Letter to Neal Boortz

theliesmakeyouevenmadder
It is grossout confession time. I listen to Neal Boortz. I have not wrecked the truck yet. The closest I came to that was when Mike Vick said he had found Jesus during his post indictment press conference.
Mrs. Boortz has a project going. She is going to Walter Reed Hospital soon, and is going to be giving gift cards to the wounded vets there. (If you want to send a gift card, here is the address:
Walter Reed Project
c/o Neal Boortz
WSB Radio
1601 W. Peachtree Street
Atlanta, Georgia 30309)
There were gift cards that I never got around to using, so I decided to send them down to White Columns. And, I wrote a little letter:



The person who reads the mail/Mr. Boortz:

These are some gift cards I have. I don’t like to use them, and giving them to a wounded veteran is a good idea.
I am one of the “Liberals” that you have made lots of money denouncing. I should ask for a cut.
The war in Iraq is a disaster. I think you know this, even if you are paid to say otherwise. I don’t believe the happy talk about “the surge is working, we are winning”. This talk is part of the strategy.

I would like to ask a few favors of Mr. Boortz.
Answer your e mail. All you need to do is send an automated message that your received it, and thanks for listening to the show. Of course, If you want to reply to the substance of the message, that is fine too.
Come clean about your military record. I see no mention on your website biography about exactly why you did not go to ‘Nam. Being an assistant jewelry buyer at Rich’s, and working at RING radio, while rough experiences, are not quite the same. (Of course, If you ate at the Burger Chef in front of WRNG, you are tough. I did phone soliciting in that complex.) Back to the draft…you are a tireless promoter of the current war, and are trying to start more in Iran , Pakistan,and Buford Dam. When it was your turn to fight, you did not. If it was a medical condition that kept you from the draft, you seem to have made a remarkable recovery.Playing hockey, running half marathons, and climbing mountains are not things that disqualify you from active duty.
Be nice to Belinda. She is the best thing about that show.
Repeat as often as possible the disclaimer about not believing what you hear on the show. That is the one part of your show I do believe.
Be glad you are on opposite Laura Ingraham and Glenn Beck. Compared to those two you are downright reasonable.
Visit my blog from time to time. While you get lots of play out of trashing “liberals”, I get my revenge by writing about it. Blogs are talk radio without the busy signal. The address is http://www.chamblee54.blogspot.com/.

All kidding aside, the job your wife is doing for wounded vets is commendable. And my radio has an off button, so it is my fault if I listen.
Cam Mckinnon/chamblee54
Spell check suggestions for this feature:
Belinda-blinder, blind, blend, blender, bellied, belied
grossout- grossest, grout
nam-am, name, Naomi, nab, nag, nah, nap, nat, nay

traffic report

trafficreportseveryhalfhour
I don’t have anything to say, but I am going to use fancy technology to say it.
The fretting about technology goes way back. Homer is quoted as saying, “when we begin to write, we will lose our ability to remember”
It is like the time I pulled up to a red light, and looked at the car next to me. There were four people in it, and each was talking on a cell phone. Whatever happened to talking to the people that you are with?
Or maybe it is a communication thing. Recently, I have been having conversations with G-d when I am at a red light next to the Big Chicken. The other day, I turned down the radio traffic report as I slowed to the stop.
“Hey G-d, wassup?”
““Don’t worry about me, listen to the traffic report”




twoeightyfivealllanesblockedsouthbound
7:36:26 PM
Sometimes the last steps are the steepest.
There was one fed x label left to print when the computer had an attitude problem. Instead of being done at 515, I left at 600. Then, the roads were backed up, and my half hour commute took an hour.
But I got home.
There was one comment on the radio today that stuck. A talker was discussing the situation in Iraq. We have gone there and liberated them from Saddam. Why don't
they show more progress in setting up a democratic government ?
His answer:
" That is like cutting a man's legs off below the knees, and saying, hey I gave you some new sneakers, why can't you run faster?"
America has created a mess in Babylon. But you know that. If we leave there is carnage. If we stay there is carnage. Some are saying that now we will need 40k troops in there for the next fifteen years.
The situation in Gaza is similar. The people there were the subject of a brutal occupation by Israel. The fact that this is only marginally better than the way they were treated when governed by Egypt is irrelevant to the rabble rousers. Ditto the exploitation of the Palestineans by the Arab nations.
So Israel decides to pull out, after doing little to prepare these people to govern themselves. There is an election between Al Fatah ( the Yassir Arafat organization) and Hamas. The people of Gaza are tired of the corruption of Al Fatah, and they choose Hamas. Why is anyone surprised?
We gave you some new sneakers, why can't you run faster?
Spell check suggestions for this feature:
fatah- faith fatal
Yassir- easier, sassier, gasser, passer
Arafat- Aright, abaft, afar, craft, draft graft, kraft
hamas- hammers, hams, whams, hermosa, harass

