bang! you're dead
Private security forces in Iraq responded to official calls for their removal by shooting several unarmed woman. A spokesperson for the firm was quoted as saying, "they pay us to do this."
Photo: Joao Silva for the New York Times.
Photo: Joao Silva for the New York Times.
what's your s.l.e.e.p. index?
It's now easier than ever to determine you S.L.E.E.P. index.
S = L + E + E + P, where
S = your sleep index.
L= length, in hours of uninterrupted sleep.
If hours slept are greater than 10 then
a) subtract 5 from the total if hungover,
b) subtract 4 from the total if suffering from sleep deprivation, and
c) subtract 3 from the total if depressed.
E= enjoyment factor. Was there a vivid dream at the end of your sleep? If this was dream that you could savor, peruse, and refine during the Enabling period (see below), score 1. If this dream was a recurring dream and you were able to build off previous interpretations, score 1.5. Any flying dream scores a 2. Any flying dream that also includes psychedelic paisley prints, scores 3. Nightmares score -1. Nightmares with flying creatures scores -3.
E=enabling factor. Was your sleep prolonged by blissful waking moments only to realize that you did not yet have to arise? Were you still able to resume sleeping? or better yet, dreaming? Score 1 if the wait is 30 minutes before you have to arise, 0.5 if the wait is 15 or 45 minutes. If you awake 1 hour or more you have to arise and you can't return to sleep, then score -1.
P=Predicting factor*. Are you now well rested? 1 point if "yes, the world is now my oyster", 0.5 points if you feel great after 1 cup of coffee, or 0 points if you need an injection of vitamin b-12 before going to work.
Scoring last night's sleep using the S.L.E.E.P. index.
L=7.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep, 7.5 points.
E=Enjoyment factor, development of new scientific theory while dreaming equals 1 point.
E=Enabling factor, awoke thirty minutes prior to arising (used time to define new scientific theory), score 1 point.
P=the world was somewhere between an oyster and a brook trout on a line. Score 0.75.
So last night's sleep would score a 10.25.
In order to be well-rested your sleep index should be 8, or greater. Sleep indexes of 7 or less indicate sleep deprivation and are additive. Meaning that if you consistently score a 7 every day for a week then, at the end of a week, hou'd have almost a full nights loss of sleep. Or in lay terms, you be tired.
------------
*Subtract 2 here if you inflate your bed to a number.
S = L + E + E + P, where
S = your sleep index.
L= length, in hours of uninterrupted sleep.
If hours slept are greater than 10 then
a) subtract 5 from the total if hungover,
b) subtract 4 from the total if suffering from sleep deprivation, and
c) subtract 3 from the total if depressed.
E= enjoyment factor. Was there a vivid dream at the end of your sleep? If this was dream that you could savor, peruse, and refine during the Enabling period (see below), score 1. If this dream was a recurring dream and you were able to build off previous interpretations, score 1.5. Any flying dream scores a 2. Any flying dream that also includes psychedelic paisley prints, scores 3. Nightmares score -1. Nightmares with flying creatures scores -3.
E=enabling factor. Was your sleep prolonged by blissful waking moments only to realize that you did not yet have to arise? Were you still able to resume sleeping? or better yet, dreaming? Score 1 if the wait is 30 minutes before you have to arise, 0.5 if the wait is 15 or 45 minutes. If you awake 1 hour or more you have to arise and you can't return to sleep, then score -1.
P=Predicting factor*. Are you now well rested? 1 point if "yes, the world is now my oyster", 0.5 points if you feel great after 1 cup of coffee, or 0 points if you need an injection of vitamin b-12 before going to work.
Scoring last night's sleep using the S.L.E.E.P. index.
L=7.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep, 7.5 points.
E=Enjoyment factor, development of new scientific theory while dreaming equals 1 point.
E=Enabling factor, awoke thirty minutes prior to arising (used time to define new scientific theory), score 1 point.
P=the world was somewhere between an oyster and a brook trout on a line. Score 0.75.
So last night's sleep would score a 10.25.
