Note that these options aren't all mutually exclusive. What path(s) do you think Bush will take? Kerry would play Diplomat - he's said as much and it's easily within his abilities - which would bide time to develop further options like beefing up Iraq's own security. Thoughts?

Before dawn I was blasted out of bed by my kids fighting over needing the toilet and my wife screaming at them not to wake me up. Too late. The next hour was chaos as we got the vultures fed, dressed, and ready for school. Finally at 8 all was quiet. I could back to bed. Except I couldn't go back to bed, not at that point. So I did 3 loads of laundry, 2 loads of dishes, emptied the trash, backed up the computers, and then I ate breakfast. At noon I went for my physical. Good news: I'm healthy. Bad news: being over 40 meant I had to get "The Exam" - yeah, real fun, still walking a bit gingerly.

But the day wasn't a total loss. The exam didn't take as long as I expected and I found myself with Free Time. 3 hours of nothing planned, no necessities, no priorities, no commitments.

So I went to the movies and saw a real film - sound, color, plot - and it wasn't rated "G". It wasn't animation with smart-mouthed fish or singing lions. Better still, it was opening day for the film, first screening, and matinee prices. Good thing I brought $50, it just barely covered admission and popcorn.

I saw and highly recommend Shaun of the Dead - a romantic zombie film. It's a Brit film, meaning they don't speak the Bush's english, meaning not everything they say can be understood but the film was funny and very well done with little touches (such as the zombies in the early part of the film look suspiciously like my co-workers). It's really a love story and about growing and taking responsibility which happens to have the zombie problem as the backdrop. In any case, see it and get your cricket bats out just in case.

Page 172 - written in 1967.

"The nation that survives today must combine the power of God and the nuclear determination to destroy any other nation that fails to follow the Christian path."

Scary huh? Add to that notion the stipulation that Democracy must be spread to other nations and you have the modern day Republicans in all their not-so-subtle rightwing Glory.

A sick part of me almost wants Bush to win but only if he has the cajones to call out the Islamic Extremists to a Final Battle staged at Armageddon. It would be great TV and could do the world a great service by getting rid of a mutual bunch of fanatics. Bush and Cronies vs. bin Laden and Crew. Millions of bodies strewn on the battlefield. The winner? Irrelevent, but Ares would be most pleased.

Page 172 - written in 1967.

"The nation that survives today must combine the power of God and the nuclear determination to destroy any other nation that fails to follow the Christian path."

Scary huh? Add to that notion the stipulation that Democracy must be spread to other nations and you have the modern day Republicans in all their not-so-subtle rightwing Glory.

A sick part of me almost wants Bush to win but only if he has the cajones to call out the Islamic Extremists to a Final Battle staged at Armageddon. It would be great TV and could do the world a great service by getting rid of a mutual bunch of fanatics. Bush and Cronies vs. bin Laden and Crew. Millions of bodies strewn on the battlefield. The winner? Irrelevent, but Ares would be most pleased.

Bush Wins; Kerry Loses II
Some folks misunderstood my intent of the previous post by this name. When I commented that no matter what the outcome of the elections, that Bush wins and Kerry loses, it's not a win in the good sense (unless you're Bush or one of his cronies). A Bush win is bad for us (America, The World...) - not something to gloat about. Bush is not leading us down a path to paradise and happiness for all. It'll be war 24/7 - somewhere - to keep showing America as strong and unyielding, and to keep the war profits a-rolling.

North Korean Nukes
North Korea proclaimed it has nuclear capabilities for "defensive purposes". In this new Bushian Age of preemptive strikes do we strike them first or do they strike us first? Either side now has a legitimate right (according to U.S. policy) for its actions, thanks to Bush and the Iraqi Invasion. In fact, as the number one nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare power in the world, we should be the natural target for preemptive strikes since to maintain our status as number one we have to strike first. Logical, right? Do you feel safer now?

Hmmm, that sounds like a commercial. Picture a guy in a radiation suit wandering around the world and talking into his phone "Are we safer now?"

If Bush wins the election he continues on with his agenda, ignoring reality, ignoring America and the World. That is, money will flow unimpeded to "rebuilding" Iraq with no accountability and little results. The Iraq invasion will continue to provide a smokescreen from more pressing issues and will continue to serve as the "Threat to National Security" thereby justifying new laws to reduce our Freedoms. Ignoring bin Laden, Bush will eyeball an invasion of Iran, which may make the draft necessary (again first proposed by a Republican) and may invade if it looks like he needs another smokescreen to divert from the real problem on not finding bin Laden and dealing with known, active terrorists. If Bush wins, of course, Kerry loses, which will be embarrassing for Kerry, the Democrats, and ultimately America.

