Today's the end of 2004... and it ends with visions of tremendous devestation worldwide. I sit in comfy house with cat curled in the window, crock pot cooking the NewYear's beans, and am very thankful that we are so lucky.
My New Year's resolution is to try harder to follow through and spend energy on doing what's "Right" rather than convenient.

First action was to donate to "Doctor's Without Borders" for aid to the victims in Asia.

Again the Bush response to worldwide anquish is woefully lacking. What an arrogant A****.

How much better would it have been for him to announce that in light of the worldwide catastrophe, and in honor of and mourning for the dead, families of the dead, and homeless, etc. that he would be scaling back the Inaugruial Festivities and calling on all those who so generously donated to his campaign (Rangers, Pioneers, et. al.) to donate in equal kind to the relief efforts.

I'm going to try to send this suggestion to all the Rangers (http://www.whitehouseforsale.org/ContributorsAndPaybacks/pioneer_search.cfm) that I can find an address. Perhaps there are many oligarchs out there with some compassion left?

May 2006 be a better year than 2005. Peace be with you.

From all the press about B. Kerik (well followed by Josh Marshall at Talking Points memo) it seems that someone should be building a case for prosecution against the man. Clearly he's put himself above the law again and again.
I almost wish for a return of the Nixon/Agnew days... at least then, when crooks were clearly outed, there was a chance of justice and "rule of law". Now that the lawless Texans have established the rule of the "lawless", I fear for our country.

Bush Says Social Security Faces 'Looming Danger' ............. is "loming danger" the same as WMD???

I've been sort of numb since the election, spending online time reading, watching and waiting. Thanks to Josh Marshall, Steve Clemmons, Steve Gilliard, et. al. for the fine reporting and continued analysis of events.
Today's copy of Issues and Alibis at http://www.issuesandalibis.org/ had an article by Ernst Stuart The Cost Of Bush's Oil Wars -Your Tax Dollars And Your Children At Work! that punched through the depressive fog and hit hard.... The photos should be required viewing for Bush, his Cabinet, and ALL members of the Branches of Government. HOW DARE WE SAY THIS IS GOOD?.

"Republicans close to the White House" said Thursday that the choice of Alberto Gonzales "as attorney general was part of a political strategy to bolster" his "credentials with conservatives and position him for a possible Supreme Court appointment," the New York Times reports.

This is Bush's crony known recently for his memo supporting the administration's disregard for the Geneva Convention and when Bush was governor of Texas, the guy who filtered all the requests for clemency of death row prisoner's despite some evidence of innocence. And we will get HIM as a new Supreme Court Judge??

Somehow "Out of the pot and into the fire" comes to mind.