Attn: The Craftsman and NTT's Brain!

I'm throwing down the Gauntlet bitches! I swung by my local Safeway and picked up a big-ass Pumpkin (not to be confused with "Punkin", ahem, theDiscourser's wife). They're practically giving them away today. This one was on sale for only 2 bucks but weighed a good 40 pounds.



I cleaned out the innards and went to work on a sketch.



After some very careful cutting, the Pumpkin is ready for action.



And here is the finished product.



YEEAAHH! Okay, I know its super last minute and you guys probably won't even see this in time NOR have the energy to do any last minute Pumpkin carving (and especially with theCraftsman's very busy schedule), but what the hell...it took me 1 hour tops! I'm throwin down the Gauntlet simply because I have a pretty good feeling I'd get my ass kicked by some crazy shit you guys can come up with.

Anywayz, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

I'm running for government.

Hehe...that got your attention. But I really am running for office. I've submitted my name and intent to serve on the Board of my Home Owners Association. You have to understand how totally ridiculous this position is. The existing board members have served the board for years and are begging new home owners to replace them. I will be running un-opposed but must go through the whole rigamarole regarding ballots and voting. My letter of intent to serve delineated my "platform", which is pretty much based on "fiscal conservatism"....I can hear theProf. laughing out loud right now.

I'm attending my first meeting this Wednesday and will be "sworn in" on Nov. 17th, provided someone else doesn't come in and attempt to run against me...which won't happen BTW.

So for a quick weekend update:

Friday - Went to Ballanico Restaurant in Oakland with my wife. It was a bit pricey and I think you know how I feel about "portion size". Basically, if I'm dishing out more than 15 bucks per entree, the grub better be hellaciously yummy or a massive 4 person portion. As for Ballanico, the portions were decent but the food was uber yummy. Best Linguine Di Mare I've ever had, period. My wife's salad and ravioli was super tasty and even their bread was fantastic. Despite spending more than we're used to, we came away feeling we got what we paid for...I'm happy with that.

Saturday - Meet and greet with the existing Board members at an impromptu morning meeting. Discussed roles and duties and met the Board President's cat, which looked exactly like ours except with a slightly less puffy tail.

Went to a Chinese Red Egg and Ginger 1st Birthday Party at the Canton Restaurant in San Francisco. I Love All-you-can-eat buffets so I was pleased gorging myself with two plates of food. Good company as well.

Watched "The Incredible Hulk" which pretty much sucked except for when he Hulked out and destroyed everything in sight.

Picked up my brother-in-law in Moraga. He came up for the weekend to watch the Cal/UCLA game and attend a banquet honoring his buddy who was to be enrolled in the Cal Berkeley Football Hall of Fame. Afterwards, we went to dinner at Acapulco with my wife. My combination was soo huge, they had to separate it between two plates.

Stayed up pretty late chatting with my Brother-in-law and watching "The Exorcist" on cable. We were both raised Catholic and this movie pretty much destroyed our psyche at such a young age that viewing it even as adults traumatizes us...so we watched mixed martial arts until 1:30.

Sunday: Dropped off my brother-in-law at a coffee house in Alameda where his buddies picked him up to give him a ride back to So-Cal.

Ran the 4 mile route around our Island with my wife. She runs faster than me now. She had to slow her pace to get me to catch up. My ass and upper thighs are still totally destroyed.

Attended Fruitvale's Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festivities. Had a great time. The streets were totally packed and I bought a new hat as well as some street food.

Watched "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". Talk about not living up to the previous installments.

That's it for now....

Just one more thing...

"The Right’s Class War: The prospect of a McCain loss has the Republican Party angrily turning on itself. Can the eggheads and the Joe Six-Packs get along?"

From the New York Magazine, by John Heilemann. It describes, and in much better terms than I ever could, the current state of the Republican Party and where it might be heading or need to head. A great read....especially for theProf.

Here is the complete article:

http://nymag.com/news/politics/powergrid/51406/

Trust me....its a very good read.

I am an Anti-American Socialist....

...at least according to some Republicans.

I donated $28 to the Obama campaign, and this is the first time I've ever donated to a political campaign. All my co-workers have done the same, and for most, it was also they're first time. Even my family members and In-laws have donated to the Obama campaign. Apparently according to FOX News and the McCain campaign, we're part of a conspiratory scandal on-par with Watergate.

And because I'm voting for Obama, according to Palin, Bachman, Patrick, Wendell, as well as the usual conservative talk show cohort, I also hate America...and more so, am a Socialist. And just today I heard from Congressman Hayes that I also hate God and am a Communist. Palin said yesterday that she only wants to visit parts of the Country that are "Pro-America". When Congressman Bachman from Minnesota, a McCain surrogate, was asked what Palin had meant on Hardball, she called for a "penetrating investigation of all anti-American liberals in Congress" (youtube it). Democrats and Obama voters have now been transformed into America Hating Communist Atheists...and this is NOT divisive?

