Arizona is among the states that have a robust citizen's initative history. Oft the bane of legislators, who prefer to have their laws crafted in accordance with their particular special interest obligations, citizens' initatives often run roughshod over lobbyist efforts. But the practice isn't perfect.

I had to diary this just because I think its a great juxtaposition of events. Due to republican chicanery and their strange love/hate for our armed forces, the Pentagon is having to shift budget items around to make sure that the Army can cover payroll.

In the great southwest we are accustomed to the familiar green and white paintjob of the US Border Patrol vehicles. Along the highways and interstates through California, Arizona and New Mexico they are sometimes more prevalent than actual highway patrol officers. There is a new tactic however that is netting lots of unsuspecting travelers, including my brother.

Its a busy day in the body politik, and among all the imagery that I have been absorbing all day, it just gelled in my head how quickly Rudy 9iu11ani has attached himself to McCain's side like some sort of nastier than usual colostomy bag.

I received an envelope from my wireless carrier, Verizon, yesterday. It contains an updated customer agreement as well as a notice about Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI).

CPNI is their term for all the marketing information that they have collected on me over the term of my subscription. This information is typically shared with Verizon and its affiliates so that they can customize products. I can opt out of allowing them to share this information, except in the instance of complying with laws, court order or subpoena.

MIT student arrested for wearing a blinking sweatshirt to the airport.

VIDEO

Star Simpson is a 19 year old MIT student. By her own account she seems to be of the eccentric caste, an inventor and builder of little gizmos. She made the mistake of wearing one of her favored sweatshirts to the airport to meet a friend from an arriving flight. The blinking lights on her sweatshirt alarmed the airport staff and she was arrested. By the account of the Boston police representative, she was very nearly blown away if she didn't comply exactly as they ordered.

What exactly does a bomb look like these days?

This has been digging at me for, oh, about 4 years now. I have been hesitant to express this thought, in comments sections and in discussion with other people about the Iraq quagmire for fear of, I don't know, being called mean. Or, un-American. Or something.

Supporting the troops essentially means supporting the illegal war. It seems that us anti-war types have been doing all sorts of mental and philisophical gymnastics to try and work around this. What has emerged is a sort of low impact, mealy-mouthed common wisdom that is palatable to everyone but is ultimately going to allow us to stay in Iraq for years to come.

Even Jim Webb's shelved equal time legislation carries the scent of this erroneous wisdom.