QOTD, 11/30/2009

Phil has it here.

Why? UPDATE

This morning, four police officer in the Tacoma (and Fort Lewis/McChord Air Force base) suburb of Lakewood were murdered.  At 8:30, as they had coffee together shortly before their shift started, a man walked in and shot them.

He may have been injured in the process.

Here is a mugshot of the suspect:

Note the stylish orange suit.  He has a long acquaintance with the criminal justice system.  Including having had his prison sentence commuted by then-Governor Mike Huckabee in Arkansas, in what will probably prove to be the end of Huckabee's politcial career. Note that, among other things, Clemmons is wanted for child rape.

Michelle Malkin has some more.

I was rather disgusted by the way the local media were wallowing in the gore.  At least one station was told by the Pierce County Sheriff's Department that it's helicopter was in the way and to return to base; the pilot refused, but station management had a rush of blood to the head and backed off.

This just proves that there are no magic talismans hat can assure safety, including guns, badges, or bullet-resistant vests, and that even cops (and military personnel!) can slip into Condition White.

I suppose the gun-banners will try and prove that only professionals should have guns, since guns couldn't save them, but that a poor, misunderstood victim of society was able to use one to kill them.  In a cry for help, no doubt.

Bah.

UPDATE
At 10:19 PM the Seattle Times reported that the Seattle PD SWAT Team was surrounding a house that Scumbag was alleged to be in. He wasn't there.

The Seattle Times is also reporting that said scumbag had cut off a tracking bracelet.

UPDATE II: He wasn't at the house they surrounded last night, but he is confirmed to have been shot, and may be dead.

That link has photos of the deceased officers.

QOTD, 11/29/2009

Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.

G. K. Chesterton

English author & mystery novelist (1874 - 1936)

You know, like the polar ice caps are all melting because we suck and Gaea hates us, or guns cause crime.

(Isn't a mystery novelist an author?)

A Trio of Korean Pieces

All on Rantburg:  Here, here, and here.

I seriously did not believe that north Korea would still be hanging on this long after I retired.

Happy Thanksgiving

Was trying to figure out what to post. 

Saw this on Small Wars Journal, and decided This is It.

Speaking of Motivators...

Lieutenant Colonel Allan West, US Army, got in trouble in Iraq because he fired a round from his M9 sidearm into the wall next to the head of a Tango, in the course of interrogating same. 

His story is here.

He is now running for congress in Florida's 22d district. 



2012 anyone?

Motivators

A day or two ago, Blackfive posted this photo of the mascot of the 1^st Battalion, 17^th Infantry Regiment.

Her name is Cookie.  

I commented at the time that 1/17 Infantry's mascot should be named "Buffalo", because a buffalo appears on 1/17 Infantry's Distinctive Unit Insignia  ("Unit Crest"); during my first assignment to the Second Infantry Division, 1/17 was there, and they were known as the Buffalos.

Naturally, someone replied that they can name their mascot anything they want, which is correct, but I'm a crusty old retired NCO, who expects traditions to be maintained...

Anyway.  Someone else called for Motivational Posters...

Edited to add:
17^th Infantry's DUI

Edited again to say that  Yes, I remembered too late that the Shakespeare line is " Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war..."  Blasted thing disappeared on me, so I had to do it all over again.  At least I was able to correct the quote.

This page has 17th Infantry unit history and stuff.  For crusty old NCOs who are into tradition and all that.

Oh, joy...

There is 1 active alert issued by the National Weather Service for King County

GRAYS HARBOR-KING-LEWIS-MASON-PIERCE-SKAGIT-SNOHOMISH-THURSTON- WHATCOM- FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM PST THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING UNTIL 6:00AM PST
Flood Watch
National Weather Service Seattle WA
1039 PM PST Wed Nov 25 2009

Grays Harbor-King-Lewis-Mason-Pierce-Skagit-Snohomish-Thurston-Whatcom-

, Flood Watch Remains In Effect From 4 AM PST Thursday Through Friday Morning,

The Flood Watch Continues For
* Portions Of Western Washington, Including The Following Counties, Grays Harbor, Skagit, Whatcom, King, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston.

* From 4 AM PST Thursday Through Friday Morning

* Considerably Less Rain Has Fallen Over The North Cascades.
Reaches Of Several Rivers There Are Forecast To Crest About A Foot Below Flood Stage, But Heavier Rain Than Forecast Could Take Them Close To Flood Stage.

* Little To No Rain Has Fallen In The Central Cascades. Rivers Flowing Out Of The Central Cascades Are The Least Likely To Flood.

* Little Rain Has Fallen In The Willapa Hills But That Will Likely Change Overnight, As Periods Of Heavy Rain Develop There. The Chehalis River Flows Out Of The Willapa Hills, And Minor Flooding, Especially Over The Lower Reaches, Is Possible.

Precautionary/Preparedness Actions,

A Flood Watch Means There Is A Potential For Flooding Based On The Current Forecasts. Those Living In Areas Prone To Flooding Should Be Prepared To Take Action Should Flooding Develop.

