What's he on about now?

In case the articles, essays and opinions throughtout this site just weren't enough for you, here's my online diary (a.k.a. 'blog'). It's as close as you'll come to the inside of my head, so don't say I didn't warn you
(and remember, you can always e-mail me if you love or loathe anything you're about to read)...


   Wednesday, August 17, 2005

   PEACEMONGERS

Has it finally happened? Have the American right-wing finally woken up and turned on their failed president?

"You can support the troops but not the president."
--Rep. Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?"
--Sean Hannity, Fox News

"Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years."
--Joe Scarborough (R-FL)

"[The] President . . . is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy."
--Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA)

"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy."
--Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of George W Bush

"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning . . I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area."
--Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)

"I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now."
--Rep. Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is."
--Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)

Governor Bush? I'm confused! Oh wait -- these are OLD quotes (courtesy of DailyKos) that aren't about the war in Iraq but rather Kosovo, specifically President Clinton's 1999 decision to send in peacekeeping troops to halt genocide.

Oh well then, that's different -- in Kosovo, we saw barely any US casualities; in Iraq, 1800 and counting daily. Too bad the Republicans exhausted their supply of moral outrage in 1999.

Labels: George W Bush

It's hard to sympathize when George Bush's five-week vacation (!) is being disrupted by Cindy Sheehan, mother of a slain soldier in Iraq. Her vigil outside Bush's ranch is rapidly becoming a political disaster for him, which is ridiculous. Bill Clinton or even Ronald Reagan would have immediately defused such a protest with a respectful meeting and some vague sympathies. Bush can't even manage that, saying instead:

"I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those who have got something to say. But I think it's also important for me to go on with my life."

Oh Mr. Bush, you did NOT just say that to a woman who's lost her son!

Oh you did.

Ouch.

Labels: George W Bush

Now this is classy: jazz legend Oscar Peterson turns 80 today and is being honoured with both a tribute performance from Diana Krall at HMV and Canada's newest postage stamp:


I've been a fan ever since I heard "Night Train" as a teenager and was lucky enough to briefly meet Oscar when he first visited the York University pub "McLaughlin's" where I used to work. It was later renamed "Oscar's Pub" in honour of our own jazz legend -- though the stamp seems a lot cooler!

Last night's "Six Feet Under" was entitled "All Alone" and was, quite possibly, the best episode of the series -- a haunting and heartbreaking piece of drama.

I'm absolutely burning to natter about it with people but I can't because the events of the last couple episodes are too big to spoil, dammit! Fortunately, HBO will slapping together a DVD set of Season 5 faster than usual and it'll be out in October. Send me some e-mails then!

I'm all for throwing one's opinion around (obviously!) but something as innocuous as the Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino has revealed the limits of consensus. I think the weird little drink is delicious but (behold the beauty of the Internet) there's an entire page of comments on the drink, both pro and con. People love it, people hate it and often for the same reasons. So many opinions on one beverage!

Some people think I rant about the media because of their cheap obsession with celebrities. Oh please -- it's been this way since the days of Mary Astor's diary. No, my problem is that the media forgets that there are more than five ! I don't care about Tom, Katie, Jen or (shudder) 'Brangelina' so stop surrounding me with this:

Thanks to everyone who filled a table at the Churchmouse & Firkin this past Saturday -- my birthday was everything I'd hoped for and then some! It was enormously gratifying to be able to introduce various friends to one another and see them enjoy the meeting. There were moments when I wasn't talking to anyone, just sitting and enjoying watching everyone get along.

And then there was disco! Or at least a little. The bar around the corner has now gone 'top 40 dance' which is just some code-phrase for 'urban' which is just a code-phrase for 'black R&B'. I'm still not sold -- at its best, the music can be rough and sexy but, as a now-official old man, I just don't find it fun. It inspires a lot of bumping-and-grinding amongst couples but I don't think it does much to work up a mixed crowd the way house anthems, Motown, classic rock or, well, just about anything else would.

But that's quibbling. The music wasn't an issue. We just talked and drank and danced a little, everyone having a good time. And that's what I'd planned all along.