Judge Richard Posner, of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, offers his criticism of the 9/11 Commission Report.

The article is not short, but it is well reasoned and realistic. If you want to look beyond the 30-second flyovers of the cable news networks, or the mindless repetition and boosterism of TV's talking heads, it's worth the read.

The 9/11 Report: A Dissent

China's pig population has become infected with a deadly bird flu virus.

Saudi Arabia buys military tanks from Pakistan. Pakistan buys naval patrol boats from Turkey and helicopters from the US.

On Thursday, the Taliban threatened to kill Rumsfeld.

Pakistani intellectuals have described as "insanity" recent Iranian threats of nuclear attack on the US.

The stand-down from the Imam Ali mosque was scripted, staged for effect.

Iran is feelling left out in Iraq and is trying to figure out what to do next. On Thursday, they decided to inform the world that the Philippines' hasty departure from Iraq was "correct, courageous and timely."

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades has adopted a strategy of kidnapping Israeli soldiers in order to swap them for Palestinian detainees.

The Iraqi media recently circulated rumors that Israeli soldiers were fighting in Najaf. The Allawi government has formally denied it.

Iraqi media report that most Baathist former government employees, dismissed by the US, soon will be reinstated.

An Iraqi newspaper quotes an Al-Mahdi Army fighter in Najaf as saying: "There is confusion. We do not know with whom we are fighting!"

"21 Yemeni nationals have been killed in US raids on Al-Fallujah and Samarra recently."

The attacks in Iraq may become a fixture of life in the country, much as with the IRA in Ireland previously. Najaf may become another Falluja.

Journalists, including those at AFP, refer to part of Thailand as the "troubled Muslim south." Thai officials call it a 'major transit' point for illegal weapons.

The government of India has a 'broadband' policy, which is now being amended to include deregulated Wi-Fi. They seek to have 20 million broadband subscribers by the year 2010.

At a science and technology expo of young North Koreans, which runs through September 5, two items of special note: a new species of potato, which promises to "bring about a turn in potato farming" and a new, more valuable species of hemp. Separately, researchers at the Pyongyang-based Hygiene Institute of the Academy of Medical Sciences are hard at work on ways to "efficiently use potato leftovers, which are produced after making starch," and on a search for a "more effective and efficient water sterilizing method."

Russia is having trouble recruiting young people to the engineering profession, especially in aerospace.

In Chinese mythology, the dragon is a benign creature, very different from the fierce predator of Western fables. Which type of dragon we [India] find across our borders will depend as much on us as on China. If we measure up to the economic and security challenge posed by China's rapid rise, we will find that the dragon has Chinese characteristics.

China is a challenge, and not a threat, to India

At best, they swing into action when a crisis or major news development occurs, marshaling their resources ... At their worst, they amplify the loudest voices and blur complexities.

Blogs? Cable news?

A Fog of Words About Kerry's War Record

Harvard University refers to the entire educational institution, including the undergraduate college, the graduate and professional schools, research centers, administration, and affiliates.

What's the difference between Harvard College and Harvard University?

Three interconnected stories about the different strata of life in Mexico City all resolve with a fatal car accident. Octavio is trying to raise enough money to run away with his sister-in-law, and decides to enter his dog Cofi into the world of dogfighting. After a dogfight goes bad, Octavio flees in his car, running a red light and causing the accident. Daniel and Valeria's new-found bliss is prematurely ended when she is injured in the accident. El Chiro is a homeless man who cares for stray dogs and is there to witness the collision.

Amores Perros

In a way, the prison serves as a sort of canine prep school. The "puppy raisers," as they are called, teach the dogs manners and obedience before they begin formal training. But the teachers are learning even more, and their babies' puppy love is unlocking qualities they never knew they possessed.

New Leash on Life

Oral histories held by the IEEE History Center are available here -- this site is a great resource.

Here are a few of the names you might recognize: Paul Baran, Leo Beranek, Vinton Cerf, Ivan Getting, Bob Lucky, Arno Penzias, John Pierce, Simon Ramo, Eberhardt Rechtin, Andrew Viterbi, Jerome Wiesner, Vladimir Zworykin.

Oral Histories at the IEEE History Center

Every afternoon about 2:45 the city settles into a temporary coma. You can feel the biological lights dimming. As for those poor people trapped in PowerPoint presentations -- well, for them there is no help.

The City Life: The Snooze

On Thursday, August 19, Condoleeza Rice, National Security Advisor to the President, spoke about the challenges of waging the war of ideas in the global war on terror at the US Institute of Peace.

Streaming video and audio are available from this site, and a link to the full transcript is also provided.

Waging the War of Ideas in the Global War on Terror