Brain Splatter

First off - Happy Birthday, President Obama. August 4th, 1961.

Let's see... what was I up to back then? Well, I may have a bit of trouble remembering since I was only 2 1/2. I do remember getting a bath in the kitchen sink but not sure of the date. Needless to say, I'm not able to do much of that now. They don't make sinks that big. Hell, some lakes are too small for this old hippie's ass.

Time to get your freak on!

Hempfest is coming up in a couple of weeks, and I am looking forward to it. The legs are giving me grief but I'll be out and about regardless. I'll use a cart and two blocks of wood if I have to, to get around. The theme this year is a sustainable hemp industry. Granted, everyone knows my views on Cannabis (see sidebar for my series on Pot Prohibition) but this is the first step. I could wait a couple of years for my smoke to be legal if I could get the hemp industry active first.

I hear all kinds of internet fluff about how much money will flow into our communities if we only legalize the Ganj and tax it. True, tax revenue will increase but I don't think as much as folks think. The part of the equation that will produce a substantial economic boost is the legalization and mass production of hemp. This isn't rocket science. Hemp is not smokable. To get as high as a single marijuana joint, you would have to smoke a hemp joint the size of your leg.

But consider the economic advantage of a new industry that is ready made for our agricultural technology. In my home state of Washington, especially the eastern half, there are farms, orchards, ranches, and vinyards closing down and going fallow because of the horrible economy and over reliance on huge multi-national agri-corporations. Monsanto, ConAgra, Dole, ADM, and other monoliths of greed and corruption have crafted a no-win, sellout and assimilate policy against small farmers, ranchers, and orchardists. The politics of agriculture is fraught with corruption, graft, pay-for-play, and influence pedalling like no other industry with the exception of the health care industry.

The legalization of hemp would allow the small farmers to produce a product that can be used in a myriad of ways. Textiles, food and food oils, fuel, building materials, paper and paper products, the list is as long as my pony tail. These industries need not be shipped overseas. We can build the processing plants, the textile mills, the factories and fabrication facilities within a single state.

For example, in Washington, the growers would be mostly in the eastern part of the state. Shipping and processing can take place in centers like Spokane, Wenatchee, and Yakima which are just a few miles from the fields. From there the processed hemp can be shipped to mills and factories in Tacoma, Seattle, and Everett. Whether it's hemp fabric, hemp seed oil or hemp paper, these products could be sent to fabricators all across the US. Not only that but finished goods like clothes, foods, lotions and cosmetics, paper and packaging products, and building materials could be producted locally as well.

Think of the revenue now. This is much more realistic than charging ten bucks tax on an eighth ounce of Ganja. Don't get me wrong, I want to pay that ten spot as much as the next hippie. Please...let me pay taxes on my smoke! But we have to get to that point through the legalization and promotion of Hemp.

Now, to other things...

Mad Dogs invade Town Halls

This is crazy shit. Pisses me off more than anything. These people are thugs. Protesting is a time honored tradition in America. But your protest has to come from an independent desire for change, reasoned opinions that can stand the scrutiny of debate. This isn't grassroots protest, this is astroturf. These goons are the same mindless idiots that gathered together for the 'tea parties' earlier this year. They managed to gather millions...no, thousands...OK, dozens of people to protest whatever their corporate handlers told them to do. Fucking sheep.

They rail against all things government but will wail like pissy toddlers if they don't get their roads fixed, the police don't show up right away or if the fire department doesn't respond quickly enough. Fatheads.

But to me, these goons are no better than Timothy McVey without the bomb. They spout the same garbage he did, demonize the government in the same way, think the same fetid thought of tearing down society as we know it. They are all domestic terrorists without the trigger finger.

Lost and Found

Some of our most respected friends on the Toobs are MIA. Shit happens and not everyone can get a post out six times a day like Skippy or Crooks and Liars. So, when the posts start to drop off and sites go dark, it affects us all. One example is my friend, Eddie at Leftist Grandpa. Haven't heard from him on his site or in the comments of some of our co-conspirators. If I missed a post or if you've heard from him, let me know. If you read this, Eddie, drop me a comment.

