I just saw "March of the Penguins"

[whometense]

and wow. Anyone else seen it yet?

GREAT movie for a hot sticky day.

I know it's OT, but hey, it's Saturday night!

[TayTay]

1. I will put it on my list.

I was at a concert tonight. Under the stars. In lovely downtown Lowell. 'twas nice. (Buckwheat Zydeco. I'm a big fan.)

[whometense]

2. That sounds like fun.

It's SO quiet around here tonight. I was out this afternoon, but looking to chat tonight.

[ginnyinWI]

3. I'm just checking in for a bit too

Tomorrow we are going to do the Minneapolis trip. Getting up early.

[whometense]

4. Is this the big

apartment hunt?

[ginnyinWI]

5. yup

We're driving up with our pop-up camper and making a mini-getaway out of it. Camping about ten miles outside the cities. She's got five apartments lined up to look at, so hopefully we'll find a nice one.

[ginnyinWI]

6. she's also got a job interview set for Monday

Teaching at a French immersion school (grade school kids). But really I think she wants to hold out for a TA position and get a break on her tuition.

[whometense]

7. Good luck!

I hope it goes smoothly. For her and for you.

[ginnyinWI]

9. thanks

we'll be back on Tues. night. :)

[ginnyinWI]

8. I did something Kerry related this evening

I got out my paper punch and put a huge stack of articles in a three ring binder--all from the election. Read over some of the nice ones that spoke so well of JK. It was fun, if bitter-sweet.

[whometense]

10. I've been filing mine away

over the past week or so. I made the mistake of listening to a BradBlog radio show in which Bob Fitrakis blamed Kerry for basically everything. It got me all agitated.

[TayTay]

12. That;s just silly.

I love how all these people ascribe God-like omniscience to Kerry, then rag on him when his God-like powers failed.

How was Kerry, personally, supposed to know the situation of every low-level Ohio douche-bag in existence and how to stop them. (He's not Batman after all.)

Hey, I like that. I think I'll file that away for when I feel the need to do a satire.

[whometense]

13. I know, I know...

I was thinking about that post you wrote (yesterday?) saying you didn't think lefties like politics much. I think you have to like a good fight to enjoy politics. I'm lacking that requisite "we'll get 'em next time" insouisance. I wonder if a person can develop that, or if you have to be born with it. (or have it drummed into you by a tough parent??)

[TayTay]

14. I think you are born with it

It can be nasty and unfair and sad and all that. But it's also fun. (No, I wasn't drinking tonight. Seriously.) There is fun to be had in fighting for what you believe. You make friends, you find out who you are and what you believe and you sometimes win.

Honest!

Decent people shouldn't live here. They'd be happier someplace else. -- Batman, 1989

[TayTay]

16. And it's about power

I always wanted to start a thread about how women see power. I don't think it's a topic that a lot of women are comfortable about. At least not women of my generation.

Politics is about the raw use of power. (And other stuff. But it is about power. And about winners and losers. That's the game.) The stuff that goes on is about principle and what people believe, but it is also about getting what you want and getting other people to give you what you want. A lot of people are uncomfortable with something that naked and overt.

[whometense]

22. Interesting.

I'm certainly not comfortable with it. Use of power - I think most of women of our generation know how it feels to have power exercised against them, but maybe that explains why so few women are in politics. That is the game. It's not pretty.

[ginnyinWI]

18. they really do!

They had him being a cross between Batman and Superman. With X-ray vision, and the ability to be everywhere at once, knowing everything. They should grow up and realize this is the real world.

[TayTay]

20. Can't. They would have no need to continue therapy.

But why can't Daddy do everything. I thought he was all-powerful?

Ahm, he's not your Daddy. That's actually pretty sad, pathetic and sick. I'm upping your meds. Get over it. Human beings run in elections and human beings make mistakes and sometimes get played. Now stop making a fanciful SpuerDad the cause of all your problems and get over yourself.

[sandnsea]

37. oh pitter pat

That is so sweet you guys. Saving Kerry articles, now that is true Kerry love!! :loveya:

[TayTay]

11. So sorry.

I was 'chatting.' I am up rather late myself.

You know, it appears that I am getting cryptic again. I seem to be making posts that promise more than I meant agian. Sigh! I have to go back and de-mysterious-ize (not a word, I know) my writing. Sigh!

