Saturday, November 13, 2004
Over a Barrel
Over a Barrel: "Experts say we're about to run out of oil. But we're nowhere near having another technology ready to take its place." Long, good article on Energy!
Pejmanesque: BURNING DRIFT-WOOD
Pejmanesque: BURNING DRIFT-WOOD: "I know the solemn monotone
Of waters calling unto me;
I know from whence the airs have blown
That whisper of the Eternal Sea.
As low my fires of drift-wood burn,
I hear that sea's deep sounds increase,
And, fair in sunset light, discern
Its mirage-lifted Isles of Peace.
--John Greenleaf Whittier, Burning Drift-Wood"
Of waters calling unto me;
I know from whence the airs have blown
That whisper of the Eternal Sea.
As low my fires of drift-wood burn,
I hear that sea's deep sounds increase,
And, fair in sunset light, discern
Its mirage-lifted Isles of Peace.
--John Greenleaf Whittier, Burning Drift-Wood"
Marine Corps Moms: PFC Halvorson's final trip home
Marine Corps Moms: October 17, 2004 - October 23, 2004 Archives
October 21, 2004
PFC Halvorson's final trip home
Pfc. Andrew Halverson, 19, of Grant, Wis. died Oct 9 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Halverson was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Bridget Warns, mother of a deployed Marine, was a passenger on the plane that carried him home from the country he served:
“Because of my job, I travel a good deal. Last Thursday night I was returning from Albuquerque via Minneapolis and was one of the last passengers to board. As I was getting on the plane, a Marine in full dress uniform was coming up the jetway stairs from the luggage storage area of the airplane. I thought that was very odd. A few minutes later, the captain came out of the cockpit to thank everyone for flying Northwest. As he was finishing, a flight attendant told him that there was a Marine on board escorting a fallen Marine home. I was stunned when I heard this and at that time didn’t realize who it was. A gentleman sitting across the aisle from me immediately offered his seat in first class to the Marine escort. I couldn’t say anything since I was crying so hard.
As soon as we were airborne, the captain got on the loud speaker and announced the situation to everyone. He had to stop several times before he could continue. He asked that we all stay seated after landing until the Marine escort had deplaned. I have never experienced anything like this in all of my years of travel. I just wanted the parents to know that their son was brought back home by a plane full of people that knew of the precious cargo they were privileged to escort…and by a Marine mom who wept openly for their terrible loss.
They have been in my thoughts and prayers constantly.”
I cannot imagine how painful it is to learn that a beloved son has died in battle and my prayer, like that of all Marine parents, is that I will never find out. But if it happened, I would hope that a Marine Mom like Bridget Warns would be on the plane for his final ride home.
Posted by Deb at 01:39 AM
October 21, 2004
PFC Halvorson's final trip home
Pfc. Andrew Halverson, 19, of Grant, Wis. died Oct 9 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Halverson was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Bridget Warns, mother of a deployed Marine, was a passenger on the plane that carried him home from the country he served:
“Because of my job, I travel a good deal. Last Thursday night I was returning from Albuquerque via Minneapolis and was one of the last passengers to board. As I was getting on the plane, a Marine in full dress uniform was coming up the jetway stairs from the luggage storage area of the airplane. I thought that was very odd. A few minutes later, the captain came out of the cockpit to thank everyone for flying Northwest. As he was finishing, a flight attendant told him that there was a Marine on board escorting a fallen Marine home. I was stunned when I heard this and at that time didn’t realize who it was. A gentleman sitting across the aisle from me immediately offered his seat in first class to the Marine escort. I couldn’t say anything since I was crying so hard.
As soon as we were airborne, the captain got on the loud speaker and announced the situation to everyone. He had to stop several times before he could continue. He asked that we all stay seated after landing until the Marine escort had deplaned. I have never experienced anything like this in all of my years of travel. I just wanted the parents to know that their son was brought back home by a plane full of people that knew of the precious cargo they were privileged to escort…and by a Marine mom who wept openly for their terrible loss.
They have been in my thoughts and prayers constantly.”
I cannot imagine how painful it is to learn that a beloved son has died in battle and my prayer, like that of all Marine parents, is that I will never find out. But if it happened, I would hope that a Marine Mom like Bridget Warns would be on the plane for his final ride home.
Posted by Deb at 01:39 AM
Marine Corps Moms: November 07, 2004 - November 13, 2004 Archives
Marine Corps Moms: November 07, 2004 - November 13, 2004 Archives: "Semper Fi Fund
Marine wife Tonia Sargent describes her husband's severe injury and shares in a letter to the Washington Times how caring people can help:"
Open for way to contribute.
Marine wife Tonia Sargent describes her husband's severe injury and shares in a letter to the Washington Times how caring people can help:"
Open for way to contribute.
