The Unquiet Mind

Oh, and Hillary?

2006-07-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

The "things that inflame their base" might actually be important. You know, a woman's right to choose and keeping bigotry out of the Constitution. I know, that's not important to YOU, but some of us actually give a damn.

Fuck you and your consensus issues.

Barbara, what are you THINKING?

2006-07-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

What possesses you, in the year 2006, when EVERYONE who voted for you wants the Republicans and Vichy Democrats out of office, to throw your weight in with Liebermann, practically the king of right-wing idiot pseudoDems?

It's obscene, it's a betrayal, and I cannot believe you just gave the finger to your constituents. Watch as your approval ratings among your base plummet. It doesn't surprise me that Feinstein would support him, seeing as they're both goosestepping bastards, but it does surprise me, coming from you.

Way to confirm that I will never vote for any Democrat again.

Shame on you, Boxer. Shame. I liked you both as a politician and a person, but I'm utterly disgusted with you now.

2006-07-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

This morning there was a knock at my door. When I answered the door I found a well groomed, nicely dressed couple. The man spoke first:
John: "Hi! I'm John, and this is Mary."
Mary: "Hi! We're here to invite you to come kiss Hank's ass with us."
Me: "Pardon me?! What are you talking about? Who's Hank, and why would I want to kiss His ass?"
John: "If you kiss Hank's ass, He'll give you a million dollars; and if you don't, He'll kick the shit out of you."
Me: "What? Is this some sort of bizarre mob shake-down?"
John: "Hank is a billionaire philanthropist. Hank built this town. Hank owns this town. He can do whatever He wants, and what He wants is to give you a million dollars, but He can't until you kiss His ass."
Me: "That doesn't make any sense. Why..."
Mary: "Who are you to question Hank's gift? Don't you want a million dollars? Isn't it worth a little kiss on the ass?"
Me: "Well maybe, if it's legit, but..."
John: "Then come kiss Hank's ass with us."
Me: "Do you kiss Hank's ass often?"
Mary: "Oh yes, all the time..."
Me: "And has He given you a million dollars?"
John: "Well no. You don't actually get the money until you leave town."
Me: "So why don't you just leave town now?"
Mary: "You can't leave until Hank tells you to, or you don't get the money, and He kicks the shit out of you."
Me: "Do you know anyone who kissed Hank's ass, left town, and got the million dollars?"
John: "My mother kissed Hank's ass for years. She left town last year, and I'm sure she got the money."
Me: "Haven't you talked to her since then?"
John: "Of course not, Hank doesn't allow it."
Me: "So what makes you think He'll actually give you the money if you've never talked to anyone who got the money?"
Mary: "Well, He gives you a little bit before you leave. Maybe you'll get a raise, maybe you'll win a small lotto, maybe you'll just find a twenty-dollar bill on the street."
Me: "What's that got to do with Hank?"
John: "Hank has certain 'connections.'"
Me: "I'm sorry, but this sounds like some sort of bizarre con game."
John: "But it's a million dollars, can you really take the chance? And remember, if you don't kiss Hank's ass He'll kick the shit out of you."
Me: "Maybe if I could see Hank, talk to Him, get the details straight from Him..."
Mary: "No one sees Hank, no one talks to Hank."
Me: "Then how do you kiss His ass?"
John: "Sometimes we just blow Him a kiss, and think of His ass. Other times we kiss Karl's ass, and he passes it on."
Me: "Who's Karl?"
Mary: "A friend of ours. He's the one who taught us all about kissing Hank's ass. All we had to do was take him out to dinner a few times."
Me: "And you just took his word for it when he said there was a Hank, that Hank wanted you to kiss His ass, and that Hank would reward you?"
John: "Oh no! Karl has a letter he got from Hank years ago explaining the whole thing. Here's a copy; see for yourself."
From the Desk of Karl
Kiss Hank's ass and He'll give you a million dollars when you leave town.
Use alcohol in moderation.
Kick the shit out of people who aren't like you.
Eat right.
Hank dictated this list Himself.
The moon is made of green cheese.
Everything Hank says is right.
Wash your hands after going to the bathroom.
Don't use alcohol.
Eat your wieners on buns, no condiments.
Kiss Hank's ass or He'll kick the shit out of you.
Me: "This appears to be written on Karl's letterhead."
Mary: "Hank didn't have any paper."
Me: "I have a hunch that if we checked we'd find this is Karl's handwriting."
John: "Of course, Hank dictated it."
Me: "I thought you said no one gets to see Hank?"
Mary: "Not now, but years ago He would talk to some people."
Me: "I thought you said He was a philanthropist. What sort of philanthropist kicks the shit out of people just because they're different?"
Mary: "It's what Hank wants, and Hank's always right."
Me: "How do you figure that?"
Mary: "Item 7 says 'Everything Hank says is right.' That's good enough for me!"
Me: "Maybe your friend Karl just made the whole thing up."
John: "No way! Item 5 says 'Hank dictated this list himself.' Besides, item 2 says 'Use alcohol in moderation,' Item 4 says 'Eat right,' and item 8 says 'Wash your hands after going to the bathroom.' Everyone knows those things are right, so the rest must be true, too."
Me: "But 9 says 'Don't use alcohol.' which doesn't quite go with item 2, and 6 says 'The moon is made of green cheese,' which is just plain wrong."
John: "There's no contradiction between 9 and 2, 9 just clarifies 2. As far as 6 goes, you've never been to the moon, so you can't say for sure."
Me: "Scientists have pretty firmly established that the moon is made of rock..."
Mary: "But they don't know if the rock came from the Earth, or from out of space, so it could just as easily be green cheese."
Me: "I'm not really an expert, but I think the theory that the Moon was somehow 'captured' by the Earth has been discounted*. Besides, not knowing where the rock came from doesn't make it cheese."
John: "Ha! You just admitted that scientists make mistakes, but we know Hank is always right!"
Me: "We do?"
Mary: "Of course we do, Item 7 says so."
Me: "You're saying Hank's always right because the list says so, the list is right because Hank dictated it, and we know that Hank dictated it because the list says so. That's circular logic, no different than saying 'Hank's right because He says He's right.'"
John: "Now you're getting it! It's so rewarding to see someone come around to Hank's way of thinking."
Me: "But...oh, never mind. What's the deal with wieners?"
Mary: She blushes.
John: "Wieners, in buns, no condiments. It's Hank's way. Anything else is wrong."
Me: "What if I don't have a bun?"
John: "No bun, no wiener. A wiener without a bun is wrong."
Me: "No relish? No Mustard?"
Mary: She looks positively stricken.
John: He's shouting. "There's no need for such language! Condiments of any kind are wrong!"
Me: "So a big pile of sauerkraut with some wieners chopped up in it would be out of the question?"
Mary: Sticks her fingers in her ears."I am not listening to this. La la la, la la, la la la."
John: "That's disgusting. Only some sort of evil deviant would eat that..."
Me: "It's good! I eat it all the time."
Mary: She faints.
John: He catches Mary. "Well, if I'd known you were one of those I wouldn't have wasted my time. When Hank kicks the shit out of you I'll be there, counting my money and laughing. I'll kiss Hank's ass for you, you bunless cut-wienered kraut-eater."
With this, John dragged Mary to their waiting car, and sped off.

2006-06-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

Cross your fingers. The computer's being built as we speak.

2006-05-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

Honoring our troops - Uh, sure.

2006-05-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

So, Congress has apparently passed a bill to prevent demonstrations outside funerals under the guise of "honoring our soldiers". Great, just great. Let's not even bother to mention they didn't care when Phelps and his brood of toxic slugs were harrassing the families of dead gays and lesbians. (After all, they aren't important, are they?)

No, what really has me seething right now is the fact that these... I cannot think of a polite word for the people who passed this bill. These politicians have decided to mince about shouting their support for the troops while military personnel who develop PTSD or are MAIMED are discarded casually, like broken toys by a spoiled brat.

This is real, this is happening. These are people who don't conveniently die, so they can be turned into perfect, dead, unquestioning martyrs for the state, paraded about in our lives to try to silence dissent against the actions of this administration. Our culture is so unhealthy regarding death, with our posthumous polishing of the dead, all sins forgiven, all flaws forgotten - it makes it even easier to wrap yourself in their corpses to justify your abuses than using the flag.

They don't care. This is just election-year posturing by people who probably don't have the wits to know their days in power are numbered. This is the equivalent of having a yellow ribbon on your gas-guzzling SUV.

This isn't supporting the troops. This is political masturbation and I can only hope that the people who voted for it lose their power this year; it's surely too much to hope that they have any guilt for dancing in the bones of those they helped to kill.

2006-04-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

Strangely, cruelty is preferable to indifference. At least cruelty implies that you give a damn.

2006-04-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

Fuck. Fuck fuck FUCK.

Spent an hour in the car with a short story in my head.

