Texas Ed-yoo-cay-shun-al TV

Following up on Fixer's post just below, this might help esplain. As near as I can tell, this historical documentary is required viewing in Texas. They're still smarting from this and the jackrabbits are still there. Since the Texans were the "muslims" in this incident, they know that the difference between a "Crusader" and an "invader" depends on which side you're on, thus the entirely rational (in Texas) fear of the "pro-muslim" bias of textbooks:

Jay Ward's Crusader Rabbit - Crusade 1 / Episode 1.

Episode is entitled, I swear to God, "Crusader vs. the State of Texas". 1st of 15 chapters in Crusade 1. For at least a few of the other 14, start here. Good luck.

Thanks to candolex.

More "Stupid Texas Tricks" ...

Christ ...

The Misfit has the goods:

The wackos on the Texas School Board must have been feeling ignored, for they have come up with a new version of crazy: They are going to fight the imaginary pro-Muslim bias of textbooks.

...

Word ...

David:

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When you die for your country, the grave marker doesn't identify you as gay or straight. Your blood is as red as the guy next to you with the wife and three kids. You deserve to be treated equally. That's all.

Desperate brides of the apocalypse

If it's Wednesday, it must be Morford.

Look here. The GOP, once a relatively sane and stable political platform, with solid -- if wildly uptight -- principles, now wallowing in the shallow end of the moral and intellectual pool for its basic survival.

The Republican Party is now, by its own design, wholly dependent upon extremist nutcases like Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, et al, for meaning and purpose. The Democrats may be many things -- mushy, whiny, infuriatingly unable to articulate a cohesive message -- but at least they aren't beholden to the mental detritus of the culture, people with more barely hidden psychoemotional disorders than shoes.

People like, well, cutesy little Republican Christine O'Donnell, who just won an election in Delaware. The amazing thing about O'Donnell? She's markedly more ridiculous than Sarah "Queen of Duh" Palin, by at least a factor of three, a nutball wrapped in an anti-masturbation kookpocket with the brainpower of a rusty pink electric razor.

More.

Madder'n a carp, hopefully

Will Durst rants:

Tea Party Lament: Knowing That I'm Confused About Why I'm Mad Just Makes Me Madder!

I’m mad at everything and everybody, but especially at career politicians. Not to mention career pediatricians. From now on, one of my kids gets sick, I’m taking them to see some incensed old coot straight off the street carrying a misspelled sign. Experience is way overrated. Why can’t US Senator be an entry- level position?

I’m mad about paying taxes. Because I don’t like paying taxes. I’m tired of my hard earned money wasted on silly things like roads and air traffic controllers and paramedics and pipeline inspectors. And flossing. I hate that too. Who needs teeth? Members of the lamestream media elite, that’s who. So they can lie through them. Those guys I’m mad at because they keep running stories about me being mad.

And on and on...

There's a difference between angry and mad. Durst is using the correct word for the teabaggers.

Why the Troops Are Coming Home

A Tomgram on American Decline you should read.

Here’s a simple reality: the U.S. is an imperial power in decline -- and not just the sort of decline which is going to affect your children or grandchildren someday. We’re talking about massive unemployment that’s going nowhere and an economy which shows no sign of ever returning good jobs to this country on a significant scale, even if “good times” do come back sooner or later. We’re talking about an aging, fraying infrastructure -- with its collapsing bridges and exploding gas pipelines -- that a little cosmetic surgery isn’t going to help.

And whatever the underlying historical trends, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and company accelerated this process immeasurably. You can thank their two mad wars, their all-planet-all-the-time Global War on Terror, their dumping of almost unlimited taxpayer dollars into the Pentagon and war planning for the distant future, and their scheme to privatize the military and mind-meld it with a small group of crony capitalist privateers, not to speak of ramping up an already impressively over-muscled national security state into a national state of fear, while leaving the financial community to turn the country into a giant, mortgaged Ponzi scheme. It was the equivalent of driving a car in need of a major tune-up directly off the nearest cliff -- and the rest, including the economic meltdown of 2008, is, as they say, history, which we’re all now experiencing in real time. Then, thank the Obama administration for not having the nerve to reverse course while it might still have mattered.

So here’s the good news: it’s actually going to feel better to be just another nation, one more country, even if a large and powerful one, on this overcrowded planet, rather than the nation. It’s going to feel better to only arm ourselves to defend our actual borders, rather than constantly fighting distant wars or skirmishes and endlessly preparing for more of the same. It’s going to feel better not to be engaged in an arms race of one or playing the role of the globe’s major arms dealer. It’s going to feel better to focus on American problems, maybe experiment a little at home, and offer the world some real models for a difficult future, instead of talking incessantly about what a model we are while we bomb and torture and assassinate abroad with impunity.

So take some pleasure in this: our troops are coming home and you’re going to see it happen. And in the not so very distant future it won’t be our job to “police” the world or be the “global sheriff.” And won’t that be a relief? We can form actual coalitions of equals to do things worth doing globally and never have to organize another “coalition of the billing,” twisting arms and bribing others to do our military bidding.