happy mayday

thefirstcasualtyisthetruth
War is an individual and collective, personal and anonymous, a truth and a fiction. People feel things very intensely, which is probably a result of your life being in imminent and random danger.
Add to this the modern phenomena of talk radio and the internet, and you have the stage set for a farce.
The renowned radio whiner "squeal" has been playing a tape recently.In it, "Vick", a sergeant in the reserve, talks about his time in Iraq. He praises the Iraqi Security forces, and says he has pulled the zipper on nine body bags. He says that he wants to "do his job" in Iraq.
Now, "squeal" has been known to perpetrate a hoax or two on his show. Add in comments like the ones mentioned above, and "Vick" needs to be taken with a bit of skepticism.
But let’s turn off the BS detector for a minute, and assume "Vick" is for real. There are, no doubt, troops who passionately believe in the cause of a democratic Iraq, and would like to be able to "do their job". These views need to be respected...after all; they are the ones risking their lives.
The thing is, soldiers on the ground do not establish strategy. They follow orders, and we should be grateful they do. Will allowing Vick to "do his job" allow us to realize our goals in Iraq? Or, will it do more harm than good?
There are many indications that we can do more for the cause of Iraqi democracy (oxymoron alert), or at least a stable country, by leaving. As long as we are there, the insurgents and the foreign fighters (including but not limited to Al Queda) can be focused on their loathing of Americans. There are numerous indications that the Iraqis are not happy with the foreign fighters, and would be glad to see them leave. As long as Americans are there to fight, the foreign fighters are not going to go anywhere.



tigreseuphratesriversbending
Another voice is "Baghdad burning", by Riverbend She posts a powerful piece last week about her family’s decision to leave Iraq, for an uncertain future elsewhere. Her story is as moving as "Vick", and much better written. (Well written prose trumps a possibly drunk, possibly play acted, caller on a talk radio show). And, while her point of view is legitimate, she is equally deserving of a second look.
Jeff Weintraub supplies that pinch of salt.
He points out that Riverbend was part of the privileged Sunni minority, who may well see the days of Saddam as a golden age. While her opinion does matter, it is hardly unanimous among Iraqis.
The departure of the Iraqi middle class into exile is yet another tragedy of this shamful war. I meant to say shameful, but it is shamful as well.
Thank you Kiko for both the thesis and the commentary.
What to make of all this? I want our troops home, with as much honor as possible. (Please, no Nixonian talk of Peace with honor, although Kissinger is still alive to, er,ah, help) As for Iraq.... there will be chaos and bloodshed, but they are a people with a long history, and should be able to sort themselves out. We can still have our comfortable lives, while the people of Babylon suffer immeasurably. Iran will probably want to help, and help itself, while our exhausted troops are unable
to stop them. Especially when the elected government of Iraq is cooperating with the kleptocracy in Iran.
Somebody will get the oil. As long as our money is good (which might not be for much longer), it will be sold to us.
Spell check for this feature:
Vick... vice, vickj, vickie, vicks, vicky
queda...quad, quid
Riverbend...riverbed ( There is an apartment complex in Atlanta called Riverbend. In its late sixties heyday , riverbed would have been a good name for it)
sunni...Sunni, sunny, sun, sung, sunk, suns, sin, sauna, sonny, sunup, Sun OS, sunnier, sunned, snuff, shun, snub, snug
Kissinger...kissing, cosigner

Have a happy Mayday!!

Lunch Entertainment

thirtysixhundredseconds
I am starting to appreciate the concept of a one hour lunch.
When I started here, I took a half hour, and not every day. Often we would be busy, and I would routinely skip the noon meal. The bean counters at corporate were not amused.
But, you can get used to anything if you have no choice. The internet is a good companion, especially if you have some things to look for.
Of course, my blog got no comments (you,with the world’s smallest violin,downsize). The Jesus Worship blogs are there, but blessedly quiet today. I start to make the rounds of the address bar.
Now, the address bar is a cool feature of the much maligned internet explorer. (I have foxfire at home, and honestly don't know what the big deal is) If you look at it, you will see the latest urls that have been typed/pasted in. Since another user of the machine here has overrun the favorites window, the address bar is the de facto bookmarks column.


