Boy Scouts dry up like raisins in the sun while waiting for no-show Pres. Bush

Bad news continue to follow the Boy Scouts of America as hundreds of patriotic boys wait in vain for a President who never showed up. As a reward, many received IV drips and visits to area hospitals:

Jul 28, 2005
Boy Scouts Recovering From Intense Heat
By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM Associated Press Writer

BOWLING GREEN, Va. (AP) -- The Boy Scouts marched onto the field singing, plopping down in the grass to wait for President Bush. But hours later, the news that Bush couldn't make it was drowned out by sirens and shouts as hundreds fell ill because of the blistering heat. About 300 people, most of them Scouts, suffered from dehydration, fatigue and lightheadedness Wednesday - just days after four Scout leaders were killed at the national Jamboree while pitching a tent beneath a power line. Temperatures at Fort A.P. Hill, an Army base where the 10-day event is being held, reached the upper 90s and were intensified by high humidity... Half of the 300 who fell ill were treated and released from the fort's hospital. Dozens more were sent to surrounding hospitals, where they were in stable condition Wednesday night, Jamboree spokesman Gregg Shields said. The more than 40,000 Scouts, volunteers, and leaders attending the event had been standing in the sun about three hours when word came that severe thunderstorms and high winds were forcing the president to postpone his appearance until Thursday. Bush's spokesman said Thursday that the visit would instead happen Sunday, at the Scouts' request.

I find it somewhat sad that a military base and a quasi-military group of men and boys trained in wilderness survival failed to understand the effects of heat and humidity while waiting in an open field. I dare say that some should turn in their badges... Meanwhile, Pres. Bush sat safely in his air conditioned office and waited for instructions from Karl Rove.

Independent Commission to Pres. Bush: You f**ked up in Iraq, dude!

Two former national security advisers helped determine that Pres. Bush totally screwed up after defeating the Iraqi Army by not planning for the post-war aftermath. Did we all really believe that the Iraqis were going to break pita and smoke hooka with us so readily?


Jul 27, 2005
Panel: Bush Was Unready for Postwar Iraq
By BARRY SCHWEID AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- An independent panel headed by two former U.S. national security advisers said Wednesday that chaos in Iraq was due in part to inadequate postwar planning. Planning for reconstruction should match the serious planning that goes into making war, said the panel headed by Samuel Berger and Brent Scowcroft. Berger was national security adviser to Democratic President Clinton. Scowcroft held the same post under Republican Presidents Ford and George H.W. Bush but has been critical of the current president's Iraq and Mideast policies. "A dramatic military victory has been overshadowed by chaos and bloodshed in the streets of Baghdad, difficulty in establishing security or providing essential services, and a deadly insurgency," the report said. "The costs, human, military and economic, are high and continue to mount," said the report, which was sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent foreign policy group.

Two years after a stunning three-week march on Baghdad, U.S. and Iraqi military forces have been unable to secure and rebuild the country, and reconstruction has fallen victim to a lack of security, the report said. The White House has reacted to similar criticism in the past by saying there was significant postwar planning. In a speech last month to soldiers at Fort Bragg, N.C., President Bush pointed to the Iraqi elections and efforts to improve roads, schools and basic services. "Rebuilding a country after three decades of tyranny is hard, and rebuilding while at war is even harder. Our progress has been uneven, but progress is being made." The report said the critical miscalculation of Iraq war-planning was the conclusion that reconstruction would not require more troops than the invasion itself. Not only are more troops needed but they should be trained for postwar duty, the task force said. In Iraq, the task force said, postwar requirements did not get enough attention, and there were misjudgments, as well. This, the report said, "left the United States ill-equipped to address public security, governance and economic demands" after the war. And this, in turn, undermined U.S. foreign policy and gave an early push to the insurgency in Iraq, the task force said. In Afghanistan, as well as Iraq, the report said, the postwar period has been marked by inefficient operations and billions of dollars of wasted resources.

How many troops could have been saved if the planning had been better? The only winner in the endgame is Halliburton. Woohoo! Unless you were one of their kidnapped, murdered, or maimed truck drivers... Really, if improvements have been significant in Iraq, maybe Pres. Bush should recommend sending his daughters to visit the streets of Baghdad and troll for clubs.

Aaaiiieeee! The Lord of the Rings Muscial - in Canada!

