Smart Guys telling it like it is...Republicans are the problem.

Great Washington Post Editorial...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/lets-just-say-it-the-republicans-are-the-problem/2012/04/27/gIQAxCVUlT_story.html

Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein explain it so well, but the topic gave me a migraine.

You click the link, I'll go take a pill.

Is it just me...or do you see it, too?

If I had to decide who is more trustworthy, between these two, I'd go with the Muppet any day. And by Muppet I mean Guy Smiley. Right now I'm thinking that I'd like to have some of whatever those guys at MSN who authored Today's First Thoughts "Strengths On Display" put in their coffee this morning. Their reality is much more colorful and full of fantasy than mine- there was so much make -pretend in what they wrote,you'd think they were talking about Guy Smiley especially when you get to the part about Mitt 'delivering one of the best speeches of the cycle', which although isn't saying much, still gives him a pass on being a big lying liar. Last night's speech following his primary wins was full of fiction. Mitt fell back on recycling the fib about the President apologizing for America,(debunked as were the economic stats he used) and yammered on about Mom and Dad who never thought they'd be on food stamps. He fails to mention that Mom and Dad would most certainly need assistance if they worked for a company that Bain Capital gutted, and also forgets that he's perfectly fine on the issue of drastic reductions to food assistance programs. It's time for Democrats to stand up and start calling out the food stamp bullshit- you know, those phony statements like "I saw my cousin's sister's aunt's nephew's friend in the grocery store and he was buying lobster for his dog and paying for it with food stamps." The RWNJ's are always full of these fictional tales about system abuse...the circumstances and locales change but the demonizing stays the same. 

My message to anyone who has a story like this is, "No, you didn't. You're making shit up, or repeating something you read some knuckle-dragger comment, or heard on Faux News. You're exaggerating, or flat out lying. BTW,  If you are in the grocery store, and paying that much attention to what people are buying and how they are paying for it, (you 'd have to get up close and personal to know what kind of card they swipe through the reader at the check outs) then you need to mind your business, because you don't know anyone else's circumstances. And take two steps back, because you're in someone else's personal space.

I digress. My whole point is that Mitt Romney spread around a whole bunch of hooey last night, and it's only going to get worse. The economy will improve with fewer Republicans in charge, not more.

We had years to observe what the failed Republican policies of unfunded wars and tax breaks brought us. The kids at MSN who wrote First Thoughts completely overlooked Mitt's sit-down at the picnic table with the Repo's in Penn last week; where Mitt was told outright they'd rather pay a little more in taxes than suffer more education layoffs. He didn't engage them at all, and appeared stiff and uncomfortable. Clearly, those Repo voters hadn't been vetted well enough to have a sit-down with the candidate.  If anyone who is sober enough to stand up straight seriously thinks that our economy would be better, not worse with more Republican strategies in place, then I say, you've just proved another Romney lie from last night's speech. The one where he said, "We're not stupid." If you believe he's credible, that's exactly what you are.

Poor Ted Nugent. He could die or go to jail!

Seriously...it's Ted Nugent. Today he told the NRA (besides some really hate-y shit about chopping off heads) that he could die or go to jail if President Obama is re-elected.
I'm OK with that. Really, I am.
Frankly, there would be a brief period where some suck-ass AM stations play his songs for about 20 minutes, then everyone would forget about him. He's just that important in this patchwork quilt of America. I think I'll keep my money on the President.
But, if you're so inclined, you NRA guys should maybe try the 'clap for Tinkerbell' thing for good old Ted. Cause he's about as much of  a tough guy as Tink. I saw him today,  he's definitely fluffier, and without waving his weapon in your face, he's about as tough as a garden gnome.

Hey, Mr. Booker...Thanks for that.

Since Newark, New Jersey's Mayor, Corey Booker did such an amazing and heroic job running into building on fire to save a neighbor,
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/13/newark-mayor-cory-booker-saves-neighbor-from-burning-building/
maybe the GOP should try and get him to try and help with their continuing crisis of 'pants-on-fire' candidates.
Can anyone imagine Chris Christie or even Donald Trump doing what Mr. Booker did?
The difference between being a character and having one. Way to be a hero, Mr. Booker.

