Everytime I read something about the children if Irak, it is always sad. For instance, the ongoing humanitarian crisis of orphans in Irak just makes my blood boil. Please read the report "Orphans Face Uncertain Future" for background. There may be as many as four million children in Irak that have been orphaned! These children are usually taken in by relatives (if any are still alive), but these relatives are often hard pressed to put food on the table for themselves. They get little or no schooling and their health needs are most certainly poorly attended to.
But no, people in America just don't even see this. It is so far away from their universe that it is incomprehensible, even though we are directly responsible for this state of affairs.
When it comes to the amount of money that BushCo has put in the pockets of their cronies versus the amount that they have spent on these children it is laughable. It does not make any difference how much total money is spent (the denominator), if the numerator (that spent on children) is zero, the percent will always be zero.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Numbers
935 - Number of times George W. Bush and cronies lied to the American people before invading Iraq
1 - Number of crimes committed by BushCo brought to justice (and this one was commuted)
unknown (but very large) - Number of crimes left to be prosecuted in the next 362 days
Dust - what our Constitution has been reduced to
1 - Number of crimes committed by BushCo brought to justice (and this one was commuted)
unknown (but very large) - Number of crimes left to be prosecuted in the next 362 days
Dust - what our Constitution has been reduced to
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
The Power of Oversight
As usual, Glenn Greenwald hits it on the head. Today he post on the glaring lack of action by the "Democratic" Congress when it comes to exercising their power of oversight of the administration. I think I first picked up on this years ago when bloggers would refer me to Henry Waxman's numerous letters to the administration (e.g. to Colin Powell, Rice, Cheney, Bush, etc.) asking for explanations for their usual, outrageous behavior. I never remember seeing an answer. I still, to this day, do not understand how an official in this administration can ignore such letters. Not only is it rude (ha! ha!) but it subverts, as Greenwald points out, the very basis of our representative government.
Congress is the only check on an "administration gone wild." It is becoming increasingly obvious that BushCo is going to get away with murder. Literally.
Congress is the only check on an "administration gone wild." It is becoming increasingly obvious that BushCo is going to get away with murder. Literally.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Where we are now
Almost everyone I know is in a funk. That certainly includes myself. While a very large number of Americans do not follow world events, I think the bad news still trickles down and affects their lives. I would include most Americans but certainly not Mr. Bush who still acts as if America is in the same position it was in January, 2001, when he took the oath of office. (Swearing to uphold the Constitution; an oath that he has violated on many occasions.) Mr. Bush is destined to remain in his bubble I suspect for the rest of his life.
The largest, most tragic event that wears on us is the occupation of Irak. While not on the radar screen for countless Americans, our leaders both in the military and in politics have now indicated that the United States will continue this occupation for at least the next decade, if not longer. In fact, Bush is attempting to make binding agreements with the government of Mr. Nuri Al-Maliki which the incoming president (who replaces him in January, 2009) will not be able to alter. Furthermore, all of the major candidates for that position, both Republican and Democratic (except John Edwards) basically agree with this, i.e., that The United States will not withdraw its forces in the near future.
Thus, while the majority of Americans, when they think about it, say they want us to leave Irak ASAP, our leaders continue to believe that "victory" is possible. Does this not remind you of two historical dramas? The first would be the senseless mass attacks in the trench warfare of the Western Front in 1916-1918 (particularly the battle of the Somme, July-Nov 1916). The second would be Hitler's refusal to recognize that his army would never take Moscow, destroying it in the process. (I should have included Napoleon's foray into Russia also.) Have our leaders not learned with almost five years of experience that there is no "victory" to be had in Irak? No.
The human situation in Irak must be inhumanly awful. I have not been there, but what I read (e.g. at Gorilla's Guides) or see (in the daily slide show at Yahoo)suggests that this country and its people which we invaded for no good reason has been damaged beyond repair. How the continued occupation by an army that is despised is going to have a good outcome is beyond logic. The situation in Irak is an albatross that America will wear around its neck for years. It is doubtful that in 2040 the situation will resolve like Vietnam has. We have messed it up terminally.
The most ironic thing, though, is that Americans do not seem to blame Bush and his cronies for the disaster they have created. An argument has been made that Nixon was threatened with impeachment not so much because of Watergate (a mere trifle compared to the crimes of BushCo), but because of the Vietnam War. Now, I'm not so sure. There seems to be almost no support for impeachment. If Bush is never held accountable, then we will be left with that unresolved issue, the assignment of responsibility. Some would make an argument that a country must contend with this before it moves forward.
I continue to believe that the reason we are in such a mess, and the reason that the mass of American people have not risen up to confront these evils is that they are not personally threatened. This is particularly true of the youth. It was the youth, who were threatened with the draft and death in the jungles of Southeast Asia that turned the tide of public opinion against the Vietnam War and, eventually, Nixon.
The largest, most tragic event that wears on us is the occupation of Irak. While not on the radar screen for countless Americans, our leaders both in the military and in politics have now indicated that the United States will continue this occupation for at least the next decade, if not longer. In fact, Bush is attempting to make binding agreements with the government of Mr. Nuri Al-Maliki which the incoming president (who replaces him in January, 2009) will not be able to alter. Furthermore, all of the major candidates for that position, both Republican and Democratic (except John Edwards) basically agree with this, i.e., that The United States will not withdraw its forces in the near future.
Thus, while the majority of Americans, when they think about it, say they want us to leave Irak ASAP, our leaders continue to believe that "victory" is possible. Does this not remind you of two historical dramas? The first would be the senseless mass attacks in the trench warfare of the Western Front in 1916-1918 (particularly the battle of the Somme, July-Nov 1916). The second would be Hitler's refusal to recognize that his army would never take Moscow, destroying it in the process. (I should have included Napoleon's foray into Russia also.) Have our leaders not learned with almost five years of experience that there is no "victory" to be had in Irak? No.
