Happy holidays, all. Thanks for visiting.

Wanna know why it's been a great holiday? No transit strike and Trent Lott is no longer Speaker. Wheehee!

I know what you're saying, "Great, Monkee, onto your usual rant." Keep yer pants on. I got a good one.

Now the holiday season usually means a time to go back to the homefire, back to the families, back to the hometown where we grew up. This always poses some interesting possibilities. Lemme explain.

If you're lucky enough to go home for an extended period of time - for me, a week - then you probably are trying to figure out how to divide your time between your family and your old friends. This is usually the case for me. So before I go home, like some of you, I call my friends to tell them when I'll be back. We make plans, etc - I'm sure you know how the rest of it goes.

But here's the thing: we always say, "Yeah, let's go out (insert night of the week here) night. We'll figure it out when we get home."

Now you haven't been home in a while and everything has changed. So you're trying to rack your brain about which place - old for the memories or new for the experience - you should go to. Keep in mind that it's Upstate New York, so it's also snowing and cold. With all of this in mind, your choices have now somewhat been cut down. You no longer want to go far away - like into the city of Syracuse 'cause it's cold and snowing. So you now have to stick to your immediate area.

See, in Syracuse, a lot of the school districts are marked by the town or in my case, two towns, Fayetteville and Manlius. So I went to Fayetteville-Manlius High School. Now this is a long and now that I look at it, confusing way of saying that in my immediate area where I went to high school, there are two towns where our possibilities for a night are. And within these two towns, there's only two bars to seriously consider going to - Mulligans in Fayetteville and Mulrooney's in Manlius (at least I think those are their names since we call them both Mully's).

Mully's in Fayetteville is much closer to my house (down the street) but Mully's in Manlius is much nicer. This is where the problem lies.

Mully's in Manlius has become the place where FM High School grads go to when home. So you have a serious question to ask yourself: Do you want to face people that you have either: a.) fallen out of touch with; b.) never really talked to in high school; c.) they never acknowledged your presence in high school; d.) can remember their face, but not their name; e.) forgotten existed?

My answer is no under choice f: All of the above. I don't want to see people that I have either chosen to or involuntarily fallen out of touch with, I don't want to see people that I never talked to in high school, nor do I want to see people whose faces I can place, but whose names elude me. I certainly don't want to see people who never acknowledged my very presence and I don't need to be reminded who exists because obviously, I have forgotten them for a reason. Who the hell in their right minds will put themselves through that?

And the answer to this more important question is: me and my one of my best friends, Sugene. Why? Because we did. We knew all of the stuff that I just said and we went anyway. We were fully aware of our consequences. Why? I'm afraid I can't answer that. But this I know: I always, always resist going to Mully's. Suege seems to be intent on bringing me there at least once every time we're home. The last time, her entire graduating class was in the bar and I knew maybe 5 people there. Felt out of place. So I really didn't want to go this time. But sucks to my asthmar, I went.

And this time, my graduating class was holding court at Mully's.

I had a great time. Got to hang out with people that I didn't forget existed, just didn't know where they ended up. Catching up with folks. Seeing how everyone has grown. Changed.

It's interesting to see who thinks they're still too cool for school to talk to you - and yes, there are always a couple of them. Dicks. I mean, really? Does it matter anymore? Really? Ooh, you were a lacrosse player and untouchable - for chrissakes, you aren't playing anymore - get the damn stick out of your ass. For everyone else, they learned to be human beings and have learned to say a basic "Hello". Learn humanity. It's really not going to help you in the long-run to continue walking around with your head up your own ass.

By the way, Suege didn't have a great time this time - since it was my graduating class. Eh, can't win 'em all. Guess we'll be going into Syracuse next time we're home and want to go out.

That takes care of that one.

Okay. I wanna talk about the weather.

Why is it so freakin' cold out there?

I'm sure that you've noticed. It's freakin' freezing out there. So let's talk about it, shall we?

Anyone notice how damn hot it was this summer? It was unbearably hot. And I sweat a lot, so let's just say that it was really disgusting - or as me and some friends like to say - buhgusting and buhgross. There was no real way to escape the heat unless you had air conditioning. And if you read one of my summer posts, you'll see my plan to put air conditioning in every corner of the world before I die.

But now it's freakin' cold out. Why the two extremes?

Um, global warming? El Nino? La Nina? Does it worry anyone else besides me?

Now let's talk fashion. There is a connection, I promise.

In this kind of weather, why do we subject ourselves to be victims of fashion? Because while the peacoats and wool coats look nice, they don't do a damn thing when the weather is this damn cold. The air seems to get underneath so that it gets right to us - and lately, I've been sporting a leather coat. Um, the leather doesn't do much of anything. It's as useless as a baby in a topless bar. In fact, it holds the cold. Why in the hell do I wear it?

