There are winners and then there are the rest of us…

Shall we?

Here’s what they may have if they do have a deal on the debt ceiling…but they might not have anything because, at this point, Lawd knows who has what or when it would be done.

Brace thyself.

Damn near $3 trillion dollars in cuts.

$1 trillion up front…the rest to be rammed down the throats of the masses by a newly created committee designed to ram cuts down the throats of working people, the disabled, elders, and the poor.

A vote on a balanced budget amendment…which is a total pander to those who adore tea and will likely turn them on anyway because they have no idea what it takes to get an amendment done.

The debt ceiling will be lifted.

Revenues?

***crickets take the stage and make music***

Cough.

So, here we are…and, as this deal moves through Congress like a violent bowel movement, political pundits are pondering who wins.

Fuck it - I’ll take a stab at that!

The Tea Party doesn’t win.

If anything they just got schooled by Senate Republicans on the art of stealth fucking. Anyway you cut this, the Tea Party come out assholes…for holding their line…for caving on that line under pressure…for not being able to accept their wretched victory…for empowering traditional GOPers in the Senate by establishing complete gridlock in the House.

 

McConnell and McCain are now feasting on the flesh of a movement that has worked their establishment nerve since day one…and they made that shit look easy.

Progressives weren’t even in the game. 

Without the ability to bring about repercussions for anti-progressive behavior losing was already a foregone conclusion.

Catch that knee!

I’m not saying I like it…I’m just saying that it is what it is.

Pause…sip coffee…continue.

Democrats.

Well, that’s complex. When I hear "Democrat" I think defensive…and that’s truly what we’ve seen throughout this debate – a constant defense of what is without gaining any footing to push, demand, or dictate.

On one hand, the GOP just took a shit in the middle of the room and managed to convince mainstream Dems to clean it up, wipe the GOP’s ass, and then spray air freshener.

On the other hand, the President is likely to get this debt ceiling thing off the table until after the 2012 elections…serious changes to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid have been kicked down the road for this new committee to get after (Lawd, have mercy)…and our national obligations will be met, sort of.

The House GOP.

Big losers.

Speaker Boehner holds leadership in name only…every word spoken about this legislation is accompanied by questions about Boehner’s ability to get the votes. He’s Czar Nicholas returning from the front to find revolt and the fall of his thrown just a matter of timing.

And the choir asks… “So, who wins…what was it all for…why did this have to happen…EXPLAIN!”

Pause…tilt head and frown…continue.

Who wins?

The rich.

They always do.

Hell, they are probably going to make a shit load of money…transfer the bulk of it to a Swiss account to avoid paying what little taxes they are asked to pay…and then pile the rest of it into political campaigns designed to convince voters to that Soylent Green ain’t people.

What was this for?

This was for show…for posture…for the sake of showing that a gaggle of fools can bring the nation to our knees.

‘Twas a flex…a scare tactic…our own modern version of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

If you kick a dog every time she walks past you…eventually she’ll jerk when you move your feet…ultimately, the dog will avoid walking past you at all.

This was a series of kicks.

Why did this have to happen?

It didn’t.

***members of the choir join the cricket ragtime band and sing, “In the winter in the Summer…Don't we have fun!? Times are bum and getting bummer…Still we have fun! There's nothing surer…The rich get rich and the poor get children! In the meantime, in between time…Ain't we got fun?***

  

Blink.

Extremism in the defense of tax breaks for the rich meets get your ass in line meets congressional foolishness….and at some point diluted tea is served…

Oh my!

If my autistic brother’s Medicaid, Social Security, and Medicare benefits weren’t at risk…and the economy wasn’t about to implode…and the whole world wasn’t watching Congress take a stinky shit in the middle of the room…this debt negotiation drama would be amusing.

***cuts eyes***

Let’s jump on in...Lawd, have mercy.

I’m trying to keep up with what’s what.

Ummm…let’s see…first someone started the timer on the clock.

