editoriale

lists

2008-01-27T09:40:00.000-05:00

Foreign Policy: The World’s Top Spy Agencies

Caroline Kennedy endorses Barack Obama in today’s NY Times

2008-01-27T09:15:00.000-05:00

good stuff A President Like My Father

back again

2008-01-27T06:02:00.001-05:00

Re-opened for business

nothing to see here

2006-12-06T01:20:00.000-05:00

Blogger loses to WordPress

2006-10-26T01:48:00.000-04:00

... finally. Much better.

follow-up on Russian/Georgian controversy

2006-09-29T11:08:00.000-04:00

PORTOROZ, Slovenia, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Tensions over Georgia boiled over at NATO-Russia talks on Friday as Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov accused some alliance nations of illicitly selling weapons to the ex-Soviet country. "Some members of NATO -- shall we call them the younger generation? -- are supplying Georgia with arms and ammunition of Soviet production," Ivanov told a news

fraud, waste and abuse

2006-09-29T10:59:00.000-04:00

silliness: A new report from the Government Accountability Office finds that more than 100 laptop computers purchased with cards that the Homeland Security Department issued after hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast last year are missing and presumed stolen. ~~~ Other examples of improper use of the cards included the purchase of a beer brewing kit, a 63-inch, $8,000 plasma TV and “

exactly

2006-09-28T15:31:00.000-04:00

On the NIE: The report’s few positive notes were couched in conditional terms... and of course the full document won't be declassified. Anyone who honestly thought it would (or could) be is on some other planet.

Taliban: open for business in Waziristan

2006-09-28T14:01:00.000-04:00

Post 'truce'... the Taliban have opened up a local office in Miran Shah for the purpose of "curbing crimes and anti-social activities". "There is complete lawlessness in the area and crimes have increased. So after the peace accord the Taliban have set up office to serve residents of the area and restore peace,” read one pamphlet, apparently referring to the agreement signed between the

Georgia arrests 4 Russian Army Officers

2006-09-28T13:57:00.000-04:00

on suspicion of spying... Russian Foreign Ministry responds: "They have put forward unsubstantiated accusations." More at RIA Novosti.

Israelis developing hijack-proof jetliner

2006-09-28T13:52:00.000-04:00

worth a shot, I guess.

Saudi Arabia + Israel = a tedious alliance

2006-09-28T13:41:00.000-04:00

Jerusalem Post: Analysis: Saudi-Israeli footsie is a sign of need, not love Might be time to fire this "diplomatic official"... "If you would have asked me three years ago, or five years ago, what country would be the last one in the region to make peace with us, I would have said Saudi Arabia," one diplomatic official said. "So if they are meeting with us now, it shows just how worried they are

Ready, Set, Fraud

2006-09-25T20:15:00.000-04:00

to torture or not to torture?

2006-09-18T09:21:00.000-04:00

Arms and Influence: Don't stay up waiting for a small number of Congressional Republicans to save the American republic. Their opposition matters, particularly in an election year. However, what would matter a lot more is a broader, organized coalition against immoral, unconstitutional, and ineffective policies. Too bad the press is more interested in continuing their public adulation for McCain,

truth hurts

2006-09-17T01:43:00.000-04:00

Time For Us To Go Conservatives on why the GOP should lose in 2006

iraq redux

2006-09-17T00:57:00.000-04:00

"U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism officials say Bush political appointees and hard-liners on Capitol Hill have tried recently to portray Iran's nuclear program as more advanced than it is and to exaggerate Tehran's role in Hezbollah's attack on Israel in mid-July," they write.. "President Bush, who addresses the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, has said he prefers diplomacy to stop Iran

mea culpa

2006-09-17T00:55:00.000-04:00

at least he was honest

Congratulations to Adrian Fenty!

2006-09-13T10:25:00.000-04:00

DC residents, meet your new mayor. Though it was only the primary, the general election is a non-factor. Fenty has effectively already won. Good stuff. Brighter days ahead for the District of Columbia.

go away Kristol

2006-09-12T10:23:00.000-04:00

your views on Iraq are considered entirely irrelevant.

