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WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2009 – Achieving success against extremists in Afghanistan is a challenging, yet attainable mission, the commander of U.S. Central Command said at a Capitol Hill hearing here today. Success in Afghanistan “is of enormous importance, and it is attainable,” Army Gen. David H. Petraeus told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “But achieving our objectives will not be easy,” the four-star general told senators, noting “the challenges are great.” Petraeus said he supports President Barack Obama’s revised Afghanistan strategy, part of which involves the deployment of 30,000 extra U.S. troops there over the next several months....

The blessings of God and the promise that He made to protect the patriarchs and matriarchs of Israel save them from their neighbors, relatives and enemies. However, this very success and achievements of this small family, as per God’s promise and against all odds and opposition, raises the hatred and jealousy of their neighbors... ... This is also a lesson that our father Yaakov intended to teach us. We are not allowed to rein in our talents and achievements.

Trying to counter perceptions that the trip failed to bring about solid results, advisor David Axelrod says, 'Things don't change overnight.' Reporting from Seoul - Even before President Obama boarded his home-bound flight for Washington, capping a grueling weeklong Asian tour, the White House was scrambling to combat perceptions that the trip failed to produce concrete results. Compared to Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, the U.S. is putting its alliances "on a firmer footing" and has "reasserted our leadership in the region," the White House said in a statement released to reporters hours before the president's flight home.

He didn’t start 13 successful companies and secure more than 200 patents over 40 years by giving up when things got tough. Perseverance drove Robert Fischell to success. Sticking with an idea they believe can work is his best advice for other inventors aiming to get their innovation to the marketplace. “The harder I work, the luckier I get,” Fischell said Wednesday in a keynote address on medical device innovation at the annual MichBio Expo in Kalamazoo. “Give yourself the opportunity to get lucky. When you think of something, don’t just let it go. Figure out a new way to...

On Monday, former President George W. Bush will be the "special guest speaker" at the "Get Motivated! Business Seminar" in Fort Worth, Texas, according to the event's Web site. "Attend This Dynamic Seminar to INCREASE Your Productivity and Income!" the Web site says. Other listed speakers include Gen. Colin Powell, who will discuss leadership, former football player Terry Bradshaw (speaking on competitiveness), former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani (perseverance), and a trio of motivational speakers – Zig Ziglar, Dr. Robert Schuller, and Tamara Lowe. Lowe, the Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Get Motivated! Seminars, told Hotsheet that Mr....

Since WWII, America has enjoyed too many of Democratic lies. As a matter of example, many Americans today think they run Western Civilization. This is a major delusion. French president Sarkozy and the elite of European bankers do. America is presently scrapping much of her industrial core while Europe is gearing up in that department. Anyone who today would drive between the Ruhr district (Germany) and Antwerpen, Belgium, would have to admit Europe, again, constitutes the center of the world economy. The Asians? The Japanese will never make a car as safe as a Volvo and as drivable like a...

Suppose Bill Gates had an identical twin brother, Walter. And suppose that Bill and Walter had identical interests, shared identical experiences. Suppose they were even identically driven. Now suppose that one day many years ago, something split the brothers. Perhaps they were waiting together at a bus stop, and a nearly-full bus pulled up. Only one brother can get on the bus, and the other must wait for the next bus. And let's suppose that this moment of separation had occurred at a key point in time, and that as a result it was Walter, instead of Bill, who went...

WASHINGTON – Halting the financial sector's death plunge is arguably the government's most measurable achievement this year. Yet as President Barack Obama observes the one-year anniversary of Lehman Brothers' collapse, his administration's increasingly sunny assessment of Wall Street's rebound faces a hard sell. The rescue effort, initiated by his predecessor, was expensive, and it bailed out the very institutions that the public blames for the crisis. Small banks are still failing, the institutions once considered too big to fail are putting on weight once again, and Obama's main pledge — a more watchful eye on Wall Street — hasn't taken...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12, 2009 – Army Command Sgt. Maj. Rob Lawrence’s position as the Colorado National Guard’s top enlisted soldier is underscored by nearly 25 years of steadfast support from his civilian employer. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Rob Lawrence of the Colorado National Guard speaks prior to Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. signing a proclamation making 2009 the Year of the NCO in Colorado, June 2, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cheresa D. Theiral  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. No matter what his military mission has been, First Data Corp.’s loyalty to part-time soldiers never ceases to...

