Blogging: A Passing Fad?

"Finding your voice is not about fame or publication. It's about giving the gift of yourself to your readers."

-John Angelo, "The Bricks with Which We Construct Our Lives," Writer's Digest, 12/77

As my wife was taking her turn driving home from our Thanksgiving visits, I thumbed through a stack of magazines I'd thrown into the back seat to help pass the time. I chanced upon this article by John C. Dvorak, a regular columnist for PC Magazine. Mr. Dvorak believes that personal weblogs are on their way out:

"We're told that blogs will evolve into a unique source of information and are sure to become the future of journalism. Well, hardly. Two things are happening to prevent such a future: The first is wholesale abandonment of blog sites, and the second is the casual co-opting of the blog universe by Big Media."

A couple of our compatriots have also seen Dvorak's article and take exception to his premise, as I do. Signifying Nothing's Chris Lawrence has perhaps the best refutation, but Matthew Stinson makes good points in his post too.

I'm pretty sure that my blog has zero influence on how the media reports its news, but I don't believe that's true where the heavyweights like InstaPundit, Andrew Sullivan, Talking Point and others like them are concerned. These guys, with daily readers in the thousands, have a positive impact on journalism every week, I think.

So why do I bother? Well, to me, it's fun. I've journaled almost all my adult life, and kept most of what I've written to myself. Going public with my thoughts was a stretch for me, but I've found I enjoy knowing that people are reading what I write. Some even react to it, and I like that too. I'm not changing the world for sure, but I'm certainly learning some new things, and for me, that's enough to keep me going.

Blessings

"Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude."

         - E. P. Powell

Tomorrow morning I'll be leaving to visit friends and family for Thanksgiving. I know many of you will be doing the same thing. To all of you who regularly visit my weblog, I want to wish you a safe and happy week. 

We, who live in this magnificent country, have so many things to be thankful for that I would be hard-pressed to count them all. I know I wake up almost every morning and pinch myself just to be sure that I'm really still here and living in such a beautiful land.

We could have been born in so many other places, in so many other circumstances. What is the miracle that allowed us to end up here?

If you travel, be careful. If you're planning to stay home, be careful too. I'll see all of you sometime next weekend. Take care of yourselves and be kind to those you love.

 

 

"Plastic" Not So Fantastic

"Let us all be happy and live within our means, even if we have to borrow the money to do it with."

     - Artemus Ward (1834-1867), American humorist

Bob Herbert, N.Y. Times columnist, has written an interesting op-ed about Americans' penchant for spending money they don't have. He's pretty tough on the credit card companies for their sometimes usurious interest rates and their willingness to continue extending credit to people who are already in financial difficulty.

"It's common for the annual percentage rate on your friendly Visa or Mastercard to approach 30 percent."

He goes on to say that families are increasingly using their "plastic" to bridge the gap between household earnings and the cost of essentials.

Perhaps much of this is true, but I wonder where personal responsibility for incurring all this debt enters the picture? I would imagine that all of us, at one time or another, have borrowed money. I know I have, but I've done so knowing it had to be repaid, so I've tried to exercise some discipline about how much I borrowed.

I think with credit cards, it's easy to forget that discipline because having one, or more, is akin to having cash in your pocket. As Mr. Herbert says, "Few things are easier than flashing the plastic and saying, 'Charge it.' " You do so at your own peril, however, for the day of reckoning always arrives.

While there may be some who truly do have to buy their food with a credit card, I have a sneaking suspicion that most who run up huge balances, if they're honest with themselves, are buying a lot of things they want rather than need. That, my friends, will catch up with you.

Liz Pulliam Weston has written an excellent tutorial for MSN's Money Central, which can help a person get his spending and credit card usage under control. Check it out.

Zeyad Speaks Out

"Those are most moral who are furthest from the problem."

       - Saul David Alinsky (1909-1972), sociologist

Following up on my 11/19/03 post, "Brits 'Welcome' Mr. Bush," here's another view of England's demonstrators from the Iraqi blog, Healing Iraq. 

Zeyad, the blogger, talks of the anti-terrorism marches that are going to take place in Iraq, and urges us to spread the word and possibly organize similar demonstrations in the U.S. Do any of you know if there's any planning going on in this regard?

