These Heroic Happy Dead

“next to of course god america i
love you land of the pilgrims’ and so forth oh
say can you see by the dawn’s early my
country ’tis of centuries come and go
and are no more what of it we should worry
in every language even deafanddumb
thy sons acclaim your glorious name by gorry
by jingo by gee by gosh by gum
why talk of beauty what could be more beaut-
iful than these heroic happy dead
who rushed like lions to the roaring slaughter
they did not stop to think they died instead
then shall the voice of liberty be mute?”



He spoke. And drank rapidly a glass of water



ee cummings

Beer is good...

Politics are not good for me. I think most politicians should be ground up and used to fill pot holes in bike trails. Yuppers.

So I scooted on the good ol wimpy hybrid bicycle out to the airport.... it's only five miles, and watched part of the airshow. It's an annual dealie, the Experimental Aircraft Association has a convention and airshow on the good old southside, with neat airplanes and blimps &stuff.

http://www.airventure.org/

And it is kinda neat. I have been out there so often over the years that it seems rather ordinary.
Anyways...it is five out and five back and that is enough to make me thirsty.

And harks my heart back to poetry and love and friendship....... and a second pint.

Beer
Joyce Killjoy

I think that I shall never hear

A poem as lovely as a beer
The brew that Oblio's bar has on tap

With golden base and snowy cap

The foamy stuff I drink all day

Until my memory melts away

Poems are made by fools I fear

But only the Worts can make a beer

I'll get pissed off about McCain later.

143 Days vs. 174 days

OK. What happened to manners in America? Etiquette? I am so sick of smarmy, sarcastic, mean, derisive,demeaning,hateful, &stuff rhetoric....I could puke. In my company mailbox this morning, along with the ton of biz emails and inter-office shit......I get an email from a very close and dear friend. Someone that I have known for over thirty-five years. A nice guy. I love him. But we are on opposite ends of the political spectrum. In the past we tried to achieve middle-ground when we discussed politics......... but lately he has been sending me a bunch of cut and paste jobs slamming Democrats and Liberals.

He has lost his manners.

Like a lot of commentators.

He sends me this. *

Just 143 days

Interesting when it's put into perspective, isn't it?

Just think how great a professional of any kind you could be with only 143 days of experience! People want change so badly? . . . . maybe we should lower the experience requirement for doctors, lawyers, airline pilots, etc. This would cause some change!

Obama's 143 Days of Senate Experience Just how much Senate experience does Barack Obama have in terms of actual work days? Not much. From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a United States Senator, to the time he announced he was forming a Presidential exploratory Committee, he logged 143 days of experience in the Senate. That's how many days the Senate was actually in session and working. The one single Senate committee that he headed never even met once.

After 143 days of work experience, Obama believed he was ready to be Commander In Chief, Leader of the Free World, and fill the shoes of Abraham Lincoln, FDR, JFK and Ronald Reagan. Think about it.......143 days -- 20.4 weeks -- 4.7 months . Our children spend more time in pre-school getting ready for kindergarten. *

And he has been sending more lately. I really feel it is a lack of manners. And it hurts. Seriously. Why is it that we have basically lost respect for others? Why have we made media-heros of small, petty, paltry personalities? And then emulate them?

Dorothy Parker said, "Wit has truth in it; wisecracking is simply calisthenics with words. "

I sent him back a bit of a rebuttal.....with links, and quotes, and data...... in essence I did 'politics' the way I used to. That I said I was not going to do anymore. I am really tired of debate. I ended the note with:

"Just 174 Days left of the Bush Mis-administration.
4,124 Americans Dead in Iraq....29,000 maimed and wounded..... and McCain vows to stay the course......
I do not need the McCain Experience.....I have had the Bush one."

He sends me back a quick reply stating that I am 'Too Emotional'

Then GIVE IT UP, STEVIE and quit baiting me!!

Get some FUCKING manners!

It is too early for a beer.... I have a lot I need to get done today.

I truly wish there was a candidate that filled me with hope, who practiced kind and inspired wisdom. Some one that I felt that I could respect as well as some one I felt my children could relate to and vote for as well.
I wish Bob was still around. I would vote for him in a heart beat.

Wowsers Weekend World Weport

Camplain Coverage!

Senator Barack Obama addresses crowd of over 200,000 in Berlin, Germany where he supports closer ties between the US and Europe for a comprehensive global commitment to World peace and progress. His speech brings cheers and massive amounts of American Flag Waving & Stuff.

Meanwhile Republican candidate John McCain meets with local business folks and shop keepers in Columbus, OH where he urges closer relationships between the USA and the Big Ten. " I would love to give a speech in Germany," he is quoted as saying at Schmidt's Sausage Haus and Restaurant, "but I would prefer to do it as President of the United States than as a candidate for President."

