Is this thing on?

Hmm, not much writing happening 'round here these days. This time of year usually finds me a bit melancholy, owing to a number of unpleasant personal anniversaries. This year, it's compounded by the tragedy along the Gulf Coast. Thankfully, I've managed to track down each of my friends from that area and they're all fine, aside from being newly homeless and unemployed. Add in a heavy pace in a new position at work and a seemingly endless circular passing of low-grade illness between the members of the household. Oh, and football season started, which is a much bigger distraction than you might expect (my fantasy squad rode Fast Willie to a squeaker of an opening day win though, so that's something). Long story short, I haven't much felt funny, I'm too tired to get angry, and I've not done much reading. Makes posting here a bit tricky.

Mostly, I'm just depressed about politics since Digby is spot-on correct (and here) — the GOP will whip out the race card with a vengeance as we head into the midterm elections, and it has already begun. Sure, they're much more subtle about it than they were even twenty years ago, but they know what works and they return to it like swallows to Capistrano. That's not surprising, but it is certainly disheartening, and being a born and bred Southerner makes the perennial potency of the Southern Strategy all the more embarrassing.

Anyhow, I'm taking a few more days off to gaze at my navel, recharge the batteries, and hopefully regain some optimism. Sorry if I brought you down with me. If it helps, this clip of Noah trying to decide whether he likes lemons makes me laugh. We'll try grapefruit next.