Deborah Grabien

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 04:40:00 +0000

At my request, Ayelet Waldman sent sent me the link to a draft of the Kennedy Healthcare Bill:

http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2009/06/05/download-the-kennedy-healthcare-bill-here/

I've begun reading. It's 167 pages in PDF form and I'm getting deep into it. I've also been posting up at Facebook as I read, but have reposted here, for comments and input. Everything below is my own commentary at Facebook, read and post: not posting other peoples' comments, since I have no permission or right to do so.

***

Thanks to Ayelet for sending me the link to the Kennedy healthcare bill. Am reading. Page 2, I am already holding up a hand and saying "um.....hold it...." And not because the idea is wrong - HCR is desperately needed. But by the time I reached the Declarations, I'm already cranky (see below for why, if curious).

"Sec.2, item c): HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS SHOULD JUDGE WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR PATIENTS - Doctors, nurses and other health professionals have the right to judge what is best for their patients."

Um - NO, fucko, the PATIENT is the final say. We call it "choice". If they have the final say and not us, we're not patients, we're CHATTEL. And I am no one's chattel.

Back to reading. There had best be some serious answers to my questions in this thing. (My note: someone commented that they thought it meant "professionals, not bean counters". Maybe, but the language needs to say that. This is a loophole you could drive an ambulance through.)

***

I'm seeing a trend in this thing: A wonderful humanist intelligent heading followed by a list of stuff that qualifies it into mush. Section 2702, GUARANTEED AVAILABILITY OF COVERAGE" Awesome! As it should be. Followed one subsection (b) later by: " B1: RESTRICTION: A health insurance issuer described in section (a) may restrict enrollment in coverage described in such subsection to special or open enrollment periods."

Um - meaning, what? "Sorry I wasn't able to fill out the 87 pages of forms during the three days of the past six months when "open enrollment" was applicable, but I was getting chemo and radiation. Now what...? Oh, wait for the next open or special enrollment period? When - oh, next year...?"

Back to reading.

***

Section 2704 is a beauty. Glorious, if they could enforce it or get a single megolithic soulsucking corporate greed-fed "screw your stupid disease, where's my profit margin?" insurance company out there to agree to it. About as likely as me being nominated as Citizen of the Year by Rush Limbaugh, which is to say, not at all.

***

Section 2706, the anti-discrimination section, excellent. Right up until the "[further conforming changes to this section may be needed]" thing at the end. I'm being asked to sign my name to support a draft for which every section is liiely going to undergo massive changes. What happens if someone gets the bright idea to outlaw birth control as a rider to one of these sections as a condition to passing it? There are certainly enough whackjobs in both houses of congress to pull a stunt like that, or worse. And there are certainly few enough congresscritters out there with the stones to smack them down.

***

I'm a HUGE fan of socialised healthcare, but I'm not signing my support to anything until I've read the whole thing and made my decision based on that. So far, nice intent and not enough meat.

***

The main roadblack to desperately-needed health care reform in the country is the mindset: every corporation thinks it's somehow guaranteed profit. WRONG, buckaroos. You takes your chances. And that's especially true of insurance, any kind, which is essentially by nature legally enforced gambling: "I'm betting you $870 a month that you'll get catastrophically ill! HAHAHAHA! Roll the dice!"

Until we address the mindset that Corporate America is somehow entitled to profits, we are hosed, SOL, kerfuckety.

***

And here's a perfect example of why I'm molar-grinding: nice intent, shiny statement, issuing a mandate - and ZERO details as to how it's to be done:

"Section 2707: ENSURING THE QUALITY OF CARE". It has a long series of subheads, all incredibly cool and right-on and needed - but all they are, are vague directives. "Insurer shall develop chronic ... Read Moreillness care" - um, HOW, goddamnit?!?! How do you plan on enforcing that? If this is a law you're talking about, what's the regulating reality?

I want substance. Why is it so hard to provide that?

***

Section 270, redux. Second half is followed by a series of sub-sections that basically say "at some point not more then [ ] period of time after passage of this act, we'll figure out some of the details.

NO. You are talking about a @#%%$$ LAW here, people. Details are important - it's where the devil lives, remember? Get your shit together and GIVE ME SUBSTANCE.

***

Section 2708, Preventives, looks quite good, until we get to (b). (b) isn't evil, it's just so badly written, I can't figure out what in hell they're talking about. Anyone? Bueller?

"(b) SITES OF CARE - Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed to prohibit a group health plan or health insurer issuing group or individual health insurance coverage from establishing conditions for coverage for the services described in subsection (a) that requires that such services be [performed by providers with appropriate expertise?]"

