Does the government and the news media really want you to know all the story to come out of Iraq? I mean really - its all the government's best interest to keep the information filtered. For example, we here about how our military doesn't endorse torture or use chemical weapons. As far as torture, every time the government officials come on television and state this position their disingenuous remarks further spark the skeptics. Come clean and just say we use torture techniques off the American soil, and in terms of this "war on terror", we initiate methods to extract information from the enemy - but we won't tell you this until we're caught. A disturbing video account is available on this blog "Baghdad Burning" (post Thursday, November 17, 2005) of the suspected use of white phosphorus and the account of the battle of Fallujah. It's let's say - gruesome.


Helen and I enjoyed out trip back to Iowa. We we're able to see most of the family - it was a worldwind tour and amazing to see the the growth in my nieces ans nephews in just a year. Helen's interview went well and in all I think she was impressed with the size of the hospital. In fact, the U of Iowa bigger than Seattles 2 big hospitals combined. Iowa City is really the only place I could live in Iowa if we ended up going back.

Above is a painting finished a few months ago titled "Reflective Contemplation". The hat is a soviet era military officer's hat I purchased while in Kiev two years ago. I left it unfinished to allow some of the undercolor to dominate the piece - you don't always have to paint every piece to the finished edges.