As a metaphor for the Republican right wing, that headline pretty much says it all.  They sport a sensibility that's moralistic as all get out - yeah.  But it's a very literal and childish morality.  Black and white - no nuances or doubts allowed.  Oh, and it's based on "signs" from a god who is [. Click to continue reading...

It's a warm, foggy Saturday morning here in post-election New Hampshire.  Most of the political signs are put away, and gunshots now ring through the hillsides. Rebellion against the new socialist state?  Post-election right wing despair?  Nah.  Hunting season.  It's more personal this year than some, as the doe and two fawns that we've been watching [. Click to continue reading...

It's day two of what continues to feel like a new era.  Obama faces a plethora of daunting tasks, and we are on notice that for hope to burn bright, we need to roll up our sleeves and help.  That's the difference.  Obama's no white-haired GOP fake Father-Knows-Best, but a competent and inspiring leader who's [. Click to continue reading...

It was a good run, Red Sox ... but now it's up to the Phillies to take the devil out of those Rays, I guess.  A rested Philadelphia team meets the Rays in Florida for game 1 on Wednesday night.  Here's hoping for either a good, exciting, long Series or (my personal favorite) a four [...] Click to continue reading...

Guess we missed out on the basil this year!  This morning there's serious frost everywhere.  Stern frost.  Dour frost.  A layer of it whitens the windows and powders the ground.  The nasturtiums still look miraculously green, but the zinnias and cosmos are brown.  November brown.  This frost will disappear as the sun rises and warms [. Click to continue reading...

No baseball to report on.  No debate.  I am forced to move to Plan B.  (Don't try this at home.) What brought me to this?  It began with my morning visit to Woot - a site that HollyCornblog turned me onto some years ago. I check it first thing and sometimes find really good deals.  [...] Click to continue reading...

It really wasn't a contest at Dodger Stadium last night ... and wasn't one at Hofstra, either. The Phillies clinched their sixth-ever World Series berth in just five games, with a 5-1 win over the Dodgers, behind good offensive production and the strong arm of NLCS MVP Cole Hamels!  I'd love to see them face the [. Click to continue reading...

It wasn't looking good for Chase Utley and crew when yours truly hit the hay last night.  But 40 year old Matt Stairs' 2-run homer put the Phillies in the win column for the 3rd time in the NLCS - and on the brink of their first World Series since 1993. Speaking of 1993 made me [...] Click to continue reading...

The Phillies pulled out a 3-2 win with a big sixth inning and so are up 1-0 over Manny and the Dodgers (a sixties Motown group that some of you may remember fondly - I certainly do).  Cole Hamels looked a little shakier than I like him to, but he got the win, and I'm [...] Click to continue reading...

As the Senate gets ready to vote on a new bill to stave off economic disaster, and Sarah prepares (feverishly) to debate, and George Will joins the ranks of those who see her as unqualified to serve ... and some (unfortunately) find themselves feeling sorry for the lipsticked pitbull ... my thoughts turn (feverishly) to [. Click to continue reading...

I'm going to be migrating everything from my old computer to my new one in just a wee bit ... so am posting somewhat quickly now.  Hopefully you'll hear from me again. If not, you'll know that things went badly here ... A bailout agreement has apparently been reached. I read some excellent debate analysis [. Click to continue reading...

I'm very excited to be heading over to HollyCornblog's house today for a weekend visit. We'll be doing some chores at the lake like bringing in the dock, bringing in HollyCornblog's sailboat, etc. I'll also be inspecting the amazing and gargantuan work that she and CharlieHopbrew did on the new woodshed up there. Click to continue reading...