Five Simple Rules For Happiness

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

The Old Man of the Mountain

Me, Grandfather Mountain, November 29, 2003

Posted by Me at 22:35 link

On this date...

North Carolina sparked a bitter debate a few years back when they chose the phrase "First in Flight" for NC's automobile license plates. Ohioans were quite upset, because the Wright Brothers hailed from Ohio, not North Carolina. Obviously, the Ohioans are right! After all, was the moon landing an accomplishment for the moon, or for earth?

14 years ago, Matt Groening made history by launching The Simpsons.

Yep, December 17 is truly a great day for mankind.

Posted by Me at 20:51 link

Howard Dean On Saddam's Capture

Let me be clear: My position on the war has not changed.

The difficulties and tragedies we have faced in Iraq show that the administration launched the war in the wrong way, at the wrong time, with inadequate planning, insufficient help, and at unbelievable cost. An administration prepared to work with others in true partnership might have been able, if it found no alternative to Saddam's ouster, to then rebuild Iraq with far less cost and risk.

....

The capture of Saddam is a good thing which I hope very much will help keep our soldiers safer. But the capture of Saddam has not made America safer.

Addressing these critical and interlocking threats terrorism and weapons of mass destruction -- will be America's highest priority in my administration.

To meet these and other important security challenges, including Iraq, I will bring to bear all the instruments of power that will keep our citizens secure and our nation strong.

Empowered by the American people, I will work to restore:

• The legitimacy that comes from the rule of law;
• The credibility that comes from telling the truth;
• The knowledge that comes from first-rate intelligence, undiluted by ideology;
• The strength that comes from robust alliances and vigorous diplomacy;
• And, of course, I will call on the most powerful armed forces the world has ever known to ensure the security of this nation.

[read the full speech]

I think the message in this speech would reassure a lot of frightened Americans who might have imagined a President Dean sitting idly by as we were terrorized and/or invaded by god-knows-whom. I hope Americans will hear Dean's message and realize that his views aren't extreme — unless it's become extreme to be committed to international law and to cooperation with other nations.

Music in my head:

• Nikolai Lugansky (piano) — Sergei Rachmaninoff: Elegy Opus 3 #1; and Prelude in C# minor, Opus 3 #2
• The Smiths — "Barbarism Begins at Home"
• Chuck Berry — "Run Rudolph Run"
• Billy Squier — "Christmas Is The Time To Say 'I Love You'"
• Wicked Lestor — "Chocolate"

Hip Hip Hoorah!

See it.

Let me know if you find anything not to like about it. The only quibble I might have with the movie is that it could be said to glorify war, although I'm not sure it truly does that. As with other movies I've seen that depict combat more-or-less realistically (e.g. Saving Private Ryan, Platoon, Braveheart), I come away from this one grateful that I've never had to face those horrors, and resolute that I must do whatever I can to prevent needless slaughter.

Besides the movie, not a lot's going on. Just chilling in the place to be for a few days. Yes, New Jersey is "the place to be" (keep it to yourself). We had the movie theatre entirely to ourselves, a new experience for me. Afterwards, we found the "missing" hordes of people — at the mall! Where else?

C'mon folks! How many presents does a person need? And couldn't we be a little smarter about the whole business? Must we all swarm the mall at the same time? By the way, we spent a pleasant hour shopping and people-watching at the mall, but we didn't find what we were looking for. Instead, we came home and quickly found it on the Internet.

I'm a true geek. I did 95% of my Christmas shopping online. The other 5%? Bike stuff I've gotten for myself!

Posted by Me at 23:27 link

Ding Dong, the Witch Is Dead?

First, I'm glad we caught him. I'd imagine the overwhelming majority of Iraqis are glad he's been caught, and what's truly good for ordinary Iraqis at this point must almost certainly be a Good Thing.

But Hussein's capture doesn't change any facts.

A lot of us opposed the Iraq war for a lot of different reasons, but I don't recall anyone's saying they opposed the war because they thought the strongest military in the world couldn't catch Saddam Hussein, or because they believed his remaining in power was a good thing.

Hussein's capture doesn't vindicate the arguments for war.

The primary argument used by the Bush administration to sell us the war was that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction posed a threat to our safety. They didn't, and Hussein's capture doesn't make the phantom arsenal of WMDs any more threatening.

Another argument for war was that Iraq deserved regime change. Will the next government be better for Iraq than Saddam Hussein's? Remains to be seen.

Does Hussein's capture reduce the threat from terrorism? Also remains to be seen.

Does a million dollar haul vindicate the decision to rob a bank? Does getting away with murder vindicate the decision to kill?

Major news media are spinning this as a big victory for Bush, because that's the most compelling story to make out of the capture. Another story in the making is that Bush now has to start winning the peace in Iraq. The big bad boogie man is behind bars. If the Iraq situation doesn't improve in a hurry, Bush and Co. have no one but themselves to blame.

And if We the People are gullible enough to believe that the capture of a big bad boogie man miraculously turns an unjust war into a just war, then we have no one but ourselves to blame.

Posted by Me at 23:55 link