Floyd Stuart

Bedeviled

2006-12-19T21:55:00.000-05:00

A nice warm sunny day and a high noon kick off for Wake and Duke. Even though Wake goes into the game with six-game winning streak over the Devils, there's always anticipation that its the one win Duke has a chance to seize. It's hard to keep count of how many times the two have broken each other's losing streaks. It's like Wake's on a 312-game losing streak and breaks against Duke who in turn goes on a 315-game snide only to snap it against Wake and set everything in motion the other way. Fortunately for Wake, the pattern hasn't yet appeared in the 21st century.

My Dad shows up with my nephew and no one has sun screen or wide-breamed hats as the sun reflected brightly off the Groves Stadium concrete. The new prescription turf looks good and the Duke players slip around on it during the warm ups. Maybe it portends something good. There's a cool flyover by the North Carolina Air National Guard and the game gets underway. Two frosh QBs make their first collegiate starts, Riley Skinner for Wake ( I think I finally have his name etched on my brain) and Thad Lewis for the Devils. In the first half one of them looks like an early candidate for rookie of the year. It's not Skinner.

The Dukies run all over the new green turf during the first half. Wake gets nothing going. Since Jim Grobe hit the sidelines, Wake running backs have plowed through the Duke D like a concert crowd storming into the arena for a rock show during the 1970s festival seating days, but not this show. The Deacs don't come close to sniffing triple digits in the ground game. The lethally-toed Sam Swank can't even drill a field goal for the black and gold. Duke goes into the lockerroom with a 10-0 lead that could easily be 28-0. Two redzone fumbles, one into the endzone, and a dropped pass two miles behind the Deacon secondary keeps the Devils from rolling up the recycled Goodyear field and taking it back to Durham because they owned it.

The second half doesn't look any better for the home team. Wake manages a TD drive, but little else. Duke leads 13-7 and its getting late. Skinner rallies the Deacs late and Micah Andrews drives into the endzone to cap a 63-yard drive. Swank's extra point gives Wake a one-point lead. Across the field from my seat a see a small but enthusiastic Duke crowd crushed. I see one guy sitting by himself putting his head into an arm vise. The Devils still have some fans holding out for a win.

The defense just has to do its job and Wake can salt away a hard-earned victory. The next thing I know, Lewis starts gunning the ball down the field. Two pass interference penalaties and long pass puts Duke in the redzone. Forget the field goal, the Devils are playing like they'll stick in the endzone and keep running back home. The Deacs make a touchdown-saving tackle inside the ten. Duke runs a play to position the ball and loses a couple of yards, but all they need is a 27-yard field goal to make Boise a fantasy trip for the Wake faithful. Kicker Joe Surgan lines up for the kick. Wake gets the rush on him and Chip Vaughn flies in and blocks the kick. No time left and the Wake players rush the field in pure joy. Several Devils slump to the turf, but hey, at least one team celebrates unrestrained after beating Duke this year.

Listening to postgame with a slightly burning face, I hear Grobe heap nothing but praise on Riley Skinner, who passed for 235 yards. Lewis threw for 315, but he didn't direct the winning drive. Skinner wins his first rookie of the week honor. Time to go on the road for two weeks.

Paved with oranges

2006-12-18T20:49:00.000-05:00

My mom and dad were kind enough to get me a season ticket for the gridiron Deacs again this season and I gladly accepted. Even though Wake was coming off three consecutive losing seasons, head coach Jim Grobe sounded opitimistic in preseason. He returns an experienced team, and these days, six wins gets you in a bowl game. Maybe the Deacs will get a chance to play on the blue turf of Boise or, if they can squeeze out seven or eight wins, a short postseason trip to Charlotte may be in the works. It didn't really matter, catching Wake football was good way to get together with the parents.

It all starts on a warm Labor Day weekend. The Syracuse Orangemen roll into to town courtesy of East Carolina. The Orange landed on Wake's schedule because ECU wanted out of its contract with WFU. To get out, Pirates AD Terry Holland worked out a deal where he convinced Syracuse to give up its game with his team and replace it with Wake. I'm not sure who ECU ended up playing. Anyway, Syracuse represents a good target to start aiming for a winning season. They finished 1-10 in '05 and had numerous offensive woes. Wake even comes into the game as something like a 102-point favorite. Actually, I think the spread was Wake -22, a rarity for sure.

Much of the Deacs' hopes rest with QB Ben Mauk, back from a season lost to injury and running back Micah Andrews, a solid back up to '05 ACC player of the year Chris Barclay. Andrews also has an impressive pedigree. He's the son of William Andrews a former RB with the Atlanta Falcons, who starred at Auburn during his college years. The defense looks sound too, anchored by ferocious-hitting middle linebacker Jon Abbate and canny fifth-year senior safeties Josh Gattis and Patrick Ghee. Backing it all up is sure-footed kicker Sam Swank who will also handle punting duties. Maybe the Deacs would send the Orange back north all whupped up.

Things start nicely enough. Wake drives 96 yards for a score on its second drive, but Syracuse matches it with a long drive of its own. The next thing you know, the game turns into a slog. With the game tied at 10 at the half, it looks like a good weekend to bet on the Orangemen to cover.

After an exchange of turnovers to start the third quarter, Mauk finally has the Deacs driving. Approaching the redzone, Mauk hands off to back up tailback D'Angelo Bryant who lays the ball on the brand new Groves Stadium prescription turf. An alert Mauk falls on the fumble, but a big pile lands on top of him. It was no surprise the hit shook up Big Ben, but it soon becomes apparent he's hurting badly. A stretecher comes onto the field and out goes Mauk. I had no idea who backed him up. Number 11 came onto the field. I thought I heard the public address announcer calls him something Skinner. For his first college play ever, he lines up in the shotgun on third down. Wide receiver Willie Idlete comes in motion from Skinner's right. The young QB calls for the snap just as Idlete approaches center Steve Justice's posterior. A fleet-footed receiver, he's not going to avoid the pigskin striking his shin. Idlete covers the fumble and gives kicker Sam Swank a chance to put the Deacs in the lead with a field goal. Swank delivers. The defense gave up nothing the rest of the way and the freshman QB, I can't say I remembered his name at the time, leads the Deacs on a touchdown drive to salt away a 20-10 win.

Riding away from the stadium with my parents during a sudden shower, we listen to the postgame show on the radio. My dad asks me if I remember the name of the freshman quarterback. I say I think it might be Ricky Skinner or is his name Riley Swanson, wait Riley Swanson is a cornerback. Anyway, Grobe had already received word that Ben Mauk had broken his upper arm. He was done for the season. Hearing the news, I almost forget a promo shown on the jumbotron during the first half. The ACC champion has a new home. The road to glory is paved in oranges, (not Orangemen). The winner of the ACC title wins an automatic bid to the Orange Bowl. Well, maybe the Deacs will stomp Duke next week.

Let's try this

2006-12-18T20:44:00.000-05:00

Around Thanksgiving, I thought I found my blogging groove again. False start. Too many other things have been going on. As I mentioned at the time, Wake Forest football snagged a great deal of my attention. I've decided to make another start. This time I'll see if Wake Forest football can work me back into the blogosphere. I went five of six of the Deacs' home games and attended the Carolina game in Chapel Hill. I watched every time they were on the tube. I'm going back and re-create the season and try to capture my impressions at the time. Let's see if this works.

In defense of coyote execution

2006-11-22T13:22:00.000-05:00

Other than Sam Hieb's reference to its state ordered execution, I'm surprised to have not read more about the demise of the Lindley Park coyote on the local blogs.

According to the News and Record article, neighborhood opinion is mixed on whether the wild beast needed removal from his urban redoubt. I'm in complete sympathy with the get 'em out camp. Like most wild animals, coyotes will do their best to keep to themselves, but if cornered they'll do whatever it takes to survive. There's hardly a dog they won't fight (and usually whip) and they will threaten humans who get too close. No cat is safe with a coyote nearby and urban chicken farmers may have to give up the fresh egg omletes.

Coyote supporters are probably right to point out that getting rid of one coyote won't solve the problem. There will likely be others to deal with, but they deserve the same fate as the pioneer. I'll rest my case on this, we dont' allow dogs to roam freely, if it happens animal control steps in. Potentially, coyotes represent even greater threats than loose hounds. As unpleasent as it is, the city may have to get into the coyote extermination business. Stay tuned.

Unintended hiatus

2006-11-22T12:50:00.000-05:00

I never intended to take a blogging hiatus, but one broke out nonethless.

I'll attribute it to football. I'm a Wake Forest fan and I suddenly found the gridiron Deacs dominating my internet time. With its historic season, a sudden bounty of cyber articles on Wake football glory were there to peruse. I think I've read most of them. I have to ride that ride as long as it lasts.

My obsession, as painful as it is, with the Carolina Panthers continues as well. For now it feels good. However, I fear if things look good for too long, the Cardiac Cats will have to go on another two-game losing streak to make things as hard as they possibly can.

Finally, I've jumped into fantasy football. My team, the Boomdogs, finally climbed into a first place tie by knocking off the season long leader last weekend. Right now I hold the tiebreaker by having the highest-scoring team overall. The Dogs are anchored by the two best players on the two best teams, LaDanian Tomlinson and Peyton Manning, but I'm grateful to have the Jacksonville defense, Javon Walker, Thomas Jones and Neil Rackers too. The roster is tooled for the playoff run with Travis Henry, Keyshawn Johnson and Anquan Boldin among others in reserve.

It's too early to declare the hiatus terminated, but there's no school today and nothing in the weather forecast even inspires me to open the front door. Let's see what happens.

World Series: Cards vs. Tigers

2006-10-21T18:49:00.000-04:00

Since I put on the line for the first two rounds of the MLB postseason, I might as well test my luck on the World Series.

Detroit and St. Louis appear in a rematch of the 1968 series, the first one I really remember. I guess '68 has nothing to do with '06, but it's a traditional match up for me.

On the surface, this one shapes up just like the last two World Series. The AL club is steamrolling and the NL representative plays the pavement. In fact, the last two ended before I had a chance to get a good look while settled into the La-Z Boy. However, you can't really predict those things and we're getting ready for Game 1 so let's pretend we have a competitive series.

The Cards looked like they ran out of gas by the end of the regular season. Not only did Houston almost catch them, but even Cincinatti had an outside shot going into the last weekend. The Cards survived and went on to handle San Diego with relative ease. They also put the Mets on the ropes. The Mets fought back hard, but couldn't overcome the loss of too much starting pitching. On the other hand, the Cards' starters pitched the club to the league title.

Detroit is playing like it intends to never lose another game. Not just this season, but from here on out. The pitching has been dominating while the bats have come through with timely big hits.

I'm holding out hope for a good series. I'll take the Tigers in seven. That'll allow Jim Leyland to join former Tigers and Red manager Sparky Anderson as the only managers to win World Series with both AL and NL clubs. If it goes the other way, Tony LaRussa will join Anderson.

BTW: I've only picked one post series season right, but I've enjoyed watching the ball.

Great catch

2006-10-20T20:13:00.000-04:00

Endy Chavez's grab has to top some sort of list of all-time great catches. Too bad the Mets fell short. Anyway, Chavez almost brought the condo down.

Crow Friday (don't watch if you have the bed spins)

2006-10-13T23:46:00.000-04:00

Stones Friday

2006-10-13T22:45:00.000-04:00

Seeking redemption

2006-10-10T18:24:00.000-04:00

Unlike teams that bomb out in the postseason, Ken Rosenthal and I get to play on. (I wish I could get paid to be wrong like Rosenthal.) Detroit and Oakland are about two hours away from first pitch and I can't help myself. I'm making more picks, hoping I don't serve up another high fat one over the heart of the plate.

Before I get to the teams still playing, I've got to mention Joe Torre's survival in the Bronx. While I didn't go on the record, I expected baseball's final four party to share the spotlight with the news of Torre's sacking this week. It didn't happen. George let Joe stay. The Yankees made the right move. If anyone goes, I'd say the entire pitching staff minus Wang, Mussina and Rivera will give up the pinstripes. Rosenthal says A-Rod is gone too.

The Yanks inability to bring it all home since 2000 can be traced to the pitching staff. Andy Petite and the Rocket are long gone. I think they's missed Jose Contreras and El Duque too. During the title runs the Yankees also got the game to Rivera with perhaps the best set up relievers ever. They've not come close to restocking here. I think the Yanks' soundest move would be to develop some young pitching and see if they can pick up a good young hurler for immediate benefit. As for A-Rod, I don't think it's a slam dunk that he'll be dealt. Someone will have to assume a lot of salary unless the Yankees want him gone badly enough to pay a chunk of his paycheck for another team. Personally, I hope they don't get it straightened out.

Now on to the teams still alive:

Detroit vs. Oakland--I love the Tigers' story. I only wish I had faith in them against New York. The pitching is rock solid and Jim Leyland has a magic touch in getting a team motivated to play a big series. Oakland boasts good pitching too. I'll roll the dice and pick Detroit to avenge its '72 LCS loss to the A's and take this one in six.

St. Louis vs. New York Mets--The Mets feature an impressive everyday lineup. I'd hate to face Delgado, Beltran, Wright and anyone else they send to the plate. The Mets starters did what they had to against the Dodgers, but two of them didn't last long enough to qualify for wins. The long relief is good and Billy Wagner looks untouchable. On the other hand, LA didn't have Albert Pujols in the lineup. Look for the Mets to avoid an outburst by the Cards' first baseman and win in six.

Please, no hate mail from Mets and Tigers fans. I have be right sometime, don't I?

BTW: Rosenthal's story on Torre has a glaring error in it. It says that the Yankees haven't reached the Series since 2000. They haven't won it since '00. They lost to Arizona in '01 and Florida in '03. No wonder the guy can't get his predicitons right. As for me, who knows what goes wrong?

Division series ofer

2006-10-08T23:28:00.000-04:00

The St. Louis Cards just made sure I got skunked. I got zero picks right in baseball's divisional series this week. In my world, the New York Yankees would be preparing to take on the Minnesota Twins in the AL while the San Diego Padres and LA Dodgers would make ready for a Southern California baseball Octoberfest in the NL.

Here are the alibis. I didn't underestimate the Mets. I overestimated the LA pitching staff. I was too conservative to buck tradition with Oakland. They've found many ways to make their fans miserable with recent division series collapses, but not this season. It's starting to look like you should never pick San Diego to beat St. Louis in the postseason. As for the Tigers thrashing of the Yankees, I'm glad I got that one wrong.

I'm going to have to consult a book of ethics to find out if I'm allowed to make league championship series predictions since I didn't pick any of the four there to make it. Tomorrow's garbage day here so I think I'll toss out the crystal ball and pick up some Tarot cards on the way home from work.

North Dakota on warpath with NCAA over nickname

2006-10-06T20:53:00.000-04:00

Backed by a fund raised by an arm of the University of North Dakota's alumni association, the state of North Dakota is suing the NCAA for breach of contract. The impetus for the unpleasantness is the controversy swirling around UND's Fighting Sioux nickname and the NCAA's decision to bar the school from using it for being offensive to Native Americans.

While the NCAA has banned nicknames for all members, it has allowed some schools such as Utah (Utes) and Illinois (Fighting Illini) to retain their nicknames following appeals. UND lost its appeal.

