Twelfth in blog series chronicling the administration push to Iraq. August, 2001: The news media continue to be consumed with the Chandra Levy-Gary Condit scandal. Enron’s difficulties periodically surface. Bush spends much of the month of August at his recently purchased ranch in Crawford, Texas. While on vacation, the president, along with unnamed administration sources, keeps up the rhetorical attacks on Iraq. Aug. 1, 2001 – Administration sources disclose to news outlets that Bush is said to be contemplating aggressive action against Iraq. Possibilities are said to include air strikes, in ‘retaliation’ for Saddam’s almost having shot down a U.S. military plane in Iraqi air space.   more »

Not to jump to conclusions, but so far San Francisco, which has some truly wonderful sites and things including its Asian Art Museum, is overwhelming, overcrowded, dirty, and polluted. The twisted evergreens like giant bonzai - if that's not an oxymoron like 'jumbo shrimp' - are wonderful. Come to think of it, so are the prawns, which actually are jumbo shrimp. But this is no longer the American city most like Kiev,  most like the gentler European cities.

Not much news there. Nothing that can't be fixed, of course, if only a few million people per year decline to travel ...   more »