So the elections in Iraq seemed to go pretty well yesterday. Sure, forty people were killed in attacks but I think we were all expecting those numbers to be much higher. What wasn’t expected was that around 60% of Iraqis would turn out to vote. That’s a higher percentage than many presidential elections in the U.S. Now it’s no secret that I disapprove of this president and his policies. But that does not mean that I want things to go badly in Iraq out of spite. On the contrary, I’m glad that Iraqis enjoyed their taste of democracy and I hope that it speeds up their efforts toward self-rule. The faster their government gets going and the faster their troops are trained, the faster we can get out of there.

I met up with a friend on Saturday and saw what I believe is the best film of 2004 and the film that is most deserving of the Best Picture Oscar. It’s "Million Dollar Baby." What begins as a tale about a grizzled old boxing trainer (Clint Eastwood) training a hungry female fighter (Hilary Swank) takes a tragic turn that illuminates Swank’s brilliance and also gives Eastwood the best performance of his career. I’m not kidding, he was that good. Also excellent was Morgan Freeman whose narration throughout the film becomes evident at the very end when you realize who he is narrating to. Yesterday, Eastwood won the Directors Guild Award which can be very good tidings come Oscar night. See this movie!