Politics, a game for fools, clowns and scalawags

Hope is a important part of how we accept things that may not be great for us. Hope that times will get better. Hope that the bump in the road is short and not too damaging. Hope that our leaders will step up and take us down the correct path to recovery. Hope is the fuel that sustains our patience.

We are running out of gas.

Health care is an abomination in this country. Those who can pay way too much for far too little. Doctors spend as many hours weekly on paperwork than they do on their craft. Hospitals trim essentials from those least likely to afford them just to keep lining the pockets of corporate investors. HMO's, Big Insurance, Big Pharma are doing their corporate damnest to kill the one option in our health care debate that offers the greatest hope for the most Americans. Single payer, or a national public health care plan, offers to cover the most people at the lowest cost for a modest payroll deduction. As I see it, one version has no co-pay, no deductible, and applies to all physicians and health care providers. Contrary to the popular lies of the never-right wing, there is no restriction of doctor choice, or hospital. Paperwork is streamlined to ensure the most efficient process.

Robert Reich, a man I've grown to admire since his days as Secr. of Labor under Bill Clinton has a bit to say about the prospects of the single payer option in the current health care debate. In his words: "Big Pharma and Big Insurance are gaining ground in their campaign to kill the public option in the emerging health care bill."

Hope is becoming a dry hole.

I won't presume to know what each of you think of the different options being considered in the health care debate, but if you're anything like me, you can't afford to shell out thousands of dollars for care that should be a birthright. For-profit health care providers, insurance and pharmaceutical companies only see numbers when looking at patient claims. How much money can we make by culling the claims down to just those who can pony up the pennies? How can we convince Congress to keep the status quo in place so that our profit margins stay the same or perhaps go up?

The answer? Meet Senator Max Baucus, (D-MT). He chairs the Senate Finance Committee which is in charge of the discussion and debate of the health care crisis and possible remedies. He has made statements recently that place the single payer option off the table. He said: "We need a uniquely American result. And that will be a public/private
hybrid. There may come a time when we can push for single payer. But that time is not yet, and so I'm not going to waste my time."

Why would he make such a statement? Why drag our feet with the one issue that concerns the most Americans? How can providing the most coverage in the most efficient way be a 'waste of his time'?

Who is whispering in Sen. Baucus' ear? What reason could he have to delay this? Could it be this?

Contributor	Total	Indivs	PACs
Schering-Plough Corp	$92,200	$64,200	$28,000
New York Life Insurance	$80,400	$43,900	$36,500
UST Inc	$73,950	$37,950	$36,000
Amgen Inc	$70,750	$35,750	$35,000
Blue Cross/Blue Shield	$62,350	$21,350	$41,000

“Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive” Sir Walter Scott 1771-1832

Hope is what sustains us. Those of us who rely on our health care providers to give us peace of mind and decent care don't need the added stress of finding pennies under the couch to pay for it. I pay for insurance through my employer. They provide the plan, take 'X' amount out of my check in addition to their contribution. Yet each year I pay more, they pay less and my coverage goes down. Over the last 18 months, I've accrued $8300 in doctor's bills after insurance. Nothing I was treated for was exotic or experimental, just the trials and tribulations of living to the ripe old age of 50.

If Sen. Baucus were to have had the same medical treatments I've had, he would have no bills, no payments to make. He has the advantage of being covered by a public, single payer government health plan.

Single payer is the best hope for all Americans who struggle to pay their medical bills. The big insurance and pharmaceutical compaies will do anything legal and otherwise to keep this abominable situation from changing. To them, it's all about keeping their wallets full; the health of the people be damned.

Support the Single Payer Option.

Update: Nunya, over @ Politickybitch gave me a cool link in the comments. (Thanks!)
"119 million Americans want a public option. Why aren't Politicians listening?"

The easy answer? Because 119 million Americans don't contribute to Sens. Grassley and Baucus' campaigns.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Friday Afternoon Cartoons for Old Hippies

Here's a few vids to keep the memory cells from going soft. I haven't seen these in years and thought that many of you would get a kick out of taking a step back to those days of running home after school to see these 'Toons.




Big fan of the Herculoids. Not sure why.



This last one is the keeper! The origins of Mr. Peabody and Sherman!

Enjoy the cartoon history lesson, I have to get Peabody's W.A.B.A.C machine back before he knows its gone!

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Time for the Garden

Been pretty serious lately. Lots of anxiety in the Toobs this past week. Through it all, I've been tending my meager garden of veggies and herbs. Net buddies Monkeyfister and the Ornery Bastard, Busted Knuckles have posted about their contributions to the produce aisle, now it's my turn.

I live in a small apartment with limited sun coming from the east and southeast. Trees line the parking lot on my east so the sun doesn't get to shine on my plants until around 10 or 11am. Regardless, I'm growing some tomatoes, peppers and some herbs. I hope to get some potatoes in a planter real soon.

Here are some photos of my progress...


These are the tomatoes. On the left is Sunsugar Cherry and LaRoma on the right. The Roma was moved to this spot for the photo then moved back into the sun. So far, so good. Lots of blossoms and there are bees around.


Here are my peppers. We have Yellow Bell on the top, Serrano in the middle and Super Chili on the bottom. The yellow bell and the super chili have started to bud, the serrano is still thinking about it.


My herbs so far. I have rosemary on the left, basil and greek oregano at right front and hiding in the right rear is lemon thyme.

Mmmm, can hardly wait!

Update! Go forth and take a look at Monkeyfister's place. He's got some damn fine photos of his garden up for all to see. Also, if anyone has pics of their efforts and want some props, I'll be happy to post them here with proper kudos.

Weather Update! Buggers! Came home last night from work to find that the minor lightning storm we had blew my garden from one side of the deck to the other. My poor Yellow Bell was sent careening down two stories to the pavement below. I got everyone back in place, watered and secured them and hope like mad that this didn't set me back. These kids were doing so well! I should have expected the wind but was preoccupied as I was rushing out the door.

Happy Gardening!

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Courage and Cowardice

Courage is a rare commodity in the halls of leadership today. I see faces on my TV box that are supposed to be in my corner giving aid and comfort to the enemy, namely the GOP.

Senator Harry Reid...grow a fucking spine. Jesus H. Christ, Senator, you fold more than an old lawn chair. He covers his yellow streaked ass by making it out that he's a crafty strategist. How can it be good strategy to cave in to your opponents at every turn? What, win the battle by losing the war? I think the reason he's so scrawny is from all the lunch money he had to fork over as a kid. I hear he was a boxer. Well, how many boxers lose a fight with their own shadow?

When I speak of courage, understand the distinctions I make when using a well-trod upon term. Courage is listed in the dictionary as: "the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery."

There are aspects of courage that are more observable, more apparent by action rather than attitude, than just a 'quality of mind'. Any one can talk a good game of 'courage' but what happens when they face that insular moment when the talk has to be substantiated? Courage isn't a soundbite, it doesn't exist only in novels and history books. It exists in the actions taken by those who need it - now.