Now I'm sitting in a hotel room in Las Cruces, NM, and... I can't get it down. Not a word.

FUCK.

EVERYTHING has gone to shit since about a week ago. I give up.

Won't be on nearly as much. Rhiannon is very demanding. We get to see her meet Medea tomorrow.

Yay. ^_^

Most disgusting scam-spam ever...

2006-04-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

Adopt Child Uk

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Their mother and father came from unknown area and they live in uk..in 3 months ago their parents die and they left the some of 3,million pounds with the Uk deaf Finance
Department, which is Equivalent to $6,000,000.00. The 2 deafs kids are been admitted in the hospital were doctor Benedict is taking good care of them because they were included in the accident that happen few months back, to God be the glory that they were not dead like their parents.we shall love a good honest deaf or woman who can acept the2 kids and take good care of them and after 2 months the uk government
will always come to check after them..and such that person will be given the
3million pounds to take good care of the kids.Please write me back if you are intrested so that we can proceed towards securing you all the documents.

Best Regards
Rose Williams

Fun with Scamboy

2006-04-03T23:01:00.000-07:00

2006-03-18T19:55:00.000-08:00

You know, I spent some time recently thinking about the Haidl case and why it inspired just so much rage in me.

I had my own four-year pair of trials. Difference was, it was for molestation. And I was all of 7 years old when I was molested.

Didn't stop the defense attorney from saying I tried to seduce his client, that I was "sexually inclined" (at seven!), or that my mother was, at base, a whore.

I hadn't even had my first period when I was molested. I hadn't even started wearing a training bra.

I think a lot of people believe (and want to believe, and how I wish I could join them) that the tactics used by Scumbag Cavallo and Company are rare, and outre`, and not common.

I wish.

I was twelve when my molestor was finally convicted (and he had done this before, by the way) and sent to jail for three years. Why did it take so long?

The first jury was hung. Why?

Partly because of a fuckup on the part of my therapist, but largely because...

Drumroll please...

One guy. One old, toothless, angry old fuck decided /I must be a whore/.

At seven.

When my mother told me that the first jury was hung, I asked her "it was that guy who hates me, wasn't it?"

And I was right. He had stared at me with rage and hatred in his eyes.

You want, I want, to believe this sort of thing is rare.

We want to believe that it's limited to cases where the attorneys are being paid far too much to protect their clients.

It isn't.

It's not even limited to cases where the victim can perform long division.

I was lucky, by the way; my parents and my teacher supported me, and the man who prosecuted the trial both times believed me (and Ron, I still owe you).

The girls that my molestor had victimized before me were not so lucky - there were two of them, and one had her parents refuse to press charges. The other, the police didn't even bother to take a report.

By the time I met them, they were adults. Molestors don't stop molesting because they get older. It is not a phase.

I found the defense attorney on google, by the way. I have sometimes wondered what he would say to me now.

I wonder, if he was defending someone who molested my daughters...

...Would he call my daughters whores?

Thanks a lot, Sandra Day!

2006-03-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

So, we've got Alito and Roberts in. Abortion's about to be lost as a right for women, birth control's under constant attack.

And here comes little Mrs. O'Connor.

"Statutes and constitutions do not protect judicial independence - people do," the retired supreme court justice said."

Well, thanks a lot.

You know, Sandy - can I call you Sandy? Thanks - it's great that you recognise that now, rather than WHEN IT WOULD HAVE DONE US A BIT OF GOOD - either right before you retired, or, you know, before you put the Chimp in office to begin with.

You retired, great. You could have waited three fucking years rather than retire, and basically sell half the population of the country into indentured servitude.

You're enlightened now? That's wonderful. Too bad it's too fucking late for those of us who don't have the money to escape the hellhole you've damned us to.

So, whose payroll are you on, and what country are you running to when it comes time, Sandy?

Several things.

2006-03-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the long time with no updates.

First off, a song.

I've been playing SecondLife... incessantly. Mad about a woman there. Things are good. My artwork is selling. I'm enjoying myself far too much. (If you want to join, my ID is Phedre Aquitaine.)

Roe v. Wade is up in the air. I've realized that anti-choicers view women as wombs on legs, unworthy of attention, note or acknowledgement. Of course, they don't give a shit about the kids they profess to care about - once you've touched a vagina, apparently, going out or in, you're shit. It's not just the impending possibility of indentured servitude for those of us with a uterus; look at the wars over BC, EC, RU-486 - anything that provides women with the choice not to be bred is a target.

I hate this country.

Dearest Senator Feinstein...

2006-01-23T18:31:00.000-08:00

I admit, I am not a great fan of yours. In fact, seeing you beaten soundly (next time you come up for reelection) would give me no greater joy.

However, you've flabbergasted me with the following:

Because I am especially concerned about Judge Alito's positions on the expansion of executive power, federalism and a woman's right to choose, I strongly oppose the nomination of Judge Alito to the Supreme Court.

Followed quickly by:

I believe the Patriot Act has been a valuable tool in our effort to combat terror and it is extremely important that every effort be made to reach an agreement that avoids a partisan standoff that diminishes our effectiveness to combat terrorism.

So, which is it? Are you opposed to sweeping (and unconstitutional) executive power? Are you in favour of giving the executive branch sweeping executive powers? Or are you just a stupid fucking goosestepping brownshirt with a forked tongue a snake would envy?

This is a surprise, really. (Courtesy of Skjeve)

2006-01-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

You scored as Theater. You should be a Theater major! Like a bohemian actress, you are seasoned and confident and not afraid to express yourself!

Linguistics

100%

Theater

100%

English

100%

Art

100%

Journalism

100%

Sociology

100%

Psychology

92%

Anthropology

92%

Dance

92%

Biology

83%

Philosophy

67%

Chemistry

58%

Engineering

58%

Mathematics

42%

What is your Perfect Major?
created with QuizFarm.com

Meme

2005-12-27T19:04:00.000-08:00

Taken from Finn:

The rules are: Set your music source to Random and then transcribe the opening lines to the next 25 songs (instrumentals not included) that come up. Readers then guess the artist & title. Google is probably cheating.

1 America your head's too big, Because America, Your belly's too big and I love you, I just wish you'd stay where you is.

2 Through the best of times, through the worst of times, through Nixon and through Bush.

3 I'm ahead, I'm a man. I'm the first mammal to wear pants, yeah.

4 Spent my days with a woman unkind, smoked my stuff and drank all my wine.

5 May I have your attention please?

6 I lost my heart under the bridge.

7 Chasing my excuses to the end of the night.

8 I can't believe that life's so complex when I just wanna sit here and watch you undress.

9 These walls are paper thin and everyone hears every little sound; everyone's a voyeur they are watching me watch them watch me right now.

10 Pedalling through the dark currents I find an accurate copy a blueprint of the pleasure in me

11 (so the story begins) City dweller successful fella thought to himself: ’oops, I’ve got a lot of money caught in a rat race terminally.

12 Gigaaaaantor! Gigaaaaantor! Gigaaaaaaaaaantor!

13 This mighty soldier on the eve of the war he waged told his troops of lessons learned from battles fought: "May your heart grow bolder like an ironclad brigade" said this leader to his outnumbered lot.

14 Come on over, and do the twist.

15 U don't have 2 be beautiful 2 turn me on.

16 Johnny take a walk With your sister the moon

17 There's only one place where we can go and the price is right just to fuck a ho.

18 We get some rules to follow.

19 What a drag it is getting old...

20 His voice shatters the calm of the day like an alarm.

21 What's up with what's going down, in every city and every town?

22 I never thought about the universe, it made me feel small.

23 I was watching with one eye on the other side I had fifteen people telling me to move I got moving on my mind

24 Valley girl, she's a valley girl. (Way easy.)

25 When the tracks are leading home to the limits of hell we'll yell life sure is swell! In Sin City...

Few new links.

2005-12-27T18:27:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a good Festivus.

Few new links to the right - HollaBack NYC, I Blame the Patriarchy, and Feministing. All feminist blogs, all fun to read, if sometimes infuriating.

I don't necessarily agree with them all the time; I take issue with their views frequently. It doesn't mean I disagree with them all the time.

Oopsie.

2005-12-20T22:02:00.000-08:00

July 17, 2003

Dear Mr. Vice President,

I am writing to reiterate my concern regarding the sensitive intelligence issues we discussed today with the DCI, DIRNSA, and Chairman Roberts and our House Intelligence Committee counterparts.

Clearly the activities we discussed raise profound oversight issues. As you know, I am neither a technician or an attorney. Given the security restrictions associated with this information, and my inability to consult staff or counsel on my own, I feel unable to fully evaluate, much less endorse these activities.

As I reflected on the meeting today, and the future we face, John Poindexter's TIA project sprung to mind, exacerbating my concern regarding the direction the Administration is moving with regard to security, technology, and surveiliance.

