Gimme What I Want! Just Give Me A Second to Decide What That Is!

Tags

Arizona, Catholicism, GOP, gun control, Health care, Lindsey Graham, NRA, teabaggers, Virginia

Lindsey Graham Flings his poo

Yes, our little Lord Fauntleroy is having another tantrum. Lindsey has apparently missed the fact that (a) the election is over and his side lost and (b) the tea baggers are not sophisticated to understand that he is no longer a MODERATE and is one of them, (at least until his next election). He continues to wring his hands with plenty of “oh what to do, what to do” as his hankie waves desperately.

Usually it’s enough that Johnny S tells him what to do and Lindsey dutifully says, “yes Johnny boy, whatever you say, oh you cute old grumpy drawers,” but as they say, fear is a powerful thing. Faced with the serious threat of being “primaried” Lindsey has looked down and started to see a Johnson actually peeping out of his nether regions. It may be a tiny Johnson, but according to the pictures he’s seen (on THOSE sites on the Intertubes), he’s pretty sure it’s  a real Johnson all right.

And well, he is in a full-blown episode of the vapors. “Lawdy, lawdy, what ever shall I do without that fine old office to nap in on the Hill?” What would Truman Capote do at a time like this? Write a book?

Anyway, dear old Lindsey is threatening to hold up the nominations of EVERYBODY until he gets his way. After all, he’s can’t come up with anything else to raise cain about since nobody has yet called for him to come down and ride the Queen’s float in the Mardi Gras festivities. It is apparently also insufficient that Lindsey has been named as the proof positive that Darwin was wrong. The Smithsonian has promised his brain front and center status at his demise, or sooner since he has little use for it anyway.

In the end, we see, Republicans are in such a feeding frenzy of their own, that all good people globally need only sit back and watch the festivities. Popcorn anyone?

Φ

Meanwhile, over in the United State of Zooniville (once referred to as Arizona), the good Sheriff of Stupidham, Joe Arpaio, who arms anybody who shows up and calls them “volunteer deputies”, has set aside the important business of birther investigation (well he MIGHT try for a third term ya know), and has taken up the cause of “protectin’ the lit’lins in our scools”. Yes, none other than ACTOR Steven Segal, ACTOR if I forgot to mention, has been called upon  to LEARN the gun-happy volunteers how to strap on up, and catch them some crazy. Maricopa county, Zooniville now has some 3,500 of these folks, loaded with clips and weaponry sneakin’ around every public place, demanding “lemme see your hands! On your knees! Spread ’em”.

If you contemplate a vacation in the area?

NO!

Darwin you LIAR!

Φ

The NRA may be one of the greater collections of sub-human examples of what Darwin got wrong. Beyond La Pee Pee Pierre, there is this delightful jackass who spoke at the NRA Wisconsin State Convention, one Bob Welch.

Welch is mighty darn sure that there will be no gun legislation of any kind, because of course, that can’t happen until it’s okayed by them, and they are not okaying a damn thing except more rhetoric that you all better keep buying every gun in sight, cuz, well, you know why.

We have a strong agenda coming up for next year, but of course a lot of that’s going to be delayed as the “Connecticut effect” has to go through the process. […] What’s even more telling is the people who don’t like guns pretty much realize that they can’t do a thing unless they talk to us. After Connecticut I had one of the leading Democrats in the legislature—he was with us most of the time, not all the time—he came to me and said, “Bob, I got all these people in my caucus that really want to ban guns and do all this bad stuff, we gotta give them something. How about we close this gun show loophole? Wouldn’t that be good?” And I said, “no, we’re not going to do that.” And so far, nothing’s happened on that.

Connecticut effect huh? Human’s call it GRIEF you sick bastard.

And guess what?

And in 1999, you blowheads were ADVOCATING complete and full background checks.

Tell us again that this is not about your conspiracy-under-every-bed ideas that the Black guy in the White House is gonna declare himself king and take away all your guns? Tell us that, huh?

Go do that impossible thing to yourself will ya?

