Terror at 30,000 Words Per Minute.
Ok so we all have irrational fears. Mouse’s is being dipped into liquid nitrogen. Andy’s used to be being abducted by aliens. These are things that we know will never happen to us and we have no reason to fear them but we do anyway.
My irrational fear is this: to be sitting alone in a room and sneeze and to have someone say “bless you.”
So tonight I was sitiing at my computer talking with my friend Andy when all of a sudden I get a weird text message. I didn’t think anything of it until I mentioned it to him and then this happened (spelling errors left in to provide for atmosphere and mood):
Always Be A Little In Love With Death.
This is a total girl post. I was randomly rewatching Paris, Texas yesterday and I was reminded of the major crush I have on Dean Stockwell. It crested when I saw him play Edmund in Long Day’s Journey Into Night.
This scene is his character’s little monologue and my favorite part of the movie.
Ah, Fuck.
George Carlin died today. I found out on Twitter by TweetJeebus who reported to have seen Carlin pass by the pearly gates. This surprised TweetJeebus quite a bit.
George Carlin was a counterculture icon but by the time I could appreciate him, he was a staple to the comedy world. I remember first hearing “The Seven Dirty Words You Can’t Say On Television” in high school and laughing my ass off. I remember hearing about how “pro-life is anti-woman” and falling a little in love.
But I never thought that Carlin was a sensationalist. I’ve heard that said about him, first from my parents then from others as I grew up. Carlin may have liked the spotlight but that didn’t mean he lacked a point. He took his obscenity case (F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation) all the way to the Supreme Court.
Carlin didn’t believe in God or humanity. His main point in life was that humanity would be ending soon and that no one would miss us when we were gone. All the most sacred things were absolutely nothing to him. There wasn’t any topic too sore for him to tackle. He hated religion and championed a woman’s right to choose. And he didn’t care what anyone thought. This was even more obvious in his later years.
The last time I saw him was in “The Aristocrats” and he was giving his version of the joke. If you haven’t seen it, go buy it now. Carlin’s the first comedian in front of the camera and his corn-gargling is grade A.
This is one of my favorite little stand up bits from him. I was shocked and a little too surprised to hear about George Carlin’s death but it’s never good hearing that someone so great is gone. My friend Andy said to me, “I guess this is when you know you’re older, when everyone you love just dies.”
Turning Texas Blue or: How To Break It To Your State That Its Kitten Is Dying.
Tonight, in South Texas, Laredo for Obama held its first meeting since the senator secured the nomination for the Democratic Party. The meeting was attended by several local elected officials who made sure to glad hand everyone they could and generally make it appear as though they were on the Obama boat the entire time.
Wondering about the thinly veiled passive aggression? See my blog post, Pandemonium, Politically Speaking.
But the speeches made tonight were all about uniting South Texas under the Democratic banner of Obama, which is what we’ve all been waiting for since Super Tuesday (practically). So the assembled Obama supporters and I all had a collective sigh of relief.
The best speaker of the night had to be David Almaraz, president of the Laredo chapter of the ACLU. His impassioned speech on the dangers of allowing another conservative Supreme Court justice to acquire a seat reminded all of us of McCain’s comments on how the Supreme Court’s ruling on habeas corpus was “the worse decision” it had ever made.
That’s also factoring in Plessy v. Ferguson and the Dred Scott Decision. Apparently upholding the Constitution is worse than declaring a man to be 3/5th of a person.
Anyway.
So the question of the night turned into: can Texas go blue? Is it possible to rally the Democratic vote enough to support Obama and turn a traditionally red state Democratic?
The census tonight was that it is possible; if Obama is able to seriously court the South Texas Hispanic vote. If it’s possible to get all of those Hillary supporters that came out to vote for her on March 4th to respond in kind for Senator Obama, it might just tip the scales on election day.
Making it more plausible is the fact that a Hispanic named Rick Noriega is running against Republican Senator John Cornyn. Local Democratic officials feel that if the vote can be encouraged to put a Hispanic in the Senate, that might put out the vote for Obama come November. Many people vote straight Democrat without even bothering to consider the names.
So the serious effort begins this coming week to make Texas go blue. It’s a difficult thought to put your mind around.
I have hope though. Chris Rios told me that while visiting the Republican Convention in Austin two weeks ago the atmosphere could only be described as “quiet and church-like.”
The Democratic State Convention, however, was passionate and exciting. I saw video of Hillary and Obama supporters together chanting “we need change.”
If the momentum keeps up, I’ll do a victory dance come election day. Hopefully to the sight of a blue Texas on the media’s map.
God (Copy and) Save the MSN Conversation.
Mouse
You’re a regular Francis Scott Key.
Kristen
Yes epic song writing.
Mouse
You know who has an awesome national anthem?
Kristen
The French.
Mouse
Are you just guessing, or do you actually think La Marseille is good?
Kristen
I do.
There’s that great scene in Casablanca.
Viva France! Viva liberte!
Mouse
The only redeeming quality is its use in “All You Need is Love.”
Kristen
Oh, fuck you.
I love that anthem.
Mouse
The Mexican one is so dramatic and over the top,
and has both male and female parts.
It’s like the shemale of national anthems.
Also, Marvin Gaye’s take on the American national anthem is fucking arousing.
Kristen
Hahaha.
Yes, very anthemy.
Mouse
Seriously, the Marvin Gaye national anthem is the only fuckable national anthem.
Kristen
Let’s do it for America.
Is that a smooth little jazz beat going in the background?
Mouse
Haha.
Yeah.
