Sweeney Among the Nightengales

T.S. Eliot (1888–1965). Poems. 1920.

12. Sweeney among the Nightingales

APENECK SWEENEY spreads his knees Letting his arms hang down to laugh, The zebra stripes along his jaw Swelling to maculate giraffe. The circles of the stormy moon 5 Slide westward toward the River Plate, Death and the Raven drift above And Sweeney guards the hornèd gate. Gloomy Orion and the Dog Are veiled; and hushed the shrunken seas; 10 The person in the Spanish cape Tries to sit on Sweeney’s knees Slips and pulls the table cloth Overturns a coffee-cup, Reorganised upon the floor 15 She yawns and draws a stocking up; The silent man in mocha brown Sprawls at the window-sill and gapes; The waiter brings in oranges Bananas figs and hothouse grapes; 20 The silent vertebrate in brown Contracts and concentrates, withdraws; Rachel née Rabinovitch Tears at the grapes with murderous paws; She and the lady in the cape 25 Are suspect, thought to be in league; Therefore the man with heavy eyes Declines the gambit, shows fatigue, Leaves the room and reappears Outside the window, leaning in, 30 Branches of wistaria Circumscribe a golden grin; The host with someone indistinct Converses at the door apart, The nightingales are singing near 35 The Convent of the Sacred Heart, And sang within the bloody wood When Agamemnon cried aloud, And let their liquid siftings fall To stain the stiff dishonoured shroud. 40

CONTENTS · BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Drill Baby Drill

My dear friend Rachel who lives in New York sent this to me in an email. This is especially disturbing to anyone who lives near Canyon Lands. And should be of concern to all of you because it's one more way Dubya can help his buddies in the oil industry and fuck over the rest of us before he leaves office. He must be stopped. He isn't done screwing the American people yet.

Drill Baby Drill

It Rests In Your Hands

I am uneasy this election season because it matters more than ever in my lifetime, and because it rests in the hands of young and first time voters. It rests in the hands of the generation that can't be polled. The generation that has grown up always owning a cell phone. And I hope you know that it's your future we're talking about if you are of that generation. We are at a tipping point. Maybe we have passed it, I'm not sure. I grew up knowing that the first time I voted I was really an adult. It was a right of passage. It was a responsibility. I took it seriously. But I grew up in a family that talked about politics. It was a topic of conversation at the dinner table. So was religion, and the right to question, the obligation to be skeptical, and need to learn. I learned these lessons and when I encountered compromise on questions of political principle I was indignant. I was a fierce critic of my father's having taken a loyalty oath in order to keep his teaching job. This oath grew out of the McCarthy era and in order to teach one had to vow on a bible that one had never been a member of the communist party so help you God. There are two things wrong with that. It stomps on two constitutionally guaranteed rights. This is also what is so horribly wrong with the hysteria concerning gay marriage. In the land of liberty we want to say that certain of our citizens are not guaranteed the same rights as every other citizen? This is UNCONSTITUTIONAL! Those of you under thirty are probably the least racist and homophobic demographic in our culture. We're counting on you. Vote. It's important.

Nerve Wracking.

I'm finally exhausted. I have turned off the tube and I'm listening to music. Nick and I spoke on the phone about an hour ago and made movie plans for next week. We talked about the exhaustion we both feel. Yes we are old, but this is not that sort of exhaustion. This is the result of caring so passionately about the outcome of this election. We have been paying close attention for a couple of years now, or close to it. I started blogging last January, and have written about little else. Now I'm posting You Tube clips of music or poetry. The savage beast that is my political passion needs calming. So, unless something really news worthy happens between now and Tuesday, you will probably be facing a music clip.

I have finally tackled cleaning the house, and I'm looking forward to baking something tonight. Maybe an apple pie. Something to make the room warm and smell good. Something to feed my need for comfort. And between now and then, I'll be dusting.

If you want to vent or rant of flirt or whine, now's the time to let it out. Often I find the comments to a second rate post the most interesting thing happening anywhere. I can hear you saying, "Get a life!" Well, children, I had a life so exciting and full of thrills that I am now happy to keep the excitement to a minimum. My biggest thrill now, is a comment from one of you. You know who you are.

Some Other Time

Anita turned me onto the this very new Female Jazz vocalist, Jane Monheit. Thank you Anita. She's wonderful.

Poetry Sunday for Anita

The Ageless Hippie Chick Knows a Thing or Two About Jazz

Linda Sama suggested that I give Patricia Barber a listen. She's absolutely right. This woman has some vocal chops.

For my Pianist Friend

Dear Unconventional Conventionist, this clip's for you. By the way, would you leave that ring to me in your will? I know, I'm getting a little overconfident in my odds for longevity, but it doesn't hurt to hope. I know how you loves the jazz, but I really do think your going to like this. You are so much cuter than this guy and probably a better pianist, but he does your thing. He sits on the bench and plays with gusto and talent, control and passion. Here is Brubeck's Blue Rondo A La Turk.

Paula West: Like a Rolling Stone

Thanks for the tip. I know feel less like a dinosaur, and more like a woman with friends with great taste. This clip works for me on two or three levels. Maybe more. She's new to me, and she doesn't sing like a woman who should be new to me. Her back up is superb. Love the bass player. And as an old hippy I like this cover of a Dylan classic, Like a Rolling Stone.

Thank you Phillip

I would not be blogging were it not for my wonderfully generous Administrator, the wizard, my guru, and the blogger known as Sitenoise, and my friend Phillip. He has taught me everything I know about the "intertubes" (thank you Ted Stevens for that tube explanation for the internet). But more importantly he's the handyman I've always dreamed of. I always thought if a man can't fix it (whatever "it" is) he's not worth knowing. I know this is chauvinist, but I'm old and came of age in the moments before the modern women's movement got going. I can do a lot of things, but I can't fix my plumbing, rewire anything, or wield a chainsaw. Yet--I have hopes that before I die I will be able to wield a chainsaw, and better yet, own my own. Neither can I find my photos when my Iphoto application tells me that yes, seconds ago I had over 800 photos, but now I have none.

Shock of almost any sort makes my brain go whaky. Kind of like Sarah Palin has become "a whack job" to aids in the McInsane/Impailin campaign, my brain became a whack job yesterday when all my photos disappeared in an instant. I figured Phillip was probably having a lovely Friday evening, and so, when I composed my email to him, I tried to keep the panic and desperation out of my voice. I am trying to learn not to scream at men in my email, as I have alienated one good friend and come close to it with Phillip. Swearing in all caps, bold and italics, does not endear me to my men friends--all three of them. So, as the evening wore on, my brain got slower and slower heading for complete shut-down. By 11:00 I was so stupid I was trying to watch a Bond movie on On Demand. It was droning on--explosions and car chases, and lovely damsels in distress was all I could discern and it was oddly unexciting. It was probably during this portion of the evening when Phillip tried to contact me. I couldn't hear anything but the cottony crash and bang of the movie, so missed him last night. But even if I had heard the ring of the voice chat thingy, I wouldn't have been able to talk coherently. That is what the sudden onset of depression does to me. It's almost as if I can hear the circuits fizzing out and the whole mechanism slowly grinding to a halt with a dull and fuzzy sound that ends in nothing.

