Ripped from the headlines

KABUL, Afghanistan – On a whirlwind trip shrouded in secrecy and marred by dissent, President George W. Bush on Sunday hailed progress in the wars that define his presidency and got a size-10 reminder of his unpopularity when a man hurled two shoes at him during a news conference in Iraq. Each shoe was thrown with great force and accuracy and the president narrowly avoided being struck in the head...twice.

In unrelated news...

Toronto, Canada – Early Sunday evening, the Toronto Blue Jays announced the signing of a pitcher to replace A.J. Burnett who was recently wooed to the Yankees organization with a five-year, $82.5 million contract. No name and few details regarding the Jays' new hurler are known but the release did say "He has international experience".

US toll in Iraq hits all-time low as month ends

That was the AP news headline today. Does anyone else believe that this is the calm before the storm that will be unleashed in the months ahead? The "opposition" in Iraq doesn't have the resources the Americans do or for that matter that Iraq has. But I don't believe that insurgents there are ready to give up, especially while American troops are still there. I expect that they are regrouping, raising money and re-organizing before mounting a major wave of attacks. Let's hope I'm wrong. Let's also hope that no major attack is perpetrated against a western country. After all, nothing has changed for those who have been disgruntled with The West for more than half a century.