What An Asshole

5.27.2005
Ore : 10:01 PM

Just a quick note to back up something briefly mentioned in an earlier comment:

"The governor, asked Thursday whether the stealth schedule suggested he has been bothered by his vocal opponents, blithely dismissed them, saying most 'are paid by the unions to protest.'" San Francisco Chronicle

Wait a minute. This guy says he grew up around socialism but he has no fucking clue how organized labor operates?

Maybe the steroids have impaired his cognitive functions: Arnold, we pay unions. They don't pay us.

Hey Texas, Florida, somebody...Want a new governor?


posted by teh l4m3 at 10:01 PM | Permalink | 8 be jibber-jabberin'

"Arnold for President...of Austria"


Ore : 11:02 AM

Just so you know, Wednesday was awesome. There were easily 10,000 or more teachers, state workers, nurses, firefighters, cops and more all kicking the Governator's butt to kingdom come. Those of you who watched KCRA at 5:00 might have gotten a taste of the media lowball vs. reality when Dan Shively in the helicopter dropped some mad science on the smug Walt Gray's oily pate.

Why we were protesting:


  • *Arnie's petty power grab by way of special elections that will cost Cali $70 million that could obviously be better used to help our schools or infrastructure...Or even (gasp!) to help pay back all those millions he borrowed from teachers' pensions.

  • *The governator consistently screws over the public sector to line his fatcat friends' pockets. He says he supports Main Street, but robs Main Street to subsidize Wall Street.

  • *The real biggie: DO NOT THINK YOU CAN PROMISE NOT TO CUT EDUCATION FUNDS AND THEN CUT THEM, WITHOUT EVERYONE TELLING YOU HASTA LA VISTA, BONEHEAD.

  • *Oh, and knock off the neverending fundraising and get back to the job we elected you to do. Unless you're going to turn over those millions you've raised to improve our healthcare, our roads, and our schools.

Some of My Favorite Signs: Mine was a simple little "California's future is not for sale!"; I marched with the CSEA blue-shirts (go classifieds!). Some were straightforward: "3rd Graders are My Special Interest" (she was an old lady, so no snickering, no Jacko jokes, please), "Educators are Real Action Heroes." Others were more clever: "Terminate the Terminator," "Quit Groping Our Schools!," "Arnold for President...of Austria!"

There was lots of creativity, lots of positive energy, and lots of really hot firefighters. And quite a few of the capitol staffers came to the windows to show their support! It was a wonderful experience, and we've been getting quite a lot of evening news coverage (very smart to do it on a Wednesday, come to think of it...)

Sorry to keep rambling. Just wanted to thank any and all Kossacks who were there, and the groups I spotted personally who I can remember off the top of my head:

CSEA, CWA, Fresno Firefighters, NEA, CTA, and many many more. Good work folks.

Solidarity rocks!

See the yellow circle? That's me!


posted by teh l4m3 at 11:02 AM | Permalink | 3 be jibber-jabberin'

Friends, Romans, Lend Me Your Neurons

5.26.2005
Ore : 9:12 AM

1. Holla: Sacramento was awesome. Don't believe anyone who said there were only few hundred folks there; there were easily 10-12,000. And we kicked ass. Oh, and the firefighters were hot! More on the anti-Governator rally later...

2. Nifty Science: Apparently, humans have clusters of cells in their brains known as mirror neurons, which enable empathy and the ability to put oneself in another's shoes. Damage or deficiency among these mirror neurons may explain autism. An almost complete lack of these neurons may explain sociopathy and Republicanism.

3. Right Wing Hatery: Some hella ignant bitch-asses in Durham, NC, have decided it was high time to burn some crosses (shout-out to pamindurham for the heads-up). A couple on people's private property, one at an Episcopalian church that was known for being gay friendly. Now, I know some of you are thinking "well, it is North Carolina, after all." Apparently, though, Durham is a pretty "blue" town, and the mayor says he hasn't seen this sort of thing since '68...I wonder if PlanetOut News can make hay of this?

posted by teh l4m3 at 9:12 AM | Permalink | 1 be jibber-jabberin'

"I'll Be Backhanded"

5.24.2005
Ore : 7:36 AM

Despite my horrific, disfiguring sunburn, I'm headed to Sacramento tomorrow with thousands of other civic-minded and civilized Californians to kick some sand in the Governator's direction.

Some sign ideas:

Hasta La Vista, Baby!

Stop Groping Our Schools!

And that decent general-purpose standby: Resisting the Austro-Hungarian Empire!

