Saturday, August 30, 2008

More proof Homo sapiens is a dead-end species! (QED)

(and Dada)


Sarah Palin, former beauty queen and mayor of Wasilla, second runner-up to Miss Alaska in 1984 and now in the middle of completing her second year as governor of the nation's "northern most Southern state," suddenly finds herself just months away from placing the fore finger of her right hand upon John McCain's, gently resting atop the little red button of total global nuclear annihilation, in wondrous testament once more to Homo sapiens' undeserving reputation as the pinnacle of evolution and viability as a legitimate species.

Palin is shown here detouring southward toward Minnesota, being drawn by four of her state's most majestic, yet endangered, polar bears (note: two of the above are now deceased, one shot and eaten at the hand of governor "I-eat-what-I kill" Palin herself) for her rendezvous with destiny -- debates against Joe Biden and the ultimate prize, a chance to push that little 'red button.'

(Don't worry, Palin eats what she kills!)

13 comments:

eProf2 said...

Couldn't wait until Tuesday, eh? Amazing how we have wound up with two of the least qualified people in the United States to be candidates for president and vice president (Obama and Palin) And, the other two aren't much to write home about, either. How'd we get here?

Dada said...

Good question eProf. But now that we've arrived at this point, the question becomes 'How the hell do we get outta here?' (Without annihilating the entire planet...)

To say I'm discouraged to the extreme is gross understatement.

A commenter on another blog said (regarding the border wall and the march against it which culminates here today), "One more reason to NOT vote Republican in 2008." But as you have noted eProf, Obama's zealous campaign rhetoric about tearing down walls doesn't reconcile with his support of the wall just 7 miles down the road here.

And he wants to escalate in Afghanistan. He's pro-nuclear (he HAS to be, having been purchased by that industry); he kowtows to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee; and we know how anti-war he is from his funding of Bush's Iraq misadventurism, his stand on civil liberties with the Patriot Act, protection of the Constitution dismantlers with his FISA vote, etc. etc.

And yet, despite all of that, he's far, far better than McCain and now his green, wet-behind-the-ears VP, Palin. (Let's face it, I don't think McCain gives a damn about the state of the nation. I think he's just "HOT" for Palin.)

A recent visit from an old HS/JC classmate of last century reveals he's nothing like I imagined. To say it took me almost 50 years to realize it, says much about my own acute sense of discernment, or lack thereof, yes!

But he's drunk the Kool-Aid. Poli-Sci Prof Adolph Reed Jr. of the U of Pa. was a co-guest with Katrina vanden Heuvel of "The Nation" last Fri eve on Bill Moyers' show. (It was my first chance to hear vanden Heuvel's assessment of Obama and I was depressed to hear she's also on the Kool-Aid.) But Reed was having none of it. It was refreshing to hear someone I share opinions with, someone who hasn't succumbed to the Body Snatchers -- not yet anyway.

Afterwards I did some reading of him over on "The Progressive" website. There he described my old HS/JC chum (who expressed to me the great enthusiasm of his young daughters for Obama), to wit:

"There is also something disturbingly ritualistic and superficial in the Obama camp’s young minions’ enthusiasm. Paul Krugman noted months ago that the Obamistas display a cultish quality in the sense that they treat others’ criticism or failure to support their icon as a character flaw or sin." (This is where I was cast by my old chum because of my doubts of Obama.)

Reed continued, "The campaign even has a stock conversion narrative, which has been recycled in print by such normally clear-headed columnists as Barbara Ehrenreich and Katha Pollitt: the middle-aged white woman’s report of not having paid much attention to Obama early on, but having been won over by the enthusiasm and energy of their adolescent or twenty-something daughters. (A colleague recently reported having heard this narrative from a friend, citing the latter’s conversion at the hands of her eighteen year old. I observed that three short years ago the daughter was likely acting the same way about Britney Spears.)"

Reed later retracted that accusation of Pollitt's conversion, but I'm not sure that it's still not true of my old buddy. But anyway, it gave me a good laugh.

As you so astutely ask, "How'd we get here?" and I would add, "That this is the best we do?"

Scary, scary indeed!

eProf2 said...

Great "conversation" today between us so far.

