2. If anyone reading this does not yet have Google Voice, and wants it, let me know. I have two invites.

3. Whenever I walk by a Buckeye tree, I have to find a Buckeye to put in my pocket.

4. Badass Babalu. Dig. It.

5. I never figured 53 was good for much, until I found out "The sum of the first 53 primes is 5830, which is divisible by 53, a property shared by few other numbers." Now, I'm thrilled.

When President Bush held hands with Prince Abdullah, we learned that it was a sign of "friendship, respect and trust." It looked a little weird, but I was okay with it because I believed that president was being sincere.

So, now, we have President Obama bowing to the Emperor of Japan. I'm not sure what exactly that means, other than a Japanese custom, but it must have something to do with friendship, respect and trust. Why, then, is everyone all up in arms about this?

*Barack Obama is doing just what we elected him to do. I am glad he is our president and I fully support him.

* I'm sick of people from the northern fourth of the state saying Springfield is the reason for all the problems of Illinois. Seventy out of 118 state representatives, and about 38 of the 60 state senators are from the northern fourth of the state. More on this thought at a later date.

* I haven't read her book, and probably won't, but from what I've heard, Sarah Palin's new book proves why she is not vice presidential material (or presidential, for that matter).

* If you're concerned about impaneling an impartial jury just blocks from Ground Zero for the trial of an al-Qaeda leader who allegedly spearheaded the 9/11 attacks, thank you for your concern with civil liberties. If you're concerned with the "risk" (and I'm not saying there isn't risk), then if not New York, where? Cleveland, Peoria, San Francisco? Guantanamo Bay?

Then, one day something happens. In the blink of an eye and for reasons unknown to us, they find themselves in the enviable -- or unenviable, depending on your perspective -- position of being solely responsible for their young grandchildren. And, instinctively, they change themselves. Transform. Reform. Clean up. Get it together. Get a home. Provide stability and guidance and nurturing. They discover characteristics and values in themselves no one, maybe not even them, knew existed. They become the men they need to be to raise these kids.

The special grandfathers. Respect.

Last year: "The first time Zuul made himself known to me was the only time I ever "saw" him...." from Me and Zuul (a retelling).

Prisoner of the Taliban | As a captive in the worst place on earth to be an American, David Rohde pinned his hopes on winning over a ‘good’ Taliban commander. After months of lies and fear, he learnt a cruel lesson (May cause pop-ups.)

Over those months I came to a simple realisation. After seven years of reporting in the region, I did not fully understand how extreme many of the Taliban had become. Before the kidnapping I viewed the organisation as a form of “Al-Qaeda lite”, a religiously motivated movement primarily focused on controlling Afghanistan.

Living side by side with the Haqqanis’ followers, I learnt that the goal of the hardline Taliban was far more ambitious. They wanted to create a fundamentalist Islamic emirate with Al-Qaeda that spanned the Muslim world.

* NPR has a good piece on the copper deal; note also the map which shows Afghanistan's very interesting border with China: China Becomes A Player In Afghanistan's Future.

* Forty-three photos from Afghanistan.

* Rethink Afghanistan is a ground-breaking, full-length documentary focusing on the key issues surrounding this war.... (The documentary is broken up in chunks to make it easier for internet viewing. Thank you, @Karoli.)

* New York Times Lede Blog: A Video Guide to the Afghan War Debate, which includes a trailer for Danfung Dennis's upcoming documentary, "The Battle for Hearts and Minds."

* Speaking of hearts and minds, Police fire on anti-US protesters in Kabul.

* Finally, from the Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs (do you think they read my blog?), a long list of recent missions and their results: Forces Kill Taliban Commander, Other Enemy Fighters.

Fifty dollars each, or two for $65.00 at Pet Smart, courtesy of the APL.

“The rules of engagement here have been very frustrating,” said Capt. Tammy Lanning. As the intelligence officer for the 4th Battalion, 25th Artillery Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade operating in Wardak, she must fight a daily battle to keep detained bombing suspects from being released back onto the streets.

“Guys back in Washington need to get, I think, a better operational understanding, [of] what goes on here,” she said. “To separate the enemy from the population to make progress will take a really long time, and the administration really needs to understand that. Even more than in Iraq, to get to the point where they … they can build a government — which they can’t do now — [and] get rid of corruption, is going to take years.”

If the U.S. is not in this fight for the long haul, she added, “you may as well not waste the effort and not kill any more soldiers.”

It would help, too, if the American people were more tuned in to what's happening on the ground in Afghanistan. When we do hear about Afghanistan on the news, it seems to focus much more on the political than on what the troops are going through. What the troops are going through is war. Political is not war. Political is useful, but it's surely not enough.

The American people are not getting the full message of what this war is and what is happening over there. Occasionally, we'll get some "news" personality proudly standing in front of a Humvee with a microphone clipped to his Army issued flack jacket reporting from "inside the wire." But, that's not the same as those dark and grainy satellite images we got on our black and white TVs of fighting (and the sounds of pop pop pop of machine guns) from behind the 17th Parallel in the late 60s and early 70s. I think when you saw those images and heard those sounds, whether you were for it or against it, you knew what war is.

I hate to say this, because I'm sure it will be taken the wrong way, but the way the American public has been shown Afghanistan, one might think Afghanistan has been painless. Well, compared to Vietnam, anyway.

Of course, this lack of facts and images and sounds can't be put solely on the media. The Defense Department, for whatever reason -- to shield us from the blood and guts or to keep us ignorant -- shares the bulk of the blame for keeping us in the dark.

But, I don't want to be pointing fingers here. I just want them to do their jobs. Stop shielding us from the realities. Put it in our faces, everyday, every night. When the people have a better grasp of what's going on, then I believe the president and congress will know what to do.

One more time, the article: U.S. forces struggle with Washington’s perceptions and reality in Afghanistan. Read the whole thing. There's a lot more there.

corinacorona: One last thing: does anyone else get creeped/grossed out by that halls refresh commercial with the mom & the son's roommate? Ew.

dicegrrl: Trying new halls refresh losenges and cant keep up with the saliva production in my mouth... I might drown!

wlicis: Does anyone else think that Halls Refresh commercial with the mom and her kid's friend is WAY beyond creepy?ugh! Who that that was ok to do?

motormouthnc: The Halls Refresh commercial gets creepier every time I see it.

jtravisbradford: Halls Refresh commercial = HOT

mrizek: The Halls Refresh commercial where the mom is making kissy faces with the roommate reminds me of college where I crossdressed for cash.

dwheelchair: Halls Refresh ad with room mate and mum = genius.

molliemoon: I bought Halls Refresh because of the awesome commercial. Advertising really works on me. #funfact

In my non-scientific sample, more people are talking about the commercial than about the product.

I did not like this commercial at first. But, after three or four times, it's growing on me. (Don't hate me.)

In case you missed it, here's the 30 second commercial: Halls Refresh.