If I had a boat/I'd go out on the ocean/And if I had a pony/I'd ride him on my boat

Had a lovely weekend in Anchorage. Enjoyed The 300--all style and no substance. Didn't try to read any current political themes into it--Frank Miller is no Thucydides. But anyway, it was nice to get out for a couple days! Friends, shopping, and places to go--what a change. Clearly, I gotta get out more often. Perhaps to points even further south!

I can't believe Stanford lost to Louisville in round one of the Men's NCAAs. Actually, I can. But the Tournament Gods are cruel to pit the Cardinal against the Cardinals, and to have the game in Kentucky. Now I'd love to see UCLA win it all. Or Oregon--I admire their pluck.

"But Country Lawyer", some of you may ask, "don't you have a degree from Kansas?"

"That may be," I would reply, "but I have no loyalty to those suckaz."

Wouldn't it be funny if the author of the famous "Torture is O.K." memo lost his job as Attorney General for the relatively minor offense of firing some U.S. Attorneys for their lack of faith to The Cause? Don't worry Alberto, a lucrative Republican sinecure awaits you in the private sector.

Again, Russia can't catch a break. First this, then this. Not to mention this. Tragic, just tragic--I'm dead serious. I wonder what the Russian equivalents of OSHA and NTSB are like? My guess: underfunded, overworked, and corrupt as all get out. But what do I know? They could be shining beacons of government competence.

Interesting rumblings between Russia and Iran, with Iran late on its payments for the Bushehr reactor and Russia coincidentally supporting sanctions if Iran doesn't suspend uranium enrichment.

Smoove out.