Small and mean and petty

Like many of you, I listened to or watched much of John McCain's memorial services this week. Today I watched the funeral held at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. 

I've been pondering this all week as I've watched, and Charlie Pierce had a good piece in Esquire that made me think that I wasn't the only one thinking that Senator McCain might have been giving the current "president" a big old eff you as he planned his own funeral.

As I watched the eulogies today, I wondered if I was over-thinking what some of the speakers were saying. Was I searching for meaning where there wasn't any? Was I projecting? Was I hoping that some of these family members and statesmen were issuing rebukes? 

Well, Meghan McCain was pretty obviously rebuking the "president," and I suspect that her death stare was directed at Ivanka and Jared on more than one occasion. But what about Presidents Bush and Obama? Was I reading too much into their words? 

Nope. I wasn't the only one who saw and heard what was happening. It wasn't just me and my friends; it was reporters covering it. They saw it, too. 

Whether it was President Bush talking about Sen. McCain detesting the abuse of power or bigots and swaggering, or President Obama saying that "our public discourse can seem small and mean and petty, trafficking in bombast and insult and phony controversies and manufactured outrage. It's a politics that pretends to be brave and tough, but in fact is born of fear. John called on us to be bigger than that. He called on us to be better than that," they were issuing a stinging rebuke to the politics that the current "president" has foisted upon our country. 

I was struck this week by just how "small and mean and petty" this person in the Oval Office seems in comparison to Senator McCain. Believe me, I am not suddenly a person who thinks that McCain walked on water. I disagreed with him on so much and I'll never forget that he issued in this current "know-nothing" movement by his choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate. 

But I never once doubted that he had done his best to serve his country, that he was an honorable person, and that he loved his country. I have many doubts of the current "president" about all of these things. From "I like people who weren't captured" to this:

"It’s amazing, I can’t even believe it. I’ve been so lucky in terms of that whole world, it is a dangerous world out there. It’s like Vietnam, sort of. It is my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave soldier,” Trump said in the interview when Howard Stern asked how he handled making sure he wasn’t contracting STDs from the women he was sleeping with." (People magazine.)

Well, here's some straight talk, you miserable excuse for a human being. You were neither a great nor a very brave soldier. You were just some asshole spending his daddy's money and screwing his way through Manhattan. You don't get a Purple Heart for that, you jerk. Any dumbass can screw around. All you need is a dick. No courage is involved.

My heart goes out to the entire McCain family. I spoke at my own Dad's funeral eight and a half years ago and I know how tough it is to say goodbye and to speak during that time. Meghan, you did great and your Dad would be proud. 

Apparently, the "president" headed out to play golf after Meghan's eulogy. He also spent the morning tweeting rather than showing an ounce of respect to McCain and his family by keeping his yap shut. How shocking. Everything the "president" has done this week has highlighted how his character pales in comparison to so many others. 

Did John McCain plan this to remind us all of how politics can and should be in our country? I suspect that he did. I know that my Mom has been watching and I hope that other family and friends who support the "president" take this service and the words of the speakers to heart, as well as the decades of service that John McCain gave to his country. 

The rhetoric of the "president" is antithetical to who we are as a country, to our values, and to our Constitution. As his misdeeds begin to come back to haunt him, and as Robert Mueller closes in on him, he becomes increasingly isolated and more dangerous. Perhaps Senator McCain's death and funeral will serve to remind us all of who we are and who we want to be. 

We can hope. And we can act. Patriotism demands it. 

You got to know when to hold ‘em

Article first published as You Got to Know When to Hold 'Em on Blogcritics.

Obama’s P-P-P-Poker Face

A long time ago (way back during the 2008 presidential campaign...it seems like a lifetime), I wrote a blog entry about an article I’d read in Time. The article was about the nominees’ gambling styles. There was some commentary that it was an irrelevant and foolish fluff piece, but I disagreed at the time, and I still do.

John McCain apparently loves craps. One of the riskiest games you can play in the casino, the only strategy involved in craps is how and where to place your bets, and the odds of what you will roll; the roll of the die is completely random, and whether you win or lose is completely dependent on your rolls and that of others. It is a game of high risk and high reward...or high losses. You can win big, but with one roll you can also lose everything you have on the table. It’s a definite rush if you’re winning, but the next thing you know, you’re wiped out and walking away.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, is a poker player. Poker is a more deliberative game, in which a smart player can go far. As with all gambling endeavors, there is risk involved, but a savvy player will know not only the odds of getting certain hands, they will bet accordingly and wisely. A big part of poker strategy also involves bluffing and doing your best to not give away your hand, whether good or bad. Apparently, he is pretty good at it.

I was reminded of this article and my subsequent thoughts on it by the events of the past week and our mission to kill Bin Laden. Many articles referred to the “gamble” the President took, and one journalist ran into him at the correspondent’s dinner and said there was “no tell.” Every poker player looks for the other players’ tells, and tries to not have one or at least hide it as best they can.

The President took a calculated risk with this mission. I’ve read that the certainty that Bin Laden was in that particular compound varied from 60-90%. The risks involved were great here, more along the lines of craps rather than poker. A failed mission would have been disastrous for the military members involved, for the President, and for his foreign policy credibility. A successful one would...well, we saw what it did, didn’t we? The congratulations were grudging and in some cases non-existent, but overall, no one could dispute that the death of Osama Bin Laden was a good thing for our country, for our world, and yes, for the President.

Still, the risks were calculable, and based on years of intelligence-gathering, the President did indeed go all-in. He bet not only on the accuracy of the information gathered by various intelligence agencies, he bet on the talents, training, and sheer gutsiness of the military team involved. He also may have gambled on his second term as President.

He won big. He won in a raking-in-the-pot sort of way. There will always be those who disagree with his policies, but it’s hard to not recognize and admit that in this case, he was a cool customer who took a big chance and walked away a winner. We’re a long way away from the 2012 election, but this particular gamble may pay off in spades. Or as Congressman Anthony Weiner might say, “Aces!”

Beth’s Books

I don’t intend to turn this into a book blog—you all know I’ve got more interests than just that—but I’ve read a couple of good ones recently and wanted to write about them. They both have to do with politics, so that’s in keeping with one of my favorite subjects!

First is The Great Derangement by Matt Taibbi. I first became familiar with Taibbi as a columnist for Rolling Stone, when my friend Darren recommended his writing to me; one of Taibbi’s most memorable articles there dealt with the tea partiers. Taibbi’s style is irreverent and, to borrow a word most often used with another RS writer, gonzo. The subject of this book is twofold. He writes about our broken political system, in which our politicians follow the money and influence. Public airing of legislative procedures on C-SPAN is usually limited to important things like renaming post office branches; the big-ticket stuff goes on behind the scenes, in late-night meetings, with little public discussion. Taibbi is obviously left-leaning, but he shares equal contempt for the politicians of both sides.