Everything, including the brackets and the question mark, is theirs, not mine, as written. I can't figure out what in hell that means. "You have the right to have people with medical degrees perform medical procedures"? Quois...?

***

And that's all for tonight. There will be more read-and-post tomorrow. Tonight, need dinner and if I read any more of this without food, head will go 'splodey.

Here comes the Big Damned Psych-Up

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:23:00 +0000

So here we go: the second JP Kinkaid mystery, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, hits the street on 15 September. That means it's time to mentally get into a full lotus tuck, tell the universe and my Inner PR Wonkesse "Namaste", and get my head into the space for pushing the book.

Of course, the Zen thing might not be the ideal road this time. The events I'm doing are on a rather different level than straight in-store signings:

Three radio spots (including the two excellent hours I just did for Lilycat at FCC Free Radio, and David Gans' nationally syndicated "Dead to the World" on 16 September, the night after the official pub date).

The amazing benefit fundraiser at San Francisco's Boom Boom Room, Roy Rogers playing and Jim Marshall - yes, that Jim Marshall, the man called the Godfather of Rock Photography and one of the best on his side of the aperature that ever picked up a camera - signing with me, for MSFriends/Rock for MS.

The fundraiser for the San Rafael Library: three of us who write music-based mysteries (Jon Pederson, Danny Carnahan and myself), with live music and special guests and in connection with the Marin Rocks exhibit, on 1 October, at the San Rafael City Council chambers.

The Marin County Writers centennial party at Book Passage in Corte Madera on 18 October - I'll be covering "The Cover of Rolling Stone" with my adored Kathi Kamen Goldmark's band, Los Train Wreck, and there are something like 18 writers attending. That one's $45, but you get a full lunch and your choice of book. Well worth it, since the average hardback these days is $25 plus tax.

The "Wine, Women and Song" event I'm doing at Clayton Books on Sunday, 25 October, with Laura Anne Gilman. She's providing the wine aspect (with the first book in her new series, which is getting starred reviews and raves everywhere), I'm providing the song, and we're both women. Then, of course, there's Word Fantasy in San Jose over Halloween weekend...

So maybe that "namaste" thing should be more on the Tarantino end of the scale: Namaste, motherfucker, a kind of literary version of what Ted Williams used to do before going out and creaming the baseball: "I'm TED FUCKING WILLIAMS and I am the GREATEST BASEBALL PLAYER IN THE WORLD!" This was just during batting practice, but there you go: it worked for him.

I think I'll try the Zen first. If that doesn't get me cooking, I'll do Tarantino. And if both fail me, I'm pretty damned sure the Nickelback show at Shoreline next Tuesday will kickstart me, good and hard.

Namaste, yo.

So very tired of having to call "bullshit"....

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:57:00 +0000

Today, Lieutenant Dan Choi went before the review board and was fired from the US Military he'd served - for refusing to lie about being gay.

Said President Obama a few days ago, to a group of very unhappy gay activists:

"I want you to know that I expect and hope to be judged not by words, not by promises I've made, but by the promises that my administration keeps...We've been in office six months now. I suspect that by the time this administration is over, I think you guys will have pretty good feelings about the Obama administration."

Yes, well, I'm sure that's making Dan Choi - fired for not lying - feel ever so much better about things. And you know, of all the bullshit I've heard spouted recently, the sheer doubletalk in the above statement really is breathtaking. "I expect to not be judged by promises I've made" - um, wait a minute, want to roll that back a few reels, buckaroo?

Dan Choi now takes his fight to Nancy Pelosi, in hopes that the Speaker - who is also my rep - will defend his worthiness to her Supreme Boss. Since the lady reps my district, and I've watched her political and ethical spine turn to jello these past couple of years, my initial reaction is a hearty "yeah, don't hold your breath, dude".

I call bullshit. And I'm curious as to what my gay friends, or the people in the ranks of those I know and even remotely call friends who claim to support gay equality and rights, are calling this.

Because, truly madly deeply?

I DO judge you on the promises you made, President Obama. And I call bullshit, yet again. I'm really damned tired of calling bullshit.

Reposted, with Ayelet's permission

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Just received in email:

"Most of you are used to receiving from me funny little emails, chock full of jokes and self-promotion. But today I'm emailing for a different reason. Today Dr. George Tiller, one of the last late term abortion providers in the country, was assassinated by an anti-abortion maniac, a home-grown American terrorist, brought to you by the likes of Randall Terry and Bill O'Reilly.

Women went to Dr. Tiller when they were given diagnoses of fatal abnormalities, when they'd been sent from doctor to doctor, desperate to find out what was wrong with their babies, only to hear the worst possible news. They came from all over the country, and found in his clinic -- once they'd run the gauntlet of the hysterical and rage-filled protesters -- warmth and sensitivity, support and caring.

