The Wood Shed

I'm Back!

2006-07-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

And I've moved (the Blog that is).

The new home is www.steveambrose.net/woodshed

The new and improved Wood Shed is powered by Wordpress and hosted on my own website which will allow for more creative control (that could be a bad thing). It will take some time to get it tweaked just the way I want it so you'll likely notice some changes over the next few days.

Update: Haditha

2006-06-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

UAV video and radio traffic seems to confirm the USMC's version of what really happened at Haditha. This should be about as surprising as the discovery of WMD in Iraq. I sincerely hope that the marines involved will end up being cleared and allowed to serve Murtha his road-baked crow personally.

For more, read Clarice Feldman's post over at AT.

Treason from the Times

2006-06-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

NYT exposes financial tracking designed to help twart terrorists even though it admits that the program seems to be working. Bill Keller just thought you ought to know about it regardless of the impact to national security. Lex has an outstanding post on the whole thing so go read.

Comment Spam

2006-06-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

Be careful what you ask for! I remember wishing more readers would leave comments. Seems some spam generators have found my little site so I 've set some filters which unfortunately will result in an extra step if you do wish to comment and a delay before you see your comment posted.

If you go through the process to leave a comment (and I hope you do) you will be asked to enter a scrambled series of letters provided by security software. I know this is a pain but it defeats auto-spammers since they can't read and type.

The delay is due to my decision to enable comment moderation. Your post won't appear until I've had a chance to read it and make sure it's not spam. Comments will not be rejected based on content as long as they pertain to the subject matter.

Thanks for your understanding.

Where is the Outrage?

2006-06-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

I’ve waited for a week and have yet to see an appropriate reaction out of our media following the torture and gruesome killing of two American POW’s in Iraq. They were tortured and then brutally killed at the hands of their captors. If the situation had been reversed, Americans committing war crimes against Iraqis or even insurgents, the media would still be on the rampage. Apparently crimes committed against our soldiers are not newsworthy yet accusations of criminal behavior by them demand that every talking head with a half-baked opinion pass judgment.

The two soldiers taken captive should have been treated as POW’s under the guidelines of the Geneva Convention. We would expect no less from a civilized foe. Therein lies the problem: we are not at war with a civilized nation, we are not even battling a nation. We are fighting against barbarians who don’t fight under a flag or a uniform, instead they fight for a fundamentalist religion that has not changed since battles were fought with swords and camels. Civilized warfare, a seemingly oxymoronic term to many who are paid handsomely to bring us the news, is the conflict of governments through standing armies and when one force succumbs to the other, the killing stops. Civilized men, moral men value human life even the life of their enemy. When a fighting force lays down its arms because it is outnumbered, out-gunned and the sensible thing to do is to preserve human life, that force is no longer an army. The same applies when you forcibly disarm your opponent. If he is disarmed and held captive he is no longer a threat. Terrorists, insurgents, Muslim guerrillas – whatever label you put on our current opponents – do not adhere to this logic. Their doctrine tells them that the only good infidel is one who has been “struck about the head” (their words, not mine).

I find it very disturbing that the media, our government, and the United Nations have not been more vocal about the criminal loss of these two lives. The same media that has been all too quiet on these murders is ready to crucify our soldiers and marines in an impossibly complex battlefield where mistakes will undoubtedly happen. This is not the beaches of Normandy where anybody on the bluffs is a legitimate target. This is urban conflict against an enemy that chooses to blend in with innocent civilians using them as cover and turning our own moral values against us. We cannot expect our troops to fight a surgical war in this environment knowing in the back of their mind that if they are taken captive they will be tortured and brutally murdered. This type of urban conflict is not laser surgery, it is more like chemotherapy: you hope to kill the bad cells and minimize damage to the good ones yet you know you will lose some good ones in the battle to save the host. What does it say to our enemy when we scrutinize our military so critically and barely mention when they are murdered in captivity?

Indeed, where is the outrage?

Gas Mileage Improvement

2006-06-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

Subtitle: Why isn't this simple upgrade standard equipment?

Driving a big SUV is decidedly not PC nor is it “green” or easy on the wallet. But when your life requires hauling and towing capacities greater than the size and weight of most hybrid vehicles, you don’t have many options. The old neighborhood adage, “Everyone is your friend when you own a truck” has never been more true. After all, why own one when you can borrow one? Well, you borrow it and it damn well better come home with at least as much fuel as it left with. These days bringing it home empty is more than just bad manners, it’s $75.

But I digress, back to my point. The standard engine for the entire line of GM trucks for the last six years has been the 5.3 liter V-8. GM engineers have fiddled and tweaked that motor to the point where the ’06 trucks get about 19-20 mpg on the highway. My 2001 Yukon XL only yielded 16 mpg highway until a few weeks ago. I installed an Air Raid high flow air filter system. The first two tanks after the install didn’t indicate any noticeable improvement and I sadly thought I had wasted $200. What I didn’t realize is that it takes a while for the computer to adjust various parameters to compensate for the increased airflow. On the third tank I was convinced I was looking at a sticking gas gauge sending unit: it was still showing over half a tank remaining while the trip odometer was at 250 miles plus. I always back up the fuel gauge by resetting the trip odometer when I fill up. Old aviator thing I guess, wanting redundant indications of fuel remaining. Normally I’m showing about an eighth of a tank remaining when the odometer reads about 350 miles. So I dropped the fuel gauge out of my scan – must be unreliable – and watched the miles per tank. I filled up at about 350 miles but it didn’t take as much fuel as usual. The gauge was correct. The ECU had recalibrated for the airflow and my highway mileage had increased to 19 mpg.

An increase of 3 mpg for an investment of $200, figure an average of $3/gal, resultant savings of $.03/mile and the payback is about 6666 miles. The Air Raid system simply replaces the restrictive plastic OEM filter box and disposable paper filter with a much more open filter shield and a reusable K&N type fabric filter. Some assembly required and you must periodically remove the filter, clean it, and re-install it but if you can work a screwdriver and socket ratchet you can install and maintain this filter. The only down side to this modification is a higher noise level in the cabin when you really put your foot in it. That wide open air box doesn’t muffle the noise as well coming back out of the intake at full throttle, gives it a deeper growl out of the hole. It’s not nearly as noticeable as the “sport exhaust” that Dodge is selling on some of their trucks, the factory version of the popular NASCAR mod: dual exhaust with high flow (reads “loud”) non-mufflers. The trucks that beg the question: “Why?” I can accept a little muffled growling from under the hood for a 19% gain in fuel efficiency.

Politicians keep calling for higher mpg ratings to be imposed on Detroit and Motown keeps countering with complaints about technical limitations and various other reasons why they can’t make it happen. I’d have to say that’s a load of BS: I just improved my highway mileage by 19% by swapping out the filter system. No changes that adversely affect emissions. Simply let the beast breathe better. The next test will involve an aftermarket throttle body spacer that is supposed to further improve airflow and increase mileage.

Hello, Detroit. Anybody listening? If I can improve gas mileage using commercially available parts why are you not incorporating such simple improvements into your designs? Get with the program.

Disclaimer: Your mileage may vary depending on vehicle type, condition of engine, driving habits, tire pressure, hair color, and any prescription meds you are currently taking (among other things – the possibilities are endless).

Second disclaimer: This is not a paid endorsement and the author’s results were unscientifically obtained during actual highway driving. No warranties or guarantees are implied or stated. Product contains materials known to be fatal to Norwegian lab rats domiciled in the state of California at elevations greater than five thousand feet and forced to survive on consumption of said material at a rate of ten times their body weight per day.

Where in the World

2006-06-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

Back in Maine, working on the book. The following is an article that I just submitted to Down East Magazine. It should give you a feel for why I'm up here. (Ed: "Camp" is a northern term used to describe a small place out at the lake not suitable for winter use, for those of you south of the line just substitute "lake house" but think small.)

The Camp

My grandfather built the place several years before I was born and forever biased my opinion regarding what a lake camp should be. Many of my early summers were spent on that beautiful lake outside Houlton, Maine. It’s where I learned to swim and that my little brother didn’t float. He survived his informal baptism and we both became water rats. We eventually outgrew my mother’s lifejacket restriction that resulted from brother’s sinking episode. We also learned to canoe, sail, build rafts, fish, hike, and many other outdoor activities. In short, it was the perfect place to grow up. That was back before the internet, cell phones, cable TV, X-box, Game Boy, etc. Entertainment was self-made but the possibilities seemed endless; who would want to be inside? My grandmother’s worst nightmare was a rainy day. Her only hope of keeping us entertained (quiet) was the small black and white TV wired to an antenna in the top of a tree out back. Options were slim with only three cannels (one Canadian).

Grampy built the place in the late 1950’s from a cedar log home kit, finishing out the interior with knotty pine tongue and grove board paneling. Exposed beams and trusses with shellac-coated wood everywhere, it was like being inside a giant tree. Its original intent was simply as an escape from the heat in town and the phone. My grandfather was a manager at the local oil company and the owners would call him for everything, anytime. The phone line that runs along the shore road still bypasses our camp. He figured if they needed him bad enough on his time off then they could drive out and get him. Apparently his strategy worked fairly well. The layout of the cabin was perfect for my grandparents, having just sent their youngest off to college: a large living/dining area at one end with a master bedroom at the other separated by a central kitchen, bath, and pantry. Occasional guests could be accommodated on the pull-out couch. A few years later their daughter graduated, married my father, and started a family of her own. All of a sudden the floor plan was lacking. My grandfather added a small bedroom off the end of the original structure and decided the boathouse could double as a bunkhouse. The tiny bathroom was Grammy’s domain, literally: the septic/holding tank was small, its size limited by surrounding granite, so the rest of us had to trek into the woods out back to the outhouse. Dark, creepy, and full of mosquitoes, the outhouse is my only bad memory from my childhood summers in Maine.

The lake is typical of northern New England: cold and clear, fed by streams and brooks carrying forest run-off. It’s home to brown trout, perch, pickerel, and even a few land-locked salmon. On any given day you may see bald eagles, osprey, loons, and occasionally a moose if you take the trouble to paddle quietly back into the shallow flowage.

Thus my definition of a proper camp was formed by my childhood: a log cabin surrounded by white birch trees and granite boulders on a gravel track through the woods barely wide enough to drive down, all sitting on a lake so clean that it was your water source. Then I moved south, far south to the land of red clay and brown lakes where “camp” was a place you sent your kids for two weeks. I still remember my first reaction to the southern version of a lake: “I can’t possibly swim in that hot, brown stuff.” I’ve adapted although I still return to the family camp in Maine every summer for my fix. Heading north on I-95 out of Bangor the traffic starts to thin, the unmistakable smells of the northwoods permeate the car and my life slows down to a much healthier pace. I’m headed to the camp where the sounds of the wind in the trees, the water on the rocks, and the laughter of children playing are guaranteed to refresh the soul. Twenty minutes from town and more importantly, equidistant from some great trout streams where more often than not you’re the only one fishing.

The lake has changed over the years. Many of the camps have been replaced or converted into year-round residences and the local power company has had to upgrade service to the lake to keep pace with demand. But for the most part it hasn’t changed all that much: Houlton is small and so is the lake, facts which protect it from the development pressures seen by larger bodies of water in more heavily populated areas. We still get three channels, one Canadian, via the old antenna tied in the top of the tree, although they’re now in color and there’s a hook-up for the portable DVD player in case of rain.

Dog Blogging

2006-06-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

Moose at 4 months/40 pounds. Thinks he's an otter, collects things you'd rather he didn't and hides them where you'll never find them again, excellent at shredding, in short - a Lab. What did you expect? He can't drive the Yukon yet but we're working on it.