This morning, around noon, after I'd had one cup of coffee, Phillip called. I didn't time him, but within a few minutes he had restored my photos. Then he restored my flock application and with that taught me how to put my favorite, daily reads on RSS feed. What a man. So, thank you Phillip. It's so nice to know a handy man. I owe you cookies darling--chocolate chip or peanut butter?

Accepted Political Wisdom

How did we get to be so stupid? How is it possible that people earning less that $40,000. a year think that tax breaks for the very rich are in their best interest? And what made us so stupid? Reality TV is part of my guess at an answer to that. But seriously, folks, my friends, when did poor people start thinking of themselves as the citizens who would benefit from cuts to Capital Gains taxes. And how is it possible that we buy the notion that millionaires have taxable earned income? When did the Estate Tax become the Death Tax, and how stupid are we that we think Estate Taxes will have any effect on us with our one small house mortgaged up to the chimney? We must be just about the dumbest bunch of idiots on the planet.

"(Rich Republican "experts") will tell us", as McCain has repeatedly warned in his speeches, that "spreading the money around" is a bad idea that has been tried, as he put it, by the "far-left liberals." They will whine and moan about "tax and spend" and offer predictions of doom at every percentage increase in marginal rates on the very rich.

Unless Americans understand how the economy has worked -- and how this country was built in the past century -- it is entirely possible that those false prophets will once again block changes that the nation has needed for decades. That understanding should include a review of some very recent history, too.

Will anyone besides the pundits remember what happened then and why it is still relevant now? Not unless Obama himself educates the public -- as he alone now seems able to do. The country is undergoing a teachable moment that is certain to last for many painful months -- and if the new president doesn't seize that opportunity, then his adversaries surely will.

What Obama needs to explain, over and over again, is that Democratic economic programs have succeeded in promoting growth precisely because they distribute national wealth more widely than the Republican tradition of trickle-down. The numbers have told the story for decades -- and the statistics detailing the Clinton administration's success and the Bush administration's failure have only reinforced the narrative.

Consider the cumulative performance of the stock market. Until this year, the best data available showed that on average, equities increased in value by more than 12 percent during Democratic administrations, and by around 8 percent when Republicans were in power. The largest gains in the past 80 years occurred under FDR, Truman, Johnson and Clinton -- and when the awful declines of the past few months are factored in, the Democratic record will look even better.

For the moment, scaring voters is no longer so easy. The Republican administration is nationalizing financial institutions and Republican economists are demanding big federal spending initiatives. But if Obama wants to avoid the defeats of Clinton's first two years, he must consistently remind Americans what has succeeded and who has failed -- and why.

And Especially for Susan

Brubeck as you've never heard him played before.

For Tengrain and Susan

I have a bottle of Bourbon and something nice to smoke. So I invite my two jazz loving friends, Tengrain and Susan, to spend a late Halloween evening with me listening to a great jazz vocalist play one of my favorite songs in Paris. What could be nicer. The embed has been disabled on this one some you will just have to click this link.

Real Life

There's a storm blowing in. All the leaves are finally off the big green ash tree. Melea has raked and bagged most of them. We worked together on my little third of the property together. She seems to see me as elderly now, and is a bit overly solicitous. And I'm a bit overly motherly. So in the end she does most of the work, and I sit in a chair, smoke and sip my latte, and warn her to be careful. If she stays, the property will be hers. If not, she'll get a goodly chunk of change. As it is, the big house and grounds are her responsibility. If something goes seriously wrong, she tells me, I arrange for someone to fix it, and I pay for it. But the tasks of upkeep and cleaning are hers. And she does a lovely job. We look quite respectable.

But today, with rain coming, I needed to do some final outside chores and she's gone. I now feel sore and tired and plan to soak in the tub before I retire for the evening to watch news non-stop.

I took pictures of the bare limbs of the green ash tree, uploaded them to my files and while trying to post one, deleted all my photos. Yes, that's right. ALL MY PHOTOS! Happy Halloween fuckers. If this is a cosmic trick without a treat, I'm not amused.

I gave my 1986 Jetta to a friend today. When I went to the DMV to get my new old car registered and get plates for it, I discovered that my old bank had a lean on my old old car. I thought I might just drive over there and park it in their lot, take the keys to them and tell them they have just repossessed a filthy 1986 Jetta. Congratulations Big Bank, it's all yours. But it was easy breezy to get them to sign off on the title. No money changed hands. I like that kind of transaction.

The Kitty Caucus

Diva Jood this one's for you. Happy Birthday. And for Dcup, whose Pussies for Peace are working hard to help us claw our way to the White House.

If I Were President

Now This Is Scary

Stella the excellent blogger at Swiftspeech, and the first person to tell me I write like Dorothy Parker, left a comment at my place with this link. I think this is scary, so in honor of one more stupid holiday where nobody gets a day off with pay, I present the real vampire.
Art by cartoonist Alex Roth.

Alaskans for Obama

The Ageless Hippie Chick, Linda Sama finds the good stuff. Please go check the rest of the links in her story. Lazy woman that I am I'm only stealing the YouTube part.

What Halloween Means To Me

Well, nothing really. I hate costume parties. I spent too many years having to wear some kind of costume and mask daily. I never could leave my house without the full drag required of a professional beauty. When I was working it was hose, high heels, the right undies (seamless flesh colored bra and flesh colored thong) and big name designer label clothing. Every season required a new wardrobe of shoes for shows and photos, the monthly expense of a good hair-cut and color. Every season required the right costume jewelry, and accessories. But it was the applying of the make-up (as much part of the costume as any other item) that made me hate Halloween. My hairdresser and his boyfriend always came to me to get them ready for Halloween parties. Since we were about the same size, I would dress them both in drag and apply the necessary make-up to turn them into the tart of their dreams. I had wigs, hair pieces, hats, gloves. I only drew the line at shoes. It grew tiresome. Then my mother went crazy and required my full time attention, and then I went crazy and stopped caring about any of that crap.

Another reason I hated Halloween was that it seemed (for grown-ups) to be the perfect occasion to wear a disguise, go to a party, drink too much and act like an asshole.

