Shamelessly Stolen from Jules Crittenden!

I love this piece in the UK Telegraph! Jules Crtittendon posted a round-up and this was my favorite.

If the Iranians hate us, let them also fear us

It is one thing to be disliked; quite another to be despised. Iran would not have kidnapped our Servicemen without having considered our rules of engagement, our diplomatic isolation and our likely military response, and made a rough calculation of how likely they were to get away with their piracy.
There was a time when British citizenship afforded a degree of protection from foreign harassment. When the half-mad King of Abyssinia interned two of our diplomats in 1868, we sent an expeditionary force of 13,000 British and Indian troops on a nine-month rescue mission. When Gordon was besieged at Khartoum in 1884, public opinion demanded a relief expedition, whose failure to arrive in time contributed in no small part to the downfall of the government.
During the Don Pacifico Affair in 1850, when Britain blockaded Piraeus in order to secure compensation for a Portuguese moneylender who had been born in Gibraltar, Palmerston assured his countrymen that "a British subject, in whatever land he may be, shall feel confident that the watchful eye and the strong arm of England will protect him from injustice and wrong".
Not any more. Teheran is well aware that we have been taking on additional military responsibilities while running down our capacity. Struggling to meet our commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, we are in little position to pick a new fight. Public opinion, too, has changed. Where our great-great-grandfathers clamoured for the rescue of Gordon, we have reacted to Iran's provocation with a resigned shrug. Americans, in particular, cannot understand why we seem so indifferent to the fate of our own people.
Part of this indifference has to do, disgracefully, with anti-war sentiment: there is a feeling that we have no business being in the Gulf, and that we therefore are in no position to complain when things go wrong. But our sailors were carrying out their task at the behest of the Iraqi government and the United Nations. The rights and wrongs of the original invasion have no bearing on the criminality of their abduction.
There is also, perhaps, a feeling of impotence: if we can't invade Iran, what else can we do? Plenty of things. We can, of course, pull diplomatic and economic levers. This will involve going through Brussels, not so much because we need a favour as because we have no independent trade policy: the only way that Britain can impose sanctions on Iran is if the EU does so. At the same time, we could be seizing Iranian assets. Longer term, we could be putting pressure on the regime by sponsoring its opponents. We could launch tactical strikes at Iranian military installations.
We could even, in extremis, impose the kind of armed siege, complete with no-fly-zone, that paralysed Saddam in the years between the two Iraq wars: we already maintain large coalition garrisons on both Iran's flanks. Limiting ourselves to trivial resolutions will be treated by the ayatollahs as a sign of weakness. If they hate us, let them also fear us.

BZ to the author of this piece. I poked around the site and couldn't find a name, so I figure it's the paper's editorial staff. Go, go, go! We gotcha back!

I Had A Lovely Weekend

After lots of last minute uncertainty, I ended up in Newport Friday night. What a good time! SB and I never run out of things to say to each other. Even though we talk almost every day.....it's still wayyyyyyyy better face-to-face. He had to work Saturday, so I had some good down time to boot. Although we did get to have lunch together. The weather was perfect for the end of March. I was flipping through the channels at one point trying to find FoxNews (that and CSPAN are the customary soundtrack of my life) and came upon a little John Wayne film festival on AMC. So while I did stuff, there was "Blood Alley" and "McQ" on in the background. You know, I have to be perfectly honest here....."McQ" was not a good movie, lol. I can remember pestering the living daylights out of my father to take me to see it when it came out. He did. What a good guy. When I was in Seattle this past summer some parts of Route 99 looked familiar. At the time I thought it must be because there was an elevated highway like Boston. Now I realize that it was because of that movie.

