Since I know posts fall off Craigslist after awhile, I wanted to preserve this before it was gone forever.

Ten Reasons Gays Shouldn’t Marry

10. Homosexuality is not natural, much like eyeglasses, polyester, and birth control.

9. Heterosexual marriage has been around a long time and hasn’t changed at all; women are property, blacks can’t marry whites, and divorce is illegal.

8. Gay marriage should be decided by the people, not the courts, because majority-elected legislatures, not courts, have historically protected the rights of the minorities.

7. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That’s why we have only one religion in America.

6. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

5. Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That’s why single parents are forbidden to raise children.

4. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society. Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time, and we could never adapt to new social norms because we haven’t adapted to things like cars or longer life spans.

3. Heterosexual marriages are valid because they produce children. Infertile couples and old people can’t legally get married because the world needs more children.

2. Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better, because a “seperate but equal” institution is always constitutional. Separate schools for African-Americans worked just as well as separate marriages for gays and lesbians will.

1. Obviously, gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

And if that wasn’t enough, Westboro Baptist Church (they do not get a link from me, they are behind the God Hates Fags site) came to Portland today and had themselves a good old fashioned protest. Clearly they did not realize that Portland is a protest town and we come correct for this stuff. See some photos taken by The One True B!x of their cute little attempt at stirring up support here. It isn’t often I say this proudly: We’re a buncha liberal hippies in PDX, and us treehuggers tend to be gayhuggers too so it’s adorable that you tried, but given your failure here I hope you go home and stay there.

This time I was there in one small capacity: Sponsor Entourage. Initech has sponsored every single Ignite event thus far, which is cool. So this time all I had to do was show up early as part of the cow-orker carpool and that was fantastic! Plus, Teh Scoot and I got a new video camera That Very Day which was shipped to my office so I got to try it out on unsuspecting presenters. Here are my thoughts in no particular order:

* YAY sponsor video! It’s so much faster and I liked the interstitial graphics and some of the videos were creative and fun. However this is a missed opportunity for geeks to scream their fool heads off in appreciation of The Silicon Florist, one Mister Rick Turoczy himself. While that bit is disappointing I think sponsor vids are generally fab.

* YAY audience! I saw a TON of people I didn’t recognize at all and that was awesome. I also saw people I knew or recognized who were hanging with other people I didn’t know. Not that I am some sort of social director or anything but it is fantastic to see that such a cross section of folks show up to Ignite since it started as a pretty geeky event. I love love love that it is not another Tweetup. (:

* BOO audience! Shut up. I know you got in free. I know you have been drinking beer since whenever you started drinking beer. But please. Shut. Up. I asked nicely and got nowhere. Don’t make me suggest to the organizers that we need ushers or drink limits to keep loud idiots like you from effing it up for everybody else.

* YAY organizers! I love that this event comes together the way it does, and useful feedback (read: not just people bitching) is always taken to heart. I love that there is a ticket system, and that showing it on your phone (i or otherwise) will get you in. I love that we are a community such that tickets are needed. I love that when I was the volunteer coordinator for #3 my experience was awesome.

* YAY volunteers! Organize all you want but it doesn’t do you any good if you have no backup and volunteers are all about having your back. Especially in Portland, I love that we have so many volunteers to help out. It’s so nice to know that if I’m hoping to have some sort of event where I need bodies it will totally happen. We are helpful and that is awesome.

* YAY Bagdad! They sort of volunteer for this too, but the staff is phenomenal and they put up with a full house just for us and I want to make sure they get appreciated for it. I know they don’t do it for free but they could make it a really painful experience if they wanted to and they totally don’t. It’s awesome!

* YAY speakers! It is awesome that we have people willing to talk about The Ten Commandments (of Karaoke), or How to bluff (by my wonderful friend Cami Kaos). I even discovered What Portland can learn from Kentucky. Which was awesome, I might add. It is amazing that we have people willing to get up in front of a Bagdad full of people and talk about whatever it is with slides for five minutes.

* YAY Twitter! You knew I’d get here eventually right? Just because I didn’t know everybody doesn’t mean I didn’t give or get hellos from a LOT of people. I forget how many people I actually do know or am at least acquainted with until I go someplace like Ignite and I’m there with cow-orkers who don’t know any of these people. From that point of view I do kind of look like I know everybody. (: Plus it was a couple of fateful tweets about Ignite Seattle that created the one we have! (And in case you didn’t know, we were on the Twitter trends list!)

* YAY community! I got to say hi to people and wave to more and cheer for presenters I knew and it was a really really good time. Plus someone said to me, and I quote, “That’s just reason 101 why you rock!” which made my day. I love that Portland turns out like this for events like this. We rule! This is why I love living here.

I won’t even go into the afterparty we had at the Spaceroom where Miss Cami and I had two glasses of punch and decided our husbands, who share the common quality of quietly tolerating their wives and their rampant geekery, should TOTALLY hang out. And that we managed to get the Silicon Florist himself to take a great chinposin avatar picture and even though I had to go home and wash my hair (nosmoking January can’t come soon enough!) I had a great time. I can’t wait for Five!

This episode is the twelfth episode of Season Four (or Thirty depending who you ask), called The Stolen Earth. From the site: Earth’s greatest heroes assemble, to fight the New Dalek Empire. But a fearsome old enemy waits in the shadows…

