I had this sudden and uncontrollable urge to take a nap, so I didn’t finish myself back there…

Kerry seemed to get away with his hunting expedition after his campaign in Portland OR, but not later on out there over there in the MidWest, after which the Bush Campaign started wearing hunting fatigues. I don’t really know why, except Oregon was more or less in tow to the Kerry campaign and the delecate balance of Ohio needed to be forced a little harder.

The Dean campaign raised some weird questions in this regard. His wife demurred out of the campaign, into her private practice. For some godforsaken question, the media (and I recall Drudge highlighting the story “Where’s Jude Dean?”) jumped in, wondering what the heck was wrong here. The answer: nothing. Somewhere upon the collapse of Howard Dean’s campaign came the spectacle of Howard Dean and his wife on Primetime Live, a forced evocation of the Bill Clinton — Hillary Clinton 60 Minutes Interview back in January of 1992.

Actually, come to think of it, I don’t know what Howard Dean’s religious convictions are. Had he been in the Republican Primaries, he would have thrown what he had (or pretended to have) into the full-force. When the rumblings came out “Dean: Faith???”, he came out and talked about faith, something I had no interest whatsoever in and something that seemed forced — but for some stupid reason some interest within the media drove that storyline…

John Kerry rode on a motorcycle onto the set of Jay Leno.

It didn’t matter that Kerry actually rides motorcycles, it looked a little awkward and forced, thus was a political liability.

He followed “Triumph the Insult Comic Dog”.

Arnold Schwarzennager did not follow Triumph the Insult Comic Dog when he was on Jay Leno’s godforsaken wasteland show.

John Kerry, whatever his differences with the Catholic Church politically, actually does go to church regualarly. George W Bush does not regularly attend church service. What does that mean, here in Faithland? I do not know. (Jack T. Chick doesn’t attend church service, so it may be all awash with the evangelicals anyways.)

Windows’: Microsoft Word
Private Detectives’ Illegal
Operating Methods and
Sexual Traps. Protect
Others, Make, Give & Sell
Copies

It was on a park bench, wrapped in a plastic mock ziplock bag. I guess the label is self-explanatory, though I don’t know precisely what’s on it.

Should I send to Found Magazine?

I have this idea to change the name of this little blog to “THe UnAmericans”, buried with the spirit that a cognent history of American culture can be written by focusing exclusively on the history of the charge. Limiting, I suppose: What? No Putin Bashing??? Otherwise, there’s the equally limiting name “The Fourth Great Awakening”, which throws us into a religious battleground that skates dangerously into the whole trite “Red State Versus Blue State” storyline.

Electoral Politics fades out of the spotlight. It’s a cynical game anyway. Ask me what the Democratic Party oughta do now, and I’ll shrug before demuring to the Lewis Lapham recommendations upon hearing about the formation of the DLC (back in 1985 or thereabouts) : NOMINATE RICHARD NIXON!!! Ask me about Bush’s latest policy actions, and I say there’s probably an 80% chance I’m opposed and a 20% chance I’m simply apathetic about that issue. The Permanent Government, meanwhile, sits in place, despite the ouster of Dan Rather as official spokesperson. Elect presidents based on that system: — who can best slide into the permanent government and manage his/ her share of the pie within it? Never elect a corruption-free president: look what happened the last time we did so — Jimmy Carter was eaten alive. Put on your tinfoil hats and decide whehter or not JFK and his brother RFK fall into the same category. While you’re at it, find George Carlin’s old routine about Bill Clinton beating Bob Dole because “at least he’s honest… he’s honest about his bullshit.”

I can’t say whether or not Bush will get mired into scandal through the next two years. Nixon would have survived Watergate had he had the current Right Wing Propaganda Macheniery backing him up, and his opponent permanently tarred with the label “shrill”.

Shrill.

