A Sense of Proportionality

I use Netscape as my browser. I started with it in the way back days of the web and have kept it. The Netscape homepage hilights the news with a main article, then three that rotate in a window just underneath that. Top story: "7 Children Die in Hiway Crash; 15 Year Old Driving" - Yes, a bad thing... Rotating stories: 1: "Breakfast Battles: Watch Out McD's" - It seems the Egg McMuffin is loosing ground in the fast food, spike your sugar and cholesteral in the morning market. HORRORS! 2: "Militant Group Wins Palestinian Election; PM Resigns" - mmmm...Sorta important, but no words really grab you much. 3: "A Happy Hot Rod Homecoming" - Cool! The dude gets his Vette that was stolen 37 years ago.... Wow...news of violent, islamic terrorists winning a majority of the seats in the election os a soverign nation is (pardon the pun) "sandwiched" between news of a major fast food chain losing market share at the drive thru window and some guy getting his car back. I'd say "they" sort of missed out on the understanding of the importance of each of the news stories, but then again, we can't say "they" never report "good" news.... The media said they don't censor the news, but there is so much to choose from and so little time to report it, they have to select carefully. I submit their selections, particulalry today, as the democratic mechanism of voting has brought a procalimed terrorist organization into the access to nation status. But, then again, Iran did the same thing, and speaking of that, the media sure isn't very concerned about that either....

Commonality: P-3C/Update II and Gay Marriage

Isn't it interesting how this analogy can help understand a complex issue. Let me begin with the story of the P-3C Orion Update II version. I think it was while I was on the Destroyer Squadron staff when I recall seeing a message declaring how the newest version of the P-3C Orion would not be called the P-3D, but rather the P-3C/Update II. Having built a lot of plane models growing up, and spenind a lot of thime studying the military aircraft of the WWII era, I had come to understand that when a major modification of an aircraft was made, they changed the letter at the end of the designation. The B-17F became the B-17G when they hung a remotely controlled set of .50 cal guns in a chin turret. The P-47, when it got a bubble canopy, vs the old framed one, became the P-47D. The P-38 had lots of variants, some as fighters, some as light bombers, some as photo recon, others as Pathfinders. Each carried a different letter behind the "38." Fast forward to the mid-80s. The P-3 airframe, a military adaptation (quite succesful one at that, for it still patrols the oceans) of the Lockheed Electra passenger plane was getting a major internal makeover. All sorts of more automated gadgets were being stuffed in and now the decision had to be made as to how to dsesigate it. Between the lettering scehme noted in the previous paragragh, and what I learned, there is significant reason to point this out, for the people having to call on the aircraft will know what's up there supporting them, or, during mission planning, may have to be specific requests to make sure the operational function comes off as planned. Why didn't the "P-3D" come into the nomenclature? Simple...it's all about money. I learned long ago, the best way to figure out complex issues is to take a look at the money trail, and you may glean some interesting information. In this case, it wasn't the money for the airframe, or the ground support, but it was the issue of the printing and distrobution costs for the change pages for the plethora of publications in existance that referenced the "P-3C." You know, Admin Warfare, the undiscussed mission area, is important! The message that told us to use P-3C/Update II indicated it was cost prohibative to change all the TACMEMOs, NWPs, NTPs, etc, etc, etc, so henceforth and foreevermore, all we would be able to say if we had a "P-3C." Make sense? By now, I hope you didn't get lost in the story and are anxiously awaiting the connection to Gay Marriage. Here it is: It's about the money. Money, you ask? Yes. Here's the deal. Civil unions won't suffice. Like the many forests of printed pubs with "P-3C" that the Navy wasn't about to change, the veritable mountain of legal and regulatory documents out there in the world that say "marriage" in the context of legal rights on allowance of benefits are too many to consider trying to get to change them, one by one, in order to them to say "marriage and/or civil union" would cost lots. On top of that, unlike the control over this decison to change or not being in the hands of the Navy alone (or, in a worst case, the Department of Defense), these documents are under the purview of all sorts of private companies as well. You can't change them just by having the federal government deeming it so. Not only that, it would mean each occurance of resistance to granting rights similar to those granted to straight married people would have to be the approached legally by the person encoutering it, meaning more money out of the pockets of the gay person seeking compensation. The documents will range from applications for insurance, health care plans, employee handbooks and claims forms for all types of insurance. While someone may annonce an equivalency between "marriage" and "civil unions," there will be plenty of businesses that would drag their feet, or flat out say "it says 'marriage' here. sorry!" Therefore, the most effective path to gain access to the many things we grant two people who have promised each other, under a legal contract, to take care of the other, only a nationwide decree of the legality of marriage will suffice. That means, no matter how hard the uphill battle for the activists for this course of action seems, the bottom line is it will then instantly take down all barriers in every other place they may come in contact with resistance, for they hold up a piece of paper saying "Marriage License." The other beauty of this approach is that not every document would have to be known at the time. The acceptance of a "civil union" might make things better for many, but the lingering cases would continue to pop up for years to come, with the associated legal bills and time spent waiting for a clogged court system to hear the case. All this discussion is to help understand why the issue of gay marriage is being pushed so hard right now, and will continue to be. It's the path of least resistance. Thanks to Little Green Footballs for the Open Thread!

Not Your Dad's M-60....

From Military.com, an M-60 A4 firing 850 rounds "at one sitting." It seems the old standby crew served weapon has been given improved qualities...They said it goes 15K rounds before a barrel change. See it here. Thanks to Mudville Gazette for the Open Post!

Dear Liberals: Try Reading the Directions

I won't bore you with lots of links, but between the Judge Alito pontifications, the Abrahamoff, the Tom Delay fake consiracy charges...It seems when "it" is brought up by the libs, they soon find out it's people in their own party doing the same kind of things, be it falisifying travel claims, moving PAC money around, taking PAC money, or wiretapping.... The items come and go so fast, you almost can't read them. Here's my counsel for the liberals/Democrats: I know, I know....you would never really handle any type of weapon, but consider this in a parable style of instruction, the way Jesus teaches...it's in the analogy, not the specific words (or images, in this case) 'nuff said (for now) If this information has helped you in anyway, please pop over to Project Valour-IT and ,ake a donation to the program to get laptop computers for our wonded service members as compensation for my counselling. Thanks to Little Green Footballs for the Open Thread!

A Journey into History - Part III

Part I, Part II, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VII, Part IX I recall the weather was exceptional. Clear skies and gentle low swells, as we forged our way north, communicating "the old fashioned way," semaphore, flashing light (Morse Code) and flag hoists. The stuff a WWII movie is made of. When tactical manuvering is done this way, and the crews do that well, it's pretty impressive to see many thousands of tons of steel dance across the waves in unison, or planned staging of their movements in an aquatic ripple effect. Traffic was light and we came across one ship of significance, a Soviet merchant ship. "Back in the day," every Soviet vessel that sailed was a mobile intelligence gathering platform. This encouter became a point of focus for our boring, but important transit. The BIDDLE was dispatched out ahead to keep tabs on her, and the SARATOGA and thge other ships were maneuvered to stay a good distance away, but if you can see a ship, then it can see you. That's a good rule to aply in such situations, especially bright sunny days with no clouds at all. Back to the background: The BIDDLE fell behind out Battle Group, much to the chargrin of our CSO, CDR Nurthen. The rest of us had kept small bags with a few days worth of clothes and our toothbrushes... To close this line of the story, we all entered the Med, the BIDDLE late, and a few days later, my staff moved to our flagship, the BIDDLE. The CO of the BIDDLE was under the operational command of the Commodore, even though he had a higher "lineal number." Friction became a part of life, as each man tried to fence off their territory. Upon our embarkation on the cruiser, which was tasked as the anti-air warfare commander (AAWC) for the Battle Group, we found ourselves, as the ASWC, routinelt in EMCON "A," as the cruiser would be dispatched down a threat axis in radar and radio silence to ambush the incoming enemy aircraft. We had normally ridden aboard destroyers before, and this didn't impact us much, except to lose a SONAR from the inner ASW screen. As a side note, one of the normal duties of the ASWC was to also be assigned to be the Screen Commander (SC), responsible for planning and executing the screen of these big deck ships with the destroyers and frigates assigned. Now the problem is we are our on station, only able to listen to the radio circuits, but could not respond. Needless to say, it really put a crimp in our style. It didn't help any that the BG Watch Officers would try to get ahold of us, and get angry when we didn't answer there calls. The "INCHOP" reports were filed, briefings from the 6th Fleet and supporting staffs were made. We then joined up with the SARATOGA BG and "swapped" escorts. It was an odd cruise, for the CORAL SEA would remain in the Med and show off the new thingy I understood to be (possibly) affectionately termed "The Lawn Dart." It was the first operational deployment of the F/A-18, and therefore a good time to parade the new birds around the shores of our allies, more than likely to let them know we were going to use it, so they should get on board and buy some, too. I found out later, foreign navies (and I'm sure other services) don't take it too well when you try to sell them something you aren't planning on using yourself. The F-20 Tigershark aricraft comes to mind in this example. Anyhow, we "worked up" with one carrier, then swapped out on deployment. We didn't move the escorts exactly between battle groups, and some discussion followed, ending with a decision to leave BIDDLE with the CORAL SEA in the Med, and the SCOTT (DDG-995) coming with us to the North Arabian Sea (NAS)/Indian Ocean. It sort of balanced the firepower overall. That decision was crucial at another level. Here were two crews, with gear packed for deployment. Once for a winter Med cruise, the other for the Indian Ocean climes. It wasn't just a bite for the operational issues, but also for the "civies" loaded by the crews for liberty, as well. And back at the 20 years ago corral: The Soviet ship didn't seem to take any interest in us, as they should have. It steamed on it's way, with out deviating from it's course. Not unusual for a regular merchant vessel, but definitely strange for a Soviet flagged ship of any category. A few days after we sailed from DGAR, towards a point in the ocaen south of the Arabian Penninsula, were were given orders to head to the Red Sea and prepare for a northern transit of the Suez Canal....

