"I have full faith in you, and think you're doing a great job."

"Oh, sir, no, please don't say that. For the love of God, please don't say that..."

*snort* I do think anyone getting the 'ole Bush endorsement should start polishing his resume and checking the buckles on his parachute.

Thanks for the links yesterday. I started reading what I could and I'm still looking for more info.

Bush seems to have always followed the line that says "hire people less competent than you are so you'll look good by comparison". I think they teach that in MBA school... it seems to be the only class he was present and sober for.

What's so frustrating is that had every voter read Molly Ivins's Shrub, it would have been obvious that we'd end up precisely where we are: bankrupt and drowning.


To paraphrase:

From the record, it appears that he doesn't know much, doesn't do much and doesn't care much about governing...Bush has admitted that he dislikes reading, particularly about policy issues, and that he hates meetings and briefings...

I just...it's just...there are no words.

That's how I felt when he was first elected governor. He was an empty suit then, and it didn't get any better. When he was up for the Rethuglican nomination for president, I couldn't help but laugh. I told as many folks as I could get to listen that nothing about being the Governor of Texas necessarily prepares you for *any* office given the weakness of our Governor's Office. No one would listen. They bought the lies and here we are.

I'm still STUNNED that the Democrats let him get away with presenting himself as an experienced executive branch kind of guy. I get that the average citizen might mistake "governor of Texas" for a powerful position but the Democratic party would know the truth.

It's not as if they had to worry about losing Texas votes by attacking the bizarre power structure here. Never mind the string of businesses that Bush was involved with during his life -- each funded by his father's buddies and each one a money losing venture. In light of that, his disastrous presidency is just the same old same old for him.

Oh, yeah! He really has lived up to his 'potential'. So far, he's been a failure in everything he's ever tried.

What an utter embarrassment.

I keep finding myself apologizing for not having seen to it that he was better contained early on. We all kept forgetting just how stupid people in general are.

Whereas I get bitchy about it and point out that as a Texan, I've voted against the Brainless Wonder far more times than have non-Texans. ;-)

I dislike him enough that I crossed party lines to cast an entirely ceremonial vote against him in the Rethuglican (I like that and am stealing it!) primary of 2000. I'd have done it again in 2004 but there were a couple of Democratic primary races I wanted to weigh in on -- so that was the only time the man's name has been on the ballot that I didn't make it my duty as an American to vote against him.

It was very strange to stand in the Repug line; I took a shower after voting.

Oh, well, yeah. I also like to point out that he's a Texan about like robins are... they're born in Mexico, grow up in the north and pass through here on their way elsewhere.

Yeah, I found myself in a Rethug line by accident once. Went home and showered.

Oh, well, yeah. I also like to point out that he's a Texan about like robins are... they're born in Mexico, grow up in the north and pass through here on their way elsewhere.

I used to take great joy when my Connecticut friends would bitch about Bush in saying, "Hey, he's one of YOUR people, not mine." :) (The fake Texas accent really gives me hives.)

I've actually had a Connecticut friend apologize to *me*. It was quite refreshing.

Everything about him raises my hackles. Always has.

At least when he was governor he was more or less harmless.

Good to know that your instincts are right on, isn't it?

Texas governor was the perfect job for the guy: it was ok that he was mentally lazy because he was just the cheerleader. The state constitution had already taken away all of the dangerous toys, so we could sit back without worrying that the Dolt in Charge would accidentally stick a fork in the outlet or anything.

Exactly. The Texas Governor is as influential or inconsequential as he or she chooses to be. You get a good one, like Ann Richards, and it can be a powerful office. She was a true leader. She led in all the right ways. Then you get dumbasses like Dubya who couldn't lead his ass to the bathroom if you tied him to the sink.

Amen, sister. I really didn't know just how fleeting those Good Times were with Richards and Clinton. Gods, that depresses me. :(

Tell me about it. I comfort myself that we'll likely survive this.

We may have to do it at the top of a mountain, but we'll likely survive this.

Hee! I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one who felt dirty.

Not by a long shot. And Texas seems to breed a particularly virulent strain of the microbes.

Whereas I get bitchy about it and point out that as a Texan, I've voted against the Brainless Wonder far more times than have non-Texans. ;-)

When I moved from Houston to Connecticut, I got told all of the time, "You're from Texas, so you must like Bush." To which I would always reply, "No, I'm from Texas, so I know better."

