Takng A Little Ride

Some few people may have noticed a bit over a month of no posts on this blog. Well, Harley Davidson played a rather large role in that lack. Back in March two friends and I faced with the presence of snow and stinking weather forecasts trailered our bikes south to Las Vegas for a week of riding without frostbite.

***Click the pics for full size***

That would be the Grand Canyon shot from the South Face. We rode a 580 mile loop from Las Vegas around the North Face to the South Face through Flagstaff back to Las Vegas. The problem with the North Face was that it was closed due to snow, deep, deep snow.



This piece includes a bit of the problem with the whole loop - Flagstaff is about a mile elevation and the Grand Canyon is up hill from there - ie. damn cold on a motorcycle. You'd think that if there were two live brain cells talking to each other amongst three boys from Baker City, OR at 3500 ft elevation surrounded by mountains that this little factoid would have entered our thinking. Nope. Popsicles.

Riding around Las Vegas for a week certainly doesn't explain a month. That would have a lot to do with my thinking process that included being south of snow and my son's home in Bartow, Florida about 40 miles east of Tampa. A map was generated which used "other than Interstates" diagonally from Las Vegas to Bartow. Quickly, Las Vegas - Phoenix - Show Low, AZ - Roswell, NM - Lubbock, TX - Dallas, TX - Lufkin, TX - Alexandria, LA - Baton Rogue, LA - New Orleans French Quarter - and I-10 to Tallahassee, FL and I-75 to Bartow, FL. The return trip duplicated the route minus I-75 & I-10 running up into GA east of Tallahassee and cutting across GA & MS & LA by way of Dothan, AL to Natchez, LA. The entire trip, including the Las Vegas riding totalled just over 8,000 miles with the side trip down to Key West, FL and other tourist type things in FL.

My object in the trip was to use full access roads, primarily US Highways and to a lesser extent State Routes. A motorcycle is not a reasonable method of short travel times. Given that, the opportunity to stop in smaller places and meet folks from "real life" as opposed to Freeway stops and to see the country closely pays dividends. The freeway portion of the first route was the result of a cold front in TX and northern LA - I just had to get south to near the Gulf to get away from freezing my hind end off, highs in the lower 40s are pretty brutal on a bike with no windshield or other cover when covering hundreds of miles per day. Both ways I averaged mid-400s miles per day a bit short of my goal of 500 miles, but interesting places and some cold weather interfered.



The VLA in New Mexico, not all that far from the infamous Roswell. From a distance some very large strange mushrooms out by the horizon, kinda spooky.



Kayaking east of Tampa, and yes that guy is a rather large alligator not a stone's throw away. My son and I were in a two-seater and spent around 4 hours seeing things up close and quiet.



A couple blocks from here and you're swimming to Cuba or getting your bike very wet in the waters off Key West. Mainland to Key West is 140 miles. This place is a sort of R-rated Disneyland mostly dedicated to separating you from your money, fun though. I don't guess there's any way to get farther from Baker City, OR.



This is the second time I've seen my model bike on the actual road. This was ridden by a gal in the Lakeland, FL HOG Chapter. I spotted the bike on the way to a rally in Leesburgh, FL.



I have no idea how many bikes were at the rally. For about a mile the street was parked both sides with bikes backed in side by side and about 6 blocks of downtown also had bikes parked side by side on the center line.



Before I left Las Vegas I had a 30K mile service and on the return trip the next 5K had turned over outside Roswell, NM so after spending the night Sunday morning I went to the Harley dealer to see about that. Closed. Being shut out of my service and Harley coffee I went to a nearby gas station to at least get coffee. This bunch rolled in and as per usual my bike invited conversation and the up shot was I went on a run with the Roswell Eagle Riders and Scuffy put me up for the night.



Monday morning I got my service at this dealer. Yes, aliens are, well, a thing there.



At least it was pretty warm up here. I suppose just being here made it worth a picture.



Northern Arizona and southern Utah are the Navajo Reservation and the country is spectacular - so much so that a camera doesn't really capture it. The wind eroded buttes and plateau faces make it easy to see how people could get mystical about the country.

The last day was 620 miles from Price, UT home and it involved once being over a thousand feet above the snow line, lots of cold and rain off and on including a down pour in Boise. A rough last day and one that made me very happy to be home from a trip that started 3/19 and ended 4/20.

Every place I spent any time I found people being nice to me. More than a couple times I had people trying to kill me with their vehicles, which is why you stay very alert. The bike performed flawlessly and a hat-tip is due some Harley dealers - Henderson, NV Harley (service), Lakeland, FL Harley (tire replacement), Roswell, NM Harley (service). This is about absolute friendliness, timeliness, and quality of service. I stopped at too many dealers to note for coffee, a stretch, and maybe a T-shirt and found with only a couple exceptions the same dedication to customers or just a Harley rider from far away. As I noted, this bike starts conversations, especially being a rare cruiser bike* so far from home.

*A cruiser has no windshield, faring, or built-on bags, rare is 2500 in the world ever. This is the FXSTSSE3 - Screaming Eagle Springer Soft-tail CVO (Custom Vehicles Operations). Screaming Eagle is Harley's performance and pretties division and everything on the bike is from them other than the stock main frame. It is a pretty hot-rod Harley with outstanding handling and power.

Roswell Eagle Riders

Politicians All The Same

Recently a commentor noted that after watching "Inside Job" he's decided all politicians are all the same. Well, I think that's a bit of a stretch considering Paul Ryan's plan, the Ohio/Michigan/Wisconsin mess, and the blatant support the rich Republican agenda.

That isn't exactly the same as saying that both or either Party is on your side. I suppose that short of hate, racism, and xenophobia; how much they're not on your side is the real issue. I'd love to be able to say that one of the Parties makes a point of looking out for the interests of those who lack real wealth. Yes, one can point out obvious exceptions and I'm happy to say a good chunk of the Oregon delegation fits that description; but outcomes are what matter. Outcomes suck regardless of which Party held the majority for the last 30 some years if wealth isn't your status.

Here's the real rub, and Republicans seem to understand it, the new middle will be somewhere between Democrats' half-hearted agenda and the new Republican lunacy. Much more of this crap and the middle will be somewhere to the right of Atilla the Hun.

GOP Defining Insanity

One of the "recovery community's" sayings has to do with insanity. 'Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.' In regard to the "modern" GOP is would seem that both they and the voters suffer from mind boggling insanity. If it just stopped with a political party it would be bad enough.

What just kills me is that over the past four decades the GOP drives the country into a ditch and the Democrats partly dig it back out and the voters put the GOP back into that driver's seat. They then proceed to crash the car again and we're in a worse position than before since it was only partially repaired previously. As your shampoo bottle says, "wash, rinse, repeat."

I admit to some pretty strong feelings about the Democrats' inadequate ability or dedication to putting the wheels back on the wrecked car. I sure the hell don't understand, even with all the social warfare crap, the voters' decisions as demonstrations of sanity. Other than their self-labeling I cannot understand the idea of the GOP as being fiscally responsible and I sure can't see how their victims see it.

The Nuclear Power Solution

The news coming out of Japan is ugly and scary in regard to nuclear power. I'm willing to give on the arguement that that siting would address much of what's gone wrong in Japan. In this nation it isn't all that difficult to avoid tsunamis. It isn't exactly easy to stay away from fault lines and some of the quiet ones pack a real wallop when they do let loose. It does seem that the problems in Japan are due to flooding rather than shaking and that much is reassuring - to an extent.

The issue of safety is still real, one of the real expenses of a nuke plant is just that - not the actually very expensive nature of getting power that way. Take out safety issues and it still is expensive. Since the cost of failure is so high safety simply can't be taken out.

Waste is a lot bigger issue than just the question of what to do with the expended fuel rods, everything that has had anything to do with those rods becomes waste that has to be disposed of in a real serious manner. It sure isn't a case of just digging a hole and dropping the stuff into it.

Even with the threat of radioactive clouds removed; I don't see how nuclear power is a good or important part of our power sources.

Why Am I A "Lefty"?

If you were to peruse the entire catalogue of this blog (better have some time) and could tell me exactly how it is that "Lefty" makes any sense whatever; I'd like to know.

I don't mean it is inaccurate today, what I mean is - What The Hell?

The Pinata Of Wealth

Bill Mahr is a funny guy - I'm not. If I could say this as well as he has, I'd get paid to write this rather than amusing myself. But then you can go see why
the rich are like a pinata.

Language on the clip could be an issue - if such a thing is an issue where you are right now.

RepubliKlan - Only Fair?

I'm pretty fond of the construction "Confederate Party of Republicanism" but it really is way too long to hang on some one as a Party title. I've made the case that the "Democrat Party" insult is a nice cue that the lying is about to start, or is the Party meme. I've never cared for "Rethuglicans" because it seems somehow childish and isn't really descriptive.

I realise that "RepubliKlan" is in some ways an insult to the Klan since they're at least up front with their hates. The congruence I find is that both groups are based around hatred even though the organized political Party is more fond of dog whistles than clearly stated fear and hatred.

The Union debacles in various States should point up the dangers in this country of not maintaining real power in numbers and cash. You become one of those minorities that is targeted by the Plutocrats and the RepubliKlans and they do win elections ... or had you noticed?

