Anna's Clue Tank

Another Red Tails Goof

2012-01-11T07:30:00.000-06:00

Yes I went and watched another trailer of Red Tails on YouTube. The one I have been bombarded with on TV no less. And I found an even more interesting goof, this time on the Allied side - one of the 332nd FG's proudest moments gets changed in the film.

On 25 June 1944 on a mission into Yugoslavia men of the 332nd entered the history books. One four ship flight was reduced to a two-ship of Pruitt and Peirson. Strong winds caused them to get lost and they started to return to their airfield. Their course carried them over the Italian port of Trieste which was still held by Germans and Italian fascists loyal to Mussolini. In the harbor they spied a warship with a German cross on its funnel. Exhibiting the initiative fighter pilots are supposed to have, they dove on the warship and while wingtip to wingtip opened fire. On the second strafing pass Peirson's bullets seemed to find a mine aboard the warship that detonated. So ended the military service of TA-27, an Italian torpedo boat, that was being used by the Germans as a mine-layer. The 332nd became the only USAAF unit to be officially credited with sinking a ship.

So what is the goof in the above screenshot? Lt. Pruitt and Lt. Peirson on 25 June 1944 were not flying P-40 Warhawks. Instead the three squadrons of the 332d FG on that mission were flying Republic P-47D Thunderbolts which were more often known as Jugs. The P-47 is equipped with eight .50-caliber machine guns and the P&W R-2800 air-cooled radial engine. The P-40K Warhawk is equipped with six .50-caliber machine guns and the Allison V-1710 water-cooled inline engine.

Chalk this up as yet another reason to skip this movie. Would modeling the famous Jug in computers have broken their budget? I guess so or they thought 'no one will notice so make it more P-40s.'This sloppiness begs the question - in what other areas did the film makers play fast and loose with history?

Reference - 332nd Fighter Group. Chris Bucholtz. Osprey Aircraft series. Pg 46.

What Education?

2012-01-08T20:20:00.002-06:00

I thought on the Documentary Channel they finally had something to interest me. A show called War Is Not A Game about the Geneva Conventions on warfare. Well I thought so until two minutes in.

The documentary is showing overhead footage of Napoleon invading Russia as the snow swirls. Of the 700,000 troops 80% would never return the female narrator says. Then she continues with about the victor would tend to his own wounded after a battle. That the wounded of the defeated would be left where they are unless they were officers. Then we get to the instant where I changed the channel.

The narrator called taking care of wounded enemy officers 'noblesse oblige.' Excuse me?

The reason why the militaries of that time would care about captured officers and not the conscripted cannon-fodder is easy to understand, officers are nobility and could be ransomed. Nobles would consider conscripts as beneath their notice so why bother with saving them?

Also in common American parlance, at least where I grew up, the term ' noblesse oblige' means those of higher economic standing have an obligation to look after or help those of less privileged economic standing. It was one of those ways to try and sell FDR had good intentions for everyone in the United States - he was raised to believe it was his obligation to help the rest of us.

Being the dutiful sort I decided to do further research on this term. According to Dictionary, the term is French in origin from the 1830s to 1840s. Several decades after that Corsican corporal invaded Russia. Wow, another whoops for the documentary crew. Makes one wonder if they really know anything and taints the quality of the research for the rest of the show. But I did not stick around to watch the rest of the show.

War Horse

2011-12-25T20:41:00.000-06:00

This is one movie where I want a horse to win the Oscar forBest Actor. I caught a matinee showingon Christmas Day and did not expect to see anyone else in the cinema. I wasvery wrong. The theater was at least85% full and since I arrived at the start time, I ended up in the frontrows. I rapidly forgot about my seatlocation as this movie pulled me in from the first unsteady steps of Joey as afoal. I had to see this movie all theway through, calls of nature bedamned. This movie is this well crafted, even the quiet times when you learn abit more about Albert, his father, and his father’s past; I wasenthralled. I was also shocked andamazed and sad in this movie.

One sequence of scenes I think can be used to show thecraftsmanship of this movie and it’s story. Albert’s father is in a terrible bind, rain has destroyed the turnipcrop and the rent is due. Even thoughit was Joey and Albert who made that planting possible, Joey has to be sold tocover the rent. As Joey is being ledaway, a tearful Albert affixes to Joey’s bridle the pennant of his father’sunit in the Boer War. Capt. Nichols solemnlypromises Albert he will bring Joey back.

Scene then shifts to the cavalry unit Nichols belongsto. Here we are treated in fullglorious color how war was viewed as 300 men, in full service dress, atop horsescharge to see who can snag the ring with their sword first. Next we see them in France andbeing briefed for an attack against a German field encampment.

We see this vast field of golden wheat that is ready tobe harvested as the next scene. And then we see thesegreen hats bob amidst the wheat and the flick of horse ears also. And as one man all the soldiers mount thehorses and the order to attack is given. With swords drawn they charge out of the wheat field, across openground, and then they are amidst the Germans just waking up and rushing to meetthe attack. Swords flash, striking mendown. Men atop horses charge throughtents. And then we see Germans fleeingto the tree line with British cavalry close behind. Then we see the emplaced machine guns and as the Germans takecover the guns open fire. Machine gunbullets spit with lethality and rider-less horses plunge through the Germanlines. One of the horses is Joey withpennant still affixed to his tack, but no one in the saddle.

One of the survivors of the charge is Nichols’commanding officer. He is still astridehis horse and is encircled by Germans armed with rifles but he has his sworddrawn. One of the Germans screams athim asking did he really think the Germans would not defend their camp. The officer looks around and we are treatedto a scene of horror. Strewn throughoutthe open field where the camp was lie the bodies of many dead British officersand their horses, cut down by a scythe of lead. The man then throws his sword into the ground andsurrenders. The imagery of a wheatfield ready to be harvested now makes sick sense, it is foreshadowing the fateof these brave men in a new kind of war.

I watched the interview with Steven Spielberg about this movie. He said he was not looking for a project when he stumbled across this play called War Horse. That it just grabbed his attention. I am glad this story did. For fans of Tolkien and the Shire, you might want to watch this movie to get a better appreciation of what shaped Tolkien and his stories.

You guys were really the glimmer of hope

2011-12-24T13:32:00.003-06:00

Today, accounting for the International Date Line, is the 70th Anniversary of the Christmas Battle over Rangoon. Here a few P-40B fighters of the 3rd Pursuit Sqn, Hell's Angels, of the American Volunteer Group along with RAF Buffalo fighters repeatedly tangled with waves of Japanese fighters and bombers bent on smashing Rangoon and its docks.

If the Japanese seized Rangoon, the Burma Road would be closed. With the Burma Road closed, the prospects of continued Allied resistance in China would be grim. The Burma Road was the lifeline for China's military and for the AVG. So Rangoon had to be held.

While the 1st Pursuit, Adam&Eve, and 2d Pursuit, Pandas, flew north to Kunming, Hell's Angels left Toungoo for Rangoon and fame. Their first skirmish with the Japanese happened on 23 Dec 1941. The tally for the Americans and British was six bombers and four fighters. They lost in return nine planes and seven pilots.

Then came Christmas Day over Rangoon. The Japanese threw two separate attacks. One against Rangoon and the other against Mingaladon airfield where British and American fighters were based. Rangoon received a three wave attack of Ki-21 Sally bombers and Ki-43 Oscar fighters. Mingaladon would be attacked by two waves of Ki-21 Sallys, Ki-27 Nate fighters, and Ki-30 Ann bombers.

When the skies had cleared of enemy planes and the total was tallied, the results were spectacular. The Hell's Angels had managed to shoot down 23 enemy aircraft without a single loss of their own. The defense of Rangoon would rage for ten grueling weeks. Men and planes of the 1st and 2d from Kunming would join the battle to defend Rangoon. The British would rush in Hurricane fighters to bolster the defenses. The British managed to shoot down 74 planes with a further 33 probables while losing 22 Buffaloes and Hurricanes. The Americans would down 217 planes with another 43 probables while losing only 16 P-40s. In that time over Rangoon, the world came to know and admire the AVG.

"The six or eight months you fellas operated in the beginning of the war, there wasn't much good news for us. We, nor the British or anyone else were able to beat the Japanese in those early months of the war. You guys were really the glimmer of hope because you were the only ones getting results. That meant an awful lot back here." - General Hap Arnold to Kenneth Jernstedt, 3rd Squadron Hell's Angels in 1944.

Siege of Wukan Pt 2

2011-12-15T09:34:00.003-06:00

Hat-tip to Karagush for this. And thanks again to the UK Telegraph for carrying this story.

The spin of the Chinese Communist Party is coming into play on how they will supress the discontent that is happening in the town of Wukan. The spin totally ignores the corruption of the local party officials who sold land to developers and skimmed some of the proceeds.

Instead the PRC is portraying their actions at battling the lies of troublemakers. They specifically name two individuals - a Mr. Lin and a Mr. Yang as the sources of trouble. Meanwhile Mr. Xue is still dead after being taken into custody.

If that farrago of untruth does not work, well the PRC has another excuse to allow them respond viciously to this peaceful protest. They say they are concerned for the safety of 60 hotel guests in Wukan. They obviously were not so concerned about the safety and well-being of Mr. Xue whom they snatched off the streets.

The cordon seems to be not as tight as the PRC wants as food is being smuggled in. Along with journalists. That might be the only ray of hope for the people of Wukan. The cameras and computers of those journalists keeping an eye on government forces so they do not misbehave. But with Tianamen all the PRC did was wait for night to fall and sweep up the protestors in the dark so they will probably follow the same tactic when they move on Wukan.

So citizens of the world, especially those who were proud of the Western powers saving the people of Libya, it is truly time to contact our governments and demand the same protection or threat of the same protection be extended to the people of Wukan. To do otherwise after Libya would be to show the true hollowness of that commitment. And reinforce in the minds of all who intend harm against the West how weak we are.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8957681/Chinese-government-vows-to-hunt-down-rebel-village-leaders.html

The Siege of Wukan

2011-12-14T11:50:00.004-06:00

The Telegraph in the UK has an interesting article on unrest inside the Peoples Republic of China. An entire town has revolted against the Communist party machine and chased them out.

The town of Wukan had been selling property to developers and the villagers had been happy at making some money. Or so they thought. Then the economy started to go sour and the villagers needed more than their fishing fleet to get by, they needed land to grow food. That is when the local Communist party leaders sold even more land off, sparking a protest and then the leaders being chased out.

In typical heavy-handed thug behavior, the government in Beijing lashed out. They seized some of the local leaders who were trying to mediate things and tossed them into prison. Where one has now died in capitivity. His family says he was tortured. The government is refusing to release his body. I wonder if Xue's family will be told he was cremated and his ashes scattered into a river ala Tom Clancy in The Bear and the Dragon?

What is atypical is the actions of the government forces. After tear gas and water cannons failed to cow the local populace, they retreated. They now have erected a cordon around the town trying to block anyone from leaving or getting in. They have even blocked the fishing fleet. In the Middle Ages this would be called a siege as the attacking force tries to starve out the encircled garrison. Or wait for disease to break out or treachery. Or all three at once.

It will be interesting to see how this drama plays out. Is Wukan just the tip of the iceberg of revolt bubbling in mainland China? A country where one economist/TV talk show host has descibed each Chinese province as a Greece. A country that is overbuilt in ghost cities. A nation with an imbalance in its population caused by the One Child law.

What will also be interesting is to see how the international community reacts. NATO, UN, EU, and the US were all gung-ho to intervene in Libya for the sake of the people. Will they do the same when it comes to violent oppression by the Beijing government against its own citizens? Stay tuned I guess. And pray for the people of Wukan and all others who are willing to stand up against a brutal and corrupt government.

Source.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8954315/Inside-Wukan-the-Chinese-village-that-fought-back.html

Update - A thought has belatedly occurred to me why the Chinese officials have pulled back and encircled the town. It is an attempt to control information flow so other towns don't get the same idea. But one has to look back to Tianamen Square in Bejing for probably the real reason. The forces beseiging the town are probably drawn from local levys of conscripts. So they would not be reliable troops since they would identify with the town folks. So like Tianamen, Beijing is probably shipping in a few reaction battalions from another province. It will be these soldiers who will cause the streets of Wukan to run red with blood.

So we in the West really need to shine a spotlight on Wukan. Our governments need spines of steel if international concepts of human rights are to have any meaning. We the people of the world must speak in one voice to oppose any attempt by Beijing to silence the voices of the citizens it is supposed to represent. If the PRC does use violence, again, then there has to be reprecussions.

Some Christmas Music

2011-12-14T11:10:00.003-06:00

First Annie Lennox sings God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman in her own style.

Then Pat Benatar with her song Christmas in America.

Two Tales of Cuba

2011-12-11T14:49:00.003-06:00

Poor Elian Gonzalez, whom many Americans had last seen being carried off in the arms of an armed US agent dressed in black at the age of six, on December 6th turned 18 years old. He is still in Cuba and still a supporter of the government that caused the death of his mother. One of his first acts as an adult was to act again as a propaganda parrot for the Castro brothers repressive tyranny and to again stick it to the United States.

He called convicted spy Rene Gonzalez in the United States. Who is this Rene Gonzalez? He was one of five Cubans convicted for spying for the communist government of Cuba. How he and his compatriots got convicted is another tale of brutality perpetrated by Cuba. Rene's acts of espionage are connected to the murder of four people. Three US citizens and a permanent US resident - Armando Alejandre, Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario de la Pena, and Pablo Morales were shot down over the Florida Strait in international waters by two Cuban air force MiG-21 fighters. The crime of these four people were to go out in small airplanes and search for refugees fleeing Cuba. They would drop supplies and pamphlets. For these acts of humanity, they were executed.

The sick irony of the Cuban government in having Elian call Rene staggers my mind. Elian at the age of six was one of fourteen trying to flee across the Florida Strait from Cuba. Brothers to the Rescue, to whom these four men belonged, are dedicated to helping save such people from death or worse a return to Cuba. And now Elian has called a man who helped murder good Samaritans.

I earnestly pray that Cuba is swiftly freed from tyranny. That Elian can escape his cage and become a normal person along with the other inmates of the prison called Cuba. That the Cuban exiles in the US can finally see a vibrant Cuba emerge again from the destruction the Castro brothers and communism have visited upon their beautiful island home.

Black Friday 2011

2011-11-25T09:07:00.005-06:00

Since this is Black Friday when screaming hoards of bargain shoppers have besieged major retailers since the wee hours of the morning, I decided to be a bit green and lessen the traffic gridlock while tackling the very smelly issue of Occupiers and their bodily wastes. So now on CafePress at the Sufa Shop is the above bumper sticker. Can buy 1, 10, or even 50 of them. And can even order them with a clear background, which will be better for the rear window of a protestor's SmartCar or Volt. {the previous sentence is defined as humor, please be responsible with the bumper stickers.} Just buy one please. Thank you.

Zuccotti Flotsam

2011-11-16T12:57:00.002-06:00

For such a small area in a very large metropolitan area, the protesters at Zuccotti Park managed to produce a staggering amount of waste. If this place had been allowed to lay fallow and become an archeology site in the future, one wonders what those scientists would think of what we call 'Modern' people?

Twenty-six dump trucks of material was hauled off. Impressive for a mere two months of occupancy. So far two smashed guitars and a bent laptop computer have been identified. Also spoiled food and human waste have been discovered in the mountain of waste. To prove how dangerous this waste is, used hypodermic needles have been found along with broken glass.

I earnestly pray the ten sanitation workers are being extra careful. Getting pricked by a dirty needle is not something I want to face. But they are doing their jobs because the protesters were too lazy. For this these sanitation workers have my utmost respect.

If I was an archaeologist excavating Zuccotti Park in the future, I think I would have but one conclusion of the inhabitants. I would think I had found evidence of a feral wasteful primitive tribe of savages.

Zuccotti Cleared

2011-11-15T09:51:00.003-06:00

Mayor Michael Bloomberg finally did something that needed to be done. He ordered the police and sanitation forces into Zuccotti to clear out the two month old shanty town that had sprung up. They started this morning clearing the people out while tossing their tents and other items into the garbage.

The cops were followed by Sanitation workers, one of whom was overheard saying, “We’re gonna disinfect the hell out of this place.”

And naturally the usual ally of the protesters has risen to the occasion to prove again how divorced from reality they are in pursuit of their political goals. I speak of lawyers. Specifically the National Lawyers Guild has gotten a restraining order preventing the clearing of Zuccotti Park with a hearing scheduled at 11:30AM Eastern.

