From: http://news.independent.co.uk :
"Among treasures already discovered by a team from Oxford University are previously unseen writings by classical giants including Sophocles, Euripides and Hesiod. Invisible under ordinary light, the faded ink comes clearly into view when placed under infra-red light, using techniques developed from satellite imaging.
The Oxford documents form part of the great papyrus hoard salvaged from an ancient rubbish dump in the Graeco-Egyptian town of Oxyrhynchus more than a century ago. The thousands of remaining documents, which will be analysed over the next decade, are expected to include works by Ovid and Aeschylus, plus a series of Christian gospels which have been lost for up to 2,000 years. "
!!! "...for up to 2000 years"?!!! "...a series of Christian gospels..." I do believe the Fundies aren't gonna like this one bit. As for the rest of the religions, don't think they'll like this much either. In fact, there will be, without doubt, one battle royal. If these are gospels, will they change the text of the Bible? They don't want the blasted text changed. All their religions are based on what's there now...not the parts missing for 2000 years.
I'll look forward to hearing just what those long-missing gospels have to say, I kid you not. Makes me laugh.
Wrap...
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Fun, fun, fun...
Oh, will this ever be interesting if it flies! Vietnam Vet, Medal of Honor winner, former Navy SEAL Lt., former Dem Senator, present head of NYC's New School, Bob Kerrey says: "Asked about reports from other Democrats that he had talked to associates about possibly running against Mr. Bloomberg, Mr. Kerrey at first said he was inclined not to run for mayor. But a moment later, in what turned out to be an expansive conversation, he said, "You know me: I am just crazy enough to do this." Check the Drudge Report on www.fastpolitics.com for the rest of that story!
Truer words were never spoken. Kerrey is indeed "crazy enough" to do that. He's a take no prisoners guy and just smart and tough as hell. Gonna keep an eye on that guy's next moves, knowing that in Vietnam, nobody told the SEALs what to do or how to do it. They designed and ran their own ops...and wore Levi jeans...while they did them.
At breakfast this morn on Marie's patio, former Green Beret, Vince had returned, so was finally able to pass along a signed copy of Ed Fitzgerald's hilarious novel, Bank's Bandits, about the original Green Berets--a much honored group, by the way. Shortly came an email from Vince. He's reading away and says he can't put the book down. Ed writes from his own experience as one of that original group...who had no idea what they'd volunteered for.
Things are changing at Ft Bragg... Some part of it is going to be somewhere else. Gonna have to do a bit of research on that one.
Wrap.
Truer words were never spoken. Kerrey is indeed "crazy enough" to do that. He's a take no prisoners guy and just smart and tough as hell. Gonna keep an eye on that guy's next moves, knowing that in Vietnam, nobody told the SEALs what to do or how to do it. They designed and ran their own ops...and wore Levi jeans...while they did them.
At breakfast this morn on Marie's patio, former Green Beret, Vince had returned, so was finally able to pass along a signed copy of Ed Fitzgerald's hilarious novel, Bank's Bandits, about the original Green Berets--a much honored group, by the way. Shortly came an email from Vince. He's reading away and says he can't put the book down. Ed writes from his own experience as one of that original group...who had no idea what they'd volunteered for.
Things are changing at Ft Bragg... Some part of it is going to be somewhere else. Gonna have to do a bit of research on that one.
Wrap.
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Uh...the endstate?....
We're winning the "war on terrorism" says Bush. U-huh. Right. Check this out!
Bush Administration Eliminating 19-year-old International Terrorism Report By Jonathan S. Landay Knight Ridder Newspapers
Friday 15 April 2005
Washington - The State Department decided to stop publishing an annual report on international terrorism after the government's top terrorism center concluded that there were more terrorist attacks in 2004 than in any year since 1985, the first year the publication covered.
Several US officials defended the abrupt decision, saying the methodology the National Counterterrorism Center used to generate statistics for the report may have been faulty, such as the inclusion of incidents that may not have been terrorism.
Last year, the number of incidents in 2003 was undercounted, forcing a revision of the report, "Patterns of Global Terrorism."
But other current and former officials charged that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's office ordered "Patterns of Global Terrorism" eliminated several weeks ago because the 2004 statistics raised disturbing questions about the Bush's administration's frequent claims of progress in the war against terrorism.
"Instead of dealing with the facts and dealing with them in an intelligent fashion, they try to hide their facts from the American public," charged Larry C. Johnson, a former CIA analyst and State Department terrorism expert who first disclosed the decision to eliminate the report in The Counterterrorism Blog, an online journal.
**********************
Condi, the faithful and loyal, continues to do her duty.....
Wrap..
Bush Administration Eliminating 19-year-old International Terrorism Report By Jonathan S. Landay Knight Ridder Newspapers
Friday 15 April 2005
Washington - The State Department decided to stop publishing an annual report on international terrorism after the government's top terrorism center concluded that there were more terrorist attacks in 2004 than in any year since 1985, the first year the publication covered.
Several US officials defended the abrupt decision, saying the methodology the National Counterterrorism Center used to generate statistics for the report may have been faulty, such as the inclusion of incidents that may not have been terrorism.
Last year, the number of incidents in 2003 was undercounted, forcing a revision of the report, "Patterns of Global Terrorism."
But other current and former officials charged that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's office ordered "Patterns of Global Terrorism" eliminated several weeks ago because the 2004 statistics raised disturbing questions about the Bush's administration's frequent claims of progress in the war against terrorism.
"Instead of dealing with the facts and dealing with them in an intelligent fashion, they try to hide their facts from the American public," charged Larry C. Johnson, a former CIA analyst and State Department terrorism expert who first disclosed the decision to eliminate the report in The Counterterrorism Blog, an online journal.
**********************
Condi, the faithful and loyal, continues to do her duty.....
Wrap..
America....
Was just skimming down the posts on Goddard's Political Wire when what do I see but this:
"Though President Bush is certainly better dressed than Bolton, it doesn't seem to mean much to the world's women. Reuters notes that "in a recent online poll conducted by Esquire magazine, 11,000 women in 15 countries were asked to rate Bush's sex appeal on a scale of one to 10, and America's commander-in-chief failed to register much more than a two."
Guess Laura Bush has zip to worry about...George is not gonna be unfaithful cause nobody will have him. 2% tops?!!! Gawd, but that's funny. I'm laughing here.
Just ran out to see and hear Ray Charles singing "America the Beautiful" while ice skaters sang it with their incredibly graceful bodies. Love that song and love how Ray Charles sings it. Do I have his CD, "Genius Loves Company"? Bet your ass I do. If I had my way, that would be our national anthem because it really speaks to the nation we want to be, strive to be, and for our love of this country. When Ray Charles sings it, there isn't any red/blue division...we are one.
I suspect the Iraqis have a similar song. Wonder what it is....
Tomdispatch.com had an article this morning, written by Steven Bodzin. Bodzin, referring to the "War on Terror" wants to know what BushCo's "endstate" is. That is, what will designate victory? How will we know when this war is won? Have they ever indicated what will signify that win? So he went looking. Looked at the State Dept's papers, looked at the CIA's papers. Found nothing. Looked everywhere he could think of for that one statement: the war will be considered won when.... But nothing. Apparently there will never be a win...a victory over terrorism. Therefore, we are in a state of endless war.
