Good, Bad, and Downright Ugly

So Lileks makes this offhand remark today after a lengthy rumination on Minneapolis’ urban renewal plan:

Anyway, I see lots of planters and old-timey signs, I calculate the likelihood of getting sapped from behind just doubled. But here’s what really amused me about the plan: greenery will be installed not just to make things green and lively, but to prevent “climate change.”

You could raze the entire downtown core and plant trees, and it wouldn’t effect climate change. I swear, it’s become the secular equivalent of “peace be upon him.”

He’s right, ya know. Environmentalism as religion. It’s not just an issue, it’s a cause theology! And, in so becoming, it’s yet another way to separate the “good” among us from the evil, offering up endless opportunities to praise the former and to disparage the latter. But, all y’all know how I feel about this subject…I’ll not belabor the point.

So over the weekend it was revealed Charlie Rangel will use his newfound position of authority to introduce legislation to reinstitute the draft. I agree with Confederate Yankee:

What doubtlessly disappoints Mr. Rangel is that though Americans do not support the direction of the War in Iraq (as was evidenced in the recent election), they have refused to engage in the massive protests and demonstrations that were key to the anti-war campaign during the Vietnam era. Rangel's primary goal in his call to reinstate the draft is to gin up protests like those of 30 years ago.

Rangel's tactics are particularly loathsome in that he seeks to use our all-volunteer military as the whipping boy for his anti-war politics. He would attempt to pit draft-age Americans and their family members against those who honorably joined the military of their own volition.

I have nothing but contempt for Rangel's transparent demagoguery. He does not wish to strengthen America's proud all-volunteer military, but instead seeks to lessen its will, against its wishes, and against its needs.

Rangel has a history here, trying periodically and repeatedly to revive an institution we have no use for. It’s all too transparent—an anti-war ploy that, thankfully, looks like it has zero chance of success. Thank God for the Blue Dog Dems. Even Nancy knows Rangel’s ploy is a non-starter, which comes as a mild surprise.

Captain Ed adds the following:

If anything, the draft created the kind of disparities that Rangel deplores, through college deferments for people with enough money to go to college. Rangel's new plan removes that loophole by stripping the choice for service from every man and woman in America. He plans on turning the military from the most effective fighting force in world history to the government's biggest social engineering program.

If one wants to see the difference between Republicans and Democrats, this gives a clear example. Rangel wants to solve a social ill that really doesn't exist, caused by too much choice, and use the government to eliminate all of the options available to Americans. Republicans have used a market approach to define the choices available and built the mightiest armed force in the world, by making sure the people who enter want to be there. We can expect to see this same template for health-care "reform", entitlement "reform", and a number of other "reforms" that the Democrats will now pursue.

What he said. It’s an interesting (and above all, true) observation that the Dems are constantly trying to solve (or invent) non-existent problems. More "solutions" to follow, of course. {sigh} “Our long national nightmare has just begun…”

Today’s Preaching to the Choir sermon (“Will the West Stumble?”) comes from the illustrious Victor Davis Hanson, via Real Clear Politics. From very near the end:

So we are at a crossroads of all places in Iraq. The war there has metamorphosized from a successful effort to remove a mass-murdering dictator into the frontlines of the entire struggle between Islamic radicalism and Western liberality. If we withdraw before the elected government stabilizes, the consequences won't just be the loss of the perceptions of power, but perhaps the loss of real power. What follows won't be the impression that we are weak, but the fact that we are--as we convince ourselves we cannot win against such horrific enemies, and so should never again try.

That stumble will send a shudder throughout the so-called West that will be felt worldwide. It will insidiously show that the premodern world proved the master of the postmodern, as al Qaeda's Alfred Rosenberg, the pudgy Dr. Zawahiri, boasted all along--whose followers will not be happy with a successful defense when they think they can go back on an even more successful offense.

There are none so blind as those who will not see. The evidence continues to mount, yet seemingly intelligent people (read: Progressives/Liberals/Democrats) either choose to ignore the evidence or, more plausibly, wish that it would simply go away. The threat will not go away. The threat is real and becoming ever more dangerous as each day passes. And yet…and yet…we have Nancy Pelosi saying things like “Bringing the War to an End is my Highest Priority as Speaker.” If you go to that link, browse some of the comments. And be afraid. Be very afraid.

Let’s end on a positive note. Here’s Michael Fumento's “Return to Ramadi,” in the Weekly Standard. Excerpt:

For this very reason, Ramadi is both a litmus test for the counterinsurgency effort in Iraq and a laboratory. If we can defeat the insurgent and terrorist forces here, there is no place we cannot defeat them. And from what I found, we are defeating them. It's painfully slow, and our men there are still dying in inordinate numbers from a broad variety of attacks. But a multitude of factors, including tribal cooperation, the continual introduction of more Iraqi army and police, the beginning of public works projects, the building of more Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), the installation of more small operational posts (OPs), and plunking down company-sized Combat Operation Posts (COPs) smack in the middle of hostile territory are destroying both the size and the mobility of the enemy. This time the rats are dying in place.

Mr. Fumento writes a lengthy article that names names, includes both the good and the bad, but comes to an interesting—and positive—conclusion:

Put it all together--the Forward Observation Bases, new Combat Operation Posts, new Observation Posts, tribal cooperation, ever more Iraqi army and police, better intelligence, and public works projects. There's no "stay the course" strategy here; the course changes as necessary and it's continually changed for the better. I believe we are winning the Battle of Ramadi. And if the enemy can be beaten here, he can be beaten anywhere.

As I said: positive. You don’t see a lot of that, these days.

Genetics

Today’s Pic(s): A brief photographic dissertation on genetics. The flower bed outside my door. August, 2005.
Update: Added a longer view of the bed.

A Quiet Sort of Sunday

Few things in life live up to their billing, and that’s especially true when it comes to football. But yesterday’s Michigan – Ohio State game was everything it was supposed to be, and perhaps a bit more. Here’s Mitch Albom, from his column in the Detroit Free Press:

But once the game got going, it was all football. And, man, was there a lot of football. You'd need extra projectors to show all the highlights. For a game steeped in the tradition of Bo versus Woody, there was precious little of their style. Defense took a back seat to speedy offense. Running took a backseat to passing. Tackling took a backseat to elusive offensive moves. Ohio State had six offensive touchdowns. Michigan had five and a field goal. There were 900 combined yards of offense. Nine hundred yards?

[…]

It is not the ending anyone in Ann Arbor wanted. And maybe some feel sad for the Michigan players that this game, which they waited all season to play, had to come with the heavy burden of the death of a beloved Michigan family member.

But college is supposed to be about learning. And a real life lesson is that things don't always go the way you want, and the timing of life is often inconvenient, the sad and the wonderful happening within hours of one another. However bad the players feel this morning, there are other things in life that are worse than losing a game. That lesson has been well learned in the last few days.