While you're at Zeyad's weblog, take a few minutes to read the other things he has posted. I think you would also enjoy visiting his friend's new site, Iraq The Model.

If you want to know what's really going on over there, I think reading these weblogs is a good way to find out. From what I can tell, these men enjoy getting comments and email from people in this country too. I would imagine it's difficult for them to respond to everyone, but I know they must enjoy hearing from people who read what they write.

"Fritz" On the Fritz

"It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it."

       - General Douglas MacArthur (1880 - 1964)

Our Senator, Ernest "Fritz" Hollings, wrote an op-ed for the local newspaper this morning. In it, he decried his president for misleading him about Iraq, thereby causing him to vote in a way he wouldn't have had the truth been known:

"Saddam was not reconstituting a nuclear program, and in no way was he connected to 9-11. There were no terrorists in Baghdad, no weapons of mass destruction and Saddam was no threat to our national security."

Stephen Rittenberg over at Horsefeathers might say the Honorable Fritz has forgotten much of what members of his own party had to say about that some time ago.

He goes on to quote Bush out of context a couple of times, then he says:

"My goal is to stop the killing and injuring of our GI's. To support the troops, we need more troops - at least 100,000 more. Get in, clean out Baghdad and the Sunni triangle. Get law and order. Then get a constitution and victory." 

Hmm, I thought that's what we're trying to do, but 100,000 more troops? Now that does sound like another Vietnam in the making. Senator Hollings makes it sound so simple.

The debate over the war is heating up, as Clifford D. May points out in a column over at Townhall.com. He says we have two choices: 1)Win the war in Iraq, or 2)accept defeat. I'm inclined to agree with him.

The Consequences of Giving Up

"The winner of a match is not always determined by who is right...but in the end...who is left."

       - Victor Niederhoffer, author and investment manager

I don't put much stock in polls, but some of our leaders use them to keep a finger on the pulse of their constituents and many Americans view them as an indicator of what's going on.

The latest Gallup Poll indicates that 34% of Americans feel we should withdraw our forces from Iraq, which is up from 26% who felt that way back in July. These, and other results are available here if you're interested.

I believe that President Bush intends to stay the course in Iraq, and I don't think the latest announcement that we plan to turn government over to the Iraqis by June, means he'll leave them in the lurch by taking our troops away.

It does worry me that public support for the war seems to be drifting downward as casualties continue to mount, and I sense that will be an on-going trend. If public support diminishes enough, will the administration relent and bring our troops home? Glenn Reynolds at  InstaPundit, links to an article by Eliot A. Cohen who talks about the consequences of doing that:

"The United States would bury its dead and get back to business, But the lessons for its political leaders, and indeed for everyone else in the world, would be simple: The United States cannot and will not, under any conditions, conduct a counterinsurgency. When it tries, drips and spurts of casualties will cause it to lose its nerve."

Leaving before freedom for the Iraqis is secured would open the door for terrorists to strike us, or our Allies, at will. Why? Since WWII, we've not seen any conflict to completion, so our enemies know that retaliation, even if it occurs, would be short-lived.

Brits "Welcome" Mr. Bush

"...the smarter people feel, the dumber they act."

        - Carolyn T. Geer, Forbes magazine, June 15, 1998

While President Bush will be met by thousands of anti-war, anti-American protestors on his visit to England, it appears they may not represent the majority thinking. Jim Miller on Politics writes about a recent Guardian poll which shows most Brits have a positive view of Bush and the U.S. role in the world. This is surprising to me. Hope it's accurate.

Glenn Reynolds at InstaPundit posts a welcome letter from Frederick Forsyth to Bush with some advice on how to deal with the unfriendly crowds.

Andrew Sullivan at the Daily Dish wraps it up with a long article he wrote for the The Sunday Times. Andrew addresses the many criticisms being leveled at our president, and refutes them one by one. Wade through the whole thing if you can. It's worth your time.

"Big Money" Still Around

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy."

        - Ernest Benn (also attributed to Groucho Marx)

I mentioned the huge campaign contribution of George Soros in one of my posts last week. Now I see that another billionaire has ponied up $12 million of his fortune to help defeat Bush in 2004. Dean Esmay at Dean's World links to the Cleveland Plain Dealer story. Read Dean's comments, then click on his link to the Plain Dealer.