Through this last campaign, Sean Hannity-esque figures weighed in saying that (1) those liberals are all so very defensive about being called “unpatriotic” or “unAmerican” and (2) “It’s not their patriotism that we’re questioning — it’s their judgement. Hollow as that be. Ann Coulter named a book “Traitor” and defended Joe McCarthy. There seems to be a renewed love of Joe McCarthy in the air. (He was right you know… Communists were infilitrating the government. No relation between his list and these Communists, and this is the game we needed to expect in the Cold War — spys, counter-spies, counter-counter spies, counter-counter-counter spies, ad infinitum.)

But who cares about those two personalities? Really?

I’m not terribly patriotic. American Exceptionalism is that belief that America is immune from history. George Will praised Daniel Patrick Moynihan for believing in American Exceptionalism. The Great Circle Jerk continues, and the wheel is spun around yet again. Feel free to burn the American flag while you’re at it. I don’t understand the flag. Why do school children pledge allegiance to the flag? Wouldn’t it be better to simply recite the Declaration of Independance instead?

Militias know their Declaration of Independance. Probably better than you do. They are truly Americans. 100% USDA Whoop-Ass. I don’t know if they still broadcast those radio stations in hoodoo land… the Militia Movement, it is said, has been on the wane from their highs in the mid 90s. Something about now having purpose of outer-American threats to sharpen their mind. The song on Camper Van Beethoven’s latest album misses the mark, I might say… America’s favourite luddite — Ted Kaczynski — was not a militia-member.

