Rules for Rulers

RIP Mr Heston

2008-04-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

Stolen shamelessly from Grim:

LT G Can Write

2008-03-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

Hat tip to Blackfive for pointing me here. Lt G from Kaboom: A Soldier's War Journal has excellent writing skills. Here's a sample but I suggest you go over there and read it yourself.

I didn’t want to spend the next decade at Fort Leavenworth cutting stone, and certainly didn’t want any of my men to do that, either. Maybe that’s what would have happened if I had ordered them to shoot then. Maybe not. Anything now is just surmising, reflecting back with the benefit of hindsight on decisions made in mere seconds during a black tempest of confusion. We employed proper rules of engagement, just like we’re taught to by the Army lawyers hired to teach us how to avoid jail-time and war crimes and sensationalized scandals reported by a clueless, leaching mass media to an equally clueless public addicted to shock and awe. For every Abu-Ghraib there are hundreds of stories like this; unreported acts of trepidation brought on by the castigation of our combat operations in the name of nation building.

Danes in Afghanistan

2008-02-29T14:15:00.000-08:00

Here's a couple of youtube clips of the Danish forces in Afghanistan. They are fighting a hot war and their contribution is appreciated. Brazo Zulu.

With English subtitles:

With a music track in Dutch:

No English at all:

Jeff Beck and Tal Wilkenfeld

2008-01-31T14:54:00.001-08:00

This is an amazing video of one of the best guitarist, Jeff Beck, and a new to me talent, Tal Wilkenfeld. She is just amazing on bass. Her album is pretty good too. Check her out on myspace. Check out this Jeff Beck classic from the Crossroads festival.

Mark Steyn on McCain

2008-01-31T13:35:00.000-08:00

NRO has a great little snippet from Mark Steyn. I especially liked this part:

As for his line about "some greedy people on Wall Street who need to be punished", aside from being almost entirely irrelevant to the subject under discussion (the subprime "crisis"), it reveals, I think, one of the most unpleasant aspects of McCain. For a so-called "maverick", he's very comfortable with the application of Big Government power, and the assumption of Big Government virtue. Undoubtedly there are "greedy people on Wall Street". Why should he and his chums be the ones who decide whether they need to be "punished"? If greed is to be punishable, why doesn't he start with a pilot program applied to, say, the United States Senate and report back to us in five years how that's going?

The wolves are guarding the hen house...

Happy Birthday Marines!

2007-11-11T15:53:00.000-08:00

Living in San Diego, we have lots of Marines around here. They are quality people and good neighbors to San Diego. Happy Birthday to the Corps and many more.

Shirley Katz - My Kind of Teacher

2007-10-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

This story will probably be making the rounds in the MSM soon. Shirley Katz, a teacher in Medford, Oregon, is challenging her school districts policy banning firearms. She has a concealed carry permit. The link I provided is from MSNBC and is pretty fair to her story. I expected breathless reporting about a gun nut. We'll see how the story progresses.

She is afraid of her ex-husband and of a Columbine type of event. Statistically, she is probably right in fearing her ex. I support her argument.

Chaser Breach at APEC

2007-09-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

The Chaser's, an Australian comedy show, breached the security perimeter of the APEC summit last week. Although I don't like the way they portray our President, they are very funny. Here is a clip from Youtube on their prank. H/T to Hotair for this one.

Trouble in Brussels?

2007-09-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

This video shows a very courageous female journalist of Moroccan decent and the results of her undercover investigation on the streets of Brussels.

Thanks to Hotair for the video

Pat Dollard - One of the good guys

2007-07-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

I just discovered Pat Dollard's blog. For those that don't know, he was a highly successful agent and manager in Hollywood who left everything to cover the war in Iraq. He's an amazing guy who survived an IED (some of his mates in the Humvee did not) and is apparently coming out with a documentary called "Young Americans". In the spirit of BlackFive, Pat Dollard is someone you should know.

I Usually Hate Opera

2007-06-15T15:33:00.001-07:00

But not this time. This guy is amazing. Check it out for yourself. His name is Paul Potts. H/T to CDR Salamander.

I'm with Fred!

2007-06-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

The Fred Thompson campaign site is up and running. There's a donation window on the right (hard to miss). IMHO, he's the best candidate out there. He's a straight shooter and that's important today.

Purity Test

2007-05-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

I took the purity test that I saw on Blonde Sagacity. Interesting.

You Are 69% Pure

You're pretty pure, and you have no plans on changing that.
You do have a devilish side though... and it will probably get the better of you.

The 100 Question Purity Test

Parker Decision

2007-05-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

The DC Circuit Court has decided not to hear the Parker case En Banc. Eugene Volokh has the information here. Very good news for Second Ammendment Supporters. I don't think, however, the Supreme Court will hear this case. They are very good at deciding not to decide. Although, the Rush song says, if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Sorry Sorry Sorry

2007-05-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

Posting has been little to none. I've had some big changes in my personal life. Things are settling down so I hope to get back to my usual random posts.

Meanwhile, here is a great post from Hotair about the Democrats in Congress re-tasking the CIA to study Global Warming. No need to worry about these guys.

What Age Do I Act?

2007-01-31T11:40:00.000-08:00

I knew it. I'm young at heart.

You Are 26 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Speaking of...

2007-01-20T17:48:00.000-08:00

Mostly Cajun has posted a very nice rant on the current state of our Union and the seeming use of our beloved Constitution as nothing more than bird cage liner. Here is a small snippet:

The War on Poverty ( cursed forever be the name of Lyndon B. Johnson!) assaults my wallet.

The War on Drugs assaults several clauses of the Bill of Rights.

The new Congress wants to take away my freedom to even post my thoughts on the internet.

A freakin’ FEDERAL AGENCY tells me how much water I can use to flush my freakin’ TOILET!

Both parties are willing to sell this country to illegal Mexicans just for the votes to keep themselves in office.

Go read the whole thing.

Constitutional Originalist - reprise

2007-01-20T14:04:00.000-08:00

In a book review of On Beauty by Zadie Smith on the website Author Trek, my post on Constitutional Originalism was referenced by the reviewer (you'll have to scroll way down in the post to find it). Here is the quote:

On Beauty and Being Wrong 5 p. 327 – a “constitutional originalist” is one who wants the US Constitution to be enacted as the drafters originally intended. Although, given that the drafters left room for further amendments to be made, this seems to be a somewhat ridiculous stance.

