Learning from Past Mistakes - Step One

Now the clean-up can begin. Not just the bunting and the confetti on the National Mall, but putting the People's House back together after eight years of Bush & Cheney trashing the place. Like the morning after a teenager's party at his parents' house, we have come home to a disaster zone filled with stinking trash and broken furniture. And like parents, we can't reach over and pull the gizzards out of the offending teen, we have to be responsible and put things right. Then we can start pulling out gizzards.

Which brings me to the steps being taken to clean this shit up. From personal experience, I know that if something gets fucked up, the last person to decide how to fix it is the person who fucked it up. If I trashed my parents' house, I don't get to decide how to clean it. I get the honor of picking up the garbage, hauling the trash, gluing the furniture back together and anything else my dad tells me to do. Dad gets the honor of standing over me with his belt, watching me work. What do you think would happen if I told the old man that he should pay someone else to do the clean up so I can go out with my friends?
Yeah, I thought so...

This country is broken. Broken in as many ways as you can count. Every time the Republicans took control of the situation, they made it worse. They saw this country as their personal playground. They didn't have to take responsibility for anything because they were The Boss and Bosses pass the buck. Missing money wasn't the fault of the person who took it, but the fault of the accounting geek who found out. Tearing up the environment wasn't bad if you could show how to make a shit load of money doing it. If someone pissed you off, you just called them an enemy combatant and put them in jail; no charges, no trial, no problem - simple. No one was going to hold them accountable, no one was going to call them on their bullshit; it was Good Times in the Good Ol' USA!

And the Democrats stood by and watched. They didn't raise their hand and say shit. They stood by and watched their sibling party trash the House. They watched as the furniture got broke, they watched as the windows were shattered, watched as the cat was shaved - stood by and did nothing. Now, when the time has come to pay the piper, they're standing there as the Republicans point to them and say "They did it!"

Fuck That!

President Obama has made a lot of progress in setting down what needs to be done. But what he doesn't need to do is let the Republicans to decide what happens next. They've already made it perfectly clear what they want to do. They want someone else to clean up this mess. They want to outsource it to anyone but themselves. They feel that the policies that got us in this shit hole are good enough to get us out. All I have to say on that is:

Dude, if you're trying to get out of a shit hole and the only offer of help from the Republicans is another shovel, it's time to stop asking them for help. We need to get OUT of the hole first before we start digging a new one. Understand this: the Republican Party does not want to help. They only want you to fail. Being all 'Kumbaya, let's be bipartisan' is bullshit.

This is how to solicit help from the GOP: Kick 'em in the nuts, step on their back and climb out of the hole. When they've learned their lesson, admit their mistakex and apologize, then we might lower a rope.

Sounds pretty tough, right? Sounds kinda cold-hearted and cruel. In fact, it sounds damned familiar. This is what the GOP has been doing to the Democratic Party for 25 years.

Let me pause for a moment to thank John Amato for his links above. He goes off on the same tangent as I but with a much larger audience. Right On, Brother John!

Here's the clip from the Rachel Maddow Show with Economics Professor Paul Krugman and Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR).
LISTEN TO THEM!
Why?
Hell, Prof. Krugman is only the most recent recipient of the goddamn Noble Prize in Economics and Cong. DeFazio is only the Chair of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. They know of what they speak, they've been dealing with this shit for years.

Who have the Republicans got?
Rush Limpdick and BillO the Clown.



The graphic she had up showed that 33% of the stimulus package will go to tax cuts and only 18% for infrastructure.

Wha? 18%?

There's enough broken shit in this country to keep us busy for decades and the longer we piss around the worse it's going to get. That bridge in Minneapolis didn't fall because it was brand new, it failed because it was neglected. When will the next bridge fail, the next highway collapse or water main explode? What happens to the Gulf Coast when hurricane season comes upon us and another Category 3, 4 or, goddess forbid, a 5 slams into it?

Tax cuts are not the answer, they are the fucking problem. I don't want a check for $300 if I have to drive over a bridge that's ready to crumble. Keep the fucking $300 and fix the goddamn bridge. It's time we recognize that this mess is ours now, as in belongs to us. We didn't make it but we have to fix it. We have to take ownership of it in order to put it to rest. We cannot count on the Republicans to help and we shouldn't...here's why...

When Ronald Reagan made his wingnut speech about how government was not the solution but the problem, he set into motion the wheels of the GOP Gravy Train. Once they realized that they had the power of Nixon and the face of a movie star; the sky was the limit. America became their playground and they had a ball. Reagan ran up the deficit and the national debt like a drunken sailor, blaming Democrats at every step. Lee Atwater (rot in Hell, you bastard!) was Reagan's Merlin. He wove a spell of doublespeak and nuance that framed the discourse to flummox the media and the Democrats. He actually had some of the Dems believing that it was their fault.
Can you say 'Blue Dogs'? I knew you could.

When Reagan termed out, they tried to do the same thing with Poppa Bush but he was no Reagan. He screwed the pooch and got kicked to the curb by Bill Clinton. Nothing could have pissed off the Republicans more than to see a charismatic Southern jimbo like Clinton take the White House away so soon after Ronnie. Well, we saw what it did to the GOP. They went apoplectic. Lee Atwater, on his death bed, passed his magic wand to Karl Rove then died in agony. (That's Karma, bitch) Despite America's need for real leadership, Rove took out his Faustian contract and put Poppa Bush's Dim Son in the White House. Eight long fucking years of corruption, torture, graft, violations of civil and human rights, and pissing on the Constitution. The worst part... they did it without an iota of regret.

That sordid chunk of history shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Republican Party looks out for their own self interests, always thinking of '#1'. It also shows that they care as much for the American people as they do for their hired help - keep them in the dark, pay them next to nothing and if the authorities get too close, turn them over to the INS for the reward.
Self-centered, greedy, soulless cretins all. They lie, cheat, steal, and would toss an old lady under a train to get to a nickel off the ground. They have NO honor - none, zip, zilch, nada, no way, no how, not now, not never. Trust and Republicans should be treated like matter/antimatter; they cannot exist in the same place at the same time.

So, President Obama, put away your bipartisan speeches and put on your hip waders ass kickers. Take out the bulk of those bullshit tax cuts and put back the projects that were removed. I would rather have a steady paycheck repairing a bridge or installing cable across the country than a single check for a few hundred dollars.

Besides, I would only use it to buy weed anyway.

Update: I changed 'hip waders' on a suggestion from BK at Ornery Bastard. Puts the cherry on the post.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Hope Upon the Raging Sea

As I watched President Obama take the oath and give his speech, I was struck by a wave of relief. Words came to me to express this feeling.

I call it "Navigating the Sea of Change"

The Darkness has broken; the return to the Light has begun. The denizens of the night, the shade and the shadow, have retreated to friendlier caves and crannies.

Evil subsides for now.

Yet they won’t be far; they always nip at our heels and are just out of sight waiting to return to prominence. The forces of greed and secrets abhor the Light, cannot stand the sharp, fresh air of the great wide open. It pains them to breath it, to walk through it, to live in it. They have their allies, minions who seek their favors that walk amongst us. They too will hide from us but in plain sight.

President Obama has a great burden to carry and we must help him. This burden cannot be shouldered by one man, but by all. We are in this with him. The ship of state has many oars and traverses a raging sea. One man cannot navigate these waters alone. There’s an oar with my name on it and if I won’t row, who will? Who will take up the responsibility of bringing this country back if I shy away? Who will show courage if I back down?

The forces of greed and secrets hide in plain sight. They draw their will from our fear, our uncertainty. If we lack the courage to bring this country back, they will take our fear and draw America further into oblivion.

To cure a disease, you must starve it. To cure America from its malaise, you must starve the blight that infests it. Fear is its sustenance, its nourishment. Responding to this affliction with the courage of conviction and virtue that President Obama asks of us will change this raging sea into calm waters.

The journey ahead is long and arduous and we have only just left the dock. My turn at the oars is nigh and I am ready and able to grasp hold and pull with all my strength. My president has demonstrated great strength and confidence, now I must show him mine.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Even the air is different...

Hope the levity below doesn't ruffle a few feathers. Just had to spotlight the absurdity of public safety concerns in the Bush era.

It's starting to sink in... We really are in for a sea change. Now, I don't expect Pres. Obama to walk across the Reflecting Pond to his inauguration but I do feel he has the goods we need to eradicate the Bush Stink that's all over this country.

