Lunchtime and Books

Lunchtime around El Jefe's establishment, and it's too rainy and yucky looking to go out, and in any case Jefe is not in the mood. Today's lunchtime is reading: current book is Edward Crankshaw's The Fall of the House of Habsburg (Penguin, 1983), about somewhat sleepier and simpler times, before that evil, verminous, Al-Qaeda-like no-goodnik Gavrilo Princip managed to upset lots of applecarts, back before all the horrible "isms" -- communism, socialism, etc., of modern times.

Fiction reading of late has consisted of Jonathan Kellerman's latest paperback, Rage, (Ballantine, 2006), another of Dr. Kellerman's shrink/detective books; and Gerry Carroll's Ghostrider One, (Pocket1995), an excellent novel about a squadron of US Navy A-4 Skyhawk pilots operating off an aircraft carrier in the Vietnam Conflict (an older book I've had sitting around for a few years that I'm glad I found time for).

On deck is Michael R. Gordon's and Lieut.-Gen. Bernard Trainor's Cobra II : The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq (Pantheon, March 2006) -- a recent purchase; and another Iraq war book, this one a gift from T, from the perspective of the business-end: Michael M. Phillips's, The Gift of Valor, (Broadway, 2005), about the life and death of USMC Corporal Jason Dunham, killed in action in Iraq at age 22.

Finally, Mark Winegardner's The Godfather Returns (Ballantine, 2005) is also waiting. El Jefe of course, has a great interest in chronicles of his fellow bosses of bosses, especially fictional ones, so The Godfather is somewhat of a cult for El Jefe. SWMBO no doubt dreads my periodic Godfather phases: when I start going out at all hours to buy Peroni, and Moretti; swilling the Pinot Grigios; snarfing Parmigiano-Reggiano like potato chips; eating too much pasta; telling SWMBO to leave the shoes and take the cannoli; striking Mussolini-like poses; and, finally calling the Heir, "Sonny."

Numbers Game Part 2

Cost O' Livin, and other things, in El Jefe’s World. An occasional summary in random statistics of interest to El Jefe. (No. 2) All prices, unless noted, are as of 21 March 2006.

Part 1: Gas and Oil
Price, gallon of Super Unleaded, Valero, Bellaire Boulevard, Houston: $2.49 per gallon.
(up .6 cents a gallon from 10 January 2006).

Price, gallon of Regular Unleaded, Valero, Bellaire Boulevard, Houston: $2.65 per gallon.

(up .16 cents a gallon from 10 January 2006).

Part 2: Booze.
Price of a 6-pack, St Arnold’s Beer, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $6.79 per six pack. (down .20 cents a six pack from 10 January 2006).

Price of a 12 pack Bud Light (calls itself beer), Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: .59 cents an ounce, $16.99 per twelve pack).

(unchanged since 10 January 2006).
Price of Fish Eye Pinot Grigo, 2004 (white wine), Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $7.99 per 750 ML bottle.

(unchanged since 10 January 2006).

Yellow Tail Shiraz 2004 (red wine), Spec’s Houston : $6.09 per 750 ML bottle.

(down .90 cents a bottle from 10 January 2006).

Santa Rita Merlot 2004 (red wine), Spec’s Houston: $5.59 per 750 ML bottle.

(up .37 cents a bottle from 10 January 2006).

St Clement Chardonnay 2004 (white wine), Spec’s Houston: $15.78 per 750 ML bottle. (unchanged from 10 January 2006).

Veuve Cliquot, Champagne, Spec’s Houston: $38.20, per 750 ML bottle.

(up $2.42 per bottle since 10 January 2006).

Part 3: El Jefe Staple Items.
Price of Gruyere Cheese, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $14.99 per pound.

(unchanged since 10 January 2006).

Price of Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $19.99 per pound. (unchanged since 10 January 2006).

Sirloin Steak, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston, $6.99 per pound.

(unchanged since 10 January 2006).

Rib-Eye Steak, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston, $10.99 per pound.

(up $1.00 per pound since 10 January 2006).

Mrs. Baird’s Large White Sandwich (thing called bread): $1.89 per loaf.

(up .20 cents per loaf since 10 January 2006).

Red Leaf Lettuce, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $1.49 per head.

(down .50 cents a head since 10 January 2006).

Red Tomatoes: Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $2.49 per pound.

(up .70 cents per pound since 10 January 2006).

Special K cereal, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $4.39 per 18 oz box.

(unchanged since 10 January 2006).

Tidy Cats Cat Litter, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $2.39, per 10 pound bag.

(unchanged since 10 January 2006).

Part 4: The Big Mac Index.
Price of a Big Mac (no cheese), McDonalds, Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas: $2.26. (down .3 cents since 10 January 2006).

Part 5: Phone Books.
Pages in the March 2006 Houston AT&T Business White Pages: (Listings for Houston only), 625 pp.

(down from 700 pp. in SBC Business White Pages, March 2003).

Part 6: The Bourse (all currencies 10:00 Central Time 22 March 2006).
New York Stock Exchange, close, 21 March 2006: 11,235.47 (-39.06)

(up 223.57 since 10 January 2006).
US Dollar to Japanese Yen: $1.00 = Y1.17.

(dollar up .03 yen since 10 January 2006).

US Dollar to European Union Euro: $1.00 = E0.83.

(dollar up .01 Euros since 10 January 2006).

US Dollar to Canadian Dollar (9 January): $1.00 = Can $1.1659.

(US dollar up .19 CanD since 10 January 2006).

US Dollar to UK Pound (9 January): $1.00 = L .5723.

(dollar up .0059 Pounds since 10 January 2006).

US Dollar to Swiss Franc (9 January): $1.00 = F 1.3026 1.2768.

(dollar up .0258 Swiss Francs).

Part 7: El Jefe Weight:

Removed from Public Version of report, and sent for file maintenance by Directorate-General of El Jefe Imperial Security. Classified.

Springtime for Hit...er, Moonbats

Make some popcorn, sit for a spell and have a look at Zombietime's picture gallery of Moonbats at Play in the San Francisco Bay area. On the other hand, hold the popcorn, because you'll be too busy laughing yourself sick or wanting to throw up. If there was ever a crowd simply begging for firehoses, truncheons and police dogs, this would be it.

Zombietime has quite a picture collection of various Moonbat demonstrations, and all his galleries are worth a look.

Stay Tuned

Sorry for the light blogging of late, but a combination of pressure at work, busy weekends and a case of writer's block have kept my posting down. However, I do have a couple of items which I'm going to blog on in the near future.

Meanwhile, be sure to check out Belmont Club today. Wretchard has a good post on the media's latest buzz-phrase -- civil war in Iraq. This theme is the latest disaster du jour in the media's and the chattering classes continuing chorus of doom, disaster and defeatism. "Civil war” in Iraq is imminent, or underway, or whatever.

Notice how nobody is talking about the imminent success of the Sunni rebellion in driving out the Americans ? That was last year’s disaster. The Sunni rebellion was a flop, and appears to be dying, but our media, apparently eager to rescue the rebels, or, more accurately, to bash Bush, has discovered the possibility of a civil war.

Along the same lines, we have Russ Feingold bleating about "censure" in the Senate, because of the President's tapping of overseas phone calls. I hope Senator Feingold and all his friends try it: so Joe Six-Pack can see what really moves leftie swells to outrage. The Democrats truly live in cloud-cuckoo land: God forbid we should try to spy on bad guys, or even harm a hair on their America-hating heads. If we would be good lefties, we must respect multi-culturalism, admit former Taliban members to Yale, and prosecute US soldiers who muss the hair of rebels who shoot at American soldiers in Iraq. Who cares how many of us, or our soldiers, the enemy kills, as long as every Tom, Dick and Abdul that hates us gets his civil rights ?

The lefties and their allies will really try anything at all to get us back to the glory days of Watergate and Vietnam. They seem to have a ways to go -- the big anti-war demonstrations this weekend were largely ignored and unattended, except by the usual suspects, most of whom probably need baths.

Burfday Celebrations

Doubtless, the world has been waiting to hear about El Jefe’s birthday celebrations, so I shall condescend to provide a few details. El Jefe scored a few nice birthday cards, including one from El Jefe’s friend L with a picture of umbrellas which, the caption informed us, needed drinks. One of my running gag lines is how an afternoon at the swim-up bar drinking umbrella drinks certainly beats working for a living, so this was the prize birthday card. Of course, all the slaving away makes umbrella drinks possible and this blog possible, a fact sometimes forgotten by the somewhat prone-to-laziness El Jefe.

On Saturday, She Who Must Be Obeyed surprised me with a trip to Ibiza.

No, not this Ibiza….but this Ibiza, a yummy, Mediterranean/French restaurant in downtown Houston.

This was really pretty cool of SWMBO, because several other couples, friends of ours, were included: my friend T and her husband E, my pal John C and his wife R, and our friends the W's. SWMBO assembled the guest list, made the calls and set the whole thing up without me knowing. Apparently the Heir knew, and managed to keep his mouth shut, which is really pretty good for a Fourth Grader. (My Spy Lessons must be paying off). Heir spent the night at a friend's house.

In any case, I was totally surprised, SWMBO was very mysterious about it, hinting that we were just gonna have a quiet dinner at some steak restaurant. This was much better.

Ibiza is worth the trip if you’re in Houston. The Cosmos were very good – such an easy drink to mess up: too much vodka and you’ve got medicine. I had the trout with Salsa Verde, with the Basque Green Pepper and Crab Bisque -- along with a good and red wine (everybody seemed to want to drink red, so despite several of us having fish dinners, we all shared a decent Merlot).

