I think one could begin a book, starting on a Saturday afternoon in the last weekend of September, and with just that information evoke a particular smell and temperature and feel of the wind; add a third floor apartment above a city park, every tree but one still green, a high overcast sky...and here I am, writing my first top comments.
Nothing happend today, really...absolutely nothing. Thematic pegs on which to swing are in short supply. I had a great conversation though, the night before last, about how firmly we grip our models for the universe.
My friend -- a brilliant guy -- was of the opinion that our experience of spiritual ecstasy -- of union with the divine, of transcendence -- could be brought to the everyday. That the feeling of connection can, with effort, translate to the common, meet our grim adult selves, and our daily lives could lift on that, become wiser and more aware and free of certain regular, accustomed pain. I took the position -- being the great optimist I am -- that these moments of transcendence, examined in too much detail or replicated too carelessly, would wear out, would become infected with the mundane and unexamined, common and predictably shiny like well used keyboards-- and that enlightenment, for those of us who are not mad or divine or disciplined masters of some esoteric art, was something best glimpsed out of the corner of the eye, always a gift, momentary, or nothing at all.
In the end we ended up at a sort of compromise -- ok, I caved -- to the effect that there is this great distance between the ecstatic and the ordinary, full of annealed defenses built from all the terrible, awful shit we've had happen to us and the grim, necessary stories which sustain. We make our crosses into our crutches so often and so well that it becomes very hard to throw them away, or toss them into some greater fire to be reshaped, and questionable as well, because the joy may not repair the loss of our defenses. But perhaps...just perhaps...we have a greater joy in reach. It was a profoundly optimistic conversation, of the sort that refracts around the edges of one’s fear and pursues truths which tend to elide more pedestrian inquiry.
I’m still a bit giddy from the whole chat. Normally I’m the kind of person who finds "rich in loss" to be a good reason to smile, but this was the sort of breadcrumb trail that leads past the first few certainties and offers, in the least, an expanded view.
All of which I find useful, as at least one recent legislative flap depressed me terribly. We all have cupboards full of political disappointments. The last two presidential elections are like big bags of overstuffed flour in the front, the sort of thing one keeps behind closed doors for fear of the fluff of fine powder clogging the eyes. Behind that are ancient peanuts, fermenting jellybellies, expired spices and bad cilantro: FISA, Ronald Reagan, I-677, the NY state ENDA...it’s a long list! Some good moments though. Gregoire squeaking by in Washington in the last gubernatorial election. The recent passage of the LGBT rights bill in Washington state, managing to reverse an initiative loss, about a decade on, with a huge legislative win. For a few brief moments, the 2006 federal elections...
Well. OK. But good stuff happens. Sometimes because the bread can’t always land on the jam, and sometimes because there’s an organic connection, in groups and individuals, with what’s true and right; sometimes, because cats know how to fall.
Today we have, in no particular order of specialness (all are special! Have some chocolate!) the following submitted top comments. First a few I found (not many, due to my newbiehood). I quite enjoyed a very special box of crackers from playtonjr. What can I say, I have a dark sense of humor. bottsimons' description of a dog absolutely made my day. YellowDogBlue's summary of the necessary ingredients for political action was cogent, to the point, and memorable. And, from Diana in NoVa, a description of a morning in West Virginia.
Our real submissions -- cue Loreena McKinnit harp, for which I am very very (very) grateful:
from sardonyx:
In Rep John Hall's diary to Markos promising a censure resolution Monday against Rush Limbaugh, after TrueBlueCT points out that Hall voted to censure MoveOn, mataliandy gives Hall a spanking for "playing right into the hands of those who want to restrict our rights to free speech." (I very much wish this hadn't been a post-and-run diary without a single additional comment from Hall; he's doing himself and us a great disservice.)
Kargomania writes the bluntly titled—if accurate—comment: Thomas. Not a moron, but an asshole. From gchaucer2's diary Clarence Thomas Makes Case for Recusal.
operculum visits the Limerick Saturday diary to deposit an offering about Ron Paul, and a mere 30 minutes later has found another place to post it. Did someone forget to note this was also Synchronicity Saturday and/or Serendipity Saturday?
From cronesense:
jalapeno's take on why Newt dropped out brings a new way to spell a Republican front-runner name that is very apropos his nature, but citizenx's rejoinder is priceless.
sherlyle has some really horrid news about Fred Barnes (is there any other kind?). The replies are quite pithy.
