LookIt

Sincere apologies

I find much in this apology that I agree with.

Apologies don't have to be full of self-hate or regret. They can be simple statements of acknowledgment of things that are wrong. Just admitting that "yup, I'm part of that and that's part of me" is a great beginning.

Microsoft is your friend. Really.

The Seattle Times has a depressing article about Microsoft pushes for weakening of anti-spam law in many states.

You must agree with us

The US government has become a diplomatic thug. I can't think of any other way to say it.

How not to support your military

Bush is hot for war, but not for the people we send to fight for him. As thousands of sailors and Marines are sent abroad for a possible war with Iraq, the Bush administration is proposing to cut education funding for many children of military families. That's how he says "thank you" . Via Body and Soul.

New lows in US diplomacy

Another important story ignored in the US press. America is to punish Germany for leading international opposition to a war against Iraq. First we undermine the UN (remember our decade of non-payment?) and then say "gee, they don't seem very powerful". Then we undermine NATO by trying to force our allies into defending a member who doesn't even wan the US on their territory. Now we go after individual countries that have supported us for decades. Sounds like the kind of country you want to trust for the long-term, yes? Via Follow Me Here.

No US-based democracy for Iraq

How sweet. Our government has been saying that we need to install a democratic government in Iraq. Now we don't want a democratic government in Iraq after the war. Well, we probably do want a democratic government after the war, but someone in the State Department or the CIA pointed out that it was impossible to force that on Iraq under the best of circumstances. So we'll just occupy it forever, or until we get bored. Certainly, that's worth a few hundred thousand Iraqi lives! Via This Modern World.

It's not just about peace

The US's shameful attempt to split NATO has taken an interesting turn. Turkey doesn't want US troops, not because they are afraid of being attacked by Iraq, but because the US never followed through with its promises after the last Gulf War. So George Bush Jr. loses face because George Bush Sr. was dishonest; seems fair.

Google buys into blogging

It seems like everyone in Los Blogos is incredibly thrilled about Google buying Pyra, the folks who (sometimes) bring you Blogger. I wish Google well, but Blogger was waaaay too unreliable as a purveyor of publishing services for me. I suspect that the very reliable folks at Google will fix that, but I still don't see much synergy. "Corporate blogging" didn't even get 15 minutes of fame, and personal blogging doesn't make money.

Google has fooled me before, always positively, so I look forward to see what springs out of this.

Nice way to treat your allies

More evidence that the US intends to attack Iraq regardless of what our allies (much less the rest of the UN) think: Rumsfeld pisses off the entire political range of Germans.

Where the music came from

I just discovered this stunning description of the origins of the song "Cassidy" by the Grateful Dead. Regardless of what you think about the Dead, this should give you a feeling for what they offered the world through their music. Deep bows to Follow Me Here for exposing this to the world.