Chew Toy

Imagine laboring all day on something that you feel passionate about, only to have its supposed value fall on deaf ears or blind eyes.
Let's say you make Christmas fruitcakes. Your recipe has been handed down from generation to generation. You spend days planning, shopping, baking and wrapping dozens of your prized fruitcakes and give them freely to everyone you know.
Then, when visiting a friend at Easter, you notice one of your fruitcakes being used as a doorstop.
Or that TPS report you worked on for two weeks is tossed immediately to the recycle bin; unread.
Or that nice sweater you bought for your sister has been turned into a chew toy for the dog.
You can probably understand why these musicians are offended.
Turns out their "music" is perfect for "torturing" terrorists. The musicians are up in arms about it, but I'm not sure why.

1. Are they upset that somebody holds their music in such poor regard that listening to it is considered torture?
2. Are they upset that the terrorists are being forced to listen to their music as opposed to that of another, perhaps more talented, musician?
3. Are they upset because they might not be receiving air play royalties?
4. Are they upset that the terrorists are being made to listen to music as a form of torture, period, as opposed to having being ripped limb from limb or being buried in the Sahara up to their neck with honey poured over their head?
5. Are they embarrassed that their music is of an inferior quality and they wanted to put up a better showing for the terrorists?

The musicians are 'saying' that #4 is true - that they think each terrorist should be given a six figure salary, a beautiful wife and a house in the foothills. But I'd bet a wooden nickel that the real reason is more like #1 - their feelings are hurt that their music is being used to punish people.
Why not view this as an opportunity? I mean, an entirely new demographic is being exposed to their life's work. If they believe their music is good, why wouldn't they think the terrorist will enjoy it and one day, when Obama sets them free, purchase the album for themselves and their entire clan?
I, for one, think the whole situation is hilarious.

From the military's perspective, I get it. Personally, I could probably handle Pearl Jam for a while, at least until my eardrums exploded. But R.E.M.? Not a chance. Give me the waterboarding, please.


If you liked this entry, please 'Digg' it.


Want to chime in? Leave a comment to further the discussion.

No Good Deed

As a big 'thank you' to everyone charged with protecting America throughout these many years since 9/11, the Great Accommodator and People's Champion President Obama has put the world on notice - the United States of America will use every available means to prosecute you for anything you may have done during the reign of the prior administration. All in a completely nonpartisan manner, of course.

Said one extremely bright and non-juvenile senator, Patrick Leahy of Vermont: "An examination into these Bush-Cheney era national security policies must be nonpartisan. Unfortunately, Republicans have shown no interest in a nonpartisan review."

I'm not arguing. You're the one that's arguing.

Many believe that this position from the President weakens America and inhibits the effectiveness of interrogation strategies. 

In fact, one of Obama's own people, the top U.S. intelligence official, has acknowledged the importance and effectiveness of the now banned interrogation techniques. Of course, that's not the message being communicated to the public. 

If interrogating terrorists becomes outlawed, then only outlaws will help protect America by interrogating terrorists. That, or they'll choose another career path - one in which their boss won't feed them to the wolves.

-----

Speaking of terrorism - Did you hear about the White House's Air Force One photo op amid the skyscrapers of New York City? Aww, that'd make for some sweet pictures, right? I mean, Air Force One [technically it is only called 'Air Force One' if the president is aboard, which he wasn't] escorted through Manhattan by two fighter jets? Awesome! Should we each expect an autographed print of that photo, considering we all financed it?

Oh yeah - it also scared the bejeezus out of New Yorkers who thought the city was being attacked again. It's okay though - some guy name Louis accepted full responsibility. He who must not must not be laughed at is, of course, entirely blameless in the matter. The buck stops somewhere before it reaches him.

A Mile In Bush's Shoes

One of the translations of Confucius' oft-repeated 'Confucius say' - "I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand" - is: "You can't understand until you walk a mile in someone else's shoes." (Did that sentence make sense?)

President Obama now finds himself in the awkward position of asking Congress for billions in new military spending to fund the ongoing war effort. 

You'll recall that during his campaign Obama was quite vocal about his opposition to fighting terrorists in Iraq and vowed to withdraw troops almost immediately upon taking office.

Now, many from his own base are turning on Obama, calling him such things as "Bush 2.0", "more of the same", and other such criticisms.

I would assume, however, that the reason is much more simple: Obama must now deal with reality as opposed to the hypothetical. Real-life consequences of his decisions and actions are something Obama is facing for the first time in a capacity even remotely as critical as POTUS.

And while Obama is still shooting from his hip on most topics, I for one am encouraged that he appears to be taking this particular issue seriously.

From the Desk of Captain Obvious - Volume One

• "'No earmarks' isn't a game-ender," said Peter Buffa, former mayor of Costa Mesa, Calif. "It just means there's a different way of going about making sure the funding is there."
  
• The urgency of the economic crisis dictates that there is not time to search for a Treasury Secretary candidate that is not also a tax cheat. "The fact that we're in a global economic crisis is not a reason to overlook these errors." (Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo)
• Are all of our nation's problems now solved, that our elected officials can waste time and taxes on revenge strategies? US attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President. If the President didn't wish them to serve any longer, that is his prerogative. If the new President would like to reinstate those attorneys, so be it. Just do it already and quit crying about it.
• Without so much as a "thank you for allowing me to live even though I want to destroy your country and your people," it seems ex-detainees are returning to their old ways once released from prison. Perhaps we should let them all out and cross our fingers that they will one day have a change of heart.
• Many suspected; now official records prove it. President Obama's inauguration was declared an emergency, requiring disaster relief funding.