While tooling around the internet, I came across this either terrific or terrible undertaking:

Precious News! Tony Award Winner Will Play Gandalf in Lord of the Rings Musical; Cast Announced
By Kenneth Jones (25 Jul 2005)

Brent Carver, who won a Tony Award for playing Molina in the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, will be wizened wizard Gandalf in the new 2006 musical, The Lord of the Rings, the producers announced July 25.
The world premiere musical condensation of the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy trilogy will have a cast of 55 at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre. Performances begin Feb. 2, 2006. "Having auditioned 4,000 actors over four months across Canada, followed by in-depth recall auditions with 350," the creative team — led by director Matthew Warchus and producer Kevin Wallace — announced a cast drawn from across Canada and the United Kingdom. Carver is a Canadian theatre star and a veteran of the Stratford Festival and many resident theatres there. Director Matthew Warchus said, "Following two years of design, script and music pre-production, arriving at a cast is a thrilling and auspicious moment. I am particularly proud of the huge diversity of skill in the company. Wonderful, experienced actors will be working alongside acrobats, stilt-walkers and outstanding singers, all pooling their talents to bring this magical story alive on the stage. Given the size of the show, this is bound to be the most grueling production process any of us has been through, but when I look at this company, I am eager to begin!" Frodo, the Hobbit ring-bearer, will be played by young British actor James Loye; Gollum will be played by Michael Therriault, a Stratford veteran and recent Leo of the Canadian staging of The Producers (he's currently in Broadway's Fiddler on the Roof); Evan Buliung will play Aragorn, the king-in-waiting; wizard Saruman, the leader of the White Council corrupted by his lust for the Ring, will be played by Richard McMillan (Scar in the Canadian Premiere production of Disney's The Lion King); Peter Howe is Sam, Frodo's faithful friend (Howe was discovered by LOTR creative team in London after he wrote to the London production office requesting an audition; this marks his professional stage debut); Canadian Dylan Roberts is Merry and Irishman Owen Sharpe is Pippin; Gabriel Burrafato (of the recent Hal Prince-supervised Evita tour) is Legolas; Dion Johnstone is Boromir; Carly Street is Arwen; Victor A. Young will play Elrond; Kerry Dorey is Théoden and Kristin Galer plays Rosie.

Next up: Fantastic Four Riverdance?

I'm gonna go with my feelings and try to go up there and see it, just to behold the spectacle and wonder of all the costumes. How long will this musical be, I wonder? Nine, ten days? I have my fingers crossed...

Good and Bad Muslims and Christian America

As a Buddhist, I am not the enemy of Islamist extremists. As an American living in a major Eastern seaboard city where the symbols of capitalism were brought down by planes, I have a terrible feeling that they may not be content with the destruction they had delivered nearly four years ago and that I might find myself caught within the range of a suicide bomber's payload. All I can hope for is that the police and the Feds will catch them before they strike, or that "Good Muslims" will turn in the "Bad Muslims."

What is a "Good Muslim," anyway? Is it someone who loves America? Is he a law abiding citizen? Does he tolerate the evil acts of other extreme Muslims because he feels that America needs a good spanking every once in a while? Do they only live here long enough until they make enough money and then hope to return one day to some other land? Are they the hard working cops, doctors, lawyers and social workers who give their very best to help save the lives of other equally hard-working Americans? And most importantly, do they know any "Bad Muslims" hiding around the corner or purchsing fertilizers and electrical wires?

And if there is such a thing as a "Good Muslim" and a "Bad Muslim," are there not "Good Christians" and "Bad Christians" as well? And how can we tell them apart as well if we cannot do the same with the Muslims in our midst? Is Karl Rove a "Bad Christian" for making up lies about other Democrats who are also Christians? What about Pres. Bush? When he cuts benefits to poor Americans, is he a "Bad Christian?"

American politics is Christian based. Although there are Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist lawmakers, one must conclude that all the minority religious representatives together cannot match the Christian base. And it is among the Christian base that we must also be alert for "Bad Christians," those proverbial "wolves in sheep's clothing" who seek to expand their own power at the expense of poorer, weaker and/or easily manipulated "Good Christians." When will these "Good Christians" turn against their evil counterparts?

The sad part about life is that Evil is strong, devious, and ordinary in appearance. Good people find it difficult to believe that their leaders can take advantage of them and lead them to war, to commit heinous acts that, on the surface, should protect our freedoms but actually turn us into the very brutes and facists we seek to destroy. Evil knows that time is on its side because once a terrible act is committed, the tragedy can rarely, if ever, be stopped or overturned.