If you were to trace my distaste for Halloween back to its roots, you would find a three year old dressed as a ghost with a gold cardboard crown on top of her sheet covered head, holes for eyes, nose, and mouth. She carried a bag and was to be taken around the neighborhood by her brothers and returned home safely before the boys went off by themselves. They lost her somewhere along the way. She lost her crown, she lost her bag of candy, and was finally taken home by a lady who lived in the neighborhood. And to add insult to injury, this little girl was called a crybaby by her mother when finally delivered to the door by the kind neighbor. All our neurosis can be traced to our childhood and our siblings and our parents. So in some respect, we never grow up, never grow up, never grow up.

OK, So I Lied

Well, I asked my administrator. He'll help me get slick and tricky. It is Halloween isn't it?

I Need Help

When I have no ideas I visit you and steal yours. Have you noticed that? Sometimes I ask, or merely inform you. Sometimes I steal from you without a bye-your-leave. No comment, nada, niente, zip, zero zilch nothin'. Like a thief in the night. But really, it's time I learned some of the tricks of your trade. For instance, where do you find the lovely pictures that illustrate your excellent posts? I know there are sources, but where are they? All the pictures I have access to were taken by me, and I'm not really much of a photographer. And how many photos of my books or dogs or gazebo can I post before you start to scream, "No, stop. I can't take it anymore?"

I have an administrator who worked hard to get me this far and I will be eternally grateful. But it's crunch time for anyone trying to make a living being self employed, or at least so I presume. I'm trying not to bother him. I miss him, but I will survive. I will answer when he calls, but I won't ask him to help me do something as simple as this. Christ I mean, if Randal can do it, so can I. Anyhow, where do the pictures come from? There must be an archive somewhere out there in the tubes. Speaking of tubes, I'm kind of going to miss Ted Stevens. Everyone loves that nugget of him shouting "NO!' in response to some perfectly respectful request for comment. I could use a photo of Ted right in here somewhere with text wrapping around it as if I knew what I was doing. Know what I mean?

Dcup as helped me far too often. She's busy. Dusty is busy but has helped me so much. Randal owes me, but is so into his man things that I doubt he'll tell me how. I want to learn the strike over, the trademark symbol, how to punctuate in French and where do you get those pictures? I can't always delight you with a purloined post. I need to get creative.

A Song for Sarah

McCain/Palin the Real Socialists

A New Map for the Red States and the Blue States

Dear Red States:

We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.

To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay
their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners) 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT. With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Sadam was involved in 9/11... and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you
are people with higher morals then we lefties.

Finally, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico.

Peace out,

Blue States

Hug and a H/T to Bob and Dusty for this lil gem. ;)

The Real Mavericks

I have "borrowed" this from The Unruly Mob or Les Enrages.org. I'm obviously learning the art of the embed. But what the hell. Watch it twice.

For Liquid Illusion

My dear friend, Liquid Illusion has written a gorgeous poem. Take a look. While I was there, this was the musical accompaniment.

I've Got A Bad Case of Schadenfreude

Yes, I admit it. I have schadenfreude. I've waited oh so long for this, and now it's so good. McCain and Palin are at each other's throats, "Diva," "Old Fart," "Rogue"--what did you expect you senile old man? It's too sweet. Ted Stevens was convicted of 7 , yes that's seven, felonies, yes dear, felonies. Five years in the pokey for each. The timing couldn't be better. It's looking bad for all of them, and for me it's time for schadenfreude. Sing it to me. Where's my stein? That bullet proof majority in the Senate's looking easier and easier a hill to climb.

I paid my bill at Comcast today and usually that's a drag. But the clerk who waited on me (after I waited for her for eighteen minutes) said, "I'll sure be glad when the election is over, and I'm really hoping for change." We did the famous terrorist fist bump while rather loudly whispering Obama. Paying Comcast didn't hurt so much this month. I hope she doesn't get fired.

A friend of mine who lives next door came home from work. She stopped in for a smoke. She asked me if I'd seen the bumper sticker "MOBAMA, Mormons for Obama," and we did a fist bump too. Ah, schadenfreude is good. Wish I were a beer drinker, I'd have swung by the liquor store for a nice German Pilsner. I'd have a toast to Schadenfreude!

My Email to Rachel Maddow

I used to be a fan of Keith's. I even set my Ichat to say I was "Unavailable, Watching Keith." Oh I still like Keith. But I used to love him. He was mine and many of the bloggers I visit also claimed Keith was theirs. It's looked like maybe the female bloggers were going to have a blog off to claim Keith. I first noticed you as a guest on C Matthews, then more and more often a regular on Keith's show. I started sending MSNBC email begging them to give you a show. Once I saw them put you on a panel with Morning Joe, who was so incredibly rude and dismissive to you I wanted to slap the @#$@! out of him. Sadly I could not reach through the screen or he'd have been on his back wondering what hit him. It was the incredible arrogance of a man who thinks he 's the smartest guy in the world but has just discovered that the little lady has him beat by miles. Pat Buchannon does that same kind of thing. And I know no one wants to tell them to shut up, since they are talking over you, as this might look condescending to you. Anyway, I love your show so much, Keith's not so important in my life anymore. Oh yeah, I still love him. I always watch. But once a night is just fine. But as I have said on my blog, Utah Savage, Watching Rachel once is nice, but twice is better. It's not just cheerleading. There are many female bloggers out here who have professed our love for Keith for at least the last year. Now we all want to claim you as our real and only true love. Most of us are women with husbands, children and even pets. But we loves us some Rachel. (I'm the prettiest)

I have one small complaint. Please call your old, and I mean Old, uncle Pat once a month or so if you must. But please, please, never have the old mummy on your show again. He's every bit as big a blowhard as Morning Joe, only Pat's embalmed isn't he?

Love your show,
Peggy Pendleton
Aka Utah Savage

Republican Defections So Far

This is a list of Republicans who are supporting Obama

Jim Leach, Former Congressman from Iowa

"For me, the national interest comes before party concerns, particularly internationally. We do need a new direction in American policy, and Obama has a sense of that."

Lincoln Chafee, Former United States Senator from Rhode Island

"As I look at the candidates in order who to vote for, certainly my kind of conservatism was reflected with Senator Obama, and those points are that we're fiscally conservative, we care about revenues matching expenditures, we also care about the environment, I think it's a traditional conservative value to care about clean air and clean water."

William Weld, Former Governor of Massachusetts

"It's not often you get a guy with his combination of qualities, chief among which I would say is the deep sense of calm he displays, and I think that's a product of his equally deep intelligence."

Arne Carlson, Former Governor of Minnesota

"I think we have in Barack Obama the clear possibility of a truly great president. I would contend that it's the most important election of my lifetime."

Wayne Gilchrest, Congressman from Maryland

"We can't use four more years of the same kind of policy that's somewhat haphazard, which leads to recklessness."

Larry Pressler, Former Senator from South Dakota

"I just got the feeling that Obama will be able to handle this financial crisis better, and I like his financial team of [former Treasury Secretary Robert] Rubin and [former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul] Volcker better."

