Nutcaseheadliosis

November 2 could be the day that America willingly chooses to perform a substantial lobotomy on itself. If the lying, misinformed, new GOP 'Tea' totalers find success and distract this country by getting into power; it could be the beginning of a dimness we didn't think possible. Who would have ever thought we could suffer anything worse than the Bush years! When the W reign began, I thought to myself, "Oh Christ... This is scarier than the Reagan years. I didn't think that was possible." I am learning. It seems things can always get a whole lot worse before they ever get better.

Any thoughtful, far reaching vision of 'doing the right thing' is so bedraggled and morally strangled that I am not certain we ever will truly progress and allow this country to lead the way through a coming century of dire possibilities. We are already 20 years behind on legislation that should have seriously curbed carbon emissions back in the 1980s or earlier. With a very conservative Republican run House of Representatives, we will lose at least another two years with nothing getting done. Teaheads like Ken Buck of Colorado have no problem at all spouting that climate change is a hoax. As he states such alarming commentary, (not to mention he thinks gay people are the equivalent of being alcoholic) he does so with cavalier smugness showing zero regard for science and the people who devote their lives to such research. His disdain for anyone who would believe and understand the evidence that has been presented time and time again is brushed aside like a little girl who wants to show daddy her crayon drawing. People like him embrace intellectualism and higher learning like a vampire who wakes up in the park at daybreak. In essence: they run the hell away! It's like, "Let me say the most irresponsible, sophomoric thing I can come up with and eventually bring our nation to its knees through willful ignorance." To say he is deplorable is cutting him some slack.

Unfortunately, Buck is not an anomaly in this coming election. Sharron Angle, Christine O'Donnell, Rand Paul, Joe Miller and John Raese appear to be the leaders in Nutcaseheadliosis. And just think, if these yahoos get in (O'Donnell won't. Even she is too much of an embarrassment for Republicans), they can join forces with our current line up of stupidity mongers like Jim DiMint, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and Michelle Bachman. Luckily Carl Paladino is so hot-headed and lame brained that he's been pulled off to the rest stop for the remainder of the race.

To the liberal people in my camp (and we may have to put barbed wire around us and move into a secluded valley in Vermont soon), we know all this. It's my Republican friends (do I really have any?) who are already dancing in the streets and celebrating the continued loss of brain cells and greed that I worry about. Case in point: Log cabin Republicans have always been an unsettling presence within the gay community. However, it was one thing when they were supporting Bob Dole or Mitt Romney. Now they are practically jubilant that they can be part of a power base that partners them with some of their most vehement opponents. It is more than mind boggling. It is shameful. Bizarro World doesn't get much better than this. It's like a McDonald's worker giving donations to the Anti-minimum wage Club of America. I have never gotten them. I never will. How about all the seniors who want the health care reform peeled back but will undoubtedly scream if their Medicare or Social Security is taken away as proposed by Alaska's Joe Miller?

Those are just two examples of what the mindset of the hypocritically challenged purport. I could list dozens as you well know.

The bottom line is this. Until the two houses of Congress and all of their constituents figure out a way to change the laws so that true campaign finance reform is enacted, we are screwed. Now that corporations can funnel as much money as possible into elections without any consequences, things will only get worse. Both parties are dependent on corporate money and now they can fill their private pools with it. Republicans are without a doubt more diabolical in their use of cash but an equality in limited public spending needs to apply to both ideologies. When and if that happens, this country may have a real chance to get something done. The scary thing is, no one sees that reform anytime soon. We are already paralyzed with polarity. Extreme conservatives appear to be winning the battle at present. Significant progress could conceivably be stalled for a decade unless a concerted effort by both sides comes about. I don't see it. The Republicans want the power forever and if they can hold it, nothing will change.

I will be the first to admit that I have had my frustration with Obama and the Democrats the last two years. He has largely ignored his base and the mandate that swept him into office. Allowing the minority party the ability to steer us to where we are now is really quite unforgivable in many ways. There were times when the President was left without choice because the blocking began the moment he took his hand off the Bible on that cold, January day in 09. Still, the White House messaging team has done a very poor job of listing whatever accomplishments they did achieve and now the Right has muddled everything so badly that the uninformed simply do not know.

