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Still paying for the decision to back Bush's War* After their abject surrender to the Bush juggernaut prior to the war it is not easy to regain lost footing. The Democrats are trying. The clarion call from John Murtha certainly helped. Still, there is lack of a coherent, unified position emerging from the leadership. We have the hawkish Joe Lieberman condoning everything that the Bush administration did. No surprise there.E.J. Dionne wrote in the Washington Post: "The real patriots are not those who fall into line behind everything Bush says. They are the Republican and Democratic doubters who have pressured Bush into realizing that he has limited time in Iraq and an imperative to speak more realistically. In his speech yesterday, Bush actually admitted that "things did not always go as planned" in Iraq and that last January's elections "were not without flaws." From an administration that never admits mistakes, that's progress."Message to Democrats: Buck up. Message to Republican ad makers: Democracy is about improving government through the uninhibited exchange of ideas. And, yes, our soldiers and enemies are watching.It is not too late; there is hope.

Who can rightfully be the judge ?*"The trial at Lewes crown court highlighted the plight of children afflicted with Hunter syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, and the pressures imposed on parents caring for them. The condition progressively denies victims their hearing and speech and renders them incontinent before they enter a vegetative state. Sufferers such as 10-year-old Jacob Wragg, who had a severe form, are normally dead by their mid-teens." The item in Guardian,UK, made me think about the painful situation faced by former SAS soldier Andrew Wragg who was found guilty of manslaughter but cleared of the charge of murdering his 10 year old son Jacob. A strong supporter of euthanasia for terminally ill people who do not want to continue living, I found myself asking what I would have done faced with a similar situation. Jacob Wragg was not capable of expressing his wish. The decision to end his life was made by Andrew Wragg and his wife, Mary. Would I have been able to smother my son to death ? Frankly, I don't know. Only parents who cope with the daily heartache and hopelessness of caring for a child in vegetative state have the right to comment whether it was right or wrong. I do not condemn Andrew Wragg.

*More than 20 years after the flare up of violence between the Tamils and Sinhalas, there is no sign of a lasting peace. There was a glimmer of hope after last year's tsunami when the different factions in the island worked together in relief efforts. The peace agreement brokered by Norwegians in 2002 was always fragile and is in danger of breaking down. The good news is that the Norwegians have agreed to continue their efforts after announcing that they were going to withdraw. The newly elected president, Mahinda Rajapakse, asked Norway on December 7th to resume its peace mediating role with the Tamil Tigers.The website of University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, contains the best summary that I have found about the history of the strife. Under the title "History of the Ethnic Divide", the report covers the issue from the early days of the island to the current sad state of affairs. Extremists among the Tamils and Sinhalas are responsible for continuation of violent acts.Once known as Taprobane, then Ceylon, the island was renamed Sri Lanka after it became free of British rule in 1948.Credit: Jetwing TravelsI have fond memories of the island and the people I came to know during a visit in 1984. I wrote about it in November 2004, A Man named Gunasekhara and a troubled island.

A Monster Faces Justice * And Michelle Bachelet could be the Next Presidente *The wheels of justice moved slowly but they moved. General Augusto Pinochet, the former military ruler, is facing human rights charges. He was one of our favorite dictators in Latin America. He was aided and abetted by us, under the guidance of Henry Kissinger, in torturing and killing dissidents. Good news indeed for the Chileans. They can also expect their next elected head of state to be a woman who is refreshingly different. This is from a report in the Washington Post by Monte Reel. "SANTIAGO, Chile -- Everyone in the audience was dressed in dark blue or black. Some wore clerical collars, and most had heavy silver crosses dangling around their necks. But Michelle Bachelet wore an electric pink jacket that sent a clear message: She was a candidate for president, not sainthood. ...

