Hoo Farm is open!

Another Sunday adventure! First I have to take them to the shops to buy stuff for sandwiches, we finally arrive and the first thing Esme asks is if she can play on the playthings, now! As we drive in she spots the trampolines and swings, it's on her mind for the rest of the day.

We get the tickets and some animal feed and set off for the sheep. It's lambing season, we don't see any births but plenty of lambs to stroke and go 'ahaa' over. Bradley's not worried about the sheep eating out of his hand, but Esme's not keen at all. "Can we go on the play things now?" She says, for the hundredth time. We make our way there pretty quickly, pausing only to let Bradley catch up.

The trampolines are great fun, if only Bradley can stand up before someone else starts jumping. Soon, we're joined by bigger kids and Esme too cannot stand up. We make two trips to the trampolines, and I tyake Esme's shoes off countless times, as she's off, then wants to go back on, when the bigger kids move away.

We also make two trips to the sand pits. This is better for me, I can just sit down and watch, though I get bored. Esme's trip on the pony goes very smoothly. Bradley would have gone on too, but for, "me bigger." He feels he's too young to ride horses.

BBC: Iraq war sparks wireless row

" A band of US politicians are angered over plans to build a communication system in post-war Iraq based upon European wireless standards."

They're not happy that France and Germany will benefit. Still, isn't this a bit early?

Wired 3.01: The Wired Scared Shitlist

TIMES SQUARE A-BOMBED

President Dole Appeals for Calm, Declares National Emergency, 5 million dead, 10 million injured. Damage is estimated at $3 trillion. 'Our worst nightmare has been realized.'

Washington -- The President declared a national emergency Tuesday morning after a 10-kiloton nuclear bomb exploded in the heart of Manhattan, transforming Times Square into a yawning crater approximately 500 feet in diameter and 100 feet deep...

I remember reading this edition of Wired. This was from the magazine in Jan 1995, it was a suitcase bomb. There was a B+W photo with it, full page. An aerial view of the city with a huge hole. I stared at it for ages. Has anybody got a copy of it?

This picture is of Baghdad March 27 2003. It was us or them, it always has been. This was to be a generational war, bin Laden was just one of many who've come out of the woodwork. There are many more names, now they're stiring up resentment as agent provocateurs in 'the arab street' fired by the Muslim mullers. Much better to get this sorted out rather than in 10 years when they have the ability to knock out New York, or release disease in Birmingham, UK.

Bin Laden screwed up. If he'd have kept quiet for several more years, he could have done this. And more.

DEBKAfile, Political Analysis, Espionage, Terrorism Security

I've followed DEBKAfile for over a year. A lot of the background is very detailed, some of the predictions are a little off, but on the whole I trust them, at least with the stuff I blog.

Israel elevates first-aid Magen David alert for possible chemical attack.
They're getting jumpy, and have been for some time, but this is an increase on that.
US defense secretary warns Syrian action in sending military equipment to Iraq is seen as hostile act and Syria may be viewed as combatant. Rumsfeld also warns Iran against interfering in war in Iraq.
Syria, one of the 'Axis of Evil,' though he's the most Westernised, Assad's rule is closer to the religious fanatices than you'd imagine. With a chemical and bio plan of their own. It's thought that Hezbollah has chemical shells but Israeli's nukes, and the will to use them, scare the shit out them. But if they can get one in, they surely would.
DEBKAfile reports from US intelligence sources that Iraq has moved chemical and biological weapons to within missile-striking distance of Israel in western Iraq despite US-UK presence in region. Some of the WMD was taken out of hiding-places in Syria.
It's been thought for sometime, that those transportable chemical factories and weapons, have been taken over borders, both Syria and Iran when the weapons inspectors were about to come in. Of course, Syria and Iran's Government, would have denied it.
Thursday several hundred Lebanese Hizballah headed across Syrian-Iraqi border to join Syrian-sponsored Palestinian volunteer movement for Saddam's army.
This ties in with the story they reported and I blogged a few days ago about the Syrian bus bombed by US F-15.
DEBKAfile military sources: US forces approaching Baghdad face WMD threat once across Tigris River -- Saddam's signal to loose chemical, biological and possibly nuclear weapons.
I have no idea why DEBKAfile keeps going on about Iraqi nukes. Maybe they mean dirty bombs?

Telewest's blueyonder nears 300,000 subscriber mark

"The cable company indicated that 31,000 of its 297,000 high-speed internet subscribers were on a 1Mbp/s service. In addition Telewest still has 280,000 dial-up internet customers. The 1,500 places on the 2Mb blueyonder pilot scheme were snapped up by the company's 1Mb customers within just 12 hours, Telewest said."

Two Megs? Damn, nobody told me about that!

The Register had the story yesterday: "Telewest is considering an increase in the number of people it will take on its 2Mb broadband trial after all 1,500 places were snapped up in just a few hours. "

Gary Hart launched a weblog

"From time to time, I'll post my thoughts on current policy matters, as well as share some stories about where I'm traveling and the people I'm meeting. I'll also ask some of my friends to share their thoughts as well. I cannot promise to be as skillful at this as many of those who have made the blogger universe such an important part of the internet. However, I'm committed to using the Internet as a vital tool to engage people on critical policy matters and the future of our country."

Hart joins Howard Dean as the only other 2004 presidential hopeful with a weblog. [Via and discussed here: MetaFilter]

The US is going weblog crazy.

InfoWorld: Publishing a project Weblog

Jon Udell: "There's a subject near and dear to my heart! A couple of years ago I predicted that Weblogs would emerge within the enterprise as a great way to manage project communication. I'm even more bullish on the concept today."

Ha'aretz: Dozens of volunteers crossing Syrian border into

"Syria is granting free passage across its border with Iraq to volunteers who wish to join the fight against the U.S. and British forces, primarily Palestinians from the refugee camps in Lebanon.