So this whole soap opera seems destined to shamble forth like a zombie until reality or disease or both kill the protest. So stay tuned.

The Hard Call in 2011

2011-11-14T10:07:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I wrote about the impeding health crisis that is festering inside the Occupy Atlanta and Occupy Wall Street camps. As the day went on, I could not leave alone what I wrote and its implications. And my sense of deja vu kicked in as I remembered I had wrote a post on pandemics.

In 2008 I wrote The Hard Call. In it I discussed pandemics in fiction and reality in relation to new guidelines that were being formulated on who to save in case the whole world was struck by something akin to the Spanish Influenza outbreak. Since I wrote that post, the original news article link has vanished so I found another one that reports the same information. The guidelines boil down to trying to save the people most needed to rebuild a civilization. People over 85 would be out of luck which promoted some civil rights lawyers to get annoyed.

Tuberculosis and Norovirus are airborne diseases. Both cities in question are dense urban areas. Alarm bells are going off in my head. First because of the facts I just listed. Secondly because both cities are major airline hubs so infected people could get on planes and carry their illness to cities as yet untouched. We have been worried about H1N1 leveling the world, it frightens me to think of these Occupy protestors as two-legged versions of the rats who brought the Black Death to Europe. But that possibility exists.

I earnestly hope the people in New York City, Atlanta, CDC, FEMA, DHS, and the White House are podering this possibility. And that they are doing things to correct it before a pandemic erupts and the hard call has to be made on who lives.

Masque of Zuccotti

2011-11-13T07:48:00.005-06:00

A grim milestone has been reached in the various Occupy tent cities. In the months they have existed, at least seven people have died so far.

How much longer must the impending health disaster called the Occupy movement continue? Yesterday I alluded to the TB outbreak in Atlanta, Mut on her blog notes the strain of TB is highly drug resistant. Which means the longer the protesters huddle in their clump of tents in poor weather the greater the number of casualties. The irony is the Center for Disease Control is headquartered in Atlanta, GA, the organization that will be tasked to contain and cure the outbreak. CDC has been reporting, as of 2010, an overall decline in TB cases in the United States to include fatalities, I wonder how long that trend will last if TB spreads from beyond the protesters' encampment?

Zuccotti Park in New York City is facing a far more insidious disease than the current Zuccotti Lung- Norovirus. Zuccotti is not the best place to live now, with Norovirus it will be far worse as the protesters will suffer vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea. People will be spreading the misery around since a person with Norovirus is infectious from the moment they contract it to as long as two weeks after the symptoms have passed. And it spreads quickly in closed environments like nursing homes and cruise ships.

“Pretty much everything here is a good way to get sick,” said Salvatore Cipolla, 23, from Long Island. “It’ll definitely thin the herd.”

I wonder if Salvatore Cipolla will be so blase and sanguine when he becomes just another statistic hacking his lungs onto the sidewalk or into the shrubs? This New York Times article is not painting a pretty picture of the protest folks. People just throwing their trash anywhere is indicative of the mindset of so many protesters, once something has stopped satisfying their immediate need they discard it without a thought to consequences. Read the whole article, its appalling what is going on in that park.

The following fact I am breaking out into a separate paragraph because it needs to be highlighted to show how skewed the priorities of the Occupy Wall Street crowd are. The OWS command tent has electricity or how else could the world watch their Livestream broadcast. Their generators are even run on bio-diesel to calm their qualms of mistreating Gaia. But the above New York Times article says the OWS medical tent has NO electricity so doctors and nurses strap flashlights to their foreheads.

For The Occupiers

2011-11-12T08:51:00.002-06:00

Since the weather is turning colder, I decided to make a de-motivational to commemorate the coming of the snow and freezing rain. I do hope the Occupy crowd bundle up or move back home before the hypothermia and frost-bite get them. Though it seems lice and TB are already claiming victims, it seems to be the return of the Dark Ages. And next there will be calls of 'Bring out your dead!' unless something changes.

New Blog Link

2011-11-12T08:32:00.001-06:00

I have added another blog link on the sidebar. I just started reading Keads' blog Another Day but so far it looks pretty neat. Check him out yourself.

November 11th

2011-11-11T14:18:00.004-06:00

Twenty four years after the guns fell silent across the fields of France, the sounds of battle reverberated again in France and in fact across the whole world. Vichy French forces in North Africa signed an armistice with the invading American and British forces. While Hitler ordered the invasion of Vichy France itself.

On November 8, 1942 allied forces went ashore in North Africa as part of Operation Torch. At first Vichy French forces resisted the invasion. At one point American forces had to storm a fortress right out of a French Foreign Legion film to clear the way to seize an airfield. On D-Day + 4 USS Joseph Hewes [AP-50] was anchored off shore and acting as a hospital ship since its 1,200 soldiers were now ashore. Then that night, a lookout yelled out 'Torpedo in the water!' and before anything could be done the weapon struck. In 17 minutes the ship had gone down, taking 100 crew with it. But every wounded soldier was evacuated safely.

General von Paulus in southern Russia was still moving on Stalingrad. The 6th Army was making another attempt to secure the city and protect the flanks of the German forces driving into the Caucus region to seize Soviet oil fields for the Third Reich. Soviet forces inside Stalingrad grimly hold on resisting the fascist invaders in vicious house to house fighting.

November 11, 1942 found the US Navy offshore of a stinking ugly island that four months prior almost no one had heard of. The place was Guadalcanal and ashore Marines were engaged in hand to hand fighting with Japanese soldiers hell bent on dieing for their Emperor. Far to the north at Rabaul the Japanese were assembling a massive naval task force, their mission is to wipe out the Marines who are tenaciously holding onto Henderson Field. This climatic battle will happen on November 13, 1942.

Even the Indian Ocean had some action on this day in 1942. Two Japanese commerce raiders pounced on the minesweeper Bengal and its charge the tanker Ondina. In the ensuing engagement Bengal managed to sink the vastly better armed Hokoku Maru and drive the Aikoku Maru off.

Meanwhile off the shores of Brazil a recently refitted warship was back at sea spoiling for some payback. The ship is the Omaha class light cruiser USS Marblehead, sole surviving cruiser of ABDA Afloat after a heroic trip back to the United States. In helping to defend Java and Free Dutch allies, she was struck by three armor-piercing bombs but stayed afloat. The ship would see action off Normandie as part of Operation Overlord and would earn two Battle Stars during the war.

Links.
USS Marblehead story.
USS Fletcher war diary.
USS Joseph Hewes survivor.
Timeline for November 11, 1942.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

2011-11-09T09:30:00.007-06:00

We all have memories of the Charlie Brown Christmas Special when the only tree Charlie Brown could afford was this scrawny twig of a tree. So when the Dept. of Agriculture announced they are levying on all Christmas tree growers a 15 cent tax on each tree to promote the Christmas trees, I flashed back to poor Charlie Brown. In these dire economic times it makes no sense for the Obama administration to act like Scrooge and add yet another financial hardship on people struggling. But they are doing it.

And I do apologise to Mr. Schultz, I only use this image to make a not so subtle point.

UPDATE: Good news everyone. Scrooge Obama has kindly decided not to impose this tax on Christmas trees. Stay vigiliant to see if the Christmas turkey and stuffing get promotional taxes imposed on them.

Sharon Bialek All Red?

2011-11-09T08:06:00.004-06:00

Interesting that Sharon Bialek has credibility issues from inside CBS. At least that is the impression one gets from this audio from Bill Kurtis. So will this sink the Cain bid to be the GOP presidential nominee? Only if the three anonymous accusers actually come forward. If not, Sharon Bialek will just be another Anita Hill. Doing nothing to destroy an innocent man's career but thoroughly blemishing her own life.

I really love the snark about Gloria Allred. She could never escape a prison because she would run towards the spotlight.

The Economy Stupid!

2011-11-05T18:26:00.002-05:00

As the Democrat owned economy 'unexpectedly' continues for the 32d month to have 9% unemployment I figured I needed to repost a political cartoon. The above political cartoon I originally posted on December 9, 2005. Long before the financial crisis happened.

For almost 3 years under President Obama the economy has sputtered and lurched. After wasting over $800 billion unemployment has gotten worse than when Obama became president. In contrast after only one year President George H.W. Bush was run out of office. Next November Obama needs to be shown the door and told to get lost.

OWS Idiots

2011-10-30T15:15:00.003-05:00

Well last night and this morning I tried to pay attention to what the Occupy Wall Street crowd were doing. They have a Livestream with video and chat. It was educational, but probably not in the way the people doing it would like.

Lets see one of the people they interviewed last night said, "Hi my name is Henry. I am from Mobile, AL. I quit school and I quit my job to be here." One word for this guy - IDIOT!

Their idea of 'public' safety is something to behold. The one 'security' person who was clad in The North Face jacket they talked to spoke of de-escalation. Also last night they had someone try to take stuff and the concern of one commentator was not the theft itself.

They also had a playlist. The Beatles Revolution was played but the lyrics about 'count me out' I did not hear. Odd. Next song was California Dreamin. Then they switched to something modern and well all that song sounded like was a depressed stoner.

The height of their debating skills boiled down to calling each other denigrating or derogatory names. What egalitarianism and erudition they displayed in this discourse.

Finally lets talk the use and mis-use of technology that was on display.

They assured their followers they had plenty of power and they were running on bio-diesel. Ah it must be good for them to pat their ego for using bio-diesel to save Gaia as they use their Made in China Mac laptops to protest with.

Their live video feed was amusing. It worked most of the time. But other times it would just drop out and see nothing. At one point they put up a banner saying 'obviously not live.' Another point the live video had odd sound effects, sounded like the protesters were talking to their alien overlords because it seems they had cross-talk interference. Their dismounting of the livestream camera took about ten minutes of discussion and then the camera guy had to tote the Mac laptop it was connected to so the video would go online.

After just about an hour of experiencing this I came to one conclusion. Count me out since all of you seem to be idiots.

Speaking of Eurofighter

2011-10-23T13:05:00.002-05:00

I mentioned the Eurofighter in the previous post because Saudi Arabia has ordered 72 of the airplanes. Well there is important news in the world of Eurofighter. The 300th airplane has been delivered to Spain and a total of 707 aircraft have been ordered/delivered.

What cracks me us is how Eurofighter is hailed as European cooperation in sharing technology and creating many long term jobs. It just took Eurofighter almost 40 years and many billions of Euros overbudget to produce 300 airplanes amidst such dramas as Germany leaving the consortium before returning while France abandoned the project to push ahead with Rafale.

But there are two markets Eurofighter just might snag in the near future to the detrimeent of US aerospace concerns. The Typhoon and Rafale are still competing in India to be the winner of that country's MRCA requirement after the other four aircraft were eliminated - including the F-16 and F-18, a winner might be announced this November. Another market within Eurofighter's grasp is Japan's F-X fighter requirements. Eurofighter is offering Japan the ability to build and customize Typhoon to meet Japan's unique requirements, this is very similar to how Japan built the F-4EJ and F-15J. Since the only American competition to the Typhoon is the F-18 Super Hornet and not the F-22 Japan wanted, I suspect Typhoon will be chosen. Amazing that just 4 years ago, neither one of these markets was within the grasp of Typhoon. Circumstances do change.

-- Corrected a name mix-up. The French jet is the Dassault Rafale and not Rafael. Thanks ORD.

The Great Betrayal

2011-10-23T08:09:00.002-05:00

I have been paying some attention to real world events even as blogging took a break. The withdrawal of all but 150 soldiers from Iraq by the end of this year deeply troubles me.

No one who is praising President Obama wants to mention the state of the Iraqi air force. This air force is still in the fledgling state - the first of 18 F-16 Block 52 Fighting Falcons will not arrive in Iraq to defend Iraqi air space until late 2012 or perhaps not until 2013. One full year after the American pullout. If that is not abandonment of an ally and a responsibility than I do not know what is.

This UPI article is pretty depressing in the scope of how unilateral US pull out is leaving Iraq naked to foreign aggression - no real air defense and no radars until the middle of next year. And Iran to the east and Turkey to the north which are the greatest threats; Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Kuwait have no desires to conquer Iraq.

To borrow a phrase from Star Wars, "I have a bad feeling about this." Especially when Maj Gen. Buchanan is grasping for straws to give positive spin. Eighteen planes is "robust" when before there are no jet fighters in the Iraqi air force. But when compared to the 40 F/A-18 Hornets of tiny Kuwait or Saudi Arabia which now flies American build F-15 Eagles and Panavia Tornados and has on order 72 Eurofighters and 72 Rafaels, 18 airplanes is a joke. Which also sums up President Obama's 'smart' diplomacy.

One Percenters

2011-10-17T17:56:00.002-05:00

The below t-shirt idea was inspired by this post over on BlackFive.

http://www.cafepress.com/sufashop.518824668

I think I need to enlarge the image and redo it. But to all who have served and are serving this is dedicated. For the military the spearpoint represents how they see themselves. They are the tip risking their all so that the other 99% of America can sleep easy at night. And yes even protest those folks at the spear-tip. To the 1% I dedicate this.

For Obama and His War-Mongers

2011-10-17T11:59:00.005-05:00

For President Obama, Mr. Peace Prize, for his actions in Libya, Mexico, Honduras, Taiwan, and now Uganda.

Uganda?

2011-10-15T11:25:00.002-05:00

So the United States, under the leadership of President Obana, is sending 100 troops to Uganda and surrounding countries to battle the Lord's Resistance Army. I agree they are not a nice group of folks, after all they use child soldiers in their cause.

Though I do have to ask a question on this matter. Why? Uganda nor the Lord's Resistance Army pose any credible threat to the national security interests of the United States. Actually I have another question to ask, has the Obama administration thought things through. As in what if these US soldiers are attacked by the LRA - what will the United States do?

I will take a stab at answering the questions I posed above. Uganda was picked because the LRA is a pretty ugly crowd so the mission can be wrapped up as a moral crusade to stamp out a scourge. The LRA was also picked because it was an easy low-hanging fruit with supposedly low adverse risks.

Now has Obama thought what to do if the LRA escalates and attacks US forces resulting in wounded and dead. Judging by Obama's handling of Libya, the answer is probably no. Which means the Pentagon's contingency plans for that event will catch the Obama administration with a deer in the headlights moment as the White House flounders for a response. Which will further degrade the concept of the United States being a trustworthy and competent player on the international stage.

No On 26

2011-10-14T12:44:00.002-05:00

This November the state of Mississippi will have elections and a chance to vote on a state constitution amendment. Amendment 26 will redefine the definition of person hood.

Be it Enacted by the People of the State of Mississippi: SECTION 1. Article III of the constitution of the state of Mississippi is hereby amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION TO READ: Section 33. Person defined. As used in this Article III of the state constitution, "The term 'person' or 'persons' shall include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof." This initiative shall not require any additional revenue for implementation.

There are some good things about this proposed amendment. It is probably the first attempt anywhere in the fifty US states that explicitly says a cloned human has the same rights as a naturally conceived human. It is also an attempt to stop the federal Freedom of Choice Act.

The problem arises in the details of making every foetus a person from the moment of fertilization. As the legal brief that is found on Amendment 26 via a link points out. Scroll down to page 8 of the PDF where it is discussed the impact of granting 14th Amendment rights to the unborn. Basically, if this opinion is correct, there should be legal proceedings to determine if the life and rights of the mother, who may die trying to carry the baby to term, is more important than violating the 14th Amendment rights of the unborn baby.

I find it hard to wrap my mind around the concept of interested parties running to a new 24/7 Unborn Rights Court to get a ruling to save the mother or to fight to make the mother carry the child. Some supporters of the amendment say such events could not happen. If they could never happen, then why are the lawyers even pointing it out? Perhaps because they have a firmer grasp of legalisms? And they realize the nature of some people to exercise power over others in any fashion imaginable?

If this Amendment passes, it would require more laws to be passed to prevent the above from happening. And this might apply to cases of miscarriage if an ambitious lawyer meets the proper vengeful family member who wants to the punish the mother. Trying to solve two problems, abortion and embryonic stem cell research has the potential to spawn other problems.

