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.

Only a Matter of Time...

Can you point me in the direction of Wall Street?

Karma can be a real bitch.

AIG brought this on themselves, I have little sympathy for them. I just hope that the regular people who had nothing to do with this, those who won't make any bonuses or drive fancy cars aren't pulled into the shitstorm that's coming.

I'm afraid, however, that's inevitable. Again, fault lies with AIG.

They thought they were above this, that the machinations of the little people couldn't affect them. The 'great, unwashed masses' were a good source of capital, not something to really think about. Like being concerned for the well being of the ATM versus the money inside.

I hope this gets resolved before anyone gets hurt. There are only a few that really deserve any physical punishment and only after proper due process. Yet this thing could get ugly.

Real fucking ugly, real fucking quick.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Employee Free Choice Act - See, 'choice' is in there!

Damn crooked bastards.

I've been listening to the debate over the Employee Free Choice Act and Jesus H. Christ on a corndog, this is a fucking disaster. Not the bill, the EFCA is due, more than fucking due in the workforce today. I mean, after eight years of anti-worker GOP legislation and a virulently anti-union administration, I think the country is ready for some recovery from the stupid.

All the swinging wingnuts on the TV Box are caterwauling and bleating like a bunch of asthmatic lambs about how this bill will 'take away worker's right to a secret ballot.'

Bullshit!

There's nothing in the bill that restricts any worker from voting by secret ballot if they want a union. This bill gives them the choice to hold an election by either open ballot or secret ballot - THEIR CHOICE!

This bill also provides protection from all those creepy 'one-on-one' meetings companies hold with workers who express an interest in forming a union. Hell, there's a whole industry out there who's sole purpose is to provide companies anti-union information, tactics and smear merchants to intimidate the workers into dropping any union-forming aspirations.

In an economy like this, a union's protection will go a long way to keeping people employed and keeping employers from taking advantage of the job climate to get workers to pull back on wages and benefits.

Any company who is in dire straights right now can't blame the unions or labor costs, as much as the wingnuts want to. Speculating in the derivative market, stupid business practices and being blinded by unadulterated greed is the culprit and what's eating at the foundation of America's economy.

These fuckers use working people like they use toilet paper.

Again, this is just the fucking Republican bastards putting their own greed and self-interests ahead of what's good for the country. Not one of those fuckers are worth the powder to blow them to Hell. Every night, I watch them bloviate and piss and moan about how 'socialist' Pres. Obama is. Do they know what that word even means?

This all reminds me of the Red Scare of my childhood. Behind every tree and bush was a Commie ready to circumvent 200 years of democracy by sheet magic. Thousands of people were ostracized and blacklisted because some where at some time, they were at a party or a meeting where someone else who was accused of being a Communist had been. What a fucking crock!

It's the Party of Fear and Ignorance. The GOP is as anti-American as Castro's left nut. Nothing would please them more than to have this country falter and spin into the abyss just so they can say "I told you so!" I would even go so far as to say that if John Boenner or Eric Cantor had evidence of a terrorist attack on a city like San Francisco, they would keep it to themselves. One, they could say 'I told you so!' and two, they could give a rat's nutsack about any of the residents of that American city. Every one of those bastards would cry alligator tears on the TV Box but high five each other in private.

Sen. Reid better let this bill come to a vote in the Senate, 60 votes or not. Let the American people see who's for and against it. Get some spine, Senator! Is it too much to ask to use some of the political capital we've given you. What are you fucking saving it for? A God damn rainy day?

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.

The Mythology of the GOP

For decades, the popular view of the Republican Party has been the 'Daddy Party', the party of responsibility, frugality, and measured, conservative advance. For decades, the popular view of UFO's has been little green men from some distant world bent on the destruction of our world.

I put more credence in the little green men.

There is no 'Daddy Party' unless you count a bunch of immature children playing dress-up. Take any Republican aside and look very close at their pet issues and beliefs and you will find a hodge-podge of contradictions based on fear and greed. The average Republican is terrified that he will not get all he wants especially if it belongs to someone else. It's the anger of the selfish spoiled child who wants it now! Add to that the distinctive stench of racism in the form of entitlements and giveaways. Our Republican friends firmly believe in equality of the races but only in measured amounts. They consider all minorities equal, just not equal to them. When society tries to right the great wrongs of the past, they get all bent out of shape because lifting minorities up would lower them.

