It Figures

The Coast Guard has ships that were retrofitted so badly that they became unseaworthy and now the Marine Corps are asking for extra armor on the new vehicles that are supposed to protect them from roadside bombs, but don't. Why am I not more surprised? Have I become so used to the lying, to the incompetence, to the cronyism, to the "they really don't give a flying **** about the troops attitude"; that to find out that the "new and improved" military vehicle is incapable of stopping the IEDs used by the insurgents, is just another everyday example of the supreme stupidity that is the debacle known as Operation Iraqi Freedom?

Two and a half years ago, Donald Rumsfeld uttered the famous line of:

"As you know, you go to war with the Army you have. They're not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time."

He added: "If you think about it, you can have all the armor in the world on a tank and a tank can be blown up."

Whatever. Did a part of me really expect that after all this time, money, and wasted lives, that things would be different? That the military would have everything it needs because we support the troops with something besides bumper stickers and yellow ribbon magnets? Foolish me, because it turns out that this was just another ploy, another way for somebody who doesn't have our troops best interests at heart, to make money for money's sake. Seriously, if the title of your vehicle contains words like "Mine Resistant Ambush Protected", don't you think they should be able to protect against mines, plus just a little bit more? And without having to tack on extra armor? I thought we already did that and it wasn't all that successful.

What the heck is wrong with the people in charge, are they totally incapable of planning for any future besides a paradise (oops, shouldn't use that word since it seems to have come from the Persian language) that doesn't exist? Do they think the insurgents are so stupid that they wouldn't think of improvements themselves? And what the heck does "developing countermeasures" mean? Please tell me, I want to be prepared when they don't work.

Who would think that Operation Urgent Fury (the invasion of Grenada) would stand out as one of the most successful enterprises in the last fifty years of the world's largest and supposedly best financed military.

3Bs

Divorced From Reality

How unfortunate. The only positive thing to be said about this story, is that at least he wasn't shooting to kill. I hope.

Whoop de-do. So Fred Thompson is going to run for president. Thank goodness, now maybe we can have a new D.A. on Law & Order and I can start watching it again. While I believe that it was the passing of Jerry Orbach that started the decline of the show, Thompson is what ruined it for me.

I use a laptop exclusively and I like to have as much screen real estate as possible, so I don't have any extra toolbars (other than Stumbleupon) installed on Firefox. Seems that's a good thing. How many search boxes do people need?

I'm confused. Is Andrew Sullivan conservative or liberal? It's hard to tell nowadays. Of course torture doesn't work. Cracks me up. For years we have watched successful interrogations on tv cop shows and thought nothing of it. Then along comes 24 and now torture is an acceptable means of extracting information from the enemy even though it never works on the hero. People can believe that Jack Bauer can resist torture for two years in a Chinese prison but that a terrorist is going to tell the truth in minutes because of some clumsy torture tactics. What kind of fairy tale world is everybody living in? It's no accident that Heroes is a hit. I swear that I didn't see this article by Juan Cole in Salon, where he comes to the same conclusion but with links, before writing that last statement.

Tuesday's Oddities

Undiscovered elephants, how cool is that? It makes me happy to think that after all this time, all of the exploration, not to mention the satellite equipment, and these elephants have been there for years. Will they be left alone? Highly doubtful because you know there is someone who thinks they need to make a buck more than these elephants need to live.

I love new ideas and anything to do with progress towards getting us out into space and headed to explore other planets, as long as it isn't to perpetuate war, I'm all for. Liquid mirrors on the moon, but some of the details need to be worked out. Like how it's going to get there. I find it hard to believe that almost forty years after reaching the moon, we're back in the same position, still trying to get there. By contrast, in the forty years after Columbus made his infamous voyage, Europeans had conquered the Incans, the Mayans and were starting in on the American Indians. The globe had been circumnavigated from west to east and trade routes were set up between China, the Americas and Europe. All this technology and we are making slower progress than in the days of paper and quill.

Well, now you have six months to meet your new coworkers, pry into their personal business and determine if the company you work for is discriminating against you. Does anybody think that if this case had concerned a white male in the same position (like that would ever happen), that the decision would have been in favor of the the company? Not likely.

My dad died on the Fourth of July and to this day I find it difficult to watch everybody celebrate, now eight other families will be forced to remember their loved ones on a national holiday. Except that this one celebrates the sacrifices of those lost in the stupidity of war.

Watched Holes the other night, what an enjoyable movie. It had been in the Netflix queue for the better part of two years, and now that the summer season has started the queue should empty a little faster.

Herbal Scare Number...

Whenever I see an article about herbal supplements, I can always tell what's coming and it isn't good. Once again in trying to prop up western pharmaceuticals which have a long and rich history of harming the patient, they bring up ephedra. For the last time, it is NOT a Chinese weight loss herb, it is an herb that is always used in conjunction with several others (to mitigate its effects) and it is primarily used to help move water from the lungs. That usually means breathing difficulties caused by colds or asthma. Period. The fact that others have taken its water moving ability as a diet drug is NOT Chinese medicine's fault.

For that matter, gingko biloba is toxic and we recommend that it not be used for longer than six weeks. The only traditional formula that it appears regularly in, is for asthma, not memory enhancement. It is very rare that we prescribe a single herb, tailored formulas are much more effective. Asking one's doctor for advice about herbs is foolish. They have no training (just like in nutrition) in herbology so their only response has to be negative. In California only Licensed Acupuncturists have been tested and certified by the state. Stay out of those super vitamin stores with the untrained but arrogant sales people.

I pretty much quit prescribing herbs because I got tired of repeating myself. Patients would come in with a list of as many as 27 different drugs that their doctor had given them, but they had never talked with the pharmacist. The doctor, in most cases, only knows what the pharmaceutical rep tells him (at least according to my brother, a former rep for two very large pharmaceutical corporations), whereas the pharmacist is required to know about all the drugs they dispense. And their interactions.

When in doubt ask a pharmacist that you trust, they don't just push pills into little bottles. You are filling your prescriptions at only one pharmacy aren't you?

Random Flickr Blogging 2506

IMG_2506, originally uploaded by weerasak.

Explained.

A Picture Is Worth A 1000 Words

How many times have you heard that? It sounds so abstract until you see an image that takes your breath away. They can be happy images, capturing valuable moments in time with one's friends and family or they can be those images never that are seared into the brain, never to be forgotten. In my lifetime there have been more than a few of those. I will never forget JFK's funeral procession or how lonely Jackie looked, a feature that seemed to haunt her through the years.

The Vietnam war brought several disturbing images to the American dinner table. Who could forget the execution photo or a little napalm in the morning? Understanding of the horror of war was brought about in an instant.