I try to stay engaged and informed when it comes to politics, but it’s disturbing to think that my participation matters very little in the process. I’m not going to relinquish my right to vote, and I’m not going to become overly cynical about politics in general. It’s easy to do that, and the truth of the matter would probably lead any halfway intelligent person to that conclusion. But simply opting out is not a viable alternative to me. It’s still discouraging to think about just how much corruption is taking place, though.

The other subject matter I found even more fascinating. The heathen Taibbi decided to check out the fundamentalist evangelical faction by going undercover and joining Pastor John Hagee’s church in San Antonio. You might remember Hagee as the guy who said that Hurricane Katrina was God’s punishment on a New Orleans that embraces and celebrates homosexuality. Yeah, that guy. I found Taibbi’s experience to be fascinating. I wasn’t really surprised at any of the dogma expressed by those in the church; I’ve heard plenty of similar things throughout my life. I suppose I found it fascinating because I’ve heard it all before. It’s the party line.

Taibbi participates in a weekend getaway with the church. He progresses far enough up the ladder to be invited to a workshop about how to witness to people, and joins two other church members in a rather embarrassing visit to a mall to evangelize. One exchange that I found particularly amusing is when Matt role-plays with the group leader in learning about how to talk to people about the good word. When the group leader asks him if he feels that God would judge him according to the ten commandments, Matt says it’s an irrelevant question because he doesn’t believe in God. When the group leader protests that it’s written in the Bible, Matt says he doesn’t care, because he doesn’t believe in the Bible. This throws the group leader for quite a loop. Matt says, “I’m just repeating what non-believers might say. That’s all.”

In a previous life, I recall having discussions with someone who just kept quoting scripture. I said something to the effect of, “Can you please just talk to me and tell me what YOU think, rather than quoting scripture at me?” He couldn’t do it. He was so far up the ass of the church he’d joined that he just couldn’t stop the conditioned response and rote regurgitation of what what being fed to him. I found Taibbi’s conversation so fascinating because it’s interesting to see how people respond to someone telling them that not only do they not believe that the Bible is the literal word of God, they don’t even believe in God. It seems to really perplex them...like it is just so far outside their realm of possibility that they just can’t wrap their minds around it.

The book ended on a rather sad note. After heading back to New York, he eventually came back to San Antonio to have lunch with one of the women that he’d become friends with in the church. She was having a hard time, because she was wasn’t fitting in at the church...she didn’t know how to play the political games there (and just like any place that involves a large number of people, there ARE political games), and she wasn’t feeling accepted. (I’ll have more to write on this topic soon.) Anyway, Taibbi is an excellent writer, and this is an excellent book. Highly recommended!

Next was Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. This was an account of the presidential primaries for the 2008 election, and the election itself. Like many of you, I followed that election very closely, and I remember so much of what is discussed in this book. Sometimes verbatim. The title of the book comes from how seemingly small things loomed large in this particular race, and ended up being game changers. A phrase, a look, an indiscretion, a misspoken word, a wrong note struck. A vice-presidential pick that came as a complete surprise, and after initially firing up the base, went horribly awry.

This book is worth a read just for the chapter that deals with McCain’s choice of Palin as his running mate, and his campaign’s attempts to...dare I say it? Yes, I dare. His campaign’s attempts to put lipstick on a pig. Inadequate vetting and a candidate unwilling and perhaps unable to learn the basics of what she needed to know were a recipe for disaster. I don’t take this book as the full truth, but based on everything I’ve read and what I’ve seen of Palin, I know that this woman doesn’t belong anywhere near the White House. When McCain chose her, I felt that he was pandering to the conservative base and attempting to garner female voters, and I condemned him for making a purely cynical choice; I still feel that way, and I still feel that he traded what little honor he had left in order to make a last-ditch attempt to get votes. If he truly thought that she was capable of being the leader of the free world if something happened to him, it shows what a doddering old fool he is, and that he put his victory in November above his country. I’ll just say it outright: if you think Sarah Palin is capable of running this country, you don’t have its best interests at heart. Neither did McCain.

Halperin and Heilemann aren’t lapdogs for the Democrats. They speak of Obama’s sometimes overwhelming arrogance; they speak of Clinton’s poorly managed campaign and the harm that President Clinton inflicted upon it; John Edwards’ all-too-human failings are examined, and Elizabeth Edwards’ irrational behavior is addressed.

I suppose that much of the book was political gossip, but I read enough during that campaign to know that it wasn’t far off the mark. It was a fun and interesting read, and an enjoyable reminder of what was truly a historic and game-changing election. I think it had a happy ending, too!

A new year, a new start

I hope everyone had a good time at whatever New Year soirees you chose to attend! I was with a small group of family members at my sister's house, and we all got silly with Rock Band. It was great, as always, to see my niece Jen (she was visiting from San Diego), and I sure wish we lived closer! I also got to know a little better a young lady who I guess would be my great-niece by marriage. She was just the coolest kid, wearing an awesome hat, putting up with all of us coots...haha! It's really great to be around a cool kid like that. It gives me hope for our future.

Anyway, as far as I know, there are no pictures from that night, which I am quite happy about. Full disclosure is highly overrated.

Well, the Republicans took the reins of the House of Representatives this week. I suppose the title of this entry sounds fairly optimistic. I generally am an optimistic person, but I see very little to make me feel that way as I watch this change. I wouldn't say that I'm pessimistic; I don't believe this is the end of our country, unlike the cries we heard from the conservative right about, for example, the passage of the health care bill signaling Armageddon. Who would say such a silly thing? That would be our current Speaker of the House, John Boehner. (Just so you don't think I'm lying, that's a FoxNews link.)

I started to look for a picture of him to put up here, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead, I chose something pretty and non-orange.

I don't know...I listen to the things being said and I feel an odd mixture of disgust, hilarity, outrage, and disbelief. I'm doing my best to go with the hilarity part (apparently Michele Bachmann is considering a run for President...HAHAHA!), because I really want to believe that we'll get through this. The truth is that this is far from a new start. There might be a change of guard in the House, but we seem to have gone back a few decades to a time when women stayed at home and knew when to keep quiet and knew when to make sandwiches and anyone who caught teh Gay did their best to pray it away and all those black folk just plain knew their place and shut the hell up. I suppose that's a bit of an exaggeration. Oh, except I heard Boehner say in his interview with Brian Williams that aired tonight that what he wants for kids is to have the America that he grew up in.

That's coming from a guy with eleven siblings.

::sigh:: I'm pretty sure we'll be okay. There will be a lot of things happening that make me feel ill, but I believe we'll ultimately survive. What bothers me the most about Boehner's statement, one that is echoed by teabaggers far and wide, is that he and his ilk just don't seem to understand that the America of his youth (and mine, since we're about the same age) is gone. As Roland Deschain would say, "The world has moved on." Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I suppose it depends on your outlook. Although I certainly miss the simplicity of those times, and recall my childhood with fondness, I know that there have been many amazing advances in many disciplines. Socially, medically, technically...so many good things. However, the American Dream is out of reach for more and more people these days. There is a growing gap between the richest among us and the poorest. We continue to give breaks to the richest rather than asking them to pay a proportionately higher share of taxes.

