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I just stumbled upon a fascinating story about the intersection of the exclusive East Harlem restaurant Rao's, organized crime, and a union of school bus drivers. It was published a few months ago, but it's a great read.
One more Idiotarod picture...
I was just about to lose the light when this lovely woman walked up to me and said, "Take my picture."
I never thought it would come out at all.
If anyone recognizes this girl, let her know that I've got a picture to send her.
According to today's daily briefing from the The Council on Foreign Relations, the Bush administration is stepping up pressure on Iran, just as Tehran seems to be softening its nuclear stance:
The bank squeezes, seizures in Iraq, and movement of carrier groups in the Gulf also appear to be an attempt by Washington to take advantage of perceived divisions within the Iranian regime. In particular, many experts say the Iranian elite may now be reconsidering its approach to retaining a civilian nuclear program. A few editorialists representing Iranian hard-line elites have voiced their displeasure with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's nuclear showmanship. The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his chief arms negotiator Ali Larijani, who wield more influence over foreign policy than Ahmadinejad, have indicated they may soften Iran's nuclear stance.
Khameini and other elements within Iran's ruling class appear intent on reining in Ahmadinejad. His anti-Western rhetoric and nuclear posturing, domestic critics say, have only undermined Iran's position and damaged its economy.
Yes, that's right, the clown in the White House now is now trying to financially isolate Iran by pressuring various institutions to sever ties with Iranian banks. The U.S. has already positioned a second aircraft carrier in the Gulf, in what is thought to be a threatening gesture towards Tehran. Don't forget the recent raid on the quasi-consulate in Kurdistan, the US backing of MEK guerillas inside Iran, and Bush's showy authorization to American troops to kill "Iranian operatives" in Iraq.
According to a new poll most Iranian support uranium enrichment, but also want their country to comply with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. According to the poll, only 15% of Iranians want to withdraw from the NNT, which gives Iran the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.
There is no Iranian nuclear crisis. The Bush administration just wants another war.
Read this copy and tell me whether it belongs in the Business section of a prestigious national newspaper:
AS sinful pleasures go, breakfast in bed ranks as one of the least wicked — slothful and slightly gluttonous, but not exactly worthy of ecclesiastical condemnation. Yet people routinely deny themselves this minor indulgence, often for one of two reasons: they either feel guilty about being so lazy, or they fret about food particles falling between their sheets.
There’s no quick fix for the guilt-ridden, save for frequent reminders to lighten up and live a little. But the neat freaks can now enjoy a worry-free breakfast in bed thanks to the Buon Appetito, a satin duvet cover outfitted with an elongated cotton bib. When the food arrives, the cover’s user pulls its upper flap over his torso and ties it around his neck. Crumbs are thus prevented from secreting themselves within the linens.
The product’s designers, Olga Bielawska and Astrid Schildkopf, came up with the idea in late 2005, while attending the Bauhaus-Univeristät Weimar in Weimar, Germany. “We had the idea to make a project about errors, about the everyday problems and little mishaps that happen,” Ms. Schildkopf said. With sketchbooks in hand, she and Ms. Bielawska sat down and brainstormed over the various accidents that occur in each room of a house. [NYT]
Now, I'm sure the bed bib is a fine product. If you are a satisfied customer, please don't send me angry letters. I get these irate every time I make fun of merchandise, often for months afterwards. I swear people get more defensive about their merch than about their government. So let me be clear: The bib is not the enemy.
But why is catalog copy taking over the friggin' Business section? That article reads like it was lifted from Sky Mall or Sky Maul.
It's as if Fashion and Style is metastasizing throughout the paper.
People wonder why newspapers lose money. Maybe it's because they keep giving their advertising away.
A casualty of the post-Idiotarod battle royale is pulled off the field by his teammates.
They say war is how Americans learn geography.
GI Blow launches its signature biological/biodegradable ordnance at North Korea.
This high-tech complex carb weapon can also be used to wallpaper schools after the insurgency has been quelled.
Idiotorad racers carrying a fallen comrade, or a vanquished enemy after the final food fight.
It's hard to tell in these sectarian feuds. They all look different to me, but not in any systematic way. Ah, the futility of war.
GI Blow strikes against North Korea, making the park safe for democracy.
See full Iditarod 2007 set.
