When he goes to trial and is convicted of war crimes, will his name be erased?

If I try to put myself into the photo by looking into the mirror, I feel a little unsteady. Not unlike the remarks that Obama made, looking backwards to look forward. It is important to gain new foothold in this new world view.

It is a very cold photo, no doubt. Usually there is a sense of warmth and light in dark times, winter. After all, isn't Christmas supposed to be the "season of light?" The lone ancient-sort of column on the right, the weight pressing down onto the highly decorative cap of it, is certainly in contrast to the sharply defined modern-looking monument to the left, with no way to place any weight or cap on it. Of course, the dialog is joined by the rotunda far across the cold expanse, the "river" in the center linking them all and rising up all around them, as if to swallow them up, like the tides of Katrina? Go away into the cold night, Mr. Bush. Hope you can bail, Laura.

Halloween anybody?

When I looked at this photo, I was reminded of the Bush photo, Katrina time. Remember?

And not to forget Dylan: Backstage the girls were playin' five-card stud by the stairs, Lily had two queens, she was hopin' for a third to match her pair. Outside the streets were fillin' up, the window was open wide, A gentle breeze was blowin', you could feel it from inside. Lily called another bet and drew up the Jack of Hearts. Big Jim was no one's fool, he owned the town's only diamond mine, He made his usual entrance lookin' so dandy and so fine. With his bodyguards and silver cane and every hair in place, He took whatever he wanted to and he laid it all to waste. But his bodyguards and silver cane were no match for the Jack of Hearts. Rosemary combed her hair and took a carriage into town, She slipped in through the side door lookin' like a queen without a crown. She fluttered her false eyelashes and whispered in his ear, "Sorry, darlin', that I'm late," but he didn't seem to hear. He was starin' into space over at the Jack of Hearts.

I subscribed to VOGUE for years and years. In the last couple of years, I quit. I got tired of all the advertising mostly, and the over the top stuff just did not seem important to see any more. Fashion is just not to die for any more, or maybe I am just getting old. One thing I imagine is that the models, who are constantly going back and forth over the oceans in planes, probably have more occasions than most of us to go through this screening, and Maisel and all of them must talk about it. I would not be surprised if this is a direct result of the sorts of things they have all experienced (don't expect that beauty is any less an invitation to be singled out any more than age. . .by Thousands Standing Around. Maybe, as the shots (ha ha) indicate, even more an invitation to be searched, etc.) I don't like the sub-text of violence and violation in the photos, but I bet it is part and parcel of the total lifestyle. For real.

It is incredible what it takes for someone to open their eyes. But eyes were opened. NYC was not fooled by W. How long will it take for the rest of the country to wake up and get it? What you said, Nezua-Limon!!

The town where I grew up had a major fire in 2000. The destruction was stunning, but not even a fly on a rooftop compared to the Gulf Coast after Katrina. I took many photographs, in an effort to give a sense of the fire, not just the intensity of it but the capriciousness of it. I suppose there is caprice in a flood too (not much), but fire purifies, and water putrefies. The horror of what remains is magnified by the rot. Both transform, but in different ways. It is really impossible to convey the magnitude/scale of this sort of destruction in photos. So every aspect of the craft/art of photography that can be used to bring forward the overwhelming emotion--helplessness,hopelessness, humanity, nature, must be employed. The other thing I know from my experience is that fire-town is still in the process of rebuilding, six years later. The time it will take to rebuild the Coast is inestimable. The tragedy is really incomprehensible.

Asymmetrical. Israel has the firepower to inflict tremendous damage, and collateral, as the case may be, in Lebanon. The kill ratio is asymmetrical. On the other side, if there is celebration, is it because they are happy to kill Israelis, or is there the satisfaction, in some asymmetrical manner, of being underdogs and yet keeping an asymmetrical power at bay? Just asking.

Down to the wire, hanging by a thread. That election musta been torture!!

Yesterday there was some report about our (US) jail cells, perhaps it was in Iraq, not Gitmo--48" x 48" x 20" in which prisoners are kept for weeks. Some being fed only bread and water while so confined. The means of our tortures are large and larger, we have so many methods of inhumanity. And who would not have imagined that captured US soldiers would be given anything other than revenge? Reap what you sow. I am with Murtha, stay and pay. Yes, we are paying every kind of price, every price too high. War without end. If our leaders will not lead, we have to make our movement large enough and loud enough that some of them (one would be enough) will follow us.

So they have a little "frame" shop over there in Baghdad. Maybe they are just recycling frames from Oudai's pornography collection? Or maybe they had some mat board flown in special for the occasion? Or perhaps they have futures in Sotheby's? Maybe there will be a new Iraqi deck of cards? Anyone have some images of the dead Oudai and Co. to juxtapose with this? While the death toll mounts, we'll have the new "American Boogeyman," next. Just after "Don't Cry for Me," with Ann Coulter.

