Whoop. There it is.

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This track is less than a minute long and I hope the folks at NPR don't notice. Just wanted you to hear it. I blogged about this the other day it's such a hoot.

Thanks T(h)om for finding it at Wait Wait. Much appreciated.

It is easy to get discouraged...

...when you think no one is listening, that your reality is not the same as what is being spewed elsewhere.

But enough about ME.

Doug has a great post up (panties included) about taking steps, baby steps, but steps, to move to Canada. Because we can't count on the Democrats to make it all better. Because there might be a draft to support the endless war, and those of us with young sons will want to get. out. sooner. rather than later.

I know. I know. BUT....



And unless the draft does threaten my children (I am so outta here then, of course) I can't be a part of the brain drain that leaves this country to Beck, Cavuto, and Hannity. As long as their lips are moving, I'm here to fight. Thanks to Dr. Zaius for making an angry BG.

Eco-burial, an idea whose time has come

My uncle pointed this out to me; he and a friend are trying to get something like this started in Florida. The idea is to create cemetaries where those who have passed can be buried in a natural setting, probably sans headstone, without the ten thousand dollar lead-lined casket (let this be as legal a notice as an anonymous blogger can leave--I wanna be cremated).

It's a great idea. Green Options has more info, and there's an example of same run by some monks in Georgia here.

And of course, before you are buried with nature you hopefully will live a good life and die with dignity. You've probably all signed the petition already, but of course the First Freedom First people are all about death with dignity.

A question of great theological import...

I like it when I find an unusual pair of "panties" on the web and someone has already been there and asked "What would Jesus say if he came back and saw that?"

Dude, I don't think Jesus would be hanging out at Sundance, man.

Only in Alabama, part 890,597,289,896,732

Alabama Department of Homeland Security took down a website that indicated that environmentalists, gay-rights groups, and animal-rights organizations could be possible harbors for terrorists.

Signalling the possible presence of terrorist activity included groups with "people who feel they are trying to create a better world."

Alabama DHS director "said the site had been up since spring 2004, and had gotten a relatively small number of hits until it recently became the subject of blogs..."

Off to the summer digs

La Famille Blue Gal is on their way to the summer digs. It's an all day trip and I don't have high speed out there yet. Will post again Tuesday if I have to kick Mr. BG out of his office. (Office? You mean he's got a separate downtown office? While everyone's on vacation at the summer digs? OH wait. It's Mr. BG. Don't get her started.)

See you Tuesday. Have a great weekend.

Weekend photoshop contest?

OH, MAYBE NOT.



I mean, doesn't Donna Karan make brassieres? She does Babs, and some of them provide full coverage! Geez.

Oops, there went breakfast. Sorry about that folks.

I honestly don't think even Photoshop for IntelMac could help.

Update #1: Doctor Zaius in on a fembot jag:

Aw jeez.

Al Gore's on a diet?

Well so is Blue Gal but nobody's yellin' "run Blue Gal run" as if anyone would ever ACCUSE me of running for public office. So I'd get to start out at the top as a Democratic defense contractor whore congressman from Alabama? I'm the wrong color, ma hunnies. Besides, upper middle class white girls around here have a four-step career track: pre-school teacher, wife and mother, real estate agent, retired bathroom re-decorator**. That's the track, don't get off it.

**My apologies to anyone who actually does decorate their bathroom. I have gone so far as to frame a Roz Chast cartoon and hang it above the toilet. But that's pretty much it, except of course for the Jean Schmidt toilet seat.

Stuff you knew, stuff you didn't...

I love the team at Crooks and Liars. But you knew that.

Nicole Belle asked me to do Late Night Music Club there last night, basically cross-posting my Dylan post. What an honor. Not because they're a popular blog (duh) but because they're great people. Great.

I've been meaning to let you all know that for part of the summer I'll be doing the blog round up over there (partnering with Batocchio of Vagabond Scholar) while Mike is

touring Europe
with Joe Cocker

and OMG you MUST check out the tour's website. Joe was put on this planet to sing "Don't Give Up On Me." (on the BG mix please, just saying.) And Mike backing up on Hammond Organ. Yeah, my NON-html panties get tossed onto the stage at that point, too.

I mean, please. Tell me YOUR panties are the same after listening to this:

Happy Birthday Bob Dylan

What with Keith Olbermann last night and all the betrayals and the war and the blogs and YOU, dearest readers. I just thrust my fist in the air, sang it as loud as I could, and CRIED.

A Republican? Ya think?

From News of the Weird:

According to the manager of BJ's Pawn Shop in Gretna, La., a customer came in with his diaper-clad boy of about age 2 in April and handed the kid an AK-47 from the store's shelf, instructed him how to hold it in order to "mow (people) down, kill everybody," and told him that "Daddy's going to buy you this chopper." The manager, incredulous, said he took the gun back and shooed the pair out. [WKMG-TV (Orlando), 4-5-07]

Ya mean the pawn shop owner didn't call Child Protective Services? Oh wait, it's Louisiana.


