DJHJD
Monday, November 26, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
What's REALLY wrong with this country
"We deal in illusions, man. None of it is true. But you people sit there day after day, night after night, all ages, colors, creeds. We're all you know. You're beginning to believe the illusions we're spinning here. You're beginning to think that the tube is reality and that your own lives are unreal. You do whatever the tube tells you. You dress like the tube. You eat like the tube. You even think like the tube. In God's name, you people are the real thing, WE are the illusion."
Howard Beale from the movie "Network," 1976
Howard Beale from the movie "Network," 1976
Say it isn't so.....
From Digby:
The Center for American Progress last June published a report on the Five Key Myths About Immigrants which have been given far too much play over recent years.
The 5 myths are as follows:
1. The US public health insurance programs are over burdened with documented and undocumented immigrants.
2. Immigrants consume large quantities of health care resources.
3. Immigrants come to the US to gain access to health care services.
4. Restricting immigrants access to the health care system will not affect American citizens.
5. Undocumented immigrants are free riders in the American health care system.
Some of the debunking offered by CAP:
"In Texas, for example, nearly seven percent of the state’s population was comprised of undocumented immigrants in 2005. The state’s health care costs for undocumented immigrants that same year were a mere $58 million. Yet state revenues collected from undocumented immigrants exceeded what the state spent on social services provided to these immigrants such as health care and education by $424.7 million.
"Immigrant contributions to social services are similar across the country. The National Research Council concluded that immigrants will pay on average $80,000 per capita more in taxes than they will use in government services over their lifetimes.
"Additionally, in March 2005, more than seven million undocumented immigrants were in the workforce yet received few public services for their labor and tax contributions. The Social Security Administration, for example, reaps an enormous benefit from the taxes paid by undocumented immigrants. It estimates that workers without valid social security numbers contribute $7 billion in Social Security tax revenues and roughly $1.5 billion in Medicare taxes annually, yet elderly immigrants rarely qualify for Medicare or long-term care services provided through Medicaid.
"In 2001, the Social Security Administration concluded that undocumented immigrants "account for a major portion of the billions of dollars paid into social security that don’t match SSA records," which payees, many of whom are undocumented immigrants, can never draw upon. As of July 2003, these payments totaled $421 billion."
The Center for American Progress last June published a report on the Five Key Myths About Immigrants which have been given far too much play over recent years.
The 5 myths are as follows:
1. The US public health insurance programs are over burdened with documented and undocumented immigrants.
2. Immigrants consume large quantities of health care resources.
3. Immigrants come to the US to gain access to health care services.
4. Restricting immigrants access to the health care system will not affect American citizens.
5. Undocumented immigrants are free riders in the American health care system.
Some of the debunking offered by CAP:
"In Texas, for example, nearly seven percent of the state’s population was comprised of undocumented immigrants in 2005. The state’s health care costs for undocumented immigrants that same year were a mere $58 million. Yet state revenues collected from undocumented immigrants exceeded what the state spent on social services provided to these immigrants such as health care and education by $424.7 million.
"Immigrant contributions to social services are similar across the country. The National Research Council concluded that immigrants will pay on average $80,000 per capita more in taxes than they will use in government services over their lifetimes.
"Additionally, in March 2005, more than seven million undocumented immigrants were in the workforce yet received few public services for their labor and tax contributions. The Social Security Administration, for example, reaps an enormous benefit from the taxes paid by undocumented immigrants. It estimates that workers without valid social security numbers contribute $7 billion in Social Security tax revenues and roughly $1.5 billion in Medicare taxes annually, yet elderly immigrants rarely qualify for Medicare or long-term care services provided through Medicaid.
"In 2001, the Social Security Administration concluded that undocumented immigrants "account for a major portion of the billions of dollars paid into social security that don’t match SSA records," which payees, many of whom are undocumented immigrants, can never draw upon. As of July 2003, these payments totaled $421 billion."
Friday, November 23, 2007
Chilly by Houston standards
All day today, the temperature has been down in the low 50s. The car heater actually started blowing heat - who knew that it could happen?
Got a slower start to the day than I had believed I would. It felt SO wonderful under the comforter with the coldish air outside. I was up until 1:00 a.m. talking to Brian, whom I had not previously met in person - I loved talking to him!! It was great. So, my planned early morning Lowe's run didn't manifest.
It worked out anyway. Seems that they had a line outside at 6:30 a.m., waiting for the 7:00 a.m. opening. I got there at 11:00, and everything on the ad circular that I wanted was right at the front door. Bing, bang, boom! YAY! Got the water filter for the refrigerator water line.
Then, off to lunch with Guy and then to KIAH to watch airplanes land in our annual airplane dork festival. It was COLD, though, and there was very little flying today. We watched KL661 land, and a Cargolux 744 take off, and then two Continental 777s land, and an Air France 777-200ER land and ran inside for cover.
On the way back, I nabbed ten poinsettia plants at the other Lowe's, and then furnace filters from ACE and some Lamberge oil and replacement bulbs for the under cabinet lights. Came home, hung up the Christmas stockings, did some other stuff like that. Had a text from JPO telling me he was going to be picking up his sofa and tables, and immediately found JUST the sofa I had been wanting offered lightly used on Craigslist.
Since then, I've watched some more "Angel" episodes, replaced the water filter in the fridge, the light bulb under the cabinets, and .. bleh. More needs doing.
Tomorrow, we're decorating the front garden (which will include trimming the crepe myrtles, etc., etc.) The ten poinsettias are going in up front, and I'm putting mini-lights in all of the shrubbery in colors that compliment the shrubbery itself.
Big yawns here in the living room.
Hopefully, all of the sneezing and allergies will abate through the drop in temperatures.
Got a slower start to the day than I had believed I would. It felt SO wonderful under the comforter with the coldish air outside. I was up until 1:00 a.m. talking to Brian, whom I had not previously met in person - I loved talking to him!! It was great. So, my planned early morning Lowe's run didn't manifest.
It worked out anyway. Seems that they had a line outside at 6:30 a.m., waiting for the 7:00 a.m. opening. I got there at 11:00, and everything on the ad circular that I wanted was right at the front door. Bing, bang, boom! YAY! Got the water filter for the refrigerator water line.
Then, off to lunch with Guy and then to KIAH to watch airplanes land in our annual airplane dork festival. It was COLD, though, and there was very little flying today. We watched KL661 land, and a Cargolux 744 take off, and then two Continental 777s land, and an Air France 777-200ER land and ran inside for cover.
On the way back, I nabbed ten poinsettia plants at the other Lowe's, and then furnace filters from ACE and some Lamberge oil and replacement bulbs for the under cabinet lights. Came home, hung up the Christmas stockings, did some other stuff like that. Had a text from JPO telling me he was going to be picking up his sofa and tables, and immediately found JUST the sofa I had been wanting offered lightly used on Craigslist.
Since then, I've watched some more "Angel" episodes, replaced the water filter in the fridge, the light bulb under the cabinets, and .. bleh. More needs doing.
Tomorrow, we're decorating the front garden (which will include trimming the crepe myrtles, etc., etc.) The ten poinsettias are going in up front, and I'm putting mini-lights in all of the shrubbery in colors that compliment the shrubbery itself.
Big yawns here in the living room.
Hopefully, all of the sneezing and allergies will abate through the drop in temperatures.
My mother LOVED Pogo
Deck us all with Boston Charlie,
Walla Walla, Wash., an' Kalamazoo!
Nora's freezin' on the trolley,
Swaller dollar cauliflower alley-garoo!
Don't we know archaic barrel
Lullaby Lilla Boy, Louisville Lou?
Trolley Molly don't love Harold,
Boola boola Pensacoola hullabaloo!
Bark us all bow-wows of folly,
Polly wolly cracker 'n' too-da-loo!
Donkey Bonny brays a carol,
Antelope Cantaloupe, 'lope with you!
Hunky Dory's pop is lolly gaggin' on the wagon,
Willy, folly go through!
Chollie's collie barks at Barrow,
Harum scarum five alarm bung-a-loo!
Dunk us all in bowls of barley,
Hinky dinky dink an' polly voo!
Chilly Filly's name is Chollie,
Chollie Filly's jolly chilly view halloo!
Bark us all bow-wows of folly,
Double-bubble, toyland trouble! Woof, woof, woof!
Tizzy seas on melon collie!
Dibble-dabble, scribble-scrabble! Goof, goof, goof!
Monday, November 19, 2007
My girl Pam is at it again
"Our world is facing problems - poverty, HIV and AIDS - a devastating pandemic, and conflict...God must be weeping looking at some of the atrocities that we commit against one another. In the face of all of that, our Church, especially the Anglican Church, at this time is almost obsessed with questions of human sexuality
...It is a perversion if you say to me that a person chooses to be homosexual. You must be crazy to choose a way of life that exposes you to a kind of hatred. It's like saying you choose to be black in a race infected society."
-- South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaking to the BBC on the Anglican church's fixation on homosexuality
Thanks, Pam!
My girl Pam is at it again
"Our world is facing problems - poverty, HIV and AIDS - a devastating pandemic, and conflict...God must be weeping looking at some of the atrocities that we commit against one another. In the face of all of that, our Church, especially the Anglican Church, at this time is almost obsessed with questions of human sexuality
...It is a perversion if you say to me that a person chooses to be homosexual. You must be crazy to choose a way of life that exposes you to a kind of hatred. It's like saying you choose to be black in a race infected society."
-- South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaking to the BBC on the Anglican church's fixation on homosexuality
Thanks, Pam!
Monday, Monday ver. 1332.01
"This next week, many of the people we know will be trudging across the continent in the modern day equivalent of traversing the west in a Contestoga wagon - winding through security lines, running from gate to gate, losing baggage, frustrated, tired, arriving in a state of physical and nervous exhaustion to immediately return to a family dynamic that they've left behind years ago.
How much of that stress is brought about by their anticipation of returning to family communication patterns long left behind, and how much is the actual travel experience?
Why are the same families experiencing a more pleasant return on Sunday next when the empirical experience is nearly identical?"
Me, yesterday in church.
I said it much more eloquently (I was in the zone) and more than half of those there came up to me and complimented me greatly.
It's only 8:00, and I'm tired enough (almost) to go to bed. I hardly slept last night. Nothing particularly on my mind, but my brain was whizzing away.
So, over the weekend, while occupying my mind with nonsense, I was surfing away and for some reason happened to surf into an article about the Bonneville. I read it (the article) and came to learn that the 2005 Bonneville is built on the "H" body platform which was designed in .. uh, 1986. For the 1987 Bonneville/LeSabre/Park Avenue/DeVille.
As in, the 2005 Bonneville is riding around on stampings that were tooled and designed in 1986.
It gets worse.
I mentioned to Brian what I had unearthed, and he says: "oh, that "H" platform is actually based on the X-body."
As in, Chevy Citation.
Holy crap.
Other than that, it's been a reasonable day.
How much of that stress is brought about by their anticipation of returning to family communication patterns long left behind, and how much is the actual travel experience?
Why are the same families experiencing a more pleasant return on Sunday next when the empirical experience is nearly identical?"
Me, yesterday in church.
I said it much more eloquently (I was in the zone) and more than half of those there came up to me and complimented me greatly.
It's only 8:00, and I'm tired enough (almost) to go to bed. I hardly slept last night. Nothing particularly on my mind, but my brain was whizzing away.
So, over the weekend, while occupying my mind with nonsense, I was surfing away and for some reason happened to surf into an article about the Bonneville. I read it (the article) and came to learn that the 2005 Bonneville is built on the "H" body platform which was designed in .. uh, 1986. For the 1987 Bonneville/LeSabre/Park Avenue/DeVille.
As in, the 2005 Bonneville is riding around on stampings that were tooled and designed in 1986.
It gets worse.
I mentioned to Brian what I had unearthed, and he says: "oh, that "H" platform is actually based on the X-body."
As in, Chevy Citation.
Holy crap.
Other than that, it's been a reasonable day.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
On today's calendar...
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. David Taylor CTS event (David Taylor Customer Abuse center)
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Tuesday planning meeting(s)
As I've moved forward here these last few weeks, I've been reflecting on what I do well, and what I enjoy doing, and what would be required to make that all come together for myself in the next year.