Without more information and the ability to draw on any independent legal or techical expertise, I simply cannot satisfy lingering concerns raised by the briefing we received.

I am retaining a copy of this letter in a sealed envelope in the secure spaces of the Senate Intelligence Committee to ensure that I have a record of this communication.

I appreciate your consideration of my views.

Most respectfully,

Jay Rockefeller

Grainy-as-Shite, I know.

2005-12-11T00:59:00.000-08:00

2005

2005-12-11T00:45:00.000-08:00

January~

1. did you have a new year's resolution this past year?
Yes. I resolved to not fill out silly questionnaires.

I nearly made it!

2.Who kissed you at midnight?
Honestly? I slept through it.

3. does it snow where you live?
Yes. Ask me if I like it. And be prepared to run.

4. do you like hot chocolate?
Is the average catholic confessional semen-stained?

5. have you ever been to times square to watch the ball drop?
No. NYC smells like wee.

~February~

1. who was your valentine in 2005?
PJ Harvey. I wish she had known.

2. what did your valentine get you?
Flowers, natch. Oh yes, and WMDs.

3. when you were little, did you buy valentines for your whole class?
No.

~March~

1. are you Irish?
Not in March, I'm not.

2. Do you wear green on St. Patty's Day?
No. On St. Paddy's day I am Scottish.

3.what did you do for St. Patty's Day in 2005?
I found a clover with four leaves.

Then I ate it.

~April~

1. Do you like the rain?
It depends. Warm, quiet rain that doesn't hurt? Sure.

Not the ice-cold gut-clenching horror that floods *everything* here.

2. Did you play an April fool's joke on anyone this year?
April Fool's Joke?

Man, I do that all the time.

3. do you get tons of candy on easter?
Candy. Yes. Candy.

Candy...

~May~

1. What's your favorite kind of flower?
Brocolli.

3. Do you like the spring?
Here? When I forget that spring means summer is coming.

4. Finish the phrase: April showers bring may flowers, what do may flowers bring?
Allergies.

5. What would you think of as a spring color?
The red of the blood of sacrificial lambs. :)

~June~

1. What year did you graduate from high school?
1997.

2. Did you go on any vacations last June?
No. I waddled too much already.

~July~

1. What did you do on the 4th of July?
I burnt a flag.

2. did you go on any vacations during this month?
No. I steamed. And my motherinlaw's stepfather died, so that kind of put a damper on everything.

~August~

1. did you do anything special to end off your summer?
No. I prepared for the impending birth of the Antichrist.

2. what was your favorite summer memory of '05?
Consuming the souls of the innocent. Fetus needs her food, after all.

3. do you go swimming a lot in the summer?
No. The pool is filthy here. It irks me.

4. do you go to the beach a lot?
No. I miss the beach.

~September~

1. Did you attend school/college in '05?
No.

2. who is/was your favorite teacher?
Sol.

3. do you like fall better than summer?
The few moments that it's cooler.

~October~

1. what was your favorite halloween costume ever?
The guy who dressed up as a gelatinous cube victim.

Of course, pulling his corpse out of the cube was a pain.

2. what's your favorite candy?
Haribo Peach Gummy Slices rock my socks.

3. what did you dress up like this year?
Like a mom, shepherding a two-year-old around on her first halloween. >_>

~November~

1. whose house do you usually go to for thanksgiving?
No one's. There's no tradition here - we stayed in the neighborhood and made grim jokes about last suppers of the mohicans.

2. Do you like stuffing?
Oh god yes, when there's enough lu-- wait.

3. what are you thankful for?
My husband. My kids' continued health.

~December~

1. do you celebrate christmas?
No. We celebrate Atheist Family Gets Presents Day.

2. have you ever been kissed under mistletoe?
Yes. Now ask me if they still have their face.

3. what do you want this year for christmas?
Honestly? A few thousand dollars to take care of medical bills and enough left over for books.

4. what's the best present you ever got for Christmas?
The kids' squeals as they open their gifts. They don't care about what's inside so much as the ripping, though.

5. do you like cold weather?
Shit, roll me up into a snowball and leave me until it thaws. Better than summer.

Well, they saved me the effort.

2005-11-21T12:48:00.000-08:00

RowanCrisp.com is going down. Xenhosting.com is dead.

I was, amusingly enough, going to take the site down anyways, but this saved me some time; I'm backing up the site.

I've been stuck in a rut. I admit it freely. I am working on getting out of it, with the help of some friends, and abebooks.ca.

Wish me luck.

The better review...

2005-10-19T05:59:00.000-07:00

"Paroxysm", by Gremlin, is not for the faint of heart. It's bloody, intense, and detailed. It ranges from a paleontological dig in Antarctica to Des Moines, Iowa; from a zombie fansite webmistress to a British professional killer. And oh, man, is it good.

Gremlin is aptly named: He'll get into your psyche, nestle himself down comfortably between a few primal fears, and set to work tearing down your carefully-constructed walls against anxiety. When he's finished, you'll be keeping the lights on in your house too. And that's just from the preview - 119 pages replete with paleontology, foreshadowy bliss, dinosaurs and well-thought-out character development. Oh. And zombies.

Yeah. This is a book about the end of the world as we know it - and Gremlin uses zombies to do it. Thing is, these zombies are all too possible - which makes them triply terrifying. "28 Days Later" scared me, but it was the leap-out-of-your-seat-at-the-boo variety of shocker. This has a measured pace. It's stately and elegant and has the same feel as an anticipated car wreck.

It's a solid story. Buy it. Read it. Enjoy it - and then make sure your electricity bill is paid in full. This is not a book you want to read before being plunged into darkness.
Paroxysm, by Gremlin. $29.99 via Wasted, Inc.

Hello. I have returned.

2005-09-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

And boy, am I sore.

Welcome to the world, Medea Z. A. Crisp.

(Born 9/12/05 at 1:50 AM, weighing 8 pounds and 11 ounces at 20.5 inches tall.)

The Great Prison Panty Rebellion of Alabama

2005-09-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

Great blog post.

August 26th, 2005

2005-09-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

Statement on Federal Emergency Assistance for Louisiana

The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, Catahoula, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Helena, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.

Representing FEMA, Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Department of Homeland Security, named William Lokey as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FEMA (202) 646-4600.

Take a good look at that list.

Just for starters, guess what's missing? Parishes like Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines...

All of the parishes named in this statement are in the NORTHERN section of Louisiana. ALL. OF. THEM.

Which just goes to show that whoever put this list together has no idea what the hell a hurricane is.

Unfortunately for Michael ("Louisiana is a City") Brown, the buck stops at his desk - and at Dubya's for hiring the dumbshit in the first place.

That being said:

Almost two-thirds, 65 percent, say the country is headed in the wrong direction — up from 59 percent last month. President Bush's job approval was at 39 percent, the lowest point since AP-Ipsos began measuring public approval of Bush in December 2003.

From AP-Ipsos.

Langston Hughes, "Let America be America Again"

2005-09-03T23:53:00.000-07:00

Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean--
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home--
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay--
Except the dream that's almost dead today.

O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!

I can really only say one thing.

2005-09-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

A Tale of Two Looters

Once upon a time there were two men.

One man has been deemed a criminal, will most likely face jail time or be shot on sight if he is caught in the act. He's a "menace", has been vilified by the media and used to justify terrible bias in the way people respond to a tragedy. He looted to survive. This is #1.

The other man is welcomed to parties, lives in luxury, has political power and connections to the rich and famous. He is ignored, treated with kid gloves when spoken to or about, and has used the internet to press his case. He looted for greed. This is #2.

Looter #1

Looter #2

Who would you rather see thrown in jail?

Couple of things...

2005-08-21T01:15:00.000-07:00

Jackson County man claims abuse in suit over jailing due to signs

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (AP) — A man jailed for contempt for displaying yard signs critical of a Jackson County judge said he had to drink out of a toilet in jail because he was denied food and water.

Phillip Dean of Skyline makes the claim in a suit he filed in federal court against Circuit Judge Wallace Haralson and Sheriff Mike Wells, claiming they illegally imprisoned him on Aug. 18, 2003, because of signs critical of Haralson.

...

The suit filed Thursday says he was jailed because he made yard signs criticizing Haralson about a custody dispute two years ago between Dean and his ex-wife. The message on one of the signs was, "Our court system is a joke."

The suit says the sheriff told him that "Haralson was angry about the signs and he planned to put plaintiff in jail for 30 days with no bond, no visitors and no phone calls to teach plaintiff a lesson."

Haralson said in March 2004 that he had Dean released after about 12 hours. The judge also said the signs "were so derogatory they couldn't be ignored."

Way to prove Dean right about your court being a joke, man.

---

Hunter S. Thompson's remains were fired out of a cannon tonight.

RIP, Dr. Gonzo.

---

They've found the remains of Latoiya Figueroa. Her boyfriend was attempting to dispose of her body when he was caught.

