I did some channel surfing at a commercial break on "Countdown" tonight, and I stumbled across Joe Biden giving his farewell remarks to the Senate on C-SPAN, and I have to tell you that it was amazing stuff for a political/historical junkie such as your humble narrator. He talked about all kinds of people who of course are either no longer in that body or who have shed their mortal coil altogether (John Stennis, Strom Thurmond, Mike Mansfield, William Fulbright, etc.) and how he managed to form cordial relationships with them, and somehow, he even made me feel a little sympathetic to Jesse Helms - only a little, though.
I can't find a video yet, so for now, this will have to substitute; these were some great remarks during last year's campaign (volume ratchets up at about 1:36 - he voted for that horrible bankruptcy bill and he's had some other missteps, but they pale in comparison to everything else in his record and experience; I don't see how Obama could have done better - I wasn't sure in the beginning, but I'm glad Biden is there now).
...I put up the video about Iraq last night, so I guess it's only fair to include this; Rachel Maddow talks with Bob Herbert of the New York Times about Afghanistan (yep, I somehow can't sign onto this plan for more troops; I hope Obama is smart enough to know that you defeat terrorism by providing more services than the bad guys, as opposed to trying to indiscriminately blow things up, and Herbert is dead-on - we don't have the dough for that)...
...Joe Jackson ("Invisible Man"; that will describe Dubya in a very short while from now, thank God)...
...and as another tribute to Patrick McGoohan, here is his credo from "The Prisoner"; "I Will Not Be Pushed, Filed, Stamped, Indexed, Briefed, Debriefed, or Numbered! My Life Is My Own."
And by the way ("meta" time again)...
I'm not big on numerology, signs, hexes, or karmic coincidences, but maybe it's fitting that the guy whose pic has been in my profile has passed at this time, because I seriously don't expect to be able to post every day for much longer, so maybe it is a bit of a sign after all. I can't see stopping posting entirely (at least not here, as long as Blogger co-operates and doesn't create the nonsense that made me set up the Wordpress site - if I stop posting anywhere, it is likely to be there). I'll try to keep up the posts about the votes in Congress (have to pick that up tomorrow). If I find I that I just can't do it, I'll let you know; putting up videos like this is a nice diversion, but I know that when people come here, they expect to see halfway decent content, which definitely isn't too much to ask.
I'll be "talking" about this more later as other stuff develops. In the meantime (as Number 6 would say), "be seeing you."
2 comments:
The Prisoner was my husbands favorite show. My husband was Irish to the core, and rebellious to his last day. The world is better for the men who refuse to be pushed,stamped or numbered.
Knowing the Prisoner was indeed himself, I would have loved to hear Patrick's opinions and comments on the bush lawless administration and the times in which we live. My dogs are micro chipped. How long before we are micro chipped?
Having read your awesome blog for a short while I can understand how you chose him to be inspiration. It was an appropriate choice. I suspect Patrick McGoohan would have been very pleased.
I hope there will always be those who rebel to their last days and never give up to prisonership.
I'm trying my best on "never giving up to prisonership"; I think that's a good way to put it (and your husband sounds like a man who I wish I'd met).
Thanks for hanging in there.
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