Hezbollah Hillbilies in action...

(Warning: The following excerpts were stolen from NSA high security computers underneath Fort Meade, Virginia. It depicts a conversation in Southern Lebanon between 2 Hezbollah freedom fighters on the eve of that terrible "massacre" of innocent woman and children at Qana. This conversation has been abbreviated to compensate for the differences in dialect and content. Persons on Prozac consumption, of queasy tummy's and hemorrhaging liberal views will find the content barbaric, myopic and in terrible taste,...... enjoy it!, as I know you still won't contain yourself from reading.)

(The hills of southern Lebanon, north or Qana, 2130 hours GMT)

Mustafa: "Kahlid!, praise be to Allah!, I have found a great place to launch holy rockets into the pit of the Jewish land's underbelly..."
Khalid: "May his elegant blessing be passed to all our martyrs (kneeling and bowing, facing Cleveland, ...er Mecca)... where is this holy site you have found, Mustafa..?"
Mustafa: "It is Qana, a perfect town for our undertaking Kahlid!, Allah will surely guide our hands like holy archers in the night,... we will see the lights of Haifa burn like the flames of Hades!... "
Khalid: "But where?... Qana is but a small village, no holy warriors live there! Surely there must be a place of much safer passage, no? and what about the U.N. For...."
Mustafa: " What U.N. Forces?... (laughs echoing in the night), they are but a token force with no authority to stop the movements of Hezbollah!, they can't even do their own mandate of dis-arming us much less prevent us from positioning ourselves there; those blue turtle-headed muppets! 2,000-strong they are and all but a paper tiger with no teeth,... You must have faith in my reasoning my un-circumcised Brother, Allah works in mysterious ways.."
Khalid: "Then praise be to him, my twice-circumcised friend,.. for he has surely given you visions greater than I am able to see..."
Mustafa: "We have already pre-positioned camera crews from CNN, Al-Jazeera and our own Musli-vision to cover the massacre to come. A reality show contract with MSNBC is sure to follow,... it will be a...."
Khalid: "Massacre?... of what massacre do you speak of Mustafa?..."
Mustafa: (with puzzled look at Khalid)"...why, the glorious massacre leveled to the woman and children of our safe house once the hateful Jews drop those 5000-pound bombs down our sorry Syrian asses!, what other massacre could it possibly be you nappy-headed Damascan?..."
Khalid: (gulping...) "but why are we to perish?...why can't we live to tell the tale to our sons, to our daughters? to our Clitoris-less wives?... What is the logic of launching holy Katushkies from a home full of children and our venerable Muslim woman?..."
Mustafa: "... Its KATUSHKA you un-educated half-breed, .. and you call yourself Hezbollah!, don't you see? first we launch, then Israel's demonic telemetry software picks up the trajectory of the incoming rockets, and instantly vectors those Satanic American-made F-16's to our site virtually assuring may-sweeps like ratings to Al-Jazeera and CNN once the bodies of the babies are recovered,... Cristian Amanpour must be in a nippled frenzy with expectations!..."
Kahlid: "Mustafa!... the heavens smile upon your wisdom.... you are truly a descendant of Mohammed's sperm sack,... , but how do you know that this plan will work?,.. will the American Media comply to our plans?..."
Mustafa: "..my sack-less brother, the American media has been our ally since September 12, 2001. By Allah, this is how it will happen, and so it shall be written in songs,... First we kidnapped 2 Israeli soldiers stupid enough to wander too close to the border, then we held them much the same at those held by those Syrian-wanna-be Palestinians in Gaza,... and once the Israelis sent Commandos to rescue them, we launched hundreds of rockets at their northern towns,.... Israel has leveled attacked on our people in proportions never witnessed by American Anchormen. All this, and the media still thinks its THEIR fault Khalid! (laughing even louder) The prophets must surely be on our side,..... the media has been on Allah's side since then,... and once the massacre of Qana comes in living color into the MTV-filthy living rooms of the infidels, we will have won the battle that counts,... the media opinion. THAT, my camel breath-smelling brother, is how wars are won,...no tanks, no airplanes,... but the blessings of an Izuzu trooper filled with gullible journalists looking for a Pulitzer prize...."
Khalid: "Pulitzer what?..... hmmmm..., but surely the American media will wake up from their drunken stupor and realize we have been pupeteering their focus, no?.... how can we be assured of their cooperation?
Mustafa: "My brother,... Thousands upon ten of thousands Christian Africans have been massacred by our Muslim brothers in the Sudan. THAT is a real massacre,.. yet not a word about it is heard in the American media. The Jews days are numbered in the world my friend,... the media will do what the Saudis, the Egyptians and the rest of the Arab league could not do in the battlefield in 1967 and 1973,... they will bring the star of David to its knees,... there to be beheaded by the collective swath of the Arab people,.. we will prevail Khalid!, we care more about hating the Jews than we care about loving the lives of our own brothers, woman and children,... such is our entefada, such is our jihad..."
Khalid: ".... Mustafa.... I am ready!,... I am ready to die, to become a martyr (jumping for joy amongst the ivy bushes)..., tell me, oh enlightened one,... will our 72 virgins be at the waiting?... will they be lovely and robust will large alabaster bosoms and stout buttocks? will they look anything like the heathen Aryan German woman we saw during the world cup?...(panting)...."
Mustafa: "Better than that Khalid,... they will be feeding you grapes in heaven,... as you touch their un-shaven legs!..."
Kahlid: "Allah be praised!......"
(static... Unintelligible Hebrew in the background,... Silence)

