xmascard 02: credits
- What another year...
- The recently begun perpetual War on Terrorism turned into a war on freedom and the right
to privacy in a free and open society and into an excuse to continue oppression in many
parts of the world with slightly shifted rhetoric. Total Information Awareness is only one
part of this rightwing agenda that again served up Saddam as a target to provide cover.
Why is waving the flag always so effective?
- Compassionate conservatism, an oxymoron introduced by (someone behind) George W. Bush,
sort of like "killing you with kindness"... except literal rather than
figurative.
- The Worry image from The Nation is
a morphing of George W. Bush with
Alfred
E. Neuman, the official
mascot of the American satirical humor Mad
Magazine famous for his motto: "What, Me Worry?" and less so for many
longer quotes.
[Mad Magazine is the longest running humor magazine in the states, born the
same year as bob.]
- An international chemistry related meeting in Orlando finally brings bob and ani to
town. A full day together at Epcot Center on the weekend and a few hours for bob at
the Kennedy Space Center while ani was hard at
work. The most incredible thing there is the Saturn moon rocket
left over from the Apollo moon program. Lying there in its separated stages in an enormous
hanger. That alone was worth the trip.
- Meanwhile the inspiration for the bears came from the Pottery Barn Kids Clancy
the bear that bob took a liking to and repeatedly visited in 2002. [Made by
"Gotta Getta Gund", the world's most huggable
stuffed bears and other animals since 1898.] Unfortunately more and more people in the
world can only dream of owning a stuffed bear.