Monitor Forecasts From The National Weather Service For The Latest Updates Or Warnings.

&&
Issue Time:11/25/2009 10:39:00 PM
Valid Until:11/26/2009 6:00:00 AM

"Haze Gray, and Under Way" (Updated)

Or is it "under weigh"?

Anyway (or "'weigh.")

As a retired Army NCO with a blog I am expected to maintain a certain level of harassment of the other services, all in a sense of fun, of course.  I have most recently twitted the Air Force for fielding a camouflage uniform and getting all wee-wee'd up when folks called it a "Battle Dress Uniform":  "The US Air Force does not engage in ground combat, this is the Airman Barracks Uniform."  Except that there are Air Force personnel who engage in ground combat, and they are now calling it the Airman Battle Uniform anyway.  Here are a couple of pictures:

I like the super-hero-ish vibe of this one...  Also, the fact that it clearly shows the sage green boots.


RUMINT had it that the ABU was supposed to have blue in the pattern, because it is, after all, the Air Force.  Obviously, more sober heads prevailed on that issue...

Wikipedia has an article on the ABU here.

So the other day I ran into The  Navy Working Uniform (NWUs).

Apparently Popeye The Sailorman  Squids need a camouflage uniform to wear while they work on deck, so the bad guys won't know they're there.  Or something.  (Check out the Flash animated 360 degree view, with callouts for what you have to buy, and prices!)

There are supposed to be a "predominantly blue" and "predominantly gray" versions; not clear which version is worn under what conditions...

 Meanwhile, the Army is supposed to be working on a replacement for the Army Camouflage Uniform; the uniform itself is said to be very popular, but the camouflage itself is  less than ideal.  Which is foolish:  At the time of the ACU's adoption, it was pointed out that, in the course of a four hour patrol in Iraq, one could easily transition from urban, to desert, to woodland conditions; no single camouflage pattern is going to serve in all conditions.   But, someone whined to his congresscritter, who launched an investigation...

Decisions, decisions...

I see the Salt Mines has an opening for an Overseer in my pay grade in Kona.  Last time, it opened right after we came back from there.

A Unique Metric

Via Gateway Pundit, we learn that the Wall Street Journal reports that His Imperial Majesty, Barack Hussein Obama while serving as President of the United States of America has already played more golf than George W. Bush did in his entire two terms in office.

To bad he keeps taking mulligans instead of deciding stuff.

(I'm not actually sure what a "mulligan" is, I just know it's golf stuff.)

Today's "WTF?!" Moment

Courtesy Michelle Malkin:

Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq — the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com.

MM calls it "The Insanity Of The Day".

"Outrage" would be better.

The three, all members of the Navy’s elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment — called an admiral’s mast — and have requested a trial by court-martial.

Good for them.  I look forward top their vindication, and the subsequent execution of whoever is responsible.

Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named “Objective Amber,” told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.

Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers.

They assaulted the poor widdle baby in the course of capturing him, in order to a) cease his terrorist career, and b) bring him to justice for same?  Barbarians!

What To Do, How To Do It

And, What NOT to do, How NOT To Do It.

Over at FreeThinker, Gay Cynic has some advice for the incoming mayor of Seattle.  Ignore the fact that the advice is framed in terms of Seattle specifics, it is actually useful for any elected or appointed official in America today.

What she said

In her own, inimitable way, Tamara sums up Why We Carry.

I understand Rob Allen doesn't care...

From the people who brought you LOLCats, it's the Magic 8 Cheezeburger!  Works just like a Magic Eightball, only gives appropriate LOLCat answers such as "WTF?" and "OMG!  Yes!!1!"

Every day we are forced to make difficult decisions: "Should I cross the street?" "Am I thirsty?" "Do I wear pants today?" If you are looking for guidance, the Magic 8 Cheezburger can provide it. Never again will you again be forced to ponder live's difficult decisions. The Cheezburger will give you peace. All Hail the Cheezburger.

QOTD, 11/19/1009

A friend might put a spear in your heart, but only an enemy will tell you it's for your own good.

Grim Eyes
Ursula Vernon's webcomic Digger

And today is...

...National Ammo Day, AKA "National BUYcott Day."

A brief explanation - What is National Ammo Day?

November 19 is National Ammo Day.

It is a nationwide BUYcott of ammunition.  You buy ammunition.  100 Rounds a person.
The goals of Ammo Day:
The goal of National Ammo Day is to empty the ammunition from the shelves of your local gun store, sporting goods, or hardware store and put that ammunition in the hands of law-abiding citizens.  Make your support of the Second Amendment known--by voting with your dollars!

There are an estimated 75 MILLION gun owners in the United States of America.  If each gun owner or Second Amendment supporter buys 100 rounds of ammunition, that’s 7.5 BILLION rounds in the hands of law-abiding citizens!

