It's Time...
for Maureen Dowd to shut up. She wrote her catty Mark Anthonyish column on Judy Miller, she had an article about "Feminism" and more specifcally about her trouble getting a date with an appropriate man in the NYTimes Mag this week. And today she has a cover article in New York Magazine. She's not that smart, her articles are quite obvious, providing little new ammo to anyone who hates The Shrub. She's not that pretty and she couldn't down 2 Martinis without up-chucking though she likes to flaunt her Irish talents.
Bad Photo Op
And bad advance work. Scalito's family watching the announcement.
More On (moron) Scalito
Go HERE.
Artist Of The Day
Man Eating Words. Platinum print. Lesley Dill has a show currently at George Adams Gallery in Chelsea, until November 26th, 525 West 26th Street.
Delicate, poetic, Lesley whispers louder than many shout. See it!
The Dark Side
Ever work in Windows? Go HERE. It will look familiar.
Latest Painting

The Truth (with jokes)
Al Franken says, in describing the role of Ahmad Chalabi in American plans to invade Iraq:
"He and his associates had explained that we would be greeted with sweets and flowers, leaving out the crucial modifier, 'exploding.' "
Little Scalia
The Shrub's next candidate's nickname is "Scalito". He started his exemplary career as a deputy to Edwin Meese, Attorney General under Ronnie Raygun. Meese became directly involved in the Reagan Administration's secret plan to sell weapons to Iran in January 1986, when he was asked for a legal opinion to support the plan. When the secret arms sales became exposed in November 1986, raising questions of legality and prompting congressional and public scrutiny, Meese became the point man for the Reagan Administration's effort, in Meese's words, "to limit the damage."
More to come but here is one of Meese's opinions.
"A Supreme Court decision does not establish a "supreme law of the land" that is binding on all persons and parts of government, henceforth and forevermore."
Edwin Meese III
Doh! Of the Day
Bush Picks Conservative Judge For Supreme Court.
Halloween


I don't recognize Halloween but all the girls do, so...

Emma's Ready

My Sparkler is doing Halloween this year as Edna from Finding Nemo. Kate The Great is going as a Cheerleader. What or who she is cheering has not been declared and I did not get a preview.
Art Still For Sale

Artist signed posters by Christo. 2 versions of Running Fence and 1 version of Valley Curtain.

Ray Johnson Originals (1927-1995).

May Wilson Originals (1905 - 1986).
Deck The Halls
The South Street Seaport is putting up the scaffolds for the Christmas Carolers and Halloween has yet to arrive.
Flash!
NYTimes fails to give BloomBush a front page article today. Does this signal that his star is waning?
Headline
1/2 of the U.S troops leave Okinawa.

MacDries says, "Wow, it only took 60 years to secure that tiny little island. At that rate we'll be out of Iraq in 80-90 years. Just about in time for the next century celebrations."

Now The Bull Sh** Starts To Fly
Primo. Scooter will never spend a day in jail. The Shrub will pardon him just as Poppy pardoned Casper Weinberger, Elliott Abrams, Robert McFarlane, Duane Clarridge, Alan Fiers, and Clair George for similar crimes in the Iran-Contra crapola.
Explaining those pardons, Bush(41) said the "common denominator of their motivation -- whether their actions were right or wrong -- was patriotism."
Prez-elect Bill Clinton at that time said he was concerned "by any action which sends a signal that, if you work for the government, you're above the law, or that not telling the truth to Congress under oath is somehow less serious than not telling the truth to some other body under oath."
Bill later fudged this stance a bit when he said, " I did not ... bla bla bla with that Lewinsky woman", himself a government employee.
Secondo. I. Libby "Scooter" is pathetic. His lawyer is gonna claim it was just a case of his dedicated guy working too hard and long protecting all of us and how hard it is to remember things a year later. The usual procedure in such cases is not to "hardnose the highway" (as Scooter did emphatically declaring) but rather to say, "I don't recall."

