Another Stifled Report
Another report stifled by the Bush Administration showed that Hussein didn't have links to al Qaeda. Folks, we've been played. Bush and the D.C. Boyz wanted Iraq and made damn sure the intelligence went their way even if it had to be massaged or manipulated. It would have been cheaper to simply assassinate Hussein if it was so important to get him out of power. It would have saved a few thousand lives too.

Stormy Weather
We've had our first rain the past few days and it's gotten cold, around the 50's. Yeah, I know, for much of the U.S. temps around the 50's would be considered borderline warm but for Los Angeles, it's parka time. Once i had a roommate from Chicago and when the weather got cold (to me) he'd be running around in shorts and a t-shirt. He was always bugging me about how in Chicago it would get a real cold, none of this wimpy pseudo-cold, and I should take off my jacket and sweater.

But his laughter was shortlived. When the rainy cold season ended and we got into the typical hot, smoggy days he was like a fish floundering for fresh water and air. On the days when it broke 100 degrees I could usually find him collapsed in a semi-coma, unable to move due to the heat.

Even better we had an earthquake, a little rumblor about 5.5 or so. Some folks say that hurricanes are the worst but c'mon the news tells you when they're coming and you can make adjustments. Tornados happen in certain types of weather. Thunder, lightning - scary and sometimes dangerous. But earthquakes are essentailly unpredictable. The ground moves suddenly and you are frozen. Meanwhile, if you're in a building, everything is falling and moving and - shit! - what if the building collapses on you. Worse, it's never a single shock. You get the big one and then aftershocks - lots of them - for the next week, so you can never quite relax and say the earthquake is over.

We had a quake and, having been through a few, I wasn't too worried. I knew that the cleanup would be a pain but a 5.5 wasn't cause for concern. My roommate, on the other hand, thought armageddon had hit. He was a wreck, shaking, sweating, eyes bugged out. It gave me no great pleasure to sneak up on him in the following weeks and shake his shoulders while yelling. Revenge is sweet.