Why do you insist on putting “Read More!” on every damned post, even the ones that aren’t folded?
If anybody has HTML-fu that will allow me to fold a post in Blogger without the plague of fruitless “Read More!”s, please do enlighten me. I want to blather about Star Trek, but put the spoilers below the fold for virgin eyes.
Because I’m tired of pollyticks at the moment, we’re going to talk about writing. Look, I warned you this would happen. It’s right up there in the header for this blog. I can’t spend all my time taking the Smack-o-Matic to stupidty.
Well, not merely political stupidty, anyway. There’s some writing advice out there that sounds good but is actually, when you get right down to it, kinda stupid. NP puts it succinctly:
Anyone who writes has probably, at one point or another, heard the advice to “write what you know.” While on the surface it may be good advice since it means you’ll be able to write with knowledge, have you ever thought about how much it limits your writing?
[snip]
There is a balance between “write what you know” and “learn what you write.” After all, even people writing fiction based on their own lives need to do some research to make sure their facts are right, and that the details are perfect.So if research is necessary anyway, why would you limit yourself by only writing what you “know”? Instead, why not write what you want, and do the research you need to in order to become an expert in that field?
Motion seconded even before you start – not that the LiveJournal this was originally posted on even exists anymore:
Now let me turn it on it’s head: you don’t have to experience it precisely to write it with authority.
Eh? What’s that? You can write what you don’t know? Isn’t that dead against all that write-what-you-know advice?
Yepper.
Let’s be utterly realistic here: if we were confined to writing what we know, there would be no fantasy, science fiction, historicals, westerns, spy thrillers (the actual life of a spy is mostly dead boring), or about a billion other types of books currently populating bookstore shelves. In one fell swoop, we destroy countless publishing categories with this rule.
NP and I write completely different books, in completely different styles, but on this matter we sound like carbon copies: take “write what you know” out back, shoot it, and then bury it. Let its rotting corpse feed the thriving tree of extrapolation and damned good research. Sure, write what you know – or can at least convincingly fake after 63 tons of research.
And never, ever not for a second forget what our dear fellow scribbler Glynis had to say about it:
“I think that is the biggest part of being a storyteller, being true to your characters and allowing them to present themselves to readers in ways that speak beyond the limitations of personal experience.”
This “write what you know” crap comes up all too often. I’m glad NP gave it a good sharp kick in the nads, and that I have no compunctions about putting the boot in when it’s already down. It deserves to be put in its place every now and again.
Look, if what you know makes for great storytelling, then by all means write it. But do not under any circumstances let that “rule” limit you. Write what interests you. Write what the story demands. Do the hard research. Extrapolate extrapolate extrapolate.
Oh, and feel free to give “write what you know” a right sharp kick in the delicates again. I think it’s starting to get up.
I woke up haunted by the memory of the fuchsia plant I’d left behind. Y’see, the Arboretum gift shop was closed when we went yesterday, but they still had the Arboretum-grown plants sitting outside, and there was this Starry Trail fuchsia that gave me the puppy-dog eyes (metaphorically speaking). He was still there when I went back! And here’s my beautiful baby:
Of course, I couldn’t condemn him to a life as an only child (although my cat and I don’t mind our status). So I chose him a sister, a cute little Madame Cornelissen:
I’ll have better pictures of them once they’re a little older and the wind isn’t blowing. I’m sure you’re all beside yourselves with excitement.
One of the most thrilling things about moving to the Northwest for me was the potential of having surviving fuchsias. I’ve always loved them, but they don’t love Arizona, alas. Now I have a baker’s rack full o’ em, and I anticipate many happy years watching them grow. Maybe they’ll even give me grandbebbes.
I didn’t just spend my day chasing plants. I made the mistake of passing by Half-Price Books in Redmond whilst on my way to the hobby shop in a fruitless search for a home for the rock collection. Did I say passed by? I meant that only in a temporary sense. Book stores are like black holes for me, especially book stores where books can be had for cheap. This one turns out to be two stories. And they have a ginormous science section. Did I say ginormous? I meant that only in a temporary sense. It’s rather smaller now that I’ve been through it…
COTEB XIV be up at Captain John’s place, and now I be understandin’ why so many o’ ye missed the boat. ‘Tis better if ye drink yer grog in pints, not barrels, me hearties.
