Restaurant: Cuba Libre Cafe, Dallas

Great restaurant - google and get address. the featured drink is the Mojito.A rum drink starting with crushed spearment leaves on bottom of glass, ice, lime, sugar, rum, and a little club soda (the less the better). The food was great too: I finally had a fish taco, made with grilled mahi mahi, and all sorts of great veggies in a soft taco. The black beans and rice also very good.

General David Petraeus

A high ranking source has informed me about a 1 hour and 15 minute presentation by General Petraus to senior officers about Iraq. He said our troops need to be more culturally aware, need more interaction with citizens, and need to be diplomat-leaders. He said the war will be won by sergeants, not officers. He said the worst violence is sectarian not terrorist (the exact opposite of what Pres Bush says). He said Al Quada is small but is the primary focus of the Army (lets review that, sectarian violence is the worst, but the Army is focused on a small terrorist unit). Munitions are coming from Iran. The big Iraqi 5 (the main 5 leaders) are having a summit soon - could be reconciliation. The average Iraqis are tiring of the violence - maybe that will lead to reconciliation? He is big supporter of walls - gated community to stop the sectarian violence, however, Iraqis don't like his idea of walls. Problems he identified: need to secure population, maybe with walls, gated communities; Iraqi security is uneven, infiltrated by militias; surge needs more time; troops need language training, even the least amount of arabic helps; time constraints of the forthcoming 2008 election - Nov 2008 is the absolute end of the war; reconciliation is needed between sunni and shiites; finally, the Army needs to report reality. (Now if we can only get Pres Bush to report reality!)One question he didn't answer was about how the American people are detached from military - he didn't answer, but the question is puzzling - my source explained that many career military officers are concerned that American do not realize we are at war - The career army guys know we are, but American public is detached from the all volunteer army. Its not a question of supporting troops, but being unaware of the war. How does the Iraq war affect most Americans? Some of our students have been killed - one young woman (freshman) had her dad killed in a suicide bombing - she dropped out of college, didn't return (I don't blame her - how can a 18yr old woman come to terms with her father burning to death in war, a suicide attack?!) But go to the mall - you see a war? Go shopping - any evidence of us being at war? One of our ROTC officers on campus said he flew back from Afghanistan to Alabama, and he was home the next day - he said it was strange, coming home, everything normal, no evidence of a country at war. His worst memory was some farmers who were blown up in a mine field - he didn't want to talk about it.

Ward Churchill - fired Colorado Professor

This guy is "so full of shit, he is about to float away." (quote from movie The Deerhunter). First of all, he is the prof who was fired from Univ of Colorado for labeling the 911 victims as "little Eichmans," comparing them to Adolph Eichman, the Lt. Col who was responsible for scheduling the transportation of jews and other victims to concentration camps in the Nazi era. He fled to Argentina, was captured by Mossad (Israeli CIA) taken to Israel, tried and executed. Eichman did not oppose his capture - he was convinced he would be set free, since he didn't actually "kill" anyone. He was oblivious to his part in an insanely evil, but rational, killing machine. He said he was following orders. He invoked some kind of crazy philosophy about the fuhrer being rational authority - I can't remember it, but Hannah Arendt in her book Eichman in Jerusalem goes into detail about his strange logic. Anyway, Hannah Arendt's book was subtitled, "the banality of evil," meaning that this jerk was an ordinary man, kinda accountant (that gives accountants a bad name) and he wasn't EVIL but just evil. Like the guy who drove the truck that had exhaust piped into the back killing jewss...he didnt actually kill them, he didnt design the truck, he didnt put them in the truck, he was ordered to drive the truck, thats all. Anyway, Churchill gives a speech after 911 calling the victims of TWC "little Eichmans" since they are in some way responsible for the world economy that supports sweatshops in Vietnam, oil dictators in the middle east, sex slaves in eastern europe and so forth. His argument is stupid - it has nothing to do with Arendt's concept of guilt of bureaucrats. the victims of 911 were not transporting jews to the gas chambers - stock brokers are not responsible for sweat shops in China. Stupid argument. then churchill was told that restaurant workers were among the victims (the restaurant on "top of the world" in TWC) and he said, oh yeah, they shouldn't be included as Eichmans, only the stock brokers. What a lame ass. Here are the facts: Churchill was speaking at some New york liberal arts college, because he was a "native american" professor from Colorado, and these students should be exposed to native american "scholars." Well, Ward Churchill is NOT native american, but only claims he is (good way of getting a job in academia, lie about being black, disabled, spanish latino, or that you are a woman). He was confronted by this, and truthfully said yes, he is not native american, but is spiritually linked to native americans (get out the hip boots, the bullshit is really getting deep). He also has claimed publications that don't exist, you know, "books" with no ISBN number (the old trick, it's the equivalent of a book, or it was "desktopped" published, which means it's not a book). This guy is full of it - a fraud. He pretends to be a native american, gets a special appointment because of it, then hires himself out as a speaker to politically correct NY liberal arts colleges, and not only gets a salary, but speakers fees! This guy shouldn't be fired, he should be prosecuted for fraud - I mean it - this guy should be prosecuted by the State of colorado. And he is claiming 1st amendment and academic freedom - he should be selling canal front property in new orleans!

