but today
the grass is tinted pink...
cherry petals
____________________
*The Shiki Kukai Monthly, April 2010
Showing posts with label grass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grass. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Haiku 071609
summer dawn
thick fog hides
unmowed grass
***************
Recently, we read the following:
New York Times: “Cheney Is Linked to Concealment of C.I.A. Project” by Scott Shane
“The Central Intelligence Agency withheld information about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress for eight years on direct orders from former Vice President Dick Cheney, the agency’s director, Leon E. Panetta, has told the Senate and House intelligence committees, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said Saturday.
“The report that Mr. Cheney was behind the decision to conceal the still-unidentified program from Congress deepened the mystery surrounding it, suggesting that the Bush administration had put a high priority on the program and its secrecy.
“Mr. Panetta, who ended the program when he first learned of its existence from subordinates on June 23, briefed the two intelligence committees about it in separate closed sessions the next day….
“The disclosure about Mr. Cheney’s role in the unidentified C.I.A. program comes a day after an inspector general’s report underscored the central role of the former vice president’s office in restricting to a small circle of officials knowledge of the National Security Agency’s program of eavesdropping without warrants, a degree of secrecy that the report concluded had hurt the effectiveness of the counterterrorism surveillance effort….
“In the tense months after Sept. 11, when Bush administration officials believed new Qaeda attacks could occur at any moment, intelligence officials brainstormed about radical countermeasures. It was in that atmosphere that the unidentified program was devised and deliberately concealed from Congress, officials said….
“In the eight years of his vice presidency, Mr. Cheney was the Bush administration’s most vehement defender of the secrecy of government activities, particularly in the intelligence arena. He went to the Supreme Court to keep secret the advisers to his task force on energy, and won….”
***************
And we thought:
….Eventually, the sun burns off the morning mist. Similarly, public opinion will force the shedding of Cheney’s burkha….
summer dawn
thick fog hides
unmowed grass
***************
Recently, we read the following:
New York Times: “Cheney Is Linked to Concealment of C.I.A. Project” by Scott Shane
“The Central Intelligence Agency withheld information about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress for eight years on direct orders from former Vice President Dick Cheney, the agency’s director, Leon E. Panetta, has told the Senate and House intelligence committees, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said Saturday.
“The report that Mr. Cheney was behind the decision to conceal the still-unidentified program from Congress deepened the mystery surrounding it, suggesting that the Bush administration had put a high priority on the program and its secrecy.
“Mr. Panetta, who ended the program when he first learned of its existence from subordinates on June 23, briefed the two intelligence committees about it in separate closed sessions the next day….
“The disclosure about Mr. Cheney’s role in the unidentified C.I.A. program comes a day after an inspector general’s report underscored the central role of the former vice president’s office in restricting to a small circle of officials knowledge of the National Security Agency’s program of eavesdropping without warrants, a degree of secrecy that the report concluded had hurt the effectiveness of the counterterrorism surveillance effort….
“In the tense months after Sept. 11, when Bush administration officials believed new Qaeda attacks could occur at any moment, intelligence officials brainstormed about radical countermeasures. It was in that atmosphere that the unidentified program was devised and deliberately concealed from Congress, officials said….
“In the eight years of his vice presidency, Mr. Cheney was the Bush administration’s most vehement defender of the secrecy of government activities, particularly in the intelligence arena. He went to the Supreme Court to keep secret the advisers to his task force on energy, and won….”
***************
And we thought:
….Eventually, the sun burns off the morning mist. Similarly, public opinion will force the shedding of Cheney’s burkha….
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Haiku 032409
spring jackets
almost snowless
wet brown grass
***************
Recently, we read the following:
Washington Post: "Geithner to ask Congress for broad power to seize firms, including non-bank financial companies"
“Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner today told Congress the administration will seek unprecedented power to seize non-bank financial companies whose collapse could jeopardize the economy, a move Geithner said would have allowed the government to bail out insurance giant American International Group at a far lower cost to taxpayers. The government at present has the authority to seize only banks.
“Allowing the Treasury Department to take over a broader range of companies, such as large insurers, investment firms and hedge funds, would mark a significant shift from the existing model of financial regulation, which relies on independent agencies that are shielded from the political process. The Treasury secretary, a member of the president's Cabinet, would exercise the new powers in consultation with the White House, the Federal Reserve and other regulators….”
