Who Protects Us Now?

Tags

Bush, Faux Noise, journalism, Media, Muslims, Rudi Giuliani, terror attacks, terrorism

It’s ironic that in an age of ever increasing access to information, we are quickly becoming the most uninformed generation in perhaps all of American history. That might be going a bit far, but not by much.

We live with Internet access to literally millions of bits of news and facts, along with the ability to turn to 24-hour cable “news” 24/7. You’d think we would be experts on the political scene and all those other “scenes” as well. But ‘fraid not.

Surely, something can be said for our educational lack. I went to a fairly passable county school back in the 60’s. Yet, given our small size, the choice of classes was lacking and certainly only the basics were taught.

I, and my classmates learned to read and write and cypher adequately. We learned the importance of voting, and being patriotic. We learned that some bad things were done (not soo00 important), but we had a continent to conquer and ultimately we were the next best hope for humanity. I guess this was adequate to the middle of the 2oth century, but it is woefully inadequate now.

We are assured that there is only one worthwhile economic system–the free market one–as we slide into economic hell. The fact that most Americans today spend most of their waking hours just keeping their heads above water might account for the fact that we spend almost no time actually learning the facts of health care, our foreign policy, the state of the rest of the world, the truth about scientific advances, and on and on.

So it’s not surprising that Rudi Giuliani tells lies to the likes of George Stephanopolous and nobody, including George even blinks an eye. If you missed it, Rudi joined a list of shabby neo-cons who are spreading the lie that there were no terrorist attacks under Bush at all! George, I’m told, has admitted his faux pas  at not challenging the former mayor, but what matter? Heck, those who knew better still do, and those that don’t, well they don’t watch George anyway. They are firmly attached at the hip to the Faux Noise liars who know this routine so well.

Yesterday, a Brit stopped by the blog and dropped a few f-bombs around (since deleted by me) and basically railed as how I as a liberal was a sodomite supporting, Muslim defender. He, who goes by the name “Larry” of course is a proper Christian, despite his sexual invitation for me to have sex with a goat.

Now being from Britain, I can only say, whew. . . .just goes to show that idiocy is spread across the globe and is not the sole province of the US of A. More, I can point at Larry as another of those who so helps to radicalize people left and right. Contrary to his ugly opinion of Muslims, from what I hear, they are doing their best, at least in America, to decry in the strongest terms that those Muslims who espouse radical jihad are NOT Muslims according to their understanding of Koran.

Yet, this kind of truth, doesn’t find much purchase in the media. They have succumbed to the simpler mode of journalism, that requires little in the way of research or actual work. Just grab a camera, take a few shots, grab a microphone, and shove it in the faces of passersby for their input. Voila` we are ready for air.

Was it only a few years ago that Woodward and Bernstein offered us a glimpse of real investigative reporting? How soon that turned into investigating marital infidelities, and drug usage. It has failed completely to actually investigate truth. Somewhere and somehow, journalism has become the duty of journalists to let everyone have their opinion voiced, without “editorial” comment.

Well, I agree, I don’t care what the reporter’s opinion is, but I do care what the facts are. And when AHole is spouting verifiable “facts” I want them verified and confirmed or denied. And that is your job Ms reporter. It’s what you get paid for. Yet we find little of this any more. In fact  organizations called “Media Matters” and “Factcheck” and others are designed to actually do that job, the one that journalists don’t bother with any more.

Yet, you have to be motivated to learn the truth to even know of the existence of these sites, let alone actually read them. And precious few of us are. Most of us are plainly not interested at all, or we have hitched our horse to the teabagger supporters at Foxy and depend on them to ‘splain things.

Maybe this has always been so. Maybe in 1884, the US landscape was made up of essentially the same percentages of know some things and know nothings. I don’t know. I do know that at one time, most towns, not cities mind you, had competing  newspapers. Cities might have as many as four major voices, and lots of smaller ones. Today, most cities are owned by one media conglomerate or other.  A failure of course of our fine “regulatory agency” the FCC.

It often seems like beating one’s head against the wall to decry the never ending failure of the media to tell us truth rather than the usual gossipy innuendo that passes for facts. It was called in the past the 4th estate. It was accorded some respect. It was feared by politicians and corporate heads. It could uncover the hidden lies. It could make or break an industry. It had integrity. It was like superman, out for Justice and the American way.

