Random Thoughts 8/2/07

• This makes for an informative read. It's a Culture Smart Card given to Marines to inform them on Iraqi culture. It's just an overview but it gives some insight into the cultural complexities that the mainstream media just glosses over. Everything is covered from hand gestures to Islamic holidays, from an explanation of Arabic names to an explanation of how to be a good dinner guest. Fascinating.
• It's about a week into most NFL training camps and only seven rookies are not signed to a contract yet. That of course includes Chiefs' WR Dwayne Bowe. Of course the Chiefs have other problems with Larry Johnson holding out for more money (trade the bum) and Priest Holmes risking life and limb trying to make a comeback. I wouldn't mind if the Chiefs had a bad year, if they would just earnestly work toward the future with the younger players.
  
• Do you still think the Battle for Iraq is a lost cause? A mistake? Then you're probably not reading all the good news at websites like the Fourth Rail and Pundit Review, the Freedom update at Vets for Freedom, or the incredible photo-journalism of embeds like Michael Yon and Michael J. Totten.
  
• 76 (out of 100) Senators have been to Iraq. Of the 24 who have not traveled to Iraq, 19 of them are Democrats and two of the Republicans, Sens. Domenici and Voinovich, have abandoned the President on the issue. Of the 22 Senators that have traveled to Iraq three times or more, 14 are Republican or Independent (Lieberman).
• The next Chronicles of Narnia film, Prince Caspian, will be released May 16, 2008, six months later than anticipated. But the Narnia film is going to be huge with 1500 special effects shots, nearly twice that of the first movie. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader film will begin shooting in a few months and is expected to be released May 1, 2009, with more Narnia films (the Silver Chair, perhaps?) released each year depending on box office results. The boys and I are two-thirds of the way through our first Narnia book, The Magician's Nephew.