Wright's cartoon on Op-Ed page of 6/22/03 Times Picayune--shows four panels with a simple picture of a rock drawn in each one. The four panels read:
1. This rock doesn't believe weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq.
2. Or that Iraq actually used such weapons.
3. Or that Iraqis were among the 9/11 hijackers.
4. Which, according to polls, makes it smarter than most Americans.

And conservative columnist George Will chimes in with this (from his recent column entitled The Search For Credibility)--

"Some say the war was justified even if WMDs are not found nor their destruction explained, because the world is 'better off' without Saddam. Of course it is better off. But unless one is prepared to postulate a U.S. right, perhaps even a duty, to militarily dismantle any tyranny--on to Burma?--it is unacceptable to argue that Saddam's mass graves and torture chambers suffice as retrospective justification for pre-emptive war." He ends with this--"Until WMDs are found, or their absence accounted for, there is urgent explaining to be done."

There is nothing new about this sentiment but that it comes from the mouth of George Will I think is an important turning point.

As I mentioned on my page, I found my old blogger username and password while going through some papers today. I signed in, and everything is still there. Here's the first post to this page (although I think this was the front page of the site at that point.)

[10/21/1999 5:32:09 PM | jim b]
Hello there. This is a beta version of the main page at digitalmediatree.com. I'm not at all sure what is going to happen here. My log, which is pretty much the same as what use to be here, is now inside (the link is on left.) This section can be updated by multiple users through the incredible blogger.com. But if you're seeing this you already know about that. Oh well. It's an interesting idea, although I don't know if it could work. memepool seems to run on a similar sturcture (although I don't think they use blogger.) Anyway, like I said, I have no idea what this should be, but it seems cool to be able to do it, so I'm trying to. Seen anything interesting lately?

The Minnow special tasting menu rate's 2*

Cafe Boulud was great, a tasty spring influenced lunch, not stuffy, wine list had some juice, high end cash wise but worth it, a little too much foam:>)....3*

Quick notes:

Funky Broome: too funky for me, ok in a pinch...
wd~50: another amazing meal, I like eating here at 6:00, the soup sing's, the new chicken dish is OTFCharts!!
Tasting Room: my first mreal there, nice stuff, will go back, 2*

grimey at 50

Did everyone see the article in the times about Rivington street?

Bill Moyers addresses the Take Back America conference

Eating By #'s Top 5
Grand Sichuan Int Midtown 9 Times
wd~50 9 Times
66 5 Times
Wash Park 5 Times
The Minnow 5 Times

Steve, she also did Crumb.....

mmm, dumplings

Time passes; there are things that are timeless and will repeat over and over again. The Birches lawn was always perfect. Laura always met Dan at the driveway Claire got a Camaro Gene was a son of a bitch Penny smoked too much The kids did not know what was going on. There's a mouse in my living room

Doc report soon.......liver, prostate, colersteral (sp)........

salesman they say are only as good as thier last sale, so to me restaurants are only as good as thier last meal, so 66 gets downgraded to 3*, still loved but not on the level as WD or Kai anymore......rumor is I have been downgraded also.....tonight I had 3 meals between 6:00 and 11:00, the first was tasty Thai (1* stuff) and I got BYOB ok, biggest table is 10 (heres someone else's review... 56 PAM REAL THAI FOOD No one is quite sure why there are so many Siamese restaurants in Hell's Kitchen, but most agree that the majority have toned down Thai food for the American palate, throwing the bottle of fish sauce away. Not so at Pam's, where sharp sour, salty, and fishy flavors are promulgated. Noodle dishes and yum are particularly recommended, as is duck with chile sauce. 404 West 49th Street, Manhattan 333-7500)..second was 66, and some dishes were great again but it lost something....WD50 for 3 great app's (the soup is on the menu tonight w/ watercress) ended the night...

SD&Z (simmons dylan & zappa)

(via fmu msg board)

Hangawi's new place was nothing special (Franchia 34/35 Park), we were not full so we went to another Korean for meat and nothing special (32nd St right off Bway, south side).....stick to Hangawi or WOOCHON (IMHO)

What happened to Word?

my cat has a big fat lip, she leap jumped a huge bee, went down to eat it (why do cats like bugs so much??), it stung her and flew off, she's now in the corner not in any pain it seems with one puffy side...

good street reports on the RFTT show @ maxwells last night. richard lloyd was the quiet television wannahe ?

Last night at Hangawi (possibly due to no Frank energy) the meal was not as good as the last time, still fab and one of the Fav NY Eats 2003......but now 2*.....going to thier new spot on Thursday, saw the menu looks yummy

The true cynic’s review of WD50, but without the compunctions of being an actual food critic. Cindy Adams serves up the borscht (belt).
(The print version had a big picture of Wylie offering a plate of food, instead of the shot of Rudi’s former aide-de-adultery.)

From the Washington Post

At least 19 people in three Midwestern states have contracted a disease related to smallpox, marking the first outbreak of the life-threatening illness in the United States, federal heath officials said yesterday....

The disease, known as monkeypox, usually only occurs in central and western Africa. It is caused by a virus known as an orthopox virus, which is the family of viruses that includes the smallpox virus, one of the most dangerous diseases known to man and a feared biological weapon....

While much about the monkeypox virus is unclear, it does not seem to be as deadly as smallpox. Authorities estimate that monkeypox has a mortality rate of between 1 percent and 10 percent, compared with a mortality rate of about 30 percent for smallpox.

The monkeypox virus is believed to spread through physical contact with a sick person or infected animal, or through infected body fluids, although health officials said it apparently is not as easily spread as smallpox, which is highly infectious.

Grand Sichuan Eastern .

id like to see this -- the weather underground. opened yesterday at film forum.

Earthy meal at Rosewater (4 course muchroom menu) in Brooklyn, 2*
Last nite's meal #6 at wd50 was Rocking again, my fav's keep tasting better to me, and WD sent up out a (nasturtium leaf i believe) gaspacho that went to the top of the charts for dish of the year.....