I got some reading done, including a depressing article in Boston magazine about Republicans in Massachusetts (but it gave a well deserved shout out to Matt and Aaron Margolis of HubPolitics and DevalPatrickWatch) and an even more depressing one about an identity crisis that the author believed Boston's Irish American population is experiencing..........I'm fine.
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I've not said much about the situation in Iran. I've commented elsewhere, but haven't really felt that I had much to add. However, I want to respond to people who are questioning the statements made by the British sailors and marines over in Iran. They are being compared to American POWs. That's not fair. They are not American. Their training and their military philosophy are completely different. It's also not fair to bring up Nelson. The Royal Navy is a different entity now. The attitude is different. I found an interesting take on it over at the BBC. NPR is a marvelous (if madly liberal) thing!
'To fight would not be clever'
Admiral Sir Alan West was First Sea Lord in 2004, when Iran detained eight British servicemen after they allegedly strayed over the maritime border
Here he comments on the current detention by Iran of 15 Royal Navy personnel and compares it with the earlier incident.
What training would the personnel have been given to help them in the event of capture?
These particular people would not be trained in counter-interrogation techniques because they are not expected to be captured. But I think our guidance to anyone in that position would be to say what they want you to say, let's not be silly about it. Don't tell them secrets, clearly, but if they tell you: 'Say this', well if that's going to get you out, then do it. It means absolutely nothing, what they say, to be honest.
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This morning was CCD. Palm Sunday was discussed and somehow I got off topic (lol, shut up!) and we strayed to the subject of how the date of Easter is determined. Here's one of those utterly useless things I know. First you determine the vernal equinox (which usually occurs on my birthday, but this year occurred on the 21st). Next you find the next full moon, which is tomorrow at 1715. From this point, the next Sunday is Easter.......the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Needless to say, my class ends up knowing more history and geography that religion.....although I think I hit the basics.
Then I popped in to see the parents before heading home.
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The New York Times has an interesting article about a website that urges people to vote for the worst contestant on American Idol. I have never watched "American Idol", but I am well aware of how passionate their fans are. Anyway, the hits on this guy's website have tripled since sock jock Howard Stern interviewed him. Many people feel that's why a particularly bad contestant is still on the show. The hate mail on "Vote For The Worst" is hilarious.

Sleeping

Last night SB called my at 1940, he was exhausted. It had been a long day and he knew today was going to be as well. I didn't have the heart to tell him that while we were talking I was already in bed (this head cold is sapping my energy) and as soon as we hung up I was rolling over and going to sleep for the next 10 hours or so.

Even I'm not that mean!

National CounterTerrorism Center

Hmmmm, LOL!

Some People Think......

....the Air Force is going to ask Congress to investigate a possible violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, lol.

The Navy is just taking over the whole deal, baby!

Socom Leader To Retire; His Deputy Likely Successor

Army Gen. Bryan "Doug" Brown, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command since September 2003, will retire this summer after four decades in the military. His deputy, Vice Adm. Eric Olson, is the front-runner to replace him, according to officials familiar with the internal deliberations.
If Olson, who once ran the elite SEAL Team Six counterterrorist unit, is nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the Senate, Navy officers will be in charge of the two war fighting organizations most responsible for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Adm. William Fallon was installed March 16 as commander of U.S. Central Command, which along with Socom is based at MacDill Air Force Base.

Grace Should Be Relieved......

....but she's not. Last night we went to our parent's house to ambush Grace with a party. She turned 44 and wouldn't celebrate. Isn't that silly? I turned 46 and the festivities went on for a week and included 5 birthday cakes. Anyway, Jen and I picked up a cake at White's Pastry Shop in Hingham and took our Crate & Barrel presents (thanks for wrapping Jen) and met her at our parent's. I had forgotten to tell my parents we were coming and there was some agitation. They had the dining room ripped apart, with all the furniture in other rooms. My mother questioned where we would sit. I just laughed. There is always chaos where I am! Anyway, I made a big show of returning the pan the fudge was made in (my father protested giving it to me because so much of his stuff never gets returned). Then I gave my Dad the CD version of "Victory at Sea" that I got for a song on EBay. I am the favorite daughter of the moment!

So Grace is telling us about a conversation she had with her husband. She explained that she needed to go to Costco for TP. Dave pointed out that there was a ton of TP in the attic. Grace was almost apopleptic at the suggestion of dipping into the bird flu supplies! LOL That reminded me of an article I read in The Atlantic.