Friday, November 12, 2004
The Claremont Institute: Better Unsafe Than (Occasionally) Sorry?
The Claremont Institute: Better Unsafe Than (Occasionally) Sorry?: "he anti-profilers' campaign against law enforcement is particularly bizarre and perverse given that minorities are vastly more likely to be victims of crimes. What kind of 'civil rights campaign' prevents the police from incapacitating criminals who prey on minority groups? If police flinch from law enforcement for fear of generating bad arrest data that will label them racist, the great harm that follows will fall disproportionately on law-abiding residents of lower-income neighborhoods.
"
"
VDH's Private Papers :: A Quintessential General
VDH's Private Papers :: A Quintessential General
What are we to make of Ulysses S. Grant? At thirty-nine he was seen as a wash-out—no job, no money, forced resignation from the U.S. military after occasional drinking binges, nearly destitute with a dependent wife and four children, ex-junior officer, ex-farmer, ex-woodcutter, ex-real-estate agent, and at last, in 1860, a rumpled leather store clerk in Galena, Illinois. Historians would be hard pressed to ascertain whether Grant or Sherman was the greater prewar failure, both meeting nothing but setbacks almost in direct proportion to the degree that they continued to exhibit talent, honesty, and hard work. Yet a little less than three years later by Congressional decree Grant was appointed Lieutenant-General in command of all Union forces. A mere seven years after he left Galena, at age forty-six, Grant became the youngest elected President in the young nation’s history. and so on . . . .
What are we to make of Ulysses S. Grant? At thirty-nine he was seen as a wash-out—no job, no money, forced resignation from the U.S. military after occasional drinking binges, nearly destitute with a dependent wife and four children, ex-junior officer, ex-farmer, ex-woodcutter, ex-real-estate agent, and at last, in 1860, a rumpled leather store clerk in Galena, Illinois. Historians would be hard pressed to ascertain whether Grant or Sherman was the greater prewar failure, both meeting nothing but setbacks almost in direct proportion to the degree that they continued to exhibit talent, honesty, and hard work. Yet a little less than three years later by Congressional decree Grant was appointed Lieutenant-General in command of all Union forces. A mere seven years after he left Galena, at age forty-six, Grant became the youngest elected President in the young nation’s history. and so on . . . .
This year, the soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq are foremost in our minds.
STLtoday - News - ColumnistsThis year, the soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq are foremost in our minds.
Before him he carries noise, and behind him he leaves tears: Death, that dark spirit, in’s nervy arm doth lie.
The most memorable image of Election Day was not Tim Russert's grim recalculation of electoral votes on his little white board. Nor was it the glum silence of Harvey Weinstein's celebrity-studded party in New York. And it certainly wasn't the fist of Sen. John Edwards desperately pumping the air.
It was a handful of U.S. Marines in Iraq, calmly eating their breakfast. Fox News Channel went to a live shot of their mess hall outside Fallujah several times that night, where quiet men in camouflage watched the election returns as they ate from metal trays. Beyond the sight of the lone camera, nearly 10,000 of their military brothers and sisters were preparing for a major assault that would take them into the heart of the Iraqi insurgency. Even with the risk of death outside the door, they ate with the steely look of men accustomed to fighting for their lives - and winning.
This year, Veterans Day will not be another long look back to "The Greatest Generation." Vietnam veterans already made their mark in the run-up to the election. The Democratic candidate for president, Sen. John Kerry, made his military service the centerpiece of his campaign and the "Band of Brothers his most critical endorsement. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, however, launched a full attack on the candidate's war record, and others who served revealed how much the war protests had cost them. Early in the year, Vietnam veterans gave Kerry's candidacy its only momentum. But by summer, other Vietnam veterans stopped it cold.
Center stage this Veterans Day are the veterans now serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. The condition of their armor, the length of their tours of duty, and most importantly, the numbers of their dead, became critical issues in the presidential contest. There was little contest among those who served, and a clear majority supported their commander in chief's goal of bringing democracy to Iraq. Though the count of their absentee ballots is not yet final, a national election survey of hundreds of active military service members and their families, made before the election by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, found that 69 percent trusted President George W. Bush's leadership, compared to 24 percent for Sen. John Kerry.
Little wonder, since so many of those who serve in the armed forces hail from the reddest parts of the red states. These men and women were born and reared in an America where clarity is prized and "nuance" is a lack of conviction. In their hometowns, rooting for the United States Of America is as natural as breathing and just as necessary. A strong faith that there is a God and a purpose bigger than themselves makes self-sacrifice a necessary virtue.
Those who serve in uniform set and meet a standard higher than the rest of us. In a society with little personal discipline, they are highly disciplined. In a time of specialization, they understand computer programming, can change the oil in a Humvee and can load a machine gun while under fire. In a country that worships comfort, they train their minds and bodies to endure hardship without complaint or therapy.
