Remind Us

You know all those lists bloggers and journalists post of the reasons the Bush Administration stated for us to invade Iraq? This is visual and about 10 times more effective:

Remind Us (Shockwave, 1130K)

Out and Out Bribery

Who Tried To Bribe Rep. Smith?

On the House floor, Nick Smith was told business interests would give his son $100,000 in return for his father's vote. When he still declined, fellow Republican House members told him they would make sure Brad Smith never came to Congress. After Nick Smith voted no and the bill passed, [Rep.] Duke Cunningham of California and other Republicans taunted him that his son was dead meat.

Where is the NY Times, page 1, above the fold, banner headline: "House Threatens Members"? Where is it? Where?

*peers closely*

Did I miss it?

Jessica Lynch and Finger-Pointing

Intel Dump explains how Elaine Donnelly in National Review got it wrong blaming PFC Lynch's capture on "Clinton-era" reforms of positions open to women that had nothing to do with Lynch's presence in a battle situation.

He makes 3 salient points in response to Donnelly:

1. "PFC Lynch's supply clerk billet would have been open to women in 1990 for Gulf War I. PFC Lynch was not a front-line position, such as that in the 3rd Military Police Company or 1-227 Aviation (Attack) -- two units where women fought as MP soldiers and Apache helicopter pilots respectively. Instead, she held a supply clerk position in a rear area logistics unit where the risk of combat was thought to be low." Clinton-era reforms of 1994 had nothing to do that position being considered a valid one for women.
2. Her company, the 507th Maintenance, was in harm's way because rear-area security was ineffective.
3. Her company, the 507th Maintenance, was not prepared for combat. (Probably in direct connection to #1.)

His solution? The right one: "Make every soldier a rifleman". Train even rear-area support services for front-line fighting. Train everyone, and keep that training up. Because, amazing as this may seem to us civvies, you cannot plan for everything. Why, your rear area may be overrun, for example.

So take a tip from the Boy Scouts and be prepared.

One down, how many to go?

I finished The Sweater™ for my dad, binding off the ribbing on the second sleeve this morning while watching MTV (or was it VH-1? At 7 in the morning, they still show actual music videos, did you know that?), before heading off for some volunteer work I do every Tuesday.

It's a creamy colored gansey* worked in pretty run-of-the-mill yarn too thick for a properly traditional gansey, but I wanted to finish something complex before spending gobs of money on finer yarn and well, I started this project with only three completed sweaters under my belt, and I didn't want to risk 'wasting' money at the time when I started this one.

I have no qualms in that department now. :-) I can knit sweaters, by Jove!

Next up, finish a scarf for my brother. If I have time, throw out a hat or two, but that doesn't have to be finished by Christmas. I should have plenty of knitting time when I report next week for jury duty.


[*] A British fisherman's sweater -- not to be confused with the Aran, an Irish fisherman's sweater -- those are the ones known so well for their intricate cabling. The gansey or jersey is (generally) constructed differently and designs are frequently in horizontal panels across the body, rather than being vertically oriented work. Trust me, they're different beasts. It's OK.

Central News is Good News!

U.S. 'News': Is Anyone Watching the Iraqi Media Network?, by Cynthia Cotts.

I'm going to touch on something Cotts doesn't:

You know how when you're working somewhere and a new management team comes in and spends beacoup bucks restructuring everything they way they think it should be and all the money goes into that and production grinds to a halt because no one can actually do any work because they're stuck "transitioning" between two systems and using both at once and that takes too much time plus stuff falls through the cracks all the time and if the new mgrs had just examined the existing system and co-opted it, people could have just working and things wouldn't be in such disarray for days/weeks/months/heaven forbid, years?

Does anyone else feel like that about the U.S. and Iraq? It's like, every time you turn around, there's my government, re-inventing the wheel rather than use the perfectly good one that other organizations have ready and waiting.

'Monstrous U.S. Justice'

'Monstrous US justice' attacked by law lord

Lord Steyn, a serving law lord, said the United States was acting illegally by holding the men without trial since their transfer from Afghanistan early last year.

"By denying the prisoners the right to raise challenges in a court about their alleged status and treatment, the United States government is in breach of the minimum standards of customary international law," he said.

"...Ought our government to make plain publicly and unambiguously our condemnation of the utter lawlessness at Guantanamo Bay?"

Yes. Mine, too.

New Rant at 3rd WWWave

The 3rdWWWave of Feminism

(Said rant is from a week or so ago, I just forgot to mention it). Go look at "Replies to the News".

