The Truman library has its flag at half mast.  It's considered a federal building and follows federal rules for flag lowering and raising, at least generally.  I am wracking my brain and can't figure out whose death would cause the flag to lower.

in other news, *wave* at Mac, and thanks for the drinks at Gorilla at Renfest today.  Elwood and I had a great time.

Saturday Night Live would be good again!

A deeply moving family story about a single widowed father and his concern for his family and his community, punctuated by heartfelt tears, answered with "John McCain is a maverick".  Fuck that. 

No how, no way, no McCain/Palin.

While watching it, I really didn't have a clear sense that Obama was walking away with the debate.  I would have liked to see more fire, and I don't give him better than a B... and there are other ways to say "I can concede your basic premise BUT" without saying "I agree", but I had very high expectations for Obama and relatively low ones for McCain, so apparently I wasn't in line with everyone else.

• The "You were wrong" rant was very effective
• It is NOT effective to repeatedly state "Obama doesn't understand" when Obama very clearly and evidently DOES understand.
• Body language, boys.  McCain came off as Crusty McCrusterson because he wouldn't look at Obama.  Obama looked confident and relaxed, and even mildly amused.
• Asphintersayswhat?  Obama being compared to Bush as though their personalities are the same?  You've got to be kidding me.
• Some pundit pointed out that the "against the ethanol" comment meant that McCain had given up on Iowa.  Perhaps the "against the Boeing plant" comment means he has given up on Missouri, as well.  I know many people affected by that closure.
• Most of what I found favorable about McCain was probably a direct result of low expectations, and most of what I found unfavorable about Obama was a direct result of high expectations.  Most independents probably didn't have those handicaps.

And now I'm off to put on bodice and skirt and boots and go to Faire. 

"Sarah Palin married her high school boyfriend, Todd Palin, on August 29, 1988. The Palin family lives in Wasilla, about 45 miles (72 km) north of Anchorage. The Palins have two sons (Track, 19, and Trig, four months) and three daughters (Bristol, 17; Willow, 14; and Piper, 7) [ages as of August 2008]. Todd Palin has said Track's name came from the interest Sarah's parents had in the sport and the fact that he was born in the sport's season; Bristol was named after Bristol Bay in Alaska, where Todd grew up and where he does commercial fishing; Willow was named after Willow, Alaska; Piper got her name because it is uncommon and "a cool name"; Trig's name is Norse for "strength".

1)Your first-born will be named after your parents favorite sport:
Uh, MY parents?  Either "Drinking" or "Dressage".  Either is pretty sad.

2)Your second-born will be named after a nearby area that you're not from but you like the sound of part of the name, and maybe you have nostalgic memories of said place:
Lexington (MO)


3)Your third-born will be named after another nearby place, for no reason other than you already have two children and don't have time to put much thought into another name:
Butler (MO)

4)Your fourth gets a "cool" name:
Diami (pulled it out of a name book once.  Means "eagle" in a Native American language, but I don't remember which one, and I probably spelled it wrong, anyhow)

5)Your fifth gets something mythological, possibly straight out of Lord of the Rings:
Baldur

Hell, and I thought the four letter Irish name meme was bad enough...the one I actually used (Ryan and Sean, and if I'd had a third it would have been Liam or Jane).

When the hospital I work for made up my business cards, they jumped the gun a bit and listed the alphabet soup after my name that means I'm a clinical social worker. As a result, for the last several months, I've been using white-out to "fix" my cards before distributing, so I don't endanger the license I've been trying to get.

This morning I got out a new stack, all ready with the white out, and decided to take a quick tour on line, just in case all the documentation was finally in. It was. As of September 24, 2008, I am now a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Missouri. I guess all that hard work and money was worth it after all. I should get the pretty certificate in the mail any day now.

Bah. Can't get embedding to work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ

The pertinent part from the Constitution: Section 7. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other Bills.

So yeah, jackass, you DO have time to debate tonight.

If the purpose of this 700 billion dollar bailout is to restore confidence in the economy, wouldn't the successful conclusion (i.e. with arrest and prosecution of the guilty) of the current FBI investigation of fraud in the mortgage markets and the firms in question serve the same purpose, and be enormously cheaper?  And wouldn't that be a far more consistent support for "free market values"?  Just sayin'

You've got to be kidding me.  It's preferable to exploit human females for their milk than bovine females? 

Let me set things straight.  As a mother of two who breastfed both of them, I have no objections to the taste of human milk.  It is somewhat more fatty and sweet than cows milk, and better for human digestion.  However.

There is NO conceivable way that Ben and Jerry's, with their popularity, could accede to a "request" to switch from bovine to human milk in their products without creating a class of women who are exploited for their reproductive ability in a way not seen since the days of wet nurses, and probably in a far more de-humanizing and humiliating fashion.

