Giant Inflatable Poodle

A Thought on 9/11

2006-09-11T14:43:00.000-05:00

I consider myself lucky that I don't have much of a 9/11 story. Though I live in New York, no one I know was killed or injured; I was nowhere near the World Trade Center on that morning. The only difficulties I had to endure that day were roughly 30 minutes of fear--there were rumors that several planes were still unaccounted for and could attack at any moment--and a nervous trudge downtown on a sunny day. I didn't even have to walk all the way back to my home in Brooklyn--by the time I got to 14th St. the subway was running again. I am very fortunate.
One vivid and painful memory I do have is of the posters: handmade flyers with snapshots of men and women, sometimes posing with children or at office or Christmas parties, all asking, "Have you seen this person?" No one had seen them, of course. No one would ever see them again. Let's remember them today. No calls for renewing our vigilance against some self-created enemy, no accusations of unpatriotic behavior from false pundits. Remember those who lost their lives that day--those whose only mistake was showing up for work.

Paying His Respects

2006-09-11T12:08:00.000-05:00

Katrina Anniversary Post

2006-08-27T13:43:00.000-05:00

Uneducated men are pitiless ...
Wisdom hurts.
--Euripides (Electra)

NYC Anti-War Rally Photos

2006-08-05T23:38:00.000-05:00

A few photos from Saturday's Troops Out Now protest in Times Square, New York City. There was a turnout of a few hundred people. Quite peaceful. Sadly, too many people pushing their own agendas. Not enough talk of peace. Too much talk about crushing Israel, crushing the Bush admin ... I just can't agree with this approach. Only one way to stop killing: Put down the guns. Eventually, what is required is that someone, everyone, put down his gun and say, "I'm not going to kill anymore." Every new death generates more death.

Still, a heartening event; there is passion about this. Will provide captions for photos later.

Summer of War

2006-07-28T14:02:00.000-05:00

This is one of the saddest times I can think of for this world. If the summer of 1967 was the Summer of Love, summer 2006 is the Summer of War.
And who could have ever imagined that Hezbolla would look like the good guys?
Actually, there's no surprise in this:

The immortal gods have neither age nor death!
All other things almighty Time disquiets.
Earth wastes away; the body wastes away;
Faith dies; distrust is born.
And imperceptibly the spirit changes
Between a man and his friend, or between two cities.
For some men soon, for others in later time,
Their pleasure sickens; or love comes again.

--Sophocles (Oedipus at Colonus)

Change and stasis in every moment ...

Iran Nukes

2006-04-13T14:30:00.000-05:00

Unintentionally or otherwise, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has dropped some very useful advice for Bush admin hawks. From the NYT:

"Our answer to those who are angry about Iran obtaining the full nuclear cycle is one phrase -- we say: Be angry and die of this anger," Mr. Ahmadinejad said late on Wednesday, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Al Gore 2008?

2006-03-23T10:51:00.000-05:00

Would this video have changed the results of the 2000 presidential election? Who can say? It would have gone a long way toward humanizing Al Gore for voters who perceived him as stiff and impersonal. Director Spike Jonze followed the VP and his family around for a day during the 2000 campaign and captured this warm and genuine portrait with a small handheld camera. Shown at the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, though not televised, it was never shown again. A real shame. Well, not too late for 2008.
Seen at Kos.

Now ... and Then

2006-03-19T17:10:00.000-05:00

Compare and contrast.

Dick Cheney (disputing notion that Iraq is descending into civil war, from today's NYT):

"Clearly there is an attempt under way by the terrorists, by Zarqawi and others, to foment civil war," he said, referring to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq. "That's been their strategy all along, but my view would be they've reached a stage of desperation from their standpoint."

Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf (former Iraqi Information Minister, in 2003, referring to ?):
"I triple guarantee you, there are no American soldiers in Baghdad."

Nah, no similarities there.

An Anniversary Message

2006-03-19T14:10:00.000-05:00

From Steve Gilliard's mailbox.
Copy and post.

IS ANY SACRIFICE TOO GREAT?

PARENTS! Help Your Children Enlist Today!
Let's all get involved, for America and for America's children!

WE'RE DOING OUR PART! — HOW ABOUT YOU?

Bill Frist: We are losing a battalion of soldiers in Iraq every month, killed and wounded. That's 500 to 600 fighting men who must be replaced. As a doctor, I know how important it is to care for our maimed and wounded. But our Army has plenty of medics. What we need are more soldiers to fight the enemy in the desert, on the roads, house to house.

I never served in the Armed Forces, but I want all my family to be part of the Global War on Terror. That's why Karyn and I will be personally driving our three sons, Harrison, Jonathan, and Bryan, to the recruiting office tomorrow. The Frist boys are going to take time from their college and high school studies to help our recruitment officers encourage America's eligible young people to join up.

Dick Cheney: When my country was at war in Vietnam, I had other priorities. I sacrificed my own chance at glory and avoided military service through a series of student deferments.

So lets all make sure America's young people can take advantage of this opportunity. I don't want my girls, Mary and Elizabeth, to miss out.

112 billion barrels of oil sit under the Iraqi desert. Osama bin Laden and Zarqawi want that oil: we can't let them get it.

Tom Delay: During the Vietnam War, so many minority youths had enlisted that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like myself.

There are still good paying military positions for people wanting to escape poverty and the ghetto. And we need soldiers now, willing to give their lives for our noble ideals. Put your manhood where your mouth is and enlist now!

Karl Rove: You'd have to be a hypocrite to claim to support the war, but not be willing for your kids to be doing the fighting and dying.

There are times when the good of our country has to come first. So I am proud to announce that the CIA will soon be training my son, Andrew Madison, in interrogation techniques.

George Bush: I spent two years in Texas learning to fly airplanes during the Vietnam War. Today's War on Terror is going to last for decades. So we are creating a new initiative to train our children—publicly funded Military Schools for our young ones all across our great nation.

I have asked my girls—Jenna and Barbara—to volunteer to help at the local recruitment centers in our nation's Capital. We're doing our part for America and for freedom!

Take your children to the nearest US Military Recruiting Office—TODAY!
Talk to your kids. Tell them how important military service is, and encourage them to enlist NOW.

Republican National Committee www.GOP.com
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.
310 First Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003
Phone: 202 863-8747 Fax: 202 863-858

Try This Link

2006-03-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

Sexual predator

Don't worry. It's safe--just don't read anything you see there too closely.

Here's why you might want to put this link on your site.