The author is correct that the drafters left room for further ammendments, however, a constitutional originalist objects to the current process that is used to circumvent the meaning of this important document. To add or change the Constitution is a long and difficult process. The document has an entire section titled Article Five that outlines in great detail, the process of adding to or ammending the constitution.

This seems like a reasonable thing to expect. The supreme law of the land should not be allowed to drift in the wind of public opinion or political expediency. 3/4 of the states must ratify any change. Truly an act of citizens, not subjects.

Instead of changing the meaning of the constitution by a thousand papercuts using Stare Decisis, those that want to abolish the Second Ammendment, curtail freedom of speech (McCain-Feingold), or take private property by force for the benefit of other private entities (Eminent Domain - Kelo), should use the process outlined in the Constitution and not snake around it in the courts. To summarize, the clear language of the Constitution of the United States of America should be used to change said document. I hope that this clarifies my stance on Constitutional Originalism.

Wilderness Survival

2007-01-17T21:59:00.000-08:00

From Mostly Cajun. I would survive. Yeah!

Would you survive in the wild? Your Result: Yesiree!.... You could live in the wild if you wanted to! You know what to eat, do, and stay away from! You could get shelter, food, water fast and easy-and the right treatments to injuries, snake bites etc...You know the outdoors like the back of your hand!!
Most likely you'll survive....
Not to sure...
Wouldn't last 2 minutes!.....
Maybe........
Would you survive in the wild? Quizzes for MySpace

Dispatches: Undercover Mosque

2007-01-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

Little Green Footballs has posted the UK documentary "Dispatches: Undercover Mosque". Scary stuff. I wonder how much of that sort of thing happens here in the US. Go watch. This is slightly scarier than the "I, Muslim" documentary from August.

Merry Christmas and Happy Channukka 2006!

2006-12-24T16:27:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and had a Happy Channukka. It's been a great year and I look forward to a great 2007. Now go check out Mostly Cajun. He's had some great jokes the last few weeks.

Jerry Miculek

2006-11-21T08:41:00.000-08:00

Like Bob Munden, Jerry Miculek is a very fast shooter. I had the pleasure of seeing him in action last year and he is as nice as he is fast. He's from Louisiana too and that's always a plus in my book (Brittany Spears excluded)... Check it out.

I'm a C-list Blogger?

2006-11-20T20:55:00.000-08:00

Cool. I made the C-list. I thought for sure I was D or F (if it exists). H/T Mostly Cajun.

2006-11-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Marines!!

Which Musician Shares My Taste?

2006-10-30T10:50:00.000-08:00

The Cure. I used to be a huge Cure fan. Their old music is excellent. Head on the Door, Disintigration and Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me were standards for me back in the day.

The Cure Shares Your Taste in Music

See their whole playlist here (iTunes required)

Which Musician (or Group) Shares Your Taste in Music?

New Ad from David Zucker!

2006-10-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

He's done it again. This one is not as funny as the first one. Few things are funnier than Madeleine Albright being a terrorist handyman/woman. Enjoy.

The Ad the Republicans Wouldn't Air - Why?

2006-10-10T21:58:00.000-07:00

This is the Zucker ad featuring Madeline Albright in her most famous role.

Nerd Test

2006-10-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

Okay. I'm an engineer and I guess I'm somewhat nerdy. At least this test says so:

Realverse

2006-10-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen realverse [spirited media] yet, go over and take a look. The commentary is insightful and smart and delivered by a future (if not present) star, Bethany. I first saw the realverse team on Hotair, while they were substituting for Michelle Malkin. After I got over how pretty Bethany was, I listened to some very good commentary. My daughter has expressed an interest in making her own video news and commentary segments. After seeing the realverse, she is encouraged. Her subject matter is a little different. I guess that's the difference between a 10 year old and the twenty something Bethany and crew. I check out the realverse every week and it's for the commentary, I swear!

60 Minutes Report on SEALs in Afghanistan

2006-09-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

This is the 60 Minutes report that aired last year on SEAL operations in Afghanistan. It looked like a good report to me. The reporter did a good job.

"I, A Muslim" Video Link

2006-08-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

Charles Johnson at Little Green Footballs has the video of the recent Czech documentary, I, A Muslim. It's an interesting look at Islam in a country that as they say in the film, "does not have a problem, yet". The content is about a young man who infiltrates a mosque in the Czech Republic. While there are no overt jihadists in the video, the "librarian", who is seen presenting jihadist viewpoints on video. For example, one video shows an imam rationalizing the role of the suicide bomber in Islam and how it is not wrong but ones duty. I wonder how many librarians we have here in California like that.

He's Back!

2006-08-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

In From the Cold has four new posts today. They are all pretty good. His analysis of the recent Israeli/hezbolla conflict is a must read. Here is a sample of the second article:

As Israeli troops begin their withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the second-guessing and finger-pointing are well underway. Speaking before the Knesset on the eve of the cease-fire, former PM Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a stinging rebuke of the Israeli war effort, and the leadership of the current Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert. Israel’s former UN Ambassador, Dore Gold, told a U.S. radio audience on Monday that an official Commission of Inquiry will be appointed to review war planning and execution.

Clearly, such criticism and investigations are warranted. As we noted yesterday, Mr. Olmert literally snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Less than 48 hours after announcing expanded IDF ground operations in Lebanon—and a planned march to the Latani River—Mr. Olmert meekly accepted a cease-fire brokered by the U.S. and France. From the Israeli perspective, that deal should have been rejected as untenable; Mr. Olmert has entrusted his nation’s security (or at a minimum, the security of northern Israel) to an “enhanced” U.N. peacekeeping force that, like its predecessor, seems unlikely to take on Hizballah, as first step toward securing south Lebanon. In fact, if recent history is any indicator, it’s probably just a matter of time before reconstituted terrorist units set up shop outside peacekeeper camps, with the Hizaballah flag fluttering alongside the U.N. banner. .