El Jefe definitely scored some cool swag (including some great books from T and E and a commemorative University of Texas Championship Season football from John). T also gave me my very own copy of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition issue (so I didn’t salivate all over the Heir’s, she said); as well as dropping off the next day a plate of Peanut Butter Cookies which are safely stashed in a High Security Undisclosed Location that Heir might learn about if he behaves.

SWMBO gave me a couple of bookcases, items which are always in high demand round our house.

In any case, we all had an excellent time, and I was so glad that everyone attended, and SWMBO was really cool to set the evening up.

Not Productive Today

Not much for blogging this weekend. Manana is, of course, El Jefe's birthday, celebrated worldwide, and in the Kingdom of Chaos, the loyal peasants are given the weekend off, (except for the devoted organs of State Security, a/k/a the secret police, of course). Extra work for all lefties, rabble-rousers and other mauvais sujets.

I see that old Slobodan Milosevic has died, apparently of natural causes, in the Hague. Good riddance to bad rubbish, and to a tyrant and criminal. His death, although unmourned by me or many others, is certainly very convenient for many people, not least his countrymen.

UPDATE (13 March). Mr. Milosevic was more than a vaguely unsavory Serbian politican. Read this splendid discussion by Wretchard over at Belmont Club describing the unlamented Slobodan's carefully planned "ethnic cleansing" program to create a "Greater Serbia" out of Yugoslavia in the early 1990's.

As an aside, perhaps a little truth-in-blogging is in order. In my years of historical reading, I have never managed to be overly sympathetic to Serbia or to Serbian politicans. Greater Serbian nationalism, exemplified by its most recently notorious mouthpiece, Mr. Milosevic -- was one of the greatest war and misery-breeders of the twentieth century. A pan-Serbian gunman began the most violent century so far in Sarajevo, in 1914, and thugs working for Mr. Slobodan ended it at about the same place in the early 90's.

Sharon Stone's Peace Plan

Sharon Stone, the babeamundo star of, inter alia, Basic Instinct said Wednesday she "would kiss just about anybody" to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In recognition of Ms. Stone's diplomatic demarche, the Foreign Ministry of the Kingdom of Chaos, located in beautiful downtown Ciudad El Jefe, announces El Jefe's readiness to proceed to the Middle East, like manana, and spread beaucoup peace and enlightenment, in order to be worthy of some kissy-face from the comely Ms. Stone. Hell, throw in a couch, some okay music, a quiet afternoon, and a decent bottle of wine, and we'll be working on world peace, like, forever.

Alas, El Jefe suspects he has some competition: probably the Foreign Offices of the world are going overtime tonite; the striped-pants boys churning out peace plans like hot-dog buns, hoping for a buss from la Sharon (and I don't mean the one whose first name is Ariel).

Maybe we could send Ms. Stone to Iran, on a peace mission ? Wonder what ol' Mad Jad would make of her ? No, cancel that idea, Sharon's too gorgeous to be Stoned, or whatever evil 7th Century thing the Mullahs would come up with.

The Farce Continues

I started writing this as the response to a comment by one “Dagger” in my last post, but decided about two-thirds of the way through that it should stand alone as a post. For the original post and the comments occasioning it, go here.

Mr. Dagger:
You talk glibly about the “hypocrisy” of the US position that “we can have nukes and bio weapon programs but the 'bad guys' can't.” Liberals really have a fixation about hypocrisy, as such matters were some kind of college debate problem, or a morality contest. I have no objection whatever to hypocrisy when it is useful.

That aside, do you really think that the so-called Islamic Republic, which supports groups like Hezbollah and the leaders of which talk casually about wiping states off the map, is to be trusted with “nukes and bio weapons programs ?” My problem with the Islamic Republic is that it is not a status quo power, but a state that supports underground terrorist organizations in other states; a state opposed to the present capitalist international system; a state which is an avowed enemy of the United States and of bourgeois republics generally.

If this were a different Iranian government, say a plain republic or a restored monarchy, that accepted the present international system, I would not have concerns with Iranian weapons programs. Even an Islamic Republic that remained quiet and kept its poisons within its frontiers would not be a legitimate cause for concern. As it stands, the Iranians can have their fascist Islamic Republic or their WMD programs, but not both.

As for preemptive war: if the choice is war now, or war later under less favorable terms, I am unquestionably for war now. I think that an Islamic Republic with WMD’s is simply too dangerous to be allowed to exist. I’d rather be wrong my way than yours.

Blame the UN ? I don’t blame the UN for anything. I blame Franklin Roosevelt and the other idiots who created it, a good deal. The UN is a club that allows dictators to give one another mutual aid and support, and to posture in front of the world media, and influence opinion in the United States and Europe. The UN is an exclusive club for allowing savages to punch out of their weight, and a prostitute used to being used by everyone. It is quite enough that we pay for the UN. God forbid that we should ever listen to it.

Hey Maru, I think that I generally agree with you. I’m sure, as in Iraq, we will have all kinds of covert coat-holders who don’t want to be on the record. Certainly we will have more help than we can use once it is clear we are bearing all the risk, and that we will be successful.

Maybe we will all be lucky. Maybe the Mullahs will give up their dream of a bomb. Maybe Mahmoud “Mad Jad” Ahmadinejad will slip on a banana peel. Maybe the Iranian generals will decide the Islamic Republic is too dangerous, and do away with it. Maybe the students can start a real revolution. Hope so. But things look pretty bleak from the point of view of peace.

The Farce Begins

The AP tells us today that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General, Mr. Mohamed ElBaradei is expressing “cautious optimism” today on the chances of reaching agreement with Iran to “defuse concerns” about Iranian nuclear plans, and make United Dictators (UN) Security Council action “unnecessary.”

Yeah, I’ll bet.

The Heir, all of ten years old, could tell you how this is going to play out. Lots of late night meetings and paper shuffling by Mr. ElBaradei and his friends, resulting in huffing and puffing at the Circus on Turtle Bay (a.k.a. UN Headquarters) and the miraculous discovery by Mr. ElBaradei and the IAEA that Iran is “moving towards substantial compliance” with UN requirements and further action will probably be unnecessary.

Then we’ll read the fine print, and discover that, in exchange for trillions upon billions of dollars of every kind of aid you can imagine, Iran has given us (if you want to be polite), a very definite “maybe” on halting progress towards a nuclear weapon. If you want to be honest, the Iranians will be found to have said: “drop dead infidels,” in diplomatese of course.

The world’s great and good will be “horrified” and “shocked” when the US expresses its dissatisfaction with the concept of paying for its own humiliation, and Mr. ElBaradei, Oil for Food Kofi, the French, the Germans, the Democratic Party and all the talking heads will say that the US is making impossible demands and that it should respect the “will to peace” of the international community.

The US, joined possibly by the usual suspects, Britain, Israel and Australia, will persist, and say the Iranian maybe is not enough. Things will start blowing up all over the world, as the Iranian secret police turns loose the terrorists; the Americans will begin an achingly slow military build-up, while the Iranians talk about 20 new ways to wipe out Israel; finish their bomb, lock up or kill their dissidents; and, get their military ready. (Just how many dead Americans is the diplo-game worth ?)

Then…at the eleventh hour, Mr. Putin will weigh-in with yet another deal, which the talking heads will sagely tell us, is designed to avert a terrible war. The smarter ones will tell us that the last-minute deal is to ensure that nothing whatever happens to the Iranians and their bomb - only the really smart ones will figure out that the whole thing is just a charade to put the onus for war on the Americans. The “deal” will be nothing but a re-hashed version of the “drop dead infidels” arrangement.

So, the Americans will be left to carry on alone, or virtually so, but only after giving the Great and the Good time to mobilize world public opinion in favor of letting the Mullahs have their bomb; or rather, in favor of taking the Americans down a peg. The overclass driving this process, in Europe, and in the United States, is much more concerned with bringing the United States to heel, and ensuring its compliance with the transnational project, than it is about some smelly mullahs in a far away country getting a bomb.

All of the diplomatic games are nonsense, of course. The question before the House is: will we fight to stop the Iranians having their bomb, or not ? If we do so, it will be alone.

2 March 1836

Today is the 170th anniversary of the declaration of the independence of Texas from Mexico. The odds against the Texians (as they called themselves) were considerably longer than those against the Americans in 1776, or even the Confederates in 1861. Nevertheless, thanks to the military incompetence of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna; the resolution and cleverness of Sam Houston; the grit of the Texians; and no small amount of luck, Texas was able to make good the proclamations of the politicians, and secure itself the right to an independent national existence.

Here’s to all who made it possible: at Goliad, the Alamo, Agua Dulce, Coleto, Gonzales, Refugio, San Jacinto and other places. Our thoughts stretch to touch you across the years. You are not forgotten.

Iranian Military Plans

I am very busy this week, but here are some first impressions of something very, very interesting.

Kenneth Timmerman has published, at News Max.com, details about plans of the Iranian Pasdaran (Revolutionary Guards) to close the Straits of Hormuz, in the event of US/Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. (Hat tip, Doctor Zin at Regime Change Iran). According to the article, News Max has received portions of a thirty page plan (sounds like an executive summary), drawn up by the Strategic Studies Center of the Iranian Navy, (in Farsi, the acronym is NDAJA), apparently drafted in September or October of last year. Apparently, the source is an Iranian intelligence officer, one Hamid Reza Zakeri, who came west in 2001.

