Happy Thanksgiving

I have a lot to be thankful, but right now I am most thankful for the monetary aid given to me by the St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation and my co-worker, Brenda Nagel, which has allowed me to pursue custody of my daughters. I don't go to court for a few weeks, yet, and the outcome is, of course, uncertain ("Judges are human" as my lawyer is wont to say) but the fact that I even have this chance is just overwhelming as I wasn't sure I ever would. It is a debt I cannot repay and a definite reminder that there are good, gracious people in this world despite the occasional evidence to the contrary.

The Bush Legacy

Joe Klein writes an ode to Bush as his Presidency winds down.

In the end, though, it will not be the creative paralysis that defines Bush. It will be his intellectual laziness, at home and abroad. Bush never understood, or cared about, the delicate balance between freedom and regulation that was necessary to make markets work. He never understood, or cared about, the delicate balance between freedom and equity that was necessary to maintain the strong middle class required for both prosperity and democracy. He never considered the complexities of the cultures he was invading. He never understood that faith, unaccompanied by rigorous skepticism, is a recipe for myopia and foolishness. He is less than President now, and that is appropriate. He was never very much of one.

Putting aside my own biases, I have a hard time imagining anyone making any sort of credible defense of Bush's legacy. Yes, his Presidency isn't officially over, yet and time could be more favorable to him (Harry Truman style), but it is still difficult to figure out what a more favorable picture of Bush would even entail. He did actually have a few decent moments (immigration, AIDS assistance in Africa), but when it came to the big things - the response to 9/11 and terrorism, the conduct of Iraq and Afghanistan, torture, the economy, civil liberties - he has been an unmitigated disaster.

Anyone out there care to make an intellectually credible defense of George W. Bush?

Torture Pardons

A bill has been introduced in the House to prevent the expected preemptive pardons by Bush for crimes his administration has committed. There has been talk that the Obama team is worried about pushing this issue themselves feeling that they would burn political capital and fuel partisan bickering. I understand that, but find it incredibly sad and pathetic, too. What kind of message does it send to people that we won't investigate wrong doings, especially things as grotesque as torture, if it might make some people mad?

If you care about this issue, go here and sign this petition supporting this resolution and send an email or letter to your Congressional representatives asking them to support it, as well. If we the people don't take a stand on this, we have no right to complain in the future when elected officials break the law.

Weekly Music Video

I first heard this song when it first came out while working at Target. It was playing on the TVs in the Electronics section and I was hooked. In a pleasant turn, the entire CD turned out to be great.

David Gray - "Babylon"

Weekly Secret

PostSecret

I bet this church sees a spike in attendance.