A worldwide outbreak of bird flu that followed the pattern of the 1918–1920 influenza pandemic would kill between 51 million and 81 million people, according to a new study—but if history repeated itself, very few of the dead would be Americans or residents of other wealthy nations. The authors compared death rates across 27 countries during the period 1915–1923 and found that the rates varied wildly from place to place, even within a single country: In British India, for instance, the mortality rate ranged from 2.1 percent in Burma to 7.8 percent in the province of Berar. The best explanation for this variation turned out to be per capita income alone; for every 10 percent increase in income, the death rate declined by roughly 10 percent. Given present income variations, a flu pandemic that followed a similar pattern would claim just 4 percent of its victims in the developed world—here defined as members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

So, I said "Don't you feel better?" Her answer, "No, no."

Oh well, I tried.

By the way, recently the Pope came out with a statement re-iterating Hell is a real place. I told Jennifer. She said "Good, now we know where you'll be." Grace agreed. Why should I try to be nice now? It will be too little, too late anyway.

I Am John Doe

Go over and see Michelle Malkin's latest video. Don't miss a special cameo from one of my fellow pub crawlers. Read the manifesto.

Related story - Congress did the right thing!! Final vote: 304 Ayes, 121 Noes. Here in Massachusetts, my congressional delegation has one stand up guy........Stevie Lynch. I called his office and told the person who answered the phone that I thought Stevie was fabulous! He's from Southie, that explains it.

I went over to Frank's place and bought a "I Am John Doe. Sue Me." T-shirt.

Howie Carr

Howie is reading Michelle Malkin's post. It's great!

Go read it.

Uncle Jimbo is involved. I love Uncle Jimbo.

Humph

Jennifer called my cell to ask a question, but I was tied up. She left a message with Nic. Usually we communicate via Windows Messenger. However, for some reason mine constantly signs itself out. She has complained that I am constantly popping in and out. So, I signed in and asked if she needed an actual phone call. She said no, it's just that I wasn't signed in. I asked if she had run my problem past the CMC for a possible solution. She said no.

I said "That's because you don't care about my problems." She answered "That is a true statement."

LOL

SB will like that one.

Jennifer and SB do not understand the proper way to show respect.

Finally!

Someone in Washington with a brain!

From Morning Edition: A top aide for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says she will invoke the Fifth Amendment when testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee wants to question Monica Goodling about the firings of eight federal prosecutors.

Ms. Goodling understands the wisdom of the great James Michael Curley
"Never write when you can speak, never speak when you can nod."

She saw what happened when Scooter tried to talk to a grand jury about a leak he wasn't responsible for. She knows that once a witch-hunt is on that just being not guilty of wrongdoing is no protection from persecution.

Good for you, Ms. Goodling.

Another Deval Debacle

OMG, the fun just never stops!

WCVB, The Boston Channel reports
Gov. Deval Patrick launched a new page on his political Web site this weekend to organize supporters behind his issues, but Secretary of State William Galvin Monday asked the governor to take it down, fearing the identity of voters may be compromised.
Team 5 Investigates Janet Wu discovered that when people register to participate, it discloses their home address as listed in the Massachusetts voter database. Wu found that anyone could enter a name and a town and find the street address for any registered voter. For some searches, unpublished phone numbers were revealed.

Janet Wu posed this concern.
"I think we're all concerned about people's private information getting public. Just to be clear, this information did not come from my office," said Galvin. "We know elderly voters in particular (are) concerned about people finding their address, what apartment they're in."

The response form Ms. Morningstar on his behalf is stunning.
"It's information that's publicly available from your city, your city hall, your local voter registration, " said Liz Morningstar of the Deval Patrick Committee.

Team 5 Investigates entered the name of a woman with a restraining order against a stalker. Her full address popped up on the Patrick campaign Web site.
Morningstar said if anyone has a complaint to lodge, she welcomes them to go online and register their concerns, but she said the campaign has no intention of taking down the new page.

So, I go and sign up to say I agree with the people who want the website taken down.

This is being discussed on several blogs that do a better job than I do. Hub Politics, DevalPatrickWatch, New England Republican, and RedMass Group.