Zip up the hootchie

When looking at all that harms America, crime, lack of educated kids, over-crowded prisons, moral decay...., when faced with the varied "issues" bantered about in blogs, discussion groups , political campaigns and editorials, I've come to a singular cause for the preponderance of the problems. Bad parenting.

You can go down the list and it keeps coming down to this most important of human responsibilities. Crime? Most criminals lacked a father or mother figure, or good moral guidance in their formative years. Bad parenting. Education? We can slam the teachers and schools systems all we want, but if most parents would be involved in but a cursory way in their kid's education and growth then most would not fail and drop out with the frequency that they do. Bad Parenting. The falling apart of the traditional family? Maybe bad parenting is not solely responsible or even applicable; as the need for 2-income families and the in-your-face media culture has left us handcuffed with how to curb the bad influence in our kid's lives. But to deny that we let kids get away with murder is to be naive. I got my ass whupped a few times in my youth, and for good reason. It hurt so bad that I NEVER did that offending crap again. Now corporal punishment is akin to getting your ass sued. We've let the f*****g lawyers take over our moral compass guidelines. Bad parenting. The obscene welfare system and institutional poverty in America? Where do I start with that! Why do we subsidize people on welfare keep having kids? Why do we let kids have kids? Why don't we set a standard acceptable to force (yes dammit, force) citizens to think loud and clear about the pitfalls and responsibility of parenting?.... which brings me to the point of my post.

Why to we spay and neuter our pets? Is it because we don't respect their freedoms? is it because we are evil? No. It is because we feel that if we let the little heathens bang away to their loin's content we would be awash in stray hell, right? I don't see the pro-life crowd defending the animal as holy life. I don't see P.E.T.A or the ACLU filing lawsuits on behalf of those poor animals being dis-enfranchised by loosing their rights to procreate as nature would have them do. Nope. We spay their asses because we don't want to care for the pets that are not owned by responsible persons or entities. Someone tell me why the hell we can't spay and neuter people that are too stupid, unable, irresponsible or otherwise unwilling to be a good and responsible parent. We demand kids to take a permit test, driver education classes and driver's test before we allow them to drive a car. What about a test and a pass/fail grading system to decide whether someone is up to the task of taking care of their own offspring? I have to pay huge sums of cash to pay for an addition to a house. Why does the government not demand a huge amount of cash and permit fees for the privililedge of being a parent? The city demands a permit to ensure the safety of the building and its long term structural soundness,.. why the hell does it not care for the safety and long term care of its infant citizens? Why should I have to contribute to the welfare "lock box" because some irresponsible moron could not control his tube steak and some stupid female could not contain her hootch's cry for some girth? Why should I have to contribute to the care of a baby born to a mother already on welfare, or one who is already a mother 3 times over and still living on the dole? Why should I have to do this? Wy should any of us have to do this?

I have no problem de-balling rapists. None. You rape a woman you should have your dick stuck in a pickle jar and your balls given to the nearest SPCA as dessert for the Rottweilers. No quarter whatsoever. You force yourself into a woman, you loose little Richard. Finito. Woman? You keep popping out babies that fall under my financial burden and presto, you loose your ability to pop 'em out. Call me totalitarian, call it a slippery slope to other big brother intrusion, call is the only thing in which I agree with the Chinese Communist government,... I really don't care. And this coming from a die-hard libertarian of all things. I really believe that idiot-minded humans, or maybe ignorant ones, who have no concept of the sacred and moral responsibility to care for their children should not be allowed to participate in such llife-long blessing and holy task.

As to the picture of the chastity belt?... I could have just as easily put one of a male. My posting is as applicable to both men and woman. But being a straight man, I can't really see a meat-hook picture on one of my postings,... so the hootch wins again.

Bring on the missiles,....

The 51st State (er.... star)

I've always liked Israel. I don't know if it started with Bible teachings from my Dad, or the way they polished off the Egyptian army in a week back in 60-something, ... or maybe the way they got pummeled immediately after becoming a nation and still wiped out 6 Arab armies all by their lonesome. The ultimate underdog, I thought. Their whole weight on history loomed large on me. Hell; were it not for Herzl and the original Zionists Israel could have easily been in a patch of land in northern Argentina. Imagine the geopolitics of that,... Imagine the Jews in the middle of South American Countries instead of Arab countries,... but I digress.

