Mr. and Mrs. Beckham enjoy a quiet evening together

Scooter Freed! Cheney to Serve Sentence Instead!

Our trustworthy president, the Reverend Mister Bush, glazed with his usual ability to make the wrong decision, decided to spend the last nickle of political capital on a free ride for the grown-up called Scooter -- a man, I might add, whose judgement is so flawed that he thought it perfectly reasonable to subordinate himself to Dick Cheney.

Should Javier have pardoned Jean Valjean? Mais bien sur! But Libby is no Valjean, although Bush may well be Javier, had he only an addiction to the law, cool hair and a voice to die for. Well, maybe he does have a voice to die for. Many are doing it, and he is still talking. Well, I think you call it talk. I call it the new dictation.

THE NEW DICTATION

The new dictators receive their dictation not from God, but from the top of the money pyramid, whose eye seduces with promise of riches and continued existence, and whose dictation can be worn on the back, beneath your suit. (Reference Bush's debates for pictures of said devices.)

What folks are saying:

"Only a president clinically incapable of understanding that mistakes have consequences could take the action he did today. President Bush has just sent exactly the wrong signal to the country and the world." - former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C.

"Accountability has been in short supply in the Bush administration, and this commutation fits that pattern." - Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-VT

"The president said he would hold accountable anyone involved in the Valerie Plame leak case. By his action today, the president shows his word is not to be believed." - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

"It is time for the American people to be heard - I call for all Americans to flood the White House with phone calls tomorrow expressing their outrage over this blatant disregard for the rule of law." - Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.

Our trustworthy president, the Reverend Mister Bush, glazed with his usual ability to make the wrong decision, decided to spend the last nickle of political capital on a pardon for the grown-up called Scooter -- a man, I might add, whose judgement is so flawed that he thought it perfectly reasonable to subordinate himself to Dick Cheney. - anonyMoses, D-NC

Symphonic Music by David Beckwith

Not long ago it dawned on me to stitch together some of my more memorable symphonic works into what the young'uns might call a CD, were they given that opportunity. And so here it is... Symphonic Music by David K Beckwith. (There are an astonishing number of other David Beckwiths out there, hence the K. And no, I'm not David Kaye, although I appreciate his contributions to the world.)

I'm having a problem settling on names for some of the tunes, and would certain love to hear suggestions. Some songs, like "God Breathing" and "How God Evolves" are likely to stay put, since they so nearly hit the mark, but all the others are open for change. Moreover, the songs themselves are open for collaboration. If you want to lay tracks over it...feel free. Most of the music was channeled anyway. Once I get the ego out of the way, then the so-called spirit of music, the muses, or what-have-you, come to play, using my fingers to do their dance. It is a flowing snapshot, for the ear, of the moment. Eternity packaged in a droplet. Soundtrack of the River of Life. Music at its most bla bla bla...

Whatever.