Smoke to the left of me, smoke to the right These photos were taken today from the same vantage point as the photo yesterday. The top photo was taken facing northwest and shows the Simi fire. The mountains are no longer visible…

Attention spammers! 1) I am, in fact, already happy with the proportion and size of certain of my body parts and am unclear why lengthening would be of any appreciable benefit, if indeed this could be done – which of course…

Baghdad bombs kill at least 43, injure 230 US President George W. Bush has vowed to stay the course in Iraq, after a series of bold attacks around the Iraqi capital killed 43 people and wounded more than 200 in…

The fires The Santa Ana winds <Santa Ana> winds are born of weather systems out in the Great Basin, in high-pressure zones over Nevada and Utah. The cold, dense, moist air descends from the high deserts and mountains toward the…

Newsweek: Bush’s Iraq mess driving voters to Dean From Howard Dean’s blog In this week’s Newsweek, Howard Fineman reports that President Bush’s failed Iraq policy–the centerpiece of an administration of deception and irresponsibility–may well be his undoing. “If presidencies are…

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…

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 …