This Just In New Reading for Little Liberals...

Coming to a cute new bookstore near you: Brainwashing of the young and the helpless: Why Mommy is a Democrat from the Little Democrats website. How wonderful! Having spent a lot of years being directly of indirectly invloved in training, in and out of the Navy, I know that many groups try to get in the loop early in life, for it is the time when we are extremely effective sponges. All education at that level is worthy of being carefully chosen, for it is the foundation building time. There are some interesting reactions already blogged about, such as this one: Sean Gleeson's Blog and at Peer Review. Enjoy! HT to a young consevative looking forward to entering the Marines! Thanks to Little Green Footballs for the Open Thread!

Glow in the Dark Pigs? Yep, It's True!

They have finally done it in Taiwan using genetic engineering to "install" jellyfish bioluminescense genes in pigs. This could spawn a whole series of applications. Kids could have a GITD pig as a pet, so when parents venture in the tried and true admonistion of "this place looks like a pigsty!" would be far more applicatble. IN the menatime, the GITD pig would provide a night light function for the child. Sailors of all types might enjoy a GITD pig, so as to remind them (in the case of Capt Lex) the glow in the carrier's wake as they make night traps, or (in the case of Chapomatic) the glow of the boiluming plankton in the periscope while underwater, or (in the case of CDR Salamander) the green shine of the UNREP ship's bow wave following the outline of the ship as you get gas and ammo at night.... And, there are many other applications. Maybe GITD hampsters would be a better idea if you are trying to get into the novelty market... HT to Little Green Footballs.

Convergence - A Method to Gather Public Opinion for the GWoT

From www.dictionary.com con·ver·gence (kn-vûrjns) n. 1. The process of coming together or the state of having come together toward a common point. That one definition is what I think I need for the following discussion. The support for the Global War on Terror is slumping. I have an idea on how to get support form a broad cross section of the country, if not maybe the world. It is a summation of the current issues we are facing and comes from the headlines. All that is needed now is to figure out how to pull it together. My first point of reference is the recent issues brought on by the New York Times disclosure of the NSA conducting electronic monitoring. The general impression is President Bush has ordered the surveilance of regular American citizens. This, in fact, if it were the case, would most certainly not be Constitutional, and everyone would agree. That's not the real case, but in order to find out what the al-Qaida operatives are up to, the monitoring has involved American citizens, who are at the other end of the phone call. Now, the mood of some people, mostly on the left side of the political spectrum, seems to be that protection from this monitoring should be afforded to the terrorists. This would now confer the same rights we have as Americans upon foriegn nationals, making the application of the Constitutional right of the 4th Amendment universal. As of yesterday, certainly CAIR and the ACLU are making their acceptance of this view an issue by filing a suit to prevent the President form directing this surveillance be conducted. Step 1: Leverage off this view of the left that terrorists are defacto American citizens. Place this note on the large easel in the front of the conference room. Next stop: Megan's Law. This is the Federal law that requires sex offenders to register with local law ebnforcement and provide their address. Put that on the lagre sheet in the front of the room. Why is this a point to consider? For several years, and most recently, there is an almost psychotic reaction in the form of hatred to the presense of sex offenders. If we can harness this emotion, and focus it towards the terrorists, then we will have some real "will of the people" to go after the perpetrators, regardless of the expense. Soccer moms, and just about every body else really hates these people and therefore, they are a unifying force in the community. The most recent case in the news to illustrate this point is the sentencing of Mark Hulett by Judge Cashman in Vermont. The reaction in the media and on the radio and TV shows will let you know an overwhelming majority of people are truly upset. Get yourself a copy of Loretta Napoleoni's Insurgent Iraq. This book is centered on discussing al Zarqawi, currently thought to be the leading al Queda commander in Iraq. Lots of interesting stuff in there, most of it in the first few chapters of the book tend to keep repeating that the Jews displaced the Palestinians, and those who came into Jordan then made it hard for the Jordanians, and that's why al Zarquawi became a terrorist., but I digress.... In the paperback edition from Seven Stories Press, on page 31, there is an interesint tidbit of useful information: al Zarquawi was in prison for drug possession and sexual assault. There you have it: the head AQ guy is a sexual offender. Before you say so what?, go back to my first point: The ACLU would have us treat non-US citizens as our own, remember? Toss in the fact that the US Supreme Court has become accustomed to looking to foreign courts and laws to make decisions for US cases. Here's the strategy: based on those two points raised above, and that al Zarqawi, under US law, would be designated a sexual offender, leverage off the push to treat all persons of the world as if they had rights under the Constitution. It should not be selective, just when it's convinient for the foriegner's to claim protection, but it should be universal. In this instance, then the criminal acts committed should also be on the table. After all, isn't that what the ACLU has been tryiing to get for the detainees at Guantanamo Bay for the last several years, access to our court system? There you have it. Current events and what the desires of the liberals are asking for can be used to now shine a light on who one of the main terrorist is, and therefore bring the rage against him, which will help end the fight in Iraq. Just some idle thinking. Update 1/19/2006: Consider the information in this article about the marked increase in "honor killings" among the Palestinians:

Palestinian feminist Abu Dayyeh Shamas claims that: "Men feel they have lost their dignity and that they can somehow restore it by upholding the family's honour. We've noticed recent cases are much more violent in nature; attempts to kill, rape, incest. There is an incredible amount of incest." One women’s group reported over 400 cases of incest in the West Bank alone in 2002.

Rape and incest, both crimes make a sex offender of the prepetrator, and the volience in Israel attests to the Palestinians propensity towards terrorism, and the opening paragraph of the article links the terrorism with the sexual crimes:

When Israel began erecting a separation barrier in late 2003 to protect its citizens from the seemingly endless procession of suicide bombers, Palestinian society responded by redirecting its destructive urges inward. All revolutions are said ultimately to turn upon themselves and devour their own children. And, when suicide bombing became an increasingly difficult means of enhancing family prestige, Palestinians shifted the focus onto their female offspring to restore the balance.

A sad statment on the human condition. Side note: I have called things like this to the attention to NOW in posts gone by, but, somehow, there is no ruffled feathers in their camp. I would have thought their feelings for the oppressed women would certainly draw their outrage for all women, not just the culturally elite ones. NOW drops the ball again (and again, and again...) Thanks to Little Green Footballs for the Open Thread!

