P.S.

The media manipulation was so savvy, I'd almost call it "Rove-esque".

Anyone looking for a conspiracy theory to play with?

Bin Laden's influence on the election

No, not the election in Iraq. Our election.

The New York Times today reported on an interview with John Kerry about the presidential election.

Reflecting on the campaign, Mr. Kerry said the release of the videotape by Mr. bin Laden on the weekend before the Nov. 2 election had reinforced what had been Mr. Bush's biggest advantage.

"I believe that 9/11 was the central deciding issue in this race," he said. "And the tape - we were rising in the polls up until the last day when the tape appeared. We flat-lined the day the tape appeared and went down on Monday."

I wrote at the time that the tape's aim was to help Bush, not hurt him as it appeared on the surface.

We all thought there would be some kind of violent attack like there was in Spain with the aim of changing the outcome of the election. Bin Laden instead accomplished his goal by manipulating the media. Simpler, cheaper, just as effective.

Regarding the Iraq election, I have to say it looks like a great thing has happened. I give credit to Bush and his team (wince!) for sticking with the plan. I have hope for that country now, which I didn't have yesterday.

Ma Bell will rise again

SBC buying AT&T sounds like some kind of cheap horror flick. It's the sequel, actually, where the pieces of the beast that was slain in episode 1 recombine to wreak havoc on the world again.

THe other merger in the news, P&G buying Gillette, makes a lot more sense. But I want to know what they think in the boardroom in Cincinnati about Gillette's new vibrating razor for women.

bleh

Feeling bleh about writing. Nine rejections and counting for my book proposal; my agent thinks I should get an expert co-author, but of course I'm resisting because it would change the whole point of the book, which is very personal and against the grain.

Bleh, bleh. I'm not changing a damn thing! So there.

In other news...I fixed my computer. The hard drive died a couple of months ago and I figured I'd need a new drive and someone to install it, and was waiting around for some money to appear to get it done. Tick, tock, no money. So I reformatted the hard drive, worked around various problems like not having the Windows product key, learned about stuff like having the right chipset drivers installed, and generally kicked this crappy computer's butt until it did what I told it.

Yesterday I tried speaking with a Minnesota accent, since we've been having Minnesota weather lately. I don't think it went very well.

The funeral home for me

Every day on my drive home from work I pass a funeral home and chuckle. It's clearly the place for me when my time comes, based entirely on the name: Beers & Story. That's just how I want it! Everyone with a beer in hand, recounting my most embarrassing moments in my time on Earth. Of course we'll need music too. Not a recorded organ--I'm thinking more along the lines of The Fabulous Maurice (our local accordionist and County Fair headliner, truly fabulous!)

I'll be disappointed if they can't accommodate these final wishes of the yet-to-be-departed.

Power and the people in DC

The inauguration is living proof of everything that is wrong with Washington. I don't just mean the crazy-extravagant, pimping, jangling parties going on around the city. That's always been happening at least as long as I've been around. The disturbing thing to me is how far the government is from the people it represents.

Over the Christmas break we took the kids to DC for a couple of days to see the sights and get a glimpse of the center of modern democracy. The White House might as well be The Kremlin. We were allowed to gaze through the iron fence at the structure, but that's it. A tour was out of the question--you need to arrange it 6 months ahead of time through your congressman, with background checks and who knows what else. Without this advance clearance (which, by the way, is probably more difficult than gaining access to classified documents) all you can do is stroll the perimeter, encompassing several city blocks, peering through the fences. The kids weren't up for that much walking so we just went to the "White House" visitors center, which is actually in a Dept of Commerce building far removed from the actual White House. Crap. Utter crap. There were a few exhibits on par with what you'd see at your local historical society, and a friendly park ranger whose job it is to explain that you can't take a tour.

I always thought of the White House as being accessible. Past presidents, in simpler times, welcomed the public. Tons of movies include White House tours, ranging from Pee Wee's Big Adventure to An American President (right? the one with Annette Benning), further perpetuating the myth that regular folk can actually get into the place. (update: Pee Wee toured tha Alamo, not the White House. So what am I thinking of that had a Pee Wee Alamo-like tour of the White House?)

The cold hard truth is that we live in a police state where the halls of power are further removed from the citizenry than ever before. Is it reasonable, considering the security situation? Sure it's reasonable, but its also a damn shame.

I think, in the end, I'm just shocked that as a citizen I felt so unwelcome at the place where our collective will as a people is executed in policy and actions. You'd think that a government of the people, for the people, by the people would be a little more accessible to the people.

Finally...but does anyone care anymore?

Yahoo! News - U.S. Ends Fruitless Iraq Weapons Hunt:

The Iraq Survey Group, made up of some 1,200 military and intelligence specialists and support staff, spent nearly two years searching military installations, factories and laboratories whose equipment and products might be converted quickly to making weapons.

Hugh's Manifesto

I love that manifestos are back in vogue. For a while there it after the bubble burst it seemed like no one wanted to write brassy, egocentric and brilliant (or moronic) treatises on something they care about more than ayone else does.

The Hughtrain at ChangeThis is a good one. i hope it's the start of a new wave of manifesto writing. I've got a couple I could dust off for the masses.

2005 already?

It's gonna be a good year. I can smell it.

Not that I like everything I smell. Generally, the olfactory sense brings more bad tidings than good. So I'll just wish for a year of not much smelling.