USMC Col. Pete Devlin

2006-09-12T10:18:00.000-04:00

"We haven't been defeated militarily but we have been defeated politically -- and that's where wars are won and lost." - in his most recent assessment of Anbar province. Anbar is a key province; it encompasses Ramadi and Fallujah, which with Baghdad pose the greatest challenge U.S. forces have faced in Iraq. It accounts for 30 percent of Iraq's land mass, encompassing the vast area from the

Iraq: not a quagmire

2006-09-08T11:48:00.000-04:00

BAGHDAD, Sept. 7 -- Baghdad's morgue almost tripled its count for violent deaths in Iraq's capital during August from 550 to 1,536, authorities said Thursday, appearing to erase most of what U.S. generals and Iraqi leaders had touted as evidence of progress in a major security operation to restore order in the capital.

ha... how... unscary

2006-09-08T11:39:00.000-04:00

Iran deploys locally-manufactured warplane Iran deployed its first locally-manufactured fighter bomber plane on Wednesday during large-scale military exercises, state-run television reported. "The bomber Saegheh or lightening is similar to (the American) F-18 but more powerful. It was designed, optimised and improved by Iranian experts," the report said. c/o Opfor.

pentagon lawyers vs The White House

2006-09-08T11:33:00.001-04:00

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's top uniformed lawyers took issue Thursday with a key part of a White House plan to prosecute terrorism detainees, telling Congress that limiting the suspects' access to evidence could violate treaty obligations. Their testimony to a House of Representatives committee marked the latest time that military lawyers have publicly challenged Bush administration

some tip

2006-09-08T11:33:00.000-04:00

HUTCHINSON, Kan. -- The bartender at an Applebee's restaurant in Kansas, who last week was left a $10,000 tip by a regular customer, now has the cash. Cindy Kienow got a check from the franchise owner for $6,300 -- her share of the tip, after taxes. [more]

William Donald Schaefer: "sexist dinosaur"

2006-09-08T11:20:00.000-04:00

damn... when will this old senile SOB go away?

today's wrap up...

2006-09-07T13:58:00.000-04:00

Chicago Sun-TimesDrill today to close streets, reroute busesBy Annie SweeneySeptember 7, 2006 The West Loop will be the scene of an evacuation drill today, forcing the closure of several streets and the rerouting of CTA bus lines, officials said. Baltimore SunBird flu strain in Md.But virus found on Shore poses no human risk, scientists sayBy Ted Shelsby and Justin FentonOriginally published

New State Department Releases on the "Future of Iraq" Project

2006-09-05T21:03:00.000-04:00

available online at GWU's National Security Archive and... more from PR Watch: "Newly-available documents detailing the early work of the "Future of Iraq Project," the U.S. State Department's massive planning effort for post-regime change Iraq, have been posted online by the National Security Archive, a non-profit research institute. The new documents "provide a behind-the-scenes look at the

nursing home owners sue over katrina

2006-09-05T16:29:00.000-04:00

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Two nursing home owners who were arrested after 34 of their patients died in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina are suing the government, saying federal, state and local officials failed to keep residents safe and evacuate vulnerable citizens as the storm approached. An attorney for Salvador and Mabel Mangano said Tuesday that the lawsuit was filed last week, just before the

Bush's war on FEMA and his fundamental misunderstanding of disaster relief programs

2006-09-03T04:23:00.000-04:00

Bush decided to enter Labor Day weekend, 1 year after Hurricane Katrina destroyed an entire city, displaced hundreds of thousands of Americans and (so far) has cost the US government more than $100 Billion, by "getting out in front" and issuing an Executive Order to "Improve Assistance for Disaster Victims". The most substantive action taken by the administration by virtue of this EO is the

bing bong

2006-09-03T03:44:00.000-04:00

c/o No Quarter... some choice excerpts: From Melanie Sloan, Executive Director, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington Response to Wash Post Editorial of 9/1/06 Allegation: It is untrue that the WH orchestrated leak of Plame’s identity to ruin her career and punish Joe Wilson According to Washington Post article of 10/12/03: “two top White House officials disclosed Plame’s

