Fred Thompson

Former Tennessee Senator
Fred Thompson

I have "appointed" former Republican senator and famous actor, Fred Thompson as one of my counselors.  In his latest article, he writes about his personal and legal perspective on the trial of disgraced former senator, John Edwards, Democrat from my old state of North Carolina.

My favorite Fred Thompson move role was when he played an Admiral in The Hunt for Red October.

In 2008, Fred Thompson gave a pretty good speech at the Republican National Convention.  It had its corny parts, like all of them, but he let loose with some pretty good zingers.

On his Facebook page, Thompson offers a steady stream of humor.  It's mostly political humor -- which, by the way, is not an oxymoron -- and most of it is actually funny, to me anyways.  A few of my favorites are ...

"During a campaign rally, Vice President Joe Biden said 'imagine where we'd be if the Tea Party hadn't taken control of the House.'

"Sometimes I do. Then I wake up in a cold sweat."

"Three and a half years in, President Obama has held more fundraisers than the previous 5 presidents combined.

"He needed to, because he's added more debt than the previous 43."

 "Greece tightened up on welfare abuse, cutting payments to 200,000 people because they are dead.

"Couldn't happen here. Illinois Democrats would be terrified of losing their votes."

"A new study shows that most Americans who renounce their citizenship do it "for tax reasons."

"Ironic, considering that's why this country was founded in the first place."

There's more at  http://www.facebook.com/fredthompson.

 

From My Niece, Tara

This came in the mail today, a homemade get-well card from one of my nieces, 8-year old Tara who lives in Fenwick, Ontario, Canada.


Front Cover ...

"To: Uncle Tony"

"I hope you feel better"

Inside ...

"You rock.  I love you.  You are the best uncle ever.  Nobody could replase [sic] you because you are my uncle.  I hope I can see you soon.  I miss you lots.  I realy [sic] hope you feel better.  Love you lots.  xoxo.  Bye!  From:  Tara."

Back Cover ...

"You Rock!!"

... and signed off with a smiley face. 

 

Now, how could I possibly not feel better?

Thanks, Tara!

Quote of the Day: Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Dave Deptula on Defense Spending

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) David Deptula

In a recent interview at The Foundry, Retired Air Force General Dave Deptula, who is now the chief executive officer of MAV6, LLC a a high technology company whose focus is providing situation awareness, said this ...

 “I hear people talk about, well you know, the U.S. military spends more money than the next 17 nations combined.  Well, the next 17 nations combined are not committed to maintaining peace and stability around the world. We are.” 

More here. 

Scott Adams Nails It

 Boy, does this ever remind me of my doctrine days.

http://www.dilbert.com/

Favorite TV Shows of the Past: The Rifleman

My wife and I just watched an old episode while we were eating supper.

On Race

Thomas Sowell

In Tampa last night, four young black men assaulted a young, white, off-duty soldier in a quiet neighborhood. Tampa Bay's Channel 10 News has video.  After you've watched this video, read Thomas Sowell's article.

Mr. Thomas Sowell, one of my esteemed counselors (see right-side column of this blog), has written a must read article about race in National Review Online.  Interestingly, Mr. Sowell's piece was not prompted by last night's violence in Tampa but by his own observations of a nationwide trend. It calls attention not just to recent acts of black violence, but looks back on a trend several years in the making.

Years, not hours, not weeks.

So none of what Thomas Sowell wrote about could be attributable to the ongoing flap over the Trayvon Martin case (for a sample on that, see The Mob in Mobile, by Quin Hillyer, at the American Spectator, and The New Black Panthers' Unpunished Threats, by John Fund, at National Review Online).

All this is but another facet of the problem Naomi Shaefer Riley wrote about.

There is a racial problem in this country.  And it seems to be getting worse.

Favorite TV Shows of the Past: Batman

Naomi Schaefer Riley, Black Studies Programs, and the Sorry State of Higher Education

Naomi Schaefer Riley

I have added to my list of "counselors" author Naomi Schaefer Riley.  I heard Ms. Riley on the radio a couple of mornings ago being interviewed by former education secretary, Bill Bennett. She is the author of a recently published book on higher education: The Faculty Lounges: And Other Reasons Why You Won't Get the College Education You Pay For.  It's a book I'm looking forward to reading because, over the years, I've had the distinct privilege of working with a lot of people who obviously did NOT get the college education they (or somebody) paid for.  Her interview with Bill Bennett drew my attention because it was mentioned during the course of the discussion that she had been fired for something she had written.  I should mention that it never fails to grab my attention whenever I hear of someone has written something that has gotten them in hot water with the powers that be.  So, obviously, I'm looking forward to reading her book.

The Book

The subject of the piece that led to Ms. Riley's dismissal as a contributor to The Chronicle of Higher Education's "Brainstorm" blog was the concept of black studies programs in major colleges and universities or, more specifically, why they should be eliminated.  After a storm of mostly juvenile criticism, Ms. Riley published a response on the same blog.  At some point in this war of words, she was fired, and the editors of blog had this to say by way of justification.  In response to her firing, Ms. Riley took to the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal, where she is a frequent contributor, to declaim about the "mob mentality" that prevails in many circles of higher education these days.

So, it's not just because the catchy title of her book interests me, it's because, after listening to her discuss the subject with Bill Bennett, and after reading the aforementioned articles, I am persuaded that Naomi Schaefer Riley not only knows what she's talking and writing about, she's such an authority that she deserves a place on my exclusive roster of counselors.

twh

The Staffing Process

TRADOC Regulation 25-36, The TRADOC Doctrinal Publication Program provides the theory, laying it all out in professional detail.  It's called the staffing process, a crucial phase of Army doctrine development.  The way it actually works in practice, at least according to my experience in Signal Towers, is something like this Dilbert cartoon.

Another One Bites the Dust

"A senior al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader who is wanted for his involvement in the USS Cole attack in 2000 and a failed airplane bombing over Detroit in 2009, and who currently leads a terrorist cell in Yemen, was killed in a US drone strike in Yemen today."

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/05/uss_cole_bomber_kill.php#ixzz1u8ZsXkav

Legends

From left, Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus
and Gary Player

They're old now, but watching these guys play never gets old or dull.  How many times growing up, watching golf on TV, were these guys in the hunt.  How many major championships between them.  When I moved to Augusta and got to go to the Masters, I was privileged to see three of them, Palmer, Nicklaus, and Player, play their last tournament rounds at Augusta National.  What an afternoon watching them at the Insperity Championship!  They truly are the Greats of Golf.

It's the Troops' Fault

The SECDEF

In a sign that the Obama Administration may have moved on past its propensity to blame the preceding administration for its own ineptitude, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, seeking to blunt media criticism of the administration's aimlessness in Afghanistan--and to divert discussion away from this administration's headlong rush to gut the military via the budget process--blames the troops.

Enough Money Yet?

Messrs. Buffet and Obama. Said the
president (presumably): "I do think that at a
certain point you've made enough money."

According to a Reuters story, "Warren Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway more than doubled its profit in the first quarter."

Good.  Maybe now Mr. Buffet can now afford to pay his over-due tax bill without cramping his lifestyle too much.