These wealthy contributors are skirting campaign finance reform laws by donating to outside activist organizations. There's a well-written article about this loophole on The Texas A&M website. Money quote:

"Supporters...promised it would 'get money out of politics.' It hasn't. To the contrary, it has merely transferred power from our mostly responsible, accountable political parties to unaccountable, sometimes mysterious interest groups, frequently with narrow ideological perspectives."

I don't believe this reflects the spirit of the new law, but now we're stuck with it--at least until someone decides it should be repealed.  I'd wager that won't be a Democrat.

Both parties have over 50 surrogate organizations that may accept large donations of "soft money," and those working on behalf of the Democrats are bringing in 12 times more dollars than those supporting the GOP. Ironically, when the legislation was being debated, it was the Democrats who said they wanted to remove the corrupting influence of big contributions. Now, it appears they're becoming the greatest beneficiaries of the very thing they denounced.

A Couple of Good Reads

"Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book."

  - Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC), Roman philosopher

This past week I finished reading two books that I enjoyed very much. Joel Rosenberg's second novel, The Last Days, grabbed my attention from the first page. Jon Bennett, the protagonist, is a highly successful businessman who has been pressed into service in the war on terror by the president. He finds himself in one critical, life-threatening situation after another as he attempts to complete his mission.

Rosenberg writes like Tom Clancy at his best, but I find him easier to read, and just as entertaining. You'll get through this book quickly. It would be a good way to spend a winter weekend.

I also finished Senator Zell Miller's latest effort, A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat. Miller, a former two-term governor of Georgia and now a U.S. Senator, is critical of his party as he discusses education, welfare, national security, bi-partisanship, taxes and spending, abortion and 2nd Amendment rights. He calls for the Democrats to move back to the center if they want to win the presidency:

"In the real world outside the Beltway, most Americans are in the middle. They mix both liberal and conservative ideologies in their practical political beliefs. They don't want government to do everything for them, as die-hard liberals suppose. Nor do they want substantially less government, as die-hard conservatives suppose. What they want is common-sense government that works...for them." 

I lived in Georgia during Miller's governorship and he got my vote.  He is a man who has wide appeal in both parties, and I believe his views will influence many voters who are now undecided.

Sea-Faring Gladiator

"The enemy invariably attacks on two occasions: (a) When they're ready, (b) when you're not."

         - The Strategy Page Weblog, 8/29/2003

Yesterday, the wife and I saw Peter Weir's new movie, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, starring Russell Crowe. She hated it. I enjoyed it.

The action begins almost immediately, and it is quick-paced and graphic. The sounds of the ship creaking, cannon balls shattering wooden hulls and sails being strained by the wind are extremely realistic.  I found a clip at National Public Radio that allows you to listen to how the background sounds were produced.

The story is based on a novel by Patrick O'Brian and centers around Captain Jack Aubrey's (Russell Crowe) mission to capture the French Privateer Acheron. Aubrey's ship, the H.M.S. Surprise, is ambushed by the French ship, and the out-matched English vessel is heavily damaged. Aubrey manages to escape, make some repairs, and takes up the chase again.

Matching wits with the wily French captain, Aubrey comes out second best everytime the two encounter until he stumbles upon a scheme he thinks will enable him to defeat the French vessel. One of his very young crewmen unwittingly inspires the idea as he shows Aubrey something he's sketched . The final battle is fierce, and Crowe, as he was in Gladiator, is in the center of it and fully engaged.

Most men who enjoy action movies with some historical perspective should like this film. Those who have trouble watching people get hit by cannon fire or skewered with sabers, might want to take in something else.

There are more details in this review of the movie written by Kit Bowen.

 

The Baseball Glove

"To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness."

       - Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), English philosopher

When I finished college, I recall feeling embarrassed about letting my Dad know what my starting salary would be at the place I'd decided to work. My embarrassment stemmed from the fact that I knew it was more than he, as our sole bread-winner, was making after working over 25 years.  

Our family's lack of money didn't cause us to be less happy, but it did mean that my three brothers and I didn't get many of the trifles we wanted. At Christmas Santa provided, to some extent, the things we had asked for during the year, but we almost always got much less than we had requested.

