I'm better, thanks! The grippe broke yesterday just after I saw a Sportsbog about St Benny of Olsen photobombing at a charity tennis event Tuesday night in DC. I'd been thinking this just a so-so fever, a When Did Wednesday Go From Being the Busiest Weekday in Blegsylvania to the Slowest kind of fever, but these two photos seared into my brain's rolodex as only images when first observed feverish can sear. Here's the standard homage to Olsen:
He's been elected to DC United's Hall of Tradition, to be inducted before the September 15 game v Ningland, and I didn't know he wasn't in the Hall of Tradition. I just assumed he was in. And what the fuck were 19% of the voters thinking. But yes, I felt better enough to get some reading done so links for you who tune in for links, not grippe updates. Whatcha think?
- Today in Swallow My Hypocrisy and Complicity and Like It: Olsen’s team, “The Stars,” also included radio personality Mark Plotkin, Ward 7 Councilwoman Yvette Alexander, former Indiana Governor Evan Bayh, ex-Louisiana Senator John Breaux (holding the trophy above), former Redskins linebacker Rocky McIntosh, economist Alan Krueger, National Economic Council director Gene Sperling, Ohio Congressman Steve LaTourette and a few Kastles regulars. Motherfucking Kastles regulars.
- Obedience.
- Attic Amnesia is primarily about Greece, but does open with this shot: The catastrophic situation in Greece has disappeared from the headlines in recent weeks, replaced largely by lurid reports from Syria, where religious extremists aligned with al Qaeda are wreaking carnage with suicide bombers in the capital -- to the cheers of America's adamant anti-terrorists.
- Real democracy.
- Lands, empires, multiculturalism.
- I confess, listening to Republicans squeal about Corporate hardball intramural politics still makes my heart pitter-pat even it's lost the last ter in my mostly unsuccessful fight to untribalize myself.
- I give that ter to motherfucking Democrats.
- What's a socialist?
- The answer is Yes.
- Against community.
- Good to the last drop.
- Things you might have missed.
- Measured existence.
- Want to see/hear. Buy me and Earthgirl and Planet tickets to Paris, hotel rooms, we'll pay for our own meals, thanks, for this weekend after tomorrow for my birthday, please and thanks. Ironically, I couldn't go next weekend because United has a home friendly v PSG. Go to both!
- Poemflow.
- Brian May, who wrote the two Queen songs below, is 65 today.
ON THE SUBJECT OF DOCTORS
James Tate
I like to see doctors cough.
What kind of human being
would grab all your money
just when you're down?
I'm not saying they enjoy this:
"Sorry, Mr. Rodriguez, that's it,
no hope! You might as well
hand over your wallet." Hell no,
they'd rather be playing golf
and swapping jokes about our feet.
Some of them smoke marijuana
and are alcoholics, and their moral
turpitude is famous: who gets to see
most sex organs in the world? Not
poets. With the hours they keep
they need drugs more than anyone.
Germ city, there's no hope
looking down those fire-engine throats.
They're bound to get sick themselves
sometime; and I happen to be there
myself in a high fever
taking my plastic medicine seriously
with the doctors, who are dying.
