Floodlight

And Now?

In August of 2004, Bush created the definition of oxymoron; he declared our actions on Iraq a "Catastrophic Success."  Bush had a rather mind-bending take on the concept 'success.' "Had we to do it over again, we would look at the consequences of catastrophic success – being so successful, so fast, that an enemy that should have surrendered or been done in, escaped and lived to fight another day," he said. How this works out in the sloshing frat-party punchbowl in his cranium I have no idea. That it actually has explained the little problems there for some folks boggles.

So here we are, two years later. Just curious: Vote for one

Our War Monkey's Heroic Adventure has been
A) Catastrophic
B) A success

Extra points, short essay: The original statement was...

Food for Thought

Insightful Letter-to-the-Editor from California's conservative Big Valley (emphasis mine):

I would like to agree that the Iraq War is because of oil, but in a small twist to the popular argument, I would propose that it is all about shutting the supply down.

Many in the current administration would have us believe that this war of aggression was first about WMD, then a continuation of the supposed war on terror, and finally to bring democracy to an oppressed people. Yet if you pay close attention to what they have done and not what they say, you will see that the Neocons' first order of duty in Iraq was to secure the Oil Ministry, lock down the oil fields and dismiss Iraq's army. All of these moves would later prove to foment the insurgency and ultimately result in civil war. WMD sites were not guarded; Zarquawi was left to raise an army and the infrastructure, which could pave the road to democracy, was left in a shambles while select Bush-supporting American contractors robbed an estimated $9 billion U.S. taxpayer dollars.

Now, many would argue that having control over the last great oil reserves serves the U.S. interest. Why would we allow the Russians, Indians or Chinese to control the spigot of these precious last reserves?

One only needs to follow the money for the real answer. At the beginning of this failed administration, Sadam Hussein was threatening the Saudis that he would flood the oil market with Iraqi crude if they didn't get the U.S. off of their backs. This, of course, would have lowered the price per barrel substantially and for Bush, cost his family and Saudi buddies huge sums of money. So, the answer was simple, invade Iraq under false pretenses, shut down the flow of Iraqi oil, foment a civil war which would necessitate our troops permanent presence and watch the price of oil soar.

This war is about oil. But it's also about greed, manipulation and domination. The winners are the friends and family of George W. Bush, the Bin Ladins and the Saudi royal family. The losers are the soldiers, the innocent victims, democracy, you and me. Please, I implore you, vote this lawless administration and Congress out, before we are their next target.

Righteous!

Sounds Rational to Me!

I should have seen it coming, but the Shrub Adminstration caught me flat-footed with this:

U.S. weighs responses to N. Korea missile test
Military may attempt to intercept long-range missile, defense officials say

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is weighing responses to a possible North Korean missile test that include attempting to shoot it down in flight over the Pacific, defense officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

...The Pentagon is considering the possibility of attempting an interception, two defense officials said, even though it would be unprecedented and is not considered the likeliest scenario.

The officials agreed to discuss the matter only on condition of anonymity because of its political sensitivity.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said he could not say whether the unproven multibillion-dollar U.S. anti-missile defense system might be used in the event of a North Korean missile launch. That system, which includes a handful of missiles that could be fired from Alaska and California, has had a spotty record in tests.

Again, MSNBC slightly underestimates the problem:

For N. Korean Missile, U.S. Defense Is Hit or Miss

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has spent nearly $43 billion over the last five years on missile defense systems, but with North Korea poised to launch its most advanced missile yet, U.S. government assessments and investigative reports indicate little confidence in the centerpiece portion of the program.

Eleven ground-based interceptors in Alaska and at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Central California, the cornerstone of the administration's new system, have not undergone a successful test in nearly four years and have been beset by glitches that investigators blame, at least in part, on President Bush's order in 2002 to make the program operational even before it had been fully tested.

In all, the interceptors hit dummy missiles in five out of 10 tests, but these were under controlled conditions that critics say do not reflect the challenges of an actual missile launch.

A little-noticed study by the Government Accountability Office issued in March found that program officials were so concerned with potential flaws in the first nine interceptors now in operation that they considered taking them out of their silos and returning them to the manufacturer for "disassembly and remanufacture."

Ain't it swell? They are actually thinking of showing off our impotence before the world, by using a system that has never been tested under real-world conditions and only works half the time ("If that!" he adds cynically) under ideal conditions while probably drawing the wrath of the world and is by any definition a "war-like act!" And all this while going eyeball to eyeball with the second-most nutcase "Leader" in the world today, who actually controls WMDs, big hairy nukes ! Excuse me. "Uh, South Korea, Japan? Yeah, you two in particular, but anyone else in the area: DUCK!

