Sam the Wolfdog tramps up the Barr Trail. Gog and McGog loom in the distance.

Jane Smiley's most informative book of 2006: Albion's Seed.

Jane has written a most insightful analysis of just which cultural component of our nation's heritage has taken over our body politic and why they must be marginalized and driven back to their corners if we are going to survive as a nation.

Former Watergate counsel John Dean has written the first two of a three part series on the problematics of a rigorous oversight hearing sequence by the Democratic majority.

Part 1: Are Congressional Wars Coming? Since Cheney Has Already Said He'll Ignore the Democratic Congress, It Seems Likely

Part 2: What Should Congressional Democrats Do, When the Bush Administration Stonewalls Their Efforts To Undertake Oversight?

SNL: Gerald Ford dead 10 years ago.

Lest you get lulled into the current media love fest for Gerald Ford:

Ford and Kissinger gave the green light to Suharto for Indonesia's invasion of East Timor in 1975. setting the stage for the long, bloody, and disastrous occupation of the territory that ended only after an international peacekeeping force was introduced in 1999.

My Desk at work: All the race numbers on the wall are from this calendar year. Marathons start with the blue 14 and go down and to the right. All other races including the San Juan 50-miler are to the left. Marathon medals are hanging to the right of the blue 14. Trophies are on the desk top. The background on my monitor is me looking towards Mt Rainier from my parent's deck on Puget Sound, Olympia, Washington.

At the end of this month I will take down all the numbers and box up the trophies and start over again for 2007. This has been a tradition for me for several years.

This is the most welcome sight for Pikes Peak Marathoners!

Cog Railway to the summit of Pikes Peak.

Unique home on Pilot Knob.

I have more stairs than this house!!

I am new to Manitou Springs, Colorado after moving here last summer. I am enthralled with the unique homes and architecture and the incredible creativity of the human spirit in this town. On Christmas Day I walked around my town and took pictures...

Juan Cole: Top Ten Myths about Iraq

Gen Odom: Six Brutal Truths about Iraq