The Tip of the Spear Need Only Be Sharp

The Wall Street Journal column:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703632304575451531529098478.html

The letter to the Wall Street Journal:

Editor,

I could not care less if every member of the military could surf or none could surf, if every member could operate a combine or none, if every member could ski or none (The Military Should Mirror the Nation; August 26, 2010).

The “tip of the spear” need only be sharp.

Or, as President Abraham Lincoln said, “Those not skinning can hold a leg.” (End of letter to the Wall Street Journal.)

Logic Takes Another Vacation

The gentleman pictured above, Dustin Johnson, lost a chance to win the PGA Championship this weekend because idiots who failed logic and common sense said he hit the above shot out of a "bunker" after he had grounded his club in the "supposed bunker". Rules of golf forbid grounding of the club in a bunker and doing so is a two-stroke penatly. The penalty assessed for the above "infraction" was enough to cost Johnson a chance for a major golf championship.

Now, I very infrequently write about non-serious stuff here and winning a golf championship would certainly qualify as non-serious.

But, it's the failed logic here that has me so exercised. Go to any "news" account on this story and it all starts with the "fact" Johnson's ball was in a bunker. The "fact" simply isn't and this should be where the discussion starts and ends.

Mark Wilson, co-chairman of the PGA of America Rules Committee, and apparently the final arbiter of the penalty, is an idiot. While deciding Johnson's fate, and in order for him to look and sound fair, he offered Johnson the opportunity to go to the "CBS truck" and review as much videotape as needed to become satisfied that he grounded his club. Ugh! No one was contesting if he grounded his club. The penalty is only enforceable if the ball is in a bunker, shouldn't establishing the ball was in the bunker be the first order of business? If the player doesn't think he's in a bunker and his pre-shot routine is to ground his club, I'm pretty darn sure he's going to ground his club.

Instead of going to the "CBS truck" to review videotape, there should have been a trip to the spot pictured above, with the gallery removed, to determine if the ball was in fact in a bunker and not on some sand or dirt kicked from the bunker. God, what a waste of time it was to discuss if Johnson grounded his club.

Of the videotape I've seen from behind the shot, there does appear to be a bunker lip in front of Johnson. However, the left edge of the lip (when facing the green) appears to take a turn that if reasonably followed, it would put the ball outside the left edge of a reasonably constructed bunker. Only a drastically cut edge from the contour of the front edge would include the spot where Johnson's ball was. If if my analysis of the videotape is wrong, the logic still says the conversation begins and ends with whether the ball was in the bunker or not.

For those who love the ridiculous and asinine, Alex Rodriguez recently became just the 7th player in MLB history to hit 600 home runs. Ooohh! He was also just the 7th player to hit 599 (what, no ooohhs?). And 598 (no ooohhs?). And 597 (ooohhs?). And 596 (ooohhs?). And 595 (ooohhs?). And 594 (ooohhs?). And 593 (ooohhs?). And 592 (ooohhs?). And 591 (ooohhs?). And 590 (ooohhs?). And 589 (ooohhs?). And 588 (ooohhs?). And 587 (ooohhs?). And, get this, he'll be the 7th all the way up to 609! No kidding!

I have the constitutional right to have a fairly loud backyard party every night . . . but I don't for many reasons, one of which is I don't want to offend my neighbors.

July 2010 was the deadliest month for US troops in Afghanistan since 2001. July topped June 2010 as the previous deadliest month.

The Senate President Pro Tempore


With the passing of former Ku Klux Klan Kleagle, Senator Robert C. Byrd (Democrat, West Virginia) this past June 28, 2010, Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (Democrat, Hawaii) became Senate President Pro Tempore in a Senate action that as far as I could tell received very little to no publicity in any media.

Sen. Inouye was sworn in the afternoon of June 28, Sen. Byrd passing very early the same day.

Per Presidential Succession Act, the Senate President Pro Tempore is third in line of succession after the Vice President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Traditionally, the Senate President Pro Tempore is the senior member of the majority party.

I was always fascinated that when President Obama served in the United States Senate that he never challenged Sen. Byrd’s status as Pro Tempore. I was fascinated that a black Senator would not challenge “tradition” and protest a racist holding the position. I was fascinated no other Democrats now sharing a caucus with a black man, would not challenge “tradition”. But as I’ve seen unprincipled liberal extremists tolerate sexual predators, child molesters, and anti-Semites all because the offenders were Democrats, it should not have surprised me that Obama’s abhorrence for racism and that claimed by his caucus stopped at “tradition’s” door.

And just to complete the racist life story of Sen. Byrd, he not only was a Kleagle in the Ku Klux Klan, he filibustered the 1964 Civil Rights Act, he’s the only Senator to vote against Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas for the U.S. Supreme Court, he voted against African-American Janice Rodgers Brown for the Federal bench, he voted against Dr. Condoleezza Rice for Secretary of State and he was using the “N”-word in television interviews beyond 2000.

Sen. Daniel K. Inouye and I probably would not agree on much domestic policy. However, Sen. Daniel Inouye is a Medal of Honor winner and I’d say he is a tremendous example of what the Senate President Pro Tempore should be, especially when compared to his predecessor. If a Democrat has to be Pro Tempore, I could not be more pleased that it be Sen. Inouye.

I produce the citation of Sen. Inouye’s Medal of Honor:

Inouye, Daniel K.

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company E, 442nd Infantry. Place and date: San Terenzo, Italy, 21 April 1945. Birth: 7 September 1924, Honolulu, Hawaii. Entered service at: Honolulu, Hawaii.

Citation:

Second Lieutenant Daniel K. Inouye distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 21 April 1945, in the vicinity of San Terenzo, Italy. While attacking a defended ridge guarding an important road junction, Second Lieutenant Inouye skillfully directed his platoon through a hail of automatic weapon and small arms fire, in a swift enveloping movement that resulted in the capture of an artillery and mortar post and brought his men to within 40 yards of the hostile force. Emplaced in bunkers and rock formations, the enemy halted the advance with crossfire from three machine guns. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest. Although wounded by a sniper’s bullet, he continued to engage other hostile positions at close range until an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Despite the intense pain, he refused evacuation and continued to direct his platoon until enemy resistance was broken and his men were again deployed in defensive positions. In the attack, 25 enemy soldiers were killed and eight others captured. By his gallant, aggressive tactics and by his indomitable leadership, Second Lieutenant Inouye enabled his platoon to advance through formidable resistance, and was instrumental in the capture of the ridge. Second Lieutenant Inouye’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.