Hat tip to Andrew Sullivan. This post by Tom McMahon is just plain amazing advice to live by.

I’ve long been worried about the turning of the markets. I was pretty sure the local housing market would turn by the end of this year and I was a little late on that prediction. My prediction about the overall economy is that our country’s present spending plan is insane and will see a serious reality-slap within a year or so. It was with great laughter that I read James Cramer’s (of The Street) recent article on how to survive the coming crisis (via Andrew Sullivan).

“Our only hope that financial disaster won’t strike sooner lies with the Chinese, who actually fund our deficit by buying our Treasuries—$242 billion worth, or 12 percent of all foreign holdings. If the Chinese decide to be good communists and stop buying our bonds, the Feds will have to raise rates to attract new investors and the reaper will be at our doorstep with interest rates more akin to those of South than North America. Right now, it’s not a problem. But in a year or two or maybe less, I perceive that the government will throw a bond auction and nobody will show, including the Chinese, until rates shoot up dramatically.”

He’s a bit more optomistic than I am. I think the interest rate scene will be starkly different in the spring … more representative of the early 90′s than anything else.

I have been reading some accounts of the taking of Falluja. There are three fantastic stories to have a look at.

NYT: In Falluja, Young Marines Saw the Savagery of an Urban War

The Greenside: Email from Dave – Nov 19, 04

Kevin Sites’ recount of the mosque shooting: Open Letter to Devil Dogs of the 3.1

All are insightful reading, and well worth the time spent.

This is a picture taken this evening around 4:30 PM of the western view from our yard, overlooking the Davis’ house.

I’ve been following the polls with this great site: Current Electoral Vote Predictor 2004

. They’ve been pretty good at raw analysis of the poll data and the up-and-down trend over the past month or so is fascinating. Here’s the current score:

I found this on Tim Bray’s site, which is always a good read.

Today’s editorial is a good one for Mr. Safire. I often find myself agreeing with his principles, but often come down on the other side of his conclusions. This is a great insight into his brain, for what it’s worth.

[ The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Inside a Republican Brain

lakeview terrace movie download

]

“I will take my teeming noggin to both conventions, watch all the debates and cast my vote – careful, in the tradition of Times columnists, not to endorse anyone. But now you know how one Republican mind will be made up. I presume the liberal brain works the same way.”

I can’t believe it. I’m sitting here taking care of the little ones while flipping the channels. I hear an old friend of mine, Mike Choquette, on the tv. He’s on Extreme Makeover with his soon to be fiance. Wow! Contratulations Mike!

Update (2/6/04):
His bio page was broken last night, but seems functional now. And this is his new wife, Susan.
Mike before.
Mike after.
Their wedding

.
The Andover Townsman covered the story from the bride, Susan’s, perspective, as well as the Eagle Tribune

.

Update (2/8/04):
flyboys the dvd download
So, a google search on “Mike Choquette” puts me at #1. Pretty funny stuff.

Via Doc, World66

download college dvdrip

. Here’s where I’ve been:

[ Via Boston.com: Conservatives express little surprise as Bush boosts estimated Medicare costs by a third ]

“The president’s budget, to be released Monday, will also project a federal deficit this year of about $520 billion, congressional aides said. That would far exceed this year’s $375 billion, the highest ever in dollar terms.”

• surviving the game divx download

I’m not sure why they’re so surprised by a $145 billion increase in subsidies to the drug companies. The subsidy will surely get bigger as time marches along. Drug company stocks are looking pretty good right now, just like they did when the the health care package plowed its way through congress last year. The way it’s going, we should just put Pharma in charge of Social Security. They get most of that cash anyway. Skip the middleman and send the checks right on over.

[ Via NYT: White House Defends Medicare Law Despite Higher Price Tag ]

download perfect assistant the dvd

“Conservative Republicans have said that the new $530 billion estimate confirmed their worst fears, while Democrats said it vindicated their view that the law gave far too much money to drug manufacturers and insurance companies. The bill passed narrowly in the House after Republican leaders gave assurances that the cost would not exceed $400 billion.”

They’re just figuring out that he’s a fiscal/state’s rights democrat hiding in a military/corporate republican body.

[ via Boston.com: Rejecting health insurers ]

“He [Dr. Alan Altman] won’t accept payments from any insurance companies, which he said are hurting the healthcare system by creating hours of paperwork for doctors and paying them less than their services are worth.
…
Dr. Cathleen Hood, 47, recently canceled five managed care contracts because she believed the companies’ payment policies encourage doctors to provide substandard care. For example, she said, insurers pay her a total of $160 to $200 if she sees four patients in an hour, but only $85 to $110 if she sees one patient in an hour.”

