Letters to the Editor
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In vino Glenn
...two weeks ago I bet the commentor known as "Fluffy" that Gonzo would be gone by monday. It didn't happen. The bet was a bottle of wine if I won, and a contribution to charity if he/she won. I stand ready to send the money, should the victor stand forth and name the charity.
P.S. He's still toast, dammit.
-- casual_observer
Permalink Wednesday, April 11, 2007 12:43 PM
Thank you for reminding me. Please give the equivalent of the cost of a bottle of the wine to Glenn.
I won't be using Fluffy in the future; it is apparently too commonplace and there is someone who comments on TPM who uses it as a handle. I am not he.
I will miss it. I liked the image it conjured up -- an obese, pampered white Persian cat that tries to digest too much UT, and then discreetly vomits up the inevitable commentary hairball on the rug. The new, cream-colored rug. In the living room. Right in front of the fireplace.Fluffy
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Science too Threatening to Believers
Timberman: "While reading Glenn's analysis on the previous ABC thread, my thought was that it was odd that ABC should have been pushing this bentonite business at the same time that the White House was denying any definite link between the anthrax attacks and Iraq."
The problem with chemical analysis as opposed to a meeting of terrorists, a request for Yellowcake, or aluminum tubes (which of course were purchased by Iraq, just not for nuclear devises), is that the chemical is there in the sample or it ain't, and the chance of getting a whole lab of nerdy scientists to go along with your story is tough--its hard work! Best to stick to human stories of exotic third world adventures and "experts'" opinions rather than scientific facts when hoodwinking the public.
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Why Indeed?
Glenn "Why were Americans subjected to five straight days of such an inflammatory story, touted by one of the country's leading news organizations, when the story was false from the beginning?"
Ross is a tool, but why would the executives of these "news" organizations be interested in taking this country into war against a non-threatening state? and how could they be blind to the danger of the possible losses? loss of prestige, loss of treasure, and loss of future opportunities.
WMD is a cruel joke and hardly the danger. We are dying by the self-inflicted cuts of ignorance and hubris.
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@ PartyofDog
Then again, there's the threat of national security, which has been known to scare the bejesus out of labs full of nerdy scientists before, especially those who might hate to lose any chance at future government grant money.
Anyway, I'm not convinced that an envelope full of anthrax spores needed any special processing to be deadly to those who came into immediate contact with it. I worked with a woman about thirty years ago who was a craft weaver. She and her fellow weavers used to order exotic wools and various kinds of animal hair from overseas, to add unusual textures to their designs. One day she told me that one of her friends had died suddenly -- within 48 hours of first feeling ill -- of massive respiratory failure. After some fumbling around, contacts with the National Center for Disease Control, etc., the local hospital determined that anthrax was the cause.
When they quarantined and entered his house in their hazmat suits, they found a recently opened shipment of -- as I remember the story -- angora goat wool from Pakistan, where apparently the disease is endemic. The wool was hugely contaminated with anthrax spores, and that, as they say, was that. According to the woman who told me the story, decontaminating her friend's house was a major undertaking. Fortunately, he lived alone, but for a while, all of his fellow weavers were terrified.
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And a gentle cleansing rain fell in the night to inspire more good dreams.
It's not just ABC and the corporate interest that are in double-trouble and require personal reflection of the consequences of their 'expressions' in the public arena...
I am admitting the reading of 'thought' here is so trans-formative, in what I 'view' good nourishment for the soul...
Sometimes I feel almost ill from such delicious and rich delight of chocolate candy-sensation?
I agree with 'letter' comments that knock-me to the blue-cheese-moon that smiles back at me--That's powerful!
I mean a cleansing patter of rain on my tin-roof transfixed me toward a dream THAT I was keyboarding in my sleepy state. Then, I remember that law-guy Mahatma Gandhi said, "I can't respect a person that agrees with me 100% of the time." I agree and disagree in a respectful attitude too. 'Letter' writers here are spectacular, imo. It's possible to be in good double-danger dose of love? What a healing-place. Serious.
We touch interwoven themes: child wounds, war hurts, lies rooted in corporate unhealthy greed. A Mr. P.R., a Sage/Fool, a G.G. (some times I wish he'd have an alias nickname too, say, "Yellow Cat Bulldozer?" or "Nit-Center, Doc-Elmer, 'FUD' Dis-Ease-guy, Pick-Control, Tooth-PAC-Man"), but I'm saying to everybody what partial "cures" for our sick national situation is taking place, imho.
By health, in other words, the absence of severe dis-Ease. Helpers here, who care about the nation present personal insight experiences, are spectacular band-aids that are beneficial. No one surgical Mr. P.R. can "cure" all cancer. Who has time to read the entire written voluminous "scoop" of stacked-high info., (?) No one. But I'm thankful for some restorative calm that's absorbed within me. No "dust-off"...Thanks.
To be healthy is to yearn for wholeness. Health does have to consider a overlap of many themes/subjects that shows a consideration and inclusion of all citizens. 'Health' comes from the consideration of respectful feelings/attitude toward everyone. No exceptions. Which means to me, all of us can become potentially, and ongoing, moving forward, not regressing, Healthier.
The notion of a healthy individual or a larger national body-politic is derived from the meaning-substance...ingredients being mixed, NOT horded. And HEALTH comes from a 'family-of-words'...with a family-Root...: Hale, Hallow, Holy. I'm saying thanks.
It's NOT a praise that's undeserved, and sometimes a person holds-back a lavished praise because most of the time a compliment goes to fill our 'haughty' head. Next, we forget to tie our boot lace and we/I stumble down the stairs?
My original thought was elsewhere when I began. I was just glad for yesterday, and then a cleansing night rain. It's a nice ritual to go on the porch after waking, and (no-yes) drink a glass of fresh water that absorbed the night-time air and moon-rays of light. It's a simple ritual. Fill a glass of bubbly water and sit it on the covered porch table. Then, first thing in the morn, drink it slowly down...
Then, after the thirst-quench is complete, (yes) sit all chubby-like at the keyboard in response to cleansing thought-nourishment and enjoy 'thought' from the many diverse others.
We gain weight here? Maybe (inter-are-'if') I'll come back, maybe not. I need to jog 'round the woodshed.
It's nice to have nothing to say, too.