music on my mind

Poverty has hit a new low.

The countdown is shortly going to be on--this occupational experience is more underwhelming than I expected it to be. I am looking forward to the end.

Hopefully soon I/we should hear if we are approved for the new place--I’m keeping my fingers crossed. The location is practically the same location as I'm at now and no one will have lived there before. The downside is that the space will be small but I think I can get used to that considering the rent and the terrace the size of a small backyard.

I’m finding it mildly amusing, in a smirkish sort of way, that the compassionate conservatives are spewing so much targeted vitriol. I'm glad that the tone in Washington is being elevated--I'm sure the terror rainbow will be raised as the election nears.

If I ran Crayola, I'd rename crayon colors after the terror warning levels. Children should be on the lookout as much as grown ups and they should be taught to be afraid while they are still young and impressionable--Leave the adults to the media outlets.

I was reading the other day how Tony Blair spent 2 1/2 hours in Parliament taking a beating over Iraq, the UK/US relationship and Britain's own relationship to the continent. As much as I fervently disagree with the right honorable gentleman on many policy issues, his presence in the Parliamentary setting--having tough questions fired at him on a broad spectrum of issues--is something that is admirable and at the same time sad. Leaders of nations and statesman should have intellectual capacity to be able to think on their feet and communicate with clarity of language that does not rely heavily on obfuscation and cliché. Citizens of any country should demand such traits from their leaders.

Imagine for a moment if gwb had to face Parliament--or for you xenophobes make it a joint session of Congress. Can anyone rationally believe that he could hold his own amongst a barrage of thoughtful questioning? Do you imagine that if he had to face an antagonistic set of questions that he would handle it with a dignity and aplomb that past and present leaders of nations display--or might he follow Dick Chaney's example? Some insight into the answer might be found in the interview he gave to Irish State television on the eve of his vacation there.

The thing that scares me about the state of politics and leadership in this country is that there is a real lack of viable choices. Between them gwb and john kerry will spend in excess of $500 million to get elected. How is there any real choice? How can any third party even hope to compete in this media age when faced with such large 'war chests'?

The country is currently so polarized that there really is only one choice to make: to reelect gwb or not? That is it. It is a modern day power struggle not only amongst the elite but amongst the citizenry who either feel disenfranchised and marginalized or powerful and elite.

As much as politics should be about ideas what we are experiencing now is anything but. Ask gwb voters why they will vote for him again. Then ask a follow up question. I'll give you the only 50 cents I have if you get responses with any veritable substance.

Ask the same questions of those opposed to the current regime and most likely you'll get a laundry list of reasons why. Now notice the difference between the two--and likely you'll find that those supporting gwb and his cronies do so for reasons specific to them. Let's call them "I" reasons. I feel safer. I think that he has a good vision for the future (don't bother asking what the vision is). The economy is up and I have a job. I don't care what the rest of the world thinks, I'm an American.

I love the implicit racism, egotism, selfishness and ignorance that are cloaked in the flag, the banner of patriotism. "You are either with us or with the terrorists." So let me get this straight--if I disagree with the policies and actions of my country, I am a terrorist. In reality doesn't that make me a patriot, a son of the revolution that founded this country? (By the way, there is an interesting discussion to be had about what makes one a freedom fighter/revolutionary or a terrorist)

I’m frustrated and tired by everything, but the fight must always go on.