The human situation in Irak must be inhumanly awful. I have not been there, but what I read (e.g. at Gorilla's Guides) or see (in the daily slide show at Yahoo)suggests that this country and its people which we invaded for no good reason has been damaged beyond repair. How the continued occupation by an army that is despised is going to have a good outcome is beyond logic. The situation in Irak is an albatross that America will wear around its neck for years. It is doubtful that in 2040 the situation will resolve like Vietnam has. We have messed it up terminally.
The most ironic thing, though, is that Americans do not seem to blame Bush and his cronies for the disaster they have created. An argument has been made that Nixon was threatened with impeachment not so much because of Watergate (a mere trifle compared to the crimes of BushCo), but because of the Vietnam War. Now, I'm not so sure. There seems to be almost no support for impeachment. If Bush is never held accountable, then we will be left with that unresolved issue, the assignment of responsibility. Some would make an argument that a country must contend with this before it moves forward.
I continue to believe that the reason we are in such a mess, and the reason that the mass of American people have not risen up to confront these evils is that they are not personally threatened. This is particularly true of the youth. It was the youth, who were threatened with the draft and death in the jungles of Southeast Asia that turned the tide of public opinion against the Vietnam War and, eventually, Nixon.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Friday Crab Blogging
A metaphor for those of us soon to be in very hot water.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nothing like a a happy crab (oxymoron?) for the stress level.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Friday Crab Blogging
I had to drag another one out of the archives for today. Definitely some fresh ones next week:
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Notes from a Prol
It is amazing how history repeats itself. The striking similarity between our Government and that of the last Tsar (Nicholas II, 1868-1918) is one instance. OMG, Dr. C., you must have flipped your wig, you say. Well, I was led to that conclusion by Glenn Greenwald this AM in his excellent post on the multiple crimes of Cheney/Bush et al. and how they have out-tefloned Reagan. In particular, the fact that our Country has become a Surveillance State. Actually, I can't say that there is such a a great similarity because, although the oligarchic class does what it wants, our proletariat has not yet become uneasy. And, of course, we have no Lenin. That will happen when the enormous debt that we have incurred (one trillion dollars to China alone) starts coming due. Marie Antoinette was at a disadvantage, she couldn't borrow from anyone to pay for cake. (as some wag has recently said: "Let them eat Yellowcake!")
The similarity is very simple, we have abandoned the rule of Law. We have become autocratic. Again, as long as the proles are well fed (and boy are we well fed!), and have our Wii's and iPods, there will be no problem. But just as soon as Joshua and Brittany get kicked out of their little house because they can't pay the mortage, and then get their credit cards cancelled, there is going to be some awful rumblings in the street. I don't think we will ever storm the Winter Palace (there are too many traffic barriers around the White House), but there may be a move on a certain ranch in Texas, and I don't mean by Cindy Sheehan. Imagine a couple thousand pissed off 30 somethings moving across Texas and upset because their cell phones have been silenced. Hell hath no fury, etc.
What I am commenting on here is the tremendous fence that Americans have put off to shield them from reality. At first this was just passive. By that I mean things like the Today Show, which is watched by millions and millons of Americans, ignoring the carnage that occurs in Iraq on a daily basis to focus on missing white women or a starlet's pregnancy (Spears) or demise (Anna Nicole Smith). I mean, many Iraki men, women and particularly children die horrible deaths by bombing every day while Meredith Viera babbles on incessently about the most inane things. When I ask many people about current events, i.e. something not connected with Hollywood, the most common reply is "What?" Is this a deliberate ploy by the Media to distract people from the awfulness that we have created? (Of course, as we have pointed out here before, BushCo and CheneyCo are in the process of shifting blame to the puppet government in the Green Zone for the fact that Irak is in such chaos.)
So, on the one hand we have a once wonderful country that is now dominated by a lawless group of mostly men (and Condi) who refuse to submit to our most basic laws (e.g. against torture and against violation of privacy), that hide their lawbreaking by denying that it exists, and get away with it by distracting the proles with endless, useless goodies and a media that is focused on trash.
In the meantime, children are dying every day in Irak. Dying horrible deaths in burning, exploding scenes.
The similarity is very simple, we have abandoned the rule of Law. We have become autocratic. Again, as long as the proles are well fed (and boy are we well fed!), and have our Wii's and iPods, there will be no problem. But just as soon as Joshua and Brittany get kicked out of their little house because they can't pay the mortage, and then get their credit cards cancelled, there is going to be some awful rumblings in the street. I don't think we will ever storm the Winter Palace (there are too many traffic barriers around the White House), but there may be a move on a certain ranch in Texas, and I don't mean by Cindy Sheehan. Imagine a couple thousand pissed off 30 somethings moving across Texas and upset because their cell phones have been silenced. Hell hath no fury, etc.
What I am commenting on here is the tremendous fence that Americans have put off to shield them from reality. At first this was just passive. By that I mean things like the Today Show, which is watched by millions and millons of Americans, ignoring the carnage that occurs in Iraq on a daily basis to focus on missing white women or a starlet's pregnancy (Spears) or demise (Anna Nicole Smith). I mean, many Iraki men, women and particularly children die horrible deaths by bombing every day while Meredith Viera babbles on incessently about the most inane things. When I ask many people about current events, i.e. something not connected with Hollywood, the most common reply is "What?" Is this a deliberate ploy by the Media to distract people from the awfulness that we have created? (Of course, as we have pointed out here before, BushCo and CheneyCo are in the process of shifting blame to the puppet government in the Green Zone for the fact that Irak is in such chaos.)
So, on the one hand we have a once wonderful country that is now dominated by a lawless group of mostly men (and Condi) who refuse to submit to our most basic laws (e.g. against torture and against violation of privacy), that hide their lawbreaking by denying that it exists, and get away with it by distracting the proles with endless, useless goodies and a media that is focused on trash.
In the meantime, children are dying every day in Irak. Dying horrible deaths in burning, exploding scenes.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Christmas
I hope that you and your family are having a peaceful holiday season. I hope that for a few days all of us can try and forget where we have been as a country over the past year. I, for one, feel totally exhausted in that part of me that responds to the plight of the world's children. What we all need to do is to find something that is moving in the right direction and attach ourselves to it like super glue. I'll have some candidates for myself soon.
