When Baltimore had such a good chance to topple 'em, the words you don't want to hear over the airwaves are, "Couldn't have been a better throw by Brady".
So close. *sigh*
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Unbelievable Monday Night Football
Monday, December 3, 2007
Iran? Yeah, Just Faking It (like Saddam?)
The American spy agencies that have, historically, not known anything about anything have issued a report claiming to know something.
Nothing good can come from this something.
- -Faith in the CIA, not that it was much justified, has not been restored.
- -The practice of issuing NIEs to the public, because this Executive seems to have a talent for sublimating facts and fact-patterns to 'policy', when the spirit moves, puts how much of governance in the hands of agency technocrats who have been wrong more often than right? What's more, how does this help the diplomatic effort (to bring Iran into compliance with IAEA, etc.), to handle "intelligence" this way?
- -The non-proliferation regime is not strengthened when the lead countries cannot seem to get their estimates of what is going on communicated without bias, causing the other nations who must buy into collective actions, like sanctions, to ... be unable to steer their own ships of state by a beacon of competence, patience, and truth on the matter.
Those people who thought that the 2006 bombing in Lebanon was a 'demonstration' for Iran's benefit appear to have ... missed the mark ... WIDE, if this NIE turns out to be accurate.
Oh, spot oil prices didn't move much today. humm... Did the markets say, "Eh, another American piece of paper about the world..."
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Movember Comes to a Close: Update1
"Movember", charity mustache month, came to a close this week, with just one case of ... facial fascism.
A school in New Zeland, a private school, threatened to pull exams from a student, unless he shaved off his mo.
It's true. He complied. The school was within its rights but out of its mind, of course.
Sporting Gays
Bloggernista declares the gayest sport ever. (pics/video from official site, here).
I dunno. It's a tossup. (Not that a 'gay sport' exists ...)
I might vote for synchronized diving. Here's one of the cutie-pie pairs doing synchro diving.
From the USA, Troy Dumais (right) teamed up with Indiana’s Mitch Richeson to win the gold medal in 3-meter synchronized diving at the Pan American Games in Brazil:
Australians Mathew Helm and Robert Newbery diveSynchro trampoline is not far behind:
2007 World, part I
2007 World, part II
Visualization Superior
Wow, my MSPlayer doesn't do this good a job.
Sacre Solemnis following the majestic melody of the allegretto in Beethoven's Symphony #2, done in the voices of the Libera boys choir (but not wholly a capella), with amazing vizualization.
The intersection of three levels of re-interpretation (!):
THE "HUMAN ELEMENT" OR A "STAR" IS BORN
For fun, here's a wholly different kind of visualization.
Taken from the soaring finale to Mahler's 8th, the words of Goethe's Faust:
"Do You Hear What I Hear?"
The little match girl does Carnegie Hall (December 12) again:
"Atrociously appealing and inimitably witty. 'Kiki would die for you', just doesn't cover it." - the BootstrappingAS website
The Bush They Wanted
Evangelicals who thrilled to Huckabee may have somehow given him a boost in Iowa, because his numbers are up, up, up there.
Hope springs eternal. Those who were thinking of a change among "value voters" (Evangelical
Crack Up), of a chastened electorate, may have been wrong, in one way or the other.
THE HERETIC HUCKABEE
Seems to me, Huckabee is maybe the Bush they hoped/hope for.
Will they go that way again?
Unite the party under an old libertarian-wing revival? Chances of that seem increasingly remote, n'est pas? ...
Licentious Market Theory
The 10 Reasons why , uh, Big Government is worse than Big Business (hey, that's what I heard).
While the most recent golden age of corporate scandals has passed (Tyco and Enron seem like a distant memory), there were still enough misdeeds and mistakes in and around Wall Street to keep business sections lively.
My pick of the litter?
#2, for the screw-the-children aspect
and
#5, because
and
runner-up #4, Canye, who was remarked earlier (Early morning snark).
CAFE without Java - Congress Serves Up Mocha
27 years later, The Great American Congress Follows-up:
The decision to raise the Corporate Average Fuel Economy [CAFE] standard will increase the nation's automotive mileage standard to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, with increases starting in 2011, according to news reports.
No rush, guys. Four year lead-in time with 10 year compliance period and extensions possible, under a Republican Presidency.
zzzzzzzzzz
Photo of the week
From National Geographic Traveler Mag, Giza from the Sahara "road":
Meanwhile, time was when Microsoft was alleged to be buying a lock on the best images archives of the last century. All the same, photography on the web seems to be doing fine, so it might prove difficult to continue that.
Many photo essays:
Love locks: "Young lovers in Florence seal their affection by placing a lock inscribed with their names on this fence, which surrounds a statue of the legendary goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini," says Brimberg. "They then throw the key into the Arno River, a gesture that is supposed to assure them eternal love." The bust of Cellini, a 16th-century goldsmith who was considered one of the greatest of all time, stands on the Ponte Vecchio, which is lined with gold and jewelry shops.
