Lipstick on a Pig

The addition of Gov. Palin to the Republican ticket just puts lipstick on a pig. I lived in AZ for all but the last two years of John McCain's political career. I always saw him as a carpetbagger who moved to the state because it would probably be easier to get elected than back east especially since his trophy wife's family made a fortune in AZ distributing alcohol. There were never any feel good stories about John McCain in the local press but plenty about the chauvinist pig aspects of his behavior including the story of his first wife.

Add to that the willingness of the Palin's to throw their 17 year old daughter under the bus, in that they knew the story of her pregnancy would go all over the globe and make this personal and painful time in that girl's life a target of speculation and judgment. My mom and dad would have protected me. They have been pissed out their skull but they would not have put me in any kind of spotlight.

The character of the Republican ticket is so shady I get chills.

White Elephant Games

I am focused on the Olympics particularly the white elephant.

What is it?



The games have given me a better glimpse into China and the people seem quite likable and remarkable like all humans. Their government is creepy. They are not straightforward with us or anyone. Remember pet food, kids toys, bootlegged DVDs and the Internet? Oh, yeah, human rights too. As good guests nobody is mentioning those glaring missteps on the world stage. I guess there is a fear that China will call in all it's economic markers and bankrupt the U.S. but then who would buy all that cheap stuff they manufacture?
But that's not the ellie.


At the end of the day our government has it's creepy moments too. The commentators mention the fact that the Chinese Athletes look a little young and that the Chinese Officials have 'birth certificates' verifying their ages. Funny how they are all turning 16 in December... The issue is not China.


The most distracting aspect of the games is that the Chinese keep parading out "15 year old" girls for the women's competitions. These lovely lithe children are not women even if they, in fact, are 15 going on 16.

The issue is that girls are not women and women are not girls. Face it, there have been some curiously childish waifs flying over uneven parallel bars for years. My focus wouldn't be entirely China-centric if redefining womanhood was not so pervasive as it is with their teams across so many disciplines especially gymnastics.

This Olympics has shown me that I would really would like to see women compete in the women's games, not children, even if those women are not as flexible or unbreakable as kids. I want women to have a chance to compete with women. Then we can see what women can do instead of being enchanted by the blissful, amazing power of childhood while the women's competition does not occur. Wasn't the first rule of vaudeville to never follow a kids act? You get nothing for that.

The Olympics recognize that a boys body strengths are not a man's body strengths. When will we recognize the strength of a woman's body? When that attribute is not valued less than the attributes of a girl women can compete against women. We can go to a new level where women's strength, grace and stamina can be displayed along with the wonderment of watching an Olympic athlete.

All women can sit at the Olympic table in that place left by the white elephant.

The Russian Pole Vaulter

Stoli makes me think Russian and Russian makes me think of the goofy pole vaulting genius who took the gold in the Olympics. They did a feature on her since she's very colorful, eccentric and often sets world records. You must hear her talk about herself. She is so in love with herself that it's laughable. I mean laughable in a way that makes me look at my oh so not throwing my body 16' in the air while giggling kind of way and saying "Today I'm going to fall that in love with me."

I don't know her name but today, thanks to her lead, I'm that in love with me and I didn't have to break any world records or toss my body over a very high bar. I'm laughing all the way. If I have a moment when I forget what a delight I am I just have to see my dog looking at me. She adores me all the time. Then it's back on the track and 16' high.

It Begins

I just put in my winter garden. The fact that I would lead with that statement tells me I've gone a long way. Here's the other clue. The paper in my former home tracked me down. A club was having it's 20 year anniversary and I had been the person who first put live entertainment into that club. Now it's the longest running rock show in town. They asked me to mention some highlights. I couldn't remember any big stellar thing except that we got it off the ground with the greenest owners in the world and a completely clean slate in a town more renowned for it's Mormon Temple than any kind of rock scene. Try to remember bands from 20 years ago when Stoli was flowing free and you had a minuscule budget. Perhaps some Stoli would help me get in the mood or at least jog my memory.

The last thing I want is spirits and I am not even bent on pulling up the memories of 20 years ago. I carried the best away with me and much like the remnants of a crappy summer garden, the rest has been turned under to rot and enrich my now.