Dead Horses

There's nothing to be gained in beating a dead horse, goes the old saw. So why do the conservatives continue to do so?? Their present dead horse is the growth of government as exemplified by "Obamacare." Funny, when Medicare/Medicaid was enacted I don't remember cries of foreboding about "Johnsoncare." Was it because we were not as clever then? Doubtful. Most likely it was because we were more civil then, at least in our domestic policy discussions. But I digress....

This morning I happened to catch Congressman Mike Pence (R-Ind,) on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. Mr Pence is a conservative Republican and a winner of Conservative Man of the Year from the organization Human Rights. After the usual frothing about how health care reform as presently constituted will be a crushing blow to our economic recovery, Mt. Pence would NOT name any other government program than "Obamacare" that he would cut to help reduce spending at the federal level and the trillion-dollar deficit. This despite several instances of encouragement by the show' s panelist Mike Barnicle. Mr. Pence's stand is so typical of the conservative Republicans who got us into this mess in the first place---the Iraq War, the debacle named Afghanistan, the collapse of the financial system in 2007------the legacy of George W Bush and the Republican controlled congress (until 2006). And now it's Barack Obama's health care reform that is plunging us into the abyss???? I think not. I agree with David Frum---time for the conservatives to work within the system rather than merely being perceived as obstructionist if they want to make any headway in the November mid-term elections.

So go to the tea parties, continue the "I'm NRA and I vote", and the "NObama" bumper sticker tirades. On with the racial epithets and gender preference slurs, on Rush, on Sean, on Glenn, on over the top screaming, and on to defeat with your beaten dead horse in November.

State of the Union 2010

So the first state of the union address by Barack Obama, originally believed to be scheduled for Feb. 2, has been the victim of constituent pressure. Rather than pre-empt or, worse yet, compete with the season premiere of Lost, the prez and team have scheduled the big speech for Wed. Jan. 27. Bending to special interests already.....And think of the poor speechwriters. Seven seasons of West Wing have taught us all about the angst of the White House staff in crafting this annual message and policy statement. To move it forward a week would have sent Josh and Sam into apoplectic fits and a long stay in a sanitarium.

In a previous post, we said we'd comment on some of the political news, so here we go---from the perspective of some rather intelligent canines---the Pirate Dogs!!!!

The first subject is hubris. The Democratic leadership (or lack thereof) embodied in Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid were so certain they could use their numerical advantage and senatorial super-majority to ram through anything on their agenda. In the course of attempting this one party take-over of the republic, these two have totally undermined the bi-partisan goals of their party's leader---the president. So the Republicans do a drug war thing--"just say no"--- and all the economic recovery and needed programs like environmental protection and health care become subject to the pork needs of every Democratic denizen of the halls of the capitol. These "leaders" of the Democratic party are so inept they allowed a Republican victory in a Massachusetts special election for the Senate seat that has been held by a Kennedy since 1952!!!!! Scott Brown ran the type of campaign that might entice any voter. If he eschews his "Number 41" b.s. and actually does what he said---represent the citizens of MA first, he would be a breath of fresh air in the Senate.

Next we have Pat Robertson saying Haiti's deals with the devil caused the tragic earthquake. What is it with "Christians"???? Now the soldiers in the Middle East can't aim their weapons properly because all the gun sights have biblical inscriptions on them and they are being recalled and replaced!!!! Or at least removed. Did it occur to these people that part of the rationale for the Islamic jihadist is their perception that they need to defeat the Crusaders, i.e., Christians, in order to preserve their life style and religion. Aren't they to be allowed the same freedom of religion as the citizens of the United States??? Didn't the King of England in 1776 call the Sons of Liberty "terrorists"?

Scandals----aahhh, what would American media be without them. Around the clock Tiger affair coverage, Mark Sanford and the Argentinian/Appalachian deception. Now John Edwards has admitted fathering Rielle's daughter and the National Inquirer's editorial board is going to submit their coverage for a Pulitzer prize, that most coveted award for SERIOUS journalism!!!! The National Inquirer---home of "I was an Alien Love Slave" exposes.......People, are you there?? Thank heaven they are "ineligible". What a fiasco that would be-----maybe even worse then McCain picking Palin !!!! Or thinking Reid and Pelosi could steer health care reform through the legislative process and have it emerge as a really positive benefit for the American people!!!