And if that's the case and we run out of troops, there will be a draft. Can't fight a war without troops. To which possibility, Morialefaka says the Vietnam protests will be nothing to compare with the way the citizenry will react if that draft is instituted.
Traffic pours in a continuous stream, 7 days a week and damned near 24 hours a day, going south on Interstate 5, then in San Diego, it splits. Some bear left on Interstate 805, the rest stays on I-5 all the way to the border. So what do they do? They close all but one lane of I-5 going south, before you reach I-805. About five lanes go each way..north or south. That's the kind of traffic that's there. More, it's likely to stay closed all the day. There's a too big dip in the road and they plan to fix it. I don't even want to think what's going on with traffic over there by now. Man! Probably backed up the full 120 miles to the center of Los Angeles. Photogs will be out there documenting this one for papers and tv both.
Enjoy and be glad you're not on that freeway!
Wrap.
"Though President Bush is certainly better dressed than Bolton, it doesn't seem to mean much to the world's women. Reuters notes that "in a recent online poll conducted by Esquire magazine, 11,000 women in 15 countries were asked to rate Bush's sex appeal on a scale of one to 10, and America's commander-in-chief failed to register much more than a two."
Guess Laura Bush has zip to worry about...George is not gonna be unfaithful cause nobody will have him. 2% tops?!!! Gawd, but that's funny. I'm laughing here.
Just ran out to see and hear Ray Charles singing "America the Beautiful" while ice skaters sang it with their incredibly graceful bodies. Love that song and love how Ray Charles sings it. Do I have his CD, "Genius Loves Company"? Bet your ass I do. If I had my way, that would be our national anthem because it really speaks to the nation we want to be, strive to be, and for our love of this country. When Ray Charles sings it, there isn't any red/blue division...we are one.
I suspect the Iraqis have a similar song. Wonder what it is....
Tomdispatch.com had an article this morning, written by Steven Bodzin. Bodzin, referring to the "War on Terror" wants to know what BushCo's "endstate" is. That is, what will designate victory? How will we know when this war is won? Have they ever indicated what will signify that win? So he went looking. Looked at the State Dept's papers, looked at the CIA's papers. Found nothing. Looked everywhere he could think of for that one statement: the war will be considered won when.... But nothing. Apparently there will never be a win...a victory over terrorism. Therefore, we are in a state of endless war.
And if that's the case and we run out of troops, there will be a draft. Can't fight a war without troops. To which possibility, Morialefaka says the Vietnam protests will be nothing to compare with the way the citizenry will react if that draft is instituted.
Traffic pours in a continuous stream, 7 days a week and damned near 24 hours a day, going south on Interstate 5, then in San Diego, it splits. Some bear left on Interstate 805, the rest stays on I-5 all the way to the border. So what do they do? They close all but one lane of I-5 going south, before you reach I-805. About five lanes go each way..north or south. That's the kind of traffic that's there. More, it's likely to stay closed all the day. There's a too big dip in the road and they plan to fix it. I don't even want to think what's going on with traffic over there by now. Man! Probably backed up the full 120 miles to the center of Los Angeles. Photogs will be out there documenting this one for papers and tv both.
Enjoy and be glad you're not on that freeway!
Wrap.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Choo-choo...
I'm seriously wanting to know why...about every two weeks or so...a freight train somewhere in the nation derails. I don't know when I've ever seen so many derailments in so many states. And another thing...I don't see many explanations as to just what the hell caused them.
Another went today. Fire everywhere. Area evacuated because of chemical tankers on that train. Are the tracks not being properly maintained? Are the train wheels defective? Or is there sabotage? Or all of the above?
We're sure having a lot of train troubles lately--both freight and Amtrak. I flat don't like it one bit.
Just waiting for one of those or the trolley to derail in downtown San Diego. Their tracks run side by side along Pacific Hwy, then left up Harbor Drive, between Petco Park and the Conv Ctr and on into the yards. Been surprisingly few accidents here though. Mostly accidents concern the trolley and cars on the track.
I love the sound of train whistles...especially at night. Always have, always will. Magical sound that speaks of other places far away....
Wrap.
Another went today. Fire everywhere. Area evacuated because of chemical tankers on that train. Are the tracks not being properly maintained? Are the train wheels defective? Or is there sabotage? Or all of the above?
We're sure having a lot of train troubles lately--both freight and Amtrak. I flat don't like it one bit.
Just waiting for one of those or the trolley to derail in downtown San Diego. Their tracks run side by side along Pacific Hwy, then left up Harbor Drive, between Petco Park and the Conv Ctr and on into the yards. Been surprisingly few accidents here though. Mostly accidents concern the trolley and cars on the track.
I love the sound of train whistles...especially at night. Always have, always will. Magical sound that speaks of other places far away....
Wrap.
Checkin' it twice...
After the FCC was hit with "tens of thousands of requests", BushCo's people won't be able to fake news releases reported by fake reporters--propaganda--any longer. Oh, they can create those phony new segments, but the media have now been warned by federal regulators that they had better make sure the public knows they're a government product and just which part of government is responsible for them.
Have no idea what they'll try to run past us next. Just don't believe everything you read, see or hear.
And then there's the astounding regular folk on the streets. Astoundingly... unaware? Uneducated? Oblivious? About noon (PT) on TV is a show named, Street Smart. Two contestents in the studio try to guess whether the person encountered on the street will know the word needed to fill in a blank. Here are a couple of examples:
Q: Adam and Eve were evicted from the _______of Eden.
A: "Apple."
Q: At graduations the song, Pomp and ________is often played.
A: "Grind."
Q: Our Embassy in France is in the city named_________?
A: "Beijing."
Enough said about that!
Wrap...
Have no idea what they'll try to run past us next. Just don't believe everything you read, see or hear.
And then there's the astounding regular folk on the streets. Astoundingly... unaware? Uneducated? Oblivious? About noon (PT) on TV is a show named, Street Smart. Two contestents in the studio try to guess whether the person encountered on the street will know the word needed to fill in a blank. Here are a couple of examples:
Q: Adam and Eve were evicted from the _______of Eden.
A: "Apple."
Q: At graduations the song, Pomp and ________is often played.
A: "Grind."
Q: Our Embassy in France is in the city named_________?
A: "Beijing."
Enough said about that!
Wrap...
Honk, honk....
Drove over to Jack-In-The-Box this afternoon because C had a taste for their food. Wasn't sure what, so we stopped at the menu before the ordering box. That's a one narrow lane place...and sure enough, before C had decided, a car pulls in behind us and in less than 30 seconds the driver began honking and gesturing to his passenger. I made a sharp "back off!!!" gesture out the window and he shut up. About five seconds later, we pulled on to the box and ordered...him tail-gating all the way. At the window, out came most of the food, so we're waiting for the rest and got told to pull up to the front door and they'd bring it out. Do I need to tell you that within a minute here's that guy behind us, honking again. Gave him the benefit of the doubt--maybe he was late getting somewhere or whatever--and drove up and made another round behind three cars. Better that than leave the car to "speak" to that s.o.b. and make a bad situation worse. I do think it would be a good idea to put the menu board back enough that other cars can pass if one needs to read it. It's damned hard to stay the hell in the car under those circumstances.
