My Imaginary Dinner Party

At my Imaginary Dinner Party, Eugene Robinson would always sit to my right at one end of our table, where I can see him and hear him and engage with him and learn from him. My Smart Wife would always sit opposite me so that I could smile at her during our fabulous dinner party. Our Awesome Offspring would sit to my left at the other end of the table, because I like having him on my left side. He fits well there. Our other guests would be scattered around the enormous table wherever they'd care to sit and enjoy themselves.

There would be much food and wine and talk and laughter and music and fun.

Who wants to come over?

PS RIP Jay Bennett. Sorry to see ya go, man. Thanks for the tunes.

A System of Control

Like any system of control, it's own survival is paramount. Its publicly stated goals and credos mean nothing. The system always strives to survive, regardless of the cost.

The Republican Darwin Beat Down!

Tom Tancredo tries to explain why Intelligent Design (my fingers wanted to leave my body just for typing those awful words!) is pretty much equal to the Theory of Evolution. Though they ain't. And how Darwin would have to admit that we've never found a single one of the thousands of transitional fossils he predicted we would need to prove evolution. Though we have. And humans never evolved from anything else. We was always people. Not monkeys. Though we did.

What the frack was Chris Matthews thinking having this moron on to discuss "science"?

What We Did On Our Summer Vacation - In the Future!

Big Algae!

Damn, but just when I thought we might be able to break loose of the filthy bonds of one energy monopoly, along comes another! Help us, Raptor Jesus!

We're so screwed.

Yeah, Science!

I know that science is pretty scary ff you're a Republican or a Creationist, but please don't be afraid - it's just a microscope...it won't hurt you. In fact, it may save your life someday if it hasn't already. (I chose a particularly old-timey instrument because I thought it might seem less threatening. I worried that the sight of an electron microscope might cause instant strokes amongst the science-haters out there).

Finally, we have a President who thinks that science isn't a four-letter word. Obama gave a speech at the National Academy of Science. First President to even visit it since JFK! Here's a bit of what he said:

At such a difficult moment, there are those who say we cannot afford to invest in science, that support for research is somehow a luxury at moments defined by necessities. I fundamentally disagree. Science is more essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, our environment, and our quality of life than it has ever been before.

Yeah. Them's words I've been needing to hear a President of the United States say (and mean) my whole life.

Baloney, Anyone?

This post could be called "It's Okay If You're A Republican - Number 5,325."

Or - "Do They Even Hear What Comes Out of Their Mouths?"

You probably heard the news - Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn) is about to become a D-Penn Sen. (Depends wearing Senator? Maybe...) He'll be about as good at that as he was at being a Republican, which is so-so, but it's fascinating to watch the Republican/conservative response.

Rush says "Frack him and the calliope he rode in on," basically, while Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn seem to think they are actually Dems and the year is 2006. Check out their goofy, they-obviously-don't-hear-themselves-talking remarks.

McConnell: "I think the threat to the country presented by this defection really relates to the issue of whether or not in the United States of America our people want the majority to have whatever it wants without restraint, without a check or a balance...I think the danger of that for the country is that there won't automatically be an ability to restrain the excess that is typically associated with big majorities and single-party rule."

Dang, Mitch - wish you'd said that a few years ago, when Rove was touting his "Permanent Republican Reich" and wet-dreaming about single-party rule in Congress, the White House, the Supreme Court and all the federal courts. Not to mention dog-catcher and town drunk.

And here's Cornyn, dreaming up with twisted Texan reasoning a vision of the 2010 election and a"potentially unbridled Democrat super-majority versus the system of checks-and-balances that Americans deserve."

Now you know how the rest of us felt in '06, John. Take Arlen's example to heart and join the real Americans, boys, the ones fighting for the future, for change, for the betterment of the nation as a whole and for the many not just the few. It feels good.

UPDATE: Only took him a couple of days, but looks like Ol' Arlen has turned coat again. Today he voted with all of his Republican buddies to screw American homeowners who are facing bankruptcy. Nice job, Specter. You're a bastard. Rot in hell. (Oh, and take the Dems who caved to the banking interests with you. Frack you all.)

Recommended Hearing

I know I haven't given kids the music you'd rather have over the political rants of late, so here's some other sites you might want to check out if your live boot fix needs more fixing.

Quality Bootz - Recent name and URL change, but an excellent source for lossless (FLAC) boots, though of the more mainstream variety, ie plain old classic rock and pop. Not too much in the way of punk and psychedelia exceptin' some great Pink Floyd. Lots of Floyd. And tons of Neil Young. I recommend the Budokan '76. A gnarly vintage with a rusty aftertaste - smoooooth!!!

Viva las Bootlegs - High bit-rate MP3 boots. More on the metal/hard rock/classic rock side. I've found some great Hawkwind shows here. And Devo! Great Devo! Get the Devo!

I'll see what else I can dig up for you...

Oink

The Great Secessionist, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, is crying to the federal government for help now that he has a problem.

Gosh, but I thought he didn't want to be part of OUR country anymore...

File this under "It's Okay If You Are A Republican" and have another beer. I'm gonna.

Little Boys and Presidents

As parents, My Smart Wife and I have been trying to teach our son one very important lesson his entire life. He's pretty tired of hearing about it by now, we're sure.

Most Important Lesson #1: Actions have consequences.

We've talked and reasoned and sometimes snapped and barked about this for fourteen years. Everything you do, we've tried to teach him, has a repercussion - for good or bad. So be careful what you do and think about your actions carefully before you make them. If circumstances force you to act quickly, then make sure you think about that act afterwards - especially if the results were negative.

Simple request for President Obama: Don't make us liars to our son.

As parents, we've fought eight years against the example of a President who believed there were no consequences to actions, supported by a Congress of both parties that allowed him to believe this.

It wasn't easy. Not when President Bush would do something so transparently wrong that our then nine year-old boy could look at us and ask, "Why is he doing that? Why doesn't someone tell him this is wrong?" Often but not always unspoken was the follow-up question: "Why isn't there a consequence to his actions?"

Little boys and Presidents both need to know that there are consequences to actions.