thisiswhatyoushalldo

More On RWR

Eric Alterman, over at his Blog on MSNBC.com has been putting together some thoughts on the Reagan passing. I think it is important to hear from the left and the populist side of the aisel as our nation gets wrapped up in a Reagan frenzy. He was a good president and probably what our nation needed to pull us out of the funk of the 1970s, but he was not our greatest leader and in fact was kind of tarnished when he left office. Take a moment and read Alterman’s thoughts. And for a deeper distillation, Paul Krugman in the New York Times takes the glowing reviews and the Reagan-era tax philosophy to task. This is a great article that says it so much better than I can.

Wicked Cool Transit Of Venus Pics

With digital cameras and the like, it is no longer necessary to stand in the middle of a vacan lot with a telescope and binoculars to see a neat eclipse or solar event. Where was this technology when I was floundering my grade in Astronomy class in college!
Here is a great site with constantly added and updated pictures of today’s Venus Transit event, which happens eight years a part about every 100 years or so. Have a look. Here is my favorite so far.

Poem du Jour

He is more and less than he will be remembered for.

Ronald Reagan lies in state, his memory etched on the TeeVee.
I avoid the constant drone, the voice and image engraved.
He will soon be memorialized, on a coin, a stamp, even Rushmore

But we will focus on the man in full? His deeds and misdeeds?
Enormously popular, an eight-year nap.
Famous for tax cuts, he raised taxes each year.
Famous for his Armageddon shouts of Communist apocalypse

A friend called it the end of the ’80s. On that we agree.
And like his deteriorating age, can we also move on?
A country music tribute video airs, Travis Tritt and flag waving.
The Gipper fading into memory, a hero enshrined.
Lunching with Gorbachev.

Pr0n Irony This is a simple little picture of John Ashcroft made entirely of porn pictures. It made me giggle. Probably not safe for work and downloading will get you prosecuted by the Justice Department. Heh heh.

Jet Setting Playboy In Chief

Last week, in an email I wrote this about President GW Bush:

He is bored and doesn’t have the attention span to continue focusing on the issues at hand. There are a few great rumors he has gone back to drinking and is very Reagan-like lately in his inability to work at a full 40 – 50 hour week. This is a jet-setting-playboy who weaseled his way into the greatest job in the world and now is bored and annoyed at the prospect of having to actually go through with it. He loves the idea of winning another election, but I honestly believe he doesn’t relish the idea of working this gig for another four years. (These are all just reflections, intuitions and rumors and not based on any factual evidence, so take it for what its worth.)”

Now, it seems, I am not alone in this. A group of unnamed White House aides, speaking off the record have described the Bush White House as erratic, paranoid and impatient and compared these last few weeks to those of the Nixon years.

Former Nixon Chief Legal Counsel and Watergate star John Dean has said essentially the same thing, although more eloquently in his new book, described in this Salon.com/Findlaw article.

As someone posted on Metafilter, does our generation now have our own Nixon?

Notes On The 40th Birthday Bash

My journal entry as kept during two nights in Central City/Blackhawk while celebrating/contemplating turning 40 years old:

Big Birthday Bash Weekend Telemundo Weather Man, Deadwood cussing, gambling, losing, Adrian H, Michelle B., books, presents, Riviera buffet, Fortune City, balloons, Josh’s Mom, dealing, Blackjack, Waterman pen, watch, Mark, Robert, a night under the stars, Chris and Sara, Reid, Jenn, Central City, Harvey Wallbangers, Malibu Julz, CO 119, 2000 yards, “strapping college men rock climbing,” wheel chairs, oxygen, this is not Vegas, a minor celebrity, Rev. Ed, Tylenol with Codeine, Prilosec, Immodium A.D., sandals, long naps, sleeping in, nursing hangover, drinking binge, breakfast, bad coffee, upset tummy, early checkout, Ron Howard, clown fucking, gold dollar tokens, “The Price is Right”, Bob Barker, nickel slots, sucker bet, lost in Nederland, William B., Drew and Jon, magic slot fingers, fast cash, the money bus, kayakers, Adam & Sage, Charro, Connie Chung, The Fixx, “One Thing Leads To Another,” red light – no service, Apollo 13, chain smoking, Tony Roma, “My life for a decent cup of coffee!”, Tony and Heather T., home brewed beer, “Rats!”, Davies’ Chuckwagon Diner, Double Diamond Deluxe, slots, lost in “The Lodge”,” Sunday morning, driving down the mountain, snow, rain, river side wanderings, Nils Lofgrin cd.

Eric Idle of Bush And The FCC

This is definitely not safe for work. But worth the effort. Download the MP3, share it with your friends. The only place you can hear it is on line or on HBO but the song is gold. Ahhh, Python still lives.

Bring Back Dick

I love stories about Richard Nixon. The man fascinated me. I have spent probably too much time listening to the Nixon tape archives and read too many books about ol’ Tricky Dick. But it was such a fascinating time.
And now, 30 years later, the Kissinger tapes have finally been released. Much like his boss, Kissinger, Nixon’s Secretary of State and National Security Advisor taped and transcribed his phone calls. The recent tapes, reportedly, show Kissinger’s deep concern that Nixon was losing it and quite possibly had gone over the edge towards the end of his presidency.

President Nixon – Now, more than ever. Tanned, rested and ready to fight terror.
Vote Nixon in 2004.