Still an’ all, we ended up with a robust (if groaning) crew, and Captain John’s birthday sailing proved a rousing success.
Special thanks this voyage to George at Decrepit Old Fool, Steve at Science-Based Medicine, Barbara at ICBS Everywhere, Z from It’s the Thought that Counts, Heather from Steingruebl World Enterprises, and Cujo359 from Slobber and Spittle. Ye did yer ship proud, sailors!
I hope those o’ ye we press-ganged be flattered. Ye wouldn’t have wanted to miss the party, now, would ye?
Let’s have a rousing cheer for Captain John, who helmed the ship on his birthday, and ensured smooth sailing – always important for those wi’ a bit o’ a hangover!
HUZZAH!
(postdated so everybody gets a chance to peruse)
Today’s opining on the public discourse.
Ye gods… the stupid’s so ripe and fruity today, I’m having a hard time deciding where to start. It’s like having my pick of the orchard around harvest time.
And what stranger fruit is there than Michele Bachmann? So strange, in fact, that her fellow Cons have been forced to take her to the woodshed:
Now, in the latest rebuke of her off-the-wall claims about the Census, three out of the four House Republicans on the subcommittee that oversees the Census have released a statement calling her boycott plan “llogical, illegal and not in the best interest of our country”:
“Boycotting the constitutionally mandated Census is illogical, illegal and not in the best interest of our country,” Reps. Patrick McHenry (N.C.), Lynn Westmoreland (Ga.) and John Mica (Fla.), members of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census and National Achieves, said in a statement Wednesday.
“[A] boycott opens the door for partisans to statistically adjust Census results,” the trio’s statement said. “The partisan manipulation of census data would irreparably transform the Census from being the baseline of our entire statistical system into a tool used to wield political power in Washington.”
According to Roll Call, the three Republicans “approached Bachmann privately over the past few weeks and asked her to stop the boycott,” but “decided to go public because Bachmann appeared unfazed by their request.”
[snip]
Census officials have been meeting with Bachmann to try to talk her down from her illogical concerns. CongressDaily reports that McHenry even “showed her printed census materials in the attempt to dispel her fears.” But she remained skeptical.
She’s a Creationist, isn’t she? It doesn’t matter how much evidence you present people like that – they just keep on spouting the crazy.
While we’re on the subject of people spouting the crazy, let’s check in with Glenn Beck, who’s apparently so far gone he can’t even remember the crazy he’s spouted after 24 hours:
Yesterday on his Fox News show, Glenn Beck was conversing with Sen. Jim DeMint, and I guess he decided to get all respectable or something, because he uttered the following:
Beck: I will tell you that I — we discussed this on the radio program earlier today, that, um, a lot of people are calling this, where was it? In the Washington Examiner today. That they — that people are saying that “Cap and Trade” is “Cap and Traitor”. They’re actually — people are starting to view people — both Republicans and Democrat — as traitors to the country. Which I think is over the top. That’s a very specific definition.
Funny thing, because just 24 hours before, on the same program, Beck was running a reward poster on his show naming the eight Republicans who voted for the bill “Cap and Traitors.” His guest, Kevin Mooney of the (you guessed it!) Washington Examiner, called them “traitors” too. Guess that wasn’t “over the top” then.
Nope, cuz that was a different day! Obviously.
Schmuck.
Yesterday, Norm Coleman finally conceded to Al Franken, and thus we ended up with our 60th Dem senator. Today, the right has to face some cold, hard facts (h/t):
Here’s a fun dose of schadenfreude.
Sen.-elect Al Franken’s (D-MN) long-awaited victory in the 2008 Minnesota Senate race seems to have caused quite a lot of stress in the Murdoch-owned press. Remember, this is the same corporation that sued him for his Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them book back in 2003, with the unintended consequence of giving him tons of free publicity to sell books — and elevating him into being a hero of liberal activists, without which he might never have become a politician!
