Puma

This is a puma.
It is a large cat native to N. and S. America
It can go by other names depending on the region, such as Mountain Lion.
Like all big cats, their numbers are not good, but the outlook is moderately more positive than it used to be.



This is also a Puma, though of a different kind.


Note! None of these Puma's are crazy ladies who have joined some dead-end cult of personality. Also note! There are only 12 of these people in existence, and all 12 will be multiplied by appearing on every single news outlet for the rest of the week.

Sign o' the Times

From the Kos, a listing of who's giving money via well known PAC's:

Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (lead sponsor)
2008: 59% Dems, 41% Reps
2006: 48% Dems, 48% Reps
2004: 39% Dems, 61% Reps
2002: 32% Dems, 68% Reps

National Association of Chain Drug Stores
2008: 66% Dems, 34% Reps
2006: 24% Dems, 75% Reps
2004: 22% Dems, 78% Reps
2002: 40% Dems, 60% Reps

ClearChannel
2008: 54% Dems, 46% Reps
2006: 40% Dems, 60% Reps
2004: 38% Dems, 62% Reps
2002: 38% Dems, 62% Reps

Federation of American Hospitals
2008: 54% Dems, 46% Reps
2006: 35% Dems, 64% Reps
2004: 40% Dems, 60% Reps
2002: 31% Dems, 69% Reps

Duke Energy
2008: 39% Dems, 61% Reps
2006: 26% Dems, 74% Reps
2004: 24% Dems, 76% Reps
2002: 30% Dems, 70% Reps

National Association of Home Builders
2008: 45% Dems, 55% Reps
2006: 45% Dems, 55% Reps
2004: 33% Dems, 67% Reps
2002: 38% Dems, 62% Reps

US Chamber of Commerce
2008: 39% Dems, 61% Reps
2006: 18% Dems, 82% Reps
2004: 24% Dems, 76% Reps
2002: 10% Dems, 90% Reps

American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (Coal industry front group)

Lockheed Martin
2008: 57% Dems, 43% Reps
2006: 42% Dems, 58% Reps
2004: 41% Dems, 59% Reps
2002: 39% Dems, 61% Reps

Daimler
2008: 48% Dems, 52% Reps
2006: 35% Dems, 65% Reps
2004: 32% Dems, 68% Reps
2002: 41% Dems, 59% Reps

AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
2008: 45% Dems, 55% Reps
2006: 28% Dems, 72% Reps
2004: 30% Dems, 70% Reps
2002: 30% Dems, 70% Reps

Amgen
2008: 45% Dems, 55% Reps
2006: 34% Dems, 65% Reps
2004: 27% Dems, 73% Reps
2002: 25% Dems, 74% Reps

Verisign
2008: 47% Dems, 53% Reps
2006: 21% Dems, 79% Reps
2004: 37% Dems, 63% Reps
2002: 55% Dems, 45% Reps

Kos seems to think this indicates a bad thing. I think it indicates the true trend of this election, where people speak with money, and money seldom lies. As with our good friend T.Boone, here's another macro level trend that speaks much more informatively than the daily tracking polls.

Obama VP selection

Who'd a thunk it?

Obama-Craig!


America's Wide Stance

My New Bestest Most Favoritest Photo EVAH!

This about sums up everything for me. Enjoy!

Passing Go

So far, the "House" attack seems to be working. Let's see if McCain's "I hate to refer to my time as a POW" POW defense works, again.

Or, is this the turning point? Where the false Maverick persona washes away to reveal a singularly ambitious rich man who's out to help his rich friends?

Stay tuned!

Safe as Seven Houses

I know, I know, any of us in "Streets Paved with Gold" America could forget how many houses we own on any given day. I mean, it's hard work keeping track of that stuff, not to even mention the houses for the kids.


But, as an interesting test of our "Liberal Media", let us see how this story goes -- the story of a rich man from a rich family who dumped a faithful wife for an even richer (and much younger) woman. Let us note how often the hypocrisy of this man calling Barack Obama an "elitist" is pointed out.

Odds are, despite the Democrats attempts to push this issue, it will quickly fade away, abetted by the MSM.


Note! Not that there's anything wrong with owning 4, or 7, or 11 houses. By all means, go for it! But please, don't then call the guy raised by a single white woman an "elitist".

