Just Get Me A Fucking Faith-Based Thing

More liberal media bullshit. Wait, no. Thanks, all you fucking suckers. You probably still ain't learned a goddamn thing.

Yotes

We came upon a somewhat gruesome scene while driving through rural central Texas yesterday: a collection of dead coyotes hung on some rancher's posts. Yeesh.

Damn Skippy

Spectacular

Santa goes commando at Gardenridge...
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Foresight's 20/20

I'm not saying I agree with the Feingold or the French all the time. They can be pretty big douchebags themselves. Today I came across these pre-war statements and combined with my thinking about things, such as, the iraq in the last week it was pretty bitter tonic. This in the face of claims I hear all the time that everyone was following the same mistaken intelligence reports, or how noone could have known what would have happened in this fucking mess. Or how the dems bitch about the war solely for political gain, Bush talking about how the media ruins any rosy picture he tries to put out there, gimme a fucking break. It's terrible and a lot of people called that shit. But we're in break it-bought it mode now, and in the face what has been such a sorry downward spiral it's really hard to accept that some people still feel we have the best people in the top jobs. Honestly, I know jackshit about international politics or actual military strategy, but I don't know much about pitching a fastball or fixing a motorcycle either. But some people do. Some people do.

Both in terms of the justifications for an invasion and in terms of the mission and the plan for the invasion, Mr. President, the Administration's arguments just don't add up. They don't add up to a coherent basis for a new major war in the middle of our current challenging fight against the terrorism of al Qaeda and related organizations. Therefore, I cannot support the resolution for the use of force before us.

I associate myself with the concerns eloquently raised by Senator Kennedy and Senator Byrd and others that this could well represent a disturbing change in our overall foreign and military policy. This includes grave concerns about what such a preemption-plus policy will do to our relationship with our allies, to our national security, and to the cause of world peace in so many regions of the world, where such a doctrine could trigger very dangerous actions with really very minimal justification.

But, Mr. President, I am increasingly troubled by the seemingly shifting justifications for an invasion at this time. My colleagues, I'm not suggesting there has to be only one justification for such a dramatic action. But when the Administration moves back and forth from one argument to another, I think it undercuts the credibility of the case and the belief in its urgency. I believe that this practice of shifting justifications has much to do with the troubling phenomenon of many Americans questioning the Administration's motives in insisting on action at this particular time.

What am I talking about? I'm talking about the spectacle of the President and senior Administration officials citing a purported connection to al Qaeda one day, weapons of mass destruction the next day, Saddam Hussein's treatment of his own people on another day, and then on some days the issue of Kuwaiti prisoners of war.

I am especially troubled by these shifting justifications because I and most Americans strongly support the President on the use of force in response to the attacks on September 11, 2001. I voted for Senate Joint Resolution 23, the use of force resolution, to go after al Qaeda and the Taliban and those associated with the tragedies of September 11. And I strongly support military actions pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 23.

But the relentless attempt to link 9-11 and the issue of Iraq has been disappointing to me for months, culminating in the President's singularly unpersuasive attempt in Cincinnati to interweave 9-11 and Iraq, to make the American people believe that there are no important differences between the perpetrators of 9-11 and Iraq.

Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold on Opposing the Resolution Authorizing the Use of Force Against Iraq From the Senate Floor - October 9, 2002

A second reason for the reluctance of the French people is that Iraq is not viewed as an immediate threat. Thanks to the determination of President Bush and the international community - and to the inspections that destroyed more armaments between 1991 and 1998 than did the Persian Gulf war itself, and which have now been reinforced with stronger means and bigger teams - Saddam Hussein is in a box. And the box has been closed with the inspectors in it.

Europeans consider North Korea a greater threat. Imagine what a sense of security we all would feel if, as in Iraq, 100 inspectors were proceeding with unimpeded inspections throughout North Korea, including the president's palaces.

A third reason for the cautious mood relates to the consequences of a war in Iraq. We see Iraq as a very complex country, with many different ethnic groups, a tradition of violence and no experience of democracy. You can't create democracy with bombs - in Iraq, it would require time, a strong presence and a strong committment.

We also worry about the region - considering that no peace process is at work for the moment in the Middle East, that none of the great powers seem able to foster one, and that a war in Iraq could result in more frustration and bitterness in the Arab and Muslim worlds.