Many of our troops will spend Veterans Day fighting for Fallujah, on the watch for car bombs and praying to get home to mothers, fathers, husbands, wives and children. We certainly need them, and not only because we love them. Every state - red or blue - needs their strength and their courage.
Americans know how to vote, march in protest, write letters to the editor and harangue their congressmen. Our journalists know how to ask questions, uncover corruption and pressure institutions and governments. Hollywood knows how to make movies, market celebrities and stage rock concerts. Politicians know how to earn and wield power. But very few of us know how to actually fight for our lives.
The Marines do. So do the men and women of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. They fight for us, and fight to the death.
Before him he carries noise, and behind him he leaves tears: Death, that dark spirit, in’s nervy arm doth lie.
The most memorable image of Election Day was not Tim Russert's grim recalculation of electoral votes on his little white board. Nor was it the glum silence of Harvey Weinstein's celebrity-studded party in New York. And it certainly wasn't the fist of Sen. John Edwards desperately pumping the air.
It was a handful of U.S. Marines in Iraq, calmly eating their breakfast. Fox News Channel went to a live shot of their mess hall outside Fallujah several times that night, where quiet men in camouflage watched the election returns as they ate from metal trays. Beyond the sight of the lone camera, nearly 10,000 of their military brothers and sisters were preparing for a major assault that would take them into the heart of the Iraqi insurgency. Even with the risk of death outside the door, they ate with the steely look of men accustomed to fighting for their lives - and winning.
This year, Veterans Day will not be another long look back to "The Greatest Generation." Vietnam veterans already made their mark in the run-up to the election. The Democratic candidate for president, Sen. John Kerry, made his military service the centerpiece of his campaign and the "Band of Brothers his most critical endorsement. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, however, launched a full attack on the candidate's war record, and others who served revealed how much the war protests had cost them. Early in the year, Vietnam veterans gave Kerry's candidacy its only momentum. But by summer, other Vietnam veterans stopped it cold.
Center stage this Veterans Day are the veterans now serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. The condition of their armor, the length of their tours of duty, and most importantly, the numbers of their dead, became critical issues in the presidential contest. There was little contest among those who served, and a clear majority supported their commander in chief's goal of bringing democracy to Iraq. Though the count of their absentee ballots is not yet final, a national election survey of hundreds of active military service members and their families, made before the election by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, found that 69 percent trusted President George W. Bush's leadership, compared to 24 percent for Sen. John Kerry.
Little wonder, since so many of those who serve in the armed forces hail from the reddest parts of the red states. These men and women were born and reared in an America where clarity is prized and "nuance" is a lack of conviction. In their hometowns, rooting for the United States Of America is as natural as breathing and just as necessary. A strong faith that there is a God and a purpose bigger than themselves makes self-sacrifice a necessary virtue.
Those who serve in uniform set and meet a standard higher than the rest of us. In a society with little personal discipline, they are highly disciplined. In a time of specialization, they understand computer programming, can change the oil in a Humvee and can load a machine gun while under fire. In a country that worships comfort, they train their minds and bodies to endure hardship without complaint or therapy.
Many of our troops will spend Veterans Day fighting for Fallujah, on the watch for car bombs and praying to get home to mothers, fathers, husbands, wives and children. We certainly need them, and not only because we love them. Every state - red or blue - needs their strength and their courage.
Americans know how to vote, march in protest, write letters to the editor and harangue their congressmen. Our journalists know how to ask questions, uncover corruption and pressure institutions and governments. Hollywood knows how to make movies, market celebrities and stage rock concerts. Politicians know how to earn and wield power. But very few of us know how to actually fight for our lives.
The Marines do. So do the men and women of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. They fight for us, and fight to the death.
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Saturday, November 06, 2004
Shaking Spears: Calling Bob Dole
Shaking Spears: Calling Bob Dole: "Friday, November 05, 2004
Calling Bob Dole
'Britney (Spears) got $10 million bucks for the commercial. I got a lifetime supply of Pepsi.'
Ms. Shaker and I just returned from an evening at the San Jose, CA Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner, at which Bob Dole was the featured speaker.
Working the crowd like a seasoned nightclub comic, Dole offered up quips and self-deprecation to keep the well-attended crowd in stitches, but laced his talk with serious and inspirational observations that demonstrated the caliber of this man.
He said that he keeps getting invitations to these events because the audience expects him to come with free samples of his endorsed products (think little blue pills).
As a set up to his speech, a three-minute video was played that detailed his childhood in rural Kansas. What was notable for me was the fact that the video ended just as WWII began, never mentioning his war heroism or his long career in the U.S. Senate. One wonders how much more effective John Kerry would have been had he chosen to run as a silent, and humble, war veteran.
