A blog for the politically curious, angry American.
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can,
begin it. Boldness has genius,
power and magic in it."
- Goethe
"It's never too late to become the
person you might have been."
- George Elliot
I caught "Sideways" on a movie channel the other night and was amazed how much I related to Miles soliloquy about the delicacy of Pinot Noir grapes.
Maya and Miles are alone, getting to know one another, when Maya queries:
MAYA:Can I ask you a personal question?
MILES:(bracing himself) Sure.
MAYA:Why are you so into Pinot? It’s like a a thing with you.
Miles laughs at first, then smiles wistfully at the question. He searches for the answer in his glass and begins slowly.
MILES:I don’t know. It’s a hard grape to grow. As you know. It’s thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It’s not a survivor like Cabernet that can grow anywhere and thrive even when neglected. Pinot needs constant care and attention and in fact can only grow in specific little tucked-away corners of the world. And only the most patient and nurturing growers can do it really, can tap into Pinot’s most fragile, delicate qualities. Only when someone has taken the time to truly understand its potential can Pinot be coaxed into its fullest expression. And when that happens, its flavors are the most haunting and brilliant and subtle and thrilling and ancient on the planet.
Maya has found this answer revealing and moving.
I must profess I do have a bit of Cabernet in me as well.
Corny, I know, but I couldn't resist given how badly the last couple of months has been. Happy Birthday to Me!
Actual excerpt from a monthly horoscope forecast for February: If you are born on February 20, plus or minus four days, the eclipse on this date will have special meaning to you. The universe wants you to use your time on Earth well and will quickly pull you out of unproductive relationships that appear to have no future.In a romantic situation, if you are not loved in equal measure, what good is the relationship? Although sometimes leaving a relationship can be terribly painful, ultimately it can work for good, for you would free yourself to find someone better.
Who says astrology is nonsense? Anyway, today I will do something to please myself. Wish me luck.
Not that you would know this, but this Sunday is my birthday. Our Lulu was dropped today at the airport in New Orleans where Dr. Turtle is right now with new girlfriend. I know cause I got a phone call asking about Lu.
We (the married couple) were supposed to spend this weekend in NOLA for my b-day. Full moon and all, I'm just feeling a little sorry for myself. Music to move on from Gnarls Barkley, a much under-rated song, Transformer:
I, I, I, I, I, I Know how to transform (I can do it) I can transform (I can do it) Ill transform (I can do it) I'm a transformer I, I, I, I, I, I Know how to transform I can transform Ill transform I'm a transformer
I'm just being myself Plus I gotta be me too Silly of me to think that I couldn't bring myself to be you Ah but behold there is benevolence Behind this but don't stare though Be careful cause I'll kill you With kindness That why I'm dressed quite neatly Cause Its easy and discreetly they seek me And when they reach me and see me they believe me completely I'm a real live wire I ain't lying If its between me and you I ain't dying I can transform, I can transform, I can transform Without even trying wow
Now I'm someone else Now someone can be me too Behold the beautiful and bold everyday I Wake up to be new Oh but its simple but they still can understand why I think I can, I think I can, I think I can or can I I'm a microchip off the old block You know not but I was a robot And I sold Rock and you would get For sho shoot with a gold glock boy I rode pac Something that you won't see again What the hell might as well be a friend I can transform, I'm a transformer No telling who I will have to be again
Weirdest thing, I swear. While waiting in the car for her flight to land, I was listening to NPR's "Fresh Air." The closing song on the show was--wait for it--Fat's Waller's "Lulu's Back in Town"
Gotta get my old tuxedo pressed, Gotta sew a button on my vest, ‘Cause tonight I’ve gotta look my best, Lulu’s back in town. Gotta get a half a buck somewhere, Gotta shine my shoes and slick my hair, Gotta get myself a boutonniere, Lulu’s back in town.
That has got to make you believe in--something, right?