If you lilve in Massachusetts, go to MyIssue.DevalPatrick.com and register and join in protesting this violation of our privacy.

The Truest Thing I've Read In The New York Times

This is from an article in today's NYT. “The bottom line is that insurance companies make money when they don’t pay claims,” said Mary Beth Senkewicz, who resigned last year as a senior executive at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. “They’ll do anything to avoid paying, because if they wait long enough, they know the policyholders will die.”

I deal with insurance companies every day. Some are good, some aren't, but to some extent, all of them follow this maxim. There is an insurance company I deal with on a regular basis that routinely denies a certain percentage of "clean claims". That is to say, there's nothing special about them, they don't have any errors and when you call in to their provider service line, they say "My bad, we'll reprocess." The point of doing this is two fold. One, they got to keep their money in their accounts a little longer. Two, some of these claims will not be called on for several reasons and the insurance company will not have to pay. This is a big part of my job. It's my job because I can be persistent without being rude. I call these people and get claims reprocessed and I will keep at it and at it. Sometimes though, my boss will say, "Nevermind, the cost of your time vs. that claim isn't worth it." It's true the claim in question is usually short money, but multiply that out. How many companies? How many claims? Just by denying claims on the first and sometimes second level (which doesn't cost the insurance companies anything significant - just a form letter), how much are they making? It's fraud and there is nothing I can do about it. Every company does it, Medicare too.
I have no solutions, I have no answers. I am just venting.
This rant in no way endorses socialized medicine, Clinton medicine or Romney medicine. At least the way it's done now patients still get choice and quality and providers make money. We just get cheated a little. It's like having to kick up a little to the "boss".

Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me

I love "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me", I manage to listen every week thanks to their website. This week's guest for the "Not My Job" segment was Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. LOL, the Yahoo headline is misleading. It's sounds as though he failed a news quiz and that is not what happens. He failed the nonsense part of the show.
Justice Breyer goes 0-3 on NPR news quiz
Here's what Justice Stephen Breyer revealed about the Supreme Court in his appearance on a radio quiz show: His judicial robe gathers no lint because it's synthetic.
When it came to cracking wise, Breyer held his own with a panel of people who are paid to be funny on National Public Radio's "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me."
Being the funniest Supreme Court justice, he said, "is like being one of the shortest tall people."
On why he even agreed to answer questions outside his area of expertise in the humbling, and often embarrassing, "Not My Job" segment: "Well, it was my sister-in-law who wanted me to do it, and I wanted peace in the family."
The show was taped Thursday and will air this weekend on NPR stations. NPR provided a transcript on Friday.
Breyer spent a half-hour or so chatting with host Peter Sagal and panelists Luke Burbank, Paula Poundstone and Mo Rocca.
In response to questions from Poundstone, Breyer let listeners in on the secret of his lint-free robe, purchased 25 years ago after he became an appeals court judge in Boston.
But Breyer struck out when it came to the "Not My Job" questions, failing to answer any correctly about strange moments in the lives of rock stars David Bowie, Ozzy Osbourne and Iggy Pop.
In the end, the NPR regulars confessed they were relieved that Breyer didn't know Bowie once tried to exorcise Satan from his swimming pool, Iggy Pop spent a year eating nothing but German sausages or Osbourne once asked for directions to the bar immediately after checking in to rehab.
"I feel more and more confident about your ability to protect our Constitution knowing that you didn't know the answers to any of those three questions," Poundstone said

I Have Been Very Productive Today.......

****UPDATE*****03/25/2009 - This post (which is 2 years old) is getting a ton of hits from people clicking through the picture of a pile of money. What gives? How are you getting here? Email me or comment or something, I'm dying of curiosity******
......unlike Pia yesterday. LOL Seriously, it's ok, she deserves it.

I got up at 0630 and did some laundry and some packing in case the USN decides my presence is required in Newport.

That's right, my stray is back stateside! Then into work for a few. At 1000 I was getting a burn permit for the monstrous pile of willow debris in my yard. A pitstop for new rakes, gloves, Dunkin' (can't get jack outta Frank without a bribe) and on to yard work. My face is still burning hot. Nothing blazes up like old dry Christmas trees and willow branches. Then I had to drag my smelly self into work to cover the rest of the day. We're closed, thank heaven, because I SMELL!

