Jude

Okay, although I love most music, I admit I am, like Andrew Breitbart, an "alternative snob." Hey, I feel entitled. When all my little friends were just figuring out that Shaun Cassidy was not cool, I was already into bands like REM.

Anyway I am reading this blurb in National Review Online (via lucianne.com) and there was mention of this singer called "Jude" who had a "steely spine." I am ashamed to say I rolled my eyes and thought. "Oh lord not another teeny-bopper dweeb who is going to embarrass conservatives everywhere." But then I clicked on the link to his "coming out" article.

First, he was smart, and I like smart. Second, he made me laugh, which is always a good thing. Third, unlike most of Hollywood, he didn't come across as someone who was arrogant enough to think he ought to tell me how I should live my life. That really drives me bug f#$k. But....I didn't want to listen to his music, because I am a music snob. Shame on me. I listened anyway and then I bought two cds from cdbaby. You can listen to samples of his music on his website here.

Also I am pretty sure that if I described someone that I have to deal with for work as "like the Cheat, without the gold tooth," he would not look at me like I was a mutant.

I am definitely a fan and hope that he will play Jazzfest sometime. As an added bonus, I don't think he would spoil the show by injecting politics into it.

He says that he is not so brave. I disagree. I am a coward. I did not have a McCain sign in my yard because I was afraid that my house would be vandalized or that some nutjob would come into the yard and poison my cats or dogs. (I might have taken the risk for Fred Thompson.)

Last night I lurked on the live blog of 24. Truth be told, I stopped watching in season 2, and I think the show is absolute drivel, but I loved his Mystery Science Theater 3000 version. Definitely the proper treatment of this show.

Sarah Palin

First, it is out there so I have to comment on it. I am appalled at all the hateful comments about Sarah Palin's daughter. Let's face it, if she were a Democrat you would have never heard about it because Bristol would have done the unspeakable. Also, I am not so far removed from my own teenage years that I have forgotten all the things I did against my parents' good counsel (I have no intention of listing them, just in case they are reading this blog). I don't see how any of this reflects on her ability to be vice president. Her stance on the important issues that affect the country as a whole is really what matters to me.

All I can say about her speech this evening is "Wow". I want to be like her when I grow up. Okay, she is only two or three years older than I am, but she is a lot of things that I aspire to be. And her take on the crucial issues that are important to me is dead on.

Here's what she says about energy:

With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers.

To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies ... or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia ... or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries ... we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas.

And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: we've got lots of both.

Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems - as if we all didn't know that already.

But the fact that drilling won't solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all.

About the economy:

Congress spends too much ... [Obama]promises more.

Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.

The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes, ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that's now opened for business - like millions of others who run small businesses.

How are they going to be any better off if taxes go up? Or maybe you're trying to keep your job at a plant in Michigan or Ohio ... or create jobs with clean coal from Pennsylvania or West Virginia ... or keep a small farm in the family right here in Minnesota.

How are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy?

I, for one, was truly impressed.