R Blog

Soundbite Poetry from George Carlin

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Is the Rude Pundit Appropriately Rude?

I’m sure many people trying to read The Rude Pundit gag on his pornographic descriptions and metaphors. But the thing about the Rude One is that he most often captures the visceral frustrations of long time Bush watchers. Yesterday's column was a good one: “America, If We’re Not Careful, Democracy Might Break Out.” We’ve been gamed for so many years with sound bites and red herrings and acted like there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it. Like he says, “It’s been so long since we behaved like a real, active democracy here in the United States that it’s like learning to ride a bike after you’ve lost a leg and have a prosthetic one in its place.” The particular column talks about Harry Reid getting in Bush’s face. Money quote:
“For years, Bush has been the pampered only child, given the easy questions, the soft pitches, the free run to the endzone. He got all the presents, all the love and attention. And then, all of a sudden, like every overprotected manchild, he's gotta face the real world, and the real world doesn't give a fuck what he thinks he's entitled to. Democracy, even though it's so often a dance among well-connected rich people, is a goddamned fight to the finish. Reid and Nancy Pelosi are schooling Bush, and, indeed, the rest of America, on what it means to live in a democracy.”
I think rudeness can be appropriate. It’s certainly worked for the current gang in charge.

Real Republicans Fight Back

Vic Gold a former aid to Goldwater, Agnew and Bush 41, and colleague and (former) friend of the Cheneys has written a book with this title: Invasion of the Party Snatchers: How the Holy-Rollers and the Neo-Cons Destroyed the GOP  in which he arues that ”...the GOP has moved away from principles of small government, prudent foreign policy and leaving people alone to live their private lives — all views Gold associates with his hero, Goldwater.” Small government, prudent foreign policy and leaving people alone sounds like a nice platform. The book has not yet been released. Bush 41 is reported to have said, "I have not read the book, but if it is as critical of the president as I have heard, I am sure I wouldn't like it." R Blog is reported to have said, “I have not read the book but love the title.

Cingular (AT &T) Rebate Program Is Sneaky

They are always working the angles on these rebate deals. Bought two new phones. Rebates totaled $100 on one and $30 on the other. The Cingular sales rep set up the paperwork for me very nicely and I mailed it in after scanning the submission. (I’ve had companies come back and tell me that I’d sent the wrong paperwork. So I keep copies). I was expecting to get a check six weeks down the road. What do I get instead? Two “Cingular Reward Visa Cards.” One has $100 on it and the other $30. This is kind of awkward. I wanted checks so I could apply the money to my Visa account which I used to pay the exorbitant pre-rebate prices for the phones. Now, I have to buy something and will no doubt end up with a bit of a balance on one or the other or both of the cards that will, if I can’t find an accountant to keep track of the balance and a cooperative merchant, accrue to the benefit of AT &T. Plus, I have to stick two more credit cards in my wallet.
I smell a conspiracy here. I wonder if AT &T has learned that a certain percentage of folks won’t use the card, forget them, or leave outstanding balances on them. There’s a three month time limit to use the cards. Tried to find a corporate e-mail for AT &T so I could complain directly. Blogging about it more efficient. It’s like sending a check.

Political Extremism

Glenn Greenwald, a first amendment lawyer turned blogger, turned daily columnist and commentator for Salon.com reports today on the authoritarian strain in the Republican Party. At a recent Club for Growth meeting candidate Mitt Romney was asked if he “...believed the president should have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens with no review. Romney said he would want to hear the pros and cons from smart lawyers before he made up his mind.” The same questioner had reported he asked Giuliani the same question a few weeks ago and “...the mayor said that he would want to use this authority infrequently.”
Here are two of the leading contenders for the Republican nomination for president who are willing, as Greenwald points out, to “...either embrace or are open to embracing the idea that the President can imprison Americans without any review, based solely on the unchecked decree of the President.”
This seems to me to be an excellent campaign issue and question for reporters to ask candidates: “Do you believe an American President has the authority to imprison American citizens without judicial review?”

Today's Must Read on US Attorney Scandal

Money quote from Bud Cummins, long time Republican, former Bush-Cheney Campaign Arkansas attorney, Florida chad counter for Republican Party and Presidential Elector on why the US Attorney scandal is important:

CUMMINS: "Well I just think that it's important that every citizen can believe that federal prosecutors are operating in a neutral and non-partisan way. Well many of us were political before we got those jobs. We come to 'em through a fairly political process. But it's very important that we leave the politics out and give up that part of our lives while we serve as federal prosecutors. Because when you go and indict somebody and threaten to take their liberty away and their property—you know, that's a pretty serious thing. And—and the public has to believe that you're doing it for right reasons and not wrong reasons. Once something like this happens, and you let somehow politics get injected into substantive decisions of the Department, people have a perception that maybe there is a political component to other decisions you're making."

