Did You Know That. . . .?

Tags

cosmology, evolution, foreign affairs, genius, Good stuff to know, mind, pseudo-scientists, science, Syria, Writers

A lot of disparate thoughts travel through this brain case I can safely inform you. You know me well enough to recognize the dangers of entering into my sandbox of synaptic pleasures. I’m either hopelessly unfocused or a cobbled together unrecognized genius. Some days it’s more one, other days, well.

I’ve come to see it as a blessing of sorts. At least I try to see it that way. I should have been a college professor, but of course that but begs the question–on what subject?

Any the hoo, I have a lot of thoughts about Syria but not a lot of coalesced conclusions, so I’ll beg off at the moment. Is it too trite and cowardly to just say, I’m conflicted?

I had a bizarre discussion with fellow high-school mates about the issue of spanking as discipline which proved to me once again how easy it is to stay with ideas that are both comfortable and supported by simplistic memes that denote little if any critical thinking. More and more I conclude that indeed advances in the human condition are the result of a very few minds indeed, and put into place by mostly brain-dead human hordes who are spoon fed some “reason” for implementing them.

If all that sounds rather cloudy and vague, well, it’s a cloudy and vague day here in Las Cruces. It’s been raining off and on for several days, which is highly unusual, at least for us recent arrivals–we saw so little rain last year that it made one appreciate water as a life-giving commodity surely. This year, we were told, as of Monday at least we had not yet received four inches of the wet stuff, and we might get at least that during this week. Since the desert is nothing but sand covering a rock hard-pan, the danger in these parts is floods in low-lying areas. Water races to its lowest place and rushes along, making gullies and rivulets through the desert. These become ditches or arroyos as we call them here, and eventually the Grand Canyon if you can stick around that long.

So anyway, here are some things I’ve read this week that you might find interesting.

Vlad, who appears to be in the driver’s seat at the moment internationally that is, has some things to say and said them in the NYTimes.

It’s an interesting “open letter to the American people“. Part propaganda, part history lesson, part chutzpah, it is worth a couple of minutes to read.

Having a power mad ex-president of the Communist party and ex-KGB officer, Putin deigns to give America a lesson in democracy. One can but admire the rich irony of that alone!

What he has to say about the subject of exceptionalism is worth reading. There is truth in those words.

As I said, my thoughts on the subject of Syria are unclear. That Putin wants to be a “player” is clear. What it will cost is not so clear.

A man so determined to show off his “masculinity” bespeaks something surely. What that is, I am not at all sure of.

 

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I did mention the possibility that I am a hidden genius didn’t I?

That is almost surely a good reason for concluding that I am not.

Like “hero” we bandy about the word genius rather loosely these days.

If you would like to read an interesting take on what genius is and is not, then read I Dream of Genius over at Commentary. I found it a good read.

At least you can see if those you think of as geniuses are what the author does.

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If you would like to look at the mind in a different way, a more evolutionary way perhaps then you might want to pick up a new book out there by E. O Wilson, emeritus professor of biology at Harvard.

If you are unsure of whether you want to invest in The Social Conquest of Earth, then you can read through a review of the book from The Spectator.

HINT: once more we are compared to insects. All it all, it looks worthy of some good reading and some very good thinking ahead if you opt in. The review is not favorable on Wilson’s book. See if you agree. In either case, it seems a worthwhile read.

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Cosmic archaeology, need I say more?

Some say that aliens have looked and found us. But there is a thriving scientific community that spends its time looking for them. This is way more than looking for Goldilocks planets my friends, much more.

This is the type of scientific speculation that leads young boys and girls to dream of going into space, and leads them to enrolling in our best science and technology universities.

Come and dream for a few minutes. What can it hurt?

Go and read Distant Ruins.

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What happens when we both hear and see something? Do these two senses work together to enhance our fact gathering?

Is there a hierarchy of the senses? Do some matter more? Does one?

Oh I’m sure in the late recesses of a bleak and cold winter’s night, you too have asked this question.

So go and get the answer: Who did you hear, Me, or your lying eyes?

HINT: You might just have been McGurked!

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Another thing I imagine you’ve given a lot of thought to is why we are so fascinated by the lives of the writers we read and admire. I mean how much has been written about the life of Hemingway for instance? Are we not enthralled with the secret world of Proust, or Dickinson? How about Emerson or Fitzgerald? Balzac? Oh come now, you know you are curious.