John & Alice Silvertein in the next booth from Senator McCain took this to mean that McCain may soon begin to campaign for President. "I think John would make a good President, " Mr. Silverstein said. "I believe in the choices he makes. For instance, he recommended I get the Bratwurst and Kraut rather than the Italian Sausage, and by golly, he was right! Very Tasty!"

Later that day at an IHOP in Canton, OH, Senator McCain said that he would also urge closer ties to Belgian Waffles, but would prefer "Green Eggs and Ham if my name were Sam. But I really like Belgian Waffles and I think Belgian Waffles should finally be admitted to the United Nations", he said while passing gas.
















In other Camplain news the Media is saying that Senator Obama has been declared, "A Media Darling" and that they are damn sick of it.
Deborah Media of 1812 Overture Ave, Minnetonka MN recently told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that "Obama speaks well, has an excellent voice and keeps going around saying things that sound intelligent and somehow make more sense that what McCain doesn't say. I guess I feel forced into declaring him a 'Darling' even though he has those big ears."

Echoing those sentiments, Albert Media of 1910 Fruit Gum Company Blvd in Clinton,IA in an interview with the Des Moines Register said, "I didn't want to declare him a 'Darling' either, or anything, ya know, but shit&stuff, what choice did I have? McCain is such a boring fuck, and all, and nowhere near to 'Darling-like. I really have reservations about Obama.... I mean Obama spelled backwards is Amabo and that sounds awfully close to a Sly Stallone sequel movie which could very well spell disaster for the US at the box office this fall."

Spokesperson for the Shit From Shinola campaign of fifth party candidate Diva Jood meanwhile addressed a throng of two reporters from the Monroe County Democrat in Sparta, WI. "Our candidate has nothing to say at this time," campaign manager Randal Graves said. "She is too busy conferring with the future Secretary of Strawberries, who by the way is a real darling. And there is a scheduled nap time after that."

When pressured Graves said, " I don't give a rat's ass about the 'Darling' controversy. Fuck the Media, Anyways! If I want to read about Darlings, I will re-read 'Peter Pan'! Now get the fuck out of my way," Graves casually added, " I have nothing to do today and I must get it done immediately!"

Ich bin ein Berliner

Gees, Susan, there may or may not be a Santa Clause, but the Bud Wagon is pulled by Clydesdales, not Percherons...and while I will whimsically, casually, carelessly jump onto any ol bandwagon I am a true-blue Beer Snob and will not jump onto a Bud Wagon.... And brand of horse not truly relevant....those are both REALLY REALLY big horses and I believe there are insufficient funds .......

(I get a lotta mail with documents enclosed marked as such, so I know what I am talking about) in the campaign budget
http://journeyswithjood.blogspot.com/
to provide for and an adequate number of pails and shovels to clean up after all the horse-shit. Now, campaigns may be fueled with bull-shit but all horse shit needs to be collected, removed and composted. So, Susan, I gotza problem wit dem big horses...if we use more than two, we have to downsize them


However, Susan, your note did get me to thinking..... and that is dangerous, please give me some room.... that while the campaign is going great..... except for the VP candidate playing 'catch-up' with hubby..
http://me414.wordpress.com/

*Break me up! Never heard it called 'catch-up' before! Gees!*
..the ticket of Jood/Nunly does NOT have a political party NAME. And that's a gotta be fixed! Well, I thought for a moment that we could call it the Pail&Shovel Party..... but that was done before in 1979 by




some very cool dudes at the UW-Madison campus. And they did fulfill the most ambitious of all their campaign promises, mainly, bringing the

Statue of Liberty to Madison. Now we could just steal the name and recycle it, or we could invent a new name.......and Wowsers.....I betcha there would be a bunch a good suggestions. So, Susan, as the Director of Refreshments, I delegate that job to you. Now you may very well ask where do I get the authority to assign you such a job, but you will not get an answer. I am the Director of Refreshment and as such am way above giving answers.


I think, too, that the campaign needs a very specific, very do-able goal. Like, say, tearing down the Berlin Wall. I don't think it should be too difficult. Someone just needs to have the verve to stand up to the USSR and say, " Mr. Gorbachev , tear down this wall." It really shouldn't be that hard. And if they don't want to tear it down, maybe we could trade for it, ya know, like we will give them Shea Stadium; they are gonna tear it http://mysaturdayeveningpost.blogspot.com/

and New York could sure use it to keep all the illegal aliens from Jersey out.

Ok, Susan, I gotzta say no to the big horses thing.

The campaign has much more important things to accomplish and heavier considerations to weigh...... like..... is a doughnut better with custard filling....or jelly.



Ich bin ein Randaler.


*A Wowsers UPDATE..... pending Candidates approval.....The Jood/Nunly campaign is running on the

Shit From Shinola Party Ticket!

* Just to help differentiate.... This is Shinola









And this is shit....