There is no doubt that this vile murder was inspired by the likes of Bill O'Reilly, who targeted Dr. Tiller, and by Operation Rescue and the Kansas anti-choice organizations who put Dr. Tiller's name, his photographs, his home address, and the address of his church up on their websites, the better to facilitate his murder. Organizations like Priests for Life tried to shirk hoped in the beginning even to pin the blame on "an angry post-abortive man or woman, or a misguided activist, or an enemy within the abortion industry." (Yes, that is in fact a quote from their official statement.)

I'm going to ask you to do something for me. I'm going to ask you to make a small donation. $5. $10. $100. Whatever you feel moved to donate, in Dr. Tiller's honor. And in honor of the millions of women like me, whose hearts were broken by pregnancies gone terribly wrong. Women who found only warmth and love in the care of Dr. Tiller and the other courageous few who continue to risk their lives for our sakes.

Donate at: http://www.prochoice.org/support/index.html

or at: https://secure.prochoiceamerica.org/site/Donation2?1901.donation=form1&df_id=1901

or at: http://www.pbscf.org/index_files/pleasedonate.html

They kill us, and still they make us stronger. Let's prove it to them.

Yours,

Ayelet Waldman"

---

If you're not pro-choice, no pressure; I am pro-choice, and I respect yours. But please, ask yourself if murdering a doctor in church fits your own personal definition of "respect for life".

IMe, just donated.

Dark's Tale (formerly Dark in the Park): The Cover!

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Sat, 16 May 2009 04:32:00 +0000

Coming 23 March 2010, Egmont USA.

I get the best damned covers....

Oh, and in re Afghan women...

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:34:00 +0000

Yeah, we're fighting the "Good War" in Afghanistan. We're bolstering up Shrub and Cheney's hand-picked president and his sexist Shiite bullshit because, hey, women are SUPPOSED to be chattel to the men in their lives! And besides, it's all about having to respect everyone else's culture, because it's about sensitivity. Quick, someone start a flame war about how it's All About Something Else and anyone who sees it differently is a Hater!

Reading stuff like this, I want to puke - because Rall is right as right gets. And the only conclusion I seem to be able to draw from this today is that, as a species, we're slime.

We're mean, stupid, superstitious, territorial, and we learn NOTHING. We fall for every shiny distraction. We actually hanker after anything that will sedate us enough to keep us from having to go out and actually learn things for ourselves.

And then, when we're done doing that, we pat ourselves on the back for being on top of the food chain, and being the Most Favoured of God's Creation.

Beam me up. I'm ashamed to be human. And someone pass me an airsickness bag on the way out.

And for the record? This is why I continue to state that, no matter what else changes, gender is the noun, and everything else - race, ethnicity, age - is an adjective. In the end, women get nailed.

And I am bloody sick of it.

The Afghan Women's Writing Project

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Sun, 10 May 2009 01:19:00 +0000

I'm feeling incredibly fortunate right now: I've been invited by journalist and novelist Masha Hamilton to participate as one of the teachers/mentors in an incredible project: The Afghan Women's Writing project.

Along with several other writers, I'll be working online directly with young women in Afghanistan. These women are in some of the most conservative provinces-Farah, Kandahar-as well as in Kabul and Herat. We'll be helping to develop their writing.

Says Masha: "These are women who, when permitted to attend school, are often NOT encouraged to seek a higher education. They have such strong voices, (and what a wealth of experiences), and they just need development. Some are young journalists; others have studied briefly in the states but are now back home, others hope to study here at some point. They all have workable English (sometimes excellent English) and access to a computer."

I'll be doing rotating work online for three weeks or so with these young women over the next six to nine months. There will be a website up shortly, and as the project moves along, these women will have their work showcased. Security issues are bad, and getting worse; these women are in so much danger locally that only their first names can be used. But as soon as the website is up, with details, I'll be tweeting, Facebooking and blogging generally about it.

I'm just incredibly pleased to have been asked to be a part of this. It's so very easy for me to work at lightspeed on whatever I choose, sitting comfortably in the First World. Women around the rest of the world are not nearly so lucky.

Do you feel - stimulated...?

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:14:00 +0000

A Day in the Life in the current economic crisis.

Or, more accurately, a day in the life of actual, you know, people in the current economic crisis. And why this isn't going to get fixed.

Allow me to introduce Mr. and Mrs. G. They are tag-end boomers, in their early (in her case, about to be mid) fifties. Mr. G is an alpha geek in the world of tech, but lacks a particular piece of paper that the completely nonfunctional HR industry requires as a buzzpoint. Mrs. G is a member in good standing of the literary community, having produced - over twenty years - a dozen critically acclaimed novels.

