Awesome photo

Thanks to cousin Maris for this one:



I don't know any more details, but the markings on the field support what Maris's e-mail message said, that this was a "Missing Man Formation" flyover of a Texas A&M football game.

Phils "over" 82 1/2...

Paulie-

I'm with you on the Phils, and made that "over" prediction in this week's Sheet, which you will receive in the mail later this week. Could be on the Brew Crew, too; I just saw them last night vs. the Rocks in Maryvale, and was impressed when their front-liners were in the lineup. We made the annual Cactus League trip yesterday with Brad and his son Steven also one of Brad's friends and his son, saw Giants-Royals at Scottsdale in the afternoon, then went to Maryvale for Brew Crew-Rocks before catching a late flight home. A real ninja trip, but they are really gouging for hotels in the Valley during spring training these days, and didn't want to spend triple digits to stay at a Days Inn, so we made it a day trip instead.

Maryvale is my favorite Cactus venue, the crowds are smaller, and there is none of the "social outing" element you get with the Giants games, which are almost all sold out. No one down there goes to "be seen" at a Brewers game, especially one vs. the Rockies, but to me (and Brad) it was almost nirvana, and the weather was perfect for the 6 PM start, and we moved all around the park to watch from different angles. Of course, the Cubs are the biggest draw in the Cactus League, and I avoid their games like the plague when down there. The Brewer camp in Maryvale is very nice, not too far away, with Milwaukee-style food, sausage races, everything Milwaukee, only transplanted in the desert. The best complex of them all (and it is a close call, because they are all nice) is probably in Surprise, where the Rangers and Royals both train, though that place is far off the beaten track. Peoria, where the Pads and Mariners share, is also great, a bit closer in than Surprise, and they have the benefit of numerous restaurants and hotels (overpriced as they might be in March) adjacent to that new facility.

I like the Royals over 64 wins, hard to lose the 99 necessary to defeat that one, and they have made upgrades, adding Reggie Sanders, Grudzialanek, Mientkewicz, and several serviceable vet pitchers. Plus Buddy Bell now has had a season to look and analyze. Not to get carried away by yesterday's game, but rarely at any level have I seen a pitcher worked over like the Royals did to SF's Armando Benitez yesterday. Almost as if Felipe wanted him to get in some work no matter what. Maybe the worst 1 1/3 IP I have ever seen, allowing 10 runs, 11-12 hits, and all of those were scalded, including an Aaron Guiel HR that must have traveled 460 feet. They were all rocket hits, and I don't think he even threw a called strike or a swinging strike. Even the foul balls were laced. For the Giants' sake, let's hope Benitez gets such efforts out of his system in spring, but the season is fast approaching. He sure didn't have the look of a frontline closer yesterday...

Pondering the Phils' Phate

Brucie:

I have a hard time believing that they won't crack 84 wins, given the mediocrity of the division and their recent track record. I think that the offense will be good enough to carry them into September, and they might compete for a division title in a weak race to 88-90 wins. I say this fully cognizent of the weakness of their pitching staff, but also aware of the holes that other teams have. I think you are starting with a minimum 78 win team and having to bet on 4 wins - I'll take that bet.

My pick for surprise team in the NL is the Milwaukee Brewers. Solid pitching staff, especially if Ben Sheets is healthy. Their rotation of Sheets, Doug Davis, Chris Capuano, the underrated but steady Tomo Ohka, and the possible breakthrough performer Dave Bush is quite solid. They have a few guys who are young and who have to step up (Fielder, Weeks, JJ Hardy), but I think they are ready, and will challenge for the division title. 82 is a low number - that's the one I would jump on, moreso than the Phils.

Jonah G on pre-War Intelligence

Why the Bush administration is so reluctant to delve into the huge cache of documents retrieved from Iraq mystifies me. Now that it has begun, it seems almost certain that the information learned will bolster its rationale for action. Jonah Goldberg gives a nice column-length treatment of the issue:

But what these documents - as well as other after-action intelligence gathering - demonstrate is that given what he knew at the time, George W. Bush was right to invade Iraq. We now know that the CIA bureaucracy was simply wrong to insist that "secular" Iraq would never work with Islamist terrorist groups such as al Qaeda and Abu Sayyaf. We know that Iraq harbored and very likely supported Abdul Rahman Yasin, one of the suspected bomb makers involved in the first World Trade Center attack in 1993.

According to the Pentagon's definitive postmortem on the invasion, some of which was leaked to the New York Times, even many Iraqi generals were stunned to discover that Hussein didn't have WMDs. Hussein practiced a strategy that one Republican Guard commander called "deterrence by doubt," in which he hoped to bluff the world into believing he had WMDs in order to deter Iran and keep his rep as an Arab strongman with serious mojo.

Read the whole thing.

Baseball on deck...

Paulie-

Wondering if you have any early thoughts on the Phillies' prospects this season. This weekend, I am producing my annual baseball "futures" article for TGS where I call "over/under" on the posted season total of wins for selected teams. In the Phils' case, the number is 82 1/2; you can access all of the over-unders for MLB teams in the above Bodog link, and scroll down to the bottom portion of that page.

My knee-jerk reaction is to go "over" on the Phils. They won 88 last year, and I think they might be a factor in the NL East again. When speaking to Mark the other night, however, he cautioned me, as he has legitimate issues with the staff, namely a bullpen sans Wagner (and counting on an aging Tom Gordon) and the depth of the starting rotation, especially with Wolfie a big ? (maybe a mid-season return) and relying on the likes of Gavin Floyd and Ryan Franklin to hold down a couple of starting spots. Those are valid concerns, to be sure.

