Only in South Carolina.

First of all, the mayor's name is Danny Funderburk. I know. I could stop there.

Then, he forwards a viral email which suggests that...wait for it...Barack Obama might! possibly! be! the antichrist!

And his excuse is, Cavuto time! He's just asking the question.

"I was just curious if there was any validity to it. I was trying to get documentation if there was any scripture to back it up."

As one of the few bloggers out there with a divinity degree, allow me to answer your "question," Funderburk.

There is no scripture behind which to hide your religious bigotry.

But you've given me an opportunity to illustrate what is going on in the South. Racial bigotry is bad for tourism, and public display of such is socially unacceptable among public figures.

Religious bigotry, including throwing around terms like antichrist and scripture, is still socially acceptable in South Carolina and much of the South. And "Muslim" is totally the new "n*gger."

Vlog 9/30

Here's a link for The Big Read.

On topic must-reads about ways to fix the banking/housing debacle from Driftglass and Peter Dreier.

Great Salon last night.

McCain adviser Nancy Pfotenthaler, apparently on Fox and Friends (you mean they still have any?) said Gwen Ifill would "have to answer for" too many foreign policy questions at Thursday's debate.

Hey just so long as Palin has to answer, I'm happy.

To paraphrase Batocchio at tonight's Salon:

Biden should answer every single question, "I yield my time to the Governor of the great state of Alaska."

Her abilities may be few, but in her defense, Ms. Palin has made Dan Quayle look like an experienced statesman.

Because of the stock market situation, for today only, you know, while the markets are stabilizing :) this special button sets the amount you may give in the second day of my three-day fundraiser to seven dollars. That's one one-hundred-billionth what Hank wanted for HIS friends.

Click the button above to make a seven dollar donation to Blue Gal. Thank you!

And if you sold short (that would be you, Senator Boehner, you fucker), or, oppositely, if you, like one of my readers, you are simply a modest patron of the blog arts (love that), you may give more by clicking on this button:

Donate any amount to Blue Gal. Thank you!

Salon tonight on Skype 9 Eastern, (video blog tomorrow)

Blue Gal Salon 9/29 hosted by blue.gal.

Join now

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Chat about what's on your mind. More about public chats.

Hope to see you then!

Sorry Mister Biden, I gotta go now...

...my cerebral fluid is leaking."

[thanks for that one, Sandy.]

The differences between me and Hank Paulson.

(Thanks to Zaius for the original photoshop)

...one of us doesn't have a 401K.

...one of us made 6.1 million more than the other (in 2006 dollars, though)

...if providing financial aid to the rich was virtuous, he'd be elevated to sainthood.

...if advocating and inspiring small bloggers [not to mention raising three young kids as a single mom] qualified as "creative genius," she'd win a MacArthur Grant.

...I'm not even asking for a bailout. Just put some pocket change in the hat, wink, and I thank ye.

...oh, and Paulson does not accept Paypal. Yet. But this blog does:

My bank account and some very devoted readers to this blog have convinced me to run quarterly fundraisers. The General's rules apply: if you like this blog and can give, please do. If you don't like this blog or can't, don't. And no hard feelings.

Whether you give or don't, thanks for reading this blog. You've changed my life for the better, more than you can ever know. Thank you.

poem for Sunday

The old woman in the post office had already found the fountain of youth.
She simply stayed, oh, six? Forever. I could not imagine how she got to this spot:
Simple as the neat letters and numbers on her envelope, clutched tightly, held in anxious waiting.
The envelope itself could have taken her hours, but it had to get there so soon, so soon.

“Can this get there tomorrow?” she asked the civil servant,
Who pulled out rate cards and form and began his spiel about tracking numbers.
She stared at him. “But will I get an answer tomorrow?” I wanted to give her an award.
She was the only person in the post office who knew.

What we learned last night...

What we learned last night is that after 20 months they can't stand to look at each other. They also seemed very Senatorial to me, masters of the statistical blah de blah blah.