So, as I was leaving and giving Frank and the rest of the posse final instructions on the yard, this conversation takes place.

FX: What's the deal? What's your plan for tonight?
Me: Work until five, then maybe Newport.
He lights up, instantly picturing my living room turned into a FIFA video game tournament, complete with snacks and pizza.

FX: Yes! I've got money! Do you need money? Bounce!LOL, bastid! I would have thrown something at him, but I can't raise my arms from all that raking.

I'm In Trouble Again!!

It is NOT my fault. I have no idea how these things happen.

Here's the story.

We start with a local neurologist that my company occasionally does business with. We will call him Dr. X. Dr. X has won awards, has a thriving practice, etc. Personally, I found him to be a cold fish and autocratic, but whatever.

Fast forward to about 18 months ago, charges surfaced against Dr. X re: "inappropriate touching". I read the stories and based on my personal experience and cynical nature, jumped to the conclusion that it was a scam on the part of the two women and dismissed the story. After all he seems like the last person to want to touch someone.

Fast forward to about a month ago. Jen and I are discussing her neurologists. The first recommended another who specialized in Jen's condition, MS. The recommended doctor had a lot going for her (smart, world class hospital affiliation) but had a terrible bedside manner and didn't listen. Dr. C had a set agenda and stuck to it. *WE* didn't like her.

The next one we found via a friend of Jen's who casually said "I know the head of the MS Department at BI". Hi! Get us in! LOL Gary got us in. The new neurologist, Dr. V is just what we wanted. He's smart. He listens. He puts up with our crazy questions. Great guy, love him, but he is shifting his focus back to research and is less and less available. So Jen and I will soon be on the hunt again. She asks me about local guys. Lots of people ask because in my work I know the other side.......office staff.....how good they are in responding to patient's needs.......how to look up on the internet and see stuff about them. So I mentioned a few locals and said the smartest was probably Dr. X and reminded her of his award from the MS Society. We were both there the night he received it. I also mention the "cold fish" part and we dismiss him from further consideration. Bad bedside manner, been there, done that, all set.

Fast forward to a few days ago. The newspapers are full of stories about Dr. X pleading guilty to "inappropriately touching" 9 women!!!!!!!!! LOL They range in age from 32 to 78. Christ! I was shocked. Oh well.

Fast forward to dinner last night (Girl's Night) when the subject comes up and Jen starts ripping me a new one. "You were going to send me to "Chester-the-Molester"!!!!!! You were going to send me to some pervert? What part of a neurological exam requires humping someone from behind!" I am laughing too hard to defend myself. No one at the table is helping me.

Then she starts bringing out the big guns. "Wait until Sunday (another family birthday party - Grace and my nephew Frankie)! Wait till I tell our family that you were going to let me get molested. Wait till I tell Mum that you were going to take me to a pervert. What would you have done when I came out of that exam room covered with blood, looking for a shovel?"

I gasped that she is never in the exam room alone. I am always with her. She just rolls right over me. "You are in such trouble! Our family will rip her to shreds!" she tell the others. She is right, I am in such trouble. I will never win this. I will never live it down. Forever and ever, no matter what I do, I will be the one who tried to send Jen to a pervert doctor. Just tattoo the big "B" on my forehead for "bad sister".

Then, the unkindest cut of all. "Wait until I tell my friend, SB". Now I'm sunk. SB and Jennifer are always one against me. It is completely irrational. My only hope is the fact that I get to tell my side first.

Fast forward to this morning. SB calls. There are a million things I want to say. There are a million things he wants to say. "Wait, wait, wait. I must tell you this." I say. I tell him the story. Any rationale person can see that I did nothing wrong. Anyone can see that I merely suggested his name. That had we pursued this, I would have remembered the allegations and ruled him out.

When I conclude my case, he says............

"Well, I'll have to hear Jennifer's side of this............but it's not looking good for you."

Not looking good for me? Not looking good for ME!! What. The. Fuck. LOL This just isn't fair!