A biography writer, shares some thoughts on what we can and cannot learn about those whose words cause us to depart this reality and enter another, one that sometimes we would rather inhabit.

Good reading here.

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Finally, if you have ever had the occasion to be “linked” to a “scientist” or other “expert” on something like global warming or evolution, or biblical literalness, American exceptionalism, the Judeo-Christian roots of American government, or similar things, you know what you are up against.

If you had the resources and or time to do the research,  you would almost surely find that most of these experts are anything but. Some our out-and-out failures who can be bought for a price, others are traveling into areas for which they have no formal expertise at all, and others are simply grifters, ready always to make a buck upholding any cockamamie “theory” that comes down the pike.

There is a great little site called Encyclopedia of American Loons. You can look up the biography of a startlingly large group of imposters and get the real low down on what they know and don’t know. An invaluable site. Since they seem to be novice bloggers I asked to them add the widget for a search engine and they have. Now you can enter a name and find out if they have bio’ed him or her. Or if you just want some fun reading, just go read a few.

So, now that I have solved all your reading needs for the weekend, I’ll leave you to it, with promises of more to come.

Related articles

• Sen. Menendez reacts to Putin’s op-ed: I wanted to vomit (thelead.blogs.cnn.com)
• Vladimir Putin Lectures the US on Morality in the New York Times, Greenwald Co-Signs (littlegreenfootballs.com)
• The Social Conquest of Earth – Edward O. Wilson (konradebooks.com)

 

The Stench of Impending Death

Tags

Election 2012, foreign affairs, Libya, Mitt Romney

Go outside and give a good sniff. You can detect that sick odor wafting through the air, getting stronger by the day. It’s the awful putrid smell of gangrenous flesh, dying. It’s Romney’s campaign.

It is dying. Believe me it is.

Never was a dying wound so self-inflicted. Oh, no Bruté, it is me.

Let’s face facts here. President Obama got a nice bump. He’s leading in most every one of the battleground states. If he wins either Florida or Ohio, both of which find him leading, and picks up about one other state, he wins. The race will be decided before the Mississippi is crossed.

Willard on the other hand must win either Florida or Ohio and at least four other of the swing states, only one of which is he even arguably even in. Things are in a nutshell, down the s**t hole.

Desperate times call for desperate measures they surely say, and so Willard took a chance and stuck his neck out, and of course the Sword of Damocles slices ever closer to his jugular. Let us set the stage:

Willard promised (another thing he apparently doesn’t learn at his church–to keep them that is) that there would be no political talk on 9/11. Now perhaps Willard doesn’t know that a day is 24-hours long and goes from 12:00 a.m. until the stroke of 12 a.m. the NEXT day. When you have seven people who follow you everywhere and can announce the time, I guess you can lose track of WHAT THE FUCK TIME IT IS.

During the evening, an incident happened in Libya. As I understand it, a US produced video allegedly portraying the Prophet Mohammed  in some disrespectful way. Certain elements in Libya and elsewhere became aware of it, and although most have not seen it, a good deal of non-factual information was also circulated. Based on this, a group was able to storm the embassy in Benghazi, and 4 Americans were killed, the ambassador himself included.

Now, the Cairo embassy, six hours before the violence and killing occurred, put out its own statement, which they have an absolute right to do, without State Department authorization, decrying the film and reminding everyone that all religions need to be respected. They did this hoping to temper the matter and avoid any violence.

The violence sometime afterward occurred.

Romney put out a statement last night, condemning the statement from Cairo, attributing it to the Administration, and furthermore saying he was appalled at the fact that the President was “siding with the attackers”. In full he said:

“I’m outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi. It’s disgraceful that the Obama administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.”

Thus he violated the “cease-fire” of the campaign and then told a bold-faced lie about what happened. He was not in possession of the facts when he spoke. I understand that he urged reporters to go with his statement, and not wait until 9/12 to report it.

The President, waiting until morning, and the lifting of the no-politics agreement, condemned the violence, reminded everyone that religious freedom must be respected but that violence would not be condoned, and prayed for the families of the dead.

This is not the first time Willard has tried to interject himself into foreign affairs at difficult moments. Remember when he called Obama’s day of shame, over negotiations for the release of dissident Chen Guangcheng? That was widely condemned as interference by even such stalwart conservatives as Bill Kristol.

