Were I Bin Laden I could not have dreamt that the spirit of 9/11 would be so vigorous five years on. I have western leaders still parroting my motto that “9/11 alters everything” and “the rules of the game are changed”. I have the Taliban resurgent, financed by Europe’s voracious demand for oil and opium. I have the Pentagon and Scotland Yard paying me the compliment of a “long war” of indefinite duration. My potency is said to require more defence spending than was needed to contain the might of the Soviet Union.

Bush and Blair have brilliantly done Bin Laden's work for him - Sunday Times - Times Online

This isn't good

What does it say about Chavez or his project if he can't find or trust ideological successors to carry it on?

Thought for the day (for English readers).

Do you remember when Ajax and Flash were things you'd find for cleaning the bathroom? :-)

Apparently we passed Peak Oil in December, 2005

Uh oh!

Indian Electronica - Showcasing the Arts and Culture of South Asians, worldwide.

The United States and Israel are discussing ways to destabilize the Palestinian government so that newly elected Hamas officials will fail and elections will be called again, according to Israeli officials and Western diplomats.

U.S. and Israelis Are Said to Talk of Hamas Ouster - New York Times

Wow! According to John Simpson

Let's recapitulate briefly. According to the US Department of Defense, only 8% of the prisoners at Guantanamo were al-Qaeda fighters, and only 5% of them were captured by the Americans themselves.

The overwhelming majority of the others were handed over to the Americans by people who could reasonably be called bounty hunters.

Is this true?

25 Great Calvin & Hobbes Strips

What's this?





G.R.E.S. Portela

It's the costume I'm going to be wearing at carnival!!!

A whole gang of us will be parading with Portela in the Rio carnival (sometime around 5.00 AM, at the end of the competition.)

Just hope I can get fit enough in time. The whole parade lasts around 80 minutes, 40 of which are actually part of the competition. Having signed up for it, I now find out there's some serious responsibility that goes with this. We have to keep dancing and singing for the whole 40 mins. Otherwise, if the television cameras or judges catch us slacking, Portela will lose points and no-one's gonna be very happy.

There's serious competition between the Schools of Samba.