One problem is that we are a visually based society. If we don't see it, it does not exist. We claim the reverse to be true as well; if we do see it, we believe it. Just seeing something gives many of us all the proof we need that a certain condition exists. Conversely, if someone tells us that something doesn't exist because he can't see it, we tend to believe him because he seems to have gone to the trouble of looking for it so it must be true. Seeking out verification for what we claim and what we believe is hard. Too hard for talking heads who make their living on the people's ignorance and the politicians who service them.

I consider most right wing talkers and bloggers to be abject cowards. I say most because recently I witnessed Chicago talk show host 'Mancow' Muller subject himself to water boarding to show that it's nothing but getting wet. He got schooled and schooled hard. He lasted six seconds without interrogation. Afterward, he related an epiphany - "yes, this is torture and I have to admit that"

That took courage. Not only to be subjected to the pain of the water board, but to go on to admit that he (and the rest of his cohorts on the AM dial) were wrong about this form of torture. So, give him props for doing something Hannity, Limbaugh, Fox Nuz, and Newt Gingrich would never do.

I look for courage in my leaders. Sounds sappy and trite but I expect the people elected to high office to have a modicum of courage to accomplish the task of running the country. I see it in the President but it's Deja vu' all over again when he starts backing off issues near and dear to progressives. We saw it during the Clinton years. Lots of speeches, lots of promises, then the aides and advisors come in and pour cold water over the whole agenda. Obama needs real leadership in both the Senate and the House. Instead he got cowards. Reid has to go. For the sake of the nation and the progressive movement in general, Harry Reid must be sent to the Old Washington Home for Cowards, Capitulators, and Compromisers.

The issues that mean the most to the American people are coming to the forefront now. Health care, education, economic assistence, global climate change, energy, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan need, no - beg for a radical shift from the status quo solutions. We've done the ol' 'tried and true' and found them to be wholly inadequate for the task. The Repugs want the ship to stay the course. They're on the Titanic and still feasting from the buffet line. Why give up a good thing if it feeds the greed?

Courage. My dad has it in spades. He worked the woods for 50 years as a logger and helped raise 8 kids with near poverty wages. Our troops have it too. They serve with honor and distinction and still get the shitty end of the stick in pay, rotation, and respect. I've seen courage come from little kids, feeble old folks, and young people of all colors and creeds. But we are losing our center by not focusing on making a courageous life the only life we should be striving for. We teach our kids how to get around the rules, how to shirk the responsiblities inherent in life. They enter adulthood with the education to be a con artist, not a responsible human being.

I'm tired of watching my leaders cower under their desks in Congress. Sick and tired of seeing Repug wingnuts give wedgies and noogies to the people I have to rely on to run this country. The Democratic Party better take a long hard look at their leadership and start making some definitive changes while we still have control of Congress. Most of the Dems I see on my TV Box haven't the backbone of a marshmallow Peep.

So Mote it Be,
David A.

This is our time

This is our time. Time to boldly take the next step or fall back and let the cowards take over.

We worked our asses off to get here. Through the Reagan years and four years of Poppy Bush, we endured a lot of crap. In the 80's, the GOP came in and started their policies of corruption and greed. Reaganomics was a joke. It was only a scam to make the rich richer and the poor irrelevant. Even some Democrats got caught up it the bullshit 'cause no one can say no to a free lunch.

But we persevered. We got Bill Clinton elected and, although not exactly what we were hoping for, he was good enough to set the ship of state on the correct course. But somewhere along the way, we lost our courage. We became complacent and weak. We elected marshmallows instead of statesmen, chickenshits instead of cougars. Clinton did a lot to further our cause but he fell far short of the goals we needed to accomplish. We didn't take full advantage of the opportunities that were made available to us because we were afraid of what our enemies might think of us. We stopped in the middle of the race because we were winning. Somehow we considered that bad form.

It was this lack of courage that led to the election of the Village Idiot. We even shied away from standing up to the hoards of goons that took away the presidency of Al Gore. We sat back and bitched but didn't fight. The GOP saw that they were losing and pulled out all the stops, left no stone unthrown and snatched our victory out of our trembling fingers. They did it, not because they were stronger or smarter; they did it because they knew we would let them.

We suffered through eight fucking long ass years of an egotistically elitist buffoon as Commander-in-Chief, a megalomaniac as his VP, a cadre of crooks, liars, and thieves running the country with policies that put the United States in the same shoes as a Third World dictatorship. The effects of our cowardice will be felt for years, perhaps decades to come.

Now, we have a new leader. Somewhere, somehow we found the moral cahones to put a man in the White House who has the potential to put us back on track and take us to the Promise Land. Obama is showing all the signs that he has the stuff but do we?

Is this going to be Clinton Era 2.0? Will we lose our spine just as the big decisions need to be made? It happened once, will we let it happen again?

Look at the news running across the 'Toobs today. Everywhere we look we see the Bullshit Media licking the asses of the Republican Talkers for their next big soundbite. The airwaves are full of GOP crap about everything from Speaker Pelosi's torture memo to Obama's yet-unpicked Supreme Court nominee. The wingnuts are doing the same thing they did when Clinton was in office: control the word, frame the speech and make sure the Democrats have a nice, safe table to hide under.

Not this time! Not while I draw breath!

I didn't work my fat white ass off to see a bunch of mealy-mouthed Democratic marshmallows take this victory and piss it away. The time to take a stand is right fucking now!

Many of my friends on the web have a lot more traffic than I and I hope this call to arms sings for them. We have so many tools and weapons at our disposal. Jesus H. Fucking Christ on a Pancake, our troops are light years smarter than they are. We can control the news if we choose. All it takes is for the face of the Democrats to be someone who can fight back, not let the wingnuts shout them down. Put it to them. Make them ask the hard questions. If the Media won't, we should. Ask them over and over on every news talk show until they get it. Above all challenge every lie, every claim, every word that spews forth from the Repugs about every issue.

David Waldman from Daily Kos took a couple of wingnuts to the shed the other day. This is what we should be doing. Every Damn Time. No more Joe Lieberman. No more Evan Bayh. No more Ben fucking Nelson. it's time for the leadership to do what the fuck they're supposed to do. If a Democrat goes rogue and starts backing off the GOP, slap him/her down. This is no time for cowardise. It's long past time for courage. We have to learn how to grow back our spine.

The GOP is in the toilet now. We knocked them around and almost out of the way. Many would say we should back off and let them regroup. It would be the 'sporting' thing to do. Compassion and charity, I guess.

Bullshit! The GOP invaded our space, flaunted our laws, trashed the country, gave our enemies the resources and will to stand against us and pushed this country to the brink of a global economic disaster just to line their pockets and golden parachutes. We don't show compassion after that. The GOP is on the ground, we don't offer a hand up.

