Infante's Inferno

02:11 pm - WeirdPolitick

Hmmm ... so Jim Webb is solidly out of the VP race, and Hillary Clinton's made it pretty clear she doesn't want it right now. (Although she and Obama are doing some heavy, mutually-beneficial fundraising together right now, and there's suddenly a lot of old Clinton people on Team Obama: Dana Singiser, Neera Tanden, Patti Solis Doyle. Hmmm ... And General Wesley Clarke fairly solidly working as a surrogate ...)

The press has made some pretty idiotic guesses lately as to who the VP pick will be, most notably a big AP story that caused laughter everywhere saying it may well be Joe Biden. As if. And then Richard Gephardt was brandied about. Wow. I like Gephardt, but no. I sincerely doubt it.

A lot of smarter people are eyeing Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, and that's not a bad choice. But a lot of other smart people are talking seriously about Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano. And that's ... well, that's just fun.

It's clear at this juncture that Obama's refusing to play underdog in Karl Rove's outdated Southern Strategy, and good for him. Playing that game was a crucicial part of both Gore and Kerry's downfall. Obama's spending money in all fifty states, and bolstering congressional candidates that are usually left hanging. And the GOP is seriously freaking out about this, because they'd rather not have to spend money to hold congressional seats in bloody Montana. I mean, it's Montana. By all rights, it should be a solid bet for them, and it isn't right now.

So can tapping Napolitano throw Arizona into chaos? In an election where the GOP is trying to minimize the number of fronts they have to fight on, how much of a headache would that cause them? It might be worth watching the fight come straight to McCain's backyard.

07:47 pm - On the road again

I've been sorting out gig and housing stuff for our September California trip -- where we're staying, where we're reading, that sort of thing. It's all sorting itself out, but it's at times like these that I remember that I absolutely hate asking people for things. Which is silly. You have to ask for help, especially when you're looking at bouncing all over a great big state and need to sleep places.

But then, as the process goes on, I realize I have a lot of truly awesome friends.

Seriously: You people rock. You know who you are.

04:14 pm - Just a thought

So, I was looking at something or other on a message board, and people were screaming at each other (as they're prone to doing on the Internets) about "insidious political correctness."

Seems to me, it just used to be called "manners." People could do with some these days.

Signed,

Get Off of My Lawn!

02:00 pm - Still catching up ...

Lea's book of poetry, The Constant Velocity of Trains, is now on the shelves of our stalwart comic store That's Entertainment. It's not a comic book, they're just that cool.

12:33 pm - Books Update

You can now order Lea's book, The Constant Velocity of Trains, and pre-order my book, City of Insomnia, from the Write Bloody Publishing Web site!






Watch both my and myainsel's blogs for upcoming readings!

09:18 pm - Quick Update on the State of Everything ...

... or at least some things.

*Lea is home from New Hampshire. Very pleased.

*Went into Boston last night with Tony Brown to see Phil West read. He was excellent.

*I am brain-dead. More later.

04:34 pm - OK, it's bloody every where, but ...

I finally watched the Joe Cocker video, with subtitles. It is indeed among the funniest things I've seen in quite some time:

11:41 am - Another piece of rock mythology gone

Writes the Associated Press:

ASBURY PARK, N.J. — Fortune teller Madam Marie, a figure of rock ’n’ roll mythology thanks to Bruce Springsteen, has died. She was in her mid-90s.

Sally Castello tells the Asbury Park Press that her great-grandmother, Marie Castello, died Friday. The psychic reader and adviser began telling fortunes on the Asbury Park Boardwalk in New Jersey in the 1930s.

Madam Marie became famous in 1973 when Springsteen paid homage to her in the song “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy).”

His lyric, “Did you hear, the cops finally busted Madam Marie for tellin’ fortunes better than they do,” cemented her fame.

10:14 am - Sigh ...

OK. The "which candidate would you invite to a barbecue?" thing is the latest bad idea in a long line of "how not to choose a president."

Still, I have to say, I chuckled at this:

Having Obama to a barbecue would be like a relaxed family gathering, while inviting McCain "would be more like a retirement party than something fun," said Wesley Welbourne, 38, a systems engineer from Washington, D.C.

Sigh. I know, I know. I'm fallible. Forgive me.

