A Public Service

For those interested in the Democratic Candidates positions on Iraq--Mahablog has posted a very helpful list of their positions. Check it out!

Well I'm back.

I'll post my last New York Journal in a bit and maybe some other stuff too. So hold onto your socks.

Well, this is interesting

Both Gen. Wesley Clark and Sen. Joe Lieberman have decided to forgo the Iowa Caucus. That has traditionally been a key factor in determining the Presidency, but Clark and Lieberman believe they can pick up enough momentum in the Febraury 3rd contests. They also argue, particularly Lieberman, that both Iowa and New Hampshire are liberal strongholds and therefore not good at providing candidates who can challenge in the national race.

New York Journal #7

Well I went to the theater last night, and I thought I’d tell you a bit about it so that if you ever go you can be prepared.

First of all, surprisingly enough, the best time to show up is about 3 minutes after the performance is due to begin. They are always a little late anyway, and the full seats makes it easier to find your seat (it’s the one that nobody’s sitting in (usually)).

Secondly, you might be concerned that the actors do not hear your specific applause during the performance—well I’ve got a solution to that. Wait until the applause dies down, preferably during one of them long winded speeches. Then start applauding with all your might. I guarantee the actors will respond.

Went to see the Lion King at the New Amsterdam Theater—let me clear one thing up right away. It’s not a cartoon—it’s actually a play. You better know that before you go. I was lost for the first ten fifteen minutes.

The New Amsterdam Theater is beautiful. Nice balconies and lovely seats. The only deficiency is that the stage is only 4 ½ to 5 feet across. Made it very hard on the dancers.

Also had a strange experience in the middle of the play. One of the cast members signaled to me that they wanted me to get up onstage. I didn’t really understand at first, but then he used that signal again. So I got up on stage. Well you wouldn’t believe the ruckus that caused. Once I got up there, those lying lions claimed I’d never been asked on stage and that I was ruining the play. Plus people threw stuff at me.

So my advice? Don't get up on stage even if they are pleading with you to do so. It's a trick.

Other than that, enjoy the theater. And it goes without saying that this entire article is full of crap. But hopefully enjoyable crap.

Run that by me again

This Gen. Boykin story is just getting warmed up. It’s got everything the right likes to see in a story. Religion being persecuted. Political correctness run amok. Men in uniform. Now if they could just work in an anti Clinton angle.

Anyway Tony Blankly took much the same tack as Cal Thomas yesterday; i.e. Muslims are evil so what Gen. Boykin said was correct. Frank N. Gaffney takes a different tack; total distortion.

First of all he repeats the theory that “Even if there are only a small percent of Muslims that are evil that could still millions.” Not sure what anybody expects us to do with this information. Except, of course, vote for President Bush as the only man who can protect our children.

He does add a new spin to that particular theory. Apparently that number is growing. Not by anything America is doing of course. America, that most blameless of countries, is unable to increase the number of Muslims who hate us by our actions. No, it is the preaching of Saudi Arabian and Iranian Clerics that is increasing the numbers who hate us.

Gaffney does recognize a difference between the “Islamists” who hate us and the rest of the Muslims. Apparently Gen. Boykin does as well. Although his comments would seem to be directed at all Muslims (particularly when he suggests that they worship a false god; an idol), Gaffney assures us that we are misreading him. He really only meant those bad Muslims.

The most frustrating thing about this debate is that it seems like the Muslim people aren’t being heard. I don’t know if its just that sane sensible Muslims don’t make good TV or if it’s due to something more sinister. Anyway I can’t really go fishing being on the road and all, but when I get back home I’m going to see if I can round up some good moderate Muslim sites.

New York Journal #6

Well, went down to the World Trade Center. Where it used to be.

I am suspicious of pilgrimages. I am suspicious of the idea that there is a place out there that I could go to, and it would change my life. The Holy Land, the Forbidden City, the Taj Mahal, Vatican City, Salt Lake City—all of them are places I’d like to go (well I’ve been to SLC, many times. But I’d go again, I suppose). But I don’t expect any of them to transform me spiritually, emotionally, or intellectually.

Going to ground zero should be, if they exist at all, one of those life transforming experiences, as one contemplates the deaths of 3,000 of ones country man in the bloodiest terrorist attack on American soil. But it’s a construction site.

If you are looking for a transformative experience, I’d suggest living each day a little better than the day before. It takes more effort, but it has the virtue of actually working.