Since by the time we get anywhere near such a world, our leaders will have run this country into the ground, it’s hard to offer the traditional three cheers for such a future. But how about at least one-and-a-half prospective cheers for the possible return of perspective to our American world, for a significant lessening, even if not the decisive ending, of an American imperial role and of the massive military “footprint” that goes with it.

It’s going to happen. Put your money on it.

And thank you, George W. Bush (though I never thought I’d say that), you’ve given an old guy a shot at seeing the fruits of American decline myself. I’m looking forward.

I have nothing to add to that other than I've never before thought of dead, withered flower petals as being part of a rosy outlook.

Repubwiccans Under A Spell

Yes, I know witchcraft and satanicanism have nothing to do with one another, but I love the word 'Repubwiccan'. Hell, that's the way Elmer Fudd's been saying it for years.

Richard Cohen in WaPo on how [fill in your own misnomer for the dark arts here] esplains Repug behavior.

O'Donnell is where the GOP has been heading for some time. The party's leaders have steadfastly refused to take a stand against any idiocy, even suggesting they agree that Obama might not be a Christian. Their intellectuals have supported and advanced the know-nothingness of Sarah Palin. Nothing to them is beyond the pale. This party is not fit to govern. It would support the Joker but not Batman, who hangs too much with Robin.

So now it has a candidate in Delaware who truly is a career politician. She seems to have no means of support except campaign funds. She supposedly lives in her headquarters, although this is somewhat in dispute. Whatever the case, she has no job and no views worth a moment's consideration. (She even appalls Karl Rove.) She's not likely to win, but the way things are going this year, she just might. People are angry. People are mad. The night is dark.

Witch way out of here?

Groooooan...

Keep yer government hands ...

Off my Medicare!

Stolen from our pal Creature.

Heh ...

Tintin takes a look at the Right's support of Christine "The Crazy" O'Donnell:

Robert Stacy McCain leads off the pack with a straightforward approach of someone who is so unattractive that the thought of having sex with himself elicits only a wave of self-loathing and a limp wiener. He, of course, heartily endorses the idea that masturbation is wrong and accuses that lesbo-Maddow of having an unhealthy obsession with the practice:

...

These clowns know they got themselves a certified loony and they're trying to polish that turd up before Election Day. Electing George Bush 10 years ago opened the floodgates for every idiot with the lust for 'public service'. You'd think they woulda learned from the Chimp himself and put people in who sound the least bit articulate and don't have "Space For Rent" signs hanging behind their eyes.

"Drinking with John McCain" ...

Closet queen Lindsey Graham is trying to show he's got testosterone:

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) must be feeling the need to show what a staunch, hard-ass Republican he is. Abandoning his usual pretense of being a moderate, he's advocating that the US goverment must prepare for war against Iran, and not just a few air attacks, but to cause regime change. Maybe he's been drinking with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) a little too much...

You know, I got more respect for the tebaggers than I do for Graham. At least, at the ground level, the average teabagger believes what he's yelling about (he might be completely misinformed and in complete denial, but he still believes it). Graham is just a pandering fuck.

"The heck with the foo-foo, gimme the hooch!"

I've been spending the morning so far extracting photos and videos from three cameras. We discussed partying a little in 'comments' on this post, and I thought I'd share the tone of Saturday's all-day-and-into-the-evening bash with this short vid.

The driving force (and Force Of Nature!) behind Mrs. G's High School class's seemingly non-stop reunions is Hurricane Edie. More on her later. Her daughter (r) and her niece erected this mini-margaritaville in the early afternoon and served up regular and pomegranate (for the anti-oxidant value, no doubt...heh) margaritas. Let's just say things got a little more interesting thereafter! (Big shit-eatin' grin smiley face.)

When you shoot casual videos, you never know what's going to be on them. I have several, and I haven't watched them all yet. If they all caught priceless stuff like this, one thing's for sure: I'm never going to be invited to one of Mrs. G's class parties again.

On the vid you can hear the strolling musicians that were the afternoon entertainment of the fiesta-themed do. More on them later too.

Cathy eschews the Margaritas and goes for the Gold! Arroyo Grande Class Of '63 "We're Turning 65!" party, 9-18-10

Update:

The reunion committee got these guys on pretty short notice after they found out what a 7 or more piece Mariachi costs (a lot!). They squeezed us in on their way to another gig where they would no doubt stroll amongst diners and threaten to play unless the diners paid 'em off. Then they had to sneak the uniforms back into the hospital... They were extremely good-natured gents, and I have nicknamed them "Tres Bozos".

I panned over to try and catch Diane and Maxine line dancing, but they had quit. Margaritas needed freshening up, no doubt.

Mariachi trio "Tres Amigos" of Santa Maria play a traditional song at the Arroyo Grande HS Class Of '63 "We're Turning 65!" party on 9-18-10.

I'll put some more up Below The Fold in the next day or so. I got things to do. Lordy, do I...