Waiting on a Friend

2006-03-03T16:50:00.000-05:00

Six years ago, President Bill Clinton arrived in Islamabad by unmarked military jet accompanied by a decoy plane with the familiar blue and white of Air Force One and "United States of America" on its side.
Despite Mr. Bush's more public landing, Air Force One approached Islamabad with its running lights off and interior shades drawn, a precaution that would make it harder for anyone firing a missile to see the target. Mr. Bush also slipped away from public view after his airport arrival was covered by local television crews, and reporters traveling with him could not tell if he took his presidential limousine or an unmarked Black Hawk helicopter to the heavily fortified residence of the American ambassador, Ryan Crocker, where the president and first lady spent the night.

A friend of Pakistan, indeed. There's so much tension in this photo I'm practically shitting in my pants here in my cubicle.

And why is his image so huge in the portraits on the building? Weird.

Thanks Gracie

2006-02-26T13:37:00.000-05:00

"War's good business, so give your son
But I'd rather have my country die for me."

This Says It All

2006-01-30T17:50:00.000-05:00

From diary on Kos.

Voice of Reason in Palestine/Hamas Situation

2006-01-28T12:04:00.000-05:00

From NYT article: Hamas is Facing a Money Crisis; Aid May Be Cut

Hamas leaders, savoring their landslide victory in Palestinian elections, faced an array of threats on Friday: a huge government deficit, a likely cutoff of most aid, international ostracism and the rage of defeated and armed Fatah militants.
Of the many questions that the Hamas victory presents, the need to pay basic bills and salaries to Palestinians is perhaps the most pressing. The Palestinian Authority is functionally bankrupt, with a deficit of $69 million for January alone. ...
They don't have enough to get through the end of the month," a knowledgeable Western diplomat said.

And of course ...

In Washington, President Bush said "aid packages won't go forward" for the Palestinian Authority if Hamas did not renounce violence or its commitment to destroy Israel.
"That's their decision to make," he said on CBS News. "But we won't be providing help to a government that wants to destroy our ally and friend.

But former pres Jimmy Carter sees it this way:

"The donor community can deal with it successfully," Mr. Carter said. "I would hope the world community can collectively tide the Palestinians over." He urged support for what he said Mr. Wolfensohn was describing to him as a $500 million appeal.
"It may well be that Hamas can change," Mr. Carter said, remembering his presidency, when the Palestine Liberation Organization under Yasir Arafat finally agreed to recognize the existence of Israel and to forswear terrorism. "It's a mistake to abandon optimism completely."
He urged Israel and the world: "Don't drive the Palestinians away from rationality. Don't force them into assuming arms as the only way to achieve their legitimate goals. Give them some encouragement and the benefit of the doubt."

Yes. This is democracy in the Middle East.

The 50 Most Loathsome People, 2005

2006-01-25T12:20:00.000-05:00

A must read from The Beast. Putting this here so I'll be able to find it again.

A sample:

Tom Delay

Charges: A politician so horrible, his prior career as an exterminator constitutes fratricide. Smiled for his mug shot like it was a campaign poster. Asked three young Katrina evacuees, “Now tell me the truth, boys, is this kind of fun?” One of an elite handful of white Americans still engaged in the time-honored tradition of screwing over Indians. Responding to a request he extinguish his cigar in a restaurant in accordance with federal regulations, Delay replied, “I AM the federal government.” Claimed that there was “no fat left to cut” from the federal budget to offset New Orleans reconstruction costs. So arrogant in abuse of power that he doesn’t even take time to construct plausible lies.

Exhibit A: Explaining his failure to enlist during Vietnam: "So many minority youths had volunteered…that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like myself."

Sentence: Bashed to death with hammer.

Oddly enough, I made the list myself (so did you, ya smug bastard):

You

Charges: Silently enabling and contributing to the irreversible destruction of your planet. Absolving yourself of your responsibility to do anything about it that your immediate neighbors don’t. Assuming that it’s normal behavior to spend several hours each day totally inert and staring into a cathode ray tube. Substituting antidepressants for physical motion. Caring more about the personal relationships of people you will never meet than your own. Shrugging your shoulders at the knowledge that your government is populated by criminal liars intent on fooling you into impoverished, helpless submission. Cheering this process on.

Exhibit A: You don’t even know who your congressman is.

Sentence: Deathbed realization that your entire life was an unending series of stupid mistakes and wasted opportunities, a priceless gift of potential extravagantly squandered, for which you deserve nothing but scorn or, at best, indifference, and a cold, meaningless demise.

The No. 1 spot was reserved for Pat Robertson.

Buttafuoco, Buttafuoco, Buttafuoco

2006-01-23T15:32:00.000-05:00

It took a really big story to rouse GIP from recent slumber.
This is it.

More than a decade after 16-year-old Amy Fisher had a sexual relationship with a much-older car mechanic and shot his wife in the face, the one-time "Long Island Lolita" and Joey and Mary Jo Buttafuoco have agreed to appear together in a televised reunion.

All three have signed on for the appearance, which has yet to be sold to a network, television producer David Krieff told the New York Post for Monday editions.

A preview:

Mary Jo: So whydja shoot me inna head ya friggin' crazy bitch?

Amy: Ax yer husband, fer Chrissakes.

Joey: Hey, I didn't do nuthin'.

... continue for 30 minutes. Or until your TV switches itself off.

Clear Enough?

2005-12-29T16:36:00.000-05:00

Freefalling

2005-11-17T22:36:00.000-05:00

You'll enjoy this.
And this will remind you that you're not insane. Well, probably.

... And Then Gradually Back to Apes

2005-11-08T21:11:00.000-05:00

An embarrassment. From CNN:

At the risk of re-igniting the same heated nationwide debate it sparked six years ago, the Kansas Board of Education approved new public school science standards Tuesday that cast doubt on the theory of evolution.
The 6-4 vote was a victory for "intelligent design" advocates who helped draft the standards. Intelligent design holds that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by a higher power.

Critics of the language charged that it was an attempt to inject God and creationism into public schools in violation of the separation of church and state.

All six of those who voted for the standards were Republicans. Two Republicans and two Democrats voted against them.

"This is a sad day. We're becoming a laughingstock of not only the nation, but of the world, and I hate that," said board member Janet Waugh, a Kansas City Democrat.

Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die

2005-11-08T17:41:00.000-05:00

Fans of Hunter S. Thompson will get an inside view of his elaborate memorial service in a film directed by Wayne Ewing.

"When I Die" will be shown Saturday at the Starz Denver International Film Festival. The hour-long movie depicts the creation of the 15-story tower that was used to blast Thompson's ashes into the sky at a closed memorial service on his Woody Creek property in August.

Take One for the Team

2005-11-08T12:42:00.000-05:00

From my Florida connection.