Round up of Rethug Ruins

So Herman Cain thinks (?) that men are better informed. He recently said during a (what else) interview on Faux News that "Many men are much more familiar with the failed policies than a lot of other people or the general public." http://www.care2.com/causes/herman-cain-explains-the-gender-gap-men-are-much-more-familiar-with-policy-than-other-people.html
OK, even if you take the asshattery out of the equation, what remains is  some incoherent thought. He doesn't say 'women', he says other people, or general public. Ummm, exactly are...other people?
Men. Women. Other People. WTF? OK, why am I even surprised...it's Herman Cain.

Next up to bat, Newt Gingrich. Recently, the 500 dollar check his campaign wrote to cover the filing fee for the Utah Republican Primary bounced.
 http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/53886982-90/utah-romney-gingrich-campaign.html.csp
 Uh-oh. Didn't we just hear that one of Newt's think(?) tanks recently had to file for bankruptcy? Oh, no Fluffy! Aren't you the guy who is always sounding off about what a smart fellow you are? Evidently not smart enough to sign up for overdraft protection- and obviously you and your people have no qualms about dumping debt. Yeah...you're setting one hell of an example of good fiscal judgement.

Then we have Gov. Chris Christie, who was getting his butt kicked by the GAO's report that revealed the NJ Governor/Bully had been less than honest with his reasons for cancelling the new train tunnel across the Hudson.   http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/10/nyregion/report-disputes-christies-reason-for-halting-tunnel-project-in-2010.html?pagewanted=all
 The GAO report revealed Christie exaggerated the unforeseen costs and misstated NJ's share of costs- all so he could shore up the trust that is generally funded by NJ's gas tax. Guess it was more important for Christie to stay the Repo star than to give a fig about his state's aging infrastructure.

All that plus Allen West (Insane Party) Florida sees Communists, and the One Million Moms has problems with: ABC's ' GCB', Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, same-sex Archie comics, Liquid Plumr ads, Lifetime's 'The Client List', Macy's (two grooms; too same-sex friendly) JC Penney, (Ellen as their spokesperson), ABC's 'Modern Family', Mariah Carey showing too much skin in a Jenny Craig ad, Target (for co-sponsoring and promoting a help-line for teens struggling with gender-related issues), Ben & Jerry's (Schweddy Balls ice cream flavor), Rite-Aid, Walgreens and CVS (for selling adult toys on their website), Oreo TV spots, (they object to the term, 'Shut the front door!'), Gay Day at Disney, and SNL. Those are just a few of the items this group objects to. What I couldn't find the One Million Moms getting their too-uptight panties in a wad about?
Sexualizing three-year-olds. Verbal abuse of kids on dance shows. Minority kids getting gunned down on their way home.
It appears by reading their statements that the One Million Hypocrites are fresh out of moral outrage when it comes to 'Toddlers in Tiaras', the program where disturbed parents dress up their tots like little prostitutes and parade them around like livestock. Or 'Dance Moms' where the nasty abusive excuse for a dance teacher screams and humiliates students, and their parents.  And we have not heard one word of condolence or outrage from the 'Moms' on the topic of Travyon Martin.
Way to demonstrate how 'Christian Values' translate. Every time one of these RWNJ's spouts off, they give us shining examples of what is worth fighting for. Too bad for them,  it's not any of their talking points.

Religious nuts getting crazier...

The Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church in Middletown, PA staged a 'fake kidnapping and interrogation' on members of their youth group, using a real gun, and apparently, a real off-duty police officer and real retired Army Captain.
The stunt, which was designed to prepare the youth group for the hostile events that could possibly occur while they are doing missionary work overseas, left a 14-year-old girl traumatized, and after reading an account of the events, it is amazing that no one was physically injured or killed. Neither the students or their parents were told of the plan, which involved mock kidnappers abducting the kids, covering their heads, putting them in a van, and interrogating them.
Here's a link to the news story http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46855299/.
The mother of the 14-year-old has filed a police complaint.
Is it me, or are the Fundies getting crazier?
It's not like this is an isolated incident. Every day brings a new example of nut cases using religion as an excuse for doing something creepy.
Their efforts to drag us kicking and screaming back a century threaten each and every one of us- and as long as we tolerate it, they'll keep trying.
Just for the record; I like the idea of missionary work about as much as I like the idea of home invasion.  We know how the same folks who feel its fine to go abroad in order to 'spread the word' feel when worshippers here wish to build Mosque, or choose to reject having Christianity shoved down their thoats. They tend to be intolerant. Funny, huh? Just like the guys on the right who preach about life being sacred are mostly in favor of the death penalty. What a load of crap.
We went to a film festival over the weekend, and several of the comedy submissions poked fun at the Christian right. This offended a few of our friends, who had no qualms about vocalizing about the 'Jesus bashing'. They didn't get that it wasn't Jesus anyone had a problem with, it was those who are inflicting damage in his name. I marvel at how easy it is for them to speak up when they think their rights have been denied, yet have no hesitation about steamrolling over opposing POV's whenever someone has the guts to express them.
The older I get, the more offended I am by religion.
If you are a religious person, hooray for you. Please keep it to yourself. I don't want to hear about it, and I am sick to death of bad behavior and wackos using God as an excuse for defending bat-shit crazy beliefs and justification for denying the rights of non-believers.
And another thing...quit tormenting innocent kids, and stay off my lawn.

If you're not horrified, there is something wrong.
Finally, a Grand Jury in Seminole County will take up the case of Trayvon Martin's death. He was killed on February 26 by George Zimmerman, who invoked Florida's 'stand your ground' law, and is claiming self defense, despite the fact that Trayvon was unarmed, and Mr. Zimmerman was the one doing the pursuing. Finally, the Justice Dept. and FBI have opened an investigation.
But what can one say to Trayvon's mother, and family, except we're sorry that a tragic act of violence robbed your son of his life.
I guess that a good number of us think of our own children whenever we hear of  an event so devastating, and for a moment we imagine the immeasurable pain Trayvon's parents are experiencing; heartbroken for them, and, if we've been graced with reasonably healthy, happy offspring, we feel thankful that we've all made it this far in one piece.
I've always considered myself lucky. Not in the traditional-soccer-mom kind of way, but more, because I was lucky enough to be the mom of a multi-racial, multi-cultural family.
Our family expanded by two when the kids we gave birth to were teenagers. It was a good thing that my husband and I had some 'parenting' under our belt, otherwise we'd have been a bit unprepared.
We went from a family of four to a family of six, but more than falling in love with kids who were already works-in-progress, we had the unique gift of getting to learn about our own safe little world through the eyes of someone who didn't share our life experiences or perspectives. We got to learn (a little) first hand about what the world looked like if you weren't white kids from the burbs.
Up until then, I'd always felt a little smug satisfaction at belonging to an upscale 'diverse' community.  I was completely full of crap. And naive...so when my teenage sons (one white, one black) were walking home from school one afternoon followed by a police car, creeping along behind them at about 3 mph. I had no idea what to think. My husband and I went outside to find our youngest son (one I gave birth to) outraged and angry, while  our newly adopted son was in the process of explaining to the cop that yes, he did live in the gray house, and the adults charging out the front door were, in fact, his family. The cop had seen a black kid and a white kid in a neighborhood where there were generally only white kids, and decided that my teens were up to no good. He was dumbfounded that we challenged him- and acted as if he had behaved heroically, rather than harassing our children.
I learned my son was used to this. That he'd dealt with it his whole life. There was very little shock, or anger- he just had coping skills. Coping skills I didn't have- and in a heartbeat, I got a tiny snapshot sample of what he'd had to put up with for his entire 14 years of life. He was used to it; and briefly, I got to see another side of  my neighborhood and community. One that was ugly, stupid, sinister, and judgemental. Maybe we learned to cope, too- because the police car presence in the neighborhood happened a few more times- every time the PD would get a new wet-behind-the-ears rookie, he'd go through the drill until he'd get yelled at by my 6'4" crazy-eyed husband, who was extremely protective of his kids.
My kids are all grown up now. They're mostly healthy, happy, and are OK that they didn't have a soccer mom or little league dad, instead they were stuck with nutty, quite emotional  parents who taught them to challenge authority even if it pissed people off. Especially if it pissed people off.   Sometimes I think about lessons I learned from them, and some of the gifts that parenthood has given me. Most of us don't get to step into the shoes of others. We can travel and observe, read and explore, but often, unless you're on the receiving end of a different perspective, you have no idea. You can't put on a different skin and live in it a while, and given the opportunity, I doubt many of us would choose to. It's taken me a long time to know that I don't know, but I do know what happened to Trayvon Martin was a crime.
It's easy to slam Florida, their idiotic laws, and the weak-minded authorities who basically had to be threatened before they took action. None of that will heal Trayvon's mother's broken heart. It's just that if we don't recognize this for the violent crime it is, and take steps to fix it, every parent is at greater risk of losing their kids to an unstable asshole with a gun.
   