Go check it out.

The INS Ahi-Hanit After Action Report

2006-07-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

Austin Bay Blog has an intelligence AAR regarding the Israeli SAAR-5 Missile Corvette(http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/naval/saar5/Saar5.html) INS Ahi-Hanit that was hit by a Chinese/Iranian/Hezbollah anti-ship missile, the C-802, based on the French Exocet (remember the USS Stark). It's always worth reading the opinions of professionals.

(Hat Tip to In From the Cold)

Live Blogging from Haifa

2006-07-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

A young man (Eugene) from Haifa is live blogging his experience from a bunker in the city. It's interesting. Here is the link. Check it out.

In Memorium

2006-07-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Taps

The 1st Anniversary

Out of the Mouths of Animals

2006-07-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

Michelle Malkin has a new Hot Air segment (as she does every day) with some very eye opening video of the Hezbolla (mis-spelling intentional) leader Nasralla pontificating on the missles they possess in Lebanon. Israel must do everything that it can to survive. Ignore world opinion. The "world" won't care if Israel is overrun by bloodthirsty Islamists. The "world" will continue to eat their croissants and sip their tea and pause for a second to say "oh, that's too bad". Or will they?

The left should be held accountable for the scum they support. Whether it is Joseph Stalin in the 50's or oppressed terrorists today, they've never met a killer they didn't like. Their opinion shouldn't matter to anyone with any sense.

Ilario Pantano on The Daily Show - Wow

2006-07-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

Outside the Beltway has the YouTube video of Lt Ilario Pantano's visit to John Stewart and The Daily Show. It's a great interview from a very intelligent man. If you recall, Lt Pantano was charged with murder of two Iraqi men while on duty. He was aquitted. The story that I heard was a malcontent in his unit brought false charges against him. Pantano has a book called Warlord out right now. I haven't read it yet but will be doing so soon (I'm finishing "Donnie Brasco" right now. Great book and story). Go check out the video and the blog. They're both pretty good.

Bob Munden Fast Draw Video

2006-06-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

Via Mr Completely, an amazing fast draw video.

Update:
Youtube has pulled the video. I'm trying to find a replacement. Sorry if you came here looking for it. Check out the Jerry Miculek video to tide you over.

30 Random Questions

2006-06-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

I found this at Carnaby Fudge who borrowed it from Mostly Cajun who stole it from Baboon Pirates who...

Feel free to steel this, I did

1. Have you ever been searched by the cops?
Only TSA.

2. Do you close your eyes on roller coaster?
Absolutely not, unless it's more fun that way.

3. When's the last time you've been sledding?
Christmas 2004. In Portland Oregon on the best sledding hill that I've ever seen.

4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone?
I like my space but enjoy the company of my wife on those cold nights.

5. Do you believe in ghosts?
I've experienced some very wierd phenomenon that could be called a ghost.

6. Do you consider yourself creative?
I play guitar and sing. I throw it out there. If someone else thinks it's creative, great.

7. Do you think O.J. killed his wife?
Yes.

8. Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie?
They're both a little crazy. Aniston is a little too political and Billy Bob was not good for Jolie's reputation. From a beauty standpoint, Angelina Jolie is stunning.

9. Can you honestly say you know ANYTHING about politics?
Enough to be dangerous.

10. Do you know how to play poker?
Is that a card game?

11. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight?
No. I've come close though.

12. What's your favorite commercial?
It's a toss-up between the cave man car insurance commercial and the Bud Lite "Mr Super Blogger Editor Guy" ones.

13. Who was your first love?
My wife was the first to return it. I had several crushes before I met her though.

14. If you're driving in the middle of the night, and no one is around you, do you run a red light?
No. I try to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

15. Do you have a secret that no one knows but you?
Maybe.

16. Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees?
I'm a hockey guy. Baseball has bored me for a few years now.

17. Have you ever been Ice Skating?
I started playing Ice Hockey at the tender age of 32. I started ice skating at the same time.

18. How often do you remember your dreams?
Not often enough.

19. What's the one thing on your mind?
There is never only one thing on my mind.

20. Do you always wear your seat belt?
Always. It's cheap insurance.

21. What talent do you wish you had?
Songwriting.

22. Do you like Sushi?
I was going to be a sushi chef at one point in my life. I love it.

23. What do you wear to bed?
A t-shirt and skivvies.

24. Do you truly hate anyone?
No. It's pointless to hate.

25. If you could sleep with one famous person, who would it be?
If I could, I don't know that I would. Teri Hatcher comes to mind.

26. Do you know anyone in jail?
Not at this time. My friends are all law abiding.

27. What food do you find disgusting?
None. I've had a few things that I wouldn't try again but none were disgusting.

28. Have you ever made fun of your friends behind their back?
Not really. It's kind of like running the red light at night when nobody is around.

29. Have you ever been punched in the face?
Yes. It's a fact of life if you practice martial arts.

30. Do you believe in angels and demons?
Not in a traditional sense.

Good Posts

2006-05-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

There are a couple of posts going around worth following. The first comes from SMASH. He has some links following the rantings of a man claiming to be a former Green Beret and Ranger in Iraq. His story is similar to John "I voted before it before I voted against it" Kerry except that Kerry was in Vietnam or Cambodia (He was almost President?). Anyway, the guy claims to have killed over 200 people on mid-night "Ranger" raids. His story is bunk and he's being exposed for the loser that he is. Check out Michelle Malkin's Vent too. The internet is a wonderful thing for vetting such pretenders. The dismantling of his story is a thing of beauty.

The other comes from Geekwitha.45. He links with an excellent article from a paper in Illinois de-bunking the assualt rifle easily converts to a machine gun myth.

Enjoy!

1st Anniversary

2006-05-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

Well, my anniversary has come and gone. May 5, 2005 was the date of my first post. It's been fun. I'll be posting on the FN FiveseveN next. It's a cool little pistol that needs some range time.

Happy Mother's Day too.

Great National Review Article

2006-05-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

Leo Banks has an article in today's National Review Online on the current situation on a ranch south of Tucson, Arizona. On quote in particular caught my eye.