No storybook ending. But then this was not a storybook. It was sports. And if the heavy-hearted Wolverines fell three points short in the biggest game in this big game's history, well, that is hardly something to be ashamed of, is it?

Nope: Nothing to be ashamed of at all.

There will be a lot of talk over the course of the next three weeks or so about who should play Ohio State for the national championship. ESPN’s talking heads debated the subject of a Michigan – OSU rematch within minutes of the conclusion of yesterday’s game in Columbus. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that OSU is Number One: they proved that conclusively. And there’s not a shred of doubt in my mind that Michigan is Number Two and should remain Number Two. I haven’t made up my mind about a rematch, but it seems logical. Of all the one-loss teams in Division I-A, there isn’t a single one that could beat Michigan. Shouldn’t the two best teams in the country play for the championship?

(~~La La La~~…) What was that? (~~~La La La~~~…) Why…It’s a FAT Lady! And I do believe she’s singing!

Bernalillo County Clerk Mary Herrera said the county's canvassing board is expected to reconvene Monday to certify the results.

"It could change but it doesn't seem possible at this point," Herrera said.

The overall tally showed 105,916 votes for Wilson and 105,037 for Madrid. That gave Wilson a winning margin of 879 votes -- with roughly 211,000 ballots cast in the race.

Herrera said results from Bernalillo County included all but about 500 provisional votes that were disqualified. Voters who cast those ballots will be notified by certified mail and can protest their disqualification at hearings Nov. 22 and 27.

So Heather Wilson pulls it out, but it certainly was a near-run thing. In true Democrat fashion, Patricia Madrid (Wilson’s opponent) is hanging on and refuses to concede. A spokeswoman for the Madrid campaign said “We can't make a decision about what to do next. Other people can declare victory but we choose to wait and let democracy play its course.” It should be all over tomorrow. Unless, of course, there’s “vote fraud,” or “voter suppression,” or an invasion of vote-snatching zombies from outer space…

An oldie but a goodie, via BlogBuddy Morgan: “Top Ten Worst Company URLs.” And they’re real. What were they thinking? Did they even LOOK at what they did?

Today’s Pic: A rainy, windswept, and very moody sort of day at the south end of Monument Valley, Utah. June, 2005.

RIP Bo, Hype, and Bad Press

Bo Schembechler died yesterday. Here’s an obituary written by Mitch Albom. I cannot improve upon Albom; I won’t even try.

RIP, Bo.

I’ve never seen anything like it, ever. ESPN’s web site is pretty much ALL Michigan – Ohio State…at least on the home page. Including that ridiculous countdown clock—Countdown to Judgment Day!—which I saw for the first time night before last but forgot to include in yesterday’s Miscellaneous Moans post. I should have. Now my memory certainly ain’t what it used to be, but I cannot remember another game that has been hyped as much as this one. Well...perhaps last year’s USC – Texas national championship game got as much (or more) hype; that game was another Number One vs. Number Two match-up, but with higher stakes. But like last year’s Rose Bowl, there’s not a chance in Hell we’ll be disappointed in today’s actual game.

There isn’t a football fan in America that doesn’t know about this rivalry. If you’re not a football fan, it would still be fun to read “Game, rivalry couldn’t be scripted any better,” just for the “fun facts” about Michigan – OSU. Here are two:

It is true that in 1950, the teams played through a blizzard with 29 inches of snow and more than 50,000 fans sat through it. Michigan's Chuck Ortmann punted 24 times, and the Wolverines won 9-3, despite failing to make a first down. Buckeyes coach Wes Fesler quit a few days later. Ohio State hired the little-known Hayes away from Miami (Ohio).

It is true that in 1970, a local judge in Columbus dismissed a charge of obscenity against a defendant arrested for wearing a T-shirt that said, "F--- Michigan" because the message "accurately expressed" local feelings about the university and the state.

OSU is a seven-point favorite in today’s game. I don’t care. I think Michigan can win it, and my heart is with them. I heard on ESPN that there are signs all over Ann Arbor that say “Win one for Bo.” That may be a little bit over the top and a lot maudlin, but I can understand the sentiment. My heart is with Michigan: Go BLUE!

This is just too, too rich: The usual suspects start their whining about how biased the media are against the Democrats! Just a sample:

It's as if all these unpleasant events of the last six years never happened and we are back in the days of endless cable bitch-fests filled with sniggering about unauthorized blow jobs and earth tones and "grown-ups" who eat PB&J's and travel with their favorite pillies.

I knew it would happen in one form or another. (We caught a glimpse of it with the John Kerry apology treatment.) The DC press corps hates having to criticize Republicans. Republicans make them feel all icky and call them liberals (which they so, like, aren't!) I confess, however, that I'm a little bit awed by how smoothly they have transitioned back into their assigned roles. I thought there might be a moment or two of cognitive dissonance as they went from grim and serious reports about terrorism and war to shallow personality politics and tabloid character assassination. I assumed they would at least wait until the presidential campaign took off to contrast the manly Republican Alpha with the loser Omega Dem, but I guess I didn't realize how much they've missed their fast times at DC High.

Well, perception is reality, ain’t it? Personally, I think these guys took too many drugs in the way-back, or perhaps it’s a classic case of selective memory. Coz, if I recall correctly, the MSM (fittingly, as it turns out) bombarded us with predictions of a Democrat landslide during the past month or so, punctuated with hourly calls for Rumsfeld’s resignation and supported by testimonials from every retired Army general whose ox had been gored by transformation. Not to mention the MSM gloating about Dubya’s declining popularity each and every time the poll-du-jour was released. Or perhaps we’re just watching and/or reading different media?

And then there’s this:

"For Incoming Democrats, Populism Trumps Ideology," headlined The New York Times in a front-pager a few days ago: "New Class Promises End to Partisan Tone."

The following headlines appeared in USA Today over several recent days: "Democrats offer to help steer new course in Iraq; some leaders vow to probe 'mistakes'" ... "Republicans lose ground among Hispanic voters; Democrats perceived as being on 'right side' of immigration issue" ... "Democrats: Identify pork sponsors; Pelosi plans to target anonymous 'earmarks' " ... "Public expects the Dems to deliver; 61% prefer party, not Bush, to chart course."

Doesn’t sound like the press is indulging in Dem-bashing, does it? In fact, the author, William Powers, maintains the press (and I’d make an argument by extension, all media) simply loves the Democrats, but it is and it’s gonna be, tough-love:

Tough love. Journalists are more aggressive under Democratic rule. This doesn't jibe with the stereotype of reporters as liberals, but it's the stereotype that winds up undermining itself. When Democrats are in power, there's a huge incentive for reporters not to appear too sympathetic and thereby confirm the old liberal-bias charge. Thus, despite the friendly coverage we're seeing in this honeymoon period, the Democratic restoration will eventually produce tougher coverage than we saw of the GOP Congress, as media outlets strive to prove that they aren't soft on the Democrats.

