Back In The Blogger's Seat

Interesting the effect that jury duty and trying to replace lost billable hours will have on one's blog, should you in fact have a blog, as I do. I got two weeks "off" and to the powers that be, it looks like I took a two-week vacation but sitting in that courtroom for two weeks was far from it. Since my professional success and compensation are measured in large part by how many clients I have and how much I bill every year, being on jury duty has put a crimp -- no, let's call it a crAmp -- on my employment, the trickle down effect of which has also cramped my style when it comes to posting regularly.

So with that mea culpa out of the way and as I continue working on a longer piece that I hope to post this weekend, let me hit the reset button and throw a few random thoughts up in here.


I'm quickly realizing that I'm a much bigger Obama fan than I am a Democratic Party fan. He's only been in office two months, but I really like the way he's approaching things and the way he clearly explains his thinking and what he's trying to do. He's stuck between two poles: dealing with seriously P.O.'ed Americans whose pockets were, and are continuing to get picked by corporate greed; and recognizing that the only way out of this mess, is to allow more corporate pick-pocketing. The guy really can't win because he can't make everyone happy, but you wouldn't know it because he's as cool as they come. What sitting President does Leno? What sitting President laughs at these problems on 60 Minutes? As John McCain would say, "That one." I love it. His political enemies are so desperate to lower his approval rating that they've taken to criticizing small shit like his use of a teleprompter and the fact that he went on Leno. It's ridiculous. George Bush spent 40% of his Presidency on vacation; Obama's been in office two months and they're ripping him for doing a 20 minute spot on a late night talk show? Please. Is that all you've got?

He is the Black Ronald Reagan. Barring any kind of sex scandal or a crack-pot trying to take him out, he's a two-termer. He's just too smooth. Sure, he'll do something dumb out of hubris in the second term (the guy does like himself a little too much), but we'll get a good six years out of him or so.

As for the Democratic Party, what a bunch of pansy fuckups. They haven't played this stimulus bill out wisely. At all. With their inability to exercise discretion on the programs they're spending our money on and learn from the Republicans' mistakes, they should expect to be turned out in large numbers in 2010. I know it's early, but these fools don't seem to have learned anything from the Republicans' foibles the past six years. It's a bit like watching one of those grainy black and white movies where you see all these nutty people driving Model T's in the middle of a city with no traffic lights. Who the hell is in charge? Why do they think pork is acceptable at a time like this? Does anyone in Congress have a brain? Now I hear some of them are defecting on the spending package because they're up for re-election and don't want to be labeled as big spenders by their future opponents. Then you have dirty coal-state Democrats like Robert Byrd blocking Obama's efforts to improve our policies on global warming.

Let me tell you something that you should already know. There's no difference between the two political parties in this country when it comes to self-interest and perpetuating their own power. All they care about is getting re-elected, not doing well by this country. Obama would do well to chart his own course and show the Democratic Party the back side of his hand every once in awhile. He seems to be doing a bit more of that now, but I didn't like how he gave Pelosi et al. the steering wheel on the budget and this stimulus package. Not that The Party of NO! is any better. Top to bottom, they're pathetic and transparent. Jindal is a joke and Eric Cantor is the biggest douche-face I've seen since Tom Delay. The guy hasn't met a camera he didn't want to fellate and he sniffs out free publicity like Toucan Sam chasing Froot Loops.

So much to be done and so many ineptiks in power to perpetuate this mess.

Rarely have I appreciated my job more than right now. We all piss and moan about work and all the things wrong with our jobs and the people who make decisions about our fate, blah blah. But when the shit hits the Stop sign, I realize how dependent I am on my job for all my necessities, wants, pleasures, and the freedom that I enjoy. That's when I understand that my job is my lifeline. It's the fountain from which all happiness springs. You can't travel without a job to pay for it. You can't save for a car or a house or clothes or that lovely leather murse if you don't have a job to leverage your materialism. Of course, the merits of full employment are easily taken for granted when I'm mired in work and killing too many Saturdays in the office. But not right now. Now, I WANT to work more. Which makes me despise this recession even more. Damn you, Recession, for making me even more of a slave and happy about it! Damn you for binding me closer to the alienation of which Marx spake!

Whither the Kindle? Do I need a Kindle? No. I can get by reading a normal book in my hand and buying the occasional newspaper. Neither will stop me from getting one, however. Raise your hand if you don't know what the fuck a Kindle is. Luddites.

Whither the Watchmen Movie? I went out and bought the graphic novel to see what the fuss was all about. Also, Time magazine had picked it as one of the 100 best all-time books. I really enjoyed it. Some weird-ass superheros though. A guy who dresses like an owl? Another who calls himself The Comedian? Who came up with this? Dr. Manhattan, well that's a cool name, I like that. I'm not sure how I missed it when it came out in 1988, but the story works and has stood the test of time. Now the question is, do I ruin it all by seeing the movie, which purists have sworn off, or do I leave it alone? I don't know. Maybe I'll ask Kindle and see what he thinks.

Total number of Palestinians killed in the recent Gaza conflict: 1400, including 900 civilians. Total Israelis killed: 13. Hmmmm. Disproportionate, much? New York-based Human Rights Watch is calling the Israelis' indiscriminate use of white phosphorus in densely populated areas a war crime. Who am I to disagree? Hamas is being pegged for its war crime of deliberately shooting rockets at civilian targets in Israel, this which precipitated the Israeli invasion, according to Israel. Me, I think it was more Obama's election that precipitated the Israeli invasion. They had to get their last licks in and try and decapitate Hamas before Obama came in and took away W's blank check, so-far-up-Israel's-ass-that-his-head-came-out-in-Tel-Aviv policy. Why can't anyone in this country criticize Israel without being villified? How is it in our national interest to go along with everything Israel does? Aren't there as many Israelis as Americans out there who think their country's foreign policy sucks a lot of the time? There have to be.

Disturbing environmental factoid of the week: Scientists are discovering with increasing regularity traces of prescription drugs in our water supply. Our rivers in particular are loaded with it. Scientists are also finding that due to their constant exposure to the water, many fish and frogs are loaded with all kinds of pharmaceuticals: bipolar medication, anti-depressants, high cholesterol drugs, high blood pressure and allergy medication, among others. Doesn't that sound great? Now we can all take Paxil and Zoloft just by eating sushi. Cut out the middle-man, that's what I say!

Don't look now, but Mexico is exploding. It's the new Colombia. While we cavort around and engage in an ill-advised military adventure a world away, Americans are being killed right next door, in our very own neighborhood, and it's barely making headlines. Mexico's political system is hopelessly corrupt. Politicians and cops on the take, pay-offs galore, and cartels who have their own armies. I don't see any end to it either because the DEMAND for the drugs that these entrepreneurs are selling is VERY HIGH here in these UNITED STATES. Americans like their Mary Juana and Coke-hyena. Kill the demand, you kill the industry.

All this wasted money on a "drug war" that is rotting from the inside out, swallowing itself. Mark my words: Mexico is on the verge of a civil war. There is too much poverty and corruption for things to continue too much longer without blowing up in a big way. Then we'll see what REAL illegal immigration is like. Except instead of calling them "refugees" like we would if they came from Cuba, we'll deport them as quickly as possible.

This just in: Octomom once worked as a stripper. Perfect! Octomom, I've got just the guy for you. Have you met A-Rod? A-Rod, Octomom. This'll be perfect. A-Rod, you've got the $$$ to take care of Octomom and her 14 kids, and Octomom, you're just nutty enough to make A-Rod look stable. Two great tastes that go great together. Mazel Tov!