The effort would be run by one consolidated operational headquarters, integrating Pasdaran missile units (equipped with C-801 and C-802 Chinese anti-ship cruise missiles), as well as Shahab-3 and Shahab-4 IRBM’s, mines (including tethered bottom-mines that could sink an aircraft carrier), fast-attack boats equipped with rockets, machine guns and Sagger anti-tank missiles (fine for use on merchantmen and destroyer-sized warships), as well as chemical, biological and nuclear (CBN) weapons. Apparently target lists include Saudi oil production and export centres.

The coordinating headquarters will rely on, among other things, intelligence from surveillance satellites. Whose ? We do have some anti-satellite capability...

An accompanying map apparently identifies “mass kill zones” “where Iranian strategists believe [that] they can decimate a U.S. led invasion force before it actually enters the Persian Gulf.” These run from just east of Bandar Abbas, an Iranian port in the narrows of the Straits of Hormuz, to Shah Bahar, on the Indian Ocean fairly near Pakistan.

The Iranian military seems plenty big and tough -- much better and more effective than it was in the long ago Iran-Iraq War. Institutionally, it seems to have absorbed the lessons of that conflict, as well as the two Gulf Wars, and the US intervention in Kosovo. Orbat.com's publication Concise World Armies, 2006 rates the Iranian military pretty highly, and says that it has plenty of maneuver and exercise time. The military and Revolutionary Guard are backed up by a very sophisticated intelligence and secret police organization (the Persians have always had good spies) -- descended from the American-trained services of the Shah's days. Iran must not be underestimated.

I will look into this more closely as I have time, but the Iranian military capability shouldn't be over estimated, either. Surely this cannot be all of the plan. The Iranian military has capable staff and intelligence officers. I wonder what threshold the planners are working with: i.e., how far they think they can go ? Sinking aircraft carriers ? Attacking Saudi oil fields ? Leaving their nutty president aside, do the Iranians want to get nuked ? Just how much mayhem can the Iranians get away with in their "mass kill zones" before Uncle Sam starts raining nuclear weapons on them? Yeah, the Iranians can stop the oil, for awhile, but if they really think they can win an air/naval/missile contest, the Iranian staffers are smoking crack... unless that is, Iran has a big power backer.

Do they ?

We are at a very, very dangerous place, just now. If the Iranians are foolish, they will take our President's sinking poll numbers, and our happy UN talk, much too much to heart. They may be fooled into thinking they have a free hand, and assume the edge of acceptable behavior is further away than it is. We are already teetering on the abyss. It is easy to forget how much power a President has over the decision to resort to arms. If the Iranians underestimate this President, there is a strong probability that a lot of people are going to wind up very dead.

Similarly, the Iranians may assume too much tolerance by Israel and its caretaker Prime Minister. The Israelis have been stirring, saying just this week that they will not wait forever for a solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

Fundamentally, I am worried by this, apparently, yokel of an Iranian president, who really seems to believe in the imminent appearance of the Twelfth Imam, and talks glibly about wiping countries off the map. Does he know where the red line is; how far the bluster can safely go ? Do those around him ? No question, the present script looks like a war-breeder.

Hmmm

Between work and real life, have been neglecting the blog. Definitely have a few things to comment on this week, which will appear in due course.

El Jefe and family attended a block party in his neighborhood last night: sort of a farewell for one of his neighbors. Always depressing to lose neighbors, particularly nice ones like the G's. We are losing the G's to a job transfer to the east coast. I do not think that there could be enough money in the world to pay me to live in the northeast, (Been There and Done That); but everyone is different. Hope the G's like it.

It's definitely a Monday. . . not even a vente (extra large) black coffee from Starbucks has managed to make me feel awake yet. The long boring deposition that I have to start reading as soon as I finish this little note definitely will not help matters. Yawn !

Washington's Birthday

Happy Birthday to America's first and greatest President, George Washington.

The fact that there is a United States at all is due largely to George Washington, and in particular to his military leadership in the terrible fall and winter of 1776-77, when he kept the War for American Independence alive on sheer determination. Of course, while fighting the finest army on the planet with raw troops and militiamen who did not even have shoes, Washington had to keep one hand free to keep the politicians in Philadelphia off his back – these worthies all being convinced that they were better qualified to do his job. Had good sense not finally prevailed with the politicos, the British, in spite of everything, no doubt would have prevailed.

No Napoléon or Julius Caesar as a general, George Washington did the United States a significant service following the war by being no Napoléon or Julius Caesar as a politician, by quietly and competently performing his functions as President, and duly making way for his successor when his legal term expired.

Ohio Men

AP reports today that three “Ohio men” have been indicted on terrorism charges alleging that they “planned attacks to kill US and coalition military personnel in Iraq and other countries.”

Yeah, “Ohio men.” I’m sure an underground cell of fanatic Buckeye fans meeting at the pool hall on the outskirts of beautiful Anytown, Ohio are all hatching plots against those dastardly US military personnel over a few beers.

Of course, we’ve all got a pretty good idea what sort of “Ohio men” we’re really talking about here, even if AP wants to write the story without using the terms “Arab” or “Muslim” even once. God forbid the media recognize anything resembling the concept of nationality, or notice that there are real differences, sometimes lethal ones, between people.

The conventional wisdom looks pretty on the bullseye to me – not even the AP avoids giving the names: one Mohammad Zaki Amawi, apparently a citizen of both the US and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; a Marwan Othman El-Hindi, a US citizen born in Jordan; and finally, Wassim I. Mazloum, who came to the US from Lebanon in 2000.

One of these “Ohio men” has also been accused of twice threatening in conversations to kill or injure the President.

No doubt about it, “Ohio men,” probably even on the voter rolls. They were going to practice their demolitions skills setting off bombs on 4 July 2005, so that explosions wouldn’t be noticed while other Ohio men were setting off firecrackers.

Yeah, maybe the “Ohio men” are innocent, but I’m not putting anybody’s Ohio farm on it. Gotta make the ritual salaam to “innocent until proven guilty” though, which is more than the “Ohio men’s” friends in Iraq would be likely to do.

If these guys are guilty, it’s almost too bad they didn’t make it to Iraq, where some real Ohio men could turn them into chopped liver.

But more importantly, this little article, and the built-in, so politically correct, conceit that, despite our different backgrounds; differing religious heritages; different nationalities; different upbringings -- that all people are functionally the same, cookie-cutter interchangeable, captures perfectly for me all that is wrong with our political and media elites. It is delusional to assume mere possession of a passport, or entitlement to same, makes all who live here automatically the same. Most immigrants assimilate, but some do not, and it is patronising in the extreme, and whistling past the graveyard, to discount background: to assume that nationality and religion simply do not exist. Our enemies certainly do not.

Not to be Taken Alive

Mr. Osama Bin Laden says he won't be taken alive.

Well now, there's something we can agree with him on. Here' s hoping he dies a pitiful, squalid, slow and painful death, cornered in some hole, squatting in his own wastes, like the scummy, piratical rat that he is.

An interesting statement though, from him. Is Osama feeling some pressure ? Don't worry about being taken alive, boss. Not a problem. We're coming for you, soon enough. You can run, but you can't hide forever.

Lets Blast Dick, but Give Al a Pass

Tom Bevan over at the Real Clear Politics blog has an interesting question worth pondering: namely, why is the prestige press so much more interested in Vice-President Cheney's accidental blasting of his friend in south Texas, than it is in Vice-President Gore's deliberate blasting of his country in front of foreigners in Saudi Arabia last week ?

My own comments on Mr. Gore's utterances can be found here. We can only thank God daily that Gore lost.

As Mr. Bevan says: the press "... can't be bothered by Gore's remarks which, quite frankly, have more consequence and did more damage to America's reputation than Cheney's birdshot did to poor Harry Whittington." Who cares anyway, if a former US Vice President and once and future candidate for the White House accuses his country of "terrible abuses" while speaking in a place that forbids women to operate automobiles and prescribes beheadings and amputations for penal offenses ? None of that's at all important. The press (always watching out for the public) has to protect Mr. Gore's viability, to lead us peasants, after all. But if we can exploit an accident to make President Bush or his administration look bad... it's fair game huh ? No pun intended.

Makes ya wonder, doesn't it ?

Uh Oh...

The French Foreign Minister, M. Philippe Douste-Blazy, stated today that the Iranian nuclear program is not civilian, but a "clandestine military nuclear program." M. le Ministre also said "The international community has sent a very firm message in telling the Iranians to return to reason and suspend all nuclear activity and the enrichment and conversion of uranium, but they aren't listening to us."

If the French actually notice that there is a problem with Iran, maybe it is really time to pray.

The Loathsome Left Coast

The University of Washington Student Senate has rejected a memorial for UW alumnus Colonel Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, USMC, recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. (Hat tip, El Jefe’s friend Mike D.). Colonel Boyington, a veteran of the American Volunteer Group (“Flying Tigers”), who fought in China before US entry into World War II; then when America got into the war commanding Marine Fighter Squadron 214, shooting down 28 Japanese aircraft before being himself shot down and taken prisoner by the Japanese on 3 January 1944.

Student “senator” Jill Edwards, unfit to shine Colonel Boyington’s shoes, stated she “…didn’t believe a member of the Marine Corps was an example of the sort of person UW wanted to produce.” Another “senator,” Ashley Miller, who would probably straighten out after a spell in a Japanese POW camp, argued “…many monuments at UW already commemorate rich white men.” She utters such obscenities about a war hero who spent summer vacations from the University of Washington working in mining camps and logging camps. What do you do summers, “senator ?”

Don’t believe me ? See the minutes, here, (pages 5, 7-9).

Oh, by the way, our tax dollars are at work for the “senators.” Wretchard at Belmont Club reports (citing another blog) that the Federal government is going to give the University of Washington $17 million for bioengineering research and for some educational instruction boondoggle. Isn’t that special ?

