Rest for the Weary

dr. elsewhere here

Been gone so long looks like new to me.

I refuse to bore any of you with the perils of Pauline here, but I do want to say that I have both missed you all, and not. I have both missed feeding my obsession with over-saturation from all things political and analytical, and not.

We all need a break from the insanity after a time, for a time.

But who would have guessed both Joseph and I would be forced into breaks at the same time, for entirely different reasons?

Because this blog is so personal, I feel the need to be honest. But also because this blog is so personal, I also feel the need to be private. Which is, in itself, honest.

Truth is, we are each tending to our own needs just now; Joe has just commenced his "retreat," and I am trying to collect myself for ending my own. The past couple of days, our absences have overlapped, and so I want to extend an apology on behalf of Joe for the lack of new postings of late.

My own apologies have been scolded in the past, but despite my deep desires to opine and wax ...well, arrogant if not eloquent... upon the astounding tragicomedy that is our current government, my own world has been too much with me.

All that being said, Joe may be off line for a short while, and I will do my best to keep something posted on a semi-regular basis. Now more than ever I am intimated by the task, and know I could never fill his shoes, but I will try to bring a few notions and observations to your attention, hopefully provoking thought and not ire.

Consistent with Joe's position, I am not terribly interested in fielding anguish or nastiness; such commentary will be summarily dismissed. Sorry, but I learned this in kindergarten, and if you didn't, well then, that is just sad for you, not just here, but in your life.

However, Joe recently noted that, after spending some time on other blogs with their commenters, the readership here is pretty darn sophisticated, on the whole. In fact, the readers were always the luscious icing on this rich and unique cake that is cannonfire, the blog, and also a large reason I was so excited when Joe invited me to contribute.

So, I am inviting all of you - especially the regulars (you know who you are) - to tilt your heads at a novel angle and consider first some very concrete suggestions about how we can create some kind of megaphone effect in getting Congress to impeach this administration. Like, NOW.

I mean, do we not have enough information yet? Are we doomed to simply and fretfully record all the myriad reasons why this gang of thugs and traitors is criminally anti-Constitutional? Or can we act to save our government, and what should that look like?

And please do not interpret this to mean that I am one of the angry Democrats who is turning on our own. Like Joe, I believe the Dem leadership is doing about as well as anyone of us could expect to do. But I also believe that they will act with greater confidence and conviction when our voices are loud, and certainly when they are deafening. So... any ideas?? And let's be both principled and practical, shall we?

And while your heads are tilted just so, I'd also like you to consider just what a remarkable gift we have all experienced in this blogmeister that is Joseph. Don't worry; his life is not in any danger, and he will be fine. In fact, he is fine, quite fine, as we all know. But - and I know this may come as a shock to some - he is human, and he needs this break, and he's taking it.

I have needed mine, and it sure would be a bit more perfect if the timing were better and my break were fully over so that your reading pleasure would be minimally disturbed. But life isn't perfect, so here we are. We'll get through this best we can.

And like most crises, major and minor, we'll be the better for it, especially insofar as we are forgiving.

Thanks so much, and I'll get back with you later tomorrow, after a day of traveling.