Loosen the Beltway

The World of Personal Development

2007-04-25T10:52:00.001-04:00

If you had mentioned the world of self-help, personal development or new age concepts to me two or three years ago, I would have laughed in your face. Today, I daily check out StevePavlina.com and BrianKim.net, the web sites of two personal development gurus.

There is a reason why “The Secret” has been so successful. People (including myself) are screaming for hope. We’re looking for reason in our lives. We’re looking for happiness and fulfillment. Not just in our personal lives but also in our professional careers. People no longer stick with one job for 40 years and then retire with a gold watch and a retirement dinner. Technology and globalization has rapidly transformed all areas of business: from call centers in India to marketing personnel shifting companies every few years. The world is moving exponentially faster and there are no signs of it slowing down.

People are looking for answers and unfortunately our leaders do not have them. The current Bush administration just reveals one disaster after another, from failing to prevent 9/11 to Iraq to Katrina to countless breaches of constitutional protections. George W. Bush’s approval ratings are in the low thirties-high twenties. Vice President Dick Cheney is at 9%. Clearly, they are ineffective.

So, we see books like “The Secret” and “The Law of Attraction” as bestsellers. The war in Iraq has become a 21st-century Vietnam. Everyday costs are increasing at a faster rate. College tuition has skyrocketed to where many private 4-year institutions cost $50,000 a year.

I personally believe that this hypercompetitive capitalist environment will eventually subside. It’s too much. We’re already seeing this in young people; climbing the corporate ladder isn’t worth wasting your youth with 80-hour workweeks. People are beginning to search for meaning in life.

So my answer for today is a lesson best taught by Joseph Campbell: follow your bliss. The rest will come.

Technology Is Less Convenient

2007-04-24T12:12:00.000-04:00

Every time I hear about another technological innovation, I’m informed about how the new device will make my life easier, will make choices simpler, and the convenience it brings will change my life. Cell phones now double as cameras, walkie-talkies, PDAs, alarm clocks, whatever. The trains on my rush-hour commute are filled with people thumbing through their BlackBerries (derogatorily nicknamed “CrackBerries” by some). This “technological convenience” will now make you smarter, faster, better, more efficient. It will also allow you to have a life too. Or so that’s what’s promised.

Ask yourself this: are you now more convenienced? Is your life simpler or more complex because of technology?

The first decade of the 21st century is now over half over. The latter half of the previous decade promised all sorts of conveniences that technology would bring. People could telecommute. People would be able to leave work early. In other words, technology would bring “less work” and “more fun.”

Instead, it seems all this technology has had the opposite effect. The 9-to-5-workweek is an extinct dinosaur, replaced with late-night sessions checking the BlackBerry. The “virtual office” has now crept into recreational time. Proponents of this “virtual office” culture argue you can work anywhere at any time, even on the beach. Anyone who has done this knows that instead of having a great day in the office, you have a crappy day on the beach.

My point is that diluting the boundaries between work time and recreational time doesn’t conveniently allow you to define your own boundaries, it forces you to work…all the time! If you can check work email at home, sooner or later you will be expected to do so. If you can be reached by phone from anywhere on the planet, you’ll be forced to work. The lack of an inability to work thus forces you to choose when to work…and when you choose not to work, your colleagues will be wondering why you’re not working, especially if they want to work all the time.

No wonder why so many Americans are unhappy. The U.S. is the wealthiest country in the world, and yet billions are spent on self-help books and therapy.

I have yet to own a cell phone. I imagine I will eventually cave in but for now I’m fine not having a 24-hour connection resting next to my hip. God forbid I should be forced to get a BlackBerry.

Even Everything They've Said Has Turned Out To Be Wrong, Neoconservatives Are Still Clueless

2007-02-02T14:27:00.000-05:00

It baffles me to see that, despite the utter chaos that has developed in Iraq, neoconservatives are still incorrigibly retarded in analyzing the situation.

Take Charles Krauthammer's lamentation, for example. Having acknowledged that sectarian strife exists on a full-scale level, Krauthammer lays the blame solely on the Iraqis, ignoring that L. Paul Bremer threw out over 50,000 low- and middle-level Baathist party bureaucrats and dissolved the Iraqi army, which left hundreds of thousands armed and unemployed. That pissed off a lot of people.

When you take jobs away from people and fill that vacuum with foreigners (i.e. private contractors), those now unemployed are going to be angry, hungry, and desperate, resulting in bad outcomes, especially if they are armed. Desperate people resort to hope, a concept that religion thrives on, and thus they lean toward their community leaders. People just like Moqtada al-Sadr. Al-Sadr has blamed the American occupation but has also sought vengeance against the Sunni minority. Conversely, the Sunni minority feels villified, ignored, and seeks to attack Shiites.

Yes, these feelings have been fueled for hundreds of years (much like Catholics and Protestants had violently brutalized each other throughout history), but the catalyst was that the new American occupation fired thousands of Iraqi government officials, disbanded the Iraqi army, and never fully filled the vacuum. The jobs that were replaced were filled by either the US military or private contractors. Iraqis had little say in the early stages of reconstruction.

Sorry, Mr. Krauthammer. You were wrong then and you are wrong now.

Iraq Will Further Deteriorate

2007-02-02T10:19:00.000-05:00

The National Intelligence Estimate reports that unless significant progress is to be made within the next 12 to 18 months, the security situation in Iraq will continue to deteriorate and the US will continue to lose control. The intelligence report also added that a quick withdrawal from the region would have "dangerous consequences."

It's clear that the occupation is not going well. Only members of the far left want an immediate withdrawal and members of the far right are too obstinate to recognize their own failures. Members from both parties recognize that a bump of 21,500 troops isn't enough to regain stability in multi-ethnic, war-torn Iraq.

It is truly unbelievable how the US got into this mess in the first place. Regardless of anyone's opinions on the invasion, the 2003 Iraq war was handled brilliantly; the subsequent peace staggeringly incompetent. In a way, the Republican handling of the Iraqi invasion is analogous to how they view their own domestic policy: do your own thing, keep government out of it, and all will be well.

Well, all is not well in Iraq. Unemployment is rampant, partly due to Bremer dissolving the Iraqi army and his de-Baathification policy. The low US troop numbers were calculated to take the Iraqi army into account but had been dissolved in the early stages of the war; all of those soldiers were thrown out of paying jobs. Private contractors from all over the globe are now doing the work the Iraqis could have done. Employing Iraqis to reconstruct their own country would have alleviated their grievances. Instead, we have Blackwater and Halliburton rebuilding Iraq for the Bush administration.

For the US, the situation is bad all around. Does the US continue to fight a losing war, where creating some semblance of stability is nothing more than a hopeful wish, or do they pull out, condemning the region into more chaos, abandoning hopes for a unified Iraq, and losing face with its allies and especially its enemies?

But I am ranting on topics that have been covered a myriad of times before. The point is that the Iraqi situation would not have been this dire had we had any semblance of competence in the Bush administration. The notion of laissez-faire economic policies only work when there is a stable infrastructure in place to enforce fair-play.

In other words, you can't play football without a written rulebook and reliable referees.

How To Deal With Iran

2007-02-01T10:21:00.000-05:00

It's pretty apparent that the Iranian government is plotting with Iraqi shi'ites in killing American soldiers. The question is how the Bush administration should move forward in handling with what is now a proxy war with Iran. Bush has already said an invasion on Iranian soil is out of the question but will he remain true to his statements? After all, Nixon said he wouldn't escalate the war into Cambodia.

I have a feeling we're going to have some intriguing covert operations over the Iranian border in the next few months (if they haven't started already).

Joe Biden's Words

2007-01-31T20:14:00.000-05:00

ABC News has picked up the story of Joe Biden's faux pas over Senator Barack Obama that the bloggers have been putzing with for the past couple of days:

"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man."

It seems that members from both the left and the right are in a hue and cry over this. Rush Limbaugh pounces on the libs:

"'He is a clean African-American'?...Does he mean that he knows that Jesse Jackson is not clean? Does he mean that he knows that Reverend Sharpton is not clean? … See, folks, this is the problem for the libs. Once they get off script they expose their idiocy, they expose their prejudice."

