Rave on, Dilettante

For the bullets are flying again.

• People may not have noticed since the price of a gallon of gasoline has gone down nearly 50 cents here in the Twin Cities since Labor Day, but the price of oil is now sitting at over $80 a barrel, the highest it has been in recent years. Supplies are not a problem, so it would seem odd that we're seeing so much speculation about it. But I think there's a reason and the reason is the recent, barely publicized Israeli air strike on Syria. I would commend to your attention the account of Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal, which you can find at www.opinionjournal.com . Couple this with reports from the British magazine Jane's that a Syrian-Iranian WMD joint venture went awry in recent days, killing a number of Syrian military officers and Iranian scientists, and you may have a better understanding. Events may be in the saddle again and if this stuff turns out to be true, those who have been calling for us to stop fighting in the Middle East are going to start to look even more foolish than before.
• In happier news, the Brewers have pulled back into a tie with the Cubs and may be back in the driver's seat in the Comedy Central pennant race. It seemed from my perch that the national media had written the Brewers off entirely, but this team is resilient. Maddeningly inconsistent, too, but let's focus on the bright side. If the Brew Crew can get through the weekend in Atlanta no more than one game back, I really like their chances. It's been 25 years since they've been to the playoffs and now would be a good time. And, not to put too fine a point on it, screw the Cubs. Their cuddly image, which hides the big-market, big-buck reality of their corporate ownership, has been a fraud for years. The Cubs are big-market bullies, just like the Yankees and the Red Sox. They are simply not as good at it.
• We've had a lively discussion on this blog about the relative merits of the two major college basketball programs in Wisconsin. My great friend Mark Miller, majordomo of Wisconsin hoops, roots for the Marquette Warriors (around here, they will always be the Warriors), while various other commenters are Badgerphiles. From my perch in Minnesota, I simply envy my friends. Based on the performance of the Golden Gophers, it is safe to say that we don't have major college basketball in Minnesota. Perhaps someday, though - a fella can dream, right?
• So we have O.J. in a courtroom, the Clinton campaign in trouble for taking dirty Chinese money, and Hillary rolling out a new scheme to nationalize the health care system by salami slice. I need to check a calendar to make sure it's not 1994. If I see Forrest Gump showing at the multiplex, I'll know for sure. I think it was Karl Marx who said that history happens twice, the first time as history, the second time as farce. Although when it comes to farce, my favorite Marx is probably Harpo.