a couple of things....

First, I noticed in some reports this evening that the President's "legacy" is said to be in tatters because his second attempt at pushing the immigration reform bill through the congress has apparently failed. Big time. To that I say, respectfully, "bullshit". This presidents legacy will not become clear for several years, and possibly a decade or more as we see and take note of the fallout from his many actions and inactions.

On a related note, Georgie sounded off this week about Fidel Castro, his wish that he would "disappear", and the nations need to be prepared for that eventuality. What's he afraid of, the price of banana's pushing the Consumer Price Index that much higher? I agree that the country needs to be prepared for these eventualities, but face it, when George speaks, the whole situation simply disintegrates. We don't know what will happen when Fidel dies, but it is certainly not going to be much. Cuba ceased to be a military threat to us in early 1963 when the last launcher was shipped back to the USSR. It could have been completely neutralized in the 70's by allowing some trade and tourism. A steady diet of US dollars and vices does much to undercut the revolutionary spirit. But, here we are, with another president, who, having done not too many things really well, has made sure that we have a huge barrier in our way when we try to ease things between us and that little island.

Then we have the true commander in chief, (the big) Dick Cheney, the Edgar Bergen of the GOP. I truly believe that the man was picked to run for VP before the front runner was selected, as he was somebody that all the other 'somebodies' could do business with.

There is much to be said about this, but I am tired and will keep it short. The Times of London has an interesting little piece on the vice presidency in general and this one in particular, and it raises a couple of fair points.

Right now, I am going to say that Dick Cheney may be George II's enduring legacy, for better, or most likely worse.

so there.

just a thought

I, like most of you, like to see myself as being reasonably well informed, as staying abreast with the news, trends and happenings in the world and so on and what-have-you. Every now and then I get my comeuppence for that small piece of vanity, in the form of an article or editorial, usually on the internet, that looks at an issue (or a small part of one), from a different perspective, and it just blows me away.

About a week ago, while listening to an internet broadcast on a public radio station, I heard a promo, a short commercial, for a lecture series on what it termed one of the chief causes of the war and strife in Iraq --- the privatization of the Iraqi oil industry. As I listened to the program I was waiting for, I opened a new browser window and googled the term, (without quotation marks). What I read was quite interesting, some of it biased, (in both directions), but interesting. A lot of things made a bit more sense after reading a few of these articles.

The gist of the analysis is that the underlying strategy behind the invasion of Iraq is not to combat Islamic extremism or global terrorism, it is to put significant economic assets into the control of those who now control assetts in other parts of the world, (you know, here).

If this assertion, (on the part of western policy analysts as well as Iraqi nationalists) is only 10% correct, it still represents a huge incursion, for whatever motive, into the affairs of a sovereign people, (note I am not referring to a "rogue government" or "terrorist regime"), and a very significant impediment to their own right to self determination.

Now, speaking as someone who really can't stomach much in the way of current energy prices, I still have to factor this in to my opinion of the current US regime, the Democratic heir apparent, and the overall situation in the world, and, in the popular media.

Those 3000+ victims of 9/11? Apparently, none of them had the keys to the vaults of any Swiss banks, or the deeds to any undeveloped oil fields, so their deaths, while regrettable in that it represents the loss of taxable income for the government, and the loss of the WTC meant a significant economic hit for somebody, all that is just window dressing. I wonder if Osama bin Laden and his relatives are alive today because they did somebody such a big favor?

Focus a little harder.

whats this?

I just happened to click on a link to my bud Roy's blog page, and was directed to a blog that I had never seen before. It seems that when Roy went inactive a few weeks back, the blogger system put his URL back up for grabs.

If you know Roy, or have his (former) URL in your favorites, pay no attention to what you might see at that address.

Another SNAFU from G00GLE.....


this just in from Bimbo Central:

Paris Hilton is back in the slammer. Those caring about this deplorable situation probably can't read and won't see this anyway. What I want to know is, how will this affect the well-being of the other inmates at the LA County lockup?

Finally, from special correspondent JB:

The Soldier and the Nun

A soldier ran up to a nun. Out of breath he asked, "Please, may I hide under your skirt. I'll explain later." The nun agreed.

A moment later two MP's ran up and asked, "Sister, have you seen a soldier?" The nun replied, "He went that way." After the MP's ran off, the soldier crawled out from under her skirt and said, "I can't thank you enough Sister. You see, I don't want to go to Iraq." The nun said, "I understand completely."

The soldier added, "I hope I'm not rude, but you have a great pair of legs!" The nun replied, "If you had looked a little higher, you would have seen a great pair of balls....I don't want to go to Iraq either."

have a good weekend.