* Everything’s fine? Yeah it kind of is…
* Good, I like Saturdays. hee!
* I’m still a bit confused about Donna and Rose, honestly. And why Donna is so frakking pivotal.
* Milk jugs asplode? Yikes!
* Why does the Doctor have his hand? Doesn’t Jack have it? WTF?
* Isn’t it good Rose is coming back? I’m glad he thinks so but I disagree.
* We didn’t move the Earth is gone? Horry clap!
* Far across the universe? But how is she someplace that doesn’t exist anymore?
* Martha? Hm.
* Jack! Gwen! Ianto! Nice.
* Sarah? I just don’t watch her show. I hope I don’t miss out on something important.
* Grampy Wilf! You green swine! They always want the women! This ep’s first mention: I love Grampy Wilf!
* WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FRAKKING SKY?????
* Rose and her big gun and bigger teeth?
* Oh my. That gold stuff looks like all rift all the time. uh oh.
* Fearsome technology? From the DOCTOR? oh noes.
* The Shadow Proclamation?
* Who are the news people? Are they from other BBC shows or what?
* Ianto gets the giggles. hehehehe
* I love you ya big idiot. heh.
* I wonder what good Ianto’s local knowledge is now? (:
* Let me guess, UNIT is gonna do their best to frak it up.
* Martha’s cell is out of service? Odd.
* That looks like a lot of ships.
* Ah, looting. Humans at their finest.
* Hey look it’s Rose’s teeth! I’m sure her and her gun will be along in a moment.
* Spaceships? Grampy Wilf should be happy, not sad he can’t find Donna.
* Tell me you put something in my drink. hee!
* Project Indigo? I wonder what that is.
* Mister Smith is kind of neat.
* OMG! EXTERMINATE!
* Captain Jack can’t stop a Dalek? Are you serious?
* Rose unmade the Emperor Dalek at the end of series one? WTF?
* Where did they come from?
* I wonder what Sarah Jane remembers of them, I don’t really remember her time as his companion so I don’t know what her knowledge of them is.
* Supreme Dalek on the bridge? The Crucible will be complete? Ultimate Destiny?
* Daleks want Earth? WOW that is a lot of Daleks.
* Did The Doctor get the message en route to the Shadow Proclamation?
* Oh he wore his good coat. Nice. And speaks Judoon? Since when? He didn’t really speak to them last time round.
* Timelords can’t possibly exist?
* I’ve got a missing planet. Heh.
* So who is she? I don’t know a lot about the Proclamation really.
* 24 worlds have been taken? Who’d want Klom? heh.
* Her eyes are freaky.
* Pyrovilia? It’s a cold case? Adipose 3 was last as well? Lost moon of Poosh? I wondered why there were so many lost.
* Don’t get all spaceman? ha!
* Someone tried to move the Earth once before, a long time ago…? Really?
* Project Indigo is being activated? Here’s hoping!
* Did that Dalek say “And I hate UNIT”? I wouldn’t be surprised, but still.
* She’s taking the what key? (looks it up) It’s the Osterhagen Key. Oh my GORD, not the Osterhagen Key! (I have no idea what that is.)
* But talk about the nick of time there Martha!
* Martha is down? (Did he say scattered into atoms or into ATMOS?) Then what’s going to happen to her?
* Who is asking about The Doctor?
* Give me more Jack and Gwen and Ianto! Oh who am I kidding? Gimme more Jack and Ianto! Grr, baby. VERY grr.
* Prepare the Crucible?
* The abomination? Dalek Caan? WTF is a Dalek Caan?
* Those eyes are six kinds of freaky.
* There is something on her back? STILL? Or was something?
* You’re something new?
* Knock it off Donna you are brilliant!
* Loss that is yet to come? Uh oh.
* Bees disappearing? That’s a warning right?
* Freak storms are going on too.
* Stop talking and do it!
* Seize your transport?
* Doctor is going to lead a battle?
* Yes Doctor you get that key for her wink wink!
* She orders him to stop? Hmm.
* Grampy Wilf and a paintgun! That rules!
* Oh no, those poor people!!
* GO GRAMPY WILF! Ah crap.
* D’you wanna swap? I love him!
* Rose saved them? I must admit if this Rose and this Doctor were adventuring I would probably like it. I bet the TARDIS can’t hold him and her and her teeth though. I don’t care HOW much it’s “bigger on the inside” I just don’t don’t think so.
* Medusa Cascade? Why are they there? Why did it stop?
* You can’t give up! You are the bloody DOCTOR!
* We surrender? Oh noes. I’m glad to see other people on Earth reacting though. But how do all these people just give up?
* OMG! Who is that? Harriet Jones?
* Captain Jack Harkness shame on you! I think I like her a bit more…
* Webcam? She wouldn’t let me she said they’re naughty. hahahahahaha
* WOW she’s a surprise!
* Slytheen? I think I should watch a bit of Sarah Jane!
* I knew the Earth would be in danger and the Doctor would fail to appear?
* Shut up Rose! Now is NOT the time to be jealous.
* Her son is awesome!
* Hello. Ianto Jones. (:
* My life doesn’t matter. Not if it saves the Earth.
* I can’t believe it took a woman who never actually went anywhere with the Doctor on a real adventure to get them all to get going. I mean yay, but wow.
* OMG the phone rang! HOORAY! Nice tracky thing and beams from the column in Cardiff.
* Is she sacrificing Mister Smith? He’s looking a bit melty.
* TARDIS on fire? Oh noes!
* Tell the Doctor from me he chose his companions well.
* She went out like a hero. Good for her!
* Why are the planets appearing round them??
* A second out of place? Weird.
* He found them, yay!
* Outer space Facebook? Heh.
* The Dark Lord is come?
* WHO IS THAT VOICE?
* Davros? Again? HOW?
* I guess I can see that being possible?
* He made more Daleks? EW EW EW!
* Is Davros or the Doctor the Dark Lord the crazy one is talking about?
* Everlasting Death for the most faithful companion? Which one? What makes it everlasting?
* Indigo is gonna zap Jack someplace?
* And that big gun too?
* Ohhhhhh no. I don’t think Gwen and Ianto are gonna be fine at all.
* Tell me Sarah Jane doesn’t have ATMOS. (:
* How did she zap around like that?
* Why don’t you ask her yourself?
* How did she get there, right there?
* Whaaaaaa??????
* No no no no no no no no no. Just…no.
* Nice gun show, Jack.
* Like Owen, like Tosh. I am SO glad I watched that first!
* It’s starting?
* But he can’t…with the…and the…but…what?
* Sarah Jane? NOOOOO!
* Who’s coming in the door? How did a Dalek get in the front door?
* Ooh! I must admit watching him regenerate is pretty awesome. It was neat last time too.

I like how they went about this episode, and how they got everyone together. I didn’t like that Rose sort of reverted back to spoiled self-centered Rose, she’s way neater when she’s her own person. I also really like how they did the slow reveal on Davros. I thought they did a damn fine job with The Master at the end of Series Three so I am glad to see Davros back in this one. I am DYING that I can’t watch the next one right now! GAH!!!!

This episode is the eleventh episode of Season Four (or Thirty depending who you ask), called Turn Left. From the site: As Donna’s world collapses, she finds help from a mysterious blonde woman - but can Donna and Rose stop the approaching Darkness?

* Someplace Asian. Hmmm.
* I love watching them enjoy themselves! Lovely!
* Where is she off to?
* Your future predicted? She’s happy now! Hooray! You know, or not.
* She can see a man. A remarkable man. That’s true!
* What the hell is that scrabbling clattery noise behind her?
* This is weird, watching the flashbacks.
* What if you go right? She wouldn’t have anything she has now.
* OMG SOMETHING ON HER BACK! From the Roman episode?
* Don’t do it!!
* OK fine, but only because I love a good alt.timeline tale!
* Christmas eh?
* Is that blonde woman her friend Nerys or whatever her name was?
* She can see the bug sorta but not…?
* OMG the Christmas star is the Racnos spider thing! And she’s missing it!
* She was supposed to be the middle of that and now she’s a spectator.
* Something on your back? That’s EXACTLY what they told her in Pompeii!
* Found a body? Who what now?
* OMG! Screwdriver? Doctor? Regenerate? NO NO NO NO!
* Don’t do this to me Russell T Davies you terrible man!
* Who to the what now? But she’s….
* She looks a LOT different now. Sounds different too. Did she get freakish giant horsetooth caps? I guess we’ll see.
* She turned her head and they were gone. ??
* Sacked? Oh I. Don’t. Think. So.
* And there goes the hospital with Martha in it.
* His name is Morganstern? Like Rosencranz and GuildenSTERN?
* Martha died? Oh I don’t think so.
* Aliens! I LOVE THE GRAMPY SHOW!
* She gave up on Donna? Oh noes!
* And Sarah Jane is gone now too? That one survivor wasn’t her?
* And there’s Rose! Rocketing out of nowhere? WTF?
* Oh yes, giant megacreepy teeth.
* Use the raffle? How does she know? And how did she end up there? And why was it blue behind her?
* Grampy is wearing not one but TWO pair of antlers. I love him! Have I mentioned that?
* What’s on the BBC? There is a thing on her but there isn’t but there is?
* What IS she saying? I certainly can’t tell.
* Annnnd there’s the Titanic!
* And it did not work this time! No Doctor to save it and now it went wrong. This is sad…
* I’m supposed to be out there selling papers…
* Wow, who knew the left turn would make all that happen? Really makes you wonder.
* I feel like we’ve seen this street in Leeds before…
* What a nice man he is, trying to make the best of it.
* What? Dissolved entirely into fat? I TOLD YOU THEY SHOULD HAVE COME HERE!
* Grampy looks thinner, and Mum is about to go round the bend I think if she hasn’t already.
* Again with the no bees! That’s bad mmkay?
* Even Mum singing Bohemian Rhapsody, she might be actually happy for a moment!
* Atmos! Here we go! Almost up to the beginning of this episode aren’t we?
* Bright blue light? What’s there now? Rose again?
* Oh look Rose. Well her teeth anyway. She’ll be along a few minutes after.
* Sontaran ship, band of fighters? Mickey?
* Rose is with Torchwood in this one? Gwen and Yanto died? Oh noes!
* Great hair? Heh.
* She saved his life? NOW she remembers!
* The Darkness? All universes? So she’s not here from Torchwood?
* She’s the most important woman in the whole of creation? How? What does that mean?
* Good LORD I am distracted by her giant Nancy Kerrigan teeth now.
* I mean… Good LORD I am dishhtrachted by her shiant Nanshy Kerrigan teesh now.
* Aw, I love that he is excited about the future.
* Labor camps? England for the English?
* Oh, that moment between those two men. All those unspoken words. My heart is breaking.
* Labor camps. That’s what they called them last time! Oh no oh no oh no oh no….
* Mum’s done. That’s sad. At least when she was on about something she had a passion for that…
* Poor Donna, Mum’s agreed she’s useless.
* I love you Grampy.
* Stars are going out? Yeah that’s bad.
* O hai Rose’s teeth! O hai Rose!
* She’s like, assumed the role of Doctor? No name and all of that…
* Seriously I can’t watch her creepy teeth. She smiles and it freaks me right the hell out. Plush she hash a hard time talkingsh with them.
* He showed Roshe she wash brilliant? I don’t know that I believe that.
* Show it to us!
* OMG I’d freak out too.
* Nice long flowy coat btw there Donna. Long and brown…
* How does she know it was a right or left turn?
* Relevant to the mission? What the hell?
* Poor Donna, I feel so bad for her again.
* How are they finding her?
* This is to combat dehydration. Hee!
* Oooh! It’sh a thime mashine!
* SHAY YESH YOU GIANT TOOTHED IDIOT!
* More importantly who was it that beckoned her into that fortune telling booth? What do they gain from all this?
* Four minutes. Half a mile. Eight minute mile seems reasonable to most.
* Oh Donna. What are you going to do to stop yourself? This should be good.
* Oh noes! She won’t make it?
* She’s gotta toss herself in front of the truck?
* Was that the Italian man from her other reality?
* She didn’t die. Good!
* Tell him thish: two wordsh: What are they?
* Left it is!
* None of those other things happened that way!
* How did she do it?
* What will you be? That’s creepy….why did she run off that way?
* Why did we do one Doctor only ep and now one Donna only ep?
* Parallel worlds? We know they are sealed off.
* Library too, now this…
* Is she River Song?
* She said the stars are going out, all worlds. What are the two words she had for him?
* Those two words were Bad Wolf!?
* Ohhhhh no. How is it everything? And why?
* Didn’t Rose plant those herself?
* OMG it’s everybody!
* Break for these now while I watch Torchwood I think. I’mma need those now!
* She’s wearing the same thing she was wearing at the end of the first episode. (I thought so!)

