Bush Urges Nation To Be Quiet For A Minute While He Tries To Think

WASHINGTON, DC—In a nationally televised address Monday, President Bush urged all citizens, regardless of race, creed, color, or political affiliation, "to quiet down for just one minute" so he could have "a chance to think."

"Every American has an inalienable right to free speech and self-expression," Bush said. "Nonetheless, I call upon the American people to hold off on it for, say, 60 seconds. Just long enough for me to get this all sorted out in my head."

"Please," Bush added.

While the president said achieving a unilateral peace and quiet "would not be easy," he hoped that citizens would respect his wish and work toward a temporary cease-talk so that he could can hear his own thoughts "for once."

"Make no mistake: It will take patience and sacrifice," Bush said. "But such drastic measures could lead to a better tomorrow for all of us, especially for your commander in chief."

Bush then closed his speech by exhaling sharply, tightly closing his eyes, and massaging his temples. "I just—Christ, I just need a goddamn minute, you know?" he said.

The presidential call for national silence came as little surprise following weeks of rumors from White House sources that Bush appeared increasingly distracted and wearied by the ever-pervasive noise. Excerpts from an unedited videotaped meeting made public last Thursday revealed a frustrated Bush rhetorically asking Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan how "the leader of the free world was supposed to get any work done around here with all this volume."

Assuring the public it "can make as much noise as [it] wants" as soon as the Bush-proposed national minute of silence concludes, Chief Of Staff Josh Bolten said that the White House was making "every effort" to accommodate Bush's wishes.

"Currently, the president's calls are being bounced back to the West Wing call center, and all televisions and radios on White House property have been switched off," said Bolten, who added that staffers moved Bush family dog Barney from the Oval Office after Bush called the Scottish terrier's heavy panting "intolerable."

Several world leaders, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chinese President Hu Jintao, reacted to Bush's speech by openly wondering if Bush's request pertained to them.

"I think he meant everyone, allies or not," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said. "So, please, whether you are the prime minister of India or the German chancellor, try to tone it down. Also, if you are an Iraqi insurgent, a leader of Hezbollah, a member of al-Qaeda, or a general enemy of the U.S., hush."

Bush's plea was backed by leading Republicans, who urged their constituents to comply with the president's request to "be quiet for seriously, like, two seconds."

"In these trying times for our president, we must show respect for his office, even if it means turning our car radios down, shushing our children, and turning off all fans," Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) said. "Heck, the man just needs one measly minute."

Capitol Hill Democrats, however, have criticized Bush's call for silence, with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) calling it "yet another example of Bush's inability to connect with everyday Americans, many of whom rarely, if ever, receive a moment to themselves."

"Where's their moment to think?" Pelosi said.

While Bush deemed the attempts at quiet "helpful and encouraging," he called for "literally one more second" of complete silence, saying he was "very close to getting it together and almost had it" before being interrupted by the sound of a car alarm moments ago.

Am I angry too? HELL YES!!!!

I read this and agreed with a great deal of it. The parts I omitted, well, she has a right to her opinion. Here are the parts of her letter that I think rocked.

I Am Angry
by Susan Fassanella

I am a 51-year-old woman. I have been married to the same man since 1976. I am the secretary/office manager for a small legal firm in the D.C. suburbs. My husband manages a wine and spirits store. I have two sons, aged 26 and 22. After realizing it wasn’t possible to support themselves and the government at the same time, both returned to the nuclear nest. Along with most people in my economic situation, I believe I am living what is supposed to be the American dream. I know why I am an angry American. I am frightened because America isn’t the same country it was when I was my children’s age. Allow me to share with you some of the reasons why I am an angry American.

I am angry because my government has been taken over by liars, thieves, thugs, deviants, and micromanagers. The propaganda it produces rivals that of the most fascist dictatorship.

I am angry that my government perceives my intelligence to be that of a jar of pickles incapable of making the smallest decision.

I am angry that my government takes it upon itself to shove its clucking nose into my pantry, medicine chest, bedroom, family room, doctor’s office, workplace, and everywhere else it thinks I need guidance to keep me safe from myself.

I am angry that the will of the American people is ignored on every issue imaginable. If voting really mattered, it would have been outlawed long ago.

I am angry that I am called a conspiracy theorist because I dare to think on my own and question authority and its lies.

I am angry that the more I read about 9-11 the more it looks like an inside job that was allowed to happen, enabling the Patriot Act to be conveniently enacted into law with the ensuing "war on terrah" following closely on its heels.

