The United States military has dropped all criminal charges against an Army Muslim chaplain who ministered to suspected terrorist detainees at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay.

-- oops [thanks to BTC News for the link]

War: Fiction and Reality -- Bon Voyage is an enjoyable homage to wartime suspense movies, a nostalgic look at 1941 France, and a great vehicle for French star Isabelle Adjani. On a more serious war related subject, Terrorism, Freedom And Security: Winning Without War by Philip B. Heyman is a well written little volume. Talking about "war," as to Guantanamo Bay military trials, see here [article] and here [my comments], and how the Spanish elections are involved in the mix, here. On how the whole "landslide" was exaggerated, an interesting example of buying into dubious presumptions, see here.

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NYC Education:The blog cited on this last issue also makes a good point about the recent decision in New York City to install an "end" to social promotion of third graders. It notes even critics of this move (a teacher relative of mine supported the substance of the move, finding the high school students shteacheshs to be nearly illiterate, but opposed the means -- the mayor set up a panel to decide such matters, it disagreed, so he replaced a few members right before the vote) underestimates the problem.

Various urban school systems are just too broken, their students too behind and need of help, for such a policy to work in the current system (which is why a few of the panel members were uncomfortable with it). Systematic change is damn hard though, so we have bandaids that just continue the problem. In some fashion, affirmative action is in this league. It is of some value, but core systematic problems remain. The fact the "solution" is troubling in other ways just piles on things.

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Yes ... Spring is here.