Found these images from the ... public transport in Japan.
The train to Nanjing (from Shanghai):
Saturday, December 1, 2007
"Don't just give a gift, fulfill a wish"
If that's not the best slogan of this season's marketing, one can always find solar carry bags, for the person who ... leaves their bag in the sun.
GO NAKED, RATHER THAN COMPROMISE ON FASHION
Fur is ... uncivilized:
Dean Holds Onto Letter
Raw Story covers O'Reilly going ballistic, trying to get a liberal blogger 'investigated' by his law school Dean ...
Should someone auction off his letter?
Thanks for helping to coarsen the culture, Bill. Gulp.
[update: oops, this is a little bit old (Nov 12th). Just shows how busy November has been.]
Dissenting on AS's View of Obama's Import
Iowans will serve up Obama to the Nation, to figure out what to do with him, I'll bet.
The idea of a new "zeitgeist", as AS puts it, surrounding the Obama campaign .... [see also: generational theory of realigning elections.]
I simply do not believe that there are sufficient reg-dog Republicans, to run a "new era" politics, as Reagan was able to do with his "blue-dog" democrats.
I'm not sure I want a "uniter". I would rather have distinctly liberal values in the White House. However, "uniter" is probably as much a winning theme now, as it was when Bush-43 used it in 2000 ... to the great plaudits from the GOP trenches.
I simply do not believe that there are sufficient reg-dog Republicans, to run a "new era" politics, as Reagan was able to do with his "blue-dog" democrats. There will be no new era of good feeling.
Audacity, indeed. Sorry, if that sounds cynical, but there are far more Republican Senators like Vitter than there are like Olympia Snow. If Schumer gets five of the eight seats hoped for, that would still leave a need for six red-dogs. Who are they and aren't they right-enough to alienate the left of the Democratic party ... ?
THINKING ONE STEP AHEAD
What's more, the first term of the next President is going to be extremely challenging. One might expect that GOP obstructionism and partisanship is going to be fierce. The Reagan Devolutionaries are not going to change their stripes.
Working Hard in the White House
Greg Mankiw comes up with the counter-intuitive notion that Republican economists work long hours at the White House.
How hard can it be to recyle the reports of The Heritage Foundation?
Flippancy aside, it has to be harder to manage a government that believes in doing something for people, than to one whose answer to most everything is "cut it", including "cut taxes".
Weekly Casualty Lists: Week 48
The collateral impact of war:
-Half of Afghan parliament, unable to deal, walks out (Roggio) in angst over Baghlan incident a week ago in which security guards over-reacted to an attack, killing large number of civilians.
-Stress on U.S. soldiers continues unabated. File it under "what was asked of us", IBC reports - "The number of civilians killed by US forces during November is now 75, including 2 children."
[enemy lists, here]
September wounded: 358; October: 296; Nov: pending.
WEEKLY CASUALTY LIST: MNF-IRAQ
| ------- | Name, Age | Srv Branch | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank, Unit | |||
| Location; Circumstance of Death | |||
| John J. Tobiason, 42 | U.S. Army | Bloomington | |
| Sergeant 1st Class, 847th Adjutant General BN, 89th Regional Readiness Command | |||
| Baghdad; 28-Nov-07; Non-hostile - accident | |||
| Allen C. Roberts, 21 | U.S. Marine | Arcola, IL | |
| Corporal, Marine Attack Squadron 214, Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I MEF | |||
| Al Asad; 28-Nov-07; Non-hostile - vehicle accident | |||
| Name Not Released Yet | U.S. Army | n.a. | |
| Not reported yet, Multi-National Division - Baghdad | |||
| Baghdad (western part); 28-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire | |||
| Isaac T. Cortes, 26 | U.S. Army | Bronx, NY | |
| Private, 1stt Squadron, 71st Cavalry Reg, 1st Brigade Combat Team, (Light Infantry) 10th Mountain Division | |||
| Amerli; 27-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
| Benjamin J. Garrison, 25 | U.S. Army | Houston, TX | |
| Specialist, 1stt Squadron, 71st Cavalry Reg, 1st Brigade Combat Team, (Light Infantry) 10th Mountain Division | |||
| Amerli; 27-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
| Jonathon L. Martin, 33 | U.S. Army | Bellevue, OH | |
| Staff Sergeant, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Reg, 1st Brigade Combat Team, (Air Assault) 101st Airborne Division | |||
| Regensburg, Germany; 22-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
