Decoding Dr. Robert's Edu-Speak

In an attempt to understand a recent newsletter sent by my my superintendent of schools, Dr. Robert O'Brien, , I will attempt to deconstruct his Edu-Speak into plain old, cynical, working-class English. You see, when you start making $350,000 a year, you leave the language of the hoi-polloi behind and start speaking in tongues designed to seperate the rubes from their cash. This is especially important when all other jobs in your district are making wage and benefit concessions and you keep getting fat raises.

Dr. Robert's Plan To Attain Focus, Purpose & Direction in our public schools:

1. EDUSPEAK: Successfully complete the Superintendent transition plan. ENGLISH: Secure Golden Parachute with the help of the incoming superintendent. I'm outta here....
   
   
   
2. EDUSPEAK:Successfully integrate Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in all buildings, including defining and clarifying PLC results for all stakeholders. ENGLISH: Get all the PLCs (also known as "schools") in our district to teach the same things at the same level and then test all students in a way administrators, teachers and students understand what it "means". For example, does Johnny's "A" mean he'll have access to a college education? Hell no! You still need cash and political connections for that. That's what an "A+" means.
   
   
3. EDUSPEAK: Fully implement the contractual student initiatives. ENGLISH: Even though contracts with minors violates state and Federal laws, lets pretend a signed "contract" for thier expected behavior is legal, appropriate, and above all, unquestionable. If they don't live up to our high expectations for a future workforce, punish the little bastards....er, rather, I mean fully implement the contract.
   
   
4. EDUSPEAK: Maintain our excellent financial rating, build a balanced budget for 2006-07 and limit the impact on teaching and learning. ENGLISH: Continue paying the bills on time while somehow managing not to piss off the teachers when you reduce their pay & benefits, try not to piss off the students when you eliminate programs they actually enjoy, and try not to piss off thhe parents when you charge them for things that, until now, were paid solely by their tax dollars. In the meantime, "recommend" to the board that The Superintendent get another fat raise. It's good to be the boss.
   
   
5. EDUSPEAK: Redefine and strengthen the "Challenge of Change" employee involvement program. ENGLISH: Employee pay and benefits are going to be reduced while employee roles and responsibilities are going to be expanded. If you complain, the new security guards will show you to your vehicle. In the meantime, "recommend" to the board that The Superintendent get another fat raise. I'd make twice this amount if I worked for Enron.
   
   
6. EDUSPEAK: Implement the student data system including developing a "dashboard" of options. ENGLISH: I just received a new top-of-the-line Mac with the Tiger operating system and I think it's really, really cool. Why can't our school system be as cool as my new expensive computer? Maybe it can. I could use the dashboard widgets to access student records whenever and wherever I want. (The preceding was a paid PRODUCT PLACEMENT from Apple Computers to Robert O'Brien, Superintendent of Schools - and will be appearing over urinals and in bathroom stalls district-wide.) You know, if I made $600,000 a year, I wouldn't have to be makind side-deals like this. Recommend to The Board I get a raise.
   
   
7. EDUSPEAK: Evaluate and improve our student intervention programs. ENGLISH: Are we doing enough to control the little bastards while they're in school? Give 'em detention if they act up. Failing that, call the cops and prosecute. I'm done screwing around.
   
   
8. EDUSPEAK: Clarify, improve and implement a stronger, more specific internal and external communication process. ENGLISH: Teachers: speak up at the staff meetings or shut the hell up in the teacher's lounge. Oh, and by the way, we have the right to record your conversations in any district building, no matter what your union says. Note to self: crush the union.
   
   
9. EDUSPEAK: Complete the implementation of the International Academy. ENGLISH: Exclude hoi polloi from the priveleged fast track to educastional success and lock the doors behind you. This is what our president calls "pleasing your base". Exclude, divide, discriminate. It's the American Way.
   
   
10. EDUSPEAK: Review our high school curriculum and program offferings. ENGLISH: Find ways to save money while increasing test scores. Recommend to the board The Superintendent get another raise.
    
    
11. EDUSPEAK: Complete district goals at highly successful levels. ENGLISH: Duh.
    
    
    
    

.; )

A LIE THAT JUST WON"T DIE: JOBS THAT AMERICANS WON'T DO

Yesterday I heard THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES repeat a lie about illegal immigrants:"They'll do jobs that Americans just won't do."

THAT'S A LIE THAT KEEPS BEING REPEATED.

At the very least it's a lazy assumption that serves to keep an abundance of cheap labor around to tend rich white people's lawns, care for their children and clean their sheets.

Here's some verifiable proof that white anglo Americans WILL do the jobs that everybody ASSUMES they won't.

MY WHITE ANGLO SISTER, who has a Master's Degree in Fine Art cleans hotels rooms to keep her four children fed. Not too many jobs for fine art majors in Northern Lower Michigan. Now, if she had the educational and social support from her state to get a teaching degree, that would change dramatically. But alas, no extra funds. She'll be paying off her masters degree with "jobs that Americans just won't do" for a very long time, Mr. President.

MY WHITE ANGLO BROTHER picked strawberry's and cut sod in the summer as a teenager. Is there a shortage of American teenagers that we don't know about, Mr. President? Does an AMERICAN LAW have to be broken 12,000,000 times by AMERICAN BUSINESSMEN to get our food picked and our sod cut? I think not, sir.


As for myself, ANOTHER LAW-ABIDING WHITE ANGLO AMERICAN CITIZEN, I've been a ditch-digger, a landscaper, a lawn-sprinkler installer, part of a constructioin clean-up crew, and a general maintenance man. I've followed the rules and have broken no laws, Mr. President. And I've got very little to show for my hard-working fortitude, other than feeling like a sucker.

The Mexicans immigrants I see on a regular basis (assuming that SOME of them are here illegally, at least some of those who don't speak a lick of English) don't do jobs that Americans won't do, sir. They install carpeting, they work construction jobs and they do landscaping. ALL JOBS THAT AMERICANS WILL DO. I know, because I've done them.

Mr. President, stop lying to the American people and tell us why you and your friends really want illigal Mexican immigrants in this country: Because American Business Owners (from food-growers to Wal Mart) want cheap labor and they don't care if they have to break a few AMERICAN immigration laws to get it.

And THAT'S THE TRUTH, no matter what kind of political spin you want to put on it.

Riffing On The Times 3.28.06

As always, the headlines are taken directly from the NYT but the rest is entirely made-up.
____________________


Bill to Broaden Immigration Law Gains in Senate - Bill to have his head pummeled by law-abiding, working-class Americans if he tries it.

French Youth at the Barricades, but a Revolution? It Can Wait - yeah, at least until someone fool tells them to eat cake.

Iraqi Documents Are Put on Web, and Search Is On - millions of bored amateurs attempt to confuse what experts on the ground have known for years.

Shiite Leaders Suspend Talks Over Government - to pursue suspending Sunnis by their testicles.

Afghan Convert to Christianity Is Released - Muslim clerics declare open season - again.

At Crossroads, Israeli Voters Seem to Wait for a Signal - ...but proceed to accelerate and run over family of Palestinians walking home from work.

Moussaoui Now Ties Himself to 9/11 Plot - and JFK assasination, and MLK assasination, and takes credit for the plan that led to the murder of John Lennon.

Seattle Police and Partygoers Still Puzzle Over Attack - senseless violence, ironically, shakes senseless world.

2 Dismissed From Jury Deciding Case of Politician - you can't buy justice, but injustice always has a price.

Hang it up, Dems.

Dear Democrats,

Your complete and utter failure to support Russel Feingold and his motion to censure presidennt Bush proves you have no courage in your convictions. You're proven useless to working-class Americans and clueless, or worse, indifferent to our needs. If you're supposed to be public servants, you've failed miserably. Waiting for the Republicans to fail AGAIN is no strategy. My guess is they'll recover and you will have lost yet another election. You'd better have a card up your sleeve or this game is over for you - for good.

Signed,

A Lifelong Democrat turned Independent since 2000

Google, Yahoo......Bye, Bye

I've reset my browser preferences and yanked Google and Yahoo from my tab bar. I understand their need and their desire to expand their business for their shareholders, but not at the expense of selling out human beings to oppressive governments. I also understand their argument for incrementalism, that eventually the internet will win out and everthing will be hunky-dory and the blood on their dividends will have faded away. But despite what most of us have been led to believe in this country, there are some things more sacred than cash. Liberty is one of them.

Web Firms Are Grilled on Dealings In China

From now on I'll use Momma.com until I find out something horrible about them too.

Four years later....

One for the "Duh" category if you haven't really been paying close attention to the War In Iraq, what will all those DVD rentals to watch and your favorite t.v. shows and all. I mean, who has time for news?

I hold these truths to be self-evident this week:

• That there will be no limit to the looting of the U.S. treasury for the next three years. Evidence: more tax cuts for the wealthy, more money for the Defense Department (who've done such a *wonderful* job handling the war) and Homeland Security (who've done an equally good job watching our borders), less money for Medicaid and education, the creation of health savings accounts (i.e. "your on your own, pal. Sorry 'bout the cancer."), and skyrocketing deficits to be paid by our children's children's children. So much for fiscal responsibility.
  
  
• The Emperor Wears No Clothes: just because he says spying on Americans without a warrant is legal, doesn't make it true. When he said, "I've earned some political capital and I intend to spend it" - he wasn't kidding. Executive hubris rules the day! To Congress and the Judiciary: You needn't show up for work anymore; the Executive and The Private Sector have got it all under control, thank you very much.
  
  
• Muslims have absolutely no sense of humor: and if any of you do, you forfeit it by the actions of the multitudes in the streets who are burning down buildings and threatening the lives of innocents over a god-damned cartoon. Nobody disputes your right to be offended, just your overrreaction to being offended. While we Americans may be the bully in the global school yard, you're like the spastic kid who eats paste and and smears excrement on the walls. Nobody understands you.

Once again, the little guy loses to the HMO

Backroom Republicans Rape Medicare Windfall

Warrantless Spying OK'd By Gonzales

Having Alberto Gonzales investigate President Bush is like having Jeff Skilling investigate Kenneth Lay.