Mr. G has been out of work for 25 of the past 27 months. Mrs. G, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and degenerative spondylosis (for those unfamiliar with the second, it basically means her spinal connections are slowly dissolving. Yes, it hurts. No, it is no more curable or fixable than the MS is.), gets a monthly disability cheque. They have been subsisting largely on the occasional book advance - selling out a print run or earning out your advance three times over does not, in the current world of publishing, guarantee you a royalty cheque in under two years - and on the kindness of friends and family.

Creditors have been ringing. One of the most persistent of these is Citicorp. Yes, the Citicorp that just availed itself of the bailout money, first under Bush, now under Obama. Yes, the Citicorp that just got itself a new corporate jet with some of that selfsame bailout money. That Citicorp. They are ringing to let us know that, because we have missed timely payments, they are jumping our monthly interest rate from 9.4% to 26.2%. That will raise the monthly payments from approximately $68 to approximately $275.

Now. What's wrong with this picture? Or, rather, with this economic model? Will someone explain the logic, here? "Hmmmm. $68 a month is beyond their ability to handle on a regular basis, because of an uncertain economy. We want our money; they owe it to us. Hmmmmm, what to do, what do do....? cue lightbulb going off Got it! Of course! So simple, so elegant, so very effective! Let's triple their rate and quintuple their payment! What's really cool is that we've already got several billion dollars - that's billion with a Buh! - from their tax dollars, thank you former and current presidents! This way, we can drive them insane enough to sell off their belongings to pay us an exorbitant predatory interest rate, AND collect from their taxes. We get paid TWICE! Awesome!"

Dear President Obama: Do you really want to watch the current downslide grind to a screeching halt, and in a way that won't cost the government a dime?

Cap interest rates on consumer lending. Hard cap. No loopholes.

I know, I know, Larry Summers just felt a cold chill run down his back. Timmy Geithner's head just exploded (for the record, I would pay folding green cash money to see that. I'd even pay Citibank). Butbutbut! That isn't FAIR! That stifles the market! What are you, a progressive or - oh, heh, whoops, right, give me a minute to adjust the progressive mask.

Think about it. Seriously. We are operating under the economic assumption that the American consumer exists for one purpose, and one purpose only: to take it in the ass, without benefit of lube, courtesy of the consumer credit industry.

Wrong. Show me anything anywhere outside of Friedmanism that says corporate Amerika is somehow guaranteed a profit? Where is that written and who wrote it? Never seen it. Have you?

Cap the rates. Put a criminal fine on predatory lenders who abuse it. And for fuck's sake, stop trying to create an economic slave class while printing money for Citicorp and GE Money and the rest of those guys to suckle off of. Otherwise, you will solve nothing.

Oh, and something else to consider: that stimulus package, more specifically the $1000cheque Mr and Mrs G will theoretically be getting at some point. That money is supposed to be "put back into the economy" - that's its stated purpose. To stimulate the economy.

Problem is, it will be going nowhere near consumer goods. It will go to Citicorp et al, to get them the fuck off our backs. So they'll get paid yet again.

Yes, indeed, I'd feel stimulated too, were I the CEO of Citicorp.

World o' words: What I'm up to right now

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:32:00 +0000

1. Editing my friend Jeannette's novel. It's beautifully written and incredibly strong, but it needs content organising to get it ready for an agent and then to a publisher's desk.

2. Editing my friend Erika's 9K mystery story: she writes in the "crip noir" genre, since she's been wheelchair-bound since birth. A damned good story, but needs editing before submission.

3. Was working with the first round of my excellent Egmont editor Greg Ferguson's edits to Dark in the Park; there will almost surely be a second round (although the edits were tiny, more clarification than actual rewriting), and I have an introduction to write.

4. Soon there will be first-pass pages for While My Guitar Gently Weeps. YES. And I have the cover, but I'm not allowed to share yet, and that had better change PDQ, because it kicks serious ass.

5. Finished my loving friend-look at Neil Gaiman, "A Night on the Tiles", for Green Man Review. Neil got to approve it first, and did, bless him: when the man tells me it's "beautifully written", I preen. Oh, and HUZZAH! for both a strong opening for "Coraline" and oh, yeah, winning the Newbery for The Graveyard Book.

6. To do for Green Man: my retrospective on Steeleye Span, reviewing a book about Led Zepellin, a look at the history of Donovan.

7. Sitting down with Peter S. Beagle (hallo, darling Uncle Fox, if you're by any chance reading this!) and a tape recorder. The 23 August issue of Green Man is the official Summer Queen Deborah Grabien issue. Yay me! Peter's interviewing me for it.