So maybe the usual suspects have a point. Personally, I don’t think so. We’ll see.

Today’s Pic: The trees have shed their leaves. We’ll see sunsets like this from now until sometime in mid-April. Winter… December, 2004.

The Muse is Still AWOL...

...so the best I can do is assume my curmudgeonly persona and give you an EIP semi-regular feature, to wit:

Miscellaneous Moans, Groans, Bitches, and Complaints Dept: Just a few things that get my goat of late… Let’s begin with Irritating TV ads, Part Four (or is it up to Five?). Always a fertile field, here are two from the latest crop of ads that insult our intelligence.

“Philips TeeVees with Ambilight Technology.” This ad treats us to a TV that radiates pale green light from the back of the TV as the Incredible Hulk morphs from his regular human form into Hulkiness. Just what I need: a TV with a built-in light show. My initial reaction was, and remains, “how stupid.” But not everyone agrees.

“My Lil Reminder.” This ad opens with a shot of some poor befuddled white-haired old lady standing in a parking lot, wondering just where she left her car. Now I can sorta relate to that, me being of a certain age, and all. But I cannot relate to carrying around a small digital recorder and remembering to pull it out and record “Section L-6” before venturing off into the mall. If you’re that damned forgetful, just jot down your location on a piece of paper, nu? And imagine the confusion if, just by happenstance, you forget to record “L-6” when getting out of your car and you replay “C-13” from a couple of days ago. I can imagine police departments getting more than a few panicky stolen-car reports…

And as for recording shopping lists? Right…that’ll work. Let me see you cross off a purchased item on your handy-dandy MyLilReminder. I hope there’s no serious venture capital tied up in this exercise in stupidity.

Moving right along… we come to The Phalanx of Flags. While C-SPAN and I were waiting for yesterday's Democrat press conference announcing their new leadership, we were treated to the spectacle of low-level minions arranging NINE freaking American flags behind the podium. Some off-camera wag commented “Have you got enough flags?” The minion-in-charge replied “You can never have too many flags.” Well, I beg to differ. You can have too many flags. These days, more likely than not, you DO have too many flags. ONE flag does the trick nicely. Any more than that and you look like you took set decoration lessons from Joseph Goebbels.

It’s not just the Democrats, it’s seemingly everyone. Case in point: I watched Haley Barbour and Michael Chertoff address the 2006 Federalist Society this morning and there were eight American flags arranged on the stage behind the speakers (video on the C-SPAN site, RealPlayer required). And again: Anytime a foreign leader visits the White House and that visit is worthy of a press conference, Dubya and said foreign leader emerge from a hallway lined with umpteen soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, displaying the Phalanx of American and foreign flags. One each would do nicely. Any more is overkill and vaguely off-putting.

Stop it.

And finally, the strictly personal… My microwave is but a month (or so) old and the interior light has already burned out. Not a good sign. And, as best as I can figure, I'll have to disassemble the entire frickin' microwave to replace the bulb. What wonderful, user-friendly product engineering. /sarcasm.

And you know there may be more...

MIA: Muse, One Each.

I’m having a spot o’ bother getting started this morning. I didn’t get up too very late (0830), but my brain is refusing to fully engage. Which isn’t all that unusual, come to think on it.

So, as is my habit, I’ll simply post Today’s Pic for starters, continue working on the coffee, and wait patiently for my muse to arrive.

Oh! One other thing. My buddy Dan in Florida has begun blogging the restoration of an old Honda Gold Wing. I have the feeling his blog will evolve to include more than the bike’s restoration. Interesting stuff! Go check him out!

Today’s Pic(s): Two pics of an immaculately restored ’53 Corvette, including the (in)famous “Blue Flame” Six. Who, back in 1953, would have thought that a car with such an inauspicious beginning would evolve into a world-class sports car? It was (and is) beautiful, though. Amarillo, TX. May of 2004.

Update, 1155 hrs: I've turned off the word verification feature in comments after trying lebbenty-lebben times to post a comment on my own freakin' blog. The word verification jpeg simply wouldn't display, no matter how many times I hit "refresh" and shouted creative obscenities at my monitor. It's pretty hard to "type the word above" when YOU CAN'T SEE THE DAMNED THING! Was anyone else having this problem?

Thursday's Potpourri

Some pretty cool and unusual plane pr0n: The MiGs of Area 51. That lil photo off to the right is a YF-110, the designation for MiG-21s operated by the USAF. Via commenter Beach Bum, at Lex’s place. Lex flew against the MiG-21 during Project Constant Peg. Worth the read, as always.

Hey Bec! Here’s something I found over at The Lileks’ place this morning you might be interested in: The Musuem of Russian Art. I thought the sample paintings were pretty cool, especially “Wet Winter.” What I wanna see, however, is a retrospective of Commie propaganda “art” from the ‘50s. You know the school: all those beefy, grim faced (or would that be stoic?), Heroes of the Soviet Union-types in various worker poses. As James says:

The theme is “Realism,” but that’s not meant in the sense of “realism,” but rather scenes from actual Russian and Soviet life, as opposed to Joe Stalin riding a tractor into the dawn. I always wish they displayed a bit more Soviet Kitsch – it has a strange power both horrifying and hilarious, dead and alive, and for some reason it doesn’t have the same lurking evil you find in official Nazi art. The evil is stillborn and inert; it’s sleeping it off.

I agree wholeheartedly. It may be kitsch, but it’s interesting kitsch!

Pelosi-Murtha-Hastings update…at Captain Ed’s:

If Murtha was an unforced error, Hastings is an embarrassing example of Pelosi's judgment. She needs the support of the Congressional Black Caucus to get elected Speaker, and they want Hastings to succeed Harman, if Harman doesn't get the chair. Pelosi can't afford to alienate them any further after she had the audacity to ask William Jefferson to resign from his committee assignments after the FBI found $90,000 in his freezer. (Jefferson won re-election, too.)

Steny Hoyer and Jane Harman have proven themselves capable party spokespeople, and have a record for independent thinking. Pelosi opposes them both strictly for personal reasons. She doesn't like Harman, feeling that her fellow Californian hasn't been partisan enough in her role on the Intel committee, and Hoyer ran against her for Minority Leader in 2001. For those personal reasons, Pelosi wants to turn to a corrupt ex-judge and a bumbling porker for party leadership positions, making a mockery of her promises of reform.

Democrats are in a bad position. They can't afford to throw Pelosi under the bus after promoting her as the first woman Speaker in American history. They can't afford to have Hastings and Murtha in leadership positions and then face the voters in 2008 who wanted reform and change. They can't afford to undermine her authority and openly campaign for the reversal of Hastings' appointment and the failure of her Murtha endorsement.

What he said.