This has given rise to the theory that the U.S.-fired missile that struck a Syrian bus traveling in Iraq was an intentional attack on a busload of such volunteers. The bus left Damascus on Sunday and was hit by the missile some 50 kilometers inside Iraqi territory"

This rumour about the bus is spreading. It started off in The DebkaFile's report of the 25th. It may not be a rumour of course.

I get the feeling that Syria will be next of the US's list.

smh.com.au: Saddam's 'Dr Germ' seen at meeting, says US

"Ammash and al-Hindawi are among Iraq's top weapons scientists. Others include Amir al-Saadi, a chief chemical weapons researcher, and Dr Rihab Taha, a woman who was dubbed "Dr Germ" by inspectors.

The officials did not know whether to place any significance on Ammash's appearance in the video. Qusay Hussein, Saddam's younger son and probable successor, also appeared on the recording."

Saddam appears to be in a deep bunker, but this morning the US dropped bunker busting bombs on Baghdad.

The Scotsman: Mr Esser, 45, of Munich, whose grandmother built the bunker which protected Hitler from attacks added: "If they want to get at Saddam, they would have to level the palace completely, and get rid of the debris. Then they would need to hit the site with their 80-kilo Tomahawks 16 times at the same spot to get through. ThatÕs 16 times."

The Iraqi leader is protected by 9ft-thick walls designed to withstand a Hiroshima type nuclear explosion. The command room contains secure communications equipment, allowing access to strategic military information. And an escape tunnel under the Tigris river is protected by three-ton doors.

smh.com.au: Evidence found of plan to use chemical weapons

"But Hans Blix, the chief UN weapons inspector, said in New York today that he doubts the Iraqi regime would use any banned weapons in the current fighting because to do so would cause Saddam great damage in the battle for world opinion. I didn't think they would do it because, first of all, the world would say that they were liars," Blix said. "The scepticism about the armed conflict would give way to one of greater understanding.""

Hoon's been saying that they've found documents, no other information. This is on top of the chemical weapons protection suits, found at a hospital and in an oil field, and Iraqi prisoners taking protection pills.

Quick post

I've a meeting in Stourport, West Midlands, UK tomorrow afternoon. The aerial view reminds me of the maps they've been showing on TV of an Iraqi town. The brown bits in this pic are not desert, though.
[Update: meeting postponed till next Friday.]

Reuters: Warblogs in the news

"War-themed blogs, appearing on sites such as www.blogsofwar.com and www.sgtstryker.com, have become a popular alternative news source since fighting broke out in Iraq a week ago, sometimes beating newspapers and television with war developments"

CNN: Marines discover Iraqi 9/11 mural

"U.S. Marines searching Iraqi military headquarters in this southern city that was the site of intensive fighting came across a mural depicting a plane crashing into a building complex resembling New York's twin towers. The plane's logo and coloring resembled that of Iraqi Airlines."

The Clash: Safe European Home

Another song that goes through my mind at the moment. Is it so safe? (The song's about the yardies in Jamaica giving Strummer and his public school chums a tough time.) And the martian reference, which I forgot, doesn't the IraqI war coverage look like the set of a B movie martian film?

Quick post

Busy old day today, been to Dudley most of morning - finishing up at Telewest. Now, gotta clean! Amanda and the kids are back, from a week away at her mum's, and in a few minutes! Gotta ditch the chicken bones, throw out the pizza boxes, do the dishes and generally deodorise the place. Gets smelly when you're working 18 hours a day and not showering.

Be good to see the kids again, I've missed them.

IMRA: Friday Sermon on Palestinian Authority Television

""Oh, people of Palestine, Oh, people of Iraq. The Crusader, Zionist America has started an attack against our Iraq, the Iraq of Islam and Arabism, the Iraq of civilization and history. It opened a Crusader Zionist war against Iraq. If Iraq is defeated, if the nation [of Islam] is defeated in Iraq - this will be our last breath of life... "

It gets worse! This is the stuff that sends shivers down my spine. It's being taught in every school in every Arab country.

"America will be destroyed, Allah willing, and Palestine, Iraq, and the Middle East will become a cemetery for oppressors..."

Watch and read such gems of thought: The "Life Is Sweet" Show: With the Family of Said Al-Khotari, the Suicide Bomber Who Blew Himself Up Outside the Dolphinarium in Tel Aviv, and Other Guests. From April 24, 2002 (Aired from Jordan). Such TV shows remind me of cosy Sunday evenings when I was a teenager, watching Songs of Praise, wishing there was something else on. Now with 100 channels on my TV, I still don't see the world for what it is. Lucky, I have the internet? Or, better I didn't know?

It is these teachings that we must stop or else this war on terrorism will never stop.

For days I've been humming to myself this song Killing an Arab by the Cure from 1979. I have no idea of the motives of the writer at that time, I guess there's some dichotomy. But this religious shit is getting to me.

Quick post

Looks like I was wrong this morning, Al Jazeera is suffering a denial of service attack.

Good news for a change: Uprising reported in Basra and Support for war surges. Better we see the other side too: Europeans flock to al-Jazeera

Web Logs: Troops' War Stories In Real Time. Some blogs from soldiers at the front line.

Quick post

How allies are winning on ground, Iraqis on TV: Things don't seem to be going well again this morning. Over my morning coffee I watch the 24 hour news stations, read the usual pages on the net.

Right now, I'm watching a news conference from the Iraqi Information Ministry. Saddam always said that he wasn't worried about the empty areas, our pundits always feared a guerilla urban campaign, and this looks as it will happen. Tanks, bombs are all useless fighting around schools and hospitals. And the TV is talking about the red line Saddam has run around Baghdad, cross this and WMD will be used. Tommy Franks said the Iraqi high command was no longer 'robust,' well it doesn't look that way.