Why is this happening? I was listening to a story on NPR the other day (Boehner and his cronies want to consider defunding NPR, despite the fact that only a fraction of their funding comes from the federal government...just thought I'd mention that.) that talked about the very good wages for manufacturing jobs in countries like Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. Why are they able to keep such jobs and keep the wages high, much higher than those paid for American manufacturing jobs? The MIT professor being interviewed said that although there are many factors, education is key. These countries have a highly-educated workforce, and that education continues with job training. If an employee loses their job, they are easily able to obtain another because they are highly skilled workers.

I know that there is much more to our problems than this one part, but education is certainly key. We don't place a premium on higher education, and more and more people are unable to afford it. I laughed out loud when Boehner gave Brian Williams his advice for young people, which included "Get a good education." It seems a little disconnected to be advocating a good education when your party is not only giving the super-rich huge tax breaks, it is ridiculing those with a college education as some sort of "elites," especially if they went to an Ivy League college, or happen to live on the east coast or the west coast, anywhere but Real America™, or if they frequent liberal bastions like the salons of Georgetown.

It's a big world out there, with all kinds of people, not just rich straight white (or orange) Republicans, and if we want to compete on a global level--which is the only way to compete now--we have to place a high value on education and stop ridiculing those who actually get one as some sort of "elites."

Gayroller 2000

Hey, before I forget, you might recall that a while back, I wrote about people treating you shabbily and then asking for money. I neglected to mention in my latest entry that the people hating and hoping for a slow, painful death are also some of the people asking for money. That's right: Give me money and then fucking die! Die slowly, painfully, and alone!

Isn't that just dandy? I really can't help but laugh about it. Someone has much to learn about how the real world works, and someone has a hard lesson ahead of them. Someone is seriously lacking in negotiation skills. Someone should never be an ambassador. Hello, World War III! Do you hear that dry, crinkly sound? That's the sound of the money tree slowly and inevitably withering and dying. Reality bites, life's a bitch, and oh yeah, life goes on. Just ask Jack and Diane.

I briefly mentioned the repeal of the discriminatory DADT policy, but it's worth a little more time and space. Obviously, I'm quite happy about this. I feel it is a civil rights issue, and the policy was discriminatory and wrong. It's been amusing to see some of the arguments against it. The usual...disruptive to our troops, especially in life during wartime (I got some groceries...some peanut butter...should last a couple of days. Jeez, everything is reminding me of songs at the moment!), showering with gays, blahbitty blah blay blue. I hear all this stuff and I wonder why those opposed weren't more vocal when we started hearing about the culture of rape and sexual assault against women in the military, and the failure of the military to fully address that issue? I guess if it's women getting raped, it's not that big of a deal, but even the mere thought of gays getting all rapey and junk with *gasp* other men is enough to send them into apoplectic fits and result in a terminal case of the vapors. Give me a break.

Senator John McCrankypants was the biggest foe, getting all thrombo on the Senate floor and on the verge of blowing out a vein. I honestly don't think he realizes what a complete and utter joke he's become with his endless opposition to the repeal. It was initially "Sure, I'll go along with it if the military brass says it's time." The brass said it's time. Then it was "Well, it needs to be studied." Study conducted. Then it was "This study is flawed." Why didn't he just propose something more preposterous, like "I'll support this when the moon turns red."

D'oh!

I even saw someone comment that what really galled them was that the man repealing this was someone who had never served in the military and has no idea of the culture there. Two things: President Obama repeals nothing; Congress does. Also, the man who initially put this flawed and discriminatory law into place also never served in the military. Your argument is invalid, jerkwad.

I'm so tired of hearing the same old argument about how homosexuality is a choice, and that it is morally wrong because the Bible says so. Here is a newsflash: we don't legislate according to your religious text, no matter who you are. You do not get to dictate how the rest of the country behaves, and you do not get to decide what is morally wrong or right based on your religious dogma. Some people just don't seem to get that. This is a civil rights issue, every bit as much as blacks, Jews, and women serving in the military, which also met with opposition before things were set right. (I guarantee that scripture was quoted in the arguments concerning those groups serving.) That's not even an issue here, because the majority of both military and civilians say that it is the right thing to do. I guess McCain only wants to listen to his constituents when it fits with his own prejudices and biases. Man, that guy needs to retire.

The title of this entry and the picture I included comes from one of my favorite online comics, The Oatmeal. The Gayroller appeared in his strip about how to properly use the word 'literally', and it's one of my favorites. I'll wait here while you read it. tap tap tap See, wasn't that funny? I love it. I even ordered a Gayroller T-shirt when The Oatmeal was having a holiday sale. (I also ordered this one. LOL!)

So get used to it, all you haters. The Gayroller 2000 is coming to get you! But they don't want to squish you or even convert you. They just want you to accept them. Heck, I think they wouldn't even care if you don't accept them...just as long as you give them the rights that are afforded to them under the Constitution. It belongs to them, too, you know.

Is it possible to be too cool?

I don't mean in a badass cool kind of way. Everyone knows it is impossible to be too cool in that way.

I'm talking about in a passionate sort of way. President Obama has a reputation as a relatively unflappable guy. We can never know what he's like in person, but his public persona is definitely one that might include words like "cucumber" and "ice." Personally, I've always liked that about him. If you read his books or listen to his speeches, you can tell that he is most certainly passionate about his philosophies and ideas. However, when it comes to staying cool under pressure, he's as good as anyone I've seen.

Remember during the election, when everyone realized that the economy had almost folded? That was in September. McCain's choice of Palin as running mate had fired up the right wing base; her handlers were still keeping her from the press, so no one knew yet what a dim bulb she really is; McCain was making progress in the polls, and the results were a virtual dead heat. Then the economy crisis hit. Obama's reaction was to study the problem and try to put together what had happened and what could be done, both now and in the future so the chances of this happening again are lessened. McCain's strategy, after three days of congressional hearings, was to announce that he was [cue trumpet sound] suspending his campaign, and the scheduled debate with Obama should be postponed! This was so he could rush to Washington to see what he could do to solve the problem! He probably even pictured himself riding into D.C. on a white horse (It sure as hell wouldn't be a black horse...HA! I couldn't resist.), but all I could think was, "What does he think that is going to accomplish?" I saw it as an attempt to grab headlines (McCain Suspends Campaign To Deal With Financial Crisis!) rather than any sort of real effort or belief that he could possibly do any good.

Of course, it did no good whatsoever, and his participation in discussions was limited. The day that he announced he was suspending his campaign, he canceled an appearance on Letterman...and then was caught on tape getting made up for an appearance with Katie Couric on CBS News. Letterman ridiculed him thoroughly, and the video of him sitting in the makeup chair was quite funny when compared with his urgent need to get back to Washington. In short, McCain came across as looking like a kneejerk reactionary trying to garner some free headlines, while Obama appeared deliberative and serious. I think it was a big turning point in the campaign. It certainly solidified my choice, because it only strengthened my belief of who would react better in a crisis. (And I believe that has been borne out.)