Then there are the images that need no words at all. Our national psyche was scarred by a tragedy that was replayed for weeks on end, until nothing else existed but pain and anger with an unthinking need for revenge. It didn't matter who, as long as somebody paid the ultimate price.

As the Iraq war grinds on and more Americans lose their lives in a country on the far side of the globe, one wonders why with all the technology that we have why there aren't more images to convey the devastation that occurs on a daily basis. Is it because if the citizenry saw the true horror that has accompanied our invasion of a country that hadn't harmed us, we might turn against the war? Well have no fear, you don't have to worry about any images from Iraq compelling you to empathize or have compassion for those killed and injured in Iraq. Not unless the injured soldiers have given their consent first.

They make it sound good, using the excuse that the families of the victims don't need to see their loved ones last moments splattered all over the media, but in reality it is to prevent that one image that would solidify support against the war. Last night, 60 Minutes did a one hour special on the Iowa National Guard and showed one of the fallen coming home in a box. I found watching the coffin being offloaded from the plane to be one of the saddest images from this sorry debacle that is called the "war on terror". Which is one of the reasons why the Bush administration has done its best to prevent those images from being shown on the nightly news.

Today is Memorial Day, a day in which we honor our dead, which now includes an additional 1000 of our military added to the ranks of the fallen since this time last year. As a nation did we gain anything in this past year or did we lose a 1000 troops and millions of dollars for nothing? Is the return going to be worth the sacrifice? I sincerely doubt it.

My question for today is the same one I've been asking for the last six years. What about that Osama been Forgotten guy? If we are going to sacrifice our military, its equipment, millions of dollars, and our good standing in the world, couldn't we at least find the guy that kick started the hijacking of our national identity? Even if he's hiding? It could make next Memorial Day something worth celebrating.

Blame The Victim

It's official. Whenever possible the strategy is to blame the victim and then deny all responsibility for causing the mayhem in the first place. Whether it's the new spate of rape cases that are being dismissed for "lack of evidence" despite witnesses, or those people who were too poor or didn't have the means to leave New Orleans so they deserved to be treated less than animals (America's heart and help went out to the abandoned pets) or to the Iraqis who can't live safely in their own country and "allowed" the sectarian violence to mushroom out of control instead of taking control of their own county, the solution is to blame the victim. According to the administration and the neocons view of the world, they have done everything right so therefore it isn't the plan that's the problem, it's the people who don't react as the crew without a clue envisioned. Or as Frank Rich (behind the paywall) points out with this quote from one of the architects of the Iraq debacle.

How we feel about these Iraqis was made naked by one of the administration’s most fervent hawks, the former United Nations ambassador John Bolton, speaking to The Times Magazine this month. He claimed that the Iraqi refugee problem had “absolutely nothing to do” with Saddam’s overthrow: “Our obligation was to give them new institutions and provide security. We have fulfilled that obligation. I don’t think we have an obligation to compensate for the hardships of war.”

That was more than obvious after the Walter Reed scandal hit the news and was replaced with the current blond bimbo story.

Nobody could have foreseen; stuff happens; mission accomplished; purple fingers, etc. What a crock! Of course it was foreseen that the country would deteriorate into sectarian violence, just not by anyone that mattered to the delusional idiot controlling knowledge. Heretofore to be referred to as Dick, for short. How fortuitous, there's already somebody by that name who calls the shots, at least when he isn't busy shooting friends in the face.

Stuff happens all the time and if it happens to the crew without a clue or something they consider valuable, we will get martial law sooner rather than later. Mission accomplished? Why yes it was. That is if your mission was to destroy the military, hamstring the National Guard, devastate the Reserves and set most of the world against us. Purple fingers? Oh yeah, but now it's the middle one, pointed straight up and covered with the blood of their children.

The crew without a clue has actively destroyed a sovereign nation, passively destroyed a domestic city and are heck bent on restricting the rights and freedoms of Americans in the name of "security". But that doesn't matter because Lindsay Lohan is in trouble with the law!

BBB

Stating The Obvious

When I first started reading this article I thought "what a barking moonbat" as if I'm not one myself. Once you get past the beginning she makes a lot of sense and she has the background to back up her assertions. Blood for oil, now where have I heard that before?

Ever since September 11 I have been fascinated by the lack of imagination in the Pentagon and the Defense Department. Everybody was so stunned that they had to call Tom Clancy for help. Too bad they didn't read a little Patrick Robinson along the way, then China might not be such a surprise. Yes, while we have been busy getting bogged down in Iraqnam, the Dragon has been busily at work building her economy ...and her military. While Bush, Cheney and the rest of the crew without a clue mistakenly pride themselves on the extremely mythical defense of our country, the rest of the world has actually been bolstering their defenses, not wasting them in a massive clustermuck that can't possibly have a positive outcome.

Does anybody actually believe that Bush has any intention of bringing the troops home during his reign? The NY Times is printing what the White House wants to see. Again. Survey says, whatever the surveyor wants. The only way those troop numbers are coming down is because of an increase of the dead and injured. Sigh. Are we ever going to have true investigative journalism again? Or does the press only investigate sex stories?

Supporting The Troops, Not!

Many words came to mind when I started reading this article over at CNN, none of which are normally printed in my blog although I use them quite liberally in person. After five years at war with a formerly inferior enemy (we've been giving them on the job training) and formerly having been touted as the best military in the world, our Marines cannot get the equipment and supplies they request in a timely manner.

Besides the fact that five years after WWII was started, it was over, we managed to produce scores of planes, ships, tanks, rifles, ammunition and anything else the military needed in an extremely timely basis by relatively unskilled workers. Now with our much vaunted technology Marines can't even get requests approved that a third grader playing G.I. Joe considers to be standard fighting equipment. And they can't let the brass know because the news is so bad. Who's running this third world operation? Bizarro?

Of more than 100 requests from deployed Marine units between February 2006 and February 2007, less than 10 percent have been fulfilled, the document says. It blamed the bureaucracy and a "risk-averse" approach by acquisition officials.

Among the items held up were a mine-resistant vehicle and a hand-held laser system.

"Process worship cripples operating forces," according to the document. "Civilian middle management lacks technical and operational currency."

The 32-page document -- labeled "For Official Use Only" -- was prepared by the staff of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force after they returned from Iraq in February.

The document was to be presented in March to senior officials in the Pentagon's defense research and engineering office. The presentation was canceled by Marine Corps leaders because its contents were deemed too contentious, according to a defense official familiar with the document. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss it publicly.

Why is everybody so afraid of the truth? So, can someone please tell me what the Iraq funding bill actually covers? Support the troops, my derriere. This is almost unbelievable until you remember who's in charge, then you wonder what else is going to leak into the light and hope that it doesn't cost any more lives. Even though you know it has.

