Our current struggle is the first in our history as a nation in which the roll call of the dead contains a majority of civilians. This is our enemy's goal, for they are murderers, not soldiers.--- Tim Oren.

I spent a lot of the trip looking for a good present for Casey. Most of the children's things were just wrong for a kid who doesn't like to color. Rich suggested a Viewmaster with three Grand Canyon reels.

I wasn't sure, but when I gave the kid the toy yesterday, the reaction was "NEAT! Is this for ME?" This means I'll be able to bring reels when I go places in the future.

The thing is, I had a couple of hundred reels, which found their way to a garage sale or something. These included cartoons (yawn) and historical views of places like Waikiki beach or Marineland (Florida) and other places that have changed a lot. I sure wish I still had them. (You see, this is the peril of trying to go against nature... I am a pack rat. It's in my genes! So when I do actually get rid of something, I shortly regret it.)

The kids had Viewmasters, as well, but I don't think they liked them much. Now, of course, I have the nifty precursor, the stereopticon, which I love.

The father of geocaching. (only 4 years ago!)

We are the very model of a geocaching family...

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Victor Davis Hanson:

In Iraq, regardless of what The New Yorker or the New York Times attests, the stuff of life � electricity, water, food � is far more accessible than before. We see nightly bombings and chaos, but even CNN cannot hide in its background shots stores open, people speaking freely on the street, and the economy taking off.
...
Indeed, there are two constants in this war: Every time the United States engages the enemy it wins, and every time Iraqis are given a chance at a secure, peaceful local election they act responsibly and eschew candidates of violence and hate.
...
One final jarring scene from the televised spectacles was the image of the lone, beleaguered Joe Lieberman calling for patience and sobriety, and worried about our troops in the field and the pulse of the war. This decent and honest man reminds us of what the present party of Ted Kennedy and Terry McAuliff used to be.

Hugh Hewitt on the Raddled Old Drunk.

John Podhoretz.

Jonah Goldberg on Nick Berg.

Daniel Henniger, some good news.

Lieberman. You know, if he had the Democratic nod, I might be worried.