09.27.08
Posted in Administration, Entertainment, Navel Gazing at 3:05 pm by Sulla
I’ve resisted the Twitter call for months. But one of the geek podcasts I tune into – TWiT network, GeekBrief TV, Buzz Out Loud, can’t remember which – finally pushed me to take the leap. Perhaps it was Merlin Mann, the clown prince of productivity and Picasso of profanity. [warning: I alliterate unintentionally, and often. I'm in therapy for it, but progress is slow.]
I’m chock-full of opinions, but I have a tendency to compartmentalize. For purely political commentary, I read a lot of political blogs, and I occasionally comment, but the bulk of my contributions are at Hot Air, where I dove in with both feet during the primaries and found a steady supply of agreement and disagreement. (Sometimes, I prefer the latter. It’s one thing to get kudos from the choir. But I relish the times when I can persuade – or be persuaded – to a better position.)
I dearly love the Gerbils at Teh Squeaky Wheel, where political rants (though they are certainly there) give a back seat to things like friendship, wit, silly pictures, classic pinups, and a camaraderie and compassion that keeps me lurking even when I have little time to comment. They continue to welcome me warmly even when I’m on radio silence for long stretches. And in this very partisan season, it’s a refuge.
I don’t feel that urgently about posting to my own blog, largely because I crave feedback and that’s more readily available where there are many people. When I do post here it tends to be when I have a lot to say, or I chew through complex thoughts. The posts, then, tend to be sporadic, and looooooong. When I need to go on at length, nothing else will do – regardless of whether anyone is paying attention.
But those take time to compose. As rough as they may read at times, I do fuss over them a lot before I post. And it’s tough to find time to devote to lengthy writing. Far more often, I just feel the urge to do a drive-by comment. Hot Air and TSW are good places for that, but sometimes even those places “take too long” because of my temptation to stick around and dive into conversations.
For barbaric yawps of one minute or less, this Twitter thing has potential. 140 character limit. Post from your phone. No logging in needed. No need to check the landscape to be relevant to the thread. Just toss out the bon mot and get on with life.
So…where I have this place to gaze at, contemplate, spelunk into and explore my navel in a leisurely fashion, I also need an outlet for the eeeevil, brief, spontaneous idiocy that flows from my mind like butter from a cow with Parkinsons. The nuggets will vacillate between profound and pitiful, a light nosh or a frothy glass of phlegm, depending on my mood. (I know: ewwwwww.)
Should you happen to care or be curious about the Readers Digest view of the button-down mind of the cuddly dictator, check out http://twitter.com/sulla_puppy. I’ll also use that place to link to my rare blog posts here.
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09.18.08
Posted in Navel Gazing, Politics at 1:34 am by Sulla
I found a lot that bugged me in this talk by Jonathan Haidt, but I also came away with some food for thought.
What do you think?
[If nobody comments on this, my next post will not be pretty. Me want discussion!]
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Posted in Politics, Rants at 12:48 am by Sulla
No, I’m not going to do the full Crocker. But sweet steaming Sterculius, I cannot believe the depths to which some of Palin’s detractors are spelunking in their efforts to destroy her.
Yesterday’s hacking into Palin’s Yahoo account and publication of its contents (nothing incriminating, as the intruder admits, but a massive violation of all boundaries, and at least a few laws). A “comedian” offering Bristol Palin $25,000 to have an abortion. The earlier litany of lies about Trig Palin’s “real” mother. People disputing Sarah’s right to be numbered among Women – excuse me, Womyn. Such philosophical luminaries as Matt Damon, Lindsay Lohan, Pamela Anderson, Roseanne Barr (whatever she calls herself these days) discoursing on Palin’s credentials, character, hubris, audacity, etc. Photoshops of Palin in various states of provocative (un)dress and in many cases degradation litter the Internet.
I could go on, but I choose not to.
Look, I know there are those who are pushing for Obama to win in November. Most of them are not certifiably insane. But a disturbing number of them are. Perhaps some of it is mob mentality – the echo chambers they frequent get everyone in a lather. The temptation to outdo one another in ferocity increases as the polls give any cause for concern that their candidate might not win. For some, Palin’s deeply held beliefs stand in stark contrast to their own, and her successes represent a clear and present danger to their world view.
