A Bookseller's Tale

Lieberman Must Pay

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:32:00 +0000

The Senate is about to vote on the fate of Joe Lieberman. Obama has been gracious. He says that he forgives Lieberman for things said on the campaign trail. Obama can afford to be gracious. We cannot. I say take him out.

Look, I'm all for turning the other cheek, but let's face it you only have two cheeks and Lieberman has slapped both. There has to be some consequences for bad acts and nobody had acted worse than Joe, except for maybe the rest of the Republican Party. I understand the dynamic of trying to get to that almighty filibuster proof 60 number in the Senate. But there are other Senators on the Republicans side who would like to keep their seats like Collins and Snowe of Maine who can make up the difference on certain votes. They can smell the blood in the water. They know which way the wind is blowing. We need to do this. Lieberman needs to be stripped of his chairmanship. Call your Senators and tell them.

If Lieberman wants to continue to act the fool. Let him go ahead. We'll see how CT deals with him come his next election. I'm sure they're already looking up Ned Lamont's phone number.

Prop 8 and Gay/Black Relations

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:15:00 +0000

I'm glad that the rhetoric has cooled a bit. I for one was getting quite sick of being blamed for something I didn't do. I can't read fast enough or care hard enough to follow all the threads that are sewing there way through the internet right now on this topic. I just find it incredible interesting that somehow every one of the country's woes somehow or another ends up being black folks fault. But guess what, it turns out it was all a myth after all --

At the end of the day, Prop 8's passage was more a generational matter than a racial one. If nobody over the age of 65 had voted, Prop 8 would have failed by a point or two.
[From FiveThirtyEight.com]

This is also assuming that there are no such thing as a gay Black person. The ABW posted about this topic (based off of a comment by little ol' me no less, WoooHooo!) that goes into the reaction from the other side of the fence.

And speaking of fence, I find it really fascinating that the reasonable guy in this Colbert clip is the same Dan Savage who said --

—are a bigger problem for African Americans, gay and straight, than the huge numbers of homophobic African Americans are for gay Americans, whatever their color. [From the Stranger]

He has been playing both sides of this issue. First, let's blame the blacks for all their homophobia. Then, let's be all reasonable.

And huge number, huh? So a small population of a small population in California are equal to all Black people, huh? Maybe this was a knee jerk reaction on Savages's part after the initial shock of the passage of Prop 8. But it also was a racist knee jerk reaction. (I'm not calling him a racist, I'm saying what he said was racist. There is a difference. One is about who you are, another is about what you did. See this for an explanation of the difference.) It strikes me that his Colbert appearance was some kind of spin control. (BTW, Dan Savage, thanks for getting this nasty business going, you careless jerk.)

This situation is a little bit of the chickens coming home to roost. Black feminists have been screaming about the racism in the gay community for years with no one paying even lip service to the issue. Now, that lack of interest, the lack of organization, the lack education, and the lack community bonding between the two groups has come back to bite everyone in the butt.

Which Books Are Worth Reading Twice?

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:51:00 +0000

SF Signal dares to present this question to several authors and editors. A great question I might add. There are only a few books that I've personally read more than once: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin, There Eyes Were Watching God by Zorn Neale Hurston, and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy By J.R.R. Tolkien. Actually, I've read all of these three times. Weird. Anyway, here is what the authors on SF Signal said.

Funny: What an Obama Presidency Will Be Like

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:19:00 +0000

Be calm people. This is just a joke!

Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children to be Filmed

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:07:00 +0000

From The Guardian by Denis Seguin:
"Rushdie's 'unfilmable' Midnight's Children heads for silver screen" —

Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie's panoramic 1981 allegory of the birth of modern India, is heading for the big screen. Deepa Mehta is to direct and co-write the adaptation with the author, and the film is expected to start production in 2010, it was announced in New York yesterday.

America The Blue

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:21:00 +0000

Hot Damn!

* Map provided by the NYTimes

Obama's Acceptance Speech

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:30:00 +0000

Birds flying high you know how I feel
Sun in the sky you know how I feel
Reeds driftin' on by you know how I feel

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

Fish in the sea you know how I feel
River running free you know how I feel
Blossom in the tree you know how I feel

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know
Butterflies all havin' fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That's what I mean

And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me

Stars when you shine you know how I feel
Scent of the pine you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

— Nina Simone

Reactions to the Obama Win

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:23:00 +0000

Jesse Jackson's reaction says it all ...

My Voice is Still Hoarse!!!!

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:45:00 +0000

Fort Greene, Brooklyn, my neighborhood, last night!

HELL YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:02:00 +0000

Good God Almighty We Won!!!!!

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:05:00 +0000

Good God Almighty We Won!!!!!
Good God Almighty We Won!!!!!
Good God Almighty We Won!!!!!
Good God Almighty We Won!!!!!
Good God Almighty We Won!!!!!
Good God Almighty We Won!!!!!
Good God Almighty We Won!!!!!
Good God Almighty We Won!!!!!
Good God Almighty We Won!!!!!
Good God Almighty We Won!!!!!
Good God Almighty We Won!!!!!
Good God Almighty We Won!!!!!
Good God Almighty We Won!!!!!

Election Night 2008!!

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:29:00 +0000

I just got back from a phone bank that I've been volunteering at. I'm totally exhausted and exillerated at the same time. Let's elect Obama tonight! This is history in the making! Yay!!!

Are you skard?

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:55:00 +0000

Are you good 'n skard? Yeah, me too. Tomorrow is the big day. Get out and vote. Be counted. Let's make this thing happen. America has the unique opportunity to do something great here. Don't be skard! Vote!