Sympathies to her family and friends. And a hearty "fuck you" to the people spewing racist, classist shit like "she's just an unwed black mother, why should we care?"

Because she had a kid and was pregnant and wasn't yet another endlessly useless story about a blonde teen in Aruba, maybe? Because she's just as good as Holloway and Peterson?

Nah, couldn't be. Pigment and all.

---

I am very tired and very much in pain and I'm very sick of it.

I'd like to be not pregnant now, please, thanks.

List of featured speakers at Justice Sunday 2

2005-08-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

Senator Zell Miller
(D-GA)

Tony Perkins
Family Research Council

Dr. James Dobson
(by video tape)
Focus on the Family

Chuck Colson
Prison Fellowship Ministries

Bill Donohue
Catholic League

Phyllis Schlafly
Eagle Forum

Cathy Cleaver Ruse
Family Research Council

Dr. Jerry Sutton
Two Rivers Baptist Church

Bishop Harry Jackson
Hope Christian Church

Ted Haggard
National Association of Evangelicals

Jim Daly
President
Focus on the Family

Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX)
House Majority Leader

...Just makes me wish for one good meteor strike, y'know?

Mish-Mosh

2005-08-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

I'm all for teaching DUH
in America's schools!

=-=-=

Now that I've gotten that over with...

I put up a new essay sure to get me flamed... if anyone ever read my essays, which they don't unless I force them to with a cattle prod. It's about Why Sexual Education Should Be Mandatory, and it's chock full of denigration for parents who think sex is eeevil. Flame away, darlings.

The baby is due a bit over a month from now but we are doubtful that she's going to stay put that long (an hour of back labor last night is a good indicator). So, I'll be writing even less.

Fuck Cingular.

2005-07-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

My husband has nearly perfect credit - or I should say he HAD nearly perfect credit until Cingular's rank incompetence smegged up his score.

Back in December, we closed out our contract with Cingular for the one cell phone we had. We paid off the remainder of the contract and thought we were finished. Oh, but we were SO wrong!

In March, we got a phone call from Cingular. With no apologies, with not even a smidgen of regret, they informed us that they had credited 100 dollars to the wrong account and thus we still owed them money. My husband sighed, said "okay. Please send me proof of this and I'll pay the remainder I apparently owe due to your error."

Good enough, right? Bloody generous of him to offer to pay to make up for THEIR error, yes?

Apparently not. He received nothing, no proof, not even a statement. But apparently Cingular put a nice black mark on his credit due to THEIR stupidity.

Before that, he qualified for a gold Visa through his bank. Now he can't even get the normal APR reduction or balance raise that he could before, because Cingular is run by a bunch of incompetent twits.

We're disputing the credit - we still have the papers that say the account was CLOSED OUT. They don't have a leg to stand on but we're sure they'll try their hardest to avoid responsibility for their error.

Don't bother with Cingular. Seriously. We've never had so many problems with a corporation before.

(I crossposted this to the Bad Service comm over on LJ.)

Busy week at SCOTUS

2005-06-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

Lots of rulings today.

Grokster Responsible

Apparently file-sharing corporations are the only ones responsible for illegal acts done by their products' users. Amazing. The movie industry has posted gains this year and the music industry has posted losses - but I think we know why the music industry loses, yes? It's because their product, by and large, is crap.

If this standard was applied to other companies, we'd have such a fun time. Gun makers, antifreeze makers, car makers, rat poison manufacturers... screwed. All of them. Because their products are often used in illegal actions.

Betamax 1984? What's that?

Sheesh.

Supreme Court Won't Hear CIA Leak Case

Mixed feelings. I dislike intensely that the journalists in question (including Novak, that Douchebag of Liberty [cred Jon Stewart]) tried to use confidentiality to protect a high official that was committing high treason. But I don't like the potential abuse of this precedent in putting pressure on journalists to out sources that cops don't like.

I view it as a real blow to what's left of actual journalism. And it makes me sad.

US Supreme Court rules in favour of cable companies

They don't even have to pretend not to be monopolies anymore.

Michigan Law Targeting Poor Defendants Struck Down

Oh, thank fuck. This law was excrutiatingly bad and targeted the poor explicitly.

The Ten Commandments - Not in Courthouses, but fine on the lawn?

Uh, what? So it's fine for the government to post the ten commandments somewhere where we'll have to pay for more upkeep?

Jackasses.

And, of course, the worst.

Property Seizures A-OK

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that local governments may seize people's homes and businesses -- even against their will -- for private economic development.

It was a decision fraught with huge implications for a country with many areas, particularly the rapidly growing urban and suburban areas, facing countervailing pressures of development and property ownership rights.

Basically, if you pay fewer taxes than Joe Blow Inc. *could* conceivably pay, you are fucked.

Of course, considering the quality of accountants you can buy, I doubt sincerely this would work out in favor of the local government.

I really just hate these people today.

I'll write up a post about the horrific family gathering when I have the energy.

Fucking funerals.

2005-06-25T22:26:00.000-07:00

Tales of justice denied soon to come. Still in Tulare. You may remember Tulare from "The Grapes of Wrath". It's also known as a stinking pit surrounded by poisonous grapes and carcinogenic water.

Thank FUCK we are not going to ever live here.

Oh, and I am very very very glad that Matthew does not take after any of his family except with the (something of an) exception of his mother. (She's republican. 'Nough said.)

For Fuser...

2005-06-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

< BOOBS! > < /BOOBS! >

Raping Terri Schiavo's Corpse: Good to the Last Drop

2005-06-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

Jeb Bush Apparently Doesn't Learn After Having Ass Handed to Him First Umpteen Times

Jeb Bush asked a prosecutor Friday to investigate why Terri Schiavo collapsed 15 years ago, calling into question how long it took her husband to call 911 after he found her.

There's something particularly vicious about a governor using his power to carry out a vendetta.

Oh, and to the people who called me a Nazi for pointing out that her CAT scan showed she was gone, and that her wishes should be respected? Apologies are warranted - but not expected. Godwin's Lawbreakers tend to be cowardly like that.

Winner of the "Silly Bitch 2005" award...

2005-06-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

Joining the ranks of notables that bite the hands that feed them is Kansas state Senator Kay O'Connor.

A prominent female state senator has said that she does not support the 19th Amendment, which guarantees women the right to vote, and that if it were being considered today she would vote against it.

But wait! It gets better!

Asked if she supports the 19th Amendment, the Republican lawmaker responded: "I'm an old-fashioned woman. Men should take care of women, and if men were taking care of women (today) we wouldn't have to vote.
"I'm sorry women have not been taken more care of," she said. "We have gotten the short end of the stick."

And for the coup d' grace...

If the measure were up for ratification today, she said, she would not support it.

The stupid! It burns!

You can read the entire article here.

This is an unusual post. Please read.

2005-06-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, the former webmistress of ChaosinMotion.net has been having serious problems lately. Basically, her former boyfriend and father of her two kidlets died of a heart attack, and his mother swooped in and took things meant for the children in the interim (including a donation made specifically to them).

Annie is trying to get death benefits for her daughter, but is running into serious problems. In the meantime, she's trying to raise money by selling her handmade zafus and zabutons on her site, as well as books and incense.

All her zafus and zabutons are made by hand by a Zen Monk.

If you're interested (and I hope you will be), please go to her eBay store and take a gander.

Some LJ Community links, some culled stuff.

2005-05-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

Community Links

Daily Granola - Green links, solutions, and rants.
Caring Consumer
Poor Skills - Useful for the frugal, even if you aren't poor.
Free Stuff - Hit and miss, but there're some gems in there.
Eating Cheap
Frugal Green

Interesting Links
Freecycle Directory
Reusable Bags
Natural Alternatives for Cat Litter
Information on Organic Foods
Audobon Seafood Reference Cards (PDF Format)
The American Community Garden Association
A very good idea: Another way to recycle your unused cell phones.

Oh, and my sweetheart posted a list of advice on financial matters on his blog. Give it a look-see. He's spent a couple years investigating all these options so we'd be safer when we finally stuck our proverbial toe in the water. He's not an accountant, nor a financial adviser, but it's a starting point.

Linkages!

2005-05-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

Four communities (one new) that are quite neat to read through... in a wincing sort of way.

Grocery Hell
Customers Suck (v1.0)
Customers Suck (v2.0)
Insubordinates

Something that will be useful to those of you who think No Child Left Behind is horrible:
Leave My Child Alone!

So, we've opened up an e-Trade account...

2005-05-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

...And just in time, too. The market took a nosedive before we bought *anything*, so we were able to use our money to even better effect.

Now we're showing net gains.

And ETrade is surprisingly nice. They called this morning and asked if we had any questions. When Matthew said "well, actually, yes... do you know if...?" they answered his three or four questions in detail with no reluctance or impatience.

THAT, dear friends, is customer service.