Honor, Respect and Tradition

2006-06-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure when this was shot but it's a beautiful example of the timeless tradition of manning the rails as the USS Reagan passes the USS Arizona memorial.

More on Technology

2006-06-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

I’m on the road or, more accurately, I was on the road. There is nothing more distressing on a long road trip than the unmistakable call of nature. None of the options are good: notoriously disgusting gas station restrooms, heavily used rest stops, equally nasty facilities at the fast food chains, or the woods just off the shoulder. The warning signs hit me about mid way across the George Washington Bridge in NYC headed north on I-95... and in no big hurry since it was 5:00pm on a weekday. Those of you that have taken that route already know the predicament that I was facing. Stop in the Bronx? No. It is quite a ways into Connecticut before you start to see exits stocked with the usual options. I was hurting.

Finally a service center, that efficient northeastern answer to traffic congestion, land-use crowding, and the travelers’ desire for fast access to food, fuel, and relief. It was going to be a close call. Dive bomb or paper the seat? No time, I was in distress but I made it just in time. However, my personal distress (how shall I put this delicately?) was painfully obvious to anyone not currently afflicted with an acute sinus attack. Now at this point you’ve got to be wondering about the title. And here comes the tie-in: sitting in the next stall apparently done with his business and oblivious to the olfactory assault resulting from mine was someone so engrossed in his text messaging efforts that he failed to notice the evacuation taking place all around him. Beep, beep, click, beep, click, click. What the hell could be so important that he would want to hang around for bonus time in a public restroom?

I really don’t understand text messaging: you send a message by hitting the numbered keys on your cell phone until the desired letters appear and when you’re done composing you send it to the recipient’s cell phone. A sort of cell to cell email? Why not just call? If they are too busy to talk you’ll get their voice mail and you can leave a message – in a fraction of the time it takes to type it out using your keypad. And I really don’t understand text messaging from a public restroom.

Technology

2006-06-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

Ain't it great? Spent all last weekend attempting to install Wordpress and it was the old computer tango: one step forward, forty the other way. As each obstacle was detected, examined, and overcome another would rise to take its place. I swear I could hear someone laughing through the computer speakers. No Wordpress yet, it'll just have to wait.

Sometimes I feel like there's a black cloud following me around. Got tired of throwing parts at the manual transmission in my '86 Jeep, found a rebuilt unit from a reputable guy on Ebay (Uh oh, that computer thing again). Good price, great reputation, 12 month warranty, fast shipping, looked brand new. But... something didn't feel quite right. Got on the phone, told the seller what was happening, "all normal, put it in, it'll be fine". I can feel the doubt creeping in but he knows what he's doing so I drop the powertrain from the clutch back, swap the transmissions, put it all back together again, and go for a drive. 2nd through 5th sound like a box of marbles. Towed it to the local off-road shop and let them handle the re-swap. The seller's taking care of fixing it but all my work is down the tube.

Now the wife tells me that Outlook has vanished from the home computer. No desktop icon, nowhere to be found in Programs. Gone!?! How could this be? What did I do to deserve such pain and inconvenience?

Done bitching now. Hope your week is going better.

Haditha: In Context

2006-06-08T17:27:00.000-07:00

When examined within proper context Haditha may not be what the media would like to believe. Michael Yon has posted a "must read" dispatch that rightly warns of the fallout from speculation of late.

In the absence of clear facts, most people know that a rush to judgment serves no one. What word, then, properly characterizes the recent media coverage of Haditha, when analysis stretches beyond shotgun conclusions to actually attributing motive and assigning blame? No rational process supports a statement like: “We don’t know what happened, but we know why it happened and whose fault it is.”

Read the entire dispatch here.

Bird Flu Humor

2006-06-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a little humor to balance today's material:

D-Day Links

2006-06-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

From the Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force: General Eisenhower's message to the troops.

And here is a clever essay by William Mayer describing what today's media would be broadcasting right about now had they been embedded with the troops 62 years ago. Thank God they were not! Think about it.

Update:Blackfive has the roundup for all of today's material pertaining to the Normandy Invasion. Some really outstanding material and I'm honored to be included. Take the time to go do some reading and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice by remembering them.

June 6, 1944

2006-06-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

Today is the anniversary of D-Day, the allied invasion of Normandy that marked the turning point of WWII on the European front. A full two years in planning, the sheer mass of manpower and equipment from the combined US, British, and Canadian forces pushed the Germans from their heavily fortified positions along "The Atlantic Wall." From Stephen E. Ambrose's D-Day:

Operation Overlord, the invasion of German-occupied France in June 1944, was staggering in its scope. In one night and one day, 175,000 fighting men and their equipment, including 50,000 vehicles of all types, ranging from motorcycles to tanks and armored bulldozers, were transported across sixty to a hundred miles of open water and landed on a hostile shore against intense opposition. They were either carried by or supported by 5,333 ships and craft of all types and almost 11,000 airplanes.

The numbers are certainly impressive as the image above hints but equally staggering are the losses suffered by the allied invasion force, estimated at 4900 on that first day and of those over 2,000 were on Omaha beach alone. Almost five thousand men killed in the initial offensive. What is truly amazing, given the task of penetrating The Wall, an imposing combination of obstacles, wire, trenches, fortifications and guns which the Germans spent four years constructing, is that the number of casualties was not grossly higher. We've all seen the movies, up to and including Saving Private Ryan; the men storming those beaches were boys, eighteen to twenty years old, and most had never seen combat before. What they faced when the landing craft ramps dropped is unimaginable. Yet out they went. And they kept going, men dropping left and right, until they had penetrated Hitler's wall. All along those beaches young men, mostly volunteer soldiers, fought their way across the bloody beach, up the cliffs, through the trenches, pill boxes, and gun mounts until their section was secure. They could have turned back or taken cover numerous times and any sane man could not have blamed them for doing so. But they pushed forward at great peril to their own lives so that democracy would not be overrun. Over the ensuing months they continued the push until the beast was back in pandora's box.

We owe those young men more than most of us appreciate. Again, from D-Day:

But when the test came, when freedom had to be fought for or abandoned, they fought. They were soldiers of democracy. They were the men of D-Day, and to them we owe our freedom.

Think about what could have been had Hitler gone on unchecked. To the men who so bravely and selflessly gave their lives on this day so many years ago, and to their families, our eternal thanks. Without their sacrifice the world would be a much darker place today. Let's do what we must within the context of our generation to ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain. May we have the same strength they had to stand up and press ever forward against the evil that threatens democracy.

The News You Don't Hear

2006-06-03T18:46:00.000-07:00

With all the negative sensationalist material being doled out by the MSM majors, posting good news out of Iraq feels like bootlegging. Major P over at OP-FOR already referenced this article but I feel it's important that material like this gets spread far and wide. To my knowledge, none of the big boys picked this up which is consistent with their slant. The Roanoke Times published a letter last Sunday from Major John Phillips currently in Iraq. He gives us a refreshing peek at the war and our mission.

Read it.

Then pay it forward.

Political Mudslinging

2006-06-03T17:32:00.000-07:00

As the primaries draw closer here in Alabama we're being inundated with negative political ads. So much so that it would seem that the choice comes down to selecting the lesser of two evils not one based on voting for a candidate who shares your beliefs on important issues. There is something fundamentally wrong with basing an entire campaign strategy on attacking your opponent. I would like the opportunity to elect my public servants based on my perception of their ability to get the job done in a manner consistent with my expectations. If I'm going to pay someone to represent me I want to know who they are and what they stand for not what kind of dirt their hacks managed to dig up on their opponent. That said, please don't feed me some over-played obtuse PC generic statement such as: "Stands for conservative family values." That gives me nothing.

If you want my vote then tell me, who are you? What's your stand on:

Taxes
Tort reform
Crime
Drugs
Education
Marriage
Gun control
The global war on terror
Immigration reform/enforcement
Our involvement in Iraq
A nuclear Iran
Energy
The economy

The list of possible topics is endless. Pick any or all and give me something substantial. If I agree with most of your positions, you'll get my vote. It's that simple. Or at least it should be.

Give me the material I need to make an informed decision and may the best candidate win. These days it would seem that we're expected to accept the inverse: may the worst candidate lose.

Trial by Media

2006-06-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

Haditha, Iraq, is all the buzz lately. If you’ve had your head in the sand, a few months back Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas was killed when an IED took out his Humvee. Allegedly some of his fellow Marines took revenge on some civilians. The media and its poster child, Rep. John Murtha (an ex-Marine), have been loudly condemning the accused prior to guilt being determined. They have tried, convicted, and all but executed these Marines. Trial by media. Not appropriate here or anywhere else for that matter. Brings to mind images of witches burning at the stake. I’ll stand by the concept of innocent until proven guilty that this country was founded upon.

Did these Marines actually do what they are accused of? I don’t know.
Were they simply returning fire in a hostile area where death was behind every door? I don’t know.
Were insurgents in the mix, using the civilians as cover? Again, don’t know.
What really happened that day? I’m not sure, (pay attention, Murtha) I WASN’T THERE and neither were you, John.

If the Marines involved did indeed unleash lethal force inappropriately then they will be held accountable in accordance with the UCMJ. The media, with its insatiable appetite for the negative, is certainly assisting the anti-war movement with their coverage. I’m sure the enemy is also taking notes and will work yet another of our sensitivities into their tactics.

Our soldiers walk a fine line in an extremely difficult environment where it is often difficult to distinguish the enemy from the non-combatants. I can't imagine being in an intense fire-fight in an urban area and having to make snap decisions on who is and is not a threat. Not an easy situation by any stretch of the imagination. Let's let the military justice system work through this incident and keep the emotional media at bay so the truth can be uncovered. The leaks coming out of the investigation are also inappropriate, much like throwing meat to wolves in hopes that they will have their fill and move on.

For more:
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/005300.htm
http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/05/31/haditha/
http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/06/01/fighting-the-good-fight-part-i/

For a clinical look at urban combat and house clearing etc. read Uncle J:
http://www.madison.com/post/blogs/militarymatters/85715

The Dog Ate My Homework

2006-06-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

Had a nice post going until Blogger burped. Gone. Black hole. Who knows where. Wordpress is looking more attractive every day.

I'm trying to reconstruct but the second draft is never as good as the first.

June 1st, 1954

2006-05-31T17:45:00.000-07:00

I'm a tad early on this one, forgive me. On June 1st in 1954 the US Navy conducted the first test of a steam catapult from USS Hancock (CV/CVA-19). Prior to steam, hydraulic power was used and before that it was the unassisted deck run! The early straight decks weren't much fun either. No touch-and-goes or bolters back then. One shot at the deck and if you missed the wires you went into the parking lot up front. Messy. Makes today's launch and recovery evolutions look positively civilized.

This official Navy photo from 1944 shows the Hancock with her aircraft pulled aft for launching. Upon returning, the recovered aircraft would be spotted forward leaving the aft end of the deck clear to recover the remaining pilots. CV-19 served her country in various configurations from 1944 until 1976 when she was decommissioned and scrapped.

Here CVA-19 is pictured in her "modern" configuration: two steam catapults forward, angled landing area, and A-4 Skyhawks aboard just prior to her final Westpac deployment. Still awful smallish at 27,100 tons by today's standards (97,000 tons).

That's much better (bigger is better when you have to land on it).

Memorial Day

2006-05-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

If the video does not display properly
click here to upgrade to Flash 8
Video courtesy of Northrop Grumman Corporation. In honor of all those who went to sea and never made it home.