Dole recounted his recent trip to Libya where he met with Moammar Ghadafi. Ghadafi said that in preparation for their discussion he had read Dole's condemnations in the Congressional Record, and that he wanted Dole to know that he was committed to taking his country in a new direction that wouldn't warrant such criticism. Dole's anecdote reinforced the power and example that the U.S. wields on the world stage, and that our current course in the War on Terror is indeed yielding the right dividends - the dismantling of Libya's WMDs being prima facie evidence.
He spoke sincerely about the government's need to focus on ideas and problem solving vs. partisanship and polarization, using the bipartisan effort to reform Social Security in the 80s as a model of the spirit of American resolve. Tom Daschle could have heeded Dole's words.
Dole singled out the Mainstream Media as an institution that was in dire need of self-reflection, eliciting applause from this bipartisan California audience.
And he spoke of the WWII Memorial, and how a recent immigrant who was not a WWII veteran was the largest single contributor to the effort, writing a check for $1 million dollars. This Armenian immigrant wanted to give thanks to the U.S. for freeing Europe, and fighting for liberty and democracy around the globe.
Dole is an optimistic man, imbued with those heartland values that we are now being told are odd, intolerant, and somehow regressive. Yet it was obvious to all who attended that our government could use more men like Bob Dole to help smooth the partisan divide and coalesce our political rivalries around the big issues that confront us.
Calling Bob Dole."
Calling Bob Dole
'Britney (Spears) got $10 million bucks for the commercial. I got a lifetime supply of Pepsi.'
Ms. Shaker and I just returned from an evening at the San Jose, CA Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner, at which Bob Dole was the featured speaker.
Working the crowd like a seasoned nightclub comic, Dole offered up quips and self-deprecation to keep the well-attended crowd in stitches, but laced his talk with serious and inspirational observations that demonstrated the caliber of this man.
He said that he keeps getting invitations to these events because the audience expects him to come with free samples of his endorsed products (think little blue pills).
As a set up to his speech, a three-minute video was played that detailed his childhood in rural Kansas. What was notable for me was the fact that the video ended just as WWII began, never mentioning his war heroism or his long career in the U.S. Senate. One wonders how much more effective John Kerry would have been had he chosen to run as a silent, and humble, war veteran.
Dole recounted his recent trip to Libya where he met with Moammar Ghadafi. Ghadafi said that in preparation for their discussion he had read Dole's condemnations in the Congressional Record, and that he wanted Dole to know that he was committed to taking his country in a new direction that wouldn't warrant such criticism. Dole's anecdote reinforced the power and example that the U.S. wields on the world stage, and that our current course in the War on Terror is indeed yielding the right dividends - the dismantling of Libya's WMDs being prima facie evidence.
He spoke sincerely about the government's need to focus on ideas and problem solving vs. partisanship and polarization, using the bipartisan effort to reform Social Security in the 80s as a model of the spirit of American resolve. Tom Daschle could have heeded Dole's words.
Dole singled out the Mainstream Media as an institution that was in dire need of self-reflection, eliciting applause from this bipartisan California audience.
And he spoke of the WWII Memorial, and how a recent immigrant who was not a WWII veteran was the largest single contributor to the effort, writing a check for $1 million dollars. This Armenian immigrant wanted to give thanks to the U.S. for freeing Europe, and fighting for liberty and democracy around the globe.
Dole is an optimistic man, imbued with those heartland values that we are now being told are odd, intolerant, and somehow regressive. Yet it was obvious to all who attended that our government could use more men like Bob Dole to help smooth the partisan divide and coalesce our political rivalries around the big issues that confront us.
Calling Bob Dole."
This great Isonomy of ours | Samizdata.net
This great Isonomy of ours | Samizdata.net: "I figured out as a child that the least wonderful aspect of a modern liberal democracy is that it lets the majority decide: the tyranny of the majority is to be feared. Votes are a mechanism to deal with the fact that some administrative variables affecting many people (speed limits, for instance, or surrenders) must be set at a predictable value for a recognisable group, or bad stuff happens.
I also figured out as a child that the good soul of a liberal democracy, the thing that has made us the most fortunate human beings in history, is the idea that every individual matters. None of us can be made to stop mattering because we look wrong or do wrong. That's why every individual has certain rights that cannot be..."
I also figured out as a child that the good soul of a liberal democracy, the thing that has made us the most fortunate human beings in history, is the idea that every individual matters. None of us can be made to stop mattering because we look wrong or do wrong. That's why every individual has certain rights that cannot be..."
Power Line: David Lebedoff on why Kerry lost
Power Line: David Lebedoff on why Kerry lost Read this especially the values issue.
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