Lying about who gets the contribution...

Spent a good deal of time last night staring out the window at the remnants of the latest storm; which by its' arrival from California, had dwindled to a half-assed mix of rain and snow. Even with the dull brown of winter still covering the pastures, the view from the Mesa is spectacular- and will be even more glorious in the coming weeks, as everything begins to 'green-up'.

Spring usually brings a measure of optimism with her; which is one of my favorite things about living in a state with actual seasons. As the days gradually become longer, and the weather less severe, folks turn their attention to spending more time outdoors and planting gardens, while I start obsessing about when the bears will wake up and lumber over the hill to see if I have the potential to provide a tasty meal. I'm guessing I have too much fat, but there is an endless list of things for a former Californian to be scared of.
This year, many North Fork residents are greeting spring with a sense of angst, along with a renewed vow to take on a fight we don't know if we can win.
We're trying to protect ourselves from becoming another statistic in the world of oil and gas development- attempting to keep our valley a safe place to grow organic food, live a peaceful life and remain a location where residents can responsibly earn a living from their land. We'd like to continue to provide produce, wine, honey, livestock, natural fibers, art, music and film to those who seek the area out as a place to live or visit, but that is being threatened by the recent BLM decision to move forward with the sale of 80% of the leases that were in question, choosing to ignore the thousands of citizens who have come forward to voice their concerns; basing their decision on environmental 'findings' from the 1980's.
Taxpayers in the area have gotten screwed by the oil and gas industry already- Two of the major players, SG Interests and Gunnison Energy were recently fined $550,000 for colluding on lease bids, which means they defrauded taxpayers out of the potential revenue that would have been generated  from the sale of mineral leases, when they agreed not to bid competitively, but split those leases.
Can you smile and say Anti-trust?
So now, it's not just the risk to the environment that causes us grief- it's the fact that the guys clamoring for the leases are lying cheating greedy bastards.
I did some internet snooping and found that SG Interests is a group from Houston, TX.
 Here's a link to a little info on them.
http://www.corporationwiki.com/Texas/Houston/russell-d-gordy/30165852.aspx
Russell Gordy, who is listed as their President, has been spreading cash around, so getting dinged for a few hundred thousand in fines is most likely no big deal.
But here's something odd...under their list of campaign and political contributions, it shows more cash donations to donkeys than to elephants. Contributions to Republicans: 31,400. Contributions to Democrats: 164,600. This didn't make any sense; but upon closer look, I find they're lying about that, too. Go back to Russell's page, and click on the 'see more contributions'- it will list them individually, and you'll see the tidy sum of 150,000 going to a 'Democratic' group called THE FIRST AMENDMENT ALLIANCE. Democrats? Are you fracking kidding? If this is a Democratic Group then I'm going to join facebook just so I can 'like' Newt Gingrich and his 2.50 gallon gas.  What I'm trying to say is these guys are better at fiction than I'll ever be.
Here's the paperwork for the contribution, so you can see it yourself.
http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?10931483646
and looky what People for the American Way have to say about The First Amendment Alliance...they say, (practicing my most shocked expression) that this is a front for the (GASP) Oil and Gas Industry!
http://blog.pfaw.org/content/first-amendment-alliance-energy-industry-front-group
It's not enough that the industry ruins the land, trashes the roads, contaminates the water, threatens the local farming economy, creates an incessant amount of dirt and noise, doesn't want to disclose the chemicals they're injecting into the earth, but they lie. Over and over again. They lie about jobs, they lie about environmental  impact, they lie about what they spend, and how they spend it.
That's why we can surmise these guys are corrupt and cannot be trusted. If they were honorable, and the good stewards of the environment they profess to be, they wouldn't have to lie, cheat and steal.
They are NOT good citizens, and until we start putting CEO's in jail instead of handing over wrist-slapping fines, nothing will change. Once upon a time, it happened in the paper industry- sending a handful of corporate execs to prison for anti-trust violations got everyone's attention, and business practices changed.
I don't guess it will change until we get outraged enough to elect some folks who are not on the payout list...and sadly, most people don't pay that much attention.