So I guess I'd like to really demonize Muslims, all of them, for the pain and suffering that the radicals have inflicted. But Christian America needs to apply the same focus and attention on its own demagogues and preachers who feast on their own flock...

These are Republicans I can learn to like: ex-CIA officers condemning Rove leak

I know that I often bash our Republican President, but it isn't done without good reason! I do like some Republicans: Senators John McCain & Arlen Specter, Mayor Mike Bloomberg (technically, he was a Democrat who ran on the Republican ticket and operates as an Independent), Justice Sandra Day O'Connor... but now, I can add some ex-CIA officers who had the decency to speak up and scold the powers that be:

WASHINGTON - (By DONNA DE LA CRUZ, Associated Press Writer)
Former U.S. intelligence officers criticized President Bush' on Friday for not disciplining Karl Rove in connection with the leak of the name of a CIA officer, saying Bush's lack of action has jeopardized national security. In a hearing held by Senate and House Democrats examining the implications of exposing Valerie Plame's identity, the former intelligence officers said Bush's silence has hampered efforts to recruit informants to help the United States fight the war on terror. Federal law forbids government officials from revealing the identity of an undercover intelligence officer. "I wouldn't be here this morning if President Bush had done the one thing required of him as commander in chief — protect and defend the Constitution," said Larry Johnson, a former CIA analyst. "The minute that Valerie Plame's identity was outed, he should have delivered a strict and strong message to his employees." Rove, Bush's deputy chief of staff, told Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper in a 2003 phone call that former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson's wife worked for the CIA on weapons of mass destruction issues, according to an account by Cooper in the magazine. Rove has not disputed that he told Cooper that Wilson's wife worked for the agency, but has said through his lawyer that he did not mention her by name. In July 2003, Robert Novak, citing unnamed administration officials, identified Plame by name in his syndicated column and wrote that she worked for the CIA. The column has led to a federal criminal investigation into who leaked Plame's undercover identity. New York Times reporter Judith Miller — who never wrote a story about Plame — has been jailed for refusing to testify. Bush said last week, "I think it's best that people wait until the investigation is complete before you jump to conclusions. And I will do so, as well." Diana Perino, a White House spokesman, said Friday that the administration would have no comment on the investigation while it was continuing. Patrick Lang, a retired Army colonel and defense intelligence officer, said Bush's silence sends a bad signal to foreigners who might be thinking of cooperating with the U.S. on intelligence matters. "This says to them that if you decide to cooperate, someone will give you up, so you don't do it," Lang said. "They are not going to trust you in any way." Johnson, who said he is a registered Republican, said he wished a GOP lawmaker would have the courage to stand up and "call the ugly dog the ugly dog." "Where are these men and women with any integrity to speak out against this?" Johnson asked. "I expect better behavior out of Republicans."


Will real Republicans with real patriotic values stand up? I bet you Stupid Republican Stepford Drones Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin won't dare say anything bad or stupid about these men...

Sci-Fi News pilfered from SciFi.com!

I was reading through SciFi.com's recent news and found a few tidbits that might excite or incite us sci-fi fans:

To celebrate the life of James Doohan, who died July 20, Spike TV will preempt its normal Friday prime-time lineup to present a two-hour block of Star Trek episodes featuring Doohan as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott.

I hope one of them is the The Trouble with Tribbles episode, in which Scotty and the gang rough house with the Klingons and try to rip off their fake beards.

Batman Begins screenwriter David S. Goyer told SCI FI Wire that he's producing an hour-long television series based on his Blade movies for Spike TV, to begin airing next June. "We're doing a Blade TV show," Goyer said in an interview at CBS' fall press preview in Beverly Hills, Calif., where he was promoting his upcoming SF series Threshold. "I'm co-writing the pilot with [comic writer] Geoff Johns, and it's going to be Spike's first dramatic show, and it's going to air next June."

I think it could be quite a revolutionary show - a black, supernatural character who is on the side of good! Because let's be honest, there aren't too many minorities starring in sci-fi/fantasy shows as it is, unless they're evil or cannon-fodder. Rule: Mr. Trick, Black Vampire in Buffy: TVS; the two Black and one Asian Slayers who were killed off in Buffy: TVS; Exceptions: Gunn, in Angel, Benjamin Sisco in Deep Space 9 and that Black Egyptian Stargate dude in Stargate SG:1.

