From the BBC:

The provincial government in north-west Pakistan has agreed to pull troops out of a valley under a peace agreement signed with pro-Taleban militants.

The authorities say they will also allow the militants to impose Sharia law in Swat in return for promises to close training camps and end attacks.

The deal is the first since a new government came to power promising to negotiate to end violence in the area.

Nato and the US say such deals have helped al Qaeda and the Taleban.

Sounds like "peace" on the militants' terms. For those interested in Afghanistan, this bears watching.

Here's another BBC story where Pakistan's army claims success in battling Taliban militants in South Waziristan.

Gas could be in the $1.40 to $1.50 per litre range this summer.

Crude oil's price broke US$135 per barrel in overnight trading before settling down today.

How can we cope?

If you're in the auto industry, follow the consumers and build vehicles that use less fuel -- a decision that Ford announced today:

I made a couple WOT-related posts today (here and here), and they reinforced what I've been thinking in the past few days: If al Qaeda doesn't blow something up soon, Osama bin Laden risks becoming a sad, forgotten nobody.

I'm starting to have visions of him sitting in some east Danforth donut stop telling anyone who'll listen: "I used to be the most wanted terrorist in the world! The Great Satan of the Crusaders would have paid $50 million to have me killed!"

Whatever, buddy. Just let me eat my cruller in peace.

Addendum

Here's a Valentine's Day posting on why al Qaeda can't win.

I was out and about in the nabe. I felt an overpowering urge to get some scallops from Chippy's. I succumbed to the urge.

I retired across the street to a Trinity Bellwoods park bench to enjoy the repast.

While sitting there, a flock of pigeons arrived. One of them apparently thought something on my boot looked edible, so it came over and started pecking on it -- with my foot still in the boot, and my foot still attached to my body.

Terrorism is said by some to be the greatest existential threat since the Soviet Union, but a new study claims that if you discount Iraq, the number of people dying in terror attacks fell last year.

In his latest messages, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden talked up the Israel-Palestine issue and barely mentioned Iraq. This has security analysts buzzing.

I first saw Blue Velvet in early 1987 and have probably seen it 10 times since. I just saw it again tonight at the Bloor (a new print!) and I sat through it without one watch check.

Here's a post from February 2006 on the film's 20th anniversary. It says much of what I have to say about the film.

However,  in addition to what I wrote there, allow me to praise its art direction, performances and David Lynch's creative vision. He's created a uniquely American (but still universal), hilarious, disturbing, small-town nightmare for the ages -- one that never fails to engage and one in which you can always find some new, interesting detail.

And that, folks, is why I call it a masterpiece.