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It’s getting so I can’t even bear to listen to him.

Every time GW opens his mouth, I feel like I’m listening to high school sophomore blather on about the world he knows little of – but is sure he’s right about it.

This morning, our unelected ape decided to hold a press conference to throw down some spin control on all the recent terror bombings in Iraq. Like a bad record, he spun the same tired spiel of fear and misinformation.

Blame the Baathists. Blame the Syrians. Blame the “suiciders” – (a word he made up this morning to describe terror bombers).

Blame everything, except his administrations’ own flawed, self-serving foreign policy.

Here’s a section of today’s PR parade that was particularly amusing…

"(Saddam Hussein's deposed) Baathists try to create chaos and fear because they realize that a free Iraq will deny them the excessive privileges they had under Saddam Hussein," Bush said.

The amusing part of this explanation is the fact his father’s policy of post-Gult War sanctions helped create those excessive privileges that were unique to Saddam loyalists. While sanctions and bombings killed hundreds of thousands innocent civilians over the last ten years, those close to Saddam lived in luxury…..thanks to George H.W. Bush not going after Saddam – the first time.

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Tens of thousands protest Bush on both coasts. For the most part, Portland is silent. Sometimes Stumptown leads an odd split personality in it's activism. It is well known as a progressive haven, but it responds at odd intervals.....often preferring to wait until someone else has stepped up.

I expect organized action in congress with the next major protest. The gravity of the circumstance is reaching critical mass. Prior to the war, Portland had actions almost every weekend.....it will start being like that soon enough.

Over 8,500 people showed for Michael Moore on Thursday. At one point, when Moore called for Bush and his cronies to be jailed, the entire crowd stood and applauded for over a minute.

The pot is boiling.

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The privatization feedbag for Iraq is being spilled out in Madrid. Corporations are lining up to get a piece of the action - in what looks more like an effort to colonize via capitalism.

In other news...

Elliot Smith....R.I.P.

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Looks like the lid is dropping on media reports on U.S. casualties.

While the practice of restricting media coverage of the arrival of military casualties has been policy since 2000, it hasn't been really enforced until the beginning of the Iraq occupation. As a result, all media coverage of the casket arrivals at Dover Air Force base have been banned.

Also, Bush has not attended any of the casket arrivals....preferring to occasionally visit the wounded.

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Gah.....

I don't mind if military brass have their religious opinions, but why do they have to air them in public? Never mind that it happened in Oregon.

It's bad enough that Muslims have to endure harrassment by local police and the FBI, but when one of the top dogs in the Pentagon starts talking about "holy wars" and how Allah is "an idol", you have to wonder if this person is right for the job.

Also....

Reports of injured Army reserve troops (many from Iraqi Freedom) living in medical squalar - while waiting for months to see a doctor. Meanwhile, active duty soldiers get treatment much sooner.

If I'm correct, it's these same reserve soldiers who are also getting the shaft when it comes to time off from the battlefield. While regulars head home for time off, reservists are stuck with longer tours and fewer leaves.

I'd like to see the declination stats when these boys are offered to re-up.

A U.S. General said earlier today that soldiers might be in Iraq until 2006.....not if they keep treating them like this.

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Another item that refuses to go away....Black Box voting.

Many questions are being raised about the integrity of touchscreen voting booths that do not issue a paper receipt. The company in question....Diebold....succeeded in shutting down a site that provided links to info on the voting machines.....information that seriously questions the security and integrity of this new voting trend. Also, it turns out that Diebold was a major contributor to the Bush campaign.

And we all know the Bushs' background with fishy voting results....

Can anyone say.....ChoicePoint?

Incedently, Bush has recently been pushing for election reform - by backing the introduction of these paperless election boxes. Since virtually all of these voting box manfacturers have support ties to the Bush administration, isn't it about time someone pointed out the grave conflict of interest this presents?

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This is a weird item...

The Olympian newspaper (Olympia, WA) has uncovered a propaganda campaign by the U.S. military to distribute a pro-war/positive spin on the occupation of Iraq.

These form letters are distributed to newspapers nationwide - under the guise of being personal letters from soldiers in Iraq. Many soldiers had no idea their name was being attached to this letter.

Blatant misdirection and deception.

In other news...

Spent Saturday working the Great Oregon Beach Cleanup - out on Rockaway Beach. About half of the 75 volunteers I'd recruited from my employer showed up....the rest got spooked by the media predictions of bad weather. Fortunately, the storms took a break to let volunteers who did show up get in a couple hours of cleanup time. So, it was a success - with about 22 tons of trash being removed from Oregon beaches.

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The screws are turning in the Oval Office.

More frightening analysis regarding the proliferation of arms in the world - and the U.S/U.K. willingness to keep selling destruction.

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Another vacuum in my communications. October has turned into whirlwind of events, activities and general busy-ness.

I'm taking a group of about 80 volunteers out to the coast this weekend to participate in the Fall Oregon Beach Cleanup. Looks like rain, but that's Oregon. Organizing this has been fun - and I look forward to getting the job done.

Attended the national premeire of Gus Van Sant's "Elephant" earlier this month. Very interesting departure from his previous work. Here's the writeup that I posted to IMDB.com:

Just saw the national premiere here in Portland - and having actually worked as an extra on the film, it's very interesting to see the final product. I knew Van Sant was using long shots, similar to his work in Gerry, but the construction of the film was something else.

Elephant is like a dream. That's the closest I can get to explaining it. The camera moves through the halls and bowels of the school; like a ghost eavesdropping on the absurd and occasionally sublime.

Inane chitchat. False bravado. Adolescent mumbling.

The camera hovers over and around the kids, exposing the odd pain of daily existence in high school. Somewhere inside, you feel each one of these characters - often most, when they aren't saying anything at all.

And then, all hell breaks loose - ala Columbine.

There are no answers to the issues that are presented - and in the end you feel that stange sensation of having seen something great, but needing someone else to help you explain it. At times, the style of the film might cause a few sighs - as U.S. audiences are accustomed to a little tighter editing. That, and the conversations tend to wander off - much as they do in real life, so some patience is required. Still, there are some beautiful and honest moments to be found - as well as real feelings of fear and loathing.

Gus Van Sant has created a vision that stands in direct contrast to Hollywood convention. Had it not won at Cannes, it would most likely be going directly to HBO. Thankfully, it will receive wider distribution - and hopefully be the fodder for much discussion.