Meanwhile, a little further south in the People’s Republic of San Francisco, the San Francisco Examiner (Hat Tip: Belmont Club) tells us that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has launched an “assault on a plan” to bring World War II Battleship USS Iowa to San Francisco for preservation as a museum for visitors. The plan is apparently “[l]ost in a sea of political correctness” the Board of Supervisors rejecting plans to bring Iowa to the city because the Battleship is a “instrument of war.”

USS Iowa’s too good for the People’s Republic. Bring her to Texas. There’s room at Corpus Christi, next to where USS Lexington now sits, or we can dredge the Ship Channel and find a spot for her at Houston, by USS Texas. Only way she oughta visit San Francisco is with shotted guns.

Book Review: Clancy's "The Teeth of the Tiger"

El Jefe has just blown through Tom Clancy's The Teeth of the Tiger (Putnam, 2003). I usually read a couple of books at once, and Tiger was easy sledding, consuming a couple of evenings after work and getting the Heir in bed.

Tiger is set in Mr. Clancy's Jack Ryan universe, the realm of all save one of his novels. Tiger is a fast read, but not the best of the series, and no doubt one reason for the book's difficulties is Mr. Clancy's decision to persevere with the Ryanverse. The first of the Jack Ryan novels, Hunt For Red October, was published in 1984, and since CIA Agent Jack Ryan put the kibosh on deployment of the Soviet Union's newest submarine, a lot has happened: Russia under new management; end of the Cold War; German reunification; two Gulf Wars; 9/11; the fracturing of NATO...you're getting the picture.

If that wasn't bad enough, the author has to contend with all the upsetment Ryan and his cohorts unleashed in the Clancy parallel universe -- wars with Japan and Iran; the nuking of Denver; the Capital Building getting leveled; China invading Russia; environmental wackos trying to destroy the world; CIA Agent Ryan winding up as President...gives me brain-strain just listing this stuff. Future Ryanverse novels have to balance all these sets of books, and even with a certain amount of license, Mr. Clancy's credulity account is fast approaching overdrawn. The weird part is that this all could have been avoided, and Tiger made freestanding, because few of the old characters even make a cameo appearance. Longtime Clancy fans will miss John Clark and Ding Chavez.

Tiger is Mr. Clancy's answer to 9/11. Some very Al Qaeda-like baddies have concocted a sequel atrocity -- and, as El Jefe's dinner party friends could tell readers, they are copying from the El Jefe playbook. Jack Ryan is in retirement, and a Teddy Kennedy clone is President; and the CIA is (typically) clueless. Into the breach steps Mr. Clancy's brainchild, an off-the-shelf, privatized intelligence agency masquerading as an investment bank, using government intelligence to fund itself via insider-trading like financial maneuvers, to cover its anti-bad guy covert agenda. The organization is run by a retired John McCain-like Senator.

Mr. Clancy's organizational idea is the most intriguing part of the book, and Tiger would have been better with more space devoted to fleshing-out the implications of his institutional premise. The private intelligence organization in Tiger exists because traditional intelligence organizations are too hamstrung by legal requirements; too open to press scrutiny to do what is necessary, which is to conduct the struggle with Al Qaeda like it's a war -- by simply hunting down organization members, sympathisers, financiers and recruiters -- and killing them. No due process, no trial, just bump 'em off and put up the tombstone. Mr. Clancy proposes to beat Al Qaeda with its own rules.

Mr. Clancy may well be right that this is the way to go, (El Jefe tends to agree with him here), but Tiger's organization engages in some truly jaw-dropping activities. The covert intelligence organization is carrying on its struggle without the knowledge of the sitting President, with only the benefit of nods and winks by the military and intelligence bureaucracies who feed the covert gang with information and recruits without the knowledge of their legal Commander in Chief. The private little war is legally covered by Mr. Clancy's truly innovative use of the Presidential pardon power -- turning pardons into a 21st Century version of the French monarchy's lettres de cachet.

In any case, the bad guys carry out their awful plot, and the off-the-shelf spies are put on the case: brothers Aldo and Enzo (Italian-American, of course) respectively a Marine and an FBI agent; and the organization's rookie analyst, who just happens to be President Jack Ryan's son, Jack Jr., cousin of Aldo and Enzo. The brothers have their qualms of conscience, but get over them fast when they have a shoot 'em up with a bad guy death squad. Aldo and Enzo then have a merry time chasing around Europe after Bad Guys -- wacking them between stays in four star hotels; drives down the autobahns in Porsche 911's; putting Vitello Milanese on American Express black cards; with an occasional ruined suit to be cleaned by the understanding hotel valets. Wahoo ! Secret Agent Man saving the universe on good champagne ! Where can I sign up for this job ?

Jack Jr., fresh out of college, proves he's got Dad's brains by ID'ing the big bosses, and shows he's got Dad's stones when he joins the hitters as a substitute wacker. The President's kid on covert ops -- and right out of the box he does a job as a hitter ? Yeah, that's gonna work. A scotch or five on the plane home obviates any qualms of conscience.

No girls in this book, save for expensive hookers who all seem to be on the police payroll; a brief mention of a terrorist's unwitting girlfriend who appears to be totally unaware her sweet little Abdul ain't the Fuller Brush Man; and reference to Jack Jr.'s Mom, who scares off dates. This doesn't work: these are young men, and all espionage and no play makes Jack Jr. a dull superspy. A gun moll or two might have livened things up a bit.

A fun book. Clever bad guy plans. Evil bad guys you can really hate. Gun talk on, say, the merits of the Smith and Wesson 10 mm versus the Beretta 9mm. Bad guys getting theirs, leaving a nice, righteous feeling. An interesting organizational premise that Mr. Clancy should have elaborated on. The sequel's clearly set up, and I'm good for it when it comes out (later this year). Still, the Clancy books are beginning to stretch it.

Shootin and Swimmin...

Okay, the Cheney business isn't really worth commenting about...

Except that...I'd still rather go Huntin with Dick before I'd go drivin with Teddy !

Hat tip: Gates of Vienna.

Helen Thomas Says We're Ready

In her column for the Hearst Newspapers, Helen Thomas, who thinks we should listen because she's a Famous Journalist, says the US is ready for a woman President. We're lagging behind many countries which have "ended the male monopoly on political leadership" Ms. Thomas opines.

I'm sure Ms. Thomas thinks we're lagging behind in general. I'm sure she thinks it's time for us to rejoin humanity and follow in the footsteps of progressive (cough, cough) Europe.

Bet you can't guess which woman President Ms. Thomas thinks we're ready for. God forbid.

Make Mine Extra Crispy

The AP reports today that “thousands” of protesters rioted in Lahore, Pakistan today, so upset at the now notorious Danish cartoons that they destroyed four buildings house a hotel, two banks, a KFC restaurant and the office of a Norwegian cell phone company. A couple of movie theaters went up in flames -- at least the Paks won't have to endure Brokeback Mountain. Of course, the rioters had a grand ol' time screaming "Death to America !" Looking on the bright side, Bridgestone and Goodyear outlets might do well: apparently, you can't have riots in the Middle East without burning some tires.

The scumbags really seem to have a thing about fast food: besides KFC, they also broke the windows of a Pizza Hut and a McDonald’s. Religious health nuts, but not much for law and order. Go figure.

The protest, the article says, was supposed to be non-violent. Yeah, that seems to have worked pretty well. The party was organized by a "little known religious group supported by local trade associations and one of the main Islamic schools." A trade association ? Yeah, sounds like all this burning and trashing will be real good for business. Maybe it's the "Out of Business Trade Association" or at any rate, maybe the "Our Rivals are Out of Business Trade Association ?" And one of the "main Islamic schools ?" Hmmm, how does that work ? "Okay kids, read your lesson for tomorrow, go to Gym, then go burn KFC. Have a nice day !"

Like those zany French "youths" awhile back, the folks in Pakistan apparently got into the car-burning act, damaging some 200 vehicles.

The babies don’t like KFC eh ? They’ll like it much less if we serve them Extra Crispy via wall-to-wall B-52’s.

Giving Comfort to the Enemy

It’s nice to know we can always count on former Vice President Al Gore to stand up for our side.

Our would-be Robot President was in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday, where he told the Jeddah Economic Forum that the U.S. government had committed “terrible abuses” against Arabs living in America after 9/11 and that “most Americans” did not support such treatment. Mr. Gore stated that Arabs had been “indiscriminately rounded up” and “held in conditions that were just unforgivable.”

Where to begin ? Abuses ? After 9/11 those arrested can count themselves lucky they were not summarily deported, or simply hung from the nearest lampposts. No, we wouldn’t really do that, of course, but it is an atrocity for Mr. Gore to accuse the US government of “terrible abuses.”

Does Mr. Gore really believe what he is pushing ? Evidently, he does, which just shows us how fortunate the US is that he was never President. The man does not understand war; and is apparently incapable of understanding it. But how nice of Mr. Gore to make propaganda for our enemies. Look what happened over the cartoons in the Danish papers ? Now all the idiots running around sacking embassies because of some stupid cartoons can cite the former US Vice President for “abuses” Arabs have suffered at his hands. Does he have any idea of the damage he is doing ? Does he care that innocent people may be injured, even killed because of his remarks ? Clearly not. I truly believe Mr. Gore and his ilk would burn down the whole world just to get George Bush.

