The Year of the Possum

**Breaking** JPII to be beatified, Roberto Clemente rule allows for fast tracking to sainthood.

Possums? Why not sharks? Then we could jump them.

Better a cross eyed possum than Talibunny.

I’ve been intentionally not clicking on links to the German possum. I am afraid of possums. Seriously. I still have nightmares about The Great Possum Attack of July 2007.

My aunt has a huge brass pot on her deck (don’t know why). I was outside beading at maybe 3 AM when I heard what I thought was a kitten crying. That was no kitten. It was a demon possum. I screamed my head off long enough for neighbors to come and laugh at me. At least neighbors look out for each other in her neighborhood.

@JNOV: We had two rabid possums that came out in the day to eat the dog shit. Good times.

@Benedick: SEE!?

Reince and repeat?

@Benedick: I flip (whip? Whatever) my hair back and forth…

Is she sticking out her little possum tongue? OHMYGOD, THAT IS SO CUTE!

Your picture shows the cuter end. The back end is all fat rat. I ran over a possum hiding in the middle of a highway late one night. Years later I found one peering in the back door of the house. I suspect their ghosts stalk people.

We have possums in the wilds of suburban Santa Monica. Even my arthritic dog can catch one now and then.

What is the difference between a possum and a rat?

Size, and the actual ability to rip out your throat if they so desire.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: Hey – the RMLs will be at Gila River in June for the Navajo Bar conference. Come hang by the pool for a mini-Stinque.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: Your friends will think it’s cute when a rat pees on them.

From the Snooze Desk: First-round RNC balloting has begun.

@nojo: NPR says Steele is toast. Too bad.

Round One: Priebus 45, Steele 44, Cino 32, Anuzis 24, Wagner 23.

T/J: are GLBT people more eco-friendly? Note the subheading “Homo And Garden.”

@nojo: Can we tip it toward Michael Steele somehow? He really has been a gift to liberals everywhere.

@nojo: That’s a lot closer than his track record would seem to predict. Maybe Steels’s ‘Reince Prius is a muslim’ campaign is paying off?

@redmanlaw: Cool! I’m there!

Man, that possum photo is disturbing. It looks like the whites of her eyes are puffing up. Can’t we post a story about astrology being like OMG totally different now, or something?

@IanJ: Yeah, the charm has worn off for me too. Then again, it could be because some people I work with at the state bar are pissing me off right now (details in the clubhouse). A new distraction is required.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: How about this?

Round Two: Priebus 52, Steele 37, Cino 30, Wagner 27, Anuzis 22.

Oh, and a friend I haven’t seen in years just spotted me in front of the Remote Office.

@Dodgerblue: I saw that on Deadspin yesterday. That was great.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: I thought it was very touching, although some hardened Stinquers may disagree.

@IanJ: Actually, the Possum is the new 13th Sign.

And nothing fresh from me until the RNC vote is decided.

Round Three: Priebus 54, Steele 33, Wagner 32, Cino 28, Anuzis 21.

Clearly this isn’t an elimination tournament.

@nojo: I guess Steele preferred the … Prebius count.

I am in awe of my mad skillz.

@nojo: I’d ask who this “Priebus” is, but I have a sad, sad feeling that I’ll know all too well within a month or two. I’ll preserve my blissful ignorance for now.

Via Weigel: “Steele withdraws from floor after getting tearful hugs. Something coming?”

Damn, I hope so. I’ve the post ready for hours.

@nojo: I’m confused as to how this works.

@nojo: “Steele Withdraws, Prebius Gets Sloppy Seconds” ??

POSSUM POWER! It’s not jus’ for ‘Bama anymores!

/Stinque-up TJ/

@Tommmcatt & @Dodgerblue:

Hey gents, I’m gonna be in your ciudad in March. Lemme know if you’d like to meet.

Round Four: Priebus 58, Cino 29, Wagner 28, Steele 28, Anuzis 24. Nobody’s dropping out.

@¡Andrew!: But of course. The lovely Cassandra is also a local. Do you have dates yet?

Wow. Really? What’s next, a statement about whether Susan B. Anthony would approve of DADT?

@nojo: At this rate, they’ll get to 85 votes in March.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: As am I. I thought it would be sequential elimination rounds — five candidates, then four, and so on — but it looks like they’re just voting until someone crosses the finish line. I thought the Magic Number was 60 votes, but I’m not sure.

@nojo: Me either. I’m going by what Pareene wrote.

@nojo: Is this for RNC chair or pope? When they reach a decision, is there going to be a smoke signal?

@Dodgerblue: March 19th – 23rd, and it looks like we’ll be staying in Santa Monica. I’m not on El Libro de Las Caras, so I’ll ask Nojo to forward the details to you in a bit.

The homo-eco article is so timely, ’cause the Mr. and I are currently looking at reducing our LA carbon footprint by–GULP!–not renting a car, and just walking and busing it.

I should add that the car-less choice is partially motivated by a traumatic and nearly tragic incident a few years ago, in which we got caught in a flash-traffic jam on Santa Monica Blvd, it took us nearly two hours to drive the seven-ish miles from Santa Monica to WeHo, and let’s just say there was an emergency bathroom need. “That’s when you start desperately searching for a Barnes & Noble,” to quote ever-wise Margaret Cho. For those of you who’re totally white-knuckled in sympathetic anticipation–we made it back to the hotel (the Riot Hyatt) just in time!!

@¡Andrew!: Whatever will become of us as a civilization when there are no B&Ns and Borders where we can drink coffee and read free magazines all day or just drop by for a quick shit?

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: Yeah, 85’s the number — 50% + 1. 168 delegates.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: Real Stories of the Highway Patrol will become more sanitation-focused.

@¡Andrew!: McDonald’s. BurgerKing. They only exist as rest rooms.

@Benedick: But you can’t take the latest issue of People in there with you. And then put it back on the rack for the next sucker entertainment lover who comes along.

@¡Andrew!: I can just picture the dashboard cam hilarity that will ensue.

@Dodgerblue: The people quoted in the article are very perceptive. I’d strongly agree that when one grows up in a dominant culture that disregards one’s human rights–and even one’s inherent right to exist–it really causes a cascade effect that makes you question the validity of that culture and its values, such as mass consumerism.

@Dodgerblue: Do you know what happened to The Santa Monica Plastic Bag Monster?

@¡Andrew!: That was no flash jam, man. Bet you were around Beverly Hills when it got ridic.

@JNOV: You’re right! We’d just made it through Brentwood and were almost to Century City when everything just ground to a halt for hours.

And we’d tried so hard to avoid heavy traffic times, like from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm.

‘jam aside, I have so many great memories of that trip. We rented a covertible and had the top down for a whole week–I luved it. Even at night, we’d drive around with the top-down, the windows up, and heavy jackets on. It was so much fun!

@¡Andrew!: :-D Yeah. I had a convertible in CA. Good times.

I am still living with your ghost
Lonely and dreaming of the West Coast…

“Possum” or “Opossum”?

Discuss.