A Journey into History - Part II

Part I, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, Part IX Needless to say, I was rather disappointed. I mean, get all the way to about 13 degress south of the equator in the Indian Ocean, and you can't even get a chance to have a beer, and see if the Exchange has any T Shirts to prove you were there. Back the stateroom, back into khakis, and head aft about a 1/3rd the length of the ship, then up 7 decks via "ladders." In the Navy, ladders are mostly very steep stairs, not vertical ladders like you might think, but some actually are, usually in the out of the way places, not were there is normal people traffic. (returning to the build up to the main story line - here's more back ground) So, we hauled our stuff to the MONOGAHELA (AO-178) and let that ship's company decide where to put us. The staterooms are huge on those ships, as they have so much space above the area they needed for tanks for fuel. Most officers on the ship already had two man rooms by themselves, so we fit in well, for last minute visitors. Steve was left to getting our gear hauled to Combat Information Center (CIC), and OSCS Koch went to work getting our Joint Operational Tactical Systems (JOTS) HP-9020 computers set up and patched into the radio circuits for LINK 14 data. Controlled chaos was the mood, but, the hosts took care of us. We sailed on time, and settled in for a long planned 6 month, but actual 7 month deployment, not expecting a lot besides boring holes in the waters of the North Arabian Sea, letting Iran know we were there.... The MONOGAHELA did not man the CIC full time. They really didn't need to. With no weapons, and being counted on to just deliver fuel and some cargo, the bridge watch could generally handle the radio traffic and radar watches along with their tasks. They did man up for us, and several Boatswain's Mates (BMs) were provided, along with the Operations Specialists (OSs) to support us. We found out they had cross trained their senior BMs to be CIC supervisors and they were very proficient at their duties. We steamed east, and rendezvoused with the USS CAPODANNO out of Newport, RI, the JESSE L BROWN out of Charleston, SC and USS JACK WILLIAMS from Mayport, FL. A few days later, we received a message fro BIDDLE that repairs were completed and she was getting underway, with "excess SOA" authorized. For transits out of local op areas, we had a top speed limit (on over all average speed) for the ship's movement, which helped plan logistics for fuel delivery, at sea and to forward shore stations. SOA means "speed of advance." 16 kts was the normal limit. BIDDLE would be steaming about 2/3rds of the way to the Straits of Gibralter at close to her top speed. About a day out of our arrival at the entrance to the Mediterranean, the BIDDLE caught up to use late in the day. We packed up our gear, short essentials, and palletized it for highline transfer. BIDDLE came alongside MONOGAHELA just before sunset to commence alongside replenishment at sea (RAS), and our pallets were sent over. The master plan was for us to be heloed over in the morning, to embark on the planned flagship for our staff. Fast forward: It's about 5 AM local time, and I'm one watch. BIDDLE calls us frantically on one of the circuits, reporting white smoke in one of her shaft alleys. Shaft Ally is the last space in the ship where the shafting from the ships turbines then penetrates the hull, heading out to the struts and the propeller. White smoke in there is a bad thing. The response is for the Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW) to direct the shaft be stopped ASAP, and then to lock the shaft in place. The net reslut of this action is like dropping a large sea anchor, for the blades of the affected prop are being pulled almost sideways thru the water and not turning. BIDDLE's max speed in this condition was several knots slower than we had to go to arrive in the Med on time to reported to COMSIXTHFLT. I notified the Commodore and the Ops Boss. Planning went into affect for what to do until BIDDLE caught up, since our records and publications were over there. The affect on the Staff was not too bad professionally, as the MONOGAHELA's library would have publications we could use, but the biggest impact was the Chief Staff Officer, Bill Nurthen, has also send his clothes over, except for a single change of them. Well, you can imagine his angst, but also how were were able to play on this to get under his skin for the rest of the cruise.... Later that morning, the OPREP (operational report) from the BIDDLE made it's way to use, and listed the cause of the loss of all oil in the main shaft bearing as sabotage. Someone had uncapped the drain line, and big machinery, which in many cases actually relies on the oil as a medium to carry heat off the movig parts as much as it being a lubricant, does stuff like get hot and the glows red, and then breaks or catches on fire. Shortly after this message came out, the Battle Group Staff lawyer sent one back, letting the BIDDLE know the reported was to read, or any subsequent reports to list sabotage as "malicious destruction." That's the term used when it's one of your own people who causes the damage. (back to the story) So was sailed by late afternoon, the SARATOGA, SCOTT, JACK WILLIAMs, BROWN, CAPODANNO and MONOGAHELA all in formation. We left in strict EMCOM "A." That means no, I mean no, radio communications and all radars were turned off. Once clear of the harbor, our orders were to proceed NNE at top speed in EMCOM. We didn't even know were we were going, except a point south of the Arabian peninsula. More to come...

"AIED?" - Aerial IEDs?

Scary story, but gives new meaning to the old axiom of never take the same path twice. It seems the bad guys have come up with a creative solution to get at our helo assets, to include special attention being paid to MedEvac helos. From the Telegraph, here's an article on Aerial IEDs.

The new home-made weapons, known to the Americans as "aerial improvised explosive devices" have been used on numerous occasions. "The enemy is adaptive. They makes changes in the way they fight, they respond to new flying tactics," Brig Edward Sinclair, a US army aviation commander, told Defense News, which first revealed the new threat.

HT to Van Impe in a Open Thread comment over on Little Green Footballs. Thanks to The Military Outpost for the link! Thanks to Mudville Gazette for the Open Post!

"Proud: The Men of the USS MASON"

Ally Hilger has produced a movie, which has finally begun to make it's way into the movie theaters. The movie, "Proud," is the story of the USS MASON (DE-529) is now out and playing in small engagements around the country. It's now playing in Atlanta, GA. A link to the schdeule page is here... My interest in this story began with my friendship with Ben Garrison, who was a Radioman on the MASON during the war. As a result of this aquaintance, I have come to know of the the 761st Tank Battalion and the "Triple Nickel" 555th Parachute Regiment, in addition to the well known story of the Tuskegee Airman of the 99th Fighter Squadron. I did some blogging on it last spring, encapsulating some of the history of the beginnings of desegregation in the US Military. We have come a long way... Thanks to Little Green Footballs for the Open Thread! Thanks to Mudville Gazette for the Open Post!

In Case You Keep Track of These Things...

The new record is 85, set 12/05/2005 at Lake Wales, FL. An you thought Naval Aviators® were the pre-eminent formation flyers... Notes from the website on what was hanging there in the sky:

The 85 way was completed in 9 minutes and 46 seconds from the time Chris left the plane until the last legal grip was taken on Annie. We held it for 17 seconds. Taking the height measurements from the canopies down the center line and heights of those individuals the formation was about 276' tall give or take a foot or two. The formation was 175' wide since there was about a foot between each person's canopy. According to the Sunday/Monday weigh ins (and Chris wearing 90 pounds) the people on the 85 way made it weigh 17,552 pounds

Get more info on this World Record here... Here's the preceeding work for an 81-way diamond:

What's the Difference?

I as sat watching the first two hours of Season 5 of the Fox series "24," I thought there is one difference between that and reading the blogvel "Rythyms" by Capt Lex: At least you know for sure when the next episode of 24 is coming on... One doesn't come with exceptionally loud (and appropriate) sound effects... Other than that, both are action packed and worth every minute. BTW, Rythyms XLII is posted! Update: Thanks to an astute commenter at Little Green Footballs, there is a list of rules when operating in or near former Special Agent Jack Bauer... Over at Plain as the Nose on Your Face, we have these truthful Bauerisms:

We feel it is high time that everyone learned a bit more about the man entrusted to safeguard our national security: * When in Jack Bauer's presence, Chuck Norris urinates sitting down. * Jack Bauer can squeeze through spaces that would make a spider claustrophobic. * Tired of the incessant whining and complaining, Jack Bauer found the dogs and let them right back in. * Jack Bauer's saliva is bullet-proof. * After receiving repeated roundhouse kicks to the head from Chuck Norris, Jack Bauer was heard to ask,"Can you go a bit lower? I was crammed in an air conditioning duct between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. and my back is killing me." * Jack Bauer can eat five times his body weight in terrorists. * Concerned that his dog would break under interrogation, Jack Bauer snapped his neck and turned him into the bag which he still carries to this day. * Jack Bauer has the ability to smell sounds. * Ancient peoples sacrificed virgins to Jack Bauer in anticipation of his birth. * The only thing elephants used to fear was mice. Until they hurt one of Jack Bauer's friends.

And...thanks once more to Little Green Footballs for the Open Threads, that are the cause of so much fun and information from all over the world!

A Little Blogging Humor....

This was published in the local paper on New Year's Day, but not listed in the Pearls Before Swine cartoon archives. Maybe it's an analogy of what happens out here in the blogosphere sometimes... Thanks to Little Green Footballs for the Open Thread! Thanks to Mudville Gazette for the Open Post!

