Rust
Saturday, September 11, 2004
One Thousand Dead
Frankly, when we launched the war, I expected it to be higher...I figured we might loose 2-3000 in the invasion alone. But, that was when I assumed that Saddam would attack our troops with chemical and/or biological weapons. Luckily (or not), many more of the wounded survive these days, thanks to specially designed "bullet proof" vests that ooze a blood coagulant when pierced.
The "casualties" (dead and wounded) in this war now are more than the dead and wounded from 911.
Had we found the weapons stockpiles....or even a fraction of what we expected, this sacrifice may have been worth it. Had we found direct terrorist ties with Saddam, something to suggest Saddam would arm terrorists with WMDs....it may have been worth the sacrifice.
But that's not what we found. Saddam had nothing....N_A_D_A. Iraq was a threat to no one but itself. There was certainly no imminent threat.
At some point before we stormed Bagdad, our troops were given the OK to remove all their Bio-Chem gear. How did we know so soon that those kinds of weapons were no longer a threat? I'll have to research that when I get back home.
Wether or not it was a good thing (for us) to get rid of Saddam, the fact is, we were sold a false bill of goods in the lead-up to the invasion. Even with these puffed up allegations, the Europeans would not support us. Why should we expect them to help us now.....now that they know George W. was misleading them (or trying to mislead them) into a war, they would be fools to trust George W and they would rightly be voted out of office. Had our troops been attacked with WMDs, it would have been easier for Chirac & Co. to lend us support. These leaders would have a much easier time selling their participation to their voters with John Kerry in office, even then it's not guaranteed, but something tells me he has some pull with the French, and their longstanding ties to Iraq would be helpful.
OK, now I'm babbling on and on about this....it's just that this election is so important for America....never before in my life has there been so much at stake. If we voters endorse Bush with a clear election win, it will send a message to the world that we, the American people, are complicit with W and his actions in Iraq. We, the American people, saw this president mislead us into war. Electing anyone who misleads their country into invading another country....it's all I can do not to invoke the dreaded 1930's Germany.
One thousand of America's best and brightest are now dead because of this war. What have we gained? Yes, Saddam is out of power, but Iraq is a more dangerous place than ever. We must leave, but not until we're sure it won't turn into an Afghanistan with oil, a terrorist haven, a theocracy, and now we have to deal with all the tribes, the Kurds, the Sunnis, the Shiites....damn, we had somebody to do this for us....Saddam! I for one, preferred Iraq when it was taking care of itself.
Ah, maybe we'll still find the weapons, right? Sure, I believe ya, George, tell me another one.
The "casualties" (dead and wounded) in this war now are more than the dead and wounded from 911.
Had we found the weapons stockpiles....or even a fraction of what we expected, this sacrifice may have been worth it. Had we found direct terrorist ties with Saddam, something to suggest Saddam would arm terrorists with WMDs....it may have been worth the sacrifice.
But that's not what we found. Saddam had nothing....N_A_D_A. Iraq was a threat to no one but itself. There was certainly no imminent threat.
At some point before we stormed Bagdad, our troops were given the OK to remove all their Bio-Chem gear. How did we know so soon that those kinds of weapons were no longer a threat? I'll have to research that when I get back home.
Wether or not it was a good thing (for us) to get rid of Saddam, the fact is, we were sold a false bill of goods in the lead-up to the invasion. Even with these puffed up allegations, the Europeans would not support us. Why should we expect them to help us now.....now that they know George W. was misleading them (or trying to mislead them) into a war, they would be fools to trust George W and they would rightly be voted out of office. Had our troops been attacked with WMDs, it would have been easier for Chirac & Co. to lend us support. These leaders would have a much easier time selling their participation to their voters with John Kerry in office, even then it's not guaranteed, but something tells me he has some pull with the French, and their longstanding ties to Iraq would be helpful.
OK, now I'm babbling on and on about this....it's just that this election is so important for America....never before in my life has there been so much at stake. If we voters endorse Bush with a clear election win, it will send a message to the world that we, the American people, are complicit with W and his actions in Iraq. We, the American people, saw this president mislead us into war. Electing anyone who misleads their country into invading another country....it's all I can do not to invoke the dreaded 1930's Germany.