MacDries says, "Watch that P word. It will come back to bite you in the ass because it actually stands for such thing as honesty, integrity, and courage."
New York Times Puff Pieces
Yet again today, NYTimes has a front page article on how far ahead BloomBush is in the campaign. While Freddy again has to share a small piece in the Metro section. Plus a picture of BloomBush, Rudy and KochSucker with raised hands.
As if BloomBush needs all these free campaign contributions.
Judy Miller's War

By ALEXANDER COCKBURN
"Lay all Judith Miller's New York Times stories end to end, from late 2001 to June 2003 and you get a desolate picture of a reporter with an agenda, both manipulating and being manipulated by US government officials, Iraqi exiles and defectors, an entire Noah's Ark of scam-artists."
Go HERE.

Meanwhile...
"These are very serious charges. They suggest a senior White House aide put politics ahead of our national security and the rule of law. This case is bigger than the leak of highly classified information. It is about how the Bush administration manufactured and manipulated intelligence in order to bolster its case for the war in Iraq."
--Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada

MacDries says, "OK Dems. Go for the coup de grace. Unfortunately, Reid is the same Dem who recommended Harry Miers to The Shrub for Supreme Court Justice. So it's been an up and down sorta week for him too.
Doh! Of The Day
Scooter says, "Today is a sad day for me and my family."

MacDries says, "Ahhhhh... playing the family card, eh Scoot? Like Nixon and his puppy dog. Most of us have families. Some have dogs. Some go to jail, in spite of our assets, if we break the law."
Google
Type "miserable failure" (without the quotes) in the Google search engine. Try it!
Patrick Fitzgerald
Just watched the news conference. If your view of lawyers is a bit tarnished, take a look at this dewd. He is polished, smooth and kewl. The comparison to the typical politician is like day and night. He should be a Supreme Court Justice. Plus, I now understand the complete time frame of events and how they caught Libby at perjury.
Meanwhile, in the background there was some footage of Judith Miller chatting with Scooter and sleazy doesn't even begin to nail her. She looked positively thrilled to be speaking with him. This is a woman on the make.
Get Outta Town
The Shrub, traveling to Norfolk, Va., to deliver a speech on terrorism said, "Thanks for the chance to get out of Washington."
5 Count'em FIVE Counts
Scooter's packing his boxes. 1 count of obstruction of justice, 2 counts of making a false statement and 2 counts of perjury. One of them oughta stick. This is the best week ever since The Shrub wasn't elected.
THE NIGHT BEFORE FITZMAS
'Twas the night before Fitzmas, and in the White House
Every one was scared shitless, and Bush was quite soused.
The indictments were hanging like Damocles' sword
As verminous oxen prepared to be gored.

The perps were all sleepless, curled fetal in bed,
While visions of prison cells loomed in each head.
And Dick in his jammies and George in his lap
Were sweating and swearing and looking like crap.

When out on the web there arose such a clatter,
The blogs and the forums were buzzing with chatter.
Away to the PC Rove ran like a flash;
He booted his browser and cleared out his cache.

The rumors that flew through the cold autumn air
Made Dubya shiver with angry despair.
When what to his horror-filled eyes did he spy?
A bespectacled man with a brown suit and tie!

With an impartial manner that gave Bush the shits,
He knew in a moment it must be St. Fitz!
With unwavering voice, his indictments they came.
He cleared out his throat and he called them by name:

Now Scooter, Now Libby,
Now Blossoming Turd,
Now Cheney, dear Cheney,
Yes, you are the third.
To the bench of the court,
Up the steps, down the hall,
Now come along, come along,
Come along, all!

He then became silent and went right to work.
He filed the indictments and turned with a jerk
And, pointing his finger at justice's scale,
Said, "The people be served, and let fairness prevail."

