"...keeping the nation hooked on its unbelievably destructive brand of heroin."

Today's 'must read' by Mark Morford:

As part of my ongoing effort to save my own soul and avoid repeatedly stabbing myself in the eye with a fork in screaming frustration, and also because it's Beltway politics and watching it too closely is akin to having your cerebral cortex raped by encephalitic trolls, I've only paid cursory attention to the massive, landmark energy bill that's right now passing like a painful gallstone through Congress and getting snagged here and gutted there and stripped of key provisions over here, all so Dubya won't veto it, given how it might be just too mean to his fat, piggish pals in Big Energy.

Besides, it's an energy bill. It's Congress. It's like saying "altar boys" and "the Vatican." What are the odds of something good coming of it?

It's so brutally hypocritical as to be actually rather insane: We're on track to spend $2 trillion on a failed Iraq war that's tied directly to our appalling oil dependency, and yet we can't even allocate the governmental equivalent of pocket change toward encouraging people to install a solar panel on the condo? What kind of nation are we, really?

Well, the Dems tried. And they failed. They failed because they're not smart enough and they don't play dirty enough and they're completely terrified of Dubya's shiny newfound veto pen, which he apparently just found under his box of Osama finger puppets and private stash of gay stem cells. They failed because, despite their hairbreadth control of Congress, the oil-sucking GOP henchmen are still deeply entrenched and are clinging to their corporate cronyism like a Kentucky teen clings to his meth pipe. Hence, one of the most impressive pieces of legislation in 10 years gets choked to death like a pit bull at Michael Vick's house. What, too harsh? Not even close.

Please read the rest.

Pennies behind the fuses?*

Mrs. G came up with the reason for the fire yesterday in the Cheney area of the Eisenhower office building - all the extra shredding in the effort to keep some of the higher-ups out of jail overloaded the electrical circuits.

*If you don't get that reference, ask your grandparents.

Hangin' wit da kidz ...

Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo.

Perspectives ...

Or, What a difference a half-century makes.

I was out early, having my morning cigarette (have I mentioned it's fucking cold here?), watching the dawn break, when Mrs. F joined me. She commented how beautiful it was in this valley. I said that I always expect to hear Grieg's Morning playing whenever I step outside.

That thought brought me back to a story my mother used to tell me.

It was near the end of WW2, late '44 or early '45, and my mother was home for a bit of leave before going back to the field hospital where she was a nurse. The Americans had an artillery battery set up a few miles away on the other side of this mountain.



She said they would lob shells into the town on a regular basis, forcing the residents to seek shelter in their basements. A few miles away, on the other side of town, there was a German anti-air battery set up.

One day, an American fighter plane came in low, from this direction. She thought he was either looking for German supply convoys or was going to line up to do a ground assault on the local train station.



As she watched (from the spot I took these pics), she heard the German AAA open up and they caught him, the plane crashing in a fireball on the mountain in the first pic. Being a nurse, mom didn't think twice, stuffing a bag with supplies and running to the scene. All she found when she got there were the scorched remains of a fighter plane and the pilot's right hand with a wedding ring on the finger.

60 years later, it's almost impossible to believe this place was once a war zone. As I stand here in disbelief, trying to comprehend the inhumanity that took place here, I think of the people in Iraq, also once at peace and, through no doing of their own, are now feeling the effects of the horror we've wrought upon them. This little town, this little slice of heaven on God's Front Porch, knew only horror and death for years thanks to a man named Hitler. The Iraqis know the same horror and death (for it's all the same to the innocent) thanks to a man named Bush.

Hopefully the Iraqis can move on from what we've done to them but I don't think it will happen anytime soon. It is imperative we right the wrongs we've done, just as the Germans did so many years ago. The Iraqis must have their Morning and it's up to us to give it to them.



As always, click on the pics to embiggen. I'm going upstairs to breakfast now, but after thinking about this and my mother's war, I don't think I have an appetite.

Ex-Mormon Cartoonist Says Romney Not Telling Truth

Heh. I well understand the feeling Mr. Benson must have about being described as an "Ex-Mormon Cartoonist". I myself have been described in newspaper articles as an "Unemployed Motorcyclist". Praise of the highest order! But I digress...

E & P

As an ex-Mormon, Arizona Republic editorial cartoonist Steve Benson has strong opinions about current Mormon Mitt Romney. He said the Republican candidate's recent speech on religion should not be trusted by media people and other Americans.

He told E&P that, in his view, a Mormon believer is required by church doctrine (as dictated by the church's "living prophet") to "obey God's commands" over anything else. He said "Romney, like all 'temple Mormons,' made his secret vows using Masonic-derived handshakes, passwords, and symbolic death oaths that he promised in the temple never to reveal to the outside world" -- and that Romney also secretly vowed to devote his "time, talents" and more "to the building of the Mormon religion on earth."

"When Mitt says he belongs to a church that doesn't tell him what to do, that's false; it's a 24/7, do-what-you're-told-to-do church," asserted Benson, who won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 1993.

That was the year Benson left what he calls the "Mormon cult." [...]