With the continued crisis of the Gulf oil spill, the Obama administration has taken heat for not handling the crisis better, or perhaps sooner. I think the latter is a bogus charge; they were informed and engaged from day one. Were there things they could have done differently or better? I don't know for sure, although the President himself has said there is always room for improvement, and takes ultimate responsibility for being in charge of the management of the crisis. I think it's being blown out of proportion by his opponents. Not the crisis, of course. That's about as bad as bad can get. But I think his critics are claiming that he has mishandled this, and I don't believe that's true. I was not pleased that he authorized the drilling; the shortsightedness of those chanting "Drill, baby, drill!" (nottomentionanynamesSarahPalin), the foolish belief that this would help decrease our dependence on foreign oil (it's a drop in the oil barrel), the inability to see the consequences of what might happen in a worst-case scenario (I guess we're seeing that now, aren't we?)...any short term gains have not only been wiped out by this disaster, they have been mind-bogglingly obliterated. A huge swath of fragile environment, thousands of animals and birds, a fragile ecosystem, oyster farms, people's livelihoods...all wiped out.

The responsibility for this disaster does not lie solely upon any one person or entity or administration. People fucked up on many levels based on what I'm reading, whether it was laxity on the issue of permits, special interest pandering, companies like Halliburton letting faulty work get by (Hmm, Halliburton...why does that ring a bell?), BP sacrificing safety for profit...it's sickening and tragic in every way, and we can't even begin to know the long term effects of this horror. But that isn't the point of this entry. I know we're all heartsick and disgusted about it, and I can hardly bear to look at the pictures.

Back to the cool factor. Along with the criticism of the Obama administration for their handling of this, I'm reading criticism of him personally, saying that he is too cool about this, that he doesn't understand the full impact of this disaster, doesn't sympathize with those who make their living from the ocean or those who simply love it, just doesn't feel passionately enough about this. When he showed a glimpse of his personal involvement in this, talking about his daughter Malia asking if he'd plugged the hole yet, professional asshole Glenn Beck (and he's highly successful in that endeavor) mocked not the President, but his daughter for asking the question, ridiculing her and questioning her education. If you found that in any way funny, please stop following me right now. I don't want your readership. Seriously.

I understand the President on this one. I have, on occasion, been accused of being "cold-hearted." I think anyone who really knows me knows that is far from true. In some respects, I'm far too tender-hearted for my own good. I still remember hitting a cat on my way home from work one evening...this was probably fifteen years ago, and I remember exactly how pretty it looked, just as if it were sleeping, except for the vacant eyes. I remember hitting a squirrel that ran out in front of my car several years ago here, and how I cried when I walked back out to the road and confirmed that I had indeed crushed it. I remember picking up a hummingbird that had broken its neck on the window, cradling the poor little thing in my hands and stroking its tiny little head. I am far from cold-hearted.

But when it comes to moments of true crisis--all of the above are tragic moments, but not true crises--I tend to shut down. I put on my stoic face, I go into crisis management mode, and I can be very aloof. I'm the person who, if we were in a crisis together and you flipped the fuck out, would grab you by the shoulders and shake you, smack you across the face if I had to, tell you to get a grip, and direct you to do what needed to be done. We all deal with grief, anger, and other strong emotions in our own ways. I tend to keep my moments like that personal, and in the presence of others do my best to keep my cool. I do not collapse from grief. You can call it right or wrong to deal with things that way, but if we were on a plane crash together, would you rather have some dipshit collapsing and wailing in the aisle so that no one could get through, or would you rather have me yanking him to his feet and telling him to shut up or get out of the way? Would you rather have the histrionic John McCain suspending his campaign or Barack Obama learning more about the situation and knowing what can and can't be done in the short term?

Would you rather have a highly emotional President who reacts with extreme passion (maybe faux-crying like Glenn Beck) or one who tries to remain calm while all about him are losing their shit? I know which one I want. This criticism of the President's "lack of passion" is ridiculous. I know quite well that it is possible to feel passionately about something but remain calm. It is highly desirable to lead rather than to panic. If one person is able to keep their shit together, it can calm others down and get them to do the same. No one can think clearly when in a state of panic. Throwing one's hands in the air and wailing "Oh Jeebus, what do we doooo?" does no one any good. What we DO is start thinking about things clearly and rationally, formulate a plan, and then get to work.

If you don't want to be a part of that, then get the fuck out of the way.

So far, I prefer this sort of tweet

I like you, Oreo. Twitter, not so much!

I'm feeling the same way I felt when I joined Facebook...for the love of God, what have I done? But the allure of reading tweets from people like Sarah Palin (Did you know that wild Alaskan seafood can help combat world hunger?), John McCain (Did you know that he thinks closing the U.S./Mexico border might be necessary if the flu outbreak worsens? Hahaha!), and the lunatic fringe ramblings of people like Karl Rove and Newt Gingrich is just too strong to resist. The humor factor for me could be huge! Meghan McCain is hilarious...she was planning on having a Whopper at the airport Burger King, because that's the way she rolls...and she wrote "OMFG!" about a story she'd read. She’s pretty cool.

The plan is to not spend too much time on there (yeah, right...but I have been spending less time on Facebook, so it could happen), but it looks like it might be fun. You can find me under my screen name, Luvrte66. If you see me following people like Palin and Newt, don't panic. It's just for giggles. I haven't decided if I'm going to follow them, though...not sure I want to get constant updates like that.

I'm none too pleased with Twitter at the moment, though, because I thought it would be neat to change my background a bit, maybe use my cool formica pattern that I use in the header here, and every time I tried, it would not take me to that screen. Anger, frustration, and irritation! I am stepping away from it for the moment, and I shall re-engage at a later time.

I’ll think happy thoughts, like about how easy I am to please. We went to Staples today to get nametag holders for Ken's PMI meeting later this week, and I found a tiny little keychain calculator for 99 cents. No more trying to do long division on the back of my grocery list at the grocery store! I can punch away with abandon on my cute little keychain calc! All that paper, all those pens and notebooks, and I walked out of there only 99 cents lighter. Ken called me a spendthrift, and I said, "It could have been much worse. Believe me."

Not exactly a ringing endorsement…and next, a song!

Not really any commentary on this. I just sort of cracked up when I heard Senator McCain's response when asked whether he would support Governor Palin in a presidential run. (Please be patient. It might load slowly because it's from MSNBC. Thank you. The Management)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

And now for some happy video. A while back, I mentioned this phrase from a song: "New York London Paris Munich, everybody talk about Pop Musik!" and said that anyone who guessed the artist would get a Silver Squirrel. I have to say, I'm very disappointed in you, young ladies and young men. No one stepped up to the plate and made a guess. [sigh] I do and do and DO for you kids, and this is the thanks I get? Oy.

However, I was cheered up tonight when I had a little exchange with Cousin Shane on Facebook. Shane put up a picture and played Guess the City, and just to be silly, I posted that phrase from the song. One of Shane's friends said that he loves that song, and I mentioned the Silver Squirrel award, if he knew the artist. Friend Matt correctly guessed the band M, and although I don't think Friend Matt is a blogger, he still got the Silver Squirrel. I say to you, Matt: Huzzah!

