Quick Somebody Write Another Love Song

I had originally planned to write this for Halloween, the day that UNESCO or WHO, or one of them acronyms calculates that the world population will reach seven billion.

But though the papers have jumped the gun all week, prisoner of the zeitgeist that I am, I have held on until today.

Happy Halloween. (All seven billion of you.)

SEVEN BILLION, kiddies: Seven billion kiddies. We have overgrazed our forage, we are starving and fear the inevitable plagues; we are in a thousand brushfire conflicts and the world’s economy teeters on the brink — a global meltdown would instantly doom thousands, if not hundreds of thousands to imminent starvation, as the delivery system would go down along with the economy.

What Occupy Wall Street Says About America

I have pointedly refrained from commenting on the OWS protests now transpiring worldwide, prior to this date.

The Antisemitic  ”Antisemitism” smear from the RNC last week

There is a good reason for this: generally when I write about a topic, I like to know something about it. I like to THINK about it. The early reports and coverage presented us with a wealth of information, but a paucity of knowledge.

Now, perhaps, I can comment more intelligently on certain aspects of the phenomenon (or, more precisely, phenomena). I would adjure the pundit class to follow this salutary example, but one might as well attempt to teach differential calculus to a three-toed tree frog.

Terror Mail From Texas Posts

Sometimes I get interesting comments. Sometimes psychos show up.  You can be the judge as to which category or categories this interchange falls into, following my Monday piece, “The Terror That Stalks Texas“:

Aftermath of the Bexar County Bombing Hysterics

• John Johnson
  26 October 2011 at 5:50 pm

I read your comment to my post over at TMV [The Moderate Voice] regarding your thread. Since I’m not posting over there any longer, thought I would take a look at your site and respond here. Looks like there is plenty of room and we won’t be bothered by many other posts.

My name is John Johnson. I have had several of my pieces on TMV as a guest columnist. My tag gives my brief bio. It does not include any snide little comments like “I survived Texas”.

We have very little in common except for being opinionated. I am not prissy, liberal, nor a bore.

I hope that your having my name makes you feel better.

To Which I replied:

The Monkey Cage

I need you to take 30 seconds to watch the RNC attack ad below. That way, all that follows will make better sense to to you, Gentle Reader/Viewer.

Antisemitism on display?  Absolutely. But more from the accusers than from the accused. From the mysteriously and anonymously registered on October 18 website steveisraelstandswiththem.com, which has mysteriously gone “offline” [update: it's back, now]:

click for the RNC YouTube original

Has the GOP gone completely mad?

Uh, yeah. But there’s a reason for it, and there’s not actually a “GOP” anymore. 

What America Means To Me

I will reveal here a controversial assertion that is — if not explicitly denied, then most assuredly implicitly trampled upon in common practice — as deceptively and seductively simple as it seems: words actually mean something, and what they mean matters.

Note the Liberty [Phrygian] Cap on pole

I will grant the Opposition’s case that in point of fact words are useless and as often used to obscure a point as to clarify it, only to the degree to which I agree with the Opposition, which is to say not in the slightest, whatsoever. But that point about obfuscation is good, granted.

So, what does “America” mean?

The Terror That Stalks Texas

Bexar County is pronounced “Behar” just as “Texas” ought to be pronounced “Tehas,” which undoubtedly explains the cluelessness of Fox News as they ejaculated their fear all over the airwaves this week.

click here for YouTube

I happened to be, literally, right across the street at the time that the TERROR scare was happening.

Please Leave a Message at the Tone

You hear the ringtone. Then it picks up, with the telltale, slightly tinny sound of a recorded message:

I will be away from the blog keyboard for a couple of days. If this doesn’t tide you over, you have PLENTY of time to read:

• Fame as Disease; Celebrity as Illness (part i)
• Fame as Disease; Celebrity as Illness (part ii)
• Fame as Disease; Celebrity as Illness (conclusion)

And:

• The Dead Parrot Sketch
• The Dead Parrot Sketch, Part ii
• The Dead Parrot Sketch, Conclusion

If you get through the above, please click over to the other blogs I guest-post on: The Moderate Voice and The Democratic Daily…

There you will find a wealth of auctorial riches to tide you through the Stygian darkness.

And then, as you begin to leave your message, a beeping and you are automatically disconnected. The voice mailbox is full. Drat.

Courage.

More Pitcherses

Sometimes the Left Brain (the one that controls the right side and “logical” language functions) needs to take a break. Luckily, the Right Brain (the “spatial” non-linear side that controls the left side of the body) is sometimes up to the task. Drawings by Hart Williams (in his alter- persona as Hesperion Wug) from September and early October.

Horny Toad (or Horned Frog in Texas) — these little survivors
have been around since the age of the dinosaurs. 

More after the jump.

Broke With A Chance of Rain

Wet or dry, it’s usually yellow.

Courage.

Herman Cain’s Brains

And now, using state of the art, advanced brain imaging equipment, we are finally able to see what goes on INSIDE Herman Cain’s brains while he holds forth on his views of governance.

click here to view on YouTube

Time and tide wait for no meds.

Courage.

The Worst Partisan Hackery in the World

Another proof that Republican obstructionism is killing jobs.

Courage.