Turns out the so-called Mr. Soft on Terror Bill Clinton (a.k.a. THE MAN) was actually trying to get Bin Laden assassinated. That's mroe attention than W has paid anytime recently to him...

TONIGHT: PEDRO VS. LIVAN; HERE WE COME! PLAYOFFS BABY!

2005 National League Wild Card Standings
NATIONAL	W	L	Pct	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	STRK	L10
Houston	65	57	.533	-	41-21	24-36	522	473	Won 1	5-5
Philadelphia	65	58	.528	.5	38-28	27-30	566	563	Lost 2	6-4
Florida	64	57	.529	.5	36-27	28-30	541	495	Won 3	7-3
Washington	64	58	.525	1	34-22	30-36	476	483	Lost 1	5-5
NY Mets	62	59	.512	2.5	39-24	23-35	546	492	Won 1	5-5
Chicago Cubs	60	62	.492	5	30-30	30-32	542	555	Won 3	6-4
Milwaukee	60	63	.488	5.5	31-25	29-38	548	534	Lost 1	4-6
Arizona	57	66	.463	8.5	27-32	30-34	541	656	Lost 1	3-7
Cincinnati	56	66	.459	9	35-32	21-34	631	678	Won 2	6-4
LA Dodgers	55	66	.455	9.5	29-30	26-36	520	587	Lost 1	5-5
San Francisco	53	68	.438	11.5	25-33	28-35	511	596	Lost 2	5-5
Pittsburgh	53	69	.434	12	26-31	27-38	520	581	Won 2	6-4
Colorado	45	77	.369	20	31-35	14-42	534	681	Lost 3	2-8

2005 National League Standings
EAST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	STRK	L10
Atlanta	69	53	.566	-	40-20	29-33	590	494	Lost 2	5-5
Florida	64	57	.529	4.5	36-27	28-30	541	495	Won 3	7-3
Philadelphia	65	58	.528	4.5	38-28	27-30	566	563	Lost 2	6-4
Washington	64	58	.525	5	34-22	30-36	476	483	Lost 1	5-5
NY Mets	62	59	.512	6.5	39-24	23-35	546	492	Won 1	5-5

Aug. '05	OPPONENT	TIME (ET)	TV	LOCATION	NYM PITCHER	OPP. PITCHER	TICKETS
Sat. 20	Washington	7:10 PM		Shea Stadium	Martinez (12-5)	Hernandez (14-5)	Tickets
Sun. 21	Washington	1:10 PM		Shea Stadium	Benson (9-4)	Halama (1-1)	Tickets
Mon. 22	at Arizona	9:40 PM	FxNY	Bank One Ballpark	Glavine (9-10)	Webb (10-9)	Tickets
Tue. 23	at Arizona	9:40 PM	MSG	Bank One Ballpark	Zambrano (6-10)	Vargas (7-6)	Tickets
Wed. 24	at Arizona	10:05 PM	MSG	Bank One Ballpark			Tickets
Thu. 25	at Arizona	9:40 PM	FxNY	Bank One Ballpark			Tickets
Fri. 26	at San Francisco	10:15 PM		SBC Park			Tickets
Sat. 27	at San Francisco	4:05 PM	FOX	SBC Park			Tickets
Sun. 28	at San Francisco	4:05 PM		SBC Park			Tickets
Tue. 30	Philadelphia	7:10 PM	MSG	Shea Stadium			Tickets
Wed. 31	Philadelphia	7:10 PM	MSG	Shea Stadium			Tickets
Sep. '05	OPPONENT	TIME (ET)	TV	LOCATION	NYM PITCHER	OPP. PITCHER	TICKETS
Thu. 1	Philadelphia	1:10 PM	FxNY	Shea Stadium			Tickets
Fri. 2	at Florida	7:35 PM	FxNY	Dolphins Stadium			Tickets
Sat. 3	at Florida	6:05 PM		Dolphins Stadium			Tickets
Sun. 4	at Florida	1:05 PM		Dolphins Stadium			Tickets
Mon. 5	at Atlanta	1:05 PM	ESPN	Turner Field			Tickets
Tue. 6	at Atlanta	7:35 PM	MSG	Turner Field			Tickets
Wed. 7	at Atlanta	7:05 PM	MSG	Turner Field			Tickets
Thu. 8	at St. Louis	8:10 PM	FxNY	Busch Stadium			Tickets
Fri. 9	at St. Louis	8:10 PM	FxNY	Busch Stadium			Tickets
Sat. 10	at St. Louis	7:15 PM		Busch Stadium			Tickets
Sun. 11	at St. Louis	2:15 PM		Busch Stadium			Tickets
Tue. 13	Washington	7:10 PM	MSG	Shea Stadium			Tickets
Wed. 14	Washington	7:10 PM	MSG	Shea Stadium			Tickets
Thu. 15	Washington	1:10 PM	FxNY	Shea Stadium			Tickets
Fri. 16	Atlanta	7:10 PM	FxNY	Shea Stadium			Tickets
Sat. 17	Atlanta	1:15 PM	FOX	Shea Stadium			Tickets
Sun. 18	Atlanta	1:10 PM		Shea Stadium			Tickets
Tue. 20	Florida	7:10 PM	MSG	Shea Stadium			Tickets
Wed. 21	Florida	7:10 PM	MSG	Shea Stadium			Tickets
Thu. 22	Florida	7:10 PM	FxNY	Shea Stadium			Tickets
Fri. 23	at Washington	7:05 PM	FxNY	RFK Stadium			Tickets
Sat. 24	at Washington	7:05 PM	FxNY	RFK Stadium			Tickets
Sun. 25	at Washington	1:05 PM	FxNY	RFK Stadium			Tickets
Mon. 26	at Philadelphia	7:05 PM	FxNY	Citizens Bank Park			Tickets
Tue. 27	at Philadelphia	7:05 PM	MSG	Citizens Bank Park			Tickets
Wed. 28	at Philadelphia	7:05 PM	MSG	Citizens Bank Park			Tickets
Thu. 29	Colorado	7:10 PM	FxNY	Shea Stadium			Tickets
Fri. 30	Colorado	7:10 PM	FxNY	Shea Stadium			Tickets
Oct. '05	OPPONENT	TIME (ET)	TV	LOCATION	NYM PITCHER	OPP. PITCHER	TICKETS
Sat. 1	Colorado	7:10 PM	FxNY	Shea Stadium			Tickets
Sun. 2	Colorado	1:10 PM	FxNY	Shea Stadium			Tickets