Given the weather, the crowd at the Lincoln Memorial was outstanding. The performers were genuinely proud to be a part of this change. It showed in their performances. Massive egos set aside for the chance to participate in the inauguration of not only a new president and administration, but a new direction. Everyone is getting ready to participate. People realize that Obama has no magic wand, no big green button on his desk that he pushes and all the problems magically disappear. He makes the plan, puts out the pieces and we, the people, get off our fat asses and make sure the whole thing gets put together.

We expect leadership. For eight long and painful years, we've been subjected to government by frat boys. Nothing but elitist wackjobs out for their own self interests; the country and its people be damned. To those assholes, these past eight years have been more than a success, they've been a godsend. Even those who lost their money in the financial market collapse got another bonus from the Bastard-in-Chief with the TARP funds. All-in-all, a profitable adventure. The Day of Reckoning is coming for them but not until Bush and his Pardon Pen have left the building.

More on this later...right now, I'm still basking in the glow of change.

Damn... I feel like a man dying of thirst coming up on a real oasis after years of mirages.

Update: Welcome to Blue Gal!
She has graciously added this humble page to her Blogroll. Many thanks.
So, to the hordes of loyal followers of this space - both of you - go there, enjoy the words contained within and be schooled.

Update Deux: Fuckin' A! My lucky ass day! The Ornery Bastard has hitched his wagon to this ol' caboose. Go there and be stripped down and tuned up. Be forewarned, he speaks Saxon as well as I do, no tender ears allowed.

Change you really can believe in

Just in time for the Inauguration...



(via dcist.com)

Say goodbye to Bush, get a new president and free hookers!
But act now, there's an expiration date.

God Bless the USA!

David A.

Countdown to Oblivion

The last eight years couldn't have been a bigger clusterfuck if you wrote it down as fiction. Even then, you'd have been laughed out of every publishing house in the country.

And we own it all to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. In a just world with real laws and real accountability, these two fools would have been stripped of their office, taken before a court of their peers, convicted and jailed for high treason. We can dream.

In reality, the abysmal record of this collection of toadies, yes men, pundits, and party bosses that serve as our nation's law enforcement officials will probably land these cretins a goddamn medal, a fat book deal and scrub history of every iota of truth about their nefarious deeds.

But that's not why I wrote this.

There's a buzz - OK, a rancor about what Pres. Elect Obama will do with all the Bush vermin infesting our government when he takes over. Lots of people, whom I respect greatly, want him to start proceeding now with investigations and indictments of the big players with the small fry served up next.

While there's only a few days left, and Bush (erg...it pains me to type this!) is STILL president. Obama has to be a bit cagey with his intentions for the legal proceedings to come. Bush still has lots of ink left in his Pardon Pen for a great number of people, people that deserve to be slapped in irons for long, hard years.

Should Obama make noises about commissions and special prosecutors, he might cause concern in Cheney's Dungeon which will translate to pardons for him, his lieutenants, vassals, and minions. We don't want that.

So, all I've heard from Obama has been a lot of talk about reconciliation, bi-partisanship, getting beyond the Bush years and starting a new page. Fucking garbage.

I hope that this is just Obama's way of deflecting attention away from his real intentions so he won't show his hand to Bush and Cheney. Get them to think he's all 'Kumbaya, we forgive you. Let's all hold hands across the world and have a big hug!'.

Don't think that for an instant, a fucking microsecond, that if the situations were reversed the Republicans would show the same consideration. They would (as they did in 2001) pounce like a hyena on a baby gazelle.

Laws were broken, people were killed, the good name of America was trashed, we tortured innocent people and sent many more to countries that could do even worse. How can we just look the other way and say "Oh,that Bush! He's such a minx! We forgive him this one time. Now, can we get back to work?"

Fuck that. Obama may be holding his cards close to his vest here. He may be planning to ask Congress to investigate the Bush Administration but noises within the Democratic arena aren't sounding too promising.

A lot, and I mean a lot, of Congresscritters actually do feel like this should just be put on the shelf for history to judge. They're chickenshit bastards, each one. They are so terrified of the GOP that, even with the majorities the American people gave them in the last election, they still tremble at the thought of being called names. Among these Denebian Slime Devils, is one Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader.

Harry Reid must go through a case of Pampers a day. I've never seen a more cowardly, chickenshit, worthless excuse for a human male. My three year old grand niece saying 'Boo!' would make him soil himself. He's not the only one, add to his name each of the so-called Blue Dogs - or Bush Dogs. Together as a group, you couldn't come up with a single vertebrae, let alone an entire spinal column.

These cowards have to be put on notice. We prosecute law breakers in this country regardless of the consequences to your golf game or dinner invites. To bring this country back from the edge of the fucking abyss we may have to piss off a few Republicans - Heaven Forbid!

This shit makes me shudder with anger. How fucking dare they even consider letting off one of the most corrupt administrations since Warren Harding? Who's leading the party, slugs or soldiers?

In a little less than a week, we will see how this plays out. But I guarantee that I will be on this page with a vengeance if the Cowards of the Congress get their way.

Wait for the Inauguration, then hit them with subpoenas, congressional hearings, grand juries, the Big Chair, the fucking kitchen sink and Aunt Emma's wood stove. Bring the whole hornet's nest into the light of day and let the American people see just what went on in the Bush White House for the last eight years.

Then reopen Alcatraz.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

OK, Atrios, I'll bite...

Over at Eschaton, Atrios goes on (and on and on and on) about Supertrains. At the local watering hole, Horses' Ass, Goldy and his crew go on (and on and on) about transit issues here in Seattle.

Personally, I like transit or at least the idea of it. I live in one of the suburbs of Seattle and transit sucks. It doesn't just suck, it blows a fetid wind of graft and ineptitude rivaled only by the actions of Bush' pet, Brownie, during the Katrina Debacle. Sound Transit, the local transit authority, couldn't get me across the street without 3 transfers and a 45 min wait for the next bus.

Their motto is: "You can't get there from here."

Light rail is opening up south of Seattle and some points north. This mainly serves the city and has NO bearing on me. Now, I could drive to Tukwila and take the rail into Downtown, or sit on a bus from my apartment for 95 minutes. Either way, I have to take off an entire day just to go to Seattle for whatever business I need. Forget driving, I have enough trouble getting my car to make the straight stretch to work, let alone navigate the alpine hills and NASCAR wannabes of downtown Seattle.

I am the perfect customer for light rail but I sit in the Renton Highlands waiting for a bus that will come late. Lots to do here but it ain't the bright lights of the Big City. And if I want to see a concert or something that is later than 10pm, well, I guess I gotta get a cab. So much for decent entertainment.

But hey, I'll always have Jimi.


(he's been my neighbor for almost 20 years. Rest well, sir.)

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Is it time to take a rational look at medical marijuana?

Gotta say, this knocked me over. Isn't it about time we started a decent, emotion-free discussion of the medical uses of cannabis.

Yes, it's Marijuana. Yes, if you smoke it, eat it, or otherwise ingest it, you will get high. You will become giddy. The most inane things will make you giggle. You will eat tuna fish and Oreo sandwiches. More than likely, you'll walk to the mini-mart and get a bag of Doritos, a six pack of strawberry Crush, beef jerky, and a cool belt buckle/flashlight in the shape of a skull.

But why should this behavior preclude any research into cannabis and its pharmacological benefits? The fact that stoners use it should be the joke, not the bane of cannabis research. Think about it. If there was a concerted effort to do real and exhaustive research into the effects and benefits of cannabis, there would be no shortage of subjects to study. It would be like turning over a stone and finding the Library of Alexandria.

But seriously, we have to get beyond the stoners, the failed Drug War, the noise and the confusion. To be fair and upfront, full disclosure as follows: I've been a member of NORML for more than 30 years (on and off if you count dues paying member...hey, I was broke for a lot of those years, give me a break!) In 1977, while at Washington State University, I joined in a fit of activism and because I was out of pot. I didn't get any pot but I did get schooled. Even after a internal upheaval at the state level, I still held the org close to my heart. Still do. I try to volunteer at Hempfest, talk to Meetups, and stoke the fires at the coffee shop. I think I could do something here too.

President Obama is going to have his hands full with every bitch and complaint wafting up from the masses. Every swinging cause is trying to get a sympathetic ear within his inner circle. Cannabis research, decriminalization and possible legalization are bandied about but we have a long row to hoe. The CW about cannabis is "Thou shalt not discuss nor mention cannabis without declaring an unwavering hatred for ALL drugs" If I hear another pundit equate marijuana with heroin, cocaine or meth, I'm going to hurl.

What do they take us for? We may be stoned but we ain't stupid. Wingnut Extraordinaire Bill O'Reilly tries to make the case against medical marijuana research. Anyone who considers this putz an authority on anything needs to get high. Wingnuts think BillO is so contemporary and factual while stoners think he's an idiot. So much for the theory about destroying brain cells.