Although I was probably more into the punk scene than the New Wave scene, I still loved many of these cheesy New Wave dance songs. "Pop Musik" is a fine example of the genre (I said "genre." Haha.) and it's definitely got a good beat and you can dance to it! Even if it's that funky 80's dancing that all of us of a certain age remember doing. And cringe when we remember. It is burned forever in my memory banks: my ex-husband's mother's wedding...around 1985...a kegger at a park clubhouse...my pinstripe jeans, ankle boots, and suspenders...everyone forming a double line, and me and one of my brothers-in-law doing that Footloose kick-dance step down the center to the tune of...you got it, "Footloose"...and thinking we were just too hot and such cool dancers. O the humanity! I'm blushing! Wall of shame! Wall of shame! [smacking herself across the cheek]

Yeah. Anyhoo, I don't remember this video so much as the song, but dang, the guy is sort of sexy in a European kind of way, isn't he? Shooby-dooby-doo-wop!

Self diagnosis

It's been Christmas card time this afternoon. I'm spent...and I'm not even done yet! I put a good dent in them, though. I'll be sending out about 100 of them, and I've got 75 or so ready for return labels and stamps (the easy part). I needed a break, so I'll finish them tomorrow. Besides, I think I was starting to get a little buzz from ingesting all that envelope glue. If you get a card from me, you will have a sample of my DNA. Don't say I never sent you anything!

Cousin Shane and I exchanged some emails last week about how we felt weird. Not exactly weird--we're always that--not really depressed, but...out of sorts? That's the best way I can think of to describe it. We wondered if part of it is winter setting in, and I figured part of mine was being out of town for a few days, sleeping in a different bed, etc. I don't know if Shane has thought about his doldrums further, but I was pondering mine, and I think I've finally diagnosed myself.

I believe I'm suffering from Post-Election Withdrawal Syndrome (PEWS). For a solid two months, I was consumed by all things political; during that heady time, I felt fully engaged with the process in our country. I read everything I could online, from local news stories to blogs. I had CNN on as soon as I got up and I watched it after Ken went to bed. I read the articles in Time thoroughly, checked the polls online daily, and exchanged emails, fast and furious, with friends concerning the election. I debated with my Dad, and like many other families in the country, we were divided on issues. Every untrue rumor about President-Elect Obama fueled my fire and raised my ire, and factchecking became a verb for me.

Now it's over. My guy won, and I'm happy about that, but I'm feeling a little bereft and adrift. Instead of spending time learning more about the issues, I have to resort to stories about Palin pardoning turkeys and then being interviewed while one is slaughtered behind her; an evil, manipulative, money-grubbing governor and his equally money-grubbing wife; and today, Joe the Plumber saying that he was appalled and angry at John McCain and almost jumped off the bus before it went over the cliff. Et tu, Joe? And just how schizo IS this guy? Get some therapy, dude. I think you might have dissociative disorder. Are you Sam or are you Joe? (Sing it to the tune of the Clash song!)

[sigh] Oh sure, there are bright spots like debating the bailouts, and of course, Rahm Emanuel. But I have to ask...why do the birds go on singing? Why do the stars glow above? And what IS it all about, Alfie?

Well, now that I know what is happening, I can forge ahead and go on with my life. PEWS is not life-threatening, but it can be temporarily debilitating. I'll be okay, I'll overcome it, and I can turn my energy into finding a place here for my in-laws to live, preparing for a kickass garden this summer, and tackling a project or two around here. I just need to make sure that in the next month and a half, my PEWS doesn't morph into Pre-Inaugural Stress Syndrome (PISS). That would be really bad.

After the party

It's a lovely day here at Nutwood! Record high temperatures are forecast, the sun is shining, and it's a brand new day!

Last night seems like a blur. It took forever to get to the results of the voting, but once they started rolling in, it seems like it was over in a heartbeat. Once Pennsylvania and Ohio went, an Obama win seemed inevitable. (I have a few readers from those states, and I'd like to say thank you to the fine people of Pennsylvania and Ohio!) CNN still hasn't called Indiana, but CBSNews.com has it listed as blue. The count shows Obama leading in Indiana by 22,986 votes. Crikey!

Senator McCain's concession speech was very gracious. I hope he can regain his credibility for his continuing service in the Senate, and I hope this campaign will serve as the death knell for Rovian politics. "Win at all costs" need no longer be an option. It IS possible to win with honor and decency.

Pres-Elect Obama's speech was wonderful, of course. But the thing that sticks in my mind the most is seeing Roland Martin of CNN (a black man) so overcome that he couldn't speak. He had his hand up to his face, and was shaking his head like, "I can't believe this is actually happening." For some reason, I think that will be the image that lingers for me.

Thanks to everyone for the nice comments. I was especially touched by those of you from the U.K. who stayed up to get results. It matters to me that it matters to you.

I did have one comment that I wanted to address in more detail:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "And...I'm spent":

From your previous post "...condones the brutal killing of wolves and bears from helicopters;..."

Well, the wolves and bears are safe. What about the babies that will die as a result of Obama's support of abortion? It's not ok to kill wolves and bears, but it is ok to kill human babies?

Posted by Anonymous to Nutwood Junction at November 5, 2008 8:05 AM


Dear Anonymous,

Thank you for your comment.

You are one smart cookie! All of us who voted for Obama really thought we'd managed to sneak this by with all our talk of the economy, but we couldn't sneak it by you! Our true agenda, and our sole reason for voting for Obama, was because he supports abortion. In fact, we're hoping to stage a real coup and get mandatory abortions passed! And if all goes well with that, we'll expand it to children under the age of three, which we will hunt from helicopters. Next up, frontal lobotomies!

We thought we'd hidden our agenda well, but you were too clever for us. Don't tell anyone about our plans, okay? Thanks!

By the way, I have to tell you that "Anonymous" is a lovely name. Is that African?

Hugs and kisses,

Beth

Calling it like I see it

I had an email from my friend Jillian, and she informed me that Aubrey and Erin (former coworkers) have yet to decide about the election, so maybe I should harass them a little bit! I don't know how often Aubrey checks her email, and I don't have Erin's email, so I sent Jillian a letter to print out for both of them. After I read it to Ken, he said that I should consider making the letter an entry.

After a little deliberation, I think he's right. We're getting down to the wire, and just like various newspapers are doing, I'll give my official endorsement to Barack Obama. Yes, I know I'm not a newspaper. Just a little silliness, but I'm very serious about my feelings on this election. I know not everyone agrees, but for what it's worth, here is my letter to my friends.

*****

Dear Aubrey (and/or Erin),

Jillian tells me that you have not yet decided who to vote for on November 4th.