Speaker Boehner pandered to the House caucus that adores tea by bringing the non-starter Cut, Cap, Balance bill to a vote and then a bunch of Congresspeople screened some clips from The Town and then Speaker Boehner told that tea adoring caucus to get their ass in line…but at some point he proposed his own plan…and also at some point Leader Reid (love these titles, y’all) also proposed a plan…

…gasp…

Okay, dueling plans were proposed...so the CBO scored both plans and neither plan produced what the proposers said they would…but Speaker Boehner’s plan was less deficit addressing than Leader Reid’s plan, big time…

…sip coffee, shake ‘fro, continue….

Soooooo, Speaker Boehner revised his plan and that’s the newish plan he told the caucus that adores tea to get in line and vote for today even though the Senate has said that Boehner’s revised plan is also a non-starter.

That brings us to today, a vote on a bill in the House that is a non-starter, and that tick followed by that tock coming from the We’re Going to be FUBAR!! debt drama clock.

Did I mention that the whole world is watching?

***cue blustering stern faced Congresspeople and make ready for another round of dueling press conferences***

Blink.

Breaking News – Olivette passes LGBT non-discrimination protections and a domestic partner registry…

Congrats and way to go, Olivette!

Last night, the Olivette City Council passed legislationthat includes nondiscrimination protections for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

These protections cover employment, housing and public accommodations.

The Olivette City Council also passed legislation that will result in the creation of a Domestic Partner Registry.

This historic legislation passed by a unanimous vote.

Olivette is a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri…and in Missouri LGBT individuals who do not live in cities with such protections can be fired, denied housing, and denied services.

Many thanks to PROMO for their tireless work advocating for the rights of LGBT Missourians.

May this serve as a reminder that an injustice to one is an injustice to us all...our struggle for equality and justice goes on.

Tis also true that a victory for LGBT Missourians in Olivette is a victory every Missourian can and should celebrate.

Fantabulous.

Olivette's nondiscrimination ordinance will go into effect immediately, however the domestic partner registry will be made available for couples starting on November 1st, 2011.

Where to start? How about at FUBAR…

Lawd, y’all…just when I think Washington D.C. can’t be more dysfunctional they go and prove me wrong, don’t they?

Let’s jump right on in!

This gridlockian debt negotiation standoff has reached level4 out of 5 on the FUBAR scale.

After watching dueling press conferences between President Obama and Speaker Boehner, I am now convinced that the Speaker had no idea his job involved herding cats and the President had no idea that the Speaker had no idea that his job involved herding cats.

Oh, and some of the cats are feral.

Mercy.

Here’s the shit that has been keeping me up at night…the cuts, the fact that many within the Tea Party caucus question whether America is too big to fail, and those cuts again.

I challenge the President’s use of “shared sacrifice” in his speech.

We the people have been shouldering the bulk of this nation’s sacrifice and President Bush doubled down on that shit when he passed tax breaks for the rich back in the day.

The only thing that’s been on the table since that motherfucker passed those breaks has been how much sacrifice the masses are going to be saddled with to continue giving rich as hell Americans a pass.

Those tax breaks have become the third rail while Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare are now on the table…and that was before a gaggle of fools elected enough fools to form a caucus of fools who are now showing their natural ass through this current negotiation process.

Pause…sip coffee…continue.

I tell y’all what, let’s just drop the shared sacrifice line…methinks it absolves the wicked and bypasses a teachable moment.

Let’s keep it real…it is time for the freak show to end, for the richest people and corporations to take a dip in Lake Sacrifice where the rest of us are already treading water…and it is time for that gaggle of fools who voted for enough fools to form a caucus that is now fixin’ to redefine FUBAR on an international scale to acknowledge that electing people to government who don’t believe in government is like choosing an arsonist to house sit while you're on vacation.

Ugh.

I just want to shake them all…and then banish them outside where it is at least 150 degrees.

Maybe that’ll bake some sense into their asses…

Blink.

Does anyone want to follow this money?

I woke up this morning and caught the tale end of a newsreport about Swiss bankers that have been charged with helping at least 35Americans hide billions…I’m talking $3 billion dollars here…from the IRS.

Pause…sip coffee…continue.

There are a lot of things that piss me off about this shit.

#1 Why the fuck isn’t this headline news?

