Seattle to the Methow Valley via the North Cascades Highway today

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Poem: Tethers

Your tenuous hold on earth
Is disguised in your shadow,
Tethered to the ground
By the soles of your feet
And a theory of gravity.
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Frank Zappa's "Takle Your Clothes Off When You Dance" with lyrics

Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance
by Frank Zappa

There will come a time when everybody
Who is lonely will be free...
To sing & dance & love

There will come a time when every evil
That we know will be an evil...
That we can rise above

Who cares if hair is long or short
Or sprayed or partly grayed...
We know that hair ain't where it's at

(there will come a time when you won't
Even be ashamed if you are fat!)

Wah wah-wah wah

There will come a time when everybody
Who is lonely will be free...
To sing & dance & love (dance and love)

There will come a time when every evil
That we know will be an evil...
That we can rise above (rise above)

Who cares if you're so poor you can't afford
To buy a pair of mod a go-go stretch-elastic pants...
There will come a time when you can even
Take your clothes off when you dance
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Del Brummet short "Unplugged" appears in another festival

A film by Del Brummet and two other youth is now appearing in a Korean film festival. The film has already snagged numerous awards and has appeared in several film festivals.

"Unplugged, a short film by Ballard High School video production students Diana Federighi ('08), Kaelan Gilman ('10) & Del Brummet ('10), was recently named an Official Selection by the 11th Annual Seoul International Youth Film Festival. SIYFF is one of the largest and most prestigious youth film festivals in Asia. The event spans the week of July 9 - 15 and includes an international youth filmmaking camp. This year, 821 films were submitted from 44 different countries. Only 36 films were selected for the festival through a highly competitive process. For more information, visit the festival website. "

Unplugged is the story of a teen whose connection to music deepens after the loss of his iPod. The short had not originally been entered in SIYFF, but the festival committee saw the film on the Images of Youth Video Festival website and then contacted Ballard High School to request that the short be submitted. Unplugged had won awards for Special Recognition for Overall Excellence in Media and Peer Achievement from the Images of Youth Video Festival in 2008. Unplugged was also named an Official Selection of the National Film Festival for Talented Youth this year.


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Governor Sarah Palin unelected herself to make an indy run at the White House

By Pablo Fanque
All This Is That National Affairs Editor

Bam! Sarah Palin is going indy.

After reading the Washington Times "exclusive," I am convinced that soon to be unelected Governor Sarah Palin will make a run at The White House as an independent. Of course. The Republican "base" likes her. They like her a lot. But the suits at the RNC figure Mitt, Newt, or one of the rising young(ish) turks that has avoided a sex scandal [I think there are some?] want nothing to do with her. After reading the recent Vanity Fair article on Palin, I believe that. They threw her under the bus and backed over her four times.

As an indy candidate,, the G.O.P. character attacks become just more partisan gibberish. The Democrats? They're just wack jobs, elitists and commies. If she goes independent, she will have an immediate base from which to expand. And, of course, extract campaign funds. She'll do more damage as an independent than she could ever do a Republican. In these modern elections it doesn't take much to skew an election. Just ask Ralph Nader, who enabled George W. Bush's eight year reign of terror

"The former Republican vice-presidential nominee and heroine to much of the GOP's base said in an interview she views the electorate as embattled and fatigued by nonstop partisanship, and she is eager to campaign for Republicans, independents and even Democrats who share her values on limited government, strong defense and "energy independence."

"I will go around the country on behalf of candidates who believe in the right things, regardless of their party label or affiliation," Governor Palin said. I suspect she won't become the same sort of turncoat weasel as Joe Lieberman, but you never know.

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Poem: Scarred for life

It could be watching your family
Diced up in slow-motion

By a sick biscuit with a machete,
Or the day your brother let you down.

It might be when you were wrongfully accused,
Whether they figured it out or not.

Maybe you discovered your wife sleeping
With her Yoga teacher,

Or remember the night your parents
Let you cry yourself to sleep.

It could be the motorcycle accident,
Or the time you saw your Uncle naked.

Under a bad moon,
It can all leave you scarred for life.
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Originally published in "Feets don't fail me now," a literary journal in Los Angeles, 2006. Revised 7-12-2009, and published, heavily revised, on All This Is that

Pete and Pat Curran, King and Queen of Cornucopia

Pete and Pat Curran, in honor of their decades of public service were the King and Queen of Kent, Washington's Cornucopia Festival and Parade. This photo, by Maureen Roberts, captured them waving to their subjects from a convertible in the parade.