Next, let's discuss campaign finance reform. Now that the Supreme Court has overturned parts of McCain-Feingold and opened the door to limitless contributions, maybe it's time for real reform. Let the federal government take one dollar from each tax return and put the money in a pot for the presidential election. The money would be divided equally among all candidates appearing on the ballot in 26 states. (26 states is one more than half the total number of states. Some states have very low filing fees which encourage very marginal or fringe candidates to enter their primaries. If candidates can file in at least 26 states this might prevent public funding for the extremists and wackos.) Any additional expenditure would be illegal and we wouldn't want a criminal for president, would we?? No fund raising is permitted in local elections. Each office seeker should pay a filing fee and get out and meet the voters and convince them of their worthiness to serve. Just like the Founding Fathers had to---you didn't see George Washington or Thomas Jefferson doing polls and paying political advisers!!!!!!

Finally, the BIG ONE---health-care reform. Now Paul Krugman has some ideas in his column today but how about this----let's make the plan that all the government officials, Senators, House members, and federal employees have available to the general public?? Even a Republican couldn't vote against that without having to answer charges of elitism. What's good for our bureaucrats and elected representatives should be good for all the citizens, right???

Nothing's Easy

After all the flap about the peace prize, we really need to get serious about blaming the current administration for things. Onion has a piece about Obama negotiating with a forest fire--guess he CAN do anything!!! Today the news broke that American kids are even worse at math than last year after we elected what we thought was a REAL education supportive president. There's tsunamis in the Pacific and Dylan was right about SoCal---"a hard rain's gonna fall" and all those multi-million dollar homes the elite built on those recently denuded-by-fire hills may come tumbling down like Jericho's walls. Barack, blow that trumpet!!!!!!!!

But the ultimate insult, worse than H1N1 swine flu, is H3N8!!!! Obviously this plague has been visited upon us by Yahweh as punishment for our electing Obama. What, you didn't hear about this?? The ultimate apocalyptic event, worse than a Vince Vaughn movie or a Mayan prophecy?

H3N8 is a virus that infects horses. Apparently it can be transmitted to dogs, causing pneumonia in man's last and only best friend. Vets are recommending vaccinations for the K-9 population to protect them. Holy spiraling health care costs, and right on top of the swine flu vaccine issues!!!!! Barack, Barack, why hast thou forsaken us???? After nine months in office, all there is for you is blame---- blame for the wars you didn't start and the deficit you didn't create. Bet you even support Limbaugh's buying the St Louis Rams!!!! Don't worry, someone is sure to paint you with that brush,too......

Short Week

Last week marked the traditional end of summer--Labor Day. This week usually seems very packed with events for such a short-work week. It's the traditional back-to-school week; the time to prepare for the harvest and start the process of stocking up for winter; car sales; and that last summer week-end of irresponsibility.

This year the week seemed even more densely populated with events.

Tuesday had the presidential brainwashing of America's youth with socialist clap-trap. Horror must abide at the very thought of encouraging these impressionable minds to endeavor to fulfill their potential. Far better for our democracy that the next generation be dull and easily swayed by the demagoguery coming from the speakers of their radios and televisions. Just imagine what, say, Rush Limbaugh's or Fox News channel's ratings would be if their listeners or viewers were capable of critical thinking or schooled in the intricacies of logical debate. No wonder the hue and cry to prevent the president from addressing the nation's students about their opportunities if they stay in school, eschew gangs and drugs, and learn to think and evaluate issues and arguments.

This week, the Economist had two articles of note. First is the Lexington column that basically called health care reform a non-starter because American are afraid of rational public discussions about death. Second was an article titled "The nanny state" that addresses the issue of public spending on child well-being and how it misses the mark more often than not. The US is pretty much in the bottom half of OECD countries when it comes to effective use of public spending on childhood well being. It's tragic that we rank 24th of 30 countries in the health and safety of our children.