Heckuvajob, Madame Speaker. After two years of your “leadership,” America will storm the polls. Those that are paying attention, anyway. Who’d a thunk it? Nancy Pelosi: The Republicans secret weapon. Karl Rove is an evil genius, indeed.

Wanna read some serious moonbattery? Better even than MoveOn? Equal to WorldCan’tWait? Then go check out Dennis Kucinich’s site. I watched Mr. Kucinich give his “one-minute” speech on the House floor yesterday morning (a ritual familiar to C-SPAN viewers) where he called on the House to cut off funding for the Iraq war. You can find that rant at his web site; it’s the lead item. But the bit that absolutely astonished me was this:

One of the most emotionally wrenching moments came at 10 o'clock at night as they arrived in the village of Qana, the Cana of biblical lore where Christ performed the first of his miracles, changing water into wine. One of the greatest tragedies of war befell a house in Qana where a 1,000-pound bomb exploded and collapsed the structure, crushing dozens of women and children who had sought shelter in the basement.

Kucinich and his wife went to pay respects to the dead, as a graveyard in the center of the village was lit by automobile headlights. They walked by several rows of graves, each with a picture of someone killed in the bombing. One picture was of four members of the same family. Buried were a mother and her three children. As Kucinich quietly wept, a hand reached around his shoulder to console him. It was the very man who had lost these family members, his wife and three children.

"As Kucinich quietly wept..." Damn, that's romance-novel prose. Bad romance-novel prose, at that. What a maroon. What a freakin’ maroon! You remember Qana, right? All the MSM angst over Israel’s “war crimes” and other atrocities? Yeah, that Qana. Kucinich bought all that MSM hand-wringing and a bag of chips. Ol’ Dennis is worse than a moron…he’s a tool.

A question you never asked… Shoulda mentioned this in yesterday’s Anniversary post, but didn’t. Have you ever wondered about the title of this blog? I was on the phone with an old friend one evening just before I decided to begin blogging. During the course of the conversation (after I bemoaned the fact there was no Starbucks here, restaurant choices are limited, yadda, yadda) she asked “Why do you stay there, out of all the places in the country—the world, even—you could go? Is this some sort of self-imposed exile or something?” Well, now that you mention it, yes. Yes, it is. Exile in Portales.

The baby finds its name.

Today’s Pic: All the Pennington Men (and a couple of Pennington Boys). On the decks of the USS Mason, Port Canaveral, Florida. April, 2003.

A Quick Tour of the 'Sphere Reveals...

So. The wind has subsided a bit, and it’s turned cold. When I say “subsided,” I mean: “Wind: From N at 24 mph, gusting to 29 mph.” (from the WX Channel web site) The current temp is 45, with a wind chill of 36. I just might defer the mini-Grand Tour one more day; it’s not at all pleasant outside right now and it’s supposed to be warmer tomorrow.

I know I’ve intimated I was going to get off politics for a while, but I just can’t help myself. Because there are a few articles in the media today that are just too, too good to pass up (and not pass along). First of all, there’s this in The New Republic (free registration required):

In one of her first important acts since Democrats recaptured Congress, Nancy Pelosi is about to make a decision that is both substantively foolish and politically tone-deaf. The decision involves the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee. For obvious reasons, that post has serious implications for national security--as well as the image of a Democratic Party seeking to convince the public it can be trusted to govern. But it appears alarmingly likely that Pelosi will spurn both with a decision based on petty personal and identity politics.

The current ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee is Jane Harman of California. Harman is one of the most respected Democrats in the House on national security and intelligence issues--a widely acknowledged expert in a field that Democrats as a whole are woefully unfamiliar with. Given her current seniority on the committee, Harman is the natural choice to become its chair in the Democratic Congress--and she has made clear that she wants the job. But all indications are that Pelosi will deny Harman the job and appoint in her place Alcee Hastings of Florida, a former judge who was impeached on bribery charges--and someone who has left no discernable mark upon the critical intelligence debates of the post-September 11 era.

Ordinarily, few people would take Hastings seriously for such an important job. In 1981, Hastings was a federal judge in Miami. He was accused of conspiring with a friend to take a $150,000 bribe in exchange for issuing light sentences to a pair of mobsters. A Miami jury acquitted Hastings (while convicting the friend), but three different federal judicial panels later referred him to Congress for impeachment.

I’ve written about Hastings before. But I’m just a little bit surprised to see The New Republic, a moderate left-wing periodical, come out against Pelosi’s apparent choice for the chair of the House Intelligence committee. It just goes to show that there are a few reasonable Democrats that are more concerned with the national interest than partisan politics . (hat tip: Glenn, who has some great links on this subject, and more)

But, wait! There’s more! Let’s talk about Murtha, who Pelosi has endorsed for House Majority Leader.

Here’s Ruth Marcus, in an op-ed in the normally left-leaning WaPo:

If she gets her way and helps Murtha win a come-from-behind victory against Maryland's Steny Hoyer in tomorrow's leadership election, she's buying herself -- and the Democratic caucus -- endless news stories about Murtha's ethics. If, as he says, Hoyer has the votes, Pelosi has made herself look weak within the caucus -- not a smart move for any new leader, and certainly not for the first woman in the job. Perhaps the late timing and measured phrasing of Pelosi's endorsement were meant to ensure that it would have little impact. If so, Pelosi failed to recognize that once she weighed in, the vote for majority leader would inevitably be seen as a gauge of her clout.

Here’s an op-ed in the WSJ:

House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi's endorsement of Rep. John Murtha for majority leader, the No. 2 position in the Democratic leaderhsip, has roiled her caucus. "She will ensure that they [Mr. Murtha and his allies] win. This is hardball politics," Rep. Jim Moran, a top Murtha ally, told the Hill, a congressional newspaper. "We are entering an era where when the speaker instructs you what to do, you do it."

But several members are privately aghast that Mr. Murtha, a pork-barreling opponent of most House ethics reforms, could become the second most visible symbol of the new Democratic rule. "We are supposed to change business as usual, not put the fox in charge of the henhouse," one Democratic member told me. "It's not just the Abscam scandal of the 1980s that he barely dodged, he's a disaster waiting to happen because of his current behavior," another told me.

[…]

Melanie Sloan, the liberal head of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, was cheered on by Democrats six weeks ago when she helped reveal the Mark Foley scandal. Now she says that "Ms. Pelosi"s endorsement of Rep. Murtha, one of the most unethical members of Congress, show that she may have prioritized ethics reform merely to win votes with no real commitment to changing the culture of corruption."

Freakin’ Melanie Sloan! Remember her? When a former John Conyers staff member has issues with Murtha, you just know something’s rotten in Denmark the House. But…if you go to only one link in all this, read the WSJ op-ed. And wonder why Murtha remains in Congress, let alone how it came to pass he’s being considered for majority leader.

“Culture of corruption,” indeed.