In the immortal words of Benjamin Franklin, "Those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither."

Here come the goon squads. Just like old times, eh Mao?

I heard a report on NPR this morning that a Republican group operating at UCLA is offering to pay college students $100 to spy on their Liberal professors (known as the "dirty thirty") for 10 weeks and report so-called abuses of their position. It's the groups contention that some professors are either dismissing conservative arguments in class or "brainwashing" their students in order to create like-minded teachers of the future.

The reported spying has had a chlling effect on some professors, who are already censoring themselves in order to avoid drawing fire from the Republican group. Others are defiant. It's unclear what, if any, effect the Republican group's complaints might have on the college's employment practices, but some young professors who haven't yet achieved tenure aren't taking any chances.

It's obvious to me that the intent here is to intimidate left-leaning political speech at Universities. It reminds me of Nixon's enemies list and the CoIntelPro days when Republicans were spying on left-leaning groups and individuals, including fellow politicians, newspaper and magazine staff and, yes, college professors.

Red China's poster-boy, Chairman Mao, was also known to give political rewards to comrades who turned over dirt on their enemies. But over there they could throw liberals in prison or even make them disappear. Republicans can only wish.

Right wing fascism rears its ugly head again in America. The Nazi Youth are alive and well at UCLA.

Congressional Reformatory

In the midst of the latest congressional payola scandal in Washington, California congressman David Dreier claimed today that The Republican Party is "the pary of reform".

Tee hee.

Ha ha.

GuFFFFFFFFFFAAAAAAAAWWWW!


You're kidding us, right?

More like the party most likely to end up in a reformatory.

He also said that his party is in the business of closing loopholes, not opening new ones (How does this guy keep a straight face?).

So I'm supposed to believe that all those CEO's and CFO's who practiced creative accounting with working people's pensions over at Enron and Tyco and WoldCom and a dozen other executive schemers are Democrats, right? Martha Stewart, she must be a Democrat too, eh?

Seriously, Mr. Drier - give us a break. The only thing your party is going to reform is the process you use to cheat.

Every day the Republicans and the Democrats make me glad that I voted for the 1% solution. You're all a bunch of lying crooks.

Ashamed of OUR government

There's so much corruption and political two-stepping going on in the Bush administration and the Republican led congress these days my head is spinning. I can't even keep up with all the sordiid tales, and I'm a politcal junkie. I really never thought I'd see the day our government would sink to such a level. Scary times. It's pretty clear these guys are going to continue to loot the U.S. treasury until there's nothing left, abuse executive power until the constitution bursts into flames, defecate on civil rights and piss on campaign finance laws while simuiltaneously stuffing their pockets with lobby cash and giving the American people the middle finger. I'm ashamed that we haven't marched on Washington yet.

Our government is a disgrace and it's OUR fault.

The Book Of Daniel According To Shitbrick

Apparently, "The Book Of Daniel" has already been targeted as the latest "attack on Christianity" in my small corner of the world. Shitbrick, my hardcore born-again Baptist beast of a co-worker, and I got into a heated argument about this new TV series just before leaving work. That's when we usually do our part to perpetuate the culture wars.

I should mention that neither of us have actually seen a single episode of "The Book of Daniel", but that didn''t stop us from regurgitating the positions we've absorbed from our respective radio stations; his, Bob Dutko (pronounced Doo-Ko) on the Christian controlled WMUZ "The Light", and mine, a daily dose of secular reasoning on NPR.

Shitbrick contends that "The Book of Daniel" is basically blasphemy (my word not his, but you get the idea) and shouldn't be allowed on the air. He's particularly offended by the reported depiction of Jesus Christ who talks casually with Daniel, a troubled episcopal priest. In fact, Shitbrick actually used the phrase "hippie-dippy" to describe how Jesus is being portrayed. He argued that this fictional depiction of Jesus will confuse viewers of lesser intellect and that if "they" (NBC I presume) want to depict Jesus Christ then they should only do so as he is described in the bible.

I argued that, in this tv show, Jesus is basically portrayed as Daniel's religious conscience and represents his "personal relationship with God", probably much in the same way members of his congregation have personal dialogues with Jesus every day. It's Jesus as Daniel relates to him, not Jesus in a historical context.

But he wasn't having any of it. Jesus should only be portrayed as he is by "the word", and not as Aidan Quinn's personal hippie, confusing the masses about who Jesus really was.

That's when I kinda lost it. I told him I didn't think NBC were the only ones confused about who Jesus really was. In particular, I told him that I had a real problem with hunters who profess be devoted to Christ and his teachings. WWJD indeed. I can't imagine the son of God, sometimes referred to as "the lamb", cutting the throat of same said animal for any purpose, let alone for the sport of it. I also have a problem with pro-war Christians who seem offended by people who want to stop all this senseless killing. Is that how "The Prince of Peace" would act? Would Jesus have a blood-lust for killing Muslims, even if they aren't the same ones who attacked us? Would The Messiah who taught us to "turn the other cheek" start a pre-emptive war and argue that it's a defensive position? Those hypocritical arguments only seem to makes sense to Christians extremists who repeatedly profess to being attacked by the secular world, when it's they who are always on the offensive. "The Book of Daniel" debacle is only the latest example of this bizarre phenomena.

Getting back to the subject of the tv show, I argued that Christians can't and don't control the context in which Jesus is discussed, especially when it comes to an artistic depiction or a dramatic portrayal in a free society with a first amendment.

"That isn't art, " Shitbrick said with disdain. "And yes, this is a free democracy, and in this free democracy Christians are the majority. And majority rules."

"And in this so-called free society we're supposed to have built-in protections from the tyranny of the majority, " I retorted. " And this art is protected free speech no matter how loud the Christians complain!" I demanded.

"But it isn't art!" he boomed louder, as if volume wins arguments. His voice reverberated off the block walls and glass panes in the warehouse, lending sonic weight to his bluster. "Art is the photos I see in National Geographic or the beautiful paintings of scenery I see at a museum," he said with a flowing gesticulation of his hand, as if stroking the beauty of some imaginary country setting. "Art's not a television show that promotes filth at family hour."

I swear I could see smoke trail from his nostrils at this point. But I refused to back down. I've listened to enough of this self-righteous drivel without speaking up.

"This isn't filth," I protested. "It's a fictional drama of a priest who's struggling with his faith! It's about his personal jihad against his own faults!" I piqued him. "How could that offend you?"

"Yeah, a priest who pops pills, who's daughter is selling drugs, whose wife is having an affair, and with gays and everything else disgusting in it!"

"Look at what happened to the Catholic Church. Are you trying to tell me there are no episcopal priests who struggle with their faith and argue with Jesus. It's realistic," I argued. "Hell, you tell me stories about your fellow parishoners that are worse than that!"

One of them, he told me not long ago, had gotten high and fallen asleep on top of her newborn baby, accidentally suffocating the child. After something like that, there's only two options; suicide or salvation. She chose salvation. The pews were filled with these kind of personal tragedies.

"Do you why I know that The Book of Daniel is art?" I paused just long enough for his face to turn a darker shade of red . "I know it's art because we're arguing about it right now - and that's what good art does; it makes you think about the world you live in and question your own conclusions about it."

Unbelievably, Shitbrick argued that art wasn't meant to provoke thought. Not a surprising argument from a hardcore, born-again Christian. After all, these are the same puritans who repeatedly burned books and other works of art over the centuries, and who I'm sure wouldn't have any problem burning DVDs - or the people who produce them.

So as far as Shitbrick is concerned, only Christians should be allowed to tell stories involving Jesus - an only then strictly following "the word". He also argued that if the same type of "artistic portrayal" of Mohammed or The Koran were done in prime time, there would be hell to pay from the muslims, you can bet on it. So Christians have every right to complain about portrayals of Jesus Christ and you can bet they will.

I reminded him that some Muslims tried to abolish a work of art by threatening the life of it's author. A fatwa was issued against Salmon Rushdie back in the eighties when he wrote "The Satanic Verses". They wanted to control the argument too, even if that meant killing the author.

"Well, I guess he shouldn't have been writing about Islam then, should he?" Shitbrick said, satisfied with himself. "Besides, Christians aren't threatening to kill anybody over The Book of Daniel."

"Not yet," I said.

Riffing On The Times: January 6, 2006

Haven't done one of these in a while, but if you're not hip, the following headlines are taken directly from The New York Times online edition, but the subheads are entirely made up. Just for a bit of fun.


TOP STORIES

Iraq Facing Hurdles, U.S. General Warns

- New low-cost war tactic puts Iraqis on path of obstruction.

U.S. Is Hoping Israelis Keep Sharon's Plan a Top Priority

- U.S. recommends "more breathing and less bleeding".

Lobbyist's Downfall Leads to Charities' Windfall

- Several congressmen offer definitive proof their corruption is good for the poor.


INTERNATIONAL

Sharon in Coma; New Party Faces a Crucial Test

Party goers wonder now who's driving past the fence to get more beer?

Afghan Suicide Bomber Strikes in Town During U.S. Envoy's Visit

Nobody thought tall, hairy dog was a real threat.

Iran's Nuclear Team Fails to Keep a Date With the U.N.

Secretary General threatens to date Nortth Koreans instead.

NATIONAL

Coal Miners' Notes of Goodbye, and Questions on a Blast's Cause

Despite miner's last requests and record profits last quarter, Energy companies say miner-family discounts just not doable.

Corruption Scandal Loosening Mayor Daley's Grip on Chicago

Dirty money makes city slicker.

My Heating Bill Doubles, Rich People Get Tax Cut

I live in a single-wide trailer (some people feel better calling it Manufactured Home - whatever). It's not a home really, not in that American Dream sort of way. No, a trailer is more like a container for keeping the working-class fresh, just in case anybody needs some dirty work done. But it's a roof and shit could be worse I always tell myself. What else could I tell myself?

