Quote for the day

It is only when they go wrong that machines remind you how powerful they are.

   Clive James

125 years old!

Maria Olivia da Silva, 125, poses for a portrait at her home in Astorga, in the Brazilian state of Parana, on Feb. 10, 2005. She was born on Feb. 28, 1880. She is quite possibly the oldest woman in the world, and certainly in her native Brazil.

A walk

This afternoon, tiring of the programming I've been working on, I took a walk with my dog Lea. We tramped along a trail that is usually hot and dusty, through one of the drier parts of the local terrain. Today was very different, though. We got a little over a half-inch of rain yesterday (bringing our total for the year to 13.66"!), and for the hour or so we were walking it was partly cloudy, bright, and a very pleasant 60 degrees. The normally dry terrain is dry no more — the ground everywhere is completely saturated, and puddles are in every flat place. After several months of wet weather, all the chapparal plants have now responded; green is everywhere. Most striking to me (perhaps because it's been six years or so since I last saw this) is the rocks and steep decomposed granite slopes. They are now covered with rich layers of life: lichens, mosses, and small plants of various kinds. Some of the boulders in my yard look as though they've been upholstered with bright green carpets.

Lea was completely absorbed by all the smells. Anytime you have moisture in the desert, a wonderful assortment of saturated odors follows. Sages are perhaps the most evident, but there's also rosemary and a slew of herbacious species that I can't identify. Crush almost any leaf and your nose will be richly rewarded. We smelled a very strong musky animal smell at one point: cat. It may well have been a bobcat or even a mountain lion somewhere nearby.

The most unusual thing I saw (actually, heard) turned out to be a pair of flickers. They were atop a telephone pole, engaged in some sort of mating ritual, including the male feeding the female (a very typical birdly behavior). But the male flicker was making a noise that I'd have sworn was a woodpecker rapidly pounding at the pole — but it was clearly a vocalization (I could see the male's beak opening in sync with the sound). He repeated this vocalization several times while I was standing right beneath the pole; it was a very convincing replica of a woodpecker.

The female was unimpressed, and flew away — presumably in search of a more suitable mate.

Quote for the day

A professional politician is a professionally dishonourable man. In order to get anywhere near high office he has to make so many compromises and submit to so many humiliations that he becomes indistinguishable from a streetwalker.

   H. L. Mencken

He made it!

What an amazing feat! The GlobalFlyer is a remarkable technological achievement all by itself. But what really amazes me is that someone could stay awake enough to fly a jet aircraft for 67 hours, taking only catnaps of 20 minutes eacy along the way! You can read all about the GlobalFlyer on its site, along with complete coverage of the voyage...

An amazing message from Berlin

I haven't linked this, as it's a paid site — but if you happen to be a WSJ subscriber, it's well worth reading the whole thing (today's commentary page). Meanwhile, here's the startling conclusion:

George Bush is an underestimated American president for whom a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a simple corollary of his courageous political vision: the defense of freedom and democracy against Islamic fundamentalism, not only with words, but also with deeds. Added to this, and in contrast to his first term, he is pursuing this idea in harmony with the State Department, together with Condoleezza Rice. Supported by Tony Blair, America — the world power — is determined to defend the free West. Many Europeans, in contrast, stand on the sidelines and confuse multicultural tolerance with tolerance toward the intolerant.

What would these Europeans say if, in four years, the Bush balance sheet even approaches the following scenario: An independent Palestinian state in stable coexistence with Israel; freedom of opinion prevails in Iraq and the people still vote; Iran has no nuclear weapons; al Qaeda is destabilized; the number of terrorist attacks world-wide continues to decrease; and the American economy is flourishing as a result of determined domestic reforms and tax cuts.

What a turnabout, if the cliché of the reactionary cowboy is replaced by the image of a misjudged but later admired fighter for freedom! When Mr. Bush arrived in Europe, he quoted from his second inaugural address: "We cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the same time. We must reject anti-Semitism from any source, and we must condemn violence such as we have witnessed in the Netherlands. All our nations must work to integrate minorities into the mainstream of society, and to teach the value of tolerance to each new generation." The Germans couldn't believe their ears. No, they won't immediately give up their anti-Americanism after this visit. But the smiling, congenial George Bush made their dislike a little more difficult to defend.

The "other" red meat

Writing at townhall.com, Joel Mowbray observes that thought leaders in the conservative ranks seem to have picked their next target: the U.N. Joel begins this way:

It’s official: The United Nations has become the right’s other red meat.

At the 33rd annual Conservative Political Action Conference—the largest annual gathering of conservatives, which took place last month—the UN garnered more passion, more intensity, and more stage time than any other was an issue. Two years ago, it was barely a blip.

