Exemplifying Irony

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uprjmoSMJ-o

So, the country often credited with the invention of the enhanced interrogation method known as 'waterboarding', is now readying the case against such former Bush Administration figures as Alberto Gonzalez, Doug Feith, and John Yoo. (http://tinyurl.com/cdflbm)

Does the current administration have to be shamed into appointing a Special Prosecutor empowered to investigate the alleged crimes committed at Guantanamo (and god knows where else)? Doesn't our National honor cry out for justice - sought after and enacted by us in our name?

President Obama, your silence on this issue is deafening, your inaction - shameful.

Well, It's A Start...

Now, this is more like it: http://www.sfpromise.org/

This should be our nation's promise to our young. If you do the work, get the grades and your parents sign on as partners - you are guaranteed a college education in your local state college. You'd rather pursue a trade? Okay, we'll take care of that for you, too.

I believe that it is in Sweden - but don't quote me on that - where every citizen has their college education completely subsidized by the state. Not just undergraduate, but all the way to a doctorate if that is your path. Not only that, but they also pay a stipend to offset living expenses. Now, Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church notwithstanding (http://www.godhatessweden.com/), I don't want to be behind Sweden in education anymore. (It's nothing personal, Sweden - honest!)

Now, if the President really believes that we can lead the world in college graduates by 2020 (?), this is the bold kind of action to which he must commit today.

Old Fart Alert!!!

Do you remember a kinder, gentler time? A time when there was some sense of propriety in society? Do you long for the days when they didn't say words like 'groin', 'hemorrhoid', and 'period' in commercials? I just saw a commercial tonight that, while it made me laugh for a full 30 seconds after it aired, was actually rather offensive. I'll try to conjure the images for you:

A young woman, leaves her house and passes a scraggly shrub - which upon her passing, is miraculously trimmed. Two women stroll past a store, with two more scraggly shrubs, that are similarly neatened up upon their passing. Two more times, young women walk past shrubs, sorely in need of a trim, a - voila! - all nice a tidy. (What on earth could they be selling???) Finally, a woman emerges from the shower and we find out that the product is the new Schick Quattro for women - with the new "Trim" feature. (Shrub = bush, get it?!?!)

If this had been an SNL commercial parody, it would be damned funny, but instead it just seems more than a little tacky? Aren't there any standards, societal strictures in place that tell us when we've crossed a line? I don't think we need commercials discussing ways to deal with 'bikini lines'. (Hello, we are talking about pubic hair, here!)

I guess I'm turning into a grumpy old lady, but I preferred the days when people used a little discretion when discussing personal hygiene - especially when it's in my living room!!!

Dude! Where's My Stimulus?

I was wondering how folks feel about the legalization of marijuana? Not as a criminal reform, but to stimulate the economy... If the state legalizes and licenses marijuana, so you can buy it at the local Qwik-E-Mart - with proper i.d., of course - are we just creating a new 'sin' that we can tax? Will it increase marijuana abuse? What about DWIs?

Now, don't get me wrong. I personally don't think that marijuana is as bad as alcohol when it comes to the damage it does to lives and societies. You don't see a lot of stoners getting into knife fights, not if it means getting off the couch. Marijuana has long been considered a gateway drug, and I tend to agree with that, in so much as once you use one illegal drug, it makes it that much easier to take the next one - not that smoking a joint on Monday guarantees you'll be shooting smack by Friday. So, if we remove the illegality, does that remove the gateway?

What do you think? Will legalization of marijuana create more societal cost than economic gain? Would you be more likely to smoke marijuana if it were legal? Should we all invest in Hostess and Doritos?

Educashun - Is Our Childrens Learning?

Wow - this is the plan? This is how we're going to compete in a global economy? Merit pay for teachers and charter schools?!? This deserves to be spelled out - What The Fuck?!?!?!?!? (http://tinyurl.com/b99zt6)

Day 50 - President Obama is downgraded to a C- by this blogger. Yuck - who stepped in the GOP plan for creating another generation of automatons???

