many things happening this week

But not too many worth sitting down and writing about.

As I sit and attempt to transcribe thought to keyboard, it is about noon here on the plains, and colder than hell. I just took the dog out for, you know, housekeeping stuff, and the wind, while gentle, cut right through my jacket, and hastened the dog in her efforts as well.

Joe Biden seems to have pulled a Kerry this week, in refering to fellow candidate Barack Obama as 'clean'. Taken in the context of what he probably meant, I do not believe that it was insulting to anyone, but, American politics is nothing if not an obstacle course for the loose-of-lip. In a race where not all of the presumed candidates have officially entered, let it be remembered that the first of that group seems to have fallen. He may still be in the race, but he is running interference now for whoever the eventual nominee will be....

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome is in a bit of a pudding over an extra-marital affair he had with the wife of his campaign manager. The wife apparently admitted to the tryst while in some variety of rehab. Tsk tsk tsk. (Admit it, some of you are thinking "well, at least it was with a woman...").

The role of sex in our culture is a strange one, on the one hand, (no pun there), we are zealously protective of our personal privacy and rights. On the other hand, if one actually exercises them he or she instantly categorizes themself as one not fit for public endeavors.

Molly Ivins, a noted columnist and thorn in the side of the sitting President died of cancer this week. I did not always agree with her views, but damn I liked her style and her attitude. In a world of tapioca journalism, she will be sorely missed.

A report issued by the US intelligence community (a "National Intelligence Estimate"), states that the situation in Iraq is geting worse and it could result in the ethnic division of that country, with the conflict continuing between the various ethnic groups. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the report also notes that the current attitudes that seem to prevail across the Iraqi political spectrum will not permit any significant political compromise that might help to quell the violence. Bottom line is that this is a situation with no good result for the US, and no estimate of what, or how long it will take, to achieve such a result.

We have all gone over this numerous times over the past couple of years, and it is unlikely that I will change any opinions, so I won't try. I respect all who read and comment here, (as well as those who do not), and this is not to provoke a fight with anyone.

The single factor that worries as much as anything else is that there is no data, no clear understanding of the socio-political landscape that would permit a strategy to be formed and acted upon. Three-plus years of clearing away the informational rubble and smoke have revealed only more of the same. Domesticly, the voices that I hear crowing loudest, one way or the other, are those that worry me, and many of those voices are running for something. As a voter, I know that I have been misled, either by intention or by monumental arrogance and stupidity, (it matters little which), but there is no data on which to formulate a plan, or by which we can evaluate the situation.

Where do we go from here?

This is a significant issue for us, and will remain so, at least through the next election cycle. but the real issue that we have to face is how we intend to fit into the world, how we can accomodate other peoples who are in competition with us on various fronts, and how we can reducle our level of exposure to risks from the actions of nations or splinter-groups that don't involve us directly.

Stay focused.