We could use a 'Gunpowder Plot' right about now...

Where's Guy Fawkes when we need him?

All seriousness aside...

The Early Morning Jokes

To show how much he appreciates the help he's still getting from the Bush Administration, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf draped a banner outside his palace that says, MARTIAL LAW ACCOMPLISHED.

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto would like to once again rule Pakistan. If she wants a place to hide in the interim where no one will ever find her, I'd suggest any one of Fred Thompson's campaign headquarters.

And finallly ... Dennis Kucinich is still dealing with fallout from the revelation that he once had an encounter with a UFO. In fact, he even cancelled a meet-and-greet with supporters at Area 51.

Apparently, some of Denny's new staffers have objected lately to being called 'probies'...

A Colossal Dominatrix

Ooh! Phooey, it's just Juan Cole writing about how the proper thing to do with the US embassy in Baghdad is to close it.

Bush is dragooning these career diplomats into dodging bombs and bullets, which is not their job. He is trying to create them as a shadow colonial administration of Iraq (my em), which is not their job. The US embassy in Beirut was closed during the Lebanese Civil War. There is still no US embassy in Tehran. Tehran is a hell of a lot safer than Baghdad. Keeping the US embassy in Baghdad open is a political and military decision on Bush's part, which flies in the face of precedent and good sense.

Those who want to see the Iraq War ended should join this campaign. The war won't be ended as long as Bush's Baghdad embassy, a behemoth unprecedented in size and scope, bestrides Iraq like a colossal dominatrix.

And here is how closing the embassy works for the anti-war movement and for the Democratic Party (and anti-war Republicans). The public just won't mind. If you cut off money to the troops, they will mind. Only a plurality of Americans wants all troops out now, immediately. And if the Dems embargoed the military budget, the hawks would run on the their having sent our boys off to duel "al-Qaeda" with "spitballs" (a la Zell Miller). But the Republican hawks, having spent decades tearing down the State Department, will be helpless before a measure that closes down the US embassy in Baghdad. It is quite delicious.

I suggest that step one in the process is to send in some building inspectors to declare it unfit fir human habitation and red tag it.

Bush Gives Musharraf Tips on Eliminating Democracy

Andy Borowitz

In what he described as "an emergency mission to help a key ally in the war on terror," President George W. Bush flew to Islamabad today to give General Pervez Musharraf tips on how to eliminate democracy.

Mr. Bush said he scheduled the trip just hours after General Musharraf declared a state of emergency in Pakistan and suspended elections "because when it comes to eliminating democracy, I thought my friend Pervez could benefit from my experience."

[...] "When you're getting rid of democracy, the last thing you want to do is tell people you're doing it."

Mr. Bush said that eliminating such things as privacy, freedom of speech and the constitution had to be done "very quietly and stealthy-like."

He also criticized the Pakistani dictator's firing of the chief justice of the Supreme Court: "Trust me, if you're going to get rid of elections, a Supreme Court could come in handy."

What Bush has done to Democracy here is probably reversible. I'm not so sure about Pakistan.

Update:

The preceding was sort of in a jocular vein. The following is not but it fits right in, from Juan Cole:

Musharraf appears to have concluded that the Supreme Court would rule against him, thus his coup-within-a-coup, which at last throws off the tattered facade of democratic institutions and reveals the naked military tyranny underneath. Pitifully, Musharraf explained that he had to make the coup in order to ensure the transition to democracy he says he began 8 years ago. Apparently the "transition" (i.e. Musharraf's dictatorship) will last for the rest of his life.

No wonder Bush is conferring closely with Musharraf! He wants to learn from an expert!

Oh, the irony...

Ironic Times

Bush Pick for Attorney General Headed for Confirmation
Mukasey last piece in puzzle keeping Bush, Cheney from firing squad.

Supreme Court to Review Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Settlement
Expected to reverse lower court's decision, make wildlife pay for cleanup.

UK: Marijuana Use Drops After Penalties Reduced
Pot dealers call for harsher penalties.

Not that I care ...

But if it's true, all I can say is "you go, girl!" Hey, if it's good enough for the goose ...

Yes, the Dems have been sucking ...

But they are still a far better alternative to the Rethugs. Thankfully, most Americans are realizing it too:

...

Overwhelmingly, Democrats want a new direction, but so do three-quarters of independents and even half of Republicans. Sixty percent of all Americans said they feel strongly that such a change is needed after two terms of the Bush presidency.