===

Rift over recruiting at public high schools

SEATTLE – While most Parent Teacher Student Association meetings might center on finding funding for better math books or the best way to chaperon a school dance, a recent meeting here at Garfield High School grappled with something much larger - the war in Iraq.
The school is perhaps one of the first in the nation to debate and vote against military recruiting on high school campuses - a topic already simmering at the college level. In fact, the Supreme Court recently agreed to decide whether the federal government can withhold funds from colleges that bar military recruiters.

Now, one of the loudest arguments against this is that it's "counter to free speech" - which, really, is ironic considering that no one in the military HAS free speech, not to mention that a lot of public schools don't allow it from their kids.

Besides which, how many parents think that it should be okay for employers to lie about wages and benefits for their employees? They'd probably be up in arms about it, but some apparently think it's fine to allow recruiters into their schools - when the recruiters are so desperate to enlist students that they both lie themselves and encourage lies on applications.

Freedom of speech, my perky ass.

===

Okay, it looks like whoever diagnosed me with placenta previa was smoking crack.

I am healthy, people. The placenta is staying put - at the top of the uterus, where it is supposed to be.

And the baby?

The baby has stork legs. Seriously. 25-week legs on a 22-week body, according to the ultrasound technician, who is very happy to be able to show me both that the baby is gorgeous (3d ultrasounds are the shiznit - if you can get one in your area and you're having a baby, do) and that I don't necessarily have to have a c-section.

And it's a girl. What a surprise there.

A reminder for the Christian Right, Pt. 2

2005-05-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 16:48-50:

[As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw [good].

A somber Holocaust Memorial Day to you...

2005-05-05T23:39:00.000-07:00

...so long as you're Jewish.

I'm not antisemitic. I am really NOT. I had people in my family die too. I just think that the OTHER four or five MILLION or so Slavs, Jehovah's Witnesses, clergy, union activists, communists, gays, political dissidents, gypsies, and mentally/physically disabled people who were also murdered by the Nazi regime deserve a LITTLE bit of attention too. Maybe? Some?

Just a little fucking bit, please?

Or would paying attention to gays mean we had to treat them with the same inviolate respect that Israel gets (oh, and maybe let them marry)?

Would noticing that, hey, the gypsies got killed off too mean we couldn't say "gypped" anymore? Heaven fucking forfend.

It wasn't just a racist or homophobic regime. It was a fucking FASCIST one. They didn't mind pointing that out to the political dissidents that they rounded up and murdered. But maybe acknowledging that would mean that commies were people, too.

Oh, and paying heed to the millions of the disabled that were the original victims of Nazi eugenics? Oh, who gives a fuck. American eugenicists APPLAUDED the Germans for culling the herd. After all, they were unwanted. Nevermind that they were human and still conscious and self-motivating (unlike Terri Schiavo, so if you even want to call Michael Schiavo a Nazi, please, do me a favor: bend over, lube your fist up and shove it up your anus. Save me the effort. Thanks in advance).

Clergy and JWs? I know some people who would say the Nazis' reputed efficiency wasn't very, since they still get knocks on their door.

Guess what, guys? Six million Jews died, and so did a lot of OTHER people, but if we really want to remember them, let's give them a present: the heads of the American officials who helped Nazis escape from prosecution after WW2 in exchange for information and skills.

Dig 'em up if you have to. But let's present them nicely beribboned on sticks to survivors - ALL the survivors, EVERYONE who lost someone.

That'd give me more warm fuzzies than marches between concentration camp sites and speeches by Sharon. Really. It would.

Who killed this woman's kitten?

2005-04-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

I hate posting her link, but Debbie Schlussel is a good example of the rhetoric of the hard-core, hateful right. Her site reads like a sewer - gloating over failures and deaths of people who she disagrees with, frothing about things from "Deep Throat" to "Million-Dollar Baby".

Now, who pissed in her wheaties? Who drowned her kitten in front of her? Something must have happened to have her become so vitriolic as to call the death of Marla Ruzicka "poetic justice" because she demanded that the US count it's civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This woman is frightening, and vicious, and completely unaware of the rabid nature of her own words as she hisses at the "left wing" for being fascists.

Debbie, you've got something in your eye - looks like a beam.

Here's something that the Christian Right needs to be reminded of, apparently...

2005-04-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land.

Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

I never thought I'd enjoy Green Day again.

2005-04-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

...But here they are with "Holiday". Lyrics below.

Hear the sound of the falling rain,
Coming down like an Armageddon flame,
The shame,
The ones who died without a name,
Hear the dogs howling out of key,
To a hymn called "Faith and Misery",
And bleed,
the company lost the war today

I beg to dream and differ,
From the hollow lies,
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
On Holiday

Hear the drum pounding out of time,
Another protester has crossed the line,
To find the money's on the other side,
Can I get another Amen?(AMEN)
There's a flag wrapped around the score of men,
A gag,
A plastic bag on a monument

I beg to dream and differ,
From the hollow lies,
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
On Holiday

The representative from California has the floor

Zieg Heil to the president gas, man,
Bombs away is your punishment,
Pulverize the Eiffel towers,
Who criticize your government,
Bang, Bang goes the broken glass, man,
Kill all the fags that don't agree,
Trials by fire setting fire,
Is not a way that's meant for me,
Just cause,
Just cause because we're outlaws, yeah!

I beg to dream and differ,
From the hollow lies,
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives,
I beg to dream and differ,
From the hollow lies,
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives

This is our lives on holiday

New Gorillaz Video

2005-03-30T14:48:00.000-08:00

Feel Good, Inc.

Windows Media Format - High, Low
Real (Hack, Spit) Media - High, Low

Quick News

2005-03-27T03:21:00.000-08:00

A lot of you know I've just entered my second trimester with our last child.

Friday night, I started bleeding and cramping; I was whisked to the hospital and diagnosed with total placenta previa. I've been sentenced to bedrest and hydration, and for how long I don't know.

Basically, if I reach a point where the li'l girl is viable and not too preemie, I will be having a c-section (which clears up which of us will be getting their tubes tied rather neatly).

She's okay, though. She was sucking her thumb on the ultrasound. I'm fairly okay, wobbly, very tired, frustrated - and hungry. I'm trying NOT to crave meat, but it's hard.

Sol's been lovely (of course). His mother has the two external daughters at her house, since I can't lift anything over 10 pounds and Meghan has far exceeded that; we'll see how we wrangle things when she has to go back to work.

I've got an OB appointment on Tuesday anyways - might be sooner when I call them on Monday.

Lots of love, people. At least this gives me a chance to read more.

Currently Reading: Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt

Some news:
US deserter doesn't qualify as refugee, Canadian court says
Needless to say, I'm bleakly amused by "fair and independent justice in the US". Do the Immigration and Refugee Board never look south?

Here's a question.

2005-03-02T07:54:00.000-08:00

Has anyone actually ever been converted by a Chick tract?

Oh, and two links.

2005-02-26T11:53:00.000-08:00

One is an illustration of the slow merging of the war machine and christianity.

The other is the only movie I absolutely have to see.

Enjoy.

I want to apologize for the previous post.

2005-02-26T09:37:00.000-08:00

Not because of the content, but because it was immature to bring it public.

So, in penance, I give you Joe's Day in Liberal Land.

Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards.

With his first swallow of coffee, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid Commie liberal fought to insure their safety and that they work as advertised.

All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance - now Joe gets it too.

He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.

Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air.

He walks to the subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his workday. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union.

If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment checks because some stupid liberal didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

Its noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime.

Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers' Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans. The house didn't have electricity until some big-government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification.

He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.

Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. He doesn't mention that the beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day.

Joe agrees: "We don't need those big-government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have."

So, a word to potential "employers" out there...

2005-02-25T10:21:00.000-08:00

If you call me a "hypocritical sexist backstabbing cunt" for daring to maintain a friendship with your ex (after you refused to get a job rather than not "following your dreams"), then offer me a job, then continue to insult me, odds are, bucko, I'm not going to do business with you.

I didn't pick sides. I maintained a friendship with your ex because after a while, hearing the same sob story about how you were being "abused" gets repititious, and I doubt even you could have such consistent bad luck. After a while, people get wise. I only "picked sides" after you verbally abused me - how ironic is THAT?

Oh, and telling me how my marriage is is laughable, considering that you tried to insinuate yourself into it and got rebuffed - by the way, Matthew didn't want you once he laughed himself sick at your presumption that I would want to have sex with you.

You're a leech, plain and simple, and you made that clear when you refused to go back on disability despite the fact that you would be here, eating our food and using our utilities and, get this - using our car to get a "job" - yeah, that's likely.

Yeah - you're the real marriage expert, you certainly helped your mother's, didn't you? Oh, wait.

Good luck writing your "children's book" - it's about the level you function at, I'm sure you'll have no trouble.

I wouldn't work for you. Your email address is blocked; any further emails will be reported to your ISP for harrassment. I don't play the "saving face" game with little manwhores, and I'm certainly not going to play it with you.

