Hooah

If someone in the military responds to something you said or wrote by saying "Hooah," what does he or she mean, exactly? This question, which I know has been vexing you for years, has now been answered authoritatively. And the answer is: here.

Two Good Columns

Tom Friedman and William Safire both wrote excellent columns this week. You can read Safire's wise and well-reported view of Billy Bulger's choice by clicking here. You can read Friedman's take on what he calls the most important political trial in the world by clicking here.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/04/opinion/04FRIE.html

Good News on Wi-Fi

The solution to the "last mile" issue of telecommunications may well be wireless fidelity, known in techie circles as "Wi-Fi," which enables high speed access without cables or 3G networks. The problem with Wi-Fi has been that it's sort of like ham radio; a hobbyist's deal. No longer. Yesterday, IBM, AT&T and Intel announced that they had formed a company to build out a national network of Wi-Fi "hot spots." The announcement was simply great news.

Truth and Leadership

Read this story and ask yourself this question: What will it take for Cardinal Law to do the honorable thing and step down? What further revelations are necessary?

The Agony of Defeat

Roone Arledge died today at the age of 71. He virtually invented televised sports and from there went on to build a world-class television news operation at ABC. I didn't know him, but my cousin, James Walker, worked for him at ABC News. And James would, from time to time, regale me with Arledge lore.

The Roone Arledge story that is lasered into my brain involves a couple of camera crews returning from the Gulf War. As is always the case in stories like this, they flew into JFK late in the evening. It was cold and rainy and utterly bleak. I don't think there is anything more depressing than waiting at JFK Baggage Claim at midnight on a miserable night. And these guys had risked their lives covering the war, only to learn that much of what they had filmed never aired.

And who was there to meet them? Roone Arledge, who thanked them for their hard work.

You can read more about Arledge's passing today by clicking here.

An Excellent Blog

David Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, has an excellent web-log which you would be well-advised to bookmark (or put on your "favorites" list). In his posts today, he references the work of David Warren, whose knowledge of the Islamic world makes his newspaper columns especially interesting. I urge you to read Warren's speech on the coming Islamic implosion, which you can do by clicking here.

Call It Journalism

Gerald Boyd has issued a memo on behalf of his boss Howell Raines addressing the controversy over the New York Times's ridiculously overblown coverage of the alleged membership controversy at Augusta National. It really has to be read to be believed.

Rolling on a River

President Bush campaigned in Louisiana yesterday and the overnight tracking polls ticked up for Suzanne Terrell, the Republican challenger to incumbent Sen. Mary Landrieu (D). My friends down there tell me that Terrell can now be considered a favorite to win the run-off election this Saturday, 8 December. If Terrell does indeed defeat Landrieu, Senator John Breaux's life in the minority party will be a whole lot more painful.

Geezer Patrol

Geezer poster boy Don Hewitt, who is holding his desk hostage at CBS News, was on Larry King Live Monday. It's been a while since Ellisblog issued a "geezer alert" regarding old fogies who refuse to make way for new talent.

Hewitt's performance on Larry King Live will long be remembered for its Nixonian bathos. It was, by turns, whiney, grandiose, narcissistic, self-pitying, full of false bravado, a masterpiece of faux insult and outrage. Here's a taste of what he told Mr. King (another Geezer Poster Boy who should have been shelved years ago):

"Well, I still intend to die at my desk. I never said where that desk was. I would like it to be at CBS. I think it will be at CBS. If it's somewhere else, it will make me very unhappy, and I would like to believe it will make them very unhappy.

I think the problem, Larry, is not that they are unaware that "60 Minutes" was the only newscast in history to ever become the most watched broadcast in America four times, was in the top 10 10 more years than "I Love Lucy" was, made this company a couple of billion dollars, and I know that they're not unaware that we are not the ordinary, run-of-the-mill, everyday television show. I think the problem is that they don't know that I'm not the ordinary, run-of-the-mill, everyday 80-year-old."

Hewitt manages to accomplish the impossible feat of making one feel sorry for CBS management.

Truth and Leadership

Jack Connors, the chairman of Hill, Holliday, Boston's leading advertising agency, was interviewed recently for the NBC Nightly News regarding the scandals that have plagued the Catholic Church. Mr. Connors has long been extraordinarily generous to Catholic charities and has been supportive of the Church in countless other ways.

Mr. Connors said that Boston Catholics look to the Archdiocese for two things; "leadership and truth." What they've found is the antithesis of both. Cardinal Law's disgrace is now complete. That he hasn't resigned is yet more evidence that he is incapable of leadership.