Last Full Measure of Devolution

Americans are getting fatter while the polar bears are getting thinner. Arctic ice forms later in the fall because of global warming, due disproportionately to Americans' use of fossil fuels, so that polar bears cannot find the fat seals that used to get them through the winter. And aging baby boomers are threatening the viability of the health care-industrial complex, where a lot of money is spent at the end of life, in extreme measures to extend life a few more months.

We Americans are nothing if not indulgent. So when the going gets tough, let's get going – on vacation. If like me you're a fat old american, then yeah, sure, go ahead and book that Alaskan cruise to see the shrinking glaciers. But consider making it a one-way ticket - like life itself. Jump ship up north and start walking until you see wildlife up close and personal. Really become one with Nature. It's ok, you can feed the wildlife. Leave your footprints and everything else.

$500B for defense but not $0.1B for bribes

In 1800, the US government paid huge bribes to the Barbary Pirates. Then the newly-elected President Jefferson, with Congressional support, directed the US Navy to fight and defeat the pirates (hence the Marines hymn’s reference to ‘the shores of Tripoli’).

The Obama administration should order an attack on the Somali pirates currently demanding ransom for the $100M Saudi oil tanker. After all, American drivers will be the ones really paying the ransom even if the Saudis are ones peeling off the crisp ‘Benjamins’. No need to occupy anything and it would deprive Islamists of major revenue (Hitchens likens pirates to terrorists.) What better use for our 10 aircraft carriers? Maybe a good, bipartisan opportunity to throw some work Colin’s way.

R.I.P. GOP

Reagan led the Grand Old Party makeover with his illusory "morning in America", which featured 'trickle-down' a.k.a. “voodoo” economics. W is the Omega man with his all-too-real "mourning in America", featuring 2 wars-without-end and the worst financial crisis in 2 generations. The most educated Americans have left, leaving behind a party with a disproportionately dumb and poor 'base' leavened with a disappointing number of greedy and manipulative super-rich.

The last Republican president with brains was Nixon (there's a trifecta: pacify Russia, 'open' China, abandon gold). Despite his obvious personal flaws, Nixon had a rational, often bipartisan approach to many problems, including illegal drugs, criminal sentencing, biological weapons, poverty, etc. In the Bush administration, we have all of Nixon's disregard for rights and process with none of his intelligence.

Now reinvent yourself GOP with real, thoughtful leaders instead of pandering poseurs.

Paulson 'Plan' B

Secretary of the Treasury Paulson seems incapable of explaining his ideas for rescuing the economy. Originally, he proposed to buy devalued debt so that the current holders of the debt, the banks, could resume lending. Unfortunately, he could not describe even broadly who would set the price for the debt. The market price was obviously very low, arguably too low, and that is why the banks are in trouble. But why should we taxpayers pay more than the fair price – i.e., market price – for the debt?

Today, he proposed a fundamental change, let's call it Plan B (though calling the first proposal a 'plan' is being charitable). Now he proposes that we taxpayers buy parts of the troubled banks. This is essentially the British plan they announced to broad acclaim over a month ago, back when the stock market was considerably higher. At least with this plan, we can purchase those assets at well-established, market prices and share the potential gains in the future, not just buy the losses already incurred.

The simple way of determining if any plan is working is to ask: is lending increased? The answer is apparently “no”. If the rescue plan did nothing better than simply dump money into the credit markets, then lending should have increased by the amount we invested. A good plan would leverage our investment so that it stimulates more than dollar-for-dollar lending.

I think the plan was flawed because it broke the market. Government has a crucial role in managing the economy and we are suffering the consequences of 8 years of profligacy, ignorance, and incompetence. We need to let the market determine the real price – the real value – of debt, banks, and auto companies.

1M+1W@1X

'One man and one woman at a time', that's the goal of California proposition 8, which its proponents claim is to protect the sanctity of marriage. If they really wanted to protect the 'sanctity' of marriage, why don't they try to make divorce illegal? I'll tell you why: because it's really an anti-gay law masquerading as a pro-marriage law.