I suppose there are Republicans, some few - somewhere...

RepubliKlan Peter King

The title might be unfair to the Klan itself. The Klan are pretty equal opportunity haters in that there are a lot of blacks and Jews in the country along with their other targets. Peter King on the other hand doesn't have the nerve to get all equal opportunity in his hate fest. Admittedly inaccurate statistics put the number of Muslims in the US at somewhere between 0.5% and 1%. It would probably be fair to compare those percentages to McCarthy's targeted group.

This isn't to suggest that the RepubliKlans don't use all kinds of dog whistles to attack larger groups of minorities like blacks, Hispanics, and gays. The difference is getting up in front of people with blatant hater politics. Peter King is a rat bastard coward and that is all it is. Terrorism exists in the US and it includes White Christians in real sizable percentages - but since that is part of his base it must be ignored. What? You don't think it's his base? Excuse me while I wet my pants laughing.

GOPer WI Senate Vote

GOPer Senators in WI vote to strip public union rights as a stand alone bill. Congratulations fuckwits, there's your election in action. You're in for more fun as your votes play on ... and on ... and on. I suppose somebody will have to try to clean up the mess, somewhere down the line. Good luck to them. And yes after attempts to clean it up - you'll vote the same way again.

RIP David Broder

Since Broder was emblematic of what the WaPo has become, including its failure, I suppose there'll be a huge wake for him. I hope he can RIP, considering his body of work that could be questionable. There sure will be a lot of dead people questioning his writing, if you believe in that kind of thing. In the interests of letting him RIP I won't piss on his grave.

BTW MSM - the fact that someone can string words together and find someone stupid enough to pay them for it doesn't make them worthy of respect. I'm sure you won't notice in consideration of your own paychecks.

Gas Price Riches

Anybody remember the last time oil prices spiked? Anybody remember the disconnect between supply, demand, and price? Anybody care to remember who got real large money for playing the oil market?

Want to take a look at supply, demand, and price today? Nah*, 'cause somebody is getting all kinds of wealth from the situation.

*this would depend on your status as plutocrat/plutocratic enabler and the ones screwed.

Hey Wisconsin* WTF Did You Expect

*Fill in with your choice like OH, MI, FL. IN, ETC

In Wisconsin half of you bothered to vote. Half. That means about a quarter of the eligible voters picked your elected officials. How many of you teachers didn't bother, how many of you public janitors didn't bother, how many whatevers of you just didn't bother?

That begs the question of how many of you ignored your actual interests to vote against Obama or for some social right wing hobbyhorse that you won't get. In point of fact regarding the "Family Values Party" not only won't you get but that they don't bother with themselves.

You folks are providing endless amusement fot the national media. What the hell, you haven't listened to what the GOP has actually had to say? You didn't pay any attention when reputable analysis said, "liars, liars, pants on fire"? Are you now saying, "We thought we were voting for reasonable responsible Republicans," and continue to believe in the Easter Bunny and Santa? You can tell yourselves all the fairytales you please about the existance of such a creature to continue your tribal identity bullshit - just don't expect the rest of us to believe along with you.

You didn't expect it, you got it, now you don't like it, you wouldn't do it again. Bullshit. You'll do it all over again. You'll continue to believe the goddam fairytales because you want to. I've watched your bullshit get repeated for decades and, yes, you can stuff your St Ronnie up your...

The real shame is that thinking responsible people get screwed repeatedly by you.

Fuck you and the horse you rode in on.

Fox Lies

Since* that isn't a "news flash;" anything new on your mind I've missed?
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*I just want that title posted

GOP Budget "Balancing"

Lately there's been a lot of rhetoric and even proposed bills that are based on the "morality" of deficits or the absolute requirements of State governments to keep budgets neutral. Somehow "budget crisis" doesn't mean shit about budgets and the revenue stream versus expenses.

You could start looking at this from the point of extending the BushCo tax cuts for everybody; whether they could afford it or not. Once that head-scratcher went through - damn near everything else follows because the issue is no longer about a budget.

Go ahead and look at the Federal GOP's ideas about correcting the budget, then move on to the various states that are or aren't in the news. Michigan has escaped the notice of the news world and offers up some real meat. Wisconsin and Ohio and to an extent Florida have caught a bit of notice. Everywhere you turn there are tax cuts and slash and burn in general public interest items. Buried inside all this shit are ideological/plutocratic agendas like union busting or even, in Michigan, town busting.

None of the real issues of budgetary considerations are addressed. Those of you who've accused me of being an excessive partisan can kiss my ass. BYW - you GOPlite (D)s can line up right behind them.

Sen Crapo - Is That kraypoe or crapp - oh

So Sen Mike Crapo (R-ID) gets time on LO's Last Word to grind out horseshit that fixing the tax code (not such a bad thing in itself) would let the tax rate for the top get lowered to 28% or lower. This would be important for the "job creators" and not affect the rest. You have to have your head stuffed so far up your backside to believe this GOP canard that ... ah well. This is, naturally, in the midst of the GOP hack-and-slash budget rhetoric.

If you'd like to track the concentration of wealth in this country with something that correlates the one place you can look is the tax code and the tax rates. When even LO doesn't laugh this shit off the stage I think it's time to give the hell up.

Plutocrats - friends to all.

Goddam, utter stupidity followed by banal stupidity - followed up with lame David Brooks (Bobo) who can't ... Appleby's Salad Bar guy. The guy who makes his living making false equivalences and outright falsehoods as a balanced moderate. This is what we need is the enablers of plutocrats given even more fucking air time without accompanying bitch slaps.

Yes the NYT still pays this idjit real money instead of bananas.

Democrat And Democratic

When you listen to someone talking about politics one clue that you're about to hear canned lying talking point is contained in the difference between "Democrat" and "Democratic" in usage. I give you WI State Senator's usage - "mess left behind by Democrat Governors." I am registered as a "Democrat" but I belong to the Democratic Party and as an elected official I would be referred to as "Democratic *Office* at whatever level of office.

It is a GOP insult tactic no different than (G)rand (O)ld (P)lotocrats would be other than in regards to actual accuracy. It tells you from its utterance that the person is not serious in any manner about the Party he is referring to - it is an immediate dismissal. There is no "Democrat Party," no such thing other than in the fevered language of the Right. Maybe they don't like the association of "Democratic Party" with democratic behavior or democratic process. But then I have no idea why they still associate themselves with A Lincoln in any terms.

I'm not complaining in the least about their usage - it is a nice verbal cue to the lying that is about to commence. Maybe the "( )" usage I made should have been (G)rand (O)ld (P)ervaricators ... I'll stick with Confederate Party of Republicanism though.

Things That Go Bang

Lately there's been a lot of talk by people about Libya and "no fly zones." It almost seems as though thinking about what you are proposing before saying something might make them seem ... I don't know ... wimpy. Some of these folks come from a background that ought to make them familiar with ordinance and what it does.

You can't just tell someone they can't fly; you have to make it impossible. That means air defense systems must go away and the way to do that is to break them and that takes things that go bang. Stuff that goes bang does just that and anything anywhere near it gets broken also. Whether the targeted entity makes any effort to place such systems with public cover or not it will not be the only thing broken. Men, women, and children who have no stake in the continuation of Ghadafi will be part of the damage. They will be killed or badly injured.

Taking out the infrastructure of air defense means that you have attacked a nation. What ever lofty goals precede the action - it is an act of war to bomb a nation, which Libya is. We have been at war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in actuality, Pakistan - all primarily Muslim nations. We are not making a lot of friends with our things that go bang. We especially are not making friends with the innocent casualties that keep happening.

Maybe the videos of smart weapons and plain distance has blurred our ability to understand just what the effects of ordinance are. There is a lot of heat, a lot of fast moving air, and a lot of flying stuff composed of the stuff that was broken and the stuff the broke it. None of that is good for organics - like humans.

Black? What Does It Take?

For those who assert that racism is a small component of US society; I'd like to pose a question. What exactly does it take for a black (or other) to make it and be regarded as a model? One of the favorite responses is to point at sports and say, "Oooh, look." which is absolute horseshit. Professional atheletes are a vanishingly small proportion of the population and engage in what is essentially circus. I root for the Browns (pointless) but I recognize that even the unlikely event of a Browns' Superbowl win in some recognizable future means exactly not shit to the health and well-being of the nation.

What has meaning happens in the work place, politics, and out in public. Walking down a street populated primarily by blacks (minorities) and having no reaction to the fact is progress. The hiring of minorities and their advancement in the workplace happening matter of factly rather than exception is progress. Having a black President who is assailed on true policy differences rather than mythic upbringing (or actual upbringing) or "otherness" is progress. I'm not going to bother saying spit about religious minorities. Go ahead and point out how this is the factual situation of the US society today.

I regards to the President of the US; you would think that the Republican ideal of up from humble roots by bootstraps would apply. They insist that is the reality of the American Dream and that it is there for everyone. Pay attention to the policy stuff of the very people claiming something to do with Obama's otherness - it is wrapped in that rhetoric.

So what am I doing here? Pointing out that the GOP is a lying hypocritical organization? I suppose and I suppose that I'm making the mistake of pointing to the obvious - also, too (TM SP).