There are two possibilities here. Either Willard ignores advice from those surrounding him and goes his own way, or his advisers are simply incompetent. There is evidence for either. Willard is noted for keeping his own counsel, and we understand that his controversial choice of Paul (Lyin’) Ryan is just such a one. And no one can accuse him of having a brain trust when it comes to foreign policy (John Bolton is a jackass by most any assessment).

In either case, it is extraordinarily clear based on MR. ROMNEY’s own mouth, that he is unfit to conduct foreign policy for the US, and unwilling apparently to learn anything about the world he inhabits. He came to us as Mr. Fixit and one has to wonder if he level of competence in economics is similarly flawed. Given his “plans” I would argue that he is mostly facade.

Behind the scary mask, is a little petulant boy.

Tomorrow: Where Willard goes from here.

Related articles

• His True Colors (talkingpointsmemo.com)
• Romney Campaign Attacks Obama Over Mythical Apology to Embassy Attackers (motherjones.com)
• Romney Uses Death Of American Diplomat To Launch Political Attack (alan.com)
• Romney Campaign Fumbles Initial Response To Attacks In Egypt And Libya (outsidethebeltway.com)
• Clinton mourns US deaths, vows to stand by Libya (dawn.com)

Thinking is Against the Law

Tags

Catholics, foreign affairs, GOP, labor, labor unions, LGBTQ rights, Libya, Maine, Obama, Wisconsin

I was one of those who believed that the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya was needed. I was and am all too aware of the dangers involved.

As predicted, those of the Right are not satisfied regardless. No matter what President Obama chose to do, it would be wrong and they would shout it out to their base.

Obama said American involvement in any leadership vein, would be short, a matter of days rather than weeks.

It seems he was truthful. Rebels have been able to retake the town of Ajdabiya. Given air support and the taking out of large artillery, they can fight Qaddafi forces and prevail. What is of even more significance is that Qatar and the UAE are both flying jets in the no-fly zone.

It may come to be that once again we have underestimated Barack Obama. I can but imagine that the naysayers those who are GOP presidential hopefuls and others are chewing their hats about now. They pray for failure to enhance their power. That’s the GOP way.

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You may have missed this: Maine’s ReCorpricans are at it. The Guv, has declared that murals which depict Maine’s labor history will be taken down from the State Department of Labor. Additionally, conference rooms long named for labor leaders like Caesar Chavez are being changed, to reflect “pro business” goals. [h/t to Infidel753]

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If you listen to Foxy Noise, or any of the typically wingnut GOP leadership, the power and prestige of the US is at an all time low, due to the “bungling foreign policy” of one Barack H. Obama. Oddly enough, that doesn’t seem to be the way the WORLD thinks of us. A Gallup poll suggests that we have rebounded quite nicely from the abysmal low Chimpy left us in to a respectable level once again. Read it and weep teabuggers. [h/t to Infidel753]

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Guv Walker in Wisconsin has decided to defy a restraining order issued by a Madison judge, and has published the union killing bill anyway, giving rise to the question of whether it goes lawfully into effect or not. Under the Lobsterscope has the story with plenty of links.

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Official Vatican teaching is one thing. American Catholics are quite another. Recent polling by PPPI shows what has been consistent in other polls (Pew for instance) for some time. Namely that Catholics in the US support LGBTQ rights including marriage at a higher rate than any Christian group.

The Progressive Catholic Voice reports that Catholics retain an “underlying social justice” position that prevails over the official teaching of the Church. I of course, applaud this fact. Basically most Catholics I think agree that Magisterial teaching is basic to formation of conscious, but as the writer states here, is not absolutely controlling. Primacy of conscience, long upheld by the Church itself, causes Catholics to weigh the circumstances alongside of doctrine and decide moral issues in light of many factors.

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What’s on the stove? scallops with linguine in a lemon butter sauce, with foccacia and salad.

Related Articles

• Libyan rebels regain besieged city of Ajdabiya (independent.co.uk)
• News From Obama’s Iraq (slog.thestranger.com)
• NOM Denounces Catholic Marriage Poll (joemygod.blogspot.com)
• Surprising Results in Evangelical Poll (whitehouse2012.wordpress.com)

Lil Bits of Rancor or Not 9/26/08

Tags

Christianity, Democrats, economy, evolution, foreign affairs, Iraq, John McCain, lobbyists, muffins, paleontology, Politics, religion, Republicans, Saints, Sarah Palin, Spain, Zoology

Last week, we reported on the gaffe of McCain in not recalling whom the prime minister of Spain was. Apparently the McCain caretakers are so frightened of these continuing problems with memory that McCain continues to exhibit, that they are willing to go to any expense to avoid making that admission. So, McCain, we are told, knew exactly what he was saying and knew exactly who Zapatero is. That claim makes matters ever so much worse to many. Is McCain willing to trash an ally to win an election? You betcha he is. Read this Huffinton Post report from AlterNet.