Ray Liotta, Will Sanderson, Brian J. White and Eva Padberg have joined the cast of director Uwe Boll's upcoming video-game sword-and-sorcery movie Dungeon Siege, producer Shawn Williamson of Brightlight Pictures announced. Based on the popular video game of the same name, Dungeon Siege follows the hard life of lowly Farmer on a mission to save his wife and child. An unspeakably evil army, led by Gallian (Liotta), rampages across the land, destroying everything in its path, with the aim of conquering the Castle Ehb and vanquishing the King himself.

I've never played the game, but do we really need another movie based on a RPG? I saw Dungeons & Dragons and almost had to choke on my own bile. And the plot seems so pale and pointless next to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

"Die? He's dead already..." Farewell, James Doohan...

I read this afternoon that the actor who played Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott on Star Trek passed away this morning at his home. I had a chance to meet him one rainy Saturday morning long ago when my dad drove me into NYC at a video store where he was signing autographs. There weren't too many people in line, so I only had to wait a few minutes after purchasing a random Star Trek episode on VHS that had a picture of him on the cover. I ripped off the plastic and handed him the cover when I got to him. He was quite cheerful and signed it with a silver marker. I then asked him a pretty corny question that only a geek kid would ask: "Gee, Mr. Doohan, how did you get to be so good at accents?" He replied: "I practice a lot." He returned the tape and I went back out into the grey, wet city, pretty proud of myself for having met a legend.

The legend got older, fatter, and more susceptible to parody by cruel, cruel satirists (does anyone recall The Simpsons' spoof of Star Trek where Scotty is drawn so huge that his bulging stomach prevents his short arms from reaching the control panel? Or Star Trek V, the scene where he knocks himself out by walking into a bulkhead immediately after saying that he knew the ship like the back of his hand?). And I admit, his star kind of dimmed in my eyes. But then he helped to save the Enterprise-B in Star Trek: Generations and reminded us all that he was the one and only Chief Engineer of all sci-fi dom.

Looking back on the episodes, I guess I really did enjoy him best when his character was drunk, carousing, and cutting loose with a jug of space ale. We'll never see a fun loving Scotsman like that anymore. Cue the bagpipes...

The Empire Strikes Back ... in stereo...

My brother-in-law sent me the following link to a pretty fantastic item on sale through Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5789263206&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Once you've seen the picture and read the story, you must ask yourself the following question: how incredibly ingenous and dorky is it? I salute you, anonymous Englishman!

Abbott & Costello in: Who's Leaking Whom?

(With apologies to Bud Abbott & Lou Costello - a parody)

Abbott: Boy, have I got a great scandal.
Costello: Scandal? Do tell.
Abbott: Reporters and government officials.
Costello: Leaks? We're talking about leaks, right?
Abbott: Of course. And it's about who leaked the name of a CIA agent to whom.
Costello: Who?
Abbott: Karl Rove.
Costello: Rove leaked first?
Abbott: Rove leaked to Matt Cooper.
Costello: Who got it from Rove.
Abbott: Rove got it from Bob Novak.
Costello: Who gave it to Novak?
Abbott: Two other sources.
Costello: But not Rove?
Abbott: Rove already knew when Novak told him.
Costello: So Novak didn't leak it first?
Abbott: It was leaked already to Rove by an unknown reporter.
Costello: So Rove didn't leak anything?
Abbott: He leaked to Cooper.
Costello: Who got in trouble.
Abbott: Rove didn't get in trouble. Cooper did.
Costello: Who reported the story.
Abbott: And Novak.
Costello: So Novak got in trouble, too.
Abbott: No. Cooper.
Costello: But he reported it.
Abbott: Absolutely.
Costello: Novak did.
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: But Cooper only reported what was leaked to Rove, who already knew ahead of time before Novak told him, who was told by two other sources. But only Cooper got in trouble?
Abbott: He's out of trouble now. Only Judith Miller is in trouble. She's a reporter too.
Costello: And who leaked to her?
Abbott: Government sources. But she never published anything. And she didn't reveal the names of the sources.
Costello: What about Cooper?
Abbott: Cooper published but then told the grand jury who told him.
Costello: Who was Rove.
Abbott: But Rove didn't leak because he didn't mention the agent's name. Only that she was married to someone else named in Cooper's article.
Costello: So who leaked?
Abbott: Exactly. Now you're getting it.
Costello: Hey, Abbott! This is confusing! Miller, who didn't publish anything, is in jail. Novak and Cooper, who both published, are not. Rove, who confirmed what he heard from another reporter whose name we don't know, still works for the President.
Abbott: And we still don't know who the other government sources are.
Costello: But Novak knows.
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: And Rove knows who told him first before Novak.
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: But they're not saying.
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: What does the White House say?
Abbott: Nothing.
Costello: Why?
Abbott: Because they don't want to leak anything.
Costello: You're killing me!

