Hail To Thee, Our Alma Mater...

Congratulations of the Class of 2005 at Mountain View High School in Meridian, Idaho on their graduation tonight! Blogging will be light as Subbasket and I put a party together for one very special graduate...
In the meantime, check out CDR Salamander's reaction to this article on political correctness running amok in naval history celebrations, as well as a couple of articles on Connecticut's counterattack on the BRAC.
Excerpts from the last linked article:

"Members of the local save-the-submarine-base group hope to line Route 12 with supporters on June 1, when members of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission visit.
"The Subase Realignment Coalition was told that the commission chairman, Anthony J. Principi, and as many as three other membes of the commission will visit the base. Among those mentioned as a visitor is retired Air Force Gen. Lloyd W. “Fig” Newton, a vice president at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft and the only commission member from the Northeast.
"The visit is a prelude to a full public hearing on July 6 in Boston on the Pentagon recommendation to close the Naval Submarine Base in Groton and to make other changes at military bases in the Northeast.
“I hope we get 5,000 people out there, and from all over the state, not just southeastern Connecticut,” said Norbert V. “Bud” Fay, a Groton businessman and member of the coalition. “They'll have one message for the commission — Don't close our base.”

Knowing Groton, I think the only way they're going to get the thousands of people to line the Rte. 12 is if EB gives its workers the time off...

Update 0853 25 May: Thanks to all for the good wishes for my daughter. The graduation went well last night (they had it in Boise State University's big arena). It appears that Idaho's ACLU is not very active, or at least very careful about picking their fights (although the fact that their web site is an AOL members page might indicate the former); not only was there student-led prayer, but the choir for this public school sang "Battle Hymn of the Republic", including the verse:
"In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free;
While God is marching on."

Yes, they even used "die" instead of the more common (nowadays) "live". I don't think I would have seen this if we were still in California...

Completely off-topic, I remember a rather humorous version of "Battle Hymn" from Mad Magazine back in 1976, which was skewering Bicentennial marketing. Can't remember the whole thing, and it's not on Google anywhere, but I do remember part of one verse:

"... we've a plastic Patrick Henry doll that shouts and raves and rants;
when you wind it up he screams for war and also wets his pants..."

I think that might have been a little bit anti-military, but as a 12 year old I didn't really know that...