"Junior" Dem Senator Arlen Specter Uses Proxy Bale To Question Sotomayor

The former Republican 5-term senator from Pennsylvania and once-chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee is now the junior Democratic senator after switching sides recently in a bid to win re-election in 2010. But the old dog still acts like king of the roost, having worked in his office all morning on day one of judge Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearing (knowing he wouldn't get to speak until mid-afternoon), and most recently, employing an obscure senate rule, using a proxy to ask the tough questions that a Democrat seeking reelection should probably not utter aloud. Enter one Christian Bale, thespian and, by most accounts, abrasive, egotistical asshole.

"I know Mr. Bale will serve admirably in my stead,"

assured Sen. Specter, adding "though I might not be entirely responsible for anything he says, depending on what that might be."

Day Three of the Senate Judiciary Committee Sotomayor Confirmation Hearings:

Committee Chairman, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) acknowledges the highly unusual use of a proxy yet introduces the megalomaniacal űber-sphincter to the floor. "Thank you, senator. Now, Ms. Sotomayor, I see you were appointed to the federal bench as a U.S. District Court judge in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush, and to the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in 1997 by President Clinton. Is that right?" queried the smarmy Welshman.

"It is, sir, yes," answered the judge.

"Ohhhh welllll goooood for YOOOUU, you fucking ASSHOLE!!!!!" ejaculated the prima donna to a startled but not surprised audience. "That's just FUCKING GREAT, isn't it!!??? You just wander in here with your FUCKING ATTITUDE and your wise Latina FUCKING BULLSHIT remarks, totally oblivious to the work we're trying to do here!!!!!!!!!" shouted a visibly irritated Bale. "How would you like it," continued the once-A-list star, "if I wandered into your courtroom and accidently broke your gavel?!! Huh?!!"

A strafed Sotomayor began to respond, "I don't think this language or tone is very produ..."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!" interjected the sociopathic, self-important fuck. "I'm gonna come down there and KICK YOUR FUCKIN' ASS!!!" screamed the Batman star. After three minutes and forty-seven seconds, police did manage to drag the actor from the committee chambers as he screamed "YOU'RE FUCKIN' AMATEUR, MAN!!!!"

The Reason for the Season

This 4th of July, it occurs to me that most of us who set off whizzers and blossoms, Roman candles, sparklers, pinwheels, bottle-rockets, and M-80s, have little thought of the import and magnitude of the date we collectively celebrate. Unlike Christmas, during which many of us are wrongly accused of "missing the point," i.e. Jesus's alleged birthday, at Independence Day many of us truly are missing the point. It was a very big deal the day our colonial ancestors drew a line in the sand and publicly declared our independence from the British Crown. Technically, that day was July 2, 1776, but it took a couple of days back then to make such a declaration public. John Adams suggested that "July 2nd will forever be a day of celebration" for Americans in years to come. But we didn't have Tweeter or the internets then. Just print media.
The significance is more than shrugging off the yoke of imperialism. The big deal is our Founders taking that opportunity to create, from scratch, an entirely new and novel form of government. From the beginning they felt that it was not only possible, but necessary, that a just government be composed of the people, by the people, for the people. This is a powerful and elegant idea. One that would shape the future. It's an idea that we are still trying to reconcile with current events.
We are a nation of laws. Not might. Not Majority rule. Laws. That is what allows us to claim any superiority over other nations still stuck in totalitarian or other subversive forms of government. Nothing else.
As for Christmas, is Jesus the reason for the season? I really don't think so. If he lived at all, he probably was born in July or August, not December. This is from extrapolating data from the New Testament. There is much further evidence showing that the Roman Church co-opted many of the popular pagan holidays to make the mandatory transition to Christianity more palatable. Christmas is the main one. Our continued use of the Christmas tree is persistent evidence of this.

Be well.

Religious Practice

The iron in our blood, the calcium in our bones, the phosphorous, zinc, oxygen, carbon and other elements found in our bodies were all forged in the nuclear furnaces of giant stars that burned out and exploded, spewing their atomic gifts hither and thither many billions of years ago. These processes directly formed the essential building blocks that made the assembly of YOU possible. The day that you were born, the Universe once again gazed upon Itself through new eyes- your eyes. You are a child of the Universe, or if you prefer, a child of God. And you are of the Universe, or God, a piece of the Universe or God we call "Dave" or "Francisco" or "Fatima" or "Bettina," or whatever your name is.
The above paragraph is about the simplest way to express this profound notion. At least, according to how I see things. With this central view, there will still be many more complex ideas that flow from this hub. One could create a rich tapestry of religious tradition beginning with this core idea. Others will feel more comfortable with an anthropomorphic version. God did it. God willed it. And that's fine, too. Whatever path calls to you, works for you, is the right path, so long as the calling is genuine and not delusional.
The point is that religion is supposed to be a practice, not a set of rules or beliefs. If you practice, understanding will come. Nowadays, understanding is "taught," and the actual practice is secondary. When the mind is so corrupted with dogma *beforehand* and practical application is discouraged, then genuine insight is very hard to come by.
Does anyone else find it strange that monotheism was crystallized and codified in Judaism, and the other two "great" monotheistic religions (Christianity and Islam) *borne of Judaism* are basically at war with Judaism? Wouldn't you think these closely related faiths would sort of form a union or something?
Why we are here and what our purpose is are some heavy fundamental questions we all have. Religion seeks to provide some answers. The best answers are presented with the humble awareness that no such answer can be sufficient for everyone, and those that satisfy some are not universally true.
12 Step traditions speak of simply trying and applying their principles whether or not one understands them or even believes that they'll work. Act as if, and see the results, they say. Work and application are more important than authoritarian doctrine and dogma. Always.

