The Seventh Sense

But At Least Iraq Is Safe

Military not ready for attack on US:

The U.S. military isn't ready for a catastrophic attack on the country, and National Guard forces don't have the equipment or training they need for the job, according to a report.

Even fewer Army National Guard units are combat-ready today than were nearly a year ago when the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves determined that 88 percent of the units were not prepared for the fight, the panel says in a new report released Thursday.

The independent commission is charged by Congress to recommend changes in law and policy concerning the Guard and Reserves.

The commission's 400-page report concludes that the nation "does not have sufficient trained, ready forces available" to respond to a chemical, biological or nuclear weapons incident, "an appalling gap that places the nation and its citizens at greater risk."

Busy Busy

Light No posting today, it seems.  Lot of things in the fire.  Preview audience tonight for The Foreigner, too.

You're not missing much.  I really had nothing to say, except for a few rather meandering thoughts about Lost.

Morons

A couple of badass gangstas in Florida made -- and then uploaded -- a YouTube video.  In it, they brandished their guns and assault weapons -- braggin' about what bad mofos they is, and challenging the Miami-Dade Police Department's Special Investigation Gang Unit to come and get them.

The police complied with the gangstas' request.

Making The Rounds

I'm not sure who this ad is meant to help, but it's a very effective ad against its intended target.  Maybe one of those most effective ads I've seen all season so far....

P.S.  Effective though the ad may be, it's paid for by a rathery shadow ultra-conservative group called the Citizen's United Political Victory Fund, whose origins trace back to rabid anti-Clintonism (you know, how the Clintons killed Vincent Foster and all that rubbish).  Read some background here.

Gosh I Hate To Be Cynical...

...especially about Edwards on a day when he merits well-deserved kudos for a great campaign, but...

"It is time for me to step aside," said Edwards, ending his second campaign in a hurricane-ravaged section of New Orleans where he began it more than a year ago. “With our convictions and a little backbone we will take back the White House in November.”

Edwards said Clinton and Obama had both pledged that “they will make ending poverty central to their campaign for the presidency.”

“This is the cause of my life and I now have their commitment to engage in this cause,” he said before a small group of supporters. He was joined by his wife Elizabeth and his three children, Cate, Emma Claire and Jack.

Edwards said that on his way to make his campaign-ending statement, he drove by a highway underpass where several homeless people live. He stopped to talk, he said, and as he was leaving, one of them asked him never to forget them and their plight.

Hard. To. Swallow.

P.S.  That said, it was a good speech.

P.P.S.  Over at The American Prospect, Ezra Klein writes about John and Elizabeth Edwards.  He posts a photo of Elizabeth Edwards.  Although he may not know it, the photo was taken when she appeared at Bethabara Park last September.  I'm the out-of-focus dude wearing a cap, standing behind her, behind the post.

Overpaid

Nice work if you can get it:

Lazard reported 2007 profits of $122.6 million today, and gave CEO Bruce Wasserstein a bonus of $36.2 million for the year - on top of a restricted-stock grant of $96.3 million. How did Lazard's share price perform over the course of 2007? Well, it started the year at $47.33, and ended the year at $40.68 - a fall of 14%. It's now lower still, at $37.39.

Think about that.

The company makes a profit of $122 million, and the CEO's bonus (not including stocks) is one-quarter of that.  Despite the fact that the stockholders' value in the company dropped 14%.

When Edwards campaigned about corporate greed and Two Americans, this is what he was talking about.

Obama Surge

The latest poll by Gallup shows Obama only six percentage points behind Clinton nationally.  This was taken last night . . . before Edwards announcement that he was bowing out.

Notice that ten days ago, Obama was a full 20 points down.

They must be happy in Obama headquarters.

One Last Laugh At Rudy's Expense

Here's Rudy in 2000, at the height of his political career, dressed up in a costume from (we can only guess) The Lion King, and complaining somewhat nonsensically about the lions in the Bronx Zoo being on welfare.

Or something.

No, I'm not kidding....

Presidential, huh?

Everyman Photo Contest

The annual Everyman Photo Contest is a photo contest exclusively for non-photographers, operating on the assumption that every person has one taken one really excellant photo at one point in their lives.  I may be the sole exception to that rule, which is probably why I'm attracted to the site.

Anyway, I finally went to the site of the 2007 Everyman Photo contest winners.  It's a good way to get wisked away for a few minutes.  I especially like the fact that they award prizes in an "From The Attic" category -- photos taken long ago.

Pictured above: "On Her Way" (1946)

It's A Little Late, Israel

The Beatles were scheduled to perform in Israel back in 1965, but that country refused to grant the necessary permits.  Why?  Because they thought that the Beatle's music might corrupt the country's morals.

But now, Israel wants the Beatles to participate in a concert celebrating the country's 60th birthday.

Except, you know John and George are dead (I'm sure it was in the papers), so... you know....