Wednesday brought the much awaited address to Congress on health care reform. Except that wasn't the topic. Health insurance reform was and it really looks like that's all we'll get. And I feel betrayed. I have very good health insurance through my employer. But if I retire before Medicare kicks in, which I hope to do, I need to feel anxious about the cost of any coverage. Basic health insurance will cost me about 5X what I presently pay per month!!! And like many retirees, my income will be less than it is at present. Doesn't take a genius to see this is not a good outcome. So while I appreciate the efforts of congress and the administration to attempt insurance reform, that's sort of like the cart before the horse. What is needed is health CARE reform. Health care providers should be paid for results, not number of tests prescribed. Certain screenings like HPV, mammograms, colonoscopies, cholesterol screening, prostate screens, should be, if not free, than at least at a minimal cost. Prevention and wellness are the keys to cutting medical costs and there is little beyond platitudes coming from congress to address these issues.

Last time I looked, the candidate who got the majority in the electoral college becomes president. Of all of the United States. So whether one might consider him a liar, a socialist, a reactionary, etc, he is still the president. Nixon was---lots of truth there, right?? LBJ was, another paragon of virtue. Bill Clinton---what can I say, Monica?? "W"--as in "Weapons of mass destruction"---even more truth telling. So I guess my comment to all those who say the current person residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is "not my president" is to go where your type president lives---maybe Russia, with Medvedev and Putin; or France with Sarkozy; or Zimbabwe with Mugabe?? I was prepared to go to Canada rather than serve under Johnson in Viet-Nam. I guess I'd say to you the same thing I heard back then---America, love it or leave it.

Lastly, Bertequila spent Tuesday night thru Thursday morning at the vet. Time to get him neutered. But even though he now has no balls, he's still got more cojones than the screamers and bloviators.

Frustrated

Well, I almost managed to blow a long weekend. Finally got to The Owl on Tuesday for a couple green chile cheeseburgers. Also got hold of a realtor in central NM where we have been looking on our own to set up a tour of some properties.

I have followed the political doings in our capitol over the past couple of weeks. The elected representatives in Congress have basically tabled environmental legislation. Cap and trade only works if there's some payment and the special interests have convinced our representatives to represent them, not the people. So a lot of the caps are not traded but given away. Maybe, hoping against hope, the Congress will realize over recess that this idea stinks worse than a coal fired power plant and change the bill to allow and enforce a carbon tax with the proceeds going to provide affordable renewable clean energy.

Next is the Sonia Sotomayor hearings in which a bunch of old white men proved that a "wise Latina" is, in fact, smarter and wiser than them. Of course, some senators absolutely have to play politics so they will oppose the nomination not because of anything the nominee said or did during the hearings; nor are they in total disagreement with her record as a jurist. They even admit she'll be confirmed. So why are Cornyn and Hatch voting no if not for purely partisan reasons??

Finally there's health care. What the hell is Barack Obama thinking leaving the shepherding of this most important of all reforms in the hands of Pelosi and Reid!!!! At best these two are political hacks. At worst they are absolute proof that absolute power corrupts absolutely. They go out of their way to antagonize the minority---I would hope after their years of being out of power they might realize that allowing the opposition to inject a few ideas might make the bipartisanship that Obama seeks possible. But, oh no, these two dunderheads just keep ramming through their agendas and the poor citizens,as well as the G O P, be damned. I guess I'll be spending a lot of time watching "West Wing" dvds---at least when Jeb, Toby, Leo, CJ, Sam, and Josh screw up I don't pay for it.

Tortured

Listening to the Grand Old Pissants Newt, John, Rush, Eric, etc. call the president a socialist and now a fascist-----torture

Listening to the foo-fah on MSNBC about the failure of the administration to prosecute either the agents of the CIA who performed "enhanced interrogation" or those who authorized it--torture

Realising that the Dept. of Justice is responsible for investigations and decisions on whether and whom they should prosecute---anyone remember the rules going back to the Watergate investigations that the DOJ was independent of the White House and the president's offices so as NOT TO BE POLITICIZED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF ITS DUTIES---and isn't that exactly the meat of this issue---that the Bush appointees to DOJ were political hacks and eroded these rules with their memos of opinion on the legality of various acts of torture??  It took a while but Nixon and the plumbers were brought to justice.