People in France and more broadly in Europe fear that a military intervention could fuel extremism and encourage Qaeda recruitment. A war could weaken the indispensable international coalition against terrorism and worsen the threat of Islamic terrorism.

The inspections should be pursued and strengthened, and Saddam Hussein must be made to cooperate actively. War must remain the very last option.

Thank you very much.

Embassy of France in the United States - February 14, 2003

But then I glance back at a great uncyclopedia page on redundancy, which is uncyclopedia's entry on redundancy that uncyclopedia created to discuss the topic of redundancy, itself written in a repetitive way that states the same ideas over and over, and once more again, restating its definition of redundancy ad infinitum, and I find it amusingly hilarious that I can still laugh.

Here's the link.

J'accuse

Foxjerky

As I was picking up some Stella on the way home from work yesterday, I stumbled into this unfortunate mess: official Jeff Foxworthy beef jerky. I was honestly stunned for a couple of seconds. Could this possibly preclude my enjoying beef jerky for the rest of my entire life? When my mind was done wrapping itself around the concept of a comedian-endorsed meat product, I laughed heartily and drew my camera phone. I'm still not certain whether you get 10% more jerky or 10% more sleeping-ferret moustache. In other news, I still like Stella very much but after having them both in a short time frame I think Bitburger continues to be my No.1 preferred lager.

Schlotzsky's gives you a pickle spear now! I don't know when they started doing this because before yesterday I hadn't eaten there in quite a while. In any case, it's a damn good pickle! I can't find anything about it on their website but it was really fresh and had an interesting flavor. Their sandwiches are still very good, and I went ahead and doused mine in a bunch of their hot sauce, which I hadn't done before. It was excellent. It was a relatively new location out in a big strip mall development near work, all pimped out inside with lots of big wood beam framework and free-use computers and wifi. I remember hearing that they were having some kind of bankruptcy situation or something a while back; I guess nothing substantial ever came of that cause the place was about as big as the one down on Lamar. I remember that seemed like it was going to be their home base back in the day, as big as they could get. Now that I'm thinking about it, me, Aner, and Mutton all went there on the last day of high school.

How Long? Walter E. Long!

We went to Decker Lake on Sunday (a.k.a. Walter E. Long Lake) for a little fishing action with the pops. It's supposed to be "excellent" for bass fishing and I've heard good things about the white bass there but we didn't run into much luck. First, we tried for some catfish early on with some cut up shrimp and bobbers in the power plant outlet; nothing doing. Then we moved around the main bend in the lake and checked out a little cove where shad were jumping, a good sign. We threw in a few spoons and floating lures with no response until my dad confirmed that the dark shape I had earlier witnessed chasing the little shad out of the water was a gar, and there were several of them about. To finish up, we started at one end of the dam and floated along throwing in some minnows. Finally c2 got a hit and pulled in a little bass, a little one but welcome company nevertheless. A few minutes later dad caught a freshwater drum. He croaked at us and we let him go. A couple of times on the water the sky opened up and dropped a downpour on us. Dad's little boat has a canopy on it so we were able to stand (or crouch) underneath and get some protection from the rain, but it was definitely the visual of the day to see the air thick with precipitation and the surface of the water turned into a layer of dancing spray.

This was a disgusting update on the abu ghraib b.s. It focuses on Taguba's account of the events but provides some believeable side sources, only a few of those anonymous. My favorite part is definitely the Top Gun-esque moment with Rummy and Taguba in the locker room. I can't help but envision Rummy head back, popping his gum in Taguba's face. "The plaque for the alternates is down in the ladies room." And I'd never heard of the terrible video they mention... all in all some lovely information, just great. Fuck! Of course those wonderful New Yorker cartoons definitely live up to their vacuous reputation. If comedy was beer they'd be piss warm chango.

I finished that last Vonnegut book I was talking about, Slapstick. There were plenty of amusing little ideas in the storyline but it ends really sloppily and nonsensically. It's a fairly unconventional story overall and just sort of comes apart after the main body is spent. Still, there's some great examples of his dry imagination buried throughout Slapstick, but the other two novels I discussed earlier were a little better.

I can't help but add one more Top Gun quote:

Slider: Goose, who's butt did you kiss to get in here anyway?

Goose: The list is long, but distinguished.

Slider: Yeah, well so is my Johnson.