In order to be well-rested your sleep index should be 8, or greater. Sleep indexes of 7 or less indicate sleep deprivation and are additive. Meaning that if you consistently score a 7 every day for a week then, at the end of a week, hou'd have almost a full nights loss of sleep. Or in lay terms, you be tired.
------------
*Subtract 2 here if you inflate your bed to a number.
acquiring a taste for bioaccumulation
I never liked tuna salad, or at least the kind of tuna salad that confronted me as a child, and can still be found in diners across America. You know. Some canned tuna, diced gherkins, celery, maybe some onion and a hard-boiled egg, then everything tossed with mayonnaise and served with a slice of iceberg lettuce on toasted white bread. I dunno, perhaps even as a small child I could taste the mercury.
But as an adult, I've found that by deconstructing tuna salad, and then rearranging the ingredients in combinations more to my palate, then tuna salad is more agreeable. Down right good, in fact. Probably still has a bit of mercury, but at the price of really good tuna and our sinking dollar, I can't afford enough of it to worry much about any toxic effects that might accrue from bioaccumulation. Parking lot sealants - now that's something that really scares me. Parking lot sealants are killing moi.
----------------------------------------------------------
For the deconstructed tuna salad, mix or match the following:
Pan-seared sashami grade tuna on toasted sesame bread.
7-minute hard boiled eggs.
Medley of sweet peppers. baby portabella mushrooms, and
kalamata olives glazed with a garlic, tarragon, and balsamic reduction.
m.o.i: bioaccumulation
elsewhere
m.o.i: standards updated
m.o.i: bison burger
m.o.i: chili 'n out
m.o.i.: autumn trout
m.o.i.: inventory reduction dinner
m.o.i.: purple food, purple food
m.o.i.: life is corny
m.o.i.: Fruit cobbler for breakfast?
m.o.i.: post-modern breakfast
But as an adult, I've found that by deconstructing tuna salad, and then rearranging the ingredients in combinations more to my palate, then tuna salad is more agreeable. Down right good, in fact. Probably still has a bit of mercury, but at the price of really good tuna and our sinking dollar, I can't afford enough of it to worry much about any toxic effects that might accrue from bioaccumulation. Parking lot sealants - now that's something that really scares me. Parking lot sealants are killing moi.
----------------------------------------------------------
For the deconstructed tuna salad, mix or match the following:
Pan-seared sashami grade tuna on toasted sesame bread.
7-minute hard boiled eggs.
Medley of sweet peppers. baby portabella mushrooms, and
kalamata olives glazed with a garlic, tarragon, and balsamic reduction.
m.o.i: bioaccumulation
elsewhere
m.o.i: standards updated
m.o.i: bison burger
m.o.i: chili 'n out
m.o.i.: autumn trout
m.o.i.: inventory reduction dinner
m.o.i.: purple food, purple food
m.o.i.: life is corny
m.o.i.: Fruit cobbler for breakfast?
m.o.i.: post-modern breakfast
pride goeth before the fall
Who didn't love Marion Jones, least of all the sponsors?
When athletes exceed their expectations, and by proxy we exceed ours, we are engaged, enamored, and proud. And when they fail, we fail with them. The price for success can be exorbitant, the wages of redemption even greater.
m.o.i.: pride goeth before the fall
When athletes exceed their expectations, and by proxy we exceed ours, we are engaged, enamored, and proud. And when they fail, we fail with them. The price for success can be exorbitant, the wages of redemption even greater.
m.o.i.: pride goeth before the fall
lock ém up
Senator Larry Craig today became the first openly gay member of the Senate from Idaho. It's great when our elected officials to have the courage to stand up for their convictions.
m.o.i.: gay senator
inventory reduction dinner
Here's another quick after-dinner meal that's modeled somewhat on the work of Ernest Matthew Mickler's series of White Trash Cookery. It's for those days when you're too tired to go to the store or even for take out. There's always something in the pantry or fridge that needs to be used. This meal can be used for inventory reduction purposes, thus one can clear the pantry so that the next time you find the end cap with sales, sales, SALES, you can re-stock. Winter's coming! Stock up today.