Jesse Jackson cries foul:

"They are loaded words," Rev. Jesse Jackson told ABC News. "And that's why he should interpret what he meant by those loaded words. It was an attempt I thought to diminish Barack's attributes and dismissive of our previous campaigns that made Barack's candidacy possible."

Why don't we take a look at exactly what has been said? Biden called Obama "articulate." Now how is that offensive? Maybe articulate isn't a strong enough word--perhaps Biden should have used "eloquent." Regardless, that's what I believe because to point out otherwise does not make much sense. The Kennedys were once labeled "articulate." Tony Blair has been called "articulate." Google "Bill Clinton" and "articulate" and you will find a myriad of references labeling the former president as such. Does that mean that those who stem from Mr. Clinton's working-class roots stem are inarticulate? Hardly anyone would make that argument. I think the same parallellism here.

No, the argument rests with the idea that the term "articulate" is a dirty word. Historically the term "articulate" had been used to describe educated blacks who fit in the white man's mold. This is 2007, however, and the term "articulate" has never fallen out of favor in the common lexicon. I can call my fellow friend "articulate" and he/she would take it as a compliment. So then why can't it be acceptable to call an African-American "articulate?" Because it jives at the stereotype that African Americans are not articulate? Most African Americans have had to deal with lots of negative stereotypes. If I call a black man smart, does that mean I'm saying he's smart [for a black man]? I don't think it comes down to that.

The "clean" reference can be attributed to Obama's inexperience in politics. He hasn't gotten his hands dirty yet. I seriously doubt that Biden meant to refer to his showering habits.

Biden has never been known for grace or eloquence, but in my humble opinion I think the newsmedia have blown his statement well out of proportion.

Review of The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

2007-01-31T11:46:00.000-05:00

If you had any doubt that Barack Obama would run for president in 2008, read his latest work, The Audacity of Hope. His optimism for a better future pours out of every page. He successfully paints himself as a regular hardworking joe with a family man, just one of millions of Americans who strive for a better future. In other words, it’s a pedestal for which Senator Obama will launch his candidacy.

I don’t normally read books authored by superstar politicians. They are usually ghostwritten and in my eyes do not add much value to the person. For instance, George W. Bush is the author of A Charge to Keep. Does anyone actually believe he wrote this? Similarly, Hillary Clinton’s bestseller It Takes a Village to Raise a Child was also ghostwritten. In my opinion, if you can’t write a book you shouldn’t stamp your name to one.

Barack Obama, however, did not have a ghostwriter and penned the words that appear in The Audacity of Hope. His clear, concise style and the tender moments from his family life he shares bring a sense of credulity to his character. In one segment, he describes a moment where his daughter explains to him that children do not shake hands; that’s what adults do. Pages later he describes whether Ted Kennedy or John McCain had to go out to pick up ant traps after work. These moments reflect on both Senator Obama’s newbie experience as one of the upper echelons of American society and whether he will remain true to the reasons why he got involved in the first place.

In fact, the entire theme of the book is based on the disconnect between the American voter and the leadership in Washington. Private jets allow legislators to fly comfortably at least twice a week but they shelter their powerful patrons from the struggles and hardships of their constituents. Throughout his congressional campaign, Illinois voters kept telling him to never change and remain true to your humble background, a struggle that Senator Obama himself admits to as being difficult.

Mr. Obama was not born into elitism, though his impressive record challenges his humble claims. Earned a master’s degree from Columbia and a law degree from Harvard, was elected president of the Law Review by his peers, Mrs. Obama’s past is anything but average joe. He is a go-getter and would not be where he was today without his insatiable drive. The senator also claims that much from his life hasn’t changed since winning office; he still goes to the same barbershop and hangs out with the same friends. With his hat thrown into the presidential fray, I doubt life will continue as normal. The question is whether a “President Obama” will hang true to his beliefs.

I think he will. Why? It’s the color of his skin. A white man can grow up in poverty, become rich, and easily lose sight of his humble beginnings. The founders of America left Europe for upward mobility; hard work and success dictated your social status, not hereditary titles. Contemporary America, however, has replaced assumed titles with a crude substitute: race. A self-made white millionaire in America can always suppress his lower-class roots; a wealthy black man will wake up every day, look in the mirror, and see his face as one of the millions of other black men who struggle just to survive in this country. He will look around the halls of success and see white males: rich, usually old, and whose first-hand accounts are oblivious to the middle-, working- and lower-classes. Obama attests to this when he enters the Senate chamber and is the only black man present.

Though at times he can seem preachy and seeming to represent all sides to all people, Barack Obama succeeds in writing a candid piece on his views of the American philosophy and social landscape. The Audacity of Hope gets 3½ out of 5 stars.

Bush the Decision-Maker

2007-01-26T14:18:00.000-05:00

He may be the decision-maker on Iraq, but it's too bad he's made all the wrong choices.

Oh Yeah!

2006-11-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

Good times, good times..

Dissenting GOP Senators Surrender on Torture

2006-09-22T12:21:00.000-04:00

THE “COMPROMISE”—as the mainstream media is calling it—seems to be less of an agreement between Senators McCain (R-.AZ), Warner (R.-VA), and Graham (R.-SC) and more of a victory for the Bush administration. Though the TORTURE BILL will not redefine the Geneva Conventions clause on torture, it won’t contest President Bush from defining his own interpretation on what the Geneva Convention means by torture. In other words, the torture will go on.

Barring secret evidence from tribunals, however, was a minor victory for the GOP senators. But the remaining results of the so-called compromise seem to indicate a complete capitulation from McCain, Warner and Graham. Originally, they wanted to ban evidence gained from coercion. According to this bill, evidence from coercion can be used upon judicial approval.

What is even more startling is that the TORTURE BILL allows for this:

It allows the president to declare any foreigner, anywhere, an “illegal enemy combatant” using a dangerously broad definition, and detain him without any trial. It not only fails to deal with the fact that many of the Guantánamo detainees are not terrorists and will never be charged, but it also chokes off any judicial review.—New York Times

Sounds like the Alien and Sedition Acts during John Adams’ day, doesn’t it?

Hugo Chavez Is the New Oprah

2006-09-22T09:59:00.000-04:00

Apparently, Hugo Chavez can sell books. Hegemony or Survival, Noam Chomsky’s latest work condemning U.S. foreign policy and claiming America has imperialist ambitions, hit #1 on Amazon today because of his rant at the UN.

I’m not a big fan of Chomsky but I must admit I haven’t read much of his work other than what I’ve perused at my local Barnes & Noble. What I did read was mostly polemic, unequivocally condemning, and outlandishly partisan.

The books I like to read are those that are driven by facts and supplemented with opinion; instead, works from Chomsky, Coulter, Limbaugh, and Franken are driven by opinion supplemented by facts.

But maybe I’ll drink the KoolAid and pick it up at the library. But probably not.

Don't Watch "Path to 9/11" -- See "Inside 9/11" Instead

2006-09-12T11:05:00.000-04:00

DESPITE ALL THE HOOPLA surrounding the controversial “Path to 9/11” ABC special, I have no interest in seeing the much-maligned docudrama. Instead I watched the National Geographic Channel’s Inside 9/11, an update to the Emmy-award-winning documentary that timelines in pinpointing detail the events of September 11.

The film aired last night in two parts: “War on America” at 7pm and “Zero Hour” at 8pm. I caught the “Zero Hour” as it repeated after primetime at 11pm and was taken aback on its accuracy and the personal stories interviewees told.

The National Geographic Channel doesn’t seem to list a repeating of the episodes on its website but you should check out Inside911.com. In fact, you should check out most of NGC’s network programming—in my humble opinion, they have some great shows and they seem to be what the Discovery Channel and TLC used to be 5 to 6 years ago.