'Cause it looks cool. It's nice. And expensive. And black. And I live in Manhattan. What the hell am I thinking?

While I'm standing out there, waiting for the bus to arrive, and I'm doing the math between what time it is and the time the bus gets there and the chances and probability of me freezing to death - I notice that I'm not the only one who's delusional. I notice that everyone around me, clad in nice jackets, are doing the same damn thing.

Why do we do it to ourselves? I would be happier than a pig in shit if I just wore a fleece jacket underneath my goretex crew jacket. But the leather jacket or my peacoat look so much better next to it.

I blame Britney Spears. Well, not really, but it's a change from me blaming the Republicans, isn't it? Actually, I don't blame anyone but myself. Silly old me, trying to look cool going to a bar. If I just wore my big and not as nice jackets that would keep the warmth in, I'd probably be happier. And come to think of it, we all are. No one gives a shit what you're wearing. No one. Except ourselves. And if someone else did really give a damn, tell them to screw themselves. They're probably wearing a thin leather jacket and freezing their ass off. And you can tell them, "At least I'm warm, jackass."

New topic: I wish to talk about [insert evil giggle of glee] Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott.

[grin] I'm sorry - I can't seem to stop smiling at this whole thing. I can't seem to stop laughing, either. And I'd like to apologize, but frankly, I don't give a damn. For once in the past couple of weeks, I'm happy with all the media attention on the Republicans.

Now let's get to the facts of the matter, shall we? This is buhxactly what he said (according to TIME magazine):

Lott has been under fire since last week, when he declared that his state was proud to have voted for Strom Thurmond's segregationist ticket in 1948. "And if the rest of the country had followed our lead," Lott added in remarks at Thurmond's 100th birthday party, "we wouldn't have had all these problems over the years either." Lott has since apologized, and on Thursday, President Bush said the apology was deserved. "Any suggestion that the segregated past was acceptable or positive is offensive and it is wrong," Bush declared.

Let me just amplify: "And if the rest of the country had followed our lead," Lott added in remarks at Thurmond's 100th birthday party, "we wouldn't have had all these problems over the years either."

I don't care if the man was turning 1,000 or if he was happy 'cause his viagra was working - the comments were unnecessary.

Okay, maybe he was just kidding - and he figured it was safe to say it in the company of other politicos. Maybe he felt like he was in a "safe zone" where he could say bullshit like that.

Or maybe he really meant it.

Hmmm.

Let's see - let's take a look at his record:

1. He tried to block the integration of African-Americans into his college fraternity at Ole Miss. It has now since been integrated, but he was a leading force against it.

2. In his 1981 friend-of-the-court filing with the Supreme Court, Lott cited court rulings upholding affirmative action programs at colleges and compared them to the dating ban between black and white students at Bob Jones University. Bob Jones University is a fundamentalist Christian school in Greenville, South Carolina, and its ban on interracial dating among students has long stirred controversy. It has dogged judicial nominees who were involved in the school's various legal fights, and presidential candidates, including Bush, who have been criticized for visiting the campus. The school recently lifted the ban. The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 to strip the school of its tax exemption about two years after Lott filed his brief. "To hold that this religious institution is subject to tax because of its interracial dating policies would clearly raise grave First Amendment questions," he argued. (from CNN)

3. In a 1997 interview with Time magazine, Lott said he once favored segregation as a college student watching armed U.S. marshals help a black student gain entry to a Mississippi university. "Yes, you could say that I favored segregation then. I don't now," Lott was quoted as saying. "The main thing was, I felt the federal government had no business sending in troops to tell the state what to do." (from CNN)

4. And he's done it before. As CNN reports: That line initially drew little fire, but the criticism grew this week and intensified with a report of a similar comment he made at a 1980 campaign rally for Ronald Reagan in Mississippi. His comments followed a speech by Thurmond, who praised the platform that would soon put Reagan in the White House. "You know, if we had elected this man 30 years ago, we wouldn't be in the mess we are today," Lott was quoted as saying of Thurmond in a November 3, 1980, article in The Clarion-Ledger, a Jackson newspaper.

That's just a few of the things that he's done that follow the same line as his remarks. If you ask me, it ain't just a kwinky-dink. (Er, that would be coincidence, in Monkey-speak)

You know what? I'm not even going to editorialize this one. I'm just presenting the facts. But as this is my blogger, I might as well personalize it, no?

Hell, you twisted my arm.

I think it just slipped out. Really. I think he just said it, he meant it to be funny or he meant it to be sincere, either way, it was a dumb-ass thing to say. I think his apology should be enough and there really isn't enough happening out there in our big wide world - which is the same reason that Mariah Carey's mental breakdown dominated the news for weeks.

