now, don't you feel safer?

a half a trillion dollars (total) just doesn't buy what it used to, i guess.

a fitting tribute

friday marks a rather ugly day in history - the massacre of approximately 100,000 jews in soviet russia in 1940 at babi yar outside of kiev.

the link above refers to a rather well-written and historically accurate article - to the best of my knowledge - and is somewhat a rarity for the AP in describing nazi atrocities.

one passage stuck out in particular:

"Today, the ravine is part of a popular park, and Jewish leaders say
they are frustrated that children still play soccer and couples picnic where tens of thousands were massacred."

i can understand the necessity of honoring victims who died in such an ingenuous and dastardly fashion, but wouldn't the best way to remember them be to observe laughter and happiness in a place that once brought so much misery to so many people?

nope, we've learned nothing

this is how these things usually begin

one rich guy with a sense of humor

amazing that after all ted turner had to say, someone questions him on the efficacy of the UN.

at least ted called him "bubba".

channeling burroughs

this from the Los Angeles Times... just thought it was a lovely sentiment...

Dalai Lama Tells Teens, 'War Is Outdated'

The Dalai Lama urged thousands of teenagers at a world peace conference in Denver to embrace globalization and accept people from all countries as neighbors and collaborators, not rivals.

"There are no national boundaries. The whole globe is becoming one body," he said at the PeaceJam convention. "In these circumstances, I think war is outdated…. Destruction of your neighbor is actually destruction of yourself."

The Dalai Lama was among 10 Nobel Peace Prize laureates participating in the conference. Teens from 31 countries were among attendees.

evening buddy

...and this one at night... heather?

talking heads

i've felt compelled over the last few days to post a little something about rummy's salt lake city "speech" (especially after his nazi references), but it looks like keith olbermann (with a nice dose of help from edward r. murrow) beat me to the punch and summed it all up quite nicely. take a moment and read...