Dear Santa

Please bring me for Christmas (not in order):

Yarn for a Booga Bag! (click here for details)
Anything off my Amazon wishlist (linked in the nav elements to the left for your convenience, Santa!)
More spiffy 1" cone incense from Incense Galore (I'm particularly fond of moroccan tea, 'tree' scents like fir or cedar, 'spice' scents like licorice or vanilla, and sandalwood)
A small (< 6) selection of quality cigars
Money with which to buy groceries
Self-governance, peace, and liberty for Iraq and her people

Medicare

I have one remark from last nights presidential campaign debate in Iowa, and then a comment about the legislation.

1. Someone brought up the fact that Medicare had been originally intended as a safety net. My question then, is this: should it stay a safety net, or become something else (and if, so, what, exactly)?

A safety net is designed to catch someone falling from a problem elsewhere - like, say, not enough retirement income to pay for medical needs. Maybe in order to 'fix' Medicare (reduce associated costs), what is necessary is to improve citizen's retirement savings, and maybe reduce healthcare costs overall[*].

2. According to NPR's Morning Edition, this legislation was roughly 650 pages in length, and fully released (for review) less than two weeks ago.



[*] I can think of a couple things immediately that warrant attention in that case: malpractice suits and insurance, and weighty HMOs.

Three-State Solution for Iraq?

In an editiorial today, Leslie H. Gelb proposes a Three-State Solution in Iraq.

I don't know. If Iraq has been a national entity since the 1960's, is it too late? That's two generations worth who have grown up identifying themselves as Iraqi.

Isolationism

My jaw actually dropped when I picked this up off Eschaton.

GEORGE Bush's administration has called on US companies in Britain to relocate jobs to America in an astonishing move that could trigger a major trade war.

US-based multinationals have been told they will receive compensation from American trade authorities if they cancel contracts in Britain and take jobs home, according to CBI director-general Digby Jones.

The allegations come only a day before Bush arrives in London for his controversial State visit and escalate the storm of protest he has already caused by slapping big protectionist tariffs on European steel imports.

[read more]

Yes, let's offend *even more* nations. C'mon, everybody! It'll be fun!

Whole Truth

Reproduced from the eDirect for Democrats Newsletter # 323:

9. Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War

The hour-long documentary film - entitled “Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War” which is beginning to circulate in the United States features two dozen interviewees who reveal how the pre-war intelligence record on Iraq showed virtually the opposite of the picture the administration painted to Congress, to US voters and to the world. They also reconstruct the way senior White House officials - notably Vice-President Dick Cheney - leaned on the CIA to find evidence that would fit a preordained set of conclusions. 11-9

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=461953

The film on DVD (or VHS) can be ordered from
https://secure.ctsg.com/truth_uncovered/contribute/DVD_Store.asp?ms=alternet ,
or from
http://www.buzzflashcom.bigstep.com/item.html?PRID=1417321

Bring It On -- No! Run Away!

Terrorists? 'Bring it on'.
Vets for Peace? Run away!

What is wrong with this picture?

Anti-Iraq war veterans removed from parade

Members of Veterans For Peace and Vietnam Veterans Against the War were yanked off a downtown Tallahassee street, directly in front of the Old Capitol, while marching in the holiday parade they had legitimately registered in.

And what's this 'exclusion zone' business over Bush's London trip?

• 'Exclusion zone' for Bush visit
• Security tension over Bush visit
• Yard 'not pressured' over Bush visit

Christian Debt Management?

I just got spam for 'professional counseling with a christian perspective' from Christian Debt Management.

I'm sorry, what? What is 'debt management from a christian perspective'?

If I pray hard enough, my loaves and fishes will *spoing* just multiply?

Is there a John the Baptist Mutual Fund I should putting my money into, or something?

Given our

• 'I'm anointed by God' President Bush; and,
• matching 'in the toilet' economy

...maybe christian debt management is not the way to go.

Bushwhacked


NYT Review of Books: Strictly Business

The point about the mining-waste ruling is that it isn't at all exceptional. Instead, it is typical of the Bush administration—in its callousness toward the general welfare, in the brazenness with which special interests were able to buy a decision to their liking, and in the contempt officials showed toward the public and the press. (Indeed, the ruling received only brief mention in the national press.) We're living in a replay of the Gilded Age, in which robber barons openly bought and sold government officials and their policies.

Best read the whole thing.