Three or four more overheard tidbits in today from the local “conservatives” such as: “What those liberals are going to have to realize is how we’re going to..” and “These people are appeasers and immoral and don’t belong here; they need to take the next plane to France” and my favorite “The real problem is in the universities. We need to shut those guys down while we have the chance”.

I grew up in the 1970s, the decade of divorce. Of course in Orange County we were token liberals in a sea of conservative Republicans, but the odd part was this. Of my school friends growing up, maybe three fourths of them had divorced parents. And said divorced parents were heavily into the disco scene, the coke, the quaaludes, the adultery, and probably the whole wife-swapping open-marriage disaster too. It was messed up, especially for the kids who were supposed to pretend that everything was cool when an alarming amount of “adult” crap was being dumped on them.

Meanwhile my parents had a forty plus year marriage of love without cheating, drug abuse, orgies, swinger parties, conspicuous consumption, or even disco music. They had a glass of wine with dinner. Their lives were dedicated to their children, each other, and their professions. My father taught at universities for 40 years and worked his ass off at it. My mother taught preschool. They raised both of us to be law-abiding, respectful, productive, and tolerant.

However, I can now see where they went wrong. In my family we were taught that the weak deserved protection from the strong, and that the wealthy had an obligation to share with the poor. We were taught that religious freedom was an American value and that we kept the church and state separate so that all could worship in peace. We were also raised to be suspicious of wars and war leaders; to take pronouncements from wealthy businessmen with a grain of salt; to pay careful attention to our government and be citizen watchdogs against any erosion of our liberty; and to respect the opinions of others and build consensus whenever possible.

Apparently that’s the real problem! Strong family values, hard work, and a critical but moderate liberal attitude toward government are the new Communism. The triumphant blowhards whose Talk Radio Nation won a narrow electoral victory are mopping up, and can’t quite decide whether imprisonment, deportation, or mere disenfranchisement is enough of a punishment for my failure to conform to the new Statethink.

I went home and cleaned my guns tonight.

Facts are stupid things.

Before opening the package please take the time to familiarize yourself with the safety information in detail. It is important to charge the device for at least twelve hours before first use. The M1981A differs from the M1981 primarily in the quantity of explosive used and the resultant maximum range of lethality. Always back up your data before installing this or any other similar system.

Those upgrading from versions less than 2.5 should read README-UPGRADE immediately. Care must be taken to avoid contact with an open flame during this portion of the refueling procedure. The cone-shaped area projecting ahead of the engine in the diagram shows the zone of danger. Due to the possibility of pressurized fluids, it is important to face away from the system when removing the seals. Do not look directly at the device while it is active.

After attaching the stabilizing legs, stop and verify that all nine bolts have been tightened and that the entire system is resting evenly on the floor. Pulling back sharply on the control stick may cause uncontrollable pitching and vibration; a slow deliberate movement is recommended. If the pressure on any of the gauges exceeds the red line on the gauge, notify a supervisor and begin blowoff procedures immediately.

The hatch may only be considered sealed when all three notification lights are green. If this is not the case, the crew chief must suspend flight operations until this is rectified. Do not force the card into the slot; resistance indicates that there is a mismatch. Systems in the “vital to patient survival” column must be powered by the red outlets. Chain all cylinders.

Disconnecting the cable during data transfer may result in corruption or loss of data. Before starting the main engines, be sure that the bilge is properly ventilated. In case of both the primary and secondary control systems losing power, manual control must be employed per section 35.8 of the Operating Manual.

NO STEP

Via loveminus0

http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/nation/story/1810169p-9689369c.html

I think I still have a bumper sticker from the 80s that says “The Moral Majority is Neither”.

We should get together some time.

Your jobs will not be affected by the merger.

This is information that you requested.

I’m just not ready for a relationship right now.

It’s not about the money.

It can’t happen here.

I love you.

“[W]hen a candidate for public office faces the voters he does not face men of sense; he faces a mob of men whose chief distinguishing mark is the fact that they are quite incapable of weighing ideas, or even of comprehending any save the most elemental–men whose whole thinking is done in terms of emotion, and whose dominant emotion is dread of what they cannot understand. So confronted, the candidate must either bark with the pack or be lost… [A]ll the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre–the man who can most adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum. The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”

– H. L. Mencken, in the Baltimore Sun, July 26, 1920.

She tried to check into the motel and clerk said “okay, just let me know in the morning how you feel about another night”. We play a game we call “Street Lunatic or Cellphone Handset?” in that neighborhood. If you don’t want to have him dealing speed out of your apartment you need to tell him that; it’s a personal space issue. She only wants to move there because it’s next to a bar where she knows everybody.

The problem is I’m not just replacing someone; I’m replacing The Guy. In a classic case of calling down thunder, I got three emails from her today. She managed to get fired by the tweakers at Norms from a job serving the other tweakers at Norms, it was unbelievable. It’s all socialites and there’s a lot of work, you know there’s 10,000 registered charities in this town.

What to do about these four boyfriend prospects, or make that three? Oh my GOD that is the WORST EVER hiding place!

We’ll always love you but that’s not the point.

According to portions of today’s blast of junk email, I am supposed to:

1. See if trolls are leaving mold in my walls
2. Find out if Neal is ready for the results
3. experience “Lust sex no commitments”

and

4. Look into the benefits of track lighting

It’s going to be a busy week. Anyone seen Neal lately?