Opinion: Post-Withrawal Jitters for Democrats

A weekend letter to the editor published at HeraldTribune.com asks and interesting question: After the troops have left Iraq, then what?

Ahead of the November elections, the Democrats continue to push a troop withdrawal while the Republicans offer an ongoing effort to bring stability to the region. The result is a political soup that is backed by cheap talk.

The Democratic candidates lack a plan that details next steps that describes scenarios after a pullout of American forces or what the climate will be if we keep U.S. forces in the theater.

The Washington Post published a point-counter-point series of opinions about the best methodolgy for ending the war in Iraq. Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security adviser to Carter, gives his take on "The Smart Way Out of a Foolish War" and Max Boot, a senior fellow in national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, gives a rebuttal in "How Not to End the War."

These two takes are a good starting point to tackle America's past policy of containment as applied to 21st-Century foreign policy. Vietnam-era references do hold up as a good comparison but fail to hold value since you cannot compare Vietnam and Iraq as a whole. Halting the spread of communism isn't the same as ending the influence of extremeist-inspired terrorism.

What-if scenarios do not really matter as they describe hypothetical answers. Then-what situations do offer plans for the future.

Brzezinski offers a clear agenda for the Democrats to offer up these plans:

"In brief, the war has become a national tragedy, an economic catastrophe, a regional disaster and a global boomerang for the United States. Ending it is thus in the highest national interest."

These four points, coupled with an analysis of what changes might bring, could be a solid foundation for a presidential platform.

Boot, on the other hand, believes his countpart is offering up the same notions shared by policymakers that crafted the plan for withdrawal from Vietnam.

"The consequences of withdrawal and defeat in Iraq are likely to be even more serious [than Vietnam], because it is located in a more volatile and strategically important region. Brzezinski thinks that Shiite-Sunni enmity is "in large part the sour byproduct of the destructive U.S. occupation" and would evaporate after our departure. Few serious analysts share his optimism."

Comparing the climate of the middle east to southeast Asia, in different eras, is exactly where the debate has eluded most voters. But, the use of historical facts, offer the only evidence of what a rash withdrawal would mean in the future. Currently, the National Intelligence Estimate offers the only solid proof of what the future holds.

Answering the question about Iraq is a starting point to rebuilding America. Next steps should prove how our foreign policy ties into the economy, immigration, global warming and race.

Sphere: Related Content

Baseball Opens With Bush and Boos

Baseball season is in full swing as Major League Baseball celebrates "Opening Week 2008." The first game of the season featured the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves. President Bush threw out the first pitch in a Sunday night game between the Nationals and the Braves.

While the Nats also opened the doors to their new stadium, Nationals Park, in southeast Waashington along the Anacostia River, the president seemed to get a real feel of the nation's pulse.

It was only two years ago, in Cincinnati, that Bush became the first acting president to throw a ceremonial first pitch at a Reds game (Video).

The difference in 2008 is the reception of the president by the fans. The cheers from 2006 are replaced by jeers and boos.

Sphere: Related Content

Friday's Fixture: Lions Versus All Blacks, 2005

This match was played in the winter of 2005, featuring the best players in the U.K. squaring off against New Zealand's national team.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8982012905266494004

The blog distribution of this video is intended for educational purposes and should be used for players, fans and coaches to review and enjoy the sport of rugby. All rights reserved to the original parties who published the content.

The Haka is cut from this full match, so I've included it below:

Sphere: Related Content

New Site Offers Royalty-Free Stock Video

Footage of the World is a start-up that aims to provide Websites with quality, 1080HD video footage. For most publishers, both big and small, using quality video usually requires sending someone into the field in hopes of capturing a story-telling moment. This site does the work for you and guarantees satisfaction. Here's a sample of their mission:

"Footage of the World is built to provide consumers of stock video the highest quality, most creative and most powerful footage on the market. Our stock footage is original and includes content taken from some of the most remote locations around the globe. Each stock clip is exceptionally clear, filmed in broadcast quality 1080 High Definition and available royalty-free. We also offer collections (groups of clips) that allow our customers to tell a story, convey a concept and develop an ambiance by utilizing similarly themed shots. Most importantly, feel good about shopping here - 15% of income goes to charity!"