The economy has been taking a lot of us down and this may be the case. My best to him and his family and I hope that whatever has taken him away from the Toobs is temporary and not catastrophic. We need to keep our Net family close if we're to get through this bullshit. Eddie's voice is far more important than he realizes and the sooner he can get back on the road, the better for us.

Well, that's the best I can do now. The time to get into the corporate mindset is drawing near and I have to venture out into the gaping maw of my greedy corporate overlords. The recovery can't happen quick enough for me.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Top o' the world to you all...

Been trolling the 'Toobs and have come across a few tidbits here and there...

HelenWheels is celebrating four years in Blogtopia (thx, skippy) at her place Just Ain't Right. I found her through our friend and co-conspirator, Grandpa Eddie. Congrats, Helen! Have a glass of chablis on me!

Just realized that I have been remiss in adding some of the best of the Co-conspirators to my list. Our friend, DistributorcapNY has a righteous blog and some of the best insight around and I fukked up by keeping him a secret from you all. (not really, but you know...) Go there and be introduced to Reality with a taste of scandalous fun!

Driftglass has a great family photo to share with us all. I would love to make about 100 posters of it and post them all over my district. (home to Deputy Dawg Dave Reichert, worthless fop who represents the WA 8th)

What trip around the bloggy neighborhood would be worth the coin if we didn't stop by the Ornery Bastard? God Damn, this trailer park is the Shit! One of these days, I'm going to talk that dude into traveling up I-5 to have a beer or three. We could gather the hoards for a real Drinking Liberally. His latest post is about those gawd-awful store club cards. They got your number tattooed on your freaking ass these days.

...By the way, BK...that concert in Atlanta was fan-fucking-tastic. The show (Bare Naked Ladies) was great even in the middle of a thunderstorm. Gotta hand it too those folks in Atlanta, they get some fucking rain!

One Fly, at Outta the Cornfield, has a post about the amount of Lithium in our water. The study was done in Texas. So, is that why those fukkers are so bent?

So, everyone pretty much knows that I'm an advocate for Cannabis or the Great Ganj. I've been on this tear for quite a few years and have been harping on it constantly. Most of my friends, at least the ones still conscious, always tell me that it'll never happen.

No Way No How, Uh-huh, Nope, Nada, Zip, Zilch, Fuck no, Forget it, What, you fuckin' crazy, and In your dreams!

Even my posts have been qualified with statements that it'll be a long, long time until we get to the point of strolling into the corner smoke shop, lay down an Andy-J and walk out with an teener of Purple Spank-me Punch. But there is a bit of smoke drifting into the discussion. Ahnold down in Cali is seriously talking about a debate, a real debate. More states are looking at medical marijuana laws and the MSM is putting a reasonable' face on those who favor legalization.

Used to be that whenever the Media was doing a story about pot, they sought out the best Cheech and Chong look-alikes or the more righteous skater dudes they could find. The interviews, if you could call them that, usually started out with "Cool, man." "Dude...." and "I was so baked...". Now, I see reasonable people discussing cannabis in reasonable ways. People in TIES! Lawyers and shit!

There may be hope yet!

Well, there's lots more places to go today. I thought I'd let you know what altitude I was cruising at this morning.

Have fun!

So Mote It Be,
David A.

What a way to start the day!

Was cruisin' the Toobs when I happened to saunter into the Leftist Grandpa, the blog extraordinaire of Grandpa Eddie, when I saw a video clip from the 'Family Guy'.

Needless to say, I spent a click!

I'm not going to steal the click from him, I'll send you off to see it for yourself at his place. And please enjoy the other snacks and goodies that abound there.

See 'Economics 101' courtesy of Grandpa Eddie, who gratefully borrowed it from Driftglass.

I should include this in my series.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Sometimes you have to step away

Got a bit of bad news the other day. Wasn't sure how to put this in words without sounding all maudlin and weird. But here it is... one of the good guys is hanging up the keyboard.

