August Week 5, 2005

People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it's safer to harass rich women than motorcycle gangs.

Christy is going in to Kaiser today... Calie is in Newberry Park for a couple weeks. Christian is still at Shoen's. He is doing whatever he has to do to keep from doing work on the house... he is not the only one, Mike has been noticeably absent too, so has Monica and Calie. Cindy does what she is told... most of the time.

Christy says that if Calie wants to spend the year at the Newberry Park Adventist High School (Academy) she can... I said She can go there till we move but she is going north with us, leaving her down here is not an option.

I tried to watch a football game tonight, Rams were killing the poor Lions... not in the mood for a rout...

Christy says I can write about her trip to the Dr... Christy discovered a lump a few months ago, the Dr she originally saw said it was a cyst, but then we found another lump and the Dr's are taking her seriously, after all the exams it has been determined that there are now three lumps They scheduled a biopsy and today was the day. Christy thought it would a needle biopsy but they made three incisions, she was there from 1000 she is very sore. We should know the results on Wednesday.

We have an appointment with Dr. Kodel, our Primary Care Physician, on the 9th... it should be an interesting visit.

It's also interesting how the focus shifts when one priority overtakes another... and blows it completely out of the water. It's a difficult to get work done on the house when my mind is on Christy.

We are both concerned and a little frightened but we are not going to get excited about this until we have some facts and know what our options are. we will get through this just like we have survived everything else...

We just got the news that our well recovers at the rate of .9 gallons a minute... scared the hell out of me. Then he explained that the well is still a good one, it will pump 7 gallons a minute for an hour and will produce 1200 gallons a day plus the reserve (420 gal) for a total of 1640. We have been doing fine with 9 people doing laundry, taking showers, washing dishes and going to the bathroom for 20 years now and the only problem we have ever had with the well is with the machinery...

I need to get to work on sanding the plaster and put up some molding and paint and put up the earthquake bracing on the hot water heater

On the Seventh Day, They Barbecued

By Art Buchwald

Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Page C02

What did I do this summer? Part of the time I sat on the beach discussing Darwin vs. creationism. Those who believe in Darwin sat on one side of the sand and used suntan oil, because scientists say you don't want to burn your skin.

On the other side were the creationists, who maintained they didn't need oil because God would protect them.

One religious bather said, "Darwin didn't know what he was talking about. I didn't come from a monkey -- or even a horse."

A Darwin supporter said, "Conventional wisdom says the creationist belief is just a theory, while Darwinism is a science."

"If creationism is just a theory in the Bible," a born-again Christian said, "why does President Bush want it taught in the schools?"

"It's good for him politically, and shows he believes in God," I said. "I can believe in Darwin and God, but I don't believe creationism should be taught as science in public schools. Besides, I thought the question was resolved years and years ago."

There was stirring from the right. "Anyone who says that doesn't believe in God."

"I am not an atheist. I go to church every Sunday, but that doesn't mean I have to buy the Adam and Eve story. I still want to know who wrote it."

Things were getting more heated. The Darwin supporters started to kick sand at the creationists.

I tried to get the discussion back on track. "Intelligent Designers have no proof as to how life began, but we still have to respect their beliefs."

"I don't say there is no God," a Darwin spokesman said. "All I am saying is there is no proof there is one."

"Proof is in the eye of the beholder," an evangelical retorted. "Anyone who doesn't believe in Intelligent Design is a pagan."

"And who is the father of Intelligent Design?"

"The people who wrote the Bible. They knew God's words had to be passed on. Everything was just fine until Darwin took a trip around the world and said we descended from animals."

"Why do people hold such a grudge against Darwin? He brought order to the human race. The Intelligent Designers have been fighting with each other for thousands of years," a scientist said. "Even today they are arguing about God."

"Yes, but you need scientists to provide the weapons used against people who don't believe in your theory. You can't have strong beliefs without guns to back them up."

A creationist who was building a sand castle said, "How do we know Australopithecus wasn't a hoax?"

The Darwin man retorted, "How do we know God isn't a hoax?"

