What a shame! So much of our national treasure is encased within the brains of each and every individual serving us with great honor in our nation's capital. I'm talking about our House members, our senators, and our administration whose very thoughts and actions impact the lives of each of us and writes the pages of history we turn anew each day.
Each member's mind is like a computer hard-drive with oodles of files documenting how we got to where we are at this moment in time. Collectively, it's a treasure beyond measurable wealth.
It's a living national trust for posperity. But lately I've been worrying at the vast amounts of this treasure that is disappearing almost daily. The ongoing narrative and wealth of future generation's history is being depleted at an alarming rate. Disappearing into some vast wasteland of desolation, the loss--if not stopped--could be an immeasurable tragedy.
I'm talking about the sudden erosion of memory of so many of our honorable government officials feeling the searing heat from scandals scourching their dutiful minds.
It's a concern for us all. Or at least it should be. Why just locally, there is a tribe of Native Americans wondering where millions of dollars they gave a lobbyist to protect their casino went. Sadly, today, their casino has vanished along with their millions and finding anyone who knows for sure where the money went is difficult because of sudden failing memories.
We've heard the stories of Scooter Libby and Judith Miller's memory gaps. Even our Vice President forgets we laid the rumors of Iraq's WMD's to rest, along with Saddam's link to Bin Laden. He still cites these as fact at times.
Tom DeLay can't remember squat about much of those questionable practices he has. But they must have been pretty bad because they cost him his job as majority leader from which he conducted those practices in the House.
And look at Bush. Hell, he hardly knows "Kenny Boy" Lay anymore since his Enron stole Californians, investors and its employees blind. And Britain's Tony Blair, along with Bush, are in denial about much of the Downing Street memos. They shouldn't feel too badly, however, our mainstream media forgets to look into it, forgets to report about it to us as well.
Pat Robertson calls for the assassination of a foreign head of state then, through faulty memory I guess, denies it. But he also forgets they tape the program he makes such pronouncements from.
The list is long and goes on and on. There's even a "I can't recall" defense for those whose memories are so bad they'll be defending themselves in a court of law (or a senate confirmation hearing).
Take this latest scandal leader, Jack Abramoff. Apparently he gave the Bush/Cheney campaign over $100,000 to qualify him as a member of some elite club of the president's, yet the White House has assured us Bush does not know Abramoff, nor has he met him.
Perhaps the photographs Time magazine has just announced it has uncovered of Bush and Abramoff hobnobbing at WH functions will help joggle our president's memory? There's at least five of 'em. Maybe they'll help.
If not, there's one other hope for the pandemic of sudden memory failures plaguing our leaders. See, a couple of years ago in 2001, Eric R. Kandel, a researcher in cell and molecular biological studies of memory storage, announced encouraging results in jogging the memories of little rats. By inserting a gene in a rat's brain and then activating it with an antibiotic doxycycline, one's memory was found to be enhanced.
Originally produced to aid people suffering with age-related memory loss, Dada wonders if this might not be useful in recovering memories jolted to sudden amnesia by the rampant greed and corruption outbreak in our government offices.
It's been five years since the initial results were announced from tests on the little rats. Maybe by now, doxycycline activated brain genes are ready to be tried in big rats. After all, it would be a tremendous loss to historians and future generations to not remember how America got to this exciting event horizon we now inhabit at the beginning of the 21st Century.
12 comments:
Sadly, we may never know the full extent of the rat maze that led us to this current state of affairs. But I can't wait to see the photos of Bush & Abramoff ... the BIG rat & the little CHEESE ! Once again, your alliteration has made my day (evening). D.K.
Thanks D.K. Sadly, don't hold your breath for those photos. From the article I retrieved this from (on Excite.com), "TIME did not publish the photographs, saying its source refused to provide them for publication. Most look like those taken at presidential receptions, it said."
Maybe their source is someone in the WH? Hahaaa!
Anyway, while I won't hold my breath, I'll keep my fingers X'ed. Thanks for the kind words.
The point is that the photos are OUT there...and Mr Photo-Op the King- whelp- you can't tell me that there aren't more....and Abramoff was a "Pioneer"...and he and the king shared tales about their twins...how cozy...and they both play golf...I am not worried...I KNOW that when the time is right- the photos will come out...and let's hope it is soon...In December when I wrote 'BLOW ON THIS"...I was hoping for well, a stained garment- but I did say a photo of Something Embarrassing would make me Very happy- so hell a photo of him with Jack will do nicely....
on another note- About Wiretapping...google Christine Amanpour +Wiretapping....and then over the next week watch for some "things " on Atrios, Raw Story and Ameriblog....
Hint: Christine's hubby is Jamie Rubin....he
worked for Clinton and also on Kerry's campaign....
and then think about watergate...
make sure to see Conyer's hearings and also read his blog...
okay the Enigma is done nagging....
( I told "Worried American" to come read your blog....)
Have a good week...;-)
sorry to exit so quickly last night. I was knackered after a day of de-dog-hairing the house (you know it's time when the dust bunnies are forming their own carpet). I have this neat "shed tool" from Petco to use on the dogs themselves, too. It's metal loop with serrated teeth that you run along their fur; it loosens & removes a ton, many times more than just a brushing. Not wanting all this hair to float back into our house, we take the dogs up in the hills behind us to use the tool & let the breeze take the hair elsewhere, maybe the birds & chipmonks can use it to fortify their nests.