Fox Fire

2011-10-11T07:11:00.005-05:00

This amazing image of what looks like a fox or kitsune was taken last month in South America. From the NASA Picture of the Day site here is their description -

Explanation: Why would a rising Sun look so strange? No one is yet sure. What is clear is that the above unusual sunrise was captured last month from Buenos Aires, Argentina. The body of water in the foreground is Rio de La Plata, considered by many to be the widest river in the world. Although the above image is actually a combination of a normal and a very short exposure needed to avoid oversaturating the bright Sun, the photographer saw this unusual structure with his own eyes, indicating that this effect was caused by neither reflections nor distortions in the camera or lens. What looks like arms on this monster illusion might actually be, for example, low level clouds just thick enough to scatter sunlight without completely blocking the Sun. Additionally, the distortion visible on the lower part of the Sun's image might indicate a Etruscan Vase or Fata Morgana mirage possibly created by a curious refracting layer of air over the water. Unusual atmospheric phenomena are frequently thrilling to see personally, and although most can be traced to well known phenomena, others, for lack of more data, remain mysterious.

Weird Crime News

2011-10-08T07:25:00.003-05:00

Usually people breaking into houses or barns are not the sort of human being to hold to a modicum of esteem. But in this case I might make an exception, if the burglars in question decide to go straight and never rob again.

Two robbers, one underage, broke into a barn. They stole 50 CDs in their heist thinking they were blank. Now a 50 pack can be bought from Wal-Mart for $19 plus tax. If this was all they stole they are not too terribly smart.

Here is where the story gets weird, they tried to burn music onto their ill-gotten CDs and found they could not. So showing some smarts, they checked the supposedly blank CDs and found over 30 of them had pornography on them. The thieves were convinced to report this to the police and they did.

Proving the two burglars were indeed somewhat smart, the man who's barn had been broken into had reported a burglary to the police. The police proceeded to seize several computers from the man. He is presently out on a $25,000 bond awaiting trial on possession of child pornography.

The police have decided not to press any charges against the thieves, calling their actions the lesser evil. Unless they were burning to CD-R ill-gotten music, but that might be in a follow-up story. Stay tuned I guess.

Obama's New Job

2011-10-03T10:16:00.007-05:00

Wonder how long this ad will remain up? Luckily no chicken sandwich was harmed in the filming of this ad starring an Obama double.

To further prove how Obama's 'smart' diplomacy has worked here is some news from Beijing, Peoples Republic of China. There is now open Obama's Fried Chicken in that country's capital. With a grinning President Obama dressed as a skinny Col. Sanders. Naturally the likes of Al Sharpton are offended by this. This is yet another example of reality being far stranger than any humorous fiction.

More Fast And Furious

2011-10-02T16:10:00.003-05:00

The details of this ATF operation keep getting more sordid. As new details emerge, the thin veneer of this being a serious official investigation is getting thinner and thinner. I expect what little patina is left of the official line that this was an operation intended to track and identify supply lines of guns from the United States to Mexican drug cartels will dissolve.

For a decent summary of the Phoenix ATF and its Fast and Furious, Forbes has this lengthy article up. I disagree with Miniter that this is Obama's Watergate as I disagree that this is comparable to Iran-Contra. This operation is far worse in my opinion, since by deliberate acts by officials of the US government, thousands of weapons were allowed to slip into the hands of criminals who then proceeded to use these weapons to destabilize a friendly nation, murder civilians, and murder two agents of the US government itself. Watergate was a botched burglary while Iran-Contra had the strategic aim of rescuing American hostages and bringing down a hostile government in Nicaragua.

Even as Frank Miniter was writing that article for Forbes, events and new information was emerging to further damage the official explanation of Operation Fast and Furious. I consider the following information the most disturbing. Previously the information had indicated ATF had allowed weapons purchased by suspects to simply vanish and later appear at crime scenes on both sides of the border. Also ATF agent Camino has testified before Congress he had read the first part of Fast and Furious' case logbook and three times other ATF agents had left a stash house alone. What could be so disturbing than that? How about the head of the ATF unit responsible for Fast and Furious, Voth, authorizing another ATF agent, Dobson, to purchase weapons with government funds, sell those weapons to a suspect, and then deny Dobson's request to seize those weapons before they slipped across the border and vanish. I am not a lawyer but with these actions it seems the US government has gone from being a mere accessory to murder to an active participant in murder.

While these revelations have come out about what went on inside the ATF, another crack in the deniability armor has widened. Even after President Obama has been shown on video tape talking about operations aimed at curbing the weapons flow into Mexico, the White House and Sec. Holder of the Dept. of Justice have denied they knew anything of these operations. Until an email from ATF agent Newell that he sent to his friend O'Reilly in the White House emerged. Still the White House has denied that they knew any details on the operation. New emails between Newell and O'Reilly have emerged showing Newell supplied O'Reilly with a chart showing the flow of weapons into Mexico.

Naturally Rep. Issa and Sen. Grassley would like to interview Mr. O'Reilly who serves as one of President Obama's national security advisors, but Mr. O'Reilly is not available to the committee. He is out of the country, O'Reilly is presently in Iraq. How convienient this trip is. And how pathetic and desperate this attempt to keep O'Reilly and his testimony under wraps. Just a few years ago President Bush would have regular secure video-teleconferences with Gen. David Petraeus in Iraq. You mean to tell me that O'Reilly could not use the same facilities to answer questions from Iraq posed to him by Rep. Issa and Sen. Grassley?

There is another piece of new information contained inside that CBS report which opens another avenue of investigation for Rep. Issa and Sen. Grassley. It seems the Pheonix ATF office has been running another operation called Wide Receiver. One photo that is linked to that operation is not a .50 caliber rifle as Ms. Attkinson states, instead the picture shows an M-2/M-3 .50 caliber heavy machine gun. Which is a completely different animal than the likes of a Barret M-82 sniper rifle.

So there is still much to be discovered about all these various covert operations carried out under the aegis of the Obama administration. Obama and Holder can keep trying to deny any culpability in all these operations, but the evidence and Harry Truman's adage of 'The Buck Stops Here' points to the White House. An outraged Mexican government wants justice for the 200+ citizens murdered by these weapons. The families of Brian Terry and Jaime Zapata, all US citizens, want justice for their murdered family members. To prove the United States is still a nation of laws, justice has to be thorough and fair in this case since so many people whom citizens entrusted with great power are implicated. For those same people to try and deflect, obfuscate, or even deny will surly mean the end of this great experiment called the United States.

Obama vs Carter

2011-10-01T16:56:00.003-05:00

Michael Ledeen at Pajama Media has an excellent article up comparing how the Obama administration's foreign policy is just as hazardous to the United States interests as James Carter's disasterous presidency was. What got my attention was his adaption of something Jeane Kirkpatrick had written in 1979. With the change of one word, substitute Obama for Carter, and it eerily still rings true.

Inconsistencies are a familiar part of politics in most societies. Usually, however, governments behave hypocritically when their principles conflict with the national interest. What makes the inconsistencies of the Obama administration noteworthy are, first, the administration’s moralism, which renders it especially vulnerable to charges of hypocrisy; and, second, the administration’s predilection for policies that violate the strategic and economic interests of the United States. The administration’s conception of national interest borders on doublethink: it finds friendly powers to be guilty representatives of the status quo and views the triumph of unfriendly groups as beneficial to America’s “true interests.”

Something to think upon as this country still drifts towards impending global conflicts while Obama vacations and points fingers at everyone but the man in the mirror.

Idle Speculation

2011-09-29T23:51:00.002-05:00

So information has emerged on how some of the $535 million of our tax money was spent by Solyndra. Besides opulent showers and glass conference rooms that is one thing popped out.

About those robots who played Disney tunes in that brand new factory, did any of them play the song Whistle While You Work? Well play the tune before the plant was shutdown when the government cash ran out.

Molested Car

2011-09-29T18:28:00.004-05:00

This car was spotted in the parking lot of Edgewater Mall in Biloxi, MS on the afternoon of Sept. 18th 2011. Where should we start on this critique?

First lets talk about the original car, its a Dodge Charger. This car's design is such an aesthetic brick it almost makes you want to buy an Aztec to atone for the error. It makes the 300 look good okay.

Usually chrome makes a dark colored car really pop visually. This time I have to rate those bright rims and rubber band tires a fail. I am still unsure what the point of the applique chrome vent things are, I suppose its to give a retro look for the car. I am reminded of the similar retro applique exhaust ports fad we see on some cars, both trends look wrong and tacky. How about that bulbous chrome outside mirror. Bet in some light situations this car might blind old folks, children, and some pets.

Finally lets talk about the confused owner. They have in chrome glue-on letters the name New Orleans above the chrome cheat line. And the word is spelled out on top of the windshield. Which is understandable since the car tag is from Louisiana. However the New Orleans football team is the Saints. I guess they are very confused in their loyalties - love to live in New Orleans but root for the San Diego Chargers.

Unimaginative Tripe

2011-09-25T19:12:00.006-05:00

I seem to complain a bit about how horrible current entertainment has become. I have done it before so here comes another little bit of ranting.

Fox has a new science-fiction show starting tomorrow that is called Terra Nova. Like in the Lost in Space movie re-make, Earth is about exhausted and only finding a new place will save humanity. Unlike Lost in Space, in Terra Nova the humans are smart enough to invent a time machine. But the humans are not smart enough to colonize other planets. Unless they deal with that problem in the series premier, its pointless to keep watching.

Keeping with the lets rehash something that has already been done, lets talk movies. One would think after Howard Hawk's turned John Campbell's Who Goes There into a gem of a science-fiction/horror movie called The Thing from another World that it could not be topped. But then John Carpenter thought he could and gave us The Thing which really freaked people out. So like I Am Legend/Omega Man got badly trashed by Will Smith's third version, there is a new remake of The Thing coming out. I hold no hope out for it since it takes place in the Arctic, like the original movie, but has the shape-shifting alien from Carpenter's version. I detect no originality to this movie and will give it a pass.

Addendum - How can I forget the movie Real Steel coming out? If it had been called Rockem Sockem Robots it would have given away how unoriginal the movie is.

For the Obama Saps

2011-09-20T11:35:00.000-05:00

The following video is dedicated to all those who are like David Brooks. People who have come to realize that President Obama is not what they were promised with all those lofy speeches set before dazzeling white styrofoam faux-Greecian columns. A bit of advice for next time, choose more wisely.

Oh! My Goddess

2011-09-19T22:49:00.008-05:00

Here is Hild as she appears in the opening for the show in her adult form. Someone not to mess with don't you think? Though still a stunning looking lady.

For Jewels who wanted to see how Hild looks in her normal and chibi forms. For a demoness she is pretty cute when chibi. I will probably rate a fireball for saying that. Here she is spying on her daughter Urd and the others who live in the old Buddhist temple - Belldandy, Keiichi, and Skuld.

Azazel in Baghdad

2011-09-18T15:03:00.003-05:00

Jim Lacey at National Review has a very informative article on the continuing danger Saddam Hussein posed. From biological weapons to suicide bombers to supporting terror groups.

When American tanks smashed into Baghdad, Saddam had already completed construction of an anthrax production facility, which was a week away from going live.

Another nearby lab was busily working on cowpox vaccines, with the exact same equipment necessary to create smallpox.

Other WMD scientists told investigators that they had the materials and equipment to start mustard-gas production in days.

Read the article. Hussein and his murderous government were a menance to their population and to the world at large. The Earth is a far better place without him.

Another Victim of Settled Science

2011-09-14T23:27:00.004-05:00

It is sad to report that the cult of man-made climate change has claimed another victim. Dr. Ivar Giaever, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1973, has tendered his resignation to the American Physical Society because they have adopted the position that the evidence of man caused temperature rise is 'incontrovertible.'

One hundred years ago in the field of astronomy the belief was all the violence evidenced on Earth's own Moon was long in the past. That something like the Music of the Spheres prevailed. Then our probes to other planets showed the violence was not limited to the past. And the final proof that violence still existed in the solar system was when the fragments of the Comet Shoemaker-Levy smashed into Jupiter and we observed it almost in real time with the Hubble Space Telescope.

Percival Lowell captivated many people with his observations of Mars. The fascination was with the canali or canals he saw in his telescope that prompted speculation of life being on Mars. And spawned many a science fiction story. Then our probes like Mariner and Viking showed how dead Mars is. Mars might have had life but it was millions of years in the past.

Forty years ago the concept of a meteor smashing into the Earth and wiping out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago was thought a far fetched idea and was scoffed at in scientific circles. Then Dr. Richard Alvarez [ whoops should be Dr. Luis Alvarez] went and found worldwide a rare earth element Iridium at the boundary marking the extinction of dinosaurs. And then the actual impact crater was discovered at the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. Now the argument is how much of an impact did that meteor have? Was it an outright kill or was just the final push of the dinosaurs to extinction.

We all grew up on the idea that all dinosaurs were cold-blooded reptiles. And all the cheesy movies with dinosaurs reinforced this notion. Due to the work of scientists like Dr. Robert Bakker that view has been tossed out. There is evidence now to suggest at least some dinosaurs were warm-blooded.

These are just four examples of 'incontrovertible settled science' being overturned by new discoveries and data. So for such an august scientific body as the American Physical Society to say man-made climate warming is incontrovertible is to fly in the face of traditional scientific inquiry and the quest for the truth. Those who say the science is settled are in fact anathema to the scientific method. For various reasons they have closed their minds to any other possible answer. They are akin to the Holy See and its treatment of Galileo and Copernicus by these actions. How else to explain their brutal attempts to ostracize anyone who disagrees with them? In fact when they call such skeptics 'deniers' they are venturing into an even more troublesome arena, that of the KGB calling dissenters mentally unstable and using medication to 'adjust' them. What a brave new world we are in.

New Obama Bumper Sticker

2011-09-13T00:50:00.004-05:00

Decided to create a new bumper sticker to comment on the sinking popularity of President Obama in a way that reflects social networking. One can get a single bumper sticker or a 10 pack of them.

Of course there is always the Obama Economy bumper sticker that is still available.

Note - Revamped the bumper stickers just a bit and added shop URL to it. Thanks Michael, should have thought of that before.

Ten Years

2011-09-11T11:19:00.004-05:00

As the Twin Towers collapse the debris cloud spreads out to engulf other buildings and even roll across the water of the East River. Other pictures can be found here.

A Criminal Enterprise

2011-09-09T14:46:00.004-05:00

With such a title I might be tempted to talk about a certain solar panel company that folded taking a half billion in tax dollars when it sank. Instead I am talking about the widening scandal centered around the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives [BATFE] and Dept of Justice attorneys.

Operation Fast and Furious keeps generating the murder of civilians and law enforcement people. One of the latest cases to come to light is from 2010. A F&F AK-47 was found in a vehicle that had just rammed a police vehicle and injured two officers. Nationality of the perp in this case - Mexican.

More bad news rained on the U.S. Attorney's Phoenix office when it came to light they sprung from jail a known weapons smuggler for a Mexican drug cartel. The BATFE had managed to put Jean Baptiste Kingery in jail only to see the man released because the DoJ was using him as an informant. Agents managed to lose track of Kingery as he headed to Mexico and he slipped across the border. Only later would he be arrested by Mexican police. Mr. Kingery's crimes? How does smuggling grenade components into Mexico to be made into IEDs grab you. Sen. Grassley and Rep. Issa have expanded their investigation of Fast and Furious to include the handling of the Kingery case.

As if the hemorrhage of weapons from the US to Mexico was not bad enough, there is mounting evidence of a wider operation conducted by agents of the U.S. Government. Operation Castaway was being run out of the Tampa BATFE office and it seems to have let weapons walk to Honduras. Next comes Gangwalker out of all places Indiana. Like in F&F it seems the BATFE told an Indiana gun dealer to sell weapons to people no matter what. Federal law requires gun store owners to deny sales to convicted felons. Gangwalker ATF agents told the store to sell anyway.

Three different operations in three different jurisdictions all with a similar motive, to allegedly trace weapons from sale to the criminals. All three seemingly have failed the most basic standard of success, keeping control of the weapons and preventing them from actually being used by criminals. In the case of Fast&Furious we have multiple murders linked to weapons sold during this operation. No word about Castaway or Gangwalker, but the odds are sadly good weapons from these operations have also murdered people.

So for the Obama administration and Eric Holder to deny they knew about these operations stretches credibility into some amazing shapes. Three different ops that crossed multiple jurisdictional boundaries and the likes of Holder knew nothing. Not to mention ICE and US Customs under DHS Sec. Napolitano since agent Jaime Zapata worked for DHS. Something stinks badly. Especially when one of the three people in the White House who had knowledge of Fast and Furious is Obama's National Security point man for Latin America Dan Restrepo.

