DW, is there a foreign language you'd recommend we learn?

Monkey.

Oh-oh-ah-ah-e-e. That means follow the heard.

Speaking of ripping nether regions. _______

Fill in the blank.

(Comment cross-posted at BBB):
From Pam Spaulding at Americablog:
Another GOP gay scandal brews in murder-suicide case?

"Monkey" as a second language? Is "Chimpanzee" (our closest relative, or so I've been told) the same as "Gorilla"?

THE MONKEES?

"Hey, hey, we're the Donkeys;
The other side ain't stickin' around.
We better get busy runnin',
before we're smashed into the ground!"

"With lobbyists, we're friendly;
As long as they're will-ing to pay!
We're too busy countin' the moolah,
to hear anything you say-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay!"

OK trog, Either I'm your manager, 60/40 or I tell the world you ripped that off from Scott McClelland.
Oops! My bad. Ignore this comment, folks.

With the Patreaus/Bush/Crocker Traveling Medsin Show, the figureheads seem to be doing the carny act to distract the crowd, while the bag men split with the gate.

I have to ask you guys; Did you really think it was necessary to burn down the city, and cause a stampede, just to steal my VCR and the Quarters jar savings for the kid's braces?

As a broadly applicable rule for all time, both death and extinction come far more quickly to those too stupid to take seriously the open invitation to join the occasional stampede.

Good morning, Cloud.

Depending upon the yield of a nuclear device, the facility of a spaceship might not be necessary.

The Dark Wraith should probably pack a small lunch before the flight begins.

Good morning, Cloud.

You might want to determine if DW's lunch includes sandwiches made with Cheese Spam. After ingesting that horrid stuff, you may find that there's more propellant inside the capsule than the booster rockets could ever hold. I seriously doubt whether the helmets would be sufficient protection, not to mention the extensive damage to the electronic components.

You could christen the ship The Hindenburg II.

“The bawling of the bells, bellows, and bowels may now begin.”

by your say so, Herr Doppleganger. Here it is.

III.

Hear the loud alarum bells -
Brazen bells!
What tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells!
In the startled ear of night
How they scream out their affright!
Too much horrified to speak,
They can only shriek, shriek,
Out of tune,
In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire,
In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire,
Leaping higher, higher, higher,
With a desperate desire,
And a resolute endeavor
Now - now to sit, or never,
By the side of the pale-faced moon.
Oh, the bells, bells, bells!
What a tale their terror tells
Of Despair!
How they clang, and clash, and roar!
What a horror they outpour
On the bosom of the palpitating air!
Yet the ear, it fully knows,
By the twanging
And the clanging,
How the danger ebbs and flows;
Yet, the ear distinctly tells,
In the jangling
And the wrangling,
How the danger sinks and swells,
By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells - Of the bells -
Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells -
In the clamour and the clangour of the bells!

the answer my friend
is pissin' in the wind.

the answer
is pissin'
in the sink

jerry jeff walker

Minstrel Boy, thank goodness you've shown up. At least you can appreciate the effort expended on my Theme to "The Monkees" rendition! Oh, the trials of suffering these philistines sometimes is more than I can bear.

On second thought I readily admit "I can't handle the truth!" As long as it gets inserted into your next performance, I shall consider that accolades enough.

zipperhead,
Catchy ditty, there. Think it might have a future on the stage?

Good afternoon, Zipperhead.

My knowledge of this poem consisted of knowing that it's a work of E.A.Poe, and almost nothing else. After exhaustive research lasting entire minutes, I stumbled onto this page describing Rachmaninoff's work involving The Bells. Fascinating, even for us 'Classically challenged'.

DW, in case someone tries to argue that the people will raise their heads in time to join the stampede, "A third of Americans — or 33 percent — said they think Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, according to a CBS News-New York Times poll released on Monday. Fifty-eight percent said he was not, and 9 percent said they did not know."

42%!?! of Americans still believe that shit or...uuuhhhhhhhhh, "I dunno?!

I'm thinkin' mebbe I'll just stand there, and let the extinction wash over me. Abandon hope, all...that's all.

