Day: January 30, 2005

One week down. I’m still in London on business, so blogging will be sporadic for yet another week. A few observations though…

– The traffic at Abbey Road on Saturday’s is a bit too heavy to get the perfect “Beatles” walk picture.
– If you’re into public debating, head to Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park. Today though, there was a little too much “America is Evil” talk going around.
– The Original London Tour is worth it, even from inside the doubledecker bus. The weather in January is not really kind to the upper deck, which is without a roof.
– The British Museum has a great exhibit going right now.
– If you’re from the US, it’s incredibly expensive to visit the UK.

“No one in the United States should try to overhype this election. This election is a sort of demarcation point, and what really counts now is the effort to have a legitimate political reconciliation, and it’s going to take a massive diplomatic effort and a much more significant outreach to the international community than this administration has been willing to engage in.  Absent that, we will not be successful in Iraq.”

– John Kerry, on NBC’s Meet The Press, January 30, 2005

Iraqis walking to the polls.

Early Iraqi election poll numbers suggest that over 8 million eligible voters successfully cast their ballot. Husbands bring wives along with their children to celebrate the historical day. Sky News in Britain reports that at one precinct, a pregnant woman gave birth to her baby.

– A party atmosphere in Bagdad.