This is the kind of leadership that inspires. Well done Mr. Bush!

[ President Travels to Baghdad and Addresses Soldiers at Airport ]

• go tell the spartans divx movie online

“In a stunning mission conducted under enormous secrecy, President Bush flew into Baghdad today aboard Air Force One to share Thanksgiving dinner with United States officials and several hundred astonished American troops.”

The democrats, and now Bush, have it all wrong. We have to put as much effort into Iraq as we possibly can, and not an ounce less. We’ve never been asked to make any sacrifice of the order that was asked for back in WWII, or any other difficult time in our history. Instead, we’re fed lies and propaganda.

[ Op-Ed Columnist: Letter From Tikrit depth charge dvd ]

“I still think I can win, because I prepped my base for the Mother of All Battles, and you prepared yours for Mother Goose.”

Welcome to the age of subsidies for drug companies at the expense of our elders! I took a look at the actual letter

with the cost projections over the next ten years. It is staggering! A net cost of 122.1 billion over the next four years, and 394.3 billion from ’04-’13.

[ Yahoo! News – Analysts: Medicare Drug Costs Will Rise ]
“Seniors will face annual increases in premiums and deductibles — and a growing gap in coverage — for the prescription drugs they buy under the new Medicare law, budget analysts say.”

I’ve always thought the Roman Catholic Church’s official position on condoms and AIDS was pure self-delusion. It’s good to see that those who have to deal with the reality of it are following their hearts and minds instead of policies that are as deadly as they are backwards.

download max payne

[ Don't Tell the Pope ]
“The Vatican has consistently opposed condoms and safe-sex education, even claiming falsely that condoms don’t protect against AIDS. That’s on par with the church under Pope Urban VIII putting Galileo under house arrest — except that this will have more deadly results.

Yet I take my hat off to the much broader Catholic Church that is toiling in the barrios of Latin America and the slums of Africa and Asia. Catholic Relief Services, one of the most vigorous aid organizations in the third world, is an example of humanitarianism at its noblest.”

[The Money Map]

stuart little 3 call of the wild movie download

This is fascinating! Play around with the names and zooming and you’ll see how varied the donations are within states.

cat people dvdrip download

You have to think twice when extreme left and extreme right NYT op-ed

download taking of pelham one two three the online columnists offer similar comparisons of current Bush practices and policies.

[You Gotta Have Friends]
“President Bush has moral clarity, but no moral authority.” He has a vision without influence among the partners needed to get it moving. His is a beautifully carved table — with only one leg.”

[The Buck House Stops Here

• download dark reel

]
download new kids the “There was a dispiriting contrast between G.W.B. shutting out the world and avoiding the British public, and the black-and-white clips this week of J.F.K. reaching out to the world and being adored by Berliners.

There was also a dispiriting contrast between the Bush administration, hiding the returning coffins of U.S. soldiers and avoiding their funerals, and the moving pictures of the Italian politicians and people, honoring their dead with public ceremonies and a week of mourning.”

Each description points to a fundamental error. Without the people (and their perspectives) that he so carefully insulates himself from, he’ll be, what the VP on last night’s West Wing described as a leader with no followers … “just a guy taking a walk.” In other words, he has yet to back up his vision with real interaction with the people. After that last speech trying to spin the increasing attacks into a positive light, I do think people are finally getting the message that it’s all spin. No matter what happens, the spin-masters will turn it into a victory for the Bush administration. Someone needs to tell the man there’s no moral authority in ‘spin’.

With 5,123 police officers deployed to protect him, which is the more important city, London or Baghdad (unable to actually find a number of police in Baghdad, but this link compiles some of the various numbers put forth by the administration)? The way things are going now, we’ll be losing our only ally as soon as the next round of elections comes about in the UK. Blair has almost no support amongst the populace for this, and it will definitely cost him. With Blair gone, we’ll be completely on our own. Not a good position to be in.

After the negative, here’s some positive. Via boingboing:

[ Kevin Sites Blog ]

sis dvdrip But as they’re driving, three men firing from a nearby ravine ambush the squad. Luckily the attackers are bad shots. AK-47 rounds go wide and a rocket propelled grenade sails overhead. The engineers return fire with the guttural thumping of the 50-caliber machine gun mounted on the vehicle. The suspected attackers flee, but are quickly captured. No weapons are found in the ravine, but there are dozens of spent shell casings.

