A sherpa plans to create the world’s highest internet cafe on Mt. Everest.

What an idiot. There is no evidence that Iraq had anything to do with 9/11, but here is Peter Vallone, Jr. on why he won’t support and anti-war resolution in the NYC Council, from Newsday:

Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) said the council may have been reluctant to take action on the original resolution because of the attack on the World Trade Center.

“No one felt a greater loss than New York City,” he said. "No one needs retribution more than New York City.

“I will not support any anti-war resolution, no matter what the wording, and neither will the large majority of my constituents,” Vallone said.

Daily Kos has a great summary of the Carnegie Endowment’s critique of Kenneth Pollack’s op-ed piece in the Times on why we have to invade Iraq. They describe it as “a house of cards”.

Go read Atrios’s open letter to Salon

I wasn’t feeling well, so I stayed home from the INS Demo, but James went and wrote about it.

I went to Joe Ovelman’s opening on Friday night before going to the Public. HIGHLY recommended. There is a new series called “Snow Queen”, of Joe in drag photographing himself in a snowy Central Park at night, which totally blew me away. I expect I will have to buy at least one of those.

I saw “Radiant Baby”, the new musical about Keith Haring, at the Public Theater tonight. My title above comes from one of the less successful songs of the evening, but overall I think it worked. I really don’t like conventional musical theater, with songs that sound either like pop songs or something from a 1950s Broadway musical.

It starts off slowly, but it becomes quite compelling once we reach the Paradise Garage. The scene begins with a diva (sung by Angela Robinson) holding a note for about 45 seconds before the house music begins. The whole scene is a funny and hot tribute to a time that once was. It’s also the first time the music is actually interesting.

Three children (actually sung by children) act as the chorus, and given the fact that Haring worked with children throughout his career, it’s my favorite aspect of the musical. Other highlights: the incredibly talented cast; Aaron Lohr is compelling and very hot as Keith’s lover Carlos, and Julee Cruise as Andy Warhol.

I hadn’t realized that Tseng Kwong Chi and Haring were so close. Some of the iconic photographs of Keith’s work, like the body painting of Bill T. Jones or of Grace Jones, are by Kwong. He is a major character in the musical.

The visual design is quite good, and I like the fact that when they talk about his work near the end of his life they end up with his Ignorance=Fear / Silence = Death ACT UP poster.

I think it’s worth seeing, but because of the history and the people involved, rather than because it is a great achievement in theater. I really felt that a musical about Keith Haring deserved music with more edge than this, except for certain fabulous scenes like the Paradise Garage, provided.

Full U.S. Control Planned for Iraq

The Bush administration plans to take complete, unilateral control of a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, with an interim administration headed by a yet-to-be named American civilian who would direct the reconstruction of the country and the creation of a “representative” Iraqi government, according to a now-finalized blueprint described by U.S. officials and other sources.

Gen. Tommy Franks, the head of the U.S. Central Command, is to maintain military control as long as U.S. troops are there. Once security was established and weapons of mass destruction were located and disabled, a U.S. administrator would run the civilian government and direct reconstruction and humanitarian aid.

In the early days of military action, U.S. forces following behind those in combat would distribute food and other relief items and begin needed reconstruction. The goal, officials said, would be to make sure the Iraqi people “immediately” consider themselves better off than they were the day before war, and attribute their improved circumstances directly to the United States.

…

Good set of new photos up on Quarlo

Art Spiegelman on why he left the New Yorker — good, but frankly I think comparing smoking restrictions with post 9/11 civil right abrogations is ludicrous