Φ

While we have plenty of examples of private industry attempting to lower the number of hours worked by their employees to under 30 hours so that they can avoid providing health care (Applebees, Olive Garden, etc), the state of Virginia through its budget plan seeks to do the same thing. This appears to be the first incidence of a Republican led state intending to hurt its citizens in order to vent its anger at Obamacare.

As citizens of those states see that their counterparts in other states continue to receive health care, I believe that Mr. McDonnell and his band of Republican light-heads will rue the day they tried this little trick.

Republicans have long forgotten exactly WHY they are elected in the first place.

Φ

I gotta tell ya, my phone has been ringing off the hook ever since the news hit.

What new?

Oh the pope is taking early retirement.

Yeah, he’s heading off to soak up the sun along the Riviera.

Anyway, everyone is begging me to give ’em the scoop on who will be the new Pope.

Seein’ as how I’m Catholic and all, and well Bennie calls me nearly every week. . . .

Well, il papa John Paul II, was an ultra conservative, and while clutching the throne of Peter, he hugely enlarged the College of Cardinals, and made sure that all his new Cardinals were of a similar right-wing persuasion.

So, unless the Holy Spirit jumps into the fray as in Vatican II (now gutted by humans who of course KNOW better than God), expect that the next pope will not be any more friendly than the last two when it comes to contraception, gay marriage, women’s ordination,  or anything along those lines.

You heard it here.

Related articles

• Lindsey Graham Needs to Get a “Real” Life (guardianlv.com)
• Hey, Without the Sarcasm and Prissy Walk, Lindsey Graham is Just Another GOP Jerk (juanitajean.com)
• Steven Seagal Trains US School Guard ‘Posse’ (news.sky.com)
• Steven Seagal Shows Sheriff Joe’s Criminal Vigilantes How to Rescue our Children (politicususa.com)
• Lindsey Graham on Benghazi: Yeah, That “What Does It Matter” Answer Wasn’t Good Enough (minx.cc)
• Will Lindsey Graham ever accept the 2012 election results? Does he need counseling? (mbcalyn.com)

Advertisements

Where’s the Love?

Tags

Catholicism, Election 2012, Fox Noise, GOP, Humor, media wonks, payroll taxes, racism, Rick Santorum, Sarah Palin, teabaggers

They say that you need a thick skin in order to run for office, but geesh, these two dudes are NOT feelin’ the love these days. It’s got to be hard on the soul.

Willard is seriously in danger of losing his birth state to the Ragin’ Rickman. Polling is unanimous that he is falling behind across the board, and it appears he is only winning in one county in the entire state of Michigan.

Meanwhile, the Newtsy-Tootsy is taking on the title of “most hated person in America” with unfavorables now reaching 63%. I mean WHERE is the love?

Such disdain would cause most of us to curl into a little ball of sad and close the closet door, but somehow these hardy soulless ones tramp on with smiles firmly pasted in place, Barbie wives in their obligatory suits, and various supportive offspring as can be coerced to clap firmly at the same stale stumpy speech day after day standing dutifully by.

What fun!

Oh how one loves the smell of napalm indifference, nay downright distaste, in the morning. I guess, being the leader of the free world must be worth it. But, boy, I can’t see why.

¶

Boy, the gods are determined to ruin all my dreams I tell ya. I just heard that not only has Herm Cain declined, but also our fair Belle o’ da loon, Michele B, has declined to trip the light fantastic at the Dancing with the Stars third-rate-ganza. Ah shucky ducky and I’ll raise ya a “one term president.”

¶

The GOP has caved on the payroll tax cuts. They don’t want to revisit that fiasco again. Course, Boehner got up and said, they were just “determined to stop the Democrats from playing politics” with working family’s lives. Uhuh, yep, that was what they were up to, yep, in that there UNIVERSE OF DENIAL you bozos live in.

¶

I just love it when people step forward and offer to help. I find it so refreshing don’t you? I knew I could count on my girl to do the right thing. I bet you did too.

 “If one of the nominees, one of the GOPers, doesn’t get enough delegates, it could go to a brokered convention. If it does get to that, and someone said, ‘Governor, would you be interested,’ would you be interested? For one, I think that it could get to that… If it had to be closed up today, the whole nominating process, then we could be looking at a brokered convention… Nobody is quite there yet, so I think that months from now, if that is the case, all bets are off as to who it will be, willing to offer up themselves up in their name in service to their country.”

