just doing my civic duty: run-on sentences.

somewhere along the line i learned that the most holy domain of the political writer is to make all sorts of arcane comparisons and references to obsolete politicians. "a modern day spiro t. agnew" or "more like dino rossi than a.d. roselini." that sorta thing. anyway, i was reading the monday times at the parents' yesterday and a columnist from somewhere, philly, i think cos that's where he said he grew up, though an unfortunate number of foreigners like him end up here in seattle, though his column is syndicated, which usually if he's from seattle wouldn't happen cos no one outside of seattle gives a flying ()*&(&^)&*^(*&%(*^% what seattlites think, and he said he was stoked to see former president clinton had apologised for his economic practices during his two terms in office and had admitted to making mistakes both in policy and in taking the advice of his, um, paid advisers, some of whom now work, of all places, in the white house for president obama. the columnist went on to muse that, just maybe, clinton's apologies and admissions would lead to a renewal of good-faith negotiations on economic policy and maybe even to the fixing of problems. to which i'd add that the killing of john wilkes booth TOTALLY stopped presidential assassinations. (of course, one could argue that lee harvey oswald's death did halt presidential assassinations in the US, but unfortunately it seems like just a matter of time before some crazed palin supporter with banana clip takes after "that red n*&&^%".) maybe it's just that being back in seattle for six REEEEEEEALLY long months has got me back on the crotchety train, but i just don't have patience for all the idle discussion about "maybes" and "hopefullys". health care "reform" got passed, but in reality it is just a shell of what still needs to be done and is just another way to force us to carry insurance when just about every other first world country has socialised (not a scary word to me at all) medicine that works for everyone involved. as i read on the back of the "wally's world" pickup in enumclaw, "i'm happy to pay taxes." i don't mind covering for my neighbours when they get in a bind. i do believe that somewhere in the bible (that book thing alla them "neo cons" and "tea party activists" thump vigorously with hands, feet, and probly some unmentionables) it says to "love thy neighbour" and talks about charity and all that, but i suppose "charity" is code for "when i damn well feel like it and it makes me look good, otherwise i AIN'T GOT NONE, DO YOU HEAR ME?!!!" helping each other in an orderly, well planned fashion just doesn't jive with that. band-aids? we're all about 'em. blood drives? only when there's an earthquake! and taxed, thought out health care? that's communism!! i half expect to start hearing about a "new red scare". there was tons of propaganda about president obama's "socialist" plans and secretary clinton's "communism", so dust bowl politics may not be too far behind.

in other, less "exciting" news, being back in town has reminded me of all the "fashion" i ain't been seeing for the last six months. all the "ink" and the facial hair tattered not by the wind and sun and ice but by the rigors of standing in the beer and wine section at the ballard market choosing which belgian is intellectually more stimulating and wether that eloquent little pinot is worth a second visit. of course, when fashion is measured in millimeters of waterproofing and grams/24hours of breathability, individual "style" tends to fall away. though the past two or three winters, the trend toward steezier wardrobes in the hills has kinda mirrored the trend in town toward bewilderment; white kids at ski hills tryna look like gun runners in south central and white kids in town tryna look like an out of date fashion spread from, say, mid-1987.
i also forgot the trend here toward non functioning bikes, in contrast to the ski industry's trend toward skis that make monkeys look like mcconkeys. all the chopped riser bar, no-braked converted road bikes and "vintage" (read: torn from the dumpster) schwinn collegiates with inadequate brakes rolling around.
anyway, in about an hour and a half i'll be giving the woman next to me a really big hug when i pick her up at the airport. that'll cheer me up.