Because of its unique mix of heavy-hitter beltway insiders, rank-and-file activists from around the country, and highly motivated college students, CPAC is the best leading indicator of where the conservative movement is headed. And that means the United Nations had better brace itself.

It's an interesting piece, worth reading through (and clicking through to the links he provides)...

A SecState to be proud of

Mentioned in a short-but-sweet post at PowerLine:

Reader Carol Herman has forwarded the email message to her son from Charles Hampton, one of the Marines detailed to provide security for Secretary of State Rice in in Jerusalem last month. On the morning of her departure, the Marines positioned themselves to have a photograph taken with Secretary Rice. The forwarded message reports that "she shook every one of our hands, looked us square in the eye, and said, 'thank you for your service.'" Hampton comments: "boy, i don't care what else she might do, i'm behind her 100%! that little, personal touch felt SO good."

Among the few and the proud is Charles Hampton, second from the right in the photograph above. Coincidentally, The Age reports: "Iraq dents Marines' recruitment drive." Shouldn't this photograph be used in the Marines' recruiting efforts?

Note: click on the picture at right to get a larger version of it...

Close in the rear-view mirror

An excellent roundup of the consequences of the January 30th Iraqi elections, thanks to Bill Kristol.

Bubba

No Butter for Bubba, the 22-Pound Lobster
By MIKE CRISSEY, Associated Press Writer
2 Mar 2005

PITTSBURGH - He could be older than Warner Bros. studio, General Motors and the Boy Scouts. He could have survived two world wars and Prohibition. He could have been dinner.

He's Bubba, a 22-pound leviathan of a lobster pulled from the waters off Nantucket, Mass., and shipped to a Pittsburgh fish market.

"It is overwhelming," owner Bob Wholey said. "If you see it, you will never forget it. Customers are just in awe."

On Tuesday, Wholey gave the lobster to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, which will send him to an aquarium at a Ripley's Believe It or Not museum.

Based on how long it typically takes a lobster to reach eating size — about five to seven years to grow to a pound — Bubba may be 100 years old.

That would make the crustacean older than Warner Bros. (1907), the Boy Scouts (1910) and the states of Arizona and New Mexico (1912), not to mention the first commercial radio station (1920), television (1927) and computers (1943).

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent Wholey a letter asking him to work with the group to release Bubba back in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Maine.

Another group calling itself People For Eating Tasty Animals reportedly offered Wholey a hefty price for the lobster. At Tuesday's price of $14.98 a pound, Bubba would retail for about $350.

Bob Bayer, executive director of the University of Maine's Lobster Institute, is skeptical and estimates that Bubba is likely 50 years old, but doesn't know for sure. Warm water and plenty of food may have more to do with a lobster's size than how long it's been alive.

"We have looked at all kinds of things to figure out if there is any way to age a lobster. I'm guessing 100 years is probably too high but I can't argue with it because you don't know," Bayer said.

No matter his age, Bubba dwarfs a typical 1 1/2-pound lobster. He's about three feet long and took up about half a 4-foot-by-4-foot tank at Wholey's Market. A lobster sharing his tank was about as big as one of Bubba's claws.

A handful of people who wandered by the tank Tuesday were impressed. One woman quietly said, "Wow," while a man said, "He's serious."

Although his business is to sell seafood, Wholey says Bubba was never bound to be boiled and buttered. And he's become a little philosophical after seeing the lobster, which could be twice his 54 years.

"I don't think you could eat something that big. ... What range of emotions does a lobster have? Greed? Lust? Love? I'm just going to give him to the zoo and hope he lives another 100 years," Wholey said.

"If you sat down and ate this thing, wouldn't that be a bit shellfish?"

UPDATE: Bubba died this morning (3/3) after being moved to the zoo. No explanation yet, though rumor has it that a couple of pounds of butter disappeared from the zoo's employee cafeteria at the same time...

Around the world

Steve Fosset — adventurer extraordinaire — is at it again! He's in the air on an attempt to be the first to make a non-stop solo plane trip around the world. If all goes well, he'll be back at his Salina, Kansas starting point sometime tomorrow.

From a Fox News article:

Fossett was over Pakistan at 49,500 feet around 11 p.m. EST, traveling east at 390 mph.

His experimental single-engine GlobalFlyer (search) had consumed 25 percent of its 18,000 pounds of fuel, while Fossett had downed at least three diet chocolate milkshakes. The jet took off after sunset Monday from Salina.

"At this time everything is going very well, I'm very happy with the situation and I think we've got a good chance," Fossett said during a call from the plane, according to his Web site.

Fossett's mission control in Salina estimated he will complete the 23,000-mile journey at midday Thursday.

Quote for the day

If the Government is big enough to give you everything you want, it is big enough to take away everything you have.

   Gerald R. Ford

Welcome home, warriors

Welcome home, warriors of the Lincoln group. Thank you for your service to all of us. The UT has a little coverage and a few photos.