Recipe time. This one is Chocolate Chip Muffins. And according to Baking Delights  it’s the best recipe in the universe. That takes in substantial territory so I’m expecting a lot from this recipe. Hope you find it delicious as well.

Break the Terror  brings us this story. It’s not a new concept, but they flesh it out nicely. Remember that in the past few days McCain in his feeble way has attempted to tie Obama to Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac and an enabler of sorts? I just don’t get these folks, since Rick Davis, his main man was paid nearly 2 million in fees for lobbying for deregulation so they could do their thing unregulated as it were. McCain is either so totally unaware of what’s going on in his own campaign, or he is one of the more serial liars of all time.

By any chance did you feel older the other morning when you woke up? I know I did, and now I know why. It seems scientists are busy doing science things and think that life arose on earth some 80 million years earlier than previously thought. Creationists are scurrying to revise their assessments no doubt.

I don’t claim any expertise about the economy (gosh I hate being grouped with John McCain) but I’m told that if there is one article about this banking mess you should read it is this one. Sebastian Mallaby writes an op ed for the Washington Post. Ezra Klein  gave us the word on this.

History News Network has I think a worthwhile article on American politics and how we have come to this juncture. A distinct thread of anti-intellectualism runs through the heart of this country, and we are consistently drawn to the “guy just like us” who is never just like us of course. This is exactly when we most need someone who is extraordinary to help us through crisis after crisis. Will we again opt for ordinary? Why does the Republican Party continue to be able to co-op so many people with an message is that is false? Just some of the questions answered here.

Well, I bet you didn’t know this: Chimps prefer their food cooked. I don’t recall jane Goodall ever talking about watching her chimps around the campfire cooking on a spit. Wonder why she omitted that? Well, Live Science says it’s true. So it must be. Also Neanderthals seem to have eaten both seals and dolphins. I guess they were not politically correct. Such folks would be shunned today as rather grotesque wouldn’t you say?

McCain caught in another lie, and boy are they adding up. He said that Rick Davis, his campaign manager hadn’t worked for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae for “years.” Turns out Davis was paid by both until last MONTH. So it seems McCain will either be calling Davis a liar and firing him, or biting the bullet again with another lie. So says Steve Benen at The Political Animal.

Laila at Raising Yousuf and Noor  tells us exactly what it can be like to be Muslim in America. This is exactly the type of hatred engendered, I submit, but the hate filled campaign of a John McCain. I visited a web site earlier today (I won’t mention the vile place) in which Obama and Biden were referred to as Obama bin Biden. This is what John McCain brings to America. It is a shame.

If miracles are your thing, slip by rogueclassicism  and read about San Gennero’s Blood which liquifies at certain times of the year, well, miraculously it seems. Examinations have concluded that the phials indeed contain blood and there is no final explanation of why it liquefies on certain days of the year.

John McCain seems to have painted himself in a corner. In an obvious attempt to stop all the talk about how the polls are going against him, he came up with the grandstand play to capture attention. Problem is, nobody is buying it. Universally it’s being met as a political ploy, one that is not working as several in Congress say that his parachute jump into the middle of negotiations and the president’s “meeting” have wasted time and stalled negotiations. See what the American Prospect  has to say on the subject. Johnny can claim he is putting country above politics, but the obvious conclusion is that he put his political future first. Not exactly the first time he has done that.

Oh and in case you missed it, Sarah Palin has unilaterally declared “victory in Iraq.” In her illogical laden but cute squeaky voice, Sarah has said that iraq and the surge are the pattern we must use in Afghanistan now. It will be difficult she  says, because of that pesky “terrain, even” in Afghanistan. What a monumental joke this woman is. She offends me on more levels than I can count. She makes women, and small town people look like idiots, and I’m seriously pissed.