America is in the midst of a serious debate about debt…and some conservatives would like to see the richest among us get even more tax breaks while the rest of us see critical social programs slashed to the bone…and all the while a gaggle of shady motherfuckers are hiding billions in Swiss bank accounts.

 

Am I the only one who thinks this news is worth more than a smidge on the television news crawl?

***cue crickets***

Lawd.

#2 Why the hell are news sources not naming the 35 Americans who committed this fraud?

I’ve seen news stories that provide the complete biography of individuals accused of stealing a fast food meal…but I’m having a Dickens of a time finding out who the 35 people are who hid $3 billions dollars in Swiss bank accounts.

I want to know who these assholes are…who they work for…if they work…who they make political donations to…and whether or not their asses are in jail.

***crickets are now joined by cicada***

#3 Where’s an angry sign carrying rally when we need one?

If ever there was a reason to break out the Don’t Tread on Me gear, this story of rampant tax fraud is one.

When rich as hell Americans...people who already get more than their fair share of tax breaks as compared to the rest of us…seek to evade their obligations through fraud and corruption we the people are being taken for a ride.

Hello?!?

***crickets and cicada break out into a flash mob dance***

Fuck it.

Post Murdoch phone hacking & bribery scandal quizzical conspiracy theorization…

I set the DVR to capture the Murdoch & Son appearance before MPs yesterday and…well, that was a fascinating performance.

And yes…that was the very definition of a performance.

Rupert Murdoch and his son James appeared together before a committee…wearing matching suits and ties…with one goal in mind – calm the audience.

The audience being the News Corp. board, investors, and the media spin machine that both listen to.

Now, some may challenge my theory by pointing out that during the quizzing Rupert Murdoch was trying his best to appear like an out of touch, fragile, confused old man who leans heavily on his son for everything.

But it is a mistake to view Rupert’s appearance as a separate thing from that of the son who was sitting next to him.  These two were a team and they know their lines as well as any actor.

Murdoch and son weren't selling what we who watched witnessed. 

They are selling the idea that Rupert isn’t going to be held accountable because he’s skilled at dodging the ball and he’s prepared to fall back on his age + the vastness of his empire + the fact that many in charge have lost the benefit of the doubt + isn’t his son clever and earnest and polite but not a push over and willing to admit this little newspaper that makes up less that 1% of the total empire done did people wrong and blah followed by blah and more blah.

Pause…sip coffee…continue.

And just in case Murdoch and Son failed to pull all that shit off…there was a shaving cream pie thrower tossed in.

That bit of distractitude was as easy as waving a bone in front of a dawg.

I’m not buying the shit that Rupert is regretful…or was unaware of everything and prefers to leave everything to managers and lawyers.

And I’m not buying the shit that James is really in charge…or that he just happened to fail to ask questions every single time a situation begged for him to ask questions.

Nope, I'm not buying it, but a quick look at the media's reaction tells a sad tale of just how easy it is to enchant with a basic glamour spell.

'Cause the pie thrower is trending while News Corp. stock is soaring and Team Murdoch didn't even break a sweat.

Mission accomplished?

Next up – Prime Minister Cameron!

Methinks this play is still in need of a gotcha moment.

Blink.

A dream-based exploration - A fiend, his gargoyle companion, and testimony preparedness…

 

Note to the uninitiated – a bitch’s dream based speculations are based on dreams and in no way reality unless dreams are reality and this is just a dream.

Also, I’m convinced that Rupert Murdoch has a gargoyle companion named Sebastian - here's my earlier exploration.

Blink.

Shall we?

On the eve of his quizzical before MPs regarding the phonehacking and bribery scandal, Rupert Murdoch searched his lair for his gargoyle companion Sebastian.

“Sebastian? Where the fuck are you, son? I need you to help me pick out a necktie, damn it!” Murdoch shuffled from room to room, mumbling under his breath. “Clearly, my necktie needs to be both soothing and inviting, non-threatening and upbeat…but, what the fuck do I know about that shit? SEBASTIAN!”

Murdoch opened the door to the gargoyle’s suite and paused in the doorway, mouth agape.