It’s like the samba setting on an old keyboard.
This is like the only redeeming historical document of Mexico.
Everything else you can throw away.
Kristen
Ok give a name to this conversation.
Cause it’s probbly getting blogged. ….the anthem part anyway.
Mouse
What happens after normal people go to sleep.
Kristen
Not up to Mouseian standards.
That’s a word, btw.
Mouse
Yeah.
Gimme a minute.
La Mouseilles
God Save the MSN conversation.
Francis Scott Weeeeee!!!!!: On the subject of National anthems and transsexuals.
I don’t know. It’s almost 4 a.m.
Kristen
Excuses.
Mouse
If you’re looking for wit lady, we’re fresh out.
The wit was contaminated with salmonella.
Kristen
Oh, dear.
Mouse
We might die.
Although clearly, we have not been partaking of any wit recently so we should be safe.
Kiss My Ass, Bitch. I’ll Be at Duane’s.
# Volume II – Worst Song, Played on Ugliest Guitar
# Volume III – The Devil’s Dictionary
# Volume IV – Ten A.M. and Drunk as a Lord
# Volume V – An Empty Cup of Rum
# Volume VI – The Dude Is from Circumstances
# Volume VII –Kiss My Ass, Bitch. I’ll Be at Duane’s
Shock.
Tim Russert died at the very young age of 58 yesterday. To say it was a shock is obvious. I was glued to MSNBC for the better part of two hours. It was just so very sad realizing that while my weekly routine has now changed for the worse, this man’s family must be suffering a great deal.
Everyone was sharing their favorite Tim Russert moment. Quite a few pointed to the now famous “Florida Florida Florida” dry erase board.
Mine came very recently. Right after the North Carolina primary when it became apparent (to most, if not all) that Senator Barack Obama would be the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Tim Russert looked almost giddy into the camera and said something like, “I’d love to be teaching history tomorrow at some inner city school. This is history in the making.” He looked so very excited to be living in a historic moment, like he had the privilege of reporting on it when the pleasure was all ours.
I’ll miss him most this election season but really, broadcast news won’t be the same period.
Judge Antonin Scalia Is A Big, Fat Jerk or: Hooray, Bush Is Thwarted Again!
Okay, this post is a bit late but yay, habeas corpus is back! It lives! The Military Commission’s Act can take its cold dead hands away from its throat now.
*parades, dancing in the street and the Founding Father ceasing their turning over in the grave ensues*
Boumediene v. Bush gave captives held at Guantanamo Bay the ability to question the United States government on why they are being held prisoner. This constitutional right guaranteed by our Constitution has been denied to these prisoners for the last six years.
And yes, there has been much debate over whether the Geneva Convention and subsequent articles give prisoners of war such liberties such as habeas corpus. The fact that these prisoners are not Americans citizens has also been an issue. The fact that they are being held in our country and under our laws somehow has no meaning for people nor the fact that America has enough world hatred centered upon it to microwave some popcorn.
The scary thing about this ruling is that it only went down by a vote of 5-4. Justice Kennedy wrote the majority opinion,
“Security depends upon a sophisticated intelligence apparatus and the ability of our Armed Forces to act and to interdict. There are further considerations, however. Security subsists, too, in fidelity to freedom’s first principles. Chief among these are freedom from arbitrary and unlawful restraint and the personal liberty that is secured by adherence to the separation of powers. It is from these principles that the judicial authority to consider petitions for habeas corpus relief derives….”
And who wrote the dissent to this decision?
Justice Antonin Scalia. Who in his eighty seven page dissent did more for fear mongering, sensationalism and hate than Fox News in say, a forty eight hour period. I can almost hear him in his high backed chair with his feet not quite touching the ground screaming, “I am the law!” He may be a conservative given his seat by a conservative to be conservative but the fact remains that the Supreme Court is supposed to be above “politics.”
In a time where our current president has all but laid to rest the system of checks and balances, the reality of the Supreme Court coming and undoing his well done attempt to give powers to the executive branch that it’s never had before is elating.
Last year, Dick Cheney declared the vice president’s office to not be a part of the executive branch. He did this so his office would not have to declassify certain information. And Cheney’s also not a part of any other branch of government. So apparently, he floats somewhere in between branches, completely unchecked.
Things like this should not be allowed to happen.
Things like this also make me realize how badly we need a new president, a good president who will hopefully release some of the power the President’s office has assumed over the last seven years and allow the other two branches of government to actually check his power.
“The laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times,” Justice Kennedy wrote. Is anyone else reminded of the Evil Empire? Is it just me? Should Americans have to defend themselves and their liberties from their President?
Boumediene v. Bush has made habeas corpus a constitutional right to be applied to foreign nationals even if they have been issued an “enemy combatant” designation.
So yay, the system worked, lived to fight another day and the Constitution (hell, the Magna Carta) is still your friend.
Caroline Collective
This weekend I had the great treat of getting to meet so many people that I’ve “met” online.
The Caroline Collective threw a party to celebrate the opening of the largest co-working space in the world. The party itself was wonderful. Upon first entering the doors I got to meet Jenny “The Bloggess.” I recognized her and told her she was hilarious. Seriously, I just read her blog post about fat shitting anal leakage and considered it the best thing I’ve read all day.
So yes, party was great. Got to meet Matthew Wettergreen and whole bunch of other people I follow on twitter. Which according to the Bloggess is “lame in a cool way.”
My cousin Miranda was with me and she had a good time getting hit on by random guys.
“Why do guys keep talking to me?”
“Because you’re pretty.”
“Oh.”
