The Hollow Man

"Shape without form, shade without colour
Paralysed force, gesture without motion"
~ T. S. Eliot, The Hollow Men

From the Tuesday Wisconsin recall election to rumbles of national security leaks to his incredible statement in Friday's press conference that "the private sector's doing fine," President Obama has had a rough week. You'd think after 3+ years he would have started to figure out the political landscape, but as Eliot's poem notes, hollow men such as Mr. Obama have a "headpiece filled with straw. Alas!"

Yes, alas for our country. At least until November.

In my opinion, the president's lack of substance is simply catching up with him. In popular jargon, "there is no there there," which is what The Hollow Men states far more eloquently. For an absolutely hilarious description of President Obama's frenetic fundraising efforts, read Mark Steyn's piece on "Our Celebrity President." No matter how dire the circumstances, Steyn has a way of presenting the facts that makes me laugh. No "hollow man" he.

Remembering D-Day

D-Day - June 6, 1944

Beyond Courage - Troops storming the beach at Normandy

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - Ronald Reagan

Internet Obsession

Okay, I've been blogging since 2004. I've been on Twitter since 2009, but I've never done much tweeting. Facebook? Maybe 2010, again not overly active. And now, the latest in the all-web-all-the-time craze has arrived--Pinterest.

Pinterest is visual. It's fast, fun, and growing at an exponential rate. I'm still learning how to drive the blessed thing--there are pins, repins, and boards--but I'm having a good time. I've linked it through my Twitter site, since 1.) I'm rather tired of Facebook, and 2.) I'm loading up on Twitter at the moment, in preparation for a long and lively election season. I've added a few of my favorite conservative media personalities to my Twitter feed, so I can follow the news as it pops.

Oh, I've also added Election Projection to my blog homepage's sidebar links. I can follow the races that interest me as we head into high campaign gear.

But if you have time, check out Pinterest. It's a blast.

Just Wondering...

Hey, didn't we fight the Iraq war to get the oil? At least, that's what I've been told uncounted times by my left-leaning friends.

So where is it, all that Iraqi oil? What's the deal with Iraq's growing oil industry? Hugh Hewitt points out the absurdity of the liberal argument that we fought to get the oil. Yes, of course we did--which is why I'm paying $4.15 per gallon for gas in California.

As the astute and acerbic Mark Steyn once said in an interview, "the United States does not have an imperialistic bone in its body." This fact is so obviously true. What do we immediately hear at the start of any U.S. military action? Always the same question: "What is our exit strategy?" Contrary to popular lore, we are not the Roman Empire, tacking on our conquests as we burn and pillage our way through the world. Our national deeds have confirmed this, from Korea to Vietnam, from Bosnia to Iraq and Afghanistan. But there remain many--especially in the media--who refuse to believe their lying eyes.

Change of Scenery

Everyone likes a change now and then. I think this blog was long overdue for a new look.

The last time I changed my blog template, it was 2005. My husband Pete was alive, my children were single, and it was three job changes ago. As regular readers know, I'm even a new grandmother now. Yes, it is definitely time for an update.

I hope you like the new page for "One Clear Call." Thanks for reading.

Remember Our Heroes

In honor of Memorial Day

Photo: Michael Yon

Life Moments

I've been offline, enjoying my new grandson. Becoming a grandparent is one of those life moments in which you don't want to miss a second. I was fully immersed in the moment and loved every minute of it.

It has been awe-inspiring to watch my daughter turn into a mother--and a very wonderful one--right before my eyes. It's gratifying to see that she and her husband are forging a strong family right from the start. It has been a joy to hold the baby, look into his beautiful eyes, and know that his arrival is one of those unique, very special occasions that make my life worthwhile. If parents have a payday, these past few weeks have been mine.

Time is like a river, and sometimes its currents surge with startling power and speed. Suddenly I find myself back home on the West Coast, ready to follow the stream of my own life again. Before I know it, my grandson will be coming with his parents to visit me. I'm already anticipating that next life moment, hopefully one of many in the years to come.

A Forever Day

"Trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home"
- William Wordsworth

There are certain days of our lives that stand out in memory, vivid and shining forever. My wedding day was one such day. The days my children were born are others. Today, the day that my first grandchild was born, is certainly another.

Perhaps it is our reward for realizing the precious nature of time that God saves the greatest joys for the later years of our lives. Whatever the reason, I shall be grateful for this day forever. Welcome to life, dear grandson. You are the past, the present, and especially the future to me.

For Reasons Unknown

Junior Seau ~ 1969-2012

Richard Cory

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean-favoured and imperially slim.

And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good Morning!" and he glittered when he walked.

And he was rich, yes, richer than a king,
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine -- we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.

So on we worked and waited for the light,
And went without the meat and cursed the bread,
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet in his head. 

~ Edwin Arlington Robinson

A Contrast in Leadership

From Michael Mukasey's Wall Street Journal article, "Obama and the bin Laden Bragging Rights":

While contemplating how the killing of bin Laden reflects on the president, consider the way he emphasized his own role in the hazardous mission accomplished by SEAL Team 6: 

 "I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority . . . even as I continued our broader effort. . . . Then, after years of painstaking work by my intelligence community I was briefed . . . I met repeatedly with my national security team . . . And finally last week I determined that I had enough intelligence to take action. . . . Today, at my direction . . ." 

The man from whom President Obama has sought incessantly to distance himself, George W. Bush, also had occasion during his presidency to announce to the nation a triumph of intelligence: the capture of Saddam Hussein. He called that success "a tribute to our men and women now serving in Iraq." He attributed it to "the superb work of intelligence analysts who found the dictator's footprints in a vast country. The operation was carried out with skill and precision by a brave fighting force. Our servicemen and women and our coalition allies have faced many dangers. . . . Their work continues, and so do the risks." He did mention himself at the end: "Today, on behalf of the nation, I thank the members of our Armed Forces and I congratulate them."

Red words, President Obama. Blue words, President Bush. Who would you rather follow into battle?

Read the full article for additional telling accounts of the noble and humble approaches of Presidents Lincoln and Eisenhower to their own very significant wartime accomplishments.