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8:51:00 AM EST
Hearing Superstitious -- Stevie Wonder
News Bits
Some thoughts on some of the news bits out there.
* The attacks in Instanbul seem to be Al Qaeda and seem to fit the pattern of "targets of opportunity" -- striking where people simply aren't prepared. The "good" news (if it can possibly be considered that) is that the windows of opportunity in every place close quickly. The bad news, of course, is that it's a big world out there.
Al Qaeda has most recently been striking in Muslim countries (before Turkey, it blew up a neighborhood in Saudi Arabia) which seems to me like poisoning the well. Does this mean they're getting desperate, or just bringing what they think is "the revolution" home? I couldn't tell you. But also I don't think it's coincidence that the bomb attack occurred against a British bank in Turkey at the same time President Bush was visiting the UK.
* Governor Schwarzenegger's honeymoon with the Democratically-controlled State Assembly already seems to be over, considering that his finance director walked out of a meeting at an assembly after some tough questions. I genuinely want Schwarzenegger to do well in California -- I am a native Californian, after all, even if I don't live there at the moment, and the US is always better when California does well -- but I don't think anyone's going to make it easy for him.
* The Toyota Prius is named Car of the Year. Good. It's also been a hit with car buyers, which is even better, since it shows US car manufacturers that Americans are ready for the next generation of cars now, not when it's convenient for them (i.e., sometime two decades from now). As I've mentioned before, when we went car shopping, it came down to the Prius and the Honda Odyessy. I do know this -- our next car will definitely be a hybrid (or -- swoon -- a fuel cell). Wouldn't it be swell if it were a Ford or GM or even a Chrysler?
* Monica Lewinsky has trouble getting dates. Insert your own punchline , but I think this is sad. The woman will never get past the past because other people won't. Give her a break already! And a second date.
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Schwarzenegger is going to have to work hard to make his administration a success. Arduin's walkout seems to show an amazing arrogance that will cause practical problems for Gov. S. He cut taxes with the stroke of a pen by $4 billion, most of which went to local governments for use for cops, firefighters, road repair - stuff that still has to get done. And he's not giving the legislature enough information to even act on the $15 billion in borrowing he wants to do. - Bruce
11/21/03 3:25 PM
Try as they might- they will never coerce anyone into playing nice. It might work on the playground but in the real world it is either kill them all till they are dead or put up with them. I don't think this country has the instinct to directly carry out genocide anymore. We have lost our edge...