UPDATE: Evil Spock shared with us in comments. Don's rent a gun in Indiana. At first I seriously thought it was a clip from that Weird Al movie UHF. Remember? Spatula City?

For "Junior Dude"

My son, who hereafter will be known here on the blog as "Junior Dude" (thanks for the nicknames QD, Cheesy Poof and Princess like theirs, too) woke up this morning wanting to talk about cavemen.

Mom. I wanna be a Flintstone.

Well guess what was posted at YouTube just last week. Kismet? Heh.

Big 80's. We live for big 80's. Screaming Blue Messiahs, ma hunnies:

One Word.

Olbermann.



Okay more than one word. Disappointed he didn't mention Kucinich. Yeah I know about special K's mixed-up flip-flop not-firm-enough stand on abortion. He's right about this war. He has been. Tell me Harry Reid is firm on abortion. Please. Congress is a buncha career whores who will blow whichever inside the beltway john pays the most that hour. Tired of the lot.

(Funny how we all link to Crooks and never thank Amato and his staff. Thanks to C&L for making it possible for us to watch that and think about it.)

Did anybody else hear this?

11 am Eastern time NPR news. Karl Cassell tries at least three times to correctly say, "Monica Goodling" without saying "Lewinsky."

I couldn't record it in time before they updated the feed with Corva Coleman. Shoot. It was hilarious.

Radio? Panties? I don't know why I even despair anymore...when everything is on YouTube.

We interrupt this blog...

...for a brief knitting post.

Bought some new knitting needles yesterday. To knit socks, because I NEED to knit this summer and socks are very portable.

My new needles are...politically correct, natch:

Introducing Blue Sky Five Inch Double Points. Sets of five petite wooden needles come in a gorgeous collectible tin. Surina wood is from the Lal Kohla (Elegant Tree) in India. Highly trained and skilled artisans craft this strong, lightweight, flexible wood into exceptional knitting needles. A lustrous polish is given to the smooth wood, enhancing the superb grain without the use of any harmful chemicals.

[note from BG: The label on the collectible tin (looks like a cigar and I can't wait to see what Homeland Security says, aw hell I'm gonna check the tin.) says, "Made in India by people who are treated well and fairly."]


Which is why five long toothpicks cost, oh nevermind. Worth every penny. And what else would I use for socks I'm knitting instead of blogging, anyway?



I have no idea whose feet they are I found them on flickr but the socks will be in this same yarn. No it's not organic wool. Sue me.

Update: here's what the little cigar holder knitting needle things look like. Mine are size 1. That means they are 2.25 millimeters in diameter. Yes, I like them. Yes, I'm an insane yarn geek. Again, you could sue me, but I'm part of a very large defendant class.

When I said the best bloggers are simian...it was a threat.

Chat with Manila Ryce.

Manila: hello lady

me: hello.
thanks for the linky love.

Manila: no prob
i might not be around much longer though
fox and the pentagon are both after me

me: what happened.

Manila: you read this one yet?
http://monkeymucker.blogspot.com/2007/05/whos-visiting.html

me: Geez.
They seem busy there at the pentagon.
"seem" being the operative word.

Manila: apparently they got to monkey muck through my site

me: huh.

Manila: i'm flattered

me: I'll have to check my stats and post some military panties.

Manila: no doubt

me: at least I can link to monkeymuck.
You know I linked to them Sunday, too.
lots of attention there!
yay!
BTW
I haven't checked this out yet
but Shunra sent it
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/20/us/politics/20walmart.html?em&ex=1179892800&en=81ccc3718a109afd&ei=5070
Hilary on the BoD of walmart?
man.

Manila: interesting
so that's why she praised wal-mart during the last debate

me: You can take the politician out of Arkansas...

Manila: so aside from the pentagon, my two simpsons videos were pulled from youtube
so fox is after me too

me: you are just Mr. Stud Muffin Popular!

Manila: if i stop posting, it's because gitmo doesn't have internet

me: pfffft.
You will look really sexy in an orange jumpsuit.

Manila: i actually would

me: yeah. I know.

Manila: orange is good on me

me: you're an autumn.

Manila: even if it is urine and bloodsoaked

me: Of course, you can't get your colors done at gitmo either.
I'm going to post this chat, btw.
It's too funny.

Manila: don't worry. i'm sure it's already being transcribed
monkey muck wants to share a cell with me

me: I'll bet.

Manila: who wouldn't?

me: He can throw feces for the guards.
it's a two for one!

Manila: if he learns how to electrocute genitals too they might give him a job there.

me: you might have to feed him extra monkey chow for that
I wonder if there is an application online for Gitmo guard.

Manila: why not? apparently there's an application for al-qaeda. that's what they're using against padilla

me: yeah. I don't see why not.

Manila: turn-ons: burqas and suicide
turn-offs: freedom

me: don't forget bad breath.
and guards who don't listen.
gotta go but I'll post first.
love on ya.