As Mark commented, 82 1/2 is a tough number. I do like the energy the Rollins/Utley combo can provide in the infield, and the sky is the limit for Ryan Howard, who could end up with 40 homers this season (though I suppose in a worst-case scenario, if he can't learn to hit lefties a bit better, this could become a platoon for Charlie Manuel). I think David Bell's injury is a non-factor (except to Bell), as they can probably get as much from Abraham Nunez or Tomas Perez at 3B. Rowand is an excellent addition in CF, he can cover a lot of ground, and it will make for a better defensive outfield. Burrell-Rowand-Abreu could be a darned good outfield, especially as I suspect Burrell is beyond the wildly-erratic production of the past couple of years. Lieberthal, however, is on the downside, though I think Pat Gillick is sharp enough to put some band-aids on any problem areas and can come up with short-term fixes where needed that can keep the Phils' heads above water and perhaps in the race. Though if Mark is correct, that might mean Gillick could be looking at pitching reinforcements already.

I value your opinion on the Phils and any other teams you wish to comment upon. Dan is also preparing a comprehensive rundown, and I absorb all input. If Mark is reading this, feel free to jump in with any other predictions beyond our discussion Tuesday night. Remember to reference that link above for all of the over/unders. I'll probably write the story Saturday night, so if you have can have anything to me before then, that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Report from Iraq - Part Two

(scroll down for Part One)

Author & Air National Guardsman Kevin Kelly

The typical day. We arrive at the squadron 4 hours prior to takeoff. The squadron is actually on the flight line taxiway in and around the very Iraqi HASs (Hardened Aircraft Shelters built by the French, go figure) that we bombed back in 1998 during Operation Desert Fox and earlier. We have obviously repaired the gigantic holes that we blew through them back then.

When we arrive we are immediately met by our Intelligence Officer and typically an Army representative who briefs us on the many missions we will be supporting during that sortie. Missions range from Combat Air Support/ IED identification/ Rescue Support/ Raid Support. We start getting all of the mission materials together in an organized and usable fashion because the amount of stuff (maps, lineup cards, frequency cards, classified documents, etc) is almost overwhelming.

After the intelligence brief we brief the conduct of the flight itself for about an hour, knowing full well that it will most likely change the moment we get airborne. Once we are briefed up, we get dressed into our flight gear which includes a combat survival vest and 9mm pistol over and above the standard equipment we fly with everyday back home. Once dressed, we step to the jets which are waiting for us in the various HASs in and around the ramp. We are met by our Crew Chief that is responsible for making sure that the jet is ready to fly a combat mission. We preflight the aircraft as well as the weapons onboard before jumping in and starting up. The start up and preflight checks of the systems takes about 25 minutes.

Once ready to go, we taxi to the arming area where our weapons are armed up. After arming, we call for takeoff and are soon rumbling down the runway in full afterburner. A combat departure is the standard around here. Simply put, we stay low and accelerate to 500 kts prior to the end of the airfield boundary. Once we reach the perimeter of the base we pull the nose of the jet straight up and climb to well above 10,000 ft prior to exiting the base boundary. We do this so that if anyone had the idea to shoot at us with a surface to air missile, we are well above their effective range as well as out of sight before they get the chance.

Once airborne, we check in with the various controlling agencies, eventually talking to the controller who sends us to our first mission, typically supporting troops in contact with enemy forces. The sorties usually last 5-6hours and we are sent all over the country, supporting many different missions, and playing many different roles. The details are more than anyone would want to read about but that's it in a nutshell. Upon returning back to Balad, we will typically spend up to an hour overhead the base, looking for those who would do us harm via the mortar attacks mentioned above.



OK, so we are getting attacked every day, typically at night, and everyone on base is getting a bit, shall we say, anxious. The size of the mortars have been getting bigger and the accuracy has been getting curiously better. We have the capability in the F-16 with our Targeting POD to see both a video picture of a target as well as an Infrared capability. Infrared creates a picture of an area by measuring the heat differences of each object and displaying it as a picture. Things heat up while under the sun during the day, cool at night with varying rates, thus creating a temperature picture of sorts. We can zoom in and zoom out to cover a very large area or a somewhat smaller area as the situation dictates.

We happen to have jets returning from a mission overhead the base, trolling for bad guys with mortars (almost like trying to find a needle in a haystack) when, you guessed it, wham! We get mortared multiple times. Lately, the bad guys have figured out that it's not smart to hang around after launching a mortar at a superpower. As Clint Eastwood says in Pale Rider, "dyin' ain't much of a livin' boy" They figure this out after many of their buddies are never heard from again, so they begin setting up the tubes late at night and putting them on timers so as not to be around when it fires. This is good for them because we have the capability to determine the exact point of origin within seconds and immediately launch a counter fire from the base. This is bad for them in that it is very difficult to achieve any accuracy via this method; hence, they usually end up hitting innocent civilians outside the base. It's been cat and mouse like this for weeks but as I said, there seem to be some boys with some skills out there lately and they've already hit our housing complex and destroyed a few berthing areas (see picture). Fortunately, everyone was at work at the time.



It's apparent that these guys are hanging around the launch site and adjusting fire as they were trained. They also seem to understand the whole concept of Infrared and do a good job of hiding from our IR capability……..but we're not sure how. Well, as it turns out, these 3 guys were so proud of themselves over their recent attack, they decided to light a few celebratory cigarettes and plan the next round of attacks. Bad idea! Come to discover there was a thick palm grove along the river bank that served as an excellent hiding place once the mortar was fired. They had plenty of protection behind the river bank and we were unable to see their heat signatures through the palm leaves and mud. Unable until, you guessed it, they decided to burn a couple fat ones. They are now disappointed to find that 72 virgins are not, indeed, waiting on their arrival. I will end this story with a quote from an unnamed Colonel in our Squadron. "Well, there you have it Grace. Three more smoking related deaths"

There are many more things going on over here but since I can only type three words an hour, I'll have to wait and tell you when I get back. Thanks again for all your support. I'll leave you with a few choice quotes heard over here in the past months. Good night and God Bless. Kevin



I'm planning on taking the weekend off...notionally..."