Maybe you get some feeling for my disdain for any State outside the Confederacy having difficulties for electing these assholes. Yeah, and I live in a reliably GOP CD in Oregon so it isn't parochial of me.

Too Bad For WI, NJ, OH, And ETC

My nose is a bit out of joint today. WI Senators are out of state to block stupid legislation. Ohio managed to vote Democrats out of a quorum call number so stupid legislation will go forward. NJ has its Governor all over media gloating about saving the rich and whacking everybody else.

I grew up in Ohio and got a really good primary education there. I also didn't like a lot about Ohio along with what I did like. I lived for awhile in WI as an adult, I mostly liked it. I've never even been to NJ.

Here you go, you people elected that bunch and there are consequences to elections. You're not going to like them. WI can maybe hold assholery off, Ohio can't, and NJ is whatever it is. It will take years for the shit to hit the fan as far as real outcomes are concerned. Crappy educational opportunities don't have immediate outcomes. Most of the real bad consequences won't fall on the general populace for quite awhile and that is the GOPers hope. Marginalizing smaller specific groups works just fine for awhile.

There have been outcomes of the GOPer crap that came home to roost fairly recently - financial meltdown being one. It may (probably not) dawn on people that the rich are cleaning up and they're getting screwed. I'd not give a damn if teachers and etc fled those states, what is too bad is that they get screwed whatever they do and what happens to those voters who elected them won't happen currently enough to make them cry.

I'd be hugely pleased if the voters took one in the eye for their votes soon enough to teach them something. Pah, won't happen. The GOPers will get away with this crap for a good long time. Their voters deserve what they get, too bad for the rest of you. Really, you did this to yourselves - maybe to the benefit of the rest of the nation, but I doubt that - also, too. (TM SP)

Democrats, when you play at being GOPer Lite; why are you surprised when the real things get elected and Democrats can't get warmed up about you and Indies don't give a damn? "Not as bad as ..." isn't a real vote getter. I wonder what the 2040 elections will look like?*

*thinking about that too much could lead to total disconnect from politics and pretty much everthing else.

Me And My Democrats

Today my State Party called me to update my credit card information since I am a member of the DPO Grassroots Democrat program. I have an amount of money drawn on my card monthly for the DPO and for that I get to have some fairly meaningless bennies. The benefits only have meaning as an expression of gratitude from the Democratic Party of Oregon - which I appreciate.

I do this because the DPO is a pretty good representation of my political views, that stands in contrast to - um - the US Senate Caucus' votes. My OR Senators don't reflect what the Caucus votes for, unfortunately for those votes. In general terms I'm pretty satisfied with the Oregon Democratic Congressional delegation.

Sure, the DPO is left of conventional Democratic politics but they work like hell to elect Democrats and those Democrats suit me a lot better than a pretty much the rest of the nation's quota.

The money isn't a lot, but it beats nothing and helps keep the Party from having to be totally dependent on rich people. Your State Party probably has something similar, you could think about it.

Lying Liars and Elections To Come

You would think that a political party would have something to say about policy that had something to do with the truth if its ideology had anything to it. I am serious, if there is a basis for the GOP then it should be able to advance something that has the truth at its core. It just isn't so, every time they open their mouthes a lie comes out.

What would it take for the electorate to figure out what is going on? Maybe giving a damn about the truth?

BTW, Democrats - does economic fairness enter into your thinking? A little maybe? Ask your damn Caucuses before you lie to me.

Faux News Huckabee Lies, Spokesman Lies For Him

HUCKABEE: I would love to know more. What I know is troubling enough. And one thing that I do know is his having grown up in Kenya, his view of the Brits, for example, very different than the average American. When he gave the bust back to the Brits --

HUCKABEE: The bust of Winston Churchill, a great insult to the British. But then if you think about it, his perspective as growing up in Kenya with a Kenyan father and grandfather, their view of the Mau Mau Revolution in Kenya is very different than ours because he probably grew up hearing that the British were a bunch of imperialists who persecuted his grandfather.

HUCKABEE: The only reason I'm not as confident that there's something about the birth certificate, Steve, is because I know the Clintons [inaudible] and believe me, they have lots of investigators out on him, and I'm convinced if there was anything that they could have found on that, they would have found it, and I promise they would have used it.

A spokesman for Huckabee later told CBS News that the former Arkansas governor misspoke.

Ummmm, Indonesian Mau Mau since Indonesia is the only foreign country the President lived in for, four years - something other than "growing up."

Misspoke.

goddam

The US Budget - Short Version

FYIGM*





*(F--k** You, I Got Mine)



**Yes, I said Fuck and I meant it.

How GOP Governors Lie

I give you the following without any desire to harm your active brain cells, but you may be taking a risk.



Now, this is the RGA's new ad buy in Wisconsin. Does anybody notice a problem with what they're saying? Like how the public unions have already agreed to the pensions aspects of the Governor's plan? How the Senate Democrats left the state over something a bit different than the pension issues?

In point of fact the entire ad is full of shit since the issue is collective bargaining and nothing to do with what they have to say. This is what you get when you vote for this kind of human garbage - outright lies. The human garbage part isn't about their "idiotology;" it is about buying time to say complete untruths in search of their political ends. This isn't framing, it is flatly untrue, and it tries to do something to people while calling it something else.

Liar's Dice is a game and everyone knows what it is and what the object is - politics is not liar's dice.

The Texas Model

Since WI's Gov is aping the Texas as a governing model, maybe he'd like to have that State's $27B deficit. Now you should remember that TX is the place to be for rich tax haven, privatised prisons, banned public unions, in fact just about every right nut wet dream actually in existence. I don't know if Walker can get away with the Confederate Party of Republicanism rhetoric about seccession...

I can't do much more than scribble to help the folks in WI w/o their heads up their *well you know* but if you can, please do.

Fact Free GOP Shilling - On MSNBC

Today Contessa Brewer gave VA Gov Bob McDonnel (R) some fact free time to pimp his state's ban on public unions. Brewer fawned all over his state's economic record and ignored little things like the outcome listed below regarding SAT scores - WI#3/VA#34. She managed to miss the massive Federal Spending in VA, in fact she managed to miss anything to do with anything other than getting a GOPer to shill his shit and take credit for ... what?

Oh yeah, that would be on the uber liberal MSNBC. Sounded a lot like the GOP buttlicking of FauxNews.

The Leeches In Wisconsin

TPM provides a bit of a counter-point to Walker's union horseshit. You could contrast and compare the values demonstrated to ... say bank bonuses.

It’s worth pointing out that, Jim Glassman, the Bush Center director who appeared on the show to argue against collective bargaining, said right after the poll was shown that “many” states actually don’t have collective bargaining. The truth is that only five states do not have collective bargaining for public employees — Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Those states rank 45th, 48th, 49th, 38th, and 34th, in average SAT scores, respectively. Wisconsin is 3rd.

Oh, I didn't mention up front that this was a Faux show and they reversed the numbers showing support for collective bargaining? Well, they're liars so that's not news.

Outrage Meter - Bent Needle

I don't know about all of you, but I'm finding my outrage meter spiking on a regular basis. This week the Bent Needle Award seems to be a tie between WI Gov Walker's union busting and the US House defunding Planned Parenthood. There has been plenty going on to peg that meter but those two just sort of stood out to me.

You all have some nominations? This stuff seems to be so constant as to run together and I can't tell if Haley Barbour and Forrest belong to this week or last ... and hell.

As Goes Wisconsin, So Goes...

The Teabaggery theme is being played out in Wisconsin. Too bad, I lived there for awhile quite some time ago and there was a lot to like about the place. (I don't include the sub-sub zero February) The history of the State in regard to Labor is remarkable, as remarkable as this turn-around ought to be.

I don't think the WI experiment is anything like a one-off. I think this is pretty much the first shot of the GOP at the one single entity that can stand up at all to the beneficiaries of the Citizen United decision. If it sputters it is because of the turn out in Wisconsin. Don't count on that, the GOP doesn't give shit about people in the streets if expensive wealthy things aren't on fire. I don't advocate breaking things or burning them.

One might look to someplace like France for what it is that does count to people like the GOP. When every Union worker in the State walks out in solidarity, then the message gets sent. When not one AFSCME is at work and is joined in that state of being by every Teamster, AFL-CIO, etc the message will get real clear. When wealth sees itself paralyzed it will back off, otherwise... Ohio? Michigan? ETC?

This ain't done but losing it will really mean something to an awful lot of people all around this country. Any Democrat that comes down on the wrong side of this one ain't one.

Center Right Nation, My Ass

It is one of the GOP mantras that this is a center right nation and it is often repeated by the media - other than FauxNews. It is reflected in the character of the Blue Dogs and even the current President and certainly the previous Democratic President. Worse, it is politically an understatement. By vote and results this place is a nut job right winger paradise compared to any other advanced industrial nation.

That statement considers rightwing to include plutocratic policies, imperialistic warmongering, racist and classist policies, and theocratic desires. It doesn't have spit to do with financial responsibility or any sort of unintended consequences analysis of policy.

