unreasonable.org

An Open Letter to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

Dear DCCC:

I am greatly distressed and disappointed to learn that during the recent special Congressional election in Mississippi, the DCCC ran ads linking a key Republican donor, Sheldon Adelson, to what you refered to as "atheist China".

Certainly there are good reasons to point out the influences a foreign nation - especially one with a questionable human rights record - might have with a candidate.

But labeling China as "atheist" in this context can only be seen as a slur against atheists.

"Stevie Washington. The Angry Youth. Born to Die. New York's New York. The turn of the century. All crime."

Anybody else remember these? Ah, MTV back in the 80s. Good stuff.

After a half-hour of Google-fu - it gets even better. Here's a downloadable bootleg QuickTime movie of several episodes, courtesy of AiT/Planet Lar.

I've also found a new set of Flash animation Stevie and Zoya episodes. They don't look all that interesting, sadly. But then, they're probably not from Joe Horne, but just from some undertalented fanboy.

With my workshop at the Well this Friday, May 16, I'll be launching a new venture: Warrior Poet Consulting. Under that brand I plan to provide workshops and other training and coaching to help people develop their creativity and cultivate personal excellence.

We'll see how it goes. Still trying to figure out step 2 of the business plan:

1. Relentless self-promotion.
2. ?
3. Profit!

On the train up to New York - Kyoshi and Sensei Sandy taking their promotions tonight, I plan to be there in the morning, offer congratulations, help out with the kumite portion for lower dan tests.

Today was a balanced day - taught karate in the morning, shiatsu in the afternoon. Here's how to kill people; here's how to heal people.

Went to the open mic at Cacao Lane Wednesday, played a few songs - longest I've played since I crushed my finger, and didn't have any pain. Hooray!

Interesting episode afterwards:

the Buddha said, "do not drink alcohol"
I've never quite agreed with the Buddha on that one

and he's not
here, now
sitting at this bar
next to a young man who wants to buy us all shots
to toast the memory of his dead girlfriend

if I were the Buddha
maybe I could say something amazing about the
illusory nature of birth and death
that would help ease his pain

but I am not the Buddha

St Paddy's Day - or Irish Pride day, as I prefer to think of it... down to Leadbetters for a few in honor.

For a while I've had just a line or two from a potential song about me sainted Irish grandmother in the back of my head...

This is a song about Marion
A girl I never knew
An Irish lass from Baltimore town
With a heart so sweet and true

Now Marion could play the blues
In a dark and smoky bar
Or she could sing a hymn so sweet
T'would make your soul see stars

This is song about Marion
A girl I never knew
An Irish lass from Baltimore town
With a heart so sweet and true

Hi friends. As some of you know, for some time I've been working toward a book about some of my "Zen Pagan" ideas.

While there's still a long way to go, I'm happy to have rough
drafts of some sample chapters, and I've posted them on one of my
websites. If you'd be interested to take a look, your comments would be much appreciated.

http://infamous.net/WhyBuddhaTouchedTheEarth/

(Please feel free to invite others to take a look.)

-Tom

Promotions at the dojo today...didn't have any students going up, but spend the day helping out. Think I wrenched a muscle in my back, so I've come down to Leadbetter's for some muscle relaxant and some tunes.

Now that the smoking ban is in effect, they have these little card you put on your drink if you go out to suck on the penis of corporate America. It says "Out smoking - Leave my drink alone". Which seems a good phrase for a writing exercise:

Hanging out at Annabel's, the wine bar, on a Friday evening, around 9:30. Sitting at the bar, sipping my wine, reading *Urbanite*...a woman stands next to me, orders a drink, asks the price, the bartender says she just missed happy hour.

"That's the story of my life," I pipe up.

I called Cathy earlier, just to check up on her, let he know that I'm thinking of her at the difficult time. Got her voicemail, which somehow was a little harder than actually talking to her, hearing the same message she had when we were dating. Strange things, minds.

And of course now the Valentine's Day advertising blitz. Managed to forget over the past few years how much it sucks to have advertisers rub it in you're face that you're not getting any on V-Day. Feh.

Imbolc today - a.k.a. Candlemas, a.k.a. Groundhog Day. In old Celtic reckoning, an agricultural calendar, this cross-quarter day was seen as the start of spring. In its honor, the Well had a showing of the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day.

If you haven't seen it, check it out. While it's probably shelved in the "romantic comedy" category, it's a surprisingly spiritual film. In fact one participant in an internet forum on karate called it a real "warrior's film", which I think is accurate.

Murray's character, a weatherman named Phil Conners, finds himself living the same day over and over again - Groundhog Day, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Once he figures out what's going on, he uses the situation to learn all about the town and its inhabitants, then uses his knowledge to amuse and please himself - seducing women, robbing an armored car and spending the money to buy a fancy car, going for joyrides - all without consequence, as he wakes up the "next" morning with everything reset to the way it was. And this is enough for a while.