Random Thoughts about the World

I'm so blasted by jet lag that I can't think too straight and I know that I don't really have anything to say on these issues that hasn't already been said by very good bloggers. That said, let me just throw out a few thoughts on some of the crazy shit going on in the world over the last week.

1. Israel-Hezbollah. A curse on both their houses. Israel is wrong on so many issues. And to some extent they are wrong on this one. But Hezbollah is just awful. What is Israel supposed to do here? They can't just let their soldiers be kidnapped. But I'm not sure what bombing Lebanese infrastrucutre is supposed to do. The Lebanese government doesn't even really control the southern part of the country. I really feel bad for the Lebanese people. What the hell did they have to do with this? They have worked to come back from the civil war and to some success. Beirut is again an important tourist destination. And Israel is destroying that. Very bad stuff.

2. Indonesia has the worst luck. This new tsunami, while fairly small when compared to the 2004 tsunami, is still awfully sad. Tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, volcanoes...Indonesia just can't catch a break. Though I guess the combination of being on the Ring of Fire, deforestation, overpopulation, and a repressive government will lead to a lot of disasters, natural or not.

3. So George W. Bush is a lecher as well as an idiot. Good to know. I'd much rather have Bill Clinton's lechery. At least he was into pleasure. Bush is just a creep. This ought to really help America's popularity in Europe. What an asshole.

4. And thanks again to W for tying us down in Iraq so that we can't effectively deal with the real security problems we have. Iran is a new power in the region, Israel and Hezbollah can bomb each other, India and Pakistan can move back toward a state of near war, Afghanistan again moves toward collapse, and the US is almost powerless to stop it. W and his Middle East policy is a national shame.

5. Can the Seattle Mariners move to the National League please? After dominating interleague play and fooling us into thinking they could theoretically win the weak AL West, they unfortunately have come back to the American League where they find fun ways of losing every night.

6. The idea that the Arizona Cardinals could compete in the NFC West this year is a joke. Didn't people say this last year? They're the Cardinals. They are really going to have to prove it. I'm real curious to see Edgerrin James in Arizona. While the Seahawks have to be heavy favorites, I am concerned about the loss of Steve Hutchinson to the Vikings. That's a huge loss and I am avoiding Shawn Alexander in fantasy football.

7. If the Sonics move to Oklahoma City, good riddance. It's a major market loss for the NBA and they're stupid for letting it happen. It's also about time that a city stood up to the cries of multimillionaries for public stadium funding. Let them build their own damn playgrounds. Good work Seattle.