Monday Musings: July 26, 2010

“I think that’s a decision we’ll make in February or March,” Gingrich said on “Fox News Sunday” of a presidential run. “This is a very hard family decision because it’s such a deep commitment and it is so absorbing.” Newt Gingrich

Oh, promise me that you’ll consult one of your families, Newt. I’ll even try to help you decide which one - the wife with breast cancer that you were cheating on, or …. these things can become confusing, even for a ‘practicing’ Roman Catholic.

For Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont and former DNC Chair, to come out supporting Gingrich, saying that he would add ‘intellectual’ depth to a Republican primary is rather like saying Mengele added dimension to the Nazi medical program.

What is Howard Dean smoking?

That Gingrich would even consider something so bizarre scares me, but even further, considering the short memory of the American electorate and the overarching witlessness of the right anything could happen.

Yikes.

Although it’s not exactly the Pentagon Papers (again, I’ve identified myself as a dinosaur), the leaked Afghan War field reports should be educational for all of us that find continued support of conflict in Afghanistan as bizarre as a Gingrich presidential run. It will be interesting to note what the mainstream media doesn’t say about it, as opposed to what NPR is already saying.

Does it surprise anybody that the Pakistani’s have been supporting the Taliban? If this isn’t reason enough to withdraw support to Pakistan, nothing is. My guess is that we’re in deep, greasing the rails with ‘foreign aid’ to Pakistan - for the naive, foreign aid doesn’t mean actual money, but rather contracts to sell sophisticated military equipment at highly inflated prices to enrich our industrial-military complex. We do this so the same equipment can be used against our troops later on, when political tides inevitably turn.

Sigh.

Oh, and a Climate Bill is out, too. Harry Reid has admitted as much. I’m not terribly surprised, since without robust campaign finance reform we’ll never be able to accomplish the noble and large since the money from coal mining, oil and Koch Industries is woven permanently into the pockets of most of Congress. Those who’ve backpedaled on the idea of climate legislation anyhow (like Lindsey Graham) are now saying that too much time was spent fighting over silly things like, uh, healthcare reform. What a nimrod.

If you want to read a couple good Op-Ed pieces on this, I suggest Paul Krugman’s ‘Who Cooked the Planet’ and Lee Wasserman’s ‘Four Ways to Kill a Climate Bill’.

Is there anybody over the age of 21 out there who doesn’t understand how campaign funding is hog-tying our ability to do anything worthwhile or necessary as a nation? Not that the ‘right’ wants anything done. They’re camped out at the revival meeting, speaking in tongues and waiting for Armageddon - so climate change hardly matters.

Sheesh. I’ve got one of those living here at the moment. It’s a wonder she gets anything done between bible study and all night revival meetings. It gives me such incredible heartburn…

The uproar over the truth, oops lies, directed toward the USDA’s Shirley Sherrod, and her dismissal and then oops, apology and invitation to return, should be instructive as to why we need a ‘real’ media, run by real journalists. What we have isn’t cutting it. NPR can’t be everywhere, trying to vet the truth before putting foot in mouth. This is a monumental lesson in why you don’t want an oligopoly of for-profit, corporations with an agenda as your only source of information.

I’m damned surprised that Sharron Angle hasn’t also suggested getting rid of NPR. Well, actually not. She certainly doesn’t listen to it - or she wouldn’t be so poorly informed - and therefore it’s not on her radar. Do take advantage of the high comedy in the Sharron Angle Underground Bunker - the widget is on this website. It’s fun.

If you want to help get Congress moving a bit more effeciently, you could support those senators that are attempting to reform that miserable fillibuster rule. I suggest emailing the following to express your support and thanks for their efforts to make the Senate a rational place once again:

Al Franken (D-Minn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.),

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)

If you don’t see your senator here, then click here to find their email address.

If you don’t know what a filibuster is, or why you should care, then read ‘Fixing the Filibuster’ by Sen. Tom Harkin.

I’m getting much more practiced at repairing bikes. I had another - sigh - flat this morning, and it was my own fault. I now know not to ever, ever cut the puncture liners. Lesson learned. I also added a cloth spoke tape. It might sound funny, but I wouldn’t mind taking a course in bike repair. Seriously.

Having a flat gives you time to enjoy the scenary and the fresh air out in the middle of nowhere, while your rescue ride is coming. It was also entertaining to watch other cyclists blithely ride by - you’re sitting on a rock with the bike laying by the side of the road - never slowing to ask if you need assistance.

But then, I should be the poster child for no good deed going unpunished.

It’s off to the big huge wedding event on Wednesday. I’ve offered to pickup and deliver the cake. This might be another good deed gone ….

I can just see me catching a shoe on a step.

Kodak moment.

Sigh.

-maven

Comments

[RJR]

If you do crash and burn with the cake make sure Dad is rolling video so I can at least get a laugh out of it!