Painful Music

My heart sings, full of sadness—the shadows lengthen.
Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957), Finnish composer

The American Music Awards were on last night and you can probably guess why I watched it – the Rolling Stones were on. I will never watch the AMA show again. They cut the Stones off in the middle of "It's Only Rock and Roll." However, in between I didn’t know many of the performers. I knew who Kenny Chesney was because he was splashed all over People magazine and other tabloid type magazines, but I’m afraid I have gotten too old to keep up with the music scene.

Even when I was younger, I apparently did not stay up to speed. I saw the movie “Walk the Line,” the Johnny Cash bio-pic, the other night and it was excellent. I was rather upset with myself for not paying attention to Johnny Cash all those years. I remember when “A Boy Named Sue,” was a hit, but I viewed Cash as country singer, yet he was more than just a country artist. So, to catch up, I purchased a few of his CDs. B2 pointed out an album of covers titled “American IV, The Man Comes Around," which is probably one of the most poignant CDs I have ever heard.

Cash sings the song “Hurt” (I linked the video and it's very much worth watching, again thanks to B2) written by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and you can honestly believe you feel Cash’s pain. This CD conveys more loneliness and misery than Frank Sinatra’s “In the Wee Small Hours” CD. Cash's raspy voice brings angst and torment to such songs as “Bridge Over Troubled Waters,” “Desperado,” “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and finally when he gets to “When We Meet Again,” if you’re not on the verge of tears you have no feelings.

When I’m in a pensive, sad mood this CD will be playing.

Teachers Gone Wild

I find it extraordinary that a straightforward if inelegant device for ensuring the survival of the species should involve human beings in such emotional turmoil. Does sex have to be taken so seriously?
P. D. James, British mystery writer


Yes, this is just wrong, primarily because it never happened to me. Seriously, I think that this kid will regret that he said anything.

However, there is certainly something wrong with the teacher on a couple of levels: She is/was a newlywed and she has a responsibility as an authority figure not to abuse that trust.

What the heck is happening to teachers, and we’re not talking male teachers? There seems to be a rash of women gone wild with young boys. Yeah, yeah, men having been doing it for years, it’s not equality, it’s just not right, if the person is not mature enough (forget the arbitrary statutory rape age).

In this particular case, the woman sounds a bit unbalanced:

A female teacher pleaded guilty Tuesday to having sex with a 14-year-old student, avoiding prison as part of a plea agreement.

Debra Lafave, 25, will serve three years of house arrest and seven years' probation. She pleaded guilty to two counts of lewd and lascivious battery.

The former Greco Middle School reading teacher apologized during the hearing, saying "I accept full responsibility for my actions."

The boy told investigators the two had sex in a classroom at the Greco school, located in Temple Terrace near Tampa, in her Riverview town house and once in a vehicle while his 15-year-old cousin drove them around Marion County.

The boy told investigators Lafave told him her marriage was in trouble and that she was aroused by the fact that having sex with him was not allowed. He said he and Lafave, a newlywed at the time, got to know each other on their way back from a class trip to SeaWorld Orlando in May 2004.

How Much Do You Spend on Entertainment?

The American public does not want to be uplifted, ennobled—it wants to be amused.
Alice Dunbar-Nelson (1875 - 1935), novelist, social worker, and teacher

Over the last 10 years, outlays for entertainment outpaced overall expenditures.
Spending on health care and education, which almost doubled in that period, grew faster, according to an article in the New York Times.

I realize that I spend far too much on entertainment. I buy too many books and CDs, but I justify it by rationalizing that it is my only indulgence, when the Rolling Stones are not in town, or I’m not going to the jazz club with On the Mark. I have given up going to see the Los Angeles Dodgers; last year was the first year since the early ‘70s that I did not go to a game, which saved about $100 or so.

All this comes to mind because I read the article on what a life of bread and circus costs us. What is your monthly total?

Netflix
TiVo
ITunes
Cell phone
CDs
Movies
Books
DSL
Cable
Magazines
Newspapers

The average American spends more on entertainment than on gasoline, household furnishings and clothing and nearly the same amount as spent on dining out, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Among the affluent, the 20 percent of households with more than $77,000 a year in pretax income, more money is spent on entertainment - $4,516 a year - than on health care, utilities, clothing or food eaten at home.

Now granted, some of this is required expense. Just try to get by today without the internet or a cell phone. Also, who wants to listen to our politicians argue like school kids and demonstrate hypocrisy at a perfected level?

The opium of the masses today is a combination of entertainment and religion. Who can fault us with a government of thieves and liars who are only out to line their own pockets? (I didn't even get into the fact that the House members voted themselves a raise last week they now make $165,000.)

42 Years Ago Today

You never know what’s hit you. A gunshot is the perfect way.
John F. Kennedy (1917–63), U.S. president

It was 42 years ago today, that shouts rang out in Dallas shocking the country and the world.

I know many of you were not around, but I was either in the first or second grade and I was traumatized.

November 22, 1963 was a warm sunny day in Dallas. Forecasters had predicted cooler weather and so Jackie Kennedy ended up in a wool suit. She would wear that suit until the wee hours of the morning of the 23rd.

John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy President John F. Kennedy had come to Texas to do a bit of pre-election fence mending. Conservative Governor John Connally and the more liberal Senator Ralph Yarborough were at odds. Surely Kennedy charm could smooth this over.

The reception in Texas seemed promising as did the future. After a stop in Fort Worth, they took a short plane ride to Love Field in Dallas.

The motorcade was to follow a winding 11 mile route through downtown Dallas where President Kennedy was to speak at a luncheon with civic and business leaders at the Trade Mart. At 11:50 a.m.. the motorcade left the airport on its rendezvous with fate.

The big presidential limousine, a midnight blue 1961 Lincoln, had been flown in from Washington D.C. The plastic bubble top was removed and the bullet-proof side windows were rolled down because the weather was so favorable and this is how President Kennedy preferred to ride.

See more here

On Orange Juice for One

And once you told me I was mistaken
That I’d awaken with the sun
And ordered orange juice for one
It never entered my mind
You had what I lack, myself
Now I even have to scratch my back myself
It Never Entered My Mind, sung by Frank Sinatra, written by R. Rodgers/L. Hart

There is a part of the holidays that I love and a part that I dislike. Thanksgiving I thoroughly enjoy because it’s family and people getting together with no obligations except to eat and be marry. Christmas also has its pluses and minuses. I have an idea for Christmas to make it even more special – celebrate it once every other year. It would mean so much more to people and most likely people would be less inclined to leave their lights up year ‘round. Of course, I don’t put any up. Oh, I did once or twice and Daughter would climb the ladder and help.

I realize that there is no transition here, but there are a number of items that I really want to write about, but I’ve been asked not to say anything for the time being, which has rather stifled my writing altogether because I have been thinking what I would say if I could let it all out.

My plan will be to eek out various thoughts through my attempts at essays in the style of Michel De Montaigne, well, similar in that the titles will start with "On." De Montaigne was such a source of comfort for me during my first breakup with such essays as On Liars, On Sadness, On Solitude.

On The Mark -- He Crowed and He Crowed

So, now that Bob Woodward has joined the Valerie Plame leak fiasco, the game gets that much more interesting. Respected journalists and publications are going down in flames. Woodward knows about this for two years but doesn't bother to tell any of his superiors at the Post (not his source, but that he also was given this information)? He writes and talks and gives his opinion of the investigation over the past two years while all the time he's part of it? Wow. Ben Bradlee is quoted as saying he doesn't think anybody outside the beltway is interested in this story. He's wrong.