Nonprofit and philanthropic journalism is beginning to make a strong foothold on the Web. As the newspapers, both local and national, begin massive layoffs and cutbacks, foundations and trusts are exploring new ventures to capture a new voice. Maybe the shift to Web 3.0 will feature hyper-local content where everyone has a voice?

Sphere: Related Content

Assessing Mental Illness After Va. Tech Shootings

Almost a year has passed since the tragic shooting on the campus of Virginia Tech that killed 32 and wounded at least 27. The tragedy, which killed both students and faculty, touched the lives of Hokies everywhere while raising questions about campus safety, mental illness and gun control.

The pledge to "never forget" now lives in all aspects of collegiate life. Hokie nation has organized A Day of Remembrance to pay tribute to the victims through art, light and music. A schedule of events for April 16 can be found at the Va. Tech Website.

Almost immediately following the shootings, the university pledged to make several strides toward prevention that may help to avoid such future events.

The Office of Recovery and Support was established to provide immediate care and support by all affected by the events of April 16, 2007. The mission is to "coordinate the activities of various university functions that have responsibility for some aspect of the post-April 16 event effort."

VT Alerts, an early-warning alert system, was established to provide urgent notifications through text message, e-mail or instant message about campus safety bulletins. Counseling resources remain available to students , faculty and staff. Virginia Tech President Charles Steger conducted three internal reviews in August 2007 in an effort to provide recommendations on boosting safety, communications and interface.

Despite all of the action taken towards prevention, the issue of mental illness remains a political landmine. Recently, Virginia approved massive changes to the state's mental health laws, a positive step towards sweeping changes necessary to prevent such future tragedies. Funding for such measures and the power that local authorities have to enact such laws remains an issue outside the idealogical scope of the debate. (More information : Virginia's mental health reform initiative.)

Congress has recently moved to pass measures on mental health parity in health care coverage that supporters have called a civil rights issue. The House approved a measure that requires most group health plans to provide treatment equal to physical treament. The Senate's measure would give insurers that chose to cover mental health wide latitude in which conditions to cover.

The trade-offs in mental health parity will continue to be debated for some time. The worst-case scenario is, with similar Congressional measures that take on different meanings, that no bill will gain final approval.

In order to find success here, mental illness needs to be defined on the same level as physical illness has been for the purposes of health care. Otherwise, health insurance companies will continue to reject various treatments based on loose terminology.

Complete treatment often includes a regime of drug and "Talk" therapy administered by a qualified medical professional. Since there are not guarantees, health care companies are not moved to act based on the increased liability.

Sphere: Related Content

Va. Tech Families Review Settlement

A relative of a Virginia Tech shooting victim says the families of those killed would receive $100,000 each under a settlement designed to prevent lawsuits, according to the Associated Press. State officials are offering $100,000 to each of the 32 students and faculty killed in a 2007 shooting rampage on campus. The deal also includes a fund of up to $800,000 for any victims wounded by the tragedy, including physical and mental damages, while allowing contributions for an additional five years.

In essence, the deal by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine would remove the liability of the Commonwealth, and the university, if it is accepted unanimously by all parties.

The yet-to-be-finalized multimillion-dollar settlement also would provide payment and insurance for medical and counseling costs for the families and surviving victims, The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk reported Monday. In addition, the families would have repeated opportunities to question the governor and university officials in person about the shootings in which Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 and wounded 27 more before taking his own life.

"As part of the deal, the state would create a fund to help pay for the medical expenses of some of the more than two dozen students and faculty members injured in the shooting, state officials familiar with the offer said. The families of the 32 victims killed by the shooter would get about $100,000 each. The money would come from taxpayers. Any settlement or payout from the state would be in addition to the $8.5 million in private donations that Virginia Tech distributed to the victims and their families last fall." -- The Washington Post

The families have until March 31 to review the proposal and decide whether or not to accept the deal.

(Photo by Rick Griffiths: Students walking through East Eggleston Archway toward Newman Library.)

Sphere: Related Content

A-Team Project Gets a Boost, Director and Twist

Who says the '80s are dead? Well, they are alive, in some ways, at least.

Directory John Singleton has been tapped by Twentieth Century Fox for a film adaptation of Stephen J. Cannell's TV series The A-Team, according to wire reports and other sources. With the news came many rumors about which actors will play the the often-iconicized Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus (Mr. T), Col. John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard) and Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdoch (Dwight Schultz), to name a few.