While I often dispair of the litigious nature of our culture, I'm glad to see the action taken. While some have misused American Indian nicknames, the vast majority of the monikers are used respectfully. To me, most of them invoke an image of a people who believed in their way of life and defended it bravely even though they played against a stacked deck. It's an image worth emulating.

Go Fighting Sioux.

One of the best

2006-10-05T02:43:00.001-04:00

Jerry Reed knows what to do with a guitar and Sousa.

Does a southern man need him around anyhow? Sure

2006-10-05T02:43:00.000-04:00

I think Live Rust Neil Young was what grunge always hoped to be. I don't think they quite made it. Don't get blown away.

The call of the wild turkey, I guess

2006-10-04T22:42:00.000-04:00

The feathers flew on my drive home from Madison today. As I began picking up speed after stopping at the 220/68 interchange, I suddenly got a glimpse of a wild turkey. Too bad for the bird. I caught the glimpse as he ran into my path. Almost as soon as I see him, I hear a loud thud and watch feathers float in the air. I t-boned him with my pick up. The next thing I see is a Chevy Blazer slow down just in time to avoid having the big bird plop on its hood. (If it had been a cartoon, the main course for Thanksgiving dinner would have hit the northbound lane, followed by cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes.)

The traffic was too heavy to stop, but I slowed down enough to see that the drama ended rather quickly, and for the most part harmlessy, except for the poor turkey. I drove on home. When I get out to check for damage, I find a few feathers stuck in the crushed driver's side headlight of my '03 Ranger. Not only did the the bird crush the headlight, it broke another piece that encased the headlights and grill. Everything broken was plastic. A coat of dust also covered the corner of the hood where the bird made impact. I didn't check my speedometer, but I guess I had gotten up to 50 by the time truck met gobbler. The bird had to be moving at a decent clip too. You usually don't see turkeys killed on the road. However, this one had his mind made up. Even if he had cleared me, I don't see how he could have beat the traffic traveling north.

On to the body shop. By the way, a Land's End winter catalogue awaited me in the mailbox. Nice parkas and squall jackets. Oh well, they'll have to look good on someone else. I bought a big bird instead.

Fall ball is here

2006-10-02T22:44:00.000-04:00

I'll admit to getting fair-weathered about baseball as the season wound down. After 14 years of getting up for Atlanta Braves postseason disappointment, I let the arrival of football season absorb all my passion for sports. Now the playoffs are here and I'm paying attention again.

It's hard to predict most first round match ups. Being best of 5 series, sometimes a team buries its opponents before you even have a chance to sit down and watch a game. Other times, teams will storm from behind and win a series that looks lost. With little insight here goes.

National League

St. Louis vs San Diego. The Cards played themselves right out of first round home field advantage with a September swoon. Tony LaRussa's teams have been known to lay playoff eggs. The Padres can't hit, but they have arguably the game's best closer in Trevor Hoffman. I'll take San Diego in five.

Los Angeles vs. New York. The Mets are the best team in the National League, but they're missing Pedro Martinez. Will the everyday talent which includes David Wright, Carlos Delgado and Carlos Betran fill the void? Also, the Mets have arguably the second best closer in baseball, Billy Wagner. The Dodgers appeared dead around the All-Star break, but the aquistion of Greg Maddux breathed new life into the team. They also have an impressive everyday line up and a rebuilt bullpen. With apologies to Joe Guarino, I'm going with the former Brooklyn Dodgers in five.

American League
Oakland vs. Minnesota. The A's made another strong run after a slow start. They have rock-solid pitching and the Big Hurt manning the DH hole. The Twins also overcame a slow start and boast a strong line up. Oakland has to prove it can win a first round series. I don't think it happens this year. Take Minnesota in five.

Detroit vs. New York. I love seeing the Tigers back in the post season. One of my first baseball memories is their '68 Series title over the Cards. They looked like the best team in baseball early, but they've sputtered down the stretch falling to the wild card and a first round match up with the Yanks, who look very good this year. It pains me to say it, but I'm afraid NYY will win in three. I hope I'm wrong on this one.

Play ball.

Cool stamps

2006-09-30T11:42:00.000-04:00

I don't usually get to worked up about postage stamps, but I stumbled upon a cool sheet yesterday. I walked into the PO just needing stamps, but the nice lady at the counter decided to give me some options. They had some motorcycle stamps and another book of impressionistic art. Finally, she pulls out the baseball sluggers edition. With postseason upon us, it was no contest.

Roy Campanella, Hank Greenburg, Mickey Mantle and Mel Ott grace the stamps. I could feel the crisp autumn air and remembered day time World Series games. Unfortunately, I had to use half the book to get the bills mailed. Maybe some clerk out there in the vast US will appreciate it. However, I did send one letter where the Campy stamp should be well received.

Finally, a meaningful test

2006-09-26T21:36:00.000-04:00

I've always liked Tammy Bruce, especially when she passes along items like this.

I'm a southerner.

Football, football, football

2006-09-24T20:52:00.000-04:00

Considering the outcome of the Carolina Panthers' game this afternoon, it's been a great football weekend.

On the collegiate front, Wake Forest made sure Saturday ended on a good note. The Deacs didn't find the land of Faulkner too ponderous to understand and swept aside Ole Miss 27-3. Nothing impatient about the Demon Deacons as on offense they only threw five passes and on D held the Rebs to 34 yards rushing. No illusions here though. The first five opponents occupying Wake's schedule represent the weakest run of the season. But hey, they've been wins. A game next week against I-AA Liberty and then the Tigers come to town.

Speaking of the Tigers, I watched a good chunk of the Clemson/UN Carolina game and I have to say, the final score, 52-7 orange team, is every bit indicative of how the game went. (More thoughts on this one at Ed Cone's blog.) State got a great last-second win over BC and Chuck Amato got emotional post-game. Good for the Pack. I like Amato, but I don't know what to make of him.

On the national scene, Michigan may well represent the biggest challenger to Ohio State in the BCS race. If it comes to that, things will get settled on the field around Thanksgiving. As overrated at Notre Dame was preseason, you can't count on them getting whipped around the field two weeks in a row by teams from Michigan. Good win for the Irish over Michigan State.

I finally feel like writing about the NFL. The Panthers got a good win today over Tampa Bay. Thank goodness for the left leg of John Kasey and the guile of Jake Delhomme. So far, Kasey has been Carolina's most lethal weapon. He kicked four field goals today, including a game winner with only a few seconds left. The game winner would never have come if not for Jake. While he didn't play his best game, Delhomme maybe made one of his best all-time moves . On fourth and long at about the T BAy 40, after dropping back a few steps, he hit the alley and ran down into comfortable Kasey range. Good to see Steve Smith back. He makes a difference all the way around even when he's not in top form. With nothing easy left on the schedule, the Panthers better come to play every week.

While I was tracking down the links, I found this one on the hosptialization of Bucs QB Chris Sims after the game. Some sources say he is in critical condition. Tampa Bay officials refute it. After a horrible start, Sims played solidly. He wasn't in good shape late, but continued to play except for part of one drive. I hope he keeps fighting hard. It puts all that written above into perspective

Before the Berlin Wall fell, there was this one

2006-09-24T20:45:00.000-04:00

In honor of the last week of September

2006-09-24T12:47:00.000-04:00

Some friends invited me to a party last night. Great time. They had a '70s mix CD playing and EWF was on the list. It fit appropriately with the cool breeze blowing across the porch. I thought it was a good way to figure out how to use You Tube on the blog.

The Sunday morning Clinton hissy fit

2006-09-24T12:25:00.000-04:00

2006-09-24T11:46:00.000-04:00

I watched the full-length eruption of Mt. W. Jefferson Clinton on Fox News Sunday this morning. Maybe Clinton had a point or two to make, but for my taste, he needed to do it with a less emotion and more reason. He spent most of the rant sitting on the edge of the chair and sticking his finger in the face of Chris Wallace. He constantly accussed Wallace and Fox of setting him up for a gotcha interview, claiming he agreed to appear because Wallace would interview him about some type of environmental think tank he's started.

First, Wallace played anything but gotcha with Clinton. If you watch Fox News Sunday regularly, you'll find that Wallace will ask the tough questions of any guest. If you have something controversial swirling around you, it doesn't matter if you're Richard Perle, Condi Rice, Ned Lamont or Howard Dean, Wallace will bring it up. Clinton knew that Wallace would bring up the Clinton administration's handling of the al Qaeda threat. Who brought it to the public's attention a couple of weeks ago anyway?

Next, it's hard to tell how effective or ineffective the loss of temper will be. If it was genuine emotion, a man of Clinton's stature needs to keep a check on his emotions. He spent the interview on the edge of his seat appearing ready to jump on top of the much smaller Wallace. More than once, he claimed Wallace had a smirk on his face. To Wallace's credit, he sat on the edge of his chair too, refusing to back down to Clinton's intimidating pose. If the outburst was more calculated, I guess time will tell if Clinton rallied any new support to this particular cause.

I think Brit Hume offered a good theory on Clinton's reaction in the panel disucssion following the interview. He said it was about Clinton and his legacy. Let's face it, we partied like it was 1999 throughout the '90s. If there was no 9/11, we might be riding a wave of Clinton nostalgia at high tide by now. None of us were too concerned with Osama bin Laden then. Could the Clinton administration done more? Sure. Was there a groundswell among the masses that he make the fight against terrorism a top priority? Nowhere close. While Clinton doesn't deserve high marks for his handling of terrorism, he doesn't deserve to have the majority of blame dumped in his lap either.

In the fall of '97, I remember running into a friend I hadn't seen for a couple of years. I asked him what he thought of Clinton. He said, "he makes a good Coolidge." That may be right. The roaring '20s roared during the Coolidge administration, but underlying economic problems were not addressed. Less than a year after Silent Cal left office, the bottom dropped out. (I doubt WJC will find the comparison flattering.)

Putting the legacy thing aside, let's face it, we're all in this thing together. It doesn't matter how we got here. Now that we're here, let's win.

The Democrats grand '06 election strategy

2006-09-19T21:52:00.000-04:00

John Hinderaker at Powerline takes a look at some of the latest polls and how they relate to this November's election. If the polls prove accurate, he concludes the Democrats plugged their crystal ball into the wrong frequency this summer:

The Gallup poll also finds the generic Congressional preference ballot even between the parties, among likely voters. Frankly, I think that's too good to be true. But it does illustrate a basic problem faced by the Democrats. Having chosen not to run on any positive program, they are at the mercy of events. If oil prices fall, voters are reminded of the Democrats' record on national security, etc., their superficially strong position could erode quickly.

The poll, if believed, has another piece of bad news for Democrats: among likely voters, Republicans are slightly more likely than Democrats to say that they are "extremely motivated" or "very motivated" to vote in November.

I like Hinderaker's story line. It may well prove true that the Democrats entered the '06 campaign season banking on driving to the checkered flag in a '74 Torino. A great car for its time and a great car to have today, but it's not crossing the finish line at Daytona anymore.

The Dems had their scandal and unpopular war lined up. Disgust over gas prices started rattling the lid on the boiling pot. You even had, and still do have, conservative talking heads mulling over the merits sitting out the race this go round to give the GOP a disciplinary fall from power. The scandal was sans scandal. The war is still unpopular, but unlike '74, we're still over there. There's no defining consensus to close shop and send the scraps to the sanitary landfill to fade away over time. As for the gas prices, more quick side trips to Hanging Rock appear eminent. We'll see the implications of the fourth scenario around November 7.

Who knows? America's oldest political party may turn out to be right, but there are indications that they may have taken a two-tire pit stop when a full change was the savier move.
They're taking a non-strategy strategy into battle for the third straight election. In any long race on the track, many different drivers may lead early. However, as the final laps wind down, you can tell who has the stronger car. In this election, the issue of national security is driving hard to the finish, neither too tight nor too loose.

For the third straight election, the Democrat Party had the opportunity to develop and offer an alternative view of national security and for the third straight time chose not to get behind the wheel of that machine. You avoid election trends at your own peril. We'll know more soon.

Budapest: See what happens when politicians admit they lied

2006-09-18T23:05:00.000-04:00

An interesting story is developing in the land formerly behind the Iron Curtain. Determined protesters in Budapest attempted to storm the studios of Hungary's state television station to broadcast their disapproval of the country's current government:

Protesters clashed with police and stormed the headquarters of state television early Tuesday, responding with violence to a leaked recording that caught Hungary's prime minister admitting the government "lied morning, evening and night" about the economy.

Rescue services said at least 50 people were injured as police fired tear gas and water cannon at rock-throwing protesters, who have been demanding the government resign.

The violence followed a mainly peaceful demonstration that began a day earlier outside parliament, after a recording made in May was leaked to local media. On it, Socialist Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany admitted officials lied about government finances to win April's elections.

Despite the surge in violence involving dozens of the protesters, Gyurcsany said that he had no plans to resign.

It's too early to get a handle on this story. The AP article gives no details on who the protesters were. The cutline on the accompanying photo calls them "right-wing." Gyurcsany says he will not give in to a mob. Maybe we'll learn more later.

Update: Reuters has better coverage on the demonstrators. They are identified as rightists. The crowd also managed to damage a memorial to Russian soldiers too.

Football fix

2006-09-17T22:14:00.000-04:00

I'll admit to being a football geek this weekend. College ball inspired me to the point that when I went to Harris-Teeter and saw a guy run by me on the sidewalk as I walked out of the store, I felt the temptation to drop the groceries and tackle him. Restraint prevailed though.

I had a lot of chores to do around the house, but I tuned in the Wake/UConn game on the radio. Until the fourth quarter, I was expecting the Huskies to explode and surge past the Deacs, but it never happened. Wake's defense took control and the team headed back south with a 24-13 win and a 3-0 record. WFU has won with defense, a good kicker and kicking mistakes by two of three opponents. It doesn't make for the prettiest football. The competition hasn't been overwhelming either, but a 3-0 start is something most of us Wake fans will take with few quesitons asked. The run would be most impressive if it came on the hoops court. Along with UConn, Wake has taken out Syracuse and Duke on the gridiron.

There was good selection of games on the tube. Michigan drove a spear into Notre Dame and kept twisting it all game long. It's good for football when the Irish are good, but I don't think they're as good as the talking heads want them to be. While I never feel sorry for Oklahoma, they got a bad call on the field and in the review box on an onside kick against Oregon. Following the gift, the Ducks scored a quick touchdown and then blocked a last-second Sooners field goal attempt. Auburn/LSU wasn't pretty, but if you love hard-hitting football, it was entertaining.

It doesn't look like the ACC will put a team in BCS title contention, but the league is competitive which should make for some exciting games. Clemson's last-second win over Florida State was fun to watch, as was the Tigers' heart-breaking OT loss to Boston College last week. It looks like it might be a season where some teams have a chance to deliver some payback to Florida State and Miami.

We had a good NFL Sunday today, but I can't bring myself to say much more. I'm having a hard time getting over the Panthers making one of the most bone-headed plays I've seen in a pro football game. It's even harder to conceive that a coach as conservative as John Fox with his defense in control of a game would call a trick play on a punt return. It's the dominating theme on Scott Fowler's Q and A at the Charlotte Observer.

