While Rome burns the fiddler plays.

Bush wants a farewell standing ovation from the occupants of his "backyard;" even though he led the US government directly into bottomless debt, the US economy directly into bottomless debt (every month the US regime bails out another pillar of the US capitalism), and the US people directly into bottomless debt.

CAFTA is a means of the US regime and economy to pillage their way out of unofficial bankruptcy that eventually will turn official.

So far, CAFTA doesn't seem to be working to reduce the US debt load, but Bush still wants his standing ovation.

Bush's main solution to staggering, deepening, and spreading insolvency is to turn the US regime into a rogue state engaged in unprecedented genocide, looting oil producing countries.

Brownnosing is part art and part science.

the water logged Belial surfaces

ladies and gentlemen and low lifes Dominican president Leonel Fernandez the new Kofi Annan.

belial, nice to hear from you again. hope you did not suatain any personal losses from the hurricane, especially to your jazz collection. we would not want to drench your copy of Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane, would we now?

p. 1 or 2

"belial, nice to hear from you again. hope you did not suatain any personal losses from the hurricane, especially to your jazz collection. we would not want to drench your copy of Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane, would we now?"

0000

dreadlocks,

There was some drenching, but my jazz collection escaped drenching.

Ike ate a hole in the roof of one of the rooms ... but the hole is not too big; thankfully the jazz collection was in another room.

Hartman and Coltrane thing is music more for the heart ... that is, thrill or comfort of close relationships.

Ike however was more about the spine ... that is, fear ... than the heart.

Ike, the SOB, was a heartless animal who made many people spineless.

So, the Coltrane and Hartman thing may not describe IKE ... the big, bad SOB ... or Ike's effect, except for the occasional spineless passages, by design, in this thing by them.

p. 2 or 2

Ike was anger, too, and Ike produced a reciprocating anger in its victims.

Coltrane, during his Atlantic and Impulse periods, played and composed a lot of music about anger, both from the points of view of the monster full of animus and the cringing victims beseeching mercy.

But I believe that the piece of music that best captures the reality, power and animus of Ike is Coltrane's little-known and ridiculously underrated solo on a piece titled "Thur For the Night" recorded in 1954 by the Johnny Hodges Orchestra, included on Album 1 of the two-volume Atlantic anthology "The Last Giant."

On "Thur For The Night," Ike maliciously asked "I really tore you up, didn't I."

And the survivors ... all surprised to be alive ... reply "Don't come back, Ike."

Coltrane exquisitely expresses this kind of situation in his solo on "Thur For The Night."

Belial Has your power and water been restored or are you posting from temporary site....welcome back..Tex has been asking for you

":Belial Has your power and water been restored or are you posting from temporary site....welcome back..Tex has been asking for you."

oooo

GC, I got my water back Tuesay, although some kind of fluid flowed from my hydrants before Tuesday.

I got power back yesterday, Wednesday. I suffered more from the lack of power because I wasn't afraid of Ike before He arrived; so, I didn't stock up of C batteries, lamps, candles, and shit like that.

Most people in Houston seem to have water, but most don't have power ... a week after landfall.

The TV man says those who don't have power now won't get power for at a week or two.

But when the Houstonians look at the horrible devastation in Galveston and Bolivar, they say " I'm lucky Ike didn't get me like it got them."

I stored a lot of water for post-storm and it came in handy.

I'll tell you!

Belial, just asking ; have you heard the wonderful work of Grachan Monchur 111? i am happy to know you are fine. God bless.

and Belial, how about Marion Brown and John Tchicai? them was days, and them was music!!!

GC, I want to revisit the points you earlier posed.

I believe I got power back fast ... in 5 days ... because I live near one of the priority centers in Houston, that is, across the street from the University of Houston where the renown Dr. Chu is doing his accelerator studies in physics and doesn't want to fall behind his rivals in the race for the next Nobel Prize.

So the city, county, and country got Dr. Chu's lights back on and I'm accidental beneficiary of Dr. Chu's prestige and influence.

Thank you Dr. Chu.

