Stand your ground. Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.---Capt. John Parker, Lexington Militia, alleged remarks at Lexington.

It's Patriot Day! Jules Crittenden has the scoop, and there's also this. I flew the flag. Of course, it's also the anniversary of OKC bombing. And Columbine is tomorrow. (As well as Mark's birthday: he made the mistake of telling his girls in front of me that he really wanted a princess for his birthday, so he got a Cinderella card from me.)

Monica, aunticipating Bernadette's son, wanted to have a get-together to finish giving her their hand-me-downs (she lied, it was mostly new things: darling onesies, a "neglectomatic" cradle swing and Roni had found a beautiful cradle for free... Monica has also discovered a foolproof method of helping a baby sleep through the night which insists you don't rock him to sleep. Mixed messages here.) Anyway, my three girls and Robert came.

We went out to lunch and did a little shopping. The big girls went nuts in the toy store (they so rarely get out without children tugging at them saying "I want this, I want that.") We had lots of interesting discussions. Roni and R.J. are going to Costa Rica: They will start where Monica finishes up two weeks later. I'll be interested to hear if R. loves it as much as Monica.

Genevieve told Monica "you don't know what it's like when it's someone else's birthday." Monica said she has a clue. G. has won an award for her Irish dancing and will be doing a solo at the Children's Fair next weekend.

Teddy, three, cooperated with his hearing and eye tests, and not only is he fine, but the tester was amazed at his ability to understand what he was to do.

We got the gossip, too: some financial shenanigans by one in-law, a wedding for another, some different financial shenanigans in the past by another in-law, a dirty trick by yet another in-law.

Monica found her turtle. Oh, yeah, and she was laid off. Even with the family discussion group, there are things they haven't mentioned. Keeps me humble (or at least reminds me, they no longer need our approval or, usually, our advice.)

Roni says that the smart Democrats (and I bit my tongue, really) will pick the right candidate, that either would be wonderful. I'd be tempted to wish a Donk presidency on us so she'd see how misled she is: but it's too important for that.

It was a most fun day.

The Iraqi Army can hold as well.

Journalists in the Tank for Obama. I decided some months ago that Charles Gibson was my anchorcritter of choice: Brian Williams is too wrapped up with Katrina, and Katie Couric? No. Besides, tha ABC slant is ever-so-slightly more positive: after 25 minutes of doom and gloom, he ends with an upbeat story that makes you like America again. Not so the others.

Ah, journalism.

The Miami Herald story ("Pentagon Study: War is a 'Debacle' ") distorts the nature of and intent of my personal research project. It was not an NDU study, nor was it a Pentagon study. Indeed, the implication of the Herald story was that this study was mostly about current events. Such is not the case. It was mainly about the period 2002-04. The story also hypes a number of paragraphs, many of which are quoted out of context. The study does not "lay much of the blame" on Secretary Rumsfeld for problems in the conduct of the war, nor does it say that he "bypassed the Joint Chiefs of Staff." It does not single out "Condoleeza Rice and Stephen Hadley" for criticism.

Mark Steyn:

Europeans did "vote for their own best interests" – i.e., cradle-to-grave welfare, 35-hour workweeks, six weeks of paid vacation, etc. – and as a result they now face a perfect storm of unsustainable entitlements, economic stagnation and declining human capital that's left them so demographically beholden to unassimilable levels of immigration that they're being remorselessly Islamized with every passing day. We should thank God (forgive the expression) that America's loser gun nuts don't share the same sophisticated rational calculation of "their best interests" as do Thomas Frank, Obama, too many Democrats and the European political establishment.

Weak "Loser" Reid's One-Year Anniversary.

Captain Ed:

Why do the Chinese seem so insistent on subsidizing oppression? It’s not just oil. That could certainly be the reason in Iran and Sudan, but not in North Korea or Zimbabwe. Rather, it seems to be a deliberate policy to support regimes that murder, starve, and oppress people. There is a word for that — evil.

Mugabe Goons Set Up Torture Camps: "I suppose if they get around to putting panties on someone's head, maybe the leftwingers in this country will notice. Until then, they can barely stifle the yawns."

The Anchoress and Amused Cynic on McCain.