Jeff McKinney

News: U.S. Toll in Iraq Hits 4,000

I try to keep things light around here but I think it’s important that the following story from Reuters is shared.

U.S. toll in Iraq hits 4,000 as four soldiers killed

By Ross Colvin

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The death toll of U.S. soldiers in Iraq reached 4,000 on Monday, days after the fifth anniversary of a war that President George W. Bush says the United States is on track to win.

The U.S. military said four soldiers were killed on Sunday when a roadside bomb, the biggest killer of American soldiers in Iraq, exploded near their vehicle in southern Baghdad.

One soldier was wounded in the attack, which brought the number of U.S. military deaths to 4,000 since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

The deaths came on a day when the U.S.-protected “Green Zone”, the government and diplomatic compound in central Baghdad, was hit by repeated rocket and mortar fire, part of an upsurge in violence in the capital and elsewhere.

Sunday’s violence, in which dozens were killed, underscored the fragility of Iraq’s security. There has been an increase in attacks since January, although U.S. military commanders say overall levels of violence are down 60 percent since last June.

What impact the 4,000 milestone will have on a war-weary American public and the U.S. presidential campaign will be hard to assess in the short term, but war critics are likely to seize on it to boost their case for U.S. troops to be withdrawn.

“You regret every casualty, every loss,” U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said during a visit to Jerusalem. “It may have a psychological effect on the public, but it’s a tragedy that we live in a kind of world where that happens.”

The U.S. military dismisses such tolls as arbitrary markers.

Historic Roadside Monuments To Be Restored

Dozens of roadside monuments in New York and Massachusetts that mark the route taken by patriots during the Revolutionary War will be getting a face lift thanks to the National Parks Service.

Granite slabs with bronze plaques, which mark the Knox Trail, were originally unveiled in 1927 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the American Revolution. Considered one of the earliest heritage trails created in the United States, the Knox trail follows the original route used by General Henry Knox and his troops in the winter of 1775-76. The American troop carried 59 captured artillery pieces 250 miles from Fort Ticonderoga to General George Washington’s army at Dorchester Heights, overlooking Boston Harbor, which in effect, drove the British from Boston on March 17, 1776.

The restoration project launches Saturday at a monument located on the state line separating Hillsdale, N.Y., and Alford, Mass. The event will include a fife and drum band from Fort Ticonderoga and Revolutionary War re-enactors from the Boston area.

Façade Vase From Orcadesign

Going green is more than just a buzz word or marketing gimmick. It’s a practice that we should all try integrating into our lives and homes. A simple way of living a greener life is to try finding new uses for used items. Before you throw something into the garbage think if you can use that item as something else. For example, I use the cardboard tubes left over from a roll of paper towels as a container for unused extension cords. They keep the cords neat and untangled plus I can write the length of the cord on the tube.

Here is an interesting product that turns used water bottles into useful flower holders. It’s the Façade vase from Orcadesign. This simple yet ingenious item is made out of industrial wool felt and slips right over a plastic water bottle. Judging by the designer’s web site, the Façade vase is just a concept item right now but anyone with a sewing machine can easily make this on their own. Also, think about creating a larger version to cover wine bottles.

– Jeff

Are You Kidding Me?

I don’t like to talk politics here but, as a New Yorker, I just can’t let Spitzer’s bombshell announcement yesterday go without mention. In case you haven’t heard what that announcement was, NY governor, Eliot Spitzer, admitted to being involved in a high-price prostitution ring. Personally, I’m not bothered by the fact that he was visiting a lady of the evening. I always thought he looked a bit sleazy and figured he was probably up to far worse than hookers. What shocks me is how stupid he must be to think that the governor of New York would be able to get away with flying a prostitute from NY to Washington DC for a $4000 “date”. I’m not implying that Spitzer or any other political figure should be expected to live their lives with greater morality than any other citizen – but, don’t choose a career of public service and public scrutiny if your private life is filled with secrets.

Roaring Rapids Across Chatham

After the weekend’s biblical downpour, I’m thinking of building an ark of my own. We had so much rain on Saturday that the ground level raised to a point where the water began pouring in through our basement window sill. On an emergency run to the hardware store, we noticed that many homes along 295 in Chatham were surrounded by water. Hopefully you managed to stay high and dry and lets hope for a drier week ahead.