Whitey Bulger arrested

Link.

Fugitive South Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, wanted for 19 murders, was captured last night in Southern California, the result of a tip from FBI television spots that began airing this week. His capture ended a 16-year manhunt that spanned the globe.

I have read two books about this horrible yet fascinating guy. I also have watched every episode of Brotherhood and the movie The Departed multiple times, both of which were inspired by Bulger's life story. It is a good day for the FBI, finally.

God and politics

Link.

After a thorough investigation, Daily Intel has discovered that God is separately backing at least three different contenders for the Republican presidential nomination. Over the course of the past few months and even years, God has sent signs and direct messages to each of these candidates encouraging them to run, presumably without telling them that he supports other candidates as well. . .

T-Paw DOA?

Link.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press hilariously ran the announcement of T-Paw's presidential campaign on the Obituary page this morning.

Any other day, it would have made the front page. But that's what he gets for making his big publicity push the day after a deadly tornado rips through his home state.

The Killer

Story.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Harmon Killebrew, the Minnesota Twins slugger known for his tape-measure home runs, has died at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., after battling esophageal cancer. He was 74.

The team said Killebrew died peacefully Tuesday morning with his wife, Nita, and their family at his side.

He had announced in December that he had been diagnosed with cancer. Last week, Killebrew announced that doctors had deemed his cancer incurable and he would no longer fight the "awful disease."

Killebrew hit 573 home runs during his 22-year career, 11th-most in major league history. His eight seasons with 40 or more homers still is tied for second in league history to Babe Ruth.

"No individual has ever meant more to the Minnesota Twins organization and millions of fans across Twins territory than Harmon Killebrew," Twins president Dave St. Peter said. He said Killebrew's legacy "will be the class, dignity and humility he demonstrated each and every day as a Hall of Fame-quality husband, father, friend, teammate and man. The Twins extend heartfelt sympathies and prayers to the Killebrew family at this difficult time."

Swiss "Jetman" flies over Grand Canyon

Twins - Welcome back Mr. Liriano

Last night, Liriano interrupted an otherwise relatively joyless season for the Twins with a no hitter.

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=37c7e422-923b-4966-add4-ea3b658a2450&from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_articles" target="_new" title="Liriano no-hits ChiSox">Video: Liriano no-hits ChiSox</a>

Arab Spring gets boost/Al Qaeda goes bust

What does OBL's death mean in the big picture? I can't improve on the opinion expressed by Fareed Zakaria.

[T]he truth is this is a huge, devastating blow to al Qaeda, which had already been crippled by the Arab Spring. It is not an exaggeration to say that this is the end of al Qaeda in any meaningful sense of the word. . .

History has turned an important page.

The Australian

Link.

THIS is the moment America struck back.

The killing of Osama bin Laden will have powerful strategic consequences around the world.

It is not the end of the war on terrorism.

But it is a big day in that war. It helps to show America's enemies that ultimately they pay the price.

It removes the most brazen boast of the terrorists - that they can thumb their nose at the Americans. It shows, too, nothing is beyond the reach of the US special forces. . .

This is a very big win for the US national security apparatus, and the intelligence services that have been so maligned in the past 10 years. . .

[T]he Pakistani government claims it did not know Osama bin Laden was hiding in a giant compound barely 100km from its capital, Islamabad.

It is utterly implausible that any international figure of note could hide in a mansion near Islamabad without the knowledge of the Pakistani intelligence services. Completely impossible.

If the Pakistani government did not know, it is the most incompetent government in the world. If it did know, then it was intentionally sheltering the most dangerous and infamous terrorist of our time. . .

But whatever the circumstances, this is a magnificent victory for the Americans, and for us, the Americans' allies.

Update: Leonard Pitts: 9/12/2001.

