Yes, I am aware that I have not updated in ages. Apologies. Really! I am also aware that this template is really screwed up, and again, apologies. (None of the side bar navigation actually works. Any hints?) I've spent some time staring at the code, but I must admit I'm baffled. And that's why I'm a geographer, not a software engineer.

At any rate, I decided to treat you to a picture of our jack-o'lantern. Concept by me, execution by Asher and me. Sadly, we only had about two trick-or-treaters all night.

If you can't figure out what it is, well, think harder. Perhaps you've been living in a cave this year?

Also, in case you've missed the actual text of the much-hyped bin Laden speech, here it is. The US media doesn't give the speech itself much play for reasons that are all too obvious. Among other stunners, check out those references to the US-sanctioned Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982...Will we ever learn?

Translated excerpts of video broadcast by Osama bin Laden

03:00 PM PDT on Friday, October 29, 2004

Associated Press

CAIRO, Egypt - The following are excerpts from the video tape by Osama bin Laden that was broadcast on Al-Jazeera satellite television on Friday:

"You, the American people, my message to you is about the best way to avoid a new Manhattan, about the war, its reasons and results. I tell you: security is an important element of human life and free people do not give up their security. If Bush says we hate freedom, let him tell us why we didn't attack Sweden, for example. It is known that those who hate freedom do not have dignified souls, like those of the 19 blessed ones," he said, referring to the hijackers of Sept. 11.

"We fought you because we are free people who want to regain the freedom of our nation. As you undermine our security, we undermine yours."

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Bin Laden said the relationship between Bush and his father, the former president, reminded him of many Middle Eastern regimes.

"We did not find it difficult to deal with Bush and his administration because it is similar to regimes in our countries in that half of them are ruled by the military and the other half are ruled by the sons of kings and presidents. We have a long experience with them...."

Bin Laden said that when the senior Bush, the former president, visited the Middle East, he was impressed by their regimes.

"He envied them for staying in power for decades and embezzling the nation's wealth. So he transferred tyranny and oppression to his son and they named it 'homeland security law' under the pretext of fighting terrorism. Bush, the father, did well by installing his sons as governors of states, and he did not forget to transfer the expertise of forgery to Florida to benefit them in critical times."

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"In spite of our being in the fourth year after the incidents of the 11th (of September), Bush is still misleading you by hiding the real reason from you. Therefore, everything is there to repeat what happened. I will talk to you about the reason behind these attacks and will tell you about the moment that this decision was taken. God knows that it had not occurred to our mind to attack the towers, but after our patience ran out and we saw the injustice and inflexibility of the American-Israeli alliance toward our people in Palestine and Lebanon, this came to my mind. The incidents that affected me directly go back to 1982, and what followed when America gave Israel the permission to invade Lebanon with the help of the American 6th Fleet. At this difficult time, many thoughts came to me. They brought a strong desire to reject injustice and they created a strong determination to punish those doing this injustice. While I was looking at the destroyed towers in Lebanon, it came to my mind to punish those unjust people in the same way, to destroy towers in America to make them feel what we had felt, and to deter them from killing our children and women."

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Bin Laden accused Bush of failing to respond quickly to the hijackings of Sept. 11, and named the chief hijacker, Mohammed Atta, an Egyptian.

"We had agreed with the commander-in-chief, Mohammed Atta, may God's mercy be upon him, to carry out the whole operation within 20 minutes - to do it before Bush and his administration became aware (of what was going on). It did not occur to us that the commander-in-chief of the American forces would leave 50,000 of his citizens in the two towers (of the World Trade Center) to face that great shock by themselves, at a time they badly needed him. It seems that to him, being busy with what the child said about a goat and its butting is more important than being busy with the planes as they butt skyscrapers. And that gave us three times the time we needed to carry out the operation, thanks be to God."

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"Your security is not in the hands of (Democratic presidential candidate John) Kerry or Bush or al-Qaida. Your security is in your own hands, and every state that does not mess with our security will have security."