Politickles

Building a national database of informants is the work of an obsessive, fearful and desperate team. It reflects the strident insecurity of a leader who is not used to hard criticism. It plays to the creepy authoritarian strain of leftist politics, the stratum that considers democracy a messy and useless impediment to the realization of utopia. It is a bad idea, poorly executed. If you’d like to report us for saying so, the address is www.attackwatch.com. – Washington Times 

Let’s Turn Each Other In!

Feel free to publish, post, or pass on Your Weekly Politickle by F.R. Duplantier:

FLAG@WHITEHOUSE.GOV*
If your neighbor had something to dish, he
May regret what he said and now wish he
Had not spilled his gut
And had kept his mouth shut –
If the thing that he said sounded fishy.
*Feel free to report me

From the archive:

BALANCE
“This Talk Radio’s going too far
And we soon will be raising the bar:
In the interest of fairness
And cultural awareness,
Every station will air NPR.”
(2009)

THE RULES
“We can tell filthy lies about you
And there’s nothing at all you can do,
But we’ll make such a fuss
If you criticize us –
Even if what you say is quite true.”
(2007)

Last week’s limerick:

SOCIALIST JUSTICE
When in reason and faith understood,
It promotes a profound common good;
But, when used to defend a
Demonic agenda,
“Social justice” betrays brotherhood.

If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.– White House blog

Okay, everybody, do your duty now. If you see anything “fishy” about health insurance reform — or anything else, for that matter — send it on to the White House! And, if you’re thinking about disseminating something fishy of your own, please clear it with Obama first.

January 2, 2008 — I mean, 2009.

My daughter Maxine commented the other day on how much trouble she has every January trying to remember to write the new year’s date, instead of last year’s. That’s nothing, I thought. I’m still stuck in the 20th Century, and so are a lot of other people my age.

Last week, an equally aged friend of mine reflected on the passing of 1998. He meant 2008, of course, but he said 1998.

Remember when the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey first came out in 1968? 2001 seemed so far into the future, then. Now, it’s eight years behind us. (Co-author Arthur Clarke died just last year.)

Heck, even 1984 seemed distant at one point, and that’s 25 years ago.

I’ll celebrate my 23rd wedding anniversary this year, and my eldest daughter will be 22. My youngest daughter will be 9.

What can it mean?