The Insanity in Chief

After seeing tonight's 60 Minutes program, which led with the interview of President Bush, I now realize that Einstein's definition of insanity is indeed valid:

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

Good one, Al. Our president was on the program tonight, and was steadfast in his belief and determined that his course is the right one, regardless of what 68% of Americans think, most of Congress or even the people directly involved.

Neither is he concerned that he is unpopular, unloved or disagreeable. When people are not concerned about how others perceive them, it is a sign of something more deeply wrong in their personal behavior. There are TV shows devoted to such behavior. That one on the Style Channel, where family members go into someone's closet and remove all the disgusting clothing that this person has been wearing for years, seemingly oblivious to the stares and ridicule of others. Generally, the person whose closet is being raided seems incredulous that anyone would think that their tastes in clothes were odd or offensive. My general opinion is that they may be missing their true calling of a career in politics.

The President is also not concerned that his legacy will be tarnished by his actions or that the historical viewpoint of his presidency will be tarnished by his dishonesty with the American public, the issues surrounding the purpose of our time in Iraq or the idea that we are there at all.

During the program, he was shown going into a meeting with surviving family members of soldiers who were killed over there. When he came out, he was said to be "a different person", but I know otherwise. He may be different because he was a bit surprised, but if he was truly a different person, his ideas and opinions would have changed. They have not, and he is not.

He called himself a Commander in Chief, and told us that sometimes a Commander has to educate people as to the purpose and philosophy of war. What is there about war that we may not have learned over the last 231 years that you could teach us? Your best lessons to the American public would likely be those on how to be steadfast in your beliefs, even after public opinion has raided your closet and found your clothes to be offensive. What you can teach us about war and its effects on people would fall woefully short and not worthy of the time I would spend listening to you.

Through all of the 20 or so minutes of the interview, I was forced to look at your smug face, and as I gazed into your eyes, I could see the look of doubt, fear and distrust that we have come to accept as your legacy over these last 6 years. You are neither a good enough actor nor a good enough statesman to sell any of your new ideas. They sound too much like your old ideas, and the only difference is that it will cost more lives and require more men and women to be laid to rest as you fulfill some sort of empty promise to us in the wake of the attacks of September 11, 2001.

We were behind you then, Mr. Bush. We thought that your thoughts, hopes and ideas were shared by us. Your approval amongst us was never higher, even after your election. Then, your ideas went woefully awry. Somehow, you invaded the wrong country and chased after the wrong "evil doer". It was always my opinion that you were taking revenge on the man who once threatened your father, and now that he has been hanged, your purpose in living has been fulfilled - at least as far as the Bush family is concerned.

Now, it is your duty as the Commander in Chief to fulfill your purpose to the people who elected you - twice. Although it was scarcely 49% of them, we nonetheless accepted you in the office, with the feeling that you were our representative. Now, we know better. You do not represent us. You do not represent the members of Congress that we have elected to represent us. You represent yourself, your military-industrial complex and the giants of business and politics who have inserted you into the Oval Office in their best efforts to have a puppet in charge of their kingdom.

You will not listen to us, no matter how loudly we cry. You will not listen to the mothers, fathers, wives, husbands or children of the men and women who you send to death, and you will most certainly not listen to anyone who is not directly connected to your party or business interests.

From time to time, I wonder why people have soured on politics. It's important, I think, and when Election Day rolls around, I try to encourage people to get to the polls and vote - even if it's just for a candidate or ballot question. Generally, I get a blank stare and a comment that wonders why they should bother, because it seems the world goes on, regardless of what they think. Those same people will soon be punching the phone with the '800 number' of the American Idol candidate of their choice, and they figure that their vote will matter more than the one they cast in November. I wonder why people don't get out and protest, call the White House or write a letter to let him know that we do not approve of what is being done.

Then, I see an interview with the president and I think that they are right, and I wonder why I waste my time. I keep voting, expecting that the people we elect will help things get better.

I must be insane.

A Major Scientific Breakthrough

WASHINGTON - The tiny parasite undulates under the microscope like some creature from a sci-fi movie, but this one is all too real, latching onto the sexually unwary with tentacle-like probes. Now scientists have mapped the genes of the nasty little bug that causes one of the world's most common, and arguably least recognized, sexually transmitted infections, called trichomoniasis.

This image provided by the journal Science, is a scanned electron micrograph showing Trichomonas vaginalis parasites (green) adhering to vaginal epithelial cells (pink) collected from vaginal swabs.

Here's the same photo magnified 10 billion times, which shows the two individual cells responsible for the spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Scientists have given these cells the name Bushdickonus...

This image shows the Dickonus virus that has attached itself to the Bushonus cell. These cells were captured from vaginal swabs collected from Secretary of State Condolezza Rice. Recently, the Rumsfelonus virus detached itself from the Dickonus, but is rumored to be infecting several cells outside the city.

Join the Air Force and See the ... um ... World

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Michelle Manhart poses for a photo in San Antonio, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2007. Manhart, who is featured in the February issue of Playboy magazine, has been relieved of her duties pending an investigation.

Oscar Balladares, spokesman for Lackland Air Force Base, said, "This staff sergeant's alleged action does not meet the high standards we expect of our airmen."

Hmm ... it's a good thing she isn't in the Navy.

