TIME FOR A CHANGE

Okay, the truth. It wasn't that staring at Peter Billingsley's forever youthful mug grew tiresome, or that a constant reminder of the best time of any year became dull. It wasn't because so many cathartic moments have happened of late - the running of the birthers out of town, the swan song of Osama at the hands of the Kenyan socialista and its accompanying cacaphony of Winger angst and teeth-gnashing which followed - worse than what normally hits 'em by the mere mention of the name "Clinton," but that's a digression. The main reason for finally uncorking the bottle and pouring it onto these pages was simply the need to vent. To recalibrate, lower the pressure, burn off a tad. There. Already better.

Turning half a century quelled some of the rage. Resigning a lifetime rank-and-file commission in the Party of Roosevelt removed some of the partisan irascibility, no doubt. Yeah, the conviction is still there - Boehner and buddies are still wrong about nearly everything, nothing but crazies are standing at the 2012 sweepstakes start line to run the race for Second place. Unfortunately, though, the California economy is still in the dumper, same as the national one, people are still out of work or underemployed, and those who are not are looking 'round every corner for the pink slip monster, or are they checking their FaceBook Status? Don't know which. Oh, and just because it ain't being talked about anymore, rest assured plenty of isotopes are still flowing out of Fukushima and into the Pacific, just like all of BP's presents to the Gulf last year are still lingering about. Are all the bees dead yet? If the Rapture really does come on May 21, 2011, will the saved do us all a favor and strap a Mormon and a Jehovah's Witness under each arm before they whoosh away? Do I really need to see a doctor for an erection lasting 4 hours, or should I work that visit in between "encounters," or just call the Guinness people - the record books folks, not the brewers I mean. Although, doesn't a frosty cold stout sound particularly good right, about . . . now? Sure beats the crap out of a marathon of "Sarah Palin's Alaska" episodes, now, doesn't it . . .more later over most of these NBC stations.