Tag: Open Thread

I suppose I should come up with some Thanksgiving content but it’s kind of hard since it’s not such a big deal holiday for the Gilmores.

The menu is very traditional- Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Wild Rice, Baked Sweet Potatoes (that’s for me), Acorn Squash (also mine), Broccoli and Cauliflower (everybody likes that), Cranberry Sauce and Cranberry Jelly (the canned kind with the ridges in it, even have special serving pieces), Tossed Salad with 3 kinds of Dressing (all bottled), Jello Salad, Olives (black and cocktail), Sweet Pickles, Carrots, Celery, Cottage Cheese, and Gravy, Sour Cream and Butter.  Cheese and Crackers (at least 4 types of each), Mixed Nuts, Chips and Dip (California Onion, is there any other?) with wine and the finger food while the table is prepared, Apple and Pumpkin Pies (the audience is not at ALL the same) with Whipped Cream, Ice Cream, and Sharp Cheddar (for the Apple, really worth a try if you haven’t) for dessert.

I may have left out a couple, but I’m not as good as Emily.

Of the Turkey I get the giblets, the organ meat, which I like because they’re very different in flavor and texture from what you normally eat.  I’m not a vegetarian, I just like meatless Marinara better than ground beef Bolognese and if a meal doesn’t have meat in it that is so just not a big deal to me.

But the menus and rituals are very closely timed because it takes a while to turn out that kind of spread.  I won’t pretend the production staff is not segregated in it’s roles- Turkey preparation is ladies time from thawing it out as much as 2 days before (yeah it really takes that long for a big bird if you follow directions and do it in the refrigerator instead of cheating by soaking it in warm water- salmonela, isn’t he the Italian guy who lives down the street?).  None of that fancy Food Channel cooking neither, our Butterball is done when the thermometer pops up.

It is something of a rite of passage that moves around from house to house depending on the guest list.  My Aunty Mame will be visiting her daughter and family, so that will be a big deal, but the Gilmores are not traveling.

Nor will we be sticking to a schedule.  Since I’m currently not attached I get to do only the one on actual Thanksgiving with Richard and Emily (no Luke and the Kims for me this year).  My brother and sister and their emotional attachments will check in and out depending on their needs, one good thing about Thanksgiving food is that it re-heats real well.

So the meal will be peated and repeated all weekend until you are thoroughly sick of it, though I must admit a fondness for Turkey hash (Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing, and little broken Turkey bits in Gravy) over noodles or rice- that usually happens around Tuesday.  And the TV will suck too, all this Sports crap and Holiday Parade programming and the knowledge that it’s time to go out there and consume.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Let’s assume for a moment that all our fondest hopes and dreams come true and on January 20^th, 2009 we are looking at-

• A Democratic President
• Veto Proof Democratic Majorities in The House and Senate (Veto Proof >= Filibuster Proof for the constitutionally math impaired)
• A substantially larger Progressive Caucus in those same bodies

In other words complete and total victory, our ears soothed by their lamentations (can you say “schadenfreude”).

What would you like to see next?

Now number one with a bullet for me is restoration of our Constitutional Liberty with subsequent prosecution for this gang of criminals and thieves that currently occupy our government.  Coming up second with a respectable effort is COMPLETE.  AND.  TOTAL.  WITHDRAWAL.  FROM.  IRAQ.  NOW!

Still there are other issues- Universal Health Care.  Global Warming.  Taxation.  Social Security.  Immigration.  Homeland Security.

I’m sure I’ve missed a few including some of my favorites, but I’ve left some in that don’t necessarily break progressive because they won’t all break that way due to our Entrenched Media Elite.

Among things I’m in favor of is progressive taxation in the FDR style complete with an absolute inheritance cap.  How much more than $100 million do you actually need to inherit from daddy Paris?  Social Security?  Why do you stop paying after the first $250K of income again?  Don’t even talk to me about getting your money in Capital Gains, it’s all regular income.  Sorry about your greens fees at the club old boy, maybe you can thrash a caddy to work out your frustration.