Richard Riordan, Former Mayor of Los Angeles

"I'm still a Republican, but I still will always vote for the person who I think will do the best job."

Lowell Weicker, Former Governor and Senator from Connecticut

"At issue is not the partisan politics of two parties, rather the image we have of ourselves as Americans. Senator Obama brings wisdom, kindness, and common sense to what is both his and our quest for a better America."

Jim Whitaker, Fairbanks, Alaska Mayor

"If we are as a nation concerned with energy, then our consideration should be a national energy policy that is not predicated on crude oil 50 years into the future. We need to get to it, and I think Barack Obama is very clear in that regard."

Linwood Holton, Former Governor of Virginia

"Obama has a brain, and he isn't afraid to use it."

Government Officials:

Colin Powell, Secretary of State under Bush 43

"...he has met the standard of being a sucessful president, being an exceptional president. I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming into the world-- onto the world state, onto the American stage, and for that reason I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama."

Douglas Kmiec, Head of the Office of Legal Counsel under Reagan & Bush 41

"I was first attracted to government by Ronald Reagan, who lives in our national memory as a great leader and an inspiring communicator. Senator Obama has these gifts as well, but of course, more rhetorical flourish without substance would be worth little. Is there more to Senator Obama? I believe there is."

Charles Fried, Solicitor General of the United States under Reagan

"I admire Senator McCain and was glad to help in his campaign, and to be listed as doing so; but when I concluded that I must vote for Obama for the reason states in my letter, I felt it wrong to appear to be recommending to others a vote that I was not prepared to cast myself."

Jackson M. Andrews, Republican Counsel to the U.S. Senate

"Barack Obama is a thoughtful visionary leader who as President will end the decline of American law, liberty, and fiscal responsibility that are the hallmarks of the extremist policies of the current Administration, now adopted by John McCain."

Susan Eisenhower, Granddaughter of President Eisenhower & President of the Eisenhower Group

"Given Obama's support among young people, I believe that he will be most invested in defending the interests of these rising generations and, therefore, the long-term interests of this nation as a whole."

Francis Fukuyama, Advisor to President Reagan

"...Obama probably has the greatest promise of delivering a different kind of politics."

Rita Hauser, Former White House intelligence advisor under George W. Bush

"McCain will continue the wrong-headed foreign policy decisions of Bush, while Obama will take us in a new direction."

Larry Hunter, Former President Reagan Policy Advisor

"I suspect Obama is more free-market friendly than he lets on. He taught at the University of Chicago, a hotbed of right-of-center thought. His economic advisers, notably Austan Goolsbee, recognize that ordinary citizens stand to gain more from open markets than from government meddling."

Scott McClellan, Former Press Secretary to President George W. Bush

"From the beginning I have said I am going to support the candidate that has the best chance for changing the way Washington works and getting things done and I will be voting for Barack Obama and clapping."

Bill Ruckelshaus, served in the Nixon and Reagan administrations

"I'm not against McCain, I'm for Obama."

Ken Adelman, served in the Ford administration

"The most important decision John McCain made in his long campaign was deciding on a running mate. That decision showed appalling lack of judgment... that selection contradicted McCain's main two, and best two, themes for his campaign-- Country First, and experience counts. Neither can he credibly claim, post-Palin pick."

Lilibet Hagel, Wife of Republican Senator Chuck Hagel

"This election is not about fighting phantom issues churned out by a top-notch slander machine. Most important, it is not about distracting the public-- you and me-- with whatever slurs someone thinks will stick."

Columnists and Academics:

Jeffrey Hart, National Review Senior Editor

"It turns out that these political parties are not always either liberal or conservative, Democratic or Republican. The Democrat, under certain conditions, can be the conservative."

Andrew Bacevich, Professor of International Relations at Boston University

"For conservatives, Obama represents a sliver of hope. McCain represents none at all. The choice turns out to be an easy one."

David Friedman, Economist and son of Milton and Rose Friedman

"I hope Obama wins. President Bush has clearly been a disaster from the standpoint of libertarians and conservatives because he has presided over an astonishing rise in government spending."

Christopher Buckley, Son of National Review founder William F. Buckley & former NR columnist

"Obama has in him-- I think, despite his sometimes airy-fairy 'We are the people we have been waiting for' silly rehtoric-- the potential to be a good, perhaps even great leader. He is, it seems clear enough, what the historical moment seems to be calling for."

Andrew Sullivan, Columnist for the Atlantic Monthly

"Obama's legislative record, speeches, and the way he has run his campaign reveal, I think, a very even temperament, a very sound judgment, and an intelligent pragmatism. Prudence is a word that is not inappropriate to him."

Wick Alison, Former publisher of the National Review

"I made the maximum donation to John McCain during the primaries, when there was still hope he might come to his senses. But I now see that Obama is almost the ideal candidate for this moment in American history."

Michael Smerconish, Columnist for the Philadelphia Enquirer

"...an Obama presidency holds the greatest chance for unifying us here at home and restoring our prestige around the globe."

CC Goldwater, Granddaughter of Barry Goldwater

"Nothing about the Republican tickets offers the hope America needs to regain its standing in the world, that's why we're going to support Barack Obama."

Technorati Tags: Republicans for Obama obamacans obamacons Jim Leach Lincoln Chafee

The End of the McMansion

The McMansion is soon to be a thing of the past. Passe' at last, thank god. There are property lots a quarter the size of mine up on the foothills of Salt Lake with houses that fill the lot, are three stories high, and block the lovely views for the home owners around them. They're hideous, and now they're too expensive to heat and cool and too large for one person to clean--it takes a cleaning crew to clean a McMansion. I've seen a lovely neighborhood with normal sized houses get up in arms about the neighborhood going to hell when someone buys one of the old houses, tears it down, and builds a monster house that blocks the view and crowds it's lot. Bigger isn't always better, but during the Bush years, it became the mantra of newly wealthy, upwardly mobile, living on stock dividends home buyers--tear it down and build it bigger, and seldom do they build it better.

It is possible to do more with less. Less money, less space, more efficiency, and a much smaller carbon footprint. I live in what was once a garage with a 400 sq ft original floor space. When I decided to convert it to "the little house," I added one room--a bathroom with a greenhouse sitting room. I carved a bit out of the original 400 sq ft room by building a large closet for my clothes and some storage, and I added a small utility closet that holds the water-heater. So in the end I'm back to roughly the original 400 sq feet. I don't feel crowded. I feel cozy. I have everything I need in terms of space. And everyone who's visited this space has asked when I'm going to move out, so they can move in. I have rented it in the past and never had to post an ad or wait more than a couple of days to find a good tenant--I now have a waiting list of people who want to live here and hope I move out again. I rented it once to a couple (I worried that it would be too small for two people) who lived here for five years. If you've lived in Manhattan or San Francisco and rented, this space is huge. I now realize that a family of three or four could live here, and in other countries it would be considered luxurious for that sized family.