We’re doing a bang-up job of feeding the terrorist mentality over in Iraq. The sooner we hand over control to the Iraqis, the better. As a former marine, I can tell you that a well-trained soldier is the worst person to have as a policeman. This has been going on since we got there, and will continue until we leave.

[ BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Case study: Iraqi civilian deaths

]

The blood has long dried out, but you can see clearly the dark patches where Adil received his fatal wounds in the driver’s seat, and where his daughter Ola, 14, and son Haidar, 19, died where they were seated in the back.

Another daughter, Mirvat, who was 8, died of her wounds – like Adil himself – before being delivered to hospital by the American troops about four hours later.

• telling the download

A little sleuthing finds the ‘truth’ behind the movies “Psycho”, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” , and “Silence of the Lambs”:

[ BBC - Crime Case Closed - Ed Gein ]

• watch changeling in divx

When Arthur Schley arrived at a Wisconsin farmhouse on the evening of 17 November 1957 he was in for a very nasty surprise…

Mr Schley, a sheriff from the nearby town of Plainfield, was investigating the disappearance of 58-year-old shopkeeper Bernice Worden. Evidence from her store – a receipt found on the floor near a trail of blood and a missing cash till – had led him to the farmhouse.

I spent some time in LaCrosse Wisconsin, while in the USMC bill ted s excellent adventure divx movie online , for cold weather training. Never knew anything about this guy though!

• woman s rage a divx movie online

Tom Friedman always has some good quotes:

[On Listening ]

“Above all,” Dean Brodhead told the students, “don’t limit your associations to people who agree with you. . . . I read that American political parties are concluding that the old electoral strategy of first playing to the core adherents and true believers, then reaching out to the independent or unpersuaded, might now be passé, and that parties will succeed best by continuing to appeal to the party base. This may be good politics, but I doubt it’s good for the quality of thought that will result from politics. Who do we suppose will be able to deal more constructively with the challenges of our time: people who have only ever experienced preaching to the converted, or people who tested their understanding against the countervailing understandings of others?”

care bears journey to joke a lot free

download mamma mia divx [ Link: Boston Globe Online / Editorials | Opinions / Neo-cons have hijacked US foreign policy ]

The same neo-cons persuaded Bush that nation-building and collaboration with bodies like the UN were for sissies. But now, Bush has blundered into nation-building in the worst possible circumstances, in which Americans are viewed as inept invaders rather than liberators. And he is begging for aid from the UN and the very nations he scorned.

Does Bush know that he’s been had? Increasingly, Iraq looks like Bush’s Vietnam — a long-term occupation of unfriendly territory in which Americans are targets; an adventure based on misperceptions and misrepresentations, where the benefits fail to justify the costs.

US Representative David Obey, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, recently sent the president a letter which is worth quoting. ”First,” Obey wrote, in eloquent understatement, ”I recommend that you allow the secretary and deputy secretary of defense to return to the private sector.

[Gay Marriage Plan: Sign of Sweeping Change in Canada ]

“There is a centrist mentality in Canada that translates into the political system not tolerating the Pat Buchanans nor the leftist equivalent,” Michel C. Auger, a political columnist for Le Journal de Montréal, said. “There is a unified fabric here that is a lot stronger on social issues than it seems to be in the United States.”

bootmen free download

Great news analysis piece in the NYT today. It is amazing how two countries (US and Canada, of course) can be so close, so similar, and yet so strikingly different. I find myself more and more offended on a daily basis by the extremists (both left and right) here in the US. Maybe it’s time for some good old centrist living in the country of my ancestors. Yes, there are more Rushtons in Nova Scotia than Kellys in Dublin

A must-read op-ed piece in the NYT today. Some of Hussein’s horribly scary Stalinist tactics finally see the light of day.

[ The News We Kept to Ourselves ]

Read the rest of this entry »

This is one reason I like to read the foreign perspectives on the war. I think this is the first one I’ve read that accurately portrays the inherent conflict of the two anti-war crowds, one being largely Arabic, the other being largely western. While both have been against the war in Iraq, each has been using diametrically opposed principles in their justifications.

[ Dar Al Hayat: The Great Arab Contradiction (Hazem Saghieh) ]

Demonstrations in the West were against nationalism. Our demonstrations in the Arab world were nationalistic, and of a ‘Nasserite spirit.’ Their demonstrations were against religion, which, with the current Bush administration, played a role unprecedented by any administration. Our demonstrations cast a religious shadow on politics and were accompanied by the issuing of fetwas for jihad. Their demonstrations were against the war on Iraq. They refused the principle of a “just war.” Our demonstrations supported war against the West. Calling such war “holy.” Their demonstrations were against Saddam. Our demonstrations supported Saddam, whom we vowed to defend “with our soul and blood.” Their demonstrations were against the “clash of civilizations,” as millions of “Christians” declared their opposition to Washington. Our demonstrations concealed the “clash of civilizations” or declared it: we said “the onslaught of the Crusaders.”