[whometense]

15. What did you promise?

I've got my brain spun into knots trying to follow the twists and turns of *ian malfeasance. The Rove thing seems to be getting somewhat clearer, and all kinds of new names are being mentioned. Frank Rich has a great column on it in tomorrow's NY Times (here).

Except that once again he takes a gratuitous swipe at Kerry. Why is it he can't seem to finish a single column without adding one?

[TayTay]

17. Again, let it roll off your back.

The other thing that is also happening is that Kerry is getting some recogniziton for being right last year. He was right on his theory of how to fight terrorism. (What the Brits did to decipher who did the London Bombings was treat the damn thing as a crime. Who said that, essentially, last year? That's right, Kerry did.)

Kerry was right on Iraq (I quibble over little things. Overall, I think he is right.) He was right on the environment, on veteran's issues on the budget and so much more. That is also coming out.

[whometense]

19. I have heard that

mentioned over the past week or so - that he was right. And he gets more presidential by the day. Of course he always was - but people seem to be more aware and making the comparison.

By the time this scandal crests he should be looking like he just stepped down from Olympus.

[TayTay]

24. Ahm, well, I wouldn't go that far

Cuz then, if and when he gets elected Prez, it would be a terrible burden of expectations.

But he is looking mighty fine. I took the whole Jay Leno thing as proof of that. ("Let's look at Kerry again. Geez, he looks good. Aren't former nominees supposed to implode or something? This guy looks like he could go another 15 rounds. Hmmm, nice.)

You know, John Kerry should go on Leno and confront the whole 'handsomeness,' botox, or whatever the hell that was thingee head-on. I would pay money to see that. (That is friggin odd.

Leno: "Excuse me Senator. I don't mean this in a gay way or anything (not that there's anything wrong with that especially in our home state) but you are looking mighty fine lately. Did you have work done? (Can I have your doctors number if you did?)"

JK: No, I did not have work done. I just finished a grueling two year campaign. I was able to finally get some rest and a regular schedule of meals and stuff. I'm the same as I always was."

That followed by a series of 'before' and 'after' shots all done that day with different lighting. I'd do it if I were him. It shows a good sense of humor.

[whometense]

26. Not a bad idea.

I find it a bit weird that Leno would be obsessing about him - but the attention's good for JK. And at least it's about how good he looks. Unlike what Al Gore got.

[TayTay]

30. Oooh, so true.

Tall, handsome and youthful-looking does beat portly, bearded and sequestered any day.

And Sen. Kerry has had those moments of wicked good lighting. And he is fighting for Dem principles and against the * Bastard of the Day (like Bolton) and I love to see him do that and ..... vapors. :evilgrin:

My girlish liberal heart can only take so much of that thought. I really, really liked the May speech wherein he whacked the hell out of the 'pukes for their 'nukular opshun.' Sigh! Long, drawn-out sigh! That was great. And he looked so good and ..... vapors agian. :evilgrin:

Oh hell, here's one more just cuz :evilgrin:

[ginnyinWI]

23. is anyone other than us recognizing that?

We well remember his words and positions on things, but how about "normal people"? (lol).

Even JK doesn't say "I told you so" in so many words. Has too much class to do that--not that I'd want him too--but someone should say it out loud.

[TayTay]

27. well, there were those debates

Hardly more than 70 milion people saw them. (Small audience, but still.) I think more than a few of them thought that Kerry fellow was quite bright. Really, he seemed to be quick on his feet and quite agile in the mental department. Perhaps that formed a memory.

[ginnyinWI]

31. and remember all of those endorsements

from major newspapers all over the country. They will remember what Kerry said. With the Bush empire in decline, maybe some editors will dust off their notes from the campaign and give Kerry credit for knowing what was going on. I was just reading some lovely ones again tonight. :)

[ginnyinWI]

32. Sidney Blumenthal:

"John Kerry was set up beforehand as Bush's foil: long-winded, dour, dull. But the Kerry who showed up was crisp, nimble, and formidable. His thrusts brought out Bush's rigidity and stubborness. The more Bush pleaded his own decisiveness, the more he appeared reactive."

[TayTay]

33. Ah, the debates

Those were amazing. The *ies really believed their own bullshit about Kerry being on the ropes, and unable to come back. And they actually believed that Kerry was unable to debate. They expected that * would take him out in the first round.

Dumb mofos.

