I listened to Bush's speech and the reporters' questions. I lost count of how many times he made reference to al Qaeda. I'm sure the average listener would thus view the insurgents as some monolithic organization, when in fact we are dealing with many disparate groups: the Badr Brigade, the Mahdi Army, Ba'athists, nationalists, foreign jihadists, and of course al Qaeda. And no doubt there are many other smaller insurgent groups and criminal organizations at work. I heard no discussion of how compromised the Iraqi Army is, having been infiltrated by the insurgents, and I cannot imagine it will ever have the capability to meet the objectives that Bush and company have. Still, I didn't think the reporters offered up any softballs to Bush.

Oh, and happy belated birthday DB. We're just a month or so apart in age. Can't wait to hit 50 in three years. I think the unquenchable thirst for new music plays a role in keeping the mind young. Note: The Fratellis debut album, "Costello Music", rocks with authority.

 I only feel my age after playing basketball with my 11-year old. She's able to drive past me with greater frequency. The knees tell me that the sand is running down from the hourglass.

Peter T.