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So much is going so well
2003-01-30 06:07:30
After all the fun I had at Ohayocon, I face the troubles of trying to find a new job once again.
It's very difficult to suddenly go from steady work to none at all, but rather than be disheartened, so much is actually going quite well!
The comic book is really taking flight and is being presented to various comic book publishing houses. There is a chance it might be picked up by Image! That would be amazing if that actually worked out... and with two of the people involved having connections with Image, it's not that farfetched.
Then there's the DJ thing, which might turn into a job on it's own right, which would be so much better than the crap jobs I've been putting up with all this time.
I also have had a lot of support for my radio-drama idea... coming from many of the voice actors who I have come to know from my various convention experiences...
and one fan actually asked me to autograph his head! Now that's a new one on me!
I also got some very nice e-mails from some people on the board who were pleased to encounter someone who was just as fed up with the assholes who plague this community.
All in all, things are just looking very optimistic. -
Good points.
2003-01-30 05:55:46
I came across this message on a political news board...
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George Bush has already won a victory in Iraq, and we're not talking about weapons inspectors' access inside the country.
The administration's beating of the war drums has drowned out the dominant stories of two months ago -- the corporate scandals and failing economy.
The scandals continue to unfold, in ever more gory detail. In recent weeks, Chainsaw Al Dunlap has settled charges of financial manipulation, former GE CEO Jack Welch has renounced his obscene retirement perks, and new information surfaces almost daily on the tens of millions of dollars of shady loans and perks that Tyco granted to its executives.
Meanwhile, the U.S. economy continues to struggle. Unemployment remains high by recent standards. The stock market collapse has eaten away the retirement savings of tens of millions of people. Many experts believe the economy may return to recession.
The media still report on all of this, but not with the banner headlines of a few months ago.
Now, the coverage is focused on Iraq. While the administration has taken some lumps from those who advocate a common-sense resistance to military unilateralism and a dangerous and illegal doctrine of preemptive war, it has successfully changed the primary topic of political conversation in the United States. From a subject that had the administration on the defensive -- especially as revelations continued of more and more improper or unethical actions at Dick Cheney's Halliburton -- the focus is now on a topic that plays to the administration's strengths and ability to control information.
Of course, external events might have forced such a shift. But they did not. The administration has abandoned its claims that Iraq is involved with global terrorism. And whatever the truth about Iraq's efforts to build nuclear weaponry, there is absolutely no evidence that there has been a step-up in the Iraqi nuclear program or that the country is anywhere near construction of a nuclear bomb.
In short, not only is there no evidence of an imminent threat from Iraq against the United States, nothing has changed in the recent period to suggest Iraq is anywhere near being a threat to the U.S.
It is the United States that has chosen to force the issue. The fanatical faction in the Bush Pentagon and White House (still counterbalanced more effectively by dissident Republicans than the Democratic Party) wants to put the United States on permanent war footing, with Iraq and Afghanistan just the beginning.
One not-so-incidental impact of the permanent war society is that war talk permanently displaces debate over economic and social justice.
The administration has already had its first victory in Iraq, simply by threatening to go to war. If the American people permit the Bush team to launch a war, we can be sure of long-term defeat for the people on the American homefront, irrespective of the outcome on the battlefield. -
Optimitic News
2003-01-30 05:50:15
UNITED NATIONS - Key members of the U.N. Security Council said Wednesday that the United States has so far failed to convince them that time has run out for a peaceful resolution to the crisis with Iraq.
At a crucial council meeting a day after President Bush's State of the Union speech, 11 of the 15 members supported giving more time to weapons inspectors to pursue Iraq's peaceful disarmament, council diplomats told The Associated Press.
Calling for continued inspections were France, Russia and China, which all have veto power, as well as Germany, Mexico, Chile, Guinea, Cameroon, Syria, Angola and Pakistan. Only Bulgaria and Spain backed the United States and Britain in focusing on Iraq's failures rather than the inspections process.
In Washington, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said diplomacy was in its "final phase." Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States would try to help find a haven for Saddam Hussein, his family and close aides if he would agree to go into exile.