What happened to the "little engine that could" that it lost the world's empathy beginning with their incursion into southern Lebanon back in the early 80's?... We did, we happened. We have created a defacto mini America in the middle of the Arab cauldron for the past 70 years. You can blame the Britts and the U.N. for putting the package together in 1947, but to think the U.S. did not have their spices in that soup is naive. For better of for worse, Israel is our Frankenstein. A strange amalgamation of holy ethos and a Judeo-Christian fulcrum point coupled with Nuclear capability, Democratic-styled Governance and American protection.

I've been reading up a lot on the history of Israel. Not because of the last few weeks of conflict with Lebanon, but because this is the best reality history show in the planet. I love high drama, and for my money this is the real thing. No matter the book I pick up, from one linking them to evil, to another taking the Palestinian side, to another claiming Israel is responsible for the very semblance of "stability" in the region..... their history is the most compelling read in my entire library right now. My conclusion?...

Israel is our 51st state. It is more of a State than Hawaii or Alaska. Maybe not technically but tell me if either of those two non-continental states has more political clout than Israel. Their military might is the envy of everybody with the exception of the U.S., China, Russia and possibly England. Counting the best trained reservists in the world, they can amass a 600,000-strong army in 1 week and mobilize it to any part of their diminutive State. Their military General Staff are all West Point trained. Their fighter pilots have ten-fold the amount of flight time ours do, they get head of the line application status for the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and are considered the best dog-fighters in the world, period. They have a half-billion dollar war reserve stock (in-country) in case the U.S. ever needs it, they get more than 6 billion dollars a year in military assistance (this does not count other non-military aid). Their intelligencia (Mossad) may be old school but there is a reason its methods and "successes" are the envy of the CIA and NSA. The capitol flow from Jewish sympathizers around the world is staggering with investments in the hundreds of billions. Little Israel may be tiny in square miles, but this beast of a micro-nation has talons that reach far and wider than its physical assets reflect. They are mini-"us". They even have rap music, McDonalds, draft dodgers and colored condoms. (...Now if we could only get the NFL to give them a franchise...... the "Tel-Aviv Ark-Angels" or something)

Back in the day when my Dad told me all those Bible bedtime stories I took them in with a grain of salt. Even at age ten I was quite pragmatic and not afraid of religious theories or teachings. Funny thing though,... I've been reading the books of prophecies lately. Even in their most narrow interpretation, -and with a cynical brain-, the stamp of Israel in the "latter days" is something undeniable, albeit possibly circumstantial. It will be interesting and fascinating to follow the events before us. Many movies will be made, songs written and books penned about this little Heaven-State in the middle of Hell on earth.

We should just add that star to the stars and stripes and move along with making Puerto Rico the 52nd. The more the merrier.... or we can just give Alaska back to Russia and Hawaii to the Islanders. It won't make a damn difference to our pockets; welfare states for welfare states,.. in one form or another....

While I was away,,,

~ Why does a network (Fox) feel compelled to put "Fair and Balanced" into their branding? I'm watching Neil Cavuto (does that guy have a mellon or what?...), and during the break the "fair and balanced" blurb pops up. When did we start categorizing news? When Walter Cronkite, Howard K. Smith and Frank Reynolds were kings of dinner-time TV, did they need to add a moniker other than "evening news" or a reasonable facsimile thereof? ... I smell a rant comin'...
~ I was checking out QVC yesterday (please don't ask me why), and Birkenstock was doing their best to sell people into accepting the "new and improved" fashion and comfort thing. Good enough I thought, the shoes were not "earth shoe" re-treads and it was all going well until,... the models started to walk the runway. Someone please tell Birkenstock that it behooves them to invest into a little pedicure prep for the models. Bad feet close-ups are pretty disgusting while you wolf down your sushi. The second model's toes could have been forklift replacements at Home Depot.
~ I've realized that the internet is a worst addiction than TV. The world is at your fingertips,... literally. It is as addictive as video games, drugs, the Sopranos and my Girlfriend's bread pudding. A funny thing happened when I tuned out of the internet (and blogger) for a week; I caught up on my reading. Seriously, it was the best thing I'd done in months. The one thing I loved doing more than anything in life had been the one thing suffering the most (well, other than quality time with the Gal-friend, but that is yet another rant). I polished off no less than 3 books that were half-read on my shelves. So I've made a promise to myself not to log on until I read at least one chapter of anything that fancies me that moment. Just more fodder for writing I guess...
~ I think I really am concerned about the environment. Not because of any specific reason; although they are plenty. But simply because I don't know squat. The more I read, the more I get LESS informed. It seems you can take the same facts and make diametrically opposing points on almost anything. Nothing is objective, nothing is concrete and everything is subjective to the interpretation of the viewer or reader. So in the interest of "fair and balancing" my ass, I am going to re-educate myself in as many disciplines of environmental issues as I can. Today it was 114 degrees in Morgan Hill, California. That has a LITTLE to do with it.
~ Some blogs just aren't funny. The funny thing is that THEY think they are funny. Comedy and satire is an art form all of its own and subject to the moods of the audience. I wonder why most wanna-be writers (moi) are also wanna-be comedians (not moi).... Is it because of our never-ending desire to please and make people laugh?....

