Supposed to be near or at record temperatures here today, before we plunge into something a bit more seasonable.  Doesn’t much matter to me, as I’ll be sequestered in my cave trying to figure out how the hell I’m gonna get everything done.  This sucks, but at least it doesn’t last much longer.

Well, it’s Wednesday again. And Wednesday’s kinda suck. I’ve been finding it very difficult to concentrate on doing the things I’m supposed to be doing, and I can’t believe it’s almost December already. Where the hell has 2006 gone? You know, when you’re a kid, you always hear the old folks talk about how fast time seems to be going, and you think “yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever,” but then you wake up up one day and go “holy shit, now I know what they were talkin’ about!” I spend so much time trying to get shit over with, I’m starting to be afraid that I’ll look up one day, only to find that I’ve successfully managed to get my life over with. And on that happy note, have a good day.

It was one year ago today that Morning Seditionists went live.  I think it was the same day that Marc officially broke the news to us that the show was officially dead, but I’m not positive about that.  Anyhow, at the time, we only had a couple of weeks left of Morning Sedition.  I hadn’t been much for the old MS blog, mostly because I was generally trying to get my shit together and get ready for work, but in that last month and a half or so, I started going there quite a bit, trying to hold on to a piece of the show that got me out of bed and in the mood to face the day.  I thought for sure that damn petition would do some good, or at least the list and maps of the locations of the folks who signed it – over 1300 unique locations in 33 nations around the world – would make them see just how popular the show was.  Rather naive, I suppose.

I didn’t know if anybody would actually come over here, or, if they did, how long after the show was over that interest would die out, and that would be the end of that.  It’s hard to believe this place not only outlived both MS and the Mark Maron Show, but may damn well be around for the end of the the AAR era, too, though I’d prefer they get a true liberal bazillionaire (if there is such a thing) to buy them out, and hire somebody that knows how to run a radio network to manage it.
So, it turned out people actually did show up here.  In the past year, there have been over 165,000 visitors (about 450 a day, give or take), and about half of those are return visits.  That’s not exactly Yahoo numbers (good thing, because this damn web host is flaky enough as it is), but it’s not too shabby for a show that never got any promotion, was on in the middle of the night on the West Coast (if it was on at all), forced many of us to jump through all sorts of hoops just to listen to it, and required both a brain and sense of humor to appreciate.  It really was something special.

Anyhow, we made it to a year.  Let’s see if make it to two.

Take care, and no sucking up.

You know what the problem with four Sundays in a row is? Monday really, really sucks.

Yes, it really is Sunday this time, and it’s an eggscloosiff for Timmy Potatohead, as he hosts Ahnuld the Governator today on Press the Meat.  Then, Ike “red” Skelton, batshit crazy Duncan Hunter, and retired generals Wayne Downing and Gerry McCaffrey talk about how Iraq turned to shit as soon as the Democrats took control of congress.

On Faze the Nation, it’s Senator-Elect day, as Bush Buddy Bobby Schieffer has Bob “call me Harold” Corker, Claire McCaskill, and Sherrod Brown.

Over at Fux News Sunday, it’s Charlie Rangel, Barney Frank, John Dingell, and token Republican Trent “the comeback kid” Lott.  Plus some guy named Joe Robert of the group “Fight for Children.”

Over at Wolf Blitzer’s Late Emission, it’s redneck Senator John “Barley” Cornyn of Texas, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Iraqi Security Adviser (there’s a good career choice) Mowaffak al-Rubaie, former national security adviser, Zbigniew “can I buy a vowel” Brzezinski, war criminal Henry Kissinger. Maryland’s Lieutenant Governor and the next RNC Chairman, Michael “loser” Steele, Donna “loser” Brazile, and a pair of retired military dudes, David Grange (U.S. Army) and Michael Delong (U.S. Marine Corps).

Later, on 60 Minutes, Lara Logan talks to General John Abizaid, Commander of the US Central Command, about how he plans of fixing Iraq.  Then Lesley Stahl reports on the how the Republicans will take back control of Congress by distributing a new pill in clinical trials that “can dull the memories of people, especially those who have experienced trauma.” Nope, no potential for abuse there.  And Scott Pelley does a story on Jay “Mozart” Greenberg, who composed five symphonies by the time he was 13, and now has a hot new recording contract.

More importantly, it’s all new episodes of the Simpsons, American Dad, and the Family guy (or, if you don’t like those, you can watch Brokeback Mountain on HBO at 7:30 EST), and of course an all-new episode of the Wire (gotta keep the devil down in the hole, after all) at 9:00.   Enjoy your Sunday.

It’s Saturday, and I’ll be sequestered in my basement cave while the weekly Raging Grannies meeting takes place upstairs.  We’re apparently the de facto headquarters, and Siggy is persona non grata amongst them, for some reason.  And where my dog isn’t welcome, well, damnit, neither am I.  Besides, all the shit that I had so much extra time to do thanks to the holiday still needs to get done.  Have a good one.

It is Friday, right?  Yesterday felt like Sunday, but today doesn’t feel like Monday (good thing, too).  I hope y’all had a good Thanksgiving, and there wasn’t too much family-related trauma (especially those of you have a loose wingnut or two in the family).   If you plan on joining in on the post-Thanksgiving shopping orgy today, better take a minute to sharpen your elbows.  Personally, I recommend a nice day around the house spent napping and eating leftovers.

Like a lot of people (maybe even most people), I do my fair share of pissing and moaning about my life, but, truthfully, I have a pretty good thing going here, and have plenty to be grateful for – today, and every day of the year.  I’m really thankful I wasn’t born in Iraq, for starters.  I doubt there’s a family in that country that hasn’t been touched by some horror or another.  The same could be said for the Sudan, Palestine…and, well, unfortunately far too many places to mention here.  Let’s hope the United States can find its way, and start to be a force for good in the world again (yeah, I’d like to think it has been in the past – if not exactly perfect).