I said, "This is getting rough. It's tearing people apart. Creationists live by moral standards and unquestionable beliefs. Evolutionists believe nothing unless they see it for themselves. I believe the two shouldn't be in the same ballpark -- or on the same beach."

"What do you suggest?"

"Let's have a volleyball game. The creationists against the evolutionists."

A scientist said, "I'll play only if the playing field is level."

An Intelligent Designer replied, "God always makes the playing field level. That's why we love Him."

I read an article today called Fear and Loathing in Crawford Texas by a reporter describing his experiences in Crawford Texas... He describes the America that I see every day, it scares me to my soul. The country is full of people who create their own reality and refuse to accept even the possibility that there is something fundamentally wrong with an administration that would send people to die just to make a point. People who would attack and threaten to kill a woman for speaking out but wouldn't confront her face to face or strap on a gun and join the Army... Christians my aching ass, they may be the kind of Christians that blow up government buildings and advocate the assassination of foreign leaders but they are not any kind of Christian I have ever known... Patriots? not by any stretch of the imagination... Americans... I fear so...)

Today's public figures can no longer write their own speeches or books, and there is some evidence that they can't read them either.
Gore Vidal

The lady buying the house "has a problem with the well" apparently she wants to put in a lawn... nobody has a lawn up here. Wells are just too expensive and water is too precious to waste a drop of it on grass... Oh well... if she doesn't want the house then we'll put it back on the market tomorrow morning... I have been waiting for the other shoe to drop... well it has... it is really demoralizing and a serious pain in the butt but we will get through it...

I just found out from our realtor that someone at American Waterwell told her that a reading like that is an indication the well is going dry... damn! The well is not going dry, the well has been pumping the same amount of water for 20 years... If the deal is scotched because of this I will really be pissed... hell I'm already pissed.

Here's the Funny Part
By William Rivers Pitt
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Why Neoconservatives Won’t Back Down

Homer Simpson is known, among other things, for his schemes. Often, as the situation deteriorated, his schemes got crazier and his hold on ground truth more wobbly.

Rube Goldberg-style, the neoconservatives are offering a superior solution than solemn statesmen, grieved parents, and American (small-r) republicans. They will not be bested by famous cartoon characters. They aim to win in Iraq, no matter how many steps it takes. In fact, the more steps, the better!

I think I understand it now. Neocons worship a god named Homer Simpson. Their Holy Ghost is Rube Goldberg, and the Son – I’m guessing here – must be Chaos.

Jude Wanniski asks "when will the pundits apologize?" When will they admit their mistakes and grave errors to the families of the dead on all sides and to the people of America? Homer Simpson answers for them, "I don't apologize. I am sorry Lisa, that's the way I am." And so it is with the neoconservatives who clamored for war and cakewalks and slam-dunks. You will hear the inconsistency in their voices. You will see their pain in the Sunday morning talk shows. But you will never hear those responsible for designing a flawed policy in the Middle East, destroying the U.S. Army and its Guard and Reserve system, and Iraq as a nation ever say they’re sorry.

Cindy Sheehan asks our president, who is looking more and more in dire need of a donut and a coffee break, for what noble purpose her son, and nearly 2,000 other American sons and daughters have died over the past two and a half years of combat in Iraq.

But take a moment to remember. Congress never declared war. The military is conducting an occupation complete with prisons and torture and punitive annihilation of Iraqi cities on behalf of a … republic? Why, of course not. The war is for the unstated desires and justifications known to the heads of the American empire, and they answer to no one. However, perhaps she can find comfort in Homer’s words, "Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand!"

Urged by neoconservative ravings of Pentagon appointees, the administration, and several major national newspapers and TV stations, Republicans and Democrats alike trumpeted and brayed the false rationale for the Iraq invasion in 2002 and 2003. Neither party challenged the President’s agenda, or the Pentagon’s plan, or its lack of a plan. Like bouncy but brain-dead cheerleaders, they jostled, competing to be heard screaming "War, War, War!"