Dr. C.
Dr. C.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Alternative Reality
First we have:
Children are still being injured and dying. So, where's any "progress" at all? It seems to this observer that things are just as bad if not worse for the majority of the Iraki people. Especially the children.
A few weeks ago I hypothesized that this whole thing with Nuri al-Maliki's government was a scam; that it was designed to get Bush off the hook when we reach next March and the fifth anniversary of the invasion.
It is very dangerous to have a man who is unconnected from reality as President of a country that possess thousands of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. To think that saner heads will prevail in the event of a nuclear crisis is in itself insane; I have no doubt that this man Bush would push the button without hesitating a second.
I never thought I would wind up a radioactive cinder.
Bush not satisfied with progress in IraqBut if one goes to the daily slide show, we see:
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush said Thursday he was not satisfied with the central Iraqi government's record on reconciling the country's rival sectarian groups and carrying out reforms, vowing to press for more progress.
Bush conceded Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government needed to do more work but insisted it is functioning and passing budgets when asked if US troop reinforcements this year had given it enough room to press ahead with reconciliation as well as political and economic reform.(emphasis added)
Children are still being injured and dying. So, where's any "progress" at all? It seems to this observer that things are just as bad if not worse for the majority of the Iraki people. Especially the children.George’s Surge Leaves Iraq’s Children Behind
By: Siun Sunday December 16, 2007 6:05 pm
A number of reports have appeared over the last few days that place the supposed “success” in Iraq in stark contrast with the reality. Just as during the long years of sanctions it was the children of Iraq who suffered the most from our disastrous policies, today – again – they suffer even more.
A few weeks ago I hypothesized that this whole thing with Nuri al-Maliki's government was a scam; that it was designed to get Bush off the hook when we reach next March and the fifth anniversary of the invasion.
It is very dangerous to have a man who is unconnected from reality as President of a country that possess thousands of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. To think that saner heads will prevail in the event of a nuclear crisis is in itself insane; I have no doubt that this man Bush would push the button without hesitating a second.
I never thought I would wind up a radioactive cinder.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Friday Crab Blogging
We start with a quite nice, classic crab:
Then one on the "joie de vivre" side (crab in Santa hat!):
Then a crab to test your imagination:
A montage with Caterpillar
And, to remind us about global warming, a penguin:
Then one on the "joie de vivre" side (crab in Santa hat!):
Then a crab to test your imagination:
A montage with Caterpillar
And, to remind us about global warming, a penguin:
Thursday, December 13, 2007
What in the **** is going on?
A year ago in November we voted in a new Congress. While not "veto proof" there was still a majority in both House and Senate.
A year later, nothing is working. The SCHIP bill, which enjoys wide support across America has been vetoed twice and the Democrats won't even try to over ride the veto. They won't even make Republican Senators stand up and say they are voting against children!
New taxes on oil companies? Not even attempted since it would be vetoed.
If you thought democracy was dead in Irak, just look in the mirror.
A year later, nothing is working. The SCHIP bill, which enjoys wide support across America has been vetoed twice and the Democrats won't even try to over ride the veto. They won't even make Republican Senators stand up and say they are voting against children!
New taxes on oil companies? Not even attempted since it would be vetoed.
If you thought democracy was dead in Irak, just look in the mirror.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Torture
Torture is much in the news these days. One of the more outlandish defenses of this horror is the one that claims "Our President says that we don't torture; therefore, waterboarding is not torture." Today, I believe that the current director of Intelligence is going before a Congressional Committee. I am cyinical enough at this point to predict that absolutely nothing will come of this.
I posted a letter I had sent to the local paper a month ago. It wasn't printed. This is the second letter that they have refused to print. The one before this was about bombing Iran. I realize that my local paper is strongly Republican, but it seems like a distortion of democracy to put a filter like this on LTE. This is particularly biting since they tend to publish the most amazing right wing loonies.
Many of the bloogers that I follow (like Blue Girl, Red State today and Authur Silber) are much more cynical than I. The idea, and I find it hard to refute, is that we, as a nation, have irrevocably destroyed our legitimatcy by allowing torture. No matter what the excuse.
Food for thought.
I posted a letter I had sent to the local paper a month ago. It wasn't printed. This is the second letter that they have refused to print. The one before this was about bombing Iran. I realize that my local paper is strongly Republican, but it seems like a distortion of democracy to put a filter like this on LTE. This is particularly biting since they tend to publish the most amazing right wing loonies.
Many of the bloogers that I follow (like Blue Girl, Red State today and Authur Silber) are much more cynical than I. The idea, and I find it hard to refute, is that we, as a nation, have irrevocably destroyed our legitimatcy by allowing torture. No matter what the excuse.
Food for thought.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
All over but the shouting
There is an excellent speech given by Sheldon Whitehouse in the Senate concerning the President and the Constitution. Senator Whitehouse is the junior Senator from Rhode Island, a state I called home for five years. This speech encapsulates in a few well chosen words where America has allowed itself to be taken in the last seven years. It is not pretty. Senator Whitehouse summarizes three opinions generated by the Office of Legal Council (for the President). These are the only three that Senator Whitehouse has been able to get declassified, so you can imagine what other opinions read.
I am very impressed by Whitehouse. In fact:
1. An executive order cannot limit a President. There is no constitutional requirement for a President to issue a new executive order whenever he wishes to depart from the terms of a previous executive order. Rather than violate an executive order, the President has instead modified or waived it.These three opinions I consider to be completely antithetical to the United States Constitution. They basically obviate it in favor of an imperial Presidency. No wonder so many people are running for that office. Who would not want to be King of America?
2. The President, exercising his constitutional authority under Article II, can determine whether an action is a lawful exercise of the President’s authority under Article II.
3. The Department of Justice is bound by the President’s legal determinations.
I am very impressed by Whitehouse. In fact:
WHITEHOUSE FOR THE WHITEHOUSE!
