Warning!

BAGHDAD, Iraq - As a gunbattle raged south of Baghdad, Sens. John McCain and Russell Feingold told Iraqi leaders Saturday that American patience was growing thin and they needed to urgently overcome their stalemate and form a national unity government.

It was the second high-level U.S. delegation in less than a week delivering the same stark message to Iraqi politicians as the Bush administration steps up pressure to overcome the political impasse that threatens to scuttle hopes to start an American troop pullout this summer.

Overcome the stalemate or what? We'll attack their country?

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To Kill A Mockingbird

I have begun to read this classic book for the first time.

I know... unbelievable!

My plan was to finish it by the end of this weekend, but I went to a film this afternoon — En Sång fõr Martin (A Song For Martin) — and I'll be going to a couple more tomorrow at the East Lansing Film Festival. En Sång fõr Martin deals with Alzheimer's Disease and its effect on a relationship between the victim and his wife. Powerful stuff.

I've been spending completely too much time online and I'm trying to temper that somewhat — not an easy thing to do when most of what I do every day involves the computer.

I will be spending a great deal of time rehearsing for next Friday's opening act gig at the Ten Pound Fiddle, so I don't know if I'll get the book done by then, but if I'm at all serious about cutting back this online time, well...

Addictions!

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Dear Mr. President:

Letter to President Bush
By Joseph W. DuRocher

Forwarded from Marni Harmony, the minister of a church in Orlando. Joe is one of her parishioners.

Saturday 04 March 2006

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

As a young man I was honored to serve our nation as a commissioned officer and helicopter pilot in the US Navy. Before me in WWII, my father defended the country spending two years in the Pacific aboard the USS Hornet (CV-14). We were patriots sworn "to protect and defend". Today I conclude that you have dishonored our service and the Constitution and principles of our oath. My dad was buried with full military honors so I cannot act for him. But for myself, I return enclosed the symbols of my years of service: the shoulder boards of my rank and my Naval Aviator's wings.

Until your administration, I believed it was inconceivable that the United States would ever initiate an aggressive and preemptive war against a country that posed no threat to us. Until your administration, I thought it was impossible for our nation to take hundreds of persons into custody without provable charges of any kind, and to "disappear" them into holes like Gitmo, Abu Ghraib and Bagram. Until your administration, in my wildest legal fantasy I could not imagine a US Attorney General seeking to justify torture or a President first stating his intent to veto an anti-torture law, and then adding a "signing statement" that he intends to ignore such law as he sees fit. I do not want these things done in my name.

As a citizen, a patriot, a parent and grandparent, a lawyer and law teacher I am left with such a feeling of loss and helplessness. I think of myself as a good American and I ask myself what can I do when I see the face of evil? Illegal and immoral war, torture and confinement for life without trial have never been part of our Constitutional tradition. But my vote has become meaningless because I live in a safe district drawn by your political party. My congressman is unresponsive to my concerns because his time is filled with lobbyists' largess. Protests are limited to your "free speech zones", out of sight of the parade. Even speaking openly is to risk being labeled un-American, pro-terrorist or anti-troops. And I am a disciplined pacifist, so any violent act is out of the question.

Nevertheless, to remain silent is to let you think I approve or support your actions. I do not. So, I am saddened to give up my wings and bars. They were hard won and my parents and wife were as proud as I was when I earned them over forty years ago. But I hate the torture and death you have caused more than I value their symbolism. Giving them up makes me cry for my beloved country.

Joseph W. DuRocher

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Explain this to me,

George W. Moron...

"The security of our country is directly linked to the liberty of the Iraqi people," he said. "This will require more difficult days of fighting and sacrifice, yet I am confident that our strategy will result in victory."

I would like to know exactly — PRECISELY — how our country's security is "directly linked to the liberty of the Iraqi people."

Use charts if you've got 'em.

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Interview

Interview

I got on the bus Thursday night to attend the Danú concert at Lansing Community College. I had just missed an earlier bus, so I had to wait fifteen minutes for another...

Upon getting on and sitting down in the first available seat, I was greeted with a pretty direct look by a man across from me who looked familiar to me for some reason. So, I said hello to him.

The first words out of his mouth were, "What year were you born?"

Somewhat taken aback, I paused a moment and said, "'55."

"I was born in 1952," he said, then added, "I don't look that old, though."

"You're right," I agreed, "you don't!"

"Where do you get your haircut?" he asked.

"Oh, diferent places," I told him. "Up the street here at Paradise Salon, or in Frandor (Shopping Center), or..."

"How much?" he queried further.

"Too much!" I answered.

"Two bucks? Only two bucks?!?"

"No, no, no," I chuckled... "Too MUCH!!"

He then asked me my name and repeated it a couple of times to make sure he heard it right, "Powers? It's Powers?"

"Yeah," I nodded, deciding not to correct him about the s he'd added.

-----------------------

I'm often very ill-at-ease when confronted with this kind of situation. I consider myself to be a pretty open, friendly person with people I've never met before, but I think that I tend to be quite cautious in public places — more observant of the people around me than interactive.

This night, however, the bus I got on had three riders that were all quite willing to interact with strangers at the drop of a hat.

When I first got on the bus (and for a good mile of the journey down Michigan Avenue), a guy was standing at the front yellow line chatting away with the driver at the top of his voice about something that seemed quite mundane to me. He did most (if not all) of the talking... I couldn't see if she was even nodding responses to him.

Another fellow got on at some point and sat to the left of the young woman who was sitting to my left... I overheard him talking to her about her fake fingernails amongst other things that no doubt left her a bit squeamish.

I love public transportation... I wish more people would use it. I wish more people would see the value in these experiences, regardless of how uncomfortable we might feel while in the midst of them. I think that this automobile-driven (pardon the pun) world has so reduced our collective ability to socialize.

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