Are We There Yet?

At fascism, that is. This writer says we're in the parking lot & looking for a space:

http://www.ourfuture.org/print/40417

This is part 1 of a three-parter which I'm still reading, but I want to save the links someplace where I can find them again. Need to read things like this >once, since mental illness interferes with my concentration & memory. It helps if I re-read while in different mental states. (There are plenty to choose from.)

Anyway, here are the other two parts:

http://www.ourfuture.org/print/40620

http://www.ourfuture.org/print/41060

ps: Maybe one of these days I'll figure out how to html-ify the links so they're clickonable. I don't know how to work this site very well. Some folks have told me it's hard to add comments -- i tried it a little bit and i think you have to log into some login ID to do it.... which of course then means you have to HAVE such an ID first. That's all I know so far.

Godwin's Law

I wish the media would encourage the public political discourse to embrace Godwin's Law -- and especially its primary corollary.

Godwin's Law was introduced into electronic discourse around 1990, & referred to discussions on Usenet (that was back in the internet's pre-www, pre-GUI Olden Days, sonny).

The law states: "As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of one side likening the other to Nazis or Hitler approaches 1."

And my favorite corollary is "The first one to mention Nazis or Hitler loses the argument."

Swobbie

who used to chip out her computer programs onto stone tablets

ps. Also see Reductio ad Hitlerum

Excuse Generator v5.0

Well I didn't go to the Town Hall mtg last night after all. I was late getting away from work and was tired and cranky. And also didn't know where it was.

Hmm.

Let's see, what other excuses can I come up with? I used to be extremely good at excuse invention. Bet I used 'em all at one time or another. Flu. Car trouble. Back trouble. Car trouble again. Sore foot, can't walk. Traffic jam. Got lost. There are many more possibilities. That was in the years before I dragged self out of denial about depression & bipolarness, & was still trying to be functional. Been getting a bit rusty at it lately (excuse-mongering, that is), & I think I prefer it that way. I am trying to be a truthmonger these days.

Swobbie

who manages to be somewhat functional in her once-in-a-while, one-week-at-a-time, half-time office job. But it's a strain.

The bigger the gun...

I'm going to go to some Town Hall meetings soon. My congresscritter is having one tonight, tho it's not on health care. I'm going anyway -- I want to see what these things are like, and I'm also interested in the topic. And I also want to see if the shouters show up. There are a couple more coming up soon by some nearby congresscritters that ARE on health care -- going to those too. If I see anybody carrying a gun, I'm going to sidle up behind him (assuming it'll be a male) and mutter "Big gun, small dick." And see what happens next. Maybe he'll shoot me. But probably not.

Swobbie

who has a smallish gun (which she's never fired) and no dick at all

Health care reform

Here is what I think is happening: Obama is playing a very shrewd, deep game. He said "I want this passed before the August recess" but he KNEW it wouldn't happen that way. And he knew that the Repubs would use the recess to throw everything they had at it, which they are... AND he knew that his poll numbers would drop, which they have. What he gets from all this is that the Repubs have shown their hand. It is now obvious that they have no intention of negotiating in good faith ANYTHING about health care reform. They will not vote for any bill no matter what's in it.

So what happens next is, when the Congress comes back from recess, he can tell the Dems, "Okay, now we know that bipartisanship is out. So, throw out all those other mishmash bills, and write me one that has what we want in it. Single payer? Back on the table. Do it. We don't need the Repubs to get it passed."

That's my prediction, anyway. Hope Hope Hope!!

With fingers crossed (makes it hard to type!)...

Swobbie

Dream house #1

Want drought-tolerant ground cover that works like lawn -- walk-on-able, lie-on-able, no stickers, keeps down the weeds. But that doesn't take so much water, can live on existing dew over the summer. All over whole front and back yards, with holes for rosebushes and diggable up for veg gardening in spring/summer.

Bermuda Grass?

I got some Bermuda grass seed not long ago and been sprinkling that around some. I think it is starting to come up in between the tomato buckets in the back. Need some in the front yard also. Every time I sprinkle some of it, I mentally apologise to Mom and Grandma. They both HATED bermuda grass. And they were both some serious green-thumbers fer sure. Grandma also hated oxalis, but I like it. It does get all dead & flattened out sometimes, but always comes back all green & clovery and little yellow flowies. I like it. Sorry, Grandma.

dream house #0

How can I get my house to functional state? Maybe if I list the things I would like it to have, ways i would like it to be, maybe I will get some energy & inspiration to work towards those things.

Right now I have a swatch of lawn in the back, plus some plants that i don't know what they are and didn't choose or plant them myself. All those bushes that those charity folks planted 4 years ago, April of aught-five, that was. I got all mean and crabby yesterday evening & roundupped them. Betcha they'll up 'n die soon, har har. Then I can plant roses and hydrangeas and some other things I like and KNOW what they are.

So the "dream house" is MY house, not some other fantasy house. It's how i COULD fix it up, if I just could actually DO it instead of fruitless wishing & wheel-spinning.