Sure, this place isn't as theocratic as Israel or Iran - but it will be a cold day in hell before a non-believer or Muslim is elected to President; or could get onto the SCOTUS. While we've got 1 1/2 wars going on, there's little point in beating the imperialistic warmongering aspect. As we are essentially subsidized one way trade with China (amongst others) and ship overseas jobs and illegally import labor for the ones that can't be out-sourced and hand out tax breaks for the process it would be hard to argue that labor means shit to this country. We support and subsidize the masters of the universe with a capital gains tax that is less than the SS/FICA rates paid by all labor and that they don't pay on that money. All over this country "heroes" of the right are engaged in re-defining rape, insisting abortion is some kind of monstrosity in all cases, and wallowing in re-fighting the Civil War. When a State actually wants to put a puke like Nathan Bedford Forrest on a goddam license plate and its Governor with national aspirations can't say, "Whoa, bad idea," it is time to rethink ethnic cleansing. The swath Sherman cut across the south was obviously not wide enough and not inclusive enough - they continued to breed.

Financial responsibility? Why bother to have a brain and even consider debating this one? Our tax policies promote the pillaging of the national treasury by warmongers and other plutocrats and then puts the onus on those least able to pay for that subsidy. This results in 12% (or so) of the actual budget getting axe consideration and the T-Rex in the living room thriving on invisibly. (huh?) It is almost as though the economic policy of the last 30 years has been to turn this place into a banana republic with trappings of integrity. The GOP myth making around St Ronnie is coupled with the liberal myopia regarding Bill Clinton into absolute disregard of the consequences or even truths surrounding the actions of those characters in regard to the economy.

The United States House of Representatives is controlled by a political party that makes its political capital off screaming socialism, warmongering, gutting a social safety net, and fighting for the Lost Cause - with all its attendant racist aspects - all the while disregarding the descent of this nation into a third world status thanks to their behavior. The most ascendant wing of that party is hard to distinguish from the John Birchers and the KKK all married to a Christianity that almost completely ignores its namesake.

The "liberals" in this mess are impressed with the fig leaves of DADT and a pseudo-capitalistic-monopolistic-socialized Health Care and vote for more of the same. The outcome of having large Democratic majorities in the House and Senate with a Democratic President resulted in 80's GOP legislative victories and percentage population effects in "liberal" policies that are vanishingly small. However nasty DADT was, the number of people affected was minuscule compared all the rest of the nastiness that's going on. So the mindless political nay-saying lockstep of the GOP has been rewarded with ... the House.

I don't look for any better results down the road until stupidity has had its shot at running the show and smashed things good. The question is whether this place can recover from that kind of thing. I wish I didn't have a grand kid...

...what, you think I'm a little pissed-off?

Who Gets It For Blowing Up The Economy?

Well gee, anybody without political swat (=money, see SCOTUS) is going to take in the neck, or currently is taking it. The lords of the universe are above all such considerations - Madoff goes to jail and who else? Consider what it took for that to happen.

Banks sold junk and then took out insurance on that junk betting it would fall apart and pensions got whacked. Retirement goes in the toilet and the Execs at those banks get big bonuses. Even though the GOP was the elected architect of this mess it can't all be laid at their feet, they had plenty of Democratic enablers - including Bill Clinton, master of the middle way...

Now that the damage to blue collar started with St Ronnie has gnawed its way up into the middle class you'd think there would be a reaction. There has been - the House is now GOP and they're planning a slash and burn campaign on the poorest and neediest of the nation. The cost to the plutocrats? An extension of the BushCo tax cuts...

The military and wars are off the table. The fact that we spend more than the next 15 top military spenders put together means ... it is untouchable and WIC can just go away.

WIC? The beaters of the fetus drum give a shit if they grow up with multiple health difficulties because their early diet sucked thanks to economics. That is the kind of sense it makes to go after the nickle and dime stuff - but the beneficiaries can't buy politicians.

If you're a plutocrat things revolve around your happiness, and that includes the well-being of your enablers. But goddam, the left is just crazy ... ask the middle and the media.

51% GOP Primary Voters Morons

Polls are only as good as the questions and the methodology but if this one is remotely accurate, well, the comparison to morons may be insulting to morons. 51% believe the President was not born in the US and only 28% believe he was which leaves that 21% who are only doubtfully stupid who don't know. I'm scarcely going into the evidence that he is a citizen but one does have to wonder if GOP policies are a reflection of that electorate.

I'd say stupid is a feature of GOPness rather than a side issue. You will note that the GOP leaders all hedge around this with, "I think so, but I won't tell anyone what to think," kind of horseshit.

There was a time I'd take a look at a Republican to see what was going on with them and have on a couple occasions voted for one. No more, I don't care - it is auto-pilot, the (D) gets the vote and it's done. What they can get from me anymore is mockery. That is pathetic.

CPAC Straw Poll

I can't think of anything much more meaningless than a poll that repeatedly endorses Ron Paul. Or maybe one that puts Ron Paul on top and Mitt in second. Maybe a bunch that goes crazy for Limbaugh should be a clue to the meaningfulness of their polling.

The most telling thing is that they don't figure doing well ought to scare away most of the public.


It ought to, shouldn't it?


It doesn't?





Oh, no...

St Ronnie Tore That Wall Down

According to current GOP mythology R Reagan took a sledgehammer to the Berlin Wall and then a wrecking ball to the USSR. Those who had watched the slow disintigration of the Soviet Union and Soviet Bloc for decades might disagree with that theme, but the right is more than satisfied with such a thing because it fits their we're the greatest stuff going idea.

So...

Is Obama the great one who Presided over Tunisia, Egypt, and who knows where next? Assuming it works out better than, say, Russia? Not a chance with the right (GOP), not a chance in hell - you could half expect GWB to get their credit or ... well you could take a look at Glenn Beck and the horrors that will be unleashed by the Caliphate.

I do think our President did a good job with a chaotic situation and no, I don't expect airports to be named for him because those nations' people had enough. Not one bit more than I approve of the St Ronnie myth.

See What Egypt Did?

The Egyptians went to the streets over a rigged system of politics and economics that crushed everyone except the rich and connected; so what have we done? We elected a GOP House.

Think about that ... just for a second or two.

To Co-opt

Co-opt is a political techinque that gets pretty neglected as a topic in regards to what happens today. It shouldn't be.

Co-opting is generally practiced against opposition groups and is used to disarm them by making them a part of the system and having a stake in its survival and well-being without making fundamental changes. This frequently involves the use of symbols and empty rhetoric or even acting on narrow areas while actively pursuing policies fundamentally harmful to the interests of that group. It can backfire but isn't currently showing much sign of it.

I can point to the GOP easily enough (and get applause around here) and its relationship with the Religious Right, Tea Partiers, and more. Maybe it gets a bit more sticky if I point to the Democrats? Sure, it was well past time to do something about DADT, health insurance (however stinky the results) and it makes liberals feel good but the end results address a tiny percentage of the population ... meanwhile the plutocratic rape of the nation rages on, unabated and screws well over 90% of the populace - unopposed.

This isn't "what have you done for me lately," is about "what haven't you done anything about for the last three decades?"

*I'm not going to hand you a list of links - they're real damn easy to do yourself. You will be pissed.

Egypt Celebrates ... and?

Mubarak stepped down and now Egypt celebrates and that's cool. Now that "who" they were against is done the "what" they are for part starts. It's been pretty easy to be against but it is going to get messy when it comes to the positive aspects because there isn't a system - not Parties, not much of anything except a military left behind if they're getting rid of all of Mubarak.

Good luck to them - they're going to need that, also.

(I'm real happy this Prez doesn't shoot from the hip like .... oh you know)

Continuing To Give A Damn...

**This is an older post, 3/19/09, but it covers one of the answers to a question I posed in my last post, 'why do I continue to give a damn?' It also is a reason I ask people to comment on here, because I want to know what you think and why and to expand whatever my thinking was.

"Giving A Damn, Whatever You Might Have Thought"

This has to be said and I will say it forcefully. There are many who scoff at the ability of the electronic communications structure to connect people in meaningful ways. My family has sustained a horridly tragic occurrence, we are in pain. Around 6 PM nearly 150 people had commented on my memoriam to my son and closing on 100 emails have come in. These people took time out of their day to read something they knew was going to make them sad and then took the time and emotional energy to write condolences. There is not a much lonelier position to be in than parents who have lost a child to suicide. People have flooded our life with care, people want my wife and myself to know that they are touched and that it matters.

If it meets some sociological thesis of yours that the internets corrupt and degrade human communication you need to read So Long My Boy and scroll through the comments and educate yourself. If this does not qualify as a high degree of humane behavior then come and see me so I can slap some sense into you.

There is nothing shallow or phony about the comfort my wife and I have taken from the expressions of caring by our fellows. It touches us and assures us of the nature of people. We will carry the memory of these people with us for a very long time, these folks have given of themselves to people they know only somewhat. They have given and they have taken us into their hearts, people have struggled to express what is beyond our ability to express - beyond the implication of the heart.

We are grateful and we are humbled. The intellect understands what has happened, the rest of the brain does not accept that, it is outside experience and it is outside of expectations - it is flatly wrong. This war between the intellect and the lizard brain hurts, imaginary scenarios keep trying to work their way into play. The what ifs, if only's, why's keep requiring pushback. There is no answer to why, if god himself came down and stated a reason it would be rejected. This is why the condolences and even the thanks hold so much meaning, they are a part of that firewall.