Bush Defends Interrogation Practices

2005-11-07T14:14:00.000-05:00

"Our country is at war and our government has the obligation to protect the American people," Bush said. "Any activity we conduct is within the law. We do not torture."

Somehow, this sounds like "We are above the law." I know I'm deliberately misunderstanding these words, but I also feel the words are deliberately misleading. Electrodes on your testicles by any other name ...

Read it all here.

"Beer is proof that God loves us ...

2005-11-03T15:14:00.000-05:00

... and wants us to be happy." -- Ben Franklin

Desperately in need of a change of pace. I read this article at SFGate.com about a gang of brewers who went barhopping in the San Francisco Bay area in search of exotic beers, pleasing ambience and opportunity for memorable storytelling. It was like 10 minutes in San Fran in the middle of an otherwise deadly day in the cube.

Loved the quotations, such as the one above, that introduced the review of each bar. Two others:

"Pay day came and with it, beer." -- Rudyard Kipling

"Beer he drank -- seven goblets. His spirit was loosened. He became hilarious. His heart was glad and his face shone." -- Epic of Gilgamesh

Libby Pleads Not Guilty

2005-11-03T10:46:00.000-05:00

From NYT:

Libby entered the plea in front of U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, a former prosecutor who has spent two decades as a judge in the nation's capital.

Once the charges were read and the judge asked for his response, Libby said: "With respect, your honor, I plead not guilty."

Looking forward to seeing Cheney testify.

Like Bush, Like Crony

2005-11-03T10:26:00.000-05:00

If you're here you've almost certainly seen this. If you haven't seen it, well, you should. It's not often that a national disgrace is revealed so plainly and clearly. E-mail messages from former FEMA director Michael Brown during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. A sample:

... two days after Katrina, Marty Bahamonde, one of the only FEMA employees in New Orleans, wrote to Brown that "the situation is past critical."
"Here are some things you might not know. Hotels are kicking people out, thousands gathering in the streets with no food or water. Hundreds still being rescued from homes," Bahamonde said.

"The dying patients at the DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistance Team) tent being medivac. Estimates are many will die within hours. Evacuation in process. Plans developing for [Superdome] evacuation but hotel situation adding to problem. We are out of food and running out of water at the dome, plans in works to address the critical need.

"FEMA staff is OK and holding own. DMAT staff working in deplorable conditions. The sooner we can get the medical patients out, the sooner we can get them out. Phone connectivity impossible."

Brown's entire response was: "Thanks for the update. Anything specific I need to do or tweak?"

One More Piece of Advice ...

2005-11-02T14:35:00.000-05:00

Or Smirk could simply ignore everything in the previous post and just fucking STEP DOWN. I had hoped to avoid histrionics here, but when I saw this diary at dKos it made my blood boil. From an interview yesterday with Latin American reporters in advance of his five-day trip to the region ...

Q What I want to know -- sources of the government told me that they would ask you about more cooperation on support for Argentina, you know, in the IMF fund --

THE PRESIDENT: IMF.

Q Exactly.

THE PRESIDENT: Please don't tell me that the government leaks secrets about conversations to the --

Q Well, I have my sources in the government.

THE PRESIDENT: You do? Okay, well I'm not going to ask you who they are, of course. (Laughter.)

Q No, please.

THE PRESIDENT: Inside joke here, for my team. (Laughter.)

(Link to a story on Yahoo News that also mentions the "joke.")

It's impossible to read anything about this president without becoming absolutely outraged.

Advice for POTUS

2005-11-02T13:58:00.000-05:00

CNN.com asked readers to pose as advisers to the president and offer suggestions for ways the administration could get back on track. Here is a sampling of those responses.

It's what you might expect: Get out of Iraq, find alternative fuels, address issues of the poor and more.

Here is my offering, which is advice I would also give myself:

1. Listen.
2. Consider how your actions affect other people.
3. Admit your mistakes.
4. Start taking your job seriously.
5. Be humble. You are a servant.

Fat chance, huh?

Pride and Frustration

2005-11-02T12:10:00.000-05:00

First of all, Harry Reid is the man. And I'm proud of the Dems today. Forcing the closed session of the Senate was no stunt, it was a bold and dramatic move -- which is exactly what is needed sometimes.

Second, I'm frustrated and exhausted from having to parse every single word that comes from the Bush administration. It is nearly overwhelming; nothing can be taken at face value. Every word gives off the odor of fresh horseshit. The announcement of a national plan for the bird flu pandemic: a dodge and cover scheme. The nomination of an obviously wingnutty SCOTUS justice: yet another smoke screen. And speeches like this one that sound like warmed-over horseshit from 2002. The situation will only intensify as the '08 elections approach. Well, it's better than letting the crap just wash over you while you drown in it.

I suppose conservatives have exactly the same feeling about anything that comes from the opposing camp.

Bush to Reveal Bird Flu Strategy

2005-11-01T08:59:00.000-05:00

Today, at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., President Bush will outline the national strategy for combating bird flu. Some advance details:

"Well, y'see, we're gonna give everyone a 9-inch square of cotton cloth, understand? An' here's what ya do with it. Ya put it over yer mouth, see, an' that keeps the germs out. The germs stay out. An ya don't get the flu, see? Heh, heh, heh. Now here's the beauty part: If ya do get the flu, ya can use it as a HANKY."

SCOTUS Nominee

2005-10-31T08:55:00.000-05:00

President Bush has nominated 3rd Circuit Appeals Court Judge Samuel Alito for the U.S. Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Well, at least it's a real judge this time. Don't think there will be much complaining from conservatives about this guy. From CNN:

Legal experts consider the 55-year-old Alito so ideologically similar to Justice Antonin Scalia that he has earned the nickname "Scalito."
In 1991, in one of his more well-known decisions, he was the only dissenting voice in a 3rd Circuit ruling striking down a Pennsylvania law that required women to notify their husbands if they planned to get an abortion.
He also wrote the opinion in 1999 in a case that said a Christmas display on city property did not violate separation of church and state doctrines because it included a large plastic Santa Claus as well as religious symbols.

The wingnut's choice?
Let the battle begin.

Relevant Quote From Harry

2005-10-29T10:33:00.000-05:00

On the day after Fitzmas, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada reminds us of what it is all about. From NYT.

"This case is bigger than the leak of highly classified information." ... "It is about how the Bush White House manufactured and manipulated intelligence in order to bolster its case for the war in Iraq, and to discredit anyone who dared to challenge the president.

Waiting ... Waiting ...

