Month: September 2006

Keep it real. Great advice. There’s no simpler, nor wiser, philosophy of life. Or of voting. Life is short. Life is precious. It’s crazy to fritter it away on illusion. Which is what the Republicans offer. I’m an Independent. I often look at the D’s and R’s and say, “A pox on both your parties.” But my love for reality keeps bringing me back to the progressive side of the political spectrum, because that’s where truth is much more likely to be found. Yesterday Laurel and I were interviewed by Colleen and Eric, who are collaborating on separate efforts to…

Oh, Bill, you’ve been sorely missed. It’s been a long six years of Democratic tentativeness. Mustn’t speak out too strongly. Have to watch our words. Don’t want to offend. Screw that. The time is long past for dissembling, which the Dems are still prone to do. You’d think that they would have learned from Kerry’s horrible mistake in 2004: sitting on his hands while he was being Swift Boated, even though he was seeking the job of Commander in Chief—which has something to do with a strong defense, doesn’t it? But no. I still have to suffer through the spectacle…

Ah, I shouldn’t have worried that the Portland Trailblazers would get all boringly straight and narrow now that Nate McMillan is the coach. Star player Zach Randolph hasn’t been charged following an investigation into his escapade with two women who he had paid $500 to simulate a sex act at the Hotel Vintage Plaza on August 11. But the District Attorney’s report about what went on is titillating reading. Even with all the blacked out names. Fame, youth, and an $84 million contract sure can bring a dude a lot of fun. Though one of the women said she spent…

I’m already tired of the Fifth Anniversary of 9/11 hoopla. It’s one more sign of the United States’ self-absorption and inability to connect with the much larger world beyond our borders. Yes, 3,000 people died in the attacks that took place on September 11, 2001. Yet did you know that at least 3,000 people die every month in Darfur from violence, disease, and malnutrition attributable to the conflict? Where are the memorials to these people? Where are the fervent speeches? Where is the determination by the Bush Administration to protect innocents from terrorists? Absent. Absent. Absent. In the past three…

Oh, Disney, you’ve burst my Mickey Mouse bubble. I grew up with the Mouseketeers. I watched the Disney hour on our black and white TV. I loved going to Disneyland. Now, when I think “Disney,” what comes to mind is right-wing whack job. (And 9/11 history fabricator; Disney funded “The Path to 9/11” and controls ABC, which will be showing this work of fiction Sunday and Monday nights). I’ve been reading and weeping for the death of an all-American brand that has chosen to associate itself with only the neo-con slice of this country. Sad. See: ABC’s twisted “Path to…

I’ve given ABC and Disney a piece of my mind about their disturbingly biased movie, “The Path to 9/11” that will shown next Sunday and Monday. Bill Clinton is simply asking that they tell the truth. I sent them the same message. If you haven’t done so already, add your name to the hundreds of thousands who already have expressed their indignation that the tragedy of 9/11 is being sullied by movie-makers who are putting political grandstanding above respect for what actually happened. The Daily Kos tells you what to do. Do it. Now. It looks like ABC and Disney…

You’d think that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and George Bush would be best buddies, they think so much alike. Opening up the newspaper this morning, I saw the headline, “Iran’s president targets liberalism.” (same AP story here, with different headline) Let’s see. Ahmadinejad wants to strengthen fundamentalism in his country. He’s removing pragmatic veterans in the government and replacing them with inexperienced hard-liners. His administration is cracking down on independent journalists. He’s trying to drive liberal and moderate professors out of universities. Sure sounds like the president of the United States’ wet dream. Oh, except it isn’t just a dream; it’s reality.…

Wow, what a surprise: false information about Iraq. It turns out that the capture of high-level Al Qaeda operative Jumaa Al Saeedi actually occurred nearly three months ago, rather than last Friday as was originally reported. So what am I to make of all the breathless speculation I heard on Fox News about how taking Al Saeedi out was going to break the insurgency’s back? Every attack in Iraq since June 19 occurred when #2 was out of commission. Seems to me like there are plenty of #3s and below ready to be promoted.