Targets of Survelliance…

Abalone Alliance Group • African Liberation Day • African People’s Socialist Party/African National Prison Organization • Agape Community • Agents of Matriarchy • Alamo Christian Foundation • Al-Daawa Islamic Party • Alert for Latin America • Al Fajr • Al Fatah • All African People’s Revolutionary Party • All People’s Congress • Alliance for Social Change • Alternative Media Conference • American Absurdo-Anarchist Alliance • American-Arab Affairs Council • American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee • American Civil Liberties Union • American Educational Trust • American Federation of Ramallah • American Foundation for the Handicapped • American Freeman Association • American Friends of Revolutionary Iran • American Friends Service Committee • American Indian Movement • American Indian Political Power Movement • American Nationalist Party • American Revolutionary Army • American Russian Institute • American Soviet Friendship Committee • Americans Concerned About Corporate Power • Americans Concerned for Middle East Peace • Americans for Peace • Americans for Peace and Unity in Lebanon • Amnesty International • Ananda Marga cult • Anarchism Symposium • Anarchist Black Dragon • April 6th Liberation Movement • Aquarian Foundation • Arab Women’s Council • Armed Resistance Unit • Armenian Revolutionary Democratic Movement • Artistas Indigena • Aryan Brotherhood • Aryan Nations • Assassin magazine • Association of Arab-American University Graduates • Atlantic Life Community • August Seventh Guerrilla Movement • Bahai faith • Bethlehem Peace Pilgrims • Beyond War • Bicycle Repair Collective • Black Berets • Black Community Survival Conference • Black Guerrilla Family • Black Hebrews • Black Justice Committee • Black Liberation Army • Black Muslims • Black Panthers • Black Panthers Breakfast Program • Black United Front • Black United Fund • Blacks – anti • Brahma Kumaris World Spirituality University • Brandywine Peace Community • Brown Berets • Burnside Community Council • C-9 • California Homemakers Association • California Rangers • Calvin Dow Defense Committee • Campaign for Economic Democracy • Campaign for Peace With Justice in Central America • Campaign for Political Rights • Catholic Worker newspaper • Centenary Wilbur Methodist Church • Center for Constitutional Rights • Center for Defense Information • Center for National Security Studies • Center for Third World Organizing • Center for Truth • Central America Study and Action • CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act) • Cheryl James Defense Committee • Children of the Valley of Life • Children’s Club • Children’s Defense Fund • Christ Brotherhood • Christ Family • Christ Miracle Healing Center Church • Christian Conservative Churches of America • Christian Defense League • Christian Educational Association • Christian National Socialist White People’s Liberation Army • Christian Nationalist White People’s Party • Church of the New Song • Church Universal and Triumphant • Churches – Red • Circle (anti-nuclear group) • Citizen Action for Lasting Security • Citizen Labor Energy Coalition • Citizens Allied for Responsible Energy • Citizens’ Bar Association • Citizens for Safe Power • Citizens Party • Citizens Organization for a Sane World • Civil Liberties Action Security Project • Clamshell Alliance • Clergy and Laity Concerned • Coalition Against Domestic Violence • Coalition for Battered Women • Coalition for Safe Power • Coalition of Conscience • Coalition of Labor Union Women • Coalition on Government Spying • Colegio Cesar Chavez • Columbia River Fellowship for Peace • Committee Against Racism • Committee for a Revolutionary Socialist Party • Committee for Artistic and Intellectual Freedom in Iran • Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy • Committee for Portland’s Children • Committee for U.S. Veterans of Hiroshima and Nagasaki • Committee in Defense of the Palestinian and Lebanese Peoples • Committee in Solidarity With the People of El Salvador • Committee of Ten Million • Committee to Defend James Daniels • Committee to End Corporate Fascism • Committee to Investigate Fraudulent Law Enforcement • Common Capital Fund • Common Cause • Communist Party – Marxist/Leninist “October League” • Communist Party – USA • Communist Workers Party • Community Defense Fund • Community for Creative Non-Violence • Community Law Project • Concerned Americans for Peace • Congress of Racial Equality • Consumer Power League • Cornucopia Institute • Council for a Livable World (Peace PAC) • Council for American Soviet Friendship • Covenant for Peace • Crips gang • Critical Mass Energy Project • Croatians • Crusade for Justice • Da Free John • De Mau Mau • Defenders of the Republic • Democratic Socialists of America • Democratic Socialists Organizing Committee • Direct Action Canada • Direct Action Eugene • Disarmament Media Network • Diversity Alliance • Draft Action • Drawn Swords Visionaries • Duck Book • Earth First • Earth People’s Park Group • Eckankar • Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon • Elliot Energy House • Emergency Response Network • Emissary of the Guiding Light • Energy Action Coalition • Environmental Life Force • Environmentalists – misc. • Espionage – local suspects • Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church • Eugene Coalition • Evangelical Church of Christ • Evangelicals for Social Action • Fadayee • Fair Share • Fallen Angel Choir • FALN (Puerto Rican nationalist group) • The Family • Family Circus Theater • FBI • Federation for Progress • Fellowship of Reconciliation • Forelaws on Board • Foundation for Middle East Peace • Fourth International • Free People’s