I've been away for good reasons. My daughter Samantha is relocating with her mom and new husband to the great state of Pennsylvania in a few weeks. Of course, I will be traveling every 3 months or so to visit, but obviously this is a major change of things for the house of Pain. This little girl has been glued to my hip since her birth. Her feet never touch the ground while I am within her reach. I am spending every waking second with her in the hope that the last 5 years of my life with her have not been in vain. That she remembers me always no matter how dark the night, how different the new school or how strange the new surroundings.
Life goes on, life gives, and takes away. I love you Sammy, you saved my life...

Back in the saddle...

After a couple of false start/stops, I've managed to move this weekend. My new home is a little farm town south of Silicon Valley. Orchards everywhere, a great place for the family, perfect balmy weather, and a ton of illegals everywhere! (3 0ut of 4 aint bad...)

You guys have been having WAY too much fun without me...... (let's see, what's there to write about...)

In thy Father's footsteps (or how to rear a liberal)

A few days ago, I was having lunch and discussing the merits of good parenting with a former co-worker; he of serious progressive dispositions. After much bellowing as to how his kids "better not ever THINK about voting Republican as long they are under my roof" (or words to that effect), I went back to my corner office with a view of nearby U.S. Highway 101, and a jovial, yet evil smile formed in my otherwise handsome facade.
(soft music intro in the background)....
I can imagine one of the conversations between said Father and his 14-year old Son, to go something like this:
....
Son: "Dad, why are you a liberal?"
Dad: "Why?.... Its in my blood Son, and in your blood,... and the blood of any self-respecting and enlightened American to be of left-wing persuation. I am a liberal because of the legacy of FDR and because I believe the State has a duty and responsibility to care for the needs of its citizens, no matter how trivial or large. Everything, schooling, health, medicine,.. the whole Magilla. We get taxed up the butt, so Government should care for our butts after taxing us as well. To think any other way is to be a selfish capitalist who only believes in his own good, and not in the good of the collective..."
Son: "So.... is that the best system we have? or is that that best system YOU chose to vote for?"
Dad: "It's not a "system" Sparky! its a way of life. To live a liberal life it to care for those less fortunate than you, to open your arms to the weak, sick and hungry, to give freely so that those more needy than you can have a better Day. To be a liberal is to take from those who have, and give it to those who don't. A kinder, gentler way of socialism..." (grinnin')
Son: "Ok,...I guess I don't know why you rolled up the car window so fast when that homeless guy came up to us at the stop light..... but anyways, is being a liberal a better choice then?"
Dad: (clearing the throat... ) Well, about the homeless guy,... I did not want to endanger you or your Mom, Son. you never know who is passing as opressed nowadays,... besides, the guy behind me was rolling down HIS window so I knew he was getting something.... (laughs uncomfortably) ....... but let me explain this to ya'... Choice is the pre-eminent word in our beliefs. We are the better choice of culture, we are pro-choice for keeping a woman's right to choose, we are a better choice to give the poor and dis-enfranchised a better choice for gettin' back on their feet, ... yes Son, its about choices"
Son: " So... , if I chose to say vote Green, or libertarian, .... or Republican, especially after hearing your pimpin' of the liberal way, you would say that would be ok, since it was my choice, right Dad?,... and speaking of choices, does the unborn fetus get a choice to live or die in the opinion of Roe V Wade or is this a selective type of choice?"....
Dad: (chuckles in a condescending way...) "well, lets not get ahead of ourselves kiddo, you've a long way to go before you are of age to vote and intelligent enough to make such a choice on voting, for that matter.
As to Roe V Wade, well that is a very complicated issue there...., the fetus is just a bunch of molecules and cells held together in the amniotic sack,... it is not a "person", its a, er,... a soon-to-be-human, you know?, and as such is not protected by the laws of the land.., and who taught you about abortions anyway......?"
Son: "But Dad, if choice is so important, why did you get upset last year when NPR was considering adding conservative-based programming?... after all, most of their programs are pretty progressive, no?"...
Dad: (shift unconfortably in the lazy-boy...) "That was a blatant attempt by that pin-headed G.O.P.-installed FCC Commisioner to interfere with an independent publicly-financed institution. Public Radio is fine the way it is, why the hell should they be another Clear Channel dangit! NPR is as fair and balanced a media as we have in this County! "...
Son: "Ok, what about your Union dues Dad, I don't see those going to support anybody but liberal candidates... what if I were in a Union and wanted the CHOICE to give my dues to somebody else. Can't I have a say in that?"