Visual only: Cheney working Bush's puppet strings, who in turn is working Ah-nuld's

Yes, I am now soliciting sign and chant ideas...

posted by teh l4m3 at 7:36 AM | Permalink | 2 be jibber-jabberin'

Crap, I Really Don't Want This To Be True...

5.21.2005
Ore : 9:09 AM

Yes, I ever-so-briefly thought it creepily convenient that Marla Ruzicka was killed by a carbomb just as she had been uncovering information on the killings of Iraqi civilians. Right away I brushed any suspicions off as symptomatic of the heightened level of paranoia this administration seems to require Americans to feel these days. I never gave it another thought...

...Until I read Riverbend's latest post, in which, a few paragraphs down, she alludes to rumors that have apparently been floating around Iraq for quite some time -- rumors that, in many cases, the rash of carbombings that have been plaguing Iraq are actually being conducted by local patsies for the U.S. And now there's this from the CBC.

And I've got that same sinking feeling all over again. The one I had when I first heard about abuses in Guantanamo Bay and other detention facilities -- long, long before Hersh's Abu Ghraib story broke.

I really don't want this to be true. But it's a sad day when, thanks to this administration's track record to date, I can't bring myself to put it past them.

Of course, the first question that could come to any skeptically minded person is "Why would they do this?" To believe these rumors, one would have to first believe that the White House is best served by a perpetuation of chaos in the area -- that they would most definitely not be well served if all factions in Iraq could put aside their differences long enough to unanimously oppose American occupation.

Regardless, I suppose it doesn't really matter whether or not it's true, or whether or not we believe it. Due to America's storied past in the region, BushCo.'s scoreboard vis a vis the truth, and the current war in Iraq, most people in the Middle East are predisposed to believe warnings like these (also in Arabic) without reservation. Meaning that Bush's ostensible reasons for being there -- spreading democracy and freedom, blah-blah-blah -- will automatically become that much harder to achieve.

I'll be keeping an eye on Juan Cole to see what's up. He's always a good go-to guy for this kind of stuff...

posted by teh l4m3 at 9:09 AM | Permalink | 0 be jibber-jabberin'

OMG!!! teh g4yZ!!!

5.20.2005
Ore : 10:41 AM

This is second only to a certain walk of shame (which shall for now remain unrecounted) among the gayest things I've ever done:

Quizilla Friday: Which Incarnation of Joan Crawford Are You?


HASH(0x8b7c5e0)
You are Beth Austin (This Woman is Dangerous)-- You
are a stylish dame with a stylish name. You
live by jungle law in a big city and claw your
way to the top! You live a life of crime and
gangsters. You fell in love with a crook and
have been trying to help him.


Which incarnation of Joan Crawford are you?
brought to you by Quizilla


Needless to say, you'd better watch your step, Christina...You ungrateful little bitch!

(Thanks to Jeff at "Here's one..." for the heads-up)

posted by teh l4m3 at 10:41 AM | Permalink | 5 be jibber-jabberin'

Thursday Flower Blogging

5.19.2005
Ore : 11:31 AM

Quick note: Petunias doing fine, save for some odd white spots:



But the cat broke off one of our lovely roses at the base:



That's okay, though; with a little of this, a little of that, I made do:



And yes, I know my camera sucks

P.S. Blast from the past: A sassy young man with a fierce blond page-boy and a penchant for tights finds himself far away from his home on Eternia. What's he to do? Why, start a fabulous secret journal, of course! Shhh...pass it on...

posted by teh l4m3 at 11:31 AM | Permalink | 1 be jibber-jabberin'

Damn, I Guess the '80s Really Are Back...

5.18.2005
Ore : 9:08 AM

One of my fondest and most politically incendiary childhood memories is of watching, with my grandmother, many high and mighty Republican mucketymucks squirm and squirm during the Iran/Contra hearings.

A couple of glancing blows were meted out on behalf of democracy, and America, and we got to see Ollie North brought low (albeit temporarily) for being the traitor that he is.

Unfortunately, the hearings never did yield enough meat for my taste. And many of the men who should have fallen on the sword that skewered Cousin Oliver got to live to grift another day.

As DailyKos diarist Jim Riggs points out, that day may be today. Too many stories have been coming out lately that cite U.S. military being caught involved in (gasp!) coke smuggling. And of course, there's Negroponte, as wiley and kicking as ever, apparently up to his old tricks.

Go read "'There's Something's Happening Here'," read the links contained therein, and decide for yourself if we should expect to see an encore performance of Reagan's "I Don't Recall" by the infamous Uncurious George come 2007...

posted by teh l4m3 at 9:08 AM | Permalink | 1 be jibber-jabberin'

Happy Friday the 13th

5.13.2005
Ore : 6:42 AM

This morning is sunny and bright. The birds are chirping, the cats are lounging, and the dogs are doing whatever skeevy thing it is that dogs do. Not a day for Master Vorhees to go slashing about -- no sir!