CSM on Israel's internal struggle

2006-09-03T03:30:00.000-04:00

JERUSALEM – Soon after Israel's war with Hizbullah came to a halt with a tenuous cease-fire, Israel's internal war began. Now, amid widespread disappointment over how the war was waged, the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is under pressure to set up a state commission of inquiry on various aspects of a war in which Israelis see innumerable mishaps. Sixty-four percent of

heh

2006-09-02T23:04:00.000-04:00

so true... Steve from No More Mister Nice Blog: Shorter Michelle Malkin: I no longer believe that San Francisco hit-and-run driver was a jihadist terrorist, but at least I had the courage to jump to conclusions -- not like those liars in the MSM who got the story right.

this administration's jig is up

2006-09-02T01:36:00.000-04:00

the divisive up-is-downism has become entirely transparent: Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Rumsfeld betrays his own cynicism and moral confusion when he attacks the patriotism, courage and moral fiber of millions of his fellow Americans, then bewails those who try to divide this country ~ It is not patriotism to sit in silent submission to those who have led this country into the most serious

US healthcare... a National disgrace

2006-09-02T00:41:00.000-04:00

an editorial in yesterday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch The long goodbye 08/31/2006 The number of Americans without health insurance grew by nearly 1.3 million in 2005, the sixth straight year it has increased. Nearly 46.6 million people are now uninsured, the U.S. Census Bureau reported this week. If that doesn't push health care into the center ring of the 2008 election circus, it is hard to know

bill arkin nails Rumsfeld

2006-09-01T02:08:00.000-04:00

ouch Either Rumsfeld has delivered one of the most important speeches of the modern era, or he's gone crazy. I think the latter, not just because I think the secretary is wrong on his intellectual characterization of terrorism, and not just because he is wrong about the media and its intentions, and not because he is so pugnacious, or because he has been wrong so many times before. Rumsfeld

Broadcast Chief Misused Office, Inquiry Reports

2006-08-31T21:15:00.000-04:00

By STEPHEN LABATON WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 — State Department investigators have found that the head of the agency overseeing most government broadcasts to foreign countries has used his office to run a “horse racing operation” and that he improperly put a friend on the payroll, according to a summary of a report made public on Tuesday by a Democratic lawmaker. The report said that the official,

great job Bushie!

2006-08-31T15:01:00.000-04:00

letters

2006-08-31T14:06:00.000-04:00

The Roots of FEMA's Problems Thursday, August 31, 2006; A24 R. David Paulison, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, offers a good guide for what needs to be done before the next natural disaster strikes ["Weathering the Next Storm," op-ed, Aug. 27].But improving the federal government's responsiveness may be more difficult than he indicates. FEMA's management problems did not

misc.

2006-08-29T23:39:00.000-04:00

Levey: Iran 'Central Banker of Terror' 'Britain poses greater terror threat to US than Iraq and Iran' Homegrown terror suspects raise concern

Katrina's unclaimed souls

2006-08-29T23:37:00.000-04:00

Will and Strength to be buried in Gulfport

Iraq: are you safer?

