"The White House has been badly stung by Makiya's criticism, and urged him last week not to publish a hostile opinion piece, arguing it would be 'counter-productive'. The Observer today prints his article in full. "

Go Guardian!

This is in reference to the recently released plans by the US to drop all pretenses of establishing a democratic government in post-war Iraq. Makiya is a advisor to a leading Iraqi opposition group (in exile, I think).

Also, in a NYT article about duct-tape-and-plastic-mania, this made me chuckle:
" Your risk of dying in a car accident while driving to buy duct tape likely exceeds your risk of dying because you lacked duct tape."

And this made me shudder:
" The Japanese use of fleas infected with bubonic plague against Chinese cities in World War II was the only successful instance of bioattacks in contemporary warfare."

Just got this from my friend Chris Lau:
Coble Cartoon

I've been sleeping a lot this past week - I got sick sometime Sunday night / Monday. Classes are going well, though - I think everything is coming together and synthesizing in my head, making it worthy of being called a graduate education, but I'll talk more about that later - have to get up and go to class...

heehee... from the NYT:
"Pyongyang said it would prefer to negotiate directly with Washington, a proposal that has been rebuffed by the Bush administration.

China has recommended that the United States negotiate directly with North Korea, but Beijing has rebuffed the White House overtures that it play a larger role as an intermediary.

Meanwhile, Britain has rebuffed Pyongyang's request that it play a similar role as an intermediary."

I wonder if they considered any synonyms of "rebuffed"