Nick Drake

Just bought his album Bryter Layter. Turns out its his most "commericial" album. Supposedly Pink Moon sounds more like him. Here is his grave - ashes buried under an oak tree. His history of mental illness is remarkable - he was much sicker than anyone grasped. Sounded like adolescent schizophrenia - matured into psychosis.

What we all expected...

Why don't we get better candidates? Money. The Clinton's have the money wrapped up. Its all about fundraising. If she gets the nomination, the general election will be a let down. She is not like her husband, doesn't have the personality or insight. The Demo's think they have the 2008 election won, that the primary will decide who is next president. They are wrong - all the Repubs have to do is not lose the states they have won the last two elections. My prediction: Fred Thompson will win in 2008.

My favorite picture of Ann Coulter

This is from some guy's blog who touches up pictures of famous people and makes them look like K-Mart shoppers. This is the Ann Coulter I know..

top ten battles for Iraq

Did you know there were nine other attempts to conquer Iraq? Here is the top ten list.

near death experiences

Here is a link to a Newsweek article on near death experiences. Click the "crossing over gallery" to see pictures drawn by people of their NDE. Really fascinating. One woman recalls when she was an infant that she died in her father's arms, and left her body, looking over her father's shoulder at him grieving - he was so sad, she re entered her infant body. Amazing. So look at the gallery.

Seat 29A - man's complaint letter to Continental Airlines

This is TOO funny!!! This guy is trapped on an airplane in seat 29A, across from the toilet, and he writes this amazingly funny letter, full of anger, outrage, and humor...

Bobby - the movie

"Few will have the greatness to bend history; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events...Each time a man stands up for an ideal...he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." Robert F. Kennedy

Great movie - its about some of the people present at the RFK assassination. Its not really about RFK, but about American during the summer of 1968.

The really sad part was the end...Bobby's voice, some quotes from his best speeches. A friend from South Africa once told me, after RFK's death, it seems politics went to hell in America. I couldn't agree more. We have NEVER had a political leader like RFK since his death - he was greater than his brother John.

Man smokes outside UPMC

Here is a man smoking prior to back surgery outside UPMC - not only is he in a hospital gown, but he is hooked up to an IV!

from steve jobs: the I Rack! funny video

thanks sharon for this great video on Apple's new product, the "I" Rack.

soprano's end

So the Soprano's is over - disappointment! At least I was right - Tony doesn't die. I had AJ killing Phil, but that didn't happen. I liked the episode before, when Tony breaks the guy's jaw who threatened his daughter, then goes to therapy with his suicidal son, only to notice the guy's tooth in the cuff of his pants! I loved it! The writers for that show are great! Here is the restaurant that the shows ends with - family place, not a place for an assassination, so I think Tony's safe, at least for that final night. Noah: You and Chika should eat there! Tony says they have great onion rings!

scooter Libby love letters

I love this! Character letters of reference for Scooter Libby, sent to the judge who sentenced him. How would you like Donald Rumsfeld to write a letter of support for you (war criminal)? Or Henry Kissigner (war criminal)? Or paul wolfowitz? The wolf man says he wonders how scooter libby's life would have been different if scooter never met him....how would all our lives be different if NONE of us every heard of you Paul? You should have stayed at Yale as a law prof...think of all the lives in Iraq that would have been saved if you stayed on campus!?

cat camera

Here is a guy who put a camera on his cat, and now he can see the world as his cat sees it....

talk like a pirate day

Wednesday Sept 19th is Talk like a Pirate Day: here are some expressions to get you going:

"Arrrgh-Bring me a servin' wench to bid me me pleasures!"
"Argh-lad, is that Lee Elliott over there - or am I as mad as a salted herring?"
"Bast yer eyes upon me?"