The US will probably hold out for a few weeks outside Baghdad while they await more supplies and reserves. The 4th Armoured Division passed through the Suez Canal Monday on its way to the Gulf. To shorten its journey, the divisionÕs troops will probably disembark at Saudi Red Sea ports and cut through east into Iraq. The 173th Airborne Brigade based in Italy, counterpart of the 82nd Airborne Division, has received orders to move out to northern Iraq.

The US are trying to get the journalists out of Baghdad already, they know that the West will not stomach the horrors of an urban campaign. And it looks as though that's the way Iraq is fighting in Basra and the other villages. No wonder there hasn't been the scenes from WWII liberated France that we were all hoping for. The Iraqis have not yet met the victors, they have the 30-40,000 Fedayeen who may kill their families spying on the ordinary Iraqi as well as terrorising the ordinary soldier. Just like the SS in WWII.

Now, at last al Jazeera has an English version of their website. Their traffic is going to rocket and I'm getting time out errors from the server.

Quick post

Hundreds of US Apache and Black Hawks went into battle Sunday night against T-72 tanks of Republican Guards of Medina Division 2nd Armored Brigade at al Kut south of Baghdad. Helicopters encountered heavy ground fire.

American troops were within 20 miles of more than 30,000 Republican Guards.

The attack could go on for days. And this is where, if he's to use them at all, he'll use his WMD. Then pull into Baghdad for street to street fighting.

CBS: Search For Chemical Weapons

"Army doctors who treated some Iraqi prisoners of war, believed to be some high-ranking Iraqi officials, found Cipro pills among the Iraqis"

Article also, details of how the US army is able to 'sniff' out poisons from 2-3 miles away. This is the real reason we're at war with Iraq.

Outside this munitions depot, Axelrod watched American Foxes, armored vehicles with the latest in chemical detection equipment, mechanically sniffing in the area around this munitions depot.

Standing at about two to three miles away, the Foxes could get initial readings from sensors that can read up to five kilometers, or a little more than three miles, away.

albawaba.com: Banks ordered to transfer $1.74 billion frozen Iraqi funds to US account

"Switzerland's leading financial institution UBS will comply with an American request to transfer million-dollar Iraqi funds, frozen under the UN sanctions imposed after the 1991 Gulf War, to a US treasury fund. The bank spokesperson who confirmed the decision refrained from specifying the exact sum involved. "

This is new to me, I wonder about the source though, let's see if anybody else picks up the story in the next few days.

newsobserver: Russian military firm denies technicians are aiding Iraq

""They came some 15 times, held negotiations, promised to transfer funds, but they left and we never saw them again. They didn't buy anything," said Antonov. I told the Americans and our presidential administration that probably Iraq made these jammers itself or with the help of Yugoslavia," Antonov said."

It seems that these devices are cheap, commercially available and relatively easy to build. They could be responsible for sending some of the missiles off course into Iran and even Turkey. Though the Washington Post is reporting that the US has "credible evidence" that Russian companies supplied these GPS blocking systems to Iraq before the start of the war.

Still in the psychological war: Globe and Mail: "a special U.S. military unit took over the radio frequency used by Iraqi state radio. The stronger U.S. signal, broadcast from a plane flying over Baghdad, overwhelmed the Iraqi transmission equipment, allowing Washington to broadcast warnings in Arabic that Iraqis who fight U.S. forces will be destroyed."

Where is Raed ?

"Yesterday many leaflets were dropped on Baghdad, while going around in the streets I got lucky, I have two.

And we have had another email attack... Three of them are to army personnel and two to the general public in those they gave us the radio frequencies we are supposed to listen to. They are calling it "information Radio"."

The blogger from Iraq is back. She talks about the bad reception the US is getting in some of the southern towns, and wonders that it'll be much worse in Baghdad.

Guardian: Compulsory broadband access mooted for new homes

"All new homes will be fitted with the infrastructure for broadband access, under a government proposal aimed at boosting the public's use of the internet."

Cable internet? All they're talking about is an empty pipe from the house to the pavement. And if the area isn't cabled, it won't make much difference. Such regulation has been in the US and Korea for years.

Guardian: Canadians fear a US backlash after declining to join the coalition backing war in Iraq

"However, Canada's refusal to stand by the US has been noted, by politicians and ordinary citizens alike, and Canadians fear that they will pay an economic price for not going to war, either in trade disputes or tighter border controls."

There's a couple of ships hanging about the Gulf, a few Canadian officers, but publicly their not in the coalition, but still trying to hedge bets.

BBC: Saddam addresses nation - excerpts

"O brothers, you know that our country's policy is to avoid evil, but when evil comes to us using the logic of treachery and destruction, there must be a stand of faith and jihad that honours those who adopt it and pleases God Almighty."

Arabic, translated directly, always sounds baroque and over theatrical. But this stuff really makes him sound like a space alien. As though he was from a different planet from us. Further driving a gulf between 'us' and 'them.'

Washington Post: 'Webloggers,' Signing On as War Correspondents (washingtonpost.com)

"The result is idiosyncratic, passionate and often profane, with the sort of intimacy and attitude that are all but impossible in newspapers and on television.

Many of these so-called Weblogs eliminate the middleman -- the news outlets whose reach was once needed for a broad audience -- and allow participants to have their say, typos and all, without being run through the media's Cuisinart."

Blogging in the war news. If only there were more bloggers from Iraq, I just can't find enough. Each soldier should have been given a mobile phone/camera and a weblog that they could post to. Then the rawness of war would be open to all.

ABCNEWS.com: 'Liberated' Iraqis Question U.S. Motives

"In part, much of their discontent stems from the unknown. In speaking with them, the newly-liberated Iraqis ask the same questions that seem to nag many outside Iraq.

