The Weekly Boobies

Friday Boobies in the shade.

Mubarak Steps Down

Wow, that went quicker than I expected.

Hosni Mubarak has stepped down.

While we'll have to see what happens next, and how the military leadership actually rules, mass bloodshed has been avoided for now. Mubarak finally read the writing on the wall:

Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman has just read a statement saying President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down as president, ending his 30-year rule. Suleiman said that the higher council of the armed forces will lead the nation.

Mubarak's move came on the 18th day of the protests that gripped his country, and after he had stopped short of stepping down on several previous occasions.

The New York Times reports:

The Egyptian military issued a communiqué pledging to carry out a variety of constitutional reforms in a statement notable for its commanding tone. The military's statement alluded to the delegation of power to Mr. Suleiman and it suggested that the military would supervise implementation of the reforms.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/mubarak-steps-down-in-egypt.php?ref=fpblg

I'm very pleased to see a non-violent revolution succeed. A brutal dictator has been removed without a single American bomb being dropped.

I couldn't resist the picture above, which proves the American influence on the Egyptian protests. Witness that great icon of American freedom: Cartman!

Fecal Matter About To Hit Oscillating Wind Device

Damn. Mubarak says he's not leaving, but will delegate some powers to al-Suleiman. I listened to his speech in Arabic, and I really couldn't believe what I was hearing. Mubarak sounded disoriented and delusional, but still defiant:

On the 17th day of protests that have gripped his country and commanded the attention of the world, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak made a televised speech in which he repeated his pledge not to seek re-election, announced proposed amendments to the constitution, but did not -- as many had expected -- leave office.

"Day after day we will continue the transfer of power from now until September," he said.

He did say that he had delegated some powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman.

As Mubarak spoke, the massive crowd gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square grew more agitated, and began holding their shoes in the air in unison.

"Egypt is going through difficult time, and we can not do anything that causes damage to our economy day after day," Mubarak said.

After Mubarak spoke, Suleiman gave his own televised speech, urging protesters to go home and to work together with the government for the transition.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/mubarak-im-not-stepping-down-yet.php?ref=fpa

This is likely to turn very bloody very quickly. The people aren't backing down, and I believe that al-Suleiman really wants a violent confrontation. The real question is what the military will do; if they stand aside, Mubarak is done, but if they intervene we may see the bloodiest revolution in decades. I'm not optimistic.

For Panic Fans

I know that at least a few of my readers are fans of Widespread Panic, so I thought I'd give a 'heads up' about the anniversary concerts simulcast:

To celebrate Widespread Panic's 25th Anniversary, we will be simulcasting the February 10th & 11th Athens, GA shows and the February 14th, Atlanta, GA show live on LiveWidespreadPanic.com. Tune in here for the free live audio stream starting at 7:30PM EST the night of the show.

Hope that you enjoy!

This Day is Getting Better

Actually, my day started badly. Woke up with a head cold, so rather grumpy.

But then I got the news that my least favorite senator, Jon Kyl has decided not to seek reelection. As I usually say, Jon Kyl is so conservative that he even conserves on letters when spelling his name. He's a dumb greedy brute, and it will be good to be rid of him. Of course, this being Arizona, who knows what sort of abomination we'll elect as our next senator.

Also, there are Reports: Egypt's Mubarak May Step Down Tonight. That's a very good first step, but handing the reigns to Omar al-Suleiman is not an improvement. al-Suleiman was the brutal intelligence head in charge of quashing dissent, so don't expect any sudden outbreak of "freedom" and "democracy" soon. But the pressure of international attention should ensure progress, and Mubarak's departure should bring an end to the violence against the protesters. Unless it doesn't.

UPDATE: Al Jazeera is reporting that the Army will be taking power, rather than Suleiman. The White House calls the situation “fluid.” We'll see what happens.

UPDATE2: Mubarak says he's NOT leaving, staying while turning over "some duties" to al-Sulieman. Listening to his speech (in Arabic), he sounded really disoriented and somewhat delusional. Forget my earlier optimism; Egypt looks poised to turn much, much worse very quickly.

