Prediction

We will get out of Afghanistan just as we got out of Vietnam. During the campaign Obama supported fighting in Afghanistan in order to show his toughness. He is not tough. Now he is saying that the U.S. is not fighting in Afghanistan but instead it is a NATO operation. It is only a small step to announce that we will no longer support the NATO war. The fact that he does not talk to his Commander in Afghanistan reveals his lack of fire to win there. We will join Russia as a country that could not win in Afghanistan.

Tennis Thoughts

Serena is one of the most impressive persons in tennis with a muscular body that rivals a pro full-back. Her presence of the court forces you to keep your eyes on her and not on her opponent. The pink outfit she wore revealed heavy sweat lines which shows how hard she works in a match. Her strokes are powerful and I feel sorry for the dainty things that oppose her. Nidal does not seem like Nidal without seeing his formidable deltoids. I don't want him to change his image. Sharapova lost but I did not see it. I saw the earlier win she had and she appeared to have overcome the surgery. The lady that beat her was so much smaller, like being beaten by a Munchkin. Surprisingly, Roddick lost to someone I had not previously seen. Did he stay up too late before the match? The Clijsters/Venus match was surprising with Kim coming out so strong and winning the first set 6-0. Then the champion urge in Venus came back and she took it also at 6-0. The third set was a nail biter. Can a player that has been out of tennis for two years really come back and beat a champion like Venus? Kim got an early break and took it to the end. What is happening to the old champions?

Rule Changes

In the last few months our military in Afganistan have had the rules of engagement changed. Today their General has asked for a change in how we are fighting this war, or, the overseas contingency operation as the Obama administration now calls it. Not only was the name changed, what our troops have to do has changed. 1) Prisoners must have their rights read to them on the battlefield, (whatever they are) and, 2) if there is any hint of a non-combatent in the area they must hold fire. This is a great advantage to those that do not wear uniforms and can easily don female attire. It is like putting on armor for the Taliban fighters. Our troops are hamstrung, they cannot kill them and if they captrue them they cannot question them. Even the CIA is being raked over the coals for some questioning. If I were the commander in that theatre of operaton I would be most frustrated. Teaching troops to change how they were trained is not easy. It calls into question are resolve to win. We do nothing about the poppy trade, the tribe that is fighting on our side today may be fighting against us tomorrow. Is it time to pull out of there? It will be interesting to see what Obama has to offer when the General comes to Washington.