8. Working on Kinkaid #7, Even It Up. New tour bus, old guitars.

And in the realm of visual words, Rocker Chick Media is putting together two book trailers: one for While My Guitar Gently Weeps, which will be available for public viewing. And one for Marlene Stringer, literary agent extraordinaire, to use as a pitch tool for Julian Dawson's monumental, staggering biography of Nicky Hopkins, a subject very close indeed to my heart. That one won't be for public view, which is a shame. It's going to be beautiful.

At this moment in time, I'm slacking. Playing music - my guitars were suddenly calling my name, especially my PRS.

from School Library Journal - adult books for high school students

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:59:00 +0000

Adult/High School - JP Kinkaid, a member of the legendary British rock band Blacklight, is unnerved when he learns that Perry Dillon, a tabloid biographer, is writing an exposé of the group. Kinkaid has a lot of secrets he would like to remain hidden: heroin addiction, deportation, and his struggle with multiple sclerosis. His fear only escalates when Dillon turns up dead in his dressing room and his life partner, Bree Godwin, is identified as the prime suspect in the investigation. As the mystery unravels, the novel provides a behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional rock and roll, revealing the close bonds that are formed within it. As the story progresses, secrets are revealed as JP revisits his early days with Blacklight and Bree. The more that is revealed, the less trustworthy the characters are as their seemingly normal existence becomes shrouded in mystery and suspicion. The novel is reminiscent of Meg Cabot's Size 12 Is Not Fat (HarperCollins, 2006). Grabien's novel is likely to appeal to casual readers as well as those with an affinity for rock and roll.-Kelliann Bogan, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH

[Dark in the Park] WHEEEEEEEEE! Book deal!

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:49:00 +0000

Sold, to Regina Griffin at Egmont, Haunted Ballads and JP Kinkaid Chronicles author Deborah Grabien's Dark in the Park, a YA urban fantasy novel narrated by an abandoned cat struggling to form alliances and survive an incursion of coyotes in Golden Gate Park. World English rights with a second book option, Fall 2010, in a deal that makes the author do a happy little dance. WOOT!

In which said author loses her YA virginity. YOWSA!

[WMGGW] JP Kinkaid: first encore!

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:44:00 +0000

I am all the way beyond pleased and all the way into ecstatic to announce that While My Guitar Gently Weeps, the second JP Kinkaid chronicle, is officially scheduled for September 2009. For those who've read the first one, here's a short summary:

While My Guitar Gently Weeps opens with Blacklight guitarist JP Kinkaid at home in San Francisco, and engaged to his long-time lover, Bree Godwin. Blacklight's tour has been rough on JP; a heart attack in Boston and a significant ramp-up of his multiple sclerosis have left him more physically fragile than usual.

With the tour over, JP is relaxing by sitting in as second guitarist for a new CD by his longtime local friends, the Bombardiers. The Bombardiers are breaking in a new frontman, singer-guitarist Vinny Fabiano. Self-absorbed and abrasive, Vinny is new to the Bay Area music scene; all anyone seems to really know about him is that he has some very expensive instruments, and no obvious source of income to pay for them.

A few weeks into the sessions, Vinny is found dead in the Bombardiers' San Francisco rehearsal space, smashed over the head with a custom guitar. The murder leaves the Bombardiers - already in hot water with their record label - without a singer or a regular guitar player. JP, calling in a favour, asks Blacklight's legendary frontman, Malcolm "Mac" Sharpe, to step in and sub for Vinny.

But Vinny's cousin and guitar tech is found murdered in Marin County, and Vinny's most valuable guitar - a $75,000 custom Zemaitis pearl-top - has disappeared.

[politics] Best voting experience I've ever had

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:40:00 +0000

Today's voting experience was not what I expected.

I was expecting this vote to be miserable. I felt disenfranchised, bullied out of my own party for daring to question the Will And Wisdom Of The Elder Boyz, and I still do. But I made it work for me. There was something intensely liberating about not being tied to the party anymore. I'd made my own list, tallied it against various organisations' endorsements, and found a certain kinship with the League of Pissed-Off Voters.

I voted against the endorsements in one or two local issues (yes, I know the entire green-minded universe locally endorsed Prop H, and I applaud the basic idea, but the last line is "issue bonds without voter approval" made that one a no). I voted for the high-speed rail initiative. I was allowed a ranked three-choice vote for my local supervisor, and only picked one: Eric Mar. Yay! A genuine, you know, PROGRESSIVE!

Then I got to the bigger votes. I voted for Cindy Sheehan - mentally dedicating Richard Thompson's "Oh Missy, How You Let Me Down" to Nancy Pelosi. I left the presidential vote for last.

Long deep breath, pick up the pen - and wrote in Dennis Kucinich.