My heating bill for January 06 DOUBLED from that of December '05. FUCK! Time to cancel cable - bunch of useless bullshit on TV anyway - except for CSPAN. I dig CSPAN. (shhhh - if they find out the working class are actually being informed by their tv's congress will let their lobbyists write laws against that too. ) Yeah, I know they warned me about the hike in energy prices - doesn't make it any better though. And gasoline just went up again too. Why do energy prices keep going up? Because they can, that's why (probably part of the secret energy deal pre-Iraq war). The energy companies are enjoying record profits, jobs are flying out of the country and my pay raises haven't kept pace with inflation for the last four years. But I'm still working. 500 engineers from GM can't say that as of yesterday.

I read the day before yesterday that the Bush administration gave 47 Billion dollars in tax cuts to people earning over $200,000 a year and it just took effect in January 06. That's after they cut medicaid, medicare, college tuition assistance and even the budget of the National Institute of Health (first time since 1970) when everyone's terrified of a possible coming flu pandemic. Un-Fucking-Believable.

It's pretty clear these motherfuckers in Washington don't have our back. Hope they're not counting on us having theirs.

Oh, and the next time I see a fucking BMW parked on the sidewalk at Wal*Mart I'm going to spit on it. And I'm just getting over a cold.

Metaphorical Airplane Back To Sanity

I woke up with this metaphor in my head. I think it's about the reasons I ddn't call my "best friend" at all during the holidays. Not Thanksgiving. Not Christmas. Not New Years Eve. It's quite possible I may never call him again.


So you're on a passenger plane with about twenty other people. Destination: The Rest Of Your Life.

Your "best friend" is the pilot and somewhere along your trip you notice the plane has gone slightly off-course. Nobody else seems to notice so you keep it to yourself, figuring once he realizes his mistake he'll make the needed correction and the trip will go pretty much as planned. But after a while, he still hasn't fixed the mistake and the plane continues to travel further from its presumed destination.

So you walk up to the cockpit and casually mention to the pilot that his plane has been going slightly off-course for a while now and that if he plans to get his passengers even close to their intended destination he'd better make a correction soon. But instead of taking your concern seriously, he takes offense and tells you he knows how to fly a plane, thank you very much.

You're tempted to bring up his previous "accidents" (ones that only you know about), but before you can, he tells you that his course change was intentional. He says the "straight and narrow" flight plan is boring and predictable and he's just taking the scenic route. He says not to worry and that you should relax and just enjoy the ride. Since he's your "best friend" and you're supposed to be his, you decide to trust him and go sit down.

But as the scenery below changes radically, the other passengers on the plane begin to protest. This isn't the trip they were expecting - not even close. You try to reassure them by saying you've spoken to the pilot personally and he assured you he knows his destination and is merely taking the scenic route. But the other passengers aren't convinced, and either are you as you notice the plane is flying dangerously close to a mountain.

You decide to go back to the cockpit and tell your "best friend" that, despite his explanation, the other passengers are becoming frightened. Again, he insists he knows what he's doing and can handle his aircraft.

Suddenly, you hear a gut-wrenching thud and realize the plane has clipped a mountain goat, damaging one of the rear stabilizers. The aircraft is pitching up and down rapidly, as if it's jumping a series of small waves. You can hear the passengers back in the cabin screaming for their lives.

Incredibly, the pilot has let go of the stick and screams, "Woo Hoo! Can you feel that? It's like surfing the clouds. What a r-r-r-r-rush!"

You plead with him to take control of his aircraft, and since he's your "best friend" and you look genuinely frightened, he finally does. He apologizes and does his best to control the plane's pitch until all you can feel is an unsettling vibration. It's not smooth, but it doesn't feel life-threatening anymore. He guides the plane to a safe altitude and heads back towards home.

At some point during the flight back, the other passengers begin to talk amongst themselves. They realize, after comparing notes, that this isn't the first time this pilot has had trouble flying. And as soon as the plane reaches familiar territory, you're quite surprised to see them risk parachuting to the ground before they reach their final destination. "Well, that's going a bit far," you say to an empty cabin.

You go back to the cockpit and tell your "best friend" that the other passengers have jumped ship.

"Good riddance!" he says. "Now we can have some real fun."

"That doesn't bother you?" you ask.

"Nah, they probably found out about the landing gear," he says casually.

"What do you mean? What about the landing gear?"

"It hasn't been working right," he mentions.

"Why didn't you tell me that before we took off?" you ask incredulously.

"I didn't think you'd come along," he says. "Stop worrying so much. Besides, who wants be well-grounded when you can fly free? It's so much more liberating."

You remind him that, eventually, he's going to run out of fuel and have to land his plane no matter what - and that he could end up so far from home he'll never make it back.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll get there," he says dismissively, just before he yanks on the stick and turns the plane back towards the treacherous mountain range.

You know you should jump out, just like the other passengers, but being his "best friend" you also know that you're supposed to be there when everybody else has abandoned him. You steel yourself for a bumpy ride and an even bumpier landing.

Somewhere high among the jagged mountains you hear one of the engines sputter. When you ask about it, your "best friend" mentions that it's been acting up for a couple of weeks. You don't even ask why he didn't tell you until now. You just shake your head and look at the floor.

For the first time you clutch your parachute. But your "best friend" is calm and even appears happy, despite the fact that his plane is vibrating badly from a damaged stabilizer, the landing gear is questionable, and one of his engines is sputtering.

Then it happens again - just like you knew it would. Another gut-wrenching thud, but this time it's much worse than before. One of the jagged mountain peaks has torn off half the right wing and the plane has gone into a fatal spiral.

You quickly put on your parachute and prepare to jump out of the doomed airplane. When you look for your "best friend", expecting him to be right behind you, you're floored by what you see. He's not putting on his parachute at all, but carefully pouring himself a drink as the plane spirals out of control. When you scream at him to put on his parachute and jump, he just looks at you dumbly, as if you're speaking another language.

Finally, you jump off his plane and land in a place you wouldn't even visit, but you're relatively safe. Your "best friend" is still spiraling perilously overhead, and for a brief moment, you fantasize about catching him, plane and all, to save him from his fate. But instead you return to sanity, say a prayer, and step out of the way.


January 1, 2006

Roger Toussaint: Working Class Hero

I don't care what the politically connected Billionaires and Millionaires have say about him (after they've voted themselves another big, fat fucking raise), New York Transit Union leader Roger Toussaint is a working-class hero. He took a stand against big money's incremental assualt on all working people - what has happened to the pension programs in this country is CRIMINAL.

Keep kicking that dog, hoss. Sooner or later you're going to lose a leg.

You Know This Country's In Trouble When....

...citizens refuse to march for an end to outsourcing, refuse to march for better health care, refuse to march for an end to the super-secret ways and means of the current administration or the war it created out of whole cloth....

but have no problem traveling across state lines to protest the failure of an NFL coach.


We're doomed.

Organized Crime: Creditors Offer Break-Leg Rates to The Newly Bankrupt

Who needs a mafia when powerful credit card companies can offer break-leg credit rates to the newly bankrupt and do it all legally? Hell, these companies have their hands so far up your representatives ass they can make his/her lips move - and even make 'em sign legislation they didn't write and their constituents didn't ask for.

Just Say No to unfair credit rates.

The Crushing Weight of Capitalism

If you ever wondered what capitalism looks like unbound by such pesky details as a Bill Of Rights or constitutional amendments, check out the latest goings on in China. You'll get a good idea of what Eminent Domain really means. The government doesn't just bash the heads of those pesky protesters, it shoots them like Koi in a barrel.

Right wingers drool over that kind of POWER. Don't think it can't happen here.

X-Mas is killing Christ all over again

Shitbrick is convinced the secular world is deliberately trying to kill Christmas. I hear it every year about this time, but he's developing quite the persecution complex - which is quite silly for a white, Christian, Republican in the United States in 2005. He rages against the secular holiday cards he recieves in the mail.

"I HATE that saying!" he boomed.

"What?"

"Season's Greetings", he sneered. "When I get a card like that, I just throw it away," he added proudly.

He's fully prepared to boycott the Target department store this year because of their apparent cowardice in being sensitive to ALL of their patrons during the "holiday season" - not just the Christian ones.

"It's Merry Christmas" he demanded. "NOT Season's Greetings! or Happy Holidays!"

Now the local religious radio station has got him all excited about some people in some neighborhood in some city he'll never visit allegedly banning nativity scenes from the front lawns in their subdivisioin (if ever there were a planted story... Here's one so-called Christian reaction to such stories). Armed with that misinformation he planned on posting a six-foot PVC crucifix wrapped in Christmas lights on his front lawn to see if anybody dared to object. I doubt they would - at least not if they knew him. He's a large, extremely vociferous and well-armed Christian warrior on the front lines of the culture war. And I mean that literally; he and the menfolk from his church make regular visits to the firing range. Personally, I have a hard time imagining Christ armed with a Kimber, but the contradiction doesn't seem to be a problem for them.

Gun-toting Christians aren't the only hypocrites though. I think it's hypocritical of me, and most Americans, to celebrate a holiday that represents a religion we don't practice. I've celebrated a secular Christmas every year of my life, but I'm all for opting-out and leaving the whole thing to the real practitioners from now on. Let's face it, this is HAPPY HAPPY SHOPPING SEASON in America more than anything else - so let's call it that, or something else - because mall-hopping has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas, like everything else in America, has been bastardized by capitalism.

In my opinion, Christmas should involve the act of being Christ-like: serving the poor, the destitute, the hopeless, the marginalized, the ostracized, and anybody else having a hard go of it in this world - which includes prostitutes, and economic slaves, and gays, and lesbians and trannys and lepers and prisoners and even politicians. I'd be more attracted to Christianity if it's most visible practitioners showed a little more humility and were less apt to pick a fight with anybody who puts an X in the place of the word "Christ". There's a fine line between being a loud-mouthed, gun-toting Christian from the NRA who's ready to launch a boycott over the marketing practices of a department store, and those other religious extremists out there who are ready to make the department store and it's patrons disappear altogether.