Today, while Cindy Sheehan clearly and correctly calls the President a liar, CNN and Fox attempt – unsuccessfully – to get any member of Congress, Democrat or Republican, to themselves say that the President lied. What is so hard about that! He lied, they lied, Congress was lied to, plus the mainstream media transmitted the lies to the rest of us with nary a whisper of doubt. It was a veritable lie-fest, a flood of falsehoods, a barrage of bull. The legacy of those lies is lived by soldiers in Iraq, every member of the military and the intelligence community, all of Washington, and throughout our nation today.

Why can no one admit the lies, even now? Homer again, is wise. "Marge, it takes two to lie. One to lie and one to listen." All participants are culpable.

So, what are we going to do now in the Middle East? Many in the antiwar movement and in various political parties that embrace the Constitution are actively working and praying for wisdom to prevail in Washington, and for peace to prevail in places where Americans find themselves. They want us out of Iraq now, and in the Middle East by invitation only.

But the neoconservatives are not working in this direction. Huddled over their nascent machine, they worry that (barring martial law and a suspension of presidential elections in 2008) their time is running out. They worry that their Great Leader (or Great Puppet, depending on your perception) and his party will be ejected, and the successor party will be either split, or at least too substantially troubled by what 20 years of pitiful post-Cold War leadership in Washington has wrought to "stay the course."

We’ve all heard that Dick Cheney has called for the nuking of Iran in response to any big attack on America (I hope it won’t be Hurricane Katrina and her impact on Gulf of Mexico pumping and refining operations!). Now, that "plan" might seem the epitome of simplicity, a case of Occam’s Razor versus Rube Goldberg. Not to mention incredibly stupid. But consider this…

As Charley Reese and many others have correctly observed, Iraq as a U.S. controlled entity, is in dire straits and tanking. The concept was flawed from the beginning; disunity and conflict are aggravated by the ongoing theft of both U.S. and Iraqi resources by favored U.S. perps and the remnants of Jerry Bremer’s bureaucrats. Iraqi rage is fueled by the persistent lack of electricity, clean water or jobs they face in most of their post-liberation towns and cities

Homer Simpson explains this aspect of neoconservatism in Iraq as well. "Marge! Look at all this great stuff I found at the Marina. It was just sitting in some guy's boat!"

But seriously, what is it that can politically unify a country? Think hard, people! A common enemy. Saddam Hussein was the master of this political construct, first with Iran, and later with the United States. Even a doltish neoconservative can see that it wouldn’t be in their interest for the Iraqi "unifying enemy" to be the United States – and the past two and a half years in Iraq shows this as the one true thing we have accomplished.

That leaves Iran, the real obsession of academics, evangelicals, and pundits who embrace neoconservatism over republicanism or constitutional democracy. Just think! The United States charges into Iran, and Iraqis unite with the enemy of their enemy, and we get a new mass state construct that allows unrestrained U.S. interference into the politics and finances of Iraq, justifies continued radical expansion of the DoD, intelligence and Homeland Defense budgets and influence, and makes use of those big new bases Halliburton and Bechtel built in Iraq! Plus, another patriotic "war" might help shut up the local dissidents (all 58% of them!)

Astute readers will be able to successfully challenge my assumptions, my logic, and my morality in proposing such a scheme. But the neocons don’t apologize, they don’t care, and they don’t operate in our reality-based world.

It's an amazing thing. Doctors' offices in New York and Washington will likely be standing-room-only in a couple of months. I can see it now -- the look on a nurse's face when she asks the vacuous, target-eyed media twits when they are "due," and each one chirps happily, "May 25th!" As she comes to the end of the line, the nurse notices a slender, auburn-haired woman fast asleep, her lips slightly open in a half-smile. She is snoring gently.

Hesitating to awaken her, the nurse spies a blonde whom she recognizes as CNN's "White House" correspondent, Dana Bash, "What about her?" the nurse asks Bash, pointing to the woman. "Is she due on May 25th too?"

Bash leans forward and stares at the sleeping woman so intently that she loses her balance and falls, sprawling on the floor. Then, with eyelids blinking rapidly in recognition, Bash scrambles to her feet, grabs the nurse's arm and whispers fearfully, "No -- no need to wake her up -- puh-leeze don't wake her up! That's Maureen Dowd from the New York Times. She wasn't invited to the barbeque..."