This is really just fast food with a few fine ingredients thrown in to 'dress' it up, improve the palatability, and get you out of the kitchen in less than an hour and onto the latest episode of Law and Order, CFR (Campaign Finance Reform).
Kitchen Sink Corn Bread with Lentil, Chevre, and Rosemary.
Kitchen Sink Corn Bread.
1 package of cornmeal meal mix.
1/2 red pepper.
1/4 poblano pepper (seeded and deveined).
1/4 onion.
3 cloves garlic.
1/2 portabella mushroom.
1/2 cup of stale bread
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds.
Preparing the corn bread is the only part of this meal that requires any modicum of 'skill' and that's streching it a bit.
Liberally butter a small baking pan. Line with bread crumbs. You want enough crumbs to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Not that wishy washy bread, but something better, past the point of making sandwhiches or toast. Anything will do here, but for this one I used a mixture of Farm to Market Grains Galore and sourdough.
Sprinkle a layer of sunflower seeds on top of the bread crumbs. Together, the crumbs and nuts will form one layer of crunch (the top crust will form the other layer of crunch).
Quickly sauteed the onions, peppers, garlic, and mushrooms until tender in butter. Add one teaspoon cake flour at the end to absorb some of the liquid. Cook for an additional minute, then press this layer onto the crumb and nut layer.
Prepare the cornbread mixture as per the package instructions except altered as follows. Add one extra egg yolk and an additional 1/2 cup of milk (or buttermilk or clabbered cream [remember it's the kitchen sink corn bread]. The extra moisture is needed because the bread crumbs are going to adsorb more liquid and without it, you'll have dry, crumbly cornbread. Yecchh. Not amount of butter can repair dry cornbread.
Pour the very liquid cornbread mixture over the other ingredients and the pick the pan up and repeatedly tap on the counter to insure that the liquid fills the gaps in your mixture.
Pop in a hot 425 degree F oven. After 10 or 12 minutes check for browning on the top and reduce the heat to 325 for another 5 minutes or so. You want it to just set up and then remove it from the oven. The final product will be firm enough to cut, and have the consistency of CRUNCH, moist tender, yummy goodness and then a nutty CRUNCH.
For the soup.
One can of Progesso Lentil Soup.
Heat 2 minutes over medium. Enliven with fresh rosemary.
Pour in bowl.
Garnish with chevre and fresh rosemary.
And serve with cornbread.
m.o.i.: inventory reduction dinner
elsewhere
m.o.i: standards updated
m.o.i: chili 'n out
m.o.i: bioaccumulation
m.o.i.: autumn trout
m.o.i.: purple food, purple food
m.o.i.: life is corny
m.o.i.: Fruit cobbler for breakfast?
m.o.i.: post-modern breakfast
autumn trout
Oven roasted trout with sweet pepper medley on a bed of mezzo rigatoni.
The mild nature of the trout is enhanced by first quickly browning each side in a skillet with a small amount of grapeseed oil and butter, then finishing it (covered) in a 350 F degree oven so that the meat is cooked through out. If the oven is hot when you begin, the trout should be done in 10-12 minutes. If you multi-task and are efficient in the kitchen, then the whole dish can be started and plated in 45 minutes which means that you can eat well after work in less time and for a lot less money than you can dine out.
Serve on a bed of mezzi rigatoni that have been tossed in a mixture of sauteed onions, red, yellow, and orange sweet peppers. For a bit of zing, add finely minced garlic and a bit of poblano pepper to your sauteed mix. Garnish with small amount (too much will overwhelm the mild nature of this dish) of marinara sauce or dried tomato pesto.