Most people living close to a priority center ... a hospital, police station, or house of ill repute ... already have their lights on as incidental beneficiaries of the nearby priority center.

But most of the people of Houston at the moment don't have power.

The TV man says 1.2 million people, as of today, Friday, don't have power. But lots of people say the TV man is lying or doesn't know what he's talking about.

Belial I'm accidental beneficiary of Cardinal Nickys prestige and influence.I seldom have power problems as his neighbor

"and Belial, how about Marion Brown and John Tchicai? them was days, and them was music!!!"

0000

Some mighty fine work out of them in regard to the relation between music and nature.

"Belial I'm accidental beneficiary of Cardinal Nickys prestige and influence.I seldom have power problems as his neighbor"

oooo

For God's sake, don't move.

And pray often he doesn't.

Belial, you are a man of great scholarship. my respects, sir. only you could describe the music of the gaunt, but powerful Marion Brown with such inspired phraseology. then again , the music was inspiring, and still is. if only we could convert the philistines

p. 1 or 2

A growing political and ideological issue is the number of Ike casualties or the hurricane body count.

Before Ike arrived, the TV man said 40% of the residents in about 11 zip code areas ... mostly coastal areas ... ignored the mandatory evacuation order issued by the local authorities for their areas.

None of the individuals who were interviewed on TV before the Ike arrived have been re-interviewed as survivors.

The order was "mandatory," but mostly voluntary in implementation.

Now, we see TV these pictures of the total devastation in these zip code areas where absolutely nothing is left standing or not demolished flat on the ground.

But the local authorities and the cappie media are reporting 2 or 3 people died in these zip areas where 40% of the population remained.

The local authorities and the cappie media are saying cadaver teams have been sent into the zip code areas subject to the zip code "mandatory" evacuation orders to search for bodies.

p. 2 of 2

But many skeptical people say the cadaver teams were sent in as early as Monday ... even Sunday ... and took many or most of the dead bodies in a house-to-house search out the zip code areas on covered flat-bed trucks.

p. 1 or 2

http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={EFF17238-FCEB-412F-8723-51507E599DA8})&language=EN

Santiago de Cuba, Sept 19 (Prensa Latina) A cargo with solidary aid for the people affected by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike arrived at the port of Santiago de Cuba Friday, together with an official delegation sent by Dominican President Leonel Fernandez.

The load, with 676 tons of food, construction materials, beans, rice, zinc sheets, chlorine and other things valued at over $492,000 arrived in this city from the Dominican Republic, on board of the Panamanian Franchesca I ship.

Doctor Euclides Gutierrez, Dominican Secretary of State and General Director of the Insurance Administrative Division, who headed the group of Dominican officials, said that the solidary aid is a sample of the support and affection towards the Cuban people, due to the hard situation after the passage of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/19..../19venez.html?ref=americas....... Hugo gets his PP wacked by lefty liberal group and NYT

p. 2 or 2

Gutierrez highlighted the effectiveness of the Cuban system, particularly Civil Defense, to face the challenges of nature, and said that the Dominican Republic would exchange criteria to get some experience and adapt it to the Dominican needs.

Gutierrez recognized this is a modest help from a poor country with less organization to mitigate such catastrophes.

On behalf of the Cuban authorities, official Ruperto Arias, from the provincial administration council, was grateful for the Dominican government's gesture and assured these items would reach the affected people as soon as possible.

oooo

This shows the dignity of the DR, knowing the donation by the DR of food and construction materials to hard-hit hurricane victims in Cuba will infuriate the US reactionary savages.

Cuba will be prudent if it directs some of its future food and materials purchases to DR exporters who will likely offer the credit facilities that US imperialists withhold.

"http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/19..../19venez.html?ref=americas....... Hugo gets his PP wacked by lefty liberal group and NYT"

oooo

There is neither anything liberal or human or right about Human Rights Watch.

The pack of savages in HRW has helped to conceal or deny the genocide by US imperialists against over a 1,000,000 Iraqi fatal victims after March 2003, especially the degenerate and bestial intensification of the US genocide program and policy during the ongoing "surge.".