Honestly. Obama, his cabinet, and his advisers have to solve a lot of things before prosecution of Bush administration torturers hits the main course on their plates.  So let's let DOJ do its thing now that we have a REAL Attorney-General and I bet we see justice prevail in the next couple of years.  Congress should work on the bills needed to get us moving ahead economically and also let DOJ do its job.  We want to see the truth and let the perpetrators be found guilty---we don't need a partisan side-show.

Pirate Tea

So April 15 is when all the tea parties to protest the massive tax increases happen.  Now, I get paid a couple of times a month, the 15th and last day to be precise.  So I just got my first pay stub post-Obama's plan (went into effect April 1).  My net was an increase of about $26.00, not a king's ransom or TARP money, but certainly not a tax increase---that deducts from the net, right???  So what exactly are these people protesting against??  The tax rates imposed by the LAST administration---as in Republican George W. Bush------and I'm not even going to get onto "teabagging"------------------but whatever floats your boat I guess.

Speaking of boats,  the Pirate Dogs salute the US Navy Seals.  Good shots.  But they are laughing up their sleeves at the rest of this issue.  Those Somali pirates have seized at least four vessels since the weekend and have now delayed Captain Phillips'  homecoming by attacking another US flagged vessel and forcing the destroyer Bainbridge, with Phillips on board, into diverting to protect this other ship.  Just imagine, those were kids that held him---teenagers.  The UN really needs to do something to give options to these Somali kids.  It's worse than an inner city in the US!!

A quick poll question---- given that Bo (left) looks like Capt 'Roid (right),

should Bo Obama be made an honorary Pirate Dog???????  Needs to lose the lei though.

Finally, did any of you see the pictures of John Demjanjuk?  He's the 89 year-old accused of being a Nazi concentration camp guard who allegedly killed some 29,000 people.  I'm not a holocaust denier and maybe this guy is guilty.  But is it right to deport him after all these years he worked here in America?  And there are rabbis talking about justice being done, etc,etc.  Well, to my simple mind, war crimes are war crimes---if John D deserves trial, what about the Israeli leaders who rained rockets and chemicals on the people of Gaza?  What about the Bushies who attempted to justify and did condone acts which on the surface seem to violate the Geneva convention?  All these people should be presumed innocent but all should have their day in court if any one of them has to............Can anyone say "justice?"

Republican redux

So the Obama budget passed both houses of Congress by the biggest margins since the 1990's.  And the Republican counter-budget had 38% of that party's members vote NO.  I find it hard to understand how tax cuts for the upper-most 1% and a five-year spending freeze are good for the present economy and the situation in which most Americans who aren't super-rich find themselves.   Haven't we just been through eight years of these policies that didn't work?? And how does Mitch McConnell, Senate Republican leader, seize the moral high ground on spending?  Wasn't it the Bush administration with a Republican majority in BOTH houses of Congress that turned a multi-million dollar surplus into a trillion-dollar deficit and that's with the Iraq and Afghan wars OFF THE BOOKS---not included in the budget numbers!!!!  A significant part of the present budget's deficit is putting those conflicts' costs into the budget.

So I guess it's Republican Red Ducks, not redux.  And Sarah the avionic wolf butcher wants to have a special election in Alaska now that Ted Stevens has had his conviction vacated.  Wasn't it the Justice Dept. under Bush that blew that case so badly??  Might be time to bring back the Whigs---after all, slavery has been abolished legally and the Union has been preserved---Now the Republicans can truly say "Mission Accomplished."   And go away.................

And after the latest tragedy in Binghamton NY, isn't it long past time we made assault weapons and other forms of automatic weapons illegal??  After all, I don't know of one hunter who thinks it's sporting to go after deer with an AK-47. 

Feeling Republican

So I guess I'm feeling a little Republican these days.  First, poor old Rick Waggoner of GM losing his job because he couldn't get restructuring right on his salary of $1.00 a year.   Wonder if that mean old socialist Democrat, President Obama, would have insisted on sacking him if he took a few million in bonus payments....?????

But really, there are good things about the Republicans.  I mean, their first president was a master politician, especially beating out senators and governors for that first presidential nomination when he couldn't even beat a two-faced Democratic senator from Illinois for the senate seat.  Yep, an old rail-splitter became the nominee in 1860 and came from nowhere to win the presidency.  I'm reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's excellent book, Team of Rivals.  It hearkens back to the founding of the Republican Party.  They were pretty smart men---watching the Michael Steele follies leaves me aghast!!!  And did you see McCain throw Sarah under the bus??  She would have been a heartbeat away if he'd won and now he needs to see who'll be competing..........

