Here We go Again

Once again, I sit watching the State of the Union address. The Supreme Court entered, just before the President, who was accompanied by the leaders of both houses of Congress. As an aside, I have long felt it now represents a danger to have our entire government assembled all in one place. As the President begins to speak, I will now give my thoughts:

Dennis Hastert still looks like a fat pig. Nothing personal, of course. He just does.

President started by mentioning the death of Coretta Scott King. Nice and proper.

Now he says we "seek the end of tyrany in our world". That's nice. I'd also like to do away with cloudy days. Maybe we could legislate it. Or better yet, let's send in the military.

His speech seems a bit disjointed--which is to say the written word, not the spoken word. Well, that seems disjointed too, but no more than normal.

Now he's talking about radical Islam. He's right about this where he says radical Islam is a huge threat. He says "we love our freedom and we will fight to keep it". That sounds good and right, but I don't think he gives sufficient thought to the effect our actions have upon the third world. I'd like to fight with one hand and still raise up the oppressed with the other hand, but I don't think we're doing this. He says "we will never surrender to evil" and now all the stupid suits (read: congresspersons) stand in ovation. Yeah! Never surrender to evil! Dude!!

The cameras just panned a shot of Joe Lieberman applauding the President. He's such a syncophant.

Now the President goes for the ratings game by introducing the family of a fallen soldier. This sort of thing is revolting because it tells us nothing about the state of our union, and unduly depends on emotion. Presidents of both parties should stop doing this sort of circus trick; it's really unbecoming.

Now he's talking about how the nations of the world must not permit Iran to gain nu-cu-lar weapons. He's right about this, but I do wish he'd learn how to pronounce nuclear.

He asked to reauthorize the so-called "Patriot Act". Now he's asking to spy on Americans without a warrant. He says "if there are Americans in our country talking to Al Queda, we want to know about it because we're not going to sit back and wait to be hit again". Good grief. What a false choice. He could ask Congress to craft a law that permits the Constitution to survive.

Next: Economics. He mentions that China and India are ascendant industrial competitors and warns against protectionism and xenophobia (my big word - decidedly not his). He wants to keep our economy growing by letting rich people keep their tax breaks.

Did I mention that Denny Hastert still looks like a corpulent hog?

The republicans look like idiots. Generally, but also because they keep jumping to their feet every time the president finishes a sentence. But OH MY G0D!!! He just handed the Democrats a huge soft pitch when he said that last year Congress failed to pass my plan to save Social Security. ALL THE DEMOCRATS LEAPT TO THEIR FEET AND CHEERED!!! That was FABULOUS!

Getting back on track he says America needs affordable healthcare. He wants to strengthen Health Savings Accounts, which is a great idea. But he also wants medical liability reform and links it to the shortage of OB/GYNs in certain places. I still say that congress should investigate the insurance companies to determine their complicity in this scandal.

Energy: Clean, safe nuclear. Zero-emission coal and alternative fuels. He wants to make a new kind of ethanol practical within six years. And he wants to replace 755 of our mideast oil imports by 2025. He's GOT to make that happen; he can't just say we're going to do it. What's the PLAN?

American Competitive Initiative to help us compete in math & science - double federal commitment to physical sciences over next 10 years. Make the research tax credit permanent. Encourage kids to take more math & science and make sure the courses are rigorous enough to compete with other nations. He wants to train 100,000 teachers to teach science. Question: who pays? Now he sounds like that hysterical woman from The Simpsons "Won't someone do it for the children".....

Now he gets into culture. He's worried about activist courts that try to redefine marriage. Interesting that he could say this in the same breath that he says we must treat each other with respect. He is the ultimate hypocrite. He's such a fucking hypocrite. What a fucking hypocrite.

He goes on to say that a hopeful society (whatever the hell that is) helps people in need. Yet he refuses to release executive branch documents that would show they KNEW the devastation that Hurricane Katrina would cause, yet professed to be completely surprised. Did I mention he's a fucking hypocrite?

I'm sick of this guy. He has GOT TO GO. He makes me puke.

Thoughts on a New Year

The new year is just a few years old and I have a few comments on the new year, and a few that have passed:

1) At our low key dinner last night I recalled the celebration six years ago at the end of the last millenium (which, yes, I know actually ended at the end of 2000). I remember feeling a sense of awe--remembering the wars and bloodshed that had characterised large swaths of the prior millenium, and wondering what the dawning millenium held for us all. This is just a progress report to note that, so far, this millenium has been one of war and bloodshed. This troubles me.

2) A friend of mine says we should "beware men in robes". Think about it. Judges, Ayatollahs, Clergy. I'd wager a substantial portion of the world's problems originated with men in robes.

3) I've decided the "The Liberal (read: "Jewish") War on Christmas" should more appropriately be called "The Fundamentalist Christian War on Everyone and Everything Else". I am and always have been glad to say "Merry Christmas" to my Christian friends. All I ask in return is that they remember I'm Jewish and celebrate a holiday called "Chanukah". This occasionally has proven very difficult, as I have noticed the people most insistent on the words "Merry Christmas" seem to have the hardest time uttering the words "Happy Chanukah". This may not be true universally, but it is certainly true in my experience.

4) "Brokeback Mountain" was an exceptional film and should win something at this years Academy Awards. However, I just saw "Capote" and feel that Phillip Seymour Hoffman should win Best Actor.

5) I wish people would work harder to just get along in 2006.

Happy New Year.