He then left the room, to his team gave a nod,
And the sound could be heard of a crumbling facade.
And we all did exclaim, as he faded from sight
"Merry Fitzmas to all, and to all a good night!"
-Anonymous
What! Me Worry?
Fans of Al go HERE. And browse around the site. it's pretty dense and worth exploring.
New York Times Puff Pieces
Yet again today BloomBush gets an above the fold, front page article about his popularity with liberals and Democrats. Inside the back page of the Metro section, the article continues for half the page with graphs showing approval ratings swinging up for BloomBush, down for Ferrer. A second article shows BloomBush acidentally bumping into Bill Clinton and they are friendly and smiling. The article repeats the speculation that Bill is less than enthusiastic about Ferrer. A small article about Ferrer completes the page.
Again, BloomBush ought to report the NYTimes as a major contributor.
Libby Likely...
to be indicted. False statements to a Grand Jury is not enough to put him in jail but it's better than nothing. But wouldn't it be cool to see Rove doing the perp walk?

Headline
Angelina Jolie Says She Wants More Kids.

MacDries says, "Damn Angie, I'm sorry but I've been clipped. Have you talked to Brad Pitt? I hear he's dying to have some kids too. And you know, he and Jennifer have split up."
Exit Strategy
Go HERE.
On The Street
Last week I was waiting 15 minutes at the City Hall subway entrance for My Little Sparkler. An Indian was selling newspapers and every 20 seconds he would say: "25 cents. Daily News." I tried to compute three times a minute all day long. 3 x 60 minutes x 8 hours = 1440 times the guy repeated the phrase. I wanted to ask him if he found himself saying it over in his sleep or if it was like a mantra. But then My sparkler arrived and I didn't bother.
Overheard
Guy on cell: Yeah I know her, my sister went out with her when she was still a man.
--Washington Square Park
The Killer
LOS ANGELES, California - Jerry Lee Lewis stole the show from Norah Jones and Kid Rock when the musicians performed at a taping of a Johnny Cash tribute.
Lewis teamed with Kid Rock on the Cash classic "I Walk the Line." An upcoming biopic that goes by that name stars Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon and will be released in November.

MacDries says, "Yeah, and if it's as good as Ray last year, I'll start the big puke right now."
Artist Of The Day
Artist friend Jim Cambronne of Boston, has a show opening today at Alexandre Gallery in the Fuller Building at 41 East 57th Street. It runs until 11-26. Check it out. He's the real thing.
Billy Gets His Greedy Hand Spanked Again
WASHINGTON Oct 27, 2005 - The federal judge overseeing Microsoft Corp.'s business practices scolded the company Wednesday over a proposal to force manufacturers to tether iPod-like devices to Microsoft's own music player software. Microsoft abandoned the idea after a competitor protested.
In a rare display of indignation, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly demanded an explanation from Microsoft's lawyers and told them, "This should not be happening."
A Microsoft lawyer, Charles "Rick" Rule, blamed the proposal on a newly hired, "lower-level business person" who did not understand the company's obligations under the antitrust settlement. The agreement constrains Microsoft's business practices through late 2007.
As Predicted
"Harry" Miers talks a walk, toasted as not Conservative enough. Not to mention incompetence.
The White House (spin) said Miers had to withdraw over concerns that senators wanted documents of privileged discussions between Miers and the president.

MacDries says, "Yeah, right. Problem is it was the right wall bangers who shot her down. It will be much harder next time."
South Dakota Humor
One of Carl's students fighting the evil-doers. You'll get it if you've ever driven across the bread-basket of the US of A.
New York Times Puff Pieces
Today BloomBush gets a front page, above the fold article, contined for 2/3 of a page in the Metro section about how he's saving the education system of NYC. Ferrer shares a small article with BloomBush in the Metro section.
Again, BloomBush should list it as a campaign contribution.

The Self Interview
A commonplace technique now in news articles is the ask yourself a question and then answer it mode. I first noticed it years ago with Mario Cuomo but it has since become rampant and occurs more and more frequently. It seems to me lazy journalism, as if the journalist has allowed the interviewee to control the drift of the conversation.
Need A Good Cardiologist?
This is the guy who has kept me alive since 1985 or so, via a few angiograms, a Pacemaker and a triple bypass, give or take a heartbeat. If you're in Bunker City and vulnerable in that way, call or email me and I'll give you his contact info.
White House Gets It!
The White House has started a campaign to stop The Onion (newspaper, web site etc.) from using the much revered Presidential seal. And of course, as a result they advertise the site. Try logging on. It's a long wait.
But they may be cagier than we could ever supoose. Perhaps they are just trying to shut down the servers via overload. Nasty little bastards aren't they?
Kerry
Some of us are going to have to tell Kerry to shut up. I get emails from him twice a week announcing that he's going to tell The Shrub what to do. Then later in the day he tells The Shrub what to do. And you know what? The Shrub never listens to him. Start thinking of other, fresher faces on the Democratic side. And don't say Billary Rodham (Rodman?). Her brother Dennis will be too big an albatross to swing. Polls say Bush wouldn't be re-elected if election were held today.