Go to Change.org, go to the poll and vote for your favorite causes, one of them Marijuana Reform.

One of the most disgusting and inhumane aspects of the War of Drugs is the incarceration of millions of people for nothing more than possession of marijuana. This article by Paul Armentano speaks volumes in a few short paragraphs of text about the criminal tragedy that is our Marijuana Drug Policy

Since the early ’90s, the total number of Americans busted annually for pot has nearly tripled. In 1991, police arrested a modern low of 288,000 people for minor marijuana violations in the United States, according to the FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Report. By 2006 (the last year for which data is available), a record 830,000 people were arrested. (Of those arrested, an estimated 90 percent are charged with minor possession — not trafficking, cultivation or sale.)

That’s one American arrested for pot every 38 seconds.

Tell me that's not an outrage. Tell me that is what our judicial system was designed to accomplish. Tell me this is fucking justice! What normal, well educated, decent human being thinks this is OK?

Pot is not the same as crack. It is not heroin, nor is it meth. It is a common plant that when ingested gives the user a feeling of euphoria and giddiness. The claims of its benefits bring out the worst in the Putrid Punditry.

"Marijuana is BAD." "There is no evidence of any medical benefits." "It is the most dangerous of all drugs." "Do not look behind the curtain. Stay away from the man with the dials and knobs. And your little dog too."

So here we are. Fat and happy that our guy got the nod and is President. We will soon see the back end of Bush and Cheney. Huzzah! But where will that leave us. There is a lot of bullshit to weed through. Bush once accused Clinton of trashing the place as he left. It was later proven to be utter bullshit, even though the Magic Media still speak of it to this day as if it did happen. But this time, there will be a trashing of America's House. It won't involve missing keys on the keyboards but missing people in Guantanamo. Bush tied the workings of the government into a unbreakable Gordian Knot.

Can Obama get through all the bullshit? The War on Drugs is not just another topic for discussion at the Obama dinner table. Something real has to be done to pull this bullshit out of the Spin Cycle. His choice for Drug Czar will tell us a lot about what to expect from the new administration. Also, his pick for Attorney General, Eric Holder, at one time favored lengthy mandatories for first time possession. (ie: 5 years for possession with intent to distribute for pot) Does he still? Will Obama allow him to follow through on these bullshit measures?

Keep your eyes and ears on red alert until then.

We need good, thorough research of Cannabis and its medical properties. No bullshit about stoners and drug wars. Just fund the goddamn research.

So you don't like Mexican drug lords coming into this country to grow pot, make millions from its sale and distribution and shooting law enforcement personnel. You know, I don't like it either. If I could go to the liquor store or smoke shop and buy a 10 gram bag of Mendocino Purple Punch for 25 dollars, 15 of which would be taxes, how would that benefit the Mexican drug lords? Who would pay 50 bucks for 3.5 gms of shake from their seedy meth head dealers?

The Mexican drug cartels have nothing to gain and everything to lose from legalization or decriminalization. If they could (and who's to say they don't) they would contribute thousands of dollars to kill any legalization legislation. Crooked law enforcement know this. They benefit from seizures, abatements, and federal drug grants. Their anti-cannabis position has nothing to do with the effects of marijuana on society and has everything to do with what the War on Drugs contributes to their bottom line.

Take the illicit money away from marijuana and you make it safe for consumption by responsible adults. Keep it illegal and you allow the worst drug criminals to make bundles of money, remain as dangerous as Al Qaeda, and sit ever so pretty just a few short miles from our borders. That is not a good thing.

If stoners can figure this out, why can't everyone else?

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Good Goddess, PETA! Put down the hash pipe!

As a responsible human creature, child of Gaia, and devout Earther; I have to say to PETA:

Get off your fucking high horse, will ya!

PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, have suggested to the fine folks of Spearfish, SD to change the name of their high school to "Sea Kitten High School". WTF?

Now, I've never been a big fan of sports, especially high school sports. Yes, I was the nerdy kid that always got hassled by the big jocks, that is until they needed to pass general science or mathematics. Then I was their bestest friend. Anyway, I'm not a big booster when it comes to high school sports. Too many parents put way, way too much emphasis on competition, to the point where we have parents rioting in the stands when their kids get called by the officials or make a mistake. But this isn't a rant about sports, its a rant about PETA.

'Sea Kitten"? Oh yeah, that name will strike fear in the heart of every cross-state rival this high school will ever face. "Onward, Sea Kittens! Bury the Tigers! Beat the Eagles! Crush the Vikings! Go Kittens!"

Yeah, that'll work. Why don't you folks sit down and have a nice grass-fed beef steak with mushrooms and a baked potato. Animal fat helps promote brain growth.

Guess what? People need to eat to survive. We eat veggies, animals, and in some cases, insects (urp!). In order to make it day to day, one form of life must consume another form of life. Life into life. Fact of nature. Can't change that no matter how many naked painted women you put in cages.

I respect animal rights groups that use their influence to keep our animal kin from being exploited or killed for bullshit reasons. Tiger penises? Bullshit reason. Swordfish steaks? Too few left to fish, gotta stop and let them repopulate. Shooting quail fresh out of a box with the Vice-President? Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. If you hunt an animal, you eat the animal. Take the game in a way that's sporting and gives the beast a chance to get away if you fuck up.

Common fucking sense people, really. Don't like subsistence hunting, don't do it. Turn your energy and resources toward Dick Cheney and his creepy canned hunt bastards. Protect endangered animals that need it, not animals that provide food for the masses. Put your resources toward intelligent management of game availability rather than try to convert everyone to vegetarianism.

Here's the kicker to PETA and their incessant crusade to make everyone a vegan. What is the difference between a cow and a carrot? Sure, one has a face and the other doesn't but they are both alive. They both exist to reproduce and contribute to the grand scheme of the Mother Earth. How do we know a carrot doesn't feel the water as it's being steamed with butter and honey?

Face it. One form of life depends on taking the life from another to survive. Sorry, that's called the Law of Nature and Pamela Anderson can't do anything to change it. Besides, she's having enough trouble with the Law of Gravity. I eat plants and animals to stay alive. I try and make sure that my food didn't get to my plate by less than honorable means and that other forms of life are off the menu due to obvious circumstances. We have brains, we should use them.

And when I shuffle off this mortal coil, my essence will join with that of the Earth Mother. Her children will take sustainence from my remains as I took sustainence from them.

Turnabout is fair play.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

This is getting on my last nerve

Just seat the bitch already.

Roland Burris should be seated by the Senate as soon as fucking possible. Why? Because Reid and Durbin and the rest of the clown college fucked this episode up like the last Seinfeld.

Blago played them like an old tin whistle. Admit it, take your lumps - again - and move the fuck on.

Jesus H. Christ esq. we have a hellova lot of goddamn work to do. This shit is taking up valuable time.

Fuck me to tears, these assholes have no goddamn sense of reality.

(already posted as a comment at Firedoglake.com)

Update: I just can't leave this shit alone...

Here's another comment I posted over at Hoffmania.com (great place, lots of tasty goods. go there often, then twice more!)

the Shamanaqua response to the Blago/Burris Fiasco...

You know, I have so much hope for this administration. Sure, it's misplaced in a lot of ways and I am setting myself up for disappointment but I think I have to be optimistic. I know that I will disagree with a good portion of what Pres. Obama may end up doing to get us out of Bush's septic tank. He's in charge 'cause I voted to put him there. The economic recovery doesn't have to have the David Aquarius Seal of Approval to take place. Yet, some of my expectations are shared by a great majority of Americans. One of them is that my leaders show some courage and intelligence.

So, having put that out there I have but one question.

What the fuck is going on?

Jesus Christ on a Bicycle, can we refrain from looking like a bad clown circus for one fucking week? Great Goddess, does Harry Reid have ADD?

Here's a suggestion: Think BEFORE you make a decision.

OK, Harry... Nancy...Come over here a second. Here's a few facts that you may have forgotten in your quest for meekness.

One: the Republicans will distort anything you do to bring this country back to their control. It's in their DNA. They are NOT nice people. They do NOT put America first. They do NOT negotiate in good faith. They will stab you in the FRONT as they shake your hand. The Republicans are wounded and beaten. Remember the last eight years? Don't give them a hand up, step on their neck. They've bitten your helping hand every fucking time you held it out. Need another reason? How did the movie 'Old Yeller' end?

Two: We the People are watching. We aren't as clueless as we used to be. We have this rather unrealistic expectation to be foremost on your mind. We would like you to realize just WHO THE FUCK you work for.