The gun/ammunition manufacturers have been taking the brunt of all the frivolous lawsuits, trying to put these folks out of business.  Well, not if we can help it!  And we CAN help it by buying ammunition on November 19!

 Of course, for the last year or so the shelves have been pretty bare anyway, but still...

I usually get a brick of .22 LR, which exceeds the 100 rounds goal, is useful, and relatively inexpensive. Mail-order could be considered as cheating, although if you can't find what you are looking for locally, I suppose it is permissible; for example, Cheaper Than Dirt and Sportsman's Guide both carry the Centurion 12 Ga. "Buck and Ball" rounds, which I have never seen locally...

If you can afford 100 rounds of .50BMG, I want to know your secret.

CHANGE! (Updated)

Reading about how His Imperial Majesty's stimulus money was going to congressional districts that don't exist--North Dakota has ONE district for the entire state, but recovery.gov says that money went to NoDak's ten or so districts; New Hampshire has two districts, but was credited with a dozen or more--I thought I'd look and see what they were claiming for Washington AC.

No need, the Evergreen Freedom Foundation is already on the job:

Washington state abounds with phantom Congressional districts per government Web site
Posted by Piper Scott - November 17, 2009

Citizens and taxpayers in Washington’s 39th Congressional District would be outraged to know that over $300,000 in federal stimulus funds were spent without a single job being created. They would be if Washington had a 39th District, which it doesn’t – it only has nine districts in total (see the map at left).

But according to Recovery.gov, the federal government’s Web site that supposedly tracks the spending of stimulus dollars and the resulting job-creation numbers, the state of Washington has twice as many Congressional districts as current law allows. And by reading between the lines – if there’s a 39th District, then there must be 38 others – the state has five times as many Districts.

This includes the oddly numbered 00 Congressional District where three jobs were created by spending $2.25 million. There’s no truth to the rumor that the Double-0 Congressional seat is currently held by a colleague of Britain’s famous 007 spy, James Bond.

...

Washington isn’t alone. According to data compiled by Watchdog investigative reporters across the nation, Congress is one crowded place – Recovery.gov has unilaterally doubled the size of the House of Representatives and declared Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Washington, D.C. to be states since they all have multitudes of Congressional districts.

For example, in the Northern Mariana Islands' 99^th Congressional District, 142.6 jobs were created through the expenditure of almost $35.7 million. Unique to this new state is the interestingly unnumbered “congressional district” that saw $350,000 spent without the creation of any jobs.

Transparency.  Apparently, it's what's for breakfast, since it sure doesn't seem to be for government...

UPDATE:
Found the link to the full report at Cap'n Bob & The Damsel:

$6.4 Billion Stimulus Goes to Phantom Districts
By Bill McMorris on November 17, 2009
Just how big is the stimulus package? Well for one, it has doubled the size of the House of Representatives, according to recovery.gov, which says that funds were distributed to 440 congressional districts that do not exist

The Obama (mis)Administration!  Too Big To Fail!

Gee, who do I know...?

Richard The Plumber needs help-in Indiana.

Comic of the day, 11/18/2009

Finally figured out how to embed 9 Chickweed Lane.

Always knew there was more to Gran than Edda or Juliet thought...

Happy Birthday...

NRA.

"Home Security PSA"

What I was waiting for.

See, I was waiting for Tam to sum up Brigid's post re: Her recent break-in in the most succinct manner...

Seriously, Brigid turns her and Barkley's Very Bad Day  into a Teachable Moment that is worth a dozen NRA Refuse To Be A Victim and Basic Pistol Classes.  (Well, OK, Basic Pistol includes range time, so maybe not. I am trying to figure out how to add it to the syllabus of my Personal Protection In The Home course, though.)

Don't just read it, study and internalize it.  And then buy Barkley a steak.  I suspect Brigid is going to round-file the poster she did of him looking all cute and cuddly, that read "Do I look like a guard dog?"  Apparently he does to someone...

"Bah, Humbug"

I've mentioned before that my favorite channel on our satellite TV service is actually Channel 801, which is the satellite radio "40's on 4", swing and big band music from the 30's and 40's.

Monday it turned into "Holiday Expressions" or something, Christmas music 24/7.

Blech.

One more reason I don't like him

Bruce Springsteen gets Michigan, ohio confused...

Worse than UBF?

Courtesy of Breitbart's Big Government blog, we learn that left wing whack jobs Code Pink have issued a an anti-war fund raising letter citing the Ultimate Blue Falcon as proof that military personnel are against the war in Iraq and Afghanistan:

Our soldiers clearly need more care; the last thing they need is to be put into more harm’s way. Even US military officers think so–Matthew Hoh resigned from the Foreign Service in protest of the lack of clear mission and achievable results in Afghanistan, and of course the Ft. Hood shooter was a Major who did not wish to be deployed to Afghanistan.

Matthew Hoh resigned to protest Obama's dithering and lack of leadership; UBF murdered 14 people because he was upset that the Army was going to send him to war, because, you know, that's such an unreasonable thing to do with a soldier...