THIS IS GREAT! READ/WATCH HERE

Jets 28, Vikings 21

Pennington Shows That His Arm's Just Fine

Ray Stubblebine/Reuters

"It felt like old times again," Chad Pennington said of his performance against the Vikings, which included a 20-yard touchdown pass to Laveranues Coles.

By KAREN CROUSE

Published: August 20, 2005

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Aug. 19 - It might have been a preseason game, but Jets fans knew better. They saw quarterback Chad Pennington's start Friday night against the Minnesota Vikings for what it really was: a rehabilitation assignment.

Pennington, owner of the most precarious right arm in New York this side of Yankees pitcher Jaret Wright, had not taken a snap in a game in seven months, since the Jets' American Football Conference divisional playoff loss at Pittsburgh on Jan. 15.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Wayne Chrebet receiving an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jay Fiedler in the second quarter that gave the Jets a 14-7 lead over Minnesota.

What Pennington set out to achieve against the Vikings on a damp, dreary night was essentially what Wright accomplished when he returned to the competitive arena against Gulf Coast League batters last month. His goal was to shake loose the cobwebs, shore up his rhythm and sharpen his confidence.

Done, done and done.

Playing three possessions, Pennington completed 9 of 10 passes for 86 yards. He started slowly, showing his rust, but finished with the flourish of an exuberant orchestra conductor, completing a 20-yard pass to Laveranues Coles in the end zone to cap a nine-play, 80-yard drive.

Pennington left the game with the score tied, 7-7. The Jets won 28-21.

As soon as Coles drew the ball in, Pennington raised his right arm and wagged his index finger. His range of motion never looked better. It represented a vast improvement from the weeks after his surgery on Feb. 8 when he could not raise his arm to brush his teeth.

"It felt like old times again," Pennington said.

"It was nice to spread the ball around," he added, "just get a good drive going."

Pennington's arm strength was scrutinized long before his shoulder joint frayed from use like the denim around the knees of jeans. That's perhaps why none of his completions was as sweetly significant as his incompletion.

It was a 45-yard throw that Pennington launched at the start of the second series that outpaced its streaking target, Justin McCareins, by 5 yards. After the ball bounced on the turf, Jets Coach Herman Edwards shot Pennington an anxious stare. He was looking for any signs of discomfort.

When he saw that Pennington was fine, Edwards stopped worrying.

"It just proves to me I have a good shoulder," said Pennington, adding that he threw the ball with ease.

"When I let it go, I was just trying to put it out there and I even surprised myself how far I threw it," he said. "That is probably the first time I have overthrown a receiver in about three years."

Pennington's injury - a torn rotator cuff - was worse than the strained shoulder that sidelined the Yankees' Wright four and a half months. It had plenty of people wondering, was Pennington really ready for his comeback?

At the Meadowlands before the game, the only thing more leaden than the gray clouds above was the anticipation barely contained beneath all the replica team jerseys in the stands.

No one was more excited than Pennington, who literally could not wait to play. Standing on the Jets' sideline, his left shoe was on the field, well over the white chalk of the sideline, even before the punt of Darren Bennett, which came after the Vikings' opening drive stalled at the Jets' 49-yard line, was airborne.

