Thursday Roundup

Kudos's to Bill Clinton for getting the hostages out of North Korea yesterday. It was great to see these young women released and even more satisfying that it was another clear example of the success of words over bombs and intelligence over ideology. To see Clinton and Gore together again overseeing a successful endeavour should reinforce the value of having smart and compassionate people in positions of influence. It also couldn't help but bring a tinge of sadness thinking of the wasted Bush years and the needless decline this country experienced over the past eight years.

I finally got my book "The Family" yesterday. Will begin reading it on the subway today.

Although it never seems possible, the right wing is still getting nuttier and nuttier every day. This deserves a lot more time but in a NUTshell, the conservative movement is being directed (always have been but now it's become transparent) by big business who are spending millions enraging the most detached of our fellow citizens. They are creating fake grassroots organizations to shout down elected officials trying to have town hall meetings about health care. Note, they are not there to debate - but to shout down - to prevent debate on the topic. These angry mobs are getting more and more dangerous. Their ultimate goal I am sure is to create a divide so great that this country will be consumed with preventing a violent civil war and cannot be bothered with reform of out of control corporate dominance.

The indoctrination of non factual information (did you hear Obama is sending ACORN around to kill old people?) with the encouragement to violence (and don't forget these are gun nuts) is a recipe that can only result in violence by the remaining people clinging to the Conservative movement. I know it sounds extreme but just watch. The best strategy, in my opinion, is to try to peel away the sane people from the movement while there is still time , in the hope that when they are told to attack, their numbers will be small and their competence will be negligible. I think progress is being made on this front as every day, I hear former conservatives give up on the movement.

It's the Yankees / Red Sox this weekend and I will be at Friday's game. We have not beat the cheaters from Boston yet this season and it will be tough again. After thinking they broke their drought, Red Sox fans and players are coming to the bitter realization that their Championships in '04 and '07 cannot be considered legitimate because of the use of steroids by their key players during those years. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!) So as Boston tries, once again, to break the nearly 100 year jinx, they will be extra motivated coming into our house this weekend.