Okay, I admit that I haven't been keeping up with my blogging. This is because dial-up has me teetering on the brink of insanity. Since I am currently living in the boonies (nearest gas station= 4.3 mi. nearest bar= 2.5mi) I simply cannot get high speed internet access at home. Driving 12 miles to the nearest public library with my laptop and getting on their wifi is not a feasible thing on a daily basis. So, posts are few and far between, sorry if you've missed me.
Iraq is creeping towards elections this weekend. Of course, I wish them the best of luck. If they pull off some sort of Democracy miracle, my brother may get to come home. Obviously, I hold out little hope for anything but a debacle. Even if people make it to the polls and back without being bombed or shot, the results of an election which is being boycotted by a major political bloc are certainly going to be subject to charges of illegitimacy. I hear that the only political party which is actively campaigning and holding rallies is the Communist parties, which could make for a lovely bit of irony if we create a new Communist regime. It's good for a bit of a chuckle, probably the only part of the whole scenario that is.
On the home front, we have a new Sec. of State, Condi "my husb, er, I mean the President" Rice. She's the President's biggest fan, the person who has his ear, and the person least likely to ever contradict anything he says. Also, she has a knack for pissing people off and utterly lacks the knack of lying convincingly (though with all her practice. . . ), so she's the exact opposite of a diplomat.
Alberto Gonzales is wending his way through the confirmation process to be our new AG. There is a building movement to vote no on his nomination which is at least somewhat encouraging. At least when he does get confirmed, his tenure will be overshadowed by all the illegal and unethical behavior which will be outed during his confirmation hearings. I wonder if he'll be as committed to safe-guarding the modesty of statuary as his predecessor.
There's an interesting post over at Daily Kos about a proposed regulation limiting the freedom of college and university profs in Ohio. This is similar to a policy proposed at the University of Texas which I heard a lot about when I was in Austin. UT currently has a student group devoted to harrassing profs over their political beliefs, and they target liberals almost exclusively.
Anyhow, I am off for the weekend to Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula to visit my grandparents. While I'm gone, keep an eye on Kos and Atrios. Also, the entertainment and educational value of the following links cannot be denied:
Have a good weekend, all!
Friday, January 28, 2005
Monday, January 17, 2005
back at the library
And I'm wondering, should I be worried about the PATRIOT act using the library's wi-fi to post this blog. Not that anything I have ever written on here even approaches illegality, but still, in this climate of fear-mongering and witch-hunting you have to wonder. Well, if this space suddenly goes dark, you'll know why.
So, we're officially no longer looking for WMDs in Iraq. The more cynical among you will wonder if we ever really were. I doubt it, having read (ok, skimmed) the Project for a New American Century. WMDs were the mcguffin, nothing more. And the official admission that we are no longer looking for what was clearly not there in the first place has raised so few questions among the public and press. More than that, it has cause zero recriminations in the administration.
No, I am not suprised, but I am disappointed. I keep hoping to wake up and find that the news media or Democrats are really taking Bush et. al. to task for their behavior. And if neither of those groups, then how about something more grass roots? Clearly there are enough people in this country from liberals to Libertarians to paleo-Cons who have something to gain by seeing Bush's political career implode to form some kind of ad hoc movement to that end. But they seem to be largely invisible. Mostly, I suspect, playing out alternated scenarios for the '00 and '04 elections, and running and re-running political fin de siecle fantasies. Meanwhile, GWB trundles on like some grotesque parody of the little engine that could. Nothing, not scandal, not horror, not the truth, seems to stop him.
Oh, and we get to have Alberto "Waterboarding" Gonzales as our new attorney general. Something about the fox guarding the hen-house. . . I thought that Clarence Thomas marked the low point for the American legal system at a federal level. Clearly, I was wrong.
I think I am going to start a list (and feel free to contribute) of questions the media should ask Bush. It's not important whether he answers, 'cause we all know he won't, but these should be in the public record as having been asked. Also, it's fun to watch him dance, like a little monkey. The first one is this: Do you believe in a literal reading of the Bible and more specifically, do you believe that God created the Earth in six literal 24 hour days as described in the book of Genesis? Follow-up: How does your belief influence your education policy with regards to science education?
So, we're officially no longer looking for WMDs in Iraq. The more cynical among you will wonder if we ever really were. I doubt it, having read (ok, skimmed) the Project for a New American Century. WMDs were the mcguffin, nothing more. And the official admission that we are no longer looking for what was clearly not there in the first place has raised so few questions among the public and press. More than that, it has cause zero recriminations in the administration.
