Windows to The Soul

At the so-called Slovenian Summet in 2001, President George W. Bush said the following about Russian President Vladimir Putin:

"I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue. 

"I was able to get a sense of his soul. 

"He's a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country and I appreciate very much the frank dialogue and that's the beginning of a very constructive relationship,"

For weeks now, Republicans have been bashing President Obama, calling him weak, and saying he needs to be more like Putin.

If this is what "W" saw in Putin's eyes, it explains a great deal about what Republicans really value and where the GOP wants to take America.

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The Sunday Funnies word of the week is literally:

lit-er-al-ly |ˈlitərəlē; ˈlitrə-|adverbin a literal manner or sense; exactly : the driver took it literally when asked to go straight across the traffic circle | tiramisu, literally translated “pick me up.”• informal used for emphasis or to express strong feeling while not being literally true : I have received literally thousands of letters.USAGE In its standard use, literally means ‘in a literal sense, as opposed to a nonliteral or exaggerated sense,’: : I told him I never wanted to see him again, but I didn't expect him to take it literally . In recent years, an extended use of literally (and also literal) has become very common, where literally (or literal) is used deliberately in nonliteral contexts, for added effect: : they bought the car and literally ran it into the ground. This use can lead to unintentional humorous effects ( : we were literally killing ourselves laughing) and is not acceptable in formal English.
Truth, like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or in this case, the minds of the cartoonists, who enjoy telling the truth literally in any of its several usages.

1. He Said A Mouthful

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2. Telescopic Vision

I find this Frank and Ernest comic is universally funny.

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3. Abbreviation

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4. Bending the Truth

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5. A Colossal Misinterpretation (Those who know the poem will get the pun.)

This cartoon reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw several years ago, which read WELCOME TO ARIZONA, NOW LEAVE! 

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6. One man's meat...

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7. Much Ado About Nothing - A Not For Naught Thought Knot

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8. A Capital Example Of Lettering Literally

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9. Literally Laughable on a Lot of Levels

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10. When the repairman recognized his mistake, it cracked him up.

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11. What's in a name?

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12 a. Ouch! The punch line is literally way too obvious, not to mention offensive!

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12 b. Offensively, it would seem that the knee-jerk critics agree. Ouch!

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If She Could Speak

All over the world and throughout history the spirit of hope and the light of reason have weathered attacks by the forces of fear and ignorance. Each pair creates a self-reinforcing world view for their respective advocates; but the philosophies they generate are polar opposites.

Hope and reason encourage people to embrace change in anticipation of a better future. Fear and ignorance drive folks to cling to the myth of an idyllic past where comfortable, universally held, but equally imaginary absolutes were the norm.

In New York Harbor, The Statue of Liberty stands as a proud witness to our nation's commitment to the first of these competing philosophies.

Her actual name is Liberty Enlightening the World. She stands upon broken shackles atop a base which houses a museum where a bronze plaque bearing a sonnet by Emma Lazarus is on display.

The New Colossus

BY EMMA LAZARUS

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

These words epitomize the spirit of a land which claims to be exceptional among the nations of the world. History, of course, paints our nation's picture in more muted tones and subtle brush strokes than those seen in the minds' eyes of most Americans when they think about their country's treatment of immigrants. However, the historical canvass is a work in progress, and the overall message of its unfinished story unmistakably favors the triumph of hope and reason over the forces of fear and ignorance.

Yet today, Lady Liberty's message of optimism and human compassion is often drowned out by the devotees of the opposition. Their calls for the immediate deportation of Central American children seeking asylum make a mockery of all that she stands for.

If she could speak, I believe her words might be akin to those found in this Mike Luckovich cartoon:

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Take a virtual tour of Lady Liberty

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The Sunday Funnies word of the week is revision:

re-vi-sion |riˈvi zh ən|nounthe action of revising : the plan needs drastic revision.• a revised edition or form of something.DERIVATIVESrevisionary |-ˌnerē| adjective

This week we'll examine how revision helps us maintain the myth of permanence in the face of ever-changing reality. We'll also take a peek at what happens when reality refuses to conform to myth.

1. When Things Go From Bad to Worse

Bill Cosby had a routine in which he discussed the folly of saying, "Things can't get worse." He ended the routine with the admonition, "Never tempt worse."

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2. The Good Old Days

Selective memory plays a big role in revisionist history.

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3. The Advantage of Corporate Immunity

The Supreme Court's recent Hobby Lobby decision may have gutted the concept of corporate immunity. Here are two must-read links:

How Hobby Lobby Undermined The Very Idea of a Corporation

Did the Supreme Court Rip The Corporate Veil? Does It Even Care?

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4. Justifying Real, Red-Blooded 'Merican Christian Love (WWRR-B'MJD?)

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5. Staying the Course

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6. Parental Guidance

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7. Family Values

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8. Immigration Policy

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9. The Arts

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10. Cable "News"

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11. Aging

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12. Confronting Evil

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The Sunday Funnies word of the week is news:

news |n(y)oōz|nounnewly received or noteworthy information, esp. about recent or important events :I've got some good news for you.• ( the news) a broadcast or published report of news : he was back in the news again.• ( news to) informal information not previously known to someone : this was hardly news to her.• a person or thing considered interesting enough to be reported in the news :Chanel became the hottest news in fashion.PHRASESmake news become a story in the news : stolen babies make news.no news is good news proverb without information to the contrary you can assume that all is well.ORIGIN late Middle English : plural of new , translating Old French noveles or medieval Latin nova ‘new things.’Today we'll examine all the news that's fit to print (digitally, of course) with an eye toward finding a silver lining in the malaise caused by being exposed to it.

1. No Noose is Good Noose

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2. Cable News

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3. Good News

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4. What Goes Around Comes Around

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5. This just in from a friend in Israel via Facebook...

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6. We can't hear you, so you might as well not complain about Congressional inaction.

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7. Because Americans want to be entertained...

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8. It was news to him.

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9. When in the course of human events...

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10. Not so fast, grandpa! Things haven't changed all that much.

As I recall from my study of history, taxes had quite a bit to do with it. 

The colonists didn't think that they should have to pay a tax on tea to help defray the cost of the French and Indian War, which essentially prevented a French takeover. Their demand for a tax cut came in the form of a "tea party" where they dressed up as Indians and dumped tea into Boston Harbor. 

Despite what folks like to believe, it was good-old-fashioned greed, not patriotism, which motivated them to do this. 

If Americans knew their history as well as the myths they've been told about the Boston Tea Party, they'd realize that today's Tea Party "patriots" are peddling the same tax-dodging agenda and for the same reason. They simply refuse to pay taxes to help anyone but themselves.

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11. Entrenched Self-Interest is as American as The Boston Tea Party

(Re-read the commentary in the previous item.)

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12. Historical accuracy aside, I hope you had a fabulous Independence Day;

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13.  But remember, Big SCOTUS is watching you!

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