2006-08-29T23:35:00.000-04:00

re: Details on the British Terrorist Arrest There was some serious cash flow from someone, presumably someone abroad. There was no imminent threat. However, the threat was real. And it seems pretty clear that it would have bypassed all existing airport security systems. The conspirators were radicalized by the war in Iraq, although it is impossible to say whether they would have been

too funny

2006-08-26T23:01:00.000-04:00

from RP Online: The British have reacted to the recent terrorism alerts by raising their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940, when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been recategorized from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance".

marked

2006-08-26T22:33:00.000-04:00

Zakaria Dughmush

don't call it a quagmire

2006-08-26T22:02:00.000-04:00

Main Entry: quag·mire Pronunciation: 'kwag-"mI(-&)r, 'kwäg- Function: noun 1 : soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot 2 : a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position: PREDICAMENTcall it a paradox Iraq looting portends handover trouble By HAIDAR HANI Associated Press Writer AMARAH, Iraq — Iraqis looted a military base vacated by British troops and stripped

'bout time

2006-08-26T21:42:00.000-04:00

Japanese Police Arrest Mitutoyo Chief TOKYO -- The president of precision instrument maker Mitutoyo Corp. was arrested in the alleged export to Malaysia of equipment that can be used in making nuclear weapons, officials said Friday. Tokyo police arrested Kazusaku Tezuka, along with four other Mitutoyo executives and employees, on suspicion of violating foreign trade control laws, trade ministry

big whoop

2006-08-26T21:37:00.000-04:00

MOSCOW, August 24 (RIA Novosti) - Russian strategic bombers launched a series of cruise missiles during command and staff exercises at a northern testing ground, a Russian Air Force spokesman said Thursday. During a 10-hour flight, two Tu-160 and two Tu-95MS from strategic long-range aviation units, designated by NATO as Blackjack and Bear-H, respectively, successfully hit targets and performed

mike luckovich's latest

2006-08-14T20:37:00.000-04:00

Bruce Schneier's column in today's Minneapolis Star-Tribune

2006-08-13T18:31:00.000-04:00

Focus on terrorists, not tactics It's easy to defend against what they planned last time, but it's shortsighted. Hours-long waits in the security line. Ridiculous prohibitions on what you can carry onboard. Last week's foiling of a major terrorist plot and the subsequent airport security graphically illustrates the difference between effective security and security theater.None of the airplane

Putin promises to back Boeing business in Russia

2006-08-13T18:18:00.000-04:00

(RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he would support U.S. aircraft giant Boeing in Russia. Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Russian titanium giant Vsmpo-Avisma (RTS: VSMO) announced Friday the establishment of a joint venture with an authorized capital of $60 million to assemble titanium products for Boeing passenger liners. "Today you have started forming a joint venture to

too funny

2006-08-11T21:24:00.000-04:00

Rude Pundit: Late post today. The Rude Pundit was busy slathering himself with all his lotions, cooking oil, and toothpaste while drinking everything in his fridge and liquor cabinet just in case he needs to fly in the next couple of days. Back in a bit with more rudeness.

the hacks in Annapolis

2006-08-11T21:21:00.000-04:00

Not Illegal -- Just Arbitrary In Maryland, a probe exposes the governor's cavalier approach. Friday, August 11, 2006; A18 THE UNSAVORY tale of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s "Prince of Darkness" seems finally and mercifully to be on its final chapter. The dark "prince," you may recall, is Joseph Steffen, a Republican party hack who was for years the governor's factotum and self-proclaimed dirty

if its not a quagmire

2006-08-10T09:15:00.000-04:00

Then what is it?: A review of previously unreleased statistics on American and Iraqi patrols suggests that as Americans handed over responsibilities to the Iraqis, violence in Baghdad increased.

AJC: Crime will feed off lax U.S. gun laws

2006-08-07T22:43:00.000-04:00

A congressional OK of weaker rules stands to appease lobbyists — and the public would pay a fatal price As gun lobbyists often point out, states with stringent gun-safety laws such as New York often have some of the highest firearm murder rates in the country. The implication is that stringent gun laws don't work. However, what the lobbyists never mention is that the firearms used to kill and

more like this please

2006-08-07T22:05:00.000-04:00

pretty please: World War IV will cause a shift in classical centers of gravity from the will of governments and armies to the perceptions of populations. Victory will be defined more in terms of capturing the psycho-cultural rather than the geographical high ground. Understanding and empathy will be important weapons of war. Soldier conduct will be as important as skill at arms. Culture awareness

concerned about terrorism?