But as I debate with myself back and forth as to whether or not the man should resign, I keep coming back to one thing: he's the Majority Leader. He's in charge of the party that just won a historical mid-term election and a party that's seeking to re-shape its image as friendly to minorities. And though I would have debated it in the thesis I wanted to write (instead of one on critical elections), his party is Lincoln's party - in name, not so much in policy anymore - and either way you look at it, he's the guy that they look to - he's the leader.

He shouldn't be so damn stupid. He's in charge, for chrissakes.

He should watch his damn mouth. He's the damn spokesperson for his party, for the love of pete.

See, this is the type of stuff that gives me hope for my party. My poor, disjointed, losing party (I can admit it, okay?). When a Republican makes stupid ass remarks like this that are just plain stupid and insensitive - well, I gotta hang onto something, right? Right. But you know what? NOTHING he says can take back the remark. He's apologized how many times now - four? It doesn't matter. You said it and nothing you can say or do can take it back. Know why? 'Cause your record says something different.

This, my dear friends, can be chalked up to something my good friend and sister whom I affectionately call Porkchop once told me: People may not believe what you say, but they'll always believe what you do. So sorry, Trent Lott. No amount of your, "Oh, P.S., I was just kidding" bullshit is going to save you.

Hey all you Dems out there - write this down in your notebooks: watch what you say. Not that it matters, 'cause the past forty years have spoken to our beliefs, and they haven't changed. But mark down this day as this:

DAY ONE OF CRITICAL ELECTION 2004. That's right, kids. A Watershed Election. Don't know what it is? Look it up. That's what I'm talkin' about.

Oh, and by the PPS: 24 and a half hours counting until us New Yorkers find out whether or not the TWA workers will strike. At the time of this writing, there has been no further action on the negotiations and the TWA representative has said that the talks have gone from "good faith to no faith". That doesn't sound so damn good. WHERE THE HELL IS GEORGE PATAKI? DIDN'T I FREAKIN' TELL PEOPLE NOT TO VOTE FOR HIS DAMN ASS? Now look. Here's where we are. I was specific, I even gave people a candidate to vote for - and I didn't waiver in that. You know what? It's out of my hands. But you know what? It never was in my hands...damnhellass. The end.

My god, it has been awhile.

Well, things here have been pretty good. Okay, they've been alright. Depends on what day you catch me.

I'm actively searching for employment. Maybe one day, I'll post some funny stuff that happened to me on the campaign trail - and yes, there was a lot of FUNNY stuff that happened on the campaign trail.

But let's chat for a minute, Monkay style, shall we? I want you to entertain me - even those of you who don't live in this city - just so that you can see what I fought for during the last six months of my employment.

Maybe this only affects those of us who live in NYC. Actually, I know it does. But for those of you outside of the city, maybe you'll understand.

I wanna talk about this possible MTA "illegal" strike.

For those of you that don't live here, I want you to imagine NYC without its subway system. Too vague? Then think about this: 8 million New Yorkers all live and breathe in this city. Many of us (not including myself since I'm unemployed) work in the borough of Manhattan. This means not just people living in Manhattan, but people that live in the other four boroughs, which include Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. Not including those who live in the suburbs of the city - which include Long Island, Westchester, and Rockland. Now many people that live in this city don't work in Manhattan and work in other boroughs. If they're lucky, they live in the borough that they work in. But let's think for a second about the way that this city is geographically situated, shall we? Let's, for arguments' sake, say that most people work in Manhattan.

I want to make this tangible for all of you who haven't grasped this or don't care to. This is me caring about your knowledge whether or not you live in this city, mmkay? Sharing is caring. Knowledge and understanding are important tools we must have, which is why I feel the need, nay, the responsibility to impart this and make it tangible for you.

Manhattan is an island. One purchased rather cheaply by the Dutch from the Manhattan tribe. There are certain pockets or "areas" that are work places. Wall Street comes to mind. Downtown Manhattan. Midtown Manhattan is a bustling area that is mostly commercial. Now the rest of Manhattan is residential, though the mix of commerical and residential makes New York what it is. I'm thinking Upper East and West Sides, Lower East Side, TriBeCa, The Village, Clinton (or Hell's Kitchen), Gramercy/Union Square, Harlem (proper), East Harlem (Spanish Harlem), Washington Heights - these are what can be considered residential. Now take the actual geographic size of Manhattan - 24 square miles - and it doesn't seem so big, does it?

Now let's size it down. Let's say that I live in the Upper East Side - around 86th Street. Let's say I work on Wall Street. That's easily around 100 blocks.

Now let's say that this strike actually happens and there is no subway service. There is no bus service. 100 blocks in a cab is equal to about $12.00 - but that's if there isn't any traffic or any stop lights - that's going straight and during the day (this means $2.00 fare plus $.30 every three blocks and not including tip - there is a science to those non-New Yorkers out there).