9/11: Five Years Later

2006-09-11T19:56:00.000-04:00

IT’S BEEN five years. I can hardly believe it. Like so many others during that day, the memories are still vivid. I can remember the book I was reading on my way to work – Big Trouble by Dave Barry (which incidentally involved a nuclear bomb on a plane). I remember seeing the smoke billow out from one of the towers on my morning hike to the office. I remember that, despite being a little more than a mile away from lower Manhattan, we were all watching CNN to find out more info. I remember hiking up the West Side Highway and only hearing the sirens from ambulances, police cruisers and fire trucks. I remember feeling completely powerless and fearing all this could be a grander scheme for an even more disastrous attack, ala nuclear bomb in Times Square. I remember wanting to go home.

I was lucky I didn’t lose anyone on September 11, 2001. None of my family or friends worked at the World Trade Center. But I do remember commuting on the bus and right before entering the Lincoln Tunnel I would occassionally gaze upon the those dual skyscrapers and reflect on the symbolism with which they represented: human ingenuity, democratic values, and the limitless height the American spirit can soar.

I don’t have much more to say than what most other people have already said. Although I will mention this: because of its demise, the World Trade Center more strongly represents the values of Western democracy and American liberty – and how in the blink of an eye those values can quickly disappear.

Review of Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq

2006-08-15T10:59:00.000-04:00

YOU see the daily reports on the cable news channels. You read the headlines in newspapers and online. You feel the anger exerted by impassioned bloggers. The evidence is clear: Iraq is in a state of failure and its society is on the brink of civil war. In Fiasco, Thomas Ricks explains how this quagmire came to be.

Regardless of your opinions regarding the war, Ricks’ research is thorough. Quotes from high-level military officials, including generals and colonels, are included. The results are profound: the emergence of the current insurgency could have been prevented had the military followed counterinsurgency tactics that have been in place for decades.

However, after the fall of Saddam’s Hussein’s Baathist government the Bush administration did not anticipate a popular insurgency and so many of these tactics were unknown to the leadership. Ricks cites two critical decisions made by L. Paul Bremer, the Coalition Provisional Authority administrator in Iraq. First, Bremer conducted an aggressive de-Baathification policy that alienated the middle- and lower-level Baath Party members and didn’t allow any amnesty policy. Having no option to participate in the new Iraq, these middle managers of the Baathist regime had no other choice but to join the insurgency. Second, Bremer dissolved the Iraqi army. Already short of the boots-on-the-ground that were necessary to occupy Iraq, the U.S. military could have used the Iraqi army to secure the country and restrain the insurgency. Instead, Bremer embittered hundreds of thousands of Iraqi soldiers by placing them out of work.

These early mistakes were critical because it led to more mistakes that fueled the insurgency. For example, since the military did not have enough boots on the ground, U.S. soldiers adopted a security strategy based on speed, which involved convoys rushing to secure an area and then abandoning it. The speed with which the convoys rushed to the area frightened the indigenous population, causing damage to life and property, and effectively giving Iraqis reasons to want the U.S. out of their country. Soldiers also rounded up anyone who was even remotely considered to be part of the insurgency and, because they didn’t have the soldiers to detain and interrogate prisoners, simply shipped them out to Abu Ghraib, the notorious detention center that was already filled to capacity. Studies indicate that at least 80% of Iraqis who were detained by these raids were innocent of any insurgent activity.

Overall, Fiasco is a fascinating and critical account of the U.S. military occupation of Iraq. Whatever the future of Iraq may be, this will become the definitive volume of the events that unfolded and gave rise to the insurgency in the post-Saddam Iraq.

Bush's Poll Numbers Still In the Toilet

2006-08-14T15:01:00.000-04:00

NOT EVEN THWARTING A TERROR PLOT (oh wait, he didn't, the Brits did) could raise Bush's approval numbers above 36%.

Terror Plot Foiled in London

2006-08-10T11:08:00.000-04:00

WELL NOW WE know that Al Qaeda is still mucking around.

LTB gracefully and humbly gives kudos to the British for catching these 21 lowlifes. And kudos to the civil service workers in the U.S. for aiding them. According to Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff, the plans for this multi-plane, multi-day attack were in its final stages.

For those who are travelling today:

In Britain, NO carry-on luggage is allowed.
In the U.S., carry-on luggage is still permitted. but NO liquids are to be brought on board, with the exception of some medications and baby formula.

In case you forgot, the post-9/11 world is still underway.

Liberman Loses!

2006-08-09T09:37:00.000-04:00

LAST NIGHT Democratic Senatorial candidate Ned Lamont defeated incumbent Senator Joseph Liberman in Connecticut's Democratic primary. Liberman vows that he will continue his campaign as an independent, potentially dividing Democratic voters and aiding the Republican challenger.

Frankly, this isn't all too shocking because Joe Liberman has been outside the Democratic mainstream for a long time now. Pundits keep mentioning that the Senator has fallen far since he was a vice presidential candidate in 2000 but they seem to forget why Al Gore picked him as his running mate. Soured by Clintoinfidelity problems, Gore picked Liberman because he was the staunchest Democrat to criticize Clinton, not because he was well-liked or popular within the party.

Fidel Cedes Power...For Now

2006-08-01T10:44:00.000-04:00

FIDEL CASTRO ceded sovereignty of Cuba over to his brother Raul yesterday. We're still waiting the outcome of his health.

Could this be the start of revolution in one of the last remaining communist states? Cuban-American communities in Miami and New York were celebrating [nytimes.com - registration req'd] Fidel's relinquishment of power, though if the notorious Cuban revolutionary fully recovers their joy will be short lived.

Looks Like an Israel-Lebanon Ground War Is Imminent

2006-07-21T10:51:00.000-04:00

ALL I CAN SAY IS that I'm glad to not be in Beirut.

Baby No Likey

2006-07-14T10:52:00.000-04:00

YEAH KID, we know. We know.

And the World's Happiest Country is...

2006-07-14T10:06:00.000-04:00

VANUATU!

The think tank New Economics Foundation located in London conducted the study and measured factors such as life expectancy, environmental factors , and life satisfaction.

Rounding out the top five were 2) Colombia, 3) Costa Rica, 4) Dominica, and 5) Panama.

The top Western countries were Italy (66) , Germany (81), and Japan (95).

So where does the United States stand?

#150.

Not really surprising, is it?

Plamegate Continues...

2006-07-13T17:13:00.000-04:00

LOOKS LIKE PLAMEGATE STILL lives on in the minds of...well, Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson. They are suing Vice President Cheney, Karl Rove and Scooter Libby.

Frankly, I'm done with Plamegate and I couldn't care less. It doeoesn't matter to me whether she gets a ton of money or nothing because Cheney and Rove will still have their posts.

Bush Secretly Visits Iraq...Again

2006-06-13T09:43:00.000-04:00

UNBEKNOWNST to the Iraqi prime minister, PRESIDENT BUSH travels to Baghdad under the cover of secrecy. This is the second time Bush has visited Iraq, the first trip happening on Thanksgiving in 2003.

I'm not sure as to whether Prime Minister al-Maliki feels flattered or insulted by Bush's appearance. If I were trying to build a perception of autonomy from the occupying Americans, this secret trip undermines this, especially if I were not aware of Bush's visit until 5 minutes before I met with him. Then again, I could be flattered by the presence of the person who caused the fall of Saddam and subsequent chaotic governmental environment in Iraq.

Bush will spend all of 5 hours in Iraq, where he will meet with the prime minister and his cabinet officers. He will probably visit some American troops too. It is rather clear that he will not step one foot outside of the Disney World Arab cocoon that is the Green Zone.

Why Do People Tolerate Ann Coulter?

2006-06-07T12:52:00.000-04:00

SERIOUSLY. As of this posting, Ann Coulter's Godless is #3 on Amazon. Take, for example, this horrendously tasteless quote in her book, as repeated by Matt Lauer on yesterday's Today Show:

"These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by griefparrazies. I have never seen people enjoying their husband’s death so much."