No Confidence

Nobody except Bush is confident in Gonzales, why wait until mid-June to vote on the matter? A straight up and down vote shouldn't take that much time, but then I forget who's in charge. For some reason Congress can get together and pass useless resolutions (Terri Schiavo) at the drop of a hat, the president could fly back from vacation to sign said useless resolution but the Dems can't get a no confidence vote before June. Can you guess who I have no confidence in?

And I thought I was mad about the Democratic cave-in.

What keeps killing me is that the way around this is so EASY. Just be the people we elected you to be. Be obstinate. Be unreasonable. Be good goddamn right for once in your miserable lives because this is a time when you're either right or you lose your fucking soul. Be steadfast. Be the people we elected you to be. Good God, it can't be that hard. I can think of a thousand jobs in the world that are harder than following your conscience and the dictates of your office, and most of them involve walking point in various hellholes in and around Iraq, and if those people can get up every day and do their jobs where they are, there's no reason you can't do your jobs and bring them home.

Schmucks.

A bunch of freakin' crybabies. I hope they aren't planning to lead by example. They have not a clue as to how to play politics and stand up for their beliefs at the same time which leads me to wonder if they have any beliefs other than being reelected. In which case most of them will be looking for a new line of work come 2008. As many have pointed out before me, no cojones.

Hindsight is always 20/20. All the time, money, effort, the lives lost and ruined in the foolish pursuit of ...what is this week's justification for the debacle? Whatever it is, it isn't worth one more life. Schmucks is such a kind word to describe our current "leaders".

Betrayal Of Trust

From the must be kidding department, emoticons as jewelry. $275 each, complete with sapphires. I'm a geek, but lets get real.

As the old saying goes; money talks, bullshit walks (yes, I know I cussed, I apologize). And this was as pure and unadulterated as they come. And people wonder why more women don't report rape. This wasn't the Duke case and the DA can be at peace with her decision all she wants but this was a complete travesty of justice and a betrayal of the public trust. If she thinks her department needs to better educate the public about the law, then I guess she should start with her own sheriff. What a load of crap. She'll be lucky if gets to finish her term.

As NASA ramps down, China is ramping up. Besides energizing their own space program they are helping third world companies to enter the digital age, which will give them allies for the future. Our days of smug superiority are over but that message hasn't penetrated into the perceptions of the crew without a clue and their enablers.

The war funding bill should have been sent back time after time, let Bush keep vetoing it instead of caving in and doing what he wants which is directly opposite of the people's wants and let him deal with the fallout. Instead, once again, the Democrats blinked. The American people would have supported Congress over the President but once again, there has been a betrayal of the public trust. This one is going to cost innocent lives and in the end, the troops are still going to come home because we aren't really making a positive difference nor are we containing the violence. As if anyone in charge really cares about the civilians. Or the troops.

Makes Me Wanna Holler

In the someone had a sense of humor in the title department, we have study proves virgin birth in sharks. Since I believe in God but don't believe in organized religion, I won't make any more fun of the title than is obvious.

So, even though the majority of the country wants us out of Iraq, the Democrats (my rating is D) folded like a drunken bluffer on the timeline issue, which leads me to ask several questions.

1. What are these guys being blackmailed with? For the last six years whenever it has been an important issue, there is a lot of posturing and chest beating or someone will be held to accountability and then the whimpering freakin' fold.
2. Who is representing the people of the United States? I see no evidence of representation of the majority view, unless you count dollars as the majority.
3. How much longer can the United States continue as an example of the democratic process? It's been a long time since it has worked in the people's favor.
4. Where is the outrage from the American people? It's our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness that is at stake. It may not be glaringly obvious, but this is the true heart of the matter.
5. When will the media return to investigative journalism instead of repeating what they are told, as if it were true?
6. Why are only a few of us asking these questions and why are we regarded as fringe, treasonous or lunatics?

Nothing important, I'm just curious since we certainly haven't improved the lives of Iraqi children. Only one in eight making it to their fifth birthday is just one more reprehensible statistic that will be overlooked by both the public and most of the media.

This video is just as true today as it was forty years ago. The lyrics stay the same and with a little imagination or going to another link you can see it with today's pictures, but I like the original.

Tuesday Morning Natterings

I'm back. The birthday was just like all the others, unfortunately. The bright spot was going to Cache Creek with mom and coming back with more money than we started with. Not much, but every little bit helps. My friend L gave me a bike and one of those musical birthday cards. Bad to the bone, even though I am a major Star Wars (where are they now?) fan. As the music was playing, I slowly tried to peak into the card just to see how it worked. He started cracking up, called me a geek and asked me not to disassemble it in front of him. I'm not my brother, I don't disassemble things, I just wanted to see the general idea. It's just a computer board, about an inch and a half long.

Heroes rocked, but this person has issues. Sylar isn't dead, of this I'm pretty sure. Everything else is open to manipulation and contract disputes. I just hope that they don't do a Lost thing and screw up the second season. 30 episodes next year, it's about time that someone realized that there were more weeks that we might enjoy watching new fare.

I was so tired after the weekend that I left my laptop somewhere else and couldn't recover it until last night, so I'm way behind on my reading and by extension, my ranting.

Impeachment and why hasn't it been taken seriously? I don't really care but let's get the show on the road, before it leads to national oblivion.

And on that note, I'm off to buy a helmet.

Aisle Or Window, Chicken Or Pasta?

Thank you, but I would rather have numerous convoy transports and MREs would be considered acceptable dining if the end reward was to bring the troops and the hidden military home from Iraq. For many years camp followers were just that. Followers. Now they are active participants in the debacle that we call Operation Enduring Freedom. Enduring being the operative word because freedom obviously has nothing to do with it.

Nearly 300 companies from the United States and around the world supply workers who are a shadow force in Iraq almost as large as the uniformed military. About 126,000 men and women working for contractors serve alongside about 150,000 American troops, the Pentagon has reported. Never before has the United States gone to war with so many civilians on the battlefield doing jobs — armed guards, military trainers, translators, interrogators, cooks and maintenance workers — once done only by those in uniform.

For a slightly different perspective on the outsourcing, quite a few of those jobs used to be handled by troops of color because they gave you a good chance at having a job that would pay your bills when you got out. Now they are held by civilian contractors who make quite a bit more money doing the same job and don't have to attend formation in the morning. Unfortunately for the contractors, once they are dead or injured, the very government that they were supporting treats them even worse than it treats the troops.