How far it has fallen, and how dumbed down we have become. We need a super hero, and we need one fast.

I Think I Hear Them Squealing!

Tags

Bush, Fox News, Nobel Peace Prize, Obama, right wing

We have a system in our household. At 7 am, the Contrarian comes to wake me up. “Babe, babe, ….babe, it’s 7. . . .” he croons. Today, it was punctuated by a second statement. “Are you ready to be shocked?”

“mmmwhhhat?” pushing the cobwebs from my mind.

“Obama won the Nobel prize.”

“For what?”

“For peace.”

“Where?”

“I dunno, I guess for everywhere.”

My immediate reaction was, “Oh, lordy, Hannity and the Fox nuts must be preparing the samurai swords for hari kari.” (before you start, I know hari kari is incorrect. But I’m NOT looking up the correct term.)

That was more than enough incentive to bounce out of the bed and get the TV on. And the Contrarian quickly began arguing quite convincingly that this was not a “day for man work” given that such “perfect days seldom come along” when we can sit and watch “Fox implode all day.”

I’m normally not into “breaking news” since, by the time you get here, you already know it anyhow. I’m not a 24 hour news service. I generally wait until there is a back story that rises up and suggests a look. But this is just too delicious you know to put off.

I mean, good grief through all those long eight years of misery, at least we could count on the fact that the international community was in solidarity with us in our agony of mediocrity. They hated the dumbed down cowboy as much as we did, for both his utter incompetence and his arrogant swaggering of American power to the detriment of all.

How must the rabid nearly incoherent right feel, as once again the Antichrist has managed to come up smelling like roses? I mean can you imagine the number of newspapers that are being shredded by snarling maws of insane hatred? Coming on the heels of their utter glee that Chicago was turned down for the Olympics, it is like alcohol on the wound, no? They must be squealing again about how the world is a cult of Obama.

Taking the wind from their sails, they now find themselves once again forced to mute up or find excuses, or yes, even to rant at the unfairness of it all. Why cannot EVERYONE get it that this man is the evil genie sent by Satan to destroy the world? Why is it only they, this small remnant of not so well educated, not so well paid, workers who get it? I can imagine, just barely their  agony.

No, I’m not one to gloat, no I am not. I take no pleasure in telling you these things. No I don’t. I mean I felt bad when Tommy Delay had to quit Dancing with the Stars due to stress fractures. I can understand his misery, I’ve felt misery from the stress he’s delivered me for years. I can empathize. I surely can.

Foxy missed not a beat, turning the announcement on its head. This is not praise or recognition for Obama and thus for the US, but actually another cheap shot at Bush. They, (the world), hated him you know. WITH GOOD REASON FOX! If Fox could ever get the reality of things. Bush was a gnat, a nasty creature who irritated a good portion of the globe, but he is gone, and I doubt many are spending must time and effort in finding ways to “pay him back.” History will do that quite nicely, thank you.

Rethugs are no doubt huddled together trying to figure out a strategy to deal with this. More impetus to the health care reform which has, it seems, finally turned a corner of sorts. The polling is now decidedly on the side of public options and Republican “positives” are in single digits these days.

They rather clearly thought it bad form to express their happiness at the Olympic thing. Plenty of it got out, and they looked, well, unpatriotic. How to remain patriotic and still cast this as somehow no big deal? I saw only Orrin Hatch and he suggested that somehow Obama must gather from this honor that he “just doesn’t represent the left, but all the people.” I don’t know how he arrived at this bizarre conclusion but well, it was an effort not to be seen as sour.

Meanwhile behind the closed doors, and  in the trailer parks and world wrestling  ring sides, the usual pouting and cursing will continue. The man can give a good speech, but he’s still stupid as, well, I can’t conceive what, since they think Sarah is a intellectual ideal. There will be renewed calls for “gathering our guns and marching” and “getting our country back.” For some, there will be the confounding reality that shocking as it seems, it seems the world is not aware that he’s BLACK! Like Colbert, they “don’t see color.” And there will be more claims of socialism, from the milder nuts, and fascism and Nazism from those that more than likely could spell neither.

