View 505 February 13 - 17, 2008 (original) (raw)
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Valentine's Day
Men: It's still not too late, and don't kid yourself that it's not important.
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Today is the day we find out the recommended course of treatment for whatever is going on in my head.
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It looks like McCain vs. Obama. This is going to be interesting.
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Truth in advertising. Why is the government so much more concerned about medicines and drugs than about stock brokers who put on advertisements featuring a grocery clerk who tells you he put in a put play and make a real quick $1700, and who is now making his living doing stock market trades? Ah well.
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If you want to know why we are stuck with burning food to get power:
'Not ready'.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/business/14nuke.html>
--- Roland Dobbins
This is nigh on to incredible, or would be if I didn't know about Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy. Of those who are likely to become President, there is not one who will fix this. We will go on burning food.
Well, there is one who would fix this, but not a candidate for president.
Actually, I have some indications that Mr. Thompson would make the necessary changes in the Commission, but he's no more likely to become president than I am to become emperor.
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Repeating a warning. Patch that Adobe:
Dr. Pournelle:
Reports from the various malware researchers indicate that the exploit for Adobe PDF files is becoming widespread. Although it's not clear at this time the exact distribution, there appears to be distribution via PDF links in banner ads, and also through the usual spam mail.
Adobe has an update available. To install, start up your Adobe program (reader or 'writer'), and use Help, Check for updates. Current version is 8.1.2 (shown via Help, About). Any prior versions (before version 8) should be replaced with version 8.1.2.
Regards, Rick Hellewell
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And yet, not a mention of the Republic anywhere to be found.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/magazine/27world-t.html?pagewanted=all>
-- Roland Dobbins
Why would there be? All imperialists are not fascists, but all Jacobins are imperialists.
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Present Arms
FROM Maj. Gene Duncan.
I want to preface this by saying I don't have a thing against Heath Ledger. In fact, until yesterday, I didn't even know who he was. I'm not a movie buff and don't spend much time watching them.
But today at lunch, I happened to be in a restaurant in which a news program was running on one of the TVs. And, of course, his story came up. The coverage was extensive, interviews with fellow actors were conducted, his dad spoke, and everyone was obviously saddened by his loss.
I guess the irony came as I happened to look away from the TV and onto the page of the USA Today I was reading. Page 8A. A small box in the middle of the page which held 4 names. Names of troops killed in Iraq. One name caught my eye. SSG Justin R. Whiting, 27, of Hancock, NY.
The reason his name caught my eye initially was his age. He was a year younger than Heath Ledger. I read the short description in the box for Justin Whiting.
"died Saturday in Mosul from wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device; 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)."
That's it. That's all. Page 1D and 4D in the paper were all about Heath Ledger. Whiting got a sentence.
But that sentence said a lot about Justin Whiting. A 27 year old SSG, he was one sharp soldier. That's a fairly young age to make that rank. And, of course he was a paratrooper. In fact, I'd bet my bottom dollar he had served with either the 82nd Airborne Division or the 173rd Airborne Brigade - or both.
And he was Special Forces. He had earned and wore the coveted green beret. He was quite a young man and I know all of that from that one simple sentence, because I know what it took to be where he was, wearing the rank and beret he wore at his age.
I don't begrudge Heath Ledger his fame. I'm sure he was a fine actor. I certainly am sorry about his death. But I often think back to what Henry Fonda is credited with saying about being honored for his acting. He said he was surprised by all the hoopla because, in reality, all he did was pretend to be someone else who had actually done something. Perhaps if Ledger had lived he might have found his greatest role playing Jason Whiting in some future movie.
Order Arms
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We're back. The good news is that I don't have multiple myeloma. The reasonably good news is that they'll start radiation treatment on my head next week. The bad news is that they're still not sure what I have; but the downside of treating the wrong thing is not high, and something has to be done, so it's time to get started.
Which is a big relief; apparently I'll be around a few more years. At least there's a pretty good chance I will. Now if we can cure the headaches and the brass taste and tinnitus and swallowing problems, I can be nearly normal...
Tomorrow it's work on Mamelukes and no mistake.