I've also been looking at the things I get involved in that don't support me, and that make me feel unsuccessful.
So, more from column "A" and fewer from column "B," clearly.
Two great meetings already today to advance that formula. More good stuff going on today as well.
And, I think Judy is buying the Christmas tree train. Good thing, since it's in the back seat of the car again.
This morning, my power went out for about three minutes. Again. Makes me crazy. I walked outside as soon as it went off - it was about 6:50 this morning. The neighbor's power was still on. I guess this means I probably have a breaker box issue. The power goes out about every fifth day for long enough to reset all the digital clocks.
Now, a quick update on office conditions:
* I used the suggestion of the guy from whom I bought the desk and applied Old English yesterday, as I mentioned. This morning, the vapors were still strong.
* Today, I used orange oil and the vapors were visible.
* A client came in, wearing the perfume counter from Dillard's. She closed the door.
* I have a headache.
* My furniture looks great
* Now I want the Rocketeer poster framed and on the wall PRONTO
And I need better chairs.
Nathan (from eons ago) contacted me today. I haven't heard from him since .. 2002. Or early 2003. I don't know. He's probably in the blog archive.
I'm either nuked on the vapors in here, or tired. Or both. A heavy evening in front of me still, too.
I've also been looking at the things I get involved in that don't support me, and that make me feel unsuccessful.
So, more from column "A" and fewer from column "B," clearly.
Two great meetings already today to advance that formula. More good stuff going on today as well.
And, I think Judy is buying the Christmas tree train. Good thing, since it's in the back seat of the car again.
This morning, my power went out for about three minutes. Again. Makes me crazy. I walked outside as soon as it went off - it was about 6:50 this morning. The neighbor's power was still on. I guess this means I probably have a breaker box issue. The power goes out about every fifth day for long enough to reset all the digital clocks.
Now, a quick update on office conditions:
* I used the suggestion of the guy from whom I bought the desk and applied Old English yesterday, as I mentioned. This morning, the vapors were still strong.
* Today, I used orange oil and the vapors were visible.
* A client came in, wearing the perfume counter from Dillard's. She closed the door.
* I have a headache.
* My furniture looks great
* Now I want the Rocketeer poster framed and on the wall PRONTO
And I need better chairs.
Nathan (from eons ago) contacted me today. I haven't heard from him since .. 2002. Or early 2003. I don't know. He's probably in the blog archive.
I'm either nuked on the vapors in here, or tired. Or both. A heavy evening in front of me still, too.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Monday, Monday ver. 1201.01 - Veteran's Day Edition!
We'll start with some good ol' Republican sentiment on military preparedness and weapons accumulation.
Things are crazed here today. People are carrying on like it's a party or something. I did get the desk Old English'ed and it looks fabulous, but I'm daffy on the fumes.
I had lunch with Joseph. Oh, my God. It's been eight years since I've seen him.
I've made my calls, and it's time to go pick up the mail, gas up the car and drive home. Once there, I am going to work on the front garden "patch" some, and see about cleaning the floors.
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some fifty miles of concrete pavement. We pay for a single fighter plane with a half million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more than 8,000 people. This is, I repeat, the best way of life to be found on the road the world has been taking. This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron. […] Is there no other way the world may live?
–Dwight David Eisenhower, “The Chance for Peace,” speech given to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Apr. 16, 1953.
Things are crazed here today. People are carrying on like it's a party or something. I did get the desk Old English'ed and it looks fabulous, but I'm daffy on the fumes.
I had lunch with Joseph. Oh, my God. It's been eight years since I've seen him.
I've made my calls, and it's time to go pick up the mail, gas up the car and drive home. Once there, I am going to work on the front garden "patch" some, and see about cleaning the floors.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Inspiration
Last night, in the middle of a date that was so abhorrent that it reminded me of my date with the guy Madeline set me up with back in 1988, when the guy grabbed me across the front seat of his blue Cadillac and tried to mug down on me, I saw the movie "Michael Clayton."
The move was awesome. George Clooney's character is a "fixer," a jack of all trades who is an expert in many areas and can resolve nearly any situation.
I loved his haircut. And his black Mercedes S550. And his clothing. And his demeanor.
I talked to Rosita about it today, and we decided to go watch the movie together next weekend.
John informed me on Friday that Joseph is wanting to come back to work with us. Joseph.
Joseph.
Holy cow.
I just am sort of speechless.
I have to work on so many things tomorrow; it's a Federal holiday. I'm not sure who all is coming into the office tomorrow. Hopefully, there will be very little traffic.
I found a Corby Pant press online here in town this weekend - I've wanted one for YEARS. I'm going to meet up with him on Tuesday to buy it.
I actually got the dead water heater out of the attic. I got all of the Christmas, Halloween, gift wrapping and other nonsense organized into Rubbermaid tubs. I got all of the client records bagged up in sealed plastic and up into the attic, giving me a lot more room downstairs. I got Christmas set out in the dining room, which made Bram very happy. Next weekend, I'd really like to get some touch up painting done. And some carpet shampooing. And floor cleaning.
I ordered a new rechargeable flashlight for the car that's just like the one that VW equipped the Phaeton with. And, I ordered some Fabulair t-shirts, as they were on sale at 20% off the base price.
Yippie!
Busy busy week this week.
The move was awesome. George Clooney's character is a "fixer," a jack of all trades who is an expert in many areas and can resolve nearly any situation.
I loved his haircut. And his black Mercedes S550. And his clothing. And his demeanor.
I talked to Rosita about it today, and we decided to go watch the movie together next weekend.
John informed me on Friday that Joseph is wanting to come back to work with us. Joseph.
Joseph.
Holy cow.
I just am sort of speechless.
I have to work on so many things tomorrow; it's a Federal holiday. I'm not sure who all is coming into the office tomorrow. Hopefully, there will be very little traffic.
I found a Corby Pant press online here in town this weekend - I've wanted one for YEARS. I'm going to meet up with him on Tuesday to buy it.
I actually got the dead water heater out of the attic. I got all of the Christmas, Halloween, gift wrapping and other nonsense organized into Rubbermaid tubs. I got all of the client records bagged up in sealed plastic and up into the attic, giving me a lot more room downstairs. I got Christmas set out in the dining room, which made Bram very happy. Next weekend, I'd really like to get some touch up painting done. And some carpet shampooing. And floor cleaning.
I ordered a new rechargeable flashlight for the car that's just like the one that VW equipped the Phaeton with. And, I ordered some Fabulair t-shirts, as they were on sale at 20% off the base price.
Yippie!
Busy busy week this week.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
HOW THE FIGHT STARTED
I rear-ended a car this morning.
So there we are alongside the road and slowly ... the driver gets out of the car . . .
and you know how you just-get-sooo-stressed and life-stuff seems to get funny?
Yeah, well, I could NOT believe it . . . he was a DWARF!
He storms over to my car, looks up at me and says, "I AM NOT HAPPY!"
So, I look down at him and say, "Well, which one are you then?"
.. . . and that's when the fight started .
So there we are alongside the road and slowly ... the driver gets out of the car . . .
and you know how you just-get-sooo-stressed and life-stuff seems to get funny?
Yeah, well, I could NOT believe it . . . he was a DWARF!
He storms over to my car, looks up at me and says, "I AM NOT HAPPY!"
So, I look down at him and say, "Well, which one are you then?"
.. . . and that's when the fight started .
Friday, November 09, 2007
Friday linkarama
Well, the house cleaning homo had a "plumbing incident" last night at home, and has asked to come at a time that is a.) inconvenient, and b.) will mean that the house will stand dirty over the weekend, which pretty much means I'll clean it myself by then.
Two interesting links about the current financial "crisis." First, the State of New York is (possibly criminally) investigating overly inflated appraisals, mostly relating to a WaMu contract which does NOT revolve around sub-prime lending. Second, just some commentary on the idea that Citi is too big to fail, and the fallacy of that notion, with a link out to a very thoroughly researched piece that's worth reading.
I need to pack up and head into the office - many things await my focus today.
Two interesting links about the current financial "crisis." First, the State of New York is (possibly criminally) investigating overly inflated appraisals, mostly relating to a WaMu contract which does NOT revolve around sub-prime lending. Second, just some commentary on the idea that Citi is too big to fail, and the fallacy of that notion, with a link out to a very thoroughly researched piece that's worth reading.
I need to pack up and head into the office - many things await my focus today.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Watching Lewis Black
He's so funny. I went to Netflix to rate it (the new DVD) and there was a new little hyperlink that said "you have 15 unrated movies."
As in, of the movies I've rented from them, fifteen have gone unrated. By me.
So, I thought back - how did I miss that? I clicked through. Well, everything in 2007 was rated. In 2006, too. And 2005. And 2004. Whoops - missed one in 2003. Hm. Fourteen to go - how long have I been a Netflix subscriber? Let's check 2002. Holy toledo! It's the mother load of unrated movies! I found twelve. Now, it's two to go. Uh - How long have I been a Netflix subscriber? Turns out six years and two months.
Holy crap!
As in, of the movies I've rented from them, fifteen have gone unrated. By me.
So, I thought back - how did I miss that? I clicked through. Well, everything in 2007 was rated. In 2006, too. And 2005. And 2004. Whoops - missed one in 2003. Hm. Fourteen to go - how long have I been a Netflix subscriber? Let's check 2002. Holy toledo! It's the mother load of unrated movies! I found twelve. Now, it's two to go. Uh - How long have I been a Netflix subscriber? Turns out six years and two months.
Holy crap!
Hippo Hump Hay
We arise this morning to find this fabulous and delicious post on my girl "Pam's House Blend."
I be lovin' me some Pammage lately. Last night, she had posted the audio interview of Joe Solomnese by Michael Signorile on Siruis radio - give it a listen. Really, just click on the link, open that page, then click on the embedded player. Signorile, although the lispiest homo you'll hear all week, doggedly pursues actual answers to his very straight-forward questions and Solomnese squirms like bait on a hook. In fact, he's so sleazy that I threw up a little bit thinking "this faux-homo Republiturd represents GAY PEOPLE?"
And it's not just me. I sent the link to a big HRC 'mo late last night, and already this morning he had responded that he's "really concerned" and that "hearing it, when our leader can't consistently explain it is sad."
I think I'll keep my checkbook saddled the next time Homosexuals Raise Cash give me their spiel about being civil rights advocates. I don't like lobbyists anyway.
I have laundry swirling around in the machine, and have already cooked up this morning's oatmeal. A few minutes from now, I'll be headed over to the Valero to stick a few dollars' worth of $3.10 premium unleaded in the car and then off to work.
Talibangelist finances under the Senate microscope
by: pam
Wed Nov 07, 2007 at 06:00:00 AM EST
Pious preachers rail on against moral failures in society, and fixate on what consenting adults do in their bedrooms or the ability of LGBT citizens to obtain equal rights. What they don't talk about from the pulpit is what's going on with the money coming from the pews -- and out in the TV audience. Perhaps that's a little inconvenient.
It hasn't gone unnoticed by Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. He's taking a look at the books of some big-name Men of GodTM -- looking for possible financial misconduct. Go, baby.
Letters were sent Monday to the ministries demanding that financial statements and records be turned over to the committee by Dec. 6.
According to Grassley's office, the Iowa Republican is trying to determine whether or not these ministries are improperly using their tax-exempt status as churches to shield lavish lifestyles.
The six ministries identified as being under investigation by the committee are led by: Paula White, Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn. Three of the six - Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland and Creflo Dollar - also sit on the Board of Regents for the Oral Roberts University.
The ministry watchdog Trinity Foundation, headed up by Ole Anthony, has been leading the charge against televangelists who rip off the flock.
"We've been working with them for two years," Anthony told CBS News. "We have furnished them with enough information to fill a small Volkswagen."
Anthony said after twenty years of working with media organizations to expose televangelists, he saw little reform. He says that's why he turned to another tactic, going straight to Grassley. He is confident that Grassley's inquiry will be different, "What we hope is that this will lead to reform in religious nonprofits."
Fun fact: homophobe Bishop Eddie Long of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church marched in Atlanta to "save marriage" with fellow homo-hater Reverend Bernice King back in 2004.