Certainly governing is much harder than campaigning but Obama's leadership and vision were manipulated when both could have stayed strong. All we can hope is that Mr. President will go for broke the last two years. I would rather see him crash and burn doing the right things than give in anymore to the lock-stepping plutocrats who are about to take over. It would be beautiful to see him finally find his mojo and become the hot mess he is supposed to be. Maybe this country will come out of its coma and see that electing crazy people is not the answer to being upset about a poor economy and our tax structure. The President walked into a flying blizzard of excrement. Sure he lost his way at times but who wouldn't when the Republicans were dead set against helping him really solve the problems beyond the raging storm. I just hope we don't pay too high a price for the emotionally immature tantrum voting that these jerks excelled at every chance they had.

And as far as the screaming about national debt and over spending goes, I am in the Krugman Klub. We should have made the stimulus even bigger with more flashy projects. Instead of some meager sign touting 'The American Recovery Act' for an anonymous bridge being rebuilt in Florida, a Tennessee Valley sized solar energy project in the Nevada desert would have been nice. The New Deal worked for Roosevelt until he caved to the Republicans in 1937/38. The Works Progress program put multitudes to work. When it was cut back, the economy slid precipitously until World War II came along.

In the end, it may take a 'true' revolution that is not run by dumb people in colonial tri-cornered hats who misinterpret the constitution. If we don't get this country on the freeway to Smartsville and catch up to the rest of civilized society, we may become a very large Banana Republic that only brags about its extensive variety of reality shows numbing our masses. A broken class of people could very soon be living off the scraps of modern Marie Antoinettes. American Feudalism is just around the corner and no one seems to care as long as a Kardashian is fighting with her sister.

"Let them eat IPods and give me another tax break!"

I try to be optimistic but this time really is pretty downright spooky. At a time when we very much need our best and brightest working in Washington to figure out a complex future, we are left with some true idiots who shouldn't even be running for student council. The Tea Pod People are really going to set us back if too many get into power and metastasize. They could not have come along at a worse time. If I weren't agnostic, I would say "God help us." The best I can do is "Gaga help us." I'll take a woman in a meat dress any day over a meathead who dresses like Paul Revere and thinks our constitution was divined by God. How very mortified Mr. Jefferson would be.

Aging is only a number and blah, blah, blah.....

Birthdays, Schmirthdays.... They just don't feel as celebratory as they once did. If one likes cruel reminders once a year as to how your body is quickly grinding to a halt; they're just peachy-keen.

I turned 54 a few weeks ago. That is exactly ten years older than 44 (and that was a year prominently situated in middle age that appeared to have somewhat crisis oriented numerals.) Now I find myself in my mid-50s which is essentially 60, since six years will go by in a rheumy blink of an eye. And that little fact is not only wrong but uncalled for. I want my money back and a Botox special thrown in. In approximately 10 years I will be collecting Social Security (unless the Tea Party dumps it overboard) and receiving Medicare (unless the Tea Party yanks it too and forces us to barter with chickens for health care.) I mean, I will BE a senior citizen and most likely driving a K-Car while wearing over-sized sunglasses. R.E.M. will be playing on my car speakers and I will be confused.

The process of aging is looked upon a bit overly optimistic. People always say "Oh, it's just a number...." Tell that to my mother who turned 92 this past summer and has no choice but to take a daily water pill and scoot back and forth in her walker several times to the bathroom because she has neuropathy in her feet. Congestive heart failure requires her to keep her lungs clear, thus the need to release moisture from her body. She wears two hearing aids, has a shoulder that is a constant aggravation and must be on oxygen at night to keep her O2 levels up during the day. She tires easily after enjoying lunch with friends and must return for at least a 45 minute nap. But, it's only a number. A number that is a lot different than 36 or even 76, in her case. Luckily her mind is good and she has most of the personality she had when I was a kid. In some ways it is a curse too because she knows exactly what her limitations are and it can be very frustrating. I admire her tenacity. Giving up would have been easy but she pile drives on. Per perseverance has a deep well.

I guess age does bring some fringe benefits. You get called "Sir" a lot. That's kind of fun. Next year I will get a discount on the menu at Denny's. I can correct people in their 20s when they are trying to be authorities on anything before 1975. For instance, one day I was talking about the night the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan. The kids were impressed until I wandered into other guests I had also seen on the show like Mrs. Miller and Topo Gigo. The last two caused them to feign checking text messages.

Oh sure, it could be worse. It can always be worse. Even my mother can say that. Still, it is not a process I am readily willing to accept. Not yet. Once my body completely sags and black socks with crocks are my favorite shoe wear then maybe I can give in a bit. Until then I will keep 'Just for Men' in business, moisturize myself intravenously and maybe get away with looking 42 in candle lit rooms.

So, here's what I'm left with.....one 'wicked' and inspiring act (As in Elphaba sings to Glinda.) "I think I'll try defying gravity and you can't pull me down!"