Shitbrick often witnesses to me at work, during the quiet moments, like just when the day begins, or at the lunch while he clutches his bible in one hand and his fork in the other, and again just before we leave for the day. Good thing I'm not one of those irritable ACLU demons who might object to this kind of unsolicited indoctrination at his place of work. I don't really mind - or at least I don't openly object. The discussions are stimulating, but I think it drives him crazy that I'm not a Christian and that I won't join his church. To him, I think, it's like I don't recognize his RIGHTNESS. I recognize Jesus and his teachings, but I haven't accepted him as my personal savior. When I watch or read the world news lately I'm beginning to think humanity is unsalvageable.

But there's always hope. Shitbrick nixed the idea for a confrontational PVC cross in his lawn becuse he figured a crucifix was appropriate for easter (Jesus' death), but not for Christmas (Jesus' birth). Instead, he's working on a sign that says "Jesus Is The Reason". It's true. And It's always good idea to be reminded to put things in their proper context.

Confirmed again, no flu vaccine

My elderly father concurs with my findings. He was also unable to get a flue shot from his doctors over a week ago. He's 77 - if anyone is high risk it's him. SO WHAT GIVES MEDIA? Why are you telling everyone there is no shortage? Is this a national security issue? Don't want to create a panic?????

No Flu Vaccine Shortage???

The local news and NPR keep going on about how I can still get a flu shot and there's no shortage. I called the Oakland Country Health Dept. on Monday to make sure my daughter and I could still get a flu shot but was informed that they don't have any more vaccine for adults and children over 8. "Sorry, we're done for the year."

Nice.

So we went to The Wixom Health Care Clinic where my Primary Care Physician is located and I was informed by the woman at the counter that they didn't buy ANY.

Thanks for preparing for my family's health-care needs. By the way, you're all FIRED!!!!

The other gas gouge

It was just announced on the local news that the Michigan legislature has approved a 47 percent hike in Consumer's Energy natural gas prices for the winter. Remember that a 53 percent hike was granted to Michcon back in October. The energy industry says Hurricane Katrina is to blame. They'd better be ready to back that up or there's going to be some house cleaning in Lansing.

These are astronomical increases in energy prices. I've never seen anything like it, ever. I'd better not hear any more shit about record profits in the energy industy while poor people are freezing to death in Detroit in January and February.

Bye Bye Celebrity Non-News

On Thanksgiving day I concluded that I would no longer watch CNN (Celebrity Non News) - at least not until the next live national disaster strikes and I have to decide between them, FOX (Fascists On X) or MSNBC (no acronym ascribed - it's funny enough that a network has to answer to MicroSoft). In fact, I declared to my astonished daughter that Jimmy Neutron is by far more entertaining than the news. I mean, if entertaining is what they're trying to do over there at CNN, I prefer to watch Jimmy, Carl and Sheen take on the forces of evil rather than Lou, Paula and the over-hyped super-micro-anchorman Anderson Cooper.

If you want news, real news without product tie-ins, celebrity sucking-up (the coverage of Martha Stewart was shameful), you have to watch PBS or CSPAN.

It was fun for a while, Ted. But I prefer to get my news without all the fat and sugar.

A Lifetime of Useless Shit

I went through my closet today, particularly the reams of useless shit I've collected over the last twenty years; college papers, unfinished writing projects, tax documents, the police report to an apartment fire that wiped me out in the eighties, receipts, various unfinished journals that do nothing more than prove I've been depressed for a very long time. I thought, if I die tomorrow, all this useless shit is what my life has added up to this point. It's all worthless. And this blog is just more worthless drivel, but nstead of cluttering up my closet it's taking up space on the web. Welcome to the flotsam and jetsam of my life, drifting toward the vanishing horizon. What a disappointment. I'm nothing more than a pulse with a paycheck. A rusting cog in a broken machine. NEXT.

Curt Weldon Transcript

Here's a link to the transcript of Rep. Curt Weldon's accusations against the Defense Intelligence Agency's smear campaign. Can't believe I haven't heard more about this from the media. This guy was just losing it on the floor of the house. I never seen someone on CSPAN so totally pissed-off. It was great! Curiously, this one video seems to have been ommitted from the CSPAN archives. I wonder how THAT happened.

Transcript: Rep. Curt Weldon Accuses DIA of smear campaign.

Here's a bunch more blogging on this topic

Yeah!!!!

Boy it's been a good couple weeks to be a LIBERAL (you gotta problem with that?). Scooter Libbey's been indicted for dirty politics, Carl Rove's on the run and now Kenneth Tomlinson has resigned in disgrace from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. And let's not forget that excellent "in your face" the dems pulled on the Republicans in the Senate - and they thought they were the only ones who could exploit a procedural loophole. Go ahead motherf***ers, get rid of the filibuster.

Wal Mart Shoots Itself In The Foot

After all the feel-good propaganda Wal Mart has worked so hard to hammer into the American consciousness, what with millions of dollars in television commercials, radio (even on NPR!) and print ads touting how much they care about their communities and how much they've done to be a good corporate citizen, they shoot themselves in the foot. Just the other day I heard a media report about how Wal Mart was going to lower the cost of health care for their employees and offer much cheaper plans, THEN THEY LET THIS LEAK.

You know this country's in trouble when a veteren Wal Mart "associate" is kicked to the curb because of the excessive cost of keeping him/her employed.

So here's my slightly modified version of the Wal Mart advertising campaign:

"Hi, my name is Julio and I've been a Wal Mart associate for seven years. But becuase the Wal Mart Board of Directors has realized that, after all that time, I'm no more productive than some homey who's pretty much just come off the street - they've going to find a way to fire me to keep the cost of their benefits down. So, I've decided to pursue a life of crime, and I'm gonna start by finding those MOTHER F****RS on the board and pop a cap in their F***ING asses! You made 10 BILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR BITCH! Do you know how many F***ING WAL MART cheerleading sessions I had to endure for that shit?!!! I can't even show my face on the street anymore because of your happy-faced button MOTHER F***ER! But now I got nothing to lose, holmes. You hear me? An I ain't gonna waste it on no jobless gang-banger on the street neither. No way. I'm coming after you mother F***ERS who sit around a table all day drinking your Lattes, figuring out ways to make life tougher for me and mine. I'm coming FOR YOU! You can bet yo ass when I cut yo grass. "


Wish we could see that commercial on tv! Or at least MAD tv.

Rep Curt Weldon Accuses DIA of Smear Campaign

Rep. Curt Weldon (R- Pennsylvania) totally went off on the Defense Department because of what he's learned about a DOD smear campaign aimed at a Lt. Cololonel Schaffer - who apparently has evidence that operation Able Danger had identified Mohammad Atta as a terrorist threat a year before 9/11, and also reportedly identified the threat to the U.S.S. Cole days before it was attacked.

Weldon railed against the Defense Intelligence Agency on CSPAN Wednesday night, calling the agency stupid, incompetent and accused it of conspiring to wreck Schaffer's reputation by creating rumors about affairs with members of Weldon's staff and deliberately removing his military benefits in order to silence him.

"I'm not a conspiracy theorist," said Weldon. "But something is very, very wrong here. Schaffer's being abused and used as a scapegoat, and we can't let that happen in America."

-------------

In any case, I don't think I've ever seen a congressmen as pissed as Weldon was on CSPAN tonight. And he's a Republican!

Can't wait to hear what comes of this.

Polar Ice Caps Melting: Easier To Reach OIL!!!

It's pretty clear after reading this that we're doomed, as a species, to work toward our own extinction.

Ice Caps Melting -easier to get to oil!

DeLay of Justice

Regardless of the outcome, it's pretty clear to me already that former majority leader Tom Delay, if not guilty of an actual crime, has certainly cheated the spirit of the campaign finance laws with loopholes and other accounting acrobatics (those big, cushy corporate tits are hard to give up, eh Tommy?) If Ronnie earle is strong enough to withstand the political pressure, he'll probably find plenty of dirt under that bed. He said on CNN that he's been through this all before, with Democrats and Republicans, and typically, "the wronger(sic) they are, the louder they bark". I guess that makes Delay the unapologetic guard-dog of crony capitalism and dirty politics.

Presidential Gas

The president has called on average Americans to conserve gasoline in the coming months due to the effect on reserves due to the recent hurricanes. He said if you don't have to take that weekend vacation, you should try to avoid it - or any other unnecessary driving. Unfortunately, there's no such conservation being called for on outrageous oil profits. Apparently, not all Americans are being asked to make a sacrifice.

Fed Up With The Fed

So the FDA won't approve the "day after" pregnancy prevention pill for what seems to be purely political reasons. Their top research person resigns in disgust over the administration's penchant for ignoring science when the findings don't fit in with their agenda (the same way they treat intelligence it turns out). Now we find out that they knew about a short circuit in a heart device. And we're not supposed to think that's political?

9/11 Rememberance

I remember I was at work when the first plane hit The World Trade Center. I was in the parking lot of 19B when my wife called to tell me about it, and as we were talking on the phone the second plane hit. Could it be some awful screw-up at air traffic control? No, It was clear our country was under attack by somebody. It became even more clear when we heard the Pentagon had been hit. Our boss authorized us to go buy a television set and VCR at Wal Mart so we could watch the news as it unfolded. I remember wondering how many other targets were going to be hit. I was shocked as anyone, but not entirely surprised. As people so often like to say these days, It wasn't a matter of "if", but "when".

I hate it when I'm right.....

Why is it when the rest of us suffer, Haliburton and its subsidiary Kellog, Brown and Root celebrate? Check out Houston Finds Business Boon After Katrina in the NYT.

Courage & Cowardice

A member of the New Orleans police department reported on CNN that one of the problems they encountered during the Hurricane Katrina rescue was the "cowardly men" who rushed the rescue vehicles. Apparently, they never heard of the "women and children" first rule of rescue and had to be forceably removed from the vehicles. The cameras also captured two men who refused to be evacuated because the National Guard didn't show them any "hospitality".

The media captures the best and the worst of humanity in times of crisis. But always remember, somebody is making a decision about what goes on the air.