One thousand of America's best and brightest are now dead because of this war. What have we gained? Yes, Saddam is out of power, but Iraq is a more dangerous place than ever. We must leave, but not until we're sure it won't turn into an Afghanistan with oil, a terrorist haven, a theocracy, and now we have to deal with all the tribes, the Kurds, the Sunnis, the Shiites....damn, we had somebody to do this for us....Saddam! I for one, preferred Iraq when it was taking care of itself.
Ah, maybe we'll still find the weapons, right? Sure, I believe ya, George, tell me another one.
Another Day in Chapel Hill
Boy, what a beautiful day in Chapel Hill. Another good day of econ dev,made some more contacts and went to dinner at the Rat (again) with a couple of other classmates. It was as good as ever and I think they appreciated the 'inside look' at Chapel Hill. Somehow lost our third and I drove Russel from Norfolk by the Pile on the way home to the Hampton Inn (this is in Durham?....I had no idea the city limits met with Chapel Hill's way on this side of 40.....the Friday Center might be 1/2 mile from Durham).
Franklin Street is quite different from when I was in school, but it's also pretty much the same. I miss the Top of the Hill gas station, Papagayo's, Record Bar, but most of the staples are still there....The Rathskeller, the Shrunken Head (closes at 5:30), Ye Olde Waffle Shop...
Toward the end of my Gambler, I discovered that my coursemates are gonna vote for Bush. Oh, man! Well, that's OK, I wasn't about to push it, I have lots of friends voting for Bush. When we left dinner, we walked by the post office where there were people gathered with candles, holding a vigil with signs that read "1000 Dead", and "How Many More", etc. I joke to my new friends, "let's go over there and let me get y'all roughed up"....it was funny, you had to be there. The protesters were largely in their early 50's, not many college kids. Bizarre.
When we left, Jennifer turned right when we turned left, and I don't know if she's made it back to the Hampton Inn yet. I feel bad, but we did make an illegal U-turn and backtracked Franklin Street twice looking for her, so I hope she made it back OK.
The Econ Dev course is mighty interesting and it has given me a lot to think about. In some ways, the course makes me more worried about the future of our economy in North Carolina and America as a whole. But, I'm still an optimist and think we'll find a way with help from, and despite the government.
I'm missing my babies, Tracey & Anna Grace, will be home tomorrow!
Franklin Street is quite different from when I was in school, but it's also pretty much the same. I miss the Top of the Hill gas station, Papagayo's, Record Bar, but most of the staples are still there....The Rathskeller, the Shrunken Head (closes at 5:30), Ye Olde Waffle Shop...
Toward the end of my Gambler, I discovered that my coursemates are gonna vote for Bush. Oh, man! Well, that's OK, I wasn't about to push it, I have lots of friends voting for Bush. When we left dinner, we walked by the post office where there were people gathered with candles, holding a vigil with signs that read "1000 Dead", and "How Many More", etc. I joke to my new friends, "let's go over there and let me get y'all roughed up"....it was funny, you had to be there. The protesters were largely in their early 50's, not many college kids. Bizarre.
When we left, Jennifer turned right when we turned left, and I don't know if she's made it back to the Hampton Inn yet. I feel bad, but we did make an illegal U-turn and backtracked Franklin Street twice looking for her, so I hope she made it back OK.
The Econ Dev course is mighty interesting and it has given me a lot to think about. In some ways, the course makes me more worried about the future of our economy in North Carolina and America as a whole. But, I'm still an optimist and think we'll find a way with help from, and despite the government.
I'm missing my babies, Tracey & Anna Grace, will be home tomorrow!
Econ 101
Long day of economic development study in Chapel Hill today. We had a couple of good speakers today including Robert Pittman from Lockwood Green consulting, but the highlight of the day was the speaker we had for dinner at the Friday Center tonight. Boy was he tasty! ;-)
No, really, we heard a great speech from Mac Holliday tonight. The statistics of manufacturing job losses in the South over the past 3 years are overwhelming....but put in context with the decline in agriculture employment since 1940, and it gives me some hope that we can find a better, faster route to the promise of the "new economy" in the South. Tell ya what, it's complicated...so many factors to consider, but it is clear some things need to change and Education is the key. That's not going to be the answer for everyone though. I am convinced that there will always be a certain percentage (15,20,25?) of people who will not strive to get an education, and I don't think there are enough jobs at McDonalds for all of them....plus, I believe we as a nation need to have the ability to produce goods. Make things. This is the backbone of capitalism and they can't all have service jobs. What about these people....these good people, our neighbors, our countrymen? We need some good manufacturing jobs.