Michael Yon Needs Help

Michael Yon, a former SF Operator turned freelance reporter, is in the States and has made an intersting observation, and is calling for help from retired military people:

The difference a year can make is staggering. One year ago, the gap between the ground reports from Iraq from military friends prompted my travel to Iraq to see for myself just what was happening. The dispatches posted to these pages over the ensuing months were an attempt to bridge that gap. Now that I’m back in the United States for a time, trying wring every bit of information of the war out of the news, only to come up dry most days, it’s become clear that in just under a year, the media gap has morphed into a chasm. Before this thing becomes a black hole, it’s time for a few good men and women to put their military experience and expertise to use in an operation that can create an alternative channel that will allow frontline information to break through and be heard.

Here's the post with his plea for those with connections to the real men and women on the front lines to step up to the plate and become the conduits for the news to flow from our service members. Think of it as a call to arms, to quit grumbling about those PAO types who were good for nothing, and become one. Who can sniff out a (let's be polite) "fake" story better than those who have been there, and also, who can know it's a good story for the same reasons? Most likely you also have connections to friends and family who are in some far flung corner of the world on a deployment, doing the hard work, and not having it reported, at all, let alone the way it is. Here's the unabridged direction from Michael:

Call for Volunteers: Any retired military personnel interested in the Frontline Forum, please email to michaelyonmagazine@hotmail.com, and put “Volunteer” in the subject heading. Please describe briefly your military experience and an estimate to the number of hours per week you can spend reading stories from troops. If you have skills that are in some way related to this project, please include a description of those skills in your email. Let us know what you can do and how much of it you are willing and able to do. Someone will get back to you soon. While the Volunteers organize, we’ll build the forum, network with others who are in touch with our troops, and when all is ready, we can turn on the faucets and open the flow of frontline news.

On the Rush Limbaugh show a few days ago a caller made a great point: Many years from now, the people researching what this time was all about will pull up articles from the NYT and Washington Post. He was a little discouraged, saying "they have alredy beat us, because they have written it the way they want and now it's history." Michael's call for volunteers may well be a way to counter the press bias for those of two and more generations down the road, who will no longer have the view of those who were there. So...time to quit grumbling about the Has Been Media and get out to poke a stick in thier eye, with that valuable tool called "truth." Thanks to Little Green Footballs for the Open Thread! Can you help?

It's Too Bad James Doohan Has Moved On...

WOW! What will those rocket scientists think of next? Hyperdrive sure will make our other meager attemtps at space travel look like we are in the stone age... Eat lunch, go to the moon, have dinner in 1/6th the gravity....I'm sure "Scotty" would like to have been around for this...

A Journey Into History - Part I

Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VII, Part IX I don't recall the exact date it was, but it was in January 20 years ago, and the location was an island pardise referred to as "DGAR" (pronounced Dee-gar) by the mulitude of airmen and sailors who have had the pleasure of transiting, by ship, sub or plane to the southern reaches of the Indian Ocean in the Chagos Archipeligo. Being south of the equator, it is more than likely responsible for many "Shellbacks" of the various services as well. I pick up the story a few months late. But to catch up quickly, my travels to DGAR began in Norfolk, VA at the end of Oct, 1985. Sailing with the USS CORAL SEA (CV-43) Battle Group, under the command of Commander Carrier Group TWO. Assigned to the Battle Group was Destroyer Squadron THIRTY TWO, USS BIDDLE (CG-34), USS CAPODANNO (FF-1093), USS JESSE L BROWN (FF-1089), USS JACK WILLIAMS (FFG-24) and USS MONOGAHELA (AO-178), we headed east to the Med to swap out our CV and Group Commander, before heading to the North Arabian Sea. My "boss" was Capt Wes Jordan, Jr, Commodore for DESRON 32, and the Chief Staff Officer was CDR William "Bill" Nurthen. Staff OPS was LCDR Steve Nerheim, LCDR AL McCollum was our token ASW TACCO from the P-3 community to help make sure us "shoes" did ASW right. Much, much more on that later....OSC(SW) Jim Koch was our OPS Assistant, and RMCS(SW) Rumbaugh the Communications Officer. We had a chpalian and an RP (religiuos program specialist), but I can't recall their names. They were farmed out to the ships of the Battle Group and rarely we with us. YN1 Thorton and a MS1 as the Commodore's staff rounded out our little "family." Our sailing from Norfolk in October had been a wonderfully exciting day, as all our gear had been loaded aboard USS BIDDLE, but during the night before, the deck crew was hoisting a 40' Utility Boat back aboard when a limit switch failed, allowing the winches to keep running, after the davit arm was fully upright. The result was a bend davit arm. COMNAVSURFLANT directed BIDDLE to remain inport and effect repairs, as our deployment would require anchoring out a lot, and the boat davits would be used extensively. The Commodore issued orders to find another flagship. Looking to the north, we could see the CORAL SEA already moving from the piers. USS MONOGAHELA was still moored at her berth, so we yelled for help from the BIDDLE's crew, and got our gear to the Oiler.... Off we go, but more background to come. Anyhow, on or about this date, 20 years in the past, I was headed towards the brow, so I could say I had a beer on Diego Garcia, after being on duty the first day inport, having just arrived from Singapore, where most of our Battle Group had spent Christmas. I heard "All Hands Prepare to Get Underway!" on the USS SARATOGA's 1MC system.....

A Toughtful Discussion on Warrantless Searches

Chapomatic is a really smart guy (but then most all sumariners I have met are), who does his homework. He has great posts and this one, besides being good reading, has spawned a "spirited," yet mostly polite discussion between a libertarian, some conservative civilians and a few ex- and current military guys, who have their opinions on the topic of the NSA leaks. I submit we have bowed to many warrantless searches, like at getting on commercial airplanes, giving our SSN for credit checks and going to major sports venues and US Customs, and no one gets too excited about that. One response to my commentary on the thread said words the the effect that there is no Constitutional right to ride a plane. Someon responded that there is also no Constitutional right to make telephone calls! Touche! I submit the rage is merely Bush Derangement Syndrome, because there doesn't seem to be retroactive rage for the decades, and, actually centuries of this behavior by government....I'd be much more sympathetic to "the cause" if I saw anger at the concept, not at one man's actions. Anyhow, it's a thread of discussion that should hang on and "have legs" I suspect....

Lex wants a Mazda, I'll Take One of These

Capt Lex says he wants a Mazda Kabura, but I really think he let out that his eyesight is slipping from the one eagle eyed 20/15 measure he is used to....that's way too sad for any pilot. But, in the spirit of tech lust™, I'd like one of these: A really, really BIG Screen. Now, on the other hand.... these would be nice (and would keep from disturbing others in the room), but...alas, as with many things develped for the DoD, it's really kinda pricy..(I think about $26K) and it looks very nerdish. These are more compatible with the middle income pocket book, in the $899 retail range...

Last Days

I see the "wakeup" clearly up ahead. Here is a quote from "Last Days at the FOB":

"Do not mistake my words. I am not broken, nor am I damaged. The story of our mission is not a tragedy, despite our losses. The deepest etchings on my soul, the ones that will remain in both this life and the next, were the incandescent examples of valor, courage, and brotherhood I witnessed each and every day. The men who served at my side were bound to me, and I to them, with tidal forces that have no equivalent in the sterile formality of the living world. Back home the concept of "self" is a rigid construct, a domain mapped with the rigid formality of a land agreement. But here on the bleeding edge we became more something greater than our individual parts. We became a family."

Profound to the very core... Lt Currie, CPT Bout, and Major K are almost out of the combat zone, but, as Danjel says above, it's about those he fought beside, that have changed him. An echo of the veterans of combat in so many wars once more. Here's a link to an interview with CPT Danjel Bout on the Milblogging site. It's a very interesting read, and a chance to find out what one man's stress relief has managed to accomplish. (HT: Mudville Gazette.

Some Other Video Creations...

A little something from the "Duece Four" troops...All the good stuff in the movie: Explosions, cool military equipment, hard rock, and lots and lots of good guys (Stryker guys). A music video by a blogger: American Citzen Soldier - "This We'll Defend." One of our soldiers with some pretty amazing talents! Just another reason to support Operation Heartstrings! Video by Americanloveunit - "The Pride of America" - Our troops at "work" and some of the results... Bombs at work...stuff yields to the laws of physics.... Thanks to Mudville Gazette for the Open Post!