Father Tyme;
I beg yours, and any others, pardon for being so hasty as to post the stanza from Poe’s fascinating poem “The Bells”, without giving the accreditation. That was “my bad” for the day. Sorry. I should not have assumed it would be universally recognized. I have loved that poem for decades, and consider it Poe’s second or third greatest. But I should realize that not everyone may be as taken by Poe’s poetic style as I have always been.
Thank-you, Trog, for setting the record straight. I too am classically challenged and didn’t know Rachmaninoff composed music inspired by this poem. I would encourage any poetry lovers who have never read or heard the entire poem to check it out via this interesting website:

http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/writer/thebells.asp

Anyway, the Professor's line to let the "bells, bellows, (etc.) ... begin" unavoidably brought the poem to my mind, and the III stanza seems to capture the essense of these days of neocon Wars of Terror so well.

zipperhead,
No need for any apology. I've read and enjoyed, if that can be used to describe Poe, since I was a kid listening to him recite it live! Well, not really. It's just not something you see posted and I got a kick out of it.
And ignore trog69's la-te-das. He just learned how to fit his Victrola with a needle. (I keep tellin' ya, you gotta wind that crank!) and those 78's played at 33 make him think the Monkee's is Wagner.

DW,
When are you gonna put some good classical in the diner's juke box?

DW,
That picture reminded me that I have to pick up some mushrooms and elephant garlic to go with my sauteed Republican.

Good evening, Father Tyme.

Considering that those elephants aren't going to outrun the fireball, I'd say that any method you use to cook them will result in a job "well done."

The Dark Wraith reaches for the basting wand.

and those 78's played at 33 make him think the Monkee's is Wagner.

Wagner? The fifth Monkee?

The Dark Wraith reaches for the basting wand.

My haid done imploded. DW, you should know better than to throw out lines like that...Whew, I'm shaking from the strain...must not...go there..."uuuhhuuuhh

trog69.
Easy, fella. That's basting wand, as in slopping good juice over prepared meat not basting, as in my wife gave me a good...well,...never mind!

Why is it that I come to this establishment of superior quality and almost immediately feel as if my brain is on an amusement park ride? :-)

good morning dark wraith:

there were actually about nine monkees. they used the fabled "section" of studio players which usually found russ kunkle on drums, klaus voorman on bass, johnny hartford and glen campbell on guitars, leon russell on keyboards. if you bought jazz, rock, or pop records in the sixties and early seventies that's who you were hearing play the songs. back then studio time was hellishly expensive and the labels wouldn't cough up the bucks it took for rookie musician or guys that were chosen for their looks to learn how to play a song all the way through one time. there was a big huge battle with between the label, the network, and the monkees about who was really playing the instruments on the recordings. mike nesmith actually turned into a damned fine player/producer/composer but back then he was just another kid who made it past central casting and figured his job was done.

aside to trog: my most flagrant insertion of off the cuff lyrics was once, at the insistent request of a very pretty barmaid i attempted to perform the incredibly long, audience hypnotizing "wreck of the edmund fitzgerald"

at one point i went totally up on the lyrics. blank. nothing. when the verse came around i improvised - - -

now i like this song, 'cause it's so fucking long
and nobody knows all the words. . .

nobody noticed. it happens all the time. we write our own lyrics to songs all the time to keep from going batshit, it gets old. imagine yourself as a songwriter like jerry jeff walker. one day you write "mr. bojangles" and from that moment you are duty bound to sing it three or four times a night for the rest of your life. we used to do evil things to it on the bus and after the joints closed.

Good morning, MB.

HA HAHA. That's truly a weird disconnect; Here we are, paid for these good seats, and I gotta hear that tune you do...the one me and the Ol' Lady did it to. By God!, and there's you guys, ready to just strangle somebody if you have to do it one more f'n time!

I saw Ozzie O. w/Black Sabbath in Frankfort, Ger. around 1978; their 'powder in the briefcase' years, and the Ozman's first MUU MUUS! The friend that was with me could have easily gone up and outplayed T. Iommi, the lead guitarist, he messed up so much. Half the words were mumbled.

I still rocked!

that's another thing that happened consistently trog. i can think of several instances where we finished playing football stadiums and went to some little local dive and heard somebody playing tighter and better than we just did.

the difference? hell, i don't know. i chalk most of it up to blind screaming luck, and my having enough arrogance to stand up there in front of a shitload of folks who paid good money for those seats and think i'm worth it. i do have a well developed work ethic though. i try not to suck. i'm not afraid to either.

I still think the best "monkees" were the Nairobi Trio! Now there was talent! (Tongue firmly in cheek!)