What we have here folks is a honor directed to America, represented by our President. It is a recognition that we are trying to repair the damage we have done. That we are fully in the world, not above it. That we recognize our responsibilities and want to bring our considerable power and history to bear for good. For peace and conversation, for empathy, sympathy, compassion, and justice. That is what Barack H. Obama symbolizes today. In his unfailing offers of a handshake and a listening ear, Obama has signaled that America is one among equals, not the bully on the block.

It’s a good day!

I Kid You NOT!

Tags

Bush, Defense department, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Iraq war, Secretary of Defense

You categorically cannot make this stuff up. I mean it! Just when we thought it was safe to stick our toe in the water again, we are brought back to the insane world of Bush and Co.

No doubt you have heard. It seems Donald Rumsfeld, better known to the liberal blogging community as “Rummy” has surpassed even my expectations of how crazed one administration can be. We learn that Rummy, when sending reports to the White House about the goings on of all things defensive, regularly did them up in folder form with pictures of war, each compete with an appropriate???? verse from the bible to accompany it.

Yes, friends, you heard that right. I guess in some sense it makes some sense, if you get my drift. I mean the Texas boy wonder is not fond of readin’ and writin’ and cipherin’ so, pictures are helpful in conveying a message. We hear, and you know it probably is true, it’s that screwy, that Rummy did this because he assumed said fruit off the old tree, Bushie, wouldn’t read his fine assessments. What better way to get the stamp of imprimatur than to just submit it shorthand with pics and bible verses? No need to worry the boy with actual facts and figures.

It has been reported that on occasion, the “decider” was heard to exclaim, “dang Laura, there are pictures, but nothin’ to color! I got all my crayons in my desk and I can’t wait to use the Prussian blue.”

As this no doubt places the Rummy number one in the top one of the  country’s worst ever Defense Secretaries, a sigh of relief has been heard from the lips of  Bob McNamara, who had held the honor up until now, and Reboobs, the country over are again looking for rocks to hide under. The guffawing can be heard even from here in the meadow, though it is tinged at times with sobs of despair.

This fun has interrupted the general gigglery going on as Dick “The Dick” Cheney, pontificates as a know-it-all about defense of country, assuring all within earshot that torture is good, much like Gecko said greed was. Even his girl, Liz, can be heard making the circuit of every friendly haven, claiming (Dad do you love me now?) that Obama is a terrorist since he is undoing the Daddy Darth’s  machinations.

All this has led the regulars like Rush and Sean and Glenn and Newt to fall into the shadows a bit, as the REAL players make bigger fools of themselves than they ever could. For us right wing pundit watchers, it’s been a sad day indeed. No more Billy Kristol to kick around, even Sarah looks sane in comparison. But not Michelle Bachmann, or Inhofe, or King. They are still in a wingnuttery class of their own.

Which all leads me to wonder, just how stupid are we? I mean this is devolving into a circus of “they’re coming to take me away, haha,” dimensions that frankly is getting scary. It’s one thing to say we made a mistake in 2000, and well, some how we stayed confused in 2004. We seemed to regain our sanity in 2008, but I’m beginning to wonder? Was that just dumb luck?

It looks now, that there won’t be a herd of ex-Bushites going to prison. They are more correctly heading for mental institutions. And we should all be tested as well, cuz we sure missed the signs. These folks are loonie tunes, big time. No wonder the world has been holding its collective breath since about 2003. How many times can I say this? This people are bat shit crazy.

You know how people say, “nothing would surprise me now”? Well, nothing would, and I mean that. If they catch Condi dressed up as a Dominatrix I’ll not blink an eye, but continue on and throw another can of peas in the cart.

See, we watched the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” the other night. There is a logical illogic to that, if you know what I mean. I mean the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything is after all 42. That makes sense, and in that sense, this does too. A bunch of anomalies of space and time and dimension have obviously converged, and well, Bush is the ultimate 42. You see see that now, we all can.

I’m glad they got the Hubble fixed. E-T buddy, you are home. It’s me that needs the scope pointed toward Earth so I can find my way back. I’m obviously at the Restaurant at the end of the universe. And, you know it’s time to leave when you start to understand it. So, all aboard, we’re taking off soon. Bring a lunch, I hear they only serve nuts and a soft drink for the flight.

Memey Kind of Friday

Tags

animal rights, brain biology, Bush, chimpanzees, Humor, memes, Star Trek, Travis

Mauigirl, bless her heart, tagged me with the meme that’s been a traveling around the bloggy land these past few days. Since I haven’t a great deal to say today, (so far that is), and it’s an easy one, I thought I’d take a stab.

