The Fulcrum
Saturday, May 08, 2004
"Pockets of Resistance"
I wonder if this is what Shrubby had in mind when he said that things were "stabilizing" and there were only "pockets of resistance:"
British soldiers beat back attacks by militiamen loyal to a radical Shiite cleric in southern cities Saturday, and U.S. forces stormed Muqtada al-SadrÂ’s stronghold in Baghdad.
[snip]
U.S. troops backed by armored vehicles and helicopters also stormed al-Sadr’s office in Baghdad’s Shiite district of Sadr City, a militia stronghold, and detained three people, witnesses said.
[snip]
A U.S. military convoy was attacked on the main highway Saturday near Abu Ghraib, destroying an SUV that burst into flames. After the attack, children cheered around the burning car, shouting “Long live al-Sadr,” until U.S. troops opened fire nearby.
[snip]
The uprising in Basra on Saturday was the strongest show of force in days, with hundreds of black-garbed and masked fighters massing on the streets and attacking passing British patrols. At least two Iraqis were killed and four British soldiers wounded, a British military spokesman said.
[snip]
The latest death brings to 764 the number of U.S. service members who have died since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. Of those, 556 died as a result of hostile action and 208 died of non-hostile causes.
Friday, May 07, 2004
First They Came for the Rocketeers, But I Wasn't a Rocketeer...
A stretch perhaps, that title. But not too far, I think.
Do you have a hobby (besides blogging) that might be of interest to some overzealous Department of Justice flunky? Think that's an overstatement?
Think again (WSJ - subscription req'd):
Do you have a hobby (besides blogging) that might be of interest to some overzealous Department of Justice flunky? Think that's an overstatement?
Think again (WSJ - subscription req'd):
Since the passage of the initial post-9/11 antiterrorism laws in October 2001, hobby rocketry has been struggling to avoid regulation that enthusiasts say will destroy their sport, deter youngsters from pursuing an interest in science and waste the nation's limited law-enforcement resources. The Department of Justice says that federal agents need to keep an eye on who is buying model rockets because the toys are potentially dangerous and could be adapted by terrorists to attack airplanes and American soldiers.The DoJ wants to do fingerprinting and background checks on anyone who buys more than a certain number of rocket engines - and that number is not very high. But rest assured, there is nothing too minor for BushCo. to completely screw up. Here's the closing paragraph:
One oddity of the government crackdown is the focus on rockets and not guidance systems. "The secret is in the guidance systems," says Arthur "Trip" Barber, a former captain of a U.S. navy guided missile destroyer, who is now vice president of the National Association of Rocketry. "I can build a rocket overnight but I couldn't build a guidance system in a lifetime."Maybe the hobby rocket motor industry hasn't given enough money to the Bush campaign this cycle...
Catching Up
It seems that the world and the blogosphere were very busy while I was gone! I won't even attempt to catch up with everything that's happened here; if you read my blog, you read plenty of others that have done a great job of keeping up.
It appears, though, that one of the more interesting things to happen was the release of the prisoner abuse photos and the ensuing storm and the rather late apology. Or rather two apologies. Bush's was rather tepid and - as is his wont - vague, uninspiring and less than heart-felt. NTodd, at Dohiyi Mir, covers this rather well. Rumsfeld's apology was much more to the point; he apologized directly to the prisoners and, by his words (I didn't hear him), sounded more sincere. NTodd, again.
So what does all this apologizing mean? Since BushCo. has been so reticent in the past about taking personal responsibility for anything they've done or any of the repercussions, Rummy's apology is all the more surprising. While some in Congress are calling for his head on a platter, the Shrub has publicly defended him. And yet, the apology hangs there...
I wonder if poor Rummy is being hung out to dry in service to BushCo. He's old, he looks tired, and it's just possible that the rest of his co-conspirators think that a quick sacrifice to the gods of public opinion on this matter will help the incident pass into the dim recesses of public memory.
It appears, though, that one of the more interesting things to happen was the release of the prisoner abuse photos and the ensuing storm and the rather late apology. Or rather two apologies. Bush's was rather tepid and - as is his wont - vague, uninspiring and less than heart-felt. NTodd, at Dohiyi Mir, covers this rather well. Rumsfeld's apology was much more to the point; he apologized directly to the prisoners and, by his words (I didn't hear him), sounded more sincere. NTodd, again.
So what does all this apologizing mean? Since BushCo. has been so reticent in the past about taking personal responsibility for anything they've done or any of the repercussions, Rummy's apology is all the more surprising. While some in Congress are calling for his head on a platter, the Shrub has publicly defended him. And yet, the apology hangs there...
I wonder if poor Rummy is being hung out to dry in service to BushCo. He's old, he looks tired, and it's just possible that the rest of his co-conspirators think that a quick sacrifice to the gods of public opinion on this matter will help the incident pass into the dim recesses of public memory.
I'm Back!
I flew back into the Rochester Airport on Wednesday evening, thrust rudely back into the real world by the 48 degree temperature. We took Thursday off to catch up on work at home; laundry, mail, and yard work. Today we're back at work trying desperately to catch up on voice mail, e-mail and anything else that piled up while we were gone so that we can start next week more or less ready to go.
Having said all that, the Virgin Islands were absolutely wonderful! Lots of sun, sand, surf and rum! The pictures below don't do the place justice, and I will post some photos on my Webshots page for all to see. If I have time I'll also do a post about all we did and saw while we were there.
To give you a little taste (literally) for our trip, I'll leave you with the recipe for my new favorite tropical cocktail:
Having said all that, the Virgin Islands were absolutely wonderful! Lots of sun, sand, surf and rum! The pictures below don't do the place justice, and I will post some photos on my Webshots page for all to see. If I have time I'll also do a post about all we did and saw while we were there.
To give you a little taste (literally) for our trip, I'll leave you with the recipe for my new favorite tropical cocktail:
Painkiller
1/2 gallon pineapple juice
1/2 gallon orange juice
1 can Coco Lopez coconut cream
Gold Rum
Nutmeg
Mix the juices and coconut cream together in a jug and refrigerate. For each drink, pour at least one jigger of rum over ice in a glass. Top off with the pre-mixed liquids, sprinkle with nutmeg, add assorted tropical fruit pieces (pineapple, orange, maraschino cherries, etc.). Stir. Drink. Repeat.