PETA has long been a horribly misogynistic organization, which in and of itself (in my opinion) negates any good they do in the animal exploitation issue (because if they find it okay to exploit women in the name of not exploiting animals, what are they saying about the relative worth of women and animals).  This latest stunt jumps the shark.  

He and his girlfriend came with me on my crisis counseling rounds and volunteered at one of the shelters tonight.  I dropped them off before I started and picked them up as I finished.  They did a great job. 

then maybe it's just Rove saying that McCain went too far.

But my frightened lizard brain starts wondering

1) How they're going to blame the coming economic meltdown on the Democrats for a "permanent Republican majority" (and are willing to sacrifice this election to get there) or:

2) Whether voters in blue districts will be greeted at the polls by Blackwater "patriots" with guns and vans in which to disappear anyone who objects.

NOT about the current US election.  Really.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l63SRpGXBHE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH0xzsogzAk

edited: I guess embedding is broken

I shit you not.  For ten or so years, I lived within 20 miles of the Mexican border, and often while hunting or riding dirt bikes would come within less than a mile of the Mexican border.  Why, I could actually see Mexico.  Hell, I probably accidentally crossed the border once or twice, in addition to occasional walks across the bridge to Juarez during college to get hammered. 

Prior to that, I lived much of the first ten years of my life within 50 miles of the Canadian border, and my next door neighbor cussed at his cows in French.  I even went across the border into Quebec a couple of times to go to the Granby Zoo.

So, not only did I live closer to -- not one, but TWO international borders than she did, but I actually crossed them a couple of times. 

Wow.  I missed my calling.  Instead of spending all that money on a Master's degree and working in social work (I believe Gov. Palin would call that a step below the already laugh-worthy community organizing), I should have stopped with the cheap BA in History from a state school and ran for mayor, and then governor.  Even now, I could be running for vice president. 

Hugs and love to Elle, Bree, Harry, and the clan, and happy birthday to Emma.  A candle is lit in my heart for Liam.

Joe Biden is getting attacked for asking about Palin's policies on disability and disabled children.  Apparently having a disabled child inoculates one from criticism about disability policy  in the same way that being a POW inoculates one from criticism about war and veteran policy.  Geez.

I get excited that I can now access the computer applications I need to do my work at home. 

... and I logged in to find your characters had vanished.  Where did you go?

Judging from the anecdotal evidence, the roll-out of Palin as VP (VEE PEE, as she says) did not have the desired effect.  My father in law, openly racist, is quietly supporting Obama.  His wife is staying home.  My son's girlfriend's parents, formerly staunch Republicans, are now openly supporting Obama (not only did I turn the brand new voter into a Democrat...).

At Santi-Cali-Gon days, which is Independence, MO's big celebration of its importance as a trail head for the trek west (and an excuse for a carnival and craft fair), I saw four booths dedicated to the Democratic party or to Obama specifically, one booth devoted to McCain, and a Libertarian booth.  This in a decidedly redneck town.  I wore my Obama t-shirt and rather than getting harassed, I got thumbs ups and comments such as "look, there's someone else that's supporting Obama" from passersby.

I honestly don't think the polls tell the picture at all. 

Granted, I didn't watch Palin's speech at all last night.  I caught a snippet of Mitt Romney's speech on NPR and that was all my bullshit-o-meter could tolerate.  From reviews in the media this morning, though, it appears that the media has taken the gloves off.  Peggy Noonan's "off mic" comment to the effect that "it's over" seems to be indicative of the Republican mood generally.

To be clear, I would love an honest dialogue on the issues of conservatism and liberalism.  I would love a discussion of how best to serve US interests domestically and abroad.  But it has been so long since I've seen any intellectual honesty or even critical thinking from the mainstream Republicans that I've pretty much given up hope on that front.  That would be an election worth holding.  That would be a fight worth fighting, just for the fun of it.  As it stands currently, we're fighting for the soul of America, and frankly I find that both tiring and frightening. 

Quick attitude of gratitude while I'm thinking of it:

1.  I am grateful that Gustav was far enough away from me to not hit me at hurricane strength, but close enough that it blew some much needed rain our way (and that it was a relatively tame hurricane, compared to our fears and expectations)

2.  I am grateful for YouTube, without which many people who aspire to power would be able to get away with public hypocrisies that are very revealing of their inner natures.

3.  I am grateful that my financial fortunes are improving and my ability to enable that improvement is increasing.

4. I am grateful for the health and happiness of my friends and family.

5. I am grateful for the unknown person who created this nifty idea called the "alphabet", and those other people who added ideas such as "books", "printing presses" and even "the internet" to that basic tool.