So said Sarah.

 My respect for the ennate goodness of my fellow human is restored. Listen? Can you hear the strains of . . . . “mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. . . .”

Now I am tearing up.

&&: This is Sissy’s new offering in the Wide World Word Salad Olympics.

¶

As I’ve pointed out a number of times, the TeaNutz® brigade of know-nothings like to flip truth on its head. They see racism as largely non-existent in their Amerika, therefore they can demonize any black person with the title “racist” who doesn’t sing the correct tune.

Worse, they are encouraged and willingly adopt the new mantra that white folks are being put upon by people of color–the color being one Barack Obama specifically, but including any and all who don’t see that there is a war on white.

There is a good post over at We are respectable Negroes that speaks well to this subject. Go on over and take a look.

¶

People like Santorum (Gingrich for instance) like to tell you all about so-called “cafeteria” Catholics, those Catholics who, they claim, pick and choose what Church pronouncements they agree with and follow. Of course people like Ricky are solid Catholics, “real” Catholics, if you will, and they follow all Church teachings. Sure they do. Juan Cole points out a few that Ricky (and Newt) tend to “miss.”  Of course, the “legalists” within the Church will undoubtedly quibble about what are ex cathedra teachings and what are personal opinions expressed by popes and bishops. That always happens, trust me. The comments are very good.

¶

If you are not reading dampsquid, you are well, honey, just not being smart. He’s funny like I wish I could be funny. He’s insanely nuts, and I just love his stuff. Go read about “networking” today. I’m serious, you will be e-mailing his stuff to everyone you know.

¶

The unemployment filings are down again for last month. If you believe the numbers. Did ya get that? This from Fox Noise. Let me explain how this is done. The Contrarian clued me in on this.

Fox starts off with reporting some fact, such as “unemployment filings are down” or “job creation is up”. Then they subtly question how reliable those numbers might be. They point out that the reporting agency is “a government agency” after all, and “might” be subject to Administrational (Obama) manipulation to suit the narrative.

No proof of this “possible” manipulation is ever offered. The viewer is just left with this little nugget of doubt, implanted in the brain.

Then, a few days or weeks go by, and another similar fact is reported. But now, we don’t question directly the possibility of the numbers being cooked. No, instead now you say, “some people suggest” that the numbers might not be reliable.

Of course the “some people” are themselves of the previous incident. Nifty how that works ain’t it?

¶

Go out and face the day with a smile. Remember 63% of America doesn’t despise YOU, and that’s an uplifting thought!

 

Related articles

• Palin Would Help a Brokered Convention (tribuneofthepeople.com)
• Sarah Palin Hints That She Might Be Available, in a Pinch (littlegreenfootballs.com)
• Rep. Bachmann will not compete on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ (thehill.com)

This is Sooooo Unfunny

Tags

budget, bullying, Catholic teaching, Catholicism, liberal/conservative, morality, Paul Ryan, philosophy, religion, wacko religious right

Hey! Mother, the freakin’ Nature! Wake the frack UP!

It’s April 16, well into Spring. Can you pay a bit more attention please. I can tell you with supreme authority that I do NOT like waking up to that ———>

Not funny. Not at all.

Okay, so it is mostly gone already, but the wind is still blowing and it’s dark and dingy outside, and not even 35° and well, if you don’t mind can we get back to something in the 60’s and sunshine?

Geesh, is that asking TOO much?

Not the least of which, it rained on my birthday! I mean, how nice was that of you?

I got me six animals all in varying degrees of pissed off because they had already gotten used to lounging around outside relaxing in chairs and on porches. And you know they think I control all this, so I’m getting all these angry looks, lots of sighs, and every time one wants out, they scurry away from the door as soon as they take ONE look. 

So get on the stick. Get on the stick? What does that even mean? Is Mother Nature a witch?

♦

I ran across this article that reviews a book on secularism and morality. It sounds interesting, and the review itself makes some valid points I think. Worth a look-see. From Prospect Magazine.

♦

Speaking of religion, all of Christendom seems engaged in its own in-house squabbling. Perhaps this has always been the case, but I’m more acutely aware that I used to be. It seems that most denominations are dealing with some sort of battle between the progressive/liberal arm and the conservative element. John Allen calls it “tribal Catholicism.  Allen writes a thoughtful piece in NCR addressing the issue in the Catholic Church. I think his suggestions are timely and I’d sure like to see them instituted. We have too much of the “liberal” church vs “conservative” church mentality. We need to find a way to bridge the gap.

♦

This next article caused me to bolt from my chair, run to the bathroom and look deeply into the mirror. Whew, my head is on straight after all. I was worried. Why is the wacko, crazy, insane, and ever radical right-wing religiosity against anti-bullying measures? Oh, yeah, they think we shouldn’t protect gays. Or anybody else who is the victim of this aggressive behavior. They think it pollutes our gender priorities or something. They are crazy. This makes me crazy. All in the name of Christianist fundamentalism.

♦

I don’t mean to turn this into a religious day of blogging, but this next post caught my eye, because the author really takes a  Catholic teaching and skewers the GOP’s Paul Ryan. He argues that anyone who supports Ryan’s budgetary plan is simply unfit to present themselves for communion along the lines of intrinsic evil versus prudential judgment, as laid out by Benedict in a 2004 letter.  Makes for some interesting reading.

♦

Tis a slow day. Tis a blustery day. Tis not a nice day at all. Going to hide under the bed until it makes nice. Mother Nature. Put up yer dukes!

Related Articles

• The Catholic Remnant (unreasonablefaith.com)

What Is a Weekend?

Tags

African American, Arizona, Beatification, Carlos Gonzales, Catholicism, culture, GOP, GOP Chairman Reince Priebus, John Paul II, lifestyle, poverty, Sarah Palin, sociology, Tucson memorial service

I must say, watching Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Theatre has its moments of levity.

During a luncheon in which Matthew Crawley, the new heir of the estate is meeting some of his “family” he mentions something about coming down on the weekend.

The Dowager Countess, played by Maggie Smith, arches an eye and inquires in all sincerity, “what is a weekend?”

Now that is sure to set you up. I mean who doesn’t know what a weekend is? Think about it. The Dowager, safely ensconced in her country estate, probably only recognized one day and that was the Sabbath when she motored or carriaged her way to the services.

But it got me to wondering. I suspect there are plenty of people still on this planet who would have no idea what the word weekend means. We live in our enclaves of worlds within worlds don’t we?

***

The Contrarian is busy outside. He’s pulled two huge trunks over to the splitter, and is loading another cart of wood. We are headed for some really LOW temperatures next week, and he’s hoping to spend as little time as possible outside for the four or so days in the zero and below range. He has tomorrow and Monday to get it all chumped up and split, ready for the great fall coming Monday night.

On the bright side–winter is half done. It’s all down hill starting tomorrow!

***

There is a truly thought-provoking piece over at the Boston Review that warrants your attention. Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote a report on “The Negro Family.” Basically it posited that cultural behaviors were the causation of systemic poverty within the black community. The backlash to this was so enormous that for some forty years, it is claimed, research steered clear of anything that might suggest that the victim caused their own problems.

Now, we are told that research is reopening that issue. Are these so-called culturalists, still confusing cause and effect? Stephen Steinberg writes a compelling piece arguing that they have in fact failed to make their case.

***

I had to laugh Pat Buchanan this morning on MSNBC. The topic was Sarah. And Pat is making the case that everybody is piling on her because they are “terrified” of her. And worse, the more you make her feel defensive, the more you encourage her to attack.

I guess Pat fails to see the idiocy of his remarks. First, nobody is “terrified” of her, since her poll numbers are so abysmal as to be a joke. And they keep getting worse, the more she plays the victim and lashes out. So um, might it be a pretty smart thing to keep attacking?

I mean the woman is an idiot. Her next big gig is to be the keynote speaker at a gun show in Nevada. GUNS and more GUNS, Grifter Girl!