This story goes much deeper than what we know right now. If the real truth comes out it will only be because Fitzgerald was able to dig deep enough, and there isn't a decision to withhold the truth until later because of national security.

Now current and former administration personnel are coming out of the woodwork to say they weren't the ones to tell Woodward. One has to ask who the source was, though? One thinks back on the promotional tours for Woodward's last book and how he talked about who he interviewed for the book.

Yes. I do recall now how Woodward crowed about how he interviewed Pres. Bush one-on-one in the Oval Office.

Checkout -- Anything They Say

But who shall be master? The writer or the reader?
Denis Diderot (1713 - 1784), French encyclopedist and philosopher


If I wasn’t feeling so drained or just had a bit of energy, I would be writing posts like TheBhc. I love his stuff!

On The Mark -- Listen first, speak last

In case you missed it, Peter Drucker passed away last week. As the Wall Street Journal said, Drucker was the Shakespeare of books on management. I'm not a former Drucker student, but I was a student of his books and articles, and once had the chance to work with him on getting the word out on a speech and book he wrote on the non-profit sector.

The most fascinating aspect about Drucker was that his management focus was on people, not buildings or machines. Many businesses ignore this principle today, often forgetting that it's their people who make the businesses successful (or unsuccessful). It's all about knowledge.

Drucker influenced my perspective on business in many ways, but especially with one particular book, and a rule. The book was "The New Realities," which absolutely floored me and gave me ammunition to sound very smart in client meetings for many years to come. The rule was, "Listen first, speak last." Let's just say it's always worked for me.

Drucker lived for nearly a century. His impact will last well into this century and probably the next.

Kazakhstan Hates Jews

Reuters reports that Kazakhstan's foreign ministry threatened legal action against Sacha Baron Cohen, who portrays a fake Kazakh reporter in his "Da Ali G Show." Cohen portrays Kazakhstan as a country populated by drunks who enjoy cow-punching as a sport.

The irony is that Kazakhstan is [quite possibly] a country populated by drunks who enjoy Jew-punching as a sport.

Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Yerzhan Ashykbayev spoke in the usual anti-Semitic code in a press briefing: "We do not rule out that Mr. Cohen is serving someone's political order designed to present Kazakhstan and its people in a derogatory way."

For those of you who don't know the code, the language "someone's political order" referring to a Jewish person or organization is a not-so-secret message to fellow believers that the Jews are at it again. Read between the lines, won't you?

[Source]

See No God, Hear No God, Speak No God

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review a ruling that the inscription "In God We Trust" on the front of a government building in North Carolina does not violate church-state separation.

Hey, Supremes -- if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

[Source]

The Assassins' Gate

We prepare for war like ferocious giants, and for peace like retarded pygmies.
Lester Pearson (1897 - 1972), Canadian prime minister

The other night, On the Mark and I attended a talk/discussion sponsored by the Downtown Los Angeles Library with George Packer, who wrote “The Assassins’ Gate, America in Iraq.” I found the conversation as interesting as his book.

I cannot encourage you strongly enough to read “The Assassins’ Gate, America in Iraq” to get an understanding how America was hoodwinked into attacking Iraq using a disastrous foreign policy known as the Bush doctrine.

The neoconservatives in the Bush gang led by Vice President Dick Cheney, with strong support from Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz were the main architects behind the war. Anyone who disagreed had to remain quiet or they were fired. General Eric K. Shinseki, the Army chief of staff, said that Iraq world require “ something on the order of several hundred thousand soldiers.” Shinseki was fired and publicly contradicted by Paul Wolfowitz. Bush’s economic advisor Lawrence Lindsay candidly predicted that the war could cost as much as $200 billion, he was quickly reprimanded and eventually fired.

In a nutshell that does not do justice to the book, but shows my opinion, the motive behind going to war was a strong, although not factually supported, belief that the United States could bring democracy to the Middle East and change the political landscape to something more to the United States’ liking.

During the talk, Packer said that Bush was not necessarily a neoconservative ready to rush into Iraq, but 9/11 threw him into the neoconservative group. Once Bush was completely on board Cheney and Rumsfeld could easily push their agenda through.

As more books and analysis come out on Iraq documenting what went on behind the scenes, I believe it will show the flawed thinking behind our effort and prove that Iraq was/is one of this country’s biggest mistakes.

A Salute to Our Soldiers

Roosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy

So you may know that I'm a registered Democrat -- and I have another bone to pick with my party. My voting guide (which I mostly ignored this time around) features three Democrat presidents proudly on the cover: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S Truman, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

The guy who got us involved in WW2, the guy who dropped the bomb, and a noted philanderer.

Of course, those three are better than anyone the Republicans could feature -- Hoover, Nixon, and Dubya?

"Wow! Brazil is Big"

The bookful blockhead, ignorantly read,
With loads of learned lumber in his head.
Alexander Pope (1688 - 1744), English poet

President Bush once again showed his geopolitical knowledge when attempting to bond with Brazil president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. This time he couldn’t see into the soul, but he was impressed by the size of Brazil.

According to the New York Times article, at one point, standing alongside Bush, during the recent trade talks, da Silva exhibited a map of his country, which is larger than the continental United States. "Wow! Brazil is big," Bush was quoted as saying from the Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim.

After their appearance together, the two presidents and their wives headed off to da Silva's residence for an outdoor Brazilian-style barbecue that included several premium cuts of beef, as well as lamb, oxtail and cheese. Bush later pronounced the meal "unbelievably good."

It’s Only Rock & Roll, But I Love It!

Even when it was easy, music's patterning shaped the emotions... Music proclaimed an orderly universe, promised a better place.
Ellen Hunnicutt, writer


The Rolling Stones at the Hollywood Bowl. (photo from LATimes.com)

The Rolling Stones are amazing. They performed with energy and enthusiasm for a bit longer than two hours Sunday night at the Hollywood Bowl. Mick Jagger said, “We have not been here [Hollywood Bowl] since 1966 and tickets were $4. A lot has changed since then, except our song list.” He was obviously joking, sort of. Two of the songs from the night were from that period, “Get Off My Cloud” and the closing number “Satisfaction.” In between the kings of rock and roll played "Jumping Jack Flash," "Dead Flowers," "You Got Me Rocking," "Wild Horses," "Slipping Away," "Sympathy for the Devil," "Midnight Rambler," "Honky Tonk Woman," "Brown Sugar" and several others. They also played "Oh No Not You Again," "Back of My Hand" and "Infamy" from the new "Bigger Bang" CD. My particular favorite is Oh No Not You Again. It's a rocker with a playful message about someone who keeps returning to make one's life hell.

The sound was every bit as good as I expected it to be. I have never heard the Stone's music with such clarity live before. Sympathy for the Devil’s arrangements were slightly altered with a bit of jazz under current, which made the brooding rocker much more upbeat song, which they accented with fireworks.

If you were there, you may have spotted me way in the back; I was my neighbor’s worse nightmare because I know all the words to all the Stones songs and I sound like a wounded animal singing. Worse still, she had to endure my dancing which makes Al Gore look as nimble as Michael Jackson.

Joss Stone opened the evening with a four-song set that opened with “Super Duper Love” and ended with “Right to Be Wrong.” It’s amazing to think she is either 21 or 22 years old with an incredible voice and a long career in front of her. She just has to look at the band she opened for; the Stones, who are all in their 60s, started around the same age as Joss Stone.

