Informed Comment - On How US Troops Aren't Coming Home Any Time Soon "Mind you, I'm all for withdrawing US troops from Iraq as soon as humanly possible. I think they have the wrong rules of engagement and the wrong tactics for waging counter-insurgency in a clannish society like Iraq, and it is a toss-up whether they are keeping some peace or making things worse. (Fallujah last November demonstrably made things much worse). But I think you need some sort of realistic bridge from that withdrawal to the time when the new Iraqi army can stand on its own. I don't know where you get that bridge, but nature abhors a vacuum. If the US is gone and the Shiite Iraqis are under siege from Sunni guerrillas, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards will certainly come in to help the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq and the Dawa Party. Even a covert Iranian military presence in Iraq would provoke even more Sunni jihadis to go fight there. A regional war could easily break out, with dire consequences for us all."

I think the dire consequences have already occurred. Furthermore, it seems apparent that Iraqi civil war is inevitable, just like Yugoslavian civil war was inevitable when Tito was toppled. I know it will look bad if we pull out now, but I don't see how it will EVER look good for us no matter what we do. Given those parameters I think the best course of action now is to pull out as soon as the Iraqi government tells us to. I know we want some permanent bases there but those plans have GOT to be scrapped. There are ways of getting what you want OTHER than violence. It is time we admit our mistake, offer to help, but get out of the way and stop making war.

Bush Aide Learned Early of Leaks Probe: "Asked on CBS why he did not investigate the leak when it first became public, Gonzales said: 'This is the kind of issue that I felt that we should wait and see whether or not there would be some kind of criminal investigation. And of course, there was.'"

Because as we now know, according to the EXTREMELY high moral standards in place in the Bush administration, if it ain't criminal, it's all right. And even if it IS criminal, if you can beat the rap it is all right.

The New Yorker: Shouts and MurmursLest anyone reading this blog should think I am all about GM food problems, Bush's stupidity, pit bull attacks, etc., I present a very funny essay from Mr. David Sedaris. Enjoy!

STLtoday - News - Polish bishop's visit fails to resolve rift: "'I will go to this church because we're supposed to follow our shepherd,' he said. 'The church was built for God and the archdiocese, not for us.'"

Exactly wrong, Mr. Mendyka, and this is the crux of the matter. The archbishop believes the sentiment expressed by Mr. Mendyka. The people of St. Stanislaus parish understand that the people ARE The Church. If Mr. Burke expressed one-THOUSANDTH of the actual humility necessary to be a capable and compelling bishop, this issue could be resolved quickly. But authority is what gives his life meaning it seems.

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | GM crops created superweed, say scientists: "A reviewer of the paper has appended to its front page: 'The frequency of such an event [the cross-fertilisation of charlock] in the field is likely to be very low, as highlighted by the fact it has never been detected in numerous previous assessments.'

However, he adds: 'This unusual occurrence merits further study in order to adequately assess any potential risk of gene transfer.'

Brian Johnson, an ecological geneticist and member of the government's specialist scientific group which assessed the farm trials, has no doubt of the significance. 'You only need one event in several million. As soon as it has taken place the new plant has a huge selective advantage. That plant will multiply rapidly.'"

The scary thing is these people were surprised by this. SURPRISED! Oh, well then, that's all right. Not your fault. YOU DIDN'T EXPECT IT! Who could. huh?

Unbelievable. I would mind so much but they are tinkering around with our FOOD SUPPLY is all. What else are they not expecting?

Bush: CIA leaker would be fired if crime committed - Yahoo! News: Gee that Bush is TOUGH on those leaks! I would have thought that if a crime was committed the person would be in jail so they COULDN'T come to work in the administration anyway. But as we all know, Karl Rove would probably have to stab an 8 year old child to death on the front steps of the White House in broad daylight in order to get even a reprimand from Bush. As it is, I would not be surprised if Rove was Bush's nomination for the next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Look at what Rove says when he talks to Cooper though: "I've said too much", "more WILL BE declassified". This is an admission that he is telling Cooper something he shouldn't and that it is currently classified. Part of that information was the identity of a CIA agent.

Informed Comment - Rove Unfit For Public Office: "Rove can only have thought it would discredit Wilson to associate his missiion with the CIA if he viewed the CIA as the enemy. This is the Richard Perle line. If Wilson was sent to Niger on the recommendation of a CIA operative, then he was not an objective ex-ambassador but a CIA plant of some sort, attempting to undermine the Bush administration and the military occupation of Iraq."

This is exactly right. They can parse this all they want to escape criminal prosecution, but the fact of the matter is that Rove was trying to tear down Wilson. He's done this countless times before to others but we never had a smoking gun. We could see his fingerprints, but now we have evidence of his despicable behavior.

Bloomberg.com: U.S. - Time Reporter's Testimony Is Needed, CIA Leak Prosecutor Says: "Miller hasn't turned over any information and contends that incarceration won't force her to change her mind. She conducted interviews related to the leak but didn't write any article about it."