Now, I could have gone on his site and left a nice message to him saying how we'll all miss his counsel and all that. That's a given. His words were much larger than mine on subjects I only met in passing. He brought me to bear on things as diverse as peak oil, sustainable gardening and hunting for subsistence. But no, I have to put this here 'cause it's more than a mere comment. It's a statement of honor.

My long time buddy, Monkeyfister is calling it done. He will still be hammering out at Blah3, thankfully but his site has gone on permanent hiatus.

He's got his reasons and has let us in on a few of them. He's mentioned frustration and exasperation with the liberal blogosphere, how sometimes he feels like he's screaming at the wind.

Well, my answer is simply no. The wind may still be blowing but there are quite a few of us who brave it to hear what he has to say. Many times, we get insulated in our quest for substantial effect on this world. We feel that what we do or say doesn't make the waves it should. We get so wrapped up in our work and our words that we fail to see the subtle, quiet waves that we make that erode the shore and change the course of the river. His voice especially. His is a wisdom that comes around only a few times and, unfortunately, can get buried in the din of the nonsense and bullshit of every day life. That's too bad because we need people like Monkeyfister more now than ever.

For years, I floated this blog along like an old penny. Never getting rid of it but not using it to its full potential. I would write a post, knowing that no one would be reading it merely to satisfy my ego. Shortly after the election, I decided to write a bit more. MF happened to click on my link from a comment I had left at his place and he arrived at this humble place in the woods. His words of encouragement were a tonic for me, gave me the confidence to continue to add to and expand on the posts here. For that I will always be grateful.

Monkeyfister has his reasons for doing what he's doing and I'm allowing him the space to accomplish what he needs to do. If he needs my help and I can give it, it's all his. No judgments from me, just thanks for being there when it was needed.

We all have demons that follow us around, hellbent on disrupting everything we work our hardest for. MF is no different in that than I or any of a million other bloggers. He is the best person to deal with those demons, not anyone else. My job, if he needs it, is to be supportive and honest.

Here's to you, shipmate.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

I've Got a B.A.D. Feeling About This!

Ye Olde Rogue's Gallery of Lesser Blogs and Other Enemies of the Crown
Posted Here For All To See....

These Brigands and Hooligans Are Hereby Deemed Enemies of the Crown Of Blogtopia.
Loiter amongst them at your peril!

David Aquarius' List of Nefarious Blogs

Peachy Green: These young ladies are quite good at letting me know how much of a putz I am for not applying some common green sense to the junk I do every freaking day. Go there, be schooled.

Copper Springs Leather Craft: I dabble in crafting leather bags and purses for friends and fiends. Since moving into a smallish apt. I haven't had the space (nor the will) to get back into the mix. So, I go here to see what creations I can steal from his repertoire. I'm afraid I can't quite match his goods but he has a lot of insight into crafting that I enjoy.

Mekosan and Co.: OK, this is a great blog, concise and fun, written by a short-hair Mexican Chihuahua named Meko. Hey, he's nine times smarter than Limbaugh and lots more lovable than Glenn Beck! I confess, this blog is from a great friend of mine and former roommate. Meko was a rescue pup that we got just shortly before we lost the lease on our house. Due to economic reasons, we parted ways. Who knows, I may post of few pics of Meko on my blog.

A Gardener In Progress: I've always been at ease when my hands were full of dirt and manure. OK, that didn't come out right...Let me rephrase that... I've always loved turning soil, seed and sunshine into real good munchies. My aforementioned friend and former roomie is a horticulturalist and specializes in container gardens. She's amazing! She can create with flowers and plants what Picasso did with paint. Anyway, I travel through Blogtopia (gotta love da Skippy!) looking for bloggy goods to see what I can do now that I'm holed up in a cardboard box apt. I came across Catherine's blog a few days ago and love what I see. It helps that she's in my back yard too. I can see Mt. Rainier from my deck, if I strain over the railing. Check out her blog if you love to see new life springing forth from the good green Mother Earth!

Rawmodel.com: I came across Anthony's blog a few weeks ago as I was trolling around Google. Good looking gent and has a damn good sense of global citizenship. Go there and read about his adventures in Bali and his work in Permaculture. Good stuff, Maynard!

