Random thoughts, musings, and ruminative digressions

*Rant alert...Though I am an unabashed left-wing nuthead, I am very pleased to see that the Moderates (those folks granted the extraordinary capacity to actually consider two sides of an issue and then make informed, principled decisions) are beginning to wake the hell up. I mean, really, you do NOT want this nation run by lawmakers who pander to the most extreme segments of their constituencies. And I'm talking about both sides here. Yeah, personally, I think Tom Delay and Bill Frist are total pricks, but I must concede that there are Dems who are as bad or worse, self-righteous and condescending and seemingly unwilling to accept that anyone is ever responsible for his or her own actions. I'm for personal freedom, but also personal responsibility. Hey, maybe I'm a libertarian! Anyway, it's good to see that in this supposed era of Blue & Red, when the whole country seems to be teeter-tottering back and forth (maybe teetering more than tottering, but still) that a handful of reasonable people in the middle can actually get something done (finally end the stupid filibuster controversy and push through necessary stem cell legislation). The middle way rules!
*Tony the Tiger died, which totally sucks. And the guy's name was Thurl Ravenscroft, which I really hope was the name he was given at birth. Plus, he was a fine singer; he did all of the singing in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" plus lots of singing work for Disney, on films and in the parks. Tony the Tiger shouldn't be allowed to die. We can rebuild him; we have the technology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurl_Ravenscroft

*I wonder how many cities call themselves the "Barbecue Capital of America". It seems like there are 5 or 6 barbecue capitals, each one specializing in a different kind of 'cue. This weekend, my lovely wife and I will be travelling to the barbecued mutton capital of the universe. That's right- mutton. Owensboro, Kentucky, "Barbecue Capital of America", specializes in slow-smoked sheep meat. Since I'm pretty sure that only barbecued goat is less widely consumed, it's hard to see how being the center of mutton barbecue qualifies Owensboro to be ground zero of American barbecue culture. That said, the sheep is purty tasty. Nothing beats a good pig, but the sheeps have got their strong points, too.

*I like pie. It doesn't really matter what kind. I just plain like me some pie in my mouth hole.