Wow, hard to believe I’ve been back home for a week already – or, as of about 3:18 this afternoon. Funny how this past week went by faster than any given day in DC. There seems to be a doggie here who has not only come to think that he should get to go to the park every single day, but who has now decided that he should go twice a day. Plus he’s been telling me how they were awfully mean to him around here, and how he hardly ever got to have fun. Poor boy.

So, I hope you’re not flying anywhere, ‘cuz, if you are, you better plan on getting to the airport pretty goddamn early. And no beverages. Man, I can’t deal w/o my water bottle, so I guess it’s a good thing I don’t have to go anywhere for a while. Funny how the Brits caught these guys, but Skeletor Chertoff is on the news everywhere. Seeing as how these were Pakistanis, I think it’s only appropriate that we invade Syria.

I see that Joe Lieberman has pointed to this as an example of why Ned Lamont will get us all killed, and Republicans are gleeful that this will “play really well” coming just a few weeks before September 11^th. Personally, it reminds me that Bush ignored the August 6^th PDB, and that he $10 Billion a month war and occupation hasn’t done shit. I dunno, Americans are pretty fucking stupid, but I think once they’ve finally realized you’re an idiot (god knows it took long enough), it takes an awful lot to change their minds. After all, “fool me once, shame on…uh…shame on you. Fool me…uh…can’t get fooled again.”

In other news, “…[t]he main points of a resolution to end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah have been agreed to by the U.S. and France….” Uh, that’s nice, I guess, but shouldn’t Israel and Hezbollah fuckin’ agree, too?

Well, I could go on, I suppose, but there seems to be a dog nose poking me in the ribs, and we have a saying around here: “when Siggy says ‘woof,’ we say ‘how high?'”

Have a good Friday, and watch out for those exploding sports drinks (might be the only thing Floyd Landis can get an endorsement deal for).

Oh, and if you’re out there in LA, get yourself to the Hollywood Improv for one of Marc’s three shows this weekend (one tonight, two tomorrow), and tell hem we all say hello.

Well, here we are, one day removed from Ned Lamont’s defeat of joementum.  Say what you want about Joe (for instance, that he’s a whiny little bitch), at least it’s fairly certain that nobody will accuse him of having too much testosterone in his urine.

Of course, the Republicans, the DLC, and the media whores are trying to pin Joe’s loss on the crazy left-wing loonies out there in the blogosphere, which clearly shows that they just don’t get it (although, based on the early, and rather open support for Lamont that the Democrats are showing, I think it’s just possible they realize the times are changing; maybe it’s just pandering, but goddamn it, it’s about time they started pandering to us, instead of to the right-wing Kristo-facist zombie brigade out there).

The Internet is playing a huge part in politics, to be sure, but not because of some class of all-powerful bloggers like Kos or Atrios or even the freepers (with the possible exception of the Seditionists, who are a small but feared fringe group).  It’s because we now have a way to communicate with each other, and spread information quickly, without having to settle for whatever crap the “traditional,” for-profit media decides to feature.  Sure, some of that information is crap, but compared that big steaming pile of dung that is Fox News, well, how crappy can it really be?

Of course, the pundit class doesn’t care for this too much, ‘cuz, after all, once we the people figure out we can have our own opinions, what’s the point in paying somebody else to have them (oh, people with talent – like Rich, Krugman, and Ivins – don’t have to worry, but all the iditotic hacks out there – yes, I’m talkin’ to you, Cokie, Sam, and George :jerk: –  might want to think about a back-up plan)?  And the politicians are terrified that we’ll actually go beyond the 30 second soundbite, see who’s bought and paid for them, and hold them accountable.  That’s why this Net Neutrality stuff is so important.  If they’re allowed to set up a pay to play Internet, free speech and the exchange of ideas on the web will become a quaint memory (kinda like the Geneva Conventions), and all we’ll be left with are big flashy graphics and infomercials from jug-headed, blotchy-faced, loudmouth falafel perverts.

Of course, one primary victory doesn’t exactly mean things are gonna be fine now.  For one thing, Ned has to win his election (and then we have to see if he does – or at least tries to do – what he says he will), and the Republicans need to be given a timeout to go sit in the corner and think about their behavior for a few years.  And we all need to keep pushing the Democrats to the left, so that they at least wind up in the center.  Who knows, if a few more of their sacred cows get spanked, maybe we can even get them to the left of Barry Goldwater again.