I want an explanation as to why 2 reporters who DID NOT write about the Plame case and about to be sent to jail and the columnist who DID sits back smugly and just laughs and laughs. I don't even really care who in the White House was the leaker because they will get off. But I want to know why Bob Novak is walking around a free man.

Pit bull attacks girl in her Santa Rosa yard / Third mauling in Bay Area in a month amid calls to crack down on the breed:"I don't put any blame on anyone except that damn dog," Whitaker said. "They are a wonderful family and just want their kids to have things. Unfortunately, they got the wrong dog."

Oops! Wrong dog? I'm sorry but I am fed up with these people. I don't want them to be fined. I want them to be mauled by somebody else's pit bull. I want them to understand. You can have OTHER FUCKING DOGS! Why would you get a pit bull? What is the reason? It's not that these animals attack people invading their space. They go looking for things to kill. They are bred for that. And all the tender loving care in the world cannot change that. The purpose of the breed is to kill. There is no reason to allow them as family pets.

Memo: U.S. Lacked Full Postwar Iraq Plan: "Testimony by then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul D. Wolfowitz, one of the chief architects of Iraq policy, before a House subcommittee on Feb. 28, 2003, just weeks before the invasion, illustrated the optimistic view the administration had of postwar Iraq. He said containment of Hussein the previous 12 years had cost 'slightly over $30 billion,' adding, 'I can't imagine anyone here wanting to spend another $30 billion to be there for another 12 years.' As of May, the Congressional Research Service estimated that Congress has approved $208 billion for the war in Iraq since 2003."

Well this is really unfair to criticize Mr. Wolfowitz in this way. I mean, did you expect him to have PERFECT KNOWLEDGE or something? I can't bring myself to read the full interview with him in this month's Atlantic Monthly. I saw some quotes though and they were enough to make me ill. This man, like nearly all of those in Mr. Bush's orbit, never NEVER admit a mistake. There just wasn't enough information is their line. The sad thing is, it seems to me the majority of the American people buy that line.

Mother shut boy in basement to protect him from pit bull / 12-year-old was killed by family dog; owner sees death as tragic accident but defends the breed as loving pets: "'I put him down there, with a shovel on the door,'' said Faibish, who had left the boy alone with the dogs on June 3 to run some errands. 'He had a bunch of food. And I told him, 'Stay down there until I come back.' Typical Nicky, he wouldn't listen to me.''

Faibish said she was concerned that the male pit bull, Rex, was acting possessive because the female, Ella, was in heat. Apparently, Nicholas found a way to get the door open and come upstairs. At that point Faibish believes he walked in while the dogs were mating and was attacked by Rex.

'It was Rex, I know it in my heart,'' Faibish said. 'My younger dog (Ella) was in heat and anyone who came near her, Rex saw as a threat. He may have been trying to mate. It was a freak accident. It was just the heat of the moment.''

Faibish felt compelled to call The Chronicle, she said, because she was upset by comments in a Saturday column that disparaged family members who own pit bulls.

In the column an Oakland surgeon who often treats bites by pit bulls said, 'when you have an animal like that in your house you are recklessly endangering your family.''

'They made it sound like we put our kids in a war zone,'' Faibish said in a phone conversation. 'That's not true. My kids got along great with (the dogs). We were never seeing any kind of violent tendencies.''"

Yeah, they got along so great she had to PUT HER CHILD IN THE BASEMENT! I guess it was out of the question to put the fucking DOGS IN THE BASEMENT you asshole! Jesus Christ Almighty, I just don't understand human beings.

LA Times: Memo on 9/11 Plotters Blocked: "The reason the CIA official, identified by the fictitious name 'John,' put a hold on the communique remains a mystery, the report said. It said the officials involved didn't recall the incident. Even when the author of the memo followed up a week later with an e-mail asking if it had been sent to the FBI, nothing was done.

"The memo was written by an FBI agent on assignment to the CIA's special Bin Laden unit. According to the report, rather than send his memo directly to the FBI, he sent it to the deputy chief of the CIA unit because only supervisors were authorized to send such memos to the FBI."

I REALLY REALLY REALLY wish that FBI agent had done extensive follow up on that memo. I REALLY REALLY REALLY wish he had taken it upon himself, when noone in the CIA would do it, to stop by his former office at the FBI and talk with his superiors about it. Maybe he could have gone to that mythical "grand jury" everyone says we can turn to when nobody in charge will listen.

This is the guy they want to be my representative at the United Nations? This is worse than insulting. This is blatant contempt. There should be an investigation into determining just how someone like this manages to have a career in foreign affairs.

New Music Roundup

Some recommended new music: RobertPlant, Aimee Mann, Maria McKee, Spoon.

Revenge of the Sith

I saw Episode III today. Technically, this is an outstanding film. The CGI
characters and the human actors' integration is virtually seamless. George
Lucas' visual acumen is superb for the most part. The bulk of the action
sequences are stirring and entertaining. There are several scenes that are
also, if you are a fan of the series, quite powerful and moving. Numerous
reports of the stilted dialogue and wooden acting seemed to have been
exagerrated. It's not Shakespeare, but it's not THAT bad. And let's be
honest here: these are difficult roles to play for any actor. I thought
Natalie Portman was good as well as Ewan MacGregor and Ian McDiarmid.

