Saturday, November 26, 2005

Saturday Morning Reading Assignments!
I found a couple(mebbe four?) of things worth a read this morning.

Some are a bit stale, but all are tasty.

Not to worry, it's not a long list.

First of all, if you're like me - and if that's the case, offer your parents another box of tissues while they continue to sob - you must be wondering just how is it than Ann Coulter continues to get work.

That's where we begin today's reads. We begin in the dark, shallow furrows of Ms. Coulter's grey(or is it brown?) matter. From that leading light of intellectual dialogue, World Net Daily comes the latest from the blonde (can't think of anything remotely balanced to say) pundit. If you can spot all the logical fallacies in this ode to the 750 word Op-ed, you're a more patient person than I am. And, oh yes, I am a patient man ;)

Moving right(pun noted) along, we offer the countervail to Coulter.

Bernard Weiner of The Crisis Papers offers up Extreme Bush: The good, bad & ugly. The way that the piece starts off is so blatantly histrionic that it has the all too familiar ring of baseless Right-wing diatribes. But Bernie settles down, and offers up something like well reasoned discourse. Again, there is a lot of preaching to the choir here. Yet, in the name of good sense, Mr. Weiner finishes the piece off with some helpful hints for disenfranchised lefties.

I know what you're most likely thinking: "Hey, where's the synopsis, man?" or perhaps, "What, no teaser?"

My answer to those questions are nope. You must read, and make up your own minds. If you've been following along, I would hope to come across as something akin to sane in a world too full of people less than sane(I know, GREAT sentence structure, and NOVEL word choice, Todd. But you get what you pay for) So you read! Or else!

Our next item is a good primer on the ever shifting sands of the US/Iraq war policy from the LA Times, onerous registration procedure may be required. Since it's the lead article in today's online version, reg. may not be necessary.

Okay, this time you get a teaser. The three key players quoted are Condi, Andrew Krepinevich( long time bureaucrat and top dog at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments) and that real neo-con's neo-con, Gary Schmitt.

Condi says that the current number of troops in Iraq will probably not be needed much longer. "Fairly soon" were her words.(it's all about polls, and a couple of elections due in the US over then next few years)

Add'l: Bush to speak on Wednesday. Expect drawdown plans(well, maybe less of a plan than an incoherent ramble)

Krepinevich says that our military is too stretched and that 'potential long-term damage to the armed forces, not political pressure, could be the decisive factor for Bush and his advisors.'

Schmitt wants us to stay there forever. "A neo-con you can count on."<- Campaign slogan?

Read. The. Article. There's a lot more there. It's good.

So, you're saying that you will not register with the LA Times? Then read the tea leaves from just three days ago via the Boston Globe. It's not entirely relevant to the LA Times article, but that's what you get for not doing your assignment(s) ;)

All kidding aside, the Globe piece has a couple of quotes from NH's two Reps. and Bush apologists: Jeb Bradley, and Charles Bass. Both Repubs, and both typically party line 'toers.' Yes, I die a little inside every time I hear them speak, or read them quoted.

The Globe piece also adds more color to the whole Iraq war unraveling, and offers an easy segue to our last assignment.

Cindy Sheehan is back in Texas. No matter what anyone says about Sheehan, they must acknowledge that she is putting in a super-human effort.

It's really difficult to place Sheehan, and all her efforts into the pro-peace movement(take that turn of a phrase, you neo-con bastids!) But she kept the spirit alive during the long, hot summer. If and how she will be rembered shall prove interesting. Perhaps only to me, but I'm the one with the blog ;)

I think we can all take away from Cindy's efforts that one strong-willed person can do more for a cause than all the keyboard acivists combined. Something we all need to acknowledge.

Now, if your eyes haven't totally glazed over, you may note that this entry has a layered underlying bit of structure to legitimize its existence(too early for hifalutin French phrases like 'raison d'être' for instance)

If you can follow my line of reasoning for ordering these entries in such a way, please send $20USD in a self-addressed envelope to me. Then seek psychological counseling(but don't forget to send the Andy Jackson first)

If you're still reading, go give your parents a hug. They'll certainly need it(but first that 20 spot!)

807 words! I could be an editorial writer..If I could write *sigh*

Additional unrelated stuff:

1) The blog will be undergoing another template change very soon. It's back to three working columns, and I'm adding a lot of news sources and other avenues for alternative information.

2) I'm looking for guest bloggers with expertise in the field of politics. In exchange, I offer well, pretty much nothing. I am a gate process senior engineer, so if you need tech entries for your blog I'll happily exchange information.

3) Both my mother and a nephew have undergone surgery over the last two weeks. My mom had surgery for hepatic lymphoma, and my nephew for giant cell fibroblastoma. Mom's prognosis is excellent. My nephew is also doing well with the following caveat. I received a call from my sister yesterday, and apparently the surgeon found something 'that he didn't quite like.' So the jury is still kind of out. I only mention these items in case my blogging is interrupted for a time.

Thanks for reading.

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