It's Been A Long Time, Been A Long Time

Wow, these last two weeks have flown by. Much to remember, much to record:

Almost quit my job, I was that frustrated.

My son turned a year old and has continued to warm my heart as he walks and gives mommy and me kisses.

My son had an allergic reaction to his medication and has had a bit of a rough go.

Picked up the "new" Dylan album from 1962. Formative yet definitive of the era. Still want the Bootlegs outtakes from the Scorcese doc but am not sure it's worth the purchase price.

Been listening to a ton of jazz. A great box set of Ellington from his roots to 1949. While I appreciate his late 30s-40s stuff, that man swung like no other in the early 30s. Hard to believe the music on my cd's is nearly 80 years old and yet I find myself boogeying down like I was in the studio. Picked up Sonny's 9/11 album and the new Wynton live album which will knock over even the most ignorant, non-jazz loving person with good hearing. Also spinning Branford, Monk, Benny Goodman. Taking my brother to see Doug Wamble on Monday night.

Saw "Monster" and not the R.E.M. album. Disturbing and conflicting. A real person, someone with a soul and yet someone who committed such acts of atrosity that I was torn about her eventual fate. I'd be curious to hear others' opinions, especially other Christians'.

Have been wishing that I could have experienced the 1920s a bit as I teach the decade in my classes. What a time it was...

Bought a cool acoustic guitar which isn't the greatest but plays like it's supposed to be. Maybe I ought to call my guitar Harry Truman, who said that he wasn't "a very good president but ha[d] fun trying" and yet is seen as one of the most influential chief executives in our history.

Speaking of presidents...ah, man, why waste the time and let everyone else speak? Even Bill Maher, someone whom I don't usually agree with, says this:

Mr. President, this job can't be fun for you any more. There's no more money to spend--you used up all of that. You can't start another war because you used up the army. And now, darn the luck, the rest of your term has become the Bush family nightmare: helping poor people. Listen to your Mom. The cupboard's bare, the credit cards maxed out. No one's speaking to you. Mission accomplished.

Now it's time to do what you've always done best: lose interest and walk away. Like you did with your military service and the oil company and the baseball team. It's time. Time to move on and try the next fantasy job. How about cowboy or space man? Now I know what you're saying: there's so many other things that you as President could involve yourself in. Please don't. I know, I know. There's a lot left to do. There's a war with Venezuela. Eliminating the sales tax on yachts. Turning the space program over to the church. And Social Security to Fannie Mae. Giving embryos the vote.

But, Sir, none of that is going to happen now. Why? Because you govern like Billy Joel drives. You've performed so poorly I'm surprised that you haven't given yourself a medal. You're a catastrophe that walks like a man. Herbert Hoover was a shitty president, but even he never conceded an entire city to rising water and snakes.

On your watch, we've lost almost all of our allies, the surplus, four airliners, two trade centers, a piece of the Pentagon and the City of New Orleans. Maybe you're just not lucky. I'm not saying you don't love this country. I'm just wondering how much worse it could be if you were on the other side.

So, yes, God does speak to you. What he is saying is: 'Take a hint.'

(from Altercation, 9/14/05)

I honestly think that what we're seeing is the worst, most damaging presidency in at least the last thirty-five years. Whether one hated Nixon, he at least steered the country in somewhat of a good direction regarding the future of the country. With that said, I believe Tricky Dick really screwed us, but I will continue: George W. Bush's presidency may be the worst in our nation's history and very well could be the unraveling of this superpower giant. Like Achilles, the weakness has been exposed; many knew the giant's weakness but kept the secret just that. Now, after Katrina, the whole world sees just how vulnerable the giant is and sees that in fact the giant is so big that in order to protect everything, the giant will have to eat itself. I'm not saying this to wish harm on anyone, but policy makers and foreseers know exactly what's going to lay on the horizon. God help us.
Damnit, if we only paid more attention to our freshman studies. That's where this little ignorant, red neck country boy learned the word 'hubris' and what it meant. Damned if my students weren't using that same term after reading, of all people, George Will's latest column in Newsweek where Thomas Hobbes and New Orleans are in the same discussion. Who would think that the conservative agenda, the one that wants to "shrink the federal government so that it could be drowned in the bathtub" would be looking so bad right now? Where have you gone, FDR?
George, remember, we get to not only remember this history, we have the privilege of teaching it. You'll be wishing you gave Florida to Al, you insensitive spoiled failure.