Santa Doing Aerial Gunnery Practice

Looks like the Marines are helping out making the world a safer place... HT: Open Fire

An Open Invitation to Jack Murtha from Charlie Daniels

Charlie Daniels was being interviwed on the Tony Snow talk show. Charlie commented that he had no idea which generals were telling Jack Murtha that we couldn't win the war, because he hadn't heard that from a single one. During his tour of SW Asia, he said, while you might find a very occasional service member who didn't think we were winning, but every one else was confident that we were winning every where but in the media and great things were happening. Charlie issued an open invitation to Jack Murtha and Ted Kennedy to accompany him on his next tour, which is being planned for April, so they could get the answers from the troops who were doing the fighting. Sounds to me like someone has a solution to a problem here.... So, any bets that Jack Murtha's schedule is already full? It would be nice if he took this trip, so he could really make sound decisions while carrying out his Constitutionally mandated duties in Congress. Tony asked Charlie about Operation Heartstrings, too. Charlie has set up a plan to get instruments and equipment to the troops, so they have something for their time off the line to relax with. He mentioned many companies have made generous contributions already, mentioning that Gibson has already sent 100 guitars. Charlie is working with the National Guard to get the donated items transported. Thanks to Mudville Gazette for the Open Post!

I'm Just Curious...

I picked up this morning's paper and rejoiced at the saved lives, only to find out that it was but one life, the raido in the car told me. I'm curious: Will the reporters of the print and electronic media possibly begin to figure out they have some responsibility to their fellow humans? This past 14 months (or there abouts) have been one unfounded story after another. Start with Dan Rather's faked memo on the President's National Guard Service and, discounting the horrific pain caused today by people more concerned with ratings, marketshare and readership than the doing something professional, let alone morally correct, consider the completely false reporting that came out of New Orleans regarding maruading bands of criminals taking over the streets and dead bodies piled up. I once heard someone define courage as being able to hang on 10 seconds longer than everyone else. Maybe it would be good for reporters to hang on those few extra minutes before releasing such significant (but in actuality, in the name of making sure all reporting it correct) stories, lest they send waves of emotional reactions that have damagin effects. Look at the result of false stories of the flushing of Koran's by US troops. That story resulted in riots and actual deaths. I heard that there has already been one incident of a mine company official being jumped by one of the family members. It's more than preventing emotional issues here, it's about not tempting people in highly charged emotional states to make decisions they will regret for the rest of their lives, let alone the physical consequences someone else in their path may have to live with as a result. It's all about choices, and I vote for everyone to be responsible in their personal choices.

A Poem of Tribute to the Fallen

They fought so that others may live That destitute nations be free. They sacrificed the very things That stand for democracy. They lost their lives heroically That war and suffering would cease. God bless them all and may their souls Forever rest in peace. Found in Stalag Luft IV during WWII

I found this on the home page of Museum of the Soldier. It fits the men and women of today just as well as it did 60+ years ago.

A Year of Readership - Thank You.

I just saw Matt at Black Five wrapped up the year. He had some interesting opservations of note. Take a look over there and see how he was surprised. I also wanted to say thank you to those of you who come around, once or more. If any one has any suggestions, the comment section is always open. I enjoy looking at my Site Meter and Stat Counter logs. It's amazing to see readers show up from all over the world. It's more interesting to look at the ones who come in from search engines and see what words they find me with. One thing, with I can't decide to be preplexed about or not, is that almost daily for the last few months, the search words "right to die" have been present in the logs. My blog comes up because of a post I did when Terry Shaivao was soon to have her feeding tube removed. I'm not sure if those coming into that post are considering the circumstances for themselves or someone they care for, but it makes me feel sad that the discussion has to be held in the first place. I want to acknowledge the websites who have sent me of my traffic: Mudville Gazette. Thanks, GreyHawk and Mrs. Greyhawk for the almost daily open posts and the Dawn Patrol, which featured some of my posts! Little Green Footballs. The place where Dan Rather met his match and the influence of bloggers really took off. Charles does a daily open thread, and, if you find it soon enough, it may provide you with a posting high enough that people don't get bored scrolling thru about 2000 comments on the thread. Black Five. Matt picked up the Cpl Desmond Doss story and it spread like wildfire. That one post has been reponsible for about half of tall the hits I got this year, and has been one that shows up regularly from search engine hits, even today! Chapomatic. The submariner Captain, now vanquished to the center of the nation on a joint tour, has been a consistent reader and linker to some of my posts. Thanks, Captain, and whatever the NAVADMIN is about, I'm hoping for a positive outcome! A Female Soldier. Talk about dedication! A 35 year old wife and mom enlists to be a combat medic. Currently in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division. That sounds hard core to me. Thank you, Grey Eagle for your service, and your blog. And, thanks to all the others who have linked to me, either for a post, or on your blogrolls. Every little bit helps! Thanks! The Valour-IT competition this year (and, in case you're not aware, it's an ongoing project) at Veteran's Day was a sight to behold. Just turn a bunch of type "A" people loose, forgive them for not asking questions, and see what they can do. Last update I saw, where all the checks coming had been added in for the ten day push to raise funds was over $99K (but not quite $100K)! And to think the four service teams all took the $21K goal as their own team's...silly us! As of a few days ago, here is a report of one of the deliveries of the laptops to some service men in a VA Hospital. It's a tough read, and I've linked to Part II, so click on the link and read Part I first to get the whole story. Update 01/06/2006: Part III of the trip to deliver laptops is here. FbL told me in her comment that it's a tougher read than the first two parts... As a simple request to all of you, next time you see a Vet, past or present, take a moment to say thank you. The WWII vets aren't going to be here much longer, and it's not often there are accolades to those who suffered through and fought the "police action" of the Korean War. The Vietnam guys got far too little, specifically because the negative treatment. The Gulf War vets still had to do what they did, but because they were good, it was over quickly. That sure doesn't diminish their willingness to head east about 7000 miles. Of course, the present day troops are doing a great job. They are all around us, and, if you have time, spend a few minutes to listen to their stories, you'll most likely feel rewarded for the small investment of your time, whether their remeberances are happy or sad. Speaking of stories, the Library of Congress has been hosting the collection of these stories under the Veteran's History Project. Please collect the history you can from your family and friends for others to share in the future via this project. Here's a short brief on the project:

Every veteran has his or her own war, and each is custodian of a unique story and memories. At the Veterans History Project, we treasure the personal narratives sent to us by veterans from all wars. Vivid as if they happened yesterday, these heartfelt accounts make us laugh, cry and remember.The stories are not a formal history of war, but a treasure trove of individual feelings and personal recollections. As we build this unprecedented collection documenting both veterans and civilians and their EXPERIENCES of war, we will introduce new themes on the Web site. Please join our effort by sending us your own recollections and memories. Each contribution makes this project all the more priceless.

Here's a plug for the families who support the troops. Thank them, too, for they are in fact, a vital component of what their family members are doing worldwide. If you can help out doing some chores for a spouse with someone deployed, it's a great service, costs you little except time, but, they aren't getting rich on the taxpayers good graces, so it sure beats the price of a service call. They will be very thankful to you for serving them, while they serve. And with that, thanks for all the fish! Have a happy and safe New Year, where ever you may be.

The End of 2005 - Where Have We Been?

