Downward Spiral

WASHINGTON - A draft report by American intelligence agencies concludes that Afghanistan is in a "downward spiral" and casts serious doubt on the ability of the Afghan government to stem the rise in the Taliban's influence there, according to American officials familiar with the document. The classified report finds that the breakdown in central authority in Afghanistan has been accelerated by rampant corruption within the government of President Hamid Karzai and by an increase in violence from militants who have launched increasingly sophisticated attacks from havens in Pakistan.

I woke up to the news that a man had taken his life by jumping off an overpass on I-795 ("Man dies after jump from I-795 overpass; hit by multiple cars," April 2). Sadly, this is not the first, nor will it be the last time an incident like this happens. It's what happened after this man jumped that has me particularly concerned. The man's body was struck by several cars. The particularly galling aspect to this tragedy is twofold. A human being loses his life, and no one stopped. That is truly a perverse and unnerving thought.

THIS IS a cry for help: West Baltimore's Lafayette Square - once one of the city's most glorious spots - is threatened. The number of vacant buildings is growing. Among them is a mansion a builder renovated for his family. It is now abandoned and open to the elements. This deterioration must be stopped. This downward spiral is heartbreaking. It cancels out recent investments by St. James Episcopal Church in the neighborhood. That congregation is just one of several prominent churches ringing the square, whose notable recent residents have included former Rep. Parren J. Mitchell.

It is unbelievably sad that Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend and then himself ("The tragedy of Jovan Belcher," Dec. 4). The couple had a 3-month-old baby, and it's heart-wrenching when something like this happens. It brings me to tears every time I think of it because it didn't have to end this way. Severe mental illness does not have to end in suicide and murder for the victims and pain for those left behind. Sadly, men are more likely to use lethal weapons like guns when they attempt suicide.

WILMINGTON, Del. - Entering the 10th tee at DuPont Country Club yesterday, Nancy Scranton was cruising. Starting the final round of the McDonald's LPGA Championship two shots behind co-leaders Juli Inkster and Wendy Ward, Scranton had two birdies on the first nine to put her in a tie for the lead with Inkster. But then the wheels fell off in a hurry. Par putts on the 10th and 11th kept her tied for the lead, but on the par-4 12th, Scranton's drive was well left, forcing her to punch back to the fairway.

WASHINGTON - With security and economic conditions in Afghanistan already in dire straits, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday that the situation there would probably only worsen next year. "The trends across the board are not going in the right direction," the chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen, told reporters. "I would anticipate next year would be a tougher year." Mullen said Afghanistan was likely to continue what a nearly completed intelligence assessment called "a downward spiral" unless there were rapid, major improvements.

When Brianna Tighe heard the announcement that a close friend had died of a heroin overdose, she burst into tears and ran from her classroom at Westminster High School. She later swore up and down to her younger sister that she would never even try heroin, that she could never do something so stupid. Last month, nearly three years after the friend's death, police found Brianna, a former cheerleader and honor roll student, dead in a Pikesville motel room after using heroin and inhaling nitrous oxide.

Dear Democrats, You will be electing a new mayor and City Council on September 13th. There are other marginal candidates running in the general election, but the primary has been the "official" election for many a decade in the city. So, you need to fire all of the incumbents unless you are happy with the downward spiral in which this city continues to plummet. The current incumbent gang has no concept of leadership or much else for that matter. They are a bunch of scofflaws, the same candidates and people who waste an inordinate amount of time just trying to explain where they live.

Beauty is a funny concept. Because it's tied to the experience of sensory pleasure, people tend to associate beauty with art that is pleasant, uplifting, harmoni- ous. Mention "beautiful music" to most listeners and what springs to mind are sounds that seem soothing and melodious -- an aesthetic almost defined by the absence of dissonance.That's not the kind of beauty found in the new Nine Inch Nails album, though. There's nothing easy about listening to the songs on "The Downward Spiral" (Nothing/Interscope 92346, arriving in stores today)

A former Maryland State Police trooper was sentenced Monday to five years in prison without the possibility of parole for pulling a gun on a car salesman he suspected was involved with his wife. John Lee Evans Jr., 39, of Baltimore, choked back tears as he apologized to Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Michele D. Jaklitsch for "being in front of you for this matter" and told her his life has taken a "downward spiral." He was convicted of assault and handgun charges. The weapons conviction carries a mandatory five years in prison without parole.