Why are you here in this country? Are you trying to take over? Are you going to take our country forever? Are the Israelis coming next? Are you here to steal our oil? When are you going to get out? "

I think they'll come over in time. They're suspicious, and with good reason, knowing their history.

Late, late night, burning midnight oil, must have been after 5:30am before I went to bed. Tarting up this website and watching 24 hour news on cable. Suffering this morning. More coffee please!

Got bank, dentist and doctor to see today, too.

ToT :: renewal time (blog from Sept 2001)

"Watch the marketers start to notice the interest taken in personal websites and try to adapt their marketing plans to accommodate and co-opt them for their own means. Reading the Cybersaps business plan is particularly telling"

Pilots captured in Baghdad

Rumsfield confirms that one plane is missing. Al-Jazeera is saying that two pilots have been captured.

I've been watching horrific film from BBC of hundreds of Iraqis on the banks of the River Tigris, searching through the reeds, firing into the reeds, setting fire to the reeds, little motor boats buzzing the banks, people line the bridges, the whole area is surrounded by sometimes dancing and chanting Iraqis.

At first the BBC were saying that it may just be a hoax, or false alarm. Somebody, somewhere saw a blue and green parachute, but no eye witness could be found. That the smallest rumour could bring out crowds like this. Now, it looks as though there was a downed craft and indeed pilots were captured.

(Update: this story looks like bollux right now. At least no pilots have been captured, though the Iraqis were certainly looking.) The Telegraph has more.

The Observer: Robin Cook, 'We are risking a gulf between the West and the Islamic world'

In his first interview since he resigned, he says the US is a "hyper-power." First time that I've heard this term. The rest of the interview is the usual stuff.

Telegraph: I was a naive fool to be a human shield for Saddam

He changed his mind after hearing of Saddam's horrors.

Washington Post: Al Qaeda Near Biological, Chemical Arms Production

"Most of the new information comes from handwritten documents and computer hard drives seized during the March 1 capture of Khalid Sheik Mohammed. Significantly, one official noted, Mohammed was arrested at a Rawalpindi, Pakistan, home owned by Abdul Quddoos Khan, a bacteriologist with access to production materials and facilities who has since disappeared."

He's been spilling the beans about this only in the past few days. Still a bit crude, and looks as though they didn't need Iraq, just bought anthrax stuff over the counter.

Sky News: US: Attack from within

"Sky correspondent Stuart Ramsay, "Talking to other soldiers, it could be that he was disgruntled. They said he had been acting 'weird' for days. They were concerned about his behaviour and were not going to send him up to the front when the soldiers were going to be deployed.""

Yahoo! News: U.S.: No Sign of Iraq Bio-Weapons Yet

Debkafile is reporting that WMD are around Baghdad and up near Syria, if not in Syria:

"The Iraqi ruler has massed around Baghdad--not only his crack fighting divisions and most loyal suicide units, but also his missiles and weapons of mass destruction, including possibly radiological devices. If he sees Baghdad's outer defenses crumbling, he is liable to deploy those weapons in a last stand. The Americans may well retaliate with nuclear devices of their own, tactical or bombs, a decision the US President will be called upon to make."

Guardian: Missing ITN crew may have come under 'friendly fire'

"US army General Guy Shields, director of the coalition press information centre in Kuwait, "We have had phone calls from journalists who have called the press desk while under fire screaming for help.""

FOXNews.com: As many as three U.S. missiles

" aimed at targets in Iraq may have landed in Iran, two officials at the Pentagon said Saturday."

blogfc.com: football website hosting and community

"Blog FC is a brand new concept in football websites. Whether you support a Premiership giant or a Conference minnow, one of the leading lights in La Liga or the League of Ireland, blogfc.com is here to help you get your website online.

We provide the web hosting and technical support. You make the website about your team that you've always wanted to."

From $7.00 a month. I told you all it was a good idea.

Still recovering after a 5 hour road trip from Amanda's mum's in Warminster.

It took 2 hours and 15 minutes to get down there on Thursday night - 150 miles door-to-door, with Esme chattering about anything and everything. She was particularly fascinated by the motorway names, and when we would get on/off each one. M54, M6, M5, M4 then to Bath and then Warminster. "Are we still on the number 5?" I think she must have asked that maybe a hundred times, I know it's a long motorway, but still.

She finally joined Bradley in the land of nod and only woke again when we arrived, but only briefly. Bradley, however, was full of beans and dead excited about being at Nanny's. He kept it up for a couple of hours, playing with his bubbles, running into rooms and mostly, sitting on my lap, "daddy's boy."

After finally sorting out the insurance for the Renault 5 I leave at 12.15pm on Friday. I'm doing 80-85mph up the motorway, as I was on the way down. Hit West Bromwich and crunch. I'm stuck in traffic for three frigging hours. Finally, I see the accident, a lorry has spilt it's load of wire thingies. Just before the M5 splits to go south or north on the M6--three lanes down to one. And arrive at home at 5.05pm.

HERBIE DOUGAL: THE BLOG PARTY

"I really don't think it's funny. I'm not supposed to ever be the victim. Women really are very complicated indeed. Why can't they just be normal like men?

Well, it's back to work in the office. I asked my secretary to print out one of my Word documents, but she had a bit of trouble doing that."

I must start reading this guys Aston Villa blog more. Very fuuuunnnny.

Pravda.RU MURDERERS!!

"Speaking of 'targets', Rumsfeld, like his master George Bush, proves that he has the same lizard-like cold blood as he showed to the world that he too has no regard whatsoever for the value of human life."

Russia seems a bit against the war ";->"

WorldNetDaily: Iraqi terrorists head to U.S. via Mexico?