"I've heard of 'buzzwords' before but I have never experienced a 'buzz sentence' or a 'buzz paragraph' until today." Maj (EUCOM) after listening to a JFCOM trainer/mentor

"Not to be uncooperative, but we're just being uncooperative." CDR (EUCOM) in an email response to a request for information

"He cloaked himself in an impenetrable veneer of terminology." Lt Col JFCOM describing the Jiffiecom alpha male

"If we wait until the last minute to do it, it'll only take a minute." MAJ(EUCOM)

"The 'L' in CENTCOM stands for leadership.

"I am so far down the food chain that I've got plankton bites on my butt."

"His knowledge on that topic is only power point deep..." MAJ (JS

"We are condemned men who are chained and will row in place until we rot." LtCol (CENTCOM) on life at his Command

"The only reason that anything ever gets done is because there are pockets of competence in every command. The key is to find them ... and then exploit the hell out of 'em." CDR (CENTCOM)

"I may be slow, but I do poor work..." MAJ (USAREUR)

"I finally figured out that when a Turkish officer tells you, "It's no problem," he means, for him." Maj (EUCOM)

Report from Iraq - Part One

I received a forwarded e-mail from my grade school best friend, Andy Arriviello, from a soldier in Iraq. It was really a moving - and quite interesting - letter. I wrote back to Andy to ask him more about the author; he is the cousin of his brother Brian's wife. I wrote back to the author (Kevin Kelly), and got his permission to post. It's rather long, so I am breaking it down into parts; here is Part One:

Hope this e-mail finds everyone well and eagerly anticipating spring. I wanted to take the time to thank everyone who has let me know that I am in their thoughts and prayers while here in Iraq. I also wanted to extend thanks to everyone who sent, or offered to send a package, letter or e-mail. It was very much appreciated. The one thing that being here has reminded me is that I am truly blessed and fortunate in so many ways. Thank you.

Many of the letters and e-mails I've received usually ask the same thing. What is it like over here? or what is your typical day like at Balad Airbase / LSA Anaconda? Since the days are fairly busy, the only response I usually send is either "fine" or "great", "talk to you later."

Right up front, let me apologize for the length of this particular e-mail. Since it is actually a response to so many different questions and e-mails, I'm reminded of our squadron joke that "if I'd had more time, I'da written a shorter brief." Anyway, I thought the best way to attack it was to take you through a typical day and mix in a few stories along the way along with a few pictures for the monosyllabic Bonner grads. Feel free to stop reading whenever you get bored.

The trip over her in the beginning of February was something I will never quite fully tell you about because frankly, after the second day I think I blanked it out of my memory. The movie planes, trains, and automobiles doesn't quite capture it….but it was close. For those of you who know the term FUBAR, we coined a new one, FUBIJAG. (f****d Up But I'm Just a Guardsman). I thought we were just keeping ourselves confused in case we fell into the hands of the enemy. Enough said, we arrived in Iraq.

After being awake for 54 hours the first thing we need, of course, is a power point briefing. I think they mentioned mortar attacks or something but suffice to say, we were issued body armor and sent to find our hooch's in the dark. You haven't seen dark until you've seen Iraqi desert, moonless dark. I did, however, notice that everything was surrounded by 12 ft high concrete barriers but didn't pay much attention. That night, while sleeping, I found out why. "Shabang!" loud enough to shake the fillings out of your teeth, followed by "alarm red, alarm red, take cover!" Then, another "shabang!" even louder this time. I asked my roommate, Raj, the penetrating question, "what the .…was that!?" and then promptly fell back asleep. Well, it turns out that Balad is just about 50 or so miles northeast of Baghdad. Most of the folks around this area were loyal to Saddam and some of them are paid by Al Qaeda to launch mortar attacks against the base. We later found out that the AIF (Anti-Iraqi Forces….I'll try to keep the military acronyms to a minimum) pay these dirt poor farmers to launch the mortars and they only get paid if they are successful in sounding the base alarm (i.e. If they get close to hitting something other than their neighbors across the street). There are some former Fedayeen Saddam in the mix that have training in this type of weaponry and they are somewhat accurate. For the most part though, very few mortars as a percentage actually reach the base. Most fall outside the fence line or fail to detonate. Usually about once a day the less skilled get lucky and find their mark. In a related story, 3 pilots from the 4th Fighter Squadron (the other F-16 Squadron here) were walking back to their car after buying some things at the shopette. One of the guys forgot to get napkins as he was eating a piece of pizza. They turned back to grab some and 3 seconds later a mortar demolished their car. The moral of the story….always go back for napkins. More to follow on the mortar situation.

Give me one paragraph on the political situation over here. 1. There is no civil war!! Despite what CNN reporters are telling you from their hotel rooms in Baghdad (with glee in some cases). I fly over every inch of this country both day and night. Is there serious political tension? Yes. Is there sporadic sectarian violence? Yes. Are there those who are willing to blow themselves and innocent Iraqis up in order to prevent a democratic Iraq from becoming a reality? Yes. Should that be the determining factor as to whether we throw up our hands and give up? Hell no! Since when has America been intimidated by bullies? Last time I checked, the price of greatness included responsibility. We have a responsibility to the people of Iraq and our own greatness as Americans to finish this righteous cause. This is to say nothing of the myriad other reasons that it was a spectacularly good thing to get rid of this despot and his rapist heirs. I even have a selfish reason. He had been taking potshots at me and my buddies in our F-16s since 1991, a slight nuisance I don't mind telling you. The vast majority of Iraqi people are incredibly grateful to the United States for saving them from the bloody and brutal dictatorship of Saddam Hussein and his sadist sons. The level of inhumanity inflicted by that horror of a human being is almost impossible to convey with words. All of the Iraqi people I have come into contact with say "thank you" for the chance we have given them. There are, granted, those who do not share this same gratitude; namely the former members of his regime and those who benefited from it, as well as foreign militant Islamists who see Iraq as the center of the struggle for a one world Islam. It kills me that the press in America still represents that we are at war with the people of Iraq. The democratically elected government of Iraq is our ally and we are helping them with their fledgling democracy, just as we helped Japan and Germany after the Second World War. What we have done in Iraq and what we are doing here now are among the noblest things we have ever done as a country. You know, we truly are the last best hope of the world. We dare not quash that hope in Iraq, and, in the process, destroy our valiant, struggling friends--and their hope for peace and justice. Someone please tell this to that moral retard David Gregory of NBC news. It was him and his ilk that Osama Bin-Laden had in mind when he called America "a paper tiger that would turn tail and run if we bloody their nose". Well guess what? David Gregory, Cindy Sheehan, Susan Sarandon, Ted Kennedy, and the rest of the pansies on the left should know one thing; the only way that the America I know negotiates with brutal thugs, is with our knee in their chest and our knife at their throats. Ahem….thus endith my soapbox rant.

