Bryan Strawser

As usual, Citizen Smash outlines the real issues involved in this election.

I read through Bush’s records from the national guard today on calpundit and other sites, I don’t see the issue here. Smash outlines it quite well in his post about this issue.

Are we going to have yet another election as usual or a real debate about real issues. He’s got some good ones listed below… Read on..

I’d like both candidates to address the over-utilization of the Guard and Reserves. I’ve already spent eight months in the Sandbox – are they going to send me back? Why are some reserve units serving fifteen month tours, while the active duty guys spend a year or less in Iraq? What gives?

These are real issues – forget that 1970s crap.

An excellent summary of Bush’s appearance on Meet the Press from Wonkette, courtesy of Citizen Smash:

[W]ar against the terrorists . . . war against terrorists . . . war against terror. . . Yeah. . . Yeah. . . . this war on terror. . . fight the war on terror. . . . Yeah. . . . this is all in the context of war. . . war against terror. . . . this war on terror. . . Yeah. . . . Yeah. . . . the war on terror.  . . . the war is against terrorists . . . Yeah . . . Um hmm. . . . war against these terrorists. . . the war against terror. . . Yeah. . . . Yeah. . . Yeah.  . . . Yeah.  . . . Yeah. . . Um hmm. . . Um hmm. . . . we are at war. . . Yeah. . . Yeah. . . . I want to lead this great country to work with others to change the world in positive ways, particularly as we fight the war on terror. . . . Thank you, Tim.

Two things have been the source of inspiration for me when it comes to looking at changing the colors and layout of the house lately.

The first was the runaway hit Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. I enjoy the show, not just for the humorous content, but for the great examples of fashion, decor, and home interiors.

Particularly home interiors.

The house, when purchased in January 2001, is covered in a cream colored paint in every room (except for one baby blue bathroom), and a dark stained wood for all window trim on the interiors. What I saw on Queer Eye made me want to paint and rearrange and generally tear up the interior of the house, room by room.

The second thing that has inspired me was a waterleak in my basement ceiling that occurred on Christmas Day, while I had family in town. Because of this, i’ve had to do alot of drywall work and painting in the basement. Once you get started on stuff like this, it’s hard to stop.

So recently the paint section at Home Depot starting calling my name - and after consulting with a variety of different paint catalogs, settled on Aegean Blue and Sneaker White from the Ralph Lauren Home Collection. They seemed perfect for the guest bedroom…

So, with the selection made, I began masking off and painting away. I do believe that the person that invented the trim brush should win a medal.

Trim Painting taxes my patience.

But the end result, after a brief shopping trip to Target for art and accessories, is priceless.

I still have to paint the doors, the closet doors, and the inside portion of the windows. And, still have pictures to frame and add in.. but the bulk of the work is done.

Now… what room is next?

Additional Pictures Available as well.

You should’ve seen by the look in my eyes, baby
There was somethin missin
You should’ve known by the tone of my voice, maybe
But you didn’t listen
You played dead
But you never bled
Instead you lay still in the grass
All coiled up and hissin

And though I know all about those men
Still I don’t remember
Cause it was us baby, way before then

- Reo Speedwagon, “Keep On Lovin’ You”

Dooce has had her daughter:

Some women say that their babies look like opossum, gerbil or other type of lovable rodent. Ours looks like a frog.

[...]

Leta has had a pretty remarkable life full of poopy diapers and several successful attempts at feeding at The Trough of Mama.

The Massachusetts Legislature apparantly has a problem reading court decisions. After last year’s Supreme Judicial Court decision stating that gays must have the right to marriage, the legislature has cooked up a few different schemes to “get around” this decision.

Civil Unions appeared to be the easy way out for them. Until they asked the SJC for an advisory opinion. Well, they got one.

“The history of our nation has demonstrated that separate is seldom, if ever, equal,” four justices wrote in the advisory opinion. “For no rational reason the marriage laws of the Commonwealth discriminate against a defined class; no amount of tinkering with language will eradicate that stain. The (civil unions) bill would have the effect of maintaining and fostering a stigma of exclusion that the Constitution prohibits.”

Welcome to the world of having to live under the laws that we chose hundreds of years ago. Equality means equality folks.

For all of the moaning, groaning, and complaining that I do about living here from time to time, I’m enormously proud of the SJC for their two decisions in this case.

Your Movable Type Must Die - too funny.