The hysterical thing is that I had no idea that google had a separate search engine for images. You cannot imagine how long it takes me sometimes to find a pretty picture for the post. And all posts look better in my opinion, with a picture. I’ve recently discovered Art.com which is wonderful by the way, with something like half a million poster shots to choose from. I ‘ve been finding pics quite easily that way. But now I have the google image search. Go figure, I am a bit dull in the old crank case some times.

To get to the meme:

• Grab the nearest book, and open to page 25.
• Count to the tenth word
• Google the word in google images
• post the third pic
• link to the person who tagged you
• tag 4 others

Well, I cheated somewhat, but here goes:

The book nearest me was “Fear and Trembling” by S. Kierkegaard. The tenth word was with, and the next one was is, so I continued to the next which was “countenance.”

I googled that and the third pic was this one:

Well just imagine my horror. Thought I was done with Chimpy for ever!

But I dutifully fell to my knees and thanked the good Lord, Kublai Khan and the tooth fairy that said simian was no longer pretending to run the government of the US of A.

This pic looks like he just lost out to be called on by  the teacher and is pouting.

Anyway, that’s just about it, but it does lead me to another subject. Oh and those that wish to, go ahead and do the meme. It takes little time, especially if you are a whit smarter than me, and that would be most of ya, and, it might, as it did me, suggest another subject to pontificate upon.

~~

Speaking of chimps, most everyone is saddened and appalled at what happened to the chimp Travis in Connecticut.

It is just awful that the victim of his attack will be permanently disabled and will spend untold surgeries just getting a face back.

It is equally awful that Travis was killed. This was not his fault. He was merely acting as an animal can on occasion.

It is easy to understand why someone would fall in love with such an animal. With such a fine intelligence and mannerisms so human like, it’s easy to think of them as a super pet, nearly one’s own child. I think some do traverse the line and make them children.

But they are apes. Anyone who has spent time watching nature shows, especially those by Jane Goodall, is not at all confused about the fact that they are animals, not humans. They can and do act in ways that we find horrifying at times, even killing each other for reasons that seem unclear to us. (Of course, much of human killing human is also tragically unclear to us as well, but that is another matter.)

This all around tragic occurrence points up once again that animals have rights, and one of those rights is not to be placed in situations that they may be ill prepared to cope with. And when things go awry, sometimes the only immediate answer is the killing of the animal. It seems to in this case at least.

Poor Travis paid the price for human error. While there is not lack of sympathy for his victim, Travis cannot be held to any human standard of conduct, and thus he is not at fault here from my point of view. While I don’t  wish jail for his “owner” I hope that this event, horrible as it is, will point out to people, that such “ownership” of wild animals is simply inappropriate.

No doubt many will claim that the alternative is some caged existence. That is not right either of course. These animals deserve either their freedom if that can be secured in a reasonable manner, or at least life in a troupe of chimps, normal to his species, with a realistic lifestyle similar to that in the wild.

I’m really getting to a place where I find their use for human entertainment just plain wrong. I haven’t gone so far as to say zoos are wrong, and most aren’t. Today, modern zoos provide a life experience that is both safe for the animal and is appropriate to their native conditions. But the traveling circus and using them as props in movies and the like is probably wrong, and we should be looking to end the practice in my opinion. Nuf said.

~~

OKJimm thought it was funny that I said yesterday that I had a “bad habit of thinking.”  Well, I do aim to make you chuckle, but I can assure you, no hilarity was intended. It is a bad habit, but one that I take most seriously, and with great fear and trepidation actually. I am compelled to continue doing it for survival purposes.

Some of you may not be aware, but the original Star Trek television show, answered in one episode or another, most all of lifes pressing questions. I highly recommend it if you have burning questions about war, disease,  love, God, or, as I said, most anything. The answer can be found in one episode surely. No need to read vast tomes written by highly educated intellectual elites. Just set the old Tivo and wait for TVland or SciFi Network to run some, and tape away. It’s pretty much all the philosophy you will need in life.

As to thinking:

In Dagger of the Mind, a “neural neutralizer” is being used at a penal colony to treat the criminally insane. The machine wipes the mind.