We did that with the Boston Tea Party, she says. We were taxed without representation and we rose up and changed it. I think the students in the streets and these young ACLU individuals here are being used. When you talk to them you realize it's all emotion. There's no logic. They don't have a clue.

She is Pat King and she owns a ranch 40 miles north of the border. Her ranch is on the front line of the illegal immigration debate. She's talking about the ACLU "volunteers"/useful idiots that show up at Minuteman stations and honk their horns and flash their lights of their cars when the border patrol shows up to enforce our immigration laws.

I had a similar experience with a family member the other day. My wife's cousin was telling me how he would have liked to take May 1 off with the thousands of latinos on the "Day Without Illegals". I asked him why and he said, "solidarity". I asked him what he would have solidarity with and he replied "workers". He was against big business. This is a guy who works in the Pharmaceutical industry. Big business? Pat King is right, it's emotion and no logic. This debate is about sovereignty, not big business or workers.

An Anti Gets Spanked

2006-04-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

I'm doing some research on the FN FiveseveN for a possible purchase (yes, Californians can buy them). During this research I came upon a blog from a guy in Australia with a post about this pistol. The comments were on topic for the first few when a person named "Randy" spoke up in defense of the Brady campain and lamenting the Assualt Weapon Ban of 1994. The response to her was priceless as was her defense of her viewpoint. She is a true believer and touted every de-bunked statistic that most firearms owners are familiar with. Here is the first quote from Randy to give you an idea:

You're welcome, Five-SeveN owner. Glad Brady could be of service to the
families of America and refute the false claims of the NRA about the FiveSeveN.
It never ceases to bemuse me how a gun nut will stop at nothing to get his hands
on anything that shoots a live round, regardless of how many children have to
die due to careless gun-loving adults. You should take a hard look at your
organizations and how the gun manufacturers market to you. You're all so busy
buying and shooting your arsenals you fail to see how many of your children are
being injured and killed by your own guns.
If you had half a brain you would take a look at the geographical distribution of gun injury and death of kids ages 0-19 in the US. Ironic how the areas with the highest levels of gun
ownership are also the areas with the highest number of kids being killed and
injured by Daddy and Mommy's guns. You're great parents. You should thank the
NRA for brainwashing you all to such a degree that you place the value of your
guns over the lives of your children. I feel sorry for the kids of parents like
you. When your children are injured or killed by your guns, I hope you'll thank
the NRA.

Hard to read, isnt' it? She wasnt' interested in seeing the Center for Disease Control statistics regarding her assertions. I believe her response would be that the CDC is in the pocket of the NRA. Anyway, go read the rest. She gets spanked but doesn't know it. I'd like to see Kevin Baker have a go at her.

SEAL Memorial

2006-03-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

Froggy has a post about this worthwhile cause. Send a few dollars if you can:

I received this from Danny's mother, Cindy:
We the family of Danny P. Dietz have a memorial fund set up to raise funds for a bronze memorial and a scholarship fund to be given in Danny's name and would like such funds to go to Navy SEAL Danny Dietz memorial fund at any Wells Fargo Bank for contibutions.

As my traffic is way down, please forward to some active milbloggers.Froggy OUT

Occupying Army?

2006-03-28T12:51:00.000-08:00

Fjordman has a guest post over at the Gates of Vienna on the actions of Sweden and Europe's muslim minority. It's an excellent post and a wake up to me given the demonstrations that we observed over the weekend in many major Amercian cities by the pro-illegal camp. I have worked in the restaurant industry in Southern California and talked to my share of immigrants. The number espousing the philosophy of Aztlan was surprising. This probably deserves a post by itself.

Back to Fjordman's post. He talks about the disintigration of the Swedish society due to the war on Swedes by their muslim immigrants. Rape, robbery, and bombings are the acts of an invading army. These acts are being perpetrated by the muslim minority for the most part. The basis for his post is a Sociology thesis written by Petra Åkesson. One of the conclusions that I made from the article is that war is indeed being waged against the Swedes. I would bet that most of them do not know it yet. As long as things are kept in Malmo, the majority of them would ignore what is happening. Kind of like the immigration problems here. As long as things are kept to the Southwest of the US, the majority of the country won't pay attention to the problem.

These events are not just in Malmo though. The riots in France, the bombings in Britain and Spain, and the current crime spree in Sweden seem to be the opening salvo of a war on the European continent. I don't think that Europe is prepared to defend itself. Like most of Europe, Swedes aren't allowed to arm themselves (if Diane Feinstein has her way, Americans won't be able to either). Defending oneself against a gang of people intent on hurting you or stealing from you is no job for the timid. Ultimately, the Swedes will need to do just that. It's obvious that their law enforcement personnel cannot help them. They can't lock up all of the children of Jihad.

Europe will have their hands full. We also have our hands full. I wouldn't trade their immigration problem with ours for anything but if we don't get our act together, it won't matter. When 500,000 people with Mexican flags march in downtown Los Angeles over US policy, you have to wonder whether we've already sold ourselves out.

Read Fjordman's post. It's a good read and worthy of some thought in regard to our situation here at home and to the future of our European brothers.

Sushi is Bad for Turtles? Not my Toro

2006-03-09T10:03:00.000-08:00

The recent study proclaiming harmful levels of mercury in sushi is financed by a conservancy for sea turtles. What? What do sea turtles have to do with sushi, specfically tuna? Roger Simon, one of my favorite bloggers, has a few posts on this. As usual, there is some good information from Roger. He posted a link that points out their agenda.

Apparently, long liners are the culprit here. They are snagging both sea turtles and tuna. I'm not a fan of long line fishing. As soon as they were pushed out from the California coast, "rare" species such as Halibut and Yellowtail started flourishing. The by-catch is horrific. I am a recreational fisherman in the ocean off of San Diego and Mexico. I know how destructive this type of fishing. Most of the long liners in the Pacific are asian.

I'm also a scientist though. Until there is data from an organization that doesn't have such a huge agenda, I'm skeptical. Otoro sushi statsu Kudasai.

