Winter finally arrived. I'd rather it have stayed on extended vacation. Something like 16 degrees this morning. My car was frosted over quite nicely, and since I don't like that, I suppose I'll consider parking in the garage. Might as well make use of it, since I'm paying, by myself, $1,000 in rent for the place. Boy, glad I counted on the income from that other party when I moved here.
It is my understanding that the first ship in the next class of aircraft carrier will be named after Gerald Ford. I'm not sure it's appropriate. Look, I respect the guy for what he did while in office, but the man was not elected by anyone. He was selected by Nixon as his VP. He inherited the office by chance. In my opinion, based on what I've read about him since his death, he was a good man, very smart, very nice. He was just what this country needed at the time, and I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to have breakfast with him. But he wasn't, by any stretch of the phrase, a great president. He wasn't a Lincoln, or a Washington, or a Kennedy. I'm not liking the trend of naming capital ships after marginal figures. Those who knew him say it is a fitting tribute, as he served in the Navy in WWII, and was proud of his service. Interestingly, hundreds of thousands of men served in the Navy during WWII, and most of them were and/or are proud of their service. Somehow, that he was a president elevates his service above theirs?
In Afghanistan two civilians (Afghans both) stopped a suicide bombing in progress by dragging the bomber from his vehicle before he could detonate his bomb. One was a security guard, the other an interpreter. Pretty heroic I think. But Col Tom Collins (I'm serious) says what's on every American's mind: "Amazingly, a couple of Afghans who just happened to be on the scene there realized what was happening." Yes, just a coupla Afghans. Just a couple of country bumpkins, chewing on their straw. That statement bothers me. They just happened to be there? Couldn't it have been their job to be there? I mean, I know I haven't spent six months in Afghanistan or anything, but I'm pretty sure Afghan security guards and interpreters do work the gates at most of these bases. But we can't go and give these backwoods types any credit. For one, they're just a couple of Afghans. For two, they just happened to be there. Incredible. They've fought and defeated occupiers of their land for 2,500 years, and we give them no credit. We're not even conscious of our relegating them to inferiority. They may not all be able to read, but they are some of the most hardy, brave people I've ever seen.
Word of the Day: Foofaraw (noun): 1. excessive or flashy ornamentation or decoration; 2. a fuss over a matter of little importance.
On This Day in History: US buys the Virgin Islands from Denmark for USD $25 million (1917). Emperor Theodosius, the emperor who made Christianity the official state religion, died (395 CE).
No quote today.
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