The Folly of Attacking Iran: Lessons from History

Back to U.S. misguided foreign policy and the hell it inflicts worldwide. Sigh.

My thanks to Homeyra, an Iranian blogger and all-around great woman ;-) (I hope I got it right this time), for posting this video with a link to Just Foreign Policy.

The Friday Evening Nudes

Flandrin Hippolyte
Hombre Junto al Mar



John Singer Sargeant
Nude Study of Thomas E. McKeller
(1917-1920)

Frederic Bazille
Fisherman With a Net
1868






















William Adolphe Bouguereau_1825-1905

Happy Summer Solstice

Alphone Mucha
Flower
1894

To help celebrate, who else but XTC?

1) Summer's Cauldron
2) Grass

Bush Charged With War Crimes?

Phillipe Sands was a guest on NPR's Fresh Air tonight, discussing his book The Torture Team, An Administration Accused .

One of things Sands talks about in the Fresh Air interview is that international war crimes charges can be brought by any nation. As an insider, consulting international lawyer, Sands described conversations he has had with heads of states of other nations, where the reality of the United States being charged with international war crimes, is often discussed. He said that the current administration doesn't think it will happen because no other nation would do that to the United States. He said that charges could be made against Rumsfeld, Cheney and possibly even Bush.

If I understood what he was saying correctly. Like what happened to Pinochet in Chili, it could take years. Do ya think it will happen?

Still Life With Book

I started a post which featured a lot of profanity and decided I'm just too angry with McBush to attempt at writing about it. I think I'll go read.

But first, a nice picture. There. I feel
better.



Henri Matisse Still Life With Book

While I'm awaiting my librarian's call that Life of Pi has arrived, I started another book by Yann Martel. It has an interesting title: The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios.

Headlines

Presidential Race Ignores Arms Race

Candidates Clash on Terrorism

Sense of Calm as Gay Couples Wed in California

Bush to Seek an End to Ban on Oil Drilling

I'd love to discuss any of these articles in comments.

Yours in peace
Pagan

The Who

1) Substitute
2) I'm A Boy
3) Happy Jack

for the kids

Meanwhile In California...

WashingtonPost.com:

California Gay Marriage: The Ruling and One Couple's View


LA Times:

Cardinal Mahoney, other church leaders again reject same-sex marriage

Gay Marriage: Full Times Coverage

Mass. Governor Stands Behind Gay Daughter

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, wife Diane and daughter Katherine marched in Boston's Gay Pride parade on Saturday. Eighteen year old Katherine recently announced to her family that she's a lesbian. Luckily for Katherine, her family is standing proudly behind her!

Katherine's courage is commendable. As the child of a very public family, there will be a lot of attention placed upon her and much of it could be negative. That her family is supporting her so wholeheartedly makes me feel very proud to live in Massachusetts.

Katherine Patrick will be a freshman at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, a very progressive town in my beloved Happy Valley.

The Bicycle Thief

In this scene in the film The Bicycle Thief, a boy and his father get a bite to eat in a attempt to forget the theft of a precious bicycle, but end up concocting a plan to avenge the theft.



In loving memory of my father, Fernando Duarte, July, 1927 - August, 2005.