The course is giving me a lot to think about, so pardon the ramble.....I've basically been in class for 12 hours straight!
No, really, we heard a great speech from Mac Holliday tonight. The statistics of manufacturing job losses in the South over the past 3 years are overwhelming....but put in context with the decline in agriculture employment since 1940, and it gives me some hope that we can find a better, faster route to the promise of the "new economy" in the South. Tell ya what, it's complicated...so many factors to consider, but it is clear some things need to change and Education is the key. That's not going to be the answer for everyone though. I am convinced that there will always be a certain percentage (15,20,25?) of people who will not strive to get an education, and I don't think there are enough jobs at McDonalds for all of them....plus, I believe we as a nation need to have the ability to produce goods. Make things. This is the backbone of capitalism and they can't all have service jobs. What about these people....these good people, our neighbors, our countrymen? We need some good manufacturing jobs.
The course is giving me a lot to think about, so pardon the ramble.....I've basically been in class for 12 hours straight!
Blogging from Chapel Hill
Started the Economic Development course today, some interesting info and lots of nice people. Everyone knows Dad from Commerce Dept.
Great drive from Wilmington, overcast with not too much rain, except for the standard I-40 downpour for about 10 blinding minutes. The '89 300CE is running like a champ, and I loved driving it around Chapel Hill today....wish I'd had it back when the car was new and I was still in school!
Will have a collection of blogs to send from my trip, along with some silly pictures. Too rainy today, so will have to settle for some from the hotel room. Enjoy!
Great drive from Wilmington, overcast with not too much rain, except for the standard I-40 downpour for about 10 blinding minutes. The '89 300CE is running like a champ, and I loved driving it around Chapel Hill today....wish I'd had it back when the car was new and I was still in school!
Will have a collection of blogs to send from my trip, along with some silly pictures. Too rainy today, so will have to settle for some from the hotel room. Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Sunset at Bald Head
Wow, a nice comment on Flickr before this shot even makes it to Blogger. This shot is probably 10 years old at least, 35mm, scanned by Canon. I am a sucker for sunset pictures....
Monday, September 06, 2004
Saturday, September 04, 2004
Friday, September 03, 2004
Clinton's Heart
"Well, lemme say this, it's not just the Republicans who want four more years"
-Bill Clinton calls in to Larry King Live from the hospital
Ronald Reagan would have been proud of that line, a classic.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Blog Search Engine
Blog Search Engine -Search Engine and Directory of blogs. Looking for blogs? Find them on BlogSearchEngine.com
Not sure what this will do, but here goes...
Not sure what this will do, but here goes...
From the Drug Makers
"In 2003, PhRMA member companies invested an estimated $33.2 billion on research to develop new treatments for diseases - an estimated 17.7 percent of domestic sales on R&D - a higher R&D to sales ratio than any other U.S. industry.
At this level of investment, PhRMA member companies spend more on R&D than the National Institutes of Health and the international pharmaceutical industry."
In 2000, direct to consumer drug advertising cost over 2.5 Billion, with 15.7 Billion spent in total on drug promotion. And these numbers are rising fast since 1996. I think we can fairly extrapolate that 2.5 Billion to 3 Billion, and the 15.7 Billion to 17 Billion to try to get close to 2003 numbers for comparisons sake.
So, the Pharmacy companies do spend more on research and development than advertising. About twice as much. Still, I don't feel much better about that, and the "trends" in increased prescriptions at higher costs is troubling.
At this level of investment, PhRMA member companies spend more on R&D than the National Institutes of Health and the international pharmaceutical industry."
In 2000, direct to consumer drug advertising cost over 2.5 Billion, with 15.7 Billion spent in total on drug promotion. And these numbers are rising fast since 1996. I think we can fairly extrapolate that 2.5 Billion to 3 Billion, and the 15.7 Billion to 17 Billion to try to get close to 2003 numbers for comparisons sake.