Political campaigns are almost ugly; when someone stands between you (or your candidate) and your cherished goal, you need to stop them at any cost. The only question is where you draw the line. This year, the line is so far out it’s beyond the horizon. It’s one thing to suggest that the other side is out to Destroy Sarah; it’s another when there are those on the other side who don’t even bother to deny it.
Look, hit her all you like on her knowledge (or lack thereof) of world affairs; of the economy; of whatever else. You want to belittle her experience as mayor or governor, go for it. You want to mock her public appearances for style or content, have a ball. Those are all fair game.
But if you’re writing in a public forum that your blood boils and you contemplate murder because a political rival is on television…seek professional help. Seriously.
Yes, elections are important. Yes, I understand what it feels like to be the party out of power, and feeling like the country is seriously on the wrong track. I know all too well the sense that the guy in the white house is unworthy of it and should have the decency to resign or the karmic deficit to be tossed out by Senate vote. I’ve been there.
But wanting a candidate DEAD? Dude. Seriously: DUDE. That kind of anger is not only not healthy for you, it’s toxic to the people around you.
Stop hurting America. Get therapy. that much pent-up rage will be be let loose one way or another. I saw it happen in 1992 after 12 years of Reagan/Bush; it was scary. Two years later, Newt Gingrich led the “Republican Revolution” that ended the 40 year stranglehold on the House by the Democrats, and the party polarization escalated further. Impeachment in 1998, the electoral standoff and accusations of “stolen election” in 2000, John Kerry’s ridiculous attempt to claim the same…
America is in the grip of a nationwide OCD cycle. Round and round, more and more intense, no escape in sight. We either break the cycle and let the intensity dissipate, or emotions will blow up…broadly, and badly. We saw acts of violence in 2004, and even more of it this year so far.
I earnestly pray that no harm comes to any candidate, before or after the election. I’m sure there are those whose feelings against Obama are so out there that they’d do him harm if they could…but I have yet to see any public mention of it. The threats against Palin, on the other hand, are all too public, and if I were one of her Secret Service people I’d be armed for bear…and wolves…and elephants…and submarines….
I know Gov. Palin can, for the most part, fend for herself. She will rise or fall based on her performance this fall. She doesn’t scare easily, and she’s already acquired a substantial roster of enemies. But to my knowledge, none of her Alaska foes want her dead.
I wish I could say the same of the nation, but I’ve seen too many comments online to doubt it.
At the moment, I’d almost prefer to be living in Iraq, where the citizens are trying to get along.
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09.11.08
Posted in Remembrance at 1:59 am by Sulla
I was checking out the site that gives me my weekly Bleach fix when I saw a curious press release link:
Dattebayo celebrates the passing of another 9/11
I couldn’t help but click, but I was anxious about what I would find. It’s been seven years since that dreadful morning, which seems both an eternity ago, and and also like only yesterday.
This of course may leave many of you surprised, shocked, and perhaps even offended by our implication that such events could ever be a cause for celebration. Many of you may have seen the title of this news post and instantly assumed that we meant to poke a sore spot.
Certainly, that site is known for poking sore spots.
Did they? You be the judge.
I can’t say I agree with all of it. But it gave me something to think about.
There is nothing to celebrate in the devastation that murdered thousands of our citizens and traumatized millions more. But the determination that rose from those ashes…the people on United flight 93 who fought back in the first battle of this war…the millions of Iraqis and Afghanis who no longer live under tyranny, struggling and not yet safe, but free…the members of our armed services and their families who have endured great hardships for tour after tour of duty, but so often reporting for hard duty with a genuine commitment to the mission and the people who depend upon it…
For too many, that day is a dim memory. Too many have twisted it to fit their warped concept of the country and its place in the world.
But there is indeed, much to celebrate. In our sorrow, there remains much to be grateful for. In our remembrance of that day, may we remember the things that gave us comfort: family, friends, faith, freedom. Remembering our national heritage of wiping away the blood, standing fast, and pressing forward when we have been knocked down. Remembering a brief, shining moment when much of the world rose and said, “today we are all Americans.” Some have not backed down from that, and we have discovered and rediscovered friends the world over.
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09.10.08
Posted in Politics at 11:26 pm by Sulla
Please forgive the stroll down memory lane…
The day after Super Tuesday, which now seems a lifetime ago, it was obvious that John McCain would be the GOP nominee. There were a couple of folks who didn’t get the memo: Ron Paul, who has since completely left the reservation; and Mike Huckabee, who apparently never got the memo that Mitt Romney had dropped out in February, and kept campaigning against him right up to (and during) the GOP convention.