A month or so ago there was a news item reporting how Code Pink went to Afghanistan, and were completely flummoxed by the fact that Afghanis didn't want us to leave.

"UBF's Worst Offense"

Courtesy OPFOR, we learn of a piece in the Washington Post, of all places, detailing the crimes that The Ultimate Blue Falcon can be convicted of in advance of his Court Martial and, hopefully, appointment with Mr. Needle:

Maj. Hasan's worst offense

By Colbert I. King
Saturday, November 14, 2009

Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar" (Arabic for "God is great") before shooting his fellow service members at Fort Hood, Tex., woke up in his hospital bed with the presence of mind to suspend his personal jihad long enough to get lawyered up. No fool he.

Better to rest religiosity for a while and embrace the right to remain silent until your mouthpiece reaches your bedside. After all, they can't get you for what you don't say.

But the day will come, as it must, when Maj. Hasan will have to account for the premeditated murder of 13 people, as the Army has charged, and his alleged wounding of more than 30 others. There have been other mass murderers, but Hasan's rampage at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center on Nov. 5 sets him apart.
...
But even without a trial, some judgments can be made about him without fear of contradiction. That's certainly true for those of us who served in the armed forces.

Measure Maj. Hasan against the standards of the Army's Seven Core Values. Do that, and it becomes clear that, a jury's verdict notwithstanding, Hasan has failed on every score that matters most to those with whom he served.

Loyalty
Duty
Respect
Selfless service
Honor
Integrity
Personal courage

For the formal charges, Hasan will be tried in a court of law. But a verdict on him as a sworn military officer already can be rendered.

"We're never so vulnerable," wrote artist and author Walter Anderson, "than when we trust someone."

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan betrayed that trust. That is his unforgivable sin.

 I confess to having been disgusted when Clinton's Army rolled out their "Seven Core values."   It wasn't so much because I had a problem with those values, as because of the "Consideration of Others" training that went with them.

By the way, I note that Michelle Malkin's point that, since one of UBF's victims was pregnant he should be charged with fourteen counts of murder, goes unheard by Those in Charge...

Meanwhile, another Army Major risks his career to make his point.

This has nothing to do with being anti-Islamic. After numerous tours to Iraq and working with countless cultural advisors on Ft. Bragg, I know dozens of Muslims who I respect and admire greatly. This has everything to do with force protection and security being trumped by the concepts of political correctness and diversity. This has everything to do with a hypocritical system and culture that breeds timidity and dismissiveness in the interest of career advancement. If I preached a white-supremacist ideology or described Timothy McVeigh as a hero to the cause of freedom and liberty, how long do you think I would still be in the military drawing a salary, receiving educational benefits and getting promoted like Hasan did?

I have a pretty good idea...

QOTD ,11/14/2009

Proof, I think, that Michael Moncour's Cynical Quotations are chosen deliberately:

The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

Ronald Reagan 40th president of US (1911 - 2004)

"Stops moving"="Too Big To Fail?"

It is to laugh...

...because otherwise, one wants to cry.

Olympics Pentathlon event to play Laser tag instead of using real pistols.

BTW, Tam wins the Internets with her post:

Given the origins of the Modern Pentathlon, this is just Theatre Of The Absurd. Maybe they could replace fencing with Rock, Paper, Scissors. And has anyone checked on the environmental impact of those horses?

In case anyone doesn't get the bit in bold typeface,  the Modern Pentathlon consists of an equestrian event, running, swimming, fencing, and pistol shooting.  It was devised specifically to test the skills that an Army officer would need while serving as a "staff galloper" or dispatch rider/courier.  You've probably heard of at least one US Olympic Penthlete...

(I recall reading in one of the Army's internal propaganda rags excellent morale-boosting publications that the usual strategy for American pentathletes is to do as well as possible at the running, swimming, and pistol events, and not fall off the horse, to make up for their bare awareness of which end of the foil to grasp.  Obviously not a problem for our boy linked to above...)

Christmas is a-comin'...

...and I know what I want: One of these, maybe the netbook skin? 

Or maybe this one.  Although this one hits close to home, too...

h/t Insty.

Hey, Look!

The NRA Museum is going to be talking about one of Tamara's favorite guns!

Veteran's Day Tunage

Johnny Mercer's G.I Jive:

G. I. Jive
- Words and Music by Johnny Mercer

This is the G. I. Jive
Man alive
It starts with the bugler blowin' reveille over your bed when you arrive
Jack, that's the G. I. Jive

Roodley-toot
Jump in your suit
Make a salute
Boot!!

After you wash and dress
More or less
You go get your breakfast in a beautiful little caf they call "The Mess"
Jack, when you convalesce

Outta your seat
Into the street
Make with the feet
Reet!!