In keeping with the Reagan theme of this post, John over at Op-For has an excellent Memorial Day post that includes President Reagan's tribute from the 40th anniversary of the Normandy invasion to the US Soldiers who gave their lives on the beach. If Reagan's words don't touch your heart then I'm afraid you may already be dead inside.

Senate Votes to Give Benefits to Illegal Aliens

2006-05-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

Absolutely astounding. See how your Senator(s) voted here. This was the vote on S. 3985 amendment to S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. The vote tabled the amendment which would have prevented a legal immigrant from collecting Social Security benefits that accrued from employment while in an illegal status.

You shouldn't be able to collect Social Security benefits based on illegal employment. "Illegal alien" and "benefits" shouldn't even appear in the same sentence much less in our legislation. Charles Hurt over at The Washington Times has a good take on this nonsense.

Observe Memorial Day

2006-05-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

It's not about sales, the beginning of summer, or another vacation day. It is about remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice that we may continue to enjoy our freedom. Take time from your activities at 3PM local time to honor the fallen with a moment of silence. Teach your kids the significance of Memorial Day.

Image courtesy of Arlington National Cemetery. For more information regarding ANC go here.

Chris Michel over at Military.com has an excellent piece titled Take Back Memorial Day.

Enjoy your freedom and remember those who made it possible.

Soft-serve or Allah?

2006-05-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

You be the judge. Rashad Akhtar has pledged to "bring down" England over his ice cream jihad. Give this guy an ink blot test and I'm sure they will all look like Allah. Just like the commercial where all the dog sees is bacon.

Robert has the story on this radical idiot over at Jihad Watch.

Update: Ran the sprinklers on my yard this evening and now the driveway is covered in worms that all appear to be spelling Allah. Too much wine, maybe?

The Unreported Side of Katrina

2006-05-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

Remember the mainstream media reports in the days following Katrina? According to the MSM it was days before help arrived. It may have been days before FEMA showed but the National Guard and Coast Guard mounted the largest search and rescue mission ever managed as soon as the winds allowed rotors to turn. Lou Dolinar over at RCP has a heart-warming article on what the MSM missed/ignored in their slanted coverage of the aftermath. It's long but well worth the read. For those of you with ADD, here are some highlights:

From the Dome, the Louisiana Guard's main command ran at least 2,500 troops who rode out the storm inside the city, a dozen emergency shelters, 200-plus boats, dozens of high-water vehicles, 150 helicopters, and a triage and medical center that handled up to 5,000 patients (and delivered 7 babies). The Guard command headquarters also coordinated efforts of the police, firefighters and scores of volunteers after the storm knocked out local radio, as well as other regular military and other state Guard units.

Jack Harrison, a spokesman for the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Virginia, cited "10,244 sorties flown, 88,181 passengers moved, 18,834 cargo tons hauled, 17,411 saves" by air. Unlike the politicians, they had a working chain of command that commandeered more relief aid from other Guard units outside the state. From day one.
Meanwhile, late Monday, Louisiana National Guard HQ moved its high tech "unified command suite" and tents to the upper parking deck of the Superdome. This degraded communications for about four hours but ultimately gave them satellite dishes for phone and Internet connections to the outside world, Wi-fi, plus radios that were the only talk of the town. Helicopters and boats, as we noted, were already bringing in survivors there. About fifty men and women, black and white, worked per shift, equipped with maps, laptops, phone and radios to coordinate the rescue operation. The rescuers called it the "eagles' nest".
The operation was impossible to hide or ignore and some news outlets may have mentioned it in passing. Still, I haven't seen anything reported that sounded like what the two Majors described Tuesday morning: helicopters landing every minute; big ones, like the National Guard Chinooks, literally shaking the decking of the rooftop parking lot; little ones like the ubiquitous Coast Guard Dolphins; Black Hawks everywhere, many with their regular seats torn out so they could accommodate more passengers, standing. Private air ambulance services evacuating patients from flood-threatened hospitals. Owners of private helicopters who showed up to volunteer, and were sent on their way with impromptu briefings on basic rescue needs. Overhead, helicopters stacked in a holding pattern.
By the end of the week 150 National Guard aircraft were operating, plus regular military and Coast Guard units who also dropped off survivors. The biggest problem rescuers faced, according to crew members I've interviewed, was the danger of aerial collisions.
In all this time, Dressler said, "We didn't see a single camera crew or reporter on the scene. Maybe someone was there with a cell phone or a digital camera but I didn't see anyone." This was in the headquarters area. Maj. Ed Bush, meanwhile, did start seeing reporters on Tuesday and Wednesday, but inside the Dome, most were interested in confirming the stacks of bodies in the freezers, interviews with rape victims, he said, and other mayhem that never happened. He pitched the rescue angle and no one was interested. A few reporters and film crews did hitch rides on helicopters, came back, and produced stories of people stuck on rooftops, not stories about rescues, he said.
Neither Maj. Bush nor Dressler saw TV until the end of the week. They were aghast. Apart from sporadic mentions, the most significant note taken of this gigantic operation was widespread reporting of the rumor that a sniper had fired on a helicopter. What were termed evacuations in some cases, rescue operations in others, were said to have been halted as a result. "I never knew how badly we were being killed in the media," Maj. Ed Bush says. In reality, the only shots fired at the Guard were purely metaphorical and originated with the media. Rescues continued 24/7 at a furious pace.

Why did we not see coverage of such a massive operation? I remember seeing reporters wading through the streets of New Orleans. It is virtually impossible that they failed to notice the scale of flight operations being conducted over their heads. Where were the video clips of the holding pattern over the dome? Someone decided that the largest search and rescue mission in history was not the story. Bad media, as usual. Congratulations to the National Guard and Coast Guard for a job well done.

DC Snipers Revisited

2006-05-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

Remember the carnage caused by John Allen Muhammad and his step-son Lee Malvo? Michelle has a good write-up this morning. Two points worth noting:

1. Malvo and his mother were illegal alien stowaways from Jamaica that entered the US through Miami. Malvo was later arrested by the Border Patrol in Bellingham, Washington, and subsequently released by the INS against federal law. He should have been deported without trial based on his status.

2. Malvo and Muhammad were Muslim terrorists. Doubt it? Go read Michelle's post.

Still think amnesty and open borders are good ideas?

The Question

2006-05-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

It invariably gets asked. Usually at parties or gatherings where stories are told once the beer starts flowing and someone gets curious. "What was it like? What was the most terrifying experience you had flying off carriers?"

That would be the night my pilot got vertigo. Without a doubt. Night tanker hop. (There's that word night again, dark one too.) We launched as the recovery tanker aka "Texaco". Extra gas in the air for those unfortunate souls taking their turn in the barrel, having trouble getting aboard. First joined up on the off-going tanker overhead the ship and took the lead so he could plug in and confirm the on-coming tanker "sweet". That done we swapped the lead again and plugged in to take his excess fuel to get him down to max trap weight without dumping.

It was a dark night over the eastern Med with no moon and a nice haze to obscure the horizon. Stars above and lights from shipping on the sea below all blended into a dark, hazy bubble with dots of light all around. My pilot, flying formation on the other tanker, was completely outside the cockpit relying on the other pilot to get us where we needed to be. Our job was to stay on his wing. Standard procedure in the overhead tanker pattern was to fly an orbit, a constant-rate turn. For some reason never explained the pilot of the lead aircraft was flying a race-track pattern: 180 degree turn, straight leg, 180 degree turn, straight leg and so on. My pilot was thinking constant-rate turn when he was actually in and out of turns all the while keeping his scan glued to the plane mere feet to our left. Time came for us to detach. Break off from the lead, my pilot brings his scan back inside on instruments and his brain rejects what he sees. At 5000 feet over the Med he rolls inverted, lets go of the stick and tells me, "You have the aircraft - I can't tell which way is up!" Rather odd time to be testing me on unusual attitude recoveries but...

For the next half hour I flew gently around in the dark describing each move I made while he stared at the instruments trying to get his inner ear in sync with the movements. "Now we're going into a 30 degree right-hand turn, etc. etc." Once he declared he was cured I gave control of the jet back to him. We orbited overhead in the tanker pattern listening to the recovery in progress below. Once everyone else was aboard we were vectored a few miles out behind the ship and hooked back in to intercept a straight-in. I watched the ACLS needles track and when we hit the glideslope we started down. He was moving the aircraft around a bit more than usual but it had been a rough night. As we closed in on the ship he began overcorrecting, chasing.

"You ok?" I asked.
"Make sure you call vertigo on the ball," came the response.
"Ah, ok." (Oh s#%t!)

No time to second-guess, we're seconds from landing. LSO calls, "Three quarters of a mile, call the ball."

"Got it. Call it," he says from the left seat.
"702, Viking ball, 4.5, vertigo on the ball," I reply to the call from the platform.

Silence. Our wings are rocking and yet I hear no coaching from the platform so I start chattering like a verbal auto-pilot. Right wing down, wings level, now your left wing's down and so on. Still no calls from the boys on the platform. As we cross the ramp the radio finally comes to life, "STOP ROCKING YOUR WINGS!"

From the left, "God I hope we don't bolter."
Ditto.

We didn't. Good thing too. Come to find out the reason the gods were silent was we were on centerline, on glideslope. There was nothing to say. They timed his rocking and locked him up with that non-standard call just as we rolled wings-level coming across the ramp. Nice touch.

Might have to work that into the book.

Life in the Fast Lane

2006-05-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

We do it to ourselves. No one else to blame but the one in the mirror. We scurry around in a mad dash to get to our next appointed task rarely appreciating the small joys we blast through. If life is the journey then why is everyone in such a sprint to get to the finish? It doesn't make much sense if you stop long enough to think about it.

Having just returned from my annual decompression on my favorite little island the contrasts are still painfully fresh. Admittedly my wife needed the stress relief far more than I but we both refreshed our souls for another stretch in the battle that has become commonplace in the American lifestyle. Our society demands instant gratification. The pace of our lives has intensified with each generation and each passing year. It's all about speed and convenience. Why are we in such a hurry? After all, once you're there it's done.

Mid week into our escape I was amused by the rude arrival of the ugly, demanding American. Never got his name but no matter, the stereotype doesn't require one. We had fully adjusted to "island time" and were peacefully enjoying the early morning as the island came to life. Slowly as is the nature of the place. I had already been out on the water, watching the sunrise under the pretense of fishing, and had returned refreshed to collect my wife for breakfast. Sitting patiently in the screened-in dining area, we were waiting for the coffee to finish brewing enjoying the rising sun and breeze contemplating what the day might hold. Shouting punched through the morning air coming from the direction of the office. The source of the offense made his way across the deck demanding to no one in particular that his needs be satisfied. Where was the staff? Where was the coffee? Didn't these people realize that he had a schedule to keep? Apparently he was due to meet up with his guide to go bonefishing that morning. Pity the poor guide who I new from observing the local patterns was not going to show for at least an hour yet.

Later in the week I witnessed this same deluded self-important individual berating his wife who seemed entirely too sweet to tolerate the fool. They were both headed out with a guide again and it seemed that the departure time of their afternoon charter flight was still unsure. The wife attempted to quietly remind him that they had still not finished packing. His astounding response assured her that the couple they were traveling with (specifically the other wife) could handle the remaining chores. His own wife quietly protested while the other remained silent and I immediately understood she was attempting to tell him that it was not an appropriate request but he missed the point and persisted by stating that he had complete trust in his friend's wife to finish his packing while he fished. Poor bastard, the friend that is.