For some of us in the under 35 set, the Monkees are the stuff of TvLand reruns.

Good aftermoon, Lynn.

When I started playin' around with those lyrics, I completely surprised myself by recalling both stanzas(?) If you look up the lyrics, you'll see that I stayed true to at least a word or two for each line.

Sometimes I'm so impressed with myself, it's painful. Then again, I'm also easily amused!

Minstrel Boy, I highly doubt very many of those bar band members had as extensive a repertoire as you!

the nairobi trio always cracked me up. that was genius. so was fred j. muggs picking stocks and beating all the experts.

hmmmmm.

i'm thinking about maybe a draft "bubbles" (michael jackson's chimp)

shades of "pigasus"

Minstrel Boy I wish I could hear your stuff! Damned anonymity really stops bloggers from buying good stuff from one another. Like calendars.

Black Sabbath, eh Trog? I will confess to you right here that I kind of hated Ozzy. Some of the stupidest metal lyrics ever.

I think I was in preschool in '78. But still, I woulda rocked!

In my Buster Browns.

As to the post at hand, good riddance. The banter tends to sidetrack my opinions. Sorry about that!

Good evening, good people.

I have been less than loquacious for the past day or more because of yet another really bad tooth infection. I cannot yet find the wherewithal to pull the thing out (it's the lower left bicuspid, right in front of the molar I got out last).

I have been about at distraction for hours, now, although I do have some clarity right now, at least for a while, because I took a sharp knife and managed to carve into where a small pocket of infection was causing quite a bit of pressure. Between that act of desperation and two aspirin, my fever is down, and I'm thinking rather clearly again, although I do not antiipate this minor relief lasting very long.

By the time I must teach tomorrow, I shall have resolved this matter by one means or another.

The Dark Wraith will be back in good shape by sometime tomorrow.

As someone who's been there, still doing that, I've noticed that toothache pain will make a Rambo of a dentist out of anyone. Breaking off sharp edges of broken tooth are nothing when the other side of your mouth is causing your eyeball to throb with every heartbeat.

Nonetheless, your obstinacy has convinced me that you plan on checking out of "Hotel Earth", in a fashion similar to an unfortunate 'Founding Father'. [/hypocritical tsk-ing]

I am still lucid, trog.

And, yes, I do plan to check out of Hotel Earth.

But not tonight.

Tomorrow doesn't look good, either.

If at all possible, I plan to stay around long enough to be one step behind Mr. Bush and his neo-con horde as they ride the night train straight into Hell.

If I'm lucky, I'll grab the red-eye return flight back here to make one last stand hounding whichever Democrat wins the Presidency.

If a Republican wins, I'll forgo that return trip. I can get a better deal on accommodations at Satan's front desk.

The Dark Wraith just hopes the continental breakfast includes scones.

Perhaps your outlook could use a simple daily affirmation. One friend of mine looks at himself in the mirror, after performing his morning ablutions, and in a very loud voice proclaim, "Why, you good lookin' son of a gun...don't you EVER die!!!" Beeg smile, then go knock 'em dead.

By all rights...he shoulda been dead a long time ago...and the time before that...etc.

Awright, I looked up "Nairobi Trio". How the HECK did you remember the name of that skit? I can't beat that!

"Yes, Mr. Wraith? This is the Front Desk. I'm afraid our manager has requested that you are now on a 'cash in advance' status. We will also need a cash deposit for any further movie rentals."

"By the way, please accept our sincere apologies for the maid's nickname for you. I personally do not find 'Perv Griffin' the least bit humorous. Unfortunately, due to your movie selections, and pieces of several 'plastic companions' found scattered throughout your room, I cannot, in good conscience, reprimand the staff."

Dark Wraith, you need some vicodin. I'm so sorry you are suffering this week. Tooth pain can drive a person crazy. Always ALWAYS keep a stash of pain killers in a safe place- I say. Feel better.

Dr. W;
Sorry that you are having such a plight with your tooth.
Please get that tooth tended to ASAP. Pain palliatives are a blessed respite, but never underestimate infections.

trog69,
Here's the youtube url:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5Uw03hS_EMY

I've given up on trying to set this thing up for nice little links. It works on every other site, just not this one.

