Nobody 734

Sunday, March 2, 2008
Nobody # 734

Nobody Asked Me But:

“Thou shalt not ration justice.” Learned Hand

I have four important announcements:

First, two days ago, on February 29, Elizabeth celebrated her 11th birthday. The fact that she is married and has an incredible family only makes this number all the more remarkable. So Happy Birthday and a Paul Simon reminder – “There will never be a father loves his daughter more than I love you.”



Second, my good and great friend Jim, (pictured here with his wife Vicki, Barbara and a glass of Cab standing in for me)along with a co-editor, has launched an Internet literary magazine, “Straiitjackets.” Trust me! It is way cool and well worth your checking it out at this address:

http://www.straitjacketsmagazine.com/support4/table.contents.feb2008.htm

Third, Jim also met an agent who is VERY interested in one of his novels. Congratulations, Jimmy.

Fourth, I wrote to you earlier this week about “Nobody” being “Goooglized.” You can find at least many of them by typing in Nobody: Nobody 697, or some other identifying number. The way I discovered this was also cool. Someone outside of our little group published a comment about “Vaginagate.”<<<

A rhetorical question I know but – is there no shame in politics?

Some conservatives are accusing Obama of lacking patriotism, because he once failed to put his hand over his heart while singing the national anthem.

Those who rip and tear at a person with twisted words are low and filthy and disgusting and STUPID. They are so vile as to be beneath contempt.

Just think what they will say about me when I run, BECAUSE:

1. I never place my hand over my heart at the playing of our national anthem. (Rote loses meaning.)
2. I refuse to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. (Rote again, plus “under God” has no place in the pledge nor in my vocabulary)
3. I am as quick to point out my country’s faults, as I am my own.
4. I AM A PATRIOT!<<<

Make me Barack’s campaign manager, and I would tell him to keep hanging Bush around McCain’s neck just as he does here:

"I honor and respect the service of John McCain. He is a genuine American hero and deserves our respect," Obama said Thursday while campaigning in Fort Worth, Texas.

"But John McCain, embraces -- almost whole hog -- George Bush's policies."<<<

ANSWERS OF THE WEEK

Suppose that everywhere you went, you had to carry a shoebox around with you, and in that shoebox you had to keep what you consider the most unusual or unique object you own. When people invariably ask you to show them what’s in the box, what item would be revealed?

It would have to be a Shaq-size shoebox, because my choice is my desk globe that rotates by the power of light. Of course, since the box is dark, I would have to take it out and sit it on its stand to show it off properly.

Runner’s up would be my Starbuck’s Christmas decorations – ceramic store and metal train, both of which light up.

Elizabeth - "Ok, for my most unusual or unique object...I have a few. One would be your SEA gavel that I have on my dresser. Everyone asks what it is, so I tell them it was from when you were president of the teachers union."

"The other might be this worn out, small plastic owl I have saved since I was a child. I used to pretend it was magic and flew around my room."

If you could have a home on the shore of any body of water in the world, which waterfront would you choose?

I would choose the north shore of Oahu. I could (carefully) play in the summer surf and in winter watch the humongous waves crash on the beach – but always recede before reaching my property.

My second choice would be to live on the Coronado side of San Diego Bay. There I would have not only the water view but the San Diego city view as well.

Tom would choose a riverside house in Ottawa, perhaps next door to the official residence of the Canadian prime minister.<<<

President Bush has spoken of the importance of preventing Iran from having "the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon."

The “knowledge” necessary: Does that mean he wants to bomb the brains out of them?<<<

THIS JUST IN ON ARIZONA’S CONTINUING BATTLE TO ARM TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

PHOENIX — A Senate panel voted Monday to let students and staff at community colleges and state universities arm themselves for protection, but not their counterparts at public schools.

The bill’s sponsor, Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, said that the bill falls far short of her ideal - "I still feel like our little kindergartners are sitting there as sitting ducks, defenseless if someone with a weapon burst into the classroom.”

You know that she is right. (Far right) If a killer knew that many of those kindergarten kids were “carrying,” he would never dare to invade their space.<<<

RATING THE DIFFERENCES

McCain wants to continue the Bush tax cuts, while the Democrats want to end them. (Selfish Jim gives the edge here to McCain. Wise Jim says Democrats. As much as I like lower taxes, we can’t have a great country “on the cheap.”)