Romney "needs to face an informed member of the media with 'cojones' who has a working and perhaps personal experience with Mormonism," said Benson. "It would be harder for Romney to do his well-practiced duck and dodge."

An informed member of the media with 'cojones'? Fat chance, white boy.

Benson predicted that Romney will not win the Republican presidential nomination. If Romney is nominated, added the cartoonist, he will not defeat his Democratic opponent.

Voters, said Benson, "are not ready for someone in the Oval Office who has committed to absolute obedience to a religion they feel is extremely odd and not in the American mainstream. I trust the rational U.S. electorate, not the weird Mormon God."

I got a sneakin' hunch that the Repug candidate is gonna be None Of The Above, but one thing's fer sure - we damn sure don't need any more Jesus freaks, Godsquadders, or weird racist cultists such as Saints and neocons, in the White House. We got a pretty representative combo of all that right now and it's like to wrecked the joint

House passes Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act

Think Progress

Last month, Iraq war vet Jordan Fox revealed that some wounded soldiers were being asked by the Pentagon to return part of their enlistment bonuses. Today, the House passed the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act to ensure that future soldiers aren’t treated like Fox. The legislation will ensure that members of the armed services who are discharged as a result of combat-related wounds receive the full compensation to which they are entitled by the Department of Defense. Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA), one of the bill’s primary sponsors, spoke on the floor this morning. Watch it:

Thank you, Congressman, but if it gets through the Senate, Bush will probably veto it as being too expensive under his "no pull trigger, no get food" policy for Veterans.

Time drops Kristol, Krauthammer

The New York Observer via Think Progress

Two conservative Time magazine columnists are on their way out the door: Neither William Kristol nor longtime contributor Charles Krauthammer will be on contract with the magazine starting next month. [...]

The exact reasons for the departures of Mr. Krauthammer and Mr. Kristol, both high-profile backers of the Iraq war, are not entirely clear.

Gee, ya don't think it could possibly be because these two warmongering neocon bastards are high-profile backers of the criminal Iraq war, do ya?

The Time spokeswoman would not detail the reasons for ending the contract of Mr. Kristol, the editor of The Weekly Standard, but said that the decision was mutual. Mr. Kristol did not return a call for comment.

Lemme tell ya what 'mutual' means from my experience over five decades of being a mechanic - it means "You're fired", "Fuck you. You can't fire me! I quit!". Mutual. It's the reason toolboxes have wheels.

It took me years to figure out to just let 'em fire me without saying "I quit" so I could get unemployment insurance...

Note to Time: Canning those assholes is a step in the right direction, but that guy Ponuunuunnuuu or whatever that you're considering sounds like you're just replacing two neocon extremists with a garden variety right wing extremist. Watch it.

Huckenfreude

MFBTGR* has a 'must read' post that will bring a smile to your face.

So why is the Republican establishment suddenly in a state of near-apoplexy about Mike Huckabee? Shouldn't they be happy? They've been cultivating evangelicals and fundamentalists for 30 years. Now they finally have a candidate who's truly part of the movement. So what's the problem?

Actually, that is the problem. The evangelical crowd was fine when it was just a resource to be cynically exploited every few years in demagogic anti-gay get-out-the-vote campaigns. But now the holy-rolling monster the GOP's Dr. Frankensteins have created has thrown off the shackles, fled the lab, and is currently leading in Iowa. And the party doesn't know what to do.

It's actually fun to watch the consternation. Ross Douthat has dubbed this feeling "Huckenfreude," which he defines as "pleasure derived from the outrage of prominent conservative pundits over the rising poll numbers of Mike Huckabee."

Please, please, please go read the rest!

Perhaps it's not Hucklomatic to admit to great Huckenfreude watching the Repugs commit Huckocide, but hey, just Huckin' Huck 'em.

*My Favorite Big-Titted Greek Redhead

Tech note

Just so you all know, I found I can't send email here. I'm looking into it but I'll be coming home in 10 days so it isn't a great priority. So to all those folks who've written (I can receive fine), I'm not ignoring you and I'll respond as soon as I get back Stateside.

That is all.

Dodd!

[As always, a big Brain welcome to Sideshow readers and great thanks to the wonderful Avedon for the linkage.]

C & L has the goods but I loved this line:

“I’ve been asked, what’s the first thing I’d do as president in the year 2009, and January 20th. And I’m going to give you back your Constitution, because this administration has gone out of it’s way to do just the opposite and the Constitution does not belong to a political party or a candidate and they’ve been trampling all over it.”

By the way, thanks to Bush, there are a lot of pissed off Germans here and people aren't shy about telling me what a buncha assholes we've become.

Update:

And let me just add, these are people I've known for more than 40 years. People who thought Jack Kennedy was the greatest thing since sliced bread and whose dream it was to come to America. People who used to ask me to send them anything (t-shirts, stuffed animals, posters) with an American flag on it. As far as they're concerned now, we can shove it all up our collective ass. Being they have experience and all ...

Now, if I could remember my favorite things...

