If His Mouth Had a Third Side, He'd Speak Out Of It, Too

The Real McCain.

Separated at Birth?

Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and Colonel Klink from Hogan's Heroes

Sunday Fiction Reappears... But Not Here

Check out my latest Creatively Created Creative Writing post at ShakesQuill, y'all.

And, if'n ye want to, check out the whole story here.

So Long, Paul Newman

Thought For The Day

“Civilization rests on a set of promises; if the promises are broken too often, the civilization dies, no matter how rich it may be, or how mechanically clever. Hope and faith depend on the promises; if hope and faith go, everything goes/”—Herbert Agar, American Author.

And Like A Good Neighbor...

Mishael is there.

He's a new(ish) resident next door, and he's one cool dude. We can sit and talk about, for example, the Big Bang, pre-Historic civilizations, Classical music, and politics. And that was just this afternoon.

And?

He feeds me, which is a welcome break from the taters I've been living on for the last several days. Vegetable beef soup and cornbread - baked in a cast iron skillet. Yum.

Also?

He sent me home with two big ole containers of soup, and a third of one of the cornbreads.

Phriends Rule.

Hmmm, Wanna Bet This Becomes A Talking Point For Limbaugh, Hannity, et. al.?

Generate a Barack Obama Quote!

"These people haven't had orgasms for fifty years. So you can't be surprised if they get bitter and cling to their Republicans and their Christianistas and their Republican Christianistas. That's what my campaign is about. Teaching all the little people in this country that they can have Multiple Orgasms."
Generate your Barack Obama quote at Buttafly.com

Pheaux Phyre Phorum: The Huh Wednesday Happens Every Damn Week Edition

Huh?

Oh, Hi guys!

Forgot you was comin' over.

We Interrupt This Meltdown To Bring You....

Received via email:

If you feel that pigs with lipstick and Paris Hilton have hijacked our political debate this election season, you’re not alone.

This Friday, you can help get the media back on track when PBS's Jim Lehrer hosts the first presidential debate. We need 3,000 people to use our online tool to instantly rate how well the media moderates and reports on the debates.

Your ratings will be immediately reported back to members of the press as soon as the debates are finished -- allowing you to weigh in before the spin cycle gets out of control.

Will the media cover the issues that are most important to you? Will they focus on trivial issues? Will they ask tough questions?

RatetheDebates.org will help reporters focus on real issues like the economy over campaign gossip and candidate gaffes. Now more than ever, we need the media to be the watchdogs of our democracy.

Debates are marquee moments in American elections. The few journalists selected to participate -- and the media narrative that follows -- will play a defining role in determining our next president.

Go here to sign up. And, just because you don't have a teevee doesn't mean you can't join in. cspan.org is livestreaming the debates.

Lenny Bruce is Not Afraid. Eye of a Hurricane, Listen to Yourself Churn -

Rule 5: Always keep in mind that the goal is to privatize gains to a few, and socialize losses to the many.

h/t to Mustang Bobby, over at his place.
(Also, is it just me? I keep thinking of Lesbian Rules)

That's Great, It Starts With An Earthquake, Birds & Snakes & Aeroplanes....

American Research Group poll (h/t to C&L)

Post #682

I got nothing to say today, so go read my blogroll.

Over there --->

Just scroll down.

TAKE ACTION

Tell your Representative/Senators/Presidential Candidate of choice that you think the Corporate Welfare Package being proposed is a steaming pile of bullshit!!

Click here to sign the petition.

Today's Reading

(found at The General's)

Do Ye Know What Today Be?

Arrrrrr!

That be all.

Thursday Pythonica

Pheaux Phyre Phorum: The I Miss Callie Edition

I'm not, like, really sad or anything, but I do miss her.

So, now that I've pepped you all up, what's on yer minds this evening?

The best shot of her...

..and a more typical outcome of trying to photograph her.

Highway Robbery (Literally)

A week ago today, I got gas at the country store down the road for $3.45/gallon.

Enter Hurricane Ike (which didn't get within 500 miles of Western North Carolina)...

Today I had to drive to five different places to even find gas - apparently they've all been without since Friday - and it was $4.69/gallon.

Let's hear it for unfettered Capitalism!!!

Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, Trig, and....

If Sarah Palin had named you, you would be called....

Scat Dubya Palin

I think I'll stick with Bob... whatever my last name is.

(nicked from knikked - thanks Vikki!)

Sunday Political Thought

If Republicans and Reich-Wing Bloviators (Hannity, Limbaugh, Beck, et.al.) are always calling Dems/Liberals "commies", then why are the Republican states the Reds?

