Secretary Rumsfeld photograph: "Just the tip"

"Just the tip"

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President Bush condemns bilingual national anthem

A Spanish language version of the U.S. national anthem was released Friday by British music producer, Adam Kidron. I wonder if he does the French version of God Save The Queen next?

The President did not like this one bit. "The national anthem should be sung in English, not Spanish," President George W. Bush said Friday. "One of the things that's very important is, when we debate this issue, that we not lose our national soul," the president exclaimed. "One of the great things about America is that we've been able to take people from all walks of life bound as one nation under God."

I am thinking that maybe we leave it in English, but just change the first line to "Jose can you see?"

President Bush himself isn't in all that strong a position to be ordering people to speak English.

Just this morning I heard him use the word "nukular" three times in a speech. He recently coined the word "decider."

Other examples of George Bush English:

"Oftentimes, we live in a processed world, you know, people focus on the process and not results."

"The law I sign today directs new funds... to the task of collecting vital intelligence... on weapons of mass production."

"It will take time to restore chaos and order."

"They have miscalculated me as a leader."

"Natural gas is hemispheric... because it is a product that we can find in our neighborhoods."

"I am mindful not only of preserving executive powers for myself, but for predecessors as well."

"We need an energy bill that encourages consumption."

"We are making steadfast progress."
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Our favorite Blogspot blog - Neil Young

Neil Young's Livingwithwar.blogspot.com . I've been streaming the new album--it sounds great.

A great interview (and foolish interviewer) with Neil about the new album.
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President Bush's new Press Secretary Tony Snow lambasts Bush "off the record"

WASHINGTON, DC—With an administration in shambles, hounded by criminal allegations, a plunge in approval ratings that shows no signs of ending, and bi-partisan calls for the resignations of various cabinet members and advisors, the President this week named Tony Snow of Fox TV and radio, as his Press Secretary/Spokesman. The choice is considered both odd and bold by many Beltway insiders.

An anonymous White House source disclosed to us that the night before Snow's appointment was announced, he lambasted Bush and his henchmen at a private party celebrating his ascension to the White House.

"Look around the White House, " Snow told his friends, "Rumsfeld, Rice, Rove and Cheney are crippled! They've been shunted off into the shadows. The President is showing signs of battle fatigue. And worse. And you guys ask why I'd want this job! With this gang of f***-ups, I'll practically BE President! How could I miss that? On the Q.T., and I mean don't even tell your wives, Bush is a basket case. They just shuffle him in and he reads the TelePrompTer as best he can. It doesn't matter if he agrees or understands it or not. That's no longer an issue. He is no longer a functioning member of the government. And let's face it, he wasn't all that swift to begin with. You still ask why I'd do this? OK. Yeah, I'm losing a million or so a year. It's not like I won't make that up the first month after I leave office. But most importantly, I can basically run this f***ing country. And the rest of these sycophants, ass-kissers, and thugs can't say jack s**t. They're so petrified they'll be the next on the chopping block that I can do whatever the f*** I want! Whatever I say becomes White House policy and none of these fools, cowering in their offices with their lawyers and shrinks will dare make a peep."

Snow also told his assembled friends "I can't tell you everything, but some of the stuff I've been hearing about Bush would shred your minds. He makes Captain Queeg look rational. As Huxley said 'In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.' Well, pals, I have two fine f***ing peepers. This is gonna be a sweet f***ing ride."
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The Lyrics to Neil Young's New Song Impeach The President

Fox "news" (Roger Friedman) said today: "Neil Young’s new album, Living with War, is an incendiary, moving, totally American document of peaceful protest that is going to make a lot of people crazy one way or another." He went on to say later in the article "When Living with War starts streaming on www.neilyoung.com on Friday, my guess is the servers will overheat. The real test will come next week, when the album is available for downloading on several sites."

It's always reason to celebrate when Neil comes out with a new album. It's even sweeter when he comes out with one the week the President's approval ratings hit 32%. This album, recorded in a reported nine days will be a most welcome follow-up to his excellent and recent CDs Prarie Wind and Greendale (not to mentioned Jonathan Demme's recent film about Neil). Rock on!


Let's Impeach The President
by Neil Young

Let’s impeach the president for lying
And leading our country into war
Abusing all the power that we gave him
And shipping all our money out the door
He’s the man who hired all the criminals
The White House shadows who hide behind closed doors
And bend the facts to fit with their new stories
Of why we have to send our men to war
Let’s impeach the president for spying
On citizens inside their own homes
Breaking every law in the country
By tapping our computers and telephones
What if Al Qaeda blew up the levees
Would New Orleans have been safer that way
Sheltered by our government’s protection
Or was someone just not home that day?
Let’s impeach the president
For hijacking our religion and using it to get elected
Dividing our country into colors
And still leaving black people neglected
Thank god he’s cracking down on steroids
Since he sold his old baseball team
There’s lot of people looking at big trouble
But of course the president is clean
Thank God
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Poem: The Candidate

It's you Up There
Trying to explain

To The Lamplighter
The Scoutmaster of all Scoutmasters

How you believed you were made
By a being of purity and love

But how do you choose?
Allah Jesus Krishna Buddha

Yaweh The White Goddess Frigg
Hailie Selassie Zeus Gyhldeptis

Turan Bikeh Hozho Lono
Waheguru Mithra Achiyalatopa

Jeebo Manannan mac Lir
Eight Immortals Baal Moloch?

