CITY PRIORITIES

Last week, a member of the board which oversees the Spokane region's air quality introduced the notion of requesting cities to do what they could to combat global warming, thus introducing the problem of global warming in a somewhat official way to the City of Spokane. The City Council has seen presentations on this issue, but as usual they have ignored them. So let me take this opportunity to list some other ignored issues which are also vital to our survival as a free and safe democracy.

First, we need a ombudsman. This is essential so that the average citizen will feel connected, as a participant, to his government.

Next, we need to redesign the current neighborhood council system in a major way. This move relates to the ombudsman proposal in that the current neighborhood council system is too elitist, though it was never intended to be other than that. We need much less authoritarinism in Spokane, and a democratic neighborhood system as an actual part of the city's governance system would help.

In fact, the whole city government structure needs a major overhaul, carried out in the total daylight of public participation. For example, what sense does it make to call a third of Spokane a district? The differences between the members of one of these "districts" are much greater than any similarities. So the alleged attempt at better representaiion is foolish on the face of it.

Then we need a citizen police and fire departments review committe, picked from other than the crony pool; this is to counteract the PR blitzes we've been subject to for years.

We also need a living wage law and several other changes, but I'll let it go for now.

CHENEY UNCHAINED

Dick Cheney shoots friend while hunting quail. What a metaphor!!!! Hunting quail? Little tiny cute birds? Was he doing his part to combat bird flu, or just playing the rich man's game of brave hunter? What A moron! And of course he says it was not his fault. It never is, as when he breaks the law or launches an ill-conceived imperial adventure. But here he is clearly the no-conscience buffoon with no place to hide. Dick, it's you, you, you.

BUSH AS A CRIMINAL, ETC.

Bush is defending himself as though the charge is that he is a sort of sneak thief. He points out how he has briefed Congress on his wiretapping and so forth and wants us to buy this as evidence he is innocent. No! He is a different and worse kind of criminal. He is a political criminal, a usurper of our rights, and a claimant to judge for himself what the law is and to say to hell with the courts. If he is so innocent let us hear his case before the Senate in a public impeachment trial.

Hey, end of year movies his year have been bad. King Kong and New World are boring. I haven't seen a real good movie since Capote. Backing up, KK might is worth and econ hour ticket just to watch Jack Black. Tristan and Isolde is not too bad but not great.

ASSASSINATION AS A WAR TACTIC

The Bush gang strategy of lopping off the enemy's head in hope the snake will die is quite foolish. And dangerous for us all. This tactic makes Bush himself and any innocents who may be at his side targets. I would not be in the least surprised to pick up the paper(or turn on the computer) and find Bush has been blown to hell. I just hope he takes none of my loved ones with him.

Who could ever have dreamed we would be led by such an arrogant pack of liars, torturers, and general law breakers. What a slap in the face to the good people who voted for them. Of course, the not-so-good people who voted for them should be condemned in the same terms as they.

"YOUNG MAN"

You can be sure of this. If you are addressed by anyone as, "young man," you are either too young to be a man or too old to be young.

Bush Being Bounced?

It looks to me like the idealogues of the right are bouncing Bush. Presidents are expendable; it 's the idea that must live. The president, you should notice, has been given a new persona, sort of like the honest fool. He is now taking personal responsiblity for all the booboos on the war and elsewhere. The underlying ideas are right but his honest mistakes have screwed up the execution. After his term, who needs him, he may be a liabilty - or so his handlers think. The one negative they especially want to dispel, though, is his image as a liar. Thus all the recent candor, even if it's at his expense. Of course, the fact that Bush is going along with this says a ton.

TODAY'S SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Now that Evo Morales has won big in the Bolivian elections Bush has a third South American country on his enemies list, along with Brazil and Venezuela. Don't be surprised if another American-backed coup pops up. Remember we are already fighting a war in Columbia.

Speaking of elections, check out the news on the contesting of the Iraq election results.

I see the streamrolling of an tax increment financing district is taking place in the valley. This dubious notion also is being pushed hard in the city by Al French. I can go along with some of these public-private partnerships, when the public good aspects can be clearly demonstrated. But in the case of TIF I'm afraid it is a case of the complex technicalities making it a bit of a shell game, with the developer walking off with the loot and the citizen scratching his head.

Letters: Dave Hamer's letter is a great example of using non-facts to bolster a discredited theory (American Exceptionalism).

TODAY'S SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Judge Jones did us all a big favor with his ID ruling. And by the way, the letters section should stop publishing letters on this subject. If it is a serious issue, it should be thrashed out it in peer reviewed journals. What will we see next, letters from businness majors trying to apply string theory to time travel? The S-R's published letters supporting ID are 90 % ignorance and 10% craziness.

