Visibly Unstable Bush Is Off to China
The whole gang arrived pretty much at the same time, and Schuyler scrambled to mix Orange Daiquiris for those of us who wanted to start the evening off with a good cocktail. He made them with a rum that was new to most of us, Creole Schrubb rum, lime juice and simple syrup. On the drinks table he also had some non-alcoholic sparkling wine and some mineral water.
Kim mentioned that she had been deeply disturbed by Bush's behavior on Veteran's Day when he gave a speech that was supposed to, by historic tradition, honor Veterans, past and present.

Instead, Kim told us, he spent almost 50 minutes snidely, bitchily, snarlingly swiping at the Democrats and others he perceives to disagree with him. In Kim's opinion, it was neither the time nor the place to play Queen Bee. There is, after all, such a thing as decorum, although maybe not in Crawford, or as we like to call it, Krawford, since that's where this nearly totally deranged one's planning to write his version of Mein Kampf, that's is, if Al Qaeda or The International Criminal Court don't get him first. His speech was smarmy, like one of Richard Nixon's speeches, and betrayed a deeply embittered "man."

Barry, Kim's husband, told us that what worried them was that at a time when Bush is visibly not in control of his faculties, nor at a time when his handlers are managing him adroitly, he's off to China, where, like the proverbial bull in the china shop, he's quite likely to break a lot of china, insulting people right and left, as is his wont. Problem is, Barry told us in worried tones, the Chinese are the very people who are holding most of our debt. We're up to our chins in debt to the Chinese, thanks to George's inability to manage the country's treasure. The U.S. National debt is currently $8,093,788,637,831.23 and growing by $3.48 billion a day. Thanks George; did you think you think your Gorgon mother and insensitive dad were going to bail you out yet once again? Barry said he was going to enroll in Chinese language and culture classes. Shouldn't we all start thinking of doing the same?

Wherever He Goes: He Offends
Alex said that he couldn't remember a trip by Bush during which he didn't manage to insult someone. It just seems to be in his blood to be offensive, which isn't unusual when you remember who his parents are. His most recent trip, to Argentina, wasn't exactly a glowing success, as evidenced by the fact that most foreign leaders hardly even acknowledged his presence. However, Latin America, for now, doesn't hold untold billions in U.S. debt, as do the Chinese, so if you think crossing your fingers helps, cross them and hope he doesn't royally tick off the Chinese during his trip to China.

Problem is, Bob and Judy said, China is not some little banana republic; they're fast becoming a financial behemoth with a lot more clout than most people realize. If Beijing doesn't want the U.S. to accomplish one mission or another on the world stage, it can impede any plan the U.S. wishes to accomplish, and Bush, with his typical rough cowboy behavior, could easily tick off the Chinese. So? Maybe we'd better start brushing up on our Chinese.

Alley Apples: Stop the Presses
Carmen and Jim had been listening quietly, but suddenly they interjected some really bad news none of us had heard or read about yet. Well, buckaroo, the Toxic Cowboy, sure enough, didn't waste any time in insulting and irritating the Chinese, and he hasn't even landed on Chinese soil! Kim, Barry, Alex, Bob and Judy's fears have already come true and the smarmy, dangerous, guy who runs around yelling No Wire Coat Hangers! As if we were all Joan Crawford's daughter or poor defenseless Baby Jane. Well, the Joan Crawford bitchy approach to dealing with foreign countries really doesn't help the United States, and really, it is almost treasonous. What Carmen and Jim had read just before coming over, was that the Associated Press had earlier reported that Bush was already goading on China on the subject of Taiwan.

Now, unless you've lived your entire life in a coal mine, you know how touchy the subject is, so why in hell would Bush taunt the Chinese about democracy and Taiwan from Japanese soil? The Associated Press wrote what Shrub had stupidly and dangerously said: "Modern Taiwan is free and democratic and prosperous. By embracing freedom at all levels, Taiwan has delivered prosperity to its people and created a free and democratic Chinese society." Idiotically, he continued: "I have pointed out that the people in China want more freedom to express themselves…to worship without state control…and to print Bibles and other sacred texts without state control." Alley Apples! This paragon of freedom of the press, of the freedom to allow vocal opposition at his speeches, this paragon of open government, this invader and torturer is going to lecture the Chinese?

