http://wits.nctc.gov/Main.do

According to the WITS database, for incidents between Jan. 1st 2005 and Dec. 31st 2006 in Iraq:

-2% of the victims were the result of Shia Extremists

-24% of the victims were the result of Sunni Extremists

-74% of the victims were the result of Unknown Perpetrators

Victims Types:

-4% of the victims were taken hostage

-36% of the victims died

-60% of the victims were wounded

Think about it: 74% % of the victims were the result of Unknown Perpetrators. These stats ultimately reveal very little.

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FYI-Detailed Stats (apologies for length):

Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Shia)

Dead: 381

Wounded: 377

Hostages: 276

Total Victims: 1034

Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Sunni)

Dead: 4935

Wounded: 8860

Hostages: 358

Total Victims: 14153

Perpetrator(s):Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Islamic Extremist (Shia)

Dead: 19

Wounded: 0

Hostages: 13

Total Victims: 32

Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Islamic Extremist (Shia)

Dead: 66

Wounded: 68

Hostages: 0

Total Victims: 134

Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Islamic Extremist (Sunni)

Dead: 0

Wounded: 0

Hostages: 0

Total Victims: 0

Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Unknown

Dead: 2

Wounded: 14

Hostages: 7

Total Victims: 23

Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Tribal/Clan/Ethnic

Dead: 0

Wounded: 0

Hostages: 2

Total Victims: 2

Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Unknown)

Dead: 157

Wounded: 317

Hostages: 40

Total Victims: 514

Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Unknown),Secular Political/Anarchist

Dead: 1

Wounded: 0

Hostages: 0

Total Victims: 1

Perpetrator(s): Secular Political/Anarchist

Dead: 22

Wounded: 71

Hostages: 0

Total Victims: 93

Perpetrator(s): Unknown

Dead: 15987

Wounded: 25993

Hostages: 1542

Total Victims: 43522

Perpetrator(s): Unknown,Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Islamic Extremist (Sunni)

Dead: 10

Wounded: 10

Hostages: 0

Total Victims: 20

Perpetrator(s): Unknown,Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Islamic Extremist (Unknown)

Dead: 9

Wounded: 16

Hostages: 0

Total Victims: 25

Perpetrator(s): Unknown,Unknown

Dead: 0

Wounded: 0

Hostages: 1

Total Victims: 1

The "Mission Accomplished" speech:

Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. (Applause.) And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country.In this battle, we have fought for the cause of liberty, and for the peace of the world. Our nation and our coalition are proud of this accomplishment -- yet, it is you, the members of the United States military, who achieved it. Your courage, your willingness to face danger for your country and for each other, made this day possible. Because of you, our nation is more secure. Because of you, the tyrant has fallen, and Iraq is free.

Between the "end of major combat operations" and "proud of this accomplishment," it sounds like Bush has his "technical virginity."

jay k. is right. These timelines are non-binding goals as suggested by the Iraq Study Group. No one is tying anyone's hands. Rather, these goals provide a framework for success that shows Americans and the Iraqi people that this war is not open-ended and there is a plan.

It's ridiculous that Congress has to fight with the President-- four years into a war-- to get him to agree that there is a plan for the war.

Also, regarding the Washington Post headline: Sometime within the past 15 minutes, washingtonpost.com changed the headline to read "Bush Vetos Iraq War Emergency Funding Bill." But if you click on the link, it still takes you to the full story with the headline "Bush Keeps Vow to Veto War Funding Bill."

Ya think someone at washingtonpost.com is trolling the Salon War Room?

Yellow Dog, I am cracking up. I'm picturing Dubya sitting at his desk in the Oval Office playing with a "Bush in flight-suit Mission Accomplished" doll and Malibu Barbie. Better yet, Malibu Stacy from The Simpsons.

Anonymous writes: “I thought the ad was targeting someone who has already decided they want implants and is showing why Allergan silicone implants are the "smart choice".

I wondered about this too, Allergan as being the gold standard for safe, effective implants. But then I started imaging women walking around with “Allergan” stamped on their boobs like they’re designer bags. Oops. Unintentional pun.

The ad is confusing and surprising and makes you stop and think. Which is a great way to build brand recognition.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/07/business/media/07carr.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

In his biography, “Murdoch: The Making of a Media Empire,” William Shawcross quoted a 1983 interview with Mr. Murdoch.

• “All newspapers are run to make profits. Full stop,” he said. “I don’t run anything for respectability. The moment I do, I hope someone will come and fire me and get me out of the place — because that’s not what newspapers are meant to be about.”

Ewww.

This is a common spelling mistake, and it's about time people learned the correct pluralization of "ho."

I've gotta say, I am sitting here at work CRACKING UP over that t-shirt. For more fun, check out some of the other truly wrong t-shirts at tshirthell.com (as linked in the article).

I don’t see any inconsistency in Thompson’s comments. His full response on abortion according to the survey and article:

* Under abortion: He checked the box for: "Abortions should be legal in all circumstances as long as the procedure is completed within the first trimester of the pregnancy." He did, however, support a number of restrictions on abortion: requiring parental notification, allowing states to impose waiting periods, and eliminating all federal funding of abortion. Lastly, he said Congress should leave legislation on abortion to the states.

So Thompson, as an individual, considers himself pro-life (i.e., abortion is immoral). He thinks Roe. v. Wade was decided badly by the courts as a matter of law and science. He believes the matter should have been left up to the states. This fits with true conservative principles of states’ rights and the rights of the individual. He personally believes abortion should be legal in the first trimester (although he as an individual finds abortion immoral). And he favors restrictions on abortion.

I may disagree with him on some of those points, but there’s nothing inconsistent, illogical or hypocritical in them.