We sail tonight for Singapore

Don't fall asleep while we're ashore...

Today is the Seventh of December. On this day in 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the proposed Constitution of the United States.
In 1917, the U.S. declared war on Austria-Hungary.
In 1928, Noam Chomsky was born. If you only know Chomsky on the basis of his political commentary, you're missing the big story of how he almost single-handedly changed the fields of Linguistics and Psychology in one fell swoop. Not the most stimulating writer ever, but a truly massive figure in terms of philosophy and legacy.
In 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.
In 1942, Harry Chapin was born.
In 1949, Tom Waits was born. Rain Dogs remains my favorite of his work, and one of my favorite recordings, ever. Check it out.

This land war in Asia that we're losing... I still don't know what the hell to make of it. Why is Afghanistan so important? Seems it's been 'important' since Alexander the Great tried (and failed) to take it. The British wanted it too (and couldn't take it). Given time, the Nazis would have tried (Hitler had suspicions about supernatural activity in the Himalayas). Lord knows the Soviets tried to control it, and we all know what happened to them. I know we're not there because of 9/11, because I know that we were staging an invasion of the country in June of 2001, three months before the event (I read about our preparations in the India Times in 2001, but can't find the link anymore -and that's to say nothing of the fact that none of the supposed hijackers were from Afghanistan, and that we were in negotiations with the Taliban government at the time). So, what are we doing there, and why are we so intent on staying? It doesn't appear to have any vitally necessary resources; it doesn't appear to be on any major trade routes; it doesn't appear to be key to any material strategy at all. This situation has the potential to break us, in the same way that it broke the Soviet Union. How difficult is it to imagine a post-United States world? It's bound to happen, some day. I'm sure Konstantin Chernenko didn't forsee the collapse of his country, when he turned the reins over to Gorbachev. This is trouble brewing, folks. Mark my words.

And speaking of brewing, I've been trying to distill my thoughts on marriage rights for a long time now. It's a very complex situation, given everyone's emotional attachments to their particular versions of Marriage, but this Newsweek article handles it well, and beat me to the punch on most of the points I'd have wanted to make. Love and respect, people: all we ask is a little love and respect.

Capitalism is bad for children. I've said it before; I'll say it again, and no, I'm not being sarcastic.

We have a President again. I know that's not news, in and of itself, but it's nice to see someone taking charge. I haven't slept this well in eight years.

What this radio really needs is a fuse...