Yesterday, Hannity, Savage, and Limbaugh called General Powell a RACIST for endorsing Obama. The funny thing is, if Powell had run for President as a Republican this election cycle, I would have voted for him, as would many conservatives and Republicans. And to top everything off, the McCain campaign is suggesting that Obama is a member of a Muslim terrorist sleeper cell....and if that is not Fear-Mongering Demagoguery of the highest order, I don't know what is.

General Powell was spot on...he completely articulated EXACTLY how I think and feel, and you have to read the transcript. And I will now admit something that I haven't admitted before....drum roll....I voted for Bush in 2000. (GASP!) I truly fell for the "compassionate conservative" line, and I've been so disappointed with that vote. I soo want the Republicans to move toward the center, I soo want the reactionary extreme conservative demographic to take a back seat to modern centrist conservatives, I soo wanted McCain to have chosen Leiberman or Powell or even Dr. Rice...because if they did any of this, I would have voted for a Republican as President.

Here is my primary observation of the Republican Moral Imperative.

Regarding my work and politics, all of you know I'm in the business of authorizing services, treatment, and housing to the indigent homeless with the following issues: dually diagnosed (patients with psychiatric issues and addiction issues), hospice care (patients with psychiatric issues who are dying), skilled nursing needs (patients who are functionally disabled), developmental disability (patients with cognitive impairment), psychiatric disability (severe psychiatric diagnoses), Veterans with psychiatric disorders, battered women and their young children, and several other demographics I can't recall at this time. And TWO things are undeniable; we have a moral imperative to care for the disabled AND we are in dire need of more funding.

Funding streams for these services are varied: AB 3632, Medical, Medicare, Veterans Benefits, Prop. 36, Prop. 63, Short-Doyle, County General Funds, and of course the Feds. Ask me how well funded the lobbying effort (both State and National) is for the ethical treatment and housing for the mentally ill, or battered women, or geriatric suicide prevention, or housing for the disabled, or expanded skilled nursing programs, or an increase in funding to programs for the developmentally disabled? And ask me how every budget cycle represents a battle just to keep our heads above water. About how the Republicans in the State Senate return the State budget back to the Dems with demands to cut funding to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE FUNDS. And how is this American? How is this noble? How is this moral? How is this even sane?

But then I get it. Republicans adopt a different moral theory; where battle against excessive taxing and big government trumps all other moral imperatives. They cynically diminish my efforts as "wasteful welfare hand-outs". HOWEVER, I will not and cannot imagine anyone, even the most far Right Conservative Republican, who would walk in my shoes for one week and judge the work that I do as "socialist".

But my question then is, what are the Republicans plans to deal with the population I work with? What is it? I had a debate with a colleague at work who believed that that Republicans forward a social Darwinist social policy...where its not about confining and killing them, its about standing back and letting them die...you can see why I had to debate this freak. But my question stands.

In education, the response from the Right has been to mitigate concerns and justify voting against any expansion (and in some State's cases, a contraction) of Education funding with a very simple as well as very true argument: Leaders of Industry (and even Presidents) can rise from broken homes and urban blight and underfunded schools provided they work hard. This is completely true...but the problem is that for every child who succeeds, 10 are murdered, 100's are incarcerated, 1000's turn to gangs and drugs, and 10's of thousands drop out.

I suppose this argument can be used in my line of work, where we point the finger at the parent or the family of the disabled patient. Why? Because there are plenty of successful, self-sufficient, and happy disabled people. But again the response is, for every one example, I can show you 10,000 in my city alone who struggle to stay alive daily, and many DIE daily.

I'm completely rambling now and the more I write, the more confused I am at the point I'm attempting, or had attempted, to make...in which case, this is my cue to end rant.

But one more thing. I suppose I'm preaching to the choir for the most part, save theProf. and a possible anonymous blog wanderer. I can almost always count on theProf to give me pause and perspective. But with regards to the work that I do, I'm not hopeful he can succeed. I represent the Big Government Handout and I'm not really sure whether Republicans can see it any other way.

The Craftsman and his family.

So I just read on "Am I a Funny Girl" (libismorgan.blogspot) that theCraftsman's wife is back on dialysis. Her newish kidney, being only 4 years old, failed. She had been in ICU for some time and was receiving subclavial perma-cath dialysis and will need 3X weekly visits to the clinic....and I'm pretty bummed about it all.

But with this quote from her blog you can see that her strength is simply amazing:

"To preemptively answer a couple of questions; yes, it's true... we had hoped the kidney from my mom would last longer than four years... it didn't. Yes, my (new) kidney failure was exacerbated by my pregnancy and pre-eclampsia. No, we don't regret doing the transplant when we did. Jamie and I got four amazing years... we bought our house and remodeled the kitchen, took roadtrips, got married, went to Europe and had a baby. Nope, I don't think I could ever say I regret getting the transplant when I did."

