Never Enough Dean Slamming Department

The media are on a roll, acting like Dean's disappointing performance in Iowa, combined with his post-caucus shouting, means that Dean is dead politically. Which, naturally, is total bullshit. Nobody expects Iowa to indicate more than the general viability of a candidate--in other words, if you place third in Iowa, historically speaking, you still have a good chance of winning the endorsements of the party. But I don't think that's what people are reacting to, so much, as the notion of Dean being angry.

I saw the footage of Dean's concession speech, like many people. Unlike most, however, I did not see a man who was angry or unhinged.

I saw what many high-schoolers, especially in states where football is a major part of the culture, often see--a pep rally with a coach exuberently rallying the troops after a disappointing loss, reminding them that greater things, perhaps Greatness Itself, lie ahead, if only they stay the path. Nothing shocking there to me. In fact, it reminded me so much of home that I started reminiscing.

I grew up in Mesquite, Texas, and my high school's football team never really seemed to have potential. There were talented players, but no real cohesion or driving spirit helped make them into a true team, capable of surmounting to much.

We then had a change of coaches--and compared to the gentle, softly spoken, humble man that came before, the new coach seemed angry much of the time, and excitable when not angry. His calm moments were rare. Some wondered if replacing coaches was a mistake. And yet, this new coach brought to my senior year a football team, and that one year, we went to the biggest losers in the district to being in the top three, and played in the playoffs for a few games before being defeated. The year after graduations, not only did that same football team make the playoffs, but also soundly defeated our rivals in a spetacular fashion.

Now, it's awfully odd of me to use football as a metaphor for politics. I'm not Hunter S. Thompson, after all--I don't need to live a tenth the kind of life he has. Nor am I generally interested in sports, although if I won free women's basketball tickets I'd probably see the game. But that's the dyke in me.

But my point, simply put, is that Dean should not be written off just yet. He may prove to be exactly what the Democratic Party--and the United States by extension--truly needs. I'd certainly prefer an animated, emotional President over one who blandly smiles from underneath his coif, robotically acting as his advisors recommend. And Dubya is hardly the only Presidential candidate acting so.

"But, anger is not a sustainable means to get elected," some protest. And I agree. Then again, who says Dean will always be the anger candidate? Many other candidates have modified their approach after using an initial burst of outrage to turn from dark horses to contenders. Andrew Jackson is but one person from American history that comes to mind; I recommend you read how he went from being a soldier to an angry reform candidate to President fairly carefully. (But don't presume that Dean's politics will match Jackson's, either!)

I could write more, but I have other tasks that need attending. But I'm sure you haven't heard the last from me on this subject. Brace yourselves.

Never Enough Subtle References Department

So, the American Family Association has decided to pull its poll after an overwhelming number of people voted for gay marriage. That's no big shock; nor is it a shock that the AFA blames "homosexual activists"--which, I suppose, is code for "anyone who might think that homosexuality is not a thing of terrible evil that threatens to destroy this great country of ours."

But to me, it was a great shock indeed that the two people mentioned in the article are named Smith and Anderson. Maybe it's not so surprising when you consider that the article comes from Wired magazine, but after that, it will be difficult to not see the AFA as Agents of the Matrix, with "Misssssssssster Anderson" leading a Zion of gay-friendly folks in struggle against the Deus Ex Machina.

Let's just hope the ending to this epic struggle isn't as unbearably lame as the end of the Matrix trilogy.

Never Enough Singalongs Department

Now and then, NOFX does something that earns my respect. This is one of those times.

Never Enough Dense Kookiness Department

So what happens when someone watches too much Matrix and Truman Show and begins to tie it all into Carlos Castaneda, Kundalini Yoga, quantum mechanics, and a theory that two races of aliens are on this planet, attempting to control us without violating free will?

Well, you get this. Be prepared to devote a few weeks to the site if you want to read it all. In fact, take a month off, drink heavily, sniff markers for a few hours, and THEN read. You'll like it.

Never Enough Third-Party Polls Department

The American Family Association wants to know your opinion on gay marriage and civil unions. Right now, those opposed to both gay marriage and civil unions have a lead over gay marriage (considered alone) and civil unions (considered alone), but gay marriage support is only behind by a few percentages, and if you added those who supported civil unions, there's clearly a majority that support some sort of legal protection for gay couples.

