Secretary of State Colin Powell has finally acknowledged what we all knew all along — that the Bush administration is sharply divided over war in Iraq. But, says Powell, the President is expected to make a decision in the next week or so, and he'll announce it to the world in his September 12 speech to the U.N. That raises the question of what exactly the President plans to say, Wednesday, when he meets with congressional leaders to make his case for attacking Iraq. The Israelis are certainly taking no chances. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered his military to complete its preparations for a U.S. attack on Iraq by early November. And Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair will visit Bush in the next fortnight to discuss a battle plan, having promised his skeptical electorate (71 percent against a war in the most recent polls) to publish a dossier of compelling evidence of the danger posed by Saddam in the coming weeks.
Martha, Martha, Martha!
We still can't take our eyes off the slow-motion car wreck that is Martha Stewart. Today's tidbit, from the New York Times, is that Martha Stewart Omnimedia, parent company of Martha, is looking for a new CEO, one that can, as the New York Times notes, "refocus attention on the company — and away from Ms. Stewart's legal troubles." Hmmm. Still, as her millions of fans will attest, Martha isn't solely the sum of her allegations. For an excellent assessment of why our favorite domesticatrix has such a fundamental appeal, see Caitlin Flanagan's fine piece in this month's Atlantic Monthly.
Powell Silenced at Summit
No wonder President Bush didn't want to go to the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. Secretary of State Colin Powell was continuously heckled during his speech to the closing session on Wednesday when he sought to defend the U.S. record on the environment and criticized Zimbabwe's seizure of white-owned farms.
Turning Japanese
When it comes to gadgets and gizmos, Japan has typically been about four or five years in front of the U.S. consumer curve. The Walkman is just one of many gadgets that was available in the Japanese market well before it made
the trip across the Pacific. Now, enterprising companies are offering the
sleekest Japanese consumer electronics to U.S. consumers. Dynamism Inc. takes
orders over the Internet for the latest for Sony products that can't be found
in the States.
Read more about Dynamism and its competitors in today's Wall Street Journal (Subscription required).