Manila: okay. i gotta go workout. if i'm going to gitmo to be stripped naked in front of everyone i want to look my best
i'm sure there will be plenty love on me there
but thanks

O. M. F. G.

I'm so depressed right now.



Thank you Simon Cowell, you fucking turd, for American Idolizing our country to death. And making her think it's cute.

I'm sorry. I just can't stop swearing right now. Back later.

LATER: Okay. I feel better now. Love the Baby Boomer comment:



.

What it was like last night at the Salon...

At first I was looking for a Merv Griffin thing, you know, how you never know who is going to show up and then all of a sudden what a surprise Neil Sedaka is there and just happens to have a song prepared and the Steinway is right there and the orchestra has rehearsed.

Well, it wasn't like that at all.

It was more like the Steve Allen show where a bunch of hyper-talented people can't believe they're in the same room:



Mega thanks to Cap'n Dyke for co-hosting last night while my deck-monkeys ran around naked and refused to go to bed.

The conversation on dealing with GOP strawman arguments was AMAZING. And lots of enthusiasm for a Blog against Theocracy thing over the fourth of July.

Folks, I just sat there and sighed with awe that all of you are my friends.

Those who attended, kinda in alphabetical order:

Cunning Runt (who needs to GET A BLOG)
Shunra (goddess)
Doug (Balls and Walnuts) shoot I missed you honey.
Driftglass (better than Neil Sedaka, trust me)
Evil Spock
Leo Lincourt (Neural Gourmet)
Manila Ryce (Largest Minority)
Morse (Sestakastan)
Tengrain (Mock, Paper, Scissors)
Threading Water
Quaker Dave (The Quaker Agitator and Daily Darfur)

and then Leo shared the recipe for this chocolate pudding cake. Did I mention I lost a pound and a half last week? Geez. Yep, I'm gonna be using the Ultimate! Body! Press! any day now.

Welcome back to the blogosphere...

Yeah it's wonky as hell and we like it that way. If you want homeland security done right (with technology, not weapons, and from the perspective of an anti-war Democrat) you'll want to have David Stephenson's blog (finally back up and shuffled onto Wordpress) on your blogroll. He's FOBG, and worth the visit. (Plus you can say you "knew him when" once the Dems get the White House back. Just saying.)

If there were any justice in this world...

Just wish Jimmy Carter were younger. He'd be good at grave-pissin'.

I suppose the deputy press secretary's official Karl Rove dictionary defines "irrelevant" as "anyone who calls us on our bullshit. Especially past Presidents of the United States. Especially one with a bigger IQ than Bush and Blair combined. The one that won the Nobel Peace Prize. Yeah, that one. Increasingly irrelevant."

By the way, the linked article mentions that the chief of NATO has as his first name, Jaap de Hoop. I don't want to blog about that, but maybe you do.



.

Salon tonight...

Live chat with Blue Gal and people even more interesting than she is tonight at 9:30 Eastern.

Since we had a problem getting everyone into the same chat room last week, I'll post the link here at this spot sometime early this evening (way before 9:30 in case anyone wants to be fashionably early).

Salon is here. I'll be there at 9:30 eastern.

If you still need to download Skype (remember it doesn't require any headphones or anything special, just typing) you can download the software here.

I'm off to buy new walking shoes. This summer I'm going to make the outside of me look like I feel inside: strong and powerful. Though I mus' say the NSFW 1/6 scale doll that kinky artist made obviously using my body measurements looks pretty good. I could have done without the platform shoes and whip, though. Note: I said NSFW.

Guest Blogging today ONLY...

Over at one of the little blogs, for a friend. [Today only, so please don't send me stuff--they go to finnsagain AT aol etc.] Great links over there. Enjoy. [And leave your comments over there, please.]

Presented without comment.

From Strange Tales:

"Orwell meet Kafka"

The “war on terror” is over, according to U.S. and British officials, who are abandoning that phrase and “long war.” ...The British government has instructed all diplomats to stop using the phrase “war on terror.” Reflecting the Bush regime’s new position, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff declared what the country is engaged in now is a global “battle over ideas and ideology.”

Eighty-two prisoners of the global battle over ideas and ideology being held at Guantánamo Bay have been cleared for release, but they may be held months, perhaps years longer, the Washington Post reported, because U.S. officials can’t find places to deport them to. Either the prisoners’ countries do not want them back or U.S laws prevent the deportation of people to countries where they could face torture or other human rights abuses. U.S. officials said they intend to try 60 to 80 of the roughly 385 Guantanamo inmates and free the rest.

New to the sidebar....

It's getting rather crowded over there...I need to clean that up, yeah, right after I cull through my bookcases and remove the ones I'll never read...

Want this badge?

This is the funniest MSM I've read in weeks.

Share Our Joy by Larry Doyle in the latest New Yorker.

I swear by the time I got to "the ceremony" I was having a hard time breathing. And that's the hardcopy, the online version has links. Geez.