I don't work for WalMart, I don't work for Disney, and I sure as fuck wouldn't work for you, because with you behind it, any "project" I would work on would be doomed to a slow oblivion.

Just what you didn't need to hear.

2005-02-20T22:46:00.000-08:00

Hunter Thompson, Counterculture Writer, Dies at 67, AP Says

Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Hunter S. Thompson, the counterculture author of ``Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga'' and ``Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,'' has committed suicide, the Associated Press reported. He was 67.

Thompson shot himself Sunday night at his Aspen, Colorado, home, AP reported. In a statement to the Aspen Daily News, his son Juan Thompson asked that the author's friends and admirers respect the privacy of his family, AP said.

Thompson achieved fame in the 1960s when he wrote for Rolling Stone and invented a subjective and impressionistic style of reporting dubbed ``gonzo'' journalism. His 1972 work ``Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'' was made into a movie with Johnny Depp playing the role of the author.

Recently, Thompson was a columnist for Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN.com. In a February 2003 interview with Salon, Thompson said that America suffered a nervous breakdown after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that has resulted in disastrous restrictions of civil liberties.

Memento

2005-02-17T15:11:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this has got to be the most fascinatingly-well done movie I've seen in a while. It's also the most mind-warping. Nothing feels quite realistic now.

New essay up on RowanCrisp.com

2005-02-12T15:44:00.000-08:00

Bubba's Moral Values

Have fun. And if you think torture's a good idea, please choke on a can full of fresh pig shit. Thank you.

Asshole

2005-02-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

BUSH: HOLDING THREE JOBS 'UNIQUELY AMERICAN'
Tues Feb 8 2005 9:27:01 ET

Last Friday when promoting social security reform with 'regular' citizens in Omaha, Nebraska, President Bush walked into an awkward unscripted moment in which he stated that carrying three jobs at a time is 'uniquely American.'

While talking with audience participants, the president met Mary Mornin, a woman in her late fifties who told the president she was a divorced mother of three, including a 'mentally challenged' son.

The President comforted Mornin on the security of social security stating that 'the promises made will be kept by the government.'

But without prompting Mornin began to elaborate on her life circumstances.

Begin transcript:

MS. MORNIN: That's good, because I work three jobs and I feel like I contribute.

THE PRESIDENT: You work three jobs?

MS. MORNIN: Three jobs, yes.

THE PRESIDENT: Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that. (Applause.) Get any sleep? (Laughter.)

The US: So very worried about human rights, yes?

2005-02-07T14:21:00.000-08:00

How I entered the hellish world of Guantanamo Bay

"The seemingly interminable questioning had already lasted for hours. 'I needed the toilet,' Mubanga said, 'and I asked the interrogator to let me go. But he just said, "you'll go when I say so". I told him he had five minutes to get me to the toilet or I was going to go on the floor. He left the room. Finally, I squirmed across the floor and did it in the corner, trying to minimise the mess. I suppose he was watching through a one-way mirror or the CCTV camera. He comes back with a mop and dips it in the pool of urine. Then he starts covering me with my own waste, like he's using a big paintbrush, working methodically, beginning with my feet and ankles and working his way up my legs. All the while he's racially abusing me, cussing me: "Oh, the poor little negro, the poor little nigger." He seemed to think it was funny.'"

Argh.

2005-01-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

"Don't ever leave the one you love for the one you like, because the one you like will leave you for the one they love, tonight your true love will realize how much they love you. Between 1 and 4 in the morning, tomorrow the shock of your life will occur if you break the chain, and you will have bad luck for 10 years, if you don't pass this on to 15 people in 15 min IF U GET IT BACK IT MEANS YOU"RE A SWEETHEART"

Look, people. Don't send me these sorts of things, especially not in the middle of the night. It's NOT nice to stumble to my computer in the morning, turn on the monitor and sleepily realize that someone decided to involve me in their superstition.

It makes me grumpy.

Wind, Rain, and Quake

2005-01-12T01:50:00.000-08:00

Being woken up at seven AM by your motherinlaw informing you that you are, in essence, trapped in the apartment complex by the transformation of what used to be a dry wash into a swift-moving river is not my general preference. She left work to pick my husband up; she couldn't get back out. The water ran over her windshield.

The rain ended at about eight and was replaced immediately by winds so strong that it sent trashcans flying, ripped boards off fences and dogs staggering against it. I took a walk in it briefly and had the sensation that if I just jumped, I would be blown miles away...

The river is now mostly gone, but the two massive sandbars remain where they were deposited; I'm leery of them because of how low-slung the Escort is.

Cut forward to ten past midnight; nestled against Sol's back, asleep, only to wake up a few seconds before the ground started shaking.

I'm still adrenaline-rushy; seismic activity isn't my favorite way to wake up.

It was centered under Cathedral City, and was 4.3. Considering all the rain lately, I think I was justified about it being a rockslide, or causing one.

So, I'm sitting awake, it's nearly three, and getting treated to a nice bit of paranoia whenever the windows rattle.

Joy.

Fun with non-english speakers.

2005-01-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

mohammed_zahran2003: where r u from
rowan_ste_julian: Earth.
mohammed_zahran2003: what ?
mohammed_zahran2003: where is this?

Sleep Deprivation BAD.

2005-01-02T01:39:00.000-08:00

The Gospel of Shaft

In the beginning, there was nothingness, and Shaft was displeased.
And yea, he didst say "Let's get funky!", and there was funk.
And Shaft didst boogy to the funk, and it was good.
And Whitey did look upon the funk with disdain, and Shaft saith unto Whitey,
"Shut yo mouth!", and smote Whitey.
And yea, the mouth was shut, and it was good.
And lo, didst the honeys love Shaft, and Shaft gave the honeys much good loving.
For Shaft was a mightily bad motha.
Canst thou dig it?

Happy arbitrary party day.

2004-12-31T13:35:00.000-08:00

Resolutions for 2005:

Whore myself out more for graphic design work. The money is good, and it's a challenge to my ego.

Work more on my traditional (painting and drawing) art skills.

Keep the website updated and gorgeous.

Become more intimately acquainted with Flash, to the point where it'll beg me to be allowed to build an interactive menu.

Piss the right-wing and fundamentalist blocs right off simply by continuing to breathe.

Keep the garden weeded and watered.

Build a wine rack for Sol's burgeoning pseudocellar. (Reds and brut champers, anyone?)

Try to be the best mother I can be, even when it involves opening presents from Meghan consisting of a folded-up wad of tissue with snot inside.

Heal my inner child, or at least keep it bound and gagged in a closet so it doesn't distract me so much.

Learn to: make cheese, can vegetables and fruits, make wine/beer, bake a seven-layer cake.

Work on Rhi's literacy, and Meghan's potty training.

==

This place is gorgeous. I can't believe I turned my nose up at it a year ago, when we were hunting for places to live. (In hindsight, I understand why, and it's a bit shameful - I don't like the fact that my class prejudices are still around, even when they're not overt.) There's snow on both sides of the valley, and the wind and rain has been incredible.

My one big beef with Palm Springs (right now, at least) is that whoever paved the road decided to use some crap shite that crumbled after our big rain; there're potholes you could hide a Cambodian mass-grave in. I wouldn't have so much of a problem with it, because I can swerve pretty well without getting anyone killed; it's the fact that everyone else swerves too, even when it's not in their lane.

Tonight, Sol and I are going to put the kids to bed and celebrate a nice, quiet "thank god we made it through another year" party. We've got the sparkling Riesling all chilled, and I'll be roasting a chicken shortly.

And finally...

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." -- Theodore Roosevelt

News.

2004-12-18T07:26:00.000-08:00

RowanCrisp.com is fully active.

It has no Flash and no Javascript and is chock-full of goodness.

Come on by and visit.

The "Oh god it's our wedding anniversary what will I make for dinner?" edition

2004-11-22T10:23:00.000-08:00

Hi!

We're all moved into the new place except for the computer and sundry accessories (which is getting moved tomorrow).

Zoe is settling in nicely now that we've got her back; she's spending most of her nights circulating between my bed, Rhi's bed, Meghan's crib, and back again.

I made this for Sycho; use at will, distribute while respecting my footer, please. Alf's posting it to Indymedia.

I am a fraction of an inch from making my culturejamming free for use. Contact me if you want it.

I'm happy. There's more snow here than I've ever seen in my life.

It's glorious; and I'm happy, and content, and so sanguine about life it's kind of amusing.

Luffs to you all, my dears. And thanks for being there for us.

The "Oh My God I'm Depressed" Issue

2004-11-10T08:43:00.000-08:00

Peaceful Protest in Los Angeles Gets Visit from Tanks quicktime format

No Right-Wing Fantasy Too Insane

How very strange...

