Friday, March 31, 2006

Beaujolazy

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Animated Map of Iraq War Casualties

Astonishing

click for animation

Iraq_war_casualties_1






via boing boing

Posted at 09:47 AM in War/Defense | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Lara Logan rebuts "negative Iraq War Reportage" charges

Lifted directly from Crooks & Liars


She's outraged over these charges...


The media was assailed all week by the administration trying to pass the meme that the press is too negative. Instantly, the right wing pundits picked up the theme.

Howard Kurtz, who told Wolf Blitzer that the coverage on Iraq is too negative also received an earful from Lara Logan.


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(Transcript via CNN's Reliable Sources)

KURTZ: But critics would say, well, no wonder people back home think things are falling apart because we get this steady drumbeat of negativity from the correspondents there. 

LOGAN:  Well, who says things aren't falling apart in Iraq?  I mean, what you didn't see on your screens this week was all the unidentified bodies that have been turning up, all the allegations here of militias that are really controlling the security forces. 

What about all the American soldiers that died this week that you didn't see on our screens?  I mean, we've reported on reconstruction stories over and over again…I mean, I really resent the fact that people say that we're not reflecting the true picture here.  That's totally unfair and it's really unfounded. 

...Our own editors back in New York are asking us the same things. They read the same comments.  You know, are there positive stories?  Can't you find them?  You don't think that I haven't been to the U.S. military and the State Department and the embassy and asked them over and over again, let's see the good stories, show us some of the good things that are going on?  Oh, sorry, we can't take to you that school project, because if you put that on TV, they're going to be attacked about, the teachers are going to be killed, the children might be victims of attack. 

Oh, sorry, we can't show this reconstruction project because then that's going to expose it to sabotage.  And the last time we had journalists down here, the plant was attacked. I mean, security dominates every single thing that happens in this country….So how it is that security issues should not then dominate the media coverage coming out of here? 

She also kicks Laura Ingraham's "hotel balconey" remark around too.


Update: Atrios: "It's ridiculous that anyone in our media is entertaining the notion seriously the charge that they're underreporting all the great stuff that's happening in Iraq. As someone who experienced the civil, Peter Daou understands that while life goes on in the midst of such things the news it not in fact that "life goes on" - it's that 30 people were beheaded....


 

Posted at 03:55 PM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

A Billion

Here's  something thought provoking:

The next time you hear a politician use the word "billion" in a  casual manner, think about whether you want the "politicians" spending your tax  money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency  did a good job  of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.

a. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

b.  A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

c. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

d. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

e. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.


Posted at 10:27 AM in Science | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Meet the Blogger

Even if Atrios was on West Wing this week, this is still too funny:

Meet_the_blogger



Source:
Pepper . . . and Salt
WSJ, March 16, 2006
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114246459885099390.html

Posted at 06:51 AM in Humor, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Jamie Cullum

Cool live performance by Jamie Cullum (previously mentioned here)

Jamie_cullum

Exclusive Interview

Performance: Get Your Way


via Yahoo

Posted at 01:30 PM in Music | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Monday, March 27, 2006

Bentley Continental GT

I have driven the Bentley GT -- and this is utterly true:Bentley_1

WSJ:  "The $171,285 Continental GT's 12-cylinder twin-turbo engine cranks out 552 horsepower. But that's not why the car makes you feel like a master of the universe. It's the 479 foot-pounds of torque. With that much oomph going to all four wheels, it's child's play to outrun rival motorists at a stop light, or pass some slow-poking compact car on a two-lane road. I couldn't help thinking, "Out of my way, peasants," as I dawdled in traffic, hemmed in by Cadillacs and Lexuses and other representatives of the lower orders.

At 80 miles per hour on the freeway, the Bentley doesn't come close to breaking a sweat. The cabin is eerily quiet, unless of course you decide to crank up the sound system. Electronic sentries stand watch at all corners of your rolling throne room, automatically lowering the car to improve aerodynamics at high speed and maintaining traction when you choose, in your infinite wisdom, to negotiate a corner at slightly more than the recommended speed.

The Bentley also gets attention -- very respectful attention. This car costs more than the homes that many Americans live in, and people know it.

Now, why won't they pull to the side of the road, and let me by?"



Source:
Kings of the Road

Bentley, Tahoe Have One Thing in Common:
Making You Feel Like Lord of All You Survey
March 27, 2006
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114323286280307745.html

Posted at 05:09 PM in Automobiles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Prankin' Our Successor

Tom Toles:

Stt060324gif




via Yahoo!


Posted at 06:28 AM in Current Affairs, Humor, Politics, War/Defense | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Toyota FJ Cruiser

I am not a truck guy, but the FJ definitely  looks interesting:


Fj_cruiser_1

Fj_cruiser_back



Check out the suicide doors:

Glamis_photo09_lg

Interior is kinda sparse and youthful

Fj_cruiser_interior


Autoblog:

Fjfront34



For more info, see:
Full Photo Spread via Rockcrawler
Autoblog
Toyota FJ site
Automobile mag

Posted at 09:34 AM in Automobiles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Mad Cow