07:58 pm - What it is ...

So, after a fascinating and remarkably civil online discussion about Obama's plan to expand Bush's Faith Based initiatives which, as it turns out, is absolutely nothing like Bush's Faith Based Initiatives, it occurs to me that Obama suffers from -- and Hillary Clinton suffered from -- the idea that they, in the eyes of the voters, have to be perfect. Which is, of course, utterly ridiculous.

Republicans frequently suffer from the the opposite: You point out that their pro-life, family values conservative candidate is actually (hypothetically speaking) a divorced serial philanderer with a history of substance abuse problems who's lived his life in a manner that's the complete and utter opposite of what they preach, and they just sort of shrug and look at you like you're David Vitter in a diaper. It takes an absolute mountain of evidence: a war in Iraq, a Hurricane in Louisiana and $4 gas, evidently -- to make most Republicans say, "Yeah, that guy's an asshole, isn't he?"

Now, Democrats, and liberals in general, have higher standards, but I can't help but notice that they're absolutely willing -- and indeed, in some cases anxious -- to attack their own at every little blip. And of course, the blips are often overblown by the media, so the screaming starts before any semblance of facts or analysis is in. Sure, I think it's a good thing to hold politicians to the fire, but there's a difference between doing that and looking for excuses to throw them in. And I'm an anarchist saying this!

Obama and Clinton have had it worse than any U.S. politician in recent memory: Dubya, Cheney, McCain, Kerry, Gore, Dean -- for all the crap any of them got, it's paled before what's been thrown at these two. And sure, racism and misogyny are shiny new angles in serious presidential politics, but both of them have suffered greatly from, ostensibly, their own side.

Sometimes, even -- Hell, especially -- from liberals, there's seemed to be this strange belief that for a black or female candidate to impress them, they'd need to be Jesus, Superman or both. And that isn't going to happen. It's been totally unfair to expect either of them to be. And yet, it persists: the screaming at every blemish -- Hell, it still haunts Clinton, and she's out of the race. (Although, to be fair, she's still a major player.)

There's all sorts of reasons for it, of course: the liberal inherent distrust of anyone running for office, a sense of belief and personal need that's in conflict with others' sense of belief in personal need. For some, it seems they've been down so long that they're actively afraid to win, and thus, have some sort of culpability if things really can't get better. I believe Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi suffer from this last one.

There's no simple answers, but sometimes I think people need to stop and ask themselves if their fighting for something, or if they're just looking to fight. Because there's a substantive difference.

11:10 am - I've missed me some Steve Lowery

 Good to see Steve back and writing again. Here's his thoughts and observations on California's recent move to allow gay marriage, from The Los Angeles City Beat:

Disappointment: So here are the legions of happy gay and lesbian couples: smiling, crying, loving, kissing, disgusting. Where’s the hotness? The forbiddenness? The sass? The hot, hot, forbidden sass? If moving pictures and television programs have taught us anything, it’s that gay and lesbian couples revel in hot fun while retaining a good-humored wisdom rivaled only by elderly African-Americans and dudes on Death Row. But these people are so god-awful human, I just can’t bear it.

Confusion: Why does anyone care about any of this? Can anyone look at these sweet, stupid, happy, dopey, horribly standard faces and say they pose a threat to anything besides the blues? How will a bunch of people being with the people they love affect your life except to make your community stronger, happier and more committed? The only reason I can think of for anyone to be offended by homosexual marriage is that they are really offended by homosexual sex. If that’s the case, relax. Nothing will stop gay sex quicker than gay marriage. That and open-toed sandals.

Sadness: In all of this discussion of constitutional rights and culture wars, there has been one segment of the clash pretty much forgotten: the commitment-phobic gay and lesbian player. Let’s face it, for a long time – well, forever – these folks have had what many straights could only dream about: a government-mandated Get-Out-Of-Marriage-Free card. Now that’s gone and they quickly will have to figure some other alibi for not pulling the trigger. I wish I could help, but my go-to was always “I am gay.”

11:47 pm - Back from New Hampshire once again

"Alcoholic Friends" by Dresden Dolls is my new favorite driving song.

Also, although I love music, I am not much for dancing. Despite this, Prince can still get me to get up and groove.