It is ironic that blacks, who might be especially sympathetic to the gay community's demand for their rights, voted strongly against recognizing gay marriage.

Palin Failin'?

Deer in the headlights.
A dumb Belle in the new year, or
A snowball in hell?


Thanks to a colleague for lines 1 & 3.

Party On! Wall Street

One of the 'old school' metaphors for the function of the Fed is to limit excesses in the economy by taking away the punch bowl when the party got started and definitely before it got out of hand. Well, that was about 4 years ago. The party goers have been feeling queasy for a while now.

Today, the clueless ones (formerly known as the fed) announced a desperate measure to keep this economy from tanking further. Details remain fuzzy, but that may be a hangover from the heady days.

I have a simple, fun suggestion: The fed fills a big punch bowl with credit cards guaranteed by the US Govt and invites only those with debt exceeding $1b to the party. Bring us your tired loans, your poor investments, the stinking refuse from your crowded loss sheets, yearning to be forgiven. Strictly black tie, special themed shuttle flights from NY (another reason to avoid the expression ‘bail out’). Keep the rabble out. They don’t know how to behave with credit.

eek!-onomy

A sampling from John McCain’s “sound economy”:
Ouch!
Yikes!
Eeek!
OMG!

Inside the circus known as the Administration, Ringmaster Cheney canceled a fundraiser and clown prince W was grounded to maintain appearances.

Country First...

The Repugnican Party convention motto is “Country First”. Let's complete the thought:
* Country first, then drinks on the veranda.
* Country first, “Golden Oldies” second.
* Country first, a Country for Old (White) Men.
* Country first, because that's what Halliburton bills.
* Country first, Spouse second (maybe). Answers the question, “screw who?”

Let's get the country out of reverse (R) and put it in drive (D). Or First.

It's Official

Rush Judgment

Rush Hudson Limbaugh III recently signed a contract paying him $400 M over the next 8 years. Pretty impressive! I don't doubt the market so I am sure his paymasters anticipate making even more off his labors. But that led me to think... who listens to this guy? For myself, sure, I suppose I could listen, sometimes, but I couldn't do my job if I were paying any attention. I certainly couldn't listen regularly, really listen, to some guy on the radio. Nobody with a thoughtful job could waste time listening to “talk radio” during the workday. Are his advertisers pitching stuff for dummies?

No wonder the liberal alternative “Air America" failed; the liberals are all too busy doing real work. You know, the kind of work that requires thought and attention.

Incidentally, apparently the guy's a prescription drug addict, been divorced 3 times, has no kids, and is currently unmarried. Thus, he is a perfect propagandist for the “pro-family” Repugnican agenda. [Note: he's the 'scion' of a family that named 3 generations of boys “Rush”.]

Georgia on my Mind

The errorist Bush administration boasts 2 'experts' on Russia: Rice and Gates. Oh-oh. Not surprisingly, Russia has gone from a friendly democracy in 2000 to a hostile, belligerent, surely dictatorship in 2008.

Now we have a crisis close to Crimea. We have a Coast Guard ship on the Black Sea? This is the logic that sends the National Guard to Iraq. It all depends on whose coast and whose nation you really care about. There's oil in them there hills in the Caucasus and Iraq.... hmmm.

I predict that John McCant and the desperate Repugnicans, together with their propaganda organ Faux Snooze, will use the Georgia crisis to trigger racial divides. When Reagan said “state's rights”, he meant to old Southerners “I won't meddle on your plantation (real or imagined)”, but that dog won't hunt no more. Watch for Georgians to become 'Caucasians', which is technically correct. Watch for the Russians to become 'Slavs', which is technically correct. Watch for the short 'a' of Slav to be slightly elongated.

As John McCant might say, bottled rage threatening to spill out, “look, pal, are you for the Caucasians or the Slavs?” He won't even notice.

Faster, Higher, Stronger... Oftener

The motto of the modern Olympics is "Citius, Altius, Fortius". Michael Phelps won 8 Gold medals in the Beijing Olympics, with 7 of them world records and the other an Olympic record, surpassing the record 7 Gold medals and 7 world records won by Mark Spitz in the Munich Olympics of 1972.

8 G (7 WR + 1 OR) > 7 G (7 WR)

Two of Phelps' victories – one relay and one individual – were literally almost unbelievable, when he or his teammate out-touched the 'sure' winner by 1/100th of a second. Interesting coincidence that whereas 7 is a lucky number in the west, the number 8 is auspicious in China (which is why the games started on the 8th day of the 8th month of 2008). Spitz won in Germany, where his last name means 'peak' or 'top'. Maybe there's a Chinese homophone for Phelps meaning 'gilding the lily'.

Rice Whine

The US State Department 'news' release template:

Secretary Condoleeza Rice demanded that “[Hamas/Fatah/Iran/Pakistan/Russia/Sudan] must [withdraw/retreat/reverse] their [occupation/invasion/meddling/terrorism/whatever they already did] immediately. This [move/act/whatever it was] will not stand.”

Maybe she should stamp her foot when she makes her demands. [No, it would be sexist only if I said 'stamp her little foot'.] Apparently she does not realize how ridiculous is her insisting, repeatedly, on things that just don't ever happen. Why add humiliation to futility? Sure, a rare rhetorical flourish that sounds like a demand might actually come to pass (e.g., "tear down this wall"), but prepare to wait a decade. For quicker results, try anticipation and diplomacy.

In the Georgia-Russia crisis, this administration boasts not one but two 'experts', Rice and SecDef Gates. Gates replaces demands and finger wagging with 'regret' and a slight shake of his head, which is about as effective. They constitute a real spectrum of approaches if you think diplomacy is only a good cop-bad cop routine. They are excellent representatives of the "errorist" tendencies of the failed Bush regime.

China 'Opening': Olympic Precision on a Huge Scale

The opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing were amazing and beautiful on a stunning scale with breathtaking precision. If you missed it on TV, as did I, you can watch at the NBC website [too bad they make you download Microsoft's 'innovative' (bad) copy of Adobe Flash].

The ceremony reveled in China's technical prowess and philosophical history. Movable type, a Chinese invention, was celebrated using Chinese writing characters – literally movable – on an enormous LED stage. The edge around the top of the stadium contributed to show with coordinated images. The precision of so many people and movement on a huge scale – thousands of people performing beautifully was simply astonishing. The only weak moment was the silly bird reincarnated (at 33 minutes). Chi (life) and Harmony were the key messages and images. The earth at 40 min that turns into a dynamic Faberge egg is astonishing. Bob Costas says what I was thinking about the 2008 drummers acting in perfect precision: a little intimidating that such a large country can put on such a show. It is astonishing how artistry can be realized with no obvious technical constraints.

My State

Our arteries are congested and hypertense,
Our wind is feeble with gas nearly visible.
We sit, squat, spread, and sprawl, our growth undisciplined.
We admit, but won't curb, our oily appetites.

Heard the funny one about Obama?

Nabobs are nattering about the dearth of jokes featuring Obama, linking the scarcity to him being African-American and most of the comedians, writers, and audience being Caucasian. As if the only possibly funny topic about him were his race! This is like saying jokes about McCain are rare because his time as a POW in Hanoi is off-limits. Instead, there's McCain's involvement in the Savings and Loan scandal, and his anger, and his (advanced) age, which young comics also feel free to joke about.

