Almost as bad as Ho-tel cutting a record was the new soft drink promotion being run locally. It’s something in a green label that looks like the water it essentially is, but the vehicle the “demonstrators” were using is beyond obscene. Go and view this abomination.

A semi tractor with a pick-up bed on the back. Why would anyone buy such a thing, other than to crush Hummers?

I started at Laura Rozen’s place and followed her links and then came across it again at the BBC with the article, Europeans hail US offer to Iran:

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said “as soon as Iran fully and verifiably suspends its enrichment and reprocessing activities, the United States will come to the table”.

The move was to show US commitment to a diplomatic solution and “to enhance the prospects for success”, she said in a statement.

Ms Rice also urged Iran to “thoroughly consider” a package of currently being agreed by the US and EU nations aimed at persuading Tehran to abandon its nuclear plans.

Ms Rice recognised Iran’s right to a civilian nuclear programme, but condemned what she called Iran’s support for terror.

This is totally fraudulent. Kevin Drum notes it is right out of Diplomacy 101, if you don’t want to negotiate make an unacceptable precondition for talks.

Bobby notes that the only reason the US is making any offer is that the world doesn’t believe us anymore.

Predictably, Iran is cautious over US talks offer. The US is telling Iran to concede all of the points under contention before talks can begin. The whole point is to make it look like the US is being reasonable, when the US hasn’t changed its position at all.

CNN says: Reid will no longer take free boxing tickets. There’s a problem with that headline that you can figure out if you read very closely – Reid was never given boxing tickets.

Promoters are required to reserve an area at boxing matches in Nevada for the state boxing commission. Access to that area, by law, has no value and it is illegal to pay for access. McCain didn’t pay for his “tickets”; he made a donation to charity. He wasn’t given a ticket; like Reid, he was given credentials as a VIP to sit in the commission area by the ring.

The thing about Nevada is they have some really strict laws about what state employees and agencies involved with gambling can and can’t do. Don’t seek a job there if you enjoy gambling, because businesses aren’t allowed to treat you like the every day off the street gamblers who get free food and drinks.

Is fact checking so difficult?

This is the first day of the 2006 Hurricane Season.

It is to be hoped that it is not even close to the 2005 Season which had: 13 Tropical Storms, and 15 Hurricanes. A total of 28 named storms is a record requiring the first use of the Greek alphabet in history; 15 hurricanes is a record; 4 category 5 hurricanes [Emily, Katrina, Rita, Wilma] is a record; end of the season on January 6 is a record; and hurricane Wilma established the new record for the lowest barometric pressure recorded in the Atlantic Basin at 882 millibars.

The first name for the season is Alberto, not a comforting sign. In 1994, the last time the name was used, Tropical Storm Alberto was a major rain event that came ashore just east of me.

The NOAA forecast is for 13-16 named storms, 8-10 hurricanes, and 4-6 major storms. The good news is that the La Niña condition in the Pacific Ocean has disappeared, which will alter the steering winds to a more normal pattern.

More information at my hurricane page, and we can wait for the official end of the season on December 1^st.

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