Let's keep the helmets strapped on and no tackling on the pavement.

Mark the return of the Hidden Imam on one of their calendars

2006-09-13T21:15:00.000-04:00

Via Sweetness and Light, it looks like Hezbollah may be planning for their version of a "Thousand Year Reich." A look at the Imam al Mahdi Scouts might take you back to the Germany of the late 1930s.

A lot of people don't like the term Islamofascist. Maybe it's not accurate. Maybe we're wrong to say the Nazis were fascists. What makes a fascist a fascist anyway?

BTW: I also learned some about Ayatollah Khameini, who served as Ayatollah Khomeini's security chief as the latter ascended to leadership of Iran. He seems an ambitious sort of humble imam.

Reading about reading "Fiasco"

2006-09-12T21:24:00.000-04:00

I haven't read "Fiasco," Thomas Ricks's account of the Iraq war, but I enjoyed reading Jack Kelly's review of it today. Kelly wrote that as a supporter of the war, he felt put off by the title. However, he found much of what Ricks wrote convincing. I found the concentration on the first Battle of Fallujah the most intriguing in Kelly's synopsis of the book:

After the CPA and the Army made most of Iraq's Sunnis mad at us, our "leadership," by wimping out in the first battle of Fallujah, gave the insurgents reason to think they could win.

The Marines were ordered to take Fallujah after the grisly murders of defense contractors there in March, 2004. But as they were on the verge of taking the city, political pressures forced the Marines to halt their assault. The insurgents were handed a victory. Their prestige and their morale soared. Thirty nine Marines and soldiers died for nothing.

Kelly finds more with which to agree and also points out two weaknesses he finds in the work.

The first Battle of Fallujah has long stood out with me. At the time of the battle, Bush enjoyed solid public approval of the Iraq war and he appeared in good shape as the November election loomed. The first Fallujah occurred concurrent with the 9/11 Commission hearings, which did not help Bush. As the battle in Iraq unfolded, through al Jazeera, insurgents unleashed a propaganda campaign focusing on suppossed American military atrocities in Fallujah. (Sounds a little like this past summer on the eastern Mediterranean coast.) The Bush administration flinched and halted the assault. GW Bush became much more vulnerable strategically and politically. He's not recovered yet, but already may have started walking out of the valley. The November elections may prove a good indication of that.

Deacs get double rabbit's feet win on gridiron

2006-09-09T18:05:00.000-04:00

Wake Forest needed both of Bodmin Bunny's hind paws (sorry animal lovers I needed a metaphor with a link) plus a black cat sneaking around on Duke's sideline this afternoon. As the final seconds ticked away, the Deac's Chip Vaughn blocked a last-second Blue Devils' 27-yard field goal attempt, preserving a 14-13 WFU victory. In a post game radio interview, Vaughn said that earlier in the game he picked up on the way Duke lined up to protect kicker Joe Surgan. He said he thought that if he took a certain angle he could beat his blocker and get in the way of the pigskin. It worked as Vaughn said he ended the game with a big red mark on one of his forearms. Can't remember if he specified left or right.

Wake may have used up all the good luck available this weekend in Forsyth County, getting outplayed by Duke in most aspects of the game. The Devils deserved a better fate. Their QB, Thaddeus Lewis, played a strong game (over 300 yards passing). The most telling tale of the tape was five DBD drives into the red zone with only one field goal to show for it. The Deacs shouldn't have much trouble living with the Devils' moral victory, Wake's seventh straight over Duke.

BTW: A nice Apache flyover by the NC Air National Guard just before kick off. Good afternoon to be outside.

Do we really need the US Senate anymore?

2006-09-07T19:15:00.000-04:00

Well, maybe I won't go there yet, but the current GOP Senate Campain Committe, headed by NC's Liddy Dole, raises more serious questions with me.

Let's look at its recent track record:

It's lending de facto support to a Democrat over the GOP nominee in Connecticut.

It did a swell job toppling Katherine Harris earlier this week in Florida.

Today we have this. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee postponed its confirmation vote on John Bolton because Rhode Island Republican Lincoln Chafee is not prepared to vote yes.
Guess who Liddy's committee supports in next week's Rhode Island GOP primary?

I understand that in the cloistered world of Washington politics it's hard for a party to turn on one of its incumbents, especially during a crucial election where control of the Senate is at stake. Since I don't have to worry about that stuff, I refuse to donate any money to a Republican Senate campaign committee that's spending a good portion of its resources to save Lincoln Chafee's tail. Don't get me wrong. The extent of my political spending is a $40 donation to the Bush campaign in '04. I gave once and almost bi-weekly the GOP empty hand is stuck through my doorway via the US Mail. Though the '07 Reagan calender is cool, but that didn't come from the party.

Before asking for our hard-earned money, my US senator needs to talk to her voters. I know Chafee's opponent Steve Laffey stands no chance to win RI, but if you're making security the top issue, it looks like the confirmation of Bolton should be a top priority. You've already given up one state in New England, might as well let another one go. If you cut Chafee loose, you would be standing on the same principles that have led you to support Joe Lieberman in Connecticut. I'm starting to feel more prepared to answer my misleading headline.

BTW: Chafee went under the Coulter knife last week.

Romney makes strong gesture

2006-09-05T22:02:00.000-04:00

Via Instapundit, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney announced today that his state will not provide any security for the visit of former Iranian PM Mahmoud Khatami when he visits Harvard. He made a strong unequivocal statement in support of his decision which reads in part:

In his own country, Khatami oversaw the torture and murder of Iranian students, journalists, and others who spoke out for freedom and democracy. Khatami relaxed freedom of speech laws giving democracy reformers a false sense of security only to engage in one of the largest crackdowns in the country’s history.

In Khatami’s Iran, there was no religious tolerance. According to the U.S. Office of International Religious Freedom, Iran was one of the worst offenders of religious persecutions. Minorities, such as Evangelicals, Jews, Catholics and others, have suffered.“

Khatami pretends to be a moderate, but he is not. My hope is that the United States will find and work with real voices of moderation inside Iran. But we will never make progress in the region if we deal with wolves in sheep’s clothing,” said Romney.

Romney looks more and more like a formidible challenger for the GOP's '08 nomination.

Those darling Panthers

2006-09-05T21:30:00.000-04:00

Adam Schein penned the first NFL preseason forecast I've read on the web. I don't know that I've ever read anything he's written before, but it seemed as good as any prognostication on which to post.

Here's a few highlights:

He likes Carolina. He loves the D and gives the O more love than I'm willing to let loose at the moment, but I hope he's right:

The Panthers' offensive line is very good, and if possible, underrated. Travelle Wharton has turned into a stout left tackle that is only getting better. Left guard Mike Wahle is the leader of this group and one of the best interior linemen in the NFL. Jordan Gross is sturdy at left tackle. And this will give Jake Delhomme time to use his weapons, highlighted by one of the best receivers in the NFL in Steve Smith.

But this year, the passing attack won't just be about one player. Keyshawn Johnson still has great hands and is fearless. He is the perfect compliment to Smith over the middle. And he effectively lets Drew Carter and Keary Colbert shine as the 3rd and 4th receivers, respectively.

DeShaun Foster will start at running back, but nobody will be surprised if rookie DeAngelo Williams takes over at some point. It's just another example of the incredible depth. And I love the moxie and attitude this team plays with every time out. It can be a special season in Carolina.

He also expects a strong season in the AFC East from both the Pats and Dolphins, calls for a big drop off for the defending world champs, foresees a top-5 D in Jacksonville ( my fantasy defense), calls the NFC East football's strongest division complete with a worst to first finish for Philly and doesn't give the AFC West a whole lot of respect.

I won't give away Schein's Super Bowl pick completely, but he expects to see a bunch of big mean cats prowling around Miami in early February.

Labor Day weekend: football, fantasy and real, darts etc.

2006-09-04T11:04:00.000-04:00

It's been a fairly low-key Labor Day weekend, but looking back I got a lot packed in.

I contemplated going to the Grimsley-Dudley game, but I had a fantasy football draft scheduled for Friday night. As it turns out we hit a snag and had to postpone the draft a day. I had to settle for getting bits and pieces of the real game by listening to the PA, which I hear loud and clear. I heard the Whirlies go-ahead touchdown. Sounds like it was a great game.

Saturday night I met the folks in Winston and we headed to the Wake-Syracuse game. Wake dominated the game, especially defensively, but couldn't get the offense clicking enough to acheive a blowout, winning 20-10. Even though the score remained close throughout, Wake never appeared in trouble. The Deacs did lose QB Benjamin Mauk for the season when he broke his upper right arm diving on a fumble. Redshirt freshman Riley Skinner took over and the offense didn't drop off any. We'll see if that's the case as the season stretches on. Duke is next up for Wake.

Friday night's snag meant I had to give up the fantasy draft and leave my picks at the mercy of the computer. I left a good draft list, but I didn't get anywhere close to the team I would have put together. I won't complain too much. I did land Ladainian Tomlinson, Anquan Boldin and Peyton Manning, but I only ended up with two running backs. The RB is the highest scoring position in fantasy ball. You need plenty in reserve, especially if a star like Tomlinson goes down to an injury. I've been working with the roster. I've already made a big trade and claimed two players from waivers. This is my first go at fantasy football. It's amazing how alluring it can be once you get into it.

A buddy of mine was kind enough to throw some steaks on the grill last night. After good eats, we threw some darts and watched the Louisville-Kentucky game. It was a thriller, featuring a load of scoring and drama. It also included a devastating injury to Cards' RB Michael Bush, being touted as a Heisman candidate, who broke his leg in the second half. He's done for the season. Louisville won 59-28.

Love that three-day weekend, especially when there's still some of it left.

Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, RIP

2006-09-04T10:47:00.000-04:00

Sorry to wake up Labor Day morning to the news that Steve Irwin died from a stringray sting to the heart. We cover Australia in seventh grade social studies and I usually show my classes a video that tells the story of how Irwin became the Crocodile Hunter. His family ran a crocodile zoo in Australia. Irwin took up the family business and took it to unbelievable heights. The kids ususally love the story. I think they get their biggest kick when they hear Irwin talk. I never watched a lot of his shows, but I've always liked Irwin. He had a go for it, enjoy the hell out of it approach to his work as dangerous as it was. I've never been to Australia, but if a good chunk of Aussies share Irwin's spirit, it's got to be a great place. Irwin's run was too brief. He died at 44.

Here's more details on stringrays.

South Brooklyn state assembly race

2006-08-31T20:32:00.000-04:00

It looks like a historic and entertaineing (depending on what you consider entertaining)Democratic primary race for the 46th district of the New York State Assembly has been taking place in Brooklyn this summer:

Brooklyn’s 46th Assembly District appears set to make history. Both candidates vying for the Democratic nomination are Russian-Jewish activists. The district is so heavily Democratic that whoever wins the September 12 party primary is expected to go on to victory in the general election in November. The race pits Alec Brook-Krasny, on leave from his position as founding executive director of the UJA-Federation of New York-funded Council of Jewish Émigré Community Organizations, against Ari Kagan, a longtime journalist for local Russian-language media outlets and community volunteer. This race may be, according to some observers, the first time that a representative of the recent waves of immigrants from the former Soviet Union is elected to a state legislature anywhere in the country.

It looks as though Mother Russia has provided plenty of campaign fodder in the race:

Brook-Krasny and Kagan fall on the same side of the partisan divide, the race has featured plenty of rancor. Brook-Krasny, noting Kagan’s past enrollment in a Soviet military school, said that being a former communist should disqualify Kagan from representing the Russian-Jewish community.

Asked to respond, Kagan lifted this reporter’s tape recorder to his mouth and shouted, “Alec, shame on you!”

Kagan said he graduated from the journalism department of a Soviet military school in 1988. He said he had been a Communist Party member for “a very short period of time during the Gorbachev era.” He explained that one needed to join the party to be a military journalist. Kagan also said that he resigned from the party in 1991 in disgust and was admitted to America as a refugee. “I am proud of my biography,” he said.

For his part, Brook-Krasny has been attacked on the Internet and on fliers posted in Brighton Beach as pro-Putin — and even pro-Hamas — following televised remarks he made about the Russian president’s controversial decision this winter to invite Hamas leaders to Moscow for talks. Brook-Krasny said that, at the time, he felt that the Russian government could help sound out “how far Hamas would go regarding talking with the Israeli government.”

That's one thing those of us who've always lived down south have missed. We've never seen a campaign waged between recently arrived immigrants. I find it fascinating that the old country can play a big role in such a race. It affirms what a diverse nation we have. I'd love to hear more about this race.

Glenn Ford RIP

2006-08-31T20:17:00.000-04:00

While visiting with a buddy at his house yesterday evening, I saw a tape of a Glenn Ford movie sitting on top of his microwave. I pointed it out and mentioned that Ford was still alive. Little did I know. I heard Ford mentioned on the radio about a week ago and it surprised me that he was still alive. It's not like I didn't remember him though. My dad liked Ford's TV series "Cade County." It came on late Sunday night, so I couldn't stay up to watch. I remember Glenn Ford though. Maybe it's the name. Over the years I enjoyed his characters. A great actor who stuck around for a 90-year ride. I like this quote from a website dedicated to his career:

Never give up. Take what life throws at you and throw it right back. If life keeps throwing then you have a tennis match going. Learn to like tennis.

Angry crowd jeers Anan in south Beirut

2006-08-28T20:55:00.000-04:00

UN chief Kofi Annan only got 50 yards into his walk through a Hezbollah-friendly neighborhood in south Beirut before he got back into his car. There's a good chance that he got a view of Islamofascist propaganda in the Dahiya neighborhood too:

Annan was booed by residents as he toured the devastated Dahiyeh neighborhood in the Hezbollah stronghold of south Beirut. He was greeted by giant posters with photographs of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and one that had a caricature of Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice with vampire's teeth and blood dripping from the mouth.

The U.N. chief, accompanied by Saniora and a Hezbollah legislator, walked for about 50 yards before the protest became noisy and unfriendly. Annan got back into a car, which drove slowly through the assembled residents with security men running alongside.

Geir Pedersen, Annan's personal representative, was pushed into another car in the motorcade by a bodyguard after some in the crowd mistook him for Jeffrey Feltman, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon.

If you give the article only a quick skim you might miss this bit of information because it doesn't appear until the AP article's eighth paragraph. The lead information is newsworthy, but I don't think it's nearly significant as the chief of the UN having to retreat to his vehicle as he tours a side of town in Beirut that certainly doesn't appreciate his efforts at achieving long-lasting Middle East peace.

Another interesting item buried near the end of the story concerns a glitch in Turkey's participation in the UN's Lebanon force. Turkey is ready to go. Earlier, Israel indicated it would not accept a predominantly Muslim country in the force if it did not recognize the Jewish state's right to exist. Turkey is an exception in that it recognizes Israel and both countries have had historically friendly realtions with each other. The objections to the Turks comes from Lebanon's Armenian minority, which wants Turkey to admit to committing genocide against its ancestors in the early 20th century.

BTW: I'm not totally sold on the term Islamofascist, but anybody who displays a poster of arguably the world's most powerful black woman portraying her as a vampire is carrying the tradition of Nazi/Fascist propaganda to a new level. Just look at some these from the Nazi-era German publication Die Brennessel. Especially this and this.