Quote of the Day

Ol' Fez(in toto):

Just to be clear

Dabbling in Witchcraft in early middle-age is no big deal if you're a Republican (and frankly, the bizarre thing about that is, it is not all that bizarre at all -- especially compared to the rest of the Christine O'Donnell resume), but being a Community Organizer in your twenties is incredibly dangerous socialism if you're a Democrat.

Everything's broken ...

Gord and I have been saying this for more than 6 years. The pace of deployments, the rush to expand the military by taking anybody who could spell their own name, and the lack of a real mission or leadership would only serve to break our army. Seems the Army realizes it too:

...

The increase in drug abuse and bad behavior came at the same time that the Army enlisted thousands of recruits who in previous years would have been ruled ineligible because of drug or other criminal convictions. According to the report, nearly 20 percent of the soldiers who've enlisted in the Army since 2004 — perhaps as many as 10,000 — would "not have been eligible for entry into the Army before."

"I think we've got to understand that the force we have today is different from the force we had 10 years ago," said Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the vice chief of staff of the Army, who oversaw the study and is heading up the Army's response to it. "We've got kids that are going to have some behavioral health issues. The real hard part for us is to determine, 'OK, I am willing to help this kid with behavioral health issues, but how long can I help him? How long can I do that and make sure I have a force capable of doing whatever the nation asks it to do?' "

...

Sometimes it sucks to be right.

Great thanks to our pal Comrade Misfit for the link.

Athenae's pissed ...

At smug, rich assholes:

...

In the second place, in the second paragraph, really. You're really going to tell starving children to go blow because you're mad about your taxes. That's a thing you're going to do. The starving children, natch, having all kinds of influence in Congress, given how everybody's falling all over themselves to help THEM. Those are the people who can do exactly dick about your tax sitch, so I'm sure your brave moral stand will SO TOTALLY get noticed by our decision makers. Shit, stop giving money to politicians if you don't like how they behave, but Toys for Tots did nothing to you to deserve your contempt, and you're doing plenty to earn mine.

...

NY nutz ...

I know there are idiots in every bunch and it seems we have our share. The article starts with the line:

I wish that this were something out of the Onion, I really do.

...

Seems we have another nutjob (aside from the one running for governor) looking to 'represent' us:

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That might sound bad, sure, but are we sure they're not exaggerating?

They're not. In fact, if the character of Russell's essay is representative, they're understating the situation. It lauds efforts of "scientists" like Arthur Jensen and others who have spent years trying to "prove" that whites are genetically more intelligent than black people. It describes an "optimal society" by quoting T. S. Eliot: "reasons of race and culture combine to make any large number of free-thinking Jews undesirable." It was so bad that it was republished with pride on the website of no less than David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

...

I knew we had a bedbug problem in NYC but compared to all the crazy cockroaches who are coming out of the woodwork, the bedbugs are less intrusive. They just wanna find something to eat. The nutjobs want to tell you what you can do there and what you can't.

Thanks to Mr. Philadelphia for the link.

Headin' In

Like Fixer, I'm a) burnt down to my socks, and b) so out of touch with what's going on that if today is the first day of the post-apocalyptic world I'll just think the bombed-out sections of the road could use a little work.

We're heading for home today. I'll be glad to get there. The old farts partied me into the ground and I need the rest.

See ya tomorrow.

Oh, the irony...

Ironic Times

Gainesville Orders Pastor Terry Jones's Church to Pay $200K for Security Costs Associated With Cancelled Koran Burning
Jones says he'll sell signed copies of his Korans to raise money.

Producers Ask FDA to Call High Fructose Corn Syrup “Corn Sugar”
Methamphetamine dealers want meth renamed “Vitamin M.”

Tea Party Reaching Out to Minorities With “DiverseTea”
Leaders hope to attract “coloreds, beaners, Orientals and Hebrews.”

But will they learn ...

Digby has a good post up about our hero, Alan Grayson's reelection strategy; completely opposite of 'normal' Dem thinking.

...

But his "counterintuitive" (for beltway strategists) experiment is the one to watch for progressives. He's done virtually everything we've asked of him, her's been an outspoken leader, he's pushed through difficult legislation, all as a freshman. If he can survive this coming slaughter, it's a big lesson for other Democrats.

The Dems should have figured it out after the '08 election but they never seem to learn that to win against Republicans is not to appease them but call them what they really are. Heartless, soulless motherfuckers.

The Dogs ...

I have no idea what went on in the world this weekend. Spending most of Saturday and Sunday on the road, plus getting the pups settled last night, I'm completely out of touch. The only thing I heard is that NYC traffic is gonna suck this week because of the blowhard fest at the U.N.

I'll get back in touch today ... I hope. It looks like the varmints are starting to get the routine around here. A couple of pics of the monsters from the Red Roof Inn, Erie, PA where we met Kathy and picked them up.

Ziva

Da Chooch

Puppy Pile!

Shot ...

Finally home with the girls and I'm shot. 16 hours of driving in 30 hours on 3 hours sleep last night. The dogs are going well, the puppy especially, with Da Chooch (the 18 month old) having some ... separation issues. I'll have pics up in the morning after I get some sleep.