There are things I hope to do someday that will make the little house energy independent. There is a small company in California that makes glass that is photosensitive--it turns darker in bright sunlight and it acts as a year-round solar collector for energy to heat the water used in the house. I have three door length panels of glass in the ceiling of the greenhouse and three along the south-facing wall. And there are two porthole skylights in the main room. There are two other windows and a door with a window. All that glass could be collecting and storing energy. I have a ceiling fan that brings warm air down in the winter, and reversed, it creates a cool breeze in the summer in conjunction with the swamp-cooler. I'd like to have a solar panel on the roof for the heating and cooking. For now I have a small gas stove in the kitchen that does not have a pilot-light (it must be lit with a match) and a small gas heater in the main room. There is a little electric heater built into the wall in the bathroom greenhouse that pumps a bit of warmth into the bathroom on snow days when sunlight isn't heating that room. It is at worst 60 degrees in the bathroom some mornings in the depths of winter. On sunny days it's toasty and a good place to soak up sun when days are short. I can live with that. Apparently so can everyone else who's lived here, since I've had to pry them out when I wanted to live in the cottage again.

The floor in the big room is concrete and painted. The bathroom/greenhouse floor is tiled--I did it myself and enjoyed every second of that work. I have some nice old rugs and these floors are a lovely background for them. But in the winter I wear warm socks and slippers.

Landscaping the area around the little house was done with an eye toward creating a space with it's own little forest and is mostly self-sustaining. I xeriscaped it before I'd heard the term. Where I planted, I planted bulbs and perenials. Some things took over and crowed out others, but I was too busy taking care of my mother by then to notice or do much about it. Eventually I realized that letting the strong survive is, in most cases, a good thing in a xeriscaped garden. It doesn't require a lot of human energy or water. Mint was one of the big winners in the survival race of the back garden. For a few years I tried to contain it. But now I make a lot of mint tea, and the dogs smell great when they've walked through one of the mint patches. Some of my tree plantings were a mistake and have since required removal--I planted two Navaho willows on the east side of the little house. They grow fast and can thrive in almost any kind of soil, and they provide deep shade--they're sometimes called Globe Willow. Yes, they did grow fast, and they became a problem for the public utilities guys who trim trees over-hanging power poles. The roots are notorious for invading sewer lines and create a lot of business for the rotorooter guy. I took one of them out when I had the money to do it, but those days are past and I no longer have the money to remove the other. It crowds the fence and has been trimmed by the utility companies into near death. Once I get my property taxes paid, I'll try to save for getting that remaining tree removed. I pray I won't need dental work or major car expenses in the meantime, or that tree will still be there next winter.

It's hard to get a good photo of the exterior of the little house because it is will hidden by plantings of shrubs and trees. But as best I can, I'm going to give you a look at this space. This or something like it is the way of the future. Here are some photos of the little house.

The Ubermilf's Writer's Challenge

My response to the Ubermilf's writer's challenge has been posted on Savage Stories and at Writer's United.

Yes We Can

It Pays To Vet If You're a Vet

I picked up a little something at Mock Paper Scissors.

Stolen From Franiam

Yes, I Once Was A Make-Up Artist

This new wrinkle in the Palin problem really is now in a way all about lipstick. Pig? Not Pig. Not the point. Everyone has a talent, some more talents than others, but one of mine was that I was a very good make-up artist. I even have a resume with pictures of some of my jobs. Once I put lipstick on a Rottweiler. I'm not proud of it, but the dog did have a handler who assured me it was ok and would not hurt the dog. His handler was, no doubt, much better paid than I, but I didn't work for chump change. I was seldom told exactly what my job would be prior to arriving at the photographers studio. The dog was a complete surprise to me. But like any good make-up artist I was prepared for just about anything. There was also a stylist on that job. No expense was spared for the dog. Imagine what they are doing for Palin.

I have made perfectly healthy people with nice skin look like they had all kinds of wounds and scars and acne for the before photos, and then removed their icky skin problems and made them look lovely. All in the name of advertising for a skin care company.

I have worked on some gorgeous women making them ever more gorgeous for fashion shoots, for TV commercials or catalogues. I have also put make-up on Orin Hatch and Jake Garn, notorious Utah Republicans for local TV interviews. I almost got to put make-up on Colin Powell, but he travels with his own make-up artist. Who knew? It sure shocked me. This was several years before he became a member of the Bush Cabinet, but still.

Those were the Clinton Years and they were very good for me economically speaking. I acted in movies and three TV series. I did some voice work that paid incredibly well. I modeled. And I was a make-up artist.

No one goes in front of a huge audience or in front of a TV camera (especially in a studio) without make-up. But this two week paycheck for Sarah Palin's make-up artist is purportedly bigger than McCain's economic adviser's paycheck for a comparable time span. Humm. I guess you get what you pay for. $22,000. 00 for two weeks is a hefty paycheck even for a traveling full-time make-up artist. She makes more in a month than Joe the Plumber makes in a year. And plumbers aren't cheap. I do not begrudge the make-up artist her salary, but I do think they could have found someone perfectly excellent for Sarah without quite that price-tag. Same with the wardrobe. And is the RNC paying for everything? And who finances the RNC? Is this income? Taxed income? I know it is for the make-up artist, but... I wonder how many laws are being broken in all this financing of Palin and her family? I have no doubt the make-up artist knows how much she got paid and how much she will owe in taxes. And she's skilled. There is no doubt about that. She's probably smarter than Sarah, too.

The Palin Rap

Palin Rap:

I Think I know What Randal Looks Like

Is this what Randal looks like? I'm thinking he has this thoughtful and almost brooding quality. The mustache, maybe not. But the pale skin and the dark hair and eyebrows, the soulful eyes, yes. Do you still have the sky blue tux tucked away somewhere Randal?

My Artistic Temperament According to Quizzy

I'm antisocial.

I mean, balanced, secure and something, something, and something else.

Your result for What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test...

Balanced, Secure, and Realistic.

10 Impressionist, -5 Islamic, 4 Ukiyo-e, -1 Cubist, -5 Abstract and -18 Renaissance!

Impressionism is a movement in French painting, sometimes called optical realism because of its almost scientific interest in the actual visual experience and effect of light and movement on appearance of objects. Impressionist paintings are balanced, use colored shadows, use pure color, broken brushstrokes, thick paint, and scenes from everyday life or nature.