***************
And we thought:
…. This appears to address the seeming lack of a single, decisive locus of regulatory authority over financial institutions. As evidenced by the recent financial meltdown, the current financial regulation model, due to its inadequate oversight powers, engendered unbridled risk-taking and unscrupulous activities even by highly-rated and respected insurance companies, investment firms and hedge funds.
Geithner's proposed model should hence make messmongers think twice, we hope. It's a bit like students being better behaved and engaged when the principal manages his school by walking around and being visible -- and is perceived as personally involved. Hope the model's also been vetted enough to preclude unintended consequences….
spring jackets
almost snowless
wet brown grass
***************
Recently, we read the following:
Washington Post: "Geithner to ask Congress for broad power to seize firms, including non-bank financial companies"
“Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner today told Congress the administration will seek unprecedented power to seize non-bank financial companies whose collapse could jeopardize the economy, a move Geithner said would have allowed the government to bail out insurance giant American International Group at a far lower cost to taxpayers. The government at present has the authority to seize only banks.
“Allowing the Treasury Department to take over a broader range of companies, such as large insurers, investment firms and hedge funds, would mark a significant shift from the existing model of financial regulation, which relies on independent agencies that are shielded from the political process. The Treasury secretary, a member of the president's Cabinet, would exercise the new powers in consultation with the White House, the Federal Reserve and other regulators….”
***************
And we thought:
…. This appears to address the seeming lack of a single, decisive locus of regulatory authority over financial institutions. As evidenced by the recent financial meltdown, the current financial regulation model, due to its inadequate oversight powers, engendered unbridled risk-taking and unscrupulous activities even by highly-rated and respected insurance companies, investment firms and hedge funds.
Geithner's proposed model should hence make messmongers think twice, we hope. It's a bit like students being better behaved and engaged when the principal manages his school by walking around and being visible -- and is perceived as personally involved. Hope the model's also been vetted enough to preclude unintended consequences….
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Haiku 031009
driving rain
on sooty ice --
more brown grass
***************
Recently, we read the following:
Minneapolis Star Tribune: "After a week of testimony and evidence, Franken's lawyers satisfied they made their case"
"The long-running Senate election trial is about to reach another milestone. DFLer Al Franken expects to call his final witnesses today, and his lawyers are proclaiming they are confident that they will have proved their case.
" 'We feel good about how our case went, feel good about how we came in leading, and we think we have put into evidence a strong case,' lead lawyer Marc Elias said Tuesday. 'We're not there yet ... but we're ending what has been a very long post-election process.' ...."
***************
And we thought:
.... to which Norm Coleman thumbs his nose, in the guise of picking .... Just kidding ....
Seriously, though, Coleman should be taking his own advice -- the one he gave to Franken the night when he thought he won the election against the DFL senatorial candidate. "Concede and move on," Coleman chided Franken back in November.
But if Coleman is going to be true to his nature, one expects this former-DFLer-turned-Republican to have already laid out plans for this post-election contest to go as far as the U.S. Supreme Court. Minnesota isn't going to have its second Senator for another few months. One gets a strong sense that it's his way of getting back at Minnesotans. The way people see it -- this is how much he disrespects Minnesota. This is how selfish he is. Mr. Coleman should prove his critics wrong....
driving rain
on sooty ice --
more brown grass
***************
Recently, we read the following:
Minneapolis Star Tribune: "After a week of testimony and evidence, Franken's lawyers satisfied they made their case"
"The long-running Senate election trial is about to reach another milestone. DFLer Al Franken expects to call his final witnesses today, and his lawyers are proclaiming they are confident that they will have proved their case.
" 'We feel good about how our case went, feel good about how we came in leading, and we think we have put into evidence a strong case,' lead lawyer Marc Elias said Tuesday. 'We're not there yet ... but we're ending what has been a very long post-election process.' ...."
***************
And we thought:
.... to which Norm Coleman thumbs his nose, in the guise of picking .... Just kidding ....
Seriously, though, Coleman should be taking his own advice -- the one he gave to Franken the night when he thought he won the election against the DFL senatorial candidate. "Concede and move on," Coleman chided Franken back in November.
But if Coleman is going to be true to his nature, one expects this former-DFLer-turned-Republican to have already laid out plans for this post-election contest to go as far as the U.S. Supreme Court. Minnesota isn't going to have its second Senator for another few months. One gets a strong sense that it's his way of getting back at Minnesotans. The way people see it -- this is how much he disrespects Minnesota. This is how selfish he is. Mr. Coleman should prove his critics wrong....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)