Want to write a Guest op-ed for Juan Cole’s blog, Informed Comment?

I just received an email from him which he sent to the LBAN (Liberal Blog Ad Network) group list.

He makes a generous offer to help drive more traffic to LBAN blogs.

I’d like to help out other members of this group, and it occurred to me that one way to do it would be to print guest op-eds with link backs.

He’s looking for 750-word essays – particularly critiques of the McCain campaign.

I originally thought I might just link to some stories at other Lban blogs, but finding ones appropriate to what I usually talk about is not easy.

Since we’re in the presidential campaign season, though, and since I post on general politics in addition to foreign policy, actually the appropriateness issue is less salient right now.  Most of us are probably commenting on the campaign in one way or another.  I’m especially interested in a range of critiques of the McCain campaign.

-snip

Those of you who have books are welcome to suggest a short essay related to the book, and if I like it for my site we can put in the Amazon link.

In memory of …

Thanks to buhdy for giving me the chance to guest host tonight!  Did you find that blotter yet dude?

For lunch today I had pizza and beer.   mmmm, my two favorite food groups!

That caused me to come home late… and now the PP is late… and I haven’t written anything anyway…  so let’s just have more pizza and beer.  

I’m native to the Chicago area so when I moved away from home I had to learn to make my own.

My specialty is stuffed spinach.  (a la Edwardo’s*)

Albert Hofmann died yesterday at the age of 102.  

Blessings on your Journey Al!

Obit on WaPo.  

^{Screen Cap from SFGate}

Former mayor Willie Brown, football player Hershel Walker, and swimmer Natalie Coughlin, carry the torch on the final leg of the ‘surprise’ route.  Surrounded by a phalanx of Chinese security, police with batons,  and a motorcycle motorcade….with nary a protester in sight.   Yep – this is how San Francisco shows its Olympic spirit!

On April 9th the Olympic torch came to San Francisco – the only North American city on its route.  This was preceded by weeks of controversy over China’s human rights record, the situation in Tibet, and how this most liberal american city would  handle the event and the surrounding protests.   My parents (from Illinois) were in town that week so I took the opportunity to schedule a day off and go see the Olympic torch.  

Lots more pics below the fold.

One World One Dream – Free Tibet 08

Screen caps from KTVU Video

This is the BIG story in the Bay Area tonight.  These 3 people on the bridge were truly brave souls and after 3 hours flying their banners and Tibetan flags, they were taken into custody and booked for felony conspiracy.  The city of San Francisco is ‘bracing for uproar’, iow shitting bricks, about what to do with the Olympic torch relay on Wednesday.  After London and Paris I can only imagine what will happen here. Tensions have been building for weeks now.