We have reached a new level of touchy-feely. Our current scale for the nations defense is this color coded hierarchy that would be more appropriate for mild -- hot -- atomic strata of salsa heat-index designations.In their wisdom, the Beltway apparatchiki has determined that going from orange to red (we are at war), is too abrupt. Rather the American voter should be eased in to the notion of war by having a bridge from orange to red, possibly mauve. This is obviously the result of the lasts months orange designation not being enough to clearly delimit out imminent destruction (in the minds of the half-empty war pigs) and our possible utopia after we ferret out the world's evil (the half-full Luddite war pigs). Soon there will be experimental political scientists trying to measure the fine structure of this scale.There is a book by Jose Saramago called "The Stone Raft". It is an account of the Iberian peninsula breaking from the continent and floating away. Parts of the book concern themselves with satirizing the media's and government's reactions. There are committees organized to evaluate the efficiency of committees that form committees to deal with the problem.There should be two levels: (everything is copasetic) and Omega

Chiral, that's impossible scale. Guys don't understand what mauve is. I personally don't get it. The scale gotta be something guys could understand, like drinks, cars, girls, or stocks. When everything ok, it's GE. Or if things are crazy, it's Dr Koop. Next to the worst is telecomm, say NT.

There are too many people, mostly in Washington, who seem to be enjoying the countdown to war. I support the invasion, but not with cheerfulness or optimism. I think its the least bad thing we can do, but it's very, very bad. And I certainly don't want to watch guys who aren't going near the front lines make cute talk about it. Rumsfield is the worst.In the stupid-but-funny move Major League, the manager got a cardboard cut-out of the beautiful and nasty owner (who wanted the team to lose every game so she could move the team to another city). Each game the team won, the manager ripped off a small part of the clothes so she would be naked if the team won the pennant.I think I could sell this idea to the Secretary of Defense. There would be a scale guys could understand.

And I certainly don't want to watch guys who aren't going near the front lines make cute talk about it. Rumsfield is the worst.For his comments on Old Europe, he has forever endeared himself to me and all of the former Eastern Bloc countries in Europe.

At the risk of sounding conspiratorial - many of them have clear jobs now. A faceless terror is the perfect budget justification. It's cliche, but there is no more Soviet Bear. Justification via some nebulous threat is perfect. I support it also, however Iraq seems a bit stange, too convenient. Why not 2 years ago? What about Pongyang? I am a supporter of being proactive to save American lives, but just do it, and make it rational. What does it mean to me to be at orange anyway? If there is a clear intelligence indication that something is immenent, preempt it. Go do your job and brief me later. If a color scale exists because it is a broad brush stroke indicator of how airports, police, border patrols, etc., should be vigilant, then fine.

Anyone going to the war rally?

QuoteSuch a man cannot be happy at the sight of the Guinean tail wagging the French rectum of the British hindquarters of the American dog.Rumsfeld does Old Europe Part 2

QuoteIt was a small indicator of a large cultural shift when NBC's Saturday Night Live introduced a weekly parody of his press conferences, mercilessly mocking not the politician but the dopey journalists.

Hamilton,Thant you for sharing Rumsfeld's pearls. His ability to evoke imagery and emotion with words has surpassed that of the greatest poets. He is obviously not just a statesman of the highest esteem, but a master wordsmith.

Thant you for sharing Rumsfeld's pearlsThey are the words of the master satirist Mark Steyn, from his column.He is obviously not just a statesman of the highest esteem, but a master wordsmith. Satire is a literary form. You have read the Roman author Juvenal's Satires?Laughter is close to metaphysics, said Aristotle.Best.