Foreign Policy

In an interview Monday with a group of foreign journalists and academics, [Russian Prime Minister] Putin rejected Western calls for negotiations with Chechen rebel representatives, Britain's Guardian and Independent newspapers reported.

"Why don't you meet Osama bin Laden, invite him to Brussels or to the White House and engage in talks, ask him what he wants and give it to him so he leaves you in peace?" the Guardian quoted Putin as saying sarcastically.

[AP News excerpt]

WTP: We know better than to dictate other nations' foreign policy, but will gladly help out with exports of sarcasm.

Knowing Which Way the Wind Blows

Fearless Freak's Forecast

"Hurricane Ivan will reach Category 5 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale before making landfall near the western end of Cuba, where it will deflect on a more northwesterly track before beating the living shit out of the Florida panhandle and the Gulf Coasts of Alabama and Mississippi."

You heard it here first, kids. I am -not- a professional, of course, but I want to see how well my guess-of-the-moment stacks up against those who are.

And, because I trust my judgement as much as I do theirs, I'm buying some goddamned plywood and contemplating hauling my ass to Atlanta if need be.

Who is that guy?

From my side of an internal IM conversation at the office:

"How about including a corporate graphic in lieu of scantily-clad babes?" [1]

I'll be endeavoring to locate the actual Rafe this evening, along with some plywood.

[1] In my defense, I'm trying to think like an oversensitive, thin-skinned twit with visions of litigious dollar signs in their eyes, and figure that there are enough other graphic options available for a football-logo cup animation that we can avoid including cheerleaders. Bah. Maturity.