***

As you may or may not know, one Reince Priebus is the new head of the GOP. Taking out all those pesky vowels, we get RNC PR BS or Republican National Committee Pure Bullshit.  HA! a H/T to Bluegal at Crooks and Liars! Priebus was elected on the 7th ballot, saying something I guess about how much unity there exists within the Grand Old Poops.

***

It appears that all is in order and quite soon John Paul II will be beatified. I am quite conflicted about this. He was a good pope in many ways, but he did his best to unravel Vatican II and install a college of Cardinals that for decades will pursue conservative policies, leaving women and gays marginalized within the Church. I won’t even start on the pedophilia issue. All in all, I think it a bad move at this time I think. Although goodness knows, no saint is expected or often is totally blameless. Still, this is moving too fast, almost as if it must be done quickly, before too much more negative stuff comes out.

***

If you watched the Memorial at Tucson on Wednesday, you saw the Benediction by Carlos Gonzales, faculty member at the University of Arizona, and of Mexican and Yaqui lineage. Brit Hume, (who famously advised Tiger Woods he should dump that Buddhist stuff and become Christian in the throes of his marital woes), said that he found the benediction “peculiar.” I guess that was one of the nicer comments from the Extreme Right. Others called his prayer “pagan”.

Things only got worse at The Blaze, Glenn Beck’s site. After referencing Hume’s “peculiar” statement, they  liked to an unnamed blogger (post apparently now removed) who bemoaned that Gonzales kept using the term “Creator” and not God. Apparently he doesn’t see the Creator as God. He went on to surmise that the victims “likely would have appreciated a pray more closely aligned with their religious beliefs.” The post concluded that Gonzales was “reportedly” a doctor and professor at the university.

A perusal of the comments vomited up what you might expect. Invective, ad hominem attack, and vicious vicious assumptions. Words like, Chief Loony Toons, Nappy Hair, injuns, idiot president, part-time employee at an Arizona casino, peppered the comments, and it was hard to think that any of them could be over the age of 12. Not one could cite to any Arizona paper, news show, or statement by any family member of actual Arizonan to back up the charge that the service was an affront to real Christian Americans everywhere.

So much for toning down the rhetoric.

Go Packers!

Related Articles

• Brit Hume Questions Tone, Timing Of Arizona Shooting Memorial Service (huffingtonpost.com)
• An evening in Tucson — the good, the bad, and the ugly (powerlineblog.com)
• “Downton Abbey: Episode One on Masterpiece Classic PBS – A Recap & Review” and related posts (austenprose.com)
• WATCH: Stewart Mocks Fox News For Critiquing Arizona Shooting Memorial (huffingtonpost.com)

Muttering in Circles

Tags

Catholicism, Christmas, DADT, Democrats, essay, GOP, pets, poverty, teabaggers

I’m bored. I’m also, shocking I know, feeling lazy.  Okay, pick yourself up off the floor. I should have warned you.

I am not quite sure why that is. I’m not unhappy. Far from it. I’m rather serene actually. That is a word that seldom bumps up in a sentence next to I. Spooky.

I’m laid back. This too is “not me.”

I should be livid. I really should. I should be laughing up a storm at the Republicans. Do you know they managed in one 24-hour cycle to piss of huge sections of the electorate? Latinos, social security recipients, and gays. Wow, that’s some accomplishment. To say nothing of the fact that the “teasippers” are none to pleased with them either. I think an award of some sort is in order.

I’m not despondent. Frankly this is really scary, given the time of year. After all, there is white stuff on the ground, not the green I prefer, nor the brown I can tolerate. I am into live and let live as far as the weather is concerned. You KNOW that is not me.

I’m quite happy with my church. I feel good there. I feel “right.” I had a rare utterly spiritually elevating moment, my voice almost breaking at a Hallelujah. I was staring at the crucifix, and, well, how does one explain? You don’t of course, you just glory in the moment. You realize once again why you trudge twenty miles with temps in the teens to be in this place. Go figure.

The Contrarian is doing very well. Was it due to my unceasing prayers? I don’t know. But his balance, after YEARS is much much better. He sleeps later in the morning. Miraculous, or just a lucky choice? Does it matter? It’s all God to me.

