Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty: Giving hunters — and human beings — a bad name...



(Hat-tip Nick Baumann @ MoJo)
"T-Paw" is taking a well-deserved drubbing from the outdoor community for not bothering to track down a wounded deer he shot on the opening day of Minnesota's firearm deer season.

A headline on deerhuntingchat.com calls the possible '12 presidential contender a "slob hunter" for wounding a deer on Nov. 7th and then leaving for a Republican fundraiser in Iowa before the animal could be found.

One contributor wrote: "What kind of slob hunter goes out opening morning and shoots a deer knowing full well you won't have time to retrieve it or tend to it? One whose presidential ambitions override his hunting ethics, that's what kind."

After the governor shot the deer from more than 200 yards away (a long shot that would only be ethically taken by a well-seasoned hunter, which Pawlenty is not), he and his brother Dan went to the spot where they last saw the animal. Finding blood but no deer, they returned to base camp for breakfast and to consider their next move. Due in Iowa that night for a fundraiser, Pawlenty left, and there has been no sign of the animal since.

As the Deer Hunting Guide says: "A responsible hunter, who is also an ethical hunter, will be prepared to spend hours trailing a wounded deer; even come back the next day if needed. You must make every effort to retrieve a wounded animal. It's the right ethical thing to do."

P.S. WTF, T-Paw? Everyone knows that real hunters gun down wolves from helicopters. That, or they shoot their friends in the face pen-raised quail.

stonetalker is giving single tarot card draws tonight until midnight US Eastern time.

Check it out here: http://stonetalker.livejournal.com/26057.html?view=54985#t54985

Hey, Mittens - when you're finished pissing & moaning about the President "not protecting our troops" in Afghanistan, please drop me a line and let us know when even one of your five brave sons will be headed over there to join the battle. You know, just like you served your country when called...


Oh, wait. You didn't serve, either. You received a deferment from the draft as a Mormon "minister of religion" in France for two and a half years, then wriggled out nearly three more years of deferments for your "academic studies."

I'd say Axelrod's got your number, asshole.

By the way, where was your "outrage" when Bush, Cheney and your fellow Republican leaders all but abandoned the troops in Afghanistan to wage a phony war in Iraq, hm?

If You Believe in IP, How Can You Teach Others?

I propose Wizard's Law: People are absurd to the limit of their legal ability.

& Coda: People are absurd to the limit of their likely ability to evade legal consequences.

10) Fox News claims "fair and balanced" coverage, while MSNBC is simply "the place for politics."

9) MSNBC devotes a three-hour daily segment to Joe Scarborough, a conservative from Newt Gingrich's "Republican Revolution." The equivalent would be Fox News giving a morning show to Ron Reagan.

8) While Fox News has Bill O'Reilly, MSNBC does not have an angry white male talk show host that yells and frequently interrupts people.

7) MSNBC does not air a prime-time show that is akin to watching A Clockwork Orange while taking LSD.

6) The closest Fox News gets to allowing a lesbian to comment on policy is Lindsey Graham.

5) MSNBC will not be the network where Lou Dobbs ultimately ends up.

4) While Fox News was covering several cases of voter registration fraud by community-organizing group ACORN, MSNBC was covering the global economic collapse and a presidential election.

3) The prime-time lineup of MSNBC hosts all have college degrees, while O'Reilly is the only Fox News host to attend for more than one week.

2) MSNBC is not losing advertising because of their biased programming.

1) While MSNBC's Keith Olbermann organized free health clinics across the country to draw attention to the millions of people without health coverage, Fox News organized anti-government tea parties to try and guarantee that those people remained uninsured.

from airamerica

There is no link to this - it's a personal experience, and I am curious as to what YOU would have done.

I just had a tense moment at an isolated Chase Bank drive-up ATM. I drove up, used my card, and was waiting for the money when I saw this big rough-looking dude walking toward the front of my truck. He was about twenty yards away, and already giving the "my car broke down, trying to get wife and kids back on the road. Can you help me out? blah, blah..." when I said, "Stop right where you frickin' are. Don't come any closer, I don't CARE what your story is - you DON'T panhandle at an ATM!" I checked my rear view mirror to see if someone else was coming up behind me. He was alone, but was still inching toward me. I told him to stop again. I grabbed the bucks, and drove out in a hurry.