Full transcript here :http://www.pbs.org/now/news/311-transcript.html.

Blog Neglect

I've been neglecting R Blog lately spending most of my free reading time studying Peak Oil, sustainability and related subjects. I started another blog using my .Mac account (free with a .Mac membership and iLife 06). R Blog may disappear and be replaced entirely by the new blog called "Back to the Future." R Blog has been primarily a writing exercise but suddenly it seems like I have more important things to do than exercise my minimal writing skills on eclectic subjects. Readership is limited to friends and family anyway with only occasional spikes in interest from the salacious when sexual topics show up in the key word searchs.
This new blog, "Back to the Future", is really designed as a communication device for my extended family and I'm not putting it out there for general consumption. We are preparing to move to a rural location and the blog, ultimately, will note plans and actions to create a more sustainable setting and the thought processes that generate them. The new blog is password protected. There are lots of Peak Oil blogs but if you are interested in checking it out, send me an email and, if I know you, I'll give you the URL, user name and password.

The Only Novels You Really Need

The complete set of Aubrey/Maturin novels are on sale at Amazon  a price of $94. This set was $175. I've been waiting quite awhile to buy this set and was prepared to pony up the full amount and was pleased and surprised when I went to order that they were on sale. Procrastination sometimes pays big dividends. I wonder if they are getting ready to reprint as there were complaints of lots of typos in this edition. I've read from this set and the typos, though I noticed a few, didn't detract from my enjoyment. I'm on my third time through the twenty novels in this great series.

Artist’s Statement

From “How to Write an Artist’s Statement by  Molly Gordon.

“Think of your artist's statement as a nourishing stew. The rich flavors and inviting aroma will feed your spirit and summon wonderful people to your table. You'll want to make sure your stew is made from the freshest, finest ingredients and that it has been simmered and seasoned with care. Do this, and you will be proud to share your creative vision – your authority – with others.”

Artist of finger painting will write one when he learns to write. In the meantime, we will let the piece speak for itself. It’s called, “The Blue Tractor.”

Update: New finger painting

Live Blogging the Libby Trial

You will find the best coverage of the Scooter Libby trial on a blog.  Firedoglake.com is live blogging this extravaganza as I write. What does this mean? One of the Firedoglake team is sitting in the media room of the courtroom with a laptop and wireless connection and typing away as testimony is given. Mr. Libby, charged with lying to a grand jury, is on the stand with Tim Russert of Meet the Press scheduled up next. Russert is expected to drive the final nail into Libby's defense. Firedoglake is a blog started by Jane Hamsher, an activist movie producer. A Hollywood type, one might say, except she lives in Oregon. Ariana Huffington of Huffingtonpost.com arranged for the press pass. Firedoglake put out a call for funds from their readers (full disclosure: I contributed $25), Jane rented an apartment and several members of the Firedoglake team arranged to spend a week or two in DC covering the trial. In the blog world there are some considered experts on the Victoria Plame Affair. One of them is Marcy Wheeler, a citizen from Ann Arbor who knows so much about it she wrote a book, just published, called Anatomy of Deceit.
I'm halfway through and it's a very clear exposition of the case and demonstrates, as has the trial, that Patrick Fitzgerald, the Federal Prosecutor, should have been more aggressive in his charges. These people, led by VP Cheney, outed a CIA agent for political purposes—they wanted to destroy the credibility of Plame's husband, Ambassador Joe Wilson, who had called bullshit on President Bush's lie about Saddam Hussein's alleged attempt to get uranium from Africa. It's a sordid story of abuse of power and one we should all being paying much attention to. The bloggers for Firedoglake aren't lightweights. Marcy Wheeler has a Ph'd studying citizen journalism in the times of heavy propaganda. Christy Hardin Smith, who covered the first week of the trial before having to return home to take care of her child is a former prosecutor. Jerrilyn Merritt is another attorney who has written extensively about the Plame Affair and Libby and VP Cheney's role. Jane Hamsher had surgery just three weeks ago for breast cancer but is in the courtroom this week looking bright and perky in a black beret. You can watch Jane and a guy named Swopa here. One of the real problems with the Libby trial is that so much of the mainstream media is carrying a heavy load of baggage having carried water for the Administration in the run up to the Iraq War and in the outing of Valerie Plame. Marcy Wheeler has written down the first half of the story in her book. The rest of the story is playing out in a Washington DC courtroom and the bloggers are on the job reporting what it means.