I remember when I was eight years old wanting a baseball glove so badly I could taste it. I dreamed it would be under the tree Christmas morning, and felt sure it would, for I had let everyone know of my wishes. I had even written Mr. Claus a letter outlining my "needs," so when it didn't show up, I was devastated.

I guess Santa must have known that spring training didn't begin until March, however, for in his infinite wisdom, he had the glove delivered on my birthday in February. I was so proud of it that I took it to bed with me for months. As I sit here almost 60 years later, I still have fond memories of the happiness I felt at that time.

If we never have to wait for anything, never have dreams that are unfulfilled, and never have to make any sacrifices for something we really want, I think it means less to us when we get it. At least it seems that way to me. I look around at all the "things" I've been able to buy as I've gotten older, and I swear, if there's anything here that gives me more pleasure than getting that baseball glove did, I don't see it.

Showing Their Hand?

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."

        - Albert Einstein (1879-1955), physicist

This week, excerpts from an interview of Abu Salma Al-Hijazi, an Al Qaida commander close to Osama bin Laden, appeared on an Islamist internet forum. What Al-Hijazi told his interviewer is chilling:

"...a huge and very courageous strike will take place and that the number of infidels expected to be killed in this attack, according to primary estimates, exceeds 100,000...He further stated that the attack will be carried out in a way that will amaze the world and turn Al-Qaida into an organization that horrifies the world until the law of Allah is implemented...Americans are the main target of the organization, wherever they may be, in order to cause their disintegration and collapse..."

One of my greatest fears since 9/11/01 has been that those who planned that attack would somehow get their hands on a nuclear device and use it in one of our cities, most likely one of our ports. The fact that my home sits between Savannah and Charleston doesn't make me rest any easier. Many pooh-pooh such speculation, but I cannot dismiss it, no matter how I try. 

Read the entire article which appeared in the World Tribune and ask yourself how else these madmen could kill 100,000 of our people in one attack. I guess the only thing that gives me a sliver of hope that this is not true is that I don't think these monsters will give us a warning up-front if they're planning to do something so horrific.

Some Light-Hearted Stuff

"Care to our coffin adds a nail, no doubt; And every grin so merry, draws one out."

  - John Wolcot (1738-1819), physician (pen name, Peter Pindar)

Rob Sinclair, a British tax adviser, recently did some water-skiing on the Tigris River in Baghdad. Thanks to Jim Miller on Politics for the link. 

"...on the banks there are usually a few drunks who we were told might shoot at us...it would have been something to have had on the gravestone-shot dead while water-skiing in Baghdad."

Evidently, this lady really enjoys weddings. Just goes to show some people will take quantity over quality everytime.

Turn your sound on and enjoy watching one of my friends on a salmon fishing trip. It always miffed him when the bears were having better luck than he was.

Bob Holmes at the New York Daily News has some advice about getting on "Cloud Nine."

"...if you're an unhappy rich person, you're going to be happier than if you were poor."

Take the Color Test if you have the time, and good luck. Thanks, Eddie, for the link.

It is never too late for true love.

 

A Change of Heart

"It isn't a mistake to have strong views. The mistake is to have nothing else."

         - Anthony Weston, A Rulebook for Arguments (Hackett)

Roger L. Simon reports on Fawaz Turki, an Arab News columnist,  who has changed his views about the conflict in Iraq. Initially, against the U.S. invasion, he now supports us. Simon's comments and links are worth a read.

This may not surprise you, but many of our celebrities think the majority of U.S. citizens are dumb. They're entitled to their opinions, of course, but why express them to foreign audiences? Couldn't we keep it "in the family?"

John Kerry, Democratic presidential hopeful, recently fired his campaign manager, Jim Jordan. It must have been an unpopular dismissal because two more of Kerry's campaign team have quit. Here's a guy who promises to get more countries to help us in Iraq and he can't even keep his own team together.

George Soros, a billionaire seven times over, has thrown his influence and over $15.5 million of his fortune, into efforts to unseat Bush in 2004. $10 million has been given to America Coming Together (ACT) and another $5 million to MoveOn.org, a Democratic activist organization. Is this some of the "soft money" that Campaign Finance Reform was supposed to eliminate? There's a way to get around every law, I guess.

This is pretty neat, I think. Remember when the space probe Voyager was launched 26 years ago? I didn't think so. Anyway, this little bugger is still flying and it's at the edge of our Solar System, 8.4 billion miles from the sun. Check the photo archives.  

