Ramble On

Permit me a few ramblings and musings, as I've got a few weeks worth of stuff crammed in my head (I really need to get serious and start keeping notebooks full of material) since the last time I've been on to write.

Only in Arizona. AZ is one F'd up state, in fact it should get a new abbreviation, FUAZ. Don't get me wrong, I love my adopted home state, and especially in another month or two when the heat finally breaks it's a pretty decent place to live. I love the desert and its natural wonder beauty. There are plenty of good decent folks that live here, despite what an outsider would understandably think about the place. I'm sure if I still lived in the golden state I'd have that air of superiority about Arizona and believe that it's a state full of gun-toting, Mexican-deporting, Fox News-watching cowboys, rednecks, and gun freaks. Well, I'm not gonna lie, it is all that (and more) but we're not all ass-backward Whiteys trying to protect our diminishing slice of the real American dream; being in the majority and imposing our values and desires on those who weren't so lucky to be born with fair skin and male sex organs.

But Arizona is becoming a more diverse and colorful place, at least in the big city. This is what I think makes so many White Arizonans cringe, they don't want to give up their share of the pie, and someone with a little extra pigmentation and the nerve to speak English with an accent, or heaven forbid actually speak another language aren't generally looked on too kindly. In Arizona we like to protect our borders, gotta keep them durn terrorists out of our back yard, it's all about security you know. We like Mexicans so long as they are mowing our yards, washing our cars, or making good carne asada. But if you ain't got papers boy, better get back down South, this here is a good law abiding nation, can't have people flaunt our laws. Just like starting in the spring of 2003 the American public all of a sudden gave a shiite about the freedom of ordinary Iraqi's, now we are all for law and order and keeping out the terrorists from crossing over our southern border. Never mind the fact that our borders have been porous forever and there have been no known sleeper cells coming up from the south, when did the good hard working White folk of America ever let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Lest you think all that occupies my mind is the serious stuff, let's get to our national pastime (after deporting Mexicans) of pro football. Big Ben Rothlisberger, for those of you who don't follow the national pastime is the quarterback of the much loved Pittsburgh Steelers and oh yeah, a rapist, and wait, is also apparently a reformed man. Must be true because that's what Steeler fans seem to think, and who is more morally superior than Steeler fans, they stand for everything that is right in the world, unlike us Raider fans who root for a bunch of thugs and derelicts. Except last I checked the Silver and Black didn't have any rapists on the roster, but again, why ruin that good story.

The NFL obsessed public (which includes yours truly)seems to have decided that he's suffered enough and will, I predict, welcome Big Ben back with open arms when he returns from suspension after a few games, nothing more than a bitch-slap on the wrist. Needless to say I won't be one of those rooting for the guy, in fact I wouldn't hold it against a defensive lineman who loves his own daughter the way I do from going after dude's knees, not that I would root for that but I wouldn't shed a tear either. Michael Vick was crucified, and rightfully so, for his role in dog-fighting. He will never be welcomed back into the graces of the mainstream sports fan nation. Big Ben just got a tsk tsk and well, he's young and boys will be boys. Oh yeah, in case you didn't know, Vick is Black, Ben is White, not that that has anything to do with it of course.

A few last ramblings before I depart. Tiger Woods' divorce is final, I'm thinking we can let the guy off the hook now, he screwed up, got caught, served a pretty good penance, will likely never regain the pre-SUV golf club status he enjoyed, but I think he's suffered enough. I still like Mickelson better, he's always been my guy because in addition to loving his style of play and his man of the people persona, he's a fellow Sun Devil (even matriculated at the same time as me) and with his football gambling and weight fluctuations a fellow a guy can relate to. But I'm gonna start rooting for Tiger again.

John McCain beat this completely conservative jackass named Hayworth or Hayword (I can never remember) which proves two things. One is that AZ ain't so redneck as you might think. The second is that what the hell difference do elections really make, because McCain, at least the post-Palin version is pretty much of a joke, but that's the choice you get living here.

And lastly, someone will have to tell me how the big Glenn Beck rally went today. Nice that he decided to honor MLK by having it on the same day as King's famous speech, what a swell guy he must be, I have to assume this because I've never actually seen or heard his show. I'll bet his God fearing tea drinking crowd are pretty well versed in their civil rights history too, as I'm sure the token Blacks in the crowd will attest to. Stay brave and free Mr. Beck, America needs more people like you. Who else would Stewart and Colbert have to lampoon if you, Rush, and Bill went away. Long Live the Republic!