I don't know if it's my imagination or not but since posting what might be perceived as criticisms of Obama -- which they're not but merely warnings to those who think the Democrats have already won the White House -- my visit counts are below the normal 18-20 visits per day. That's ok with me as I write my blog for myself and anyone who wants to stop by and/or comment. However, the air is so poisoned just about everywhere and over at Crawfordslist and the spin-off BackChannel that if you're not with Obama and previously Hillary you must be some kind of idiot and people don't engage in discussions but insults supposedly amongst progressives.

I'm sorry I missed Bill Moyers' show. I've got to record his program from my new dvr. I watched Bill Maher's first show of the season from the dvr and he too seems to have the Obama faith. Michele Martin, a black reporter from NPR expressed her concerns that the Alaskan governor might present problems for Obama's election and you would have thought she was from Mars. The next 65 days should be very interesting to observe as I'm just not on fire about this election at all.

Have a great rest of the weekend.

enigma4ever said...

great art..LOL.......what no mention of her MOOSE hunting skills ( you know I have been around moose before- is there really REALLY any skill in hunting moose ? I mean it is like saying I hunted a " Tortoise"....)
and wow she has Beauty Queen Experience and PTA on her CV...shit I am just as qualified....

okay maybe not...I have not birthed as many for the Geesus...

sigh...
hugs..
you made me laugh..thank you...

Dada said...

eprof: Perhaps your blogs hits are down in that we're in the middle of a three day holiday weekend, instead of any (mis)perceived criticism of Obama. I know mine are fewer than this same time last Sunday.

It's funny, but in looking at some of the reason Dada's gets hits from search engines are because of two of the most recurrent words - "Avistan" and "clowns" - both of which I'm sure are disappointing to what those searchers are seeking.

But I've known of the wrath I can expect that will come raining down on me from the "I'll come back for you later" democrats as mentioned in another article by Adolph Reed written a year ago during the democratic primary debates in which he explains the current party thinking that claims it can’t "champion anything you want because they have to conciliate your enemies right now to get elected, but that, once they win, they’ll be able to attend to the progressive agenda they have to reject now in order to win."

This is the kind of thinking that not so gently scorned me on another blog or two because I voted for Nader in 2000. It's the same kind of response I got just two weeks ago from my old HS/JC chum.

It's another of the reasons (unspoken) that I took my editor Sam's advice to step back from blogging for a bit during what is about to become the hottest season of the couple of years.

And as Reed notes - far better than I could ever express it myself - "I know that some outraged readers are going to write in, fulminating about how nihilistically ultraleftist I am to criticize the Democrats in this way and how irresponsible 'The Progressive' is to publish the criticism—especially now, when the stakes are so great and it’s so crucially important for the future of the country, the world, the galaxy, the cosmos, that some Democrat—anyone, no matter how worthless—wins the Presidency.(That they make the same cataclysmic claim about every election never seems to dull their self-righteous fervor.) They’ll explain that we have to understand that we can’t get everything we want all at once, that the Democrats can’t go any further than they go, and that a half-hearted promise of part of a stale loaf of bread in some unspecified future is better than no bread at all—especially for those who don’t really need the bread at the moment.

"Well, in part, they’re right. The Democrats are what they are. We should all know that by now, after two decades of their failing to stand up to the rightwing juggernaut, of presenting themselves as more responsible and steady managers of the country’s slide to the right. By the time the national elections come around, there really are no options other than to vote for their predictably worthless nominee, make an existential statement (or engage in wish-fulfillment, if you think it’s more than that) by voting for a third party candidate, or just not bother.

And in simply parroting Reed's words here I realize I'm likely slitting 'Dada's' thinly veiled jugular. So be it, but I think Shakespeare had something to say about that years and years ago in my HS English Lit class.

It's funny, in reflecting back to eight years ago, I laughed at the grim prospect of the bloodless coup of Bush's that at least all was not lost, for in gaining him as a president, Texans had gotten rid of one horrendous governor. Honestly, it wasn't a wish of mine to cast the Bush spell over the entire country.

And now I'm sitting here imagining should the unthinkable happen - a McCain presidency - at least some Arizonans can take solace in knowing they've just lost one helluva senator. (God Forbid!)

D.K. Raed said...

well EProf & Dada, I for one am glad you are questioning things and bringing up things we should be examining. Much as I enjoy Koolaid, it is only a sweet summer drink, not something that can nourish all dietary needs.

Don't worry about slitting your own throats .... we can use the excess blood drips to enrich the thin watery koolaid. In fact, we NEED those saucy enrichments! So please, I hope you don't feel constrained to toe the line in order to retain blog hits. A healthy dose of cynicism is necessary ... but ... I still keep in mind that truthtellers tell their own truths, not necessarily ALL truths.