You don’t get the whole truth from our standard media outlets. I’m sure this is no surprise to most folks, but I’m still baffled by the sensationalism and pandering to what the outlets think we want. There’s more out there that the rest of the world is seeing, and it’s important that we pay attention.

If we don’t, we can never do work with Iraq in the right way. We need to win the support of the Arab peoples, which will never happen with Bush’s bull-in-a-china-shop diplomacy style. Take a minute to read from some of the links below. You’ll get an eyeful, that’s for sure, and it’s bitter medecine given the steady diet of sugarcandy we’ve been fed by the networks.

[ The War Americans Don't See ]

[T]he front pages of leading newspapers in and around the Arab world include both American and Iraqi perspectives, and feature dramatic photographs that show United States forces as both aggressors and humanitarians.

Out of London: Dar Al Hayat , and Arab News, BBC News

Others:
English Al Jazeera site. An affiliate of Al-Jazeera. Of particular interest there are the pictures of Iraqi civilain victims. Truly horrible sights you won’t find from our self-censored media. English version of Le Monde, with quite a few viewable editorials.

The war has been drowning out everything else in my mind lately, as I’m sure it has with many other folks. Love it or hate it, we have to get this done with and move on. Let’s hope we can do that right this time. So, in the hopes of introducing something other than dissent, pain, and death, here is some interesting science.

So, after seeing this picture, Stephanie was laughing about how her relatives might adapt their recipe for stuffed calamari. I thought a cow or two might do for the filling

• defying gravity divx download

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Super squid surfaces in Antarctic

A colossal squid has been caught in Antarctic waters, the first example of Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni retrieved virtually intact from the surface of the ocean.

I think I’ve been a little deluded lately. It appears that the US has 21 of the 33 EU countries behind it in this invasion (heard this morning on Keller at Large). I do feel better about that, it helps to think we’re not so bull-headed as to go it completely alone. Still, the failure of the UNSC and our role in bringing that about is very sad. Of course, the blame isn’t all ours, we have France to thank for helping to make it it a useless entity.

hellraiser inferno dvdrip download

The BBC put together a nice list of quotes from various countries. It’s a good read, and offers a good philosopphical overview of the two sides of the fence. [ BBC NEWS | Middle East | In quotes: Reaction to Bush ultimatum

town that dreaded sundown the divx download download pink panther 2 dvdrip

• star trek divx online

]

download pick up

For my confirmation a few years ago, my mother-in-law’s mother gave me one of Jimmy Carter’s books on spirituality (The Personal Beliefs of Jimmy Carter: Living Faith/Sources of Strength). The man is a true inspiration to read. For that reason, I tend to seek out what he writes. Today, we have a gem in his NYT op-ed piece. No rhetoric, just pure common sense that speaks to the heart and the mind. After he presents all of reasons why we have absolutely no moral right to invade Iraq, he follows up with a solution. Something you don’t see in most op-ed rants.

Just War – or a Just War?: “What about America’s world standing if we don’t go to war after such a great deployment of military forces in the region? The heartfelt sympathy and friendship offered to America after the 9/11 attacks, even from formerly antagonistic regimes, has been largely dissipated; increasingly unilateral and domineering policies have brought international trust in our country to its lowest level in memory. American stature will surely decline further if we launch a war in clear defiance of the United Nations. But to use the presence and threat of our military power to force Iraq’s compliance with all United Nations resolutions – with war as a final option – will enhance our status as a champion of peace and justice.”

strangers the free

This op-ed piece in the NYT is exactly how I feel about this whole crisis. Sure, Saddam has to go. But at what cost? This single-minded pursuit of one goal is devastating the entire free world, and we’re the losers here. Is this the fall of the Roman Empire all over again? That’s my biggest fear. We need a charismatic visionary leader, not an honest-intentioned, but bullying cowboy at the helm of this train-wreck.

Losses, Before Bullets Fly

• download jungle 2 jungle

“So let’s take stock of how our invasion of Iraq is going. The Western alliance is ferociously strained, NATO is paralyzed, America is resented by millions, the United Nations is in crisis, U.S. pals like Tony Blair are being skewered at home, North Korea has exploited our distraction to crank up plutonium production, oil prices have surged, and the world financial markets have sagged.”