2004-11-01T02:53:00.000-08:00

The Pre-Election Madness Syndrome (PEMS) Media Edition

2004-10-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

Watch Fahrenheit 9/11 in Flash Format.

Watch Eminem's "Mosh" video.

Watch Bush flip off the camera!

Bush more evil film villain than Leatherface, DocOck.

Hi!

2004-10-16T23:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been posting. Poor neglected Blogthingy.

Let's see. Response from Renderosity regarding (alliteration unintentional, I swear) the "Gothic Muse" series was great. It may have also snagged me a contact for contract graphic design work - from home, which means that we wouldn't have to worry about child care, and I could do it at night, to boot.

---

I will be leaving on Thursday to pick Rhi up. Barring any unforeseen shenanigans, I'll have her home on Monday. We are all, of course, thrilled. :)

---

Sol's job at the Hyatt is going fabulously. He's positively thriving there, despite the funkeh schedule and night hours.

Through Hussein's Looking Glass.

2004-10-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — Saddam Hussein was convinced he won the Persian Gulf War in 1991.

And when he destroyed all his weapons of mass destruction after that war, Hussein was sure the CIA knew it.

As a result, he saw 12 years of United Nations resolutions, trade sanctions and threats of war as a charade to humiliate him.

In Hussein's view, Washington and Baghdad should have been close allies. He could have helped curb Iran's nuclear ambitions, and solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He offered to become America's "best friend in the region, bar none." He was certain U.S. forces would never invade.

Hussein's looking-glass view of the world is vividly described in the report last week by Charles A. Duelfer, the CIA's chief weapons investigator. The document is based on a variety of sources, including interrogations of Hussein himself. A close reading of the report, along with interviews with intelligence officials and outside experts, sheds new light on Hussein's mind-set leading up to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

====

Absolutely fascinating psychological view into Saddam Hussein's brain.

Oh, by the way...

2004-10-13T01:34:00.000-07:00

I'm now officially hunting for webhost space and shopping for good domain prices.

Wish me luck...

Oh, fuck...

2004-10-12T23:47:00.000-07:00

Voter Registrations Possibly Trashed

Employees of a private voter registration company allege that hundreds, perhaps thousands of voters who may think they are registered will be rudely surprised on election day. The company claims hundreds of registration forms were thrown in the trash.

Anyone who has recently registered or re-registered to vote outside a mall or grocery store or even government building may be affected.

The I-Team has obtained information about an alleged widespread pattern of potential registration fraud aimed at democrats. Thee focus of the story is a private registration company called Voters Outreach of America, AKA America Votes.

The out-of-state firm has been in Las Vegas for the past few months, registering voters. It employed up to 300 part-time workers and collected hundreds of registrations per day, but former employees of the company say that Voters Outreach of America only wanted Republican registrations.

Two former workers say they personally witnessed company supervisors rip up and trash registration forms signed by Democrats.

"We caught her taking Democrats out of my pile, handed them to her assistant and he ripped them up right in front of us. I grabbed some of them out of the garbage and she tells her assisatnt to get those from me," said Eric Russell, former Voters Outreach employee.

Eric Russell managed to retrieve a pile of shredded paperwork including signed voter registration forms, all from Democrats. We took them to the Clark County Election Department and confirmed that they had not, in fact, been filed with the county as required by law.

[... And, surprising no one... ]

The company has been largely, if not entirely funded, by the Republican National Committee. Similar complaints have been received in Reno where the registrar has asked the FBI to investigate.

Humor moment.

2004-10-08T01:03:00.000-07:00

rowan_ste_julian: You forgot Poland.
AILTF : What's all this I hear about Poland?
rowan_ste_julian: LOL
rowan_ste_julian: Kerry neglected to include Poland in his list of "coalition" members.
rowan_ste_julian: Bush was VERY irate.
rowan_ste_julian: "You, you forgot Poland!"
AILTF : Ah. Can Bush spell Poland?
rowan_ste_julian: "D-e-t-r-o-i-t"

A joke.

2004-09-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

A popular bar had a new robotic bartender installed.

A fellow came in for a drink and the robot asked him, "What's your IQ?" The man replied, "150."

So the robot proceeded to make conversation about Quantum physics, string theory, atomic chemistry, and so on.

The man listened intently and thought, "This is really cool." So he decided to test the robot. He walked out of the bar, turned around, and came back in for another drink.

Again, the robot asked him, "What's your IQ?" The man responded, "100." So the robot started talking about football, baseball, and so on.

The man thought to himself, "Wow, this is really cool." The man went out and came back in a third time.

As before, the robot asked him, "What's your IQ?" The man replied, "50." The robot then said, "So, you gonna vote for Bush again?"

Real Women - Series

2004-09-20T15:31:00.000-07:00

If you check my Artwork section you might notice there's a new section entitled "Real Women".

The women portrayed in the series aren't actual people, but the standard Victoria 3 model altered in various ways to reflect natural shapes and not supermodels.

The reactions have been varied, from "Oh, that's fabulous! (all)" to "Give that girl a sandwich! (#3)" to "ugh, why are you doing this? (#2)" to "I want to date her (#1)".

Why am I doing this?

Well, I got tired of papercutter Vickies; I know maybe one woman who actually has that shape for a body, and she's a rather miserable woman to be around.

I'm trying to capture personalities - even projected ones - inside women that many people wouldn't look at twice.

So far, I'm pleased with the results.

Nifty!

2004-09-19T16:24:00.000-07:00

The owner of the Lace With Leather Yahoo group wants to use some of my artwork on her site.

Color me pleased.

Best. Tactic. Ever.

2004-09-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

Show Tunes on the Subway.

=====

BookChain got a +7 original mod on SensibleErection. This is heartening, they're the first to give unworthy self link negative mods when they think something's BS.

Feel better - From Dan

2004-09-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a surefire formula to help you begin each day with a positive outlook on life:
1. Open a new file in your computer.

2. Name it "George W. Bush."

3. Then immediately send it to the trash.

4. Empty the trash.

5. Your PC will ask you, "Do you really want to get rid of George W. Bush?"

6. Answer calmly, "yes," and press the mouse button firmly.

7. There . . . feel better?

=======

Yes. Yes, I do.

And later that night/day...

2004-09-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

BookChain! The Site!

And thus...

2004-09-18T03:59:00.000-07:00

It was born.

BookChain - the Blog!

Bookchain

2004-09-18T03:28:00.000-07:00

I was paging through a book about graphic design tonight, when three receipts from people who had checked it out before me fell from some of the pages.

I thought... "what if they had left some way for me to get into contact with them?"

Basic idea:

Bookchain would be a low-tech way to make local connections using someone's shared interest in a book through a library.

The basic idea is simple: have a site set up (ex. http://bookchain.org) where you list the books you read, what you liked about them. Then stick a post-it note, or a piece of paper (something non-damaging) in the book between the pages that has the URL written on it. A bulletin board would be set up on the site.

A curious person can log onto the website and find other people who read the book locally. Since many people who read the same books have other interests in common, shared commonalities are discovered and a small community bond is forged.

It could be used as a tool: say someone wants to find other quilters. They post a message, copy down an URL onto a few post-its, and stick those post-its into the quilting books they were most interested in. People who were curious could log onto the site and find that person's email address (or any other contact information they wanted to provide). (Near)Instant quilting circle is formed.

The main problem I foresee is in political or religious fora - if someone found an anarchist link, for instance, they might use it to harass the poster. Same goes for a minority religion. This is to say nothing of potential governmental investigations.

I have no idea if this could work, but suffice to say, I think I'm going to try it.

Don'tcha just hate it...

2004-09-16T01:29:00.000-07:00

...When you want to set someone on fire, and they won't *hold still*?

Muddle of the Day

2004-09-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

Chinese Room argument!

Mission Accomplished.

2004-09-12T23:09:00.000-07:00

I made it through September 11th and avoided slapping anyone for stupid jingoism.

Mind you, I was tempted. Repeatedly.
================

I'm missing Rhi badly lately; Meghan's been growing by leaps and bounds. She said "Momma" the other day - I just about melted. (Then she yanked her diaper off.)

My two daughters, nearly three years apart, weigh the same amount. Rhi is still a stick and Meghan is, for lack of a better term, downright burly.

The differences in the two girls are simply astounding. Meghan has a less piercing voice than Rhi does, and is a lot more mellow when it comes to some things. She likes sweets less, though, which is odd.

She's the first person in my family to have a cafe au lait birthmark... it looks very much like someone spilled coffee on her neck. I hope she never thinks its ugly; it's been something fascinating to me and very much Meghan since it first started showing on her skin.

================

I need to get out to the San Fernando Valley and visit my aunt. I also need to see Dan. I have been remiss in my friends-n-family duties.

All Protestors = Criminals? Yes, Says RNC

2004-09-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

No Patriot Act Victims?
Tell it to Summer Star!

Truly scary, if this is even fifty percent accurate.