She now needs a new kidney and I suppose one of us can do without one if it can potentially save some one's life...so pass this around. You (and perhaps even I) can be a donor match.

Prayers and well wishes are on the way.

A couple of pics from Washington.

Totally awe-inspiring:



Here was the view from our suite; the Masonic Temple in Alexandria Virginia. Look at the massive Masonic Icon before its steps. Who the hell are these Free Masons? and what do they do? I mean look at this frickin building! We have a Masonic Temple in Alameda as well and I'll be posting a pic of that building when I get a chance. What crazy Illuminati shit goes on inside!?

Washington wedding and other tid-bits.

1. Flew out of Oakland and into Dulles via Jet Blue, the best in the business when it comes to cheaper airfares IMHO. "This is the 28th Airport I've visited in my life!", I told my wife while on the Washington DC subway. She looked at me and teasingly snickered, "Only 28 at your age?". I suppose theSupertechnician and thePerfectLine can count airports in the 60's for sure. Anywayz, Dulles is up there in terms ease of use, cleanliness, efficiency, and wow factor...right up there with Las Vegas, which is the best by far; at least in the US. SFO is at the bottom of the barrel. The International Terminal rocks but the Domestic terminal needs to be demolished.

2. Why I like Washington: When you wake up and open the Local portion of the paper here, it reads like the National portion of our papers at home. This place is soo politically alive and aware, the movers and shakers of government and industry live, work, and play here. And though it's my 10th visit to DC and Virginia, the National Mall never ceases to amaze and inspire me. Today I visited the Lincoln, the first time NOT in the bitter cold. Tourists from all over the world stare in wonder and I can't help but be moved every frickin time by the words inscribed therein. Also visited the Vietnam memorial. As I quietly walked through, it struck me; the power of this place. As most know, there on the black marble wall are names, and though you might not recognize anyone on that wall, ALL of our names are on it....I saw my last name, and theDiscourser's, and theCraftsman's, and thePerfectLine's, and even the GM's. I get it.

3. Alot of wedding related get-tether's. Hangin out with the in-laws. It's always fun, and the political landscape being the way it is, it's made for even more exciting conversation.

4. Palin: I can't believe where I am with her. My wife's aunt's house is always filled with a number of Newspapers and political publications from all over the country. I read in the New York Times about how she apologized to Obama about her RNC comments re. community organizers; that she never meant to hurt any one's feelings and mentioned that the quip was more a response to how the press had belittled her experience as small town mayor. In the Atlantic, I believe, she mentioned that her best friend is lesbian! and in her Couric interview, she mentioned that though personally Pro-Life, she was clear that she hoped that other woman "choose" life when confronted with a decision to keep or abort. Of course this certainly does not assuage all my concerns re. her reproductive rights policy stance, but I'm glad to hear that she believed in choice in, at least, certain cases. Lastly, something occurred to me while reading a Washington Post article re. Stockdale (Perot's VP Candidate) and how the press made a complete buffoon of him. I remember that debate very clearly and about how poorly he did. I also remember how this man was an American Hero, an imprisoned and tortured soldier, and staunch advocate for soo many veteran related causes...and the press made him out to be a demented has-been.

And here we are with Palin. She is being made an utter fool by not only the press and the anonymous masses in the blogshere ether, but by members within her own party. Yes, her vapidness is something that clearly has not been seen for quite some time in the political realm, and yes, her pride in her apparent ignorance, about how her folksiness is politically utilized, her insolence and mocking tone regarding folks who are soo much more significant (politically and historically) and intellectually superior (Sorry Prof., Kissenger is a frikin legend), and how I soo wanted the glass ceiling broken by a woman who is universally respected and undeniably competent (think Dr. Rice).

Now came her debate. I couldn't believe how much I wanted her NOT to make an utter idiot of herself...how I thought it would've been, not only an embarrassment to her, but to all Americans. The most important task set before her for the debate was to pull herself up from the mire of idiocy she had been squarely placed if not completely thrown into by the press and her fellow Americans....me included. And in at least this regard, she did succeed. It was hilarious watching FOX News; about how all the pundits appeared soo defiantly sure she would do fine before the Debate but then admitted afterwards that they were an absolute emotional wreck during. In any case, unless its someone I completely despise (think Pat Roberstson, Farrakhan, OJ Simpson, Al Davis), I can't find it in me to celebrate someones public humiliation...and it surprises me how Palin has wormed her way into my tin jaded heart...damn her and her small town charm!

As I've mentioned in comments in theProf.'s blog, like almost all previous VP Candidates, Palin has at best lifted herself from liability to irrelevance; at least with regard to garnering votes from the undecided.

5. Fantastic wedding in DuPont Circle. The reception afterwards was held at Carnegie Institute for Science. The weather was perfect and the company was awesome. More on T. Boone Picken's daughter, corporate lawyers, MD's, environmental and corporate lobbyists, University Professor's, Ivy League intellectual elites, and what McCain described as Georgetown conservative elites and their politics later.

That's it for now.....