Of course, when a person is left attached to the machine and is unattended, all of his thoughts are removed, and his mind is emptied. He then dies, having nothing to think about.

Well, you can be sure, I have determined, that it is essential to keep thinking at all times. I’m always worried of course at night when I sleep, but so far so good! It’s no laughing matter at all and certainly is not meant to be humorous! I’m alive today because of Star Trek and just how many people can say that?

The Good, the Bad, the Bush

Tags

Bush, education, foreign policy, Health care, Iraq, legacy, presidential power, torture

There are precious few days left in the Bush debacle called a presidency. And much as I am delighted to see him go, I shall miss the great opportunities the numbskull presented for humor.

Why just a couple of days ago, the boy wonder gave his last press conference. And within a couple of sentences we were treated to the new word he invented: misunderestimate! Yep our backward idiot boy never loses his touch does he?

Well I couldn’t resist this article by the one and only National Review, written by Rich Lowery. He decided he could come up with 10 mistakes Bush had made. Amazing, given that Bushie himself can barely think of one.  Anyhow, this stuff is mostly code, so let me interpret.

Not getting congressional buy-in on detention policy immediately after 9/11. Going to Congress would have forced more deliberation when the administration was rushing into the hasty improvisation of Gitmo and made it harder for Democrats to grandstand once it became controversial. (Yeah, forget the legalities. Bush should have gotten the Dems married to the policy so they couldn’t oppose the unconstitutionality of it later. Dumb mistake.)

An ineffective management style. Bush the “CEO president” wisely wanted to delegate. Alas, the quality of some of his Texas loyalists wasn’t particularly high, and when people under Bush failed, his first instinct was to stand by them stalwartly (see Rumsfeld, Don) rather than to hold them accountable. ( Dang, and we thought Cheney ran everything. And, it helps if the “CEO” reads and has a clue when his underlings are stupid. It had nothing to do with loyalty and still doesn’t.)

Not replacing George Tenet after 9/11. Someone should have taken responsibility after the terror attacks. Tenet’s exit wouldn’t have prevented the WMD debacle, but at least he wouldn’t have been around to give his dramatic “slam-dunk” demonstration in the Oval Office. (When you are going to use a scapegoat, use ’em early in the game. When you lie to people they have a disturbing habit of regurgitating your lies. Unfortunate  truly.)

Deferring to his generals. Bush believed that his job was to listen to his generals and give them what they wanted. This made him overly passive during much of the Iraq War. It wasn’t until his generals had nearly lost the war that Bush fully stepped up to his role as commander in chief, going around the brass to order the surge, the most successful and consequential initiative of his second term.
(Admission that you don’t know a thing about war planning and pursuit is not a good thing. Who gave Bushie the surge? Are you saying that nobody including Cheney thought the generals were wrong?)

Not taking charge during Katrina. As soon as the National Weather Service bulletins were warning of the possible destruction of an American city, Bush should have rode herd on the tangled homeland-security bureaucracy and, once the storm hit, federalized the response to save New Orleans from the incompetence and limited capabilities of its state and local governments. (The man cannot correct what he doesn’t understand. He still doesn’t think he did a thing wrong with Katrina. Now how can he spot incompetence when he is incompetent? He can’t help it, he thinks it’s all about whether he landed Air Force One or not.)

Too much accommodation of a GOP Congress. Bush got what he wanted out of Congress at the price of looking the other way from burgeoning earmarks and a creeping culture of corruption. More triangulation at the expense of his own party’s leaders would have served Bush — and perhaps the ill-fated GOP majority — well.(So he was not supposed to act like a Republican? Who says he looked the other way? He is the free market dude right? I thought Congress, except for those pesky Dems were doing exactly as he wished.)

Not reading enough history. Bush has admirably applied himself to an extensive reading program as president, but if he had absorbed more history before taking office — particularly about military matters — he’d have had a better grounding to make important decisions. (Gosh are you saying there should be actual qualifications for president beyond age and origin of birth? That means we should be in pretty good shape now huh? Stop assuming the revisionist history of the ‘reader’ president is sticking to the wall Rich. It ain’t. Bush is a dolt and everyone knows that.)