Three: Fuck the Media. Fuck going on Fox News. Fuck putting your face in the cardboard hole so pundits can throw pies at you. When you do go on the air, is it too much to ask that you already have your statements PREPARED? What is the benefit of appearing on the Sunday talk shows and getting schooled by every mouthpiece out there including George Snuffleupyourass?

Four: Refer back to the headlines of Nov. 5th. You won the fucking election. Act like it.

So Mote It Be

David A.

Shit Storm

Unemployment figures are out. Lots of good, hard working people are sitting at home right now wondering how $247.00 a week will pay the mortgage/rent, utilities, food, gas and the inevitable unexpected expense.

Been there, hated it! I recently lost 25 - 30% of my wages by the elimination of overtime. The company I work for is like all other corporate icons, cut back on the foundation of your business while keeping worthless middle management fuck-ups fat, dumb, and happy in their gated communities, Lexus' and 6-figure salaries.

No, I'm not bitter. Not at all.

You know, if you make a good wage, earned it with hard work and diligence and managed not to step on the necks of the people around you - Good for you! Be a millionaire, a billionaire even. I don't begrudge anyone being rich, it's what they did to get there and what they do to stay there.

The details of the Obama Economic Stimulus Package are out and they look a bit inadequate. Look, we NEED this package to defibrillate the septic tank that Bush has buried us in. But puny measures will only make matters worse. You don't bring a garden hose to put out a forest fire. At Daily Kos, mcjoan makes a damn good case for using the Stimulus money to rebuild and repair our crumbling roads and facilities at America's national parks. Oh, to hear the Repugs wail over that one!
The point is that we have to be serious about rebuilding this country, everywhere, not just in the places with the big names and high profile footprints. We have to repair a bridge in Omak, WA and I-5 in CA. Let the Repugs wail. Let them go on record trying to hamstring this plan. Let them put their names to the effort to keep America on the canvas. And when the Stimulus Plan begins to bring us around and folks starts to enjoy the fruits of their hard work, we can remind the American People who was with them and WHO was against them.

Republicans want to turn this into another political board game. They want the Dems to cave on the size of the Stimulus Package so it fails badly. Then they will reap the benefits of the failure and take charge again. This time, however, the country will be in such bad shape the GOP will start pushing real draconian measures in a bid to create a new 21st Century feudalism.

This can not happen.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

American Pandemic

Just got this from Daily Kos's Deviltower.

A case of the Walmarts.

This scares the living shit out of me. I don't think influenza could do worse.

Clarification Needed

It has been brought to my attention that my last post ventured into a bit of hypocrisy. Hm... I may need to clarify things a bit.

First, what a person believes is their business. If I ask about it, I expect to hear their opinion with its inherent bias. (Yes, I know... Bias is based on facts, prejudice is based on opinion but I'm being kind) In fact, I ask this question quite a bit. I enjoy listening to people talk about their faith. I learn a great deal about the human capacity to accept certain premises as true while ignoring any evidence they may not be. Such is the lot of humanity.

Second, I may comment on such things, give my opinion of how they err in their thinking, but that shouldn't matter to them. Why would my opinion matter at all? Their faith must be strong enough to survive any reasonable assault on its premises. But, despite any questions or comments I make, I will never tell someone their faith is wrong ... for them. I only make the statement that their premise is wrong ... for me. Christianity is wrong for me. I cannot say it is wrong for anyone else. When Christians try to make their beliefs part of my world, I get heartburn. The public arena is open to all but when religions start using their beliefs to make changes in rules that affect me, I get angry.

Finally, I consider all faiths important in the grand salad bowl of human potential. There is a path that each of us take as we head into the Future. This path is ours and ours alone. It's paved by the things we've experienced, learned, considered and dismissed from our birth to the present and stretches out before us to the moment we cast off this mortal coil. We may walk this path to the Future by ourselves but we are never alone. All paths intersect, run parallel and diverge many times along the way. As we walk our path, we meet up with others on their path. We exchange ideas, state opinions, argue our facts, then we part company (even if only for a short time). Each time we intersect with another's path, we expand our own. One of the problems I see with humanity is that we try to shield ourselves from the paths of others. We must be strong enough in our own faith to challenge it. If it cannot hold up to debate, then there must be change. Holding onto a belief that you have no faith in is, well, hypocritical and shows a lack of personal courage.

Unfortunately, modern religions count on this hypocrisy of spirit. They instill fear and confusion into their dogma, using peer pressure and, in many cases, threats of violence to hold on to followers. (yes, condemnation of one's soul IS a form of violence) If they were to allow free thinking in their ranks, their 'Church of Cards' would surely fall.

Yes, my rants may single out Christianity. I am not as experienced with Islam to do the same, although many of the same concerns I have about the Jesus cult applies to the Muhammed cult. They are two sides of the same worthless coin. Judeism is part of the trifecta in this circus of fools too, but since they've been the target of the other two for so long you kind of cheer them on. In reality, they aren't so innocent in all this. You need only look at the Middle East to confirm it.

I don't have the answers for you. I only have answers for me. If one of my answers applies in some way to a question you have, so be it. That answer becomes yours. I look everywhere for the answers to my questions. When I find something that impresses me, I take it along for the ride to see if it can withstand my journey. If it does, I accept it as part of my path and it becomes one of my answers.

I rant about Christians because they can not, or will not, do this. They are held to a strict set of rules and standards that can only be changed by people who have gamed the system well enough to make these decisions for everyone else. Normally, I would have little problem with this, other than the off chance to challenge a few staunch believers. But these gamers try to make decisions that affect me and that's when I cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.

Hope that clarifies things a bit.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Update:

a bit of fun with the Faithful courtesy of Goldy at HorsesAss.Org



See you in the Hot Place.

Holy of Holies - My Christian Rant

From time to time, I find myself knee deep in religious falderal, vainly trying to debunk the sordid mythologies that creep into our cultural machinery, clogging the drains and backing up the john. For nigh on 30 years, I've been holding my 'faith' close to my chest while others wave theirs around like a virgin's wedding night bedlinen. People of strong faith, particularly Christian, love to use their faith as a golden bludgeon. They put it on public display so you can be awed by its shiny goldenness but never hesitate to use it should you ask why. I have had a few bruises to show for the questions I've asked.

So, here it is in all its glory... my take on religion and faith...just in time for the holidays.

Christianity began 2000 years ago, give or take a few years depending on which bible scholar's math you believe and whether or not they remembered to carry the one. The story is well known but here is the short version.

The Gospel According to Shamanaqua:

A young couple, freshly married and pregnant, go into a small town to be registered as citizens for a census. They found refuge in a barn and shortly thereafter delivered a healthy baby boy. The livestock found it to be rather entertaining.

Anyway, this baby was foretold to be the 'Son of God' and would lead his people, the Hebrews, out from under the repressive thumb of Rome. He is raised by his father to be a carpenter until the age of 12.

This is the part of the story where it is more fill-in-the-blanks. Not much is written about him for 18 years. This gap gives many of the fringe religions plenty of leeway in creating a whole new set of stories involving this man and his adventures all over the world. But, in the main text of Christianity, not much happens except he becomes an adult. He visits his rather eccentric cousin who lives near the river and gets baptized. Apparently this gives him the incentive to leave his father's business and become a religious prophet. He buys into the 'Son of god' mythos.

For three years he gathers followers, 12 apostles, a groupie named Mary and a host of rich friends. He marches into Jerusalem as people throw palm fronds at his feet. (or donkey's feet if you go by the story) He preaches to the masses, gets busted by the local cops. When questioned about Jesus' activities, his followers throw him under the bus (or donkey, I guess) The Feds (Romans) want nothing to do with him for political reasons, send it back to local jurisdiction and Jesus gets crucified.

The rest is more mythology (faith, if you're Christian) meant to solidify the mystery for the faithful.

Good story. Bit of a downer at the end but it holds up against myths from other faiths.

Now, before you get your bloomers in a bunch, there's no reason to think that this is meant to demean your faith. If you believe that this is the True and Actual History of Jesus Christ, the Messiah then OK, so be it. Why would my opinion matter to you?

I look at all faiths and their mysteries through the same lens, even my own. I have no, repeat no, idea how to answer those lofty questions about the origin of the universe, the reality of '?' (God, Allah, Buddha, Ramtha, Flying Spaghetti Monster, -insert your deity of choice here-) So I do what people of faith have been doing for centuries - I make it up as I go.

