Genius and Insanity

For John, BLUF:  Oscar was an inspiration to me, well, except for the drug use.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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On Facebook, in a discussion with Jack Mitchell, I mentioned Christopher Isherwood and his journey from England to Germany to Hollywood.  I remember watching him on a local LA TV Talk show in the late 1950s.  He was a guest on and sometimes substitute host on the Oscar Levant show.  So, when I saw this quote on the Althouse blog it brought back memories.

"There's a fine line between genius and insanity.  I have erased this line."

Msaybe you remember Oscar from the 1951 movie, An American in Paris.  He was with fellow Pittsburgh born artist, Gene Kelly.

Hat tip to Ann Althouse.

Regards  —  Cliff

Carson Announces

For John, BLUF:  I like him.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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So Dr Ben Carson admitted last night that he would announce today he is running for the Republican nomination for President.  No big deal.

What is interesting to me is that on Facebook just now I saw where a Caucasian woman, an American Citizen, living in Europe (her husband has a job there at this time), said "Yup - got my vote".

Not that this person is a member of one of the "Tea Parties", but I have always been amazed at the expressed ignorance about the Tea Parties being hot beds of racial prejudice.  Dr Carson is popular with members of the Tea Parties.  Just saying.

Regards  —  Cliff

Women Ranger Up

For John, BLUF:  Ranger course is not for everyone.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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From The Christian Science Monitor we have a thoughtful article on the first women to undertake US Army Ranger Training, a grueling 62 day course that is a touchstone for what makes an infantryman.  The Reporter is Ms Anna Mulrine, of U.S. News & World ReportThe Christian Science Monitor, who is a Pentagon reporter.  The Headline is "Breaking military's ultimate glass ceiling?  Women start Ranger training." The issue of women in combat has been swirling around the military and there are strong opinions on many sides.  To understand how tough this training is, and how it both men and women are challenged in every class, of the 381 men who joined this class, 197 were dropped in the first week.  That is a 52% wash back rate.  From the article:

Holding the line on standards at the storied school has been the mantra here.  The school is one of the toughest in the US military.  Only 20 percent of men who attempt it make it through the first time, and the ones who keep at it often require two or three tries.

Overall graduation rates, including those who are recycled, hovers around 50%.

In reading the story and considering this story and the long term implications of women in combat, we should consider that women are a diverse group.  And society doesn't seem to have a consistent view of what we want of women when it comes to war.  For example, do we want women to be eligible for the draft?  Should they be registering now, as men do at age 18?

I wish the women on the Ranger Course the very best of luck in earning their ranger tabs.

UPDATE:  Ms Anna Mulrine has moved on from U.S. News & World Report to The Christian Science Monitor.

Regards  —  Cliff

Robin Olds Talks Leadership

For John, BLUF:  And leadership and management are different.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Via Doctrine Man we have a link to a John Q Public blog post regarding a hand-written letter from then retired Air Force Brigadier General Robin Olds to then Air Force Major Terryl Schwalier.♠  The letter is about leadership and I think it is pretty good.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Yes, Terryl, nickname Terry.

Font Color Testing

For John, BLUF:  You ask, you receive.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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This is a test to see if there is a way to make the text darker, looking less gray.

Darn, is it gray or grey?  I can never remember.

I think I see a difference.  Do you?

Regards  —  Cliff

Nation Divided

TRIGGER WARNING:  Praise for Mother who dope slapped her Son in order to save his life.

For John, BLUF:  It was an extreme situation.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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From the InstaPundit:

SOME PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING, BUT the Insta-Wife has found her Mother Of The Year.  “This is a woman who has had enough of her kid acting like an idiot and putting himself in a very bad, and possibly dangerous situation.  This mother let her son know that she did not approve of what he was doing and when he tried to walk away, she let him know that he had better listen to her. . . .  But to compare an uncontrolled act of parenting to the justified anger that this Baltimore mom had in this dangerous and outrageous situation is wrong.  To call it poor parenting is to misunderstand the difference between good parenting and feelings of guilt for lacking control.  This mother was in control and she was teaching her son that his behavior warranted a strong response.  I say a smack on the head here was the least of this teen’s problems.  If in the end, he resents his mother for it, so what?  Better that than end up in jail or dead because his mother was too concerned about appearing controlled.”

Lots of comments.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Avoiding the 20th Century's Two Great Wars

For John, BLUF:  Messing with the arc of history can bring bad results.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The InstaPundit, here, has this little blurb:

I had an idea for a science fiction story:  Man travels back in time to prevent assassination of Franz Ferdinand, and successfully prevents World War I, and, by extension, World War II.  The result is a century of peace and prosperity, but somewhat slower technological development, so that in 2038 we’re just seeing the earliest beginnings of a space age — as a killer asteroid, unstoppable, appears and wipes out civilization.

I like it.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff