Der Lange

A flock of ducks has made a nest in the bushes just outside the bedroom window. These ducks are the most ... urgent ... birds in the world about reproduction. They have been going nonstop for 48 hours now and don't seem inclined to change that any time soon.

Noisy, fluttery, flappy, bush-rustly, the critters kick up dust and make sleep almost impossible. It's too danged hot and humid to close the windows.

Buckets of water just don't work - what's that saying about rolling off a duck's back? We mere humans can't get close to them anyhow, they charge right away and nip with a vengeance. I tried playing loud music, they seem to really love the stuff I consider the worst noise in the world (apart from these ... urgent .... ducks).

Can't shoot 'em, either. Fire might work but I don't want to burn the house down. Cats and dogs are scared of 'em, and the 'gator that used to live in the water retention ditch was taken away some while back by the wildlife service. What to do?

First, the story is actually about the ways that McCain's personality has led him multiple times into poor judgments that were not dishonest but exposed him to claims of dishonesty. Second, the article at no time alleges that McCain either engaged in a physical relationship with a much younger female lobbyist or that he conducted any public business in order to enjoy favors or contributions from the lobbyist's clients. The article instead addresses the very unfortunate APPEARANCE of impropriety caused by the senator's "professional" and "friendly" interaction with the lobbyist.

Next, this story does not in any sense present any kind of below-the-belt smear against McCain. Rather it takes the senator at his word, that he is a man of ethical beliefs and behavior, and discusses not only the involvement with the lobbyist, but other events that might call into question the credibility of both McCain's statements and his reputation. The story does not lead to any conclusions about this

Where does this bright thing go?

Does the moon just disappear, a shabby-edged part at a time,

Because of an elipse?

It goes, you know,

It goes ...

And what might come back is never the same.

Heisenberg's cat lives on the moon

During an eclipse -

Doesn't it?

... being titles from Broadway hits, and romantic?

1. "I Wonder what the King is Doing Tonight"

2. "Some Enchanted Evening"

3. "On Tthe Street Where You Live"

And no extra points because you guess I sing them (I do).

HINT: Uncertain men are the characters who have these songs.

I just posted a question observing that so-called "conservatives" in the GOP are Libertarians and that they shoud defend their positions favoring a bankrupt and unsupportrable (in my view) phioso[phy. Gee, didn't take long for the nasty Reeps to decide they hate being confronted, the question was removed in seconds.

So if you believe that garbage handed out at the CPAC meeting today, including the entirely repulsive falsehoods and hate-mongering speech of Mitt Romney, here's your chance to stand up and show how conservatives are not A) Libertarians and B) incompetent, corrupt and irrelevant.

I know that the Civil War began over economic rather than social issues. But whenever I see films such as "Glory," I am reminded that ultimately slavery was the issue. There are still some fools who think "the South was right," when in fact in all cases that is false. But still - how do we get to the bozos who say so?

The GOP since 1980 has been corrupt, incompetent, and destructive. America has lost its manufacturing base, the middle class has shrunk and wages have dropped, the environment has suffered, and the politicians of the Republican party have been stuffing their pockets. Some have been stuffing other guys' - uh, pockets, too.

GOP economic "policy" has been to feed stock market day traders. Rather than encourage investment and savings, Republicans have encouraged short-term stock price increases and bloated wages and bonuses for thieving corporate executives at the expense of the workers whose wages have been cut or jobs eliminated. Just ask American Airlines' pilots about that - or the poor schlubs working the line at Chrysler.

At what point do Americans finally recognize the Republican party is ANTI-AMERICAN ... that it debases equality and opportunity, endorses crime and arrogance, and has waged unjust war around the world to enrich a few oil companies?

This is a legitimate question, and I stated my starting attitude so there aren't any hidden agendas involved. Looking for thoughtful responses!

I have worked in politics for decades, and knew George Romney, who absolutely fit the idea of the "eternal candidate." I have worked for several candidates who likewise meet that description, and at the moment, it sure looks like Mitt is right in the mold.

But there are partisans with knowledge who could not just inform me, but all the readers here, otherwise.

So rather than indulge in personal attacks, answerers, please offer good information we can use.

Unfortunately I think there's little chance of that, because most people reply without reading this text, but heck, there's always hope.

I am a strong fan of Barack Obama, although yet undecided about my vote next Tuesday in Florida's primary.

The South Carolina primary race helps and stirs my voting decision. I am impressed the Obama drew as many diverse votes there, but also bothered by the racism of that campaign. The last week seems to have stirred racial concerns about his electability, although he gained a reasonable precentage of the white vote. I get the impression from news coverage that the recent fighting about race in the campaign helped Hillary and Edwards - mainly on the issue of electability.

I don;' think Hillary can win a national election. She carries far too much baggage, and is overall not strong enough about the war, is too weak on a real national health plan, and reeks too much of the old Washington. Edwards would get my vote if I don't pick Obama.

But maybe South Carolina has some important messages.

Anyone up to reading them?

Darnit, time the Thief (thanks, Sir Bard, sorta) is stealing my hearing. I don't want to wear something conspicuous, nor to end up listening to the birdies while missing the wordies.

However, my health insurance pays nothing for these devices. I am a working stiff, and have nothing much to spend.

Got suggestions with experience to back them up?

Thanks!

I did.

Won't EVER make that mistake again.

Accepting applications now.

Who is happy or sad to have made this strange mistake?

Some people claim Bush lied in order to justify war in Iraq.

Now he's making belligerent noises about Iran, and doing his best to invite that country to attack American naval vessels or land assets.