2006-08-07T21:17:00.000-04:00

you really should read this (.pdf)

what the f**k is wrong with people?

2006-08-07T16:11:00.000-04:00

seriously The Conservative government is trying to push global climate change off the federal map, shutting down the main federal website on the topic and removing mention of it from speeches and postings, opposition MPs and environmentalists say. Like their U.S. Republican counterparts, who have been caught censoring top climate change researchers and have questioned the scientific merits of

Quote of the day

2006-08-07T02:08:00.000-04:00

"Intelligent design can lead only to unintelligent students, or at least badly educated ones."

when that 'little petty crime"...

2006-08-07T02:03:00.000-04:00

turns into "the largest data breach in Federal government history". Too funny.

BBC: Iran to ignore nuclear resolution

2006-08-06T23:45:00.000-04:00

Iran has vowed to pursue its nuclear programme, in its first official response to last week's UN resolution urging it to curb nuclear activities. Chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said Tehran would continue to develop nuclear energy within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). [more]

Nasrallah goes ballistic

2006-08-06T23:36:00.000-04:00

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT As the UN Security Council edges agonisingly slowly towards approving a resolution to stop the war in Lebanon and Israel, the leader of Hizbullah, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, has issued a threat to take the conflict into new and more dangerous territory through launching missiles at Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial capital. Mr Nasrallah emphasised that he would

head in the sand: the Bush administration's disastrously-bad habit

2006-08-06T23:33:00.000-04:00

of depicting the World's ugly realities as merely "hypothetical".

indeed

2006-08-05T22:51:00.000-04:00

"frightening prospect" - Eric Martin on Billmon's latest: It is a stunning testament to the political devolution of this country that the most effective anti-war movement in America is inside the walls of the Pentagon or buried deep in the bowels of the CIA!

your President is a moron

2006-08-05T18:00:00.000-04:00

“I thought the Iraqis were Muslims!” Ambassador Galbraith: “From the president and the vice president down through the neoconservatives at the Pentagon, there was a belief that Iraq was a blank slate on which the United States could impose its vision of a pluralistic democratic society. The arrogance came in the form of a belief that this could be accomplished with minimal effort and planning

"This is a civil war"

2006-08-05T16:31:00.000-04:00

"senior adviser to the commander of the Iraqi Army's 6th Division, which oversees much of Baghdad. "

today's Lebanese fun fact

2006-08-05T00:28:00.000-04:00

DID YOU KNOW? According to Colbert C. Held's book Middle East Patterns, which contains the only substantive (recent) estimate of religious affiliation in Lebanon, there are nearly twice as many Christians (1.3 Million) as there are Sunni Muslims (701k).

"INFORMATION OPERATIONS IN OPERATIONS ENDURING FREEDOM AND IRAQI FREEDOM

2006-08-04T23:37:00.000-04:00

WHAT WENT WRONG?" by Major Joseph L. Cox, US Army, 124 pp. [download from FAS (.pdf)]

excellent name

2006-08-04T21:57:00.000-04:00

Five Soldiers and eight NCOs showed they deserved to be in the National Capital Region competition July 26 and 27, but the rules were only two could take the top honors. One was MDW's Soldier of the Year, Spc. Xeriqua Garfinkel of the 241st MP Detachment at Fort Meade.

a grave mistake

2006-08-04T20:40:00.000-04:00

Iran is playing with fire, and shows no signs of stopping.

Imperial torturer

2006-08-01T14:27:00.000-04:00

I really wish Congress had the nuts to impeach this POS. Chicago Tribune: "When Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) proposed a bill banning the "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" of detainees in U.S. custody abroad, President Bush opposed it and Vice President Dick Cheney lobbied unsuccessfully to exempt the CIA. In the face of opposition in Congress and the rest of the world, the president

Bill Arkin: thank you!