twinkietwinkielittlestar
The first stop is the Wikidumper .This is the last refuge of articles about to be 86'd from wikipedia. Today the top feature is "twinkies in popular culture".
I was going to make a joke here, but I am so out of touch with modern "culture" that I don't know a name to insert.
Hell, I once saw a comment about Bono, and thought they were talking about Sonny.
As the legal "profession" likes to say, they did it Pro Bono. Cher and Cher alike. Gypsies, tramps, and theives.
All this time I am eating ramen noodles with Kroger "traditional salsa". An easy open can of Kroger yellow cling peaches awaits, followed by an afternoon of water and bagels. Yes, it is cheaper than McDonalds, but I miss waiting in line and the attitude of the staff. Life is not fair.



mercenarialventure
The next line on my impressionistic internet inventory is kikoshouse .A resounding repository of antiwar common sense, K's house is a must stop on my virtual journey. The top feature today is a welcome to the spring season, illustrated by a Grant Wood image. Below that is a thought provoking feature on the use of contractors in Iraq.
With the all volunteer army, contractors, who are well compensated, do many of the jobs formerly done by conscripts. This has been very profitable to the corporations who got the contracts. It is also morally iffy, when you consider the role of "private security" contractors, a.k.a. mercenaries. These merry men do a lot of the dirty work in this “liberation”, which has the benefit of being deniable to our side.
However you may feel about the war, it is tough not to be supportive of the troops. They are doing their job, at great risk and low pay. However, when you have a hired gun, making a six figure salary...the sentimental notions about supporting the troops goes out the window.
As a side issue, when Vietnam was being napalmed to save it, those of us on the homefront heard a lot about "backing our boys in Vietnam". Now, those guys were young, but they were not boys. They were men. In the present conflict, women do many of the jobs. It takes too long to say, "back our boys and girls". So, we say. "support the troops". This is an improvement.



quotaofquotidianquotes
The last electronic stop before I got the urge to write was The quotation page The first name I entered was Oscar Wilde. There were seven pages of quotes, many of which are familiar. The next name was Janis Joplin. I found one :
"Don't compromise yourself. You're all you've got".
I could add the time she was on the Dick Cavett show.
" I could tell you were a swinger by your shoes".
The last name I entered was Larry Kramer. There were no quotes in the database. This might be a good thing. I have been warned about "inappropriate" websites while at work.
The pictures here were taken at and near the Carter Center on March 18, 2007.
Jimmy says hey.
The spell check suggestions for this post:
bono...bonn, boon, boo, bon, bone, bonnie, bongo, bond, bony, bolo, bozo, boron, boson, boons
cher...cheer, cheri, her, tier, cherie, char, chare, chore, chorea, chori chef, chew, cherry, cheers, cheery, cheek, cheep, chess
ramen..ramon, ramona, ragmen, ragman, rammed, rammer, raven
cavett...caveat, cave, caved, caves, cadet, caret,

Open Letter

OpenLetter The following is a letter to radio talkshow host Micheal Medved
You were talking yesterday about taxes. You asked for anyone who thinks we should pay more taxes to call in. Now, with my job, calling in is not an option for me. I do,however, have some ideas about why we should pay more taxes.
Now, this is not economic, although that is always a factor with taxes. This is a moral argument.
We should pay more taxes as a way to participate in the war in Iraq. (I should note that I couldn’t bring myself to use the phrase "war on terror". OIF is a war on people, in a country eight time zone away.)
The burden of this war is being carried by a small part of the population. The troops, and their families, are bearing the entire load. The rest of us get off by talking. This is not right. The burden of this war should be shared more equally, and a way to do this is to raise taxes.
Maybe if OIF were affecting us in the wallet, then supporters of this war would think twice about their bluster.
I should note that I have been opposed to the War in Babylon since day one. I never believed the talk about wmds or al queda, and considered Mr. Hussein to be relatively harmless. In fact, by serving as a counterweight to Iran, he was doing us a service.
Of course, the decision to invade and occupy has been made, and we have to live with it. An abrupt withdrawal would do harm. Our continued presence is doing harm, and will need to end some day. I don't know what the answer is.
One thing to do is share the burden of this ghastly war.
One way to do this is with a tax increase.
This letter will be posted at my blog, http://www.chamblee54.blogspot.com/.
Cam Mckinnon
Atlanta GA
The spell check suggestions for this feature
Wmds…wads weds
Queda…quad quid
presense...presence prisons prissiness pretense persians persons