First Save the World, Then Watch Cartoons

Just started playing with a new cartoon-creation tool this weekend, from Xtranormal. I can make cartoons ranging from the political:



.. to the absurd...

Choosing Focal Points

I suppose there were reasons for following the health-care deliberations on C-SPAN March 21, were it not for the far more interesting results in March Madness, which kept Michigan State Spartans in the crawling distance, at least for the time being. At least the turmoil surrounding the final health debate let us see tea-party activists wearing their true colors, shouting "nigger" and "faggot" at members of Congress, and prompting RNC Chairman Michael Steele to admit that a sector of the tea party crew wore stupidity as a favored outfit.

But that's about as far as my excitement extends. How can I spend time worrying about a bill that has removed public options, ignores a woman's right to accept or turn down an abortion, and does little to really crack down on insurance companies - while driving up deficits? In short, I can't. I understand Dennis Kucinich's decision to say that the health bill may not be real change, but it starts a ball rolling. My problem is, I don't play incrementalism. I like the long bomb in football, the mid-court basket attempt, the radical risk against all possible odds. This health care stuff is tedious, and my eyes glaze over. Pixelslip is fuzzing me out.

But I had plenty of things to be perfectly focused about this week. New efforts in June and July at national conferences to prepare critiques of the Nuclear Posture Review and Quadrennial Defense Review. Further meetings on Colorado Springs' homeless encampment issues. And yet more invigorating time with the mighty mighty Flobots. Folks following this blog know how much I reiterate my respect for this Denver band for walking the walk of many, living up to commitments for social change, and making great music in the process. This past week, they gave an in-store concert of new music at Denver's Twist & Shout:



And then Flobots' viola player, Mackenzie Roberts, played the national anthem for a Nuggets game:



So forgive me for thinking these are the things that matter, and that health care as provided to us in a flawed bill is somewhere where I have no dog in the hunt. My dogs are too busy acting like toddlers in time out. My own dog, Misty the husky, was chasing mule deer in our recent snowstorm:



And my daughter's dog, Max, was visiting the homestead and establishing dominance where he could:



Incrementalists would no doubt say that lazy sods like me allow reaction to take place. And as they nitpick health care to death, I'll fall asleep. We all have to focus on what we deem important, and I'm concentrating on March Madness, Flobots, keeping dogs separated, dazzling risks, and a Loving Universe of Shiny Things. Lots of 20/20 vision for that.

Atttention Robert Gibbs: Desperately Seeking Coherent White House Press Strategy

In April, when the independent right began holding their local tea-party affairs to a news furor across the nation, Robert Gibbs asked, "What's a tea party?"

On Sept. 12, when the Tea Party Express hit Washington, the White House press office tried to pretend it didn't know where these protesters were coming from or what they represented. I find the tea-partiers insufferably annoying due to their lack of knowledge of history and their tendency to use the Glenn Beck definition of words, but at least they are colorful characters in the right-wing nut-o-sphere. The Democrats have been hyper-analyzing the potential turnout, as witnessed by the furor over the "millions" document. Thus, the White House response can only be interpreted two ways:

1. Ignorance. Due to a bevy of media micro-analyzers in the White House Press Office and a daily national intelligence briefing, we can dismiss this option as ridiculous.

2. Belief that they can sound tempered and cool and logical by feigning ignorance. Oh, please. With daily media coverage of the Tea Party Express, Fox News, Glenn Beck, etc., this dog doesn't hunt, this stance is asinine. Gibbs could take his lead from Examiner.com blogger Ryan Witt, who points out that grassroots political expression is fine, but Fox News' role as sponsor and cheerleader is a clear conflict of interest. Mr. Gibbs, such a position takes the high road, without making the White House look like it's trying to play the ignorance game, and playing it very badly indeed. Are you listening?