actually the end of the series, and the last mini-season, to me anyway pointed out how bored/annoyed Chase had seemingly become with his characters ... he may have intended to usher us through "separation," but I don't think so. By the end, Tony's crew was threadbare. The old gang was mostly dead and everyone else was lazy and bored -- no fire in the belly remained -- the money was drying up, there was stiff competition from New York. The adults and kid had become slackers. I always thought Adriana was the most interesting character because she had genuine AMBITION ... unlike everyone else who just wanted to get laid, get high or get revenge from some shitty little thing. whatever.

The Wire echoes Homicide-Life on the Streets on having long story archs. Remember, was it, Latisha Jackson on Bayless' first day ... and how the series ended. The last season got a bit weird ... I felt there were story arcs / certain plot lines they could bring themselves to abandon when it because more obvious they wouldn't be back ... our loss.

To me, the relative "shallowness" of the Sopranos was summed up when Tony visited Silvio in the hospital in the last episode -- I had no idea what Tony was thinking or feeling ... which made me realize that to a large part I had never had a real clue what made Silvio "tick" ... except inertia. The voids in the characters led to much lively speculation on chat boards, but in the end -- after all those years of "knowing" these characters -- there were remarkable gaps in who they were ... When the remarkably capable actors took off their roles, there was little "there."

is occurring NOT with 160,000 "troops" .. but with closer 260,000 or 280,000 when you include all of the independent contractor security personnel.... which makes this failure even more impressive, no? particularly when you consider the large swath of southern Iraq under British control and the segments we have largely ignored ...

Of course cowboy moves like Blackwater's were part of what gave birth to "the insurgency" way back when ....

Yes, this "all volunteer army" supplemented with privatized security forces and ancillary "support" contacts is working out really well for us taxpayers -- thank god, my child doesn't need to worry about a draft as long as KBR and Blackwater are willing to do our dirty work at 3 times the cost (or more).

all the time, including military leadership and "visitors" ... they do not believe that regular army -- even special forces --can match the service provided by Blackwater (I think Blackwater has mobility, coordination and neat-o electronics that "we" can't match -- umm, that they bought and paid for ... with tax dollars). Generally, these private firms are quite literally poaching the best and brightest ... so much for all that military mom-applepie-patriotic bullshit... your post-military service is where the big bucks are at.

I really think that instituting the draft (bey requiring congress to do the nasty) and then individual and collective resistance there of represents an "check and balance" that's been lost to privatization.

gain an "ally" and a "customer" and "most favored nation" status for the oil contracts ... what's not to love?

I expect to see US agricultural excess being given "charitably" (i.e. tax write off) any day now to stave off malnutrition ...

All that's missing is Laura Bush touting the benefits of home schooling (and offering, what was it called? Ignite? at a discounted rate) for the 2 million displaced and the others who are simply unable to leave their house due to the "security situation" ...

there's a special place in hell for these people.

as well as FCNL (friends), F.O.R. (Fellowship for Reconciliation), Common Dreams, and others need to be contacted and "sounded out" and their opinions should be listened to ...

To be honest, it doesn't seem like enough time, though the internet is a miraculous instrument.

A November boycott might well just serve as a trial run or prelude to the next day of boycott ...

So many people are hedging their bets ... it's so frustrating ...

I wouldn't underestimated the concern in some quarters about splintering the Democratic vote if "anti-war" and "pull-out" get too clearly defined.

I gather that polls show that a suprising number of Americans want a complete pull out -- as soon as possible -- apparently oil and regional/U.S. "security", be damned. I'm among them. However many candidates are not ...

The comfortable 70% (or whatever) that think the war was a mistake and want sizeable troop reductions NOW is composed of a lot of different "shades of gray" ...

I have no idea what percentage "oppose" the war because "we're losing" but who may well be placated with a Democratic president and "light at the end of the tunnel." After the "peace process" began in the 1970's the anti-war movement lost its momentum...

I want now what I wanted back in 1969, an end to U.S. imperialism -- military, economic and cultural -- but I'll settle for "Iraq for the Iraqis" and complete withdrawal.

It's a good time now -- imho -- to keep pressuring the candidates so we know what and who we might be voting for...

It's a great time to lay down grassroots to end this war ...

There are a lot of powerful people who want some form of a sustained presence and we need to "out" them.

No justice // no peace.