The thing I find most repulsive about liberals is their complete lack of national feeling, their utter unwillingness to make distinctions between their own people, and foreigners. I suppose I am a bit 19th Century in that respect. I disagree with certain US policies, but I would never, never advertise my quarrels with US policy, or accuse my government of “terrible abuses” in front of an audience of foreigners, or in any way that would lend itself, as Mr. Gore’s tissue of lies does, to enemy propaganda.

Grab-Bag

El Jefe is feeling much better today, thank you very much. So is She Who Must Be Obeyed, who has also been sick. This is good, because I am not wanting to miss the big Gala for Heir's school tomorrow night.

In lieu of a full post, El Jefe offers the following grab-bag.

The 13 February issue of National Review, one of El Jefe's favorite publications, has arrived. Several interesting items in this issue's "The Week" section. First subject is nudity.

Paying attention yet ? On this subject, National Review says that a Federal Judge in Florida has found that local laws prohibiting public nudity are in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution.

Huh ? I must have missed the public nudity protections in the Bill of Rights when I took constitutional law. Sounds like this judge is just too cheap to buy Penthouse and Playboy (for the articles, of course).

In the same note, it is reported that an Islamic cleric in Egypt has issued a fatwa providing that nudity during sex invalidates a marriage. Oooookkaaaay, that definitely is one for the wacko department. On second thought, if this catches on, it might go a long way towards solving that demographic problem the Europeans have with Islam, bringing reproduction down to European levels.

I'm not sure which of these items is wackier. As National Review says: "So in the one place, citizens may not act together to ban vulgar, information-free displays they find displeasing; in the other, citizens may not act in their most private moments in ways they find pleasing; in both, normal and harmless human preferances exist, or are annihilated, at the whim of robed, arrogant, over-educated functionaries." Damn, that's good. Wish I'd written it.

Another sniglet, also from National Review, is about the creation, at the University of Kentucky, of the inaugural chapter of Gamma Gamma Chi, the first ever Islamic sorority ! "Panty raids at this house may be punishable by beheading."

Since I've had a lot of vege time, I've been catching up on the reading. Yes, yes, I know, I read anyway, but this sounds good, so I'm going with it. El Jefe is presently reading Alan Palmer's Twilight of the Habsburgs: The Life and Times of Emperor Francis Joseph, about the next-to-last Austro-Hungarian Emperor.

Francis Joseph was born in 1830, when Andrew Jackson was US President, came to the throne (in the middle of an abortive revolution) at the time of our war with Mexico, and died in the middle of World War I. Francis Joseph was certainly not a rocket scientist, and made his share of questionable decisions; but, on the other hand, probably not even a genius could have saved the Austro-Hungarian Empire: a ramshackle madhouse of mutually detesting national groups that called itself a country. The Empire was a true dinosaur: a multi-national, multi-ethnic bedlam in an age of ferocious ethnic nationalism.

On the plus side, the Emperor had a tremendous work ethic, and kept plugging through disaster after disaster: a succession of lost wars; revolution; assassination attempts on him; the murder of his beloved but unstable and troubled wife; the suicide of his son under scandalous circumstances; the murder in Sarajevo of his heir, (which started World War I). He was fortified by a truly touching religious faith, and complete belief in his duty to pass on the Empire -- his family inheritance -- intact, to his heirs. He had the good fortune to die before the annus horribilis of 1918 brought all crashing down.

Meanwhile, the cats, who are also the High Patronesses of this Blog (FLINKY, MILO and SUNSHINE), have all been giving me strange looks these past couple of days, wondering why we were all at home. They are now meowing for some attention, so I suppose this post must end.

Snowed Under and now Under the Weather

I have been super-busy at work this week, and now El Jefe is somewhat under the weather with a cold. Posting will resume when morale improves.

Syrians In Iraq

An interesting report out of Iraq today. Blackfive reprints what is apparently a US Marine press-release datelined Camp Fallujah, stating that Iraqi soldiers operating in the Ramadi area captured fifteen rebels, eleven of whom were Syrians.

The raid took place at a "factory in the Tameem district of Ramadi." Iraqi soldiers involved are identified as being part of 1st Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division. 36 AK-47 rifles were also captured.

Interesting to find so many Syrians in one place. All sorts of questions for them when their Iraqi captors get them into the interrogation cellar. Are the foreign insurgents segregating themselves from the Iraqi rebels, or being segregated by the rebel high command ? What percentage of the rebel manpower consists of gunboys from Assadland ? What are the backgrounds of these Syrians ? What sort of training do they have with arms, and who provided it ? How are they supplied ? Do they have Syrian contacts ? How did they enter Iraq ?

In any case, a good piece of work by the Iraqis.

Palestina Irredenta

As for the German nation, it needs charity from neither Mr. Churchill nor from Mr. Roosevelt, let alone from Mr. Eden. It wants only its rights! It will secure for itself this right to life even if thousands of Churchills and Roosevelts conspire against it.

Adolf Hitler, in the Reichstag, declaring war on the USA, 11 December 1941.

The Palestinians, Jack Kelly states in his excellent Real Clear Politics column today, have taken off the mask by giving Hamas a majority of seats in their recent parliamentary elections. If Mr. Kelly is correct, it just goes to prove that the Palestinians have a positive genius for stupidity. Yesterday, the British newspaper Guardian’s online edition ran a very well-written position statement by a Mr. Khalid Mish'al, described as the chief of the terrorist organization/political party Hamas’s “political bureau.” This document, reprinted online at the Los Angeles Times website (both available via Real Clear Politics), quite candidly sets out Hamas’s position.

Mr. Mish’al assures us that when Palestinians went to the polls last week, they were “well aware of what was being offered…and chose Hamas because of its pledge never to give up the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people…” More fools they. Nothing if not confident, Mr. Mish’al says that “Hamas has been elected mainly because of its immovable faith in the inevitability of victory…” and states that “… our cause is no less worthy, our determination is no less profound; our patience is no less abundant” than the “peoples of Vietnam and South Africa.”

Hamas is all about war. According to Mr. Mish’al: “[w]e shall never recognize the right of any power to rob us of our land and deny us our national rights. We shall never recognize the legitimacy of a Zionist state created on our soil…” Well, Mr. Mish’al, then you, and all those who are fools enough to follow your party, and possibly millions of other innocent bystanders, mostly Palestinians and Arabs -- are going to wind-up very dead.

Hamas represents the lethal convergence of two Palestinian political trends; the resurgence of Islam as a political force, supplanting the secular Nasserist nationalism of Yasser Arafat’s Fatah; and the continuing Palestinian desire to wipe Israel off the map, rather than make a deal with it. To be sure, Arafat and Fatah, when not playing terrorist, never did more than flirt with a deal, or talk around one. Fatah never sold out completely the wish-dream of driving the Zionists into the sea.

In diplomatic terms, the Palestinians have never been satisified with what Israel and the West have had on offer: some kind of an undoing of the results of the 1967 Six Day War. What the Palestinians want is an undoing of the Nakba (disaster) – the Israeli War of Independence of 1948.

Relations between states, however you pretty them up, are essentially still conducted on jungle rules. The Arabs can have Palestine from the Jordan to the sea, if they can but get it. Similarly, Germany can drink the waters of the Pregel; have Silesia, Posen, Pomerania, and Alsace-Lorraine back; rename Wrocław, Breslau once again; and, make Kaliningrad, Königsberg once more -- if it can only win a world war. France can have Belgium and the Rhineland – if it beats Germany and England; the Cherokee can recover northern Georgia, large parts of the Carolinas and east Tennessee, if they can but throw down the United States. The Austrians can have Pressburg back, should they thrash Slovakia. The processes that changed the ownership and names of all these places were all every bit as tragic and drenched in tears as the Nakba. It can all, every bit, be undone in return for mountains of treasure, oceans of blood, and eons more misery.

Nobody can deny that the Palestinian people are in an unenviable position. But they were offered half a loaf, in 1948. They scorned it, gambled on arms, and lost. The Palestinians learned nothing, and in 1967 they blustered like Mr. Mish'al today and blundered themselves into another war, and lost again. Now, the Palestinians, by choosing Hamas, have again chosen war. If Mr. Mish’al is serious about Hamas’s stand, they will get it in spades.

Mr. Mish'al proclaims that Hamas is "immune to bribery, intimidation and blackmail." Maybe, but how will it do against F-16's, 5.56 mm ball, and 155 mm H.E. ? Do the Palestinians, and the Arab nation, really have a death wish ? Israel has nuclear weapons. It really is double or nothing this time, and I know how I'm betting. If there is going to be no Zionist state in Palestine – there is going to be no Palestine, period.

The Palestinians are cheerfully, heedlessly, gleefully driving Israel to the far right, and ensuring that the US and Europe will regretfully avert their glances while the Israelis turn the West Bank into a giant prison/abattoir. The Palestinians have taken off the mask, and Hamas, like Chancellor Hitler for the Germans in the Reichstag, can bleat about the "legitimate rights of the Palestinian people" and can proclaim the impending suicide of Palestine to the skies if it wants. A Netanyahu government – certainly a good possibility now, is going to, in Mr. Kelly’s words again, take off the gloves.

Apollo Fire

I remember lots of historical anniversaries, and it dawned on me this morning that I had forgotten to mark the anniversary of the 1967 Apollo 204 fire yesterday. I have posted on this once previously, and will not say more. A long-ago tragedy, forgotten by most, but not by me.

You and What Navy ?

The incoming Conservative Party Canadian Prime Minister, Mr. Stephen Harper, no doubt seeking to burnish his nationalist credentials, and prove he’s not a US lapdog, stated today that he would stand by a campaign promise to make more use of the Canadian military to patrol the Northwest Passage, which Canada claims as territorial waters. The US disputes this claim. The US uses the Northwest Passage at times to shift submarines around in the northern wastes, to keep an eye on Russia.