I'll get to the flying in a bit, but I want to tell you about my visit to the hospital on the base here at Balad. All of the serious casualties, both American and Iraqi, are treated at Balad hospital. Thankfully, about 80% of the casualties these days are not American soldiers. Unfortunately however, they are new Iraqi Army soldiers, policeman, and civilians to include a disturbing number of children. I will tell you frankly, it was a very difficult thing to see and it left me a bit shaken. We took some Tastykakes with us (thanks Mom) for the injured soldiers. I wanted to thank the troops on the ground that have been bearing the brunt of the effort over here. As far as I'm concerned, Fighter Pilots are just support assets at this point. My only goal is to be there, ready to help if these guys need it. We talked with several of the soldiers and thank God, none of them were critically injured. One of the Army Privates had been shot through the hand by a sniper while he was drinking a Coke. The bullet went right through the can and then through his hand. We joked about how pissed the sniper must have been when he saw the Coke explode. He then went on to thank me, of all things, because he said, "when you guys show up overhead we all breath a little bit easier because we know the bad guys are scared shitless". Here's a guy who takes a bullet that misses his head by inches and he's sitting there thanking me? I'm "in the rear with the beer" as they say and all this kid can think of is to thank me. It put things into perspective and quite frankly, made me feel a little unworthy. If you take nothing else from this e-mail please remember this. The kids (and they are kids) who are serving over here are the best America has to offer. Their bravery is evident in their capacity to perform professionally even when scared half to death. They make me proud.

We left that ward and went to the ward that cared for the Iraqi citizens. To describe what I saw as "horrible" would not be adequate. The ward was full with police force and civilian casualties from a car bomb attack that occurred a day or so prior. I will describe it only because I think it is important for you to know what these animals are perpetrating on the innocent. Almost every patient was missing at least one limb and most were missing several. Despite the heavy sedation and pain medication, most were conscious, screaming and groaning in agony. Every patient suffered from burns and many were burned beyond recognition as something human. You see, the killers have recently started adding accelerant to their IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device) and car bombs in order to inflict maximum damage on their victims. If you aren't torn to shreds by the blast and fragmentation of the bomb, it's likely that you will be covered with flammable material that quickly melts the flesh from you body. These were women, children, old men, ordinary civilians. They do not discriminate, and are only somewhat concerned with hitting the ostensible target, Iraqi soldiers and police, whose only crime is their desire to help bring civilization to their country.

I'm not writing this to purposely shock anyone, but I will tell you something that may. If you ever have any doubt that you live in a thoroughly good, decent and moral country, just recall what I'm about to tell you. In the next ward, doctors and nurses were working just as diligently on the very animals who committed this despicable act. That's right; the military doctors make no distinction when rendering care to those brought to our hospital. They used all their brilliant skills and abilities to save the lives and provide comfort to the ones who perpetrated such a horrible crime. If the roles were reversed, the only thing their victims would receive is the edge of a dull knife across the throat. I scratch my head when so many back home are unable to make the moral distinction between the ideology that gave birth to the greatest country on earth, and the ideology of our enemy in Iraq. I am actually fearful that this moral blindness may one day lead to the downfall of our Republic. I only hope I'm wrong.

One last thing I want to mention before I give you the daily rundown and a few other stories. We have lost a few brave Americans. They went to the Lord after being killed in the line of duty. Prior to their bodies being carefully loaded on a C-130 aircraft for transport back to the U.S., an e-mail goes out for volunteers to serve as the Honor Guard. Along with the members of his unit, volunteers have the privilege of assisting with the conveyance of the flag draped casket. It typically happens late at night, on the flight line, with the C-130s rear platform lowered and the engines off. Unless you respond immediately to the e-mail, many others beat you to the chance to render honors. As the SOF (Supervisor of Flying) that night, I had the chance to witness the ceremony. The silence is deafening, the precision is astounding, and the reverence and veneration are complete. I was moved beyond words. I wept openly.

Since we receive so much from back home in the form of junk food, toiletries, etc., we decided to give most of it to some of the Iraqi kids whose families farm the land around the base. Whenever we are driving around the perimeter, they flag us down and ask us if we have any candy, money, or clothes. These children are beyond poor and it is evident that food is in very short supply. Their English is not too bad and they say things like, "George Bush good, Saddam bad" or "you come back tomorrow with a dollar". We met a little girl named Rhunda who obviously learned some English from the Army guys because when we told her that we would be back tomorrow with some shoes for her brother she said "you back tomorrow, no bullshit" They loved the Tastykakes of course.

Balky Blogger

I have had a hard time getting to the post page, so I have been quiet.