If Bush loses the election Kerry inherits a mess. The Republicans will immediately launch a KerryWatch, as in "See? He hasn't made things better!" This after a few days in office. The Republicans will hold Kerry to an unattainable standard while extolling the vaporous virtues of George W. Bush and prepping Governor Jeb for 2008. The Republicans, after stating that America should stand behind their President, will impede Kerry at every opportunity because this election shows that it's no longer about America, it's about controlling power. And the Republicans want power for themselves.

In short the Bush wing of the Republicans are so concerned with their own private agenda that reality, truth, justice just aren't concerns. They know they can manipulate the Media better than anyone come election time so that Bush and Company are free to do what they want to do. Just look at what's happening now. Bush, Cheney, and the Rest of Gilligan's Island paint Iraq as a positive bastion of Democracy. Powell, who likely knows he isn't coming back, is joining those living in reality in saying Iraq has some major security problems and that things aren't peachy-keeno. And who will people believe? The one with the positive spin.

Watch the debates. I bet Bush will constantly mention Kerry flipflopping. Hopefully Kerry - with a smile - will throw it right back at Bush and mention how much of a flipflopper Bush is. Hmmm, that could be good:

Bush: There you go again - flipflopping...

Kerry: You know, Mr. President, I learned from the best, namely yourself. Why - are you the Peace President as you said during your campaign run in '00 or the War President which you so recently proudly proclaimed? Is Iraq winnable or not? You've said both things within days of each other.

Note to Kerry - on issues of flipflopping - show Bush as a comparable flopper. Take that attack away from the Republicans. But, I fear, Mr. Kerry that even if you win you lose. America should be very sad and very concerned for our future.

House Blocks Court on Pledge Case Rulings

By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The House passed legislation Thursday that would prevent the Supreme Court from ruling on whether the words "under God" should be stricken from the Pledge of Allegiance.

In a politically and emotionally charged debate, Democrats said majority Republicans in the chamber were debasing the Constitution in order to force a vote that could hurt Democrats in the election.

Supporters insisted that Congress has always had authority to limit federal court jurisdiction, and the legislation is needed to protect an affirmation of religion that is part of the national heritage.

As an Atheist I am appalled that my religious beliefs will no longer be acceptable or tolerated, that I will somehow be less of an American. These people do not understand what America is about - it's about Freedom and Religious Freedom means that you have a choice to believe in a God or Gods or no God at all, not that you have to believe in a God. How about believing in myself? Doesn't that count for something.

Make note of who these morons are in the House. Make sure - very sure - they don't get re-elected.

Kerry want to withdraw before we come completely flaccid in our abilities. He wants to invite other countries to enter Iraq, to help spread the seeds of Democracy.

Either way we and Iraq are pretty well fucked.

Well Duh

Bush: Terrorists May Plan More Attacks

By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Standing beside Iraq's interim leader, President Bush contended Thursday that insurgents could "plot and plan attacks elsewhere, in America and other free nations," if the United States pulled out. He said his top commander there has not asked for more troops but if he did, "I'd listen to him."

Memo to Bush - it doesn't matter if the U.S. pulls out early or later. Insurgents and terrorists will still plan their attacks against whomever they feel like attacking. That you're trying to make it appear that you are the only effective option against terrorism is nauseating considering that you've been the only option so far and so far you've been ineffective.

Cute, transparent, and aggravating the way you set it up so that if your top commander "asks" for more troops you can institute a draft and say that it was needed and called for while lamenting at its necessity.

He will nuke Mecca. Seriously. Bush will announce that if things in the Middle East don't go his way he'll nuke the holiest city in Islam. And you know someone will conveniently call his bluff.

Nuke Mecca and Armageddon starts with a vicious blow to Islam. Mid East peace? Forget it. There won't be a Middle East once the nukes start flying. Problems solved...although the Muslims in Indonesia might be a bit peeved but Bush will show his teeth to them and they'll shut up. The Jews in America might be a bit miffed that Israel no longer exists but they'll be too busy fending off the Homeland Defense Brownshirts. Sure, the Church of the Sepulchre will be ashes but, hey, "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" and there will be a scale replica at BibleThumperLand.

