But a number of self-proclaimed prophets, rabble rousers, what have you, were able to gain an audience during the Depression years of the 1930s.

And basically we're in a depression now. Nobody's using that word, because if they do, it will make things worse (group psychology is a huge factor in economics), but while we're not getting Dust-Bowl photos, we've definitely got fertile ground for the rabble rousers.

And, not to go all Godwin, but the global Depression of the 1930s gave the National Socialist German Workers' Party a strong enough foothold that Hitler was Chancellor before the decade was out. NSDAP and Hitler employed the methodology of the Big Lie, defined in Mein Kampf as an untruth so colossal that "no one would believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously."

The GOP has been doing this for years, but the Tea Party has taken it to a new level. Whoever writes Sarah Palin's tweets is a genius at it.

and because it should have its own post:

So much yay for the good news from Sloane-Kettering! And ~ma that the patients continue trending towards health.

~ma for Drew to keep on the mend.

CPAP FTW, DCJ!

Stephanie, you are AWESOME. Basically, everything Trudy said. I wish you still lived in NC so that I could take you out to lunch at The General Store.

smonster, yikes. Good luck at Urgent Care.

Things are starting to look a bit more positive on the house front. Our solicitor* now has all the documents we need. We just need signed papers from the vendor. In the meantime we've threatened to knock £1000 off the sale price for every further day completion is delayed after tomorrow. As we have no back-up plan, I'm rather hoping that actually does the trick.

*A Buffy fandom friend of mine from way back - the thought of which is making me giggle every time she and The Girl have a serious grown-up conversation about legal issues on the phone. I think everyone should have as their lawyer someone they argued Angel plot points with while drinking a lot of vodka.

Wishing you a quick and helpful Urgent Care visit, smonster. (I am also right now sending you the notes from my UK Feminista session that I promised you about four weeks ago. I'm actually quite pleased that I'm not more than four weeks behind on my to-do list. But sorry for the delay all the same!)

Teppy, much punctuation. You rock, y'know.

Teppy, much punctuation. You rock, y'know.

I'm not actually that Stephanie. I mean, thank you!, but while I am Steph L., it's Stephanie who posted earlier about needing the universe to send her some niceness, which I agree she TOTALLY deserves.

Oops. Still getting my Stephs mixed up. You both rock! But yes, Stephanie needs that universal niceness. And rocks.

ION, The Girl just read something online and went "Are you getting raptured on the 5th of May? 'Cause if you are, that's going to get in the way of our marriage plans a bit."

And now she's debating the theology and quoting Revelation. I have said not a word yet. She's been on this for about ten minutes now.

Ah, a late-summer cold. Just the thing for someone who has to talk on the phone all day. Praise be it's kind of quiet, despite a hurricane flirting with the east coast.

And it explains the rise in the number of people who think I'm a guy. It's odd being called "Dude."

Ah, yuck, smonster. I hope they can help you at Urgent Care.

Stephanie, your daughter is, indeed, an awesome girl. Your son is awesome too. Know why? Because their parents rock the awesomeness. Your neighbors, on the other hand, should be given pickled beets for dessert every day for the rest of their lives.

I'm not sure why I am not allotted a nap time, because I damn well need one today. Guess I'm going to get more coffee instead.