If you're a P-V-T, your duty
Is to salute to L-I-E-U-T
But if you brush the L-I-E-U-T
The M-P makes you K-P on the Q-T

This is the G. I. Jive
Man alive
They give you a private tank that features a little device called "fluid drive"
Jack, after you revive

Chuck all your junk
Back in the trunk
Fall on your bunk
Clunk!!

This is the G. I. Jive
Man alive
They give you a private tank that features a little device called "fluid drive"
Jack, if you still survive

Chuck all your junk
Back in the trunk
Fall on your bunk
Clunk!!

Soon you're countin' jeeps
But before you count to five
Seems you're right back diggin' that G. I. Jive

Ft. Hood, III

Further thoughts...

Natural enough to feel suspicion of an ethnic or cultural group that is mostly in the news when one of it's members does something terrible.  Having grown up in Detroit, I was around folks of Middle Eastern--Arabic, Lebanese--descent enough that names like Hadad and Badeen were common.  When my grandmother went to work at Chrysler's Hamtramck Assembly Plant (still known as Dodge Main, even though they tore it down) all the signs were in English and Polish; when I worked summers there in college, the children of those Poles were middle and upper management, and the signs on the line were in English and Arabic.

I suppose that people from around here--here here, the Puget Sound region--who went to school with kids named Ishihara and the like, were confused when they were torn from their land and sent off to a concentration camp someplace, and their farms turned over to someone else.

Almost as confused as my own ancestors must have been 20-odd years earlier to realize that, having German last names, they were assumed to be in sympathy with the Kaiser...  (Which was probably not as severe as long as they stayed in Michigan.  Family heirlooms include marriage certificates, from a church in Detroit, written in German.  In his masterful history of the US military in WWI, The Doughboys, Laurance Stallings says that the Kaiser's forces considered it most unfair that Doughboys would speak perfect German but still kill them with as much enthusiasm as any other American...)

While there have been some Muslim groups that have deplored terrorist actions, they don't get a lot of press; the ones who celebrate them get all the attention.  Is this because more Muslims support terrorism, or because it makes better "news-ertainment" to show them dancing and singing and celebrating American deaths?  (Or, maybe, as some have suggested, it's because the media Hate America too.) 

Seems to me it would behoove the pro-peace and brotherhood Muslim community to start getting in the faces of those who cry "Death To The Great Satan!", especially the domestic ones. 

If, that is, they really want to be accepted as a legitimate part of American society.  We can handle those who are "different", but there are certain minimum standards, and killing your neighbors, or tolerating those who do, are not to standard.

On the other hand, those who say that "Islam is inherently evil" need to articulate why.  What makes Islam different from other religions?  And is what you object to inherent to the religion, or is it a separate cultural construct, an "added option"?  Many of the ways in which Muslim society tends to oppress women, for example, are not actually based on things which are stated explicitly in the Koran.  (Although some of the things we find hateful are.)

Maybe you feel that any religion is evil?  Debatable--and a debate I have no desire to participate in--although I have to admit that the idea of telling other people what and how to believe and act could be considered to be wrong, but then where do you draw the line?  How do you feel about Sufi's, who are generally more easy going about matters of conscience and the like--more tolerant--than Shi'ites or Sunnis?

It is quite possible that in 100 years the United States will look back on this issue as being on par with the earlier "Yellow Peril", or, for that matter, the way the Irish were treated before the Civil War.  Although, again, I feel that the Muslim community needs to speak out more if it wants to be accepted as not supporting Radical Wahabbists, Islamo-Fascists, or any form of terror.

Happy Birthday...

...Washington State, #42.

Best Veteran's Day Post E-var!

From the Chicago Tribune.

I'm willing to bet a lot of you already know I'm talkin' Mike Royko here...

I just phoned six friends and asked them what they will be doing on Monday.

They all said the same thing: working.

Me, too.

There is something else we share. We are all military veterans.

And there is a third thing we have in common. We are not employees of the federal government, state government, county government, municipal government, the Postal Service, the courts, banks, or S & Ls, and we dont teach school.

 If we did, we would be among the many millions of people who will spend Monday goofing off.

 Which is why it is about time Congress revised the ridiculous terms of Veterans Day as a national holiday.

 The purpose of Veterans Day is to honor all veterans.

 So how does this country honor them?

 By letting the veterans, the majority of whom work in the private sector, spend the day at their jobs so they can pay taxes that permit millions of non-veterans to get paid for doing nothing.

 As my friend Harry put it:

 "First I went through basic training. Then infantry school. Then I got on a crowded, stinking troop ship that took 23 days to get from San Francisco to Japan. We went through a storm that had 90 percent of the guys on the ship throwing up for a week.

 "Then I rode a beat-up transport plane from Japan to Korea, and it almost went down in the drink. I think the pilot was drunk.

 "When I got to Korea, I was lucky. The war ended seven months after I got there, and I didnt kill anybody and nobody killed me.

 "But it was still a miserable experience. Then when my tour was over, I got on another troop ship and it took 21 stinking days to cross the Pacific.