And not just conservative televangelists are under the gun. Read below the fold.
pam :: Talibangelist finances under the Senate microscope
Michael Hussey pointed to this article about ministers Randy and Paula White of the Without Wall Church, located in Tampa; its records have also been requested by the Senate, including:
* Statements for all credit cards used by the Whites since 2004 for expenses related to the ministries, including explanations for clothing and cosmetic surgery.
* A list of expenses paid by the ministries relating to homes purchased by the Whites in Tampa; San Antonio, Texas; New York City; and Malibu, Calif. The letters also call for the addresses and size of each residence.
* The year, make and model of all vehicles and aircraft purchased, leased or maintained by the ministries. Copies of flight records also are requested.
* A receipt and documentation of payment method for a Bentley convertible reportedly purchased by the Whites as a tax-exempt gift for Texas author Bishop T.D. Jakes.
* All domestic and overseas bank accounts and investments belonging to the ministries.
* Names and addresses for the publishers of all commercial-related goods relating to the ministry, such as books and audio-video recordings of sermons.
* Detailed accounting of $871,000 worth of merchandise reportedly sold to the church since 2005 by two private businesses owned by the Whites.
Hat tip, Sylvia.
I be lovin' me some Pammage lately. Last night, she had posted the audio interview of Joe Solomnese by Michael Signorile on Siruis radio - give it a listen. Really, just click on the link, open that page, then click on the embedded player. Signorile, although the lispiest homo you'll hear all week, doggedly pursues actual answers to his very straight-forward questions and Solomnese squirms like bait on a hook. In fact, he's so sleazy that I threw up a little bit thinking "this faux-homo Republiturd represents GAY PEOPLE?"
And it's not just me. I sent the link to a big HRC 'mo late last night, and already this morning he had responded that he's "really concerned" and that "hearing it, when our leader can't consistently explain it is sad."
I think I'll keep my checkbook saddled the next time Homosexuals Raise Cash give me their spiel about being civil rights advocates. I don't like lobbyists anyway.
I have laundry swirling around in the machine, and have already cooked up this morning's oatmeal. A few minutes from now, I'll be headed over to the Valero to stick a few dollars' worth of $3.10 premium unleaded in the car and then off to work.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Some important articles -
This article discusses the wild variable between the treatment meted out to the Conservatives as compared to the "Liberals," aka "mostly Conservatives" by the "Liberal Media." It's very well phrased, and makes some crystal clear points that I've been seeing for years.
I was thinking about this a few weeks back - why would the democrats WANT to achieve the presidency? This post says it so much better than I could have ever done.
Since this is important to reflect upon, and since I know most people don't like to click through and read something - here it is, reproduced for you:
Speaking of boggling - what a waste this weekend was, in terms of commercial success.
Not just for me, but for everyone at the train show. It sucked, and it sucked out loud.
At least Jeremy had the brilliant idea to photograph all of the model trains while we had them out, and so now it's a matter of using Turbolister to get them all loaded up and listed out on eBay.
I'll have to go to my room and put everything back into the closet, temporarily, while I finish that task.
We're talking about how to decorate for Lurlinemas. Do we put up a tree? Outside lights? Tschotkes (of which I have a great many, courtesy of my mother?)
Do I care? Sort of. I'd like to get even more stuff out of the attic, so I guess I care THAT much. I'm thinking of skipping the whole pagan schlock mess this year, frankly.
I did decide to mostly forego sending Christmas cards. Each year, I've sent out a raft of them, and get fewer and fewer back, as fewer and fewer people actually go through the trouble of buying, writing, addressing, posting and mailing them.
It's not yet 10:00 p.m., and I'm feeling ready for bed.
Why do we bother observing Daylight Savings Time, anyway? It's not like the "farmers," all of whom now are corporations, give a wild turkey. Most of their workers are migrants or indentured servants, it's not like they could complain.
Which leads to an interesting point Jeremy raised today - is the government's reported increase in new jobs created any way related to the huge increase in ICE raids on places of employment, in which bus loads of Hispanic workers are deported back to their home countries?
I was thinking about this a few weeks back - why would the democrats WANT to achieve the presidency? This post says it so much better than I could have ever done.
Since this is important to reflect upon, and since I know most people don't like to click through and read something - here it is, reproduced for you:
What the Next President Faces
by SusanG
Sun Nov 04, 2007 at 07:10:45 AM PDT
With a hat tip to bumblebums, who linked to this blistering analysis by Charles Pierce in the open thread, all we can say is ... preach it!
Quite honestly, I don't understand why any Democrat wants to be president this time around. It's not just the wreckage that the Avignon Presidency is going to be leaving behind, although that is considerable. (Did you see Himself yesterday? All the cheesy smirking while the Heritage Foundation unemployables cheered his nudge-nudge, wink-winking on torture? It's like being ruled by Torquemada's mall cop.) Monica Goodling's testimony back a few months as regarding the hiring practice at DOJ leads me to wonder how many home-schooled, Christianist, Patrick Henry College yahoos have been salted away within the federal bureaucracy over the past seven years, and how effective a functioning underground resistance they might be. There was a little of this during the transiton from Poppy Bush to Bill Clinton. Cleaning up the debris is going to be hard enough without a bunch of authoritarian toddlers running off at the mouth to the Washington Times, or to whatever Republican legislators may be left after the upcoming bloodbath. The first two years -- which, given the idiotic way we run elections, often are the only chance any president has to get anything done before it's time to run for president again -- are hard enough without being undermined in the government by Bible-banging Mole People. None of these people can conceive of public service as an end to itself. If they're not in it to promote the party -- or, alternatively, "Conservatism," as though that term has any meaning any more -- they're in it to "give witness" to their Personal Lord And Savior, who should be told by any Democratic politician worthy of the name to shut the hell up for a couple of years while we try to repair the damage His fans have done to our country. The first order of business for any Democratic president elected next year should be to appoint unreconstructed hardbars to head the personnel offices throughout the Executive branch whose only job will be to root these people out before they can hurt the country further. The Monica Goodlings should be sent back where they belong -- into a commercial for one of those execrable "Songs For Worship" CD's that seem to be dedicated to ruining gospel music as thoroughly as these people have ruined the Justice department.
He's right, of course. Beyond the obvious tasks of rolling back executive power, the restoration of the rule of law, and a return to at least pretending the Constitution is a guiding document, there's going to be a lot of dull, persistent clerical work for the next president. Not just the personnel matter Pierce (brilliantly) addresses, but all the quirky little policy and standard language this gang has undoubtedly slipped into bureaucratic edicts issued by every executive department and sub-department and sub-sub-department. Think the Patriot Act on a petty and more insidiously seeded scale. The mind boggles.
Speaking of boggling - what a waste this weekend was, in terms of commercial success.
Not just for me, but for everyone at the train show. It sucked, and it sucked out loud.
At least Jeremy had the brilliant idea to photograph all of the model trains while we had them out, and so now it's a matter of using Turbolister to get them all loaded up and listed out on eBay.
I'll have to go to my room and put everything back into the closet, temporarily, while I finish that task.
We're talking about how to decorate for Lurlinemas. Do we put up a tree? Outside lights? Tschotkes (of which I have a great many, courtesy of my mother?)
Do I care? Sort of. I'd like to get even more stuff out of the attic, so I guess I care THAT much. I'm thinking of skipping the whole pagan schlock mess this year, frankly.
I did decide to mostly forego sending Christmas cards. Each year, I've sent out a raft of them, and get fewer and fewer back, as fewer and fewer people actually go through the trouble of buying, writing, addressing, posting and mailing them.
It's not yet 10:00 p.m., and I'm feeling ready for bed.
Why do we bother observing Daylight Savings Time, anyway? It's not like the "farmers," all of whom now are corporations, give a wild turkey. Most of their workers are migrants or indentured servants, it's not like they could complain.
Which leads to an interesting point Jeremy raised today - is the government's reported increase in new jobs created any way related to the huge increase in ICE raids on places of employment, in which bus loads of Hispanic workers are deported back to their home countries?
Friday, November 02, 2007
Link sausages and working like a Hebrew with a new Pharoah
So I've been cranking here at the office all morning. It's only 1:15, and although I feel like I'm fever-y, I feel okay for the most part. Perhaps it's time to go check the thermostat.
Nope, it's me.
I have everything priced for the train show, pretty much. The car's loaded up, and I have to stop and pick up some table covers, and an electrical strip for the booth, then go over there, haul everything inside, set it all up, and then go home.
I have my name badges set up, I think I'm pretty much good to go here.
Today, Brian (whom I gave love to but failed to link out to) showed me a fabulous piece on the CAFE standards. Write your Congresscritter (like it will make a lick of difference.)
Also, someone on the Conservative side of the fence has started to notice that Rudy ain't the most truthful person running for President.
But, most of all, our Lady of Two Sides to her Mouth is caught red-handed parsing out the perfidy on YouTube:
Yes, she'd be a perfect follow-on to Walker, Texas President.
Nope, it's me.
I have everything priced for the train show, pretty much. The car's loaded up, and I have to stop and pick up some table covers, and an electrical strip for the booth, then go over there, haul everything inside, set it all up, and then go home.
I have my name badges set up, I think I'm pretty much good to go here.
Today, Brian (whom I gave love to but failed to link out to) showed me a fabulous piece on the CAFE standards. Write your Congresscritter (like it will make a lick of difference.)
Also, someone on the Conservative side of the fence has started to notice that Rudy ain't the most truthful person running for President.
But, most of all, our Lady of Two Sides to her Mouth is caught red-handed parsing out the perfidy on YouTube:
Yes, she'd be a perfect follow-on to Walker, Texas President.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
I'm up to my knuckle coupler in model trains
So, I had WAY more model trains than I remembered. I started writing up the descriptions (the sizzle for the steak, you know) and found that I had nine cars from this train, ten from that, 23 from the other - far more than I had on my inventory list.
Jeremy's napping, and then we're getting the Christmas tree train down from the attic, and loading the trunk of the car up.
Some links!
Americans have an emotional/psychological link to their cars! Who knew?
Where I'll be spending my weekend. Tickets are only seven bucks, which is probably what parking will be. However, you can come cheer me on and pretend like you're hot and bothered for my train crap, to incent others to grab it and pay before you find your checkbook.
My terrific friend Brian (whom I'll meet someday, but who I talk to all the time) had this cartoon posted on his livejournal today, and I nearly busted a pant seam laughing over it.
Jeremy's napping, and then we're getting the Christmas tree train down from the attic, and loading the trunk of the car up.
Some links!
Americans have an emotional/psychological link to their cars! Who knew?
Where I'll be spending my weekend. Tickets are only seven bucks, which is probably what parking will be. However, you can come cheer me on and pretend like you're hot and bothered for my train crap, to incent others to grab it and pay before you find your checkbook.
My terrific friend Brian (whom I'll meet someday, but who I talk to all the time) had this cartoon posted on his livejournal today, and I nearly busted a pant seam laughing over it.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
*cough cough*
Well, my day at home being sick has been interesting. I tried to nap - twice - and was unsuccessful both times. Each time, I was motivated to arise and look through the accumulated CRAP that I have, all of which (that is train related) I'm selling this weekend.
I unloaded all of my railroadiana books, most of which were gifts from well-meaning loved ones, priced them all on Amazon and listed them out. I pulled out the posters, advertisements, magazines and such and prepared to do the same. I've designed my table layout, and I need to go get some table covers for the tables. I finished signing up for my credit card terminal. I need to make a checklist...
What will I do if I actually unload all of this stuff? I intend to come back home with none of it. Just contemplating what life will be like without all this unused stuff hanging out, most of which sits unobtrusively in boxes in the attic of closet, is liberating. It really DOES occupy space in your psyche. It takes from your total store of mental energy just HAVING it there.
Of the proceeds, I'm having framed the six posters I'm keeping (the rest are being sold,) the Rocketeer poster that's going to the office, the TWA poster that Pam & Jean gave me for my house warming that goes into the downstairs powder room, the Continental New Orleans poster for the bedroom, and the three 20th Century Limited posters that will hang in the stairwell. The rest goes into Fabulair.