There stood Sebastian, calmly folding his gargoyle gear into his suitcase.

“What the fuck? What the fuck?” Murdoch gasped.

Sebastian continued to fold and sort, his eyes fixed on the task at hand.

“I’m leaving you.”

“WHAT?!? Why? How can you leave me now? I need you to help me pick out an outfit so I look like a nice guy instead of the soulless servant of the Dark Lord that I am!”

Sebastian stopped folding, turned toward Murdoch, and put a claw like paw on his hip.

“Gawd, you truly are an asshole. A selfish asshole. I was down for a life of greed. I supported you when you sought to control multiple societies through a media empire. I even stood by you when you renewed your contract with Satan and signed your name in his book.  But…well, you’ve gone too far now.”

“I don’t understand!” Murdoch whined.

“Look, dude. There’s evil and then there is evil. You’ve crossed a line…selfishly dragging my gargoyle reputation down into the gutter with you. Do you have any idea what it’s like for me now? My gargoyle friends won’t accept my calls…I was asked not to attend gatherings of The International Society of Evil People Companions…hell, I’ve even been tossed out of the Scary As Hell Social Club!  Seriously, the nastiest of the nasty think we’re too nasty!” Sebastian spat out and slammed his suitcase down to lock it.

He turned to face his Master.

“You want to know what the last straw was?  Do you?” Sebastian's eyes welled with tears. “You had those people hack my phone! MY PHONE! You violated my privacy, man.”

Murdoch rolled his eyes. “Of course I did! I violate everyone’s privacy at some time or another. How was I to know what you are up to? And I had good reason to suspect you were cheating on me with that Facebook guy…”

As Sebastian moved past him out the door Murdoch made to grab for his arm-like appendage.

“Don’t, okay. Just don’t.”

He shuffled down the hall.

“It’s over, Master.”

“Can’t you give me one last chance? After all we’ve been through…all we accomplished together…don’t leave me, gargoyle friend!”

“Fuck you, Murdoch.”

Sebastian tossed his keys on the floor.

“Fuck you twice on Sunday.”

The gargoyle swept out the door into the mist…

…and then I woke up.

Blink.

***logs off to set DVR to record coverage of Murdoch’s quizzical by MPs***

Flying...

Let’s jump right on in, shall we?

Last week I watched the movie Shirley Valentine…again.

I’d seen it before…years ago, when I was a teen…and I always remember it fondly with a touch of the bittersweet. Even then, when most of my life was yet to be lived, I felt the loss of the younger me and empathized with Shirley V. big time.

Shirley Valentine is the tale of a housewife in her early 40’s who goes on holiday to Greece and rediscovers herself.  The movie features flashbacks to pivotal moments in Shirley’s life…and it provides a fascinating look at her day-to-day predictable and lonely life.

Don’t get me wrong…Shirley Valentine is a comedy and there are laugh out loud moments throughout the film…but there is always an undercurrent of sadness and regret for the loss of the person she used to be before she settled, fell in line, and became the person everyone seemed to expect her to be.

As I watched the movie again I was struck by how different it felt now that I’m older.  Shirley at 40 something doesn’t seem older…she doesn’t seem like she’s from a different generation even though the film came out in 1989.  Now, Shirley Valentine and I aren’t so far apart…and I experienced her humor, regret, discovery, and empowerment through different eyes.

There is a song that accompanies the film…with lyrics that caress the soul…sung lovingly of the girl that used to be Shirley and how she could fly…how she was free…how she used to go dancing.

Sigh.

As the credits rolled on Shirley Valentine I reflected back on the girl who used to be me.

And yes, I could fly…we all have the ability.

The question before me was whether I would try.

Pause…consider…continue.

Yeah.

Oh, hell yes.

I won’t always land smoothly (wink), but I think the important thing is to take off in the first place.

Happy Monday.

Go catch air, y’all!

Thoughts on the latest slavery analogy gone wrong...

Let’s jump right on in, shall we?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – slavery was slavery and slavery is slavery.

But what slavery was…what it is…well, some conservatives are working with a fucked up from the floor up definition.

Behold, the vow-based pledge!