2005-10-28T07:58:00.000-05:00

Sitting here waiting for the indictments to come down. The NYT says Libby is likely to be hit (for making false statements to the grand jury), Rove won't be charged today but will remain under investigation, and that Fitz may extend the term of the grand jury (though no sign of that in WaPo, which informs that Libby is lawyer hunting and Rove is assembling a public relations team just in case).

As if there weren't enough drama to go around, the NYT adds this:

As rumors coursed through the capital, Mr. Fitzgerald gave no public signal of how he intended to proceed, further intensifying the anxiety that has gripped the White House and left partisans on both sides of the political aisle holding their breath.

Man, I could use a drink. Anyone else? George?

UPDATE: Press conference with Fitzgerald scheduled for 2 p.m.
Details to be posted on the special prosecutor's Web site at noon.

UPDATE 2: Libby indicted. Courtesy of the Times:

The five-count indictment accuses Libby of lying about how and when he learned about CIA official Valerie Plane's identity in 2003 and then told reporters about it. The information was classified.

The typo in Plame's name is courtesy of the NYT, too.

Curl up somewhere comfy and read the indictment.

Miers Withdraws

2005-10-27T08:20:00.000-05:00

Supreme Court justice nominee Harriet Miers pulls out. Guess it had something to do with having zero support. Read about it at the New York Times site.

Inappropriate Use?

2005-10-26T13:37:00.000-05:00

The White House, apparently ruffled at the relentless political satire offered by The Onion, has asked the paper to stop using the presidential seal on its Web site.

"When any official sign or seal is being used inappropriately the party is notified," [said White House spokesman Trent Duffy]. "You cannot pick and choose where to enforce that rule. It's important that the seal or any White House insignia not be used inappropriately," he said.

GIP cannot understand this request. The White House has been using the seal inappropriately for FIVE YEARS.

UPDATE: The Onion's apparent response to the White House. Prepare yourself. Thanks Steve Gilliard.

Another Reason to Hate Wal-Mart

2005-10-26T08:21:00.000-05:00

Not only did Wal-Mart donate $5000 to Tom DeLay two days after he was indicted, the company is now seeking to maximize profits by holding down health care and benefits costs. Among other strategies, an internal memo obtained by Wal-Mart Watch suggests discouraging anyone with health problems from working at the stores. This story in the New York Times outlines some of the thinking. From the article:

In the memorandum, M. Susan Chambers, Wal-Mart's executive vice president for benefits, also recommends reducing 401(k) contributions and wooing younger, and presumably healthier, workers by offering education benefits. The memo voices concern that workers with seven years' seniority earn more than workers with one year's seniority, but are no more productive.
To discourage unhealthy job applicants, Ms. Chambers suggests that Wal-Mart arrange for "all jobs to include some physical activity (e.g., all cashiers do some cart-gathering)."

This is how much the store thinks of its "associates." Meanwhile: Smile! Always Low Prices!

2000

2005-10-25T13:18:00.000-05:00

The U.S. military death toll for the war in Iraq has reached 2000.

Chinatown Shuffle

2005-10-23T15:54:00.000-05:00

A few shots from below Canal Street.

Pantheon.

Selling water to tourists. Only $2 a bottle!

Rove and Libby? DeLay and Frist? Bush and Cheney?

Three Unrelated Photographs

2005-10-22T15:17:00.000-05:00

A few pics for a rainy Saturday.

Cacti outside a flower shop on 6th Ave.

Detail of nataraj.

My intellectual cat.

Feeling Safer?

2005-10-22T11:17:00.000-05:00

Just so you know, here is one of the big payoffs from the war in Iraq. From the New York Times:

In Washington, U.S. intelligence officials said Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, has expanded his terrorism campaign from Iraq to two dozen groups scattered across almost 40 countries, creating a network that rivals Osama bin Laden's.
The U.S. officials said the threat to American interests from al-Zarqawi compared with that from bin Laden, to whom al-Zarqawi pledged his loyalty a year ago.
Sort of makes it all seem worthwhile, no?

Libby Was Gunning for Wilson

2005-10-21T12:05:00.000-05:00

It may not be a stunning revelation, but this story in the L.A. Times details Scooter Libby's campaign to counter and discredit Joseph Wilson. A few lines follow:

Libby's anger over Wilson's 2003 charges has been known. But new interviews and documents obtained by The Times provide a more detailed view of the depth and duration of Libby's interest in Wilson. They also show that the vice president's office closely monitored news coverage.

On one occasion, the office prohibited a reporter from traveling with Cheney aboard Air Force Two, because the vice president's daughter said Cheney was unhappy with that newspaper's coverage.

Libby "would see something had appeared in the newspaper or on television and wanted to use the White House operation to counter it," one former official said.

After Wilson published a book criticizing the administration in April 2004, during the closely fought presidential campaign, Libby became consumed by passages that he believed were inaccurate or unfair to Cheney, former aides said. He ordered up a meticulous catalog of Wilson's claims and public statements going back to early 2003.

The result was a packet that included excerpts from press clips and television transcripts of Wilson's statements that were divided into categories, such as "political ties" or "WMD."
An attempt to scapegoat Libby? Or just detailing his role in the whole affair? Either way, ugly stuff.

Hardwood Furniture?

2005-10-20T20:40:00.000-05:00

Apparently a furniture shop in a mall in Japan. Right next to the "Munch Box" food court, I guess. From Engrish.com.

Victory for Gun Lobby

2005-10-20T19:30:00.000-05:00

From the New York Times:

The Republican-controlled Congress delivered a long-sought victory to the gun industry today when the House of Representatives, with considerable Democratic support, voted to shield firearms manufacturers and dealers from liability lawsuits. The bill now goes to President Bush, who has promised to sign it. ...
The bill, which is identical to one approved in July by the Senate, is aimed at ending a spate of lawsuits by individuals, states and municipalities seeking to hold gun manufacturers and dealers liable for crimes committed with weapons they sold.

Read the whole story.

Compare this with the June Supreme Court ruling that lets the recording industry and Hollywood hold makers of peer-to-peer file-sharing software responsible for copyright violations by users. The basis of this decision is that makers of P2P software promote the use of their product to infringe copyright laws. For what purpose do makers of guns promote their products? Why is it so important to protect the firearm industry? Downloading an MP3 never killed anyone.

Rep. DeLay is Booked in Texas

2005-10-20T14:00:00.000-05:00

Yes. It doesn't say Rep. DeLay Reads Book in Texas, or Rep. DeLay Cooks Books in Texas, but Rep. DeLay is BOOKED in Texas. That's the MUG SHOT at right. From the article on CNN:

Rep. Tom DeLay turned himself in to the sheriff's office in his home county of Fort Bend, Texas, on Thursday for booking on state conspiracy and money-laundering charges.
Once inside, he was fingerprinted and his mug shot was taken. He was later released after posting a $10,000 bond, according to The Associated Press.