First, welcome back Big Bro. Second, I don't have much time right now other than to post this. I had heard complaints about Blogger but until now hadn't experienced any worth getting upset over. I hope this isn't a harbinger of things to come. On the other hand, for free, it's been a pretty cost-effective service.

Hawks in NIT

Don't forget there's another hoops tourney going on, though admittedly not as good. My Dad, Mark, and I were in attendance at the Fieldhouse for last Thursday's Hawks drubbing of Rutgers 71 -62. The Hawks led by as many as 17 in the first half and were never threatened.

In addition to the big win, I enjoyed two other treats. As I was walking to the concession stand at halftime, there were two Rutgers fans grumbling in front of me. One said to the other, " I don't know how they can recruit with a gym like this." I thought to myself, boys you don't know Philly and you don't know the Big 5. Later while in line, I met former Birds special teamer extraordinaire Vince Papale. What a great guy. Look for his movie to come out soon.

Up next for the Hawks is Hoefstra tomorrow night at the Fieldhouse. I got a feelin were goin "final four" again for the second straight year. If so, let's plan to rendezvous at the Garden. Go Hawks.

More Thoughts on Sudan

I've been wondering about this very sad situation for years. You are correct.The Christians in the South are being slaughtered by the Muslims in the north. They are also being sold into slavery. Yet nobody does a damn thing about it.

You expect nothing from a completely worthless, socialist,incompetent organization (except for John Bolton), UN. More importantly where the hell is the Congressional Black Caucus ? Where the hell is Jesse Jackson and AL Sharpton ? Charlie Rangel we can't hear you. Why the hell is the Bush Administration pumping 25 billion into fighting Aids in Africa ? That money should be going to the Sudanese Christians.I hope and pray that one of the Republican candidates in '08 has the guts to raise this issue. Long live Manute.

Caddy Shack Redux

Paul and I had a good conversation about "The Shack" last week and he found a website and was tracking the careers of the actors. To my delight, I was channel surfing between games last night and it was on. I picked it up toward the end during the big match culminating in Danny Noonan's clutch put.

As I was watching I was thinking has there ever been any four greater characters in one movie than Al Czervik ( Rodney - RIP), Carl Spackler ( Bill Murray),Ty Webb ( Chevy Chase), and Judge Smales (Ted Night - RIP)? I think not. Long live "The Shack."

NCAA

Great tourney so far boys and girls. Some observations. VU wins the Cat fight today. I'm also very impressed by the Huskies, not UCONN but WU. They looked great against the Illini. Speaking of UCONN, they have more 'Cats to worry about. Look for Kentucky to pull the upset. Also look out for LSU. PS I don't think the Dukies make the Final Four.

My Breakfast with Andy

I'm baaaaccckkk,after six weeks of computer problems. I'm sorry I missed so much fun especially the Winter Olympics columns. I too rememebr the goofy pairing of Timmy McC with Paula Zahn. I also remember Timmy trying to pronounce those Frnech names with his southern accent. How about this for 2010, Lefty Steve Carlton and E.D. Hill.

Anyway back to the subject of this column. Al and Maris won a contest through LA weight loss and invited my Mom and I to join them for breakfast with Andy at the Linc. Since it was a weight loss group, I figured the breakfast would be yogurt and black coffee, but not to worry. They had omlettes made to order and everything else under the sun. After that Andy spent about a half hour with group. A very personable guy, he was nothing like his TV persona. After he gave a talk, he fielded questions from the crowd and signed autographs. I was one of the lucky ones picked to ask a question and I did my best Ray Didinger impression. Andy even signed my copy of Ray's monumental tome on the history of the Eagles. A must read (reid) for anyone who follows the team.

Next we had a tour of the stadium including going out on the field. Everything is state of the art except the team itself. The players'lockers are nice than the closet in my master bedroom.

Then they raffled off some prizes and to my delight AL and I won the two grand prizes.I won a black game jersey autographed by Brian Dawkins and Al won a helmet autographed by Donovan McNabb. All in all it was a big hit, making My Breakfast with Andy a clear winner over My Dinner with Andre in the eyes of the Academy.

From Dan's favorite hairy-backed scribe

John Podhoretz gives a column-length treatment of Rich Lowry's current National Review cover story:

What's missing here is what has been missing from the most hard-headed discussions of Iraq since the end of the 2004 election, and that is an understanding of just why President Bush formulated the freedom doctrine.

The problem is that the policies advocated by the "hell hawks" and by defeatist Democrats offer no real possibility of an end to the war against Islamic radicalism. It will go on forever.

And if it does, it seems certain that at some point in the next few decades, millions of people are going to die in a successful terrorist assault using weapons of mass destruction.

Why? Because there is no way to stop the delivery of such a weapon if the delivery system is a single person willing to die to get it done. The only way to prevent it is to change the terms under which such people live, to offer them something to hope for besides virgins in paradise.

Seen in this light, the Bush freedom doctrine isn't simply a starry-eyed exercise in ludicrous optimism. It's a real-world solution to a real-world problem.

I haven't read Lowry's original piece yet, but I will. If JPod's precis is accurate, it sounds as if it is a worthy summation of my feeling about the rational basis for the Iraq war.

Meanwhile, let's enjoy March Mayhem. The folks around central New York, positively despondent after the DePaul Debacle, are dreaming of a second 'Melo Miracle. Hey, I pull for SU, because it makes for a much more pleasant work environment!

(But I will pull for 'Nova over SU should it come to that.)

Sad Tale of Sudan and Manute Bol

I found this at a blog - very disturbing (at the same time, it speaks well of Manute Bol):

MANUTE BOL SPENT HIS ENTIRE FORTUNE TRYING TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THE NORTHERN ARAB ISLAMIST INVASION - SPENT TIME IN SUDANESE PRISON ONLY TO ESCAPE BACK TO THE US AS A PENNILESS REFUGEE.

HBO Realsport's Frank Deford profiles Manute Bol and his tragic life after basketball.