Time out from crazy.

The political climate is so cat-box crazy that it's been safer to stay off the blog, and park in the kitchen (where republicans think I belong) baking things with so much fat and sugar no one in my family will voluntarily eat them. Sometimes, I choose to sit like a zombie in front of crime drama re-runs, watching various murder mysteries unfold. The thing is, once you've seen something about six or seven times, it is no longer a mystery. '48 Hours' seems like 4,863 hours,  'Unusual Suspects' becomes 'More Ordinary Bad Guys' and  'Cold Case Files' turns into ' Hey, stupid, that guy did it, that guy, no, THAT guy!" I'd really better turn off the TV.
Slowly, I can emerge from the cocoon of safety, stick my head out and see that the Crazy Train is still chugging along.
 Here on the Western Slope, the BLM idjuts have ignored the health, safety and well-being of residents, and are moving forward with 80% of the oil and gas leases that have the potential of destroying the land and water quality in our pristine valley. It's pretty hard to get a clear picture of reality when your view is obstructed by gas and oil industry ass. When agencies or congress members have their mugs pressed up kissy-face close to the oil and gas industry's big butt, we can't expect an objective perspective. We also can't expect our rights to be protected. Heavy Sigh.  We'll continue to fight... but Damn-hell, when one stops to consider that we have to fight to protect our voting rights, the rights to control our own bodies, the right not to have an employer decide what medication or medical treatment they can cherry pick, and choose not to cover, the right to keep our private lives private... sometimes it just gets to be overwhelming. Each and every time I have to hear someone justify ANYTHING the repo's have been trying to pull, I  think about all those murder mysteries I've been watching, the images of  bad guys fade to images of Mitch McConnell, Roy Blunt, Jim DeMint, or Eric Cantor- because they pose a bigger threat to our health, well-being and safety than your average street thug. Crazy bad guys threaten and do harm all the time- but when they wear suits and have an (R) behind their name, they get their own parking place, and it takes simple folk too long to figure out they're the ones we need protection from.

Update...Westboro calls it off.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/10/10374794-anti-gay-westboro-church-cancels-protest-at-powell-sons-funeral

They're not showing up after all.
Not because any of of these miscreants has any decency, but because creepy-old-self-hating-closet-dwelling Fred weaseled his way into some airtime.
I still can wish they'd celebrate with a big batch of kool-aid.

Fetid Scum from Westboro Baptist threatens to ooze forth once again.