The funny snarky iconoclastic lefty crew from Balloon Juice is mixed together with the hard core car guys from the Novalistserve, and politicians to help with that firewall, to give. You folks should give yourselves a standing ovation, if not yourself - then your fellows. The applause should be deafening...scattering bytes like windblown butterflies.

Tax Cuts Good - Drool, Slobber

Maybe somebody ought to ask what conditions exactly need to occur where tax cuts are not the answer?

Tax cuts were wonderful for St. Ronnie and they were to pay for themselves - never happened. GWB inherited a government mostly paying for itself and the GOP figured that was a time for tax cuts. Once a war/s started happening and a hole opened up, they extended them because - well, because they're good and wars are good. When the Obama Admin looked at huge deficits and falling revenues they offered to tax the top 2% of earners and that wasn't the right GOP time because ... some horse manure about job creators.

So, when you've got money it is good to cut, when you don't have money it is a good thing to cut, and when the rich have tanked the economy it an even better time to cut. When isn't it? Taxes are at a low since 1950 and ... tax cuts. No matter their so-called Golden Years involved much more serious tax rates - that don't count. In fact, nothing that was shitty about the 1950s counts unless Truman was in office.

If you ask the Tea Party about the real numbers - you get mumble, drool, and spit flecked rhetoric. If you ask another large percentage you get .... DUH.

Other than blaming it on some sick inherited gene I can't figure out why I continue to give a damn.

Where's The Jobs, GOPers?

OK, I'm not advocating something as stupid as that sounds, any government action takes time to work into results. I'm not even asking where the voted on bills are. What I'd like to know is where are the concrete proposals about something other than going to war with women and low income earners?

No shit. All the talk about job killing stimulus and other crap and nothing to offer? What is offensive is that they get to do this 'for free.' The Obama Admin. had a stimulus proposal on the table virtually when the walked in the door. Whether you argue it worked or not (I'd say yes) is immaterial to this question. You GOP buttheads have been screaming from Inauguration that Obama was wrecking the country and going on and on about everything the Democrats have proposed or done and you have not one damned thing ready to offer? What? You haven't had time to put something together?

Who the hell is going to call them out on their crap? (that would be other than $0.02 bloggers)

Egyptian Discord, American Public Stupidity

If you have the mental fortitude to consider stupidity without harming yourself, you could Google "Palin Egypt" to see a pretty blatant example of a lot of people's thinking. (not limited to right or left) The thinking is that we, the USA, are somehow in charge in Egypt. It certainly is the case that Mubarak has survived as Egypt's leader thanks to our imperialistic behavior, it is not the case that we somehow established him or created his political party.

Sarah seems to believe that our government knows just what is going on and who all the players are and that we can dictate the outcome. Thanks to Mubarak's version of governing, any real opposition groups are of the clandestine variety, they are the sort of groups that can operate under the watchful eyes of security forces. Whoever has claim to any sort of leadership has not been on TV/print exhorting opposition - a la Teabaggers. This means that organization within this opposition is pretty much limited to - opposition - not governing policy.

Foreign aid and other foreign policies can help prop up a government but creating one out of chaos is well beyond the reach of even our considerable swat. Whether the President and diplomatic arms have been direct enough or not with Egypt's government might be debatable. What passes belief is that people seem to be asserting that the US should take an even more imperialistic approach to Egypt - that we should control the direction of the outcome. Gee whiz, not only shouldn't we do that, we flatly cannot.

People really ought to take a look at the state of US politics and control before they start thinking about controlling an even more chaotic situation. For Egyptians to have a government that reflects the will of the population is going to require some time to put together anything that remotely resembles political parties. Governing will require politics ... or strong arm tactics. Politics requires constituencies beyond "this guy sucks."

How Much Is That Blue Doggie In The Window

McClatchy takes a look at the Democratic Blue Dog Caucus' current state of ... (?)weakness. I don't think this bunch is exactly plugged into an actual reality and offer up their own thinking to buttress my dismissal of them.

Following a day-long New York City retreat, in which they hatched strategies and were addressed by former President Bill Clinton, the House Blue Dogs vowed to focus on issues like regulatory reform and deficit control. Where possible, they said, they'll work with politically amenable House Republicans.

You might be wondering who these "politically amenable" Republicans are or what stance you'd have to take to get them to be "amenable." I live in a 'red' rural Congressional District (OR 2) and as an active Democrat I do understand the challenge of winning an election. I also understand that replacing Rep Greg Walden (R-OR2) with 'Greg Walden (D)' is a net nothing.

"We still believe moderation is important, and we have to move toward that course," Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, said Monday. "We're looking to make sure that people know that there are moderates in Congress."

Maybe the confusion is over the word "moderates." Where does one have to go to qualify as a moderate? The best I can tell it seems to mean being St Ronnie of the GOP. Now I don't want to be a complete dick about it, but St Ronnie is scarcely a political or social model for a (D). I'm sorry, but that guy has a record that is available to anyone that cares to take a look. In the run up to the GOP Primary of the Saint's first election one of the concerns of the GOP was that he was too far right for the US. One of the complaints of the GOPers back a ways was that RR couldn't go as far as he wanted thanks to having to deal with Democrats in Congress. These guys seem to think there is some congruency between the Democrats of that era and the GOP of today. Uh, what?

The two San Joaquin Valley lawmakers have since been distancing themselves more explicitly from Pelosi's liberal Democratic leadership. Cardoza stepped down from the Pelosi-appointed House Rules Committee, and as a protest nominated Costa for House Democratic leader last month.

Costa returned the favor, nominating Cardoza. They were among the 19 House Democrats not to publicly vote for Pelosi as leader on the first day of the 112th Congress.

Given this performance you'd think there was some congruence between the leadership of Pelosi and Boehner or an utter disconnect with Pelosi being a radical and Boehner being a reasonable sort of guy. Excuse me while I roll around on the floor laughing. To believe these guys you'd have to think the "left" was in charge during the last two Congresses which is why we have a Health Care plan drawn up by the Clinton GOP and the rich are taxed less than working people and an employee choice act isn't fact. You could probably add in the fact that GWB and his cohorts aren't in jail to that list.

"We weren't nearly as effective in the majority as I think we'll be in the minority," Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., said Monday.

Sure, since the GOP is ever so much more reasonable than Democrats. OK.

Here's the consolation to these people's stupidity:

Cardoza and Costa are two of the 26 remaining members of the Blue Dog Coalition. Before November's election swept Republicans back into control of the House, the coalition claimed 53 members.

Fear not children, there is still magic in the world -

"We are the only group that tries on a regular basis ... to find bipartisan solutions," Costa said.

So they have the power (26/435) to work with whom, exactly? The GOP?

I'd like to thank the rocket scientists who thought replacing GOPers (R) with GOPers (D) made a bunch of sense.

AOL - Buy This Cheap

Per NYT AOL bought Huffington Post:

The two companies completed the sale Sunday evening and announced the deal just after midnight on Monday. AOL will pay $315 million, $300 million of it in cash and the rest in stock.

Wow.

I bet I couldn't get $0.05 for this effort.

No, I cannot type with an accent.

Bush Torture Free Pass Expires - Somewhere

McClatchy is reporting on why GW Bush isn't going to Switzerland. It seems that in some places:

"The message from civil society is clear," it said in a statement. "If you're a torturer, be careful in your travel plans. It's a slow process for accountability, but we keep going."

I must be getting old; since I can remember when this country took real pride in not engaging in such behavior...

In fact, you'd wind up in jail - at least.

Intimate Relationship - Rape And Abortion

Inclusion in the intimate relationship belongs to the GOP. The relationship is naked - if you will... US House GOP wants to redefine rape in terms of gender, violence, and - argh - something so that abortion in the case of abortion is much harder to obtain. Not satisfied with that level of horseshit, is GA Rep Bobby Franklin (R). You should take a look at ABL's not so friendly take over at Balloon Juice.

I don't know or care about some one person's moral take on abortiong - these are attempts to legally force those with no say in an act to bear the child of ... an unnatural freak*. Somehow, Godliness fails as a description. I cannot begin to state the level of disrespect I have for such people. I have no civil description or discourse to have with them. The GOP pandering is despicable and voters got what they wanted - or were too stuipid to see.

If you think this is just some left wing partisan position - when your daughter is date raped and pregnant from it you just tell me all about it. If you don't think this crap defines the GOP, then explain why they are it. The complete lack of humanity in such a stance - extends to what else?

*there are real words, but they just aren't suitable for this space

The March Forward Into the Eighteenth Century

I've made it pretty clear that I don't believe in some formalized religious understanding of God. I've also made it pretty clear that I have seen benefits to people from religion and I've seen some pretty obvious deficits.

There are a lot of things that are called Theories in scientific terminology. This doesn't occur because there is any real doubt that the things referred to as Theories actually exist. There is a Theory of Gravity - oddly enough even though it is a Theory we remain stuck to the earth and fall when we're not. A whole lot of things happen that are explained by and continue to happen because that Theory works.