Party • Free Speech Movement • Freedom International • Freedom League • Freedom Socialist Party • Friction gallery • Friends of Sisters on the Street • Friends of the Earth • Gandhi World Peace University • Gays – misc. • General Union of Palestinian Students • General Zero • Generations for Peace • Gentiles United for Zionist Aims • George Jackson Brigade • German-American Bund • Global Tomorrow Coalition • Golden Mean Society • Good Faith Township • Good Shepherd Tabernacle Church • Goose Hollow Committee • Go Ye Into All the World Christian Fellowship Inc. • Gray Panthers • Great Atlantic Radio Conspiracy • Green Party • Greenpeace • Ground Zero • Ground Zero Cities Pairing Project • Guardian Angels • Guardian weekly newspaper • Gulf Palestine Support Committee • Hanafi Muslims • Hanford Conversion Project • Hanford Oversight Committee • Hapotoc Collective • Hare Krishna • High School Collective • Hiroshima Day • Hispanic Commission • Hispanic Political Action Committee • Hoedads • House of Judah Health and Energy Institute • Immoral Minority • Identity Churches • Independence National • Indians – misc. • Indo-China Peace Campaign • Industrial Areas Foundation • International Workers of the World • Institute for Defense and Disarmament Studies • Institute for Peace and Justice • Institute for Policy Studies • Institute for World Order • Instructor of Light • Intercollective • Interdependence Day • International Committee Against Racism • International Confederation for Disarmament and Peace • International Socialist Party • International Women’s Day • Iranian American Friendship Committee • Iranian Guerrillas in America • Iranian Students Association • Iranians – misc. • Irish Republican Army • Japanese Red Army • Jews – anti • Jews for Jesus • Jobs for Peace • Jobs or Income Now • John Brown Anti-Klan Committee • John Reed Bookstore • Kent State • KBOO • KGB • KKK • Klanwatch • Kol Ha Shofar • La Comunidad Unida Para Justicia • Law Enforcement Research Publications • Lawyers Alliance for Nuclear Arms Control • Lawyers Committee Against U.S. Intervention in Central America • League of Conservation Voters • League of United Latin American Citizens • Learning Exchange of Oregon • Lebanon Relief • Left Bank Collective • Life Spring • Light of Life Ltd. • Lincoln County protest • Live Without Trident • Livermore Action Group • Lord’s Covenant Church • Macheteros • Maharishi Technology of the Unified Field • Main Street Gathering • Manson Family • Mantell Club • Marxist Leninist League • Marxist-Leninist Organizing Committee • Marxist-Leninist Party of the USA • May 19th Communist Organization • McKenzie River Gathering • Medical Aid for El Salvador • Mendocino Whale War • Metro Cafe Collective • Mexican Mafia • Ministry of Restoration • Minority Contractors Inc. • Minutemen • Mission for World Peace • Mobilization for Survival • Mojahedin • Mom’s Garage • Monthly Review • Moslem Brotherhood • Moslem Student Association • Moslem Student Society • Mother Jones magazine • Mountain Moving Cafe • Move • National Alliance • National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression • National Anti-Klan Network • National Anti-Racist Organizing Committee • National Association for the Advancement of Colored People • National Association for the Advancement of White People • National Association for White Preservation • National Association of Arab Americans • National Committee Against Repressive Legislation • National Committee for Independent Political Action • National Committee to Honor the 14th Centennial of Islam • National Conference of Black Lawyers • National Democratic Policy Committee • National Emergency Committee on Lebanon • National Lawyers Guild • National Network for Direct Action • National Organization for Women • National Party of America • National Resistance Committee • National Socialist Alliance • National Socialist Liberation Front • National Socialist Party • National Socialist White People’s Party • National States Party • National Student Coalition Against Racism • National Students Association • National Unemployed-Welfare Rights Organization • Nazis • Nehemiah Township • Nerve Gas Task Force • Nestle Boycott • Networks • New Age Foundation Inc. • New America Movement • New Dawn Collective • New Jewish Agenda • New Options • New Order Legion • New Patriot Alliance • New World Liberation Front • Non-Violent Preparers Collective • North American Congress on Latin America • North Star Network • Northwest Action for Disarmament • Northwest Arc • Northwest Area Foundation • Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides • Northwest Conservation Act Coalition • Northwest Direct Action Network • Northwest Fund for Justice • Northwest Liberation Front • Northwest Oregon Voter Registration Project • Northwest Seasonal Workers Association • November 29 Coalition • Nuclear Control Institute • Nuclear Free Pacific • Nuclear Information and Resource Service • Nuclear power – anti • Nuclear Weapons Freeze Coalition • Nudepeace Society • Nuestra Familia • Nukewatch • October Anti-War Coalition • Omega 7 • Operation Outrage Inc. • Operation PUSH • Oregon Anti-Conspiracy Committee • Oregon Citizen/Labor Energy Coalition • Oregon Coalition Against the Draft • Oregon Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights • Oregon Coalition to Defeat the Bakke Decision • Oregon Committee to Stop the M-X • Oregon Council for Women’s Equality • Oregon Farm Worker Support Committee • Oregon Human Rights Coalition • Oregon Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign • Oregon Progressive Agenda • Organization of Arab Students • Organization of Democratic Youth and Students of Iran • Pacific Life