Dad: "Thats different Son, you have to trust that ol' Hoffa Jr. knows what is best for us. God knows that man has seen his share of travails and hardships. He is fighting for you, for me, for our American Manufacturing, he is......."
Son: "... but Dad, you just bought a Toyota!..."
Dad: "Again, a choice Son. I though saving the planet and the environment by getting a better fuel-efficient car was the price to pay for my beliefs. Besides, its built in Ohio, and we need to keep those Buckeye Union members employed, don't we Sparky?"
Son: "Hmmm well the Chevy something or another has better mileage than your Camry, .... but what about Education, Pops?... what if say you decided that the Teacher's Union here in Coulterhateville was doing a crappy job at hiring the best teachers at our district? and that the school could not fire the worst ones, you now, -like most companies can fire someone who does not produce the expected results would?-,... what if say, Charter schools, home-schooling and vouchers were presented as choices to all Americans so WE could decide what is best for our needs,... would that not be good?"
Dad: (developing a zit at the tip of the nose...) "Look Boy, there is NOTHING wrong with Teacher's Unions; nothing at all! They can handle their own, believe me. The ONLY way to have a one-America, a consistent education for all kids -legal AND undocumented-, a better way to prepare the youths for the challenges of a global economy is for all of us to pool our resources under one banner and make the U.S. Education system the best in the planet; and that is something that without Unions we could never do. Do you honestly believe we can leave the choice of education to un-educated parents? to Christians and other right-wing Bible thumpers?, to care-takers of special-need kids?, ... to Republicans? God forbid, to Libertarians?......, C'mon Son, who is putting all these moon-baty ideas in your head?, Have you been listening to Glen Beck again?..."
Son: "No one Dad,..... (thinking...),... well, to be honest, I think I'm getting them from you, Pops...."
Dad: (bouncing from the lazy-boy and kneeling next to Sparky) "From me? (horror look on face), how did that happen? I thought you were my little liberal-in-training?... what did I do wrong?..."
Son: ... "Dad, nothing... you did nothing wrong. But did you not tell me to think for myself? I though you said I should never follow the herd and make my own way in life no matter what I was up against!.... isn't choice universal Dad? Why should freedom of choice be for abortions but not for education?, or health coverage?, or even Goverment policy? I think that by listening to both sides of any issue gives me the best opportunity for making the best choices for me, don't you think? Did you not say critical thinking is..... well, critical?"
Dad: "Of course I do,... well uh, to a certain extent, as long as it doesn't interfere with the code of Liberalism, Son. But as a Father I have a moral duty to guide you to that which best represents what I view in life as right, as righeous, as sensible for all,... but especially for you, for you!... , don't you see that the needs of the many sometimes outweighs the needs of the few?.... or the one?"
Son: "Dad, I heard that line from Spock in Star Trek V or something, but anyways,... look, I'm sorry you are upset. I will try to get a better understanding of your perpective. I know you love me and all you want to do is guide me to the right path. Don't think I see your thoughts as dichotomous, .... I know there isn't a hypocritical bone in your body........ I love you Dad! (beaming with pride)...
Dad: "Thanks son, I love you too (misty eyed), .... and I appreciate the vote of confidence in me. Dichotomous,... wow!, nice use of the word, Kiddo! where'd you pick that up?"
Son: (sheepishly) "er.... the Sean Hannity Show........"
(fade to black,... as Dad twitches on the hardwood floor.....)

Veni, Vidi, Vici...

Blogging has changed my life. I can count with the fingers on both hands the events from which I can say that statement to be true; and the indulgence I present herewith has a pinky finger all to its own.

But how did this little thing (blogging) we do change my world? or changed OUR world for that matter -or at least the free flow of information as we know it-, how? How did it happen that in just over a decade of existence it has planted its Mighty standard along the major networks, cable news shows and print media as an official mover and shaker of cultural and political Discourse?

I've wanted to do a little posting on the culture itself. Just the mechanics, nuts and bolts of "courtesies expected" etc. It started innocently enough with some Googling. Reading a little history of its evolution gave me a good overall view of both the original "intent" (if one can call it that) and its subsequent weaving into the collective tapestry of everyday life. But I gotta' tell you, I got tired real quick. The amount of information as to the culture, the this and that became peripheral to my wants and I just stopped writing the damned thing. It was getting tediously long, boring (even to my own noggin'), and not very fun. Why, I thought, not just run the gamut and read as many types of Blogs as I possibly can, get a good synopsis of the variety and types, and regurgitate it for my fellow brethren here at the House of Pain.