I am angry that the evil puppets in power think laws are created for the peon masses and it is their right to ignore the ones that get in the way of their agenda.

I am angry that the media has sold its soul to the evil forces running the world.

I am angry that my "leaders" have taken to calling my country the "homeland." It reeks of socialism.

I am angry that my government has invaded yet another sovereign nation and caused untold death and destruction based on a flimsy lie. I am expected to believe that weapons of mass destruction threatened my freedom and then I am told several years and billions of squandered dollars later that a massive intelligence network got the wrong information. A select group of businesses profit enormously from war. When Bush announced his intention to save Iraq from itself and that its oil would pay for the overthrow of Hussein, I laughed so hard I nearly choked. I remember the instability in the Middle East during the 1970s and the gas "shortages" that followed. I knew which direction gas prices would go. How stupid does Mr. Bush and his cronies think I am?

I am angry that the world stands silently by while my government bombs foreign lands with weapons containing depleted uranium and the news magazines wonder on their front covers why lung cancer has increased six-fold in the last year.

I am angry that Americans accept as gospel the propaganda that is routinely cranked out of the Washington lie machine. The lies become more transparent and brazen with each passing year, yet the only thing that seems to matter in living rooms across America is who will be the next American Idol.

I am angry that my life doesn’t belong to me anymore.

I am angry that I am required to obtain permission, fill out mandated paperwork in quadruplicate, and obtain the correct license or permit for just about everything imaginable. The tentacles of government are strangling my freedom, choice, and privacy at an alarming rate. The wrath of the machine is a constant threat should I dare do anything without leaving a neon paper trail and of course ignorance of the law is never an excuse.

I am angry that property rights are a thing of the past thanks to court-approved eminent domain theft.

I am angry that the Constitution is routinely declared irrelevant making it easier for a fascist police state and new world order to take over.

I am angry that legislation is in the works that will require me to carry "papers" to "prove" who I am. Another coming law I will ignore.

I am angry that my right to own and carry a firearm is drastically regulated and restricted.

I am angry every time I see a young person detained on the side of the road while cops paw through their possessions looking for anything that could enable them to be arrested and dragged through the criminal justice system. This has become so commonplace it is now the accepted norm.

I am angry when I read stories of Americans terrorized in airports and treated like common criminals by government minions after they have paid for the right to travel within a private system, yet pilots are blocked from carrying firearms.

I am angry that America has become a nation of busybodies. We are constantly bombarded with messages to be on the lookout for terrorists around every corner, report "suspicious activity," and rat on our neighbor whenever the opportunity presents itself. Is this not how the Nazis gained control of Germany and then most of Europe?

I am angry that the government requires me to sign a form every time I purchase a prescription. Whose business is it that I choose to take a thyroid medication, an antibiotic, a painkiller, an appetite suppressant, or any other substance? Am I dying of cancer? Am I facing debilitating chronic pain? Do I simply want to get HIGH? Heaven forbid someone out there might get their hands on something that might make them FEEL GOOD! No substance should be illegal or unobtainable. If a person wishes to self-medicate, that is their right. The government should not be in the business of criminalizing personal choices of any kind as long as those choices don’t infringe on another’s rights.

I am angry when I am told I am a bigot when I thumb my nose at political correctness.

I am angry when I wonder whether an expressed belief or opinion could land me in litigation if someone doesn’t like what I said and wants to silence my voice.

I am weary of being made to feel guilty for being an American.

And finally, I am angry that after working my entire adult life, I don’t see retirement in my life’s picture. My husband and I earn over a hundred thousand dollars a year, but by the time we pay federal taxes, state taxes, social security taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes, energy taxes, telecommunication taxes, savings taxes, fees, permits, etc., there isn’t much left. But please don’t think that I mind supporting every deadbeat and down-and-outer with his hand out for a piece of my pie that I worked so hard for. I love supporting the world. After all, it’s the American way, isn’t it?

July 5, 2006

Susan Fassanella was born in Washington, D.C. and resides in Frederick County, Maryland with her husband and two sons.

Anyone else want to hide from the boogeyman under the blankets?

I'm really sick of politics, world events, and war but found these articles and had to post them. I'm not going on record with an opinion about any of them--just thought I'd share them with you folk, see what you think.

