Militants are dominating the fight in Iraq's crucial Anbar Province weeks into the American air campaign, as the Iraqi military has struggled to go on the offensive....  (T)he air campaign has been limited in Anbar, in part because Iraqi forces there have mostly stayed at their garrisons. American military advisers are increasing pressure on their Iraqi counterparts to leave their bases and seize the initiative, officials in Washington say.

Turkey doesn't give a sh-t....
Saudi Arabia doesn't give a sh-t...

and it appears as if the "Iraqi military" doesn't give a sh-t.

That should tell us something, but apparently it doesn't.

I remember a program aired by CBS during the feverish and unstoppable run-up to Bush's offensive in Iraq.
Mike Wallace was, I believe, the interviewer.
One poignant interview was with an Iraqi teenager.
She asked, "Why can't you leave us alone"?

I thought about her as Bush reigned bombs upon Iraq shortly after that interview.

WIKI

Gamergate (sometimes referred to as GamerGate or as a hashtag #gamergate) is a controversy in video game culture which began in August 2014. It concerns ingrained[1] issues of sexism and misogyny in the gaming community, as well as journalistic ethics in the online gaming press, particularly conflicts of interest between video game journalists and developers.[2][3][4][5][6]

The controversy came to wider attention due to a sustained campaign of harassment that indie game developer Zoe Quinn was subjected to after an ex-boyfriend posted numerous allegations on his blog in August 2014, including that she had a "romantic relationship"[7] with a Kotaku journalist, which prompted concerns that the relationship led to positive media coverage for her game. Although these concerns proved unfounded,[8][a] allegations about journalistic ethics continued to clash with allegations of harassment and misogyny.[10] Other topics of debate have included perceived changes or threats to the "gamer" identity as a result of the ongoing maturation and diversification of the gaming industry.[2][3][4][5]

The rising popularity of the medium, and greater emphasis on games as a potential art form, has led to a commensurate focus on social criticism within gaming media and indie works.[9][12][13] This shift has prompted opposition from traditional "hardcore" gamers who view games purely as a form of entertainment.[6][9][12][14] This opposition, however, has often been expressed in the form of personal harassment of female figures in the industry rather than constructive cultural conversations.[10][12] The harassment campaign against Quinn was of such ferocity as to attract significant mainstream media attention which focused on the sexist, misogynistic and trolling elements within the gamer community. Allegations of impropriety in gaming media have prompted policy changes at several outlets, and commentators generally agree that systemic problems in the gaming media need to be discussed; however, the harassment and misogyny associated with Gamergate is seen as having poisoned the well.[10][12][15] Furthermore, the choice to focus the campaign on a heretofore relatively obscure independent developer rather than AAA publishers has led to questions about its motivations.[14][15]

Mother Jones

These 7 Geek Icons Have Had Enough of #Gamergate. Here's How They're Fighting Back.

A cliched bloodthirsty roaming gang from post-apocalyptic fiction seems to be ruling gaming fandom right now."

The United States had gone to war declaring it must destroy an active weapons of mass destruction program. Instead, American troops gradually found and ultimately suffered from the remnants of long-abandoned programs, built in close collaboration with the West.

The New York Times found 17 American service members and seven Iraqi police officers who were exposed to nerve or mustard agents after 2003. American officials said that the actual tally of exposed troops was slightly higher, but that the government's official count was classified.

The secrecy fit a pattern. Since the outset of the war, the scale of the United States' encounters with chemical weapons in Iraq was neither publicly shared nor widely circulated within the military. These encounters carry worrisome implications now that the Islamic State, a Qaeda splinter group, controls much of the territory where the weapons were found.

The American government withheld word about its discoveries even from troops it sent into harm's way and from military doctors. The government's secrecy, victims and participants said, prevented troops in some of the war's most dangerous jobs from receiving proper medical care and official recognition of their wounds.

"I felt more like a guinea pig than a wounded soldier," said a former Army sergeant who suffered mustard burns in 2007 and was denied hospital treatment and medical evacuation to the United States despite requests from his commander.

This is the kind of thing I reflect upon whenever politicians offer the bromide, speaking of our people in uniform, that we should "honor their sacrifice".

It should be made clear that our government is the entity that is all too often the one that is sacrificing them to serve their own interests. To protect their own keisters.

Other paragraphs that discussed whether divorced and civilly re-married Catholics can receive Communion, also failed to pass.

