Wasn't Mosul Supposed to Be a Part of Iraq We Didn't Worry About? From The New York Times: Troops Uncover More Bodies in Mosul:

Let your soul be your pilot

President, Lookin' Into Souls speaks:

"Well, I'm confident when people realize that there's a chance to vote on a president, they will participate," President Bush said Wednesday when asked whether the participation of Sunni Muslims would be necessary to make the elections free and fair. [...]

As I reminded our citizens prior to the Afghanistan elections, there's a deep desire in every soul to vote and to be free, and to participate in the presidential elections," he said.

In fact, Iraqis will not choose their president directly. They will be voting to choose a National Assembly of 275 members, which will elect from its members a president and two deputies and write a constitution. [Emphasis added, stupidity in the original.]

The article's headline is "Confusion in White House on Aim of Iraq Election," which seems to be a polite way of saying "President unaware of any facts about the upcoming elections in Iraq."

Pharyngula:

Did someone declare this National Flaming Racist Idiot week, and I just didn't notice until now? You have got to read Michael Medved's latest foray into pseudoscience: he has declared American superiority to be genetic, encoded in our good old American DNA. Because our ancestors were immigrants, who were risk-takers, who were selected for their energy and aggressiveness. Oh, except for those who are descended from slaves.

The idea of a distinctive, unifying, risk-taking American DNA might also help to explain our most persistent and painful racial divide - between the progeny of every immigrant nationality that chose to come here, and the one significant group that exercised no choice in making their journey to the U.S. Nothing in the horrific ordeal of African slaves, seized from their homes against their will, reflected a genetic predisposition to risk-taking, or any sort of self-selection based on personality traits.

But, he hastens to add, modern African-American genetics have been leavened with the genes of recent, self-selected immigrants from the Caribbean and Africa, so their unfortunate stay-at-home genes have a "less decisive influence".

Okay, I realize that being a conservative pundit means never having to say anything factual, but how can anyone be so unafraid to show his utterly bigoted ignorance? Does any brave soul want to listen to his program and get a list of sponsors so we can ask them if this is the kind of idiocy that they want their businesses associated with?

Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington appeared on The Colbert Report to promote her latest book, The Right is Wrong and speak to the particular metamorphosis of John McCain’s candidacy.

Download | play Download | play (h/t Bill W)

Colbert: So (McCain) changed his opinions from 2000 to 2008. People do that.

Huffington: He has not changed his opinions. He has replaced his mind with George Bush’s mind. I wouldn’t be surprised if right now, he’s somewhere at the Texas ranch, clearing brush, like George Bush.

Colbert: Perhaps he knows that that’s what he has to do to get elected. He was ”The Maverick” in 2000; that did not get him elected. But if he toes the party line in 2008, maybe that…he’s just doing what he needs to do to get elected. What’s so wrong with that?

Huffington: You mean selling his soul in order to get elected?

Huffington: He was a real reformer. And now, he’s basically completely surrendered on everything. He wants us all to stay in Iraq of course indefinitely. And here’s the one little problem: that he has this kind of passion for Iraq. [..] Because he has this passion for Iraq, that’s his Viagra.

Colbert: He has…I guess the warning on that should be, if your erection last more than a hundred years, pull out.

Someone tipped me to this blog by Brad Bonham on the imperative we all must accept to do what we can to be more environmentally aware.

The alternative to our current system is a system that is unimaginable but begs us all to take the world and our place in it very seriously. All hands will need to be on deck. Every church, organization, business, and citizen will need to dig down deep and figure out if the world and its children are worth saving, and we'll need all the creativity and ingenuity in the world to figure out how to do it. If we do, maybe, just maybe our children will see a bright green future. If we carry on with life like it's business as usual, we might not get a chance to tell our children we're sorry.

So, that's where I've been. On the long, dark journey of a consuming soul who realizes that things in the years ahead will need to change drastically, but hopefully for the better. After all, my journey towards caring started with figuring out how to end poverty, and it took me to the unexpected twists and turns of sustainability. As it turns out, sustainability might help us avert wars as well.

