A: Because it feels so good when I stop.

Q: Why are you hitting yourself on the head?

When I started this blog, one out of every five posts was some rant about the goofy Mo-Fo in the White House and whatever new stupid thing he was up to. He's an easy target, but one that wears body armor that is impervious to words.

Soon, I would come to realize that he and his gang live inside their own heads, and are neither moved by our words or particularly interested in what we have to say. I gave up my ranting, figuring that I would live longer, and if I left the ranting up to the people that we elected to do it, that having them closer to the action would make what they said much more effective than anything I could come up with.

All the while, I continued to get e-mail updates from the folks at MoveOn and the Democratic National Committee, asking for money and reminding me that the boob and his pals are still in Washington. I remember.

For those who continue to wage war against the War in Iraq, their plaintive cries are being met with the Superman-like chest thrust from Washington...

WASHINGTON - More than 90 percent of the Army's new recruits since late July have accepted a $20,000 "quick-ship" bonus to leave for basic combat training by the end of September, putting thousands of Americans into uniform almost immediately.
Many recruits who take the bonus - receiving in many cases the equivalent of more than a year's pay - leave their homes within days, recruiters said. The initiative is part of an effort by Army officials to meet year-end recruiting goals after a two-month slump earlier this year. With the fiscal year ending September 30, the Army hopes the extra cash motivates those interested in joining or entices those considering enlisting.

It seems that the Republicans have figured out the perfect American solution to a problem. Throw money at it. If all it takes is $20,000 to get a soldier to hurry up and fight, then what chance does a protest movement have? The government prints money, and there is an endless supply of it to give out to keep this thing going.

So, keep screaming, Take a Stand, live out your Vietnam era war protest fantasy - whatever - if it makes you feel better. Chances are, all it will do is raise your blood pressure and make you constipated. You can't fight two enemies. One here and one abroad. As for me, I'm out. I'll live longer by not being so worked up over something that I cannot change. I don't complain about the weather, either, and that's worked out great for me. They know we don't approve of the war, the president or most of the people he hires, but like a hurricane, we have to wait for it to pass through and rebuild. It's the destructive nature of Republican policy and storms. There's an election in 15 months, and until then, we'll have to hold onto a tree or run to our storm cellar until this thing blows over. Grab some canned goods and dig in.