Now, if we could just find a left-leaning radio network….

I wonder if Joe went running to dubya for a nice big wet kiss last night? Hopefully it’ll be the last thing he ever runs for. I damn near wore out my F5 key reloading the Hartford Courant site, trying to get the most recent vote counts. I was hoping for a Lamont landslide to discourage Joe from running as an Independent, but that didn’t happen. I guess we’ll have to see whether the Democrats out there respect the will of the voters, or if they decide that Joey caucusing with the Repubicans is too big a risk to take. Hopefully they can let Joe sulk for a day or two, and then discourage him from running.

Josh Marshall was supposed to be breaking some news on the supposed “hacking” of the Lieberman website, but it got too late to wait for, so I guess I’ll go over to TPM and see what they came up with.

By the way, if you’re out there in the LA area, Marc has added a gig at the Holywood Improv tonight at ten o’clock.  He’ll be there Friday and Saturday, too, if you can’t get there tonight.

OK, so the day is finally here, when we get to see if Ned Lamont can pull off an upset of our pal Joey. I’m sure that Ned isn’t pure enough, left enough, or whatever else enough to make him the “perfect” candidate for many people, but for me (non-CT resident that I am), it has a lot more to do with sending a message to the rest of the Democrats that there are going to be consequences for acting like a Republican for 5½ years, and then pretending to be a Democrat to get re-elected.

Whether it’ll turn out to be any kind of a message, who knows. First off, I’m pretty tired of moral victories where candidates do “really well” and lose. For one thing, I think Joey will take any win (or even a fairly close loss) as a sign of encouragement, and allow him to fashion himself as a hero and martyr, having overcome the forces of the evil blogosphere. He needs to be smacked down hard so as to be totally discouraged from running as an independent.

So, if you’re over there in Connecticut, don’ forget to get out there today and vote for Lamont. Otherwise, Aunt Esther will be around to kick your heathen ass.

Keep your fingers crossed, and have a good Tuesday.

Well, back to the salt mines for many of us today.  Not for me, though, since I’ve got a few weeks off before classes start.  Of course, I have a bunch of things on the list to do around the house, and Siggy has gotten used to going for walkies every day again (that didn’t take long), so it’s not like I won’t have plenty to keep me busy. So I guess I’d better get going (after I take a little nap).

Have a good one.

OK, let’s see what these people have in store for us this week.   If the potato won’t go to the lizard, then bring the lizard to the the potoato, as Condi visits Timmy on Press the Meat.  Then it’s Jim Dean representing Ned Lamont, and Lanny Davis representing Zell Lieberman.

On Faze the Nation, Bush buddy Booby Schieffer has Chuck Hagel and Chris Todd from the Senate Foreign Relations committee, on to talk about “Iraq, the War in the Middle East, and Politics.”  I don’t know. What’s the point?

On CNN’s LAte Edition, Wolfie has Stephen Hadley plus whoever they can dig up (hopefully not literally) from Israel and Lebanon, on to talk about how well everything’s going over there in the Middle East.

The Lizard Woman walks on over to ABC to have a chat with George Snufalufagus, who also goes “on the road” to interview Ned and Joe.  Plus, at the roundtable, it’s the Axis of Drivel, together again, with Sam “The Rug” Donaldson, Cokie “The Hag” Roberts, and of course George :jerk: Will.  And then, apparently Nora Ephron sees a woman in the White House.  Let’s just hope it’s not Condi or Liddy or Hillary.

Over at Fux News Sunday, as if it isn’t bad enough having to look at the little weaselface prick Cris Wallace, today we’re forced to endure Senator MBNA and the Newt.  Oh boy.

Later, on 60 Minutes, Scott Pelley does a story on Global Warming, and the rest of the show is TBD.  I think that’s a repeat story, but at least there are new episodes of the 4400 and the Dead Zone – plus I actually get to watch Deadwood w/o having to spend 10 hours downloading it to my laptop first.

Have a good one.

Damn, it’s good to be home. Right now, that’s about all I’ve got to say (plus, if I don’t take Siggy out to the park, I think he’s going to wiggle himself to death).   So, carry on, have a good Saturday, and I’ll catch ya later. Oh, and join me in wishing Raging Granny a happy 29th birthday. :cake: And my brother Tim, a happy 30th. :cake: Give or take. See ya.