The promised impeachment podcast

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This podcast is approximately twelve minutes long. (good tip, Shunra)

Links I mention:

GQ Magazine
Herbert P. Bix**, "Americans should fight for impeachment of Bush, Cheney"
Cernig/Newshog: "Pressuring Dems on Presidential Powers"

working on an RSS feed for this. Watch this space. [I think there are times in this recording where I call Bix, Dix by accident. Sorry.

Getting started on this whole podcast thingy?

I need feedback.

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The "rejected Blue Gal Theme Song" I play is from this album. Major thanks to the friend who sent it to me.

This recording is just under eleven minutes. I'd like to know how long you guys think a podcast should be. I promise future ones will be a little more informative than this. I'm still playing around.

If you notice my sound quality improves during the recording it's because I upgraded headphones/mic, thanks to 4yo breaking my original pair.

Don't forget the book bargains this summer, either.

Turns out you can get Mary Cheney's memoir for six cents (***NEVER USED***) at Amazon.


h/t to ma hunnies at I miss Fafblog, Spot!


.

I got the pink one.

I linked to the amazing website promo for this book a while ago and just wanted everybody to know it's out this week. You HAVE to click that link and follow the arrows. Too. Much.

Other books I plan to read this summer are

The Children, the civil rights book by the late David Halberstam

Piety & Politics: The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom by Barry Lynn (We love Barry Lynn in part because Pat Robertson called him a "left-wing thug.")

Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier (a fave author)

all families are psychotic by Douglas Coupland (another fave)

Here's the deal times two:

1. If anyone would like to co-host a skype reading group to discuss any of these books in chat after the summer, email me (see sidebar for addy). We can have many co-hosts but there would need to be at least two of us who have read the book. Rumor mill has it we might get Barry Lynn to join us in chat. Us Blog against Theocracy organizers have connections, doncha know.

2. In comments here, leave what you plan to read for the summer, so we can all have ideas, etc. Thanks.

Salon-a-monna-bon-bon 2 nite.

Okay so thanks to Doctor Zaius I never have to search for some fancy interior decorator shot again. Above is the official Blue Gal Salon image.

Yes it's Monday again and it's tonight at 9:30 eastern. I'll only be there for an hour; my 3yo reacted to her new found fame by bouncing on the bed at 3:45 am. Mommy is tired.

But she looks fabulous surrounded by intelligent people discussing everything from great beer to left-wing politics.

If you've never been before, it's not too late to stop by. You don't need a microphone or anything. Just download skype here.

Then click on this link here.

See you tonight, dahlinks.

.

A 30 second spot you should watch.

The reason Fidelity feels they can't divest from genocide is because that would mean divesting large holdings from China. China is an international scourge on so many levels. “They’re too big a market to be held accountable to international standards” is a sick testimony to Western greed. That and Wal Mart. Oh, wait. That’s cheap junk from China, isn’t it?

Look at her. Just look at her face.

h/t Quakerdave, who would like as many of you as possible to post this vid to your blogs.

Here are instructions I posted last September on how to post a Youtube to your blog, if you need instructions.

And you'll need to go to the youtube page for this video to get the code, which is here.

Thanks.

A belated Mother's Day poem.

Yeah I should have posted this yesterday. Do go read it or better yet, if you can, let Garrison Keillor read it to you. He has a young daughter, you can tell.

Make sure you have a handkerchief at the ready, too.

Happy Mother's Day

meanest mommy song...

You may or may not remember my "Meanest Mommy" song the lyrics of which I posted last year. I tried to record it this morning and 3yo just kept shouting her favorite word so we didn't get a really good recording, ha. My sultry voice is compromised by the fact I was ready to crack up the entire time I sang this chorus. (Subsequent verses are sung to the same tune.)

It IS a political song but it's a political song from 2000. Yeah several of the particulars in the song are dead now, and I really did think long and hard about replacing "Saddam Hussein" with "Phyllis Schlafly" but somehow I thought it best to keep the song in its original historic context.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there.

Ahem.

Todd McFarland in Liberty Magazine March/April 2007:

A presenter at a conference on religious liberty recently told a story about a woman from east central Texas he met on an airplane. The woman was complaining loudly about the Supreme Court decision prohibiting prayer over the public address systems at Texas public high school football games. He explained to her that he had recently returned from Kazakhstan and assured her that Christians in that predominantly Muslim state would not be excited at all by the government promoting religion. Her response:

"But this is our country."

.

for the virtual skype bar...

If you weren't there, here's a recording of the song I did at Shake's Virtual Bar.

for the virtual ba...

Okay, I'm totally grovelling.

Do you realize that before today I did not have Largest Minority on my blogroll? Jesu Christi, how did that get by me? Where have I been? I am so sorry, Manila.

Oh man, and when you see what a stud muffin this guy is, and he's all that sensitive liberal type and for Kucinich and shit, oh man. I'm in trouble.

Well, at least I sent him a button and a bag (watch to the end of this (informative, btw) vid for the payoff.)



