'So it has come to pass'
So the Celts finally lose one at home. Disappointing. But the loss could change their road mindset. There's a part of me that isn't upset by last night's loss and prefers them returning home tied 2-2, having finally won an away game. I'm tired of the win-at-home/lose-on-the-road pattern. That's all they need. One game in Detroit. I have a hunch they're going to do it. ...  ¶ 5:37 AM

'For years, the argument was that government workers ..'
More evidence that most private-sector workers can only dream of having the perks and now even the salaries of public-sector workers:

For years, the argument was that government workers got rich benefits to make up for lower pay. But according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, public employees in eastern Massachusetts now earn 15 percent more than their private sector counterparts who perform comparable work, and that number is exclusive of more generous government benefit packages.

Turns out some 'retired' Turnpike employees get to use the Turnpike for free. Quotes are put around the word 'retired' because we don't know if they're Turnkpike-defined 'retired' or private-sector defined 'retired,' i.e., 'senior citizens.' ... More on the Pike here. ... More on the general unfairness of public-sector perks here, here and here. Strange, they still haven't fixed it now. ...  ¶ 8:12 AM

'We expected some resistance ...We found the exact opposite'
It's sort of like taking one step forward after taking two steps back. But the Iraqi Army's takeover of Sadr City is still encouraging. ... Nouri al-Maliki has turned out to be a big -- and welcome -- surprise. ... No, I won't use the word 'victory' to describe the retaking of a neighborhood more than five years after the start of the war. We are managing a form of defeat in Iraq -- not victory. But I'm beginning to believe that the degree of defeat won't be as stinging as once feared -- and it looks like we can thank the surge and Iraqi army for that. ...  ¶ 7:54 AM

'Obama's Scots-Irish problem'
Seth looks at 'Obama's Scots-Irish problem.' I suppose there's some validity to the theory. But the last time I heard so much about the Scots-Irish was during the run-up to the Iraq war. I.e. those who pumped themselves up with Andrew Jackson and fighting-spirit lore -- and look what that got us. Maybe James Webb can explain the nuanced macho differences. ... If I was Obama, I'd be more concerned about the 'leading practitioner of opposition research' just hired by his Scots-Irish opponent. ...  ¶ 7:31 AM

'To applause from onlookers'
Good news: Ted Kennedy is out of the hospital. ... I liked Dan's column about how much Kennedy's meant to Massachusetts in particular. The thing that amazes me is how long he's been in office -- and how I and so many others have taken his historic presence and clout almost for granted. The Hub Blog brain was barely blinking into consciousness when he was first elected to the Senate. I was watching first-run episodes of I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart, Star Trek, Boomtown etc. while he was serving out his first term. That's a long time ago in my own little universe. It's why Kennedy's illness is such a shock to so many here. He's a major part of the state's cultural and political DNA. ...  ¶ 9:32 AM

'An already storied career'
Jon Lester blanks out KC -- and nearly blanks out Celts coverage this morning. Impressive on both fronts. Makes you feel good that Theo hung tough to keep Jon and Clay. ... As for the Celts, I'm sure they don't mind being overshadowed this morning. They're a classy bunch. ... BTW: Hub Blog feels roughly the same way I did before Game 7 against Cleveland: The Celts should take it tonight, but I have doubts. They have to pull off complete team games to beat Detroit -- and that's where my doubts begin. There's this sinking feeling that someone will have a terrible night, requiring others to pick up the slack. Not a good formula for winning championships. ... I'm tempted to say Detroit in six. But I liked what I saw on Sunday. The balls were dropping for a change. ...  ¶ 7:39 AM

'A terrible, terrible picture for that reason alone'
Cambridge's Errol Morris, who last explored whether Roger Fenton's famous Crimean War photo was staged or not, now tackles an infamous photo from Abu Ghraib. ... I still can't quite accept her explanation for smiling in the photo. But I do accept the argument she's being used as a 'bad apple' scapegoat in the sordid affair. ...  ¶ 7:30 AM

'Appeasement,' Part II
Anne Applebaum is also tired of the Hitler/Nazi/Munich analogies. Unfortunately, the Nazi name-calling never ends. ... 'Aha! You calling me a fascist? You're the fascist! Aha!' ... Ah, the leading thinkers of the 'conservative movement.' ...  ¶ 7:14 AM

'Appeasement'
President Bush adds to the growing body of evidence that we're in the middle of the Worst Historical Analogies Ever War. Charles has already diagnosed the problem as the 'Bullshit Multiplier Effect.' ... I mean, 'Hitler' and 'Nazis' and 'appeasement' are so 2002-2003 -- and we all know where those analogies got us. ... President Bush's key quote:

We have an obligation to call this what it is: the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.

He's clueless that what's been discredited by recent history is his past false citing of the appeasement argument. ... By pure coincidence, David Ignatius, hours before the president's speech, wrote a column about the administration's blown diplomatic opportunities over the years. ... BTW: Hub Blog recently read David's new book 'Body of Lies.' Pretty good. Not great. Pretty good. I could have gone without the protagonist's blubbering over his girlfriend at the end. ...

