Monday, November 9, 2009 Midday

America has a new weapon in the fight against terrorism: the amphibious assault ship, the USS New York. But this one carries more than shells and bullets: it carries the memories of why we fight. Made with 7-1/2 tons of steel reclaimed from the wreckage of the World Trade Center, it was launched Saturday at pier 86 in New York, in front of a crowd of dignitaries…but more importantly, it was sent off to sea by hundreds of family members of victims of the 9/11 attacks.

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There is one thing, though, that’s beyond question, and that’s the heroism of civilian police officer Kimberly Munley. She and her partner were on traffic duty at the base when they heard the shots and rushed in. Hasan charged Officer Munley. Even though she was shot three times, in the legs and wrist, she fired off four rounds and stopped Hasan. Doctors say Munley could have died from blood loss, but she’s in good condition now. Her first words on coming out of surgery were to ask if the other victims were all right. We all know now that they were not, but without the outstanding bravery of Officer Kimberly Munley, God only knows how many more there would have been.

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The government claims about the number of jobs “created or saved” by the stimulus bill are proving to be about as reliable as a $2 wristwatch. I already told you about work hours, pay raises and imaginary people, all counted as jobs. Well, the Sacramento Bee discovered that up to a quarter of the 110,000 jobs reported saved in California were never in danger of going away to begin with. A spokeswoman for California’s University system said the number of jobs they reported saved wasn’t a real number of people, it was “like a budget number.” Oh, it’s just a government budget number? No wonder it has no relation to reality!

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Friday, the government reported that unemployment jumped to 10.2 percent in October. Some analysts say a more realistic number would be closer to 17 percent.

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Finally, I’ll leave you with a Huck’s Criminal Mastermind. A young man in Crief, Scotland, pleaded guilty to a breach of the peace after he got so drunk, he challenged a lamppost to a fistfight. No word on who won, but the smart money’s on the lamppost.