2006-08-01T12:22:00.000-04:00

With hurricane season upon us, with the fifth anniversary of 9/11 approaching, with the “war” against going whole hog, the Department of Homeland Security, the most useless and hopeless entity of the United States government, is involved in a marketing campaign to celebrate National Preparedness Month. [more]

feeding the cycle of death

2006-08-01T12:14:00.000-04:00

and profiting from both sides of future conflict. Ahh... the world we've created. U.S. Plans $4.6Billion in Mideast Arms Sales

report: Shimon Peres' lecture at CFR

2006-08-01T11:39:00.000-04:00

NEW YORK—Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres said Monday the conflict pitting Israel against Hamas and Hezbollah is an “unprecedented war” with no clear end. Peres told the Council on Foreign Relations that Israel is not fighting a defined conflict against the established military of a state, but a struggle against an amorphous group of terrorists that could drag on for years. “Clearly, it won’t

3,700 pissed off soldiers

2006-07-28T10:43:00.000-04:00

The Washington Post: Defense Department officials announced yesterday that the Army's 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, which has been deployed in Mosul since last summer, will be extended for as long as 120 days to boost security in Baghdad.

progress in the WOT

2006-07-28T10:41:00.000-04:00

slow and steady... this is encouraging: KOLKATA (Reuters) - Pakistan has sought the help of an Indian state to revamp its system of madrasas after accusations some of the Islamic schools teach religious hatred and are breeding grounds for militancy. ~ "We have read about the madrasas of West Bengal and hopefully we can replicate them in our reforms program," Mohammed Khalid Jamali, a first

NEWSWEEK: Making Enemies

2006-07-27T17:39:00.000-04:00

Hamas and Hizbullah should not be confused with Al Qaeda. Bush's insistence on doing so shows his failure to understand his foes. [definitely worth reading the full article]

"lefty spook du jour"

2006-07-27T10:47:00.000-04:00

LOL! Labels are fun, aren't they? Nevermind that he was a FOX News consultant and contributor... it's inconvenient to tell the truth, ain't it Paul?

fraud, waste and abuse

2006-07-27T10:35:00.000-04:00

Thy name is DHS. It's well past time to disband DHS, return its member agencies to their previous status, and simply make security and counter-terrorism programs a National priority. Enough is enough.

Was your motorcycle stolen from your California home?

2006-07-26T11:55:00.000-04:00

you're apparently not alone. C/o ResourceShelf's Docuticker: “The National Insurance Crime Bureau today announced the top ten states for motorcycle thefts in 2005. They are, with theft totals in parentheses, as follows:”1. California (9,110) 2. Florida (6,324) 3. Texas (5,755) 4. North Carolina (3,053) 5. Ohio (2,573) 6. Arizona (2,464) 7. New York (2,195) 8. Indiana (2,186) 9. Georgia (2,159)

Judge: enough crying wolf about National security

2006-07-25T14:57:00.000-04:00

Judge Denies Government and AT&T Motions to Dismiss NSA Case "The compromise between liberty and security remains a difficult one. But dismissing this case at the outset would sacrifice liberty for no apparent enhancement of security."

drip drip

2006-07-25T14:55:00.000-04:00

NSA strives to plug leaks

200 year old whales

2006-07-25T14:54:00.000-04:00

more from National Geographic: Rare Whales Can Live to Nearly 200, Eye Tissue Reveals Scientists have looked into the eyes of rare bowhead whales and learned that some of them can outlive humans by generations—with at least one male pushing 200 years old. "About 5 percent of the population is over a hundred years old and in some cases 160 to 180 years old," said Jeffrey Bada, a marine chemist

cool

2006-07-25T14:52:00.000-04:00

National Geographic: Radar images of Titan, Saturn's largest moon, reveal a continent-size region of river valleys, hills, plains, and mountains. The area looks remarkably similar to terrain here on Earth, scientists say.

