As anyone who has discussed politics with me for any length of time knows, IANAR! (I Am Not A Republican!). I'm conservative / little-L libertarian, and I agree with much of what Republicans believe and push for, but there's a whole bunch of their platform with which I disagree.

But I am definitely not a Republican, and don't want to be considered a Republican (full disclosure: I joined the local Republican Committee and served as its Treasurer a few years ago in order to help a close friend of mine with his local political aspirations. In fairly short order, I apologized that I couldn't stomach it, and left the Committee. Years later, I also served as a delegate to the local (county) Republican Convention to vote for that same friend). I may have even registered with a few web sites that are actually run by Official Republican-dom. If so, I regret that decision and will probably refrain from doing so in the future.

Why? Just today, I have received three four emails from Official Republican-dom (two three directly from people at the Republican National Committee, plus one from Matt Margolis at BlogsForBush.com urging me to donate to the RNC), all three four of which revolved around President Bush's nomination of Judge Sam Alito to replace Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court.

I'm not sure how effective any request or protestation that they cease and desist from sending me email would be, but they really need to know they're pissing me off. And if they're generating that reaction from someone who is fundamentally sympathetic to their cause, how many other people may be receiving these emails that may have even stronger, more negative reactions to their unprincipled use of someone's email list?

I don't mind getting local political junk mail based on my previous, brief flirtation with the local Republican Committee. That put my name and address on their lists, officially and completely, so I have to put up with that consequence to my actions. I didn't sign up with the RNC, and they have no more right to send me email than any other spammer.

To paraphrase W.C. Fields, "Go 'way, RNC, ya bother me!"

Update: One minute after posting this, I received yet another email from the RNC. They're gonna get waaaay too deep under my skin really soon.

Update II: The latest email (#5, for those who are keeping track) arrived from the RNC, and I've determined that they just picked up my email address from here on my blog (the only place I use that address). I had to do some experimentation to figure out what address they were using, since it's not listed in their addressee line, and I have multiple addresses pointing to the same account.

Yeah, that's the way to wind the hearts and minds of bloggers: start sending them spam. Idiots.

"I swallowed a bug."

"I'm a leaf on the wind."

If you've seen it, you already know. If you haven't, it was Serenity. Good flick. But I would have preferred to pay less than $9.50 to see it.

The heat just kicked on for the first time this season. It's been in the 40s and raining here all day. A couple of hours west of here in the mountains of West Virginia, they've had six to twelve inches of snow.

Just so you'll know.

I just got a present from my brother:

Y'all should be so lucky!

The Chief of Naval Operations sent the following message to the fleet on the occasion of the United States Navy's 230th birthday:

It was considered by at least one delegate to the Continental Congress "The maddest idea in the world." The creation of an American fleet implied independence and sovereignty. It signaled a readiness for war that not all the colonists were prepared to accept. And yet Oct. 13, 1775, Congress voted to arm two small ships and send them on a cruise to intercept British transports. With the stroke of a pen, the Continental Navy was born.

However modest that beginning, there can be no question of the vital role played by the U.S. Navy in defending freedom throughout our Nation's history. In wars large and small, at sea and ashore, American Sailors have proven time and time again the enduring value of strength from the sea.

We prove it yet today. The Nation is again at war - a long and treacherous war - and we are again stepping into the breech to fight it. From the mountaintops in Afghanistan to the windswept sands of Kuwait and Iraq, from the warm, still waters of the north Arabian Gulf to the broad expanse of the Pacific Rim, we are taking the fight to the enemy.

Let there be no doubt that we are winning. Afghanistan is free. Democracy is being born in Iraq. Al Qaeda, though potent, is weaker. Even the devastation wrought by natural disaster on our own shores - and to our own families - is eased. The lives of millions of people are better because of our efforts and the sacrifices of our loved ones. There is, of course, much work yet to do and challenges yet to face, but I am convinced that this generation of Sailors - at this critical time in our history - will make all the difference.

It might once have been the maddest of ideas, but today the Navy doesn't just imply independence, sovereignty and readiness. We are those things. In the steel of our ships and the in the hearts of our Sailors, we take them with us wherever and whenever we go. We make them real and we bring them right back home again.

As Capt. Nora Scott Tyson, former commanding officer of USS Bataan (LHD 5) put it, "we know there's a reason for what we do, whether it's the global war on terrorism or humanitarian relief. If you're not flexible and you're not ready, you're in the wrong business." Well, I've seen it firsthand. You are flexible, you are ready and you are definitely in the right business. John Paul Jones and Stephen Decatur have absolutely nothing on you. I'm thrilled just to wear the same uniform.

Happy birthday, Shipmates!

I can only reiterate the CNO's wishes: Happy birthday, Shipmates!

Despite my concerns, David Anderson did fine in Guatemala. Fortunately, he was nowhere near the areas that were ravaged by floods.

I just wanted to post this in case my earlier post led anyone else to be concerned.

We now return to our regular programming.

...crickets...

My friend David went to Guatemala on a business trip last week, just after Tropical Storm Stan passed nearby. I haven't heard anything from him since. In light of all the flooding there, I have to say I'm starting to get a little concerned.

How 'bout you? Have you heard anything from David?

When I was a kid, I sang. I sang a lot, and at the risk of being immodest, I was pretty good at it. In elementary school, I was part of a quartet that our music teacher formed, kind of a barbershop quartet but with two boys and two girls.

From an early age, I was a member of the choir in Dad's church. We didn't present a lot of solos, but when we did, it was frequently me. My favorite solo was "O Holy Night," which is particularly well-suited to the baritone range (although it does get a bit high at times). I wasn't in the school choirs in junior high and high school because I was in the band, and you couldn't do both.