Traditionally, Fridays that fall on the 13th of any month have been rather pleasant for me. Things go the way I want, and nothing bad ever happens. One of my fondest Friday the 13th memories takes me back to the tender age of 14, when I had a wonderful day at school which included finding a dollar while randomly flipping through a library book.

I intend to use this day to write and garden, like any sane person would. The sunflowers could stand some more fertilizer. And maybe I can get that arbor up by the barn.

And if Fridays that fall on the 13th are traditionally unlucky, ill-starred, or otherwise bad days for you, my condolences. In such a case, perhaps wallowing in how much worse off some folks other than you are right now would do you a world of good.

Tra-la-la-la-la...

posted by teh l4m3 at 6:42 AM | Permalink | 0 be jibber-jabberin'

Support KRAFT: 1-800-323-0768

5.11.2005
Ore : 9:01 AM

It's that time again: The AFA (link not safe for the only marginally sane) are yet again up to their old nutball trick of flooding a company with phone calls and e-mails to protest yet another bete noir of the American Taliban. What is it this time? Why, Kraft and its sponsorship of the 2005 Gay Games, of course!

What can you do? Phone (1-800-323-0768) or e-mail Kraft your words of support for their policy and thanks for their progressive stance. You may not like Velveeta -- you may even roll your eyes at the Gay Games (I'm looking at you, Gay Shame!) -- but this is a matter of principle.

Also, from all I can gather, phone calls are more effective than e-mailing, but feel free to do both. I did, and my waistline shrunk two sizes and my skin is more glowing than it was when I was 16!

Okay, not really...

(Thanks to JamesB3 at DailyKos. Thanks, James!)

posted by teh l4m3 at 9:01 AM | Permalink | 1 be jibber-jabberin'

I Don't Give A Shit That Nobody Asked...

5.09.2005
Ore : 2:58 PM

...If it's good enough for Norbizness...

A. Top 5 Lyrics That Move Your Heart: Blech, starting off in the 5-hanky quarter of Guiltypleasureville, are we? Fine: 1. "Winter" -- Tori Amos (um...) 2. "Which Will" -- Nick Drake (cringe) 3. "Blue" -- Joni Mitchell (whimper) 4. "Time" -- Tom Waits (please let me stop) 5. "St. Ide's Heaven" -- Elliot Smith (Christ, can I go now???)

B. Top 5 Instrumentals: Not much into instrumentals, but whatevs...1. The score for Soderbergh's version of Solaris, which is now for some reason in a commercial for satellite something-or-others (what? what are you looking at?) 2. Score for Spirited Away (despite regrettably saccharine moments) 3. Score for Dr. Zhivago (I was terribly young and impressionable when I saw this) 4. Luis Bacalov's "The Grand Duel" 5. Score from Fargo.

C. Top 5 Live Musical Experiences: 1. Hole, Osaka, 1994 (no, I didn't get hit by a tweak sweat-soaked mic stand, despite my appearance) 2. Every time the Ex-Boyfriends play the Eagle, of course 3. Yoko Nagayama in Kyoto, 1995. 4. Olivia Newton John at Feather Rivers Casino, this year (my b-day!) 5. Hedwig, San Francisco, 1999.

D. Top 5 Artists I Think More People Should Listen To: 1. Iron & Wine 2. Figurine (pimping for Senor Forster, as always) 3. Ex-Boyfriends 3. Aislers Set 4. The Shirelles 5. Dolly Parton (there's no such thing as too much!).

E. Top 5 Albums You Must Hear From Start to Finish: 1. "Sweet Dreams Are Made of This" by Eurythmics 2. "London Calling" by The Clash 3. "Pink Moon" by Nick Drake 4. "Homophonic" by Bjork 5. "9 to 5 and Odd Jobs" by Dolly Parton.

OK, that was pointless.



posted by teh l4m3 at 2:58 PM | Permalink | 0 be jibber-jabberin'

Happy Mother's Day, You Shits.

5.08.2005
Ore : 7:15 PM

It's been 28 years since I slithered out of her uterus and began ruining her life. In celebration, we enjoyed a casino buffet -- including chocolate cake and "endless champagne." Cold comfort, you ingrateful fucknuggets!

Okay, less channeling my mom, more gooey goodness mañana...

posted by teh l4m3 at 7:15 PM | Permalink | 0 be jibber-jabberin'

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