Quick and simple additions. Add a mix of finely juilenned spinach, argula, and basil beneath the trout. If the greens are fresh enough, no need to cook them, just let the heat of the dish gently wilt the greens - but for this to work you must plate your food HOT. Roasted pumkin or sunflower seeds would also work well around the exterior of this dish on the plate edges (we just forgot them in our hurry to photograph and then EAT!)
m.o.i.: autumn trout
elsewhere
m.o.i: standards updated
m.o.i: bison burger
m.o.i: chili 'n out
m.o.i: bioaccumulation
m.o.i.: inventory reduction dinner
m.o.i.: purple food, purple food
m.o.i.: life is corny
m.o.i.: Fruit cobbler for breakfast?
m.o.i.: post-modern breakfast
The mild nature of the trout is enhanced by first quickly browning each side in a skillet with a small amount of grapeseed oil and butter, then finishing it (covered) in a 350 F degree oven so that the meat is cooked through out. If the oven is hot when you begin, the trout should be done in 10-12 minutes. If you multi-task and are efficient in the kitchen, then the whole dish can be started and plated in 45 minutes which means that you can eat well after work in less time and for a lot less money than you can dine out.
Serve on a bed of mezzi rigatoni that have been tossed in a mixture of sauteed onions, red, yellow, and orange sweet peppers. For a bit of zing, add finely minced garlic and a bit of poblano pepper to your sauteed mix. Garnish with small amount (too much will overwhelm the mild nature of this dish) of marinara sauce or dried tomato pesto.Quick and simple additions. Add a mix of finely juilenned spinach, argula, and basil beneath the trout. If the greens are fresh enough, no need to cook them, just let the heat of the dish gently wilt the greens - but for this to work you must plate your food HOT. Roasted pumkin or sunflower seeds would also work well around the exterior of this dish on the plate edges (we just forgot them in our hurry to photograph and then EAT!)
m.o.i.: autumn trout
elsewhere
m.o.i: standards updated
m.o.i: bison burger
m.o.i: chili 'n out
m.o.i: bioaccumulation
m.o.i.: inventory reduction dinner
m.o.i.: purple food, purple food
m.o.i.: life is corny
m.o.i.: Fruit cobbler for breakfast?
m.o.i.: post-modern breakfast
a revised brief history of the spector trial
THE CHARGE.
THE ACCUSED.
THE PROSECTOR.
THE TRIAL.
THE JUDGE.
THE JURY.
THE VERDICT.
THE ACCUSED.
THE PROSECTOR.
THE TRIAL.
THE JUDGE.
THE JURY.
THE VERDICT.
a self-evident posting
Today we celebrate our 139th posting. We could have celebrated our 100th posting, or waited until the 150th posting, or done something on the 6 months anniversary of its beginning, but this being a blog, that form of expression that defies expression almost as much as it escapes intent, we decided to select a more or less random number, our 139th. There is really nothing special about this event, except that blogs frequently continue in spite of themselves, and more often than not without a proper road map to guide them forward, or even home, where ever that might be, which in the case of the world wide web could be considered to be both simultaneously nowhere and everywhere.
Therefore, to honor the largely unstructured, sometimes random moments of self-expression that we hope never, ever leaves us, we are happy to provide brief exposure (~8 minutes) to Rev. Billy's arrest during a critical mass rally in NYC this summer. We do this because the charges have been leveled, the defendant has been brought forth and the lawyers retained, and since everyone in America is still purportedly entitled to a swift and fair trial (several recent events not withstanding), this one (of Rev. Billy v. the Arbitars of Both Silly Rules and Common Sense) has begun, and if Court TV weren't still busy waiting for the 12 Spector of Doubt jurists to finish Season 5 of Law and Order, then they might cover, or at least provide a few highlights of the event "at 6 and 10."
The Rev was arrested for allegedly harrassing police officers by repeatedly shouting the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution through a megaphone at a public gathering. Listening to someone repeatedly shout over and over the same phrases, might be really annoying, but arresting them for a public performance recitation of the First Amendment would be seem to be fraught with more than a few legal issues as well working to reduce any goodwill for the mostly(?)beloved NYC Police Dept. that might be left from the tower collapses.
Readers familiar with the brouhaha around the recent visit of Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to Columbia University and the introductory remarks by the university president, Lee Bollinger, to the student body may find some interesting parallels between these 2 seemingly unrelated events.
movin' on up
Anyone remember the 2006 Tour de France Champion? It was a Spaniard.
1. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne-I.B., time 89h:40m:30s
2. Andréas Klöden (G), T-Mobile, 00:32s
3. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, 01:42s
Sastre is now also the winner of infamous Stage 17 where Flance, after being the first to clear the summit at Morzine, began his slow 2 year descent into infamy.
Enough doping you say? According to the 18 Janvier 2007 edition of Le Monde, Pereiro twice tested positive for the asthma medication salbutamol during the 2006 race, after stages 14 and 16. Pererio was issued a therapeutic use exemption for Ventolin (which contains salbutamol) from the Union Cycliste Internationale, although the French Anti-doping agency took issue with the 'medical condition' that enables a rider to take a drug designed to open up the air waves and considers much of the therapeutic use of drugs by cyclists to be nothing more than sanctioned doping.
As previously stated, the Devil isn’t done with Flance yet. First the jersey, next the hip. Big price to pay for selling your soul but Lord knows, the Devil works in mysterious ways, so don’t be surprised if Flance climbs back to the top of mountain biking were he was world champ before he left for the lights, glitter, and doom of road racing. And then......?? Protracted lawsuits are a given; it's the way of the Old Order.
There’s fallout from all the dope. At this year’s Tour of Missouri, 3 Pro Teams ended their sponsorship of cycling. Discovery Channel, Navigators Insurance, and Kodak Gallery will end their sponsorship after the season. None of the sponsors made mention of the doping scandals plaguing the sport, but Corporate doesn’t like a black eye. Excepting die-hard cycling fans (like moi), the sport has long been seen as dispensable by the majority of the USA, despite the fact that it continues to grow each year.
Looking to the future. Slipstream Chilpolte, the official ANTI-DOPING team of professional cycling, is poised to assume the mantle of the dominant US Pro Cycling team, but expect some rebuilding years before they place riders on the podium in the Grand Tours. A few stage wins on the European circuit and a strong showing on the domestic circuit might help attract more support and sponsors in the US.
Former Junior time-trial champion, Danny Pate of Slipstream Chilpolte, cleared the field in the last 2 km of stage 5 of the Tour of Missouri and soloed to victory in St. Charles.
1. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne-I.B., time 89h:40m:30s
2. Andréas Klöden (G), T-Mobile, 00:32s
3. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, 01:42s
Sastre is now also the winner of infamous Stage 17 where Flance, after being the first to clear the summit at Morzine, began his slow 2 year descent into infamy.
Enough doping you say? According to the 18 Janvier 2007 edition of Le Monde, Pereiro twice tested positive for the asthma medication salbutamol during the 2006 race, after stages 14 and 16. Pererio was issued a therapeutic use exemption for Ventolin (which contains salbutamol) from the Union Cycliste Internationale, although the French Anti-doping agency took issue with the 'medical condition' that enables a rider to take a drug designed to open up the air waves and considers much of the therapeutic use of drugs by cyclists to be nothing more than sanctioned doping.
As previously stated, the Devil isn’t done with Flance yet. First the jersey, next the hip. Big price to pay for selling your soul but Lord knows, the Devil works in mysterious ways, so don’t be surprised if Flance climbs back to the top of mountain biking were he was world champ before he left for the lights, glitter, and doom of road racing. And then......?? Protracted lawsuits are a given; it's the way of the Old Order.
There’s fallout from all the dope. At this year’s Tour of Missouri, 3 Pro Teams ended their sponsorship of cycling. Discovery Channel, Navigators Insurance, and Kodak Gallery will end their sponsorship after the season. None of the sponsors made mention of the doping scandals plaguing the sport, but Corporate doesn’t like a black eye. Excepting die-hard cycling fans (like moi), the sport has long been seen as dispensable by the majority of the USA, despite the fact that it continues to grow each year.