====

After a pedicure, hair color and trim, and a few new outfits (thank you, mother in law)... I feel reasonably renewed.

Finally...

2004-09-11T01:56:00.000-07:00

I updated the Artwork section of my site. Now all I have to do is fix the index page, and I'll be set.

Lots of new pin-ups are linked to, now.

Hm.

2004-09-10T02:47:00.000-07:00

Thought for the Day:

Is it too much to ask to receive affection without sacrificing self-respect?

Olfaction.

2004-09-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

The sharpsweetgrain smell of Postum mixing with my parents' arabica or peaberry coffee from Trader Joes.

The nearly-too-thick aroma of a freshly blooming freesia and the crumbly reek of compost.

The nauseating smell of trees of paradise competing with tangerine blossoms.

Hot laundry.

Herbs, garlic, and spices. Baking bread.

.Image.

2004-09-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

I'll eventually figure out why Anzwers.org won't let you see this picture.

Who is Koichi Sato?

===

Companies With Highest Levels Of Employee Injury and Illness, courtesy of the Memory Hole.

Okay...

2004-09-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

I think I have the computer back to about seventy percent operational.

Poser stuff is installed; Frontpage (yay!) so I can put my site back up. Jasc PSP 8. Terragen, Apophysis, Wings3d, UVMapper, INJection Pose Maker.

Now, the evil in me insists - I must make something with Furrette2! I MUST!

Yay!

2004-09-07T01:07:00.000-07:00

The mother in law has said she will help me build the new computer once I have money for it.

This is very good - she works with graphic designers, she knows what they need.

As it stands, the graphic card alone may very well cost a few hundred dollars. I'll need a new monitor, too.

I've got Poser 5 back up and running, as well as PSP8. I lost all my fonts and MP3s, thanks to the forced wipe. I didn't have enough room to save 'em.

I can't find my Flash5 disk, which is irritating, to say the least. I didn't expect to have to rebuild my computer from scratch.

===

Matthew and I have the next week to ourselves, which is lovely, and probably will reduce quite a bit of stress. There's a job fair on Thursday, which he's attending.

I got to speak to the girl that he's so fond of talking to - Sara. She's quite lovely, actually, and I had fun speaking to her myself.

The high desert is starting to cool down, and things are somewhat bearable. Once the temperatures are somewhat sensible again, I'm making a resolution to walk a certain amount every night. No idea how long it'll last, but who cares, eh?

Sexah.

2004-09-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

Intel Pentium 4 Processor (2.26 gigs).
Upgradeable to 4 gigs of RAM.
Intel motherboard with onboard video and sound support.

*shudders happily*

===

Unsexah - the asshat with a confederate flag on his rear bumper who nearly ran us off the road the other day apparently lives down the street from us.

Software I want to learn...

2004-09-05T15:16:00.000-07:00

Maya. Very high end product, used in Lord of the Rings, among other things.

Carrara and Amapi 3D.

Rhino 3D. Good for jewelry design, something I want to get into for 3D products.

Adobe Illustrator, for professional vector-based graphics.

I also need to polish my knowledge of Photoshop, learn more about Poser 5 (such as the setup room), and learn to make poseable figures.

Je suis geekette, no?

As it is, I'm already looking at prices for more RAM and a higher-end processor than I have, plus a really, really good monitor.

Quote du jour:

I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma. ~Eartha Kitt

Goodness me.

2004-09-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

Things I need to do, in order to be somewhat content:

1) Deal with my personal life so that it is somewhere near "calm".
2) Re-do my personal site.
3) Begin archiving for the Project Alexandria library.
4) Get the computer fixed, and begin my artwork anew.
5) Help Matthew on his Open Source Educational Project.
6) Design and finesse the template for "Memoirs of a Non-Mechanical Man".
7) Read the entirety of the philosophy selection in our home library.
8) Write out what I've been pondering for the past year.
9) Figure out my life.

Do I still want to be an English teacher? Do I want to do something else? Can I reasonably participate in an institution that I am trying to spare at least one of my children?

What, in short, am I going to be when I grow up?

Heh.

2004-09-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

a·poph·y·sis ( P ) Pronunciation Key (-pf-ss)
n. pl. a·poph·y·ses (-sz)
Anatomy. A natural swelling, projection, or outgrowth of an organ or part, such as the process of a vertebra.
Geology. A branch from a dike or vein.

Wow, it's almost naughty.

Random Thoughts.

2004-09-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

It's time to get my priorities back in order.

While a diversion is nice now and then, the diversion can't be my life.

Hi. I'm Rowan.

If the title of the blog didn't give you some idea as to my ideology, then there isn't any hope for you.

===

I'm twenty-five years old.

This is the year I realize the following things are true:

- I will never get three wishes from a benevolent genie. If I received wishes, they would be the sort that are EXTREMELY literal and need a lawyer to appropriately word so that I wouldn't be turned into a tortoise or willow tree or some such.

- I will never be a rock star. Even if I had the waistline for it (which I don't, thank you having children), my voice really isn't that good, though I can sing reasonably well.

- I will never be a famous actress or model. Haven't the looks, haven't the tolerance for being treated like a porkchop.

- I will most likely never be a billionaire, which is fine, except now I can't buy my own country.

- Bill Gates will never honor my request and install buttons on my keyboard that allow me to violently shock people who are stupid online.

- It's much too late for me to be a child prodigy.

These realizations aren't bad, though. It allows me to focus on what I CAN do, which is quite a bit.

Apophysis

2004-09-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, this was supposed to be a gorgeous picture I did using the fractal generator named above (you can get it at Apophysis), but my image host isn't cooperating with me.

So, instead, have some Carl Sandberg on me.

"I Am the People, the Mob"

I AM the people--the mob--the crowd--the mass.
Do you know that all the great work of the world is
done through me?
I am the workingman, the inventor, the maker of the
world's food and clothes.
I am the audience that witnesses history. The Napoleons
come from me and the Lincolns. They die. And
then I send forth more Napoleons and Lincolns.
I am the seed ground. I am a prairie that will stand
for much plowing. Terrible storms pass over me.
I forget. The best of me is sucked out and wasted.
I forget. Everything but Death comes to me and
makes me work and give up what I have. And I
forget.
Sometimes I growl, shake myself and spatter a few red
drops for history to remember. Then--I forget.
When I, the People, learn to remember, when I, the
People, use the lessons of yesterday and no longer
forget who robbed me last year, who played me for
a fool--then there will be no speaker in all the world
say the name: "The People," with any fleck of a
sneer in his voice or any far-off smile of derision.
The mob--the crowd--the mass--will arrive then.

The Unquiet Mind

Oh, and Hillary?

Barbara, what are you THINKING?

Honoring our troops - Uh, sure.

Most disgusting scam-spam ever...

Fun with Scamboy

Thanks a lot, Sandra Day!

Several things.

Dearest Senator Feinstein...

This is a surprise, really. (Courtesy of Skjeve)

Meme

Few new links.

Oopsie.

Grainy-as-Shite, I know.

2005

Well, they saved me the effort.

The *better* review...

Hello. I have returned.

The Great Prison Panty Rebellion of Alabama

August 26th, 2005

Langston Hughes, "Let America be America Again"

I can really only say one thing.

Couple of things...

List of featured speakers at Justice Sunday 2

Mish-Mosh

Fuck Cingular.

Busy week at SCOTUS

Fucking funerals.

For Fuser...

Raping Terri Schiavo's Corpse: Good to the Last Drop

Winner of the "Silly Bitch 2005" award...

This is an unusual post. Please read.

Some LJ Community links, some culled stuff.

Linkages!

So, we've opened up an e-Trade account...

A reminder for the Christian Right, Pt. 2

A somber Holocaust Memorial Day to you...

Who killed this woman's kitten?

Here's something that the Christian Right needs to be reminded of, apparently...

I never thought I'd enjoy Green Day again.

New Gorillaz Video

Quick News

Here's a question.

Oh, and two links.

I want to apologize for the previous post.

So, a word to potential "employers" out there...

Just what you didn't need to hear.

Memento

New essay up on RowanCrisp.com

Asshole

The US: So very worried about human rights, yes?

Argh.

Wind, Rain, and Quake

Fun with non-english speakers.

Sleep Deprivation BAD.

Happy arbitrary party day.

News.

The "Oh god it's our wedding anniversary what will I make for dinner?" edition

The "Oh My God I'm Depressed" Issue

How very strange...

The Pre-Election Madness Syndrome (PEMS) Media Edition

Hi!

Through Hussein's Looking Glass.

Oh, by the way...

Oh, fuck...

Humor moment.

A joke.

Real Women - Series

Nifty!

Best. Tactic. Ever.

Feel better - From Dan

And later that night/day...

And thus...

Bookchain

Don'tcha just hate it...

Muddle of the Day

Mission Accomplished.

All Protestors = Criminals? Yes, Says RNC

Finally...

Hm.

The better review...