Afar

Texas is under fire. And Kennedale, to the southwest of me, is engulfed. I know of people there.


The little thing in front is a chiminea.

So much for no global warming. It was 75 today. In December.

And thus ends a lame post.

hehehe

Found this over on Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog. The original AP photo had Genghis Khan. Not sure which is scarier, but then again, that was the question.

Movie Time

Watched A League of Their Own again. This makes something like 15 million times I've heard, "There's no crying in baseball."

If you haven't seen it, do so. If you have, see it again.

Now to get a copy of A Christmas Story, if only so I can poke my eye out.

What movies are you watching?

King George

Dubya said the following today in his radio address:

"In the weeks following the terrorist attacks on our nation, I authorized the National Security Agency, consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution, to intercept the international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations. Before we intercept these communications, the government must have information that establishes a clear link to these terrorist networks.

"This is a highly classified program that is crucial to our national security. Its purpose is to detect and prevent terrorist attacks against the United States, our friends and allies. Yesterday the existence of this secret program was revealed in media reports, after being improperly provided to news organizations. As a result, our enemies have learned information they should not have, and the unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk. Revealing classified information is illegal, alerts our enemies, and endangers our country.

...

"The American people expect me to do everything in my power under our laws and Constitution to protect them and their civil liberties and that is exactly what I will continue to do, so long as I'm the president of the United States."

Here are a few comments as swiped from a My Way News post of this AP story:

"I didn't hear him specify any legal right, except his right as president, which in a democracy doesn't make much sense. Today, what Bush said is he went around the law, which is a violation of the law - which is illegal."

James Bamford, author of two books on the NSA

"I tell you, he's President George Bush, not King George Bush. This is not the system of government we have and that we fought for"

Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis.

"The Bush administration seems to believe it is above the law."

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

Former Senator Bob Barr, R-Ga., had the following exchange with Representative Dana Rohrabacher, R-Ca. on CNN:

ROHRABACHER: And by the way, how do we know who wasn't deterred from blowing up other targets. The fact is --

BARR: Well, gee, I guess then the president should be able to ignore whatever provision in the Constitution as long as there's something after the fact that justifies it.

BARR: Bob, during wartime, you give some powers to the presidency you wouldn't give in peace time.

BARR: Do we have a declaration of war, Dana?

ROHRABACHER: You don't have to do that.

BARR: We don't? That makes it even much easier for a president.

Multiple people, different parties, same opinion.

(Keyboard tip to John Aravosis and Atrios)

Promises

Would you cover for a friend to the point of absurdity? When is it time to let go? Do you enjoy being an enabler? Are your explanations for this behavior valid or are they hollow rationalizations? Is it really hurting anyone? Is your vicarious fascination with your friend's deviance melting into collaboration? Can you be engaged yet not morally responsible? Once you've taken a peek inside can you stuff the seven back into the box?.......Ugly questions with easy answers. Or so I thought.

A Questioner

The blogger above posed this series of questions a couple of months ago. It was referring to Bush covering for Rove, but in my case, it has to do with me covering for the blogger. I wasn't "required" to, but it was requested. Whatever.

In answer to the questions, in order, and from extremely recent personal experience:

1. Apparently
2. Now, because I can't go back and do the one right thing
3. No
4. Valid, but still hollow
5. It hurt people, yes
6. Deviance, no. I thought you were a different person. But it did meld into collaboration. And yes, now I get to live with that
7. I thought so, but I was wrong
8. No. But I hang onto the one left

I'm done. Good life and good luck. Cause I can't cover any more (required or requested).

Creative

The GOP is busy. Busy editing pictures, that is.

They've decided it's a good thing to use a soldier watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas for their own purpose: to show how wanting to bring the troops home and perhaps keep a few alive is oh so very bad.

Original

Poorly edited

What neither party has done—until now—is inject the idea that the other party is undermining our troops overseas. The RNC is pimping a mute and unnamed soldier not just to defend the Iraq war but to imply that Democrats are white-handkerchief-waving cowards who want the United States to lose.

Slate

This isn't the first time that the RNC has been involved with bad photo doctoring; back in 2004, a poorly Photoshopped image appeared in a Bush campaign ad.

My suggestion to the RNC: hire better graphics people AND stop watching those old propaganda films. They look silly now, as do yours.

(Keyboard tip to Crooks and Liars)

Freight

I know it's cheaper, but this is ridiculous.

For some reason, the government has found it fitting, instead of transporting fallen Marines back with the dignity and honor they deserve, to ship them in the cargo holds of commercial airliners, complete with suitcases and cargo. And the passengers on the plane -- these ARE commercial airliners -- don't know what lies below until they aren't allowed to deplane and look out the little, itty-bitty airplane windows to find out why they are still sitting there after an X-hour flight. I've not, to my knowledge, been in this situation, but I don't think I'd be too comfortable. Not with a dead person on the plane -- that happens all the time -- but with the dead person being a soldier who deserved better.

In the above referenced piece, the parents of a fallen Marine had to request a respectful greeting for their son -- something that should be SOP. And God knows our President and Vice President cannot be bothered. Perhaps it's that there are too many funerals to attend. Perhaps they're just too busy. Who knows?

What I do know is that freight is no way to send a soldier home for the last time. Many people won't put their pets through baggage check-in; why should we, as a nation, do that to our soldiers?

So, next time you hop on a plane, say a little prayer or whatever you do because there just may be US military personnel in the cargo hold who deserve a whole lot more.

Blog Relocation - The Post Formerly Known as Sticky

Thanks to mucho help from A Friend, I now have my own site for hosting my blog (and, well, anything else I want if I decide to be creative.)

You can find me at www.texasshiva.com. I'll still be here, but that's an easier address for me to remember.

See ya'll later.