Somebody ought to pull his filthy under shorts down and spank him with a wire coat hanger. After this trip, China will not work with us until we achieve regime change here in the United States. Well, Wacko Shrub, you screwed up again: you're doing a good job Brownie-nose.

Hungry Teenagers Ring the Dinner Gong
Max and Charlotte prepared dinner tonight, so as unpleasant as our conversation had turned out, we at least have something good to look forward to, and the always-hungry teenagers will be happily satiated as well.
For an amuse-bouche, Charlotte had prepared Bruschetta, spread with an avocado mixture containing scallions, Thai chiles and basil. Charlotte and Max thought a Sauvignon Blanc with notes of lime would be good with the Bruschetta, and poured us a very affordable Rancho Zabaco 2004 California Dancing Bull Sauvignon Blanc from Zabaco Vintners. Maybe tonight would be a good night to try other affordable wines.

For our soup course, Max and Charlotte had felt the urge to try some Scottish food, and found a recipe for "Cullen Skink," which is a Smoked Haddock and Potato Soup. With our first real cold snap of the season, this soup really was satisfying. We normally have a nice sherry with our soup, and tonight Max and Charlotte poured us small "copitas" of Harvey's Bristol Cream in the new sherry glasses we got from the Dutch company Royal Leerdam.

Together, Charlotte and Max broiled tonight's fish, hamachi (or yellowtail). Perfectly broiled would be a better description. On the plates with the fish, they served baked Parmesan Stuffed Onions over a bed of fluffy white rice. They poured another very affordable wine, a 2004 Pfalz Villa Wolf Pinot Gris from Germany. This wine had fragrant pear and lemon flavors, and was clean and bright, certainly enhancing the pleasure of tasting the broiled hamachi.
An interlude of dollops of blueberry sorbet, and then Charlotte and Max kept regaling us with comfort and pleasure: Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Broiled Fingerling Potatoes and the most amazing Red Pepper Flan served on a bed of beautiful mesclum from Art and Terry's greenhouses. The wine they poured, a Hoodsport 2003 Columbia Valley Cabernet-Merlot, which had flavors of sweet red cherries. This Washington state wine was perfect with the chicken.

Tonight, a very chilly night, prompted us to light the fireplaces in the great room and in the dining room where we, the adults, have dinner, so the whole place was aglow with atmosphere. We thought a simple dessert would be fine after such a satisfying dinner, and Charlotte served a simple dish of ripe peaches and cream, pairing our dessert with an Italian Vietti 2004 Moscato d'Asti Cascinetta, which had scents of banana but with balanced acidity which kept it clean.

After-dinner Coffee in the Great Room
The cold snap tonight, which prompting the lighting of the fireplaces, put everybody in a good mood. Thankfully, it was only the adults who had to think of Bush's latest trip to skulk around sowing seeds of hatred, this time throughout Asia. Jeez, we're hated in so much of the world, and now, before he's even landed in China he's already insulted the Chinese, spreading more hatred. We're glad the kids don't realize what Beatrix and Jeremy confirmed when they returned from Great Britain: even the Brits hate us; the only friend we have there is poor, beleaguered Tony Blair. And the Canadians? They despise us. Blessedly, the kids are oblivious, for now, of how Bush has marginalized us, putting us in a very lone corner, where the world can despise us and spit on the image of what we used to be before Bush and his perverted cabal of goons, male and female.

Summary:
Bush had a chance to go to Asia and win friends and keep old friends. Even before landing in China, he insulted and antagonized 1.3 billion people, citizens of the world's newest financial, political and diplomatic behemoth. Not very smart, considering that Bush has hocked us to the hilt, and China holds the pawn slips. Too bad the United States, unlike other countries, doesn't have a system by which heads of state can only travel abroad with permission of their legislative branches.