Okay Mr. Harper, you’ve made your ritual demonstration of national independence. Hopefully you have the good sense not to be serious. German Prime Minister Prince Otto von Bismarck was once asked what he would do if the British Army invaded Pomerania. Bismarck responded that he would “send a policeman and have it arrested.”

Given the sorry state of the Canadian military, if the Canadians want to play footsie, possibly we could take a leaf from Bismarck’s book and get away with sending a harbor police launch. On second thought, if all this interest in the frozen tundra resulted in the Canadians getting serious and rebuilding their military, we could sure use some help elsewhere.

Long Island Lolita

Amy Fisher, the “Long Island Lolita” is going to have a made for TV “reunion” with her former lover, Joey Buttafuoco (no, don’t even start with THAT name) and his wife, the former Mrs. Buttafuoco. Yeah, you remember, the same Mrs. Buttafuoco the aforesaid L.L. Lolita (age 17 at the time) shot in the face and left partially paralyzed.

L.L. Lolita, now 31 says that it’s “…time to just put it behind us” and opines that it would be “…interesting to let the public see the healing process.” I guess making a parody of shooting and maiming is no real big deal today, especially if all parties can make a few bucks out of the deal.

Joey B (now age 49), says that there will be a “lot of shocking revelations” and says that he was asked “a million times” by Mrs. B: “[w]hy did Amy shoot me ?” Well, Mrs. B, maybe because L.L. Lolita was bopping your husband and wanted him to herself ? Joey, clearly a rocket scientist, says that he was “never able to get that answer.”

L.L. Lolita got seven years. Joey went on to divorce, and a stint in jail for unrelated insurance fraud. Mrs. B, who would be deserving of sympathy, not to mention every penny produced by this sordid enterprise if she were not making a joke of herself, is now engaged. Hope you have a pre-nup Mrs. B. Now, there’s just nothing for it but to wait for the “shocking revelations.” Soon, no doubt, to be a large-print book, with monosyllabic words, large print and lots of pictures, coming to a drug store newsstand near year. Let the “healing” begin.

Canadian Elections

Canada votes today, and unless the polls are all wrong, the noxious Liberals, who have dominated Canadian politics since the late 1950's, are about to be consigned to a spell out of power.

Since the "repatriation" of Canada's constitution, and the diminution of that country's ties with Great Britain, a certain amount of public animus towards the Colossus of the South is probably a political necessity to a canny Canuck politico. American money, culture and trade completely dominate Canada; and if the Maple Leaf follows the Stars and Stripes in everything, of what use is the existence of Canada ?

To be sure, the disagreements between the two governments are mostly rhetorical and over matters of little consequence, and for that reason, all the more intractable. Geography dictates the relationship: in ways not to Canada's advantage. The relative size of the two countries, (as measured by population and GDP, and the proximity of the parties, and the presence of Quebec, which severely divides Canada internally), ensures that in everything that counts, Canada is going to be very much a junior partner of the US. For all these reasons, it is unwise to hope for much atmospheric improvement of relations between Ottawa and Washington.

It has been said of Canada that the country was blessed with the opportunity to have the best of everything: French culture, British law and American industry; but instead wound up with American culture, French law and British industry. If Canada is even more unlucky, it might wind up with a considerable number of Blue State refugees, if American politics persists in the present happy pattern.

Confederate Heroes Day

(an annual post)

. . . I feel no hostility to you, Senators from the North. I am sure there is not one of you, whatever sharp discussion there may have been between us, to whom I cannot now say, in the presence of my God, I wish you well: and such, I am sure, is the feeling of the people whom I represent towards those whom you represent. I therefore feel that I but express their desire when I say I hope, and they hope, for peaceful relations with you, though we must part. . .The reverse may bring disaster on every portion of the country; and if you will have it thus, we will invoke the God of our fathers, who delivered them from the power of the lion, to protect us from the ravages of the bear; and thus, putting our trust in God and in our own firm hearts and strong arms, we will vindicate the right as best we may.

Jefferson Davis, Farewell Address to the U.S. Senate, 21 January 1861. (From The Papers of Jefferson Davis, Vol. 7: 1861, LSU Press, 1992).

With all my devotion to the Union, and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my handagainst my relatives, my children, my home. I have, therefore, resigned my commission in the Army, and save in defense of my native State. . .I hope I may never be called upon to draw my sword.

Robert E. Lee, to his sister, Anne Marshall, 20 April 1861. (From The Wartime Papers of Robert E. Lee, Clifford Dowdey, Ed., Da Capo, 1987).

Today is the birthday of Robert E. Lee, and it is still recognized here in Texas as “Confederate Heroes Day,” a State holiday. Things being what they are, it is unlikely that the Texas statute book will honor Confederate heroes for very much longer, and like “un-persons” whom the Soviet Communist Party wished to banish from public view, Lee, Jefferson Davis and everything else to do with the Confederate States of America will soon vanish down the memory-hole. Our children, if they are wise, will learn to in public at least, mouth the proper politically correct platitudes and to recite on command the carefully packaged, all-inclusive happy pabulum that passes now for history in our schools.

We are told this is all for the best, but it doesn’t mean some of us have to like it. The names of Lee, Davis and legions of others who gave all they had for Southern independence, whose names would be household words, the Washingtons and Decaturs of a new country -- had they but won -- are becoming obscure to non-historians, except inasmuch as they serve the purposes of modern politicians and shills for various causes who promote their agendas by damning the memory of the dead.

Yes, the war was partly about slavery, and the end of that beastly institution was an unmitigated blessing. Yes, scum have stolen their flag and cloaked their racist fantasies in its folds. But that’s not the whole truth, any more than the War for American Independence (proper name of the Revolution) was all about a tax on tea.The 258,000 southerners who died for the independence of the Confederate States, and their comrades who survived the war to rebuild their broken civilization, are long beyond caring, and don’t require our approval or justification for their sacrifices. As so many said at the time, they believed they were taking up arms for the most worthy cause imaginable -- protection of their homes from hostile invasion, and to vindicate the same principle Americans died for in 1776: the idea that government should rest on the consent of the governed.

Americans not connected with the military in some way have largely experienced war a tragedy that happens in other places. Not so the War for Southern Independence (proper name for the Civil War), which was fought mostly in – and devastated – the American south. Despite the efforts and sacrifices of so many, Confederate soldiers were unable to successfully defend their country. American cities and fields became battlegrounds, and armies moved and camped in what are sometimes literally our backyards. American homes were plundered by soldiers speaking the same language, and often the same dialect, and American women and children became refugees. Some places never recovered. It’s hard to believe that Mississippi was once considered rich. When all was over, the dust settled, and the pain and shouting became but a memory; America was the better for the end of slavery, but when the Federal Government forced its yoke at gunpoint on those who did not want it, America lost something precious also.

Thankfully those days are past, but they are not totally forgotten. We of course remember the victors: Mr. Lincoln has a memorial in Washington, but his real monument is the country and world we now inhabit. But some of us remember others too…Lee, Davis, Micah Jenkins, Johnston Pettigrew, Cleburne, Jackson, Raphael Semmes, Maxcy Gregg, Thomas R.R. Cobb, thousands of others long dead. To borrow Mr. Khrushchev’s memorable phrase, these will not be forgotten, by some of us, until shrimp learn to sing.

Silly Season

It’s definitely the silly season for Democratic politicians. First, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has joined the ranks of Pat Robertson, Mahmoud “Mad Jad” Ahmadinejad and others able to divine God’s thoughts, because he tells us that “God is mad at America” and “sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane” and “put stress on the country.”

The Mayor also says that “…[i]t’s time for us to rebuild New Orleans – the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans….This city will be a majority African-American city. It’s the way God wants it to be. . .” It’s a good thing Mayor Nagan’s got a direct line to the Almighty, to tell us these things. In the same speech, the Mayor graduated from religion to séances, moving on to hold an imaginary conversation with Martin Luther King.

I don’t know if New Orleans will be Chocolate the way Mayor Nagan says he wants. Hopefully, it’s more Cookies and Cream. Unfortunately, if the good mayor keeps running his mouth, it’s more likely to be Rocky Road.

Meanwhile, putative Democratic Presidential candidate and current US Senator Hillary Clinton, besides running for President and serving in the US Senate from New York, is also an expert on the US House of Representatives, stating that this body has been “…run like a plantation and you know what I’m talking about…”

Eh ?

No, in fact I don’t know what she’s talking about. Senator Clinton couldn’t possibly have been using loaded words like “plantation” on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day while speaking to Al Sharpton’s National Action Network for political advantage ? She wouldn't !

Would she ?

UPDATE (evening, 17 January). This evening, the wires report that Mayor Nagin characterized his comments about God as "inappropriate" and said that he just wanted to convey that black people were a vital part of New Orleans, and that "I want everyone to be welcome in New Orleans — black, white, Asian, everybody." Nothing wrong with that statement.

Osama Pushing Up Daisies ?

Michael Ledeen, who probably is better informed about goings-on in Iran than almost anybody, says that Osama is dead. According to Ledeen, citing "...Iranians I trust, Osama Bin Laden finally departed this world in mid-December."

The old murderer supposedly died of kidney failure and "...was buried in Iran, where he had spend most of his time" since the destruction of al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Ledeen says his Iranian sources pointed out that the usual Al Qaeda yearly message in connection with the Muslim Haj to Mecca came, for the first time this year, from that unpardonably late dinner guest, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and not Osama.

This information seems to make sense. Osama has not appeared in public in several years, and it would seem to be in his interest to do so, just to prove such death rumors wrong.