Rumors continue to circulate about what new and updated story line the new project will feature. The television series, first released in 1983, pitted four Vietnam veterans, framed for a crime they didn't do, help the innocent as heroes-for-hire while running from the military. Modern-day Robin Hood(s), if you will. The updated action-adventure film is reportedly set to feature a band of Iraq war veterans railroaded for a crime they didn't commit.

Casting has not yet been announced for the film, due for a June 2009 release. Nonetheless, everyone continues to imagine a B.A. Baracus played by Ice Cube or 50 Cent. Or, Jim Carey taking a stab at "Howling Mad" Murdoch.

Until then, enjoy again the series intro:


The A-TEAM Intro - Watch more videos here

(Image points to starpulse.com: origignal content is owned by Universal TV and Stepehn J. Cannell Productions; video embedded from metacafe.com)

Sphere: Related Content

Follow the Bouncing Ball

As the nation is becoming more consumed with March Madness, presidential candidates continue to scramble for solutions to the economic mess. Republicans stick to the gameplan, the status quo, while their counterparts in the upcoming election look to capitalize by offering new ideas.

On the heels of the Department of Labor's release of unemployement numbers on Thursday, a new USA Today/Gallup poll warns that at least 75 percent of Americans believe a recession has already arrived. Economists continue to warn that such a crisis of confidence by a tenative public could make the economy worse.

Hillary Clinton starts quickly with a $30 billion economic stimulus plan that would "help struggling U.S. families instead of just Wall Street banks." Such a measure comes on the heels of a February stimulus plan, worth $168 billion, to help avert a housing-led recession. Hillary's move is clear: appeal to the voters by fixing common problems.

Clinton's chief rival, Barak Obama, continues to spin the news and make any connection with his darling rhetoric. During a speech in West Virginia, Obama linked the war in Iraq to the slumping economy.

"When you're spending over $50 to fill up your car because the price of oil is four times what it was before Iraq, you're paying a price for this war. When Iraq is costing each household about $100 a month, you're paying a price for this war."

A deeper look into Obama's March 17 statement on the state of the economy finds a candidate who supplements different issues with the same rhetoric or changes the topic completely. With the economy weighing heavily on the minds of voters in the U.S., Obama's campaign thrusts ahead by offering a sweeping assesment on race in America, a call for racial healing and giving everyone a road map to follow.

As Led Zeppelin historical concert and film from the 70s, "The Song Remains the Same." But, this time, we all know the words to at least one of the songs and the candidates present a two chords to follow, each with a different chorus.

Image credit: Theatrical poster for the film The Song Remains the Same copyright Warner Brothers 1976.

Sphere: Related Content

Opinion: On War Anniversary, Talk Is Cheap

As the Iraq war enters its sixth year, Americans seem to be removed from the political situation and somewhat numb to it's meaning. Without question, they care deeply about the welfare of U.S. troops. In fact, it's the economy that has soured the importance of Iraq.

It's as if people are trying to forget and remember at the same time. The public's opinion that the war was not worth it's cost has not changed significantly in three years. Many in the U.S. are embarassed by the mistaken march to war and now look for leadership that offers a solution that will not return the U.S. to a Vietnam-era foreign policy. Meanwhile, the economic slide has continued and the future looks uncertain.

The evidence of such a contridiction is seen by the division between the two political parties and their 2008 presidential hopefuls. The Republicans wish to continue the war and contain radical extremism while the Democrats hope to withdraw and regroup, a policy of isolation. Neither offer any promise of economic stability.

For the Republicans, the message remains that the U.S. was right to wage war and should continue along this path. Their strategy is twofold: the president continues to tow the line and stay within the theme of defending the war and his policy of preemptive action; the Republican hopefuls will pick up from there by lauding the surge and the fight against radical Islamic extremism.

In a speech from the Pentagon on Wednesday, President Bush remained unwavering in his insistence that the invasion of Iraq had made the United States safer.

"Five years into this battle, there is an understandable debate over whether the war was worth fighting, whether the fight is worth winning, and whether we can win it. The answers are clear to me. Removing Saddam Hussein from power was the right decision, and this is a fight that America can and must win.”

While visiting Iraq this week, John McCain issued a press release on March 17, 2008, stating that the U.S. and its allies are nearing a "major victory."