Of course, crazed maniacal statements are nothing new from Ms. Coulter:

"My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building."
[link]

"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity."
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"Liberals hate America, they hate flag-wavers, they hate abortion opponents, they hate all religions except Islam, post 9/11. Even Islamic terrorists don't hate America like liberals do. They don't have the energy. If they had that much energy, they'd have indoor plumbing by now."
[link]

"To The People Of Islam: Just think: If we'd invaded your countries, killed your leaders and converted you to Christianity YOU'D ALL BE OPENING CHRISTMAS PRESENTS RIGHT ABOUT NOW! Merry Christmas."
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And does anyone remember that columnist-to-be Ann Coulter was fired from USA Today just before her first entry was published? Now that was hilarious.

Do people absorb Ann Coulter because watching her spew garbage is akin to viewing a train wreck in slow mo? Or does reading Coulter's rantings give the uneducated masses a pseudo-intellectual experience? Do they fail to comprehend the writings of more liberal and more academic intellectuals so they turn to the rantings and ravings of an Ann Coulter, or a Michael Savage? Hell, those two make Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly look like William Buckley.

As for me, I'm looking forward to the next quote. Can anyone guess what it will be? I imagine Ms. Coulter will claim that liberals love to abort their 8 1/2 month old fetuses because they desire the taste of pre-birth flesh while simultaneously sexually molesting them.

Why Ms. Coulter, don't you too?

European Nations Complicit in Secret CIA Abductions

2006-06-07T10:04:00.000-04:00

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS reports that, according to a 67-page report by the Council of Europe, as many as 14 European nations have been complicit in allowing the CIA to unlawfully transfer individuals across nation-state borders, a violation of international human rights law.

Poland and Romania were drop-off points for many secret CIA flights, according to the report. Polish Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz denied the allegations. Romeo Raicu, the head of a Romanian parliamentary committee overseeing foreign intelligence servies, also indicated there was no evidence to the claims.

A parallel report by the European Parliament concluded there have been over 1,000 secret CIA flights in Europe since September 11, 2001.

LTB Gets a New Look

2006-06-06T19:21:00.000-04:00

I thought I would change things. I initially used one of the sample templates Blogger offers, thinking that it sort of resembled old 18th century constitutional parchment. Instead it ended up looking liked faded 1940s living room wallpaper. So I thought I would give it a more modern look with some patriotic colors. Let me know what you think.

Hollywood, Bollywood, Hong Kong, and Now Caracas?

2006-06-06T09:27:00.000-04:00

VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ recently announced that he will be opening a film studio in his country to counter Hollywood's "messages that don't belong to our traditions." Chavez's goal is to roll back US cultural influence on Latin and South America.

Dictators are megalomaniacs. They are very much like movie stars, playing to their audiences with fervor and relishing in their approval. Perhaps this is why they develop an enamoration for the American cinema industry. After all, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il once kidnapped a couple of South Korean actors and forced them to perform in front of him for his amusement. Now that is what I call a crazed maniacal evil genius. Oh Hugo, why can't you be more like our beloved despot like Kim?

Bush Worst President In 61 Years

2006-06-02T10:44:00.000-04:00

THE PEOPLE have spoken. A Quinnipac University poll states that 34% of voters believe George W. Bush is the worst president in 61 years, followed by Nixon with 17% and Clinton with 16%. The best presidents were Reagan with 28%, followed by Clinton with 25%.

This Is Much More Serious Than Even NSA Data-Mining

2006-05-16T11:57:00.000-04:00

AND YOU THOUGHT THE NSA data mining records of all American phone calls was serious? Read this and tell me the slippery slope has not started an avalance.

Rove Concerned About Indictment

2006-04-28T10:28:00.000-04:00

MSNBC REPORTS THAT KARL ROVE is deeply concerned about being indicted. One of Rove's lawyers stated Rove's fifth and most recent testimonial before the grand jury as "hell."

Oh yeah. It's beginning to look a lot like "Fitzmas In July (well May-close enough).

Chernobyl 20 Years Later

2006-04-27T10:57:00.000-04:00

IN THE WAKE OF IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION, revisiting the 1986 Chernobyl accident exemplies the disasters that can happen with even peaceful nuclear technology. Two decades later, the surrounding area still suffers from irreversible radioactive damage.

Here's an interesting online journal by a Russian woman motorbiking through the radioactive area known as the "dead zone." The daughter of a Russian scientist, she tells Chernobyl's story with a geiger counter and a camera.

Rove Testifies for a Fifth Time

2006-04-27T09:47:00.000-04:00

LAWRENCE O'DONNELL writes in The Huffington Post that whether Karl Rove will be indicted depends on who asked for further testimony. If Fitzgerald asked Rove to testify, it could mean he doesn't have enough information for an indictment. If the reverse is true, Rove may be anticipating an indictment and would want to do damage control. O'Donnell reports that in journalist circles, the buzz is that it was Rove who asked.

I don't know about you, but when someone testifies before a grand jury five times, something is incredibly fishy. Fitzgerald has either got something on him or is inches away from getting something on him.

Bush Poll Update: Yes, They're At a New Low

2006-04-11T10:03:00.000-04:00

THE WASHINGTON POST reported yesterday that Bush's approval ratings are at an all time low. A record-low 38% approve of his performance and 6 out of 10 disapprove, according to the Post-ABC poll.

The funny thing is that both Reagan and Clinton experienced dips in approval numbers during their presidencies but both had the charisma to climb out of them. The second Bush, however, shows no signs of personal charisma that made Reagan and Clinton popular presidents. Citizens who voted for Bush did so because he was perceived to be honest and credible in protecting the U.S. against terrorism. But with the incompetent handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, the declinine of social order in Iraq, the blatant hand-washing Dubai ports deal, and most recently the discovery that it was Bush himself who authorized the Plame leak, voter-confidence in Bush has utterly evaporated.

So, in a nutshell, Bush is the epitome of the lame-duck president. GOP candidates will be avoiding him like really smelly dog doodie.

DeLay Will Resign From Congress

2006-04-04T09:26:00.000-04:00

SO AFTER ALL OF THE SPECULATION, Tom DeLay, the quintessential GOP lightning rod, will give up his seat in the House.

This is long overdue. How can this guy not be guilty? He even took a private jet bought and paid for by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco to his arraignment, and sees nothing wrong with that. Sorry Mr. DeLay, your pockets have been lined by Big Business for quite some time. Your too intertwined with them to even know when you're being taken for a ride.

So Andy Card Is Out, Josh Bolton Is In

2006-03-28T11:20:00.000-05:00

WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF ANDY CARD resigns. As someone who aspired to be the longest running Chief of Staff, Card resigning comes as a surprise. Then again, how much more law-breaking, truth-bending, spin-stirring can one man take? Might as well get on out before the Congressional investigators get in.

Cheney's Got a Gun

2006-02-15T14:57:00.000-05:00

IN CASE YOU HAVE BEEN LIVING under a rock for the past few days, Vice President Dick Cheney shot a close friend of his while quail-hunting at a ranch in Texas.

I don't know about you, but this awfully seems very fishy to me. There are questions of drinking involved. This is definitely his very-own Chappaquiddick.

Here's a hypothetical: what if the situation would have been reversed? What if Whittington shot Cheney? Somehow I doubt Whittington would be getting off as easily as Cheney so far has done.

Apologies Apologies

2006-02-09T15:40:00.000-05:00

I THINK PEOPLE should apologize for asking for too many apologies. If they don't apologize, then they should apologize for not apologizing for asking for too many apologies. I'm deeply offended and I think those apologies are desperately needed and since they're not apologizing, I demand an apology for all of those apologies that haven't been delivered. Without an apology, they can't appropriately deeply regret that they asked for an apology when an apology wasn't issued without the asking. I mean, if you need to ask for an apology, is that apology truly sincere? I demand an apology for all those apologies out there.

If not, I will boycott everything that person/entity stands for. And I will not issue an apology for my boycott.

Calling All 'Tooners

2006-02-08T12:18:00.000-05:00

IRAN'S MOST POPULAR NEWSPAPER has decided to host a contest on cartoons covering the Holocaust, according to an Al Jazeera article.

