Rudy Rudy Rudy, this deep in Bush's doody

I am so glad to know that I am not the only one who cannot stand Rudy Giuliani.

And Another Thing

John Kerry doesn't seem to be the kind of man (I use the term purposively) to bear grudges or to indulge in smug personal comparison as a balm to setback.

But I am, (not the man part) and so in that spirit I offer this observation:

George W. Bush may have once again pulled the presidency of the United States of America out of his hat after running against a man better than him in every way, but he will always be rich white trash -- as you can see by how his daughters turned out.

More From The Writing God

"As for George W. Bush and his neoconservative helpers, they will go down in history as the grave diggers of the American empire."

And Now For Something Completely Different

For all writers, editors, book-creating people everywhere, a fun new blog to read. I love the tagline: Max Perkins, he dead. So what next?

The Onion Changes Focus.

The nation's leading source of social and political commentary based on farce has now apparently opted for irony.

Real Reporter Alive and Working in this Country Alert!

Keith Olberman, we salute you.

Another (not so blatant) Reflection on the Stupidity Theme

History has been supplanted by an imaginary past -- and no less by a bloodthirsty imaginary future.

Fear! Loathing! -- All Is Explained

I adore Simon Schama. I even own his BBC series on the History of England. In fact, there is a disc in there (or two) about the religious wars of the Charleses and the Jameses and the odd commoner, over more than a century rallying the masses to kill for God.

So are the Democrats the Catholics and the Republicans the Protestants in this meme?

{edit} oh foo I said "meme" -- forgive me . . .

Stupidity Alert

Dear insulted fundamentalist:

Why descendants of the Enlightenment think you are stupid.

The Illogical Logic of Nah-Nah-Nah

Of course, some people voted for Bush for rational reasons. Haliburton executives, lobbyists, people who don't want to lose their cushy jobs at the White House. But what about regular people, non-connected, not powerful people, people who aren't going to get anything but the shaft from this Administration?

Why did you do it? the whole rational world asks, not really expecting an answer. How can disaster answer peace? Does a swarm of pirhana explain itself to anything in its way?

So far, the take seems to be:

"We did it because we are sick and tired of being called stupid, of being laughed at by the Democrats and the elite media and having our faith belittled."

Well, let me say this about that 'faith': I fart in its general direction.

So many Democrats are heading for the covers, bleating "we must make nice with the Religious Right."

Crap!

To someone who disagreed with Bush on Iraq, is terrified of what the deficit will do to interest rates, does not want our country addicted to oil and yet voted for Bush because he/she is tired of being called stupid -- do you think your vote will change that?

You only showed the world that you are powerful. You confirmed that you are stupid.

To be fair, you may only be duped. The end result of watching too much Fox television and listening to a cultish perversion of Christianity that leads down a dark and hateful road. You say you are the one with moral values, and again confirm you are either stupid or a dupe.

When the national treasure has been plundered, and countless more die in Iraq and GOD knows where else, when Social Security has been turned over to Morgan Stanley, when Labor is gone, and slave wages are the norm -- then will you stupid dupes, clinging to your SuperJesus, wake up?

sent by a friend; I don't know the source, other than on a cosmic level

How the Nazis Did It

I stopped at my favorite coffee store, Boulevard Coffee, in the funky part of Carmichael. It’s a place that was established in the late 70s, was very hippy-ish, whole-foods-ish, wheat-flour-ish. Now they sell Droll Designs and $15 hazelnut-flavored honey and are the only place I can find my favorite coffee beans (Tanzania peaberry). I go there on the way home from the chiro, and I went there today.

I felt even bluer – I had just found out that my chiropractor voted for Bush.

I ordered my coffee beans and looked at the Droll and overheard this snippet of a conversation:

One woman: Everyone who has come in here has been so cranky this morning.

Another woman: They must be Democrats.

It sent a current of cold rage running through my being, the way she said “Democrats” with such dismissive contempt.

And I thought, that is the answer to the question I have heard off and on through my life: “How could the Nazis gain power in Germany?”

Because that woman said “They must be Democrats” the way the Nazis, and the people who joined/tolerated them, used to say “They must be Jews.”

How to reason with a mindset like that?

There is no reasoning. There is only fighting and winning or losing and what follows.

Evil is truly afoot in the land, and the ones who are “power-up” think I am anathema.

The Crusades; une foi, un roi, un loi; St. Bartholomew's Day 1572; Cromwell; Salem; theocrats never die; and more are born every day . People can be dumb quite easily. We thought the dark ages were behind us; but like weeds, ignorance threatens constantly.

We Lay Down and Wept

The America of my childhood is gone
A death, after a long, cruel wasting disease.

I am older today
Than yesterday

And I will not be in Jersusalem next year
or the next

I am like the woman wailing
for a lost love called my demon lover
and who I know in my memory
as Tamuz, Dumuzi,
Zion.

They Can Kill Us

But we will not commit suicide.

Count the votes. My god, do we even have to say it?

No surrender.
No surrender.
No surrender.

With the House, the Senate, and no need to be re-elected, what do you think the Bushies will do to our country, our world?

omigawd icantstandit

I feel like throwing up, I'm so nervous about tomorrow's election.

The Bushies have simply got to go.

(PS: I send out to the universe a quiet, heartfelt "thank you" to Craig Crawford of the Congressional Quarterly for his comment yesterday on one of the gabfests about the "gift" spin on the OBL tape. He was obviously disgusted with such a mindset, and it was just nice to see that disgust among the delicate sensibilities of the others.)