More good news: Four Republicans are helping to straighten out the Patriot Act and driving Bush nuts. Of course, the present act has nothing to do with patriotism, sharing this trait with bills named by Bush and (Dr. Strangelove) Cheney

Letters: Curt Craig has his analogy askew. Bush is not giving tax cuts because he thinks his service has been poor. And the answer to the pizza refund is that all families should share in the twenty bucks except the rich family. Yes, I am proud to be a libertarian socialist in the mode of Noam Chomsky, Peter Kropotkin, Albert Parsons, and many other worthies. Judith Jones should research the defintion of race and genetics more carefully. I believe that race is now considered by the academic community to be a passe concept.

SMOKING BAN AND MY ANARCHISM

Some might think it peculiar that I support Spokane's smoking ban AND consider myself a brand of anarchist. Those who think that make the common mistake of believing an anarchist should behave as though he or she is already living in the anarchist society we so wish for. No. We live in a capitalist society - not a good thing! - and must defend ourselves accordingly. In my opinion, in an anarchist society there would not be addicts so inconsiderate as to smoke in public places. For more on anarchism check out infoshop.org.

BRIEF COMMENTS ON RECENT NEWS

It was a sad thing that Tookie Williams was executed. It is bad enough that capital punishment is still with us, but in his case it is likely an American state has continued in its long tradition of slaying men and women who are innocent in spite of what a jury might have concluded. It's noteworthy that Sean Hannity justified his call for execution by pointing out he was not judging the man's "soul" and was willing to grant that Tookie's "soul" might be saved, but the eye for an eye rule must be followed; and since the man may be going to heaven, what's all the fuss about? Isn't this thinking akin to that of suicide bombers and another example of religous fanaticism?

The voters have endorsed the Review's assault on Jim West and Spokane is about to have a new mayor, Dennis Hession. I see a coming renewal of the all-out council warfare, as splits in the council are becoming more apparent. The strong mayor system is not workable for Spokane for a number of reasons. And one of them is that at least some council members will always have their eye on the job, and in such a small council this will be disruptive. Another reason, applying to the current system only, is that the charter was devised by a tiny minority and not thought out over time as it should have been. A final note: it is ludicrous that the committee which worked on the recall should think they deserve any say in the transition policies of the new mayor. The fact they claim otherwise puts the lie to all their previously announced intentions.

Go see Syriana. It's very educational.

Eugene McCarthy died and he was one of my heroes. I was a delgate supporting him in 1968. I identified with his quixotic tendencies as regards principles. Mary Shelley also accused her husband of these same tendencies. But I don't think they're all bad.

More Movies

I found the John Cash movie a bit tiresome because his character is a tiresome, bullying, whining loser. Was he really like that in that period?. Probably. But it doesn't make for an entertaining movie. The film is somewhat redeemed by the potrayal of a saintly June Carter by Reese Witherspoon. Was she like that. Who cares. I sorely missed Cash's actual voice, as well as that of Lewis, Presley and Orbison. I can't recommend but if you're easy to please you'll like it.

The Ice Harvest is great. It is a noir sendup of film noir, mocking many classic scenes from that genre, and going with all the cross, doublecross stuff. The casting is excellent, especially for John Cusack, though Billy Bob Thornton is the funniest. Beware - it is a counter-Xmas movie. But if you're sensitive to that, you probably don't like film noir anyway.

I watched Dr. Strangelove on dvd last night. It's as fresh as ever and maybe even more important to watch now. I believe Dick Cheney may be scarier than HK.

SOME THOUGHTS

Mary Shelley has a character in The Last Man say, " . . . there is but one solution to the intricate riddle of life; to improve ourselves, and contribute to the happiness of others . . . . Note that this is about the reverse of how most behave.

It seems to me that quite often the left wing consider those on the right to be as a wicked stepmother and the right look upon the left as very spoiled brats. I am afraid these emotional takes too often substitute for rational discourse.

Earth Christmas

Note: I wrote this sonnet 20 or so years ago after reading a book by a language scholar who
made a case for Jesus Christ actually being an hallucinatory mushroom used as a
fertility symbol.

In Spring much follows the cold winter of retreat:
Yearnings begin and God rises from his tomb,
Soon again to brush the damp grasses with his summer heat,
And again plant faith where once was doom.
In Autumn a coupled Earth feels the Solstice nearing;
Her rythms pound in sweeping counts, and in time
She prepares for the coming celebration, not fearing
But embracing it, and joins on with the sublime.
A Christmas Eve of snow, in swaying fall,
Foretells the next day's customary bestowing;
A day on which She will share it all;
Tree up, cards sent, pies baked, juices flowing.
Then to death, in retreat again to wait
And cycle on from dawn to the holy date.