And thus the weekend begins.
Thank heavens for breakfast on the hotel patio first. Sandy, the head housekeeper, is in charge of the monthly employee party and today was their day. That gal could be the most in-demand party consultant in town if she ever decides to change occupations. Today, the theme is baseball. Last J and I saw, one of the guys was wheeling out the hotel's barbeque...and it's a beaut. Hot dogs and hamburgers and all the trimmings...including decorations. They have a terrific staff at that hotel and this is just one of the ways the hotel thanks them.
So the weekend begins...Party on!!!
Wrap..
And thus the weekend begins.
Thank heavens for breakfast on the hotel patio first. Sandy, the head housekeeper, is in charge of the monthly employee party and today was their day. That gal could be the most in-demand party consultant in town if she ever decides to change occupations. Today, the theme is baseball. Last J and I saw, one of the guys was wheeling out the hotel's barbeque...and it's a beaut. Hot dogs and hamburgers and all the trimmings...including decorations. They have a terrific staff at that hotel and this is just one of the ways the hotel thanks them.
So the weekend begins...Party on!!!
Wrap..
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Surely you jest!
No. They're not. All Neil Morgan, writing his column for www.voiceofsandiego.com (or .org, I forget), wanted to do was get home to San Diego from LA. That's 120 miles. So he's looking at plane fares:
"Here are today's fare listings:
American Airlines, Los Angeles to San Diego: $237; by American Eagle: $230.20. (What great mind thought up the twenty cents?)
Alaska Airlines, Los Angeles to San Diego: $232.
United Airlines, Los Angeles to San Diego: $237.
I'm not saying this similarity constitutes illegal collusion to fix fares, mind you, just market adjustments. I'm only looking for a 120-mile ride down the coast to home.
There are other opportunities, of course:
America West offers a Los Angeles-San Diego service via Phoenix, with a one hour, 44 minute layover in Phoenix, at $105.
The really smashing bargain on this little route, for those with a yen to see more of California, is an American Eagle flight from Los Angeles to San Diego via San Jose with only an 81-minute layover in San Jose, at $118.40. Total elapsed time: 4 hours, 42 minutes."
I'm thinking, Neil, it's cheaper to rent a car. Probably cheaper to get on Amtrak. Definitely cheaper to hitch-hike, but not advised. On the other hand, flying United for $237 is a bit less than $2.00 a mile. What's that? About $31 worth of gas? At $2.65 per gallon. Oh, hell. Math was never my strong suit. :))) Let's just say that driving is expensive too.
Wrap...
"Here are today's fare listings:
American Airlines, Los Angeles to San Diego: $237; by American Eagle: $230.20. (What great mind thought up the twenty cents?)
Alaska Airlines, Los Angeles to San Diego: $232.
United Airlines, Los Angeles to San Diego: $237.
I'm not saying this similarity constitutes illegal collusion to fix fares, mind you, just market adjustments. I'm only looking for a 120-mile ride down the coast to home.
There are other opportunities, of course:
America West offers a Los Angeles-San Diego service via Phoenix, with a one hour, 44 minute layover in Phoenix, at $105.
The really smashing bargain on this little route, for those with a yen to see more of California, is an American Eagle flight from Los Angeles to San Diego via San Jose with only an 81-minute layover in San Jose, at $118.40. Total elapsed time: 4 hours, 42 minutes."
I'm thinking, Neil, it's cheaper to rent a car. Probably cheaper to get on Amtrak. Definitely cheaper to hitch-hike, but not advised. On the other hand, flying United for $237 is a bit less than $2.00 a mile. What's that? About $31 worth of gas? At $2.65 per gallon. Oh, hell. Math was never my strong suit. :))) Let's just say that driving is expensive too.
Wrap...
Apologize!!!
Because of this: ATLANTA -- Eric Rudolph pleaded guilty Wednesday to carrying out the deadly bombing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and three other attacks.
Every television station, every newspaper, every pundit, all gov agencies involved, every radio news station... Every damned one of them ought to publish a huge apology to Security Guard Richard Jewell, working at the Atlanta Olympics, trying to just do his job, for chiming in to accuse him of being the bomber and thereby ruining that innocent man's life. But has any one of them even so much as acknowledged their error? No.
And pay attention...the murderer Rudolph is yet another religious fanatic...another one of the right's Fundies. Pay attention: RELIGIOUS FANATICS ARE DANGEROUS!!! And the prez, plus many members of the GOP are in their pockets. Rudolph has just done a plea bargin that will give him four life terms in prison instead of the death penalty. So easy to murder someone else...but he's scared to die. One-sided? One more nut case. And who else will become a fanatic through contact with him in prison and then be released?
That's the way it works, you know if you've been paying attention. Go to prison, find Jesus, get out and, like the righteous bastards they are, go to work contaminating others. There is a major cancer in our midst.
Wrap...
Every television station, every newspaper, every pundit, all gov agencies involved, every radio news station... Every damned one of them ought to publish a huge apology to Security Guard Richard Jewell, working at the Atlanta Olympics, trying to just do his job, for chiming in to accuse him of being the bomber and thereby ruining that innocent man's life. But has any one of them even so much as acknowledged their error? No.
And pay attention...the murderer Rudolph is yet another religious fanatic...another one of the right's Fundies. Pay attention: RELIGIOUS FANATICS ARE DANGEROUS!!! And the prez, plus many members of the GOP are in their pockets. Rudolph has just done a plea bargin that will give him four life terms in prison instead of the death penalty. So easy to murder someone else...but he's scared to die. One-sided? One more nut case. And who else will become a fanatic through contact with him in prison and then be released?
That's the way it works, you know if you've been paying attention. Go to prison, find Jesus, get out and, like the righteous bastards they are, go to work contaminating others. There is a major cancer in our midst.
Wrap...
A fine job???...
S, one of the writers, emailed this this morn:
From the Sunday Oregonian's "Short & Sweet" column: "Other than telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, now, die, I think the Republicans have done a fine job of getting government out of our personal lives." --CraigCarter
So long as citizens can be distracted into paying attention to others' personal business, that's how long BushCo can keep us from thinking about nationally and internationally important affairs...and especially their screw-ups, which are many and consistent...and their lies, which are also many and consistent.
With despicable characters like DeLay still running loose--to say nothing of the craven GOP members of Congress backing him to their own detriment--corruption abounds. More they can ram outrageous and citizen hostile bills through...like Bush's Social Security no-plan, the bankruptcy bill, and many others. None of which will do us any good, but a hell of a lot of bad. They really really do most heartily desire to eliminate all evil doers and nay-sayers and opposition of all kinds so they can run things their way whether we like it or not.
Just keep electing them to office and you'll get more than you're asking for...
