You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake

Mark Santora posted a haunting article in today's New York Times describing a massive double car bombing in Baghdad yesterday. As of now 88 have been declared dead. The attack was described as "one of the worst scenes of carnage since the war began." I find this interesting because the attack last week was also described in these very terms. I know that I am not in Iraq and do not have the benefit of being able to speak to the citizens there. However, it seems like every quote I find in all types of publications (liberal, conservative, etc...) alludes to the idea that Iraqi citizens have no hope for their country.

Why are our men and women standing in the way of missiles and continually being led into dangerous areas chuck full of IED's? Why is it that we are sending an additional 24,000 soldiers into a disaster scene. 3,200 U.S. soldiers have perished in the attacks so far and the number continues to rise daily. Not to mention the 30,000+ Iraqi civilian casualties. No one seems to realize that a good number of our bombing missions are way off target and that Iraqi civilians are largely the victims.

The slew of news reporting from the region only strengthens my conviction that I MUST March on Washington this weekend to protest the horrible handling of this national disaster. Inducing a civil war...the history books will not look kindly on you Mr. Bush.

On the Road

I finally finished my first complete reading of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road." The first attempt to the read the book came during junior year of high school. At that point in my life, I related to nothing in the book. I had done no traveling, lived a rather insulated life, and found myself hating his stream of conscious writing style.

This read was amazing however. I absolutely fell in love with the drawn out descriptions of Americana. The descriptions of long nights in Denver with Neil Cassady (Dean Moriarty) and Allen Ginsberg (Carlo Marx) really remind me of the late night sessions at Bukowski's with Steve and DJ. I got really bummed that Steve has moved back to Syracuse to explore his dreams of working as a journalist in random cities throughout this vast earth. However, I found myself rejoicing by the end of the book due to the fact that Steve living far away is a great excuse to travel!

It is difficult to explain the genius of Kerouac. Like I mentioned earlier, I never saw it until now. One beautiful aspect of literature that I don't hear many people discussing, is the idea that a good book will always hit you differently every time you read it. I recently re-read the Unbearable Lightness of Being, Slaughterhouse Five, and Night. I had read all three books in high school and have claimed to LOVE them ever since. Upon re-reading them, I've established mental connections to the characters of the books that I only dreamed possible in the early days of reading.

Here are a few quotes I truly found fascinating from On the Road:

"What difference does it make after all?-anonymity in the world of men is better than fame in heaven, for what's heaven? what's earth? All in the mind."


"The one thing that we yearn for in our living days, that makes us sigh and groan and undergo sweet nauseas of all kinds, is the remembrance of some lost bliss that was probably experienced in the womb and can only be reproduced (though we hate to admit it) in death."

I move back to Boston in a week or so... let's talk-let's fantasize, let's drink to happiness, health and life itself (for it is beautiful).

Shakin' in their boots.

I am sitting here watching a press conference that a number of Republican members of the House of Representatives gave last night. I am shocked by how truly scared they look. The debate is on Nancy Pelosi's proposed minority bill of rights and it's specific tenets. The Republicans, in true fashion, have argued that there are a number of good proposals in it but that the Democrats are going to strong arm the Republicans out of the debate. It is so easy to see through the facades put up by these white haired southern men who are scared shitless that a Democrat might get a seat at the shoe shiner before they do.

Basically the Republicans are claiming that the Democrats, who were elected on a promise to build bridges between the parties and ensure fairness and cooperation, are already showing signs of avoiding these promises in the first 100 hours of Congress. To me, it seems fair that the Democrats would take some steps to ensure that some of their proposals get passed in their grace period. I see the fear in the eyes of the junior congressmen and women who are so disappointed that they will have nothing to report to their constituencies. Look, it is easy to get legislation passed when you have a decent idea and the majority power behind you. It is not so easy when you have to fight desperately to bring members of the opposite party on your side.

Patrick McHenry, member from the 10th district of North Carolina, got called out on the fact that Republicans have done everything they are now complaining about in the past few years. He stumbled all over himself in the response. He didn't seem to have a clue what he was talking about. This is my prediction of what happened: Representative McHenry received an email before the press conference with a list of rhetoric hot points. He tried to use one of them to get a pat on the back from ranking members in his party, but never stopped to think about the fact that his party has committed the same offenses numerous times. When called on it, what is his response... "Well, I am a JUNIOR member."

Come on sir! If you are going to wear the daddy pants, put them on and at least try to look comfortable.

The other point that I would like to touch on is this. Almost every Republican that came up to the podium made some comment about how historic of a moment it is for the nation. They all tried to play it off that they were so excited that a WOMAN is going to be Speaker of the House. Mind you, I am very excited about this and I think it is fantastic. However, every time someone would say something about it, you could see how truly disgusted the men were with it. Mostly in the way they said the word woman. I could tell their mouths were infected with a vomit-like taste every time it was repeated.

I am disappointed at the stubbornness and bluntness of the Republicans in the hour before the 110th Congress is set to convene. The obvious question is, however, why would anyone expect anything else?

The Ford Funeral

I am currently watching CBS's coverage of President Gerald Ford's funeral services. I just wanted to take a second to say how much I have enjoyed getting to know more about Ford in the past few weeks. I am a huge fan of the study of the American Presidency and the more I learn about Ford as President, the more I respect the man. Although I hugely disagree with his decision to pardon Richard Nixon, I think he really was a selfless man.

I have really enjoyed the modesty of Ford's funeral. Upon juxtaposition with the carnival that was Reagan's funeral, I really think it is suiting send off for a man like Gerald Ford. I would only hope that future funerals of Presidents focus this much on the man and not so much on the myth of grandiosity that surrounds the Executive. It is often times to easy to forget that the human being who occupies the White House is just that, a human being. These men have families, feelings, wants, desires, insecurities, and human tendencies just like the rest of us. I know I too often criticize people in a position of power for making decisions I see as rather selfish and unfounded. This is the true American spirit in me.

President Ford had the courage to make decisions he knew were largely unpopular. He was steadfast and true to his beliefs. For this, I am saddened that such a man has passed away. I wish more people had the courage to do what they know is right.

Happy New Year everyone.

-JG