Skipping a number - The Presidency That Never Was

42...44

History can teach us things. Knowing what has gone before is supposed to help us to not recreate the same errors made then. Our planetary ancestors (not necessarily direct biological ones) also had some pretty good ideas that might bear some reconsideration.

For instance; Take the issue of Akhenaton the "Heretic Pharoah" who during his reign repudiated ALL the other gods in the Egyptian pantheon and proclaimed that only the sun - "Aton" was god.

Once Akhenaton died, the old religion returned to Egypt, and the name of Akhenaton was chipped off of all his monuments, his statues and artwork were systematically destroyed and any references to him were removed.

I'm thinking this would be a good thing for the United States to take note and emulate. On January 20, 2009 - assuming (big assumption) that GWB voluntarily relinquishes control of the office of the Presidency - the record of the list of Presidents of the United States should start with George Washington, continue on through Lincoln, all the Roosevelts, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, George HW Bush, Clinton, then a big blank space, then the name of the 44th President.

So America will now count 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45.... Just like in tall buildings where it goes from the 12th floor to the 14th floor with nothing between!

Imagine the number 43 becoming as ill-omened as the number 13. No more Triskaidekaphobia - we will have 43aphobia!!

I got lost on the way home from Glen Ellyn last nite. I'm tired. I'm punchy. Cut me some slack, k? *grin*

738 days

Edit in:

OOOH - and another idea just hit me - they rescinded all the "Aton is the only god" stuff after Akhenaton died - so like... maybe on Jan 21 we could reverse the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, and anything else the Shrub signed?

Taking a Stand

I have always regretted that I was not really old enough to defy my parents and really do the peace movement thing back in the Vietnam era. Tonight I finally got the chance to stand with those I support - and take a stand for Peace.

My first peace protest. Some of the nicest, most sharing and caring people I've met in a long time - all with the same agenda - from all sorts of walks of life. The lady in the designer outfit with the faux(?) fur coat - to the guy in the blue jeans and ragged coat.

Some photos:

There were about 3 signs this big that I saw walking around. Not sure if it was the same people, or different groups.


This was the group across the street from where I was. In total, I'd say we had about 4 or 5 times this many people, at a very busy intersection near the train station in downtown Glen Ellyn.


The guy with the peace sign banner came over where I was for a bit - it's really pretty. I love that shade/hue of blue.



Pay no attention to the fat lady in the funny pink hat behind the sign - but Honk!! Lots and lots of people honked. We had a lot of support, and only one guy that I saw who flipped us off and shouted something hateful - but I couldn't hear him or understand it, so I ignored him.

I will do this again.

Emminent Domain

Unlike everyone else today, I'm not going to talk about the truly heinous decision by George Walker Bush to send 20,000 more American Servicemen and women to die in Iraq.

No, I'm going to discuss emminent domain. This is an issue that is worrisome to many, as it has been legislated recently that government is allowed to take away your property (at what IT decides is a "fair price") in order for some corporate entity to expand their holdings.

And this makes me wonder, just exactly how much free land space is available surrounding Arlington National Cemetary? Do you think there is enough land available there for another 20,000+ graves? Or do you think that maybe they'll have to use "emminent domain" and throw a lot of people out of their homes and businesses in order to secure sufficient space to plant all these servicemen once George Walker Bush murders them?

739 days

Bush Planning to Attempt to Murder Another 20K Soldiers

Having already murdered over 3,000 American Soldiers, not to mention countless Iraqi citizens, "Coalition" members and American contractors, George W. Bush now reveals his plan to attempt to murder another 20,000 American servicemen and women.

Apparently the message we sent in November fell on deaf ears - ears that only hear the echoes of his own pompous pronouncement of "Stay the Course" - but he's gonna stay it HARDER this time...

Ya know - it's rather amazing. MOST chimpanzees CAN be taught.

740 days

Tired of being treated like a child?

This guy says it so much better than I, but it is so true.

America used to be all about a country of brave, risk-taking, independent thinking, self-sufficient people. When the hell did we become a nation of helpless children who need Daddy Government to tell us what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and spank our hands if we don't toe the line?

Being a "Grownup" used to mean that you took responsibility for your own actions - that you made decisions based on your own best judgement and then accepted the consequences. "Well, that's what I get for doing that!" used to be the norm, not "Well, It's the Ladder Mfg. Co.'s fault for my falling off while balanced on one foot on the top rung!"

I don't WANT Homeland Security. I want a government that provides basic services like interstate highways and a bit of regulatory oversight to keep things running smoothly - and then to butt the hell out of our lives.