Iran, sure, hold your contest, publish a whole bunch of obsene political cartoons depicting the atrocities of the Holocaust. But a) the Western media will not publish them outside the context of this issue and b) you will not see Jews rioting and trashing embassies for revenge.

This response from the Iranians only dictate that Middle Eastern Muslims' core values are honor, pride, and revenge. Their religious values are not based on spiritual self-reflection, only of what others perceive of them. This explains why the concepts of "martyrdom" in the name of suicide bombings and jihad are pervasive throughout the Arab-Muslim world.

One last note: recall that it was not Israel nor the United States that published the cartoons: it was Denmark. This Iranian revenge tactic is not directed specifically at the Danish, but rather Israelis and the Jewish community. No doubt the Arab world blames Israel and America for the so-called blasphemy against the Muslim religion.

Spooking the Spooks

2006-02-07T14:37:00.000-05:00

CIA DIRECTOR PORTER GOSS has reportedly launched an internal investigation to try to uncover the person (or persons) responsible for leaking classified information regarding secret prisons in Eastern Europe, according to an exclusive ABC News article.

Nevermind the constitutionality of running such prisons. Nevermind undermining our Eastern European allies. Nevermind detaining persons without due process or oversight. Instead, let's focus our attention on anonymous whistleblowers, those who follow in the footsteps of Voltaire, John Locke, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.

This is another citation that further proves that the current Bush administration is not concerned about morality, democracy or the rule of law; they are only concerned about keeping power in a drumbeating manner against a phantom opponent.

Mr. Goss, when you do find the culprits, be sure to let everyone know. They deserve medals.

Mohammed Mohammed Jihad Mohammed

2006-02-07T12:10:00.000-05:00

START OF SARCASM:

Beheading infidels, okay; strapping on TNT and blowing up infidels, okay; depicting the prophet Mohammed in a cartoon...BLASPHEMY...KILL THE INFIDELS...DEATH TO AMERICA, DEATH TO ISRAEL!

END OF SARCASM.

State of the Union

2006-02-01T11:29:00.000-05:00

I DIDN'T WATCH IT. I like to keep my sanity and watching Bush fumble over words and splurt out concepts he doesn't understand is so passe.

But I hear he did mention something about America being addicted to oil. Isn't Bush lecturing on environmental awareness and oil-dependency like Bill Gates saying "don't use computers" or Rush Limbaugh self-righteously judging his viewers on the dangers of drug-dependency? Isn't the Bush family built on good 'ol fashioned Texas oil?

Methinks Dubya will not be investing in windmills and solar panels anytime soon.

Welcome to 2006

2006-01-23T12:24:00.000-05:00

HELLO, FOLKS. I've been neglecting this blog since the holiday season has started. Now that the holidays are over, I can devote more time to this blog. Readers, you can rejoice! All 3 of you.

So, now that we're into 2006, what can we expect from our friends over at Capitol Hill and the White House? More scandals, more intrigue, more drama are on our way. Abramoff has now pleaded guilty and will squeal like a pig. DeLay is done: there's no way he can climb out of this one. Bill Frist's SEC investigation is ongoing--can he survive or will he go down in the dumps like his counterpart in the other chamber in the Capitol? And don't forget our loveable president and his share of transgressions. Plamegate, NSA wiretapping, possible Bush-Abramoff connections; each will escalate this year. All during an election year. Can you hear the Republicans crying? I can.

Yes, 2006 will be a fine year. And like a long-lost love who miraculously returns in your life, I'm back. Just without the sex. And the heartbreak. I think.

Good Evening

2005-12-01T18:08:00.000-05:00

Hi Everybody,

I'm new here and will be posting at a (hopefully) more frequent rate than Brian. He's a fucking slacker anyway. And while he's not paying attention, I plan to piss off everyone, and maybe some of those everyone's will laugh a little. All part of my plan to get him to post more often.

Shit, shouldn't have given that away.

While Brian is the actually educated and well thought out political thinker, I'm a drunk. You'll notice that soon enough, trust me. And, by the way, check out the link to the Rude Pundit. He's the inspiration for all my political writings, you'll notice that soon enough as well. But he's the master.

Enjoy. Send lots of hate mail if you don't. I love reading 'em.

Thanks, and pass the Scotch.

Been On Hiatus

2005-11-23T22:14:00.000-05:00

OKAY, OKAY, sorry folks, I've been on hiatus for a couple of weeks. Unlike our esteemed commander-in-chief, I haven't been mending fences on my summer ranch/retreat or spending my time at my official blog-isdential retreat. No sireee, I've just been preoccupied with other things. But I will post more, I promise. Just be patient after the Thanksgiving holiday when the tryptophan wears off.

Bush Staff Is Getting Schooled

2005-11-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

GEORGE W. BUSH, in response to intense criticism over his administration's lack of ethical values over Plamegate, has order many in his staff to TAKE ETHICS CLASSES! Yes, you heard right, they're going to get schooled! Now, I think the big question here is whether C's will be adequate for Dubya to accept.

Here's a great transcript from my buddy Roger on how a hypothetical press conference would transpire in light of this recent news. It's too hilarious, I can't take credit for it:

Reporter: Will we be able to see the exam results?

Fat Ass Scotty: Exam results? I'm not sure that there will...

Reporter: Yes, exam results, so we know they're actually paying attention during this class, unlike the previous ones I'm assuming they attended?

FAS: I haven't heard any details about exams, but...

Reporter: Then how do we know they aren't going to just sleep through these classes? Will the Exam be multiple choice or essay?

FAS: Again, I don't know anything about any...

Reporter: Will the President be taking part in this class, and will anyone be allowed to score higher than him on the exam?

FAS: What???

Reporter: I know a C average is... well, average, but will anyone else score higher than the President? Are there any officials in Washington at all that can score better than a C average?

K-Fed Is F-ked

2005-11-07T09:44:00.000-05:00

Two things Kevin Federline and George W. Bush have in common:

They both have to exit stage right.

Wash. Post-ABC News Poll: Majority Question Bush's Integrity

2005-11-04T10:51:00.000-05:00

THERE'S MORE BAD NEWS for the Bush presidency as the Washington Post reports that for the first time a majority of Americans are questioning George W. Bush's integrity.

Bush Approval Rating: 39%
Bush Disapproval Rating: 60%

Only 40% view Bush as "honest and trustworthy"-a 13% drop over the past 18 months. Even his bread-and-butter issue--the war on terrorism--51% now disapprove of Bush's handling of the issue.

Here are some numbers that may be the cause of Bush's crankiness:

Troubling results for the White House regarding Plamegate:

52% say the Scooter Libby indictment "signals the presence of deeper ethical wrongdoing.
50% believe that Karl Rove, Bush's Deputy Chief of Staff, did something wrong and 6 in 10 said he should resign.

Polling on Ethics:

67% rated the Bush administration negatively in handling ethical matters
43% say ethics and honesty-attributes that Bush ran on during his 2000 - have fallen during his presidency - only 17% say they have risen

Among independents:

Independent support for Bush has plummeted to a 33% approval rating (In January Bush had a 49% approval rating from independents)

On Iraq:

Almost 2/3 disapprove of Bush's handling of the war in Iraq
6 in 10 now believe it was wrong to invade Iraq
55% believe the Bush administration deliberately misled the public into leading them into war with Iraq

Is Bush out of touch?

58% believe Bush doesn't share their values
40% say he does (another all-time low for Bush)

Liberals Hate Christmas

2005-11-03T14:46:00.000-05:00

Yes. You read right. Liberals hate Christmas. They want nothing more than to secularize and dilute Christianity's most cherished holiday into a meaningless day where everyone has a chance to celebrate his or her own "quasi-holiday" while championing none over the other. It's a celebration for everyone!

Did I piss you off? If you side to the left, no doubt you were chastising this notion. If you side to the right, your hatred was channeled towards the left and chalked this statement to your never-ending collection of ammo to use against the left the next time you're at a dinner party with some liberal "friends."

See how easy it was for me to rile you? That's exactly what John Gibson's book, The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought does to you. It turns you into a seething pit of anger, ready to unleash on something.

