Big day ya know

I have a lot of work to do today, meeting with two groups and as always my 3-hour night class, so I don't think I can put in an update later. But for now I can simply say that Billmon has really zeroed in on things in Both Ends Against the Middle and Both Ends Against the Middle. Cheers to that.

Bad news out of Saudi Arabia and Basra today: is it connected? Why assume it isn't? Is the king of Jordan hella threatened? Of course he is.......

Yesha Final Four

Bush's spokesman had reservations about the list of settlements that Sharon announced in Israel as safe from evacuation and hinted that in a final peace agreement that included a territorial exchange with the Palestinians, not all would remain under Israeli control. The settlement blocs will compete - Ariel against Kiryat Arba, Gush Etzion against Ma'aleh Adumim against the Binyamin district - and some will be evacuated and others will go through to the Final Four.

Bush also shackled Sharon to a timetable for evacuating the outposts, under the supervision of Ambassador Dan Kurtzer, whose job will be to do to Sharon what Sam Lewis did to Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir in the 1970s and 1980s, while Sharon mocked them for it. Sharon is the D-9 bulldozer driver, a "Dubi" in IDF slang, who can with the same machine and effort either lay the groundwork for a new settlement or demolish one; and Kurtzer will be the foreman for the demolitions.

Netanyahu's announcement of support for the evacuation is very bad news for Sharon. The message to Mazuz and Bush is simple: An indictment against the prime minister will not obstruct the political process because the next in line is committed to it. The horse can be changed, because the fresh one, waiting for the change, will continue the work of the predecessor. To implement Sharon's plan, there's no need for Sharon.

Haaretz' Amir Oren reporting on the machinations unleashed inside Israeli politics by Bush's declaration.

Light rail cardboard excitement

Yes, folks, the light rail is now on its way back to us. I got ahold of a nice folding model of a light rail car. It is surprising how big the cars actually are. I visualized more bus-sized vehicles, but these are bigger. The bottom of the car has little printed factoids. Each car has a capacity of up to 190 passengers, with 66 seats. That's sweet!

For more info consult the DOT or MetroTransit Hiawatha website. (even WikiPedia?!)

Hurray that the strike is over--these things are going to be sweet! (I think more folding models might be available at the MetroTransit stores, and yes, the catenary arm is a little bent out of position on my pic)

Stay tuned for more light rail goodies.....