* Harold Pinter, winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize for literature, was unable to travel to Stockholm due to medical reasons. His publisher went to accept the award. Harold Pinter's acceptance speech was video taped for the Swedish Academy, Stockholm. Pinter spoke for all of us who oppose brutality in the name of justice...and god. The full text of the speech is available at Guardian.co.UK Excerpts: 'God is good. God is great. God is good. My God is good. Bin Laden's God is bad. His is a bad God. Saddam's God was bad, except he didn't have one. He was a barbarian. We are not barbarians. We don't chop people's heads off. We believe in freedom. So does God. I am not a barbarian. I am the democratically elected leader of a freedom-loving democracy. We are a compassionate society. We give compassionate electrocution and compassionate lethal injection. We are a great nation. I am not a dictator. He is. I am not a barbarian. He is. And he is. They all are. I possess moral authority. You see this fist? This is my moral authority. And don't you forget it.' I have referred to death quite a few times this evening. I shall now quote a poem of my own called 'Death'.Where was the dead body found?Who found the dead body?Was the dead body dead when found?How was the dead body found?Who was the dead body?Who was the father or daughter or brotherOr uncle or sister or mother or sonOf the dead and abandoned body?Was the body dead when abandoned?Was the body abandoned?By whom had it been abandoned?Was the dead body naked or dressed for a journey?What made you declare the dead body dead?Did you declare the dead body dead?How well did you know the dead body?How did you know the dead body was dead?Did you wash the dead bodyDid you close both its eyesDid you bury the bodyDid you leave it abandonedDid you kiss the dead body When we look into a mirror we think the image that confronts us is accurate. But move a millimetre and the image changes. We are actually looking at a never-ending range of reflections. But sometimes a writer has to smash the mirror - for it is on the other side of that mirror that the truth stares at us. I believe that despite the enormous odds which exist, unflinching, unswerving, fierce intellectual determination, as citizens, to define the real truth of our lives and our societies is a crucial obligation which devolves upon us all. It is in fact mandatory. If such a determination is not embodied in our political vision we have no hope of restoring what is so nearly lost to us - the dignity of man. © The Nobel Foundation 2005

*Ang Lee's new film, Brokeback Mountain will soon be released in local theaters. This isn't a review of the movie (reviews are available on the web). JHL and I have watched the preview clips screened before other films that we went to see, and it is on our list of "must see". We have read the short story by Annie Proulx which was adapted by Larry McMurty and Diana Ossana for the screenplay. Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger play the roles of Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar. The story is in the volume titled "Close Range, Wyoming Stories", published in 1999.Credit: IMDB Gay cowboys in Wyoming ! It was near Laramie, Wyoming, that 21 year old Matthew Shepard was beaten to death and left hanging on a barbed wire fence in 1998. How would the homophobes in Wyoming and elsewhere react to the movie ? Are they going to watch it and condemn it or stay away from it? I, too, have mixed feelings but not about the subject. Annie Proulx wrote a 'no frills', tender story about very basic relationship between two men. Reading it I thought that a stark B&W film would do it justice, not a color film 2 hrs 14 minutes long. But for a movie to be a commercial success it has to cater to a broad audience and liberties must be taken. It has received high praise from critics. As to gay cowboys, they are out there just like gay soldiers, sailors, ball players and preachers. They have the right to be.*The Singapore CowboysBack in the 80's during a business trip to Singapore, my friends took me out one evening to listen to the Singapore Cowboys. Not sure but I think it was in the Mandarin Hotel where the group appeared on a regular basis. I was not a country western fan then and not one now but I like Willie Nelson's music. The Singapore Cowboys were taking requests. I sent a note and very soon they launched into "Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys".I checked the web and found that the group (Matthew Tan and the Mandarins) is still active. Good for them.*"Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys.Don't let them pick guitars and drive in old trucks,Make 'em be doctors and lawyers and such.Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboysThey'll never stay home and they're always alone,Even with someone they love."--Written by Ed and Patsy Bruce, recorded by Willie Nelson in 1980.