This book has to be the most ridiculous thing I've heard since Ann Coulter said liberals like to eat their own children [okay, maybe she didn't say that, but it's not too incomprehsible that she would say something like that].

Did I read the book? Nope. Don't have to. All you have to do is read some blowhard's take on it and there you have it-a convenient, packaged reason why you need to hate the left. Besides, why would I waste my time on some anti-intellectual trash? I've got more important things to do. Nonetheless, since it does chastise liberals there will be some folks out there reading it; hence the reason I felt compelled to write about it and debunk Mr. Gibson's crazed thesis.

Now let me explain to those of you who might not understand the liberal take on this: liberals love Christmas. It's a great time to spend with your friends and family, and give (not to mention receive) gifts. Liberals do not hate Christmas.

Liberals, however, are a bit uncomfortable about completely unrecognizing other people's holidays. We realize there is a Hanukkah. We realize there is Ramadan, even Kwanzaa. We simply don't want to throw Christmas down everyone's throats and if you don't celebrate it, we don't believe you are the devil-incarnate.

IMPORTANT REBUTTAL ON THE "MERRY CHRISTMAS" TO "HAPPY HOLIDAYS" PHENOMENON: The book claims "liberals" are secularizing the holiday and removing the
name "Christmas" from the holiday. This can't be further from the truth. Take a look around you. Where do you see "Happy Holidays" signs? STORES! Yes, that's right, everywhere from your local Blockbuster to NBC will state "Happy Holidays." These are BUSINESSES, the instruments of capitalism! Which party throws its relentless pursuit towards supporting capitalism? REPUBLICANS! It's obvious businesses that use the "Happy Holidays" moniker
instead of "Merry Christmas" want the business of those who might be offended by such Christmas-usage.

So, in a nutshell you can thank Republican-capitalist ideals for watering down "Merry Christmas" to "Happy Holidays" by appealing to the lowest common denominator.

Public: Plamegate IS Important

2005-11-03T10:23:00.000-05:00

HERE'S a CBS poll that shows the public finds the outing of Valerie Plame a serious matter. In fact, over 51% of those polled find Plamegate a matter of "great importance." Other poll numbers from previous scandals are given, including Watergate. Which historical scandal rivals these numbers? You guessed it: Watergate, with 53% of those polled found it a "serious matter."

Oh yeah, Bush's approval ratings: 35% -- the lowest presidential approval rating in decades.

Still sure polls don't matter, Dubya?

Michael Brown Is Soooo F'ing HOT

2005-11-03T09:39:00.000-05:00

GLAD TO KNOW our emergency management leaders have witty fashion sense.

I'm wondering when he's coming out with the Michael Brown clothing line for upcoming GOP cronies. They need to look good when they shake hands, dine at exclusive D.C. restaurants, and pose with Dubya.

CIA Using Secret Prisons

2005-11-02T14:26:00.000-05:00

Can I get a gulag with a side of gestapo?

America has seen dark days. Unfortunately it looks like we're in the middle
of some of the worst right now.

Harriet Miers, Scooter Libby, Sam Alito, Oh My!

2005-11-01T16:24:00.000-05:00

IT'S BEEN A BAD COUPLE OF MONTHS for ol' George W. Bush.

Merry Fitzmas Everybody!
The latest disaster to hit the White House: I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby has now been indicted by Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald. Hit with charges involving obstruction of justice and pejury, Scooter Libby stepped down from his positions as Chief of Staff to the Vice President and Special Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs. Fitzgerald also pointed out that this investigation isn't over and that further work is needed. I, for one, expect to see more indictments as this progresses.

Oh, and by the way, anyone who still goes by the nickname "Scooter" and is beyond the 6th grade really needs to have his head examined. Just myopinion.

By the way, you can view the indictment court documents here:

Harriet Miers No More!
So, who does Bush decide to replace the much-maligned Harriet Miers? Sam Alito, a guy they nickname "Scalito" or "Scalia-lite" because of his right-leaning political views. There is no doubt Bush reacted in response to the far-right. It will be interesting to see the response to Alito and
whether or not the Democrats will be able to sway moderate Republicans away from voting for this bozo.

It's clear to just about everyone, including people closely working with the president in the White House, that Dubya just isn't having much fun anymore. Think the stress is getting to him? Hmm...I say, bring out the popcorn, sit in front of the evening news and watch this crazed,
puppet-for-the-radical-right administration implode right before our eyes. Reminds me of glorious fireworks on the Fourth of July.

The Case Is Closing

2005-10-19T10:10:00.000-04:00

I Smell Bacon!

SPECIAL PROSECUTOR PATRICK FITZGERALD is wrapping up his grand jury investigation into the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame. Whether indictments are coming remains unclear, but if they are we can expect them coming in a matter of days, perhaps as early as today.

Rumors around the blogosphere have been circulating. Rumors of Cheney’s upcoming resignation, Condi might replace him, Karl Rove and Scooter Libby might all receive indictments.

You can bet all of this is rattling the White House.

But what’s equally disturbing is how little media coverage this is getting. CNN? It’s barely on the home page; the article is “below the fold” under the non-descript “Poltics” heading. MSNBC? The New York Times is the only major media outlet that seems to be giving it top headline justice, but that could be resulting from their involvement in the investigation, with the much-maligned reporter Judith Miller.

Liberal media, my ass.

Note to Fan: Brace Yourself

2005-10-18T12:13:00.000-04:00

'Cause the shit will be flying.

Man, I can't wait.

The End Game Is Near

2005-10-14T15:50:00.000-04:00

CAN YOU FEEL IT? I certainly can. I can almost taste the G.O.P. imploding on itself. And it will happen sooner than later.

Trouble's brewing everywhere for the Republican Party. Tom DeLay has been indicted for conspiracy. Bill Frist is under investigation by the SEC. His personal stock records have been subpoenaed. Karl Rove testifies for a fourth time before this grand jury. Harriet Miers, Bush's pick for the vacant Supreme Court seat, has been undermined by both the left and the right.

And to top it off, Bush "choreographs" a press conference with some Army officers in Iraq.

Oh, boy. This is gonna be good.

Going Down, Down, Down

2005-09-28T14:37:00.000-04:00

OH, BOY. Ain't this grand.

One down, two more to go: (this douchebag and this douchebag).

Time for you crooks to pay the piper!

DeLay Not Trustworthy

2005-09-28T12:14:00.000-04:00

HONESTLY, could you trust a face that looks like this:

It looks like indictments will come tomorrow. And Bill Frist is also keeping up with the GOP Joneses with his own investigation. Looks like the GOP leadership is in some deep doodie.

We need to get the robber barons out of our government. Let the healing process begin in 2006.

Comments on Possible Bush Drinking Again

2005-09-23T10:25:00.000-04:00

THERE'S A BRILLIANT POST on DailyKos about the possibility that Bush has indeed started drinking again. The question as to whether he's a wet, or still a dry, drunk is irrelevant--he has possessed the symptoms of a drunk for many years.

I for one think he's hitting the bottle. The pressure is getting to him and he's relying on his subordinates to fix the problem.

Round Two with Rita

2005-09-22T20:29:00.000-04:00

LOOK OUT, HERE comes Hurricane Rita, a Category 5 hurricane:

Bush Boozin' It Up?

2005-09-21T21:26:00.000-04:00

THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER reports that President George W. Bush is apparently hitting the bottle because of stress involving the Hurricane Katrina fiasco and limited progress with the developments in Iraq.

Now, I know the National Enquirer isn't exactly the most reliable news source in the world, but he's got to be feeling the heat. And damn well he should.

My First Podcast

2005-09-20T21:27:00.000-04:00

TAKE a look at my first podcast, aptly-titled "Brian's Daily I Hate Bush Rant."

Let me know what you think..

There Are TWO Stories: Katrina AND Iraq

2005-09-14T15:16:00.000-04:00

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON makes a valid point in her blog today. National news coverage of the war in Iraq has seemed to fall to the waistside because of the Gulf Coast disaster. The ever-eloquent Ms. Huffington argues that the news networks "will just have to join the 21st Century and learn how to multi-task -- and cover two disasters at the same time."