Before I give you a little taste of my latest favorite list and some comments please allow me a disclaimer. There is no rhyme or reason of order, no preference markers of note, no hidden skews (at least that I am aware) and in no way are my flippant comments of each meant to deny them their proper respect and day in the Sun. Some are very matter-of-factly and not intended to do anything other than present information. Some are (to me) downright stupid and devoid of any effort of logic other than their own road to dementia. There are many hybrids as well. Some are rants for a myriad of topics, not caring whether or not their style can win "hearts and minds"; and other rants do wish to influence your thinking and do an admirable job of coaxing you to their mine-field of thought. The writing styles are the thing that sets them apart of course. From the simple to the sublime, from the acerbic to the properly political, from the syntax-challenged to the maiming of accepted writing laws (your truly), there is something for everybody. There is love, hate, musings, dogma, agendas and opinions by the millions. So before you indulge, get your beverage of choice and have the bath water running with your favorite beads in wait, you may just want to jump in there after 10 minutes.

Lastly, some of my very favorites are included as well. Not to pimp them (as KEvronius would say) but just as my homage to the real joy I get when visiting their house of banter.

The Dark Wraith Forums - Left wing without the hot sauce. Very well written, cordially presented, visually appealing, and a place even some of my Right Wing bomb-throwing friends can lay off the trigger. He even has a link of easy-to-do HTML coding for all of us technically challenged bloggers.
Social Sense - My Truth-Pain talons have been landing on this tree very often as of late. An almost mirror image to the above-mentioned albeit from the right side of things. Some of his essays are so well-written than even if you don't care for the topic or agree with the theme you find yourself in the "thinking man" pose.... and THAT to me is the mark of a good blog. A place that makes you stop and re-think.
An Innocent Okie in King George's Court - Art and the appreciation of it in its many forms, were it Music or (as this one) Fine Arts, is one of my favorite things to do. Try getting a dose of this guy. It is just fun to live vicariously through his meanderings.
truckerphilosophy - "Conservative, Christian, Poor, White, Married, Middle Aged, Guitar playing Truck Driver. Contents under pressure." ... such says this sites profile. I find his postings interesting as hell. Not because of any one reason, but because some of us that live near large Metropolitan areas feel our voices represent all America. We don't. Opinion does not necessarily have to cloak itself in bourgeois language for it to be as important. I think southern thinking gets a bad (and at times unjust) rap. I can get thousands of left leaning southern blogs that are just as honest, compelling and of self-conviction.... as his right-leaning blog most certainly is. Honesty and truth come in all forms, doesn't it?
Renegade Eye - "This blog is secular and socialist; influenced politically by Leon Trotsky, musically by Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Johnny Cash and the tango music of Astor Piazzolla and Carlos Gardel, artistically by Pablo Picasso and Carlos Paez Vilaro"... with a header like that, tell me the stuff is not unique. Left, Socialist, Revolutionary,... fill the blank. I admit I am a glutton for this site. It appeals to my "what the hell are they talking about?" nature.
The Lesbian Lifestyle - Although I lived in San Francisco for years, and have many a friend either openly Gay or not,... the subject of homosexuality is still foreign to me in many ways. This is just a few sites I've visited to give me calibration on the topic. The stories are varied, interesting and the links I've gotten along the way are terrific in their own right. Why a lesbian site and not a gay site? Well, let me put it this way (kids, close your ears for a sec..). I still can only read or write about MY own Penis and not anyone else's...., yet. But give me time.
Planet Hugill - Classical music blog from Robert Hugill - See, the thing is, I am a rocker. As a self-taught Guitar and Bass player I was weaned on Van Halen, Aerosmith, AC DC, Pink Floyd etc. Then (as my booty got groovin') I got into Funk. Parliament, Cameo, The Gap Band, the Meters, Zapp,.. all the classic old school. But in my heart of hearts Classical draws me. It wasn't till I cross the quad-decade that I gained a whole new appreciation for music. I still am Jazz and Fusion-stupid. But there is nothing like Classical to scramble the right side of your brain. This site was one of the first I found that guided me to other things in a way that was not snotty or above my knowledge-base.
The Reference Frame - This is what happens when you select random words as your search base, you fly in under the radar, read a couple of paragraphs,... and then check your flight plan to see where you missed the turn. When someone gets what this is about let me know. I'm not being sarcastic. I just have no time to find out today.
The Strata Sphere - You did not think I was going to leave this posting without throwing my own Libertarian / Conservative ass a bone, do ya'? This puppy is gaining momentum amongst the Illuminati-brained Washingtonians. It wants the be the "Kos" of the Right, whatever that means; but I dig it. A ton of postings, nicely indexed for your vermin-inducing pleasure and gagging. I like it better than Powerline, more taste and less filling.