Reports that Russia is supplying Syrian President Bashar Assad with attack helicopters for use against rebel fighters and civilian protesters mark an ominous new phase in the country's descent into chaos and civil war. Mr. Assad's escalation from tanks and heavy artillery to aerial assaults threatens to spark a new arms race between the government and its opponents that can only lead to more bloodshed and suffering as long as he remains in power....

Dear Democrats, You will be electing a new mayor and City Council on September 13th. There are other marginal candidates running in the general election, but the primary has been the "official" election for many a decade in the city. So, you need to fire all of the incumbents unless you are happy with the downward spiral in which this city continues to plummet. The current incumbent gang has no concept of leadership or much else for that matter. They are a bunch of scofflaws, the same candidates and people who waste an inordinate amount of time just trying to explain where they live.

A former Maryland State Police trooper was sentenced Monday to five years in prison without the possibility of parole for pulling a gun on a car salesman he suspected was involved with his wife. John Lee Evans Jr., 39, of Baltimore, choked back tears as he apologized to Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Michele D. Jaklitsch for "being in front of you for this matter" and told her his life has taken a "downward spiral." He was convicted of assault and handgun charges. The weapons conviction carries a mandatory five years in prison without parole.

In Maryland and across the nation, a flood of foreclosures is continuing to push house prices lower while adjustable-rate loans are moving monthly mortgage payments higher. That's a combination that leads to more defaults and still lower home prices. It's hard to imagine how the economy can recover until that downward spiral ends and home prices stabilize. Despite that challenge, Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. this week took another wrong turn in his management of the government's $700 billion rescue package.

WASHINGTON - With security and economic conditions in Afghanistan already in dire straits, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday that the situation there would probably only worsen next year. "The trends across the board are not going in the right direction," the chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen, told reporters. "I would anticipate next year would be a tougher year." Mullen said Afghanistan was likely to continue what a nearly completed intelligence assessment called "a downward spiral" unless there were rapid, major improvements.

WASHINGTON - A draft report by American intelligence agencies concludes that Afghanistan is in a "downward spiral" and casts serious doubt on the ability of the Afghan government to stem the rise in the Taliban's influence there, according to American officials familiar with the document. The classified report finds that the breakdown in central authority in Afghanistan has been accelerated by rampant corruption within the government of President Hamid Karzai and by an increase in violence from militants who have launched increasingly sophisticated attacks from havens in Pakistan.

I woke up to the news that a man had taken his life by jumping off an overpass on I-795 ("Man dies after jump from I-795 overpass; hit by multiple cars," April 2). Sadly, this is not the first, nor will it be the last time an incident like this happens. It's what happened after this man jumped that has me particularly concerned. The man's body was struck by several cars. The particularly galling aspect to this tragedy is twofold. A human being loses his life, and no one stopped. That is truly a perverse and unnerving thought.

During the first six years of Nine Inch Nails, Chris Vrenna has been something of the silent partner within the project. As fans of the group know, singer Trent Reznor is the driving force behind Nine Inch Nails.Mr. Reznor writes the group's emotionally intense, often disturbing songs that frequently probe the hard sides of the human heart and mind. He also oversees the complex production process used to create the Nine Inch Nails' hard-hitting, alternately abrasive and catchy music, which mixes elements of industrial, electronic, metal, dance and punk rock.

BOSTON - The Orioles have lost for 10 straight seasons and are rapidly approaching an 11th consecutive sub-.500 campaign, so finding rock bottom during that stretch isn't easy. But to most long-suffering Orioles fans - who have seen their team give up 30 runs, among other indignities - the lowest point in a decade of losing is often viewed as the conclusion of the 2002 season. Geronimo Gil, Jose Leon and the rest of those unforgettable 2002 Orioles lost 32 of the final 36 games in a stretch that rivaled the 1988 Orioles' 0-21 start in terms of futility.

At the Ravens' headquarters, the fashionable colors this fall are black and blue. No, it's not an easy time to be a Ravens player, coach or fan. National analysts are questioning the team's quarterback, the head coach of nine years finds himself on the proverbial hot seat and the NFL playoffs are starting to feel like a swanky restaurant that isn't taking reservations. "Our fans deserve better than what they saw yesterday," said coach Brian Billick, one day after the Ravens suffered a second straight embarrassing defeat, this time at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals.