Regular PooterGeekers have probably registered free for The New York Times already. It might be worth it for newcomers to do so too, so they can read its Onion-esque headline about the situation in Iraq today:

Despite Positives, More Negatives Are Predicted

On Saturday night I went out to a “pirates and whores” party with the spectacularly fancy-dressed Nicholas and Hind. (My costume consisted of a borrowed eyepatch.) We are all old farts now and hardly touched a drop between us (recent father Nicholas: “I’ve forgotten how to communicate with drunk people”). Despite their huge investment in outfits—even Hind’s five-month-old baby bump sported a fetching skull-and-crossbones cummerbund—we spent a grand total of an hour-and-a-half at the party. And I spent a large chunk of that arguing with Omar, one of Hind’s Palestinian friends, about Iraq. Apparently, the Iraqis were better off under Saddam.

Omar lives in London. He is a merchant banker.

UPDATE: Oliver lives in London. He is also a merchant banker.