I would like to make my plea to get you to cast your vote for Barack Obama. Although I hate to admit it, I voted for Bush in the last election. I thought the fiscal policies of the Republican party were sound, and to some extent, I still feel that way. However, the Bush presidency has proven to be a fiasco for our country, and the recent economic meltdown is the final verdict: the deregulation and complete free market policy that the GOP lives by and that John McCain supported has resulted in the worst economic disaster since the Depression.

Yes, Barack Obama wants to raise taxes. But only on those families who make more than $250,000 per year, and on individuals who make more than $200,000 per year. I used to work in the same profession, so I know damn well that you aren't close to that! Under Obama's tax plan, you will pay less in taxes. Under McCain's, you will pay minimally less than under Obama's plan. McCain's pledge that he will cut taxes is ludicrous. Our national debt is huge, and we cannot continue this way without raising taxes. That's reality. Under McCain's plan, those making millions of dollars a year will pay LESS in taxes than they do now. When I see people losing their jobs all across the country, and people who are unable to pay their mortgages, utilities, or medical bills, I seriously question anyone who says that it is in any way feasible or reasonable to cut taxes on the top 5% of earners in the country.

I have read both of Obama's books, and have studied his policies. Despite what some might say, he does not believe in "handouts," and feels strongly that personal responsibility and hard work is key to getting ahead and making a better life for ourselves. His own life reflects that philosophy, and he worked hard to get scholarships and gain his degrees, as did his wife.

Throughout this campaign, Obama has shown steadiness, extreme intelligence, and the ability to consider all sides of whatever problem with which he is confronted. McCain has proven that he makes ill-considered decisions, has an ill-tempered personality, and is ill-prepared to guide our country with the calm hand needed at this time.

Speaking of ill-considered decisions on McCain's part, the Big One has got to be his choice of running mate. As a reasonable, intelligent, thinking woman, I cannot begin to tell you how appalled I am at his choice of Sarah Palin. She has shown that she is ethically challenged, using her power as governor to put pressure on others to bow to her will; she has a complete disrespect for the environment and nature, and condones the brutal killing of wolves and bears from helicopters; and most recently, has shown that she is so incompetent that she accepts that someone calling her and claiming to be the President of France really IS the President of France, and when the "President" claims that he loved the documentary about her, the Hustler one called "Nailin' Palin," she laughed and said, "Ohhh, gooood. Thank you!"

There is NO WAY I could ever cast my vote for a ticket that includes someone who is so obviously incompetent and in no way prepared to lead our nation. McCain's decision to choose her showed me that he was pandering to the extreme right wing of the party, and that he was putting his own interests first, rather than the good of the country that he claims to love. Bottom line: he wants to get elected, and to hell with what is best for America. The man who for many years seemed to put honor above all else has sold his soul and given up that honor in order to get elected, at whatever cost to our country.

If you're getting the impression that I feel strongly about this, you're right. Both Ken (a lifelong Republican, by the way) and I were proud to cast our votes for Obama this past Monday, and we both believe that he is the best hope for our country to begin to pull out of our current morass. While those overseas have no voice in our elections, the choice for Obama will do much to repair our damaged reputation around the world. As the recent economic problems have shown, our economy affects the global economy; we have a responsibility to reassure our allies and speak with potential allies and try to heal the wounds that have resulted from our recent disastrous foreign policy. The person to do that is Obama, not McCain.

I couldn't feel stronger about this, and I hope you'll take that into account as you make your decision.

Much love,

Beth

A short conversation

While watching CNN, Ken and I watched as McCain said this on a campaign stop:

McCain: We're going to change Washington, and I'm taking Joe the Plumber with me!

Me: WHAT?!

Ken: Secretary of the Treasury!

Me: [snort!]

Hahahaha! I'm still cracking up!

Cleansing the palate

Okay, I need a little break as much as you all do. (Although I am watching the replay of "Meet the Press," which I missed this morning. John McCain just called Tom Brokaw "my friend." snicker)

Ken just got home, and we're looking forward to a couple of days off together. (We have things to do, including casting our early votes! Yay!) I've got a chuck roast in the crockpot (with tomatoes...sounds weird, but it makes a sort of tomato gravy), and I'll make some mashed potatoes.

Good grief, we've had some crazy winds here this afternoon! It seems to have calmed down now, but things were really whipping around for a while. (Note to self: take down the wind chimes for the winter.) There are still a lot of leaves on our trees, although there are some that have dropped them all. I took a few pictures of our place yesterday.

This is one of the paths that lead from the house to the driveway, and up to the road. Fall and winter aren't my favorite seasons, because I love warm weather. In the summer, this path has a nice cushy carpet of moss. I have to admit, though, that it's really pretty to see a different carpet (a throw rug?) on the paths in the fall. There are several small sassafras trees along here, and I notice their leaves the most. They're mostly bright yellow, and I like to think of the tri-lobed ones as Vulcan leaves. (My fellow Trekkies will get it!)

This is our driveway. It curves around to the right, which is where the new garage and the house are. No, it's not paved, and we're reluctant to do so. It reminds me of a country lane, and I like the lack of concrete or asphalt.

That's caused a problem or two, because rocks can get up into the snow blower and cause the shear bolts to break. Ken's learned to adjust, and not run the snow blower so close to the ground. And he makes sure to have a supply of shear bolts on hand, just in case! If there's a couple of inches of snow left on the driveway, that's okay--it's just the 8 inches and more that cause a big problem!

This is our driveway from out by the road. You can just barely see one of the sheds that Ken built, over on the left. That's where he stores the big lawnmower (the smaller one is in the new garage).

It looks very harmless now, doesn't it? Pretty little tree-covered driveway...believe me, there were a couple of times when I was trying to get to work (after Ken had left already) that I got stuck in this driveway, and it wasn't much fun! I got dug in so deep a few times that Ken had to pull me out with the truck. There were times when I wasn't able to make it into work, but most of the time, Ken was able to take me in the truck. Our country road isn't at the top of the list when it comes to getting plowed, so it isn't until 10 AM or later that we get dug out. Snow days still exist at Nutwood!

We're very fortunate in a lot of ways to live where we do. We aren't annexed as part of South Bend city limits, so we have our own well. We don't live in the city, but as part of the county, we have curbside recycling, even out here! This is a rural area, with plenty of wildlife, but in 5-10 minutes, I can be at a shopping area. I hope the city never annexes us, but I suppose we'll deal with that if we need to. At least we know that no one can build right next to us, or behind us, because it's our property. (Although as I like to say, we're only temporary caretakers of this land.)

I've lived in apartments and subdivisions, as has Ken, and after finding this place, we both know that we could never stand to do so again. I shouldn't say that...everyone does what they need to do, and I believe we'd be happy wherever we were. But here is where we thrive. We researched a few houses when we started looking, and did several drive-bys. We actually walked through only four. There was a century-old home on 2 acres, and that was such a neat place in so many ways. Gorgeous high ceilings, big huge rooms, a spooky old basement...but it needed a lot of work, including on the bathrooms, and we knew it would have been a money pit. (That's for you Indigo! wink) There was a smallish home a couple of miles away, on 2+ acres, and that was pretty cute, but there was a lot of moisture in the basement, and it was fairly close to the highway. We looked at a house down the road from here, also on 2+ acres, and it was kind of neat, too (Cousin Shane looked at it independent of us, and we both loved the 50's-era oven built into the wall!), but it didn't have a basement, just a small cellar that was filled with water when we looked at it. (In tornado-prone Indiana, I'm big on basements!)