Even if limited to looks, what about the fact that Obama looks like an earnest, precocious high schooler? That may be defanged by his own jokes about same. What about Obama's politics? The New Yorker sparked a controversy by parodying the whisper campaign suggesting that Obama is a secret Muslim. Their cover shows Obama fist-bumping wife Michelle, revealed as a Black Panther, with the American flag burning in the fireplace and a picture of bin Laden over the mantle. Not very inventive and certainly not subtle, but funny and hopefully effective once the shock wears off.

No, I think the lack of jokes are due to the fact that he is admirable and cool. We want to be his friend, we want him to be our president (and savior, if truth be told), and we are not yet comfortable enough with him to risk friendship with jokes.

This Bud's for Them!

Since the Bush gang took over, the value of the US dollar has lost about half it's value, dropping from 1.2 Euros in 2001 to about 0.6 today. The New York Board of Trade's dollar index is the weakest since the gauge began in 1973.

This collapse in the purchasing power of the dollar has many consequences. It has put the entire US on sale for the rest of the world. Assets, stock, and even whole companies are being bought at bargain basement prices. Today, the Belgian brewer InBev bought Budweiser, an American icon and mainstay of St. Lewis. While foreign companies can maintain steady prices for the American consumer, American companies don't have that luxury against foreign investors.

The weak dollar is also a major reason that oil has reached record prices. After all, it takes about twice as many dollars these days for a Saudi prince to buy his Mercedes.

Plan Z for Zimbabwe

Thirty years ago, Robert Mugabe was the rebel hero fighting a civil war against the white minority power in Rhodesia. In 1980, he became Prime Minister of the renamed Zimbabwe in a relatively peaceful final transition to majority rule. Today, President Mugabe is a tyrant, using any means necessary to maintain his rule. His thugs and henchmen forced the withdrawal of Tsvangirai, who likely would've won the run-off Presidential election. What's the world to do?

Zimbabwe is a desperately poor country: 20 million people, average yearly income under $200, beset by HIV/AIDS and inequities in land distribution. No natural resources or strategic advantage will stimulate the 'humanitarian' interests of wealthy, well-armed countries. Like Darfur, where horrors have outlived the righteous chorus of “never again”, the 'plan' for Zimbabwe is to stand back and let it bleed. Call it 'plan zzz'.

Netflix fix

“You've got to live your life” passes for wisdom. Do you? Face it, your life is constrained and largely predictable. Modern technology, in the form of a cornucopia of movies, offers the viable alternative of living vicariously. Why not live many others' lives?

Imagination is a wonderful thing, so use it! By merely changing DVDs, you can be a lover in Restoration England, then a leader on a trek to the stars, and so on through the genres, characters, places, and times. Embrace 'la vie du disque': vivid colors, animated co-stars, vigorous passion, vivacious drama, and lively dialog.

Real life has no remote control. No pause, no mute, no fast forward for the boring bits, and no rewind for the really great parts.

More for me, fewer for the next guy

General Petraeus, the point (sales) man on the Bush administration troop “surge” in Iraq, is now predicting that he will call for a reduction in troops in the fall. How this plan differs from providing a “timetable for surrender”, as this administration has characterized other calls for reductions, is not clear.

The timing is especially odd, since the General is also predicting that an upsurge in violence will force a delay in the Iraqi elections. But the timing is simply perfect for the US elections!

The General didn't get to be a General without knowing how careers and reputations are made. Petraeus is scheduled to turn over his honcho-chief title to a new guy in several months. If things fall apart when the troops come home, then the next guy blew it. If things work out, then the General fixed the mess. He cannot lose! If only the war planning were as solid as the career planning.

But let's not look a gift camel in the mouth. Let's take the reduction and keep 'em coming home.

Black, White, and 'Red'

Barack Obama was inducted today into the Crow native American nation and given a name that means "one who helps all people of this land". Apparently “all the people of this land” includes its original owners. "Barack Black Eagle" should be patriotic enough for any johnny-come-latelies. "Now that I'm a member of the family I won't break my commitment to my brothers and sisters", said Obama. This man really can bring us together, yes, he can.