Calling something a Theory as a condemnatory term ought to fall on its face when made in favor of a faith based concept. It ought to because the Theory clearly works as a matter of science. That it works as a condemnation should concern anyone that doesn't want to go back to wearing sabre tooth tiger skins as a fashion statement or riding dinosaurs rather than driving an automobile.

Virtually every modern technological device finds its basis and development in one Theory or another, or several. Even this idea of a six thousand year old world is not something stated directly in the Bible it is taken from, it is a theory of some sorts derived from generational reckonings. Taken together with denial of evolution this stuff alone virtually completely undermines the scientific basis for the modern technological world.

That is the crux. People drive their cars to the church that denies they can work and like driving that car there. What they don't like is the social construct of this century which has grown up around the science and technology that created this century. Denying that science means that this century is misguided, that the eighteenth or whatever was correct. (or whatever may actually refer to some idealized 3rd century BC) It is plainly an attempt to theocratize science and government and a successful outcome is another Dark Ages. No Thanks.

Is This Blog Back?

I don't know. Whether this thing lives or not has at least something to do with readers and their participation and whether I can find reasons to do something other rail against utter stupidity run rampant.

So, we'll see.

US History Means What To Egypt's Situation

I've been hearing a lot lately about what is happening in Egypt and the US Revolution and our democracy. I'd like to know how somebody can make those comparisons and act as though they know something about history. "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it" has a lot of truth, but it also involves comparing history to something that has some congruence and making statements that also reflect what happened in history.

Now talking about how we succeeded in forming a government ignores a bit of something - the date of the Constitution. The government that came out of the Revolution was The Articles of Confederation and it failed. The great Constitution a bit over a half century later was sorted out by a bloody Civil War and in some respects is still not sorted out. Does somebody really think a good resolution of Egypt's current situation would be a conflict like our Civil War?

What happened in the US in response to our Revolution comes out of centuries of English evolution of government and Western European thought on governance. Egypt's experience with Western history involves colonialism from a dissimilar government and the economic/militaristic colonialism of also radically dissimilar governments. Whatever other issues the new and continuing US had with its former ruler their was a cultural and political sympathy between the two.

However corrupt English rule of the colony now the US was, it was more distant and of considerable lower degree. What exists in Egypt as corruption is within blocks not across an ocean and the results are more dramatic in their severity. Whatever context the US support of Mubarak is held in, there are not US soldiers standing in the streets enforcing the corruption and authoritarianism of the Mubarak government as there were Redcoats in the colonies.

I don't know where the Egyptian revolution is headed or what it will reach - I do know that using the US as a context is ludicrous.

Stupidity Will Be The Death Of Me

Well, figuratively speaking it will be. In more literal terms it has been the death of this blog. What I've watched over the last two years has finally convinced me that STUPID is the rule rather than the exception. Somehow Obama and the Democrats are to blame for the shape of the economy, they want to kill granny, and have put the foot of big government on the public neck - in addition to being left wing socialistic nut-cases.

The results in State governments, the House, and to an extent the Senate convinces me that intelligence, reflection, and research are just plain beyond the reach of a really large segment of the population. This thing either preached to the choir or attracted particularly unintelligent trolls. It seems there is little left to say, stupid will out. An even more noxious version of the same idjits that ran the country off the rails is on the rise - or risen.

To those who took the time to peruse this thing, thanks. To those who took the time and effort to expand the focus in comments - you're champs. I just don't have the energy to find something intelligent to say about how things are going. It is possible that I'll decide that I do have something to say, but for the foreseeable future I'll see you.

Just When You Think It Could Be Worse

You find out just how much worse.



I wasn't anticipating three layers of comp roofing over the wood shingles, rat bastards hid a layer with a trim board. Well that sucked, hmmm, all that rot? Not too nice that there are two layers of wood shingles where I expect one. Ooooh rat bastards. No you shouldn't see the ground through a roof and wood shouldn't be mush either. I got all the junk torn off, it makes a truly impressive pile, and replaced wood shigles with decking and roofed the dog in.

The house is a rental that is empty with a couch and chair and bed and I get to squat until I'm done. I've got a laptop and Milwaukee job radio for company. Bend is rank for getting around in and my truck gets a whole 8 mpg so I'm pretty much stuck. I went out to the back awning for a Camel a little while ago, it is raining steadily ... and pouring onto my debris pile. That's close to a thousand pounds of comp in bits and pieces and big chunks all mixed together and on top like a cherry a big bunch of wood shingles. The thing that is annoying (being polite) is that it is supposed to go below freezing and snow. If it does that I'm going to have a giant ice cube of crap with slippery stuff all around to try to load into a wheelbarrow and into a dumpster.

Sometimes I'm ever so glad I'm me. I get that mess cleaned up I get to go home. I wanna go home. Whine, snivel, piss, and moan.

Hero Worship

Anything "Poppa" does is the best thing in the world. When this picture was taken, 17 months, almost every other word was "Bike." Three times a day he wanted to go see it and touch it and name parts. Big words for a tyke, things like handlebars and headlight and simpler stuff like frame and tank.

With riding season winding down I've been playing a bit of Xbox 360, games like Dragon Age, Oblivion, and Mass Effect 2. The first one for played to any extent was Dragon Age and thus the Xbox and games in general got named "Dragon" after the logo that flies across the screen and roars. He is pretty consistent about begging for "Dragons." It doesn't matter that Mass Effect 2 has none, it will do as "Dragon."

It is charming to be my grandson's hero and to the extent that time alows I return his affection and attention. At times I do have to go make a living or do something other than be the companion of a year and half boy. He doesn't seem to fuss about it, but his attention is more intense if I've been gone. I have to wonder how it will play out as he discovers that I'm really just a guy and not a demi-god. Well, I love him and that will have to do.

Something To Do - Fun To Be Had

So, I'm on my way to Bend, OR to tear off a couple layers of composition roofing and install the stuff on the trailer on the back of my truck. I do have to cross three mountain ranges to get there, 200 miles away and it has been snowing and icing and stuff like that. This is a 1978 Chevy K20 4x4 automatic with a 400 CID small block with a covered utility bed full of tools. Behind it is my car trailer/work trailer with 4400 pounds on it. Fortunately it has trailer brakes and the truck has studded snows on all four, and it has been in 4x low range and L1 on a couple down grades. In case you aren't getting it, this entire show weighs about 13,000 pounds and stomping on brakes ain't a smart thing to do, and neither is riding them.

Damn, I know how to have fun. Especially now that I'm in Bend and it has snowed and rained and frozen and been pretty ... shitty.

And then there was Street Vibrations in Reno, NV and as you may be able to tell, at the end of September there wasn't any snow...


The bike is mine but I didn't get to keep the pretty girls. The professional that was shooting the models has some more on page three.

You want to try to guess which was more fun? No prizes for getting it right.

You Wish You Were Me

Nice looking house, or will be when done, with a heck of a view sitting on the brow of a hill above town. It has aspects that makes it a bit of work to roof, but a nickle is a nickle and it is late in the season a week and a half to go to Thanksgiving.




Oh yes, it is late in the season and those "aspects" just got a lot larger. If you're having a problem figuring out the picture, that is part of my partially completed roof and yes, I'm roofing it while taking this shot.

I know how jealous everybody must be that I get to have all this fun and get paid for it too. It is a bit like trying to cut a brick with a butter knife to cut these shingles, this brand is about as bad as I've ever seen. Getting the wrinkles out of them (straight from the packaging) is a pain in the butt. First, of course, the snow has to be gotten off the roof. The only way I can think of to slow this job down more would be to break one of my limbs.

I've got a contract in a town 200 miles away to do as soon as I get off this thing, but I need a bit better weather. Jeeze.

***Update
I'm sitting in that town, the weather has sucked eggs but I'm closing in on getting it done.

Lessons Not Learned

What Democrats and Republicans have learned or not learned from this mid-term election is open to question. There is one thing that is for sure, Americans did not get what they wanted. The argument will now be about what it was that they didn't get.



I'm getting to listen to Dan Boren (D-OK) talk about how the Caucus needs to move to "the center." This is the kind of thing I'd expect from someone with seriously limited intellect and the news media in general. This is the kind of stupidity that reads getting blown out of the House as disdain for liberalism rather than fury over lack of accomplishment. This in the face of huge accomplishments.

You wouldn't know it from the polling. The Democrats own the Bankster Bailouts, Ds will raise your taxes - despite lowering them, health care death panels, failed socialism. Ask yourself why clear untruths are held valid by voters. It would seem that Democrats were really bad at letting voters know what they were trying to do, what they had done, and how it benefitted Amvericans. They were particularly bad at letting the GOP set the terms of the debate. You would think that with about 1/3 of the stimulus cost being tax cuts and voted against by the GOP that voters might think differently about who is on their side economically. Nope. Wall Street reform legislation was almost totally opposed by the GOP and yet ... anger at banks landed on Democrats.

I'll lay you a bet, the damn Democrats will attempt some move to the Right in response to their own ineptitude at communication.

Republicans And Governance

I don't know if voters last Tuesday were thinking about national outcomes, local politics, or just pissed off and it really doesn't matter in relation to governance. The reason it doesn't matter is that whatever voters wanted the result is an over 50 vote House Republican majority. It may matter later, but the result is what matters now. The House is Republican while the Senate and White House remain Democratic and the House is not Republican enough to over-ride a White House veto.