Scum like HRW shouldn't speak as if they are decent and upright.

"The load, with 676 tons of food, construction materials, beans, rice, zinc sheets, chlorine and other things valued at over $492,000 arrived in this city from the Dominican Republic, on board of the Panamanian Franchesca I ship."

oooo

The almost half million dollars worth of hurricane aid from the DR to Cuba is striking for its noticeably large size.

The DR perhaps wanted to slap in the face the imperious leaders of the US regime who with commanding arrogance offered the DR a paltry $50,000 after hurricanes that killed people in the DR.

So, DR offers to Cuba about 10 times the paltry $50,000 US imperialists offered the DR and 5 times the paltry $100,000 in aid the US imperialists offered Cuba.

That's cute of the DR.

DR is hinting to Cuba and Cuba likely got the hint that Cuba asked the US imperialists to sell it food and construction materials. The DR has enough of these things to give some to Cuba, so, DR has more it can happily sell to Cuba.

p. 1 or 2

"In 2002, we [Fidel refers the Cuban workers] purchased $173.6 million in goods; in 2003, $327 million; in 2004, $434.1 million; in 2005, $473 million; in 2006, $483.3 million; in 2007, $515.8 million, and during the first semester of 2008, $425 million. As can be seen, the figures have increased year by year, and this year, after the devastating impact caused by two hurricanes, it is possible that the country would have to import a much higher volume from the United States alone, especially taking into account that prices have risen significantly and the colossal blow that has been dealt to agriculture."
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/septiembre/vier19/Reflections-19.html

p. 2 or 2

So, in the first 3 months of this year alone, Cuba has purchased just under a 1/2 billion worth of food in CASH from the US imperialists.

What other country can afford to pay CASH for their US food purchases? None but Cuba do

Only US reactionaries say that a country , like Cuba, that pays CASH year after year is a poor credit risk and the DR shouldn't sell food to such a country while year after year US imperialists do ... greedily.

Of course, I don't mean to suggest that slimy US imperialists will stand by and quietly let the Dominicans use credit to undermine the only CASH market the imperialists have while deadbeat capitalist countries around the world, especially in LA/C, run up balances in the red in their US food imports accounts.

I believe the LF and DRs just made a move to take a piece of the Cuban food and construction materials market from the US imperialists.

Good luck and expect an attack from the vicious US regime and its lying cappie press.

" I don't mean to suggest that slimy US imperialists will stand by and quietly let the Dominicans use credit to undermine the only CASH market the imperialists have ..."

oooo

The Cuban workers have two main interests in the US food market.

1) Save on transportation costs and

2) Promote a legislative and political struggle by US economic sectors to end the blockade.

Since the DR is closer the Cuba than USA, DR benefits even more from 1).

After Gustav and Ike, economics supersedes politics in Cuba and this favors a possible DR move to take part of the Cuban food market from the US imperialists.

Why we believe the shipment of aid was a move?

"Doctor Euclides Gutierrez, Dominican Secretary of State and General Director of the Insurance Administrative Division, who headed the group of Dominican officials," the PL article reports.

You don't send big shots on a Panamanian boat carrying a cargo of aid?

They are on a diplomatic mission. That's a move.

If Obama is not elected it is curtains for the commies....But the Obamanable snow job gets nowhere in the polls ...he is like belial ...not to be trusted....it is rauls only hope to survive...

US capitalism is sinking rapidly into the quicksand, half of its body is already submerged.

Perhaps, in NYC this week, LF will ask Bush what is to be done about this sinking of the US financial system.

Bush will of course say the same thing he campaigned on 8 years ago "Give everything the state owns to the bourgeoisie in the private sector, because the bourgeoisie in the private sector ... like Enron, Bear Stearn, Merrill Lynch, etc., ... is "efficient," Bush will say this big, transparent lie to get his farewell standing ovation from world "leaders" or, more correctly, from the people who carry water for him.

fearless leader nutty hugo does the unthinkable....an outrage an outrage he kicks his old friends to the curb....http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/20/world/americas/20venez.html?hp