Crime and Punishment

Libby's guilty, Libby's just doing his job, Libby shouldn't have lied to the grand jury, Bush will pardon Libby, Dick Cheney should be indicted. Of all of the story breaking out of Washington, what truly is apparent is that the Iraq War was not only a lie but a deceit and a bungle to boot. Should a 'grander' jury investigate Cheney and Rove? How much farther can this current administration fall? President Bush is wandering around South America this week trying to get as far as he can from D.C. while still remaining in 'popular' territory and yet thousands of protesters meet him with Nazi flags and Saddam masks. Why is it that a single symbol can capture the feeling of a single nation when one man is truly that symbol? As I've written before (but what the heck do I know?), the greatest danger is Bush's two further years remaining. This will do nothing but further drain the United States of energy, respect and prestige in the world. For those who say, 'the United States will always remain the most powerful nation in the world; to hell with everyone else', the problem is when 'everyone else abandons US when the U.S. needs them. A and THE most powerful nation can always survive an attack when assisted but when the barbarians hit and THE most powerful nation is defenseless on all sides is when power subsides rapidly. Even in 'victory' like Britain experienced in WWII can an empire dissolve; how many more years can the U.S. be the only nation military engaged with terrorism? This nation's people have support, love and envy; it's its leadership that the world detests. Southerners and the Jesus Campers wanted Bush to play the lone ranger; look what we are faced with. Carefull what you wish for.

Al Gore - turn the lights out when you leave the room.

Barack - if you want to talk like a populist, act like one. Know who buys your stocks.

Dick - consider resigning if you want your party to have any hope of winning 2008.

Rudy - Come out of the closet, dude, you're a Democrat for the majority of those who live south of the Mason-Dixon.

John McC - Your age may be a liability. Your flip-flopping may do you in. Stop courting the right-wing extremists and let them either not vote or create a lame third party. Either way, the centrist approach will only help. Stop pandering to the antebellum gentry.

Hillary - carpetbagger that you are, you need to realize that you're killing not only your chances of winning when you speak, you're killing the Democrats' chances of taking 2008.

Mitt - you tied the winner in my class's presidential poll! Either the Mormon vote pulled you through or else not that many people are concerned with your religious affiliation.

John - faggot????!?!!!?!?!!? Yeah, Ann Coulter's the Christian that I want influencing my children. Your problem is that the populist thing only goes from one end of your 28,000 square foot palace to the other. Smart thinking.

Who does this leave? I'm not sure. None of these people are saints but yet everyone should consider just where their strengths lie and how to keep their mojo going for another year and a half. I'm not sure whether I can either stomach that much more Bush time or campaign time.

A student gave me the latest Who album after hating it. The deluxe edition with a DVD snippet from last July. The DVD was terrible; Roger's voice was shot and the performance appeared unrehearsed. The album, however, was truly great. I was impressed at just how much the 71-73 sound was captured in a a modern album with powerful guitar-driven songs and a good flow of songs. Their best? After listening to 'Squeeze Box', this album's defintely the best in my lifetime.

Who the heck is Arcade Fire? Should I buy the record? Should I ignore them?

I know, I know - David Bowie's 'Aladdin Sane' is the greatest record of 1973. Holy ***; how did I not get this album???? 1973 brought about many great things including me. The music was untouchable and this one I finally 'got' as I listened to it twice in my headphones.

American Idol - how underwhelming is Season Six? Are we finally hitting a wall?

Bruce is in the studio with a release date of my son's birthday. It doesn't get any better than this!