The Pope asked for the entire document, including the paragraphs that failed, be published along with the voting tally. This document is to be discussed over the next year and debated again at the October 2015 confab.  However, the tone is set, despite the vote.   And,  for the guy in the pew, tone often equates to  theology.  Or, trumps it. And, that has not gone unnoticed by the conservatives.

While all of this may be thought of as being germane only to Catholics, the disturbing political  inter-relationship between Church and State makes it relevant in a broader sense.

While there's no denying the Heisman Trophy winner's impressive talents on the football field, young Mr. Winston has also and unfortunately managed to compile some less-than-impressive statistics off the gridiron, as well:

• He's finally facing a very belated student judiciary hearing regarding allegations that he raped an FSU coed back in Dec. 2012 -- an incident which both the school and Tallahassee police apparently couldn't be bothered with investigating 20 months ago when it first occurred.

• He was detained by campus police for carrying a pellet gun on campus, and then accused of breaking windows at an off-campus apartment complex that same day.

• He was caught shoplifting on a Tallahassee grocery store's security camera.

• He was suspended for one game by FSU interim president Garnett Stokes after he climbed on a table and screamed an obscenity at other people in the Student Union Building.

• And now, he's under investigation again after more than 2,000 Winston-autographed items wound up being authenticated by the same company tied to suspended Georgia running back Todd Gurley, an apparent violation of NCAA rules.

It's certainly not an unfair question when people now ask if Florida State has two sets of rules for the student body, one for its acclaimed male athletes and another for everybody else. But at what point does Winston's continued presence on the Seminole sidelines become a radioactive sideshow for the university?

The federal Dept. of Education is investigating FSU's delayed response to the sexual assault allegations against their QB as an apparent violation of Title IX, which could potentially cost the university millions of dollars in federal funding.

Individuals associated with college football are also voicing their concerns with both Winston and FSU's apparent tolerance and enabling of his questionable behavior.

And frankly, the egregious personal attacks directed against the young FSU coed who accused Winston of sexual assault in Dec. 2012 are disgusting. Apparently, when your favorite team's shot at a national championship is jeopardized, nothing is considered too far out of bounds in its defense.

Let's hope that the good folks at Florida State wise up, and suspend Jameis Winston from the Seminole football team until these allegations are clarified and resolved, and the young man can demonstrate that he's finally getting his act together off the field.

You drink one, drink two, drink three Long Island ice teas
But your buddy's worse off, and he throws ya his car keys
Blue lights are a blinkin', four o'clock in the morn',
State trooper makes you wish that you'd never been born

Better Call Saul, Better Call Saul

You wanna tell the world you're in love with a girl named Fran
So you find an overpass and say it with a spray paint can
Blue lights start a blinkin', those handcuffs click
You know who to call, and you'd better call quick!

Saul, Saul, you better call Saul -
He'll fight for your rights when your back's to the wall
Stick it to the Man, Justice for all -
You better call Saul!

Shopping at the Wal-Mart, short just a couple of beans
There's a George Foreman grill down the back of your blue jeans
They caught you at the checkout and the blue lights blink -
Only one guy to call, 'cause the others all stink

Better Call Saul, Better Call Saul

Your husband disappeared in a most convenient way
Now your troubles are gone, his insurance will surely pay
You get to the bank but the cops say "whoa!"
Who ya gonna dial when they lock you down cold?

Saul, Saul, you better call Saul -
He'll fight for your rights when your back's to the wall
Stick it to the Man, Justice for all -
You heard me...  you better call Saul!

(8 bar Instrumental Break)

Your customers are gone, and your store is on the rocks
Spread around the gas, `cuz it's time to torch the stock
But ya gotta move quick before you singe your own hair
Who knew there was a homeless guy sleepin' in there!

Better Call Saul, Better Call Saul

FBI finds some kids trapped in your creepy van
You stay real cool and tell `em you're the ice cream man
But all their crying just gave you away
Who you gonna call to skip a prison stay?

Saul, Saul, you better call Saul -
He'll fight for your rights when your back's to the wall
Stick it to the Man, Justice for all -
You better call Saul!

Of all the forces and things we know about us and the universe, the evolution of living things is the coolest.  To not believe that we can from animals when we all a vestigial tails, the coccyx, is crazy.  Then you remember, we don't need hair, tonsils, wisdom teeth, an appendix, a third eyelid, and on and on.  All of it leftovers from evolution.