Colorado school furls its flags

2006-08-27T19:48:00.000-04:00

Amy Oaks, princiapl of Goddard Middle School in Littleton CO, decided to remove thirty foreign flags flying in her school's gym. Her action, or overreaction, came in the wake of the suspension of geography teacher in another school whose principal suspended him after he refused to remove foreign flags on display in his seventh-grade geography classroom.

Oaks seemed uneasy that the Goddard display falls under an exemption allowing the educational flying of foreign flags:

"Perhaps I have a much more cautious interpretation of the law than other people," Oaks said. "I have no idea. I just know that we certainly wouldn't want to be in violation of the state law.
"We don't want it to be anything that anybody would say, 'Do you realize you're violating the law on the wall of your gym?' We don't want that," Oaks said.

Colorado law allows foreign flags in state buildings as part of a temporary display for educational purposes, provided they are not permanently affixed to the building.

The Goddard flags have been up since the 2003-04 school year.

"It kind of feels permanent to me," Oaks said.

Meanwhile, Eric Hamlin, the teacher suspended earlier for his flag display, says he does not want to return to his school even though his school district ruled his display fell under the exemption.

Who knows what happened here? First, it sounds like an unnecessary law. As the Hamlin incident indicates, its enforcement makes the law not worth the trouble. Second, I would question whether there's more at the heart of the dispute between Hamlin and his principal. It seems a rather drastic action for a school to suspend a geography teacher over a flag display. I would think the leader of a school would find a better way to resolve this dispute. Finally, Oaks needs to loosen up and let the flags continue to fly. After all, they are there for the kids not the politicians or media. At least that's the way it should be.

Wondering about that Panther's O

2006-08-24T23:04:00.000-04:00

I've been watching the Carolina/Miami game. I don't want my first Panthers post to solely start on a note of concern so I'll start with the positives. The defense looks even better this year. Kris Jenkins makes a big difference in the middle and the Panthers added some bulk to go along with him. The D has shown big play ability this preseason, scoring two touchdowns. The special teams looked very good tonight, forcing a fumbled punt that led to a field goal and D'Angelo Williams returned a kickoff 98-yards for a TD. As usual, John Kasey looks like Mr. Reliable.

Now for the offense. The D and special teams have combined for more TDs than the O. Granted, the Panthers haven't had Steve Smith all preseason. He'll make a difference when he steps on the field. That's what worries me though. Without Smith, the Panthers had a chance to develop more offensive options. While the receiving corps looks stronger, the running game still looks stilted. Is it the backs or is it the line? It's probably a little of both. The first team offense has only scored two TDs this preseason and the back ups have generated zero points. I'll give Miami some credit too. If they're not in the playoff hunt, it'll be disappointing.

Fortunately the season is long and the defense is rock solid, giving the offense some time to refine its game. Still can't wait for the season to begin. Go Panthers.

Cary water cutoff hurts the cash register

2006-08-22T22:07:00.000-04:00

The tap water is flowing in Cary again, but it kept the cash drawers empty at the city's resturants. Cary ordered all resturants closed Friday night due to the detection of bacteria in its water supply. Eateries remained closed through the weekend, getting the ok to reopen late Sunday. A Wake County revenue official estimated Cary's food service industry lost $5 to $6 million in business, which means a loss of just under a half-million dollars in county and state tax coffers.

Call it a result of growth. Hope some lessons were learned.

That other guy in the Connecticut senate race

2006-08-22T19:12:00.000-04:00

I just caught a Chris Matthew's Harball interview with Connectitcut GOP US Senate nominee Alan Schlesinger. Matthews kept goading him to chunk a barb at the Repub establishment for its backing of Joe Lieberman against Ned Lamont. Schlesinger actually offered up a solid argument on the thinking of the mainstream of his party. While claiming he's a sacrifical lamb, Schlesinger said he doesn't take the snubbing personally. He believes that Republican hopes lie in a Lieberman victory as a sign that the "looney liberal" Democrats will not play well at all with the general population. He says the rub is that they want to do the job with a candidate who is only "half a step away" from Ned Lamont politically.

That's the second Matthews/Schlesinger interview I've heard. During the first one, Matthews continued needling the candidate about his gambling habit. Schlesinger handled it good naturedly. I guess that's a gambler's trait.

Burke Davis RIP

2006-08-20T21:31:00.000-04:00

Greensboro writer and historian Burke Davis died this weekend. He wrote numerous histories and biographies of the American Civil War and many other topics of American history. A journalist, he wrote in an authoritive, but entertaining style. Writing like his stirs more interest in history than scholarly tomes, if you ask me.

I left the Greensboro Public Library yesterday with five copies of biographies and histories of the Civil War Davis had written. I have no way of knowing how to pick out a classic Davis paragraph so I'll just quote one that stood out as I skimmed "JEB Stuart: The Last Cavalier." Davis is describing the arrival of Colonel Robert E. Lee and his aide Lt. JEB Stuart as they disembark from the train at Harper's Ferry to end John Brown's raid:

Lieutenant (Israel) Green met Lee and Stuart as they dismounted from the engine. He remembered few details of their appearance. Of Lee: "He was in civilian dress...He wore no beard, except a dark mustache and his hair was slightly gray.

Of Stuart he noticed only the rakish rolled brim of a big brown hat. The young cavalryman was broad in the shoulders, standing about five feet ten inches. The two might have been a pair of merchants on a holiday, for all the concern Lieutenant Green could read in their manner.

That whole chapter is fascinating. It's non-judgmental and gives a great deal of dignity to Brown. That's the kind of writing that got me interested in history.

Don't be ashamed to show off your muscles

2006-08-20T17:39:00.000-04:00

Mark Steyn delivers his usual dose of Sunday clarity, encouraging the US to not be afraid to throw its weight around. He points out that in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 GW Bush didn't mind letting countries such as Pakistan and Russia know what needed to be done and that this country expected them to do their part:

What's the difference between September 2001 and now? It's not that anyone "liked" America or that, as the Democrats like to suggest, the country had the world's "sympathy.'' Pakistani generals and the Kremlin don't cave to your demands because they "sympathize.'' They go along because you've succeeded in impressing upon them that they've no choice. Musharraf and Co. weren't scared by America's power but by the fact that America, in the rubble of 9/11, had belatedly found the will to use that power. It is notionally at least as powerful today, but in terms of will we're back to Sept. 10: Nobody thinks America is prepared to use its power. And so Nasrallah and Ahmadinejad and wannabe "strong horses" like Baby Assad cock their snooks with impunity.

He mentions the high stakes in Iraq as well, concluding that supporters of the war should not hesitate to question the Democrat position:

That's not just good politics, but it's actually the heart of the question. Of course, if Bush sneered that John Kerry and Ted Kennedy and Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi's constant companion is the white flag, they'd huff about how dare he question their patriotism. But, if you can't question their patriotism when they want to lose a war, when can you?....Nitwit Democrats think anything that can be passed off as a failure in Iraq will somehow diminish only Bush and the neocons. In reality -- a concept with which Democrats seem only dimly acquainted -- it would diminish the nation, and all but certainly end the American moment. In late September 2001 the administration succeeded in teaching a critical lesson to tough hombres like Musharraf and Putin: In a scary world, America can be scarier. But it's all a long time ago now.

Bush needs to trust his fighting instincts.

Read it all.

Reds can't overtake Cards

2006-08-17T22:55:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to get the word out to Sam Hieb to keep his chin up as the Cincinnati Reds dropped a tough 2-1 decision to St. Louis. A Redlegs victory would have pushed them a half-game ahead of the Cards in the NL Central. Instead, they sit a game-and-a-half back. Albert Pujols's glove and Scott Rolen's bat overcame an intense and noteworthy Ken Griffey Jr. at bat that produced a homer:

Ken Griffey Jr. put Cincinnati ahead in the seventh against Jeff Weaver with his 25th homer of the season. It was also the 561st of his career, which moved him within two of Reggie Jackson for 10th place on the career list.

The drive came after Griffey fouled off six straight pitches on a full count. It was his 1,042nd extra-base hit, breaking a tie with Pete Rose for 20th place.

I know Sam doesn't want to settle for the wild card. There's still hope. It looks like the Reds have some staying power.

Is it Giuliani y'all?

2006-08-17T20:31:00.000-04:00

Via Instapundit, Ryan Sager followed around Rudy Giuliani in SC and may have found a Yank warrior who is willing to lay it on the line south of the Mason-Dixon. While many doubt Giuliani's ability to overcome a liberal social outlook among the GOP's rock-ribbed conservatives (for all I know these doubts may well turn to facts), I think he has a great opportunity to win the Repub South. It's national security and foreign policy that fuels my enthusiasm. According to Sager's article, it doesn't look like Rudy's an elephant who'll worry if peanut butter is bad for his heart when it comes to promoting the GOP vision of the war we currently fight:

"I think it's going to happen … we can't keep this country 100% safe," Mr. Giuliani said about the prospect of another terrorist attack on American soil, adding that he's "surprised" we haven't been hit again thus far. What's more, he said, Republicans shouldn't shy away from "politicizing" the War on Terror in fighting the Democrats. "You don't have to politicize a war," he said. "Wars are political … It's our right as Republicans to argue our case … There's a big difference between our party and theirs."

Concerning Giuliani's ability to sweep Southerners off their feet, the Palmetto State is usually a good bellwether. Any Republican who runs strong there is likely to have a better than average shot at winning the nomination. While Fred Butler is just one man, it will take a lot of convincing to make me believe he lurks on the fringe of Sandlapper Repubs:

The crowd responded warmly. As Mr. Giuliani finished taking questions from the audience, Fred Butler, 87 years old, of Greenville, piped up and said he hoped greatly that the former mayor would get into the 2008 GOP contest. "How much do I owe you?" Mr. Giuliani cracked as he wrapped things up.

Mr. Butler, speaking to me after the fundraiser, said that Mr. Giuliani is currently his top choice for the 2008 primary. "I know he did a good job in New York City, and I think he's just a good man," Mr. Butler said. He added, "I think he would garner a lot more votes than anyone I could think of right now."

A retired plant manager, Mr. Butler told me he was prepared to support Senator McCain after his win in New Hampshire in 2000, "but after he made his pitch down here, I voted for Bush." As for Mr. McCain's chances this time around, Mr. Butler doesn't seem particularly ready to give the senator another chance: "He's not as popular as a lot of people think, not as popular now as he was then … I don't think he'll get the nomination."

It would be foolish to pencil in Rudy for residency at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave as it would to do so for any potential candidate at this point. However, unless a wide, gaping fault opens up somewhere along the Turkish-Syrian border eastward to the Pakistani-Indian border and swallows up Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ayatollah Khameini, Hasan Nasralah, whoever is heading Hamas, Osama bin Laden, Abu Musab Zarqawi (oops, forgot to mark him off the list), Mooqi and the Mahdi, Mullah Omar (almost forgot about him).....as you can see, it's going to have to be a right deep hole, national security will be the issue of the '08 campaign. On second thought, a gargantuan tectonic shift won't be enough. It'll have to be combined with some sort of alien-karmic shifting ray aimed from some planet that was unseen by the Hubbel at Europe that'll make the Old Country reconnect with its long-lost sense of humor to stuff national security in the trunk.

Nonetheless, as you may now know, I believe national security will deprive other issues of much needed oxygen in '08. Right now I'm with Fred Butler. I don't see a candidate in either party who approaches the strengths of Giuliani on national security and ability to gain votes. My Rudy vibe may well be ill-conceived. He's facing two years of hard work if he hopes to succeed and a lot changes over two years, but I'm willing to take the bet to Vegas. You've got to have some fun with politics.

Read a reallly swell article.

Update: Guarino has post on the Sager article too. He's not ready to join Fred and me on the Strip.

Stick to a rabbit's foot

2006-08-16T22:56:00.000-04:00

A Peruvian man died after drinking a potion to ward off his family's run of bad luck. Just a look at the picture accompanying the story satisfies my curiousity. I'll take my chances with bad luck.

Would a leftist adminstration be ambidextrous?

2006-08-16T22:02:00.000-04:00

John Hinderaker at Power Line sizes up a potential Left-wing Democratic administration. He doesn't think the result will lead to the Europeanization of American foreign policy:

Lest there be any misunderstanding, I am not saying that there would be no important foreign policy differences between, say, a Feingold administration and a McCain, Allen or Giuliani administration. There would be. But I think the practical reality is that events in Iraq have constrained what a conservative administration can do, while the overriding need to forestall terrorist attacks constrains what a liberal administration can do. As a result, the gap in practice between the two alternatives would be, I think, much narrower than one might expect from the rhetorical gulf that separates the parties.

Read it all.

Cossacks and Israel

2006-08-14T22:52:00.000-04:00

Via Opinion Journal, Cossack leaders in Ukraine have pledged support to Israel in its fight against terrorism. This is quite a reversal. During the 17th century, Cossacks led a brutal campaign against Ukraine's Jewish population, killing an estimated 100,000. Time takes care of many things. This news is certainly welcome.

Also via OJ, a brief history of Judaism in Ukraine.

Baaaaaaa

2006-08-13T21:37:00.000-04:00

I missed Andrew Sullivan's first post on Shia Islam, sex and cloven-hoofed animals, but I'm glad I caught his follow up today. Call them Islamofascists or get concerned if GW Bush calls them such, but I'll paraphrase Don Knotts's portrayal of Barney Fife's assessment of Ernest T. Bass's mental health to say it, "They're nuts." Imagine that. With these guys not only is Playboy out, so are naked goats.

BTW: Who knows if Andrew Sullivan is right in making his comparison on the sexual views of fundamentalist Christian and Muslim men, but I find his arguments trying to equate Christian fundamentalism with Islamic zealotry tiresome.

Dont' wake me, I'm dreaming

2006-08-11T21:56:00.000-04:00

Victor Davis Hanson and Martin Sherman attempt to rally a West that's too groggy from an overextended siesta.

Hanson pours warm water in the collective hand of the West by proposing six "surreal rules" of war. Few of us escape a place in this satirical dream world. I got the biggest kick out out of rule 5:

To fight in the Middle East, the United States and Israel must enlist China, Russia, Europe, or any nation in the Arab world to fight its wars. China has killed tens of thousands in Tibet in a ruthless war leading to occupation and annexation. Russia leveled Grozny and obliterated Chechnyans. Europeans helped to bomb Belgrade, where hundreds of civilians were lost to “collateral damage.” Egyptians gassed Yemenis; Iraqis gassed Kurds; Iraqis gassed Iranians; Syrians murdered thousands of men, women, and children in Hama; Jordanians slaughtered thousands of Palestinians. None received much lasting, if any, global condemnation. In the sick moral calculus of the world’s attention span, a terrorist who commits suicide in Guantanamo Bay always merits at least 500 dead Kurds, 1,000 Chechnyans, or 10,000 Tibetans. To win these wars, we need to outsource the job to those who can fight them with impunity.

