Oh My, A Post With Lots & Lots of Things

May 27, 2009

A Central Vermont state representative, Paul Poirier, announced yesterday that he was leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent. Why? Because he felt that the Democratic Party wasn’t taking the issues affecting working people seriously enough.
Bravo to Poirier.

But his very thoughtful and open decision sent the local Democratic Party faithful – you know, the ones who hate war unless it’s a Democratic war, or injustice unless it’s Democratic injustice (read: Obama and gay marriage), etc. – into an all-too-familiar political tantrum.

One particular Dem blogger who is known for having a near-constant brain wedgie from his ill-fitting corporate-issued Dem cheerleader outfit wondered what Poirier could possibly mean by middleclass people being disillusioned by the Democratic Party. Hmm, let’s see, how about these three issues: The war(s), health care, and economic injustice (as in: bailouts for billionaires, flagger-jobs for the rest of us).

The power of the Obama haze never ceases to amaze me. Worse, the continued – and even worsening – manner in which worshipers of the two parties defend their churches – err, I mean, parties – to the detriment of the issues they claim to “fight for” remains simply bizarre.

Remember, for example, that Obama was an “anti-war” candidate. But once his “team” won, out went the issues of the day and in came a most disingenuous form of reasoning that goes something like: Just wait. And wait. And wait.

Do these folks envision little smiley faces on the bombs of Obama? Oh look, honey, he makes them happy before they die from his tyranny and our inaction….

Again, congrats to Poirier. The parties don’t matter – unless you’re looking for easy friends and a job – but the issues do.

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Telemarketing No-No: I recently got a call from a salesman at the car dealership I bought my truck from about four years ago. He began with a lame attempt to convince me that someone out there really, really wanted my used truck. All I had to do was bring it in, get a “fantastic” deal, and go home with a new truck and a brand new five-year loan.

After telling the salesman that buying the truck was a ten-year decision – five with payments, five with repair costs – he launched into his spiel about the latest and greatest plan from his company:

“Don’t worry about carrying the loan. Because if you lose your job, we’ll take your truck back.”

Oh fuck, we are in trouble. Because if this is how they’re trying to sell stuff out there, there really is no hope – not for the sellers and not for the buyers.

Are people actually falling for this line? If so, the reasoning goes like this: Oh shit, I lost my job. But oh great, they’re taking my car.

And then what? Deliver newspapers via bicycle?

File Under: Some people never learn.

And then repeat after me: Bailouts for billionaires, platitudes for the multitudes. [Trademark pending.]

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Diary of a Modern Man: I’m wireless now. Everything I say to you has passed through the foul air of my office. I mean, like right now, I smell of coffee, damp nature offal and even a little garlicky. But I’m really digging the possibilities of lugging my oversized desktop computer anywhere I want in the house.

Because I am modern. And I do what I have to do to stay that way.

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Note to Readers: I have been reading your emails. And, frankly, some of the things you’re involving yourselves in seem a bit questionable. Please, if you’d like to read my words, clean your minds and your habits and come here with the kind of clear sense of purpose that I deserve. Thank you.

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Recipe: For Disaster

It’s an old family recipe. And it goes like this:

Eat it.
Drink it.
Say it.
Do it.

And then wonder: “What the hell?”

And say: “But it wasn’t me.”

And think: “Oh fuck, I’m busted.”

Rinse and repeat as necessary.

Carry on.

Posted by M. Colby | Filed Under blog