By the time you read this, the situation in Najaf will probably be over. Let me rephrase that. The current situation in Najaf will probably be over. Then of course, we'll have a new situation to deal with. That's the way this whole process of resolving situations by hurling projectiles at each other works. The worst thing that could happen is if we blow up the mosque. Or if they blow up the mosque. The odds of that happening at this point are about 50/50. The second worst thing that could happen is if al-Sadr and his people pull a 'Jim Jones'. The odds of that happening at this point are about 10 to 1. Or maybe they'll finally find somebody brave or stupid enough to take the mosque keys from them. And they'll just walk away. They've said they were going to do this two or three times now and then backed out. 50/50 on that one as well. Then again, there's the random factor. Something totally different and weird will happen. It's a tough call.

But let's recall what this is all about. They're protecting a shrine. We're in there to stop these people from launching projectiles at us. And the only way we can figure out is to launch projectiles at them. We really don't care about their shrine. It's in the way. If they leave, we'll just have to move the fight. We'll have to anyway...

Band rental season is off to its annual start. Slowly at first. I'm not ready for it this year. But then I wasn't ready for it last year either.

Jonathon Idema. He's the guy from Texas that was running his own jail in Afghanistan. Special forces (the US refutes this claim). Once fought alongside the Northern Alliance. Nobody refutes that claim. Those by themselves are impressive credentials. Funny it's just hitting the news because he got arrested by the Afghans on July 5th. And what was happening around July 5th? The prison abuse scandal. That's why they closed him down. The difference is that he wasn't making people take naked pictures. He was really getting results. He had apparently obtained Osama's address and al-Zawahri's cell phone number but the US never acted on it because they were too busy finding scapegoats for the naked prisoner fiasco. Too late now. A casualty of politics.