Oh well. Enjoy the video.

good morning dark wraith:
sorry to hear about the tooth. ouch. it's an old country dodge that most feed stores have vet sections which are well stocked with over the counter antibiotics. a lot of dentists or gp's for an infection like that would use one of the later generation sulpha derivatives like septra or bactim. which, is also probably available (also over the counter) at any respectable aquarium store. infections are not something to be trifled with and in cases of auto extraction have a real capability of going systemic.

*this post is made for Information Only and is not to be construed as medical advice. regardless of the proven effectiveness of any course of treatment and the extreme price difference between drugs made by the same manufacturers to the same standards when sold for use by humans from a pharmacy and the use with animals from a feed store.

Mighty neighborly of you, MB.

The anti-biotics will help with the pain, which is usually caused by the infection.

Mouth infections can erode the bone and gums, making teeth fall out eventually. You are right that they are not to be trifled with.

But many people dont have plans that cover periodontal work or replacement teeth. That is why many people with cruddy insurance or no insurance end up with fake teeth at an early age because it is often cheaper to just yank them out. Even if a problem is diagnosed, it is a vicious cycle. Gums develop pockets, pockets hold bacteria, bacteria gets worse, pockets get worse, teeth get loose. And you cant cap a tooth if the roots are shot.

If this cycle could be stopped many people would have their teeth. But yet many plans do not provide for any of this kind of treatment. They pay for extractions.

This is just another example of the way we approach medicine in this country- disjointed, profit based, pathology oriented instead of prevention.

Many people with decent jobs literally have teeth rotting out of their heads, because they cant spare the couple thousand to deal with it and their plans cover so little. Some people live with chronic pain, for years sometimes. They just want the damn things out and the pain to stop after a while.

You'd think we could do a lot better in America. But then we find ourselves thinking that almost every day- dont we.

DW: I'm so sorry you aren't feeling well. If you cannot get your hands on antibiotics, try Listerine. The stuff is similar battery acid and can temper your infection.

Colgate
Active ingredients: Sodium Fluoride, Triclosan
Inactive ingredients: Water, hydrated silica, glycerine, sorbitol, PVM/MA copolymer, sodium lauryl sulfate, cellulose gum, flavor, sodium hydroxide, propylene glycol, carrageenan, sodium saccharin, titanium dioxide

Baking Soda
Active ingredient: Sodium bicarbonate

Well, since you guys have decided to give the old heave ho to the original topic, (I hate the way people do that, don't you?) Lynn, you are absolutely spot on regarding the dental/vision neglect. After expending my entire insurance allotment for the YEAR, I had to cough up another $3600.00 out of pocket for work on my gums. I couldn't afford the follow up treatments, and now, 10 years later, and believe me when I say I know only too well, and from very recent memory, how DW is suffering. My diet is built around my teeth; I dread and look forward to dentures depending on the time of day.

Any of you guys ever read the PNAC stuff from '98?

http://www.newamericancentury.org/

And see all the signatories? And the ones that work for Cheney and W? And how many have resigned?

Good read!

"...guys have decided to give the old heave ho to the original topic..."
On a philosophical note however, I believe that such "departures" illustrate the interconnectedness of all things.

On a philosophical note however, I believe that such "departures" illustrate the interconnectedness of all things.

Exactly. My teefs are checking the "departures" schedule, illustrating the uninterconnectedness advancing betwwen them and my gums! !)

Garsh! Can you say interconnectedness on a pubic blog?

“I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that Source in you. Let us work together for unity and love.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

(Me tinks I just made our dear Professor's toothems ache even more with that bit of sugar. ;-)

I read once that Mahatma would come unhinged when people attributed that quote to him without the rest of the comment, thus:

...Let us work together for unity and love, 'cause sugar, if you hog the covers one more night, all bets are off. Capisci?”

Wow,
Just 2 or 3 nights ago, I had a dream that my teeth were coming loose. I woke up and they seemed fine, and that was a relief. Now Lynn and the rest of yuns are getting me all uncomfortable again. I suppose the Higher Source of wisdom is trying to tell me something. Like I need to get more religious. About my dental hygiene routines, that is. Of course, the 'higher source' hygienist at the dentists office, always tells me that anyway. Better go through baking soda and floss now, than making trips to the feed store later on.
And one more bit of wisdom reminder for us all - your immune system is at peak effect while you sleep. So hit the sack early as often as possible.

The average dental plan covers $1000 a year. Same as 1960. But what is the price of a dental procedure? The same? I think not. Another thing to bitch to your companies about, and often!