And Elisa Caravaglio's Penne With Tuna & Tomatoes*The Foothills Park, owned and managed by the City of Palo Alto, CA, is a treasure. There are other natural preserves in the San Francisco Peninsula. Through gifts and purchases, the Mid Peninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) has done a superb job in acquiring large parcels of land and making them accessible to public. There is no entry fee for using the preserves. Entrance to Foothills Park, however, is restricted to residents of Palo Alto.Here are two great photographs taken inside Foothills Park. Thanks to Scott Haefner and Harold Poskanzer who graciously gave permission to reproduce them.©Scott Haefner ©Harold Poskanzer My friend JHL lives in Palo Alto and is an avid walker. We have hiked there many times. Went back there last week and took Los Trancos Trail, our favorite, which climbs toward Skyline. It is a 7.5-mile (apprx. 12 km) loop. Takes us a little over 4 hours, allowing time for a picnic lunch. On that day we had a late start and, after we stopped for lunch, realized that it would be past 5 PM and dark if we made the loop. So we turned around. Now that the rains have begun in earnest, we plan to go back and walk alongside Buckeye Creek running full.*This what we had for lunch.Penne With Tuna & Tomatoes1/3 cup olive oil2 lge garlic cloves, mincedSml pinch of hot red pepper flakes1.5 lb Roma tomatoes, peeled, halved, seeded, diced (canned OK)About 1 tspn fennel seed, ground fine in a mortar or spice grinder (I lightly toast the seeds)2 tblspoon chopped fennel frondsSalt1 can (200 gms) olive oil packed tuna, drained and flaked2 doz green or black olives, pitted, quartered1 lb penneHeat the olive oil, garlic and pepper flakes in a large skillet until the the garlic just starts to color. Add the tomatoes, fennel seed, fennel fronds andsalt to taste.Cook gently until the tomatoes soften but don't allow them to collapse into a sauce. Remove from heat and add the tuna and olives. Keep warm.Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Set aside 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Toss, add some of the reserved water if needed.Notes:1. Serves 4-62. The fennel is important, substitution will not create the right flavor3. Good quality water-packed tuna can be used but first it will have to be drained, doused liberally with extra virgin olive oil and kept overnight to allow the oil to soak in.We had sweet baguette, home made avocado dip, and a California merlot. Sitting in a small meadow on a cold but sunny day it felt good. All was right with the world.

* As the adage goes 'You can't have your cake and eat it too'. The Democratic leadership must face the issue and take a clear position. What the leaders are doing is cowardly and laughable. Jim Vandehei and Shalaigh Murray writes in the Washington Post about Democrats' fear of backlash. It is becoming tiresome; put up or shut up.So far in December 19 more soldiers have died. The total is now at 2132. Source: Iraq Coalition Casualties.org

*Reading "Rice Defends Tactics Used Against Suspects" by Glen Kessler in the Washington Post reminded me of former President Clinton's statement during his appearance before the grand jury about the Monica Lewinsky affair. "It depends on what the meaning of the words 'is' is." Then there is always the admirable Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson): "Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things." "I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."Alice in Wonderland.See"The defining of torture in a new world warAnalysisBy Paul ReynoldsWorld Affairs correspondent", BBC News website But as she set off a European visit during which the rendition flights and the ultimate aim of such flights will be a key issue, the Secretary of State stressed several times that the United States did not engage in torture. And it is really the torture issue which is the key. If the flights were simply for the purpose of moving prisoners between open court systems, nobody would complain. It is the idea that they are tortured in secret detention camps that has concerned critics and has forced Ms Rice to issue her statement. Britain's role in war on Terror - The Guardian, UKMs Rice in her furious best; don't miss the cartoon by Martin Rowson (The Guardian). Comments Anonymous — 2005-12-06 Did you write with the psedonyum of Mussafir in Urdu newspapers of Pakistan. Nice blog. musafir — 2005-12-06 Sorry, but no. I understand Urdu and get by speaking it but cannot write Urdu. Have found many instances of sites that include "Musafir", especially related to a Bollywood film. Thanks for visiting. Must be cold up there in Montana.

*More of them in the closet ?"Finally, Congress Stands Up", David Broder's column in the Washington Post is about two Republican senators who defied the president. Lindsay Graham (SC) by raising the issue of torture of prisoners and secret prisons being operated offshore in "friendly" countries. Senator John Sununu (NH) is a leading opponent of the excesses embodied in the Patriot Act. Sununu has taken the lead in a group of senators pressing for changes in the Patriot Act, the legislation expanding FBI powers that the administration rushed through Congress after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Many of the changes they wanted were made in the Senate bill, but administration objections have stymied their acceptance in a House-Senate conference. For Graham, the issue is the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and other (still secret) overseas facilities. Like 89 other senators, he supported McCain's legislation barring the use of torture orthe extreme measures publicized at Abu Ghraib. Would other Republicans come out of the closet to follow them ? Possible, unless they decide to remain with those who believe the president whenever he ratchets up the terror threat.* On another issue, corruption--the give and take that exists between special interest groups and our elected representative--Michael Kinsley has a good column "Corrupt Intentions" in Slate about Randy Cunningham and his colleagues. Truly a den of thieves and Democrats are part of it.