.

Happy Birthday Melissa!

Not gonna sing today, but I did bake ya a cake. The chat room at Shakesville last night was really grand.

I'll love you forever.




.

Update your bookmarks.

Daily Darfur has done the Wordpress shuffle.

Darfur, while more urgent, can be compared to apartheid in South Africa. We CAN, through divestment, international pressure, and pure awareness, vanquish hate and turn things around. I may not feel much control over that part of the world, but I have control over my own thoughts, which will not include hopelessness. I have not, and I will not, give up hope for the human beings of the world.

Anyhow. Daily Darfur. It's not my blog but I believe in it.




.

Don't Sugarcoat It Award for May 10.

Seriously, if I were to start vlogging it would be fun to sit around with four people contractually obligated to be less attractive than I am, and scream about what an awful person Paris Hilton is. How much does Nancy Grace make, anyway?

Well, not that any of us give a rat's behind about Paris, but Happy Jihad's House of Pancakes, with the perfect excuse--needing NOT to think about his dissertation--has written a lovely post about Ms. Hilton's plea for clemency. Actually, the letter to Governor Schwarzenegger is way funny in its own right, but Happy Jihad adds his own unique brand of flapjackin' goodness to the mix.

Apparently the letter begging for clemency, which the Jihad has the wisdom NOT to link, includes this indigestible nugget:

If the late Former President Gerald Ford could find it in his heart to pardon the late Former President Richard Nixon after his mistake(s), we undeniably support Paris Hilton being pardoned for her honest mistake as well, and we hope and expect The Governor will understand and grant this unusual but important request in good faith to Ms. Paris Whitney Hilton.

To which Happy Jihad replies:

Unusual, you betcha! And what is this Watergate shit? Do you know how unpopular Gerald Ford became after he pardoned Nixon? Real unpopular! And you are invoking that as part of your appeal to an elected official? Good luck, sugar tits.

I also appreciate his advice to Ms. Hilton regarding the fear and tears her impending jail time brings about:

You know what makes the scary times better? Booze!

Happy Jihad will be receiving via snail mail a "Vituperative, foul-mouthed, blogger of the Left" button from the Cafepress store. Washington Post columnist David Broder, who coined the phrase, and I, congratulate you.

And yeah, as usual with the DSCIA, leave your comments over at the winner's post. Thanks.


.

Your Daily Dose of Eleanor Roosevelt.

I have a crazy friend who, in college, used to walk around campus complaining that the late Eleanor Roosevelt was beaming waves into his brain. We all need a friend like that.


Here's some quotes from her that have been beaming into my brain today. I think they're great blog quotes, too:

Women are like teabags. We don't know our true strength until we are in hot water!

As for accomplishments, I just did what I had to do as things came along.

Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

For it isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it.

I have spent many years of my life in opposition, and I rather like the role.

I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision.

Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.

When all is said and done, and statesmen discuss the future of the world, the fact remains that people fight these wars.

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'

You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.

You must do the things you think you cannot do.

Okay, I know I'm gonna get kicked out...

...of the Feminist Bloggers Initiative for this. These panties from California NOW are boy-cut? Have no country of origin information? No organic info? Fifteen dollars a pair?

And they
"run small"?!!?







National Organization for Women California Chapter marketing genius? You're fired.

Ya know, now I don't feel so bad about linking to Hot Chicks with Douchebags, which is the funniest written website since Sparklepony. And that's saying sumpin'.

If you only read one post from the HCwB site, make it this one.


h/t Monkeymuck.




.

"I've enjoyed just about as much of this party as I can stand."

No more surprise visits, okay? We won't drink the wine you brought, don't give a shit about that jar of homemade watermelon pickles that Lynne put up just last August. Just leave the fuckin' hostess gifts at home. You didn't need to show up to show you care.

We noticed you've got a stop-off at United Arab Emirates scheduled. Boy oh boy, those "moderate" Arabs sure do know deluxe hotel architecture, don't they?

Are you going there to take your daughter shopping, or just to check out the new headquarters? Oh, yeah, I guess you can't take a tax break business trip for Halliburton when the taxpayers are already funding your trip, forgot about that heh heh.

By the way, don't ever tell us that it's Game Time in Iraq. We might have to tell you to go fuck yourself, and we don't like that visual.

Step carefully, Mr. Vice-President, there's shit everywhere. Funny, 'cause we used to have decent sewage treatment in Baghdad before you showed up.




.

Mash-up of the day

Novasik at YouTube changed out the original song in this 60's Beatles cartoon. I don't know what the original was, and I don't care. This one works best:



I've got two meetings and my four year old's first piano recital (Yankee Doodle will never be the same, trust me) so I won't be around much today. Take it easy.

Salon will be tonight....

If you don't mind I think we'll hold the salon in the main library tonight. I'll lay out some cheese and olives and just help yourself to the port or coffee as you prefer.**

Oh yes, salon is tonight, as I hear Lord Tengrain has a problem getting away from the stables until then.