The "barbeque" on Thursday, Aug. 25, was the annual Lewinsky-style blowout George Bush gives for the humping, groveling media during his vacation each year -- an off-the-record affair wherein the Prince becomes "Pauper for a day" and exposes himself to the hoi polloi of the Fourth Estate.

Except Bush called it off last year, so it's really not an annual party. And the fried fish, potato salad and chocolate-chip cookies don't really qualify as a barbeque either. Some are saying it was a pool party, but nobody went swimming...

So, what is it? It's a super-duper double-secret reaffirmation by media stage-door Johnnys that Bush is the President, the Dear Leader, the commander-in-chief, the stud-muffin in control, and they're willing to crawl on their bellies across the fire-ant hills and weed-tangled Texas prairie to get access to him. Like the Washington Post's Dan Froomkin pointed out Friday in his "White House Briefing," the media are so eager to be near Bush they'll agree to anything, "pretty much no matter what the conditions."

Bush's conditions should have brought all self-respecting journalists to a screeching halt up against the ethical wall. But no. To prove their allegience to Bush, reporters and photographers piled into vans and sped past Camp Casey, a site on the road leading to the ranch named after Casey Sheehan, a 24-year-old soldier slain in Iraq in April 2004. Casey's mother, Cindy, came to the Crawford ranch on Aug. 6, intent on getting Bush to explain the "noble cause" for which he keeps insisting Americans must die. It was important to Bush, who strikes out in destructive vindictiveness any time he is challenged or questioned, for the media to give Sheehan the back of their hands -- or at least their middle fingers -- as they left her in a wave of blowing dirt.

Froomkin reports that several reporters were "squeamish" about even attending the event, and especially about having to drive by the Sheehan camp. "And later," Froomkin said, "a small handful watched askance as the rest fawned over Bush, following him around in packs every time he moved."

Froomkin's shamefaced apology for the one or two, or however many of his counterparts it takes to fill up a small hand, who were uneasy about signing on to conditions demanded by the world's most insensitive and callous egomaniacial murderer, leaves reality-based folks scratching their heads. What were these few doing there in the first place? In the name of all that is ethical and professional in journalism -- what in the hell were any of them doing there in the first place?

Maybe it's me, but if sitting around a swimming pool at a barbeque where no barbeque is served while the world, ignited by lies, explodes in flames -- if having access to the man who told the lies -- does not make a card-carrying journalist at least a bit curious about something other than sports, what the twins are up to, or his summer reading list -- is reality, then I cannot get a grip on it. I cannot get a grip on the reality of reporters flocking to also attend off-the-record August dinners with the treasonous Karl Rove. Is there anything in the world of reality more totally incomprehensible, raging mad -- desperately absurd?

Unfortunately, yes. Ron Suskind, the former Wall Street Journal senior national-affairs reporter, and author of "The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House and the Education of Paul O'Neill," penned a critical in-depth piece for the Oct. 17, 2004 New York Times Magazine, on the nuances of Bush's inability to recognize reality. Bush proudly admits he doesn't "do nuance," nor does he bother to read newspapers or watch TV, so the fate of the world rests on his uninformed, faith-based gut instinct. By his own admission, Bush just catapaults the propaganda around until some of it sticks, which then becomes reality.

A "senior adviser" to Bush explained to Suskind in the summer of 2002 that we no longer live in a reality-based community. "That's not the way the world really works anymore," the adviser said. "We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality -- judiciously, as you will -- we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do."

Now, I'm not saying this "senior adviser" is Dick Cheney, but I have studied the cadence of Cheney's remarks and his pet phrases -- as you will -- for years. Not that it matters, but I suspect history will sort out that whoever was spouting this insane ideology was -- as a minimum, if you will -- "channeling" the arrogant veep.

It's not that Bush doesn't want to face the reality of why Casey Sheehan and 1,900 others like him had to die. After sailing through five years and two stolen elections without having his feet held to the fire; after having lie after destructive lie creating domestic and foreign chaos cheered on by captive audiences, Bush isn't about to be called on the carpet by some mama just because her kid got killed in his war on terror, or regime change, or handing out God's gift of freedom, or spreading democracy, or liberation, or -- whatever. Sheehan may have him on the run, but he's the leader of what's left of the free world, and he doesn't owe anybody an explanation.