DeLay has accused Austin prosecutor Ronnie Earle, the Travis County district attorney, of launching a partisan vendetta against him. He showed his frustration Wednesday, telling CNN, "We all know what this is about. The quicker it's over the better."
There was no immediate official comment from the congressman's lawyers. But in a written statement, Earle's office said, "We believe that Congressman DeLay should be treated like everyone else."
Couldn't agree more.

Spineless?

2005-10-20T12:32:00.000-05:00

Enjoying rare midweek day off ... So good to be able to peruse the news with a reasonably clear head. Awfully funny pic here. Screenshot of Katie and Bill O'Reilly from this morning's Today show. Apparently untouched. Seen first at Think Progress, but it's all over the place by now. Don't see how this could be a mistake.

Report From the Surface

2005-10-08T15:57:00.000-05:00

Ventured outside today. Out onto the surface of this mysterious, alien world. The maneuver was unavoidable. Needed pancake mix. Within seconds I noticed that drops of water -- great, splashy globules -- were cascading down from the sky. Yes. Water. Falling out of the sky. What kind of a fucking planet is this anyway?

Endgame?

2005-10-08T15:24:00.000-05:00

Saw Salman Rushdie on "Real Time with Bill Maher" last night. Topic of discussion: religion: atheist vs. believer, reality-based thinking vs. ? ... Rushdie (who sided firmly with the nonbelievers) commented that he had a feeling "God" was lashing out, destroying whole cities, and so on. Ominous. Over 1,000 dead so far in 7.6 magnitude quake in Pakistan. What is happening? Let's ask Clov.

CLOV: Something is taking its course.

The Best Blog Ever!

2005-10-03T16:03:00.000-05:00

I love this. I just love this ...

The blog of the #1 smartest President ever's #1 pick to be the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court! It's Harriet Miers' Blog.

Holy Shit

2005-09-21T18:55:00.000-05:00

Consider the source, but the National Enquirer has reported that President Bush has begun drinking again.

Faced with the biggest crisis of his political life, President Bush has hit the bottle again, The National Enquirer can reveal. ...

"When the levees broke in New Orleans, it apparently made him reach for a shot," said one insider. "He poured himself a Texas-sized shot of straight whiskey and tossed it back. The First Lady was shocked and shouted: "Stop George!" ...

A Washington source said: "The sad fact is that he has been sneaking drinks for weeks now. Laura may have only just caught him — but the word is his drinking has been going on for a while in the capital. He's been in a pressure cooker for months.

Tempting as it is to joke about, I'll just say it is a sad, sad thing, if true. When you're on the road, you always want the driver to be sober.

I saw this first at Steve Gilliard's excellent site, The News Blog.

The "Noble Cause"

2005-09-17T12:55:00.000-05:00

Painful truth, from Cindy Sheehan's post on dKos:

We all now know the reason that we are in Iraq. George told us so from a break he was taking from Crawford in San Diego on the same day that Katrina was hitting the Gulf States: it is for oil. It is so George, Dick, and their evil buddies can rape more profits from our children's flesh and blood. This is not a Noble Cause, as a matter of fact, it is the most ignoble cause for a war that has ever been waged. We as Americans knew either in the front of our brains, or in the back of our consciousness, that this war was to feed the corporations. 15 brave young Americans have been killed so far this month while our attention has been focused, and rightfully so, on the Gulf States. Over 200 innocent and unfortunate Iraqis have been killed in this week alone. How much more blood are we as Americans going to allow George, Congress, and the corporations to spill before we demand an end to this war and an accounting for the lives that have been needlessly ruined?

M + Sweet, juicy fruit, associated with Georgia or New Jersey + Bush

2005-09-14T14:41:00.000-05:00

Forgive the headline. I know you probably already have the T-shirt. I haven't been blogging for a while. Tired, busy, shocked by recent events and trying to keep up with them. Thought this excellent diary from dKos was a good way to get back on track. Yes, the subject is the impeachment of W. First-rate work RenaRF. Wouldn't want anyone to miss it. The diarist also suggests you visit the Impeach Bush Coalition site.

It's Called the Fourth Amendment ...

2005-08-04T11:12:00.000-05:00

New York Newsday reports that the NYCLU will sue the city over random bag searches in the New York subway system. It's a shame that such a big mess has to be made over such a piss-poor idea.

I live three subway stops from Manhattan and take the train into the city every weekday. Since the policy took effect on July 22, I have never seen searches done at my home station. Sounds like a hole in the fence to me.

Monday Fortune

2005-07-25T15:03:00.000-05:00

Fortune from Chinese restaurant at lunch today:

"You are soon going to change your present line of work."

Even though I realize this is just a random burp from the universe, it makes me happy. (See my profile.)

Lucky numbers:
3 19 16 34 2 41

Everything You Love Is Crap

2005-07-24T13:13:00.000-05:00

Dr. David Thorpe at Something Awful says all the pop and rock albums and artists you love suck.

On the Beatles:

Yes, everyone knows that they started out as a fairly irritating pop band beloved by shrieking, frumpy teenage girls, but that actually isn’t why they suck. Things didn’t start getting really unbearable until John Lennon and George Harrison turned into pretentious, drug -addled proto-hippie cultists and Paul McCartney decided to start writing whimsical ditties. Ringo, of course, did not have to make any significant adjustments in order to suck. For every memorable "classic" Beatles song, there are five that are annoying novelty songs, four that are unbearably dated, three that are worthless R&B covers, two that are failed sonic experiments, and one that’s written by Ringo.

What is so amazing about these iconoclastic, and caustic, essays is that they are so intelligent and funny you don't end up with the feeling that Dr. Thorpe is an asshole. Seen on Strange Doctrines.

Giant Inflatable Chickens!

2005-07-23T13:29:00.000-05:00

Do not fear. These chickens have been thoroughly searched and pronounced to be nonthreatening by the NYPD and the NYC Transit Authority.

Friday Poodle Random 10

2005-07-22T21:27:00.000-05:00

A random list with several coincidences. Rated on the GEEK scale of 10 (the most embarrassing music geek territory) to 1 (West Coast Chopper Jesse James cool).

