their actions. I am, however, questioning whether we have advanced enough to accept that these two students might have turned out so much differently if factors had just been a little different in the equation of their lives. After all, when I was in high school, I listened to music comparable to Marilyn Manson. I watched movies comparable to The Matrix. I even wore a full-length black leather trench coat, painted my nails black, and did what I could to revel in my status as "different."

My salvation? Parents who were actively involved in my life and a school that did not tolerate the types of abuse inflicted upon Harris and Klebold (or have we conveniently forgotten how these students were almost daily thrown against lockers, derided as "fags," and sometimes pelted with rocks as they rode away on their bikes by some of the school's athletes?).

In an interview this morning, Coni Sanders, the daughter of slain Columbine teacher David Sanders, said that in her studies to earn a psychology degree, she has studied Harris and Klebold. She commented that her anger has somewhat dissipated through trying to understand what drove them to the actions they took April 20, 1999.

I think this is the best place to start in preventing this from ever happening again...

4.14.04
Apparently, you can only be a successful politician in this country if you have the ability to be asked a question and can spend 10 minutes completely avoiding giving a straight answer. I mean, look at little "w"...he's the "president" of the United States, and I still don't understand what last night's press conference was supposed to be about. He gave no solid information. He avoided directly answering ever single question he was asked (and let's not even get into examining the logic behind answering a question about the threat Osama Bin Laden posed to this country by responding that we needed to take out Saddam Hussein...) He stuck to repeating the same simple catch phrases, like "Stay the course." What the hell does that mean? And is it just me, or isn't that one of his daddy's catch phrases?

And while I'm on a rant...here's a tangential tirade about how things work in this country...words can't even begin to capture the disgust I feel toward the new show on Fox, The Swan. Who's sick, screwed-up idea was this? "Let's take a group of women who have completely fractured self images because of how society has treated them for not meeting the accepted and completely skewed concept of what beauty is and, instead of getting them the psychological help that would greatly benefit them...let's pretty much prove to them that all the abuse they've received throughout the years for not 'fitting in' was right. They are unattractive according to the societal norm...but we're going to bring them salvation through extensive plastic surgery! And then they'll be all right!"

What the hell is happening to this country?

4.09.04
Condoleeza Rice testified before the 9/11 Commission yesterday. How many of you watched? How many of you listened? How many of you have at least looked at the transcripts? Read them. Don't depend on me to give you the Reader's Digest version. Don't wait for my rants or my combative analysis. Read them. Form your own opinions. That's the one thing I want most in this life...for people to take the initiative to read about what's going on in their lives and to form their own opinions. Think. Debate. Act. Don't wait for others to tell you what to think...do it for yourself.

4.07.04
Bet you all thought I had abandoned blog, right? Actually, no. I've been taking my show on the road, so to speak. A little vacation to North Carolina and then a fantabulous business trip to New Orleans (or "Nawlins," if you prefer). I don't understand how people survive Mardi Gras. I went during Lent and I barely made it home (I think I'm still recuperating). I can't wait for my next trip there...

Needless to say, my blood pressure is unusually steady due to my reduced access to newspapers throughout the past 2 weeks...don't worry though. I'm too much of a political/sociological junkie to stay away from the news for much longer...

Viva la rant!

3.30.04
Sometimes I wonder who it is out there who reads my contemplations. I know you're out there, because I see your visits with my site tracker. Maybe you'll drop me a line sometime and let me know what you think...

Anyway...on to the rant that inspired my far overdue contemplation for the day. A girl won the slam dunk contest held in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Ignoring the fact that I didn't even know there was such a contest, I have to say that I am completely disgusted by the bent of the article on this unexpected win. The reporter noted that the contest was pretty much a showcase for 12 male high school athletes who very well be allowed to skip college and go straight into the NBA draft. The reporter lamented the fact that Candace Parker, the 6'3" girl who won the slam dunk contest, won't have such an offer awaiting her when she graduates high school this year. It's almost as if the reporter viewed the fact that Parker would have to go to college as a punishment.

When did earning an education become punishment? Of course, let's not even go into the fact that going to college on an athletic scholarship is in many instances like being handed 4 years on a silver platter. As a former minion of Testudo's, I remember the preferential treatment the athletes received (on the rare occassions when they made it to class). It disgusted me then almost as much as it disgusts me now to read that these athletes don't even have to fake it through 4 years of "studies" anymore. Of course, this might play well for the students who actually deserve scholarships...those students who may not be able to run and bounce a ball at the same time, but they have proven themselves to be academically adept.

3.18.04 (afternoon boredom breaker edition)
I don't usually place things here that I've received as a forward, but this was just too good to not post...Dishonest Dubya

3.18.04
Debate is a lost art in this country. We've become the "Jerry Springer" generation, where we're unable to string together an intellectual rebuttal during an argument so we simply stoop to name calling and--in some sad instances--physical violence. When did the art of debating become so painfully absent? Was it the same time that we became a country more able to and more interested in naming the starting line-up for our local athletic teams than in naming our local representatives?