Charles Meets Barack

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:47:00 +0000

The End of "Opus"

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:33:00 +0000

Sunday, Nov 2nd will be the end of the cartoon strip "Opus" and I feel awful about it. I didn't even know that it was back. Ignorant me didn't know that my favorite pudgy penguin had been revived by Berkeley Breathed and had been back in print since 2003.

From Salon by Kerry Lauerman:
"The end of "Opus"" —

Sure, it's been an unnaturally long run for a penguin. Opus, who started with a bit part in Breathed's Pulitzer-winning "Bloom County" (1980-89), starred in "Outland" (1989-95) and finally took center stage in "Opus" (2003-08). But for those of us accustomed to seeing our own thoughts -- and fears, hopes and simmering anger -- take flight in the broken-nosed face of a penguin every week, there's no preparation for his exit, only mourning.

Bloom County was how I survived the Reagan and Bush years. I sure would have loved to read it during the Bush years. God, any amount of funny would have been welcome. See the archives of "Opus" here.

New Obama Ad

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:53:00 +0000

Okay, now, this is just too much!

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:38:00 +0000

Allegedly, a College Republican and McCain campaign volunteer named Ashley Todd made a wild claim about being robbed and assaulted at an ATM by a crazed black Obama supporter. [from LTR]

This, of course, was complete bullshit. Miss Todd was arrested and may face jail time for committing a false police report.

When you have lost your mind doing something like this makes sense. McCain supporters have been losing it. This is a true sign that they know what time it is.

Opie Cunningham says to Vote for Obama

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:26:00 +0000

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'm not sure that I would have believed this ...

The Stupid Vote

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:09:00 +0000

Some may find this insulting. Sorry. But the truth is, if you cannot figure out who to vote for by now you are stupid. If you can't figure out what the differences are between the two candidates by now — 12 days before the election — after 20 months of campaigning — you are stupid. Do us all a favor and stay home on election day. In 2000, this country had the CHOICE between Al Gore and George W. Bush. Let me say this again. WE had the CHOICE BETWEEN AL GORE AND GEORGE W. BUSH. And many chose GEORGE W. BUSH??? Dear God! Now that was stupid! Really, really STUPID!

So let's go over this again, if you are still confused right now about who to vote for, please, on election day: get a beer, watch tv — no, actually, don't watch tv (it might give you ideas and we don't want that!), sit in a corner somewhere, don't touch anything, and for God's sake — don't vote.

When You Vote, Will Your Vote Be Counted?

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:21:00 +0000

The campaigns are basically over and Obama has won. The issue at hand now is the election. How will the votes be counted? Will your vote count? Mark Crispin Miller appeared on Bill Moyers Journal to speak about the security of the vote.

See the video —

... when you vote, will your vote be counted? Since the fiasco in Florida in 2000 and the questions about Ohio in 2004, fears abound about the security of our election system.

Just this week, Common Cause and two other public interest groups issued a 50-state report card titled, "Is America Ready to Vote?" It says that vast improvements have been made in voting technologies and procedures but warns that many states still are not ready.

The Republican Party, as it stands today, is very honest in this way, they tell you exactly who they are by what they accuse the other of being.

Michelle Bachman on Chris Matthews

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:42:00 +0000

When I first saw this, I just thought she was a typical Republican shill. OH MY GOD, THIS WOMAN IS A SITTING CONGRESSMAN!!

Colin Powell endorses Obama ... Big Woop

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:06:00 +0000

Great that he endorsed Obama. Good for him. I still can't stand Powell. What a disappointment he has been. Actually a disaster. I knew I was going to have major problems with him as Secretary of State when he left the conference on racism in 2001 (I personally think was the last straw that led to 9/11, but I digress). Then for Powell to perpetrate a fraud on the UN and the American people -- the world -- with his presentation that helped to lead us into this terrible war ... well, God may forgive him, but I never will. As a fellow Jamerican (that is Jamaican-American) I am very ashamed of him. His kids are rotten, too. Michael Powell, that means you.

So, yay, he endorsed Obama -- at the last possible minute. What, he smelled which way the wind's blowing and he's looking for a job? Don't give it to him, Obama. He ain't worth it.

Late Bloomers by Malcolm Gladwell

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:25:00 +0000

Malcolm Gladwell in this weeks New Yorker lets you know that it may take years to become an overnight success...

Ben Fountain’s rise sounds like a familiar story: the young man from the provinces suddenly takes the literary world by storm. But Ben Fountain’s success was far from sudden. He quit his job at Akin, Gump in 1988. For every story he published in those early years, he had at least thirty rejections. The novel that he put away in a drawer took him four years. The dark period lasted for the entire second half of the nineteen-nineties. His breakthrough with “Brief Encounters” came in 2006, eighteen years after he first sat down to write at his kitchen table. The “young” writer from the provinces took the literary world by storm at the age of forty-eight. [From The New Yorker]

John McCain's Anger Problem

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:50:00 +0000

Ugly Ugly Politics

info@indigocafe.com (jenn) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:46:00 +0000

From Gawker by Ian Spiegelman:
"McCain/Palin Boosters Continue to Astound, Terrify" —

A roadside billboard sprung up in West Plains, Missouri, recently, featuring a caricature of Barack Obama wearing a turban along with the message "Barack 'Hussein' Obama equals more abortions, same sex marriages, taxes, gun regulations." While some members of that community are shocked and disgusted—the Obama campaign dismissed it as "a distraction"—other locals are of the opinion that if you don't like that sign you can drop dead.

What kind of people are these? They seem like Nazis to me.

It's their smiles that gives me the creeps ...