It felt right. I had no one on the ballot who represented me or my interests. The Democrats had made it impossible for me to vote for their guy and keep my self-respect. Both parties have screwed me, or tried to: the Republicans stole my election and my country in the last two elections, and the Democrats stole my vote and tried to steal my self-respect in this one.

Byebye, as a concept, finally felt, well, final. I have divorced the Democratic Party for abusive behavior, and will choose my own future dance partners based on whether or not they earn my dance time.

Best. Voting. Experience. EVER.

And Then Put Out The Light

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:29:00 +0000

Now available for preorder at Amazon! With ISBNs, even!

On Powell's endorsement; I actually kinda like the guy, for a change

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:14:00 +0000

So, Colin Powell endorsed Obama this morning. And damn, Powell can put a sentence together, and make me believe him. Not agree with him, necessarily, but believe him.

When he stated his reasons, they had the ring of truth. I particularly found myself nodding along with his answer to the racial aspect of it: surprise that anyone even considered that. Why are all people of colour supposed to leap into Obama's camp, whether or not they agree with him or believe him? It's as insulting as assuming that all women are supposed to leap to vote for McCain because he picked a woman to run with (which, by the way, he didn't; he picked a Martian. Had he actually picked a woman, this race would be too tight to call.) Both sides in this campaign have been playing their BS cards this entire election cycle, and it's done as much as the complete lack of an economic plan or a healthcare plan to convince me that neither side represents me or gives a rat's arse about anything other than my money and my blind obedience.

It's a funny thing about Colin Powell. I lost a lot of my respect for him when he got up in front of the UN at Bush's command and lied to the world. He told them that he - not the administration, but he, personally - had seen proof that Iraq was building nukes. I thought then, and still think, that he bears a HUGE load of responsibility for getting a lot of countries to sign on to Bush's invasion. Because, you know, he lied. The only "proof" he'd seen was what Condi Rice and George Bush told him. He knew his word was golden, he knew they would believe him - and he lied anyway.

I've had a lot of people being apologists for that, telling me, well, he's career military, they take orders and are trained to not question their superiors. Sorry, but I'm not in the military - I'm We The People. My taxes pay for their existence. I'm their boss, no less than Condi Rice is. And I expect him to tell the truth.

I have trouble with the military mindset, and I'm sick of apologists, period. If you stand up and use your reputation for integrity to convince people into a course of action that results in thousands of death, in the full knowledge that you haven't seen that proof and are merely parroting what your "superior" officers are telling you to say, then you bear responsibility. I have yet to hear anyone involved in that miserable mess, military, executive or otherwise, take any responsibility at all. That's another major reason I left my own party after 35 years: you vote for something, take responsibility. You DON'T show up to vote for something - in my mind, way worse, since voting their mind is what your constituency is paying and expecting you to do - take responsibility for it. And they don't. None of them do.

A lot of my respect for Colin Powell went straight down the toilet that day. But his comments about his endorsement, and the reasons why he went for Obama instead of McCain, gave me back a small measure of that respect for him.

I have no plans to vote for either of these candidates. The last debate sealed that for me, solid. Nothing would induce me to vote for John McCain - no, you miserable tool, my health concerns have not been blown out of proportion, and if you'd married a woman instead of a zombie, you might know that. As for Obama, to quote a friend, I have no more wish to be forced into having a clergy than I wish to be forced into having a child. My reproductive decisions are not between me and my family, or me and my minister, or whatfrickingever: they're between me and my doctor.

Whoever gets in, good luck to them, but they're doing it without my vote. I'm probably writing in Dennis Kucinich. But two points to Colin Powell, for a reasoned, cogent, lucid and entirely believable explanation of his endorsement.

[LitCrawl] We rocked the HOUSE, yo!

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:42:00 +0000

LitCrawl? Frickin' ROCKED.

Not sure what Amnesia's capacity is, but we packed it, SRO. Maybe 150 people or so? I talked about the series, showed off Rock and Roll Never Forgets - and then read the scene from While My Guitar Gently Weeps, JP and the borrowed Zemaitis and Mac and recording "Liplock" in the basement studio with the Bombardiers. A song about oral sex, what's not to love?

Wonderful readings from everyone - for me, Denise Sullivan and Blag Dahlia were serious standouts. Scaling the stage with the MS shakes was interesting, to say the least. Oh, and Johnny Strike had a HOTT like a HOTT THING guitar player with him. Said guitarist let me play his axe, a black featherweight Yamaha electric that quacked like a Strat.