Bol tells Deford that during his career he wanted to go back to Sudan and fight alongside his Dinka tribesman in Southern Sudan. Considered the tallest people in the world, Christian and black, according to the show lived peacefully in Southern Sudan - until Arab Muslims from the North invaded with an intention to take over and Islamize them.

Bol and his best friend went to over 39 Congressmen personally and met with the Pentagon in the 90's telling them that their people were being decimated by the Arab Muslims from the North and would disappear if the US did not help. He said they got nothing.

His friend said he told the US the greatest threat they would face in the future would be from Islamist Fundamentalism, at which most laughed.

So Manute reached into his own pockets in the millions to help support the starving refugees who had witnessed their homes and families destroyed.

Eventually the Northern Sudanese government found out he was in a town supplying money and food and moral support to his people so they bombed the Refugee Camp. 13 people were killed that day but he lived. Frank DeFord asks him if he thinks they were aiming for him and he says 'probably'.

Eventually Khartoum in the North invited him to come for 'peace talks' which he did. He now says that was a big mistake and naiveté on his part. ""I should have known who I was dealing with""

After a month he realized that the whole thing was a sham and then the regime asked him to fight alongside them against his own people, which he refused. Eventually he was put into prison. His best friend was eventually able to buy and sneak him out of the country into Cairo. Bol used whatever money he had left to bribe one of his friends out of slavery. His friend was sold by the Islamists into slavery in Sudan after being captured. Eventually Bol escaped to the US as a penniless refugee.

Bol mentions that the only time the US did respond to the Khartoum Islamist regime (which was sheltering Ben Laden) was after the US was attacked in the Middle East in the late 90's. The attacks emanted from Sudan. That was the infamous bombing of the Pharmaceutical plant. Bol said he was only blocks from it when it happened.

The postscript is that Bol is broke and that some former NBA friends held a benefit to raise $$ for his huge Health bills after a drunk Cab Driver flipped a car Bol was in. He has a 50k/yr NBA pension that kicks in next year when he turns 45. He has had 'domestic disturbances' with his wife and they are going to counseling.

However, more importantly here is a famous face, and someone Deford says is truly a 'good guy’ who gave up his entire fortune and good life in the US to try and save his people in Sudan and FROM WHO?

The Arab Islamist Regime of Northern Sudan

Isn't this why the UN supposedly exists?

Boom Boom - out go the lights

What a bad year for all-time greats. Don Knotts. Darrin McGavin. Boom Boom Geoffrion.

Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, the hockey Hall of Famer credited with inventing the slapshot, died yesterday before his No. 5 jersey was to be retired on the same day by the Montreal Canadiens.

Mr. Geoffrion, who helped lead powerhouse Montreal teams to six Stanley Cups in the 1950s and early '60s, died after a brief battle with stomach cancer. He was 75.

He was the first player to bring his stick far above his head when shooting, creating a powerful shot that led to his nickname - the sound of his stick hitting the puck made a boom and the sound of the puck hitting the boards made another boom.

He also made one of the best Less Filling/Tastes Great commercials of all time. RIP, Boom Boom.

Touching remembrance

Of the direct victims of the Madrid bombings.

Hawks to the Big Dance?

I wouldn't have believed it to be possible just three or four weeks ago. Credit Martelli, who has cemented his status of one of the all-time great Hawk coaches (perhaps second only to Dr. Jack Ramsey), for getting this team, whose moribund season looked to be one of its worst a month ago, to pull it together and make a run.

I was down on the Hawks, having seen them play uninspired ball earlier this year. They didn't look like a team that was well-coached, or at least one that could do on the court what the coach was trying to get them to do. And while it might be premature to expect the Jameer-dividend to be kicking in, I thought for sure that they would have had a couple of underclassmen who were ready to step up. Not having seen them play recently, I am not sure who has made the difference, although Stachitas and Jalloh seem to be among the offensive leaders.

One more victory - over nemesis Xavier - and they are headed to the tournament. The Hawk will never die!

Aussie on why the Right has the humorists

and the Left has the scolds.

You might remember a post of mine that linked to Greg Gutfeld's abortion "jokes" - not exactly a topic of humor, but he managed to skewer the Left pretty deftly nonetheless. In the comments section of a blog that discussed Gutfeld's article (don't remember exactly how I found it or where it is), I found the above link. Bruce - show it to your West Hollywood friends at your own peril!

Interview with an infidel

This interview is a must-see. This Arab-American (non-Muslim) woman gives it to the host and a Muslim cleric during an al-Jazeera television show. What guts!

Michael Jackson: Freak/Ornithologist

Who knew?

Speaking of Ginger...

Touche', Paulie.

Here's a little-known Gilligan fact. The professor, Russell Johnson, is a Girard College guy. As another Girardian, my dad, has said before, anyone who had to suffer that many years at Girard deserves something good later in life. Russell Johnson, who got to go to work every day with Tina Louise for a few years, is definitely proof!

(No such work luck for me...I got to look at Mort Olshan for 20 years instead)

Hmmm....

I dunno, Bruce...

A decade on an island with Ginger, and I don't have to hear about Barry Bonds?

That might be one of my three wishes, should I ever find that magical lamp!

Stop the train, Barry Bonds has to get off...

Okay, so we have more damning evidence that Barry Bonds was juiced. That's about as earth-shattering as having evidence that the sun will come up tomorrow.

Granted, these new revelations provide startling details about Bonds' use, but, again, the point is? Anyone who didn't suspect Bonds was a user must have been living on a deserted desert isle, with Ginger, the Professor and Mary Ann for the last decade.

What grates is how I suspect the media, and many fans, will treat this as a sort of a successful sting operation. We nailed Barry Bonds! That cheat! Their objective was always to somehow stick Bonds, and now they have succeeded. But, in reality, other than providing more precise evidence, the latest revelations really do nothing but confirm what everyone has suspected about Bonds for a long while.