I'll be around on and off from 9 Eastern and the salon will be open until the last one leaves.

No special computer equipment required. You download skype here and join the salon here. I've been using Skype for a few weeks and haven't noticed any bugs or malware problems, btw.

**Okay I know this posting fancy interiors stuff is the equivalent of pr0n for failed homemakers but it's my blog.

Could someone please tell me...

from the always brilliant Toothpaste for Dinner


...what the rate of inflation is for the "volatile food and energy sectors"? Because the media treats that like it's either some big stinking secret that margarine is fifty cents more than it was the last time I bought it, and that I just shouldn't worry my pretty little head that I can't fill my tank with two twenties. It's just "volatility" dear. The CORE rate of inflation is low. So no outrage today, thanks for checking.

Happy Birthday, David Stephenson

wds.mp3

Yeah, his blog is still under (re)construction, but he's been kinda busy.

Of course, like JFK before him, now that

Blue Gal.
has sung.
happy birthday.
to him.

he can just retire from public life.

Birthday Boy David S. sent me a terrific poem (perfect for the Christian lefty blogger) and I'll post it later on...

SO...the rest of you (believe me, it's gonna take Birthday Boy a day or two to recover)...

What do you think of this feature?

Do you think a Blue Gal Podcast would work as well as a vlog? I'm considering that, too. Particularly since it works today, rather than waiting for my Model-T laptop to be brought up to 2007 standards. Turns out I'm pushing this old laptop as far as it can go, and vlogging is out without a new laptop.

Another advantage of the audio thang is, I wouldn't have to change out of my bathrobe or put on eyeliner to blog--something that was kinda worrying me.

If you listen very carefully at the end you can hear a "boink" sound.... that's 4yo playing an electronic game on the other side of the room. Gotta record solo from now on.

Spleen splitting comedy of the weekend...

Is over at Monkey Muck. Ouch, it hurts to laugh that hard. Comments over there.

Don't miss....

the thread at the Kent State post below. Lots of good musing going on there...

Happy Cinco de Mayo

If you'd like to figure out what this holiday is really about, rather than Christmas for Corona, click here.

And as a sign of the times in which we live...A Virginia celebration has been cancelled for fear of federal sweep by Immigration. Geez.

Blog Tipping for a Saturday

Above are my before and after versions of the blog tipping sign. Yes I'm as Midwestern as many of you (Remember Kent Ohio and all that) but the cow did nothing for me.

I like the idea of blog tipping rather than pimping, which is what I used to say. I hope you'll give these three a visit:

1. Beautiful Day Rule. FOBG Karen is starting a blog. Hard to say what will come of it, like any new endeavor, but let me just tell all of you that Karen is deeply committed to environmental and church/state issues and is definitely one of us. She's only got one post up so far and I hope all of you will encourage her by leaving a comment there. (And Karen? Let us know when what you have to blog is more important than being outside on a beautiful day. I give you about five weeks.)

2. Thank the good lord Morse is back. You might remember him from his amazing work at Media Needle. The new blog is called Republic of Sestakastan. We missed your genius at the blogger breakfast table, honey. Welcome home.

3. And finally one from the science wing, but so important to us politicos, too. The denialism blog is a discussion of how to counter (not how to argue) with those who deal in false argument. I should link to the main site, but I'm going to link to this post instead, because it's a good overview of what they're trying to accomplish. I trust from there you can bop around and blogroll.

And as usual when I pimp tip other bloggers, please use your commenting time to comment over there.

Happy Saturday.


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I don't care how much you beg me...

I will not knit you an acrylic "disposable crew member" sweater from the Star Trek collection. (from Stitchy McYarnpants, of course.)

Kent State, so far and yet so close...

Image from here.

I posted my personal recollections of Kent State last year.

I was in first grade, lived in Kent, the daughter and granddaughter of Kent State Faculty.

Timely revelations this year, though, about the order to fire being heard on some ancient reel-to-reel tapes that just so happen to be revealed just in time for the anniversary. Those of us who remember Kent State first hand feel the "order to fire" did not come from some young ROTC commander guy. The order came from Governor Rhodes, J. Edgar Hoover, Richard Nixon, and a war that was going horribly wrong, a public that was waking up incredibly quickly, and an administration whose reaction was not only to stay the course but to dig in their heels and question the patriotism of anyone who did not go along.

We do not need Tom Hayden to tell us that there is an "Iraq-Vietnam Link." The "Vietnamization" of this war has happened before our eyes.

quote of the day plus a bonus quiz!

From the comment thread of this Wapo article: "They all forget that if it wasn't for whiskey and sex none of them would be here."

The idea that anyone seeking the Presidency would raise their hand to affirm that they don't "believe" in evolution. I mean, even if it isn't the "hand of God" Mr. McCain, (and kudos to you for finding a way to sit on both fences) the hand you raise, Mr. Brownback? It's got an opposable thumb right there!