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2009 – Coalition efforts on the ground in Afghanistan and the Afghan people’s willingness to turn their backs on the insurgency will be the most decisive measures for success there, the Pentagon’s head of special operations said today. In a roundtable discussion today over breakfast with defense and national security reporters at the Fairmont Hotel here, Michael G. Vickers, assistant secretary of defense for special operations/ low-intensity conflict and interdependent capabilities, discussed an array of topics regarding special operations forces and U.S. endeavors in Afghanistan. Without experienced troops and local support, the fighting in Afghanistan could continue...

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama achieved a milestone Wednesday when a Senate committee approved a plan to revamp the U.S. health care system. The Senate panel's action, which attracted no Republican votes, came as the president's campaign organization rolled out television ads to build support for his top domestic priority. Obama met with Republicans at the White House in search of an elusive bipartisan compromise on his call to expand coverage to the nearly 50 million uninsured Americans as well as restrain spending increases in health care. But the 13-10 party-line vote in the Senate health committee signaled a...

FOB DELTA — Fifteen months after deploying to Iraq, the Soldiers of Battery C, 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Fires Brigade, are getting ready to head home to Fort Hood, Texas. From Bucca to Buehring, Basrah to Delta, the Soldiers of Btry. C have had an adventure of a deployment. Starting at Camp Bucca in April 2008, Btry. C's first mission in Iraq was conducting detainee operations. "Basically, what we did at Camp Bucca was set up vocational schools," said Capt. Robert Plowey, then commander of Btry. C. "We supported the Islamic discussion group. We helped run a...

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2009 – A key measurement of success in Afghanistan will be the attitude of Afghans affected by U.S.-led operations, the military’s second-ranking military officer said today. Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the counterinsurgency mission in Afghanistan elevates the civilian population as a main determinant of success or failure, much as it did in Iraq. “I believe personally that one of our key metrics for success will be over the next few months to see whether or not there is a shift...

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2009 – May was a banner recruiting month for every military service, but especially for the Marine Corps, which topped its active-duty goal by 42 percent and its Marine Corps Reserve goal by 12 percent, Defense Department officials announced today. The Marine recruiting successes represent a particularly high point among across-the-board recruiting successes in which every service met or exceeded its May active-duty goal, officials said. The reserve components reported similar progress. The three components that fell short of their projected May goals did so because only because they already have reached 112 percent of their...

Population: 9.2 million Citizens among the 20 richest persons on Earth: 2 We Swedes might be awfully PC as well as awfully overtaxed, but at least we know something about running companies.. The secret behind our success: we tax private income and consumption, not our companies and we don't believe in having huge national deficits. The article: "The family which owns clothing giant Hennes & Mauritz is now on a par with the Swedish state as the largest shareholder on the Stockholm stock exchange. Shares in H&M have shot up 20 percent since the start of the year, giving the...

WASHINGTON, June 5, 2009 – Success in Afghanistan and Pakistan will require an intimate local knowledge of the tribal culture and a small coalition footprint, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command said here yesterday. Navy Adm. Eric Olson told the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on terrorism, unconventional threats and capabilities that the United States stands ready to do whatever it can to help Pakistan combat extremists, but “I think that we can't help Pakistan more than they want to be helped,” he added. The situation in Pakistan is complicated, the admiral said, and the United States will not...