Jeebus, That's a Big MoFo

This image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Ike in the Gulf of Mexico closing in on the Texas coast. The image was taken at 4:40 a.m. EDT Friday Sept. 12, 2008. Ike was then a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds that had increased slightly to near 105 mph. (from the Discovery website)

Re: This post, I received the following email....

Dear Bob,

STREWTH!

The Michael Palin for President campaign is off to a
roaring start.

The campaign video, launched the same night the OTHER
Palin delivered her "you haven't actually nominated me
yet but I'll accept your nomination anyway" speech, has
now been seen by MORE THAN 200,000 PEOPLE.

According to ViralVideoChart and several other sources,
we're one of the most-viewed videos in the world over
the last week.

The Palin for President video has also been featured in
blogs on the Los Angeles Times website and the Obama-Biden
website, along with hundreds ofothers all over the web.
(We even got a call from CNN!)

Best of all, the official Monty Python site, Pythonline.com,
is currently featuring the video as one of its lead stories.

Viewer response has been almost universally positive, with
an avalanche of requests for bumper stickers and campaign
buttons coming in. (We're workin' on it!)

Of course the opposition has been heard from as well, offering
such insightful and considered political discourse as "If you
have a child, I hope he dies in a car fire!" and "F--k your video
and f--k you!"

Apparently we've hit a nerve.

But now is not the time for complacency.

As has been suggested recently (we forget where) this election
is not about the candidates. It's about YOU.

You may not know it, but because you signed up for this newsletter
and accepted your free fuzzy thing, you are now a de facto member
of the Committee to Elect Michael Palin President (also known as
the Silly Party).

AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!

With only two months to go before the election, there are a number
of things you can do to help YOUR candidate...

--SPREAD THE WORD by sending everyone you know to:
http://www.michaelpalinforpresident.com/vid

--ENGAGE IN SOCIAL DEBATE by rubbing Fuzzy Things on Republicans.

--ENGAGE IN CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE by doing Silly Walks in government
buildings.

But the big question on everyone's mind is...

****************************************************************
WHO SHOULD MICHAEL PALIN CHOOSE AS HIS RUNNING MATE?

Click here to voice your opinion on our brand-new, extra-shiny,
now-with-30%-more-naughty-bits VICE PRESIDENTIAL SURVEY:
http://www.michaelpalinforpresident.com/vpsurvey

And of course it goes without saying, for participating in the survey
you will get MORE FREE FUZZY THINGS!

*****************************************************************

Until next time...

Your friends at
The Committee to Elect Michael Palin President

Quote of the Day

It’s been a sobering, humbling seven years riding this Learning Curve, hurtling through an ever narrowing tunnel of darkness on the back of this unrecognizable thing we call America the Beautiful, America the Terrible, One Nation Under God, Inexcusable, Indefensible, Unaccountable, With Liberty and Justice for the Highest Bidder. And in the end, if we paid any attention at all, we learned that Fundamentalism, be it Islamic, or Christian, or Capitalist, is an evil thing, a poison, an indiscriminate reaper of souls, those of its practitioners who perceive its darkness as The Light, and those who, in opposing it, become the Beast we set out to destroy.

- my Siamese Cousin, TheCunningRunt. Please go read the whole thing.

Forever Autumn

Back when I was first in college (try #1), I became a big fan of the Moody Blues ... okay, there was a woman involved, but I had always like the band.... Anyway, Justin Hayward - guitarist and lead singer of the Moody Blues - did a project with Jeff Wayne; a musical adaptation of HG Wells War of the Worlds.

This song was my favorite from the whole album, and contains one of my favorite set of lyric lines ever:

Through autumn’s golden gown we used to kick our way
You always loved this time of year
Those fallen leaves lie undisturbed now
’Cause you're not here

Here's Hayward singing the song with chamber orchestra backup:

Here's Hoping

Barack Obama was not my first - or second choice - for the Democratic nomination. He is far from a perfect candidate; but then again, perfect candidates exist only in dreams and movies. But, by God, he's infinitely better than the offering of the other major party. And if the election isn't decisively and unfudgably won by Obama, then there is something woefully - and quite likely fatally - wrong with this country.

Barack Obama responds to the faux charges by the McCain Campaign:

Pheaux Phyre Phorum: The "Hey, TCR, It's Actually Wednesday Today" Edition

I pick on my Siamese Cousin, but the days of the week, they do seem to all blend together sometimes. It's not just him that gets confoosed. (love ya, Cuz)

So, what's happening out there in the wide, wide world?

