Ginsburg speaks from the bench on dissents

Link I must say Roberts and Alito seem to be putting pressure on the more liberal side of the court. Ginsburg seems determined to bring their new conservative opinions to public view.

Need some good karma? design for the poor

Link Some interesting ideas there. I should think there should be plenty more, if designers make it a priority.

Special Ops (Special forces) in Iraq

Link Hadn't heard much about SF in Iraq, but I guess they're doing somethin'.

If the Americans leave Iraq things would get worse before getting better

Link In the article, a Sunni says: "Still, we need America to make the country more stable and not leave Iraq in the trouble, which they, themselves, have caused."

I'm sure I'll regret saying this, but I think things will get worse when the Americans leave certainly. But then they will get better as it gets naturally partitioned and American forces stop artificially propping up the place. The insurgents may eventually go for scorched Earth policy, but maybe not.

Half the Iraqi army are insurgents?

Link No wonder the Delta company is disillusioned.

Big loss brings soldiers to say "I love you, man!", but too late for the sarge

Link Squad searching for missing soldiers in Iraq suffers heavy casualties from an off-road bomb and has a small emotional breakdown.

Seeing oneself in third person indicates positive personality

Link One of those strange psychological studies which tries to explain something you might know intuitively. That is, if you can see something bad which happened to you objectively rather than personally, you will be happier. Time probably naturally helps this process. But some people have the ability to step back and evaluate experiences with some distance.

General Batiste speaks against Iraq war in ads

Link He was fired by CBS as a consultant shortly thereafter -- I got a mail from Moveon.org to petition Les Moonves to reinstate him. But perhaps the beginning of a new political career for Batiste?

Economist likes Hillary's chances

Link Some of the reasons cited make sense.

More firings in the works for offensive racial remarks (updated)

Link I'd like to say that I'm sure these guys will get the boot too. But Asians don't have an Al Sharpton, though perhaps we can ask for his help. I hardly watch CBS, but I'd offer that I'll never watch another tired Katie Couric broadcast again.

-- Updated 5/15

Queerty reports the DJs were finally given the boot by CBS.

Supplemental versus budget

Gates argues that doing war funding in two month increments isn't feasible. If that's the reasoning, then why doesn't the Bush White House go through a full budget instead of going through supplementals. Supplementals seem like a way to sneak war funding out of the scrutiny of normal budget process.

Is that the case or is there some other explanation?

BP's Lord Browne (updated)

It just seems to impute more shame on gay folks when someone powerful wants to hide their homosexuality. He's of a different age, and perhaps lives in old Victorian England in his mind, where revealing such things are unthinkable. I suppose he thinks he's won by preventing his private life from been posted for all to see. I can see myself valuing my privacy as well. But less may have been made of this whole thing if he'd just let things be published and made no comment. I suppose it depends though on what 'bad' aspects might be revealed. Still, I would be happy to hide under a rock for a couple years if I could hold on for 2-3 months as a lame duck CEO for $7.7 million bonus. Then again, if I'd already attained hundreds of millions, what good was that tainted and piddling bonus, if I felt like a little money grubbing shit taking it.

I just read that the Canadian was a student -- so likely very young. The student was apparently quite a money grubber. It seems Browne might have taught him a lesson, no?

-- Updated 5/7

As reported by Towleroad, Lord Browne's rent boy was a young, reasonably good looking kid. At least he might have been worth all the trouble.