Obama Speech Prediction

2011-09-05T20:13:00.004-05:00

From 1995 here is my prediction on what President Obama will say on Sept 8, 2011. On top of his previous speeches and promises to get the economy running again that is. After three years of trying and two of those with solid majorities in both houses of Congress; we are still hovering at 9+% unemployment, which leads to one conclusion the Stimulus was a failure that only resulted in greater debt. For the President and his administration to pitch yet another stimulus bill that borrows money from our great-grandchildren would be the height of insanity. But that is what insanity is, trying the same thing over and over again while expecting a different outcome.

Lets cut to the chase, the Obama administration, when it comes to curing a very sick economy, is an abject failure.

Revelations 10:1

2011-09-03T08:36:00.005-05:00

Revelations 10:1 King James Version:

And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.

Image source - NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day.

Fast And Furious Demotivational

2011-08-27T17:54:00.003-05:00

Perry vs Obama

2011-08-27T07:39:00.004-05:00

The above picture comes courtesy of Ed Rasimus at his fine blog Thunder Tales. Kept meaning to post it, but other stuff like Irene, Taiwan, and Libya interfered. Ed is right, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Libyan WMDs

2011-08-26T20:39:00.004-05:00

It seems I was right this morning to be worried about what the State Department was saying about the security of Libya's WMDs. And also typical of the Obama administration, they don't want to be the ones looking for those WMDs even though some are stored right outside Tripoli. They want NATO to find them. I wonder if this aversion has anything to do with the almost pathological aversion Obama has for anything related to being compared to George Bush?

"The State Department wants to wait for fighting to abate before moving throughout Libya to locate and secure fugitive leader Moammar Gadhafi's massive weapons stores, according to two U.S. officials. It's also stressing working through the nascent Libyan rebel government."

I do not understand this reasoning at all. The whole country is still in a state of upheaval and State Department wants to wait. Meanwhile these weapons are subject to being pilfered and sold on the black market. As the article states, the price on the black market for shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles has fallen and some think the Libyan arsenals have already been breached.

Would the American public object if several companies of US Marines were dispatched to secure the uranium yellowcake and the barrels of mustard gas? It would be nice for the Obama administration do something proactive and protective, but instead they are trying to pass the buck to NATO just like they did with the whole leadership thing for the overthrow of Gadhafi. Would the Libyan provisional government object? If the Libyans do object then we must call into question their reliability since Gadhafi had already turned over the United States much of its WMD capability.

"Libya doesn't have the means right now to turn this yellowcake into anything dangerous," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said.

Obviously Ms. Nuland has never studied up on dirty bombs. Take the usual 155mm artillery shell IED, slap some yellowcake around it with duct tape, and detonate. You now have an explosion spreading enriched uranium particles where the wind blows. And people inhaling the stuff.

The mustard agent, she added, doesn't amount to "weapon-ready chemicals, (because) they can't be converted on the dot and they are in these massive drums inside heavy bunkers and we are able to monitor their security through our national technical means."

Technical means in this case means orbiting satellites, drones, and spy planes. Sorry Ms. Nuland, without boots on the ground to eyeball things how can you tell if those barrels of mustard gas are still in those bunkers. You can't. And I really don't want to think what an open barrel of mustard gas sloshing its contents out as it rolled through Tripoli either. But this is why Sec. of State Clinton and others are paid the big bucks. So what does Clinton have to say on this matter?

"We will look to them to ensure that Libya fulfills its treaty responsibilities, that it ensures that its weapons stockpiles do not threaten its neighbors or fall into the wrong hands, and that it takes a firm stand against violent extremism," Clinton said in a statement Thursday night.

But rest assured they are doing what they can. Why with the expenditure of $3million US teams have managed to destroy 30 SA-7s. The SA-7 is Vietnam vintage akin to the old US Redeye. And it would have been far cheaper to just set up a store, call it Crazy Barry's, and offer $5000 per SA-7 turned in. We would have gotten far more than a mere 30. To quote a certain movie, I have a bad feeling about this.

Friday News

2011-08-26T05:17:00.003-05:00

With Hurricane Irene seeming ready to take a swipe at Washington D.C. after the city was rattled by an earthquake, one would think there might be something to all those end time prophecies. People across the Eastern seaboard are preparing for this storm. In many places evacuation orders have been issued. Stay tuned to this developing story.

Meanwhile our competitors on the global stage, the Peoples Republic of China, is squawking most irately over the US Defense Department doing its job. The PRC is taking umbrage at the DoD for doing its job and daring to ask why mainland China is going on such an arms buildup. Though the story in the last paragraph is incorrect since on August 14th Taiwan was informed they would not be sold the 66 new F-16 fighters.

Also overseas, lets look at Libya. The dictator is gone and the rebel government seems to be in control. While the DoD is doing its job in regards to the PRC, it seems the State Department is whistling and hoping a problem will just go away. Namely who really controls in Libya the tons of mustard gas, the 1,300 tons of precursor chemicals, and the remnants of Libya's nuclear bomb program. State Department claims everything is fine, no need for alarm. The US and its allies had military forces in Baghdad and still the Iraqi museum was looted. In Libya there are no NATO forces anywhere, but we are supposed to believe all these known WMDs are safe. I just don't buy it, do you?

RoC Vipers

2011-08-24T16:07:00.002-05:00

I guess this my pet whipping boy, the perils of US passiveness in regards to the nations surrounding the South China Sea. The straws are in the wind and Obama keeps golfing. East wind rain is the phrase I hear as Beijing keeps eyeing it's Southern Resource Area.

Chinese ships again briefly invaded Japanese territorial waters in an area claimed by Japan, PRC, and Taiwan. Need I mention the area has possibly a large reserve of natural gas? And this is the 12th such incident since last year when a Chinese trawler collided with Japanese patrol boats. The Chinese claim they were in Chinese waters while the Japanese say the PRC is invading their waters. With all the billions the US has given to the PRC, one would think the PRC could equip its patrol ships with GPS so they don't get lost. But that is not the point, the PRC seeks to impose its will over this area.

Meanwhile Vice President Biden toured three Asian countries - Peoples Republic of China, Japan, and Mongolia. Strangely during his ten day junket there was no time to visit the Republic of China - Taiwan. Even though one area under discussion in Beijing was Taiwan's request for 66 F-16C/D Fighting Falcon fighters that the Obama administration has denied. Instead the US will upgrade the surviving F-16 A/B Block 20 MLU aircraft which were delivered between 1997 and 2001 with an AESA radar and other upgrades. Sounds good at first glance, a new radar in planes that already have some Block 50 upgrades. Then we get to looking for the reason why Taiwan wants only 66 F-16C/Ds, the country needs to replace their 60 Northrop F-5 fighters and 60 Mirage 2000-5s. So by denying this sale, the Obama administration will cause a reduction in Taiwan's total air force. Plans are underway for Taiwan's locally built fighter to get upgrades. I find it sad when a quote such as "Beijing's Kung Fu is better than Washington's" has the harsh ring of truth to it. As a result Washington's alliance with Taiwan becomes more fragile which can have far reaching consequences.

There is also a local angle to this denial of new aircraft to Taiwan. Namely the loss of revenue and jobs caused by cancelling this order. From the linked Defense News account it could have far reaching consequences. Termination of the F-16 production line is possible. The collapse of this deal will mean the loss of $768 million in tax revenues and 16,000 jobs won't be created in such states as California, Florida, and Connecticut. I would think the President would want all that revenue and jobs since he has promised a new jobs plan. Right now it appears he does not, the PRC and its 8% stake in US debt is stronger. Some say the deal may still be approved, but with the lead times that are needed to build airplanes, if Obama approves this deal next March it won't matter in time for November. Which would be par for the course for Obama, too little too late to change anything.

I have a sinking feeling that the brawl that erupted between the Hoyas and PRC PLAN basketball team during what was supposed to be goodwill games is merely harbinger of things to come. All because the Obama foreign policy is to appease those who mean this country harm while stiffing those countries that have been friendly.

Maxine's Session

2011-08-23T17:10:00.007-05:00

I have to think of the above video because of the latest antics of Rep. Maxine Waters. This time she was sticking it to one of President Obama's chief aides about how hard unemployment has hit the African-American community. When Rep. Water's asks Don Graves if he can say "black" the video above pops to mind. And what is even worse is Mr. Graves tries to tap dance and not admit how badly hurt the African-American community is due to Obama and his policies. If this anger towards Obama and his policies is genuine, then Obama will have no base save the old pony-tailed white liberal hippies with a guilt complex.

Germany Gets A Clue

2011-08-23T16:38:00.003-05:00

This is heartening news from Germany. Due to the continued onslaught of pirates attacking their shipping, they want to arm security guards and put them on ships in high risk areas. I say its well past time for this to happen. I would suggest one small change and avoid some legal entanglements with private security guards, use the German army instead. An MG-3 going through 800 rounds a minute can take the starch out of any would-be pirates.

What I fail to understand is the worries of the International Maritime Organization. The IMO fears putting armed security guards on merchant ships would be an escalation. I hate to tell you IMO but the Somali pirates escalated this mess first. They are the ones who are costing shipping companies large sums of money plus putting the crews into virtual slavery until they are ransomed. On second thought, lets up-gun from the MG-3 and put an actual naval cannon on the fantail, 105mm should do. Along with the German army troops who would also get to see some of the world.

Economic Monkeywrench

2011-08-23T10:03:00.003-05:00

Democratic candidate Obama promised energy prices would rise when he stumped to become president. It seems he is delivering on that promise, one campaign promise kept.

Since Obama has entered office, the price of a gallon of gas has risen by more than $1. The explosion last year of the British Petroleum rig in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 seems to have presented the President and his advisors an opportunity. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has imposed a moratorium on oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, even though a federal judge has ruled Salazar overstepped himself. As a result of all this tug of war generated uncertainty, the number of operating rigs has dropped with devestating economic consequences to states already reeling from the BP oil spill. When Sen. Vitter[R-LA] requested how many leases have been issued, he received two different answers. The Department of Justice, in another display of dishonesty - Fast&Furious, quoted a high number of leases but when Sen. Vitter got Salazar before him in sworn testimony the number was far lower.

Far to the north, our Canadian friends and ally in Afghanistan is offering to sell us oil. Yes it is oil developed from tar sands and needs to be processed, but its oil that does not need to be shipped from repressive countries like Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. Help our neighbor to the north seems to make more sense than funding Chavez's quest to conquer South America or the House of Saud keeping women repressed. But it seems some in the US do not want this oil because, get this, the process to extract oil releases more carbon dioxide. It seems the New York Times would prefer Canada to sell that oil to the Peoples Republic of China, those paragons of air pollution and political oppression, instead of allowing it in the United States. All because of extra carbon dioxide that I am sure the forests of Canada would love to turn into oxygen while growing bigger. The second reason the New York Times trots out, fear of oil spills, is equally ludicrous since the Trans-Alaska pipeline in its decades of production has suffered few spills and one of those due to a hunter shooting the pipeline. In fact the oil pipeline has become a microclime that is warmer than surrounding areas and hence wildlife has flourished.

I never thought I would say this, but bring back Jimmy Carter. At least he was for making the United States energy independent when he was President. That included developing the abundant supply of oil shale found in Ken Salazar's old stomping grounds of Colorado. Though Salazar and environmentalists are trying to prevent oil shale from being commercially viable. Do I want to know what they think a fair royalty rate is? Probably so high it renders oil shale non-viable even after adjsuting for inflation. Imagine that.

Bing B-52s

2011-08-19T17:37:00.004-05:00

This popped up on Bing today. Its cool and its sad, but one reason why Bing rocks while Google just stinks. Bing will actually show cool stuff.

Scooby-Doo Caper

2011-08-19T11:08:00.003-05:00

JINKIES!

The following reads like a real life Scooby-Doo mystery, save there are no meddling kids. The thief captured himself in this story. He was ably assisted by others who should have been suspicious but apparently did nothing.

First he manages to truck in a few boxes into the vault. Turns out the lights and loads up his cart with cash. Then he takes the boxes out to his vehicle. I know it was a Friday, but really no one thought it was strange what he did? Then collects girlfriend and they fly to Seattle. Asks the taxi driver where he could buy a weapon and the taxi driver hooked him up with a dealer that sold him an AK-47 and ammo. Wow. Did not think Fast&Furious reached as far north as Seattle. And who else has this taxi driver helped get weapons? Hey Janet, here is a real lead to run down. After this he buys an economy car with cash from the duffel bags of loot and drives to Mexico. Once in TJ, his uncle tells the robber he needs to ditch the car and get on the bus since he says the car would not survive the trip. So two bus tickets are bought and off they go. The crime spree ends when the Mexican authorities stop the bus at a checkpoint and find the millions in cash. Just think if he had bought an SUV in Seattle. He might not have been caught. It seems no one else was alert, so ... darn if it wasn't for that bumbling thief he might have gotten away with it.

9/11 Hate

2011-08-17T11:52:00.003-05:00

The above is some of the commentary posted in response to this photo that captures the instant Flight 175 crashes into the South Tower of the WTC and the North Tower already burns. Ten years on and the hate is still fierce.

South China Sea Update

2011-08-13T16:41:00.004-05:00

There is nothing like a ship that is supposed to be a casino quietly floating pier side in Macau fleecing people of their money setting sail on sea trials to cause me to revisit a very important flash point. I am speaking about the South China Sea and all the countries that border it of course.

Back in 1998, the uncompleted second aircraft carrier of the Soviet Northern Fleet was sold by the Ukraine to a Chinese businessman for $20 million. The stated purpose of buying the carrier was to create a casino in Macau. Even back then many asked pointed questions on why a businessman from the Peoples Republic of China would buy such an item. This week removed any lingering doubt that might have persisted since 2002 when the ex-Kutzenov bypassed Macau and entered a shipyard.

This aircraft carrier has far reaching impact for the South China Sea area. If you read the article linked in the prior paragraph you have people trying to downplay the significance of this lone aircraft carrier because the United States has 11 carriers in commission. They ignore the fact that during the presidency of Ronald Reagan the US Navy had 13 carriers plus USS Lexington for naval aviator training. Also ignored is the long periods when a nuclear carrier is berthed after a deployment or even worse the years a carrier is in port during a Service Life Extension Program[SLEP] like USS Enterprise just emerged from. So not all eleven carriers are available all the time. And with US Navy commitments to the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, and Mediterranean; what carriers that are in commission are spread thin. Which means in the future if the PRC decides to flex it's naval muscle to close off the South China Sea to secure the Spratly Islands, the US might not have a carrier to spare to counter-balance the Chinese one. So one carrier, if properly deployed, can have an impact far in excess of it being only one such ship.

Which is probably why various nations around the South China Sea are trying to get new weapon systems bought. Vietnam, even with a horrible economy, is buying SU-30M aircraft from Russia for $1billion US and will spend another $2billion US to purchase Kilo class diesel-electric subs. The Philippines are still shopping for new hardware with no budget.

Taiwan wants to purchase diesel-electric submarines also, but it seems the Bush era deal has fallen through. Meanwhile the Obama administration is not endearing itself with the Republic of China because Vice President Joe Biden is going to Beijing to assure the PRC that all the US will do is upgrade the RoC F-16A/B Fighting Falcons that are now twenty years old. That also the desire by the RoC for 66 new build F-16C/Ds will not be filled. Naturally the Obama administration has said the RoC has not lobbied hard for the fighters. And some on Taiwan also blame the government. Sitting at this keyboard, it seems to be a joint effort by both governments.

During the era of the dreadnought, the theories of Alfred Thayer Mahan held sway. Namely naval ships could not influence land events. The birth of the aircraft carrier changed that. When Marc Mitchner and his fast carriers boldly sailed off Japan's shores and attacked anything they found to when F-14 Tomcats launched out of the Indian Ocean struck targets in Afghanistan, Mahan's theory has been disproved. And it seems with one carrier, the PRC can effect the same impact over the South China Sea.

How to counter this one carrier if the United States can't spare one? Diesel-electric submarines are very quiet and good at slipping through a task force screen. Aircraft are a natural predator to aircraft carriers, look what Spruance and Fletcher did at Midway. Then there is the cruise missile option.

What it will really take is bold leadership in Washington, Manila, Taipei, Seoul, and Hanoi to prevent the Chinese dragon from burning out the whole region. Military drawdowns are not the answer when a nation with expansionist dreams adds new weapons and tactics to its arsenal.