Karl Rove pees on America's leg and calls it rain. Conservatives begin lathering up...

(Excerpted from "Happy Conservative Times for Conservatives"- July 14, 2005)
Across the nation, conservative columnists and reporters have supported Karl Rove's assertions that he only informed Matthew Cooper of Time, Inc. of the CIA agent's name in order to steer Mr. Cooper away from printing a false story. Really, we must all stand and clap our hands in unison to recognize such chivalry in this age of ungentlemanly politics. It has not been determined yet by the independent (hee hee!) prosecutor if Mr. Rove has committed a crime or not, but we can hear the liberals and their Democratic ilk bay at the window like wild dogs lusting for our wonderful Mr. Rove's fleshy neck. What? Dare not they await the results of the independent (really!) prosecutor's report? After all, isn't that what fairness and democracy is all about? And don't we live in a land where those who break the law are innocent until proven guilty (in Guantanamo Bay, for instance, prisoners awaiting debriefings enjoy cucumber sandwiches during high tea and read Proust while snacking on those sublime madeleines. We think those liberals are much too unfair in calling the camp a hellhole... why, those bags over their heads are to help our visitors avoid sunburn!)?

After all, even Fox News, the great neutral Switzerland of news service, supports Mr. Rove. John Gibson, that terrific talking head who puts Edward R. Murrow's reporting to shame every single day, even advocated giving Mr. Rove a medal! A medal for helping a misguided reporter from discrediting his name... And our own President Bush continues to have confidence in his man. Why, if someone as intelligent, remarkable and wise as our President, whose principles are celestial planes higher than Aristotle's, can trust Mr. Rove at his word that he did nothing wrong, then we must fall in line and never, never question our great leader's wisdom.

On an unrelated matter, FEMA will be coming to every community to begin lobotomies for free! What advanced and merciful medical service this country provides for all its liberals and Democrats alike!

All hail the wonderous President and the sweet pearls of truth from Mr. Karl Rove's lips!

All hail!

karl rove

Karl Rove: Kingmaker, Deep Throat or Turd Blossom*?

In recent days, Pres. Bush has refused to come out and make good on his promise to punish anyone, whom we will call Mr. Karl Rove, in his administration for leaking information about the identity of a CIA agent to reporters. The steely leader of a country under seige by terrorists will do nothing to shore up homeland security by firing an individual, whom we will call Mr. Karl Rove, responsible for revealing secret information that could have compromised any number of operations underway. In this country, it seems, if you are a political adviser, like Mr. Karl Rove, to the President, nothing will happen to you.

Who is Karl Rove? Here's a brief biography of this modern day Deep Throat...

* Architect of modern Republican attack politics. Has actually been annointed as "The Architect" by Pres. Bush himself. Very good at installing puppet Presidents. May also be responsible for the current Matrix reality in which we live.

* Multiple college drop-out. Attended three universities without getting a degree. And yet he has ascended to become Bush's Deputy Chief of Staff. Yes! He is a shining example of the success of the federal Leave No Child Behind Act.

* Clients have included John Ashcroft, Arnold Schwartzenegger, and the Moderate Party of Sweden. Oh, the Swedes! How strong is the Dark Side must be! Damn you, Sith Lord... Damn you to Hell!!!

* Born in 1950, he would have been between the ages of 18 and 25 during the height of the Vietnam War. Rather than enlisting in the military to fight the Communists and all those who threaten American security, he gained experience in running political campaigns. He struck a strong blow against America's enemies recently by attacking liberals in a recent speech about the September 11th, 2001 terrorist strike. His aim was only slightly off. It was Arab extremists who hijacked the planes and killed over 2700 people.

