Arkansas Traveling

As previously referenced, I'll be driving through beautiful East Texas on Thursday with an overnight in Little Rock, spending Friday morning touring the Clinton Library and Friday evening watching the University of Arkansas Razorbacks (or Ladybacks) take on the Georgia Bulldogs (or Lady Bulldogs) in a SEC women's volleyball matchup. #4 is the oldest child of my youngest brother and the team's MVP.

On the weekend our options include attending the Arkansas -- Tennessee-Chattanooga football tilt or the Bikes, Blues, and BBQ rally on Saturday, then watching the Ladybacks on Sunday afternoon versus the Auburn Tigers (or Tigerettes) and returning to Texas Monday.

Once again please don't let any hurricanes come through Houston while we're away. (Y'all didn't do a very good job last month when we learned Humberto was coming while we were at the airport.)

I won't be taking any coats and ties to wear. I will be test-driving the Laptop Connect card I recently acquired for on-the-go-surfing in places that time forgot. So expect to see sporadic but not spasmodic blogging.

(I hate that word "spasmodic". It always makes me envision someone having an epileptic seizure. Or some poor woman who can't stop menstruating.)

Lest We Forget

Rush Pigbaugh failed to serve his country in Vietnam because he had a boil on his ass.

VoteVets.org puts the wood to him:



Who's the phony now?

HRC: LOL

I have previously come clean on my distaste for Madam Clinton as the Democratic nominee, but that's almost purely pragmatic. She's too conservative for my taste, and she's far too beholden to the corporate POV, and yes, she is going to be toxic to every other Democrat on the ballot with her, particularly throughout the South.

I thought The Laugh was fake and forced when I heard it several times last week, as Hillary made the rounds of the Sunday Morning Talking Heads. If it makes other people feel like I do -- a little uncomfortable with the phoniness -- then she may have a real problem.

Emphasis on May.

I think it walks right up to the edge of misogyny, though, to call her laugh a cackle. See, witches cackle. As we move toward Halloween, it's inevitable now that we're going to see some little kids (and some not-so-little ones) dressed up as Hillary the Witch, pointy hat and broom, cackling. That's fine; jocularity and biting humor and all.

But I really don't want to see the Beltway pundits start to pull out words like 'cackle', because words like 'bitch' will shortly follow. And worse. That's not even safe ground for the Faux News pimps.

I'm calling bullshit now on our media trying to make that her meme.

The G.O.D. Party (not the GOP)

I wrote previously about the possibility of third-party challenges in 2008, but I admit I never thought the fundies would get so fed up they would feel like quitting:

Some of the nation's most politically influential conservative Christians, alarmed by the prospect of a Republican presidential nominee who supports abortion rights, are considering backing a third-party candidate.

More than 40 Christian conservatives attended a meeting Saturday in Salt Lake City to discuss the possibility, and planned more gatherings on how they should move forward, according to Richard A. Viguerie, the direct-mail expert and longtime conservative activist.

As if the Republicans didn't have enough problems. On the other hand: Forty folks? As Arlo Guthrie sang in "Alice's Restaurant", ten more and people may think it's a movement.

Since Rudy 9/11 is an abortionist and neither Grandpa Fred nor Mitt the Flip-Flopper are Christians, and with Newt out suddenly, the God Squad is going to have to rely on the appearance of another saviour in 2008. And prayer ain't workin' for them.

I only wish these poor fools had decided to do this in the Eighties. You know, before the Reagan Revolt.

1,153 and $159,041

Our little portal collected 812 of those, and $141,489.16.

Rick thanks you, and we thank you.



"Now with this new dimension in American politics, the netroots allows for regular folks like me who have devoted their lives to public service to step forward and stand for higher office.


No longer do you have to be a celebrity or a self-financed millionaire to offer yourself for public service.


The netroots, in large part, have leveled the playing field.


The netroots component is going to be a critical piece to defeating John Cornyn and getting the state and nation back on track after this administration has so misled us."


Update (6:30 p.m.): Noriega raised a total of $570,000 for the quarter just ended. The netroots contribution was 27.9% of that tally.