Gutentag. How about that weather, eh? Come on, that’s a stupid intro. I have a readership spanning the globe (seriously); remarking about the terrible weather conditions at my location is somewhat pointless. But anyway, how about that weather?
First, the important stuff: J-Lo has given birth to twins. Congrats. Marc Anthony is the father. No, not the Marc Antony that was Caesar’s friend as that would be a silly proposition. Instead, it’s the crappy singer Marc Anthony. I can’t imagine Marcus Antonius being exceptionally thrilled that his name has been corrupted by a man who sings “I need to know.” No, he’d run him through.
Kosovo Update:
Things appear to be heating up in Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia on 17 Feb. UN police were attacked by ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo and protesters broke into the US Embassy in Belgrade and set a fire in the building which apparently killed one person, who turned out to be a protester who must have forgot to leave the building. Initial reports indicate that two floors of the Embassy were burned. Reports also suggest that the embassies of Croatia, Turkey, and the UK were attacked. No Americans were injured. The Serbian government, and obviously its citizens, are steadfastly refusing to recognize Kosovo’s independence and are trying to annul the decision to break away.
According to CNN, Russia’s ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin has stated that Russia “has not ruled out the use of force to resolve the dispute over territory if NATO forces breach the terms of their UN mandate.” Russia’s Foreign Ministry also stated that Kosovo’s declaration would be a negative impact. Mikhail Kamynin, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said, “What happened in Belgrade yesterday is regrettable. But we would want to draw your attention to the fact that the forces that supported the unilateral recognition of Kosovo’s sovereignty should have realized the effects of the move.”
Contrasting this, NATO Secretary-General Jap de Hoop Scheffer said that KFOR (the NATO led 15,000 member peacekeeping force) would “respond swiftly and firmly against anyone who might resort to violence in Kosovo.”
Things could get interesting there in the next few weeks. Sixteen nations have thus far recognized Kosovo (including Taiwan, which really irked China, who for obvious reasons, won’t recognize a break away republic). It’s nice to see Kosovars celebrating their newfound freedom, but it could get ugly. Think about it. Would we want to see a portion of our country up and declare independence? A section did once, and we fought a horrifically bloody war over it.
Democratic Debate:
Last night. Be there, or be square. I was square. I had every intention of watching it, but forgot until about 3 minutes after it was supposed to be over. Considering it kept going for another 20 minutes or so, I did get to catch the end. I really just wished they would both shut up; it’s obvious they love to hear themselves talk. Despite missing the whole thing, I caught the highlight reel presented by Anderson Cooper afterwards, which was probably better than having to sit through all the boring parts, of which I am sure there were plenty. I can’t really comment on who I thought won, since I didn’t observe much. But I thought Hillary had a couple of good zingers. The commentators thought they were in poor choice, but I disagreed. On the plagiarizing issue, Clinton said that if Obama is going to put such an emphasis on words, then they should at least be his own. Good point. Even if he borrowed them with permission, I think maybe he should present his own material, since I’m supposed to believe so deeply in his message of change. Clinton then said, “That’s not change we can believe in, that’s change you can Xerox.” Loved it. Apparently, it got booed though, so I’m clearly in the minority.
The Race to the Republican Nomination:
It seems that the Republican nomination has been secured, hasn’t it? But it hasn’t officially. Huckabee is still in the race. Well, “in” is a loosely used word in this case. He’s not in so much as he just hasn’t abandoned his campaign. He has abandoned the strategy of winning states and securing the nomination outright. His new strategy consists of holding out and pushing the nomination to the Republican National Convention. In his “brokered convention strategy” he desires a deadlocked convention in which he will be seen as the most conservative alternative and then secure the nomination as delegates threw their support behind him. I’m all for a man doing what he thinks he needs to do, but this seems a little childish. Not only that, but it could very well fracture the Republican Party as this drags out into September (dragging this out means more attack ads, which mean more negativity, which does the Dems work for them). A fractured Republican Party means that the Democrats might have an easier time in the general elections, which isn’t good for Democracy as a whole.
However, I’m torn. I’m torn because it’s sad to me to think that the Republican primaries in Texas and Ohio really mean little since the Republican nomination is all but secured. Huckabee’s strategy at least gives some influence to these late-season primaries and caucuses. What this does, however, is illustrate the need to revamp our election processes. Or it should. But it won’t.
Huckabee also said that there should be more debates with McCain. I agree. Why not? More debates means I get to see more of the eventual nominee in each party. That can never be a bad thing. Ever. The more face time these people get, the better sense we get of their ability to lead, act under pressure, what their policies are, etc. I like the idea of more debates. Period.
Huckabee then lost me when he compared “the drive that keeps him going to the dream that the defenders of the Alamo fought for in 1836.” So, for Huckabee, Texas independence and the right to own slaves is why he’s continuing his run for the Presidency? He then said something only an ideologue says: “You don’t engage in battles only because you anticipate you’re going to win them. You engage in your battles because you believe that they’re right.” I suppose that idea appropriate when discussing the Alamo, but comparing a campaign to a battle in which all of the defenders fought to the literal death is pretty crass. Huckabee, if he loses, will simply go back to the comfortable life he had before running.
That’s all we have time for today, unfortunately. The day started late, and is ending early. Enjoy your weekend.
Word of the Day: Dissolute: (adjective): Loose in morals and conduct; marked by indulgence in sensual pleasures or vices.
On This Day in History: Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems is published (1632). The Republican Party opens its first national meeting in Pittsburgh, PA (1856). The Serbian Kingdom is refounded (1882). In Lake Placid, New York, the US hockey team defeats the Soviet Union hockey team 4-3 in the Miracle on Ice, considered to be one of the greatest upsets in sports history (1980). It should be mentioned that this game was not celebrated in the Soviet Union, though the individual Soviet players were sportsmanlike. While the game was televised in the USSR, it was played at 0100 Moscow time. Communist Party officials were thus able to limit the news of the embarrassing defeat. Pravda didn’t even carry a game report or mention at all.
And last but not least, on this day seven years ago, a good friend of mine rose from the dead. Thanks for sticking around, Brother.
“…Eleven seconds, you’ve got ten seconds, the countdown going on right now! Morrow, up to Silk…five seconds lift in the game…Do you believe in miracles?! YES!!” – Sportscaster Al Michaels, as the crowd counts down in the Miracle on Ice. I get chills just typing it.
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