Friday, December 07, 2007
Friday Crab Blogging
I am sorry to report that the Crab Drawers (not to be confused with the Crab Knickers) are still on strike. You will have to do with Sponge Bob.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Book Review
A few books from the last few years:
Achebe, Chinua Things Fall Apart
White man disturbs paradise; our arrogance is overwhelming
3 Stars
Ackroyd, Peter The Clerkenwell Tales
By the author of “London” sometimes hard to follow
2 Stars
Amis, Kingsley Lucky JimApparently a seminal novel; England from the ashes of WWII; another faculty novel
2 ½ stars
Banville, John The Newton Letter
Trivial stuff
1 Star
Barnes, Julian England, England
A Theme park based on, well, England. Another dystopia novel. Very good.
3 ½ stars
Barnes, Julian Aurthur and George
Sherlock Holmes and racism in late Victorian England. Interesting.
2 ½ stars
Bester, Alfred The Demolished Man
Bester, Alfred The Stars My Destination
Classic Sci Fi. Reading TSMD again after 50 years was a trip. Rewire my nervous system, please.
3 stars
Black, Benjamin Christine Falls
Ireland not only has high tech, it now has junk detective novels. They’re all the same.
2 stars
Burke, James Lee The Neon Rain
Burke, James Lee Heaven's Prisoners
Burke, James Lee Black Cherry Blues
I read them to get a New Orleans experience. Just can’t take the gratuitous violence.
1 ½ star
Butcher, Jim Storm Front
Butcher, Jim Fool Moon
High Tech Vampires and Wizards. Clever but no thank you.
1 star
Caldwell, Ian and Thomason, Dustin The Rule of Four
Absolutely, positively the worst book on the list.
½ star
Chayefsky, Paddy Altered States
From the man who brought you Network. I’m interested in the isolation tank, but he got a little far out. (A little? More like waaaaay far out.)
1 star
Chomsky, Noam Hegemony or Survival
From the man who brought you THE theory of linguistical knowledge. Now a champion of the liberal position. He is actually very good. You can tell that by how badly he is trashed.
3 stars
Clark, Susanna Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
First Harry Potter, now a different angle. An effort to domesticate magic. Not sure it works. Long, long, long.
2 stars
Connelly, Michael The Black Echo
Connelly, Michael The Black Ice
Connelly, Michael The Concrete Blonde
Connelly, Michael The Last Coyote
Connelly, Michael Trunk Music
Connelly, Michael Angels Flight
Connelly, Michael A Darkness More Than Night
Connelly, Michael City Of Bones
Connelly, Michael Lost Light
Connelly, Michael The Narrows
Connelly, Michael The Closers
Connelly, Michael Echo Park
Yea Harry Bosch. I have to say, one keeps coming back and reading him. Quite a bit of development of the main character. I am not sure how real the others are. Most are stereotypes.
3 stars
de Assis, Machado Dom Casmurro
Very interesting Brazilian writer from the last century. Apparently a classic in Brazil.
2 ½ stars
de Kretser, Michelle The Hamilton Case
Now this is a switch. A murder mystery on Sri Lanka, and not by Michael Ondaatje. Absolutely fascinating in its depiction of life there.
3 stars
Dibdin, Michael Ratking
Dibdin, Michael Vendetta
Dibdin, Michael Cabal
Dibdin, Michael Dead Lagoon
Dibdin, Michael Cosi Fan Tutti
Dibdin, Michael A Long Finish
Dibdin, Michael Blood Rain
Dibdin, Michael And Then You Die
Dibdin, Michael Medusa
These are all set in Italy with a single detective. They are pretty bloody and I guess they are true to life. Except Dibdin is an American. Recently expired. Probably worth a read if you like Italy.
2 ½ stars
Dick, Philip K. UBIK
Started it all. What can I say. A little hard to read today.
2 stars
Dideon, Joan Play It As It Lays
Another Hollywood novel. Angst. Angst. Angst.
2 stars
Farrell, J.G. The Singapore Gap
Farrell, J.G. Troubles
Farrell, J.G. The Siege of Krishnapor
Now this guy is great. Why have we not heard more from him? I particularly liked The Singapore Gap. What is best is the wry humor.
3 ½ stars
Fitzgerald, Penelope The Book Shop
Fitzgerald, Penelope The Golden Child
You got to like Fitzgerald. Quirky to the enth degree, but worth every bit of it.
3 stars
Furst, Alan Night Soldiers
Furst, Alan Dark Star
Furst, Alan The Polish Officer
Furst, Alan The World at Night
Furst, Alan Red Gold
Furst, Alan Kingdom of Shadows
All of these are set in pre WWII Europe. They are well written and very dark. I couldn’t finish Red Gold but some were very good.
3 Stars
Galouye, Daniel Dark Universe
Interesting old Sci Fi about people caught below ground until they go blind.
1 star
Galsworthy, John The Forsythe Saga
Finally read this. As you will see, I have high standards in this kind of fiction (Trollope). However, a good read and presages Buddenbrooks.
2 ½ stars
Harris, Sam The End of Faith
The first few pages are great. Then he gets shrill. A little too much blame on the Muslims and a little too much exoneration of us and the Israelis.
2 stars
Heinlein, Robert Starship Troopers
Ouch! I used to really like Heinlein (The Roads must Roll). This is just a pean to militarism. The only people who can vote on this world have served in the army. A high tech army, no doubt.
2 stars
Hornby, Nick A Long Way Down
Not Hornby’s best, but an interesting examination of people’s attitudes towards suicide.
2 stars
Ishiguro, Kazuo Never Let Me Go
He goes weird on us in this one. Raising people for their donor organs? What.
1 ½ stars
Kerrigan, Gene The Midnight Choir
A very dark Irish police story. Not a very satisfying one but since I lived in Dublin once, it was a nice trip around the city.
1 ½ stars
Leon, Donna Death at La Fenice
Leon, Donna Death in a Strange Country
Leon, Donna The Anonymous Venetian
Leon, Donna A Venetian Reckoning
Leon, Donna Acqua Alta
Leon, Donna The Death of Faith
Leon, Donna A Noble Radiance
Leon, Donna A Sea of Troubles
I don’t know why every thinks Leon is the cat’s meow. She has a fairly interesting detective and, like Dibdin above, she is an American living in Italy. But, you got to like Venice, so read them.
