And now for a look at the "How Sweet It Is! column

Hey Gents:
You have perhaps managed to tear yourselves away from coverage of Anna Nicole Smith's timely, yes timely demise to note that the Dixie Chicks won five, count 'em FIVE Grammy Awards for their latest album which includes the powerful anthem, "Not Ready To Make Nice."
Natalie Maines is a class act. She has shown that patriotism, used as a cudgel becomes just another brutish tool in the hands of a despot when it's used to stifle dissent. She is the true patriot. She stands at the head of a long line of celebrities who've risked their careers in turning their notoriety to a higher purpose. Jane Fonda, Neil Young and others...........heady company.
Ankh

What a difference a day makes.......................

or, the Republican house of cards.
Amazing. And Rumsfeld on top of the heap. Though it seems Dubya was prepared for his departure(witness Gates' speedy appointment). Gates is an unknown entity to me. Interesting that a former spook is now Pentagon chief. Hopefully, it signals some concerted effort to steer military culture to the task of dealing with guerilla/terrorist entities vs. conventional armies(as Rummy self-purported to do).
Of course, what we should be about is reversing the conditions we have created that have created the current world order and its terrorist spawn. I despair at this nation ever becoming self-actualized to the point where we can accomplish this. Instead, we're mired at the bottom of Maslow's Hierarchy.
I have to admit to an immense satisfaction at what a stinging personal rebuke this is for Bush. Not to mention Santorum(Sanctimonium). His excision was very timely(the medical terminology is intended here). He was a cancer in the body politic. Invasive. Metastatic. Dangerously powerful for so malignant a personage.
Word to the newly empowered Democrats. Tread carefully. Be what we all found so winning in the best of "The West Wing".
Ankh

Cut'n'run...............sounds like a plan

"If the U.S. leaves before the job is done, the enemy could follow us here." Quoted from a speech the president gave recently.

Fuck you, Mr. President................................let them follow us.........................

They've kicked our ass to a stalemate on their turf long enough. They control most of the battlefield. They pick away at our young service members with relative impunity. They die martyrs..........deluded, but happy to do so. We die for our "cause". A far less fulfilling fate.

So...................fuck you Dubya. Bring 'em home. Let's defend the Homeland from home. Let them be the strangers in a strange land.

Ankh

What I believe

Seems this blog has become somewhat of a backwater. Doesn't mean I'm thinking about things any less, just less time to indulge myself in writing about them.
Venezuelan President Chavez is a loose cannon, a buffoon. He'll probably ultimately end up hurting his country, but he's right in his criticism of the U.S. , and specifically the Bush administration. To be fair, the Bush administration didn't create the foreign policy that's gotten us to this point geopolitically, but the administration is guilty of actively devolving U.S. foreign policy to its current blunt and hegemonistic state.
We should be about a foreign policy along the lines of the Bono/Gates/Buffet/Sauros model. Instead, we've spent the last few decades banging around the world in a bull-in-a-china-shop, petrocentric frenzy, trying to spread democracy to cultures not disposed to practice it or adopt it on our timetable.
We have, in large part, created the terrorists we're currently fighting.
On a related, and far more personally scary note, does anyone else see reinstatement of the draft on the horizon?
Ankh

Ariel Sharon revisited

Can you say...........Generalissimo Francisco Franco? This is soooo NOT right:

JERUSALEM -
Ariel Sharon' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Ariel Sharon's condition has deteriorated, the hospital where the ailing former Israeli prime minister is being treated announced Monday. A spokeswoman wouldn't say whether Sharon's life was in danger, but said doctors were treating him with broad-spectrum antibiotics and steroids.

A new scan showed a deterioration in his brain function, his urine output has decreased significantly and a chest scan showed that he has a new infection in his lungs, according to Anat Dolev, spokeswoman for the Chaim Sheba Medical Center.
Sharon, 78, has been in a coma since suffering a massive stroke Jan. 4. He underwent several extensive brain surgeries to stop cerebral hemorrhaging, in addition to more minor procedures.
After spending months in the hospital where he was initially treated, Sharon was transferred to the long-term care facility at Sheba hospital in May.
Sharon was rushed into intensive care July 26 to undergo dialysis because his kidneys were failing. Hospital officials said they also noticed changes in his brain membrane.
In December, Sharon had a small stroke. He was put on blood thinners and then suffered the severe brain hemorrhage in January.

Papal/Presidential infallibility

I can laughingly ignore the concept/doctrine of papal infallability. But the concept and(according to this article) doctrine of presidential infallability is very troubling. What am I to think and how am I to act though when the large volume of alarmist opinion on the present administration's sins has had no effect? Everything in this piece basically makes sense to me, but I despair of Bush and his cronies ever being brought to account for their abuse of power.
Ankh

YouTube - Robin Williams

YouTube - Robin Williams

21 minutes and 24 seconds you'll never get back. You won't mind though........

random thoughts, brain farts............