My wife and I shook our heads in disbelief. How could someone be so self-absorbed. Rude. Ugly. The American that gives us all a bad name when we travel.

The book I took with me was Pat Conroy's Beach Music. I read it years ago, far enough back that it was time to enjoy it again. There is a line somewhere in the midst of all that great writing that sums it up nicely:

Throughout his life, [his] greatest fear was that he would be buried alive in that American topsoil of despair and senselessness where one felt nothing, where being alive was simply a provable fact instead of a ticket to a magic show.

Yes, by all means necessary, slow down and enjoy the show.

Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas

2006-05-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

For those of you wondering "where in the world" did that last post refer to, now you have the answer.

Where in the World?

2006-05-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

Talk about banker's hours!

Here's a hint: typical American demands that life adhere to some sort of schedule are met with "get a Goombay and chill, mon."

Home. Damn. "Honey, do you still have those red shoes from OZ?" I can't seem to get Jimmy Buffett out of my head....

PS. Commercial air travel having deteriorated along with the rest of society it's safe to say that the myth of the ugly American is fact not fiction.

Surf's Up, Dude

2006-05-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Matthew Kaczynski, assigned to Inshore Boat Unit Four Two (IBU-42), mans his .50-caliber machine gun during a Naval Coastal Warfare Squadron Four (NCWS-4) demonstration at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek. The squadron's primary mission is conducting anti-terrorism and force protection in harbors and coastal waterways overseas. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 3rd Class Matthew D. Leistikow

I really don't think I'd mess with these guys!

Just a heads up, posts will likely be slim for a week depending on access among other things. Maybe we'll play the "Where in the World" game. Stay tuned.

Cool Blue

2006-05-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

The following images are from the 2005 season provided courtesy of the US Navy and the premier Flight Demonstration Squadron, The Blue Angels. Let's have a little fun with the world's best bug drivers, shall we?

"All these boats in the way... sure wish my radar altimeter was working today."
Alternate: "Jet wash?"

From the tower: "GEAR!!"

"Hey Boss, was this what they meant at Fighter Weapons School when they talked about a 360 degree scan?"

"Man, I'm three quarts low after every flight."

Idiot-proof Video Posting on Blogger

2006-05-09T05:31:00.000-07:00

After several frustrating hours of monkeying around with HTML code for various plug-ins that were supposed to be "simple" I finally came across Video Egg: "Video publishing over easy". Big sigh of relief. Establish an account (no cost), upload video, compose post as it loads, and publish to Blogger all from Video Egg's site! No #%$^ code, zero frustration. As it should be!

Fuel From... Water?

2006-05-09T05:23:00.000-07:00

If the video does not display properly
click here to upgrade to Flash 8
Video courtesy of Fox News.

I want, make that need, this technology for my Yukon! HHO gas generator for welding/cutting is currently in production and available. I'm waiting on the automotive version. Denny, need another test vehicle?

Sound of Freedom

2006-05-09T05:02:00.000-07:00

If the video does not display properly
click here to upgrade to Flash 8
This short clip was taken several years ago, an F-14 doing a supersonic deck-level pass as part of an air show. These at-sea air shows are usually done for the benefit of visiting foreign dignitaries who always seem impressed by the "flex of American muscle". Live ordnance and chest-thumping supersonic passes are routine at these off-shore displays, things that can't be done back on the beach for obvious reasons. Note the shockwave on the water. You can also see the pilot punching flares as he approaches the ship. Normally these are used to draw off heat seeking missiles - just extra style points in this case.

Technical Difficulty

2006-05-08T20:35:00.000-07:00

I've got two video clips that I've been attempting to post but am having trouble doing so within the constraints of Blogger so please bear with me. Anyone with knowledge in this area feel free to comment with assistance!

Moussaoui Sentenced to Life

2006-05-04T05:19:00.000-07:00

NYT reports this morning that the federal jury in the Moussaoui case rejected the death penalty citing, among other things, his troubled childhood (this defense angers me every time I see it). At first I was enraged when I read that he would live but I pressed on and finished reading. There is no indication in the article that the jury spared him for any other reason than he was a product of abuse etc, etc. Now we will have to support him for "the rest of his life in solitary confinement in a federal prison in Colorado with no possibility of release." Hmmm. Death would have made him a martyr in certain circles and, in his twisted mind, sent him on his way to paradise. I don't think the jurors considered this but it certainly helps to rationalize sparing him. I'll gladly pay tax dollars to let him rot in solitary confinement for the rest of his days and deny him the outcome he had no doubt hoped to receive.

Mr. Moussaoui, 37, seemed to go numb when Judge Leonie M. Brinkema received the verdict from the jury forewoman, a public school mathematics teacher, and read aloud the part that said, "We the jury, do not unanimously find that a sentence of death should be imposed on the defendant."

May he spend an eternity in the living hell of his mind trapped behind steel and concrete denied his entrance into paradise.

A Zero-Sum Game

2006-05-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

If you haven't read Lex yet here's a taste of his latest post regarding Monday's unrest:

Perhaps it is only a poor metaphor and I over-react, but when identity groups play identity politics as a way of “gaining a seat at the table,” one does not readily imagine that they are necessarily there to negotiate for the common benefit. No, the image is rather of a diner seeking to carve out a larger slice of a finite national pie for the benefits of his constituency. A zero-sum game, in other words, and someone’s ox is bound to get gored.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Now go read the whole thing.

Open Borders?

2006-05-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

The left is rallying behind the "Open Borders" movement and wants to bail out of Iraq straight into Darfur.

Let's recap shall we? Porous borders, forged or expired documents, and complacency were directly responsible for the first attack on civilian targets, on our shores, in history. Have they forgotten the sight of the burning towers, the Pentagon in flames, and civilian airliners being turned into missiles? I haven't. I never will. We are at war with an enemy that seeks to destroy our way of life, whose camouflage is to penetrate our society and live amongst us with total impunity. Open our borders? Sounds like a great idea (note sarcasm). Amnesty for those already here is not the answer. It sends the wrong message to others considering jumping the fence and it's an insult to those who came here legally. On a positive note, it was encouraging to hear naturalized citizens (aka immigrants) calling in to radio shows Monday and expressing their support for legal immigration reform. Even they "get it", why can't Congress? Problems with enforcement should not be rationale for killing the laws that are difficult to enforce. Under such pretense we should legalize drugs, let anyone consume alcohol who feels so inclined, and remove all speed limit signs. Think of the money we would save if we didn't have to enforce all those laws.

Now, establishing a stable Iraq in the midst of the hot-bed collectively known as the Middle East is quite simply a waste of time so lets move on (note sarcasm again). The Darfur province of Sudan has become the pet project of Hollywood et al what with images of starving children and all. Nevermind that we've been pressuring the UN to move on this for over a year. Bush is clearly the enemy here (note... hopefully you're picking up on it by now). My intent here is not to trivialize the human suffering taking place in Darfur. It is without a doubt a moral tragedy of epic proportion and the civilized nations of the world need to put a stop to the bloodshed. It amounts to genocide even though the UN refuses to label it as such. But to pitch into Darfur with no real plan or backing would be another Somalia in the making. Seems the left has forgotten that one too.

The liberals with their loathing of all things military always seem more than eager to send troops in [insert PC location here] as peace-keepers. Don't shoot anyone, just establish peace. Rules of engagement: there shall be no engagement. This region of Africa has been locked in conflict for decades and a commitment on the ground would easily last years. The UN needs to drive this one and should have acted long ago. We will no doubt be heavily involved in any UN action but this is not something we ought to take on solo.

The $100 Pacifier

2006-05-01T05:03:00.000-07:00

When I first read about the proposed plan to send taxpayers a $100 rebate to help ease the pain of higher gas prices I thought, "C'mon, you've got to be kidding!" This is the best congress can come up with? Stick your finger in the dike and watch it pour over the top on your head. Kind of like that $400 tax rebate we got a few years back. Nice but now what?

An article in this morning's NYT offered some insight into the logic(?) behind the offering that I had not heard prior to today.

Under the proposal, $100 checks would be sent late this summer to an estimated 100 million taxpayers, regardless of car ownership. Single taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes above about $146,000 would be ineligible for the checks, as would couples earning more than about $219,000. The $100 figure was determined by Mr. Frist's office, which calculated that the average driver would pay about $11 per month in federal gas taxes over nine months.

Seems to me that the income thresholds are set somewhat high but at least the rebate as a refund of federal gas taxes makes a little more sense. However, I doubt that this would even be on the table if it were not for the upcoming elections. I would much rather see some substantial legislation designed to address the root problem: our dependence on foreign oil. We elected this group supposedly to tackle important issues that warrant their time and our money. Time to put aside the party gamesmanship and get the job done. Use the money to fund alternative fuel technology research, something that has a realistic chance at a long term solution to the problem. Stop throwing money at the symptoms and attack the real issue.

The price of oil is not going to decline as a result of any action or inaction by our elected representatives. We don't control enough of this planet's oil reserves for our government to have that type of effect. As China's economy continues to grow and consume ever more oil world prices will reflect the basic laws of supply and demand. Drilling/refining capacity cannot keep pace with increasing world demand and the price will continue to increase. Reduce demand and the price will drop. Stop fixating on the price and concentrate on the demand component of the equation.

What's your opinion? When you get done commenting, copy/paste and include it in an email to your congressman/woman.

A Poem for the Left

2006-04-29T17:04:00.000-07:00

This was originally posted by Russ back in December of 2004 and picked up by Greyhawk. I just read it for the first time when Michelle included it as part of a post today. For those of you who may have missed it I felt it was worth repeating here (and everywhere for that matter).

Rough Men

There's a character trait that's decided by fate
Comes (sadly) to many, far too faint, far too late.
They won't face the aggressor, stand up to his ire
They have not the will to fight his fire with fire.
So they bend over backwards to see all sides as fair,
Till they're faced with dragon breath fire in their hair.
Like our brethren in France, who'd know better than we,
Yet seem never to learn, seem doomed never to see.

Yes, it seems there are some who're determined by fate,
To possess not the courage to step up to the plate,
Who shrink from all threat because nothing's worth war.
But how can they know lest they've been there before?
Thank God some have courage, the will, yes, the grace,
To stand for the shirkers, stand strong in their place.
Thank God we have stalwarts who'll stand for us all,
Who will rise to the challenge at their nation's call.

The faint-hearted, who fear, whose reaction is flight,
Have no comprehension of those who will fight.
To hide their own trepidation they attempt to demean
The rough men, who defend them, as barbaric, obscene.
Yet these rough men stand ready, hard weapons to hand,
To put placaters behind them, draw a line in the sand,
To preserve for the peaceniks what they won't defend,
So their own unearned freedom won't perish, won't end.

To appeasers, rough men are coarse government tools.
To rough men, appeasers are dumb delusional fools.

Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66

Russ is a regular over at The American Thinker.

The Original

2006-04-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Michelle's post on our National Anthem is dead on target. The one, the only, the original in our official language. That's English, make no mistake about it. Read her entire post, memorize the words if you've forgotten them, and sing it loud. You can't carry a tune? Who cares. Be a proud American, I'll forgive you for being off-key but not for silently standing-by at the ball game.

http://www.michellemalkin.com/mt/oct05-tb.cgi/4435

April 25th 1976

2006-04-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

Today is the 30th anniversary of a truly patriotic and spontaneous act. Rick Monday, who at the time was an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, snatched the American flag from some misguided protestors who had sprinted onto the field during a Cubs/Dodgers game with intent to burn it. Michele's post from this morning inspired me to dig a little deeper and research an incident that I'm old enough to remember and also old enough to have forgotten. This simple act sealed Rick's place in the American psyche. An accomplished ball player and Marine (once a Marine always a Marine or so several Marines have told me) he is best remembered for his instinctive act of patriotism. And so he should be.

