The Last Ephor

Ace of Spades HQ BRAVO!! BRAVO!! Ace positively nails this one out of the park. I've been mulling this one over and over and he has put the words down that I couldn't quite muster.

Malaise Forever! Seems the EU is decades behind the US economy in even the most optimistic measures. [sarcasm] I expect massive overhauling of the economy. Privatization, tax cuts and tariff reductions [/sarcasm]. Either that or they continue as usual and ignore the elephant in the room.

Meaningless 80's stuff: 1. First music video you remember seeing? Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles 2. Did you want your MTV and did you get it? Yes, and eventually yes. 3. Were you a music video junkie like I was? Yes. 4. Best music video of the 80’s was… Thriller. Hate Jacko but that was and is a great video 5. Worst music video was…. Any YES video. 6. What’s the most memorable 80’s music video for you? See #4. 7. Whose music videos did you enjoy the most in the 80’s? Van Halen had some good ones. 8. Did video kill the radio star? If you're asking about "talkies" ruining silent film star's careers, yes. More 80's questions Just when I think I have nothing at all to say, Andrea comes and rescues me with her "Eight for the 80's" questions. Thanks Andrea! 1. What did the music of that era mean to you then? It was the soundtrack of my life. 2. What song takes you right back, whenever you hear it? Many many songs. So many of them captu...

This Was Not Looting - How did Saddam's best weapons plants get plundered? By Christopher?Hitchens Hitch lays out the case that there was no "looting" of the Iraqi weapons sites. It was far too systematic and organized to be anything akin to looting. An excellent read.

The pressure continues in Lebanon. I don't think this is going away. This is shaping up to be another Orange Revolution. I never thought I'd live to see the day that revolution swept the globe let alone a global revolution for democracy. It's hard to impress upon younger people today what a long shadow the spectre of communist revolution cast in the 80's. It looked like an interminable stalemate and much of Europe advancing steadily towards socialism it appeared that freedom was in decline. Now, I continue to be shocked at the events unfolding day by day. I literally thought the Berlin Wall coming down would be the apex of freedom's advance in my lifetime. I'm so glad I was wrong.

Looting at Weapons Plants Was Systematic, Iraqi Says . According to this article, there was no "looting" of weapons plants. It was entirely too organized and required many people working in concert with heavy equipment as well as trucks to move the materiel. Much of this will remain unknown or at least, hidden until long after the war before we find out the truth.

Reports of my demise were only slightly exaggerated. I was felled by an extremely nasty flu virus that dutifully wiped out the entire household at once. I was lucky enough to get it last. Which means I've been playing nurse to Mom and the boys the better part of a week. I had no idea a four year old could hold such a volume of bile and semi-digested food in his stomach. Really quite remarkable. This explains why every single item of bedding in the house has to be washed. I'm staring at a mountain of laundry that reminds me of that scene from Johnny Dangerously where his Mom is doing all the laundry in the neighborhood. I've been taking copious amounts of DayQuil, NyQuil, Mid-morningQuil, AfterlunchQuil, and so on. This has abated many of the symptoms but I'm still as congested as Michael Moore's arteries. Tonight I think I'll use the tried and true Irish solution of whiskey in quantity.

IRAQ THE MODEL gives the lowdown on how the terrorists are being shown for their true colors. They are nominally Muslim but mostly just mercenaries who care nothing for whom they kill, only for the money they make. They wrap themselves in the guise of a Holy Warrior because it makes them more comfortable with their barbarity and makes solicitation of funding easier. Liberals would have us believe the "resistance" or "insurgency" is against the occupiers and infidels but the interview shows their indiscriminance in targeting. This is the story the MSM will never show. It doesn't fit the "quagmire" template and thus, is discarded.

Adventures in Dubai: Middle East Democracy Keefieboy has been posting political of late. My rejoinder to his post was posted in the comments and I've copied them here to prove that I do sometimes write something. Um...where to begin? Democracy is "not that great"? Really? What of Winston's axiom that it's the "worst form of government except for all the others"? What format is better? The people of the US voted for Bush. He was duly elected as it was the will of the electorate. Why does that undermine democracy? Because you don't agree with him? You also ascribe to the Patriot Act the fact that people are being held without charges being filed. Why? The two are not connected. The ruling regarding the Gitmo prisoners was based on Constitutional and International law. Those being held there have no standing before either. They were not protected by Geneva conventions as they violated many rules of war. They are not bound...

The eye doctor never saw it coming Mark Steyn smacks it out of the park again. He is consistently the funniest and most accurate pundit around. This one is a must read.

Independent News Was Bush Right Afterall? Instapundit says it's too early for gloating and all this could come crashing down like a house of cards but I'm going to gloat anyway. I love it. I love seeing the Scowcroftian "stability" model dashed on the rocks of democracy and liberalization. I love it. I love it. I love it. John Stewart has been the only lefty who admits his head may implode if, in fact, Bush was right and invading Iraq (for whatever reason/pretense) results in a reverse-domino effect across the middle east. I'm simply gobsmacked by the scope and pace of change around the globe. I never thought I'd see the things I'm seeing now.

What have they done for us? MUST READ. It's good to know there's at least one abroad who appreciates us.

Engineers devise invisibility shield. Um...what? I thought this had to be a joke but no, it's the real deal. I find this frightening. The ramifications would be staggering. I think thermal and IR and Sonar may become more important if this comes to fruition.

Some Brits still have a sense of humor. Wish I had thought of this. Would have made a great opening line to my college entrance exam. "I started my 8 week 22 state crime spree in May..."

High Schools Are 1.0 in a 5.0 World, Gates Says What I would have given to be a fly on the wall after this speech. I would like to see Gates put up the cash to create a charter school (or private school) in keeping with his vision. Would be remarkable.

Longmire does Romance Novels Hilarious! h/t Boing Boing.net

Coolest knife holder. ever h/t Boortz

Psychiatrist recounts performing exorcisms Ok, this is interesting. I've skimmed "The Road Less Travelled" and I don't think the author is a kook. I wonder, however why now? It appears from the article he's a recent convert and this may be a result of his new enthusiasm for it. The last paragraph undermines that assumption. He talks of his attraction to the church as well as the problems he has with it. I don't think he's a blind zealot/overly enthusiastic new convert type. He seems sensible and rational and the experiences he relates were many years ago before he found his faith. Interesting.

So: here's the first one: It's 4:20 AM. #3 son is crying in his sleep. He's been teething and he's probably in pain. I go in to soothe him and as soon as I open the door, his brother pops up and says; "I can't watch this show, it's too loud." I assure him it's ok and finally get #3 back to sleep. As I'm getting ready to leave, I get the order from #2: "Give #3 a hug and kiss. Now you go find mommy."

I've been having trouble blogging of late largely b/c I don't feel like I have much to say. When it comes to current events and/or politics, there are so many who say so much more and so much better. I've thought about keeping it more to local news but that's about as exciting as reading an insurance form. Beyond that I'm left with daily observations and anecdotes which are tough to do well. I'll give that a try and see how it goes. I hope I don't lose my reader w/ this change.