the missing explosives
 

No, I've just been listening to our wise leader.

THE PRESIDENT: And a political candidate who jumps to conclusions without knowing the facts is not the person you want as the Commander-in-Chief.

the missing explosives
 

Nor is a poster who forgets the words in the SOTU speech one with whom you want to be discussing the SOTU speech.

the missing explosives
 

I'll believe that you have found the NYT saying something inaccurate when you quote it.

You don't have to be a Dem or a GOPster to see that the question of whether Iraq had WMD was bigger than the question of whether Joe Wilson is a liar, or that the question of whether Bush was blowing off his National Guard service and getting preferential treatment in the process was bigger than the question of whether Dan Rather's reporting on that story relied in part on a couple of bogus documents. As a question of chronology and scope, it's really pretty clear. I understand that you and your ideological cohorts would rather change the subject to talk about the bias of the liberal media, etc. That was the point we were making.

I believe the post that you are thinking of is this one, but -- characteristically -- you've got it wrong.

I'm sure we're both being honest.

the missing explosives
 

The White House subsequently disavowed (and none too willingly) claims made in the State of the Union address. Were they lying then, too? It's hard to keep track.

Al Qaqaa Photo (not a caption contest)
 

The "large overview" pic is pretty cool.

http://www.digitalglobe.com/sample_imagery.shtml

WTF?
 

They are for the NJ market [i.e., the state with no channels of its own, other than UPN 9].

I told you so
 

SS, you may be right. A single truck might have been able to move it all BECAUSE THERE WAS ONLY 3 TONS. HOW THE FUCK CAN ANYONE BELIEVE THE NYT?

http://www.abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=204304&page=1

WTF?
 

Ah, that would explain it.

Not necessarily the jeezis-ey overtones, though.

I told you so
 

Did you read what you linked? 3 tons of RDX. There was still plenty of the other stuff.

Another Concern


The IAEA documents from January 2003 found no discrepancy in the amount of the more dangerous HMX explosives thought to be stored at Al-Qaqaa, but they do raise another disturbing possibility.


The documents show IAEA inspectors looked at nine bunkers containing more than 194 tons of HMX at the facility. Although these bunkers were still under IAEA seal, the inspectors said the seals may be potentially ineffective because they had ventilation slats on the sides. These slats could be easily removed to remove the materials inside the bunkers without breaking the seals, the inspectors noted.

eta: what does this do to the story about the Russians?

Frustration is . . . .
 

Living in the Land of Wellstone.

See map.

http://vodkapundit.com/archives/Oct27TradeSports.jpg

the missing explosives
 

The story was that Bush blew off his NG service and got preferential treatment in so doing. Rather reported on one part of this, and -- as I recall -- his reporting was based on things other than the forged documents. The crux of the disagreement between us seems to be this last point, and I certainly may be wrong.

You're right that Bush's campaign worked hard to suppress the story. It appears that part of these efforts were aimed at changing the focus from Bush to Rather.

I told you so
 

That gels with an embedded reporter's account on how easy it was to get into those bunkers:

via Atrios

I told you so
 

I read 377 tons

The information on which the Iraqi Science Ministry based an Oct. 10 memo in which it reported that 377 tons of RDX explosives were missing — presumably stolen due to a lack of security — was based on....

No wait, I read 141 tons

"declaration" from July 15, 2002. At that time, the Iraqis said there were 141 tons of RDX explosives at the facility.

I'm sorry, you're right 3 tons


But the confidential IAEA documents obtained by ABC News show that on Jan. 14, 2003, the agency's inspectors recorded that just over three tons of RDX were stored at the facility — a considerable discrepancy from what the Iraqis reported.

Ty might be bothered that an Iraqui agency is this shoddy and maybe untruthful. He was just mentioning his high esteem and trust for officials of the former Iraqui governemnt.

Side note
 

I hope to whatever diety is out there that this election is over and done with by this time next week. When the the Onion published this piece back in July, it hit a little too close to home. Now, it's getting to be political overload. I look forward to the day when I get only one or two pieces of political spam instead of the 20 or so I'm getting now. I think they're timing it hourly.

I think we should all head to a day spa and/or a bar next week to detox.

Side note
 

I'm seriously considering an absentee ballot, and a scuba trip starting tomorrow.

Side note
 

2.

I'm starting early, actually - I've quit wasting time by trolling the internet for news and have been eBaying instead.

Side note
 

I'm buying an Ipod for myself* tonight or tomorrow, and learning how to use it over the weekend. That, plus "The Wire" on Sunday night, and maybe a movie or Grand Theft Auto - San Andreas on Monday/Tuesday (plus work of course), and I'm hoping I can come into work on Wednesday and honestly say "maybe three will be the charm for Tareeeeeeza".

Of course, if Arafat dies, I'm definitely going out to celebrate with a beer.

