Monday Newsbreak: 3/24

--US and Russian officials have been meeting to discuss possibilities for some agreement regarding missiles and missile defense. The Russians are obviously concerned that we are engaging in treaties and missile defense agreements with nations that had earlier been part of the Warsaw Pact or the Soviet Union itself. Although I support my country's interests, I also concede that the Russians have a point: "defensive" measures can often appear to be offensive. I remember the concern during the Cold War that the Soviet Union had in place a much greater civil defense system than did the West. And this led to the accusation that their civil defense efforts were so much emphasized because they thought they could outlast, and thus win, a massive nuclear exchange between the two sides.

--Comedian Sinbad, who accompanied then-First Lady Hillary Clinton once during the nineties to on a visit to Bosnia, had some of his best lines when he sarcastically deflated her claim that she had braved sniper fire and was on a dangerous mission back then. Hillary's not-so-witty retort was that he was a comedian! I have an idea for a new "fantasy" series: The Adventures of Lady Hillary. There wouldn't be any concern about offending anyone since all of the stories would clearly be pure fiction!

--Legendary science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke died at age 90 this past Wednesday. He was best known for his Space Odyssey series that produced four books and two movies. To me, Clarke's vision of us having permanent moon bases by 1999 always made me feel that we had lost our dream and determination to conquer space after our initial Apollo moon successes.

--One of the criticisms of Reverend Jeremiah Wright has been that he claimed that America had brought on the 9/11 attacks by its foreign policy. And Barack Obama is somehow guilty by letting this guy be his pastor. But I distinctly remember John McCain coddling the late Reverend Jerry Falwell, who claimed that 9/11 was a divine judgement against America's decline in morality. Personally, I think that anything that a religious leader says needs to be taken with a grain of salt. I've heard utter nonsense from those of various faiths as well as some thoroughly asinine statements made in churches I've attended. I've gotten to the point where I just expect those in religious authority to make ridiculous comments, and maybe I've numbed myself a bit to them. Could this also be how Barack Obama has reacted to his pastor's diatribes?

--In college basketball, both the NCAA and NIT tournaments have begun. I've been having a bit of difficulty with enthusiasm for the NCAA tourney, since my University of Florida Gators weren't good enough this year to make it. UF is doing quite well so far in the National Invitation "runner-up" Tournament, having easily won its first two games (making it one of eight teams remaining). The big test will be tomorrow when they head out west to face Arizona State.