Funny thing is, after the radioactive dust has settled, there will be no horns a-blaring. No Messiah dressed in white descending from the sky. No Judgement Day. No return of the dead. No real Armageddon, just bodies and blood. And, as usual, Bush will stand there looking lost.

Less Intelligence
If elected Bush will somehow have to keep his promise of tax cuts while raising monies for various offices and departments. I think I figured out how he'll do it. He'll close down all Intelligence services - CIA, FBI, NSA, and the rest. Let's face it, Bush doesn't listen to them and doesn't need them since he's proven repeatedly that he's low on intelligence and high on intution (bad on you if you thought he was high on cocaine or alcohol). Bush doesn't act on deep analysis. By closing these unnecessary agencies down Bush will be able to fund the other departments and he'll shrink the Government, which is a direct part of the Conservative platform. If Bush does ever need Intelligence services he can contract out to the Israeli Mossad, British MI5, or somesuch.

And face it, Bush looks to his advisors - Cheney, Rove, Rice, and others - for intelligence. Bush is a man of single-minded action. They say "Invade Iraq!" and we invade Iraq, despite the warnings from the so-called Intelligence people. CIA says Iraq may, at best, erupt in civil war but Bush (after a flip-flop) says the CIA is wrong and things are just peachy in Iraq.

Yeah, close down the services, sell off the hard assets, and send me my tax cut!

Reality vs. Fantasy
Ultimately, reality wins out. You can believe the earth is flat but reality proves otherwise. You can believe the earth (and everything else) was created in six days by a Creator (who may or may not have created itself) but reality shows otherwise. You can believe in a God or Gods that randomly fulfill and ignore your prayers or you can non-randomly ignore them and get on with making your life better. You can believe that God speaks only through money-seeking televangelists or grenade-launching fanatics, or you can believe that God speaks to everyone equally, or you can ignore God and all the hypocrises and baggage that go with human-perverted dogma. Children are born with no concept of God but they know how to explore - that's reality. Is it right to curb that curiosity with mind-numbing dogma about a fantasy? Is it right to downplay how amazing our world by comparing to the unattainable fantasy called Heaven? Is it right to lay the conceptual burden of Hell on kids when they just want to get through another day at school?

Worse, we have folks battling over which Prophet or Messenger or Messiah is the greater. If God is one then there should be no battle - period. Prophets, Messiahs, Messengers are not God and to worship them as anything more is an affront to God (Commandment #1 / #2) so, again, these battles aren't holy or sanctified, they're stupid. Here's an idea: Want to find out which non-God God is most powerful? Wait for them to return and let them battle it out. While waiting, shelve the armaments, and go play with the kids, tend the garden, do something productive.

But en route my wife mentioned to the kids what was a sin. She said, for example, that pride is a sin.

Whoa, stop the car and open the windows. Pride is a sin? Yeah, sven deadly sins and all that but didn't we tell the kids that we were proud of their achievements just hours ago? That made them feel good and we are proud of them so how could it be a sin?

As usual, I subjected the topic to the infamous Little Mr Mahatma patented in-depth analysis for a brain-numbing five minutes and came up with:

Like most other human judgements, pride is relative and can vary from safe to sinful depending on whom is doing the judging. I would contend that if the "proud" statement is about a personal achievement and simply refers to the person then it's safe. For example, "we're proud that you won the gold medal" or "we're proud that you got your Doctorate". The individual has accomplished something. Nothing sinful there.

But if the statement is a comparison against another person and could hurt that person by the comparison, then - yeah - pride could be labelled as sinful. "You won the gold and dingus didn't." "Our team beat your team!" Here, pride can easily dissolve into teasing or arrogance. The achievement is at the expense of someone else. Your Pride means someone else's sorrow, especially if you rub it in. Arguably this makes statements of pride difficult when the basis is competitions against other people or teams, such as "I'm proud that the UCLA Bruins beat the suckass USC Trojans." But is the sin so great as compared to, say, murder? If pride in this case didn't feel so damn good we probably wouldn't have team sports.

In short, I won't go casting off sins in a global sense but instead cast off that which is hurtful to others, with a few exceptions involving the Bruins and Lakers. I wonder if eating the cheerios counts as a sin...