From a 1998 Herald article by Larry Henry:

...Monday recognized that were he to do the same thing today, he might be arrested for violating someone else's rights.

"But to hell with them," he said. "They can come and lock me up right now because if they did it again, I'd do the same thing."

In my humble opinion we need more people like Rick Monday who are willing to stand up and do the right thing. As for the rights of the protestors, these two and all those that followed, I will certainly not violate their right to live somewhere else if they feel so inclined. The image below needs no further explanation so I'll close with a simple "Thank you, Rick."

(AP Photo/Los Angeles Herald Examiner, James Roark)

Priceless

2006-04-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

I drive a Yukon XL in order to haul three Labrador Retrievers, a boat, 4' x 8' sheets of plywood or sheetrock, tools, etc. Stuff and lots of it. Today two non-events collided with rude reality: I ran the fuel level down to the point where the low fuel light illuminated and I decided to correct the overdue need for an oil change. A hundred dollars. Damn. One hundred dollars for gas and oil. My brother's commuter scooter is starting to look good but no, in Birmingham a scooter would be a suicide ride. The whole thing developed into a Mastercard ad, you know the one.

Used 2001 Yukon: $20,000
25.7 gallons of regular: $74.60
Oil and filter change: $33.89
Needs a new fuel pump which is in the tank: $900

Replacing the 5.3 liter V-8 with a flux capacitor which burns the biomass produced by three Labrador Retrievers: PRICELESS!!

In 1981 the average price of a gallon of gasoline was approximately $1.10 but adjust that for inflation and the real price was closer to $2.25 per gallon. We've been spoiled by relatively cheap gas over the last twenty years and now several factors are forcing that gap to close. The fact remains that as gas prices continue to rise, disposable income declines and threatens to take the economy with it.

HR 609 Defeated

2006-04-20T06:25:00.000-07:00

The Burton Amendment to the College Access and Opportunity Act would have required US institutions of higher learning to report funding received from Saudi sources. The Saudis have been pouring huge amounts of cash into our universities for decades to fund centers for Middle Eastern Studies. If ever there was a more obvious case of the wolf teaching the sheep what a wolf thinks (as he orders leg-of-lamb for dinner) it escapes me at the moment.

Contact your Representative and chastise him or her regarding the shameful vote on 609. Apparently it was a done deal as an anonymous yea/nay voice vote but a single nay from the floor forced a roll call vote for the record and, imagine if you will, with accountability on the line, support caved. Any restriction on funding for higher education, no matter the source, is bad karma. Never mind that the amendment would not have cut the funding but simply made its source a matter of public record. It seems that our universities are more than willing to take Saudi money but would rather not publicly admit it.

Lee Kaplan has a detailed post on the matter over at The American Thinker.

18 April 1942 Western Pacific

2006-04-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

One of the most daring missions ever conceived and executed was the Doolittle raid on Tokyo, April 18th, 1942. The volunteer crews were led by LT COL James H. Doolittle and launched from USS Hornet (CV-8). Imagine volunteering for a mission of extreme personal risk involving launching in a B-25 twin engine Army Air Corps bomber from an aircraft carrier, flying hundreds of miles over open ocean, bombing Japan, and then hopefully landing in China because you knew when you launched that you didn't have enough fuel to make it home. If that alone doesn't make you cringe, consider the following:

The B-25 was never designed to be flown off aircraft carriers.

WWII carriers were not equipped with catapults and all aircraft launched under their own power (known as a "deck run").

The Hornet was tiny in comparison to today's massive carriers.

The planned launch point was 400 nautical miles from Tokyo but detection by enemy picket boats forced an early launch in excess of 600nm out.

Here are some images courtesy of the National Archives and Naval Historical Center that really put this mission into perspective:

Guts and lots of 'em. Why, you ask, did we ever pursue such a foolish idea? To send a message. Given the small useful bomb load of a B-25 at such an extended range we had little hope of inflicting serious damage. Indeed the planners behind the mission knew this from the outset and the crews knew it when they launched. The war was not going our way in the Pacific and the prevailing thought was we needed to prove a point. We hit the proud nation of Japan squarely in the ego. We embarrassed them. Nothing like Pearl Harbor but we took the fight to them. The American public needed such a boost.

From the Naval Historical Center:

Most of the sixteen B-25s, each with a five-man crew, attacked the Tokyo area, with a few hitting Nagoya. Damage to the intended military targets was modest, and none of the planes reached the Chinese airfields (though all but a few of their crewmen survived). However, the Japanese high command was deeply embarrassed. Three of the eight American airmen they had captured were executed. Spurred by Combined Fleet commander Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, they also resolved to eliminate the risk of any more such raids by the early destruction of America's aircraft carriers, a decision that led them to disaster at the Battle of Midway a month and a half later.

Take a minute to think about what these men faced and were willing to sacrifice on behalf of their nation. Their heroic efforts played a large part in turning the war of the Pacific in our favor.

Here's a listing of the crews:
And here's the official Raiders site:

New Site for The Officer's Club

2006-04-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

You'll note that my link to The Officer's Club is gone, replaced by OPFOR. Still all the good stuff from John and Charlie with new bells and whistles. Their overwhelming popularity caught the attention of military.com - check out the new look. Congratulations guys.

Harmony Database Exposes WMD Intentions

2006-04-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

The vast collection of captured documents from Saddam's government continues to yield evidence of his intent to develop and deploy WMD. Open access to this library of evil via the internet is allowing anyone with a computer and the ability to read arabic to mine for gems. The intelligence community was and still is reluctant to open these documents for public inspection fearing that subsequent translations would be in error and result in misguided conclusions. However, the sheer mass of material would take the government years to sift through it. Why not enlist the help of citizens willing to use their skills and time to dig through the pile? The intelligence experts could then concentrate on validating civilian translations of the key finds. The following is from a post by blogger JVeritas on freerepublic.com who has been hard at work digging and translating:

In pages 63 and 64 of document Document CMPC-2003-002284 , there is secret and confidential memo dated September 16 1998 concerning a meeting of the National Monitoring Department to discuss how to destroy some “non necessary documents” and keep the necessary one in a safe place according to the memo but the most important part of the memo is a pareagraph on how to handle “The Researches That Cannot Be Declared and that is related with the previous Prohibited Programs of WMD and how to make sure that information about these researches will not leak to the outside because it will be too dangerous if this happened”. Yet another document that proves without any doubt that Saddam Regime never stopped working in his WMD programs and Research and they were just waiting for the opportune moment to produce these WMD again on a large scale.

That last sentence, JVeritas' opinion and one I happen to share, pretty much sums it up. If you're still in doubt, keep in mind UN inspectors were still in Iraq in September 1998. Big surprise: Saddam was not cooperating.

Agent 007

2006-04-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

This could easily be out of a Bond flick or one of the latest generation of war games but it's not, it's the real thing:

Souda Bay, Crete, Greece (April 10, 2006) - U.S. Navy High-Speed Vessel (HSV 2) Swift arrives for a routine port visit. Swift, currently manned by its Blue Crew, is assigned as the command ship for Commander Mine Warfare Command (COMINEWARCOM) located in Ingleside, Texas. U.S. Navy photo by Mr. Paul Farley (RELEASED)

It's Just Not Right

2006-04-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

The images of thousands of illegal immigrants and their supporters marching in open defiance of the laws of their host nation are very disturbing. The number of illegals has been quietly growing for decades and as long as they went about their business most of us were content to concentrate on other problems. Now that the population has reached critical mass, the politicians are talking amnesty partly because they fear the political muscle of the latino vote. I assume they are referring to the legal latino vote because unless the politicians grant amnesty to the illegals, they do not have a vote. They don't pay taxes either so it pains me to no end to read articles by the bleeding left referring to the civil rights of these people.

From Webster:
Main Entry: civil rights
Function: noun plural: the nonpolitical rights of a citizen; especially : the rights of personal liberty guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the 13th and 14th amendments to the Constitution and by acts of Congress.

Bottom line: they entered our country illegally. It makes no difference how long they have been here. Let's place this issue within a smaller context that even the liberals should be able to grasp:

Hypothetically speaking, picture yourself as the owner of a plot of land out in the country - size really doesn't matter here so make it as large or small as you wish. This plot of land happens to be five states away from your home and three hours from the nearest airport by car which is a grueling trip along rutted dirt roads. Your spouse tends to get car-sick. Needless to say you don't visit much. It's been almost six years since you last set foot on the property but eager to get away for a while, you make the trip. When you arrive, dusty and beaten, you find a travel trailer that has obviously been there for quite some time sitting squarely in the middle of your land. Judging from the various appliances and vehicle remains embedded in the landscape, this squatter has been residing here for years undetected. Now, since he's firmly implanted on your land do you let him stay simply because he's already there or do you bring in the sheriff to run him off?

We have a problem of huge proportions that needs fixing. Amnesty is not the answer. You grant amnesty to the millions of illegals already within our borders and you will see the largest surge of illegal immigration in the history of our nation shortly thereafter. Amnesty does not fix anything - it simply postpones the issue, a move popular with politicians when dealing with any controversial topic.

Another Tribute

2006-04-04T06:28:00.000-07:00

Here's another that should send chills up your spine. Anyone with a loved one in our military deserves our support and those actually out there on the line deserve our undying gratitude.

http://www.iwo.com/heroes.htm

Hat tip: Vasko Kohlmayer via Marcia Tarasovic

Immigrant vs Illegal

2006-04-03T07:10:00.000-07:00

Herbert E. Meyer recently posted an excellent essay over at The American Thinker that is the best take on immigration that I've read in the past few weeks.

Simply put, the debate in Washington isn’t about “immigration” at all – and that’s the problem.

To ordinary Americans, the definition of “immigration” is very specific: You come here with absolutely nothing except a burning desire to be an American. You start off at some miserable, low-paying job that at least puts a roof over your family’s head and food on the table. You put your kids in school, tell them how lucky they are to be here – and make darn sure they do well even if that means hiring a tutor and taking a second, or third, job to pay for it. You learn English, even if you’ve got to take classes at night when you’re dead tired. You play by the rules—which means you pay your taxes, get a driver’s license and insure your car so that if yours hits mine, I can recover the cost of the damages. And you file for citizenship the first day you’re eligible.

Do all this and you become an American like all the rest of us. Your kids will lose their accents, move into the mainstream, and retain little of their heritage except a few words of your language and – if you’re lucky—an irresistible urge to visit you now and then for some of mom’s old-country cooking.

This is how the Italians made it, the Germans made it, the Dutch made it, the Poles made it, the Jews made it, and more recently how the Cubans and the Vietnamese made it. The process isn’t easy – but it works and that’s the way ordinary Americans want to keep it.

Hit the link above and read the whole thing.

Navy PR

2006-04-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

Got this via email today and had to post it. It's about 5 minutes long but worth it. Great slideshow!

http://objflicks.com/SeaPower.htm

Enjoy!

Visit Pinch for some more conservative fun, liberals be warned. Click on the link under his post titled "This Rocks".

http://instapinch.com/

My Stand on Immigrants

2006-03-31T15:31:00.000-08:00

I want to make this perfectly clear. I support legal immigrants who wish to become Americans. Almost all Americans are descendents of immigrants. That said, illegals or self-proclaimed revolutionaries who do such things as fly the flag of Mexico over an inverted American flag, claim they are here to take back what is rightfully theirs, or march under the image of Che Guevara (he's Cuban, people - not Mexican - and he's a murderer) do not belong here. You want to live under the Mexican flag then by all means do so. In Mexico. Go home. Walk, swim, or ride - I don't care.