"Americans should be proud that they led the way in removing a vicious, predatory dictator and opening the possibility of a free and stable Iraq. Americans should be proud that once we implemented the surge and new counterinsurgency strategy, a dire situation has been dramatically improved. And, Americans know that the consequences of failure would leave our nation less secure for generations to come."

The Democrats are taking an anti-war stance but Obama and Clinton are locked in a debate over which candidate is the "real deal" and can end the conflict. Senator Obama offers his two reasons why the war shouldn't have been fought: a president's ideology that overrode pragmatism and politicians that focused on public opinion over intelligence reports.

This quote from Obama's speech on March 19 defines his platform for the true anti-war candidate:

"Now we are debating who should be our next Commander in Chief. And I am running for President because it's time to turn the page on a failed ideology and a fundamentally flawed political strategy, so that we can make pragmatic judgments to keep our country safe. That's what I did when I stood up and opposed this war from the start, and said that we needed to finish the fight against al Qaeda. And that's what I'll do as President of the United States."

For Clinton, the spin began by casting herself as the pure candidate who has been working since 2002 for an end to the conflict. From a speech on March 17, the Democratic senator says what matters is "not just the promises we've made to end the war; what matters is what we've actually done when it came time to match words with action."

Clinton's message is her mission to end the war, beginning first in the senate and then as the commander in chief, and reasons to cosponsor legislation to reauthorize the war and end the president's authority to fight it.

"That’s why I’ve started laying the ground work for a swift and responsible withdrawal beginning in early 2009 by demanding that the Pentagon start planning for it now. I’ve introduced legislation ensuring that Congress would be briefed on those plans and that's also why I’m working to block President Bush's effort to keep this war going after he leaves office. I’ve introduced legislation banning him from unilaterally negotiating a long-term security commitment to Iraq, including the possibility of permanent bases."

The rhetoric about Iraq will continue and bring a certain drama to the upcoming election. Meanwhile, the public longs for a committment to a stable economic future. All the while, how does a troop withdrawal from Iraq will help stabilize the housing market, energy prices, the credit crisis, financial losses and unemployment?

Just follow the bouncing ball. The talk about experience to lead as commander-in-chief will have to measure up to the ability to lead the nation as economist-in-chief. The U.S. is in a head-on collision with a recession as more Americans are filing for unemployment amid the the largest housing downturn in 25 years, huge finanical losses and less credit.

Look for policymakers, in Washington, and candidates, on the trail, to steer the conversation away from foreign policy and back to national policy. The Democrats are due to offer up a real economic plan that differs from the status quo. Such a move will define the difference between Clinton and Obama. As for the Republicans, they will need to find a better solution to unemployment than tax refunds.

Sphere: Related Content

Best Rugby Tries of 2007

This "best of 2007" mix comes from the Guiness Premiership over the winter in the United Kingdom.



More on this can be found at the following YouTube rugby channel.

Sphere: Related Content

Italy's Lineout Strategy

One smart tactic used by Italy that works very well against a good mauling team: they choose not to join the maul and create an open offsides line.

Watch this video from YouTube:



The hooker joins after the drive starts, resulting in no "offsides" penalty after the maul is formed. Brilliant.

Sphere: Related Content

NCAA Hoops Play-In Has 'Bracketeers' Scrambling

March madness officially begins tonight with a matchup to decide who will be the 64th- and 65th-ranked team in the nation. But for March hoops fans, the game gives everyone a little extra time to finalize the picks before the Thursday deadline. It seems, this year in particular, the race for top "bracketologist" has moved from the office pool to the online ocean.

Everywhere any "expert" can find their game plans, matchups and analysis. Check out ESPN's BracketCaster or AccuScore: the power of simulation makes things very interesting. Although each simulation offers different results, any fan will get mired in the possibilities with these interactive gems.

Where to join, you ask? The choices are endless, really. Any of the major Web hubs that offer some type of sports information have a version of the online game. Fantasy sports at a whole new level.

From Fox Sports College Basketball Challenge to Yahoo! Sports Fantasy games, anyone can win. This year it seems that winning also means setting yourself up for yet another marketing ploy. Not only do fans get to talk smack with others in their groups, they also get a chance to win an HDTV, cash or other tech gadgets.