Many contractors in the battle zone say they lack the basic security measures afforded uniformed troops and receive benefits that not only differ from those provided to troops, but also vary by employer. Weekly pay ranges from $60 for Iraqi translators and laborers to $1,800 for truck drivers to as much as $6,000 for private security guards employed by companies like Blackwater. Medical and insurance benefits also vary widely, from excellent to minimal.

Conditions in Iraq are harsh, and many civilians who arrive there, drawn by patriotism, a sense of adventure or the lure of money, are overwhelmed by the environment. If they raise questions about the 12-hour workdays, the lack of armor plating on trucks or the periodic shelling of bases, supervisors often tell them to pack up and go home.

Why have we outsourced jobs to a private security firm for $6000 a week per person (with benefits!), when we supposedly have the best military in the world?

“By keeping the knowledge of this force hidden, it changes one’s perception and one’s evaluation of the war,” Ms. Schakowsky said. “There are almost a thousand dead and a large number of injuries. I think it masks the fact that we are privatizing the military in this country.”

If our troops don't have adequate armor or protection from IEDs or snipers, why the heck is a civilian contractor with even less protection traveling through a war zone on a daily basis to deliver ammunition? And then when they are killed or injured, we can't disavow all knowledge fast enough.

Army Lt. Col. Joseph M. Yoswa, a spokesman for the military in Iraq, said in an e-mail statement, “the responsibilities for tracking deaths, injuries, locations and any other essential requirements lie with the contractor. Unless there is something specifically stated in the contract about accounting for personnel, there is no requirement for the U.S. government to track these numbers.”

How can anyone not be surprised by this? For the last six years it has been someone else's responsibility for absolutely anything that goes wrong so why should this situation be any different?

American military casualties in Iraq have mounted to almost 3,400 dead. The new contractor statistics suggest that for every four American soldiers or marines who die in Iraq, a contractor is killed.

Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican who pushed for the buildup of military forces in Iraq, said the contractor casualties were a symptom of a larger failure to send enough troops earlier to provide security throughout Iraq.

“We’re now putting these people in danger that I never thought they’d be under because we cannot secure the country,” he said.

Of course you didn't think. Nobody did. Therein lies the problem. Instead of thinking, everyone experienced a kneejerk emotional reaction and continue to be trapped in a loop of fear six years later. Meanwhile, the rest of the world shakes its collective head at our ongoing stupidity because it is pretty obvious that we need a national anger management class. We continue to make the same mistakes over and over again, might makes right is our battle cry and boy do we love to battle. As long as it's far away and doesn't affect our standard of living or anybody we know.

Ron Paul was right when he talked about blowback but the American people, aided by an ineffectual Fourth Estate that is easily distracted by the latest floozy escapade, prefer to play the part of the injured party, never caring how many others they injure in the process because they are so sure that they are right and that everyone else is wrong.

As Americans, we believe in forgiving and forgetting, and are terrible at understanding how history affects us today. We are arrogant in not recognizing that when we benefit, someone else may suffer. That will lead to resentment and anger, and if suppressed, will boil over one day.

Before we invaded Iraq I had this patient (royalty) from Saudi Arabia who was explaining why he thought the invasion would not work and he was tossing around words like Wahhabi, Sunni, Shia and Baathists. I remember thinking, what the heck is he talking about? But then why should I be surprised since our schoolkids can't even get a passing score on our own history and we all know that nothing else has ever happened in the world except as it pertains to us. History does repeat itself, sometimes it's obvious, sometimes it's not.

Okay now that I've vented my spleen, let me get back to the birthday already in progress.

Crossposted at Big Brass Blog and If I Ran The Zoo.

Yes, The Rumours Are True

Tomorrow is my birthday. The big 51. I'm going to get my nails done, play in the garden (I'll wear gloves), get a haircut and go out for sushi. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? I'm also sending off the check for my acupuncture license and may try one more time to be a businesswoman instead of a drone.

I'm going to take off and try to enjoy myself since I doubt that anything momentous is going to happen, Bush is never going to support the troops and with every action or inaction he proves this. Now he doesn't want the troops to receive decent raises or for civilians to be compensated if they die working for the military in a war zone. He is such a jack***. Unnecessary my ass. Actually my ass is unnecessary and so is the current resident of the White House. What a lying sack of crap he is. I'd like him impeached, just as a birthday present to me.

Speaking of Jack, why do Republicans think that this one tv show and its morally compromised hero has all the answers? They don't like anything else about tv, but Jack Bauer is someone to be emulated? Are you kidding? He's an emotional trainwreck wrapped up as a secret agent with an urge to kill first and deal with the consequences later. But then, that's the appeal isn't it? Wankers.

Well duh! Of course it's all about sex and not talent. Which goes a long way towards explaining the death of the music business. I buy music because it sounds good, if I want to look at something, I watch tv or go to the movies. Sheesh.

I could have sworn that the new Die Hard movie was supposed to come out this weekend, I see it's been delayed for a month which is a bummer because I could use a good dose of wisecracking from a character that doesn't take himself seriously. I don't want to see Shrek or Spidey, I wanted John Mcclane. Well I'm off, but you already knew that. I might check in later and see if the world is still going to hell in a handbasket. Boy would I like to be surprised but it doesn't look good.

Hey Blogger is saving our drafts automatically. Several lost posts too late, but better late than never.

Thursday Morning Nibbles

The never right wing should be having apoplectic fits right about now, since what they really want is to build huge walls around the US and deport anyone who can't prove that they have European ancestors and this plan doesn't take those wishes into account. A $5000 fine? How in the heck are they going to get that kind of money plucking chickens or picking lettuce? Supposedly this deal will emphasize that we want educated people to become Americans. The proof will be in how it is administered and given the current climate of ineptitude and partisan politics, this will fail right along with everything else that has been attempted in the last few years.

When I informed my doctor that I was only doing one puff a day of my inhaled corticosteroid, he had a fit and started lecturing me about how dangerous it was. I told him that one puff was working for me, I did it consistently and haven't had an episode in years, other than the ibuprofen induced one. He shakes his head and acts like I'm a goofball every time he refills the prescription. I wonder if I should send him this article.

Now I have absolutely no reason to watch the CW. It was bad enough when they made the stupid move of canceling Everwood and keeping 7th Heaven, but now that Veronica Mars is gone there is no reason to even include the channel in my faves. Oops, too bad.

Fundamentally flawed. Now there's an understatement. Since the assassination took place in Texas one shouldn't expect a thorough investigation. According to conventional wisdom the perpetrator got what he deserved and that should be the end of it because the truth as opposed to the propaganda should never be revealed. I hope I'm still alive when the truth is finally revealed. Please.