If you want the benefits that America offers her citizens then come prepared to accept the responsibilities that go with them. Pay your taxes, obey the laws, vote, and learn the language. (The list is far longer but I want to keep this post short and sweet so those will serve my point for now.) I encourage you to honor your heritage but do not force it upon me.

To those who wish to immigrate and become Americans, welcome. For the rest who sneak over the wire, want to freeload and cause trouble, GET OUT.

For a good read from a Cuban refugee who takes offense to the latest ranting coming from the hispanic immigrants go here: http://www.babalublog.com/archives/003144.html

Last Days of the Supercarrier??

2006-03-29T07:07:00.000-08:00

I think not.

What in the world is this guy smoking? In a post over at The American Thinker, Mike Burleson declares that the resurgence of the diesel/electric submarine signals the end for the supercarrier. I kid you not. His logic is so full of erroneous thought that I can't believe somebody at AT didn't kill his post. He starts with:

The giant supercarrier may be entering its last days in the US Navy.

He supports this statement by pointing out that the Navy is retiring its last oil burner, the USS Kennedy (it's time, she's old). He then continues down his chosen path with:

This is coming at a time when the big ships are mostly left out of the War on Terror. Al Qaeda has no navy to speak of; the only warships seeing action are patrol ships and frigates hunting pirates in coastal waters.

Really, Mike? Cruise missiles come from what launch platform? Bombs on target and close air support for the troops on the ground are no longer needed? But wait, there's more:

The increasing menace from comparatively low-cost submarines threatens the behemoths. Once just a threat to merchant vessels, the U-boats of the 21st century have become a direct challenge to the old order at sea.

I must have missed the fact that diesel/electric boats were not a threat to the Carrier Battle Group. I distinctly remember having to locate, track, and attack (in the simulator) those sneaky little bastards in order to graduate from the S-3B Fleet Replacement Squadron, VS-41. (V = fixed wing, S = anti-submarine) Yes, diesel boats are very quiet when running submerged on batteries but they still make noise and they are detectable. Rest assured the Navy is not about to give up its mobile bird farms because a few of the bullies have purchased diesel boats.

For a good laugh read the whole article.

Maybe the Navy will keep the Viking to go out and pound these guys.

Jobs Americans Won't do....

2006-03-28T13:48:00.000-08:00

....for the minimal pay that illegal immigrant workers readily accept. President Bush didn't finish the sentence. We, the American consumer, have created this problem. Thomas Sowell hits the nail on the head:

How often have we heard that illegal immigrants "take jobs that Americans will not do"? What is missing in this argument is what is crucial in any economic argument: price.

Americans will not take many jobs at their current pay levels -- and those pay levels will not rise so long as poverty-stricken immigrants are willing to take those jobs.

Take that piece of economic reality one step further: farmers and contractors will continue to hire illegals until the American consumer decides he or she is no longer willing to support this practice and is willing to pay the higher prices that result from using domestic labor. Until then cheap labor is a permanent part of the competitive equation. Anyone not using cheap labor in a market where everyone else is won't be in business long. So unless you are willing to accept higher prices for produce, landscaping, and housing you had better think about where you draw the line on the issue of illegal immigrant labor. Our demands for cheaper produce, labor, and construction services created a need for low cost labor and the illegal immigrant population was more than willing to take jobs at pay scales below what domestic labor demanded.

The work ethic of hispanic immigrants makes replacing them even more difficult. Not only do they willingly accept the dirty, hot, low paying jobs but they tackle them efficiently, productively, and without complaint. Domestic labor needs to step up and consumers must be willing to pay higher prices for the goods and services affected. Until those two things happen it will be very difficult to wean our society off illegal immigrant labor.

The issue of illegal immigrants has no easy, fast solution. The fix will require broad changes in society, consumer habits, labor practices, border security, and law enforcement. None of these things will happen quickly. We cannot operate our economy without immigrant labor. With growth and unemployment at current levels we simply can't do without this sector of our workforce. Immigrants are a necessary component for our continued prosperity but they need to be legal. Governor Schwarzenegger gets it:

We can embrace the immigrant without endorsing illegal immigration. Granting citizenship to people who are here illegally is not just amnesty, it's anarchy. We are a country of immigrants, yes. But we are also a nation of laws. People who want to be citizens will want to do it the right way.

Finally, immigration is about our values. Too often the debate centers on what immigrants owe us. Too seldom do we ask what we owe them. Above all, we owe it to our country and our immigrants to share our values. We should talk about our history, our institutions and our beliefs. We should assimilate immigrants into the mainstream. We want immigrants to not just live in America but to live as Americans.

Marine Lance Cpl. O.J. Santa Maria is a fine example of this. He is an immigrant who was living in Daly City, Calif., when he enlisted in the Marines. During the Iraq war, he was severely wounded. Because of his military service, he was granted citizenship. When the oath of citizenship was read to him, he stood up from his wheelchair in pain and in tears. "It's for the respect," he said later when asked why he stood. "I'm taking an oath to the Constitution of the United States of America."

We need to fix the problems that exist within our immigration laws and at our borders before we can address the issue of illegals within our society and economy. If you're on a ship that's sinking do you fix the holes in the hull before you throw the stowaways over the side or spend your remaining time searching the crew for impostors? (For argument's sake assume that the holes are far enough below the waterline that reducing weight by jettisoning crew will not accomplish the task of saving the ship.)

Tale of the Hunt

2006-03-24T20:12:00.000-08:00

Wednesday the 22nd of March turned out to be a cold 44 degrees with wind at 15-20 mph under a heavy overcast. Not the best conditions for turkey hunting but Tommy Black, my guide for the two-day hunt at Pushmataha Plantation outside Butler, Alabama, was hopeful that we could locate a gobbler that was willing to play. As we drove through the dark early morning with the wind rocking the truck I wasn’t too optimistic. After driving deep into an area of the managed property affectionately known as “the swamp” we parked and sat in the warmth of the truck for a few minutes waiting for dawn to catch up.

“Hey, the wind doesn’t seem as bad down here in this bottom,” I offered. As soon as we stepped out of the truck the wind came blasting through the trees again. We added any extra clothing that we had grabbed as an afterthought, gathered up our gear, and headed down the dirt road leading through the woods. After walking in a few hundred yards we stopped to listen. On cue an owl fired up, its call booming through the trees and a gobbler answered immediately. From the direction of the gobble Tommy anticipated that when the bird moved it would fly down into a nearby food plot so we kept moving that direction. We didn’t hear any more gobbles as we made our way to the field and at the end of the day that gobble would turn out to be the only one we heard all day. We reached the field and set up in the trees on the edge toward the tall timber where the gobbler was roosted. Once in place and settled, Tommy began yelping to no avail. After about 30 minutes Tommy thought he heard a tom strutting behind us once but after another 30 minutes the only thing we had seen was a doe. We moved on.

The rest of the morning was spent driving through woods, calling periodically and listening hoping to catch a tom without hens. We were both a bit down so I took the opportunity to lighten the mood a bit. Tommy got out to call again and moved around to the front of the truck. He yelped a few times and listened to song birds. He called a second time and as soon as he finished I hit him with a gobble call from inside the truck. His eyes got as big as golf balls and he about jumped across the hood! Then he saw me doubled over in convulsions and knew he’d been victimized. He climbed back in shaking his head and laughing.

Towards noon as we were working our way out of the woods headed back to the lodge for some badly needed lunch we got a call on the radio from one of the other guides that had checked out a new tract of land which logging crews had just completed thinning a few days prior. He had spotted a tom with six hens in a green field on the back of the eighty acres. “Well drive on in there and bust ‘em up,” Tommy replied. As we reached the lodge he got another call. “The tom went one way and the hens went another,” just what we were hoping to hear. With any luck we would be in place after lunch to intercept the tom as he attempted to regroup with his harem. As we parked in front of the main lodge we noticed a twenty pound gobbler hanging from the rail on the front porch, at least one of the hunts had been successful. Turns out the lucky hunter and his guide had called and watched this tom strut the entire length of a 200 yard field straight to the gun with the wind blowing so hard it kept knocking his fan flat. The pair had set up leaning back against a propane tank in the weeds under a shooting house. A rather unconventional hunt with outstanding results plus they were back at the lodge by 7:30 for breakfast. Pushmataha certainly feeds their hunters well and I could tell if the afternoon action was slow I would be fighting a nap no matter how uncomfortable my tree was.

As we headed out to the green field things were definitely looking better. The sun had finally appeared, the wind had dropped a bit, and after a full lunch spread we were feeling good. Plus we were headed to a spot where the odds were high. We parked at the bottom of a hill on the newly cut logging road and hiked in from there. As we approached the green field we could start to see it through the thinned timber and stopped several times to glass the field but saw nothing. Walking up the last hill before the field I thought I heard a hen but wasn’t convinced and saw no reaction from Tommy so I figured it must have been something else. Tommy peeked over the last rise and immediately sunk down to the sandy road. The look on his face told me everything I need to know as he slowly moved back down the hill: we were too late. The tom and his hens were already back in the field. At least the wind and sandy road had masked the noise of our approach. We quickly surveyed our options and came up with a plan. While Tommy belly-crawled to the crest of the hill to stick some decoys in the sand, I moved into the brush on the right side of the road and got set up. Tommy soon crawled into the brush next to me. We could only see a few of the hens, the crest of the hill was blocking our view of the rest of the group. Tommy yelped and the reaction was not what we expected: the entire group looked straight at us for a few seconds and then marched out the opposite side of the field into the woods. We just looked at each other. He later admitted that watching those turkeys turn and walk off really shook his confidence but I’m sure they either saw me moving slightly trying to catch sight of them or maybe it was the jake decoy doing 360’s in the wind that spooked them. Either way they were gone. We were tired and confused. Nothing had gone right. We scouted the field and converted a brush pile into a blind for the next morning’s hunt. Once we had everything set we departed and scouted/hunted our way back to the lodge through the back of the main property. We saw several hens and a few does but the stops we made to call and listen were unproductive.

After another great meal, several drinks, and lots of stories we all headed to bed ready for another early start the next day. Four AM came way too soon for my brain and body but by 4:30 Tommy and I were headed back to the 80 acre tract which was about a 30 minute drive on some lightly maintained county roads. With clear skies dawn was coming fast as we hiked in to the field and the woods were starting to awaken as we set up in our blind. I entered the blind and found an optimal spot based on the anticipated approach and the available shooting lanes. Tommy got comfortable propped up against a small tree in the back of the blind and after about ten minutes I realized my mistake. I was sitting straight up with no back rest and my feet were higher than my butt. This was going to get painful in a hurry. We were waiting and listening but it was too soon to start calling yet. I was slowly shifting position in an attempt to restore feeling to my lower body. With as little detectable motion as possible I twisted to check Tommy. He was nice and comfortable and napping! Must be nice I thought, I’m going to need a chiropractor after this and he’s asleep. Not fair!