In a genuine R&R moment, Jack Boulware (the festival organiser) told me on the QT that there was an afterparty, told me where, and let me know that I was on the guest list, plus one. Queueing up for it with Kathi Kamen Goldmark and her companion, I noticed that people were waving little black Litquake invitations. Hmmm, thought I, and I was right: my name wasn't there. I pretty much burst out laughing, because it was shades of Bill Graham and FM Productions, thirty years later. They let me in anyway, and the party was a bit too loud and claustrophobic for me, but I was glad I got in, and much gladder I got to read with, and for, such thoroughly awesome people.

Brought down the house. Totally going to hope Jack Bouleware invites me back.

Ummm....I already wrote this one, kinda

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:06:00 +0000

Just saw the notice of a sale: Jacqueline West's OLIVE AND THE SHADOWS, about a girl who can step into paintings, but finds that there's an evil presence lurking in them that wants to step out.

This one's a children's book. I did that one for adults already: Still Life With Devils.

In other news, I'm on the music writers panel at LitCrawl this Saturday. Half past eight, at Amnesia, on Valencia Street: come on out.

Has my government - en masse - gone nuts? Or is it me...?

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:44:00 +0000

I spent the day mostly in bed with a migraine, but climbed out to look at provisions of this bailout. I'm so completely unthrilled, the mind boggles:

"EXECUTIVE PAY. Restrictions would be imposed on the compensation received by executives whose companies sell some of their bad assets through the government's purchase program. There would be tax restrictions on executive pay over $500,000 and limits on so-called "golden parachutes" for executives who leave the companies getting government bailouts."

I am not moved to tears. "Over $500,000"? Tax restrictions? But Santa Clause, howsabout maybe full investigations into some of these people and their lending practices? Or is that too much like impeachment?

"OVERSIGHT. The Treasury will be required to provide details of its purchases of bad assets within two days of the transaction. Oversight boards would be created including one with members selected by Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate and one that will include top government officials."

Great. My mind is completely at ease about this whole thing now. Because congress has proven itself so willing to tell the Shrubwit and his accolytes "no, you can't", insert sarcasm here.

"TAXPAYER PROTECTION. Taxpayers would be given ownership stakes in companies whose bad assets are purchased and after five years if the government is facing a loss in the program then the president will be required to submit a plan on how to recoup a portion of the losses from the companies that participated in the program."

Oh, well, thanks for clearing that up. Nice to know there's a legislative oversight that gives me a stake in - wait, what? In companies facing a loss, that you took my money to use as bail? And one that will take a minimum of five years to even look hard at? Wow, I feel soooooo "protected". Sort of like a financial condom with thousands of tiny little holes poked in it.

But this is the one that really makes me wonder what the two candidates and the damned congress are patting themselves on the back over. Hell, this is the one that makes me wonder what planet these candidates are living on:

"A proposal floated that did not make the final version of the bill:

• HELP FOR TROUBLED HOMEOWNERS. They failed in an effort to give judges the power to modify mortgage terms for people who have filed for bankruptcy and Democrats were unable to get approval for part of any profits the government might receive to go to help people facing mortgage defaults."

Yay bailout. Yay candidates. Yay congress. All quail and quake before the almighty Bush and the not-so-almighty dollar. Swell.

A question: If you're going to grab $2,000-plus from every woman, man and child in this country to buy those mortgages, why not take the money you just lifted from taxpayers, pay off those mortgages, and hand the paid mortgages to the homeowners that got screwed? That way you ease the actual crisis for the people your wealthy buddies fucked over, and the banks still get their dough. Or is that too socialistical and communinisticated for these people? No, we'd rather dump the nation's cred as a democracy, for the people etc., along with the credit.

Back to bed. Not sure why waking up is worth it these days. This country has apparently lost whatever remained of its ethics and its tiny little mind, along with its standing in the world community and the value of the dollar.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame can blow me

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:07:00 +0000

So, the list of nominees/inductees for 2009 is out, and gee, guess what?

Still no Nicky Hopkins. they're inducting Chic - frickin' CHIC - but not the man who provided the base piano for about a third of the music represented in their damned museum.

These people are braindead. They are also clueless. They also have about as much claim to cred in my book as Sarah Palin has.

I could kick these people in seventeen places and the toe of my boot would still be hungry.

No cred. Blithering idiots.

Yo, Pig! Wherever you are right now!

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 23:48:00 +0000

Happy birthday, man - don't remember whether it's today or tomorrow, but I know it was right in here.

You were always the person in the Dead collective that I loved the best. I remember hanging with you and V, remember the time V and your NY girlfriend met and put you in fear for your life - and then they went off and hung out for hours, sister spirits. I could hear the sigh of relief from halfway across the Fillmore East.