Health care in America is a sham. Dental too.

Most dont cover perio work, and even if it did, that work would cost you over four thousand. You are out of luck with a plan, out of luck without. Either way the end result is years of pain and then dentures. I can name five people I know with mouth pain as I write this! That aint right.

I dont think its right that a person has to be in chronic pain- and at the very least it should be considered a medical procedure. The odd thing is that major plans like BCBS say put it through dental. Major dental plans say its medical.

People with gum problems are really in a bind.

Also- about the Listerine- rinses with alcohol should never be used by anyone with loose teeth as it dries out the tissue. It will say on the bottle if it is the kind of product that will make things worse. Salt water! And teabags if you're bleeding.

This weird dental comment brought to you by the good folks at Dentures R Us.

Good evening, Dark Wraith.

Hearing about your tooth causes waves of sympathy pain up and down my back. An abscessed tooth can cause health damage. It makes your whole body feel unwell. My suggestion is for you to forget about self-dentistry. You can cause yourself major harm, ending up in the Emergency Room and having to pay much more than the dentist would have charged.

You're in your, what, late 50's or early 60's? Surely, some of your teeth should have many good years left. Perhaps, you might think about setting up a Paypal account so that your friends can chip in a buck or two to help save your teeth. I know I would be willing to throw in a couple bucks.

I
am
not even
50
yet!

The Dark Wraith now returns to his deathbed.

I hope he really is on his 60's, or our Dark friend will be scowling!!

I hope you get better.

I

oldwhitelady,
I'm sure you MEANT that he has the wisdom of someone IN their late 50s or early 60s, right? (Cough)

zipperhead,
Interesting colloquialism on the word "yuns". You aren't by chance from the Western Pa. area, are you?

DW,
Got my DeWalt cordless out with the "mason" bit. I'm sure me 'n trog would be glad to help you out - no charge.
Now where did I put that self help book from Dr. Mengala...

The Dark Wraith grovels to a room where the vultures can't find him.

I
am
not even
50
yet!

The Dark Wraith now returns to his deathbed.

Grr.

Zipperhead: Last summer I went to a party and the host had hired a woman to analyze dreams. (Hey! It was better than buying stupid Tupperware.) Anyway, I had the same dream here and there. I would feel as if all of my teeth were falling out and it was so upsetting that I would wake up freaked-out only to find that my pearly whites were still in place. I was told that it was a sign that I was sexually frustrated. Seriously ... it's what she told me. I went shopping for shoes the next day and felt much better. :-)

DW: Aren't wraiths possibly immortal as long as they are able to feed? Professor, you need to heal quickly so that you can grab yourself a hearty meal in the next day or two. What would we do without you?

Feel better. :-)

FT,
lived during my teens in southern Illinois. Rural. I don't know how similar to west Pa., but we did have 'orl' wells in the corn fields.

Brooke,
fascinating insight about the dream(s). Now I feel as if we share a secret.

Dr. W;
Now don't fret over those age comments. I had the worst tooth infection of my life when I was only 21. The entire side of my face was swollen. The tooth was never pulled, but it did require oral surgery to clean out the abscess from beneath the roots. This will piss you though. It cost me nothing. I lived in Canada at the time. 100% total and competent care. 0% copay.

I also had appendicitis about a year later. A good surgeon. Standard procedure, no complications. 5 day stay in a clean and modern room. Edible food, even. Courteous and kindly care, including a daily back-rub. Total cost to me: A few minutes to fill out the admitting forms.

That was 1979. I suppose some of the idealism has/is fading there, too. NeoConolonialism and all. NAFTAzation. Creep(y)ing Friendly Fascism. Still though - O Canada! Thank-you. I owe you. Great people too.

Poor Canada, 3000 mile border with Amerika: What chance does it have?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ04eMfEuik
.

With all the dental problems discussed and shared on this thread, I have a suggestion; If we should do a meet-up, mid-America, as proposed by DW and others, let's make a hard and fast rule that there will be NO TOOTHBRUSH SHARING amongst us.

Trog! You promised!

Good morning, Dark Wraith...and everyone.

Please...pardon me. Consider my age guessing a typo....

My fingers slippped in reaction to reading about your tooth... yeah, that's the ticket....

not really:) I figured you needed something to shake you out of your misery...heh

Never fere, derist Lynn. I'll bring an extry twig with a frayed end, jist fer you, ma luvvy snookems!