* Did you know that he is a Norwegian-American? As a proud member of that Viking community, he is rumoured to sacrifice little babies to the God of Mischief, Loki, as he prepares mankind for the apocalypse known, to the believers of the old Norse ways, as Ragnarok. Thankfully, the Ghostbusters are already on the case and will soon entrap Rove with their plasma guns...

(* Turd Blossom: Amazingly enough, this is one of Pres. Bush's pet name for Karl Rove. True story!)

Fantastic Four: Awful reviews, but should I still go see it?

I opened the paper on Monday to look at the movie listing and noticed that the local rag only gave Fantastic Four 1.5 stars. This is the same paper that gave Batman Begins 3 stars, a movie that I liked a lot. So I did a little more research and went on-line to www.rottentomatoes.com to see what the average review score was like: 4.6 out of a possible 10. Definitely mediocre. If you read some of the highlighted responses, you would think the movie did even worse:

"So much...is bungled with inept storytelling and watered-down dialogue, and Story is so powerless to right the course, that Fantastic Four winds up more dopey than fun."-- Peter Canavese, GROUCHO REVIEWS

"This new adaptation is sorely lacking in nearly everything that made FF such a blast. It's poorly acted, written and directed."-- Rick Curnutte, THEFILMJOURNAL.COM (OHIO)

"An overinflated B-movie with no grace, no subtext, no wit, and featuring beefcake/cheesecake actors who look like they've been plucked from the soaps."-- David Edelstein, SLATE

Compared with the psychological probing and spiritual brooding of Batman Begins, Fantastic Four is proudly dumb, loud and inconsequential.--A.O. Scott, New York Times

As a kid, I didn't really collect FF so I'm not as emotionally attached to the film's success or failure as I would have been to Batman and Spiderman. Still, it would have been cool if FF did get better reviews. Of course, I also ignored poor reviews for The Punisher and rented it as part of our Netflix pick. Sadly, I should have heeded the advice, even if I hadn't paid full price for it. I felt like I had wasted a whole evening...

I'm leaning towards waiting for it on Netflix.

Willie Nelson to sing reggae, but he wanna go home when daylight come

I've always enjoyed Willie Nelson's reedy voice but I hadn't bought any of his albums until recently when I got a best-of CD after listening to the Pet Shop Boys' dancetronic rendition of "Always on my mind." I might just decide to buy his new album once it comes out...

Jul 10, 2005 Willie Nelson to Release Reggae Album
By JOHN GEROME Associated Press Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Willie Nelson is so prolific that sometimes even he forgets he has another record coming out. At a recent show here with Bob Dylan, Nelson performed a long list of hits, but not a single song from his new long-awaited reggae album. "I keep forgetting," Nelson said a few days later by telephone from the road, which he's called home for most of the last 30 years. "The set is so short." Nelson is indeed releasing a new reggae album, "Countryman," out Tuesday, and, at least sporadically, he's been working some of the songs into his shows. He began work on the album in 1995 for Island Records, but the project was shelved after Universal bought Polygram, and Island founder Chris Blackwell left the company. It languished until Nelson moved to Lost Highway Records. Produced by Don Was, who's worked with the Rolling Stones and Bonnie Raitt among others, the album includes reggae versions of Nelson songs such as "Darkness On the Face of the Earth" and "One in a Row." There also are covers of Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come" and "Sitting in Limbo," and a song called "I'm a Worried Man" by Johnny and June Carter Cash that Nelson recorded as a duet with Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals. "When he (Cash) found out I was doing a reggae album, he said, 'Hey, I've got a reggae song that I wrote when I lived there,'" Nelson recalled. "Toots heard it and liked it." That Nelson's country songs stand up so well to reggae's offbeat syncopation and upstroke guitar strums is a testament to their durability. Nelson said he recorded them about 10 years ago in Los Angeles with Jamaican musicians, including some from the late reggae star Peter Tosh's band. "The musicians told me that reggae was invented really by listening to country music coming from the United States. They put their own rhythms to those tunes," he said... At 72, Nelson continues to record and perform at a breakneck pace. He believes his best record is still ahead of him. "I feel like we're doing one now that's going to be better than anything else we've ever done," he said.

On an unrelated note, Cylon muscians on break from their relentless pursuit of the Battlestar Galactica jammed to a sellout crowd of naked Lt. Sharon Valerii robot clones on occupied-Caprica. Sets included New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle," U2's "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" and The Beatles' "Love Me Do."

