This guy has balls, I will give him that (but then he IS a DICK, after all...). He still thinks he can run the country. The fact is... he's sleazeball scum and should be severly waterboarded. Better yet, humanely euthanized. Or maybe just euthanized.

The fact that DICK is still trying to push through public opinion on torture is mindboggling. This doctor hits it directly on, in my opinion:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allen-keller/torture-by-any-other-name_b_207876.html

Anyhooz... that's my dismay for the moment...
 -- brent
    (Pahoa, HI)

Just another small reason why Pearl Jam is one of my fave bands.Way to go guys. Keep saying it like it is...

https://www.pearljam.com/activism/vfc.php

 -- brent

We did it. I shouldn't say we, I should say she. As in my wonderful partner S. She did it. Through thorough research, an incredibly curious and concerned mind, a solid experienced and educated background, and an entire wheelbarrowfull of luck... she is healthy. And wise.
And now we get to move on with somewhat glazed eyes and big peaceful sighs of relief. Back to life and loving and music'ing and sunshine'ing and all that.
Sending out our gladdest heartfelt wishes that everyone in your collective life is healthy. Be with them. It matters; if not now then perhaps soon.
 -- b

It's hard to be sad with the turning of the governmental leaves right now isn't it? Finally, those of us with a clue can feel a little validated in our protests of a stupid fucking war filled with needless death, the plundering of our planet, our finances, our personal freedoms, and our very integrity.

But there are moments when I truly do feel sad. Those fleeting feelings, triggered be an event, image, voice, or something. I am exceptionally happy here on the Big Island. I have the worlds most wonderful partner; I could never want more than this woman, who exudes intelligence and depth and talent and warmth in everything she does. Our musical world is busy and inspiring. The environment is fascinating and diverse - and the truth is I love the ocean intensely. Especially I love the ability to get in it, something that Seattle doesn't really offer (sorry but donning a dry suit for a summer swim is not my idea of 'getting in it'...).

You know what I miss, though? My friends. I miss the way they are, their character, humor, warmth, centeredness (or not), their sweeping acceptance of who they are, and the way they show this same acceptance for the people in their lives.

A friend is having a birthday party soon. I have been afraid I would miss it (I won't). And another friend is deep in the middle of handling all the promotions for an exceptional touring musician, including filming shows and hosting concerts. And I did miss this. And am very sad that I did.

I also miss snow, truthfully, and the serene 'shushing' of my snowboard ripping through the fluff.

That was all my world, just down the street.
Yes, I am incredibly grateful for what I have and where I am and I would not honestly do it differently. And also... that's what I miss: my Friends.

It's hard losing a friend.

Especially one who has been an integral part of my life for a long time. A friend who never compromised their character or values or integrity; never did anything to search for approval. Never said the wrong thing, rarely spoke out of turn. Depended on me. A friend who was there on cold Washington nights and warm summer eves. In everyday life I could always count on this friend hearing without judgment, without envy or ego. He would just listen and bask in the knowledge that life with me was good - as good as it gets.

In our hard moments we would both yell, or whine, or be grumpy or annoying or overbearing with each other. And even though in that moment it was difficult, we both knew we loved each other and that this is how relationships are.

As many friendships form, so did ours. He sat, unnoticed by me, one day as I walked by him, and he spoke. It wasn't a question, yet I knew the answer. When a fork in his road of life appeared and I was able to help him, I did. We became very close after that, through health issues and moves and other friendships - both his and mine. By far he was the most grounded, peaceful, understanding and pure friend I have ever had.

He passed away yesterday, September 16, 2008, after a lengthy bout of health issues. He had angels in his life - big angels. All the way through the very end, and for that I am so thankful. He moved on silently and peacefully, with no more than a closing of the eyes.

I miss him greatly in my life; now, and in the last year when he has been unable to travel with me. And now Creme Brule, I only wish you peace and magnificent serenity, and I thank you for the years of your beautiful companionship and friendship, you made such a difference in my life; I hope you find a warm fire and comfortable hearth forever more.

Rest in peace, my wonderful little cat...
-- brent

Not that he really was a maverick, but you see my point. And other people write much more eloquently than I, and so the following... ;~)
 -- b

Source Link

The Conversion of John McCain
August 20, 2008 | John Aloysius Farrell

Sometimes it's not a candidate's big flip-flops—the giant midcourse corrections, the Saul-on-the-road-to-Damascus conversions—that provoke a contemptuous snort.

