Looks like we got us a new war to watch on the teevee. Well, not really a new one, but President Obama’s got his first “major military operation” in the works in Afghanistan. This, of course, is a big moment for a president. Kind of the equivalent of a bar mitzvah or something. Makes you feel proud, in a Red, White and Blue Fourth of July kinda way, doesn’t it? And word just in is that one of our soldiers was captured. That aint good. But I’m sure Obama can expect oodles of support from our GOP friends, what with anything less than complete support and subservience to the Commander in Chief being tantamount to treason.

Speaking of pride-inducing developments, the ACLU says the Obama administration is using confessions elicited through torture to justify the continued detainment of Mohammed Jawad, who was something like 12 years old when he was first captured and thrown into US gulags in Bagram and Guantanamo.

More pride, but of the gay (or, rather, anti-gay) variety locally. You may have seen Lt. Dan Choi on Rachel Maddow. In case you missed the news Tuesday, a military board right here in my fair city recommended that Choi be the first person kicked out of the NY National Guard for tellin’ when nobody was askin’. As I understand the board’s decision, it appears that, because Choi weighs the same as a duck, he’s made of wood and therefore…. “Burn him! He’s a witch!”

I could have that wrong though, since I don’t understand all the nuances of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The NYS Senate continues to meet and do no work. It’s somewhat difficult to tell this apart from business as usual, except for these sessions are a lot shorter. Unfortunately, the failure to pass any of the basic housekeeping, end of session type of legislation is a real hassle for local governments, who can’t sell bonds, collect sales tax, and don’t know what sort of state funding they can include in proposing next year’s budgets. But it’s all OK, ‘cuz Pedro “Erik” Espada is feeling mighty important these days, and that’s all that counts.

We have things pretty much straightened out at work, which is a good thing (we’ll see what further problems develop today, of course). No sleep for me, though. Between what has become rather excruciating neck (and now back) pain, and the fact that something’s wrong with one of the dogs, causing the other dog to freak out, I don’t think I got any sleep at all last night, though I may have accidentally drifted off once or twice.

All’s well, though. Matt Lauer is live at Neverland Ranch.