Wrap...
From the Sunday Oregonian's "Short & Sweet" column: "Other than telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, now, die, I think the Republicans have done a fine job of getting government out of our personal lives." --CraigCarter
So long as citizens can be distracted into paying attention to others' personal business, that's how long BushCo can keep us from thinking about nationally and internationally important affairs...and especially their screw-ups, which are many and consistent...and their lies, which are also many and consistent.
With despicable characters like DeLay still running loose--to say nothing of the craven GOP members of Congress backing him to their own detriment--corruption abounds. More they can ram outrageous and citizen hostile bills through...like Bush's Social Security no-plan, the bankruptcy bill, and many others. None of which will do us any good, but a hell of a lot of bad. They really really do most heartily desire to eliminate all evil doers and nay-sayers and opposition of all kinds so they can run things their way whether we like it or not.
Just keep electing them to office and you'll get more than you're asking for...
Wrap...
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Readers' news...
Publishers' Lunch emails about books that publishers have just bought the right to publish. This means that the books now have a publisher...but it's gonna be awhile--up to 18 months--before these books hit the bookshelves. So consider this an advance notice of what's coming.
PaperbackDennis Cooper's THE SLUTS, an explicit, comic novel about a gay male hustler and his clients's obsessions with him, to Don Weise at Carroll & Graf, by Ira Silverberg at Donadio & Olson (NA).don.weise@avalonpub.com (This should be one hilarious novel!)
History/Politics/Current AffairsLAT White House reporters Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten's ONE-PARTY COUNTRY: The Republican Plan for Dominance in the 21st Century, an account of the plan that could "do as much to redraw the fault lines of American democracy as the emancipation of slaves, the voting rights laws, and the New Deal," to Eric Nelson at Wiley, in a very nice deal, by Sandra Dijkstra of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency (US). (Sandy Dijkstra lives in Del Mar and is a very good and very picky literary agent. So, the question is, how much damage to the nation's democracy do you want these guys to have the ability to inflict? Damned well better learn what they're trying to pull off so you'll know it when you see it.)
Narrative: Sergeant Frank Antenori, US Army (Ret.) and Hans Halberstadt's ROUGNECK NINE ONE: An A-Team at War, a war tale of bravery and survival and a look inside an A-Team (12 man special forces unit) as it recruits, organizes, trains for combat and, in this case, fights a pitched battle against a tremendous opposing force in Iraq, to Marc Resnick at St. Martin's, in a good deal, by Scott Miller at Trident Media Group (NA).smiller@tridentmediagroup.commarc.resnick@stmartins.com
The special forces that compose an A-Team, in case you didn't know, are Green Berets. Good not to fool with these guys!
Wrap...
PaperbackDennis Cooper's THE SLUTS, an explicit, comic novel about a gay male hustler and his clients's obsessions with him, to Don Weise at Carroll & Graf, by Ira Silverberg at Donadio & Olson (NA).don.weise@avalonpub.com (This should be one hilarious novel!)
History/Politics/Current AffairsLAT White House reporters Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten's ONE-PARTY COUNTRY: The Republican Plan for Dominance in the 21st Century, an account of the plan that could "do as much to redraw the fault lines of American democracy as the emancipation of slaves, the voting rights laws, and the New Deal," to Eric Nelson at Wiley, in a very nice deal, by Sandra Dijkstra of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency (US). (Sandy Dijkstra lives in Del Mar and is a very good and very picky literary agent. So, the question is, how much damage to the nation's democracy do you want these guys to have the ability to inflict? Damned well better learn what they're trying to pull off so you'll know it when you see it.)
Narrative: Sergeant Frank Antenori, US Army (Ret.) and Hans Halberstadt's ROUGNECK NINE ONE: An A-Team at War, a war tale of bravery and survival and a look inside an A-Team (12 man special forces unit) as it recruits, organizes, trains for combat and, in this case, fights a pitched battle against a tremendous opposing force in Iraq, to Marc Resnick at St. Martin's, in a good deal, by Scott Miller at Trident Media Group (NA).smiller@tridentmediagroup.commarc.resnick@stmartins.com
The special forces that compose an A-Team, in case you didn't know, are Green Berets. Good not to fool with these guys!
Wrap...
W came late..here's why...
He was caught in a traffic jam on I-8 in Mission Valley because:
SAN DIEGO -- A truck hauling 80,000 pounds of frozen chicken spilled its load in Mission Valley Wednesday, causing a traffic jam during the morning commute.
IMAGES: Chicken Spills On Freeway
The accident happened before 6 a.m. in westbound Interstate 8 at the transition ramp to southbound Interstate 805. The ramp curves but the driver continued straight, according to California Highway Patrol investigators. The entire load of poultry spilled out of the truck and was a total loss, but the driver was not hurt, CHP investigators said.
The chickens were being trucked from Texas to Chula Vista. They didn't block the roadway, but drivers slowed down to watch the cleanup, the CHP said. Even veteran patrol officers found the sight unusual.
"I've seen baby food and a few other interesting things but not this much chicken," CHP Sgt. Tress Polet said. "We got whole chickens, buffalo wings, we got breasts -- you name it."
Caltrans workers forced to clean up the mess said they would be washing their hands and clothes extra carefully when the job was done. Many said they were not likely to have chicken for dinner soon.
"Oh, we're all switching to vegetarians around here," one worker said with a smile.
The accident and the chicken were cleared off the freeway by 10 a.m.
Copyright 2005 by NBCSandiego.com.
Wrap...
SAN DIEGO -- A truck hauling 80,000 pounds of frozen chicken spilled its load in Mission Valley Wednesday, causing a traffic jam during the morning commute.
IMAGES: Chicken Spills On Freeway
The accident happened before 6 a.m. in westbound Interstate 8 at the transition ramp to southbound Interstate 805. The ramp curves but the driver continued straight, according to California Highway Patrol investigators. The entire load of poultry spilled out of the truck and was a total loss, but the driver was not hurt, CHP investigators said.
The chickens were being trucked from Texas to Chula Vista. They didn't block the roadway, but drivers slowed down to watch the cleanup, the CHP said. Even veteran patrol officers found the sight unusual.
"I've seen baby food and a few other interesting things but not this much chicken," CHP Sgt. Tress Polet said. "We got whole chickens, buffalo wings, we got breasts -- you name it."
Caltrans workers forced to clean up the mess said they would be washing their hands and clothes extra carefully when the job was done. Many said they were not likely to have chicken for dinner soon.
"Oh, we're all switching to vegetarians around here," one worker said with a smile.
The accident and the chicken were cleared off the freeway by 10 a.m.
Copyright 2005 by NBCSandiego.com.
Wrap...
Dangling threads..
Last Sat, I reported losing my lighter. Sun morn, I found it lying on the driver's seat in the car. Sheesh!
Esquire mag for May won't be out on the newstands until April 20th, when I will immediately buy it to continue reading Colby Buzzell's series of articles on his experiences in Mosul, Iraq as part of the Stryker Brigade.