Vacation Pads

2011-08-13T11:41:00.003-05:00

President Obama, even as the country continues to slump into serious malaise territory, is going off for another vacation. To Martha's Vineyard. And on cue the literatti who defend Obama unto someone else's death is trying to deflect things by mentioning George W. Bush and his vacations. Sounds almost reasonable until you get into the details and compare each president's vacations.

Bush vacationed at two places during his eight years. Usually he and Laura stayed at Camp David which is a short hop from Washington DC, so in case things really hit crisis mode he could be there in a flash. Another plus is the fact Camp David is government owned and in the budget, it and its security are already paid for and in place. The other place Bush went was his ranch in Crawford Texas. Crawford is somewhat isolated and not too many neighbors to inconvenience to ensure security. Plus Bush owned his ranch in Crawford.

Now lets look at where President Obama vacations. He seems to avoid Camp David, which means all our taxpayer money is going to support a presidential retreat for no purpose. So where does Obama and family go? Well he has visited Hawaii over Christmas and New Years. But Obama does not own a house there, so he had to get a rental. He likes Martha's Vineyard also and again he does not own a house so again he gets a rental. Obama has a perfectly serviceable house that he owns in Chicago, but he does not spend 10 day vacations there. Instead he causally drops tens of thousands of dollars on rentals.

After this comparison, one conclusion can be drawn. Bush is a far more responsible person than Obama. With all his faults, I sure do miss Bush in the White House.

A New Word?

2011-08-13T11:14:00.002-05:00

I would possibly claim it as a new word. But it seems to be a high value fashion den in the UK - Liberatti. Instead I will borrow the word and create a new definition for it.

What is a Liberatti? It is someone who was born with a trust fund silver spoon in their mouth it seems. They get up and bemoan how horrible people have it and the government must do something with all of our money while hiding their own assets. They roar loudly and wave their arms frantically whilst in high dungeon over their pet causes. But if they are forced to really put some of their own personal skin in the game, they turn tail and try to claim everyone who was outraged did not understand their intelligence. In other words a Liberatti is a phony.

August 12, 1943

2011-08-12T15:27:00.004-05:00

Events that happened on August 12th, 1943.

US Army Air Force B-24 Liberator bombers struck the Japanese Kurile Islands. Of the nine plane strike force, two failed to return.

Naval bombardment and air strikes continued to be carried out against Japanese occupied Kiska Island, Alaska Territory. On August 15th, the island would be invaded by American forces.

Meanwhile in Washington DC on August 12, 1943, crowds gathered for a film. At the Warner's Earle Theater Irving Berlin's movie This Is The Army premiered.

S/SGT Grigori, tail gunner aboard B-17F-90BO 42-30142 of the 384th BG(H), was awarded the Silver Star for the 12 August, 1943 mission flown against a synthetic petroleum refinery at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Enemy fighters had blasted the tailgunner position of this Flying Fortress fifteen minutes before the formation had even reached the target. S/SGT Gregori, though gravely wounded and without heat to his suit, stayed at his post manning the machine guns and protecting his crewmates until the guns themselves were disabled. The co-pilot attempted to administer morphine to Grigori but the syrettes had frozen in the frigid air at 26,000ft. First aid though was rendered to staunch the flow of blood from the multiple wounds and to keep Grigori warm by using blankets. S/SGT Grigori survived this mission. On a follow-on mission, 1st Lt Hausenfluck and 2d Lt MacKenzie, pilot and co-pilot, were killed on 17 August, 1943. Their plane, after repair, was transferred to the 388th BG(H).

Very honorable mention is this blog. Guy recovers from flea markets photographs. Amongst that trove were WWII ETO pictures of aircraft like B-17s, P-47s, P-51s, P-61s. Enjoy.

Both Feet In Mouth

2011-08-12T14:22:00.002-05:00

That is all I can say about this story. I have been against any photos being released of fallen military service members. I did not think Sec. of Defense Gates surrender to the Obama administration on the issue was a good call. This is all background to the latest gaffe of the Obama administration.

The thirty warriors recently killed in Afghanistan when their CH-47D Chinook was shot down by the Taliban were flown into Dover AFB like their fallen compatriots before them. Since many of the families of the killed, 19, did not want any photographs taken of this solemn procession, photographers were banned. Which meant the Associated Press was not there. Nor did Sec. of Defense Panetta bring his official photographer.

Yet strangely, President Obama brought along his photographer to Dover AFB. So when the White House released a photo of President Obama at Dover saluting, everyone from AP to the DoD were caught unawares. AP refused to distribute the photo since their photographers were not allowed.

I have one thing to say to President Obama, do you have any sense of decorum and decency? As the he runs off to Martha's Vineyard for yet another vacation, I have to conclude he does not.

Sound Familar?

2011-08-09T16:53:00.003-05:00

Like Plato when writing the Repbulic, that old coot of a science fiction author H. Beam Piper had to dress up things that needed to be said. One of his novels is Space Viking. It was originally published in 1963. What follows is a conversation between King Mikhyl of Marduk and Crown Prince Trask of Tanith. I have omitted the descriptions.

M -"That's catastrophic decivilization. There is also decivilization by erosion, and while its going on, nobody notices it. Everybody is proud of their civilization, their wealth and culture. But trade is falling off; fewer ships come in each year. So there is boastful talk about planetary self-sufficiency; who needs off-planet trade anyhow? Everybody seems to make money, but the government is always broke. Deficit spending - and always more vital social services for which the government has to spend money. The most vital one, of course, is buying votes to keep the government in power. And it gets harder for the government to get anything done.

The soldiers are sloppier at drill, and their uniforms and weapons aren't taken care of. The non-coms are insolent. And more and more parts of the city are dangerous at night, and then even in daytime. And its been years since a new building went up, and the old ones aren't being repaired anymore."

T - "And finally, nobody bothers fixing anything up. And the power-reactors stop, and nobody seems to be able to get them started again. It hasn't gotten that far on the Sword-Worlds yet."

M - " It hasn't here either. Yet."

D-Day Japan

2011-08-09T12:08:00.002-05:00

August 6 thru August 9 is one of the high holy times in Liberal Theology. All the followers of this faith will walk through their town wearing rough spun clothes whilst barefoot. They are supposed to be intoning in a dirge their remorse for the creation of a great and terrible artifact that should have never been forged they believe. So they will plod along in a swaying double file carrying above them, in a palanquin, an effigy of the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. Some followers will be so distraught in their guilt they will rush upon average citizens and fervently promise the shocked people to never let it happen again. Once the worshipers are beyond the town boundaries, the effigy will be tossed into the closest well that represents the Great Abyss of Compassionate Ignorance that they worship.

Of course I am speaking in allegorical terms about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended World War II and how the liberal intelligentsia who were saved by these bombings view the whole affair. They pat themselves on their back by being compassionate in their desire to save the Japanese from the nuclear djinn.

If we had been as compassionate as the leftists demand and not dropped the atomic bombs, to see this compassion in reality would be far worse than any of the horrors Dante saw whilst traveling through Hell. For example.

Gen. Curtis LeMay’s B-29s would continue to firebomb square miles of land killing thousands and burning thousands more. The April fire bombing of Tokyo by B-29s killed more people than Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined.

Thousands of Allied POWs in Japan would be murdered when the invasion happened, in compliance with Japanese military orders.

Japanese women, many in drab war factory attire, killing themselves before the American devils rape and kill them. They were taught this by their government and shocked American servicemen saw this at Saipan when women, some clutching children, jumped off a cliff.

Japanese children would be rushing Allied lines with wooden spears while shouting how glorious it is to die for the Emperor.

The thousands of suicide boats floating in the river that meanders through Hiroshima and other estuaries would have been used against the invasion.

Thousands of carefully hoarded planes would be used as kamikazes against the invading fleet, dwarfing what the US Navy endured invading Okinawa.

By D-Day Japan in 1946 there is the chance Japan would have built hundreds of Kikka jet fighters, jets patterned after the ME-262. The prototype Kikka had flown by the time of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To oppose such fighters, P-80s would have to fly from Chinese bases. US Navy F8F Bearcats and F2G Super Corsairs would have to struggle as the Ryan FR-1 Fireball proved a flop.

To delay would have endangered the B-29s and their crews because Japan was also developing their copy of the ME-163 Komet rocket fighter.

If the above is how leftists define compassion, I prefer to be lumped with Harry Truman and Paul Tibbets. They sought to shorten the war and reduce the suffering.

What could --- Oooppss

2011-08-05T07:16:00.003-05:00

In 1965, the Soviet nuclear powered ice-breaker V.I. Lenin suffered the first of its two nuclear accidents. One reactor suffered a loss of coolant before the nuclear fuel was removed. Due to all the heat, many of the rods melted themselves to the reactor vessel. The melted parts of the reactor core were sealed and disposed of in 1967 on an island. The second accident in 1967 involved a leak in one of the reactors. They had to use sledgehammers to get through the containment vessel to find the leak. The sledgehammers damaged the reactor vessel beyond repair. The repair and installation of new reactors was completed by 1970. In 1989 the ice-breaker was retired.

Back in 1994, in the primitive days of the Internet when a 56k modem was high speed, an American teen managed to turn his mother's garden shed into a Superfund site. David Hahn was a Boy Scout who managed to get his Atomic merit badge in 1991. But he did not stop there. Using various means including social engineering nuclear officials, he managed to obtain critical information. Along with material. First he wanted to create a neutron gun. Then he decided to try and create a breeder reactor. Then things started to get hot when his Geiger counter picked up radiation five doors down from his mother's house. So he started to take his project apart. It was the parts in his car that unraveled the whole mess, someone had called the police reporting a teen was stealing tires. Police found David Hahn. Along with a toolbox in the car's trunk that David said was radioactive. So the garden shed was taken apart and buried with other radioactive waste. David refused treatment for radiation exposure. And that should have been that. Except in 2007 David Hahn was arrested and convicted of stealing smoke detectors. His 90 day sentence was delayed because he had to get treatment for radiation exposure. His mug shot ain't pretty.

In these modern 21st Century times, such incidents might be filed under lessons not to repeat. It seems some have not learned. Or are just betting they can avoid the pitfalls this time around.

Example of the first, of not learning, seems to be this story out of Sweden. This delightful chap tried to do Hahn one better. He tried to build a reactor on his kitchen table. Then he had an attack of sanity, called Swedish nuclear officials to ask some questions about legality, and then the man and his project was scooped up before any harm happened.

Second one is from Russia and is far more troubling due to the possible scope of impact if calamity happens. And again it seems the Arctic environment is what could be affected, including all those polar bears everyone worries about. The Russians want to put on large cargo vessels nuclear reactors so they can stake better claims on Arctic resources. They use their experience with nuclear ice-breakers as justification that these 'nuclear wessels' will be safe. Right. Its also mentioned that Algeria and Indonesia are interested in floating nuclear power stations. Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, and Spain I think would object to such a plan; all of them worrying what happens if the vessel founders and the reactor gets breached in the confines of the Mediterranean Sea. And just thinking of such a vessel getting caught in another tsunami that devastated Banda Aceh gives me major goose pimples.

Star of Africa

2011-07-31T19:36:00.002-05:00

Oberleutnant Marseille, June 1942. Yellow 14 - possibly Bf-109F-4/Trop Werke Nr. 10137

Ed Rasimus and NZGarry in my post Red Tails were talking about military movies. Rasimus about Robin Olds and NZGarry about the Battle of Britain. Both ideas have tremendous merit, but while working on my reply to NZGarry it occurred to me of another ace fighter pilot who should have a movie based on his exploits. That is Hans-Joachim Marseille of JG27 who flew in support of Rommel's Afrika Korps.

Marseille was born in 1919 in Berlin. As a child his parents divorced and his mother remarried. Growing up Jochen was a frail child who was full of energy and mischief, predilections that would remain with him for the rest of his life. Fast forward to 1939 and Jochen joins the Luftwaffe He is initially assigned to France and the Battle of Britain where he scores seven aerial victories. But Jochen spent too much of his time as a playboy so Macky Steinhoff kicked him out and sent him to North Africa and JG27.

Jochen in front of Yellow 14, again a Bf-109F-4/Trop. This might be Werke Nr. 10137 judging by the placement of the 1 in relation to the demarcation line that separates the Tan 79 and Light Blue 78 paint scheme.

It is in North Africa where Jochen's star shoots to the top over the next 18 months. Flying a variety of Bf-109Fs, he would claim 151 victories over the North African desert against various Allied fighters like the Hurricane and Kittyhawk. He would eventually be awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds along a German Cross in Gold plus other decorations. Adding another victory to the scoreboard on Bf-109F-4/Trop Werke Nr. 10137. Photo taken sometime between 6 June 1942 and 17 June 1942. Final score in this airplane would be 101 victories.

In Germany he would meet Hitler and was decorated with the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, he also found time to fall in love with marriage plans for December 1942. With his return on 22 August, Jochen's greatest day in aerial combat was just around the corner. On 1 September he would claim 17 aircraft shot down while flying Bf-109F-2/Trop Werke Nr. 8673. After shooting down all those fighters, Marseille was awarded Diamonds to add his Knight's Cross. Jochen had just 27 more days to live.

Amidst all this flying and being granted leave in Germany, the prankster part of Jochen was still in play. For example he once demolished a pilot friends tent by driving his Kubelwagen through it. He also formed strong friendships with fellow pilots that would be renewed in 1989 when his gravestone, a pyramid, was rededicated at Derna. He was also friend with the many Italians who also fought in Africa and his batman was a black African from the Transvaal region whom everyone called Mathias.

On 28 September 1942, an RAF Spitfire almost ended Jochen's career. The following combat descended all the way to barely 100 meters above the ground as the Spitfire pilot matched Marseille's skill with his to a stalemate. This duel lasted almost fifteen minutes with neither getting an advantage and Jochen deep into his fuel reserve. But finally Jochen shot down the Spitfire as both planes went nose to nose. Jochen landed with hardly any fuel left. It was such a near thing, Jochen did not wag his wings upon return and when he exited the cockpit his hands were shaking. This was his 158th and as it turned out final victory.

As Rommel's Afrika Korps pulled back due to the onslaught of Montgomery's 8th Army, the fortunes of JG27 were also plummeting. Taking off in Bf-109G-2 Werke Nr 14256, it was just another escort mission for StaffelKapitan Marseille. Until the smoke started to fill his cockpit. His fellow pilots urged him to keep flying until they reached friendly lines. He grimly hung on until he had reached that safety. His last words on the radio were "I've got to get out now. I can't stand it any more". He rolled the plane inverted and jettisoned the canopy. As he exited the plane, he struck the rudder which either knocked him out or killed him instantly. What is known is he plunged to earth and no parachute was seen to deploy. At 1142 hours 30 Sept 1942 the Star of Africa had fallen, killed not in combat.

Sound like a movie you might watch on the big screen?

Surviving Sistership
Bf-109F-4/Trop Werke Nr. 10132. Assigned to JG5 on the north Russian front. Look at that camo scheme. Notice the yellow markings? Aircraft that fought on the Russian front had to have those markings, including the bottom of the engine. Such markings were not used in the Mediterranean. Some people build models of Yellow 14 with the engine bottom painted yellow while the white wing tips, spinner, and fuselage band are also present

Books:
German Fighter Ace Hans-Joachim Marseille:The Life Story of the Star of Africa. Franz Kurkowski. Translated by Don Cox. Schiffer Military History. Printed 1994. 233 pages.
Bf109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean. Jerry Scutts. Osprey. Printed 1996. 96 pages.
Air Power Editions has a 64 page book that is devoted exclusively to airplanes flown by Marseille. Looks real interesting, may have to buy one day.

P.S. I included one link to tail artwork for Bf-109F-4/Trop Werke Nr 10137. There is an error in the art. Can you spot it? I include it because far too many times artists will repeat mistakes when it comes to Yellow 14. Which means the modelers will also repeat the mistake. The mantra of find original photos can never be said enough.

New CafePress Items

2011-07-30T09:29:00.000-05:00

Have added a new section to the shop. Going to adapt pictures I took last year on Oahu into products. So enjoy and perhaps order. Thanks.

Red Tails

2011-07-29T20:25:00.006-05:00

George Lucas and Lucas Films will release in January 2012 a movie telling the story of the all black fighter unit called the Red Tails in WWII. Here is the trailer for the movie, after viewing it I will skip the movie.