IS ISRAEL BLACKMAILING AMERICA?
Israel, purportedly our friend, has been spying on us all. And we're not talking about individual spooks like Jonathan Pollard, or small-time networks such as the 140 Israelis arrested by the FBI prior to 9/11, or the 60 arrested since (including 5 arrested who were cheering and celebrating as the World Trade Towers collapsed).

It turns out that Israel has had a potential wiretap on every phone in America for years, along with the ability to monitor and record who any person is calling, anywhere in America; information of great value even if one does not listen to the calls themselves. Amdocs, Inc. the company which sub contracts billing and directory services for phone companies around the world, including 90 percent of American phone companies, is owned by Israeli interests. Yet another company, Comverse Infosys, is suspected of having built a "back door" into the equipment permanently installed into the phone system that allows instant eavesdropping by law enforcement agencies on any phone in America. This includes yours.

Bush to anti-war widow: "There was no point in us having a philosophical discussion about the pros and cons of the war"
One anti-war widow said she used the opportunity to voice her objections to Bush's policies.

"I said it's time to stop the bleeding," said Hildi Halley, whose husband, Army National Guard Capt. Patrick Damon, died June 15 in Afghanistan. "It's time to swallow our pride and find a solution."

She said Bush responding by saying "there was no point in us having a philosophical discussion about the pros and cons of the war."

Israel's 'Moral High Ground'
It keeps getting lower…
Thomas Ricks, reporter, Washington Post: "I think it will be. But I think civilian casualties are also part of the battlefield play for both sides here. One of the things that is going on, according to some U.S. military analysts, is that Israel purposely has left pockets of Hezbollah rockets in Lebanon, because as long as they're being rocketed, they can continue to have a sort of moral equivalency in their operations in Lebanon."

Kurtz: "Hold on, you're suggesting that Israel has deliberately allowed Hezbollah to retain some of its fire power, essentially for PR purposes, because having Israeli civilians killed helps them in the public relations war here?"

Ricks: "Yes, that's what military analysts have told me."

Matthews: Neocons ‘May Be Right’ When They Say Bush ‘Has To Hit’ Iran
Today on MSNBC, Chris Matthews hosted a segment entitled “Is Iran Next?” Matthews said that Bill Kristol and other neoconservatives “may be right” when they argue that Bush “has to hit” Iran militarily. Watch it:

Russia and Central Asian Allies Conduct War Games in Response to US Threats
Barely acknowledged by the Western media, military exercises organized by Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan under the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, (CSTO) were launched on the 24th of August. These war games, officially tagged as part of a counter terrorism program, are in direct response to US military threats in the region including the planned attacks against Iran.

Thanks to What really happened for the links.

Psst...Anonymous commentor

I've given my replies to your ignorant and blanket statements. Again, don't come here, to my blog or to my beautiful country. If you do return to my blog have a bit of courage and leave a name or a link.

Updated:
You've really pissed me off, Mr. or Ms. Anonymous. In general I try to be an open minded and patient person but lately I just haven't been in the mood. Here's my little love letter to you.

Dear Too Ashamed or Cowardly to Even Use an Alias:
Where do you get off accusing America of being evil, of being the cause of all the world's problems? What fucking utopian country do you hail from? Let me give you a quick rundown of a few of the world's other "problem causers" asshole.

Russia, China, North Korea, South Korea, India, Indonesia, France, Germany, Ireland, Jordan, Syria, Saudia Arabia, Iraq, Mexico, Bolivia, Israel, Spain, Uganda, the Congo, the Sudan, Nigeria, Iran...the Jews, the Christians, the Muslims, the Hindis, the Scientologists...the list could continue until every country and people in the world is named. Can you honestly give me one country or ethinic group that hasn't contributed some bullshit to the world? If you can then you are a liar. No one is without fault for the state of the world and that includes YOU. What have you done to improve it? Anonymously post your own bigoted and ignorant opinions all over cyberspace? Gee...how helpful. How lucky we are to have your insight to guide us.

One more thing...either learn to use spellcheck or learn how to spell.

Last night I watched a "60 Minutes" interview with the president of Iran. It was very enlightening. Ahmadinejad is quite a curious character. He comes across as intelligent and seems to want to appear rational and reasonable. He reminds me of a wolf. His answers were evasive, cunning--he never allowed himself to get caught in a verbal corner and he never really answered a single question. It was obvious that underneath his pleasant demeanor and smiles lie something very different. At one point he was giving advice to GW, telling him to "love the people" (of other countries and presumably his own). Now I've never been shy about my opinions of GW Bush. I don't like him or his politics. However I nearly laughed when I heard Ahmadinejad saying this. This coming from a man whose country cruelly punishes and executes their people. Public hangings, stonings, whippings....it's like something out of the middle ages. Adultery is a crime punishable by death as is homosexuality. From what I've read men are the ones most often executed for homosexual acts and women are killed most often for adultery. Un-f*ckingbelievable. Perhaps President Ahmadinejad should take his own advice, yes?