Maybe the exposure isn't all that bad...
 

Boston pitcher Curt Schilling, interviewed on ABC's "Good Morning America" this morning:

Side note
 

1. iPods are incrediby easy to use. You will be using it within minutes after opening the box.

2. If the terrorist kicks, I'll buy the first round.

aV

the missing explosives
 

SS, bilmore's trying to say that although Bush was trying to scare people with stories about Hussein's nukes, and although we know now that there were no nukes, and that Hussein wasn't trying to buy uranium from Niger, and although our own people said the relevant words shouldn't in the SOTU because we disagreed with the British, and although we didn't know exactly what the Brits were basing their view on because they wouldn't tell us, and although it now has become fairly apparent that the British were relying on variants of the same forgeries that everyone else had -- despite all these thing, Bush has been vindicated because his speech referred to what British intelligence said, and British intelligence said those things. More importantly, of course, Joe Wilson is a smearing liar.

the missing explosives
 

I said nothing about the 380,000 lbs of explosives. I couldn't care less about that issue. You're confusing me with someone else.

the missing explosives
 

Or have been reckless.

Maybe the exposure isn't all that bad...
 

I'm friggin' sick of people telling me (i) to vote and (ii) how to vote. I'm sick of athletes & Nascar drivers telling me to vote Bush, sick of my neighbors telling me to vote Kerry, sick of random marines in bars telling me to vote Bush, sick of movie stars telling me to vote Kerry, sick of Puff Daddy telling me to vote or die. I vote that they all go stick it. The last South Park had it exactly right.

BR(I love the expression on everyone's face when I say "I'm voting Badnarik.")C

Maybe the exposure isn't all that bad...
 

I love Curt Schilling as much as the next guy, but I'm tired of athletes who thank God (as Schilling has several times in the last several days) for their successes. It just makes me bitter that God gave Curt a magic arm while I have to work under flourescent lighting for a living.

Quick note on morality, God, judgement, abortion
 

Don't know why this came to me today, but I figured someone might find this interesting if they've never seen it before.

http://www.juntosociety.com/inaugural/lincoln2nd.html
(Spree: Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural)

Particularly:

Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."

No reason to comment more on it, I suppose.

Hello

the missing explosives
 

Quick note. There are 2000 lbs in a ton Sebby.

Please vote
 

Arafat may have blood cancer, is heading to Paris for care.
Arafat’s red blood cell count at around noon was 35,000. A normal red blood count is 50,000 and at death the count is 10,000.


Isn't blood cancer like leukemia? Lymphoma?
So if he needs a bone marrow transplant, what are the odds he will get a donor? Aren't stem cells supposed to help? Can you see the possibilities?

Please vote
 

Bush has declared a federal funding ban for curing Arafat.

uh...
 

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2004/WORLD/me...afat.oct28.jpg

Someone needs to tell Arafat to stop getting his fashion tips from JLo.

He looks kind of like a garden gnome.

TM

Health Advisory for Ty
 

http://www.americandigest.org/mt-archives/002499.php

I suspect there will be several more cases of this over the weekend.

Health Advisory for Ty
 

This happened to one of the drummers of Spinal Tap.

Maybe the exposure isn't all that bad...
 

2.

Maybe the exposure isn't all that bad...
 

It's interesting that when Badnarik is thrown into polls he is running at least even with Little Ralphie; I think he may get a surprisingly strong vote.

So what message will the Rs take from this? The message Ds take from Ralph (that he's a shit and a half-baked lefty loon) or the message Ralph and Badnarik want to send (e.g., your candidates are ignoring our constitency)?

Quick note on morality, God, judgement, abortion
 

Take it to the Bible board.

Maybe the exposure isn't all that bad...
 

BRC and I live in solidly Blue states. If I lived in a swing state, I wouldn't be voting for Badnarik.

Maybe the exposure isn't all that bad...
 

But what message are you trying to send by voting for Badnarik, and will the Rs receive that message?

Damn
 

http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/...l/28kerry2.jpg

Supposedly 80,000 showed up in Wisconsin to see Kerry and Springstein. That's a lot of pppledge pppins.

TM

Quick note on morality, God, judgement, abortion
 

You want me to avoid a quote from Abraham Lincoln? Sista, you might want to use that quote someday, particularly the "until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword" thing.

Hello

Maybe the exposure isn't all that bad...
 

I am trying to show support for third party candidates. I think we need more of them. I was going to vote for Nader, although I admit I don't even know if he is on my state's ballot. I signed a petition to get him on. I'll find out on Tuesday if it worked.

If it sends a message to the R's of any type, I hope it is to legalize drugs.

According to a study conducted by researchers at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and published online by The Lancet, the war in Iraq has likely caused 100,000 "excess deaths" of civilians--or more.