No, I am not suprised, but I am disappointed. I keep hoping to wake up and find that the news media or Democrats are really taking Bush et. al. to task for their behavior. And if neither of those groups, then how about something more grass roots? Clearly there are enough people in this country from liberals to Libertarians to paleo-Cons who have something to gain by seeing Bush's political career implode to form some kind of ad hoc movement to that end. But they seem to be largely invisible. Mostly, I suspect, playing out alternated scenarios for the '00 and '04 elections, and running and re-running political fin de siecle fantasies. Meanwhile, GWB trundles on like some grotesque parody of the little engine that could. Nothing, not scandal, not horror, not the truth, seems to stop him.
Oh, and we get to have Alberto "Waterboarding" Gonzales as our new attorney general. Something about the fox guarding the hen-house. . . I thought that Clarence Thomas marked the low point for the American legal system at a federal level. Clearly, I was wrong.
I think I am going to start a list (and feel free to contribute) of questions the media should ask Bush. It's not important whether he answers, 'cause we all know he won't, but these should be in the public record as having been asked. Also, it's fun to watch him dance, like a little monkey. The first one is this: Do you believe in a literal reading of the Bible and more specifically, do you believe that God created the Earth in six literal 24 hour days as described in the book of Genesis? Follow-up: How does your belief influence your education policy with regards to science education?
just in case
I don't have another post this week, here's some interesting reading over at the American Prospect.
Monday, January 10, 2005
ahh, yes, it's about time
Really we should have done this years ago, but better late than never.
Also, I promise more timely posting when I get back to work. I am still job hunting, and also still working off dial-up most of the time (on that note, whoever started the free wifi at public libraries movement has my eternal gratitude). Once I'm employed, I'll have high speed internet and something to procrastinate on at work.
There was a news flash just before I left to come to the library that CBS fired four high ranking producers and staffers over the forged National Guard memo controversy. That's sad, I mean I don't condone what they did becuase I think it was sloppy, but the fact of the matter is that forged memos or not, the basic underlying story is true: GWB got preferential treatment in the National Guard during Vietnam. Too bad no one ever sees fit to cover that little tidbit.
My little brother's now in Kuwait waiting to see where he and his fellow Marines are getting sent in Iraq. If one more person says that they will pray for him, I'm gonna scream. Pray!?! Yeah, dumbass, how about instead we rewind the clock a few months and you vote for Kerry so my brother wouldn't be in Kuwait right now? How about that? Or how about you stop worrying about God, and get off you lazy ass to make life in this world better and safer? I am hard pressed to deal with such lunacy without totally losing it.
As scary and real as this is, it all still seems a little surreal to me. Looking back, it is hard for me to comprehend how the American public got talked into this war in the first place, and even more so, why there hasn't been a popular outcry against it yet given all the facts and all the lies we now know. I'm cynical enough to know that most people are pretty dumb, and pretty complacent, but I also have enough latent idealism to hope that they can shake off the stupidity and complacency in time to precent GWB et al from turning the Middle East into a giant slab of fused sand from Israel's eastern border to the Gulf. Or at least stop them from creating American funded and trained death squads.
Also, I promise more timely posting when I get back to work. I am still job hunting, and also still working off dial-up most of the time (on that note, whoever started the free wifi at public libraries movement has my eternal gratitude). Once I'm employed, I'll have high speed internet and something to procrastinate on at work.
There was a news flash just before I left to come to the library that CBS fired four high ranking producers and staffers over the forged National Guard memo controversy. That's sad, I mean I don't condone what they did becuase I think it was sloppy, but the fact of the matter is that forged memos or not, the basic underlying story is true: GWB got preferential treatment in the National Guard during Vietnam. Too bad no one ever sees fit to cover that little tidbit.
My little brother's now in Kuwait waiting to see where he and his fellow Marines are getting sent in Iraq. If one more person says that they will pray for him, I'm gonna scream. Pray!?! Yeah, dumbass, how about instead we rewind the clock a few months and you vote for Kerry so my brother wouldn't be in Kuwait right now? How about that? Or how about you stop worrying about God, and get off you lazy ass to make life in this world better and safer? I am hard pressed to deal with such lunacy without totally losing it.