Sometimes it's a little news item like this, from Atlanta, heralding Ralph Reed's wormy attempts to return to respectability.

Reed E-mailed supporters and friends to urge them to give to the McCain campaign. Reed also instructed potential donors to send contributions directly to him. Reed told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he sent the E-mail at the request of the campaign and was given boilerplate language to use.

Let's, for a moment, rewind the tape.

Can we stipulate that the most sordid scandal of the Bush administration was Jack Abramoff's infamous scheme to rip off Native Americans?

You remember. Abramoff and his henchmen would arrive at a reservation and tell the tribal council: "That's a nice little casino you got there. It would be a shame if anything would happen to it."

Then, in return for millions of dollars of tribal funds and donations, Jack and the boys would promise to provide protection, seeing as how they had such good friends in the Republican establishment as Reed, former House GOP leader Tom DeLay, conservative activist Grover Norquist, and presidential adviser Karl Rove.

Behind their backs, Abramoff and his greedy, no-good bunch were quite contemptuous of their clients, of course. They called them "troglodytes" and worse.

Reed was a former leader of the Christian Coalition, and his role in the plot was to rally his friends in the religious community to run antigambling campaigns against rival tribes funded by the gambling money that Abramoff extorted from his casino clients!

For this, Reed got six-figure payments. There's a page in the Book of Cynics for his name.

We know all this because John McCain, as chairman of a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, helped expose it. His hearings helped spur an ongoing Justice Department prosecution that sent Abramoff and others to jail.

But that was then—back in the days when McCain was manufacturing a reputation as a "maverick."

That was when the maverick McCain would take the Senate floor with charts explaining global warming, while energy lobbyists hissed off-camera. That was when the brave McCain voted against the Bush tax cuts for the filthy wealthy and demanded a balanced budget. That was when the independent McCain helped broker the deal that stopped a right-wing purge of the federal judiciary. That was when the gutsy McCain called mountebanks like Reed "agents of intolerance."

In other words, that was before McCain decided to run as Bush III.

He is now, of course, demanding that we drill, drill, drill. Promising to extend the Bush tax cuts for the rich. Vowing to appoint "two or three" more Clarence Thomases to the Supreme Court. And kissing up to the religious right.

Rove has loaned him a strategy and a staff. Norquist, having exacted a promise for tax-cut extensions, is on board.

And now Reed is raising money for his campaign.

Ah, politics.

As Finley Peter Dunne would say: "Trust ivrybody, but cut th' cards."

Oh man, have I struck gold. I feel so incredibly blessed and my life is so wonderful that I am gushing with happiness....! Amazing.

I moved. Again. To Pahoa, just outside of Hilo, on the Big Island. Sherri and I live together in a wonderful 1964 cane house situated right on the edge of the most amazing jungle I have ever seen. We wake up to trees and forest all around; birds, frogs, wild pigs, geckos... currently there are 7 different clumps of bananas ready to go off on our trees (it's 2.3 acres), as well as the pineapples nearing. We also have mango, avacado, guava, lychee, citrus, and probably another half dozen fruits that I don't yet know of.

And living with S is fantastic - we are a perfect fit. We live and breath music, love being homebodies, are also very social, love our yard, our lanai, our outdoor shower, each other.

Just down the hill is the earth's newest landmass, where Madam Pele is pouring her soul into the ocean and creating a little more real estate every day. Up the hill is Halemaumau and Puuoo - both active, both fiery and alive. And there is fantastic hiking in the park (Hawai'i Volcanos National Park), not to mention across the entire island in general. 

The bonus (cake, eat it too...) is that I am now working from home, for the same company I was working for on Maui. Don't ask me how, but that's where I am. I can swim or run or mow the yard or have lunch with S on the deck... all in the course of my work day.

And now - finally - we can really focus in and begin to bring our music together as we move into the fall. We have not had a chance, our rehearsals were sporadic because of living on different islands, and so our gigs were sporadic. We can now really truly begin the melding process. And wow are we excited!

One last thing, that I have always wanted in places I live, and I am getting full on here on the big isle: a place where I wake up and step out my door and be absolutely blown away at the natural beauty of the environment. I have that again, here. I have been incredibly lucky in this way my entire life.

And I am thankful, so thankful, to be here, now.