Sherman pinpoints a stream of ice-cold water on two decades of sleepwalking Israeli elites. He aims the biggest chunk of ice on the forehead of the political elite, especially the Ehud Olmert- led government and its conduct of the current war with Hezbollah:

As the government dithered, its weakness and hesitancy began to take heavy toll on a range of vital national interests – degrading Israel's deterrent posture in the Arab world, eroding the Arab fear of the consequences of attack on Israel's civilian population centers and infrastructure; accumulating diplomatic damage via continual bombing of Lebanon which did little to quell the deluge of rockets on Israeli civilians, but much to stir up international condemnation; fomenting growing anger across the Moslem world – and hence pressure - on regimes that tacitly endorsed a swift crushing of Hizbullah; and perhaps most disturbingly, undermining the US perception of Israel's military prowess and hence of its value as an ally.

On Sherman's last point, I appreciate his concern about America, but I believe we've let Israel down as well.

Lighten up and let him light up

2006-08-07T22:43:00.000-04:00

An actor in Scotland did not follow through on his plan to light his cigar in a play where he portrayed Winston Churchill. Mel Smith said he would light the cigar in defiance of a threat by Scottish officials to shut down the theater running the play if he did, claiming the lit cigar would defy Scotland's tough anti-smoking ordinance. Smith backed off not wanting to see the theater closed.

Sportsmen oppose drilling in Wyoming; the Triple Crown angle

2006-08-07T22:22:00.000-04:00

Some Wyoming hunting outfitters are opposing a plan for energy development on the state's range land. Outfitters such as Justin Child depend on the land for their livelihoods and have joined in an unlikely alliance with environmentalists on this issue:

Child doesn't look like an environmentalist. He doesn't wear Birkenstocks, tie-dye shirts or a peace sign tied around his neck with a length of hemp rope. He looks and talks more like a rancher, with a cowboy hat and a weathered face. Child doesn't really act like an environmentalist either. Instead of ambushing mink coats with cans of spray paint, Child makes a living leading hunters into the woods to kill elk, deer, moose, antelope and mountain lions.

It is an interesting story, but I'll to admit the lead describing the horse the reporter rode while covering the story is what sucked me in:

At nearly 10,000 feet in the Wyoming Range, I'm riding Secretariat's love child -- or rather, love descendant -- Boots. The amorous Triple Crown winner apparently hopped a fence to pursue Boots' grandmother or great-grandmother, who despite her unremarkable breeding still swayed the oversized heart of the world's most famous racehorse.

Dixie Chicks cancel, postpone and add show dates

2006-08-07T22:07:00.000-04:00

The Dixie Chicks announced today that the band has dropped 14 dates on its current tour. Lackluster sales at sites, mostly in the South and Midwest, led to the decision. Memphis, Houston, St. Louis and Knoxville are among the canceled dates. Shows in Nashville, Denver and Phoenix were postponed to later dates. A spokeswoman for the group said new dates have been added in Canada. The group also plans to spend some time promoting its film, "The Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing," which will debut at the Toronto International Film Festival next month.

At this point, no dramatic quotes attributed to the Chicks or their detractors.

RIP WFMX

2006-08-06T16:47:00.000-04:00

I learned of this a little late, but country station WFMX, 105.7, is no more. After becoming wholly-owned by Clear Channel, the station no longer broadcasts from Statesville. Instead, it is now part of Clear Channel's Greensboro group of stations.

A twinge of loss came at hearing the news. I grew up in Statesville on Carolina Avenue North, just down the street from the WFMX studio and tower on Radio Road. As a child of the seventies, I never admitted to listening to FMX. Back then not only was it country, it was your granddaddy's country. Flatt and Scruggs, Homer and Jethro and Jim and Jesse held spots on the regular playlist. You could hear obits several times a day. They were among the first FM stations to regularly broadcast NASCAR. While I never admitted to listening, sometimes I didn't have any choice. My dad ruled the radio on family rides. Even though it wasn't his only station, when he wanted to listen to it that's where the dial stayed. Also, being so close to the tower, we could pick it up on at least half a dozen spots on the dials of our radios at home.

The station went corporate in the late '80s or early '90s and was pretty much indistinguishable from the pat country formats. However, they continued to play a great bluegrass show hosted by Hoyt Herbert, considered one of the country's best bluegrass DJs. I kept it programmed into my truck's radio for Herbert's show and a little hometown nostalgia.

Now we have KISS-FM at 105.7, I can't recall the new call letters, but WFMX does hold a place in radio history. It is believed to be the first all country formatted FM station in the US. It also had one of the strongest FM signals in the state, reaching into the mountains and eastward to the edge of the Triangle. Now it's gone. I guess they'll say the same for the rest of us one these days too. Hope the memories are as fond.

Kathleen Parker on the Christianists

2006-08-04T17:13:00.000-04:00

As I wrote in my last post, the interest in the tight bond between many American evangelicals and Israel is evident on the web. Kathleen Parker takes her turn and dismisses, among other things, the notion that Armageddon-waiting End Timers have significant influence on US Mideast policy.

She rejects the arguments of those who tred on the mushy soil of moral relativism by comparing evangelicals to radical Islamists:

Although both groups may be "true believers,'' those who try to connect the dots of Christian belief, specifically evangelical Christianity, to Islamism seem willing to overlook the fact that Islamists praise Allah and fly airplanes into buildings while Christianists praise Jesus and pass the mustard.

And though both groups of people may use scripture to shape their approach to the public square, Islamist interpretation of doctrine permits religious expression through suicide-murder, beheadings, public stonings (preferably of women) and Jew-hating, while Christianist doctrine deals in such wimpy notions as forgiveness, tolerance, redemption and cheek-turning. Weirdos.

She believes those, such as the Rev. John Hagee, who believe the current Mideast struggles are playing into the End Times scenario carry little clout with the Bush administration and other Christians:

Doubtless Hagee holds his audiences in thrall, but that audience does not happen to include George W. Bush or even (cue thunderclouds) Karl Rove. Nor millions of other Christians. Despite what the anti-Christianists seem to believe, the evangelical movement is not monolithic on such issues and Hagee doesn't have an office in the State Department.

In fact, at one White House meeting with about 35 evangelical leaders, one participant told me Hagee said nary a word. Even if he had, no one in the Bush administration is listening.

I like her conclusion too:

In other words, pro-Israel policy decisions are based on our long-standing support of America's democratic ally in the Middle East, not some theological imperative as divined through an eschatological grid. Or even an "8'' ball.

Nevertheless, Republicans are happy to get votes where they can. Which is to say: If Hagee were urging his congregation to tithe money to fight global warming based on some apocalyptic interpretation of Scripture, does anyone really think that Al Gore would decline the check?

Here's the whole thing.

Christian-Zionism; is it really all about the end times?

2006-08-03T16:55:00.000-04:00

The topic of the so-called Christian-Zionist movement got a thorough look at Ed Cone's last week, but it's a topic still generatng interest on the web. (Just google jews christians israel). Today Bill Berkowitz, a skeptic of the movement, looks at Andrew Brog, a Jew and former chief of staff for Sen. Arlen Specter, who was recently named executive director of Christians United for Israel, an evangelical Christian organization founded by the Rev. John Hagee.

In addition to putting the spotlight on Brog, Berkowitz is taken aback by the fact that many in Christian-Zionist movement believe in the end times prophecy found in the book of Revelation, a concern shared by Cone. I can understand how this would lead many to take pause. Hearing the stories of Armageddon and the end scared me to death. I was relieved when I heard Richard Pryor's take on the whole thing. However, I don't believe this is what lies at the heart of the tightening bond between evangelicals and Israel.

I think the alliance is rooted in the belief that both groups realize how vital the pillar of spiritual belief is in creating the energetic societies in which they live. While not the sole reason for the dynamism of Israel and the US, it's hard to imagine either country without the vibrancy of Judaism and Christianity. I think it is this belief that has more influence on US foreign policy toward Israel and the Mideast rather than prepping the ground for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Tomatoes love that heat: mid to late summer reflections in the backyard

2006-08-03T11:48:00.000-04:00

While many may lament the current heat wave, the four tomato plants in my backyard are flourishing. The leaves are taking a beating, but the fruit ripens rapidly. After an evening inspection, green tomaotes that I expect to take a few more days to ripen are hanging red or yellow the next morning.

At one time, I had better knowledge of tomato varieties. After taking off a few years from tomato raising, my index has become muddled. This year I know for sure where my Big Boy and Rutgers plants are. The Big Boy is one of the more prodigious varieties and can produce one pound whoppers. The Rutgers, invented at Rutgers University for the Campbell's Soup company, produces a hearty orangish-red tomato that withstands most diseases and cracking.

I also have a yellow tomato, but I can't recall which variety. Besides adding color, most yellow tomatoes are not as acidic as red or pink ones. The acid sometimes gives the fruit a pungent taste, making many tomato-averse. I recommend a yellow tomato as a way to entice the tomato hater into the summer bliss of tomato sandwiches. I'd also start them out with a BLT rather than a straight 'mater.

I thought my fourth plant was either a Mountain Pride or Mountain Delight. However, these two are more red than pink and are considered among the most crack-resistant tomatoes. These are pink and every one I've picked so far has had some cracking, a sign of too much water intake. It has to be a drainage or a shade thing because I haven't watered in more than a month. This plant is more shaded than the other three if that has anything do with it. Nonetheless, I just cut out the cracked areas and the fruit tastes fine.

Other than the cracking, tomato health has been fine, but this morning I saw a slime trail on a bottom branch of the Big Boy. Slugs helped themselves to a midnight snack of one ripe and one green boy. I'm going to set out the beer. I'll have to position it so the dog doesn't lap it up. I'll welcome other suggestions either on slug resistance or canine beer lapping.

The mayonaise is going fast and my bread intake has increased greatly, but I've grown more partial to cooked fresh tomatoes. I've gotten my best tasting salsa this year by sauteeing the tomatoes with onion and slicing in a couple of cloves of garlic. Keep the pepper raw, throw in a few leaves of basil and give it a thirty-second ride in the blender. When you pull off the top, (make sure you've turned off the blender), you're greeted with a quite pleasant spicy steam of summer freshness. I think I'll do the same for pasta sauce, but will replace the hot pepper with sweet.

At the current yield, I'm sure I'll reach my fill as summer winds down though I'll miss them much when they're gone.

If only

2006-08-03T11:33:00.000-04:00

I watched a portion of Washington Journal on C-SPAN this morning featuring Israeli General Moshe Yaalon. A caller from Ohio attempted to set it all straight. After spending most of her call denouncing all things Israeli, she came up with a solution. Remove all Jewish-American officeholders from power and bar any future office holding among Jewish Americans. This will unwed the country from Israel and solve our Mideast problems. Even without the Jew-bashing, this type of thinking about Israel and the US is not isolated, but it seems too shallow to be taken seriously.

Technical situation better

2006-08-03T11:25:00.000-04:00

While my Roadrunner is still not moving at high-speed speed, I'm at least not getting knocked off line every five minutes. There may be help on the way.

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody's there to hear it....

2006-08-01T17:19:00.000-04:00

Maybe the question has already been answered and I missed it, but I think I can now at least speak somewhat authoritatively on the subject of trees falling in the forest. Yesterday as I hiked along the Moore's Wall trail at Hanging Rock, I stopped to take in the scenery. Almost as soon as I stopped, I heard terrific rustling in a tree. I prepared to see some big bird fly out of a tree. Instead, I see a swaying tree top and the next thing I know, the tree comes crashing down a safe distance away. Apparently a storm had already battered the tree and its time to go had come. I now say that a tree makes a sound even if no one is around.

Living in the age of high tech

2006-08-01T17:13:00.000-04:00

My blogging hiatus has been a little longer than expected. After getting back to town, I hoped to get back to blogging. However, I'm having problems with my internet connection. I called Time Warner today and a modem check revealed a weak signal. They're supposed to come tomorrow, that is, if I'm able to answer my cell phone when they call to say they're thirty minutes away. My cell phone rings most of the time, but sometimes it doesn't. It's a new phone and I haven't quite figured it all out yet. I'm not counting on figuring out this high tech lifestyle any time soon.

On to the Rock

2006-07-30T23:15:00.000-04:00

Hanging Rock has stayed in the same place all summer. I think I need to get there. Tomorrow looks to be as good a time as any.

Back from the hills

2006-07-29T11:56:00.000-04:00

I just got back from a few days in Cullowhee. While I had to spend most of my time inside a Western Carolina University classroom at the North Carolina Teacher academy, it felt good just being in the NC mountains. For those not familiar with Cullowhee and WCU, the town and campus sit in the bottom of a bowl ringed by mountains. Look in any direction and you see a ridge. Every morning there I loved watching the fog burn off hills and rise up and dissapate in the sky.

We did get a chance to take a ride one evening. We traveled south on NC 107 along the Tuckaseegee River and eventually Lake Glenville. A beautiful ride in itself. 107 ends at Cashiers and merges into US 64. From Cashiers we traveled west to Highlands, another curvy ride complete with beautiful vistas. Highlands is a gorgeous little spot. Don't ask me why, but it somehow reminds me of Sausalito, CA.

Just west of Highlands, we hit Bridal Veil Falls. Bridal Veil is not famous because it's a spectacular fall, its location makes it unique. The falls, more like a steady shower, fall right of the mountain to the shoulder of the highway. In the past, a side out allowed motorists to drive under the falls. However, a rockslide has put an end to that. From Bridal Veil we went to Dry Falls, a beautiful fall that's worth taking a little time just for gawking. From Dry Falls we drove west toward Franklin. That trip takes you through the Cullasaja Gorge, another ride providing striking views. From Franklin we completed the loop back to Cullowhee with a short detour through Webster. A highly recommended drive.

I'm always grateful for any time I get in the NC mountains.

Israeli military strategy looks transformational

2006-07-20T17:46:00.000-04:00

Linking to Debka File burned me one time before, but I couldn't resist this. If nothing else, it makes good reference material in discussing Israeli military strategy in its fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Yesterday's attack on Hezbollah's bunker headquarters was an attempt to possibly shorten the duration of military activity. If they had successfully liquidated Nasrallah et al, it certainly would have changed the dynamic of the fighting. According to Debka, the next step is light force attacks into Lebanon:

Now, small, swift in-and-out ground raids to sterilize southern Lebanon of Hizballah fighters and rocket launchers will begin to figure largely in the Israeli campaign. To ease the action of these special units and the air force - and remove civilians from the line of fire - some 300,000 Lebanese were instructed Wednesday night, July 19, to move out of the south Lebanon to a line north of the Litani River.

It is not clear how this mass migration can be effected when many of the roads and bridges were bombed out by Israeli jets. Hizballah is also blocking their path.

If this stratagem does work, it will leave the IDF with a broad sweep of land 38-40 km deep inside Lebanon, quite a different proposition from the 1-km security zone Israeli officials were discussing at the outset of the campaign. The Olmert government is clear on one point: Israel will not send large-scale tank and ground forces to seize control of the south and risk being trapped there again as it has before. Hizballah can be expected to take advantage of the spaces in the region for small-scale, painful strikes and ambushes against the swift-moving Israeli special ground forces. The Shiite terrorists will also persevere in their attempts to send contingents across the border into northern Israel, accompanied by heavy Katyusha attacks against Israeli civilians, where human distress and shortages grow daily.

The Lebanon war has thus entered a new, broader stage.