WEEKLY CASUALTY LIST: ISAF-AFGHANISTAN
| ------ | Name, Age | Srv Branch | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank, Unit | |||
| Location; Circumstance of Death | |||
 | Sergio Miguel Vidal Oliveira Pedrosa, 22 | Portuguese Army | Vila Nova de Gaia-Portugal |
| Private (soldado), Regimento de Infantaria 10 | |||
| Wardak Province; 24-Nov-07; Non-hostile - vehicle accident | |||
 | Daniele Paladini, 35 | Italian Army | Lecce-Italy |
| Maresciallo capo/Chief Warrant Officer, 2nd Reggimento Pontieri | |||
| Paghman; 24-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - suicide bomber | |||
 | Luke Worsley, 26 | Australian Army | Sydney-Australia |
| Private, Special Operations Task Group | |||
| Karim Towt - east of (Oruzgan Province); 23-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire | |||
WEEKLY CASUALTY LIST: IRAQI CIVILIAN, counted by large event
| Counted Civilian Casualties: 271 this week; 307 last week; 229 prior week. | |
| Counted bodies found: 71 this week; 159 last week; 130 prior week. | |
| Thursday 29 November: 24 dead | |
| Afghanistan: | Four civilians were killed and eight wounded during bombings in Kandahar province. |
| Baghdad: | roadside bomb kills 1, Shaab; 6 bodies. |
| Al-Salam: | mortars kill 12. |
| Okashat: | 2 policemen killed in battle with gunmen near Syrian border. |
| Bamo: | roadside bomb kills policeman. |
| Tikrit: | gunmen kill Sheikh's son. |
| Hawija: | gunmen attack mayor's convoy, kill guard. |
| Wednesday 28 November: 16 dead | |
| Afghanistan: | The governor of Nuristan province said NATO airstrikes killed 12 civilian road workers. |
| Baghdad: | 3 killed in explosion, Nafal al-Shurta; 3 bodies. |
| Haqlaniya: | 5 killed in mortar attack. |
| Kirkuk: | gunmen kill 2. |
| Tikrit: | gunmen kill mayor. |
| Hawija: | gunmen kill 1. |
| Mosul: | gunmen kill policeman. |
| Tuesday 27 November: 71 dead | |
| Afghanistan: | A suicide bomb in a market in central Kabul killed two civilians and wounded four; Gulbuddin Hekmatyar claimed responsibility for the attack. A British friendly fire incident in late September killed two Danish soldiers in Helmand province. |
| Baghdad: | US forces fire on minibus, kill 4, Shaab; US patrol fires on civilian vehicles, kills 2, Tobchi; woman is killed in grenade attack, Dora; 3 bodies. |
| Baquba: | suicide bomber kills up to 13 at police station; suicide bomber blows herself up at a gathering of Iraqi civilians and US troops, kills 2. |
| Haditha: | rocket hits market, kills 5. |
| Mosul: | 2 killed in clashes; 9 bodies. |
| Tikrit: | 4 bodies. |
| Nineveh province: | 15 bodies of prisoners abducted the previous day by gunmen are found. |
| Monday 26 November: 19 dead | |
| Baghdad: | formerly displaced mother and 2 children killed by gunmen, after returning to their home, Saidiya; 4 bodies. |
| Mosul: | roadside bomb kills civilian; 3 bodies. |
| Kut: | gunmen kill policeman. |
| Kanan: | al-Qaeda attack kills civilian. |
| Hilla: | gunmen kill man in car. |
| Baiji: | US forces open fire on vehicle, kill 2 men and child inside it. |
| Sunday 25 November: 50 dead | |
| Baghdad: | car bombs, roadside bombs kill 18 in Bab al-Muatham, Waziriya, Rostomiya, Rusafa; gunmen kill 11 members of journalist's family (his sisters, their husbands and 7 children) opposing US occupation of Iraq and the al-Maliki government; 5 bodies. |
| Baquba: | gunmen open fire on car, kill 3 members of the same family. |
| Basra: | gunmen kill civilian; 3 bodies. |
| Mandali: | gunmen shoot 2 brothers. |
| Ramadi: | US forces open fire on car, kill man traveling with his wife and children. |
| Saturday 24 November: 17 dead | |
| Afghanistan: | A Taliban suicide bomber killed nine, including six children and an Italian soldier, and wounded 12 during an attack in Kabul province. |
| Baghdad: | 4 bodies. |
| Falluja: | 2 bodies. |
| Mosul: | roadside bomb kills policeman; 2 bodies -a university student and her mother. |
| Samarra: | car bomb kills 3 policemen. |
| Hilla: | 2 worshipers shot dead outside mosque. |
| Tuz Khurmato: | body found. |
| Wajihia: | body found. |
| Friday 23 November: 74 dead | |
| Afghanistan: | One Australian solider and three civilians were killed during fighting in Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan province. |
WEEKLY CASUALTY LIST: JOURNALISTS IN IRAQ
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Circumstances | |
| None counted this week. | |
src: MNF-I, MNF-A, journalists from icasualties.org; Iraqi Civiilan: iraqbodycount.org; Afghan events from Bill Roggio, other sources
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