...

The Democratic Party holds double-digit leads over the GOP as the party most trusted to handle the three most frequently cited issues for 2008: Iraq, health care and the economy. The Democratic advantages on immigration and taxes are narrower, and the parties are at rough parity on terrorism, once a major Republican strong point.

...

Thanks to our pal Skippy for the link.

Surprise, surprise ...

Yet another 'spiritual leader' succumbs to the temptation of the flesh:

Anyway, unfortunately, another member of the Moral Majority has proved himself to be an upstanding citizen and good Christian after being charged with three counts of using a child in sexual performance and one count of unlawful sexual activity for having allegedly sexually assaulted three boys he mentored at First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland, FL ...

At this point, why anyone would trust their kids alone with any member of the clergy is beyond me.

And an addendum: As our dear friends MandT remind us, these clowns are not representative of gay men. These are perverts and predators.

"...as they stumble blindly toward the finish line and history's harsh judgment"

Joe Galloway on 'Bush's War World III' (BWWIII). 'War World' is starting to make more sense to me than 'World War'.

What are they smoking at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.? The very idea is dumb as a fencepost and best left to the biggest pied piper of what passes for neoconservative thought, Norman Podhoretz. Yet President Bush and his able assistant, Vice President Dick Cheney, are marching to that tune and humming along lustily.

There is no crisis here and no earthly reason to manufacture one on short notice, except for the fact that in less than 15 months, the Bush administration will pass ignominiously into history. Then a new chief executive can begin dealing with ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, a national debt nearing $10 trillion, a terrorist threat to America only made stronger by eight years of Bush and Cheney, and a national economy trembling on the brink of recession.

As though that weren't a big enough mess to leave behind, these brilliant thinkers want to bequeath a third and far more dangerous war to whoever is unlucky enough to win the tussle of midgets (my em) that passes for a presidential contest.

There are two questions here: Why? And why now?

He go on to 'splain, oh indeed he do!

All of this argues against Bush and Cheney doing anything more than running their mouths and pretending to be relevant, studly and in charge as they stumble blindly toward the finish line and history's harsh judgment.

No one in their right mind would believe that attacking Iran now makes any sense. But that doesn't mean Bush and Cheney won't do it.

There were a lot of reasons why a pre-emptive strike into Iraq based on flimsy and bogus intelligence and far too few troops made no sense, yet they did it anyway, with trademark arrogance and ignorance.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

I left that last line in there because it points up the fact, I think, that while Bush and The Dick are using fear to try to get support for their insanity, what we really need to fear is them. Not them personally, of course, they're punks, but what they could do.

Better to remove them before they can do this evil thing. Whether by impeachment or just their heads on a pike, mox nix.

Molly From Beyond...

Clicking doesn't make any difference. Harrumph!

That ol' gal ain't lettin' a little thing like death stop her, nosirree! She's an inspiration to us all.

Please read a review of her new book here.

Selling off ...

The way the Rethugs are privatizing everything, Communism is beginning to look good.

Sitting here, a whole year ...

Apropos, a couple hundred years later:



"Not one damn thing do we solve ..."

A little advice ...

For Republicans:

We have some advice for the macho-posturing Republican males. If you don't want people to think you are gay, a cross-dresser, adulterer, transsexual, or a child molester, you better become a Democrat or Independent.

Because at the fast pace of sexual perversity being exposed among elected Republican officials -- almost all of whom are invariably publicly and sanctimoniously opposed to gays and adultery -- it's kind of de facto questionable whether any white GOP male who claims to be for "family values" is not a "pervert."

...

Great thanks to Echidne for the link.

Consequences ...

So all you folks who think it would be a nifty idea to open another theater of war in the Middle East, some consequences for you to consider:

...

The more thoughtful military and civilian advisers can rattle off a dozen reasons why an American attack on Iran at this juncture would be foolish in the extreme and risk setting the Middle East afire, including:

Shutting down not only Iran's oil production but Iraq's as well, and possibly triggering Iranian retaliation against the oil production and shipping in Persian Gulf nations. Are we ready for $300-a-barrel oil?

Putting 160,000 U.S. troops and another 125,000 U.S. and foreign contractors in Iraq at much greater risk, as neighboring Iran signals Shiite allies there to begin all-out war against us and sends in its own well-armed guerrillas to lead the attack. Our 250-mile main supply lines in Iraq run through the heart of Shiite-controlled southern Iraq, and they would be cut. If we think we have troubles now with the shaky Iraq national government, which already has snuggled up to Tehran, what would war with Iran bring?