The bigger issue is that Bonds' use is just the tip of the baseball iceberg. Bonds might have abused more than anybody, but who knows? It is likely that hundreds and hundreds of players have been juiced in the recent past, some probably just as much or more than Bonds, every bit the cheat Bonds was. Doubtful, however, that more than a handful of these sorts will ever get the Bonds media treatment (not that Bonds hasn't led with his chin, and provided such an inviting target).

I suspect a large number are going to treat this as a Bonds-only phenomenon, and ignore the hundreds of others who did the same thing. Can already sense the many self-righteous Dodger fans, drawing their inspiration from the purity-driven, carrot-topped propagandist, sharpening their razors for Bonds, while blissfully ignoring how many of their own players might have been doing many of the same things.

The moral of this piece? Sure, Bonds was a cheat, but he wasn't the only one, not by a mile. I'll guarantee there are countless players who must be holding their breath that revelations won't come out about their past usage.

The most-credible figure in this whole sorry episode? Jerk or not, it's probably Jose Canseco. I have only read bits and pieces of his book while mulling through book stores in the past year, but I think I might actually buy it and see what Canseco had to say. As time passes, more and more it seems like most of what he had to say was true...

Kirby Puckett, RIP

His performance in the 1987 World Series lives in memory, exemplifying why it is that sports fan love sports.

His career and his life were both tragically short, but what he did in the time he was given was wonderful.

I will always remember him jumping up against the left centerfield fence to pull in a deep fly in 1991, then homering to win Game 6.

Rest in peace, Kirby.

Screenwriter angst...

Paulie-

Roger L. Simon's angst is spot-on. I agree with his assessment of Haggis' perception. I am surrounded by these sorts, with the one difference being they are not all rich and famous. The "westside" vision is almost cult-like, the embodiment of their own phony brand of liberalism, the sort that would even get Russ Feingold upset.

Another well-used term for many of these people...limousine liberals.

Oscar night is when the worst of these get to rule the roost in tinseltown. I spent the past few days in Reno and then Spokane, watching and enjoying college basketball. I flew back from Spokane to L.A. on Sunday morning, in time to get over to TGS to produce this week's issue. I saw two ends of the American spectrum in a few short hours--Spokane, which actually wreaks more Americana than L.A. ever would, a non-pretentious little place where the big excitement this week was hosting the state basketball tournament and Gonzaga hoops hosting the WCC Tournament, where Adam Morrison is the biggest celebrity in town, to L.A., awash with these self-righteous phonies and fawning media sorts who embarrass themselves annually on Oscar night.

After comparing the two up close and personal, I much prefer the place that would embrace Adam Morrison rather than the one that embraces George Clooney...

WaPo on Establishing Democracy

I don't know if I should be happy or scared when a Washington Post editorial states what I believe, but read it and judge for yourself. Excerpt:

So it's fair to oppose democracy promotion, but only if you're honest about the alternative. Throughout much of the Muslim world, that alternative is not a gentle flowering of civil society but the conditions that after Sept. 11 were recognized as threatening: closed and stagnant economies that leave millions of young people unemployed; brutal secret police services that permeate society and stifle education and free thinking; corrupt rulers who nurture religious extremism to shield themselves at home and make trouble abroad.

Duke Haters' Delight

Maybe I could write the Eagles-Cowboys version, but for Dan, this would certainly suffice for the time being.

How to Cook Your Daughter

The definitive riposte to Tony Hendra the person, written by his daughter. This doesn't invalidate my endorsement of "Father Joe", which remains, but it does affirm the misgivings I had about the author reading the book. He sounds like a great guy to ply with a glass of wine and get talking, but not one that I would want to know too well - and not one to be anywhere near my children.

Screenwriter angst

Roger L. Simon, himself an author and screenwriter, voted for Paul Haggis for best writer of a screenplay (he wrote the screenplay for Crash) despite his rather substantial misgivings. Here he speaks to Haggis's characterization of LA as a center of racism:

But let me add my voice to Cathy's and Matt Welch's that I am offended by the film's (self-regarding and convenient) view of LA as a maelstrom of racism. Yes, sure, there are plenty of racists here like everywhere else on the planet, but actually, compared to most places I've visited (and since travel is my drug of choice, I've been to over 60 countries) LA is a virtual paragon of multi-culturalism. Compared to Paris, it's paradise. But screenwriters like Haggis persist in a Westside vision of their city that is essentially a fantasy built on their needs (to feel superior and good while being rich and famous). They should get out more. Koreatown is a lot more fun and interesting than Brentwood or Beverly Hills (and the food's better).

Bruce, am I correct to guess that you live and breathe among not a few of whom are embodiments of the "Westside vision"?

Book review: "Father Joe" by Tony Hendra

I read "Father Joe" and "Vengeance" intercurrently. Reading multiple books simulatenously was not something that I had done before Angela once told me that her father often has 3 or 4 books in progress at the same time. At first, I thought that this was sort of weird; how do you maintain momentum on one if you put it down and pick up another? That turned out not to be such a big problem. And in fact there was an upside: when I either got tired of a book, or just not interested in continuing for whatever reason (usually it just didn't match my mood), I could pick up something else that I had a greater desire to read at that moment.

In this case, reading a book about a Benedictine monk who was the personal confessor of a wild man (Tony Hendra, National Lampoon editor, Spinal Tap actor, and cocaine snorting bon vivant) while also reading about the merciless hunting of human beings, themselves murderers, added a certain degree of contrast that I think heightened the experience of each. Speculating on "Avner", the head of the counter-terrorist cell authorized by the Mossad to exact revenge for the Munich massacre, having a confessional session with Father Joe Warrilow made my head spin. Although I hate Hendra's politics (and I admit they play only a small part in the bigger story), I enjoyed his book, and by extension, him; although I find Jonas's take on the Soviet Union and the inferences evident about the way liberal democracies are superior to the leftist societies bent on destroying them more in tune with my politics, I don't really "like" Avner or the Mossad.