We step on their neck! No Mercy! No Quarter! Take the fight to them and never back down!

This is our time! Get off your asses and start fighting back!

So Mote It Be,
David A.

The Supremes confirm it! Fed law does not trump state law

San Diego County in the great state of California was sent packing today by the US Supreme Court. They have been trying for three years to overturn California's medical marijuana law, especially the part that says they have to issue patient ID cards. This fine bit of news was lifted off the NORML website. Paul Armentano does a better job of running down the goods on the ramifications of this decision.

"Let’s be blunt: San Diego and San Bernardino’s protracted lawsuits — lawsuits that arguably cost county taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and jeopardized the health and safety of thousands (if not tens of thousands) of citizens — were never about resolving legal ambiguity."

This is the kind of push back we have to expect from the Prohibitionists. They won't go quietly into that good night. There are still a lot of people in positions of power who will do anything and everything to keep us from ending this travesty of justice. The tide is mostly in our favor right now, but it can turn in a bleeding heart beat. There are folks out there who wouldn't think twice about falsifying evidence or highlighting some innocuous bong hit by a suspected serial killer just to put the spectre of 'reefer madness' back on marijuana. It ain't over yet.

The ending of prohibition will have far reaching effects throughout the law enforcement community. Many cops will be relieved that they no longer have to be tied down to low-ball busts and paperwork. Others will be upset because prosecution of marijuana has been a financial boon to many law enforcement agencies through abatements and seizures of property and assets.

In addition to the law enforcement issues, states and counties will have to contend with hundred, if not thousands, of people applying for medical marijuana cards. In Oakland, there's an Oaksterdam University campus right next door to a Green Cross distributor and a medical clinic where ID cards and prescriptions can be obtained. Doesn't seem too hard to get a card.

This is why Prohibition must end. We will find ways of obtaining our weed, by hook or by crook. Why force millions of otherwise law abiding citizens to run afoul of the law just because they want to sit and relax with a pipe and a munchie?

The tide is turning so we have to be extra vigilant to keep the rhetoric on our side and counter every sound bite and bullshit Faux News report about marijuana's role in the downfall of America.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Time to get our heads right

So much shit. Who do you trust? Which way is up?...Up, down, right, left....

Did we torture? Yes, we did but was it legal?
Fuck you, it WAS against the law!

No, you dirty damn hippie, our lawyers wrote the magic memo! It was legal, kinda.
Besides, we had too! The evil Brown People were coming to make us all Muslim!

The give and take between the right and the left is getting shrill. This is just the torture memos. Health care is on the table now and we have some of our own party blocking single payer insurance. The corporate whores of the for-profit health care industry, the insurance industry, and the pharmaceutical companies are no-holds barred trying to woo Dems away from Obama's original plan.

The battles are on many fronts today. Too many to count and too many to mount much opposition. Our personal windmills are being pushed into the background as the MSM determines what story should be foremost on the news. This means my issues of affordable health care and decriminalized marijuana take a back seat to Miss California's tits.

So, I give you a moment of zen. A musical Valium to wrap your head around the situation and get a new perspective. This video takes us back to a time when the country was in chaos like now. Different time, different war, different players but the shit was just as deep. Then, as now, music was our channel to truth. Or at least the seeds of it.



I will update this post in a few. Work is calling and I have to bring home my meager slice of bacon. Enjoy the trip!

So Mote It Be,
David A,

No overtime pay for Mom

On this second Sunday in May, I want to take a moment to give a shout out to those young ladies (of all ages) who have brought life into the world. One in particular brought this poor old grizzled hippie into the light 50 years ago.

I wasn't the only one. No, I was only the second of eight children bore by a housewife from South Dakota who married a logger from Eastern Washington.

Talk about love, they've been together for 54 years These fine folks, right now, are sitting at the kitchen table, having a cup of coffee, reading the paper and telling the grandkids to shut the hell up.

Mothers Day is the day we set aside to honor our maternal parent, the lady who wiped our nose and our ass when we leaked, swatted that ass when we screwed up and praised us when we made her proud. Like when we got three book awards to Angie Johnson's two in second grade. (In your face, Mrs. Johnson! Whoop-Whoop!)

My mom looked the other way on many an occasion when she could have taken me out like a bag of trash. Like the time I experimented on the electrical properties of a dinner fork. After replacing the fuse and putting out the little fire on her brand new bedspread, she simply said:

"Well, you won't do that again, will you?" At least I wasn't holding the damn fork when I plugged it in.

Growing up, I saw the power of compromise. I learned what sharing REALLY means. If you buy candy, you better eat it all before you get home or you have to give some to everybody! With seven brothers and sisters, my mom taught us how to get along with all kinds of people. Even those who would take your favorite yellow Foghat t-shirt to a slumber party and get a god damn, big ass grease stain on it. Fucker!

In 1977, I wrote out an essay about a day in the life of my mother. It was about the daily care and feeding of three youngsters and four teenagers. My English teacher submitted the essay to a contest and my mom was selected Mother of the Year by my town's Chamber of Commerce. I would show you a picture but it was 1977 and I'm wearing a gawd awful leisure suit type thing so that photo will never see the light of day.

To my mother's credit, my siblings and I get along really well. We have our fights and arguments, but in the end we hold no grudges. We talk to each other on a regular basis, exchange gossip and take great pains to interfere in each other's lives. My in-laws (spouses of siblings) have said that our family is a tough club to crack into. We do stick our noses where they don't belong, that's true but we stick together in times of trouble. Some of my sisters' ex-boyfriends can attest to that. Imagine facing down three older brothers AND a dad who knocks down trees for a living. It's a wonder any of them are married at all.

Mothers have great powers. They have the power of time travel and can re-awaken a person's youth. Even at 50 years old, I still revert back to 12 when talking to Mom. She can sent me back in time to 1971 in a single sentence. "David, I'm disappointed in you!" I can only respond "But Mom!"

Such is the power of motherhood.

Happy Mother's Day to all the young ladies (of all ages) who have gifted us with life and love. We are in awe of your grace and your patience. And if one of your children causes a minor power outage by cross-circuiting the toaster, be gentle.

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.

Wednesday Morning - Hump Day Offering

Here it is Wednesday already and I haven't posted anything since Sunday. I've been traveling the 'Toobs, especially my blog list (see sidebar) and leaving comments around like so many landmines.

As some of my co-conspirators of the less-than-famous blogs know, I've been fighting a battle with health issues. To those who have asked, I'm finally on the mend. I'm actually able to walk to the store without a lot of assistance. Now, if I can find a way to get rid of this 80 lb beer barrel strapped to my six-pack abs, I'll be a damn sight better. Now that these old bones are getting better, the worst part is becoming apparent... paying for it.