Of course, if he really IS alive, and wants to make a public appearance, a good venue would be a nice large open field in downtown Tehran, preferably in a group appearance with Iranian President Mahmoud "Mad Jad" Ahmadinejad and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Maybe if we threw in a multi-course catered lunch, ol' al-Zawahiri would join them. I'm sure the USAF would be happy to provide lighting and entertainment.

Liaison, 1914

El Jefe’s readers possibly know that the Jefe enjoys reading military history. Lately, I have been reading Major-General Sir Edward Spears’s memoir Liaison, 1914 – the general’s account of his experiences as a British cavalry lieutenant (and intelligence officer), assigned to the staff of the French Fifth Army during the opening campaign of World War I.

Despite his (then) junior rank, Spears had tremendous influence: his credibility with both the British and French high commands doing much to insure these allies cooperated, after a fashion, in the early days of the war. Spears continued, in one position or another, as a liaison officer between British and French high commands throughout the First World War; ending it as cabinet liaison between the French and British war cabinets. During all this activity, he was wounded four times, mentioned in dispatches, and found time to marry an American heiress.

Spears, a great friend and supporter of Sir Winston Churchill, played a similar role in the Second World War, serving for a time as the go-between between the Churchill government and DeGaulle’s Free French.

Spears, fortunately, was a superb writer. Liaison, 1914, is his account of the opening campaign of World War I. I will have a fuller review later, perhaps, but if you are at all interested in this period, or in military history, take my word for it you should beg, borrow or steal a copy.

UPDATE: I had a rather lengthy quotation in here, but upon thought, removed it, as I don't wish to offend any copywright holders.

Moonbats Depart

...Finally, the searchers found El Jefe, passed out in his ornamental palace gardens near his simple, Versailles-like palace in beautiful downtown Cuidad El Jefe. The Great One was lying, clothed in a swim suit, Tuxedo jacket and Mickey Mouse watch, face down at the foot of Richard Nixon's statue.

The faithful Goomba guards rushed about in confusion, as She Who Must Be Obeyed and the Heir wailed; joined by El Jefe's cats, members of Parliament, his Consiligere, members of his (kitchen) cabinet, Big Media Personalities, the local Archbishops, Mullahs and preachers of the Gospel, the Corps Diplomatique, as well as El Jefe's latest mistress (who has an astonishing resemblance to Mindy Farrar, Penthouse Pet of the year 1980-something). Finally, after a whiff of his favorite Gruyere cheese, El Jefe slowly came around.

"Boy, I had the strangest dream" El Jefe intoned, rubbing a large, obvious bump (Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau would say "bimp") on his head. "I went liberal. I was saying Bill Clinton, Kofi Annan, Michael Moore and Barbra Streisand needed to be on the Supreme Court; that Iran was Society's Fault, that Iraq needed to be given back to Saddam; that Gore was really President; that somebody elected Ronnie Earle the Pope; that I wanted USC to win the Rose Bowl; and, that I had banned Mini Skirts." (elaborate shudder). "Wow, I was giving peace a chance. Smoked some really good dope too."

El Jefe shook his head, checking out the Mindy look-alike as he did so, saying that he was glad this had just been his imagination. As El Jefe looks fondly up at Nixon's statue, the world resumes its normal speed, and all is once again as it was. The cameras began moving backwards, away from the little tableau around Nixon, giving a view of the Palace Gardens; the Wine and Cheese cellar complex; the twelve Palace libraries; the Palace bars, night-clubs, casinos, restaurants, Churches and dance-halls; the whole vast Palace complex; and finally of all Ciudad El Jefe: noisy traffic in the streets, factories happily polluting, wiretaps busily bugging, as the credits roll, and the patriotic music plays.

The Happy Couple

The rather vulgar "superstar rapper" Eminem, (a/k/a Marshall Bruce Mathers, III) and his ex-wife Kim have remarried.

Hurray for the happy couple. Suppose this is the triumph of optimism over experience...

Moonbat Court Dreaming (I)

Yes, it looks like that evil Sam Alito is going to be confirmed to the Supreme Court, so he can rubber-stamp Bush’s power grabs, his encroachments on the constitution, his imperialist wars. Instead of a Borking, Alito's just Swift-Boating right on by. Only the brave Senator Kennedy is left to swim against the tide.

Just as in the past we lefties stood against Fascism, for jobs, civil rights for minorities, for diversity, inclusion, tolerance and peace, the Left -- and its Democratic Party -- today carry on the fight for equally important goals: abortion, for campaign finance reform to silence those pesky blogs and for defea, --- oops, I mean withdrawal from Iraq.

Maybe Borking Alito is not really the answer we need. Even if we kept Alito off the court, and forced Evil Emperor Bush to go back to his Corpo Trade Federation Fat Cat backers and ask them for another robot, it doesn’t solve the underlying problem of what to do about America – always throwing its weight around in the world; not falling in with Europe’s plans for socialism and peace; raping the world’s resources and causing imperialist wars.

Clearly, (based on the last fixed election) almost 60 percent of the yokels in this country can't be trusted. A bunch of loud-mouthed, smelly, no-culture, Southern Red State rubes; who are not properly educated, eat red meat, who will not take the direction of their betters, who are hopelessly retro (still own flags and say the Pledge of Allegiance), listen to country music. We need to find a way to permanently checkmate these louts, until we can re-educate and get them properly Europeanized, or otherwise tranquilized...

What we REALLY need is an International Supreme Court, just for America, to keep Red State America in line and make it a true Kinder, Gentler Amerika; an Amerika that respects the rights of other countries, of minorities, women, the poor, the differently abled, those of non-majoritarian religions, or of no religion, the trees, the animals, and all the good people and things of earth.

Who would we want on this Court ? Something I’ll definitely have to consider as I drive to lunch at a trendy French restaurant, in my Volvo SUV, listening to Air Amerika.

Moonbats on the March

As I got up off my futon this morning, went into the study and fired up my first doobie of the day, started up John Lennon's "Imagine" and poured my first cup of organic rainforest coffee (beans grown by the unionized workers of People's Sandinista Coffee Union No. 5), I looked out the window and saw the Moon coming up to the west. Bats were flying round it in the darkness, and I thought what a great day it'd be to impeach that warmonger imperialist Bush.

I had our sub-minimum wage El Salvadorian maid/nannie wake up the Heir, then went back to stuffing envelopes for the Wal Mart unionization drive. Wal Mart makes me so mad I could spit ! Making Bush's international trade pals rich, importing all that cheap stuff from China, and throwing women and minorities here at home out of work! I snarled, startling the maid bringing me another cup of organic rainforest coffee, as she mistook my Rage at the Machine for disgruntlement at her. I redoubled my envelope-stuffing efforts (the better to avoid another silly talk about a raise). Besides, stuffing's important, have to help those less fortunate !

NPR was playing on the radio as I drove the Volvo SUV out of the garage, new "Is it 2008 yet ?" sticker firmly in place, right above the "Bush lied !" sticker; and my "Dean in 2008" and "Re-elect President Gore !" stickers. The radio is full of reports about Bush's new imperialist venture in Iran. Yes, the Empire is on the march again. Dick Cheney and Halliburton set to profit from more blood for oil ! The Iranians wouldn't want nukes if they weren't terrified of US imperialism.

The New York Times, unopened, sits on the seat next to me. The Times is our one real hope. If the Times keeps punching, and TV pitches in, maybe there will be enough scandals to stop Bush in his tracks. We can only hope. I arrive at work, humming the Internationale.

Moonbats a Comin...

Oh Wicca.. O unified spirits of Progressives/Commies, Moonbats and Wackos everywhere...

Tomorrow is Moonbat Friday. Help El Jefe to channel your dreams faithfully, to join the ranks, just for a day, of true Moonbats. Guide us, in the footsteps of Che, Michael Moore and Darth Chomsky. Give us access to the fell secrets of Moonbatdom.

Until tomorrow...

Hold on Moonbats...

For several reasons, putting a hold on Moonbat Day. . .

Moonbat Friday...

As El Jefe was driving back to his residence tonight, to his simple and humble palace, (on the order of Versailles), waving to the legions of peasants who had turned out to cheer, absently listening to Pacifica Radio...a thought came to him, (no doubt inspired by Daisy Cutter's list of the "10 worst Americans.")

It's time, said this thought, for El Jefe to indulge an occasional urge, an inner yearning as it were, or some kind of liberal sounding thing. Time to El Jefe to just open up, emote and let his Inner Chomsky roar. Gonna get out the bong; the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young records; the "McGovern for President" buttons; find the tie-die shirts; avoid a bath, and put on the birkenstocks...

By Imperial Decree, Friday the 13th is hereby proclaimed the first annual, or semi-annual or whatever "Moonbat Friday." For Moonbat Friday, (ONLY), a kinder, gentler, truly anti-imperialist/moonbat, lefty wacko freak "Progressive" El Jefe will make an appearance. Friday, rationality's out the door. "Feelings" and PC are in. So get out your Che posters, be ready to show solidarity with our Gitmo brothers and sing the Internationale, (Billy Bragg's lyrics), and lets paint Amerika red !

Numbers Game

El Jefe’s World. An occasional summary in random statistics of interest to El Jefe.
(No. 1, Part 1).

Price, gallon of Super Unleaded, Valero, Bellaire Boulevard, Houston: $2.43 per gallon.
Price, gallon of Regular Unleaded, Valero, Bellaire Boulevard, Houston: $2.27 per gallon.

