Many soldiers, same letter Newspapers around U.S. get identical missives from Iraq Letters from hometown soldiers describing their successes rebuilding Iraq have been appearing in newspapers across the country. And all the letters are the same. Imagine that, like it…

Gaza raid leaves hundreds homeless Palestinians are calling it a disaster area Up to 1,500 Palestinians have been left homeless by the Israeli army’s two-day raid into the Rafah refugee camp, the United Nations estimates.  A senior UN official who…

Aaargh It’s 87 right now in the San Fernando Valley of L.A. Just over the smallish Santa Monica Mountains from here, near the ocean, they’ve been complaining about the nonstop overcast weather. But not here. Here in the Valley, summer…

L.A. Times discovers meth I’m always bemused by these types of articles, wherein major media discovers that people are, omigod, using methamphetamines, as if it’s something new. It’s not. There were lots of speed freaks in the 60’s (I was…

Sierra glaciers in rapid retreat At the same time, ice slabs at Mt. Shasta have grown. A warming trend is responsible for both developments, researchers say. A new survey of glaciers in the Sierra Nevada shows the thick slabs of…

This is getting to be routine news Baghdad coalition hotel base bombed. At least six people die as a suspected suicide car bomber targets a Baghdad hotel used by coalition and Iraqi officials.

Southern California grocery clerks on strike Leaders of the grocery workers union in Southern California called on thousands of its members to walk off their jobs late Saturday, launching the region’s first supermarket strike in 25 years. It’s been amusing…