Soon enough the crows started their racket and we heard a gobble from the tall timber on the hill to our right. Tommy started calling and pretty soon it was obvious that we had one coming to us. The only problem was the tom would have to come down the road and halfway across the field before he was in the kill zone. The turkey was coming from the south and we had the blind and decoys on the north end of the field anticipating an approach from the northeast. I shifted within the blind based on this new development in order to get an earlier shot. The gobbler answered Tommy again but this time he was farther away. We couldn’t see him through the back of the brush pile but we could tell he was strutting back and forth in the logging road with his closest approach being at the top of the field where he could see our decoys. He was trying to get our “hens” to follow him. Then at about 7:30 he shut down and disappeared. For an hour we heard nothing and I was in pain, I had to move.

Tommy and I decided to work our way out and head back to another group of birds we had jumped the previous afternoon over on the main property. We picked up and eased back out the road. Tommy stopped on a rise about halfway back to his truck and yelped. He heard a tom way up to the north on the back side of the field we had just left. That tom had circled quietly through the woods and was now approaching the field from the north! My heart sank – I knew he’d outsmarted us and there was no way we could get back in place in time. Tommy called again and this time we got another distant gobble from the tall timber on the hill to our south. Ten seconds later another gobble hammered down on us from a hilltop to our southwest and he couldn’t have been more than 150 yards through the newly thinned timber. We were caught in the open standing in the middle of a logging road surrounded by open woods. If that tom couldn’t already see us it wouldn’t be long before he could. We had to move fast. I crouched down and made my way into the woods setting up behind some downed small trees about ten yards from the road. Tommy sat down against a tree right on the edge of the road and as soon as he saw me in position he yelped again. The responding gobble almost made me jump. The tom was coming straight down the hill through the woods. I now realized that I had shot lanes straight ahead and to the right but if the bird came in to my left I wouldn’t be able to do anything. There wasn’t time enough to move so I stayed put and hoped things would play out in my favor. Each gobble was closer and tracking straight in. I finally saw his head moving through the trees and waited for a tree to block his view so I could get my gun shifted without being detected. Tommy saw my shift and stopped calling, he couldn’t see the tom and had no way of knowing that he was still out of range. The tom was working his way down a draw that angled off to my right. Unfortunately there was a rise between my position and the tom. He disappeared from view. I was afraid he was going to top the rise coming right at me which would put him only twenty yards away with open ground between us. All I would see was a head and he was certain to see me shift the gun. If I got a shot it would all be over in about two seconds. Minutes passed with no visual and no gobble. Where was the bird? I needed Tommy to yelp but he was too far back for a whisper to reach him. I was still facing up the hill directly away from Tommy and the road behind us. Tommy finally yelped again and the gobble froze both of us – the tom had followed the draw down the hill to our right and was now only seventy yards away on the edge of the road ninety degrees to my right and ninety degrees off my barrel. We were both badly out of position and Tommy was totally exposed. I looked toward the road and couldn’t see the tom yet. I hoped that he couldn’t see me as I started to shift. Tommy later told me that the turkey was out on the edge of the road staring straight at him. The way he described it had us both rolling in laughter: “I felt like I was laid out on the hood of my truck naked!” There was a wash break between Tommy and the bird so he could only see his head but he was eyeball to eyeball with the tom. He caught my movement out of the corner of his eye and carefully, softly yelped one more time to keep the turkey locked on him. The tom charged toward us and stopped on top of the wash break in the middle of the road, dropped into strut and drummed. A few seconds later he broke strut and took about ten steps directly toward Tommy. The bird started to angle to the opposite side of the road. He stopped, I had a narrow lane between the trees but he was still on the edge of my range shooting 3” magnums loaded with #5 shot. I realized that it was now or never. If he kept moving to my right I didn’t have another hole to shoot through until the angle of the shot would be unsafe based on Tommy’s position. Originally Tommy had been behind me but my last shift put him directly to my right at ten yards. The tom was looking for a hen that didn’t exist and was about to exit in a hurry. I took a breath, covered his head with the end of the barrel, and squeezed off the shot. He went down hard but was flopping with his head up so I quickly closed the range a few yards and fired again putting him down for good.

We stepped off the distance at forty-five yards, a longer shot than I would have liked but that was as close as he was going to get and the high aim had compensated for the distance. We were both smiling, laughing, and shaking. From the first gobble to the shot had only been about fifteen minutes but it had been a long morning prior to calling this bird off the hill. The walk back to the truck seemed shorter, the sun warmer, and the sky a bit brighter after our success. Good company, beautiful land to hunt, and great food were what I’d been promised and Pushmataha delivered all that plus a nineteen pound tom for the table.

Uninterrupted Sleep Cycle

2006-03-17T15:16:00.000-08:00

It's been over a week since since I slept through the night. Moose is finally settling in and adapting to the routine. Oh, you guys sleep at night - I get it! As an added bonus the little piles of soft serve are starting to appear in more predictable places. Good thing cause they're getting bigger fast. The other two freeloaders have yet to figure out what to do with the newcomer that insists on attacking tails and attempting to nurse. There have been a few tense moments involving lots of noise, teeth, and posturing.

Final Homecoming for the Tomcat

2006-03-11T19:16:00.000-08:00

An incredible image courtesy of Pinch. Twenty-two Tomcats in formation for a homecoming fly-by at Oceana. You'll never see this again!

Check out his site for a larger image and the full story on the fly-in.

A Rational Muslim... at Last

2006-03-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

This is what I've been waiting to hear: a rational Muslim voice condemning the behavior that we've seen over the last few months (make that decades).

Dr. Wafa Sultan, a Syrian-American psychologist living in the Los Angeles area, laid it all out on the table during an interview on Al-Jazeera TV. She said some things that in my opinion were long overdue but have already caused threats against her life (big surprise). Her statements are clear, concise, and leave no room for misinterpretation. Keep in mind as you read her words they are coming from a Muslim, a woman, an Arab-American. She gives me hope.

The clash we are witnessing around the world is not a clash of religions, or a clash of civilizations. It is a clash between two opposites, between two eras. It is a clash between a mentality that belongs to the Middle Ages and another mentality that belongs to the 21st century. It is a clash between civilization and backwardness, between the civilized and the primitive, between barbarity and rationality.

***

The Jews have come from the tragedy (of the Holocaust), and forced the world to respect them, with their knowledge, not with their terror, with their work, not their crying and yelling. Humanity owes most of the discoveries and science of the 19th and 20th centuries to Jewish scientists. 15 million people, scattered throughout the world, united and won their rights through work and knowledge. We have not seen a single Jew blow himself up in a German restaurant. We have not seen a single Jew destroy a church. We have not seen a single Jew protest by killing people. The Muslims have turned three Buddha statues into rubble. We have not seen a single Buddhist burn down a Mosque, kill a Muslim, or burn down an embassy. Only the Muslims defend their beliefs by burning down churches, killing people, and destroying embassies. This path will not yield any results. The Muslims must ask themselves what they can do for humankind, before they demand that humankind respect them. (Emphasis is mine.)

BINGO!

For a link to the transcript click here.

To read the NYT take click here.

The Future of Military Aviation

2006-03-09T19:29:00.000-08:00

Some good-natured jabs over at Lex's place, the old single seat vs multi seat rivalry, got me wondering how long until it's "zero seat" in the air. Googled UCAV and the first hit was quite an education. Check this out for a graduate study in the future of air warfare. I'm all for saving lives and minimizing risk but I guess I'm too old school to be comfortable with the idea of completely removing the human intellect from the cockpit.

From the Mayor of Tall 'Afar, Iraq

2006-02-14T06:10:00.000-08:00

To those who doubt our mission in Iraq the following letter offers proof that we are indeed doing what needs to be done. From The Mudville Gazette and Greyhawk, this needs to be heard:

In the Name of God the Compassionate and Merciful

To the Courageous Men and Women of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who have changed the city of Tall’ Afar from a ghost town, in which terrorists spread death and destruction, to a secure city flourishing with life.

To the lion-hearts who liberated our city from the grasp of terrorists who were beheading men, women and children in the streets for many months.

To those who spread smiles on the faces of our children, and gave us restored hope, through their personal sacrifice and brave fighting, and gave new life to the city after hopelessness darkened our days, and stole our confidence in our ability to reestablish our city.

Our city was the main base of operations for Abu Mousab Al Zarqawi. The city was completely held hostage in the hands of his henchmen. Our schools, governmental services, businesses and offices were closed. Our streets were silent, and no one dared to walk them. Our people were barricaded in their homes out of fear; death awaited them around every corner. Terrorists occupied and controlled the only hospital in the city. Their savagery reached such a level that they stuffed the corpses of children with explosives and tossed them into the streets in order to kill grieving parents attempting to retrieve the bodies of their young. This was the situation of our city until God prepared and delivered unto them the courageous soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who liberated this city, ridding it of Zarqawi’s followers after harsh fighting, killing many terrorists, and forcing the remaining butchers to flee the city like rats to the surrounding areas, where the bravery of other 3d ACR soldiers in Sinjar, Rabiah, Zumar and Avgani finally destroyed them.

I have met many soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment; they are not only courageous men and women, but avenging angels sent by The God Himself to fight the evil of terrorism.

The leaders of this Regiment; COL McMaster, COL Armstrong, LTC Hickey, LTC Gibson, and LTC Reilly embody courage, strength, vision and wisdom. Officers and soldiers alike bristle with the confidence and character of knights in a bygone era. The mission they have accomplished, by means of a unique military operation, stands among the finest military feats to date in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and truly deserves to be studied in military science. This military operation was clean, with little collateral damage, despite the ferocity of the enemy. With the skill and precision of surgeons they dealt with the terrorist cancers in the city without causing unnecessary damage.

God bless this brave Regiment; God bless the families who dedicated these brave men and women. From the bottom of our hearts we thank the families. They have given us something we will never forget. To the families of those who have given their holy blood for our land, we all bow to you in reverence and to the souls of your loved ones. Their sacrifice was not in vain. They are not dead, but alive, and their souls hovering around us every second of every minute. They will never be forgotten for giving their precious lives. They have sacrificed that which is most valuable. We see them in the smile of every child, and in every flower growing in this land. Let America, their families, and the world be proud of their sacrifice for humanity and life.

Finally, no matter how much I write or speak about this brave Regiment, I haven’t the words to describe the courage of its officers and soldiers. I pray to God to grant happiness and health to these legendary heroes and their brave families.

NAJIM ABDULLAH ABID AL-JIBOURI
Mayor of Tall ‘Afar, Ninewa, Iraq

Avoid Long Lift Lines

2006-02-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

Shaun White aka "The Flying Tomato" and his unconventional approach to "boarding" the gondola. I can only watch as I nurse an ankle sprain after my unintentional slingshot 360 involving a small spruce tree earlier this season (don't ask). Photo courtesy Ezra Shaw/Getty Images.

Highly Informative

2006-02-12T06:58:00.000-08:00

Spengler's column in Asia Times, dated February 7th, is a very well-written study of Islam's current plight:

With freedom of choice and access to information come doubt. Western scholars doubt whether Mohammed ever existed [2] or, if he existed, whether the Koran was invented two centuries after his death, or indeed whether the Koran even was written in Arabic. Christianity and Judaism are bloodied - indeed, drained almost dry - by nearly two centuries of scriptural criticism; Islam's turn barely has begun.

Muslims rage at affronts to their faith because the modern world puts their faith at risk, precisely as modern Islamists contend. [3] That is not a Muslim problem as such, for all faith is challenged as traditional society gives ground to globalization. But Muslim countries, whose traditional life shows a literacy rate of only 60%, face a century of religious deracination. Christianity and Judaism barely have adapted to the modern world; the Islamists believe with good reason that Islam cannot co-exist with modernism and propose to shut it out altogether.