Also went took some other pictures of the down town district, including some from the St. Marks graveyard just a bit away from the world trade center.

New York Journal #5

Well after visiting the National Museum of Natural History yesterday and the Metropolitan Museum of Art today. There are so many cultures out there. I know that's not profound. Hopefully we all already know that. But when you are presented with them all at once, well, it's a bit of an eye-opener.

Oh went to an Italian place for lunch--the food was scrumptious but I got the idea that they don't get a lot of single guys for lunch who want to read by themselves. I spent the whole time wondering if I had grown an extra head.

Anyway not much more to say than that--hopefully have more to say in the morning on my trip. Here are some pictures.

Who is the Real Enemy?

“Well, is he [bin Laden] the enemy? Next slide. Or is this man [Saddam] the enemy? The enemy is none of these people I have showed you here. The enemy is a spiritual enemy. He’s called the principality of darkness. The enemy is a guy called Satan.”
Lt. Gen. William “Jerry” Boykin

“Well, you know what I knew that my God was bigger than his [Osman Atta, Somolian Muslim]. I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol. But I prayed, Lord let us get that man.”
Also Lt. Gen. William “Jerry” Boykin

Cal Thomas is not very happy that the Military has apparently cracked down on Lt. Gen. Boykin for these remarks. Instead they should be promoting these views. They should be warning us that we are at war with Islam as a religion rather than with a few terrorist radicals.

I can’t understand why the President hasn’t jumped behind this initiative.

Thomas brings up several anti Israel comments made recently, but, don’t worry, he doesn’t put them in any sort of context.

Truthfully I feel kind of sorry for Boykin. He’s going to be a poster boy for the religious right and those who feel we haven’t done enough to kill Muslims. I don’t get the sense that that was his intention—but maybe I’m misreading the guy.

Maybe he is expecting President Bush to declare war on Satan.

Bush Haters

Well, David Limbaugh has chimed in again on Bush-hating. Apparently it’s bad. People going around, beating up innocent bushes. Yanking them out of the ground. But that’s not really happening. What’s happening is that President Bush is being criticized.

This goes to an editorial by Jonathan Chait, an editor for the New Republic, who admitted he hated President Bush (I'd link to the article, but you have to pay to read it). And conveniently enough for Mr. Limbaugh, if you describe one liberal, you’ve described them all.

He slams into Senator Kennedy on these grounds. “Divisive, as in reaching out to his opponents like Ted Kennedy only to be rebuffed, betrayed and castigated in return? These aren't my opinions alone. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported on Kennedy's "anger." Despite Bush's cordiality toward Kennedy, the Massachusetts senator gives him back nothing but epithets, calling him a liar who has told "lie after lie after lie" about Iraq and charging Bush with consistently breaking his promises on education.

Can you believe this Kennedy guy? President Bush has thrown more federal money at education than any conservative can tolerate.” In case you don’t know, this is total crap. President Bush only promised to spend more money on education than any conservative can tolerate. When it came time to actually allocate the money, he starved his own No Child Left Behind program. This is one of the reasons Senator Kennedy is angry with the President. Pretty damn good reason I’d say.

At any rate, this is the weakness of the Conservative position these days. We invaded Iraq on false pretenses (which your humble narrator bought, I must admit), and now we are there with no exit strategy. Republicans aren’t enthusiastic about defending this state of affairs so instead they are simply attacking Liberals as Bush Haters.

New York City Journal #4

You see that? Smartest squirrel you ever saw. Spent five minutes talking to him about his "Give Nuts to Squirrels" program. Basically it works like this. We give Squirrels nuts and then everything works great. The deficit, the ozone, the disappearance of Aaron Sorkin; all will be solved if we give squirrels nuts. I was going to take a picture of the squirrel with his charts, but suddenly a dog appeared from nowhere and all I got was this.

Oh well.

New York City Journal #3

Well got up early today and went uptown to the world famous Metropolitan Museum of Art. But it was not open on Monday. Stupid guidebooks not telling me that.

Oh wait. I guess both guide books mentioned that the museum was not open.

Anyway I went across Central part to the Museum of Natural History. Which was nice. Very crisp enjoyable day here.