We got that appointment at the Cedar Rapids VA. He likes his new doctor. She didn’t like the medications he had been prescribed in Iowa City. She changed them. He’s breathing a good 50% better now. She has him on Aleve for his rotor cuffs. He’s barely mentioning his shoulders now, and insists on “dressing himself” which entails finding armholes alone and fiddling with bib straps. He’s been out for going on two hours, pulling logs and cutting them up for splitting. Did the same thing yesterday. I’m relieved, and for the first time in months, don’t find myself worrying.

I’m proud of the House Democrats. Somebody has to stand up to power and say, “this is not right, and we are not going along!” A secret: Obama as the ability to convince me of just about anything. And he almost persuaded me to go along with this “deal”. But he’s wrong here. He has to stand for something. And if he won’t then we have to.

So, I’m bored in a good way. Friday is a good day to be bored on I think. The Contrarian has been threatening me with “Singing in the Rain” on Saturday. I trumped that with some disaster movies, about earthquakes and polar ice something or other. I like smash-em up disaster movies. I’ve told you that.

The opening page on WordPress is the featured blogs of the day. There are an inordinate number of writing blogs. I find that odd. They talk about writing. Isn’t that cheating? Writing about writing isn’t writing, it’s explaining why you are so bereft of ideas you can only talk about what you are doing. Egocentric? A bit.

Not what I do. I’m chatting with myself, in front of you. Intimate isn’t it? Get to see how the wheels turn and such? Fascinated, aren’t you? No? Well, excuse me. I’ll whisper.

We have one cat who will not go outside in winter. Hates getting his little paws into the snow. So we finally had to relent (you don’t want to know the alternative), and put in a litter box. Now the other freakin’ three are using it too. Have they no shame?

Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cat exhibit shame. Cats walk across a table, knocking a coffee cup off and smashing it, and look at you. “You might want to clean that up so I don’t cut myself when I jump down.”

Dogs know shame. They can look at you and you are sure they wish they could disappear down a hole, they are so embarrassed. Dogs are simply more human than cats.

We decided to have ham for Christmas. Then I added a potato casserole. Then some glazed carrots. Then the left-over dressing (now in the freezer–I haven’t left it since Thanksgiving!), then the cranberry sauce also left over. Then some raw veggies. Rolls. Sigh. . .you see how this stuff multiplies? It’s a freakin’ dinner. But I’m standing my ground on dessert–I’ll buy sumpin’ at the grocery store. Not baking.

But I’m sorta baking. Gotta do sugar cookies. I mean that’s required. And some truffles. They are easy. And some  nut clusters.

And some lights on my humongous umbrella tree. And maybe the crèche. Some candles for the table?

And then there is New Year’s Day. Finger food. Pizza, and chicken tenders with barbecue sauce or blue cheese dressing. And raw veggies with a chipolte-spinich dip.

Sigh. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Now that IS depressing.

Related Articles

• Revolting? Democratic Lawmaker Allegedly Muttered “F*ck The President” (mediaite.com)

Untangling Threads

Tags

airport security, Benedict XVI, Catholicism, condoms, economics, Entertainment, foreign policy, GOP, Iowa, Justin Bieber, Kyl, life in the meadow, Russia, sex, social class, START treaty, teabaggers, terrorism, TSA, wealth

Whenever your darling asks you to sup with him “on the town” and the restaurant is named “La GGG”, all I can say is beware.

GGG, in case you were unaware, stands for Gas, Groceries and Good Eats. I can assure you, they are lying about two.

Recently the Contrarian invited me to Chez Troy Store Restaurante for lunch. Ahh, we went in and sat down, finding the seating ample, (no one else was there) and took a seat overlooking the corn field.

Out rushed a cook, (I should say, the cook) and announced: “Oh we don’t serve until 3 now, economy and all. But I can get you pizza or fried chicken or a sub?” Two of those come from those display cases that keep the food warm with lightbulbs. We demurred and walked across to the Dam Bar (yes that’s what it’s called) and ordered the usual saloon fare: something fried or deeply so.

