Open Threads

Since I try to maintain some level of decency here, I am not going to tell you what I realy think of Maureen Dowd. I can give you a hint, though.

The word I am thinking of rhymes with “Punt.”

The first letter of the word might be “C.”

Check out her latest bile:

At every opportunity, as the extraordinary procession solemnly wended its way from California to the Capitol, W. was peeping out from behind the majestic Reagan mantle, trying to claim the Gipper as his true political father.

Finally, there’s a flag-draped coffin and military funeral that President Bush wants to be associated with, and wants us to see. (It’s amazing they could find enough soldiers, given Rummy’s depletion of the military.)

Under 70 words, and she manages to:

A.) Lie about Bush’s presence. Bush was in Georgia at the G-8, and I watched wall to wall coverage. There was little or no mention of the current President, little or no attempt to compare Bush to Reagan.

B.) Lie about Bush and invoke the favorite DNC myth- “Bush doesn’t visit the wounded or dead soldiers.”

C.) Over-estimate the status of the military and fails to mention which political side was in favor of force reduction. Wanna take a wild guess which side of the issue MoDo was on in the past?

I bet there is more, but I quite reading.

Quick question- Has the NY Times ever had a more sustained attack on a sitting President than what we have listened to about Bush for the past 4 years?

MoDo Strikes AgainPost + Comments (26)

It occurred to me that while many people might be watching the Reagan funeral this evening, many of you might not know or remember the origins of many of the military traditions. I will continue to update these as they occur.

1.) Origin of the 21 Gun Salute–

The use of gun salutes for military occasions is traced to early warriors who demonstrated their peaceful intentions by placing their weapons in a position that rendered them ineffective. Apparently this custom was universal, with the specific act varying with time and place, depending on the weapons being used. A North African tribe, for example, trailed the points of their spears on the ground to indicate that they did not mean to be hostile.

The tradition of rendering a salute by cannon originated in the 14th century as firearms and cannons came into use. Since these early devices contained only one projectile, discharging them once rendered them ineffective. Originally warships fired seven-gun salutes–the number seven probably selected because of its astrological and Biblical significance. Seven planets had been identified and the phases of the moon changed every seven days. The Bible states that God rested on the seventh day after Creation, that every seventh year was sabbatical and that the seven times seventh year ushered in the Jubilee year.

Land batteries, having a greater supply of gunpowder, were able to fire three guns for every shot fired afloat, hence the salute by shore batteries was 21 guns. The multiple of three probably was chosen because of the mystical significance of the number three in many ancient civilizations. Early gunpowder, composed mainly of sodium nitrate, spoiled easily at sea, but could be kept cooler and drier in land magazines. When potassium nitrate improved the quality of gunpowder, ships at sea adopted the salute of 21 guns.

The 21-gun salute became the highest honor a nation rendered. Varying customs among the maritime powers led to confusion in saluting and return of salutes. Great Britain, the world’s preeminent seapower in the 18th and 19th centuries, compelled weaker nations to salute first, and for a time monarchies received more guns than did republics. Eventually, by agreement, the international salute was established at 21 guns, although the United States did not agree on this procedure until August 1875.

2.) Origin of the Riderless Horse–

When a Roman soldier died, his horse was led behind his coffin in the funeral procession. Once the marchers reached the cemetery, the soldier would be buried and his horse would be killed and buried with him not only as a tribute but also as a way of equipping him to ride into battle in the afterlife. The belief was that a horse trained for battle by its rider could not have two masters, and as a result, the horse was retired. The addition of the boots appears to be of later origin. The belief is that the empty boots signify that their owner is gone and that with boots in the stirrups, no one else can ride the horse. The riderless horse in today’s procession is simply a ceremonial reflection of an ancient military tradition. No animals are harmed.

3.) Why Are Flags Draped on the Casket–

This custom began during the Napoleonic Wars (1796-1815). The dead carried from the field of battle on a caisson were covered with flags. When the U.S. flag covers the casket, it is placed so the union blue field is at the head and over the left shoulder. It is not placed in the grave and is not allowed to touch the ground. The flags that draped the caskets of the Unknown Soldiers are on display in the Memorial Display Room of the Memorial Amphitheater.

4.) What is the ominous sounding drum solo during the procession to the Capitol Rotunda? – That is known as the Funeral Dirge, with muffled drums.

5.) What is the origin of TAPS?- Well, contrary to what you read on the internet, it has nothing to do with a father and son meeting on the battlefield in the Civil War.

6.) Are there words to TAPS?- Yes. Words were put to the music after TAPS was sonded out. The lyrics are:

“Day is done, gone the sun,
From the hills, from the lake,
From the skies.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

Go to sleep, peaceful sleep,
May the soldier or sailor,
God keep.
On the land or the deep,
Safe in sleep.

Love, good night, Must thou go,
When the day, And the night
Need thee so?
All is well. Speedeth all
To their rest.

