It seems clear that I’m take-no-prisoners against this administration and it’s war in Iraq. I readily confess to being a yellow dog Democrat liberal/progressive. I also hope it’s clear I love my son-in-law who’s in the military and I’m proud that he’s doing his duty and upholding his honor. I may have overstepped my bounds tonight, but, then, I’m sort of in the business of breaking rules nowadays. It’s part of my devil-may-care attitude this calendar year. I just don’t give much of a fuck. Anyway, maybe I overstepped my boundaries tonight when I not only attended tonight’s Moveon.org peace rally (followed by a candlelight vigil I sidestepped) at Memorial Park and held the “Honk for Peace” sign, but also allowed myself to be interviewed by someone who claimed to be from a radio network –1520 in OKC. Supposedly will be broadcast, if at all, tomorrow morning (Thursday). I think my son in law is an honorable man doing his duty without complaint as best he can and I’m very proud of him. I wish he were home with my grandchildren. I haven’t asked anyone’s permission to oppose this war. I opposed it before my son in law looked like he would have to go and I still do. This war is wrong and we should expose the leaders who took us into the war as the war profiteers and liars they have proved to be. We went in for the wrong reasons and did so at the wrong time. I believe Karl Rove’s need for election fodder has as much to do with why we are in Iraq as does the Cheney-Rumsfeld-Wolfowitz-Feith cabal that has plotted this use of American power since they were in the first Bush’s administration. I believe one of the principal reasons we don’t just leave is because we don’t know how. I don’t think adequate attention was paid to an exit strategy because their utopian ideas that didn’t pan out never took into account the reality on the ground. I think they knew the WMD intelligence was weak and I think they didn’t care. I think they knew there was no link between Saddam and al-Qaida and I think they didn’t care. I think we have increased and not reduced the liklihood of another terrorist attack on America. I think we have alienated the bulk of the Muslim world. I believe the still-at-large Osama bin Lauden thinks he could not have dreamed that America would be so stupid and that we’ve played right into his hands. I think we could have spent $200 billion in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank raising the standard of living for Palestinians and have destroyed worldwide terrorism as a threat to civilization.

Enough serious shit!

Missed the usual gathering on the Paseo on Wednesday to do the anti-war thing, but I caught up with them at the Lido and latecomers made it an even 13. They put us in “time out”, we were so rowdy. There’s only one thing I don’t like about so many at dinner and that is that I can’t listen to and participate in all the conversations that go on at once. Some conversations are like soap operas and you can just pick up a word here and there and now and again and still be able to follow the story line. Others are dense and/or require special attention due to the sotto voce of one of the participants. Of course, the whispered ones are the ones you most want to hear.

Movie night was well attended, although it ended flat for the Oz and his bride. Babs rented a movie none of us knew anything about: “11:14″ with Barbara Hershey and Patrick Swayze. It turned out to be pretty good, judging by the guffaws coming from The Gary. Even nervous SuzArt managed a belly laugh or two.

Saw Larry P at the Cup this a.m. and he stays with his no comment stance, but amplifies it to include something or another about silence.

A shout out to Miss K, seen confabbing with Randy S, looking sporty in his ballcap.

The Lebanese cyclist has been scarce of late, but I don’t know why.

…parting is such sweet sorrow
that I should say “good night”
’til it be morrow…