McCain wants to continue the war in Iraq, while the Democrats have vowed to begin to end it. (We need a plan and a timetable to get out of a war we should have never started - huge edge to Democrats.)

McCain wants to deal with the healthcare crisis with tax cuts and inflation controls, while the Democrats both favor more government-directed efforts to expand health insurance coverage. (Health care without government involvement will always mean profits over patients - huge edge to Democrats.)

McCain says, “I'm a conservative Republican, and they're liberal Democrats.” (Huge edge for Democrats.)

Oh, and one more: McCain admires Henry Kissinger. (Huge edge for anybody who doesn’t.)<<<

Tuesday’s debate: I thought Hillary opened poorly with her complaints about being treated unfairly by the press (even Saturday Night Live??) but was effective after that. However, her admission that she was wrong to vote for the war is about 10 months too late for her campaign and 6 1/2 years too late for the country.

But even her decent debate can’t cancel the sense of desperation that permeates Clinton’s campaign. Criticizing Obama’s “funny” outfits" and implying that his wearing a Mali robe means he is soft on Islam – that is both dumb and low.

Incidentally, here’s Hil and Chelsea wearing hijabs on a Middle-eastern visit. Hypocrisy anyone?

Just wondering: If Hillary has the edge in experience, why has her campaign been so disorganized and shortsighted, almost to the point of being chaotic? And you can probably drop the almost.

One small example: After the Potomac primary wipeout, her chief strategist, Mark Penn declared that Mr. Obama hadn’t won in “any of the significant states” outside of his home state of Illinois.

At least one blogger calls this her “insult 40 states” strategy.

And finally, is Hillary now between Barack and a hard place?<<<

How deep would the ocean be if it contained no sponges? Just wondering?<<<

RE: The PACKISTANI ELECTION

Here’s President George: (see picture) "Democracy is the antidote to terrorism.”

Here’s President George on sodium pentothal: “Why didn’t the dumb bastards vote the way we wanted them to? Now we may have to reverse the election.”<<<

It is an understatement to say I was surprised by the earthquake in Great Britain last week. I thought British Common Law prohibited them. But upon further research I learned that:

The last big British earthquake was in 1990, when a 5.1 tremor hit Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire.

The largest earthquake recorded in Britain had a magnitude of 6.1 and struck offshore in the North Sea on June 7, 1931, about 75 miles northeast of Great Yarmouth.

Britain’s largest onshore tremor struck in Lleyn, North Wales, on July 19, 1984, with a magnitude of 5.4. It was felt over an area of about 240,000 sq km.

British earthquakes have killed 11 people since 1580. Six were killed by falling stones, two fell from upper floors, two died of shock and one committed suicide.<<<

Good-bye to William F. Buckley. I didn’t like his politics, but I admired his brain, wit and style. All three were on display when he was talked into running for mayor of NY City in 1965. He did not expect to win, (he didn’t) and when asked what he would do if he won, replied, “I’d demand a recount.”<<<

And while on epitaphs, could our president have a more fitting one than this quote on the possibility that gas prices may reach $4 per galleon?

“'That's interesting, I hadn't heard that.”

Get in the game George!<<<

Bush will never be King Lear because he does not “Have more than thou showest,” and it would be impossible for him to “Speak less than thou knowest.”<<<

Actually he is more King Hypocrite than Lear. How can a man who recognizes every despot in the world who is friendly to the U. S. have the gall to say of Obama’s willingness to meet Raul Castro – “to do so would grant great status to those who have suppressed human rights and human dignity?”<<<

A sad good-bye to Duttons bookstore in Brentwood. Barb and I have spent many happy hours at signings, buying books and Christmas presents and just browsing. We weren’t the only ones. Over the years we shared the store with Dustin Hoffman, George Raveling and others.

Another great independent bites the dust.<<<

QUESTIONS FOR NEXT WEEK

In what part of our country can you not even imagine having to live?

If you were a songwriter drawing from recent experiences in your life as material for your next big hit, what would be the song’s title?