MacDries says, "Know what, the election was last year and he can't be re-elected again. Get a clue pollsters.
OMG!!!!! Know what I just realized? The law says no person can be elected for more than two terms as President. Well, since Bush was not really elected the first time, all he has to do is claim that election to be false and Gore was actually supposed to be Prez. Voila! He can run again and be "re-elected" this time.
Someone tell me this is just a huge nightmare."
Amtrak On Time
Made it back. It snowed a bit last night up country. Got the new Neil Young, Prairie Wind in the mail. Gotta catch up with what's going on.

Early Amtrak
Back to Bunker City in the AM. Check ya later.
Rosa Parks, 92 R.I.P.
And shame on you if you don't know who this little lady is, was, and always will be.
Headline
White House Seeks Exception In Abuse Ban.

MacDries says, "Uh huh! Need I say more? Never mind Geneva Conventions. Never mind Ethics. Never mind Morality. The President is GOD. As Tricky Dick said, 'Well, when the president does it that means that it is not illegal'."
That White Crap

Maple leaf trapped in a plant some would call a weed and I call Un-named Pond Grass.
I was going to stay an extra day but the weather person says rain/snow is coming tonight and I am not a fan of the white crap, though it does mostly stay white up here all winter. I'll leave it for my Little Sparkler and Ann who like to ski. My plowman stopped by to confirm his services for the season. Turns out he also has a brush hog, so we set a date in the spring to clear a couple dozen yards of brush up the hill.
It just occured to me: Do you think The Shrub's love of brush(bush)-clearing down Waco(whacko)-way is really a sublimated death wish? Or perhaps its repressed patricide; he hates his Poppy wants his Mama but he knows they both prefer Jeb and we all say he can have her.
One can dream.
New York Times Puff Pieces
The so-called "Left-wing Liberal" NYTimes yesterday published on its front page a large section devoted and devotional to macho-Mayor BloomBush rough-tackling the landlord of the WTC design. While stuffed inside the Metro section there was an article on the "mystery" of Fernando J. Ferrer's middle name, written as if he was trying to hide something because he no longer uses it. The middle name is James which is the anglicized version of his father's name in Spanish. The Times was trying to establish that Ferrer is estranged from his father. To what end? Who knows? other than the fact that it has a negative tinge to it.
And a few days ago when "The Popular Clintons" were campaigning for Ferrer, the Times told us that their support was supposedly luke-warm and they were trying to distance themselves. Meanwhile the piece on BloomBush that day was about a latino city Democrat named Lopez (get it?) who crossed over because Mike was just so darn attractive he seduced her. She fought off his advances but... in the end.
Keep your eye on the Times, the legs-spread slant towards BloomBush is oblique and precipitous. BloomBush is usually referred to as "Mayor Mike", while Fernando Ferrer is called Freddie.

MacDries says, "All of which goes beyond Editorial endorsement and smacks of journalistic bias. BloomBush should report all such stories as campaign contributions which he is not supposed to take since he's spending his own billions on the campaign. In reality, all BloomBush has going for him (besides being very short, in the NYC tradition of Laguardia, Beame, Giuliani) is that he is not Guiliani. He is still and foremost a Republican and thinks first and foremost for the entitled."
Well, Of Course
Now we know Cheney was also in on the CIA dirty business. Did anyone think he wasn't; that Scooter was the only one?
Improve Your Vocabulary
Wordsmith is word a day email list. Go HERE to subscribe.
More Differences
A grey cloudy day like this in Bunker City makes you want to go back to bed. In the country the grey is muted by all the yellow and orange and yet traces of green. Take your pick.