Ah, but let's remember that if there is no bus service and no subway service, people would have to rely on cabs to get them to work. Now let's think about the fact that it's hard to get a cab in Manhattan on the work week in the morning rush as well as the evening rush - let alone the traffic that happens in general in New York. Oh, and if it rains, it becomes five times harder to get one.

Now let's think about everyone taking a cab - that jams the traffic even more. In this cold, people would be crazy to walk to work.

And this is just if you live in Manhattan.

The only ways to get into Manhattan are via bridge or tunnel. It's already hard enough to do that if you live outside of Manhattan and drive into work. Imagine if all the people already in Manhattan had to resort to cab and livery service to get to work, add that to the normal morning rush and you've got REM's "Everybody Hurts" video.

Now let's talk about status quo in the city for a second, shall we?

If my memory serves me correctly from my Coro year, the subway and bus system moves approximately 5.4 million people every day to stops all over the city. Most of these people are going from home to work and back or home to school and back. The rest are just going about their lives, running errands, going to meetings, meeting friends, etc. 5.4 million people - that's just mindblowing. All in a day's time.

And MTA service also encompasses the Metro North and the Long Island Railroad - people who travel from the suburbs I talked about earlier.

Now, if what we said was true earlier, in the event of the subway strike, and you've got cars snarled and not moving at all on the roads and I live on the Upper East Side and work on Wall Street, my only two options to get to work are to: 1, walk, or 2, ride a bike, rollerblade, or razor scooter it.

That is just re-goddammned-diculous.

Are you kidding me? Are you f___ing kidding me? There has to be another way.

Or someone's head is going to roll.

Now the Mayor (who I worked hard to get into the office, by the PS) has offered a few remedies should the situation actually get there. One is to limit all car travel in the city to carpools with four people. One is to suspend alternate side of the street parking (keeps me from moving my car from one side of the street to another at an ungodly hour). Livery cars would be able to to pick up passengers who hail them, like cabs.

I repeat: Are you kidding me? Are you f___ing kidding me? There has to be another way.

Or someone's head is seriously going to roll. Seriously.

I mean, he doesn't have many options. He's gotta deal with it, plain and simple. He's gotta try to talk to the governor about this 'cause the MTA is a state thing. That's right, people, a state thing. But since the Mayor is the Mayor of the city, he's gotta deal with it, so he's gotta be involved. The last time that this happened, the strike lasted for 11 days. I've seen the pictures in the papers - there is a sea of folks out on the street. It was April and it was during the Koch administration.

It is now December, it's freezing cold out there, and there's now 8 million of us. I think it's bad walking through Times Square on a weekend with tourists or on Canal Street on Saturdays in Chinatown.

Are you f___ing kidding me?

If the transit workers go on strike, the City loses something like $311 million a day (think about what would happen if the contingency plan goes into action - the loss in revenue from suspending alternate side of the street parking - read parking tickets - plus loss of commerce from trucks coming into the city - just the tip of the iceberg). How the hell can we afford that when the economy is tanking and we're cutting services left and right in this city?

The truth is this: there is ONE person who can stop this from happening - and one alone. Though the Mayor is involved, like I said the MTA is a state agency.

That would be Governor Pataki.

And he's not doing a damn thing right now. Why? I don't know. Maybe he knows something or is stalling on the negotiation. But what it amounts to is doing a whole hell of a lot of nothing.

Just give the transit workers the damn raise. Just do it. If this city is the economic engine of the state - think about what just one day on strike would do to us. Think about the people who would lose their jobs because they couldn't go to work - and lose them in the worst economy possible. Think about the children who couldn't even go to school because they couldn't get there on time. For crying out loud - think about your goddamn citizens and get off your duff and stop this from happening. Those transit workers deserve it - they don't get paid enough to do what they have to do - have a damn heart and stop this craziness.

And don't let people fool you - the governor is the only one who can make it all dissapear.

But you know what? I just spent 6 months trying to convince New Yorkers to get rid of him, they didn't, and now look. Funny, 'cause I think that Transit Workers endorsed Carl McCall, the candidate I worked for. In fact, I seem to remember a certain press conference on the steps of the New York Public Library - yes, I seem to remember an endorsement on the Working Families line. Yup, something about weilding campaign signs on sticks and losing my already slipping voice on a gray afternoon in the cold. Hmmm.

Hey, politics is politics.

But you know what? I have a baaad feeling this strike is going to happen. The negotiations should, ideally, remain in good faith - but who the hell knows?

All the same, I've got a baad feeling. And you know what? I'm going to need another two people to ride in my car just to pick up my grandmother in Brooklyn so that I can take her to my house in Syracuse for Christmas. And I'll need another two people to ride in my with me just so that I can get back into the city. And I'd better leave now or else the traffic is gonna suck in a week. And guess what I'm gonna say when I'm stuck in three-hour traffic and I've gone a block?

Are you kidding me? Are you f___ing kidding me? There has to be another way. I thought I told people not to vote for that bastard.