Excuse me, your sign is dumb.

DC instituted early voting this year, and I voted today for the first time as a District of Columbia resident. I'm not going to launch a political discussion here, and anyone who I've talked to for thirty seconds about the DC mayoral race probably knows who I voted for anyway, but let me tell you who I did NOT vote for.

Carlos Allen.

I submit that being best known for being that other White House party crasher probably isn't going to help your campaign, but that's not why I'm bringing him up. One of his signs is on the corner near my condo, and every time I walk past it, it irks the hell out of me, because one of his slogans is "The First Afro-Latino in history." For one thing, what the hell does THAT have to do with anything? And for another, it doesn't even make sense. He may be the first Afro-Latino candidate for mayor, but that's not what it says. And I think the many citizens of the Dominican Republic, among others, may take issue with the idea that he is the first person in all of recorded human history to be both of African and Latino descent.

On the one hand, I can take solace in the fact that his crazy ass got bounced off of the Democratic ballot. On the other hand, he's apparently now planning to run as an Independent in November, and while he still doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell it means that I'm going to have to look at his stupid signs for another two months.

In other DC politics news, the most annoying person I've ever encountered on the Internet was caught on tape stealing campaign signs, and I rejoiced. I have never met this woman in person, nor do I care to, but every time one of her emails comes over a community listserv, I gag a little. And because I am a bitchy, vindictive person, I thoroughly enjoy seeing hypocrites exposed.

2006 = 1984?

From Simply Orwellian: Cutting and running from 'stay the course'
By Leonard Pitts Jr.
Originally published October 29, 2006
Available at the Baltimore Sun

The Party said that Oceania had never been in alliance with Eurasia. He, Winston Smith, knew that Oceania had been in alliance with Eurasia as short a time as four years ago. But where did that knowledge exist? Only in his own consciousness, which in any case must soon be annihilated. And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed - if all records told the same tale - then the lie passed into history and became truth. "Who controls the past," ran the Party slogan, "controls the future: Who controls the present controls the past." -from 1984 by George Orwell

I'm here to tell you we're going to stay the course. - George W. Bush, Nov. 28, 2003

We've got to stay the course, and we will stay the course. - George W. Bush, April 5, 2004

The United States of America will stay the course. - George W. Bush, Nov. 21, 2004

We will stay the course; we will complete the job in Iraq. - George W. Bush, Aug. 4, 2005

We will stay the course, we will help this young Iraqi democracy succeed. - George W. Bush, Aug. 31, 2006

Listen, we've never been 'stay the course.' - George W. Bush, Oct. 22, 2006

Fuck You, Cynthia McKinney.

Ok, this really pisses me off. She walked around the metal detector--which is totally allowed, if she is wearing proper identification, which she wasn't--and when the officer didn't recognize her--and did his job to protect the Capitol--she hit him.

She hit a police officer. Who the hell is she, Zsa Zsa? With all of the talk about securing our nation, our elected officials pull this shit? And now, instead of owning up to her mistake and issuing an apology, she's saying that she was inappropriately touched and racially profiled.

She walked around the metal detector and the officer didn't recognize her. I absolutely believe that racial profiling goes on in this country, and it is an abomination. But this is not racial profiling. This is an officer of the law responding to a perceived threat to the center of our country's power. I have a hunch he would have moved to stop her whether she was black, white or pink with polka dots. For Rep. McKinney to claim racial profiling in this case is unconscionable. It detracts from the experience of the many people of color who are in fact victim to this practice.

And as far as the "inappropriately touched" comment, unless he stopped her by grabbing her breasts or her crotch, that's bullshit. She's lucky he didn't tackle her.

I hate the sense of entitlement people in this country have. Guess what--the rules apply to you, too. I hope you lose your election. I wish I lived in your district so I could vote against you. And I swear to God, if I did, I'd vote for an anti-choice, homophobic Republican before I voted for you.

Fuck you, Cynthia McKinney. You are what is wrong with this country.