At that point, I'll have rid myself of a huge percentage of what I toted into the apartment on Bagby, and gathered up while living there. I still have a way to go with it (wasn't it nice of me not to type "a ways?")
Jackie looks fashionable with her new haircut, produced by Tom while she was vacationing over there. When I went to pick her up, she was so excited that she dashed out through two of the bars of his anti-burglar door gate. She was stuck there for a good ten minutes before Tom was able to ease one shoulder back out and get her free.
Her new haircut makes her collar a very loose fit, so she has a lot more say in which direction the train is headed than before.
I keep wondering - what else can I rid myself of? What other things am I toting around just "because?" My mother's china, for one, which I haven't used since I moved out of Bagby. Most of the Christmas tschotkes. Most of the CDs and DVDs.
All of the porno.
The funny thing is, none of this stuff is worth anything at all once the first person buys it. It's just basically work to get rid of it.
I'm just thinking about how much more stuff there is to sort, label, research and sell.
Noteworthy is that I've totally stopped buying crap on eBay.
I unloaded all of my railroadiana books, most of which were gifts from well-meaning loved ones, priced them all on Amazon and listed them out. I pulled out the posters, advertisements, magazines and such and prepared to do the same. I've designed my table layout, and I need to go get some table covers for the tables. I finished signing up for my credit card terminal. I need to make a checklist...
What will I do if I actually unload all of this stuff? I intend to come back home with none of it. Just contemplating what life will be like without all this unused stuff hanging out, most of which sits unobtrusively in boxes in the attic of closet, is liberating. It really DOES occupy space in your psyche. It takes from your total store of mental energy just HAVING it there.
Of the proceeds, I'm having framed the six posters I'm keeping (the rest are being sold,) the Rocketeer poster that's going to the office, the TWA poster that Pam & Jean gave me for my house warming that goes into the downstairs powder room, the Continental New Orleans poster for the bedroom, and the three 20th Century Limited posters that will hang in the stairwell. The rest goes into Fabulair.
At that point, I'll have rid myself of a huge percentage of what I toted into the apartment on Bagby, and gathered up while living there. I still have a way to go with it (wasn't it nice of me not to type "a ways?")
Jackie looks fashionable with her new haircut, produced by Tom while she was vacationing over there. When I went to pick her up, she was so excited that she dashed out through two of the bars of his anti-burglar door gate. She was stuck there for a good ten minutes before Tom was able to ease one shoulder back out and get her free.
Her new haircut makes her collar a very loose fit, so she has a lot more say in which direction the train is headed than before.
I keep wondering - what else can I rid myself of? What other things am I toting around just "because?" My mother's china, for one, which I haven't used since I moved out of Bagby. Most of the Christmas tschotkes. Most of the CDs and DVDs.
All of the porno.
The funny thing is, none of this stuff is worth anything at all once the first person buys it. It's just basically work to get rid of it.
I'm just thinking about how much more stuff there is to sort, label, research and sell.
Noteworthy is that I've totally stopped buying crap on eBay.
Government policy made based on rumor and bigotry
I'm surprised that they didn't again raise the proven lie of welfare queens driving Cadillacs!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Greetings from Orange County (FL)
We're getting ready for Hallowe'en - Matticia is cleaning up, Jeremy is painting himself gold, and I'm waiting for my chance in the bathroom. I have my costume all laid out, and fortunately, writhing into the tights and leotards are the only difficult elements of dressing.
Two nights in a row that we were up past 3:00, and then awake again about 9:00. Eating has been erratic. As a result, I'm just wiped out.
The party was interesting; of course, we didn't know anyone. Everyone was very friendly, and I really liked some of Matticia's friends.
Tomorrow, I've been talking to everyone about going to the Fantasy of Flight museum in Polk City - the way I'm feeling now, I'd rather sleep in and have something very low impact. Today, we spent five hours running around trying to find costume pieces. I was starting to think that perhaps people anymore are more and more ill behaved, after having been knocked around while standing in the check-out line, and watching Jeremy bleed through his t-shirt after being pushed into the sharp metal corner of a rack in Wal-Mart.
Two nights in a row that we were up past 3:00, and then awake again about 9:00. Eating has been erratic. As a result, I'm just wiped out.
The party was interesting; of course, we didn't know anyone. Everyone was very friendly, and I really liked some of Matticia's friends.
Tomorrow, I've been talking to everyone about going to the Fantasy of Flight museum in Polk City - the way I'm feeling now, I'd rather sleep in and have something very low impact. Today, we spent five hours running around trying to find costume pieces. I was starting to think that perhaps people anymore are more and more ill behaved, after having been knocked around while standing in the check-out line, and watching Jeremy bleed through his t-shirt after being pushed into the sharp metal corner of a rack in Wal-Mart.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Hump Day (actual)
Sneezy. Oh, my. Last night's Rainbow/HRC thing went pretty well - I finally gave away most of my pens that I bought four years ago when I was working on W. Gray. I've toted those silly things around for a while, and now there are only three left.
My new desk furniture is 74" from edge to rear corner - the office is 74" from corner to door jamb. The desk itself is also 72" wide - to go in my office which is 109" wide. I should increase my work area by at least double, increase my storage space, improve my ergonomics and .. something else, I'm sure.
My new desk furniture is 74" from edge to rear corner - the office is 74" from corner to door jamb. The desk itself is also 72" wide - to go in my office which is 109" wide. I should increase my work area by at least double, increase my storage space, improve my ergonomics and .. something else, I'm sure.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Tuesday, which is hump day (this week)
My new office furniture has been delivered!!! WHOOPIE! It looks AWESOME (in a "please sand and re-seal me sort of a way.) It's going to fill up this office, but now I'm visualizing dark navy leather club chairs or something. It's going to be soo cool.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Friday night....
I was trying to think of a song title for Friday night, and I couldn't come up with anything but S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT by the Bay City Rollers, so I just went with what it is.
I've just picked Jeremy up; he goes back at the crack of dawn again tomorrow morning and works all day. Holy shyte.
It's nearly midnight, and Matticia is in the air on her way here from FAT by way of PHX. She's very disappointed that she got CRJs the whole way here and I say "You're the one who picked US Air."
My computer is suddenly slowed. I'm running a spyware check on it now, then other tools to find the culprit for its gooeyness.
I suppose I should consider hitting the sack; tomorrow is another day - just without radishes.
I've just picked Jeremy up; he goes back at the crack of dawn again tomorrow morning and works all day. Holy shyte.
It's nearly midnight, and Matticia is in the air on her way here from FAT by way of PHX. She's very disappointed that she got CRJs the whole way here and I say "You're the one who picked US Air."
My computer is suddenly slowed. I'm running a spyware check on it now, then other tools to find the culprit for its gooeyness.
I suppose I should consider hitting the sack; tomorrow is another day - just without radishes.
Proposed Constitutional amendments
Ideas for a New Constitutional Convention
by Hunter
Fri Oct 19, 2007 at 11:00:22 AM PDT
Many thanks to Larry Sabato for publishing his series looking at the options for a new Constitutional Convention. I admit to being wary of the idea at first, but the more I consider the possibilities, the better I like it. There are whole rafts of Constitutional adjustments that I think should be forthcoming, and which I believe better reflect modern American needs -- may I suggest a few?
Amendment 28: The House of Representatives shall be abolished. At this point, it is clear that there is no hope of finding a full 435 Americans who are intelligent enough to run a country. The Senate has less people, and is therefore proportionally less crazy. Also, Senators are also generally older, which doesn't necessarily mean that they say less crazy crap, but it at least takes them longer to say it.
If we cannot abolish the House, then there are still other things we can do. We can make it like Survivor, and vote the two most obnoxious House members out of office every week of the session. If it's good enough a system for television, surely it's good enough for the government of a country obsessed with television.
Amendment 29: We institutionalize the Thunderdome. Any American or foreigner who wants to can enter the Thunderdome and beat the crap out of anyone else there. Waterboarding and other "enhanced" interrogation, butchering people with advanced weaponry, whatever you like -- no laws, anything goes. The only catch is that anyone else in the Thunderdome can do the same to you.
The advantage of this plan is that it is one of the few strategies for planetary depopulation that self-selects for both violence and stupidity.
Amendment 30: From now on, "pro-life" has to mean what any reasonable person thinks it means, or you don't get to call yourself that, upon penalty of being beaten senseless with seafood. If you spend your time blustering about how we're going to kick some Iraqi ass, or which cities or religious hubs need to be bombed into a "sheet of glass", or explaining how children don't really need healthcare, if their parents had the blinding audacity to get jobs someplace that refuses to offer it, you forfeit the term.
Similar punishments will be meted out for abuse of the terms "compassionate", "patriotic", and "news".
Amendment 31: All members of Congress will be drug tested three times a day, every day. Anyone who thinks this is an invasion of their privacy will be assumed to be guilty and fired. All conservative foreign policy think tanks will also be drug tested, because there just ain't no freakin' way these people drew up the "plans" for Iraq without being wasted on something.
Amendment 32: From now on, all wars and police actions will be authorized not by Congress but by direct vote of the population. The results will be binding, but any required draftees will be taken from the pool of voters who voted "aye".
Amendment 33: All wars will require calling up the aforementioned draftees. You don't have to go fight, but you at least have to sit in an Army base cleaning tank treads for the people who do.
Amendment 34: For national census purposes, Rush Limbaugh will henceforth count as three-fifths of a person.
Amendment 35: Each network in America shall devote at least one hour a night to discussing whether Lou Dobbs is attempting to retake America's desert southwest via an intensive self-breeding program.
Amendment 36: Canada shall be annexed. If they're going to send all their goddamned wingnuts down here to opine to us about the horrors of immigration, then they can damn well give us some of that oil and timber while they're at it.
Hey, couldn't hurt. Except the Thunderdome thing, which certainly would. But I think the pay-per-view revenues on that one would more than pay for national health care, a carbon-neutral energy program, and resculpting the moon into a perfect replica of Al Gore's shiny new Nobel Prize. We'd be fools not to do it.
by Hunter
Fri Oct 19, 2007 at 11:00:22 AM PDT
Many thanks to Larry Sabato for publishing his series looking at the options for a new Constitutional Convention. I admit to being wary of the idea at first, but the more I consider the possibilities, the better I like it. There are whole rafts of Constitutional adjustments that I think should be forthcoming, and which I believe better reflect modern American needs -- may I suggest a few?
Amendment 28: The House of Representatives shall be abolished. At this point, it is clear that there is no hope of finding a full 435 Americans who are intelligent enough to run a country. The Senate has less people, and is therefore proportionally less crazy. Also, Senators are also generally older, which doesn't necessarily mean that they say less crazy crap, but it at least takes them longer to say it.
If we cannot abolish the House, then there are still other things we can do. We can make it like Survivor, and vote the two most obnoxious House members out of office every week of the session. If it's good enough a system for television, surely it's good enough for the government of a country obsessed with television.
Amendment 29: We institutionalize the Thunderdome. Any American or foreigner who wants to can enter the Thunderdome and beat the crap out of anyone else there. Waterboarding and other "enhanced" interrogation, butchering people with advanced weaponry, whatever you like -- no laws, anything goes. The only catch is that anyone else in the Thunderdome can do the same to you.
The advantage of this plan is that it is one of the few strategies for planetary depopulation that self-selects for both violence and stupidity.
Amendment 30: From now on, "pro-life" has to mean what any reasonable person thinks it means, or you don't get to call yourself that, upon penalty of being beaten senseless with seafood. If you spend your time blustering about how we're going to kick some Iraqi ass, or which cities or religious hubs need to be bombed into a "sheet of glass", or explaining how children don't really need healthcare, if their parents had the blinding audacity to get jobs someplace that refuses to offer it, you forfeit the term.
Similar punishments will be meted out for abuse of the terms "compassionate", "patriotic", and "news".
Amendment 31: All members of Congress will be drug tested three times a day, every day. Anyone who thinks this is an invasion of their privacy will be assumed to be guilty and fired. All conservative foreign policy think tanks will also be drug tested, because there just ain't no freakin' way these people drew up the "plans" for Iraq without being wasted on something.
