From the congressmen who are suggesting that we cut Medicaid or NPR funding to pay for the expected rebuilding costs of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, to the Louisiana delegation who is so corrupt you would think that we were in Somalia, to the press who are just hyping things and are failing to report the facts. They are all disgusting and their behavior is reprehensible.
I have read and heard a lot of things these past couple of weeks. I will catalog them in a number of posts to this blog.
Post 1
Brown, the former head of FEMA, was testifying before Congress this week. Regardless of his incompetence he, quite rightly in my opinion, laid some of the blame for the mess on LA's poor government and New Orleans idiot of a Mayor. William Jefferson, an LA congressman representing New Orleans, was extremely upset. But here is a guy who was last seen on TV commandeering a military vehicle in order to rescue suitcases from his home in a cordoned-off neighborhood.
What an ass!
9.29.2005
9.25.2005
16. In the Rose Garden of the Martyrs by Christopher de Bellaigue
The author interviews about a dozen Iran-Iraq war veterans about their experiences from the war. He begins with those who served in the early part of the war when Iran was winning and ends with those who fought towards the end when the Iranians were the victics of frequent chemical weapons attacks.
Incidentally, Saddam Hussein's ability to make these chemical weapons was financed and facilitated by Germany and the USA. But that is an aside.
These veterans stories are sometimes funny, especially when you compare the organization of that war with the 1991 Gulf War, for example. Other times these stories are quite horrifying and sad.
I would recommend this book, it is a quick read and quite enlightening.
Incidentally, Saddam Hussein's ability to make these chemical weapons was financed and facilitated by Germany and the USA. But that is an aside.
These veterans stories are sometimes funny, especially when you compare the organization of that war with the 1991 Gulf War, for example. Other times these stories are quite horrifying and sad.
I would recommend this book, it is a quick read and quite enlightening.
15. The Road Ahead: Middle East Policy in the Bush Administration's Second Term edited by Flynt Leverett
Back to the social sciences.
This is a book of essays by members of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy which is a non-partisan think tank. The authors each cover one of the major countries in the middle east and offer a crtitique of current US policy and make recommendations for the future.
It is really stunning how wron Bush's current program is and how he is able to get support for it.
This is a book of essays by members of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy which is a non-partisan think tank. The authors each cover one of the major countries in the middle east and offer a crtitique of current US policy and make recommendations for the future.
It is really stunning how wron Bush's current program is and how he is able to get support for it.
14. Dr. Bloodmoney by Philip K. Dick
I quite enjoyed this book. It is the story of a number of people living in different parts of Northern California set mostly 7 years after a nuclear war.
It's either a total coincidence or well planned, but it seems that so many of PKD's novels are ready for a movie version. This one is no different. Set in Berkeley in the early 1980s when the Chinese, Russians and Americans are armed to the teeth with nuclear warheads, this is a story of a dozen or so people and their lives in the post holocaust world after the Chinese have attacked the Americans. Some of the people actually know each other but most of them are either distant acquaintances or new post holocaust friends.
Just as many other PKD books it is an easy and quick read. I recommend it.
13. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
This is the first piece of literary non-fiction that I have read all year. You can tell that I am trying to beef up my stats as the year comes to a close!
This is a book of short stories by David Sedaris whom, I gather, is quite a hip author these days. I've had this book on my shelf for months but I have been reluctant to read it because I feared that it would turn out to be something like the Confedaracy of Dunses - so much hype and so little substance.
But, I am pleased to say that I really enjoyed the book. There were even some laugh out loud moments when he is describing the ups and downs of learning French.
This is a book of short stories by David Sedaris whom, I gather, is quite a hip author these days. I've had this book on my shelf for months but I have been reluctant to read it because I feared that it would turn out to be something like the Confedaracy of Dunses - so much hype and so little substance.
But, I am pleased to say that I really enjoyed the book. There were even some laugh out loud moments when he is describing the ups and downs of learning French.
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