(no subject)
I'm getting very excited about The Fans' Reading Group. Three weeks till we start discussing our inagural book, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. The more people who join the more excited I get. Come on, my friends, it'll be a lot of fun. And we'll have virtual punch and pie. You know you wanna join. *hint fansreading hint* < /wheedling>
New season of House starts tonight, ya'll. Most exciting. What is it with me and the sarcastic, intelligent, darkly attractive wounded type? It can't be healthy.
You know, I really shouldn't read Orson Scott Card's website, especially the political stuff. It only serves to aggravate me. But, since I did ...
The Right is beginning to fight back. They were fairly silent during the first week or so after Katrina, probably as shocked as the rest of us were. Now begins the refutations and 'explanations' of the disaster that unfolded in front of our eyes. Apparently it's not the administration's fault because Bush isn't God, he can't order the cosmos to his liking (thank goodness). And the governor of Mississipi doesn't blame him so certainly we shouldn't either. The news media is just a bunch of jackals who have latched onto a sensational story and are using it to make the poor, poor little president look bad. Of course its not his fault. It's the media, they're placing blame. It's Mayor Nagin, he didn't use the school buses to evacuate people. It's the LA governor, she didn't call for aid in time.
Granted, I am supremely biased. I've never voted for GW, I've never liked him or his policies. I didn't support his war and still don't. I'm jaded and cynical with regards to this administration. However, even I can see that in the aftermath of the hurricane Bush did everything wrong. I'm not even talking about who got aid and who fell asleep on the job, I'm saying that for a president who spent the last campaign posturing as some sort ideal leader he completely failed to lead the country.
Most of you who will read this already know his actions during the first few days. Now, I'm not a politician nor am I a leader but I know how important perception is and to be perceived as a leader you have to act like one, no matter how little you would be able to actually accomplish (and in the direct aftermath of the storm I have no idea how much any president would be able to personally do). Bush has not done so. He continued his vacation. He's visited the Gulfcoast but has largely left other people in charge of the situation, just peeking in whenever he feels the need to try and bolster his approval ratings. People have accused him of fiddling while New Orleans sunk and I can't say that they're entirely wrong, no matter how cliche the phrase might seem.
No matter what else comes out in the weeks and months and years of investigations that are likely to ensue there is one unequivocal truth, the disasterous aftermath of Hurricane Katrina can be considered a failure of leadership on all levels, including the top. A leader takes action and a leader takes responsibility and I have a bad feeling that this man in our White House will do neither.
I think Republicans should stop whining. There, I said it. Maybe it isn't completely fair to place all the blame at the president's door but the guy at the top takes the blame, that's what happens. Sorry. It wasn't fair that it took more then 2 days for the National Guard to mobilize. It wasn't fair that it took even longer for the regular military to get into the area. It wasn't fair that international help was turned away at the borders. It wasn't fair that women were raped in the Convention Center and the Superdome, that people died of dehydration and had to stand in lines in the blistering sun and devestating heat as the waters rose. None of its fair but a real leader, a real man, stands up, acknowledges the problems and goes to work.
But maybe that's only in the movies.
In other, less frustrating news, I saw a charming article last night in 'Detail' magazine on Matthew Fox. I think I'm a little bit in love. ;-) He seems to be one of those down to earth, man's man types. It's no wonder that Dom is so fond of him. The article's author compared him to George Clooney and Robert Redford, men who straight guys are unashamed to have crushes on. It was delightful.
And informative. Apparently the cast members felt a little like the "bastard step-children" (Fox's words) of the ABC family. The cast of Desperate Housewives get bonuses and swanky presents and all sorts of attention from the suits. It's bad for morale. Makes me want to fly to Hawaii and say, 'Don't worry, I love you.' Because I do.
ETA: Have been listening to the Roberts Supreme Court nomination hearings. Wow, he's smooth. He's a better politician then the guy who nominated him. Makes me wonder if ol' GW doesn't have a little bit of a crush. ;-)
New season of House starts tonight, ya'll. Most exciting. What is it with me and the sarcastic, intelligent, darkly attractive wounded type? It can't be healthy.
You know, I really shouldn't read Orson Scott Card's website, especially the political stuff. It only serves to aggravate me. But, since I did ...
The Right is beginning to fight back. They were fairly silent during the first week or so after Katrina, probably as shocked as the rest of us were. Now begins the refutations and 'explanations' of the disaster that unfolded in front of our eyes. Apparently it's not the administration's fault because Bush isn't God, he can't order the cosmos to his liking (thank goodness). And the governor of Mississipi doesn't blame him so certainly we shouldn't either. The news media is just a bunch of jackals who have latched onto a sensational story and are using it to make the poor, poor little president look bad. Of course its not his fault. It's the media, they're placing blame. It's Mayor Nagin, he didn't use the school buses to evacuate people. It's the LA governor, she didn't call for aid in time.
Granted, I am supremely biased. I've never voted for GW, I've never liked him or his policies. I didn't support his war and still don't. I'm jaded and cynical with regards to this administration. However, even I can see that in the aftermath of the hurricane Bush did everything wrong. I'm not even talking about who got aid and who fell asleep on the job, I'm saying that for a president who spent the last campaign posturing as some sort ideal leader he completely failed to lead the country.
Most of you who will read this already know his actions during the first few days. Now, I'm not a politician nor am I a leader but I know how important perception is and to be perceived as a leader you have to act like one, no matter how little you would be able to actually accomplish (and in the direct aftermath of the storm I have no idea how much any president would be able to personally do). Bush has not done so. He continued his vacation. He's visited the Gulfcoast but has largely left other people in charge of the situation, just peeking in whenever he feels the need to try and bolster his approval ratings. People have accused him of fiddling while New Orleans sunk and I can't say that they're entirely wrong, no matter how cliche the phrase might seem.
No matter what else comes out in the weeks and months and years of investigations that are likely to ensue there is one unequivocal truth, the disasterous aftermath of Hurricane Katrina can be considered a failure of leadership on all levels, including the top. A leader takes action and a leader takes responsibility and I have a bad feeling that this man in our White House will do neither.
I think Republicans should stop whining. There, I said it. Maybe it isn't completely fair to place all the blame at the president's door but the guy at the top takes the blame, that's what happens. Sorry. It wasn't fair that it took more then 2 days for the National Guard to mobilize. It wasn't fair that it took even longer for the regular military to get into the area. It wasn't fair that international help was turned away at the borders. It wasn't fair that women were raped in the Convention Center and the Superdome, that people died of dehydration and had to stand in lines in the blistering sun and devestating heat as the waters rose. None of its fair but a real leader, a real man, stands up, acknowledges the problems and goes to work.
But maybe that's only in the movies.
In other, less frustrating news, I saw a charming article last night in 'Detail' magazine on Matthew Fox. I think I'm a little bit in love. ;-) He seems to be one of those down to earth, man's man types. It's no wonder that Dom is so fond of him. The article's author compared him to George Clooney and Robert Redford, men who straight guys are unashamed to have crushes on. It was delightful.
And informative. Apparently the cast members felt a little like the "bastard step-children" (Fox's words) of the ABC family. The cast of Desperate Housewives get bonuses and swanky presents and all sorts of attention from the suits. It's bad for morale. Makes me want to fly to Hawaii and say, 'Don't worry, I love you.' Because I do.
ETA: Have been listening to the Roberts Supreme Court nomination hearings. Wow, he's smooth. He's a better politician then the guy who nominated him. Makes me wonder if ol' GW doesn't have a little bit of a crush. ;-)