Sunday Ramblings

"Do you pray for the senators, Dr. Hale?"
"No, I look at the senators and I pray for the country."
Edward Everett Hale (1822 - 1909), author and cleric

Patience. Going through the airport hassles of near strip searches, delays, crowded seats, lousy overpriced food, and baggage snafus I fall into a very patient mode because there is nothing I can do. It’s all beyond my control. Going through JFK, I had to take my shoes off, but I didn’t have to in Burbank. I argued with the TSA guy and tell him my shoes are not the issue, it’s my pen. He assures me it’s the shoes. I have no choice but to comply or go to the side and get prodded and probed. The TSA guy agrees to test my theory. I acknowledge he is correct. “Of course I’m right buddy that’s my job.”

Daughter. I was so proud. The first time I have ever gone to Washington, D.C. to see the sites, my first official tour was conducted by Daughter, who provided an excellent and informative tour of the capitol, including getting lost in various stairwells. I met the Congressman she is interning for and her office mates, who all appreciate her efforts. They recently prompted her from an intern to a staff position.

Daughter and I were in the Senate while Sen. Carl Levin (below), D-Mich. was speaking on the Senate floor regarding Phase II investigation of prewar intelligence. We did not see the below press conference, just a very empty Senate while Levin was reading his argument into the record. The photo of the capitol (above) was taken by yours truly.
(from the Washington Post) U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., holds a copy of a Senate Intelligence Committee report during a news conference with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Mich., left, and Sen. John Rockefeller, D-W.Va., right, on Capitol Hill, Friday, Nov. 4, 2005, to discuss carrying out an agreement on the Phase II investigation of prewar intelligence. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook)

We also went into the House of Representatives and watched a vote, on something relatively minor that I cannot recall now.

Sightseeing. I was awed by the Lincoln Memorial. Daughter and I walked a tremendous amount throughout the capitol and outside. My patriotism was somewhat tempered by the gang currently in the White House. As we wondered pass the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial. We missed the Vietnam Memorial because we didn’t know how close we were to it. But, I have to say that we are very much a war nation. All of our history seems to evolve around war. To complete our day, Daughter and I had dinner at Harry & Sam’s, which was outstanding.

Reading. Yesterday I was able to finish one book and start George Packer’s “The Assassins’ Gate, America in Iraq.” After reading the first 100 pages, I am changing my thoughts about the reasons for war. I used to think that it was absolutely about oil, but I would say now that oil is among the top reasons, but not the main reason. I could change again by the time I finish, but from my interpretation so far is that Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle and a few others, pushed their flawed philosophy and were the main architects behind Iraq. They were able to sell their views because we have an incurious president who seems to only delegate rather than really understand the issues; the Republican hawks expertly manipulated him.

Rolling Stones. I very much have mixed feelings about this concert tonight, but I’m hopeful I will get excited for it. I really wish Daughter who has become my Rolling Stones buddy was here to enjoy it too.

A Couple of Travel Pictures

Exploring is delightful to look forward to and back upon, but it is not comfortable at the time, unless it be of such an easy nature as not to deserve the name.
Samuel Butler (1835 - 1902) British writer, painter

It's always nice to return home. I have not travel for business for almost over a year and things have changed a bit with the airlines. Here are a few pictures from my travels in New York.


This is the view outside my room looking into the
lobby at the Embassy Suites in New York's Financial District.


If I turned around from looking at the lobby this was other side of the view.

I love having a camera. Tomorrow, I will post my pictures from Washington D.C.

Stop Congress from Cutting Cancer Research Funding

Funding cancer research is one of the most promising ways we can help save lives faster, but Congress is proposing a cut to cancer research funding that could be as much as $100 million. This proposal is unacceptable, yet it is being taken seriously by Congressional leadership. It must be stopped right now!

Click here to find out how you can help.

Worth Checking Out

"We look forward to hearing your vision, so we can more better do our job. That's what I'm telling you."
President George W. Bush—Gulfport, Miss., Sept. 20, 2005.

Check out this site that I found through Preemptive Karma.

Bush and the Judge

A judge is not supposed to know anything about the facts of life until they have been presented in evidence and explained to him at least three times.
Lord Chief Justice Parker (1900–1972), British judge

I found this over at Random Thoughts, which linked to Pillage Idiot, so because I think it's rather good I will link to it too. Enjoy! Also, check out BitchPh.D and what Anything They Say has to say about the Judge.

Leave Flying to the Birds

I feel about airplanes the way I feel about diets. It seems to me that they are wonderful things for other people to go on.
Jean Kerr, author, playwright

NEW YORK – Let me count the ways airlines are continuing their going out of business strategy:

• Security. Having to undress before boarding a plane is absolutely asinine.
• Seats. As an adult, I feel as though I am sitting at a 3rd grader’s school desk. I would have been more comfortable thrown into the back of someone’s trunk.
• Food. Today was the first day that American Airlines eliminated pretzels. It now costs $3 for the crap they used to provide for free.
• Luggage. If there is an airport that has a longer wait for baggage than JFK I have not encountered it yet.

Yes, I know that security is not the airlines responsibility, but they could try to make the passengers more comfortable after enduring near strip searches to get into the terminal. Next they will be checking body cavities.

Before traveling Tuesday, I have not flown anywhere in more than a year, and just in that time it seems the seats have gotten smaller (maybe, I have just gotten bigger) and every single seat is filled. I would take another flight, if I ever got stuck in a middle seat (and I wish the person sitting next me had the same philosophy).


Similar to my wait for luggage while baggage handlers were apparently on break.

Go Forth and Write

Achilles exists only through Homer. Take away the art of writing from this world, and you will probably take away its glory.
René Chateaubriand (1768 - 1848), writer

To all the NaNoWriMo contestants I wish you the best in your quest to write 50,000 words by Nov. 30.

For those of you who are not aware of November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), as they say, it’s a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

I have noticed a number of bloggers have mentioned their participation this year and if I was thinking I would have written them down, but you'll just have to take my word for it.

Good luck and write until your fingers are numb.

Better to write for yourself and have no public, than write for the public and have no self.
Cyril Connolly (1903 - 1974), writer and journalist

Strategy of Fear

I am almost frightened out of my seven senses.
Miguel de Cervantes (1547 - 1616), novelist and dramatist

Now that the curtain has been lifted off the White House and more people are starting to see for themselves just how mismanaged and corrupt the Bush gang is, it’s time to scare the crap out of everyone.

Bush is going to give a speech today about the potential pandemic the bird flu could become. Since the war has gone bad, cronyism has robbed the government of what little efficiency it did have, and the vice president puts our spies in harm’s way because they won’t buy into his lies, it’s time to dip into Turd Blossom’s bag of tricks to change the news and worry people into submission.

Presidents Bush depicted showing their compassion for storm victims

It looks to me that Bush is running the country similar to how Ken Lay ran Enron: oblivious to the real world, allowing underlings to run roughshod with a complete lack of ethics and a disregard for the rule of law.

If Katrina is any indication of how our government is prepared, we can expect hundreds of thousands to die, while the rich will have already horded their vaccines. For Bush to say anything is a joke because there are still people in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida without shelter and electricity. And, many people in those areas are losing hope.

Condemned to hope's delusive mine,
As on we toil from day to day,
By sudden blasts or slow decline
Our social comforts drop away.
Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784), lexicographer and writer

Separated at Birth:Ray Bradbury and Cory Doctorow

Two science fiction greats: Ray Bradbury and Cory Doctorow.