I have insurance through work. Over the course of the last three years, my employer (who shall remain nameless) has reduced benefits and raised costs - go figure! As a result, I find myself in the middle of the health care battlefield. I am luckier than a lot of folks. I'm not so far in debt that I can't eventually crawl out. But, should I lose my job or suffer an additional medical setback - I am thoroughly screwed. However, I know of folks who have chronically sick kids or who have cancer or AIDS who are racking up bills like a drunken sailor in Singapore.

There will come a point for them when they can't go on any more. They will have trashed their credit with unpaid bills, lost their homes and assets, blown through any savings only to face their personal war on that illness - the fight of their fucking lives - with no resources, no weapons and no allies. Do they just give up and die? Let the bastard disease win? Do the rest of us just sit in the bleachers and watch and say: "Damn, I thought he was going to get better. He was really strong in the end, why did he just roll over?" All over money.

All of us know this game. Many of us live it. Health is humanity, humanity is health. There are certain absolutes that humanity requires to exist. However, it seems those absolutes are negotiable. Corporate greed has cast its deadly shadow upon those absolutes; chief among them maintaining good health. We have the means to provide every American with excellent health care. American medical care is second to none. It's there. It exists all around us like the air we breathe. But it's kept in a vending machine. The problem in our health care system isn't that quality doesn't exists, its that it only exists for those who can pay for it.

For-profit hospitals, insurance companies, HMO's, and pharmaceutical companies have placed quality health care on the top shelf, out of the reach of many Americans. When confronted with this fact, these corporate goons say that the problem isn't that their services are out of reach, it's that the population is too short. In other words, we have to rise up to meet their needs, they don't have to lower to ours.

The crime in this isn't the companies though. They are born and bred greedy bastards, that's their nature. You can't expect any other action from these groups. The crime is that we, as a society, have allowed them to do it. There have been many opportunities to rein in these bastards and put this system right. At each point, we shied away, allowed ourselves to be gilded by the scare tactics and insidious lies and propaganda of these industries to maintain the status quo.

We let our ignorance and fear dictate our actions over the objections of our best interests. Even now, as our leaders debate the health care crisis in the halls of Congress, we are starting to smell the acrid scent of capitulation, feel the fear and loathing of all things government creep into our psyche and the pushing of our best interests once again into the dark basement where it has been for the last twenty years.

There may come a time in my medical treatment when I say "Stop! I can't afford any more!" That frightens me as I'm sure similar situations frighten millions of my fellow Americans. How did we get here? But more importantly, how do we get better?

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Sunday Morning Cartoons

Ok, I love cartoons. The old Hanna Barbera cartoons (Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, and Snagglepuss) were my favorite. So, I'll put out a couple of them from time to time just to keep it real.

When was the last time you saw this character?

Now, a second helping...

I love this stuff...

So Mote It Be,
David A.

21st Century Prohibition Pt. 6 - Legal Issues

The tide is turning. I’m skeptical but have to at least acknowledge that. I’ve been an advocate for the relaxation of anti-marijuana laws, if not the actual legalization for over 35 years. In that time, I’ve seen us come so close only to have the prize snatched from our grasp at the last instant by a shift in the winds of politics.

With the election of Barack Obama as the 44^th President of the Untied States, we can taste the change in the air. In just a hundred days, he’s been able to accomplish more than the previous resident of the People’ House over his two disastrous terms.

I’m afraid it’ll take more than few months of competence to overcome eight long-ass years of abject incompetence and criminal stupidity. Many of the cretins and bootlickers of the Bush Administration still remain entrenched in non-appointed positions of our government. They hold no loyalty to the current administration or the change that Obama represents. Their only cause, the only reason they remain in their positions is to monkey wrench the president.

In addition to these ‘sleeper cells’ of Bushites, there are those who still grip to the failed philosophy of Ronald Reagan. Many of these are Democrats and in positions of power over the legal climate of America. Senators like Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Evan Bayh of Indiana are just two of the many ‘conservadems’ that remain clueless on the needs and will of the American people.

Which brings us back to the issue at hand – the decriminalization and eventual legalization of marijuana. As close as we may think we are, pot is still illegal. At the federal level, cannabis is classified as a Schedule One illegal drug. The definition of Schedule One drugs as follows: (link)

• The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse
• The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
• There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision."
• No prescriptions may be written for Schedule I substances, and such substances are subject to production quotas by the DEA.
• Under the DEA's interpretation of the CSA, a drug does not necessarily have to have the same abuse potential as heroin or cocaine to merit placement in Schedule I (in fact, cocaine is currently a Schedule II drug due to limited medical use):
• When it comes to a drug that is currently listed in schedule I, if it is undisputed that such drug has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision, and it is further undisputed that the drug has at least some potential for abuse sufficient to warrant control under the CSA, the drug must remain in schedule I. In such circumstances, placement of the drug in schedules II through V would conflict with the CSA since such drug would not meet the criterion of "a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States." 21 USC 812(b).

There was a petition filed on July 10, 1995 by Jon Gettman to the DEA to initiate fact findings for proceedings to request the rescheduling of cannabis as a Schedule One drug. His efforts were futile. A link to the DEA’s letter to Mr. Gettman follows: (link)

As the full text of the letter explains, the DEA’s position is based on old and outdated science and prejudiced opinion, a legacy of eighty years of Harry Anslinger’s curse.

This is not the way our federal government should deal with the social and economic effects of illegal drugs. Barack Obama was elected to make change, not cement the status quo.

Cannabis, as previous entries of this series has shown, displays great promise in the treatment of many debilitating diseases and in the management of the pain and side effects of chemotherapy and AIDS treatments. This alone should be reason enough to reconsider cannabis as a Schedule One drug, but other criteria also fall away as more research is completed. The great disappointment is that research was begun and halted numerous times before, all in the name of keeping the public safe from the scourge of marijuana. Research scientists and doctors have wanted to begin full scale investigation into the possible benefits of cannabis and its derivatives but have been hamstrung by politicians who insist there is no benefit. I saw this resistance as prompted by pharmacological companies who see a simple plant that can be grown in the backyard as a direct threat to their obscene profit margins. If they can’t control it, it should remain out of the hands of the people.

However, in recent years, Big Pharma has been filing patent applications for just about any derivative and psychoactive property of cannabis. While stating their support for the continuation of marijuana prohibition, they seem to be hedging their bets by getting all the goods of cannabis under their corporate umbrellas. Like agri-giants like Monsanto, ConAgra, and ADM, they hope to own and control the entire genus of Cannabis Sativa. (Currently Big Agra owns many genomes of grain crops like wheat, corn and soybeans. If one were to grow any of them, they would be prosecuted for patent infringement – for growing a plant!)

What about you?

All this bullshit leaves you wondering about that bong you have stashed away under your couch. Are we gong to be able to spark up and fly right? Will we see the day when local smoke shops will be selling Purple Sticky Punch or Acapulco Gold? (Whoa…hold on there! Acapulco Gold is an owned trademark of the Tobacco Industry!) Seems Big Pharma’s not the only ones who are hedging their bets.