Anyway, back to "Father Joe": This one is a must-read. Seriously - go to the link above and order it, or to the library and check it out, or to the bricks-and-mortar corner bookstore and buy a copy. Read it. You will be glad that you did. I don't want to do a formal review, as it could easily devolve into saccharine goo (as do many of the blurbs contained in the book). Suffice it to say that Hendra was in need of spiritual guidance and found it in the person of Father Joe. Hendra, whatever his other faults, is a splendid writer, and his account, in contrast to the reviewers', is not syrupy in the least. It is quite incisive and a joy to read. If anything, get this first (before "Vengeance") and be prepared for a roller coaster ride of emotion - sleeves or Kleenex might be good things to have at your disposal, as there are quite a few heart-tugging moments.

Book review: Vengeance by George Jonas

I addressed the following to my partner, Bill Shang, who gave me the book "Vengeance" as a Christmas gift:

What a great choice you made! I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I was also glad to read the author's epilogue (that might have been in the original, I'm not sure) and after word (called "Notes on a Controversy", new to this edition). The latter includes his responses to criticisms leveled at the time (unsurprisingly, this did include quite a bit of author-bashing on the point that the Soviet Union was behind - or at least supportive of - much of the terrorism that was occurring in the 1970's), including the veracity of the account. He makes a very strong case for his account, and his critics look to me to be agenda-driven boobs. Yes, he is the writer, and can create an impression that is self-aggrandizing, but I don't think that's it. I think he was as honest as he could be, including stating when events or details are at odds with another's writing on the same subject, or if he could not independently verify things himself. The critics seem motivated by a desire for him to be wrong, regardless of whether what he was writing about was true.

I am, if anything, even more reluctant to see "Munich" now than I had been previously. My initial reluctance was based on the response of those whose writing I admire to the movie, many of whom viewed at as an exercise in post-modernist moral equivalence. Here is an example. (A quick note on this column: I am with him until the last paragraph; what he states there is what Jonas claims to have happened, so the earlier parts of the column decrying ignorance of the historical record make the last paragraph, um, ironic.) Perhaps if you read the book, you can tell me if you think that the movie is as bad as all that.

I do have ambivalence about the way in which Israel conducts its affairs, especially the way in which they stiffed "Avner" and then threatened to do something excruciatingly painful to his family (I don't want to give away something that might not have been treated in the movie, in case you want to read the book). I don't begrudge Israel having carried out this operation - not in the least. What happened in Munich, had it happened to the US, probably would have led to a much more devastating response than what Israel undertook, although that might in largest part be due to the nature of Israel's enemy (i. e., being a non-state actor). If anything, Israel comes off as being on a higher moral plane than the terrorists who attacked it, although the author does not gloss over the Zionist terrorism that led to Israel's founding. If Spielberg wanted to create a genuine moral dilemma (assuming Krauthammer's presentation of the movie version as being facile is accurate), he could have contrasted the terrorism that led to Israel's founding with the counter-terrorism in which Israel/Avner engaged in the 1970's. That, to me, would leave me struggling with internal mental conflict over the morality of terrorism and counter-terrorism.

As I said earlier, reading this makes me think that my life is incredibly boring. However, everyone involved in this game of espionage must have some very weird psychological interest in being a player, as they must know that they are the hunted as well as the hunters. Any double-cross could lead to their demise at any moment. Things that they did 20 years ago could still motivate someone to exact revenge, so they can't escape it by "retiring". Who wants to live that way? It is analogous to my reaction as a younger person to the Corleone family in "The Godfather": all that power, all that wealth, and how did they live? Locked in their compound, fearful of going out in public, preoccupied constantly by threats to themselves and their families. Boring doesn't seem so bad in comparison.

So that's my instant reaction. If Krauthammer's review of Spielberg's "Munich" is generally on point, then I urge you to avoid the movie and read the book. A real-life spy thriller which raises many questions, it is very well-written and fast paced. And any author whose "New Left" (as he calls them) critics accuse him of "Reagan-itis" must be doing something right.

Great post

A must read. Good stuff. God bless him.

Oh, yes, I remember Albertville

Bruce:

Thanks {grr} for reminding me of the coverage of the 1992 Winter Olympics. I cannot think of those games without being taken back to that faux rustic fire "roaring" in the background. And Tim McCarver, who managed a transition similar to the one Costas made (from my personal admiration to disdain), trying to pull off this folksy Southerner thing while in France. That was one of the more embarrassing attempts that I can recall.

Paula Zahn, toothy and leggy and at first nice to look at, rubbed me the wrong way shortly after she started to speak. There is something about her delivery that I just don't like. I didn't like her (TAKE NOTE, DAN!) when she had a prime time show on Fox News. This was when Fox was new to our cable line-up (sometime around 2000, I think), and everyone was talking about it (it reminded me of the buzz around Rush Limbaugh, circa 1992). I watched her show a bit, and Greta's, and thought: I don't get what all the excitement is about, these shows stink. I still prefer Joe Scarborough and Tucker Carlson to Hannity & Colmes and O'Reilly. However, I'll take Britt Hume over any broadcast newscaster, and I'll take Fox on the whole over MSNBC (even with their better primetime lineup) or any other news outfit on the tube.

Anyway, back to Albertville, I remember thinking that Zahn was trying to shoot for glamor and glitz, and McCarver for down-homey-ness. The fire in the background was such an artificial touch that it was hard to watch without being acutely aware of just how hard CBS was working to create atmospherics, which meant that their attempt to create atmospherics was doomed to utter failure. Kind of like NBC's coverage of the "Giuochi da Torino".