Thursday, November 17, 2005

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black

For Dubya and, especially, for Dick Cheney to rant at the injustice of being accused of deception in their rush to war makes me nuts. Yes, the Democrats saw the same intelligence that Republicans did, but for whom do all of our intelligence agencies work? Are they not all within the Executive Branch of government? Do their directors not all serve at the pleasure of the President?
I don't want this to be a partisan issue. I firmly believe that most Republicans are, as most Democrats are, reasonably honest people.
I believe that, in years to come, the evidence will prove conclusively that Bush and Cheney sliced, diced, and cooked the intelligence... or, more likely, had it done... in order to make their case for a war they intended to see take place.
I'll grant you that Mr. Cheney knows a thing or two about "dishonest and reprehensible" conduct. Yesterday Mr. Cheney said: "“The saddest part is that our people in uniform have been subjected to these cynical and pernicious falsehoods day in and day out.” One of my friends with a better command of language than mine has to give me the word for a guy who had "other priorities in the '60s than military service," who later manufactures a war to suit the amoral interests of his cronies, and then presumes to lecture me on my cynicism and integrity.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

A Few Words About HM2 Allan Espiritu









Petty Officer 2nd Class Allan M. Cundanga Espiritu, 28, of Oxnard, CA, died Nov. 1 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in the vicinity of Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
"Doc" Espiritu was assigned to 2nd Force Service Support Group (Forward), II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

Monday, November 14, 2005

Thoughts on Janet/Foxy

I need for you folks to bear with me for a moment. I've been having issues with the news I just got about Janet/Foxy, especially as I return home after a successful surgery. She's a contemporary I've chatted with only a few times in passing. Janet has cardiomyopathy, and has now lapsed into a coma as her other vital organs begin to go offline.
This has been somewhat of a challenging year for me... the prostate cancer diagnosis, the broken femur just before my first scheduled surgery date, the blood clot just before the second date, the delay in the third date as the doctors worked out how to remove the cancer without killing me with an embolus... but I've never felt particularly threatened by any of it.
For whatever reason, as soon as I heard "Houma" during the news coverage of Katrina I immediately thought of Janet. When I didn't hear from her I discounted it because we’ve never been what anyone would call close, but it's been in my mind that she was in trouble.
I've come to terms with the idea that Janet's to-do list for this lifetime has apparently been completed, and mine apparently hasn't. I am mindful that there are billions of people more "deserving" of an eighth... ninth... tenth chance than me. I’m not unappreciative of my life or of my continued capacity to enjoy it. It just seems like there should be merit points factored in somewhere.
I feel better having learned that she was offered the option of a transplant. I tell people that would be my call... that there are only 52 cards in the deck and you can't swap them out... but she walked the talk.
I hope she knows that she's been on folks' minds and that she'll be missed. I hope that, if we run into each other again down the line, she'll say "Hi."
"May all beings without exception be released from suffering, and find true happiness and everlasting peace."

Monday, November 07, 2005

Place Marker

I know... I haven't had my head in the game lately.
I'm scheduled for surgery tomorrow... barring any further complications.
My absentee ballot for tomorrow's special election went in last week.
If all goes as one might hope, I should be back early next week.
Thank you for your patience.