Meanwhile, W, Sgt in the San Diego Police Dept, joined J and I for breakfast on the hotel patio this morn. He has a terrific cop novel under way. Novel is due at his agent's come April 30, so he's writing like a fiend to finish the first draft. Next Wed morn he says, he'll be bringing three more chapters for J, B, and I to comment on. We're trying to catch any glitches that would stop an agent or editor as they read. Can't have them jerked out of the story because of minor stuff like the use of too many "it's". Every writer has a favorite word that is overused, and W's is "it's".
About that time, T, the Chief Engineer at the hotel, and parttime bouncer at night clubs downtown, came over to confer with W about the problem with the indigent--belligerant guy--who has been raising hell on hotel grounds, and how best to handle him. When they'd developed a way to go with that guy, T took off to go handle something else.
And M strolled in to join us and have some "beans" as he calls coffee. He's optioned J's, another SDPD guy, book for a short TV series and has been working on that script while his partner works on which studio is gonna get to produce it. It's pretty much come down to an auction situation. At the same time, M and W are working like crazy on the next writers' conf out in Palm Springs.
Speaking of writers' conferences, L emailed me the advance info on the Romance Writers' Conference. I forget where it's gonna be held, but Catherine Coulter will be there. I'm reading her FBI novel, Blow Out, right now...and it ain't no romance as we'd think of one. Straight out mystery. As for L, her agent is busy trying to find a publisher for her latest novel...and she'd best do it pretty quick because another major agent is wanting L as her client. Hoo-boy!
On Tues, April 12, 1981, the first US space shuttle was launched, according to the note on my calendar. And ever since, NASA has had one hell of a time doing all they've done. And we've benefitted mightily through their scientific discoveries and inventions. So here we are, one day away from "Earth Day" on Friday just abusing the earth something terrible and thereby cutting our own throats. 60% of what we need to stay alive, we've managed to destroy. There is no end to stupidity and lack of forward thinking, nor an end to greed and the lust for power of major proportions.
So we come to greed and power...best illustrated by watching the money flow and who gets that cash in DC. Between the Bush admin, the religious fanatics and DeLay, I don't know who can claim the most corruption. On a more minor scale, San Diego's admin can hold their own when it comes to stupidity and corruption. And as always, it will be the citizens who have to bail the city out of the financial mess it's in. But the citizens are short-sighted and cheap enough thinking that they voted against an increase in the hotel room tax (and ours is the smallest of any major city), and would probably vote against a reasonable charge--maybe $6 or $7 a month to pay for trash pick-up...which we're not charged for now but should be. I could go on for a considerable time here, but it's a very pretty day, so I won't.
As the man said, "Sufficient unto the day...."
Wrap...
Esquire mag for May won't be out on the newstands until April 20th, when I will immediately buy it to continue reading Colby Buzzell's series of articles on his experiences in Mosul, Iraq as part of the Stryker Brigade.
Meanwhile, W, Sgt in the San Diego Police Dept, joined J and I for breakfast on the hotel patio this morn. He has a terrific cop novel under way. Novel is due at his agent's come April 30, so he's writing like a fiend to finish the first draft. Next Wed morn he says, he'll be bringing three more chapters for J, B, and I to comment on. We're trying to catch any glitches that would stop an agent or editor as they read. Can't have them jerked out of the story because of minor stuff like the use of too many "it's". Every writer has a favorite word that is overused, and W's is "it's".
About that time, T, the Chief Engineer at the hotel, and parttime bouncer at night clubs downtown, came over to confer with W about the problem with the indigent--belligerant guy--who has been raising hell on hotel grounds, and how best to handle him. When they'd developed a way to go with that guy, T took off to go handle something else.
And M strolled in to join us and have some "beans" as he calls coffee. He's optioned J's, another SDPD guy, book for a short TV series and has been working on that script while his partner works on which studio is gonna get to produce it. It's pretty much come down to an auction situation. At the same time, M and W are working like crazy on the next writers' conf out in Palm Springs.
Speaking of writers' conferences, L emailed me the advance info on the Romance Writers' Conference. I forget where it's gonna be held, but Catherine Coulter will be there. I'm reading her FBI novel, Blow Out, right now...and it ain't no romance as we'd think of one. Straight out mystery. As for L, her agent is busy trying to find a publisher for her latest novel...and she'd best do it pretty quick because another major agent is wanting L as her client. Hoo-boy!
On Tues, April 12, 1981, the first US space shuttle was launched, according to the note on my calendar. And ever since, NASA has had one hell of a time doing all they've done. And we've benefitted mightily through their scientific discoveries and inventions. So here we are, one day away from "Earth Day" on Friday just abusing the earth something terrible and thereby cutting our own throats. 60% of what we need to stay alive, we've managed to destroy. There is no end to stupidity and lack of forward thinking, nor an end to greed and the lust for power of major proportions.
So we come to greed and power...best illustrated by watching the money flow and who gets that cash in DC. Between the Bush admin, the religious fanatics and DeLay, I don't know who can claim the most corruption. On a more minor scale, San Diego's admin can hold their own when it comes to stupidity and corruption. And as always, it will be the citizens who have to bail the city out of the financial mess it's in. But the citizens are short-sighted and cheap enough thinking that they voted against an increase in the hotel room tax (and ours is the smallest of any major city), and would probably vote against a reasonable charge--maybe $6 or $7 a month to pay for trash pick-up...which we're not charged for now but should be. I could go on for a considerable time here, but it's a very pretty day, so I won't.
As the man said, "Sufficient unto the day...."
Wrap...
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Bad seeds...
Well, talk about a hilarious, and most aggravated, librarian! Hop on over to http://miss-information.blogspot.com and this is the start of what you'll read on today's post:
"Miss Information is annoyed by parents
It is Screaming Child Day at the library. And Miss Information totally forgot to attend Screaming Child Eve festivities. Slipped her mind completely.Right this minute a screaming toddler is sitting opposite the Reference Desk where Miss Information is doomed to spend the rest of her natural life. ..."
I sympathize totally. Just a couple of days ago, during breakfast on the hotel patio, J, B and I were happily talkin' away when two families, both with little ones, were seated just a table away.
One of those kids, in a highchair, just opened his/her mouth and began to scream at the top of his/her voice. Did it at the top of his/her range too. And was ignored by both parents. Wasn't crying, either. Just this on and on piercing scream.
Was a man, one table over, who left behind half his breakfast, picked up his check and headed inside the dining room to pay and get the hell out of there.
Of course this screaming kid set off another kid at the 2nd family's table, who didn't scream but yelled. Parents did nothing.
What a monster contrast to the families of previous weeks, whose kids were superbly raised to be little ladies and gentlemen. Those kids were a pleasure to behold...and we admired them and their parents no end.
So, yes. I absolutely do sympathize with Miss Information.
Wrap...
"Miss Information is annoyed by parents
It is Screaming Child Day at the library. And Miss Information totally forgot to attend Screaming Child Eve festivities. Slipped her mind completely.Right this minute a screaming toddler is sitting opposite the Reference Desk where Miss Information is doomed to spend the rest of her natural life. ..."