Demise of Commercial PC Gaming
Commercial PC gaming has been dying a long, slow death but it's becoming more noticeable at the gaming stores. What were once walls of PC games have shrunk to shelves of meager items as console games have taken over. Worse, consoles themselves may be declining as DVDs compete for eyeballs and newer consoles force shorter shelf lives of older versions. But, first, let's examine PC games. Here's why I think they're slowly dying.

What will thoroughly kill Commercial PC Gaming?

What I see in the future is that Consoles will focus on gaming and entertainment while PCs will focus on business. Think about it. You have your killer stereo / DVD home entertainment system. Would you rather hook up your PS2 or X-Box and play games or hook up your PC and do finances? In fact, I predict that PCs will shift away from gaming, size down to laptops, and focus on convenient data - work, personal finance and whatnot. Consoles will tie into your entertainment center and will be your personal tivo, your online game center, your DVD resource, and so on. Microsoft, I think, is aware of this and has a headstart over the Playstation what with the internal hard drive of the X-Box but the Playstation 3 should take care of that.

Next 5 years should be interesting. What can hurt the consoles is if they caught up in a new versions race every year, like what is happening between Radeon and ATI in PC graphics boards. There needs to be time for the software to catch up to and fully exploit the hardware. If any console forgets backwards compatibility - game over. With this, say farewell to the Nintendo Gamecube and maybe even the GameBoy. I don't see either knocking off the Playstation, the PSP, or the X-Box. The DS version of the Gameboy is cute but the PSP looks like it can do a bit more and if they tie it in to the Playstation monster, that'll be a tough combo. You'll have a direct path from Kidz playing on the PSP and graduating as Teenz to the Playstation.

The Apprentice
Reality TV takes a turn for the gory, subtle truth with this steaming heap. I could barely hold down my dinner after accidentally catching the ending of the latest episode. This show represents everything that is horrible about our society and what Kerry referred to as having two Americas. On one side of the table representing the untouchable, impeccable elite you have Donald Trump and cronies. They are the ones in charge. On the other side of the table, you have the wanna-bes, the peons, the climbers, the ones who think you can win status.

And unfortunately for me I caught the "You're Fired!" part where Trump said the money words, after telling this one bouncing puppy that he was the best player but because he made one mistake. What the hell? Who is Trump - oh he of bankruptcy issues - to judge? You fire your best player over one mistake and keep the mediocre ones!?! Doesn't it make sense that your mediocre players are likely to make more mistakes or worse mistakes? Who's likely to learn from mistakes?

And the whole attitude of the peons grovelling for a job that they think will move them up to the Elite level. News for them. Trump (and Gates and Ellison and...) didn't become multi-billionaires by grovelling, playing fair, or even playing without mistakes. That is, you can't become thier level by allowing yourself to be shit on. I found the show degrading and, worse, it reinforces the attitudes of CEO and other head honchos that they are somehow better, more perfect, more righteously deserving of their pedestals than other people. Heck, I've worked in companies where you, the average corporate peon, never saw the CEO. It's too far beneath them to visit the worker bees. And those are the same companies where good times or bad times the Executives give themselves massive bonuses while the peons get their 3% yearly or a pink slip.

And it's this elitist corporate attitude that gives the U.S. its bad image (which feeds terrorism) and further divides America into the "Haves" and "Have Nots". So to The Donald this watcher says "You're fired!" and don't let the bankruptcy door hit you on your ass.

Hurricanes - Acts of God
Every day billions of people pray and give thanks to God for a variety of benefits - food on the table, good weather, a decent stock tip, healthy kids. Yet, we have Acts of God - hurricanes, earthquakes, disease, tornados, drought, floods - that do much damage and cause great pain. Are we allowed to curse God in this case or do we give thanks that we didn't get killed (this time)? Does anyone find it suspicious that for such a benevolent God we even have these Acts? If I didn't know better I'd say that either God isn't as benevolent as people believe (and therefore not worthy of adoration) or that God doesn't exist. Convince me that the destruction from hurricane Ivan is a good thing and none of this "mysterious ways" crap...

Dry Hot Winds
We're seeing the Santa Anas kicking up. These are hot, dry winds that supposedly drive people nuts and cause them to do horrible things. I propose we rename these winds to Bush-Cheneys.