Sad, sad, sad…from the San Francisco Chronicle:

After 90 years in San Francisco high schools, the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps must go, the San Francisco school board decided Tuesday night.

The Board of Education voted 4-2 to eliminate the popular program, phasing it out over two years.

Dozens of JROTC cadets at the board meeting burst into tears or covered their faces after the votes were cast.

"We're really shocked,'' said fourth-year Cadet Eric Chu, a senior at Lowell High School, his eyes filling with tears. "It provided me with a place to go."

Sometimes I wonder if SFO really is part of America, or something else entirely. I cannot begin to express how glad I am that I no longer live there.

Here’s a bit of good news, from The Beeb, no less:

Pakistan's national assembly has voted to amend the country's strict Sharia laws on rape and adultery.

Until now rape cases were dealt with in Sharia courts. Victims had to have four male witnesses to the crime - if not they faced prosecution for adultery.

Now civil courts will be able to try rape cases, assuming the upper house and the president ratify the move.

The reform has been seen as a test of President Musharraf's stated commitment to a moderate form of Islam.

"It is a historic bill because it will give rights to women and help end excesses against them," Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told parliament after the vote.

Religious parties boycotted the vote, saying the bill encouraged "free sex".

A woman is raped every two hours and gang-raped every eight hours in Pakistan, according to the country's independent Human Rights Commission.

Maybe, just maybe, there’s some hope Islamic countries will emerge from the 7^th century and join the rest of the world. I’m not going to hold my breath, however.

And so it goes…

Anniversary

The blog is one year old today. I’ve put up 690 posts and been honored with 10,293 visits during the past year. Time sure flies when you’re having fun!

Many, many thanks to Frequent Readers and commenters Bec, Becky, Dale, Dan, dc, Laurie, Lou, Mike, Reese, SN1, SN2, and Steve. And thanks also to the “mystery readers” in California (2), Colorado (2), New Jersey, Texas (2), and Virginia…you who stop by often but never say anything! It’s a toss-up as to the greatest reward I’ve received from blogging… either the new friends I’ve made, or the connections renewed. Both are great, and I thank you.

Today’s Pic: Your Humble Scribe, ostensibly tapping out today’s post. 20 minutes ago.

Understatement

"Fair and Windy." Note the "gusting to" number.

We be rockin'!

Thar She Blows! And Blows, and Blows, and...

I woke up this morning, fired up the coffee, and raised the shades. My initial impression: what a brilliant and beautiful day! Just the sort of day to do the High Plains Mini-Grand Tour, i.e., Portales – Big(ger) City^TM – Cannon Airplane Patch – Portales. And then I read this:

/O.CON.KABQ.WI.Y.0033.061114T1800Z- 061115T0600Z/ HARDING COUNTY-FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS-QUAY COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY- ROOSEVELT COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ROY... CLAYTON...TUCUMCARI... FORT SUMNER... PORTALES...CLOVIS 354 AM MST TUE NOV 14 2006

A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM MST THIS EVENING.

EXPECT RAPID INCREASES IN WIND SPEEDS THIS MORNING...WITH WEST WINDS INCREASING TO 25 TO 35 MPH. EXPECT LOCAL GUSTS TO 50 MPH...INCREASING IN COVERAGE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. EXPECT STRONGER WINDS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PLAINS AND FROM TUCUMCARI WEST...WHERE WIND SPEEDS WILL INCREASE TO 30 TO 40 MPH WITH LOCAL GUSTS TO 55 MPH.

Well, OK. Maybe it’s just the sort of day to stay in and watch the dust swirl by my window as El Casa Móvil De Pennington rocks none-too-gently from side to side. Mini-Grand Tour deferred until tomorrow.

Just Askin’…Why are weather bulletins/advisories always IN CAPS? No one communicates using teletype any longer; we modern folk get our WX briefings information via Tee Vee or the internet, nu? So: dispense with the caps, please. No need to shout, we read you 5x5.

Are you addicted? In the WaPo (Caught in the Web…More People Say Heavy Internet Use Is Disrupting Their Lives, and Medical Experts Are Paying Attention):

Concern about excessive Internet use -- variously termed problematic Internet use, Internet addiction, pathological Internet use, compulsive Internet use and computer addiction in some quarters, and vigorously dismissed as a fad illness in others -- isn't new. As far back as 1995, articles in medical journals and the establishment of a Pennsylvania treatment center for overusers generated interest in the subject. There's still no consensus on how much time online constitutes too much or whether addiction is possible.

But as reliance on the Web grows -- Internet users average about 3 1/2 hours online each day, according to a 2005 survey by Stanford University researchers -- there are signs that the question is getting more serious attention: Last month, a study published in CNS Spectrums, an international neuropsychiatric medicine journal, claimed to be the first large-scale look at excessive Internet use. The American Psychiatric Association may consider listing Internet addiction in the next edition of its diagnostic manual. And scores of online discussion boards have popped up on which people discuss negative experiences tied to too much time on the Web.

[…]

The Web site for Orzack's center lists the following among the psychological symptoms of computer addiction:

· Having a sense of well-being or euphoria while at the computer.
· Craving more and more time at the computer.
· Neglect of family and friends.
· Feeling empty, depressed or irritable when not at the computer.
· Lying to employers and family about activities.
· Inability to stop the activity.
· Problems with school or job.

Physical symptoms listed include dry eyes, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines, backaches, skipping meals, poor personal hygiene and sleep disturbances.

Hmmm. I definitely have a feeling of well-being while at the computer. Unless my frickin’ connection does its “go-slow” routine or decides to just give up altogether, which is not a rare occurrence. Then I feel like getting in my car, running down to Yucca Telecom’s building and fire-bombing the SOBs. These feelings just might be a problem. Ya think? And don’t go talking about “sleep disturbances,” mmm-kay?

LaShawn Barber has a post on this article, with 39 comments (as of this writing). The comments are most interesting; it seems like a lot of folks spend a lot of time on-line, but few seem to think it’s a problem. (via That Law Prof in Madison)

Where is that Fat Lady, anyway? (via Real Clear Politics)

In New Mexico 1, County Clerks are in the process of counting of the 2,698 provisional ballots and 1,058 "in lieu of" ballots still outstanding. Each ballot has to be scrutinized to determine whether it's valid or not before being added the candidate's final tally. By law, the count has to be done by Friday.

Right now, incumbent Republican Heather Wilson has a 1,487-vote lead over Democrat Patricia Madrid.

Heather Wilson isn’t my representative (and she’s anything BUT fat), but I like her. A lot. Could have something to do with the fact that she’s an Air Force Academy grad, but it’s more likely because she’s all in favor of killing terrorists.

Slow news day in The Big(ger) City^TM …

A Clovis police car was damaged Friday night by a tossed pumpkin, according to police reports.

Around 6 a.m. Saturday, Sgt. Douglas Ford called police to report a tail light on his cruiser had been broken when someone threw a pumpkin at it the night before, the report said.

