Back from the ski trip, and we had a blast (thanks for asking). It's a real treat to see your 6- and 7- year old daughters taking to a new adventure like a shark to raw meat. Four days of lessons and they were skiing intermediate trails with wedge turns and riding the chair to the top. Both were desperately sad when it was time to go. It doesn't get much better than that (the enjoyment of skiing, not the sadness).
One thing about skiing, it's a lot like riding a bicycle, apparently. Both Gwendolyn and I were able to pick up at our previous levels despite an eight year lag. And now we'll have a couple of partners (and soon a third) for future trips.
Despite the time away it looks like things haven't changed much.
- We've still got the AP writing misleading headlines and producing weak hatchet jobs on President Bush by a former CBS producer, no less (deja vu?). Bottom line: overtopping levees and breeching levees are two very different things. The AP story conflates the two, and in doing so misleads badly. Of course now, Day 2 of the series, they bring out Gov. Kathleen Blanco stating that the levees were holding up. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi wins the Milhous Award for using the phrase "what the president knew and when he knew it."
- We've got posturing and pontificating over the DPW ports deal, with Clintons on opposing sides. Many have made good points in favor of the deal: that China and Saudi Arabia already have some control of port facilities, and that the UAE runs cargo flights out of JFK and that hasn't required more scrutiny. I'm officially a fence sitter right now. I'm concerned, as I indicated, and I'd like to be certain that the security issues are properly addressed and the company fully vetted, but it's hard to see how this deal in particular is more damaging than any of the others already in place.
- We've got President Bush solidifying ties with India via a nuclear power deal, with the approval of Mohamed El Baradei. This is one of the places in the world that America and its President remain popular, and this deal will only help in that regard, and, in a two-fer, likely tick off the Iranian Mullahs as well.
More later, as I try to get back into the swing.
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