Ends and means...

I’ve listened to Mr. Bush’s last four speeches and finally know why this man is unfit to lead the United States.

It’s not that he said nothing right. I’m gratified that he took a couple of unscripted audience questions after one speech, and I am glad he accepted, at long last, responsibility for making decisions on flawed intelligence.

It’s what he hasn’t said. Mr. Bush still has not come close to acknowledging the clear role his vice president and other members of his administration played in cooking pre-war intelligence, lobbying for war with Iraq, and, once there, screwing up the prosecution of the war.

And, worse, what truly makes Mr. Bush unfit to lead this country rests in the theme of his final let's-win-back-support-for-the-war speech: establishment of a democratic government in Iraq. Mr. Bush's the-ends-justify-the-means rationale for going to war in Iraq is the most undemocratic excuse for his failures and abuses of power.

To be sure, I am pleased the Iraqis appear to be embracing democracy, but not at the cost of undermining America’s core democratic value that the means justify the ends. That’s what democracy is all about, and it's too bad Bush, et al. have never understood this.

Cruising...

The big cruising awards dinner was Friday night at our Encinal Yacht Club. It was great fun, lots of good jokes told, awards to everyone, including the half-assed sailor of the year award, and The Princess and I were inducted as the new Cruising Captains for the 2006 year. For photos of the evening surf to the Encinal Yacht Club website.

Passions
A passion for sailing...it's what a yacht club's all about

A passion for music...Jimmy Buffett, of course

A passion for giving...to share our love of sailing with deserving junior sailors

It's going to be lots of fun, and we're lucky to have lots of knowledgeable cruisers to watch our backs.

The weekend, of course, wouldn't be complete without some sailing, despite the fact that it was between 40 and 50 degrees outside. So, on Sunday, we took our Spindrift with two very close friends, Klaus Dehn and Rob Bastress.
Winds were light, which was just as well considering the chill factor, but we managed to sail out to Alcatraz and back in four hours, and reveled in the clean, crisp, and clear air.

A post turtle...

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year old Texas rancher (whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle), the doctor and the old man struck up a conversation about George W. Bush being in the White House.

The old Texan said, "Well, ya know, Bush is a 'post turtle'." Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a post turtle was.

The old rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle."

The old man saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain,

"You know he didn't get there by himself, he doesn't belong there, he doesn't know what to do while he's up there, and you just want to help the dumb bastard get down!"