I am not a heartless SOB, and I have given handouts at intersections, but this was in an area with no one else near - a bad location for an ATM. I've had plenty of experience with firearms, but I haven't touched a gun since 1970. Honestly, if I had had a gun today, I would have been reaching for it. What would you have done?

...well, one of 'em, at least.

Woke up this morning with that all-too familiar, deep pain in my lower back and a terrible stomach ache. Pretty much kept me on the couch the entire day, complete with a low-grade fever, chills and zero appetite...


Sure enough, I just woke from a long nap, went to take a whiz and - *whomp* - was nearly knocked to my knees by a passing kidney stone. Big fucker, too.

Shit really hurts.

So, how was your day? :/

This afternoon, the 14 local congregations that studied Tim Keller's "The Prodigal God" together celebrated the completion of this remarkable six-week project. First Baptist put out a great spread. Then we assembled in their sanctuary. Their music ministry played a few songs, and then we had a time of testimony. The general theme was that the study was very eye-opening and edifying -- and that everyone was very excited about such a diverse group working together, instead of operating in isolation from each other as usual. I got to give a word of exhortation and then close the service with a prayer that we might continue to do even greater things in this area.

Afterwards, we had desserts and did more fellowshipping. I also had a chance to discuss our next project with some of the pastors. I'll post something about it once we get some consensus.

This has been one of the most rewarding projects of my life.


The participating pastors pose

I moved recently and while unpacking I picked up an old paper journal and took a look at it a bit ago. I start reading and see so many of the issues I still deal with. Its not the same, but it has echoes.

6-3-03

I've been thinking a lot, Sometimes about what I'm not sure. Infinity -- I suppose, but really about God if there is a god, or not a god. [I wonder if this was the first time I named god this way?]

I've been engaged in a monologue of sorts. In this monologue I keep looking for realitly -- image of long hall w/many doors ala Matrix ala Hesse. [not sure what I was thinking calling this a monologue, except that it was an internal conversation.]

Each room has some new view on reality. Each view a partial take on truth. Each truth incomplete.

I keep seeing hat self-reference always introduces paradox! Self-reference and infinity.

I wonder if Gödel first understood the problem of self-reference in human relations terms before applying it to sets?



This is was profound time for me, when my world view started braking down.


The world is full of holes.
My life and my being is full of holes.
I despair about the pain of loss.

My daughter cries because her knee hurts where she scraped it and because the band aid is big and ugly and makes its presence felt so that she can't really forget it.

She cries for me to stay or take her, but I leave her at school in despair because I don't really know what else to do! I am feee and so it does not pain me -- I don't need to deny it but still I don't know how to comfort her. She fears loss -- like we all fear loss.

"We are all in denial about the pain of childhood I tell L." This after she tells me "childhood is suppose to be a great time, but ..."


I turned into to a poem. [I have a feeling I transcribed this poem once before, but who knows and the past in LJ is mostly lost.]


I cried this morning

My daughter cried this morning.
Not tears but torrents.
It came in squalls and screams.
Real despair -- band aids are uncomfortable
Uncomfortable and Ugly.
My sons would not have this problem.
A shield of honor -- real pride.
It was Devistation really -- a complete failure
A failure of the parent.
Her perfect faith in me eroded
The tears a flood down some
ravine of the soul.
Washing away the illusion
the illusion that we are safe
that daddy can always protect
and fix
and make right

I left her to cry --
oh I comforted --
but
There is no band aid to cover this wound.

-- I cried this morning.

Some spillage about things going poorly with the one that is now the X. A bunch really. This is when we should have ended but we went on for four more years.

OK one more poem from June 2003. This one about spiritual epiphany.

Perfect compassion, Buddha filling the jug.
   Perfect compassion
      Filling a bottle of water.

Unknowing
   Unknowing if it will fill.
Acceptance
   Acceptance, perfectly.

Each seeks the joy.
   The joy of being held perfectly.

I know safety.

The lid comes off.
   I fill.

"Oh look!  See your bottle was full!"
"You just needed to take the lid off."

my daughter has taken to calling me "brother," like a brother in the hood. I tell her I'm not her "brother," but it has little affect.

Peace out.

In the heart of ranching and mining country, Ciudad Durango sits over a mile high above the hot desert, so even in the middle of the summer, it was quite comfortable. I walked around a lot, straying out of the tourist center to get shots of the train station and more ordinary things. It's been a while, but there are two pages from the city and a couple shots from the drive up at imagecentralamerica.com. go have a look!

here are two samples:

sold one of mine, one of jane's, and one that kai and i collaborated on. kai is beyond excited.

we'll be there tomorrow from 11-5.