* This does not mean we are not a racist country. This does not mean there are not more people who will take a shot (literally) at him. People who are Americans.

* This does not mean we are finished. Not by a damn sight. If you made calls for Obama (as an official volunteer or using the iPhone app) you need to keep doing that sort of thing.

* This does not mean things will be immediately better. You heard the man himself say so: It may take MORE THAN A TERM to really set things right again.

* This is the first step in a long long journey to restoring the world’s faith in us and our reputation. Do not think for one second that President Obama automatically gives us back our cred.

* This is the time to knock off the cynicsm. Stop acting like you can’t make a difference. Clearly you can. And you have. Now that you get a crack at this don’t screw it up. Trying to RE-do something is always harder than doing it in the first place.

* This is the time to remember. Hit that little “Record” in your brain and try to capture this night. How it feels, how YOU feel, how you were part of it, what you did to help this night happen (hint: YOU VOTED. R or D or I or whatever, it doesn’t matter as long as it was a vote. If you didn’t, leave this blog immediately.). I know most elections aren’t really of this magnitude, but you were part of the process and that is always a good thing.

* This is NOT the time to stop. Winning the election was not the finish.

* This is HUGE for America. Whoever you voted for, please support the new guy until you have a reason not to. When John Wayne heard that JFK won he said “I didn’t vote for him, but he’s my president, and I hope he does a good job.” Let’s try to keep that in mind, ok?

* This is the perfect time to remember what the new guy has said all along: There are no red states or blue states, just the UNITED States of America.

I do some of these things already. Here’s a list of things I do now to be part of the process:

* Subscribe to Megavote. I can keep up on how my Senators/Reps vote VIA EMAIL.

* Contact people! Congress.org has a spot there on the left where you can enter your zip code and find your Congressional folks. Get ahold of them and tell them what you think! You can also check out places like True Majority and MoveOn.org to find out about issues being discussed or voted on and sometimes it’s as easy as replying to an email to get your name listed as supporting or opposing a particular issue. And you have a cell phone right? You probably aren’t using EVERY space for contacts. Put your Congresspeeps in there and tell them what you think.

* Get informed. I know I’m lefty but watch Rachel Maddow once in awhile even if you aren’t. She’s not a shouter, she LOVES talking policy, and never makes personal attacks on those who disagree with her. She loves to be engaged and in total disagreement with someone. I think you’ll like it. She’s fun to watch and there are a fair number of people watching her who probably don’t necessarily agree with all her views but watch anyway. Try it!

* Admit you’re wrong. It happens. Stop forwarding crazy emails even if they support your point of view, quit repeating things you aren’t absolutely certain are true, and mostly STOP running around saying something to people SIMPLY because CNN or Fox or MSNBC told you to. Come to your own conclusion and use that quote to back you up. (:

* Don’t gloat. Quit feeling superior, stop being smug, knock off all the superior nonsense. We are still pretty majorly buggered, and that’s not going to change just because we elected him. We gotta help him get it done.

I may add to this later when I am awake. But for now, check those out and if I missed anything please let me know.

Here in Oregon we have two candidates for a Senate seat: Gordon Smith who holds the seat now, and his challenger, Jeff Merkley. This is my attempt to work out some of my conflict over who to vote for.

Gordon Smith Pros:
* From Pendleton
(He lives near my mom, actually. I like the perspective this gives him. As someone from ‘out east’ he has a point of view that Portlanders don’t have.)
* Sits on several Committees/Subcommittees (Ranking Minority Member on at least 1)
(Do you know how long it takes to become someone with enough power to get on a committee? It’s a LONG time. And it gives us visibility.)
* Has deviated from Party Lockstep ™ from time to time
(This matters to me because it means he has a stance of his own. NOBODY should ever march in complete lockstep all the time. Thinking for yourself FTW!)

Gordon Smith Cons:
* Republican
(We all know what this means. There are some larger issues I disagree with him on.)
* Fudging a bit on the “pro gay” issue
(He says he’s all gay friendly or whatever, but he’d vote FOR a Constitutional ban on gay marriage and that’s wrong in like 8 different ways. He just helped pass hate crime laws. Good, certainly, but not enough IMO.)
* Helped Trent Lott maintain Minority Whip position
(Trent #$@ * Anti-abortion stance
(I can't call it pro-life, I just can't. He thinks it is wrong and I can't get behind that.)
* Pro Broadcast Flag
(Kind of a big deal really. This matters to me a LOT.)
* Running sleaziest/most negative campaign ads on TV (except maybe Merkley’s)
(Seriously. They are SO bad!!)

Jeff Merkley Pros:
* Democrat
(So we agree on some of the bigger stuff.)
* Unanimously elected to Oregon’s Speaker Of The House position
(In Oregon I’m pretty sure a unanimous anything is a big frigging deal.)
* Director of Habitat For Humanity’s Portland chapter
(This is good. I like that he’s done something that helps other people.)
* Pro “gay marriage”
(I use quotes because it should just be “marriage” and it should be for everybody. He agrees.)

Jeff Merkley Cons:
* Took away my Sudafed
(HUGE red flag for me. Sudafed is prescription only in Oregon now, and one of the biggest tines on the VOTE YES fork was “who, pray who, will think of the children!?” and it bugs me when someone is swayed by that. We still have a lot of meth, btw.)
* Claims he “grew up in a mill town” but graduated from a Portland HS
(I don’t get this. Why would his ad say it? It was super easy for me to determine this was hooey. They moved to Portland after FIRST GRADE. That barely even counts as living in the wilderness! I graduated high school from a teeny town where I spent my whole life. That’s a huge difference, Jeff.)
* Increased school FUNDING, but not school ACCOUNTABILITY for funding.
(If someone says they need ten dollars and you give it to them and a week later they need ten more, how many times do you give it before going “what are you doing with all that cash?” This is what already aggravates me about school funding.)
* Running sleaziest/most negative campaign ads on TV (except maybe Smith’s)
(Seriously. They are SO bad!!)