"That would be one way to try to avoid war," Powell, who will address the Security Council next Wednesday, said at a news conference.
State Department officials, however, said an exile scenario was not under serious consideration.
Saddam, in remarks televised Wednesday in Iraq, was defiant. He said his country "has huge capabilities" and is ready to face a U.S. attack, "destroy it and defeat it."
"When faced with an attack, we always put in our calculation the worst case scenario and we build our tactics on that," the Iraqi leader told military commanders. "We will have long successive defense lines with continued support of equipment."
At the daylong Security Council meeting, held behind closed doors, Britain remained squarely in Washington's camp.
"There are members of the council who are asking for time, but it isn't a matter of time. It's a matter of whether Iraq realizes that the game is up, or whether it is trying to keep the inspectors at bay," British Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock said during a break in the meeting.
U.S. diplomats had hoped the meeting would signal increased international support for military action in Iraq. But neither the largely negative reports from weapons inspectors on Monday nor Bush's address on Tuesday altered the positions of some of America's key allies, including France.
"The majority of the council thinks we should continue inspections," said French Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere. "This is what they think today, and I think it is important to say so."
Russian Ambassador Sergey Lavrov said Russia wanted "undeniable proof" that Iraq was rearming, and he dismissed reports that Moscow was shifting to a more pro-American stance.
Still, U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte warned that the "the time for decision-making is fast approaching."
He said the United States would conduct intense negotiations, both at the United Nations and between capitals, ahead of the special Feb. 5 council meeting where Powell is expected to present evidence of Iraq's secret weapons programs and links to terrorist groups.
The foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Saud, was rushing to Washington to meet with Bush and Powell on Thursday. Bush also planned to meet Thursday with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy and on Friday at Camp David with Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain.
Security Council diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity said the possibility of a second resolution paving the way toward war was being widely discussed. The most likely scenario would set a relatively short deadline for Baghdad to meet certain steps to avert military action, the diplomats said.
Bush said Tuesday that he would use the "full force and might of the U.S. military" if needed to disarm Iraq.
Mohamed ElBaradei, the top nuclear inspector in Iraq, disputed other comments Bush made on the inspections, including claims that Iraqi intelligence agents are posing as scientists.
In a wide-ranging interview with AP, ElBaradei stood by his inspectors' findings that aluminum tubes the Iraqis had tried to import were for rockets and not for a nuclear program, as the president reasserted in his speech Tuesday night.
"We believe the tubes were destined for the conventional rocket program," ElBaradei said. He said the tubes could be modified for uranium enrichment but that the process would be expensive, time-consuming and detectable.
In his annual speech, Bush said: "Iraqi intelligence officers are posing as the scientists inspectors are supposed to interview. Real scientists have been coached by Iraqi officials on what to say, and intelligence sources indicate that Saddam Hussein has ordered that scientists who cooperate with U.N. inspectors in disarming Iraq will be killed, along with their families."
ElBaradei said it was unlikely his inspectors "could be fooled."
"We know all the scientists from the past and I think our people could easily detect if that person is a scientist or not."
ElBaradei and the other chief U.N. inspector, Hans Blix, spent Wednesday answering questions from Security Council members regarding their reports on the first 60 days of inspections.
Their differing — but ultimately negative — reports issued Monday were used by Bush to strengthen arguments for possible war, and could persuade reluctant allies to support military action to disarm Saddam.
In a letter to be published Thursday in newspapers including The Wall Street Journal and the Times of London, the leaders of Britain, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Denmark pay homage to the "bravery and generosity of America" in ensuring peace in Europe.
And in a veiled attack on current dissidents France and Germany, the leaders call for "unwavering determination and firm international cohesion on the part of all countries for whom freedom is precious."
The letter highlighted divisions among European allies — among them key council members unconvinced by the reports and Bush's address.
German Ambassador Gunter Pleuger said inspectors should be given "a realistic opportunity to discharge their mandate. Let us not put aside an instrument we only recently sharpened."
Iraq's U.N. Ambassador Mohammed Al-Douri dismissed Bush's allegations as "lies" and said his government will fully cooperate with inspectors to show "that these baseless allegations are nothing but fabrications."