But the best part about my new found republicanism is (are you ready for this?????)-----

totally enjoying Stephen Colbert's Ameri-cone Dream ice cream from Ben & Jerry's.  I wonder if Obama Wham-a will be forthcoming, or maybe Jon Stewart's Cramer-Creamed Hash??? 

Of Note

Just a little item across the bottom of the screen on MSNBC this morning----Hershey is going to make the Peppermint Patty into the Peppermint Pastelillo.  The company is shutting down the P.P. production facility in PA and moving the operation to Mexico.  Oh well, what the hell, it's only 300 additional jobs lost in PA.  Just the type of responsible corporate behavior that will assist in lessening the pain of the current recession.  So let's keep saving the banks and other corporations with taxpayer dollars.  I'm not naive enough to argue that businesses shouldn't make decisions based on the interests of their shareholders and in the interest of maximising profits.  But a little social responsibility must enter into the calculations.  WE really DO NOT need more layoffs!!!!  Let's nationalize the banks, set up a couple of "bad banks" to dispose of the toxic assets, then return the banks to the marketplace where they must sink or swim.  Same with the auto industry---let them present a viable survival plan or let them sink.  The President is working very hard---too bad a bunch of politicians and corporate executives think this is still a game.  And the middle class is the loser.

Sometimes you gotta sing....

"Here we go loop-da-loop/ Here we go loop-da-li...."  So it's OK for the new Secretary of the Treasury to "forget" a tax obligation but the nominee for the Dept. of Health has to quit??  Isn't that a little bass-ackwards or is it a message about how much health care reform is really gonna cost?

"Oh happy day/Oh happy day...."  Took Barack Obama 2 weeks to say "I screwed up."  We NEVER heard that from W in 8 YEARS!!!!!  And if one were to compile a hierarchy of mistakes, I believe the Iraq War, opening Guantanamo, eroding our constitutional rights, giving no-bid multi-million dollar contracts to cronies and business associates, allowing the recession/depression to begin---any of these rank higher than appointing Tom Daschle and Timothy Geithner to the cabinet.

"Yo soy un hombre sincero/De donde creche la palma..." The Pirate Dogs and I still think we got it right on 11/4/2008.  I find the honesty emanating from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave so refreshing.........And, unfortunately, so different from any of the predecessors in the Oval Office the last 30 or so years.

Inauguration Day

Since everyone else in the world is commenting on today's inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama,  we might as well too.  I heard the speech live and no specific phrase really jumped out at me, nothing like "nothing to fear but fear itself" or "ask not what your country can do for you..."

Some sentiments, like toughness presented to those who might wish us harm, working together to solve problems, a commitment to improving the environment and education, but no real blockbusters.  I'm sure after the spinners and talking heads get done, hopefully by Memorial Day, we'll all have some phrase extracted from the speech to anchor their pretensions.

In the meantime, as the man said, time to get to work.  And hope this dream doesn't turn into anything like the nightmare this nation just woke up from.  It really sounded great the first time I heard some commentator on NPR speak the phrase "former President George Bush."  Now the words made famous by those persecuted in Chicago in 1968 will come full circle and rather than being an indictment of an oppressive government, a phrase that reflects the new-found confidence of a country renewed: "The whole world is watching." 

Questioning My Vote??

The Pirate Dogs are still howling unbelievably about the local church and some of its clientele. So they aren't participating in this posting.

To read the newspapers and listen to cable news is to begin to doubt the wisdom of my vote for Obama. He promised change and a joining of the American people in the middle, an end to the extremes of partisanship and red-vs-blue. Can't we give him a chance to get inaugurated and start work before bringing out all the insignificant b.s that drives the wedges between our peoples??

Take the cabinet choices---no Southerners. Well, the government representatives from that region's record hasn't been very positive in the Bush years. And as a whole, it's not Obama territory. We also do not have any good information on those he might have contacted that decided to continue in their present jobs rather than sign on to the new administration. A lot of Obama supporters are governors who might be of more benefit to the country and their states if they stay in their present circumstances. The other "big deal" about the cabinet is lots of Clinton people. Anyone have any non-Clinton folks with experience in a Democratic administration?? Ever consider we need people who know their way around Washington to really effect the change we need and Obama has promised?

