On the whole, it's probably for the best, but I keep wishing for psychic communication instead.
I think it would be a lot harder to keep inappropriate thoughts to oneself in psychic communication.
Obsolete. In ten years we'll all be uploads and communicating digitally.
I think that, creepily beyond belief, the cable here reverted to *every channel* showing the weather channel roughly 20 minutes ago.
I kid you not.
As you were, though; I wound up hearing just the last 5 minutes of the speech.
Oh, Ben. This is why we love you.
I felt all guilty for watching Beauty and the Geek instead of the presidential address, only then to find out that the speech was at 9, not 8. So then I felt an obligation to watch it. God, what a horrible speaker. I couldn't stay focused -- no matter how hard I tried, I kept tuning out. I'll have to read the transcript.
Oh, there was a speech? Oh, right, this is a political site.
So ... the president gave a speech, huh?
Turn the armed forces lose, engage Iran et al. ramp up and see what shakes out.
I am a little scared right now for the next 2-6 months. This could go any way. who knows.
Engage Iran? Like, he was making specific threats to invade? Shit.
I was busy writing a post about why the President's head is up his ass. I figure I don't need to listen to what he says to know that.
Where are you, parsimon?
I find it just...gah... that he mentioned forming a bipartisan congressional working group and dropped Joe Lieberman's name--the only American name he mentioned, if I'm not mistaken. I hope that the Connecticut for Lieberman party spokesperson has some official response to this.
I couldn't stay focused -- no matter how hard I tried, I kept tuning out.
It's the same with me. I go into me into cringe mode, vocalizing "ahhhhhhhhhh" to drown him out. (See also the sympathetic embarrassment thread.) Post-game interviews with athletes provoke a similar reaction. ("We just went out there and played the game. We knew we couldn't win unless we put points on the board.")
He mentioned sending over a carrier group to "help secure the region" and "reassure our allies" or some shit like that. I.e.: watch it, Iran.
And for the above reason I didn't see any of the speech.
Ah. Not quite as scary as I thought, just pointless.
I found him slightly less objectionable than usual, actually. There was an almost-humbled quality in his voice, and at least in the beginning, his handlers put a fair amount of specifics in the text.
(I heard the speech on the radio; I can't stand looking at him, and besides, I don't have a TV.)
The specifics seemed kludged on. There were a couple of times where I felt he was going into detail almost in a "see? see? we can tell these two ethnic groups/cities/whatever apart! I swear!"
Reading the transcript pretty much kills any lingering thoughts I had that *maybe* we shouldn't just pull out because, after all, we made this fucking mess and ought to try to fix it. Bush is too fucking stupid and stubborn to fix it. We ought to cut and run before any more of our soldiers get killed. Sorry, Iraqis.
Jim Henley had a drinking game, but the speech is over, and I am not drinking again until real good stuff happens.
Where are you, parsimon?
Baltimore.
Probably just our cable; it's been a little odd lately.
Still, I so liked the notion that someone akin to .. forgetting the name .. the Eyes character on Dark Angel? who took over the airwaves to send broadcast messages, had done something incredibly fucking clever. Weather Channel.
Ah. Eyes Only (on Dark Angel).
If I heard it right, a lot of the "specifics" really boil down to "the Iraqi government has said it's willing to let us go into Sadr City and blow the shit out of it."
I felt all guilty for watching Beauty and the Gee
The UNC basketball game started at 9. Sorry, George.
24: Hm. I was expecting Indonesia or something. Maybe it was Proposition Joe?
13: Thanks for the transcript, tho 'm sure it can't capture the stirring and inspiring presentation.
a) I don't watch TV News anymore
b) I will only watch Bush resign or confess
As far as I can tell, his military plan is pure fantasy, and he seems to have no idea what's up with the Iraqi government. He may realize that the military situation is hopeless -- he may just be trying to save his Presidency and reputation and stymie Democratic attempts to call him to account.
"Too many restrictions on the military" -- not a good sign at all. Threats against Iran and Syria, not a good sign at all. I fear that he'll raise the ante and dare the Democrats to oppose him, and I also fear that they'll fold. Much of the media will support Bush.
"Responsibility rests with me": lying words. What's at stake with "responsibility" ne of the worst, bloodiest mistakes in American history -- not just some point of detail. "Taking responsibility" would require resigning in disgrace and seppuku. But "taking responsibility" has been spun into a PR ploy by now.
Are there any limits to Bush's craziness and adventurism?
But he did explain why it would be different this time. This time we'll have the troops to clear and hold! We were exactly 20K short!
The thing that just kills me is that little bone thrown to the bitter critics: he's arranged to revisit and relax the de-Ba'athification laws. The people whom this could have benefited have either emigrated or joined militias, and they're not going simply going to meander into civil society on George Bush's say-so, not any time soon. That boat has left.
feature, not a bug, you puny-wasted persian pansy.