No, not the pledge of allegiance…this is the vow/pledge some conservative group asked wanna-be GOP presidential nominees to sign in order to get some love from conservatives. 

This vow/pledge included the usually shit – mythical code language blaming gays for marriage failures, rejection of Sharia law, and a vow to remain true to one’s marriage vows.

But there are a couple of other things that this mess contained…in it’s original pre-scrubbed form…that I’d like to delve into here.

"Slavery had a disastrous impact on African-American families, yet sadly a child born into slavery in 1860 was more likely to be raised by his mother and father in a two-parent household than was an African-American baby born after the election of the USA's first African-American President."

Pause…sip coffee…continue.

After years of enduring rancid slavery analogies it should be hard to get pissed off at this conservative trend du jour, but amazingly its not!

“Slavery had a disasterous impact on African-American families”

Um, slavery tore black families to bits…prevented black people from being married or families or united…valued black people as property…tolerated the rape and molestation of black women and children…sold children away from their parents, sold parents away from each other, sold and purchased people…and, some black people were bred under slavery like cattle.

A slave does not consent…a slave does not have a say in their family unit…a slave does not read nursery rhymes at bed time…and slaves did not cuddle together and whisper about their dreams for their children’s lives.

Slavery was and is bondage…contrary to popular belief, many slaves did not want to bring children into a system of degradation, violence, and relentless toil.

They had to….were forced to...because they were SLAVES, for the love of accuracy.

That’s the thing about slavery…it was and is a cycle of "have to" and force.

To assert that children born into slavery were likely to be raised by both parents and thus were better off is to perpetuate a lie.

This lie attempts to spruce up slavery and that’s beyond disgusting...absolutely disgusting...so damned disgusting that it makes my stomach lurch.

This lie attempts to erase the sexual oppression that was present under slavery – that a slave is denied consent, that white masters roamed the slave quarters and "used" their “property”, that black women had their children sold as property…and that black mothers knew their female children faced nothing but the same.

And this lie perpetuates the myth that all the problems within some black communities (cause it also doubles down on the whole black monolith bullshit) are due to a lack on man-on-woman sanctified marriage.

Pause…sip coffee…go on.

Oh but wait…there’s more!

“Presidential candidates who sign The Marriage Vow will sign off on support of personal fidelity to his/her spouse, appointing faithful constitutionalists as judges, opposition to any redefinition of marriage, and prompt reform of uneconomic and anti-marriage aspects of welfare policy, tax policy, and divorce law.”

On that personal fidelity to one’s spouse shit…um, how fucked up is it that these people think their organization has a stake in anyone’s marriage to the point that they also want a promise?  Isn’t this vow-based bigamy?

On the faithful constitutionalist judges…I’ve just gotta ask how a conservative group can demand that shit when you know and I know that you know and they know that they want judges to get liberal as hell on the Constitution when it comes to reproductive justice.  I call bullshit!

But that other stuff…the “prompt reform of uneconomic and anti-marriage aspects of welfare policy, tax policy, and divorce law.”…yeah, that shit should give the masses a serious pause.

See, conservatives like Phyllis Schlafly and her minions think that women being able to survive sans a man threatens traditional marriage…by survival I’m talking about a roof over one’s head and $160/ month worthy of food on one’s table.

These people also think that tax policy should favor the married…and by “married” they mean the richest 1% of the population.

Oh and divorce…Lawd knows they want to make it harder to get divorce because misery, incompatibility, or violence are no reason to end a marriage when marriage is all about a woman being able to survive. 

Ah…ah yes…do you see it?

If marriage is about a woman being able to survive…and social programs that assist in that are destroyed…and “reforms” revise the tax policy and divorce policy…and those constitutionalist judges do away with Roe v. Wade…

…ah…ah, yes…then these wretched conservatives will have created a modern system of forced pregnancy that they are certain will benefit the masses...

...yeah, yeah...just like slavery did!

Ugh.

Bachmann and Santorum signed this shit in a hurry.

The shit hit the fan once it went public.

And now the same group that said they would not endorse a candidate that didn’t agree with the entirety of this vow-based pledge has revised said pledge to remove the reference to slavery.