I'm reading Sam Weller's biography of Ray Bradbury this week (The Bradbury Chronicles), and it's quite a good read. Weller has had unfettered access to Bradbury and his life, and the biography is comprehensive, if at times a little simple in its style. Great stuff inside, like Bradbury's decision early in his career to write a short story every week, figuring that he'd have better odds of writing a good one that way.

Just as interesting (OK, maybe a little less) is the similarity of Bradbury to contemporary writer Cory Doctorow, about whom I've blogged before. His Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom is already a sci-fi classic (I've linked to Amazon for you so you can buy it right now) and his latest, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town is a genre-bending great about which I've already blogged. And he looks a lot like Ray Bradbury!

From Harper’s Index

Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
Aldous Huxley (1894 - 1963), novelist and essayist

The Republicans equate the Carter Administration with long gas lines and rising gas prices. According to Harper’s Index:

• Percentage change in the average monthly price of oil during the Carter Administration: +85
• Percentage change during the presidency of George W. Bush, before Hurricane Katrina hit: +107
  
  This one is incredible to me. Don’t tell me the administration didn’t purposely ignore the pleas for help in New Orleans:
• Days after Katrina kit that Dick Cheney’s office ordered an electric company to restore power to two oil pipelines: 1
  
  I believe in the long run the Iraq War will prove worse than the Vietnam War because of the lack of preparation. We may not lose as many soldiers thankfully, but the ramifications will be longer lasting:
• Number of journalists killed in Vietnam during twenty years of war there: 63
• Number killed in Iraq since March 2003: 71
  
  How I hope this is remembered come the 2006 mid-term elections:
• Years after the start of the Vietnam War that a majority of Americans first said it was a mistake: 3 1/2
• Years after the start of the Iraq War that a majority said this: 1 ¼
  
  Next time you go to buy something remember this:
• Number of consecutive years that the U.S. median income has failed to increase: 5

Noted without comment:Crowd surfing warning

This and That

Nothing matters very much, and very few things matter at all.
Arthur Balfour (1848 - 1930), British prime minister

Toner Mishap. As you can see I have decided to keep writing for Toner Mishap. The two-week break was much needed and reminded me of the joy of writing on the blog. The discipline of writing for the blog I find spills over to creative writing. If I don’t write daily on the blog I'm less inclined to write at all. So I will continue to post items, but on my own timetable, no longer trying to post items daily before 9 p.m. (PST) in order to have fresh content for a new day by (EST),which will relieve the pressure I felt previously.

Without On the Mark and B2 contributing regularly (B2 will have a post on Monday) I feel as though I am in a big house by myself. So, I am sure the direction will change a bit, new blog links will start appearing, and some old ones will be leaving. Maybe I should borrow Jack’s title and call this Random Thoughts II, which has a nice ring to it, but I love Toner Mishap.

If you are sticking around thank you, if you are just coming around, welcome.

East Coast. I am heading out to New York for meetings for a couple of days and then I will zoom over and see Daughter in D.C. She already has tours lined up for the day. We are going to tour the Capital, the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress. I should have many pictures from my new camera and a few comments about D.C. This will be my first visit to the nation’s capital.

Shooting Pool. It seems that our weekly pool playing at On the Mark’s has slipped into about a once or twice a month gathering because of all the things that have to be done on a Saturday. The previous Saturday, On the Mark and I bought a half core of firewood that we picked up and delivered to our respective homes. You know it gets so cold out here that we have to have our firewood ready for our long dreary winters of 60-degree evenings. Nonetheless, having a fire creates a great ambiance for reading and napping.

The Boy King. No I am not talking about W, but King Tut and how we have turned him into a joke. Steve Martin’s King Tut single years ago was very funny, now this is humorous too, but in a sad sort of way. A tissue dispenser seems a bit silly, which is why it probably makes it a great office or bathroom item for discussion. I have to admit, I’m sorry I don’t have one.

Shopping Mall. We have a new shopping mall in my town and it has turned out to be a major pain to me. The main drive into the mall now intersects with the gym and getting in and out has added several frustrating minutes of stop lights and lots of cars to what once was a two-minute drive. People are acting as if they have never been to a mall before. It’s absolutely nuts.

Obscene Profits

I do not know where we are going, but I do know this—that wherever it is we shall lose our way.
Práxedes Sagasta, Spanish politician

Oil company profits are excessive which is proof that they were gouging consumers at the pumps. ExxonMobil made $10 billion in profit for the third quarter. That is more than $3 billion a month.

Worse than watching oil executives take home lotto-sized bonuses, is learning they have no plans to invest in furthering research in alternative or renewable energy.

"We're an oil and gas company. In times past, when we tried to get into other businesses, we didn't do it well. We'd rather re-invest in what we know," says Exxon spokesman Dave Gardner.

...Exxon [will not] significantly step up how much money it puts into finding oil or refining it into gasoline, which could help ease tight supplies that have driven oil and gasoline prices to records this year.

This is when the government should step in, tax the company, and invest the money in alternative energy. If one of our top energy companies, which can help or hurt the economy depending on either its greed or foresightedness, cannot see its way to improve then it should be up to the government to force its hand.

The Beginnings of Justice

Injustice is relatively easy to bear; what stings is justice.
H. L. Mencken (1880–1956), U.S. journalist

Rather than just having Vice Presidential Adviser I. Lewis "Scooter' Libby Jr. indicted on obstruction of justice, false statement and perjury charges, real justice would be if it were the president who was charged on such counts and then impeached.

Update: Libby resigned and left the White House. I wonder if they will hire him as a consultant equal to his full pay, similar to what they have done with the former FEMA Director Brown.

Nature Being Natural

The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity … and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself.
William Blake (1757–1827), English poet


If a tree has sex in the forest and there is
nobody around does it make a sound?



His and her veggies.



Pat Robertson might have something to say about this.

Timely News?

Our job is like a baker’s work — his rolls are tasty as long as they’re fresh; after two days they’re stale; after a week, they’re covered with mould and fit only to be thrown out.
Ryszard Kapuscinski, Polish journalist

The Los Angeles Times finally got around to listing the obituary of Len Dresslar, the voice of the Jolly Green Giant. Why did it take so long? Any longer and Dresslar would have returned reincarnated. He died Oct 16.

The passing is certainly worthy of obit news, but if the paper waited this long it was either an oversight or someone from the family called and gave them hell.

In our consumer driven society the Jolly Green Giant has been acknowledged by Advertising Age magazine as one of the three most recognizable American advertising icons of the 20th century – after Tony the Tiger and the Marlboro Man.

Short-Term Poetic Justice

Avarice, sphincter of the heart.
Matthew Green (1696–1737), English poet

The banks and credit card companies worked long and hard to get the new bankruptcy bill passed. President Bill Clinton would not sign such an onerous piece of legislation that would hurt the working class. But, get a president who sides with the greedy corporate world and the people will suffer.

Har, har, har, I thoroughly enjoyed the New York Times article that reveals the gluttonous money-grubbers, who make organize crime blush at the high interest rates they charge, may have overreached and will now lose money. I realize it’s only short term, but I love it because the suits think mostly short term.

In recent days, the five biggest bank issuers of credit cards have said that the unexpectedly large flood of filings shaved hundreds of million of dollars off their earnings in the third quarter.

But with tens of thousands of petitions still being processed and Hurricane Katrina's impact on cardholders still being sorted out, the bankruptcy rush is likely to result in well over a billion dollars worth of losses by the end of the year.