The fourth and final place we looked at was right here. We parked close to the road, and as we walked down the driveway, it was one of those "This is it" moments. The house itself had mauve walls in the living and dining rooms; dark wallpaper in the kitchen; Barbie pink walls in one of the bedrooms (the one that became our bedroom); and stained carpets. But we saw the potential. Sometimes you have to look beyond the surface and see what can be. We had to do a lot of work here, but we are very grateful that we looked at this place and found our home. There's no place I'd rather be.

LFA

I don't know if you all saw my friend Dan's comment, so I wanted to make sure you did:

Beth, your blog item about me and the pic and life at Ball State was too cool and a great birthday treat! I figured your entry would be short and sweet. Silly me! The entry was great! And just as cool as the photo and entry were all the friendly comments from your friends about my birthday. The coincidence of my birthday and the photo and your entry have left me nearly speechless! To all who wished me a happy birthday, thank you Big Time.

-dan(Formerly Guido;Currently CatManDude)

Thanks from me, too, for the nice birthday wishes for my friend. He got to see what a nice bunch you are. Hmm, he's a journalism major, maybe I can get him to start writing a blog...!

Do you all remember when we heard Karl Rove speak at the Economics Club dinner a while back? I wrote that even though it was Rove, it was pretty interesting, and I managed to not implode. Well, I had a note from Ken this morning that he got a pair of tickets for the next speaker, this Wednesday: Mike Huckabee.

If it seems like it's all about Republican speakers at this club, that's only because they can't have speakers who are currently in office, so there's a cycle of when an administration comes to an end, they get those speakers. Next year they're hoping to get Pres. Bush, and then Condi Rice. When the Clinton administration came to an end, they had Pres. Clinton and other Democrats. (I think before he announced he was running for President, they had Barack Obama.) It's definitely a conservative bunch, but they make it clear that they are nonpartisan, at least as far as choosing speakers.

I think I'll enjoy hearing Huckabee speak. I hear he's a pretty good speaker, and he impressed me a couple of times during the primaries. (When talking about allowing children of illegal immigrants to go to school, some of his fellow candidates said, in effect, no way, and Huckabee said, "We [the country] are better than that.") I'm also very pleased that this is happening just a couple of weeks before the election. It will be interesting to get his take on it. He has to know that things aren't looking good for their guy. Let's just hope the food isn't barfy this time, but I'm not going to get my hopes up!

Speaking of "their guy," I saw a video this morning of FoxNews's Chris Wallace interviewing McCain. Wallace asked him if he thought the choice of Sarah Palin was dragging down the campaign, or something like that. McCain said no, absolutely not, and "as a cold political calculation, I could not be more pleased." He went on to say that "she's a direct counterpoint to the liberal feminist agenda for America."

Dammit! He figured us out! For years, my sistahs and I have managed to keep our liberal feminist agenda (heretofore known as LFA) under the radar, but that crafty John McCain somehow infiltrated our ranks and now he's telling everyone about the LFA! Darn you, John McCain! [shaking fist] We would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you and your meddling!

This could ruin everything. All my early work with my great-niece might now be for naught. I started when she was just tiny, whispering things in her ear as she lay in her crib...things like, "Equal pay for equal work" and "Girls can be scientists." And it was working, too--she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. As soon as she got old enough to officially join the club, I was going to get my free toaster oven! (For each one we "turn," we get a toaster oven.) I've been trying to spread the word (quietly, of course), and I was doing so well that I was getting close to reaching LEFA status! (Liberal ELITE Feminist Agenda)

I just don't know what's going to happen now. I'm afraid we might have to go deep underground. But I shouldn't fret too much. We have an emergency plan for just such a scenario. I can't go into great detail, but have you ever seen the movie "The Stepford Wives"? Or do you remember the FemBots in the Austin Powers movies? Our contingency plan is based on that model. I guess I'm going to have to go shopping soon for dresses with Peter Pan collars, and Mary Jane shoes. A few years of that should lull everyone into thinking that there is no threat from uppity women who don't know their place.

So, John McCain, you get the temporary victory in this battle [she said as she stroked her cat], with your formidable anti-feminist Sarah Palin weapon. You've made me angry, and when Beth gets angry, Sheeba gets upset. And when Sheeba gets upset, people DIE!* But rest assured, the war continues. We won't give up, Mr. McCain. We'll be right here, watching you, and our struggle will go on!

*This is a joke. An Austin Powers reference, to be specific.

Whipping you-know-what

Please note the new widget at the top of this blog. Ken and I saw it on our friend Deb's blog, and thought it was such a great idea. Since we stopped smoking over two years ago, look at how much money we've saved! But what's even better is how much better we feel, how we aren't coughing and hacking like we used to, how our house doesn't smell like cigarette smoke anymore, and how much better our health is. I bet Sheeba is also happy to not have to be breathing in our smoke. If any of you are still struggling with trying to quit smoking, PLEASE don't hesitate to contact me for support, or to hear about the plan that Ken devised for us to stop smoking. It's the best thing I've ever done for my health (I suspect Ken probably feels the same way), and I will happily be your cheerleader, your confidante, and your supporter in your efforts to STOP THIS NASTY HABIT.

How about that wacky stock market?! Woohoo, way to rebound, you nut! Our pal Dan made the call, and what a relief to see some good news. Obviously, we're not out of the woods yet, but I think we all needed to see a little confidence in the market, and a nice big turnaround when it comes to buying should help a lot.

As far as the presidential campaigns (feel free to skip ahead a few paragraphs if you'd rather not read this), I think everyone gave Sen. McCain a lot of credit for stepping up on Friday and trying to calm his supporters down at his rallies...an attempt to take the anger down a notch. He was booed by his own supporters for his efforts, so now he is saying that he stands behind his supporters and understands their anger, and at his Virginia headquarters on Sunday, he pledged to kick some ass in the last debate this Wednesday.

“After I whip his you-know-what in this debate, we’re going to be going out 24/7,” he says of his and Palin’s campaigning.

Considering that the topic of the last debate is the economy, I'd say that Sen. McCain's ass-kickin' will be more "get" than "give." I'm really starting to wonder about McCain's volatility, and I don't just mean his temper. It's like he changes his tune from day-to-day--first he's conciliatory and trying to regain his honor, then he's right back to the mud-slinging and negative campaigning. I'm sorry to see that he has reverted to the nastiness and attacks rather than focus on the issues. I really don't think it's playing well, at least not with moderates, independents, and undecideds. Kind of sad to see, actually, and I hope that the rhetoric won't result in violence.

