Saturday, September 17, 2005
'58 is clearly just a number': Elton John's concert at the Garden last night sounds like another awesome performance by Sir John. Elton has such an infectious stage presence. ... Maybe it's because I'm getting older and can't stand being jostled at concerts, but calm audiences and a performer's strong stage presence are much more important to me now. A girlfriend once had to drag me to a Mel Torme concert in the early '90s, saying it would be 'good for you.' It was. I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed the old crooner's command of the stage and audience. ... God help me, but I probably would have enjoyed Neil Diamond in Boston. ...
P.S. -- Obvious point: Isn't it great to call the Garden the Garden again? We owe it to TD Banknorth, whose decision to stick 'Garden' in the name shows it's in touch with local mores and sentiment, despite knowing full well people would just casually refer to it as the 'Garden.' There's hope yet for Corporate America.
Update -- Englebert Humperdinck is in Lowell later this month. ...
Connect-the-dots time: So liberal groups are mobilizing to connect the dots between Katrina and Iraq. OK, now that we're connecting the dots, let's extend the dot line. ... True: The war now doesn't look "winnable in the short term." ... True: Al Qaeda is expanding its recruitment in Iraq. ... True or false: Would it be wise to now just pull out U.S. troops with Al Qaeda establishing a foothold in Iraq? Until liberals answer that question and present a convincing non-Cindy Sheehan strategy to deal with it, they're not going to win support from me on the national security front -- and I'm a skeptic about the war and a harsh critic of the president's handling of it. ...
Update - Michael Yon has an update on an officer recently injured in an Iraq battle. LTC Erik Kurilla: "I wanted to be there with my soldiers until the end, keeping our boot on the enemy's neck and pushing his back up against a wall, right until the very last minute." ... That's what's needed: 'keeping our boot on the enemy's neck' while Iraqis get ready to fend for themselves. There's simply no other short-term alternative to sticking it out at this point.
Cool interactive graphic alert: Cool. ... Click on 'extent of flooding' in tool chest at left, then click to declick 'points of interest' for a great view of the extent of flooding in New Orleans. ... The 'protecting New Orleans' section is also interesting. Notice how few escape routes there are out of the city.
P.S. -- Obvious point: Isn't it great to call the Garden the Garden again? We owe it to TD Banknorth, whose decision to stick 'Garden' in the name shows it's in touch with local mores and sentiment, despite knowing full well people would just casually refer to it as the 'Garden.' There's hope yet for Corporate America.
Update -- Englebert Humperdinck is in Lowell later this month. ...
Connect-the-dots time: So liberal groups are mobilizing to connect the dots between Katrina and Iraq. OK, now that we're connecting the dots, let's extend the dot line. ... True: The war now doesn't look "winnable in the short term." ... True: Al Qaeda is expanding its recruitment in Iraq. ... True or false: Would it be wise to now just pull out U.S. troops with Al Qaeda establishing a foothold in Iraq? Until liberals answer that question and present a convincing non-Cindy Sheehan strategy to deal with it, they're not going to win support from me on the national security front -- and I'm a skeptic about the war and a harsh critic of the president's handling of it. ...
Update - Michael Yon has an update on an officer recently injured in an Iraq battle. LTC Erik Kurilla: "I wanted to be there with my soldiers until the end, keeping our boot on the enemy's neck and pushing his back up against a wall, right until the very last minute." ... That's what's needed: 'keeping our boot on the enemy's neck' while Iraqis get ready to fend for themselves. There's simply no other short-term alternative to sticking it out at this point.
Cool interactive graphic alert: Cool. ... Click on 'extent of flooding' in tool chest at left, then click to declick 'points of interest' for a great view of the extent of flooding in New Orleans. ... The 'protecting New Orleans' section is also interesting. Notice how few escape routes there are out of the city.