The Museum was nice—a twitch expensive, but I’m cool with that. They need to pay people like that nice (if ultra passive-aggressive) Ross Geller. I saw a very cool movie called India land of the Tiger or something like that. It was interesting, focusing on the adventures of an English tiger hunter who went on to become a conservationist. Through his experiences we learn a little about India as he learns how to respect all of natures creatures.

Good movie, but I thought it interesting that in a movie about India they chose as their main point of reference a European. I can see why, and he’s certainly not an unsympathetic character. He translates his knowledge of India into things we can understand a bit better. At least in theory. Still wouldn’t it be nice to see India through Indian eyes?

Then I went to the Planetary show, narrated by Tom Hanks. Tom Hanks is one of the most trustworthy actors in America. I’d let him watch my kids (if I had any). And yet the show was still creepy. Is there a law that says all planetary shows have to be creepy? The opening they let the screen go clear for a moment with lights behind it so you can be impressed (I guess) at the size around the screen. It reminded me a bit of that bit at the Haunted Mansion where the dude, your host, says “There are no windows and no doors to this room. So you may never leave! Of course theirs always my way.” And then the lightning flashes and you get a shot of him—hanging from the balcony.

Anyway saw lots of other cool things—here’s some pictures.

The War in Iraq

Well Robert Novak writes a skillful article today. He starts with one issue I’ve noticed as well, which is that the Republicans in Congress are unsatisfied to follow in lockstep with the President. In particular he cites Sen. Dick Lugar’s dissatisfaction with the many voices coming out of this administration. On Meet The Press, Sen. Lugar stated “The president has to be president. That means the president over the vice president and over these secretaries (of State and Defense)."

But then he weaves in a second issue, which I do not agree with. Bad Mr. Novak! He writes on how many more conservative senators are of the opinion that Iraq should be loaned the money rather than given it. In other words, we blew the hell out of Iraq, but they should have to pay the recovery. There are two things wrong with this particular scheme as I’ve outlined before. It’s wrong and it’s stupid.

It’s wrong because we blew the hell out of Iraq to protect ourselves. If this had been a mutual war, if Saddam had done something stupid, well, that might be different. But that’s not what happened. We invaded to protect ourselves from those scary WMDs (anybody know how that’s going, by the way?), not to liberate the Iraqi people.

It’s stupid because our long term goals in Iraq are a stable democratic society that is a friend of the United States. Or at least that’s what we keep saying. Any government who agrees to pay us back for the privilege of invading them is going to fall. Nobody would stand for that injustice. The Iraqi people would see the government as the puppets of the United States (not a bad assumption if they agree to that particular scheme.

So, to sum up, making Iraq pay to rebuild itself--Immoral and unintelligent.

Trivia

What was President Bartlet's first spoken line on NBC's The West Wing?

"I am the LORD thy God, Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

For fans of the show, explains a lot doesn't it?

New York Journal #2

Well I am writing this on Sunday Afternoon. Have to finish my Saturday adventures. I wandered around Soho for a little while. I know using the term wandering makes it sound like I was walking in and out of shops and generally enjoying myself, but the truth was I was lost—I should have gone a bit south and west, apparently—anyway I was looking for books but couldn’t find anyway right off. So I went and ate at a place called the Lucky Strike.

Ordered a Hamburger. They brought me out a slice of meat on an English muffin. Now I have to admit that the hamburger was juicy and good and the fries were delicious. But why an English Muffin?

I initially planned on doing extensive research to get to the bottom of this mystery, but then realized that would take work. So instead I decided to just BS my way through.

I imagine it was something like this.

“Hey, those hamburgers are selling like hamburgers tonight.”

“Actually the phrase is hotcakes. Selling like hotcakes.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. Everybody likes hamburgers; who likes hotcakes?”

“Well maybe . . . oh no! We’re out of hamburger buns and I have five orders.”

“You don’t have anything?”

“Well I have these English muffins I was going to freeze and throw at pigeons.”

“Well just use those. Wait a moment, I am having an idea.” (insert the sound of someone thinking) “It’s a house specialty!”

Anyway like I said, the hamburger was great, and the fries were excellent. I’ll probably critique all the places I eat at, so long as I’m generally positive—I don’t want to waste my venom on non political type people.

Here's a cool bit of Grafitti/Poster Art I saw near the restaurant and a parking place.

New Logo

Meant to put this up yesterday but lost it. So putting it up today. Enjoy!

New Quote

Hooray! But the Quotes Page won't be updated till next week.