Darrel Wayne Mohler has been charged with raping two children in Missouri more than 20 years ago. His arrest Friday came a day after he told The Associated Press that the alleged child abuse by his relatives was "unspeakable"…

"I can't think of words that would put this in perspective. I find it repulsive if it's true," Mohler said Thursday of his family members' charges. AP 11/14/09

Lurid accusations of sex with children?

Check.

The term “ritual abuse?”

Check.

The term “suppressed memories?”

Check.

Carefully worded comments from law enforcement strongly implying the presumption of guilt while at the same time hinting at an utter dearth of evidence beyond the bare accusation?

Check.

The names, pictures, and perp-walks of the accused being published so everyone can spit on them, revile them, emote, beat their chests, and invoke castration and other creative methods of punishment?

Check.

A witness or relative who publicly expressed some level of doubt about the accusations added to the list of suspects?

Check.

This case seems too familiar. I feel like I've stepped into a Wayback machine and stepped out into the era of MICHELLE REMEMBERS and the McMartin Preschool fiasco. And what's most disturbing are the number of people jumping on the bandwagon and immediately assuming these guys are guilty. Thus far I've seen absolutely zilch other than the accusations in the way of evidence.

Anybody else have thoughts about this?

Sign CREDO's petition and they'll send a coat hanger to these assholes in your name...



Sign here (and spread the word!)
P.S. I wish I got hate mail as good as this. *sigh*

That's how much I left behind 20 years ago or more. http://scoweb.sco.ca.gov/UCP/

I would suppose more or all states have their own such web site.

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=1100714

Did someone say "Two million dollars"?

Some skeptics are already calling tonight's WBO Welterweight title fight between Miguel Cotto (34-1 27 KOs) and Manny Pacquiao (49-3, 37 KOs) a mismatch, but I think it's got the potential to be the fight of the year...


(Hat-tip Jake Emen)
It's hard not pick Pacquiao, who continues his meteoric rise from the 108 lb. weight class when he first started fighting to his current 145 catch-weight against Cotto. To move up six divisions and still maintain the power to knock out Ricky Hatton, like Pacquiao did at 140 lbs, is impressive. That being said, Cotto is the biggest, most powerful fighter Pacquiao has faced to date, and he's not afraid to brawl.

Still, Cotto may be damaged goods after his bloody loss to Antonio Margarito (in which it was revealed in Margarito's next fight that he was using an illegal hardening substance in his hand wraps). And Cotto is not only easy to hit, he cuts easily, too.

( 4 Questions That Will Decide The Fight... )

My pick? In my heart, I'd love to see Cotto (currently at +250 odds) win the fight. My head, however gives it to Pacquiao (at -300) by TKO in/around the 8th round, to claim a history-making seventh title in seven different divisions.

The legendary Burt Sugar has a great analysis here.

So, what do you think?

Poll #1485403 Pacquiao vs. Cotto
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 8

Who ya got?

P.S. For those of you not willing/able to pay the $54.99 PPV fee, I'm told the fight can be seen for free at http://atdhe.net/ (thanks to revwry for the tip).

This theme keeps turning over in my head. I think all the evil, not that I believe in evil in any ordinary sense, is rooted in fear. Fear of loss, fear of pain, fear or betrayal. It also occurs to me that I've been thinking about this for 40 years. When I was 16 or 17 I wanted to be a psychologist and I thought I would right a book about fear being the root of all pain. Maybe I still will write it, but it gets less likely with each passing day.

what is the "fear of god," but that awareness that if truly held would hold out all fear because to fear anything else would be to lack faith in god.

we all live lives full of fear. we all sin, we all fall short of the glory of god. and yet just as surely we are god, or as some minds prefer god resides in us and we in her. (btw, to hold to either view and reject the other is just another denial of god.)

though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear ... not. for god is my shepherd

I continue to be locked up in fear in so many ways. I'm in fear of living fully in passion. and strangely it is fear of hurting those I love that keeps me there and yet I manage to hurt them all the time. sons and daughters, and lovers.

I'll hold this in front of me to day, or make a fool of myself trying.

Yes, today I feel the pain of hurting those I love, even though I'm doing my damnedest to love them all.


I looked for images of the valley of the shadow of death and all I found was the triviality with which we so often see god -- the audacity to believe we can name her. In any case I like this image. I hope they don't block it.