A Brief Personal Note June 15, 2011

After promising to file a new post on Mondays and Wednesdays, I promptly missed my first deadline due to a painful case of gout in my left big toe. “Why would this affect my writing?” one may wonder. “Do I type with my toes?”

No, but I have followed common sense advice and have kept my foot elevated which has prevented me from working on my computer. Now, having spent the last three days applying the bourbon and cheesecake home remedy—washing down half a cheesecake with a cup of bourbon three time a day—I find that while my toe still aches, but I no longer care. Baring other serious side effects from this treatment or institutionalization for alcohol detox, I will return with a regular blog post tomorrow.

Nietzsche noted—Mature manhood: One had rediscovered the seriousness one had as a child at play.  

Battle Hymn of Anthony Weiner’s Penis

Mine eyes have seen a picture of Anthony Weiner’s cock:

He should have kept it in his pants wrapped inside a cotton sock;

If he’s going to leave it out that way, he should rub it with sun block

A penis is in the news!

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

A penis is in the news!

Republicans in Congress say that Weiner must resign;

His sexual behavior ‘tis not pure like yours and mine;

But David Vitter’s use of hookers they say, with them is mighty fine!

Hypocrisy marches on!

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Hypocrisy marches on!

Don’t think with your penis is advice men must obey;

It will keep us out of prison and helps us get through the day.

Anthony forgot this, but in congress he should stay!

His penis doesn’t dictate his vote!

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

His penis doesn’t dictate his vote!

Many, if not most or even all, men compartmentalize their sexual fantasies and behavior. That is how “family values” politicians, those who take strong moral stances against homosexual marriage and other forms of behavior which, to their minds, is immoral are capable of behaving in ways that would make a satyr blush. (Senator John Ensign—who resigned recently just as it was clear the Senate Ethics Committee was apt to recommend his expulsion from the Senate, and Senator David Vitter, who is still embraced by the Republican Party, are two recent examples.

This compartmentalization allows men such as Ensign and Vitter to keep from gagging at the site of their own reflections in the mirror and permits men to function rationally in mixed sex workplaces. It is this sexual compartmentalization that has kept the US House and Senate—which have historically been almost all male—from voting to require women’s ID pictures to be taken in the nude—full frontal preferably. Were it not for the compartmentalization of the male sex drive, I guarantee such a bill could garner substantial bipartisan support.

This compartmentalization of the male sexual identity also allows a man’s sexual proclivities and peccadilloes have little effect on his judgment and reasoning in other areas. This means we should not over generalize from a man’s failings stemming from his sexual behavior. That Anthony Weiner, John Ensign, and David Vitter showed poor judgment around sexual behavior, does not mean their judgment was poor in other areas.

Undeniably in the case of David Vitter, and likely in the case of John Ensign, the inability to inhibit unacceptable sexual urges may lead a man into breaking the law, which should be a border that elected officials refuse to cross—even when thinking with their penises. Anthony Weiner’s behavior, although creepy and outside our social norms, remained legal as far as we know.

True, when caught, Anthony Weiner did lie to us all, but if we were to make that a criterion for remaining in Congress, every Congressman who pretends to believe that lowering taxes on the wealthy will lead to job growth would have to resign immediately. That is a lie which threatens to screw our economy, and that is sexual behavior far worse than Weiner’s.

A Brief Personal Note:

For the last several months, I have be exclusively focused on writing a new novel and have therefore been remiss in keeping up this blog. And while I have not finished the novel, I feel compelled to return to blogging as we are entering dangerous times for the nation.

I hope to get posts out at least every Monday and Wednesday, and more often as the spirit moves me. I probably will not be posting Friday through Sunday as I will be taking 3 day weekends off for fishing.

Attention Congressional Democrats: Reality Calling.

It feels very odd to be on opposite sides from Congressional liberals/progressives and commentators who I normally look to for leadership and wisdom. Rarely if ever have I found myself disagreeing with the likes of Chuck Schumer, Barney Franks, Anthony Weiner, Bernie Sanders and Keith Olbermann (although I find myself disagreeing with Olbermann more often these days). However, in resisting President Obama’s tax cut compromise, these liberals/progressives and others like them have lost touch with what passes for “reality” in the US Senate.

That reality is governed by the Republican filibuster—the need to craft legislation which will attract the support of two or more Republican Senators needed to reach the 60 vote threshold to break the Republican filibuster of virtually all legislation.

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Open letter to Democratic Senators: Please Support President Obama’s Tax Cut Compromise!

[I urge you to use http://www.contactingthecongress.org/ to find and e-mail your senators and tell them to support passage of President Obama’s Tax Cut Compromise and to persuade other senators to do so as well. This letter is geared toward Democratic Senators. If one or more of your Senators is a Republican, you will obviously want to modify this letter, but please write to urge their support for this legislation which is very important for the American Economy.]

Dear Senator (Name)

I am a staunch liberal/progressive, and I am asking you to support President Obama’s Tax Cut compromise. Frankly, the current liberal/progressive brouhaha over the President’s proposed compromise is the kind of partisan posturing that so offends independent and Democratic crossover voters and does nothing good for the American people. If it results in this compromise being defeated, it actually risks doing real harm to the economy.

In the current political situation, a pragmatic progressive/liberal politician, with the good of the American people at heart, forges the best compromise he or she can, and that is what President Obama has done.

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