Protracted Wars, Prolonged Deceptions

"The first casualty of War is Truth" - author disputed, truth indisputable

Bush used the occasion of Israel’s 60th birthday to accuse unnamed ‘others’, widely assumed to be Obama, of appeasing terrorists. In Bush’s confused, twisted mind, feeling trumps thinking, posturing beats leading, contrary facts cannot challenge beliefs, and discussion is surrender.

McCain promptly added his own layer of deception. In McCain’s confused, twisted history, Iran released the American hostages on Reagan’s inaugural day because Reagan was strong and Carter was an appeaser. The illogic of this assertion is only apparent if you think (bad) instead of simply believing (good).

In fact, Iran was obviously currying favor with the Reagan administration. That favor was returned when Reagan administration broke American law to sell arms, secretly, to Iran in order to buy arms, secretly, for the Nicaraguan contras. A little further back, Henry Kissinger used 'back channel' (i.e., secret) communications with the South Vietnamese leaders to stymie the Vietnam peace negotiations, where even a hint of progress would’ve probably led to a Humphrey victory over Nixon. These Republicans went way beyond appeasement. I dare call it treason.

Hillary, Pillory, Shrillary

Hillary Clinton is fully engaged in the politics of personal destruction. She cannot win the popular vote or the delegate count unless she destroys Obama. So, with no sign of compunction, she targets Obama with the vigor and zeal of a fully committed Republican partisan.

Democrats should remember that John Kerry came as close as any challenger ever to unseat an incumbent president at war. His fatal flaw was his vote to authorize the war. Hillary has the same flaw. She has two choices: either repudiate her vote and echo Kerry's infamous 'voted for it before I voted against it', or try the too-subtle dance of saying it was right to start the war but the management was wrong. Being a Clinton, she will choose a third way, triangulating between truth and lies, deceit and honesty, trying to confuse just enough people for just long enough.

Nietzsche, Democrats, and Spring Football

How hard should you practice? Nietsche wrote “Out of life's school of war: What does not destroy me, makes me stronger” (Twilight of the Idols). College football coaches, the premier modern philosophers, know better. They protect their star in practice for fear of a career-ending misstep and injury.

Some of Hillary Clinton's supports defend her relentless attacks because they say the attacks will toughen Obama for the general election. There may be some truth in this, because most voters will find these petty issues 'old news' (Reverend Wright, former Weather Underground neighbor, lapel pin etc. etc.), depriving the Republican attack ads of some traction. More likely, it will drive a brilliant but over-tired Obama to state the truth poorly ('bitter'), providing ammunition to those pitiful, craven few who want status quo.

Boeing, boing, splat!

Airbus, Boeing's arch competitor, won the competition for an Air Force tanker contract on "four key areas -- mission capability, past performance, cost/price and integrated fleet aerial refueling". Details, details, details... don't let the facts confuse you. The real competitor is patriotism, the scoundrel's last refuge.

You will recall that John McCain led the fight to expose and block the original deal with Boeing. That was a corrupt, sole-source (no competition) swindle that landed a couple people in jail. Now congress is falling over itself decrying any competition the French can win. The French! Could it be better? A Republican being caught on the wrong side of such demagogy is all the more delicious for its rarity. Ya gotta feel a little bad for poor ol’ John but you can save most of your sympathy for the misused Boeing worker and abused American taxpayer.

Semmelweis Redux

Dr. Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis is a hero who saved the lives of countless mothers. He was an Austrian pediatrician practicing in Vienna around 1850. He discovered that simply by having physicians wash their hands they could stop the spread of infections that produced fatal fevers (childbed fever). For his insight, he was ridiculed and hounded from the medical community and died in oblivion.

Infection remains an enormous problem in healthcare, accounting for an “estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year” in America alone. To reduce catheter-related infections, doctors from Johns Hopkins tested a simple procedure that included having clinicians wash their hands. There was a “dramatic decrease in catheter-related infections”, all the way to zero! Despite the obvious improvement, the inaptly-named Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP), a proud part of the US guberment's Department of Health and Human Services, decided that the procedure had not been properly reviewed and stopped the test.