My summary of the bush speech: half a helping of troops, 3 helpings of hope.
crud. this: I think it would be a lot harder to keep inappropriate thoughts to oneself in psychic communication. should have been quoted above.
"Responsibility rests with me": lying words.
Oh, the thing that was great about that is he transitioned almost instantly into spreading the blame around to all the people he consulted for the formation of the NEW strategy.
My Canadian officemate was all "I really wish it wasn't so cold, I really want to go and protest outside the White House for the speech tonight." Also, "I can't believe you got McDonald's for lunch."
Speech was boring. Kept wondering how my grandmother will react to it, Mrs. Don't-Change-Horses that she is.
Also, am becoming more anonymous (was NL).
though, on the whole, he's gotten better at reading transcripts. He still sounds flat, but that's an improvement. Props, georgy!
The scariest part to me was where he'd say things liek, "The Iraqi government will do X." He was simultaneously asserting their sovereignty and our dominance over them.
26 -- are you trying to turn this a basketball thread, apostropher? I'll participate. Two points at the half, and Duke lost their second in a row. Brandan Wright has the longest arms of any human alive.
27: Maybe it was Proposition Joe?
Ah, The Wire. I may have cable, but not pay channels. Though The Wire is, I seem to think, now showing on some non-pay channel. I should look into that. Good show, what I've seen; and true to Balto's flavour.
TV is not high on my list of media. Though.
Good thing the new rules of engagement, like the old rules of engagement, will be classified!
39.--Four out of five of The Wire seasons are out on DVD! That's how I saw them.
I was reading the first first Cerebus phonebook while watching the speech, and all I can say is:
Dave Sim's elaborate (and remarkably uneven) Prince Valiant parody? As "reality-based" as Bush's speech, thank you very much.
"first first" s/b "was reading drunkenly"
I didn't catch the speech, just the transcript.
Initial thoughts: if all it takes, really, is an extra 20,000 troops, then why didn't we do that earlier? This whole 'we thought things we fine till we got spanked in the midterms' song and dance routine is wearing thin.
Are all the troops going in at once?
Is it really al-Qaeda in Anbar, or has 'al Qaeda' become slang for 'any twobit terrorist group with an IED'?
I wish we could interrupt speeches with questions.
41: Four out of five of The Wire seasons are out on DVD!
Or 3/4.
Alright, be it resolved: assuming I can get such DVDs via Netflix (or that newfangled Blockbuster alternative everyone's arguing about), I'll sign up for one or the other.
The TV's no fucking good on the Weather Channel anyway.
SEK- have you read the later Dave Sim? I'm on the fence- he's a complete fucking nutball, and I'm not sure how much I want to reward that. But if it's good, it's good.
43/44: so your comment should begin "I was reading the was reading drunkenly"?
Also, I learned today that America and its punditry was pwned--pre-9/11--by The Sweet Valley Twins. For shame, America, for shame.
And I seem to swearing rather a lot, at random.
Is it really al-Qaeda in Anbar, or has 'al Qaeda' become slang for 'any twobit terrorist group with an IED'?
I fear that neither Bush nor Bin Laden really care. I've been reading The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, and it's pretty clear that Bin Laden was muzzily happy to lend his name and money to all kinds of violent ventures dreamed up by more ruthless people with their own agendas. That's only gotten more so since AQ was driven underground. So reallly: who the fuck knows any more?
Duke lost their second in a row
One more loss and Coach K starts making considering back surgery.
48: Mid-period Sim, before the misogyny took hold, is a wonder--I mean, recasting medieval papal schisms as power plays between Groucho Marx, Oscar Wilde and a warrior-aardvark? Brilliant.
49: How many times today--nay! in the past five minutes--have people told you that you take things too literally?
Larry Johnson at TPM cafe points out that the strategy we're planning (go after Moqtada) is senseless. Supposedly we're tilting toward the Shi'a, and supposedly we're worried about Iran's influence, but Moqtada is the least pro-Iranian of the Shi'a.
So it's just blind flailing.
49: How many times today--nay! in the past five minutes--have people told you that you take things too literally?
If I say "none", I'll have fallen prey to your trick, won't I?
52: That's a good point. But weren't we supposed to have greatly weakened the real al-Qaeda in Afghanistan? It's probably immaterial to Iraq's stability, but when the President says 'al-Qaeda' I think 'dudes behind 9/11', not a copycat group.
Okay, this post is titled "Speech".
Speech was the main rapper from the group Arrested Development.
The previous post referenced the show Arrested Development.
Cool!
Al-Qaeda is a brand name, and the further I get into The Looming Tower, the more I'm being convinced that that's all it ever was.
32: That's about my take. Perhaps I'd change "hope" to "delusion".
