some links fo' yo' big ass

Lee at Verbum Ipsum has an excellent post riffing off my first Kerry post, but which is also relevant to my response to the Smallholder. Lee lays out the issues more clearly and concisely than I do; I suggest you give his post a read, then try muddling through both of mine again. I might make more sense after you visit Lee.

Conrad links to a chunk of John Kerry's, uh, record.

Fan-damn-tastic fisking by the Party Pooper of some anti-American lyrics (dating back to 2002) from a song called "Fucking USA."

Peking Duck has a worrying post about "the end of democracy." Take special note of the "update" section. That's the part that disturbed me.

Justin Yoshida finds humor in Japan's 23rd typhoon. He also points to some of the weirdest alternative sushi you'll ever see: Twinkie sushi.

Annika is back, but I'm finding that all MuNu blogs (not just SimonWorld, as originally thought) are taking a million years to open, no matter which PC I'm sitting at. HEY! MuNu managers! What's up wid dat!?

Alas, I did delete another lady from my blogroll. She just wasn't posting frequently enough, and hasn't claimed she's on hiatus. It's with deep regret that I nix her. Sadness. To her credit, her continued cyber-absence must mean she has a far more evolved social life than I do.

Julie manages to wedge a dog between her ass cheeks. I assume this is part of a project that will involve progressively larger dogs. When she finally posts the Great Dane photo, I'll link to it.

Arn writes a brief-but-lusty post on my favorite subject.

Wooj also demonstrates a deep understanding of my favorite subject. He obviously gets what I was trying to say in my earlier shit post, because he writes:

I just came home, because I had to take a dump, and I wanted to take a dump under optimal conditions with maximum comfort. The dump was beautiful. Not just the process of taking it, but the shit itself. Beautiful. It was the crowning act of a day of hard work. Always remember: When you have to take a shit, don't just try to get rid of it using whatever means available. Have respect for the shit. Damnit, it's a part of you too. Shitting is just as important for survival as eating. If you value your food and treat it with proper manners, then also value your shit and treat it with proper manners. Be food-smart, but also be shit-smart. Your shit is a reflection of you and your body. In essence, your shit is you, and you are your shit. Hence, I am my shit, but your shit is not mine, so you are not me, our shit is not ours, and therefore we are not us.

Bye.

Glooooooooorious.

Finally, we've got co-blogger Ariel (temporarily replacing Andi) over at Ditch the Raft. Ariel writes an excellent post on the role of meditation in her life. I'm still hoping Dr. Vallicella will write about his own meditative practice; I still don't know whether it's a Buddhist, Taoist, Christian, or Hindu technique... or something else entirely.

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