Blackhawk is down but Will is up

Good afternoon, people of Stroock's Books. We had the best goddamn night of sleep we've had for weeks and are still a bit groggy. Good. 

Week two of solitude begins. It's quiet here. Subdued. 

Related, Oldest Daughter called us at 7:05 this morning to tell us she scored all fives on her AP tests. Yes! Smart kid. 

The Israelis bombed Yemen last night. Good. Bibi is in DC for ceasefire talks with Trump. Some serious negotiations are afoot. Trump is gonna twist Bibi's arm we believe. Bibi's gonna let him twist it, but for a price. Meanwhile, West Bank Person sheiks in Hebron want to make their own deal with Israel. Remarkable. Say what you want about the Arab, but he knows how to spot the strong horse. Israel is the Strongest Tribe. Exit questions, what returns does Israel get from continuing the war?

Breaking! Must credit Israel Radar....Netanyahu wants to dissolve government and call elections! Thought: sound like Bibi is sick of the Orthodox parties and is going to bring about an election on his terms. Hmmm....hostage deal then dissolution of government? Or is this all kabuki? 

Blackhawk Down: When we saw this film back in 2002, we had a lot of trouble keeping the characters straight. This was one of the criticisms at the time. Everyone looks like a fit, trim, lethal Army Ranger or Delta Force guy. Character disappears beneath the helmets and body armor. In a sense, the US Army was Black Hawk Down's main character. 

But the other night we sorted out who's whom. We were intrigued by Ewan MacGregor's character, a desk jockey known for making coffee who volunteers to go into the field. Josh Hartnett as the sergeant pressed into leadership was also compelling. We were struck by Glenn Marshower and Zejiko Ivanec as the officers commanding in helicopters high over the battlefield, calmly receiving information and issuing orders.  'Uh...roger Super-61 is down...we're looking for a new route to the crash site...wait one.' And wait a minute, modern dad Ty Burrell is in the film as a medic?

DOGE report: we read through the Irish reaction chapter in World War 1990: Thatcher's War. The chapter seems fine but it needs one more scene. 

So the other day we were telling the grognard about the Battle of Los Banos airbase. He thought it sounded like Blackhawk Down, which is probably what prompted us to watch the film. He's right, anyway. In the Battle of Los Banos a simple operation goes haywire. Whatever can go wrong, does go wrong.