Looking to the future. Slipstream Chilpolte, the official ANTI-DOPING team of professional cycling, is poised to assume the mantle of the dominant US Pro Cycling team, but expect some rebuilding years before they place riders on the podium in the Grand Tours. A few stage wins on the European circuit and a strong showing on the domestic circuit might help attract more support and sponsors in the US.
Former Junior time-trial champion, Danny Pate of Slipstream Chilpolte, cleared the field in the last 2 km of stage 5 of the Tour of Missouri and soloed to victory in St. Charles.
spector of doubt
Hitman Phil Spector appears to be benefiting from the fact that most of America watches too much television (and by default then the folks who sit on a jury) and can find it plausible that someone would meet a person for the first time, have drink with them, then go home with them, and then decide, "hey, I've always wantéd to 86 myself, and the foyer of Phil Spector's mansion seems as good a place as any."
what happens in vegas stays in vegas
Room rates as low as $39.99.
Conveniently located just minutes off the famous "Las Vegas Strip" and minutes from McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas Police Department. We offer complimentary shuttle service to and from the strip, one free get-out-of-jail card, tantalizing restaurants, the award winning Laugh Trax Comedy Club, and of course, a 100,000 square-foot casino.
Held without bail.
Conveniently located just minutes off the famous "Las Vegas Strip" and minutes from McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas Police Department. We offer complimentary shuttle service to and from the strip, one free get-out-of-jail card, tantalizing restaurants, the award winning Laugh Trax Comedy Club, and of course, a 100,000 square-foot casino.
Held without bail.
the price of below average
is a monumnetal FAILURE.
The Mediocre President, "please bear with me."
3 reports out in the last few weeks about how the SURGE is performing.
-------------------------------------
White House report, released today.
9 benchmarks. Satisfactory improvement.
7 benchmarks. Unsatifactory improvement.
1 benchmark. Mixed results.
--------------------------------------
Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraqi , released Sept. 6.
Chaired by Retired Marine General James Jones.
Overall Iraqi Security Forces. Fail.
Ministry of Defense. Mixed.
Army and Special Forces. Fail.
Air Force. Pass.
Navy Forces. Fail.
Ministry of Interior. Fail.
National Police. Fail.
Border Security. Fail.
Overall Capacity Building. Mixed.
--------------------------------------
Government Accountablity Office, released Sept. 4.
3 benchmarks. Satisfactory improvement.
11 benchmarks. Unsatifactory improvement.
4 benchmark. Mixed results.
-------------------------------
No matter which report you read, the SURGE is failing.
General David Petaeus refused this week to say whether or not America was now safer from the threat of terrorism because he, like the rest of the world, and the government, knows that we aren't.
The Mediocre President, "please bear with me."
3 reports out in the last few weeks about how the SURGE is performing.
-------------------------------------
White House report, released today.
9 benchmarks. Satisfactory improvement.
7 benchmarks. Unsatifactory improvement.
1 benchmark. Mixed results.
--------------------------------------
Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraqi , released Sept. 6.
Chaired by Retired Marine General James Jones.
Overall Iraqi Security Forces. Fail.
Ministry of Defense. Mixed.
Army and Special Forces. Fail.
Air Force. Pass.
Navy Forces. Fail.
Ministry of Interior. Fail.
National Police. Fail.
Border Security. Fail.
Overall Capacity Building. Mixed.
--------------------------------------
Government Accountablity Office, released Sept. 4.
3 benchmarks. Satisfactory improvement.
11 benchmarks. Unsatifactory improvement.
4 benchmark. Mixed results.
-------------------------------
No matter which report you read, the SURGE is failing.
General David Petaeus refused this week to say whether or not America was now safer from the threat of terrorism because he, like the rest of the world, and the government, knows that we aren't.
don't oppose all wars
Administration officials testifying in front of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees this week pulled out all the stops in an attempt to convince the American public that we ''rock" in Iraq. Many (if not most) Americans, and at least one Senator, notably Barack Obama, were unconvinced with the theatrics.
