Paul the German Octopus Got it Right again Here is a repost of its prediction: Yesterday, we told you about Paul the German Octopus who has correctly predicted the winner of Germany’s five 2010 World Cup matches so far. Paul does so by selecting, and eating, a mussel out of two plastic containers in his aquarium. One of the containers has the German flag on it and the other the flag of the opposing team. The flag on the container from which the sacrificial mussel comes represents the predicted...

Recently, I wrote about our latest casualties in the Afghanistan War. I listed the names of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, along with some details on each hero and I also commented on how, in my opinion, the national media seem to be covering those casualties less and less prominently. Reaction to the post was mixed. Some accepted it with the honor, sadness and respect it was intended. Others felt that publicizing the deaths– “[t]he focusing on each individual...

Yesterday, we told you about Paul the German Octopus who has correctly predicted the winner of Germany’s five 2010 World Cup matches so far. Paul does so by selecting, and eating, a mussel out of two plastic containers in his aquarium. One of the containers has the German flag on it and the other the flag of the opposing team. The flag on the container from which the sacrificial mussel comes represents the predicted winner. Over the weekend there was the false–fake–alarm that Paul...

Yesterday, we reported that Iran was accusing England, Germany and the UAE of refusing to provide fuel to its passenger aircraft. The BBC theorizes that fuel companies might be worried that their annual sales of refined petroleum products to Iran might add up to $5 million. This is the maximum value of annual sales permitted under unilateral U.S. sanctions signed by President Obama a few days ago. The US sanction came after the UN Security Council imposed additional sanctions on Iran for its failure...

As one can imagine, those who predict, and place odds and bets on the World Cup semifinals and final winners are extremely busy these days. Serious fans and serious gamblers anxiously seek and mull and use the predictions and odds provided by reputable and not-so-reputable experts, odds makers and bookmakers. Millions–probably billions–will be won and lost by the time the last goal of the 2010 World Cup is kicked. The vast majority of prognosticators–albeit assisted by computers...

Here’s an interesting report just posted by the BBC. Iran is accusing England, Germany and the UAE of refusing to provide fuel to its passenger aircraft. The allegation comes after the UN Security Council imposed additional sanctions on Iran for its failure to halt its nuclear enrichment program and just days after President Obama signed into law new unilateral sanctions. According to the BBC: The US sanctions prohibit the sale or provision to Iran of refined petroleum products worth more than...

For those who have already read “The ‘Pedros’ in Afghanistan…” here is that great NBC documentary by NBC’s Richard Engel: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Regardless of what one may think about wars or about the Afghanistan war, there should be nothing but admiration, respect and gratitude for the life-saving, heroic work done by combat medics. I just watched a Richard Engel documentary on the NBC “Today Show” on the incredibly brave and magnificent work being done by the “Pedros” combat paramedics in Afghanistan. The Pedros are the brave men and women assigned to various Expeditionary Rescue Squadrons, units that also includes “PJs” (Pararescue...

For a fleeting moment–as we entered into the World Cup quarter finals–it looked as if a South American combination would rule the day. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay all made it into the quarter finals, clearly outnumbering a three-team European combination–Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. But then it began to unravel. The headlines say it all: Germany Taunts, Topples Argentina (4-0) Spain Sneaks past Paraguay (1-0) Netherlands Shocks Brazil (2-1) Only Uruguay managed...

In a previous post I commented on the fact that only six Medals of Honor have been awarded for valor and heroism in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, all posthumously. I mentioned that this was “about to change” and provided some details about the acts of valor by the soldier who, according to reports, is about to be nominated for this high honor. However, at the time, the name of this hero had not officially been released, although a couple of web sites had indicated that a Staff Sergeant Sal...

On this Independence Day, our country is once again sharply divided as it copes with two wars, as it struggles over how to recover from an economic recession and how to reform health care, and as it wrangles over how to deal with what will probably be the worst environmental catastrophe to befall our country: the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Many point to such divisions and ask what we have to celebrate and what our nation should be proud of on this Fourth of July. To read what our...

Kathy just wrote about the incredibly insensitive, stupid and, most of all, disingenuous comments RNC Chairman Michael Steele made about the war in Afghanistan and the Obama administration’s role in that war. What is particularly tragic is that Steele made those remarks on the eve of our Independence Day celebration, when–at least this one day in the year–Americans should be united, thankful and respectful when it comes to the men and women who are fighting our wars. Never mind all...

I have just received two notes from a lady. One ended with the words, “Without the freedom of this nation and top leaders to take care of us, I would not be here today to enjoy the freedom that I have today.” The other contained the words: “Every year on July 4th, people celebrate the holiday with bar-b-que, as for me, I remember how good it feels to be an American.” I was very touched by the two notes and will share them with you, not only because we are about to celebrate our 234th Independence...

