I am an unusual person inasmuch as I took notes during the State of the Union address. Now, before I go on, I dont have a lot to say about the President's foreign policies as of late. There is a lot of information to digest and Im afraid I'll have to ponder what he had to say about that for a little while.

However, as for the President's approach to domestic policy, I have a few bones to pick with Dubbya.

1) The promise for "permanent" income tax reductions. This is a bald faced lie. Even if a reduction is made in the income taxes of all Americans, they will inevitably rise again sometime in the future (i.e. when the next Democratic President comes along). Hardly permanent.

2) The cessation of dividend taxation. Who really benefits from this? Answer: The wealthy. Since most of us arent lucky enough to enjoy this new taxation policy, its rather meaningless in a nation "ruled by the majority."

3) The President gave praise to medical scientists for their contributions to the "pace of medical discovery" to treat illnesses. This coming from the same President who refuses to support stem-cell research for the purposes of medical advancement.

4) About ten minutes of the State of the Union was devoted toward insuring his re-election. During this ten minutes he essentially stole a potential Democratic platform by pirating such Democratic issues as Environmentalism and Health Care Reform. Oh, and while Im speaking about Environmentalism, what was with that hair-brained proposal for Hydrogen-fueld vehicles? Last I checked both Dubbya and Cheney were waist-deep in oil revenues.

5) "Children going through prison gates just to give a hug to thier mom or dad." This quote really got me. How many, I ask, of these parents are victims of the war on drugs, which has produced spectacularly corrupt situations in Dubbya's homestate, Texas?

6) $600 million dollars spread over three years to give aid to 300 thousand drug addicts. A little math shows this equals $66 per person per year--yeah, like that'll really help.

7) Security in Israel and a democratic Palestine. (I said I was going to ignore foreign policy, but I just can't here.) Why the hell would he address a nation of people he has turned his back on (the Palestinians) since the day he got into office?

8) Only 50,000 African AIDS patients receive treatment partially because of Dubbya's renegging on promised aid back in 2001.....so everything Dubbya had to say about AIDS in Africa is pretty much bald hypocrisy.

9) Dubbya TOTALLY glossed over AIDS prevention (because his preferred method of AIDS prevention is scientifically shown to be absolutely ineffective) and moved on to AIDS treatment.......considering Dubbya's record with compassion for AIDS patients, are we REALLY to believe what he has to say about these things?

10) Last but not least, the totally ill-conceived and unworkable designs for an anti-ballistic missile sheild over the US. No country save Russia and China can deliver a warhead to the US via ballistic missile. Neither Russia nor China would EVER consider committing such a blunder when so much is at stake. Put simply, its not to their advantage. By far and large the MOST likely way the US will be attacked with any WMD is through a suitcase slipped past the border and detonated in a large metropolitan area. Why not take the funds committed toward a far-fetched missile shield and apply them instead to border security? Every little bit helps and more border security will only make us all safer.

Oh yeah, no mention of Bin Laden.....why not?

Thats it for now. Remember, if you know nothing else, know this: Dubbya is an idiot.

Thanks for reading.

Having recently checked the "most read stories" feature of my weblog, I found that 35 people have read the "Paul Is Dead" story, and a smaller but still signifigant amount of others have read others, the most popular of which seems to be "Paula Zahn Is A Liar." I had no idea when I started this weblog that it would actually be read by people and others would go so far as to place their comments regarding the things I have to say. Truly this has come as a shock.

To all of you I give thanks. I appreciate your interest in the sometime arcane ramblings that I partake in from time to time. I find it encouraging that some of this stuff actually moves some people enough to give me their thoughts on whatever matter.

Saturday, January 4th, I am leaving to New Orleans to board the Carnival Conquest; a brand new cruise ship that is the largest Carnival has every created. I will be spending the following 9 days in the Caribbean. I am literally in tears with anticipation. Wish me luck and the best to all of you!