Wal-Mart Stores Inc employees could be shouting the retailer's corporate cheer with renewed vigor at this year's annual meeting. Thousands of employees from across the globe will descend upon Fayetteville, Arkansas for the retailer's June 5 annual meeting. After years of being hounded by union-backed critic groups, politicians and competitors, employees can revel in the fact that their employer has gotten its grove back and is gaining market share as the worldwide economic downturn drives frugal shoppers into its stores. Investors are eager for more gains, and Wal-Mart, under newly installed CEO Mike Duke, is focused on delivering them by...

The war on success, war on wealth, war on prosperity, and now the war on profitability, continue at full force. And, this time, it's on the college campuses of two prominent U.S. universities.

Help me out here. This is serious. I am trying to think of ANYTHING good Obama has done so far. Something actually good for the country. Can anybody suggest anything? Are we close to a top ten list?

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C., April 29, 2009 – All across the United States, from coast to coast and from border to border, you’ll find thousands of small, one-stoplight towns where livestock outnumber people. Marine Corps Chief Warrant Office 4 Rodney Freeman, a 40-year-old Clarks Hill, S.C., native, and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear defense officer with 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, talks to Lance Cpl. Robert Forsyth, a CBRN Marine, about the importance of having good leadership skills. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Casey Jones  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. In these tiny towns...

University of Miami study shows that physical attractiveness, personality, and grooming are good predictors of grades in high school and may indicate future success in college and labor marketsCORAL GABLES, FL (April 22, 2009)--Do personal traits predict success in school? If so, which dimension of one's outward appearance can tell the most about academic achievement? The answers to these questions are found in a new study by researchers from the University of Miami Health Economics Research Group. The study is the first to demonstrate that non-cognitive traits play an important role in the assignment of grades in high school. Economists...

CAMP HANSEN, Japan, April 21, 2009 – Twenty-five years ago, Chris A. Lamson was just an average Texan in his early 20s with an average job at an oil refinery supporting his family. Marine Corps Col. Chris A. Lamson, 3rd Marine Logistics Group chief of staff, believes a good leader is involved in the operations of a unit, whether leading a section or battalion. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Thomas W. Provost  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. But remaining average was not in his future. After being laid off in 1982, with a wife and baby...

Any dog who can pretend to snore while keeping one eye open on the sly is a keeper for sure! And as far as her new family is concerned—not to mention the entire neighborhood—Scarlet the pit bull is more than just a keeper. She’s an inspiration. Wes and Melissia McBride of Rolla, Missouri, were on the Best Friends website hoping to find a dog to adopt. At first, they thought perhaps one of the Vicktory dogs, but most of them are still not ready for homes. When they contacted Best Friends, the adoption staffers pointed them toward Scarlet on Adorable...

Some of you may have been surprised that even after visiting Iraq Obama still talks about our accomplishments there in somewhat disparaging terms. As senator McCain aptly put it: “Senator Obama said that the strategy of the surge would not succeed. He said it was doomed to fail. He said there would be an increase in sectarian violence. He still, to this day, has said that the surge is not succeeding.” http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/mccain-keeps-up-iraq-attack-on-obama/ A very critical linchpin in Obama’s political platform has been his unequivocal opposition to the invasion of Iraq -- pejoratively referred to by the left as “Bush ’s...

U.S. Soldiers assist Iraqi Soldiers in installing overhead gunner protection to a vehicle. Photo courtesy of the 555th Engineer Brigade. BAGHDAD — The 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade began a partnership with the 10th Iraqi Army (IA) Field Engineer Regiment (FER) in southern Iraq only a few short months ago. Since the partnership began, great strides have been made in assisting the IA in becoming a self-sustaining force. The cornerstone of this has been the Logistical Training and Assistance Team (LTAT) which has been recently added to the battalion’s advisory mission in support of IA engineer units.The LTAT’s primary...

Iraqi Army 1st Lt. Murtada Esam Hussein searches Iraqi Army 1st Lt. Mohammed Edan while U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Heather Roark, member of the 9th Iraqi Army Division Military Transition Team, observes and offers advice on the appropriate techniques for searching women at Al Rasheed Iraqi Army base in Baghdad, Jan. 23, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Whitney Houston. BAGHDAD — Soldiers from varied backgrounds and specialties are helping to ensure the continued success of the Iraqi Army as mentors and members of a Military Transition Team. “Our main job … is to professionalize the Iraqi Army,� Lt. Col....