Now in fact I’m sure that the pain would need to be much greater to get anything near that enacted, but it’s not like things are going to be much better than they are right now and they could be far worse.  I think it’s a 50% chance we’ll be in a full blown recession with rampant inflation because of the collapse of the dollar.  There is no indication at all we will be out of Iraq.  I’ve read persuasive commentaries that the tipping point on climate change has already happened and the ugliness of that scenario is a gift that never stops giving.

Frankly (and here’s the big windup, you can stop paying attention soon) I think it’s highly UNlikely that we’ll be able to stop doing what we’re doing now.  And what is that?  Everything we can.  Specifically, but not limited to, applying pressure for progressive legislation to our Representatives and challenging the dominance of the Entrenched Media Elite.

Your suggestions below.

‘Tis surprising to see how rapidly a panic will sometimes run through a country; yet panics, in some cases, have their uses- the mind soon grows through them, and acquires a firmer habit than before.  They are the touchstones of sincerity and hypocrisy, and bring things and men to light which might otherwise have lain forever undiscovered.

They have the same effect on secret traitors, many a disguised Tory has lately shown his head.

I have been tender in raising the cry against these men, and used numberless arguments to show them their danger; but it will not do to sacrifice a world either to their folly or their baseness.  The period is now arrived in which either they or we must change our sentiments, or one or both must fall.

And what is a Tory?  What is he?  Every Tory is a coward; for servile, slavish, self-interested fear is the foundation of Toryism; and a man under such influence, though he may be cruel, can never be brave.

But, before the line of irrecoverable separation be drawn between us, let us reason the matter together: Your conduct is an invitation to the enemy, yet not one in a thousand of you has heart enough to join him.  He is as much deceived by you as the American cause is injured by you.  He expects you will all take up arms, and flock to his standard with muskets on your shoulders. Your opinions are of no use to him, unless you support him personally, for ’tis soldiers, and not Tories, that he wants.

I once felt all that kind of anger, which a man ought to feel, against the mean principles that are held by the Tories- “Well! give me peace in my day.”  I consider W the greatest enemy the Tories have.  He is bringing a war into their country which, had it not been for him and partly for themselves, they had been clear of.

Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet and to repulse it.  Say not that thousands are gone, turn out your tens of thousands.  Throw not the burden of the day upon Providence, but show your faith by your works.

It matters not where you live, or what rank of life you hold, the evil or the blessing will reach you all.  The far and the near, the rich and the poor, will suffer or rejoice alike.  The heart that feels not now is dead, the blood of your children will curse your cowardice which shrank back at a time when a little might have saved the whole and made them happy.

‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but one whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.  My own line of reasoning is to myself as straight and clear as a ray of light.

Let them call me rebel and welcome, I feel no concern from it; but I should suffer the misery of devils were I to make a whore of my soul by swearing allegiance to one whose character is that of a sottish, stupid, stubborn, worthless, brutish man.  I conceive likewise a horrid idea in receiving mercy from a being who at the last day shall be shrieking to the rocks and mountains to cover him, and fleeing with terror from the orphan, the widow, and the slain of America.

There are cases which cannot be overdone by language, and this is one.  There are persons too who see not the full extent of the evil which threatens them; they solace themselves with hopes that the enemy, if he succeed, will be merciful.

It is the madness of folly to expect mercy from those who have refused to do justice.  Even mercy, where conquest is the object, is only a trick of war.

He is mercifully inviting you to barbarous destruction, and men must be either rogues or fools that will not see it.  I dwell not upon the vapors of imagination, I bring reason to your ears and, in language as plain as A B C, hold up truth to your eyes.

I thank God, that I fear not.  I see no real cause for fear.  I know our situation well, and can see the way out of it.