I was just standing out by our pond for an hour or so at twilight, watching the pollywogs rising to the surface to snatch a lazy bug. The water is fresh and spilling over from the recent rains. The leaves are changing and dropping with such regularity it boggles the mind. All that green now showing us the reds and yellows and oranges against the brilliant blue sky. Dead and dying trees drop where ever they please and if they do not block our paths, who cares if anyone ever moves them again before they rot and compost themselves. Mushrooms, mindlessly, sprout after the fall rains and no one even bothers to pick them or check their viability as food before they rot, only to sprout again next year. It is so quiet but who tires of quiet. You can always put on some music.
We prune and plant and mow and rake a smaller and smaller portion of our 20 acres and let the larger portion revert to wildness.
It was, after all, wildness (not wilderness) that Thoreau claimed was the preservation of the world. In the country, the crickets allow you think of such things. In the city, the jackhammers and sirens and screams in the night, the drunken rants three floors below, define you as "cranky" when you are really a peaceful sort of human being, being who you are.

The scale and complexity of the city vs. the country is the same. What is missing in the city is the beauty. When it rains or snows in the country it is just fine; a good excuse to do nothing. Or perhaps write a poem.
Telephones
After suffering a week with no phone service from Verizon, I get here and our Taconic phone is out. Unlike our DSL in Bunker City this one runs my modem so there is no internet either. So I can't even upload this until it comes back on. Today, supposedly.
At least Amtrak was on time yesterday and it's a beautiful crisp fall day. The pond is spilling over and the dock almost floated away.
Watched Empire Falls last night; a TV movie with an endlessly great cast and a straight ahead story with real characters. Have to read the book now.

MacDries says, "I predicted it weeks ago. I'm outta here."

Right On!
It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind.A
-Voltaire
Didn't Need To Know That
On Wednesday, in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society, researchers revealed that they had found a weird-looking new species of worm feeding on the bones of a minke whale carcass in the North Sea. The formal name they have given the new worm is Osedax mucofloris; they helpfully translate this into English as bone-eating snot-flower worm.

MacDries says, "Pretty lil' thang tho in' it?"
More Zowie!!!!!!
Poor Judy Miller, her big boss (Keller) and her little boss (Taubman) indeed everyone is now jumping on her. Sad, even though it does seem she deserves it. Will she resign or be canned? I say resign as soon as she's cut her book deal. It would be the easy way out. The newspaper of record can't really be tarnished again after last years debacle with false reporting by (what was his name) and blood bath resignations.
As Bob said "Even the President of The United States, sometimes has to stand naked".
7th Marriage
Steve Earle, one of the best country musicians around, has gotten married for the 7th time. But, he says, it's the 1st time he done it sober. His 7th bride, Allison Moorer, is a pretty fair country singer herself. He's also got a play opening in NYC called Karla as in Karla Faye Tucker who was executed in Texas for murder and mayhem during a drug induced rampage. Earle also published a book of short stories in 2001 called Doghouse Roses. Isn't it amazing what you can do when you sober up?
One of the major fallacies in the mind of the addict is that having a drink or a snort is doing something. Rather like the ubiquitous TV in bars with the sound off; gives you something to watch without having to think about anything. And when one sobers up there is a big chunk of time to fill.
Up Country
Going up to modem land tomorrow for a few days before the white crap starts blowing. Have to winterize the car and put away summer stuff, like the dock, make sure the last couple projects got finished on the apartment. Make sure the snow plow guy is booked for the season. I'm told some of the leaves are still hanging. Ann and The Sparkler will be going up to ski this winter more than I will.
R.I.P Shirley Horn, 71
Great jazz pianist/singer, Shirley Horn has passed away. A re You Won't Forget Me 1991, is a good place to start if you haven't heard her. I'm putting it on now. Miles joins her on the title track, the Marsalis boys, Toots Thielemans also do guest shots. Great selection of songs.
Zowie!!!!!!
I've had my doubts about this Judith Miller of the NYTimes from the beginning. Now it comes out more clearly. Read Maureen Dowd's column in the paper of record today. Her opening line is "I've always liked Judy Miller..." Go HERE.
Jeff Greenfield, not my favorite about anything, also had a bit about her on CNN a couple days ago. Check it out if you were as confused as me.