"When I got home on leave, one of the older guys at the neighborhood bar he was a World War II vet told me I was a ----head because we didnt win, we only got a tie.

 "So now on Veterans Day I get up in the morning and go down to the office and work.

 "You know what my nephew does? He sleeps in. Thats because he works for the state.

 "And do you know what he did during the Vietnam War? He ducked the draft by getting a job teaching at an inner-city school.

 "Now, is that a raw deal or what?"

 Of course thats a raw deal. So I propose that the members of Congress revise Veterans Day to provide the following:

 - All veterans and only veterans should have the day off from work. It doesnt matter if they were combat heroes or stateside clerk-typists.

Anybody who went through basic training and was awakened before dawn by a red-neck drill sergeant who bellowed: "Drop your whatsis and grab your socks and fall out on the road," is entitled.

 - Those veterans who wish to march in parades, make speeches or listen to speeches can do so. But for those who dont, all local gambling laws should be suspended for the day to permit vets to gather in taverns, pull a couple of tables together and spend the day playing poker, blackjack, craps, drinking and telling lewd lies about lewd experiences with lewd women. All bar prices should be rolled back to enlisted mens club prices, Officers can pay the going rate, the stiffs.

- All anti-smoking laws will be suspended for Veterans Day. The same hold for all misdemeanor laws pertaining to disorderly conduct, non-felonious brawling, leering, gawking and any other gross and disgusting public behavior that does not harm another individual.

- It will be a treasonable offense for any spouse or live-in girlfriend (or boyfriend, if it applies) to utter the dreaded words: "What time will you be home tonight?"

- Anyone caught posing as a veteran will be required to eat a triple portion of chipped beef on toast, with Spam on the side, and spend the day watching a chaplain present a color-slide presentation on the horrors of VD.

 - Regardless of how high his office, no politician who had the opportunity to serve in the military, but didnt, will be allowed to make a patriotic speech, appear on TV, or poke his nose out of his office for the entire day.

 Any politician who defies this ban will be required to spend 12 hours wearing headphones and listening to tapes of President Clinton explaining his deferments.

 Now, deal the cards and pass the tequila.

 - Mike Royko

Can I get a "Hoo-ah!" from the chorus?

Ft. Hood, II

One of the things that really bothers me about the Ft Hod shooting is that I hear more cries of "Don't Blame All Muslims!" than I do "How did the Army miss this" or even concern about the victims. (But not `of fascination with The Gun.  Boy, howdy, do they live drooling over the eeeee-vil mind control rays that pistol sent out, causing the crime...)

Things we now know:  The shooter...

Look, I am NOT going to sully my blog with his name. Chuck Ziegenfuss refers to him as "TMSOS", Laughing Wolf from Blackfive calls him "The Ultimate Blue Falcon"; both terms break out to use language I have tried to avoid here since I started. I'll just call the scumbag UBF, 'cuz I think I like Laughing Wolf's phrase better.¹

...shooter was a lifelong Muslim, not a convert as originally reported.  He was native-born in the USA, to Palestinian parents, but is reported to have listed his nationality as "Palestinian."  He got in trouble for proselytizing for Islam "on the job", spoke favorably about homicide bombers, and hung out with radicals.

He was apparently a member of some advisory committee to His Imperial Majesty Barack Hussein Obama's transition team.

He shouted "Allahu Akbar" while murdering and attempting to murder his fellow soldiers, Army civilians, and possibly Army dependents.

***

While I don't think Islam is "inherently evil",  I do think that Muslims, and those who would defend Islam and Muslims, need to come to terms with the fact that Islam is inherently a far more militant religion than Christianity--Crusades and religious wars notwithstanding, Jesus' message was one of peace².  "Blessed are the Peacemakers"³, and all that.

Islam OTOH, was fighting for it's existence from the moment Allah first spoke to Mohamed, and, after mere existence was assured, continued fighting to a) spread the word, and b) get those pesky fighters away from here and give them something to do.  Then they realized they were making money...

***

Some make a distinction between "Greater Jihad" and "Lesser Jihad", saying that the  peaceful conversion of Infidels to Islam is the greater; I'll leave that argument to theologians.  All I know is that those who follow "The Lesser Jihad" seem to get all the press...

***

I think what bothers me most about the "Don''t Blame All Muslims" hand wringing is that I've not seen any attempt to say "See?  You just can't trust 'em."  But, by golly, some Muslim whacko goes off and kills people, and the loudest chorus is those who try and talk us out of something we never gave thought to!⁴

***

Never liked Army shrinks.  Never had much contact wit them, but, as an MI Geek, the idea that this guy cold yank my clearance and end my career if he was having a bad day or took a disliking to me, pretty much conditioned my response to them as (at best) suspicious distrust.

That said, UBF was paid by the Army--had his schooling and licensing paid for by the Army!--to care for soldiers.  Thus the sacred trust which The Nation places in any officer was even greater, since The Government had at least some right to expect to get some value for the money they had invested in his education on top of the normal expectations of Duty, Honor, Country.

