Bin Laden's Choice?

It seems that bin Laden's TV message today is aimed at one goal: ousting President Bush. By extension, I think this means UBL's preferred candidate is John Kerry. I don't need to go over policy positions or anything like that — all of you are smart enough to know that stuff already. The point one should consider is what scares UBL about four more years of Bush (and conversely what does he feel he would gain with four years of Kerry)? Considering that this follows on the heels of another threat against voting for President Bush from al-Qaeda… let's just say we can be confident they don't want four more years.

They do not want four more years because President Bush is firm and aggressive in the war on terror. President Bush has the will and resolve to seek out the terrorists and get them — the war on terror may not ever be “won,” but so long as the terrorists know that we will strike back, it limits the gains they can make. A President Kerry, by all indications, would leave rooting out terror to the UN, a body that is rarely able to accomplish anything terribly useful. I hope those still on the fence will think about this seriously. When the top enemy of the state comes out of hiding to talk about your leader's allegedly poor handling of that enemy's attack on your country — should you heed that enemy's advice?

Slam-a-lama-ding-don't

The Last Sports Announcement of the Year? OK. So we lost. I'll concede the guys in Boston deserved a win; while the Cards have won numerous times in the last few decades, the Soxs have not won since right after World War I. At least it wasn't the Yankees that beat us, that would have hurt. Next year, however, we'll be back. And win. So be prepared Boston.

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Taking Up Arms Like the better part of 400 tons that are missing and have been missing since before the war. I am glad to see since the last time I talked about this that the President has hit back at Very Scary Kerry who has been trying to use this to his political advantage while his strategists admit they do not have the facts to do so in an informed manner. If we had found 380 tons of this stuff since arriving, would we not have hailed it as weapons of mass destruction? Trust me, we would have.

Foreboding

Huh?

Sing out the song of sorrow, song of grief,       but let the good prevail. — The WATCHMAN

In one of the highest points in the history of tragedy, Aeschylus opens the first play of the Oresteia, Agamemnon. The scene is at the end of the Trojan war.

I'm still looking for that signal flare,                                        the fiery blaze from Troy, announcing
      it's been taken. These are my instructions                                 
      from the queen. She has a fiery heart,
      the determined resolution of a man.
      When I set my damp, restless bed up here,
      I never dream, for I don't fall asleep.
      No. Fear comes instead and stands beside me,
      so I can't shut my eyes and get some rest. — The WATCHMAN

A weary watchman talks about the endless nights of watching for the relay of fires across the hills to Argos, home of King Agamemnon, Atreus's son. The fires, which arrive, signal the fall of Troy and the impending arrival of Agamemnon home. This should be a joyous event. Only home seals the king, and the never heeded prophetess Cassandra, to a brutal death at the hands of Agamemnon's wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus.

As for all the rest, I'm saying nothing.       A great ox stands on my tongue. But this house,
      if it could speak, might tell some stories.
      I speak to those who know about these things.
      For those who don't, there's nothing I remember. — The WATCHMAN

The watchman knows far more than he feels safe to tell the doomed king, leaving fate to take its deadly course rages forward toward the destruction of the king, his revenge through son Orestes and the bloodthirsty persuit of Orestes by the Furies of matricide.

One disgrace exchanged for yet another,       the struggle to decide is hard.
      The man who sins is sinned against,
      the killer pays the price.
      Yet while Zeus sits upon his throne                              
      this decree from god remains—
      the man who acts will suffer.
      Who can then cast from this house
      its self-perpetuating curse?
      This race is wedded to destruction. —The CHORUS of ARGOS

The eclipse that causes the crimson moon is an artistic liberty I have taken.

Quotes taken from the translation of Agamemnon by Ian Johnston of Malaspina University-College.

Make a Difference

With just a week to go in the 2004 Election, here is one of your last chances to make a real difference. Let your blogging audience know (and encourage them to spread the word) that the missing munitions in Iraq were noted as missing by NBC News on the day that the coalition forces arrived at the site eighteen months ago. As such, there was nothing the Bush administration could have done to protect the site… it had already been emptied out.

Moreover, Kerry should be required to answer why he is attacking the President on something that only happened, the way he talked about it, in the New York Times/CBS News universe. Finally, the world should hear about Drudge Report findings that indicate CBS News appears to have been planning to use 60 Minutes this Sunday to reveal this twisted piece of news in hopes of damaging the President's campaign. If anyone doubts CBS's bias, this should make it even clearer exactly where they stand.

Slam-a-lama-ding-dong

Well, let's just say it isn't going so well, and leave it at that, eh? I'm hoping the Cards were just trying to be good hosts tonight by letting the Red Sox win, but I'm not so sure about that. St. Louis is the baseball town, so we must win. The Cardinals have never lost a World Series to the Red Sox, I'd hate to see it happen now.

If you are wondering, yes, your assumption was true if you thought I was not a sports fan, but I am loyal to the home teams — and I've always been partial to the Cardinals. I like the see the Rams win just like the next guy, but baseball and the Cardinals are just special. It is, after all, the all-American sport.

Anyone else following the series? It started somewhat humorously, at least, with a bunch of fans holding “Cardinals: Slam-a-lama-ding-dong” signs. If you didn't get it, you really need to see Joe Buck's new commercial for Anheuser-Busch (which, if you didn't know it, is a St. Louis company, hence Busch Stadium).

I'll probably slaughter it, but here's the “plot” of the commercial: Joe Buck, Fox's MLB and NFL broadcaster and son of late great KMOX sports broadcaster Jack Buck, is sitting in the baseball broadcasting booth when his agent comes in. The agent tells him he needs a catch phrase to say, when someone makes a good play, like other broadcasters have. Buck asks why he would lower the quality of the broadcasts for his audience just to have a catch phrase. The agent responds “licensing opportunities.” Camera cuts away to someone hitting a home run, then cuts back to Joe Buck's head. He starts off sounding normally, but then (as the camera zooms out and shows him in a bright yellow t-shirt) says slam-a-lama (hits a gong) ding-dong. He reaches back to give the agent “five” while the camera shows everyone in the room is wearing yellow slam-a-lama-ding-dong t-shirts.

That's rather humorous, I think, but the real humor is in the fact that people are actually now using the phrase. Intentionally or not, perhaps Joe Buck will end up with the slam-a-lama-ding-dong catch phrase in real life.