Fades the light; And afar
Goeth day, And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well; Day has gone,
Night is on.

Thanks and praise, For our days,
‘Neath the sun, Neath the stars,
‘Neath the sky,
As we go, This we know,
God is nigh.”

7.) Why is the Flag hlown at half-staff?- This is all I could find:

The earliest record we have of the lowering of a flag to signify a death was an occasion in 1612, when the Master of the ‘Hearts Ease’, William Hall, was murdered by Eskimos while taking part in an expedition in search of the North West Passage. On rejoining her consort, the vessel’s flag was flown trailing over the stern as a mark of mourning. On her return to London, the ‘Hearts Ease’ again flew her flag over the stern and it was recognised as an appropriate gesture of mourning.
It was the habit, after the restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, for ships of the Royal Navy to fly their flags at half-mast on the anniversary of the execution of King Charles I on 30th January 1649, and it is from this custom that, so far as we can trace, the present practice of announcing a death by the flying of a flag at half-mast has evolved. The earlier pracice at sea was to fly a black flag or to set a black sail.

We know that the hoisting of black sails was a sign of mourning from the very earliest times. The black sail was superseded by the black flag, probably because it was a nuisance to have to carry black sails for use only on rare occasions. It was probably the position,rather than the colour, that caught the attention, particularly at a distance.

8.) When did the tradition of lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda start, and who has had this honor?-

The Rotunda of the United States Capitol, completed in 1824, has since been considered the most suitable place for the nation to pay final tribute to its most eminent citizens by having their remains lie in state or in honor. These occasions are either authorized by a congressional resolution or approved by the congressional leadership, when permission is granted by survivors.

I will post more as they occur. IF you find anyany factual errors, please let me know. I am working on memory to confirm what I found on the net, and as you are all well aware, I make mistakes.

Reagan FuneralPost + Comments (25)

IS it just me, or does anyone else think the word “Volokhian” reminds them of Star Trek?

Is It Just MePost + Comments (3)

Ronald Reagan gets a colorful send-off from Christopher Hitchens that is worthy of, well, in Hitchens case, Bob Hope and Mother Theresa.

At Least He Is ConsistentPost + Comments (11)

Farewell, Mr. President.

Ronald Wilson ReaganPost + Comments (6)

Has anyone who has read this study (which is widely linked) bothered to ask whether or not his statistics might be off just a touch.

Are the states he is using as the origin of the fatality actually the home state of the soldier/Marine killed, or is it the soldier/Marine’s duty station state. That could help to explain why so many Californians have been killed.

Just curious what he is using- maybe I missed it in the article.

Question…Post + Comments (5)

I had a scare this week. ONnTuesday I had a horrible stomach-ache and a head ache, and I took two excedrin for the headache. About an hour later, I felt like my heart/stomach was going to explode out the front of my body.

I initially didn’t want to, butsince I have lost my girlish figure, I decided to go have the thing examined at the hospital. The whole thing was kind of scary, especially since the warning signs for gastritis/ulcer/GERD are similar to those for heart attacks. At any rate, I worked myself into a full lather, and convinced myself I was having a heart attack and was going to join ‘Lizbeth.

So they hooked me up to an EKG, did chest x-rays, hooked me up to a heart monitor, inserted a heparin lock, and, after hours of waiting, released me. Today I went to the Doctor and found out I have GERDS, or so she thinks. More tests are pending. Better than a heart attack, that is for sure.

At any rate, some quick notes for Doctors:

1.) When you inform a patient that you intend to do a rectal exam to check their stool for blood, you should not be holding a large syringe. I took one look at the monstrosity she was holding and told the Doctor- “If you use that thing, I am ready to make a prediction.”

2.) When someone has worked themself into a lather and is convinced they are having a heart attack, do not read off a list of symptoms. Every symptom she listed, I began to experience.

Docto X- “Do you have a shooting pain in your arm?”

Me- “I do now!”

Doctor X- “Do you have shortness of breath or dizziness?”

Me- “I do now!”

I finally told her to stop listing symptoms before she killed me.

Some quick notes for patients:

1.) When you push the nurse call button, don’t immediately start asking where ‘all the stewardesses are?’

2.) When your doctor asks you a question, they may not want a literal answer. For example:

Doctor Y- “Did you have a rectal exam the other day?”

Me – “Yes, Doctor X did one.”

Doctor Y- “Good- then we won’t have to do one today. How was it?”

Me- “It was awful. It was traumatic. It was terrible.”

Doctor Y- “No- (giggling). I meant, what was the result of the test.”

Me – “Oh.”

At any rate. I live to fight another day. I am now dreading routine prostate exams, which start in 7 years. At anyrate, the Dcotors all said that even though I am young and thought it might be something else, they wished everyone would come in and get checked like I did. Apparently they would save a helluva lot more lives if more people were as easily scared as I am.

So- If you have chest pains, even after a spicy Thai dish, go.

Chest PainsPost + Comments (20)