It's My job to have something to say. They pay me to provide words that help make sense of that which troubles the American soul. But in this moment of airless shock, when hot tears sting disbelieving eyes, the only thing I can say, the only words that seem to fit, must be addressed to the unknown author of this suffering:
You monster. You beast. You bastard.
What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us? What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know that you failed!
Did you want us to respect you cause? You just damned your cause!
Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our resolve!
Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us together!
Let me tell you about my people. We are a vast and quarrelsome family, a family rent by racial, social, political, and class division, but a family nonetheless. We're frivolous, yes, capable of expending tremendous energy on pop culture minutia -- a singer's revealing dress, a ball team misfortune, a cartoon mouse. We're wealthy too, spoiled by the ready availability of trinkets and material goods. Maybe because of that we walk through life with a certain sense of blithe entitlement. We are fundamentally decent though -- peace loving and compassionate. We struggle to know the right thing and do it. And we are, the overwhelming majority of us, people of faith, believers in a just and loving God. Some people -- you perhaps -- think that any or all of this makes us weak. You are mistaken. We are not weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that cannot be measured by arsenals.
IN PAIN: Yes, we are in pain now. We are in mourning and we are in shock. We're still grappling with the unreality of the awful thing you did; still working to make ourselves understand that this isn't a special effect from some Hollywood blockbuster, isn't the plot development from a Tom Clancy novel. Both in terms of the awful scope of their ambition and the probable final death toll, you attacks are likely to go down as the worst acts of terrorism in the history of the United States, and probably the history of the world. You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied before. But there is a gulf of difference between making us bloody and making us fall. This is the lesson Japan was taught, to it's bitter sorrow, the last time anyone hit us this hard, the last time anyone brought us such abrupt and monumental pain. When aroused we are righteous in our outrage, terrible in our force. When provoked by this level of barbarism, we will bear any suffering, pay any cost, go to any length, in the pursuit of justice. I tell you this without fear of contradiction. I know my people, as I think, you do not. What I know reassures me. It also causes me to tremble with dread of the future. In days to come there will be be recrimination and accusation, fingers will be pointed to determine whose failure allowed this to happen, and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. There will be heighten security, misguided talk of revoking basic freedoms. We'll go forward from this moment sobered, chastised, sad, but determined too. Unimaginably determined.
THE STEEL IN US: You see the steel in us is not always apparent. That aspect of our character is seldom understood by people who don't know us well. On this day the family's bickering is put on hold. As Americans we will weep; as Americans we will mourn, as Americans we will rise in defense of all we cherish. So I ask again: What was it you hoped to teach us? It occurs to me that maybe you just wanted us to know the depths of your hatred. If that's the case consider the message received. And take this message in exchange: You don't know my people. You don't know what we are capable of; you don't know what you just started.
But you're about to learn!

OBL's compound

NY Times

What a pleasant surprise to wake up to this morning. My 12 year old son announced this is one of the best days of his life.

Trump - he can't stop

More crazy.

"In the meantime we can't get a f---ing school in Brooklyn," he said.

He also cursed the spike in gas prices: "We have nobody in Washington that sits back and said, you're not going to raise that f---ing price."

Trump even dropped what's considered the most offensive f-bomb when he promised to use swear words while negotiating with China.

"Listen you mother f---ers, we're going to tax you 25 percent," he said. . .

But he later said: "There is a really good chance that I won't win because of one of these blood-sucking politicians."

Or, perhaps you won't win because the American people will rightly judge you to be delusional and scary.

Christian Ponder - QB of the future

There is a lot of local negativity about the Vikings first round pick in the draft yesterday.

Others disagree.

I love this pick. I think he will be the best in this class. Smart. Tough. Sees the field. Great move, Vikings. Grade: A.

Time will tell whether Mr. Ponder is closer to Drew Brees or Cade McNown, another number 12 pick who was a bust.

Twins games so far this year

So far this year, luck has not been with us.

1. April 10 - Athletics 5, Twins 3
2. April 22 - Indians (rainout that is announced only as we approach the ballpark)
3. April 27 - Rays 8, Twins 2. More.

MINNEAPOLIS --

At snowy Target Field, Ben Zobrist tripled and drove in three runs Wednesday night as the Tampa Bay Rays pounded Francisco Liriano in an 8-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Temperatures dipped below 40 degrees during the game and flurries turned the ballpark into a late-April snow globe.*

* "So, other than that, how did you enjoy the play, Mrs. Lincoln?”

Just watch

Prior posts on this hero are here and here.

The man is impressive

Trump

This morning on the elevator ride we stopped at our reception floor, and I saw "Breaking News: Trump Speaks" on the monitor. Obviously, I could not wait to hear our future Dear Leader's words.

"Today I am very proud of myself, because I've accomplished something that nobody else was able to accomplish," Trump said . . .

At what point does a person become so self-absorbed and self-important that it is just not possible to go any further? All prior known boundaries of ego-mania shattered?

Fierce doggy

This has shades of watching our cat wiping the floor with our little dog's butt.

Free Libya

Link.

BENGHAZI, Libya — . . .

As the fighting on the front line in eastern Libya settles into a stalemate 100 miles south of here, this city where the revolution against the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi began in earnest on Feb. 17 has started to grapple with a daunting problem: building democracy in a society where there never was such a thing. Far out of the range of Colonel Qaddafi’s artillery and no longer worried about his air force, “Free Libya” is free to reinvent itself.

Brazil

This story about the evolution of Brazil and its relationship with the U.S. is very interesting. The conclusion:

[I]f you want reasons to be optimistic about where the human race, the western hemisphere and American foreign policy are going — watch Brazil.

GOP - Send in the Clowns

This is an opinion that is likely to be repeated ad nauseum on this blog over the next 15 months: The GOP is dominated by goofballs. As I have said before, it is maddening that a major political party's leading candidates look like the cast from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Mitch Daniels: Please come to the rescue. The country deserves a serious debate and a real choice before we walk into the voting both in November 2012.