"According to Fox, the Iraqi suspects may have "toxic materials" requiring temperature controls. A Homeland Security official involved with border security said that toxic chemicals requiring temperature control could mean either biological or even radiological materials."

Gulf Daily News: New UN vote on Iraq is opposed by France

"French President Jacques Chirac said yesterday that France would not support a new United Nations resolution that would allow the US and Britain to administer postwar Iraq.

Speaking at a European Union summit, Chirac said he would "not accept" a resolution that "would legitimise the military intervention (and) would give the belligerents the powers to administer Iraq. That would justify the war after the event," Chirac said."

I thought France would want to get the UN to run Iraq, they may then have a chance to reclaim some oil contracts, loans etc..

Guardian: War-driven rally pushes up stocks for seventh day

""People are loving the pictures of the man with the white flag," said Freddie Tulloch of financial bookmaker IG Index. "The war has been hanging over this market for so long.""

For weeks before the war I have heard business friends wishing that the US would route around the UN, "just get on with it, nobody's doing anything till this war's over." Looks like they were right.

"At the special summit of European Union leaders in Brussels, originally called to discuss progress on economic reform, European commission President Romano Prodi warned that the war could undermine the confidence of households and investors, crucial to a revival in the euro zone's flagging economy."

A lot is riding on a fast clean war.

More: Dow posts largest weekly gain in 20 years: "Each wave of allied bombing in Iraq, shown constantly on television, seemed to stoke a fever of buying that pushed the stock market higher."

CNN censors reporter Kevin Sites' weblog from Iraq

"Kevin Sites has been ordered by CNN to cease weblogging until further notice, and has also added a disclaimer to his website.
"Note: Kevin Sites is a CNN correspondent, but this is a personal website not affiliated with, endorsed by, or funded by CNN. "

Reuters: France will help coalition if WMD are used

"The Foreign Ministry said in a short statement there was no change in France's anti-war stance, but added:

"In the event that American forces or those allied to them should face a new situation such as a chemical or biological attack, France would assess the measures of assistance to take in a spirit of friendship and solidarity.""

Tony Blair in Parliament

"What we have witnessed is, indeed, the consequence of Europe and the United States dividing from one another. ... There is a resentment of U.S. dominance," but the way to deal with terrorism is through partnership "not rivalry," Blair said. In the debate following Blair's speech, some Parliament members questioned the logic of what they felt was blindly following the U.S. in invading Iraq. "September 11 changed the psychology of America," Blair said. "It should have changed the psychology of the world."

We are forgetting what this is about. Smallpox falling into the hands of death and glory Muslim nutters. Don't think that when this comes, and there's still a chance that these WMD have already been passed to bin Laden's acolytes, that it was because of our attack on Iraq, it will be despite it.

Several years ago I saw a picture in Wired magazine, it was of a nuclear hole in New York. A photo composition. The article was about the strange things that could happen in the 21st century. I looked long and hard at this picture, the tiny comment below the picture talked of terrorism. Who could that be, I thought?

Who indeed.

It doesn't matter who. This stuff is coming. Be it an aerosol spray of VX agent on an underground train. One person contaminated with a dreadful disease. Terror is coming to a town near you. We as a world need to get this stuff out of circulation. Saddam's got loads. Get him and whoever's next on the list. Then we need to get the US's supply out of commission.

Even in the US there are nutters.

Full text of Blair's speech from the Guardian: "When the inspectors left in 1998, they left unaccounted for: 10,000 litres of anthrax; a far reaching VX nerve agent programme; up to 6,500 chemical munitions; at least 80 tonnes of mustard gas, possibly more than ten times that amount; unquantifiable amounts of sarin, botulinum toxin and a host of other biological poisons; an entire Scud missile programme."

"We are now seriously asked to accept that in the last few years, contrary to all history, contrary to all intelligence, he decided unilaterally to destroy the weapons. Such a claim is palpably absurd. "

And he goes on...

"Let me tell the house what I know. I know that there are some countries or groups within countries that are proliferating and trading in WMD, especially nuclear weapons technology."

"I know there are companies, individuals, some former scientists on nuclear weapons programmes, selling their equipment or expertise."

"I know there are several countries - mostly dictatorships with highly repressive regimes - desperately trying to acquire chemical weapons, biological weapons or, in particular, nuclear weapons capability. Some of these countries are now a short time away from having a serviceable nuclear weapon. This activity is not diminishing. It is increasing."

Good speech Tony.

I used to, still am, a Greenpeace activist, I went to Greenham Common (1985) with the rest of the 'No nukes in UK' brigade. I went on 'Stop the City' (1983) demos with the punks, anarchists and womens' movements, even a ClassWar 'Bash The Rich' (1985) march through the Rolls Royce houses of Kensington.

War -- I have a horror of, a hatred for, a desire to ensure that it would never happen. But I have known, right from October 2001 that Saddam would be the first, that he would never back down, that to rid the world of WMD so they could not fall into the hands of terrorist, war was coming.

globalsecurity.org: Target Iraq - Art of War

"Iraq - Art of War - psych-ops Leaflets"

Excellent graphic design, some of the ones I liked I've copied here, but there are loads of lovely designs. I particularly like the way they tell tanks to look the other way or else.

Via IraqWar.info which also linked to the UK's Daily Mirror which has a story that 30,000 or 15% of the Iraqi army has already surrendered, so I guess these leaflets work.

The Arrogant Empire

"Having traveled around the world and met with senior government officials in dozens of countries over the past year, I can report that with the exception of Britain and Israel, every country the administration has dealt with feels humiliated by it."

Excellent background to the current anti-Americanism. Particularly worrying is the background in Turkey. The US bullying of a democratic system, against the will of the people. The US wanted democracy, but it cannot control it like it can military regimes. As it spreads democracy around the world, this might be the beast that bites it in the bum.