I'm not a terrorist, I resent being treated like a criminal if I want to fly to Florida to see my Dad (I'm currently boycotting ALL airlines except for dire emergency with Dad until the TSA is disbanded or castrated).

I mean, FFS - I wear BALLET FLATS most of the time. Where the hell am I going to hide a bomb in THOSE, I ask you?

Tagged by a Frog

Name a book that you want to share so much that you keep giving away copies:

"Crocodile on the Sandbank" by Elizabeth Peters. Of course, I have to be careful upon whom I bestow it - not everyone has the same sense of humor that I do. Sorry I'm not into passing out "deep" books. I always feel as if I'm being percieved as judgemental or proseltyzing if I do that.


Name a piece of music that changed the way you listen to music:

I've got 2, both waltzes. First one was "The Blue Danube Waltz" by Strauss. When I was about 12 or 13, I got into my mom's record collection and messed around with the record player for an afternoon while they were out. This was the first piece of classical music that hit me strongly, especially having been brought up with those heavy Bach-esque Lutheran Hymns. This was classical music that was light and ethereal, uplifting instead of thumping and ponderous.

The second is the waltz from "Eugene Onegin" by Tchaikovsky. This was the first ballet recital piece that my daughter danced to en-pointe. I was so proud of her, I actually cried. She worked so hard to get and to master her "toe-shoes", and she was so beautiful and graceful, and danced her heart out. Now that she's grown and gone and not dancing anymore, I still picture her dancing when I hear certain types of music.


Name a film you can watch again and again without fatigue:

At the risk of sounding trite - "The Blues Brothers" (The first one!) I first saw this movie during the early 1980's when I'd just gotten married and moved to Colorado from my home in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. I was so homesick, and the movie was "home" to me. Sure, the plot is silly, but the landmarks can make me smile even now (My daughter was married in that county office building, and I have video of her dancing in Daley Center right in front of those windows that the Bluesmobile crashes through) and the music... Oh my, the music!


Name a performer for whom you suspend of all disbelief:

Interestingly, because I'm not a big fan of most of his films, Dustin Hoffman always "IS" his character for me. When I see him on screen, my reaction when first encountering his character in a role is never "Oh, look, there's Dustin Hoffman", but rather a belief that I am seeing the person he is portraying. Jack Nicholson has this quality too - Tom Hanks as well, but to a lesser degree.


Name a work of art you'd like to live with:

The temple of Hathor at Abu Simbel


Name a work of fiction which has penetrated your real life:

Oh my - just one? They all do, you know. As I read them, I assimilate bits and pieces as they impress me. However, if I have to pick one, I think "All Quiet on the Western Front" did more to shape my views about politics and war than just about anything I've read since.


Name a punch line that always makes you laugh:

"I think... no, I am positive... that you are the most unattractive man I have ever met in my entire life. You know, in the short time we've been together, you have demonstrated EVERY loathsome characteristic of the male personality and even discovered a few new ones. You are physically repulsive, intellectually retarded, you're morally reprehensible, vulgar, insensitive, selfish, stupid, you have no taste, a lousy sense of humor and you smell. You're not even interesting enough to make me sick."


That darn Frog, Kvatch, at Blognonymous tagged me, and so I'll pass it on to Croila and Leandra.


741 days

Taking vacations is bad.

Ever since they semi-downsized the accounting dept. (We now have 1 1/2 peoples instead of 2), I've been a little more busy at work, usually it's not an issue, but this last week was an exceptionally busy one.

End of the year, end of the end of the fiscal year audit, end of the month, end of the quarter, end of my patience - and all this in a 4-day week after a 10 day hiatus.

I spent the last 3 days of this week coming in early and had I not been kicked out early on Friday - leaving late.

Add to this a toothache and one of the cats is apparently feeling poorly, the constant stress of the Evil Bush Regime that has overtaken my country and I've just about hit my emotional limit. And I'm not supposed to drink to excess while taking Metformin. Phlllhhhhbbhhhttt

Had another argument with Leandra about Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy of movies - I contend that he irrationally expanded the part of "Arwen", either to satisfy the Hollywood studios insistance on "formula" movies with a Hero, a Love Interest, &etc - or because Liv Tyler was using those seriously collegen-enhanced lips for him for something other than simpering at the camera. IMNSHO there is, at least, 3 or 4 hours too much Arwen in that trilogy. ESPECIALLY in the theatrical release version.

Leandra contends she's only on-screen for at most 20 minutes in the whole 3 movies...

BAH.


So anyhow - sorry to miss a day in the count-down, but I just wasn't into blogging yesterday.

743 days.