They’re not handling it well:
You know who’s having a hard time adjusting to Al Franken’s Senate victory in Minnesota? Fox News.
Glenn Beck said of the senator-elect, “[I]t shows how crazy our country has gone…. [I]t shows that we’ve lost our minds.” Beck didn’t seem to realize why these words, coming from him, are deeply amusing.
And where else shall they turn for fuel for their fires? Why, to made-up numbers, of course!
During the June 30 edition of his program, Hannity suggested vote fraud by claiming, “[Y]ou have counties as they did in Minnesota where you had more votes than you did people registered to vote on Election Day.” While Hannity did not expand on his claim, a May 28 Minneapolis Star Tribune article reported that a conservative group, the Minnesota Majority, sued Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, claiming that “vote totals from [Minnesota election] canvassing boards exceed the stated number of registered voters by 406,398.” The Star Tribune article stated that Minnesota Majority’s report on registration listed one county as “having zero registered voters.” The article also said that “Ritchie disputed the claims” in the lawsuit. From the article:
[snip]
Ritchie said he didn’t know why some counties turned up with zero registered voters in Minnesota Majority’s report. “Their number is so far different from the actual number in the database that it’s not possible for me to speak to it,” he said.
Aitkin County was listed in the report as having zero registered voters and 9,455 certified ballots. But Auditor Kirk Peysar said his county had reported its registered voters and that the number matched the ballots.
So either by outrageous idiocy or outrageous dishonesty, the Minnesota Majority (who begin lying with their name) came up with a list of registered voters that’s completely fucking wrong. But, of course, Faux News personalities slurp up purest bullshit like it’s ambrosia, and then regurgitate the bullshit for their eager audience (which is probably roughly 1/3 true believers and 2/3 people just watching for a good laugh). As long is it fits the Faux News narrative, it’s considered gospel truth. Pretty pathetic for an ostensible news organization, innit?
And, of course, Sen. James Inhofe shows his typical class:
On the same day the Minnesota Supreme Court declared Democrat Al Franken the winner of the state’s U.S. Senate election, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) welcomed his newest colleague to the Senate by referring to him as a “clown.” In the course of predicting that the Waxman-Markey clean energy bill would be “dead in the water” upon its arrival in the Senate, Inhofe extended an unprofessional greeting to Franken. The Tulsa World reports:
“I’ll tell you what a lot of people are thinking, and that is it looks like things are going to be over and we are going to get the clown from Minnesota,’’ he said.
No, dickweed, you’re getting the commedian from Minnesota. A man, in fact, with a scathing wit, who isn’t afraid to flense folks verbally. I wouldn’t be poking at him if I were you, bozo.
We’ve filled a bushel basket with stupid, and there’s still plenty left on the trees. But the ripest, reddest, juciest stupid was just too perfect not to pick last. My darlings, clear your palettes, and prepare to taste stupid like you’ve never tasted before:
Former CIA official Michael Scheuer has taken some provocative policy positions over the years, but I never thought he’d go this far.
Talking with Fox News’ Glenn Beck, Scheuer argues, “The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama Bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States — because it’s gonna take a grassroots, bottom up pressure — because these politicians prize their offices, prize the praise of the media, and the Europeans. It’s an absurd situation again, only Osama can execute an attack which will force Americans to demand that their government protect them effectively, consistently and with as much violence as necessary.”
The context of this is a plan to send National Guard volunteers to the southern U.S. border to address the drug trade.
Instead of saying, “That’s completely insane,” Glenn Beck nodded along, in apparent approval of his guest’s ridiculous argument.
I was trying to think of how best to describe how spectacularly offensive this lunacy really is, but it looks like Adam Serwer beat me to it: “[U]nderstand, this is not unpatriotic. You can wish all manner of horrors on this country, but as long as these horrors might serve a specific political agenda, you’re not being unpatriotic. Unpatriotic is a public health care plan. Unpatriotic is a judge modifying subprime mortgage loans to keep a roof over someone’s head. Unpatriotic is phosphate free detergent. Patriotic is wishing for a terrorist attack on the United States.”
Is that not breathtaking?