Iraqi feline immigrant

BANGOR, Maine — A little Iraqi has a new home in Maine.

H.P. the cat was adopted by National Guard troopers serving with the 152nd Field Artillery Battalion. Spc. Jesse Cote said the cat was starving and toothless when they found it.

But the GI's were able to nurse H.P. back to health. The cat ate and slept with the soldiers and even helped them. Cote said H.P. would be the first to react to mortar fire and was their warning of incoming.

When the soldiers were returning to Maine, they raised $700 to fly H.P. to the United States . No one's sure how H.P. got its name -- but Cote said it could stand for Here Puss.

Cedar Revolution

The "Cedar Revolution" in Lebanon continues, and down (so far as I can tell) an entirely admirable path. The BBC coverage, amazingly, was the best I could find (several stories and lots of photos are up there). Events are proceeding so rapidly there that it's very difficult to keep up.

The beeb had this to say about the resignation of the current Lebanese government:

The cabinet resigned two weeks after the killing of the former Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri.

"We want an interim cabinet to uncover the truth about Hariri's assassination, draft a law and oversee elections this spring," opposition MP Ghassan Mukheiber told the AFP news agency.

The lawmaker stressed that Syria must withdraw its troops - which have been in Lebanon for some 30 years - before the elections.

The opposition is also calling for the resignation of a number of senior officials in Lebanon's security services.

Isn't it wonderful what can happen when "the people" realize that they actually are empowered?

By the way, the photo at right is of a woman protester in Lebanon. The graphic on her cheek is of the Lebanese flag, which has a stylized "Lebanon cedar" on it. That cedar is the traditional national symbol of Lebanon...

Quote for the day

We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavours and furniture polish is made from real lemons...

   Alfred E. Newman

Performance evaluations

"Since my last report, this employee has reached rock bottom and has started to dig."

"His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of morbid curiosity"

"I would not allow this employee to breed"

"This employee is really not so much of a has-been, but more of a definite won't be"

"Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap"

"When she opens her mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet"

"He would be out of his depth in a parking lot puddle"

"This young lady has delusions of adequacy"

"He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them"

"This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot."

"This employee should go far, and the sooner the better"

"Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thing to hold it all together"

"A gross ignoramus - 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus"

"He certainly takes a long time to make his pointless"

"He doesn't have ulcers, but he's a carrier"

"I would like to go hunting with him sometime"

"He's been working with glue too much"

"He would argue with a signpost"

"He has knack for making strangers immediately"

"He brings a lot of joy whenever he leaves the room"

"When his IQ reaches 50, he should sell"

"If you see 2 people talking and one looks bored, he's the other one"

"A photographic memory but with the cap over the lens"

"A prime candidate for natural deselection"

"Donated his brain to science before he was done using it"

"Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming"

"Has 2 brains, one is lost, the other is out looking for it"

"If he were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week"

"If you give him a penny for his thoughts, you'd get change"

"If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean"

"It's hard to believe that he beat out 1,000 other sperm"

"One neuron short of a synapse"

"Some drink from the fountain of knowledge, he only gargled"

"Takes him 12 hours to watch 60 Minutes"

"The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead"

What wonderful things!

The pro-Syrian Lebanese government resigns. Israel traces the recent Tel Aviv bombing back to Syrian operatives (or Islamic Jihad, operating out of Syria). Mubarak in Egypt suddenly — after over 20 years — declares that true, open, free multi-party elections will be held. What on earth is going on?

I can only think of one plausible explanation: President Bush's policy of fomenting democracies is working...big time!

Are nukes the worst?

Hearing the news about the suicide bomber in Iraq who killed 100+ people and injured 100+ more got me to thinking... What's worse? Nuclear weapons in Iran, or this "asymmetrical warfare" that's taking such a terrible toll?

While the instantaneous effects of a nuke are clearly worse (tens or hundreds of thousands of people killed), the insidious effects of asymmetrical warfare — if it's successful — might be a larger problem than nukes in the long run. After all, if some rogue country (take your pick) actually decided to use a nuke, I'm pretty sure that that would be the last significant action of whatever government employed (or supported) that action. The world would be shocked into taking concerted action, and they wouldn't be dilly-dallying about. With terrorism (the unfancy name for asymmetrical warfare), this obviously ain't so. The effects keep on going and going and going. It's bad enough for us to read about it, or to see video clips — but try to imagine what it must be like to actually live in the midst of this, day after day. It must be extraordinarily disheartening...which makes me admire the spirit of everyday Iraqi even more. Despite the well-known fact that the terrorists are targeting the government job recruiting centers, and especially those in Shiite areas...the people still keep lining up for those jobs.

Quote for the day

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning today is young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.

   Henry Ford