[…]

There were no witnesses or suspects, the report said.

Sheesh. A crime wave. Good thing I decided to stay home today.

Right on cue… It’s 1057 hours as I put the finishing touches on this post. And the wind is howling!

Today’s Pic: SN1, SN3, and Grandson Sean in a hangar at Cannon. Get ‘em while they’re young, I always say. As always, click for larger. April, 2003.

Lightweight

Well, I’m back. If you’re looking for pointed political commentary and links to illuminating thought on the issues of the day, move on. Nothing to see here. It’s not that I haven’t read a ream or two of news stories and op-eds this morning/afternoon that range from bad to worse. I have. And, wonder of wonders, I have absolutely nothing to say, or rather, nothing to say that hasn’t been said better, elsewhere. And you, Gentle Reader, are just as capable of ferreting out this stuff as I. Better, probably. Some days it just bees like this.

My current Earworm is (arguably) the silliest and most insipid song that came out of the 60s. Ever. Never mind the fact that it was actually 1970.

Almost cut my hair
Happened just the other day
It's gettin' kind of long
I could've said it was in my way

But I didn't and I wonder why
I feel like letting my freak flag fly
And I feel like I owe it, yeah ... to someone, yeah

It’s all because the last time I got shorn was in late May or early June, just before I went out to Maine for granddaughter Anastasia’s graduation. So, yeah, I’m reminded of the fact “It’s gettin’ kind of long” every time I look in the mirror. I guess I am letting my freak flag fly. Frickin’ David Crosby. Fat Old Hippie.

Second Thoughts Dept: Regardless of what I said above, this album remains one of my all-time favorites. There’s not a bad track on that album, not one. And it (the album) helped me get laid. A lot. (See here for one reason why)

Speaking of music… I put away about 90 or so CDs in the course of completing a long delayed project yesterday, to wit: reducing the clutter that’s accumulated in El Casa Móvil De Pennington. “Put away” means returning the CDs to their normal storage space (an overhead cabinet above my couch), which is also generally inaccessible. That inaccessibility means I’ll pull a CD out of its storage space, play it, and set it aside in a pile of “played CDs.” I had accumulated nine such piles over the course of the last two years or so. It was quite junky looking. All fixed now.

In the course of filing all those CDs I pulled out an album from said storage space I hadn’t listened to in quite some time, probably three years or more. I’m still listening to it today, even though there are only about three tracks I really like on the album. The rest of the tracks are throw-aways, at best. But I’ve always liked this song, and hearing it again makes my day quite a bit brighter. So, resurrecting an old blog feature, I give you today’s…

Song of the Day

Song: To Live and Die in L.A.
Artist: Wang Chung
Album: To Live and Die in L.A. (soundtrack)
Year: 1985
Source: My Stuff.

Makes me think of & etc.: Former Happy Days. I’d just moved from OKC to Detroit and begun my post-USAF career with EDS. The song has a sort of hypnotic quality, the arrangement and orchestration are magnificent, and you can just sing along SO easily. The lyrics, on the other hand, take on an entirely different meaning these days.

Lyrics:

In the heat of the day
Every time you go away
I have to piece my life together
Every time you’re away
In the heat of the day
In the dark of the night
Every time I turn the light
I feel that God is not in heaven
In the dark of the night
The dark of the night

I wonder why I live alone here
I wonder why we spend these nights together
Is this the room I’ll live my life forever
I wonder why in la
To live and die in la
I wonder why we waste our lives here
When we could run away to paradise
But I am held in some invisible vice
And I can't get away
To live and die in la

If I let myself go
And for where I just don’t know
I’d maybe hit some cold new river
That led out to the sea
An unknown sea
I’d either swim or I’d drown
Or just keep falling down and down
I think its that, that makes me quiver
Just to keep falling down
Down, down, down

I wonder why I live alone here
I wonder why we spend these nights together
Is this the way I’ll live my life forever
I wonder why in la
To live and die in la

In every word that you say
I feel my freedom slip away
I feel the bars come down around me
And I can't get away
I can't get away

I wonder why I live alone here
I wonder why we spend these nights together
Is this the room I’ll live my life forever
I wonder why in la
To live and die in la
I wonder why we waste our lives here
When we could run away to paradise
But I am held in some invisible vice
And I can't get away
To live and die in la

I can't get away
To live and die in la
I can't get away
To live and die in la
I can't get away
To live and die in la
I can't get away
To live and die in la

Sorry for the lightweight nature of today’s musings. It is what it is…

Marking Time

We dipped down into the low, low 30s again last night. Our forecasted low was 31 degrees and I have no reason to doubt we hit it. It was quite chilly in El Casa Móvil De Pennington this morning, which, of course, encouraged me to remain abed…all warm and snuggly and such. It’s my habit and practice to turn the heat down to about 60 or so before retiring; I sleep best in cool temps. That habit makes rolling out of bed on cool to cold mornings just a little…um…problematic. Much easier to remain where it's warm, nu?

So, here I am, working on the third cup and still making the morning’s virtual rounds. Ill be back in a few, but in the meantime…

Today’s Pic: Some Fall color (and a friend) for you in a spectacular setting—Letchworth State Park in Upstate New York, near Rochester. October, 1999.

Arabic Bloggers, a Follow-Up, and In Praise of Rumsfeld

This is good news. In today’s WaPo:

"Several years ago, Arabic blogs in the Middle East could be counted on one hand," said Haitham Sabbah, Middle East editor of Global Voices Online, a media project sponsored by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School. "Today, they are in the thousands and are becoming a new source for news and information."

Though only about 10 percent of people in the Arab world have Internet access, the rate continues to rise dramatically, having multiplied fivefold since 2000, according to Internet World Stats, a Web site that tracks Internet usage and related information.

The number of bloggers in Saudi Arabia has tripled since the beginning of the year, reaching an estimated 2,000.

I read more than a few English-language blogs written by Lebanese during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict this past summer and was most impressed, generally speaking, with what those folks had to say. I can only imagine what Arabic bloggers are saying, but from what I gather by reading the article linked above, the rise of Arabic bloggers is a good thing. And the authoritarian, totalitarian governments in the Middle East realize this, too. The all-too-predictable government crackdowns appear to be on the way and are already happening in some cases. Here’s hoping the new wave of Arabic bloggers have the courage to persevere. It takes real courage to dissent in an environment where the consequences of opposing or criticizing the government can be a true life or death situation. Unlike here at home, where the tinfoil hat brigade constantly worries about their phones being tapped and/or being shuttled off to Gitmo when the black helicopters come…

An editorial follow-up to yesterday’s post on Michigan’s Proposal Two (the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative), in today’s WSJ:

Ward Connerly has done it again: A striking 58% of Michigan voters gave the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative a thumbs up; only three counties voted against it.

