k.d. lang sings 'Hallelujah'

A great Leonard Cohen piece done as a great religious experience by the impossibly tuned k.d.lang.

This was recommended by a regular commentator on our blog as a special voice for Rosh Hassonah.

Shona Tova...

Truths about Iraq

Newspaper editors and layout specialists must take particular delight in arranging stories on a page in such a manner that separate items seem naturally to reflect on one another.

Page A7 of this morning's Sun is a perfect example.

First, a big story about the life and death of a Canadian soldier fighting with American troops in Iraq. The soldier's grieving parents reveal that they had to send their son "uniforms, boots, socks, undies, ammunition and Kevlar vests" among other things.

The next story is small coverage of Bush's disgusting, lying appearance on TV last night. Equally reprehensible were Juliani and McCain, backing up the continuing fantasies and out-right lies of this worst of all Presidents.

The only mildly refreshing moment occurred when John Edwards said in plain English, "This is a sales job."

What is terrifying is that there will be millions of Americans who will buy the President's lies.

American Revolution - Health Care

In an astonishingly bold and exciting move, the City of San Fransisco has created a universal health care system in which 82,000 uninsured residents are now being provided free or subsidized health care.

Read this story from the NY Times here, and contemplate what this might mean for the 45 million uninsured Americans and for the inefficiencies and inequities of of our own system here at home.