The possibility is out there, it always is. Eventually the sun always rises and the day begins anew. Marijuana prohibition will fall by the wayside and we will be able to enjoy a hookah by the beach with a cool beverage and the company of good friends.

Until that day, however, we have to be careful. With all this enlightenment and possibility comes complacency and carelessness. Marijuana is STILL illegal. Regardless of what we hope for and what we believe, the current laws prohibit the sale and possession of cannabis for ANY use. That said, we are a rebellious bunch, aren’t we?

So, what do you do if Johnny Law catches you imbibing a bit of Mother Nature’s great green gift? Here are some tips that you should follow when approached by any law enforcement officer. Above all, DO NOT RESIST! DO NOT LOSE CONTROL!

1.Beware of ‘casual conversation’! It’s a trick designed to get you to lower your guard and get you to reveal incriminating details. If an officer begins to speak about marijuana use, however casually, ask politely: “Am I free to go?” If yes, then calmly leave.

2. Don’t consent to a search! If the police ask to look in your bag, home, or car say: “I do not consent to a search.” If they ask you why, calmly and respectfully respond: “ I believe in my constitutional right to privacy and don’t consent to a search.”

3. Detention!: Answer no questions if detained. Politely state: “I choose to remain silent and would like to see a lawyer.”

4. Arrest!: Immediately tell police: “I choose to remain silent and would like to see a lawyer.”

5. NEVER – NEVER – NEVER physically resist the police! If they persist, calmly stand aside and repeat: “I choose to remain silent and would like to see a lawyer.” (these tips from the Cannabis Action Network)

These are common sense legal protections and should be followed without exception. Don’t make it hard on yourself. Johnny Law has a ton more experience in taking your hippie butt down than you do standing up to him. Also, don’t be a target! Here are some more tips from the Cannabis Action Network:

1. Travel safely. Never smoke and drive.
2. Be a good neighbor. Loud music and bad parking can lead Johnny Law to your front door.
3. Be discreet. Don’t spark your spleef in plain view.

Getting busted and what road to hell you’re going to go down differs from state to state. Some areas will just give you a citation and send you on your merry way. Other places will slap your hippie ass in irons and send you down the river to play patty cake with Bruno in Cellblock B. One of the most common results is that you’ll be charged with a ‘minor’ felony and spend a lot of your time and money in fines and some jail.

The worse part is the ‘felony’ part. Get busted for pot possession and you become a felon. You can’t vote; you can’t hold any government job or any job that works with the government. You cannot be bonded or licensed in many occupations. Your employment opportunities have withered to few and far between because you are required to disclose this to all potential employers. Keep it to yourself and you risk immediate dismissal and possible violation of the law. Some states allow for the cleansing of records as in recovery of voting rights and some licensing but the word ‘felon’ will still be permanently tattooed to your forehead.

If you get busted, seek immediate legal assistance. Don’t take anything for granted, follow every lead and take every opportunity to get help. DO NOT ADMIT TO ANY CRIME! Give your legal representative the tools he/she needs to provide you with the best legal defense. It doesn’t matter if Johnny Law caught you with nine joints hanging out of your gob blazing away; admit to nothing. SEE Legal Tip #3 above – REMAIN SILENT! Let your legal representative do the talking. Don’t let a slip of the lip hamstring your legal team and get you free room and board at the Graybar Hotel.

Sentences for first-time, non-violent offenders convicted of trafficking in Schedule I drugs can easily turn into de facto life sentences when multiple sales are prosecuted in one proceeding. Sentences for violent offenders are much higher.

If you choose to enjoy the herb, that’s cool. The times may be changing in your favor but until that point in time, be smart about it. Follow the tips above and take 30 minutes online to seek out the legal resources you have in your area that provide representation for marijuana possession. Check the local NORML chapter (give ‘em a hand, they are always seeking help and funds) or Legal Aid Society for advice on lawyers in your area that provide decent representation. Take down the info and keep it handy, you never know when you may find yourself in a unfortunate situation.

President Obama did cannabis activists a disservice at his online question and answer session on March 26^th, 2009. He took the easy road and laughed it off. The tally was 3.5 million votes cast and the no. 1 question was about marijuana prohibition. This is no laughing matter. He should rethink his answer and come back to the people with a logical and concise process for the reduction of penalties surrounding cannabis. Legalizing hemp and its processing should be one of the first things done along with releasing medical marijuana clinics from the clutches of the Inquisitors at the DEA. Perhaps with a new ‘Drug Czar’ in Gil Kerlikowski there may be changes coming.

Be an activist. Even if you don’t smoke the herb, help out those who need this gift to alleviate their pain. The rest of us may have to wait but we need to get Obama Administration to listen to the scientists and researchers. Marijuana prohibition affects us all. You may be totally against dirty damn hippies like me smoking a joint but when your dear Aunt May develops cancer and can’t keep any food down because of the chemo, you may sing a different tune. We can’t base our laws and restrictions on outdated prejudices, faulty science, and political expediency.

So Mote It Be,
David A.
(forgive the radical formatting. Blogger and Firefox seem to be having a tiff today. Wordpress is looking better and better every day)

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.

21st Century Prohibition - Changing Tide?

I've been trying to get the next post in my series "21st Century Prohibition" done but this shit is changing daily. I've never seen it like this. It's like trying to change a diaper on a baby while its crawling around the room.

Now, I have no illusions as to the possibility of legalization of marijuana. I still believe that relief from Prohibition is still quite a ways away. I'm not even convinced that it will happen at all. Times change, the pendulum swings back and forth; we've been close before only to have our hopes dashed and the tide surround us. A friendly administration is great, but we need a lot to happen before the doors open on cannabis shops on Main Street.

But this article from NPR is hope wrapped in promise. All I can say is it's a great game to play but I'm waiting for real life.

"Imagine if you turned on the radio and heard this: "From NPR News in Washington, I'm Carl Kasell. After 70 years of prohibition, marijuana becomes legal today for personal consumption throughout the United States for persons 21 and older …"

The article goes on by interviewing certain people who have a vested interest in Marijuana Prohibition, pro and con. As I said, it's an interesting game but some of the assumptions reach a little far into fantasy to be a serious look ahead. As this segment about the Mexican drug cartels...

"With the spiraling drug mayhem in Mexico, some Latin American leaders looked at legalizing marijuana as a way to deny the murderous cartels a portion of their profits. When it was banned, marijuana was the greatest source of income for Mexican traffickers. Now that it's cultivated domestically and sold legally, surely that has crippled the cartels?

