January 28, Houston: The book launch party for Lone Star Legend is at Brazos Bookstore, at 7 PM. Y'all are all invited!
February 4, Houston: I'll be reading/signing at the downtown Houston Public Library, at 6 PM.
February 5, Austin: I'll be reading/signing at BookPeople and will undoubtedly stop by the FlipHappy crepe trailer some time after that.
February 5, San Antonio: I'll be reading/signing at the San Pedro Barnes and Noble and will probably buy some coconut candy at Mi Tierra, too.
My other blog: Go read my the Houston Chronicle parenting blog (or my ChronMomBlog, as I like to call it) and find out what I've said to piss off the more conservative commenters this week.
Buy my new novel, Lone Star Legend.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
It's better if I don't speak of it.Y'all know I hardly ever talk about politics on this site, anyway, so I won't go on and on about how abjectly depressing it is to me that half the people in the country whose votes have been counted so far, voted for Bush. Because me being upset about it has no effect, does it? But I did want to make a couple of observations.
This morning (before Kerry totally punked out by conceding) two conservative radio pundits were whining that if Kerry were to win, he would "take credit" for the complete turnarounds in Iraq and in our economy that they were convinced George W. Bush would effect between now and January. It was then that I reflected on the fact that most people - even and especially people on the radio - are not only stupid, but unabashedly employ stupidity in the promotion of their stupid, self-centered beliefs and desires.
And that was depressing.
So then I'm at work and, in talking to a sympathetic Kerry voter, make a flippant remark about preparing my 12-year-old son to be drafted into a war on Iran. And one of our Republican semi-bosses overhears this and tells me that neither a draft nor a war on Iran are going to happen. He backs this up with an explanation of the "reason" we attacked Iraq - a reason having to do with a long-term military strategy for peace in the Middle East that came straight out of a geek-boys' Risk tournament.
"That's fine," I said. "But if all that is true, then why did Bush feel the need to mislead the stupider Americans into thinking that Saddam was responsible for 9/11? Because it was just easier than trying to explain the real reasons to them?"
My coworker denied that Bush had ever misled the stupider members of public in that fashion. I ended up telling him that I didn't want to discuss politics at work anymore. Because I was getting upset. Because I'm the one who lost in this election, because I'm the one who was stupid enough to be born a woman and then to go on to have three sons without becoming rich beforehand. My bosses will never understand what I'm complaining about. As long as Halliburton's profits paint their rosy futures, why would they care about people who won't be able to afford college or draft evasions? (Or even gasoline or milk, eventually?) Why would they care about the errosion of women's rights? Why can't I just take my $100 Christmas bonus made of Halliburton money and my $300 tax credit made of my grandchildren's taxes and be happy, like they are?
If I'm unhappy, why don't I just get some implants and liposuction and then marry a man who's smart enough to make money off the war? That's what all the other young secretaries do. Right? Jesus. How hard can life be if all you have to do is suck an old man's dick every night for security and happiness?
Okay... That veered off a little into personal issues about my immediate culture. But still. The metaphor is there, people.
That's really why I never talk about politics on this site, actually. It tends to turn me viciously insane. 1:21 PM #
Comments:
Like, word.Bush is going to show the country what he's made of now.
He knows he's only got four more years left...and gosh darnit, he's gonna end that war on terrorism! Hooray for Bush!
# posted by
Datty : 2:27 PM
Viciously insane, or merely prescient? I'll go with the latter.
I'm right there with you on the Republican boss thing. It sucks to work for a team of middle-aged white men who worship W. as their slacker king, but somehow we'll get through.
Chin up, baby.
# posted by
Zander : 2:36 PM
I agree totally...I teach 5th grade and I love my "kids". I don't get how these parents (and I work in a low income area) would vote for Bush. I know these kids are 10 or 11, but if you were a boy, 10 or 11, in 1962, chances are in 1968, you were drafted. I see this war in Iraq dragging on...and Bush says we need more troops. I think a draft is invevitable, regardless of what Bush said in the debate...he's misled us before.
# posted by
brainy teacher : 8:00 PM
I feel your pain. Let's start a commune in Canada for American ex-pat parents struggling to raise their children without war. Or maybe Norway. They have technology well-fare for families who can't afford a decent computer.
# posted by
annie : 8:42 PM
Yeah, I know what you mean about the work thing. I'm in the military, (for another two weeks, at least) and I was scared to even THINK about my vote for Kerry while at work. The thought police would get me and probably make me watch Fahrenhype 9/11 or something.
# posted by
Liz : 8:55 AM
I just bought your book, too. I'm looking forward to it.
# posted by
Liz : 9:17 AM
I guess the atmosphere is different in the military..
I work in a corporation where the traders of course
make a shitload of money and sit there and bash
Kerry out loud in front of everyone. But I frankly
don't give a flying fuck if they knew I voted for
Kerry. I told lots of people here who I voted for...
and if they have some shit to say about then
Bring It On!
# posted by
MissCathee : 12:30 PM
I swear, any Bushies who say "hooray" or "yay" on this blog, I will send lethal thought rays to smash your smirkly little minds.
That being said, let's get on with life! We will either survive another four years of the SOS (and thousands more military and civilian deaths); Bush may actually get a grasp on reality and give our troops the freaking equipment and guidance they need to do it right in Iraq; or he will screw up so horribly that Kerry supporters will be totally vindicated.
Anyway. Life goes on.
(And no, I don't hate Republicans. My mom is a Republican and I love my momma.)
# posted by
Tanya : 3:44 PM
I'm new to your Evil Thoughts, courtesy of DHAK...
My only comment about Kerry and your concerns is that he did say that the US needed to send more troops to Iraq to get the job done....MORE TROOPS.
Honestly I think that they are taking them from places in Europe and Asia and kind of shuffling the deck. That alone could cause some problems... but it's likely to avoid more draft talk.
Also I don't like the rising prices of all things oil and what not...(I know I'm getting gouged at the pump for sure)
Keep dropping the hammer on the jackassery at work... even guys I agree with at work are often wrong, they need "the knowledge"
As for secretaries going to the kneepads to get "ahead"... you must have operatives in my area, where the golddigging is rampant.
Fortunately I found an engineer wife that's an equal, but I see the struggle every day in my office that the youg smart and female deal with, and do my best not to contribute to the misery.
Fight the power!!
# posted by
Dell Aware : 3:39 PM
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