Scooter

So, I haven't posted about this because I don't want to draw the moonbats and have to edit the "Die Na2zi/Repu%blican b&^itch" comments (I fiddled with the comment because I don't want to even know would be drawn here by Googling that phrase). Generally, I go cause trouble in other people's blogs.......Jarhead John, Ace of Spades, The Castle, etc. But a discussion over at JJ's place got me thinking. Do any rational people really, truly, honestly believe that Scooter should be doing time over this crap? Do they further believe that he got fair and equal treatment when compared with other political investigations or criminal matters?

JJ posted about Scooter and double standards, go read it here. Then go read the comments. This pretty much sums up my point of view.

I agree comparing Berger/Kennedy/Jefferson to Libby is a case of apples vs. oranges. Or, more to the point, actual crime vs. sneaky stupidity. Scooter was stupid. We (I use that in the royal sense) had the high moral ground. Joe Wilson is a lying weasel. Instead of standing up and condemning him in the hard, cold light of day.......Scooter was whispering. Not that it mattered, Armitage is the guy who let the cat out of the bag.
So.......Berger steals/destroys government property, Kennedy is caught OUI, Jefferson has 90 large in marked bills...........but Scooter faces JAIL for lying about a matter in which there was.... no..... underlying...... crime.....
Why?
Let's see.......duck.......duck......duck.....Republican
Maggie

Dustin Willis

Body identified as missing sailor
Boston police confirmed last night that the body pulled yesterday from Boston Harbor was that of missing sailor Dustin Willis, a 26-year-old petty officer who had last been seen near Quincy Market during the snowstorm Friday night.

The conditions that night were terrible by the water. I had to cover my face leaving Jen's house, I couldn't see anything. Fortunately, I knew where I was going with my eyes closed.

This is a young man who had a spotless record," he added, adding that last week Willis was honored with a Navy achievement medal for superior performance.

What a sad, sad story. A tragic accident. This is a satellite photo of the area.
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People are coming here by way of "googling" Dustin's name. They are sad and upset, some leave comments, some don't. I didn't know Dustin, I just posted because the story caught my eye, it was local, it involved the Navy, etc. But I want to say one more thing. A man, or a woman, is nothing more than what they leave behind. It is obvious that Dustin has left behind a loving family, good friends and shipmates who liked and admired him. I am sorry he did not get the fun night on the town he deserved after being underway for some time. But he left his mark on the world and he will be missed. That's not all bad.

Italy Screws The Pooch

Italy Swapped 5 Jailed Taliban for a Hostage

An Italian journalist who was held hostage for 15 days by the Taliban in lawless southern Afghanistan was ransomed for five Taliban prisoners, the Italian government and Afghan officials confirmed Wednesday.

What the hell were you people thinking?

We think that the life of a person is very precious,” said Mr. Prodi’s spokesman, Silvio Sircana, who is also a friend of Mr. Mastrogiacomo’s. “So if there is a chance to save a life, we must do all we can do. And this was our very simple line, and not anything more.”

Well that will be cold comfort to all the people who are taken hostage by the terrorists whose hope you have renewed!

300

Jen and I went to see "300" tonight with our brother Frankie.......as opposed to my son Frankie, or my cousin Frankie, or my nephew Frankie, lol.

We loved it!

Again, I strongly recommend IMAX, some movies are best viewed on IMAX and this is definitely one of them.

Lots of this movie is overblown and larger than life, but it's based on a comic book. It is not a secret plot to convince people that "W" is right about the war on terrorism (even though I think he is). As the Armorer suggests "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar".

If you want history, watch the History Channel......we do, but if you want entertainment, go see this movie.

Favorite lines.........
Stelios: "Then we will fight in the shade."

Queen Gorgo: "Only Spartan women give birth to real men."

Both were delivered in a very understated way and therefore the most effective.

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Now I have to go to bed and wake up tomorrow to Atkins. Tonight was the last of the birthday celebrations. I had chinese for lunch, one last piece of birthday cake, popcorn, M&Ms, Coke, and Ben&Jerry's. Tomorrow......meat.........meat..........meat.