My interest in supporting O'bama continues to grow. Although Kucinic has been out front on this issue from the beginning, a speech by Obama today calling for immediate reductions in troop levels (as per the SURGE strategy) and the following speech by Obama from 2002 is more of what is needed from the front runners if resolution on this murky issue is expected to clear anytime soon.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don’t oppose all wars. And I know that in this crowd today, there is no shortage of patriots, or of patriotism.
What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in this administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne.
What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income - to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression. That’s what I’m opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics. Now let me be clear - I suffer no illusions about Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man who butchers his own people to secure his own power. He has repeatedly defied UN resolutions, thwarted UN inspection teams, developed chemical and biological weapons, and coveted nuclear capacity. He’s a bad guy. The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better off without him.
But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors, that the Iraqi economy is in shambles, that the Iraqi military a fraction of its former strength, and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history. I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of Al Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars.
So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the President today. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s finish the fight with Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings. You want a fight, President Bush?
Let’s fight to make sure that the UN inspectors can do their work, and that we vigorously enforce a non-proliferation treaty, and that former enemies and current allies like Russia safeguard and ultimately eliminate their stores of nuclear material, and that nations like Pakistan and India never use the terrible weapons already in their possession, and that the arms merchants in our own country stop feeding the countless wars that rage across the globe. You want a fight, President Bush?
Let’s fight to make sure our so-called allies in the Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop oppressing their own people, and suppressing dissent, and tolerating corruption and inequality, and mismanaging their economies so that their youth grow up without education, without prospects, without hope, the ready recruits of terrorist cells. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to wean ourselves off Middle East oil, through an energy policy that doesn’t simply serve the interests of Exxon and Mobil. Those are the battles that we need to fight. Those are the battles that we willingly join. The battles against ignorance and intolerance. Corruption and greed. Poverty and despair.
great american team bids farewell on 9-11
The Discovery Channel swan-song began today with the first stage of the Tour of Missouri. Race Director, Johan Bruyneel, arguably established one of the most dominant periods in any sport when riders on his team ended atop the podium in Paris in 8 of the last 9 years. Bruyneel has said he will resign from the sport after this race although rumors were flying around the start line today that Bruneel may be working for a European team next season.
Team Discovery is fielding an elite team and is expected to make a strong statement in their final race. Alberto Contador, 2007 Tour de France winner (above), is joined by fellow Discovery team mates including 2007 3rd-place finisher Levi Leipheimer (below), 2005 White Jersey winner Yaroslav Popovych, and George Hincapie who rode on all 8 winning Tour teams [U.S. Postal and Discovery] and up-and-coming riders like John Devine and Vladamir Gusev. No other team in this field comes close to matching them.
It's hard to say what Discovery's plan is for this race, but expect plenty of attacks and not many opportunities to put a lot of separation between the upper echelon of riders. The Missouri landscape ísn't mountainous enough to play into the strengths of the likes of Contador, but the ever-attacking Popovych may find himself with chances to do serious damage during some of the longer stages with strings of up and down rolling hills and this race may be his chance to finally break to the top as a complete rider if he can show well in the time trial. Bruyneel is likely to watch his riders closely and let the ones whose are riding the best have a shot at the top of the podium.
Attacks will be quick to come on stage 2, although it's unlikely (as in this break during Stage 1) that any break can be sustained through the finish line unless the p-peleton decides to take a day off - unlikely in a 6-day race. The time trial on Wednesday just isn't long enough (18 miles) for the best time-trialers (like Leiphiemer) to build large time gaps, although the elevation gain will likely act to separate the best riders from the rest of the field. Then Thursday and Friday should see plenty of action. These stages are really the best chances for the strongest riders and strongest teams to show what they have given the length of the stages and the rolling terrain. Riders who cannot withstand repeated attacks will likely quickly fall by the wayside and be unable to recover.
you've seen the movie, now read the book
"Information is shock resistance, arm yourself", Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine:The Rise of Disaster Capitalism: Metropolitan Books, 2007
View a new way to promote books @: http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine/short-film.
