NASA Image Analyst Confirms Bush Wore Wire During Debate

Dr. Robert M. Nelson, a senior research scientist for NASA and Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laborator, declares that he is "willing to stake my scientific reputation to the statement that Bush was wearing something under his jacket during the debate" that caused the notorious bulge. Obviously, Bush's cheating during the debates is a minor offense compared to, say, lying about the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Nonetheless, this incident deserves attention, as it is indicative of Bush's character, demonstrating that our pampered president, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, believes that he doesn't have to play by the rules by which most people are expected to abide. Had John Kerry or Bill Clinton worn a wire during one of their presidential debates, you can be damn sure the Republicans would have been calling for their heads.

How Has Bush Betrayed Thee?: Let Us Count the 100 Ways

Judd Legum has compiled an extensive (though no doubt not entirely comprehensive) list of 100 facts about the Bush Administration that every American should read, particularly those who intend to vote on November 2. The piece is titled "100 Facts and 1 Opinion" and can be found in the November 8, 2004 edition The Nation. The online version contains links to sources that corroborate the 100 facts, most of which did receive mainstream media coverage, but in an age of near-instantaneous amnesia and information overload were, perhaps, too soon forgotten or overlooked by many Americans.

Pro-Dope Students Duped into Registering Republican

Actually, my headline is a slightly sensationalistic. Indiana University of Pennsylvania students thought that they were signing a petition in support of legalizing marijuana for medical use, but the documents were actually used by duplicitous Republicans (sadly, these days it seems as though the 'duplicitous' tag almost goes without saying for most GOP politicos) to register them as Republicans. As this article from The Indiana Gazette reports, the party-registration issue should not matter in the November 2 election; however, it could be an issue in the next primary election. It's going to be an ugly election day this year, I think, as the GOP appears to be going to great lengths to disenfranchise voters inclined to vote for John Kerry.

Eminem Moshes All Over Bush, But Will His Fans Follow?

I'm no Eminem fan, though I've enjoyed a few of his tracks, but I was pleased to hear about and even more impressed by the video for his new single "Mosh," in which he holds Bush accountable for the disastrous war in Iraq and encourages his fans to give Bush the bum's rush. How will "Mosh" play for all the suburban frat boys in Eminem's fan base who applaud Bush's shallow cowboy act but, like Bush, are chicken hawks who would never think of enlisting in the military?

Unfortunately, in what seems to be an act of cowardice on the part of the record company, "Mosh" isn't the first single to be released from Eminem's new album, which, I understand, isn't scheduled to be released until November 16, when the ballots will have long been cast and, presumably, the next President will have been elected. I'm hoping that MTV and other major media outlets pick the video up, though my guess is that they can't handle a real rap 'controversy.' The entertainment industry made it seem as though Eminem's dissing Britney Spears was shocking, but let's see if they have the cajones to generate some pre-election buzz for "Mosh."

If you want to see Eminem's "Mosh" video now, it's available at the Guerrilla News Network.

Ronald Reagan, Neuromancer

William Gibson has been blogging lately, and this post is simply a reminder to myself to archive the following quote for the next time I teach one of his novels: "If I were to put together a truly essential thank-you list for the people who most made it possible for me to write my first six novels, I'd certainly owe as much to Ronald Reagan as to Bill Gates or Lou Reed. Reagan's presidency put the grit in my dystopia. His presidency was the fresh kitty litter I spread for utterly crucial traction on the icey driveway of uncharted futurity. His smile was the nightmare in my back pocket."

Most of my students were just infants during Reagan's second term, and what they 'know' of Reagan is largely the stuff of campaign ads, i.e., the morning in America myth, etc. When teaching the literature that came out of the 1980s, of course, a very different account of life in America emerges.