Why will I skip this movie about World War II and aerial combat over Europe? Because they could not get details correct. Seconds 08 and 09 of the trailer prove this. The models themselves of Bf-109G-6/R6s as they swoop in are beautiful. Its the markings on the planes that are so wrong. First the tail band on the gray 109s, its a narrow yellow band edged in black. I have pillaged my reference library for any photos showing such. There aren't any. Eastern Front Bf-109s and FW-190s wore a narrow yellow tail band but no black edging, this was a mandated theatre marking. Mediterranean Bf-109s and FW-190s sported a similar sized white tail band, again no black edging. I can hear a question forming, what about Defense of the Reich bands? JG11 in late 1944-early 1945 sported a broad yellow tail band, still no black edging.

Then we get to second 11 of the trailer. This could be the late war camouflage pattern as ordered by the Luftwaffe. The plane is again a Bf-109G-6/R6. But the bright yellow nose was last seen about 1942 in the Luftwaffe. As for the center placed swastika on the tail? Last time that appeared on the Bf-109s was in 1940 and with the Bf-109Es of JG52 in France. By the time of the Battle of Britain, the swastika was painted on the fin and not across the rudder break. The skull emblem on the nose is unknown but the bar edged in white means the plane belongs to some JG's II Gruppe - this they seem to have gotten right. But I think they merely thought White 1 and chevrons looked good. The double chevrons would indicate a JG's commander and would not need the White 1 marking.

At second 19 I wonder how the co-pilot is keeping his oxygen mask on. The pilot has his mask properly fitted. And is it me or do the B-17s look a bit too tightly packed for proper defensive box formation?

Later when the Red Tails get Mustangs in this trailer, it is implied they went directly from what looks like olive drab P-40Ks to bare metal P-51Ds. This glosses over the 99th Fighter Squadron trading in their Warhawks for P-51B/C Mustangs. Would it have been that hard to rent and repaint Princess Elizabeth, an already bare metal P-51B that is still flying? It seems so.

So I will simply skip this movie.

Okay watching the clip yet again. And it gets worse. At second 18 as the olive drab B-17G is collapsing over onto its burning wing and the Me-109s are zooming, guess what. On the pilot side of the B-17G is a four ship of bare metal Mustangs. So much for him screaming about where his escort went, they are outside his window tucked in too tight.

And they are twisting the historical fact that the 99th never lost a bomber when they flew escort into an accusation that others would abandon the bombers. To refute this baseless slander, one must talk fighter escort history. Initially the practise was called close escort, the fighters stayed with the bombers and reacted to enemy fighters. This caused losses but it was the practice every air force started WWII with. Later in the 8th, when enough fighters were in theatre, a close escort and one or more fighter groups would fly further out to pounce the enemy fighters as they formed up. This tremendously reduced bomber loses.

At second 50/51 is the 99th straffing a POW train? Or one carrying civilians to a concentration camp? Why else would there be guards atop the cattle cars? Von Ryan's Express anyone?

At 2:00 minutes, back to seeing the same dark green and bright yellow Bf-109G-6/R6 with a huge scoreboard on the fuselage side. Strange do not have a picture of a single 109 with such a scoreboard. Luftwaffe aces like Rollwage of JG 52 and Marseille of JG 27 carried their scoreboard on the rudders of their 109s. Both flew in the Mediterranean theatre same as the 99th.

Then at 2:03 I get to the ME-262s Ed Rasimus is talking about. They are flying almost in trail, number 1 at point and the other three all to his right and behind. Only Kommando Novonty flew the 262s in a four ship formation. Galland's JV-44 reverted back to the pre-war three ship. And the markings are again totally wrong. Again that narrow yellow tail band edged in black, not the assigned colors of any 262 Defense of the Reich band. Swastika over the rudder break in bright yellow band. And same markings as the previously mentioned 109. Double chevrons means a JG commander, there would be no single bar for II Staffel. As for how they split up, well it seems Lucas Film never talked to any of the 262 fighter pilots. ME-262s would start their attack run slightly above and to either side of the bomber stream. They would attack in a graceful curving way, rippling off the R4M rockets, pulling away and repeating the attack with their 30mm cannons. No Allied fighter could catch a 262 in level flight. Which is why it became standard practice to bounce 262s when taking off or landing.

P.S. I long ago gave up commenting on fighter pilots in their planes with oxygen mask dangling down. Drama and seeing the star's face trumps the reality of carbon monoxide.

So give this movie a major pass. Don't even bother with Netflix on it.

Sources:
Bf109 Aces of North Africa and Mediterranean by Jerry Scutts. Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 2
Jet&Prop Foto-archiv Band 4. October 1994. Printed in Germany.
Messerschmitt Bf-109 in Action Part 1, Aircraft #44 by Beaman and Campbell. Squadron Signal Publications.
Messerschmitt Bf-109 in Action Part 2, Aircraft #57 by Beaman and Campbell. Squadron Signal Publications.
Focke Wulk FW-190 in Action, Aircraft # 19 by Campbell. Squadron Signal Publications.
Curtiss P-40 in Action, Aircraft #26 by McDowell. Squadron Signal Publications.

He Doth Object Too Much?

2011-07-28T11:09:00.007-05:00

There is so much wrong with this story, where to begin? I will stick with the facts instead.

In June 2011 Mr. Abdo was granted conscientious objector status by the US Army. Mr. Abdo had claimed after studying the Qu'ran and Islamic law that he could not fight in Afghanistan or Iraq. Then on the weekend of July 4th Mr. Abdo went absent without leave [AWOL] from Ft. Campbell KY after being charged with possession of child pornography. He was arrested near Ft. Hood, TX in his motel room. A citizen called in to police saying a man had smokeless gunpowder and other items in his hotel room. Mr. Abdo is now in jail in Kileen TX on the child porn charges. FBI does not think anyone else was involved.

Time for soapbox rant. I think the US military should boot out anyone who asks for conscientous objector status. They should be treated worse than anyone who has failed basic training. A thank you letter for trying and nothing else, no benefits or GI Bill. Zilch. After all they volunteered to join and then got cold feet. Being a weak sister should not be rewarded in any way with benefits or even a Entry Level Seperation. Rant off.

July 29, 2011 Update - Adbo in his court apperance on charges of possessing an unregistered destructive device gave a shout out for Nidal Hassan, the butcher of Ft. Hood. Firing squad sounds like a good idea for both pieces of filth.

Who Benefits?

2011-07-26T13:45:00.003-05:00

One of the big questions police ask when trying to solve a crime is who does the crime benefit? Does it benefit the victims of the lawyer who just scammed his clients? Or the scorned wife the one who killed the mistress? Very important question to ask.

I ask this question because Operation Fast&Furious has been touted by administration officials to have the objective of tracing guns sold in the US to higher ups in various Mexican criminal gangs. That is the alleged benefit Fast&Furious bestowed upon US law enforcement. What has been document proves how untrue this statement is.

Rep. Issa and Sen. Grassley's investigation has shown agents of the US federal government have allowed known felons to purchase multiple weapons. This is federal law that all FFL[Federal Firearms Licensees] are bound by if they want to sell guns, they will perform background checks on all who try to purchase weapons and if the person has a felony record then the sale is denied. To violate this law results in the FFL owner being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law with a good chance to serve time. And it seems Fast and Furious short circuited this safety feature.

In violation of standard ATF procedures, many guns - including AK-47 clones, AR-15 clones, .50cal sniper rifles, pistols, and other firearms - that were part of this operation were allowed to cross the border into Mexico and arm drug cartels. Acting ATF station chief Mexico City Camino testified to reading part of the management log for Fast&Furious, on three separate occasions agents walked away from houses that stashed the suspect guns.

The ATF personnel in Mexico were deliberately kept in the dark about the full scope of Operation Fast&Furious. ATF Attache Darren Gil and his assistant Carlos Camino noticed a spike in seized arms that traced back to the Phoenix ATF office op called Fast&Furious. It has emerged that when ATF Mexico would run recovered gun serial numbers through e-Trace, if it was a Fast&Furious gun they would get zero information back. When the Mexican authorities ran serial numbers through e-Trace, they also got zero information if the weapon was connected to Fast&Furious. It turns out the agents managing Fast&Furious were telling the e-Trace people to not divulge information. Meanwhile Gil and Camino were voicing their concerns to Washington DC repeatedly and getting no substantive answer. In fact they were under the impression Fast&Furious was an op aimed at arresting FFL holders selling weapons illegally. When Gil asked for permission to pass information relating to these guns to Mexican officials, he was not allowed even though he had only an incomplete understanding. After the murder of Mario Gonzales Rodriguez at the hands of a drug cartel, Camino briefed Mario's sister and former Attorney General of Chihuahua of the Fast&Furious connection. What is telling is Camino told her out of a sense of duty, he wanted her to know the truth before the media told the world and he did it in spite of official silence from Washington DC.

Not only was ATF Mexico kept out of the information loop, parts of the ATF in Washington DC was also. Specifically the Office of Strategic Information and Intelligence[OSII]. Steve Martin of OSII has testified he conducted briefings where Fast&Furious was brought up. The large number of guns being found in Mexico that traced back to this operation was briefed. And he has also testified that OSII recommendations were ignored. Eventually OSII stopped bringing Fast&Furious up at briefings because they felt it had been covered and nothing was being done.

So in Mexico we had Darren Gil and Carlos Camino asking about when Fast&Furious was going to be shut down since they thought it was an FFL case. Steve Martin and others in OSII were asking about Fast&Furious. Southwest border czar Ray Crowley was asking what would be done. International Affairs Chief Daniel Kumor was also asking when Fast&Furious would be shut down. All were told Fast&Furious would be shut down soon, this was mid-2010. In fact Fast&Furious would not be shut down and any arrests made until the end of January 2011 and after the murder of agent Brian Terry in December 2010 at the hands of cartel members armed with Fast&Furious weapons.

If Fast&Furious had truly been aimed at tracing weapons further up the food chain than mere straw buyers, wouldn't it be advisable to tell Gil and Camino about it so they could brief the US Ambassador and their Mexican counterparts? Instead Mexico ATF was kept in the dark. So when Mexican forces, during the course of normal raids, turned up Fast&Furious weapons they had no idea what was going on. And when Fast&Furious case officers told e-Trace not to report weapon information to the Mexican government or to Mexico ATF, it further served to hide what the true scope of Fast&Furious was.

This darkness that cloaked this operation is very troubling. If this was truly such a straight forward operation to arrest illegal gun buyers then why was all the behind the scene manipulations allowed that stymied what should have been key players the knowledge they needed to assist the operation? What is emerging is a poorly thought out mission where no thought was given to unforeseen consequences.

Besides Mario and Brian, how many other people will die at the hands of weapons Fast&Furious let slip? The true total will not be known for years since over a thousand Fast&Furious weapons are still unaccounted for. And for every death these weapons cause, ATF Agents Terry English and Hope McAllister, who managed Fast&Furious, should be charged as accessories to murder. Same charge should be brought against anyone who knowingly assisted them or allowed Fast&Furious to continue even as the death toll in Mexico mounted. This corruption, this malfeasance, this violating of laws needs to be rooted out thoroughly - to prove our justice system still works and to assure our ally in the drug war Mexico that the United States is still trustworthy.

Got T-Shirts?

2011-07-25T17:52:00.002-05:00

Just a few of the products that can be found on Cafe Press about our President. Order yours before they are sold out or DHS declares Cafe Press a terror site. /sarc?

Calculus of Hate

2011-07-24T22:07:00.007-05:00

Friends, countrymen, Norwegians lend me your ears. I come here not to praise Anders but to dissect his evil.

-- I am writing this as details keep emerging or even change. Perchance the manifesto is fiction, but right now it is held as sacred writ for Anders' evil.

First we must shake loose our own conceptions of right and wrong. Anders operates under a different set of right and wrong in which only he knows the ultimate truth. When Anders talks of Cultural Communism, Cultural Marxism, and how fragmented leftism is; even though the words are cribbed from the Unabomber, Anders writes as if he knows such a higher truth and must convey it to others. This belief also drives why Anders surrendered himself and did not take his own life or allow himself to be killed by the police, he is the messenger of this truth and through his court appearance he thinks he will spread this message so that others can learn this truth.

What is this truth of Anders? That I am still grappling over since all we really have is some suspicious Facebook pages, the above mentioned manifesto, and a video of unknown provenance. Because of the doubts on the first and last pieces of evidence, perforce I must base my reasoning on the manifesto. It seems Anders was a very ordinary little Norwegian boy living in a safe bubble until a Muslim friend cheered at the news of missile strikes against American forces during Desert Storm, that was when his world view seemed to change he writes in the manifesto. It also seems he saw the Labor Party, a center-right political party that his parents supported, had been infiltrated by Marxists. If the manifesto is true then perhaps there lays the seeds of his mission.

I say mission because that is what Anders wants to believe he has embarked upon I think. All the talk of Templars, Marxists, and retaking Europe from unappreciative immigrants plays to Anders' desire to matter. An unspectacular though privileged childhood, father being a diplomat, only marred by a divorce he does not remember. And a seemingly uneventful adulthood in safe Norway also awaited him. So perhaps he latches on the few troubles or hangups he had in childhood and reinvents himself as a crusader to right wrongs he perceives in the system. Initially it seems he does try to work within the existing political system when he was part of the Progress Party. When that failed it seems a new crusade was truly born. The Labor Party was not ever going to acknowledge any sort of problem with immigrants even as the Muslims looted and raped while he might have felt abandoned by the Progress Party.

This is possibly Anders' motivation, but how best to strike a blow that supports this motivation. And to get the message out since he has so far found no one to believe him. Again lets look at the manifesto. It seems since he left the Progress Party so quietly they did not even notice he left. To further his now self-appointed mission he set up various schemes to acquire what he thinks is the last recourse against tyranny - the tools of violence. That is how he legally acquires the firearms and chemicals used in the bomb that blew up in Oslo.

The last step is perhaps the hardest to stomach. The government buildings in Oslo, for any terrorist from the right to the left end of the political spectrum, would be legitimate targets. So why the Labor party youth camp on Utoya then? Anders sees himself as saving Norway from the pollution of immigration, the Labor Party of his parents supports this immigration, and this camp is for the teenagers of people belonging to the Labor Party. So in that sort of calculus, attacking a camp full of future Labor members who will continue the policies Anders abhors makes perfect sense.

So Anders has attacked at what he thinks of as his enemies' soft spot. He wants the attention from such infamy. Hence he allowed himself to be taken alive. So he can continue to expose the Labor party, its enabling of multiculturalism, and its ideological blindness to the menace of unassimilated Muslims as the tool of Norway's destruction.

Now does it make sense, when viewed from Anders' very much off kilter point of view. He is not insane, he just has a mission and those poor teens at Utoya were pawns in his game to save Norway.

And now I am going to go and try to scrub that twisted thinking out of my skull. Rum&coke sounds good.

An Observation

2011-07-23T19:13:00.001-05:00

So shall Obama sulk on his estates, nursing his wounded ego whilst the nation burns? The answer seems to be yes. He wants the government to shutdown instead of compromising. That is extortion and not leadership.

Festival Goes On in Japan

2011-07-23T14:42:00.003-05:00

In spite of the earthquake that claimed thousands of lives and created a scary nuclear situation, a festival that has been held in Fukushima for a thousand years goes on. Though at a smaller scale. The Soma Nomaoi festival celebrates the way of the samurai. It was originally secret military exercises but transformed into a festival to remember. This year there were only 80 participants and the festival was dedicated to all who have suffered from the earthquake.

No More A'Roving

2011-07-21T08:05:00.002-05:00

She glided out of the styngian darkness this morning. A pale wraith wrapped in the intangible caress of lights. Her arrival was announced by twin messengers, thundering booms of sound that told the thousands of faithful she was coming. And then she was there for all to see. She wafted down to the long welcoming carpet silently. And as people held their breaths to savor the moment. It was also the final barrier that quiet between the dream they all held and the reality there would be no more such events for them to attend.

Farewell Atlantis.

Death of Heroes

2011-07-20T11:07:00.002-05:00

December 10, 1941 was a momentous day for Colin P. Kelly. On that day he piloted a B-17C Flying Fortress in an attack off the Philippines to repel the invading Japanese. He stayed at the controls of his damaged plane as the rest of his crew parachuted to safety. The bomber exploded before Kelly could escape. In early reporting, Colin Kelly was credited with sinking the Japanese battleship Haruna. Colin Kelly became a hero. Later investigation revleaed IJN Haruna had not been sunk at Kelly's hands, but Kelly's heroism of staying with his mortally stricken plane so his men could live can not be diminished.