Sallie L. Krawcheck, the chief financial officer for Citigroup, said, "It's clearly done some short-term earnings damage to the card industry."

We’ll get it in the end, but it’s worth gloating now.

My Den From My New Camera

This is where The Misanthrope ends up in complete indecision
about what to read next.


The Misanthrope reads here, however slowly.


The Misanthrope writes the posts from here.

He Can't Be Serious!

There is no such thing as a man willing to be honest that would be like a blind man willing to see.
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), writer

How can this be said without a laugh?

According to the Associated Press, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Cheney is doing a "great job" as vice president. The spokesman also said Cheney's public comments have always been truthful.

Reasons to be Misanthropic

It disturbs me no more to find men base, unjust, or selfish than to see apes mischievous, wolves savage, or the vulture ravenous for its prey.
Molière (1622–73), French dramatist. Philinte, in Le Misanthrope, act 1, sc. 1.

The death toll in Pakistan and India after the Oct. 8 earthquake has reached 53,000, according to the New York Times. Yet, these two countries are acting like little kids offering relief and rejecting it, coming up with proposals and counter proposals. Meanwhile, people’s lives are hanging in the balance. Surprisingly the Bush gang is not even involved.

I read Kurt Vonnegut’s “A Man Without a Country” and while I am not even trying to include myself in this group, I do have to say I join them in their belief:

Albert Einstein and Mark Twain gave up on the human race at the end of their lives, even thought Twain hadn’t even see the First World War.

Like my distinct betters Einstein and Twain, I now give up on people, too. I am a veteran of the Second World War and I have to say this is not the first I have surrendered to a pitiless war machine.

What can be said to our young people, now that psychopathic personalities, which is to say persons without consciences, without senses of pity or shame, have taken all the money in the treasuries of our government and corporations, and made it their own?

Short People

Short People are just the same
As you and I
(A Fool Such As I)
All men are brothers
Until the day they die
(It's A Wonderful World)
Randy Newman, singer/song writer “Short People” (complete lyrics to song listed at the bottom of the post)

I decided to check some of the blogs unknown to me listed on our blogroll; Prontopup, in this case, which is where I discovered the link to Roger Ebert's reply to a short person who called him on his use of the word midget. (Here is another Toner Mishap secret, B2 is the technical guru here. I ask B2 to blog roll people and he always does, but I have not checked out everyone he has added. I will learn how to add sites yet.)

I apologize in advance for my ignorance and my prejudice, but short people (aka, midgets and dwarfs) give me nightmares, maybe it has something to do with the "Wizard of Oz." I promise to work on my shortsighted views. If I had a friend, was better read, or was close to someone abnormally short, I am sure I would have learned this long ago.

If there is anyone who is offended by this post, I sincerely apologize and I will definitely improve on my narrow mindedness. I found the following note rather amusing and enlightening:

The following exchange, reprinted here in its entirety, began with an e-mail to Ebert's Movie Answer Man column.
From Daniel Woodburn to Roger Ebert
April 6, 2005
Dear Mr. Ebert,
I am an actor that you have reviewed neither favorably nor unfavorably in two different movies: one was “Death to Smoochy,” the other "Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her.” I have absolutely no objection to you trashing a film or lauding it. I do object to the use of the word "midgets" in your review of “Death to Smoochy.”

As a writer you are aware of the power of words. The use of the word midget is, for Little People, equated with any other hate word someone might use to describe a minority group. I simply ask you: if you were to see Little People children would you take away their humanity in the same way with the use of such a hate word? I can respect a yes answer but I cannot respect the person who answers yes.

Sincerely,
Danny Woodburn

From Roger Ebert to Daniel Woodburn
April 12, 2005
Dear Mr. Woodburn,
I had no idea the word "midget" was considered offensive, and you are the only person who has ever written to me about it. In my mind it is a descriptive term, like "dwarf." "Little People" has seemed to me to have a vaguely condescending cuteness to it. If I am now informed that "midget" is offensive, I will no longer use it. What is your feeling about "dwarf?" Is "Little Person" always the preferred term? Our newspaper's style book, based on Associated Press, does not consider "midget" or "dwarf" to be offensive terms, but perhaps we have not caught up.

Sincerely,
Roger Ebert

After the Wizard of Oz, my next familiarity with short people came from Frank Zappa and his dwarf bowling comments, which shows how mixed up I am. But, as Ebert says, I will catch up.

I decided to look up the word midget and I learned something:

midg·et. noun, 1. Offensive. An extremely little person who is otherwise normally proportioned.

Randy Newman's song is obviously a parody, similar to his song about Rednecks. In case you missed it in the '80s here are the lyrics to Randy Newman's "Short People."

Short People got no reason
Short People got no reason
Short People got no reason
To live

They got little hands
Little eyes
They walk around
Tellin' great big lies
They got little noses
And tiny little teeth
They wear platform shoes
On their nasty little feet

Well, I don't want no Short People
Don't want no Short People
Don't want no Short People
`Round here

Short People are just the same
As you and I
(A Fool Such As I)
All men are brothers
Until the day they die
(It's A Wonderful World)

Short People got nobody
Short People got nobody
Short People got nobody
To love

They got little baby legs
That stand so low
You got to pick 'em up
Just to say hello
They got little cars
That go beep, beep, beep
They got little voices
Goin' peep, peep, peep
They got grubby little fingers
And dirty little minds
They're gonna get you every time
Well, I don't want no Short People
Don't want no Short People
Don't want no Short People
'Round here

A Few Personal Items I Find Fit to Comment Upon

Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.
Mark Twain (1835–1910), author

Toner Mishap. There are days when I have missed commenting. In the two weeks that I have not written anything, I have not yet used the time wisely, which aggravates me to no end. Frankly, I have missed Toner Mishap. It’s just too good a site to let go to seed, so I plan to write more frequently, but no promises about daily writing.

I am not sure how many readers we have left, but those of you who show up thank you, your readership and comments are appreciated.

Las Vegas. Wife and I took a bit of a vacation last week to celebrate our birthdays. We went to Las Vegas because it was close, not cheap. I find that Las Vegas is extremely overpriced from their hotel rooms, food and drinks to gambling. We stayed at a middle of the road hotel (Monte Carlo) on the strip and we felt very much like cattle as the staff offered no interest in customer service. We were booked for a mini-suite for four days, but because they did not have the room cleaned at 3 p.m. as promised and we were tired from the drive, we opted to down grade to a regular room, wife’s wise decision. We even checked out a day early because the town’s greed and consumption just worn on us.

Elton John. We saw Elton John’s Red Piano show at Caesar’s Palace. Wife had never seen Elton John before and she loved the show, which featured a number of his popular songs. I had seen him at the Hollywood Bowl and I have been to far more concerts than she has and I found the audience was as active as store mannequins and that Elton John basically just phoned in his performance. I was disappointed, but wife loved it, so I didn’t rain on her parade (she won’t read this blog, neither will mother, thank goodness).

Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity. This was an excellent show. I loved every minute of it. The performers in this show are incredible. It was a very enjoyable show and I highly recommend it.

Rolling Stones. On the Mark predicted it, but I didn’t believe him. He said I would go see the Stones at the Hollywood Bowl and I denied it. Well… Wife and I are going to see the Stones at the Hollywood Bowl Sunday, Nov. 6. The seats are very much toward the back, but I’m hopeful there will be a large screen to see and the sound should be awesome, so I am looking forward to it.

