Tom tips

Tom has been sending some links I am just now getting to. Thanks, Tom. I'll share them with YWA readers here.

As I read Ron Suskind's dismaying cover story on President Bush's religiously inspired certainty in last Sunday's New York Times Magazine, "Without a Doubt," I kept experiencing déjà vu.

I've seen this storyline somewhere before: A president who had been a feckless, party-loving, hard-drinking man, is visited by a messenger of God and suddenly changes his ways. Thereafter, he knows what is right and will listen to no one who suggests otherwise. This president, convinced that he is doing God's work--that he is God’s spokesman on earth--suspends civil liberties to fight crime. He repudiates international treaties and announces that the United States will build new weapons to put itself in a position of world dominance. He orders other nations to follow American dictates, or else. That the "or else" means using American military might for preemptive war is made clear to world leaders when they are assembled and shown a demonstration of American military power. They all immediately agree to do what the United States (and God) demands.

Then it hit me. The plot that sounds so much like the way George W. Bush sees himself and his presidency is that of a now obscure 1933 film produced by William Randolph Hearst's Cosmopolitan Studios, Gabriel Over the White House.

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I was just thinking this morning about the effect of entertainment films on the American psyche. Certainly there are plenty of good indicators and insights in film, but the view from one culture is too lopsided. Perhaps that's why the John Wayne approach isn't working so well for us in Iraq, just like it didn't work so well in Viet Nam. When our government turns our military against us, then it should work quite nicely.

And here's a newer (better) "chimp" collection than used to circulate, which Tom got from Big John, who is actually a Bush supporter (click the thumbnail for a large version):

Tom's been reading Wired, and getting, well....

I have deliberately kept overt politics out of Sex Drive. I see no point in polarizing or choosing sides in this column, which explores the intersection of sex and technology without regard to age, race, gender, height or political party.

And yet I would be remiss if I refused to acknowledge the sex-tech implications of the election.

[...]

Here's why I'm worried.

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And finally, this piece from Don Williams at OpEd News that didn't come from Tom, but I'm going to throw it in as a bonus...

Several concerned e-mailers suggested--ever so politely--that I try extra, extra hard to support the president now that the people have spoken. So, that's what I'm going to do for as long as I possibly can, starting right (time me on this). Now!

So, how about them Red Sox? Near as I can tell they're doing OK with Bush as president.

We have great veterans in this country don't we? And with Bush as our leader four more years, we might think of new and creative ways of putting their talents and experience to work. (How am I doing so far?) The weather's been, um, unusual this year, hasn't it? Not that it contradicts Bush's misleading statements about global warming. Did I say misleading? What I meant was balanced. Yeah, sober, thoughtful, balanced. Wow, what about that Space Ship One going up and snagging that $10 million prize? Won't be long until ordinary folks can ride into space, Bush willing.

And the invasion of Fallujah.

Uh-oh, I think Don's time just ran out. (Continue reading...)