TH*NK*NG (INVENTORIES) by Fred Cederholm Economic Analysis Column Columnist, Baltimore Chronicle & Sentinel February 2, 2009 I’ve been thinking about inventories. Actually I’ve been thinking about Christopher Columbus, the Obama stimulus putsch, housing, and unemployment. An inventory refers to a categorical listing of things. It can be used by an individual, business, or governmental unit to take stock in what is available for consideration in making their forward moving decisions. It is an accounting of items at a snapshot in time - a benchmark reckoning. After all… how can you plan for where you are headed, if you don’t have...

BAGHDAD, Jan. 29, 2009 – Soldiers from varied backgrounds and specialties are helping to ensure the continued success of the Iraqi army as mentors and members of a military transition team. Iraqi army 1st Lt. Murtada Esam Hussein searches Iraqi army 1st Lt. Mohammed Edan while U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Heather Roark, member of the 9th Iraqi Army Division military transition team, observes and offers advice on the appropriate techniques for searching women at Al Rasheed Iraqi army base in Baghdad, Jan. 23, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Whitney Houston  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “Our main...

A woman talks to a nurse about her husband’s condition at the Abu Ghraib Hospital, Jan 15, 2009. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Christina Bhatti, 25th Infantry Division. ABU GHRAIB — The once war-ravished Abu Ghraib Hospital, west of Baghdad, is slowly but surely gaining new life.  What was once one crumbling building is now a sprawling complex, boasting new equipment to better care for the hundreds of thousands of people who live in the city. Approximately $3 million was spent by five different sources for approximately 20 different refurbishment and building projects.“The most difficult part of this whole operation...

"The biggest thing to take from that day is what Marines can accomplish when they're given the opportunity to fight," the sniper said. What made his actions even more impressive was the fact that he didn't miss any shots, despite the enemies' rounds impacting within a foot of his fighting position.

For junior capitalists fleeing the financial meltdown, is the highly leveraged, hotly speculative Middle Eastern insta-metropolis the last, best place on Earth—or a mirage?Business is booming right now! I mean, the place has what, double-digit GDP growth? Like, that’s crazy!” Brooke Butler tucks her silken hair behind her ears, flashes a wide smile, and digs into her dumplings. It’s Pan-Asian night at Entre Nous, the restaurant on the ground floor of Novotel Dubai, and Butler, a 24-year-old Texan with an exuberant demeanor and a slim volleyball player’s build, is taking a pause from a long day schmoozing real-estate executives. She...

We won. The Iraq War is over. I declare November 22, 2008 to be "Victory in Iraq Day." (Hereafter known as "VI Day.") By every measure, The United States and coalition forces have conclusively defeated all enemies in Iraq, pacified the country, deposed the previous regime, successfully helped to establish a new functioning democratic government, and suppressed any lingering insurgencies. The war has come to an end. And we won. What more indication do you need? An announcement from the outgoing Bush administration? It's not gonna happen. An announcement from the incoming Obama administration? That's really not gonna happen. A...

AL HILLAH — How do you measure success? “Regarding the $7 million newly-renovated Al Hillah Maternity and Children’s Hospital, located in Babil Province, it’s more than bricks and mortar — it’s all about saving lives,” said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Construction Representative Edward Jones. Like many USACE military, civilian and contract employees serving in Iraq, Jones will soon return home knowing his efforts directly benefited thousands of Iraqi families. “There are many stories that I will take away from this project but there is one that will stay with me forever,” Jones said. “On our final site visit...