Toner Mishap. Oh, it feels nice to write this stuff again.

Noted without comment:LadyClassic

"Designed especially for Lady golfers with long manicured finger nails who prefer to wear their jewelry while playing."

Magneto and Winston Smith

What’s the deal with Ian McKellen and John Hurt? Are they really different people, or what?

The Misanthrope – Sunday’s Lighter Side ‘Till the Next Good-bye

Until the next time we say good-bye
I’ll be thinking of you
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, singers/song writers

This could be the last time. May be the last time, I don't know. But it’s been fun, it’s been a thrill and it’s been time consuming. Yes friends, The Misanthrope is saying good-bye, but not necessarily so long, which means I could and most certainly will pop up from time to time, but I'm not going to be around daily as I have been, at least writing. Like any habit, I have gotten used to checking in on a handful of blogs rather regularly and that will continue.

B2, On The Mark and I have all talked but this day at various times, but we figured the one year anniversary was a good time to say so long, at least to writing daily. Here is a tidbit about Toner Mishap; On The Mark and B2 have never met. I don't think they have ever spoken except through the comments section.

My hat's off to my two colleagues figuratively and literally. B2 and I work together, which is my pleasure and makes the commute to work less hell (note, it would take more than B2 to make the drive a pleasure). B2 is the one who suggested a blog last year when I told him I used to have a dot net site called The Misanthrope, but I didn't want to do it again, alone. He said he would participate too and came up with the great name Toner Mishap by running misanthrope through an anagram site. I equate B2 to Nicholson Baker with his ability to find the unusual in the quotidian.

On The Mark and I have been best friends since the 10th grade when we were on the same misfit basketball team, so On The Mark will generally agree to some of my writing ideas. As you have seen, he is an excellent writer and has keen eye for reading between the lines and getting to the heart of the matter.

Both these guys are tremendous talents.

Highlights. We are going to put our best of pieces up shortly. The first time Boing Boing picked up a B2 post and the numbers jumped by a couple of thousand in a day, you would have thought we won the lotto. The second B2 post picked up by Boing Boing was just as thrilling and the numbers jumped by almost 10,000. What were the items? Something about Chewbacca and the other one was a post related to Star Wars from a B2 grocery store excursion, and if we could get royalties on those posts, we'd still be raking in the dough. I was also thrilled to be picked up by AOL blog news and finally Waxy picked B2's coffee table book-sized post about the Simpson’s in Spanish, and hence we will break 100,000 probably Wednesday is my guess. A post that was not picked up by the big blogs was Hopper Rolls Over in His Grave, this is an outstanding and entertaining piece on how a classic work of art has been high-jacked for all kinds of commercial purposes. If we don't post another item the hits will continue through the magic of Google images. On The Mark's Russian posts were terrific and very interesting.

Online Friends. Blogging has created some online friends for me: Jack at Random Thoughts; Lorrianne at Horded Ordinaries, Janet at the Art of Getting By; Dr. Stephen Taylor at Poliblog; Dr. B at BitchPh.d; Q at Simply Put; Anita at Fighting Interia; and of course, our most regular commentor Chandira at Diary of a Hope Fiend. I have learned one thing or another from all of you, thank you! I don't want to forget Alice at Through a Looking Glass; Andrea Lewis at scratching surfaces; Panthergirl at The Dog's Breakfast or Laura at Daxohol.

Still Around. Really all this means is that we are stopping daily blogging. No one told us to blog daily, but we felt that to build readership and keep it we needed to blog daily.

The upshot of all this writing has inspired my creative writing, which I really want to focus on for a while without the distraction of the blog. When you combine the day job and dealing with the outside world, blogging creates additional pressure that I just don't need. I am hopeful if you have us blogrolled you can see when we have updated and you'll stop by. Already I want to write about congress considering taking away or reducing tax deductions for homeowners. I have truly grown to despise political hacks in both parties.

See you around,

The Misanthrope

And I'll miss you most of all, Scarecrow.

Twelve months, one thousand posts, and one hundred thousand hits. Give or take.

Toner Mishap has been a great way to spend my time, and the blogosphere has been a great place to coexist with my alternate self, but the time has come to close the curtain on this chapter of my life and bury the hatchet in a mixed metaphor. Or something like that.

My wife is always close to my thoughts. Whenever I start something new, I wonder how she will react -- to my papercutting, to my dads' zine (Another Mouth), to this blog... sometimes I clue her in early, and sometimes she finds out later, but she always supports me and makes me feel good about myself. When I told her that the Mishap was no longer going to be an everyday concern, but rather an every-so-often one, she voiced real concern; it seems that for her this has been a real window into my mind, and she wonders how we will connect now. For this, if for no other reason, I have something better to do with my time every day than attempting to amuse strangers with either (1) how geeky I am, or (2) how geeky I'm not: I just need little more time with my rabbi to let her know how much she means to me.

In the past year I've blogged on comics, D&D, Edward Hopper, and Chewbacca (and a few other things). I've shared music, photos, thoughts, and rants. I've introduced you to Guerilla Gorilla (who still, to this day, refuses to spell "guerrilla" correctly), and maybe even to Hector Vex, Attila, Beaucoup Kevin, Rick Richman's Jewish Current Issues, and Jay Pinkerton.

What will I do now? The hardest part about starting something new, I have learned, is finding the time to do it. I already have the time blocked out, because I committed it to Toner Mishap; now I hope to be spending that time with my my knife.

Thank you all for joining us on this adventure. Thank you to the Misanthrope and On the Mark for making it even more enjoyable. And thank you to my biggest fan, as always, my wife.

On The Mark -- Goodbye for Now

First, I want to thank The Misanthrope and B2 for inviting me to write for Toner Mishap. It's been a great experience.

Second, my hat is off to The Misanthrope and B2 for writing and posting well-written and well-researched articles every day. They were committed to keeping the Toner Mishap fresh with new material every day, no easy chore. The Misanthrope punched us in the gut with his hard-hitting commentary and B2, along with his great writing, opened my eyes to many things that were previously not in my universe.

This change for Toner Mishap doesn't really affect me too much, because I've only been able to post once or twice a week for a while now. I hope to be able to continue that pace. In fact, my next post will be tomorrow. But it will definitely be a noticeable change for my colleagues, because they were creating, researching, and writing every day -- and dedicated to making sure new material was live first thing in the morning.

I did notice one clear trend, though, over the year. Earlier in the year, when this blog would challenge the Bush Administration, we often had intelligent responses from those who support the Administration. But as the year has marched on, as more scandals in the Administration have erupted, the responses we've been getting have been trending toward being rude and childish. We like a good argument. We like a good fight. We like to hear the other perspective, even though we may not agree. There hasn't been much of a fight lately, mostly just name calling, but maybe that's because the Bushies are finding they have less ground to stand on.

We are in an interesting and scary time. More so than any other time in my nearly 50 years of life (that I was old enough to understand, anyway). Now, more than ever, we need critical thinking and writing.

Religion’s Version of Yelling into the Wind A Penultimate Post

Nine-tenths of the appeal of pornography is due to the indecent feelings concerning sex which moralists inculcate in the young; the other tenth is physiological, and will occur in one way or another whatever the state of the law may be.
Bertrand Russell (1872–1970), British philosopher

Is religion out of control? We have President Bush allegedly chatting with God personally, now we have National Porn Sunday tomorrow. For any Catholic priests reading this, it is not a day to attack the young boys in your flock, it’s a day for 75 evangelical Christian churches across the country to confront an issue rarely discussed in church, but not doubt running through people’s heads during long insufferable sermons.