2 stars
MacDevitt, Jack The Engines of God
MacDevitt, Jack Deepsix
MacDevitt, Jack Chindi
MacDevitt, Jack Omega
MacDevitt, Jack Odyssey
MacDevitt, Jack A Talent for War
MacDevitt, Jack Polaris
MacDevitt, Jack Seeker
MacDevitt, Jack Eternity Road
MacDevitt, Jack Moonfall
MacDevitt, Jack Infinity Beach
Even if you don’t like Sci Fi, read MacDevitt. He has a very easy style and slips in some of the most interesting questions. Everyone has wondered how we could possibly be “alone” in the universe. MacDevitt explores that.
3 ½ stars
Mankell, Henning Faceless Killers
Mankell, Henning The Dogs of Riga
Mankell, Henning The White Lioness
Mankell, Henning Sidetracked
Mankell, Henning The Fifth Woman
Mankell, Henning One Step Behind
Mankell, Henning Firewall
Mankell, Henning The Man Who Smiled
Another detective series, this time in a small town in Sweden. Very well written and the protagonist is believable human with lots of foibles. Apparently made into a TV series in Sweden. Get them.
3 ½ stars
Mitchell, David Ghost Written
Mitchell, David Number 9 Cloud
Mitchell, David Cloud Atlas
Mitchell, David Black Swan Green
Alright. I admit, this guy writes for people like me. Particularly “Cloud Atlas.” He is all over the map but about as interesting as can be. A particular penchant for Japan in the first three. The last fits in with Julian Barnes genre.
4 stars
Moody, Rick Garden State
A dystopian novel about young adults in New Jersey. Grunge, Grunge and more Grunge.
1 ½ stars
Murray, John A Few Short Notes on Tropical Butterflies
Absolutely fascinating. Absolutely. Short stories done in an exquisite manner
3 ½ stars
O'Brien, Flan At War
Newspaper columns from the Master. During WWII in Dublin.
2 ½ stars
Pagels, Elaine The Gnostic Gospels
Sort of blandly written but what she says will make you think. For someone who had 16 years of religious teaching it will make your hair stand up.
2 ½ stars
Pearl, Matthew The Dante Club
Such a good idea. Such an awful book.
1 star
Sandford, John Broken Prey
This guy can churn out a mystery a day. I read this because I wish I drove a Porsche.
1 ½ stars
Scott, Paul Jewel in the Crown
Scott, Paul The Day of the Scorpion
Scott, Paul The Towers of Silence
Scott, Paul A Division of the Spoils
You want to know about the British experience in India? Read Scott.
3 ½ stars
Sebald, W.G. The Rings of Saturn
This man, who died in an automobile accident at the end of the 90’s, has one of most unusual perspectives on people and the landscape that you can imagine. I’ve read two others by him and they all haunt.
3 ½ stars
Sholokhov, Mikhael And Quiet Flows the Don
How this guy won the Nobel Prize I’ll never know. I guess it was a sop to Stalin. What the Cossacks did in the Russian Civil War.
1 ½ stars
Simenon Tropic Moon
Not his best but gripping. Right in there with “Heart of Darkness.”
2 ½ stars
Simenon Monsieur Monde Vanishes
Didn’t finish it
Skvorecky, Josef The Engineer of Human Souls
A Czech writer living in Canada teaching English and rewriting his experience in WWII. Hard to finish but interesting.
2 stars
Smith, Alexander McCall The Full Cupboard of Life
Smith, Alexander McCall The Sunday Philosophy club
Smith, Alexander McCall Portuguese Irregular Verbs
Smith, Alexander McCall The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs
Smith, Alexander McCall At The Villa of Reduced Circumstances
The ultimate in trivial reading (well, maybe not the ultimate). But, I’ll be honest, they can entertain.
2 stars
Stegner, Wallace Angle of Repose
The great American going West novel. Actually quite good. A little forced, and interesting in its comments on the late 60’s culture.
3 stars
Stendhal The Charterhouse of Parma
You got to read this a few times in your life. It’s a rush and then its over.
3 stars
Trollope, Anthony Lady Anna
Trollope, Anthony The Belton Estate
Trollope, Anthony Rachael Ray
Trollope, Anthony The MacDermots of Ballycloran
Trollope, Anthony The Kellys and the O'Kellys
Trollope, Anthony Orley Farm
I never tire of reading this guy. I particularly liked The MacDermots and The Kellys because my ancestors came from Ireland where Trollope worked as a postal inspector or something (he invented the red British pillar mailbox). Somehow these stories in their certainty just fascinate me.
4 stars
Turgenev, Ivan Fathers and Sons
I know, I know, the modern classic. Introduces the blasé revolutionary. Still too Tolstoy for me.
3 stars
Waugh, Evelyn A Handful of Dust
This guy can be very cynical. Not up with Brideshead, but pretty close. Particularly the ending in the Amazon. Reading Dickens. Ah…
3 stars
Achebe, Chinua Things Fall Apart
White man disturbs paradise; our arrogance is overwhelming
3 Stars
Ackroyd, Peter The Clerkenwell Tales
By the author of “London” sometimes hard to follow
2 Stars
Amis, Kingsley Lucky JimApparently a seminal novel; England from the ashes of WWII; another faculty novel
2 ½ stars
Banville, John The Newton Letter
Trivial stuff
1 Star
Barnes, Julian England, England
A Theme park based on, well, England. Another dystopia novel. Very good.
3 ½ stars
Barnes, Julian Aurthur and George
Sherlock Holmes and racism in late Victorian England. Interesting.
2 ½ stars
Bester, Alfred The Demolished Man
Bester, Alfred The Stars My Destination
Classic Sci Fi. Reading TSMD again after 50 years was a trip. Rewire my nervous system, please.