I'm sure in 1968 I looked a lot like today's youthful "obamaistas", but I'm also sure I was not body-snatched, then or now. If anything, my beliefs of those days have solidified over the ensuing years. I think I am capable of being zealous without being overzealous ... but I will COUNT ON YOU to tell me if I'm beginning to reek of kool-aid. That's what friends are for! Truth out!

D.K. Raed said...

BTW I had to google "avistan" myself to see WTH you were talking about! Dada is the #2 hit! I do hope those searchers find comfort here.

also wanted to report that I had been afraid of the over-the-top reaction we'd get here in UT if Romney was crowned veep (assuming the crown wouldn't slip off his oily hair). I thought Utahns would be very disappointed (they already don't like McC; preferring Ron Paul). but I should've known ... she's being hailed as the greatest thing since the virgin mary here ... a creationist home-schooling huntress who knows her place (#2, standing firmly behind her McMan & waiting to get raptured up during the coming irangeddon).

Mariamariacuchita said...

Frank Frazetta has been one of my favorite illustrators since college days.

I saw a photo online of Palin seated on a sofa with a huge bear rug on the sofa and a huge taxidermied crab on the coffee table. She is a huntress, but of what I am not sure. America on the right adores her, how far can denial go?

I am also incredibly discouraged, not to mention nauseated by this pairing of dumb and dumber.

I am not completely sold on Obama. I know he is playing politics to get elected, but if McCain and co. win, I think we and the world will be much worse off.

Dada said...

Enigma: Thanks, glad you liked the graphic. I think I get much more pleasure manipulating images than writing what they're used to illustrate.

Yes, moose's' are harmless creatures who bother no one and live to graze. It's truly a sin to kill a moose.

Harper Lee could just as easily called her book "To Kill a Moose" save for the fact there are no mooses in Maycomb, Alabama. (Just as there will be no polar bears anywhere if Sarah Palin gets her way, but I suspect there'll always be mooses so long as Sarah can squeeze a trigger - that is, when not holding her finger atop that little red nuclear annihilation button if elected.)

Dada said...

d.k. - Yes, Dada is the number two listing for those seeking out Avistan and who share Dada's proclivity for misspelling drug names.

This might be a way to up one's blog hits by misspelling Sarah "Palen" for the spelling impaired, huh?

So with Palin finally filling out our choices for presidential tickets, I have now sworn off demonstrating for world peace.

I have decided instead to take up eating Ben & Jerry's "Imagine Whirled Peace" as suggested by Fran over on "Ramblings." I imagine that's about as close to whirled peace as we're gonna come. (Whoops, I think I misspelled that, huh?)

Dada said...

mariamaria: I absolutely agree re McCain and the Earth if elected.

As an art student of mediocre talent (I've always aimed for a high degree of mediocrity in everything I do!), I was at once drawn to Frazetta the first time I saw one of his works.

But having laid my brushes down years ago after I realized I was no Frank Frazetta and, not being much into shooting bears and moose -- even from low flying aircraft as they like to do under Gov. Palin's tutelage in AL, I am mostly content to play around with the computer to manipulate images (as stated above).

However, I must concede to you the best one I've seen recently, i.e., that great facial flag. It's so much more 'out there' for the whole world to see instead of the little pizza waitress we had wait our table last week. To show us her tatoo, she had pull down her lower lip to expose the word peace inside her mouth. (I truly fear for her sagging lip 40 years from now. But, oh wait, if McCain/Palin get elected, she likely won't have to worry about it. None of us will be left - right? [ugh!])

enigma4ever said...

oh Dada...
you mentioned the Great Harper Lee...and To Kill a Mockingbird...

thank you...
I will never be able to look at a Moose again..

Fran said...

In the end, we are left to choose between the lessor of two evils.
When I give it any thought at all, a person has to be somewhat crazy to even want the Exec level job at this post W juncture in history.
He is leaving behind one hell of a mess in every direction.
In that sense I can't blame McCain for wanting out, and thus explains his #2 pick.
The candidate is a joke (a really bad one at that),
The convention is in tatters, as is the republican brand.
I have some questions about Obama, but all things considered, still consider him to be exponentially better than the undoubtedly worst case scenario.

What should I call them *Moose & Squirrel*???
McCain & Palin.