The last time Pennington had crouched behind center in a game, he completed 21 of 33 passes for 182 yards and threw an interception that set up the Steelers' first touchdown. Never mind the pick, what Jets fans remember is Pennington taking a knee at the Steelers' 25 so Doug Brien could try a 43-yard field goal, which he missed.

The only way Paul Hackett's offense could have been any more conservative was if Pennington and Company had dressed in black three-piece suits. The offense under Hackett's replacement, Mike Heimerdinger, is less predictable, more chromatic.

In the first half, Pennington and his backup Jay Fiedler found five receivers, with Coles leading the way with six receptions. Pennington is a fan of Heimerdinger's philosophy about the downfield pass, which is, basically, "let it rip and let the guys run after it," Pennington said.

He now knows better than to take anything for granted. So it was more than a mere formality when Pennington, standing on the 50-yard line, turned to Edwards after the playing of the national anthem, as he always does, and told him he loved him. Edwards responded, as is his custom, by reminding Pennington to go out and have fun.

Edwards would like to see Pennington play with the same joy as the Pop Warner players who formed two receiving lines to welcome the Jets onto the field before the game.

"He's harder on himself than anybody else is," Edwards said earlier in the week. "After every series he'll say, 'I didn't do this. I didn't do that. I should've done that.' Then I'll have to hit him in the back of the head like I always do and say, 'Just go play.' "

Pennington listened to Edwards on Friday. He went out and played that third series as though he'd never been sidelined. "It was just fun to finally get out there and play the game I love to play," he said.

EXTRA POINTS

The Jets' Rashad Washington, a second-year safety, was knocked out of the game with a concussion. ... The Vikings committed five penalties before the first Jets player was flagged. ... Wayne Chrebet, who sat out the preseason opener with a strained hamstring, caught an 18-yard scoring pass from Jay Fiedler to put the Jets ahead 14-7 in the second quarter. ... The rookie running back Cedric Houston scored on a 10-yard run for the decisive points.

Check out this ESPN SportsNation poll. You're doin down, PAAAAAHHHTS.

no, really

from http://www.whitehouse.org

In the middle of the 3rd century B.C. (that's 200's) I, the leader of the Julii family, controlled lands of northern Italy, Gaul (France,) Britannia, Greece, Germania, Dacia (a large swat of East Central/Souther Europe) as well as Crete and Sardinia. With such vast resources at my disposal, I was pursuing the Gauls to their last hideout in north-central Spain. The Spainiards seemed an easy conquest on the way. This is the story of how the spanish kicked my ass. (CLICK ON PICS TO ZOOM)







My troops arrive from Gaul and northern Italy, and line up in a suprise attack on the Spanish city of Ostia, in the Basque part of Spain.







The battering ram gets ready to pound down the gate...











My Hastati (light infantry) throw their pila javelins at the Spaniards over their wooden walls









My infantry pour through the city gate, and as as we outnumber them heavily, it seems vitory is near...









Yet, the Spaniard genenral, a prince of the Royal family of the Spaniards, let me through, feinted a fallback, and then charged my men with his bodyguard of heavyily armed and armored cavalry, most from the nobility...








The Spanish general charges right into my men, along with his troopers...








My men begin to break while some of the bravest resist as the heavy horseman begin to break my line and my men start to run back through the gate...









My entire line collapses as the heavy Spanhish cavalry catches my many cohorts in the bottleneck of the Ostia city gate, and they start mowing my men down like the lawn.

















The Spanish general-prince hacks away at my men as his troopers chase other members of my army throght the gate. My virgin newly recruited troops are no match for the battle-hardned general and his bodyguard.

I clearly got cocky, not waiting for my own general to arrive on scene. The Spanish chase the remnants of my army to the coast, where the meet up with my general and some reenforcements and mercanries recruited from the Basque region fopr a 2nd battle.







This time my troops have the high ground and await the Spanish assault








My cavary attempts to head off a flanking move by the Spaniards as the Spanish infantry treks up the giant hill








Our cavalry clash








The cavalry melee continues...









My troopers begin to gain the upper hand...









...and clash...








...and begin to drive the enemy light cavalry away.














Meanwhile my piss-poor "town watch" militia style infantry prepare for the barbarian mercanaries hired by the spanish to attack.








Just before the two lines clash, I send my general and his bodyguard over to support my line...









As soon as the lines clash my cavalry break their mercenaries and they run like cowards...









But as my some of my cavalry chase them down, the enemy's heavy infantry and their infamous general fall on my flank...








The wise Spanish general-prince charges up and behind my men, elements of my cavalry that had been chasing the enemy's weaker elements turned around, but they were charging uphill...








The Spanish general has now reversed roles and has the high ground as his men pour down to thill to my line...









