Friday morning (updated)

Couple of notes. The weather has turned cool and crisp here in Oklahoma and we are loving it. We invested in some new windows over the last few years and this is our first cold weather will all the windows and attic insulation. Last night, the temp dropped down to the mid 30s and both of us talked about how much warmer it seemed. We are doing the best we can on our own footprint, and that is a nice little bonus.

*****

Coming up on two years of yoga for me this November. I think I expected to be further along in my flexibility, but I also don't think I can see my own progress. I have certainly had less back problems in the last few years, and think that my hamstrings are starting to loosen. I can touch my toes (even cold) which I could not do when I started.

All of that is good, but I must say that the real bonus has been the new friends. Some of the best people I know, I know because of yoga.

****

Ok, now for the damn news. Andrew Sullivan had the best line describing Rudy Giuliani the other day: "a short man in search of a balcony." Not only has Rudy made an entire career out of 9-11, (At least Toby Keith had a few hit singles prior to using the disaster to sell barbecue) but he seems to be bending over backward to embrace the failed policies of the Bush administration--including hiring neocons to oversee his Middle East policy. Then the other day he was asked about torture and responded:

"It depends on how it's done. It depends on the circumstances. It depends on who does it. "

A conservative recently reiterated to me that we have lost moral absolutes (he said based on the Bible) and have slid into moral relativism. I am still waiting to hear how this explains the conservative justification of torture. People who told me that liberals were moral relativists have bent their own moral compass to justify everything from pre-emptive war, to constitutional violations, to the torture of other human beings. I must say, at this point in my life, I am not terribly impressed with conservatives lecturing me on moral relativism.

*****

Speaking of such moral clarity (or lack of it) I am still amazed that Bush and his crowd want to give some kind of blanket immunity to the telecoms, except, of course to cover their own ass. Blatantly counter to our system, of course, and ridiculous given we still don't know the extent of the crimes committed. Bushco says none--of course, they are ass-deep in this. Kind of like the wolf assuring the farmer that the chicken-house security is fine.

So, it is good news, and credit to Chris Dodd, that some Democrats are growing spines. Election Central | Talking Points Memo | Obama Camp Says It: He'll Support Filibuster Of Any Bill Containing Telecom Immunity. I think the Democrats misunderstand their low poll numbers. They are low because they give in to Bush. More bowing and scraping to these idiots won't help their poll numbers.

*****

Update. I think John McCain is a tool, but at least on torture he has been consistent. Melissa Rogers catches his response to Rudy's "its okay if we do it" take:

"“Anyone who knows what waterboarding is could not be unsure. It is a horrible torture technique used by Pol Pot and being used on Buddhist monks as we speak,” said McCain after a campaign stop at Dordt College here.

“People who have worn the uniform and had the experience know that this is a terrible and odious practice and should never be condoned in the U.S. We are a better nation than that.”"