View a new way to promote books @: http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine/short-film.
creek bursts into flames during heat wave
Anecdotal evidence of the global warming seems to be everywhere. Over the last 40 years the average size of soft drinks sold at 7-11 has steadily increased, from 6.5 ounces in 1966 to 29.5 ounces today. That's almost a 500 percent increase.
Last evening in Kansas City, which suffered through one of the hottest August on record, thousands of residents lined the banks of a local creek to view what some where referring to as the ulimate expression of global warming. Brush Creek, long known for urban pollution problems, appeared to spontaneously combust into flames along a 3-mile stretch of the river. Wome witnesses who viewed the event described it as erie, haunting, and mysterious more than a few thought they heard the ghost of Luciana Pavorotti's tenor lifting through the smoke and fire. Even firefighters were wont for an offical response. "Although we're prepared for almost anything, I've never seen anything like this," said one as he stared into the flames.
upcoming events
Gen. Petraus will attempt a pinpoint parachute landing (along with members of the Army Golden Knights) into the Capital Rotunda and deliver an assessment of the SURGE to Repulican and Democratic apoligists. Once the smoke clears, you may wish to take note of the most recent "Prospects for Iraqi Security", from the Director of National Intelligence.www.dni.gov/
Talking point 2) Broadly accepted political compromises required for sustained security, long-term political progress, and economic development are unlikely to emerge unless there is a fundamental shift in the factors driving Iraqi political and security developments.
Talking point 3). However, we judge that the Iraqi Security Forces have not improved enough to conduct major operations independent of the Coalition on a sustained basis in multiple locations and that the Iraqi Security Forces remain reliant on the Coalition for important aspects of logistics and combat support.
Talking point 4). The Intelligence Community assesses that the Iraqi Government will become more precarious over the next six to 12 months because of criticism by other members of the major Shia coalition (the Unified Iraqi Alliance), Grand Ayatollah Sistani, and other Sunni and Kurdish parties.
Talking point 5). Population displacement resulting from sectarian violence continues, imposing burdens on provincial governments and some neighboring states and increasing the danger of destabilizing influences spreading across Iraq’s borders over the next six to 12 months.
AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY.
Talking point 6). We assess that changing the mission of Coalition forces from a primarily counterinsurgency and stabilization role to a primary combat support role for Iraqi forces and counterterrorist operations to prevent al Queda from establishing a safehaven would erode security gains achieved thus far.
Our understanding of the situation is expected to clarify over the next 6-10 years.
it ain't the heat, it's the stupidty
District Attorney Arthur Branch is expected to rule as early as 11 pm (Central time) today on whether or not he will review the case of the State of Minnesota v. Larry Craig, a U.S. Senator.
Craig, who earlier plead quilty to a need to ''wash the sock" of an undercover police officer in a public restroom in the Minneapolis Airport, has now decided that perhaps he did nothing wrong. Craig, who also earlier decided not to seek counseling for his 'needs', has now decided that it's in the best interest of the country to continue to wash his dirty laundry in public lavoritories - much to the delight of Democrats, comedy-show hosts, and those wishing to deflect attention from the soon-to-be-released SURGE report card.
Branch, viewed by many as a tough but fair prosecutor, has never been known to expend sympathy for those who lack knowledge of either the spirit or the letter of the law and he is also likely to be confused by Sen. Craig's back-pedalling as outlined in 1 September statement:
I have little control over what people choose to believe, but clearly my name is important to me and my family is so very important also. Having said that, to pursue my legal options, as I continue to serve Idaho, would be an unwanted and unfair distraction of my job and for my Senate colleagues. These are serious times of war and of conflict—times that deserve the Senate's and the full nation's attention.
...
Therefore it is with sadness and deep regret that I announce that it is my intent to resign from the Senate, effective September 30. In doing so, I hope to allow a smooth and orderly transition of my loyal staff and for the person appointed to take my place at William E. Borah's desk. I have full confidence that Governor Otter will appoint a successor who will serve Idaho with distinction.
Excert (with emphasis added) from Senator Craig Announces Intent to Resign from the Senate @ http://craig.senate.gov/keyportal.cfm
