Anodyne for Outrage

A friend of mine who just learned about my blog asked the inevitable question: "Why do you blog?" I had attempted to answer this question in this blog's first entry. Indeed, it seemed necessary to establish the parameters for those who might stumble upon this site, particularly when some of those stumbling here are old friends and family members. Now, four-and-a-half months into this exercise, I guess I've refined those parameters a bit. Yes, it's still an outlet for observations on life in the city, with plenty of photos of my travels. I've also put up more of my paintings than I had anticipated, and received some nice feedback on those. The number of wackos has been minimal, thankfully.

But I'm also realizing that "My Tears Spoiled My Aim" is a great anodyne for outrage. Of course, I've always been an outspoken opponent of President Bush and the Republican party. Yet through my freelance work with a couple of scientific publications - as well as lots of reading on topics related to global warming and climate change - I've learned about some of the more insidious examples of Bush cronyism and corruption. To characterize my reaction as outrage is an understatement. Indeed, as a former presidential scholar and American historian, I have to declare that the Bush administration has been one of the most corrupt, secretive, and ideologically myopic presidencies in U.S. history. I won't even begin to address the ways in which Bush and his minions have been destructive to the very fabric of our liberties. I won't belabor the point, having touched on this before.

My goal in the coming months is to revisit some of the more "southern" themes, from country music to country-fried steak. I welcome feedback and comments, but please don't post anonymously.

The bottom line: This website has allowed me to express some of my opinions and vent a little, particularly after I've just read the latest headlines.