And you totally saved my ass, the night of the Queens College show in 1970. My sister's article on the Dead had just hit the stands - Creem? Crawdaddy? Rolling Stone? Damned if I remember which magazine or paper it was in. She compared a Dead show to a "eucharistic ritual" and something like eleven thousand people showed up and tried to get in. I got into it with the local law enforcement types and they came looking for me with piss and vinegar in their eye, and you hid me in a road case. "Why no, ossifer, haven't seen anyone of that description, but I'll keep my eyes open."

You dying, that was the real beginning of the end for me hanging with the Dead. May whatever body you're inhabiting now have an indestructible liver and all the pleasures the flesh can hold.

24/02/44 - 06/09/94

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:51:00 +0000

Always on.

Always burning.

In which the writer feels cold for a moment

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:15:00 +0000

You know what kind of sucks? Writing JP Kinkaid wondering if his MS is jumping from r/r to progressive.

This is the problem with writing what's real for the character, and why being a writer wannabe is a waste of time and energy. When you're in service to the story, there are times you're going to bleed.

And that's just the way it is, says the woman who's been in relapse mode for the past five days, and who is wondering the same thing about her own phasing.

Back to working on book.

A SPLENDID event last night, and a guest blog

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:24:00 +0000

First off, I got to guest-blog at Meg Waite Clayton's site. Meg has one of the summer's big hits, The Wednesday Sisters. Go forth, read the blog and all the nice guest-bloggers, including me, and read the book, as well - I'm loving it. Brings back the late sixties for me, prismatically, too.

http://megwaiteclayton.com/1stbooks/?p=34

And last night at Booksmith on Haight was wonderful. We had a very good turnout, from writers to rockers to friends to readers. Thomas showed why Booksmith keeps winning "Best Live Book Events in San Francisco" awards. I made and brought food, and prosecco and wine. Me angelic Amacker came and ran her Sony digicam, and Nic had his set up as well, so the seeds for the next Rocker Chick Media video are all there, waiting for the time to edit them. Simon Wood read a splendid JP, Nic reprised his southern transplant NYPD Homicide Lieutenant Patrick Ormand, and I offered up Bree's shaky two lines (the character was shaky, not me). We had a lively Q&A, sold many books, and then Nic and I - along with the wonderful Patrick Campbell, who'd come down from Marin with his standup bass - set up for some live music. The only glitch was forgetting to bring speakers, so that the crowd could actually hear the R&RNF movie trailer when we showed it; my only regret is that we didn't get more of Kathi Kamen Goldmark singing, due to time constraints. She's a wonderful singer.

And speaking of Kathi, she introduced me to the crowd and nearly brought tears to my eyes. A wonderful heartfelt intro, from another rocker chick who was there, and who gets it. My sistah!

Pretty picture

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 05:59:00 +0000

At the Barnes and Noble University Village, Seattle, last night, for the Rock and Roll Never Forgets kickoff event.

Tomorrow: M is for Mystery, 2 pm, San Mateo.

I am tired beyond the dreams of man.

Politics, politics

DebGrabien@gmail.com (DebGrabien) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:25:00 +0000

Upfront warning: if you're reading this and are one of the legion who believe Barack Obama should not be questioned about anything, you might want to skip this one. It's likely to piss you off just about as much as everything he's touched in the past couple of weeks has pissed me off.

Starting with the FISA vote. And Oh, looky, the Democrat's Shiny New Feerliss Leedur couldn't be arsed to vote, AGAIN.

So, Obama announces that he'd support the FISA bill with the telcom immunity in place, Telcom gets immunity and a free ride, and they all fall down like little groupies.

What a shock, NOT.

Let's see what we've got here, shall we, in the way of "progressive" values on the part of Senator Jasmine (Buffy fans will know whereof I speak):

1. He thinks women should "get over it" to make his life easier, so that he can concentrate on important stuff. (memo to Barack: women think you should get a clue and figure out that we do not owe you anything, so just deal with it, already.)

2. He thinks women should have "some" autonomy over their own reproductive rights. (memo to Barack: aw, how sweet of you. Would you like me to fling thong panties at you as a gesture to express my gratitude for your magnanimity, or shall I just hold a placard and chant "chaaaaange"?)

3. He thinks that decision (reproductive rights) should be between "a woman and her pastor". (memo to Barack: sod off, you theocratic prick. I KNEW you were heading this way, all the way back in 2004. AWESOME god! BLUE states!)

4. He has no problem with the death penalty, under certain circs (memo to Barack: up until not too long ago, being black was enough of a circ in a scary number of American states. Please allow me to point you towards a book called "To Kill A Mockingbird".)

S. He couldn't be bothered - yes, AGAIN - to commit to an important piece of legislation, which is one reason Telcom gets a free pass for spying on us.

Ah, screw the parentheticals.

Memo to Barack: you are about as progressive as Ronald Reagan.

Do. Not. Want.