The “race” for the vice presidency began almost immediately. When Huckabee finally conceded to McCain about five weeks after Super Tuesday, he had more delegates than Romney, but hadn’t caught up to him in the popular vote. Why did this matter? Because there were fans of both candidates who spent months pressing for their guy’s “right” to the vice-presidency, and laughing at the other guy’s “pitiful claims” to same. Not surprisingly, there were other names floated as well: Rudy Giuliani, who had appeared with McCain on the Tonight Show after the Florida primary; Tim Pawlenty, the Evangelical governor of a battleground state who lacked Huckabee’s charisma but also his negatives; Tom Ridge, former governor and Homeland Security secretary; Joe Lieberman, Al Gore’s running mate turned 9/11 Independent. Other names occasionally popped up, like Florida governor Charlie Crist, Fred! Thompson, former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, football star turned congressman Lyn Swann, former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, McCain’s own ninety-something mother (to defuse the “he’s so ooooold!” charge), Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, and…
Anyone else I missed? Well, I did get a few feelers, but I think Maverick was just buttering me up for a donation. (Note to self: if the sucking-up comes Bulk Rate, don’t get your hopes up.)
For months there was noisy, sometimes entertaining but more often tedious, debate about the best person for the job. Romney seemed to gather more interest as the months wore on, but the opposition to him was loud and implacable. Trial balloons were floated almost daily, and most were shot down with extreme prejudice. When Obama picked Joe Biden, the question boiled down to “safe pick” or “risky pick”. The safe pick seemed to be Tim Pawlenty, boring but stable. The risky pick – and McCain’s preference – was Lieberman, his longtime friend.
There was one other name that kept popping up, but was considered a longshot. The young governor of a small, non-battleground state; evangelical; a bit of a maverick. High school sports star, avid hunter, demonstrably pro-life. Married 20 years, telegenic kids, oldest son in the Army about to deploy to Iraq. Cheerful disposition, but with a fierce side that often left adversaries, including those in her own party, wondering what hit them.
The final list always included this governor, a favorite among many of the grass roots folks and online political addicts, but almost completely unknown to the country at large.
So, the morning after the Democratic National Convention and Senator Obama’s Olympian performance, it was a bit of a bombshell when John McCain appeared on the big stage in Dayton Ohio with Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee (the Israel and Palestine of the GOP)…and introduced his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska – a moose-hunting “naughty librarian” with a stiletto tongue and an aversion to Hillary-esque pantsuits.
Prior to this announcement, a whole lot of Republicans were already maneuvering for the 2012 election, because 2008 looked hopeless: Old and Busted on the right versus New Hotness on the far, far left. But a funny thing happened on the way to the coronation: John McCain’s pick was so unexpected, such a “maverick” move that nonetheless appealed to the GOP base, that the entire tone of the general election changed in a heartbeat.
I’m young enough still that I was hoping it would be a while before I saw a candidate for President who could have been in my high school yearbook. Now, one way or the other, I’m almost guaranteed it. The race to November still has a lot of potential twists and turns, but after months of electoral malaise, the race is exciting again.
Governors Palin and Jindal represent the future of the GOP – a future that came sooner than I expected. The last time the Republicans put up someone this young and unknown was Dan Quayle in 1988…and it basically ruined his career. A promising young senator became “no Jack Kennedy” and the guy who couldn’t spell POTATO but could make Murphy Brown a political issue. He was the proto-Dubya, without the Texas twang or the quick and self-deprecating wit…and it cost him in the long run.
I had similar concerns about Palin, but so far I’ve been impressed by her resilience (of which more in a future post). Whether or not McCain wins in November, Palin’s looking good as a long-term presence in Republican politics.
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Posted in Administration, Navel Gazing at 8:23 pm by Sulla
You ever have that kind of summer where you forget your passwords, and your password manager went bye-bye in the hard disk crash? (at least the music library was backed up…)
Yeeeeeah. Been one of those.
Now that I can access my own blog again, I’ll play a bit of catch-up with one or more (brief) posts about where we are now and how we got here, my thoughts on the nominees and their VP picks, and my projections for November.
Because I know that the conversation can’t really begin until I have spoken…and once I’ve spoken, there is little left to say.
Being the Final Word has its advantages, but it stinks for carrying on a conversation. I’ll try not to be quite so profound and wise.
Joe, can you hand me a shovel?
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