Great
The Pentagon is carelessly pissing off China. I have no doubt there's reason to be concerned about China's military modernization program. But do we have to antagonize them now? The last paragraph of the above linked article says it all:
"The exchange of words comes at a sensitive moment in U.S.-China relations, days before Beijing is scheduled to host a new round of talks aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program and months before Chinese President Hu Jintao is scheduled to visit the United States amid intensifying complaints in Congress about his government's trade practices."
Meanwhile, President Bush has nominated the whitest man in America for the Supreme Court. If I were an anti-abortion timber company executive, or a brainwashed automaton, I would consider John Roberts (whose name sounds like it should belong to a protagonist in a bad Bruce Willis action movie), a fine nominee. But instead, I'm an abortion-loving athiest with Jew blood. George Carlin is the only nominee who would really satisfy me. Those odds are long.
I will be away from my desk for ten days, not like anyone will miss me here. Though my month of financial desperation continues, it appears that I have secured a nice part-time job that will help us through the cold months. Details forthcoming. Thanks to those of you who wrote with support and offers for work. I had to decline the offer from Alcoa to write letters of apology to families who've been victimized by environmental poisoning. They only wanted to pay me 50 cents a word.