This is what our Government has become - a massive political tool used to gain power and keep it. To reward friends and punish foes. The general American populace be damned, we're talking billions of dollars and a massive military to play with. Profits? World Domination? That's the ticket - that's the game. Public welfare? Peace in the World? Safety? Healthy Environment? Nah, that's for the wimps, the Liberals.

So as the Government continues to abuse us the question is simply "How much of their shit are you willing to take?"

"Oh, but Mahatma, gangs aren't terrorists..."

Let's see, they kill innocent people spreading terror, disrupting a calm fabric of life. Sure, they're not politically motivated, but they still cause death and disruption. Thanks to Bush it'll be easier for them to get better weaponry because it's easier for us (non-gang) types to get better weaponry. How many people secure their firearms at home? How many firearms get stolen each year?

Do I feel safer knowing I can go out and get an assault weapon? No. And I don't like Bush and his cronies telling us that essentially violence is acceptable, necessary, and a daily part of our existence. I don't care that war and violence are good business for him and his cronies. If he wants to peddle pain and power and play soldier then do so on his ranch.

And I'm getting fed up waiting for Kerry to attack. Bush's strong point - terrorism - is his weakest point. Nail him on that and there's nothing left. Come on, Kerry, show some cajones. You're the Vet. Don't take my vote for granted just because you're not Bush.

Benny Hill - Complete & Unadulterated, The Naughty Early Years Set One - I've always been a Benny fan and I'm hoping that this set will be the start of something great. This set, Season One (which spans over 3 years) has 11 episodes over 3 DVDs. I broke my rule about buying DVDs - "spend no more than $8 / DVD" - and paid $33 but I'm happy. It's nice to see Benny again. For those of you unfamiliar with Benny Hill, he's a classic British comedian not as cerebral as Monty Python but still full of wit - a quality rather lacking in American humor. Yes, he's bawdy but not over-your-head-repeatedly-until-your-nose-bleeds bawdy and never blatantly crude. His shows are - were - variety so each episode has a mix of comedy sketches and music, sort of like the format of the Carol Burnett show. What's funny is the portrayals of Americans. We're repeatedly seen as a bunch of cowboy galoots, like we'd have a cowboy as President... Although this early collection is rather tame with the nudity I can't wait for the later years that should have more "exposure".

Flogging Molly - Within A Mile Of Home - I will break my rule about buying CDs - "spend no more than $6 / cd" - and spend $10. It's Flogging Molly - currently the greatest band around (literally and figuratively)! And I'll get it sight unseen - that's how confidant I am about it being another great album. If it isn't, well, the Internet's an unforgiving place to post a review... I went to Circuit City and, despite all their ads saying the CD would be out on the 14th, they didn't have it. Anywhere. Not on the shelves, not in their computer, not on their "New Releases" listing. I'll go to Best Buy Thursday - their web site says they have it and for a buck cheaper.

Chris Sawyer's Locomotion - Chris Sawyer is a Game Program Stud. I liked his Transport Tycoon (of which this is a re-do and upgrade) and Rollercoaster Tycoon is legendary. I just got the game but am waiting for a No-CD patch to appear on Game Copy World. Pretty much any game that requires a CD in the drive to play gets deleted from the hard drive, which is why I find "No-CD" patches a vital part of my game buying strategy. When you have young, computer savvy kids, accidents with CDs will happen. For example, my youngest managed to get 2 CDs in the drive - unhappy drive. Anyway. Locomotion looks like a nice game and for $30 (or $20 on sale) it's not a wallet-buster.

The Sims 2 - I plan to get this mostly for the hereditary and aging additions but I'm waiting for the price to dip below $40. Nice that there's a DVD version as well.

And awaiting Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 - Yummy, first-person view and a sandbox mode. Hopefully, it won't be misssing a lot of rides and themes that - surprise! - will show up in add-on packs. Heck, RCT3 should have all the rides and themes present in RCT2 and then some. We'll see.

Meanwhile if you'd like a good freeware puzzle game try Fish Fillets. My whole family enjoys solving the puzzles together.

As Others Have Noted
Bush is campaigning on a platform of change (and compassion but more on that later) which means he's campaigning against his own [failed] policies. After all, Bush has been President for four years and if things aren't right under his Administration now then he's not qualified for another four years. He can only blame Clinton for so much and milk 9/11 for so long. In four years Bush has demonstrated that as a President he's..well.. awful. He relies on instinct, not brains and analysis, and frankly his instinct is off. He flipflops more than hooked rainbow trout. He can barely orate and if he's missing his script, we get another Bushism. His entire campaign focuses on how unyielding he's been on terrorism. Well, he has been unyielding and utterly ineffective. Unyielding doesn't mean effective, remember that.

