I am not a sheep. I do not bleat.

One would think that this would be a self-evident statement that any human being worthy of that description would be able to make. Sadly, there are those who will listen to the incoherent ramblings of Bishop Wilton D. Gregory who spoke at a conference on sexual abuse by priests. Here is an excerpt:

"Sadly, even among the baptized, there are those at extremes within the churchwho have chosen to exploit the vulnerability of the bishops in this moment to advance theit own agendas. One cannot fail to hear in the distance - and sometimes very nearby - the call of the false prophet 'let us strike the shepherd and scatter the flock'. We bishops need to recognize this call and to name it clearly for what it is."

George Will has the perfect response to this type of hyperbole. Well.

Leaving aside the fact that the "shepherds" have seemed to have shown more concern and care for the wolves, the need for a hierarchy in spirituality is highly questionable. We hear much about a culture of disbelief, but there is a bigger phantom stalking churches, synagogues, temples and the like. It is tha fact that many Americans have discovered the fact that they can do spirituality for themselves, or in small, egalitarian groups. Considering Christianity alone, the idea that, on the one hand, it started with a wandering bunch of what would be referred to by the snide as "losers", but is now led by an elite group of cassocked and collared "princes", the question is begged: how did we get here from there?

Whether we regard the spirit as something substantial, or as the most thoughtful among us - Lisa Simpson - put it, a symbol of what is noble in us, its care is something that can be tended to ourselves, with the assistance of trusted family and friends. Hierarchical structures are as necessary to this as an appendix or a third nipple are to a nomally functioning human body.

OK...as mentioned yesterday, here's my early odds for the Demcratic nomination in 2004. These odds are for the nomination, not the general election. They are also who I think would be nomonated, not who should be. I will save commentary for the end.

John Kerry
11-1

Russ Feingold
13-1

Hillary Rodham Clinton
14-1

John Edwards
14-1

Robert Reich
14-1

Chris Dodd
14-1

Al Gore
14-1

Tom Daschle
16-1

Howard Dean
16-1

Dennis Kucinich
16-1

Joseph Lieberman
16-1

Bill Bradley
16-1

Dianne Feinstein
19-1

Bob Kerrey
19-1

Wesley Clark
19-1

Marcy Kaptur
19-1

Richard Gephardt
19-1

Joe Biden
23-1

Tom Vilsack
28-1

Jesse Jackson Jr.
28-1

Al Sharpton
113-1

The names above are those listed on politics1.com as having some interest in running for the presidency. The odds are assuming all will run; but such is certainly not going to be the case; to cite just one example, Joe Lieberman has said he will not seek the nomination if Al Gore does. If Lieberman is being honest, it is an either/or proposition.

Hello, again, everyone...I just got back from an annual weekend away that a friend and I take every year where we go to a sci-fi convention in Springfield, MA, which is about 40 miles north of where we live. Had a great time there, wish I has not left, as Connecticut gets harder and harder to return to every time I leave.

There are a few projects I am currently working on which I will be finishung up over the next week or so. The first is kind of a fun bit of oddsmaking on the chances of the various Democratic hopefuls of getting the nomination in 2004. The second is a more serious project, determining the level of alternative culture around the country, using the magazine "Zine Guide" as an indicator. The reason this is more serious is that I am using it as something of a guide of where I may wind up when I leave Connecticut. While important in intent, I also am having a great time doing it.

That's all for now. maybe more later, if not, tomorrow

Well, it's the day after election day, and I meet it with mixed emotion. I am saddened by the loss of Bill Curry, the best, most thoughtful Democrat to run for governor since I've been voting. I'm pleased that the state house and senate candidates I voted for won resoundingly, which will hopefully put a little sugar in Rowland's gas tank. And the US senate...arrgh...

I guess the best thing that can be said about this from my perspective is that elections are like a wave. Their complete effect are not felt until about 15-20 years down the road. The one area in which Democrats did well was in governors races, and considering that four of the last five presidents have been governors, this bodes well for the long term future.

The results I predicted in my previous post all came to pass, so things are not terrible for my own personal political world. But on the national level, the evil empire has attained full power. All that is left to do is resist, protest, campaign and teach until the next election. The battle goes on...

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One day till election day. Last night I did a little bit of calculation, and, if the election comes in as the polls are indicating, and the safe seats are held by those I anticipate, about 63% of the candidates I vote for tomorrow will be elected. If I figure it out on a weighted basis (statewide offices getting the most weight, state rep the least) I will be getting about 56% of the government I want.

For all the carping people do about their vote not making a difference, I find that this is not a terrible percentage. Of course, I could automatically increase the percentage to 100% by voting for the favorite, but this is not what democracy is all about. It is about determining the winner, it is not a horse racing ticket where you choose who you think will win. Therefore, the best strategy is to vote for the person whose values most closely reflect your own, in order to maximize your overall effectiveness in getting your ideas put into action. And this is really the point. Democracy begins on election day. It does not end there. Once you vote, you need to let the persons elected that you intend to hold them to what they said they would do that convinced you to vote for them. If you voted for their opponent, let them know that and tell them that you oppose their ideas. Let them know that if they follow through on their plans, a big contribution will be made to their next opponent. (I don't care if you don't have a dime to your name, say it anyway)

Whatever you do, take the first step tomorrow. Vote. It will help your allies and piss off...and maybe defeat....your adversaries.

In my previous commentary, I mentioned two online comics which I hope you have had time to visit. As I have said, both of these comics are ones that I enjoy. The fact that there are good comics that deal with transgendered people is a joy to see. There are similarites in each that I like, but also can be problematic. Both deal very sketchily with the past of their characters. Zoe has just moved, and Yun is just there. As said previously, Yun's parents seem to come to terms with her sexuality too easily. In Venus Envy, Erin Lindsey goes into greater detail about her character's background, but the events which led to Zoe's departure from her previous high school are glossed over.

As one who loves the comic art form, I appreciate the artistry that has been brought to the form, both in daily strips such as Zippy The Pinhead , Doonesbury, R. Crumb, and The Acme Novelty Catalog. This is one area in which both Lean on Me and Venus Envy could use some improvement. In some of the early LOM strips, the characters don't stay that true to model and cannot be easily distinguished from one another. Jade Gordon has improved greatly in the later strips. Lindsey handles the Venus Envy characters better, but seems to have occasional problems with drawing in perspective. She just moved to attend art school, and this is likely to improve the quality over time.

As I said in a previous post, there will be a once a month(only) time when I ask you to consider making a donation via paypal. If you wish to do so. please click on the link above. When December rolls around, I might think of a special offer for those who donate at a certain amount (gee, totebags seem to work for public TV!) Hey, if you like the site, think about it. Help me escape Connecticut.