Fluff and Scandals

If you ever get convicted of a crime, have your lawyer remember to point out that you showed up for your court date and you should get your sentence slashed in half for good behavior. Why not, it worked for Paris. This is an absolute travesty of justice. If she was black, she would have had to stay in jail until her court appearance and then she would go straight from court to jail to start serving her sentence. It must be nice to be so privileged, in my next life I'm going to try and come back as blond, rich and dumb. No wonder people think that American women have loose morals, between Paris and Anna Nicole...

And the sense of entitlement continues. Paul Wolfowitz wants to cleared of wrongdoing before he quits. BFD. Fire his lying and thieving personage, smack him with a million dollars in fines and, oh wait, I forgot that these people don't have to pay for their mistakes. Who cares if the Bush administration is unhappy with the World Bank? Why is everybody so interested in compromising with people who have no intention of compromising with them? Why can't they impose sanctions on the US until we start to follow the rules? We do it to other countries and on less provocation.

It isn't in the best interests of the current leadership of this country to have people understand history and civics. The less the populace knows, the less likely the crew without a clue is to be charged with high crimes and misdemeanors of the non-blowjob variety. Which explains why people are so happy about the marginal gains on the history test, since the majority are still flunking. Or at least that was what less than 70 percent was considered when I was in school.

As further evidence that we are being "governed" by clowns in search of a crown, the continuing saga of FiringGate continues to expand. It seems that 26 out of 93, approximately 1 in 4, were considered for firing. For no reason whatsoever. It didn't matter if they were GOP donors or had an excellent prosecutorial record, they could end of up on one of the many lists being circulated. Everyone seemed to have their own agenda, nobody really cared about the nation they were supposed to be serving. So, my question is this. Does this administration do any real work or is it all pomp and circumstance? If they had spent this much time and effort investigating the Middle East, our troops wouldn't be in the mess they are in now and the White House might have had enough time left over to try and repair the city of New Orleans.

In Pain And On Drugs II

Exactly why is this news? Especially now. The NY Times reported this a year and a half ago, and I blogged on it New Years Eve, 2005. Nothing much has changed. At least not as long as you disregard the loss of freedoms for the American people and overlook the bald faced lying of the Bush administration. The kind of lying that your father used to tan your hide for as your mother looked on with that sad expression that let you know just how disappointed your parents were in you. I guess if you're rich, privileged, and your parents have better things to do than ensure that you grow up with morals, the nanny from another country supposedly teaches you the difference between right and wrong. Or that a person in a hospital sick bed shouldn't be disturbed.

Society's Current Mantra

It's not my fault, nobody could have foreseen, I'm special, I thought someone else was responsible, and my personal favorite, I didn't know. Of course the White House is defending Wolfowitz, they have a history of defending the incompetent and their transgressions, otherwise known as malfeasance. The founding members of the crew without a clue believe in the first, but not the last, part of that old prayer, "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." It never ceases to fascinate me how they pick and choose what parts of the Bible they choose to follow. You can forget the "love thy neighbor" stuff, unless the neighbor has something the current rulers desire. Like their sons, property or the right to privacy.

When Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death forty years ago while thirty eight people watched from their windows and did absolutely nothing else, that was a glaring example of the bystander effect, which unfortunately keeps being repeated. Both the crimes and the watching. How anyone could stand around and watch a 91 year old man be beaten and carjacked, I will never understand. Low in class, low in spirit, low in life. Indeed. And the comments! Shameful, just shameful.

This "woman" needs a good dose of reality. Fear of incarceration is supposed to make you obey the law, not avoid the penalty for bad behavior. She must think she is a member of the privileged Bush socioeconomic class, you know the ones. They do the crime but not the time.

Perhaps teaching objective, critical thinking in grade school would be of more benefit than teaching a core curriculum to teenagers with an attitude. Instead of labeling a child as having attention deficit disorder every time they ask why, maybe educators should answer the questions instead of insisting on medication to make the kids easier to handle in school. Children's brains are malleable and open to learning new things, teenagers as we all know, know everything. Except how to read, write, add and subtract at a level that will enable them to successfully complete college and understand what they have learned. But keep forcing that standardized testing thing, it hasn't worked very well so the solution must be to increase the standardization and produce little robots that spout information they don't understand. It's fascinating how people who went to school in the sixties have screwed up the school system. I hated essay tests too, but at least it forced me to think. Oops, I guess they don't want that. Can you imagine how many drugs they would give to Robin Williams if he was in third grade right now? No wonder comedians have resorted to the "F" word in an attempt to be funny. It's hard to make associations unless you can pick one from column A and one from column C.

Kaboom!

Rocked! It really rocked! OMG! The coldest I have been for five hours and I thought I was prepared with my two hats, blanket and heavy coat, but I was mistaken. The wind was whipping over the pier and people were shivering, except for a few people wearing shorts and tank tops until it got dark, I believe they had chemical help in withstanding the cold. The crowd warmed up as soon as the tortillas came out and we started playing tortilla frisbee, that was fun. Pretty soon there were enough seagulls flying around that an old Hitchcock movie was mentioned more than once. What a great idea to get the crowd energized.

Ozomatli was fantastic, I recognized more songs by Guster than I thought I would and Kenny Wayne Shepherd played all of his old stuff, nothing from his newest album. Then there were the fireworks. Set against a crystal clear backdrop it was an organized cacophony of light, color and sound. The shiny happy faces were back and they were in color. Luxuriant, spectacular, eye-popping and jaw-dropping color. And the rest of the performance was nothing to sneeze at. Lots of oohs, awws and holy *** were heard on a frequent basis. Also heard on the way out, "those were the best fireworks I have every seen!" Every year they get better and better. What a great way to start my birthday week.

Thanks, KFOG! I'm sorry I complained about the ticket price, the fireworks alone were worth the price of admission.

Now if I could just find the recipe for the spicy garlic fries. Those were beyond good.

No Ice Cubes, No Fresh Milk

You would have to be either a blind optimist or a card carrying member of the crew without a clue not to have seen this coming. Every day millions of dollars in oil are missing, totally unaccounted for. Unless you count graft, corruption, smuggling and outright theft among the probable culprits. There is a small possibility that Iraqis either miscounted or overestimated, but that wouldn't fit in with the history of the country as much as the previous options. Either way it isn't good and just like everything else we hear from Iraq, it's just the tip of the iceberg.

The report also contains the most comprehensive assessment yet of the billions of dollars the United States and Iraq spent on rebuilding the oil and electricity infrastructure, which is falling further and further behind its performance goals.

Adding together both civilian and military financing, the report concludes that the United States has spent $5.1 billion of the $7.4 billion in American taxpayer money set aside to rebuild the Iraqi electricity and oil sectors. The United States has also spent $3.8 billion of Iraqi money on those sectors, the report says.