Sacramento Bee: Hawks circling for new targets

" One of the champions of the activist-military doctrines is Thomas Barnett, a Naval War College professor who has briefed dozens of groups inside the Pentagon on his theory that the United States must "export security" to parts of the world that have failed to develop modern societies.

Barnett has identified a large swath of countries stretching from Central America across the Atlantic Ocean to Africa, the Middle East and parts of southern Asia, which he said have become disconnected from the developing world, and thus are ripe for sowing unrest.

"There is a good reason why al-Qaida was based first in Sudan and then later in Afghanistan," Barnett wrote in the March issue of Esquire. "These are two of the most disconnected countries in the world.""

Right that's Iraq sorted... Who's next! But this is right. And I wish the people who wanted fair trade agreements, and 3rd world debt would get on this band wagon. This is a time when we can change the world.

WorldNetDaily: France and Iraq

"Chirac actually thinks Saddam Hussein's youngest son, Qusay, might be the right person to lead a transition government that will change the world's perception about Iraq, if not the reality of the dangers it poses to the world.

The lesson for the future in all this? The next time France is invaded, let them call the Iraqis for help."

Lucrative oil deals, unpaid loans, selling weapons and they built the first nuclear plant for Iraq. (It was later bombed by Israel.)

I still don't understand why the French played their veto card, knowing the consequences to them and the UN. Sure, they talked of the wrongness of war in general - as a principle. We know of their distain of US hegemony. All this apart, why did they risk being ostracised by the remaining superpower?

CNN: "What emerged instead was a unipolar world, the U.S. bestriding the globe like a colossus, more dominant in every field of endeavor--economic, military, diplomatic, cultural, even linguistic--than any other nation since Rome. This the French cannot abide."

France: "giant killer. Remaker of the post--cold war world. Leader of the global anti-American camp."

High powered politics, indeed. This is what Blair warned about weeks ago, about splitting from the US. Well, France will lose.

Kevin Sites Blog

"It's good to be in the blogosphere. Xeni and John, I hope you two are incredibly proud of yourselves. Look at all of the people responding, because you put this blog out there. This experience has really made me rethink my rather orthodox views of reaching folks via mass media. Blogging is an incredible tool, with amazing potential. The feedback readers are posting motivates me to provide as much as I can for all of these folks hungry for first-hand info."

A blog right from Iraq! A journo discovers the power of blogging, and we discover blogging from the front line.

World of Ends: What the Internet Is and how to stop mistaking It for something else

"8a: That's also why the Internet feels to so many of us like a natural resource. We have flocked to it as if it were a part of human nature just waiting to happen - just as speaking and writing now feel like a part of what it means to be human."

ajc.com: Life expectancy climbs to record high in America

"Life expectancy has risen for men and women and for white and black Americans, the report said. On average, men can expect to live 74.4 years on average, women 79.8 years, whites 77.7 years and blacks 72.2 years...

...In a one-year jump that officials hope will not be repeated, the rate of deaths from homicide rose by 17 percent from 2000 to 2001. That resulted from the 2,953 deaths in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks being classified as homicides."

Military.com: Infected Corpses Won't Be Cremated

"The military will not cremate any soldiers who may die from smallpox or other biological weapons."

Kids fashion these days

I'm beginning to take a tiny, tiny little bit of interest in what they wear. Not that I'm going to start wandering about kids clothes shops, maybe it's because Amanda's getting better kit for them as witnessed in these pix. Fashion victims? Not really. I must take them shopping for clothes.

Another bath time set. The video's much funnier. Esme's singing a song about bumble bees, and I have to pay attention to her. Out of the corner of my eye I spy Bradley with the bar of soap. He gives it a big lick, leaving a white trail on his tongue. 2 seconds later, he starts to screw up his face... While Esme sings her song. This lasts three verses, and Bradley all the way through is gagging, or scratching his tongue.

BBC: Mobile snaps getting cleverer

"O2 in Germany and Vodafone D2 are testing services that turn camera phone images into postcards.

Anyone using the service specifies the postal address they want it sent to and writes the text they want to accompany the image. Images, text and address are e-mailed to the post office."

39 Euro cents each postcard... Story also talks about mugs, t-shirts, et al.

FOXNews: FBI Flying Planes Over U.S. to Track Suspected Terrorists

""The cop on the beat now has Superman's X-ray eyes," said Barry Steinhardt, director of the technology and liberty program at the American Civil Liberties Union. "We need to fundamentally rethink what is a reasonable expectation of privacy.""

Judge Dread is coming.

Washington Post: Bush Bets Future on Success in Iraq

"Even a successful result contains risks in the eyes of those who have pondered the recurring cycle in human history in which power leads to hubris, hubris leads to overreaching, and overreaching leads to collapse. Victory could tempt the United States to overreach."

I guess the US is feeling very cocky at the moment. But, after the conflict, and lets hope that it is a war measured in days, I think they'll listen more to world opinion, or be seen to be listening, more like, and pull back for a while at least over confronting Syria, or Iran. But make no mistake these are already on the target list. No point taking WMD off Iraq if they are left elsewhere for bin Laden's followers to get hold of.

Washington Post: Al Qaeda's Top Primed To Collapse, U.S. Says

" Because the CIA and FBI are much more familiar than they were a year ago with the organization and individuals involved in al Qaeda, they are more able to put the new leads to use. Also, with a handful of other high-ranking al Qaeda members imprisoned and undergoing CIA interrogation, the information "can be bounced off five other senior guys now anxious to tell us what they know," said one knowledgeable intelligence expert."

I wonder what difference taking bin Laden out of the loop would make? Very little, strategically, just the moral victory for the US. The smaller units that have tried to attack European targets of late have all been self starters from Northern Africa.