Reality? As they say down in Texas, Bush just doesn't give a rat's ass. And, from its collective shoddy performance, neither does the mainstream US media. Unfortunately, for the whole treasonous bunch, America's mothers are awake and they're on the move. Not just those whose sons and daughters were horribly slain for no good reason, but those who realize their children are still alive and are in peril, are being murdered at a clip of three a day, with no hope of survival and no way out. They realize that the game Bush is playing with their children is Iraqi Roulette. And, sooner or later...

Bush and his media enablers are hoping the end of August will put Cindy Sheehan and Camp Casey in their rear-view mirrors. According to Fox Channel news director Brit Hume, everything will be all right if Bush can come up with some good news. "What the president needs is some improved results," Hume informed the panel on Fox News Sunday last week, "...or at least some perceived improved results."

Fellow panelist Fred Barnes agreed. "Cindy Sheehan's a crackpot," Barnes snorted, and then giggled, slapping his hands together and then rapidly beating them on the table while bouncing up and down in his chair -- "A crackpot! She's not even a good mascot for the Democratic Party! She's nothing but a crackpot!"

Bush and the entire right-wing apparatus are flailing around in "frantic defense" mode. They can't get it through their heads that this isn't about politics. Mothers like Cindy Sheehan are not anti-war, they're just anti-illegal genocidal war. Their cause is pro-peace, and it's a noble cause.

The mothers are coming, spreading out across the nation in a "Bring Them Home Now" bus tour, and they are joined by military and Gold Star families, veterans of the Iraq war and veterans of previous wars. They are coming to save their children because no one -- not the president, not the administration, no member of Congress, nor any corporate media -- has the courage to stand up and do what's right. Now. Today. Before three more are killed...and three more...

I think I'll meander on over to Tom Delay's place. I hear there's gonna be a hell of a Reality Show and a great barbeque over there next week.

(This is the America that I see every day, it scares me to my soul. The country is full of people who create their own reality and refuse to accept even the possibility that there is something fundamentally wrong with an administration that would send people to die just to make a point. People who would attack and threaten to kill a woman for speaking out but wouldn't confront her face to face or strap on a gun and join the Army... Christians my aching ass... Patriots, not by any stretch of the imagination... Americans... I fear so...)

SPECIAL TO THE ICONOCLAST CRAWFORD — It was a hot Saturday in Crawford, Texas. In the last weekend of President Bush’s five-week vacation, a new occupying force moved upon the little town of Crawford. While much has been said about the Bushapalooza-like camp (and its sequel) that has spawned around Cindy Sheehan, few have given credence to the caravans of fair-weather Bush hawkers. After all, in this day when language betrays its very masters, and half-truths hinging on nothing but a single word can lead to wars of aggression, the freedom of speech should be held dear. This, at the very least, is one thing we all agree upon.

“Cindy Sheehan is a stupid f**king whore,” said a boy of about 17 years, standing with his back to a massive stone recreation of the 10 Commandments. “Why is ‘thou shall not kill’ on this one?” he asked nobody. “We should assassinate her.” A child no taller than the seat of a nearby motorcycle walked up to the stone tablets, focusing on the prized disruptor of the day: an un-cracked replica of the Liberty Bell. He reached forward and grasped a rope hanging from its base, tugging sharply. A loud ringing rattled nearby demonstrators with each resounding thump. A motorized wheelchair-bound Vietnam vet scooted past, thanking the boy for “letting freedom ring.” Across the street at the coffee house, the café was full as usual. Hungry, hot and thirsty patrons shuffled to and from the outpost, most wearing Bush-gear. A woman handing out samples near the entrance commented to this reporter, “Nobody who doesn’t support Bush comes through those doors. They know better.” Walking through the crowded parking lot, overheard conversations forced their way into the prevailing climate.

“I think the damn liberals should just stop already. This war is not going to end any time soon. They need to accept that and fall in line,” said one Bush supporter as he smoked a cigarette and filled up on gas. “Why do liberals always take the side of the enemy?” “Why are you smoking so close to a pump?” I asked. The man just glared back.

