Wednesday, April 19, 2006

DR. OMED’S SONGBOOK:   I'M THE DECIDER   With apologies to Neil Diamond   I thought blue was only true in Fairy Tales Votes meant for someone else came to me The press was always out to get me That's the way it seems Now disaster haunts all my dreams Then I saw Don's face  Now I'm the decider  Not a trace of doubt in my mind I'm in power I'm the decider I couldn't fire him if I tried I thought power was more or less a given thing The less you have the more there is for me There's no use in vying All you'll get is pain When generals needled I got insane Then I saw God's face  Now I'm the decider  Not a trace of doubt in my mind  I'm in power  I'm the decider I couldn't fire Rummy if I tried   Think of the Monkees and sing to the tune of The Believer I will provide a link on my blog to any guitar hero out there who records the tune for podcast, the lyrics sung as written above. 5:14:35 PM    comment []

Mr Hu goes to Washington (after he's seen Bill Gates...) LEST WE FORGET: Beijing, Cangan Blvd., Tiananmen Square, June 5, 1989 Sometimes in the inexorable march of history a guy just gets pissed off and refuses to be grease in the wheels of progress. On the spur of the moment, probably, "tank guy" decided to take a stand though surely he knew he was most likely to be rolled flat or disappeared. He disappeared, whether assisted by the State or with a little help from his friends, nobody really knows. This image of courage cannot be googled in China. Young men and women in China have never seen this image; when shown it they do not know its significance and context in their own history, and are puzzled by it. I wonder what tank guy, if he's still alive, thinks of his own casual act of valor and what it cost him. Was it worth it? Could you—could I—stand alone and face down a column of tanks on the Mall in Washington, D.C.? 12:33:42 AM    comment []