As for compassion, what is Bush doing about Sudan? Or any place in the World where people are suffering? That's the reason du jour for the invasion of Iraq - we went in to remove an oppressor. Well, Mr. Compassion, shouldn't you remove all oppressors? And will you remove yourself when all our Freedoms and Liberties are usurped?

What is Colin Powell up to? He slyly slams draft-dodgers (Clinton, Bush, Cheney), decrys Cheney's "Vote for Kerry, Vote for Terrorism" implication, laments the deaths in Sudan. Is he playing Politics, playing both sides? Here's a thought for 2008: McCain and Powell as the Republican ticket. That'd be tough to beat. But a little aggaravation on my rear tells me that for 2008 it'll be Jeb Bush. Eeeeehewwww. What if Kitty Kelley is right about the Bush's being a little powerhungry...

But what if a terrorist attacks Moscow and flees...to the U.S.. Will Putin launch a strike against the U.S.? No, of course not. But preemption is a great excuse to attack and liberate more "accessible" countries. Start the list. Which countries do you think Russia would like to free from terrorism?

Someone else noted this similarity and lamented how much of our Freedoms we're sacrificing for the illusion of National Security. They closed the lament asking for their Freedoms back. What this person doesn't understand is that the Government - our Government - won't give power back to the people. Most, if not all, Governments won't. If people want power, they have to seize it - hence revolutions. Cute thing is, we may have a legitimate complaint that our Government has taken too much power but if we complain and barely even mention revolution, we'll get branded as Terrorists and lumped in with those idiots who use violence indiscriminately. How convenient that National Security means quelling any type of dissension. Don't believe it now? Vote for Bush and remember his group of bullys have already stated that if you're not with them then you're supporting terrorism. With Bush living under fear becomes the norm, like living under...Stalin. Gosh, have we become the new USSR?

Bush is so mediocre. Here's a President who, when it's all over and he goes to write his memoirs, will have to dictate or get a ghostwriter. That's assuming he even writes a memoir. If Bush weren't from a rich family, I'd expect to see him in Texas at a honky-tonk, getting plastered every night. That's his mentality - mediocre.

But, Little Mr Mahatma, how can you say that about the President of the United States? Bush graduated from Yale and Harvard. He's run Corporations. He was Governor of Texas."

He sure did and by his own admission he was mediocre at Yale which brings in to question - how did he get in to Harvard Business School if his Yale time was average? Connections. And to let in a mediocre rich kid over another (likely highly qualified) applicant is outrageous. Connections got him from Harvard to his Corporation positions but no mail room for him - top of the line buddy-o - and Bush was mediocre. On to the Governor's race where he discovered that by becoming a Conservative can mean victory and he did another mediocre job. And, finally, the Presidency courtesy of Connections where - surprise! - he's doing another mediocre job. No wonder that his Administration is so secretive. They don't want anyone to discover that Bush is...mediocre. But I think the secret is out.

Pitch One: "Thanks George!":

As we quickly approach the November election for the President of the United States, we Americans need to look back at the past four years to the job George W. Bush has done and give thanks.

For his firm action after 9/11 and taking the fight to Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and removing the dangerous Taliban fundamentalists we say "Thanks George!"

For leaving Afghanistan and the pursuit of the known terrorist bin Laden to invade Iraq we say "Thanks George!"

For invading Iraq using faulty intelligence, for alienating allies, for "miscalculations" we say "Thanks George!"

For the 1,000 troops dead in Iraq and thousands more injured, for the $120 billion taxpayer dollars much of it unaccounted for, we say "Thanks George!"

For giving terrorists a rallying cry and making the world that much unsafer we say "Thanks George!"

For crowing about being tough on Terrorism because you overthrew a despot we say "Thanks George!"

For overthrowing a despot without a plan for rebuilding a nation we say "Thanks George!"

For trying to rebuild a nation and making it look like you're tough on Terrorism while a known terrorist still runs free we say "Thanks George!"

For the open-ended no-bid contracts to companies with convenient ties to your Administration we say "Thanks George!"

For allowing Corporations to dictate policies that further their own interests instead of benefitting America we say "Thanks George!"