Lil Bits of Rancor or Not 8/22/08

Tags

abortion, Barack Obama, contraception, crocheting, Election 2008, ethics, farming, food, foreign affairs, GOP, groceries, Iowa, Iraq, John McCain, knitting, liberals, Media, Military, Neo-cons, Recipes, religion, Reproductive Rights, Rick Shenkman, salad, salad dressing, Women's history

A very interesting post at AlterNet. While we grouse about the McCain tactic of slash and burn Obama as his vehicle for success, the desire of the neo-cons is much more serious and permanent. Nothing less than full scale destruction of the liberal as an philisophical alternative is actually contemplated.They echo Maggie Thatcher in this. They are seriously about the business of transforming America into a land where there is no place for liberalism, in reality it will be an oligarchical state wherein business and the market place rule. Read this fascinating look at the dark side. It’s another article that will chill your soul and wonder if you live in America any more.

I haven’t watched the “debate” between McShame and Obama at the Saddleback Church yet, but I thought you might like to review this piece. Apparently John, told a story about a “cross in the dirt.” These are always stories about his POW days, days he insists he hates to talk about, before he again starts to talk about them. Anyway, apparently it is another of his made up stories. According to An Adequate Level of Plausible Deniability, anyway.  I followed his link and found this. Apparently, he likely lifted the story from Alexander Solzhenitsyn and his Gulag Archipelago. Hardly new news, Johnny seems to lift  information and alter stories quite a bit these days. He’s old what can you say? Those trying to track this story have found no mention of it on either of two occasions when you would have expected McCain to have mentioned this “deeply moving” story. I think that rat is roaming around my house again!

Copycat Restaurant Recipes has a Bennigans recipe for “Hot Bacon Dressing.” So utterly perfect for spinach it’s dangerously criminal to eat. Take a look, it’s easy to make and can be stored as well. So next Sunday, after cooking that bacon, make up some and enjoy some fresh spinach salad later!

Watch out the wingnuts in Dubya’s administration of horrors are at it again. They are trying to redefine abortion to include an contraceptive means that has the possible result of causing the termination of a pregnancy. This could include morning after pills, and IUD devices among others. This all has to do with federal funding and insurance companies, and attempts to thwart state laws that give equal access to all women to reproductive assistance. In Iowa, Gov. Culver opposes the change in definition as do Harkin, Boswell, Braley, and Loebsack. Read the full report from Essential Estrogen. This attack of course is by no means limited to Iowa, but effects some 34 states who have legislation in place that would be effected. Check what you state is doing to stop this under the table attack on a woman’s right to choose.

Go read Garrison Keillor today. Why? Well because it’s like Church, because you should. Today, it’s worth the effort to do so. I’d never steer you wrong. And have a steam bath on me!

Mike Tomasky’s Blog has an excellent post on why Republican attack ads always work better than Democratic ones. Democrats would do well to learn the sordid means by which the GOP dopes do it. And you can pick up a few character flaws about John McBush along the way, so it’s worth the linkage!

Iowans should know that according to Senator Tom Harkin, John McCain is no friend of the farmer. He says that, ” McCain voted against the 2002 farm bill and has said that if he were president today he would veto the current farm bill — one which all seven of Iowa’s federal elected officials, including three Republicans, supported.” As an embarrassed Iowa, embarrassed because we are still considered up for grabs this November, I call McCain’s position good news for Obama, and that’s good news for me. I rather suspected that the $500 shoe man with his 7-10 homes is more the elitist than Obama, and wouldn’t really know which end of a pitchfork is the business end.

On Tuesday of this week, I reviewed Rich Shenkman’s book, “Just How Stupid are We?'” Here’s a link to his blog. It appears he does his part to debunk the usual lies of the candidates and their campaigns in an attempt to keep up informed. You might want to bookmark it and check it every so often and learn the truth from the lies.

Oh, before I forget, those of you struggling with grocery prices or just fumed that it costs an arm and leg these days to shop for food period, may want to stop by this site: http://budget101.com. It has a long list of stuff you can make at home for pennies compared to buying them at the store. Mayo of course, and Bisquick substitutes. There is also a feature wherein you put in your zip and it gives you all the stores in your area and you can pick the ones you use, and then it will give you the weekly sale items. Worth a stop, there’s more stuff, but go see yourself if so interested. Coupons too!

Sr. Joan Chittister has a thoughtful post on our lying ways in our political lives and how they threaten to destroy us. No confession is good for the soul any more. We just continue the lies, believing them in the end ourselves. Many of us are bemoaning the abject absurdity of what politics has become. Voters haven’t a clue what they are doing, and one branch of government spends all its time campaigning while another imperially runs things without answering to anybody, using the big lie as a shield. Read this and well, I don’t know, get mad enough to get off your duff and write your congressman, learn what’s happening, but don’t take it any more!