"These are crooks. You're not gonna take 'em out of the criminal activity business," says Robert Almonte, who worked narcotics for 25 years with the El Paso Police Department, just across the river from the ruthless Juarez Cartel. "Because drugs are legalized, they're not gonna say, 'Let's go back to school and get an honest job.' "

I don't think anyone is so naive to think that the cartels will just pack up and go fishing when prohibition is lifted. I would consider the cartels even more dangerous in a post-marijuana world than before because they will recoup their losses elsewhere. Cocaine, krank, heroin, and pharmaceuticals will take up the slack of the loss of revenue from pot. That shit is far more deadly and the profits more stark. If anything, the lives of the Mexican people will take a turn for the worse because more of them will be needed to process the drugs rather than merely growing them. That is, if the Mexican government stays as corrupt and toothless as it has been the last 50 years. Corruption is so embedded into the Mexican government, it might take a revolution to weed out the criminals. However, I'm sorry to say that revolutions south of our borders haven't a great track record of freeing the people. They mostly just change the sign over the door, nothing inside changes.

The New York Times has posted an article about "4/20" and the reemergence of the marijuana culture. They too speak of the changing attitudes about cannabis. Allen St. Pierre, one of the Pot Warriors at NORML, wrote a great article at NPR on the 17th. He makes a great point that I try to reiterate: Pot has its demons too.

"Cannabis is not harmless; no drug is, including aspirin. However, with no measured "lethal dose" and no fatalities on record, cannabis, as compared to alcohol, pharmacologically speaking, is a remarkably safe and nontoxic drug."

There are those who make the case that we don't need another vise, especially at this time of economic downturn and widespread pain and anxiety. Legalize pot and you'll have the whole country stoned. But people are people, we are who we are and if we spark a spliff for a bit of herbal peace then so be it. The thought that the whole country will turn to potheads over night reminds me of the fears that were made when they began to reconsider the first Prohibition.

Al Smith, the famously Catholic governor of New York in the early 1920's ran for president in 1928 as a 'wet' candidate. He favored the repeal of the 18th Amendment which outlawed the sale of alcohol. Herbert Hoover, the man many folks hold responsible for the Great Depression, was content to keep things the way they were. As the election grew closer, Smith, the Democratic candidate was gaining support in a large part through his opposition to prohibition. However, he was a Catholic so this was exploited by the Republican Hoover - go figure. Hoover won the election and prohibition lasted through his term and into the next. Even so, during the campaign, Hoover had to acknowledge the tide changing away from prohibition by promising to appoint a commission to study the its ramifications.

"There have been more sustained pressures to enforce this law than on the whole has been true of any other federal statute, although this pressure in the last four or five years has met with increasing resistance as the sentiment against prohibition has developed . . . . That a main source of difficulty is in the attitude of at least a very large number of respectable citizens in most of our large cities and in several states, is made more clear when the enforcement of the national prohibition act is compared with the enforcement of the laws as to narcotics. There is an enormous margin of profit in breaking the latter. The means of detecting transportation are more easily evaded than in the case of liquor. Yet there are no difficulties in the case of narcotics beyond those involved in the nature of the traffic because the laws against them are supported everywhere by a general and determined public sentiment (Sinclair, 1962: 367-368)."

(from "History of Alcohol Prohibition" by the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse)

Even though this made the case for repeal of the 18th Amendment, 10 of 11 commissioners still opposed it. It wasn't until Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his campaign for president in 1932 that repeal of this amendment was included in his platform. In short, although public sentiment was clearly in favor of repeal, the event itself took years to accomplish. People went out and partied, there was revelry all over, but the Depression was in full swing and people had other things to think about, like survival. Repealing the 18th Amendment didn't destroy America.

So, the likelihood of the end of marijuana prohibition is still far away. But we are still fighting the good fight. States are seriously considering changing laws for medical marijuana and the growing of hemp, each good steps toward legalization. In Colorado, a pro-marijuana ad was broadcast on TV


(the giggle at the end was edited out for broadcast, but it was a cute touch anyway.)

What are we looking at? This August in Seattle, Hempfest will be enjoy the fruits of a somewhat friendly administration and, perhaps, the greatest scrutiny of any past gatherings with regard to the new attitudes toward marijuana. Although the theme of this year's festivities will be on industrial hemp, the talk in the crowd will be centered on when the ball drops on legalization. I caution people against getting too optimistic. I hope to be in the midst of the fray during this whole affair, as well as at Hempfest. I also hope to reconnect with some of the Warriors I've mentioned in this series. I fell out of favor long ago and have been trying to re-establish my cred for awhile now. Voicing opinions is like speeding down a winding road - both require some steering. I forgot that.

Here's a few facts that I've stated but this video puts it out in a frame that I may not have made here. It's the MPP party at the Playboy Mansion last year. This year's party is in June.


Hmmm, my invitation must have got lost in the mail.

The tide is turning. The winds of change are blowing in our direction now but that may not be the case tomorrow. I've been on this roller coaster before. We need real change to happen, that means advocacy at the top and real legislation at the federal level. It can't be just an issue for old hippies and cancer patients. Mom and Pop America have to join the team. Real change takes bold steps by people who would normally not make them. In Congress, we can get one side of the aisle on our side but the other side is in no mood to cooperate. Republicans, true to form, will do everything in their power to scuttle this agenda. They have no soul and care nothing for those who would benefit from legalization.

The media is also not quite on our side. They deal in the sensational, not the informative. News outlets like Fox News and CNN will show every bad angle, every misstep made by the Warriors as we try to get our message out. They don't want the truth, they only want the shock. They want the car wreck, even if they have to grease the road to get it.

So this is up to us. All of us. Each person who feels that marijuana prohibition is wrong has to take a stand and do their part in bringing about its demise.

Note: OK, I did say that Legal Eagles was to be the next part. I'm getting there. This shit isn't as easy as I thought. Stay tuned!

So Mote It Be,
David A.

For what it's worth

America was teabagged yesterday. And not in a good way. We were lulled into a false sense of complacency and the nutbags on the Right slipped their jewels down our throat.

What is with people? My neighbors and coworkers are railing against taxes that went down this year. They complain about the loss of jobs when stimulus money is starting to flow into the economy to boost employment. The fat cats on Wall Street are starting to feel the heat from the scrutiny of regulators for the first time in a decade. The economy sucks big time and they bitch and moan about the only means we have left to breathe life into it. They rant and rave on cue about phantom threats and shadowy government skullduggery that exist only in the raving minds of screechers like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh.

I watched with amazement hundreds if not thousands of my fellow Americans screaming about tearing this country apart. There was no love for America in those crowds. They expressed only love for their own greed self interests. There was no community, no neighbor helping neighbor, only me-me-me. The whole affair, the whole concept was nothing more than a Fox News-coordinated circle jerk of selfishness, greed and scapegoating. I'm sure that while these teabaggers were out at the village square protesting in the rain, the IQ's of their neighborhoods must have went up dramatically.

We are in a economic cesspool and we let it happen. The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves. The wizards of Wall Street found a pot of gold in the way we managed our financial system. Years after Roosevelt put the clamps on creative banking and other financial shenanigans; these Manhattan mountebanks found allies in the halls of power who could crack the lid on that Pandora' Box. Phil Gramm, Jim Leach, and the entire lobbying cabal crafted legislation that took America's pocketbook apart for no other reason than to make certain people, certain connected people, very very very rich.

