Poorer Richard's America I got his book to review and the first thing I wondered is whether the idea of Ben Franklin commenting on modern day America would work. Obviously we have problems where Ben and his alter ego Poor Richard could shed some light, but would it aggravating to read in a stilted unfamiliar voice and would it be effective over the course of a book. Well it does and it was a lot of fun to sit and consider how the experience of Ben could inform the current problems we face. When Obama was campaigning the call was for hope and change. Hope that Obama could make the world a better place and change well apparently to pretty much everything. Since his inauguration the hope has faded and the change doesn't seem to have been for the better. The rise of the Tea Party has got large numbers of Americans thinking about just what the core principles of our country are. Gadsen flags are flying, constitutions have been broken out and the role of government is surely in question. This book is not a Tea Party manifesto in any way, but many of the issues all of us are considering are considered and Poorer Richard's common sense frames many of them without a partisan feel. Poor Richard wrote as the voice of the common man, the kind of things most of us grew up hearing from parents and grandparents. I think there has been a loss of that in the most recent generations, a belief that the simple wisdom is not nuanced enough for this complicated world we live in. Well that is BS and this book is full of reminders why the smarty pantses who want to tell us all how to live might want to check themselves. We have brainiacs who think that the answer for every problem is for the masses to bow to the will of the elites who know what is best for them. Poorer Richard points out that hard work ought to be rewarded not punished. The crazy thing is that this needs to be said. He reminds that running up debts you can't pay is unwise, who knew? There have been many characters running around in powdered wigs and tri-cornered hats recently. Ben's alter ego is a welcome addition to the crowd.

Several of you have contacted me about the dogs of a soldier deployed overseas (possibly Iraq) who were dropped off at the shelter by the "friend" in who's care they were entrusted. To be honest, the story sort of smelled to more than one of us, and some digging was done. Thanks to a good Friend on the ground where this occurred, the smell is less though there are still some questions. It does appear that two dogs were dropped off at a shelter, with the story that they belonged to a soldier deployed overseas (apparently Iraq but not confirmed). They were dumped by a "friend" of the soldier who had been given custody; however, the "friend's" wife apparently was allergic so rather than do something responsible, the "friend" dumped them at the shelter. One of the things mitigating the smell was the actions of the shelter, which kept them longer than normal, did not put them down, and worked to find them a home together. The Friend on the ground is working to find out more details, and to get a unit, name, or something else so that we can let the soldier in question know what is going on. Meantime, a home has been found at a resort nearby, and the people there are taking care of them while efforts to contact the soldier are underway. They've declined help, but know that there is a network of people ready and eager to help as necessary. If you know a unit deployed from Arizona, or know of someone from Arizona deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, please share this story with them. If they contact me using the e-mail on the right, I will get them in touch with the people who have the dogs. They are being well cared for. As for me, I hope the "friend" in question isn't just some s***bird who made up a convincing tale. If the story as told is true, however, I suggest they run far and fast before the troop gets home, because I know how I would react to the complete and total douchebaggery displayed. For dumping the dogs in a kill shelter with no apparent effort to find them a home first makes one a buddyf****r extraordinare. LW UPDATE: Thanks to RNLTLucas, some things may be happening. Thanks to all the good wishes and offers to help the dogs and the soldier.

You may have heard that combat in Iraq ended this month. You may even believe it. If so, the following could explain why. Here's a graph from an earlier post, with a couple of additions. This depicts American combat deaths in Iraq from late 2006 to now, as recorded and reported by icasualties.org. For a full explanation of what you're seeing, click here. The vertical dashed line is at January, 2009 - when Barack Obama became President of the...

Milblogger and all-around good person Baldilocks has, like many of us, hit a bump in the road. However, she has a novel way to deal with it. Go check it out and buy a book. LW

Elise Cooper for BLACKFIVE The Capitol Game by Brian Haig is a fast paced book that the reader will not want to put down. The plot is about a small, insignificant company on the edge of bankruptcy that has supposedly discovered a miraculous polymer that when coated on any vehicle, is the equivalent of 30 inches of steel. The Capitol Group, one of the country’s largest and most powerful corporations was enlisted to take over the smaller company that developed the polymer. After the Pentagon’s investigative service starts to ask questions the Capitol Group finds themselves embroiled in a tremendous scandal that involves insider trading, SEC violations, and profiteering. Brian Haig’s experience enables him to understand how the military procurement system works. He previously served in the military as Special Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Command in Korea, and then for four years as Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Haig gets his point across in a clear, concise, and humorous manner. The reader is able to see the tragedy of incompetence and profiteering through the characters. Haig told blackfive.net that “In life as well as literature to make a tragedy have an impact it must be done through people.” Captain Bill Forrest is a minor character that plays a major role in the book. He dies when his vehicle hits an IED in Iraq. Using that as a springboard Haig allows the reader to understand what the book is really about, how a corporation tries to make money off of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Haig commented that “what the book is really about is contractor profiteering. The bomb issue was a critical issue. How is it that we took 6 to 7 years to field combat vehicles that would have given our soldiers a much higher chance of survival against the principle battlefield weapon, IED’s.” The two heroes of the book are intentionally vague and are not fully developed, probably because this novel is definitely more of a plot driven story where there are many twists and turns. Everything comes to head in the last three chapters when the reader is able to see how the dots were connected. Brian Haig’s novel, The Capitol Game is an intelligent and captivating thriller. He is able to alert the reader in a very insightful way how a company is willing to put its own profits ahead of both the taxpayer and the American soldier. This book is an exciting read and very informative. Haig has hit a home run with this novel.