Friday Out On The Links

Either out of sheer laziness or because it hasn't been done here in awhile, it's time to pass along some links, highlight some blogs, separate the wheat from the chaff, give the devils their due, etc., etc.

"What can I say? He (Al-Chalabi) is incredible in interviews- almost as good as Bush (comically infuriating). I can see why the Pentagon adopted him- he would be fun to train, a pet monkey of sorts…"

read more at Baghdad Burning, a riveting new girl blog from Iraq.

Uren.Dagen.Nachten provides a flashcard to help the American military learn to distinguish between a camera and a rocket launcher. They need all the help they can get. Now it seems they've been able to "capture" Chemical Ali, the same man they claim to have killed more than four months ago. No wonder they're so confused.

Of personal interest since it's only a matter of a few weeks now before our move there and relocation kicks in: Virtual Brum via The Whole Wide World of Fat Buddha who moved from Idle Thoughts of a Fat Buddha "for the time being" but hasn't returned...(shall we consider this the "new" permanent site?)

What's the real truth about Stratford-Upon-Avon? All I want to know is what the commute is like to Birmingham.

By the way, I love Nigerian Spam so much, I've started a new blog for it. Dunno if it's the first, but by the time I'm through, it will be the most comprehensive. Feel free to send me your favorites.

In case you can never get enough, more nice snaps of the Blackout parties via Lockhart Steele.

Chez Lubacov is back up with some desert music.

Nigel In Europe is an exhaustive examination of an already exhausted experience (Yankee traveling through Europe) with the caveat that the sketches and photographs are more enduring than your usual tourist-fare postcards.

Travelers Diagram has three new Strokes songs recorded live

Which reminds me, some friends of mine have finally put a few of their own songs on the web.

Sure, why not a gratuitous plug for Sports Amnesia which will be changing its format to EPL play within a month?

Unrelated, but no less interesting, is I, Asshole and her breakup with jogging.

Design Your Own Hell and Kafka Flash Animated via Left Blank.

Special interest in The Blog of Death?

NORML presents a drug war cartoon from Mark Fiore.

Time for Breakfast!

I remember the controversy over the Piss Christ but this Bush Christ business is a little too close for comfort. I wonder how come God hasn't had anything to say about it yet.

Even GQ is getting in on the act.

Lastly, since I just heard it for the first time two nights ago and am just 13 years behind the times:

Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy.

Listen here.