What a year! The contrast is so incredible, it's hard to imagine what has happened across the 365 days gone by. I do recall one common thread: The MSM, both the US based firms and those abroad, working diligently to remove President Bush from office, or, short of that, cripple his team that directly supports him. My perception is none of it has been about righting wrongs, but it has almost exclusively been about regaining power for the liberally minded portion of our country, which therefore has benefit to the rest of the world in terms of weakening our military, binding the hands of US commerce via regulations of epic proportion, and handing the advantages to other countries by transfer of high technology, and the impetus to move jobs out of the country, as things such as taxes and the minimum wages are increased. Counting back a little further than a year, in order to support my statement above, recall the entire matter of the faked National Guard Memo by CBS News. Over the year, there have been attacks on Bill Frist, Tom Delay, Carl Rove, Dick Cheney. Most have been flashes in the pan, and all of a sudden, they were gone as quickly as they came about. The disappearence of these stories, alleging incredibly bad behavior, implied horribly criminal in nature, were preceded by some hint that the attackers themselves had also performed similar acts (eg: Not filing correctly detailed trip reports when lobbiests paid the bills). A quick scan of my old posts reminded me os the entire Sgerna Giuliana episode in the international news. Her case, just like just about all the others involving the "kidnapping" of sympathetic people, seemed to end, after mulitple "extensions" of the deadlines for executions, with grace being given by the terrorists, and these release was an opportunity for the like minded people to proclaim how wonderful their captors were. For those captured and not sympathetic, such as the case of Nick Berg, there were no extensions, and there was no grace shown, yet, somehow, the brutality (the opposite of the wonderful humanity shown in the other cases) of the terrorists was somehow down played. Being the cynic that I am, I just have to believe the "kidnappings" are merely staged events, al part of the "information war" being fought in concert with actual military war. The funny part is, a 16 year old, doing a post 9/11 version of real life "Ferris Buhler's Day Off", found out there is a real struggle between good and evil. I'd say this young man has more on the ball than most of the Euopean populace and lawmakers, as well as our Democratic Party, Michael Moore, Jane Fonda, Cindy Sheehan, Howard Dean, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and maybe even Hillary Clinton. Good on you, Farris Hassan! The blogs from the "boots on the ground" types at the beginning of the year were primarily focused on the many IED attacks, or open, mostly unrestrained combat that was occuring. By this time, many blogs discuss the mundane aspects of being in the sandbox, or the relations with the local Iraqi and Afghan populations, in a very positive way. There are countless stories, but there, but here is the one about Baby Noor in progress right now. All it took was one national Guard soldier seeing, despite his daily schedule of patrols, that he could make a difference. School suppiles, toys, shoes, coats, clothing, books, etc, etc, etc, have flowed from the many cities and town of this nation, and I suspect, the world, to help a nation rebuild. I see this as a reflection of the Judeo-Christian ethics that this country was founded upon. Three sets of elections have been held, with the last set this month seeing almost no violence at all, and the Sunnis coming out in droves to join in. For any naysayers on the power of letting all voices be heard in a democratic manner, please start eating your portion of crow. You're wrong and you have been. It is working. I think back, and will admit my research hasn't been as thorough as it should be, but I'd say we (as a nation) have learned it's better to hold our breath and let the local population choose their leadership and style. Will it match ours? Of course not. Geez, look at us, we're still fighting over politics, but now it's in print and on the raido and TV, not in the copper jacketed bullets that kill quite literally. I think back to Iran, Libya, and South Vietnam as examples of when we made a point of picking who would treat American business interests the best. We ended up with Ho Chi Minh, Khaddaffi, and the Khomemi, and then decades of hostility and, I fear, a legacy of hatred from Iran that will shape the near term world issues far too soon, and far too dramatically. Maybe we're getting it right this time in Iraq and Afghanistan and really letting democracy get a firm beachhead from which to expand. I also see that the Democrats still didn't come up with any ideas for the nation on how to fight the war on terror. I don't see the "PULL OUT NOW!" plan as one of any military, or geopolitical value. It's great to Monday morning quarterback, it's hard to make the plan in the "fog of war." There's a few of my thoughts on the year. I'm looking forward to more peace in the Middle East, fewer deaths every where, and the Democrats taking credit for "bringing the troops home." My perspective: Who cares that nothing the Democrats did make that happen, just know it's happening. History will record who did what, and it will surely show a generation of young men and women, all VOLUNTEERS, with good hearts, sometimes full of mischief and bad attitudes, answered the call and did that which we are called to do: to treat your neighbor as yourself. They did it by giving their lives, their limbs, their bright futures, but they did it because they saw outside a selfish view of life. I pray their experieinces will speak to they younger ones behind them, who will see their service as honorable and necessary to a more peaceful world.

The "Wakeup" is Not Far Away

It's coming to the end of a year in Iraq for the California National Guard unit that has given the web three excellent writers. For those without military experience, the term "wakeup" is routinely applied to the end of the announcement of how much time you have left on a tour somewhere. It indictes that one morning, you get up you are on your way from the area/unit/situation, eg: "I've got 45 (days) and a wakeup to rotation." I was scanning my favorite blogs, and was reminded of this by 1LT Rusten Currie's entry "Journey's End". He describes an awards ceremony for his unit. Some of the best words are his reflection on how this experience has changed his life's perspective:

I have been afforded the honor of being an Army officer in time of war, and I have served with the very best that our nation has to offer. When this is over and I move on to other things, it will be from this perspective that I move forward. Simplicity, Occam’s razor suggests we not add anything unnecessary to a problem to solve it. In short keep it simple, when you find a problem fix it. I will miss the men I have served with here, when you spend nearly 16 hours a day with the same people every day for 18 months, like them or not they become family. I see that now, again perspective, and a healthy amount of time spent apologizing to myself for being such a miserable SOB at times in my life. A healthy amount of time spent reaching out to old friends I’d slighted years and years ago, and saying I’m sorry. A healthy amount of time spent not talking but listening, and I mean really listening to what people had to say. I have met some great people through emails and in meeting them; I have been presented with some great opportunities for life after “this war”. Like I said 11 months ago, there are only two days here, the day you arrive and the day you leave (yes like prison). Soon it will be tomorrow and I will leave. Not that this hasn’t just been a blast (often quite literally), but I’ll be glad to kick the dust of Southern Baghdad from my boots and focus on tomorrow, walk my dog, and hug my wife, and move past the only life I have known for nearly a year. Soon I’ll be whole again.

I have enjoyed the writings of this man, who formerly served as a Marine enlisted sniper in the Gulf War. He is well read, and I hope his blog remains intact, for the purposes of history and others who will follow in his footsteps. His work is worth a through read, but plan on spending a great deal of time studying his words. I found Rusten via CPT Danjel Bout of 365 and a Wakeup. Danjel's writings are equal to any of the contemorary action novel writers, with the exception that they are real stories, or real circumstances, and real people, written in real time, with no bias of the historical perspective that may surround them. Powerful word images that pull you into the detail and minutia of what happens in life so far away. Once more, worth a long, studied effort to absorb this fine writing. Danjel surely shows that our service members are anything but hard hearted, stoic, unfelling people. In fact, I submit, he lets us see the reality of a comapssionate group of men (in this case), who care deeply for those they serve, and those who are not part of the conflict, but are so horribly caught in the middle or issues far larger than they can grasp. The third member of this trio is the straight talking Major K of Strength and Honor. He's just writes it plain and simple. He too, as with Rusten and Danjel, gives a look into the thoughts and feelings of those who defend not only us, but any who are in need. These men will be headed home to their wives and family and friends. Sun tanned, and changed, but, forever members of the citizenry who will shape our future. All three of the blogs I have spoken of have been places I have been checking daily for the better part of the past year. I became unsettled, sometimes, when I'd link in and find nothing new posted for days, particularly when there were reports of intense fighting. Thankfully, all three of these men have made if this far, so I pray they will make the last few days, and the transit home safely. I also realize I will soon be undergoing a degree of withdrawal from the postings I have come so accustomed to. I'm confident others will take their place. There's my unpaid advertisement for some people who took time from their incredibly hectic schedule, while fighting a war, in order that we many look at other perspectives than that of the accepted profession of journalism that we have most often subscribed to. I invite you to read their collective works and mentally engage yourself in observing the transformation of three Citizen-Soldiers, over the period of a year in combat, we asked to stand the watch for us. You won't be disappointed.

How Experience Changes You....

Margaret Friedenauer of the Fairbanks (AK) Daily News-Miner has an interesting little piece on what soldiers from the Stryker Brigade are told before heading home for leave titled "Rulers of the Road".

Chaplain Capt. Steve Dunn said soldiers are debriefed before going home on leave. One thing recommended is that they do not try to drive home from the airport when they get to Fairbanks or wherever they are visiting for their two weeks.

Read the rest of the story for a how deployments change your habits...

Ah! New Technology.....

A browse around the magazine shelfs tonight brought me up to date on a few of the technology things on the near horizon. A little web browsing got me a little more info: I ran across a tidbit about a Human Interface Technology lab at the University of Washington. It seems they are working on some very interesting virtual reality stuff, to include hardware and software stuff...looks interesting in the virtual reality dispaly work for Navy pilots. I wandered a little more and found that motion based simulators may not be too far from the home market, at least for gamers who have more money than sense...we're talking 2DOF, 3DOF and even 6DOF stuff. If you consider the that $60K is a lot less than an F/A-18 (and not to mention the flight hour cost of a real JP-5 burning thing). From surfing to aerial gunnery, they have some stuff done already. The systems can already take data from several commerical games, both flight simulators and car racing types. Are you looking for a special present for someone? Laser Crystal Works can take a picture and then etch it into the middle of a block. I saw the ad in an aviation magazine, which showed a plane picture, complete with the pilot's name engraved in the clear plastic cube. Looked pretty cool. Check the site out for the work they have done. Advertized cost ($50-75) sounds pretty reasonable... Maybe the next web browser will be Flock. Not only will it be like most other browsers, it will be easy to mkae and save your blog postings very easily to your own hard drive. You will also be able to be looking at a web page and easily into your own blog posting via a method called "aggregation."

