Political Nightmare and Friday Random Ten and a half

So, the President is now a King. Or at least he is based on the approval of Congressional Republicans. When he knowingly and egregiously breaks the law, Congress will go back and 'fix' the law so it's retroactively OK. Culture of Responsibility? Fuck me. How bout if I just take your house and car, then have the laws changed so that my taking your house and car was specifically authorized?

I guess it's not just driftglass' rhetoric: In George Bush's world, You can be a Good American, or you can be a Good Republican, but you can't be both.

So, what is beyond the Boy King's powers? Ordering the execution of an American Citizen? Well, we can detain them indefinitely with no charges and no representation, and he can order the death penalty for them, so that one's pretty easy.

He's already demonstrated that no one will question his ability to wage war against anyone he chooses, even though that power is specifically reserved for Congress. Now since the Republicans have also eliminated Congressional oversight, it's good to know that they are useless; we'll be able to save all that salary and expense, just send all the whiny fuckers home.

The new Patriot Act includes the creation of a new kindler, gentler Gestapo; a special paramilitary police force to operate within America, under the direct control of the Executive branch, and like the interments at the concentration camp Guantanamo, and answerable to no one else. Now THERE'S an entity that won't be subject to overreach and abuse.


Anyways, another Friday Random Ten, for nobody but me, and this one comes directly offa my iPod, rather than the desktop.

Oh, and Pat Roberts is a hypocritical, self righteous, preening corporate shill who wants to dictate what you read, and see, and who you fuck, but is willing to let George W. Bush break the law and lie without any repercussions. As Glenn Greenwald has brilliantly laid out in this post, the Republican Party has turned into a cult of personality, no longer conservative in any way, but simply devoted to blind faith in George W Bush under any circumstances. No matter how many kittens he kills with a hammer.


1. This is the World Calling - Bob Geldof. first solo album.

2. If You Were A Priest - Robyn Hitchcock

3. X, Y & Zee - Pop Will Eat Itself

4. The Lonely 1 - Wilco

5. Sleeping Knights of Jesus - Robyn Hitchcock. More from Robyn. Brilliant! this doesn't bother me at all.

6. Lightnin' - Sonic Youth. Pleasing noise.

7. Solitaire Song- Jon Langford. the Mekons Connection.

8. Trying Not To Think About Time - The Futureheads. A great XTC song, written by somebody else.

9. Eclipse - Pink Floyd. There's the maguffin

10. 4 Seasons - Violent Femmes. Latter day femmes. Still like it, even though it's not a s popular.

11. The Only Lesson Learned - Game Theory. Brilliant power pop by Scott Miller, back from my college days. To my constant amazement, his stuff has never broken into the big time. Not commoditized easily enough, I guess. More Hootie!

12. what If We Give It Away - REM.

13 of The Girl - Pearl Jam. Another one from that Benaroya Hall live set. Includes tuning.

13.5. Television INtermission - Afroskull: Monster for the Masses

14. In The Rain - Midnight Oil.

15. I Can't Own Her - XTC. Demo from the actual XTC.


Final Note:

The Greenland Ice Sheet is melting twice as fast as previously supposed. All those government/ oil industry shills who poo-poo the idea of global warming? Fuck 'em. Fuck 'em all right in the ass with a gas pump. Fill 'em up with hydrocarbons till it comes out their ears, then bury 'em in the ground. so in a billion years or so we can burn them in lawn mowers. Fuck.