Mad Dog Vinnie at Vince Aut Morire offers this priceless post called How To Fisk A Terrorist(Again).

Check it out, only not with a mouthful of coffee.

While reading Best Of The Web Today, I ran across a link to this article at Newsmax.com and thought its headline rather amusing.

Democratic Pollster: We Don’t Stand for Anything     

Democratic Party pollster Stan Greenberg said Wednesday that “one of the biggest doubts about Democrats is that they don’t stand for anything.”

Maybe Greenberg should have run against Bush last year. In so few words, he was able to deliver a message it took Johns Kerry and Edwards an entire campaign season to get across to the American people.

Here’s something I didn’t know, and I’m probably not alone, so I’m going to share it.

If any of you have ever been to a military funeral in which taps were played; this brings out a new meaning of it. Here is something Every American should know. Until I read this, I didn’t know, but I checked it out and it’s true:

We in the United States have all heard the haunting song, “Taps”. It’s the song that gives us that lump in our throats and usually tears in our eyes. But, do you know the story behind the song? If not, I think you will be Interested to find out about its humble beginnings.

Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the Civil War, when Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison’s Landing in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land.

During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention. Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment.

When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead.

The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It was his own son. The boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke out. Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confederate Army.

The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission of his superiors to give his son a full military burial, despite his enemy status. His request was only partially granted.

The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a funeral dirge for his son at the funeral.

The request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate. But, out of respect for the father, they did say they could give him only one musician.

The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth’s uniform.

This wish was granted. The haunting melody, we now know as “Taps” … used at military funerals
was born. The words are :

Day is done..
Gone the sun.
From the lakes.
From the hills.
From the sky.
All is well.
Safely rest.
God is nigh.

Fading light.
Dims the sight.
And a star.
Gems the sky.
Gleaming bright.
From afar.
Drawing nigh.
Falls the night.

Thanks and praise.
For our days.
Neath the sun.
Neath the stars.
Neath the sky.
As we go.
This we know.
God is nigh.

I too have felt the chills while listening to “Taps” but I have never seen all the words to the song until now. I didn’t even know there was more than one verse. I also never knew the story behind the song and I didn’t know if you had either so I thought I’d pass it along.

Hat Tip, Jodee, and many thanks.

James Lileks has this account of John Bolton’s first day on the job.

Now that John Bolton has been installed as United Nations ambassador — by the time-honored recess appointment or the power-crazed overreach of King Emperor Bush Fuhrer, depending on your point of view — one can only wonder how he’ll do. Here’s a hypothetical workday. (Note that he’s made it out of Washington without some senators throwing themselves on the train tracks to keep him from leaving. Or, rather, having aides throw themselves on the tracks. Make that interns. Aides might say things under anesthesia.) Anyway. The limo pulls up to the glistening U.N. building at 7:59 a.m….

You know, when I read these comic sketches, especially by those with the savvy of Lileks, I can actually picture them as possible reality. I mean, after what we’ve seen of totally out-of-the-park statements by liberal politicians, Congressional propositions from the left and the reaching of the Mainstream Media in their continually weakening endeavors to undermine American patriotism, values, religious beliefs and our very survival, it’s unfortunately very difficult not to be able to picture these comic applications as possibilities.

Noon — Bolton presents his credentials to Kofi Annan, who is sweating and nervous. The lunch is amiable until Bolton, his hand still aching from a vigorous game of handball, makes a fist and cracks his knuckles, whereupon Annan takes a stack of papers from his desk, stammers that it has all the details on the oil-for-food scandal, and begs not to be put in a cell next to his son. “He snores,” Annan begs.

Check it out.

4:07 — At the cafeteria, Bolton gets a doughnut and a cup of coffee; the cashier informs him she’ll put it on the U.S. tab. Bolton insists on paying himself; she shrugs and asks for $428.26.

Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd has died in a Riyahd hospital. King Fahd(website) is succeeded by Crown Prince Abdullah, his brother. Abdullah is 81. I can only hope that whichever of the copious royals who succeeds him in the next few years is a peaceful soul rather than a jihadi. Nonetheless, in this time of loss my condolences go out to the members of the royal family who were close to the king. The king died early today.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia’s ruler, King Fahd, died early Monday in a Riyadh hospital and his brother, Crown Prince Abdullah, has been appointed the country’s new monarch, the Saudi royal court announced in a statement.

“With all sorrow and sadness, the royal court in the name of his highness Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz and all members of the family announces the death of the servant of the two shrines, King Fahd bin Abdel Aziz,” according to a statement read on state-run Saudi TV by the country’s information minister.

Saudi TV, which said the king was 84 years old, broke with regular broadcasting to announce King Fahd’s death.

Quranic verse recitals followed the announcement by the information minister, Iyad bin Amin Madani, whose voice wavered with emotion as he read the statement.

“He died after suffering an illness,” Mr. Madani said in the statement. “God allows the custodian of the two holy mosques, King Fahd, with great mercy and forgiveness to reside in his wide heaven.”

King Fahd sought to modernize his desert kingdom while balancing change against tribal tradition and orthodox Islam, but a stroke a decade ago left him a ruler in name only during tumultuous times for the world’s biggest oil producer.

The king died early Monday at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, where he was admitted on May 27 for unspecified medical tests, an official at the hospital said. At the time of his widely publicized hospitalization, which caused concern at home and abroad, officials said he was suffering from pneumonia and a high fever.

In recent weeks, Saudi officials have been saying the King Fahd’s health had been improving and that he was even preparing to leave hospital.

King Fahd suffered a debilitating stroke in 1995 that confined him mainly to a figurehead role in the kingdom.

A LEADERSHIP ADRIFT • Saudi Monarchy Reacts Slowly to a Dangerously Changing Society 06/30/04
The link just above, Saudi Monarchy Reacts Slowly to a Dangerously Changing Society leads to a superb analysis/article in WSJ by Hugh Pope. I recommend it as a good read.

His half brother Crown Prince Abdullah, 81, has been Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader since then and has led the country’s battle against Islamic extremism and terrorism.

The king brought the kingdom, holder of the world’s largest oil reserves and home to Islam’s holiest shrines, closer to the U.S. during more than two decades as monarch.