Liberals and progressives have always looked to the other side with a fair bit of exasperation. We can't seem to gather our troops together as they do, have lots of problems keeping on message like them and constantly have to rein in outliers who stray too far from the flock. For all our supposed scholarship and intelligence, we still find ourselves trapped by the ignorance and abject stupidity of the GOP. We look to the GOP lemmings as they run off the cliff and say "Gee, I wish I could rally the troops like that!"

Our diversity is our strength. That's the reason it gives us so much grief. Nothing of value will ever come easy. If it does, we usually find out the true value later and at much cost.

Republicans know this, they have to. It's foolish to believe that all Republicans are clueless idiots like Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. They have to realize that the things that matter most to Liberals and progressives are based on reality, facts that can be verified. They have to know these things because they go to such lengths to rebut them; to scatter ridiculous claims and fabricate tragic scenarios should our policies come to pass. They use fear mongering as chaff around the Media to obscure their real purposes.

What used to be relegated to tin-hat conspiracy theorists is slowly gaining attention in the progressive blogosphere. It begs to be published, to be spoken about outside the shadows and back rooms; even to mention it in popular circles of scholarship is taking a bold step.

The Republican Party wants America to fail.

Oh, they want to keep the name and all the old stuff in the museums, like the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Jeffersonian Bible, etc. The Republican Party wants to gut the American system of government. They want to bring us back to the old ways of feudal Europe with all the modern toys and goodies.

The Modern Republican Party wants to increase the chasm that exists between those who have lots and those who have little. Those who have none are expendable.

A 21st century feudal society would have most Americans working long hours for just enough pay to subsist. The elite would be separate from the unwashed hoard by economics and politics. Two societies would exist; one of privilege, one of work. The worker class would be divided among the industries that need them the most. Corporate icons would control the lives of its workers much the same as it cares for the machinery it operates. The workers class would have few rights and privileges save for a few earned as incentives. Children would only be allowed if a person showed the necessary homage to the Party, including its principal of "do onto others before they do onto you." Citizens who displayed cruelty and inhumanity would be allowed to advance, move up the ladder of success. Those who displayed humanity and kindness would languish in abject poverty and toil for showing weakness.

Sound outlandish? Like a bad science fiction movie? The reality is right in front of us. We see the building blocks of this scenario falling into place as we speak. A couple of years ago, I would have been called a nutcase for suggesting this.

Am I still crazy?

Consider the current talk coming from the Right. The leaders of the Republican Party want to return to the ways of the Bush Administration. They know that this will lead us further into debt, cause the economy to sink deeper into depression. Only from the ashes of the American way of life can they rebuild their Corporatist dream. People like Rush Limbaugh and Karl Rove know that the only way to get people to support them again is to scare the living shit out of them. The current economic downturn has the potential to be that object of fear. It's a 'godsend' to them. (to corrupt a saying) By scaring people into electing their chosen toadies and supporting draconian measures to 'protect the American way of life'; they hope to put the final nails in Free Democratic America's coffin.

What they didn't count on was the appeal of Barack Obama. The election of 2008 was a disaster for them from the start. They couldn't get their candidates to stay on message and keep from self-immolating themselves. They had hoped for another Democratic candidate, like Hillary Clinton. I'm sure, at first, they thought 'Gee, let them select the black guy. America will never elect a n......!' To which, I'm forever proud to say, America said "Fuck you and your racist bullshit!"

Now, they are on red alert. Events haven't been that kind to their plans. Most of them are in desperation mode, eating their own and looking out for 'No. 1!' (In their case, it should be 'No. 2') But be put on notice that we aren't out of the woods yet. Lots of things can happen at a moment's notice which could put the GOP on the fast track once again. Vigilance is the key. Keeping our troops rallied together wouldn't hurt either. (not so subtle dig at the Blue Dogs)

We have to be very careful not to overreach. We can't afford to get over-confident nor too conservative. We have to listen to our best and brightest but give the ordinary a platform too. We are only as good as the least among us.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Take the Quiz

This is me...

My Liberal Identity:

You are a Working Class Warrior, also known as a blue-collar Democrat. You believe that the little guy is getting screwed by conservative greed-mongers and corporate criminals, and you’re not going to take it anymore.

Take the quiz at www.FightConservatives.com

So Mote It Be,
David A.