signal-boosting

[wavyarms]

Haven't felt like updating much lately - been doing more sleeping - but here are two links of interest.

The Political - my brother pointed me towards this blog, Flogging the Simian, when I requested a good site to give me a concise run-down of world news every day. I think the writer has really got her head on straight, and she covers absolutely everything as far as a poorly educated schlub like me can tell. Yesterday she gave a point-by-point response to Bush's speech at Fort Bragg. It's a refreshingly calm, considered, and informed rebuttal, as opposed to mine, which would probably consist of yelling "You &#*$^@@( suck!" every few minutes and throwing things at the radio or TV. I have a poor emotional response to our president's speeches. It's startling the way her in-depth responses highlight the condescending, over-simplified way in which the president speaks to US citizens. It brings home just how much contempt he has for everyone else. People hear his speeches and claim he's stupid...when in reality, we ought to be hearing his speeches and realizing how stupid he thinks we are.

The Humorous - my father and I at one point had memorized the Abbott and Costello skit "Who's on First?" This is a modern take - Who's On First for the computer generation.

Comments

[coraline]

nice icon!

[wavyarms.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :)

[2h2o.livejournal.com]

It brings home just how much contempt he has for everyone else.
I think it might be scarier if he sincerely believes that the real problem is that we just don't get it. Small words, repeated endlessly, at varying volumes, might get through - like speaking English in a foreign country.

[wavyarms.livejournal.com]

I deleted the other one only b/c I figured you didn't care about having 2 of the same comment up. :)

I don't think it's that he believes we don't get it. I think it's closer to a problem of contempt. Whether or not we understand anything is irrelevant, b/c he knows what's best.

[2h2o.livejournal.com]

We can argue endlessly about what's best - that's the point of democracy. In the end, decisions have to get made, and he's in a position to make them. He believes he knows what's best, and he may be convinced that if he explains it enough times in simple enough terms we'll agree with him, but I really don't think it's contempt. Teresa Heinz-Kerry? There's contempt.

[wavyarms.livejournal.com]

Well, I disagree. There's something very wrong with the way he sees fit to communicate with us, and contempt is currently the closest I am to defining it.

[2h2o.livejournal.com]

I doubt there's any point in arguing further, but do you really see contempt when he leans over the microphones to gesture intently at his audience? Maybe it's his monkey ears, but I see puzzlement.

[wavyarms.livejournal.com]

In all fairness, I am totally unqualified to talk about his body language (perhaps meaning I'm totally unqualified to talk about the entire issue) b/c since images of him make me pissed off I try to avoid them. I guess I just feel like "Bush is stupid" is too easy an answer to everything, and I'm trying to search for another explanation for him to act the way he does.

[2h2o.livejournal.com]

What is the new icon?

[coraline]

it's trillian from the new movie, holding the POV gun.

[2h2o.livejournal.com]

Okay...I'm wicked ignorant.
Trillian is from Firefly, yes? What's the POV gun?

[coraline]

um.

trillian is a character in the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy which was just released as movie.

if you haven't read HHGTTG, do so.

[2h2o.livejournal.com]

One of these days, I will read something other than law.

[gaiaturtle.livejournal.com]

The Humorous - my father and I at one point had memorized the Abbott and Costello skit "Who's on First?" This is a modern take - Who's On First for the computer generation.

This is so funny. I love it. :-)

[mixedborder.livejournal.com]

Me too--tahnks for the link!

[mixedborder.livejournal.com]

Here's an apropos story about Dubya (no idea if it's true or made-up):
President Bush was visiting a primary school and he visited one of the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings. The teacher asked the President if he would like to lead the discussion on the word "tragedy". So the illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a "tragedy".

One little boy stood up and offered: "If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the field and a tractor runs over him and kills him, that would be a tragedy."

"No," said Bush, "that would be an accident."

A little girl raised her hand: "If a school bus carrying 50 children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy."

"I'm afraid not," explained the president. "That's what we would call a great loss."

The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Bush searched the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"

Finally at the back of the room a small boy raised his hand... In a quiet voice he said: "If Air Force One carrying You and Mrs. Bush was struck by a "friendly fire" missile and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy."

"Fantastic!" exclaimed Bush. "That's right. And can you tell me why that would be tragedy?"

"Well," says the boy, "It has to be a tragedy, because it certainly wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident either."

[wavyarms.livejournal.com]

I've heard that too, but I can't believe it's real! After all, if a tractor ran over a kid, it would be a tragedy, and I think Dubya would agree.

[2h2o.livejournal.com]

I don't think there's any chance it's real. Bush doesn't speak that clearly, and there's no way his staff would willingly put him in that free-form a setting. Defining "freedom" or "democracy"? Sure.

(I almost wrote "deomocracy," which I suppose would be common rule by the lesser gods.)

Poly-tics

[suhnkecher.livejournal.com]

One reason for the frustration of Bush is his inability to listen. The mans must never, ever cleans his ears because he does not acknowledge someone else's arugments. He lives in his own little world, completely fabricated and twisted by his staff, which is the only life he wishes to understand. (Similar to Michael Jackson). "Empathic listener", "open mind', and "thoughtful individual", are not phrases I would use to describe him. But perhaps I my observations are wrong, time will tell.