3.17.04
Happy St. Patrick's Day. Yes, I'm wearing green. Yes, I'm Irish. So...póg mo thóin.

3.08.04
I haven't had much time to contemplate lately...work is hell right now. But I have a job, so I am grateful. I read a great quote that really spoke to me, so I thought I would share it here: "The foolish person seeks happiness in the distance, the wise person grows it under his feet." -- James Oppenheim

So...are you foolishly chasing potential happiness? Or are you content with the happiness you can find right here at home?

2.29.04
Happy Leap Year Day. This would have been my grandfather's "real" birthday. I miss him all the time...but it's a day like this that makes me miss him even more...

So I joined the masses on Friday and went to see The Passion of the Christ. I guess I felt obliged to see firsthand what all the commotion was about rather than waiting to hear about it from others.

Mel Gibson enjoys blood. A lot. I mean, I completely understand that, according to the Bible, Jesus' suffering for mankind's sins was painful and gruesome...but it felt almost as though Gibson drowned the beauty of Christ's ultimate sacrifice in gallons of fake gore and blood.

I do think that the movie was a relatively thoughtful piece, and pretty on par with the Bible's account of the crucifixion. I have two major problems, though, with his interpretation. One...why did Mary Magdalene have a flashback to Christ saving her from being stoned? The woman Christ saved when he declared "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (which is obviously the cited moment in the flashback) was NOT Mary Magdalene. Was this just Gibson's attempt to keep alive the church's stance that Mary Magdalene was a whore? Also (and this is a spoiler point) why was Satan played by a woman?

Isn't it enough that Christianity places the full burden of original sin on a woman (Eve and her damnably tempting apple), but does Gibson really have to compound it with these questionable (but obviously very significant) plot and casting choices in his film?

I don't know. I'm glad that I saw this film. It made me think about things that I haven't considered since I graduated from my Christian high school 10 years ago. The main thing it made me consider? The anger I feel that this ultimate act of love (how else can one who believes in Christianity view Christ's sacrifice?)...this ultimate moment of love that Christ gave His believers has been twisted into a weapon of hate by religious zealots. The greatest act of love has been used to justify millennia of violence, death, and hatred throughout history...and it is still being used in this manner. I'm just afraid that the end result of Gibson's offering is that it will only stoke the fires of hatred a little higher.

However, I truly hope I'm proven wrong this time...

2.24.04
I've said stupid things before. I will be the first to admit that I have said things that I have immediately regretted. In those instances, I know the only thing to do is to apologize immediately and hope that the person(s) I have offended are forgiving.

Roderick Paige said an incredibly stupid thing when he compared the NEA to a terrorist group. I mean, that's really stupid. But he did apologize. The thing, though, is that he didn't apologize when he said it. He waited until he felt pressured to apologize. That's what makes it a little more difficult to swallow.

return to 11.12.04 contemplation.

2.23.04
Ralph is back. I agree with his thoughts that this country needs more political choices to shake Democrats and Republicans out of their complacency and comfortability with status quo. I agree with many of his thoughts. I do not agree with his statement that he didn't help make it easier in 2000 for little "w" to steal the Oval Office. I don't think it's going to make a difference this time, though. Too many people are so disgusted with little "w" that they aren't going to throw away their vote on Nader this time. I mean, when a recent article states that some disgruntled voters would rather vote for a dog than little "w," I think Nader's threat this time is quite minimal.

Of course, with such strong sentiment rising from the ranks, it really makes me long for the days when we had a strong Democratic presence to focus these feelings into action. I have a lot of issues with Bill Clinton and a lot of the policy decisions he made, but he had what all the Democratic presidential hopefuls have heretofore lacked: personal strength and confidence. Where is our Democratic strength now?

Anyone? Anyone?

2.22.04
I just watched a thoroughly disappointing documentary: Bowling for Columbine. It began so strongly and had such potential, with provocative imagery and interviews...but like a poorly written undergraduate thesis, it unraveled into a muddle that not only couldn't provide any answers, it couldn't even decide what questions it wanted to pose. Moore took a horrific moment in modern American history and, rather than present facts and questions in a thoughtful manner, he wrapped unfinished truths and conjecture in the subjective swath of overly indulgent sentimentality and tangentially confusing subpoints. For example, was he truly implying that the recent uproar in this country over Africanized honey bees was caused by thinly veiled racism?

