December 2, 2009

shut up, he explained

shut up, he explained


Obama’s speech at West Point yesterday left me with nothing, really, but cognitive dissonance. A Nobel Peace Laureate wants to put 100,000 American troops into Afghanistan to kill brown people for peace. Right. No, wrong. Uhm…

Just about 40 years ago today, I think I was carrying a sign that read “Killing for peace is like f***ing for chastity”. Obama said this isn’t like Vietnam and maybe he’s right, but some things sure seem to be the same.

The only thing I know for sure is that my Red State Republican friends who tell me they don’t like this president because they are birthers or some other form of craziness are going to be told by me that anyone who doesn’t support my president in a time of war is an unpatriotic traitor. Been waiting to do that for a while.

Do we know yet whether the troops that are going to Kabul will be troops we are pulling out of Bagdhad? Do we have any iron-clad guarantees that the wall of troops we will put in Kandahar will be part of a Pakistani effort on the other side of the border?

Sure hope that Rep. David Obey, who proposed a war tax on the superrich to pay for this, holds the GOP feet to the fire on what they want to cut to pay for this, etc., so at least we have some exposure of Republican perfidy.

What does the real presidential power think? You know, Sen. Joe Lieberman. Has he told us how the world is shaped yet?

Obama mentioned that there will be support civilians also going to Kabul, but do we know how many and of what kind?

One thing that does seem to advance the ball from the Bush Administration is a clear committment by us to withdraw on some timeline from both Iraq and Afghanistan, I’m just not sure that the getting out part is as clear as the getting in deeper part.

I know this: when the enemy is stateless, attacking any nation is just an illusion. Somehow, the warlords in Waziristan, the Northwest Territories of Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen and other “failed” states, all have to get the idea that it’s a bad idea to let Al Qaeda have a place to rest their heads. I don’t think it takes 100,000 Marines to get that idea across, but we seem too stupid and clumsy to figure that out.

Colbert seems similarly confused:

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Thanksgiving Day, 2009

Blogblah

Blogblah

Happy Thanksgiving Day.

My holiday wish for you is that this holiday becomes just one more day of giving thanks, that you find a way to be thankful every single day for the family and friends in your life, for your health, for the material abundance in your life.

If you are reading this, it’s likely that you own a computer and that you are in a warm and safe place. Think about that! Think of the millions upon millions in this world with no shelter, no electricity, no computer, no nothing. If you’re reading this, you are very likely blessed every single day of the year, not just the last week of November.

This year, I’ve been engaged in a gratitude project. Every morning, I write a list of at least two dozen things that make me grateful. I’m alive, I’m sober, I’m healthy, I have a home and a car, I have family that loves me, friends that comfort and delight me. Some days, I can’t stop at 24 and just keep going. One day, I found 100 things in my life for which I could express heartfelt gratitude. I actually believe the list could be endless. Yes, I think I am just that blessed. For one thing, there are far more than 100 people who have blessed me by being in my life, including high school teachers who inspired me and law school professors who disciplined my intellect. I’ve had mentors in at least three professions. I’m one lucky guy.

Sometimes, I feel sorry for myself. I’m on the number one hit parade of pity party givers (or takers, as you like it). I can get really down. Oh, boo hoo, John. Things didn’t go your way. Someone said something you didn’t like. Your little feelers got hurt. I think I’ll just crawl off and eat worms and die.

Sometimes, I get taken over by envy. Who wants a Mid-Life Chrysler convertible when someone else has a nifty Ferrari?

When I get to feeling sorry for myself, I’ve found a great way to battle that feeling. I just remind myself that the starving children of Darfur are gathering in a prayer circle to express their dismay at how life’s treating me. The image makes me feel a little ridiculous.

May you feel deeply blessed this day and every day. Happy Thanksgiving!

Blogblah

November 19, 2009 Part II updated

shut up, he explained

shut up, he explained


A majority of Republicans do not believe that Obama was the legitimate winner of the 2008 presidential election; they believe ACORN stole the election for him — which would mean there were 9.5 million illegitimate votes for Obama, an election fraud that is incomprehensible.
Here is the poll by Public Policy Polling.
Only very few Democrats and Independents think ACORN was much of a factor and this view is held by about 26% of all Americans but 56% of Republicans.
Flabbergasting. I’m nonplussed. Here’s some analysis by TPM since I’m too gobsmacked to really go into it.

UPDATE: The right wingnut Hoffman in NY-23 who shouldered the GOP candidate aside and then lost to U.S. Rep. B. Owens (D-NY) now wants to “un-concede” the election because, of course, ACORN stole his election. At least that’s what he tells Glen Beck.

November 17, 2009

Self Portrait by J. Aristides

Self Portrait by J. Aristides


I spent the past weekend at Quartz Mountain Lodge, sitting as a portrait model for classes presented by Juliette Aristides, a Seattle painter.
Ms. Aristides was the guest of Oklahoma Arts Institute and this weekend was the fall session attended by teachers from across the state.
An example of Katherine Liontas-Warren's work

An example of Katherine Liontas-Warren's work


Ms. Aristides was ably assisted by Cameron College’s Katherine Liontas-Warren, Faculty Hall of Famer and wonderful painter.
The institute was four days — Thursday through Sunday — and I was treated as a prince by Emily Clinton, director of programs, and her cohorts. It was a completely wonderful experience.
The artists kept telling me my face is “sculptural”. I was hoping they meant that I have chiseled features, but I have a sneaking hunch they meant “deeply lined with wrinkles, you old fart.”
There were more than a dozen artists who did tonal portraits with only black, white and gray as well as follow up formal portraits in colored oils. Not many matched and all were (as one might expect) individual interpretations of my face — some brooding and some hopeful and others bored. In some I have a square chin, others show me with narrowed eyes, and, depending on their vantage point as I sat, full face to full profile.
These were teachers from Stillwater, Tulsa, small towns and, of course, the Oklahoma City metro area. I met and interacted with a lot of interesting people.
There were also classes in folk dancing, creative writing, digital photography and printmaking and those participants mixed freely with me and the painters.
I will say that every evening I looked forward to an hour or so in the hot tub to soothe my aching back.
On one evening drive through the park, just as the sun was setting, I saw six deer in the space of a mile. There were armadillo and skunk on the grounds, fully unawed by the presence of humans — it was your job to get out of their way.
The lake was way down, but still lovely, and it is always a surprise to come through flat western Oklahoma and arrive at a place of towering granite outcroppings and pin oaks. The lodge is about 9 miles south from Lone Wolf or, if you prefer, about halfway between Hobart and Altus. For those of you out of state, about an hour’s drive south to the Red River and about an hour’s drive west to the Texas Panhandle in far southwest Oklahoma. I’m thinking Greer County, but on the border of Kiowa County.