The story of Josh Powell's horrid and selfish acts against his own innocent children is tragic.
The two small boys who were first robbed of their mother, then ultimately their own lives in a shocking  and violent betrayal has ripped through the hearts of anyone who knows the story. I can't begin to imagine the pain family members are experiencing. The crime was so horrific-the loss of those little boys is something no parent or grandparent should ever have to bear. Now, when the family simply needs to grieve, and have the support of loved ones; like a disgusting infectious disease, the venom-spewing Westboro Bastard Church announces they're going to stage a protest outside the funerals.
  .latimes.http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2012/02/westboro-baptist-church-funeral-josh-powell-children-.htmlcom/nationnow/2012/02/westboro-baptist-church-funeral-josh-powell-children-.html
I appreciate the right to assemble, and the right to free speech- that said,
how many of us wish the spawn of Fred Phelps would simply disappear...that a big gaping hole would open up on 'church' property and swallow them whole, silencing their hatred and malice once and for all. That we could wake up one morning, and as if by magic, they would be erased... leaving Kansas a little cleaner, brighter and a little more decent... and  but that's not to be.
In more generous moments, I think of the Westboro gang like a family of rabid skunks. Imagine how unhealthy human beings would have to be to put so much time and energy into creating additional distress for those already suffering. Like rabid animals with diseased brains, they lash out erratically.  Every time I hear about another planned 'protest' designed to torment mourners, I imagine how much more humane it would be for society if the universe handed them same fate as other diseased and dangerous vermin. If their bodies would finally wither and collapse the same way their brains and souls already have. They would  no longer be able to continue the heinous mission to harass, intimidate and cause pain to people who should not have to endure it.

Cal Thomas is a CPAC fucking fuck. We'd never hear of him if he didn't whore himself out to faux news as a fuckball.

There are prostitutes that wear fishnets and red lipstick. Hopefully they use contraceptives and have access to antibiotics. Buyer beware. Then there are whores like Cal Thomas, who I don't think is intelligent enough to handle used condoms carefully, but after hearing him speak, he isn't qualified to do much else. He's getting airplay on (guess where?) Faux News... this is what he said in response to  logical and rational points made by Rachel Maddow regarding the BIG FAT PHONY-ASSED ARGUMENT OVER CONTRACEPTION & THE CATHOLIC CHURCH... He said, "  I think that she is the best argument in favor of her parent’s using contraception. I would be all for that! And all of the rest of the crowd at MSNBC, too, for that matter.”
So...this asspanda is someone the rightwingnuts look to for providing principles...like one of those phony convenient principles that's surfacing now to combat better unemployment numbers and other truths inconvenient to the 'Conservatives'. My, look how quickly he abandons his issues with birth control to try and take a poke at Rachel. Admirable, huh? For the right wing wackos it has become this contrived  fight over the Catholic Church providing birth control,as part of the health benefit package, the same way any other employer must.
I guess it doesn't matter that most Catholic women use birth control. I guess it doesn't matter that 28 states have already legislated this, with none of these windbags blowing smoke.
Just wondering about all this outrage-
Where the hell were these jackasses when the priests were abusing little children?
Where the hell were these self-righteous zealots when the Church perpetrated the massive cover-up and protected all the pervs?
We need protection FROM organized religion- organized religion does not need protection from us.
When is the last time an insane atheist took a semi-automatic weapon to his family or co-workers?
I can't remember.Go back and search news stories...it's always 'good christians'  or 'church goers'  that arm themselves and destroy.
Please God, protect me from the Christian Right and the shit the republicans try to pull when the rest of us are trying to earn a living.
I'm pissed off- and I'm over being polite. Heaven help the next bible thumper I come in contact with. It won't be pretty.  If for one moment, these religious fruitcakes showed the same respect for my feelings (no religion) as they expect for theirs, I'd shut up. BUT THEY DON'T. They want to take away birth control, freedom, and choice. They can expect an ugly, brutal fight- it's obviously what they want.
I'm also happy as hell Rachel Maddow's parents had her- thank you Rachel, for having the courage to stand up to scum like Cal Thomas. He's not worthy of shining her shoes.

Anyone but Romney...the GOP clusterfuck continues

NBC has called the Missouri GOP (non-binding) primary for Rick Santorum. Right now, he's also ahead in Minnesota and right here in Colorado. Take a breath, and remember, we're talking about the Republicans.
Seriously...think of the most uncivilized bunch of rat bastards (I think of LA street gangs, then take it down a couple of notches) you can imagine... I only say that because these are the folks that only give a crap about humans until they're born, demonize food stamps (the alternative is going without food) lie about who is receiving benefits, (race bating, and let's not forget corporate welfare) want to control the most private parts of my life (like what goes on in my panties) deny facts and science, and embrace myths like Jesus having brunch with dinosaurs...and that's just the start.
So it is with more than a little pleasure that we're observing the discomfort on the faces of  GOP strategists tonight. This is going to be one goofy ride.

