doc watson

On Monday, I'm going to fulfill a long ambition: I'm going to see Doc Watson. He's playing at the Bass Hall in Fort Worth. For all of you uninitiated with Doc Watson, he's the best flat picker (using a pick instead of fingers to pluck the strings) ever born. I've missed so many of my musical heros, but I'm going to get to see this one.

Hallelujah.

In other news, Eli Parser sent a scathing letter to the DNC, more or less stating that the overpriced consultants that have run the DNC for the past 8 years need to get the hell out of there...we're taking back our party.

Hallelujah again.

Day After the Election

The American People have spoken. And their statement, in favor of a melding of religion and politics, against civil liberties, pro isolationist policy, and in support of pre-emptive military aggression, has left me deeply, deeply saddened. I'm going to take a break from the chaos of politics and news. I'm going to try my best to ignore the vast numbers of 'the middle' who are busily shredding our democracy in favor of theocracy. I'm going to spend some serious time contemplating what I need to do to insure that my children grow and live in a society that holds dear the notion of democracy. It is not this society.

what i believe

 The rights of the minority trump the rights of the majority.
 
 As a human being and a citizen of my country, state, and community, I am entered into a social contract to take care of those around me, with special consideration to the very old, the very young, and those who cannot otherwise take care of themselves.
 
 The meaning and purpose of life is determined by self.
 
 Everyone has the right to the pursuit of liberty and happiness.
 
 Religion should be made as unobtrusive as possible.
 
 Public education is the bedrock of our society.
 
 Health care and education should be either free or easily affordable by all.
 
 Any belief system that in anyway dehumanizes another person is wrong.

thank god for

Just a quick note to offer a prayer of thanks to the gods for Zell Miller and Dick Cheney. While John Kerry has been going o-fer at the plate, Zell and Dick have managed to keep us in there...now come on John, get the f in there and win this thing.

Pulled Over by the Fuzz

Yesterday, Labor Day 2005, Luke (my son) and I were pulled over by a motorcycle-riding officer of the Keller Police Force. The reason provided for our near citation was that the officer suspected Luke was not wearing his seatbelt.

To lay out the scene, Luke was sitting in the front seat of the truck with me, and we were listening to our new cd: "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" by the Flaming Lips. As the shoulder strap on the seatbelt is made for an adult-sized person, Luke tends to place the shoulder strap behind him. Although I did the same thing as a child, it does, of course, negate the potential effect of the strap. That's the downside. The upside, for a kid at least, is that it makes it for greater mobility. Rather than sitting still (as I, the parent, should have instructed him to do), Luke was sitting on his knees, dancing to songs about giant pink robots (just your typical suburban scene). Just as it occurred to me to instruct him to calm down, we pulled up behind afore-mentioned motorcycle cop at a traffic light. His eyes caught mine as I said to Luke (in slow motion)

"calm down...there's a policeman in front of us (thus teaching him about being guilty only because one is caught, not because one is remorseful)."

Luke calmed down, and I thought all was well. The turn arrow changed to green and I proceeded to follow the police officer through the turn. The officer moved to the far left lane, I to the far right. I looked over and caught his eye. I knew exactly what he was going to do: He got behind me and flashed his lights. Luke hadn't seen what was going on (he's only six...too short to see anything but right in front and to the side). Now, though only a tender age, Luke is capable of heaping loads of guilt onto his self...an effort that I'm afraid I've at times fostered...but more on that later, perhaps. Luke was still rather in an excited mode when I turned to him and said,

"Your not sitting still has got us in trouble (ergo a big serving of guilt)."
Luke replied, "what?"
"We're in trouble, we just got pulled over by the policeman."
Luke, only able to see out of the front windshield, replied "no we didn't."
"Yes we did."

Just then, the policeman appeared at my window. I rolled it down and handed him my license.

Luke was shocked. Absolutely shocked.

I admit it. I was using guilt at this moment to teach him a lesson. In looking back, I don't think it was the right tactic to take, but it is what I did...read above: I told Luke that *he* got us in trouble. When Luke realized what was happening...that I was right, and the police officer had pulled us over, Luke began to cry hysterically. Guilt is a powerful force in Luke's life.

I explained to the officer that Luke did have his seatbelt on, but was wearing it improperly. He let me go with a warning.

As we drove off, Luke continued to cry. He stated that he "felt so bad" and that he felt "like a horrible son." The degree with which he felt his guilt was so out of proportion to the "crime." I explained that, in fact, the guilt had to be shared, as I was the parent and my job was to insure that he was sitting in his seat with his belt properly buckled. That calmed him a bit.

I love my children very much. It pains me to think that my actions cause them undue stress and harm.

Oy.