palsgraf_polka

This is the parking lot outside my office. I need to put batteries in my good camera and take better pictures tomorrow. The tree is covered with these white blossoms.



In other news, someone bought me Bill Clinton's autobiography My Life for Christmas, and I sarted reading it this morning. It's really good. I'm really enjoying it, and the best part is that as I read it, I can hear him in my head speaking everything in his luscious voice and it makes me even happier. I love Bill.

I realize he has to do the Ft. Hood memorial today because it's his obligation as Commander in Chief, but Obama is considering sending 30,000-40,000 more troops to Afghanistan and we're going to be mired in Iraq for years, so I hope he feels some shame and does some deep thinking about what the Fort Hood shooting means and why this troubled young man turned to radical Islam, and how Obama, as the hope of a new generation, should look at this and see that these two wars are wrong and that we should just cut our losses and go.

Now.

Obama, you've been very disappointing to me on the issue of the wars. I know you didn't start these two wars (which is why most of my ire is reserved for Bush) but you have the power to make great changes. Let's bring our troops home before we have more suicides and more shootings by men and women who are too disillusioned to want to be sent to a war they don't believe in.

In a volunteer army, no less.

I am in the middle of watching this week's episode of Frontline from PBS on the war in Afghanistan where a film crew is embedded with a marine squadron on the front line. Everyone on my f-list, take an hour of your time to watch it.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamaswar/view/

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/10/03/Japan.nakagawa.dead/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Controversial former Japanese finance minister found dead

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Former Japanese Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa, who resigned from his post after appearing intoxicated at a news conference earlier this year, was found dead in his home Sunday, police said.

The cause of death was not clear and no will was found, police said.

Nakagawa, 56, resigned in February, three days after he appeared intoxicated at the G7 news conference in Rome, Italy. Japan's prime minister quickly appointed Kaoru Yosano, the economics minister, to replace Nakagawa.

Nakagawa's resignation followed an announcement by Japan's main opposition party that it would introduce a motion to censure him.

He had apologized for his behavior, but denied that it was the result of heavy drinking. Nakagawa said he had alcoholic drinks on his flight to Rome and during the G7 luncheon, but that the real culprit was too much medicine taken because he wasn't feeling well, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.

In video of the news conference, Nakagawa responds slowly to reporters questions, slurring his words. At one point, he closes his eyes.

The G7 meeting brought together finance ministers from the world's leading industrialized nations in Rome.

I'm wondering if it was suicide. :(

And of course to bring levity to the man's death:

We invaded (ok Lorri) ran a military operation in Somalia!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/15/somalia-al-qaida-revenge-vow

Rob Miller is running for the seat in South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District - the seat currently being held by Republican Joe Wilson. Wilson, of course, was the man who rudely shouted "LIE!" at Obama in the middle of his speech tonight in front of the congress.



You can donate to Rob Miller here:

http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/19079

So far tonight he's already raised over $55,000 in the aftermath of Wilson's gaffe alone. Let's try to get 6 figures before morning!

So let's get together and tell Joe Wilson:



ETA: Barney Frank is rambling right now on Rachel Maddow and he says he has "Post-Partisan Depression" and then he quickly says "I'm talking too much!" BWAH!

ETA2: He's almost up to $70,000 now! (10:40pm Pacific)

"Obama isn't the only one who wants change."

I wanted to get a picture but my phone wouldn't zoom enough.

On the corner of Ocean and H in Lompoc just now as I was driving home. The woman's sign says "Lois Capps [ed's note: one of our congresspeople] I DON'T WANT YOUR WELFARE HEALTH CARE" And the guy is holding a "Don't Tread On Me" flag, natch. The guy whose back is turned to the camera and a cute bearded alternative type guy behind the guy with the flag were arguing with them about health care. I caught the bearded guy saying, "Don't you get it??? Everyone deserves health care!" and then the light changed.



Assholes. I'm amazed they didn't have Nazi signs and signs about the death panels. Maybe those people were getting coffee. If I didn't have to drive on, I was going to yell at Mr. Don't Tread On Me and ask him if he lost his job if he would be changing his tune. Alas, the light changed.

Reason #8,962 to love the internet. I actually even like Twitter today.

Arlo Guthrie is now a registered Republican! And he likes Sarah Palin! Yet he maintains he's still anti-war. Dude, get some sense.

He bought the actual Alice's Restaurant, which was made out of a de-consecrated church, and now has made it into a spiritual center.

I am so shattered. Alice's Restaurant and City of New Orleans are two of my favorite songs. And to find out he's a brainless family values Palin fan. Ugh. I think I need to go shower now.