White Opportunism : Black Looting

It's very telling that our state and federal beurocrats wasted no time in giving a stern warning to looters in New Orleans that they would be met with a "zero tolerance" (i.e. intolerance), "shoot-to-kill" policy. While poor people are starving and dying of thirst and diabetic shock and disentary and other entirely preventable maladies, the governments earliest priorities were to meet black faces stealing tennis-shoes and televisions with excessive force.

You see, when you're poor & black, it isn't taking advantage of an opportunity to enhance your chances of survival, but looting that will not be tolerated by the powers that be - even when they should be concentrating on much more important things, like making sure hundreds of thousands of Americans don't succumb to the ravages of a natural disaster. Here's a practical solution: if you're carrying anything that you don't need for survival, like water or formula or diapers or food or medicine, then you don't get help. Ten boxes of Nikes are surely an economic and social boon to some poor, black, urban male, but you can't eat shoes no matter how cool they look. Now, if you're stupid enough to shoot at people who are trying to rescue you, then you deserve to be shot.

At the same time, when rich white businessmen gouge consumers at the gas pumps and take obscene profits from the war in Iraq with no-bid contracts, that's NOT looting. Somehow that's ok. Those people don't get an M-16 pointed at their heads for stealing from the federal treasury and from the American taxpayers. Instead they're celebrated as clever opportunists by right-wing conservatives (i.e. fascists). I'm sure those people are already positining themselves to re-build New Orleans and parts of Missisippi and Alabama. I bet the back-room handshakes have already left their palms sweaty. I know, we can get Dick Cheney to give the New Orleans re-construction contracts to Kellogg, Brown & Root and Haliburton and/or their less publicized subsidiaries - they've been having a helluva time in Iraq and would much rather deal with poor blacks instead of poor Iraqis.

I believe this administration and their corporate comrades in the private sector are guilty of the worst looting in the history of our country (and the federal deficit will bore that out when all is said and done), yet nobody is threatening these unapologetic theives with extreme force - even in the voting booths. Too bad. Oh, and remember, this is the same administratioin who ignored the looting of Baghdad.

•••

It will be a mistake for the Katrina victims to turn the slow response to this crisis into a black/white, racial thing - even though there's still undoubtedly unspoken forces working against black America when it comes to white empathy. But I think it's really about class. Those with the means and the sense to leave, were never in any danger. Those without? Well, right-wing conservatives are true social Darwinists who don't feel any guilt in saying "fuck 'em" - as long as it's not on the record in print, radio or television.

As soon as the Fed had boots on the ground yesterday, the top priority seemed to be positive photo-ops to counter the negative publiciity about the slow response to the human crisis. It started with President Bush, who coddled two black women in his arms and kissed them on their heads. Then the generals got into the game today, kissing black babies and and making damn sure they got videotaped barking orders, getting shit done. Well, they were definitely losing in the PR game with this crisis - they had to do something.

I think it's probably true that the magnitude of this crisis played a large part in the slow response. Add to that the poor communication between local, state and federal authorities and you've got a real, dangerous mess on your hands. But it I think it really opened peoples eyes to the fraility of our nation and our susceptibility to natural and man-made disasters - regardless of how deluded we are about American superiority.

Battle of Orleans

I used to shake my head in disgust and dismay while watching on CNN the senseless violence that occurs in Africa and Haiti and other third world countries and wonder, " What's wrong with these people? Who's in charge over there? Why isn't anybody helping the civilians? How can this be happening?" I never thought I'd be asking the same questions about New Orleans, U.S.A.

There's no better example of the complete disconnect between the needs of the America people and the response of the Federal and State governments.


In the words of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who completely lost it in a radio interview, "....I am pissed!" He said nobody's talking about it, but drug addicts are roaming the streets, armed to the teeth, looking for something to take the edge off of their jones. And they don't have the manpower to deal with it. "Someone needs to get their ass on a plane and figure this shit out RIGHT NOW," he said, referring to the Governor and The President just before breaking down into frustrated sobs.

Scary.

CNN keeps reporting that the people need food, water and police and military security. The National Guard officials keep saying they're doing everything they can, and that more and more guards are being deployed to help. However, I will say this about the media coverage, I don't think I've seen one picture on CNN of military troops being deployed to the area, though they claim there's thousands. CNN has been there for three days and they've only shown FEMA employees, who are basically just collecting bodies at this point. Is the breakdown in emergency response or CNN's coverage?

The New Orleans police department is holed up in their precinct and have snipers on the roof, protecting their own while simultaneously watching the city burn.

Where the fuck is the military? Oh yeah, they're "protecting our freedom" in Iraq. Well, damn good thing we have The Department of Homeland Security to make sure we're all safe. Thank God for that.

Unreal. Strange how this happens when most of the media images show black faces as the ones pleading for help as well as the ones looting and shooting. Would there be a lack of response if this happened in western Florida? Is it possible there's a subtext of racism? I'd really hate to believe that.

Mo'town now Po'town

I'm probably not the first to suggest that Detroit adopt the updated nickname "Po'town" after todays report of U.S. census data that puts Detroit in the pole position for poverty-stricken metropolis'. Apparently, a third of Detroit residents live in poverty. That info coupled with the planned cutbacks in the police officers and precincts should put D-town back on top for homocides by year's end, eh?

How to end the war

I think the best way to end the war, without the relative advantage of showing it's pornographic violence on t.v. every night like they did in the sixties and early seventies, is to insist on meticulous accounting for the cost of the war. The one thing American taxpayers hate as much as seeing their sons and daughters come home in shoe boxes, is getting ripped-off by the sheisters who've infiltrated their government by way of no-bid contracts achieved with the help of administration officials. Question their profit margins and you'll see things heat up.

I agree with Frank Rich....

...in his 8/28/05 editorial ...the Democratic party's credibility in America is OVER. And, until the last election, I was a Democrat. Now I'm a pissed-O-crat who celebrates every embarassment our current so-called "civil servants" suffer. Since Clinton, The Democrats have made it embarassingly obvious that most of them are little more than wanna-be Republicans who don't appear quite as ruthless.

The Profitibility of War

Anyone who is interested in understanding the motivation for seemingly pointless pre-emptive wars in the Middle East should absolutely watch Frontline's feature on the privatization of military functions in Iraq.


If you previously had illusions about nationalism, liberty, freedom or democracy, you should be cured of that by the time this documentary is all over.


Watch Frontline's "Private Warriors" online. If you'd like to get quickly to the root of the issue, I suggest you watch Chaptger Three first.

Capital Blasphemy: Maximum Wage

"Forbes reports that the combined compensation of the chief executives of America's 500 largest companies rose 54 percent last year..."

- while us working slobs continue to lose ground.

Here's a radical idea, and one that I'm sure has been quashed by politicians before: why not have a "maximum wage" (i.e. The maximum multiple you can earn, in wages and benefits, over and above the wage and benefits of the lowest paid worker in your company). Prove to all of us that a "a rising tide floats all boats" - like the Republicans used to argue during the "trickle down theory" debates of the 80's (what a crock of shit that turned out to be). A rising tide is only good for those who OWN the boats - the rest of us are still treading water or drowning.

Maximum wage: It's just, It's fair - which means it'll never happen.

National Transparency

Before I ever cracked the cover of his book, I came to the same conclusion that Robert Reich dd in 1992's "The Work of Nations". Nationalism in a "global economy" is meaningless, insofar as it relates to the aspirations and hopes of the citizenry who are contained within a country's borders. The major players in the U.S. Government, and their co-conspirators in business who write the laws and grab the multi-billon dollar defense and infrastructure contracts, are no more loyal to the label "American" than a free-agent in baseball is to the label "Tiger", "Yankee", "Brave" or "Patriot." The players go where the money is and only bring up such labels when it suits some local public relations interest. That's never been so evident as it has in the last ten years, when jobs have consistently gone to the cheapest international labor market.

In a global economy, flags have become as transparent and meaningless as brand labels. Anybody who waves a flag in your face in times of crisis is trying to sell you something. The poor sods who "buy it" are the same ones who end up doing the thankless, bloody work of war, or serve up their sons and daughters to some lofty, but ultimately illusory, ideal . I wish there were some greater meaning in the violent deaths of so many brave souls who are willing to kill or be killed to suit some government aim, that it couldn't all be reduced to economic positioning and pure, unadulterated greed. But in capitalism, the "winners" will keep trying to win AT ANY COST. They don't know how to do anything else. Their driven like machines to "win" - even if it means losing everything else of meaning. Nationalism and patriotism are only a means to an end.

It's all bullshit......and nobody cares.

Go ahead, get on that plane. I'm sure it's safe.

Northwest sounds pretty cocky about their ability to hurt the mechanics union with replacement workers. They've been planning a coup d'etat on the mechanics for over a year now, hiring on the side and training in Arizona on grounded aircraft. Let's see if their thrifty/shifty plan works and breaks the evil union or if NWA customers pay with their lives.

Too bad the unemployed union workers can't suckle the federal tit like NWA did after 9/11. No, no - we can't have the Fed HELPING actual Americans now. Only Corporate Ctizens get the Federal fruit.

Cowardly Congress Silent About Gas Gouge

I'd just like to say that, after hearing Lou Dobbs' report that oil companies are collecting record double-digit profits and their ceo's have received 100% + raises while we're paying record prices at the pump, that I'm one righteously pissed-off working class mother-f*cker.

To my representatives and Senators in Congress - YOUR FIRED!!!!!!! - for this and so many other offenses over the last four years You're a bunch of useless cowards and corporate sycophants who'd sell your mothers for another term in office. Close your doors and declare your job a wash.

9 Billion Reasons To Question Authority

That 9 Billion dollars has been unaccounted for by The Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq is reason enough to end the war. And the looting continues....

The problem with Congress......

The problem with The United States Congress is that average Americans don't have their own high-paid lobbyists to do their bidding. So here's what we should do: we'll send a representative from each "district" to represent the people who live in that district. We'll pay them well, give them great benefits and a great retirement plan,. If we're lucky they can influence legislation on the people's behalf - or if they're really good, maybe they can even write the bills themselves! What do you think? Great idea, eh?