So, it should come as no surprise when last night in the middle of Nature, I cried, “oh damn!”

“Whaaaa?” the Contrarian started from his dozing, muttering, “I am not sleeping, just resting my eyes!”

“I forgot the pearl onions for Thanksgiving!”

“Can I get them at the Troy Store?” he queried.

Yes, he actually said that, asked it, I mean.

With a look of utter disgust, I pouted, “NO, you can barely get an onion there.”

“How ’bout at Sherbon’s? I could run over there,” he offered.

“No, no, she won’t have any either.”

Sherbon’s is a step above Troy, having no gas station and not purporting to offer dining pleasure, but it’s a long way off from being a GROCERY store too.

“How ’bout Center Point Store?” he whimpered.

“No,” I sighed, “they won’t have them either. It’s hopeless.

There was no offer to drive all the way to Cedar Rapids of course.

Such is life in the meadow. You either remember or you do without. I will sure miss my carmelized pearl onions though. Send me some if you can ship it FedEx overnight, okay?

***

I guess I’m doing an about-face on the whole patty down at the airport thing. I  still think it’s mostly silly whining perpetrated by testosterone-laden young men and old ladies whose junk is so old that nobody would want to if they didn’t have to, touch it.

But I heard an argument that made some sense. He (unknown speaker on MSNBC) suggested that it’s good we are questioning just what we are willing to give up in the name of “terrorism.” This is a good conversation, proving we are not so insanely scared that we are hiding in our holes, only coming out with full military protection.

Perhaps, he asks, we might start questioning all that stuff about unauthorized wiretaps, waterboarding, and all those other dark and evil practices that we kinda figure are going on but about which we really would rather not know. There’s a point there I think. I later found the same argument here.

***

The Pope, Benedict XVI is very busy backstepping his way out of the “condom issue.” Some saw some slight movement in his latest remarks that in some cases, such as male prostitution, it might be allowed, as a step in “taking responsibility”. Today the Vatican is claiming that there is no change at all in the position of the Church as to condom use. I suspect that is true. If the fiasco over the pope’s comments about condom use while last in Africa, didn’t bring about a change, then I suspect nothing will.

Odd, how all those who have tons of advisors to, well, advise them, still cannot avoid the sticky wicket. Spiritual Politics has their own take here. If you want to know more, (and you probably don’t) go to Enlightened Catholicism.

***

The bad the worse and the ugly, i.e., the GOP continue to stonewall on the START treat ratification. Editorials across the land, the support of dozens of old line GOPers and revered State Department and Military leaders from of old, have failed to move, so far, one Sen Kyl from AIR-headZona.

One wonders how long the GOP is willing to take the heat to promote their only real goal: the downfall of Barack Obama. Crooks and Liars has a nice post, featuring a roundtable held by Christiane Amanpour.

***

Thomas, at Living Next Door to Alice sends us a must read post from 3quarksdaily. It’s about us, politics, and our doom. While we play at politics, the rich are taking this country for themselves and leaving us to be their servants. We are coming to be a permanent underclass. And that can only lead to one thing.

***

But if the above article is too long, well, this next says basically the same thing and in just a couple of sentences: Justin Bieber was the big winner at the AMA awards last night, beating out Usher. The world has ended, you just haven’t heard the explosion yet.

***

There be times I wish I had me one of them big balls that you do stretching on. But I’d sit on mine as I read Internets. ‘Specially when I read about da stoopid Rethuglians and their being pulled mightily in two directions at once. The FC’s (fiscal conservatives) vs the SC (social conservatives) are trying to direct the old party hacks who give a damn about neither.  Priority One-McConnell and Don’t you dare touch my junket Boehner, are being stretched over the fence and, well, personally instructed to do their respective biddings.  And I’d be bouncing on my ball, sippin’ my soda, and giggling.