Social media has taken on a whole new meaning. On Facebook, two of the more popular fantasy gaming spots are elbowing for top page rankings. CBS Sportsline and Sports Illustrated, with SI Bracket Challenge, have created applications for users to share among their friends.

What's more is the joint venture between CBS and the NCAA to offer "March Madness on Demand" with live, streaming game play. With such conventions, who needs to leave the office to play hooky?

In this writer's opinion, you really don't want to classify yourself as a "bracketologist" but a bracketeer. Such fans are best described as folks who will claim they knew a 14-seed would upset a three-seed and further their argument by claiming to have picked George Mason to advance to the final four.

Needless to say, I'll enter just two pools and talk no smack. In fact, this is the only way to watch college hoops: I'd prefer to make things interesting rather than just watching paint dry. How many more months until the NFL season starts?

Here's my prediction, just to keep it fun: South Alabama upsets Butler in the first round, Tennessee in the second and Louisville in the third. But the Jags won't be able to hold off the Tarheels.

(Photo credit: Matt McGee / flickr)

Sphere: Related Content

Slainte: Erin Go Bragh

In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, many Americans will flock to a local Irish establisment, drink green beer and partake in many of the festivities. The latest census information suggests that 12% of U.S. citizens are of Irish ancestry but the "unofficial" holiday remains as one of the more popular days.

Because many Americans celebrate their Irish lineage on St. Patrick’s Day, March was picked as Irish-American Heritage Month.

There are four cities named Shamrock , the floral emblem of Ireland, and nine named after the capital city, Dublin. If you’re still not into the spirit of St. Paddy’s Day after stopping by one of the places named “Shamrock” or “Dublin,” then you might consider paying a visit to Emerald Isle, N.C., with 3,528 residents, of whom a ratio of 1-in-6 are of Irish descent.

How to celebrate St. Patrick's Day:

• A good start is to rate your St. Patrick's Day IQ with this 10-question quiz.


• Wear green


• Pin a shamrock to your hat


• Speak with a brogue


• Wear brogues


• Drink Irish beer and spirits


• Wish your friends and family "Top o' the morning to ye" and every so often cry out "Erin go bragh!" (Ireland forever)


• If you're a mayor, dye your town's rivers green and paint your lane markers green.

Sphere: Related Content

Airlines Raise Prices for Second Piece of Luggage

Sphere: Related Content

Your March 15 Buzz

The soothsayer's warning to Julius Caesar, "Beware the Ides of March," has forever imbued that date with a sense of foreboding. But in Roman times the expression "Ides of March" did not necessarily evoke a dark mood—it was simply the standard way of saying "March 15." (Article infoplease.com ; Image bible-history.com)

According to the BBC e-cyclopedia, in the Roman calender, there were 45 public festivals, as well as the ides of each month, days which were sacred to Jupiter.

In March, May, July and October, the ides fell on the 15th.

The Julian calendar, established by Julius Caesar, gave us the basis of our system of 365 days a year and 366 in a leap year.

---

NEWS

---

• Tougher Pollution Rules Issued for Ships, Locomotives: EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson said on Friday the new standards will yield between $8.4 billion and $12 billion in health benefits and prevent 1,400 premature deaths annually by the time they are in full effect in 2030. Johnson estimated that they will cost businesses $740 million to implement.


• Florida could join several southern U.S. towns and cities that have passed "saggy pants" laws aimed at outlawing what some teenagers consider a fashion statement -- wearing pants half way down their buttocks, exposing flesh or underwear.



• Reuters reports that since Ashley Alexandra Dupre was identified by The New York Times late on Wednesday as the Gov. Eiliot Spitzer's paramour, the prostitute and aspiring singer's songs have become the most popular downloads on a music-sharing Web site and at least one magazine is prepared to pay her for a nude photo spread. Video . Meanwhile, the AP reports that Dupre's lawyer lashed out at the media on Friday for thrusting the 22-year-old woman into the "public glare" without her consent and publishing revealing photos. Dupre's attorney, Don D. Buchwald stopped short of saying the 22-year-old would sue media outlets, but he contended that she is not a public figure and said he would take "all steps that we deem necessary or appropriate to protect Ms. Dupre from any unwarranted exploitation of her name, picture, voice or likeness for purposes of profit."