The language of the MCRI closely tracks California's 1996 Proposition 209, also led by Mr. Connerly. It amends the Michigan Constitution to "ban public institutions from using affirmative-action programs that give preferential treatment to groups or individuals based on their race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin for public employment, education or contracting purposes." The political and business establishments, pressure groups like the AARP, labor-union leaders, religious spokesmen, the professoriat, the major Detroit newspapers--all were opposed to MCRI. But a substantial majority of ordinary voters were thinking for themselves.

[…]

Buried in a lengthy speech to University of Michigan students on Wednesday, Ms. Coleman did say, "of course the University of Michigan will comply with the laws of the state." It was far from her first thought, however, and she has asked the school's attorneys "for their full and undivided support in defending diversity." They'll waste their time. As George Mason University law professor David Bernstein notes, "the chances that the university would ultimately win such litigation approach zero."

Ms. Coleman's other problem is that the much-vaunted "diversity" of the university is something of a sham, as an editorial writer for the very liberal Daily Michigan newspaper has suggested. The campus "is starkly segregated. ... We live in different student neighborhoods. We go to different bars on different nights. We join in different student groups. There are even separate Greek systems." While Ms. Coleman has made the usual noises about building a "community" and "creating a diverse, welcoming campus"--whom was she kidding? Apparently no one.

The author of the editorial, Abigail Thernstrom, is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and vice chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Read the whole thing.

A paean to Rummy in today’s WaPo by Douglas J. Feith, a man who knows him well. Excerpts:

I know that Don Rumsfeld is not an ideologue. He did not refuse to have his views challenged. He did not ignore the advice of his military advisers. And he did not push single-mindedly for war in Iraq. He was motivated to serve the national interest by transforming the military, though it irritated people throughout the Pentagon. Rumsfeld's drive to modernize created a revealing contrast between his Pentagon and the State Department, where Colin Powell was highly popular among the staff. After four years of Powell's tenure at State, the organization chart there would hardly tip anyone off that 9/11 had occurred -- or even that the Cold War was over.

Rumsfeld is a bundle of paradoxes, like a fascinating character in a work of epic literature. And as my high school teachers drummed into my head, the best literature reveals that humans are complex. They are not the all-good or all-bad, all-brilliant or all-dumb figures that inhabit trashy novels and news stories. Fine literature teaches us the difference between appearance and reality.

[…]

Rumsfeld had to resign, I suppose, because the bitter political debate of recent years has turned him into a symbol. His effectiveness was damaged. For many in Congress and the public, the Rumsfeld caricature dominated their view of the Iraq war and the administration's ability to prosecute it successfully. Even if nominee Robert Gates pursues essentially the same strategy, he may command more public confidence.

What Rumsfeld believed, said and did differs from the caricature. The public picture of him today is drawn from news accounts reflecting the views of people who disapproved of his policies or disliked him. Rumsfeld, after all, can be brutally demanding and tough. But I believe history will be more appreciative of him than the first draft has been. What will last is serious history, which, like serious literature, can distinguish appearance from reality.

Once again, read the whole thing. In case you hadn’t noticed, I was, and remain, a big fan of Mr. Rumsfeld. Mr. Rumsfeld delivered some of the best, most profound, and seriously funny moments in this long war during his DoD press conferences. His smack-downs of clue-free reporters, who, in most cases were begging for a smack-down, were Churchillian in their delivery and content, not to mention wit. I agree with Mr. Feith: history will judge Rummy well.

Today’s Pic: Seven years ago this week I was hanging out on the shores of beautiful Lake Livingston, about an hour and a half north of Houston. My, how times have changed. November, 1999.

Valour-IT Final Results

That little box above reflects the results of the Valour-IT fundraiser as of this morning. The overall goal of $180,000.00 was handily met...and that's a wonderful thing. When it comes to the teams, you can see the Marines took first place with an 11^th hour surge that took them past—way past—the Navy. Alas, our team brought up the rear. As it is in sports, all I can say is “wait until next year!” There’s a lot of activity going on in the background, and the “lessons learned” will be archived and applied to our efforts in next year’s fund raiser.

The real winners in this fund drive are the injured troops who will receive voice-activated laptops from the Valour-IT project. In the aggregate, the donations you made will buy approximately 280 laptops. That’s a lot of love and support.

Thank you.

Valour IT

It’s that time of year. What with Veteran’s Day approaching—less than two weeks away—there’s NO better way to show your support for the troops than a donation to Project Valour IT. As with last year, the annual fundraiser is divided into four teams…just for fun and to keep that ol’ inter-service rivalry alive. Here are the blogs that serve as “Team Leads” for the four services: Air Force, Grunts, Jarheads and Squids. All worthy standard bearers.

The real message is give. And since you’re gonna give, why not make the Air Force the winning team this year? Hit that donation button on the sidebar and Cross into the Blue!!

Update 10/30/2006, 1230 hrs.: This is a "sticky post," i.e., it stays on top until 11/11/2006. Scroll down for regularly-scheduled blog updates.

Update 11/08/2006: Laurie over at Soldiers' Angels New York has some USAF Thunderbirds memorabilia up for auction, including a very cool "remove before flight" key chain. Anyone who has ever been on a flight line has seen those safety-keyed streamers hanging from ordnance and other places on fighters. Now you can have one for your very own...if you hurry up and bid!!

Here's the eBay site for the Thunderbirds stuff... What? You're still here? Go Bid!

Update, 11/11/2006 0750 hrs: Auction's closed...Laurie made $102.50 for the team. And that was her personal stuff, by the way, obtained during a visit to Nellis AFB on her recent Vegas trip. "Above and beyond," I'd say.

Misc. Stuff for a Saturday

The very definition of mixed emotions: Air Force vs. ND. Today. I suppose I could say my team wins, no matter who prevails. No predictions here…Air Force has a very good option game and ND’s defense hasn’t been all that effective this season. We could see an upset of sorts. Maybe.

We had our first hard freeze last night and I’ve been watching an interesting spectacle unfold outside my window for the past four hours, to wit: leaves are descending from the trees like rain from a dark cloud. I’m not kidding. The trees were fully leafed out at 0600 this morning and they’re about two-thirds denuded as I type. At the rate they’re going they’ll all be bare by this evening.

Today’s Pic: Apropos of nothing…How the Other Half Lives, or perhaps more appropriately, how the other 25% lives. SN2 in his “quarters” aboard the USS Rodney King Davis. Sam was a full Lieutenant at the time, or the equivalent of an Air Force captain. The last time I lived in a space that small and slept in a bunk bed I was an airman—VERY junior enlisted—back in the early 60s. Don’t ask how the Navy enlisted live… Washington (state), June, 2000.

Diversity, Affirmative Action, and Hubris

Well, here's some academic hubris for you. For those of you who don’t know, this past Tuesday Michigan voters approved Proposal Two, which (from the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative web site):

“…is a statewide ballot initiative that will prohibit the state from granting preferential treatment based on skin color or gender in 3 specific areas: public contracting, public employment, and public education.”