More on Joel Heinrichs

2006-03-05T20:36:00.000-08:00

From the Northeast Inteligence Network, more on Joel Heinrichs, the unfortunate student of the religion of peace, that blew himself up during an Oklahoma University football game. According to their report, Heinrich was part of a multi-person terror plot that was supposed to "kill and hurt alot of people". From the AP report via the Northeast Intelligence Network:

"I believe he accidentally blew himself up," Sgt. George Mauldin said
Tuesday of Joel Henry HINRICHS III, the 21-year-old engineering student who died
in the explosion. Added Mauldin: "I don't believe he (HINRICHS) intended for an
explosion to occur at that spot (on a nearby park bench)."

I and other bloggers never believed that he was alone or suicidal. In time, I think we'll see that this was correct.

The Hockey Stick Graph - Do the Math

2006-02-28T11:03:00.000-08:00

I just finished "State of Fear" by Michael Chrichton again. It was an excellent book. The lessons that I got from it remind of when I'm helping my daughter do her math homework. She always has questions about what to do next or how to check her work. My answer is always, "Do the math". Along those lines, the science behind global warming seems to get a pass when it comes to peer review.

One of those passes is the famous hockey stick graph of global temperatures. Kim du Toit has a post about this research that was published in 1998 by Mann, Bradley and Hughes in Nature (vol. 392: 779-787) or MBH98. This work was important because it attempted to proved that the increase in global temperature was manmade. The hockey stick graph represented flat global temperatures until the 1990's when there was a sharp increase. Hence the hockey stick.

In the post, Kim quotes from a National Business Review article. Michael Mann would not allow peer review of his work by putting obstacles in the path of McIntyre and McKitrick and not allowing the release of his computer code. When McIntyre and McKitrick were able to use his algorithm, they found that the hockey stick can be re-produced with random data. Not excactly re-producible or good science. This is a good reason to "do the math" yourself.

Here is a further quote that ties into the message of "State of Fear" from the article:

The reason why the Hockey Stick is so important is the fact that it tries to do away with the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age (and further back with the Dark Ages Cold Period and the Roman Warm Period). Those natural climate fluctuations are an embarrassment to the hypothesis that mankind is mainly to blame for the present warming. In its first Scientific Assessment Report (1990), the IPCC still had a temperature graph showing the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age. It is now clear in the 2001 report that the IPCC has deliberately eliminated these natural climate fluctuations with sleight of hand.

This paragraph frames the fundemental problem that I see with the Global Warming crowd. They have a political bent to their view and ignore contrary evidence that does not blame the United States. They ignore the heat island effect, fudge past temperature data, from the citations in "State of Fear", they ignore real sea level data. If they are working from a suspect hypothesis, that warming is man made, is any of the other work presented worth anything? I suspect that some of it is, in context. If we could take some of the leftward political leaning out of the science, we might get better science and understanding of what our real problems and possible solutions are. It would be nice if we could all "do the math".

Field and Stream Gun Blogger

2006-02-25T10:16:00.000-08:00

Field and Stream Magazine has a blogger that I found through The Ten Ring. After looking through a few articles, it looks pretty good. The guys name is David E. Petzal and although I haven't read Field and Stream in a long time, it may be time for a look again. Anyway check out the blog. It's called The Gun Nut.

$5 back from Flash-Memory-Store.com

2006-02-21T13:48:00.000-08:00

By posting this, www.Flash-Memory-Store.com will give me $5 back on my 1 G mini-SD memory order. Well guys, here it is. I'll post about my experience after I receive my product too. They sell flash memory products and the prices were better than any other place that saw on the web.

Want to See Something Really Scary?

2006-02-14T13:04:00.000-08:00

Gates of Vienna has a post about Jamaat ul-Fuqra, a radical muslim organization based in the United States. The interim investigative report, undertaken by the Northeast Intelligence Network, can be found here in the Politics of CP. If this organization was made up white rednecks from the sticks, they would have been wrapped up long ago. As it is, these guys have camps in many states and undergo military training with explosives and automatic heavy weapons. There has been nothing in the MSM either. Go Bloggers! Where is Janet Reno when we need her?

Col McMaster Briefing from Tall Afar: Operation Restoring Rights

2006-02-14T12:49:00.000-08:00

Hat tip to Powerline for the link. This briefing by Army Col. H. R. McMaster, commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Since the MSM does not see this as news, it's here for you. Tall Afar is a territory on the Syrian border being used by islamists to infiltrate Iraq. Here is a small snippet where Col. McMaster describes our enemy:

I'd like just to briefly characterize the enemy, describe who we're fighting here. This is an enemy, who when they came in, they removed all the imams from the mosques, and they replaced them with Islamic extremist laymen. They removed all the teachers from the schools and replaced them with people who had a fifth-grade education and who preached hatred and intolerance. They murdered people. In each of their cells that they have within the city has a direct action cell of about 100 or so fighters. They have a kidnapping and murder cell; they have a propaganda cell, a mortar cell, a sniper cell -- a very high degree of organization here. And what the enemy did is to keep the population from performing other activities. To keep the population afraid, they kidnapped and murdered large numbers of the people here, and it was across the spectrum. A Sunni Turkmen imam was kidnapped and murdered. A very fine man, a city councilman, Councilman Suliman (sp), was pulled out of his car in front of his children and his wife and gunned down with about 30 gunshot wounds to his head. The enemy conducted indiscriminate mortar attacks against populated areas and wounded scores of children and killed many others. The enemy here did just the most horrible things you can imagine, in one case murdering a child, placing a booby trap within the child's body and waiting for the parent to come recover the body of their child and exploding it to kill the parents. Beheadings and so forth.

In From the Cold

2006-01-25T11:07:00.000-08:00

There's another blog from a former intelligence officer in the blogosphere. It's called "In From the Cold" and it's excellent. I'm always looking for the professional perspective on the politics and intelligence of the GWOT. Stratfor is another excellent source, albeit expensive, for sound intelligence on the GWOT. Check out the former spook at In From the Cold.

1000 Visits and 61 Posts

2006-01-24T15:10:00.000-08:00

Well, I got my 1000th visitor a week ago. It took longer than I thought but for a guy who posts once every so often, it's not bad. Most of the people that come by are from search engines. The one that I've seen the most is for Lanber shotguns. I still love mine. I've taken it waterfowl hunting and use it for trap and skeet.