So, the Pharmacy companies do spend more on research and development than advertising. About twice as much. Still, I don't feel much better about that, and the "trends" in increased prescriptions at higher costs is troubling.
John Edwards Blasts Prescription Drug Advertising -- 08/16/2004
John Edwards Blasts Prescription Drug Advertising -- 08/16/2004:
"According to the Kerry-Edwards campaign, pharmaceutical companies more than doubled their spending on advertising and marketing between 1996 and 2001. Advertising and marketing costs rose faster than spending on research and development, the campaign said."
Getting closer....
"According to the Kerry-Edwards campaign, pharmaceutical companies more than doubled their spending on advertising and marketing between 1996 and 2001. Advertising and marketing costs rose faster than spending on research and development, the campaign said."
Getting closer....
More Prescription Drugs
"In the U.S., prescription drug spending increased from US $50.6 billion in 1993 to $93.4 billion in 1998, an 84% increase over a five-year period. Four categories of drugs accounted for 30.8% of this increase: oral antihistamines used to treat allergy, antidepressants, cholesterol-lowering drugs and ulcer treatments. These categories include seven of the ten drugs most heavily advertised to the public in 1998. That means that direct-to-consumer advertising could have added more than $13 billion to the US drug bill in 1998. In 1999, two thirds of the increase in spending on prescription drugs in the US was for 25 drugs with the most intensive DTC advertising campaigns"
Click on link for more interesting tidbits. Still trying to crunch some numbers here....
Click on link for more interesting tidbits. Still trying to crunch some numbers here....
Bono O'Reilly
FOXNews.com - The O'Reilly Factor - Interview - Bono: Not Facing AIDS Crisis 'Foolhardy'
Bono is at the Republican convention and sat in for an interview with Bill O'Reilly on FOX last night. Talk about up my alley!
Notice that O'Reilly refers to our former Senator as "the late" Jesse Helms. I hope he means late for the convention, because as far as I know Jesse is still very much alive. Strange that the slip would even make it into the transcript. Jesse Helms is still alive, right? Besides that, it was a great interview, read the transcript on the link above. Here's a couple of exerpts:
O'REILLY: Let me ask you a couple of questions. I understand the late Jesse Helms, the arch conservative, the late Jesse Helms of North Carolina was a very big booster of your cause, is that correct?
BONO: Yes. It's been amazing. I've been really surprised. You know, I came at this from -- you know, I grew up in a Labour household, you can imagine in the north side of Dublin. I have all my opinions. I have my opinions of conservatives, and they weren't all good. And then I met some conservatives that really turned me around on that. They were really just conservatives. They were people that will had their convictions that were different to mine, but they held them, you know, from a true place.
Then I met Jesse Helms, who you know, who people in my band wouldn't speak to me because I was meeting Jesse Helms. And he did an extraordinary thing. He did something no politician does. He publicly apologized for the way he had thought about the AIDS virus. He says, I've got it wrong. And he got emotional about it, and he turned it around. And he made a lot of other people who were very judgmental about AIDS...
O'REILLY: Look at it in a different way.
BONO: ... look at it in a different way.
O'REILLY: I've been to Africa as you. I'm not as widely traveled as you, but it is a corrupt continent, it's a continent in chaos. We can't deliver a lot of the systems that we send there. Money is stolen.
Now, when you have a situation like that, where governments don't really perform consistently, where there's just corruption everywhere, how can you cut through that?
BONO: It's funny, we worked with this administration on two things. Historic AIDS initiative, and a thing called the Millennium Challenge, which is a way of increasing aide flows to Africa, but only to countries that are tackling corruption. So really important, and not well described initiative.
O'REILLY: So like Uganda, which is really trying to do something, the money would flow there.
BONO: Yes.
O'REILLY: But in Sierra Leone, wouldn't go there.
BONO: Exactly.
O'REILLY: OK. I like that. Because that, at least, gives you a chance.....
O'REILLY: I like it, and I think it can be done. You're going to have to work hard to get it done. Is that a rosary around your neck there? Is that a rosary?
BONO: The pope gave me this, it's a Michelangelo designed....
O'REILLY: You're certainly doing God's work. I mean, I admire you very much for what you're doing.
BONO: God must have a great sense of humor to have me on board.