Here’s what I’m going to do. I shall print the above snippet on a card. I keep copies of that card with me at all times. And when people try to tell me that the Cons really do love America and want only the best for it, I shall wordlessly hand them the card.
Then they can explain to me why, exactly, I should take seriously a single damned word these fucktards ever say about patriotism.
Any Happy Hour Discurso stands as a testament as to why I don’t take Cons seriously about anything else.
I’ve decided to take this summer (mostly) off. I barely caught a glimpse of sunshine last year – too busy between the blog and regular writing to get me arse outside. Not this year. The season’s too short for that shit. I’ll lock myself away in happy hermittude this winter, when I have longer nights to write in anyway.
So today, I escaped to Ravenna Park, which is one of my favorite Seattle city parks ever. It’s fairly large as such things go, set deep in a ravine in the U-District, with a stream running through it.
Looks peaceful, doesn’t it just? And look, it’s got side-streams with waterfalls and everything:
There’s a pond with goldfish, too:
Then, as you come back down the trail, you can cross the stream at my utterly favorite part, where there’s a bridge and an enormous boulder:
To prove to you how much I love this boulder, I’ll show you a picture of me sitting upon it two years ago:
It’s my Zen boulder. It’s a good old friend.
Since Ravenna doesn’t take long to hike, we decided to head down to the Washington Park Arboretum after a refueling stop at Johnny Rocket’s. It was because I’d seen these guys blooming on our way over the 520 bridge, and I knew just the place to see ’em up close:
The Arboretum maintains a trail that crosses the western tip of Lake Washington, crossing a few of the islands, and ending up at the ship canal. It’s a gorgeous, easy walk. You get to stroll on top of the water for a little bit there, and on a clear day, you can even see the Cascades waaay in the distance:
Those aren’t clouds atop the treeline – that’s snowcapped peaks, that is.
The islands are so low that your feet squelch on the path, and there’s standing water full of itty bitty sprouting plants to both sides, turning the spaces between the tree trunks a glorious green:
Then you get to the Ship Canal, where you can watch the boats go by and read the silly things UW students paint on the canal walls, or turn around and gaze across the lake at the mountains. It’s hard to choose:
If you walk alongside the Canal, you get to pass right under the drawbridge on Montlake Blvd.
In fact, you can look up and watch the cars passing overhead:
Yup, you can see the cars through the roadway. Freaky-neat, eh?
If you prefer, though, you can hurry through that bit and just go look at Montlake through a tree bough:
And then, if you’re reaaalllly lucky, you might catch sight of a blue heron fishing on your way back:
He’s in the tall grass almost dead-center there. And if you think he’s hard to spot in this one, ask to see the ones I took where he’s standing straight up, all tall and thin, instead of hunched over getting ready to fish.
Lotta miles of walking we did, all out in the bright warm sun. And then we stuffed ourselves into a refrigerated theater to watch Star Trek. I wasn’t even disappointed there wasn’t much story to it, because the action sorta sketched a story out. The most amusing thing is the use of tired old comic book conventions to restart continuity. I probably should’ve been upset, but it made me giggle. So did Spock Prime.
If you haven’t seen the movie, do it before you miss the chance to see it on the big screen. And if you’ve never seen Lake Washington and Ravenna Park, well, you know how to get hold of me, and I do have room for a guest or two. But you’d best hurry. Summer doesn’t last long.
Carpe aestas while you’ve got the chance…
Today’s opining on the public discourse.
Today’s excuse for being late is that I had the day off, and put it to great good use hiking Ravenna Park, the Washington Park Arboretum, and capping everything off with Star Trek (yes, finally). Pictures to follow, because I know some of you enjoy those.
Without further explanation as to my whereabouts (not Argentina), the burning stupid.
And I think we have to begin this Happy Hour with one of the most dramatically stupid things I’ve ever seen the GOP crybabies in Congress do:
GOP leaders have a new complaint about President Obama: He’s not reaching out to them nearly as much as he did earlier this year, when he road-tested his pledge of post-partisanship, only to get uniformly rebuffed on his first big legislative initiative.