I mean, how can we answer those questions when we are so small and insignificant in the grand scope of the Universe? Can a flea relate to the applications of quantum mechanics? Should he? The flea does the best he can within the confines of being a flea. Perhaps some day a flea may come along that can be a little more aware of such things as quantum mechanics but he still ain't no Einstein. He's still a flea, for God's sake.

So we, as puny humans, cast our lot with a myriad of myths and legends. Unfortunately, it is also quite human to maintain that ours is the one true faith and that all others are the myths. Not just myths, mind you, but dangerous and viral myths that threaten to poison the minds of the faithful and condemn us all in '?'s (insert deity here) eyes. Kind of like cheering on your favorite football team but with swords, guns and bombs. Not unlike English soccer.

Christianity lost its way long ago when it decided to become the de facto religion in the world. Never mind that the other religions had a real problem with that position. Thus began the Dark Ages.

When discussing religion, I make one observation that tends to rankle the faithful.

Jesus Christ was the last true Christian, and he was Jewish.

I say this because of the history his followers made after he died. Sure, they were persecuted in the beginning, Christianity certainly doesn't have a monopoly on intolerance. They were a threat to the political theatre that was being played out at the time. But once they got a Roman Emperor on their side, they got a chance at some pay back. Enter the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and you have the start of an oligarchy. Over the next 1700 years, the characters of this theatre changed but the script has remained intact. That's 1700 years of bloodshed over who's God is bigger, badder and more 'loving and compassionate'. Millions of innocent people died because they were raised in a culture that wasn't Christian and refused to change their mind.

There is NO correct faith. There is NO absolute definitive way for us to recognize the Creator. We are small and have not the capacity to comprehend the scope of what it would take to look upon the 'face' of the Creator. All we have are our myths. Sure, they seem silly to those who don't hold them dear but that's the way of humanity. We are individuals and each have a unique way of bundling our facts, our beliefs, our histories, and our experiences into a form that seems reasonable to answer the unanswerable.

I may not agree with your myth. I may even say that it runs counter to everything I believe but I cannot say you should not believe it. Your beliefs are yours, mine are mine. I have as much right to tell you to change your beliefs as I have in telling you to change your fingerprints. The reverse is especially true.

Proselytization and forced conversion are not religious. They are political, abhorant and counter to the development of humanity. The history of these policies has been violent, bloody and responsible for the death of millions of innocent people. All in the name of God. To be more precise, all in the name of Christ or Mohammad. Better still, all in the name of Power.

When the world's religions abandon the premise of conversion of the non-believer only then will they begin to approach what Jesus Christ's real mission was - to lift up the downtrodden and give them a chance to succeed according to their own faith. Until then, it's just another get-rich-quick scheme on a global scale.

Those are my beliefs, your mileage may differ.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Working through the Fear

It's 2009 and in a just a few days, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.

There will be a lot of great speeches, lots of promises made and hope will rain down from above. We've worked hard for this moment and we should take a wee bit of time to revel in it.

But its scary out there. Shit just keeps piling up deeper and deeper, day by day. The economy is tanking far worse than people realize, unless you're one of the 'lucky duckies' who've already lost their job. Retailers took a solid blow to the gut this holiday season. The time of year they use to pay for the rest was more than a little disappointing. It was down right brutal.

Fear is growing across all sectors of the country. Manufacturing centers are shutting down. Some are closing for the holidays, others for the season, and some forever. Retailers are cutting back drastically, layoffs are growing stores are closing. Some of the most familiar names in retail will be closing their doors forever. The big box stores who can weather these times will do everything they can to stay profitable. It's an economic Katrina out there.

I have a job. Still. I hope. I've worked for two major corporations the last 15 years. From the trenches, this disaster looks surreal. I see the effect this has on my coworkers and managers. I see the effect it has on the upper level managers that answer to corporate icons. This shit is real and it is going to get worse. There is no stimulus that can come fast enough to help most of the people brought down by this collapse. We are the walking wounded.

People are scared. My parents have seen their retirement funds impacted. They were luckier than most. Some good people, hard working folks who more than earned their golden years, have seen their nest eggs scrambled and eaten by this collapse and nefarious investment goons like Bernie Madoff. There is no place in Hell deep enough for people like him, no punishment too extreme.

I have a lot of faith in Pres. Obama's desire to bring us out of this mess. However, even the most optimistic course of action will not have any effect for months, perhaps years. Realistically, knowing what we know about the bastards in the GOP and the spinelessness of the Democratic leadership, there is little to no reason for much optimism. Pres. Obama will have to fight and fight hard on every front to get some of his recovery plan in place. Pessimism is getting thick as a London fog around here.

Cynics like myself can be irritating but we are useful. We need to be realistic and grounded as we revel in the Inauguration celebration.

The first thing I suggest we do is shortly after the inauguration, march en masse to the Halls of Congress and hold Sen. Reid and Rep. Pelosi's feet to the fire. Sack up or sack out! The times need real fucking leadership, not wimpy capitulation disguised as political manoeuvrings.

The GOP is at its weakest point in a generation. The people are squarely in Obama's corner and the political capital has never been this high. We cannot squander it on pissy little baby steps. We have to be as bold as the man taking the helm. Face down the Republican Leadership. Call them on their bullshit! If they threaten to hold up legislation, let them! Let them face the Wrath of the People. I have my doubts about this. I don't think it's in Harry Reid's DNA to be combative. He's too close to some of the opposition. He's too concerned about how they'll 'feel' about him afterward.

Grow a spine, Senator. If they stand in your way... let them eat your dust as you push by them. The GOP is in no position to control the debate any more. They lost that right on Election Night. Don't give it back to them.

So Mote It Be.
David A.

From the Brambles Cometh Sanity

Happy New Year!

Now that the calender has been satisfied, we can get back to reality. Put away the funny hats and party whistles, throw away the empty wine bottles and take an Advil or two - it's time to get busy.

Lots of things to go over but that'll wait for a clearer mind and a day of reflection. Suffice it to say that today I'll be throwing a few links out for you to peruse. We will start with a good one.

Rarely do we hear sanity from the chattering class. This link's author isn't really a chatterer, he's got more respect in his back pocket than Brooks, Broder, Sullivan and the cast of McLaughlin's Zoo will ever achieve.

I'm, of course, referring to Nobel prize winning economist Paul Krugman. His most recent column in the New York Times should be the first read piece for any liberal activist this year. Have a cuppa joe, a cheese danish, and log on...

Prof. Krugman so eloquently states...

The fault, however, lies not in Republicans’ stars but in themselves. Forty years ago the G.O.P. decided, in effect, to make itself the party of racial backlash. And everything that has happened in recent years, from the choice of Mr. Bush as the party’s champion, to the Bush administration’s pervasive incompetence, to the party’s shrinking base, is a consequence of that decision.

The entire column is full of tasty bits of reality. Go there and sup grandly.

God of Greed

All we need is to look across the street.

Not over the ocean at some remote native village. Not in any war-torn country that we see only as fleeting images on CNN. All we have to do is look right into our next door neighbors eyes and see abject desolation. Millions of Americans are living in Poortown and more are moving in.

For those of us who have jobs, we see shades of this disaster at the edges of our work place. Cost cutting in management. Restrictions on overtime and new hires. Supervisors demanding more but not giving anything in return. Some companies are even taking advantage of the hard times by using the bad news to frighten workers into concessions that benefit upper management but leave the lower rungs worse off. I see this in my job, which has the additional pain of happening during the holidays.

Add to this the true colors of the 21st Century Republicans. How people who call themselves Americans can operate this way and still look in the mirror is beyond me. How cold and vapid can the 'human' heart get?

If McCain had been elected, these situations would have become much worse. As decent, loyal Americans we would have had to recreate the French Revolution for Christmas. But The Fates saw fit to grant us a favor, a reprieve. But we have to wait for silver lining. We can see it on the horizon but we ain't there yet. What can we do to keep the country together as we approach Inauguration Day?

We have to gather the troops. This is no bluster, we have to get every one we know on board to take these monsters on. It isn't a partisan tiff any more. This is for the suvival of the American Worker. How these greedy Republican bastards can face themselves in the mirror every morning is beyond me. How cold and vapid can the human heart get? Is the Almighty Dollar that grand that you would desimate your own nest to get it?

These fucktards consider themselves moral, devout Christians. As Liberals, we've spent the good part of the last eight years pointing out how blatantly false and hypocritical this is, but it goes beyond that now.

This IS the face of Modern Christianity. The grand cathedrals of stone and glass that reside in heavenly parks and reserves throughout the South are testament to this new 'Faith'. These new temples of greed use Christ the Icon, not the Savior. They rake in millions from ignorant fools who fall for the grift and patter of the ministers. The money is fed to the charlatans in the GOP who take the message of greed and avarice to the Hall of Power. For eight long and indulgent years we have suffered for their profit. Greed is God to these people.