MacDries says, "Yeah, Dowd liked her in a Mark Anthony/Julius Caesar sort of way."

MacDries says, "WlfSng914 is Glenn Anderson, fellow graduate of MCAD from back in the day."
Opera
I always insist that I don't like opera and it is mostly true. However, decades ago I bought an album of Puccini arias by Maria Callas And recently I re-bought it on CD. On occasion I will dig it out and whenever I hear Mi chiamano Mimi from Madame Butterfly I find myself tearing up a bit.
Update
That blurry painting of a few days ago has been fixed. Check it out.
Bunker City
I don't know about y'all but I totally resent the frequent WARNING announcements on subways and posters everywhere telling us: IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. Nor do I care to see all those Camo dressed "Security" guards in Penn Station with automatic weapons. Besides, its laughable. If they really want to camoflage themsleves, wear a business suit. One day I walked by a couple of these guys and said, "Wow, I didn't even see you there". And the guy started to raise his weapon. Another time near Wall Street one of these 21 year old cops came jaywalking my way waving his machine gun around and I said, "Get that fucking thing away from me." He said, "Just keep walking... sir."
I don't care to be constantly disrupted in my thinking by that sort of paranoid politcal campaign to keep us all insecure. But I suppose it is here to stay. Osama has won.
Carl's Art Always
Go HERE.
Headline
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Oct 19, 2005 - The author of a new state law that allows felony charges against owners of dangerous dogs was hospitalized over the weekend after his own dog attacked him.

MacDries says, "Now, that's ironic. And they were not even Pit Bulls."
Doh! Of The Decade
Saddam pleads not guilty.
Another Blogger
Lil' Sis Dee Grupp does a blog too. Go HERE to see her pix from China.

MacDries says, "That's gonna be some heavy slogging for the poor Senators."

1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating.
4. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
5. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.
 6. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
7. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
8. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
9. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease.
11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
13. Glibido: All talk and no action.
14. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
15. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.
18. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

MacDries says, "It's way too late for that."
More Shrubisms
"We expect Syria to do everything in her power to shut down the transshipment (sic) of suiciders (siccer) and killers into Iraq."

MacDries says, "What's wrong with shipment? And I suppose suiciders is equivalent to evil-doers who do themselves as well. Hello, give me Wm. Safire please. Plus, since Syria does not actually respect womenfolk as equals, why refer to him as her."
Another Parting Shot
Angell Hill again.
Bush Does Hip-Hop
Go HERE.
Prediction
Neither Rove, nor Frist, nor DeLay, nor Libby, nor Novak will spend a day in jail for their respective crimes. Republicans have this slime that allows them to slip through all legal loopholes.
Meanwhile Judith Miller, who wrote not a word about the case, revealed nothing, spent 85 days in jail.

MacDries says, "What is stealing anyway?"
Apple Profit Quadruples, Yet Stock Falls

MacDries says, "Huh? I thought profit was a good thing."
Dear Landlord
The battle continues.