Community • Pacific News Service • Pacific Northwest Labor College • Pacifica Network • Pairing Project • Palestine American Congress • Palestine Arab Fund • Palestine Congress of North America • Palestine Human Rights Campaign • Palestine Information Office • Palestine Liberation Organization • Palestine Solidarity Committee • Patriot Party • Pax Christi • Peace Academy • Peace Action Coalition • Peace and Freedom Party • Peace House/Ashland, Ore. • Peace Links – Women Against Nuclear War • Peace Pastoral Task Force • Peace Research Group • Peace Research Program • Pedro Luis Boitel Commando Group • People for the American Way • People Preventing War • People’s Alliance • People’s Army Jamboree • People’s Food Store • People’s Temple • People’s Test Ban Clearinghouse • People’s Translation Service • Performing Artists for Nuclear Disarmament • Peter Watkins Project • Physicians for Social Change • Physicians for Social Responsibility • Planned Parenthood • Plant Closure Organizing Committee • Plebiscite Crusades • Polar Bear Party • Police – anti • Poor People’s Conference • Poor People’s Network • Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine • Portland Central American Solidarity Committee • Portland Citizens Against Racism • Portland Committee for Unemployment Action • Portland Community Warehouse Inc. • Portland Freeze Coalition • Portland Gay People’s Alliance • Portland International Conference on Human Rights • Portland Peace Investors • Portland Planetary Investors • Portland Tenants’ Union • Portland Town Council • Portlanders Organized for Southern African Freedom • Positive Action Center • Posse Comitatus • Prairie Fire Organizing Committee • Progressive Labor Party • Progressive magazine • Pro-Pac • Provisional Revolutionary Committee • Public utility district coalitions • Radical Activists for Sexual Minorities • Radical America • Radical Education Project • Radical Women • Rain Community Resource Center • Rainbow Family • Rajneesh • Rape Relief Hotline • New World Liberation Front • Rastafarians • Ratepayers Union • Rebel Woman • Red Rose School • Refuse the Cruise Coalition • Responsible Urban Neighborhood Technology • Revolutionary Action Movement • Revolutionary Communist Party • Revolutionary Education Project • Revolutionary Fighting Group • Revolutionary Socialist Party • Revolutionary Union • Rose City Ratepayers Association • Rose Festival Peace Committee • Ryan Environmental Enterprises • Salvadorean Humanitarian Aid, Research and Education Foundation • Sam Melville-Jonathan Jackson Unit • San Francisco Mime Troupe • Sanctuary Coalition • Sanity • Save Our Liveable Downtown • Scientology • Scribe newspaper • Seattle Liberation Front • Seattle Ordinance • Serve the People • Shadow Project • Sierra Club • Sikhs • Silvershirts • Sisters of the Road Cafe • Slate student group • Socialist Labor Party • Socialist Review • Socialist Workers Party • Society for New Action Politics • South Africa (anti-USA) • Southern Christian Leadership Conference • Spartacist League • Spectrum Inc. • Sports Acres • SS Action Group • Strangers Collective • Student Alliance for Nuclear Awareness • Student Mobilization Committee • Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee • Students for a Democratic Society • Students in Solidarity With the Central American People • Students Together Against Nuclear Destruction • Sufi mysticism • Sun Fighters • Supporters of Silkwood • Survivalists • Symbionese Liberation Army • Synanon Foundation • Syrian Social Nationalist Party • Teamsters for a Democratic Union • Technical Assistance for Community Services • Terrorism – training • Tolstoy Foundation Inc. • TransAfrica • Transformation Times • Tribal Thumb • Tridentine Latin Rite Church “Fatima Crusaders” • Trojan (protests against the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant) • Trojan bombing • Trojan Decommissioning Alliance • Trust Jesus • Tudeh Party – Iran • Uhuru • Unaffiliated Christians • Unification Church – Moonies • Union for Radical Political Economies • Union of Concerned Scientists • Unions • United Farm Workers • United Feminists Against the Right • United Freedom Front • United Front Bookstore • United Indian Fish Committee Inc. • United Indian Women • United Minority Workers Inc. • United Nations • United Palestinian Appeal • USSR • Us Inc. • U.S.-China People’s Friendship Association • U.S. Labor Party • U.S. Prostitutes Collective (U.S. Pros) • U.S. Soviet Friendship Council • United Way • Universal Life Church • Uranium Resistance Coalition • Urban Guerrilla • Utility Action Center • Valley Migrant League • Vancouver Island Network for Disarmament • Vandenberg Action Coalition • Venceremos Brigade • Venceremos Organization • Vietnam Vets Against the War • War Resisters League • War Tax Resistance • Way International • Weathermen • Weaver-Jackson Power Bill Hearings • Well Springs Commune • Western Front • Western Socialist Conference • White Alliance • White Panthers • White Train (anti-nuclear weapon protests) • Willamette Bridge newspaper • Women — misc. • Women for Racial and Economic Equality • Women of All Red Nations • Women Strike for Peace • Women’s Action for Nuclear Disarmament • Women’s Initiative for Peace • Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom • Women’s Night Watch • Women’s Peace Alliance • Women’s Rights Coalition • Women’s Solidarity Committee • Workers Viewpoint Organization • Working Papers • World Citizens for Peace • World Concern • World Council of Churches • World Peace Council • World Peace Tax Fund • World Peacemakers • World Service • World Without War Council of Portland • Yesh G’Vul • Young Communist League • Youth International Party (Yippies)

