You know sometimes it drives me absolutely bonkers when so-called "journalists" fail to report on obvious, easily-discoverable and CRITICAL facts about current events.  

The looming war or strike or conflict with Iran is clearly something that affects the entire globe.  Yet journalists consistently forget to mention something absolutely critical about Iran's potential to acquire/develop/build nuclear weapons.

It's a cold and rainy, overcast day here in Romania which seems appropriate because a man I've had the privilege to know has died.  

Tomorrow I will go to his funeral in a small village near here so we can lay him to rest.  But here today I'd like to celebrate his life.

You know, sometimes its hard to figure out where people get their ideas from, especially the ones that seem so ludicrous or irrational.

I've got something of a lighter workload today so I thought I'd take you on a journey through where some of it comes from.  It's neither an exhaustive look nor a complete one, but it's a taste.

I thought that looking at a Civics textbook currently in use would be a good start.  Just through pure random Google results (i.e. it was on the first page), I'll start with this one by Holt, Rinehart and Winston entitled "CIVICS" with the subtitle of "Social Studies".

Although this is a lengthy piece, it is a condensation of a three part series I wrote for the Booman Tribune.  I am submitting it here for those DKos readers who might find not have seen it there.

I think it is quite well-known that the United States government is ratcheting up pressure against the Iranian government and is building up naval forces in the Persian Gulf.  What is less well-known is the United States' activities in openly supporting terrorism inside Iran.

Maybe it is time to turn off the lights.  Maybe John Howard and Pat Robertson and Dick Cheney and Douglas Feith are right.  The terrorists really are winning.

That's because the terrorists have been winning in the United States for over 200 years.

Not a single American or western media organization is covering this story.  If it is true, it has major implications.

Well once again I had a visit from my elusive companion, Future Man.  Yesterday's visit is here.

He severely dislikes cold weather so he didn't stay long.  He knew I had been in a funk after yesterday's visit, so this time he sought to cheer me up by giving me a newspaper clipping dated from a few years in the future (his past).

The clipping refers to a court case, and says in part:

Last night as I gazed up at the stars, I had a startling visitor show up: Future Man.

I decided to take advantage of his knowledge of our future (his past) and find out how the Iraq war would turn out.  Not so good.  

The major hostilities are over, in the sense that there won't be any more "classic battles" between two "regular" armies.  The bad news is the war will drag on for a total of 14 years, with the last American troops leaving Iraq in 2017.

For some unknown reason, Future Man was in a hurry, but he left me with a torn-out page from the history books of the future.  

Not quite as exciting as November 7, 2006 perhaps but in the light of Investor Racist Daily's little editorial about John Conyers, I thought it was time for a history lesson.

It doesn't get any more "patriotic" than 1796.  I mean all the "Founding Fathers" were still quite alive and well.  George Washington, on September 17, gave probably the best Presidential farewell addresses ever.

I am reminded of the old Buffalo Springfield song:

There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear

Yesterday while wandering in the forests of Romania, I accidentally ingested a certain mushroom.  I sank to my knees and was overwhelmed with cosmic light.

A vision came to me of an alternative universe.  It was so similar to the current one that I almost mistook it for reality itself.  Perhaps the most frightening aspect of my hallucination was just how rational it all was.

My dream was so life-like that it even came with weblinks.

I'll warn you right now.  This is a long article.

Does anyone here remember United Nations Security Resolution 984 (PDF)?  

From here:

The Homeland Security Department is seeking authority from Congress to mine databases containing Social Security numbers in order to identify illegal immigrants and the employers who knowingly hire them, according to senior department officials.

You have to read this entire article before you finally get a handle on what's being proposed here.

I have a number of contacts throughout the world and through them we have managed to conduct the interview of the century.  That's right, a telephone one-on-one with Osama bin Laden himself!

Mr. Bin Laden did not identify his current location.  Podcast not available yet but the transcript is below.  

Exclusive! From my blog Flogging the Simian (FTS).

I'd seen some active duty members writing about this before and now I've now found the "smoking gun" proof.

Quite simply put, the Pentagon is preparing to mobilize as many retired veterans as possible, including those who are disabled and over age 60.  This is the absolutely closest thing to a draft you can get without it becoming a press-gang operation, Viet Nam style.

I live in Romania so it's hard for me to judge sometimes, but looking at CNN it seems like Nepal is finally finding its way into the coverage of the traditional media in America.

As such, I thought it would be a good idea to take an in-depth look at the history of Nepal and understand how the country got to where it is today.

Forgive my rudeness, but what in the hell is this?

In the event of a bird flu outbreak, U.S. money could be produced overseas and Americans checked in drive-through medical exams for signs of infection, according to government plans being finalized.

While I certainly understand the constant focus on Iraq (and to a lesser extent, Afghanistan), many other parts of the world are burning.  

Does anyone care?  I do.  And I hope you do too.