Lots more bloggy goodness to be had if one just takes the time to adventure into the unseen waters of Blogtopia. I've come across angry right wing environmentalists (sorry, can't bring myself to link there), self-absorbed yuppie spawn obsessed with all things Twitter, naked old folks who can't seem to understand what all the fuss about Rush Limbaugh is (Ewww, just ewww, that one was totally by accident!)

In other words, you never know where the next click will take you. Go there, be shocked, but be schooled. After all, it's all about humanity. And you know how freaking nuts we all are!

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Update: I used Lucida Blackletter font for the title, hope you see it that way.

Update deux: Skippy and Jon Swift have kindly given this page a nod. I thank you!

Blogroll Amnesty Day

B.A.D. to da B.O.N.E. (Blogs Of Notable Excellence)

What is B.A.D.?

Oh, gentle traveller, 'tis a righteous tale of woe and repression, of demons and Orcs, and of salvation and retribution. Come hither, sit and take a repast of bread and brew and I shall weave this tale for you.

Yes, it was long ago in the Time before the Great Emancipator, when King George the Simple and his grand vizier, the evil overlord Darth Cheney did rule the land.

There was battle and bloodshed in Blogtopia (from Sir Skippy, the Bush Kangaroo did we come by that name!) as we took umbrage from the denizens of the Overlord. We fought the knaves of Red State and the flying monkeys of the Freepers; many of our kind did conquer the ugly, dreadful lies of King George. All of the Liberal blogs had fought bravely, the great and powerful to the small and meek. Side by side did we wage a mighty war for truth, justice and American Pie.

But victory was not ours as the Idiot King and the evil vizier, Cheney took the throne over Prince Kerry of Cape Cod. There was a great and mournful wail that came up from the beaten warriors of Blogtopia.

Sad as this defeat was, sadder still was the recriminations and oath breaking that did accompany thus. The great and powerful blogs, once mighty and golden symbols of Progress, began to grow fat and conceited. They formed great councils of blogdom, gathered the aristocracy of the Liberal Web to plan and scheme. But they did close the gates of their magnificent castles to the lesser blogs. They had once proudly announced to all in Blogtopia who their allies were in the Great War with the Idiot King, but no more. They had grown complacent, allowed themselves to be turned away from the common folk they had come from and be corrupted by soundbites, spotlights, and fair maidens of the Media.

They locked their castles to the lowly blogs. Left them to wither in the wind and be consumed by the Overlord's minions. So, gentle traveller, our tale might have ended here, sad and lonely, with the awful demise of the tiny blogs.

But, lo, there was a great sound that came forth from the lesser bloggers. They would take on the minions themselves, without the fat and bloated Royal Blogs. Those who were of greater size would take a handful of smaller blogs under their wing and put their visage prominently upon their walls. Thus did the good folks of Blogtopia learn of the wonder of the lesser blogs, feast upon the tender morsels of goodness and flights of magic and fantasy. This day was hence forth known as "Blogroll Amnesty Day", a day to post upon your blog the links to five blogs smaller than yourself.

What? You want more? Is there more to this tale?

Yes, there is!

And lo, did King George the Simple come to the end of his reign and Darth Cheney did answer the call of his master, the Great Corporate Beast. The war for supremacy took a mighty turn when the Blogs once again answered the call to defeat the Orcs and Demons of the Overlord. The Idiot King had tried to place his crown upon the head of Sir John the Ancient, but there was too much strife and poverty in the land. The townsfolk had grown weary of the lavish ways of the King and his minions and began to listen to the Liberal Blogs. Soon, a mighty warrior came forth from the common folk to claim the crown for himself. Sir Barack of Obama did take his place in the Great House of the People. The lesser blogs did defeat the flying monkeys and the Eaters of Cheetos and a great and mighty cheer was heard across Blogtopia.

That, my good friend, is why we celebrate B.A.D. today. Because there is no blog too small to make a big splash.


(this video link was blatantly stolen from Blue Gal)

So Mote It Be,
David A.