In a seven-page letter to the United Nations, Iraq disputed much of the inspectors' claims that Baghdad had placed obstacles in their way and was hiding pertinent information.
Lavrov of Russia said the letter was one of several signs of Iraqi cooperation with inspectors.
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This could be an amazing moment.
2003-01-29 03:48:23
While I was talking with folk at OhayoCon, I learned that there was a chance that Miyazaki might be nominated for best director for Spirited Away.
Now... I hate the Oscars and think that it's nothing but a lot of corporate gladhanding...
however, despite my views on the Oscars, I certainly can appretiate what a HUGE landmark it would be in the world of animation is Miyazaki got nominated for best director.
He'd never win, of course... but to GET the nomination would be such a significan achievement for the world of animation, I simply am holding my breath to see if this rumor becomes reality.
It would be SO MUCH bigger than the last animation landmark... when Disney's Beauty and the Beast was nominated for best film.
Animation has come a long way... and it has a long way to go before it starts earning the respect it deserves in this country.
If I had heard this information from some people, I would have said this all sounds like wishful thinking... however... the guy I talked to is a big cynic to begin with... and since I know that about him, it gives me at least a glimmer of hope that this might happen.
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News Article
2003-01-29 03:37:14
Before we get to the article, I am so very pleased to see that Bush's approval rating is dropping fast. YAY!
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WASHINGTON - America under President Bush has been left with fewer jobs and not enough money for security, education and health, Democrats said Tuesday in a combative response to Bush's State of the Union speech.
"In too many ways, our country is headed in the wrong direction," Gov. Gary Locke of Washington state said in the official response from Democrats, who lost control of the Senate in the November elections and saw Republicans increase their majority in the House. He called Bush's plan to stimulate the economy "upside-down economics."
Locke, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, also took issue with Bush's assertion that he doesn't need U.N. approval to use military force against Iraq.
"We support the president in the course he has followed so far," including working with the United Nations to insist on strong weapons inspections, Locke said. But "we need allies today, in 2003, just as much as we needed them in Desert Storm and just as we needed them on D-Day in 1944."
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said after the president's address that he will seek votes in the House and Senate on a new resolution requiring Bush to present "convincing evidence of an imminent threat" before sending troops to fight Iraq. Kennedy said Bush "did not make a persuasive case that the threat is imminent and that war is the only alternative."
Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., said in a statement: "President Bush failed to demonstrate that there is an immediate threat from Iraq to us or our allies."
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California said that while Bush has the authority he needs to use force against Iraq, "I think it would be important for Congress to have an open debate" about unanswered questions.
Locke's response was markedly more critical than the Democratic reaction to Bush's first State of the Union speech a year ago, when then-House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt, speaking only four months after the Sept. 11 attacks, pledged strong support for the president in his war on terrorism.
Now, Democrats are trying to regain the offensive after suffering unexpected losses in last November's election, while focusing on the nation's growing concerns over the faltering economy and the threat of war with Iraq.
Locke, whose state has been among the hardest-hit by the economic downturn, said that under Bush's policies "states and cities now face our worst budget crises since World War II."
"We're being forced to cut vital services from police to fire to health care," he said. "We need a White House that understands the challenges our communities and people are facing across America."
Locke said Bush's 10-year, $674 billion plan to rejuvenate the economy, mainly through tax cuts, was "upside-down economics. It does too little to stimulate the economy now and does too much to weaken our economic future."
Locke's selection to represent the party this year reflected the growing power of Democratic governors. While congressional Democrats gave ground, governors picked up four seats, for a total of 24. He is the nation's first Chinese-American governor.
He led a chorus of Democratic criticisms of Bush, joined by Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, who said Bush "has promised a strong economy, and the result of two years of his effort have been 2 million jobs lost, a deficit of now $400 billion, a plummeting stock market and 1 million people without unemployment insurance compensation."
"He promised a strong homeland defense, and yet we have first responders who have no resources, we have yet to find two-third of al-Qaida, including Osama bin Laden" Daschle said.
JOURNAL: UncleMilo (Jonathan Osborne)
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