My Clocks Are Melting

Today at War

2010-05-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

May 13, 1940. "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat." Winston Churchill, in his first speech at the House of Commons as prime minister.

Why I miss the 90s, Part 1

2007-04-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

The 1990s

The 2000s

(Picture Googled from the Washington Times)

2007-04-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. JEFFERSON

2007-04-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

Today is Thomas Jefferson's birthday.

He would be 264 if he were alive (in anything other than spirit) today.

He was born in 1743 in Shadwell, Virginia. Back when Virginia was the spearhead of democracy and freedom. Unlike now.

A good day to read Note 17 of his Notes on the State of Virginia (1781-1782).

Imus in the mourning?

2007-04-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

Without getting too far into this Imus thing (because I'm not sure I like where I am on it at the moment), where's the outrage the other 364 days of the year? Go here for some comparisons.

Um, how about the President?

2007-04-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

"The White House wants to appoint a high-powered czar to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with authority to issue directions to the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies, but it has had trouble finding anyone able and willing to take the job, according to people close to the situation."

Maybe they could try Al Gore. I think I remember he wanted a job like that at one point.
***
NB: the job of President has become Czar. There's a Freudian slide into the inner thoughts of the Imperial Executive(s).

Just for reference, here's Article II, Section 2.

The President shall be commander in chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States; he may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices, ...

This is just surreal. Bush is trying to escape blame. He's washing his hands of everything. The White House is so clearly lost that they're trying to find a general to whom they can deflect blame. The good news ("good" only relative to all the other news out there) is that our generals seem to be smarter than that.

"At least three retired four-star generals approached by the White House in recent weeks have declined to be considered for the position, the sources said..."

Kurt Vonnegut, RIP

2007-04-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

Kurt Vonnegut died yesterday. Sad.

I don't know that I'm the best Vonnegut reader there is. Maybe he's one of those authors that you're supposed to think is great, but deep down, you don't really get what they're saying.

I remember being really excited when Galapagos came out, based on the blurbs. And being really disappointed after I read it--it was just a bit dull. But maybe it's me.

I read Slaugterhouse Five on my own in Junior High (I think), and it went WAAAAY over my head. I was just confused through most of it.

I loved the MIT commencement speech, which of course, turned out to not be a speech anyone ever actually gave at a commencement. The fact that we all believed it was him shows you that we all thought he was iconoclastic and cool. And that's not bad. Whether it was him or not, I wish my graduation speeches (any of them) had been as interesting or entertaining. I've gotten screwed on all of them.

Maybe I'll try Slaughterhouse Five again. I will wear sunscreen tomorrow.

Kona Has a New Blog

2007-04-11T16:29:00.001-07:00

http://konapuppy.blogspot.com/

she's very cute.

French frigate here for a week...

2007-04-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

...unless, of course, the foghorns scare them away.

Frigate Prairial here after a difficult deployment to protect French Polynesia.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/06/BAG79P41NB1.DTL

Great. I'll be humming Rule Britannia for the rest of the day.

Al Gonzales, meet Tom Hagen

2007-04-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

Where is Robert Duvall when you need him?

There's this quaint Roman custom. It involves a hot bath, a razor blade, a way to avoid testifying before Congress, and a way to keep your family unharmed.

Now, I'm not advocating actual suicide. Mostly because I cannot WAIT to watch this testimony. Who's bringing the popcorn?? Oh yeah, and because I'm not really that vindictive. At least most of the time.

Yay!! for the first Godfather reference.

The Beginning

2007-04-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

I was going to start by railing against this Monica Gooding woman. I mean, really.

But she's now resigned. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8OBBIL80&show_article=1

I don't really want to come off as an elitist snob (at least, not with the very first post), but were there no graduates of a top 25 law school willing and able to be Senior Counsel to the Attorney General of the United States? Or any law school in Tiers 1 to 3? No interest?

OK, well, then, how about anyone Regent University?
(US News: Fall 2006 acceptance rate: 55.3%, LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile): 151-156).

Jesus H Christ. You've seriously got to be kidding. These people are making recommendations to the highest levels of government about wiretapping, domestic investigations, torture and the Geneva Conventions. Houston, we have a problem.

On the look-on-the-bright-side side, we've learned 2 things:

1. One cannot (a) be a high-level policy-making employee of the US Justic Department, (b) invoke (or try to, at least) one's 5th Amendment privilege for matters relating directly to one's job at the DOJ, and (c) remain employed at the DOJ. At least not for more than a few weeks.

Glad that one's cleared up.

2. It's not what you know, it's who you know. Damn, they were right. Better start beefing up my outlook contacts.