Refusing to settle the internal war within his administration. The acrimony between the State Department and CIA on the one hand and the Defense Department and vice president’s office on the other was poisonous and debilitating. It hampered the prosecution of the Iraq War and led to the “Scooter” Libby mess that was the highest-profile “scandal” of an otherwise relatively clean administration. (I thought you just said this was his management style? It doesn’t appear that Bush was aware of much of this at all. He said after all that any leaks in the Valerie Plame affair would be prosecuted. I suspect he had no clue, since he had no clue about most things.)

Underestimating the power of explanation. By temperament and   ability, Bush was more a “decider” than a “persuader.” He’s not naturally drawn to public argument, giving his administration its unfortunate (and not entirely fair) “my way or the highway” reputation at home and abroad. (Yeah, we all agree, Bush was an asshat, anything more to say? Arrogance was his middle name. He was abetted in that by Cheney who can give a rat’s ass what the public thinks about anything, since they are mere vermin used to carry out policy and die in wars.)

Ignoring health-care reform too long. By the time Bush unveiled a serious and sensible health-care reform in 2007, it was DOA, leaving Democrats with the initiative on this crucial issue. (That requires that you believe in health care reform in the first place. Bush doesn’t care, nor do Republicans generally. People who are uninsured are just lazy. Next question.

Well, after that rather vapid list of “errors” made by Bush, one couldn’t end things like that. No, the intrepid Fred Barnes, co-host of the Beltway Boys, and co-editor or such of the Weekly Standard, weighs in on the ten things Bushie got right. Alert: Fred Barnes is nuts, so don’t expect any rational argument. The dude wrote a book about how Bush would be remembered as one of the greatest presidents ever–you have been warned.

1. His decision to jettison the Kyoto treaty.  (The sure sign that something is no good is that environmentalists, Al Gore, “elites” and Europeans are for it. So nothing is better than something. According to Fred, consensus on Global warming has “collapsed.” Your brain has collapsed Fred.)
2. Torture and other eavesdropping methods. (Fred calls this enhanced interrogation to get around the naughty word torture. Of course it saved lives, but nobody has ever explained where and how. Just trust them. Saying you got crucial evidence is not errr, evidence.
3. The rebuilding of Presidential authority. (Fred go and consult any constitutional professor you want. Part of your proof here is Cheney, and Cheney said he wasn’t part of the Executive, so his abuses of power hardly bolster your argument. We have heard the old “commander in chief argument for suspension of the constitution. Nobody with a brain is buying it.
   
4. Bush’s unswerving support for Israel. (Yep, the peace process in the Middle East has certainly moved forward in the last eight years. Fred seems to like any action that upsets Europe or the UN. Bush’s policies certainly did that. Fred says he was good at saying one thing and doing another. Yes, a fine legacy I’d say. Lie!)
5. No Child Left Behind. (Most have been mildly supportive of the measure, but Bush just discontinued pushing. Lots of complaints that teachers have to teach to the test rather than actually teach. It’s not at all clear that kids have learned more. Most say they haven’t. )
6. A foreign policy of actively promoting democracy. (Yes, at the point of a gun too. How original. Fred says he’s zinged a few dictators. Yes, they do seem to be backing down everywhere Fred. Could you point out one?
   
7. The Medicaid reform on proscriptions. (Tons of folks got no benefit at all. And it was and remains very confusing to figure out what plan is best. This is what the Rethugs call health care reform. I’m still looking for all this competition and price reduction from the drug companies.)
8. The elevation of John Roberts and Sam Alito to the Supreme Court. (Well I can’t argue with you here Fred. But I see it as a sad disaster where you see it as grand. So much for social issues. At least Obama can stem the tide and keep it even with his next choice.)
9. Bush increased our friendships in Asia without pissing off China. (Not at all sure what Fred uses as evidence here. China has us by the economic balls and we all know it. Fred ignores Pakistan of course. )
10. The Surge. (The surge stemmed the tide of American dead. Little else. It had little to do with troops, it mostly had to to do with paying off the tribal chieftains to war against the insurgents and al Qaeda. Furthermore, a lot of the violence ceased because the ethnic cleansing in Baghdad has been pretty much accomplished.

That pretty much says it all. What else is there to say?

Dick and Jane and Spot

Tags

Bush, Presidency

Karl Rove says it’s true, and well, that ought to be enough for anybody right? I mean, if he says so, it’s so. The fact that this Bushonian universe is about to wink out of existence on January 20, is of no consequence. The law is the law until the 20th, and truth is relative as they all say.