3 stars
Black, Benjamin Christine Falls
Ireland not only has high tech, it now has junk detective novels. They’re all the same.
2 stars
Burke, James Lee The Neon Rain
Burke, James Lee Heaven's Prisoners
Burke, James Lee Black Cherry Blues
I read them to get a New Orleans experience. Just can’t take the gratuitous violence.
1 ½ star
Butcher, Jim Storm Front
Butcher, Jim Fool Moon
High Tech Vampires and Wizards. Clever but no thank you.
1 star
Caldwell, Ian and Thomason, Dustin The Rule of Four
Absolutely, positively the worst book on the list.
½ star
Chayefsky, Paddy Altered States
From the man who brought you Network. I’m interested in the isolation tank, but he got a little far out. (A little? More like waaaaay far out.)
1 star
Chomsky, Noam Hegemony or Survival
From the man who brought you THE theory of linguistical knowledge. Now a champion of the liberal position. He is actually very good. You can tell that by how badly he is trashed.
3 stars
Clark, Susanna Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
First Harry Potter, now a different angle. An effort to domesticate magic. Not sure it works. Long, long, long.
2 stars
Connelly, Michael The Black Echo
Connelly, Michael The Black Ice
Connelly, Michael The Concrete Blonde
Connelly, Michael The Last Coyote
Connelly, Michael Trunk Music
Connelly, Michael Angels Flight
Connelly, Michael A Darkness More Than Night
Connelly, Michael City Of Bones
Connelly, Michael Lost Light
Connelly, Michael The Narrows
Connelly, Michael The Closers
Connelly, Michael Echo Park
Yea Harry Bosch. I have to say, one keeps coming back and reading him. Quite a bit of development of the main character. I am not sure how real the others are. Most are stereotypes.
3 stars
de Assis, Machado Dom Casmurro
Very interesting Brazilian writer from the last century. Apparently a classic in Brazil.
2 ½ stars
de Kretser, Michelle The Hamilton Case
Now this is a switch. A murder mystery on Sri Lanka, and not by Michael Ondaatje. Absolutely fascinating in its depiction of life there.
3 stars
Dibdin, Michael Ratking
Dibdin, Michael Vendetta
Dibdin, Michael Cabal
Dibdin, Michael Dead Lagoon
Dibdin, Michael Cosi Fan Tutti
Dibdin, Michael A Long Finish
Dibdin, Michael Blood Rain
Dibdin, Michael And Then You Die
Dibdin, Michael Medusa
These are all set in Italy with a single detective. They are pretty bloody and I guess they are true to life. Except Dibdin is an American. Recently expired. Probably worth a read if you like Italy.
2 ½ stars
Dick, Philip K. UBIK
Started it all. What can I say. A little hard to read today.
2 stars
Dideon, Joan Play It As It Lays
Another Hollywood novel. Angst. Angst. Angst.
2 stars
Farrell, J.G. The Singapore Gap
Farrell, J.G. Troubles
Farrell, J.G. The Siege of Krishnapor
Now this guy is great. Why have we not heard more from him? I particularly liked The Singapore Gap. What is best is the wry humor.
3 ½ stars
Fitzgerald, Penelope The Book Shop
Fitzgerald, Penelope The Golden Child
You got to like Fitzgerald. Quirky to the enth degree, but worth every bit of it.
3 stars
Furst, Alan Night Soldiers
Furst, Alan Dark Star
Furst, Alan The Polish Officer
Furst, Alan The World at Night
Furst, Alan Red Gold
Furst, Alan Kingdom of Shadows
All of these are set in pre WWII Europe. They are well written and very dark. I couldn’t finish Red Gold but some were very good.
3 Stars
Galouye, Daniel Dark Universe
Interesting old Sci Fi about people caught below ground until they go blind.
1 star
Galsworthy, John The Forsythe Saga
Finally read this. As you will see, I have high standards in this kind of fiction (Trollope). However, a good read and presages Buddenbrooks.
2 ½ stars
Harris, Sam The End of Faith
The first few pages are great. Then he gets shrill. A little too much blame on the Muslims and a little too much exoneration of us and the Israelis.
2 stars
Heinlein, Robert Starship Troopers
Ouch! I used to really like Heinlein (The Roads must Roll). This is just a pean to militarism. The only people who can vote on this world have served in the army. A high tech army, no doubt.
2 stars
Hornby, Nick A Long Way Down
Not Hornby’s best, but an interesting examination of people’s attitudes towards suicide.
2 stars
Ishiguro, Kazuo Never Let Me Go
He goes weird on us in this one. Raising people for their donor organs? What.
1 ½ stars
Kerrigan, Gene The Midnight Choir
A very dark Irish police story. Not a very satisfying one but since I lived in Dublin once, it was a nice trip around the city.
1 ½ stars
Leon, Donna Death at La Fenice
Leon, Donna Death in a Strange Country
Leon, Donna The Anonymous Venetian
Leon, Donna A Venetian Reckoning
Leon, Donna Acqua Alta
Leon, Donna The Death of Faith
Leon, Donna A Noble Radiance
Leon, Donna A Sea of Troubles
I don’t know why every thinks Leon is the cat’s meow. She has a fairly interesting detective and, like Dibdin above, she is an American living in Italy. But, you got to like Venice, so read them.
2 stars
MacDevitt, Jack The Engines of God
MacDevitt, Jack Deepsix
MacDevitt, Jack Chindi
MacDevitt, Jack Omega
MacDevitt, Jack Odyssey
MacDevitt, Jack A Talent for War
MacDevitt, Jack Polaris
MacDevitt, Jack Seeker
MacDevitt, Jack Eternity Road
MacDevitt, Jack Moonfall
MacDevitt, Jack Infinity Beach
Even if you don’t like Sci Fi, read MacDevitt. He has a very easy style and slips in some of the most interesting questions. Everyone has wondered how we could possibly be “alone” in the universe. MacDevitt explores that.