What do you think of the President's craptacular plan? (Seriously, what a piece of shit!!!)

So, What Do We Think?

Since it would appear that it is de rigueur to have up-to-the-minute polls on the new President's job performance, I feel that I have been somewhat remiss in waiting a whole 46 days to ask: How Do You Like Him So Far?

Pick a couple of things you really like, and couple of things you really don't, give a grade & explain. Easy, right? (Not for this crowd...)

As an experiment, how about if your first comment on this topic is about the topic and not another's comment, hmmmm? Think we can do that? There will be plenty of time for bickering later - god help us. (Don't make me turn this blog around!!!)

I'll update with my opinion - I wanted to post this, and I need time to do a little research and make sure that I have all of my facts right. (If I don't, I know I'll hear about it later...)

UPDATE: I decided to forget about research...I'm entitled to the same half-assed and hare-brained opinions as the rest of you!

Cheers: Hilda Solis for Labor Secty, Recovery.gov & FinancialStability.gov websites (transparency in government?), Hillary Clinton for Secty of State, putting war costs in budget, health care for the masses, setting a date for the end of the Occupation in Iraq

Jeers: Siding with the previous administration on warrantless wiretapping (WTF?!?!?!?)

TBD: Geithner as Treasury Secty, Gates as Defense Secty, Afghanistan policy

That's it, off the top of my head. As usual, I'll probably think of more as soon as I post this.

Overall: B-. The grade is weighed down by that one negative, plus the down side of the 'TBDs'.

Dear Republicans - WTF!?!?!?

For quite a while now, I have been predicting the downfall of the Republican Party. It seems to me there are three factions of the party: The "True" Republicans (small government/fiscal conservatives), The Religious Right (man's law should be rewritten to match God's law), and the Neo-Cons (bring back the Aristocracy!). I don't see how the three can maintain their delicate partnership.

True Republicans are disturbed by the power that has been given to the Religious Right, and have ceded a lot of power in recent years to the Neo-Cons, the members of which have become the 'face' of the party. Richard Viguerie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Viguerie) was on Ed Schultz' radio show today, talking about the pathetic behavior (my phrase) of RNC Chairman Michael Steele in kowtowing (me again) to Rush Limbaugh. Asked by Schultz if Limbaugh was the head of the Republican Party, Viguerie stated that Limbaugh was the head of the Conservative Movement, speaking with almost disdain of the RNC. (Honestly, even I was embarrassed when Steele apologized to Limbaugh...)

See the thing is, when someone like Rush Limbaugh has his show broadcast on 600 stations (in some areas he is on opposite himself), they have the forum to espouse their particular point of view - to A LOT of people. Because of the power vacuum in the Republican Party, this has become the face of the Party:

I realize we have practically nobody on the right visiting us here at Brushfires, but if you know a Republican, ask them if they are happy about that. Ask them if they 'want the President to fail'. If you think they are True Republicans, ask them what they are going to do to take their party back. After two disastrous (for them) election cycles, how can they hope to bring moderates and independents back into the fold, if they think that the Republicans are the party of Rush.

As someone who can count the times she's voted for a Republican on both hands, you'd think I'd be happy about the disarray in the GOP. But, nothing could be further from the truth - I think that a democracy works best when we have more choices, not less. How many times have you had to choose between the lesser of two evils, stuck with the candidates who appealed to the lowest common denominator instead of our highest ideals. Only through loyal opposition (loyal to the country, not their party), can our public servants in government be pushed to perform at their best.

A Deafening Silence

The blog has been quiet. I'm not sure if it's just the weekend, and people aren't around their computers or you're all on your best behavior on the last post. Whatever the reason, Bring Da Noise!!!

Try to be nice to each other, but have at it: Anything you want to talk about - politics, sports, movies, rain (yay!!!).

But, with freedom comes responsibility - no bickering, please. It gives me a headache in my eye...