And of course Obama won. Even Republican pundits said so.

But the moment that struck me was when the gentlemen were comparing bracelets and trading perspectives about mothers sending sons to war. They didn't mention the women, the mothers, who have also died in Iraq.



I had an opportunity last weekend to see the actual pieces from The Mother's Day Project. No photo can do them justice. Each white strip above has the embroidered name of a fallen woman soldier. If only the military had published names of fallen civilians.



A small aside: I don't use the "C" word that Mister McCain used on his wife on at least one occasion, but if I did, I would reserve it for people who call themselves feminists and then say supporting McCain/Palin proves that. That is all.

Saturday Song

too disco for late night music club? pffft.

Nobody sees the great and powerful Palin!

No way, no how!

No time for blogging today!

My six-year-old has discovered my computer's "paint" program. And she's, well, talented.

Speaking of rolling down a frozen hill, the McCain campaign: didja notice all the (AP, yeah, I know) photos of Sarah Palin suspending her campaign?

News:

Twitter messages from viewers will appear during Friday's Presidential Debate on CurrentTV.

And so NOW we have a reason-to-be-so-very-missing George Stephanopolous and Charlie Gibson, who won't be hosting any.

You know, I really like this person...

...except, of course, for the "Ralph Nader" part.

If there was no Nader part, and she was just giving the rest of this speech, how would you respond? I'd really like to hear from my readers on this. [and obviously, this speech was given before the whole "gimme 700 billion or the world goes up in smoke!" highway robbery effort in DC]

Well OF COURSE you do.

From here. Click image for larger. Because, hey, is that Season 3 under the bed?

A friend writes...

…being a longtime reader of your blog, incidentally AND delightedly, I would just like to express a simple thanks. ...You seem remarkably restrained in your indictment of the thugs and their bête noire Palin. It’s difficult to remember a time when I, and others, I’m sure, have been more insulted.

I just think there's a difference between being outraged and insulted, and being impressed. Sure, Bushco has been the Worst. Presidency. Ever. and I'm concerning myself with ways I can help to undo what has been done.

But there's no point in allowing our "concerns" to rob us of our peace. I think we sometimes enshrine our own emotional reactions to wrong, and it blocks us from doing what we can to change things.

Remember ma hunnies, one can be enraged over the dead children (this scene from Henry V shows a war crime, the murder of servant boys on the field of battle)...

...and yet not know the day is ours: "Praised be God, and not our strength for it."



And I hope you watched to the end, when even the victorious King himself is reminded that he is no more than a leek-wearing Welshman. And that his honesty is his most important quality.

"God keep me so."

Stay strong, stay focussed, stay humble, fight on.

Salon tonight on Skype 9 Eastern

Blue Gal Salon 9/22 hosted by blue.gal.

Join now

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Chat about what's on your mind. More about public chats.

Vlog 9/22

Under ten minutes, gets a little personal at the beginning, but I think you guys can handle that. :)

Skype Salon tonight, 9 Eastern. Hope to see you there.

I guess there's something offensive about coat-hangers in Brownsville, Texas?

About the Sarah Palin/wiring post here:



Oh. Maybe it was the word "creative" in the title? I didn't mean any disrespect to God in the opening of Genesis, Brownsville. But welcome to my blog, I noticed it was your first visit here. It would have to be.

Where we need to go with the "swing" voters...

...because seriously, the deal with them is, they're voting for President the same way they voted in High School for Prom King and Queen. How will it make ME look to vote for Johnny and Sarah, rather than for Barry and Joe?

Convincing them that voting for Johnny will make THEM as voters look stupid is right on the money, honey.



BTW I realize I'm about five news cycles late on this one, but I've actually been on a very nice vacation, the children and I staying with some friends out of town. A lovely, lovely time. Back to more up-to-date programming, I expect, though I hope you don't come here or to any one blog for breaking news or up-to-date analysis, anyway. I pity bloggers who think that they have to take on that responsibility.

Saturday Song

Oh shit, summer's over.