People that like Impressionist paintings may not alway be what is deemed socially acceptable. They tend to move on their own path without always worrying that it may be offensive to others. They value friendships but because they also value honesty tend to have a few really good friends. They do not, however, like people that are rude and do not appreciate the ideas of others. They are secure enough in themselves that they can listen to the ideas of other people without it affecting their own final decisions. The world for them is not black and white but more in shades of grey and muted colors. They like things to be aestically pleasing, not stark and sharp. There are many ways to view things, and the impresssionist personality views the world from many different aspects. They enjoy life and try to keep a realistic viewpoint of things, but are not very open to new experiences. If they are content in their live they will be more than likely pleased to keep things just the way they are.

HelloQuizzy

I Heard About It On Twitter

Carl Rove was the best cast character in the new movie W. And now I'm home and cruising around the only social circle I have which is cyber. Sad isn't it. But I saw Randal, Diva, Freida, and a new guy called latimis or something like that and he mentioned this on Twitter.

Turd Blossom and The Killa From Wasilla (in a quarter million dollar wardrobe) living in this country at the same time in history is very scary if you think about it.

Home At Last

Well, I got cleaned up, put on my lipstick and mascara and went out. I wore a skirt. And here is a picture to prove the lipstick part. Why am I smiling? Well, the movie was worth seeing, the company was good, and now I'm home, the TV is on and I'm smoking my first cigarette in three and a half hours. I'm going to get back into my round-the-clock-jammies and settle in for some blog reading, some news watching, and some chain smoking.

In about an hour I'm making Chili for the first time this fall. Mmm, Chili! Tomorrow I might even work outside like a good home owner. I should be out there every day the sun shines until it's done. Taking care of an urban forest is harder than you'd think. And the utility bills need paying. The property tax bill came in the mail today. I haven't opened it yet, so that's probably while I'm smiling still.

While You're Waiting

I've been taking some photos of the yard. It is the most spectacular time of year in my little world. I really am snugged in back here. Even when the leaves fall and all the bushes are naked I will still have a wall of high- altitude Asian Bamboo along the western fence. The gates are locked and there are BEWARE OF DOG signs posted front and back. In my forest are some very tall pines, so even in the worst of winter I will have bits of green. The Halls Honeysuckle keeps some green leaves. Even the mint will winter- over bright green under a coat of snow if the temperature's not too terribly cold. But for now, it's lovely and changing day by day as the nights grow colder. Have a look.

Movie Matinee Day

Well, it's that time of the week and there's a movie I'm really looking forward to. You guessed it. W. I'm an Oliver Stone fan and I've been savoring the notion of this examination of our current President while he's still in office. Has this ever been done before? Other than Wag the Dog? Well that answers my own question doesn't it? Anyway, it's great timing to my way of thinking.

A matinee movie date requires a bit of effort on my part as I am leaving the house to be in the company of a man I really love. He is my best male friend. I have never known another man who allowed me to set the agenda for the time we spend together. The rare lunch and the frequent mid-week matinee movie. The occasional lengthy phone conversation. Perfection. Talking politics with a really smart and well informed (in the flesh) human being is such a treat. Not to cast aspersions on the flesh any of you inhabit, but it doesn't sit next to me in the empty theater for half an hour before the movie starts and talk politics. So I'll comb my hair and maybe even put on a touch of make-up. I might wear a skirt. Liberality has challenged my lazy ass into a skirt wearing phase.

When I went to the grocery store today my new fat pants were hanging on my hips like one of those low rider guys. By the time I'd shlepped my groceries to the little house they were nearly off my ass. When I got inside and happened to pass a mirror I noticed that my fly was undone. Lovely. So I do need to take stock. I'll actually give myself the once over before I head out to my matinee movie date with Nick. If I look good enough I'll treat you to a rare photo of the savage one. In the meantime there'll be some whisker plucking going on.

Poo Pie

It's lets get dirty time in the political cycle. The Republicans are calling Obama names: Socialist, Communist, Liberal... Oh the horror! I just saw a clip of a campaign stop for McCain with him saying "Obama wants to take your slice of the pie and give it to someone else". Boo! Hiss! Boo! "I want to grow the pie." Grow the Pie? You dumb old fart, you think pie grows? Ask any woman in small town America, the real America, the America of real Americans who are like you, how to grow a pie and she will bust up laughing. A pie gets made. And before a pie gets made someone has to earn the money to buy the ingredients, which probably entails a shopping trip, which requires gas for the car, assuming that the Repo-man hasn't already repo'ed it. But once all the ingredients are assembled, someone with a certain skill in pie making will have to put that pie together, bake it in an oven, using either electricity or gas to heat it. Then that pie will disappear faster than it could ever be put together. Turn your back for an instant and that pie will disappear into the mouths of all pie lovers in close proximity to that freshly baked pie. But I think that MCCain and Palin are assembling a poo pie, and it does seem to be growing. John Sydney doesn't like to lose, though he ought to be used to it by now. But since it all seems to be slipping away, he and his Killa from Wasilla are getting ready for some poo-pie flinging. Duck!!! Incoming!

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

This is another of the perfectly timed and thoughtful gifts I have received from Ghost. Always left like a lovely bouquet of wild flowers in my comments thread. I have to say I am new to my love of Amy Winehouse, but if Amy Winehouse survives, she might look and sound just like me. No, I don't have a smidgen of her talent, but I do have the same deep register and ragged quality of the vocal chords, and I love her material. I certainly worked hard at self-destruction, but against all odds, here I am an old woman. This is an old classic, but Amy Winehouse's version is the best I've ever heard. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.

Popularity

I'm probably the least popular woman in Salt Lake City. I won't go anywhere that doesn't involve foraging for food or second hand clothes. I won't go to girlfriend's houses unless they live three houses away. Even with my friend who lives three houses away, when I do follow her home it's because she wants me to read an article in the paper or see her geranium. He husband thinks I'm vulgar, and I have to agree with him, I am vulgar. So I stay home alone with my vulgar self.

But today, ten minutes after I woke up at 11:30, Melea came over for her day-off morning jolt of espresso and hot organic milk, and a bit of sugar. It is our "morning" ritual that we watch the news and drink coffee and smoke. While this was happening, another friend dropped by and she too joined the coffee drinking and smoking. This has gone on all day, and now I've missed half of the first part of Hardball.

I haven't gone anywhere in the blogs except Dcup's and even there I couldn't post a comment. Has she blocked me or something? I sent her an email telling her of this catastrophe and she emailed me back with her phone number. Another friend drops by, and now I'm not only wired on coffee, I'm stoned and low blood-sugar. I wolf down some Cheerios and call her. And now I am the friend that dropped by right in the middle of her evening with her family. I heard Cupcake's voice today. I'm completely in love with Dcup's family, especially Dcup herself. I am her much older sister. Oh how lovely it is to fantasize the family you always dreamed of.

So now that I have talked with Dcup, my day has been both productive and enjoyable. Life's good when you have friends who don't mind that you're vulgar.