We'll see what the future holds. If this does prove to be Israel's strategy, it shows they are adopting the transformational approach the US is using in Afghanistan and Iraq. Go in with small, but highly trained and lethal units who won't lose a toe to toe battle with terrorists. Because of light numbers, they are more suscpetible to ambush and it is hard to stick around long enough to hold ground pried from the enemy.

There are some parallels between US and Israeli approaches in attacking enemy leadership. In Afghanistan, we took out Mohammad Atef, Osama's right-hand man and master of strategy. He ranked higher than Zawahiri at the time. Fortunately, he didn't live long enough to become as famous. It's reasonable to believe that Atef's demise changed the equation for al Qaeda.

We aimed our first shot in Iraq at a palace where Saddam, Uday and Qusay were hanging out. We didn't get them, but imagine the equation change if we did. We also came close to nailing Saddam a few weeks later.

The transformational approach takes longer than using conventional ground forces. However, the greatest source of condemnation against Israel is collateral damage among Lebanese civilians. With a massed ground attack, air and naval fire would continue. Added to it would be tank and massive artillery fire. Civilians casualties may easily increase. The ground must be cleared for an invasion force.

BTW: I found this news item in the middle of the article interesting:

Central Israel became one large gridlock for five hours as security forces staged a manhunt for a Palestinian suicide bomber from the West Bank heading for a crowd center. He was caught in Hod Hasharon.

Movin' on up; news on our first black former president

2006-07-20T12:24:00.000-04:00

To some residents there, Bill Clinton is no Angel of Harlem.

However, Captain Ed believes their wrath at Jefferson Clinton is at least partly misdirected:

It's unfair of Harlem residents to target Clinton for their woes, or at least him alone. New York has a number of factors that play into the sharp increase in housing costs, most of which have to do with their high tax rates and top-down rent control. The latter comes from a market that has too much demand and too little supply in the first place. Eventually that market effect would have driven people to Harlem for better prices; Clinton just made it trendy to do so.

Voinovich drys tears and supports Bolton

2006-07-20T11:39:00.000-04:00

George Voinovich writes in the WaPo today that he will support the nomination of John Bolton as US Ambassador to the UN. Bolton is currenlty serving on a recess appointment that will expire when the Senate adjourns this fall. In order for Bolton to continue serving, GW Bush must renominate him and the Senate must confirm him.

Says Voinovich:

For me or my colleagues in the Senate to now question a possible renomination would jeopardize our influence in the United Nations and encourage those who oppose the United States to make Bolton the issue, thereby undermining our policies and agenda.

Should the president send his renomination to the Senate, I will vote to confirm him, and I call on my Democratic colleagues to keep in mind the current situation in the Middle East and the rest of the world should the Senate have an opportunity to vote. I do not believe the United States, at this dangerous time, can afford to have a U.N. ambassador who does not have Congress's full support.

The world's struggles aren't limited to Israel and Hezbollah

2006-07-19T22:56:00.000-04:00

The Counterterrorism Blog has two interesting posts on other potential flashpoints in the world.

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross writes that Turkey has told both US and Iraqi ambassadors to take proper steps to remove fighters from the Kurdistan Worker's Pary (PKK) who are hiding in Iraqi Kurdistan. A recent PKK attack in Turkey killed 15 Turkish soldiers.

In another post, Douglas Farah warns there is talk that Iran could use its many agents in Bosnia to stir unrest there if things continue going badly for Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Lightning strike: midsummer reflections in the backyard IV

2006-07-19T22:38:00.000-04:00

We got some daytime fireworks at the Sunset Hills condos today. As a friend and I sat in my backyard this afternoon, we heard a little thunder rumble in the distance, but didn't see any lightning. It seemed that the storm was maybe going around us. Suddenly, a big arc of lightning stretched out over the top of us immediately followed by a violent clap of thunder. We made quick entry back inside.

A few minutes later I heard a knock at my door. It was my neighbor, who told me to look at what the lightning struck. He said a tree was on fire. I immediately looked at one of the tall pines in our courtyard on Overlook St. He then pointed to the distance where a tall pine on Mimosa stood burning like a tall torch. The Greensboro FD got there soon enough and nothing spread to the other tall trees.

I now see how many forest fires break out the arid west. I'm glad we're not in the arid east.

Will to Kristol: whoa pardner

2006-07-18T12:27:00.000-04:00

George Will takes Bill Kristol to task for his call to take out Iranian nuclear facilities. Even though he doesn't mention Kristol by name, Will criticizes him for seeing a clear solution through a bank of fog, smog, smoke and perhaps a few mirrors:

The administration, justly criticized for its Iraq premises and their execution, is suddenly receiving some criticism so untethered from reality as to defy caricature. The national, ethnic and religious dynamics of the Middle East are opaque to most people, but to "The Weekly Standard" -- voice of a spectacularly misnamed radicalism, "neoconservativism'' -- everything is crystal clear: Iran is the key to everything.

Will is right to point to the zealous tone of Kristol. However, I agree with Kristol that we have sent a perception of weakness to Iran and Syria. Whether this is actual weakness, our ponderous system or some sort of rope-a-dope, we don't know yet. I very much disagree with Will's willingness to rely on the stability of the status quo in the Middle East. It may be stable for us, but it's not for the people of the Middle East, just ask an Israeli. If we adopt Will's position, we need to get busy on developing energy alternatives and start warming up the oil drills here.

The Braves need to see this tape

2006-07-17T19:40:00.000-04:00

I posted earlier about my pleasure with the Braves sweep of San Diego over the weekend. They did it by scoring a lot of runs, not with stellar pitching. One win was 15-12. If he has a tape of this game, maybe David Boyd should ship it to Atlanta to help them prep for winning high-scoring still at the saw mill big lumber slugfests.

Grilling blueberries: midsummer reflections in the backyard III

2006-07-17T18:21:00.000-04:00

Got the grill out again over the weekend. Burgers, big burgers filled it up. They were very good, but there was too much for just two people. I grilled peaches again and I added blueberries to the menu. How do you grill blueberries? Very carefully. Actually, I wrapped them in foil and placed them in the middle of the grill after I pulled off the burgers. After chowing down on the main course, I opened the foil and the blueberries had turned to a nice purple color. Combining them with the peaches made the berries a little tart, but I like them that way. The leftovers hit the spot the next day.

The charcoal is still dry.

Klein and Kristol on Bush's failed Iran policy

2006-07-17T13:11:00.000-04:00

I find myself agreeing with Joe Klein and Bill Kristol that the Bush adminsitration's policy toward Iran has been weak and ineffective. If nothing else, it certainly gives that appearance.

Says Klein:

But it is also clear now that a major consequence of George W. Bush's disastrous foreign policy has been an emboldened Iran. The U.S. "has been Iran's very best friend," a diplomat from a predominantly Sunni nation told me recently. "You have eliminated its enemies, the Taliban and Saddam Hussein. You have even reduced yourselves as a threat to Iran because you have spent so much blood and treasure in Iraq."

Now Kristol:

For while Syria and Iran are enemies of Israel, they are also enemies of the United States. We have done a poor job of standing up to them and weakening them. They are now testing us more boldly than one would have thought possible a few years ago. Weakness is provocative. We have been too weak, and have allowed ourselves to be perceived as weak.

While I agree with Klein that our Iran policy has so far failed, I don't agree with him on the details. There is no doubt the elimination of Saddam on the west and the Taliban on the east has given the Iranian mullahocracy some breathing room. I'm sure the administration was aware that this would be case. I think the decision to take out two brutal regimes proves far more effective than propping them up to keep Iran boxed in to ensure the survival of the status quo. The latter would only create an illusion of stability, while the former can lay the groundwork for fundamental change.

He also condemns Bush et al for not being assertive in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I believe that all past efforts to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict peacefully have been noble, but we have been too willing to concede that this is the ultimate source of unrest in the Middle East. While it is one of the most important, it is not the only reason for so much turmoil.

I tend to agree with Kristol's take. I intrepret it as claiming nothing is wrong with the policy, but that its implementation has conveyed weakness. Further, Kristol calls for US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities much sooner rather than later. He adds a call for GWB to leave St. Petersburg and fly directly to Jerusalem to stand in solidarity with Israel.

One thing to remember, especially for Iran, is that in the past other hostile powers have percieved the US as weak. History has proven that what belligerants saw as weakness was actually the ponderousness of our system. Some of those past enemies are now among our closest allies and it's not because we were just a bunch of nice guys.

Diamond perusals; Northside Chicago meltdown continues

2006-07-17T10:41:00.000-04:00

I didn't watch much baseball over the weekend, but it reads like an interesting one.

I watched a little of the Cubs and Mets. Chicago was cruising 5-0 when I went to the backyard to do a little reading. I came back in and the Mets had cut the lead to 5-2. I took the dog for a walk and got back just in time to watch David Wright belt a two-run homer to make it 13-5 Mets. To top it off, I find out Wright's blast put the finishing touches on an 11-run inning that included two grand slams. A wind blowing out in Wrigley combined with the current Cubs' pitching staff can lead to those results. It sounded like the Cubs' fans were in a mood to riot if baseball etiquette allowed such things. With only the Royals and Pirates separating the Cubs from baseball's worst record, it's hard seeing Dusty Baker in the saddle too much longer. As much as it pains me to say it (Part I), you've got to tip your hat to the Mets. Strong teams win games like this when they fall behind a weak team.

I didn't get to watch any Braves ball, but I'm pleased with the three game sweep of the West-leading Padres. Atlanta went double figures in runs in all three tilts. Despite, the sweep, no encouraging words on the pitching. One win was a 15-12 slugfest. My immediate goal is for the Braves to reach .500 and stay in that neighborhood. At the moment, post-season hopes may be quixotic, but, when they match up, I hope the Braves can put a hurting on teams still in the hunt.

I know Sam Hieb has to feel good about the Redlegs four-game sweep of the Rockies. They needed it because the Cards took all four from the Dodgers.

As much as it pains me to say it (Part II), never count out the Yanks, who swept the powerful defending world champ Chisox. NYY sits only a half-game behind the Bosox. The series may serve as something of a wake-up call for the Chisox, who may have to play even better ball to snag a wild-card berth, providing they don't catch the Tigers, who took three of four from the lowly Royals.

Keep playing ball.

A global mess

2006-07-15T16:18:00.000-04:00

Greg Sheridan writes that the world's multinational bodies are impotent in dealing with the explosive world events that have unfolded over the last two weeks. Unfortunately, the alternative to multinationalism, US power, isn't sprinting to the line either:

Global order has traditionally rested on these two pillars: US power, expressed through its alliance system and its state actions, and multilateral institutions such as the UN. Of the two pillars, the US in vastly the more powerful and more important.

But one extremely unpalatable consequence of the Iraq imbroglio seems to be a diminution of US influence in certain parts of the globe.

The multilateral system, on the other hand, works best when it is working in tandem with US power. It's wickedly politically incorrect to say so, but the multilateral institutions set up after World War II were established essentially as a more palatable expression of US power.

Partly because of European irresponsibility, partly because of Chinese obduracy, partly because of US clumsiness, partly because of dedicated Islamist calculation, and for many other reasons besides, the multilateral system is now as often working against US power as with US power.

Whichever way you slice it, the bottom line is that global governance has crucially broken down. This is amply evident in the North Korean missile crisis, the Mumbai bombings and the inter-state conflict growing in the Middle East.

There is no consolation in this for anyone, except perhaps for the progenitors of disorder, the terrorists themselves.

Read it all.

Israel's Gillerman tells it like it is

2006-07-15T15:39:00.000-04:00

Israel's ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman provided perhaps the greatest moment of clarity ever witnessed at Turtle Bay.

Gillerman said that if the Israel succeeds in driving Hezbollah from Lebanon, it will a victory for freedom in Lebanon. It's worth watching.

His speech (pull the Real Player slider to just before the fourth dot)

His press conference--more clarity

His meeting in the hallway with the Palestinian UN ambassador (scroll down to the image for video)

A sample of opinion in Lebanon (via LGF)

More observations from Lebanon

The resolve and frustrations of the Israeli people

That little insurgency in Iraq is a Jewish thing

2006-07-13T17:59:00.000-04:00

For those who believe wars should unfold in some uniformed cookie cutter fashion, get a load of this:

Iraq's parliament speaker Thursday accused "Jews" of financing acts of violence in Iraq in order to discredit Islamists who control the parliament and government so they can install their "agents" in power.

Mahmoud al-Mashhadani hinted that the Americans and Israelis did not want to see officials of Sunni and Shi'ite parties running the country because "this is not their agenda."

Mr. Speaker is a Sunni. On second thought, maybe wars in the Middle East do have some symmetry, no matter how many women and children you hide behind when you fight, we know who forced you to take such unmanly action.

It'll be interesting if this latest conspiracy takes root here. (Via LGF)

That boat was rockin' at taxpayers expense

2006-07-13T15:08:00.000-04:00

NC government officials seem to be scrambling to explain how a state-owned ferry was used for partying officials while paying customers were left to simmer in the sun over Independence Day weekend:

The DOT wouldn't say who approved the ferry's use, but said the governor had requested an inquiry.The News & Observer reported that the ferry Floyd Lupton was used for a cruise for about 200 state and local officials, who munched seafood and sipped beer and wine while listening to a steel drum band.

The two-hour cruise gave the officials an up-close view of sailing vessels at Morehead City and Beaufort while thousands of other people who paid for tickets stood in long, hot lines.

It wasn't cheap either:

Taxpayers paid $2,800 for fuel and staffing on the ferry. The band cost the port authority $1,200 and the catering bill hadn't arrived. Alcohol was provided by economic development agencies.

BTW: Why doesn't the News and Record do some original reporting on this story?

Daughtry headed to the studio

2006-07-13T14:58:00.000-04:00

It doesn't look like American Idol was a bad gig at all for Guilford County's Chris Daughtry. At the conclusion of the current Idol tour, he's slated to hit the studio for a solo album. He also has collaborations planned with established rockers.

It's always good to see a local guy get a break.

Hewitt's advice to McCain

2006-07-13T13:36:00.000-04:00

Hugh Hewitt penned a cyber-memo to John McCain. The words are not minced.

The Geneva Convention and the treatment of American POWs

2006-07-13T13:23:00.000-04:00

Captain Ed writes today that we need to get over the pretense that bending over backwards to provide all Geneva Convention provisions to terrorists will somehow protect American POWs from current and future mistreatment:

Name me a war where our enemies abided by the GC.

That isn't an argument that we should not abide by the GC, of course; we signed the document, and we should honor our commitment. However, let's quit pretending that this will gain us anything in the way our enemies treat our men and women, once captured. Perhaps someone can explain that supposed benefit to the families of Kristian Menchaca and Thomas Tucker.

Read it all.

Update: Opinion Journal takes the Bush Administration to task for a Pentagon memo that it believes is a cave-in to the Supreme Court's Hamdan ruling. It claims the White House is now taking a self-administered political beating that may well have implications down the road:

Already, in the wake of this reversal, the Bush Administration's critics are talking about the "illegality" of its previous failure to abide by Geneva rules. We'll predict that it won't be very long until some European magistrate indicts Donald Rumsfeld or National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley or some other U.S. official for "war crimes" for this failure. The Pentagon's new memo won't be much of a defense.