I’m also thankful that I came from a good family.  We weren’t exactly millionaires, but we certainly never lacked for anything, and everything my parents did, they did for their kids.  My dad didn’t even buy himself a decent pair of shoes until he retired, and my mom was a working mom way before it became fashionable, so that we could afford all the extra stuff we’d never have had otherwise.  They also taught me right from wrong (not that I necessarily always do what’s right, but I can’t say I don’t know better), and that nobody – no matter what shape, color, ethnicity, profession – is any better than anybody else.  Well, OK, my mom would given a slight edge to the Irish (but then, who wouldn’t).  I like to say that anything there is that’s good about me is thanks to my folks (and anything bad is my own damn fault).

I can’t begin to say how grateful I am for my own family, too – especially for my wife, who for some reason puts up with me, pain in the ass that I am.  I think it has something to do with keeping the Internet going.  And, of course, I’m thankful for having the best doggie in the whole wide world (though he’s not very happy with the fact that I didn’t take him out anywhere yesterday; I’d better get him out today, or there’ll be hell to pay).

I’m thankful for the fact that I’m able to go to school and get my masters degree, too (though you’d never know it, from the way I bitch about it all the time), and I’m really grateful that I live in a day and age when I can sit in bed surfing the Internet on a computer that’s something like 1,000 times faster (and 15 times lighter) than what they used to get to the moon and back, and be connected to people and places all over the world.  People like you guys.

Shortly, this place will be celebrating its first birthday, and I’m thankful that you all have come along for the ride (that includes those of you who are here every day, and have been from the beginning, those that came and went – and came back again – and those that have only fairly recently found us.  And of course those who lurk every day, but haven’t yet said hello).  I’d like to think we’ve all become kind of a family, here.  At times a bit dysfunctional, perhaps (but then, what family isn’t), but a family nonetheless.

So, without getting too awfully sappy here, I’d just like to say thanks to all of you, and to wish you and your non-virtual families a very happy Thanksgiving.

Viva la Tryptophan!

Lots of people have to work today, but lots more will be hitting the road (or the airport; debatable which mode of transportation is faster – especially if you’re within about a five or six hour drive).  Thanksgiving is one of those nice holidays, for the most part untouched by commercialism.  It celebrates our ancestors’ (or at least our predecessors’) gratitude to the native people, for showing them how to survive.  Since it was about the last decent thing Europeans ever did on this continent, it’s fitting that we’ve made it a four-day weekend.  The other nice thing is that it’s a holiday for which I have absolutely no responsibilities, other than to show up.  Showing up is actually about the only thing I’m any good at.

We’ll be heading over to the in-laws’ tomorrow, and that’s nice, of course, but, well, they’re a bunch of immigrants who don’t give a fliegen fickt about football, so there’ll be none of that.  I have to admit I miss that part of the holiday – have missed it for about 13 years now.  Not that the games were ever that good, or that I ever really cared about the Detroit Lions (and god knows I hate Dallas), but it sure would be nice to stuff my face, and then settle down on the couch to watch the games with my dad again.  Kinda miss my mom flittering around the kitchen, trying to make everything perfect, too.  In all the years we had Thanksgiving at our house, I don’t think I ever saw her sit down long enough to actually eat anything – and my dad actually did most of the cooking (but don’t tell her I said so).  Of course, my mother-in-law does pretty much the same thing, which makes it tough on me, because, no matter how much I eat, if she doesn’t see me eat it, it doesn’t count.  Well, my father-in-law is always up for a couple of beers, and that’s always nice.  Then I can let him beat me at ping-pong.

And, of course, it was 43 years ago today that JFK was shot.  Can’t say as I remember it, since I was barely three years old, but I know a lot of you will never forget where you were when you heard the news.

Anyhow, if you’re traveling today, be careful.  Drive safely, and if you’re flying, keep your precious fluids under 3 ounces (and pack extra underwear in you carry on, just in case).  Otherwise, have a good Wednesday.

There’s been a rather inordinate amount of discussion on Charlie Rangel saying he’ll be introducing legislation to reinstate the draft. On NPR, one faceless talking head said to the other (and I paraphrase), “isn’t this just grandstanding?” To which the other talking head replied, “yes, it is, because Rangel knows it’ll never pass. He’s just trying to make the point that if we want to continue with Bush’s foreign policy – especially increasing the troop levels in Iraq – the only way it can be done is with a draft.”

Um. Yeah. But that’s grandstanding?

Frankly (especially now that I’m way, way too old to be affected by it) I think that 2 years of compulsory service to the nation right after high school (and maybe for the balance of high school plus two year, for kids who are thinking about dropping out) would be a good idea. I think some kids would gravitate toward the military (and there’s nothing wrong with that, if they’re into it), and others could teach people to read, help build and maintain state and national parks, work with the elderly – all kinds of good things that might give them a good base for understanding something other than just going to college, or going out and getting a dead-end job or (worse) being poor, idle and unemployed. For their service, they should be paid a living wage, and awarded universal healthcare for life.

Some kids might make a career out of whatever they do, and others will perhaps have had an experience that they might otherwise have never had, that could shape the way they perceive the world – and their place in it – for the rest of their lives.

Oh, sure, you’d have to figure out how to make it fair, and the rich kids would probably be able to get the cushiest jobs and all that. But, all-in-all, I think it could do a lot of kids – and a lot of the rest of us – quite a bit of good.

I have to admit, if they’d instituted this the year before I’d graduated from high school, I’d have been pretty pissed. In retrospect, though, I think it would have done me a lot of good. Who knows, I coulda made something of my life.