I wonder how many middle-aged+ folks who aren’t getting much at home, or anywhere else, are flying now just for the “thrills”, lol.

I don’t like it when someone says that “the clock is two minutes fast” or “the clock is two minutes slow.” What they mean to say is that the clock is two minutes ahead, or two minutes behind. Rarely do we have a fast or slow clock, and even if we do I’d need specification: is the clock two minutes too slow per hour or two minutes too slow per day?

I do not know what it is “UnAmerican” or “Anti-American”.

Woven into the fabric of America: the KKK. You cannot tell the story of the history of America without referencing the KKK… at least not an honest history.

I’ve heard it said that the blues are the one truly American musical form. Except for Country, which originated with cowboys singing to their cows or something like that… what the heck was that “Big Rock County Mountain” anyways? And Jazz. The Blues sort of roll into Rock and Roll. Rock and Roll is a euphemism for Sex. All the earliest rock songs were about sex. All the bubblegum rock songs were about sex. Rock and roll didn’t diversify their subject matter until songs were written about drugs.

It made perfect sense to be a Communist in the 1930s. Capitalism had failed America for the moment. Back when John Kerry appropriated a Langston Hughes poem as a campaign slogan, free republic denziens made a stir that “He’s quoting a Communist!” Langston Hughes could defend himself on that matter, and he did so well enough before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee… well enough that the Asshole McCarthy Brigade didn’t bother to bring him to public questioning.

That brings us to the last the blurb on this sorry-looking book.

Supposedly, the serial killer is quintessentially American, and quintessentially late 20th century artifact. Tell that to Jack the Ripper. (A German I knew mumbled about “crazy Americans” after hearing a song about a famous serial killer, leading me to suspect that there is no unseemly side to German history.) Perhaps America has taken the Religious Cult to another level with the Charles Mansion Family… I do not know. (Aren’t they CIA agents though?)

A common name for any non-fiction expose book-title is “[Fill-in-the-Blank] Nation”, suggesting a large number of inflictions and addictions that Americans have thrown at themselves. A debt-ridden society addicted to junk food. We’re also the nation of the damned and a nation of the self-righteouse. Somewhere in the Fourth Great Awakening.

