This is the first day is 19-20 days that won’t be above 100. Power supplies are still maxed out for California though.

Just walked outside and discovered the air is filled with smoke from the Benedict Canyon fire.

Unless you’ve hiked the mountains here, it’s difficult to understand the conditions. Trails can have tinder-dry brush 4-8 feet high on both sides. The brush is so dense as to be impenetrable. Plus the canyons can be extremely steep. All of this is within easy sight of large, expensive homes.

Those are the conditions firefighers face. In the back canyons, there may not even be a fire road or trail, hence air can be the only way to attack the fires.

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Clinton went to Connecticut to campaign for Lieberman, an unusual move given that parties generally have a policy of not backing candidates in a primary, and made doubly so by this being the same Lieberman who viciously attacked Clinton over Monicagate. Clinton’s comments were almost completely nonsensical too, was he drunk?.

“We Democrats have a bad habit, we’re prone to think, and when people are thinking they sometimes disagree,” Mr. Clinton said. “That’s the way we are. If we fight together we should go forward together.”

Thinking is bad? Oh, I see, if someone disagrees with party leadership, then that’s what’s bad. So they should shut up and do as the leaders say. Sorry Bill, but lots of folks refuse to do that. And that’s a good thing. So is dissent, questioning, and thinking.

Calling the war the “pink elephant” in the room, Mr. Clinton said, “The real issue is, whether you were for it or against it, what are we going to do now.”

Another bizarre statement. Plenty of people are talking about the war. It’s hardly a “pink elephant”, which is something that everyone knows is there and not mentioning.

He added, “No Democrat is responsible for the mistakes that have been made since the fall of Saddam Hussein that have brought us to this point.”

Except for those continual votes by Congressional Democrats in support of the war, that is.

For once, I agree with Prickly City.

[tags]Joe Lieberman[/tags]

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The beginnings

Pentagon planned invasion of Lebanon in 2001

The Pentagon was planning an invasion of Lebanon as far back as 2001 according to General Wesley Clark. Not only that, but the Bush administration also has plans to invade six other countries after Iraq: Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Somalia and Sudan.

A voluntary ‘putsch’

In the history of the relationship between the political and military leaderships of Israel, the government has never made such a significant decision so quickly, operating in crisis mode just a few hours after the kidnapping of the soldiers. Under these circumstances, the military contingency plan was the main plan presented to the ministers, if not the only one.

Gosh, a war planned by the Pentagon, then rammed through full-speed by the Israeli military. How cozy.

The aftermath

Israel bogs down in a classic conventional war…

More on this from Billmon

The Middle East: What happens next?

Option 1: Israel withdraws unilaterally
Option 2: Diplomatic settlement
Option 3: Israel snared in counter-insurgency
Option 4: Lebanese government falls
Option 5: Israel invades Lebanon

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As the dual Israeli invasions of Lebanon and Palestine continue unabated, local and international journalists covering the conflict have been affected by orders from the Israeli military censor’s office not to report successful hits by Hezbollah into Israel

This includes major media like AP and CNN too. They are now forbidden from reporting what’s happening there because if they do, Israel will throw them out of the country. Or jail them. Truly, Israel is a beacon of democracy and freedom. Yeah, right… When they’re not deliberately shooting missiles at ambulances, that is.

No matter, cell phone cameras, video, and the Net will get the truth out. “The Internet interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.”

Here’s an example.

Dave Riley at Life of Riley in Australia has posted podcasts, videos, multimedia, links, and much more about this Zionist invasion of Lebanon. This is a worthwhile and growing resource. Check it out.

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