An open letter to my friends in the Middle East

Dear Friends,

I have been very troubled by current events in your region. In my thirty-one years on this planet I can never remember a time when your part of the globe saw true peace. There is no peace in the Middle East, only lulls in between the wars. Now the flames are burning bright again and showing no signs of dying down. I'm afraid that it will only get worse. Over the past year I feel I've gotten to know you. I know you are no more responsible for what is happening that I am for what GW does. You are rational, sane, compassionate people. You do not deserve to live in the shadow of war. You should be able to go to your job safely, raise your children, and live a normal life.

It is my opinion that it's time to realize the extremists on every side will not let go. They will not quit until every bullet is fired, every bomb detonated, every "enemy" is dead. And they don't care if they kill you in the process. You are disposable. Your life has no meaning and no value to them. Perhaps it is time to think about leaving. South America, the US, Canada, or Europe are compartively quiet places. Just a thought.

I know you may say you cannot leave your homeland or your family. Adopt another homeland and bring your family with you. My home has a spare bedroom. I will do anything I can to help you out. If you seriously want to come, contact me. We'll find a way to get you here. Maybe someday your homeland will be peaceful and you can return if you like. But please consider my suggestion and my offer in the meantime.

Every day you are in my thoughts and I wish nothing but good things for you.

With deepest sincerity,
Jane

My Time

Yeah the rain came
I said hey buddy,
Buddy the streets are a snake skin
I belong
Out there walkin'
Nobody's stoppin' to bother me
They hide
Outside, the ceilings
Cryin -
Listen to the sound
Of the gutters runnin'
Wash this dirty town
All fronts and no backs
Give me my time
Let me be
Outside
Under the ceiling
Cryin'
Yeah, all over me
Cryin'
Yeah, all over me

Outside you know
I listen to the sounds
Of the gutters runnin'
Wash this dirty town
All fronts and no backs
Give me my time
Let me be
Outside
Under the ceilings
Cryin'
Yeah, all over me
Cryin'
Yeah, all over me

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1%

All the people I know
They wanna' be left alone
Some people
I don't know?
They won't leave you alone
I guess you gotta'
Be just - be just like them
You see the biggest gang I know
They call the government
And a gang is a weapon
That you trade your mind in for
You gotta' be just - be just like them

The gang
And the government
Are no different
The gang
And the government
Are no different
The gang
And the government
Are no different
That makes me
1%
That makes me
1%

Trouble comes down
Like a foot steppin heavy
Shake your fist at the bitch
Or wave your money
You gotta be right
You gotta be right
Don't be no
Supper for a big fish
With the big lip
And the over - bite - bite
You gotta bite
bite - bite - bite - da bita
bite - bite - ba da da bita
bite - bite - bite - bite
bite - bite - bite - bite

All the people I know
They wanna' be left alone
Some people
I don't know?
They won't leave you alone
I guess you gotta'
Be just - be just like them

The gang
And the government
Are no different
The gang
And the government
Are no different
The gang
And the government
Are no different
That makes me
1%
That makes me
1%

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Dumb blonde joke

Seeing as though I am a blonde myself, I feel it is ok to share this joke with you. Here, have a good laugh the expense of myself and dumb blondes everywhere.

Tom, a handsome dude, walked into a sports bar around 9:58 PM. He sat down next to a blonde at the bar and stared up at the TV. The 10:00 PM news was coming on. The news crew was covering a story of a man on a ledge of a large building preparing to jump. The blonde looked at Tom and said, "Do you think he'll jump?" Tom says, "You know, I bet he'll jump." The blonde replied, "Well, I bet he won't." Tom placed a $20 bill on the bar and said, "You're on!" Just as the blonde placed her money on the bar, the guy on the ledge did a swan dive off the building, falling to his death. The blonde was very upset, but willingly handed her $20 to Tom, saying, "Fair's fair. Here's your money." Tom replied, "I can't take your money, I saw this earlier on the 5 PM news and so I knew he would jump." The blond replied, "I did too but I didn't think he'd do it again."
Tom took the money.