To contrive a little kingdom, in the midst of the universal muck, then shit on it, ah that was me all over. (Samuel Beckett)

From the BBC

"Fourteen US soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash overnight in northern Iraq, the US military has said. The Black Hawk helicopter, carrying 10 soldiers and four crew members, crashed after experiencing a mechanical malfunction, a US statement said."

and

"At least 15 people were killed and 50 injured when a suicide bomber rammed a fuel tanker into a police station in the northern oil city of Baiji."

Meanwhile, in The New York Times ...

Bush Takes a Step Away From Maliki

"The White House is trying to distance itself from the Iraqi prime minister before President Bush’s troop buildup is re-evaluated."