The Fog of War

NewMexiKen viewed the DVD of The Fog of War this afternoon. The film, which won the Oscar for documentary feature last year, is subtitled “Eleven Lessons of Robert S. McNamara.” It is a fascinating, and frightening, look at war, both World War II and particularly Vietnam. The moral of the story: In war no one really knows what’s happening.

Stephen Holden reviewed the movie in October 2003 for The New York Times. Holden begins:

If there’s one movie that ought to be studied by military and civilian leaders around the world at this treacherous historical moment, it is “The Fog of War,” Errol Morris’s sober, beautifully edited documentary portrait of the former United States defense secretary, Robert S. McNamara.

I encourage all interested students of history to view this very fine film.

Howling At A Waning Moon

Bob Whitson’s Howling At A Waning Moon is a superb summary of things related to the environment and environmental politics. NewMexiKen hasn’t linked to the site that much, but it is one I follow and I recommend.

It’s also beautifully redesigned (though it was always pretty).

Coming soon to Hawaii — Casinos

From Indianz.Com:

A bill to recognize a Native Hawaiian governing entity is on the fast track in the Senate after seeing years of delays.

Hawaii’s Congressional delegation introduced S.147, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, last month. Sponsors cited the bipartisan support they have garnered over the years for a measure that would clear up legal doubts about the relationship between the United States and Hawaii.

Best line of the day, so far

“I want [to be President] so I can arrive at my high-school reunion in a motorcade.”

Doonesbury character Uncle Duke during his 2000 presidential campaign.

Uncle Duke

Many will recognize that the Doonesbury character Uncle Duke was based on the journalist Hunter Thompson who killed himself Sunday at age 67. One of Duke’s many roles was Ambassador to China during the 1970s.

NewMexiKen visited the American embassy in Beijing in 1992. As with many embassies, there was the portrait gallery of former ambassadors (not yet many in Beijing as diplomatic recognition had only been re-established in 1979). Among the portraits were those of Ambassador George H.W. Bush and Ambassador Leonard Woodcock.

And that of Ambassador Duke.

Quoting Hunter Thompson

From a fine appreciation of Hunter Thompson by Henry Allen in The Washington Post:

“There’s no such thing as paranoia,” he said. “The truth is, your worst fears always come true.”

On the ‘72 candidates:
Being around Edmund Muskie “was something like being locked in a rolling box car with a vicious 200-pound water rat.” Nixon “speaks for the werewolf in us.” And Hubert Humphrey, the saint of long-ago liberalism: “There is no way to grasp what a shallow, contemptible and hopelessly dishonest old hack Hubert Humphrey is until you’ve followed him around for a while.”

“I hate to advocate weird chemicals, alcohol, violence or insanity to anyone . . . but they’ve always worked for me.”

Best line of the day, so far

“I’m at the age where my main hobby is resenting the young.”

Joel Achenbach

Build an ark

“By 4 p.m. [Monday], 32.03 inches of rain had fallen in downtown Los Angeles since the season began July 1. That’s more than three times the normal total for the date, and almost eight times the amount that had fallen by this time last year.”

Los Angeles Times

Sideline Clucker

From Dwight Perry’s Sideline Chatter:

Bromley Lowe, a former Baltimore Orioles mascot, is one old Bird who was only too happy to fly.

Sweltering summer days in a costume made of synthetic feathers, foam and fiberglass will do that to a guy.

“Parades are the worst,” Lowe told USA Today. “I was in a Fourth of July parade in Laurel, Md., in 1995, and it felt like it would never end. I was treated in an ambulance. They hooked me up to an IV.

“I think the San Diego Chicken put it best: ‘If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the chicken.’”

Law & Order: Trial by Jury

Today’s New York Times profiles the new Law & Order franchise Trial by Jury. Jerry Orbach fans will particularly appreciate this article.

The show debuts March 3rd.

Worth knowing

Lawsuits against doctors are just one of several factors that have driven up the cost of malpractice insurance, specialists say. Lately, the more important factors appear to be the declining investment earnings of insurance companies and the changing nature of competition in the industry.

The recent spike in premiums - which is now showing signs of steadying - says more about the insurance business than it does about the judicial system.

The New York Times

Some yuks

“Now Bush, Clinton, and Al Gore have all admitted to smoking marijuana. This is kind of like a presidential version of the Doobie Brothers.”

“The seven-year-old Kyoto Accord went into effect this week, forcing 35 nations and the European Union to cut emissions in an effort to combat global warming. See I don’t think President Bush quite understands this. Like today when they asked him about the Kyoto Accord, President Bush says he much prefers the Camry.”

“According to ‘Variety,’ Disney is now working on a prequel to ‘Peter Pan.’ In this story Peter tries to recover a trunk full of magical stuff before it falls into the hands of the Santa Barbara District Attorney.”

“The NBA All Star Game was yesterday and L.A. fans got a chance to root for their favorite Laker. The bad news it’s still Shaq.”

— Jay Leno

“Have you seen the big Gates exhibit in Central Park? Everyone is going crazy about it. The most commonly heard phrase heard about the Gates is, ‘Thank God that was free.’”

— David Letterman

The Father of Our Country

To describe George Washington as enigmatic may strike some as strange, for every young student knows about him (or did when students could be counted on to know anything). He was born into a minor family in Virginia’s plantation gentry, worked as a surveyor in the West as a young man, was a hero of sorts during the French and Indian War, became an extremely wealthy planter (after marrying a rich widow), served as commander in chief of the Continental Army throughout the Revolutionary War (including the terrible winter at Valley Forge), defeated the British at the Battle of Yorktown, suppressed a threatened mutiny by his officers at Newburgh, N.Y., then astonished the world and won its applause by laying down his sword in 1783. Called out of retirement, he presided over the Constitutional Convention of 1787, reluctantly accepted the presidency in 1789 and served for two terms, thus assuring the success of the American experiment in self-government.
…

Washington was, after all, a magnificent physical specimen. He towered several inches over six feet, had broad shoulders and slender hips (in a nation consisting mainly of short, fat people), was powerful and a superb athlete. He carried himself with a dignity that astonished; when she first laid eyes on him Abigail Adams, a veteran of receptions at royal courts and a difficult woman to impress, gushed like a schoolgirl. On horseback he rode with a presence that declared him the commander in chief even if he had not been in uniform.

Other characteristics smack of the supernatural. He was impervious to gunfire. Repeatedly, he was caught in cross-fires and yet no bullet ever touched him. In a 1754 letter to his brother he wrote that “I heard Bullets whistle and believe me there was something charming in the Sound.” During the Revolutionary War he had horses shot from under him but it seemed that no bullet dared strike him personally. Moreover, when the Continental Army was ravaged by a smallpox epidemic, Washington, having had the disease as a youngster, proved to be as immune to it as he was to bullets.

— Forrest McDonald in his review of Joseph J. Ellis’ His Excellency: George Washington.

George Washington’s birthday

George Washington was born on February 11, 1731, according to the Julian calendar. In 1752 Britain and her colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar, the calendar we use today. The change added 11 days and designated January rather than March as the beginning of the year. As a result, Washington’s birthday became February 22, 1732.

It’s the birthday

… of Don Pardo. The original “Jeopardy!” and “Saturday Night Live” announcer is 87.

… of Senator Edward Kennedy. He’s 73.

… of Julius Erving. Dr. J is 55.

… of Steve Irwin. The Crocodile Hunter is 43.

… of Vijay Singh. He’s 42.

The Miracle

The U.S. defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 in Olympic hockey 25 years ago today. Here’s the lead from The New York Times:

In one of the most startling and dramatic upsets in Olympic history, the underdog United States hockey team, composed in great part of collegians, defeated the defending champion Soviet squad by 4-3 tonight.

The victory brought a congratulatory phone call to the dressing room from President Carter and set off fireworks over this tiny Adirondack village. The triumph also put the Americans in a commanding position to take the gold medal in the XIII Olympic Winter Games, which will end Sunday.