Next is the kerfuffle about Rick Warren. Now I personally can take or leave him and the evangelical movement. Lots of gay rights groups are howling Obama let them down. Would they prefer Jeremiah Wright? Or how about Pope Benedict, who says homosexuals aren't evil but their acts are sinful? Let's give Obama a pass---he's trying to UNITE us, people, and what better way than to have as many of our disparate beliefs and foibles as possible represented in his administration and in the pomp and circumstance of his inauguration. We finally got it right---let's stop the nit-picking and move on!!!!!

An Open Letter to President-elect Obama

Dear Barack,

I hope it's OK to address you that way. I already broke the keyboard on my dad's laptop so spelling out all that President-elect stuff is tough. Have you any conception how hard it is for a dog to type anyway?? No opposable thumbs.

I loved your speech, especially because you and I have in common that we're mutts. And going for a shelter dog is an outstanding example for you to give this country. Do you believe these cretins still have kill shelters in some states? I'm a refugee from one in Ohio. I got sent to New Hampshire and adopted. Here's a picture of me at the shelter meeting my new family:

In case you can't tell from the picture, I'm a Sharprador. That's a cross between a Shar-Pei (you know, those Chinese wrinkle hounds) and a Labrador Retriever. I'm about 51 pounds now and I guess I'm fully grown. The vet says my tongue is tie-dyed because it's got a lot of blue on it.

I'm a very fast runner, even though I sometimes get a little careless. One time I was going wicked fast around the corner of the house and I slipped into a pruned rose-bush. One thing about "Sharpies" is very fragile, thin skin. I had to get stitches and have my wound drained. I looked like hell in that lampshade too, don't you think?

But I'm all recovered and very happy, especially with my favorite chew bone:

I really think you should consider a Sharprador for your white House pet. Our breed is very affectionate and loving. We are good watchdogs. I am amazing at catching chip turks that Dad throws my way. And there's lots of Shar-Pei/Lab mixes in shelters too!!!! Of course we aren't the most hypo-allergenic of breeds, but you could always just get the kid shots, right?? I mean how could you pass up a dog that looks like this?????????

Congrats on your new job,

Leny

First Mate of the CPS Nargle and the Pirate Dogs

Economics PD3

Most of the attention the Pirate Dogs pay to economic issues consists of sitting in the kitchen whenever a person goes there, hoping for food to be either given them or dropped on the floor where they can scarf it up. Pretty simplistic and operating at a very basic level.

Now the three of them, joined by my wife and I, watched the President-elect and the stage full of economic heavy hitters do a press conference. We liked the part about the shelter dog the best---the Obama girls really deserve a Sharprador (even if Leny would out-cute them) and wouldn't the Humane Society so benefit from the exposure!!! But the serious issue of the economy did get us thinking......


The auto industry gets a lot of attention. It did in Mr. Obama's remarks before the media. It is probably, after the financial sector, the most needy segment of the manufacturing sector. But a bail-out or loan package MUST be tied to the long-term environmental needs of not only the country but the planet. There were autos that could get 30MPG twenty years ago. This is no longer a goal but an attainable standard. It's our belief that any aid package to the car makers have at the very least a fleet fuel economy standard of 50MPG or more and that this standard be attained within two years!!! Also the car makers should be encouraged to dedicate themselves to improving their core competencies, i.e, building efficient,competitive automobiles, and discouraged from ventures into mortgages and banking. GM Bank and Ditech (mortgages from GMAC) are examples of this phenomenon. If the talent is diluted into so many ancillary ventures, how can the manufacturer be competitive with the foreign companies who keep their eye on the ball. A certain financial acumen is necessary to assist buyers in financing their new (and probably over-priced) vehicle, but a mortgage company and a bank??????????

So by all means, let's put together a stimulus package. And let's support our domestic industries, the few we have left. But let's make sure that this support is aligned with the longer term goals of energy independence and reversing the damage we've done to our planet.