Bush makes claims abour Iranian nuclear capabilities that no one else backs. He seems to inflate Iran's support of terrorists. Can anyone believe anything he says now - after Iraq?

Is Bush lying about Iran in order to justify an attack - or a massive over-response to some Iranian provocation - before his time in office is finished? Is there any reason the United States should really feel so completely friightened about Iran?

More importantly - what does the U.S. stand to gain from war with Iran? Is such a war even really winnable for the U.S.?

Ella Ann and Porky gonna have a kid. They mighty 'cited 'bout't too.

Porky, he wants ter name it "Sounder," on account could be fer a boy or girl, 'n' it's kinda a famibly tradition.

Ella Ann, she's sorta stuck on a Yahoo screen name, 'cause it was one a them answers here tole her how t'git Porky t'take her over t'the levee th'night they whomped up the li'l critter.

Think anyone 'ud mind if she named the baby "Stortastupid"?

OK, so the noises are rather coarse, deep, rolling grunts and croaks.

There's this ditch alongside the apartment complex, with about 3-4 feet of water in it. Across the street is a nature preserve inhabited by gazillions of critters including some very big 'gators. Last Spring, I discovered a baby 'gator (only 5 ft long) living in the ditch, and gathered it had originated across the way.

See, although the weather is unseasonably balmy, this is winter in Tampa, FL, and the frogs and toads should be sleeping. (Aww, don't they look CUTE in their mud burrows?) So that noise by rights should be a horny or hungry or both 'gator.

So should I go wading in the lovely mossy water in the morning?

Don’t you agree public beast feeding is one of the worst emerging crime waves in America?

These indecent women inflame men’s passions, expose their babies to pernicious attitudes literally at the beginning of life, and warp the minds of young people forced to observe their perverted behavior. Worst of all, police say half of the women brought into custody for this anti-social, disgusting behavior acted as if they were ENJOYING their activities (it is beyond my capacity to explain the HOW the police say they were enjoying it)!

Our bodies are God’s Temples. There is to be NO pleasure in them! Public exposure and .. unspeakable … responses to the simple act of feeding a child even in proper conditions are SINS. The only purpose of our physical aspect is for reproduction!

Will you please join the righteous outcry against this perversion of Heavenly Law?

Where’s the justice? Gotta good double-wide, mebbe a few years old, but nice-set on th’ blocks, good ole La-Z-Boy broke in right ‘fore th’ TV, ‘n’ th’ toilet’s clean. (Well, ‘ceptin after mornin’s when I wakes up a bit, uh, runny.)

So why-all’s Martha Sue down at 206-B tellin’ me I gotta do sumptin ‘bout m’ place, ‘n’ she won’t take her dentures out fer me a’gin ‘less’n I does?

Ain’t no justice ‘tall. I piles th’ trash bags up nice ‘n’ neat at th’ back corner. Nor ‘tis my call iffen th’ septic backs up an’ th’ extry bath gets sorta smelly. Trailer park hasta clean up, their fault, I ain’t scoopin’ out that mess when I din’t make it!

Ain’t no justice ‘tall. Martha Sue’s got the softest gums in th’ park. She can suck th’ chrome off’n ’58 Chrysler ’n’ ask fer more. I don’t mind she leaves me a caterpillar I fin’ out is a dee-tach-ubble eyelash. ‘Fack is, I like when she does that.

Means I ain’t yet got DTs.

So whut’s a guy ter do ‘bout stuff she rants over when t’ain’t my call?

Didn't you useta like the halftime show at the high school football games? 'Member all those cute cheerleaders kickin' they legs high unner them short skirts? The cold nights was allus best, sometimes them girls also showed a bit more. An' the band guys stompin' all around fancy, we useta see if we cud th'ow sody cups inter th' tuba horn openin's. Usually jes' got th' kids playin' 'em all sticky.

TV now never shows nothin' of the half time shows. I get Ginny Mae, th' sorta slow girl two trailers down who has really nice big'uns, to fake up a cheerleadin' outfit 'n' visit with us guys while we watch th' games. Altho I don't really hold with takin advantage o' Ginny Mae, as she's a bit slow, I still chip in when Randolph gets a collection up t' buy her bra 'n' undies after she arrives. Randolph's a tad strange, but Ginny Mae's halftime cheerleadin' show's a right delight.

Well, we has Ginny Mae, music 'n' more beer an' stuff at halftime. Whut y'all do?

I see some people using this word in their screen names. Went to look it up and found quite a variety of uses for the word, but most seem connected to automobile parts or food containers - "inside language" or jargon.

So apparently "Tublet" now has a slang meaning (connected with YouTube?). Gotta help us geezers out with some additions to our vocabularies!

Sen. Chris Dodd on CNN just proposed delaying elections in Pakistan because of Benazir Bhutto's assasination.

In the U.S., elections are even more sacred than church on Sunday. The country would erupt in riots and revolution if Bush suspended elections in 2008, or changed the date.

Wouldn't it?

So why can't Pakistan have an election as planned? Is it because the country's constitution appears to mean nothing to a military dictatorship? Is it because elections have no meaning there under the circumstances?

Or is it that some Americans don't want to accept the the Bush Regime has ALWAYS been wrong, and the elections in the U.S. might be tainted - AGAIN?

Today's assassination of Benazir Bhutto might destabilize Pakistan. The worst case scenario could see radical religious forces taking over the country. But Pakistan is a nuclear power.

So, the bullets and bombs of today's murderer could cause war or international occupation of Pakistan to prevent jihadists from taking power.

Please, only serious discussion, any name-calling or rude answers will be removed.