So what does all this mean. Nada. The good thing is that politicians and others are taking blogging seriously. After 200-plus years of trusting the media a the vessel for the masses, it is about time their boat capsized. I for one feel that no matter how stupid or illogical the blog, it is a reflection of one citizen, hence one opinion, and at the very least, ove vote. Not everything written is fact, and even a fact can be subjected to the interpretation of the writer.

As the Desk Sergeant used to say after the morning meetings of Hill Street Blues.... "Let's be careful out there"

Bring on the Kool Aid...

Today I've read 50 blogs, easily. I am doing a post on the culture of blogging. A little history, rules, observations and the like....(tomorrow is launch time). I wanted to gather as much "diversity" of thought as I could before rendering my final arguments; but before I post that little diddy, bear with me as I re-post a rant I wrote about 2 months ago. It is a good primer for what is coming.

KOOL AID MAN KNOWS NO POLITICS...
You've heard the phrase, haven't you? "You're drinking the Hannity Kool Aid!", or the Limbaugh Kool Aid or the Mathews Tang..... What does it all mean? To me it means opening up our pie holes really wide, digesting without prejudice what anybody, any book, any talk show or any news blog shoves down our throat and finally taking it all in as truth beyond reproach.

It is human nature to preach to our own choir, to associate with like-minded individuals, to listen and learn from entities we admire and to see ourselves in the image of that which we most yearn to be like. But when does this become a self-fulfilling prophecy of one's philosophy? Are we really enlightened by just listening to the sounds of our voices? or does it behoove us as a people to at LEAST consider opposing viewpoints no matter how across-the-grain to our own preference they may be?. This is my yoke in life. As a self-described libertarian information junkie I do two things as daily ritual. One is easy because I love it, ... the other is like walking on glass on my way to a backstroke swim in volcanic lava.

An example of my daily dose of mental food. 6:00 a.m., I jump to the CATO institute's web page and various government, military and independent news journals for updates. A quick scan of MSNBC, FOXNEWS, CNN and DRUDGE REPORT to see if I missed anything while I slept. During my mid-day break at the office I stroll into some hi-tech and music sites for my right-side-of-the-brain snack, as well as other more specific information places that give me deeper insight into whatever it is that interests me that day.... Finally, as dessert I have a heavy "favorites" list I gauntlet through, which enforces and re-enforces my beliefs, my credo,... as Neal Boortz says, "my daily dose of the church of the painful truth". But then, it happens. Like a monster coming out of the closet when all is dark and quiet..., at around 9:00 p.m. comes the dreaded homework,... doing the other side of the coin. Reading up on websites, blogs, journals and op-ed commentary... all of which are diametrically opposed to everything I believe and hold as my mantra. Why do I go through this torture? Don Rumsfeld's favorite word, to CALIBRATE.

Reading extremist agendas, far left or far right diatribes, and socio-liberal rants give me conviction. If I am afraid to calibrate my beliefs against what MAY be a logical counter-point to my own idea, then my idea is not in very firm soil. If I am afraid to navigate the blogs of hate, racism, fear-mongering, socialism, supremacists, communist thought etc, then I cannot, in truth, calibrate the status of my moral spine. Such tasks are not easy,.. I read blogs all day and in most of them, you look at the far right column where they blog-roll THEIR favorites sites... with most of them it's all about drinking the KOOL AID, listening to the echoes of that which they already believe. Anchoring their shaky (or strong) beliefs with yet more of the same.

I encourage my fellow conservatives and liberals, independents and partisans, to venture out into the land of the unknown. You don't have to "embrace diversity" if you don't care to,...you only have to acknowledge its existence, respect that it has a right to share the opinion spectrum with yours, and -if at the end of the day-, you are not of the same mind. you can then say , "thanks but no thanks,... I've decided NOT to embrace YOUR idea of diversity". You may have walked the gauntlet of venom, but you will be a better person because you have CONSIDERED thoughts that diverge from your own.

There is a saying..."that which does not kill you, makes you stronger". To know the ingredients of a soup that is not in your kitchen is to be a better cook for your own "recipes" of thought. We should all consider not drinking the Kool Aid of choice... and get a little TANG instead. We may hate the taste and spit it out quickly, but coming back to our favorite drink will give us a new-found appreciation for the person in the mirror.

On second thought...

Political Exile Sucks...
I don't want to hear it; I really don't. And please, spare me the "I told you so"s. My white flag has risen above the smoldering ruins on my lone pathetic single non-poli-rant. I've capitulated to the vortex... I feel like Pacino in Godfather 3 ("... Just when I thought I was out,... they pull me back in....")... clenched fists and everything.