1. "Moonlight In Glory" Brian Eno & David Byrne My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. Magnificent blend of funk, the found object and the divine process of Enossification. Astonishing synergy. 6 of 10

2. "Dad" John Cage Complete Piano Music Vol. 7. About 17 seconds of heavily Erik Satie-inspired eccentricity. Oddly enough, the Gracenote CDDB category for this track is "Alternative & Punk." Not really so far off the mark, actually. 10 of 10

3. "O Leãozinho" Caetano Veloso Beleza Tropical: Brazil Classics 1. Lovely, soft crooner from Brazilian national treasure Veloso. The title means "Little Lion." 2 of 10

4. "Hard Times Killin' Floor Blues" Skip James Skip James Today! One of the most distinctive voices in the blues. If you hear that ghostly wail just once, you'll remember it for the rest of your life. This is a powerful, haunting song. 1 of 10

5. "The Blimp (Mousetrapreplica)" Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band Trout Mask Replica. You know it, you love it. Recorded through a fly's ear. 5 of 5

6. "Samurai Code Quote #1" Forrest Whitaker Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai Soundtrack. The only rap CD I own. Mr. Whitaker reciting from the Hagakure, early 18th century "book of the samurai" by Yamamoto Tsunetomo. From the Jim Jarmusch picture. NA

7. "Moon Going Down" Charley Patton Founder of the Delta Blues. Rough and stompin'. A voice like whiskey, cigarettes and sharkskin. “Aw, that moon has gone down, baby, North Star 'bout to shine ... more” 1 of 10

8. "Poem For The People" Chicago Chicago II. A tune from back when the music meant something, man. Gorgeous piano/horn section intro. 6 of 10

9. "Spiritual" John Coltrane Live At The Village Vanguard: The Master Takes. From 1961. Soulful and dramatic. Features both tenor and a mindblowing soprano, AND a probing, singing bass clarinet solo by Eric Dolphy. 2 of 10

10. "Jupiter" John Coltrane Interstellar Space. Can be a difficult listen. Starts with the simplest of motifs and rockets straight into space. It's a masterwork, however, recorded five months before Coltrane himself flew from this world. 4 of 10

Result: 4.1. Somewhat damaging to geek credentials, not enough to score Sandra Bullock.

Mad World, Bad Plan

2005-07-21T18:41:00.000-05:00

In response to a second attack on the London mass transit system, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that random searches of commuters' bags and backpacks will begin in city subways Friday morning.

People who do not submit to a search will be allowed to leave, but will not be permitted into the subway station. The police commissioner said officers would take pains to avoid singling people out for searches based on race or ethnicity.

Right.

So who will be searched? How can such a decision be made? Furthermore, the NYC subway system has 468 stations and carries some 4.5 million passengers on an average weekday, according to the Times. An impossible situation--wasted time, wasted money, shattered privacy and not one fucking bit safer.

Very disturbing development.

Supreme Court Nominee John Roberts

2005-07-19T23:42:00.000-05:00

I think the best I can do here is to take you on a somewhat random opinion tour:

The Debate Link: "Could Be Worse"

Daily Kos: "I'm willing to hear the guy out. We're not going to get a Ginsburg, but I'd be happy with an O'Connor-style moderate conservative. For all we know (and for all the religious-right knows), Roberts might be that sort of guy." [Wow! -GIP]

Instapundit: "What do I think of him? Beats me. Just searched his hearing transcripts on the right to bear arms and found nothing. How is he on federalism and other limits on government power? Beats me again."

Michael Sticking at The Moderate Voice: "I'd call him a right-wing radical" (Don't miss Joe Gandelman's commentary and comprehensive overview of blogosphere opinion on Roberts. Joe G on Roberts' chances: Unless there is some fiery, smoking gun he'll probably eventually be confirmed.)

Power Line: "It's a great day for conservatives and for America. Thanks to President Bush for nominating the best person for the job--or, certainly, one of the best people, along with McConnell, Luttig and one or two others--rather than taking the easy, politically correct way out."

Progress for America: "terrific nominee" (And they've launched JudgeRoberts.com to drive the point home.)

Senator Harry Reid: "someone with suitable legal credentials," whose record must now be examined "to determine if he has a demonstrated commitment to the core American values of freedom, equality and fairness." (From The New York Times)

The News Blog - Steve Gilliard: "Nice guy, wants to control women's bodies"

The extremes notwithstanding, it doesn't exactly look like the fight of the century, does it?

A Clockwork Beethoven

2005-07-19T14:27:00.000-05:00

Viddied this browsing CNET Tech news: A site called The Unheard Beethoven offers MIDI versions of obscure works by lovely Ludwig van. Haven't had a chance to hear all proper yet, droogies.

According to the site: "One catalog of his compositions runs to 849 separate items. While several hundred of these works have been recorded on one medium or another, there still remain literally hundreds of other works which have never been recorded at all, or which have never been published in widely available editions or in some cases, never published at all!"

Will certainly check this out. The sound should be good; the programmers say they have been using the Garritan Personal Orchestra digital instrument library -- listen to this sample from Garritan's site. Quite impressive. (Part of GPO will be bundled with Finale 2006.)

But it strikes me that there may be a reason why these unheard pieces have been unheard for so long. Can't imagine the classical music recording industry leaving any valuable stones unturned.

"I've Already Said Too Much"

2005-07-17T19:58:00.000-05:00

These were the words Karl Rove used to end a conversation with Time reporter Matthew Cooper. The conversation was the one in which Cooper first learned about Joseph Wilson's wife and her role in Wilson's trip to Niger. This comes from Cooper's article,"What I Told the Grand Jury," in the latest Time magazine. Cooper also mentions a conversation with Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff Lewis (Scooter) Libby:

On background, I asked Libby if he had heard anything about Wilson's wife sending her husband to Niger. Libby replied, "Yeah, I've heard that too," or words to that effect.

So Libby is another source.

And the lie from the White House just keeps getting bigger.

The Time story is by subscription only, but here is a summary from the New York Times.

San Francisco Photo Post

2005-07-17T16:54:00.000-05:00

My GOD it’s humid today. New York is just a dripping, stinking section of large intestine at the moment. I can’t bring myself to go outside. So from the chilled comfort of this thoroughly air-conditioned apartment, I’ll post some pics from my trip to San Francisco earlier this year. It was just a short jaunt -- a few days away to ward off job-related madness. I tried to see a few parts of the city I hadn’t visited before. I loved the Mission District. You can see more SF photos at my Flickr page.

An establishing shot.

A mural from Balmy Alley in the Mission District. A narrow strip of crumbling pavement, several blocks long with houses leaning into it on both sides -- most are covered with brilliantly colorful murals. Some of them are just fantastic. Check out Precita Eyes Mural Arts if this appeals to you. More pics and info on tours of the area, if you’re planning a visit.

A detail from the Women's Building in The Mission.

A window inside the Mission Dolores.

