Wednesday, November 26, 2008

So, whaddya think?

Iowa pair arrested for illicit coupling
in bathroom handicapped stall
during boring football game.

So whaddya think? Bush is negotiating an agreement with Iraq having to do with the continued presence of American troops in that unfortunate land. This agreement has to be approved by the Iraqi Congress, but not by our own Congress. Not only that, the agreement has not been translated into English so we do not know precisely what it says. The Bush people do not want it translated until after the Iraqis vote for it (if then?). This agreement would presumably be binding upon the incoming Obama administration although they, too, have no say in what it will stipulate. No one seems to be entirely clear if this is actually legal. Does Bush care? Apparently not. Does anyone else care? It is not clear. Is this something an honest, reasonable, sensible, patriotic, decent, ethical, law-abiding person would do? Suit yourself.

Not only is Bush trying to bind Obama to who-knows-what, he is also busily trying to destroy as many environmental safeguards as possible before he leaves office. It is said by some that Bush has now distanced himself from all these various goings-on (and perhaps even that he has gone back to boozing). If so, he is allowing his minions to run wild and go ahead and do whatever it is they have in mind to do before Obama can stop them. As he has shown so little interest in being President up until now why should we expect anything different? By exercising no oversight over what is going on he is cementing his legacy as the worst President ever. It is said he wants a legacy. He certainly has created one, along with taking his place in the record book as the greatest serial failure of all time.

I have never believed that the Pilgrims ate sweet potatoes at the first thanksgiving (and certainly not with those dreadful marshmallows). I have now learned they didn’t eat turkey or cranberries either. Apparently they ate mostly ducks and venison, along with some corn and (I think) pumpkins. It must have been quite a feast as it went on for about a week. It must have been the last happy meal the Indians had. Anyway, why should we not combine Thanksgiving Day with Election Day? It’s the right time of year, we could celebrate the harvest and the election at the same time. And, if people would be more interested in eating than voting we could make it a legal four day holiday instead of a sort of de facto one as it tends to become now. We could both eat and vote, killing two birds with one stone, so to speak (ha ha).

Only George Dubya Bush could send out a Hannukah invitation with the picture of a Christmas tree on it. The guy is absolutely uncanny when it comes to faux pas.

The past eight years, no, even somewhat longer than that, have been so chaotic, so nightmarish, so motivating to rage, so frightening, even terrifying at times, I find that I have developed a mantra. I didn’t realize this until recently when I suddenly realized how often I was repeating it to myself on a daily basis. It is really quite simple: DO NOT PANIC! This has been quite helpful, especially in the past few weeks, and even more recently. About six weeks ago my wife hit a deer on her way home from teaching a night class in Sandpoint. Last night she hit some black ice and almost killed herself, along with someone’s mailbox and a couple of roadside reflectors. Then I learned the other day that a mango cost $3.29. Asparagus is now $3.99 a pound. The price of everything is going up and up. It is getting colder and colder. I cannot see out of one eye. I tell myself, do not panic. It works. Try it and see. It doesn’t do a damn thing for the prices but I find it quite soothing. I even find the name Barack Hussein Obama soothing (but this might not last very long). Have a happy thanksgiving!!!

LKBIQ:
If you would cure anger, do not feed it. Say to yourself: 'I used to be angry every day; then every other day; now only every third or fourth day.' When you reach thirty days offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the gods.
Epictetus

TILT:
White chocolate is not, technically speaking, chocolate.

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