As scary and real as this is, it all still seems a little surreal to me. Looking back, it is hard for me to comprehend how the American public got talked into this war in the first place, and even more so, why there hasn't been a popular outcry against it yet given all the facts and all the lies we now know. I'm cynical enough to know that most people are pretty dumb, and pretty complacent, but I also have enough latent idealism to hope that they can shake off the stupidity and complacency in time to precent GWB et al from turning the Middle East into a giant slab of fused sand from Israel's eastern border to the Gulf. Or at least stop them from creating American funded and trained death squads.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
still alive and kicking
I really didn't fall off the face of the Earth, though it does seem like it since I haven't been online for a few weeks (you should see my email inbox).
The holidays passed pretty uneventfully, I got to see my family and spend some time with my little brother before he's deployed to Iraq for which I am grateful. And I caught up with a bunch of friends I haven't seen for a while. I also lit out for Wisconsin the day after Christmas. That was an adventure and a half during which I decided I have way too much stuff. It used to all fit in my car, this time it took all of a minivan, d'oh. I like to travel light, this is not light.
I heard about the tsunami in my car. In fact I haven't really seen many pictures of it yet because I was on the road when most of the news coverage happened. Such a tragedy, and we're helping by sending Jeb Bush, great. WE could send Neal too, and sink a few savings & loans while we're at it. Also, we're donating approximately the amount of money we spend per hour in Iraq. Aren't we the philanthropists. It's so sad to think that we could have mobilized such massive resources to help all the people suffering if we weren't killing people in Iraq. This kind of thinking is of course an exercise in futility, but I've always been one for "what if. . . ".
My cousin Aaron just got back from his first trip to Europe all aglow about how wonderful it is. I had about given up on my plan to try to find work in Ireland, but seeing him like that reminds me of how much I really do like Europe. And also how much more my salary over there would be worth in American pesos, ahem, dollars. Such a beneficial exchange rate sure would make getting out from under my student loans easier.
Then I saw a Chicago Trib story about how Barack Obama is about to really break, like presidentially, and I thought, do I really want to miss out on something like the revitalization of the Democratic party? Of course I really don't believe that even another FDR can save the country now. It is too much in the grip of religious zealots and their puppets. I know, Ireland's not exactly a religion free zone, but I can sympathize with Catholics, and they don't scare me nearly as much as Evangelicals do.
Sorry for the train of thought ramblings, I need a few days to get back in the swing of things. In the mean time, check out this much more coherent and interesting piece by a fellow blogger. Suitably cynical reading for the new year.
The holidays passed pretty uneventfully, I got to see my family and spend some time with my little brother before he's deployed to Iraq for which I am grateful. And I caught up with a bunch of friends I haven't seen for a while. I also lit out for Wisconsin the day after Christmas. That was an adventure and a half during which I decided I have way too much stuff. It used to all fit in my car, this time it took all of a minivan, d'oh. I like to travel light, this is not light.
I heard about the tsunami in my car. In fact I haven't really seen many pictures of it yet because I was on the road when most of the news coverage happened. Such a tragedy, and we're helping by sending Jeb Bush, great. WE could send Neal too, and sink a few savings & loans while we're at it. Also, we're donating approximately the amount of money we spend per hour in Iraq. Aren't we the philanthropists. It's so sad to think that we could have mobilized such massive resources to help all the people suffering if we weren't killing people in Iraq. This kind of thinking is of course an exercise in futility, but I've always been one for "what if. . . ".
My cousin Aaron just got back from his first trip to Europe all aglow about how wonderful it is. I had about given up on my plan to try to find work in Ireland, but seeing him like that reminds me of how much I really do like Europe. And also how much more my salary over there would be worth in American pesos, ahem, dollars. Such a beneficial exchange rate sure would make getting out from under my student loans easier.
Then I saw a Chicago Trib story about how Barack Obama is about to really break, like presidentially, and I thought, do I really want to miss out on something like the revitalization of the Democratic party? Of course I really don't believe that even another FDR can save the country now. It is too much in the grip of religious zealots and their puppets. I know, Ireland's not exactly a religion free zone, but I can sympathize with Catholics, and they don't scare me nearly as much as Evangelicals do.
Sorry for the train of thought ramblings, I need a few days to get back in the swing of things. In the mean time, check out this much more coherent and interesting piece by a fellow blogger. Suitably cynical reading for the new year.
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