JD Johannes gives us a before-and-after look at the Dora sector of Baghdad, pre-surge and current day. The difference between April 2007 and October 2008 is stunning, perhaps even more so with the latter shots occurring at night:

NDIANAPOLIS - Barack Obama's success in this campaign is a puzzle. How is it that a youngish first-term senator with so many disadvantages - a slight résumé, a foreign-sounding name, an exotic background, a professorial manner, a thoroughly liberal voting record and a skin color unlike any previous president - has come so far, and even leads in national polls with a week to go? He does have some things going for him, of course: his rhetorical skill, his unflappability and not least of all a financial crisis that reflects badly on the party occupying the White House. "There are...

CAMP ECHO, Iraq, Oct. 21, 2008 – Iraqi soldiers and police and U.S. soldiers who live and work together at the Joint Security Station in Diwaniya, Iraq, are dedicated to one goal: a self-sustaining and independently secure Iraq. Army Staff Sergeant Kelley Martin, left, a tank commander with the 4th Infantry Division’s Company C, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, walks through a date palm grove with an Iraqi police officer during a patrol in Diwaniya, Iraq, Oct. 14, 2008. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. In the short time since the...

Gen. Keane wants to make sure people understand why the surge worked. "I have a theory" about the unexpectedly fast turnaround, he says. "Whether they be Sunni, Shia or Kurd, anyone who was being touched by that war after four years was fed up with it. And I think once a solution was being provided, once they saw the Americans were truly willing to take risks and die to protect their women and children and their way of life, they decided one, to protect the Americans, and two, to turn in the enemies that were around them who were intimidating...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2008 – At the end of 2006, Iraq seemed on the verge of a civil war. Al-Qaida was inciting divisions between Sunni and Shiia Iraqis. The newly elected government seemed ineffectual. Militia groups roamed neighborhoods and intimidated those who did not agree with them. More than 100 U.S. servicemembers per month were being killed in fighting in the country. Today, that number has dropped dramatically, thanks largely to the troop surge and a new strategy that senior military officials credit with laying the groundwork for success throughout Iraq. U.S. officials understood the challenges in Iraq and studied...

U.S. Spied on Iraqi Leaders, Book Says Woodward Also Reveals That Political Fears Kept War Strategy Review 'Under the Radar' By Steve Luxenberg Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, September 5, 2008; A01 The Bush administration has conducted an extensive spying operation on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, his staff and others in the Iraqi government, according to a new book by Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward. "We know everything he says," according to one of multiple sources Woodward cites about the practice in "The War Within: A Secret White House History, 2006-2008," scheduled for release Monday. The book also says...

Obama Throws in the Towel on the Surge Barack Obama will appear on Bill O'Reilly's show tonight. Reportedly, he will say that "the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated. I’ve already said it’s succeeded beyond our wildest dreams." I must have missed that speech. Of course, Obama still says he was right to oppose the surge, notwithstanding its now-acknowledged success. The Republicanization of Barack Obama continues: Speaking on other national security matters, Obama said he would not take military action off the table in dealing with Iran, but diplomacy and sanctions can’t be overlooked. The Islamic republic is...

Mr. Hashim Abd Al-Amir Mahdi, owner of the Miran Company and operator of the new Joint Base Balad Container Repair facility shares a light moment with Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Crabtree of the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The facility is yet another project of the burgeoning Iraqi based industrial zones initiate that provides Iraqis with economic growth opportunities on the perimeters of installations of Coalition forces. Photo by Staff Sgt. Lesley Newport. JOINT BASE BALAD — In a region where many men are often judged on their ability to thwart progress, he is counted among a growing number that...

JOINT SECURITY STATION ZAFARANIYAH, Iraq, Aug. 20, 2008 – A deployed artilleryman assigned to Battery A, 5th Battalion, 25th Artillery Regiment, finds himself in an unusual role. Army Pfc. Jonathon Owens, a cannon crewmember from Norwich, Conn., provides security during a patrol in eastern Baghdad, Aug. 8, 2008. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Pfc. Jonathon Owens, who hails from Norwich, Conn., is a cannon crewmember, but he has yet to touch a cannon since his arrival to eastern Baghdad in November. Instead, he is fulfilling an unfamiliar role in Multinational Division Baghdad as a...