I am so proud.

Science News

In an attempt to be more than just a political blog, Floodlight proudly presents a compendium of news from Chemistry and Physics:

New Element Discovered

Bushcronium has one vacuon, an undetermined number of hangerons resonsible for the bulk of the mass, 12 sychophons, 75 deputy sychophons, and 224 assistant deputy sychophons, giving it an atomic mass of between 313 and 400. These particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. The symbol for Bushcronium is "W".

Bushcronium appeared originally as a "bright, shiny thing" that, regardless of it's properties, "peons" flocked to. It appears much less bright now, due to it's property of "moron-promotion."  Some scientists believe that Bushcronium is formed whenever morons reach a certain quantity in concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as "Critical Morass."

When catalyzed with money, Bushcronium activates Foxnewsium, an element which radiates orders of magnitude more energy, albeit as incoherent noise, since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons. 

My guess is that Bushchronium is an element in the same periodic family that includes the recently found Administratium (Note that the structure is similar but not identical). While Adminstatium appears NOT to decay, Bushchronium obviously DOES, shedding old particles (both useful and useless, (or "Losers")) and replacing them with Useless particles on a haphazard basis.

Administratrium, The New Element

AMES, IA--The heaviest element known to science was recently discovered by materials researchers at IPRT/ISU. The new element, tentatively named Administratium, has no protons or electrons, and thus has an atomic weight of 0. However, it does have one neuron, 125 assistant neutrons, 75 vice neutrons, and 111 assistant vice neutrons. This gives it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together in a nucleus by a force that involves the continuous exchange of particles called morons.

Since it has no electrons, Administratium is totally inert. However, it can be detected chemically, since it impedes every reaction it comes into contact with. According to its discovers, a tiny amount of Administratium caused on reaction to take over four days to complete; the normal reaction time is less than one second.

Administratium has a normal half life of approximately three years, at which time it does not actually decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which neutrons, vice neutrons, and assistant vice neutrons exchange places. Studies have shown that the atomic mass usually increases after each reorganization.

Research at other laboratories indicates that Administratium occurs naturally in the atmosphere. It tends to concentrate at points, such as governmental agencies, large corporations, and universities. It is always found in the newest, best appointed and best maintained buildings.

Scientists point out that Administratium is known to be toxic at any level of concentration and can easily destroy any productive reactions where it is allowed to accumulate. Attempts are being made to determine how Administratium can be controlled to prevent irreversible damage, but results to date are not promising.

______________________________________________________________

Note these related element recently discovered:

Limbaughium Lb
The heaviest known element. It possesses an ever-expanding mass. Very white. Acidic. Emits heat but no light. Instantly polarizes all elements that come in contact with it. Repels protons and electrons; attracts only morons.

Innofensium Pc
Precisely equal numbers of electrons, protons, neutrons, leptons,
quarks. Completely inert, utterly useless, but smells like a rose.

Newtium
Extreme irritant. Carries a strong negative charge. Does not possess magnetic properties. Can be purchased cheaply. Decay products include Delaium.

Quaylium Vp
Einsteinium it ain't.

Politicium Po
Gaseous at all temperatures and pressures. Similar to radon in that it can reach lethal concentrations in the House.

Congress Cg
Atomic number 525. Can never be found in a solution.

Heminertium
Naturally-occurring, but, oddly, filling no gap in the periodic table. Deies classic Inertia: is the only known element to exhibit only the tendency to remain at rest, while impeding the tendency to remain in motion. Spontaneous  decay occasionally generates a large numbers of Reportons. See attached internal DOE memo for a description of its effects

"Dear Radsafers:

I recently became exposed to the element described above during a DOE work proposal.  Actually, I was overexposed and the proposed work project, being closely aligned to the described element, underwent an inverse cold fusion reaction thereby sucking all the life force from the project, thus becoming inert.  I always wondered how such things occurred...

Regards,

Neil Keeney
RRPT

That's all for now, but I hope to explain soon the mystery of the fear one Republican Congresswoman has that a PRK missile that can't reach LA poses a threat to "Chicago and Kansas City."

(By the way, don't you regret the lost chance to read reports on Deng and Putin discussing the Tae Po Dong?)

The Spirit of Reagan

I'm sure we all remember when the then-wandering late-stage Alzheimer's spirit of Ronald Reagan greeted the Twig to the Oval Office with the prescient toast, "If I didn't, this fer sure proves that any-fucking-moron can be President...here's to the American voters, may self-evident facts never change their opinion."