I spent some time in the garden today, trying to get more of the weeds cleared off. I got the rest of the tall stuff, but the wild strawberry vines are just too much to tackle. I think that if we cover them up this winter, they won't be able to get a hold of the garden beds in the spring. The mosquitoes are still terrible, and really, isn't it about time that they started dying off? Jeez! Of course, it's been 80° the past couple of days, so they're still thriving.

After I stopped working in the garden, since I already had bug spray on, I took a stroll down the path that Ken maintains through the marsh and wetlands. It was so nice and warm and sunny, and I got quite warm walking along! I went back into the woods a little bit, too, and it was so peaceful. As I continued on through the marsh, I could see little trails through the marsh grass where deer had made their way off of the main path, and I could see the spots where they bed down for the night, usually by a tree, either still living or downed. Some extra protection, I suppose. It made me want to start hiking back into the woods this fall, as the vegetation starts dying back. We are so lucky to have found this place, and I feel like we have our own little nature preserve.

I took a walk out front to check on some of the trees and bushes we've planted, and as I walked back down the driveway, the basketball hoop drew me.

I can't explain it, but I had a mad desire to shoot some hoops. I opened up the garage and pumped up my Pacers basketball, and started shooting some baskets. I had a blast, and even made a bunch of my shots! It seems that my best shot is the short jumper. HA! Get it? Short jumper? That's ME! I even did a couple of awkward layups, and made them! My long jumpshot sucks, though. I sure had fun doing that, and I foresee myself working on my mad skillz. Think I can learn to dunk it? Maybe if I can manage a 6-foot vertical leap. Looks like I've got some work to do.

This one goes to 11--turn it down!

I'm seeing reports tonight that John McCain finally spoke up at a rally and tried to quiet the angry rhetoric.

When a woman said to him that she doesn't trust Obama, McCain nodded, but when the woman went on to say, "He's an Arab," McCain said, "No, ma'am, he's a decent, family man and citizen." After hearing other angry shouts about Obama, McCain said that there is no reason to fear Obama if he is President. (!!!) The initial reaction from the crowd was boos, which shows that even McCain is having a hard time reining in the crowd.

I give Sen. McCain credit for attempting to "dial it down," but I also haven't forgotten that it is his campaign that has allowed it to be "dialed up" to such a point that the hatred became truly frightening for most of us to watch. I suspect that the campaign has taken a look at the reaction to such invective and realized that this is not what America wants to hear. We want to hear about the economy, for Pete's sake!

From Jonathan Martin at Politico.com:

John Weaver, McCain’s former top strategist, said top Republicans have a responsibility to temper this behavior.

"People need to understand, for moral reasons and the protection of our civil society, the differences with Senator Obama are ideological, based on clear differences on policy and a lack of experience compared to Senator McCain," Weaver said. "And from a purely practical political vantage point, please find me a swing voter, an undecided independent, or a torn female voter that finds an angry mob mentality attractive."

"Senator Obama is a classic liberal with an outdated economic agenda. We should take that agenda on in a robust manner. As a party we should not and must not stand by as the small amount of haters in our society question whether he is as American as the rest of us. Shame on them and shame on us if we allow this to take hold."

I think that was very well said. By all means, address the issues, confront Sen. Obama on them. Let's see if McCain will continue to put the brakes on, not just at his rallies...but will he also put the brakes on his running mate? They need to put a stop to this unbridled hatred. Immediately.

Just a quick note about my Finetune music player over in the sidebar. I updated it to include more the of music I listen to these days, so it's got a little bit of a harder edge. Also, it's free to set up your own player, and it's fun to pick out different songs--they have a great selection! What I love about it is that it doesn't play automatically--you can check it out and play it if you want, even pop it out and play it on your desktop.

HOLY CRAP!

Breaking news! The investigative committee in Alaska has found that Sarah Palin abused her power as Governor in the Troopergate deal. Oh wow, I'm posting this and off to read other news!

Have logic and proportion fallen sloppy dead?

Mission: Migration

Status: Accomplished!

Whew, what a relief to get that done. I had some problems with Ken's, but turns out his password was case sensitive. Once I fixed that little problem, all went well. I had one hitch, where it created his new blog, but there were no entries there. That could have been my fault, though, for "refreshing" before everything was complete. Anyhoo, it's done! If I hadn't been able to do it, I don't suppose I would have curled up and died, but it would have been a shame to lose all of it. Even just seeing the names of some of my entries made me go, "Hey, I remember that!" I had titled one "He hit it an' quit it," and that was for when James Brown died. It made me sad.

It also made me sad to make what will probably be my last entry over at my AOL Journal. It was merely a repeat of the entry I wrote about the song "Closing Time," and it seemed very fitting. I'll admit that I got kind of choked up when I put it up there, and listened to the song again. I'll leave it up for a while, but I'll probably delete the journal myself. Hey, I think I'll delete it at the stroke of midnight, when October 30th turns to the 31st. Halloween! Yes, I think that's what I'll do. Maybe it's a little silly to get so verklempt over a journal, but I think you all understand. Just the fun I had with it, practicing my writing, but more importantly, all the wonderful friends I made there...I'm just so happy that most are making the move! I love you guys! I am NOT going to burst into tears, so just cut it out!! Ha ha! Just remember, "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

I even managed to get a few things done today. WOW, I am so proud of myself! (It really has been pathetic.) Finished some laundry, took care of the garbage, and got a pot of chili going. I've had a hankering for chili for a while now, so this should taste good. I've been in the mood for all kinds of soup lately. I've got a recipe that combines tortilla soup with red beans and rice, and I think that sounds delicious. I've also got a package of black beans, so I'll try some black bean soup one of these days, then there's vegetable soup, and maybe some potato soup, and some beef stew...aaaaagh! Yum, it's just that time of year!

The latest feel-good news from the campaign trail comes from a McCain-Palin rally at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. McCain was talking about Obama's tax plan, and someone in the crowd yelled "Off with his head!"

Are you freakin' kidding me? What is this? France in 1789? Maybe a better analogy would be Alice in Wonderland and we've followed the White Rabbit down the hole and through the Looking Glass. I'm going to start looking for a hookah-smoking caterpillar in the audience at these rallies! There is no excuse for this, and with every day that goes by that McCain allows these violent and hate-filled outbursts to continue, his silence is complicit endorsement of violence against a fellow human being. Palin seems to whip the crowds into an even more violent frenzy. How can we condone this kind of behavior? I may be passionate about politics, but there is NO EXCUSE for allowing such attitudes to continue, and anyone who truly cares about their fellow human beings and about our society in general would stand up and say, "Stop this. It isn't right, and this is unacceptable behavior." I cannot begin to tell you how disgusted I am with the sight of fellow Americans shouting such murderous invective, and I'm even more disgusted that no one is putting a stop to it.

See you on the other side of the Looking Glass.

White Rabbit

Jefferson Airplane

One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall

And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
Call Alice
When she was just small

When men on the chessboard
Get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom
And your mind is moving low
Go ask Alice
I think she'll know

When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's "off with her head!"
Remember what the dormouse said:
"Feed your head
Feed your head
Feed your head"