A Storm is Blowing In

We're having a change of weather. The temperature is falling pretty fast. A wind will blow in and the leaves on the Green Ash will start to fall. It is the first tree in the yard to turn and turns spectacularly yellow in a couple of days. The leaves stay on the stem until a gust of wind brings them all down at once. It's breathtaking. I have just cleaned the dead leaves off the deck and out of the gazebo for guests last Sunday. I left the blower and extension chord outside and will have to tuck them away in a minute. But before the leaves are gone, here is a shot of the yellow leaves on the Green Ash against a blue sky. It's hard to get an idea of the size of this tree from this photograph, I will try to give it scale and post a series of photos of it later.

Writers United

Well you lucky creative writing bloggers, Dusty has set up a site. I have already posted two pieces I'm working on. Dusty has three or four pieces up. So let Dusty know that you are interested in posting there, and we can work together to inspire each other with our compliments and suggestions. The editorial help never hurts. And since we are in the construction phase of this project any suggestion you have to make the site work best for you should be directed to Dusty. Sadly, I have no finely honed computing skills, so I will be of no use at all. I don't even know how to post my photographs prettily, or find those snappy photographs other bloggers use with such artful ways to illustrate their posts. It's just not fair. And I think my administrator is actually working. To make a living. Christ, times are getting tough.

Now Is Not The Time For Complacency

I have talked about this great site often. It is linked at the top of my side bar and I call it the best little polling place in the world. I look at it several times a day just to keep my spirits up. Todays piece is instructive for all of us feeling good about the race for the White House so far, but Barack Obama is not feeling so complacent. Do not forget "The Bradley Effect." Yes, maybe Obama has a "big" lead in your area, but if you don't vote, imagine how many of your fellow voters are doing the same thing. No, now is not the time for complacency.

How Racism Works

I received a lovely email from a dear friend of mine who lives in New York. She sent me this piece from a friend of hers, and without anyone's permission I post it here.

How Racism Works...

What if John McCain were a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating
class?

What if McCain were still married to the first woman he said 'I do'
to?
What if Obama were the candidate who left his first wife after she no
longer measured up to his standards?

What if Michelle Obama were a wife who not only became addicted to
pain killers, but acquired them illegally through her charitable
organization? What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama were a member of the Keating-5?
What if McCain were a charismatic, eloquent speaker?

If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the
election numbers would be as close as they are?
This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes
positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities
in another when there is a color difference.

You are The Boss... which team would you hire?

With America facing historic debt, 2 wars, stumbling health care, a
weakened dollar, all-time high prison population, mortgage crises,
bank foreclosures, etc.

Educational Background--

Obama:
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in
International Relations
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

McCain:
United States 0Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

Now, which team are you going to hire?

(Oh, and by the way, what if Barack Obama had an unwed, pregnant
teenage daughter?)

The Great Schlep

Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama

Colin Powell is the only cabinet official from the disastrously bad Bush II administration who survived with his reputation (mostly) in tact. It would have helped if he had spoken out about the BS he knew was happening in BusCheney world, but as a military man, it is not likely he would have done so while still serving in his role as Secretary of State. Once out of office he has kept mum about the shit he knew. Some would call that honorable. I'm inclined to call it cowardice, but that's how I roll. Powell is the Military man's Military man. Stoic is the word that probably best describes Powell's calm, patient, silent role since he left office. But for Colin Powell to endorse Barack Obama is stunning. It has removed from my mind any lingering taint from serving in BusCheney World, and it is a big back-handed slap to the face of John McCain. And any lingering distaste I had for Powell not resigning prior to delivering his famously bullshit speech at the United Nations has almost evaporated with his endorsement of Barack Obama for President.

A New Secret Club Is Brewing Up A Blog

Well, let the writing commence! Many of us are working on fiction or something resembling fiction. I once again propose that we start a writer's group. All you need is a work in progress. I have not cleared this with Dcup, but she was the one who designed the gorgeous secret blog called "Deadly Women Write". There are still stories there in progress, but now there are other stories needing a place to be worked on where ones fellow writers can make suggestions and actually be each others copy editors. It is incredibly helpful and has inspired a collection of Judith Blue stories from moi. Anyway, if you're interested and working on a short story or novel, let me know so we can get this going. So far, I'd say this blog will include Diva Jood who it's rumored is working on a story. Dcup has a couple up her sleeve. Randal has a novel brewing. Beach has several stories, so do I, maybe Naj and NJRR. If you want to be included in this new project leave a comment.

Elitism

My Dear Liquid Illusion, Thank You

I have been given two awards by the very lovely blogger known as Liquid Illusion. One is called the UBER AMAZING BLOG!!! Woo Woo! Darling, you are too sweet. I love you, too. And the other is the I Love Your Blog award . And I really really do.

And with all gifts they must be shared to be enjoyed. So to these five bloggers I bestow these awards on you:

Dcup, the one the only woman with a tinfoil bra and a picture to prove it.
Randal, because he's so sweet and snarky. Yummm.
Beach, who has the writer's soul. I dare you to start twittering.
Diva, because she is the Diva, and I want to be her Big Chief Justice.
Florence Joe, Oh Sorry, Freida Bee, because, well, you know. If you don't you should.

McCain and His Long Association with Unrepentant Terrorist G. Gordon Liddy

Leave it to the Huffington Post to cover the stories no one else is covering. My question is why aren't the New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, or MSNBC covering this story?

Joe the Plumber Wasn't Vetted

Any high school student could have done the research on Joe the Plumber. But certainly any enterprising journalist can do that work without leaving bed. Joe is a figment of his own and John McCain's imaginations and now he is on the radar of a lot of people that might have been overlooking the trouble that Joe the Plumber is in. He owes back taxes. He doesn't have a license. He is a subcontractor??? Doesn't that require some kind of licensing? He doesn't make much more than $40,000. a year and his boss, the guy whose business Joe wants to buy, doesn't make $200,000. a year, making them both winners in the Obama tax plan.

This shows exactly why John McCain isn't fit to lead. He makes stupid decisions without more than the impulse of the momentary mood. Yeah, that sounds good lets go with that. Let's build the narrative of the last debate all about Joe the Plumber, that'll be a winner for me. I'll get him with that line, "And you said, we need to spread the wealth around." I hadn't heard Barack ever say that, but I'm thinking, "good idea, lets." I'm betting so is Joe the Plumber.

Old Apples

Coma of cold storage
Against the sweetening
Orchard--white petals
Wet, dirt, shoots, dingy bees--
Last years apples
Comestible (just)
Faded Ted Williamses
Kept crisp at thirty-two
Point nine degrees
Because we change
Always, restless wonders
Into the graspable
If superfluous item
To eat or to wear
Thus explaining
Among much else
Why the average vernal apple-eater
Is so quick to hate
A happy woman who likes to fuck.