Risking confrontation with the newly oil-rich and energized Russian Federation and President Bush's ex-KGB soulmate, Vladimir Putin. Putin has his hand on the natural gas and oil pipelines that keep our presumed allies in Europe from freezing to death, so it is wise to assume that any support for a U.S. attack on his ally Iran would be slim to none.

...

We can't afford it; in whatever currency you want to measure, economic, military, or political, we're at the end of our rope. The invasion of Iran would put us over the top.

Boy, time sure flies when yer havin' fun...

Today is Me'n Mrs. G's 34th wedding anniversary. The years have gone by like it was only yesterday. We're getting so used to it and blasé about it that we didn't even bother getting each other cards, but we're going out for a nice quiet dinner at Zano's here in town.

As soon as we get all done belchin' that out - on to the next 34!

Dress Rehearsal

BuzzFlash

Martial Law Declared by Musharraf in Pakistan:"The nation's constitution has been suspended, government sources said." Maybe It's a Dress Rehearsal for What Will Happen Here.

Maybe so, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. Bush'll fuck that up like he has everything else in his miserable life, and besides, there aren't enough troops left to do a decent job of it and a lot of them probably wouldn't go along with it.

Love Ride

LATimes

Think Love Ride, and images of Jay Leno and Harley-Davidson race to mind. But a nitro-fueled cacklefest? Flat-track racing? Stunt-rider pyramids?

The Love Ride is looking a little different in 2007. Now in its 24th year, Southern California's annual cruiser mecca is getting a face lift, with a change of venue and a new three-day adjunct called California Bike Week. Instead of the usual 35-mile pilgrimage to Castaic Lake, the 15,000 bikers expected to turn out for the world's largest one-day motorcycle fundraiser this Sunday will head east to the Pomona Fairplex.

That's the venue for two racing events that will take place earlier in the weekend - the All Harley Drag Racing Assn.'s Nitro Drag Races on Friday and Saturday and the Pacific Coast National Flat Track Series Debut Saturday night. It's also the site of weekend-long freestyle stunt shows, demo rides, a 150-vendor trade show and musical performances, including Gregg Allman, who headlines Sunday afternoon.

"We thought: If we can do the racing in Pomona and have the Love Ride at the same venue, it would really focus a lot of motorcycling activity into one venue and turn it all into a much bigger pie," said Oliver Shokouh, Love Ride founder and owner of Harley-Davidson/Buell of Glendale. "The Love Ride is not a Harley lifestyle event but a motorcycle event open to all motorcyclists of all brands. It's about anybody on two wheels."

I mostly put this in as a plug for Oliver. He gave me my first job in the Harley-Davidson field in 1978. At the time, he was living at his brand-new fresh-bought dealership, on the roof I think, and hadn't even brought his family to California yet. He's of Persian descent, from the Middle East. Detroit. He's a helluva good guy.

He spent his last dime getting that dealership. Don't worry about him. He has plenty of dimes now. The Love Ride is his way of giving back and has raised more than $20,000,000 for Muscular Dystrophy and children's charities over the last 24 years.

Go to Harley-Davidson/Buell of Glendale or Love Ride. You'll be glad you did.

Crossposted at the world's other best blog.

What should Bush do if when he leaves office?

Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times

In a recent column I speculated on President Bush's post-White House plans. What should he do with himself?

Alice Collins of Oak Lawn has an idea.

"Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, in the wind and snow of winter and the heat and humidity of summer, let him tend to the graves of the almost 4,000 men and women who have given their lives in the debacle of Iraq. They honored their oaths, obeyed their commander-in-chief and sacrificed their lives of promise to a lying, unprincipled warmonger.

"He can begin at the grave of my grandson, Lcpl Jonathan W. Collins, killed in action on 8/8/2004."

Amen.

Bush isn't worthy of the honor of tending the graves of those he sent to die for his lies.

Other than that, Amen.

Saturday whorage

The next chapter of Thirty Days at Zeta is up at The Practical Press.

Let us know what's going on with you in comments.

The 1812

One of my favorite pieces of music, whether it's done like this:

Seiji Ozawa and the Berlin Philharmonic - Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture Part 1

Part 2

or this:

Bond - The 1812