How else to interpret the U.S.’s judgment that the Iraq arms dossier is incomplete? The only reason not to say so explicitly today is because we need more time before we attack. I can see no other rationale for delay. It’s a good sign Colin Powell is the front man for this assessment. It carries more weight coming from one of the more conciliatory members of the administration. But the truth is, Saddam has given no possible lee-way for conciliation. The blizzard of obfuscatory documents hasn’t worked. The administration was right to take its time. The more patient we are, the tighter the noose around Saddam gets. And then it starts in earnest. I’d put the odds of war early next year as close to 80 percent now.
HOOKED ON THE ’80S: The boyfriend and I can’t stop watching. This week, VH1 has been running a two-hour special each night on two years from the 1980s. Last night was 1984 and 85. Maybe it’s because it’s my generation’s first stab at nostalgia, but I’ve found it wonderfully mindless recreational pleasure. From PacMan to “Fast Times At Ridgemont High” (recommended if Sean Penn’s recent visit to Baghdad got on your nerves) to the Go Go Girls and Flashdance, it’s been a warm bath in pop-cultural reminiscence. I’d forgotten that there was once a sitcom, “Small Wonder,” where the star was a young girl who was actually a robot. I forgot that pale blue jacket I wore in 1985, how racy “Porky’s” was, how cool Chevy Chase used to be, and how some of my first erotic fantasies were built around the “Dukes of Hazzard” (don’t ask). Oh and leg-warmers. Yes, leg-warmers.
JUST A FLESH WOUND! Finally I realized who Trent Lott reminds me of. Remember the knight in Monty Python’s “Holy Grail” who gets both arms and then both legs cut off by a fellow combatant, but still refuses to give in. “It’s only a flesh-wound!” he keeps bragging as blood gushes out from his arm and leg stumps. Only this time, we can’t cut to the next scene.
THE RESULTS: Like some election night drama, the counting of checks and PayPal receipts kept the suspense going. But in the interests of full disclosure, we can now let you know that our one-week pledge drive garnered payments from 3,339 people for a grand total of $79,020 – enough to pay for our burgeoning band-width, an intern/assistant, and a salary for yours truly. It’s not exactly venture-capitalism but it’s a great start. We’ve proved, I think, that the web has the potential to deliver truly independent, reader-supported journalism. Well, in fact, you proved it. Thanks so much again.
The Dish 