I have shown restraint on this idea until now, but it's time for a little one question GOP quiz:

Fill in the blank:

"What a seriously dangerous idiotic piece of shit ______________________ is."

a. Brownback
b. Giuliani
c. Huckabee
d. McCain
e. Romney
f. Tancredo


Tough one, isn't it?

Do we need a weatherman?

In the battle against global warming, we've got at least a two pronged attack. One, get energy users to change their habits, and good luck with that. The other avenue is to find scientific answers to fix the planet/weather/atmosphere. Pretty scary stuff, that. Like this article (h/t Carolyn Kay via Blah3) which indicates that if we're willing to spend the money on a global Dyson world-wide carbon dioxide vacuum cleaner, we can even get the old Soviet baseboards to pass the white glove test.

And more to the point, this article from Wilson Quarterly specifically outlining the scientific and moral debate regarding actually changing the weather. It's long, but worth the read. And memo to the Wilson guys, more content on the web equals more attention. So much of your journal is eminently bloggable, but not if I can't give you linky to the original. Just saying.

The talking points from this article are (a) should we be "playing God" (don't get me started) trying to change the weather with technology and (b) since pretty much the only people willing to pay for this kind of research is the Pentagon, aren't we really just talking about a weapon rather than a solution? (and let's get really messy and add to the discussion the internet, and how much we bloggers all owe to military investment in communication technology, while we're at it.)

This from WQ:

Operation POPEYE, made public as it was at the end of the Nixon era, was dubbed the "Watergate of weather warfare." Some defended the use of environmental weapons, arguing that they were more "humane" than nuclear weapons. Others suggested that inducing rainfall to reduce trafficability was preferable to dropping napalm. As one wag put it, "Make mud, not war." At a congressional briefing in 1974, military officials downplayed the impact of Operation POPEYE, since the most that could be claimed were 10 percent increases in local rainfall, and even that result was "unverifiable." Philip Handler, president of the National Academy of Sciences, represented the mainstream of scientific opinion when he observed, "It is grotesquely immoral that scientific understanding and technological capabilities developed for human welfare to protect the public health, enhance agricultural productivity, and minimize the natural violence of large storms should be so distorted as to become weapons of war."

Think about what if Katrina was a weapon you could direct at somebody. What if? And do you think there aren't guys at the Pentagon thinking about that kind of weapon, which destroys and kills and leaves only water to clean up after? (And oh yeah, dead bodies and mold, but hey, "risk factors to post-detonation clean-up personnel are minimal.") Really.

But in the back of our universal consciousness is a hope that some scientist will fix this global warming problem so we can just crank up our I-Tunes on the way to work and not have to think about changing anything we're doing.

By the way, bloggers, we are making a God out of technology? HA.

[big props to DWS for refusing to pay attention to space alien spiders.]

Happy Second Blogiversary!

To Circle Jerk at the Square Dance.

Here I was, getting all wonky with the discussion at Smooth Pebbles and Sully about whether this whole bloggie thang is "worth it." (and believe me, that's a left-brained guy thing, a NON-ARTIST thing, and has something to do with "results" and "outcomes" and I really don't get it.)

Then Brando cuts through the fog and reminds us that it's about distracting porn surfers just long enough to get them to think about something else. Quite the accomplishment. Thanks, hon.

I'm in.

This is not about "I told you so." But he did. Notice he voted against the Patriot Act too.

Feel Bad, Feel Better.

Looks like I've got to be the Quaker blogger for this week. He hit a rough patch in his life, (haven't we all?) so I'll carry the cross on this one, and yeah, you owe me one, QD. [Seriously, take care of yourself.]

Read this, feel bad:

Utah County [Utah State, too, in case you completely couldn't guess] Republicans ended their convention on Saturday by debating Satan's influence on illegal immigrants. [h/t Brat.]

Leave it to the Quakers, or Friends, to point out that No Human Being is Illegal. You can get signs, buttons, and t-shirts at the ASFC Store, but no explanation as to why the Quakers haven't jumped on the panties bandwagon yet.

Duncan? Eat your ever fun so lovin' heart out.

Oh what a great shirt.

I'm extremely proud to have this blog added to Pharyngula's blogroll. A deep honor, PZ honey, though some might argue with filing me under "People of Reason."

If this doesn't get my hippie panties in a twist....

Joan Baez prevented from performing at Walter Reed.

More hardware problems at the House of BG

I think the higher power is trying to tell me something. I've been making efforts to get to vlogging and every step of the way this lil' HP piece-o-poop does not cooperate.

So yesterday I bought a USB2.0 card adapter and put it in and my machine froze. Froze big time. Then this morning when I pulled it out and rebooted, my display is flickering. Motherboard.

Maybe it's just loose. But I'm not going the do-it-yourself route on the motherboard.

Off to the tech shop and I'll keep you posted as I can. If all is lost for a few days I'll get to a library to let you know.