Politically Incorrect Thought of the Day

If Hosni Mubarak really wants to end the protests in Cairo, all he has to do is book the Black Eyed Peas to play a concert in Tahrir Square. Yes, it would be cruel and inhumane, but the place would be cleared out in minutes.

Remembering Ronnie on his 100th

As we remember St. Ronnie's 100th birthday, think how much better off this country would be if Reagan had have stuck with acting with chimps. He actually was pretty good at that.

Of course, he was so much more dignified and "presidential" than our current president.

And his legacy is still with us in so many ways, which is why so many worship him to this day.

Housekeeping and the Stupor Bowl

Just to let you know that I'm still participating in blogroll amnesty day, but I'll be...well...just a little late. I spent most of yesterday engaging in "non-internet related activities" and will be spending a lot of today watching some obscure sporting event. So the blogroll update, while still coming, won't be done today. Again, if you'd like me to add your blog to the 'roll, leave me a comment.
Yeah, I'm a traditional American male, so I'll be watching the Super Bowl. My favorite pub is having a potluck party, and I'm in a couple of betting pools too. Although this years contest features two teams, the Steelers and the Packers, that I dislike but don't despise. So I'm just rooting for a good, close game. One highlight that we won't be seeing this year:

Blogroll Amnesty Day(s)

Via our old friend skippy, I see that it's time again for the annual blogroll amnesty day, and I'm again happy to participate. I'd been planning to update the blogroll anyway, and this weekend seems like a good time to do it. I'll be adding some blogs that entertain me, and dropping a few who've gone dark.

So here's an open invitation: if you'd like me to add your blog to my blogroll, let me know in the comments. I really don't care about how much "traffic" a blog has (this one doesn't get much), but I do value "interesting" most. Link to me, and I'll link to you. Only one exception: I don't link to blogs that are strictly commercial.

And Four Years of Friday Boobies

Almost every Friday for four years I've posted Boobies. And I plan on continuing.

Four Years

Wow, I'm actually two days late in noticing it, but my little blog is at its fourth anniversary (or blogiversary if you prefer). This is the 1,828th post, which means that I'm not exactly prolific.

When I created this blog, I had a simple modest plan: a place where I could throw up whatever crossed my little mind, and then receive accolades from millions of readers around the world. Well, OK, maybe not millions. But the blog has gotten over 51,000 views, which is flattering, to say the least. Most have come in search of Boobies, which I'm only too happy to show them.

One thing I've never been certain of in my own mind is whether this blog serves any actual purpose. While I sometimes put up a "serious" (or at least 'semi-serious') post, most of the content has been trivialities that I found entertaining and, of course, Boobies. Luckily for me, there are no quality standards for blogs. Blogger doesn't care whether a post is meaningful or pure mindless drivel. And I expect that I'll continue to adhere to those standards.

So, to anybody and everybody who's stopped by: a hearty "thank you". I really appreciate your attention, and especially all the comments.

Rabbit, You're Screwed

Welcome to the year of the Rabbit. Please be optimistic.Of course, I lack optimism. Perhaps the world will improve, but that doesn't seem to be the trend line. Actually, if you look at the history of us humans, we've gone a long time without a catastrophic collapse. Currently, this national elevator is headed in only one direction.

Of course, my view could be a result of my seasonal affective disorder. Consider

Seven Signs that you have Seasonal Affective Disorder

of which I have all of them, except that I'm too lazy to build that many snowmen.

1. You notice that Seasonal Affective Disorder has the initials SAD, and you’re both sad and angry about this. You make up a new word, “sangry,” and you are. Sangry.

2. You build 14 detailed snowmen with various personalities and traits. Then you kill them. With a blowtorch.

3. Warm cookies cheer you up. At least the first couple dozen do. Then they make you sangry.

4. You build 14 more snowmen, all different from the first 14, but they meet the same fate. And before they do, you say, “Now you will meet the same fate!” as if they understood you and feared the blowtorch.