So while it would be nice to have Smith’s experience and committee seats, knowing that Merkley could possibly help the Senate hit the filibuster proof 60 votes would also be really nice.

If you know something I should be considering, or if I’m mistaken on something already in this list, please let me know. Thank you!

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve rejiggered the sidebar over there. I did it to add two cool things to my sidebar: One is the Google gadget I titled “get your vote on” that gives you voter registration information no matter where you are (just feed it your city and state), and one is the bit underneath it titled “call your congressman” where you enter your zip code* and it tells you who your Congressional representatives are so you can get ahold of them and give them the what-for. It’s what they’re for, so don’t be shy!

If you want even MORE information about Congressional goings-on you can sign up for the newsletter offered by Congress.org called MegaVote and this one I like because it’s low traffic (once a week or so) and packed full of info. You tell it where you are and when bills are voted on it tells you how your representatives voted. I like this because I have every one of my reps in my phone and I call them and tell them how I feel about this or that, and then I check that against how MegaVote says they actually voted and then I follow up and either thank them for voting how I wanted or tell them I’m disappointed they didn’t vote how I wanted. For me that’s the good bit, the followup. It lets them know someone is paying attention, whether you agreed with them or not. I am not as good at this as I want to be, but I do a lot more of it than most people do (according to my informal statistics).

So check it out! Get involved! We need you more than ever. If you aren’t sure about some of the voting basics (hey, it happens, I’m sure there are a LOT of Americans whose only voting experience is calling in to American Idol) you can check out the FAQ at Declare Yourself. If you already know and you’re political to begin with you might want to take that act on the road. The Great Schlep is trying to get everyone to visit their retired Jewish grandparents in Florida so they know the issues and know how important the whole voting thing is for you. If the facts don’t seem so factual and you want to see if what one guy said about the other guy was true, your best bet is probably FactCheck dot org since they are nonprofit and nonpartisan (no really they are, not like the airquote fair and balanced of some news organizations), so they gain nothing by being honest. They come down on the side of facts, not the side of corporations or moral outrage or whatever else.

If I am missing a political resource that you find particularly handy, add it in the comments. I don’t want to leave anyone out!

*I want to make the results on call your congressman appear in a box below it like the Google gadget does. If you have any insight into this process and can help me make it work I will buy you a beer at the next Beer and Blog or a bacony treat of your choice.

It wasn’t.

My attitude was fine. I just kept coming home in a good mood, sounding almost chipper as I related that day’s tragedies to Mister Fishbones. I felt really weird about it and then I finally figured out why I felt so upbeat.

I had a chiropractic appointment, a massage appointment, and a friendly get together during the week. Since the get together was friendly, I was hugged a lot, and obviously getting cracked and kneaded meant there was laying on of hands (and elbows and whatever else).

I was supposed to be having a miserable week and it just didn’t happen because I had a whole lot of physical contact, and all of it was pleasant so it totally cheered me up. My fundamental outlook wasn’t bad at all, even though things were showing obvious signs of coming apart.

So if you are having a really bad week, or just a crummy day, find someone willing and get a hug. Or have your sweetie hold your hand awhile or whatever. Just get to touching already!

I like to think that I can reach out and “touch” people on the interwebs with my blog, or on Twitter, or through IM or what have you, and to some extent that’s true. But to really get the full range of human interaction you have got to drop those quotes and actually touch people.

If you are reading this when it’s posted, GO TO BED! It is late. Get some snuggles in before your sweetie is completely asleep. If you read this when it isn’t bedtime, find someone today who needs a hug* and hug them. It’s win-win, really.

*I would prefer you were trying to hug people you know. Look where trying to just give hugs away will get you:

This episode is the tenth episode of Season Four (or Thirty depending who you ask), called Midnight. From the site: The Doctor is trapped, powerless and terrified, on the planet Midnight, as the knocking on the wall begins…

* Sapphire Waterfall? Antigravity restaurant with bibs?
* What could possibly go wrong? Uh huh.
* DUDE! Look at all that complimentary stuff! I can’t even get a drink refill most of the time.
* Wow, what a lovely pair they are, he introduces himself but she’s bothering him? Hm.
* Oh goody. I was worried there was no emo in the future.
* What is she singing? I’m guessing retro 60’s TV.
* If I were on that flight I’d kill someone and it wouldn’t take long.
* We’ll have to talk to each other? You know the Doctor LOVES that! Awesome.
* Oh gee, he mostly has you do his grunt work. Imagine that!
* I hope she does find Poosh or whatever it is.
* She needed her space? Interesting it’s treated as no big deal. I mean it should be but it usually isn’t.
* Nobody ever there ever? I call shenanigans!
* Way to sashay up front Doctor! Woohoo!
* I’m a Doctor I’m very clever. Heee!
* Hi Claude! Hi Driver Joe!
* Let’s look outside? OK let’s see it!
* Poisoned by the sun? I have a hard time believing that…
* We’re the first? Cool. Worked out by computer though? Oh I don’t think that was random…
* Was there really something to see? I watched it twice and couldn’t tell.
* Completely unnecessary? She’s all worked up.
* She knows about the engines? Interesting.
* Oh look hysteria! Fabulous! Awful woman, that mother.
* WTF was that!?
* I am really over the Professor. It is impossible for someone to be outside! Someone maybe but not someTHING. Tard.
* Ooh! Knocking three times!
* Cripes, two of the women on this trip are complete basket cases. This is why the Doctor should REALLY be travelling with me. I wouldn’t stay and sunbathe!
* And why isn’t Donna in this episode anyway?
* It’s coming for me? She said she’d get me?
* Are we going to find out what it is? It screwed up the ship well and truly!
* Yikes! Why is there no front of the ship?
* STFU Professor! It can TOO be gone!
* Oh she’s not quite right is she? But how did it get in if nothing really opened?
* Good eye Jethro! I hope they pay more attention to you later.
* Oh that copying is freaking me out!
* Yikes! At the same time was even weirder!
* Why would he bring up the Medusa Cascade and list all his “new” companions?
* shamble bobble dibble doodle (:
* Creeeeeeeeepy!
* Mrs Kane SHUT UP!!! You basket case!
* Just stop looking at her too, that certainly isn’t helping.
* Goblin Men?
* There is no it? Oh really?
* At least Jethro is trying to reason it out. Good!
* We should throw her out? Oh good you horrible judgmental khaki wearing JACKASS!
* Yes they could murder her, Doctor. They’re no better.
* Oh look how I was right that all humans would do is kill the new one.
* Now turn on the Doctor, brilliant! What a good idea, the one reasonably calm person here and you turn on him.
* At least he is smart enough to know not to tell them who he really is.
* Sure, toss out the one calm person! Jeez.
* She’s ahead now. oh goody.
* She’s traded him somehow. This isn’t right. It took him somehow and now he’s the one stuck but she can move again.
* She took him and yet she’s still the evil one! How did that happen?
* She’s safe! She wasn’t but now she is but just STFU Mrs Kane!
* Oh whenever you decide Jethro agrees with you his opinion counts eh?
* She is TOTALLY preying on him!
* This is miserable for him!
* You go DeeDee!
* She’s the voice! Of course she is!
* I saw it with my own eyes? YOU DIDN’T SEE ANYTHING!
* Look at the smile! You can tell she’s doing it.
* I hate Mrs Kane!
* Did the Doctor catch his foot or was that just coincidence?
* HELP HIM STAY JETHRO!
* FINALLY someone saw through it.
* And it’s gone. Poor Doctor!
* Poor Hostess! She didn’t want to do that. Good for her but she sacrificed herself for a bunch of ingrates.
* I said it was her? Hit her in the face immediately! NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!!!!!
* So what was it?
* No really, what?
* What was the Hostess’ name? Nobody knows?
* Tell them, it won’t REALLY help will it? I mean honestly!

