Speak Truth to the Throne

Is the caption referring to Hurricane Katrina or President Bush? More thoughts below.

I've been on the Bloggers's DL due to this stinking wrist, but have decided to take one for the team and start playing through the pain. This is how it got sprained on Thursday: I was doing a rear-dismount and, while holding the handle bars, twisted and turned the wrist at the same time. It made an unpleasant "Rice Krispies" sound, and it got more painful as the day progressed, despite time in the spa and lots of direct cold. On Friday, I wussed out and went to the doctor who sent me for an x-ray. Nothing was or is broken, so I've had the arm wrapped up since the appointment. Becky at work very thoughtfully brought me one of her old braces from when she had carpel tunnel. The wrist is better and I will be on the bike tomorrow.

And I've desperately missed it, too. I haven't had any exercise since Thursday morning (58+ hours now) and I'm going stir-crazy and feeling more than a little blobish. Did a little vicarious riding by watching Liz try out her "new" wheels and saw her go around the neighborhood. Here's hoping that's the start of something good.

Last night was the first class at Warm Springs and it has a nice little computer classroom for about 15 students. Got the nickel tour of Control and one of the housing units. They gave me keys and a radio, and it was off to class. The students are about what you expect of incarcerated folks: they tested me as students have been doing forever, and I responded. Couldn't do much without the books, and the PCs didn't have the lessons, either. Normal start to a semester. Monday night is the first class at NNCC which will be equally as disorganized.

An interesting opinion piece by Mark Morford in the San Francisco Chronicle says we should get off President Bush's back for his response to Hurricane Katrina because he is doing the job we hired him to do. Quoting, "He is the CEO president, the megacorporate businessman's friend, the thug of the religious right, a big reservoir-tipped condom for all energy magnates, protecting against the nasty STDs of humanitarianism and progress and social responsibility." The article rips into him quite deeply and is supported, in part, by this more journalist piece from Associated Press.

I am not a Bush aficionado. He is a puppet for the Religious Right and seems to make faith-based decisions instead of science- and fact-based decisions. The people working for him are arrogant, inhumane, and too quick to wrap themselves with the flag to protect themselves from righteous public scrutiny and anger. No one was fired for a long series of national and international embarrassments like WMDs, Iraq, Abu Ghraib Prison, Valerie Plame, and so on. Those who did leave via "retirement" were rewarded for their mistakes, and those who stayed are caught up in a continual game of "cover your ass." No wonder an AP poll found that Bush's approval ratings have dropped below 40 percent.

Mr. President, the solution is easy. Stand up and say, "I am responsible. The buck stops here." Fire a few people and not just for show. Bring in fresh, feeling administrators who will do their jobs for the honor of serving the public good, like Coast Guard Vice Admiral Thad Allen. Let's see a little less hugging of the poor people, less time creating sound bites nobody believes, and do a little more work with the shovel and sand bag. Make New Orleans or Gulfport or Keesler AFB your base of operations for a few weeks. Get your daughters out there in the muck like Sean Penn and have them help recover some lost souls.

You're supposed to be the most powerful man in the world. Don't tell us you care. Show us you care. That will make us all powerful.

Edit: The above picture is real and not created with PhotoShop, per the Urban Legend web site.