Here’s GOP Rep. Eric Cantor, giving voice to the new GOP gripe:
GOP leaders complain that the phone calls and White House invitations have slacked off — perhaps because Obama’s early efforts to woo Republicans yielded few votes.
“I think that in the beginning they seemed a lot more willing to go in and engage with us,” said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor.
[snip (OMFG, are these fucktards serious?)]
Of course, Democrats respond that Obama’s initial outreach efforts weren’t exactly reciprocated. House Republicans unanimously opposed his stimulus and his budget, and almost all of them opposed the big war spending bill. Many refused to condemn Rush Limbaugh for saying he hopes Obama fails.
And they wonder why they don’t get to hang out with the cool kids. That’s some seriously unmitigated gall, that is. I mean, this is the group that’s responded to Obama’s every attempt at outreach by stamping and crying because they can’t get their way instead of trying to come up with constructive compromise solutions. Why the fuck would Obama waste precious time on a bunch of whiners, whackos, and wankers? Those same shitheads left the country in a shambles – he’s got too much work to do, and stroking their outsized egos isn’t on the fucking agenda. Nor should it be.
At least there’ll be one fewer Con wanker to whine at Obama about how he just doesn’t love them anymore. The Minnesota Supremes handed down a unanimous ass-kicking, Norm Coleman finally saw the neon writing on the wall, and conceded he’s a big fat loser. Al Franken is our newest Senator. Congratulations, Al!
Pay no attention to the fat fuck with ass abcesses:
Right on cue, Rush Limbaugh attacks Al Franken’s victory in Minnesota.
LIMBAUGH: Look at this. From Iran’s press television, the state-run media in Iran: Ahmadinejad gains votes in recount, just like in our country! It had — just like in our country. Norm Coleman wins in Minnesota in a recount, and they keep having recounts, and Al Franken wins. So they had the recount in Iran, and shazzam! Ahmadinejad gained votes!
Hmmm, what to say, what to say. Are we all living in Iran now?
Judging from the sheer number of nearly-nekkid female sunbathers I saw on my hike today, no. Our parallels with Iran are only in Limbaugh’s fetid little imagination.
Speaking of Iran, funny how all the neocon warmongers who get woodies over the idea of using their election difficulties as an excuse to invade, and thus became total warriors for “democracy”, suddenly loooove them some coups:
As post-election developments in Iran spiraled into violence, many on the right were outraged — or, at least they pretended to be — that President Obama didn’t thump his chest more. The administration, conservatives said, should take a firm stand in support of democracy and liberal principles.
In the wake of the coup in Honduras, it seemed the administration was taking steps that even these conservatives would like. The president spoke up personally yesterday to criticize Zelaya’s ouster. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on for the “full restoration” of democracy in the country.
So, the right is finally pleased, right? Wrong. The same people who loved democratic principles in the Middle East two weeks ago aren’t especially concerned about the overthrow of a democratically elected president in central American this week.
On the June 29 edition of his Fox News show, Glenn Beck said of Zelaya’s ouster: “They installed their own man, drawing a quick rebuke from Cuba, Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chavez, and our president.” Beck added: “Wow, good company we’re keeping ourselves with.” Similarly, on the June 30 edition of Fox News’ Fox & Friends, in arguing that Obama was “sending the wrong message to our allies and our foes,” Beck stated: “I’m telling you, the policies that we have seem to always embrace our enemies and slap our friends across the face. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”
Apparently, if Hugo Chavez and Daniel Ortega take a stand against a coup in a foreign country, far-right media personalities believe the United States should necessarily take the other side and support the coup, because, well, Hugo Chavez and Daniel Ortega are “bad.”
This attitude was endorsed, not only by Glenn Beck, but also by Wall Street Journal editorial board member Mary Anastasia O’Grady, Drudge, Bill Kristol, and Charles Krauthammer.
[snip]
Now, I realize that developments in Honduras are not cut and dried, at least when it comes to identifying “good” guys and “bad.” Zelaya was poised to work outside the law to stay in power, and his opponents worked outside the law to remove him from office.