How you do pick one
Without a sign

And then pick the right one
Where you at least have a shot

At getting it right
As opposed to choosing nothing?

They pull out the list
Of everyone you've ever

Lusted after fornicated with
Cheated on stole from lied to

Conspired against or harmed
Willingly or unwillingly

Written up it doesn't look so good
But you always knew there'd be time

To make amends recoup your losses
Or even repent

In a last minute bid
For a spot near the throne

You always bet you'd have enough warning
To carry on and save the clean living

For the very end
On the positive side of the ledger

In your chest beat
The heart of a Good Samaritan

Who never quite got off
The starting blocks

You're looking earnest now
At the Starthrower

And they tell you
To have a seat.
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Airlines consider offering standing room and Crisco in lieu of seats

The New York Times reported yesterday that Airbus has been very discretely trying to drum up interest in a standing-room-only option to Asian airlines.

Passengers would stand against a padded backboard, held in place by a harness. In short, we'd have a plane full of papooses!

The airlines have already been squeezing passengers further (is that even possible?) by ordering new seats, with far thinner backs. Instead of adding an inch or two of legroom, they are, of course, adding additional rows of seats.

One airline was even considering a proposal by Boeing to essentially forgo seats and seatbealts in favor of a system where passengers stand so snugly together that they insulate each other from any turbulence or jostling. One proposal included the option of having passengers travel nude, using Crisco or another emmolient to reduce friction and chafing. "Essentially, we would be taking a leaf from the penguin's book," explained Sheila Houlihan, a vice-president with Boeing's Public Relations group, "I mean, you saw March Of The Penguins, didn't you? These guys know how to huddle!"
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Jailhouse Rock lyrics...a walk on the wild side

click poster to enlarge


I've heard this song off and on much of my life, and never really listened to the lyrics, or picked up the gay allusions. It's probably not a co-ed hoosegow, after all.

How did this even get on the radio, when "Let's Spend the Night Together" by the Rolling Stones always had the "night" bleeped out on the radio when it came out? It's one of my favorite tunes by The King. I never saw the movie Jailhouse Rock, so I don't know how the film approaches the gay issue (what issue?).


(words & music by jerry leiber - mike stoller)

Jailhouse Rock

The warden threw a party in the county jail.
The prison band was there and they began to wail.
The band was jumpin’ and the joint began to swing.
You should’ve heard those knocked out jailbirds sing.
Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the jailhouse rock.

Spider murphy played the tenor saxophone,
Little joe was blowin’ on the slide trombone.
The drummer boy from illinois went crash, boom, bang,
The whole rhythm section was the purple gang.
Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the jailhouse rock.

Number forty-seven said to number three:
You’re the cutest jailbird I ever did see.
I sure would be delighted with your company,
Come on and do the jailhouse rock with me.
Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the jailhouse rock.

The sad sack was a sittin’ on a block of stone
Way over in the corner weepin’ all alone.
The warden said, hey, buddy, don’t you be no square.
If you can’t find a partner use a wooden chair.
Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the jailhouse rock.


click poster to enlarge

Shifty henry said to bugs, for heaven’s sake,
No one’s lookin’, now’s our chance to make a break.
Bugsy turned to shifty and he said, nix nix,
I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks.
Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the jailhouse rock.
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The President's approval ratings over time

Click the chart to enlarge

Pollkatz has an interesting chart on their website, detailing President George W. Bush's ratings as they plummet--incredibly--even further into the toilet.

This week, several of the polls pegged his approval rating at 33%. At this rate, Richard Nixon, circa 1974, will soon seem by comparison to be a beloved President.
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President Bush's son?

click to enlarge

I don't know what the origin of this photograph is. Someone sent it to us. I don't know if this is George Bush's son with another woman, or if he and Laura have been keeping this one under wraps. There is a version of the picture on http://strangepolitics.com
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Happy 442nd birthday Willie Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was probably born on April 23, 1564. He may be the greatest artist who ever lived. If not, he's right up there.

Some posts about Shakespeare on all this is that:

Shakespeare and the typing monkeys

Audio Blog: Jerry Melin & Jack Discuss Shakespeare & "Self-love" Late One Night In NYC

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More LBJ photos, and LBJ links on all this is that

We have published numerous articles and interesting photos of LBJ over the years. My favorites are the photos of various people receiving what came to be known as "the Johnson Treatment." And then there's maybe my favorite political photograph of all time. . .the one where JFK seems to be trying to pipe LBJ down. Links to some of these follow. /jack

One of the heroes and villains paintings

LBJ In A Characteristic Pose

Running Mates: Senators Lyndon Johnson And JFK

The Johnson Treatment, Part 6: The Hump and Senator Russell get the treatment

The Johnson Treatment, Part 5: Senator Richard Russell (Dem., Georgia) Undergoes The Treatment

The Johnson Treatment, Part 4: President Johnson Gives The Treatment To Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas



The Johnson Treatment, Part 3: LBJ Gives Eartha Kitt The Treatment


The Johnson Treatment, Part 2: Richard M. Nixon, Republican Presidential Front-runner Gets The Treatment

The Johnson Treatment

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