For giving us larger deficits, increased military spending, and decreased Educational funding we say "Thanks George!"

For selling out the Environment to the Oil and Gas Consortiums we say "Thanks George!"

For giving us Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt about our daily lives and our childrens future we say "Thanks George!"

For showing us that it's not the color of our skin or what God we believe in but how much we donate to your campaign we say "Thanks George!"

For reassuring us that the poor will get poorer and the rich richer we say "Thanks George!"

For demonstrating that God is important only when it's your God - the Christian God - and that Religion needs to be a part of Government we say "Thanks George!"

Pitch Two: "The Compassionate President":

George W. Bush wants to be the President for all Americans however his policies may not provide for all Americans. Some Americans may have make sacrifices and if you're one of those Americans you may want to reconsider your vote for George W. Bush.

If you're poor or middle class the tax cuts Bush touts won't mean much to you.

If you're concerned about the Environment Bush's kowtowing to the oil and gas industry, allowing them to dictate Government policy in their own interests, may not be in your best interests.

If you're Jewish, Muslim, Atheist, or simply non-Christian remember Bush's ear belongs to the Conservative Christians. Bush's actions and words to get his religion as part of Government may be upsetting to your beliefs.

If you're a Scientist or believe in the validity and utility of Science as opposed to the murky interpretations of Faith Bush's push away from using one's intellect to rely on intuition may insult your self-esteem.

If you're a Senior - retired or soon to be retired - take heart that you may need to work longer if not to afford the increase in Medicare costs then simply to support Bush's plan to offset his huge deficit by putting off Social Security payments.

If you're a teenager and scared by the looming financial catastrophe that is the Federal Deficit take heart that Bush will likely institute a draft to support his open-ended War on Terror. Simply, you may not live long enough for the catastrophe to affect you.

If you're an American and believe that Truth and Freedom are two of our most important principles then, despite his words, Bush may make you concerned. His actions - increased secrecy for his Administration, decreased Freedom for America - belie that he doesn't practice what he preaches.

If you're concerned about Safety and the threat from Terrorism remember Bush and his Administration sidelined the pursuit of Osama bin Laden for easier pickings.

Who's left?

F.U.D.
I see Cheney has taken a page right out of the Microsoft handbook. When the opposition has a viable alternative to your product - that is, as Kerry is a threat to Bush hegemony - use Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt to stall a person's choice.

Cheney ties election result to chance of terror attack

Wed Sep 8, 6:41 AM ET

By Jill Lawrence and Richard Benedetto, USA TODAY

The presidential campaign spiked to a new level of rhetorical heat Tuesday when Vice President Cheney warned that a vote for Democrat John Kerry could bring terrorist attacks on the USA.

Speaking to supporters in Des Moines, Cheney called it "absolutely essential" that on Election Day voters "make the right choice. Because if we make the wrong choice, then the danger is that we'll get hit again, and we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating."

This implies that a vote for Kerry will bring more terrorism but logically it's wrong, flat-out wrong. A vote for Bush could bring the same. A vote for Goober could bring the same. This is politics at its dirtiest and stupidest, perfect examples of the Bush mentality. But we don't have to settle for Bush or Microsoft - we do have choices, arguably better choices.

Linux for Presidential OS and Kerry the man to use it.

The environment gets plundered by corporations given free reign to exploit and pollute.

The economy gets ignored while the poor get poorer and the rich get richer.

Infrastructure, Education...you name it, if it's not related to Oil, Defense, or Religion you're likely worse off than before. As Bush asks more for Defense and more tax cuts, the rest of us will have to do more with less. The poor will get much poorer and the rich - surprise! - much richer. At least the poor can hit up the faith-based charities Bush keeps pushing.

But let's look at Bush's strong suit - terrorism. Bush has claimed repeatedly that he's tough on Terror, that he can win the War on Terror (subject to change on a daily basis). I contend that the Terrorists want Bush in power instead of Kerry, that they know Bush is extremely weak on Terrorism. Here's why:

Bush has misplaced focus. He started in Afghanistan going after bin Laden and removing the Taliban from power with partial success. Though no longer running the country the Taliban are still a problem, still fighting and recruiting. Bin Laden is still in hiding and actively recruiting. Bush had a solid force in Afghanistan and the blessings of the world behind him to get the Terrorist, break al Qaeda.