He's "troubled" by Haditha. But not with a capital "T." I'm with those who observe in this snap that the chimp-in-chief has just said something "funny" and the asiders are laughing at someone, with him. Juvenile. The whole thing. And sickening.

Springtime for. . . .Hitler? Where have all the flowers gone, longtime passing? Gone to graveyards every one. Happy Memorial Day, one and all.

So, who wrote that on the wall? These kids may have more knowledge of Vietna* than any Americans in Ira* these days. Are there brothels in Iraq? I think not, so none of the children will be scorned for being half-American. Maybe because the pregnant women will be killed before the babies are born? And besides no jungle, I think it was documented in Fallujah that we used something akin to napalm. I guess we should be glad it doesn't say "MaiLai Str." Oh, that's around the corner.

New proposed legislation headed through the US Senate will permit insurance companies to decide whether or if to cover the cost of contraceptives for women. This was a battle that was fought and won in the past, these companies had to be FORCED by law to provide contraceptives to women as part of their coverage. I am not sure how many people are aware of this movement, but I hope entirely in line with what I suppose this article is doing: that is educating lots of people about the current insurance changes proposed by the right. More information: You may have heard about this "Lose Your Benefits Bill" before, but now it has passed out of committee and the full Senate will vote on it. It's an insidious attempt by hardline senators to chip away at our basic rights. These lawmakers have tried before to restrict access to birth control and other health care you need. Their latest strategy? Force women to pay for these benefits out of pocket. We've worked for decades to pass state laws that require insurance companies to cover birth control just like other medicines. This bill would trample those laws, but it doesn't stop there. Besides fair coverage for contraception, here are some of the other benefits that women could lose: <> cancer screenings <> mammograms <> maternity care <> the ability to go straight to your OB/GYN when you have a problem <> the ability to stay with the same doctor throughout a pregnancy <> infertility treatment <> osteoporosis screenings And it's not just women who will be affected -- the bill guts state protections for coverage for prostate cancer screenings, ambulatory surgery, emergency services, and more. To make matters worse, it will likely also increase the costs of health insurance for older and sicker people who need health insurance most. Please take two minutes to speak out against this dangerous bill -- the Senate could vote as early as this week. Contact your senator now: http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/benefits2

The blogosphere is where the winds are blowing and tides are rising. Colbert is on the crest of the wave. Hurrah!!! Yesterday the Immigrant's Train roared right through Sensenbrenner Station. Lots of people are on-board, and it is not just immigrants. America is watching the birth of a major new political movement. The politicization of young immigrants is a powerful sight. January 20, 2009 may arrive sooner than we expect.

The "pole" in W's head makes him into a character on a merry-go-round, down and down, round and round. Same old tune. MSM seems to be giving props for "objectivity" to Snow for having once been able to call W incompetent and etc. but there will be rosey times on that roundabout, Snow or no. What about the look on Rove's face coming out of Fitzland yesterday? Didn't look happy to me. Whaddya say Tony?

The last photo is the first--no food on plates, soldier has plastic, Bush has china. Then they got rid of the 2nd class plastic plate and gave everyone china plates (top photo)? But not before Bush gets the idea he's Special with the china (smirk)? Down go the polls. Down down down. To the bottom. Enjoy your meal, W. We're having you for lunch!!

I have no words to say how truly sad this picture makes me feel.

I think his tone of voice is key. When Cheney talks, he keeps his voice very calm and modulated. Bush is hysterical. If he is on meds, they are not working very well.

I saw this yesterday on the NYT and immediately knew I would see it here today. I am with Gleex, the official painting of GWB, the flight suit. Perfect. There is virtually no art/art history education in the US. The failure of Rove to grasp that practically no one will know anything about the painting, will not understand the imagery nor recognize TR, and why the public will largely misunderestimate the value of the photo to the White House. So while Rove may have "got it" the public will not. Most, like Bush, will lack the curiosity to even look twice at the painting or ask why this image was chosen. Teddy was also a bit of an environmentalist I believe, perhaps the national Park Service was begun under him? Anyway, the Bush use of him, like all the other false images they put forth, simply falls flat.

I don't think he wants out, in any sense of that word. (What is up with the way he sspeakss? What is all the enunciation about? To make it seem like he intends to say what is coming out of his mouth? I can't stand to listen to him.) It is amazing he actually went to an unfiltered audience and took unfiltered questions yesterday. Of course it got a lot of media attention, and they have not really bothered to correct the 30,000 Iraqi dead figure. Bill Frist was on TV this morning giving more lie to the same old puppet show. Don't talk about the 9-11/AQ link, just focus on how many "terrorists" are in Iraq today. One thousand days and counting. The boy in the bubble, love ta love ya baby!!!

Gives new meaning to the concept of "photoshopping." Maybe more work from the boy-wonder propaganda machine? (Lincoln Group?)