Price of a 6-pack, St Arnold’s Beer, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: .97 cents an ounds ($6.99 per six pack).
Price of a 12 pack Bud Light (calls itself beer), Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston): .59 cents an ounce ($16.99 per twelve pack).
Price of Gruyere Cheese, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $14.99 per pound.
Price of Parmigiano-Reggiano.Cheese, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $19.99 per pound.
Sirloin Steak, roger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston, $6.99 per pound.
Rib-Eye Steak:, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston, $9.99 per pound.
Mrs. Baird’s Large White Sandwich (thing called bread): $1.69 per loaf.
Red Leaf Lettuce, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $1.99 per head.
Red Tomatoes: Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $1.79 per pound,
Fish Eye Pinot Grigo 2004 white wine), Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $799 per 750 ML bottle.
Yellow Tail Shiraz 2004 (red wine), Spec’s Houston : $6.99 per 750 ML bottle.
Santa Rita Merlot 2004 (red wine), Spec’s Houston: $5.22 per 750 ML bottle.
St Clement Chardonnay 2004 (white wine), Spec’s Houston: $15.78 per 750 ML bottle.
Veuve Cliquot, Champagne, Spec’s Houston: $35.78, per 750 ML bottle.
Special K cereal, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $4.39 per 18 oz box.
Tidy Cats Cat Litter, Kroger, Vanderbilt Square, Houston: $2.39, per 10 pound bag.

Price of a Big Mac (no cheese), McDonalds, Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas: $2.29.

Pages in the March 2003 Houston Southwestern Bell Business Pages: (Listings for Houston only), 700 pp. (Sorry, most recent set at home and work !).
Pages in the March 2003 Houston Southwestern Bell Residential Pages (Listings for Houston only), 2208.

New York Stock Exchange, close, 9 January 2006: 11,011.90 (+52.59).

US Dollar to Japanese Yen (9 January): $1.00 = Y1.14.
US Dollar to European Union Euro(, 9 January): $1.00 = E0.82.
US Dollar to Canadian Dollar(9 January): $1.00 = Can $1.16.78.
US Dollar to UK Pound (9 January): $1.00 = L.5664.
US Dollar to Swiss Franc (9 January): $1.00 = F 1.2768.

Number of Fourth Graders at the Heir's School: 40.

Number of Fourth Grade Girls/Boys: 21/19.

Uh, Is that an iceberg ahead, Cap'n. ?

El Jefe has been sort of out of things, of late. She Who Must Be Obeyed (SWMBO) has had Lasek eye-surgery, the Mother In Law has been in town, and the Jefe is sort of behind the 8-Ball at work. But lots going on, which El Jefe shall pontificate on as soon as he can.

Big news out of Iran. The commander of the Ground Forces of the Pasdaran-e Enghelab-e Islami, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, (IRGC), General Ahmed Kazemi, has apparently been killed in a plane crash. Dead with General Kazemi are the IGRC Director of Intelligence, the IGRC Director of Operations, the IGRC staff artillery commander and an IGRC Infantry Division commander, plus some aides.

The IGRC is essentially the equivalent, in Mullah Iran terms, of Nazi Germany's SS. Check out the Winds of Change, Reuters, AP, and Belmont Club for more. An interesting quote on this business from Winds of Change:

...if you compare the frequency and prominence of current and ex-IRGC members in the current government to clerics you'll see that Iran looks less like a theocracy and more and more like a traditional military junta.

Planes go down, but I find the timing of this crash rather interesting. General Kazemi is interesting, Winds of Change says the General was part of Iran's effort in Lebanon in the 1980's, no doubt dealing daily with Hezbollah, and various other no-goodniks. Iran is, to put it mildly, under the gun, with a nutbar president, on the verge of having a nuke, and on a collision course with the United States. Where did General Kazemi stand ?

Meanwhile, Chester has returned, over at Adventures of Chester. I agree with him that there are icebergs right ahead, a vast disturbance in the Force or whatever your metaphor for an impending uh-oh may be. I think we're moving right toward some kind of blowup with Iran. Have a look at his piece, here. Meanwhile, our idiots of Congressmen and journalists can think of nothing more to do than play gotcha over wiretapping, Judge Alito and probably the location of Titanic's deck chairs. More on this subject later.

Suicide in Haiti

The Associated Press is reporting that the commander of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) Lieut. Gen. Urano Teixeira da Matta Bacellar (of Brazil), has been discovered quite mysteriously dead, apparently by his own hand. General Bacellar's body was found on the balcony of his room at the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince. The MINUSTAH press release says he was 58 years old, and had been in the Brazilian military for 39 years. General Bacellar has been replaced, temporarily, by a Chilean general.

Most curious. Although I would probably feel somewhat suicidal at being assigned responsibility for maintaining order in Haiti -- the place is a madhouse at the best of times -- Lieutenant-Generals are not usually of a suicidal disposition. Still, calling the UN role in Haiti a "Stabilization Mission" represents the triumph of optimism over experience. A better, more accurate name for the UN Mission would be "United Nations Chaos Management Mission in Haiti."

Obligations to the Dying

Drudge reports this evening that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon apparently suffered severe brain damage because of his cerebral hemorrhage yesterday. Drudge also reports, courtesy of Breitbart.com, that Pat Robertson says that the Prime Minister’s stroke was possibly divine retribution for “divid…[ing]…[God’s]… land” although this personally made him “sad.” Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud “Mad Jad” Ahmadinejad says he hopes the Prime Minister dies.

What a curse to live in such times, among such people ! I hope Mr. Robertson is misquoted. I do not altogether approve of him, but despite my disagreements with aspects of his politics, I have thought, generally, that he meant well. But how classless ! Prime Minister Sharon is dying, and whatever he did in this life, (which I will comment on at another time), and whatever offenses he gave to others, will be judged and weighted at another place, by another One whose judgments are true and righteous altogether. What are the theories and suppositions of a parson; or the deluded rantings of a slavering demagogue, next to that ?

Chivalry indeed seems dead. But one cannot expect nobility out of montebanks, who are what passes for leaders and exemplars in the modern world. How can there be peace, ever, without decency ? I can only remember what Confederate States President Jefferson Davis (someone whom I deeply admire) said about the death of his most formidable enemy, United States President Ulysses S. Grant. President Davis had every reason to despise President Grant, to hate him, to revel in Grant’s slow, agonizing painful death by cancer of the throat. Whatever his private thoughts, President Davis had the decency and the humanity to keep any such thoughts private. When asked about Grant’s sufferings, President Davis said: “General Grant is dying. . . Instead of seeking to disturb the quiet of his closing hours, I would, if it were in my power, contribute to the peace of his mind and the comfort of his body.” Christ enjoined us to forgive our enemies. Could anybody do better than that ?

What can you make of people who are so dead to honor that they would say such things ? I can accept that some do not like Prime Minister Sharon, but let the man die in peace !

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to USC's Coronation...

El Jefe, as a University of Texas alum, is a happy camper this morning. What can ya say about last night but...HOOK EM !!!

Mark Steyn

Hie yourself off to the Wall Street Journal online and read this splendid piece by Mark Steyn: "It's the Demography, Stupid: The Real Reason the West is in Danger of Extinction." (You can find another link on Real Clear Politics). Mr. Steyn says, in substance, that if our Jihadist enemies win the present war, it will be our own doing.

Time constaints, for the moment, forbid much of a discussion, but the article is liberally salted with little gems like this: "Multiculturalism means your kid has to learn some wretched native dirge for the school holiday concert instead of getting to sing 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' or that your holistic masseuse uses techniques developed from Native American spirituality, but not that you or anyone you care about should have to live in an African or Native American society. It's a quintessential piece of progressive humbug."

Happy New Year

Happy New Year !

Okay, the Iranian mullahs have or are getting a nuke, they want to build a missile and every day they come up with new threats and vaporings about the Great Satan, Israel, or whoever they want to wipe off the map this week.

Meanwhile, Bolivia has just sworn a Coca farmer in as President, who promises to clamp down on the drug trade. Uh huh, just like wheat farmers are into low carb diets. Meanwhile, Pres. Coca Farmer wants to join Nutjob Chavez and Fuhrer Fidel in an "Axis of Good" to counter what he calls a US led "Axis of Evil." Evidently the "Axis of Good" term is coinage of Dictator Chavez, and that's seriously what they call it -- an "axis."

Leaving aside the nuttyness, has anybody told these guys about the history of the term "axis?" Maybe about its first users 60 years back ? Okay, okay, El Jefe admits he'd like to see Chavez and Fidel wind up at the gas-station trussed-up like Signor Mussolini, but just from the marketing point of view, El Jefe suggests that the Three Stooges are getting some bad brand-naming advice.

While Persian and Latin nutbars want to spin the world off on wacko axes, all Washington can talk about is how shocked, shocked everyone is that our security apparatus might want to tap into communications between the US and abroad. Almost like they're worried wackjobs might want to blow us up or something ?

More comment on all this in due time. For some weird reason, people expect El Jefe to hold down a job.

Meanwhile, something of far, far bigger import than Mullahs with Nukes, or Sawdust Caesars ordering their white horses...

Drudge has a headline, lead-in or whatever, today: "Lindsay Lohan VANITY FAIR Confessional: The Drugs, the Eating Disorder, The Breakdown, The BreakUps, the Compulsive Spending...Stress...Showbiz Spiral..." Bet there aren't any Google searches today for Lindsay Lohan. Bet nobody ruins their mouse trying to bring this story up. No image searches on Ms. Lohan either. Sure. Do you think Vanity Fair wants to rack up some serious sales ? Makes El Jefe want to go out and buy Vanity Fair NOW, NOW, NOW. And just for the articles.