Knitters and crocheters hearken! Vicki at Knitting Dragonflies linked to a wonderful site called Simple Knits. It has the most wonderful array of patterns, all grouped by amount of yarn you might have. Many of the patterns are free, and those that aren’t, are linked to where you can buy them. It looks like a huge place. So indulge and find a great pattern for that next project!

Anyone who is a regular knows that I adore Scandalous Women blog run by  Elizabeth. Today, I’m linking you to the general site, because she has two magnificent entries, one on Princess Michael of Britainand the other on one of my favorite women the notorious literary giant, Lillian Hellman. Please go read these wonderful biographies. The first is from Aug 20 and the Hellman piece is from Aug 13 I believe.

If you are interested in the people behind the Obama campaign, American Prospect has an great article that examines the “big 15” and gives you a mini biography of each. Very interesting stuff, I found.

If you are like me, you are probably just about crazed with the polls these days. All over the board and some late ones have McCain started to pull up to Obama. It can make you want to cry. Paul Hogarth in a piece at the Huffington Post, tells you not to worry, and shows you why. It’s all about money, position, and which polls to rely on. From his lips to God’s ears as they say.

Another terrific article at The Nation, this one by Robert Scheer. He wonders just how it is that Republicans and John McCain manage to get voters to vote against their own interests time and again. He explains the fallacy of McShame’s worldview and why it is so out of step with today’s reality.

If you are interested in a bit of the history of Cindy Hensley-McCain’s life and how she brought the Mac to prominence with her family’s dough, read a nice long piece at The New Republic. It’s not a muckraking piece, but is actually a fair portrait of her life and how she and Johnny came to be. A little bootlegging never hurt anyone!

Hold the presses! The Quaker Agitatorseems to have caught a little remark of McDope’s that suggest he might be willing to re-institute the draft. I would guess that might be of some interest to a few folks around the old US of A. Read more at his blog post.

You have heard about the legendary McCain temper? Well he went a bit too far the other day in calling Obama “testy.” And the DNC has hit him hard, asking “Do you really want to go down that road?” Answering with remarks from fellow Republicans, I’d guess McBush better shut up fast. I’ve read a number of these things too over the last few months. Reports of his threatening other senators on the floor, wanting to duke it out “outside.” The worst was a statement by a fellow congressman who said McCain on a negotiation in I believe Latin America, literally grabbed a foreign negotiator by the collar. I don’t think he’s stable myself but who am I to play doctor. His colleagues however, well they have a good idea wouldn’t you think? And some are quite plainly worried.

And it seems that “horizons” in Iraq have turned into “aspirational timetables” which really means that Bush is doing what Obama suggested and the Iraqis want which is SET A TIMETABLE. Wonder what oh McCain will have to say to that?

In what can only be termed as another outrageous bid for attention, McCain sincophants are running the name of General David Petraeus as a possible GOP VEEP. Petraeus to his credit said he would reject such an offer should it be made. This is after McShame had to apologize for circulating photos of himself with the general some time ago. It is considered a no-no to involve the military in any way in a political campaign. Shame on ya John–as usual your fishing for votes.

And that Angry guy from Africa is beginning to be a regular swan song here on Friday. Not his next weeks news today though. Today he takes on the huge task of making fun of us Americans!Imagine the cheek as the British would say. Link up and have a giggle as he roasts us on our own petard. Well deserved in most cases I might ad. And the bit about the medal race in the Olympics was a surprise. I din’t know dat one! Oh and the court cases–worth the price of admission alone. Oh free, I forgot. Get over there!

Okay, that finishes up all the stuff you must read if you want to be in the know this week. See ya next week with another round of tantalizing stories. I have the smartest readership in the world, cuz I said so!

Doing What I Said I Wouldn’t

Tags

Barack Obama, Colin Powell, Election 2008, Evan Bayh, foreign affairs, Joe Biden, John McCain, Tim Kaine

I said I would not do it. In fact, just last night, I told the Contrarian, “I will not get sucked into the speculation debate on who Obama will pick. It will make no difference, and  why set myself up for being wrong?” Okay, so I am here to tell you that I am not really, but sort of going to, in a round about way. Okay?