Nevir fere, I-I mean, I wouldn't worry, oldwhitelady. I'm sure the Dark but graying Wraith was desperately searching for the Grecian Formula before you said anything!

Trog I take my teeth out at night. Dont you remember?

And...when I mosh.

Maybe OWL was confused by the self inflicted geezer remarks.

Some people like their ages to be a bit...ambiguous?

And...when I mosh.

HAHAHA! Yes, I can imagine!

I can imagine little worse than one's dentures landing on the floor of a mosh pit.

With the exception of the entire US gummint, that is.

Phydeaux I should show you footage then of Lollapalooza '94!!

((shudder))

Hello all,

I of course am new to this, uh, bb-blog. Joined about a week ago. Also, I'm relatively new to the world of alternative political discussion. You see, even though I grew up believing the system was already broken -- an old-time Rob Heinlein conservative, my daddy done raised me so -- I never paid a lot of attention to the details.

But now it seems like there's too much going on not to get informed and pissed off about it. In particular, in the past month or so things seem to have become especially sinister. kelley b called it a disturbance in the force: http://spacetimecurves.blogspot.com/2007/09/disturbance-in-force.html

What do y'all think about this? Is something big really gonna go down this month? More generally, how do you discern the real dirt from the fantasy? I feel tempted to come out with my hands up and declare, Socrates-like, that the only thing I know is that I know nothing.

good morning dark wraith (and a special welcome cloud)

how to discern the real dirt from fantasy?
follow the money.
the hunt oil boys (ray hunt is a major policy advisor to the white house) just inked a huge, monsterous, megabux oil deal with kurdistan as a separate and distinct entity, apart from iraq. there's enough money involved that they have to be certain of the money's security, there are enough ties to the white house that they have to know.

it's always the money.

always.

p.s. try checking out diogenes. he was harder core realist philosophy than even socrates. more substance fewer word games.

Cloud, you might give Ra: The Law of One a looksee.

Hi Cloud! Nice to meet you!

I think most of us are fumbling along. What is knowing? Knowing is a temporary state, until what we know is refuted. If it persists, it becomes a part of us. Things we hold onto for a long time even develop their own blood vessels and almost get a mind of their own. At that point it is pretty damn destructive to remove them.

But when it comes to our upbringing, sometimes we do have to question. And exorcise accordingly.

Socrates used dialogue and exchanges to get to the bottom of things. I think to a certain extent, blogging allows people to do this in a way. Its not a perfect medium by any stretch, but it does offer some structure- a linear thread as a basis for departures, a record of a discussion. Some forums really have a lot of exchanges. That would not be possible in the real world where you can't just check back later and jump in. And in the real world, we are distracted by tone. Beauty. Pain. Alcohol. Approval. Identity. Social Trappings. Sexuality. Socioeconomic status. Age. Gender.

Although these things creep in online. Eventually.

I think it (blogging) can be a useful tool toward our particular "truth".

I have had my ass chewed into a corner on issues. At the time, it bruised my ego. I felt like shit. But I was absolutely the better for it as it forced me to defend my views. Not just spout them.

Or worse: not have any.

I am appreciative of the subtle and not so subtle challenges to my thinking, and feel that I get way more than I give where blogging is concerned.

I hope you find that to be true for you and what you are looking for.

Hi-de-ho, Cloud.

I doubt you'd find many sites as open to new (and old) insights as this one, though you could say that about many of The Dark Wraith's blog Scream co-conspirators. I guess, because DW's commentary posts originate on this site, I consider it to be home base, of a sort, plus he has generously allowed me to live upstairs of this site, right above DW's Truck Stop and All-Nite Diner in exchange for minor handyman duties. (I'm supposed to be scrubbing the baseboards, but what the heck, they'll still be there later, right?)

Minstral Boy is, of course correct; following the money really is the easiest way to learn why people do things in our gov't., by determining which corp. give to who, and who they hedge their bets with, tells you a a lot about why representatives vote on and originate legislation. I'm sure you're already well aware of this, and any vestiges of ideology still steering some decisions.

As to that maelstrom (I like that word.) of info you and kelley b pointed to, that's too weird, but any connections will have to be drawn by those more agile, mentally, than I.

You know what? Just ignore everything I said, 'cause Lynn at Zelleweb said it better. She's one sharp cookie, huh?

/sharp cookie...man I crack me up!!!