Decent people who call themselves Christians are outliers. They exist only because the Halls of Power keep them around for show. They do good works but can't seem to get beyond helping only a few. Consider the action against poverty if the combined resources of all the Christian denominations were set in place.

Everyone I know who calls themselves a Republican is going to hear an earful from me. Every chance I get, I'm going to remind these bastards who drives this country, who serves up their double tall mocha in the morning, who rings up that bottle of scotch, who put wrench to nut to assemble that great yellow Humvee they drive from fill-up to fill-up.

Let them use their religion to explain away their inhumanity. Let them curl up and wither as we show them how real Americans take back this country and put the shine back on the Statue of Liberty after eight years of being covered in crap.

parts of this entry was posted as a comment on Hoffmania.com

David A.
So Mote It Be.

Broadband Now! Broadband Everywhere!

With President-elect Obama getting ready to take teh big chair in 45 days, plans are being proposed to implement a stimulus package of needed overhaul and maintenance to our crumbling infrastructure. One of the plans that the stimulus package puts in place is to bring broadband to the entire country, similar to what was done to bring telephone service to rural areas in the 40's and 50's. According to CNBC, Speaker of the House Pelosi says that the new stimulus package will include an investment in broadband internet infrastructure as well as plans to improve the national power grid.

This stimulus package is vital to the survival of the economy of the United States. Yes, its deficit spending but its more than just spending money. This is all about taking charge for the first time of our progress, our responsibility to bring this country - albeit kicking and screaming - into the 21st century.

I too believe that we should balance the budget. That's the only way to sustain any real growth we may have in the near future. But we have to get to that point first. Everyone would like to be in the black, have no debts, live well within your means and have a decent, secure nest-egg to protect them from catastrophe. But reality is a real bitch. Times like these dictate a whole new set of priorities. We can't afford the 'luxury' of trying to balance the books right now. America needs to dip into the credit cards for these hard times. No one wants to but we have to. Once these stimulus plans start to bring us away from the ledge, we can then seek to bring the deficit under control. That task will be a whole lot easier when we are doing better and have a more stable economy that's anchored to a secure foundation.

Of course we can't spend it on any worthless crap. Every dime has to be monitored and scrutinized. I feel confident that Obama will get this done in the way that's best for the country. We will be watching though, no free rides here just consider it a trade. Do for us and we'll do for you.

Bringing broadband to every corner of the nation is vital to getting the needed information that will power the dawn of this new century. The global nature of today's reality dictates that success is only achievable to those who see things from all arenas. You can't be provincial any more. Bury your head in the sand and it'll get paved over. Universal Broadband Access isn't a luxury any more, it's as important as any highway, bridge or power grid.

Overlooked in this, however, is one very important factor of nation-wide access - consumer's cost.

How much will this new access cost each of us? Will this national broadband be available but for a nominal fee or will it be free, like the Wi-Fi at my favorite coffee place? Will we still have to fork out $50 bucks a month to Verizon, Comcast, or Time-Warner to see kittens burp on You Tube? The article linked above mentions a few ways to that the stimulus money will be distributed and how the access is accomplished but it doesn't mention how much consumers (as opposed to tax payers) will pay.

Personally, I feel that this access is part of our national discourse and thus should be free. Cable television, pay-per-view entertainment and the like shouldn't be included, though. That type of stuff we should have to pony up the ducats for. I mean I'll rent movies from Netflix, pay for HBO and cough up a buck or two for some new music. But the on-ramp to the Info Highway has to be toll free. The Internet has become the World's back fence. We have to be able to seek out news and opinion from everywhere, without censor. That's part of being an American in the 21st Century.

America has always been the Last Great Frontier. In the past, that meant a hard scrapple subsistence in the vast areas of wild that existed across this country. We scraped out a meager living, built our towns, started industries and flourished. Now, those places are tamed and settled. It took a lot of guts and sweat to put those places on the map. What we have to realize now is that the new frontier isn't a dusty shack in the Rocky Mts. or a lonely homestead on the Plains of Kansas; it's a laptop at a coffee shop in Manhattan, an IPhone at O'Hare airport, or on a desk in a student dorm in Boulder, CO.

Years ago in Seattle, the people had an opportunity to upgrade the local transit system by building a new commuter rail line. It was a radical offer, one that had lots of folks excited. People had been introduced to rail transit when they built the Monorail for the World's Fair a few years earlier. It was planned to accommodate a large increase in population that officials believed would happen in Seattle's near future. Yet, there were those who felt differently. They told folks that Seattle was a nice, quiet place to live and that this plan was way too big, too aggresive and besides, we wouldn't have that many people living here. They said it was a waste of money on something not needed. So, the people voted it down and sent the whole proposal packing. It left town and went south to San Francisco.

Thirty years later, San Francisco has BART, a decent commuter rail line and Seattle has to deal with the worst traffic and the most archaic transit system in the country. Not only did the prediction about the increase in population come true, it was woefully inadequate.

This should serve as a lesson to those who feel we should be cautious and hesitate before deciding on any radical changes to our way of life.

We need to learn from being too conservative when it comes to planning for the future of this country. Sitting in your cozy living room safe and sound is OK but if you want to grow and prosper you have to get out and do new things, stick your neck out a bit and show the Fates that you deserve to be trusted with good fortune.

I relish the thought of blogging, laptop in hand, while sitting in the forests of Washington, telling folks around the world about the beauty I see.

George Jetson, meet your new neighbor!

David A.
So Mote it Be

The Audacity of Hope - the Future approaches...

I hope Pres. Elect Obama pardons my outright theft of the title to his book but I feel it is apropos for this entry.

The future is coming. The future is always coming. It never arrives. The future is always a promise, a gift yet to give, a dream that still lingers in sleep.

The present is momentary. It arrives, smacks us on the forehead then leaves. It lights up before us like the bright flash of a snapshot. After the flash, the present no longer exists.

The past is everything. The past is who we are; which is to say who we were. We live in the past, rely on the past, make all of our choices based on what has happened before. When I say that humanity is history, I mean it quite literally.

The last eight years of our history have been, to say the least, some of the most tumultuous years in American history. One could find times in history that were more violent, more disastrous, perhaps even more tragic but given the level of global awareness and the vast amount of information, good or bad, current situations give these times a more drastic and severe immediacy. More people have an active part in this global awareness; more people are participating than before.

We need to look at this new chapter of our past as an opportunity. Everything we are, everything we expect to get from the future will depend on what we do now. We need to control the flash of the present by shaping what the promise will bring. This will give us the prescience to correct the mistakes made by the fools our countrymen put into power at the dawn of this century.

Our collective past will depend on the choices we make in this present.

David A.
So Mote It Be

Sen. Edward Kennedy, Lion of Strength and Will

My heartfelt best wishes go out to Sen. Kennedy and his family today as he embarks on the journey to wellness. He has been diagnosed with a form of brain cancer.

Words can't sufficiently describe the greatness and patriotism of Teddy Kennedy and his selfless serfvice to this country. Every American is indebted to him for his courage of service.

Get well soon, sir. America needs your strength now more than ever.


David A.
so mote it be.

Red Dawn Remix

Now, I'm no big fan of New York. Can't really comment much since I've never been there. It would be a kick to visit but this is not one of my ten most desired homesteads.

So, this morning while trolling about the 'Toobs. I came across this gem from Fuego del whisky.

So, according to this 'Dirty Harry' goon, Manhattan would be the perfect place to invade if you were a group of Islamofascists hellbent on subverting our freedoms. Really? Of all the places I would invade, New York is down on the list. After the tragedy of 9/11, we saw how New Yorkers came together to help and protect their loved ones. I couldn't imagine it would be this cakewalk that Ol' Harry seems to think. In fact, any group invading New York would have their plate full in a 'New York Minute' sort of speak. My money would be on the New Yorkers.

But the Wingers love to play games with reality, shaping it so that their little penis to big penis fantasies play out as the gossip truth. If it wasn't so pathetic, it would be hilarious.

Maybe I should give this a try.

Let's play this remake Red Dawn game, the one where Red Dawn is remade with these substitutions:

Colorado is now Iraq.
The Cubans replace the British.
The Wolverines still come from a local high school but are a soccer club.
The Americans are the Russians.

Everything else remains the same. Story, scenes, sets, and special effects.

In fact, you could play the whole movie without any alteration other than those labels.

