The Sound of the Crowd

AmericaBlog

Journalists, including those on the Bush team, (Fox, etc) used words like “rare” and even “unprecedented” to describe the compassionate conservative Bush’s decision to interupt his vacation to interfere in a private family medical decision.

Of course, that was back when they still thought it was gonna play in the heartland. Now that they’ve learned you can only fool most of the people some of the time, they’re backpedaling like mad.

Brit “shameful lies” Hume minimized the signifigance of Bush’s actions, allowing that “his [Bush's] intervention consisted mostly of a signature and some statements from the White House.”

As Media Matters documents, this makes quite a change from the way this was first reported. As they don’t say but I will…he’s the freaking president of the United States! When he signs something and makes some statements from the White House, it’s a big deal!

Go here to see what The Sound of the Crowd would look like if it were overrun by dinosaurs, or eight other disasters far-fetched and natural.

Something to show my nephew the T-Rex…

1. Oliver Willis has this to say about Bush: Quack, quack.

2.Mark A.R. Kleiman on how a Republican strategy has backfired:

“that damage to the base comes on top of the alienation of reality-based and process conservatives and libertarians, and of whatever the incident might have done to mobilize Democrats.”

3.Hullabaloo points out that: “…the Nader press release…and the fellow he has partnered with in condemning the Schiavo decisions, both emanate from The Discovery institute, home of crackpot, creationist drivel.”

Not to repeat myself, but I’m still wondering: When exactly did Ralph Nader become insane?

4. Hoffmania paints a picture. Let’s Say You’re Spending Your Last Few Hours With A Loved One…

5. Denny Crane (William Shatner) pitches a Starfleet Academy series. Personally, I don’t know why he’d (Denny Crane) want a piece of that loser, when he’s already the star of a winner in which he gets to work with Rhona Mitra as Tara “all men objectify me” Wilson. But…Denny Crane.

6. AmericaBlog has a report on an upcoming National Press Club panel. This looks to be the most unfair, unbalanced thing I’ve seen since…a certain world science fiction convention discussion of dead lesbians in TV and film.

7. Speaking of (thankfully living) lesbians, my mother drives a Subaru. As do I.

Somewhere, Keitha and Annabel are laughing at me.

“…he was sullen about it, with the predictable attitude of someone who has been right-at all costs. And, therefore, wonders if he was wrong. It was a feeling that isolated him from everyone…”

–John Irving, The World According To Garp

When you say it’s gonna happen “now”
well, when exactly do you mean?
see I’ve already waited too long
and all my hope is gone

–The Smiths, “How Soon is Now?”

From the NY Times via Daily Kos:

“The public is beginning to sense a whiff of extremism in the Republican leadership in the House and the Senate,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York

Context:

“Dear Playwright:

On behalf of the Artistic Committee’s playreading judges, we would like to thank you for submitting your full-length play to our annual contest. Unfortunately…”

Song Styles:

And the fear goes on…shadows
And the tear flows on for nothing

Under his nose was a dream come true
Been there all the time and he almost knew
Thoughts of people in misfortune stopped him doing things well
His duty was to use it – left his pearl in the shell

And the fear goes on…shadows
And the tear flows on…

And on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on…

–Howard Jones, “Pearl in The Shell”

PS:

“Dear Playwright.” Not even “Mr. Varkentine.”

Duke (reading a statement before Congress): And it is the position of the National Rife Association that when it comes to arbitrary social controls, more is less! What is needed instead is a sense of restraint and fair play. If our once proud schools were to resume the teaching of..

Congressman: Excuse me, Mr. Duke..

Duke: Yes?

Congressman: I want to get this straight. Is it actually your view that the answer to rising handgun violence is a renewed emphasis on sportsmanship?

Duke: Exactly. We advocate a return to responsible gunplay.

Congressman: In our once proud schools?
–Doonesbury, 1979.

Newsday, 2005.

1. from the Miami Herald (via Talking Points Memo) …

Hours after a judge ordered that Terri Schiavo was not to be removed from her hospice, a team of state agents were en route to seize her and have her feeding tube reinserted…

2. From Hullabaloo:

Even his wife thinks he might be a threat to national security. It would be very irresponsible not to speculate that Wolfowitz is being blackmailed by a beguiling, invasion-mad, Tunisian she-devil. It really would.