Related Articles

• Pope Ignites Debate Over Condoms (deaconforlife.blogspot.com)
• Pope says some condom use can be justified (feministphilosophers.wordpress.com)
• Bishops say Pope still anti-condoms for HIV – The Australian (news.google.com)
• Obama Pushes for Showdown on START Treaty (littlegreenfootballs.com)
• Showdown Over START (politicalwire.com)
• Obama finds support for arms treaty at NATO meeting (thehill.com)

More Flotsom on the Sea of Life

Tags

Catholicism, Eat-Pray-Love, gay rights, GOP, mind, Muslims, psychology, racism, religion, science, self-help books, transgender, wingnuts

There is a new blogger named Ben who has a blog called 65-BitSarcasm. He’d a dude obviously and I think a young one–meaning he is probably under 30. He is amusing, and I found him through Cappy at Writer’s Block, which I find most amusing.

Anyway, Ben wrote about seeing Eat, Pray, Love, the new movie by Julia Roberts. I’m not the most likely person to set out to see such a flick, mostly because I generally shy away from the obvious. Like The Bridges of Madison County.  I never saw that, though I like Meryl Streep. But I really don’t like Clint Eastwood much. So there ya go.

Anyway, Ben made some good points that people often see these movies and recipes for their own personal change. And they aren’t. Most certainly the book is not. You don’t run off to Italy, India and Bali to find your answers just because the author did. It merely suggests that you need to listen to your heart (or whatever deity, power, or higher essence you adhere to) and have the courage to strike forth in a new direction, following your instincts.

It’s what I have said before is wrong with most self-help books. They are the author’s WAY but not necessarily any but a handful of the billions of other unique humans who we occupy space with. Actually one could make that argument about Jesus. He announced and illustrated a WAY to unity with the Godhead. But many of us believe that there are other paths as announced by the Buddha and so forth.

Anyway, that was just a plug for a new blogger mostly. One starts out with such big expectations and while a few blogs catch on and soon have hundreds of thousands of followers, most languish in the lower environs where we are pleased as punch to have a couple of hundred stopping by. We wish him well, and Cappy, who is fairly new I believe too.

And now for things completely different:

I was pleased to see a new LGBT group called Catholics for Equality has formed. There are others I believe, at least from what I learn at The Wild Reed, but I think that the more that various church groups openly promote equality, the sooner we will see change across the board. The say of course that the next generation will make all the difference, since they mostly consider this a non-issue, duh. As well it should be.

Nothing is more fun that watching the uber right snipe at each other. We are told that the conservative blacks are kinda p.o’d at Sarah for her encouragement of Dr. Laura to “don’t retreat, reload.” Not helpful to use such an issue as race invective to advance one’s political  aspirations.

And there has been no end to the sniping going on between Annie Coulter and WorldnetDaily. Annie calls them “fake Christians,” and based on a good deal of what we have read there, there is reason to agree with her. Hate is their middle name. There is a link at the end to WND and if you have never been, go see what passes for Christian conservative thinking. It’s truly ugly.

Doncha just love how the uber right has rephrased its opposition to the Islamic Center at Park 51? Since it was explained to them what the Constitution says, they are now quick to claim that it’s not be cause they shouldn’t be allowed,  but that they should respect the sensibilities of non-Muslims who are so deeply hurt by the idea of the center.  Except that, what sensibilities are being offended? The sensibility that the ignorant equate all Muslims as the same? And where in the Constitution is sensibilities an exception to freedoms?

Kirsten Powers has a nice article at The Daily Beast about the GOP’s summer of fostering hate against all “others” in our land. One of her most telling points is the regularity with which FOXy and it’s fellow traveler’s Slippery Gingrich and Sarah, that woman is an idiot, pounce upon each and every instance of supposed “racism” on the part of these “others” against white folk.

A truly compelling look at what it means to be transgender in America, Jewish, and religious to boot. Jhos Singer paints a picture that you will not soon forget. This society truly does only function on the male-female dichotomy, forgetting (by ignorance or design) that there is so much more to each of us than such simplistic dualism. A fine, poignant, and beautiful look into the body human.

Quinn O’Neill has an excellent essay at 3quarksdaily on the issue of what we should maximize if we could, human rationality or human happiness? It’s more complicated than you might think. I think I would in the end opt for rationality. I think happiness is an ultimate derivative of being a rational, critically thinking person. As I learn to value all persons, it seems to me, I automatically enrich my own life.

Enuf already!