 

It Couldn't Be Me!

"Very often a change of self is needed more than a change of scene."

            - A. C. Benson, English writer (1862-1925)

Sometime ago I read a little story about two men who had moved to a new town.  Upon arriving, the first man encountered one of the town's patriarchs and began asking him about his new home. "What are the people like who live here? he asked.

The old man responded with a question of his own. "What were the people like in the city you came from?"

"They were unfriendly, uncaring and mostly had sour dispositions," he responded.

Taking a moment to reflect on his answer, the old sage said, "You'll find the folks here about the same as the ones you left."

The next day the second man appeared at the gates of the town and encountered the same old fellow. "What are the people like who live here? he queried.

The old man replied with the same question he had asked the first man. "What were the people like in the city you came from?

"Oh, they were friendly, really cared for each other and mostly had sunny dispositions," the second man answered.

Again, the aged counselor thought a moment, then responded to his questioner, "You'll find the people here about the same as the ones you left."

I've moved many times during my lifetime and always found what the old man said about new neighbors to be true. My own behavior always sets the tone for the type of relationship I'll have with my new acquaintances.

I've known people who have moved away because they haven't been happy with the folks who lived nearby. In most cases, I haven't followed up, but I would venture they're not any happier with their new neighbors than they were with their old ones.  

When you're not happy, looking outward, rather than inward, hardly ever gives you a lasting solution.

Odds and Ends

"The best way out is always through."

          - Robert Frost, American poet (1874 - l963)

In my weblog meanderings the last few days, I've discovered several blogs written by Iraqis. I feel they're worth a visit. Healing Iraq is one I have linked to on this site. Two new ones are Mesopotamian and Iraq at a Glance. 

Spend a little time reading what these men have to say. I imagine they're expressing their views at some risk to themselves. And speaking of risk, consider the penalty for speaking out in China.

Dick Gephardt polled ahead of Howard Dean in Iowa, which was somewhat a surprise. I don't know why, but my gut tells me that Gephardt is going to end up being the Democratic nominee for president. Crazy, I know.

If you were a teenager in the 50's as I was, you may remember Buddy Holly, a singer who was killed in a plane crash when he was only 22 years old. National Public Radio has a spot on him which might be fun to visit. You may listen to three of Holly's unreleased songs, and get the scoop on how his hit, "Peggy Sue," came about.

Jim Tunstall has a story about Monarch butterfly migrations over at Tampa Bay Online. These beautiful creatures travel over 2,500 miles in their annual jaunt south. There are pictures as well. Take a look.

You Go, Girl!

"A relationship is not a place to shut off your dreams, but to fuel them."       

   - Adelaide Bry in Learning to Love Forever (MacMillan, 1982)

I've been married to the same person for a long time, almost four decades.  While we've had our share of troubles, we've somehow managed to work through them and stay together.

I think one reason we've been able to do this is that we've attempted to give each other the freedom to make his own life choices.  We've tried to allow each other to grow in whatever ways he wanted without demanding that he follow a path imposed by the other.

Yes, sometimes we had to compromise and sometimes our choices made the other unhappy, but once a decision was made, we did our best to provide support.  I think my wife and I are better people now than when we were first married, and I believe the freedom we gave each other to pursue our aspirations is a big part of why this is true.

A relationship should be a safe place for us to become what we have the potential to become. It should provide stability that will allow us to go out into the world and find out who and what we are. It should allow us to grow, not wither. In short, it should be a place where we can strive for our dreams without fear of criticism or reprisal from our partner, even when we may be struggling with the consequences of our choices.

As with anything, it's hard to get it right the first time, or even the second, but you keep trying. A big part of my happiness comes from knowing that I'm helping the person I love become all that she can be, and believing she's doing the same for me.  I think it's worth the effort.

Show Me the Money

"Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a refund from the IRS, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with."

        - From a Washington Post word contest

This story appeared in our local newspaper several days ago, but I didn't pay much attention to it because I knew that I had no tax refunds coming my way. Then I ran across this at the National Taxpayer's Union website and thought it might be worth sharing. There's a deadline on child credit refunds:

"Families who expected but didn't receive an advance child credit payment this summer must act by December 5 to claim an undelivered refund this year. After the deadline, families must wait until they file their 2003 tax returns next year to claim the credit."