Despite those enormous expenditures, the performance is far short of official goals, and in some cases seems to be declining further. The average output of Iraq’s national electricity grid in 2006, for example, was 4,300 megawatts, about equal to its value before the 2003 invasion. By February of this year, the figure had fallen still further, to 3,800 megawatts, the report says.

All of those figures are far short of the longstanding American goal for Iraq: 6,000 megawatts. Even more dispiriting for Iraqis, by February the grid provided power for an average of only 5.1 hours a day in Baghdad and 8.6 hours nationwide. Both of those figures are also down from last year.

Isn't it nice how we've improved the quality of the Iraqi's lives? They must be so appreciative of all the time, effort, manpower, and most of all, money that the American taxpayer has been unwillingly contributing. And just like here in America, all that wealth isn't spread evenly among the people. Kind of like a pyramid scheme. A really bad one.

Can't Stop Laughing

We're all going to die. Not that cancer is a funny subject, but there are so many things wrong with this article I barely know where to start. Oral sex can cause mouth cancer. But wait, it gets better. Mainly in men. No more eating at the garden of earthly delights, but the hot dog bar is okay. Neither men nor women should graze at more than six salad bars in a lifetime.

In his practice, Haddad has seen an increase in the number of younger people developing this cancer, people in their 30s and 40s. He attributes it in part to a "change in sexual behavior over the last decade." He says: "The idea that oral sex is risk-free is not correct. It comes with significant risks, and developing cancer is one of them.

Way back in the first Dark Ages, one of the Popes was traveling through France and gave a sermon about deviating from the traditional position and that the use of pillows was not sanctioned. The next day every pillow for sale was gone and there was a run on feathers. The Puritans keep trying to prevent normal human behavior. And failing.

As if men needed any more reasons to say, without a trace of shame or irony, tis better to give than receive.

Delusional In Abu Dhabi

With what army? Five minutes after we start with our "discipline", we'll be in a position even worse than Iraq, but since Cheney believes in flowers in the streets and being greeted as liberators, throwing out impotent threats has become second nature. Reality is so far removed from his perception that Duck! might as well be on Pluto. I wish.

His speech to American service members on board the carrier also seemed intended to reassure them that a strong American presence would be maintained in the region for some time.

“I want you to know that the American people will not support a policy of retreat,” Mr. Cheney said. “We want to complete the mission, we want to get it done right, and then we want to return home with honor.”

Blah, blah, bluster and bushit. What planet did I say he was on? Must be drugs there too. You can want us to know lots of things, but the American people want the troops home. It isn't retreat and we DO NOT WANT TO MAINTAIN a strong American presence in the area for some time. But who cares what the citizens want, it's all about the delusions of grandeur and infallibility, freedom and democracy. For the neocons, that diminishing sect of our society, who are suffering from too much inbreeding.

Ah yes, I see how well we brought freedom and democracy to Iraq, no wonder we want to bring to Iran. Could you see grandmothers in American jails raising their grandkids in jail because the rest of the family was killed by the violence we created and allow to proliferate? I don't think so. Why is it that Paris Hilton thinks she deserves special treatment because she repeatedly breaks the law and these poor women can't even get representation? She should have to do her 45 days in an Iraqi prison, maybe that would give her a little compassion. She's one tough bimbo, it might take longer than 45 days.

Shakedown Street

How many more times must this scene be repeated before the crew without a clue, gets a clue? How much longer can this go on? When will people stop playing politics with these kids lives and do what the American people want? We want our troops home. Now. This ridiculous posturing on both sides of the aisle is wasting our troops lives and will accomplish nothing in the long run. The short run isn't looking too good either. We are going to leave Iraq, the only questions are when and who will be the last person to die for this mistake. Can't say man anymore, 71 women have lost their lives in this foolish pursuit of nothing.

Technology is a wonderful thing and I love to use as much of it as I can afford. Mark Morford feels the same way but he can obviously afford more because he obviously has a nice car. A very nice car.

No wonder our political system is so messed up. Too much worrying about the lobbyists and their money, not enough worrying about what their constituents want. Too much what's good for the party and no what's good for the people of the country. Maybe the people lost faith in your leadership because it was pretty obvious that the NRCC doesn't care about the average American. Unless they spend $2,500 a ticket.

CBS fires Retired General John Batiste for doing an ad for VoteVets. You know,, one of those things that speaks the truth, so off with his talking head.

All last year they tested my thyroid. First it was too fast, then it was too slow, and now supposedly it's just right. As if I'm Goldilocks or something. I've been much more tired lately, slightly queasy and have gained weight despite cutting calories and increasing physical activity. I actually fell asleep, sitting up and in the middle of the day. Definitely not normal. I think I'll have them check me again. Now, if only the writer of this article had bothered to tell us what the new test was. Getting old is not pleasant, but infinitely better than the alternative.

Thursday's Irritants

Someone from FEMA blipped in to check my site and ended up here. I wonder what mischief Gretchen Hamel is up to now.

The Army is requesting Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, finally. What took so long, did Halliburton or KBR suddenly acquire a new company and another no-bid contract?

Firewalking. Not for me. I don't care if it's mind over matter or the sweat effect, after stepping on that barbecue coal and suffering a third degree burn to my two outer toes I can think of more pleasant things to do. My toe sings to me every time I move it. It goes something like this. Ooh, ooh, ow, ow, high keening noise, mumbled sobs when it stops throbbing. Then I take another step. If you have ever wondered what the toe next to the little one purpose was, it's to keep your balance.

Gambling with the lottery. Since when has privatization been of benefit to people who didn't own the company?

I'm not feeling well, I think I'll go work in the garden for a few minutes before I go to work. Hopefully there will be some little green shoots from the flowers I planted earlier in the week. Plus, I want to see if I have any more tomatoes.

Why, Why, Why

Why are people still paying attention to this very angry and extremely delusional woman? Ann babbles incoherent venom at the drop of a hat, never letting facts or the truth stand in the way of an outrageous sound bite. or another futile attempt at character assassination. Some people, such as Evan Witt, have a sane response to her, showing that they are the ones capable of critical thinking, as well as a sense of humor.

"As the 2008 election campaign continues to heat up, I am sure that there will be informed and incisive criticisms of polls from many observers," he said. Coulter's comments "do not fit into this category," he added.

Why do some sportswriters in America hate Barry Bonds so much? He's still hitting it out of the ballpark (on a track for 60 home runs this year and he's definitely not doing steroids, knowingly or not), nobody talks about his eight Golden Gloves (which involves catching the ball and getting it to the appropriate person) or his seven MVP awards because they are too busy trying to justify their position and not look at facts. I wonder if people would like him better if he had sucked up to the media or appeared on some stupid reality show? Whatever, the man is playing baseball, not running for office.