Defense Tech: "Catamaran to the Rescue"

2006-07-25T14:50:00.000-04:00

blast from the past

2006-07-25T14:49:00.000-04:00

Bush, 2000: "As president, should I become the president, I will rebuild the military power of the United States of America,´´ Bush told the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Milwaukee. ~ "The current administration inherited a military ready for the dangers and challenges facing our nation. The next president will inherit a military in decline,´´ Bush said. "The best

former deputy director at CIA: "We have to talk to bad guys"

2006-07-25T14:47:00.000-04:00

shhhh.... don't tell the neocons

FAS: DOD DOCTRINE ON MILITARY DECEPTION

2006-07-25T13:43:00.000-04:00

The role of deception in military operations is illuminated and elaborated in a new Department of Defense doctrinal publication. Military deception refers to "those actions executed to deliberately mislead adversary decision makers as to friendly military capabilities, intentions, and operations, thereby causing the adversary to take specific actions (or inactions) that will contribute to the

thoughts...?

2006-07-25T01:30:00.000-04:00

yeah, there's no such place as Chiladelphia, MD, you doofball. Wanna do-over?

new DHS authorization requires establishment of "comprehensive information sharing network"

2006-07-23T03:01:00.000-04:00

and national biosurveillance integration system... FCW.com

interesting letter from former Israeli Army officer

2006-07-23T02:58:00.000-04:00

The Prisoners of Lebanon Codeword: Hannibal

a 'legitimate' cover up?

2006-07-23T02:55:00.000-04:00

The Washington Post: Why did the president cut off investigation of the NSA's domestic surveillance program?

I must be gloomy Gus

2006-07-23T02:52:00.000-04:00

'cause I'm certainly not perky Pete

bring them home

2006-07-23T02:48:00.000-04:00

enough is enough seriously

yep

2006-07-22T22:03:00.000-04:00

WAR IS THE ultimate sire of unintended consequences. And there is no reason to believe that what has been true of past wars will not be true of the current Mideast war -- a conflict in which Iranian and Syrian missiles fired by the Lebanese Shi'ite militia Hezbollah are landing in Israeli towns while Israel's air force drops bombs not only on Hezbollah positions and weapons but on Lebanon's

good point

2006-07-22T22:01:00.000-04:00

Target practice If just about anything can be considered a terrorist target, there is little point in keeping a list

medical journals as BigPharma propaganda tools

2006-07-22T21:58:00.000-04:00

NYT: July 23, 2006, Our Conflicted Medical Journals Leading medical journals seem to be having a difficult time disentangling themselves from the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. If they cannot stop printing articles by scientists with close ties to these businesses, they should at least force the authors to disclose their conflicts of interest publicly so that doctors and patients

Chicago Tribune makes an excellent point

2006-07-21T13:56:00.000-04:00

Who fights for Lebanon? More than a week of Israeli airstrikes have pounded Hezbollah targets, but have also, tragically, killed Lebanese civilians. It's unclear how many rockets Hezbollah has left, but it's likely to be a considerable number. Now a full-blown Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon is hinted. Israel may calculate that it is the only way to effectively push Hezbollah far from the

report: US Government Health Care Spending is Unsustainable

2006-07-20T14:50:00.000-04:00

"One way to think about the unsustainability of the current path over time is to compare the United States and Canada. If private sector health care spending grows at the same rate as the public sector, the United States will be spending two-thirds of its national income on health care by 2050." [the full report from the National Center for Policy Analysis is here]

primum non nocere

2006-07-19T02:18:00.000-04:00

Let this be a lasting lesson... hospital staff and medical workers can't just kill people when they find it difficult to care for them. "This is not euthanasia. This is homicide," Attorney General Charles Foti told reporters. "We're talking about people that pretended that maybe they were God."

someone in Indonesia lost a bet with God

2006-07-19T02:12:00.000-04:00

There's really no other explanation.

FEMA to Lousiana: "This hurricane season, we will do your jobs for you...

2006-07-18T15:58:00.000-04:00

...because we don't want your negligence to cause the death of another 1000 people. All we need is some basic information... "