For the Hunter You Know

This link to a steaks, fish and wild game restaurant in Greenville, SC. The food is excellent, but, if it's too far a drive, maybe a souvenier T's: and and

Maybe Neptunus Lex Can Learn to Drive a HMMVV...

Another interesting video.. When aviators get too old to fly and can't do this or this anymore, but can still keep their driver's license for the earth bound thingys, maybe they can do this. Surface Launched AMRAAM (AIM-120) in action. More SLAMRAAM info here. Pretty good idea for reuse of dollars already spent! Just as a note, there is (obviously) lots of interesting info at Defense Update, such as backpack UAVs for urban ops. Next: Where was the ORDO when this stuff was stored? Ah, left over ordnance and the fun EOD can have... Ask Matt @ Black Five what this might feel like, if you are one of the "participants." If you're more a fan of rotary wing stuff, try this video...and crank the volume up! Lots of Army birds represented here. See the vacuousness of the insurgency in Iraq. How about a little flying limbo, as in How low can you go? Or, maybe the pilot really dislikes the media. Something for the Redlegs out there. By the way, the site Big-Boy.com has been renamed to Break.Com.

A Little Wisdom for the Day (and Life in General)

I'll be taking a few days off to visit the family, so posting will really be sporadic for the next week. For the loyal 12 readers who wander by daily, thank you for adding to the hit counter and I hope you've found something worth reading here. I'll be back with more idle, sometimes counter intuitive thoughts in a few days. The TC1000 will be in my bag and charged up, so I'll most likely get a few ideas typed in. Here's a quote I haul around in my wallet, for it helps keep my attitude focused:

"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment." - Will Rodgers

Oh, so true. I believe I have never heard anyone say they have gained wisdom from success. I certainly have heard many say they have gained wisdom through failure. When you view failure as a situation you had to see, in order that you would understand things better, then failure becomes life lessons with purpose (sometimes to get one more time to yell at yourself "DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!"). Education, however slight, is sufficient to complete the offense... Have a Merry Christmas and thanks for all the "hits!"

If It Worked for the New York Times, AP, CNN, etc....

Wow! Who would have thought? Saddam accuses White House of lying about WMD. Thanks, al-Reuters, for this wonderful acknowledgement of an egregious charge. HT to Political Humor On the other hand, who better to team up with for evidence that President Bush lied about something, than a mass-murdering, psychopathic personality, that also happens to be your enemy in the current world conflict? But then, I will present the (rhetorical) questions that Saddam's charges beg: Did Hillary Clinton lie? Did John Kerry lie? Did Bill Clinton lie? Did Harry Reid lie? or: Did any other person in the entire US govenment, who went on record saying Saddam Hussien had WMDs lie, or....was it just the "White House" that lied? Well, at least we can assume the lying then extends to Bill Clinton, since he said it when he was in the position as the Commander-in-Chief. Yep, that makes me feel better that "the 68-year-old former leader" has finally gotten on board with the liberal biased media. Well, but then again, I think "the 68-year-old former leader" really beat the MSM to the punch, by showing them how effective bald faced lying can be to get people to support you. Who can forget the classic news releases from Baghdad Bob? I rest my case....

Sure, Let's See How Europeans Would Handle This One...

Notes from National Review Online..... It seems to be in vogue at SCOTUS to look to European law trends to determine how best to interpret the Constitution of the United States. I like this one:

BRUSSELS, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Belgium's lower house passed a controversial bill on Tuesday giving police extra powers to fight terrorism, to the dismay of human rights lawyers who see it as a violation of the right to privacy. The Chamber of Deputies approved the bill by 80 votes to eight with 37 abstentions, and it now needs to win Senate approval to pass into law. It would allow police to raid suspects' homes at any time of the day or night, and to carry out certain types of surveillance without permission from a magistrate. Police were previously restricted to conducting raids during the day, and were forbidden to take photographs of suspects without permission. "The old legislation allowed police to look around and see if a full investigation would be useful," said Justice Committee President Fons Borginon. "We now allow them to do that during the night." The bill was drafted by the federal prosecutor's office, which wants to be able to carry out investigations without having first to go through a cumbersome legal process, and is an extension to a recent law which made terrorism a crime. Prosecutors are using the law for the first time in a case against 13 suspected members of an Islamic militant group called the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (GICM). Human rights advocates have criticised the bill, saying it does not strike the right balance between the protection of national security and the rights of the individual. "We think these measures would strike a blow to the right to defence and to a private life," said Manuel Lambert, the lawyer of the Belgian Human Rights League. "It gives too much power to the police and not enough protection of civil liberties." The bill does give defence lawyers greater access to information gathered by police on suspects, but how much is revealed, including the names of informants, remains the subject of debate, a justice official said.

A Man Named John Walker or How We Spent Billions Because Someone "Talked"

Once more we have come to an interesting point in the conduct of a war. In the past few days, the New York Times saw fit to broadcast to the world that the NSA is actually monitoring communications or other than foreign sources. Sounds like a "DOH!" moment to me, but I'm no spook.... The entire incident is much like the John Walker case in the early 80s... For a lot of years (since the end of WWII, to be exact), the Cold War lead us on a path towards the development of two very large navies on the face of the planet. Ours was comprised of a mix of surface and submarines. The Soviets had surface ships, but a higher proportion of their fleett was subs. This lead to the development of more sophisticated methods of finding subs over ASDIC and active SONAR. Over time, more systems were developed to detect subsurface contacts using passive (listening) methods. Along the way, intelligence was gathered that would allow a passive system operator to look at the acoustic signature of the contact, and the consult a library of information that would help more specifically identify the class of the contact. That part is not a big deal, as to how the process worked. What was highly classified was what the libraries contained. This is where John Walker made his money. Through the selling of cryptographic codes to the Soviets, they could then pull previously recorded US radio traffic and play it through the crypto gear, then read the messages. We thought was had exclusive knowledge of the intelligence information, but John Walker and Associates, made sure the enemy could also pick up some of the traffic and then know what we knew. Armed with this information, Soviet engineers could then redesign the equipment and systems that were making the noises we were detecting. During this time, our passive SONAR systems were mostly the AN/SQR-18 towed array, with a few AN/SQR-14 and -15 units around. These systems were desigend to for certain "threats," techncially that means they looked for certain frequency ranges of submarine targets from the intelligence libraries. When John Walker essentially opened the books, the signals these systems were designed to detect began to disappear, as the Soviets put more effort into sound isolation on their boats. Tactically, it was like someone poked our eyes out. Strategically, our tactical forces could no longer act as mobile detection systems for the spectrum of subsurface threats we faced, from ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) that could threaten the Continental US, to guided missile and attack submarines (SSGN/SSNs) that could threaten strategic assets such as aircraft carriers, and amphibious ships. When the NYT spilled their guts (without any torture, I might add), they did the same thing to the GWoT effort as John Walker did. The difference is John Walker and his band of tratiors were charged with, tried and convicted of espionage and are still in Federal prisons. In the aftermath of the John Walker case, we dramatically changed procedures for the handling of cryptographic codes and went to the drawing borads to design the newer equipment so we might once again be able to find the Soviet threats on other frequencies. The net result was billions were spent on the SOSUS sensors and the development of the AN/SQR-19 TACTASS, as well as upgrades to the hull mounted AN/SQS-53 SONAR. Much of the funding for these programs were done in a scramble, adding to the budget strains of the Reagan Era. How much will the disclosure by the NYT cost us? For one, it wasted the salaries of a lot of people at the NSA, not to mention the automated assets used to analyze the data collected. I'm also wondering what it will cost in lives. In the case of John Walker, since the military showdown between ourselves and the Soviets never came to pass, we never had to find out the hard way. In the GWoT, our adversaries are set on killing the citizens of the world, so the carnage will continue, some of it preventable, but it will be many, many years before we can count the real costs. Thanks to The Military Outpost for the link! Thanks to Little Green Footballs for the Open Thread!