GET OUT&VOTE&STUFF

OK. I try not to do politics.But good old Diva Jood from Journeys with Jood and Nunly from Bad Habits have decided to run for Prezidint and Vice-Prezidint. On a third party ticket.

(Frankly it should be a fifth-party ticket-they bring the fifth ana we all party.)

It dawned on me that if elected they would need transportation. Not some ritzy jet or gas guzzling bus, but a method of getting about the purple mountains majesty and the amber waves of grain...from sea to shining sea. Something eco-friendly and in tune with conserving fossil fuels.I have consulted with friends, greased a few palms and am pleased and proud to invest upon them a way to get about and campaign.....

Air Horse 1*

*pail and shovel not included.

I'll gladly pay you tuesday for a hamburger today

Sunday was a busy day. I think I am still recovering. I got in an early morning bike ride and a stop at the New Moon for some coffee and a cheese scone.

The Moon is a mellow place on a Sunday morning, opens early and I have a nasty habit of waking up early, no matter how late I am up, so it is nice to be able to get a paper and coffee and use the wireless to check blogs.

It really is a nice cozy spot, Jazz on the stereo and Vanessa or Meaghan usually work on Sunday mornings and they know me and I know them and it's a nice kick back place where no one freaks out if you take your sandals off.

The real deal, though, is that I had promised I would take Miriam out for lunch, and, in honor of her past birthday.....anywhere she wanted to go.

So she picks this place on the frontage road...by the freeway.....gourmet something burgers.

Now I like a good burger. Just a flat out hamburger on a nice bakery bun, little ketchup. Just plain old burger with a cup of coffee. It can be a thing of beauty in it's simplicity. I grok a good burger.

Ok. So we go to this place she has been bugging me about for a year or so, Red Robin. Now as soon as we hit the parking lot, I don't like this place. It is a franchise and I really hate franchises. And as soon as we walk in the door, I loathe it. The decor reminds me of a McDonalds on steroids. A fucking overload of bland. Brightly lit. I mean, nothing was bad, it was clean and everything, but it just was, I dunno, dumb. No real charm, just fake, plastic-tiky.

Ok, I'm with Miriam and this is where she wanted to go and I'm gonna be a good dude and not say anything, ah, nasty, or critical. Just keep my mouth shut. Which is gonna be hard cause as soon as I look at the menu and notice that all the "burgers' are nine bucks and up...well, gees!....and there is no BURGER on the menu. NO PLAIN BURGER!! Now, what is up with that????? They have names like '5Alarm Burger' & 'Banzai Burger'& 'Guacamole Bacon Burger' & 'Whiskey River BBQ Burger'. Shit!!!! I wanted a hamburger....not some shit burfger. Wowsers....like knock me down and piss on me!!! A Hamburger!!! And I'm looking at the photos in the menu and it's like I'm looking at some air-brush porn or sumptin! This stuff comes with shit I cannot pronounce.....and other stuff I really don't want on a hamburger....pineapple chunks and strange flavored mayo and sushi sauce. Seriously, it was like looking at a bunch of whores hanging out at a Maytag Repairman convention. Sheesh!!

Ok. Miriam talks me into ordering some onion rings, too. $8 for onion rings!

Like, what is in that batter, gold??? The price was really $7.99----and what is up with that??! $7.99 IS 8 buckeroos....they think I'm stooopid or something?

But I am being a nice guy and keeping my mouth shut and not complaining cause the kid picked the place out &all. We're chatting and chuckling and she is telling me all the stuff she wants to talk about; her brother is a schumk and lost her cell phone charger and Mickey is pissed at Kara cause Kara didn't tell her some stuff she was supposed to and Kara is blaming Miriam........and I love the kid to death so I am just nodding and grinning and it's a nice talk, but the place is just making me feel numb, like I ate a couple of qualudes and the place is full of people, but I just can't escape this vacant feeling.

Well, the food shows up and I gotta pretend it is food, cause Fuck-me-Jesus-in-a-bathtub, it sure isn't any burgers that I recognize and they are as big as the State-O-Maine and I take one look and I know I have as much chance of eating that whole thing as I do of humping a buffalo in the middle of a stampede. Wowsers!

Gees, I was wishing I was back at the Moon.

And , Holy-Mother-of-Pearl! These burgers have so much shit on 'em you can hardly tell where the meat is! Much less taste the meat!

All right. Maybe I am out of touch with some things in the world today. Could be I am just a simple guy. I think that may be a good thing. Or maybe not. But that joint is not gonna see my shoes walk in anytime soon. It kind of reminded me why I don't watch a lotta TV anymore, or listen to politicans much. There just seems to be a lot of shit wrapped around what it is I really want where every I go. What ever I want to buy.

But I know the next time I really want a hamburger I am going down the the corner of Merritt and Bowen to Ratch&Deb's and get a real hamburger. Shoot the shit with the waitress that calls me 'Honey'.

Three bucks. Ketchup. No extra charge iffen I wanted fried onions on it.