Alas, facts are optional in our new Conservative forged world...

Meesa Back!

Hmmm. I went on vacation the same time as Obama. In fact, Obama and I have never been seen in the same place at the same time.

Hmmm.

Fleeing to Canada

Terribly cliche I know, but if McSame wins this election, I'm moving to Canada. ;)


Not really.

But that's where I'll be on vacation for a week, faithful readers. With no Internet! Egads, I don't know if I will survive the vapors I'm surely to feel, but if I do, I'll report back in a week.

Till then: Obama 08!

Something to be proud of

Here's something to be proud of, America! We lead the world in Halloween costumes, and remain on the cutting edge of new and bold designs.

Check out this topical number, sure to get any kid a one way ticket to candy Heaven!

Looney Land

One of the most amazing things the modern Republican party (or at least a subset of it) has done over the past 30 years (see, credit where credit is due!) is to completely dominate the framing of issues to the public.

We don't debate reality, the facts, or the truth; we debate versions of these things, slanted towards the Republican's viewpoint.

This leads to ever greater heights of absurdity, and with our boy Bush generally trashing everything they've worked so hard to build over the past 30 years, the absurdity becomes more apparent.

For example, this cartoon, which aptly sums up the reality of the past 30 years, and puts that reality into the context of today:

That the Republicans bank -- literally, a foundation - on the mantra of attacking their Democratic opponents as "Tax and Spend" liberals. Forget the truth, reality, facts, all of that: They'll say this whether it's true or not, and they will repeat it ad inifinitum.

The truth is of course the Repugs are Spend and Spend politicians, and no average American household could operate this way.

So, the question is: Why does this falsehood continue to live? Why does it still have currency.

Search your feelings, and you will find the answer.

You stay classy, RNC

Oh, isn't this special? Straight from the RNC website (no link, would not want to send anyone there). They're making fun of Obama's vacation!


Classy, huh? A campaign run on mockery and lies.

That's your modern Republican party, people!

Proud to be an American

"Where at least I know I'm free..."



Free from what, exactly? Unreasonable searches and seizures? Warrantless invasions of your privacy? Torture? Forged documents? Lies leading to wars? Government run as a private profit center? What exactly makes you proud of anything these two guys and the various cronies they've enriched have done?


I will say this: Destruction is necessary for Creation. And the past 8 years might -- in the long run - be worth if it brings about Obama and the changing of the World - for the better.

Chaos

I've never played, but Dungeons and Dragons has what I think is an interesting way of thinking about Good and Evil with their "Alignments" -- Lawful Good (Superman), Chaotic Good (Robin Hood), Lawful Evil (Palpatine), Chaotic Evil (Loki, or, The Joker), among them.

In the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight -- which I HIGHLY recommend - The Joker played by Heath Ledger is Chaotic Evil like I've never seen on the screen before. Pure chaos towards an evil end.

But chaos need not be evil, though I suspect much of what we think of conventionally as "evil", is actually instead, Chaos - Shit Happens, in other words. And because we seem to inherently view the world as personified with human emotions, we tend to see chaos in nature as bad, or "evil".

The questions I have about Chaos tend towards the objective (i.e. scientific), and not the specifics of human values. People like order, and dislike chaos; but does nature have a preference?

Is our reality "ordered" or "chaotic"?


My answer is: All is order; the appearance of chaos simply means you cannot perceive the order within.

Your answer may vary.

Redshirt Soliloquy #3

In an ongoing series of posts highlighting all of the various joys and, yes, agonies of being a Redshirt, I give you the concept "Expendable".

Make no mistake, we're all expendable. In fact, we are expendable by design, as the genes which use us as gettin' around machines move on to another machine once our gears get gummed up. In more overt car terms, we're all Chrysler K Cars, and the only true, objective measure of whether we did our job or not is the answer to the question: Did you deliver the package?

The package is your genes. You are the courier. Once you deliver your package, you are henceforth, expendable. If you never deliver your package, you are always expendable.


Cheery, eh? So go in good spirits into the black void, come what may, because once you accept the idea that you're truly expendable, you are liberated. Free to go on any Away Mission, secure in the knowledge that you are doomed. It's just a matter of when.