So, he betrayed his Oath of Office, the Hippocratic Oath (...do no harm..."), and, worse, he murdered soldiers, whom he was supposed to care for.

I understand that they have retired the gallows at Ft. Leavenworth; The Needle is too quick and painless for what he really deserves, but I suppose that, if that's the only alternative.⁵

***

It's not that personal firearms are "forbidden" on military installations, it's that carriage of a firearm other than on duty or under very strictly circumscribed circumstances (hunting, at designated recreation range) is prohibited.  If that is not spelled out in the Uniform Code of Military Justice, it is the topic of a policy letter that I remember reading while serving as a First Sergeant back in the Clinton days.  You can have your own guns, but you have to register them with the post; if you are living in barracks, they have to be stored in the arms room.  Other than barracks, I never lived in on-post housing, but I do not recall that my buddies who did were not allowed to keep their guns in the quarters.

Maybe that was ignored as much as the requirement to register all guns that were stored off-post was...

**

 All for now.  I've run out of steam, and have to get ready for work.

I have deliberately not linked to articles.

***

1. "That Murderous Sack Of $---" and "Ultimate Buddy F---er".
2.  "...let him sell his cloak and buy a sword" is, in my admittedly non-expert opinion, an exhortation to self-defense, not an advocacy of "Convert or die."  That said, almost anything in the Bible can be interpreted two or three ways...
3.  Let's just avoid the Life of Brian references, shall we?
4.  Admittedly, I have not read every single post on The intardnet to confirm that no one is saying "Lock 'em all up!", but people are still saying "You Right Wing Whackjo Gun Nut Veterans want to lock 'em all up like FDR did to the Nisei!"
5.  Although, the treatment that Tom Kratman proposes in his novels A Desert Called Peace and Carnifex does have it's charms:  First, perform a sex change operatin, then send the Jihadi to Allah as a woman...

Ft. Hood, I

DeltaBravoSierra's take.

I'll have more to say, eventually--later this week, maybe tomorrow--but this sums it up pretty nice.  When you're going through Basic, they make a big deal about "the only color here is Army Green."  And it takes pretty well. 

Maybe they don't tell ossifers that.

CFC

So on the same day I received an email from the ARRL telling me what their CFC number is, and received my copy of The American Rifleman in snail mail, in which I spotted an ad from the NRA kisting the CFC numbers for the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund and NRA Foundation are...

CFC?  Combined Federal Campaign, gives .mil personnel (and Feds, too, I guess) the opportunity to make direct contributions from their pay to the charity or charities of their choice.

Main CFC website.

Find the local CFC Campaign here.   (Does not seem to be working at the moment.)

Back when I wore a soldier suit, I usually gave to the USO, American Red Cross, and NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund. Out of curiosity, I looked up the Puget Sound/King County, WA Campaign, to see what kinds of 501(c3)s were represented these days.

Lotsa bleeding hearts, progressives/liberals, etc.  Guess that surprises no one.  Also:
(Charity Name/#)

• USO: #11381 
• USO of Puget Sound: #15348 (NOTE:  Receives almost no $ support from the national organization, has been operating a lounge for traveling GIs and their families at SeaTac Airport for over 40 years; the lounge has closed it's doors once, for two hours immediately after the 2001 Nisqually quake, waiting for safety clearance.
• Soldiers Angels: 25131  (No, project Valour-IT has no separate CFC number.) 
• Fisher House:  11453  (Provides housing for family members of wounded GIs in military hospitals.  Yes, it's "Ronald MacDonald House for GIs.")
• Fisher House of Ft Lewis:   56608.
• Washington National Guard Emergency Assistance Fund:  86017

These are a small sample of military/veteran-related charities; there are several pages.

A few others that might be of interest to readers of this blog, if you are eligible to participate:

• NRA Foundation: 11872
• NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund: 10006
• Gun Owners of America:  10042
• USA Shooting:   11094
• American Red Cross:  10266
• American Radio Relay League:  10099
• Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation:  10158
  

Comic of the Day, 11/08/2009

Prickly City, by Scott Stantis


Sure feels that way sometimes, don't it?  There you are, expressing your own opinion on your own blog, and the next thing you know, folks are getting all flame-war-y on you.

Breakfast of Champs

While Mrs. Drang and our friend Stitch Witch went off to a Holiday Bazaar at the local Senior Center, I went out to breakfast.

At the award-winning 99 Bottles.

Doughnuts

 ...and...

BEER!

Three coffee beers; that is, beers brewed with coffee:

• Kona Pipeline Porter
• Iron Horse Mocha Death
• Southern Tier Mokah

I've had the Kona Porter before, and I'm pretty sure I've blogged about it; suffice to say, it's made with Kona coffee, although, given the expense of shipping to and from the Islands, they have their "Mainland" brews bottled on the Mainland.  (New Belgium in Colorado, I believe.)