Amendment 32: From now on, all wars and police actions will be authorized not by Congress but by direct vote of the population. The results will be binding, but any required draftees will be taken from the pool of voters who voted "aye".
Amendment 33: All wars will require calling up the aforementioned draftees. You don't have to go fight, but you at least have to sit in an Army base cleaning tank treads for the people who do.
Amendment 34: For national census purposes, Rush Limbaugh will henceforth count as three-fifths of a person.
Amendment 35: Each network in America shall devote at least one hour a night to discussing whether Lou Dobbs is attempting to retake America's desert southwest via an intensive self-breeding program.
Amendment 36: Canada shall be annexed. If they're going to send all their goddamned wingnuts down here to opine to us about the horrors of immigration, then they can damn well give us some of that oil and timber while they're at it.
Hey, couldn't hurt. Except the Thunderdome thing, which certainly would. But I think the pay-per-view revenues on that one would more than pay for national health care, a carbon-neutral energy program, and resculpting the moon into a perfect replica of Al Gore's shiny new Nobel Prize. We'd be fools not to do it.
Why are liberals liberal?
Could it be that their brains function better? Certainly, to be flexible and to consider other choices, weigh outcomes, one must be more adept at adapt.
I'm going to let others speak to the nature of liberalism, and to the neocon-ic pattern of outright lies, aggressively and vehemently repeated.
Thanks to TV and for the convenience of TV, you can only be one of two kinds of human beings, either a liberal or a conservative.
Kurt Vonnegut (1922 - 2007)
A liberal is a person whose interests aren't at stake at the moment.
Willis Player
A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.
Robert Frost (1874 - 1963)
"The most perfidious way of harming a cause consists of defending it deliberately with faulty arguments."
Friedrich Nietzsche
"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."
Samuel Johnson
"If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way."
Bertrand Russell
I'm going to let others speak to the nature of liberalism, and to the neocon-ic pattern of outright lies, aggressively and vehemently repeated.
Thanks to TV and for the convenience of TV, you can only be one of two kinds of human beings, either a liberal or a conservative.
Kurt Vonnegut (1922 - 2007)
A liberal is a person whose interests aren't at stake at the moment.
Willis Player
A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.
Robert Frost (1874 - 1963)
"The most perfidious way of harming a cause consists of defending it deliberately with faulty arguments."
Friedrich Nietzsche
"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."
Samuel Johnson
"If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way."
Bertrand Russell
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Hump day's got me high centered
So much so that I had to think about the phrase "High-centered." Took me a few minutes.
There's an OutSmart advertiser party in an hour that I'm committed to going to. They're giving "awards" for "reader's choices.
90 categories. 31 "ties" and 59 unique winners. That means that there are more "ties" than unique winners (62 compared to 59.) That's just silly.
I feel like I haven't gotten anything done today, but I know that I have. I'm just wiped out. Part of that is food intake, I'm sure - someone catered in Jason's Deli today, and I .. have felt sick ever since. I think I'm pulling back up and out. I have to give myself an injection before we leave for the event, so hopefully that will help.
Been working on my presentation for next Tuesday evening, hopefully have a few things lined up. I really want another exhibitor. Hm.
There's an OutSmart advertiser party in an hour that I'm committed to going to. They're giving "awards" for "reader's choices.
90 categories. 31 "ties" and 59 unique winners. That means that there are more "ties" than unique winners (62 compared to 59.) That's just silly.
I feel like I haven't gotten anything done today, but I know that I have. I'm just wiped out. Part of that is food intake, I'm sure - someone catered in Jason's Deli today, and I .. have felt sick ever since. I think I'm pulling back up and out. I have to give myself an injection before we leave for the event, so hopefully that will help.
Been working on my presentation for next Tuesday evening, hopefully have a few things lined up. I really want another exhibitor. Hm.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Saturday with the windows open
So, yesterday I went through this townhouse that we're going to start marketing. It was a model home, and it was beautifully decorated.
I had avowed earlier that I was going to spend time today cleaning up around here; now, I feel more like pitching everything out. Substantially everything I have in here looks old, broken, cheesy and cheap. Yurg.
I've been throwing out stuff today that is just plain broken. Keeping picture frames for years that you intend to get re-glazed is a good way to drive yourself nuts.
Been getting stuff up off the floors, getting it tucked away (electrical cords, mostly) and such. Waiting for the sun to move past the roof of the house to go out front and weed/rake.
I had avowed earlier that I was going to spend time today cleaning up around here; now, I feel more like pitching everything out. Substantially everything I have in here looks old, broken, cheesy and cheap. Yurg.
I've been throwing out stuff today that is just plain broken. Keeping picture frames for years that you intend to get re-glazed is a good way to drive yourself nuts.
Been getting stuff up off the floors, getting it tucked away (electrical cords, mostly) and such. Waiting for the sun to move past the roof of the house to go out front and weed/rake.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Tuesday turmoil
So, last night I'm reading (gingerly, because they're savage over on this site) on the VW Vortex forum about .. well, Phaetons, of course. And there's an article online that says VWoA is going to start importing the 2008 Phaeton (now that VW is no longer under VW management, the Porsche people are thinking big, it seems.)
In the to-ing and fro-ing of "will they or won't they" I find a picture of a Phaeton (two, really) in Papillon Silver Heliochrome .. which I dutifully reproduce for you here.
It's silver, it's gold, it's coppery, it's ... a color shifter! And I love it.
Had a glorious conversation with a woman from GM Executive today.
First, she has invited me to take my car to a different Pontiac dealer at my own expense for evaluation and repair, and if it is found by the new dealer that the old dealer failed to complete warranty repairs properly, then they'll consider reimbursing me. But they won't tell the new dealer that this is a failed warranty repair; they seem to thing that would be "wrong."
She kept saying "well, you have to cooperate for us to do anything to help you."
I kept saying "you're not offering to help me at all"
Never again with the GM. Never ever.
In the to-ing and fro-ing of "will they or won't they" I find a picture of a Phaeton (two, really) in Papillon Silver Heliochrome .. which I dutifully reproduce for you here.
It's silver, it's gold, it's coppery, it's ... a color shifter! And I love it.
Had a glorious conversation with a woman from GM Executive today.
First, she has invited me to take my car to a different Pontiac dealer at my own expense for evaluation and repair, and if it is found by the new dealer that the old dealer failed to complete warranty repairs properly, then they'll consider reimbursing me. But they won't tell the new dealer that this is a failed warranty repair; they seem to thing that would be "wrong."
She kept saying "well, you have to cooperate for us to do anything to help you."
I kept saying "you're not offering to help me at all"
Never again with the GM. Never ever.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Links Links Links
Have we gotten to a place where
If someone's a privileged, wealthy, conservative evangelist, we can count on their hands in the cookie jar, sex outside the norm and/or political perfidy?
At Oral Roberts University, we have all three.
It's okay, though, God told Richard Roberts that everything was o-kay.
At Oral Roberts University, we have all three.
It's okay, though, God told Richard Roberts that everything was o-kay.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Back from the Birthday
Back from hanging out in Dallas for the weekend. The drive home was amazing in its smoothness and speed. We left the gas station (according to the receipt) at 2:45, and arrived in the garage at 6:30. On the ride home, the average recorded fuel economy exceeded 19 for the first time, then 20. I took a picture.
I have a bunch of stuff to upload, pictures of all of the stuff we did - nothing earth shattering. Just relaxing. Today, we went to the Texas State Fair, and looked at the car show. Had fun with the Jeep product specialist:
Dallas is quite the city.
I've tonight read the BEST discussion of "Atlas Shrugged," an oppressively long intellectual masturbation that I read about eight years ago and, upon finishing, remarked "what crap."
We watched "Casino Royale" last night. WHOA. What a movie.
Now, I have a new car that I want. It's SO COOL.
I have lots more to commit here to posterity, but I must to bed. I'm tired.
I have a bunch of stuff to upload, pictures of all of the stuff we did - nothing earth shattering. Just relaxing. Today, we went to the Texas State Fair, and looked at the car show. Had fun with the Jeep product specialist:
Jeep is advertising their new TDI in the Grand Cherokee; using a picture of the previous generation vehicle. The Jeep product specialist came over and asked if I had any questions. So I asked him why they were doing this. He was truly derailed. I said "You asked if I had any questions." He says "about the vehicles on the floor." It was fun watching his train thunder off into the weeds.
Dallas is quite the city.
I've tonight read the BEST discussion of "Atlas Shrugged," an oppressively long intellectual masturbation that I read about eight years ago and, upon finishing, remarked "what crap."
We watched "Casino Royale" last night. WHOA. What a movie.
Now, I have a new car that I want. It's SO COOL.
I have lots more to commit here to posterity, but I must to bed. I'm tired.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Only "T" member of HRC board resigns
Perfidy. Worthy of Fox News.
Here's her statement:
Interestingly, HRC today sent out a pretty, slick email telling everyone that they were "leading the fight for T rights." They are "We are profoundly disappointed by this move, and [they] want to explain our position and ask you to write your congress member today."
Uh, really? Weren't you the two-timing bastards that TOLD the Democratic leadership that it was A-OK to dump "T" protection from ENDA? EVERY. OTHER. GLBT. ORGANIZATION. SAID. NO.
Throw another big, pretty party and invite the glittery fags who wish they were heterosexual, Republican, McMansion living normal people. We'll get back to work.
Here's her statement:
Community. Integrity. Leadership. Vision. These are the foundational pillars of Equality. These are the values that draw many of us into advocacy roles. Those tenets provide a clear roadmap when things like politics, expediency, agenda, and power cloud the picture as they so often do. They pave the way to the moral high-ground, and those who follow them with trust and patience will ultimately find their efforts rewarded.
My name is Donna Rose, and I am the first and only openly transgender member of the Board of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign. I am the national co-chair for Diversity. I am the co-chair appointee-elect for the Business Council. I have spoken at events around the country on behalf of the organization, and I am a respected advocate for the transgender community.
My participation on the HRC Board has been a heavy burden. The relationship between HRC and the transgender community is one scarred by betrayal, distrust, and anger. I have become a focal point for much of that frustration and I accepted that responsibility with the hope that I could help to change it. In some very real ways I think I have been able to do that, or at least to help make that happen, and am tremendously proud of all we have achieved.
HRC has done some wonderful work to support the transgender community. Workplaces around the country are recognizing the unique challenges faced by transgender employees and are moving in record numbers to protect them as valued members of an inclusive workforce. Educational tools to help demystify our lives and to provide a human perspective have paved to way to a better understanding of who we are and our challenges. We have set high standards and we have held others accountable to them. The question at hand is whether we, as an organization, hold ourselves accountable to those same high expectations.
Transgender is not simply the 'T' in GLBT. It is people who, for one reason or another, may not express their gender in ways that conform to traditional gender norms or expectations. That covers everyone from transsexuals, to queer youth, to feminine acting men, to masculine appearing women. It is a broad label that cannot be confined to a specific silo of people. It is anyone who chooses to live authentically. To think that the work that we are doing on behalf of the entire GLBT community simply benefits or protects part of us is to choose a simplistic view of a complex community. In a very real way, the T is anyone who expresses themselves differently. To some it is about gender. To me, it is about freedom.
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is a core piece of legislation. It would guarantee that GLBT people will not get fired from their jobs because of discrimination and prejudice. It makes a strong statement that discrimination of any kind is unacceptable, and it recognizes the critical role of employment and career as something more than simply a paycheck. It is a source of pride, of achievement, of belonging, of security, and in a very real way it is a validation of person-hood.
Unemployment and under-employment is the single most significant issue facing transgender people today. The high-profile case of Susan Stanton, city manager from Largo, FL who was fired early this year after an exemplary 17-year career there simply because she was outed as being transgender, demonstrates the continuing experience that many of us continue to face each and every day in workplaces around this country. Although workplaces have made tremendous strides in enacting supportive policy, bad things still happen and the overall message being sent is that we're somehow expendable. In years past these things happened quietly, going unnoticed. Those days are numbered.