Who knows? There may be a nice check at the IRS with your name on it.  NTU makes it easy to find out. Simply type in your last name and the state you live in, and you'll be advised if you are one of the lucky people in the government's database.  Go check it out. You may get an early Christmas gift. 

 

Me Too

"This afternoon, we buried my father. I didn't think I would, but I shed tears. I cried because he had worked too hard for too long for too little. For many years I had resented him because he had never told me he loved me; now I wept because I'd never told him."

    -Burt Prelutsky, columnist (in Sons On Fathers by Ralph Keyes, 1992)

Relationships have always intrigued me, but none more than those between fathers and sons. As a child, I feared my dad, for he was a stern disciplinarian, and most of the communication that occurred between us was from him to me, not me to him. I felt he loved me, but I never heard him say he did.

Despite his strictness during my childhood, as I grew older I realized more and more how much he meant to me, but I never found the time or place to express my affection for him. It was something that always bugged me, but I had decided it was the way things were, so I made no effort to discuss it with him.

Then one morning I got a call. It was my brother. He told me that Pop had suffered a serious heart attack, and I should come home as soon as possible. His doctors feared he wouldn't make it through the night. I remember praying that I wouldn't be too late, for I knew this was the moment I had to put what was in my heart into words.

I arrived late that night, got to the hospital, and stood by his bed. As I watched him, I felt my resolve to reveal my love for him waning. Somehow, realizing I might not have another chance, I screwed up my courage, grabbed his hand and said, "Pop, you need to know I love you."

I could tell he didn't quite know how to respond, but he squeezed my hand in return and answered weakly, "Me too." He lived four more years, and in all our subsequent encounters he always responded to my "I love you, Pop" with his "Me too."

I've often thought back to the times we spent together and wondered if the two of us were the only father and son who had trouble expressing how we felt toward each other. I've come to believe we weren't.

It doesn't have to be that way, of course, but too often I think it is. As I bring this post to a close, I wonder if there's a son out there who's never told his dad how much he loves him, and wants to. I hope he will. Dad's response may only be a "Me too," but trust me, that will be okay.

Worse Than a Sunburn

"The tendency of an event to occur varies inversely with one's preparation for it."

         - David Searles

Does this concern anyone but me? The fragility of life here on our planet has never escaped my notice.  So many things we take for granted, not the least of which is that the Sun will rise tomorrow morning, and after it rises, it will behave itself.  Well, it's not behaving itself.

"Tuesday's flare went off the scale...(and) must have been the most powerful ever recorded, surpassing the X20 flares of 2 April 2001 and 16 August 1989."

Our Sun is 4.5 billion years old and is supposed to be "good to go" for another 5 billion years. At the end of that time it will have expended all its hydrogen. This will force it into radical changes which will completely destroy the Earth. 

These huge flares that are occurring make me start wondering how accurate the 5 billion year forecast really is.  Any of you have any experience with forecasting?  I have, and it's a highly uncertain process producing highly uncertain results.

And The Beat Goes On

"You can't expect to win unless you know why you lose."

      - Benjamin Lipson, finance writer

The Scotsman just reported that two more southern states' governorships have fallen to the GOP.

"...the GOP swept both governors' races at stake Tuesday and consolidated party gains in the South. Rep. Ernie Fletcher decisively won in Kentucky, ousting Democrats from power after 32 years."

This gives the Republicans seven of 11 governorships in the South and with Schwarzenneger's victory in California last month, the GOP holds 28 governorships nationwide.

Despite making the Kentucky race a referendum on the president's economic policies, the Democrats were defeated.  This should tell them that voters simply aren't buying into the negative attacks and the "everything is Bush's fault" arguments that they are using in their campaigns.

Unless they get smarter very quickly, November, 2004, is going to be a bloodbath for them.  They are simply not speaking to the majority of the voting public.

Who Will Blink First?

"Experience has taught me this, that we undo ourselves by impatience."

          - Michel De Montaigne, essayist (1533 - 1592)

David Brooks, a New York Times columnist, has written an excellent article* about the significance of staying the course in Iraq:

"Somehow, over the next six months, until the Iraqis are capable of their own defense, the Bush administration is going to have to remind us again and again that Iraq is the Battle of Midway in the war on terror, the crucial turning point where either we will crush the terrorist's spirit or they will crush ours."