* I know I saw Rose calling for him on the video screen behind him. AGAIN. I know I saw her on the Sontaran one too. FREAKY!!!!!! What does she want or need and how is she doing it?
* What does Rose want? If she needs him so then why did she disappear at the beginning of the season?
* What is it they’re setting up? Why does she keep popping up like this?

I missed Donna, I really didn’t notice how much I liked them together until I had to do without her. But the moments of her laying poolside (?) and seeming completely adjusted were awesome. Not a bad episode, all things considered.

This episode is the ninth episode of Season Four (or Thirty depending who you ask), called Forest Of The Dead. From the site: As the shadows rise, the Doctor forges an alliance with the mysterious River Song. But can anyone stop the Vashta Nerada?

Rehash before the credits
* Her doormaking gun is pretty fantastic.
* I’m glad she seems to be watching it. What channel is that? Is it where Agatha Christie was?
* Why is Donna being taken into this weird place? Is it the bin?
* Two years ago? What in THE hell?
* Is he the principal on Hexed?
* No more dreams about the Doctor?
* Hey look, CAL!
* Oh wow what is going on!?
* She’s fishing with him?
* Married? What the crap?
* Twins?
* Seven years!?
* He’s from CAL?
* What what? How did he become Dr Moon all of a sudden?
* Then you forgot? Oh lord. This is eight kinds of effed up. I LOVE IT!
* Is that how they all got stuck? All doing Matrixy “keep the fake world alive” things?
* I like her slapping him down a bit though. Another redhead putting him in his place.
* WHAT DID SHE SAY?
* Some hair dryers? Heh.
* Two shadows again? Oh crap.
* What is going on with Donna?
* Poor Donna. What now?
* What is with the skipping? Who’s that there then?
* Why would the little girl tell her not to go?
* Can anyone else see this woman?
* !!!! It’s the girl! Miss Evangelista?
* How is she going to help Donna? I hope she works it out!
* We did not come here?
* We come from here? Hatched?
* Spores in trees? BOOKS ARE PAPER FROM TREES!
* Oh how is he gonna manage this?
* You go Doctor!
* All the same children over and over…wow.
* That veil! Yow!
* Actually saved people. Ghosts in the machine.
* Oh this is going to be interesting.
* Why aren’t they supposed to tell?
* I’ve been dieting! Heee!
* I am brilliant and unloved. That’s so sad.
* One word? What is the word. Cal?
* Is Cal something particular? Ruin everything?
* How did she do that with the remote? No more dad? Yow!
* How does he know about Dr Moon and it is programmed to protect her?
* I know Doctor Moon is the actual doctor moon, but how does everything else correspond?
* “I bet I like you” “Oh you do.” Hmmm.
* I feel bad for Donna some more. I’m getting to see how she is at being emotional too.
* They aren’t real? They know they aren’t there sometimes? And gone? OMG!
* Self-destruct is bad news!
* What is going on with her house!?
* Computers don’t dream but little girls do.
* How does he know? How does he know who she is?
* This library is her life now?
* I feel bad for him, a little. Poor little girl!
* You just killed someone I like that is not a very safe place to stand.
* Look me up! Wow.
* OMG! She knocked him out cold!
* You know my name! Wow.
*  What is the reason he would tell anyone his name? I guess I gotta look that up too.
* That poor man, how will she find him? He’s one of four thousand people!
* They were all saved? They are all surprised about it I bet.
* At least he found Donna.
* Oh no he was real and he was right there!!!! ARGH!
* And still he didn’t look? I wonder why not.
* I am still desperately curious about the screwdrivers that he keeps NOT keeping. WTF?
* Did you see him clear that book cart? WOW!
* Hang on Professor!
* WOW what did he do?
* He put her in the machine! Oh he IS very good.
* It’s a good place now? Good. Good for him.
* But how DID he make the doors open by snapping his fingers?
* That was a nicer ending at least. Nicer than some have been.

This episode is the eighth episode of Season Four (or Thirty depending who you ask), called Silence In The Library. From the site: The Doctor and Donna enter a world of terror inside an abandoned library. They’re given only one warning: ‘Count the shadows’.

* um ok.
* She goes to the Library?
* Where have I seen that doctor before?
* MY Library?
* My mind is blended!
(credits)
* You need the smell of books! How true.
* Seriously, this is a world I want to live on. Or at least vacation on.
* Monty Python’s Big Red Book? I might need that!
* No spoilers. Nice!
* Any kind of life, he’s searching on a Mac keyboard. (:
* Are the books alive?
* Weird encounter with the statue robot thing.
* This is very very weird. AWESOME!
* And here we are.
* She’s a security camera?
* What IS casting those shadows?
* OMG! Is that Doctor whatshername from ER?
* Contracts? Well played Doctor!
* The usual?
* Byzantine? Asgard? What a diary she has!
* Why should The Doctor know her?
* Why is her phone ringing? Why are they hearing it?
* I must admit it’s quite the book.
* What book? WHO IS SHE?
* I think the foolish assistant girl is key.
* IQ of plankton? Wow.
* Open door? Is she the redshirt?
* Those books are just laying there flattened on the floor. PICK THEM UP!
* So is she stupid to go through that door and look round or did she do a smart thing? Seems dark.
* There, NOW will you believe him?
* How does he know this? Is he a good guy? Is he a bad guy? Does he want to help them or NOT help her?
* I guess it makes sense that he would eventually meet someone who has met him but he doesn’t yet know.
* Did it happen with the one where The Doctor appears on exactly the DVDs the girl owns? Wasn’t she Sally Sparrow or something? Maybe it happened with her too.
* Two shadows, oh crap.
* I like her sonic screwdriver. That’s now the third or fourth variant we’ve seen so far.
* Ah! Donna! What happened?
* Did the shadow get her?
* Well it got him…
* Oh crap.
* A what gun? AWESOME!
* Donna Noble has been saved? HOW? WHERE? AGGGH!
* Saved? How is she the…is that how there were survivors? They weren’t really survivors they just became the guide thingies?
*AHHH!!!! I HATE TWO PARTERS!!!
* Is she Jenny? Is that why she won’t use her first name?

You know what really grinds my gears? (Or as The Ambassador would prefer me to call it, You Wanna Know Why? I’ll TELL You Why!) Here it is: McCain’s campaign is having like six different varieties of cows over Obama QUOTING MCCAIN. What’s their excuse? “Oh you shouldn’t be mean he can’t type because he is a POW are YOU a POW too Obama then you can’t say anything you are a mean jerky head and YOU ARE NOT READY TO LEAD! VOTE MCCAIN! CHANGE 08!!!” and so on.

Guess what? BULLSHIT. (Sorry Mom, if you read this, but it is.) I have a friend who is deaf. She plays video games and she’s on Twitter and has a computer and does all kinds of things effectively. I used to know someone who had a degenerative eye condition and she kept a blog and used instant messenger and SENT EMAIL and did all kinds of things. With her computer, no less. So that means a deaf person AND a blind person both use their computers successfully. I know there are people with other sorts of handicaps as well who get around that pesky keyboard issue JUST FRIGGING FINE thank you very much. Some people have a computer as their only means of communication with the rest of the world. It certainly doesn’t stop them. So why is it stopping John McCain? You’re going to have to try a little harder than “it hurts when I type” because NaturallySpeaking is one such bit of software that allows you to talk to your computer to control it. It’s easy to use and would allow people who are unable to use a keyboard, for example, to be able to control the computer with their voice. I am not shilling for them, I just know they are one of the more popular software packages with this capability. So learn to talk to your computer and then you can send email with the best of them!