Cute.

But why?

Its not like mainstream political journalists (I’m looking at you, Candy Crowley of CNN) are going to actually question a candidate who signed the vow/pledge in its original form about the ting they signed.

So fuck it.

Why change it at all?

At this rate of analogy, slavery will have been the best thing that evah happened to anyone evah.

Oh wait…that ass Medved took it there already.

By request – my thoughts on the Casey Anthony verdict…

Okay, everybody take a deep breath…hold…exhale.

Good job!

Shall we?

A certain Maggie from Orlando sent me an email requesting my thoughts on the Casey Anthony verdict.

Pause…consider…continue.

Okay…but remember that you asked for it!

#1 The masses have been conditioned to think public opinion is a factor in all manner of shit because public opinion is too often a factor in lots of shit but that doesn’t mean public opinion should be a factor in most shit.

Last night I watched as Nancy Grace disgraced herself…once again…by attacking the jury, reading off their personal biographies with overt disdain for the juror with an “11^th grade education” and the one with “a prior conviction for drug possession.”

My sister C-Money responded to Grace’s tirade with a question – how many of the people screaming about this jury have dodged jury duty when they were called?

The answer?

Plenty…and let’s not bullshit about it.

Juries are drawn from the public.  I wish and the system wishes that they were drawn from the general public, but sadly most juries are drawn from the willing to serve public that doesn’t make up a bullshit story to dodge their civic duty. 

There is a difference and sometimes it shows.

That said, trashing juries feeds into the already existing problems with the jury system. Folks either won’t want to be on a jury in a high profile case and face the wrath of Nancy Grace & Co on national television…or folks will neglect their duty as jurors and do the public’s will rather than weigh the evidence.  

I've been guilty of it my damn self...but watching this frenzy has inspired a personal correction on that tip.

I don’t care if you watched this trial from beginning to end…the jury experience is different and acting like they gleefully fucked up without entertaining the notion that this was a circumstantial trial with contradicting evidence and no certain cause of death is intellectually lazitude.

The mob is pissed.

The mob disagrees with the verdict.

But the only thing about this trial that surprised me was that the wishes of the mob were not granted this time.

That speaks more to the prosecution’s case than to the jury’s worthiness, because you can bet your ass those 12 people knew what the public expected.

No matter how many talk radio blowhards chew on this…no matter how outraged Nancy Grace & Co get…I don’t want to live in a country where the mob calls for an accused individual's head and then gets it in a basket.

That ain’t justice.

That’s the Reign of Terror.

Blink.

#2 But what if her name was Keisha Anthony…?

Having acknowledged all of that, the Race Card was also at play.

What?

Oh, puhlease don’t tell me you bought that bullshit that the Race Card and its get out of jail free benefits only apply to black people just because a few rich as hell black folks got favorable verdicts?

Shake yourself!

Race is usually discussed as a negative in jury trials…people of color often get longer sentences and are convicted on less convincing evidence.

But there is a flip side to every coin…and odds are we saw it on display yesterday with the Anthony verdict.

If “black” is suspect…then white is…?

If “criminal” equals “person of color”…then white woman equals…?

'Tis true that there is also the issue of class...poor people are suspect but people from middle class backgrounds are often assumed to be less likely to commit a crime.

I’ve seen this before…in the Susan Smith trial and others…where juries struggle to reconcile their preconceived notions about background and demographics with the charges brought against an individual.

The prosecution faced a challenge in Casey Anthony as much as they faced challenges in combining the evidence into a convincing case…a white woman from a middle class background who must be believed to be a monster to have done what the state alleged that she did.

If we're going to dissect this trial we should examine how the prosecution handled that challenge too.

#3 A child is dead - there is no justice in that...

I recently read this article about the murder of a young boy.

His body was found buried in the home where he was abused and tortured for years…left in a cage…denied comfort and food…separated from society for years…missing and yet not missed.

Christian Choate was 13 years old.

Christian’s story joins the thousands of other stories of missing, exploited, and abused children in America.

We have not ordered our society to protect innocents.

That should leave us all cold.