3 ½ stars
Mankell, Henning Faceless Killers
Mankell, Henning The Dogs of Riga
Mankell, Henning The White Lioness
Mankell, Henning Sidetracked
Mankell, Henning The Fifth Woman
Mankell, Henning One Step Behind
Mankell, Henning Firewall
Mankell, Henning The Man Who Smiled
Another detective series, this time in a small town in Sweden. Very well written and the protagonist is believable human with lots of foibles. Apparently made into a TV series in Sweden. Get them.
3 ½ stars
Mitchell, David Ghost Written
Mitchell, David Number 9 Cloud
Mitchell, David Cloud Atlas
Mitchell, David Black Swan Green
Alright. I admit, this guy writes for people like me. Particularly “Cloud Atlas.” He is all over the map but about as interesting as can be. A particular penchant for Japan in the first three. The last fits in with Julian Barnes genre.
4 stars
Moody, Rick Garden State
A dystopian novel about young adults in New Jersey. Grunge, Grunge and more Grunge.
1 ½ stars
Murray, John A Few Short Notes on Tropical Butterflies
Absolutely fascinating. Absolutely. Short stories done in an exquisite manner
3 ½ stars
O'Brien, Flan At War
Newspaper columns from the Master. During WWII in Dublin.
2 ½ stars
Pagels, Elaine The Gnostic Gospels
Sort of blandly written but what she says will make you think. For someone who had 16 years of religious teaching it will make your hair stand up.
2 ½ stars
Pearl, Matthew The Dante Club
Such a good idea. Such an awful book.
1 star
Sandford, John Broken Prey
This guy can churn out a mystery a day. I read this because I wish I drove a Porsche.
1 ½ stars
Scott, Paul Jewel in the Crown
Scott, Paul The Day of the Scorpion
Scott, Paul The Towers of Silence
Scott, Paul A Division of the Spoils
You want to know about the British experience in India? Read Scott.
3 ½ stars
Sebald, W.G. The Rings of Saturn
This man, who died in an automobile accident at the end of the 90’s, has one of most unusual perspectives on people and the landscape that you can imagine. I’ve read two others by him and they all haunt.
3 ½ stars
Sholokhov, Mikhael And Quiet Flows the Don
How this guy won the Nobel Prize I’ll never know. I guess it was a sop to Stalin. What the Cossacks did in the Russian Civil War.
1 ½ stars
Simenon Tropic Moon
Not his best but gripping. Right in there with “Heart of Darkness.”
2 ½ stars
Simenon Monsieur Monde Vanishes
Didn’t finish it
Skvorecky, Josef The Engineer of Human Souls
A Czech writer living in Canada teaching English and rewriting his experience in WWII. Hard to finish but interesting.
2 stars
Smith, Alexander McCall The Full Cupboard of Life
Smith, Alexander McCall The Sunday Philosophy club
Smith, Alexander McCall Portuguese Irregular Verbs
Smith, Alexander McCall The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs
Smith, Alexander McCall At The Villa of Reduced Circumstances
The ultimate in trivial reading (well, maybe not the ultimate). But, I’ll be honest, they can entertain.
2 stars
Stegner, Wallace Angle of Repose
The great American going West novel. Actually quite good. A little forced, and interesting in its comments on the late 60’s culture.
3 stars
Stendhal The Charterhouse of Parma
You got to read this a few times in your life. It’s a rush and then its over.
3 stars
Trollope, Anthony Lady Anna
Trollope, Anthony The Belton Estate
Trollope, Anthony Rachael Ray
Trollope, Anthony The MacDermots of Ballycloran
Trollope, Anthony The Kellys and the O'Kellys
Trollope, Anthony Orley Farm
I never tire of reading this guy. I particularly liked The MacDermots and The Kellys because my ancestors came from Ireland where Trollope worked as a postal inspector or something (he invented the red British pillar mailbox). Somehow these stories in their certainty just fascinate me.
4 stars
Turgenev, Ivan Fathers and Sons
I know, I know, the modern classic. Introduces the blasé revolutionary. Still too Tolstoy for me.
3 stars
Waugh, Evelyn A Handful of Dust
This guy can be very cynical. Not up with Brideshead, but pretty close. Particularly the ending in the Amazon. Reading Dickens. Ah…
3 stars
Saturday, December 01, 2007
A Sadness Too Sad to be True
This by Jesse Winchester has always struck home to me. Like it or not, we are animals with emotions (limbic system; evolutionary advantage; large brain; fight, flight or sex; who knows?). Plus that, I'm a Tennessean. Dismembered, but a Tennessean never the less. Even the son of transplanted Yankees dreams of green hills.
How to deal with this on a day to day basis:
How will these children ever learn to live with us in the world to come? What about all the pain and suffering,
and death?
How morbid, Dr. C. Ugh! But this is the reality of what we have created in Irak.
This has become a conflict which is very much going to define us for long into the future. So it gets you thinking. The stunning thing about the American Constitution, as originally promulgated and interpreted by the Citizens, is that all individuals are considered equal. That includes Iraki children.The insidious dismantling of that constitution began long ago, with the advent of American exceptionalism. Rather, the exceptionalism of a certain class of Americans (mostly white, mostly male, mostly Protestant, and overwhelmingly rich). It finds expression in the absolute certainty of the white Southerner that the black man is inferior (when the reality is that it is simply a different concentration of melanin found in the skin that differentiates white from black. The absurdity of using this as an index of superiority was aptly described by Mark Twain in "Puddn'head Wilson.")
The treatment of Native Americans wasn't much different as we see from Wounded Knee:
It is impossible to remove this strain from a population short of violence. At every turn, because of our geographic isolation and our technical skill (especially in constructing nuclear weapons), Americans have been unconsciously reinforced as being superior to other humans. I can say this with certainty about the generation that grew up in the 1950's and early 60's. A dent was made in this ideology with the Vietnam War. But still, America did not shirk from being responsible for the death of up to two million Vietnamese. We had, you see, our Manifest Destiny. The rich of America could not tolerate the meme of Communism (in reality, an extension of the Constitution's embodiment of the "all men are equal.") Even if it meant useless slaughter.
