Around the world this morning.

First off, thanks to Dusty, for keeping the lights on while I took a day off. We waste almost half the space at the Castle for non-Armory things like, well, living. This weekend we yanked out all the old carpet, rehabbed the hardwood floors underneath, and rearranged the furniture more to the Mistress of the Castle's liking. Yanking carpet staples and such fired up the Armorers arthritis and dampened his enthusiasm for typing.

We'll make up for that now.

It looks like the pace of operations is taking it's toll on the Army Medical Community. It reads funny, but it's a career-killer for these two.

Reader Monteith submits this link to a video of the new Mark IV Merkava, and supplies this commentary:

Seen details on the new Merkava IV? Revolver type magazine for ready use. No loader's hatch. Thicker armor on roof for protection from top attack weapons (look at the TC's hatch thickness!). Camera in the back for easy driver reversing. 120mm main gun. Helicopter engagement. It's amazing. the M1 Abrams might have some stiff competition.

Do any of the Castle's visiting tankers have thoughts? Looks like a nice tank to me, but I'm pretty much a sucker for anything with a gun on it.

While I agree with Dusty and Joanie in the post below - I'd frankly much rather hear Kerry say it on his own, without prompting, TODAY. His personal and campaign silence on this issue is, to me, damning, and amounts to tacit approval. Anybody got something that shows where the campaign has said anything substantive on the subject, show me, please. No, as I've said before, I don't believe any of this is orchestrated by the campaign. But, their silence makes them accomplices in spirit.

Then there's these ledes on Drudge:

WASHPOST: Bush Leads By Six...

ZOGBY: Kerry Opens Three-Point Lead...

Here at the Armory we refuse to participate in polls. Why? We want the people who purport to lead the Republic to do just that. Lead. Tell us what you think the problems are, tell us what you think should be done, and convince us to follow you. Yes, polling can be useful in that regard. Too often anymore, however, polls are used to see where the greatest pseudopod of the population is wandering, and used to tell the politician where to position themself to appear suddenly in front of the herd, claiming to have led it to that point.

Sorry, Charlie. I won't play that game. We're equal opportunity at the Castle, we don't respond to polling efforts by either side. We've had some fun conversations with frustrated poll-takers, though. And that's the legitimate ones. We torture the faux-pollsters who are really scamming around the telemarketing laws mercilessly. When bored, the Armorer has been known to tease them for over an hour. It's their dime, and I've got the time!

The denizens of Castle Argghhh! also eagerly await the general release of Team America. Anything that pisses off Sean Penn, even if it is going to lampoon us, as well, can't help but be good. By contrast, based on the recommendations of several blogs, The Master and Mistress of Argghhh! went to see "Napoleon Dynamite." That was a waste of 1 hour and 26 minutes of our lives. Those blogs are being sent bills. Being a ludicrously over-paid beltway bandit, you'll be stunned at what I bill for an hour of my time!

Speaking of which - 'tis time to head to the office for another day of compressing 2 man-years of analytical labor into a 20-slide presentation. As you go about your tasks today remember to conduct your Pre-Combat Checks - otherwise, you're just gonna be wasting ammo!

UPDATES:

Day-um! I'll give the Stryker credit for being tougher than I expected if this is a representative example of survivability!

Remember the brou-ha-ha over the plan of draft-dodgers and deserters erecting a statue to themselves in British Columbia? Fooey on that - there's a far more important fight going on about statuary now! A beer-toting Sasquatch! While I like the idea of the statue, I do agree with the critics - it doesn't need any public funding.

Hat tip to CAPT H - who has a dog in the fight, being a one-time resident of Harrison Hot Springs.

The tales of the statue, however, have created some tension between Creston and Harrison Hot Springs in B.C.'s Fraser Valley, which also lays claim to being home of the creature.

"If you find the sasquatch up there, send him home to Harrison Hot Springs," Mayor John Allen told a Creston contingent at a recent Union of B.C. Municipalities meeting.