'Lo all;
Time to crank this machine over a time or two. It's been three months that we've been otherwise occupied;^)
The automotive industry is trying to put independent garages out of business. Was talking to my garageman today and he was describing to me how ridiculously difficult they have made what would otherwise have been routine repairs by how they engineer cars. I.E., accessing the gas tank assembly on many new cars requires either dropping the entire rear drive assembly or lifting the entire body off the chassis. Dealers are equipped to do this in a cost effective manner, while independents are left to offer only pricey roundabout approaches.
We were also talking about the allure of living off the grid in some manner. My garageman has not paid an oil/electric/gas company to heat his home or business for 17 years now. He heats his home with a wood stove, and will start burning corn next year. The advantage of corn is that it's cheaper than wood($70 a ton vs. +/- $180 a cord), and more easily manageable. Also burns very clean. He heats his business with waste motor oil that he would otherwise have to pay to recycle. His furnace is equipped with catalytic converters to comply with EPA regs. Rather inefficient as a fuel source, so he is now using machining cooling oil(you know, the stuff they squirt on metal lathes to keep machined pieces from overheating). According to him, the stuff burns much hotter and more cleanly than motor oil, it's free(machining businesses are eager to get rid of it instead of paying to recycle it),and all he has to do is sign a paper stating what he's using it for. We also discussed running cars on either pure ethanol or recycled cooking oils. Being able to use my automotive fuel for margueritas and/or having my car exhaust smell like french fries(is it P.C. to call them that again?) are both attractive prospects. Not to mention it's a totally renewable(internally) energy resource. What could be the hold-up with converting the automotive industry to this?......................that's a rhetorical question;^).................though I'd bet CT could answer it in ways that never crossed my mental radar:^)
I have often thought about putting an array of solar collectors in the field opposite our home. The thought of putting energy back into the grid is tantalizing. Too many other pressing things to use the $ for though.
Lots of other stuff knocking about my cranium, but that's all I have time for now.
Ankh

This speaks volumes

Yeah, I know what I said, but this shit just keeps welling up from the cesspool of our political backyard.
Mr. Bolton, the new chief of staff at the White House is in a band called "Deficit Attention Disorder". Political correctness would seem to dictate that you keep a fact like that out of the press. Is political correctness now passe too?
Ankh

Sorry, just couldn't resist..............................

...................this, excerpted from Salon:

At one point, speaker Herb Titus held up a copy of Kevin Phillips' "American Theocracy," offering it as evidence of the putative war on Christians. It was an audacious move, given that Sara Diamond, the preeminent scholar of the Christian right, reported in a 1998 book that Titus was forced to resign his post as dean of the law school at Pat Robertson's Regent University because he refused to renounce Christian Reconstructionism. Christian Reconstructionism is a theocratic sect that advocates the replacement of civil law with biblical law, including the execution of homosexuals, apostates and women who are unchaste before marriage. Christian Reconstructionists used to be politically radioactive, but a new generation of religious right leaders like Scarborough have embraced them, and some members of today's GOP apparently see no problem associating with them. This does not mean that America is on the verge of theocracy, but it signals an important shift. The language of religious authoritarianism has become at least somewhat politically acceptable.

THESE people are the Antichrist......................and I'm only half kidding:^~

Ankh

Notice of inactivity

Haven't dropped out, but current events(personal and local) will distract me from opining here for the forseeable future.
Ankh

From NOW on PBS this evening(2/17/06)

The main story was related to the practice of "earmarking" bills in the process of passing them. This allows lawmakers to appropriate obscene amounts of pork barrel funds for pet projects without any effective oversight.
Of note, Sen. Bill Frist(powerful Republican, self-styled hero and presidential hopeful) inserted a provision into a bill that(in broad language) basically protects the pharmaceutical industry from any and all lawsuits. This is an alternate form of earmarking. Interestingly, Mr. Frist has received $270,000 in political funding from the drug lobby.
While I'm enumerating Mr. Frist's virtues, it should be remembered that he was one of the prime posturers in the path of Mark Sciavo's efforts, on his wife's behalf to shuffle off her mortal coil.
These things bear remembering come election time.
Ankh

At Least 10 Killed in Libya Cartoon Riot

Y'know, it strikes me(and this is decidedly unPC) that if we keep publishing cartoons, all of the radicalized, militant Islamists will eventually kill themselves off.................................without need for further intervention.
Ankh

Oh.......................this is rich;^)

Sorry, I tried the link thing............................bad kharma. Check out any news service.
Dick Cheney peppered one of his hunting buddies with buckshot whilst quail hunting.
D'Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Picture Sid Caesar's vintage skit of the spazzy hunter waving a shotgun about. Knowing the victim will be okay permits a hearty belly laugh:^)
Such comic relief from the Bush administration is all too rare.
Ankh

The flogging continues.................