I thought some scenes, especially at the end, went on too long and were too
repetitive. The story became weaker and weaker as it went along. I was not
convinced by Anakin's turn to The Dark Side. I don't think that was handled
all that well. Still, it was an enjoyable film for a fan of the series and
not as bad as episodes I and II. It does add depth to episodes IV and V and
I look forward to viewing them again. Incidentally, if you watched The
Clone Wars animated series, it may also add some depth to your experience of
this film.

newsobserver.com - A growing stake in the biotech crops debate: "The issue has immediate relevance in Eastern North Carolina, where Ventria Bioscience has a permit to grow an open-air, experimental plot of rice engineered with synthetic human genes (to produce artificial human milk proteins) near the state Agriculture Department's Tidewater Research Station in Plymouth, in Washington County. Two earlier attempts by Ventria to grow its genetically modified 'pharma rice' -- a crop that yields drugs for use in human and veterinary medicines -- were opposed by farmers, food companies and environmentalists in California and Missouri because of concerns that the genetically altered pharma rice could cross-pollinate with conventional rice, thus contaminating the food supply."

Forget about Kansas, what the hell is wrong with North Carolina? It is going to take some big corporate entity with a rather large stake in locally grown crops to oppose this, like Anheuser-Busch did in Missouri. This is ludicrous.

TV's 'Sopranos' final season will focus on money - Yahoo! News: "Network television, particularly hour-long drama shows, 'gives such a false picture of life,' he said.

'So much of it is a glorification of authority and an attempt to convince the American people that life isn't tragic, that everything works out and all those cops and all those firemen and all those judges and all those doctors, they really care,' he said."

Well put and right on the money. That's what is so ridiculous about the so-called 'reality' shows. There's no reality there. It is all editing. Superb editing, I might add. The best art doesn't avoid reality.

Culture of Life Breaking News: I HAD A DREAM: "So here we are, the Democrats in the Senate 'get to keep' the filibuster but only if they never use it. Only Thurmond was allowed this privilege because he was trying to oppress blacks which is evidently OK, no?

Guess what?

Sometimes you have to walk out. And yell. A lot. And show you are really committed to being pissed off. I spent much of my life fighting for things I wanted or needed or thought were just. This involved being beaten up, put in jail, harassed at home, spied upon and yelled at all the time."

What a travesty. What are they POSSIBLY thinking? Does Harry Reid really believe his words that he has sent some sort of message to Republicans? Can he be that stupid? WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? So who do we get for 2008? Clinton? I don't hear her saying much. Obama? Can't hear him either. These Democrats are about nothing but getting elected. They stand for nothing except the next fund raiser. They all make me sick.

UPDATE: The more I think about this, the more I realize that this means it is all over. Bolton will be confirmed (as if that was ever in doubt). There will be major cuts to social security and increasing public debt. We will most likely invade Iran and possibly Syria this summer. There is NOTHING the Democrats will oppose or even attempt to oppose. They are merely going to sit around until 2007 when the campaign for president gets going in earnest. They are sick, sick people.

New York Daily News - Movie Reviews - Jami Bernard: Last 'Star Wars' is a bit Forced: "The fundamental, overarching 'Star Wars' theme, established in 1977 and still going strong, is that when you are old enough to leave the farm and responsible enough to take the wheel, then — and only then — will you be allowed to drive fast. In 1977, Luke chafed at the bit to be taken seriously, and in 2005, his father, Anakin, pouts about how everyone gets promoted to Jedi master except him. When Samuel L. Jackson's noble Mace Windu effectively tells Anakin to go to his room, you know the Dark Side is just a temper tantrum away. This theme of wanting to be treated like a grownup, with its hints of displacing the father, is why kids love 'Star Wars' while older audiences are cool to it. This also explains why 'Sith' opens with yet another video-game-like space chase, in which Anakin's and Obi-Wan's driving skills help determine the outcome of the Clone Wars."

I haven't seen the film yet and I intend to, but I thought Bernard's take on the "theme" of "Star Wars" was interesting and novel. It's also pretty much the "theme" of Lucas' "American Graffiti". Bernard also reiterates that "Sith" continues in the series' trademark awful dialogue and wooden acting. But I wonder if this is not a deliberate choice Lucas made. The same complaint gets made frequently about Stanley Kubrick's films and definitely Kubrick wanted, and usually got, a certain acting style that was a bit distant and odd. He said once that movies can be about more than just the characters. Maybe this is giving Lucas too much credit and in reality he just finds writing dialogue and directing actors boring or uninteresting. I'll see the flick and let you know.

George Gallow Senate Testimony

Just once I would like to hear something similar from an American politician. No spinning, no couching your words in plausibly deniable vague-speak. Just plain English calling a liar a liar. The Scottish brogue does help though...