[reflective pause while you take in the potential joke ... ]

And, Jesus, are we so politically correct that we have to say "alleged action" when there are actual photos? Either she disobeyed the rules and posed for the magazine or didn't. The Air Force spokesman (whose crew cut I can hear) probably couldn't get an offer to pose for Field and Stream, let alone take his clothes off for money.

What are they investigating, exactly? If the investigation is as efficient as most other things the government does, she'll wind up with a promotion and commendation. Unless, of course, they can prove that she was on some Swift Boat or something.

The big advantage to being in Playboy over being in the Air Force is that nobody shoots at the magazine, and the money's better.

Fuck 'em and run, kid. You're only young once.

Lightening it Up

The word is that I have managed to depress some people around here by posting horrible news that I happened to read yesterday. Welcome to the real world.

I was asked to “lighten it up a little” in my comments box.

"What do you say about posting some cheerleader pictures or something, hmm? Lighten the mood?"

Here’s one I found. Quite the hottie, eh? Calm down girls, he’s spoken for...

At a Loss for Words

There's a saying that goes, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything". In that spirit, I will just post the first couple of lines from a few news stories today. I'm going to try to sleep through it. Talk amongst yourselves.

WASHINGTON - Unswayed by anti-war passions, President Bush was to say Wednesday he will send 21,500 additional U.S. forces to Iraq to quell its near-anarchy. He was to acknowledge for the first time he had erred by failing to order a troop buildup last year.

WASHINGTON - There were 744,000 homeless people in the United States in 2005, according to the first national estimate in a decade. A little more than half were living in shelters, and nearly a quarter were chronically homeless, according to the report Wednesday by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, an advocacy group.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Beluga whales swimming off Alaska's largest city are at considerable risk of going extinct unless something is done to help them, a federal study says.

WASHINGTON - The House voted to raise the federal minimum wage Wednesday for the first time in a decade, to $7.25 an hour. All 233 Democrats voted for the minimum wage measure, along with 82 Republicans. All 116 votes in opposition came from Republicans.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. home prices may have dipped over the past year, but many American workers would still struggle to afford a median-priced home in major cities, a new study said on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Supporters and opponents of human embryonic stem cell research promoted their positions on Wednesday ahead of a congressional vote on the issue, but the White House made clear it disapproves of any changes in legislation.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 120,000 obese Americans had some kind of surgery to help them lose weight in 2004, with the biggest increase among middle-aged people, according to a study released on Wednesday. In 1998, 772 people aged 55 to 64 had gastric bypass, stapling or some similar procedure known as bariatric surgery to help weight loss. But that number ballooned to 15,086 in 2004, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - 2006 was the warmest year on record in the United States and the sixth warmest in all the world, the National Climate Data Center (NCDC) said.

Amazing Coincidences

Dear Amazon.com Customer,
We've noticed that customers who have expressed interest in Faith Hope Love by King's X have also ordered Create the Health, Vitality and Energy You Deserve: Energy for Life by Anthony Robbins. For this reason, you might like to know that Anthony Robbins's Create the Health, Vitality and Energy You Deserve: Energy for Life is now available. You can order your copy for just $19.98 by following the link below.

Gosh ... thanks Amazon! Actually, it sounds more like a strange coincidence to me, but what do I know? When I was busy ordering a King's X CD, I had no idea that my purchase was spawning a reference file that linked me with another CD by that scary guy with the big teeth that I see on TV way too much. I would have thought that maybe they would link me to his CD because we have the same first name.

And, wouldn't ya think that the guy would catch a shave before they shot the cover to his CD? Maybe he saves all his hygiene energy for making CDs?

MEANWHILE....

Dear New Jersey voter,

As someone who has voted for both George W. Bush and former "Gay American" Governor James McGreevey, we thought you might like to know that New Jersey is to consider cutting the word 'idiot' from its constitution so that people with some mental disabilities won't be barred from voting. We've noticed that people who do stupid things and generally act like idiots have been voting in record numbers. That's why we thought you might like to know that there may be a change to your voter registration.

State Senate President Richard Codey, a Democrat who was previously acting governor of New Jersey, said in a statement the term "idiot" is "outdated, vague, offensive to many and may be subject to misinterpretation."

Here in New Jersey, we prefer to think of idiots as Republicans, who, for the past two elections appear to be suffering from some sort of learning disablilty.

Men in Blue

If you haven't done it already, do it soon.

If you thought that maybe it was some sort of oddity or perhaps it was a flash in the pan or that it wasn't up to the hype, you were wrong.

If you figured that the ticket prices were too high, or that perhaps there could not be enough entertainment to justify the cost, you figured wrong. The fact is, they don't charge enough.

It's funny, smart and as full an evening of entertainment as you will ever experience. Trust me on this.

They're on tour, and perhaps they are coming to a city near you (or directly at you). It is impossible for me to express in words what the show is about, or how much enjoyment you will derive from it. Just go.

It's more than just banging on tubes. That's only some of it, and it isn't necessarily the best part.

Go to the show. Either go to Las Vegas and see them at the Venetian, or catch them when they ramble through town. After you see the show, you'll put up a post on your blog (provided you have one) telling people to go and finding no words to describe what happened.

Ready. Go.