Make your voice heard, peoples. And use a throw-away e-mail address.

Never Enough Democrat Gloom & Doom Department

Boy, the media sure are rushing to declare the current situation for the Democrats as being particularly sticky. Saddam has been captured and Wall Street is booming--sure sounds like Dubya's two vulnerable areas are suddenly bullet-proof, right? Uh... excuse me, but last I checked:

• The much-vaunted weapons of mass destruction have yet to appear;
  
• Dubya has refuted the implication, used greatly prior and during the war, that Saddam had anything to do with the World Trade Center attacks;
  
• While the world in general is quite happy that Saddam is no longer in power, the way we handled the situation -- alienating most of our traditional allies and much of the Muslim world, then invading with neither a plan on how to reconstruct Iraq nor a workable exit strategy -- is beyond incompetent and arrogant, and is ill-befitting any President;
  
• The situation in Iraq may well become more unstable, indicating not so much loyalty to Saddam as opposition to the US occupation.
  

Furthermore, Wall Street is hardly the be-all end-all of US economic health:

• There are severe budget crises in almost every state government and in most municipalities;
  
• Conservatives, long regarded as more financially responsible, have proven their utter fiscal recklessness when they have the political upper hand;
  
• Layoffs and underemployment are still significant issues that few have dared address;
  
• A record-setting deficit will soon create its own economic problems that won't be fixed by more tax cuts.
  

And let us not forget the complete disregard for reasonable, cost-effective environmental regulations, the ongoing corporate scandals to which the White House has turned a blind eye, the rabid and myopic influence on Republicans by the extreme right, and the secretiveness of an administration that refuses to be scrutinized lest its sins be laid bare.

Oh yeah, Dubya might still have a little political capital to spend, but any Democrat capable of framing these issues in a larger vision should be able to persevere over Dubya in 2004. So don't write off the Democrats too quickly, lest you get your own surprise next year.

Never Enough Of A Close-Up Look Department

Ever find yourself wanting for perspective? Here's a little Java applet that should do that very thing--going from the Milky Way as a tiny dot, all the way to the quarks in an oak tree.

Don't think about it too hard if you aren't used to staring eternity in the face.

Never Enough Conspiracy Theories Department

It's been an awful long time since I've posted to this blog, to be sure, but the alleged discovery of Saddam Hussein has brought me out of my ponderings.

Alleged? Of course? Take a good look at who I think they really found. Yeah, that's right. Jack Elam. They say he died back in October, but we know better. Oh yeah. We're on to you, whoever YOU PEOPLE are.

Never Enough Mandatory Indoctrination Department

So the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the Pledge of Allegiance case. So far, it's been couched only as a matter of freedom of religion, e.g. are people required to pledge their loyalty to a country that, by merit of the pledge, declared subserviant to a god they don't believe in? But there is a deeper issue here, quite frankly.

The recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools is a relic of the Cold War. It was introduced at a time when Americans were regularly frightened by the boogeyman of the Red Menace. Specifically, people were convinced that there might be people amongst them whose loyalties belonged to a foreign nation with an alien ideology, and who possessed a decided taste for espionage and subversion. The Pledge was therefore intended to indoctrinate a whole nation to follow instead this country--and to present themselves in contrast to those "godless commies." Hence, what started as a quaint little pledge written by a newspaper editor, without the phrase "under God" in it, became a propaganda tool with a twist of faith.

It's too easy to draw a parallel between the Cold War and the War On Terrorism, which we learned was conducted by terrorists who had lived in the US for significantly long periods. But a Pledge will not help us, nor will clinging to cynical jingoism. It's time to retire the Pledge, and renew a more powerful patriotism, one that creates true strength and security while helping the world become a better place. Damn it.

Never Enough Utter Grossness Department

OK, maybe you've seen something grosser, like German scheisse porn, but there's something about this eye that makes me wonder. Maybe it's the way it follows your cursor. Maybe it's the way it distorts, as if it's trying to reach out and grab the cursor. You almost expect a pseudopod to grab hold and pull you into its slimy maw. Whatever that may be. Regardless... EUUUUUUUW!!!