The Morning Blog

The African Union has proposed a plan for a ceasefire in Libya. Qaddafi has reportedly accepted its terms. Well, it's a start I guess. Personally, I think he'd be wise to abide by it. If his forces stop advancing on rebel positions, the political backing of the NATO no-fly zone will be bound to become increasingly tenuous. At the same time, I have doubts that the rebels will be willing to abide by the terms and will probably attempt to advance against him. Basically, he can just give them enough rope to hang themselves. At this point, NATO will be forced to justify why it uses air strikes against government forces but not rebels engaged in hostile activities. And it will be a mess. And lets face it, there will be boots on the ground. Hopefully, not American boots but NATO boots all the same. Even if the active conflict winds down, even if Qaddafi left tomorrow, there will be a security vacuum that will have to be filled.

In other ceasefire news, Israeli foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman's concept of diplomacy seems to boil down to "stomp 'em".

Guns, no butter.

And the show must go on!

Meddling in other countries affairs is simply messy. Always. Even if it's just one guy. Personally, I have no strong feelings about this case one way or the other outside of bewilderment as to why our government chose to entangle itself in this mess. Granted, I wish nothing but the worst to the Brothers Castro or the loathsome and thuggish Chavez but still, that's not reason for us to be financing revolutionaries in Cuba or Venezuela.

Not that they would like us anyways, but still.

Meddling in peoples personal decisions is a bad idea too for that matter.

Sigh...What would Reagan think? Due to a strange twist during the budget wars, the Republicans now see fit to lash out at cowboys.

Speaking of Redheads and the Arts: The New York Times profiles an investigation into the startling artistic literacy of Woody Woodpecker. If nothing else, this provides me at last with a reason for my distaste of experimental, Soviet film. If it led to the creation of that obnoxious woodpecker, it can't be good.

In which the labrynthine case of the transgendered urine monitor is profiled. Forgive me but I must: He says he was wrongfully fired. To paraphrase his employer "You can't watch pee pee if you've got a new wee wee". Sorry. Terrible I know. Couldn't help myself.



Piss jokes, Ronald Reagan and Woody Woodpecker! It's turning out to be a banner day!

Interesting interview with the CEO of insurance company Aetna here. He's in a pretty interesting position to speak on health care issues. Beyond his position as the the head of an HMO, he acknowledges that given his own health problems (one kidney, broken neck), he would be denied coverage on the individual market. Well worth reading.

Sue Bait: An argument (and a valid one I think), against atheism is that a purely rational worldview lacks some of the aesthetics offered by religious faiths. To wit: Atheists as a group are not prone to creating epic myths. Arguably, there is a certain literary deficiency on the atheist side. Whether or not organizing one's life around myths is a good idea...well, that's an argument for another day. At any rate, now we've got a book. It also all begins in a garden...

Somewhere a scientist is hard at work in the field of mouse bullying.

Keep trying everybody and be grateful for your failures:

By fostering an environment where failure is embraced, even those of us far from our student days have the freedom to make mistakes — and learn from them still. No one is going to get it right the first time. Instead of being punished for mistakes along the way, learn from them. I fail constantly. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Which leads of course, to the commemoration of the dullest day. Makes me wish I could celebrate it by taking a nap rather than heading to work in what appears to be a nascent thunderstorm.

Kacee Bait: Now's your chance to finally read through the X-Files.

Just what the Japanese need right now: Heart attacks.

Song of the Day: Mogwai!