My boy Christopher Hitchens gets it right again

Good article by Christopher Hitchens over at Slate talking about the movie detailing a series of debates he had with a Christian minister. I highly recommend his column Fighting Words; pithy and usually spot on. We need to hear unpleasant truths about ourselves(well, you) and others. I believe the movie's title is Conversations, and it should be worth a look.

Back from Ungawa

A good weekend at Ungawa. It's all guys, but don't worry, it's not some Iron John shit where we're running through the woods screaming. It's just a good excuse to hang out, get drunk, eat tremendous amounts of meat, and talk in a low pressure atmosphere in an LCRA park in the beeyuutiful Texas hill country. Good people, good fun. And I learned a good nasty term(some UT guy around the campfire said it, all in good fun) for my friends from Texas Tech: Sand Aggies.

Turns out he was nuts

Okay, so I spoke too soon. Turns out that the American who got Suu Kii in this latest mess was told by God to warn her of assassination. I'm suspicious, though; how'd someone like that make into Burma? He still should have done the right thing and stayed here in America, which has plenty of mental health options. Probably less than the European social democracies, but certainly better than the Third World. Anyways, how about my boy Jim Webb? He's apparently started some initiative to review the prison systems, including the non-violent drug offender problem. That's what you call genuine, since there's no constituency for prison reform.

Dogsittin' in Cedar Park

Going out to dogsit in scenic Cedar Park tonight. Good dogs, one of whom can climb trees.
Actually feel like I'm doing something useful.

Ugly Americans

Have you been following the trial of Ang Sang Suu Kii? The elected leader of Burma(you heard me), she's been under house arrest for years. She's currently being tried by the insane junta ruling that country on charges of breaking her house arrest. Apparently some American idiot swam across the lake to her home, and was too ill from the swim to leave(?) and so stayed at the house for couple of days. She's reduced to arguing that the guards should have been more diligent in keeping people out. Great. I want to see an interview of this fool countryman of ours. What good were you, oh globe-trotting, over-privileged, probably won't shut up about his knowledge of the rich cultures he's graced w/ his presence; well-rounded and self-actualized mother fucker that you are, going to do? What is probably an enriching vision quest for you is deadly serious to the natives. Do some real good. Stay home. Send money. Follow the State Department's warnings.

Linux

I'm using linux now, just thought I'd let you know. We'll see how this goes, as change frightens and angers me. Also, walking down Guadalupe today, I had occasion to ponder if Hot Stuff is in the public domain. I don't think he is.

Bad Karma at the Coast

Did kind of a bad thing this past weekend. I was fishing in Port Aransas(the white trash Riviera, for those outside Texas) when I caught a hardhead catfish(that's a throwback fish, for those of you who haven't sailed the Spanish Main. Couldn't throw him back because the hook was too far embedded in his mouth- he was already a dead man. I decided to cut him up and feed him to the pelicans as I'll eat 'em but I don't want them to die in vain. My friend JB correctly told me to be careful not to let anything eat the part w/ the hook. I began cutting at the back. I threw a piece to the pelican who was standing about two feet away from me. Fortunately, the cat died quickly, I think. The second piece missed the pelican's beak, and he was too good to stoop and pick it up, so I had to pick it up as I can't just leave dead fish on the pier. While I bent down, another pelican swooped and picked up the head, hook still in it. Now, hopefully he gave up on eating it 'cause it was large and it was really hard(hence the name) or because it was mostly bone and pelicans have to kind of flip large fish into their gullets and often they miss and the fish goes back to the water. Otherwise, I sincerely the process by which they pass fish bones enables him to get the hook through. I sincerely hope he and Neptune forgive me. I'm but a clumsy savanna monkey.