Because of careful planning the Swedish Christmas Goat Survives Attack.

If you would like to verify its existence you can check the Gävlebocken webcam.

From Steve Bates of Yellow Doggerel Democrat in the comments:

Why build a giant goat of straw,
Which most of us would scarcely note?
Some, though, defy the very law,
To vandalize the Gävle Goat.

In some years, they used wayward cars;
In others, flaming arrows smote.
This year’s survives, although with scars…
A fact that gets some people’s goat.

A webcam and some watchful eyes,
A flame-retardant second coat,
Should save it… unless Dubya spies
The thing, and claims it’s his pet goat!

– SB the YDD

These two symbols represent the same organization in different parts of the world. Someone should inform the US military, especially those in Iraq.

“Hearts and Minds,” people, I’m sure someone mentioned it to you.

I’ve written about General Peter Schoomaker, the Army Chief of Staff, before, when he asked Congress for more money in September to fix all of the worn and broken equipment that is piling up in repair depots.

Now he’s asking for more troops for the Army, because the commitments are exceeding the capacity of the Army to meet them without breaking.

General Schoomaker was Rumsfeld’s personal choice for Army Chief of Staff; he was called out of retirement to fill the job. He isn’t a maverick and has been toeing the party line for years. Things are so bad that he can’t be quiet any longer.

Mark Fiore highlights one of the problems that General Schoomaker faces when trying to hold on to trained personnel.

Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends. I miss the latkes and jelly doughnuts my roommates received for the holiday at college. [Their grandmothers were afraid they wouldn’t celebrate or couldn’t get “real” food at that terrible Baptist university.] It was a great break.

One of the nice things about Hanukkah is that there are established “gifts”, so you don’t have to rack your brains about what to get: a card and gelt covers just about everyone.

[Note: on the Jewish calendar the day changes at sundown, not midnight, so it’s now the 16^th.]

Fashion Fix

Enough with the flash! You have to talk to him about this Harley Davidson leash; it just isn’t me.

[Editor: CC is at the end of her tether, outside, since the weather warmed up.]

Friday Ark