Debate on today for Voting Rights Act extension

2006-07-13T11:51:00.000-04:00

Today the US House is debating a 25-year extension of the Voting Rights Act. If you're reading in somewhat real time, you can tune in to C-Span on the tube or watch and listen here. As can be expected, the debate has been emotional at times.

It's important to understand that extension of the entire 1965 act is not up for debate. Provisions that eliminated literacy tests and poll taxes are untouchable. The debate centers around Section 5 of the act and three amendments proposed that would alter it. Section 5 requires certain counties' election practices to be under the jurisdiction of the US Department of Justice for another 25 years. The leadership of both parties and the Congressional Black Caucus support the extension of Section 5 without amendment.

Also, it needs to be known that Section 5 does not apply to all 50 states. Only 16 states fall under it. In the case of Gerogia, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Arizona, almost all local jurisdictions would face the 25-year extension. States such as NC, Virginia and Florida only have specific counties covered.

Debate over Section 5 is not limited to a black vs white or left vs right dichotomy as this indicates:

"If Congress goes and passes the current version . . . as is, with a 25-year extension . . . then there is a significant danger that the measure is struck down," said Richard Hasen, a law professor at the Loyola University Law School in Los Angeles who describes himself as part of the Democratic Party's left wing.

"What I sense is that there are a number of people who are supporters of the act but who don't want to speak up for political reasons and say the act has to be updated, to say that 2006 is not the same as 1965," Hasen said. ". . . We still need the act but it needs to be adapted to deal with new realities."

Two of the amendments deal with applying Section 5 provisions to all states and the third deals with a provision that will require multilingual ballots in certain jurisdictions.

The charge for amendments comes from Charlie Norwood and Lynn Westmoreland, both Georgia Republicans. Much of their argument centers on the fact that some jurisdictions in Georgia and other states are under Section 5 for violations that occurred as far back as the 1960s. It does not address issues that have taken place as recently as 2000 and 2004 in areas not covered by Section 5.

I find myself agreeing with Hasen. It's time to focus on voting rights violations of the present. I also sympathize with Norwood and Westmoreland. It is not fair to place the albatross of past racial injustice around the necks of those who were not alive at the time. The only thing many of them are guilty of is being born in a certain state or county.

If nothing else, you can't accuse C-Span of being boring today. I think it's important that this issue is being discussed openly and passionately. That's much more preferable than breezing through this as the White House and the Congressional leadership of both parties wanted.

Taking prisoners in war, a moment in history

2006-07-11T23:22:00.000-04:00

As indicated in the post below, dealing with prisoners is always an issue during war. It's true in the current war and has been through history.

Right now I'm reading Burke Davis's biography of Chesty Puller, considered by many the greatest US Marine of all time. During the Korean War as Puller's First Marines pushed from Inchon to Seoul, Davis writes that a Marine private had to make a quick decision:

On one of the fiery days of the drive toward Seoul a popular chaplain, Father Keating, captured five North Korean soldiers and herded them along as prisoners. He hailed a passing Marine jeep driven by a Private Wolff: "Son, take these prisoners off my hands. Get them to the rear before they're hurt.

"I can't Father. I'm running ammo to the edge of town, and they're getting low. I can't stop to do it."

"Private, this is an order. Take them over."

Wolff looked rearward at the burning city. "You mean they're mine now? Under my repsonsibility?"

"Yes."

Wolff pulled up a light machine gun and sprayed the group, killing all five. The outraged Keating went to Puller and demanded action. The Colonel listened carefully, ordered Wolff arrested and the priest went away content that he had done his duty.

Ten minutes later Puller asked an aide: "What outfit was it that lost all those boys last night?"

"Barrow's company sir."

"All right. Give that boy Wolff a BAR and send him up there."

Those are certainly situations I'm glad not to deal with. However, all three involved made their choices. The private believed it more important to get badly needed ammunition to his mates. The priest believed it his duty to report a violation. Puller decided he should arrest the private, but knew he would be more valuable fighting the enemy. It goes to show that choices are not always so clear cut in the effort to survive and win in battle.

Peters on taking prisoners

2006-07-11T23:16:00.000-04:00

Ralph Peters writes that it's time for the US to stop taking prisoners in the War on Terror. While it may sound brutal at first, Peters's ideas are more within the practice of warfare than the conditions handed down recently by the Supreme Court:

The oft-cited, seldom-read Geneva and Hague Conventions define legal combatants as those who visibly identify themselves by wearing uniforms or distinguishing insignia (the latter provision covers honorable partisans - but no badges or armbands, no protection). Those who wear civilian clothes to ambush soldiers or collect intelligence are assassins and spies - beyond the pale of law.

Traditionally, those who masquerade as civilians in order to kill legal combatants have been executed promptly, without trial. Severity, not sloppy leftist pandering, kept warfare within some decent bounds at least part of the time. But we have reached a point at which the rules apply only to us, while our enemies are permitted unrestricted freedom.

The present situation encourages our enemies to behave wantonly, while crippling our attempts to deal with terror.

Peters's proposal will surely shock many, but it is not the raving of a madman. As he points out, at no time in history have those who dress as civilians to fight a war received a special status. Those who do not distinguish themselves as combatants often feel the incentive to hide and fight behind innocent civilians. It doesn't seem reasonable to offer them any special status.*

(I don't what I get when I link to the NY Post. If you only get a partial article with the link above, try this one. Once on the RCP page, scroll down to the Peters's article in the Morning edition.)

*I botched this sentence in the original post. I wrote "unreasonable," but I can't figure out how to do a strikeover in Blogspot. I also left out "know" in my explanation at the bottom of the original. My editor is officially "on double secret probation, whatever that is."

Study of racial attitudes in Durham reveals surprising results

2006-07-11T21:56:00.000-04:00

A study of racial attitudes in Durham surprised researchers by revealing that Hispanics held many negative views about blacks. Those conducting the study also determined that Hispanics apparently brought these attitudes to the area with them because the study showed whites having positive attitudes toward blacks. Overall, black attitudes toward Hispanics were tolerant.

Here's a quick summary from the study leader:

"What surprised us most was the high level of negative stereotypes on the part of Latino immigrants," said Paula McClain, a professor of political science at Duke University and the study's lead author. "We were also, I guess, pleasantly surprised at the low level of stereotypes of blacks held by whites in Durham. Less than 10 percent of our sample of whites held negative stereotypes of blacks. And that blacks were more tolerant of Latino immigrants than Latino immigrants were of blacks."

While it doesn't receive a great deal of attention, there are tensions between blacks and Hispanics in parts of the country. As these stories indicate, the tension is real in LA. Potentially, the most explosive demographic time bomb planted by the tremendous influx of Hispanic immigration into the country is the friction it creates between the two groups. Some may dismiss it all as a class issue instead of racism. However, doing so may cloud the reality of the situation and will not make it go away.

BTW: As far as Dr. McClain's quote that "we were also, I guess, pleasantly surprised at the low level of stereotypes of blacks held by whites in Durham," is concerned, she wouldn't be guilty of doing a little stereotyping would she? Surely not.

The menu: midsummer reflections in the backyard II

2006-07-10T16:14:00.000-04:00

In the previous post, I mentioned my weekend cookout. At first, I wanted to describe what went on the grill, but I changed my mind, believing the menu deserved an exclusive mention.

With peppers all over the place, I decided I needed to cook with them. I found a London broil at Southern Family Market. I bought 2 1/2 pound roast for $5. I came home and cut it into eight sections. I took five of them and coated them with Valentina hot sauce. I then cut up a few pepper over it and put it in the fridge to marinated. Realizing that everyone my not have my appreciation for hot food, I marinated three sections in Worcestershire sauce.

After firing up the grill, I put six ears of silver queen, de-silked, but still in the husk, around the edge. I also picked up a trick from a buddy of mine. I took an onion and rubbed it over the grill, it's supposed to help prevent sticking, and left it to the side to steam up. I then took the roast sections and seared them in the iron skillet. After the searing, I placed them in foil and cut up plenty of pepper, onion and tomato over the top. I wrapped them up and on the grill they went. I also had a green tomato that fell off the vine early. I cut the top and bottom off, salted it and off it went to the grill's edge.

As we waited for the main course to cook, I looked around and saw a big bowl of peaches, more than I would eat. A new idea born. I peeled a few, don't try to take out the pit, and onto the grill they went. Continuing to look around, I still saw a bunch of peppers. Out came the knife again and sliced peppers to the grill.

The corn stayed on the grill for at least an hour. Except for the very top, the ears stayed moist and sweet. I wanted the beef cooked medium, but it came out medium well, no damage done though. The onion worked well and the result of the green tomato will keep some of my crop from ripening this summer. The peaches were great. I guess the sugar carmalized. Next time, I need to have ice cream or whipped cream on hand.

The weekend feast continued Sunday. I went to visit my parents in Statesville and the dinner table spread did not disappoint. A tender pork loin complemented with green beans, with a few October beans thrown in, corn, canteloupe, tomatoes, mashed potatoes, all fresh. For desert, fresh peaches and ice cream over pound cake. I brought a few leftovers home too.

I still have a good bit of the peppers and onions from the grill. Along with the leftovers I'm mulling over my next meal. I've already used the green beans and corn mixed with a little of the pepper and onions. It made a nice summer vegetable soup. Tonight, I'm thinking of cutting pork loin over the pepper and onions and re-heating them in the skillet. Right now I'm contemplating putting them over rice. We'll see how strong the appetite is this evening.

Keep the charcoal lit.

Peppers everywhere, hoping against blossom rot, the grill: midsummer reflections in the backyard I

2006-07-10T15:41:00.000-04:00

I'll admit that as I began my summer vacation, I wondered how much I would enjoy it. For the previous three summers, I had a great job where I traveled all over the country and got paid to do it, (best paying summer job ever.) Unfortunately, it didn't happen this year. It was a great job in that it wasn't just about the travel. I got to be great friends with my co-workers and certainly started feeling a sense of entitlement at having the experience every summer. While I miss it, the regenerative powers of summer have the karma balanced properly.

I'm back on good terms with my backyard. It's all about 200 some square feet behind my condo closed in by a privacy fence, but I'm glad to be reaquainted with it. Staying away from home during the summer can put you in a landscaping hole. A months worth of unchecked weed growth presents the most daunting of tasks, especially for a classic procrastinator such as myself. This summer I'm able to stay on top of the yard and I'm a better man for it.

I've set out about 20 pepper plants and four tomato vines. The jalapenos and Anaheims have been going strong for more than two weeks. I set out the tomatoes a little late, but they look healthy and are filled with green tomatoes. I am wary about several reports of root rot in the area. With root rot, everything looks good until the tomato starts to ripen. Fruit on a plant with root rot will cave in from the bottom about the time it starts to redden. The weather is to blame. This year we've had extended dry spells followed by excessive rainfall, a potential deadly combination for tomatoes. I hope to dodge that bullet.

A return toward mastery of the backyard has brought a reappearance of the grill, actually it's my neighbor's grill, but it's in my backyard. With the overflow of peppers, I needed to use them fast. Fresh salsa didn't make a dent in them. I gave away a few, but they still covered my kitchen counter. It was time for a cookout. I first wanted to do it Friday, but it seemed too rushed. Nonetheless, people started dropping by, it's alluded to here, and the party was on. Saturday rolled around and the cookout was on. I told several people about it and most of them showed up along with a few they'd talked to and I hadn't. Party on once again and all of it spent in the backyard.

Great to back on good terms with the backyard.

Racism: a cycle of...?

2006-07-10T12:55:00.000-04:00

Interesting local blogging this weekend on racism in politics.

Hogg's Blog has coverage on an anti-racism rally held downtown Friday evening. Hoggard attended the rally and is willing to listen to community leaders wanting to deal with racism in Guilford County, but he certainly sees plenty of flaws in some of their contentions:

I’ve been told that I, as a white man, can’t judge as to what is, or is not, racism. Perhaps this is true, but if I am going to be asked to join an effort to fight racism, I will find it very hard to fight what I can’t see. Suspension rates in our schools clearly smack of some kind of racism in my book, as do the City Council decision to oppose the T&R process and many aspects of the ongoing police investigations. To the black leadership, I say K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid), at least in the early stages, and you will gather more support.

It sounds like a reasonable request to me. I tend to disagree with his contention that suspension rates indicate some form of racism. I don't teach in Guilford County, but I am a public school teacher and from what I've experienced, suspension is a usually a last-resort tool. That doesn't mean race is not a factor, but placing the paramount focus on racism can limit a school's ability to discipline in way that's fair to disruptive students and those who usually obey the rules and desire a more orderly school experience. Nonetheless, a discussion of high suspension rates, no matter their cause, is one that could benefit the community.

Sam Hieb weighs in on the extension of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Forty NC counties would be affected. Sam concludes:

My gut reaction is releasing the electoral system from the stranglehold of the federal bureaucracy will not restrict voter accessibilty but will improve it.

I think Sam should trust his gut.

Racism and politics a mix, more emotional than analytical, that often illicits a rise in blood pressure from many on both sides. While the political system plays a role in protecting Americans against racism, it is unrealistic to see it as the best remedy to cure the racism residing in the human heart.

Joe Biden: he-he-he-he

2006-07-07T16:45:00.000-04:00

Let me start by saying that I don't think Joe Biden is an anti-Indian bigot, but I won't feel sorry for him catching hell for his crack about having to speak with an Indian accent if he steps into a 7-11 or Dunkin Doughnuts in Delaware. I'll also not lament the fact that the mainstream media will cover his behind instead of annointing him as the poster child of the moment for low-brow American bigotry. I don't think what he said was bigoted, but more likely a case of poor judgment.

I don't mind watching him catch hell because I've seen enough of his act in Senate hearings. Whenever he's questioning someone he plays for the cameras. During the Samuel Alito hearings, it took him about 20 minutes of posturing before he got around to asking a question. A couple years ago I watched him during a hearing harangue John Ashcroft about torture.

In a body with plenty of sanctimonious pricks, Biden often stands the most erect of all. Buck up and weather the storm Joe.

BTW:Biden explains himself here.

Little heard back stories on the war: the homefront

2006-07-07T13:33:00.000-04:00

Victor Davis Hanson looks at the history of western appeasement to Islamists and how it might affect the outlook of Democrats on the future of the war against terrorism.

Hanson points out that before 9/11, radical Muslim beliefs were much more tolerated by the West's rightists than on the left:

In the 1980s some conservatives saw the jihadists in Afghanistan or the Wahhabis in the Gulf as valuable bulwarks against global Communism. On the Western domestic front, even extremist Muslims — in their embrace of family values and resentment against modernism — were considered bedrock conservatives. Supposedly, they shared the same understandable concern about Western “decadence,” such as promiscuity, homosexuality, crass popular culture, and family dissolution.

So, despite clear evidence that many conservative mosques in the West were promulgators of a sick backward extremism, many social reactionaries hardly wished to upset their fellow travelers. Add in common distrust of Israel, and no surprise that the pages of The American Conservative will still sometimes resemble those of the Nation.

Since 9/11, the left has taken up much of the apologia for radical Islam:

Indeed, a radical Leftist always faces a dilemma when a fellow anti-American sounds fascistic. The usual course, as we have seen since September 11, is either to keep silent about such embarrassing kindred spirits, or to weasel out by suggesting our own hegemonic tendencies pushed a once reasonable “Other” in lamentable directions.

