Still not done with the project that’s keeping me, but (finally) making substantial progress.  So back here soon, I think.  In the meantime:

Hey, turns out that there’s lots and lots of oil in the Arctic, and whaddya know, all that troublesome ice that kept us from it before is disappearing.  Now, the national lines up there aren’t entirely clear, but really, what’s Greenland going to do about it?  Who’s up for a little Arctic Invasion?

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Speaking of madness (and on a much more serious note), Bob Herbert’s column on Jane Mayer’s “The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals”, has convinced me I need to pick up and read this book.  In his view:

Americans still have not come to grips with this disastrous stain on the nation’s soul. It’s important that the whole truth eventually come out, and as many of the wrongs as possible be rectified.

Ms. Mayer, as much as anyone, is doing her part to pull back the curtain on the awful reality. “The Dark Side” is essential reading for those who think they can stand the truth.

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On the subject of awful realities, I’ll again urge readers to give a few minutes to Vivian Paige’s (multipart) review of Tom Schaller’s Whistling Past Dixie.  Simply offering practical solutions and better governance will not overcome the cultural beliefs and practices of some groups, and it’s time for the Democrats to stop banging their heads up that electoral wall.  She’s got some very smart readers who, despite the best efforts of her resident trolls, could put together a very good discussion there.  Pop in for a bit.

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And on the topic of important discussions, it sounds like Congress actually took a few minutes to have one.  Fifteen years (and how many wars?) has been more than enough time to demonstrate what an asinine policy Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has turned out to be.