There’s nothing more American than living beyond your means off credit cards as a way to keep up appearances to yourself and people you mean to impress with your grandeur, and because you believe a combination of the idea that God will provide for you at all times and the apocalypse is nigh at hand. When reality intrudes, your car is repossessed, you move further away into the wilderness… which was the attitude taken during the first few centuries of white man’s exploits on the North American continent… into a town that was transformed by hippy farmers back in the 1960s…

Never mind.

The Russians find Mark Twain a little light. The Americans find Dostoevsky a little dark. Or so the foreward to the edition of The Twelve Chairs tells me. This was my brother’s favourite Russian writer. It’s a lovely enough book… I never read Crime and Punishment… seems too dense to me. The Clemens / Dostoevsky dichotemy strikes me as a bit forced, though.

This year’s version of the annual holiday “Airport Waiting” stories has taken a most decidedly disturbing turn.

Basically, what we’ve learned this year from the tv, radio, and newspaper accounts is that it is now government operating procedure to grope customer’s breasts, penises, vaginas, and buttocks. (Though most especially the breasts). It’s what you need to expect when boarding an airplane.

Next year they’ll be reporting about the new Rape Rooms they’ve opened.

Lieberman: You can get arrested for threatening presidents and any behavior that suggests you are contemplating taking violent action against an elected official. The line between this and this `JFK: Reloaded’ game is, in my mind, close.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the target of this video game already [i]dead[/i]? Now I want to find Kennedy’s corpse and physically re-enact the famous Assassination scene.

Traffic is offering a $100,000 prize to the first player to “most accurately re-create the three shots fired by Lee Harvey Oswald,” according to a news release issued Monday.

Traffic representatives didn’t respond to phone calls Tuesday, but the company’s release billed “JFK: Reloaded” as a “docu-game” with historical instruction as its main purpose. It’s available only by downloading from the Internet.

Yes. It’s a “docu-game”. Very educational. And it also helps us all with hand – eye coordination.

Like those video games the military puts out to train soldiers how to kill and stuff.

The U.S. military is by far the largest buyer of game simulations, accounting for roughly half of the $20 million to $40 million market.

Although this article suggests that the military has branched out beyond the “Killing Game” stage to other tactical games:

America’s Army harnesses state-of-the-art game play to win new recruits for the U.S. Army, taking players from the rifle range to bombed-out desert cities. It ranks as one of the most popular online games, with more than 4 million registered players.

Other military games focus on equally important survival skills, like Arabic language and etiquette. Users of the Rapid Tactical Language Training System can stumble through conversations with animated computer characters, rather than actual Iraqi citizens who might take offense at the wrong hand gesture.

Will Interactive’s releases focus on leadership skills, putting players in situations where there is no clear right or wrong answer. Players must decide what to do if they don’t have enough chemical suits for their troops, how to get a wounded soldier to safety, or how to defuse a tense hostage situation.

Can the player opt to not run the mission if such a situation as not having enough equipment arises, as that National Guard unit did last October?

Back to JFK:

The conspiracy theorists have it all wrong. If you listen to them, Kennedy was just about to do any number of things before he was shot dead. He saw where Vietnam was heading, and so was going to get us out of there. He was going to bring equality to the races. He was going to share the truth about the aliens. Whatever.

There isn’t much reason to think he was going to move outside the box in any way, shape, or form. Maybe he pushed space exploration heavily because it diverted money in the Military Industrial Complex; maybe he didn’t. But the 1960 election, the common complaint was “not much policy difference” — a difference in tone, not policy. The understudy of an Eisenhower president who was to the left of the national Republican party, who conservatively managed government programs and stepped out of the way where he could, versus a partician Northeastern centrist to the right of the National Democratic Party who campaigned soft-peddled civil rights.

Though “a difference in tone, not policy” is salient. Nixon versus Kennedy: really, now, who would you rather have as president?

Kennedy’s overrated. I say we oughta kill him.

No. Wait. I can’t say that. The civil service will come knocking at my door, because I threatened to kill a dead president. (Does Kennedy still have civil service protection, I wonder.)