Here’s the thing: My great aunt was older than Senator McCain when she passed away. She had email and went to websites and was capable of all of this without getting someone to do it for her. My mom can run a spell check competently, and I have an aunt who is set up with her own gMail address now. I used my mom as a test case at a startup I used to work at. I would look at different UI elements and complain to engineers: You guys, my mom will never find this button. Can we put it at the top? Because we had decided everybody’s mom should be able to use this software, so she was my example. Also she lives in Eastern Oregon in a town of about 15,000 people. They have one “nice” restaurant in town, a couple of Mexican food places, and I think one Chinese place. It’s not the biggest place nor is it central to anything, so when my mom asks me about things (what is this Twitter I heard about?”) I can pretty much presume they’ve been around. My mom totally knows how to get her machine to check email, what her homepage is, and how to report spam. These are BASIC skills.

I am not saying McCain’s service to our country is useless or stupid. However that service does not entitle him to the Presidency. This seems to be his belief and I disagree. This is America and I am well within my rights (at least for now) to do so. I think Obama was well within the bounds of a “clean campaign” to point out that McCain doesn’t know how to send an email. It is yet another startling contrast between the candidates, and I think a valid thing to point out. My issue lies entirely at the feet of Rick Davis, McCain’s campaign manager. He is allowing this campaign to make McCain out to be a victim of his handicap and if someone wants to be The Leader Of The Free World they’d damn well better act like it and not let a little thing like “typing hurts” turn into the big issue of the day.

I would also like to point out, while I still have on my PunditPants(tm)*, that Karl Rove is absolutely the last guy on earth who gets to piss and moan about being taken out of context. Bitch all you want, turd blossom, the part you don’t seem to get is that I learned it by watching you.

*I have no actual graphic for PunditPants(tm), but I am accepting submissions. For now this photo will do since I only wear my PunditPants(tm) for blogging:

At the very end of Hardball today with these two particular guests on (whose names escape me at the moment) Chris Matthews asked, “You know, every candidate for President in our lifetime has had a very succinct message if he won the Presidency: ‘Get this country moving again’, Jack Kennedy, ‘It’s the Economy stupid’, ‘Are you better off than you were four years ago?’, I can’t think of the line from Obama yet.”

Buchanan (OMG yes THAT Pat Buchanan*): We can’t stand four more years of what we’ve had for the last eight years?
Matthews: Do you feel like four more years of this!? That’s what I’d say.

(he goes on)

“All I know is I’d go to the numbers…every time the Senator from Arizona spoke, I’d say let me read those numbers to you John McCain, you got a tough act to defend here, and you gotta defend it because you’re the republican candidate that’s why you’re standing here. You got an unemployment rate that’s spiking, you got a debt that’s growing, you’ve got a surplus that’s disappeared into a deficit and you’ve got gas prices at four bucks, your side has BLOWN IT, don’t ask for four more years.”

To which I say AMEN! I don’t want Obama to go out and say terrible things about McCain (and while he doesn’t know how to send email is TOTALLY TRUE it is one that they are crying foul about), but I want him to go out and speak truth to power as it were. If repeating “I said thanks but no thanks to that bridge to nowhere” over and over is going to make it true, then why not repeat things over and over that ACTUALLY are true? I wonder how well THAT would go over. How do you beat him up over things that are TOTALLY accurate? More “sex ed to kindergarteners” nonsense? Even KARL ROVE said your campaign is a little out of line.

*Not only is it THAT Pat Buchanan but that link is to his blog. McCain can’t send an email, but Pat Buchanan has a blog (E I E I O).

Because, you see, if they had, I could have said “Oh, no no no. Don’t do it. You will have nothing but heartache. Someone will misquote you and use it to drum up outrage against whatever you represent. They’ll gladly strip you of context and try to work people up about you criticizing something you never criticized at all.”

And they would have listened to that answer and said “My goodness Banana Lee, you certainly sound like someone who’s been there. Is this your area of expertise?”

To which my reply would only be, “Why, yes. As a matter of fact, it is.”*

*Seriously, I got misquoted about lipstick on a pig myself. It was stupid then and it’s stupider now.

“I think the Church must come round and see people as they are now. Gone are the days when we assumed loving relationships would be solely between men and women. It seems to me that commitment is the issue, and if anyone comes to me and says: ‘This is my partner; we are committed to each other’, then I don’t care what their sexuality is. I’m not going to judge; I’ll leave that to God.”

And to that I say AMEN! This is line I referred to in the subject. Who are you to stand in judgment of someone’s personal decisions? Isn’t the whole point of things like Christianity that you are to stand in judgment after you die and that’s when you find out if you chose correctly during life? (Mormons was the correct answer.) Because, you know, when I went to church I remember the lesson being “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” But then I haven’t set foot in a church of any sort for full mass in a long LONG time so my memory might be fuzzy.

This episode is the seventh episode of Season Four (or Thirty depending who you ask), called The Unicorn And The Wasp. From the site: In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared for 10 days. Was it amnesia? A nervous breakdown? Or a Giant Alien Wasp..?

* Oh my. An insect?
* No no no no no no don’t do that. hehehehe
* Funny place to wear pearls. Hee!
* Look at Roger as he gives Davenport the eye. Hmmm.
* Lady Edison keeps reminding me of Cate Blanchett. It’d be a better part than that thing in Indy.
* Oh my! She’s seen it too. “All the decent men are on the other bus”…
* HelLO special guest! OMG I would love that!
* Well….Well…..Well…. hahahaha I love when he does that.
* Mister Christie? I never thought about him really….
* Agatha Christie disappeared? Hang on there Doctor, I gotta get wikipedia up!
* Wow that is interesting about Agatha. I don’t know that I ever heard anything about him. Hmmm.
* What’s she gotten out of the fire?
* Clue! Ha!
* Plucky young girl that helps me out? Oh THIS will go well.
* Morphic residue?
* Happens to him all the time? Hm.
* Charles Dickens surrounded by ghosts at Christmas? NICE! I love when they reference that way.
* But…not…yet. Excellent
* I like that Agatha knocks him down a notch. This season is a lot more look at him instead of up to him.
* Reverend’s alibi: In his room.
* Roger’s alibi: How alone I was, so alone, very lonely. NOT!
* Miss Redmond’s alibi: Freshening up, but really loading a gun
* Colonel: Reminiscing? HARDLY
* Lady Eddy: Afternoon tea? Drinking heavily!
* So right now the Reverend is the only one who’s words match up with his video.
* MAIDEN! What does that mean? I love that crafty man!
* Malaria? Locked up in there for all that time? Suspicious.
* OMG! busted right in the window!! Crazy.
* Award for Best Use Of A Magnifying Glass goes to…
* If he asked about what?
* Annnd we’ll never know.
* The poor little child?
* Award for Fastest Regeneration Of A Stinger goes to…
* Yeah, tell her about movies, good job Donna. (:
* Do they always say the name of the episode in it?
* Sparkling cyanide? What’s that gonna do to him?
* What did he just pour on himself?
* Harvey Wallbanger? hehehehe
* I love this! I mean it sucks that he’s being poisoned but this is brilliant interaction.
* One shock coming up! WOW.
* Insecticide? It’s on!
* Lights out!
* It can’t be? What can’t be?
* Donna eating snacks as she watches it go down. Awesome.
* Oooh, the thief is out! Well done!
* He can walk? She had no idea. Very nice!
* Lady Edison…Fallen pregnant? Odd phrase.
* Oh here we go.
* Professor Peach must be the UK version of Professor Plum in Clue or something.
* It was YOU! hahaha
* Reverend? Oh, yes, this is good now!
* Interesting.
* Lady Who?
* You humans? He’s half human and he knows it! He’s only been waspy for like a week?
* How is she going to stop it? She took off with the stone, will that fix it somehow?
* Oh Donna you go!
* She is saved! Excellent.
* Ohh, so that is what happened to her! It all makes PERFECT sense now!
* Was the Unicorn real too?
* C?
* Cybermen, Carrionites, a head…
* Death in the Clouds? I don’t think I read that one…
* I just want to go read a bunch of Agatha Christie books now!
* Outstanding! What a good story. They don’t have to be famous people all the time but that was well done.

