Monday, February 26, 2007

Peter is Passed By


Although the one race I was interested in last night failed to break my way, Peter O'Toole remains optimistic for the future in this article.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

22 And Counting

You hear about it all the time..... well here is the "coalition of the willing". How many are the former Soviet satellites that we dangle some foreign aid for a few score troops?



Status of Coalition Forces in Iraq

Wednesday February 21, 2007 9:46 PM


By The Associated Press

A look at the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq:

ALBANIA: 120 non-combat troops, mainly patrolling airport in Mosul; no plans to withdraw.

ARMENIA: 46 soldiers, serving as medics, engineers and transport drivers, serving under Polish command; mission extended to end of 2007.

AUSTRALIA: 550 troops helping to train security forces in two southern Iraqi provinces.

AZERBAIJAN: 150 troops, mostly serving as sentries, on patrols and protecting dam near city of Hadid; no plans to withdraw.

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: Bosnia has 36 soldiers - including three teams of 10 officers and a command team of six - in Iraq.

BRITAIN: 7,100 troops in southern Iraq; Prime Minister Tony Blair announced plans to reduce force by 1,600 in the coming months.

BULGARIA: 155 in total, including 120 non-combat troops guarding refugee camp north of Baghdad and 35 support personnel.

CZECH REPUBLIC: 99 troops.

DENMARK: 460 troops patrolling Basra; to be withdrawn by August.

EL SALVADOR: 380 soldiers doing peacekeeping and humanitarian work in southern city of Kut; no immediate plans to withdraw.

ESTONIA: 35 troops serving under U.S. command in the Baghdad area.

GEORGIA: About 900 combat forces, medics and support personnel serving under U.S. command in Baqouba; no plans to withdraw or reduce contingent.

KAZAKHSTAN: 27 military engineers; no plans to withdraw.

LATVIA: 125 troops are serving under Polish command in Diwaniyah.

LITHUANIA: 53 troops are part of a Danish battalion near Basra. A government spokeswoman said it is ``seriously considering'' not replacing the contingent when its mission ends in August.

MACEDONIA: 40 troops in Taji, north of Baghdad.

MOLDOVA: 11 bomb-defusing experts returned home at end of January; parliament has not yet decided on sending a new mission.

MONGOLIA: 160 troops; no plans to withdraw.

NETHERLANDS: 15 soldiers as part of NATO mission training police, army officers; no plans to withdraw.

POLAND: 900 non-combat troops; commands multinational force south of Baghdad; mission extended to end of 2007.

ROMANIA: About 600 troops, most serving in the south under British command, with the rest - a few dozen military intelligence officers - serving north of Baghdad; Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu wants them withdrawn.

SLOVENIA: Four instructors training Iraqi security forces.

SOUTH KOREA: 2,300 troops in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil; plans to bring home 1,100 by April and parliament insists on a plan for a complete withdrawal by end of 2007.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Friday Indignation

This why the religious right should have nothing to do in American politics.

"Anti-evolution memo stirs controversy
By Jeremy Redmon | Thursday, February 15, 2007, 01:37 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Anti-Defamation League is calling on state Rep. Ben Bridges to apologize for a memo distributed under his name that says the teaching of evolution should be banned in public schools because it is a religious deception stemming from an ancient Jewish sect."

'The memo calls on lawmakers to introduce legislation that would end the teaching of evolution in public schools because it is “a deception that is causing incalculable harm to every student and every truth-loving citizen.”

It also directs readers to a Web site www.fixedearth.com, which includes model legislation that calls the Kabbala “a mystic, anti-Christ ‘holy book’ of the Pharisee Sect of Judaism.” The Web site also declares “the earth is not rotating … nor is it going around the sun.”'

So they are one breath away from a "universe rotates around the earth" statement. Or maybe the Earth is Flat. Unbelievable that this is happening in Atlanta in 2007.
Read the whole article here

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Weekend



The afternoons were sunny and warm in Los Angeles this past weekend. Seven took advantage and sunned himself out on the driveway while I took a few self portraits in the bathroom.

Space Junk


An amazing article in today's New York Times about space junk and the problems it create.
  • NYT Science Times
  • Swedish Cats




    Advertising for a new production of "Cats" in Sweden. I like the campaign.

    Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?





    Opening tonight in Los Angeles, the Ahmanson Theater is presenting Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf". Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin reprise the roles that gave them rave reviews in New York City and London. I saw it twice on Broadway two years ago so it'll be interesting to see if the show has changed at all. Turner/Irwin are great but my first time seeing this play with Diana Rigg and David Suchet in the West End will always be my fave production. Suchet was a vicious player while Irwin is more of a resigned wimp getting revenge.

    Monday, February 05, 2007

    The Last Morning




    As the sun began to rise in Argentina, we hustled over to the hanger where the Campo's owner had two planes. One of them was rolled out and as the sky became bluer, a ritter fan was wheeled into place and the actors were placed on top of the cabin. The huge fan was turned on and the props people began to throw hay at our amourous duo. I thought the cold of the night would give the actors hypothermia and in between takes, they huddled together to stay warm. But the sun finally came blazing up and the shoot was over. Except for the pies.........