K-K-Karl Rove is offended....oh dear!

So Karl Rove (think Crossroads) is offended by the Chrysler Superbowl ad...boo-fucking-hoo.
I'd crawl through broken glass, bare naked, to offend Karl Rove and the obscene millions his ilk are planning to throw into the campaign. Should we be offended at the thought of his lips on Koch Bros. ass? How dare he snivel about anything.... ANYTHING. Seriously- I would do just about anything legal to cause him intestinal distress, or offend that pig bastard. If he's fer it, I'm agin it...or vice versa. That's all I have to say about that.

Who is raising the hateful bullies? Must be 'One Million Moms'

The conservative group 'One Million Moms" is attempting to pressure JC Penney into ending their relationship with the Bestest Talk Show Host in the Universe, Ellen DeGeneres. Because...of the gay thing? Sadly, this isn't a joke. When you hear about nasty, hateful bratty bullies, you have to wonder how they got that way. Here's your answer. They've obviously been raised by nasty, bratty, misguided, hateful parents who are so abnormally hyper focused on other people's sexuality that they've lost all sense of kindness, goodness, or reality. I think they're disconnected from reality because Ellen's show has about three times more viewers than they have 'moms'. I am so tired of these conservative train wrecks...wonder if they're ready to give up their Cover Girl, too? Doubt it- it takes a lot of concealer to try and mask their type of ugliness.  I weep for the offspring of these fools. In the mean time, we support JCP.

Former Gingrich spokesperson Rick Tyler is a lying liar- and he's not even good at it!

I'll make it quick. Rachel Maddow and Al Sharpton just beat the crap out of 'former Newt Gingrich spokesperson' Rick Tyler. When confronted with the facts that more people were food stamp recipients under George W. Bush than President Obama, he collapsed like a vinyl pup tent in a storm. A republican campaign tent in a hail storm of facts. Christ on a cracker, these folks are pathetic!
Romney wins Florida, Gingrich sounds like he's off his meds, suffering from serious delusions- I'm delighted to watch cable as they work it hard to destroy each other. It's a race to the bottom, for those swimming at the shallow end of the gene pool. It so sucks to be a republican.

Happy Holidays

We're snowed in here on the Mesa. Nothing to do but eat all the broken Christmas cookies I've been baking, and watch trash TV.

It doesn't look so bad in the photo, but there's too much snow to get down the hill, so the dog and I are spending the day watching Law & Order reruns (I miss Jerry Orbach)  while he plots revenge against the cat.
They've been feuding lately, mostly over snacks. Each has an odd perspective on ownership, neither respects anything on their human's plate. Here's why the dog will never reign supreme. 
Our version of SNL's 'Lasercats'.
This is how we grow 'em in Colorado. Not promoting Sun Maid products, just look at the damn cat.

Phew, sugar overload.
Happy Holidays.

What I learned today...

During my daily chat with one of my CA girlfriends, she asked how I'd be spending the upcoming weekend.
Keep in mind that she'd just shared how she was going to a holiday party at a winery in Sonoma, then she and her husband were going to crash at a friend's condo there so they could make a leisurely drive back on Sunday, stopping along the way at one of their favorite restaurants.
Audible Sigh.
I took a deep breath, and told her that over the weekend, I hoped to get the bird out of the basement. Oh,  and we were going to chop more firewood, and maybe, if I wasn't too tired, I would bake something full of apple-y goodness, before the 3 boxes of apples we have stored in the mudroom turn into something disgustingly mushy.
Somehow, I don't think I'm going to be having as much fun as she's having, but I'm not going to have to put on any restrictive garments for my weekend activities, which has become Priority #1 in my world.
Sad. Very, very sad.
She didn't even appear shocked to hear there was a bird flying around in the basement, because she listens to me complain about errant wildlife on a daily basis. The bird got into the basement after the Unfortunate Mouse Incident last week, because now, I absolutely refuse to go down the narrow basement stairs. The only other way to get into the basement is to open the 'Dorothy Door', which is what we call the big old hatch-like door by the side of the house, because it looks like it could be straight out of the tornado scene in the Wizard of Oz.
Because of my irrational fear of rodents, I've decided when I have to do laundry, instead of going down the narrow basement stairs which would not provide ample turning-around-room-in-case-I-come-face-to-face-with-a-mouse, I need to go out the kitchen door, walk around the house, open the Dorothy Door, and enter  the basement this way. Normally, no big deal, except earlier this week, when the weather did this