As this will be a generational war, taking out bin Laden, will not stop the terrorist threat, it may even make matters worse. There'll be no leadership to track and watch.

sunspot.net: Bloggers on parade

"Some, like Tiffany Baxendell's "The Ankle Biter," focus on life's mundanities, such as the leftover Chinese food she ate for breakfast or her lousy commute into the district.

"It's the ultimate ego trip," said the 24-year-old Alexandria, Va., resident, who estimates about 100 visitors read her daily. "The same people who are yelling at the TV when only their cat can hear are the ones who are blogging. It saves my friends from having to listen to it.""

Also, new to me is the term 'blog-species' for example kitty bloggers.

Pentagon threatens to target journalists in Iraq.. Kate Adie's real audio broadcast

In an interview with Radio One Ireland, Kate Adie, former chief news correspondent for the BBC, drops a bombshell.

If satellite uplinks from the press are detected in Baghdad, they would be "targeted down", said a senior US military official. "They know this. They've been warned."

Ms. Adie also revealed that the US military are openly asking journalists what their feelings are on the war, and are using this information to block reporters from access to reporting on the conflict.
These actions are "shameless" and "entirely hostile to the free spread of information," says Ms. Adie. "What actually appalls me is the difference between twelve years ago and now. I've seen a complete erosion of any kind of acknowledgment that reporters should be able to report as they witness." [MetaFilter]

Three and a half-year old SETI@home project identifies candidate radio signals from space, heads for Arecibo to take second look

"Three members of the SETI@home team will head to Puerto Rico this month to point the Arecibo radio telescope at up to 150 spots identified as the source of possible signals from intelligent civilizations."

Little green men leaking TV signals? Well, the reckon there's only a 1% chance that these 150 hot spots will show anything.

Europemedia: Telewest begins wireless broadband trials

"Telewest Broadband has begun trials of a new wireless broadband connection, enabling customers to access its blueyonder broadband internet services via a wireless access point and their digital set-top box.

The new self-installation pack is being trialled with the companyâs existing digital TV (DTV) customers in the North West and makes use of cable modems embedded in set-top boxes. The pack also utilises a pre-configured Netgear wireless access point and enables a connection suitable for either 512kbp/s or 1Mbp/s blueyonder broadband services. "

I wonder what price this is?

The Observer: Three years that shook the world (the dot com bubble)

"Three years on, the damage is still being felt - indeed, some experts believe the technology industry will take decades to recover from the shock. The consultant Allan Tumolillo, of Probe Research, thinks that in two years' time, the industry will still be behind where it would have been without the bubble.

'No one wants to invest in technology so companies can only survive if they already have an entrenched, established business,' he says. 'The pace of change is going to be very slow.'

Brian Ashford-Russell, who runs the Polar capital technology fund, agrees. Companies, he said, have become cowards - they will not buy anything from a small firm, they want to be convinced that it will be there for the long-term.

That may be a wise precaution - and it is certainly preferable to the frenzy of ill-judged spending on companies and products with a shelf-life of months - but it stifles innovation. "

I wonder if this is true in all cases. If indeed, nobody will spend with a small firm.

Another Sunday

After a beautiful dinner I set off with Esme and Bradley to the pub for a biz meet. Luckily, or with some fore-thought, we are at the climbing frame pub near Tescos.

However, amongst the bustle of kids running and screaming, pops up a dressed up barmaid, with a big cartoon head. Weird looking for sure, and Esme smiles, but has her arms tight to her chest, as she tries to squeeze past the cartoon figure to me. The cartoon reaches out for her and she squeals in a most terrified manner.

I hold her hand and try to point out that it's just a game. No avail, she ain't into this. I start to lead her back to our table and my guest, when...

I hear the unmistakeable sound of Bradley throwing an excruciating wail. He's half way up one stair case on the climbing frame and he's spotted the cartoon figure who's making toward him.

I rush over and rescue him. He digs his face into my chest to hide himself from the monstrosity, and I take him to the table. After 15 minutes the figure is still haunting us. Bradley won't pull his face out of my chest as he sits on my lap. Esme shivers whenever the cartoon comes too close, and holds my guest's hand.

This meeting is adjourned to the bar. And business is discussed.

Hoo Farm is closed

Hoo Farm opens on the 22nd March, for the lambing. I thought it was earlier and sell it to Esme and Bradley... As usual Mummy's right - Daddy's wrong. I don't note a sense of disappointment from them - we are after all on an adventure with Dad. It usually goes wrong. Esme suggests the zoo, too far says I. Bradley? "Quack-quacks." Good idea says I. Esme suggests something about the boats... OK we have a plan for...

Today's Sunday Adventure

We buy two loaves of the cheap bread, some sweets and set off for the park. As both are wearing wellies, we'll be OK in the mud and puddles. We feed the ducks at the usual place, near the bowling ally, where there's a fence and the ducks (really Canada geese) aren't into it. I guess it's late and I see bits of bread already in the water. Me thinks they are full. Soon they tire of trying to force feed these geese and we wander into the skittle ally. Thence to the skating. I tell Esme that the people clasping on the side can't do it very good as we watch nests of them slowly move around the rink. Such puzzles her for a while. She wonders if the ones in the middle, who do it fast, can do it well. We both agree that that is probably the case. And what a wonderful sunny afternoon it is. Off to the big park!

We start off on the big slide. But Bradley is pushing in and Esme's being cheated on. The queue at the top is about a dozen deep. And Bradley takes ages to go down. Minutes seem like hours, I call to him to lie back and he moves slightly faster, paddling his way with his feet. We move to the smaller one, where the photo's taken.