I sympathize totally. Just a couple of days ago, during breakfast on the hotel patio, J, B and I were happily talkin' away when two families, both with little ones, were seated just a table away.
One of those kids, in a highchair, just opened his/her mouth and began to scream at the top of his/her voice. Did it at the top of his/her range too. And was ignored by both parents. Wasn't crying, either. Just this on and on piercing scream.
Was a man, one table over, who left behind half his breakfast, picked up his check and headed inside the dining room to pay and get the hell out of there.
Of course this screaming kid set off another kid at the 2nd family's table, who didn't scream but yelled. Parents did nothing.
What a monster contrast to the families of previous weeks, whose kids were superbly raised to be little ladies and gentlemen. Those kids were a pleasure to behold...and we admired them and their parents no end.
So, yes. I absolutely do sympathize with Miss Information.
Wrap...
Monday, April 11, 2005
Here's why gas is so high...
From Independent Clearing House--Part of Lindoff's article:
"In fact the real culprit behind these higher oil prices is the Bush Administration, which, thanks to its massive deficits and tax give-aways to the rich and corporations, to its war spending, and to its failure to combat unprecedented and ever-larger trade deficits, has been causing the dollar to plunge in value.
Oil is a commodity and it is priced in dollars. If dollars decline in value, then the price of oil will rise in inverse proportion.
One need only look at Europe to see what this means.
Over the period from February 1, 2003, just before the start of the Iraq War, when oil prices began to rise in earnest, to Feb. 1, 2005, the price of a barrel of oil in dollars rose about 30 percent, from $30.13 a barrel to $42.91 a barrel. But over that same period of time, the Euro, Europe's new combined currency, rose 21 percent against the U.S. dollar, from .93 Euros to the dollar in February, 2003 to just .77 to the U.S. dollar in February, 2005.
For Europeans, then, the net rise in oil prices over the two years of the Iraq War has been just 9 percent, or less than 5 percent per year-hardly the kind of energy inflation that would cause economic problems.
And this situation is likely to get only worse. Some Wall Street oil industry analysts are now predicting that oil could, before too long, hit $100 a barrel. What they are saying really is that the dollar is likely to fall in value by 50 percent.
Should that happen, though, the OPEC states would likely at some point along the way decide that it is ridiculous for them to continue pricing oil in dollars, since the piles of dollars filling their bank vaults will be losing value faster than their oil wells are emptying. At some point, the oil producing states, including Russia and Norway, will inevitably switch to pricing their oil in a basket of currencies-a basket that would prominently feature the Euro and probably the Japanese Yen.
At that point there would be little left to prop up the dollar, and it could end up becoming little better than a Third World currency.
That's something to chew on next time you're filling your car with $2.25/gallon or $2.50/gallon gas at the local pump.
It's not oil sheiks or even oil executives (though they're certainly raking in the dough!); it's Bush economic policy, stupid."
Plain to see that hard right religious conservatives--Bush's precious base for whom he will say anything...and might even do some things--and his financiers--the extremely wealthy--will take care of their own interests and to hell with the nation's. Love of money, love of power, will sink us all. Bush's and the Repubs' terms in office cannot end too soon.
But hark! The 2006 election is not all that far away. Are the voting machines fixed and will they produce a paper trail? No. Have steps been taken so that ALL voters have an even shot at the polling places? No. John Kerry is trying, but he needs serious support from not only the public, but the rest of Congress and the Judiciary. Otherwise, we're screwed again.
Wrap...
"In fact the real culprit behind these higher oil prices is the Bush Administration, which, thanks to its massive deficits and tax give-aways to the rich and corporations, to its war spending, and to its failure to combat unprecedented and ever-larger trade deficits, has been causing the dollar to plunge in value.
Oil is a commodity and it is priced in dollars. If dollars decline in value, then the price of oil will rise in inverse proportion.
One need only look at Europe to see what this means.
Over the period from February 1, 2003, just before the start of the Iraq War, when oil prices began to rise in earnest, to Feb. 1, 2005, the price of a barrel of oil in dollars rose about 30 percent, from $30.13 a barrel to $42.91 a barrel. But over that same period of time, the Euro, Europe's new combined currency, rose 21 percent against the U.S. dollar, from .93 Euros to the dollar in February, 2003 to just .77 to the U.S. dollar in February, 2005.
For Europeans, then, the net rise in oil prices over the two years of the Iraq War has been just 9 percent, or less than 5 percent per year-hardly the kind of energy inflation that would cause economic problems.
And this situation is likely to get only worse. Some Wall Street oil industry analysts are now predicting that oil could, before too long, hit $100 a barrel. What they are saying really is that the dollar is likely to fall in value by 50 percent.
Should that happen, though, the OPEC states would likely at some point along the way decide that it is ridiculous for them to continue pricing oil in dollars, since the piles of dollars filling their bank vaults will be losing value faster than their oil wells are emptying. At some point, the oil producing states, including Russia and Norway, will inevitably switch to pricing their oil in a basket of currencies-a basket that would prominently feature the Euro and probably the Japanese Yen.
At that point there would be little left to prop up the dollar, and it could end up becoming little better than a Third World currency.
That's something to chew on next time you're filling your car with $2.25/gallon or $2.50/gallon gas at the local pump.
It's not oil sheiks or even oil executives (though they're certainly raking in the dough!); it's Bush economic policy, stupid."
Plain to see that hard right religious conservatives--Bush's precious base for whom he will say anything...and might even do some things--and his financiers--the extremely wealthy--will take care of their own interests and to hell with the nation's. Love of money, love of power, will sink us all. Bush's and the Repubs' terms in office cannot end too soon.
But hark! The 2006 election is not all that far away. Are the voting machines fixed and will they produce a paper trail? No. Have steps been taken so that ALL voters have an even shot at the polling places? No. John Kerry is trying, but he needs serious support from not only the public, but the rest of Congress and the Judiciary. Otherwise, we're screwed again.
Wrap...
The super rich & the rest of us...
Consider this:
Because the news media focus on what politicians say about the tax system, rather than how it actually operates, few Americans realize that:
Corporate income tax laws reward companies that move jobs offshore, allowing them to earn untaxed profits as long as the money stays offshore.
Widespread cuts in health insurance and pensions for the rank-and- file are driven by a special law that lets top executives defer paying taxes for years, in a way that adds 35 percent to the cost of their bloated pay.
The 2001 Bush tax cuts included a stealth tax increase on the middle class and upper-middle class that will cost them a half trillion dollars in the first 10 years and, for 35 million families, wiping out part or all of their Bush tax cuts.
The stealth tax boost on people making $30,000 to $500,000 was explicitly used to make sure that the super rich would get their entire Bush tax cuts.
A California couple who make $75,000 to $100,000 and have two children face a 97 percent chance of losing part of their Bush tax cuts to this stealth tax increase and overall will lose 42 percent of their Bush tax cuts by next year.
If your child becomes seriously ill, Congress, under this same law, will raise your income taxes if you spend more than 7.5 percent of your income trying to keep your child alive.