11/4 Hangover

The election is done. I heard a story on NPR Wednesday night that Kenya had declared Thursday a national holiday because of the election of Barack Obama as president of the U.S. One segment reported that people went to the grave of Obama's father and chanted that he had sired a king. I didn't think the popular vote margin was quite that large, but I do believe that it's a good thing for America's image around the globe.

Congratulations to Auntie Bucksnort!!! Her granddaughter Paloma Luz had a tropical storm named after her---Paloma is bearing down on the Caymans and Cuba as I write this Thursday evening. Way to go Dove Light!!!!!!!!!!! But now the Pirate Dogs want to storm NOAA---their idea is to get the National Weather Service to name hurricanes from the BACK of the alphabet. Some muttering from the Captain about Weetzie being more potent than a Dove..................Gotta let those dogs out more during the day.

Watching MSNBC post-election. I can't believe the stories coming out about Sarah Palin. I may not be a fan of hers, but to state that she doesn't know the countries in North America (U.S., Canada, and Mexico), the ones that make up NAFTA, or that she doesn't know Africa is a continent, not a country, all that seems a little over the top. She obviously doesn't care to share what knowledge she might possess---witness the Katie Couric interview question about what magazines or newspapers she reads---all of them, whatever they put in front of me was the response. I don't think anybody (Keith "Big Head" Olbermann excepted) would laugh too hard if she admitted to Fins and Feathers Alaska or the Anchorage Daily News. Maybe US, People, Time or Newsweek. But everything?? Come on. This woman is a master politician and apparently quite the manipulator. Really says something negative about John McCain's campaign that they pick her to be "a heartbeat away" from the presidency and then throw her under the bus when they lose. Shame on the McCain campaign and aren't we glad we didn't elect such a pathetically poor decision maker as our leader?

Another Roller Coaster

So another roller coaster week comes to a close. The president addressed the nation about the economy and caused the Dow to fall and our retirement investments to lose value. I'd estimate he's causing me to add 2 months to my planned retirement date every time he opens his fool mouth!!!!! Enough already----let's inaugurate the winner of Nov. 4 on Nov. 5 before W can wreak any more havoc.

Then Saturday Night Live---Sarah "'Cuda" Palin and Sarah "Tina Fey" Palin on the same screen. Holy secret identity crisis!!!!! That's like Superman and Clark Kent or Batman and Bruce Wayne appearing in the same frame!!!!!!!!!!!! Will this nation ever recover................

Next, there was Meet the Press on Sunday. Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama. But even more tellingly, he emphasized what America is all about. It makes no difference if a candidate is Arab, Muslim, black, or a veteran, old, white, and out of touch. As long as he's an American and eligible for the presidency. Powell showed more sense with his observations than either candidate has shown with their attacks. Maybe McCain's biggest error was not getting him for V.P. Or perhaps it's a sign of how low the Republican Party has sunk that it could not field him as their candidate.

Thursday night was miraculous. Not only do los socquitos rojos thrive on being 3 games down, they came back in 2 innings from SEVEN runs down as well!!!!! And they won Saturday!!!!! Isn't it a foregone conclusion who will win Sunday and sweep the Phillies in 4???? Like there's any suspense left to the baseball season.........

The Last Debate

OK, I'm sure you've all been deluged with the analysis and commentary about the last presidential debate Wednesday night. So what have I got to add? Probably not much, but............
As the Pirate Dogs and I watched the candidates, we noticed a couple of statements that screamed out for some further exposition but as of this posting I haven't seen any---in the N Y Times, on MSNBC, the BBC, FoxNews, etc.

First, does John McCain really equate Down's Syndrome with autism??? And does the fact that Sarah Palin has a Down's baby make her one of the world's foremost authorities on autism and special education as Mr McCain stated???

Second, did anyone else out there catch the bit about making people who serve in the army teachers without making them go through all the rigors of certification?? Does John McCain believe that any veteran can teach?? Enlistment standards are so low that they waive high school graduation and minor drug offenses!!!!! I think BETTER teachers are what's needed, not just more of them.

Don't forget to pay attention to reason and think before you vote. The Pirate Dogs are counting on you since they can't get that armament ship and take over in DC.