New York City, Madrid, and now London...

It was with great shock when my wife and I learned about the London Underground and bus attacks yesterday morning. After the shock wore off, there came upon me a feeling of wretched disgust and pity for the victims, and an unholy yearning for the worst kind of torture and suffering for the perpetrators of such a heinous butchering of innoncent lives. I am also angry at the United States for having wasted so much of its resources fighting in Iraq when those same billions of dollars could have been invested in tracking down the Al-Queda network that brought down the World Trade Center. If I could send forth a murderous spirit to do my bidding, I would most like to inflict a terrible agony not only upon those terrorists responsible for the attack, but also upon their very souls. In some place beyond death, they should have pieces of their eternal spirit torn and healed again so that they can be ripped apart again.

I can understand their political aim, but I refuse to accept that innocent lives must be part of their bargain. As the Israelis did in tracking down the killers of their 1972 Olympic athletes without rest or distraction, so too must the West bring down unmerciful justice upon the fundamentalist Islamists. If only America could be better at it...

Death be not proud...be campy!

A recently deceased sports fan was viewed in a somewhat unique way at the local funeral home:

Jul 6, 2005
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- James Henry Smith was a zealous Pittsburgh Steelers fan in life, and even death could not keep him from his favorite spot: in a recliner, in front of a TV showing his beloved team in action. Smith, 55, of Pittsburgh, died of prostate cancer Thursday. Because his death wasn't unexpected, his family was able to plan for an unusual viewing Tuesday night. The Samuel E. Coston Funeral Home erected a small stage in a viewing room, and arranged furniture on it much as it was in Smith's home on game day Sundays. Smith's body was on the recliner, his feet crossed and a remote in his hand. He wore black and gold silk pajamas, slippers and a robe. A pack of cigarettes and a beer were at his side, while a high-definition TV played a continuous loop of Steelers highlights. "I couldn't stop crying after looking at the Steeler blanket in his lap," said his sister, MaryAnn Nails, 58. "He loved football and nobody did (anything) until the game went off. It was just like he was at home." Longtime friend Mary Jones called the viewing "a celebration.""I saw it and I couldn't even cry," she said. "People will see him the way he was." Smith's burial plans were more traditional - he'll be laid to rest in a casket.

I think it's terrific, actually, that the family and the funeral home were able to honor his devotion, laziness and chain smoking by replicating a typical Sunday afternoon wasted in front of the television. One can imagine a variety of ways that other important, more accomplished folks will be remembered...

* Star Wars creator George Lucas dressed in Jedi robes with a lightsaber velcroed in hand, propped up and facing off against an equally inanimate mannequin of Darth Vader?

* Beloved Microsoft founder Bill Gates sitting in front of a computer screen, his finger resting on top of a mouse, as flying toasters float by reflecting off his glasses?

* The talented Yo-Yo-Ma sitting upright in a chair while "playing" his cello? We could attach a lever to his elbow that would move the bow string in his hand across the instrument...

Pres. Bush and the case of the missing "political capital"

When Pres. Bush was re-elected in 2004, he famously asserted that (after waiting four long years for legitimacy from the voters themselves...) he would spend "political capital" that he had just earned to push his agenda through Congress. Republicans leapt for joy and patted one another's ass in a heterosexual sort of way while Democrats sulked and wondered how they got themselves bullied again into the deep part of the mudbank. All seemed to go the President's way...

Today, there is no sign that he has any "political capital" with which to use. Or if he has, he has mysteriously chosen not to use any. What is he waiting for, Tom Cruise to teach him the history of the Presidency? Here's the scorecard so far from Capitol Hill:

1. Failed attempt to confirm John Bolton as U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.
2. Democrats standing firm as a minority and using the filibuster to stall judicial nominations in the Senate.
3. Falling public support for the war in Iraq.
4. Inability to persuade Americans to buy into his Social Security plan for "private accounts."
5. Right-wing conservatives threatening to abandon him should he nominate his Attorney General, Alberto Gonzalez, to be the next Supreme Court Justice because he is not pro-life enough.

Either he has the chips or he doesn't. And it doesn't collect interest while sitting in any bank that I know of.

Today means there's less than five months left to Christmas...