You wonder just what in the hell I mean doncha? Well, okay. Peruse the Internet journalism far and wide and all the talk is about Karl’s article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday. As if we ever thought otherwise! It seems he needed to remind us that Chimpy our impish almost gone Prez is a real reader. But you knew that no doubt.

It seems that our boy genius Karl, chief architect of winning elections, now debunked, tells us that he and created wonder boy Georgie Porgie have been engaged in a yearly reading contest. Karl of course, wins them, but chimpy doesn’t do badly at all, reading upwards of 95 real bound books in the last year of the game. Yeppers, real books I say, written by real writers.

Now if that has set your mind to reeling, I shouldn’t wonder. We were under the impression that said Bush in charge was not a reader per se, but rather enjoyed having the bulk of his information handed to him verbally. We are told that parades of aides and others sycophants sauntered into the egg shaped womb of Bush decision and daily regurgitated their “news” much as a mother bird sticks her beak down the throat of her chatty kiddoes belching up the tasty morsels of whatever bug or worm was recently ingested.

Not so, not so says our Rovian explainer. Bush can read right well all by his self, and can, without a great deal of help, actually figure out the meaning of said sentences and learn a thing or two all, as I said, by his self without even Cliff notes. Yes, you heard it here, and I only report the truth as, well as is given me!

I hazard to say, this must be taken with a grain of salt, but only  a grain as it were. We are, even by Bushonian definition, deep in the tar pits of revisionist history now, with plenty of Bush hangers on pounding the pavement attempting to prove their worth to kith and kin as they seek new employment. It is to their benefit to make the bumbling primate appear erudite as it were.

“Is it not true, sir, that you willingly spent eight years working for a person (and I use that term ever so loosely) who is wont to use books as doorstops and kindling for the White House fireplace?” “Nay, nay, tis a lie, ” they screech, “I remember distinctly seeing him with a book in hand, and one or two close by on a table. I snuck a peek once, and indeed, embossed on the inside cover was “To George, from Mother.”

“What kind of book was it, sir?” “Why Dick was on the cover, and I recall a dog. It must no doubt been a biography of Nixon featuring Checkers the friendly dog. Hmmm, I don’t know who Jane was, but I’m sure she was on the cover too. Indeed, I think I get the picture.

If it pleases the prince of dull to think he’s a reader, by all means, let the delusion go on. Nobody cares Georgie, we just are counting down the last days. Perhaps you might contact the NYTimes Sunday Magazine. They might have an opening for a book reviewer.  Seein’ as how you, ya know, read all the time. Pity you took up the hobby so late in life.

Short Takes on the Day 11/13/08

Tags

2nd Amendment, Bush, Casseroles, chocolate, Desserts, environment, Greek history, guns, Literature, NRA, psychology, Recipes, religion, Saints, sociology, tex-mex, turkey, Women's history

It’s simply shockingly sad. Bush is doing his level best to help out his business friends at the tail end of his disastrous presidency by trashing the environment. All the plans, regulation loosenings and so far are designed to help industry make money, and reduce the protection of lands and animals now in place. It will take much time and effort by the Obama people to undo this. It was said that Clinton was only able to undo about 13% of what Daddy Bush did at the end of his presidency. True, Clinton did the same and Dubya could only undo 3% of the Clinton environmental protections. Why this evil man is intent on destroying the earth is beyond me. He has his, why can’t he let us at least exist? AlterNet has the story.

I recently read a book called “Deep Economy” about how we might revision our economic mantra of “growth is good.” It dealt largely with environmental issues, but did make the point that studies show that Americans are deeply unhappy overall as compared to much of Europe and many other countries as well. Money and buying stuff does not make us happy it turns out. A World Health Organization now places the US first in those countries whose citizenry is depressed and otherwise mentally ill. Read more, and discover that if you are stressed with not enough time, not enough leisure, you are very much not alone.

While much against the theology of Augustine can be argued with, there is something very right about a guy who asked God to cure him of his sexual needs, but “not quite yet.” He became a very human being for that statement in his Confessions. That being said, his birthday is today, and I think we should all pause and remember this great Father of the Church. If you would like to read more about this incomparable man, link to Gill’s Ancient History Blog.

