Slow Post Day

Hopefully there's plenty of stuff below for folks to peruse, laugh a bit, maybe even get a little angry, etc. etc. Back at work, so light posting today. Also have a tennis match scheduled for tonight--yeah, in spite of the relatively cold temps (should be in the low to mid 40's--above zero, in Fahrenheit--jeez, did I really live for TEN years in the Upper Midwest, where a mid 40 above evening in January would be greeted with a barbeque? Madison reality check here).

If I come across something really good, I'll post it this evening, although those who need a fix ought to check out Counterpunch, which has a good article about Iowa. For those not inclined to think poorly of Democrats, fair warning. Cockburn and St. Clair take no prisioners, repeating Gore Vidal's take on John Kerry: "[He] looks like Lincoln...after the assassination."

But if that upsets you, skip it and go instead to Stan Goff's contribution, which contrasts statements by Martin Luther King, Jr., The Federation of American Scientists, and, I guess because morons need equal time too, remarks by George W. Bush. Goff describes as "pornographic...a snuff film," recent footage showing an Apache helicopter being all it can be. His link is outdated, but a quick google search produced this link, and you can download the mpeg from there. I'll withhold judgement beyond noting that, again, there seems to be a certain dualism vis-a-vis Operation Winning-Hearts-and-Minds and Operation Kill-Them- All-and-Let-God-Sort-Them-Out. Maybe it's just me, but I get the feeling the Iraqis aren't going to exactly accept the hour-by-hour shift in policy and will likely continue to make things miserable for the Anglo-American coalition + the several dozen "beards" from various countries we managed to bribe convince to get with the team and go in for the big win.

But maybe war news isn't really something you want to think about right now. If that's the case, take this out for a spin. Dave Louthan worked at Vern's Moses Lake Meats--that doesn't ring a bell? Here's a hint: This is where the cow diagnosed with BSE was slaughtered. Louthan spoke to the press about it, and gives his account. Short version: guess what--the cow with BSE WASN'T a downer cow, but a "walker" that simply was old. The USDA's response is almost worse than no response at all, especially considering that a simple test could be done to ALL slaughtered cattle. But why let that get in the way of a few pennies extra in profit.

Would you like fries with your BSE?

Back later.