At Seal Rocks.

While I was there, Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh did a book signing (Searching for the Sound, his personal story of life with the Dead, had just been released) at a shop in Haight Ashbury. Here he is after about 2 hours of scribbling his name and talking nonstop to reverent Deadheads.

The Big Picture

2005-07-17T12:01:00.000-05:00

I had not planned to post anything on, or even think about, Rovegate today. But this NYT piece by Frank Rich, "Follow the Uranium," frames the issue so beautifully, I had to enshrine it here. Some choice bits:

This case is not about Joseph Wilson. He is, in Alfred Hitchcock's parlance, a MacGuffin, which, to quote the Oxford English Dictionary, is "a particular event, object, factor, etc., initially presented as being of great significance to the story, but often having little actual importance for the plot as it develops." Mr. Wilson, his mission to Niger to check out Saddam's supposed attempts to secure uranium that might be used in nuclear weapons and even his wife's outing have as much to do with the real story here as Janet Leigh's theft of office cash has to do with the mayhem that ensues at the Bates Motel in "Psycho."

This case is about Iraq, not Niger. The real victims are the American people, not the Wilsons. The real culprit - the big enchilada, to borrow a 1973 John Ehrlichman phrase from the Nixon tapes - is not Mr. Rove but the gang that sent American sons and daughters to war on trumped-up grounds and in so doing diverted finite resources, human and otherwise, from fighting the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11. That's why the stakes are so high: this scandal is about the unmasking of an ill-conceived war, not the unmasking of a C.I.A. operative who posed for Vanity Fair.

Chinatown

2005-07-16T13:09:00.000-05:00

Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown!

... Line! ...

2005-07-16T12:43:00.000-05:00

Nothing is funnier than unhappiness ...

Read more here.

GIP Random 10

2005-07-14T23:36:00.000-05:00

In honor of some blogs I admire (a fine way to describe ripping off somebody else’s idea), here is a Random 10. So that you may better know GIP. With commentary.

1. "I Talk To The Wind" King Crimson In The Court of the Crimson King Mellow; includes flute choir; fondly remembered from cannabis-saturated high-school days

2. "Consciousness" Pat Martino Consciousness Smoky, hypnotic; a little rambling; Eric Kloss composition; like it says in the liner notes of Pat Martino/Live! “Pat is a bad cat.”

3. "Ramble On Rose" Grateful Dead Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead England '72 Great nonsense lyric and loping rhythm; better than average vocal by Jerry

4. "Virginia Avenue" Tom Waits Closing Time Bluesy, rolling tune from Tom’s debut

5. "Bye-Ya" Steve Lacy Reflections Great Monk tune; stellar soprano sax

6. "Piano Sonate No. 10, op. 70" Alexander Scriabin Scriabin: The Piano Sonatas Vladimir Ashkenazy -- piano Impenetrable; ecstatic; Ashkenazy plays the living crap out of it

7. "Desert Players" (with Jerry Garcia) Ornette Coleman And Prime Time Virgin Beauty Odd synthetic percussion, funky pseudo-Arabic sound; downright undistinguished guitar from Jerry

8. "Ludus Tonalis XXIII Interludium" Paul Hindemith Ludus Tonalis John McCabe -- piano A delicate waltz just before the final fugue of Hindemith’s contrapuntal labyrinth Ludis Tonalis; a petal floating on deep water

9. "Ruby My Dear" Thelonious Monk The Complete Blue Note Recordings Even greater Monk tune; Monk played the piano the way I imagine da Vinci would have drawn if he had been forced to use a 6-foot pen: rough and awkward, but pure invention in every line

10. "Hoe-Down" Oliver Nelson The Blues and the Abstract Truth Like the bit on Whose Line Is it Anyway: fun, hard to dislike, even if you do feel a bit irritated when it first begins

Now you know. I’m a MUSIC GEEK! And an old fart too.
Peace on Friday, everyone.

Yeah, I Think I Missed It

2005-07-13T13:10:00.001-05:00

A friend sent me a link to a story called "In Case You Missed It: Karl Rove, Whistleblower." Good for inducing hilarity or complete madness. The gist is that Rove is a hero for his outing of Valerie Plame. A taste:

For Mr. Rove is turning out to be the real "whistleblower" in this whole sorry pseudo-scandal. He's the one who warned Time's Matthew Cooper and other reporters to be wary of Mr. Wilson's credibility. He's the one who told the press the truth that Mr. Wilson had been recommended for the CIA consulting gig by his wife, not by Vice President Dick Cheney as Mr. Wilson was asserting on the airwaves. In short, Mr. Rove provided important background so Americans could understand that Mr. Wilson wasn't a whistleblower but was a partisan trying to discredit the Iraq War in an election campaign. Thank you, Mr. Rove.

(Embarrasssing snort.)

How to explain this delusional thinking? Well, it all depends on your perspective. If you're planning a crime, anyone who tries to get in your way is A BAD GUY. Anyone who shames and discredits that BAD GUY is a hero. Pretty simple, really.

Whipping Boy

2005-07-12T10:38:00.000-05:00

White House press secretary Scott McClellan took a pretty good beating at the hands of the press yesterday. And the blogosphere--one side mostly--seems to be having a wonderful time with it. I saw the video (thanks Crooks and Liars) and will admit to getting deep pleasure from watching Scotty squirm like a bitch. But, then, that's his job in situations like this: to take it in all available orifices for the administration.

As encouraging as this development is, however, seeing Rove frog-marched seems like a long shot. From today's New York Times:

The 1982 law that makes it a crime to disclose the identities of covert operatives is not easy to break. It has apparently been the basis of a single prosecution, against Sharon M. Scranage, a C.I.A. clerk in Ghana who pleaded guilty in 1985 to identifying two C.I.A. agents to a boyfriend there.

A prosecutor seeking to establish a violation of the law has to establish an intentional disclosure by someone with authorized access to classified information. That person must know that the disclosure identifies a covert agent "and that the United States was taking affirmative measures to conceal such covert agent's intelligence relationship to the United States." A covert agent is defined as someone whose identity is classified and who has served outside the United States within the last five years.

(Read the whole article.)

Lots of ways to wriggle out.

COMIC, BUT NO RELIEF
If you're seeing this, you've probably seen the Norbizness post on the McClellan orgy. If not, please give this a read. Quite brilliant.

Sopranophobia?

2005-07-11T14:51:00.000-05:00

To protect young men in the Lone Star State from the slightest hint of gender confusion, the Texas Music Educators Association has a rule that boys cannot audition for soprano or alto roles in that state's All-State Choir.