Whaddaya mean it'll never work?!!!!!

; 0

Waking thoughts about Al Queda

I watched Frontline's January 2005 feature about Al Queda's presence in Europe last night and woke up with this thought in my head: •••••

To The Mothers of Misguided Martyrs

Like packs of rabid dogs infected by a maddening virus, your sons are too sick to see the lust within their own hearts; it's a lust for blood and redemption, a lust for power and a return to the Caliphate, but it is lust nonetheless. And though you love them mothers, fathers, daughters, brothers and sons of miguided martyrs all over the world, you must put them down before they destroy the innocent and God curses your family for their arrogant and prideful sin - to presume to know His will where it is not written.

•••••


Strange, I'm not even religious.

Plame Game A Crying Shame

That Judith Miller is going to jail for refusing to reveal a confidential source, a hilghly placed Bush regime source who probably committed a felony by leaking the name of Valerie Plame, an undercover CIA operative who happens to be married to a published critic of said administration's pre-war, African yellow-cake fiasco, is terribly ironic. It's Novak and Rove who should be wearing shackles for this travesty- but then, they're covered by the commandeer (sic) in chief.

Reporter Jailed After Refusing to Name Source - New York Times

The Court of Supremacy Has Spoken

The Supreme Court's recent decision, to allow the seizure of private property by local governments who can turn said private property over to a corporation under the guise of eminent domain for "the public good", is yet another sign that the constitution in this country is being interpreted by rascals of the highest order.

Book Tv: Parental Guidance Suggested

Am I delerious this morning, or is CSPAN actually trying to piss-off the FCC?

During a Book TV interview this morning with "Spank the Donkey" author, Matt Taibbi, I almost choked on my Fruit Loops - twice! Matt Taibbi said "Fuck" and his interviewer said "Pussy", and he didn't mean kitty-cat. It was something like, "But don't you feel like a pussy if you don't turn in a report every day? There's a certain bit of macho-ness that goes along with being a campaign reporter."

I wasn't offended, really, just surprised they cuss as much as I do.

Bush/Blair - Told Ya So!

As I implied in a previous post, I thought from the very beginning there was something fishy going on between Bush and Blair. Now we have The Downing Street Memo which, at least, hints they were on the same page about a year befor the Iraq war began.

I guess this is an "I told ya so" post.

; )

Wisdom from R. Crumb

I heard an interview with R. Crumb the other day on Fresh Air and he said, "...the American sub-conscious is a garbage-pail of media images." I'd only add that blogs are the new dump.

Civic Responsibility for the Lazy Boy

So I wrote my letters to congress and submitted a letter to the editor regarding the latest Republican debacles, namely the Citibank Bankruptcy Bill Giveaway (s.256) and the coming filibuster-buster over the appointment of right-wing judges. I'm doing my part, right? I even sent a follow-up letter admonishing my congressmen for his complacent party-line vote (he voted yes, duh). I don't have much money to send to issue orgs, but I send what I can when I think it's imperative.

Still, I feel I'm not doing enough. I want to take to the streets, screaming and shouting about the abuse of power, the abuse of the constitution, the theocratic hypocrites that pervade the opposition and dozens of other issues regarding the opposition's role in ruining our country.

But, alas, I have to work on Saturday.

Thank God for the internet or I wouldn't have any place to vent.

Ward Churchill on CSPAN

I wandered in from a late-night round of drinking and talking with a neighbor to find controversial professor and activist Ward Churchill on CSPAN defending his contention that the victims of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center were like "little Eichmanns", that the people who died in those building were directly or indirectly responsible for our foreign policy and the trade pressure that adversley affects entire continents. Churchill holds that the 9/11 attacks were the direct result of ten years of sanctions on Iraq and the millions of deaths, 500,000 of them children, that resulted from it - "chickens coming home to roost" as he puts it in a new book. This argument, I believe, further confuses the relationship between Iraq and 9/11 - but it's close enough to the truth to stir things up a bit and prompt a little introspection - which is precisely what a good academic does.

Personally, I've never heard Al Quaida's particular motives for the attacks on 9/11 other than America's offending presence in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia. The Iraqi sanctions, which in retrospect seemed to have worked as advertised in reducing Saddam Hussein's ability to produce more WMD, to my knowledge, were never attributed as a motive for Al Quaida's attack. But I'm just an average American news consumer and I certainly could have missed that important detail in all the self-righteous nationalism that followed. The national ego will protect itself, no matter its culpability.

What's more important than Churchill's grandstanding on CSPAN, I think, is that Americans begin to have a dialbogue about our accountability as a nation. Like Churchill said last night, the attacks on 9/11 were not a "senseless act" of violence on innocent Americans" as it was so often reported, but a highly coordinated attack on our country by a group of Islamists who share a belief about The United States and our foreign policy. There was motive, intent, and a reason they did what they did and who and what they targeted - regardless of whether we get to hear about it or not. The Pentagon is not a symbol, and neither is The World Trade Center.

And there's more, not less reason today for the same group(s) to commit viloence against the United States. Our leaders have proven over the interim period between 9/11 and today that they're willing to risk our security to pursue their domination of the world energy market and to "stablizing" the middle east by whatever means necessary - particularly if those means are exorbitant military contracts with little or no congressional oversight. The proof is always in the profits. Follow the money. There were clues in the secret meetings between energy executives and our "vice" president before the missiles sailed. Since he claims executive privelege and refuses to reveal what happened in those pre-war meetings, I feel free to guess: the administration wanted to make sure that the energy companies were on board, willing to commit billions of dollars in future infrastructure once the dust settled. I know this is a very cynical view - but these are very cynical times where cynical people are willing to risk public safety for personal profit.

Anyway, I think that Ward Churchill is just the first prominent figure in the beginning of a new anti-war movement. Already, establishment press like The Rocky Mountain News have begun the character assasination of a once-respected, albeit already controversial, professor. In the article, "Ward Churchill: A Contentious Life", the paper felt compelled to report how many times he's been married (4), how much money he makes ($92,000), how swank his digs are (a million-dollar view of the snow- draped Indian Peaks) and how many Pall Malls he smokes (2-4 packs a day). Granted, it's a profile piece, but what sticks out are diapproving quotes phrases like "he's just a bully", "His message stirs echoes of a fading counterculture", "prone to "apoplectic fits if he's defied"' and other detractors who imply that he's an egomaniacal wife-beating "pretend Indian" with a questionable service record in Viet Nam. As we now know post-election, if your political leanings are left, your military service isn't honorable, but questionable.

Regardless of how Ward Churchill fares under hyper-media scrutiny, his presence and his mouth have opened the debate about Americna hegemony - and that's just as it should be.

Riffing On The Times: Saturday, April 3rd 2005

The headlines (underlined) are taken directly from The New York Times, but the subheads are entirely made-up.


TOP STORIES

Pope Succumbs to Illness Suffered at Length and in Public - Last message to the world reportedly, "Don't think this won't happen to you."

All-Embracing Man of Action for a New Era of Papacy - Unknown selectee already being referred to by pundits as "The Popenator".

Challenge Is Posed in Selecting a Successor - Worldwide distribution rights for "Catholic Idol" competition spurs network bidding war in Vatican City.


INTERNATIONAL


Help Wanted: China Finds Itself With a Labor Shortage - Traditional "human resource management" resulting in uncontrollable labor mortality. Price of widgets projected to rise in United States. Wal Mart employees volunteer for permanent relocation.

At Least 20 U.S. Troops Wounded in Attack on Iraqi Prison - Casualties averted by threats of sexual humiliation and life-sized posters of Madonna and Paris Hilton.

Poland Mourns the Loss of the Savior of Its National Soul - Polish gag-factory closes doors; double-sided erasing pencils and "Polock" jokes become anachronism in politcally sensitive times, despite efforts of Young Republicans.

NATIONAL


In Boston, Mourning Is Tinged by Criticism - Gay Catholics say they wouldn't be caught dead in Pope's robe.

A Fierce Debate on Atom Bombs From Cold War - Military officials warn Bush regime, "Use 'em or lose 'em."

Drug Makers Race to Cash In on Fight Against Fat - Fighting life-threatening diseases described by drug makers as, "So, like, yesterday."

Riffing On The Times: Saturday, March 27th 2005

As always, the healines are taken directly from The New York Times online edition, but the subheads are entirely made-up.




Top Stories

U.S. Is Examining Plan to Bolster Detainee Rights - Nameless and faceless detainees granted right to have assigned numbers as long as those numbers are "odd" and do not represent any patriotic or Christian significance such as "911", the date of the WTC attack, or "33", the age at which Jesus was crucified. .

Even as Doctors Say Enough, Families Fight to Prolong Life - Right-Wing Conservatives offer themselves as proof that absence of higher brain function does not negate quality of life, but offer "no comment" when asked why "limited government interference" seems to pertain only to matters of private wealth.

For Recruiters, a Hard Toll From a Hard Sell - Officers complain that late-night abductions of fresh recruits from impoverished areas of North America is taking a toll on their family lives. "Out-sourcing" recruits from non-english speaking countries offered as cheaper and easier alternative.

INTERNATIONAL

Boats, Cows, Tasty Lamb: Iraq Battles Smuggling - As U.S. continues its efforts to "stabalize" the region, natives sell-off national assets to survive.

New Details on F.B.I. Aid for Saudis After 9/11 - Turns out Michael Moore was right about our government aiding the flight of rich Saudis after 9/11, but he's still considered a "fat, liberal slob who doesn't know what he's talking about" by conservative talking-heads on the Bush payroll.

Grass-Roots Effort Aims to Upend Mugabe in Zimbabwe - Grassroots L.L.C., a private security firm in Langley Virginia, denies responsibility for African agit-prop.

National

Texas Official Admits Missteps That Helped Railroads in Suits - Says missteps are a necessary manuever for big companies learning the "Texas Two-Step" to circumvent U.S. judicial process.