Well, the end is near. No, not the end of the world (though it wouldn’t surprise me, and I’d be hard-pressed to come up with a reason why we – as a species – don’t deserve to be replaced by a new, improved model), but the end of my summer in DC. While I’ll be back in January, I hope to never again be forced to spend more than a few days here. Not in a fucking dorm room, certainly, and not without a hell of a lot more money (and a house with a back yard). Even then, I wouldn’t exactly jump at the chance.

Oh, there are things I’ll miss, of course. The heat and humidity, to be sure, and the view of the homeless people living under the bridges as I ride the train through what I would describe as the “asshole” of Washington DC, if I didn’t know that the real asshole (when he’s not on vacation) lives on Pennsylvania Avenue.

I’ll miss being assaulted by the stench of sewer gas rising up from the shower drains, and I’ll miss the petitle little fella with less whiskers than you’d find on a newborn baby’s ass (who lathers up with a quarter inch of shaving cream every morning and spends an hour shaving and preening in front of the mirror in his stupid yellow towel – always using the sink next to the fucking paper town dispenser, the selfish prick). In fact, I’ll miss all these kids, who look (to me, anyway) as if they’re playing dress up, putting on their suits and skirts, and trying to look like grownups. Hell, I have underwear older than they are (sure, it’s my emergency backup underwear, but still…).

I’ll miss having to rearrange my shitty little refrigerator every time I want to get something out or put something back in again, and I’ll miss eating canned shit and boxed shit and cold shit and not quite cooked coffee-flavored (because it’s impossible to really get anything washed out in these shallow little bathroom sinks) ramen noodles, shit.

When I got here back on May 31st, there was still a Marc Maron show, and I thought maybe if we gave AAR a kick in the ass, they’d syndicate the goddman show aready. Now the show’s been gone for – what – two or three weeks already? Long enough for the hangover I had from staying up all night blogging and drinking beer to wear off. And that’s something I really do miss (the show, not the hangover). Especially on the ride home today, when I’d normally have a week’s worth of Maron saved up to keep me company.

Anyhow, at some point this morning (after the relatively light Friday morning rush hour traffic dies down), I’ll be leaving here, and heading home (and I should be there with plenty of time to spare to catch SciFi Friday – not to mention Monk and Psych). Before I go, I’d just like to think you all for keeping me company over the past two and a half months. While this isn’t exactly a horrible place (when you look at what’s going on all over the world – not just the Middle East, which of course gets all the attention, but in the forgotten and ignored places, like Africa, parts of South and Central America, and plenty of places right here in the good old US of A – it seems pretty “American” to bitch about a room with a roof, a bed, indoor plumbing, air conditioning – most of the time – cable TV, and high-speed Internet access), it still kinda sucks, and the MS bloggers have been like a family, keeping me company, and helping me forget – at least for little stretches of time – how much I miss home.

So anyhow, thanks for hangin’ out, and I’ll catch up with you later. Have a good Friday, wish me a traffic-friendly trip back, and if you’re out there in LA, get out to the UCB Theater, and see Mishna and then Marc tonight. See ya.

A little bit early today, but what the hell….

Just in case you haven’t gotten the Marc mail yet:

Hey, Folks-

I am taping a Comedy Central Presents half hour stand up special 8PM on August 27th at the Hudson Theater in NYC. If you are going to be in the vicinity and would like to come to the taping you can go to:

http://www.ocatv.com/schedule.php?
show_id=26&event_id=2819

To get some free tickets. Hope to see you there.

Thanks,

Maron

Anyhow, I have a lot to do today, but if I get it all done, I can leave tomorrow morning. If I can’t, well, then I’l have to go in again on Friday, and leave after work. I’d much, much, much rather leave and drive during the day, so I guess I better get going and get this shit over with. See ya.

Here we go, only two nights left in DC. I hate to leave, of course, but my wife misses me, so what can I do?

If you’re out there in the vicinity of Irvine CA, guess what? You have another chance to get over to see Marc at the Improv tonight, at 8:00. Be there or be, uh, elsewhere.

Not only is it hot (85 degrees at 4:45 AM), but it’s also a “Code Red” day, which means you should try not to breathe the air. I’m really gonna miss it here.

Have a good one.