In front of the store, a woman holding her son’s hand and a sign reading “Freedom through Superior Firepower” stood captive of one so-called liberal’s concerns about the Iraq war. “I am concerned about the method which Bush took us to war,” he said. “Congress voted to give him powers to pursue terrorists, not to launch a war against another state. And now there are plans to attack Iran, Syria, Pakistan, North Korea … Its very frightening.” The woman shook her head and walked away, silent.

Beyond the Crawford Peace House, a group of the friends of Bush had set up “Camp Reality,” crowding a football field near last year’s Fahrenheit 9/11 screening site. Midday, Bushites numbered about 1,000 in town, with several hundred dispersed opposite Camp Casey I and II.

“You f**king pussies are too scared to go to Iraq yourselves!” shouted a counter-demonstrator driving past the 3,000+ person crowd at Camp Casey II. “We don’t hate you!” sounded a small, brown-haired woman standing roadside with a box of water bottles.

Back in town and across the train tracks, shuttles which had been backed up for more than two hours moved people, albeit slowly, to and from the Crawford Peace House and both Casey camps. Under the unyielding Texas summer, each ringing of liberty clapped like echoing thunder.

Everyone was covered in sweat. At The Yellow Rose souvenir shop, a larger-than-life effigy of George W. Bush rests pasted across the side of the building. The image grabs attention due to an improvised marker drawing of a Hitler-esque moustache complimenting W’s upper brim. Some stop and point. Others laugh and nod in approval of the defacement. One man brings masking tape to obscure the fascist facial farce. Covering the impromptu art, he shook his head. “Damn these people,” he muttered.

Around 4 p.m., the town of Crawford had begun to die down. The main strip played venue to two country singers, standing under a banner proclaiming, “THANK GOD FOR GEORGE W. BUSH! GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS AND PRESIDENT!” As they played, even presidential panderers did not stop to listen. By that hour the crowds of Bush supporters had already dwindled significantly. Finally, with about 40 people still holding ground near The Yellow Rose, traffic had started to flow a bit faster.

Fear and loathing of the most rancorous architecture has crept into the sleepy Texas town of Crawford. The rhetoric has been amplified, the propaganda has been catapulted, and the battle lines have been drawn. As far as Crawford is concerned, liberals have become the major occupying force. While the counter-protests did serve to light a fuse and spark several dozen biased and misleading network news blurbs, it ultimately attracted more dissent into the city’s limits. This day’s fair-weather Bush hawks, having mounted their best and last attempt for this Presidential vacation, will be remembered as little more than an insurgency in an occupied land.

“I hope that bitch gets heat-stroke,” said an older Bush supporter. “The press keeps this thing going like they want to destroy us, this town. I’m inclined to just drive over there and shoot somebody.” “But then you’d get arrested,” his accomplice said. “Well, shit,” replied the old man. “I guess we’ll just stay here then.” Walking past the row of shops which exclusively offer Bush-related paraphernalia, I stopped to notice a sign taped to a rocking-chair that read, “Lemon-ade, 10 year old boys - $.50 cents.” “If only that were the price of gas!” exclaimed a woman from behind, taking note of the same sign.
Laughing, I turned to give Crawford a final farewell. Mahalo, I mused. As we drove past the still-growing crowd in front of the peace house, a bolt of lightening cracked in the distance, as though to offer a warning of ominous conditions to come.

We will march on a road of bones, I thought to myself. As I rode out of town a passer-by flashed the peace symbol in my direction. Watching Crawford disappear in my rear-view mirror, the peace-nic jogged across the street, framed, as he was, against the backdrop of a nation and town irreconcilably divided.

Stephen Webster is a staff writer for The News Connection, a weekly newspaper distributed across North Texas. It can be found online at <www.thenewsconnection.com>.

On the Seventh Day, They Barbecued

Here's the Funny Part By William Rivers Pitt t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Why Neoconservatives Won’t Back Down

The Mothers Are Coming!

Here's the Funny Part
By William Rivers Pitt
t r u t h o u t | Perspective