SAYINGS WRONGLY USED

Right along with the misuse of the word parameter and not realising that the proof of the pudding is in the eating and there is no proof in the pudding, I am dismayed with the recent use of the phrase, "begs the question." This is a specific term used in argumentation theory or logic. It is not to be used when you mean to say, " . . . brings to mind the question." Please look it up.

Capote and Friends

The new movie, "Capote," reminds one of the stories of Faust and of Prometheus (even Mary Shelley's version).

The film tells the tale of Truman Capote writing In Cold Blood and acting like a god as he brilliantly gives birth to a new literary genre. The crux of the movie is how Capote lies to and betrays one of his subjects and so in a sense sells his soul in exchange for a literary success. And also, he pursues his goal with such an obsession that like that other creator Frankenstein he is ultimately destroyed.

Harper Lee is portrayed enigmatically as his friend and conscience. And Capote insults both those aspects, oddly with no major reaction from Lee.

It is the best movie I've seen this year and I recommend it.

Neo-Con's Counterattack

The Bush/ Cheney counterattack on the Iraq issue was actually foreshadowed (given the go ahead?) a couple weeks ago by Bill Kristol during a TV interview. Kristol was complaining that the Administration was not pursuing with enough gusto what he considered as facts proving the connection of Saddam Hussein to bin Ladin and the existence of weapons of mass destruction.

So it seems Bush and his followers (or should it be Cheney and his followers) are now going to replay the whole history leading up to our Iraq attack, repeating the same mantras and the same lies they dished out then and hoping it works again; and of course, this will distract from the real facts on the ground.

New Movies

Finally saw a good movie, Derailed, on Friday. Walked out on Shop Girl on Sunday, though I might have missed something because Cori liked it and she usually knows what's good. As to Derailed, it was somewhat of a mixed genre. I think the story from the angle of Lucinda would have made it more noir and interesting. How did she get in that racket? Is it too late for a rewrite? Anyway, I loved the way the writers would telegraph the next step in principle but give the details a sharp twist.

Roe v. Wade

With new members on the way to the Supreme Court, much is being written about overturning Roe v. Wade. So here are a few facts about the original decision that are usually ignored. Use them as you will.

The Court ruled a woman does NOT have an absolute right to an abortion. She does have a right to an abortion as an extension of previous rights already granted by courts under the Constitution, but it is subject to some limitations. Before quoting the Court's samples of limitations, I'll give this quote from the decision: "The Constitution does not explicitly mention any right of privacy."

OK, here are the limitations: " . . . at some point the state interests as to protection of health, medical standards, and prenatal life become dominant."

In summary I would say the right-to-lifers would do well to spend their energies supporting Roe v. Wade rather than attacking it.

Final note. Roberts went to great length in the hearings to make clear his insistence that any decisions of the Court be based on a real case, not a hypothetical one. And this issue was one of those on which Rhenquist based his dissent in Roe. Beware!

PAST PRESIDENTS

Brace yourself. Public reverence for live past U.S. Presidents is inversely proportional to our disdain for them in office. So Bushy is set to have a cushy retirement as far as criticism goes.

Have you noticed we always elect the dumber of the two candidates, unless we can't tell who is the dumber, and then we go for the less experienced? Dave Barry argued with me on this point, claiming no one could have been dumber than Ford, but he forgot about the Billy Carter factor. And I don't think he actually heard Carter introduce Hubert Humphrey to a convention as Hubert Horatio Hornblower.

One more thing on U.S. Presidents: In our system it has been the most dictatorial presidents who have done the most good and the most bad. The fact points up a definite flaw.

RECENT MOVIES

I try to see a movie a week, usually on Friday. My two favorites this year are Crash and The March of the Penguins, though a few others could also be recommended.

The last two weeks I've been disappointed with North Country and Dreamer. There seems to be a bad trend here: Take a true story, "base" a story on it, sign up a few great actors, make a killer trailer, and promote like hell. It doesn't work for me. Each of these films suffers from its own flaws but they share the common flaw of not being believable in the details. And I don't feel like spending an hour on the internet searching out the true story, if there even is one true story.

North Country tries to tell way too many stories. Just as I am getting het up about her bad treatment at the mine I am asked to get het up about her relation with her father or her high school sexual history, and on and on. And I can't buy Dreamer until I actually see the Racing Form charts on the filly or mare, whichever she is supposed to be.

I say see these two movies only at the economy hour and if nothing better is being shown, or if you must get out of the rain and need a couple hours to yourself.