---Beau Friedlander

Debate Notes

The Great White Hope is a grumpy old man, lurching and erratic. McCain blusters, sputters "Fanny Freddy Mac is the reason for this crises" That's right old man, blame the poor and minorities for all that ails the economy, you simple old fart.

"It's the American Dream to be rich?!?!"

"You want to spread the wealth around!" It's about time, I'd say--spread it around a little.

"JOE THE PLUMBER told me this story." Who the fuck is Joe the Plumber? How much does he make, HOW MUCH DOES HE PAY IN TAXES? what does he pay his workers, are they legal or illegal? Does Joe provide health insurance? How many employees does Joe the Plumber have?

Maybe great wealth is like organic fertilizer and needs to be spread around, just a thought.

"Nuclear Power plants, Nuclear power, Nuclear power, 45 Nuclear power plants!!!"

FORTY FIVE!!! Whoa old man, Not in my neighborhood! Does anybody remember THREE MILE ISLAND???? Do you want the nuclear waste buried in your back yard? I don't want it in mine. The French are trying to bury it in Utah and we don't want their waste, how about you?

"Drill, Drill, Drill off shore now!" And in the next breath he says he wants a "SPENDING FREEZE?" ARE YOU CRAZY?

I WILL...! I CAN FIX....! I HAVE THE EXPERIENCE...! I DISAGREED...! I, I, I, ME, ME, ME," I'm waiting for the chest thumping and the Tarzan jungle yell.

"JOHN LEWIS SAID MEAN, SCURRILOUS THINGS ABOUT ME AND MY GIRL! MAKE HIM TAKE IT BACK!"
Oh shut up. John Lewis said the tone of your rallies reminds him of the bad old days of race hatred.

IT'S NOT FAIR, HE'S GOT MORE MONEY THAT I DO TO RUN NEGATIVE CAMPAIGN ADS!
Oh shut up you old fart! You're starting to make me physically ill, I may puke soon.

"JOE THE PLUMBER, JOE THE PLUMBER, JOE THE PLUMBER!" Will Joe the Plumber please step forward?

"SARAH MY PARTNER, SARAH MY PARTNER, SARAH MY PARTNER!" Oh shut up, and get a room you two.

"DRILL OFF SHORE," "I AM A FREE TRADER!" "WE SHOULD BE HELPING COLUMBIA!!" HE HASN'T TRAVELED TO COLUMBIA" HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND! I UNDERSTAND!"

"Well John, I do understand... How about free trade with Peru, a country that treats their workers fairly?"

"WELL, WILLIAM AYERS! AYERS! AYERS.!

Here's where the evening got interesting. Obama runs through his "relationship with Ayres once again. Does anyone remember the Primary? It was investigated and vetted and explained into obsurdity, but Obama calmly lays it out again. The Annenbergs, who are REPUBLICANS!!! and most of the rest of the Board of Director's of the foundation are big name REPUBLICANS!!!
Then he sucker punches the old white man, and named his advisers and probably some of his cabinet--Buffet, Vogel, Biden, Leugar, General Jim Jones. Take that you stupid grumpy old man!

And on the issue of Choice, John McCain makes light of the idea that the life of the woman is important, not that big a deal, unimportant???!!! Oh no he didn't!!! You old bastard, it should be the most important aspect of a woman's right to make her own decisions in consultation with her doctor regarding her reproductive decisions. Keep the government's prurient eyes off my friends daughter's uterus! No one is going to force any woman to get an abortion. If a woman chooses to lose her own life so that her baby can be born, that's her business. But if my friend's daughter chooses to be childless, and she gets pregnant no matter why or how, it's her legal right to terminate that pregnancy. It does not effect you. It isn't your business. No, you can't look at her most intimate parts like a horny gynecologist and declare that the life of the zygote is sacred, and the pregnant woman is merely its disposable house.

Can we just round up all the angry old white racist paternalistic bastards and send them to Colombia? It could be the new Florida.

Ghost gives me T.S. Eliot. Not With a Whimper But A Bang.

Ghost you are a lovely presence. Thank you for this: T.S. Eliot by Marlon Brando. It could also be Joe the Plumber. Am I the only one who sees the resemblance? Besides you Randal.

William Blake

After falling madly in love with TS Elliot, my second poetic infatuation was William Blake. The first of his poems I read was The Tyger, which found me in an adolescent search for God. I wrestled with Blake like the Angel of Death in my quest for God and never lost my love of Blake, but gave up on God long, long, long ago. Now The Tyger seems like a vaguely menacing nursery rhyme.

THE TYGER

Tyger, tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And, when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tyger, tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

By William Blake

The First Poem I Ever Fell In Love With

The Love-Song of J. Alfred Prufrock was written when T.S. Eliot was twenty two years old.

The Last of Autumn's Flowers

This is another of Melea's landscapes. Maybe better described as a detail in a larger landscape. Early Autumn in the foothills east of Salt Lake City.

The Grand Old Party is a Fraud

After eight years of the Bush administration, the Republican Party -- to put it bluntly -- is a mess and a fraud.

There is an intellectual case to be made for the economic philosophy that the party purports to represent. I disagree with it strongly, but I respect its integrity -- in a way that this administration and the Republican leadership in Congress clearly did not.

The Republican Party said it believed in free and unfettered competition, but it picked winners and losers through a system of crony capitalism. All it takes to make my point is a name: Jack Abramoff.

The Bush tax cuts, which heavily favored the wealthy, showed that the president and his allies in Congress didn't believe in progressive taxation. I think that's outrageous, but the administration goes further and actually seems to prefer a regressive tax scheme. That's the only explanation I can think of for why hedge fund managers making hundreds of millions of dollars a year pay taxes at a lower rate than their chauffeurs.

This is a small excerpt from Eugene Robinson's column in the Washington Post today. Here's another:

Can any Republican candidate claim with a straight face to represent the party of small government? For that matter, can any Republican candidate plausibly explain what the party is supposed to stand for these days?

It's pathetic to hear right-wing talk radio blowhards try to associate Barack Obama with "radical" or "socialist" views when a Republican administration is tossing aside "Atlas Shrugged" and speed-reading "Das Kapital.

Thanks Eugene, I needed that.

More of the Delicious Economist Paul Krugman

My favorite economist, the hunky Nobel Prize winner, Paul Krugman takes on BillO on BillO's own turf.

Paul Krugman Wins Nobel Prize for Economics

The world's hunkiest Economist wins the Nobel Prize. I've become a Krugman fan this year watching him on my favorite prime time news shows: Hardball, Countdown, and now The Rachel Maddow Show. I was turned off by the economists of the past, namely Allen Greenspan and Paul Bernanke, big money morons in my estimation. Thanks a lot you titans of the past for the mess we find ourselves in. Make way for handsome Paul Krugman.