Georg in the spoils of the move and Lu waiting to exhale
Well almost. But first things first. Our 'son' Georg has weathered the trip, though is somewhat depressed and confused. He misses his 'sister' Lulu, our other rescued Jack Russell Terrier. Good news is that Miss Lu is on her way from Mississippi at the end of the week.
I plan on giving more details about my personal drama, as this blog has temporarily morphed into a personal digest, given the current situation in which I find myself. Thanks for hanging with me, It's most appreciated. Much love to you guys.
No, not the democrats, me. I shall attempt to drag you away from Super Tuesday results and rehashing to tell of my cross country odyssey. I have arrived in California from Mississippi, and let me tell you the trip was anything but uneventful.
I picked up the U-haul truck on Sunday last and had scheduled movers later in the day. The movers didn't show up. I called Monday morning to get other movers and couldn't get anyone to come before 5PM. By the time the movers finished loading, it was 9PM and too late to pick-up the auto transport. I had to wait until 9AM the following morning (Tuesday, Jan. 29) to get the transport hooked up. Drove back to the house and proceeded to load my car, the animals, my luggage, etc. Finally, left at 11AM, about 4 hours later than planned.
The first leg was to Austin Texas, where I met friends who had made arrangements to fly my 2 cats to California in a few days (you try driving across country with two cats...)Because of my late start, my arrival to the 750 mile away Mecca of Texas was going to be sometime in the midnight hour. About 40 miles from my destination, one of the straps came off of the tire on the auto transport. I got out, re-secured it and coming around the large, truck and trailer, smacked my knee (my service-connected disabilty knee) on the solidly metal trailer hitch. I saw stars and a knot swelled up the size of citrus fruit. Tired and in pain ( did I mention emotional?), I limped into Austin and the loving arms of my waiting friends.
They convinced me to stay over an extra day, rest my leg, my battered soul and sore body. It was a good decision. I took my sweet dog to doggy daycare so I could rest, and spent the next few hours sleeping and taking hot showers to ease my soreness. I need to really acknowledge my friends in Austin who took such good care of me. I don't think I could have made this journey without their help.
Next morning I start of bright, early and fairly well-rested with the goal of making it to New Mexico. If only I hadn't been stopped by a State Trooper and rerouted nearly 80 miles around the huge fire that closed I-10, I probably could have made it. I did manage to get nearly that far, and stayed in El Paso that night.
The following morning I awoke early with debilitating menstrual cramps. Sorry to be so graphic, but the necessity of mentioning my malady is the accompanying hormonally-challenged emotions that come with them. Not to mention the vomiting... I dragged my on/off crying ass into Tucson. I was supposed to stay in Phoenix that evening but because of the extra night in Austin, and the Superbowl, the price of my room tripled. It had been a relatively short day, so Tucson it was.
Morning brought the welcome hopefulness that today, I would finally make it into my beloved California. Fifty miles over the border, in the middle of the Mohave desert, I had a blowout on the moving truck. I found the last chance Texaco and waited there for the repair truck to arrive. Being the trooper I am, I soldiered on after my repair determined to make it over the I-5 Grapevine.
As I wended my way through the greater Los Angeles Basin, I received a phone call from one of my posse members who had been following my progress across the country. She warned me of the advancing winter storm warning that threatened to shutdown the Grapevine but that if I hurried, I could make it.
I did indeed make it to the treacherous highway hauling my tonnage. Unfortunately, coming down the steep 6% grade on the other side, I had my second blowout of the day(!). Have you ever heard of two flat tires in one day? Whatever. As I crawled into the first gas station at the bottom of the Grapevine, and it began to snow. I waited in the cold night for yet another tire rescue. After completing the tire-swap, I drove the 40 miles to my final destination for the night.
