Daily Lemon: The war in Iraq three years, Windows for cars, insect torture prison

The war in Iraq three years and counting...
This is sad, sad indeed. These three years have cost the US taxpayers billions that most certainly could have been put to better use. The most current estimates of the war's cost generally start with figures from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, which as of January 2006 counted USD 323 billion in expenditures for the war on terrorism, including military action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Just this week the House approved another USD 68 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which would bring the total allocated to date to about USD 400 billion. The Pentagon is spending about USD 6 billion a month on the war in Iraq, or about USD 200 million a day, according to the CBO. That is about the same as the gross domestic product of Nigeria (MSNBC). And, unfortunately, far from being on the road to democracy, Iraq seems to be headed for a full blown civil war. For a current tally of the cost of the war, the National Priorities Project has a running counter.

The cost in lives is no less staggering and the bodies keep piling up as we write. More than 2,300 U.S. servicemen and -women have died since the beginning of the war on March 19, 2003. Of these, more than 2,100 have been casualties since President Bush declared "mission accomplished" on May 1, 2003. For an updated tally, see Antiwar.com. Thousands more have been wounded, many with crippling wounds. The offical number is a little over 17,000, but other estimates put the number somewhere in between 18,000 and 48,000. The death toll in Iraqi lives can only be estimated. Iraq Body Count claims the number is between 33,710 and 37,832. Contrary to all claims of a more peaceful Iraq, the numbers are mounting. There were an estimated 20 civilian Iraqi deaths from violent actions per day in Year 1, 31 per day in Year 2 and 36 per day in Year 3.

The cost in erosion of morale among the U.S. troops can only be calculated after the units involved have been brought home, but numerous reports suggest that morale is dropping as frustration over the failure to come to grips with the insurgents is mounting. The abusive treatment of prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison, suspiscious circumstances surrounding the clearing of Falluja, reports on U.S. Marines taking revenge on civilian Iraqis in response to attacks with IEDs or small arms fire appear in the news more frequently.

Windows for cars. Heaven help us.
This may be a bit late, but we think it deserves another mention. Here's the joke that's being bounced around the 'net: "If Microsoft made cars, they would crash twice a day, need regular upgrades and have to be replaced every time the lines on the road were repainted." Now, Microsoft does not make cars, but they've apparently been preparing a version of Windows that is supposed to run and monitor the on-board systems in modern cars. The Win/Auto is supposedly to be accessible via an ordinary USB port making it possible to check up on your car's health with your laptop. This suggests to us that the USB interface also leaves any car with this system open for all kinds of interesting user mods. So, how many kids with great computer skills (and not necessarily driving skills to match) do you want to meet on the freeway today... Via Book of Joe.

Insect torture prison toy.
This insect panopticon toy, a.k.a. torture prison, incorporates a clear plastic bowl for unobscured observation, a 3x magnifying-glass top for easy scorching and a built-in amplifier with earbuds so you can hear your tiny victims scream. Big Bad Bloomin' Bugs. Via Boing Boing.

Organic farm to be destroyed for Wal-Mart?
An organic farm that supports 250 families in the urban decay of South Central L.A., and has been operating for thirteen years, is threatened with eviction from their site. The farm is nearly self sufficient, and uses very little organic fuel. The city, it seems, would prefer a new Wal-Mart in it's place. Links to the farm's website, the eviction notice, and the mayor's email address are included here. Via Boing Boing.

Steve Martin to play Inspector Clouseau... Nooo!
While more or less idly browsing looking for nothing in particular, we come across the news that Steve Martin is to star in an up-coming re-make of the Pink Panther. For everyone who are not familiar with the series of classic Pink Panther movies featuring Peter Sellers and Herbert Lom, this may not be such a bone chilling piece of information, but for someone who loves the old movies about the clumsy French detective inspector this is devastating news. Steve Martin!? Please! Even though he's been dead for years, we'd still prefer Sellers. This just goes to prove that nothing is sacred in the world of the movie moguls. Let's just hope that Steve Martin is producing the movie himself and will go embarrassingly broke when it premiers.

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