When the movie came out, it both enraged and delighted me. It showed how resourceful we could be in the face of dire circumstances and hopeless odds. Hell, who doesn't like to see American kicking ass against an old enemy, one that we've never truly tested. We know that any all-out war against the Soviets would have led to our mutual destruction so we never got the chance to see who's the king of the hill.

But reality is a bitch. It won't let us make a damn fool out of ourselves and risk the whole fucking world. The problem is that there are many folks around here who can't grasp this whole 'concept' of reality. The Kindergardener in Chief is a card-carrying member of this group.

Bush III the Simple has allowed us to become the bad guy in an action film.

Sometimes you have to take a stand

Today I formally withdrew from the Democratic Party. I have always been a Democrat, even when I was more independent than they were. I could always forgive the lapses in judgment, overly conservative actions, numskull blue dog legislators but this time I've had my fill.

The war in Iraq is too important an issue to bandy about. We are losing dozens of great American lives every month, hundreds wounded in the most horrible and debilitating ways. Getting us out of Iraq should consume Congress' every move, every breath, every piece of legislation. Instead, we have a MAJORITY party taking all their clues from the MINORITY party. I helped elect a great batch of legislators in 2006 to get us out of Iraq and start to fix the horrible state the Republicans have left this country.

Boy, was I snookered.

My former Party has rolled over on every descent piece of legislation to come before their chambers. All the Repugs had to do is whine and snivel, call the Dems names and question their patriotism. The Dems will ALWAYS rollover!

Let me say that again:
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WILL ALWAYS ROLL OVER!

Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, my senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell - all of them. They are too gutless to stand up to the GOP, the party of greed, corruption and waste. How tough is it to look Boehner and McConnell in the eyes and say "To Hell with you and your party. Wanna filibuster? Make my day!"
It would force to Republicans to show the American people just how shallow and corrupt they are. Force them to defend the indefensible, the banal, the blatant power grabs. Force them to show the American people just what bastards they truly are.

As of now, I am a Liberal Independent with NO party affiliation.

War with Iran? You gotta be freaking kidding!

Just looking at a few sites as I usually do here at Shamanaqua. Gots lots of time.

Tonight I suffered a bit of a setback brought on by Momma Nature.

The Northwest was inundated with snow and ice last night, I barely got home. Everything was melting all day but it started to get cold. I was heading to work this afternoon when an unexpected slide down an icy road left this old hippy in a ditch. Luckily, one of my neighbors in a very large truck managed to pull me out and get me home. At first I thought my car was damaged, too poor to do much repair (deductible is kinda high) but was relieved to find out otherwise.

So, I sit at home waiting for the dawn and some warmer weather here in the NW to melt the icy roads so I can resume padding the paycheck.

Then, I come across this horror:

“We're In Trouble”

Apparently, we are about to engage in a double secret, super hush-hush, clandestine war on Syria and Iran. Why, just today, our forces attacked and captured the Iranian Embassy in Iraq.

Holy crap on a stick, this is bad. Not only is Bush going against the American people(see link, 70% are against sending more troops into Iraq.) but he's running us over the cliff.
What planet is he on?
Where does he think new troops come from? The magic freaking troop fairy?

Syria and Iran have REAL armies. They won't disolve into the woodwork like Iraq's feeble armed forces. We stand on the brink of a monumental catastrophy. We will be losing far more than a hundred of our bravest troops in a single month. We stand to lose a hundred or more in a single week or, Goddess forbid, a single day!

If you’re interested and could use a refresher course on why this is bad and why it is bad militarily, I suggest you head out to Steve Gilliard’s home, The News Blog. He is an extremely well read man of intelligence and has some great insights from the perspective of a person who has studied war and war campaigns well enough to know just how foolish this escalation is. He sees the claw marks on the wall and they spell doom for our men and women stationed in Iraq.

But it's all a cartoon to the Commander-in-Chief. He stands at his oversized, special made RISK board and dreams of being another Julius Caesar. Bush cares not for these brave soldiers. He will always hold them in contempt. When he was younger and brash and strut around Texas and Alabama in his fresh, clean Texas Air Guard uniform; he would always lose the ladies to the hard-nosed returning vets from Vietnam.

He hated them then, he hates them now. He considered himself to be better then any grunt or jarhead by reason of his pedigree and his wealth.

It’s who he is not what he’s done that should impress people in George’s world. He puts on a bang up show wherever he goes. Dozens of his minions scour each venue he appears at to cleanse it of reality. Only the plastic cartoon façade of victory will do for George Bush I. Even when it’s blatantly obvious and trite, Bush will still stand at his port-a-podium and tell us how wonderful he is and how great his policies are.

Corporate goons and billionaire defense contractors revel in his aura for they know the riches he can bestow. Public money and social responsibility are only for speeches and promises, not for actual funding. To George Bush, talking about something is the same as doing it. If he mentions a program in one of his speeches, why, that’s good enough. No reason to waste any money on it.

This country is heading for the last swirl before it heads out of the bowl. George Bush put us here and it will be up to the rest of us to pull this land out of the drain before the last gulp of the commode send us down the river.

This man deserves nothing less then summary indictment, swift impeachment, and a very long imprisonment. But put Darth Cheney in prison first. Otherwise we will have gone from the toilet bowl to the septic tank.

that's it for now - be good, be fair, but be something!

So mote it be...

David A.

Wingnut Christmas

Here it is, the holiday season. The time of year when 'Peace on Earth' and Good Will toward men' rule the day. Or so it should.

At least that's what the Men in Robes taught me long ago in Catholic school.

The voices of change and accountability won the day. The long nightmare is coming to an end but not before the Agents of Darkness take a few, desperate long shots our way in fleeting hopes that we will falter before we begin our ethical cleansing. To quote a famous Vice President - they are in their 'death throes'.

Souless pundits on Faux News and hate-talk radio go ballistic on cue; mysterious, double top secret, timely terror alerts spring forth with new abandon; chest-thumping blathering from the village idiot we elected president - yes, it must be a Wingnut Christmas.

"Santa Miller (Claus is too foreign-sounding) comes down the chimney with guns blazing. You never know if the homeowner is armed and lying in wait. He fills his sack full of toys and goodies he finds around the house. After relieving himself in the fishtank, he breaks a great wind that carries him back up the chimney then off to the next house. Good boys and girls are in their rooms dreaming of skeet shooting migrant workers, or watching the last boat leave shore taking the last group of black people back to Africa. Visions of sugar futures and oil company stocks dance in their heads."

Evenings are spent decorating the tree with gilded nooses and white-hooded angels with flashing light crosses. After decking the tree, our wingnut brood sit before the television to watch lively Christmas specials by Dennis Prager, the Promise Twins: James Dobson and Chuck Colson, and of course the Christian Coalition. No liberal voices here, no sir. Only real god-fearing, stuck-in-the-Dark-Ages, fire and brimstone brand of fear and bigotry for these people.

One Wingnut

Two Wingnuts

A Whole Bag of Wingnuts get punk'd on the radio

"But Jesus Christ wasn't a Christian"


It's going to get a lot worse before it gets any better. In the narrow, finite world of the Wingnut there are no rules, no loyalty, no honor

- only the hollow victory of consumption and greed.

take a break this holiday to kiss your dog, pet the cat and tell a good joke to your fish. At least they'll appreciate it.


So Mote it Be...

David A.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!

Upon reading a piece by Carol Hoenig in the Huffington Report, I found myself considering the task of venturing into the belly of the beast once more.

As the Bard said in Henry V
"Once more unto the Breach, dear friends, once more,
Or close the wall up with our English dead!
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger:
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood."

I tread lightly into that debate of utter futility, yes, the fight between Atheists and Believers. Might as well argue windmills with Don Quiote. However, today I cast my lot with the religious versus those who choose to not believe in God. Heaven help us all. - well, not all I guess.

The article was quite nice. Not as complete as I would have written but a damn sight better. It was in the comments that I found my voice. Ms. Hoenig's prose was good and it made some valid points, but the non-believers in her audience took her to task for claiming that the Atheists had faith.

Her statement was "Like it or not, fundamentalists must acknowledge the basic truth that we are all walking in faith, even if some do not adhere to any religious doctrine. The atheists' faith is that there is no Supreme Being awaiting them on the other side."

There were sounds of great catterwallering from the non-believers. How dare she say that Atheists had faith? They are of the No Faith. They can see beyond the cloud of mystery and through the haze that is religion to see us all for the fools we are. The comments were indignant that such a statement could be made. Such is the condescension of the Atheist.