Ariel Sharon is this generation's Generalissimo Francisco Franco. What a terrible fate, when nationalistic reverence and the embodiment of a national identity unite to negate individual and familial suffering.
Some politico/medical mouthpiece declared that the surgery was routine. Done every day in hospitals worldwide. True, but about as truthful as Dubya saying to good citizens in the hinterlands at a town meeting a couple of years ago that all wiretapping indulged in by the administration required(and had) federal warrants. But I digress. I'll bet the price of a new snowblower that Sharon infarcted his bowel. This is an emergency that(if not caught and remedied quickly) is invariably fatal. Indeed, it's frequently fatal even when it's caught fairly early in its course.
The point of all this is that it's not Sharon's welfare that hangs in the balance. His personal welfare is moot. It's the welfare of the current Israeli power structure that's on life support.
My thoughts are with Ariel Sharon and his family.
Ankh

Rain sucks!............miscellaneous musings

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience." Susan St. James

The administration's(and in particular, Rumsfeld's) vilification of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is eerily reminiscent of their prewar treatment of Saddam Hussein. Will we finally withdraw from Iraq only to turn our bellicose attention to Venezuela? Is Bush's (covert) plan to wean us from our addiction to Middle East oil ultimately a smokescreen for toppling another detractor and seizing his (considerable) oil reserves? I'm only a little more sanguine about our posturing toward Iran. The thought of tactical nukes in the hands of Islamic fundamentalists is terrifying. Hell, look what WE did with them, and we're civilized(no Truman bashing intended).

Mortality was buzzing about my brain at work last night. Not the overt, traumatic kind. The quiet, sucker-punch kind. I'm caring for a late, middle-aged person who, since November has been dealing with a particularly malignant brain tumor. Salt-of-the-earth kind of human. Vital, active, loving, intact family(a rarity in my line of work). This will likely be fatal within a few months. How does one reconcile that? Even from my there-but-for-the-grace-of-God-go-I vantage point, after 20+ years, I can't.

Hook me up Ne'er(or any of you other silent souls),
Ankh

Addendum: How'd we(the U.S. of A.) manage to stay out of the fray over the violently disputed cartoons caricaturing the Prophet Muhammad? I must side with muslims in general on this one. It's no less irresponsible, offensive or wrong than flying the swastika, the rebel colors or any other White Power drivel. It's incitement in the guise of freedom of speech. With freedom comes responsibility.

Local/global

Oi mates!;
As conceived, this blog's intent was to discuss local as well as global politics. We never seem to have anything to say about local stuff, and while I admit I'm much less well versed in local than global matters, I sometimes feel I should be better acquainted with local matters.
Perhaps it's the deniability factor. It's much easier to say "there's nothing I can do about the situation in the Middle East." Because if I whine about my local school board, or the York city stadium issue, there really is something I can do about that. I can easily get involved in local politics. But ya know what?, my limited involvement with politics(YAMBA board and committee involvement at work) has shown me that I'm not good at politics. I tend to say what I think(which is a liability) and when there's more talk than action(when action is needed), I get really frustrated.
Rationalization? Copout? Yeah, perhaps, but there are already too many bad pols.
Additionally, local issues seem so obtuse, so much less important to my life. What effect would the stadium issue have on me? Or the Lauxmont issue? Or whether York city gets its garbage picked up once a week?
Punditry has its detractors too, but it's a lot more fun and a lot less frustrating;^)
Ankh

As ye sow...........................

"Bush said it was "a shameful act" for someone to have leaked details to the media. " (From Yahoo News)

I guess it's a matter of perspective. I view it as a patriotic act. This remark relates to his authorization of wiretapping and other spying activities without oversight or confirmation by any other branch of govenment.

"I am doing what you expect me to do,"...............................(From Yahoo News)

Obviously he wasn't speaking to at least 50% of the American public.............the 50%, or so who DIDN'T vote for him. I count myself in that vast group. I admit to a fatalistic view of how things would play out following his election. I knew in my heart that bad things would happen. Bad things of historic proportions. Sadly, my expectations have been fulfilled. Do his clandestine activities rise to the level of impeachability? If so, what would that mean? America has a history of acting without fully considering the consequences(see: Iraq/Saddam). We're not alone in this geopolitical hubris. No politician or government can grasp the nuanced complexity of the international geopolitical landscape, and yet all try to.
Sorry, I realize this is scattershot. I'm asking a lot of questions and not necessarily rendering coherent opinions. Kind of illustrative of my take on the state of the nation at this juncture.
Ankh

