Entries from June 2003 ↓
June 5th, 2003 — impolite company
In a typical display of arrogance, the Imperial George Bush vowed to “ride herd” over the vassal states of Palestine and Israel as they follow the externally-imposed Roadmap to Peace. He demonstrated his pleasure with himself when he allowed the press corps a rare audience with him on Air Force 1 as they flew to Doha, the capital of the client-state, Qatar. When one reporter asked Dubya about what his role in the peace process will be, Bush replied that his role would be to:
…ride herd. I don’t know if anybody understood the meaning. It’s a little informal in diplomatic terms. I said, we’re going to put a guy on the ground to ride herd on the process. See them all scratching their heads…
They were probably scratching their heads in amazement that such an imperious moron with so limited a capacity for diplomacy and communication could actually be in a position to dictate to them their future.
June 1st, 2003 — impolite company
As Bob Hope, the master of the USO Shows turned 100, British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited his troops in Iraq. Acknowledging the division in his country about attitudes to the war, he said:
“I know there were a lot of disagreements in the country about the wisdom of my decision to order the action, but I can assure you of one thing: There is absolutely no dispute in Britain at all about your professionalism, and your courage and your dedication. And not just the way you won the war, which was extraordinary; but the way you are conducting the peace, which is remarkable.”
He went to them. In the back of a C-130 transport plane. He acknowledged dissent without disparaging the dissenters. He acknowledged that one could support the troops while opposing the war. How different from his counterpart across the ocean.
Blair shadowed Bush in the approach to an unjust war and he will pay the consequences for that at home. But, I don’t think anyone will ever mistake their styles. George Bush will wait until a puppet government is installed in Baghdad, and then, like the Caesar he imagines himself to be, he will march triumphant into the vassal country.
June 1st, 2003 — the animal kingdom
I don’t think there’s any chance for the eggs and nest Jenn discovered almost 2 weeks ago. We’ve been trying not to disturb the nest, so I didn’t look into it again until yesterday. Although my photo clearly shows 4 eggs, it’s just as clear that there are only 3 eggs now.
In a comment on the entry, Joel, of Pax Nortona, suggested the Peterson’s Field Guide to Bird Nests for the Eastern US and, after paging through it, I think that I’ve identified the eggs as those of a Northern (Common) Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos). I’ve seen and heard plenty of mockingbirds in the area, so it seems to fit. The guide describes the nest as residing in a:
tree, shrub, vine… Bulky, loosely laid outer layer of thorny twigs; inner layer dry leaves, plant stems, moss, hair; lining, brown rootlets… 3-5, commonly 4 [eggs]… 24.3 x18.3mm. Typically oval… Shades of blue and green; heavily marked with brown spots, blotches… Strongly partial to sites near houses; porch vines, foundation and garden plantings favored.
Unfortunately, it also says that the female usually incubates alone for 12-13 days. As far as we can tell, there’s been no one visiting the nest in the past two weeks — except for the critter which stole one of the eggs. I feel somehow responsible for them now, so what’s my next step? Do I leave the nest alone with the eggs in it? Do I remove it? Do I leave the rest of the eggs for some hungry local fox, or are they rotten now and likely to start stinking? I am so ignorant on this subject…
June 1st, 2003 — the web-wide world
So, Jenn and I are planning a trip to the UK in September. It looks like we’ll have 7 days on the ground, and we’re trying to figure out what to plan, where to stay, what to do. We’ll probably base ourselves in London, with a day or two in Manchester to visit Guy. Some of the things we’d like to fit in are:
- Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park, (the spiritual ancestor of the Weblogging Community, I’ve heard)
- The new Tate for me and either the old Tate or the British Museum for Jenn
- An anti-American show, such as “The Madness of George Dubya” or “Jerry Springer: The Opera”. Very hot tickets, I know, but I’m just one of those optimistic ‘Mericans… (I would have liked to see Hytner’s staging of “Henry V”, but that looks like its only running through August.)
- Clubs and pubs, of course, and some excellent curry
- Oh, yeah, Jenn says “Shopping!” <groan>
- How long is the ferry ride to Amsterdam (or thereabouts)? Or is there a quick, cheap flight? Must visit hash bar…
- Castles, London Bridge, Buckingham Palace, gardens & other touristy stuff
- Canterbury? Stratford-upon-Avon? Dover? Choose one for a day trip… (Actually, those are in the opposite direction from Manchester, aren’t they? Okay, what’s on the way to Manchester?)
I’m not totally clueless about British geography, but I have no idea about the different neighborhoods in London while picking out a place to stay. The Time-Out Guide makes everything sound great and funky, but cross-referencing between the hotels and the attractions and the multi-colored neighborhood map is making my head hurt. So, suggestions… Favorite hotels, restaurants, attractions, meetups, etc.? Is my itinerary way too ambitious? All input is greatly appreciated.