As a result, 17-year-old Mikhael Rawls, who already has won awards for his countertenor--the male parallel to soprano--can't try out in the part where he excels.

In an effort to bring Mikhael's voice down to more manly levels, educators tried convincing the boy he was related to Lou Rawls, whose deep, buttery tones the board prefers when listening to hot male singers.

Incipit

2005-07-11T13:42:00.000-05:00

"They're out there."

Brutal Week

2005-07-09T16:27:00.000-05:00

Haven't gotten around to posting anything on the London attacks because of a punishing shipping schedule, but this sunny Saturday afternoon in the East Village provides the time and place.

Difficult to begin. First, there is sorrow and sympathy for the victims and their families. And a sense of connectedness with, and understanding for, Londoners who may never feel quite the same about, or completely safe in, their city. Anger at the senseless murder of working people in buses and trains. Empathy for countless Muslims who may be victims of suspicion or mindless attempts at retaliation; who may feel shame at having their religion unfairly tied to horrific violence and extremist ideologies.

Can only hope this most recent outrage can be a turning point of sorts. Let's hope that much of the horror toward terror that seems to be pouring from many parts of the Muslim world can filter up, toward governments in the Middle East, which have mismanaged, misrepresented and mistreated their people. Let's hope it can be a moral fulcrum where revulsion, fear and rage are leveraged into resolve and action. Let's hope that one big government in the West realizes that it is time to open up avenues of discussion with the dispossessed and disenchanted. It's time to face the problem intead of simply trying to kill it.

Peace eventually.

For That Long Drive ...

2005-07-06T16:35:00.000-05:00

... Down Hubbert Peak:

Sixty-one dollars a barrel of oil
sixty-one dollars for oil
if one of those barrels should happen to fall
sixty-two dollars a barrel of oil.

Sixty-two dollars a barrel ...

Repeat until Wal-Mart collapses.

Karl Rove Source for Plame Outing

2005-07-02T23:46:00.000-05:00

Check this juicy bit from The Huffington Post. Lawrence O'Donnell, senior political analyst at MSNBC, says that he revealed--on a taping of the McLaughlin Group--that none other than Karl Rove was Matt Cooper's source in the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame. Fireworks for the Fourth. Is it schadenfreude that GIP feels? Hell no. It's genuine, justifed, undiluted delight. Hope it's true. Thanks Dr. R.

The Cat

2005-07-01T18:31:00.000-05:00

Approaching 15 years of age ... former child star ... history of psychotic behavior ... often surprisingly affectionate ... much loved in this Brooklyn apartment ...

O'Connor to Resign

2005-07-01T10:43:00.000-05:00

Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is resigning. Not very good news. A key swing vote position Bush will try to fill with an ideological stablemate. Really frightening. Don't let the president abuse his power: Here are some things you can do, right now, to help.

Some Good News

2005-06-30T21:36:00.000-05:00

Last week's Supreme Court ruling that would allow local governments to force the sale of private property for economic development purposes took a hit Thursday. The House voted to use the spending power of Congress to hobble the cruel twist on eminent domain.

The House measure, which passed 231 to 189, would deny federal funds to any city or state project that used eminent domain to force people to sell their property to make way for a profit-making project such as a hotel or mall.

The measure, an amendment to an appropriations bill, would apply to funds administered by the departments of Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development.

The court's ruling was so outrageously unfair to property owners that even Tom DeLay was offended by it. The House Majority Leader referred to it as "a horrible decision," and said he hoped it would cause a backlash.

Read the whole story at the Washington Post site.

Reality-Based Speech

2005-06-28T10:02:00.000-05:00

Ahead of tonight's wool-pulling speech by President Bush, in which he will try desparately to regain some lost ground, Sen. John Kerry's opinion piece in the New York Times spells out "The Speech the President Should Give." A few samples:

So what should the president say tonight? The first thing he should do is tell the truth to the American people. Happy talk about the insurgency being in "the last throes" leads to frustrated expectations at home.

The president must also announce immediately that the United States will not have a permanent military presence in Iraq. Erasing suspicions that the occupation is indefinite is critical to eroding support for the insurgency.

Reasonable, thoughtful stuff, don't you think? Presidential, one might say.

Connick Jr. and Marsalis: On the Sunny Side

2005-06-26T16:18:00.000-05:00

Saw Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis at Zankel Hall in NYC last night. Probably the most mainstream jazz performance I have ever attended. (Got some comps from a friend.) Good show, though. Audience friendly, to be sure, but with some depth. Quite a bit more harmonic sophistication in Connick Jr.'s playing than I expected to hear. Solid, accomplished blowing by Marsalis--absolutely effortless soprano work. Most of what the duo offered can be heard on the Marsalis Music release Occasion. Opener was "The Sunny Side of the Street," nicely done solo by HCJ. If you have Rhapsody--and you certainly should--check out some cool versions of "Sunny Side" by following the link below. Includes Ella Fitzgerald, Lester Young, Jimmy Smith, Sonny Rollins and more.

Not much Sunday left. Try to enjoy.

RHAPSODY Link

Advice for Matt Lauer

2005-06-25T12:52:00.000-05:00

Mr. Lauer, the next time you plan a showdown with someone who has the mental acuity and boundless knowledge of Tom Cruise, maybe you'll do the research first. You ought to know better ...

Weaselry

2005-06-24T15:01:00.000-05:00

This story, from the New York Times, reports President Bush's determination to stay the course in Iraq, despite diminishing support for his policy seen in recent public opinion polls. The message is: "There are not going to be any timetables," for withdrawal of American troops. A stunningly creative example of weasel wording in the following paragraph is worth noticing. Emphasis is my own:

Mr. Bush declined today to answer directly when asked about apparently differing assessments - or at least differences in language - between Vice President Dick Cheney and Gen. John P. Abizaid, the commander of United States troops in Iraq. Mr. Cheney recently said that the insurgency in Iraq was in its "last throes." But General Abizaid told a Senate committee on Thursday that the insurgency's "overall strength is about the same" as six months ago.

That's some difference. Seems a bit unfair to blame it on language.

Brooklyn

2005-06-24T00:26:00.000-05:00

First Post

2005-06-23T23:10:00.000-05:00

Who will see this? Very few. If any.

In the coming days, weeks and months, this location will feature posts on many subjects: music, politics, books, movies, technology, TV, etc. There will be photographs. Possibly some short stories. Whatever hits the windshield. Initially, you may expect confusion. A seemingly deliberate lack of organization. Perhaps, as time passes, things will come into focus. Or not. Who can say?

Giant Inflatable Poodle has just been born.

Give GIP a chance.

Everybody's brother and son:
GIP