The reason I got to thinking I should write something was this: I was wandering through my feeds as I do everyday, reading articles here and there, waiting for something to hit me, juicing me up for a post. And I wandered to Ramblings from Afar, a Pakistani blog, and found this. Nothing so terribly earth-shaking, or shattering or anything. Just a regular Pakistani blogger who thinks Biden has a better clue on how to improve relations with Pakistan and get all of us to work a bit more effectively toward common goals of maintaining democracy in the region, all the while combating the disease of fundamentalist radical Islam.

And the fact is, Biden is a master at foreign relations. He has just returned from Georgia, sizing up the situation there. No word of course as to why he went. I’m sure his position as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee gives him plenty of cover, If, I say IF he went at Obama’s behest.

I think frankly he is a excellent choice as VEEP, not that anyone is consulting me of course. And since we are all going to know by Saturday, I may be blowing hot air to suggest he should be the choice, but here are my reasons:

1. He is an expert on foreign relations. No question about that. He knows this stuff inside and out, backward and forward, and, AND, he seems to have a mighty good grasp of doing diplomacy in a better way that we have seen in the past eight misery laden years. (Read the post by Misanthrope above, it really is good!)
2. He thus counters the “lack of experience” claim of McCain. McCain of course, doesn’t really want to discuss issues, he gets too confused when he does so, i.e., placing Iraq and Pakistan as bordering countries for instance, thinking that 21st century states don’t invade other states, getting Sunni and Shia mixed up, ya know, minor stuff like that. Oh, and McCain also mispronounces the country. McCain like most others calls it Pack-is-tan, whereas Pakistanis have noted that Obama pronounces it correctly, Paaah-is-taahn. McCain simply wants to attack the character of Obama, and Biden will counter that very nicely.
3. Biden is a terrific debater. Now don’t stop when I say this, (I’ve mea culpaed myself to death already) but Biden has that “sounds like you can trust him, sounds like he knows what he’s talking about” like Dick Cheney did. Read that DID. I knew nothing about Cheney in 2000 and thought he was the daddy that would protect us from the Idiot boy going off the deep end. Reasoned, seemingly bright, I thought he would temper the child. (Don’t get me wrong I was major for Gore and voted accordingly, I just thought Cheney was a sage protective blanket over the neophyte Dubya.)
4. Biden does have a tendency to talk on, and thus say things that perhaps he shouldn’t, but dang folks, we need to take the gloves off just a bit here. Biden is old enough to go after McShame without looking like a kid beating up on an old guy. He will simply look annoyed and say, “John’s giving you a load of crap and here’s why.”
5. I don’t know as there are any really embarrassing junk in his closet, but consult with the Obama people, their vetting is far better than mine no doubt.
6. Evan Bayh is a nice guy, but we would lose his seat in the senate, and he has done little that I have been made aware of. He can be viewed as a do-nothing who rode his dad’s coattails. I know less about Kaine from Virginia, but he seems to lack pizazz as they say, and I don’t know as either of these add much in the way of foreign policy experience.
7. McCain certainly promises more of the same in terms of foreign policy everywhere, and seems inclined to go backward. His premise is force and bully tactics first. Afghanistan is proving more hard to handle than thought, something the Russians of course were more than able to explain to us. Mostly we are having a much harder time there because our forces are bogged down in the growing quagmire of Iraq. Musharraf is out and as our Pakistani poster points out, we tend to give money to dictatorships who do our bidding and close our purse to democracies because I suppose they are less controllable. We need Pakistan badly if we are to deal effectively with the Taliban, and Biden’s suggestions provide a new and perhaps more effective way to do that.
8. He has blue eyes, which I like.
9. Okay, the last one was not a really good one, so sue me.

The Contrarian wants to save Biden for Secretary of State. I’m actually gonna step out and say something really weird here. (DON’T throw rocks, rotten fruit I can handle!) How bout giving Colin Powell a chance to redeem himself? I still think he is basically a good guy trapped in an evil empire whose military loyalty oaths just prevent him from ‘fessing up to all the crimes of his ex-boss. And Richardson for something good, maybe switch and give him Secty of State and give Powell the Secty of Defense. Okay, enough of fantasy land, and now that I have probably given the kiss of death to Biden, I’ll shut up.

I cannot wait to be vilified! Bring on the rotten tomatoes!!! I did say fruit remember? No watermelons, but grapes, strawberries, and oh a stray lime are okay though.