The Spanish geenral raises his sword in a gesture of victory as his men pour down the hill and ride roughshod over my men; my general escapes with his life but little else of my once grand army survives.

I had viewed this foray as a mopping-up operation against the Gauls; my Spanish "distraction" ensured I didn't even reach the final Gallic outpost. After thousands of Romans had bitten the dust, I sent a diplomat over to this same Spanish general and made clear that if he did not submit to the Julii family and the might of Rome, the full might of Rome would come to bear on the Spanish and would make their people but a distant memory. Realizing the resources I could bring about to crush him and his family and people, the Spanish submitted, and have since been a protectorate of mine. Still, they won a peace of honor; not a single Spanish city was conquered by a Roman army and no Roman has yet defeated a Spaniard; they are now our allies, but are subservient to Rome, under my jurisdiction. At a heavy cost.

Rush Limbaugh wants to mediate T.O. and McNabb? WTF??

THE THREE-STATE SOLUTION

By Brian E. Frydenborg

It’s time for us to realize some simple history of Iraq and what it means for Iraq’s future. When Winston Churchill and his people were drawing lines on the map of the defunct Ottoman Empire as WWI closed, his priorities had nothing to do with the people. He wanted the oil fields of both the Kurdish area south of what is now Turkey and the Shia area near the Persian Gulf to be under British control. Forget that the Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds all wanted nothing to do with each other. It would be like us today saying that Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank should be a single, unified state. It would make absolutely no sense

So it is that the boundaries of what would become Iraq were drawn, and that the British had their “mandate” (translated: dictatorial colonialism) over Iraq. Now, then, there should be no surprise that the Kurds already have autonomy, and that the Shias are demanding it. If that happened, then the Sunnis would be left out in the cold, with no oil revenue or economy to speak of, after having dominated everyone else since early Ottoman times. It took someone like Saddam, ruling with an iron fist, to hold Iraq together (and even he had his hands full) much like it took someone like Tito to keep Yugoslavia together. Mr. Hussein was right to be paranoid of losing his power; Ken Pollack of the Brookings Institute, among others, suggests he maintained the fiction of having WMD’s to keep his own people, the Kurds and the Shias, in check.

The question is: is there any reason for any of these groups to want to be in a state with any of the others? No.

So how can a unified Iraq succeed? The hard reality is that is can’t, especially after our bungled occupation which killed the only opportunity to create a unified, democratic Iraq, and even that was probably a long shot. Immediately after the war many Iraqis thought that may have been possible, but an absence of real Presidential leadership and two years of absolute misery, death and destruction have disillusioned Iraqis’ hopes and dreams about a unified country.

The two problems with Iraqi fragmentation are as follows: the Sunnis would be left in the cold, and the Kurdish population of southwestern Turkey would demand to join a Kurdish state in the north. Both threaten to destabilize the whole region. But this situation is far from hopeless.

The UN (just bear with me) is the solution in both cases. To placate the Sunnis, the UN could buy a small fraction of the oil fields in the Shia and Kurdish areas (perhaps 1/5) at a generous price, allowing both areas to further modernize their equipment or to restore what has been damaged as well as helping to develop their areas at large. The UN could then administer these fractions of the fields and channel all of the profits, minus the operation costs, to the Sunnis. This would be done by UN personnel with UN troops protecting them, but the whole time they would be mentoring and apprenticing Sunnis to be able to one day (soon) take over. Once the Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds demonstrated that they could get past their past grievances enough to work together in peace, UN personnel and financial ties would give way fully to Sunnis who would “lease” these fields from the UN and fully operate them for their own profit. UN troops would stay and guard this “international” territory; that way, Shias or Kurds could not try to push the Sunnis out, yet, being “owned” the UN, the Shias and Kurd would not fear Sunni encroachment either. The borders of these three states- one Sunni, one Kurdish, and one Shia, would also be guarded by UN troops for a year or so till the region re-stabilized.

What about the Turkish and Iraqi Kurds? Well, convince Turkey to give up its Kurdish area and allow it to join a Kurdish national state. Perhaps you are saying, easier said than done. But this, too, would require sacrifice on everybody’s part, including the West. And to get China and Russia to go along with this, the US must lead the way.

I’m talking about giving Turkey an enormous economic aid package, accelerating its entry into the EU, and, most importantly, giving it a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Why not? Turkey, with a population of 70 million, has the largest population in the Middle East, and has 10 million more people than either Britain or France, both members of the Security Council. It also has the largest GDP in the entire Middle-East by far. It is a secular democracy and a member of NATO. What better candidate in the region?

It is hard to imagine Turkey turning down such a prestigious opportunity to be a full member of the UNSC, and doing so would help create three stable states instead of one with intermittent civil war. Bold? Yes. Impossible? No. Difficult? Yes; but anything worth trying is difficult. As the ancients used to say, “Fortune favors the bold.”