And I'm to bed. Ah, the debates. I wish they were held two weeks later. Sigh!

[ginnyinWI]

34. more Blumenthal

"Time and time again, as he tried to halt Kerry, he accused him of "mixed signals" and "inconsistency". For Bush, certainty equals strength. Kerry responded with a devastating deconstruction of Bush's epistemology Nothing like this critique of pure reason has ever been heard in a presidential debate. "It's one thing to be certain, but you can be certain and be wrong,"said Kerry."

[ginnyinWI]

35. yet more

"...He reverted to his claim that September 11 justified the invasion of Iraq because "the enemy"--Saddam Hussein-- "attacked us". A stunned but swift-footed Kerry observed: "The president just said something extraordinarily revealing and frankly very important...he just said, 'The enemy attacked us'. Saddam Hussein didn't attack us. Osama bin Laden attacked us." In his effort to banish all doubt, Bush had retreated into a substitute reality, a delusional version of Iraq, ultimately faith-based."

"Bush's attack lines on Kerry did not describe the surprising man standing opposite him. They had been effective last week, but were suddenly shopworn. But Bush couldn't adjust."

[sandnsea]

38. "We Told You So"

I think that should be the Dem theme for the next year, in all 50 states. I don't think the top dog Dems can swallow their pride enough to do it though. Better to pretend Kerry was a mistake, "we didn't really mean it".

[ginnyinWI]

21. it is a good editorial

Despite the Kerry-bash. Other than that, I hope he's right that this is going to go much further up the chain. The possibility of this WH doing itself in was the only bright spot of losing the election. They needed a bit more time to hang themselves. And really, nobody is to blame but themselves. Arrogance and hubris, as Al Franken said.

The evidence for is case is just the sheer amount of talking repub heads who have circled the wagons this time. They seem frantically trying to distract, deceive, and deny. Even some senators; I can't believe they would put their credibility on the line. Maybe they believe the lies.

[whometense]

25. I think it absolutely goes

to Cheney. Remember all that talk during the Bolton hearings about Cheney's visits to the CIA? I feel sure it all ties together. And maybe again this is about the use of raw power. They've gotten away with absolutely everything. Why not this? Who's to stop them? I think maybe they didn't figure in how extremely pissed off the CIA would be.

Very interesting post here: http://cunningrealist.blogspot.com/2005/07/puppetmaster-myth.html

It's about how weird it is that someone like Rove - a backroom political dirty trickster, basically, could end up with high level security clearance and running the policy shop.

I've seen tapes of Rove speaking several times, most recently when he derided "the motives of liberals." Maybe it's because I don't live in D.C. or work in politics---and if so, that's a good thing---but I just don't get it. By all accounts he's great at his "job." But he strikes me as an utter dolt: a boorish, brutish bumpkin. Some people are social climbers; he comes across to me as an intellectual climber, increasingly aspiring to play the role of a highbrow, erudite, ideological seer for which he is uniquely unsuited. His bailiwick is sitting in a campaign office in a sleepy, dusty west Texas town on a hot day in the middle of August---not perched a few feet away from the Oval Office trafficking in national secrets while our troops fight overseas. So when I hear the Rove-as-all-powerful puppetmaster platitudes---usually coming from a press that should be investigating, not fawning---it strikes me as utterly discordant.

Could the gap between the myth and the reality of Karl Rove account for the mess he finds himself in right now?

[TayTay]

28. I never bought into the Rove as genius thing

I think he is a cheap whore who is willing to do anything to get his friends elected and himself some power.

He is an unprincipled, unethical, ruthless and bastardly POS. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. And it breeds arrogance and stupidity. Little tin gods eventually screw up and think they are too powerful and lordly to get called on it. They are always wrong. As the expression goes, "The wheels of justice grind slowly but they grind exceedingly fine."

That doughboy bastard is getting what's coming to him.

[ginnyinWI]

29. what Rove has is an utter lack of scruples

He's been willing to dare to do the worst to political enemies and pull no punches. That's why he has been valuable to those he's worked for. He's the heavy, doing things they wouldn't or couldn't.

He goes for the "big lie"--the lie so outrageous that it has to be at least partly true, because nobody would dare to lie so outrageously. But he does.

[ginnyinWI]

36. see you next week

Sorry to be away from a computer when so much is happening! I know you two and the others will "hold down the fort" here, and I can catch up when I get back! :)