Since 1983, under a plan devised by Alan Greenspan, Americans have paid $1.8 trillion more in Social Security taxes than have been paid out in benefits, money that is used to finance tax cuts for the super rich while robbing the middle class of their capacity to save.
A family earning $50,000 this year will have about $1,500 of its money funneled to the super rich because of the Greenspan plan.
Since 1993, the income tax burden on the 400 highest-income Americans has been cut 40 percent when measured the way that President Bush prefers, which is by counting how many pennies out of each dollar go to income taxes. In 1993 the top 400 paid 30 cents out of each dollar in federal income taxes. By the end of the Clinton administration in 2000 they were down to 22 cents. Under Bush, their burden is less than 18 cents. Everyone else felt their tax bite rise to 15 cents on the dollar from an average of 13 cents.
For the rest of this article, go to: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/04/11/INGV560VO41.DTL
Like the man says...follow the money...and see who benefits. And while you're at it, look at the munificent funds supplied to George W Bush and other congresspeople. Whatever amount they've been bought for, we're paying for it the hard way. Torques me something fierce.
Wrap...
Because the news media focus on what politicians say about the tax system, rather than how it actually operates, few Americans realize that:
Corporate income tax laws reward companies that move jobs offshore, allowing them to earn untaxed profits as long as the money stays offshore.
Widespread cuts in health insurance and pensions for the rank-and- file are driven by a special law that lets top executives defer paying taxes for years, in a way that adds 35 percent to the cost of their bloated pay.
The 2001 Bush tax cuts included a stealth tax increase on the middle class and upper-middle class that will cost them a half trillion dollars in the first 10 years and, for 35 million families, wiping out part or all of their Bush tax cuts.
The stealth tax boost on people making $30,000 to $500,000 was explicitly used to make sure that the super rich would get their entire Bush tax cuts.
A California couple who make $75,000 to $100,000 and have two children face a 97 percent chance of losing part of their Bush tax cuts to this stealth tax increase and overall will lose 42 percent of their Bush tax cuts by next year.
If your child becomes seriously ill, Congress, under this same law, will raise your income taxes if you spend more than 7.5 percent of your income trying to keep your child alive.
Since 1983, under a plan devised by Alan Greenspan, Americans have paid $1.8 trillion more in Social Security taxes than have been paid out in benefits, money that is used to finance tax cuts for the super rich while robbing the middle class of their capacity to save.
A family earning $50,000 this year will have about $1,500 of its money funneled to the super rich because of the Greenspan plan.
Since 1993, the income tax burden on the 400 highest-income Americans has been cut 40 percent when measured the way that President Bush prefers, which is by counting how many pennies out of each dollar go to income taxes. In 1993 the top 400 paid 30 cents out of each dollar in federal income taxes. By the end of the Clinton administration in 2000 they were down to 22 cents. Under Bush, their burden is less than 18 cents. Everyone else felt their tax bite rise to 15 cents on the dollar from an average of 13 cents.
For the rest of this article, go to: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/04/11/INGV560VO41.DTL
Like the man says...follow the money...and see who benefits. And while you're at it, look at the munificent funds supplied to George W Bush and other congresspeople. Whatever amount they've been bought for, we're paying for it the hard way. Torques me something fierce.
Wrap...
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Sunday evenin' comin' down....
The sun has set and there's just the afterglow now. Perfect time for inserting into enemy territory if there's a night op planned. My night op will occur about an hour from now. Have to take a shower, then cover my bod with a cream from the neck down. This is the result of a visit to a nurse practitioner this afternoon to find out what the hell is the itchy--might as well have fallen into a patch of poison ivy--rash I developed on legs and arms. It seems that earlier this week while out and about I ran into mites, for god's sake. Last thing in the world I needed to hear, but apparently easy to deal with. So on goes this one-time-only cream tonight, then at least 8 hours later--morning--back in the shower to wash the cream off. And then the pain in the ass stuff...launder all bedding and whatever clothes. So that should kill off the mites. Then a pill--no driving cause it causes drowsiness--just before sacking out tomorrow night to stop the itchiness. I tell you, it's a bitch to itch all the time. About a week and that will be done with. And, have to run out and spray the driver's seat of my car and floor mats, just in case, with Lysol. My name for this: creepin' crud. I am not a happy camper, but what the hell...if nothing worse ever happens to me, I'll be fine.
Full dark now. That was quick.
Between Bush, Santorum, and DeLay.... Those individuals are gonna drive me nuts yet. Heard on the radio this morn that, very quietly, Bush addressed the far right religious Crystal Cathedral denizens. Most probably by video link. No publicity whatsoever. Too early. Somewhere around 6 this morning, Pacific time, since they're up in LA. If he'd made it to his ranch, it would be 8 his time. Guess the CC people had some kind of anniversary thing going. The man lives to shore up his base and show his religiosity, so long as it's mostly words.
Still have not a clue who that guy behind Bush 41 was in the photo of Bush 43's official delegation, shot as they stood beside the Pope paying their last respects . Seems Fr. mentioned had to do with his being a SNL character. Just a joke. Damn. Probably will never know.
So back to finishing reading the LA Times...
Wrap.
Full dark now. That was quick.
Between Bush, Santorum, and DeLay.... Those individuals are gonna drive me nuts yet. Heard on the radio this morn that, very quietly, Bush addressed the far right religious Crystal Cathedral denizens. Most probably by video link. No publicity whatsoever. Too early. Somewhere around 6 this morning, Pacific time, since they're up in LA. If he'd made it to his ranch, it would be 8 his time. Guess the CC people had some kind of anniversary thing going. The man lives to shore up his base and show his religiosity, so long as it's mostly words.
Still have not a clue who that guy behind Bush 41 was in the photo of Bush 43's official delegation, shot as they stood beside the Pope paying their last respects . Seems Fr. mentioned had to do with his being a SNL character. Just a joke. Damn. Probably will never know.
So back to finishing reading the LA Times...
Wrap.
Saturday, April 09, 2005
This 'n that...
C and I went to breakfast on Marie's patio this morn, but didn't linger. Though a day with blue skies and puffy clouds, the damned wind is mighty chilly. Comes straight in from the Pacific and that ocean is damned icy and unfriendly 90% of the time. There are reasons the surfers wear wet suits most of the year.
So, Prince Charles and Camilla are finally wed. This is good. Horrid to be part of the royal family. Talk about having to go through contortions to get anything done! Only took them 30 years from the time they met to finally get permission to marry and then actually get married. Good for them and may their marriage be happy for the rest of their days.
And the Pope is finally, as per his wishes, buried in the ground...but inside 4 different coffins. That's fine. That's custom. Today is the first of the official nine days of mourning, and then the Cardinals are locked up in conclave until they can elect the next Pope. That they have will be marked by bells and white smoke. Whereupon the new Pope will be presented and everyone will be waiting to see what name he chooses. More ceremonies, and finally things will begin to settle down again.
