Shocked

Spurned lover ambushes
ex-girlfriend, tries to cut out
breast implants he paid for.

It would seem fair to say that 2008 was not a good year for the U.S., what with business failures, home foreclosures, rampant unemployment, losses on Wall Street, inflation, a runaway national debt, and so forth. However, Exxon reported an unprecedented 42 + billion in profits, and Wall Street handed out more than 18 billion (of taxpayer money) in bonuses to failed managers such. This latter, in particular, has raised quite an outrage. I must say, however, this does have a quality of “I’m shocked, shocked, to learn there has been gambling and hanky panky on Wall Street.” This has been going on for years and huge bonuses have been common for years, so why all the sudden outrage. I suppose it has to do with the unprecedented bailouts (I guess as long as it was just the suckers’ money it was okay).

The Republicans, in a somewhat surprising vote after six ballots, elected a black man as head of the party. I’m not certain what to make of this rather astounding feat. I suspect nothing can really be made of it. A dying party with no clear focus, no chance of capturing the black vote, out of power, making a fool of itself, so why not elect one of the half dozen or so blacks who claim to be Republicans. What, after all, do they have to lose by it? Appointing (and virtually destroying) Colin Powell and the hopelessly inept Condi Rice did them no good at all. Limbaugh, fat clown of the airwaves, is whispering the leader of the party will be Sarah Palin. See, the right wing really does have a death wish.

Fidel Castro has a blog. On it he recently demanded that Guantanamo should be returned to Cuba (it is, you know, rightfully Cuba’s). I say, “no,” not until after we’ve used it for Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rove/Rice//Perle/Yoo et al. Rove, it appears, is going to refuse once again to answer a subpoena, claiming executive privilege from the Bush years. I cannot believe he can get away with this, but, of course, they may try eventually for their own Supreme Court to help them out once again. In the meantime I sincerely hope he will spend some time in jail where he certainly belongs.

It appears that everything will shut down for the Super Bowl, with both Biden and Obama hosting parties for it, and of course most everyone else watching. Perhaps they should proclaim a national holiday. This is such serious business that McCain turned down his invitation to the White House on the grounds that the party would interfere with his concentration on the game (I am not making this up). Would this be a prime time for another terrorist attack? Think of the coverage they would get! I guess we should all be pleased that since the 1/1000th of a second glimpse we once had of Janet Jackson itty bitty titty they have really cleaned up the halftime entertainment. A good thing, too, that was such a disgrace.

Unless the U.S. abandons its overbearing and patronizing attitude toward Iran do not look for many improvements on that front.

LKBIQ:
Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.
Friedrich Nietzsche

TILT:
Canadian geese mate in the second year of life and are monogamous.