Author: Dick

Presidential flunkies applaud as George Dubya walks backwards up the stairs to Air Force One.

My paranoid musings last week in which I raised the possibility of the uncovered extremist plot in the United Kingdom as a Bush administration political smoke screen don’t seem so paranoid now.

Stories suggest that the U.S. pressured Scotland Yard in prematurely revealing news of the investigation in which British subjects had planned to blow up a number of Trans-Atlantic airline flights.

I had postulated that perhaps the news of the plot was a way to preempt media coverage of the Democratic primary defeat of Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn. The former vice presidential candidate was beaten by liberal, anti-Iraq war candidate Ned Lamont. Of course, my thoughts were just idle speculation with no real basis other than I don’t put anything past this administration.

But just today I read how Veep Dick Cheney appeared to put such notions into the ears of reporters before the plot was announced by Scotland Yard. Cheney suggested to reporters in a rare conference call last week that “Al-Quida types” would be encouraged by Lamont’s triumph over Lieberman. The White House later said Cheney didn’t know about the plot when he talked to reporters. But then, just how credible is Cheney?

It is sad when my cynical speculations appear to have possible substance. It’s just too bad I can’t use my deductive power for good works, such as figuring out which lottery numbers I might play to win the big jackpots.

One has to admire the philanthropy of Bill Gates, using his billions to help some of the world’s ills such as HIV/AIDS. But while admiration is due, methinks that a lot of problems exist for folks in Gates’ own backyard.

In my home state of Texas, for instance, we have more children who are without health insurance than any other state in the union. But we have a lot of guns! You can’t discount that.

Recently I have come to understand that one real problem in our country involves those whom I will call: “The Crevice Dwellers.” No, they don’t necessarily dwell in a crevice. These are the people — like someone I know very well — who is partially disabled but not totally disabled. This person has enough of a disability that it makes finding a suitable job extremely difficult. But the person can work at some tasks and therefore cannot draw disability pensions from the government.

That is just one example of The Crevice Dwellers. There are also many other examples. A good number of people who fall into these categories are the ones who sometime become homeless because there is no safety net to catch them when they slip through. These may be well-educated and otherwise, seemingly normal, individuals. But something happens to them — an illness, injury, divorce, business failure — and they are stuck out there.

The Crevice Dwellers are people who can become stellar citizens and who may contribute much to society. But they keep falling and falling and can’t get out of the rut. Who knows, maybe these people could some day become as rich as Bill Gates and donate their money to help others in the world.

It’s something to think about for the weekend. Have a happy, happy.

Attorney General Al Gonzales stalks Al-Quida in the field.
Among the damage the Bush administration has done in their years in office is shattering what little credibility the government has with the public. The announcement this morning of the uncovered plan to blow up London-to-U.S. bound airliners would normally be a cause for relief — a testament to excellent U.S. and foreign intelligence work. But the subsequent elevation of threat levels for U.S. and British air carriers — while probably prudent — smacks as always as politics.

It’s just hard to believe anything the government tells us anymore, the administration’s credibility being so shot to hell. This morning’s televised news conference about the discovered plot was made even more incredible by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff being joined by Weasel General Al Gonzales. The latter being — whose infuriating smirk rivals only that of Veep Dick Cheney — just has zero credibility as far as I am concerned.

Was the timing of this announcement politics as usual? We may find out some time. But looking at the political landscape sure gives one cause to be suspicious. For instance, the big news on the TV networks yesterday was Bush pal Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman’s defeat in a Democratic primary. Lieberman, who was Al Gore’s running mate in 2000, has made many Dems furious by his continual support of Bush on the Iraq war. The media stories about the veteran senator’s defeat suggests ominous clouds ahead for other congressional candidates who support the war.

But this couldn’t be politics because the U.K. uncovered the plot, right? Well, maybe and maybe not. These revelations have been known for awhile. Tony Blair is a Bush man when it comes to Iraq, so who is to say Blair might not have helped ol’ Gee Dubya?

Not being a great fan of most conspiracy theories, I dislike coming off like some nut for even raising such questions. But I think we have George W., Tricky Dick Cheney, Alberto and some of their staunch supporters to thank for such paranoid thinking. And I think that is a real discredit and threat to our democracy.

Yesterday I returned from a two-day stay at the VA Hospital in Houston. I had my epidural steroid injection in the nerves near my cervical spine. This was performed in a surgery suite and I only had a local anesthetic as this needle was being plunged into my back.

Contrary to what I was led to believe, this procedure does hurt. The head anesthesiologist on my case also downplayed the pain and discouraged the use of a sedative, since I would have to spend the night admitted to the hospital because of having sleep apnea. Since I was already spending the night in VA Courtesy Quarters –A hospital room without the nurses — I should have had the sedative. Next time I will. Lesson learned: Don’t believe everything people tell you. PS At least the anesthesiologist intern was nice.

Also allegedly, I should not know if the shot will help ease my chronic neck, shoulder, head, thumb, etc., pain until three days or so after the procedure. It’s too early to tell, I suppose. I’m in the amount of pain that I usually am in perhaps with my head hurting a little more. Oh well, I’m willing to be my own guinea pig if there is any chance of easing the pain. Now off to find gigs.

From the corner of my good eye, I spotted it. It was small, white and square, at the edge of the carport stall next to me, and it seemed almost waiting for someone to pick it up.

The “it” was a folded business card belonging to local TV anchor Rusty Surette. He hosts “The Morning News” on KBTV 4, the NBC affiliate in Beaumont, Texas.

I don’t know Rusty Surette, other than seeing him on TV, so I found it rather curious that his folded business card would be on my carport floor next to where I park. When you are as poor as I am these days, your eyes seem to automatically scan the ground for any potential treasure. Several possibilities emerged as to how said card arrived:

1. Rusty Surette placed it there. That doesn’t seem likely. He doesn’t seem like the type to litter, although one can never be completely sure. I’m just saying his brilliant, white teeth and spiffy attire on the tube helps raise doubts that Rusty folded his card, threw it out the window driving down North Street, saying “Wheeeeee!” and the card landed on my carport. I do have to say that this might not be the worst way one could advertise his or her TV show, by throwing business cards in every yard, but even in a market of this size it would be a gargantuan task.
2. Someone put it there to frame Rusty Surette for littering. It’s possible although it’s about as possible as pigs sprouting wings. Why frame him for that? It’s a low-impact crime in which perpetrators are usually serious “dumpers” rather than litterers. See “Alice’s Restaurant.”
3. The card appearing on my carport was a bonafide miracle, the magnitude of which has yet to be determined by the Vatican.
4. It fell out of a car belonging to one of my former neighbors. One of the many paroled child molesters living next to me parked his car in the spot on which I found the Surette business card. This neighbor, who is now back in prison on a parole violation, told me once that he had been interviewed for TV for some special on such offenders. I never saw the special and the man always had a credibility level with me bordering on Absolute Zero. But perhaps in this instance, he was telling the truth.

I may never know the real mystery of how Rusty Surette’s business card landed on my carport and into my train of thought. Of all the possibilities, I tend to think No. 4 is the most likely. But I’m still holding on to the card just on the off chance that it proves to be a miracle. After such an occurrence I will certainly treasure this card for all of its worth, and then promptly sell it on eBay.

A word from EFD: Okay, actually more than one word actually a few, or more. I will be undergoing my first epidural steroid nerve block Monday at the Houston VA for my chronic pain due to cervical spine problems. Providing they don’t give me a heart transplant by mistake, I should be back around these parts come Tuesday or Wednesday, so don’t think I’ve gone forever.
Ahola! (that’s aloha spelled backwards)
EFD