Obviously, I needed the dryer, which means basement. Grrrr. Oh yeah, and Brrr. So a stupid bird flew in (at least I hope it's a bird and not a bat, but hell, nothing at this point would shock me) and now there is yet one more unwanted critter in the basement.
But, I did learn something this week. Something I never had to think about when I lived in NoCal.
Steel-toed shoes are not a good choice in the snow. I don't need to explain this, do I ?
I have to go walk around the house now, so I can leave some birdseed out for whatever is flying around downstairs.

UPDATE: Snow melting, bird flew away. Life is good.

Cat & Mouse...really, cat & mouse!

There simply is not enough gin on the planet right now to make things OK.
I'm trying, but this is way above my current pay grade.
The issue is mouses. (I don't want to hear that crap about the plural of mouse being mice. This is my post and I prefer the incorrect term, mouses.)
My mostly unemployed 32 lb. cat just confirmed my worst fear about living in this farmhouse.
There ARE mouses that live here, too.
The big guy (cat, not husband) caught one over the weekend. It was a horrible experience, which I am still not over, in spite of consuming mass quantities of whatever (gin is best) alcohol I can get my hands on. Is there a better excuse for drinking? Screw social drinking. This is stress drinking. This is rodent stress drinking.

At some point, after a significant amount of rodent stress drinking, I got the feeling that more little mouse bastards still might social-networking under the kitchen sink, or perhaps behind the stove, and maybe, just maybe the big cat didn't catch all of the mouse-intruders.I thought this because he spent several hours like this...just waiting...watching...being super stealthy.

Just so you know, this is what passes for a cat disguise in my home. The cat becomes completely invisible to mouses when he puts his head in the laundry basket. It works, too- because the current score is 

 Mickey the 32 lb.Invisible Cat: 1       Mouses: 0

I kind of thought I should do something helpful to try and drive away the mouses, too- and (mostly due to the increased gin consumption) settled on making a whole lot of noise, to convince any rodents still parked in the house that there was simply too much mouse-danger to risk staying, or (God forbid) making another appearance. In case anyone is faced with this or a similar dilemma, let me tell you that tap shoes on a hardwood floor are a great tool for making a racket. The only downside is that the dog got confused (he's not too much smarter than the cat) and thought that there was someone knocking at the door. For 2 hours. So he barked for 2 hours, until I took the tap shoes off. My second choice was majorette boots; although the noise factor wasn't as satisfying as the tap shoes, they added the extra protection...adding a nifty leather barrier between me and any mouse that might come flying out from under the sink. But it's been lots of years since these have been worn, and the years have not done anything to add to the comfort factor. Plus, they looked really weird with my pajamas. But it felt pretty good to march around the kitchen holding a martini glass. Made me forget about the mouses and mentally challenged pets, but now I'm waiting for that phone call from PETA.  

NBC/WSJ poll...Let's Make America Average Again!

According to the latest NBC/WSJ poll, the current crop of GOP candidates is viewed as 'average'. Only 21% of those registered to vote in the Republican primary thought their choices were strong. My personal feeling is that the poll would have had a different outcome if these options were available:

1. Batshit Crazy
2. Serial Cheater 
3. Really Good Hair 
4. Slimier Than a Safeway Chicken

Never mind. We're talking the GOP. Maybe their enthusiasm has been set aside just in case the Donald thinks he can squeeze out 5 more minutes of attention by announcing his candidacy.  Or Sarah Palin, now that no one wants to buy Todd's reality show. Or Carl Paladino, that psycho guy with the baseball bat who ran for Gov. in NY. Oh, you Republicans... you're more entertaining than a basement full of serial killers.
But waaayyy more scary to live with.