On to the obstacle course. Esme can climb the ladder with ease now. Only been just before Christmas I has helping her up. She hides under the 'turret' in a little cubbyhole. And calls for me to find her. We move onto the shops. I have orders to buy new shoes for Bradley. Esme wants some too. We get trainers. Bradley's as good as gold with the Clarks lady. Me too, she's lovely. He trundles off to test them out, just as the lady says and checks them in the mirror too, going up on his tippy-toes a few times, tries jumping like a frog, and a horsey gallop back. I think he likes them. Everybody agrees they're nice. Which Bradley seems to keep muttering every now and then. "Hmmm. Niiiiice."

And end up in the play area. Great idea amongst the Telford shops. We spend an hour in there as I relax. I call Amanda... Another two hours till I'm relieved of duty. What to do now?

We go off to throw stones in the trout lake I know, and pop in to the pub on the way back. I know we're welcome in here - I first brought Esme on this trip when she was two. Before Bradley was born. Then just after. Then when he was one - just walking. Esme and I have a conversation about it, she remembers when she first came in, the owner's 10 yr boy brought down some of his toys for her to play with, and the staff brought out some pub quiz type games. Interesting that she remembers these things, I should ask her more about what she remembers.

On the way out, the land lady does something in the back with the horse, so we go down to see.

Esme's been concerned about foxes all day. On the way to our abortive mission to Hoo Farm, I mentioned that foxes were at Hoo farm, and she said, "and wolves." No they're at the zoo." I explain that foxes don't eat us all up, and other differences, like they eat chickens and small birds, definitely not people.

The landlady sorts out the ducks and chickens at the back, putting them in their coop for the night. Esme asks why. And the day comes full circle. Foxes.

personal blog: Steve Hooker's Radio

"Some people I work with have been shocked by these pix, can't see why myself. Nope, not at all."

Mil's Apology Homepage (things me and my wife have argued about)

" I get accused of hoarding things by Margret. Now, this is entirely unfair - electrical items never die, you see, I am merely unable to revive them with today's technology. In the future new techniques will emerge and, combined with the inevitably approaching shortage of AC adapters and personal cassette players, my foresight will pay off and the grateful peoples of the Earth will make me their God. Anyway, never mind that now, because the real point is that it's Margret who fills our house with crap. And I'm not talking about doing so by the omission of crap-throwing-away here, but by insane design. While sorting out the stuff in the boxes, these are some of the things I've discovered that Margret actually packed away at our last house and brought to our new one:

• A dentist's cast of her teeth circa 1984.
• Empty Pringles tubes.
• Rocks (not 'special ornamental rocks', you understand, just 'rocks' from our previous garden).
• Old telephone directories.
• Two carrier bags full of scraps of material.
• Those little sachets of salt and sugar you get with your meal on planes.
• Some wooden sticks.
• Last year's calendar.

And yet, were I to throw her from a train, they'd call me the criminal."

And another gem...

" Arguments. There are many arguments we have over arguments. 'Who started argument x', for example, is a old favourite that has not had its vigour dimmed by age nor its edge blunted through use. Another dependable companion is, 'I'm not arguing, I'm just talking - you're arguing,' along with its more stage-struck (in the sense that it relishes an audience - parties, visiting relatives, Parent's Evenings at school, in shops, etc.) sibling, 'Right, so we're going to get into this argument here are we?' An especially frequent argument argument, however, is the result of Margret NOT STICKING TO THE DAMN ARGUMENT, FOR CHRIST'S SAKE. Margret jack-knifes from argument to argument, jigs direction randomly and erratically like a shoal of Argument Fish being followed by a Truth Shark. It's fearsomely difficult to land a blow because by the time you've let fly with the logic she's not there anymore. A row about vacuuming gets shifted to the cost of a computer upgrade, from there to who got up early with the kids most this week and then to the greater interest rates of German banks via the noisome sexual keenness of some former girlfriend, those-are-hair-scissors-don't-use-them-for-paper and, 'When was the last time you bought me flowers?' all in the space of about seven exchanges. 'Arrrrrrgggh! What are we arguing about? Can you just decide what it is and stick to it?'" Like a shoal of Argument Fish being followed by a Truth Shark." Perfect. And...

" Other times she'll lay mines so we can explode into an argument later with the minimum amount of run-up. She'll go out and, over her shoulder as she closes the door, call, 'You can vacuum the house if you want.' I'll settle down on the computer for a couple of hours. When she returns she'll stomp up the stairs, crash open the door and growl, 'Why didn't you vacuum the house?' I, naturally, will reply, 'You said I could if I wanted to. And, after thinking about it, I decided I didn't. Obviously, it wasn't a decision I took lightly...' and we're already there."

Guardian: 'History will be my judge'

"Tony Blair brushed aside the massive anti-war demonstrations, the Commons revolt and concessions by Saddam Hussein, and insisted yesterday that he would not be deflected from his determination to disarm Iraq."

An awful terrorist attack will happen in the UK. If it is proved that it could have been avoided by taking Saddam out, then how will the peace marchers feel then?

""When people decided not to confront fascism, they were doing the popular thing, they were doing it for good reasons, and they were good people ... but they made the wrong decision," he said."

CBS: Border Travelers Checks For Nukes

"Officials at the Homeland Security Department said they expected that all 18,000 border inspectors who are being consolidated into the new department ÷ 9,000 customs agents, 6,000 immigration agents and 3,000 agriculture agents ÷ will be outfitted with one of the radiation devices and trained in their use by the middle of next year. "

I'm a litttle confused by this article, on the one hand they're saying that they have been checking some people since 9/11 and the other that this isn't going to be water tight till summer 2004.

I really would hhave thought they'd have this sorted ages ago... And what the hell's happening at UK ports and airports? Nowt, I'd guess if the US is so far behind - we'll be even further.

By now it may even be too late.