DIYALA — A transfer of responsibility from U.S. Soldiers to Iraqi Security Forces in the Southern Balad Ruz area in the Eastern Diyala Province was completed Aug. 2. The volatile area of Diyala, where two operations are currently being conducted, has seen success in security for the Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police and local residents. The 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, relinquished their security responsibility to the Balad Ruz Police Chief Col. Faris Radi Abbas, and the 18th Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division Commander Staff Brig. Gen. Jafa Kadhim. “The Iraqis are ready to take over this area,” Faris said....

BEIJING (AFP) - China claimed success on Tuesday in its pre-Olympic battle against Beijing's infamous pollution, as strong winds helped clear the thick smog that has hung over the Chinese capital this month. Pollution levels had fallen by at least 20 percent since the first of a raft of short-term measures began at the beginning of July, Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau deputy director Du Shaozhong told reporters. Despite visible signs of heavy smog that had pervaded the city in recent weeks, and some branches of China's state-run press highlighting the pollution problems, Du insisted there had been 25 days of...

WASHINGTON (June 24, 2008) — The surge in Iraq has been a success by any measure, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said during a news conference June 23. The policy, announced by President Bush in December 2006, pushed additional brigades in to Iraq to provide a security umbrella so the Iraqi military could build and the country’s government could grow. The surge has allowed Iraq to make improvements from security, political and economic standpoints, Morrell said. The last of the five surge brigade combat teams recently left Iraq. “By every metric that we measure violence in Iraq, there has been...

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – As violence levels maintain a steady decrease across Iraq, coalition forces and the Iraqi government are able to focus their efforts on reconstruction and civil issues, a senior coalition military official in Iraq said today. Iraqi forces are improved, and the government continues to develop and progress, Army Brig. Gen. David Perkins, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said in a news briefing from Baghdad. “Government, security and economic institutions continue to surge forward” throughout Iraq even as the last of the initial five surge brigades – 3rd Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team – redeployed...

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – The surge in Iraq has been a success by any measure, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said during a news conference today. Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell holds a press briefing on July 23, 2008, to update reporters on the latest news and events within the Department of Defense. Defense Dept. photo by R. D. Ward  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The surge has allowed Iraq to make improvements from security, political and economic standpoints, Morrell said. The last of the five surge brigade combat teams recently left Iraq. The policy, announced by...

BAGHDAD — During a visit to the area July 19, Brig. Gen. Jeffery Buchanan, deputy commanding general for operations for Multi-National Division – Center, met with Brig. Gen. Jabbar Nama, deputy commander for the 10th Iraqi Army Division, to discuss operations and the future well-being of Maysan Province. In the four weeks since Operation First Signs of Peace began in Maysan Province, the Iraqi Security Forces are successfully maintaining just that - peace. During their month-long presence in al-Amarah, battalions from the 10th IA Div. have not seen a single gunfight, not one improvised explosive device attack, nor received any...

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2008 – Training Afghan security forces is the key to success in the country, but the effort continues to be plagued by a shortage of trainers, the general in charge of that training said today. Army Maj. Gen. Robert W. Cone, commander of the Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, said Afghanistan has “made positive strides in fielding professional security forces that are competent, diverse and capable of providing security,” but that much remains to be done. Cone spoke to reporters gathered at the Foreign Press Center here in a teleconference from Kabul. The command is responsible for...

The roughest way to learn to swim is to be thrown in the deep end of the pool, and have to dog-paddle your way to the side if you want to keep breathing. My parents never did that to me, I know only one person who actually experienced that. But, metaphorically? Now that’s another matter. This column is about Clarence Thomas, Paul Carre, the University of Detroit, and the Boy Scout Motto. Begin with Clarence Thomas. I have just finished reading his autobiography, My Grandfather’s Son: A Memoir. It is a gripping tale that would be utterly unbelievable, except that...