One associate pastor was quoted as saying pornography is America’s dirty little secret. I have news for him, it’s not so secret or so little. In a suburb less than 10 miles from here, it’s know as the porn film capital. I am certain that the Chatsworth Chamber of Commerce doesn’t promote that statistic, but this is a profitable industry and a pleasurable distraction for some.

These are old statistics, (but you get the idea, just double or triple them to make them current) from the book Reefer Madness Sex, Drugs, and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market by Eric Schlosser, according to Adult Video News, from 1985 to 1992 the number of hard-core video rentals each year in the Unite States rose from 79 million to 490 million. In 2001, the number climbed to 759 million. Americans spend as much as $8 billion to $10 billion on adult entertainment. It's not going to be stopped anytime soon.

A 2002 Christianity Today survey in showed that 51 percent of U.S. pastors called Internet porn their biggest temptation (I wonder if they meant theirs or their parishioners?). In the same survey, 37 percent of pastors called it a struggle, and four out of 10 said they'd visited porn Web sites (I believe they are talking about the pastors, but the article in the Dallas News was not clear).

Generally, this boring and victimless vice is better regulated than attacked. I'm afraid the churches can do nothing to stop this and only bring more attention to the topic, which ultimately will make it more mainstream and less of a forbidden fruit.

On The Mark -- Throwing Bush Out with the Bath Water

At first I was fooled, too. When I saw the Neos come out against Bush after he nominated "Harry" Miers to the Supreme Court I thought it would split the party. But after thinking it through a couple moves ahead on the chessboard, I realize that there's no splitting going on here. The Neos now realize that Bush and anyone associated with him, or who tries to run for office, or keep office, riding on his coattails will go the way of the soldiers who followed Custer. From the Neos' perspective, as it relates to Bush, you can stick a fork in it. He's done.

So, from the Neos' point-of-view, it makes sense to distance what they consider the "real" republican party from him -- to show the voting red reds that they're not backing a loser (and this word can have many meanings in this context). Plus, Bush is of no use to them anymore. The Neos are making their play for the future, they're being bold about it, and they're sacrificing Bush for the good of the party.

I would venture to guess that if things were going great for Bush (in Iraq, in the devastated regions of the U.S., no indictments or near indictments of party leaders, etc.) the Neos wouldn't have been so aggressive to dismiss Harry.

Let's face it, the Neos are powerful -- in money and words. For example, say whatever you want about Ann Coulter, but when she publishes a book it opens at or near the top of the list and stays there for a long time.

I hope the Dems don't sleep through this, too, and realize too late this strategic move by the Neos. They seem content at the moment to sit on the sidelines and watch the Republican party fall apart. But if that's the case, I'm afraid they're watching the wrong show.

What's going on at Toner Mishap?

The end is near, my friends; the end is near. Find out the details tomorrow.

On The Mark -- Travels in Russia, Series III: But Is Lenin Smiling?

There is a raging debate in Russia today about the fate of Lenin's body. This debate is a reflection of the many different moods and attitudes, mostly specific to generations, related to the current social issues in this vast country. One can stand in long lines (as I did) to see his body encased in a plastic box in a darkened mausoleum. The contrast of dark and light reminded me of viewing Rembrandt paintings in Amersterdam.

But he might not be there much longer. One of Putin's deputies has raised the question of whether Lenin should be buried like everyone else (some say he requested to be buried in St. Petersburg). Many people say good riddance and that it's an embarrassment to the New Russia to have someone who represented (and created, long after his death) such bad times on display like an art piece in the main tourist area of Moscow. Others, some of the older generation, and definitely the communists, are outraged that moving him out of Red Square would even be considered. The young kids, those born after 1980, say, "who?"

When I walked around his body I tried to see if he was smiling. You see, no one in Russia smiles (except, again, those young ones). When I asked about this I was told that Russians view foreigners' smiles (i.e., Americans) as fake, that the physical reaction doesn't really reflect what that person is thinking (and it is hard to argue this point). When I asked them if they thought my smiles were false, they responded, "no." When I probed, they said that the reason they can tell the difference is that "you also smile with your eyes, and your eyes cannot lie."

Very interesting, I thought. When someone smiles at me now, I look into their eyes (although not to the extent of Mr. Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David) to see if the smile is genuine.

Berkowitz v. Bush

David Berkowitz, "son of Sam," explained that he had been ordered to commit murders by his neighbour, Sam Carr, and that these orders were transmitted through Carr's dog, Harvey.

President Bush, "son of George," explained that he had been told to commit war by God, and that these orders were transmitted through, well, God.

Guerilla Gorilla:God Tells Bush to Wage War

[It's Friday, and that's means it's time for Guerilla Gorilla. This week, GG writes about President Bush's intimate relationship with God.]

Human President Bush will be quoted in an upcoming BBC documentary saying that God told him to wage war around the world. Palestinian information minister Nabil Shaath says that Bush said to him,

"God would tell me, 'George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan.'

"And I did, and then God would tell me, 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq.' And I did."

Frankly, it's a little frightening to me that you humans rely so much on input from purportedly-real superbeings. Now granted, apes have never been known to worship God (or even gods), so maybe I just don't get it -- but that isn't even really the point. [grunt]

What irks me is that I had always learned from my benevolent keepers and handlers that the U.S. government doesn't get too tangled up with religion anymore. That once upon a time, the good men who wrote the Constitution mentioned God in such documents because of the nature of society at the time, but that the U.S. has some sort of separation between the two. That governmental leaders were not going to do things just because their flavor of religion urged them to do it.

So why did Bush declare a "Jesus Day" back when he was governor of Texas? Why does he keep giving taxpayers' money to churches, even repaying churches for the charitable donations of their parishoners? Why would he make political decisions, such as waging war, based on what he says are directions from God?

Does his reliance on his Christian God mean he doesn't believe in the validity of other human religions? Does that mean that Bush doesn't have to worry about what happens to Muslims (or Jews, or whoever) because they're not Christians and they're not right?

Does it mean that if Bush thinks his God tells him to thump that Bible a little harder and start appointing all of his right-wing Christian buddies to the government that he should just do it?

If I were a non-Christian human living in the United States, I would be getting a little concerned about now. Of course, I'm just an ape, so what do I care, right? [grunt]

A Direct Line to God

God is the immemorial refuge of the incompetent, the helpless, the miserable. They find not only sanctuary in His arms, but also a kind of superiority, soothing to their macerated egos: He will set them above their betters.
H. L. Mencken (1880–1956), journalist

I have been trying to ignore the Bush gang because frankly it’s a disaster for the country as a whole and for the working class struggling to get by in particular. But this story that the most powerful leader in the world has private conversations with God is beyond disturbing -- it’s unnerving.

How can he talk about Muslim radicals when he is an evangelical radical? If you believe the Bible you will find that God last spoke to Job. After Job, God has never spoken again; that is until now…

President George W. Bush allegedly said God told him to invade Iraq and Afghanistan, a new BBC documentary will reveal, according to details.

Bush made the claim when he met Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and then foreign minister Nabil Shaath in June 2003, the ministers told the documentary series to be broadcast in Britain later this month.

The US leader also told them he had been ordered by God to create a Palestinian state, the ministers said.

Shaath, now the Palestinian information minister, said: "President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God.

'God would tell me, 'George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan'.'