This wasn't done to help this country. These new laws that opened up the financial world to speculators and diversifiers wasn't conceived to help Mom and Pop America. Gramm himself said as much recently when he called the American people a 'bunch of whiners.' He's an asshole. A greedy, anti-American, self-serving, take-it-all, Republican asshole. And he's not alone.

This whole teabagging farce is ludicrous from the start. These people, clueless to what the fuck they're railing about, are just following the rants and tantrums of a few Republican blowhards. They are lemmings rushing to the sea as their leaders stand aside screaming "There's you salvation! It's out there just beyond the horizon. The Liberals want you to stop, they don't want you to get rich. Keep going! Don't Stop! The Golden Goose is just a bit further."

I watched them protest taxes when their taxes are going down. I watched them protest Obama because he wants to take away their freedoms when they sat idly by as George Bush and Dick Cheney trashed the Constitution. They call me a fascist when they haven't a clue what it means. They compare our duly elected president to the most heinous monster that ever lived. They question his birth for no other reason than the color of his skin. This isn't America. This isn't the country I served when I donned the uniform of the US Navy. These people are selfish, greedy assholes that have no business waving the American flag.

America is better than that. Better than the Glenn Becks, the Michelle Malkins, and the Rush Limbaughs. The America I know comes to the call when shit happens. They watch out for their neighbors and keep an eye on their leaders. They raise their voices when injustice occurs or when Washington starts to go a bit deaf. They know what's up by paying attention to the world around them and speaking out when it starts to wobble. They roll up their sleeves when the tide rushes in and their communities need help. This is the America I grew up in. Are those people dead? Have they left the building with Elvis?

The people I saw on the TV Box protesting yesterday weren't speaking in a single voice like the protests I've been a part of. There was no central theme or single purpose. Each of them were crying out their own disappointment, their own bitch about how this government is keeping them down. Taxes, guns, anger at the prospect of a 'n*****' in the White House, those were the themes I witnessed yesterday.

They rail against taxes but scream bloody fucking murder if there's a pothole in front of their house or the police took too long to come when they called to complain about their liberal neighbor's dog crapping on their lawn. They expect the fire department or the ambulance to come when called, the schools to be open and the water to always come out of the faucet but they don't want to pay for any of it.

They cry and snivel about their right to bear arms when all they want to do is stockpile deadly weapons because they are so afraid and so chickenshit that they jump at every Mexican, are terrified of every Liberal, stone cold petrified that some shadowy imaginary government entity is going to show up at their door, knock it down and take all their toys away. The only purpose these firearms serve, besides a substitute for Viagra, is so they can blow off their own toe or give their kids an opportunity to put a hole in their best friend's head.

They scream and stomp in measured words and gestures about how they want the President to release his birth certificate because they can't allow themselves to believe that America voted for a black man. I use the n-word (censured) because that's the word they dance around in public but have no problem saying within their circle of racist idiots.

• No one wants to take away their guns if they are legally able to own them. Assault weapons were illegal for years before Bush and should be made illegal again without taking away those already legally purchased.
  
• Taxes are uncomfortable but necessary. I am proud to pay my share of the tax burden and think that as an American, each of us should feel the same. I get bent out of shape when I hear about some mega-corporation who, by opening a post office box in the Bahamas, can skirt paying their fair share of taxes. These loopholes should be closed and right fucking now. The protesters say no. They want corporations to have these tax breaks. This alone shows us how clueless these blockheads are.
  
• As for the racism I saw yesterday, it was disgusting. The ones who were open about it weren't the most heinous, it was the folks who danced and shuffled around the fact that they were damned angry that their reasonable friends and neighbors put a black man in charge. Not only that, what is really cramping their gut is the glaring and inescapable fact that he is damned good at the job and is far and away the most qualified person to bring about the salvation of this country. And there's more...the cherry on top of their dismay is the simple fact that most of America knows it and isn't afraid to say so. President Obama is doing a fantastic job and 68% of Americans expect him to pull us out of this mess.
  

This kind of right wing bullshit is the anchor that will keep us from getting to the end of this economic shitstorm. We have the tools to put our economic house in order but the agents of stagnation left over from the Bush Administration won't have it. In order for America to get free of this bullshit, we are going to have to rein in the greedy bastards that scuttled us in the first place. They spent the last 20 years sucking their wealth off our teat and won't give it up without a fight. Even now, there's reaction to just the hint of re-regulation in the markets. Some of the morons in the streets yesterday were holding signs that called for the government to back off the big money greedy bastards that crapped on us in the first place. My God, do these people even read their own protest signs? What part of a reasonable person would want to keep these greedy fuckwads pissing in our well? I guess I answered that already.

They had their time in the spotlight. Fux News creamed all over themselves promoting it and inflating their numbers, like we didn't see that coming. Hopefully, we can let this foolishness fade into the black hole of history and we can get back to work shoveling out the stables. But Fux News won't let it rest. They're going to keep harping and screeching and bloviating until they cause another nutbag to pop a gasket and shoot up a school or workplace.

It's going to happen and keep happening until Mom and Pop America realize that they need to change the channel and watch reruns of Gilligan's Island rather than Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly. They need to go out to the garden and get the seeds in the ground and stop listening to that walking pusbag Rush Limbaugh. We have better things to do, more important activities to get busy with. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us that the government can't get done by itself. We are the government too. If we are to climb our asses out of this hole, we have to stop shoveling and start going up. If the Republicans refuse to cooperate, fuck 'em. Kick 'em in the nuts, jump on their backs and climb out of the goddamn hole! Let them fail. That seems to be the only thing they're really good at.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Charity begins at home

If you haven't already, go over to the Ornery Bastard for BK's post on charity. He puts it out there like no one else can. It's real, it's succinct, and it's raw...just the way it has to be. No flowery verse, no pussyfooting around; just wholesale truth, naked and impertinent.

The kind of truth that gets served to you when you fuck up.

Well, we fucked up. This country is in a tailspin and thousands of our neighbors are in a fucking sinkhole. Good people, damn good people of every color, shape, religion, and status are swirling around the bowl like the last turd. What are we doing about it?

I watched President Obama's speech yesterday and I was moved. Not because it was a rousing barnburner or the greatest oratory since Lincoln at Gettysburg; no, I was taken by it's simplicity. He spelled out what the fuck is going on with the economy, what he plans to do about it and why. He is telling us 'Why'. When was the last time a president went on national television to tell us in plain ol' fucking english why he's doing something? Certainly not in the last eight years.

Busted Knuckles saw shit happening in his community and, instead of walking back into his house, plopping in front of the TV and saying "that's too bad. Those were nice people", he went over and gave them a hand up. It wasn't much but it was huge. A few cans of goods, a meal shared, that's all it takes. You see your neighbors suffer and you lend a hand. Anything to make their pain go away even if for only a short time.

