Taxonomy of greed, sloth, avarice--the whole siete pecadilloes

It was striking the other morning, when several of my rightist co-workers came on shift ranting about how 'illegal' it was that the Wisco union members were objecting to losing their bargaining rights, and that the Dems were absenting themselves to (try to) make the Govrnr stop acting like an ass. Usually, union members won't give up anything, no concessions, no trades--always because 'they' don't play fair and 'once we compromise once, we'll NEVER get it back.' So it was bracing to hear these same folks so enthralled by Tea bagger rhetoric that they were willing to hand over their pensions, bargaining rights, pay scales--so a bunch of rich fucks can make even more money.

It's so brilliantly simple: rich men using 'common folk' appeal to bilk the struggling middle class of their paltry savings, by a. giving appearance they're actually all on same level; b. using patently untrue but widespread babble to distract or subvert meaningful discussion; c. relying on ballooning idiotic partisan rancor (which they created, spread, fan, perpetuate). And, the end result is more poverty, more fucked & gutted programs, and more money & power in the hands and pockets of the big bosses. When the folks wake up, they'll either gouge out their eyes, or, more likely, turn their shame and betrayal against the canadians and mexicans.

Fucking embarrassing.

February is hard to spell and harder to endure

Over past five weeks, I've started writing several times, but, really, had little to say--or, the effort to put 'pen to paper--as it were--undercut the vanity of seeing my thoughts in 'print.' Some good stuff has happened: Obama's socialist police state took a wrong turn, or fears were a bit hyperbolically hyped. Egypt kicked out the sponsored-bad-guy of the previous decade, and there was much rejoicing on Facebook about the essential nature of Facebook to spread democracy, and, per Mark Z, find chicks to hit on. Winter proved once again that global warming is no more legitimate a 'theory' than evolution or compassionate conservatism. Except the ice caps really are melting and nature-a-go-go isn't a promise of stability. Regardless, it's been cold as fuck. But, again, it's fucking winter.
We've started indoor ice climbing:



We'd gone to this house a handful of times last summer for the declining, sickly, enormous older man. It's hard and strange to come back into a place and see traces of hard lives lived, so much abandoned in yet another hasty eviction, or, perhaps in this case, the final decline and end.



Flann & I raised a nice sum of money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, then raced up the IDS Center's 50 flights. I ate two heavy meals the day previous and nearly exploded on the 17th floor of the competitive race, which surprisingly did NOT help my time. I finished and survived. Then Flann & I did it together. It was great fun and she's a stud. Next year, Annie will go with Flann, and H-Lux & I will go together, and I will eat better/smarter the day before.





Multiple-time winners Dan Casper & Linda Sone, plus T.M., who climbed for kicks and support.


And, so, yeah, it's still winter.

Lots of people seem fairly crazy when we're out & about on E5. Went to a totally batshit lady today. Sweet and unstable and tottering about a cluttered, junk-packed, bug-infested, cat-shit littered house. Wow.

If I haven't mentioned it recently, I should: the City of Mpls plows have really shit the bed this winter. I know it's budget cuts that reduce number of plows, but, seriously, the one time you get down the blocks, aim for the stuff that hasn't already been plowed...

Watching coverage of tea bagging blowhards: it used to be politics was a means to power, so people ran for office to get power. Now, these people are deriving their power from twit-wattage and face-time on blue-screen empires. Politics, the actual act of making stuff happen and having debates with nuance, and compromise, etc--that shit's an impediment from cash-money. Palin abandoned 'her people' because being a governor means having to stick around for dull meetings, and facing some-little music when your empty rhetoric turns to dust and shit and the cities & state are still ass up in debt. She quit because it's easier to be a lone gunwoman in tweeterland. Anyone who supports her for 'her ideas' is a threat to democracy. Is it arrogance or yawning ignorance?

I go to left coast now, to see crazy cool friends, dogs, aunties. It's a heat wave in the 612, breaking freezing for second time this year. I'll arrive in time for the big earthquake, and won't the egg be on my face...