Sphere: Related Content

Billy Crystal, He's Our Man

Following a dream is what life is about. For an actor and comedian who's "done it all" in the eyes of some people, this takes the cake. Playing for the New York Yankees, in spring training, as the lead-off batter in the bottom of the first inning in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

That is a real MLB pitcher out there who is not throwing softies.

So, kudos to Billy Crystal for going 3-1, including a foul tip down the first base line, before eventually striking out.

With that, I leave you all with just one question: who will be next?

Sphere: Related Content

Kyra: I Aint Afraid No Ghosts (Horses)

Sphere: Related Content

Dolphin Rescues Stranded Whale

Sphere: Related Content

Add 'Client 9' to List of Baby Names

Here's a morning buzz for you: Spitzter hired a prostitute, well, several actually. The real bit of news here is a certain level of folklore, some type of hero status that this case will take on.

"Client 9" will become the next "Choose Life" shirt. Or, "Have a Nice Day" emblazoned with a smiley face. How about, "Franky Says 'Relax'" or any other glib and cool shirt from the '80s.

So what's so special about a case like this? Sex. If it's sexy, it gains a foothold in popular culture. No more bleeds-it-leads concepts, just some good cheating on the wife with a prostitute. Not only cheating but doing so over and over with a couple regulars, one of which "Client 9" flew down from New York for an overnighter at a Washington, D.C., hotel.

Back to my point: Spitzer now becomes the "Boy Named Sue." That is, when you have two names that suck, like Elliot and Spitzer, how can you avoid either having the crap beaten out of you? Or, even worse, become completely ignored until you have only your right hand and an imagination.

Today's article from the New York Times touches on this concept. The author studies how successful people are, between generations, if their parents give them an unpopular name. How would you judge such a study?

Or, take another fun ride through "Bad Baby Names," a new book and blog by Michael Sherrod, Matthew Rayback, that describes a hundred years of naming conventions flushed down the toilet.

Inevitably, we are all heading for anonimity through non-traditional names via our screen names anyhow. In fact, I spent the morning grabbing the domains and Yahoo!/gmail/hotmail e-mail addys for client9@ or client9.com/org/net.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for keeping things simple.

Sphere: Related Content

Water News Reminds Us of 'A Clockwork Orange'

News headlines from the AP today show some disturbing news about drugs in the water supply: Tests revealed that some of the Washington area's drinking water contained trace amounts of these drugs.

Caffeine: a stimulant found in food and drinks.

Carbamazepine: an anti-convulsive to reduce epileptic seizures and a mood stabilizer for treating bipolar disorders.

Ibuprofen: an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication.
Monensin: an antibiotic administered to cattle.

Naproxen: an anti-inflammatory drug commonly found in Aleve.

Sulfamethoxazole: an antibiotic that can be used to treat infections in humans and animals.

Triclocarban: a disinfectant found in antibacterial soaps.

SOURCE: Washington Aqueduct

Sphere: Related Content

Hangover, Geneva Style

Hangover, Geneva Style, originally uploaded by flingjore_travels.

I've been going through my memories today, stuck in a bit of project hell. One good thing in taking on such a project is that you can never get enough of the stupid-funny moments from the road.

In this frame, we decided to spend a quiet day in Geneva and then work our way back to the south of France. What happens when you fight jetlag? Go drinking.

So, we watched the first three matches of the day and resolved to find food and a big screen for the night match. One thing led to another and we were chugging beer with some locals, met a couple from New Jersey and proceeded to close the place down.

The late night events took place on Lake Geneva, where another three bottles of French wine were consumed. By the time we awoke the next morning, it was checkout.

That's my point of view, red-eyed and thirsty with only water "with gas" to drink.

Sphere: Related Content

With a Start

There's no loud music, a bang or any catchy phrases here today, just something to get going.

What will this be:

• Random thoughts, sometimes confusing to the eye.
• A diary, of sorts, used as a writers' tool to kickstart the brain.
• Some type of crossroads for friends and family to find things that only matter to them.
• Something cool for me to do.
• An experiment with the next phase in the Web.
• Or, this is just the beginning of the list.

I've begun today by adding photos from my flickr account. Today these photos are shared with the world but I might have a change of heart and pull back the curtain.

Lastly, it's nice to write from the first person in something other than a work-related e-mail.

Cheers.

Sphere: Related Content