Overall I loved this episode, I like Agatha Christie books and I remember hearing something about her disappearing and my favorite kind of story is this kind, where real events get filled in with fictional ones and where the difference is can be hard to tell. I love that! So this episode was a blast.

CONFIDENTIAL:
Agatha Christie’s grandson got to see the readthrough! That’s awesome!
I love the clips that go back through the story.
Wow, they are actually talking about her disappearance. That’s awesome!
Interesting bits about the f/x and how they did it.

So when I heard Rachel was gonna get her own show I was very pleased for her. She does a great job on Olbermann so I was looking forward to seeing how she handled things on her own. I was also looking forward to seeing what her show ended up being since she does fine wtih Keith’s format but when it’s HER name on the title, what will it look like? So tonight I got a chance to see.

I like her show! Right now it’s a fair amount of campaign coverage, so I also want to see how her show evolves when the campaign is over. But for now it’s campaign coverage and then some time with Pat Buchanan and some guy who “gives me enough pop culture knowledge so I can be allowed out in public”. I liked that part because they touched on Britney and he said “I have more if you want it…” and Rachel said “No, I’m good.”

So here’s the show:
I like Rachel. She asked some interesting questions of all her guests who actually weren’t the Keithy usuals.
I liked that she had “my fake uncle Pat” (Buchanan) on, and that she stood up to him on some things. It was fun to watch civil disagreement instead of just shouting. What a switch!
I liked the pop culture bit and it was a brief snarky thing that was a nice change of pace from politics.
I felt like they were trying to show that Rachel could do it on her own, but I also think she really shines when she gets to put the hard questions to guests, so I would like to have more back and forth.
I think this could do well for a number of reasons. I like that she’s a girl but I don’t watch JUST for that, it’s bonus. (grumble McCain playing me grumble) I will save the politics for a different post. But I wanted to say that Rachel’s show is interesting and fun and I think she gives me a different enough perspective from Keith that I can watch two shows for a nice perspective and get info from another source.

Believe you me I have so much to say on politics lately that I barely know what to do with myself. I need a good outlet for all that political opinionating and pontificating. Maybe I’ll find one, you just never know. (:

This episode is the sixth episode of Season Four (or Thirty depending who you ask), called The Doctor’s Daughter. From the site: On the planet Messaline, in the middle of an endless war, the Doctor meets the most important woman of his life.

* So the TARDIS brought them there? Why? And what IS the deal with his hand? I mean, yeah, I know about it, but why does he have it and not Captain Jack? Why is it worked up? What brought them where they are?
* Why is Martha with them and not home? Because they couldn’t control it? How much time has passed between the end of 5 and the start of 6?
* Processing? Yikes!
* She’s the what now? Are you…but then…how…really?
* Oh good, shooting. We all know how much the Doctor loves guns!
* Even better, Martha in trouble. AGAIN. Can’t she ever smack anybody in the face or learn that overshoulder judo toss or something? Honestly.
* She’s all blonde and perky and that seem a bit aggravating.
* “Her name’s Martha!” Wow am I loving Donna more and more.
* Heh. Doctor doesn’t make sense, eh?
* It is kind of nice that Martha’s first reaction is to help the hurt fishman.
* I notice the TARDIS is on her side of the rubble too.
* At least she got all assertive with them and did fix the shoulder.
* “Jenny” eh?
* So she was generated at that moment from the tissue sample? Huh.
* Monkey’s uncle? HA!
* He knows they are the Hath? I don’t remember hearing that from anyone else.
* She’s in the same place but with the Hath instead? Interesting.
* Oooh, neato map trick!
* I have GOT to get a Sonic Screwdriver of my own.
* So him rejiggering the map changed theirs too?
* Erase the Hath? That doesn’t sounds right?
* Your woman? Heh.
* Awesome. I love when someone ignores the Doctor and he has to stop them.
* Seriously, what is with her sad outfits? I love Donna but she needs a bit of a makeover.
* Phone upgrade. Nice!
* I hope Martha really is OK. She may not be and not even know it.
* Stethoscope too? Oh noes. But he is right she’s not really his, she’s like a chip of him.
* Two hearts? How much of him does it take?
* Why does she know all the stuff from the machine but no stuff from him?
* How do they know what they are saying to each other? Still, yeah, clever Hath!
* I wonder how she’s going to the surface and everything. That whole window bit is curious indeed.
* Be quiet and open the door. HA!
* I’d like to see you try that: He wouldn’t but I know someone who would! And has!
* WTF are those numbers about anyway!
* Does something that breathes liquid really want to feel the wind on their face? My guess is no.
* Amount of running involved. Heh.
* I am glad that he tried to change her.
* She does like a bit of mischief!
* Martha are you sure about this?
* Oh and here she goes again. How on earth does Martha manage her regular life?
* Why did he dive in like that? Is it possible she will see him again later?
* Why don’t I remember that he was a father before?
* When he talks about stuff we don’t know it gets me every time. EVERY TIME! That part of me died with them. That’s so sad.
* You go Donna! Dates? Seven Days? Dewey Decimal in two days flat?! Damn she IS good!
* War went on for generations not years. Interesting.
* Leave it to the one covered in mud to smell flowers (:
* I wonder why he is gray haired and so old looking? Do they not last very long on that planet or something?
* Smash it up? Now what?
* Why did he shoot her? Why didn’t he say anything at all about it? No defense or anything?
* I love love love love Christopher Eccleston but I don’t think this scene with him would have made me cry.
* I know he never would, but he coulda socked him in the mouth or something.
* I’m glad Martha and Donna get along. It’s nice to see two women not compete.
* Is she engaged to Mickey? (:
* OMG she’s back! Good and bad I suppose. We’ll see.

OK, as a whole I liked this episode, mostly because the twist I never ever saw coming. It was nice but honestly I’m kinda over Rescue Me Martha. I’m glad she’s not around for all of them.

This episode is the fifth episode of Season Four (or Thirty depending who you ask), called The Poison Sky. From the site: As the Sontarans choke the Earth, the Doctor battles to keep both Martha and Donna alive.