BY THE WAY. If anybody out there has a lot of experience with RSS feed issues, another blogger has contacted me for help and I've been unable to figure out what's going on with her feed. She's on Blogger and I'm able to put her blog in the Bloglines roll with no problem, but she doesn't seem to be able to advertise or link to her feed on her sidebar so that it works. If you have any clues on this email me at bluegalsblog AT gmail and I'll get you in touch with this blogger directly. It's all about community ma hunnies. Thanks.


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How to laugh and cry at the same time.

You've all listened to Bill Moyers interview Jon Stewart, I'm sure. Here's the part that got me in the gut (emphasis mine):

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BILL MOYERS: Have you lost your innocence?

JON STEWART: What? Well, it was in 1981, it was at a frat party. Oh, I'm sorry. You know, I think this is gonna sound incredibly pat, but I think you lose your innocence when you have kids, because the world suddenly becomes a much more dangerous place. And you become much more — there are two things that happen. You recognize how fragile individuals are, and you recognize the strength of the general overall group, but you don't care anymore. You're just fighting for the one thing. See and then, you also recognize that everybody, then, is also somebody's child. It's I'm yeah, I mean it's-- tumultuous.

BILL MOYERS: So, your children are how old?

JON STEWART: Two and a half and fourteen months.

BILL MOYERS: So, has it been within that period of time that you made this you wouldn't recognize it, but we recognize it, transformation from the stand-up comic to a serious social and political critic?

JON STEWART: I don't consider myself a serious and social political critic.

BILL MOYERS: But I do. And I'm your audience.

JON STEWART: Yes, and I end up with one of your tote bags. But the important thing is, that I guess I don't spend any time thinking about what I am or what we do means. I spend my time doing it.

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

No offense to those without kids. It's not as though you can't find the meaning as well. This just spoke to me and my own experience with such power, I lost it.

And regardless of whether we have children or just recognize that "we are all children" thing, what we have to do is spend less time thinking about what it means to be the change we want to see in the world and just doing it.

Don't Sugarcoat It Award for May 1

From Sister Nancy,
and you can tell that's a Great Lash wand, you bet your bouffant.
(order the thong here.)

Today's Don't Sugarcoat It Award goes to visiting journalist Joe Bageant at Talk2Action for his lovely post, "Redneck Liberation Theology --- Why are leftists so fucking afraid of God?" It's so nice, first off, to see another writer of faith use the fuck word. Makes me feel a little less alone. But Joe also cuts through the mustard, turkey, pickle, lettuce and tomato, with this insightful comment, which really hit home with Blue Gal's experience at the Divinity School up the river:

It's OK for Latin Americans to practice fundamental Catholic Christianity with great devotion (brown peoples are suckers for that superstitious stuff) but white American fundamentalists, well, that's another matter. As the left sees it, what they need is a good public stoning.

The egotism of the left hit very close to home with me in graduate school. It's perfectly alright for Africans to practice Islam in a fundamentalist way, Buddhists to do whatever they do, etc. But if a white American believes in following Jesus than yeah, gotta watch that one. I was laughed at in a class at Harvard Divinity School for daring to bring up Lazarus in a discussion of the afterlife. Seriously. People in the class laughed out loud to my face. It's okay to take apart biblical texts and piece together myriad translations and even to bring up how OTHER PEOPLE in OTHER COUNTRIES might use Biblical text to change their situation. But hey, you know what? We're better and smarter than that.

That's not only fucking patronizing, it's fucking racist. Just saying.

Maybe I'm misreading Joe, but the money quote for me in this article is that we, all of us, have to come to grips with the fact that both the American Empire and the planet itself are dangerously close to ending. And that if we, the left wing, the ones who always, always, congratulate ourselves that WE are the ones "paying attention," fail through our own egotistical trust in our own intellectual righteousness, to connect with anything outside that ego, we're screwed.

Busting through the delusional veil of any imperial state culture always spells acceptance of more tough news for its clueless citizenry. In our case means reconnection with the earth, and embracing the suffering and eventual death it provides every living thing as a matter of physics and cosmic order. That's where it begins and ends. Everything in between, the NGOs, the Internet, the theologians, and all the political theories in the world are just the signal static, the self-enforced interference between ourselves and the only worthwhile goals left in a doomed Empire---and all empires eventually meet their doom---humility, compassion and reconnection with the spirit.

We lefty Christians, on the other hand, must admit that it's our own damn fault for letting James Dobson tell America that he speaks for Christianity and yeah, we didn't call him on his bullshit early enough or loud enough. Because now, yeah, the majority of lefties hate Christians and don't want to even talk about it. They're justified.

We've started to undo that, I hope, with Blog Against Theocracy. I hope at least in the blogosphere, the three hundred or so bloggers who participated realize that Christians are not all James Dobson, and that scientists are not all Richard Dawkins. If you're here reading, you know they're not.

In either case, it's not about being right all the time. It's about listening.

Crank it up, ma hunnies.

Sometimes we just need to rock out. Consider this the song of the day, anthem to the White House, whatever you need. I love these boys:





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