5. The happy cries of children yelling “snow day!” sound like actual crying to you, and you join in, which scares the children, and then they really do cry.

6. You go swimsuit shopping to cheer up. That’s how bad it’s gotten.

7. You build 14 more snowmen, put swimsuits on them and feed them cookies. Then, the blowtorch.

http://www.shoeboxblog.com/?p=23204

So it's time to put some pancakes on the "year of the Rabbit".

I'm now wanting warm cookies.

Egypt

First, before you bother to read anything I have to say about Egypt, please read this:
A Guide: How Not To Say Stupid Stuff About Egypt. I'll wait.
I've been somewhat reluctant to post about Egypt because I'm still in 'wait and see' mode. Clearly, a major revolt is under way, but the outcome is still very much uncertain. But last night saw a major escalation, as "pro-Mubarak" mobs (hired thugs and undercover security forces) initiated violence against the protesters. Aljazeera English has the video. To me this reeks of newly appointed military intelligence ogre Omar Suleiman vice president as Mubarak's hand picked successor. In other words, I don't believe that Mubarak has any intention of allowing "democratic elections" and intends to install a continuing dictatorship ahead of his own departure. Whether he succeeds or fails in this remains to be seen, but it certainly sets the stage for a potentially very bloody future.
As with all news from the Middle East, my most trusted source is Juan Cole at Informed Comment, and he has a very interesting perspective today:

The tail has long wagged the dog in American Middle East policy. The rotten order of the modern Middle East has been based on wily local elites stealing their way to billions while they took all the aid they could from the United States, even as they bit the hand that fed them. First the justification was the putative threat of International Communism (which however actually only managed to gather up for itself the dust of Hadramawt in South Yemen and the mangy goats milling around broken-down Afghan villages). More recently the cover story has been the supposed threat of radical Islam, which is a tiny fringe phenomenon in most of the Middle East that in some large part was sowed by US support for the extremists in the Cold War as a foil to the phantom of International Communism. And then there is the set of myths around Israel, that it is necessary for the well-being of the world’s Jews, that it is an asset to US security, that it is a great ethical enterprise– all of which are patently false.

http://www.juancole.com/2011/02/mubarak-defies-a-humiliated-america-emulating-netanyahu.html

This has been a long running problem with American foreign policy: we've valued "stability" over human rights, so we've supported leaders who are abhorrent and turned a blind eye to brutalities until revolt becomes inevitable. Obama and Clinton are merely continuing the American tradition of caution in their rhetoric, which is understandable but wrong. Certainly, there are real reasons to fear the spread of instability in the region, but trying to hang on to the status quo usually results in more extreme (and violent) change. It is a very tricky balancing act: we may be the 'superpower' in a global economy, but we don't have the ability (nor should we want it) to rule the world. In the case of Egypt, we have a very real vested interest in stability (totally aside from Israel) and that is the Suez Canal, which is vital to the world oil supply transport. I'm not saying that this is "right", but our economy is oil dependant and that's not going to change overnight.
Which is why there is so much fear of "Islamic extremism" in our dialogue. I think it's completely overblown, especially when I hear the fear mongering about the Muslim Brotherhood. As some of my longer term readers may know, I read and speak some Arabic (admittedly at a mid grade school level; not fluently), and the Muslim Brotherhood is certainly not an "extremist" or "terrorist" organization. You can read their English Website if you have doubts. While they do support Hamas and Palestinian Independence, there is nothing "anti-American" in there positions, unless you believe that Israels interests should dictate our policies. Consider this:

The Muslim Brotherhood is not on the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organizations list. It renounced violence in the 1970s and has no active militia.

And, of course, there is no real proof that the Brotherhood would come into power should democracy prevail in Egypt. The main cause of the revolt in Egypt is economic, not Islamic fundamentalism. The Egyptian population is rather highly educated, which is why the economic disparity has caused so much tension. College educated Egyptians can't get jobs beyond cab driver or street vendor, and they naturally resent their poverty while living under a wealthy elite. While I won't predict the outcome of elections in Egypt, the demographics lead me to think that a truly fair election would favor business over religion. But it really isn't up to us to decide; that is up to the Egyptian people.

