I find that most "religion" is a real abomination, but that still leaves spirituality. I have no opinion on the Dalai Lama, for example, but he has nearly the right message. It may be a "semantics game" but the word "religion" is a turn-off to me but men who are "spiritual" I find to be more on-track.

I am not sure any of that makes sense, I am struggling with pain at the moment. I never take any medicine so sometimes a night can be hard. Anyway, take it for whatever it is worth.

Like you, I have always felt that religion and spirituality are not mutually inclusive. In many ways they are mutually exclusive, in my view.

I find this line of dialogue thought provoking in a number of ways and after this mystery is resolved (notice I said resolved, not solved) perhaps you and I can start off fresh and debate our differences civilly and intelligently - even here on a slow day - and won't Glenn will be shocked and amazed. I take full responsibility for being a jerk but notice that I don't go as far as calling all religion an outright abomination, although I do reject the manipulative and fraudulent nature of many proponents of the various religions, and some of the more fraudulent and cult-like ones in particular. Mona and I have had this discussion about Scientology before. She thinks it is a First Amendment issue, I think it is an organized crime and racketeering matter. We'll save it for another day.

"Lawyers and Religions. If they ask you for money just for a consult - walk away fast." -- L.W.M.

No doubt. I am sure there are some fine teachers out there. I find I have no need for a teacher anymore, and no need to teach.

I find that most "religion" is a real abomination, but that still leaves spirituality. I have no opinion on the Dalai Lama, for example, but he has nearly the right message. It may be a "semantics game" but the word "religion" is a turn-off to me but men who are "spiritual" I find to be more on-track.

I am not sure any of that makes sense, I am struggling with pain at the moment. I never take any medicine so sometimes a night can be hard. Anyway, take it for whatever it is worth.

Bingo

NCAA basketball tournament (March Madness) game on the TV behind him.

-- Jim White

I'll bet Jim's a B-ball fan. I wasn't even sure what that was but looked again and realized it was big flat screen at his local pub. Duh, me!

Bob,

I think all the FDEs agree one man wrote the letters.

Why would Ivins be taking Cipro? Wouldn't he have been vaccinated? Or would it be an added protection?

Here is all the very positive, uplifting info on the anthrax vaccine:

http://www.gwu.edu/~cih/anthraxinfo/vaccine/vaccine_myths.htm

As far as having narcotic type painkillers, doctors give them out for all sorts of things. I've tended to keep them if I'm afraid of getting pain that a couple of aspirin won't cure, though it seems to be more of a hoarding thing, uh oh, am I admitting to pychological problems?. My broken elbow got me a prescription, my stitches another one, a couple of root canals... You get the picture. After a few years (long after expiration, still unused) when I go on a cleaning spree, I dispose of them as safely as possible.

p.s. thanks, bystander.

NCAA basketball tournament (March Madness) game on the TV behind him.

While it's interesting to try to figure out the motives and behavior of the writer of the notes, we don't know that one person wrote the notes, or composed the notes. There may have been several people trying to figure out what an Iraqi terrorist would write in a terror note. You know, "How many here vote for "Allah is great"?

To presume that one person wrote the notes, and the notes reflect some personal feeling or thinking on that person's part, is not demanded by the evidence. And those who most benefited from the results of the anthrax letters (the Patriot Act, the Iraq War) had the means and methods and ability not only to create the letters but to manufacture and deliver the aerosolyzed anthrax.

LWM

I can tell you the month, but not the year that photo was taken.

You probably see something I've missed or don'tregister but I'll go with March. St. Paddy's day.

;-)

I can tell you the month, but not the year that photo was taken.

I'd read that about Cipro. And, someone mentioned it a thread or so back. For some reason, I'd identified the problem as occurring more with the Achilles tendon. Anyway. Tendonitis can be quite painful. Tylenol with codeine, or some such?

But based on what these guys came up with years ago, does Ivins fit the profile?

They are not with the gummint. They are independent. How did they do?

Let's hear from the fellow investigators here.

Yes, Ivins played keyboard and probably spent a lot of time at the computer, but Cipro also just got a black box warning because of blown tendons. Not sure if he was on Cipro, but it's an interesting coincidence.

http://www.webmd.com/news/20080708/fda-warning-cipro-may-rupture-tendons

Ike: read up on Project Bacchus. Interesting stuff there, including an article ABC News appears to have pulled from their site but can be found on dissedentvoice.org. Judy Miller had a front page article on it one week before 9/11. Also check out articles about it at Globalsecurity.org and in New Scientist. I'll post on it tomorrow when I have time if you or someone else hasn't gotten there yet.

typically used to assuage symptoms of medial or lateral epicondylitis

(Shakes head, has no idea what that is will have to google.)

That other analysis has some interesting differences. Not an exact science, sort of an art and a skill:

The three envelopes and the three notes appear to be written by the same person. Note the size, spacing, proportions, letter ' R' and 'E', numerals and many other indications. There is obvious disguise throughout the notes and the envelopes.

The envelope addressed to the Senator has a return address from a 4th grade elementary school. The writer was trying to imitate the immature script of a child. Inside the notes, the writer purposely misspells "penacilin."

The note to the Senator uses punctuation. This is not consistent with the other notes that have no punctuation at all. The writer is trying to disguise their literacy of English and their education level.

The letters to Brokaw and the NY Post are the same exact letter. One may be an original and the other a photocopy or they are both photocopies. Copies of this same note may appear in other letters yet to be received.

The formation of the numeral '1' may indicate a European or Middle Eastern education.

The writing on the envelopes is sloping downward. This can sometimes happen when the writer is using his non-dominant hand and cannot maintain control over the baseline. Additionally, the handwriting formations lack consistency, typical of anonymous note writers attempting to disguise their own handwriting.

Analyzing the language used, the phrase "Allah is great" should be examined more carefully. Is this a phrase that Muslims using English as second language typically use?

(that's what I thought)

All of the notes are mailed in prepaid postage envelopes. Perhaps the writer purposely acquired the prepaid envelopes so that affixing postage stamps would not be necessary and therefore meddling with the envelopes as little as possible leaving no traces of saliva or possible fingerprints.

BEHAVIORAL PROFILE OF THE WRITER

The angular handwriting appears masculine and is probably written by a man.

The dates on the notes are 09-11-01. The precision of using double-digit numbers suggests someone who is mathematical, technical and/or computer literate.

The handwriting formations suggest that the individual is organized, logical, systematic and analytical in his thinking style, controlling, persistent. He is good at planning and follow through. The handwriting has indications of intense hostility and anger. However, these characteristics are an educated guess due to the disguised nature of the handwriting.

There is retracing on the initial letters of "This", "Take" and "Allah" in the Brokaw/NY Post letters. This suggests anxiety on the part of the writer. He may have conflicting feelings about his actions and what he is writing on those particular lines. The other phrases "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" seem like canned language possibly used to throw off the real identity of the writer.

The letters to Tom Brokaw and NY Post were postmarked the same day: September 18. The note to the Senator was postmarked October 9. If the notes are read in that sequence, the first note gives the advice to "take penacilin" while the following note states: "you die now are you afraid?" The language is conflicting. Why is the writer speaking of death and yet giving advice to take "penacilin"? Additionally, one of the notes states "Are you afraid?" The anxiety in the writing along with the conflicts of the language suggest that the writer was afraid and conflicted about his actions.