But hot damn if those same people don't get their 2014 mutated flu shot or insist that Ebola has/can mutate into being transmitted airborne.

As much as I love space, most of it too far to ever conclusively prove, it's all theory that doesn't really apply to us.  "Big deal Einstein was right about time slowing down as you you speed up, so the satellites are on different clocks that us Earth people"  But with evolution, you can see it, in every animal, in every virus, it's right here to witness.  And I wonder how many of the 'new' species, usually of bugs, are actually new, not undiscovered.

My gf has a little dog, she got it after the people from some humane society like group, took her to a puppy mill.  She ended up with three Malteses, but this little one, a runt and I suspect a victim of incest has an extra row of teeth.  Her baby teeth never fell out and the adult teeth just grew in in front of them.  Remarkable and if dogs were controlled, not by humans, that would seem like a pretty fricken cool trait that just might make the odds of her living longer and reproducing more, better than others.

A team of Russian scientists has determined that the Siberian "ice maiden" likely died of breast cancer and used marijuana to treat the pain, The Siberian Times reports.

An investigation of the mummified, 2,400 year old remains of the young woman indicates that the young woman died of breast cancer, and the researchers speculate that the marijuana found in her burial chamber was used to mitigate the pain it caused.

I get that you will go to any lengths to defend Otterness. I OTOH find the methods you have employed in your defense offensive.  You reached a real low IMO with the Davis/Otterness comparison.
I get that you believe that no one else other than you and squeaky know anything at all about art. I get that you believe that anyone else who disagrees with your OPINION is completely lacking in knowledge and haters of all things related to art and artists. I get where you are coming from and I find it offensive and not behavior that is beneficial to the artist community as a whole.

MO Blue, don't you see my point?? This human being made a big mistake (in your and my view) and for the rest of his life people and groups of people have been trying to destroy his career (even making death threats against him). It is just the same for W Davis and Cylvia Hayes. Different groups, different mistakes (as defined by some people). Some people consider it a moral offense that someone would kill a dog (that is how they define it) and some would consider it a moral offense that someone would either have an abortion or marry for money and to give someone a green card (that is how they define it).

In all three cases people or groups of people hold that against the accused - forever. No allowing for the person to re-invent him/herself -- no allowing for good works that follow. It has NOTHING to do with art or anyone's opinion of art. Nor politics and anyone's political views either (in the case of Davis or Hayes).

This site is hosted by a criminal defense lawyer who allows our comments. She has a distinct defense pov, and we are drawn to comment on her blog. Most here, no matter what political persuasion, agree with the basic precept of not overly punishing someone for a mistake (or a crime, which Otterness's was not)( tho the opinions of just what IS a "mistake" differs). Some people in OR are currently trying to denounce the governor for being engaged to Hayes because of her "mistakes", including some involvement with pot growing in the past. They forget the very many good works she has done since. She has apologized and publicly admitted her crimes. They will not let it go. The hunt goes on, and on.....and on and on.

Washington Post Fact Checker:

Anyone who claims that the New York Times story vindicates George W. Bush-era claims of Iraq WMD automatically earns Four Pinocchios.

And what did he mean by "pinned"???

 I hope investigators "pinned" him down on that word because some people leap to the conclusion that that means that Brown was inside the SUV laying on top of Wilson [who incidentally is bigger than Brown]. That's hardly the case though that's what Wilson apologists are trying to imply.

By "pinned" he means that he couldn't get out the door because Brown was standing right in front of it keeping Wilson from opening it and getting out.

How that instills fear in a 6-6 300 pound officer inside a vehicle with radio to call for backup should be baffling to the NYTimes especially when he had the gun and the SUV and the size and the backup and Brown didn't.

And if he is afraid of Brown then why does he want to get out of the SUV in the first place. Why not lock the door and call for backup.

Anyone who doubts what I say about Wilson's size relative to Brown's just go here and scroll down to see the Towering Titan towering over the Gentle Giant.

Who was really afraid of who here???

Cliven Bundy Releases Unbelievably Surreal Ad With a "Black Friend"

You really aren't going to believe this one, folks.

"I hear you Cliven, and I believe you. A brave white man like you might be just what we need to put an end to this political correctness stuff in America today."

"Don't sell yourself short! You're takin' a chance just bein' in my company!"

Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy together with congressional candidate Kamau Bakari (IAP) challenge U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to come to Nevada and have the conversation about race that he claims Americans are too cowardly to have.

Diagram that sentence.