Minority Report

Excellent previous post Ne'er. Welcome back and congrats for having survived the gauntlet. What was your favorite beer?
I trust we've all seen the eponymous movie and remember the premise. It is my opinion that the U.S. Government currently operates under those same principles vis-a-vis terrorists and terrorism. These pre-emptive operating principles are at legal and ethical odds with the precepts on which this country was founded.
With a few notable exceptions, European governments are much more mature in their handling of situations involving terrorists and terrorism. I believe that terrorist entities, be they dictatorial governments or individuals must be allowed to declare themselves to some demonstrable degree before we bring force to bear. Would I be willing to place myself or my loved ones in harm's way for this cause?..................................That's a qualified "NO". No, but I accept and can live with a degree of unpredictability in life. In a war with no boundaries, we are all combatants. If we are willing, as a country to countenance our young men and women being IED fodder, then we should, by extension be willing to risk domestic violence in order to allow our enemies to declare themselves. We had no legitimate casus belli for invading Iraq. The degree to which we are risk averse in this arena is untenable. We want clean wars. Surgical strikes. Ignorable covert ops. These are all basically oxymorons.
Ankh

stuff

Despite my weak grasp of personalities, I just wanted to mention a hilarious interview I saw last(Sleepless in Craley)night. The talk show belongs to the guy who used to play the boss on The Drew Carey Show. He was interviewing Maureen Dowd, the columnist. Brilliant repartee on subjects ranging from Dubya to feminism to male orgasms.
I like Maureen Dowd, but it struck me as I watched her................she's basically Ann(she whose name must not be spoken)Coulter's Democratic mentor.
Are we slow for news and opinions, or is it just the Christmas Rush?
Ankh

Three-peat? I don't think so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry y'all;
I'm a little late with this. Seems Jeb "Florida is your's bro' ;^)" Bush is considering a run for the White House. Thankfully not this next term. Don't have a pulse on how rank and file Republicans feel about the prospect, but they should feel scared............very scared about what their party has to offer them. With a rogue's gallery including Santorum and Frist, and a cheering section manned by Pat Robertson, they look to be in for a rocky ride for the next few years. Can the Dems get their feces compacted and in chronological order enough to capitalize on this opportunity? I despair. Whither go we?
Ankh

The slings and arrows...............observations.

"It's not the large things that send a man to the madhouse, "Charles Bukowski has written. "No, it's the continuing series of small tragedies . . . a shoelace that snaps, with no time left."

I was recently reading a synopsis of a book about Abraham Lincoln's melancholic tendencies and came across the preceding quote. Perfectly encapsulates how life wears us down.
God is in the details.
The Devil is in the details.
Don't sweat the petty stuff.
Pay attention to the details and the big things will take care of themselves.

"The notes, I can play. They are easy. But the spaces between the notes, ah, that's where the artistry resides." Artur Schnabel, pianist/composer.

It's the spaces between life's notes that frequently trip me up. On rare occasions, I handle them with great virtuosity and I cherish those times. But more often than not, I come up empty handed and fulfill the "stupid male" stereotype I hear touted at work all the time by my more harpy-ish female coworkers.
I'm in a rather black frame at the moment. Must..............ride...............bike...........MORE!
Peace, out,
Ankh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is not amused by The Onion, a newspaper that often spoofs the Bush administration, and has asked it to stop using the presidential seal on its Web site.
The seal was still on the Web site www.theonion.com on Tuesday at the spot where
President George W. Bush's weekly radio address is parodied.
With headlines like "Bush To Appoint Someone To Be In Charge Of Country" and "Bush Subconsciously Sizes Up Spain For Invasion," The Onion is popular with readers looking for a little laughter with their politics.
White House spokesman Trent Duffy said people who work in the executive mansion do have a sense of humor, but not when it comes to breaking regulations.
"When any official sign or seal is being used inappropriately the party is notified," Duffy said.
"You cannot pick and choose where to enforce that rule. It's important that the seal or any White House insignia not be used inappropriately," he said.
Duffy said while he does not personally read The Onion, he admitted knowing others in the White House who do. "Like everyone else, we like a good laugh."
Scott Dikkers, editor-in-chief of the satirical newspaper, said its lawyer disagrees with the White House assessment.
"I've been seeing the presidential seal used in comedy programs most of my life and to my knowledge none of them have been asked not to use it by the White House," Dikkers said.
"I would advise them to look for that other guy Osama (bin Laden) ... rather than comedians. I don't think we pose much of a threat," Dikkers said.

Hey all;
The last line says it all. I'm gonna be decidedly impolitic.......................FUCK 'EM IF THEY CAN'T TAKE A JOKE! When did the White House insignia become a sacred object? Can you say, First Amendment?!
Ankh

Winning Powerball Family in Seclusion

Sounds like the guy has his head screwed on straight. If my wife and I woulda won? mmmmm, it would really be hard not to go apeshit on buying a few bikes and electronic doo-dads. Other then that, I'd have fun making sure all my relatives were taken care of.