My saga ends the next day uneventfully, thank God, with pulling onto my mother's street and a cold beer during the Superbowl with my family. You may want to finally know the why of my sudden pulling up of stakes, rush back to California, and the traumatic experience that brought it all on. If you've been checking on me here at DeepCon, you may have been able to surmise that my marriage has ended unexpectedly and suddenly. It's a saga in itself and I'll save it for my next installment.
I want to thank everyone who encouraged me through the last weeks as it has helped tremendously. Thank you all.
And for good measure, just to let you know I haven't given up the ship, a video courtesy of reader Mary that speaks to the abuses of power the Bush regime has inflicted upon our great republic. I add that in no small part, this war/occupation in Iraq has played a definite role in my break-up.
somersault: 1. A movement (as in gymnastics) in which a person turns forward or backward in a complete revolution along the ground or in the air bringing the feet over the head; also : a falling or tumbling head over heels 2. A complete reversal, as of sympathies or opinions.
This speaks for me. I'll explain this more over the weekend. In the meantime one of my favorite bands Zero 7 singing Somersault:
You're the prince to my ballerina You feed other people's parking meters You encourage the eating of ice cream You would somersault in the sand with me
You talk to loners, you ask how's your week You give love to all and give love to me You're obsessed with hiding the sticks and stones When I fear the unknown You feel like home, you feel like home
You put my feet back on the ground Did you know you brought me around You were sweet and you were sound You saved me
You're the warmth in my summer's breeze You're the ivory to my ebony keys You would share your last jelly bean You would somersault in the sand with me
You put my feet back on the ground Did you know you brought me around You were sweet and you were sound You saved me
You put my feet back on the ground Did you know you brought me around You were sweet and you were sound See I had shrunk yet still you brought me around And 'round and 'round
Dennis Kucinich withdrew his bid for the presidency today. Sad. He says he has a bigger cause which is to introduce a house resolution for articles of impeachment on Chimpy and resecure his house seat in the upcoming election.. His cause is true, but I'm sad I'm unable cast my protest vote for him. I will support and promote his house resolution, and vote for John Edwards in the California primary, absentee, of course.
The turmoil in my own life mirrors the absolute idiocy of the race for the White House. I'm stunned at the twists and turns my life has taken over the last month. Nothing beyond what lots of people have been through, and it's certainly not the end of the world, but soul shattering and life changing nonetheless.
How blessed am I to have the support of near strangers on this blog and from avenues unexpected. A good life lesson for the power of the human spirit and our true desire to be part of something we care about and believe in. I thank you all for your words of encouragement, it helps tremendously.
So my response is continue to "follow your bliss" and fight for what you know is right. Don't let the bastards get you down. Today is tomorrow's yesterday and nothing will exist in the future that is not created now. Carpe diem and stay true to yourself no matter how difficult.
Last night, my friend and I were sitting in the living room and I said to her, “I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug.”
She got up, unplugged the TV, and threw out my wine.
Or here in Mississippi (and Arkansas,and Alabama), it's Robert E. Lee Day. What the fuck? When will you Southerners get over it? You lost. How about you try moving into the 21st century or even back the 1776: All Men (and Women) are created EQUAL.
This is one of my last missives from Mississippi. I am leaving for my native California next week. And frankly, I can't get the fuck out of this backward ass state soon enough. More on my mission to Cali in our next episode.
Today I celebrate the birth of Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream of civil rights for all. Happy MLK Day!
I'm down but not out. I am not back in the saddle yet, but I have a foot in the stir-up. I have definitely begun my recovery from what can only be described as a tragic loss. More on that when I come back to the blog but for now, a little clip courtesy of Slate via The Stephanie Miller Show. From one of my favorite movies, Election. The Hillary/Tracey Flick mash-up:
Things are still difficult but I'm making headway one step at a time. I thank you all for the support and love given here and elsewhere. I will check in as soon as I can.