And the voters approved the proposal in an overwhelming manner, by a margin of 58% for and 42% against. And this, in spite of intense opposition from all quarters, including (predictably) the Democrat party, nearly every institution of higher learning, and a lot of Republicans, too. Were I still living in Michigan I would have voted in favor of Proposal Two, but I’m that kind of guy: I believe in merit, not quotas.

So, what’s that have to do with “academic hubris,” you ask? Just this, from Mary Sue Coleman, the president of the University of Michigan:

I am deeply disappointed that the voters of our state have rejected affirmative action as a way to help build a community that is fair and equal for all.

But we will not be deterred in the all-important work of creating a diverse, welcoming campus. We will not be deterred.

[…]

I believe there are serious questions as to whether this initiative is lawful, particularly as it pertains to higher education. I have asked our attorneys for their full and undivided support in defending diversity at the University of Michigan. I will immediately begin exploring legal action concerning this initiative. But we will not limit our drive for diversity to the courts, because our conviction extends well beyond the legal landscape.

It is a cause that will take our full focus and energy as an institution, and I am ready to begin that work right now. We will find ways to overcome the handcuffs that Proposal 2 attempts to place on our reach for greater diversity.

[…]

We know that diversity makes us a better university—better for learning, for teaching, and for conducting research. Affirmative action has been an effective and important tool for creating this rich, invigorating environment.

We believe so strongly in affirmative action that we went before the United States Supreme Court to defend its use, and we prevailed.

Today, I pledge that the University of Michigan will continue that fight.

Just for the record, Ms. Coleman mentions “diversity” in her address 21 times, “affirmative action,” on the other hand, is mentioned only five times. No one said a damned thing about eliminating diversity. No one said they wanted the UofM to be lily-white, or predominately Asian, or predominately African-American, or predominately comprised of any ethnic or racial group. The proposal simply wants state government to be color-blind, in government employment, contracting, and admissions policies for state universities…which includes the UofM. And the voting public overwhelmingly agrees. The hubris comes in when Ms. Coleman essentially says “voters be damned…we will continue as we’ve been doing. Period.”

I find that amazing. But then again, academics and liberals—I repeat myself—know better than we do when it comes to what’s good for us, both personally and as a society. Right?

Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day (celebrated); tomorrow is the actual date designated by Congress in 1938 as our national holiday. Known as Veterans Day here, this day is celebrated as Remembrance Day in the (other) English-speaking parts of the free world. An interesting lil factoid: I got every single Veterans Day off while I was in the military, and technically not a veteran (yet). And I worked every single Veterans Day after I retired and became a “real” veteran. I always thought that was pretty strange.

Salute our veterans today (and tomorrow, for you traditionalists), especially those of the Greatest Generation. We owe those particular veterans an immense debt of gratitude, and they aren’t going to be with us much longer.

And while we’re on about Veterans Day, what better day to donate to Valour-IT? We’re in the closing hours of the fund drive, and, unless you live under that proverbial rock, you know that Team Air Force is in an unusual and uncharacteristic place: DEAD FREAKING LAST. I hate it when that happens. Won’t you please donate five or ten dollars to this worthy cause? And we’ll certainly accept MORE, if you’re in a space to give more. There no causes more worthy. Please give!

Happy Birthday, United States Marine Corps! 231 years and counting. This is about as good a tribute as you’ll find today.

Scott Ott, aka Scrappleface, has been very good since the election. Case in point:

Pelosi Calls Talk of Bush, Cheney Pardons Premature
by Scott Ott

(2006-11-09) — At a post-luncheon news conference outside the White House today, Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, said talk of pardoning President George Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney was “premature.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” said Rep. Pelosi, who as House Speaker would stand third in the presidential succession line. “There are no specific charges or articles of impeachment at this point, and so it’s silly to speak of pardoning them.”

“Let’s not be too hasty for emotional closure,” the California Democrat added. “Our long national nightmare has only just begun.”

Don’t miss his posts on Rummy’s resignation!

Speaking of Pelosi, there’s this in today’s Investor Business Daily:

WWIII: Clinton thought terrorism was a law enforcement matter. Kerry thought it could be reduced to a "nuisance." Now Pelosi says Iraq is not a war but a "situation." Should we issue car bombers parking tickets?

Gen. Douglas MacArthur once said that in war there is no substitute for victory, but future Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told Fox News' Brit Hume on Wednesday that in Iraq there is no substitute for withdrawal — that Iraq is "not a war to be won but a situation to be solved."

As Ott, putting words in Pelosi’s mouth, said: “Our long national nightmare has only just begun.”

From a featured article (Bridge to Somewhere; The House GOP needs a new generation of leaders.) in today’s WSJ:

If we had to pick the precise moment when House Republicans lost their way, it would be three years ago during the floor vote over the Medicare prescription drug bill. So unpopular was the bill among conservatives, and rightly so, that House leaders kept the vote open for an unheard of three hours as they dragooned reluctant Members to vote aye.

The other great symbol of GOP failure is the proliferation of earmarked spending. In 1994 there were 1,500 such projects stuffed into Democratic spending bills, and Republicans called this a fiscal disgrace. This year Republicans approved closer to 15,000 earmarks at a cost of more than $10 billion. The current leadership defended this earmarking even after such embarrassments as the Alaska Bridge to Nowhere were exposed. When they finally agreed to minimal transparency, it was too late.

Here's one telling exit poll result: In battleground districts, only one in five voters said Republicans would do a better job to "keep government spending under control"; almost twice as many voters said Democrats would do a better job. Yet this week a separate poll found that 59% of Americans still favor fewer government services and lower taxes compared with 28% who favor more government services and higher taxes. "Big government conservatism" was a nice think-tank proposition; it merely lacks support from actual voters.

It is indeed a sea-change when the electorate views the formerly labeled “tax and spend” Democrat party as the more fiscally responsible party. I also find it absolutely incredible that the congressional Republicans, particularly in the House, were so damned deaf and incompetent, nay: arrogant. There were those who warned, early and often, of the dire consequences of unchecked spending and pork-barrel politics. Over the past four to five years one read editorials in the WSJ at least once a week warning congressional Republicans to change their ways, and then there was the “Pork-Busters” movement in the blogosphere. The Republican Congress had been sowing the wind for a long time. Unfortunately, we all have to pay now that they’ve reaped the whirlwind.

Fort Robinson

Today’s Pic(s): Life on the frontier wasn’t bad at all for Army officers back in the day. Well, after the Indian Wars were over, anyway. A couple of pics taken at Fort Robinson, NE, which is now a state park and one of the finest frontier outposts still in existence. I spent the better part of a fine day in May wandering around this post during my cross-country travels in 2000. As always, click for larger.