In our last episode our caped (yours truly) crusader was planning a 2-month boycott of anything having to do with politics (at least as to themes having to do with election-end of things). Some of you were pretty prophetic in your comments. Politics is everywhere. It permeates from the pop and culture worlds all the way to the business and Washington centers of gravity. Even the first launch in my post-politik planetoid was filled with indirect political nuances, full-on political comments referring to recent events,.... heck, my posting even pulled a decades-old (it seems) pissing contest between Daddio and Kevronius into my freakin' orbit... Yep, slingin' mouth-ful o' mortars from San Francisco to the Ozarks and back again.... ~just lovely~...

So now that I am doing away with that dumb-ass declaration, let me give you a bit of what I've been thinking about lately...

Observation 1: Eveybody is still pissed, that's the good news, so nothing new there. I keep wondering to whom the rants are directed towards, their own brethren?, their own choir?, ...themselves?. But now that I have had 8 days of detox I can just read, smile and roar in my best Jackie Gleason-like yuks. Its amazing how fast your humor comes back if you get away for a spell. The one thing I would really did, really appreciate, is anyone creative enough to come up with a different angle of anti-Bush rants.... or maybe a different take. You know what I mean?... some real juicy-non-acidic way to make me go "hmmmmm, THAT is different". But its all the same: "Look what Bush did now!", "Just when you think you have seen it all.....", "How can this administration not be impeached", "Another example of the vile corruption of His Emperor, Herr Bush"....... (ahhh... it's so good to be swimming amongst the vermin-talk again, can you smell me from there?)

Observation 2: I found myself agreeing with many a liberal rant. I'm not kiddin'. Not because I had a blood transfusion during my brief exile, or because of a mind-meld from the local Democratic party office,.. but because there are some very, VERY good writers out there in the left commuter lanes that have found that magical touch of expressing their ideas "in a language that we can easily understand" (thanks to Malcolm X for the para-phrased quote). One gets use to bopping around the usual suspects of blogs for entertainment and mental dueling; and all of us being "usual suspects" I should humbly and respectfully salute us all. But ever so often, BAM!; you just find a nugget of a blogger who really gets it; who really understands the paradox of what Marshall McLuhan said when he uttered "The medium is the message". Its easy to write with piss and vinegar. It takes basic writing skills (5th grade-level or just grunts for that matter), a pc with minimum RAM, a topic that really gets your nipples to DEFCON 5 perkiness, and you're good to go! No editor to guide you, and no moral compass to correct your deviances of logic or otherwise. But that -even in it's best example-, is clinically lazy in its end result. You may get a short term rise to your psycho-vent, or 12 quick comments within 15 minutes that gums up your ego, but in the end, its just that, a piss and vinegar rant that may or may not do anything other than having the effects of a cigarette after sex (if you smoke that is..). Having a blog is like having a car. The fact that you own one does not mean you know how to maintain the damn thing; much less drive it. Then again, the Federalist Papers were full of piss and vinegar (albeit a nicer bouquet) so my comment does not condemn this practice or marginalize the authors of such styles..., I only offer my sole view on the action.
.... I will share my newly found mental-plankton in a future "my favorite blogs part 2".

Observation 3: The posting ideas you get from staying away from politics is really amazing. Everybody should try it. Here is a brief example of the 6 I have in various stages of completion:
1) A piece on Goya, famous Spanish painter (and my Dad's favorite).
2) Another on the Monaco Principality and why its so "quaint"
3) A take on TV culture,... and why I think it has hosed us all.
4) The differences between being a "boob man" of a "butt man" (I know, its sophomoric but I can't be held accountable for my own morass, can I?) and why it reflects on our own parenting.
5) A delectable list of the stupidest blogs you may ever get to see,... and why they are so cool.
6) Why men are so phony when it comes to the way they show love (ok, not ALL men....)

Coda: Let me finish on a serious note (shocking). I started my new job as a senior manager for a large non-profit organization that provides both rental and affordable housing opportunities for the poor, transitional families, ex-convicts and the homeless. We also provide special finance programs to purchase homes we build ourselves in depravated areas...., I have to admit I thought long about making this move. I was doing very well working in market-rate construction/consulting companies for years. My last interview with this new company was the clincher. A politically conservative Manager (admittedly so) and his liberal-as-Jane Fonda co-manager looked at me in the eye and said: ~~"We have found a way to merge a brand of self-reliance and responsibility compassion, with the usual littany of entitlement grants available to everybody in the business. We've made it do-able, efficient and non-political. We've done with private business and government grants what government itself doesn't dare do,... what do you say?"~~ Imagine that, I thought....I said yes.
This libertarian man is going to work on the noblest thing I've ever done. I have no clue if my views on life will change or whether my credo will be shattered to smithereens once the reality of life at the disenfranchised level looks at me in the eye.... but I really feel good about this. I hope I am not disappointed at the changes to come....