Wax is for Anthrax

There are several threads coming undone in the grand deception which is the Bush presidency; one of the most alarming is the case of the anthrax attacks of 2001, which are now being conveniently pinned to a recent suicide.

Check out the excellent Glenn Greenwald at Salon for the latest details on this case. Basically, the Feds are desperately looking for a patsy, and they think they've got their guy -- will it hold up?

And if he is a patsy, who is the Government protecting? Hmmmm.

Couple this will Ron Suskind's new book which claims the famous "Atta in Prague" story was a complete fabrication of the Bush Admin and a damning, criminal, impeachable act if true.

But even if it's true, what's gonna happen? There's only 6 months left for these criminals -- better to just get over this nightmare, or should we as a country hound these bastards into jail?


Pragmatically, I fall on the "do nothing for now" side of the argument, since I worry -- maybe rightly, maybe paranoically -- that Bush et al are not going to give up power. That a pack of scoundrels this criminal are capable of anything -- fake terrorist attack before the election, for instance. Nothing is beyond them. So, as I see it now, let's not back them into a corner. Let them see an escape route, and take it. Get them out of power, get Obama in power, let him start cleaning the stables, and THEN proceed to prosecute the crimes of this Administration.

Bring tha Noise!

AntiChristastic!

And? Obama is also the AntiChrist. Maybe. Or Paris Hilton. Or a troop hating 3 point machine.

Mockery

It's become fairly clear that the Repuglican's main strategy for the 2008 Presidential election is to mock, mock, and mock some more. There does not seem to be any other strategy or even motivation than mockery.

Take this charming image, an actual fundraising image from McSame's website. They - the entire Repug operation - are mocking Obama for suggesting that everyone ensure their tires are properly inflated and their cars properly tuned in order to save gasoline.

Ha! Can you believe it! Simple steps that anyone could -- and should - do to save themselves money, and save our nation money? What a riot! What a joke! Of course, the Repugs are lying about Obama's position, suggesting that this is the only idea he's offered. But what are lies to Repuglicans? Just tools of the trade.

But gosh! Look at this:

The Bush administration estimates that expanded offshore drilling could increase oil production by 200,000 barrels per day by 2030. We use about 20 million barrels per day, so that would meet about 1% of our demand two decades from now. Meanwhile, efficiency experts say that keeping tires inflated can improve gas mileage by 3%, and regular maintenance can add another 4%. Many drivers already follow their advice, but if everyone else did, we could reduce demand several percentage points immediately. In other words: Obama is right.

In other words, if we all followed Obama's advice to check our tires and engine operation, we could reduce our use of oil as a nation by 7%, immediately. This would have an immediate effect on the cost of gas as well.


But of course, that's ludicrous. Let's start drilling instead.

"Respectful" campaign

Yeah, I can see how Ms. Hilton and Barack Obama have a lot in common......


Right.

McCain stated he wanted a "respectful", civil campaign. Yet all I've seen coming from his side is disrespect, and outright contempt.

Find out for yourself! Note how often he says hes "disappointed" in Obama, or disturbed. He offers to go to Iraq with him to "educate" him. His ads are obviously disrespectful. I suspect the truth is McCain does not personally think Obama should be running for President.

Hence, he's "presumptuous" , but let's cut to the chase and call him "uppity".

It's Rove 101, of course, but it's particularly galling this time.

My Own Private Gondolin

Much like Turgon dreaming of Ulmo, I have a vision of a fortress in the forested woods, far from man and his many fancies, on the South side of a mountain, shielded to the West and to the South by other mountains, off the grid yet fully powered by new technologies (wind, solar, geothermal), waiting for That Day, the day Melkor the Morgoth's metaphorical hordes are unleashed on an unsuspecting world.

But I suspected it! And in my woodsy redoubt I will gather strength in preparation for this day, waiting for the fires to simmer before coming down the mountain, bearing HOPE....


Yeah. Gotta stop reading Tolkien.

Also, due to lack of funds, my future Gondolin will look nothing like the building in this picture (The Keck Observatory in Hawai'i). But boy wouldn't it be sweet?!

Really Big Thing

I keep telling "them" -- this rock n' roll thing is going to be huge some day. Especially Grunge.