What is less known is that after his June, 2004 death, Reagan's still-senile "spirit"  became a permanent resident, advising a grateful Bush on the intricacies of his "work."

From "Bring some rag-head country to it's knees like I did Iran," to "Forget about planning for natural disasters, they don't need your help...that's why the call them 'natural.'" Reagan's calm hand is always over Bush's on the helm, imparting the knowledge from his many successes (like not being impeached) to the present Head of State.

Some staffers, Secret Service,  as well as the Press have noted the long pauses in Bush's speech (he is communing with Reagan) and his long wandering and off-the-point-entirely answers to questions (Bush is not afraid to publicly air his discourses with his "Godly mentor", as he calls Reagan's ghost, which he often sees quite vividly!)

Bush Looks On the Bright Side of Life

GW sacrificed several minutes of what might otherwise have been another wonderful vacation op today, meeting with elderly and disabled (well, not so many disabled, and only non-smelly elderly) medicare recipients in Florida, urging them to sign up for the new prescription benefits. Brushing off complaints by some that the process is confusing and unwieldy, Bush said he rejects extending the Monday deadline for signing up.

"Deadlines are important. Deadlines help people understand there is finality and people have to get after it."

Several of the elderly thanked him for the rebuke, and the reminder that there is finality in life.

Two women asked him about extending the deadline, including one who said there were logjams in the rush for those who have waited until end to sign up.

The government has added 6,000 operators and quadrupled its computer capacity for enrollment in anticipation of a rush this week.

Bush acknowledged the program is complicated and has caused confusion among some seniors. The Government Accountability Office said last week that federal investigators posing as senior citizens found that Medicare's operators routinely failed to give callers accurate and complete information about the drug benefit.

Bush joshed he, too, got inaccurate and incomplete information routinely, but said, "They oughta do what I do, just ignore any so-called "information" they get! But, heck, at least these oldsters aren't going to be screwing up any wars or hunts for the real enemy of our elderly: terr'ists! 9/11. 9/11!"

Showing his softer side, Bush told one wheelchair bound senior

"You look mighty comfortable."

 

DeLay's Resignation: What...Me Worry?

As difficult as this decision has been for me, it’s not going to be a great day for liberal Democrats, either.

My loyalty to the Republican Party — indeed, my love for the Republican Party — has played no small part in this decision.

Having served under Republican and Democrat control in the House, I know first hand how important it is for Republicans to maintain their national majority. A Democrat Congress in 2007 would, without doubt or remorse, raise hundreds of billions of dollars in taxes, summarily cut and run from the war on terror, and immediately initiate an unconstitutional impeachment of President Bush.

Taxes? Probably...Gotta get this deficit down somehow, and I don't think waiting for Armageddon to wipe it out is gonna work.

Cut and run? Maybe from Iraq, but not from the war on terror. Someone has to do it, and since Bush "just (doesn't) give (it) much thought" it sure ain't gonna be the Republicans.

Impeachment? Oh, how I hope so. Unconstitutional? I laugh! Oh, Hypocracy, thy name is Republican.
________________

And if you're looking forward to getting rid of him, don't hold your breath! Note that he is moving to his "Virginia property and reside closer to Washington, so that I can dedicate the necessary time and energy to making a successful transition from the public to private sectors..." Brave Tom...bouncing back from undeserved assault, determined to make a go of it. What a hero. Hmmm...private sector? Can you say "lobbyist"?

The Real Leaker

      

       

Hey, leave me alone! I said , "uhhh, this is a town...of, uhh, that, uhhh...where a lot of people leak!"

Don't miss William Rivers Pitt in Truthout on this!

And if you don't go there, I love this quote from the article:

Is there not some chosen curse,
Some hidden thunder in the stores of heaven,
Red with uncommon wrath, to blast the man
Who owes his greatness to his country's ruin?

- Joseph Addison

I'm baaack!

Hi, folks (if anyone is still bothering to check the site!)

I am soooo embarrassed! After years of neglect, I finally reinstalled Windows. I did a pretty good data backup, but missed a couple things, like Mozilla's Form Manager and Password files. And like being certain I had the program for my password utility (I had the encrypted data file, but not the program!)

Short story, I did a password recovery on TypePad, but the password didn't work. We've been going back and forth for three weeks now. Then Carla in customer service somehow figured out that my password was the one they sent me, but with two spaces after it!! Good work, folks!

So here I am again, overflowing with vitriol, and frustration that I haven't been able to bitch about Delay, the "Real Leaker," et. al. Watch this space!

Just Had to Share!

Break your child of wanting dolls!

and then go out and satisfy your appetite!

Thanks to Green Head, home of the wonderfully odd!