Nothing can get to the White House for signing that doesn't pass the Senate and to even be considered, as the Republicans demonstrated so willingly, there must be enough votes to defeat a filibuster. As far as legislation goes, the House Republicans are helpless without serious Democratic help. The House knows this even if the public doesn't really pay enough attention to understand it. The House Republicans are free to pass any kind of stupidity they choose without having to pay for it in the real world. This also means that they are pretty free to not pass anything that pleases them. That little piece should bring to mind the subject of the budget. That could mean real havoc.

The matter of the House taking up whatever investigations it pleases has concerned some. It is quite true that Committees could harass the White House with stupid pointless unfounded investigations. It is also true that a twenty four hour news cycle needs to be fed and the feeding opportunities presented by such are large. Here's the rub for some of the whackoes, there are other news outlets than FauxNews and they are capable of reporting the actual allegations made by someone like Issa about a President most Americans find personally likable. Public perception that pure mischief making is at work would have huge public relations costs. That might or might not dissuade some but outcomes rule, either dissuasion from game playing or public backlash over it. The media might play the game of false equivalence that such and such was investigated under BushCo ... but even stating the issues investigated will blow up stupidity in front of viewers. I really don't think I'm overestimating either media or the public. I really don't care if folks like Issa are stupid or not and I'm not real worried about a bit of White House harassment.

The real deal is that no matter what representations John Boehner may make about how they'll affect the direction of the nation, their options are seriously limited. Considering the limits and Boehner's knowledge of them, I'm real doubtful that he has any idea of doing anything more than shooting for political advantage and that may be more illusive than Boehner and other pundits seem to think. GOP blindness to its own public image weaknesses could lead them off a cliff.

Voted Today

I turned in my OR vote by mail ballot today. Sometimes I turn it in days after receiving it sometimes on Election Day - for no special reason. Voting here is easy to do and was easy choices this time. I won't talk about the loca races or initiatives but it was easy to vote for Sen Wyden (D) and even easier to vote agains Rep Greg Walden (R-OR02) and Dudley (R) for Gov. It isn't as though John Kitzhaber (D) former Gov and running for it again has shown a lot of interest in E OR but he's running against a know-nothing same old (R).

It's pretty much the same across the nation, but it looks as though stupid same old crap or crazy wing crap are the beneficiaries of vote against. Damn, I'd like to talk about how special Democrats have been these last two years, but that'd be ... well, difficult. It isn't as though they haven't gotten things done, but somehow they managed to do it while pissing off people on both sides and not even pleasing the so-called middle. You'd think that would require real effort.

I won't make predictions about Election Day outcomes other than that whatever majorities (D)s have had will be much smaller. It was a bit tempting to just sit back and not vote to let crazy have its run and maybe finally teach this country a lesson. But no, that isn't in my nature - for some reason I keep believing (an emotional response) that people will get it, eventually without too much suffering. Thinking might easily lead me a different direction, so we'll let that go.

Announcing that this blog is probably done resulted in more comments on one article than a month's worth have gotten. I'm not that much concerned that a dozen or fifty or a thousand read this thing, but I don't like talking to myself. I have no idea if I'm just a crazy guy yelling or if people agree or not and can expand on my thoughts. This election has stirred a lot of things up and I'm not the only one around with feelings and thoughts on it and I'm curious. I'm always curious and some have stated that they'd have commented if they'd known it mattered. As a vanity project this thing can just go away and this is as good a post to say "Good-night."

"Chuck for" Done? Probably So

I was going to address Michael in comments, and moved it here once I saw the thing exploding in size.

We're contemporaries then. That being so, we've both watched the same slide right in this country. Bill Clinton was the best Republican President this country has had since Eisenhower. Now that this has resulted in what we've got today the voters propose to not only go back to the crew responsible, but go even nuttier.

Four years of Democratic dominance in Congress and two with the WH results in this? People who don't think enough was done haven't bothered to look at the historic GOP crap in the Senate much less the House nitwits. I have no reason to think the GOP will take the Senate, but consider the mess that exists with their minority now and add 6 years worth of more nut cases than now with the Democrats having more seats up in 2 years than the GOP.

I was pretty left in the 60's, and I don't mean anything near the center of the time. Over time I've moved rightward from there and the result of that drift on my part is to find myself defined as a part of the very left, yet. In respect to future outcomes I was probably more correct then, but realism intruded. It hasn't escaped my notice that the House has passed bills nor that the Senate Democratic Caucus contains forty some liberal or progressive members. I gave up a long time ago the idea that things aligning with my thinking would happen but it is nice that so many in Congress will at least glance in my direction. The outcome of that is something like the health care bill that passed GOP muster as an alternative to Hillarycare. The Democrats managed to do what the GOP proposed doing over a decade ago - huh? I'm not throwing rocks at Democrats, just pointing out the reality.

I'm beginning to view myself as the 'enabler' in an alcoholic family, always justifying while trying to swim upstream against futility. It doesn't seem reasonable to continue as one of the exceptions in the electorate who stays informed and takes an active part on behalf of candidates when the electorate is what it is. This doesn't really reflect the outlook of a decade of crap policies driven by nutcases, it is a matter of the continuation of St Ronnie's crap and that involves a lot more than a decade and it isn't just about Teabaggery. The teatards aren't something new, it is the same 27% that's been the guts of the GOP since at least Nixon so it isn't about them. It's about the other mid-20% who'll go their direction. It just plain and simple isn't about the nuts who have always been amongst us.

Short of the GOP actually taking the House or Senate I don't see any real significant outcomes nationally though governors will mean more in a census year. The legislative stranglehold of the Senate won't change and what the House does means squat in the face of that. There is a (D) President for at least another 2 years (who may understand now what "bipartisan" actually means). In the face of real evidence for many decades I've held on to the belief that what I've tried has a point, now I'm just tired and disgusted.

I was attracted to blogging because I saw it as a method of not only publishing alternative opinion and analysis but also having a public dialogue about that. This blog is pretty much a failure at that. Before my posting became sporadic readership of current posts had fallen to less than thirty per day and comments were virtually non-existent. With the only real feedback to my efforts being taking a look at Sitemeter, and that declining, bothering with this got a hell of a lot less interesting. It is also pretty obvious that I'm not very interesting to read anymore, I can bump a daily number by blogwhoring on something like Balloon Juice, but that doesn't carry over into readership. There are a few folks who've stuck around for a long time and I thank them.

Ungovernable

In the previous post I wondered how it will be possible to govern this place with things like FauxNews taken seriously. That aspect is bad enough, and the prospect of GOP gains (any) this fall may seem to have serious outcomes like gridlock. That exaggerates a future that exists now. The House has passed a lot of bills and you may have noticed that only a few have made it through the Senate. What the House gets up to means next to nothing if it can't get past the Senate. It certainly is true that if the Senate balance shifts at all (it will) the room for compromise moves away from two or three GOPer Senators to enough that anything a Democrat can live with can't be done. (except maybe start a damn war) ((well, give the show to the wealthy and corporate))

Some of this is thanks to the Democrat's own inability to sell anything they do. Some of this is thanks to the theme of "having a Democratic majority" in Congress. This is true in the House but what the Senate's composition and rules mean is that no such thing ever actually existed. That means that bills got stupidly compromised to appeal to people who wouldn't vote for them if hell froze over and what the public got was a ration of shit involving the bills and the process; and Democrats got the blame.

The fact that the public is too stupid and self-involved to take time to understand what has been done and why it was done as it was really only means that we will get the government we collectively deserve. Yes, for the foreseeable future the government of this nation is going to really suck. Boys and girls, the House terms are only 2 years but lost Senate seats are worth six years and the existing GOP seats are pretty safe and a look at the replacement candidates ought to really scare any sane person.

The lack of posts on this blog reflects a growing feeling on my part that continued activism is meaningless in regard anything I'd want to accomplish. Not letting the GOP do what it wants for the next decade isn't much of a goal for me. Part of the problem is too many decades of me watching this shit and the give a damn button is about worn out. Oh, I'll vote against the GOP and in some cases, like Wyden and Merkley, vote for Democrats but I'm beginning to feel like "so what." As for posting anything on this blog, it's getting pretty doubtful and the couple readers will easily find something better to do with their time if this goes away. I feel pretty bad for some sizable chunks of our nation - that and a buck will get you a cup of coffee.

The Children At FauxNews

Maybe nobody who listens to FauxNews gives a damn, but a little clipping here will get you something different than what was said. This quote may not quite be what FauxNews bothered to show:

He said Republicans had driven the economy into a ditch and then stood by and criticized while Democrats pulled it out. Now that progress has been made, he said, "we can't have special interests sitting shotgun. We gotta have middle class families up in front. We don't mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in back."

You don't suppose these stupid children bothered to actually watch an entire clip and would have caught the idea that the children get to ride in the back seat of the car and not drive? It really is funny to watch these clowns trying to cover the racism of themselves with made up racism from the Pres.

Their viewership, being what it is, will swallow their crap hook, line, and sinker. This kind of junk makes you wonder how the hell this place can be governed when a third of the electorate takes this as a source of news. The future is bleak.