Meanwhile, today is the 2nd anniversary of the pulling down of Saddam's statue, so people are celebrating in Iraq. Sadr's Sunni faction...plus others, I'm sure, are demonstrating and yelling for the US and allies to leave their country. Of course the US and allies won't, much as the men and women themselves would like to. There are oil deals to be secured. The new Iraqi government has to be up and running and the new Iraqi Constitution written and agreed to. They also have to get their congress and judiciary put together, and security established. Big job.
S gave me a pad of post-it notes. This is no common pad. CCDC (Center City Development Corp) is enamored of his photos of the downtown city skyline, as shot from across the harbor on a Coronado beach. And that photo is on all four sides of the pad. Very cool! I have it sitting atop my CPU here so I can admire it from time to time. Makes me grin. Of course I'm not gonna use it or even remove it from its shrink wrap. Every sheet torn off will reduce the size of that photo, beginning with the sky. Not gonna do it. This is a keeper.
Vince was most probably out in the desert shooting today since he was a no-show on the patio this morn. So put Ed Fitzgerald's Green Beret novel, Bank's Bandits, back in the trunk until tomorrow morn. If Vince is there, I'll give it to him. Otherwise I'll just haul it around in the trunk until he shows. There's no hurry here. For somebody as impatient as I, these kinds of things I can be patient as all hell about.
And yes, I did indeed get to read the front section of the LA Times this morn. C had a book in hand, so read that while I read the paper which is our usual habit at Marie's. Lost my lighter. Probably dropped it somewhere on the patio or near the car. Just a Bic, so no sweat. Stopped by the cigarette shop while C went in for a carton of smokes and C picked up a new lighter for me. I have about a dozen really nice lighters but all have to be filled with fluid. That's a pain. Don't want to lose one of those, so Bics do nicely. And now for the rest of the paper.
Wrap...
So, Prince Charles and Camilla are finally wed. This is good. Horrid to be part of the royal family. Talk about having to go through contortions to get anything done! Only took them 30 years from the time they met to finally get permission to marry and then actually get married. Good for them and may their marriage be happy for the rest of their days.
And the Pope is finally, as per his wishes, buried in the ground...but inside 4 different coffins. That's fine. That's custom. Today is the first of the official nine days of mourning, and then the Cardinals are locked up in conclave until they can elect the next Pope. That they have will be marked by bells and white smoke. Whereupon the new Pope will be presented and everyone will be waiting to see what name he chooses. More ceremonies, and finally things will begin to settle down again.
Meanwhile, today is the 2nd anniversary of the pulling down of Saddam's statue, so people are celebrating in Iraq. Sadr's Sunni faction...plus others, I'm sure, are demonstrating and yelling for the US and allies to leave their country. Of course the US and allies won't, much as the men and women themselves would like to. There are oil deals to be secured. The new Iraqi government has to be up and running and the new Iraqi Constitution written and agreed to. They also have to get their congress and judiciary put together, and security established. Big job.
S gave me a pad of post-it notes. This is no common pad. CCDC (Center City Development Corp) is enamored of his photos of the downtown city skyline, as shot from across the harbor on a Coronado beach. And that photo is on all four sides of the pad. Very cool! I have it sitting atop my CPU here so I can admire it from time to time. Makes me grin. Of course I'm not gonna use it or even remove it from its shrink wrap. Every sheet torn off will reduce the size of that photo, beginning with the sky. Not gonna do it. This is a keeper.
Vince was most probably out in the desert shooting today since he was a no-show on the patio this morn. So put Ed Fitzgerald's Green Beret novel, Bank's Bandits, back in the trunk until tomorrow morn. If Vince is there, I'll give it to him. Otherwise I'll just haul it around in the trunk until he shows. There's no hurry here. For somebody as impatient as I, these kinds of things I can be patient as all hell about.
And yes, I did indeed get to read the front section of the LA Times this morn. C had a book in hand, so read that while I read the paper which is our usual habit at Marie's. Lost my lighter. Probably dropped it somewhere on the patio or near the car. Just a Bic, so no sweat. Stopped by the cigarette shop while C went in for a carton of smokes and C picked up a new lighter for me. I have about a dozen really nice lighters but all have to be filled with fluid. That's a pain. Don't want to lose one of those, so Bics do nicely. And now for the rest of the paper.
Wrap...
Friday, April 08, 2005
Friday nite...
Another hour and it will be midnight, and I still haven't read the morning papers. That is the damndest thing. Take them with me to breakfast on the hotel patio every morning, Mon-Fri, without fail. Sit down, waiter or waitress brings that pot of coffee, I light a smoke, prop the front section of the LA Times on the table against the coffee pot...and if I'm lucky, may get to see what the main headlines say. Then another writer or six shows up--if one isn't already there before me, and eventually, time to leave. Gather the papers back up, bring them home, put them on the footstool in front of my reading chair in here, and there they sit. I always read that front section before calling it a day though. By then, I've read the NY Times and the Wash Post online. But always, the LA Times has something more to offer, so I don't hit the sack until I've read it.
There are times when there are just B, J, and me...and we're all looking at something in one or other of the papers. J will check Fry's full page ads for various computer or other electronic gear and B grabs USA Today on his way in. Hell, I'd rather have their conversation than read anyway. Writers know the damndest things...a result, I think, that comes from always researching some one thing or the other, so when they get talking, it gets interesting real fast.
The large front page picture on the San Diego Union-Tribune (and everyother major paper in the nation it seems) got us going yesterday. From left to right, there were Bush 43, Laura, Bush 41, Clinton, Condi, and Card in front of the Pope's body. Behind Bush 43 sits a guy that J is convinced is Rudy Guiliani. B and I don't think that's who it is. The guys to the left and right of him in that row are all wearing red beanies, so B and I think he's one of the clergy or a Vatican person. I think he has a white brushy mustache. J thinks it's Guiliani and no mustache but a trick of the light. So I dug out a small magnifying glass (I carry strange things) and we took turns examining the guy. Didn't help. Now we all want that individual's identity, but doubt if there's a way to get it. At least not a simple fast way. And, was surprised to see Card (Bush's Chief of Staff) there. Huh.
Wrap...
There are times when there are just B, J, and me...and we're all looking at something in one or other of the papers. J will check Fry's full page ads for various computer or other electronic gear and B grabs USA Today on his way in. Hell, I'd rather have their conversation than read anyway. Writers know the damndest things...a result, I think, that comes from always researching some one thing or the other, so when they get talking, it gets interesting real fast.
The large front page picture on the San Diego Union-Tribune (and everyother major paper in the nation it seems) got us going yesterday. From left to right, there were Bush 43, Laura, Bush 41, Clinton, Condi, and Card in front of the Pope's body. Behind Bush 43 sits a guy that J is convinced is Rudy Guiliani. B and I don't think that's who it is. The guys to the left and right of him in that row are all wearing red beanies, so B and I think he's one of the clergy or a Vatican person. I think he has a white brushy mustache. J thinks it's Guiliani and no mustache but a trick of the light. So I dug out a small magnifying glass (I carry strange things) and we took turns examining the guy. Didn't help. Now we all want that individual's identity, but doubt if there's a way to get it. At least not a simple fast way. And, was surprised to see Card (Bush's Chief of Staff) there. Huh.
Wrap...
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