One part of watching yesterday's clashes that was truly surreal was the "pro-Mubarak" mob riding in on Camel and Horse back. These Camels and Horses are usually employed giving rides to tourists, not to run roughshod through crowds. The fact that the army allowed them to charge into the crowd is rather ominous for the future of the protest.
But these are only the opinions of one fairly lazy blogger, so feel free to disagree.
For ongoing coverage, you can watch Aljazeera English live feed here.

Added: blog friend demeur pointed me to a strategy memo posted at Friday Lunch Club, which he posted a translation of titled "Just try and stop the truth from getting out". It's truly ominous, and after a close look I'm inclined to believe that it's authentic, but the post lacks verifiable sourcing so the usual internet caveats apply.

The Weather Rodent Predicts

Ah, the annual harassment of the Groundhog reveals an early spring. Which is good, as much of the country seems to be getting an overdose of winter. Here in my little mountain town we're not getting much of any snow, but it's bloody cold. Down to -17 with wind chill today, which is making me want to hibernate until spring. Here's a weather advisory:

More Boobies

It's another Friday.

The Future is Not What it Used To Be

I'm not optimistic about America's future.

That's not really news. I haven't been optimistic about America's future since Ronnie Reagan was elected in 1980. That is when the 'systemic wreckage' of America's infrastructure began. There was a fundamental change in political philosophy with Reagan: instead of trying to build a 'better future', the focus became 'how much can we make now?'.

Jimmy Carter was our last President who was a visionary trying to build a better future. While you can disagree about the quality of his vision, he was truly focused on building for the long term (think about his energy policies and how much better off this country would be if we had followed his plan).

Both Bill Clinton and Obama have a much more moderate vision. In the face of systemic wreckage, both have taken the approach of "what can we salvage?" Which is better than the Republican greedhead response of "what can we loot from the wreck", but far from building a better future.

Our government now thinks like a corporation, with polls being the equivalent of the stock market, where quarterly profits outweigh long term growth. "Now" trumps the "future" in our politics more than ever before. Given that the corporations now buy the government they want, the decline will only continue.

Tonight we'll get to hear the annual "State of the Union" address, and I fully expect Obama to use the word "investment" a lot to talk about our "future". But the reality is much more grim. There really is no political will to build a better infrastructure for a better future. The only real question is what can be salvaged from the looters.

In short, the "state of the union" sucks, unless you're a rich greedhead. And it's not getting better anytime soon.

Squirrels

IT'S SQUIRREL APPRECIATION DAY!

But I suggest that you avoid giving squirrels beer, because it leads to this:

Which can lead to this:

So, please, celebrate responsibly.

Friday: Time For Boobies

A fine pair.

Shane Rickman

(Happy Narwhal by Shane Rickman.)
Sadly, my friend Shane Rickman was struck and killed by a train on Monday. In addition to being a kind and generous friend, Shane was a gifted and talented artist and a compassionate member of the local community. We are mourning a kind soul who will be truly missed.

"I paint to inspire, to wake the spirit from its slumber and to remind myself of the splendor and beauty of life."

You can view more of Shanes artwork here:http://www.shanerickman.com/index.htm

(Turtles Library by Shane Rickman.)

MLK Day Turns 25

This is the 25th annual Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday. Sadly ironic that we celebrate the life of a man who advocated non-violent political action while still in the wake of another round of political violence and unjust wars. Many remember Dr. King's "I have a dream" speech, but he was just as eloquent about war:

The Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just.A true revolution of values will lay hands on the world order and say of war: 'This way of settling differences is not just.' This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of people normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more on military 'defense' than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.

Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence

I'm old enough to remember how powerful and effective an orator Dr. King was, and how fierce the battle over civil rights and the Vietnam war was. We could use someone like him today.

Also, today is the 47th birthday of First Lady Michelle Obama, a fitting legacy for Dr. King.