Ah, the wonders of modern medicine, layering bureaucratic blundering atop simple age-old stupidity! With the attention of the New England Journal of Medicine making things uncomfortable, administrators at OHRP will learn anew the benefit of washing their hands of this mess.

McCan't

Let's see, McCain:

• is a Senator with no executive experience;
• defends the morally dubious, disastrously mismanaged, monstrously expensive, and unpopular war in Iraq;
• supports the escalation (permanent surge) in Iraq;
• believes adamantly our troops should remain in Iraq 100 years;
• jokes giddily about 'bomb-bomb-bomb'-ing Iran;
• is eager to practically give a 3rd term to George W. Bush, who has earned his record low popularity and is considered a failure even by conservatives;
• has no experience, knowledge, or even interest in economics, beyond his unethical and probably illegal involvement in the Savings and Loan scandal;
• is anathema to half his party's base for having sponsored bipartisan legislation with arch-Liberals Feingold and Kennedy;
• does not motivate evangelicals, another key part of his party's base;
• has problems controlling his anger, according to many.

If Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee,

• expect a record low election turn out.

If Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee,

• tall, elegant, young man vs. short, sloppy, old guy;
• optimism (yes, we can) vs. pessimism (fugetaboudit);
• enthusiastic, united party vs. disillusioned, fractured party;
• rhetorical superstar vs. competent, but uninspiring and easily tired, speaker;
• right from the start on the war vs. wrong, wrong, wrong.

But we can't count these chickens since it will be up to the dubious “wisdom of the crowds”, AKA the American electorate.

'Good', the enemy of 'Great'

Supporters of Hillary Clinton are reading the writing on the wall and crying “foul”. They claim that Obama supporters attack Hillary unfairly and constitute a “cult of personality”. She is certainly a victim – but of fate alone. Unquestionably, she is better able to lead our nation than John McCain, who is apparently eager to continue Bush's disastrous policies. In an average election, she would have our votes. And voter turn-out would set record lows. But this is not an average election.

Senator Clinton's frustration is understandable. She is (relatively) charismatic, she can light up a (good size) room. But we're all adults here and we know that life ain't fair. Genius is a gift: all your hard work can only help you fulfill their potential. We all wish we could think like Einstein, act like Burton, speak like...Obama. The emergence of Barack Obama has made this a once-in-a-generation election.

General Motors & Divorce

In a move to cut the fat and improve productivity, GM is offering many of its workers $140,000 to sever all ties.

My wife wanted to sever all ties but she demanded a lot more. Maybe the GM workers should hire her lawyer.

Me? Next time, I'm outsourcing. Strictly mistresses. Sure the up-front costs are higher, but the close-out costs are low. And think of the value!

Yes, We Can

We usually rely on artists to inspire hope and lately, we could count on politicians to inspire fear. This election, Barack Obama has reminded us of how we recognize true leaders and why we willingly follow them. By engaging our need for spiritual excellence, good ideas that would be impossible to implement if only self-interest were engaged, become feasible and attractive.

Artists, inspired by him, remixed his "yes, we can" speech with music and video. It has already been viewed nearly 4 million times. Make it one more, if you haven't seen it or if you want to lift your spirit again. Obama is like the first hints of spring after a long, cold winter. Yes, we can elect him President. Indeed, we must.