Furthermore the mere fact that we do not mourn the one half million dead and dismembered Iraki children, yet feel that less than three thousand dead Americans on 9/11 have "changed the world," shows that the real basis of our civilization (on oxymoron in this light) remains this exceptionalism belief. If is very plain that we will never learn.
This brings us to the Dissembler in Chief. George W. Bush has existed in a cocoon of exceptionalism since birth. While his age mates were dying in the jungles of Vietnam, he was drinking his way through the politics of Alabama. How such an uneducated man could have passed through Harvard and Yale ranks right up there with some of the better biblical miracles. His tenure as President has been marked by his absolute certainty that he is exceptional. That he can break laws and kill people without thought or remorse. That he needs not justify his actions. That he is unique and needs no conscience.
And he reflects us all as the most perfect mirror.
How to deal with this on a day to day basis:
How will these children ever learn to live with us in the world to come? What about all the pain and suffering,
and death?
How morbid, Dr. C. Ugh! But this is the reality of what we have created in Irak.This has become a conflict which is very much going to define us for long into the future. So it gets you thinking. The stunning thing about the American Constitution, as originally promulgated and interpreted by the Citizens, is that all individuals are considered equal. That includes Iraki children.The insidious dismantling of that constitution began long ago, with the advent of American exceptionalism. Rather, the exceptionalism of a certain class of Americans (mostly white, mostly male, mostly Protestant, and overwhelmingly rich). It finds expression in the absolute certainty of the white Southerner that the black man is inferior (when the reality is that it is simply a different concentration of melanin found in the skin that differentiates white from black. The absurdity of using this as an index of superiority was aptly described by Mark Twain in "Puddn'head Wilson.")
The treatment of Native Americans wasn't much different as we see from Wounded Knee:
It is impossible to remove this strain from a population short of violence. At every turn, because of our geographic isolation and our technical skill (especially in constructing nuclear weapons), Americans have been unconsciously reinforced as being superior to other humans. I can say this with certainty about the generation that grew up in the 1950's and early 60's. A dent was made in this ideology with the Vietnam War. But still, America did not shirk from being responsible for the death of up to two million Vietnamese. We had, you see, our Manifest Destiny. The rich of America could not tolerate the meme of Communism (in reality, an extension of the Constitution's embodiment of the "all men are equal.") Even if it meant useless slaughter.
Furthermore the mere fact that we do not mourn the one half million dead and dismembered Iraki children, yet feel that less than three thousand dead Americans on 9/11 have "changed the world," shows that the real basis of our civilization (on oxymoron in this light) remains this exceptionalism belief. If is very plain that we will never learn.
This brings us to the Dissembler in Chief. George W. Bush has existed in a cocoon of exceptionalism since birth. While his age mates were dying in the jungles of Vietnam, he was drinking his way through the politics of Alabama. How such an uneducated man could have passed through Harvard and Yale ranks right up there with some of the better biblical miracles. His tenure as President has been marked by his absolute certainty that he is exceptional. That he can break laws and kill people without thought or remorse. That he needs not justify his actions. That he is unique and needs no conscience.
And he reflects us all as the most perfect mirror.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Conventional Wisdom and the Dirty Trick of the Century
Conventional wisdom has it that the "surge" in Irak is "working." That is, the addition of over 30,000 American troops concentrated in regions of Baghdad has resulted in some decrease in violence. Certainly not all violence. There may be only 10 dead bodies found on the street instead of 20. Progress!!
The surge has been accompanied by an extreme regimen of life for the residents of these areas with invasion of the home space by soldiers, interrogations, etc., etc., etc. Not what one would ever call a normal life. I have not seen the opinions of the citizens of Irak concerning the surge. This is strange. After all, it is their cities, villages and land.
I make no mistake, our involvement in Irak will not end soon. I just saw a patient who is shipping out to Irak in the near future.
(On the other hand, when the British, who were experiencing 90% of the violence in Basra withdrew, the violence decreased by 90%. Damn Brits. They must be fixing the intelligence and the facts. Its that dodgey report again.)
The most important aspect of the situation isn't that the surge is working, it is what the Iraki definition of "working" is. The problem for the unfortunate people of Irak is not that they live under a dictatorship (though what's the difference?), it is that the invasion and occupation of their land by American forces has unleashed a Civil War. One can not imagine in any shape, way or form that people who have no control of their lives or their society will be able to go back to a situation that is placid. Our presence in Irak does nothing but increase the likelihood that the Civil War that does come after our exit will be even more cataclysmic than the present situation.
The dirty trick of the surge has created a situation where George W. Bush will simply say: "I tried to give the Iraki people a country and they refused to accept it. Therefore, its not my fault." We tried everything but the patient died, even though we did the operation without informed consent for a non existent disease.
Damn Idiot.
The surge has been accompanied by an extreme regimen of life for the residents of these areas with invasion of the home space by soldiers, interrogations, etc., etc., etc. Not what one would ever call a normal life. I have not seen the opinions of the citizens of Irak concerning the surge. This is strange. After all, it is their cities, villages and land.
I make no mistake, our involvement in Irak will not end soon. I just saw a patient who is shipping out to Irak in the near future.
(On the other hand, when the British, who were experiencing 90% of the violence in Basra withdrew, the violence decreased by 90%. Damn Brits. They must be fixing the intelligence and the facts. Its that dodgey report again.)
The most important aspect of the situation isn't that the surge is working, it is what the Iraki definition of "working" is. The problem for the unfortunate people of Irak is not that they live under a dictatorship (though what's the difference?), it is that the invasion and occupation of their land by American forces has unleashed a Civil War. One can not imagine in any shape, way or form that people who have no control of their lives or their society will be able to go back to a situation that is placid. Our presence in Irak does nothing but increase the likelihood that the Civil War that does come after our exit will be even more cataclysmic than the present situation.
The dirty trick of the surge has created a situation where George W. Bush will simply say: "I tried to give the Iraki people a country and they refused to accept it. Therefore, its not my fault." We tried everything but the patient died, even though we did the operation without informed consent for a non existent disease.
Damn Idiot.
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