Movement in the Pews Tries to Jolt Ohio - Christians band together by holding hands and shuffling feet on church carpets to zap local politicians into "Right Thinking". Spokesman says, "God told us to 'create friction' in the U.S. political process."

Tribe Buries 3 on a Long Road to Healing - Chief blames 'white man's fire-stick' on latest school tragedy.

Riffing On The Times: Saturday, March 19th 2005

As always, the headlines are lifted directly from "The NY Times" but the sub-heads are entirely made-up.

TOP STORIES

The Medical Becomes Political for Congress - Majority Leader Frist leads 'horsebacked and hooded' posse on Washington women's clinic to "protect life".

Growth of Wireless Internet Opens New Path for Thieves - Telecommunicatioins revolution frees white-collar criminals from 'stuffy offices and cramped cubicles.'

Wal-Mart to Pay U.S. $11 Million in Lawsuit on Immigrant Workers - Money that would be best spent on a medical trust fund for current employees will instead be used to explore and expand "multiculturalism in the work-force" (i.e. another attempt by Bush to de-criminalize "guest workers").

INTERNATIONAL

Syria's Young Leader Moves to Consolidate His Power - Former dictator's opthamological legacy fits countrymen for another myopic mis-adventure.

Rice Bringing a New Style to State - Secretary unveils department's first spring collection.

C.I.A. Says Approved Methods of Questioning Are All Legal - Disapproved, illegal tactics, however, are on a need-to-know basis.


NATIONAL

A New Test for Imax: The Bible vs. the Volcano Proponents of "The Biggest Movie Screens In The World" turn out to be the biggest cowards when cranky Christians threaten current cash-flow.

Atlanta Police Concede Mistakes in Responding to Shooting - Chief says 'donut run' was probably not the best response to stressful courthouse shooting. Local university offers to study "cops, crisis, and comfort food".


Suspect Admits Killing Fla. Girl, Sheriff Says - Also admits to killing Jimmy Hoffa, Jon Benet Ramsey, The Lindburgh Baby and, "...anything, anything, just please stop hitting me!"

-30-

The Appearance of Justice: Ebbers' Convicted

Bernard Ebbers, former CEO of World Com, has been convicted on 9 counts of fraud and conspiracy and filing false reports with government regulators in the $11 Billion book-cooking scandal that left stock holders and pensioners holding their di***.....er........empty bags.

According to The New York Times, the success of the government's case mostly hinged on the testimony of former Chief Financial Officer, Scott D. Sullivan, who pleaded guilty to his role in the fraud and could get up to 25 years in prison himself (but I'd guess his actual sentencing will be contingent on Ebbers' conviction). Ebbers' himself could get 5-10 years for each of the nine counts, but he won't be sentenced until June 13th and is out free on bail.

So what do you think? Will the guy show up for his sentencing date, do the honorable thing, or take an extended vacation in an undisclosed location somewhere far, far, away? Don't know why they think a rich white guy isn't a flight risk.

Congress: Let Them Eat Chemotherapy

Just couldn't let it pass without comment of how typically disappointed I am with our so-called leaders and the passage of what I like to call the "CITIBANK BANKRUPTCY BILL". Once again, the representatives and senators who were elected to protect the interests of the people have predictably supported more legislation written by and for the companies who are paying for their re-election campaigns. It isn't bad enough they can offer pre-approved credit to college kids without jobs at interest rates that would make the mafia blush, but now they can stick-it to those who are suffocating beneath a mountain of medical bills as well.

Great job Congress; you couldn't have done a better job screwing the American working class if you wrote the bill yourselves!

Bend Over America - Congress has another present for you!

(groan)

Riffing on The Times: Saturday, March 5th 2005

As always, the headlines (underlined) below are taken directly from The New York Times online edition. Everything after that, however, is entirely made up.
Enjoy.- Sudrakarma


TOP STORIES

Italian Hostage, Released in Iraq, Is Shot by G.I.'s - Despite advanced training in recognizing a "terrorist", American soldiers still confused by dark hair and funny accents.

Pro and Con Line Up as Bush Presses Social Security Effort - "Pro"-fessional investment bankers "Con"-vinced Bush's plan better for their.....er...America's future.

Violent New Front in Drug War Opens on the Canadian Border - Crazed cabals of criminal Canucks carrying cannabis, cocaine and cash into California.

INTERNATIONAL

Ukrainian Suspected in Reporter's Murder Is Found Dead - Former president Leonid Kuchma says of Interior Minister's apparent suicide, "Kravchenko definitely killed that reporter - alone and with nobody's help. It was all him! Oh, and he poisoned poor Mr. Yushenko too! That's right, that was him as well. He was craaaazy! But he's dead now, so..."

Syria to Convene Parliament Amid Lebanon Speculation - Leaders say former funkadelic group helps them relax while considering their country's stake in the "Aluminum Boat Capital of The Word."

German Court Awards Jewish Heirs of Nazi-Seized Emporium - Court O.K.'s Potsdamer Platz promotion to award "jewish heirs" to each of the first hundred customers who pay retail.

NATIONAL

Efforts to Hide Sensitive Data Pit 9/11 Concerns Against Safety - Rail cars currently labeled "Liquified Petroleum Gas" will have the word "Not" stenciled above them in an effort to confuse potential terrorists.

...others will be labeled "Mechanic's Milk", "Go Juice" and "Not intended to be used as an incindiary device." Department of Homeland Security estimates the cost of the project to be 'somewhere in the billions'. A department spokesman said 'the scope and magnituded of such a lucrative government contract could only be entrusted to a company of the same scope and magnitude,' namely an as-yet untitled subsidiary of Haliburton. Company officials say they will immediately begin distributing "commercial catastophy cammoflaging kits (CCCK's)" to local governments, which, mysteriously have already been prepared. The kits, or C3K's as the've been dubbed, consist of a can of "application-specific" spray paint and stencil at the cost of $9,073 per kit. (ED - sorry, couldn't help myself!)

F.B.I. Agents Seize Letters From Supremacist's Friend - Agency uncovers evidence of conspiratorial tryst in Robert Novak's steamy love letters to President Bush.

F.D.A. Seizes Millions of Pills From Pharmaceutical Plants - Administration official deny allegations that they plan to re-sell the pills on the internet to recoup crucial funding.

Marth Stewart Can Go To Hell

Irreplaceable minutes of my day were stolen by the national media who seem intent to celebrate the return of Martha Stewart from prison today. Even NPR deemed it necessary to highlight favorable opinions of this shameless liar by quoting nothing but apologists in their story. Is Martha Stewart a personality we should be celebrating right now? CNN is treating her return as the greatest comeback since Nelson fucking Mandela. Martha Stewart lied to save her own ass! And now she'll profit handsomely from it with books, television specials and K-Mart merchandise. THIS is what we're celebrating? This is the "come-back" story we're teaching out kids to value? It's ok to lie, cheat and steal as long as you can turn it to your own advantage? That's pop-culture family values for you. God we love our winners, dont' we? No matter what they'll do to stay there. Where is our shame?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Rome is burning.

Sears Corp./K-Mart Catalog Item # 334-1201 - "The Empress' Robe"

Martha fans will be sure to enjoy this unique, Limited Edition item from the "Martha Stewart Post-Prison Payback Collection". You'll look better than ever in your transparent "Empress' Robe". Don't let the neighbors shame you into submission because they aren't as "buff" as you. Hold your nose up high and saunter right on by! Comes in any imaginable size & style with free delivery. Made from 100% transparent sheeps wool, woven and spun into misguided perceptions..........................$70,000

Riffing On The Times: Saturday, February 26 2005

Again, the headlines below (underlined) were taken directly from The New York Times online, but the subtitles are entirely made up. Just a bit of satire. Enjoy.


Suicide Bombing Kills at Least 4 at Tel Aviv Club - And just when it seemed things were going so well between the Jews and the Arabs.

Pope Described as Recovering After Surgery - Also described as "Old", "Infirm", "Near Death" and most controversially, "Merely Human."

Women's Voice Rise as Rwanda Reinvents Itself - After bloody recent history, country wants to be known as "Soprano-Ville".

5 G.I.'s Killed and 9 Injured Across Iraq in 24 Hours - 1500 casualties and counting, Bush claims "Mission Accomplished" and sets sights on Iran.

5 G.I.'s Killed and 9 Injured Across Iraq in 24 Hours - President quips, "That wouldn't sound so bad if you knew how many Iraqis we've killed in the last 24 hours. But that's classified."

9 U.N. Peacekeepers in Congo Killed by Militia Fighters - Kofi Anan declares home continent "Danger Zone" and proposes new resolution to, "make it nicer".

9 U.N. Peacekeepers in Congo Killed by Militia Fighters - "Help Wanted" sign again graces U.N. Storefront. Talk of "out-sourcing" begins.

Rice Calls Off Mideast Visit After Arrest of Egyptian - Secretary of State says Egyptian man wasn't criminal, but hired by State Department to paint her toenails while she played piano, fan her with ostrich feathers while she lounged, and portray Marc Antony or Julius Ceasar when she was feeling "powerful".

Amid Uproar, Harvard Head Ponders Style - President of formerly respected university declares an end to confrontational leadership style to adopt, "...more of a Jim Backus/Thurston Howell III kind of thing." Claims sailor suit just the beginning of operation "Retro-President".

At a Small Shop in Colorado, Wal-Mart Beats a Union Once More - Seems "living wage" and need for "a decent living" no match for American's lust for "deep discounts".

At a Small Shop in Colorado, Wal-Mart Beats a Union Once More - Despite Walton Family $100 BILLION fortune, they're still not satisfied. "What we're really into is pounding the little guy deep into poverty. Now that's satisfying. You just can't put a price on that."

Move to Halt Delegations Is Challenging Episcopalians - Confusion over homosexuality leads to "Pissed-Co-Palian", "Bi-copalian", "Trans-copalian", and "Lez-copalian" splinter groups.

Read more Riffing On The Times: Feb 20th, 2005

My Life As The News: Father Rejects "Mall Mania"

A local father rejected his daughter's plea last night to be included in an upcoming Girl Scout field trip.