 -- brent   (Pahoa, HI 7/2008)

this just in... more lies from our McDonalds-like aged politicking GOP dork:

The McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee both claim that Obama has voted 94 times "for higher taxes." We find that their count is padded.

After looking at every one of the 94 votes that the RNC includes in its tally, Newsweek finds:

Twenty-three were for measures that would have produced no tax increase at all; they were against proposed tax cuts.

Seven of the votes were in favor of measures that would have lowered taxes for many, while raising them on a relative few, either corporations or affluent individuals.

Eleven votes the GOP is counting would have increased taxes on those making more than $1 million a year – in order to fund programs such as Head Start and school nutrition programs, or veterans' health care.

The GOP sometimes counted two, three and even four votes on the same measure. We found their tally included a total of 17 votes on seven measures, effectively padding their total by 10.

The majority of the 94 votes – 53 of them, including some mentioned above – were on budget measures, not tax bills, and would not have resulted in any tax change. Four other votes were non-binding motions related to conference report negotiations.

Oh yes, he's a gem, isn't he...

Think McCain is not an asshole? Read on...

* McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as "an agent of intolerance" in 2002, but has since decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans "deserved" the 9/11 attacks. (Indeed, McCain has now hired Falwell's debate coach.)

* McCain used to oppose Bush's tax cuts for the very wealthy, but he reversed course in February.

* In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending "dirty money" to help finance Bush's presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.

* McCain supported a major campaign-finance reform measure that bore his name. In June, he abandoned his own legislation.

* McCain used to think that Grover Norquist was a crook and a corrupt shill for dictators. Then McCain got serious about running for president and began to reconcile with Norquist.

* McCain took a firm line in opposition to torture, and then caved to White House demands.

* McCain gave up on his signature policy issue, campaign-finance reform, and won't back the same provision he sponsored just a couple of years ago.

* McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.

* McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he's pro-ethanol.

* McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.

* And now he's both for and against overturning Roe v. Wade.

* And perhaps most disgusting of all is McCain's treatment of his wives:

Second Wife:
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2008/McCain_temper_boiled_over_in_92_0407.html

First Wife:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1024927/The-wife-John-McCain-callously-left-behind.html

We will be making a sad and possibly dire mistake if another loser ends up "leading" our country. Vote, and be informed when you do...

Peace...
-- Brent

Like it wasn't predictable, this sudden attampt at selling off hummers by private individuals... All those people out there buying hummers because... well.. why were they?! Because our government uses them to transport war paraphenelia? Are you kidding...? What a stupid reason.

There must be other reasons... so I took an imaginary poll, for my own selfish reasons, and to satisfy my own little need to type a bit more in the course of my day...

- Because when short drivers who can't see over the hood of these foul machines hit other things (people, cars, dogs, fire hydrants, golf carts) they only feel a slight bump and can say "not guilty, keep driving baby!"
- Because they look cool, like diamonds in a goats ass
- Because, in their perceived fight against that one annoying Nuprin ad ("Little, Yellow, Different"), this is all the hummer owner could come up with for a response ("Big, Yellow, Stupid")
- Because they are exceptionally difficult to park, turn, get into or out of, see out of, see in to, or even generally look at, frankly
- Because they suck up enough oil (read "cause death to innocent humans") on the way to the cell phone lot to keep my oil lantern (if I had one) lit for the rest of my actual and percieved existence, on this plane of existence and so many more
- Because someone else had one, and dammit, hummer owners NEVER think for themselves (this is why assface Bush is STILL in office...)
- Because 'hummer' is easy to remember, articulate and say when describing what they drive, and saying 'Prius' sounds too wussy
- Because the cost of buying maintaining and filling one up makes them feel rich when in fact it drains every resource at their disposal - as well as all their friends too - not to mention myself, you and the globe's resources too (but they would never ever tell their trendy hummer friends that... no way)

Anyhooz....
Here's a cool little grocery shopping bag  and some stickers that will help you communicate your dissatisfaction with the trend-idiots wandering around drooling all over things and making the world slippery:

Very Cool Grocery Shopping Bag

Very Cool Bumper Stickers

Have a great day, and don't forget about the old ecological footprint. (Personally my next focus is lessoning my airline travel significantly. Then my vehicle use... Target: End of Summer.)

Be well!
 -- brent