The Tyranny of One (or a Few)

Regularly I shake my head when I hear news discussing how someone was "offended" and, as a reaction to the "offense," what can no longer be done by most of the rest of the community, country or poulation... I call this "the tyranny of one." It is the unfortunate extension of political correctness run amok. Instead of a community, via what ever mechanism (city council, elections of boards of various affilations), deciding what is acceptable from a majority stand point, now it seems in many cases, only one person has to say they don't like something. The reaction, in order to cease and desist in further "offending," the behavior/display/language is then banned by proclaimation. I believe the first time I saw this creep into the culture was sometinm in the mid-80s, when the Navy decided that smoking was offensive. (Note: I'm not a smoker, and don't like it, but certainly, for 20 some years of my life, I was around 2nd hand smoke) I can't recall where I was assigned, but I recall the word came down that if any one person in a space objected to smoking, then no one could smoke. That was a tough transition time, as even a junior seaman now was given the power to speak up and control those around them. At first, the rank structure pretty well controlled who made the call, but as years went by, the clear support for any one who didn't like smoking became more and more effective. I know there are times when the majority can gang up and vote something egregious into effect, but I don't think the balance to that is to allow single people overrule everyone else around them, but, in many cases today, across our country, "the tyranny of one (or a few)" is a live and well.

And the "Value" of the Press is Proven

It's hard these days to see how the MSM seems to have singlehandedly bought into the destruction of the western cultures of this planet. More evidence of how major stories have no fact checking, yet "they" (the "PROFESSIONAL" jounalists) think bloggers are a bunch of idiots who make things up. I'd say the major news media is showing us how to fabricate something out of nothing, but more and more, not by accident or inexperience, but out of sheer maliciousness. Follow this link I found on Little Green Footballs the discusses the fabricated story that has launched a thousand suicide bombers (I'm not sure of the number, but was using a paraphase of a commonly heard statment to make a metaphorical point). The Islamic culture may have had it's moments of brilliance over a millenium ago, but what's the point to hanging onto that, when the rest of the world has used the math and astronomy to move well beyond the ancient world of slavery of women and non-believers? Get a grip, people, and especially you left wing proponents of Islam. It's time for a reform in that religion, before it kills far too many of us, so a few can be in paradise with Allah. How selfish is that? You have to die, so one of them can get a personal reward. Great plan. Sounds like the liberals who demand more and more for themselves, until it cripples and collaspes a society. Scan through the writings of Fjord Man get a feel for how liberals handing out everything to everyone is producing a violent, brutal culture, fueled by massive immigrations of those from the middle east, with Islam as their primary belief structure. It is a glimpse of the future, and the MSM is not telling any one about it. From one of my earlier posts, here is some info I picked up from the man who ended up indicating the press was here to tell you what the government was doing:

During the Q&A period, Eugene went on to comment that "we must have newspaper journalism" for "we tell you what the Government is doing." He made these remarks with great emphasis, as though he viewed the government as something to be consistently under suspicion. In doing a little research tonight, as I cleaned up this post, I found Eugene Patterson was the Washington Post editor when the Pentagon Papers were published. I’d certainly say it was his passion to be an agent of change in our society.

The MSM is so busy reporting on the goevrment, they can't find time to tell us what else is happening, besides maybe in the sports world. Somehow, a religion that was formed upon a base of violence, has become the darling of the politically correct crowd. A little contrast: Christianity began with one man and 12 disciplies, with the primary operational directive of "love your neighbor as yourself." It didn't designated who culture, skin color, religious affiliation or gender they might be. Islam began with a man who also started with 12 disciples, and they were run out of town and then resorted to growing their religion by raiding desert caravans and, you guessed it, demanded loyalty via conversion to Islam, or death. Update 12/19/2005: these comments from a post today (12/19/2005) over on Little Green Footballs discusses the very issues I'm trying to communicate above. So, all you left over "flower children" of the 60 and 70's, who know walk the halls of power and wept over the anniversary of John Lennon's brutal murder a few days back, I want to know if you even believe your own musically induced philosphy: "All you need is love?" If that's the case, I'd suggest you get on board and do something about your heroic freedom fighters, and get them on board, too. Read this and consider the words of a wise man (entire speech here):

The idea that one person’s "terrorist" is another’s "freedom fighter" cannot be sanctioned. Freedom fighters or revolutionaries don’t blow up busses containing noncombatants; terrorist murderers do. Freedom fighters don’t set out to capture and slaughter schoolchildren; terrorist murderers do. Freedom fighters don’t assassinate innocent businessmen or hijack and hold hostage innocent men, women and children; terrorist murderers do. It’s a disgrace that democracies would allow the treasured word "freedom" to be associated with the acts of terrorists. - Senator Henry Jackson

Anyhow, the LGF story link got me going, but it' s merely an sypmtom of the danger facing us. We didn't ge to where we are by hding from adversity, and we won't hang around if we shy away fro it. /rant off

Possibly the Best Real "Sea Story" Ever

Neptunus Lex, the Navy Blog "SOPA" is at it again. In his refined writing style, he relates the series of unfortunate events of a fellow aviator, a long time ago, and in a far away place affectionately called "DGar." I know the news has been heavy lately, and therefore I prescribe a good dose of split your sides laughter. Take these two links and leave your comments for Lex in the morning... Part 1: Emergency Sortie Part 2: Po' Lazlorus Do not read them out of order, or the effect shall not be the same. (What are you still doing here? GET READING!)

Just a Thought.....on "Timing"

Today, the extension of the Patriot Act was denied. Enough votes couldn't be mustered to overcome the opposition, which was not only Democrats, but some Republicans. This morning, the New York Times had a headline that said that the President had allowed Americans to be spied on after 9/11, without the legal requirement of court directed warrants. From the AP article linked above, I quote:

"The report surfaced in an untimely fashion as the administration and its GOP allies on Capitol Hill were fighting to save provisions of the expiring USA Patriot Act that they believe are key tools in the fight against terrorism."

Excuse me if I'm skeptical about the "untimely fashion" of the discovery/disclosure of this information. It does sort of remind me of a faked memo about not showing up for National Guard drills, just a few weeks before the November 2004 Presidentail election. In each case, one could logically argue that the timing of each of these releases was anything but untimely. My contention is they were planned to exactly affect current events.

"The Times said it delayed publication of the report for a year because the White House said it could jeopardize continuing investigations and alert would-be terrorists that they might be under scrutiny. "

Once more, I'm skeptical. I'd love to know who they had contacted in the White House staff to float the question. I haven't heard much that would make me assume the press does this on a regular basis. In fact, more often that not, and in alomst every sensational case, it seems as tho the Administration is blind sided regualrly with "BREAKING NEWS!" of this gravity. Which begs the question: Despite what was siad, what would lead a rational person to believe the Times would suddenly seek the counsel of the White House? (this is a rhetorical question) Yep, it was just another story to be repproted and could have been done any other day, or...tomorrow for that matter, but then (my suspicious side is goning to come out now) it wouldn't have been in place to make a few senators question their vote, and particularly with insufficient time for the voting citizenry to grab their phone and make their voice heard. It was timed perfectly to defeat something, and to circumvent the messy, yet effective discourse and dialog we have come to use around such issues of great importance to our nation. Thanks a lot, NYT. Like I read in a sarcastic posting somewhere yesterday, the terrorist was commenting to a press guy: "Just be cause we are going to kill you last doesn't mean we can be friends." Yesterday, I quoted a speech from 1979 on international terrorism. Here's a "keeper" from it, and how, by following this guideline, this situation might have been handled differently:

Third, we must turn the publicity instruments against the terrorists, and we must expose Soviet and other state support of terrorist groups wherever we identify it.

Thank you, "Scoop" Jakcson for the guidance. I wish you had been in your seat in Washington today.

X Racers...COOL!

Just when you thought there was a limit on the boundaries for extreme sports... Click here to see the article at Space.com about the upcoming "X Racers" who plan to compete in homemade rocket planes. Shades of young Anakin...

And He Maybe Thought He Was the First? - NOT!

I was digging about the Air & Space Magazine from the Smithsonian, and wandered across this tidbit. On March 31st, 1984, Robert J. Moriarty, flew under the Eiffel Tower in a Beachcraft Bonanza. Bad news, Robert: Jim Sr. beat you by about 39 years. The difference is after all the champange from the VJ Day celebration, Jim forgot to take a movie camera along to document it. The pilot's view video of the "fly under" is posted in Robert's article.

An Open Note to the People of Iraq

It's a historic day, and I'd just like to say "Congratulations!" You'll get enough advice from others, so I'll leave it at that and honor your courage to get out and vote.