By perseverance and fortitude we have the prospect of a glorious issue; by cowardice and submission, the sad choice of a variety of evils.

Look on this picture and weep over it!  And if there yet remains one thoughtless wretch who believes it not, let him suffer it unlamented.

Tom Paine

Well I hope we all remember what it was like to vote, it was only yesterday.  For me the experience was somewhat new.  Connecticut has used lever machines all my (voting) life.

This time there was a station to answer questions about the new procedure (and of course I stopped and let them explain because I have NO intention of going uncounted) then the usual “Show me your license”.  This year, there was some confusion because Kirk the clerk was on the wrong page, but I gently corrected him.  Someday I’m afraid I’ll be disenfranchised just because I prefer to use initials, but it’s not that big a town and everyone knows ek because I am such a character.

At the next station I was handed a big paper ballot that looked exactly like the sample ballot they used to give us in school (they also had mini training machines), the type they normally paste up outside the gym just before you enter in case you haven’t been paying attention.

They have brought back the party lines which were banned some years ago in hopes on making our elections more “non-partisan”.  I’m glad that now there is a clear distinction between the party that actively promotes torture and the party that merely tolerates it.

When I took my AP history exam the one question I “blew” was, “What electoral invention was imported from Australia in the late 1800’s?”

My answer was “kangaroos” which was not really wrong because the “secret” ballot is also called a “kangaroo” ballot because of the origin of that innovation.  Even today if you vote in a small place like Dixville Notch at the Town Meeting you do it in public.

Now that’s Democracy.

In the current case though, it was easy to see that I had voted straight party line Democratic because the ballot was so big that it really didn’t fit in the plain manila (another location name) “privacy” folder, and besides you had to feed it face up through the ballot reader so it was clearly visible to the two election monitors, one from each party.

I don’t mind.  I’m proud of my vote.

Outside the polls I ran into Tom, my elementary school friend from the Democratic Party and I asked him, “Why don’t we have someone running for every available office?”

“Not enough candidates.  You should run.”

Alas I am unelectable.  How about you?

I’m often called on to speak in public and I’ve never been afraid of it.

Eyeballs don’t intimidate me, perhaps because I’m terribly nearsighted.  ^ó–ò

Nor am I shy in crowds.  I have problems with intimacy.

While I was an up and coming politician, visiting the locals cultivating votes, I ran up against an attractive female type.

She was a new member, yet very influential.  She was good looking and outgoing, a recruiter and a motivator, destined for greatness (which she achieved).

After the meeting she came up to me at the bar (and if you don’t hang out you will never succeed) and ran her fingers through my hair.

And I flinched.

She said- “Funny.  Most guys enjoy it when I do that.”

Now we get to the part of the year where it starts to get really dark.

Not only is the light flatter, but it streams in where there used to be leaves and just screws with your body clock.  Saturday we fall back into what is a routine of depression for me where time is out of joint and I am always SAD.  The fact that it’s election season does not improve my mood.

I’ve been accosted by well meaning Thugs outside my grocery store and there was a point where I would listen to their blandishments.  As bad as their party was, here in Stars Hollow is was the anti-development party.

I can no longer do that.  Among other things they have changed, taken over by the same wing nut Theocrat/Plutocrat alliance that dominates the national debate.  24% dead enders and prattling dittoheads it’s all I can do to keep from spitting at them as I brush them aside.

Ho, ho, ho.

We’ll have a new voting system here this year.  Fill in the dot SAT cards after levers all my life.  The handle that opened and closed the curtain made a satisfying ca-ching as it recorded your vote.

Stars Hollow has “non-partisan” positions, offices mandated for x amount of Thugs and x amount of Democrats.  I used to vote for them all, now I’ll be damned if a Thug gets a flip of the finger from me unless it’s the middle one.

Please remember to vote, and get out the vote, even for your local elections.  We must tear these people out root and branch.  Only time I ever missed voting since I was eligible I had a car accident rushing to the polls.