Why does Duck! Cheney have to travel outside of the United States unannounced? The Queen can go anywhere. Is it because he is globally, and probably universally, hated by people he's screwed over in the name of corporate profits? Or maybe it's the death and destruction that he caused by his fraudulent warmongering? Or maybe because other people want revenge for the ruin of their lives? Or maybe they are afraid (you bet they are) that someone will decide not to wait for judgment day to be judge, jury and executioner?

Why wasn't this broadcast on the news? Wouldn't you think that it was important that more than half of Iraqi's lawmakers want us to leave? I guess the media really is biased. Just not in the direction that the almost never right says it is.

Why would anyone believe the truth and memory challenged Attorney General after the last few weeks? Let us focus on crime instead of what we did wrong, what a load of boohoo. Dude, what you guys did was a crime and since your department in incapable of investigating itself, Congress is going to do it for you. It should be a gonzo affair. I'd get some popcorn to watch the festivities but I don't want to get popcorn lung disease because another in a long line of federal agencies is incapable of doing its job of protecting the public. So not a surprise. Unfortunately.

Why do Republicans believe that changing the head of the NRCC is going to change the political climate, when it is obvious that most Americans want something completely different? Rahm Emmanuel isn't why the Democrats currently have control of Congress, it's because the average American got fed up with the status quo and decided to vote for change. So far the Republican party has decided to go in the opposite direction, embracing the Iraq war and continuing to destroy our military in the foolish pursuit of salvaging our national reputation while simultaneously lining their pockets with the people's money. Here's a hint. Bring home the National Guard and the Reserves and fix the infrastructure of the United States. Quit worrying about our "moral" health (lately ya'll aren't the party to be talking about that stuff) and take care of the country. Rebuild New Orleans, start fixing some dams before they burst, get the toxins out of the food chain, that kind of thing might be more appreciated by the average voter. As if you care.

WTF?

WTF2! This irresponsible woman makes me ill. What a whiner. It just goes to show that being born into money doesn't give you class. She doesn't enliven my life and that isn't a good reason for a pardon. You did wrong, suck it up and pay the price. Everyone else has to.

Food For Thought

Grover (drown the government in a bathtub) Norquist has his own unique take on how tax cuts are good for the costs of war.

Grover Norquist, a Bush adviser and anti-tax lobbyist, argued that the tax cuts have helped create millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in new wealth, which will ultimately make the debt easier to pay off.

"If you're going to finance a war, it's better to finance it through growth and higher revenue" than through raising taxes, Norquist said. "Would you be better off spending less money? Yes. But my argument is that economic growth that creates jobs is a fine policy whether we're at daggers drawn or at peace with the world."

Millions of jobs? Where, at Burger King?

Did you ever wonder why they used to play musical chairs in grade school? It was excellent practice for adult life lessons. People are beginning to understand that just because you study and get a degree, it doesn't necessarily mean that you will be able make a living at your chosen profession. This used to apply mainly to art, history, music and some science degrees. Not anymore. When I was in acupuncture school I realized (way too late, I had already borrowed enough that the only way to pay it back was to graduate and hope for the best. Silly me.) that it was all about the owners making money, not me making a living after I graduated. Some of my classmates would make fun of the teachers, not realizing that they were at least earning some money teaching what they had learned. I knew better than to fall into the school trap again, so as much as I love to cook, no culinary school for me. Besides, Anthony Bourdain has talked about how he would rather promote the dishwasher than hire someone who had just graduated cooking school.

The Early Girls, Mamma Mia and one Cherokee Purple have little tomatoes on them. It's so exciting. The beets and lettuces are growing spectacularly, bright and leafy. It turns out that this area was formerly swampland, not a toxic waste dump. I planted marigolds and California poppies next to the gate, it should make for a welcoming entrance. I have a shady area I would like to grow a vegetable or fruit in. Any suggestions?

Random Flickr Blogging 3655

Okay, here's the plan.
Cinnamon, Rollin, and this week's red-shirt, martial arts guy, are going to capture Eric (crazier than a loon) Chen directly after his false victory speech and before he meets up with Maxi-Me. Willy will get him out of town using unconventional means and another threat to the security of this nation will be averted. What do you think?

Jim, what the heck did they put in your bottle? You don't expect me to believe you thought all that up yourself. That sounds like an old tv show, are you going to have music too?

Another entrant in the Random Flickr Blogging project.

Links, in order of appearance. Jim, Cinnamon, Rollin, martial arts guy, Eric Chen, Willy and the supposedly impartial observer.

If You Can't Say A Nice Thing

Couldn't resist posting this, it's kind of cute. If you like making fun of George and Laura Bush.

Sinko De Saturday

When Saddam Hussein was in power, these kinds of things didn't happen in Iraq. Stoned in public. Nobody lifted a finger to help save this girl. The quality of life for women has markedly decreased since Bush decided to bring freedom and democracy to the country. Sort of like the United States, which should be a clue to the people of the US, but we since our national perception is such that only a certain type of foreigner should receive respect, this incident won't be considered important. It's just those people. Nobody deserves to die that way and most especially, a seventeen year old girl.

All of a sudden two of Greasemonkey scripts started working in Blogger, they had been out of commission since the Beta switch. Both the Technorati tag and the large post editor scripts are working again, but I don't need the tag one anymore. Hmm, that probably means that the large template editor is working again, now that I'm pretty much done with futzing with the template. It is so nice to use the full screen again.

Canine sizist. That's a good one. While Shai is classified as a toy dog, at twenty-two pounds of solid muscle (the vet said she wouldn't be bigger than 14 pound!) and a don't mess with me attitude because all I want is to get you to pet me, she is not a yapper and doesn't understand why the Rottweiler next door is scared of her. It's pretty funny to watch. everybody else around here has Chihuahas, and they yap just to hear themselves yap. There are two toy poodles on the other side of us, they bark just as much as the yappers. Shai gets irritated by it, voices her opinion and then goes inside where it's quiet. Me loves her.

I hate my cellphone, it just sucks. I got this one in May and used up my rebate. The battery life on standby is really good but heaven forbid I should talk on it. So, I couldn't stand it anymore and decided to get a new one. I can't afford to cancel Verizon and pay three termination fees, I'm pretty much stuck with them. Their phones are ugly, featureless and way too expensive. The first Verizon store I went to, the sales guy didn't even try to sell me a new phone, he was too busy trying to tell me that I would have to pay full price (which I already knew since I had just told him that I had used my rebate on phone I hated) and never asked me what I didn't like about the phone or what I was looking for. I then went to Circuit City and their selection sucked. Plus, the guy didn't know squat about Rev A. I told him I was thinking about upgrading and he says "that is only for the computer." Noo, really? He couldn't answer any of my questions. I just might switch to AT&T and get an iPhone.