I plan on posting more. If you haven't done so, donate to Mad Mikey. He is not doing well and his wife can use the help. If you don't like paypal, send a card or check to:

Mad Mikey
c/o SMASHPO
Box 882353
San Diego, CA
92108-2353

Thanks for reading.

The Smallest Minority Strikes Again

2006-01-11T10:29:00.000-08:00

Kevin Baker roasts another reflexive gun bigot in this post "And There Will Be Chocolate Rivers, and Fluffy Bunnies..." Kevin Fagan, of the San Fransisco Chronicle, wrote an article expounding on his utopian belief that a world without firearms is a better world. Kevin Baker gives him a good fisking.

The thing that bugs me about Fagan's article is that the author has used firearms multiple times to defend himself. One comes away after reading it asking whether he is still a gun owner. I ask the question of the author, if someone threatened your life again, would you purchase another firearm to defend your life? If the answer is yes, then he needs to understand that he is a fine example of a hypocrite. If the answer is no, then I ask, why is his life worth less now than before?

Mr Fagan makes the mistake also of giving an inanimate object lifelike qualities. There are countless webcams of guns on the web. None, to my knowledge has ever left the camera of its own volition and committed a crime. The only time a gun is dangerous is when a person of ill intent is in control of it. These type of people, criminals for the reality challenged, don't pay attention to gun laws anyway. It also includes people who don't know the four rules of firearms. They are not toys. I feel bad for his friends and family hurt by the casual dismissal of these unbendable laws that must apply when you take a firearm into your hands. Guns are not evil, malicious or mean, people are.

Read Kevin's post and send a letter to the hypocrite Kevin Fagan.

Courage

2006-01-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

This letter from Ken Stethem to President George W Bush is a must read. Ken Stethem is the brother of Robert Stethem, US Navy Diver, who was killed during the hijacking of TWA flight 847. His killer Muhammed Ali Hammadi was recently released from Germany in exchange for German held by terrorists in Iraq. The letter is a powerful reminder of the real meaning of courage and duty and asks important questions of our President. I hope that Hammadi is looking over his shoulder. From NRO.

Date: January 8, 2006 4:15:57 PM PST
To: president@whitehouse.gov
Cc: vicepresident@whitehouse.gov
Subject: ROBERT DEAN STETHEM

Mr. President,

I would like to provide you with an explanation as to why Muhammed Ali
Hammadi's recent release by Germany, and your Administration's lack of any
attempt to prevent it, is so upsetting to our family and to Americans
everywhere. I am not writing you out of grief or anger but out of a hope that
his example will inspire you to follow act on your own words and the dictates of
your conscious in this War on Terror.

Robert Dean Stethem was singled out, beaten beyond recognition and tortured
in order to make him scream into a transmitter (so that the tower would send a
fuel truck). Not a cry was heard to come from him, despite the brutal beating he
endured. Instead he chose to remain silent and endure the beatings because he
knew that the only way a rescue attempt could be conducted by U.S. forces was if
the aircraft remained on the ground.

After Robert was beaten and tortured and bleeding from puncture wounds all
over his body, he was placed next to a 16-year old Australian girl. As bad as
Robert was beaten, he had the courage and strength to comfort and console her.
He told her that, "She would be okay and that she would get out of here alive."
When she tried to return the comfort, he said, "No, I don't think so. I am the
only one in my group that is not married and some of the guys have children,
too." Some time later, Robert was again taken up to the cockpit and tortured in
order to get the fuel. But it didn't work, he would not give in to them.

One of the hijackers, Muhammed Ali Hammadi, was so enraged that he dragged
Robert to the door, pulled a trigger and shot Robert in the head. Then he dumped
Robert's body onto the tarmac. While Robert was being dragged to the door, he
knew that all he had to do in order to live was to cry into that transmitter,
but he wouldn't do it. He would not give in to the demands of the terrorists. He
would not allow the honor and dignity of America to be intimidated by the fear
and pain that Hammadi and terrorists everywhere represent. Robert sacrificed his
life in order to protect our liberty and defend our way of life.

You have rightly said, "Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring
justice to our enemies, justice will be done." You have truly said that "We are
in a fight for our principles, and our first responsibility is to live by them."
Robert lived by them. Robert also died by them. The motto of the USS SSTETHEM (DDG-63), named
in Robert's honor, is "Steadfast and Courageous." I hope that his example, and
the example of other heroes like him can inspire you to understand why allowing
Germany to release Hammadi was a wrong. Justice was not done, Robert was not
honored and Americans are not safer by allowing Hammadi to return to Lebanon and
Hezbollah. You know this, we know this and the American people know this.

The Stethem family

SMASH One of the Good Guys

2006-01-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

SMASH attended a rally in San Diego that was called "Out of Iraq". His post about the event is excellent. It sounds like local Congresscritter Bob Filner was not expecting SMASH's question. The crowd of anti-war constituents did not like or appreciate his question either. Thanks SMASH. Guys like Filner need to be held accountable for thier views. How he gets elected every two years is a puzzle. I'm donating to his opponent next year.

Too much (80's) information

2006-01-05T15:15:00.000-08:00

Ok. I admit it. I played in bands that did 80's songs. I even listened to too much 80's music. Who can not like a band that had a name like "the Psychedelic Furs"? Check it out and see how you do... I am recovering though.

You Scored 80% Correct

You are an 80s expert

You never confuse New Order with the Pet Shop Boys

You know which classical musician Falco rocked

When it comes to 80s music, you Just Can't Get Enough!

How Much Do You Know About 80s Music?

Good Quote

2006-01-03T22:08:00.000-08:00

From theothersideofkim regarding the attitude that a certain reporter for the MSM had about the blogosphere.

I bet the Catholic Church thought the same about the Bible being printed in the vernacular, rather than just Latin: everyone could form their own opinion without having the message first interpreted and massaged by the priesthood.

Yep. Sounds about right to me.

Merry Christmas and Happy Channukka!

2005-12-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

I hope that you have a happy and joyous time this year. It's been great here in this household.

What Mythical Creature Are You?

2005-11-21T13:01:00.000-08:00

Woo Hoo! I'm a dragon...