That's why ENDA is so important. It is more than simply a statement that it's not ok to fire GLBT people for reasons unrelated to work performance. It's a statement that we are a community. It's recognition of people who may not express their gender in traditional ways does not affect a person's ability to contribute as simply another part of a diverse workforce. It's a validation of those foundational pillars that line the moral high ground. And, it's recognition that each of us has value, and none of us will be left behind.
The current situation regarding ENDA is nothing short of a politically misguided tragedy. A tool that could and should be a unifying beacon on the heels of the historic passage of fully inclusive Hate Crime legislation has been split. Transgender brothers and sisters again find themselves separated, isolated, and disempowered. People in positions of power have decided that their personal legacy and the promise of political expediency are more important than protecting our entire beautiful community. The time is here to make a strong statement to demonstrate to them that they are wrong.
In 2004 the HRC Board voted to support only fully-inclusive Federal legislation. That decision paved the way to my participation with the organization, and was a significant step in the healing process. Since that time we have worked together tirelessly towards a goal of Equality for all. Less than a month ago HRC President Joe Solmonese stood before almost 900 transgender people at the Southern Comfort Conference in Atlanta to pledge ongoing support and solidarity. In his keynote address he indicated that not only would HRC support only a fully inclusive ENDA, but that it would actively oppose anything less. That single pledge changed hearts and minds that day, and the ripple affect throughout the transgender community was that we finally were one single GLBT community working together. Sadly, recent events indicate that those promises were hollow.
An impressive coalition of local and national organizations has lined up to actively oppose the divisive strategy that would leave some of our brothers and sisters without workplace protections. This effort has galvanized community spirit and commitment in ways few could have imagined, and it has demonstrated to those who would divide us that anything less than full inclusion is unacceptable Organization after organization has seized the moral high ground knowing that this is a historic opportunity that cannot be squandered, and that it is our moral obligation to ourselves and to generations that will follow to make a loud, clear, unmistakable statement that we are a community and we will not be divided. There is a single significant organization glaringly missing from that list. The Human Rights Campaign has chosen not to be there.
It is impossible to remove passion and emotion from what has happened. Indeed, those are the fuels that propel us. That being said please know that this entire situation has affected me deeply and profoundly. Still, I will not sling mud at the organization to who I have given my heart, my energies, and my trust. I will not give in to my frustration and disappointment that Joe's words of less than a month ago have proven to be hollow promises. This unfortunate turn of events has forced me to make some very difficult personal decisions about integrity, character, community, and leadership. Although I can find any number of logical and personal reasons to continue in my capacity as a board member, I cannot escape the moral implications of the decision before me. Using that as my guide, as difficult as it is for me to make, the decision is an obvious one.
I hereby submit my resignation from my post on the Board of the Human Rights Campaign effective Monday Oct. 8, 2007. I call on other like-minded board members, steering committee leaders, donors, corporate sponsors, and volunteers to think long and hard about whether this organization still stands for your values and to take decisive action as well. More than simply a question of organization policy, this is a test of principle and integrity and although it pains me greatly to see what has happened it is clear to me that there can only be one path. Character is not for compromise. I cannot align myself with an organization that I can't trust to stand-up for all of us. More than that, I cannot give half-hearted support to an organization that has now chosen to forsake the tenets that have guided my efforts from day one.
I align myself and my energies with the groundswell of community sentiment that has universally stood to oppose this divisive strategy. I wish my friends and colleagues from the Human Rights Campaign the best, and I expect that time will prove their decision to take a neutral stance and to fracture our community to be short-sighted and misguided. I accept the notion that we all want the same thing. It's just that I couldn't disagree more with this destructive strategy to get there. I urge the board and the leadership to reconsider their position and the join a unified community that supports a single all-inclusive bill.
History teaches painful lessons. Any celebration of rights gained at the expense of others is not a celebration. It is a failure of effective leadership. It is to offer the promise of a tomorrow that you know in your heart will never come. It is to choose to turn your back on those who need you most, who do not have the voice or the stature to speak for themselves.
The time is here for leaders to lead, for those who say they stand for community to act forcefully and with purpose. Anything less is to forsake the pillars of Equality for the empty promise of something less. The word that we have for that in our language is "Courage". It's the kind of courage it takes for GLBT people to show up for work each and every day, living authentically, wondering if that will be their last day. I call on my brothers and sisters at the Human Rights Campaign, for Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Frank, and for equality-minded leaders everywhere to lead by example and to do the right thing.
In Solidarity for Equality,
Donna Rose
Interestingly, HRC today sent out a pretty, slick email telling everyone that they were "leading the fight for T rights." They are "We are profoundly disappointed by this move, and [they] want to explain our position and ask you to write your congress member today."
Uh, really? Weren't you the two-timing bastards that TOLD the Democratic leadership that it was A-OK to dump "T" protection from ENDA? EVERY. OTHER. GLBT. ORGANIZATION. SAID. NO.
Throw another big, pretty party and invite the glittery fags who wish they were heterosexual, Republican, McMansion living normal people. We'll get back to work.
Hump Day windshield replacement
Nothing like starting out your day spending $500 on a new windshield. I found the place very easily, and they've told me that they have a good success rate at saving the registration and inspection stickers. WHOO HOOO!
After this, I really need to go get my driver license renewed. And, a doctor's follow up at noon thirty. And work to get done.
Talking a lot to Bram about what we're doing going forward. I think we have a workable game plan. Hopefully, that game plan will actually work.
The desk furniture guy has been no bueno on setting up another time to come look. Bleh.
I need a new tuxedo. And a new tuxedo shirt. And where the hell are my tuxedo shoes? Is this going to be like the mystery of the missing Pyrex measuring cup that wasn't resolved for nearly a year (until a confession took place in a back door manner?) I mean, I was delighted (who cares about a Pyrex measuring cup, after all,) but these were brand new tuxedo shoes only worn once.
WHERE ARE THEY?! Maybe they're in the Christmas boxes. I should go look.
After this, I really need to go get my driver license renewed. And, a doctor's follow up at noon thirty. And work to get done.
Talking a lot to Bram about what we're doing going forward. I think we have a workable game plan. Hopefully, that game plan will actually work.
The desk furniture guy has been no bueno on setting up another time to come look. Bleh.
I need a new tuxedo. And a new tuxedo shirt. And where the hell are my tuxedo shoes? Is this going to be like the mystery of the missing Pyrex measuring cup that wasn't resolved for nearly a year (until a confession took place in a back door manner?) I mean, I was delighted (who cares about a Pyrex measuring cup, after all,) but these were brand new tuxedo shoes only worn once.
WHERE ARE THEY?! Maybe they're in the Christmas boxes. I should go look.
Monday, October 01, 2007
More whining
Monday, October 01, 2007
Robert A. Lutz, Vice-Chairman Personal and confidential
Global Product Development
General Motors Corporation
Detroit MI 48202
Pontiac Customer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 33172
Detroit, MI 48232-5172
Mr. David W. Taylor, Jr., President Personal and confidential
David Taylor Cadillac Company, Inc.
PO Box 36428
Houston TX 77236
Mr. Phil Meyers, Service Manager
David Taylor Cadillac/Buick/Pontiac/GMC
9120 Southwest Freeway
Houston TX 77074
Gentlemen:
As you are aware, I have repeatedly had my 2005 Pontiac Bonneville into David Taylor for warranty repair work, VIN 1G2HZ54Y85U199292.
My complaint about under-hood exhaust noise cannot be found by your service department; riders in my car are impressed with my imagination – it being so vivid that it has sound effects. After a few minutes of driving, the underhood rattle is consistent at stop lights.
In my test drive with your shop foreman, he asserted that my sunroof cannot be satisfactorily adjusted – it’s as good as they can get it. The sunroof is quieter on the freeway when vented than when closed, but your service advisor states that I’m only hearing normal wind noise. When I’ve driven a CTS loaner provided by your store, the sunroof made no wind noise. This weekend, looking at new Cadillacs at Stewart, each and every factory installed sunroof is perfectly flush to the roof surface – my sunroof is millimeters below the roof surface across the entire factory opening for the roof.
In its last visit to your shop, again your technicians saw fit to put new settings into my seat and mirror memory – that is the second time this has been done. Wrench sockets were left in my car, rattling against the seat tracks. This is the care your shop gives to the owner of a $39,000 car; their own preferences are superior to my own, and an attention to detail that would allow for causing short circuits and leaving tools behind in my car for later discovery.
My experiences in your service department have been unsatisfactory in the extreme since Eric Rice left the drive. I am very displeased with the out and out fabrications told me by the service advisor who has been handling my vehicle – when you replaced the sunroof and disabled the interior courtesy lamps, he told me I had a blown fuse – taking responsibility away from David Taylor’s employees. When driving the car with the shop foreman hours laterI was told that the technician had pinched a wire, causing a short and disabling the lamps.
What is the purpose in deflecting blame away from David Taylor in this manner? What customer service goal is served by telling a GM customer representative that my sunroof does not make inappropriate wind noise when your shop foreman has told me directly that it does? How can I be expected to accept anything that I hear from your service drive personnel at face value?
The man who has made these statements has also stated that my windshield, which cracked badly while at David Taylor, was damaged on my watch and then later claimed that he had seen this damage when the car was brought in, and that he made note of it in a report – none of which notations are available for review.
Why should these statements be believable? The balance of the care my vehicle has received while in your shop has been so careless as to warrant reasonable consideration as to whether a technician dropped a tool or other object on my windshield while in your possession – in fact, the totality of the circumstances surrounding my handling at David Taylor would tend to suggest that someone at your shop DID cause the damage, and then your institutional behaviors naturally began to distract, avoid and defend against such a reasonable explanation.
The efforts of Pontiac to support its customers have been less than pathetic, and have hardly acted in any manner to advocate or negotiate a solution to what is utterly disreputable customer care and discharge of contractual warranty obligations. Having a shiny-faced twenty-three year old parrot back the fabrications of the dealer’s service personnel is hardly providing any customer service at all.
Mr. Meyers, I decline your offer to come yet again to the service drive, and be placated with promises that you all will do your best. I decline your offer to come and have nothing done, and my car returned to me with a fairly high probability of further damage. I decline your offer to go for a test drive to prove whether I am making complaints out of my imagination. I have invested far too much time already.
I decline further contact from Pontiac’s “Customer Assistance Center.” I have no need to be told in the most chipper of tones that I have been well treated.
It matters not how beautiful, exciting or unique GM products are when a customer with a 29 year consistent purchase history cannot have his car repaired and be treated as a valued client. It matters not that you install sophisticated electronics, two-toned leathers or hybrid power trains. Even more people will turn away from the dealer experience which brings only frustration and a deeping lack of confidence in the vehicle that one had previously been so excited about.
Each day that I look at my damaged car, listen to the badly repaired sunroof and the ignored engine compartment rattle, my confidence in it is diminished. The car becomes less and less appealing and each time I turn the key I wonder what will go wrong next.
Is that the product you intend to sell? Are those the experiences you want your customers to share with their friends and business associates?
That is the experience you are delivering in the marketplace. Every time I see a new DTS, look at the colors, the wheels, and think about having one in my garage I must stop and consider that at some point it will be in YOUR garage. That is enough to inhibit me from further entertaining the notion.
Sincerely yours,
Robert A. Lutz, Vice-Chairman Personal and confidential
Global Product Development
General Motors Corporation
Detroit MI 48202
Pontiac Customer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 33172
Detroit, MI 48232-5172
Mr. David W. Taylor, Jr., President Personal and confidential
David Taylor Cadillac Company, Inc.
PO Box 36428
Houston TX 77236
Mr. Phil Meyers, Service Manager
David Taylor Cadillac/Buick/Pontiac/GMC
9120 Southwest Freeway
Houston TX 77074
Gentlemen:
As you are aware, I have repeatedly had my 2005 Pontiac Bonneville into David Taylor for warranty repair work, VIN 1G2HZ54Y85U199292.
My complaint about under-hood exhaust noise cannot be found by your service department; riders in my car are impressed with my imagination – it being so vivid that it has sound effects. After a few minutes of driving, the underhood rattle is consistent at stop lights.