I got this via e-mail from my friend Bev:

[It wouldn't be funny if it wasn't so true!! Julie Andrews turned 69. To commemorate her 69th birthday, the famous actress/vocalist made a special appearance at Manhattan 's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP. One of the musical numbers she performed was "My Favorite Things" from the legendary movie
"The Sound Of Music." with a few minor changes to the lyrics....

Here are the actual lyrics she used:

Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillacs and cataracts, and hearing aids andglasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses;
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings. These are a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad, I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pains, confused brains, and no need forsinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',
And we won't mention our short, shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache, When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim, Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel so bad.

(Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd that lasted over four minutes and repeated encores.) Please share Ms. Andrews' clever wit and humor with others who would appreciate it.]

Update:

I passed this on, as directed, to some of my over-60 crowd. Alert as ever, my pal Barb got back to me almost instantly. Turns out it apparently ain't true. It's funny anyway.

Soufflenheim and Betschdorf

As promised, we took a trip across the border into the Alsace. First to the town of Betschdorf and then on to Soufflenheim. I posted a few pics from Betschdorf (here) and more from Soufflenheim (here and here).

R.I.P. Irony

CNN

Former President Bill Clinton said Monday that the first thing his wife Hillary will do when she reaches the White House is dispatch him and his predecessor, President George H.W. Bush, on an around-the-world mission to repair the damage done to America's reputation by the current president — Bush's son, George W. Bush.

I hope it causes G.H.W. Bush chest pains every time he realizes this whole thing could have been prevented if he'da not been so horny he didn't want to stop at the drugstore that day in '46...

Quote of the Day

Kos

From the Senate floor, Ted Kennedy just cut through all the crap:

The President has said that American lives will be sacrificed if Congress does not change FISA. But he has also said that he will veto any FISA bill that does not grant retro-active immunity. No immunity, no FISA bill. So if we take the President at his word, he's willing to let Americans die to protect the phone companies.

A-freaking-men.

Our Town

A few pics from the old cemetery and church in our little town. We're heading into Alsace-Lorraine (the French border is 10 minutes from here) for, why else, so Mrs. F can shop. Soufflenheim, the town we're going to, is known for its handmade pottery and ceramics.

Edwards talks tough. I like it.

Chicago Tribune

"The few, the powerful, the well-financed, they now control the government," John Edwards told a tight crowd of about 350 last week. "They've taken over your democracy. And it affects everything that happens in this country."

"Everything," he emphasized.

At 54, Edwards has jettisoned the polite and unthreatening populism of his 2004 presidential campaign for a sharper edge. The beaming smile, the bluejeans and the open-collar shirt are still a constant. But the "Two Americas" message has been replaced by one America, and it's time, he says, to take that America back.

"I know some people suggest we'll be able to sit at the table with drug companies and oil companies and think they can get their power away. Right," Edwards said dismissively, indirectly referring to the approaches he says Obama and Clinton would take.

"I'll tell you when they'll [corporations] lose their power: when we take it away from them," he told a cheering crowd at the Grinnell Eagles Club.

Finally, someone's tellin' it like it is. Fuck bein' nice to the Repugs and corporate elite. They take, take, take from us and we have to TAKE our country back from them.

They're not going to give up all the money and power without a fight. There might be a few bloody noses along the way, but ya gotta bring some to get some.

I watched the Lord Of The Rings movie "Return Of The King" for the first time last night. Almost a perfect metaphor for what's goin' on in America, and for what needs to be done to correct it. It's no accident that about the meekest guy ever was tasked with destroying the evil ring of all power. Everybody else fought like the blazes to give Frodo the time and space to get 'er done and he came through like a champ in the end.

The Democrats lately have demonstrated that they're about as meek as they come, but I hope they can find as much balls as the Hobbits to do what needs to be done. Edwards ain't exactly Frodo, but perhaps he'll do.

AT&T engineer says Bush Administration sought to implement domestic spying within two weeks of taking office

Raw Story

Nearly 1,300 words into Sunday's New York Times article revealing new details of the National Security Agency's domestic eavesdropping program, the lawyer for an AT&T engineer alleges that "within two weeks of taking office, the Bush administration was planning a comprehensive effort of spying on Americans’ phone usage.”

"9/11 changed everything" my ass. It sure was a good excuse to let them do what they were doing anyway, though, wasn't it?

And everything else Bush wanted to do as well that he was already planning to do, from expanding presidential power to starting his criminal Oil War. Makes ya kinda wonder...

Quoteof the Day

Tony Peyser on the 'steroids in baseball' report:

Even President Bush weighed in: "My hope is that this report is a part of putting the steroid era of baseball behind us." That's his administration and all Republicans in a nutshell. Whether it's a phony war, real torture, or spying on U.S. citizens, Jeez, don't put it in FRONT of anyone. Are you crazy?

Christmas Market

Went to a Christmas market yesterday evening by train in a beautiful little town called Deidesheim. It was really cold but we had a good time. Shit, anytime Mrs. F can shop is a good time.

Guten Morgen!

I took some pics this morning on my way to visit my mom at the family plot. More ot follow when I have time.