I guess this means CNN will now have to be brought to you split-screen: the left for Iraq and the right for Katrina. The bottom will feature a running ticker-tape telling you the latest sports scores, national headlines, the latest fashion for "Bennifer 2.0" / Brad-Jen-Angelina affair / Michael Jackson or whatever god-awful celebrity news eats the headlines.

All news, of course, would be periodically interrupted by rambling, blithering commentary brought to you by Anderson Cooper.

9/11: Four Years Later

2005-09-12T20:43:00.000-04:00

YESTERDAY marked the anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. As this monumental anniversary came about, I reflected on what exactly we learned about global terrorism, disasters, and our government's readiness to respond in a national emergency.

Apparently, after this month's Hurricane Katrina fiasco, we haven't learned all that much.

The largest restructuring of the federal government resulted in the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, an organization overseeing ready-response agencies such as FEMA and the Coast Guard, a former branch of the Department of Defense. This new cabinet-level department in the executive branch was supposed to facilitate coordination between federal, state and local governments to properly respond to an immediate national crisis (such as a terrorist attack or, in the case of New Orleans, a natural disaster).

Hurricane Katrina, a brewing storm that caught momentum in the Gulf of Mexico, developed into a Category 5 hurricane during the last weekend in August. This would be a true test to the federal response mechanisms set in place after 9/11.

It failed miserably.

I need not go into the details as to what happened and why--a myriad of articles can be found on this over the Internet. There are plenty of discussions all around about underfunded levees, lack of coordination and response logistics on all government levels, Bush playing the banjo while a city drowns, Governor Blanco refusing to turn over national guard control to the feds, and yes, even the conservatives found a way to blame Clinton for this one, too.

But the irrevocable fact remains that we found ourselves completely unprepared and with our knickers down when we were faced with an imminent oncoming storm where we had ample time for which to prepare.

What about terrorist attacks? Sure, we can look at the Weather Channel and predict that a storm is brewing and will reach shoreline pretty shortly, but we have no such accuracy when it comes to preventing terrorism. Sure, we can listen to chatter, gather plenty of intel, and hunt down the terrorists on foreign or domestic ground, but are truly prepared to respond to future attacks?

I would say some places are. New York, for example, has learned much since 9/11. Before September 11th, there were roughly a dozen or so NYPD officers covering terrorism. Now there are over 3,000 (or was it 13,000 I can't remember--anyway it was a lot more). New York's response to 9/11 was more focused than what happened in New Orleans.

I believe a lot of the courage, the focus, and the ready-response to national disasters and terrorist attacks boils down to leadership. Rudy Giuliani was a born leader--in the city's darkest hour, he shined brilliantly. I don't think anyone could say the same for Mayor Nagin or President Bush during this Hurricane Katrina fiasco.

Katrina Is Such a Bitch!

2005-08-31T11:33:00.000-04:00

Well, New Orleans is destroyed.

It's too bad, because from what I've heard it was a fun place. I've always wanted to visit there but never got the chance to do so. The French Quarter seemed like a real happening place (and I'm not just talking about boobs-for-beads--that's just a perk--but the architecture looked really beautiful).

The pictures are very shocking: I have no idea how they're going to rebuild, if they're going to do so at all. Residents aren't even allowed to return until Monday and what they will mostly find will be piles of rubble instead of their homes.

So, if you're faced with this situation, say you fled the city and are staying with friends or relatives in nearby Texas or Mississippi or somewhere relatively close by that wasn't completely devastated and you return Monday to find not your home but what was left of your home: nothing more than scattered wood, glass, material and dashed remains from what you once knew. What do you do?

You find other relatives and friends, some of whom might have stayed behind. Then you contact work--and find out that you no longer have work because the place you worked at blew away. So now you have no home, no job, and it looks like the insurance money probably won't be available for some time. What do you do?

You move away. That's what I would do.

I imagine there's going to be quite an exodus of former New Orleanians(?) who initially fled to avoid Katrina will permanently relocate to other metropolitan areas. Those who either couldn't afford to flee the city or chose to stay because they underestimated the damage will be left to fend for themselves. And New Orleans will just sink into a cesspool of crime and depression.

Sorry for the gloomy prognosis. My hearts go out to all those who are personally inflicted by this catastrophe.

Bush Policy = 100% Failure

2005-08-16T18:19:00.000-04:00

USUALLY YAHOO! MESSAGE BOARDS are filled with trolls posting nonsense but this is by far the most intelligent thing I've read all day:

Let's list the people who tried to warn Bush.

Clinton warned him personally during a conversation on Inauguration Day.

Sandy Berger briefed the incoming Condolazy Rice.

Richard Clarke wrote a memo in Jan 2001 requesting an urgent meeting to deal with the threat of "al-Qaida". Although Bush named Cheney to act as head of his Counterterrorism team, Cheney didn't get around to holding the first team meeting until the first week in September.

The Bush administration shelved the bipartisan Hart-Rudman Report, which warned of the dangers facing America.

When Bush was handed the just-completed FBI report showing probable involvement of al-Qaeda in the attack on the USS Cole, he said he was "tired of swatting at flies", according to Rice, and decided to take no action ~ although the Predator drone was finally armed in Feb. 2001.

Bush and Cheney ignored the many warnings which came in from other nations during the spring and summer of 2001 regarding an impending attack.

They went on month-long vacations in August.

Boom. Tower I. Boom. Tower II. Boom. The Pentagon Boom. The airplane in PA.

When the Bush Administration came into office, the Director of Counter-terrorism requested an URGENT meeting to discuss policy to fight al Qaeda. Instead of getting that meeting, his office was downgraded below the Cabinet Deputy Secretaries. And that meeting was not held until one week before 9-11. When it was finally held, Wolfowitz ridiculed the effort to go after al Qaeda. He wanted to invade Iraq, instead, despite being told that Iraq was not connected to the terrorists who were planning attacks against America. Bush neglected terrorism, and the entire country paid the price for his negligence. Now he is paying PR firms millions to cover-up his negligence. Bush wants to avoid being held to accounts for his own failures. Phony ads do not face the problem. They just cover it up with phony images. We need real leadership, not PR ads which hide the truth about Bush's incompetence.

George W. Bush has a 100% failure record.

If Bush were an honorable man, he would have resigned on September 12, 2001, when his criminal negligence caused the deaths of over 3,000 people.

George W. Bush, the most inept president in U.S. history.

Does Bush Regret Invading Iraq? Why Can't Bush Meet with Cindy Sheehan?

2005-08-16T15:11:00.000-04:00

CINDY SHEEHAN has been camped out in front of the president's ranch in Crawford, TX for more than 10 days now and there hasn't been any sign that Bush will meet her. It's been a media frenzy thus far and unless either side budges it doesn't look like it will go away anytime soon.

With his approval ratings sinking and Cindy's face plastered all over the networks, why wouldn't Bush meet with her? Why not?

Maybe because deep down inside, Bush secretly knows that his ambitious, ideological plans to invade Iraq and build a model democracy are going down the tubes?

Maybe that, by meeting with Ms. Sheehan he would have to face the sudden reality that his fraternity-driven mind actually makes decisions that affect real Americans with real lives and real souls?

This isn't to say that Bush hasn't met with the families of fallen soldiers who served in Iraq. To be fair, Bush has met quite a lot of him. But based on Ms. Sheehan's own account when Bush met her in 2004, he, well, didn't quite take her son's loss quite seriously enough.

They say that morticians, crime scene investigators and those who deal with trauma everyday have to make light of the situation in order to keep themselves from going crazy. They make jokes about the victims they come in contact not out of disrespect, but to keep themselves unaffected by the gravity of each situation so that they could do their jobs.

I think Bush is doing the same thing here. His comments on refusing to meet with Ms. Sheehan because he needs to keep a daily routine, to move on reflect that.