In a June 23 Op-Ed in the Los Angeles Times, Dr. Bruce Ackerman “banners” his piece, ”Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal’s criticism of Obama administration officials symbolizes an accelerated partisanship of the officer corps,” and continues: It is tempting to compare Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal’s criticism of Obama administration officials to Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s defiance of President Truman during the Korean War. But something important has changed over the last...

For acts of valor during the Vietnam War, 246 Medals of Honor—our nation’s highest military decoration—were awarded to our heroes. For acts of heroism during World War II, 464 Medals of Honor have been awarded—27 of these Medals of Honor were awarded for the single World War II battle of Iwo Jima. In contrast, after almost nine years of fierce fighting in Afghanistan and after more than seven years of equally grueling combat in Iraq, only six Medals of Honor have been awarded to heroes of...

Most of the reports I have seen on today’s Senate confirmation hearings for General David H. Petraeus’ nomination to Commander, ISAF/US Forces–Afghanistan, focused on what the senators and the general had to say, ask and answer about our political and military objectives, policies, strategy and tactics and about the course of the war itself in Afghanistan—as it should be. After the hearings, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted to approve General Petraeus and to refer his nomination...

To be frank with you, I never thought about it, but now that the question has been raised—and the answer given—I feel very naïve for not having been more inquisitive. Apparently, Alan Poindexter, a NASA commander, was asked during a visit to Tokyo, whether astronauts are allowed to have sex aboard the International Space Station, ISS. According to The Telegraph, Poindexter answered, “We are a group of professionals…We treat each other with respect and we have a great working relationship....

The hometown newspapers of the heroes who continue to make the ultimate sacrifice in our “hostile action” areas generally provide adequate coverage of those sad deaths. However, in the national news media, the names and the numbers of our fallen heroes are often buried deep inside the bowels of the printed pages or relegated to running text at the bottom of our TV screens, and lost among the latest scandals-du-jour and the latest partisan “gotchas.” Such a “drip-drip” of coverage...

I just read a fascinating article published before the news of the so-called “newfound” $1 trillion worth of mineral riches in Afghanistan broke. The article, published early May in my local newspaper, also came before last week’s McChrystal “scandal” and firing. I mention these two items of more recent news because my mind immediately started wandering and wondering how much difference those two developments would have made to the article and, more important, to the long-term impact...

Amid the din and excitement surrounding the resignation of General McChrystal and the nomination of General Petraeus to replace him, I haven’t heard or read much speculation by the experts or the pundits on who will replace Petraeus at Central Command—CENTCOM. There are some exceptions. One newspaper, The Stars and Stripes, addresses the issue in an interesting way. In its June 23 edition, under the headline, “CENTCOM Commander wanted! Now accepting applications,” Kevin Baron asks: Do you...

Many of you will remember the 2002 movie “Windtalkers.” It is a World War II movie about the use of Native Americans, such as the Navajos, in the Pacific Theater by the U.S. intelligence services to transmit secret messages using “codes” built around their ancient language. Those codes are said to have been virtually “crack-proof,” and were extremely valuable to the war effort. It was one of WWII’s best kept secrets. So valuable and vulnerable were these code talkers and their “codes,...

In this post, we asked the question, “Obama’s meeting with McChrystal over–What now?” President Obama, in a nationally televised address from the White House Rose Garden with General Petraeus, Vice President Biden, Secretary Gates, at his side, has just answered the question. General Stanley McChrystal has been relieved of his command in Afghanistan. He will be replaced by General David Petraeus. Stay tuned for further details

The BBC reports that General McChrystal has just left the White House after meeting President Obama over the general’s and his staff’s disparaging comments about the president, vice-president and members of the president’s national security team. The meeting, according to the BBC, lasted about 30 minutes. To read more, please click here. ADDED: The BBC also reports, after saying that it’s unclear whether or not McChrystal still retains his position in the military: Gen McChrystal...

There are still four hours remaining on the West Coast and one on the East Coast before we say goodbye to Father’s Day 2010. If you haven’t gotten a gift for your father yet, please hurry and read Nicholas Kristof’s article in the New York Times, full of neat ideas for a last-minute gift for that special Dad. They are unique and thoughtful gifts—probably more useful and with much more bang for the buck than that tie we so often give, and receive. As Kristof puts it: Father’s Day tends...

Barry Rubin and many others have spoken forcefully, eloquently and spiritedly about the absolute and undeniable rights of Israel to exist and of the Israelis to live peacefully and securely within the borders of their own country. As a person who totally subscribes to those tenets; as a person who has Jewish roots and ancestry; and as a person who has seen a great number of his ancestors—almost an entire generation—murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust, I hardly need to be convinced of...