In my test drive with your shop foreman, he asserted that my sunroof cannot be satisfactorily adjusted – it’s as good as they can get it. The sunroof is quieter on the freeway when vented than when closed, but your service advisor states that I’m only hearing normal wind noise. When I’ve driven a CTS loaner provided by your store, the sunroof made no wind noise. This weekend, looking at new Cadillacs at Stewart, each and every factory installed sunroof is perfectly flush to the roof surface – my sunroof is millimeters below the roof surface across the entire factory opening for the roof.
In its last visit to your shop, again your technicians saw fit to put new settings into my seat and mirror memory – that is the second time this has been done. Wrench sockets were left in my car, rattling against the seat tracks. This is the care your shop gives to the owner of a $39,000 car; their own preferences are superior to my own, and an attention to detail that would allow for causing short circuits and leaving tools behind in my car for later discovery.
My experiences in your service department have been unsatisfactory in the extreme since Eric Rice left the drive. I am very displeased with the out and out fabrications told me by the service advisor who has been handling my vehicle – when you replaced the sunroof and disabled the interior courtesy lamps, he told me I had a blown fuse – taking responsibility away from David Taylor’s employees. When driving the car with the shop foreman hours laterI was told that the technician had pinched a wire, causing a short and disabling the lamps.
What is the purpose in deflecting blame away from David Taylor in this manner? What customer service goal is served by telling a GM customer representative that my sunroof does not make inappropriate wind noise when your shop foreman has told me directly that it does? How can I be expected to accept anything that I hear from your service drive personnel at face value?
The man who has made these statements has also stated that my windshield, which cracked badly while at David Taylor, was damaged on my watch and then later claimed that he had seen this damage when the car was brought in, and that he made note of it in a report – none of which notations are available for review.
Why should these statements be believable? The balance of the care my vehicle has received while in your shop has been so careless as to warrant reasonable consideration as to whether a technician dropped a tool or other object on my windshield while in your possession – in fact, the totality of the circumstances surrounding my handling at David Taylor would tend to suggest that someone at your shop DID cause the damage, and then your institutional behaviors naturally began to distract, avoid and defend against such a reasonable explanation.
The efforts of Pontiac to support its customers have been less than pathetic, and have hardly acted in any manner to advocate or negotiate a solution to what is utterly disreputable customer care and discharge of contractual warranty obligations. Having a shiny-faced twenty-three year old parrot back the fabrications of the dealer’s service personnel is hardly providing any customer service at all.
Mr. Meyers, I decline your offer to come yet again to the service drive, and be placated with promises that you all will do your best. I decline your offer to come and have nothing done, and my car returned to me with a fairly high probability of further damage. I decline your offer to go for a test drive to prove whether I am making complaints out of my imagination. I have invested far too much time already.
I decline further contact from Pontiac’s “Customer Assistance Center.” I have no need to be told in the most chipper of tones that I have been well treated.
It matters not how beautiful, exciting or unique GM products are when a customer with a 29 year consistent purchase history cannot have his car repaired and be treated as a valued client. It matters not that you install sophisticated electronics, two-toned leathers or hybrid power trains. Even more people will turn away from the dealer experience which brings only frustration and a deeping lack of confidence in the vehicle that one had previously been so excited about.
Each day that I look at my damaged car, listen to the badly repaired sunroof and the ignored engine compartment rattle, my confidence in it is diminished. The car becomes less and less appealing and each time I turn the key I wonder what will go wrong next.
Is that the product you intend to sell? Are those the experiences you want your customers to share with their friends and business associates?
That is the experience you are delivering in the marketplace. Every time I see a new DTS, look at the colors, the wheels, and think about having one in my garage I must stop and consider that at some point it will be in YOUR garage. That is enough to inhibit me from further entertaining the notion.
Sincerely yours,
Monday, Monday ver 1134.11
I'm sweating like the proverbial gay Republican senator in a public bathroom.
My blood glucose has been all over the map. I started on Byetta Saturday; cut back on my oral meds and good lord - I've been in the mid to high 200s most of the weekend and shot up from 160 this morning (fasting) to 299 90 minutes after eating oatmeal.
Yesterday, after church, I was totally wiped out. I thought it was just post-church nappiness, but after four and a half hours of sleep, my BG was over 299. It took all evening to get it down to 160 this morning, and now I'm zipped all the way back up.
After watching three episodes of "Dexter," Jeremy and I talked for a while about politics, the economy and such, my bedroom TV caught fire, which provided a little excitement. I hung all of my shirts on the new (very used) wooden hangars I bought from Nicole's grandparents, and then went to bed worrying about the house (fire, flood, famine and foreclosure.)
Fun times.
I just had someone ask me about my Manhunt profile in which I say that gay life is all about limerance. I explained it to him thusly:
I took my car to NTB two weeks ago for brakes; they didn't do the alignment/balance work as I had asked. So, I took it back on Thursday. I still have a slapping tire, and the car changes lanes to the right on the freeway within about three car lengths.
Maybe I should walk everywhere.
My blood glucose has been all over the map. I started on Byetta Saturday; cut back on my oral meds and good lord - I've been in the mid to high 200s most of the weekend and shot up from 160 this morning (fasting) to 299 90 minutes after eating oatmeal.
Yesterday, after church, I was totally wiped out. I thought it was just post-church nappiness, but after four and a half hours of sleep, my BG was over 299. It took all evening to get it down to 160 this morning, and now I'm zipped all the way back up.
After watching three episodes of "Dexter," Jeremy and I talked for a while about politics, the economy and such, my bedroom TV caught fire, which provided a little excitement. I hung all of my shirts on the new (very used) wooden hangars I bought from Nicole's grandparents, and then went to bed worrying about the house (fire, flood, famine and foreclosure.)
Fun times.
I just had someone ask me about my Manhunt profile in which I say that gay life is all about limerance. I explained it to him thusly:
People (especially gay people) meet someone, decide that this new person is THE one (which is an ideal that's in their head, not a real person) and have a relationship with this image personified by this new person. This relationship lasts weeks or months, until the realtiy of the now not so new person conflicts so violently with the mental image that the limerant rejects the now not new person and moves on to another person, repeating the process.
I took my car to NTB two weeks ago for brakes; they didn't do the alignment/balance work as I had asked. So, I took it back on Thursday. I still have a slapping tire, and the car changes lanes to the right on the freeway within about three car lengths.
Maybe I should walk everywhere.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Links, links, links
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Rush this...
How fun - Rush Limbaugh is back-pedaling from his comments about phony soldiers hot on the heels of the MoveOn ad. And, here is one of the phony soldiers commenting back to Mr. Limbaugh, whose never been in the military and claims he had a medical reason to not serve in Vietnam.
Ingrown butt hair, it seems.
Apparently, although his medical records suggest that he was healed, his ass is still bothering him. Maybe it's that boil on his ass that causes his vituperance and mean spirited statements.
I must now report that my interest in a Phaeton is deader than a doornail. The stories I read last week about the significant mechanical issues, and the expected dealership experiences killed it, when added to my level of frustration at my treatment at David Taylor, and other Houston area dealers over the last twenty years.
Went to Nicole's grandmother's this morning to sit with her while she had another estate sale - got a bunch of wooden hangars, cleaning supplies, ash trays for Bram's courtyard, a hall tree for the office. Met David at Red Robin for lunch, and had fun watching a private ambulance pull out of the parking lot and rip the nose off of a Toyota Corolla in the parking lot. I swear that the driver was considering just driving off, but then he realized that there were people watching, and he stopped.
After that, home to meet up with a guy from a Craigslist ad that I posted who was interested in some of my model trains. He was a tad early, and he bought five locomotives from me. Then, we went to Target, picked up my Byetta prescription ($242.00) and went to Petco and bought a new clipper for Jackie's forest of dirty hair, came home. Was planning on going to Baytown to look at the desk. I called, and the guy wasn't around. He's called a bunch of times to tell me I could go over there, but my intended window was already closed. I haven't listened to the messages yet.
Then, we had a nap - well, I had a nap. It was a hard nap, in which one awakens in a dazed state. My dazed state included waking from a dream that I was being choked by my room mate. NOT the most fun one can have. Time to make another Psych-K appointment, I'm guessing. It IS my birthday, so it's something I can give myself.
I'm invited to a party tonight; why do I so NOT want to do these things?
Ingrown butt hair, it seems.
Apparently, although his medical records suggest that he was healed, his ass is still bothering him. Maybe it's that boil on his ass that causes his vituperance and mean spirited statements.
I must now report that my interest in a Phaeton is deader than a doornail. The stories I read last week about the significant mechanical issues, and the expected dealership experiences killed it, when added to my level of frustration at my treatment at David Taylor, and other Houston area dealers over the last twenty years.
Went to Nicole's grandmother's this morning to sit with her while she had another estate sale - got a bunch of wooden hangars, cleaning supplies, ash trays for Bram's courtyard, a hall tree for the office. Met David at Red Robin for lunch, and had fun watching a private ambulance pull out of the parking lot and rip the nose off of a Toyota Corolla in the parking lot. I swear that the driver was considering just driving off, but then he realized that there were people watching, and he stopped.
After that, home to meet up with a guy from a Craigslist ad that I posted who was interested in some of my model trains. He was a tad early, and he bought five locomotives from me. Then, we went to Target, picked up my Byetta prescription ($242.00) and went to Petco and bought a new clipper for Jackie's forest of dirty hair, came home. Was planning on going to Baytown to look at the desk. I called, and the guy wasn't around. He's called a bunch of times to tell me I could go over there, but my intended window was already closed. I haven't listened to the messages yet.
Then, we had a nap - well, I had a nap. It was a hard nap, in which one awakens in a dazed state. My dazed state included waking from a dream that I was being choked by my room mate. NOT the most fun one can have. Time to make another Psych-K appointment, I'm guessing. It IS my birthday, so it's something I can give myself.
I'm invited to a party tonight; why do I so NOT want to do these things?
Friday, September 28, 2007
Friday stuffage
Thought I had a developing flat tire this morning heading in to work when the dash warning popped on and said "you have a tire about to go flat, dummy. Didn't you CHECK the tires?" Stopped at Discount Tire - they pulled all four, dunked them into the water and found .. nothing. One tire was three pounds low on air, but big whoo.
Yesterday, I had the car over at the OTHER tire place - NTB for a rotate/balance and alignment. I picked the car up and as I was waiting for them to print the paperwork, one of the technicians was looking out the front windows and said to those of us at the counter "That sure is a beautiful car. I want to talk to that guy when he comes in."
The guy who was finishing my paperwork says to him "which car?" The tech says "That red Bonneville - that's even that GXP model. They didn't make very many. It's just so beautiful."
I said "uh, hi there - that's my car. Thanks!"
It's always a great feeling of validation when a car guy is openly admiring your car. I guess I should wax it this weekend, huh?
Have a guy coming over tomorrow after lunch to look at some of the model trains, which would be AWESOME, as I could convert those he buys into new desk furniture for myself here at the office. I have found some in a Baytown warehouse (owned by a guy that Judy knows) that is SO awesome - it's .. well, I'll just post some pictures.
Isn't that yummy looking? It would be so much more attractive than this tackarama metal furniture that's here now.
You can't really see it from MY side, where the drawers are all busted, the formica is all chewed up and so on.
More Dexter watching tonight, it seems. I'm SO glad to be re-Treo'd. You have NO idea.
Yesterday, I had the car over at the OTHER tire place - NTB for a rotate/balance and alignment. I picked the car up and as I was waiting for them to print the paperwork, one of the technicians was looking out the front windows and said to those of us at the counter "That sure is a beautiful car. I want to talk to that guy when he comes in."
The guy who was finishing my paperwork says to him "which car?" The tech says "That red Bonneville - that's even that GXP model. They didn't make very many. It's just so beautiful."
I said "uh, hi there - that's my car. Thanks!"
It's always a great feeling of validation when a car guy is openly admiring your car. I guess I should wax it this weekend, huh?
Have a guy coming over tomorrow after lunch to look at some of the model trains, which would be AWESOME, as I could convert those he buys into new desk furniture for myself here at the office. I have found some in a Baytown warehouse (owned by a guy that Judy knows) that is SO awesome - it's .. well, I'll just post some pictures.
Isn't that yummy looking? It would be so much more attractive than this tackarama metal furniture that's here now.