In 2004 in the dusty dry foreign land called Afghanistan, another American hero was killed. Pat Tillman, like great players in WWII, turned in his Cardinal's jersey and helmet for a different uniform in 2002. He became a US Army Ranger which took him to a distant country. And it was there that Tillman had his appointment with death. At first, like in WWII, the reports stated Tillman had been killed in action against the Taliban. Then it emerged he suffered a fate like Butch O'Hare, killed in combat due to friendly fire. Even this truth does not detract from the courage and selflessness of Pat Tillman, he turned his back on what many think of as being important to answer his country's call. And he paid the ultimate price for holding those beliefs.

Now we have the story of another American hero who has died in a foreign land. Jamie Zapata was working with fellow ICE agent Victor Avila in war ravaged Mexico. Then one night they were hit in an ambush. Zapata was killed while Avila lived. The tragedy of this hero's death is the lack of information on how he died. The Departmeent of Justice is refusing to tell Zapata's family all the details for fear of compromising some unnamed investigation. Come now, Zapata's family deserves to know the truth.

Abandon in Place

2011-07-20T08:13:00.003-05:00

So it is stenciled at Launch Pad 34A where the crew of Apollo One - Grissom, White, Chaffee - died training to meet President Kennedy's goal to reach the Moon and return safely be the end of the decade. Today July 20th, 2011 is the anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin being the first men to set foot on the Moon. Today July 20th, 2011 marks the last time a Shuttle will leave the ISS as Atlantis undocks and prepares to return on Thursday. And unlike NASA in the post Apollo era when they knew the space shuttle was coming, there is no immediate plans for more manned missions to space. By cancelling Constellation and Ares, President Obama has turned NASA into an agency in partial violation of its charter.

(9) The preservation of the United States preeminent position in aeronautics and space through research and technology development related to associated manufacturing processes.

Because once Atlantis lands, the United States will be dependent upon Russia for manned access to the ISS. Once Atlantis lands, the workforce at KSC will stabilize at 1,000 when it used to be 17,000. Without Ares or Constellation in the pipeline, the ripple effect of the shuttle phase out will be permanent in the loss of skilled technicians throughout the aerospace industry that SpaceX or Virgin or DoD launchers will not cover. So the United States position in regards to space will be in serious doubt.

So those words found at Pad 34A should apply to the United States. For we are surrendering that preeminent position to the Peoples Republic of China that wants to reach the Moon and to Russia.

De Gall

2011-07-17T14:17:00.003-05:00

Democrats in Congress have 'deemed' budgets to be passed under Pelosi's ruler ship. Democrats in the Senate refuse to submit any semblance of a budget. President Obama's budget this year vanished quicker than a cheeseburger in the White House. And now the House, Senate, and the President are at loggerheads over the national debt ceiling.

So how does our President handle this situation? First he demanded Republicans cave to his conditions of his mad spending is off-limits. When that failed, he tried the tactic he used against Bibi Netanyahu by storming out of a meeting with Rep. Cantor and others. So as we cruise to the first week of August when this nation is supposed to collide bloodily with its debt ceiling, Obama does things that further exacerbate how out of touch he is with a thing called reality and voter opinion.

First he is giving $900million of our tax money to Hamas in Gaza. The Hamas that just fired more rockets into Israel from Gaza. Next he is going to throw a birthday party for himself that will cost $35,800 per ticket. His birthday happens at the same time as the country hits the debt limit. They say timing is everything, in this case Obama's clock is way off as he watches the light reflect off the chandeliers and mirrors of Versailles.

Quotable Quotes

2011-07-12T15:34:00.001-05:00

"If I have a choice of being popular and dead or unpopular and alive, I choose being alive and unpopular." - Ariel Sharon

Retro Political Cartoon

2011-07-12T06:42:00.005-05:00

From the Reagan years, how little the socialist progressive Democrats have changed. Just remember this when the Democrats agitate for the raising of the debt ceiling. They want you the taxpaying people to pay for their wine and quiche.

Debt Ceiling Analogy

2011-07-11T16:21:00.002-05:00

President Obama obviously broke away from another grueling game of golf to browbeat the citizens of the United States today. His objective for this presser? Why we must raise taxes and take more of your money even as energy prices and food prices rise. As Sec. of Energy Dr. Chu just said said about incadescent lightbulbs, he knows better than you on what to do with your money. First the President wants Congress to surrender to his demand to raise the US debt limit.

Raising the debt limit is not the catastrophic thing Obama and his bootlickers say. The debt limit is like the limit Norm has on his bar tab at Cheers. Keeping that limit prevents him from spending all his money on booze. Same with the debt limit. If it is not raised, then Norm Obama has to pay down his current bar tab before buying another beer. Put that way, I much prefer to keep the debt limit where it is. Don't you?

Monday News

2011-07-11T16:04:00.003-05:00

First some really cool news for one very lucky Marine in Afghanistan. Mila Kunis has agreed to attend the Marine Corps Ball with the Marine. Semper Fi Marine! And a big thank you to Ms. Kunis.

The family of murdered US agent Brian Terry are now pondering civil lawsuits against those invovled in Operation Fast and Furious. First my condolences go out to this family who lost a loved one in such a tragic way. Keep letting your representatives in Congress know that the truth about this operation needs to come out. Closure and healing can not happen as long as there is even a whiff of cover-up. The guilty must be punished.

And for all those who worry about the Mayan calendar signalling the end of the world. Your Armageddon may get pre-empted later this year by Nibiru crashing into the Earth. If you beleive any of the listed doomsday scares in the linked article, can I sell you some land and food for cash now? Last month an asteroid 55ft in size, 2011 MD, passed far closer than that comet ever will. Still no sign of the 12th planet... maybe the legendary 12th Iman is on Nibiru? Inquiring minds do not care.

Not Easy Being Green

2011-07-10T15:01:00.007-05:00

Hat-Tip to Kate at Small Dead Animals for this link and the above image. Solar panels in Germany with weeds growing through the panels. Yep green energy is the wave of the future. To extinction perhaps and most certainly higher electricity prices.

Deadly Diplomacy

2011-07-07T10:32:00.004-05:00

I recently wrote about the Obama Administration and its shabby treatment of the United Kingdom. Now it is time to shift focus to our neighbor south of the border - Mexico.

I am talking about Operation Fast and Furious and its diplomatic fallout. On July 4th, acting BATFE Director Melson with his own attorney sat down with Sen. Grassley and Rep. Issa to discuss this operation. What emerged from this discussion plus released emails is a multi-agency operation that involved the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security at the minimum. Also evident was efforts by higher ups in the Dept. of Justice to control how information flowed between agencies and what was reported to Congress. Most troubling of all is the possibility some of the straw buyers that ATF allowed to buy weapons might have been on the payroll of other US agencies - taxpayer money might have been used to purchase weapons that slipped into Mexico and killed 150+ Mexican citizens.

If I believed honorable men and women were in the Department of Justice, I would expect them to do the right thing. However the evidence is clear these people are not honorable. So investigations have to be carried out to find out how much FBI Director Mueller really knew, along with various attorneys, agents, supervisors, and other agencies like DEA knew. Then proceed to impeachment and/or prosecution of the accused. This matter has to be fully explored and investigators must follow the evidence no matter where it leads, even if that leads to Obama and his czars.

Attempts to downplay and pretend this crisis, that makes Watergate a tempest in a teapot, is failing. Citizens in the United States are learning these facts even as most media outlets continue to ignore the controversy. This stonewalling can not last because Mexico has learned of Operation Fast and Furious because places like CBS and Fox News did break the story. That Mexico had to learn from media outlets of this has greatly upset the government of Calderone because the US State Department should have talked with their Mexican counterparts about an operation that would cross international borders. The Obama Administration did not inform Mexico. So the Mexicans are naturally having flashbacks of 1848, 1916, and other incidents where the United States arbitrarily forced itself into Mexican affairs. In fact Mexico is now demanding those who are responsible for Fast and Furious be extradited to Mexico to stand trial.

So this mess is not going away anytime soon. It no longer matters if Fast and Furious was an Obama attempt to get more restrictive gun laws passed. Because of 150+ murders in Mexico it has become an international incident. And until the Obama Administration negotiates in good faith with Mexico to resolve this matter, US-Mexican relations will be strained. Be interesting to see how Mexico pursues making its displeasure known. They could declare war on the United States for supporting criminals trying to topple Mexico, that would play well with Mexicans on both sides of the border and would be a good reason for war that would play on the international scene. Cuba and Venezuela would support Mexico in resisting Yanqui imperial aggression. And just think of Mexico bringing its complaint to the United Nations.

Update: Thanks to Birkenstock Cowboy for this link.
This is very bad if it proves out. That the Tampa BATFE office allowed guns to slip out the country to Honduras and then slip over into Mexico. Running two seperate arms pipelines into Mexcio to equip the drug cartels with guns? Reagan caught holy hell for the overt arms pipeline to Afghanistan and was almost toppled because of Iran-Contra. The Obama Administration would deserve to be savaged in the international community for the sheer affrontery of these actions. Mexico and Honduras would be within their rights to call a meeting of the OAS to discuss these grave matters. And the OAS would be justified in condeming the US for these unprovoked aggressive acts. And just think, after OAS sanction, Honduras and Mexico take their case to the UN. How many of those countries would love to take the US down a few notches? This has the hallmarks of being a massive disaster for the United States if all this turns out true. Even if only part of its true, this is still a disaster for the United States. To broaden the area of destruction, some of the Fast and Furious guns have now been seized in the United States.

Bachman Derangement

2011-07-06T20:09:00.002-05:00

I had stumbled across a news story about former governor Tim Pawlenty has hired former Arkansas and TV personality Mike Huckabee's daughter. It does make sense to hire Sarah Huckabee Sanders if Pawlenty wants to connect to Mike Huckabee's base. Though what did catch my eye was one of the comments, which acts as the springboard for this post.

"I would really like to know what it is about Michelle Bachmans former law professor and mentors comment about "Seeing Jesus carrying an M-16," that you people at the star tribune will absolutely not print. I have mentioned it in several comments, and you never print them, why not? He was her professor at Regent U, and it has been reported in Rolling Stone Magazine."
---- rabiddem

First off the poster's name is appropriate, they seems very rabid. In the rest of the comment, they challenge the Star Tribune to print those allegations. I must give the Star Tribune kudos for having sense to not run with this story since it could open a can of worms Obama supporters do not want to open. Rabiddem is attacking Bachman over a quote that is attributed to one of her law professors.

Funny how all Obama supporters basically scream at anyone who brings up Rev. Jeremiah Wright and his crusade from the pulpit against America, they say Wright's views are not those of Obama even though Obama's children were baptised by Wright and he sat in that church for 20 years listening to Wright.

We also see the same foot stomping and spittle flecked screaming when William Ayers and his wife are brought up. Obama and Ayers are neighbors and have interacted in the same social circles. Obama supporters want everyone to ignore how Ayers was a terrorist bomb-maker who managed to kill six of his comrades in the revolution when their IED detonated accidentally.

If Bachman is pilloried and savaged over comments from her law professor, then for 2012 Obama becomes fair game over his associations with Wright and Ayers. So I am granting Star Tribune the benefit of doubt that they know what a landmine this M-16 quote can be for their miracle worker Obama.

Smart Diplomacy?

2011-07-05T17:27:00.002-05:00

One of Obama's promises he made to get elected dealt with US foreign policy. Mainly President Bush's cowboy actions had alienated people and countries around the globe. That Obama would strive to repair that damage. Lets take a look at one country Obama has had much interaction with, the United Kingdom, and how he has repaired that damage.

The casual return of a famous bust of Sir Winston Churchill.
Denying there is a special relationship between the US and UK.
Gifting to Prime Minister Brown a stack of DVDs that will not play in the UK.
Giving to Queen Elizabeth II an iPod pre-loaded with Obama's speeches.
First Lady Michelle grasping at the Queen.

And now we get to the US Ambassador to the Court of St. James. The not so honorable Louis B. Sussman, Democrat fundraiser and Obama's UK ambassador. He pandered earlier in the day to a bunch of American media to mark the unveiling of a statue of Ronald Reagan. But then inexplicably skipped a major social event later that night. It was a party where four British cabinet members, former Prime Minister John Major, nine US Representatives, one US Senator, former California Governor Pete Wilson, and former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice were in attendance.

I think Lynn de Rothschild has her thumb firmly fixed on why Sussman was missing - "Why is our ambassador not here on Independence Day? No excuse. How is it that America is not represented in this room by our ambassador? It is appalling that no representative of our government is in this room. This has the feel of petty partisanship."

I wonder when Britain will tire of all these slights and insults. Last time the US and UK tangled in 1812, the British burned down the house Obama is presently living in. Santayana says those who fail to heed history are bound to repeat it. At this point I would consider it getting off lightly if that is all that happened.

July 4th History

2011-07-04T07:26:00.003-05:00

July 4, 1801. Thomas Jefferson became the first President to celebrate the day at the Presidential mansion.

July 4, 1817. James Madison closed the Presidential Mansion and went on a tour of the northeast to include Boston, MA.

July 4, 1848. Wisconsin joins the Union and the 30th star added to the US flag.

July 4, 1848. The cornerstone for the Washington Monument is laid.

July 4, 1851. Daniel Webster gave his fourth 4th of July oration. This marked Webster's final 4th of July speech.

July 4, 1901. Philippines, that the US acquired after the Spanish-American War, were transferred from military to civilian administration.

July 4, 1946. Full independence is granted to the Philippines by the United States.

Just some of the things that have happend on the Fourth of July. May we continue to enjoy the rights and responsibilities that our Founding Fathers considered inalienable. And may we continue to defend those rights, just like all the people in the military are doing now far overseas.

Obama Gut Call

2011-07-03T17:04:00.003-05:00

Obama having to make a gut call. Probably saying 'No! No! Yes! Yes! No! Yes! Yes! Yes!' about Afghanistan.

China US Talks

2011-07-02T11:25:00.000-05:00

Here is the transcript of Asst. Secretary of State Campbell's press briefing. This occurred after his one day closed door talks with PRC Vice Foreign Minister Cui in Hawai'i.

I think a few things can be drawn from this. The United States emphasized it had interests and treaties with various countries in the region. North Korea continues to be a festering pox that the PRC needs to nudge. And the issues in the South China Sea were also discussed, mainly the US wants a peaceful resolution to the matter. The trick now becomes will the PRC actually honestly work towards an agreement that benefits everyone in that area?

President Vacation

2011-07-02T08:04:00.004-05:00

So don't feel guilty this weekend taking time off to grill some poor dead animal, load up on the coleslaw, savor the taste of ice cream, and watch some fireworks after the sun sets. President Obama has your back when it comes to taking time off.

Negotiating With The Dragon

2011-06-25T14:28:00.008-05:00

This weekend the Peoples Republic of China and the United States are meeting in Hawai'i to discuss various items of mutual interest. Strangely one item of such interest the PRC has told the US not to bring up. According to the PRC the item does not concern the US.

This item the PRC does not want to discuss is called the Spratly Islands. If you look at the above map, it should be clear the US does have an interest. Look at the small box called Spratlys, it points to a location in the middle of a major sea lane of commerce and communications. To respond quickly to the Indian Ocean or Arabian Sea, the US naval forces in Japan have to pass by the Spratly's. If a foreign power wanted to thwart the US, the Spratly's would be a good location. Not as good as the Malaca Straits, but with emplaced cruise missiles sea denial would be de facto. And US naval forces would have to travel down the eastern side of the Philippines, making a rapid response impossible.

Another reason why the US has an interest in the Spratly's is called alliances. All the oil that Japan, Taiwan[Republic of China], and South Korea need to keep operating pass by the Spratly Islands. So does the oil the PRC imports go past these islands. All of these countries have a strategic interest in those islands. Because the US is an ally to Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, it also has an interest.

Unfortunately it has been the PRC that has tried to bully the other claimaints to the islands - Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. In 1988 the PRC sank a Vietnamese ship killing 80 sailors. Recently the PRC has tried to bar Vietnamese fishermen from fishing in the Spratly Islands. Philippines, Vietnam, and PRC have also at various times put military detachments in the Spratly Islands. A beacon on Michief Reef was smashed. And the PRC has been infringing upon Philippine and Japanese territorial waters.

