Short Cuts

Monday, March 17, 2003

As War Clouds Gather.... and because it is our nature, Short Cuts will continue to comment on the sillier, more trivial, more ironic and uplifting tidbits in the news. Things will get pretty grim in the days to come - unless The London Sun has it right and Iraqis are beginning to surrender like democrats asked to comment on the war. We haven't read this any place else but - hey - the Sun has a right to get it right some time.

The Chicken Thing: When we first read that G.I.s were lashing chickens to their trucks, tanks and headgear to detect incoming gas attacks we thought it was not a really good idea and we were right. They died. We particularly liked one soldier's guess at what happened. "They were pecking the sand and getting it all clogged up in the giblets or nostrils or whatever you call it" Some were buried in what their keepers called "the Grave of the Unknown Chicken." Too bad. With a little more imagination they could have made some nostril gravy with their MREs.

The Second Cousin of All Battles: Saddam's behavior in these last countdown hours is quite amusing to watch. Surrounded on three sides (thanks for nothing, Turkey) by an overwhelming force, he issues grandiose threats about his ability to produce a worldwide Armageddon at the same time he says he has no weapons of mass destruction. Anyone notice how these people all talk like comic book characters?

The Rice Diet Works: Those of a certain age should be a tiny bit surprised to learn that Madame Chiang Kai-shek is still alive and living in New York. She turned 105 this weekend. If you don't know who she is give her a Google. Amazing woman. Amazing life.

Just Asking: There's a cute item at the very bottom of Howie Kurtz's column this morning under the headline Is This What They Mean By Embedded? - ‘The Fayetteville Observer has brought home its reporter and photographer team from Kuwait after reporter Tanya Biank became engaged to an Army major in the unit she was covering.’

The Ostrich People: There is something deeply disgusting about watching both New York senators scurrying for cover in order not to take calls from the media for comment on the war. Let no one forget they represent the state where 3,000 died or - as Darryl Worley might ask either of them: Have you forgotten?

Ldot Military Roundtable: For all of you who wrote that you didn't have time to read Amy's very popular Weekend Roundtable addressed to our fighting forces you will find it archived here:

As we move into these momentous times we want all of you who have loyally supported this site to be assured, as never before, that we are here for you with the fastest, most accurate, most far reaching and up to the second breaking news from around the world. Get it first, get it fast, get it here.

Eagles UP!

-Your LComStaff