You can't really see it from MY side, where the drawers are all busted, the formica is all chewed up and so on.
More Dexter watching tonight, it seems. I'm SO glad to be re-Treo'd. You have NO idea.
Friday stuffage
Thought I had a developing flat tire this morning heading in to work when the dash warning popped on and said "you have a tire about to go flat, dummy. Didn't you CHECK the tires?" Stopped at Discount Tire - they pulled all four, dunked them into the water and found .. nothing. One tire was three pounds low on air, but big whoo.
Yesterday, I had the car over at the OTHER tire place - NTB for a rotate/balance and alignment. I picked the car up and as I was waiting for them to print the paperwork, one of the technicians was looking out the front windows and said to those of us at the counter "That sure is a beautiful car. I want to talk to that guy when he comes in."
The guy who was finishing my paperwork says to him "which car?" The tech says "That red Bonneville - that's even that GXP model. They didn't make very many. It's just so beautiful."
I said "uh, hi there - that's my car. Thanks!"
It's always a great feeling of validation when a car guy is openly admiring your car. I guess I should wax it this weekend, huh?
Have a guy coming over tomorrow after lunch to look at some of the model trains, which would be AWESOME, as I could convert those he buys into new desk furniture for myself here at the office. I have found some in a Baytown warehouse (owned by a guy that Judy knows) that is SO awesome - it's .. well, I'll just post some pictures.
Isn't that yummy looking? It would be so much more attractive than this tackarama metal furniture that's here now.
You can't really see it from MY side, where the drawers are all busted, the formica is all chewed up and so on.
More Dexter watching tonight, it seems. I'm SO glad to be re-Treo'd. You have NO idea.
Yesterday, I had the car over at the OTHER tire place - NTB for a rotate/balance and alignment. I picked the car up and as I was waiting for them to print the paperwork, one of the technicians was looking out the front windows and said to those of us at the counter "That sure is a beautiful car. I want to talk to that guy when he comes in."
The guy who was finishing my paperwork says to him "which car?" The tech says "That red Bonneville - that's even that GXP model. They didn't make very many. It's just so beautiful."
I said "uh, hi there - that's my car. Thanks!"
It's always a great feeling of validation when a car guy is openly admiring your car. I guess I should wax it this weekend, huh?
Have a guy coming over tomorrow after lunch to look at some of the model trains, which would be AWESOME, as I could convert those he buys into new desk furniture for myself here at the office. I have found some in a Baytown warehouse (owned by a guy that Judy knows) that is SO awesome - it's .. well, I'll just post some pictures.
Isn't that yummy looking? It would be so much more attractive than this tackarama metal furniture that's here now.
You can't really see it from MY side, where the drawers are all busted, the formica is all chewed up and so on.
More Dexter watching tonight, it seems. I'm SO glad to be re-Treo'd. You have NO idea.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Thursday -
So, I am slogging along here, trying to get motivated.
I think I've met my new boyfriend.
It's been glorious weather of late. The new hibiscus on the courtyard are thriving. The garage is coming up for scrutiny tomorrow. The floors are as well. And, touch-up painting, I think. Maybe some carpet shampooing, even.
The Byetta that I was prescribed on Wednesday costs $225 per month instead of the $120 I was told earlier. I think I need to call around on that.
Going to Orlando for the first time ever for Matticia's 30th birthday and Halloween. Don't think I'll tell my Dad I'm there - Hmm.
I think I've met my new boyfriend.
It's been glorious weather of late. The new hibiscus on the courtyard are thriving. The garage is coming up for scrutiny tomorrow. The floors are as well. And, touch-up painting, I think. Maybe some carpet shampooing, even.
The Byetta that I was prescribed on Wednesday costs $225 per month instead of the $120 I was told earlier. I think I need to call around on that.
Going to Orlando for the first time ever for Matticia's 30th birthday and Halloween. Don't think I'll tell my Dad I'm there - Hmm.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Monday, Monday ver 1124.11
I'm starting today with a delightful piece of sarcasm and humor that I found last night; I know you won't click through to share in my amusement, so I'm going to show you here:
What a writer!! I laughed each time that I read that last night.
Went plant shopping this weekend - Houston Garden Center had 70% off of flowering shrubs, and I got four hibiscus for $24. WOW. We planted the courtyard yesterday; Jeremy did the re-potting and I put up more basket hangers, attached the three planter boxes I had purchased for the big house to the garage wall where we're going to grow herbs, and cleaned up. It looks a lot better. Not as good as it WILL look eventually, but good.
We also went to install the new garbage disposer that I got at Sears to replace the one that was leaking from every joint and connection. Got the old one out; can't get the new one in. I'm at home waiting for the plumber I called from Craigslist to come install it for me.
He's late.
Picked up the used TV that I bought a few months ago (which broke after five weeks.) $239 for the repair plus the money I paid for it - not the best decision I've ever made, but it works again. With it, I can listen to cable programs in digital stereo; without it, my receiver isn't sophisticated enough to do that.
Hard to believe that I've had that receiver nearly ten years. Well, nine, maybe. I'd have to look.
Still Phaeton-izing, and have been reading online about Phaeton owners who are (gasp) having trouble with the complexity of the car, the expense of repairs and the unwillingness of VW to have its extended warranty cover such repairs.
As in - sensors that go bad easily, but require replacement of the larger component to fix properly. Like, the torque converter. And, on the W12 model (which is the one I like so much) to replace the torque converter, you have to pull the entire engine/transmission, can't use pneumatic or hydraulic wrenches, have to replace transmission fluid (which you can't do while the engine's in the car) and other nonsense. In other words, the repair shop (by not following the instructions) could seriously screw up your car. AND, how many boys do you know that read the instructions?
I mean, I downloaded the sunroof adjustment instructions from the internet for my car. Clearly, David Taylor didn't use them.
AND, the Phaeton W12 (2004 model) has different computerized, adjustable shocks than does the 2005 and 2006, AND if one goes bad, you have to replace all four since the newer model isn't compatible with the old model and the car's myriad on board computers can't communicate successfully with a mixed set. And, "shocks" are considered a wear item, not covered by the VW warranty. And, the new shocks are One Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty dollars.
Each.
In OTHER other words, a Phaeton could produce some serious financial headaches for the un-heeled owner. Plus, many opportunities for dealer indifference, and you KNOW how well I (don't) respond to that.
Thusly, I'm thinking that the Phaeton should be relegated to the realm of "saved by the Grace of God," and it's time to move on.
The plumber has called; he should be here shortly.
OJ and Bram are both yet asleep. Bram's been sick, and who knows how late OJ stayed up last night. He's supposed to be up to supervise the plumber. Ah, well.
A ton of work to accomplish this week. Bleh. Have to order the mailers to let people know I'm not doing tax work next year, and referring them to the two people I've picked to send them to (geographically vetted, of course.)
Care And Feeding Instructions
by Hunter
Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 05:15:38 PM PDT
Congratulations on your purchase of your new 110th Congress! These care and feeding instructions will help ensure many years of future enjoyment of your Congress: please read them carefully.
CONTENTS
As packaged, your new Congress contains:
* 1 Capitol (white)
* 435 live Representatives (also mostly white)
* 100 live Senators (mostly blazingly, translucently white)
* Congress Chow, in the form of hundreds of billions of dollars in cash
* A variety of checks and balances. You may set these aside: they don't actually do anything.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Soon after installing your new Congress, a green, cash-rich buildup may occur. This buildup is a normal part of the ecological balance in your Congress; the murky green colors will fade slightly as the ratio of legislators to beneficial lobbyists finds a natural balance.
2. Do not expose your Congress to direct sunlight, as this may cause excessive "loss" of Senators and Representatives. In order to best ensure the health of your Congress, keep it in a dimly lit place, preferably near a variety of restaurants.
3. If your Congress begins looking drab, place an American flag behind the tank. This will stimulate your Congressmen into a variety of unusual displays. When the effect fades, add more flags.
4. Do not taunt your Congress. Their feelings are easily hurt, and may result in uncontrollable, deafening wailing. If this happens, add additional flags.
5. A certain amount of sexual perversion is normal. If your household includes children, place your Congress in a location where children will not have direct access to it. Positioning your Congress away from telephone and other communications equipment will help prevent a buildup of prostitutes.
6. As normal behavior, your Senators and Representatives will travel in schools. You may notice portions of your Congress from time to time erupt in panic over an unseen enemy, usually hippies or communists. This is normal, and will usually resolve itself through a series of sternly worded but ineffectual bills.
7. Your Congress is a carefully organized hierarchical society. Watch them work together to build highways, bridges, and overfunded vanity projects. Do not, however, expect them to show interest in you or acknowledge your presence in any way. If that's what you wanted, you should have bought a dog.
8. Under optimal conditions, your Congress may develop one or two Presidential Candidates. The bright colors and dramatic displays of these creatures can provide hours of entertainment. While Presidential Candidates may add excitement to your Congress, note that they are territorial and prone to fighting: keep Candidates separate as much as possible. Also, be aware that Presidential Candidates require ten times the amount of nutrition of other legislators, so feed regularly.
9. Clean your Congress every two years to remove buildup and prevent disease. Wipe your Congress with a disinfecting solution made up of cursory debate, weakly contested primaries, and embarrassingly shallow campaign coverage. It won't make the slightest bit of difference, but what the hell -- it will give you something to do.
All sales final. No refunds. May exchange for identically dysfunctional Congress only.
What a writer!! I laughed each time that I read that last night.
Went plant shopping this weekend - Houston Garden Center had 70% off of flowering shrubs, and I got four hibiscus for $24. WOW. We planted the courtyard yesterday; Jeremy did the re-potting and I put up more basket hangers, attached the three planter boxes I had purchased for the big house to the garage wall where we're going to grow herbs, and cleaned up. It looks a lot better. Not as good as it WILL look eventually, but good.
We also went to install the new garbage disposer that I got at Sears to replace the one that was leaking from every joint and connection. Got the old one out; can't get the new one in. I'm at home waiting for the plumber I called from Craigslist to come install it for me.
He's late.
Picked up the used TV that I bought a few months ago (which broke after five weeks.) $239 for the repair plus the money I paid for it - not the best decision I've ever made, but it works again. With it, I can listen to cable programs in digital stereo; without it, my receiver isn't sophisticated enough to do that.
Hard to believe that I've had that receiver nearly ten years. Well, nine, maybe. I'd have to look.
Still Phaeton-izing, and have been reading online about Phaeton owners who are (gasp) having trouble with the complexity of the car, the expense of repairs and the unwillingness of VW to have its extended warranty cover such repairs.
As in - sensors that go bad easily, but require replacement of the larger component to fix properly. Like, the torque converter. And, on the W12 model (which is the one I like so much) to replace the torque converter, you have to pull the entire engine/transmission, can't use pneumatic or hydraulic wrenches, have to replace transmission fluid (which you can't do while the engine's in the car) and other nonsense. In other words, the repair shop (by not following the instructions) could seriously screw up your car. AND, how many boys do you know that read the instructions?
I mean, I downloaded the sunroof adjustment instructions from the internet for my car. Clearly, David Taylor didn't use them.
AND, the Phaeton W12 (2004 model) has different computerized, adjustable shocks than does the 2005 and 2006, AND if one goes bad, you have to replace all four since the newer model isn't compatible with the old model and the car's myriad on board computers can't communicate successfully with a mixed set. And, "shocks" are considered a wear item, not covered by the VW warranty. And, the new shocks are One Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty dollars.
Each.
In OTHER other words, a Phaeton could produce some serious financial headaches for the un-heeled owner. Plus, many opportunities for dealer indifference, and you KNOW how well I (don't) respond to that.
Thusly, I'm thinking that the Phaeton should be relegated to the realm of "saved by the Grace of God," and it's time to move on.
The plumber has called; he should be here shortly.
OJ and Bram are both yet asleep. Bram's been sick, and who knows how late OJ stayed up last night. He's supposed to be up to supervise the plumber. Ah, well.
A ton of work to accomplish this week. Bleh. Have to order the mailers to let people know I'm not doing tax work next year, and referring them to the two people I've picked to send them to (geographically vetted, of course.)
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