The Body Count 3

Not surprisingly, MoorishGirl already had the story. The commentary is worth reading, particularly the note that Bush may have killed more Iraqis than Saddam.

The Body Count 2

Iraqi Death Toll Exceeds 600,000, Study Estimates - WSJ.com

The Wall Street Journal reports that a study to be published in the Briitish medical journal the Lancet estimates the number of Iraqi civilian deaths at 600,000.

WASHINGTON -- A new study asserts that roughly 600,000 Iraqis have died from violence since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003, a figure many times higher than any previous estimate.

The scientific methodology of the study, performed by scientists who have studied Rwanda and other crises, is described as excellent by
university experts in the United States. The results are credited with being 95% accurate.

Really, Really Bad

The Bush League

The Washington Post's Gene Weingarten asks if George W. Bush is the worst president in U.S. history. Judge for yourself.

deli.cio.us

I have just gotten around to trying out del.icio.us. The site allows you to "tag" web pages so that they can be organized into bookmarks on your del.icio.us account. The site lets you search for similarly tagged items, and it tells you who else has tagged the web page you have tagged. Very cool.

Full Circle

Foley Case Upsets Tough Balance by Capitol Hill’s Gay Republicans - New York Times

In a story on gay Republican Congressional staffers, the New York Time writes:

When asked why he remains in the party, Mr. Bennett gave an answer common to gay Republicans: he said that he remained fundamentally in sync with the small government principles of the party and its approach to national security, and that he was committed to changing what he considers its antigay attitudes.

How ironic that the Republicans are now the party of big government deficit spending and intrusive deficit spending, and that their national security policy has proved an unmitigated disaster for the country.

A Sad Day for Freedom

Outspoken Putin critic shot dead in Moscow - washingtonpost.com

A free press is the last bulwark against tyranny. It seems to have crumbled in Russia.

MOSCOW, Oct. 7 -- Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist whose byline defined the fading craft of investigative and crusading reporting in President Vladimir Putin's Russia, was fatally gunned down Saturday in the lobby of her apartment building in central Moscow.

Anna Politkovskaya should be remembered as an inspiration to us all.

Way to Go

BREITBART.COM - Veteran Actor Collapses Onstage, Dies

Actor Gene Janson collapsed on stage in the midst of one his favorite roles and died shortly thereafter.

"There is a certain poetic irony to his death," Christopher Janson said. "He died doing what he loved, which was being on the stage and in a play he was so proud of."

There are worse ways to go than dying before a throng of admirers in the midst of your life's great work. Link from Andrew Sullivan.

UCC Defends Gays & Lesbians

United Church of Christ News - UCC leader criticizes Family Research Council's use of Foley scandal to scapegoat gays, lesbians

The Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC's general minister and president, is condemning remarks by Tony Perkins, president of the right-wing Family Research Council, who is using the Mark Foley congressional scandal to scapegoat the larger gay and lesbian community.

The United Church of Christ issued a strong statement condeming attacks on homosexuals arising out of Congressman Mark Foley's advances to Congressional pages. The problem, the UCC pointed out, is one of sexual predation on youth by adults, and is not rooted in sexual orientation. Link from Andrew Sullivan.

Let the Truth Be Heard

One of my personal heroes, Daniel Ellsberg, thinks it is time for federal employees to start leaking what they know before the Bush Administration plunges the country into war with Iran.

George Allen Insult Generator

Virginia Republican Senator George Allen has created a sensation with a spectacular string of racially and ethnically offensive remarks, whether it is referring to a South Asian Democratic aide as a monkey ("macaca") or stating that asking a question about his Jewish lineage is casting an "aspersion." Now, Slate magazine offers the George Allen Insult Generator!

Idle Time

Keith Ferrazzi announces a new way to donate your home computer's unused computing power to advance scientific and medical research through the power of BOINC. Building on the success of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) in harnessing idle computers across the Internet to donate spare processing power, GridRepublic now offers the chance to donate idle computing power on your home computer to a variety of scientific projects.

Burke Betrayed

Andrew Sullivan quotes Jeffrey Hart on the President's betrayal of the conservative tradition.

Primary

Owing to problems with the Montgomery County election, the polls were kept open an extra hour, so I was able to vote on my way home today. (Throughout the county, the election officials forgot to ship the key cards that unlock the voting machines to the polling stations.) There are some good people running, and I want to support the Democratic alternative to the ruling party. In light of the Republican lock on the federal government and the lack of a really convincing agenda on the part ot the Democrats, I can't say that my heart was really in it, however.

Sailing

Two weeks from now I hope to take my brother on a short cruise on the 56-foot yawl Mariner before his wedding. The boat was a labor of love for Robert and Elizabeth Teidemann, who parlayed their love of boats into a boat restoration and executive training business. Apparently, they spawned a mini industry in Narraganset Bay taking people on charter cruises of boats in the 12 meter racing sloops formerly used in the America's Cup.