DRAGON

You are the dragon. A dragon,
in western lore, is a giant lizard with wings.
It usually has the capability to breathe fire.
The dragon symbolizes immense power, physical
strength, and courage. The dragon has also been
a symbol of wisdom and of protection. Dragons
may also appear to be greedy as many a tale
depict them as keepers of vast hordes of
treasure.

Which mythical creature resides in your soul? (11 Results + Pictures)
brought to you by Quizilla

2005-11-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

It's National Ammo Day on Saturday. Do your part.

Happy Veterans Day

2005-11-11T10:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Veterans Day! Thanks to vets current and past. Your sacrifice is appreciated. A special thanks to my Father and Grandfather who are no longer with us. We miss you both. Meanwhile, go see SMASH and contribute to Operation Valor IT.

Happy Birthday Marines!

2005-11-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

Semper Fi and Happy Birthday. 230 years old and still going strong. I'm proud to live next to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Here's a good article from NRO to start your day.

There is also a great book about a great man. General Lewis "Chesty" Puller's story is an inspiring one. The book "Marine: The Life of Chesty Puller" written by Burke Davis is excellent.

California Special Election

2005-11-07T13:55:00.000-08:00

Here are my votes for the special election tomorrow in San Diego.

Mayor: Jerry Sanders - Former San Diego Police Chief, Former Head of the Red Cross and United Way. Mr Sanders turned the Red Cross in San Diego from a spurned and disdained agency into one that is trusted by the citizens of this city. He also won the debate against Donna Frye last night.

Prop 73: Yes. My daughter should have to notify me if she wants an abortion. A doctor needs my permission to give her cold medicine. A surgical procedure should need the same permission.

Prop 74: Yes. Expanding tenure probation from 2 years to 5 years is a small part of the reforms that our school system needs.

Prop 75: Yes.

Prop 76: Yes. This one also does not go far enough.

Prop 77: Yes. I'm a little nervous about this one but the gerrymandering done in the past is criminal.

Prop 78: No.

Prop 79: No.

Prop 80: Absolutely not.

See you at the ballot box.

Lanber Over Under Shotguns

2005-11-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

I joined my local Skeet and Trap club last year. It was a great decision for me. I've met some really nice people and learned a new skill. I have a pretty nice Berretta Urika 391 but was at a disadvantage to the guys with over/unders. After a little shopping, I went in to America Shooting Center and noticed the Lanbers. They were sitting next to the 3 to 4 thousand dollar shotguns. The low end Lanber was around $350 and the high end was less than $700. I looked at one of them and it was beautiful. The wood was very nice and the fit with the metal was excellent. Lanber has been a beginners shotgun in Europe for years.

I've seen 15 and 20 thousand dollar shotguns at the club. I've also seen guys with cheap pump shotguns outshoot everyone in the field. In other words, the cost of the gun is not going to help you if you can't shoot. I ended up buying the 2088 in 12 gauge. It's been excellent. There have been no misfires and the fit and finish is excellent. The only downside is the chokes. It's not easy to find replacements right now. There is supposedly an aftermarket replacement but I haven't found it yet. If you're looking for a nice over/under and don't want to spend an arm and a leg, check it out.

Islam and the West

2005-11-02T09:39:00.000-08:00

Gates of Vienna has an excellent post from Halloween about Islam and Christianity. There is a great post just about every day from Gates of Vienna but this one in particular has struck a chord with me and deserves more recognition. Check it out.

What General Am I?

2005-10-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

(h/t Mostly Cajun)

William Wallace
You scored 72 Wisdom, 73 Tactics, 68 Guts, and 53 Ruthlessness!

Like William Wallace, chances are you have no problem charging a larger, better trained, better equipped, better armed and armored English army with a band of naked drunken Scotsmen. I'm not contesting that you have balls. It's your brain function I'm worried about.

Scottish soldier and national hero. The first historical record of Wallace's activities concerns the burning of Lanark by Wallace and 30 men in May, 1297, and the slaying of the English sheriff, one of those whom Edward I of England had installed in his attempt to make good his claim to overlordship of Scotland. After the burning of Lanark many joined Wallace's forces, and under his leadership a disciplined army was evolved. Wallace marched on Scone and met an English force of more than 50,000 before Stirling Castle in Sept., 1297. The English, trying to cross a narrow bridge over the Forth River, were killed as they crossed, and their army was routed. Wallace crossed the border and laid waste several counties in the North of England. In December he returned to Scotland and for a short time acted as guardian of the realm for the imprisoned king, John de Baliol . In July, 1298, Edward defeated Wallace and his army at Falkirk, and forced him to retreat northward. His prestige lost, Wallace went to France in 1299 to seek the aid of King Philip IV, and he possibly went on to Rome. He is heard of again fighting in Scotland in 1304, but there was a price on his head, and in 1305 he was captured by Sir John de Menteith. He was taken to London in Aug., 1305, declared guilty of treason, and executed. The best-known source for the life of Wallace is a long romantic poem attributed to Blind Harry, written in the 15th century.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 81% on Unorthodox

You scored higher than 56% on Tactics

You scored higher than 93% on Guts

You scored higher than 73% on Ruthlessness

Link: The Which Historic General Are You Test written by dasnyds on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Anne Morse - why do I know that name?

2005-10-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, she was the Wall Street Journal reporter who witnessed the odd behavior of the 14 Syrian musicians on a Northwest Airlines flight last July. She has written a book called "Terror in the Skies, Why 9/11 Could Happen Again". National Review Online has an article about her story and her book today.

I had dismissed this as some sort of evil plot because the musicians were doing a show at a local Indian casino. The article's description of their actions and that of the investigative authorities was enough to second guess the motives of these "peaceful" musicians. The part that I find troubling is the bumbling, lying, and deceit of the Federal Air Marshals Service (FAMS). They claimed to have investigated all of the people in the group. Morse claims that only two were interviewed and that 13 of the 14 were here on expired visas. One would think that after 9/11, stories like this would only be part of a bad movie. Read the whole article or the book.