Anna M has a very informative comment that just blew me away.
from carnacki, in a west virginia blue mood:
Appropriately enough, right on carnacki" is the title of this note from petestern on the W.V. scene, and wvablue's humble response to carnacki's a personal appeal
from RiaD
This is also from Carnacki's diary today:
David78209 asks a question that just blew me away, and wvablue has
best reply ever!
via carolita
Roddy McCorley sees the real genius behind Rush Limbaugh's remarks.
4thepeople explains why Catholics (and all Christians) should support full civil rights for all GLBT people in Carnacki's a personal appeal
quantumspin articulates what I have long thought about Turkana's diaries.
via taylormattd:
In gchaucher2's diary, which makes the case that Justice Clarence Thomas should recuse himself on a great number of issues that come before the Supreme Court, Kargomania sums up Thomas' pathetic legacy.
Nina Katarina has a very amusing reaction to hearing good ole Newt has decided he won't run for president in 2008. Anyone remember Oral Roberts?
In Turkana's diary about Bush accepting genocide in Iraq, bumblebums takes note of the very sobering refugee situation in Iraq.
From St Louis Woman
decembersue gives us a funny and over the top description from a diary whose purpose was, really, this comment...
from MBNYC
a poem from operculum
top mojo:
Top Mojo excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments:
1) Thank you and actually I have a strange by eaglecries — 104
2) By the way by Anglico — 84
3) No, nyceve, I can't bear this. As a by blue jersey mom — 76
4) Eric Prince was also... by carver — 72
5) South Africa fires by colorado bob 1 — 70
6) WTF by Old Left Good Left — 68
7) His Hate-Filled Sister by bink — 62
8) I've finally started to eat! by BigStick — 61
9) Blackwater Money by Magnifico — 58
10) Like a squirrel all over the last nut on earth. by Dood Abides — 55
11) MY FP--Son 1 heads back to the UK tomorrow by blue jersey mom — 53
12) Oh, shit. by alasmoses — 52
13) I'll donate to Edwards for you by Dallasdoc — 52
14) Fodder for attorneys? by JFinNe — 50
15) The Terri Schiavo hypocrisy was gross by FishOutofWater — 49
16) It's UNCONSTITUTIONAL by mataliandy — 47
17) Same people by coral — 47
18) The thing is that the Blackwater "brand" will by inclusiveheart — 47
19) Missing the big number by zenbowl — 47
20) As North Carolinians by historys mysteries — 46
21) MFP: today has been insane and I am run raggedy. by blueteam — 46
22) How old? Actually I will be 69 on OCT 4th n/t by eaglecries — 45
23) Let's see by plf515 — 45
24) Dominionist by Anglico — 44
25) They want to tell us by Moody Loner — 44
26) mind if we do both? by agnostic — 44
27) Good catch by BarbinMD — 42
28) I am still by mango — 42
29) Excellent diary, turkana. by TomP — 42
30) There is more carbon sequestered in northern by daliscar — 42
31) long time by tvb — 42
Top Mojo with No Exclusions:
1) Tips to the memory by gchaucer2 — 240
2) TJ by FishOutofWater — 235
3) seymour hersh by Turkana — 229
4) The mind reels. . . . by nyceve — 192
5) Don't tip me by Anglico — 180
6) Everyday Four at Four by Magnifico — 144
7) Tip by Carnacki — 116
8) Thank you and actually I have a strange by eaglecries — 104
9) Tips, thoughts, comments welcome. by GreyHawk — 103
10) Republicans... by KingOneEye — 90
11) By the way by Anglico — 84
12) tips by jsamuel — 77
13) No, nyceve, I can't bear this. As a by blue jersey mom — 76
14) Just thought you might wanna know! by super simian — 74
15) Tips or preferably please donate to candidate n/t by eaglecries — 73
16) Tips by kestrel9000 — 73
17) Eric Prince was also... by carver — 72
18) South Africa fires by colorado bob 1 — 70
19) WTF by Old Left Good Left — 68
20) Tips? Skewers? by DemDog — 67
21) His Hate-Filled Sister by bink — 62
22) I want chocolate mojo! by va dare — 62
23) I've finally started to eat! by BigStick — 61
24) Tips. by Land of Enchantment — 60
25) tips by itsmitch — 60
26) Blackwater Money by Magnifico — 58
27) Tipjar by OneCrankyDom — 57
28) Here is by itsmitch — 57
29) Like a squirrel all over the last nut on earth. by Dood Abides — 55
30) Good morning everyone! by Frankenoid — 54
Infinite thanks to sardonyx. I apologize in advance to all commenters, submitters and diarists for any duplications or stupidities.
Big shout out to RiaD, whose submitted comments did not make it in until the end, when sardonyx let me know her screen name...