Iron Horse brewery is located in Ellensburg, WA.  This selection is a limited run that was commissioned by The Beer Store, of Yakima, WA.

It tastes like dark chocolate-covered espresso beans.

The Southern Tier Mokah is a blend of two of their other brews from their Blackwater Series Imperial Stouts, Jah*Va, made with coffee, and Choklat, made with... Well, you know.

This stuff is rated at 11% alcohol, and was pretty rich.  The tasting notes say "hidden alcohol", but I'm not so sure.  It would probably go well with desert with names like "Death by Chocolate"; they recommend serving it slightly warmed, in a brandy snifter.

Beer:  It's what's for breakfast!

NRC/GOP Questionaire Response

Inspired partly by Michelle Malkin (and partly by my desire to stick it to pompous, arrogant elites everywhere, not to mention my resentment of being labeled) I filled out the questionnaire that Mrs. Drang received from the Republican National Committee a couple of weeks ago, indicating agreement for nearly all the causes and positions they claim to support, but then telling them (more or less) that we will not send them a sou until they stop supporting RINOs.

They caught up with me Tuesday or Wednesday; I will do the same with my own questionnaire, and have also printed out the following Hot Air Green Room essays by Doctor Zero for inclusion:

• What We Can Do
• The Stupid Party
• Dangerous Lessons

I have no great love for the GOP,  although I have always been more closely aligned with them than with the Jackass Party.  Many hope that the recent fracas in Noo Yawk State's 23rd Congressional District will open things up for third party candidates.  Others hope that the GOP will pay more attention to walking the talk, to use a cliche I usually avoid like the plague...

So true...

"MARS Needs...Hams?"

From the ARRL:

MARS Cuts Ribbon on New Pentagon Station

MARS, which began in the early 1950s, started as a worldwide network of shortwave radio enthusiasts who would spring into action in the event of a nuclear war or natural disaster. Thousands of civilian and military ham radio volunteers manned the system. With service members deployed far from home, or even overseas, MARS provided health and welfare messages called MARSgrams, allowing soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to keep in touch with their families back home. Today, those shortwave broadcasts have been superseded by the Internet; many service members use cell phones and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to speak with loved ones.A military institution designed to provide emergency communications has moved to new quarters in the Pentagon. On October 21, John G. Grimes, the former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration, cut the ribbon on the new Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) station, now located on the fifth floor of the Pentagon. The facility -- manned by the Pentagon Amateur Radio Club (PARC) -- is packed with amateur radios, radio-telephone patches, computers and data links. "This is a great facility, manned totally by volunteers," Grimes told the crowd who came to see the new station. "It's a crucial capability for our country."

In the event of an emergency, high-frequency communication is generally the first to recover, and even the most modern technology can get overloaded. At the ribbon cutting ceremony, PARC member Allan Hubbert, KH6ILR, noted that there were communication problems during President Barack Obama's inauguration earlier this year: "During the inauguration, there were so many people on cell phones that it system was overloaded. We [hams] could still operate, and we helped back up the system down on the [National] Mall." More than 60 volunteers help to man the Pentagon MARS station.

With more than 6000 volunteers worldwide serving Army MARS, Air Force MARS and Navy-Marine Corps MARS, the system now backs up the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). "There have been many crises or disasters that have struck where the first word out of an area is via [Amateur Radio], and someone has their little gas generator going," Grimes said. "That's not likely to change any time soon." -- Thanks to the Department of Defense for some information

I heard through the grapevine that the Navy was getting out of the MARS business; whether that decision has anything to do with the Army being made the proponent agency for all services' MARS programs--headquartered at my Alma Mater, Ft. Huachuca, AZ--I don't know.

Refuse!

Sez here that there will be a Refuse To Be A Victim seminar at the Washington Arms Collectors gunshow this Saturday in Monroe.  Cost is $15.00, and the class is scheduled to run from 9 AM to 1 PM.

(Please note that, although NRA calls it a "seminar", it is formatted more like a traditional class than a "sit around and talk about it" seminar.)

It will then turn into a RTBAV Instructors' Development Workshop, which will run until 5 PM Saturday, reconvening Sunday to run from 9 AM to 5 PM again.

Instructor candidates must attend the seminar.  (If you're interested, contact me and I will be glad to put you in contact with the folks who can get you enrolled in the IDW.)

"Refuse" is a good program.  Mrs. Drang went when it was "girls only", and got a lot out of it.  It always surprises people when we conclude the class by telling them that owning a gun for self-defense is a serious decision that is not for everybody.   "But... but... but... You're the NRA!"  That's right, we are:  Fighting to preserve your right to keep and bear arms, does  not mean we want to force you to against your will.

"Paging Doctor Howard, Doctor Fine, Doctor Howard"

While I never actually cared for the Three Stooges, the Evergreen Freedom Foundation already used "Calling Dr. Goldberg, Dr. Rube Goldberg in their post re: the latest (1990 page) version of Health Care legislation...