Jim Morrison's first poem

Rolling Stone Magazine online has a terrific slide show of Doors memorabilia, including Jim Morrison's first poem, which he wrote in fifth grade:

The Pony Express

The Pony Express carried the mail
Over hill, over dale, over rough
rugged trails.
And the brave men that carried it didn't
complain, for they knew they were helping
their good countries name.
They rode and rode through strong
winds and rain, just to carry the
mail and build up our name.
Over Indian country and great sandy
plains, they carried the mail and shared
our great fame.

Shades of "Riders on the Storm"?

http://www.rollingstone.com/photos/gallery/16165662/break_on_
through_the_lasting_lega/photo/1/large

Having "a hard time swallowing" Craig's story?

The Larry Craig jokes are flying fast and furious, but we especially like the inadvertent ones.

For example, Craig himself said at his news conference Tuesday, "Thank you all very much for coming out today." And today Newsweek said, "But many Idahoans appear to be having a hard time swallowing Craig’s story."

Heard any other good ones?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20502875/site/newsweek/?rf=nwnewsletter

A new extreme sport: glacier surfing

The question is: Is it extremely dangerous, extremely stupid, or extremely disturbing?

Any unemployed dictators out there?

"Nightmarish political realities in Baghdad are prompting American officials to curb their vision for democracy in Iraq. Instead, the officials now say they are willing to settle for a government that functions and can bring security." (CNN News)

A government that functions and can bring security? You mean, like what Iraq had before we invaded?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/08/22/iraq.democracy/
index.html

"We're making progress" update: Prostitution in Iraq

This should make our "family values" president happy: Thanks to his war, Iraqi women are having to resort to prostitution to feed their children.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/08/15/iraq.prostitution/
index.html

Disorientation, vertigo, and nausea - oh my!

The Department of Homeland Security has finally done something useful. They've come up with a new device to fight bad guys: a flashlight that makes you throw up. That's right - throw up, vomit, puke, barf, hurl, ralph, upchuck, lose your lunch, retch, blow cookies.

How can a flashlight do that? It has a very bright light that pulses and changes color and duration, which reportedly induces disorientation, vertigo, and nausea. (Don't we already have TV for that?)

So, why would bad guys keep staring into something that makes them feel sick? "The light could be used to make a bad guy turn away or shut his eyes," the DHS says, "giving authorities enough time to tackle the suspect and apply the cuffs...all while sparing the lives of passersby, hostages, or airline passengers."

Bob Lieberman, one of the flashlight's developers, adds, "There are often confrontations at border crossings with suspected illegal aliens or drug runners. You don’t want to hurt or kill them, just take them into custody. With this,” he smiles, “they don’t need to know English to comply.”

This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine...

http://www.homelandsecurity.org/snapshots/newsletter/2007-07.htm#sick

How many more "six to nine months" do we need?

Back on March 1, Michael O'Hanlon, one of the authors of the controversial NY Times op-ed, "A War We Just Might Win," said, "There are good reasons to give the war effort, now almost four years old, another six to nine months before concluding that the current strategy should be discarded."

Let's see...six months past March 1 would be October 1, and nine months would be January 1. Hmmm...that's a long wait and a lot more dead bodies to count before assessing whether the "current strategy" is a colossal failure. But OK - we'll hold out till January 1, if we must, to give Bush more time to figure out a way to declare victory.

But wait...and wait some more! Now O'Hanlon says we need ANOTHER six to nine more months: "And I think, therefore, this is an interim report from us on the surge, and it's basically saying nothing more dramatic than give it six more months or so, maybe nine more months" (August 5, 2007).

So according to O'Hanlon, we might win the war in Iraq, as long as we're willing to wait another six to nine more months...in perpetuity.

www.americanprogressaction.org

Yellow ribbons are disappearing

Have you noticed? The once-ubiquitous magnetic yellow ribbons displayed proudly on SUVs and pickups are becoming a rarity. Even here in mostly liberal Corvallis, where we used to see the ribbons on every third vehicle, we're beginning to see only outlines where the ribbons used to be.

What does this mean? Are people no longer "supporting our troops"? Are they no longer supporting the war? Are they no longer supporting the president?

Or are they just embarrassed to be aligned with one of the worst disasters in U.S. history?