"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter." —Mark Twain
In the news
It’s time for a Paul’s Thing break—the memoir will still be there when I’m done. Progress to date? I roughed out a longish chapter about joining the US Air Force in 1973 and my experiences in officer and flight training, sent it to a couple of friends for feedback and criticism, and am now outlining other chapters […]
I’ve been taking time off from the blog to work on a memoir. It’s a different kind of writing from what I normally do. I like the little bit I’ve done so far, but since it’s about me that’s no surprise. What I don’t know is if anyone else will have the patience to read […]
Well, whatever the reason, last night’s no vote was a great big affirmative YES to the American people, and I’m happy John McCain will end his long political career on a positive note.
Speaking of Fox, when the pee tape finally comes out, what do you want to bet the very next day the hosts on Fox & Friends will be giving one another golden showers on the set? Now that’s one thing on Fox I will watch!
Nothing personal on the menu today, so here’s a dish of links & commentary: – ‘Underwear bomber’ was working for the CIA. The Guardian’s headline confused me. Like you, probably, I thought they were talking about the underwear bomber of 2009. This is a new underwear bomber, with exploding BVDs made by the same terrorist who was […]
When I tagged along with other docents at the air museum, learning the ropes, I picked up an anecdote about Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson. One of our display aircraft is an executive jet from the presidential fleet. Not an Air Force One—no president ever flew in it—but definitely a dignitary-hauler, used by vice presidents, […]
We’re having friends over for dinner tonight, my excuse to make braised beef short ribs, which we haven’t had in literally years. I don’t know about where you live, but here we rarely find beef short ribs in the grocery store or base commissary. We get ours at the local butcher shop, where they cut them to […]
North Korea really is an impossible problem, isn’t it? I’m as opposed to war as anyone, but as a military man I’m not afraid of exercising the military option when it’s the only option available. Can we allow North Korea to have nuclear-tipped ICBMs? I don’t think any sane person would say yes. How can we […]