You might enjoy this aside: Being a blogger, we all get used to our private and overused phrases. Much as John McCain drove us insane with “my friends” we all have our peccadilloes when it comes to language. Britannica Blog gives us “the 10 most overused and useless expressions in English.” Did you find one you use? Numbers 4 and 5 were ones I think I use a bit too frequently.

Uncovering women’s history is always fascinating. Every heard of a woman by the name of Cynisca? Probably not, but she was the first woman to compete and win an Olympic event, and we are talking about 396 and 392 BCE. Read this fascinating tale with tons of historical background at Rogueclassicism today. G,wan, get a little knowledge, your brain will thank you for it.

Speaking of birthdays, yesterday’s was Grace Kelly. That wonderful biographer Elizabeth Kerri Mahon at Scandalous Women does her usual top notch job and presents you with a lovely reflection on this American Princess.

If you are a history buff, you might find this new blog fun. It’s called Histatic! The history blog for all your inquisitive needs. Give it a look see and bookmark if it suits your fancy. I’ll be picking up the feed and checking it for good posts that you might enjoy.

I had a co-worker when I was a lawyer, who used to go to magazines like Bon Appetit and others of that type and make their entire holiday menu. I have never done such a thing, and frankly won’t because we have found the perfect Thanksgiving menu on earth, all from different sources. But if you want to do something different, Baking Delights has a full menu for you with all the recipes. You might not choose to make it all, but you might find a recipe that you do like. I think I should try to post the incredible stuffing recipe we used last year. First time we ate every drop of stuffing I tell you, and I will never do another turkey that isn’t brined either. Enjoy!

Simply Recipes gifts us with a great Tex-Mex dish. It’s similar to enchiladas, but she says without the trouble. It’s often used as a breakfast food. Give it a look if you love Mexican food. This looks like one I’ll add to my repertoire. Full directions are given for Chilaquiles.

And just to close out the recipes, here’s one you should not miss. Easy as anything to make, elegant for the holidays, and it is Chocolate! Now that combination is not to be missed. Called Chocolate Purses, you can wow your guests and also adapt easily to your own particular tastes. What could be better? Our thanks to Uncommon Artistic Endeavors.

This next story has been on the news in the mainstream media for a few days. Partly it makes me just laugh and partly it makes me sick to my stomach. The NRA has done an excellent job in making up a scare story that Obama is gonna take away guns, and gun sales have skyrocketed. That’s the funny part, the scary part, is the gun sales have skyrocketed. What kind of world are people living in that they have to run out and buy $1000+ assault rifles before they are banned? What kind of nut wants one? The winners are of course the NRA and its beloved gun manufacturing industry. Once again the idiot poor does the bidding of the rich. Crooks & Liars has the story.

Oh Goodie Goodie, DistributorCapDC has a quiz for couch potatoes and prizes too! Hurry on over and take it, win win win, I never win a thing. Maybe this time!

And to close out, just a personal observation. Sarah, our dear Sarah is being called the gift that keeps on giving for Democrats. She is making more of an ass of herself, now that she is out from restrictions and can do things her way. Although she claimed many of her woes were the result of the left wing media, she is courting that media for all it’s worth these days. She is granting “exclusive” interviews nearly every day. True to form, she says nothing, and says that nothing in such circular fashion that one can but weep with joy that the girl hasn’t lost her stupid touch. You might have thought she would bone up a bit, but word is that her latest foray on Larry King resulted in answers about the federal economic bailout that were “stunning” in their lack of any knowledge of what it entailed.

Miss Palin continues to adhere to the idea that politics is a piece of cake and requires no real knowledge of anything. Since she is apparently interested in virtually nothing, this works well for her so far. Her press conference at the Governor’s meeting consisted of 3 questions and then was closed down. The other governors felt a bit left out as you can guess. She was not wanted there in the first place so we are told. Sarah is that annoying fly that you cannot swat and cannot evade. It will soon be time to bring out the assault spray and overkill the land in order to make sure she gets her fatal dose.

I know this sounds weird, but a bunch of political bloggers and others have set up a food network site. You can find it here, called the “Internet Food Association.” Some of our favorites, such as Simply Recipes are on board. Who knows who might be next. Bookmark it and check it out if you love food and new recipes.

Have a greater day than ever before!