The fact that this guy finds these numb-skulls "witty and erudite" shows just how bright you have to be to write for the San Francisco Bay Gaurdian.

=darwin

quoted:
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Anarchy in the USA
Black Bloc antiwar rioters speak out.

By A.C. Thompson

THE BLACK BLOC has few friends. Cops, obviously, loathe the sable-clad anarchist types who've stomped through downtown San Francisco three times in the past three months, skirmishing with cops, spray painting the San Francisco Chronicle building, shattering windows (Old Navy, Starbucks, and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, among others) and causing at least $50,000 in property damage.

Pacifists and less radical elements of the antiwar movement say the rioters are tarnishing the movement's image and scaring away would-be supporters (see "Resist!," page 22). Stephen Zunes, a left-leaning associate professor of political science at San Francisco State University, trashed the Black Blocers in the Chronicle last week, describing them as "nihilists" and "hoodlums" without a "political agenda."

Zunes's comments are typical. Most people seem to think the Black Bloc rioters are a pack of mindless hooligans. But that analysis is only half correct. Hooligans? Definitely. Mindless? No way. The four young shit-disturbers – three anarchists, one communist – I met at an anonymous and presumably unbugged location March 15 were witty and erudite. And they definitely have a political goal.

sfbg.com | Life During Wartime

quote from msnbc weblog central:

"Ostensibly based in Baghdad, Where is Raed? is written by a person blogging under the pseudonym of Salam Pax, a tech-savvy Iraqi whose mastery of English provides for vivid descriptions, cutting wit, and thoughtful commentary. In the past there has been some discussion of the veracity of the writer’s claims, but those appear to have been resolved, with several bloggers offering testimony to Salam’s authenticity —and frankly, the more you read, the less doubt there seems to be."

Where is Raed ?

quoted:
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CUYAHOGA FALLS -- A member of Ohio's 5694th National Guard Unit in Mansfield legally changed his name to a Transformers toy.

Optimus Prime is heading out to the Middle East with his guard unit on Wednesday to provide fire protection for airfields under combat.

"On Sunday, we were awarded as the best firefighting unit in the Army National Guard in the entire country," said Prime. "That was a big moment for us."

Prime took his name from the leader of the Autobots Transformers, which were popular toys and a children's cartoon in the 1980s.

He legally changed his name on his 30th birthday and now it's on everything from his driver's licence, to his military ID, to his uniform.

National Guardsman changes his name to a 'Optimus Prime'

] This is a Human Security project to establish an
] independent and comprehensive public database of civilian
] deaths in Iraq resulting directly from military actions
] by the USA and its allies in 2003. Results and totals are
] continually updated and made immediately available on
] this page and on various IBC counters which may be freely
] displayed on any website, where they will be
] automatically updated without further intervention.
] Casualty figures are derived from a comprehensive survey
] of online media reports. Where these sources report
] differing figures, the range (a minimum and a maximum)
] are given. All results are independently reviewed and
] error-checked by at least three members of the Iraq Body
] Count project team before publication.

Iraq Body Count

] During a recent hearing of the Subcommittee on Courts,
] the Internet and Intellectual Property, the Republican
] congressman [John Carter] said jailing college students
] who download copyrighted music would help stop piracy.
]
] "What these kids don't realize is that every time they
] pull up music and movies and make a copy, they are
] committing a felony under the United States code," Carter
] said in an interview. "If you were to prosecute someone
] and give them three years, I think this would act
] as a deterrent."

Wired News: Marking File Traders as Felons

] The BBC's unrivalled team of correspondents is bringing
] you news from the Gulf and reaction from around the
] world. On this page BBC News Online logs their
] impressions and personal experiences as they watch events
] unfold.

This page contains the most current updates from BBC reporters.

BBC NEWS | In Depth | Reporters' Log: At war in Iraq

] Some of the biggest rallies this month have endorsed
] President Bush's strategy against Saddam Hussein, and the
] common thread linking most of them is Clear Channel
] Worldwide Inc., the nation's largest owner of radio
] stations.
]
] In a move that has raised eyebrows in some legal and
] journalistic circles, Clear Channel radio stations in
] Atlanta, Cleveland, San Antonio, Cincinnati and other
] cities have sponsored rallies attended by up to 20,000
] people. The events have served as a loud rebuttal to the
] more numerous but generally smaller anti-war rallies.
]
] The sponsorship of large rallies by Clear Channel
] stations is unique among major media companies, which
] have confined their activities in the war debate to
] reporting and occasionally commenting on the news. The
] San Antonio-based broadcaster owns more than 1,200
] stations in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
]
] While labor unions and special interest groups have
] organized and hosted rallies for decades, the involvement
] of a big publicly regulated broadcasting company breaks
] new ground in public demonstrations.
]
] "I think this is pretty extraordinary," said former
] Federal Communications Commissioner Glen Robinson, who
] teaches law at the University of Virginia. "I can't say
] that this violates any of a broadcaster's obligations,
] but it sounds like borderline manufacturing of the news."

Media Giant's Rally Sponsorship Raises Questions

If you need a laugh during all of this...

The Gulf War Drinking Game

] About 1,000 U.S. troops launched a raid on villages in
] southeastern Afghanistan (news - web sites) Thursday,
] hunting for members of the al-Qaida terrorist network in
] the biggest U.S. operation in just over a year, military
] officials said.
]
] Helicopters ferried troops from the Army's 82nd Airborne
] Division to the remote, mountainous area as the hunt for
] Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) and his terror network
] intensified, according to U.S. military officials in
] Washington.
]
] Military officials in Afghanistan confirmed the operation
] was underway, but would provide no details.

There is action on the Afghan front right now also..

Yahoo! News - U.S. Troops Raid Afghanistan for al-Qaida

] "This is a very intriguing decision (by Beers)," said
] author and intelligence expert James Bamford. "There is a
] predominant belief in the intelligence community that an
] invasion of Iraq will cause more terrorism than it will
] prevent. There is also a tremendous amount of
] embarrassment by intelligence professionals that there
] have been so many lies out of the administration -- by
] the president, (Vice President Dick) Cheney and
] (Secretary of State Colin) Powell -- over Iraq."

United Press International: Top White House anti-terror boss resigns