Thank you all for your comments and concern. My life has taken a dramatic turn and I must take a temporary hiatus from my blog and the blogosphere. I expect to be back in within a couple of weeks and will give a full reporting on the changes I now find myself embroiled in. Thank you again for your support and if you are a person of faith, I hope you put me in your prayers.
A quote from the article at Army Times describing a troop "mutiny" in Iraq. After a staggering number of losses in the same company, soldiers speak out and refuse to return to 'Old Mod.'
“You never really get over the anger,” said Staff Sgt. Robin Johnson, a member of Charlie’s scout platoon who had been especially close to Agami. “It just kind of becomes everything you are. You become pissed off at everything. We wanted to destroy everything in our paths, but they wanted us to keep building sewer systems and handing out teddy bears.”
Read Greg Mitchell's piece and the complete Army Times article here.
Keith Olbermann is interviewed by veteran journalist Bill Moyers on his PBS program Journal. Keith and Bill discuss the state of the nation and issue another wake up call to Americans in this pivotal point in our country's history to rouse themselves from this state of suspension of disbelief about what is being perpetrated on the American landscape by the Bush administration. Watch it here.
As an Iraq war veteran, today is pretty exciting for me, and all the other vets I talk with. Today, one of our own took the first step towards knocking off Senator Mitch McConnell in 2008. Iraq War Veteran Andrew Horne jumped into the race.
H/T to Mary for the heads up. As an aside, could Sen. Turtle (no relation, I assure you) have found a less flattering photo? Mitch is not a good-looking man is all I'm sayin'...
The general business of winterizing the homestead and the bustle of the holiday season have kept me away from the keyboard. I thank everyone for their patience. All told though, I'm disturbed how buried the N.I.E. and the ensuing cover-up brought about by the CIAtorture tapes being destroyed has become. It is all too clear the chimp-in-charge lied--again and he with his republibots, continues still, to gin-up war with Iran as America sleeps. Torture has become de rigueur to the "average" American, the U.S. Constitution is passe, and the most pressing issue seems what the George Mitchell report will say about steroid use in baseball.
In listening to various podcasts this week, Scott Ritter at TruthOut warns of what he believes is a still imminent threat of the emperor-king letting loose on Iran and the endemically incurious American regarding the dangerous threat such an attack would encompass. Meanwhile, the MSM chirps how the war crimes this administration has conducted under the "unitary executive" meme is much ado about nothing.
"Half of all Americans think that the President has the power under the Constitution, to suspend the Constitution, in times of emergency. Are we the American Republic or a banana republic?"
These days I'm left wondering how far America will have to fall before we the people do something and stop the criminals from taking over forever. Or at least until we go the way of the buffalo.
"There are few choices more terrifying than the one Mr.. Bush has left us with tonight.
We have either a president who is too dishonest to restrain himself from invoking World War Three about Iran at least six weeks after he had to have known that the analogy would be fantastic, irresponsible hyperbole -- or we have a president too transcendently stupid not to have asked -- at what now appears to have been a series of opportunities to do so -- whether the fairy tales he either created or was fed, were still even remotely plausible.
A pathological presidential liar, or an idiot-in-chief. It is the nightmare scenario of political science fiction: A critical juncture in our history and, contained in either answer, a president manifestly unfit to serve, and behind him in the vice presidency: an unapologetic war-monger who has long been seeing a world visible only to himself.
After Ms Perino's announcement from the White House late last night, the timeline is inescapable and clear.
In August the President was told by his hand-picked Major Domo of intelligence Mike McConnell, a flinty, high-strung-looking, worrying-warrior who will always see more clouds than silver linings, that what "everybody thought" about Iran might be, in essence, crap. ..." - Keith Olbermann
Former DJ, contractor, and USAF officer who grew up in a San Francisco bar, loves music, girls and beer (not necessarily in that order) and looks forward to all that life has to offer.
I caught "Sideways" on a movie channel the other night and was amazed how much I related to Miles soliloquy about the delicacy of Pinot Noir grapes. 
