Simi Valley fire: bigger, closer

Compared to yesterday, the Simi Valley fire is much larger, smokier, and for the first time, I could see flames - which means the fire has crested mountains. It is also noticeably closer, and in some areas is now next to the 118 Freeway in Simi. 

For those who know the area, I took this photo from the south end of the San Fernando Valley at the Reseda Blvd trailhead to Topanga State Park, a huge area with miles of fire roads and hiking trails. In a highly unusual move, the park itself is closed, with signs on the gates saying “Park Closed, Extreme Fire Danger”.

So, I stayed outside the park on a fire roads, scrambled up a small peak, and took the photo.

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Resistance increases by orders of magnitude in Iraq

Five attacks in 24 hours in Baghdad. Major damage and looss of life.  Targets included the Red Cross and police (who insurgents see as collaboraters) and sent a clear message that 1) anyone supporting the U.S. or  occupying the country are in danger, 2) they can attack at will and the US, despite its blustering, can do little to stop them.

Dozens killed by Baghdad bombs

More than 30 people are killed as the Red Cross building and several Iraqi police stations come under attack.

From Saul Alinksky’s “Rules for Radicals”, Alinksy being one of the best organizers the US has ever had - he invented what is now called “community organizing” in the 30’s in Chicago.

From his discussion of ends vs. means:

Judgment must be made in the context of the times the action occurred and not from any other vantage point.

The ethics of ends vs. means varies inversely with one’s distance from the scene of the conflict.

In war, the ends justify almost any means.

And in a classic Alinsky phrase

The ends-and-means moralists or non-doers always end up on their ends without any means.

His point being those in the middle of a conflict will view what tactics are permissible quite differently than those comfortably distant from the conflict, and that this is a simple observation of the world as it is, not as we wish it to be. Further, those on the periphery who wish to avoid getting involved will spend copious amounts of time pondering ends vs. means while those directly involved haven’t that luxury.

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US Army ‘going to Linux’ after OS switch for GI PDA

The US Army has abandoned Windows and chosen Linux for a key component of its “Land Warrior” programme

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Extreme Pumpkins!

This 200 lb carniverous pumpkin is a winner in the Extreme Pumpkins contest!

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I’m happily amazed

As you probably know, News.google.com groups stories by topic. As I write this, they have a group of stories about the DC/SF marches and rallies yesterday. The lead story for the section is from the International Action Center (IAC) website. For months, major media barely mentioned ANSWER. Now we’re featured in Google News.

A pleasant change, to be sure!

Some history. ANSWER was started within days after 9/11 because organizers assumed the US would use it as a pretext for invasion and war. They, of course, were correct. IAC and several other groups formed a coalition, ANSWER, to organize against these wars.

By the way, Google News topics and rankings are done entirely by computer algorithm, and not by people. Link popularity, who clicks what the most, is an important factor in the rankings. Therefore I conclude the International Answer website has been getting way more clicks-throughs than normal from Google sources, hence the IAC article popped to the top of Google News. Which, of course, gets it even more click-throughs.

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US shocked at Iraq hotel attack

Up to eight rockets were fired at the Hotel Rashid

US Secretary of State Colin Powell has admitted that the US did not expect that American forces would face such intense and sustained attacks in Iraq. 

U.S. colonel dies in Iraqi attack

Car bomb hits Baghdad Red Cross

We invade a country and are shocked when people organize and fight back?

The Washington Post, “the company paper in a company town”, yet again, is doing their “reporting” from White House press releases.

With an audacious rocket attack Sunday on the al-Rashid Hotel in Baghdad, Iraqi resistance fighters showed again how a strike against a high-profile target can overshadow weeks of slow progress and create the impression that the Bush administration lacks a plan for securing the country, military commanders and defense analysts said.

a) There has been no slow progress, to the contrary, things have been getting steadily worse, b) the rocket attack didn’t “create the impression” the Bushies are in over their head, it simply proved it. c) The Washington Post needs to stop rewording White House spin and calling it journalism.

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Meanwhile, another invasion-happy government is having problems

Cracks in support for Sharon

Ordinary Israelis, media commentators, and military officers unleashed unusually strident criticism Sunday of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s strategy in the Palestinian territories, a wave of anger that some analysts say may signal the first cracks in previously broad public support for his policies.

Just like with Bush, Sharon’s war of aggression is going badly, and no longer seems winnable. Protests are getting bigger, more vocal, and are entering the mainstream.

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Repubs getting ready to toss Rumsfeld to the dogs?

Knowledgeable Republicans and defense analysts described mounting frustration with Rumsfeld in the White House and among Republicans in the U.S. Congress amid ongoing difficulties in Iraq that could jeopardize U.S. President George W. Bush’s re-election bid in 2004.

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9/11 commission considering White House subpoenas

A federal commission investigating the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks has been unable to obtain classified White House documents, and is now considering issuing subpoenas for them, a commission spokesman said

Why, I wonder, is the White House stonewalling on 9/11 information? You think they would want to release it. Hmmm…

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South America continues moving sharply to the left

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is facing a major setback to his plans to overhaul the political system and push through austerity measures. Mr Uribe called a referendum on Saturday to seek public backing for 15 reforms but it seems most did not get enough support to be validated.

The president has also suffered a reverse in Sunday’s elections for the mayor of Bogota, with the government-backed candidate losing to a left-winger.

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