Oh, and the Alicia Ostriker/Maxine Kumin reading tonight? I put it up easily in the top ten and quite possibly in the top five of the best poetry readings I've ever been to.

10:53 am - Back to New Hampshire tonight.

Headed up to New England College later today to visit myainsel and to see Maxine Kumin and Alicia Ostriker read. The reading's free and it's only a two-hour drive, if anyone wants to head up. I wholeheartedly recommend. People really don't take enough advantage of the amazing free readings at NEC and other schools with similar programs. Anyway, there's details over in myainsel's journal.

11:12 am - Lea's new book exists!

So, I made a breakneck journey to New Hampshire to deliver myainsel the first copies of her new book, The Constant Velocity of Trains.

BOUNCEBOUNCEBOUNCE!!!!

The book is gorgeous. The folks at Write Bloody Publishing do a damn fine job:



While there's a call-out for the book on Write Bloody's Web site, it's not yet on their online store. (It doesn't "officially" come out until next month.) We have copies, but if ordering it online makes your life easier, I recommend waiting until the publisher has it up. Ordering straight from the publisher is always better with small presses, as it means they make more money, giving them more resources to publish quality literature. However, if you have a gift certificate to burn or something, Amazon.com is already soliciting it, although I disbelieve when they say they have copies in stock.

But our preferences aside, you can buy it wherever it is you buy books. Just buy it.

09:12 pm - And that's The Word

Lea's off in New Hampshire, being poetic, and while I generally save most of our regular shows, I've not been saving "The Daily Show" or "The Colbert Report."

But it is highly important that she see last night's "The Word" from Colbert:



So honey, when you get a moment, this one's for you. (:

11:33 pm - Belated secret message to radioactiveart

Rush is my favorite band that I have trouble admitting I dearly love.

03:54 pm - Irony, And Lack Thereof

It's very difficult to write about the band Dethklok, as I did for today's paper, and then turn around and write about a band like Black Dahlia Murder. It is impossible to view any death metal band the same.

09:48 am - Review of "[Growling Softly]"

Prick of the Spindle had a nice review of Blood Pudding Press' wicked little anthology, [Growling Softly], including a few nice words about my poem, "Karen's First Murder, Age 12." Give it a read, and if you haven't bought this grisly little book, go do so from Blood Pudding Press.

09:09 am - Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, Cocksucker, Motherfucker and Tits

Swore out loud when I heard George Carlin had died. Not the whole string of seven, just one big "Fuck."

Not only was he an early favorite, like he was for just about everyone who grew up when I did, he was also much on my mind lately. He played Worcester mere weeks ago, and although I didn't go, I actually saw him in person for the first time behind the Hanover Theatre, talking to a few people by the back door. It was weird. If I had been ballsier, I could have walked right up and said hello, but I've ever been that big on harassing celebrities in person. Kind of regret that now. Lea and I had also just rewatched several of his specials on HBO. It was amazing how little of it dated. He was always hysterical, and he was always one of the voices in my head telling me to keep life in perspective, because so much of it is utterly absurd.

Carlin, judging by his skits, was an atheist and didn't believe there was anything after this life. Still, if there is a next world, I hope he's at peace in it. He deserves it.

***

Lea's in New Hampshire for two weeks, working at the New England College MFA in Poetry residency. Will probably pop up when I can to see readings, although I'm not sure exactly when. If anyone wants to accompany me, drop me an e-mail or call me on my cell.

Also, the first copies of Lea's new book, The Constant Velocity of Trains, have been shipped to us from the amazing folks at Write Bloody Press. The book should be available online or wherever you buy books in about a month, give or take.

Currently, I'm in the final round of edits on my own book from Write Bloody, City of Insomnia. Between that and getting Lea ready to go out of town, I've been a little distracted, and have been slow to return e-mails. Rest assured, I'll get back to everyone as soon as I can.

04:56 pm - "The Eclectic Word" goes South!

My guests at 7 p.m. EST tonight on The Eclectic Word, will be Poet Bill Abbott and writers from "Let Them Eat Moon Pie: The Southern Fried Poetry Slam, 1992-2000."

Tune in!

Canceled due to technical difficulties. Bill and Kate will be back with us on July 18th.