Throughout the world, literacy erodes traditional society, and the collapse of traditional society leads to declining population growth rates. But in the Muslim world these trends hit like a shock wave. Both the traditional life of Muslims as well as Muslim theology have been frozen in time, such that Muslims are repeating in compressed time trends long at work in the West. The result is devastating.

The entire column is well worth reading. The above paragraphs were selected for content and do not follow each other in the original. The numbers refer to footnotes found at the end of the column. Spengler's logical approach helps to explain in context the reactions and violent language coming out of the Muslim world today.

Grocery Store Humor

2006-02-11T07:42:00.000-08:00

I had to laugh. During a quick trip to the store to pick up some items for breakfast I passed through the organic foods section on my way out. Out of the corner of my eye I caught something that registered as odd once the image found its way to my brain. I had to go back and confirm it. There it was, proudly labeled on a metro-sexual bottle, "Smart Water"!

All these years I've been drinking the regular old stupid stuff. What a load off my mind. Dad, I now have a legitimate reason for all those years of poor grades: it was in the water. Or rather "it" wasn't in the water! Whatever "it" is.

Where is the Voice of the Moderate Muslims?

2006-02-11T06:48:00.000-08:00

From Iran Focus:

Tehran, Iran, Feb. 10 A senior Iranian cleric called on Muslims on Friday to direct their fury over cartoons of Islam's Prophet Muhammad at the United States, rather than Denmark.

When crowds of worshippers in Tehran chanted "Death to Denmark" during his fiery sermon, Tehran Friday prayers leader Ahmad Khatami told them, "We shouldn't say 'Death to Denmark'. Denmark is nothing! We must say, 'Death to America'. It's the Americans who set up the likes of the Danes".

I must have missed the history class that outlined how America established the sovereign country of Denmark. To the best of my knowledge Denmark has been around much longer than 230 years. Where is the moderate Muslim Cleric calling "BS" on this rhetoric? CNN, CBS, ABC, MSNBC? I haven't seen him. "Death to (insert here)" called for by a religious leader during prayers - what kind of religion is that?

If main-stream moderate Muslims do not speak up and condemn such irrational statements by their radical brethren they are placing themselves in a dangerous position. Without a rational voice separating moderates from the fanatics calling for violence the non-Muslim world is left to fill in the void with its own thoughts and fears. Call it profiling, persecution, or survival instinct - I'm sure there are certainly several other titles I've neglected - but the silence from the moderates is likely to result in the average individual collectively grouping all Muslims. Rightly or wrongly so, I wouldn't want to be lumped in that group.

I'll stress it again: where is the moderate Muslim voice?

Congratulations My Friend

2006-02-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, February 9th, Commander Robert Geis, USN, took command of Strike Fighter Squadron 211, the first Atlantic Fleet squadron to fly the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. As if my grey receding hair is not reminder enough that I'm getting old, now my good friend Bob has graduated to the milestone that all career aviators strive for. He has become "the old man". The persona that we, as JO's, loved and hated depending on the day, the mission, and the mood. It should come as no surprise to those that know him that he has succeeded in achieving this goal even though the jet that we trained to fight in is being retired from the fleet. I can't think of anyone more appropriate or deserving to lead the way with the Navy's newest tactical jet. Being selected to command a squadron is truly an honor but being selected to cross-train from the S-3 into the F-18E/F for a command tour illustrates the outstanding character possessed by a man that I'm proud to know as a true friend.

Bob, I wish I could have been there for the ceremony and there are days when I wish I was still in the fight with you. The world has changed considerably since we started Pensacola together. The old adversaries are long gone having been replaced by more dangerous and unpredictable enemies but I take heart in the fact that you are still out there at the tip of the spear. May you be successful in all that you do and bring 'em all home when your turn is done.

Good luck and God bless.

Writer's Block

2006-02-10T06:14:00.000-08:00

For those of you suffering to create a novel (as I am) I'd like to pass on information on something that I have found extremely helpful: a software package consisting of Power Structure and Power Writer available through Write-Brain.com. This is not one of those author-in-a-box, fill-in-the-blanks and you'll be published software programs. It does not teach you how to write. Power Structure is an organizational tool designed specifically for authors that you can tailor to your preferences. It makes keeping the plot, sub-plots, characters, and conflicts on track much easier. Power Writer is simply a word processing program that integrates with Power Structure and allows you to import all that hard work directly into a format where you can flesh-out the outline in an environment that anyone used to Word (or similar) should be familiar with. You can download a demo version at the link listed above.

Once I got into the middle of my novel I found that I was spending more time searching back through material I had already written than I was actually writing new material. Power Structure/Power Writer solved that problem for me. It takes some getting used to but quickly becomes second nature and is well worth the effort. If you're looking for a tool to help organize your story and your thoughts this is it. If what you want is something that will create a story for you with minimal input I suggest you stick to your day job. I assure you it's easier than writing!

Propaganda Campaign

2006-02-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

We are indeed dealing with a "manufactured crisis" generated by Muslims. If the "offensive" images are upsetting enough to incite violence of the type we've seen over the last few weeks then why is Egypt still standing? It should have been a smoking pile of sand back in October. According to World Net Daily:

"The images originating in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten in September were reportedly featured on the cover and inside pages of Egypt's al-Fagr (the Dawn) in October, during the holy month of Ramadan."

Read the entire article here. It certainly confirms the questionable legitimacy of the uproar. If you install the appropriate filter to block out all the noise you can hear it clearly in the background: a collective voice saying, "I'm insulted and upset. No, really I am! Now that I've had four months to think about it, along with the proper indoctrination, I'm really PO'd!!!"

Oh really?

Back to Reality

2006-02-05T20:21:00.000-08:00

For those who need reminding, here it is straight from Webster:

Cartoon
1. a preparatory design, drawing, or painting.
2. a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor (a political cartoon).

Can a satirical sketch be just cause for torching buildings and threats of murder? Not to a rational person. Which leads me to ask two questions: (1) If the cartoons were so offensive why has it taken several months for the Muslim community to bring the issue to the forefront of world politics? and (2) Could it be that the originals were not insulting enough so the Danish Islamic Clerics had to draw a few of their own truly offensive renderings and make a grand publicity tour through Arab lands to manufacture the kind of response desired?

On a lighter note the Steelers won and Detroit is still standing. I count that as two wins for the good guys!

Political Shenanigans

2006-02-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

Muslims worldwide upset about some rather tame cartoons (not op-ed pieces mind you) depicting the prophet Mohammed. Saudis upset by Bush's goal of reducing our dependence on foreign oil by 75%. Maybe I'm insensitive but none of this nonsense bothers me. Americans do not have an obligation to continue funding the Saudi royal family nor does the non-Muslim majority in our country have to cater to the Muslims. As American citizens the Muslim-American community is guaranteed the right to practice the religion of their choice and I have no problem with that. I do have a problem, however, with the radical faction that believes that the right to practice Islam inherently includes the right to wage jihad against me. Leave dar el Harb and return to dar el Islam. America will not be conquered and converted: American soil is not, and will never be, dar el Islam. To the jihadists: your right to practice your religion does not preclude my right as a living, breathing Presbyterian to continue the pursuit of happiness.

That pursuit happens to include my chosen path as an author. I have a novel to finish. That novel happens to include a protagonist (villain) who is a Muslim jihadist bent on destroying all that I love. Because I am an American I can write and hopefully publish such fiction without fear of being jailed because of my words. Maybe, just maybe, my work will become popular and it will help open the eyes of my fellow countrymen to the greatest threat to our country since its inception.

For a proper response to a truly disgusting cartoon see the Joint Chiefs' joint reply to Tom Toles' trash.

Time to get to work.

Iran Requests Direct Flights to US

2006-01-27T07:41:00.000-08:00

Unbelievable but apparently true. AirWise News published this story on the 26th. The words escape me..... The only appropriate response that comes to mind is: "Sure, one-way only - inbound from USS Flattop."

Ahmadinejad is without a doubt the most dangerous nut-job on the planet.

War on Terror or Holy War?

2006-01-22T20:22:00.000-08:00

Depends which side you're on. Most Americans view the war in Iraq and the war on terror as something new. What we are facing is a spread or escalation of jihad. This is not a new phenomenon. It has been active for centuries. As Americans we need to get educated so that we can properly identify and defend against this threat. How many Americans are aware that Osama bin Laden declared war against America back in 1998? "We -- with God's help -- call on every Muslim who believes in God and wishes to be rewarded to comply with God's order to kill the Americans and plunder their money wherever and whenever they find it."

Below is part of a comment I posted in response to The Officers' Club:

We have to know our enemy in order to hold any hope of defeating him. To that end I'm currently reading Walid Phares' "Future Jihad". It's a real eye-opener of an education. This war that we are engaged in has been going on for centuries and as such will not simply go away of its own accord. The only peaceful solution to this global conflict according to the radicals' doctrine is for us all to convert to their corrupted version of Islam. Not interested, thanks. But knowing the enemy's goal unmasks Osama's latest "truce offering" for what it truly is: he wants a breather to regroup. He will then take up the Jihad again once he is ready and conditions are in his favor. For any who doubt that I suggest you educate yourselves - Phares' book is a good place to start.

If you haven't been reading the OC, start!

New Navy Stealth System

2006-01-19T11:05:00.000-08:00

(Jan. 15, 2006) – The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) shown operating in dense fog in the Atlantic Ocean. Iwo Jima is currently underway conducting exercises in preparation for an upcoming deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Lithographer Seaman Apprentice Bryant Kurowski (RELEASED)

Very unique image. Alas it's just mother nature up to her old tricks!

In Honor of the T-39 Crew

2006-01-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

We lost another crew last week.

Not a space shuttle crew or even a frontline crew in Iraq but we, the nation, lost four more. Two student navigators, an instructor, and a retired military contract pilot went down in a Navy T-39 Sabreliner over a remote area in Georgia. Unfortunately there were no survivors. The members of the crew were all attached to Training Squadron 86 out of Pensacola, Florida, which is responsible for the intermediate and advanced training of both Navy and Air Force navigators. Based on press reports the jet was last heard from just prior to entering a military low-level training route. For some reason it never reached the "target". The accident is still under investigation.

The jet was on a "routine training mission". But anything can go terribly wrong and it happens quickly in the low-level environment. It may have been training but lives were still at stake. Granted there was nobody on the ground shooting back but the crew was training to visually navigate to a target. The goal was to develop that critical skill and eventually put it to use in a tactical aircraft with live weapons. That goal implies a defended target and all the risk associated with going "feet dry" over enemy territory.

Every time our young men and women strap into an aircraft they risk their lives so that the rest of us don't have to. It's a dangerous business. Every aviator that flies for our country knows this. They hope and pray that a combination of skill and luck will get them through each mission but it doesn't always work out that way. They accept this as part of the job. They don't do it for the money unlike many of the very people they serve. They fly for the honor, for the satisfaction of being a part of something greater than themselves.

Regardless of our political or ideological beliefs let's take a moment to honor these four individuals that made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf - not just their country's. Killed in the service of their grateful nation on January 10, 2006:

CDR Dave Roark, USN (Retired), Contract Pilot, 68, Pensacola, FL
LT Jason S. Manse, USN, 30, Canton, OH
ENS Elizabeth Bonn, USN, 23, Wilkes-Barre, PA
1LT Jason W. Davis, USAF, 28, Vista, CA

We lost fathers, sons, and daughters. We lost brothers, sisters, and husbands. We lost friends and fellow aviators. We lost priceless knowledge, experience, and an irreplaceable chunk of the future. The only possible consolation is the knowledge that these four left us doing what they loved to do.