"Avast! A Team Builders meeting off our schedule's port bow! Scuttle yer productivity, mateys, and prepare to be bored-ed!"
"No increase in me pay? Arrr, boss, let me tell ye where ye can store that hook!"
"Hold that elevator, ye whoreson bilge rat!"
"Ye bent my ear with yer lubberly questions WITHOUT tryin a reboot first? Arrr! It's the plank for you, ye mangy cur... and thank ye for calling Microsoft Tech Support!"
"Avast, ya scurvy knave! Brave be ye, for certain, but arrr ye willin' ta die fer that parking spot?"
"Aye, if it's a large treasure chest and amazin' booty ye seek, fix yer gaze upon the receptionist."
"Boss, I'll be borrowin' a coupla doubloons from petty cash fer some Ho Ho's and a bottle of rum."
"Aaaarrrrrghhh! Who among us floated the air mead?"
"Avast, ye demon copy machine! Taste the wrath of my arse!"

eternal sunshine of the spotless mind

My cable finally got connected, and I can now get HBO premium movies - free! (nothing is really free....) anyway I saw this movie again, and it is truly great. here is the IMDB link sign up and and you can read the message boards. "I've been Clementined!" one user explains. He dated a woman at work, fell in love, then she dumped him for another guy, and now acts like nothing ever happened between them, and he has to see her 40 hrs a week 50 weeks a year, and the poor guy's heart is broken! He warns readers not to date someone at work , at least not fall in love with the person I guess.

Related (unrelated) story: When I was at Oklahoma state the story was that the head of the English dept had a running conflict with two faculty members, who were married to each other: they voted against him together, argued against him together at dept meetings, generally made his life miserable. Then they went through a terrible divorce - lawsuits, recriminations, restraining orders - the whole disaster (as Zorba the Greek would say - "I was married once, wife, children, house, the whole disaster!") at any rate after the divorce the Dept Head would torture these two people by assigning them offices next to each other and ALWAYS putting them on the same committees so they would have to work together! Funny story. Life as hell. La vie est un naufrange!

The Iceman; murdered

Here is the final word on how the Iceman, the bronze age man found in switzerland, was killed. I have often expressed that this man should be buried, perhaps replicating what we think his tribe would have provided for him as a burial ritual. Most people think that's nuts...but doesnt he deserve some dignity in death? They researched him enough, now please bury the man, say a pagan prayer and lay him to rest....

A prehistoric hunter known as Oetzi whose well-preserved body was found on a snow-covered mountain in the Alps died more than 5,000 years ago after being struck in the back by an arrow, scientists said in an article published Wednesday.


Researchers from Switzerland and Italy used newly developed medical scanners to examine the hunter's frozen corpse to determine that the arrow had torn a hole in an artery beneath his left collarbone, leading to a massive loss of blood.

That, in turn, caused Oetzi to go into shock and suffer a heart attack, according to the article published online in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Even today, the chances of surviving such an injury long enough to receive hospital treatment are only 40 percent, according to the article.

Vote Caging - disenfranchisement of voters

Monica Goodling, the lawyer from the Attorney General's office testifying about the Federal Prosecutors' firings, mentioned the term "vote caging," and the Senators didn't follow through with questions. What is vote caging? Here is an example from the 2000 Florida Campaign:

The Bush-Cheney operatives sent hundreds of thousands of letters marked "Do not forward" to voters' homes. Letters returned ("caged") were used as evidence to block these voters' right to cast a ballot on grounds they were registered at phony addresses. Who were the evil fakers? Homeless men, students on vacation and—you got to love this—American soldiers. Oh yeah: most of them are Black voters.

Why weren't these African-American voters home when the Republican letters arrived? The homeless men were on park benches, the students were on vacation—and the soldiers were overseas.

So vote caging is a why of disenfranchising voters. Yea America! We hold elections in Afghanistan and Iraq, but our President's own party tries to disenfranchise voters at home, some of who are soldiers on active duty!

Larry Flynt - defender of our First Amendment!

Here is a story about Larry Flynt, defender of our civil liberties and free speech. He already has the goods on a number of politicians and he uses it as leverage for his own political agenda. Remember when he confronted Rep Henry Hyde, 80 yrs old, with information that Hyde had an affair forty years earlier during his first marriage? Hyde said, "I am not going to apologize for my reckless youth." Reckless youth! He was middle aged at the time! But I guess when you are 80yrs old looking back at age 40 seems like childhood!

Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt offered $1 million Sunday to anyone who could provide proof of an illicit sexual encounter with a high-ranking government official.


In a full-page advertisement in The Washington Post, Flynt asked for "documented evidence of illicit sexual or intimate relations with a Congressperson, Senator or other prominent officeholder." He said he would pay up to $1 million for material that could be verified and published in Hustler.

Flynt ran a similar ad in October 1998, during the height of the Monica Lewinsky scandal that led to the impeachment of
President Clinton.

The publisher took credit for the demise of Rep. Bob Livingston, R-La., who admitted he had had extramarital affairs after word got out that Flynt was investigating him. Livingston announced his resignation in December 1998, days before he had been expected to become speaker of the House.