Anyway, I had another thought about that rat-memory enhancer ... too bad it wasn't around when Reagan was being grilled about Iran-Contra & "couldn't remember". We all cut him a little slack at the time due to age & Alzeimher's, but I think we're still dealing with the fall-out today from way back then.
And e4e, watching that Conyer's Domestic Surveillance conference on C-Span sent the oh-my-god chills down my spine! D.K.
You know, this is a bit off topic here. I was just watching a bunch of manic pro-life fanatics on one of the C-Spans, some very unnerving types. My wife overheard some of their bullshit and made a statement that sent me off into a "What if" daydream.
It went something like, "What if" GW and Babs Bush had believed in abortion? OMG! Imagine how different world history might have been.
D.K. We have one of those great loopy dog groomy brushes. I can testify to their effectiveness. Annie--rest her soul--who needed it more than she got it, loved it!
I'd take em all out in the backyard and the fun would begin. But I could never seem to get up wind of it, such that I'd need my own dehairing before going back inside. But it's a great brush/groomer.
e4e: Okay, I'm going to google Amanpour + wiretapping now.
you know I had a germ of an idea in there that must have gotten lost in all that dog hair ... something about wishing there was a shed-tool to rid us of all these dangerous idiots. But then, maybe that would only loosen & free them to wreak havoc on a larger scale, so maybe it's better to keep them all together where they can be knocked down like bowling pins (sigh). D.K.
d.k.
OMG! As much as I love metaphors, as much as I try to construct (bad) ones (most often), I'm equally impaired when it comes to recognizing very good ones. THANK YOU for explaining we were NOT talking about my dog's Safari Medium Shedding Blade.
Okay, okay, let me go back and digest it as it was meant to be enjoyed.
God, now I see your comment was NOT off topic at all. (grin)
no, no, you were right, I was very off topic ... thanks for the quick save! D.K.
D.K. - is a dog's knee on the back leg? (i.e., an elbow would be on the front?)
Just learned my niece's 3+ year old St. Bernard requires knee surgery. It will cost over $5,000. Surgery's set for early Feb.
I'm thinking, if we ever get a nat'l healthcare plan, we should include pets too.
(NOTE to D.K. You were sooo nice in your last post--hope this makes you feel better--this one is REALLY off topic!)
Ok, I'll try sending this again... 1st attempt must be lost in the ether. I found out the hard way last year that dogs do indeed have knees in their rear legs when our Aust Shep ruptured his cranial cruciate ligament. I'm guessing this is what has happened to your niece's St B since it is the most common cause of canine knee surgery. She has my sympathy as the first 30-days post-op were HELL. I utilized a great website "Ortho Dogs" at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orthodogs/
You have to register to join the group, but these are all people who have gone through it with their dogs & really have good info about complications & recovery problems & physical therapy tips.
The first decision is TPLO or TTA. We went TPLO cuz TTA was brand new at the time & we didn't want our dog to be a guinea pig. Then find an orthopaedic vet surgeon who has done hundreds with a good track record of success. With a very large dog like a St B, don't even consider the other less expensive surgeries; they will not hold & you'll have to go thru it all again.
Things I found important: set up your home in advance of surgery with dog pens in various rooms (not just cages) lined with soft flat bedding, buy or make a sling to hoist the dog up from the prone position (we took a sturdy log carrier with handles & cut out for an area for his male physique), have plenty of pain meds on hand & resign yourself to being a dog monitor 24/7 for at least a month.
An expensive surgery like this is a very personal choice, but the alternative is a permanently lame dog, painfully getting by on 3 legs. Our Aussie is now 16-weeks post-op. He can walk normally, even trot, but will probably never run flat out again. That's OK with us, just seeing him pain-free is a joy. It hasn't affected his personality, he's still a maniac!
Well, this was long & probably more than you wanted to know ... but I hope it helps your niece. Incidentally, the human equivalent is a torn/ruptured ACL and wierdly enough, wolves are anatomically incapable of this type of debilitating injury. D.K.
D.K. Thank you so much for that wealth of information. After learning of this from her sister the day before, we called our niece yesterday afternoon and spoke with her spoke at length.
That's why, after reading your comments (& I appreciate your effort re/typing/sending 'em!), we definitely will call her again today, because I don't know how prepared she is for post-op recovery trials and tribs.
So I'm sure she will find the ortho dogs support group of real value because it sounds like they're in for a major time of it.
(BTW, we learned from her the surgery is est'd @ $3-5K.) Anyway, can't thank you enough for this great trove of info and the time you took to prepare it.
So glad to hear your Aussie is doing so well. He sounds like a character! As we were visiting with our niece, we could hear Abby "ARF!"ing occasionally in the background. She was lying at the front door waiting for her "dad" to come home, greeting passers by as they walked past. We've never met Abby, but she sounds like a real sweetie but, hey, when talking about our canine friends, what's profound with that, right?
Thanks again D.K. What I learned from reading your post is: our next dog will be a wolf.
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