O'REILLY: No. No. We need people like you to command a worldwide audience and to get people at least thinking about this. And then we need the politicians out here in the convention, in both conventions to come up with a strategy. I do agree that if America could take the lead, it would turn public opinion around and help us in the war on terror.
Note my title "Bono O'Reilly" is a take-off on the Who song "Baba O'Riley", look at the lyrics from that song:
Out here in the fields
I fight for my meals
I get my back into my living
I don't need to fight
To prove I'm right
I don't need to be forgiven
Don't cry
Don't raise your eye
It's only teenage wasteland
Sally, take my hand
Travel south cross land
Put out the fire
And don't look past my shoulder
The exodus is here
The happy ones are near
Let's get together
Before we get much older
Teenage wasteland
It's only teenage wasteland
Teenage wasteland
Oh, yeah
Teenage wasteland
They're all wasted!
Bono is at the Republican convention and sat in for an interview with Bill O'Reilly on FOX last night. Talk about up my alley!
Notice that O'Reilly refers to our former Senator as "the late" Jesse Helms. I hope he means late for the convention, because as far as I know Jesse is still very much alive. Strange that the slip would even make it into the transcript. Jesse Helms is still alive, right? Besides that, it was a great interview, read the transcript on the link above. Here's a couple of exerpts:
O'REILLY: Let me ask you a couple of questions. I understand the late Jesse Helms, the arch conservative, the late Jesse Helms of North Carolina was a very big booster of your cause, is that correct?
BONO: Yes. It's been amazing. I've been really surprised. You know, I came at this from -- you know, I grew up in a Labour household, you can imagine in the north side of Dublin. I have all my opinions. I have my opinions of conservatives, and they weren't all good. And then I met some conservatives that really turned me around on that. They were really just conservatives. They were people that will had their convictions that were different to mine, but they held them, you know, from a true place.
Then I met Jesse Helms, who you know, who people in my band wouldn't speak to me because I was meeting Jesse Helms. And he did an extraordinary thing. He did something no politician does. He publicly apologized for the way he had thought about the AIDS virus. He says, I've got it wrong. And he got emotional about it, and he turned it around. And he made a lot of other people who were very judgmental about AIDS...
O'REILLY: Look at it in a different way.
BONO: ... look at it in a different way.
O'REILLY: I've been to Africa as you. I'm not as widely traveled as you, but it is a corrupt continent, it's a continent in chaos. We can't deliver a lot of the systems that we send there. Money is stolen.
Now, when you have a situation like that, where governments don't really perform consistently, where there's just corruption everywhere, how can you cut through that?
BONO: It's funny, we worked with this administration on two things. Historic AIDS initiative, and a thing called the Millennium Challenge, which is a way of increasing aide flows to Africa, but only to countries that are tackling corruption. So really important, and not well described initiative.
O'REILLY: So like Uganda, which is really trying to do something, the money would flow there.
BONO: Yes.
O'REILLY: But in Sierra Leone, wouldn't go there.
BONO: Exactly.
O'REILLY: OK. I like that. Because that, at least, gives you a chance.....
O'REILLY: I like it, and I think it can be done. You're going to have to work hard to get it done. Is that a rosary around your neck there? Is that a rosary?
BONO: The pope gave me this, it's a Michelangelo designed....
O'REILLY: You're certainly doing God's work. I mean, I admire you very much for what you're doing.
BONO: God must have a great sense of humor to have me on board.
O'REILLY: No. No. We need people like you to command a worldwide audience and to get people at least thinking about this. And then we need the politicians out here in the convention, in both conventions to come up with a strategy. I do agree that if America could take the lead, it would turn public opinion around and help us in the war on terror.
Note my title "Bono O'Reilly" is a take-off on the Who song "Baba O'Riley", look at the lyrics from that song:
Out here in the fields
I fight for my meals
I get my back into my living
I don't need to fight
To prove I'm right
I don't need to be forgiven
Don't cry
Don't raise your eye
It's only teenage wasteland
Sally, take my hand
Travel south cross land
Put out the fire
And don't look past my shoulder
The exodus is here
The happy ones are near
Let's get together
Before we get much older
Teenage wasteland
It's only teenage wasteland
Teenage wasteland
Oh, yeah
Teenage wasteland
They're all wasted!
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