Update -- Watch this. The guy literally doesn't know what 'appeasement' means, but, God damn it, he's against it. ... Go to halfway point for the fun stuff. ...  ¶ 7:22 AM

The Apology
Have I missed a major media story this week? Yes! Glenn Reynolds has moved his blog over to Pajamas Media. ... Seriously, I'm not touching you-know-what, as Dan aptly describes it, with a ten-foot pole. I'm officially declaring my right to Unofficial Rule No. 1 of blogging on this one. ... Nothing here. Move along. Nothing here. ... Oh, look, hey, the Celtics play tonight! ...  ¶ 7:03 AM

'All these men in black,' Part II
Better late than never -- a major U.S. media outlet finally confirms that the battle for Basra was a surprising success. ... Repeat: Hub Blog is not saying the media was conspiring to downplay the good news. The coverage delay, I suspect, was more a function of available resources. ... P.S. -- OK, yeah, I'll admit there was probably a little bias at work too. But I still say the media has done a better job accurately portraying what's happening in Iraq than the happy-talk fantasies pushed by right-wing media critics. ...  ¶ 7:58 AM

'Scary smart'
Here's a profile of Barney Frank. The article rightly notes he can be 'amusing but also downright mean.' I've seen him rudely dress down people who innocently ask stupid questions. I've also seen him wow audiences with blunt, witty talks. At least he's seeking bi-partisan compromises on complicated issues -- something that can't be said for most of the clowns in both parties. ...  ¶ 7:31 AM

Bandwagon and fair-weather, Part II
They're bums. They're losers. Back to the Sox and Pats. ... Notice any tension between the players and Doc? Garnett on Doc's handle-stress-better comment: "In a situation like ours, we are trying to do everything that Doc wants us to do. He makes all the calls. He gives us direction. For the most part, we pretty much try to do what he wants." Translation: Don't blame us. Blame him. Not good. ... One can almost feel at the start of a game that they're going to have an putrid offensive night -- missed easy shots, no inside game, blown passes, general confusion and paralysis. ... Still expect them to win Game 5. But they won't convince me they're championship caliber until they win on the road. ...  ¶ 7:14 AM

Bandwagon and fair-weather
The Celts are a very frustrating team. ... I always liked Delonte. ... OK, so there are a lot of fair-weather Celts fans these days. But I'd submit A.) there are many different shades of fair-weather fans. B.) Mike Bibby was wrong to say Celts fans were fair-weather in the way he meant it. The fact is that the Celts, even at the lowest of their lows, were still drawing bigger crowds than, say, oh, Bibby's Hawks. Here are the NBA attendance records. There's definitely been a fair-weather attendance increase this year, to an average 18,624, 12th best in the NBA, up from 16,843, 20th best, last year. But it's not that big of a difference. Granted, there would have been more fans this year if the Garden was bigger. And, granted, they were practically giving away tickets last year. But my point is that core Celts fans, by and large, hung in there over the gloomy M.L Carr/Pitino/Phase One Trader Danny eras. The crowds were thinner, quieter and younger. But it was still pretty amazing that anyone bothered to show up during last year's fight-to-the-bottom debacle. ...

BTW: The Celts were the No. 1 road draw in the NBA this season. Guess there's a lot of fair-weather Celts fans in Detroit, Chicago, LA etc.

BTW II: Who are the biggest bandwagon fans in Boston? Patriots fans. Sorry. But where were they all during the Clive Rush/Harvard Stadium/Joe Kapp/Chuck Fairbanks/Sullivan-Kiam etc. eras?

BTW III: Who are the best fans in Boston? Bruins fans. Despite the Curse of the Jacobs and despite the loss of so many blue-collar residents, it's remarkable how core Bruins fans still dream on.

BTW IV: Sox fans are in a league of their own. But let's admit it: They have even more fair-weather fans than the Celts. Look at the numbers in the '60s, '70s and '80s. Hell, the end of WWII did more for Sox attendance, percentage-wise, than anything else over the course of their history. ...  ¶ 7:19 AM

'Dress Rehearsal'
Hard to figure out what's going on in Lebanon. But I do know one thing: Hezbollah is not engaging in 'civil disobedience.' ... Whether Hezbollah withdraws or not, I like Armchair Gen. Brigher Center's theory, as explained to me yesterday. 'It's a dress rehearsal,' he said of Iran-backed Hezbollah's challenge to the government in Lebanon. 'They want to know how far they can go. They may not win this time. But they'll be back.' ... He added that Iran is pressing on all fronts in the Middle East, perhaps in preparation for a showdown over its nuke plans or over the Straights of Harmuz. Don't know about that. But I do know one other thing: Iran is not on the defensive (see 'Bush has a two-header now' below). ... Michael Totten has more. ...  ¶ 7:02 AM