Verdicts in murder trials are not justice.  They are what we are left with after we have failed to protect children and/or people from violence.

Justice dwells in a life free of oppression, neglect, and abuse.

May we seek justice in our communities...for the living...because every single person is deserved of it.

My heart weeps for Caylee Anthony.

May she rest in peace.

And may this case inspire advocacy for this nation’s children - they deserve far better than a jury’s verdict, be it guilty or not guilty.

Those are my thoughts...

...thanks for asking.

Happy Birthday, Brother Bill!

Today is my older brother Bill’s 41^st birthday.

Gasp.

My, oh my!

I woke up with a smile just thinking about him…and a time when we were wee ones and the world revolved around getting outside to play, scoring sugar-based snacks behind our mother’s back, and having fun.

On hot summer days my mother used to set up the sprinkler in the front yard…one of those contraptions that sent an arch of water up into the air, moving forward and then backward to distribute the water across the lawn.  We three siblings, my brother, sister and I, would put on our bathing suits and indulge in hours of water-based fun.

We’d do cartwheels through the spray…dance as the cool water hit our sun-kissed skin…laughing and screaming and generally having the time of our lives.

We three…outside together…just having fun in the sun.

It’s a rare special memory of summer-based fun - we spent most summer days at my brother’s school, bored out of our minds while he took speech therapy or some other therapy or was assessed by experts who had assessed him and would sure as shit assess him again.

I understand it all now…as an adult, I can see the why of it…but back then my brother’s summer school was a pain in the ass that I resented the hell out of.

But oh, relief and childish release…a day spent just being kids, having a blast, spinning and spinning in a shower of water while slipping and falling down in the wet grass.

When I close my eyes ‘tis that memory that my mind turns to…not the boring as hell days spent in a muggy school pretending to read a book while longing to be anywhere else.

I remember holding Bill’s hand and running toward the sprinkler, laughing and gasping for air…I remember leaping into the spray and feeling invincible…fearless.

The feel of the heat and cool water.

The sounds of summer, lawn mowers and birds and a baseball game on the radio.

Our laughter rising above it all…giggles and shouts…the noise of youth in motion.

As we tumbled and stumbled and danced in the water…

...baptized in child-based absolute summer joy.

Together.

Always.

Happy birthday, Bill.

Pondering the Bulge…

Today is Independence Day in America.

Folks will barbeque…go to parades…bitch about the rain…set off fireworks.

That’s what lots of people do to celebrate Independence Day.

Me?

I’m recharging for the next battle in the struggle for reproductive justice.

The other day, as part of my three-day weekend recharge plan, I watched a documentary on the Battle of the Bulge. 

Blink.

What?

Well, shit…it was on and it was interesting!

Anyhoo, I watched as German forces launched a surprise offensive and pushed until the Allied line literally bulged. After initial chaos, Allied forces regained their footing and held key ground and then ultimately made German forces pay for their risky gamble.

I couldn’t help noticing that lessons of the Battle of the Bulge can be applied to the struggle for reproductive justice today. 

The opposition is coming at us with overwhelming force.

They have shown that they are planning one step ahead and are willing to take big risks.

They have successfully pushed back at reproductive rights and access to the full range of reproductive health care...and now, with multiple states set to defund life and cost saving programs, there is a bulge in the front.

Do we surrender?

Or do we hold firm to what we have…push to regain what we have lost…and make the opposition pay the price of defeat for their gamble?

I’ll take the latter, thank you very much…

…and may the opposition be damned.

Have a safe 4^th of July holiday, y’all.

A week...a seriously intense week...

A bitch is tired, y’all!

This has been quite an exhausting week…with bullshit breaking out all over the place, it’s been all I can do to keep my Afro above water!

I’m sorry for the sporadic posting, but I’ve been helping out activists in the neighboring state of Kansas and haven’t had a lot of time for online bitchitude.

For updates and information on the reproductive justice struggle in Kansas, follow Planned Parenthood of Kansas & Mid-Missouri on Facebook.

Bitchitude shall return over the weekend – toodles for now!

Happy Canada Day, y'all!

I'd like to wish all my Canadian readers a happy Canada Day!