But the analysis we’re getting from the lines of Kristol and Krauthammer aren’t focused on the m
erits of the situation. They’re not even addressing the up-until-recently-popular principle of defending democracy at all costs. Instead, they’re offering a child-like approach to foreign affairs (if Chavez opposes a coup, coup = good).
Can we expect anything but “a child-like approach to foreign affairs” from that bunch of assclowns? No? Didn’t think so.
In other assclownery, Glenn Beck proves beyond all doubt he don’t know much about history:
While appearing on Fox & Friends this morning, Glenn Beck managed to make a trio of mistakes when he attacked the Waxman-Markey clean energy bill passed by the House last week. The Fox News pundit falsely asserted the legislation’s effect on our oil dependency would be “none.” Beck then pointed out, incorrectly, that the U.S. purchased Alaska in the “1950s” and that we did so because of our interest in its “resources,” a subtle way of advocating for more drilling in Alaska:
CARLSON: But nowhere in that bill is anything about reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
BECK: None. […]
You know Donald Trump, I want to talk to this guy. When he was on the show just a few minutes ago I was thinking how can you not be laughing at us? How can the world not be laughing at us? We have all these resources. Why did we buy Alaska in the 1950s? We bought Alaska for the resources. And now we say no!
He’s only off by almost a hundred years on when we bought Alaska:
For clarification, Alaska was purchased in 1867 for $7.2 million and soon became known as “Seward’s Folly,” named for Secretary of State William H. Seward, because at the time it was widely regarded as foolish to spend so much money on remote tundra. (Perhaps Beck was thinking of Alaska becoming the 49th state in 1959.) The resources the U.S. was after in 1867 weren’t oil, but fish, furs, and the prospect of closer proximity to Russia from the North American continent.
For a dumbshit who claims he loves America, he sure as shit doesn’t know much about it. Another case in point:
OK, pop some popcorn and pull up a chair. Glenn Beck is calling out the dogs … on Republicans.
He ran a special segment last night urging his audience descend en masse upon the “Cap and Traitors” – Republican House members who actually voted for the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill last Friday – all eight of them. With him to seal the deal was the Washington Examiner’s Kevin Mooney, who besides being in need of a new suit was also in need of a logic text:
Beck: Now, there are eight Republicans who voted for cap and trade. … Look at this map that we put up. It looks like all of the votes — there it is — it looks like all of these votes — and we’re going to have some showers — uh — all of the votes really came, half of the votes, more than half — from those areas. The West Coast and from the liberal Northeast.
Mooney: Well, Glenn, you’re put your finger on it. Uh, the votes, whether they’re Democrat or Republican, in favor of this bill, out of the coastal areas, the elite areas of this country, they’re areas of the country where the energy prices are already high. Democrats and Republicans voted against this bill in other parts of the country where they already are using other fossil fuels and have lower energy prices.
Beck: Isn’t it interesting that those are the areas that are collapsing the fastest?
Mooney and Beck, not to put too fine a point on it, are full of crap. Just by way of example, look at my own home state of Washington, whose delegation voted strongly for the bill, and is included on their list of “coastal states” whose energy prices are supposedly too high. In reality — somewhere far distant from these guys’ residence on Planet Wingnuttia — Washington’s energy prices are among some of the lowest in the nation (for instance, our electricity costs are far below the national average, since we get so much of it from hydroelectric sources. Likewise for Oregon, another “elite coastal” state. Meanwhile, some of the nation’s highest electricity costs can also be found in Florida and Texas — some of the “non-elite” states on Beck’s graphic.
Is says a lot about Faux News that they give a man as consistently wrong as this a platform from which to spew.
Joining Glenn Beck in the heavy competition for Dumbfuck of the Month, Michele Bachmann opened her mouth again. The usual ignorant blather fell out:
On Sean Hannity’s radio show yesterday, Bachmann continued to attack the Census, repeatedly insisting that people should go to her website to “see the Census form for themselves.” Listing off a few questions from the American Community Survey (a long-form survey sent out to one in 40 households each year) that she considers invasive, Bachmann claimed that it doesn’t ask “are you an American citizen”:
BACHMANN: Twenty-eight pages. Sean, you know the one question they don’t ask? They ask, “are you an American citizen?” They don’t ask if you’re here on a visa or when it expires. We have no real idea how many illegal aliens are in our country. But wouldn’t you think, here they are asking every personal question about our lives, they could at least ask if we’re an American citizen? They don’t bother to ask for that. That’s why I think people need to read this census for themselves. If you go to my website, michelebachmann, you can read it.