Wonder Twins

I have met my beautiful nephews (not pictured at left), and it has brought some interesting perspective. Of course it seems so obvious since we all started as tiny babies, but I hadn't really thought much about it before. Nor had I much opportunity to spend time with newborns before. Having lived this long, with my own strengths and weaknesses, advantages and shortcomings, it's so very special to see how it all starts. Clean slates, so to speak. Certainly "nurture" has so much to do with who we will become and how we see the world and our places in it. But I can also see the genetics, or "nature" at work, firsthand. There are marked differences between these two. That may have a lot to do with the fact that they are not identical twins, which is good because identicals are creepy, man. Zane seems to require more food and cuddling. Dash needs these things, too, but he is a lot less vocal about it. It's hard to say what this means, at this point. Perhaps Dash is more content and easy-going, while Zane is more needy. Or, Zane could just be more assertive about getting his needs met while Dash takes a timid "wait and see" approach. Time will tell. Luckily, they're in good hands (and paws).

Crazy Like A Fox

In just over three weeks, we will inaugurate our 44th President of the United States. The whole world will be watching. American minorities, especially blacks, will see with their own eyes something they may not have dared to wish for, let alone expect: a black man sworn in as President of the United States of America. As a people --American people, white, black, and all shades in between-- together, we will take that step forward. It is a significant step in the right direction, long overdue, and truly a momentous occasion. The moment itself, Barack Obama's hand on Abraham Lincoln's bible, tears streaming down the cheeks of Americans everywhere, bespeaks of the long and arduous journey to get here. It might yet be short of the Promised Land that Dr. King spoke of, but it is a giant leap forward, nonetheless. The whole world will take notice.

So what the fuck is Über Pastor Rick Warren doing there? This is what the majority of Obama's base are doing these days, scratching their heads and shouting, "Hey, Barack. WE WON! You can stop with the politicking and the canoodling with the Right!" I think many people on the left feel that his landslide election is a mandate, and that people of Rick Warren's political bent can suck eggs. It's interesting, this angry reaction from the left. I understand the feeling, and it's not hard to argue that such feelings are justified. From the liberal point of view, Warren's brand of fundamentalist Christianity is particularly intolerant and arrogantly certain. In their world, gay people choose to be "deviants" who are ridiculed, hated, and often beaten for their "choice." In their world, a fertilized human egg has more rights than the woman of indisputable personhood who carries it, and more than the millions of suffering people who would benefit from well-funded stem cell research. In their world, the cornerstone of modern biology, a demonstrable fact that impacts all of the life-sciences, medicine, disease control-- biological evolution-- is just some elaborate ruse concocted by Satan, with no real merit at all. In their world, all of our children should be forced to listen to their pseudo-scientific drivel a.k.a. "Creationism" a.k.a. "Intelligent Design," all of which amount to nothing more than religious wishful thinking.

So yes, I'm not immune to those feelings of irritation at the thought of this glorious moment being tainted by the appearance of this anti-intellectualist, gay-bashing, woman-hater. So I had to ask myself, "Why did Barack pick this guy to lead the invocation prayer at his inauguration? Does he know how most of the people who voted for him feel about this guy?" Following his campaign for the last nearly two years, I have seen a very keen intellect and an astute observer in Barack Obama. I think he is politically left of center just as his opponents accused him of being, and that there is probably precious little that he and Pastor Warren agree on in terms of social issues and politics. He's certainly smart enough to know how his base feels about the man. So why did he pick him?

I'm convinced it's all part of his Grand Vision of the future of American politics. We're becoming more and more divided and angry and entrenched. Let's take the abortion issue as a microcosm. I guess that one is big enough to be a macrocosm, but it serves as a great example of what I mean. However one may feel about it, unexpected and unwanted pregnancies can be a terrifying experience. However one may feel about it, some young women will go to any lengths to terminate such pregnancies, including suicide. When it comes to Life's Problems, it's a Real Big One. Prior to Roe v Wade, thousands of women were dying or being made infertile each year due to illegal abortions performed by non-healthcare professionals. Any invasive procedure has risks and should not be entrusted to anyone without the proper credentials. Think about it: women were drinking home-spun concoctions to force miscarriage or literally letting someone fish out their fetuses from their wombs with wire hangers. There's a reason you keep hearing about those old hangers. Can you imagine any female you love lying there while some non-doctor feels around inside her with a fucking coat hanger? But I digress. Obviously there are strong opinions on this issue.