Pete and Pat are my parents-in-law, and the parents of Keelin, Colin, Sheila, Marcy, Mary, Betsey, Brendan, and Megan, as well as the grandparents and great-grandparents of a passel of kids. In their mid-70's, they are patrons of the arts and social service charities; lifelong Democrats (Pete worked for Bobby Kennedy as an advance man in 1968); involved in a large number of volunteer activities; and have sponsored numerous arts events in the Kent area (including sponsoring a Blind Boys of Alabama concert). Pete still plays handball every week, and Pat plays tennis as well as writing poetry.
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The Grey

click to enlarge

Tuxpi.com - Big fun with photos and other images

http://www.tuxpi.com/ has a bunch of cool photo enhancing treatments. Here are a few I created tonight. Their image options are Motivational Poster - Water Reflection - Wanted Poster - Infinity - Postage Stamp - Whirl Effect - Pixel Effect - Photo Paper - Film Strip - Newscast - Blueprint - Speech Bubble Editor - Text Collage - Pop Art Collage - Flag Collage Stardust

Nice work, Tuxpi!

[click images to enlarge]

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President Obama takes a moment to appreciate the human form

Our President takes a moment to appreciate the human form.

Naturally, this photograph landed on the front of Drudge, with the legend "second stimulus package!" As my friend Jodie pointed out, maybe even more interesting than Barack's glance is the look on Nicolas Sarkozy's face. A smirk, a leer, amusement at Obama getting busted for his stare?

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News, lies, and art

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The Kinks' Schoolboys In Disgrace

I am a long-time Kinks fan. This is one of their "concept" albums--the best in my booklet. I was fortunate enough to see them (Asbury Park, NJ, 1977) on tour a year after this album came out. They performed some choice nuggets from the record.

If you want to know more about the Kinks, I'd suggest acquiring Celluloid Heroes (a double album, half live and half studio), Muswell Hillbillies, or Kinks Kronikles. Here are some slideos from Schoolboys. . . No More Looking Back is a wonderful song, with absolutely amazing guitar work from Dave Davies, and great writing and vocals from brother Ray.










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Poem: Steering Clear

The stars rotate and revolve
And shimmy and shake
At their own pace.

Billions and billions
Of stars and planets
Largely steer clear

Of one another,
Forging patterns
And rhythms in the cosmos.

The stars sing, the planets hum,
And you wonder why
I'm agnostic about atheism.
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Time-Day Event: 12:34:56 7-8-9

In ten minutes, it will be 12:34:56 7-8-9.
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My New Dick — Sarah Palin channels President Nixon

By Pablo Fanque, All This Is That National Affairs Editor
Illustrations by Jack Brummet, All This Is That Arts and Letters Editor

As I watched Sarah Palin's strangely jangled and jittery "resignation speech" last week, I was strongly reminded of another speech--Richard Nixon's "last press conference" after he lost the 1962 Governor's race in California (to Jerry Brown's dad no less). Not unlike Sarah Palin, the press rode Dick pretty hard, put him away wet, and eventually he came a little unglued. The night of his gubernatorial trouncing, he listened to his bitter staffers, and finally snapped. He went out to give his concession speech. It was a rambling sixteen minute affair tinged with bitterness toward the press and his critics. Sound familiar?

"I leave you gentleman now and you will write it. You will interpret it. That's your right. But as I leave you I want you to know — just think how much you're going to be missing. You won't have Nixon to kick around any more, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference. . ."

Dick Nixon had been called a user car salesman, red baiter, Ike's lapdog and all the rest. Sarah Palin, after the rogering she received from the press in the election, and following the final, staggering blow of last week's savage Vanity Fair article, and the unending lawsuits and investigations, decided to throw in the towel. On this chapter. Palin resigned as Governor and, like Nixon, did not talk about the future. But keep your eyes peeled. She is running, and resigning from office will only enable her to run stronger, faster, and harder. Like it or not, Sarah Palin has a base. And all it takes to become President is building on that base. Remaining as governor would not help build that base; staying in office will only lead to further diminution of her reputation. Now she needs to do her homework, start campaigning for other politicians, mend fences, collect I.O.U.s, travel, give speeches, and begin nipping at Mitt Romney's bootheels.




The media is wrong. Sarah is making the smart move. Jimmy Carter came out of nowhere (well, Georgia) with no base and far less name recognition. And he got to the big seat, trouncing a sitting President. Palin needs major rehab to her damaged political image--the damage caused by media and liberals, and most importantly, her self-inflicted wounds.

Soon to be Ex-Governor Palin will have to go to war with the Republican Establishment. She can easily best the Band of Clowns left to defend the blown husk of the G.O.P.

Compare Nixon's speech -- Listen to the audio of Nixon's infamous speech via the History Channel -- to the Palin resignation speech:





Dick Nixon was elected President of the United States of America exactly six years after his last press conference.
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