* Oh good right where we left off, with some nice highlights, not drawn out nonsense.
* Mum with a hammer! BRILLIANT MUM! I woulda elbowed in Grampy’s window myself but that’s just me…
* Atmos running wild?
* Oh mum here we go again. “You go with the Doctor! That’s my girl!” I love him more every time.
* Martha Martha Two by Four, what the hell are you up to? What’s that card connect you to?
* Good work for a female? Bitch Please! Or to quote Donna, “I’ll tell you which way the wind’s blowing now, mate…”
* War is magnificent? If you ever cared about anything you are about to blow it up. That’s ok?
* Is she a real newscaster? Are any of them? Not being in the UK I don’t know.
* Now she tells them Sontaran? NOW? What’s THAT gonna get anybody?
* She gets a key now? Awesome! No chain and pretty normal looking this time round, innit?
* Are you ok Donna? I hope you are all right.
* What did they do to the TARDIS? Ohhhhh no. Sent it up there without him? Donna is gonna knock you down to size.
* Quietly: “He is behaving exactly as predicted…” so they are playing him too. Interesting.
* Stuck on Earth like a human how rubbish is that? hahahahaha
* Have you phoned your family? Hmmmm. And she thinks Donna is home now? Awesome.
* His own soldiers are the students of his school? Do THEY know that?
* Nice hack into the comm system!
* Why was Rose yelling DOCTOR when the video came on?
* Fifty thousand years of war? Wow.
* He’s so excited about another world? What about the rest of them who love their families?
* I chose you to survive?
* He planned the whole thing? Once again a plan foiled by failing to account for humans.
* OK Donna what is it you need to do? Phoning Martha won’t work obviously. Or will it?
* He has one minute? oh crap.
* Why didn’t he see the look Martha gave him?
* North Korea is part of the world nuclear grid? heee!
* Launch no? what?
* They’re coming for her. Get with it Doctor! Please figure this out!!
* Oooh Ross! You go!
* Why does that guy feel compelled to ignore the Doctor again and again?
* NOOOOOOOOOOO! Ross!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
* You SOB! You killed him!
* “He wasn’t Greyhound 40 his name was Ross.” Bossy Doctor is Bossy!
* ??? Did they just shoot the two “operatives” from before?
* This is too easy. They’re running like slidebeks from a spielfox? um ok.
* Why DO they need the factory? Why Why Why?
* Why does Martha keep stopping it?
* Shot the students down? That’s…unfortunate. He just found out he’s getting played? GOOD!
* Oh for Pete’s sake! Stop trying to fight Sontarans!
* OMG HE CALLED DONNA! FINALLY!
* I don’t love that she needs a pep talk but I love that he is doing it. You crack him good in that there vent Donna! You know you can!
* OMG it’s the Vulcan sign! Awesome. You go Donna!
* Hold on Donna! You can do this!
* Are you my mummy? OMG OMG OMG!! Even more out of episode acknowledgement. Russell T Davies you fabulous geek!
* Did it EVER occur to you that he might know a thing or two about Sontarans? And maybe you should listen?
* It’s the Valiant? oh uh UH!
* You just said it wasn’t battle it was sport, but now it’s all the honor of battle? wtf?
* Oh Doctor I hope you know what you’re doing with her.
* It doesn’t matter because the bullets wouldn’t work anyway.
* OMG Donna you go!
* Did he just shoot a Sontaran and have it work!? HOW?
* Isn’t that the music from when Rose disappeared?
* Clone food? They’d win that war for sure.
* I’m sort of sad for the clone I guess, I hope it affects our martha somehow.
* Was that my old ROKR phone?
* Have I ever told you how much I hate you? hahahaha!
* Nice! I love that he has no time for the idiot kid.
* Cloneworld is born? oh crap.
* I’m sorry sport, but Sontar can suck it.
* horry clap! When the Doctor goes “pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease” you know it can’t be good.
* Grampy Wilf sees another day! Good.
* Nice kiss!
* Now we’re in trouble? oh noes!
* Why did the Doctor have to do it? And why wouldn’t he take his coat? Why the crap didn’t Luke volunteer to do it?
* Doctor you know you cannot win. Luke? What the hell?
* OMG! He totally did it. He saved the world. Go Luke! Who knew? I forgive him a little bit I guess.
* No driving? Phenomenal! Sneaky little enviro story you’ve got there Russell.
* Ohhh, Grampy Wilf. You are my favorite. I hope you get to go with the Doctor too. Rose took her mum. Take him with!
* HA! What? What? Heee!
* How are they not in control?

I guess I’mma watch the teaser and see what I see.
She’s my DAUGHTER? My mind is blended!
GAH! I wish I could watch it right now. Too bad I can’t. (sigh) It’s bedtime for me!
This episode was a nice finish for the first piece. Telling this story definitely takes two parts, but if I’d had to wait a week I don’t know what I would have done with myself. Sontarans are interesting and I only have vague memories of them from the older series. Good one!

This episode is the fourth episode of Season Four (or Thirty depending who you ask), called The Sontaran Stratagem (first of a two-parter). From the site: Martha Jones summons the Doctor back to modern-day Earth, but an old enemy lies in wait.

* Those are some heinous tracksuits.
* Dear Rattigan with two Ts: You’re not Matthew Broderick. Stop it. Thxby.
* She will be terminated. Cool. COOL!? Are you kidding me?
* Deaths related to Atmos systems? Does the S stand for system? Isn’t that redundant?
* Jo, why can’t you get out of the car? Wiggle out the window? Oh, because if you did you aren’t interesting anymore.
* “What am I gonna do, put a dent in the 1980s?” “Someone did…” Oh? Do we get to find out more about that?
* How did Martha convince him? We never hear that part.
* Did she just call him a prawn? Heh.
* Don’t fight don’t fight, well don’t get along either? Heee! Bit human, that.
* Weird giant semi trailers.
* WTF is Martha in on? Why is she running off tracking aliens?
* Weird three fingered command giver in the purply lit room.
* Technically he never resigned? I love nods to the old bits. “All a bit more homespun back then…” hahahaha!
* Atmos, eh? Sounds pretty fantastic, especially now.
* “That’s why we called in an expert.” “Really? Who’d you get?” heeee!
* Weird basement area room, I’d not go near it.
* Ahh! Why is it banging?
* How does green acky stuff OHHH MY GOD!!!!!
* If it’s a person but an umbilical cord at the neck it’s not human.
* One of them was smart, interesting.
* Ahh! WTF is that thing? A cattle prod sized tazer? Yikes!
* If he’s Sontaran then the thing in the vat with a neck vent is a Sontaran too, right? Like when Dalek Sec got the human body?
* SuperTemp? Go Donna!!
* Not coming with you? what What WHAAAAT?
* Oh good she’s staying. Hurrah!
* You Dumbo! hehehehe! I really like the two of them together.
* Oh this guy’s not half creepy.
* I’m here to work? Hmmmm…
* Oh she’s letting them lead her….I guess she has no reason to think otherwise but oh come ON!
* I really love that Donna is wearing a jacket and sneakers. Awesome. Vaguely Doctor-y.
* Flashbacks and we’re only in Episode Four!?
* Oh Granddad, there you are! I love you. Will you be my Granddad too? I’ve never had one that happy to see me.
* RUN MARTHA! Nitwit. How does she not know? Oh look they won’t let her out. There’s a shock.
* Is it safe? I thought that was my job! Oh man. He is super awesome!
* Oh look it’s mum. Annnnnd, she’s off!
* That wink officially makes him Best. Gramps. Ever.
* Ross is reasonably sharp.
* Ooh, conditional clause. Well done Doctor!
* I wonder if he’s actually American or if it’s a put on accent.
* Nice hissy fit Rattigan. That flounce out of the room was super impressive.
* He called you a grunt, don’t call Ross a grunt, he’s nice, we like Ross! Fabulous!
* It’s been a long time since anyone said no to you…
* I totally need a jacket like that! That’s quite the pocket.
* Teleport pod what? OMG!
* oh NO he didn’t! How did he get in? Intruder window? GROAN!!!!!!
* Only an idiot would provoke him! Only a stooge would interrupt!
* Good shot doctor! I think I am right about that neck thing, it’s a weirdy pre-Sontaran something or other. A Sontaran Daywalker if you will.
* How do you tell each other apart? I can tell the difference, why can’t you doofus?
* Oh look, Martha’s in trouble. Imagine that.
* Knowing they are the soldiers they are, why would Rattigan think they’ll take care of him at all?
* Oh noes! They are gonna get dumped in the river!
* Don’t do what I say, ok, drive me to the river! Nice!
* I wonder if they’ll notice that Martha’s not wearing her ring? They got her ears pierced even.
* Wilf! Grampy Wilf is phenomenal even still.
* Promise you’ll take care of her. She takes care of me! That’s so cute.
* HA! He’s the man from the wedding! I love when they admit stuff happens outside of this episode.
* All they want is war. You can’t take it Rattigan. You can’t even make a passable Ferris Bueller, how are you gonna be a warlord?
* Why did you get in the car Grampy Wilf? Why Why Why??????
* Oh this looks bad, mmmkay?
* Don’t you do anything to my Grampy Wilf!!

AHHHHH!!!!!!!
This is a good episode, but I don’t like the two-parters as much because that first bit doesn’t stand on its own like it should.
I hate cliffhangers. Good thing for me the next episode starts NOW!