So many Republicans just have no idea of how stupid they make themselves sound. Even when they are doing their damnedest to spin some pro-minority PR web post-Trent Lott's debacle, they still can't seem to get it right. Here is an example:

On ABC's "This Week" GOP Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah (we ALL know how friendly Utah is to minorities. A recent poll suggested that homosexuals consider Utah "most desirable place to live."--that was sarcasm by the way) said the following in reference to the anti-minority stigma of the GOP:

"I think every Republican is working hard to try and be good to minorities..."

"be good to minorities?" Now, I ask, what sort of language is that? Something in those words smacks of condescention and almightly benevolence, no? Oh, and here's the thing I think is the real kicker: Both an CBS's "Face The Nation" and ABC's "This Week" a parade of white Republicans stammered and stumbled to reduce or reverse the amount of damage done by Trent Lott.

Now folks, if it were a Democrat handling this (and by the way, no Democrat would have fallen victim to such a blunderous slip of the tongue as Senator Lott) you bet your asses that the weekend would be full of not only white but black, hispanic, asian, and whatever other minority belonging to the Democratic branch of Congress spinsters out there doing a far better job of undoing the hypothetical damage.

Now, as for Trent Lott, the official Ass Of The Year (the coveted prize is the second place to Dumbass Of The Year, currently held by President George Dubbya), he still can't help contradicting himself even after his forced resignation. Here is an example from the AP, in an article written by Shelia Hardwell Byrd:

"There are people in Washington who have been trying to nail me for a long time...When you are from Mississippi and you're conservative and Christian, there are a lot of people who don't like that."

Ok, I can see how there have been a lot of people trying to nail Trent in Washington for a long time. I mean, its a cut-throat city and the slightest mistake can spell political suicide for anyone. So, go ahead and play a victim Trent, but don't follow up with statements like these:

"I don't feel like I'm a victim...I have to assume the responsibility...I'm a big boy."

Well Trent, are you the victim or aren't you?

You see, the sad truth about the Republican Party is that they are not for minorities, they are not for Middle America, they are not for Farmers, Organized Labor, American Middle Class Affluence, Socioeconomic Upward Mobility, Women's Rights, and Multi-Nationalism.

Take the UNFPA (United Nations Family Planning Association). Dubbya promised aid to the agency that specializes in containing and treating AIDS in second-tier nations, educating the uneducated populous of those nations, and providing the women of those countries with means to acquire birth control and--yes--abortions. Dubbya reneged on his promise once elected and $35 million promised the UNFPA before election time was denied.

As a result, 2 million unwanted pregnancies, 800,000 abortions, and 4,700 maternal deaths have occured world-wide. Not only that, the domestic policies of many of these nations deny women any degree of sexual education and demand total subservience to the will of men. The UNFPA was working hard to subvert this sort of injustice that results in the genitals of 13--14 year old girls being mutilated or sewn shut.

As remarked by Ellen Goodman of the Boston Globe: "Despite all the hoopla about liberating Afgan women, the White House has never acknowledged that women's freedom includes the right to decide when and how to have children."

Republicans quietly slipped a provision in the PATRIOT Act allowing tax shelters for offshore American Industries. Since the passage of the Act, America's largest industrial firms have bought mailboxes in Bermuda, thereby establishing a legal tax respite for themselves. Who do you think is going to make up for what these industries no longer pay in taxes? Perhaps those the Wall Street Journal calls "lucky duckies?" AKA: Those eeking by on less that $12,000 a year. Naw, it will be you and I, Mr and Mrs Middle Class Middle American.

Republicans love you. Why? Because they love the fact that they can pass tax shelter provisions into bills under the guise of "patriotism" without a clamour from MR. and MRS Joe Blow out there. They love you for your ignorance. Republicans HATE the informed. So, the next time you run across a die-hard Republican, you can feel confident in the knowledge that that individual is an uninformed, ignorant cad. Take pity on the person, laugh and smile and nod, then move on and do your part to get as many people like THAT out of the government.