I find her premise correct. Atheists do have faith. They do believe in something. They have faith in their precious logic, faith in their friends and family, faith in their convictions, and according to one individual, faith in the scientific method. Which I find interesting considering the scientific method is only as accurate as the science that defines it.

Personally, I sense a bit of overplay here. How better to conceal a secret desire that the Believers maybe correct than to bristle at the very mention of faith or belief?

Being an Atheist is not a bad thing. I cannot find anything wrong with rejecting the current hit parade of religions and beliefs that seem to be tossed about like hand grenades lately. I won't debate the validity of my faith with them, they have as much right to their 'beliefs' as I have. Each of us accept the 'truths' that conform to our standards, our inner ethos. Our history, our education and our considerations build upon these 'truths' until we find ways to cement them to our being. This 'cement' is our proof, our validation. It works whether you are finding God in church or finding a new axiom in logic. It all comes out the same.

The real crime is claiming to have the ultimate 'truth', that your way is the only way and the rest of humanity be damned if they do not follow this path. That isn't religion as I see it, that's politics. Religious faith isn't the great boogieman the Atheists make it out to be. Faith did not start the wars or shed the blood of innocents. It was the politics of religion that drew the sword; fanaticism fed by demogogues more interested in power than salvation.

The man called Jesus Christ didn't start the Inquisition, but the men who came after him did - and in his name. People weren't put to the torch because they were witches, they were burned because they were in the way. The passage of time hasn't dulled or diluted this evil, for it holds true today. The same forces that gave birth to the Inquistion, the Holocaust, and every other great dogmatic cleansing are thriving today in places like Jerusalem, Baghdad, Tehran, and Lynchburg, Va. Atheists see this and pigeon-hole all people of faith because of it.

There are times when I can see their point. But if we are ever going to do something about it we first must face it without fear. Those forces have great numbers behind them; frightened, cowed and easily lead. To counter this we must douse the flames of fear and allow some of these sheep to come around. Throwing rocks at each other while this is being attempted isn't helping the situation much.

Faith is something hard-wired into us. We cannot deny it, only modify it so that no one will know how important it really is. Faith propels us into the unknown, gives us the ability to see outside of our boundaries. We may not find the reality that we thought was there but at least we had the courage to push on the door.


That's all for me tonight. Bright Blessings or Happy Logic or something like that...

So Mote it Be
David A.

Once a upon a temptation

Last Tuesday, I voted to bring some change to this country. Well, I didn't fair as well as some of my collegues 'round the nation. My top two choices lost their bid to join in the Big Blue Wave. Darcy Burner and Peter Goldmark lost their races.

So much for my brand of GOTV. Yet, my bitter taste has been sweetened by the new Democratic majority in both houses. (as long as Jolly Joe doesn't bolt the party and join up with the Kool Aid Kids)

There is a lot to do now. We haven't the luxury of a friendly administration or a firm grip on this new majority. Many plans are in the works. Lots of them are quite profound and realistic. It's like every Democrat is just bursting with new ideas to repair the damage done by Bush and the GOP. I hear words spoken out loud that once were only heard in whispers. We seem tempted to just go for broke and launch the WMD's of liberaldom. To this I say...whoa!

We still have a President who is just itching to use his veto pen again. Nothing we produce will get by his desk unless we have enough votes for an override. The new leadership of the GOP is just as hostile and just as swarmy as the last one but this time, they have vengence on the mind. We made them look like last year's cheese and true to their symbol, they won't soon forget. We can't get any bills passed unless we get a few of the moderates on our side. They may feel more powerful now, but they're just one coward away from being tossed back into the basement at Blair House.

Besides, we have our own 'special kids' to deal with. One of them drips self-righteousness. If Lieberman bails, we'll lose the Senate and have to make do with just the House. Personally, I could care less about Lieberman. The Democrats should operate as if we don't have the Senate (except in hearings) and prepare for the inevitable. Lieberman is a freaking back-stabbing immoral, dishonest soulless beast. But worst of all, he has no honor. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Honor is the most important and least required quality of our elected leaders. Men with honor don't cheat on their wives. They don't steal nor take money not deserved. Honorable men keep their word, making no promise they can't hold. And in case I am accused of being sexist, I am male and cannot speak to what is considered honorable to women.

Honor needs to make a comeback. If we hope to accomplish any of the lofty goals that have sprung eternal in the last week, we better make this happen soon.

Back in a few...

So mote it be

David A.

A little Foley in your pants

I hesitate to jump into the fray of this scandal. It's been along time since I've posted here and this isn't the way I wanted to bust out of my lethargy. But, it is news and I have something to say about it.

The GOP is a 30 ton anchor tied to a rowboat called America. They have shown themselves to be, not just the worst governing party since - well, never, but they are also the worst human beings to walk upright. (jury's still out on whether they are upright)

Nothing is beyond the pale for them. They can rationalize away some of the most grievous, inhuman, and despicable acts but rally together to try and bring a poor, brain-dead lady back from the Other Side.

Everything is quantifiable to Republicans. Everything is measured in terms of worth and cost. If it doesn't generate profit, it must generate evil. Everything must be taken advantage for the good of the party and the President. Rights are only for the wealthy, others need be satisfied with the stale crumbs left behind. Greed is a sense of pride to them. They don't just want more, they want it all - yours, mine, the old guy down the street. It's no mystery - the GOP is blatantly evil.

Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Hastert, and Boehner are just the tip of the dung heap. There is a whole network of insidious cretins working in the wings, doing the grunt work and setting the table for the next big play.

Take a chance to view some of the news around the country
Arianna's Huffington Post
Stranger's Blah 3(one of my favorites!)

of course the biggies:
The Daily Kos
Atrios' Eschaton
Firedoglake

I know I keep threatening to maintain this blog. Well, here it is again.
I hope to keep it simple this time and no visions of grandeur. I'll let the other guys do the big stuff, I'll just stay in my little corner and vent.

Until next time - so mote it be.

David A.

History isn't what it used to be

I’ve been cruising the Net looking at lots and lots of blogs, diaries, and news reports. Most of what I see strikes a similar chord. We are living in historic times. Generations from now, our lives will be investigated and scrutinized by those who wish to appreciate what we going through now.

Let’s start out with a bit of a lesson in history.

I remember history being ‘Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492’ or “Custer’s army was cut down to the last man at Little Big Horn’. That’s not history, that’s trivia. Those are answers on a board game or to a pop quiz in Mr. Hawkins class.

History isn’t what it used to be. History doesn’t just arrive in your rearview mirror. It comes at us as we glance backward. Sometimes it knocks us on our ass as we look back. History in the making I heard said once.

It’s more than just the recording of events and endeavors. It is our soul. History is the modeling clay we use to sculpt who we are. It isn’t written, it is performed; it’s not approached, it’s pursued. It’s never allowed to be static; it’s constantly being renewed. Those who participate in history are not the authors; they are merely extras in an epic production. History is not forever, it vanishes as the last cast member turns to dust. Once the players are gone, history ceases to exist. It becomes mythology.

History is the great theatre of life.

We, the bloggers and commenters, lurkers and posters, are the players in this current production. How will we compare to those who last walked this stage?

Imagine being in Birkenau when the first cattle cars started arriving. Imagine waking up in Honolulu on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941. Imagine turning on the television in 1954 and seeing Ed Murrow.

These are times and events where people were changed, not necessarily for the better but changed nonetheless. Each time, we were given an opportunity to give our world a push forward, or sadly, a kick back. Would you have sipped your coffee and merely watched the planes fly overhead on that December morning in 1941? Or looked away as the rail cars full of people pulled into the station? Would you have turned the channel on Murrow and watched ABC or NBC instead?

We can look back at our predecessors’ choices and answer with reasonable certainty what we would have done differently, but we have the luxury of hindsight and the safety of time.

What actually was going through the minds of those people who were there? Despite the volumes of documentation and years of investigation, we won’t ever know the answer to that question. It has, for the most part, ceased to be history and has become mythology. We can assume that some of the people were gratified, that some were indifferent, and others may have been afraid. But in the end, it didn’t matter. Those who lived through those times have too much invested in their experiences to relate them exactly. We can know the facts, the numbers of the dead and affected, and the evidence of the pain suffered or the injustice done. But we can never really comprehend it.

The same is true for every other historical event. Unless we lived it, it’s just a tale to be told.

Which brings us back to the present. Never in my life have I seen so much history coming at us. Events are piling up just waiting to happen.

We are being given a chance to ‘make history’. How will we respond? Will our descendants look back on our choices and answer with reasonable certainty what they would do differently?

The choices we make now will be the stories our descendants tell to their children. Whether they will be tales of heroism or tales of woe depend on the parts we play today.