That's how we will get back up to where we were. The only way to get out of this toilet bowl is to grasp hold of your neighbor's hand and crawl the fuck out. We can't count on the government to do it alone. the president said as much yesterday. He will put things right in Washington, we need to put things right in our hometowns. The programs he's put forth will have an effect but that's a ways down the road. For now, it's up to us.

Right now, if you've been holding your gut and watching the nimrods on Fox spewing about their 'teabagging' bullshit, you know that there are some folks in our communities that just don't get it. These are the fucks that sit on the porch and cuss at the paperboy. They see foodbanks and community service groups as 'socialist hotbeds of Liberal Fascists' or 're-education centers for the indoctrination of our youth' .

You can't connect with these people, I'm afraid they're gone too far up the rectum of the Right. There's no way to bring them back. The best way we can deal with them is to keep one eye open and move on. Watchdogs like David Neiwert will keep the hounds at bay with his investigative spotlight.

So, there you have it. You want to get out of this mess? Do you want to get back to the good times? Tired of paying $600 dollars in bills with $400 every damn fucking month? Then get involved.

"Unity in things necessary, liberty in things doubtful, charity in everything." Anonymous

Here are some places to start:

Feeding America (formerly Second Harvest)

Grow your own. Find a spot. Get a box. Even on your deck, you can grow something. Yes we can!

Community Service. Get out of your fucking house and talk to your neighbors. Get to know them, find out what they need and do what you can to help. Get your children involved so they can start on the road to giving of themselves. That's a damn sight better than those ipod-grasping, twittering, cellphone texting, bullshit yuppie spawn that herd up over at the mall.

Be Aware! Keep your eyes open to the bullshit that's being flung by the Right. This 'teaparty' bullshit is just the start. After it fizzles in the rain, their frustration will grow. When hundreds, not thousands of people show up the ridicule will be intense. They won't take it very well. We have to be ready for anything.


I'm not saying anything that we don't already know. BK just did what had to be done and we take note of it 'cause it has to be noticed. This shit should be second nature, no big thing, just part of living in America. But it's not and that's a damn shame. But we can bring it back. BK mentioned his grandparents' experience in the Great Depression. We all have those stories in our families.

In mine, my mother talks about going to the orchards in the fall and picking up apples off the ground. The trees were off limits but the orchardist would let folks pick up the fruit that fell. As a boy in the 30's, Dad had to go live with his uncle on the Colville Reservation because my grandparents were too poor to live as a family. Grandma lived with her brother and his family and Grandpa lived in a row house with fellow loggers. But they got together on Sunday to eat as a family. Today, Dad grows a hell of a garden and makes sure that all the food is taken. What they don't eat, they give to the food bank.

You would think that people who grew up without much would be greedy and selfish. I haven't found that to be the case. The most greedy, selfish people I know had it all as kids. They wanted for nothing, had grand birthday parties, cars for their 16th and free ride to college. Those folks would kick a man to take his last dime. They are Republicans.

We start now and by the height of summer we will have made a difference in people's lives. Community service is contagious. It spreads like wildfire when it comes from the heart. Even those with nothing can find something to give.

It's Stone Soup.

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Light Posting

Just a quick note to say I've been remiss in posting much lately. I'm having some medical work done and it leaves me a bit swirly.

So, bear with me as I get this doctor shit over and done with, then we can get back to saving the universe.

Here's a little gem for you in the meantime...



Always loved Huckleberry Hound.

Update: This one's for Grandpa Eddie... Thanks for the good words.



Daffy can trip with the best of them. Yoiks and Away!

So Mote It Be,
David A.

Barack Obama has been spooked

Our president is afraid. He's terrified of the Spooks. I'm not talking about haunted houses or grim apparitions that go bump in the night; I'm talking about spies.

Spooks, or undercover agents, are letting our president know in certain terms that their loyalty is dependent on his willingness to keep the lid on any investigation of misdeeds, torture, and unconstitutional activities of the Bush Administration. The intelligence agencies like the CIA, NSA, DIS, etc. are making it very clear that they want this whole investigation of the previous administration placed forever under the rug.

So, why is the president afraid of these goons? The people, by every poll and measure of popular sentiment is firmly behind bringing the rule of law back to Washington DC and prosecuting the people that took America into the dark places. Why is it taking so long to get a real investigation going over the crimes of the Bush Administration? Crimes were committed. We have convictions, we have evidence, we have perpetrators, why don't we have more trials?

When Obama took office, he faced a complex of Capital City brick walls. He was an outsider that was chosen by people who were more than a little pissed off at the conventional wisdom and the insular bubble of Washington DC. He came into power to make change, change that was a definitive threat to that bubble. One of his first tasks was to take on the mantle of law enforcer, seek out the people that took us to war on a pack of lies and who shredded the Constitution for their own nefarious needs. However, he got schooled as soon as he stepped into the Oval Office for the first time.

The Spooks came for him. They were probably waiting in the Oval Office as he walked in. They represented the entire intelligence community. They had but one message: Back off.

Obama's advisers were the first to cave. Obama couldn't govern without the cooperation of the intelligentsia, the Spooks. The last thing you want is to piss off the Spooks, you'll find your stay in the White House shorter than you thought. John Kennedy found that out.

The Blogs and the Independent media have been screaming for investigations of the Bush Cabal. We've been tearing our collective hair out trying to get Obama to commit to starting an investigation of the Bush Crimes. The evidence is out there. You would have to be a complete moron or a Republican to not see it. What is taking so long?

Obama was still being independent when he choose Leon Panetta to head the CIA. Panetta was no Spook. He is a policy wonk, a government insider. He was an Obama man. The Spooks didn't take this too well. They wanted one of their own. They wanted a career man, a person who had a few CIA skeletons in his closet that could be used to keep him 'honest' or in line. They want the status quo.
Basically, they want Obama to keep his hands off the Agency.

Our intelligentsia, the Spooks, have spent the last eight years doing what they do best. They've been fulfilling every Spooks fantasy by interrogating Iraqi prisoners in less than legal ways. They've been listening in on private phone conversations by ordinary people regardless of the constitutionality. They've been making people disappear into foreign countries so that other agencies can have some interrogation fun. Eight years of good times. Seems a shame that it all has to end.

Enter the Obama Administration and Change We Can Believe In. They were waiting for him.

Ever since the inauguration, Obama has been slowly but steadily moving away from initiating any investigation of the Bush Crimes. He has been Spooked.

It's going to take a lot of pressure to get Obama to change his mind. He still uses that old standby "We need to look forward, not backward". He will risk setting himself against the Spooks, something that may be more powerful than popular sentiment.

My question to President Obama is simply: Just who is running this country, We, the People or the Spooks?

So Mote It Be,
David A.