The Philippines are expecting the United States to back them up under the 1951 mutual defense treaty. And this ally needs US support since their military is very weak. The last F-5 of the Philippine Air Force flew in 2005 and now they are looking to buy TWO MiG-29s or F/A-18s. Two aircraft for a nation of 7,000 islands. If the United States wanted to make a concrete committment to Philippine sovereignty, perhaps some aircraft at AMARC could be refurbished and sold for $100 ea to the Philippines. I note there are over 170 F-16C/D airframes at AMARC, surely we could raid the Stimulus for such a shovel ready project along with training pilots? It will probably take a year or so to spin it all up, but at this point it would be a concrete gesture that the US wants the Philippines to be independant.

Next month, a US Navy destroyer will particiapte in a search and rescue exercise with Vietnam. A new ally of the United States and a victim of PRC aggression. Naturally the PRC is calling one US Navy destroyer a provocative action. I think the PRC protests too much for it shows they do covet all of that area.

As if open sea lanes and alliances were not enough reasons for US intereste, here is another. The Spratly Islands sit atop approximately 17.7 billion tonnes of oil and natural gas. With the known demands of Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea along with the rising appetite for oil from the PRC; the importance of these islands become clear. It would help free all these countries from being dependant upon Middle East oil as they are now. Would cut transit times and save money. Plus if Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Philippines, or PRC can gain sole control of these islands; they will have a new source of revenue. For poor countries like Vietnam and Philippines, it could help boost their economies. For the PRC to own the Spratly Islands, they would gain tremendous power over their oil hungry neighbors as they sold or not sold the oil to them.

After writing the above, I have one thing to say. The United States does have a vital and vested interest in the matter of who owns the Spratly Islands. We need to make this concern abundantly clear to the Peoples Republic of China while working with our allies in the region to ensure they know we are there for them if they are attacked.

Defective Weapons

2011-06-24T13:15:00.007-05:00

During the Vietnam War when M-16s were jamming in combat, the US Army took steps to correct the problem. More training on cleaning the weapon was instituted along with issuing mroe cleaning kits. Chroming the whole bolt to reduce fouling was another corrective action. The M-16 has gone on to rack up an impressive service record.

When the M-247 Sgt. York DIVAD proved it could not even hit a stationary helicopter, the whole program was cancelled. It never entered service.

Or of more recent vintage is the Crusader SPG. It was designed for the battlefields of Europe as Warsaw Pact forces poured through the Fulda Gap. Instead it faced a post Desert Storm world where Rumsfeld cast a gimlet eye at the whole program. It was revealed to be overweight and overbudget without a real mission. It was cancelled.

There seems to be another weapon in the arsenal of the US Army that needs to go. When a soldier raises their right hand to swear/affirm to protect the Constitution from all enemies foreign or domestic, they become the most fearsome weapon this country possesses to defend itself. Except now some of these soldiers are saying no to orders. There are those of the Muslim faith that are refusing lawful orders on the basis of their faith. Since the US has a volunteer force, why are these people even in the military? They are giving false service after swearing falsely, and as Akbar, who tossed a grenade into a tent where his friends slept killing three, Yonathan Melaku, and Nidal Hasan have shown, they are potential threats to the lives and safety of their fellow soldiers just like defective weapons failing in the heat of combat.

Note - Thanks to ORD and Lysol for catching my goofs. Any that still slipped through are all mine.

Borders? What Borders

2011-06-24T12:50:00.003-05:00

I am sorry I am not buying the official Mexican explanation to this story. That three trucks loaded with armed soldiers of the Mexican Army rolled across Bridge Two in Laredo because they got lost. Lets ignore such things as the bi-lingual signs saying you are entering the United States. Or all the cars and trucks queued up at the toll-booths for entry.

If the Mexican soldiers can not read signs in Spanish, they why are they allowed to drive vehicles. Please no jokes on Mexican drivers, we are talking military drivers.

As for the Customs and Border Patrol folk, glad no one was hurt. But it does raises questions on security. This is one of the official entry points into both countries, why isn't there an armed rapid response team standing by? 1916 was not 100 years ago to use Ezra Klein's yardstick. The grim truth is, the border between a blood-drenched and violence racked Mexico and the United States is wide open.

Fuzzy Economics

2011-06-21T10:06:00.004-05:00

After reading this paean to the Elysian Fields of Keynesian economics, I am thankful this bloke is not making policy. On the other hand, he probably has ideological siblings actually making policy. And that should terrify anyone with a lick of common sense.

What this gentleman is suggesting is Germany should be booted from the Eurozone not because its like Greece but because the country is the antithesis of Greece. Germany has a budget surplus, has cut spending, and has kept high work standards. Can not have such a success mucking up the great experiment called the Euro and European Union.

He conveniently forgets since the creation of the Euro, it has been a transfer of money. That Germany and Holland took it in the neck economically, their former strong currencies weakened by the pre-existing debt and economic weakness of countries like Greece and Italy.

Now Greece, Ireland, and Spain are teetering on the edge of economic destruction because they never changed their habits. They expect the powerhouse called Germany to keep picking up the tab of their wastefulness. After going on the hook for the staggering sum of €220billion in bailing them out, Germany is saying no more money. So socialists in Greece and this British writer are now blaming Germany for the whole mess. They do not want to admit to the fact that the Euro is an abysmal failure, it was not a magic wand to remake Greece into another Germany.

At this stage, one thing should be clear. The Euro and the EU is an artificial creation that can exist only in a carefully regulated environment. As such, better to let it break up now before the architects of the EU delusion fully destroy Europe and inflict untold suffering on people who never wanted this kind of mess.

Aviation Round-Up

2011-06-21T09:23:00.005-05:00

The 49th Paris Airshow is rolling along with all the aviation companies trying to sell their wares to anyone with money or good financing. Saab is demonstrating their JAS-39 Gripen NG demonstrator, they are looking for Brazil orders and re-entry into the Indian MMRCA competition. Boeing has displayed the latest 747-8 cargo version.

Airbus/EADS is of course there with their products. The A380 suffered another embarrassing moment, on top of a previous accident where a 380 clipped a smaller jet, when its wing-tip clipped a building. So a Korean Air Lines A380 did the fly-by while the damaged plane sat on the tarmac with a cover over the damaged wing.

Nor was this Airbus/EADS only mishap, the very long delayed A400M had one also. To whit a cracked gearbox in one of the turboprop engines, so another A400M had to be slotted in. To add to the controversy surrounding the four year overdue A400M, the RAF will name their planes Atlas and not Grizzly, shades of the Eurofighter Taifun/Typhoon name controversy. All the delays surrounding the A400M project has allowed American companies to snag orders; Boeing happy with C-17 orders to the RAF, RCAF, RAAF, Oman, and Hungary and Lockheed-Martin selling C-130Js to RAF, RCAF, and a host of other possible A400M customers. And South Africa has cancelled it's A400M orders. And is it me or does the A400M nose and cockpit look like a C-141?

And what post on modern aviation would be complete without mentioning the Peoples Republic of China? It seems the designers at Chinese Military Aviation have developed a new airlifter in the 400,000lb category that bears a strong resemblance to the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. Very curious confirmation on Chinese intelligence efforts and on Chinese power projection goals, perhaps to places like Africa or Taiwan?

File this under old airshow news. Back in 2009 the Islamic Iranian Air Force had their own airshow. One of the centerpieces was supposed to be an overflight of their IL-76 Candid based AWACs plane named Simurgh. As the video in this link shows, things went terribly wrong and resulted in the loss of crew and plane.

Rocky Three F-22

2011-06-15T13:02:00.003-05:00

The Accident Investigation Board[AIB] trying to determine what caused the fatal crash of F-22 Rocky Three and the death of Captain Jeff Haney is still on-going. On Jan 24, 2011 the AIB was adjourned until more wreckage of the fighter is recovered. No other news has been released by PACAF, but hopefully during Alaska's construction season the search for answers will continue and an answer found.

Meanwhile, the USAF is looking at putting in an open architecture avionics system into the F-22. It seems the current avionics system is so tightly integrated that its cost-prohibitive to upgrade, so now they are looking at adding a second one. Has anyone learned anything from the whole TFX/F-111 mess?

Note: An AIB is convened to determine the cause of an accident, from a simple engine overheat to a total airframe loss. It is outside the scope of an AIB to lay blame for an accident.

Professor Obama's Economics

2011-06-15T10:29:00.003-05:00

Once again President Obama decides to impart his economic wisdom upon the rest of us in the United States. This is how he describes the ‘surprising’ and persistent high unemployment numbers.

"There are some structural issues with our economy where a lot of businesses have learned to become much more efficient with a lot fewer workers. You see it when you go to a bank and you use an ATM, you don't go to a bank teller, or you go to the airport and you're using a kiosk instead of checking in at the gate."

I think he would be better served watching the below video. And also hiring two people to hold his cue cards instead of using two tele-prompters.

Flag Day 2011

2011-06-14T14:23:00.002-05:00

This is a replica of the flag flown when Commodore Perry re-opened Japan to the world. It is presently on display aboard USS Missouri in Pearl Harbour, Oahu, Hawai'i.

Liberty Belle Crashes

2011-06-13T16:20:00.002-05:00

The population of B-17 Flying Fortress bombers was reduced by one today due to a crash outside Chicago. A plane made famous in movies like Memphis Belle and 12 O'Clock High, there are few of the thousands built left.

B-17G 44-85734 was not a combat veteran. It never left the States to drone over the flak-pocked skies of Europe in vast gleaming silver formations protected by P-51D Mustangs. They never faced off against Luftwaffe ME-262s in their almost lazy sweeping curves shooting through bomber formations. Nor was it ever nursed back to England with wounded crew and smashed engines. Still a Flying Fortress is a rare sight to behold at any airshow, to hear the drone of four R-1820 engines is something. So just as a flyable B-17, Liberty Belle was important in teaching history to newer generations.

Now the proud gleaming plane is gone. A burnt out aluminium hulk in a corn field. All seven people aboard the Flying Fortress made it off safely. So the legendary ruggedness held true to bring a crew home. Lets give thanks these people are alive to return to their families and thank all the Rosie Riveters who built this plane to kick the Nazis onto the scrapheap of history.

Battlestar Galactica

2011-06-13T07:15:00.004-05:00

Rose last night decided to post the opening to the original Battlestar Galactica with Lorne Greene. So it got me thinking on the two series and something I have been meaning to talk about. To start it off, here is the full opening score.

One of the biggest issues I have with the new version is one that gets scant attention. Not sure if it slips beneath the radar or perhaps if looked at it makes people nervous. I am talking about the Cylons and their origin.

In the original series the Cylons were lizards in shiny chrome armour. Imperious Leader looked like some Rastafarian with a really bad hair-do while dressed in a shimmering robe only the hyper-tacky would wear. They were literally aliens. And those Colonial humans were messing up their perfect Cylon universe so the humans had to go. So war erupted as the Cylons sought a final solution. And when force of arms failed to achieve their aims, they tried treachery and almost succeeded.

The new version, Cylons are merely imperfect creations of humans. So imperfect are they that after fighting a war to be free of humans; they turn themselves into human copies and seek to merge with their masters to make a more perfect race. In fact throughout the new Galactica universe, there is nary an alien species to be found.

It is as if the writers do not believe that aliens could be out there. That there is but one intelligent species throughout all of the multi-galaxy universe. How boring a universe that is when you think on it. One species and it has to create and then abuse another intelligent species so as not to be alone in that vast emptiness. Does not say much about humanity does it or perhaps it shines an accidental spotlight on the mindset of those who birthed the new series.

Does it offer a glimpse into the lurking ID of the creators and writers, that perhaps they are humanists? That they do not see in the Heavens above, like Horatio, more than what is offered the senses? Man is the apex of random senseless creation and is thus doomed to senseless existence unless the Intellect directs Humanity towards a progressively and scientifically managed future.

I just hope the lack of alien species is due to soemthing far more simple - either a childish unthinking desire to be different from the original series or it never occurred to them what an excellent mirror for humanity a truly alien species can be. And not because their hidden ID is chanting something like 'Humanity Uber Alles.' A few somethings to ponder.

Emails I Get

2011-06-11T08:05:00.000-05:00

This would be a very tempting thing to do. Take a tour of Israel. This company is offering $100 off such a trip. Something to ponder. Thought I would share it in case one of my readers might be thinking of taking such a trip.

A Sea Story?

2011-06-10T17:26:00.003-05:00

On page 19 of American PT Boats in World War II written by Victor Chun and published by Schiffer Publishing is a painting by Lt. Cmdr Griffith B. Coale. Coale was an American artist and was part of the Navy Combat Art program that was established by Admiral Chester Nimitz before the US entry into World War II.

The story behind the painting is that on June 10, 1942, two PT boats set out from Midway on a special mission. As the sun set a chaplain performed services and US Marines fired volleys, two coffins were lowered into the embracing waters of the Pacific Ocean where so many others had just recently found their eternal rest. The most startling aspect of this solemn ceremony is the nationality of the deceased - they were Japanese aviators who had been killed during the Battle of Midway and the coffins are draped in the rising sun flag of Japan.

This sounds like a story to be told and told again, showing how noble the American fighting man is in war. Except no one else mentions this story. Not even the official history of the PT boats, At Close Quarters, includes this tale. Ted Meredith's memoir of his times in MTB Sqns 7 and 15, PT Boat Officer - Stories from 50 Years Ago, does not mention this. While William Breuer's Devil Boats skips any coverage of Midway. Gordon Prange's Miracle at Midway has no reference to this event. This story is absent in Incredible Victory by Walter Lord. I doubted I would find it in Stafford's Big E, but I looked anyway and found nothing. PT boats Inc. web-site mirrors what is written in At Close Quarters.

What At Close Quarters, on page 81 and PT Boats Inc do record is a solemn task the PT boats did carry out at Midway. On June 6, 1942, the small wooden craft went to sea and did bury men killed during the air raid. Thus was committed to the sea eleven United States Marines.

USS Trout pulled two survivors of the heavy cruiser Mikuma on June 9 off a raft. On June 18, USS Ballard rescued 35 Japanese survivors of the sunk aircraft carrier Hiryu. All these men became prisoners of war and sent back to the United States.

Sea stories usually start with someone saying "I was there..." In this case I was not there and it seems no one else was there to record a very memorable event. So the story behind this painting remains a mystery for now. Because of the American spirit of fair play and helping out the unfortunate, I could see this happening. I just wish I could find independent confirmation it happened.

D-Day Plus 2

2011-06-08T07:19:00.004-05:00

On June 8, 1944, American, British, and Canadian forces pushed their way through the bocage and stiff German resistance on the five invasion beaches of Normandie France. Objectives like Caen proved elusive to the Allies. Pont du Hoc and St. Mere Eglise were the few bright spots in a bloody campaign.

At sea was another lesser known struggle for the Allies. The Luftwaffe might be missing, but there were other threats. The most dangerous threat being mines. On June 8, 1944 the US Navy Bristol class destroyer USS Glennon [DD-620] struck a mine in the Baie de la Seine and began to settle at the stern. USS Glennon was also struck by German shore batteries and went down. Twenty-five of her crew were killed.

Glennon did not sink alone that day off the French shore. The Buckley class destroyer-escort USS Rich [DD-695] moved in to render aid to the stricken destroyer. As a towline was being passed between both ships, a mine detonated 50 yards to starboard. No damage was observed aboard the destroyer-escort and rescue operations proceeded. Then two minutes later a mine detonated and blew the stern off of Rich. USS Rich's fate was sealed when another mine detonated amidship. In less than ten minutes USS Rich had been transformed from a warship to a wreck. 89 of her crew died due to these explosions.

Survivors of both warships were rescued or picked up by PT boats of MTB Sqn 34. Two sailors, from PT-504 and PT-506, were picked by a Coast Guard vessel after USS Rich had sunk. Paul Cayer, S1C, from PT-506 was cited with saving nine men with his aid. Two survivors were rescued from blown off stern of USS Rich by PT-508. Also assisting in the rescue was a Royal Navy ML.

Sources.
Tin Cans, Theodore Roscoe, Bantam Books New York City New York, February 1960. 438 pages.
At Close Quarters - PT Boats in the United States Navy, Robert J. Buckley Jr, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis Maryland, 2003. 574 pages.