I was fortunate enough to attend the Civil Forum at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church when Senators John McCain and Barack Obama were questioned separately by the Pastor. On this issue of abortion, Senator Obama said from the start that he supports Roe v Wade and a woman's right to choose. He was also quick to point out that he and others who share that opinion are not "pro abortion." It's not as if we all sit around saying, "Abortions fucking rule! I wish everyone would get one!" He didn't quite put it that way, but that's what he said. Actually he was a bit too professorial for me, or rather, for most, because he tends to overthink when he's speaking off-the-cuff, in my opinion. But essentially he conveyed this: Roe v Wade is in the books for some 35 years. In that time, pro-life and pro-choice have shouted and screamed at each other and claimed moral victories and gotten more and more entrenched and inflexible. Neither side really even cares to listen to the other, meanwhile, as Pastor Rick mentioned, the number of abortions are on the rise. And Barack said an amazing thing. We can fight and argue and scream all we like, but that won't change anything. Let's look for the common ground, for that stuff we can agree on. I think we can all agree that unwanted pregnancies lead directly to abortions. I think we can all agree that fewer abortions is a good thing. I think we can find a way to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, and thereby, the number of abortions.

That's his magic. Let's see if we can even try to find what we agree about and work from there. He know that, while a large number of Americans can't wait for him to take office, a similar number of Americans feel like they lost and the country's going to go to hell in a handbasket. With the choice of Rick Warren, and presumably many other decisions he'll make, he's saying, "I am not the Opposition. I am your president. I hear your cries. I care about what you care about. We have common goals. Let us strive to work together to reach those goals. Yes, we have many different opinions about things, but this doesn't make us foes. It makes us human. When Americans work together, great things are achieved." His Rick Warren choice speaks to Evangelical Christians with that message, hopefully, but it also speaks to us on the left. It says to us, "Look, this business of progress and American security is going to require you, the Janeane Garafolos of the world, to stop shooting from the hip and to try your best to take these other Americans seriously. Yes, we find much of their philosophy and world view repulsive. But not all of it. Let's all try to hear each other and respect each other and try to find areas of common ground."

Couldn't have said it better myself. Oh wait... I did say it myself.

What Is Love, Anyway?

Or happiness? What is healing? What is contentment? The Buddha said that old age and death are the raging brush fires just over the horizon that, from our birth, get closer and closer everfaster as each year passes-- fires that will certainly consume us all. That may sound depressing but I find it refreshingly honest from amongst the myriad religious pamphletography. Death is coming. What do we do with this life? What did you do? What are you going to do? Do you even think about the fact that one day, soon, you will draw your last breath and think, "Oh fuck! I'm dying!"?
At that moment, the vast majority of us will think, "What a waste! What a shame! If only I had it over to do again!"
But you don't, schmuck.
I've had flashes. Brief moments where I felt right with the world and with myself. In those fleeting moments I felt inspired to help anyone and everyone. I felt complete. I felt a sense of purpose. But that feeling passed, as it does, and I await the distant fires this side of the horizon, again.

Ridiculous Republican Arguments

"My son is fighting in Iraq to preserve your right to criticize your country." "Freedom isn't free! Remember our troops who fight for your freedom!" These are typical bumper-stickers, but the slightly more expanded argument underlying these sentiments goes like this: if it weren't for our men and women in uniform putting their lives on the line, none of us would enjoy the right to protest, the right to not incrimiminate ourselves, the right to a speedy trial before a jury of our peers, the right to worship (or not) as we please, the right to speak freely, etc., etc., etc.

Now, far be it from me to disparage our fine men and women military personnel. They do so very much for so very little, and I am truly grateful for all they do. But is all that really on their shoulders? Does democracy itself truly begin and end with their sacrifice?

No. The truth is that the military secures our borders and protects our nation from all enemies "foreign and domestic." It's a big, important job, to be sure, but it has almost nothing to do with our individual rights. Actually, it has nothing to do with rights. I say "almost" only because if we were invaded and yoked by outsiders, then we could say the military would be responsible for preserving our rights.

Other than that, what truly preserves our rights are the Constitution and our system of laws. We are a nation of laws. Your right to adequate legal representation, in the event that the state brings charges against you, is guaranteed by the Constitution, not the military. The surest way to preserve freedom in this country is to preserve the Constitution, and to appoint judges to the Supreme Court who can and will interpret the Constitution as dispassionately as possible. How can anyone really believe that our young people in Iraq are fighting for our freedom? Again, not to diminish their sacrifices and efforts, but what the hell does that war have to do with Americans' freedoms and rights? When was the last war that did? I think it was around 1776. About seven years later, we had an official, foundational, writ of Law ever since known as the Constitution. All of our rights and freedoms are found within. All of them.