I offer you two links to start your own journey. One is a dark alternative we face if we don't quickly change, and the other is a bright possibility we (hopefully) face if we all unite and realize that living like we give a damn might just mean we and our children get to live to see a better world.

1) Dark - Long Emergency
2) Bright - Worldchanging

John Amato several months ago recommended the documentary A Crude Awakening to me and the ramifications of Peak Oil as examined in the movie have haunted me to this day, and I've really tried to make very mindful choices to be more green. I really weigh how important it is every time I get in my car and try to carpool or use public transportation as much as possible...John laughs at me because I'm resistant to upgrading my pathetically old computer because I hate the notion of how un-environmental that is. Even little things like using compact fluorescent bulbs, canvas shopping bags (the bagger thought I was nuts when I forgot my canvas bags one day and asked him to place the unbagged groceries in the cart directly rather than me taking home any plastic bags) and avoiding using appliances during peak hours does make a big difference.

So in honor of Gore's Nobel win for raising awareness and Blog Action Day, I ask that you share with fellow C&Lers some ideas for making your life more green.

First Draft:

As the President rose to leave after 20 minutes, he said he hoped the visit would help the Falmouth, Maine, woman heal. Halley, 42, replied, ``What would really help my healing is if you'd start finding a way to bring our troops home.''

[snip]

``Now he's dead,'' Halley, an artist, says she told Bush, no longer able to contain her anger. ``For what? I've lost my soul mate.''

"I am so sorry for your loss,'' Bush said more than once.

Their conversation ended shortly after Halley began urging Bush to end the war. "We see things differently,'' he told her.

Halley says the encounter wasn't "sharp,'' even with her strong words and emotions. As they parted, they shook hands, he kissed her on the cheek and gave her a souvenir presidential coin. Read the rest...

The News Blog:

Steve Gilliard, 1966-2007
It is with tremendous sadness that we must convey the news that Steve Gilliard, editor and publisher of The News Blog (www.thenewsblog.net), passed away early this morning. He was 41.

To those who have come to trust The News Blog and its insightful, brash and unapologetic editorial tone, we have Steve to thank from the bottom of our hearts. Steve helped lead many discussions that mattered to all of us, and he tackled subjects and interest categories where others feared to tread.

Our hearts and prayers go out to Jen and Steve's family. This is big loss for all of us.

Update: John Amato: "Steve was a great friend to me. We emailed often and he was incredibly kind and helpful to me when I first started blogging. His writing style was fierce, but his soul was gentle. He will be missed and my thoughts and prayers go out to Jen and his family. You always knew where you stood with Steve."

Jane Hamsher has more ...

Digby:

When you see her in such a context, you realize that she truly represents the heart and soul of contemporary conservative activism, especially among the young. The standing ovation for Romney was nothing like the eruption of enthusiasm that greeted her. . . .

Her endorsement of Romney today - "probably the best candidate" - is a big deal, it seems to me. McCain is a non-starter. He is as loathed as Clinton in these parts. Giuliani is, in her words, "very, very liberal." One of his sins? He opposed the impeachment of Bill Clinton. That's the new standard. She is the new Republicanism. The sooner people recognize this, the better.

This hideous face of the Republican Party has been obvious to those of us who have been paying attention for a long, long time. It is the single most important reason why our politics have devolved into a filthy grudge match...read the whole thing

Eteraz: Western patronage has been damaging to the ability of Sufis to counter Muslim extremism

Scoobie Davis Online: How the Moonie media apparatus bought Chris Matthews' soul for a pittance (h/t CW)

Consortiumblog: Reagan & the Salvadoran baby skulls

Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog: Are you ready for Condi couture?

Scrutiny Hooligans: Indianapolis Colts coach, Tony Dungy's anti-gay agenda

Congratulations to our estimable colleague, Steven Hart, proprietor of The Opinion Mill, on his soon-to-published first book!