I'm a Democrat and here's a reason why.

I grew up in the segregated south. I remember segregated water fountains and restrooms. I watched all the racist southern Democrats (Dixiecrats) become Republicans, carrying their hate with them into the GOP.

This is a report from an early voting site in Florida yesterday. Five hour lines. Republican "poll watchers" challenging voters and Democratic modern day "Freedom Riders" successfully defending them, finishing the job that got people shot when I was growing up. Here's a quote from an 80 year old African American gentleman:

“When I first started I wasn’t even allowed to vote. Then, when I did, they was trying to intimidate me. But now I see all these folks here to make sure that my vote counts. This is the first time in my life that I feel like when I cast my vote it’s actually gonna be heard.”

Woe 2 America?

I should have been producing these all year. They'd look great on the back of a Hummer.

The Reformation lives

Diarmaid MacCulloch

"One of the reasons the Reformation was such an urgent, bloody affair, was that those involved had to get things right with God before he came on his final tour of inspection in the Last Days."

MacCulloch is Professor of the History of the Church at Oxford University. He wrote one of my favorite reads "Cranmer: A Life", and one of my greatly anticipated reads, "The Reformation: A History" - winner of the Wolfson History Prize, 2003.

Vote Republican, or Harry'll get ya!

Protecting America from my cousin, Harry S. Truman (first cousin, twice removed). 1949, Pennsylvania.

Some things never change.

(didn't know I was) unamerican

Happy Birthday, Sis!

June Ann Summer
1954 - 1975

Valedictorian

State basketball champion

Cowgirl

A messenger of God

Gone way too soon, I await our reunion.

John and Teresa Share a Toast at the Huber Brewery in Wisconsin.

Well, that settles it. He's got MY vote! I'll take a Berghoff Red Ale over a Coors any day of the week.

Hunter S. Thompson is not Gay.

But he sure hates bush.

Presidential politics is a vicious business, even for rich white men, and anybody who gets into it should be prepared to grapple with the meanest of the mean. The White House has never been seized by timid warriors. There are no rules, and the roadside is littered with wreckage. That is why they call it the passing lane. Just ask any candidate who ever ran against George Bush -- Al Gore, Ann Richards, John McCain -- all of them ambushed and vanquished by lies and dirty tricks. And all of them still whining about it.

Harry Clifton Summer, Jr.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

October 21, 1918 - March 17, 1996

SMU Letterman in Football.

US Army Air Force Veteran (WWII - Pacific Theater).

Entrepreneur: Real Estate, Grocery, Imports, and Retail Nursery.

Alpha-Texan.

Yellow-dog Democrat.

Not perfect, but a...

Loving Husband and Father, and a...

Born-again Christian and Evangelist.

Autumnal Chilifest

1886 Chili

2 lbs cubed beef (stew beef works well, or brisket), 1 inch cubes
1.5 cups chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz chili powder (Gebhardt’s is best, or Adams, or your favorite bulk style… but no Durkee’s or other yankee powder.)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground Comino
1 8oz can tomato sauce or 1 10oz can of RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
16 oz beer (Spaten Optimator is best, Shiner Bock is fine... WARNING! The use of any Budwieser, Miller, or Coors product can result in severe abdominal cramps and/or diarrhea.)
1 tbsp Molasses
1 tsp Masa Harina (corn meal will work)
1 dried Ancho pepper, crushed

Sear beef until grey. Drain off liquid. Add all ingredients to pot (or Crock Pot) EXCEPT Masa Harina.

Simmer 2 – 3 hours hours.
Skim grease.
Mix Masa Harina into a liquid paste and stir in.
Simmer for 1 hour, or until meat is tender.

Garnish with chopped white onions and grated cheddar cheese if desired.
Serve with saltine crackers. East Coast Liberals may use oyster crackers without penalty.

Serves 4 to 6 people. Adjust ingredients accordingly.

ACTUALLY TASTES BEST THE NEXT DAY AFTER SETTING IN FRIDGE OVERNIGHT.

WARNING! The use of any legumes in this recipe can result in intestinal gas, severe abdominal cramps and/or diarrhea.

Without a Doubt

From The Reality-Based Community.

By Ron Suskind. Read this. Read this now.

As God Is His Witness

The American Prospect Online

Just simply a brilliant article by Ayelish McGarvey. An important one, as well.

The Debates Are Over.

What's Next?

Political Footwear.

As worn by all the bestest candidates this year.

Grandchild Number One

Hosea Downing (all eight pounds three ounces of him pictured above) arrived safely at Seton Hospital in Austin Texas at 10:48 a.m. on October 8th, 2004. His mother (my daughter) Anna is doing great. "Grandmother" (the official title of my wife, Linden, also pictured above) can not be removed from the room.


"Mr. Summer" (my official title) is observing this all with the detached bemusement expected of a curmudgeon (as seen above).

Life is a miracle.

Thank You, God, for all the blessings of this life, especially the blessing of Hosea.

We will be looking at the girls he dates carefully, especially any he becomes engaged to, and very especially if the girl is named after a Marine Corps private from Mayberry, RFD.

History

Here is an excerpt of comments by Hermann Goering as interviewed by Gustave Gilbert April 18, 1946, as quoted in Gilbert's book Nuremberg Diary.

"Why, of course, the people don't want to go to war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece.

Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship.

...the people can always be brought to the bidding of their leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."

A Colorless Vice Presidential Debate

Type cast.

When I picked up my heavy-starch-oxford-cloth-buttondown-collar shirts at my cleaners yesterday, I noticed they had an old Olympia typewriter from the 1940s on their counter. This silly old typewriter actually had a superscript "th" key. They didn't know that you couldn't do that before Microsoft came up with Word. Silly "greatest generation" ever, what do they know?

Cosmological Question

Why don't limes have seeds?

No Spit Zone

Caught the last hour of the debate (half on the car radio, half on teevee). I was amazed to see W. at his worse. Petulant. Smirking. Impatient.

This national disaster must surely soon come to an end. I really do believe that part of the motivation of BushCo is to cover their asses and avoid prison time.

But, the meme I'd like to get spinning is this epitaph for the Bush administration:

The Flippant Flop.

Flippant flop.