Daily routine? Doesn't that sound like the words of someone who's suffered a great loss (like Mrs. Sheehan) or, better yet, someone who realizes the error of his ways. There's certainly evidence of this:

1. General George Casey and Lt. General John Vines, though not endorsed by the White House, issued a possible timetable for exiting Iraq.
2. The White House, after public support for the war has been tanking for months, decides to significantly lower its expectations from a liberal democratic Iraq to only a stable one.

However, unlike morticians, CSI-folks or emergency medical personnel, Bush caused the trauma that may very well be haunting him. He put us in Iraq -- now he has to get us out. And it looks like the world is going to be in much worse shape when we do pullout.

Always Low Wages, Blows, Tactics...

2005-08-02T15:51:00.000-04:00

Let's beat the living shit out of Wal-Mart this year. I'm for it.

Karl Rove Having an Affair?

2005-07-28T16:14:00.000-04:00

OH, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, please let this be true.

This sick little pig (doesn't he look just like a pig?) really needs to go. He's no "Boy Genius," as some people like to claim. He's a political thug and when he wants to get his way he uses coercion and brutality.

And I, for one, am gathering up popcorn and snow caps so that I can cushion up in front of CNN when the indictments come in.

Chelsea Clinton Getting Married?

2005-07-27T21:30:00.000-04:00

WELL NO, NOT REALLY. But CNN reports that Chelsea Clinton has been asked for her hand in marriage...by an East African. Former President Bill Clinton has been offered by Mr. Godwin Kipkemoi Chepkurgor 40 goats and 20 cows as a dowry. The gentlemen insists on waiting for her response.

So far he's been waiting 5 years.

Good luck, Mr. Chepkurgor. Hey, you never know.

Favorite Rumsfeld Quotes

2005-07-27T14:35:00.000-04:00

KUDOS TO MY FRIEND ROGER FOR sending me some of these great Rummy quotes:

"I would not say that the future is necessarily less predictable than the past. I think the past was not predictable when itstarted."

"Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war."

"As we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."

"There's another way to phrase that and that is that the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."

"I'm not into this detail stuff. I'm more concepty."

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

"If I know the answer I'll tell you the answer, and if I don't, I'll just respond, cleverly."

"[Former] Secretary Powell and I agree on every single issue that has ever been before this administration except for those instances where Colin's still learning."

"We do know of certain knowledge that he [Osama Bin Laden] is either in Afghanistan, or in some other country, or dead."

"I believe what I said yesterday. I don't know what I said, but I know what I think, and, well, I assume it's what I said."

Dive Into History This Summer with The Federalist Papers

2005-07-08T12:48:00.000-04:00

WITH ALL THE ATTENTION placed on math and science scores in our schools, it seems that the study of history and civics gets lost in the fray. Now more than ever kids need to know history--especially American history--in order to function properly in our society. If we focused our attention more on civics and government, then perhaps our kids would actually vote when they turned 18.

Anyway, enough with my rant. If you want to get more acquainted with the founding of our nation, Democracy for America is hosting a summer reading group on The Federalist Papers. This week starts with #10. The group will cover 6 papers and last for 6 weeks. I think this is an excellent idea and I'm going to be printing out my copy tonight.

New Jersey Moves Its Primary

2005-07-08T11:14:00.000-04:00

NEW JERSEY ACTING GOVERNOR RICHARD CODEY signed a bill into law today that would move the New Jersey primaries of both parties up from June to the last Tuesday in February, according to the Gloucester County Times.

This is a big move for us New Jerseyans, who can actually feel like we're playing a part in primary politics when we choose our nominee. By the time June rolls around, we already know who's going to lead the party into the general election.

However, it's startling that so many state primaries occur around the same time, most notably on Super Tuesday. Conglomeration for power is scary and more states will feel pressured to move up their primary dates in order to remain significant.

Also, another requirement enacted by the new law: electronic voting machines must have a paper record of all votes cast.

Hmm...could it be that simple?

Yes.

In Other News: Rove and Plame-gate? Could Rove Be Indicted?

2005-07-07T14:04:00.000-04:00

LAWRENCE O'DONNELL of The Huffington Post reports that, though difficult, levying charges against someone who intentionally reveals the identity of a covert agent is indeed still possible and Karl Rove could be indicted.

The statute indicates that, in order for one to be convicted of such a charge, the following must be proven:

1. That subject must have been a covert agent at the time of exposure.
2. The exposer had to have known the subject was a covert agent.
3. The exposer had to have known the covert agent was taking measures to reveal his/her identity.
4. The exposer had to have had authorized access to the covert agent's information.

Based on the information we currently know, these four prongs certainly leave enough wiggle room for Rove to squeal out of. However, there are definitely several pieces missing from the puzzle; namely, 8 blank (due to containing classified information) pages from Circuit Court Judge David Tatel's court opinion on the ruling as to whether reporters Judith Miller and Matt Cooper should be forced to reveal their sources. Tatel, according to O'Donnell, reluctantly sided with the prosecution because of “the gravity of the suspected crime.”

And the basis for O'Donnell's decision is located in those 8 blank pages.

G8 Released Statement on Today's London Attack

2005-07-07T11:10:00.000-04:00

THE G8 released an official statement on today's brutal terrorist attack in London.

Show Anglo-American Solidarity

2005-07-07T10:47:00.000-04:00

I'VE chosen to display the Union Jack as a sign of solidary with the British. Having experienced New York first-hand on 9/11, I'm familiar with the scary and surreal realities of terrorism and my thoughts are with the British and their families. I travel the New York City subway and the thought of being trapped in one of those cars is truly frightening.

It will be interesting to see Britain's response to this. Will they act like the Spanish, who vehemently demanded a withdrawal from Iraq after the Madrid attacks last year, or will they still stand with America? I hope it's the latter, we have to take action against these barbarians.

Terror Group Claims London Blasts

2005-07-07T09:59:00.000-04:00

THE SECRET GROUP OF AL QAEDA OF JIHAD IN EUROPE claims responsibility for the coordinated attacks on London this morning. On their Web site, they claim that "Britain is now burning with fear, terror and fright from the north to the south, east and west."

According to Tony Blair, the G-8 summit in Scotland will continue as planned. He left for London but will return to Scotland later in the evening.

I think a certain quote from the British prime minister pretty much sums up the mentality of these savages.

"It's particularly barbaric that this has happened on a day when people are meeting to try and help the problems of poverty in Africa,'' Blair said.

Fred Thompson 2008?

2005-07-06T14:18:00.000-04:00

TODAY PRESIDENT BUSH announced that former Senator Fred Thompson will oversee the process of sheparding the yet-to-be-chosen judicial nominee for the Supreme Court.

If I were running the Republican Party, I would have to strongly urge Senator Thompson to run in 2008. He has everything that could make him presidential--eloquent, yet he speaks from the heart; he's from the South; he sounds genuine and is smart enough to be president. In my opinion, he's even a stronger "anti-politician" than George W. Bush!

I, however, am not a Republican, let alone leading the GOP so I'm not in favor of it. We've seen enough actors-turned-politicians and I'd like someone who has a little more experience than a one-term senator.

In my opinion, I don't think any of the leading contenders of both parties will end up in the general election of 2008. There are so many Hillary-haters out there that it would be foolish for the Democrats to put her up front. Perhaps McCain will run again, but I have a feeling an outsider is going to step into the national spotlight this time around. Fred Thompson is from the South. He has Christian moral values (or is at least perceived as having them). He's not a pretty-boy nor can he be seen as such. He's rugged and a little raw and that's how the South will appeal to him.

For the Democrats, Joe Biden has already mentioned his intention of running. I'm not familiar with his politics, but he seems like an attractive alternative to Senator Clinton, who it seems everybody but Joe Biden is counting on as a shoe-in for the Democratic nomination.

We'll see what happens. It's too early to tell.

First Post!

2005-07-06T13:53:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog! This is my first entry; I hope there will be many many more to come.

My blog, "Loosen the Beltway," involves my rambling thoughts on politics, the state of the geopolitical universe, and life(work) in one of the greatest metropolitan areas of the world, New York.

Sit back, feel free to comment, and enjoy my latest ramblings!