The Republican 'Party' is Over

Republicans controlled the White House, both houses of Congress, and the Supreme Court for 6 years. Instead of using this time in absolute control of Washington DC to implement the party's agenda, they have only proven the maxim 'power corrupts'. The party of small government instead presided over a record-setting growth in government. The party that urged isolation instead led America on the largest nation building efforts since the Marshall Plan. The party that warned against the growing national debt and preached the blessings of a balanced budget instead drove the budget from surplus to $500 billion annual shortfall and doubled the cumulative national debt. The party that claimed competence instead proved itself a miserable failure at management; the catatonic response to Katrina is a national disgrace, they institutionalized vote peddling to lobbyists , and their craven bumbling on the economy threatens the commonweal for generations to come. While their candidates debate how much fealty to pledge this failed administration to win the primaries, they fear the consequences in the general election. Even the most dedicated Republicans must wonder how their dreams have turned to dust.

Addicted to $timulation

Although they say that the economy is healthy, the administration also now says that we must stimulate it immediately with $150 billion. This is like your doctor saying you're healthy but adding, hey, since you're in the office, why don't I give you a shot of adrenalin right in the heart. To the trillions given away in the last tax cut, add the trillion dollars spent on Iraq, and you've got a mountain of unpaid expenses. Like a 'nightcap' after a night of binge drinking, another $150 billion won't make a huge difference either way.

Politicians in both parties are always happy to give away money. They only argue about who should get it. There is no reason to trust this administration to design a stimulus package that won't make things worse. The problem with any stimulus package, even one agreed upon by both parties, is that our current situation is a consequence of the 6 years of continuous, strong economic stimulus we've already had. Maybe any stimulus will only delay the inevitable day of reckoning.

Basic macro economics says the next step is inflation, maybe rampant inflation. Our advantage over third world economies is that our debt is denominated in our own currency. Inflation actually helps the debtor, so long as they can pay with inflated currency. Fortunately, the the new bankruptcy laws, which benefit the lenders, don't apply to us as a nation.

Re- Baathification?

The Iraqi Parliament shook off its stupor long enough to pass a law allowing former (?) Baathists, the Party ruled by Saddam Hussein, to join the government. This law replaces a 'de-Baathification' law in place since the US invasion. Sounds to me like re-Baathification. Since this administration is so fond of comparing Hussein to Hitler, maybe they can explain why we should have encouraged West Germany to allow former (?) Nazis to join the government in the late 1940s.

'Hormuz' is Iranian for 'Tonkin'

Bright blue speedboats with no sign of weapons 'attack' in broad daylight in the Straight of Hormuz off the Iranian coast. Oh, scary! The sailor on the 'coalition' warship asks over the radio for the 'unidentified' boats to state their intentions.

Maybe they forgot their sunscreen and just wanted to ask the nice sailor boys to share.

Mr. Olmert, Tear Down this Wall!

Israel built a wall, over 400 miles long and up to 24 feet high, to protect Israeli settlements from angry Palestinians. This wall also separates Palestinian towns from one another, making normal commerce and community impossible. This is the Palestinians' “Wailing Wall”, a potent symbol of their oppression. The wall constitutes a major impediment to achieving lasting peace.

If Bush had any courage, he would echo Reagan's demand of the Soviet leader Gorbachev that he remove the Berlin wall. Bush would challenge the Israelis to live up to the promise of their state and maintain a hope for peace. Don't hold your breath. More likely the Republican candidates will propose to contract the Israelis to build a wall between the US and Mexico.

Universities On-line, Off-course

MIT offers its full catalog of world class course material for free over the Internet. Apple iTunes offers free downloads of hundreds of lectures by professors from dozens of universities. This is a wonderful trend that will bring many of the fruits of learning to everyone, everywhere. But what will it mean for the major universities if students find a course posted by a community college prof better than the ivy's offerings? This is almost inevitable, since top universities choose profs based on their research grants, not teaching skills. Soon, the only purpose of the major “bricks-and-mortar-board” universities will be to serve as venues for class reunions and home for basketball and football games.

Universities should exploit the value of their brand before it disappears. Here are some naturals: the University of North Carolina sponsors a NASCAR entry, Texas brands beef, Notre Dame backs Lucky Charms, Florida promotes a sports drink (done that), the University of Southern California recommends, um, defense lawyers.