MacDries says, "I know that feeling, too well."
Capote
I'm eager to see the latest in the In Cold Blood saga. This is probably one of the few truly cubistic stories and it remains fascinating. I recall the shock of the initial unfolding of the story as a teenager in Iowa a couple hundred miles away. Around the same time we had the Ed Gein, grave-robber, lamp maker, story up in Wisconsin which was too macabre to ever make it to the movies (I think). We had the acne scarred, greasy haired, multi-murderer Charlie Starkweather and his co-dependent girl friend Carol Fugate down Nebraska way celebrated by the 1973 Terrance Malick movie Badlands starring the handsome, clear skinned Martin Sheen and the young incredibly beautiful Sissy Spacek. We had Buddy Holly die in a plane crash over in Clear Lake, Iowa while bass-player Waylon Jennings escaped because he gave his seat to The Big Bopper. They made a decent movie about this called The Buddy Holly Story; Gary Busey played Buddy and they forgot about Waylon who turned out to be a way better musician than Buddy.
Then we read in The Sioux City Journal about the Clutter Family who was mysteriously and brutally murdered a little farther down the road in Kansas.
These stories were not literature; they lasted for a few days each then were forgotten.
I first read the so-called "non-fiction novel" In Cold Blood (1967) alone in a small cottage while caretaking a small estate in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The book scared the hell out of me (I was 26) but I couldn't put it down. I read into the late night and early morning, took a nap then woke up shaking, had some coffee and shirked my duties to finish it in daylight. I then went for a long drive and bought a lot of ice cream. Next came the fine Richard Brooks B&W movie of the book (1969) which still has the ability to actually scare the crap out of you.
I later read everything by Truman Capote, almost all of which is as good as it gets. When he was good, he was great. Everyone watched as he then totally delaminated via alcohol, saddened that such a great, great writer could come to such a pathetic end. Time after time, he made a fool of himself on his hi-rise neighbor Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. Carson relishing the spectacle like some equally pathetic fag-hag.
Now we come to the movie Capote with the excellent Phillip Seymour Hoffman (almost typecast) as Truman Capote. Equal to the task.
I haven't even seen the movie yet but I'm predicting the Best Actor Oscar. I'm not alone; Jon Stewart introduced him on The Daily Show as "the best actor in the world". He is always good and this is the roll written for him.
Parting Shot
Leaving is such sweet sorrow. That's the path up to the top of our Angell Hill.
Mayday, Mayday
Our landlord is jackhammering the first floor concrete which surround the columns that support the floors above and the dust is rising, the building is shaking. What is worse he likes to use unlicensed workers and has not filed for nor received a permit. A fellow tenant has filed a complaint so perhaps the inspectors will come and shut him down. This building was built on landfill around 1830, before the Brooklyn Bridge and I'm not at all confident it is structurally sound.

MacDries says, "If she's good enough for Laura, she's good enough for me."
Too Much Beauty
Ann and my Sparkler are coming for the weekend. Raining today and tomorrow, natch. Rain is driving tons of leaves down but it's still pretty.

MacDries says: "How does one show celibacy? Stupidity is easily demonstrated, as The Vatican has once again shown."
God, The Scapegoat
It has now been revealed that The Shrub gets his marching orders direct from his God. Now who can argue with him on that?

I'm predicting a fillibuster. Will it be successful... ??????? Gimme some odds.
"In the White House that hero-worshipped the president, Miers was distinguished by the intensity of her zeal: She once told me that the president was the most brilliant man she had ever met," David Frum's blog said. Frum is a former speech writer for the Shrub.

MacDries says, "Oh....... myyyyy.... Gawwwwwwwd! That little pit-bull has led a sheltered life. And this is who we need making judicial decisions for us??????"
Meanwhile: Justice Antonin Scalia, who had been widely considered a shoo-in for the job, was the only justice absent from Roberts' swearing-in ceremony at the White House.
Mmmmmmm. Interesting. Cackle-cackle. Put the young whipper-snapper in his place Tony. That job was yours! What did you do to piss off The Shrub?

MacDries says, "Huh?????? Appointing Thomas to replace Marshall is like serving up a Big Mac when I ordered Veal Piccata."
Retrospective
One of the best living painters, Elizabeth Murray has a retrospective coming up at MoMA. She is also recovering from lung cancer and brain surgery.
Check it out.
Poll
Most Americans rule out either a deliberate act of God or the effect of global warming as direct causes of the recent Gulf Coast hurricanes.
Doh! Of the Week
Headline: Giuliani To Consider Presidential Run.

MacDries says, "Did anyone ever doubt it?"
Screw Hillary
I wanna see Ann Richards in 2008.

Back at'cha Shrub. You little twerp!
Go HERE to see the whole tape.

For The Latest Dries Art GO HERE
For The Latest CyberToonz GO HERE
I've never actually watched an episode of The Simpsons (I'm more of a Pixar kind of guy) butt...
*Dislaimer

Go To: MacDries Design

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