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Apparently Chinese milk cartons will now feature pictures of missing crocodiles.

The owners of a reptile farm near the city of Benxi have set up a Hotline to find the remaining 13 of 29 crocodiles that escaped during flooding.

Fifteen crocodiles have been returned and one was killed, but there is concern that the 13 will die when the temperature drops.

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In another example of the leadership style fostered under the Soviet system we learn that Turkmenistan shoots for the stars by paying to have a satellite launched that contains a book.

“The sacred text of Rukhnama was chosen because it contains all the wisdom of the Turkmen people, thanks to its creator, Turkmenbashi,” the article said, using the name the country’s President, Saparmurat Niyazov, has given himself, meaning ‘Guide of All Turkmen’.

Turkmenbashi recently outlawed lip-syncing and moustaches, and announced a plan to build a palace made from ice in his desert country.

Some of you probably think that the premise of Being There is absurd. The government of Turkmenistan will disabuse you of that notion.

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A point that seems to be missed by a lot of talking heads is that a large number of the people opposed to the war in Iraq, are not opposed to war. A major segment of those speaking out against what’s going on in the Persian Gulf believe that Afghanistan was necessary and proper, but Iraq was neither.

Mrs. Sheehan doesn’t oppose war, and has clearly stated that she would fight if the United States was attacked. Her question, and the question of all of us who oppose what is going on in Iraq is why are we there. We have been fed a series of lies over the course of the war and none of them have stood up to scrutiny. There is no “noble cause”, only a series of excuses.

“Stay the course” presupposes a course or plan, something that is not in evidence. There really should be a reason when thousands of humans are killed. Someone should explain why.

At some point in the future a stone “I” will join the black granite “V” in Washington. Those of us who oppose this misadventure would hope it needn’t be very large and have 2005 as the last date.

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In 1995 we had Erin [August] and Opal [October]. In 1997 we had Danny [July]. In 1998 there was Georges [September] and it rained for five days without a break. In 2004 there was Ivan [July], the third costliest natural disaster in US history. Then in July of this year we got Dennis.

We have had our share. We have paid our dues. There is not a lot left for a hurricane to blow over, we do not need a visit from Katrina.

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We have to save money because there is too much waste in the Pentagon.

So are we cutting the National Missile Defense Program, which has still failed to defend anything? Of course not.

We should move the Defense Language Institute and hope that we can convince its faculty of civilian native speakers to relocate from Monterey Bay to the Midwest.

Fortunately the BRAC [Base Realignment and Closure] panel shot that one down, saving my alma mater [Russian Intermediate and Advanced Programs]. When we need linguists more than ever, they wanted to disrupt the program that provides them.

They have managed to get Walter Reed Army Medical Center closed at a time when the military medical system is overwhelmed with casualties. Rumsfeld says he is going to build a new modern facility, but then he also said he was going to provide body armor and up-armor vehicles, so there won’t be a new facility. They have under-funded the Veterans Administration by billions, so you know they just don’t care.

It is pathetic that a veterans’ organization, the American Legion, would think that these people deserve support. Veterans should support those who support them.

It doesn’t look like they expect another aerial attack, because their plan strips the coasts of any ability to respond. When they route airliners to Maine, the closest fighter aircraft will be in New Jersey. If they are the new Raptors, they will get there with aerial refueling, but it will be tricky for them to fly at the speed and altitude of airliners.

These people are looking at the situation of the military during the administration of George H.W. Bush and transforming the military to fit that period. They just don’t understand the current requirements, or the weaknesses made obvious by the Iraq War.

When you hear about these cost savings, keep in mind that the fuel cost, fuel only, for Air Force One is running at $8K/hour. Since the Shrubbery flies with a second aircraft containing his motorcade, it’s really $16K/hour every time he takes a trip.

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[™ Kevin Drum]

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Taking a Break from Mom Duties

Ohhh, that feels good.

[Edit: I don’t guess the nepeta cataria is mature enough for the cats to notice it yet.]

Friday Ark

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