Where did all the time go? I remember winter quite vividly because my car had been snowed in several times. Despite heroic efforts to clear the car, the snowplow would inevitably trap the snow once again against the tires and under the bumper. Then Spring sort of came. It was very cold, then incredibly hot and humid. Summer slipped in somehow unnoticed and now it's already July. But there's so much more to do before one has to hit the malls and stand on line to pay for the gifts! What can one do, you ask, with all the time left? Glad you asked:

1. Ride the Staten Island ferry. I think one gets the best view of lower Manhattan. And as one returns to the island from Staten Island, one might envision just what the early immigrants must have imagined (which, I admit, might be hard to do, what with all the skyscrapers rising above their graves).
2. Go to a ballgame. Which we did last weekend when we went to see the Mets' Single A league team, the Cyclones. The players are all so young and I am so, so terribly old.
3. Catch another comic book movie. This means we're game for Fantastic 4. I was never a big fan of the comic itself, but who doesn't want to see a big fight on the Brooklyn Bridge? It'd be real cool if Spiderman, X-men and the Fantastic Four all got to be in the same movie. My dollar would be one Spiderman to whip them all.
4. Read some more in my backyard. With the grass cut and the weeds removed, our little backyard is finally idyllic (as can be in a city) and clean enough to enjoy. I don't like reading inside as much. Too much noise from someone watching t.v...
5. Try to get a game night going again with some friends. Last year, we used to host game night more often. Friends would come over and we'd play whatever was around. Cards, board games, DVD trivia games. Now everyone's working too hard and time is short and booked. I'd really like to try playing cards again with folks...
6. Cross off people from my X-mas list. Or at least reduce the number of gifts to give to loved ones. We are way too generous. Time to be on alert for perceived slights and annoying behaviors.

July Fourth Weekend - Final Score

Looking back on my weekend wish list, I'd like to think that I was able to fulfill a majority of it:

1. Saw Batman Begins. I thought the casting was perfect, Bruce Wayne's character development just the way it ought to be have been four movies ago, and the action as close to being like what it is in the comics. I did cry just a little when his parents died in front of him. It was very tragic...
2. Played cards with my wife. Rummy 500. I think she beat me 525 to 185. Give or take a few points.
3. Got to choose to see The Empire Strikes Back on DVD. She did control most of the t.v. time, but it wasn't too bad... Having not seen Empire in a few years, I have to say that I much prefer puppet Yoda to CGI Yoda. Somehow, Frank Oz made him so much more lifelike than computer animation ever did in the Episodes I, II, and III. Especially when puppet Yoda sighed whenever Luke failed to try hard enough. I could imagine Yoda resisting the urge to smack him in the head...
4. Advanced a few more books in The Iliad. I didn't get to finish it but did anyone notice how bloody the saga was? How'd it get through high school decency standards?

I am finishing this blog in Little Baghdad, otherwise known as the little block on which I live because half way down the block, there is an Italian family that is shooting off several hundred pounds of fireworks. We are being bombarded with explosions, sulfur, and Frank Sinatra. The police have come down the block but once they leave, the assault renews itself. They have a huge American flag waving from their porch. In the past, they have posted pro-American and anti-French slogans. I don't think they see the irony of their firework display. It is my hope that a stray spark lights up the rest of their gunpowder and demolishes their home.

July Fourth Weekend Wish (Do?) List update

Okay, I can now cross off tile work. This morning, I drove my mother-in-law around and found a store that had a tile she liked. While she selected, I was forced to circle block after block in search of parking. Damn this city! Curse alternate side of the street parking and all the fire hydrants... Afterwards, we drove to Home Depot and Lowe's to find another piece for her kitchen project: a ceiling light. That done, I dropped her back at her home and I was finally able to relax somewhat at my own home, watching two episodes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I had toyed with the idea of watching LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring, but I didn't have enough time: had to make dinner and finish up some other chores.

So with three days left on my break, I plan to sleep in tomorrow and make waffles in the morning. Yup. Then we'll go to help my mother-in-law with some more kitchen work. Pretty exciting stuff. If my wife takes a nap, perhaps I'll slip in a movie that I want to watch in the afternoon...

I wish we were going to have a more interesting summer to report. Last year, we went to Cape Cod with some friends. I miss the beaches, strangely enough. I'd never liked them but I grew to enjoy the sand, the mind numbingly cold Atlantic waters, and just the breeze that comes in from the waters. I could just lose myself watching the colors change over the horizon. We won't be going back there this year, unfortunately. Maybe next year...