The result? Killers and terrorists have been able to operate openly in European capitals. Here in North America, in the 58 months after the Twin Towers fell, numerous cadres of terrorists still continue to be rounded up — without a peep of condemnation from mainstream Muslim groups, who have instead crafted an ingenious cult of victimization, predicated on sympathy from the Left. Ask yourself: In the fifth year since September 11, is it more likely that Islamic associations in Canada or the United States will condemn global Islamic extremism or complain about purported Islamophobia and the sins of “Zionism”?

Hanson also criticizes the US for doing nothing to ease dependence on foreign oil:

The truth is that as long as American petroleum demand, coupled with restrictions on our own energy development, helps drive the world oil price up, we are simply funding psychopaths who otherwise would have no viable economic means of support. Without Saudi petrol money, Wahhabism, the godhead of Islamic fascism, devolves into just another localized lunatic sect. So we talk seriously about new alternative energy, and seriously do nothing — in the vain hope that the price soon collapses or, barring that, we can stop the guy on a motorbike in Damascus or Ramadi from delivering millions in cash satchels from Saudi financiers to al Qaeda killers.

He finally cautions those who see political gain in American failure in Iraq:

Who knows — perhaps President Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defense Wesley Clark, and Attorney General John Edwards may soon appear on television extending support for democrats in Baghdad or deploring unlawful disclosures that emboldened terrorists plotting to blow up Washington.

Because this generation of the opposition, in a foolish and short-sighted manner, has turned an American struggle into George Bush’s futile war, it will either have to abandon the democracy in Iraq or recant and assure the rest of us that its past hateful and extremist rhetoric was just politics, and they are now going to unite us and lead us on to victory over the primevalists after all.

Another good read from VDH.

Anti-racism rally set for tonight

2006-07-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

Many of Guilford County's prominent black leaders will lead a rally tonight to highlight what they see as racial injustices committed recently. Organizers cite nine cases that grew "out of a culture of racism," highlighted by the situation with former police chief David Wray and last week's firing of county manager Willier Best, as impetus for the rally.

I doubt this rally will do much to improve race relations in Guilford County. While I have yet to hear a sound reason for firing Best at this time, I find it quite narrow-minded and divisive to chalk it up to racial bigotry. As for Wray, he's been gone almost a year and the police department seems to be running smoothly under the leadership of interim chief Tim Bellamy, who is black.

When things don't go our way politically, it's tempting to attribute our defeat to some overriding evil. The charge of racism in politics is pernicious. How do you defend yourself against charges of racism, especially when black politicians make the charge against white opponents? Many whites accept the charge of racism uncritically. Others compile a list of what they percieve as black racism and the argument is on. Usually, it results in a battle for momentary ascent on the high ground of moral righteousness. The dust will settle and most move on to other issues until a dispute occurs between politicians of different races and the charge to the top starts over again.

Most of the current grievances are political at heart. I think the current method of electing county commissioners, city councilmen and state legislators at the district level makes charges of racism a much more attractive political tactic. Guilford's black leaders don't have to worry about appealing to large blocs of white voters to get elected and the reverse is true for white leaders. While district representation was used to ensure minorities were elected, a reasonable short-term solution, it's long-term effect has been to segregate voters into racial enclaves where those who seek election don't have to venture too far outside the concerns of their districts to ensure victory.

For those who don't think county-wide elections will work for black politicians, refresh yourself on local history. In 1968 Guilford was the state's first county in the 20th century to elect a black representative, Henry Frye, to the NC House. Frye had to appeal to voters in all corners of the county and did so successfully the first time and in subsequent runs. He even went on to appeal to voters statewide by being elected as the chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.

The Wray situation and Best firing would make sound and legitimate campaign issues for the Greensboro City Council and county commission respectively. However, the current system will likely prevent the discussion to escape the confines of race.

To be fair, one of the issues inspiring tonight's rally, a high suspension rate among black students in the county's school system, is not political, but once again, limiting this serious issue to racism will make it harder to get to the heart of a very real problem.

Tales of the Taepoedong, waylaid Chinese trains, Koreans in Japan disagree, Japan and South Korea disagree over islands

2006-07-06T22:16:00.000-04:00

Officials with Japan's Defense Agency say that North Korea's launch of a Taepodong long range missle failed. North Korea claimed the launch successful. Japanese defense experts dismissed the possibility that the North Koreans destroyed the missle to keep out of the range of US territory. An official said he doubted the North Koreans have the ability to abort the flight of the Taepodong.

In the meantime, Strategy Page reports of bizarre behavior on the part of North Korea not directly related to the missle launch. Over the last few weeks, North Korea has kept Chinese trains sent to the country carrying aid. The Koreans keep the trains and send their crews back to the Chinese borders. The North has refused Chinese requests to return the trains.

Two leading Korean groups in China, one aligned with the South, the other with the North, adopted different stances over the missile launch. On the heels of the launch, Mindan, the group aligned with the South, renounced an agreement it reached in May with the North Korea-aligned Chongryun. The leader of Mindan claimed Chongryun had no intention of bucking Pyongyang.

Meanwhile, officials with Chongryun voiced concern that Koreans, especially students at Korean schools, may face harassment over the launch. The group even instructed principals of the schools to abolish ethnic uniforms.

Finally, Japan demanded that South Korea halt a survey into a group of islands that both countries claim.

Former human shield puts British rocker in coma

2006-07-06T12:02:00.000-04:00

I'm riding Tim Blair's coattails this morning, but I couldn't ignore this. New Zealander Christiaan Taylor Briggs, who served as a human shield for Sadaam Hussein prior to the US-led invasion of Iraq in '03, stands accused of punching Billy Leeson following a dispute on a bus in North London. The punch knocked Leeson to the ground and he suffered a skull fracture when he struck his head on a footpath. The news report said Leeson's attacker ran off laughing. Leeson is in a coma and reported as in critical but stable condition.

Bad timing: Whale watchers watch whale kill

2006-07-06T11:56:00.000-04:00

I found this via Tim Blair. Tourists on a whale-watching tour in Norway witnessed the killing of a minke whale by a commercial whale boat. Whale watching tours normally keep their distance from the commercial boats, but this time their paths crossed.

UN Human Rights Council votes to condemn Israel in emergency session

2006-07-06T09:15:00.000-04:00

In its first major vote since its formation earlier this year, the UN Human Rights Council in an emergency session voted to deplore Israel's recent incursion into the northern tip of the Gaza Strip. The resolution condemning Israel contained an amendment proposed by Switzerland saying that armed Palestinian groups should be called to account as well. The resolution was proposed by the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Itzhak Levinon, Israel's UN ambassador in Geneva, likened the action to a diplomatic ambush:

Israel's ambassador to the UN's European headquarters in Geneva called the session "a planned and premeditated" attack on his country, and said it continued the anti-Israel bias set by the discredited U.N. Human Rights Commission, which was phased out this year.

Anne Bayefsky sees the new HR Council as a repackaged HR Commission:

The credibility of the flagship of UN "reform," the newly-created Human Rights Council, sunk during its very first session, which ended on Friday, June 30th. The deck chairs on the Titanic had been rearranged when the Council replaced the discredited Human Rights Commission.

Bayefsky points out that as a myriad of human rights abuses take place around the globe, the Human Rights Council chose to single out one nation:

NO, THERE was only one country singled out by the UN Human Rights Council, and that was Israel.The Council decided that the program for the first session should focus discussion on five issues; the first one being the "human rights situation in the occupied Arab Territories, including Palestine." (The rest were "support for the Abuja Peace Agreement," and three thematic subjects.) The Council placed criticism of Israel permanently on the agenda of all future sessions. It gave only the special investigator on Israel what amounted to a permanent mandate. On its final day, the Council passed just one resolution condemning human rights violations by any of the 192 UN members, and directed it at Israel. When it was all over, the Council decided to hold its first special (emergency) session within the next few days - on Israel.

The United States and Israel were two of only four UN members who voted against the council. Neither holds a seat on the body at this time. It's ironic that a body created to prevent the ascesion of evil regimes such as Nazi Germany focuses all its outrage on a democratic nation born despite the devastation wrought during the aforementioned nightmare.

Tigers still sitting atop the heap

2006-07-05T22:54:00.000-04:00

Baseball is approaching the all-star break and the Detroit Tigers have the best record of all. They padded their record with a 10-4 win at Oakland today. I'll have to admit that I'm a little behind on baseball this year. The Carolina Hurricanes run to the Stanley Cup took my attention away from the troubles of the Atlanta Braves and I stopped looking at the standings. However, Detroit has my attention. Jim Leyland works some more magic. Kenny Rogers is still a strong hurler. Other than Ivan Rodriguez, I'm not familiar with their players. I'd love to catch a Tigers/Chisox game on the tube. Don't ask me why, but it seems baseball is better when they have a strong squad in Motown.

Update: I just educated myself on the Tigers. It looks like Detroit may have a chance to live down the John Smoltz trade. Late last season, the Braves sent top pitching prospect Zach Miner to the Tigers for closer Kyle Farnsworth. Miner is 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA so far this year.

Miner's fellow starter Nate Robertson has a blog based on his prowess as a gum chewer. He's having a good season on the mound too.

Independence Day

2006-07-04T13:50:00.000-04:00

Just waiting for the fireworks to begin. It's been a great Independence Day. Spent a little time with a neighbor whose a Vietnam Vet. It seemed a good way to pass the day. I love July 4. For whatever reason, it seems appropriate that our country points to a day in the dead heat of the summer as its birthday. The blood is pumping, everything's growing and the energy of the sun is at its height. Great to be living in the land of the free. Happy Independence Day.

Artificial whitewater on the Catawba has impact on the Nantahala

2006-07-03T13:27:00.000-04:00

The impact of the US National Whitewater Center near Charlotte will have an impact on the NC mountains. The center won't be diverting any water flow from mountain streams, or for that matter the Catawba River, but it will affect the population demographics in the NC high country. Over the years, many world-class whitewater athletes have moved into Western NC in order to train with the Nantahala Racing Club (NRC), one of the top whitewater training groups in the country. However, many of these athletes are relocating to Charlotte to train at USNWC.

While the Charlotte facility will reduce the population of world-class athletes, the NRC president believes it will have an overall positive impact on whitewater sports in the mountains:

NRC president Steve Zarnowski of Asheville said the Charlotte center should make the local paddling program stronger.

“We see Charlotte as being a better place for our athletes,” Zarnowski said. “It gives them an opportunity to work, go to school and train in the same area. It’s difficult for them to do that here.”

The center hoped to open last month, but gaining roadway rights to the center created a delay in the opening. It does plan to open this summer though. The facility will be the world's largest artificial whitewater course, but will not serve solely as a training site. It will be open to the public and offer a wide-range of outdoor activities, including whitewater raft trips. I've always loved NC's variety of outdoor activities and the facility should enhance the state's image as an outdoor mecca.

Cinderella Man good Independence Day weekend viewing

2006-07-03T12:14:00.000-04:00

Thanks to HBO, I believe I've pieced together enough segments of Cinderella Man to now lay claim to seeing the entire movie. I'm glad I did. The story of James Braddock is certainly worth re-telling today. I also thought Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger were superb in their roles as Jimmy and Mae Braddock. Paul Giamotti deserved his Oscar nomination for playing Braddock's manager, Joe Gould, and I liked Craig Bierko's portrayal of Max Baer, even though Baer's son, Max Jr., says the movie exagerrated the heavyweight's cavalier attitude.

What I found most striking about the movie was the values of the Braddocks. They believed in working hard and taking care of the family. Whether working in the ring or slaving away at the docks, Braddock knew his success would mean success for his family. Even after retiring from the ring, Braddock continued working and even started a successful business. He served well during World War II as well, neither is reenacted in the movie.

I also appreciate the vivid boxing scenes set in the 1930s, a time when boxing rivaled baseball as the most popular sport in America. The fight scenes showed how much drama could be packed into a three-minute round.

Too bad it didn't perform as well as expected at the box office, but I highly recommend a holiday viewing of Cinderella man.

Jimmy C speaks

2006-07-03T07:56:00.000-04:00

Former President Jimmy Carter offers up an op-ed in today's WaPo calling for fewer secrets in the US government. To remedy this situation, the man from Plains calls for amendments to the Freedom of Information Act to bring the US "more in line with emerging international standards."

Stacked up against other Carter pronouncements during the Bush II era, this one is rather mild. He points to an 81 percent increase in secret information from 2000 to 2005, but refrains from passing too much judgment on the administration. Instead, the piece focuses on the wrangling one must endure to gain access to government information:

Moreover, the response to FOIA requests often does not satisfy the transparency objectives or provisions of the law, which, for example, mandates an answer to information requests within 20 working days. According to the National Security Archives 2003 report, median response times may be as long as 905 working days at the Department of Agriculture and 1,113 working days at the Environmental Protection Agency. The only recourse for unsatisfied requesters is to appeal to the U.S. District Court, which is costly, timely and unavailable to most people. Policies that favor secrecy, implementation that does not satisfy the law, lack of a mandated oversight body and inaccessible enforcement mechanisms have put the United States behind much of the world in the right to information.

It's hard to argue against transparency in government. However, Carter does not offer any specifics. What information does Carter want made available? Does he believe any government information be kept secret? Does he really believe the US lags behind nations such as South Africa and Jamaica where transparency is concerned?

When Carter speaks, it's usually to point out something he sees as wrong. Don't expect any cheerleading. Carter has always displayed a strong streak of Puritanism, which has been known to create a dour outlook on things. I'll have to hear more before I determine if he's on to something here.

Do I look like a Peckerwood Peasant to you?

2006-07-01T18:54:00.000-04:00

I don't read Daily Kos that often, but a buddy of mine alerted me to a recent post on the South by diarist edencho, who, with a mental acuity rivaling that of Jethro Bodine , launches into a hate-filled diatribe against conservative southerners.

Here's the condensed version: the South is populated by Peckerwood Peasants still fuming from the abolition of slavery, who do all their shopping at Wal-Mart and display Confederate flags all over the place. These hapless fools serve as the foot soldiers of the country club Republicans who use their power to manipulate the stupid oafs who vote them into office.

Besides showing an utter lack of appreciation for the nuance and contradiction that is southern history, edencho shows a knack for fantasy writing. Edencho relies on the most bigoted stereotypes to describe the south. While there are no doubt many of the types edencho describes around us, I doubt their power as a voting bloc. I've been voting in NC since 1980 and I don't recall encountering too many Peckerwood Peasants at the polls. Maybe I just go at the wrong times.

Edencho also taunts the spirit of Ronnie van Zandt with this choice observation:

... and recent data showed that Alabama was the fastest growing state in America....regarding waistlines that is! A 2005 study of CDC data found that a whopping 27.7 percent of the population (well above the national average) the Yellowhammer state gives a new meaning to crimson tide: the gallons of ketchup that the lard ass peckerwoods pour over their buckets of deep-fried food. Not surprisingly fellow peckerwood meccas Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee were among the runners up as national repositories for the obese.

I'm laughing too hard to get mad at edencho. Instead, I'm grateful for being reminded that willful ignorance and bigotry don't stop at regional lines. Edencho, a southern man don't need you around any how, but thanks for the enlightenment.