Juan More Victim

Juan Williams was fired from NPR for making comments on Bill O'Reilly's shout fest on FauxNews. The gist of the complaint was Williams agreeing with BillO's assertion that Muslims attacked the US on 9/11 and stating that Muslim garb at airports scared him. There has been outrage, primarily from the Right.

I got home from playing designated driver and pool partner in time to catch the PDT issue of Morning Joe and hear Mika complain that this creates fear amongst journalists and Joe note the liberal bias of NPR. Joe might need to ask a liberal about that so-called bias, though it is surely left of Limbaugh and Beck and in his mind might on that basis qualify. Mika's complaint is a bit odd coming as it has from someone who certainly didn't complain about the firings of journalists who said controversial things about Israel, something that might also be considered as chilling but about a "socially approved" group.

It seems it is political correctness run rampant when Williams is fired but good policy to fire those critical of Israel in the same sort of manner. A couple of things need to be remembered in this context, Israel and by extension Jews form an important voting bloc and political economic interest while Muslims are important for oil and nothing as a voting bloc.

The Right and by extension the GOP has spent decades trying to fix fear as the politically correct attitude. If you do not engage in fear driven politics you are accused of "political correctness." If that seems a hypocritical attitude and are surprised you haven't been paying attention. You could take about any Confederate Party of Republicanism stance and find them immediately violating that tenet if the results don't match their ideology. I give you Oregon's Assisted Suicide Law and State's Rights as one particularly egregious example.

I frankly couldn't give a rat's patoot about Juan Williams as a political analyst. The few times I've given him any attention I did not come away feeling at all enlightened or improved. I got banal talking points dressed up as analysis. The fact that Williams stepped in a dog pile on BillO's shout fest is no surprise to me and why, working for Faux and intimately familiar with that mess, he would have expected any different results doesn't seem reasonable. I won't pollute this site nor offer link credit to FauxNews by putting up the segment but fairness demands viewing the entire 8 minute or so clip to judge Williams fairly.

Williams attempted to serve the dual masters of FauxNews and Muslim-bashing and still keep some credibility as being something other than a bigot. The results were predictable and stupid. To talk about fear engendered by Muslim dress in the face of the dress of any of the terrorists is ludicrous, sorry Juan - they wore typical middle America clothing. It seems pretty sad that someone as pants wetting as that was considered an asset at NPR - or hell, any place other than Faux or Clear Channel.

Anyone who claims to be entirely free of prejudice hasn't engaged in much honest introspection. Prejudice is an emotional response to another emotion, fear. Fear is one of those types of things that help keep humans alive. Being afraid to fall from a high place is rather important in general terms. Being afraid of a sabre tooth tiger isn't a bad thing for a species. That doesn't mean that reason and emotion coincide - as Williams purported response to "Muslim garb" exemplifies - it would be as reasonable to be afraid of the Sabre Tooth Tiger in a Museum of Natural History. Dress does not equal behavior, particularly dress of cultural import, I will give gang inspired dress a second look and then rationally analyze behavior. Droopy drawers don't equal a gun stuck in my face. I might think that such dress is a silly thing that I wouldn't wear, but it does not pose an immediate threat. This is where Williams went on air and publicly endorsed bigotted behavior. His employer didn't like it since they also engage in the business of airing public statements. CNN didn't like it when Rick Sanchez did it and neither did other employers. That's one of the things about blurting out emotional responses to situations that require rational thought, stupidity will out and an employer may just not care for it.

The Right will look out for Juan, no fear *** $2M Faux contract???

US Chamber Of Chinese Commerce

Go ahead Chamber and explain to me how the money in the same bank account doesn't pay for your GOP attack ads, or so what, any ads? Are these smart dollars that know where they came from and religiously (heh) stand apart from those other dollars?

I'm never surprised when business looks out for itself regardless of the consequences to others and I'm not real surprised when they lie. I guess I'm not surprised at all.

Funny how Commies are in DC and not in China in this iteration of "reality."

Suicide - Your Best Thinking Got You Here

I know something about suicide, once as a practicing alcoholic I tried it and failed and I've lost a son to it. I can't make a moral or value judgement on the subject, I have no right to do that and no ability to read minds. What I can tell you is that succeeding is final and partial failure may turn you into something worse than what you were dealing with. I can also tell you that the innocent suffer; those who would help and who do care have a piece of their life torn away from them.

If your goal is to make someone else suffer for your situation, then I have little I can say because I have no understanding of the value system that would lead to that. It seems to me to be the ultimate in selfishness. Now you may believe that no one gives a rat's patoot if you draw breath or not, but that is highly unlikely. It is much more probable that you simply can't see it thanks to your situation.

This gets to the title and it isn't some jokey thing or snark. It is quite literally the truth. If you're seriously contemplating suicide you've gotten there by giving your life some pretty serious consideration. In no way am I minimizing what has gotten you to the point of thinking taking your own life is a good choice. I will state that such a decision ought to be given a bit more thought than what has led you to that point. There is a very serious reason I propose this, your life at any given moment is a culmination of your best thinking and that thought process has led you to reach for a final solution to the difficulties you face. If your thinking is faulty there is no fixing it once it has been acted on.

I do not have much belief in the idea that people are persuaded to a course of action. I've pretty much noted that people do what they do for their own reasons, what you can do is offer new or different information for consideration that might lead to different outcomes. Those other people are looking at things from a different place and perspective and what they have to say might be of value to your decision process. The process of being you may be unique but it is made up of components that others have in common and have dealt with. No matter what your situation is, you are not alone. You are not because this world is so large and so complex that others will have shared experiences with you.

It may seem that absolute finality presents a real relief; there also may be real relief from other courses of action. I cannot tell you with any assurance that you will find that but you surely will not if you just end it all without experiencing the other courses. Regardless of current events, things change. That is the nature of reality; it is not static it is a process of events and thinking. All that is brought to a halt by suicide.

You may have noticed that there are no moral or ethical arguments being presented here. If I have any, they apply to me and that's the end of that. I can tell you that others do have to deal with the fact of suicide and that may be quite difficult to do with any success. Regardless of how you feel or think it is almost a certainty that there are those who care very deeply about you. I am not a professional or therapist and I'm not qualified to do much more than give a damn that someone doesn't waste their life by missing something helpful. That is why you need to talk to someone who doesn't reside in your own head, someone with different thinking. If I turn out to be full of hooey, nothing has been lost by trying what I'm suggesting and a great deal may be gained if I'm right.

Please, see what there is beyond your best thinking.

A Bored 24 Hour Media

Today I watched HLN do some self-analysis regarding hoaxes. They were worried about cynicism about tragedies and their attention to happenings. We were endlessly inundated with "balloon boy" stories and then "acid girl" stories and other such stories. "Too much?" they asked.

"Judas Priest, yes!" I say and no kidding, Michael Jackson is still dead. Meanwhile there is no time to cover the lies politicians tell or to unpack the convoluted inaccurate representations they make. No, there's plenty of time to go on and on about a dead pop singer or a kid who wasn't in a balloon and no time to do more than play stenographer to politicians.

A dead singer has some impact on society - there are those who care that there will be no more of that music, but in the reality of the world what happened with health care reform will matter much more. The "balloon boy" story had all the elements of low theater and not one iota of the impact of "Don't Ask Don't Tell."

I do not propose that the media ignore the profit potential of eyes on stories like "acid girl" but there is quite a range of response that doesn't include going crazy. Yeah, well good luck with that.

Respite From The Day - Link

I know the world today can put you into a state of complete ... ARRRGHHHHH!!!! ... and that is just how it is. Rather than poke those buttons this evening I'll offer respite:


Hyperbole And A Half

If you don't laugh, really hard, you need to see a doctor. So, after a hard slog through the political insanity of the day, go see Allie. If you forget to bookmark it, it is now on my blogroll. Really, you need this.

Fiction Experiment

The other night I had some time and an idea for a story. I stayed up pretty late putting together a couple character studies and one that developed into an episode which I'll present to you. I'm honestly too close to it at this point to do an edit or even tell if it's any good, so I'll just toss it out to you. Since it is about 2500 words I've put it on what started out as an "after the jump" site. I'll put a paragraph here to save you time if you think it stinks.

Fawn David made a deal with the devil or perhaps not that but a twisted fallen angel. There is no simple way to make the acquaintance of such a being, the route to an encounter with such an entity by needs be complex and unlikely – it might even involve a cardboard refrigerator box moving of its own accord and a heart too soft for its own sake. The box was twitching and rustling as Fawn rounded the corner into the alley that held the door to the staircase leading to the upper story of the unsuccessful appliance store housing her mean apartment. She had a gait that was not quite a waddle, a heavy set woman of a light chocolate color remarkable only for a smile that expressed sweetness to any on whom it was bestowed and soft eyes that could deny no injured creature they held in their gaze.

Feel free to comment here rather than there.

This will get you to Fawn

Teabaggery Newsflash - Sorta

Yes, I mock these people fairly often. They are quite possibly the most hypocritical political outfit in existance. Um, and gee - they are the GOP base and have been right along. If you've been in doubt, somehow, this outfit actually asked.

Well now, how the hell do you like that? They white, they're the X-tian Right, and they're homophobes. Do you remember the 22% who backed GeorgeII to the bitter end?