Known to local scouts as "Mall Mania" and billed by the Girl Scouts as "Mall-ticultural Mania", the field trip consists of "locking-down" a local mall from 10 pm to 4 am for local Girl Scout troops who will be encouraged to "shop till they drop" at selected stores that will remain open exclusively for them. Other activities, such as "rock-climbing" and swapping hand-made crafts with other scouts will also take place.

"Since when did the Girl Scouts encourage conspicuous consumption?" Eric Phillips complained. "And what does the mall and shopping have to do with multiculturalism? Unless they're going to spend the night looking at clothing and toy labels and discussing the wage slavery and child-labor in the third-world and how it's perpetuated to fulfill our every whim, I just don't get it."

That's just the problem, his daughter says. He doesn't get it.

"I just want to fit in," complained 10yr old Emily, in tears. "The other girls keep talking about it and I feel left out. And when they get back they're going to talk about how great it was and how I should have went. It's not fair!" She said she'll probably spend her weekend in her room, alone, with nobody to play with.

Two other local parents also rejected their daughter's involvement in the trip. One cited the early pick-up time (4:30 a.m.) as "terribly inconvenient" and the another girl's biological father has legal visitation that weekend.

Emily's father says he doens't mind picking his daughter up in the early morning, and "totally understands" the trip is primarily about bonding with other girls and just having some fun. But he has other concerns besides an inappropriate theme, he said.

"I really wasn't satisfied with how the whole thing was explained to me," said Mr. Phillips. Among his unanswered questions were the ratio was of parent-chaperones to girl scouts, the total number of girl scouts participating and what, if any, extra security precautions were taken to ensure his daughter's safety. "If your gonig to lock my kid up in a mall in the middle of the night in a strange city, I want to know exactly who will be responsible for her safety at all times."

In the meantime, Emily will be selling Girl Scout cookies with her father at a local produce market on the very day the field trip will take place. She's still upset about not being allowed to participate in "Mall Mania", but says she understand her father's ruling.

"I know he has his reasons," Emily said. "And I know that he loves me and wants to protect me."

"I don't want to be an ogre," Mr. Phillips said. "But if I didn't question her activities and associations I wouldn't be doing my job as a parent."

Still, feeling a bit guilty for his refusal, he promised to make it up to her.
-30-

Riffing On The Times: Sunday, Feb 20, 2005

Thought this might be a fun writing exercise for a lazy Sunday morning. The first phrase or sentence in each example below (in quotes) is taken directly from The New York Times "Top Stories" and "International News" headlines. The subtitles, however, are entirely made-up.

------------------------------------------

"Audit Faults U.S. for It's Spending on Port Defense" - Despite it's origin, Portuguese wine says it can defend itself in War On Terror.

"Bush Seeks to Begin a Thaw in a Europe Still Cool to Him" - Proposes increase in industrial CFC emissions resulting in Green House Effect that will eventually melt their resolve.

"For Pain Management, Doctors Prescribe Caution" - ...which now comes in an easy-to-swallow capsule for only $12 a dose. Ask your physician if Caution is right for you.

"On Bus, Bicycle and Foot, Suicide Bombers Aim at a Shiite Holy Day" - but complain about the lack of automobiles available to them in Iraq. Insurgent leaders call for increase in private funding to aid martyr's plight.

"On Bus, Bicycle and Foot, Suicide Bombers Aim at a Shiite Holy Day" - but miss repeatedly. Tuesday and Wednesday suffer only minor injuries.

"Israel Gears Up for Burst of Far-Right Anger at Pullout" - Far-Right says Israel should think about baseball to prevent such bursts.

"15,000 Rally in Togo to End Family's Rule" - Crowd of unemployed U.S. engineers and factory workers protest nepotism at local sandwich franchise.

"In secretly taped conversations, glimpses of Future President" - being paddled by Donald Rumsfeld in a Defense Department hazing ritual deep beneath The Pentagon. Future President will henceforth be sent to Yale where he will learn "boozin' and bitchin'" from the Young Republicans.


"Focus on Indiana's Governor, A Tax Cutter Who Has Become a Tax Raiser" - Former Eli-Lilly executive couldn't bring himself to lower costs for ailing state.

"FDA Moves Toward More Openess With Public" - Admits that all Americans will eventually die, despite their best efforts to kill them first.

"FDA Moves Toward More Openess With Public" - Admits bribery and scandal not effective treatment for most health problems.

Please feel free to include your own examples by posting in the "comments" section.

The Oz Principle and The War on Terror

Recently, my employer required me to read "The Oz Principle", a book about personal accountability in life and on the job which used, of all things, The Wizard of Oz as its metaphor. The characters in that story , after all their travels and tribulations, end up discovering that they had the power to rise above their circumstances all along, if they were just willing to see their part in perpetuating their plight.

At first I was taken aback by the language of the introduction which railed against the "victim mentality" that the authors boldy presumed to have become nothing less than a "crisis in America". They cited, among other popular conservative targets, litigious victims who've turned our court system into their personal entitlement dispenser. The book's language sounded like it was going to be yet another corporate cheerleading sessioin to increase worker productivity through pop psychology. I nearly dismissed it as just more conservative clap-trap in an era rife with it.

But soon, the authors cited examples of corporate and government victimhood and malfeasance, such as the savings and loan scandal, the Iran Contra affair and other examples where when caught in the act, the players began pointing fingers at everyone and everything except themselves. They weren't willing to own any of the responsibility of the outcome. Big surprise. "The Oz Principle" was written in the early nineties, but I bet the authors would have had a field day with the Enron, Tyco and Worldcom scandals and our government agencies reastions to 9/11. Hell, even Martha Stewart would get a lashing for her flippance in refusing, despite her conviction, to be in the least bit accountable for her predicament.

But liberal victims, like myself on occassion, aren't let off the hook either, which is as it should be. Seeing my own thoughts and actions in that light helps me own some accountability for my particular circumstances, as least those parts that I can control, and it makes me a better person I think.

Anyway, the book made me realize that, in part being a victim is a choice. Sure, bad things will happen to you that you have no control over, but you can choose to whine about it, or you can ask yourself, "What else can I do to rise above my circumstances to get the results I desire?" I know, it sounds like one of those annoying affirmations that are pinned up in somebody's cubicle to motivate them when they just want to crawl under their desk, curl up into a fetal ball, and refuse to acknowledge that, yes, this is their life. But I was really attracted to the book's core message which is to acquire Above The Line™ thinking. To See It™, Own It™, Solve It™, and Do It™. So forget what I think or who's at fault, rather, what can I do to get the results I want? As obvious as it sounds, it rarely occurs to me when things are looking bleak in my personal life or the world around me.

So I have a new paradigm, a filter through which I can get a fresh look at the world. And when I point that lens at my President, I feel somewhat vindicated for my criticisms. This is an administration that refuses to be accountable for any of its failures. I'll give them credit for their victories, like the recent electioni in Iraq. After all, they earned them the hard way, by taking high-risk actions for possibly huge political rewards. But I'd think much more of them, and be less apt to protest or rebel, if they would own their failures - at least partially. But all I've seen from this administration is the staunch refusal to accept ANY blame for ANY part of this entire "War On Terror" debacle. According to "The Oz Principle", that's Below The Line thinking.

I understand that the administration can't control the actions of radical Islamists or their horribly misguided religious ideals, but refusing to own any responsibility for our country's predicament in the world, or our position as a political and collateral target, is "below the line" thinking that can only lead to more finger-pointing and a "victim mentality."

The most recent example of "below the line thinking" are the attempt by a certain university to expel one of its professors for acknowledging in a speech that the victims of 9/11, in particular those victims who worked for and ran the corporations who deal in world trade and banking and whose interests shape our foreign policy, were at least partially responsible for their fate. It was a bold and brave statement, but one that, predictably, upset the "victim mentallity" of the U.S. populace who are still licking their wounds after being so viciously blind-sided by the events of that fateful day.

Some of the question that were repeatedly asked after 9/11 were, "How could this happen to us?" and "Why did this happen to us?" and finally "Why do they hate us so much?" I propose that we, as a country, will never really know the answer to that unless we're willing to acknowledge our part in creating the circumstance. Unless, as "The Oz Principle" states, we See It™ and Own It™ (i.e. accountability), well never Solve It™ and do what we need to do to make sure it never happens again. This is why history repeats itself. But we're not doomed to repeat it if we honestly and transparently ask ourselves, "What can we do as a country, as a world community, to rise above our circumstances and get the results we desire?"

Perhaps first we should ask ourselves, what do we really desire for our country? Do we desire perpetual war and a perpetual parade of finger-pointing "victims" and "perpetrators"? Or can we really create something better? That question hasn't been earnestly explored since the 1960's. Perhaps it's time to take another shot at it.

"The State of The Union" implies unity

I couldn't watch the State of The Union address.

Besides, I'm pretty confident I know what Bush's game is; get whatcha' can while you can. Piss on the constitution and loot the treasury for you and your buddies and do it so well that it will take a generation of American hard labor to recover from it. Then, when some fool Democrat creates a surplus again, the Republicans can steal it again in the form of tax cuts for the rich and out-sourcing corporations that care so much about America's present and future (they only salute one flag and it isn't red, white & blue). We've been through this ecomomic cycle before, people. It took twenty years to recover from the excess and government looting (a.k.a. bank bailouts) of Reaganomics. We many never recover from Bushonomics. At least, not without some kind of revolution.

It's funny that Republicans have managed to label Democrats as too loose with American tax dollars - spending them on useless government social programs that benefit the "undeserving" (that would be your poor, your children and your old people). But Bush is looting the pot to perpetuate a war for the benefit of Haliburton (and subsidiaries), The Carlyle Group and to manipulate the worldwide energy market.

If you think it was cynical for Enron (remember now, CEO Ken Lay was a good buddy to the Bush Regime) to plunder the newly deregulated California energy market in the nineties, just wait until this new world order takes shape.

By the way, how is your energy bill looking lately?