GOPer's Charge

nabbed from The General's Place.
(1000 irredeemable points to the first person to ID, in comments, the origin of the pic)

Were You Like Me?

And couldn't bear the thought of watching the Republican National Convention last week?

Well, the folks over at 23/6 took pity on us, and boiled the whole thing down to a more palatable 1 minute.

Ladles and Jellyspoons -- the RNC:




Hmmm. The video doesn't seem to be appearing on my screen, so here's a link.

Recommended Reading

Jesus Christ quits Christianity after viewing Republican platform

But?

Put down the drink before you read. Trust me.

BWAH!!!!

(h/t to Chet Scoville)

Anti-Pork Palin

Image from this article.


Apparently the "change" the McCain/Palin Campaign is talking about is to change the meaning of words.

• "I'm against pork barrel spending" = "I submitted 31 earmark requests totaling $197 million in the current (FY2009) budget cycle."
  
• "I have foreign policy experience" = "Alaska is only 300 miles from Russia." and "My plan landed for refueling at Shannon Airport in Ireland."
  
• "Country First" = "I used to belong to a secessionist movement."
  
• "I am a feminist" = "Abortion, even in cases of incest, rape or the health of the mother, should be illegal."
  

The only change these Morans (please follow the links there for a lesson in FAIL) are interested is ... wait, there are two changes - 1) Changing money into their pockets (and the pockets of their cronies) and, 2) Changing Democracy into Theocracy.

A Post For Sunday

Okay, I've posted now.

Off to play....

Fare You Well, Muh Kitteh

Fare you well, my one true Callie.

A couple of weeks ago, I stepped next door for a few minutes and didn't make sure that the screen door of the Secret Lair (aka '73 Winnebago) was closed. When I came back, Callie had decided to venture outside.

She decided that she wanted to leave this Brokedown Palace. I tried coaxing her back in. No dice. I tried picking her up and carrying her back in, and she clawed the screen out to get back outside. I fixed the screen and tried again, and got scratches on my arms for the effort... and she found another weak spot on a screen.

The cat obviously wanted to be outdoors.

Around Monday or so, she started coming back inside to eat, but then wanted right back out. So, I'd just leave the door open for her when she came calling for food; or if I wanted to get her attention, I'd just shake the food dish. That sound has always caused both cats to come running. I had hoped this was leading to her staying inside again.



I haven't seen her since Thursday afternoon.

I've called. I've walked around in the woods. I've shaken the dish and even filled the empty tuna can, that I use to scoop cat food from the bag to the dish, and taken it outside so the sound would carry farther.

No sign.

Wherever you are, Callie, I hope you can listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock your soul.








Brokedown Palace

Fare you well, my honey, fare you well my only true one.
All the birds that were singing are flown, except you alone.

Going to leave this brokedown palace,
On my hand and knees, I will roll, roll, roll.
Make myself a bed in the waterside,
In my time, I will roll, roll roll.

In a bed, in a bed, by the waterside I will lay my head.
Listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul.

River going to take me, sing sweet and sleepy,
Sing me sweet and sleepy all the way back home.
Its a far gone lullaby, sung many years ago.
Mama, mama many worlds Ive come since I first left home.

Goin home, goin home, by the riverside I will rest my bones,
Listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul.

Going to plant a weeping willow,
On the banks green edge it will grow, grow, grow.
Sing a lullaby beside the water,
Lovers come and go, the river roll, roll, roll.

Fare you well, fare you well, I love you more than words can tell,
Listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul.

The Party Of Change

There's no way in hell I was gonna watch the Speechifying of Jamakane last night, but I did grab a bucket this morning and try to make it through the NYT online article about it.

Standing in the center of an arena here, surrounded by thousands of Republican delegates, Mr. McCain firmly signaled that he intended to seize the mantle of change Mr. Obama claimed in his own unlikely bid for his party’s nomination.

The best part of the article was the link to this Word Bubble chart:

(click to embiggen)

As you can clearly see, the Dems outChange the Reps by nearly 3:1.

Suck on that, you lying sacks o' shite Dinosaurs!!

(image gleefully absconded from Liss at Shakesville)

For the video - or text if you're like me and would rather have bamboo shoved under your nails than listen to Jamakane - of his acceptance speech, and lots of excellent critique/snark/wev, go check out Shakesville.

Oh, and for the record, I couldn't even make it through the article about the speech. My tummy curdled.

Thursdom Ranty Pyday Monthon

Hmmmm

During the Speechifying^TM at the RNC last night, the dog-whistle "community organizer" was repeated. Over. And. Over. Again.