[snip]
In fact, the American Community Survey does ask about U.S. citizenship and it has since 1890…
[snip]
Additionally, though Bachmann repeatedly directed Hannity’s listeners to her website, michelebachmnann.com, in order to view the Census questions, the questions aren’t actually available on her website.
I can’t believe people actually voted for this fucktard. Maybe they did it because she keeps them amused.
While we’re on the subject of politicians who should be unemployed, let’s check in with Mark Sanford, who’s just admitted that his dear mistress Maria is his “soul mate,” but he’ll “try to fall back in love with” his wife. Oh, and he met with her a bunch more times than he’d previously admitted. Oh, and he’s “let his guard down” with several other women aside from Maria and his wife, up to and including compromising physical contact, but he hastens to assure us he “didn’t cross the sex line.” Oh, and the reason this adulterous, duty-shirking piece of shit won’t resign is because – wait for it – God wants him to be governor!
In a written message to supporters Monday, Mark Sanford asserted that God’s plan for him includes finishing his term as South Carolina governor.
Sanford is facing calls for his resignation after disappearing to Argentina then returning last week to admit an affair.
“Immediately after all this unfolded last week I had thought I would resign – as I believe in the military model of leadership and when trust of any form is broken one lays down the sword,” Sanford wrote in the message, which he posted on his personal website http://www.governorsanford.com and Facebook page, and broadcast via Twitter.
“A long list of close friends have suggested otherwise – that for God to really work in my life I shouldn’t be getting off so lightly. While it would be personally easier to exit stage left, their point has been that my larger sin was the sin of pride.”
You really have to read his whole letter. It’s precious, particularly the part where he decides that the reason he got such so much guff over his dramatically awful governing wasn’t because his position on things like rejecting stimulus money damaged South Carolina so bad, but because his “spirit wasn’t right in the presentation of those ideas to people…”
Yeah. That’s it.
And, rounding out our trifecta of people who should lose their public positions of power posthaste, I give you John Eichelberger:
During a June 19 radio debate, Pennsylvania State Sen. John Eichelberger (R) repeatedly asserted that same-sex marriage is wrong, “dysfunctional,” and would lead to “polygamy, marrying younger people.” (Eichelberger is “sponsoring a Constitutional amendment to redefine marriage as between a man and a woman.”) But perhaps his most shocking comments came when fellow lawmaker Sen. Daylin Leach (D) asked him how gay men and women should be treated:
Leach: Should our only policy towards [same-sex] couples be one of punishment, to somehow prove that they’ve done something wrong?
Eichelberger: They’re not being punished. We’re allowing them to exist, and do what every American can do. We’re just not rewarding them with any special designation.
[snip]
LGBT activists were incensed by Eichelberger’s comments, calling on him to apologize for his “insensitive remarks.” Yesterday, gay and straight protesters briefly met with Eichelberger, “after [he tried] ducking them twice.” They presented him with 5,000 signed petitions asking him to apologize. Eichelberger refused to do so:
EICHELBERGER: You know, the public process is very important in this country. That’s what my bill does. It allows the public to make a decision, which I think is a healthy thing. So I appreciate your support of at least that concept.
SPEAKER: So are you going to apologize to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people in Pennsylvania — and all the people in Pennsylvania for those comments about allowing to exist and calling them dysfunctional.
EICHELBERGER: No, I think you know my answer to that. Thank you very much.
Fuck you, too, John. I hope voters in PA do the right thing and vote with their middle fingers come next election. A man who can’t even issue a simple apology for implying that a group of people should be exterminated deserves a chance to take his bigotry into the private sector.
I swear, my darlings, wingnuttia gets nuttier every damned day…
