Buried Warplanes...

I had read about how some of the planes of the former Iraqi Air Force were hidden during our invasion, but was still surprised to discover a photograph of American soldiers and a half-buried warplane (note the Iraqi flag on the tail-fin).

Probably the greatest compliment you can give the American Air Force is to bury your own warplanes in the desert instead of taking to the skies for combat.

AARP Soldiers...

My favorite two senior citizens just happen to be my mother and father, but when it comes to storming a beach or driving a tank I would feel much safer with someone as young as possible.

The pentagon is now asking to raise the maximum age for military recruits from 35 to 42 in all branches of the armed services. The real story is actually WHY our military is having such a difficult time finding enough people to volunteer; even with so many generous benefit packages.

You also Owe $729...

The bottom line of any business is cost. In terms of the invasion and occupation of Iraq that cost may be measured in dollars and lives. Costing billions of dollars, the per person cost of the invasion is around $729. Can you imagine what we could have accomplished with that money?

We get accurate updates on the deaths of American soldiers, but not a lot of information on the number of Iraqi civilian deaths. Those estimates range from 5,000 people to over 25,000 depending on who you ask. The pentagon doesn't keep those statistics.

You Owe $26,510.35

If you do the math then that's what each person in the United States owes to be able to pay off the national debt (as of the date of this posting).

Eventually, somebody is going to have to pay?

The "Job Game" for Musicians...

A truly excellent article on the make or break process of finding a teaching position in higher education musicians including the wise, sage-like advice:

"I have learned what to look for when visiting a campus. In music, facilities say a lot. At the liberal-arts college where I taught this year as a temporary instructor, the concert hall sits adjacent to a railroad track, and an average of 72 trains a day barrel by, horns blaring, terrorizing audiences and performers alike.

Unpublished Op-Ed on Detroit

Mr. Dick Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, wrote an op-ed article for the Detroit News explaining why the historic downtown buildings of Detroit were put on the 2005 list of "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places."

The Detroit News has not published it, but a copy is now online thanks to the work of the Friends of the Book-Cadillac Hotel preservation organization (see July 12, 2005 blog post).

Detroit Treetops...

What does the former East Berlin, a deserted British penal colony in the Bay of Begal, and the city of Detroit have in common?

Aside from property values, they are all three unique places where trees have taken root on the roof-tops of abandoned buildings. Although these trees have been growing on the top of the Wurlitzer, Fort-Shelby, Metropolitian, Book-Cadillac, and many others; you can expect that most will be destroyed before the Super Bowl and the national media frenzy arrives in town. Enjoy them while they last.