57: If I say "none", I'll have fallen prey to your trick, won't I?
If I answered that, the quicksand would be 79.47% less effective.
Re: AD, the band-- for a long time I knew a guy who would yell out "But I am still thirsty!" when our local 'tender yelled last call. Kinda offensive.
My question is whether his having pretended to take consultation, from the Iraqis, Baker-Hamilton, and the Army, and dressed his scheme in what sounds like a specific task showing some knowledge of conditions will be enough to derail any Congressional statements limiting his authority, like Kennedy mentioned the other day. My guess is yes, but I wasn't expecting that much anyway. I don't see it as a major escalation, although we'll have to see about this "unleashed" business.
48 - You have to admit, though, late period Dave Sim is some hella impressive craziness. I haven't read past Jaka's Story, and I still occassionally picked up issues to stare agog at his rants. (I felt bad about this reaction when it became apparent that Sim is probably genuinely mentally ill rather than merely a lunatic.)
Good AV Club interview with Sim. Illustrative.
A highlight:
"Leftist reactions are always histrionic. If it becomes necessary to renew my attack, I'll renew my attack. At this point, I think history will do most of the dirty work. Feminists are in an untenable position, defending something they no longer believe in, and which history will force them to recognize was destructive of most of the central pillars of civilization."
O: Again, I wasn't referring specifically to your writings on feminism....
"Oh, no. Sorry, I misunderstood."
I am tired of predicting attacks on Syria & Iran. Somebody predict war with Iran this time. Henley & Angry Bear & Bill Arkin tonight predict attacks on Iran. Shit, by the time it really happens I'll just roll over and say "Eh"
Say Bob, what's with the extra b?
70:MS file completion and very old typos and a very bad attitude. Or, fuck man, maybe I've changed.
Ya want to send me an email? I'll work on getting the default back right. But my provider got changed and my e-address all screwed up and I ain't got that down yet. So tough. I din't wanna talk to ya anyway. :)
My favorite is,
As I got closer to the end of Cerebus, I started examining it as if it were a math problem. I got X and Y figured out and made some progress structurally, and then I hit the brick wall of feminism.
OT: Resolved: The "Tek Jansen" segments on The Colbert Report are the worst thing on television, in part because they are juxtaposed by Colbert's clever segments, and in part because they are just objectively awful.
On one side are those who believe in freedom and moderation. On the other side are extremists who kill the innocent, and have declared their intention to destroy our way of life.
Godless communism, and the promise to bury us.
From Afghanistan to Lebanon to the Palestinian Territories, millions of ordinary people are sick of the violence, and want a future of peace and opportunity for their children. And they are looking at Iraq.
The domino theory.
This is causing too many depressing flashbacks. After 35 years would it have been too much to hope for at least a minor change in the slogans?
To my taste, the last must-read part of Cerebus is the final installment of the Mothers & Daughters storyline, Minds. This is the payoff for things that he'd been hinting at and working with in the background since sometime around issue #20. You get the full and straight dope on the aardvarks' various backgrounds and actions, the interior significance of a whole lot of the fun and weirdness, an artistically stunning tour of the heavens, and finally Cerebus' confrontation with ultimate authority. It's as fine a piece of metafiction as I've read in a long time.
In the introduction, Sim remarks on the precise moment where his advance plotting ended. It shows. Nothing that comes after it, for the last hundred-odd issues of the series, has that kind of sharp focus. There are brilliant and hilarious moments. There are also far too many artistically stunning but morally vile passages and just plain indulgent storytelling.
From PowerLine:
UPDATE: Based on comments so far, our readers are solidly behind the President and viewed the speech positively.Awesome.
Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me.
He conveniently leaves these mistakes in the realm of the hypothetical.
Also, did he really crib from "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" in that last line? Unless if he meant Stephen Coonts.
I missed the speech for the first meeting of the Boundary Street Writers' Cooperative and Whiskey-Drinking Society. I see no reason to read the transcript.
I see no reason to read the transcript.
You see clearly.
76 and some previous: When last Stateside I saw that Sim had published a book of all the correspondence he hadn't written while finishing Cerebus and was now catching up on. The very concept boggled. Then I read a few pages at random, and reeled.
Still, up to a point that seems to vary by reader Cerebus is extraordinary.
this isn't appropriate becase it has been a short warm winter, and this is the wrong thread, but nonetheless you should all go listen to the rolling stones song 'winter' RIGHT NOW!!!! bell book and candle! restoration plays!!!
Bell, book, and candle? Where's the vibrating square?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6251167.stm
88:spackman:"We have officially invaded Iranian soil."
I watched Beerfest on pay-per-view instead of watching the speech. I think I got my money's worth in that my brain cells actually died slower watching the movie than they would have with the speech.
What was mazing was hearing the filth that came out of Cloris Leachman's mouth. Damn.