Flashback

"We see Americans dying on distant battlefields abroad...We see Americans hating each other...at home. And as we see and hear these things, millions of Americans cry out in anguish. Did we come all this way for this?...When the strongest nation in the world can be tied down for four years in a war...with no end in sight; When the richest nation in the world cannot manage its own economy; And when the president of the United States cannot travel abroad or to any major city at home without fear of a hostile demonstration-then it's time for new leadership for the United States of America...My friends, America is a great nation. And it is time we started to act like a great nation around the world."


So did John McCain say this? Or Barack Obama? Maybe Joe Biden? In my humble opinion it seems to exhibit too much understanding of our times to come from Sarah Palin.


The answer is---NONE OF THE ABOVE. The quote is excerpted from Richard Milhous Nixon's speech accepting the 1968 Republican nomination for president of the United States as reported in the book Nixonland by Rick Perlstein (pgs 304-305).


The parallels to 1968 just keep on manifesting themselves. Obama "pals around" with terrorists according to Ms. Palin. Did she, or anyone else in the McCain organization, note that the terrorist, Bill Ayers, formerly with the Weather Underground who botched a couple of bombings when Obama was 8 years old, was named citizen of the year in Chicago in 1997? For helping with educational reform in the City of Chicago---serving on the same board as Obama? Which educational kudos have the Republican ticket won? And do you, watching your retirement funds bleed away into the bank accounts of the stupor-rich like Cheney, W, and, yes, John McCain, really care about this issue??? If you do, then you deserve what's happened to you.

Syndromes

Syndromes seem to be in the forefront around here this week. The Pirate Dogs' look-out has SDS, the Captain has SDS, and even I was SDS. And they're all different syndromes!!!!!!!!

Weets is part chihuahua so she is very noisy and aggressive---Small Dog Syndrome.
'Roid has the foulest breath in the western world, the result of a peculiar and disgusting habit I won't go into here--Stinky Dog Syndrome.
And this blogger was fairly radical in his younger years, even joining Students for a Democratic Society in college.
So why all the "syndrome-icity" this particular week??
How's your 401-k? How's your trust in the sitting government to get us on the right track? If you have any syndromes, now's the time to give them free reign. Loosen that halter and give them their head.



I think I've decided on the elections. Paris Hilton for Prez, Tina Fey for VP. (Although Gina Gershon does a good job as well.) Paris makes sense on the environment and the pool-side shots could be inspiring as well as profitable for the government. Sales of her exploits would dwarf the tax cuts of either main-stream candidate and could result in a surplus. Tina does a better Palin than Sarahcuda. Only problem is after she gets elected, where would she get her material? No worry though, the current VP candidate has just regurgitated the same lines since she was nominated. Is there really that big a difference between 6 weeks and 4 (or 8) years??
Hey, after this week we need to exhibit a sense of humor more than ever.

In a more serious vein, I'm currently reading Nixonland by Rick Perlstein. The sub-title pretty much summarizes the premise--"The rise of a president and the fracturing of America." I'm only about a quarter of the way through the 800-plus pages but the parallels from the 1968 campaign to today's are striking and, for me, terrifying. I have watched film of the current Republican rallies where either of the candidates whipped up the crowd to the point of denouncing the Democratic nominee as an Arab, a terrorist, or, even worse, calling for his head. First off, pandering to racism and fear is Nixonian. That's a large part of how he won. The "Silent Majority", "law and order", the menace of racial warfare. Have we learned nothing in 40 years? Watching McPalin is remembering Tricky Dick and Spiro. I've long felt that the Baby Boomers squandered their potential with their pursuit of riches pre-empting the idealism of the counter-culture. Now we pay for it with the Republican attacks that, let's face it, are racist without saying that word. I've seen comments on other blogs where people wrote about their fathers saying "Good, they shot another Kennedy" about RFK's assassination in 1968. I can remember comments about how "that uppity nigger" Martin Luther King got what was coming to him, also in 1968. I get the same feelings of foreboding listening to some of the McPalin supporters today. And I try to remember that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" but still there's this thing in he back of my mind..............a motorcade in Dallas, Nov 22 1963....

See http://zeesgowest.blogspot.com/ post for October 11 for a powerful video. We can take back this country. We can undo what Nixon spawned and W has promulgated.

WE ARE THE ANSWER!!!!!!!!!!!!