The moon of Ramadan is a slim fingernail of sliver now, and this savage observance will soon pass into history. Not fast enough, though. “We will now learn three words in Turkish,” goes the old Firesign Theater comedy routine, “Towel. Bath.” A pause. “May I see your passport, please�.” It then leads to a dreamlike […]

The headlines say it best. “TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) – U.S. forces attacked dozens of suspected guerrilla hideouts in Saddam Hussein’s hometown, killing six alleged insurgents as they pressed their search for a former Saddam deputy believed to be orchestrating attacks on Americans.” That would be Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the number two honcho of the former […]

There are Black Hawks down in the current theater of war, and in retaliation there are precison munitions being lobbed around the city of Tikrit. The situation is still hot. This is going to take a while to resolve, but the full scope of jsut how long it takes ot bring peace is quite aswtonishing. […]

The company is selling me-or my hours, more precisely- to another watch management job at DHHS and half time to DIA to work Base Reallocation and Closure issues. By my count that gets to around 120 hours a week of commitment for the next few months and I am not sure I’ve got it in […]

It is Saturday and I have lived through another week. The sun is rising optimistic, the red glow spreading under layer of rolling cumulus clouds. The contours are limned in crimson like the quilting of an inverted mattress. While we collectively made it through the week not everyone did. I clicked on the radio to […]

I woke before the alarm. There was the physical urgency to rise, but the delicious sensation ofthe fresh pillowcase against my cheek held me supine. I looked at the red glow of the alarm clock, blinking its way to the metered cacaphony of the appointed moment. Ten minutes until I was supposed to rise, nearly […]

There is no catastrophe to report from the Middle East today, only one American KIA, though though Ambassador Bremmer has been recalled from Baghdad for consultations in Washington. I read an interesting Op-ed piece in the Times about how the Presidential candidates are being shaped and molded, preparing us for Hillary in 2008 just in […]

The White House this morning indicates that major combat has not resumed in Iraq, whatever else you might hear, and the President will go to Arlington today for the traditional wreath-laying. I am thinking about all vets everywhere today. There is much to consider and sacrifices which must be made. I think back to where […]

“La ilegal base norteamericana de Guant�namo” – Cuban government term for the Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay I heard someone say that at one time there were more landmines around the Naval Reservation than in any other equivalent area in the world. I don’t know about that. Mine clearing in the DMZ in Korea was […]

Isobel, Bill Richardson’s Cheif of Staff called me and told me where he wanted to go and what he wanted to do. It was almost breathtaking in scope. I began to conceptualize how we could do it. I decided I needed a high concept, a strategic direction for the planning process. . I thought the […]