But he shifted to Iraq under dubious premises. He called for an invasion based on faulty intelligence and a strong desire to occupy Iraq. Our military is split. Iraq is in turmoil. Neither Iraq nor Afghanistan are shining examples of Democracy. And the death toll mounts on a daily basis. Abu Ghraib serves as a beacon for terrorist recruitment.

The terrorists want Bush elected because they know that Big Bubba has to do things alone, that Bush's arrogance demands a solo victory. Look at what the terrorists are doing, killing innocents from our remaining few allies in order to scare them away. They want America isolated. Other countries don't want or particularly need to place their people at risk so they're not rushing in to help Bush. No help asked for and none offered. Get America isolated and vulnerable. Bush promotes this with his "Stand Firm and Tough" attitude and "Bring it on" soundbites. Bush is playing right along with the Terrorists because Terrorism is good business, not for the average American but quite good for American Corporations like Halliburton (facing another investigation of fraud). Al Qaeda and other groups are recruiting like crazy and have a solid hold in Iraq, where before they didn't - thanks to Bush.

Worse, with the policy of pre-emption, our military will either be further split as we contend with Iran (with it's nuclear potential), Syria (where the Iraqi WMDs were supposedly shiiped), Saudi Arabia 9known supporters of terrorism), North Korea, and all the other countries that qualify for Democracy based on the criteria set by the invasion of Iraq. Unless the rest of the world invades us for the same reason of pre-emption.

With Bush the War on Terrorism won't end. It'll continue at great cost and manpower. In the name of National Security our budget will be catastrophically bloated and our Privacies and Rights thoroughly trashed. The War on Terrorism means power, power projected, power increased, feeding the image and ego of Big Bubba, who must stand alone raising the American flag in perpetual pyrrhic victory. Bush won't let the War end - it's too good for him and his contacts. What's a few bodybags. Why is Kerry so anti-war?

Kerry, on the other hand, will also fight Terrorism but he understands that this is not a fight to be undertaken alone, that to be effective you must have allies. That is his platform and it's correct. Kerry will restore trust in our allies. We need to for the old adage states "United We Stand, Divided We Fall." With Bush we stand alone and we fall. Kerry also understands that war isn't noble and clean. It's dirty, people - military and innocents - dying, blown to bits by grenades, shot in the head. It's a horrible smell. Kerry has been there and understands that aspect. Bush hasn't. Kerry sees war as desperate option; Bush sees it as a convenient tool. Kerry sees 1,000 dead, 10,000 wounded and feels pain, compassion. Bush makes no mention of the numbers - he doesn't care. He has no compassion.

Kerry won't focus just on the issues that get his attention. Kerry reads newspapers - he knows that there's more going on. Unlike Bush, Kerry will devote some attention to issues other than Terrorism. Unlike Bush, Kerry will use his intellect and not rely on others to do his job. Unlike Bush, Kerry may actually take responsibility for his actions whether good or bad.

So, really, Bush has no platform, no strong suits, nothing except what's written on the cuecards. He offers nothing to Joe America but vacant words. But for his energy friends, his religious friends, those cronies hiding in the shadows, he offers the World. That the Bush Administration is the most secretive in history, that Bush takes more vacation than any previous President should tell you: Bush cares little for you and offers you so little that he can take plenty of time off. Can you? Bush isn't fully in control, hence the secrecy and vacations. He and his cronies can't be trusted. Ignore their words and look at them - there's no honesty, no truthfulness, no sincerity. If you want Terrorism to continue unabated for 4 more years, you'll vote for Bush.

As I've said before, the Dems play too fairly, too defensive. They're not a bunch of blood-craving, power-crazed, unethical manipulators like the Repubs. If Bush wins this it's because nobody flushed. Fer Pete's sake, his ditzy daughters should've been enough to scare parents into forcing their kids into doing homework and having good behavior. Like father like daughters - lights on nobody home, driveway not reaching the street, a few lightbulbs short of a marquee, a couple of beers shy of a sixpack (though with the Bushes you'll always be shy a sixpack).

Worse, as it's been repeatedly pointed out, the Repubs are pulling one the most massive bait-and-switches at the Convention. Sure, they appear moderate, friendly, even rational but elect Bush and - Boom! - out goes the Coat of Moderation and in comes the Ultra-Righters, the Neo-Cons - here comes the religion.

And still no bin Laden. Meanwhile in Iran they continue to punch forward towards nuclear capabilities, yet Bush does nothing.