(h/t to Rana in comments at the above link)

Just The Facts, Ma'am

The whole country - okay, the part that is doing more than just munching on the prairie grass as the wildfire rages towards them - is talking about Gov. Palin's speech at the Republican National Convention last night.

Well, those godless trehugging libruls at MoveOn.org have compiled a list of positions and statements that Palin has held/made that should give thinking people pause as regards getting behind the McCain/Palin ticket. I'll be taking they're advice and writing to my local rag. You should too.

• Palin recently said that the war in Iraq is "God's task." She's even admitted she hasn't thought about the war much—just last year she was quoted saying, "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq." ^{1, 2}
  
• Palin has actively sought the support of the fringe Alaska Independence Party. Six months ago, Palin told members of the group—who advocate for a vote on secession from the union—to "keep up the good work" and "wished the party luck on what she called its 'inspiring convention.'" ³
  
• Palin wants to teach creationism in public schools. She hasn't made clear whether she thinks evolution is a fact. ⁴
  
• Palin doesn't believe that humans contribute to global warming. Speaking about climate change, she said, "I'm not one though who would attribute it to being manmade." ⁵
  
• Palin has close ties to Big Oil. Her inauguration was even sponsored by BP. ⁶
  
• Palin is extremely anti-choice. She doesn't even support abortion in the case of rape or incest. ⁷
  
• Palin opposes comprehensive sex-ed in public schools. She's said she will only support abstinence-only approaches. ⁸
  
• As mayor, Palin tried to ban books from the library. Palin asked the library how she might go about banning books because some had inappropriate language in them—shocking the librarian, Mary Ellen Baker. According to Time, "news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire Baker for not giving "full support" to the mayor." ⁹
  
• She DID support the Bridge to Nowhere (before she opposed it). Palin claimed that she said "thanks, but no thanks" to the infamous Bridge to Nowhere. But in 2006, Palin supported the project repeatedly, saying that Alaska should take advantage of earmarks "while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist." ¹⁰
  

Sources
1. "Palin: Iraq war 'a task that is from God'," Associated Press, September 3, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=24701&id=13709-8534799-7P4.Mmx&t=6

2. "Palin wasn't 'really focused much' on the Iraq war," ThinkProgress, August 30, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=24702&id=13709-8534799-7P4.Mmx&t=7

3. "The Sarah Palin Digest," ThinkProgress, September 4, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/palin-digest/

4. "McCain and Palin differ on issues," Associated Press, September 3, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=24703&id=13709-8534799-7P4.Mmx&t=8

5. Ibid

6. The Sarah Palin Digest," ThinkProgress, September 4, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/palin-digest/

7. Ibid

8. Ibid.

9. "Mayor Palin: A Rough Record," Time, September 2, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=24704&id=13709-8534799-7P4.Mmx&t=9

10. The Sarah Palin Digest," ThinkProgress, September 4, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/palin-digest/

Pheaux Phyre Phorum: The I Totally Forgot It Was Wednesday (Again) Edition

Please send your thoughts to Brave Sir Robin and his family, as his brother was in a bad accident.

The Bloom Is Off The Rose

For those of you who don't pore over Crooks & Liars like I do...

The camera is off but the mics are still on, and Peggy Noonan, Mike Murphy and host Chuck Todd keep talking:



Rough transcript at C&L.

The 2008 Campaign in 104 Words

From The Washington Post:

Rick Davis, campaign manager for John McCain's presidential bid, insisted that the presidential race will be decided more over personalities than issues during an interview with Post editors this morning.

"This election is not about issues," said Davis....

[...]

In reaction to Rick Davis' comments about the election not being about issues, Barack Obama campaign manager David Plouffe released the following statement: "We appreciate Senator McCain's campaign manager finally admitting that his campaign is not in fact about the issues the American people care about, which is exactly the kind of cynical old politics people are ready to change."

You know, he may tend to say misogynist things and ... well, whatever you may not like about Barack Obama, but one thing his campaign is not doing is shying away from hitting back at the Jamakane Parade of Bullshit.

Palin Money Quote

“I’m not sure what she brings to the ticket other than she’s a woman and a conservative. Well, she’s a better speaker than McCain.”

– Faye Palin, the mother-in-law of Gov. Sarah Palin, quoted by the New York Daily News.

(h/t to Scrutiny Hooligan's Gordon Smith)

Happy Proletariat Day!!!

What? Labor Day is all about the masses, you know.


Pete Seeger and the Weavers