What bothers me is the possibility that the constant criticism from Bush's detractors in the media and the opposition party will negatively impact the resolve of the American people.  The President has said we will stay in Iraq until the job is complete, but even if we are able to get Iraq back to some semblance of stability in a reasonable amount of time, the war on terror will be far from over.  In fact, it may be with us for decades. 

Do we have the stomach for such a long, arduous campaign against these fanatics whose primary goal in life is to do us harm? I'm not sure that we do, and I'm almost certain that those who fight us don't believe that we do. And why do I believe that? Just look at our record from Vietnam forward. We've cut and run a lot. Our enemies know this.

When I discuss this with my friends and acquaintances, I hear much resolve, but I also observe a wishfulness in each of their faces that tells me they want things to get back to "normal" as soon as possible.  But normality, as we once defined it, may never reappear. That's a hard pill for any of us to swallow, no matter how committed we are. 

*You must fill out a short registration form to view the Times article. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Zell? Hmm, Well...

"Many receive advice, few profit by it."

            - Publilius Syrus (circa 100 B.C.), Maxims

There was a story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution yesterday about the Zell Miller/Democratic party rift.  It's the first major newspaper I've seen that has reported on it.  With the exception of a few, the leadership of the party has been surprisingly quiet about Miller's comments. I don't think this is because they're not angry at what he has said, but because they realize how damaging it could be to their 2004 presidential campaign if Miller's remarks are widely publicized. 

If you're unfamiliar with what has transpired up to now, you may want to refer to my October 30, 2003, post, "Uh-Oh," or take a look at this WSJ.com Opinion Journal article which I ran across this morning.

Roger Simon just threw his hat into the ring with Zell.  Lots of comments here, many worth reading.

Big Bird Retires

"No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris...because no known motor can run at the requisite speed for four days."

       - Orville Wright, circa 1908

Here are photos of the Concorde on its final flight October 24, 2003.  It first flew over 34 years ago, and was a design that was far ahead of its time.  Jointly developed by the British and French, and flown by Air France and British Airways, it was the only supersonic commercial jetliner ever flown in regular service. 

Its cruise speed was over 1,350 mph, twice the speed of sound, and it flew at an altitude of over 11 miles, enabling it to span the Atlantic in approximately 3 hours. Other airliners, in comparison, require about 8 hours to make the trip.

Round-trip fares between New York and London or Paris could cost up to $14,000, so you had to be pretty well-heeled, or know someone who was, to afford a ticket. Personally, I never accumulated enough frequent flyer miles to make the flight.

In my opinion, it was one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built. I saw it take off from Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport once and remember thinking it looked more like some type of mythological bird than an airplane.  It's the end of an era and I'm saddened to see it taken out of service. 

Too Late Now

"It is better to be boldly decisive and risk being wrong than to agonize at length and be right too late."

             - Marilyn Moats Kennedy, consultant

It seems that shortly after the southern California Cedar Fire was noticed it could have been extinguished, but it wasn't because there were rules against flying after 5:36 p.m.  Fourteen deaths, 282,000 acres and 2,200 homes later, you have to wonder about how bureaucratic rules paralyze people into inaction when common sense should prevail. 

Imagine this conversation between the guy in the plane over the fire and the dispatcher down below:

"Hey bro, we got us a fire up here. How about sending a couple choppers to douse it for me?  "Can't." "Whaddaya mean you can't?" "It's 5:36." "So what if it's 5:36?! There's a fire and it's gonna get a lot bigger if we don't do something about it!" "That's too bad. It's 5:36 and we can't send a chopper up after 5:36. End of story." "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard of. Who the hell made that rule?" "I don't know, but it's the rule. It's right here in the practice. We'll catch it first thing in the morning." "It will be too late first thing in the morning, bro. Put that in your practice!"

Can't believe a conversation like this could happen? Anyone who's worked for government or a large corporation would have no trouble at all believing it. The "practice" is the law; disobey its mandate at your own peril. Unfortunately, I think my scenario is more truth than fiction. Too bad.

Thanks to the Washington Times for the link to the story.