"And I did, and then God would tell me, 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq...' And I did.

"'And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, 'Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East.' And by God I'm gonna do it'," said Shaath.

Abbas, who was also at the meeting in the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh, recalled how the president told him: "I have a moral and religious obligation.

"So I will get you a Palestinian state."

A BBC spokesman said the content of the program had been put to the White House but it had refused to comment on a private conversation.

Here is a link that points out the danger of unchecked prayers.

Update 10/7/05 8:30 a.m.
The White House gang initially declined to comment on the above story, but since it is such a scary thought to think that the leader of the free world converses with God, they finally responded:

"That's absurd. He's never made such comments," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Thursday.

But, what did he say? That is probably classified just as the 10 terrorist attacks are. hmmm, shades of Joe McCarthy

McDonald's has a Dipping Sauce Policy

This is the sign on the drive-through window at McDonald's, detailing their dipping sauce policy, as well as their salad dressing policy.

I know they need a policy, but posting it seems a little unnecessary, right? Or is it some sort of disclaimer so they don't get sued for not providing enough sauces?

Yikes! Snakes Alive

There's a snake hidden in the grass.
Virgil (70 - 19 BC), Roman poet

From an Associated press story; I am not sure readers would appreciate the picture but you can find it if you click on the link or Jack's.

The alligator has some foreign competition at the top of the Everglades food chain, and the results of the struggle are horror-movie messy.

A 13-foot Burmese python recently burst after it apparently tried to swallow a live, six-foot alligator whole, authorities said.

The incident has heightened biologists' fears that the nonnative snakes could threaten a host of other animal species in the Everglades.

The gory evidence of the latest gator-python encounter — the fourth documented in the past three years — was discovered and photographed last week by a helicopter pilot and wildlife researcher.

The snake was found with the gator's hindquarters protruding from its midsection. Mazzotti said the alligator may have clawed at the python's stomach as the snake tried to digest it.

Tom DeLay’s House of Shame

Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual, the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country.
Karl Kraus (1874–1936), writer

Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter has said it best:

Thus began what historians will regard as the single most corrupt decade in the long and colorful history of the House of Representatives. Come on, you say. How about all those years when congressmen accepted cash in the House chamber and then staggered onto the floor drunk? Yes, special interests have bought off members of Congress at least since Daniel Webster took his seat while on the payroll of a bank. And yes, Congress over the years has seen dozens of sex scandals and dozens of members brought low by financial improprieties. But never before has the leadership of the House been hijacked by a small band of extremists bent on building a ruthless shakedown machine, lining the pockets of their richest constituents and rolling back popular protections for ordinary people. These folks borrow like banana republics and spend like Tip O'Neill on speed.

There is nothing more that I can add except to urge you to read the entire column.

The best D&D game ever...

The best D&D game ever would no doubt feature 1:1 scale broadswords for everyone to use, and dice the size of melons.

A Sweet New Year

I'm dipping my apples in honey; shanah tovah!

Not Just a Piece of Meat

Methinks sometimes I have no more wit than a Christian or an ordinary man has; but I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit.
William Shakespeare (1564–1616), writer. Sir Andrew Aguecheek, in Twelfth Night

It makes one long for the days of the mobsters running Las Vegas. Today, the old mob guard are spinning in their graves thinking about the profit they let slip away in Las Vegas. Their business plan was to provide inexpensive food, drinks and lodging in order to get people to spend money on gambling, which is where the profits were.

Today corporate America runs Las Vegas and everything becomes a profit center. Forget that one can no longer find cheap shrimp cocktails or an inexpensive buffet or even a reasonably priced hotel room. Now, the bigger ritzier hotels not only charge $300 plus for a room, but they are now offering $190 steaks to the big shot who has more money than he/she knows what to do with.

Many of the jaw-dropping prices are the result of more Kobe beef being served. Shintaro, the Japanese eatery at Bellagio, where the 10-ounce Washugyu Kobe tenderloin is going for $190. Shintaro's 12-ounce sirloin commands $170. Over at Bradley Ogden, the high-end restaurant at Caesars Palace, the 8-ounce Kobe steak goes for $175. Also cracking the $100 barrier: Craftsteak at the MGM Grand, with a 10-ounce Kobe filet mignon price at $100. On the cusp: a 14-ounce Kobe ribeye for $98.

If that becomes a regular price for beef, I will have no choice but to become a vegetarian.

Fresh Tequila

Is this a produce section I see before me,
the tequila toward my hand?
Come, let me buy thee.

I was at the grocery store the other day, and I was in the produce section -- I'm lucky that two out of my three daughters enjoy fruit as much as I do, so I know at least a percentage of the women in the house will not get scurvy. But what do I find tucked under the peaches? Tequila? In the produce section? I mean, I know it's made of agave, which I can sort of imagine finding there, but bottles of tequila?

Soon Only Gays Will Want to Marry

Marriage is socialism among two people.
Barbara Ehrenreich, author

More and more heterosexual men and women are opting not to get married. In Britain it is predicted that within 25 years more couples will opt to live together instead of getting married, according to government statistics published last week.

The projections are based on the recent steep fall in marriage rates for people aged under 30. As the older generation dies, a new generation of people who prefer living together to marriage will take their place.

Britain's Office for National Statistics predicted predicts never-married people will outnumber married people by about 650,000 by 2031 when the number of Britons aged 16 years or older will hit 48 million.

The Misanthrope – Sunday’s Lighter Side Talkin’ Baseball Playoffs

Baseball is the greatest of American games. Some say football, but it is my firm belief, and it shall always be, that baseball has no superior.
Thomas Alva Edison (1847 - 1931), inventor

At the start of the baseball season On The Mark and I (here) made our picks, now is the time to see how we have done:

In summary, I did pretty well in picking the division champions in both leagues. I didn’t do as well picking the rest of the positions. I was correct in the American League East with the Yankees first followed by Boston Red Sox. I missed the American League Central Division, I had Minnesota first and the Chicago White Sox third. I was certainly wrong there.

My favorite is that I picked the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to finish first and they did. The rest of that division I got wrong. However, the Dodgers did not fool me, I picked San Diego to finish first, and they did. I also made the right call by picking St. Louis, but I missed badly in the National League East by selecting the Florida Marlins. Once again, the Atlanta Braves took that division, I think for the 14th time in almost as many years.

On The Mark’s picks were very similar and he too missed the National League East and he picked the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West.

The playoffs beginning Tuesday and we may know tomorrow whether it will be Boston or Cleveland in the playoffs. I am still sticking with my picks at the beginning of the season that the Angels and St. Louis will be in the World Series. On The Mark picked also picked the Angels.

Let’s Go Angels!

And so I drink long life to the boys who plowed a new equator round the globe stealing bases on their bellies.
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910), writer

"The Shining" As Heartwarming Comedy

Click this link to see a revamped trailer for Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" that makes it seem more like a heartwarming comedy tha nthe awesome thriller it really was. Funny, funny stuff, courtesy of BoingBoing.

Drug Inventor Dies Without Pain

No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power.
P.J. O'Rourke, writer

Leo Sternbach, the inventor of Valium and a number of other tranquilizers died at his home in North Carolina. He was 97. What are the odds he had plenty of Valium on hand?

Valium was the country's most prescribed drug from 1969 to 1982. Nicknamed "Mother's Little Helper" after the Rolling Stones' song, it was three times more potent than its predecessor, Librium, another member of the class of tranquilizers invented by Sternbach.