Oh! Excellent answer. I'm still dumbfounded nobody bothered to explain that our governor is just a highly paid state cheerleader.

Here's the Pres' off-the-cuff comment made yesterday about unemployment in American:

"There are jobs Americans aren't doing. ... If you've got a chicken factory, a chicken-plucking factory, or whatever you call them, you know what I'm talking about...."

Yeah, not the sharpest tool in the shed... but certainly a tool.

HEY! I think I owe you about a dozen e-mails & messages. I've completely forgotten about arranging a Saturday and time is dwindling. I'm sorry I've been so damned forgetful. You name the Saturday and I'll be there. :)

I hope future politicians study the Democratic campaigns of 2000 and 2004 so that we can determine to never, ever allow such an embarrassment to prevail. I'm so ashamed that he is what our country chose. (Well, ok, the voters only chose him in 2004 but the race should never have been close enough for it to hinge on hanging chads.)

Naw, you're all caught up on emails and messages to me hehe. I've been lazy as hell arranging a trip to see those exhibits... mostly because Greg and I have been running inot the city every Friday night to grab dinner, take out for the next day's dinner and a few groceries, and I haven't had the energy to get up the next morning and make the drive again lol

*HUG*

There's a reason I live inside the Loop... :-)

I'm barely outside of it and sometimes it seems like exile. :| If I have to live in Houston, I really wish I could afford something safe but funky in Montrose.

My sister and her husband are considering a place downtown. They could both walk to work. I think the loft they were looking at (somewhere behind one of the courthouses) was something like $1700/month. Not all that bad at all, when you consider the HUGE savings in transportation costs *and* that the rent also included electricity.

WTF?!? Only $1700 AND it includes electricity? Considering that electricity at our place runs close to $500 in the summer...that's a steal! I've avoided lofts because I really like having a fenced yard for the dogs but that's an amazingly tempting deal. And the idea of cutting back on gas comsumption is appealing in several ways, not only because it's costing me $30/tank of gas. :\

There's a house I've loved for a long time in our nabe for sale so I looked it up online and just about choked to realize it lists for just shy of $400K. We're not talking McMansions but a plain old 1950's ranch house with about 2500 square feet and no garage.

YEOWCH!

The places there across South Main from Reliant were anywhere from about 80k to 120k about 12 years ago. Now they're closer to 300k. I keep thinking I should check out the houses over behind Meyer Park, but I have a horrible feeling they're going to be outta my league, too.

Behind Meyer Park is my nabe. :) I was totally floored to find out how much they thought someone would pay for that house. They've dropped the asking price by $8K, but that's but a tiny drop in the bucket.

Oh, cool! For some reason I thought of you as being over on the Kroger side of Post Oak. Do you know the Willow Pool? My kid used to swim over there in the summers.

Happily, no. Afternoon traffic exiting the freeway is much nicer going to the Randall's side than it is going to the Kroger side. :)

The Willow Pool is on Cliffwood, no? During the summer I drive past a lot of bathingsuit-lad kids. It's a very popular spot in the nabe. Being the sort who wouldn't be caught dead in public wearing tiny scrap of fabric, I've never visited or joined.

There are some great houses over near the pool and schools -- the $400K house is a few blocks from there. We live in the less expensive part of the nabe but even our house has doubled in 10 years. Un-be-liev-able.

Well, shoot. I was hoping there were still some one-room shacks with outhouses available. ;-);-)

I just need to win the lottery. I see someone got my 68 million, so I'll have to settle for the 7 mil.

Darn.

But it might just be enough to buy a house with after taxes.

Oh man - I can totally understand not wanting to do that drive two days in a row. How are you two doing? Fully recovered from the flu? Joe just got back from a D.C. / Montreal trip - yes, he went to Canada without me! sob! - but all of the running around means he still hasn't fully recovered and gets worn out all too easily.

Have Greg's hours gone back to anything resembling sanity yet? Joe's, of course, are just ramping up and pretty much he'll be involved in one thing or another for the next few months. This weekend is the Grand Prix.

I saw Jerry this Wednesday and he said he had a woman interested in one of your pieces. He's hoping she'll be back soon. Also, he gets lots of positive comments on the art and loves having it on his walls. :D

*HUGS BACK*

*sighs*

*makes with the sad, supportive face*