Kevin Drum

QUESTION….So is Jamaica’s Usain Bolt now the fastest mon alive?

A REPORT FROM BAGHDAD….Three CNAS analysts recently returned from Iraq. Their observations range from the ridiculous…. “The Dora market in Baghdad, once a war zone, is now a recovering war zone with a thriving gym decorated somewhat surreally with Arnold Schwarzenegger posters — Arnold from the old days, not from the new ones,” [John] Nagl […]

THE SCOURGE OF THE WEB….Just curious: Am I the only one who wishes that newspaper websites would refrain from putting sports results on the front page when they know that the TV coverage is tape delayed? It would sure be nice to be able to scan the news normally without simultaneously ruining my ability to […]

SKILLS vs. APTITUDE….Via McMegan, Yves Smith writes: Unless you have personal connections that are willing to give you a chance at something where your skills might be distantly relevant […] most employers, especially large companies, want to hire someone who is already doing precisely what the job calls for. I’ve seen enormously talented senior people […]

BUSH AND SAAKASHVILI….Josh Marshall on the Russo-Georgian war: The truth is that the US screwed up here in a big way. This isn’t to excuse the Russians. But we pumped the Georgians up as our big Iraq allies, got them revved up about coming into NATO, playing all this pipeline politics, all of which led […]

AEI TRADES LEDEEN FOR DRAFT PICK TO BE NAMED LATER….Michael “Faster, Please” Ledeen, a man who lobbies for war incessantly but just as incessantly claims he’s doing no such thing, has departed from his longtime perch at the neoconservative AEI think tank. Why? He always seemed like such a good fit. No explanation yet, though.

NO COMMENT….Tim Rutten sums up the argument of Jerome Corsi’s revolting new book, The Obama Nation: The Democratic candidate is a deceitful jihadist drug addict who, if elected, plans to impose a black supremacist, socialist regime. Charming. Naturally Corsi is now the darling of conservative talk radio, spreading his filth over the course of (so […]

FRIDAY CATBLOGGING….Last week someone commented on the undeniable beautyosity of Domino’s thick white whiskers, so this week is whisker week for everyone. Obviously Inkblot has trouble with this photographic category since his whiskers sort of blend into his face, but they’re still perfectly respectable specimens. Domino, however, is clearly the star of the show.

VEEP-OLOGY….The latest in Kremlinology: trying to figure out who Obama’s VP pick will be by systematically eliminating everyone who already has an announced speaking slot at the Democratic convention. This assumes that (a) the Obama campaign isn’t playing deliberate games with the announcements and (b) no one is speaking twice. If you accept those postulates, […]

TRAVEL TIPS….Via Tyler Cowen, six tips for vacation bliss here. I agree with numbers 5 and 6. Number 4 varies from person to person. The others have never given me much grief. However, an addendum: #5 is a good idea, but don’t tell anybody. That way you not only have a free day after you […]