I loved band. My mother played the piano, and my brothers and I each took piano lessons when we were in elementary school. When I started band in junior high, the band director put me on the baritone horn, with the intent of moving me to tuba later if I did well. So that started me down the path of lower-voiced instruments. Through the rest of my public school "career," I played tuba, electric bass (a keyboard instrument), bass viol or double bass, trombone, bass trombone and bass guitar. I love playing all of these instruments.

I was also an actor (I was really artsy-fartsy in my youth, eh?). I was in every play in my high school while I was there, and I also acted in college. My favorite role was Marvin Macy in a college production of "The Ballad of the Sad Café."

All of these activities fell by the wayside once I joined the Navy. I acted in a few plays, I played bass guitar in a band and sang backup for a few songs (if you've never tried to play an instrument and sing at the same time, you have no idea how hard that is). I really miss all of them, and I'm no longer any good at any of them, unfortunately.

But the common thread among all these activities for me was the feeling, the emotion I could pour into them. They were all an emotional release for me, and while I would never think about presuming greatness in any of them, I believe audiences generally enjoyed my performances because of the sheer joy I experienced while performing. In fact, I think one of the best things about our band was that the core of the band, the lead guitarist/lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist/backup vocalist and myself, just had a ball when we were on stage. We were reasonably good, and the fun we were having was simply infectious.

I find now that I really miss that emotional release. I have my doubts about regaining much of whatever singing talent I ever had, but I could probably still do fine with a bass guitar or one of the brass instruments if I put in enough practice. I believe I could definitely get back into acting, given the opportunity. I don't think circumstances would allow me to get back into any of these, though, and that realization saddens me a bit. I loved them all. They all fed me emotionally in a way that nothing else can.

But they're just some more items in the list of things that I used to do, but can't any more. And that's just a fact of life.

Mark Cuban just got back from a short tip to the Cayman Islands. He had forgotten, as I had and, I suspect, as you have, that Hurricane Ivan wreaked havoc through a wide swath of the Caribbean Sea last year, including the Cayman Islands. According to Wikipedia, "A quarter of buildings on the islands were reported to be uninhabitable, with 80% damaged to some extent. Much of Grand Cayman Island still remained without power, water or sewer services ten days later. After five months, barely half the pre-Ivan hotel rooms were usable."

After reading about the Ivan's devastation in a book he found there in the Caymans, and seeing some photos which he said resembled the aftermath of Katrina, Mark started asking locals about how they dealt with their ordeal.

They told stories of no electricity for 6 or more weeks. No water for 2 weeks. How to take a shower with a half a bottle of water.

The real question I had was how the island had been rebuilt. Who paid for it?

The stories were all the same. We did. We did. We did. The government tried to do their part. But when it came right down to it, enterprise stepped in. Insurance proceeds were invested.

But this is where the similarity to Katrina takes a different turn. Says Mark:

That used to be an American story. I kept on waiting for the story to end with a description of American know how and ingenuity. But they werent talking about Americans.

I'm glad to hear this type of spirit still exists in this world, but the US has been so wussified, there's not nearly enough of it here. I'm extremely proud of those folks who are grabbing themselves by their bootstraps and doing what needs to be done. I wish there were more folks like them.

From Jumbo Joke:

As many are aware, the French government recently announced a rise in its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The normal level is "General Arrogance", and the only two higher levels in France are "Surrender" and "Collaborate". The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

You'll have to go to Jumbo Joke to read about the terror levels for other countries. Be sure to read the last paragraph, which provides a comprehensive look at Britain's view of dangers to their country.

Update: Immediately after posting this, I stumble across McGehee's post on Subway sandwich shops equating France and chicken. The two posts just seem to go together...kinda like France and chicken.

It's been about two months since we had any significant rainfall (translation: more than a few hundredths of an inch) here in Northern Virginia and nearby areas. Now, The Great Flood arrives.

Over the past 24 hours, most spots around here have gotten about 2" of rain as the remnants of Tropical Storm Tammy pass overhead, and some nearby weather stations have already recorded rainfall amounts in excess of 4".

Once all is said and done tomorrow night or Sunday, we expect to get about 5" in this area, with some locations getting as much as eight or nine inches.

Hey, we wanted to break our mini-drought, but this is a little more than we were looking for. I guess it's kinda like Morton's Salt: It never rains but it pours.

Update - 10/8/2005: James Joyner has knocked off blogging for some silly reason or another. Let's just hope that he returns to his senses tomorrow and resumes regular blogging instead of doing trivial stuff like paying attention to his new bride, or going on a honeymoon or some other unserious activity. We're Joyner Junkies, and we need our regular fixes!

Congrats to you and your new wife, James. I hope you didn't have anything planned outdoors. With today's deluge, someone might drown!.

May your marriage be long and happy.

In happy news of the day, Robert Prather is back. Insults Unpunished has long been a favorite of mine, so I was sorry to see him go on hiatus over a year ago. He had posted occasionally on Signifying Nothing, but not often enough for my tastes.

James Joyner linked to the reinvigorated Insults Unpunished earlier today, which was how I learned that Robert had returned.

Welcome back, Robert!

Oh, and thanks for pointing out Robert's return to us, James.

From an editorial in The Oklahoma Daily regarding the on-campus reaction to Joel Hinrichs's bomb outside the OU — Kansas [j.d. informs me in the comments that it's Kansas State, not Kansas. I'd apologize for the mistake, but ... I'm a heel ;) – Ed.] game last weekend:

...anyone who might set off a bomb on campus has acted inappropriately...

D'ya think?

But the little devil on my shoulder insists that I giggle at the Lone Star Times headline for an article on the bombing: Boomer Sooner.

Heh.

Update: For a more serious look at this event and its ensuing investigation and media reporting, check out jd's post at the Politburo Diktat.

Update 2: Joining in the Beltway Traffic Jam.