Wal-Mart will have nun of that. A security thereat? When people get too big for their britches, they get really paranoid. I guess Wal-mart is afraid that the truth will set someone free. Like their serfsemployees.

Friday Morning Quickie

Too tragic for words. There is no way that anyone could understand the tragedy and despair of this accident. My heart goes out to the family, nobody should ever have to suffer this much. Twice. Life can be so cruel.

If there is any justice in the world, Paris should go to jail. If the state of Texas can keep innocent people locked up for years under the guise of violating their parole or probation, Ms. Hilton should also serve her time. And she's guilty. Flagrantly.

Bush is planning the third veto of his presidency. Somehow it's okay to want to protect a brain dead woman from dying in peace, but it isn't okay to protect people from hate crimes that are based on gender or sexual orientation. I'm sure this would change if there were marauding gangs of lesbian attacking wimpy white men for being stupid. I'll bet he'd be demanding Congress pass a bill for him to sign that would make that crime eligible for the death penalty. If the clergy was preaching love and tolerance instead of hate and violence, this wouldn't be an issue.

Has anyone else noticed that the media is starting to use more photos of Bush that portray him as not quite, shall we say, smart? Lately almost every photo I see of him, has his mouth gapiing open like a fish. Definitely makes it look like he is a few IQ points shy of a 100.

A woman who could have been my sister in law but not anymore, introduced me to Limoncello. Now Danny DeVito has his very own brand. If I drink it, does this mean George Clooney will come hang out with me?

Ten important signs that your job sucks.

Thursday's Irritants

The babbling bush is ...babbling again. The heat is on, the citizens are restless, it must be time for ...the bogeyman. Bush must feel like he's in trouble, time to drag out the old standby, al-Qaeda. Yes, it seems they are responsible for the mess in Iraq, not that we botched the whole debacle. Oh no, no responsibility for underarmored vehicles, undertrained troops or underestimating the enemy. Bush is so afraid of accountability that if he cuts himself while shaving he probably blames the mirror guy.

I'm still irritated by the Democrats joining the crew without a clue. Now Pelosi says the administration should get a clue. That's rich.

My preference would be for them to say "don't let the screen door hit you in the ass", but then I'm no longer a member of the GOP. Republicans are more likely than the Democrats to kiss it instead and we've seen how little time it takes for them to be persuaded.

I was looking at all the new "tanning" products just the other day. Bronzing, glowing, whatever. It's marketing. A new way to spend money that could be spent on eating healthier foods is now being wasted on artificial, skin clogging products to give the illusion of looking healthy. All in the name of beauty. And then they think that some young women are indulging in risky behavior because they use the products and still get a tan by way of the sun or a tanning bed. Of course they have issues. These are probably the same women who have to have breast implants to feel good.

Bonuses for the incompetent. Why am I not surprised? The veterans themselves have to fight for what should rightfully theirs, but just like in corporate America, those at the top get benefits they don't deserve and those who actually do the work get bupkis. Lose sensitive data, turn in bogus incorrect accounting reports and delay or ignore that the veterans they were supposed to be helping and you are still eligible for a hefty bonus.

How much longer can America take the double standards of this administration? If it continues, there will be very little left of the country that our forefathers fought and died for.

Oh look, even those who are supposed to be eligible for the Hometown Heroes Act, aren't. Paper pushing is rewarded, heroism isn't. Society and civilization are declining in this country and it isn't because of the average American. It's because the have mores, just have to have more. And a pat on the back to boot. Even when it isn't deserved.

Spineless Twits, Gutless Wonders

It didn't take the Democrats twenty four hours to drop their knickers. What the heck is wrong with them? Have they no backbone? Have they no pride? GHB in the coffee? Are they freakin' deaf? The American people want a timetable and they want the troops to come home. Sooner rather than later. How difficult is this to understand? I work with developmentally disabled people and they get it just fine. Heck, they even talk about impeachment. They want to start with Cheney first. Extremely perceptive, they are.

John Edwards is right. Send Bush back the original bill and let Bush veto it as many times as he wants. His debacle has been funded and like any good lender, Congress should insist on a repayment plan. In this instance, a reasonable time period to bring the troops home. Make it clear that he is the one who is the obstructionist and that they are representing the will of the people.

Gawd, they get on my last nerve. Next week they'll be whining abut how nobody takes them seriously. If only there was some other option besides the Republicans and one issue candidates.

What To Write

Yesterday was one of the most expletive deleted days I've had at work in a long time. It was so bad, that I've decided to go back into private practice. Never again will anyone ever use that tone of voice with me or I be forced to listen to crap just because I need the money. I'd rather starve.

Meanwhile, in other employment news, the Army has decided that soldiers need to clear personal emails with their superiors before being sent. No more descriptive nookie emails to the wife because they might contain something that might give some mythical enemy information it doesn't deserve. What the hell are we fighting for?

Why is the pressure on the Democrats? Why isn't it on the President and the Republican members of Congress to do what their constituents want? The people of America want the troops home. Period. They think that we aren't accomplishing anything in Iraq except destroying our military, our economy and our good standing in the world. Methinks that it is about time that the press, the so-called liberal media, does its job and reports the facts. All in the same article. This cherry picking of information to support a leader who has no intention of leading his people into anything but a fetid swamp of dismay, terror, carnage and violence, needs to stop before there is nothing left of the country worth fighting for. It is time for the crew without a clue to realize that the people have given them one and that they should follow it. Instead, their irrational beliefs are reinforced by the formerly independent Fourth Estate.

Beautiful Woman, Beautiful Song

Thinking About Things

So, what's been going on while I was out playing Florence Nightingale? Hmm, the MacArthur Maze is still screwed up, the experts are noticing that the price of gas is rising exponentially and might(!) reach $4 a gallon, another scare story about marijuana and schizophrenia (they eliminated the part about how the THC was administered by mainlining and then wonder at the results!), our least favorite prez of all time is getting ready to trip over his Cheney, I mean veto the Iraq spending bill (does anybody like the new ABC design?) despite the surge in troop and civilian deaths in Iraq, and this just in, breathing while black is detrimental to your lifestyle.

Oops, hell just froze over. Michelle Malkin and I agree on something. Maybe I should rethink my position. Nope, I still agree. Stand up and fight back, or it is just going to get worse.

Waah, waah, waah. She should go buy some shoes, maybe it will make her feel better. It worked before. That scowl makes her look like Worf's ancestor.

How about Chile Rellenos instead of tacos? Or maybe a combination? Either a way, it's a tasty idea and some college kid will probably turn in his friend for that kind of reward.

Nothing new here, move along.