Instead of being tigger happy with knee jerk attacks when people disagree with you, address what is written.

It does not say vaccines kill people with some frequency. It states DISEASES... for which we have not only treatments... but even vaccines kill with some frequency.

The grammar which you choose to attack is correct and you studiously avoided addressing the substance.

Stage two is, I'm angry at the governments response.  

Gosh, wouldn't it be great if Obama was actually in government so he could do something about it rather than just sethe.

Airing Saturday, October 18, at 7 pm Eastern time/4 pm Pacific on Al Jazeera America.

As the U.S. steps up its air campaign against the Islamic State group, Fault Lines travels 600 miles across Iraq to look at the consequences of the fight against ISIL.

While Kurdish fighters and Shia militias battle ISIL, we find that they are facing their own accusations of human rights abuses, including ethnic cleansing.

The attack on ISIL has created unlikely alliances. But as each group pursues its own interests, they are threatening to unravel Iraq and divide the country more than ever.

Is it asking too much to suggest that our president, or somefkingbody come out and make a plea for mercy?

This sounds suspenseful but it comes across as more stupid than crafty and more deranged than dedicated. You get hints that Tessa has had some emotional problems in the past which are now brought to the fore. She doesn't act like a rational human being as she constantly has conversations with her GPS system, as well as one of the fictional characters (Olympia Dukakis) from her series of books.

The acting is adequate with Bello and Harris being better than average, but Dukakis and Joan Jett (who plays a bartender with problems of her own) are bad. Dowd doesn't have enough screen time to really make an impression.

The planet's first act of sex 385 million years ago, as documented in fresh research published in Nature, wasn't a gentle affair. It involved what paleontologist John Long described in an interview as "a bone with a strange groove on it," "plates that helped locked the male organ into place like Velcro," and a strange jig that was sort of like square dancing. It wasn't poetic. It wasn't touching. It was the awkward origins of sex.

After last week's rock em' sock em "No Sanctuary" episode, for the most part The Walking Dead fell back into second episode blues syndrome. It was fairly standard fair even when they did begin to sprinkle in breadcrumbs of the upcoming story arcs, but then the last ten minutes hit and The Walking Dead blew up into The Hills Have Eyes, the original version. This could be the most shocking ending of an episode that The Walking Dead has ever had.

C-130 cargo planes dropped weapons and medical supplies in Kobane

Airdrops intended to help 'valiant' Kurdish fighters defeat ISIS terrorists

Comes as Turkey finally allows ethnic Kurds to help resistance in Kobane

Iraqi peshmerga troops are now permitted to cross border and fight ISIS

CDC calls nurse liar and nurse calls CDC liars.

A video game's first responsibility -- arguably its only responsibility -- is to show the player a good time. To say that Saints Row: The Third is a good time would be a severe understatement. Running naked around the fictional city of Steelport wiping out rival gangs with mind-controlling octopi delivered some of the most fun I've had this year. There may be a tendency to dismiss Saints Row as a Grand Theft Auto clone (it isn't) or as juvenile antics (it is) but when you just want to indulge in some mindless violence and sexual depravity, this will more than suffice.

While definitely not up to the standards of recent games like Uncharted 3 or Rage, Saints Row 3's visuals go easy enough on the eyes. I love the neon-lit towering skyscrapers of Steelport, but down in the streets things can seem quiet and lifeless. This is an open world but I wouldn't say it's a living world. Mayhem activities ask you to destroy as much as you can before time runs out, but you may be at a loss for stuff to blow up. As you tear around town the traffic magically appears in front of your car. Granted, I only noticed that pop-up while driving.

Saints Row: The Third allows you to play the entire campaign cooperatively online or via system link. Inviting a friend or joining a game couldn't be simpler, but playing cooperatively yields mixed results. While the nature of two players running around with rocket launchers and tanks can create comical chaos, not all of these missions seem designed for cooperative play -- visiting players may sometimes feel like a third wheel. But, happily, all progress carries over to your single-player game.

THE VERDICT
News flash: people find sex and violence entertaining. Saints Row: The Third gives the people what they want and drops us into an open world adult theme park where we can treat ourselves to delightful acts of bloodshed and perversion. It doesn't take itself too seriously and only asks that you don't, either.

BE really should have been only a 2-3 season series. If it had always been this tight it would have been one of the greats.

Luciano: what does that make you?
Nucky: Dumber than I knew
Luciano: good headstone