Morally Bankrupt

I just went through the questionable exercise of watching the Republican presidential debate on CNN. It was mostly a lot of nonsense, reactionary bullshit, but one questioner (it was in the YouTube format) was, I thought, very poignant.
A very dignified elderly man—a retired Brigadier General in the U.S. Army—asked why the candidates believed the military was not professional enough to have openly gay and lesbian servicemembers among their ranks. The general revealed himself to be gay and, it turned out, was in the audience.
Three candidates were asked to respond. First, the cipher Duncan Hunter had the disgusting wherewithal to look the questioner in the eye and answer the 40-year veteran that his type destroyed unit cohesion. Then Mitt Romney—a political robot if ever there was one—gave a similar answer. Finally, John McCain, for whom for some reason I cling to as a reasonable Republican, gave an even more awful answer because it was cloaked in respect for the general's service; he told this lovely man that the ridiculous don't ask-don't tell policy was a good policy.
I'm completely disgusted by the inhumanity. The horrible responses to this man—notwithstanding the various noxious policy positions help by the GOP—convince me that the Republican Party is morally bankrupt. I'm saddened but not surprised. A pox on them.

Don't Sigh/Eat Pie

The title refers to a heroic couplet penned (I think) by Calvin Trillin's father at the bottom of his diner's menu. At any rate, I recently drove 2,642 miles, from Las Cruces to Chico, CA, and back, and during my drive I was often afflicted by an early-afternoon drowsiness. One day, as I approached Turlock, CA, and feeling needful of a lift, I pulled off Hwy. 99 with a strong craving for a nice slice of pie and cup of coffee. Little did I know that I would soon step into, as a waitress put it, the "Kingdom of Pie".

I hoped to find one of those places subtitled "Family Restaurant". I soon found the spot. Latif's is an increasingly rare example of pure 1960s coffee shop architecture. The waitresses were busy boxing up Thanksgiving pies, but I managed to detain one long enough to order a slice of coconut cream pie and a cup of coffee. It was truly the best pie I've ever had. And yes, that's the pie I ate in the picture.

Radiohead Cover the Smiths

Excellent cover of "Headmaster Ritual"

Trashball 111007: Must Let Tom On

This deli order slip I found on Main St. here in Las Cruces has its own buzzy sort of poetry. I can't figure out what "THUM" is meant to be though, except for an unfortunate accident at the meat slicer.

Artist of the Past Nine Decades and Possibly More

Balthus. Look the dear man up.

Trashball 110607: Alas, Poor Yorick the Mouse

Teensy little skull and bones I found in that abandoned homestead near Boise City, OK. Skull is about the size of a nickel and still has big yellow front teeth.

Trashball 110407: United We Litter

Red ribbon found near a Las Cruces high school, tossed to the ground, no doubt, by a hopped-up reprobate.

Trashball 110407: Bleeding Hearts Give Bloom

I found this on 3rd St. in Las Cruces, NM. Based on something else I found along with it against the curb, I think it's a tattoo design draft. Thoughtless that the guy didn't do it in color.

Trashball 110107: Different Out Loud

How true. Note found on Parker Ave., in Las Cruces, NM.

PS: Happy Birthday, Nicola!