I had hoped Bowling for Columbine would have been better. So many questions and concerns were raised by Klebold and Harris' actions that day. Questions that we as a country need to answer. Why did the school turn a blind eye to the daily torment these students and their friends received at the hands of athletes? Why didn't their parents know more about what was going on with their sons? Why are we more willing to point our fingers at Marilyn Manson than we are to say, "Maybe we need to spend less time blaming others and more time learning about what's going on in our children's lives and letting them know that they aren't alone in what they might be going through." I think, ironically, Marilyn Manson said it perfectly during his interview in the documentary. Moore asked Manson what he would say to the students of Columbine. His response? "I wouldn't say a single word to them. I would listen to what they have to say, and that's what no one did."

That's the kind of truth that Moore should have focused on revealing...

return to 4.20.04 contemplation.

2.19.04
Wow. In response to recent accusations that one of his male football players raped a female football player on his team 4 years ago, Colorado coach Gary Barnett responded by attacking the female football player's athletic abilities. According to the Washington Post article on this, Barnett's exact words were, "It was obvious Katie was not very good. She was awful.... Katie was not only a girl, she was terrible. OK? There's no other way to say it."

So could someone explain to me why the coach thinks that her being a terrible football player somehow justifies her alleged assault? Or am I just misinterpreting his ever-so-tactful words?

2.18.04
So Dean's out of the race. Looks like Kerry might end up the nominee...but there's still a chance for Edwards. I'm not sure which way I'm leaning. Both have admirable traits...both have flaws (from my subjective viewpoint). I know, though, that I'm tired of partisanship. I'm tired of divisiveness. We live in a world far too scarred by hate and violence, where people are far more eager to hurt each other than they are to understand each other. It makes me weary to think about how people are so willing to bully others to get their way rather than investing time in trying to understand things from a different perspective.

Who will finally step forward and say, "Enough"?

2.08.04
If ever there was anything more important to read, it's the transcript to this morning's Meet the Press interview with little "w." I think one of the few things that came from his mouth that was 100 percent honest was his statement that "we are in a political season." Yes, we are...and apparently, some are willing to do whatever it takes to keep a hold on a position that he didn't really win in the first place. My father calls the "election" of little "w" a bloodless coup. The sad thing, though, is the fact that it's no longer bloodless. The soldiers who have died fighting for the lies that little "w" fed this country to justify eliminating the man who tried to kill his father have changed that fact.

We are in a political season...let's hope that it's a season of change.

2.02.04
Hmm. I like how CBS is willing to show Janet Jackson's jewel-bedecked breast on television, but they're unwilling to run a MoveOn.org commercial because it's too controversial. I like that. That's really classy of them. I also like how they claim that it was an unrehearsed, unintentional moment that they deeply regret. Um...am I the only person to notice that Janet Jackson's outfit had snap buttons beneath the "unrehearsed" missing fabric? If it was unintentional, then why install snap buttons to make the fabric easily removeable? Does Viacom really think that we're so stupid we will believe their pitiably lame press release about how this was not intentional?

1.22.04
I'm still miffed about the State of the Union address. I just can't get that sound out of my head...the sound of clapping...the way the cadence sometimes mimicked the sound of "Defense! Defense!" that you hear crowds cheer at ball games. And the booing. Booing at a State of the Union address? When I heard that sound, it hit me...we are being led by a former male cheerleader. That was the tone of the State of the Union: A cheerleader pumping up a crowd at a pep rally.

Cheerleaders are fluff. Games are fluff. Are we turning into a nation of fluff?

1.21.04
You ever know someone who, every time they open their mouth, whatever comes out is a lie? Or only a partial truth that they've polished to sound in their favor? Don't you think that people like that should just keep their mouths shut?

I really hope that little "w" gave his final State of Union lie last night. Anyone else feel the same way?

1.19.04
I'm glad that I don't live in Iowa right now. I have no idea for whom I would vote, and that greatly bothers me. There should be a frontrunner at this point, right? Right?

Meanwhile, little "w" went to Atlanta to place a wreath on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s tomb while protesters booed his presence. I wonder, why were they booing him? He was merely doing what he needed to do in order to justify making taxpayers cover the cost of his trip...oh, by the way, he also threw a campaign fundraising dinner in there, too. So...does that mean that the protesters were booing little "w" for using MLK as an excuse to gouge Federal taxpayers into paying for him to line his campaigning pockets with cash? Does anyone else think that warrants being booed?

1.12.04
So the White House is accusing Paul O'Neill of betraying little "w" through a new book by Ron Suskind, The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neill. White House officials are also saying that O'Neill's accusations (such as his allegation that little "w" was like "a deaf man in a room of blind people" during meetings) are based more on opinion than fact. Huh. Sounds like how we ended up in Iraq.

I think I'll be reading Mr. Suskind's new book at my earliest convenience...

1.05.04
Happy New Year! Now please pose for this photograph and allow us to fingerprint you before we allow you into our country.

Here's my stab at turning US-VISIT into an acronym..."Unwelcome Strangers-Vehemently Interrogated and Suspected Immediately of Terrorism."

Welcome to the United States of Xenophobia...now go home...