The Arab Army That Could

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What Hezbollah has accomplished is interesting in two ways. First, it has demonstrated a viable and low-cost defense strategy against a modern military. Ian Welsh has written an excellent assessment of the situation at the Agonist. Second, it represents the first time an Arab force has been able to go up against the IDF with demonstrable success. The importance of this should not be underestimated; the idea of Israeli invincibility has influenced decision-making throughout the region for many years. Israel is not yet vulnerable, but it will be, and everyone knows it. Combined with demographic shifts, the Israelis have no more than a half-century in which to engineer a peace. (I do not mean that it is their responsibility; I mean that it is necessary for their survival.)

Medium

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My roommate has acquired DVDs of the show Medium, and we’ve been slowly working our way through episodes. The show is a drama about Allison DuBois (played by Patricia Arquette), a psychic who consults for a District Attorney’s office, and apparently is loosely based on an actual person. Ms. Arquette recently won an Emmy for her role in the series, an award which I must reluctantly concede was likely well-deserved.

Allision Dubois is portrayed as a mother, wife, and (initially) law student in Arizona. Upon growing acceptance of her paranormal abilities, she chooses not to pursue law school, and instead finds herself using her abilities as a special consultant to the DA. As the series progress, we see her struggle to come to terms with the impact of her dreams and visions both in her family life as well as in her profession.

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Overthrowing Incumbents

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It is with much relief that I note the overthrow of a few incumbents in last night’s Primaries. While Ned Lamont had an early 20 point lead over Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut race, the gap narrowed as the evening wore on before settling on a 4 point difference. I was interested in this race, as it was an important indicator of the forces working to revitalize the Democratic Party.

The focus on Lieberman has been nationwide, even if the voters where limited to a single state. For them, the issues may have been simpler; a move against a representative who had ceased to represent. For the nation as a whole, his defeat removed a “Fox News Democrat” from the party and showed the growing influence of the progressive movement in challenging the flawed strategies of the major Democratic institutions.

Also, in a strike against the other extreme of the party, Cynthia McKinney has also been defeated in Georgia. The victor, Hank Johnson, ran on a platform of “anyone but McKinney” to claim 59% of the vote. Reports indicate Johnson is a moderate who should help bring some dignity to the seat.

Sailing Lessons

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Angel Island SailThis past Sunday I successfully passed my Basic Cruising course. I’m still looking at what additional courses I’d like to take, but whichever I choose, I’ll still need to build up some experience.

The final class had us practice docking at Sam’s in Tiburon, and Ayala Cove on Angel Island. (Both sites being important sailing destinations on the Bay, especially Sam’s.) Tying up at Sam’s was an interesting experience. Our instructor (Oliver) pointed out a location, which cause some confusion given that there was already a boat in the space indicated. As it happens, there was a good 12 feet of slip for us to use, and we managed a good approach under the watchful eyes of a packed outdoor eating area. (Our boat, Vienna, was about 31 feet.)

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