More on San Diego lab and suicide

2005-10-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

Our local news station is reporting that the lab found in University City last week was in fact a drug lab. I'm still skeptical. Why did it take so long for this to come out, for example? Why did the man kill himself? The story also mentions Sassafras oil. I'm going to do some research into that one and find out exactly which drug needs Sassafras oil. The home labs that I'm aware of use extremely volatile and dangerous chemicals. Why are the police saying that the chemicals were "pungent but not dangerous". More as I hear it.

Update: A quick google search reveals that sassafras oil or safrole is an essential precursor to make MDA, MDMA or MDE. MDMA is ecstacy.

SMASH woke me up today

2005-10-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

SMASH has a twist to the story of the person/idiot who shot himself in a local apartment building last week. I'm still waiting to hear what was in the islamist student's chemical kit but I suspect that it wasn't illegal drugs. Bombmaking material seems to be the most popular product of home chemists this last week. Right in my backyard too.

More on the Oklahoma Suicide Bomber

2005-10-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

Gateway Pundit has some new news regarding the incident in Oklahoma on Saturday. He is reporting that the suspect tried to enter the game several times and was turned away when security asked to check his backpack. He theorizes, as I do, that the student was waiting for the game to end and his bomb detonated prematurely. The explosive that was used is extremely unstable and prone to detonation from agitation or high temperature. I think that there are some awfully lucky Sooner fans.

Talk show host Rick Roberts on 760 KFMB also reported on this earlier but did not have any sources. He is expected to have more on this on his show tomorrow.

More: The Jawa report has more information about this troubling story. (h/t Gateway Pundit)

Oklahoma Suicide Bomber

2005-10-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Gatewaypundit has some good information about Joel Hinrichs, the Oklahoma suicide bomber. This is scary stuff that could have had a much deadlier outcome. He was less than 100 yards away from approximately 80000 people attending a University of Oklahoma football game. Apparently, he was also a convert to Islam. I don't know why that would be a surprise, however. The sad thing is that the best coverage that I've seen so far out of the MSM has been from Sports Illustrated.

Update: The Northeast Intelligence Network has some more information about this guy. How in the world could the MSM be ignoring this story? Unbelievable.

Hurricane Rita and Grandma

2005-09-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

Last week was a tough one. My Grandma in Lake Charles, LA, who had been sick for some time, died last Monday. My Grandmother was a great woman. She could teach many on how to spoil their grandkids. She sure spoiled us. I'll miss her. My Mom and I planned on going out to the funeral on Tuesday and returning on Saturday. We could not fly into New Orleans. That left Houston. There was only one small problem. Hurricane Rita was forecast to hit the Houston area on Saturday morning and would pass through the gulf the same way that Katrina had. I strongly suspected that it would grow to at least category 4, maybe more.

We had a very difficult decision to make. In addition to the storm, there were no hotels or rental cars available in the whole of the Lake Charles and Houston area respectively. These problems were easily solved with the help of my family. The hurricane issue was not. As the week progressed, it became very clear that Houston would be hit hard. By Thursday, the storm was turning North and instead of worrying about a funeral, my relatives were boarding up their houses and making plans to evacuate.

Lake Charles bore a good portion of Rita's wrath. My Uncle ended up in Lafayette with another Uncle and they weathered the storm fine there. Returning to Lake Charles on Saturday, he found his house whole. There were downed trees everywhere. Most of his neighbors did well too. A few things did get hit by the trees but they are definitely counting their blessings. They have a working phone (always keep a landline phone in your home, not chordless and nothing that needs batteries) but no power, or gas and little water. It looks like they'll be roughing it for the next few months. I'm going to try to send a generator to him. We'll see. Oh, they had to chase some looters away from the neighborhood as well. My Uncle is a former Marine Sgt and packs a lot of persuasion. The looters did not stay long and left empty handed.

Anyway, I don't know when the funeral will be. It doesn't look like there will be a service, just an internment. Between losing my Dad a few months ago and Grandma in this manner, I hope that my family stays healthy for a while. I do count my blessings, however. Every day I read about people who lost everything. The people of Louisiana are in my prayers. God bless.

Insulation

2005-09-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

The notion of a collective right to bear arms is alive and well in the insulated liberal domains around the US. This veiw is contrary to my view, and in my opinion, that of the people that wrote the Bill of Rights, the Founding Fathers. Portland, Oregon, New York, the Bay Area, and Los Angeles are areas that you can live your entire life and not here a contrary/Conservative opinion. I've spent extensive time in all but New York. It's hard to keep an open mind when everyone just smiles and nods their heads everytime a liberal/democratic talking point is bandied about.

A good example was a conversation that happened last Christmas. I was in another room while my wife witnessed the following. A person whom I've had extensive political discussion was lamenting to her dinner guests that everytime she tried to make a political point, I would counter with a fact that had citations and research behind it. In other words, scientific method. In her words, science and facts. The local liberal scientist said to her not to worry, science had uncertainty and that you can't really prove anything. Everyone around just nodded their head in agreement (except for my wife, thank God). My jaw dropped. Here was a man that I respected. He is a professor of electrical engineering at a local college. To prove his point and denigrate mine, he was willing to tell all of these people that you really can't be sure of anything. And they, to their shame were willing to agree. I agree in a way, I can never be 100% sure of anything. However, I can be 99% sure of most things. That's good enough.

There's a joke that I was told in my early electrical engineering education. There is a school dance. On one side the girls are standing waiting and on the other is a mixture of engineering and math students. The rule is, at the bell you can advance exactly half the distance to the girls. The math students gave up in disgust. They knew that they would never get there. The engineering students stayed and the math students asked them why they bothered. One of them answered, we may never actually get there, but we'll get close enough.

I guess the point is, no matter what your belief, especially political, seek out differing opinions. I'm not talking about who is better, Howard Dean or Dennis Kucinich.

Next post, range report on my accurate M1A and my new purchase, the Keltch SU-16 CA.

Great 2nd ammendment post

2005-09-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

The Geekwitha45 has a great post on the safe answer to what the 2nd ammendment is really about. Check it out. Although we've made inroads regarding the fallacy of a collective right, we cannot let our guard down.

Breaking Tradition

2005-09-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

Powerline has a post on former President Clinton's remarks on Meet the Press (or Press the Meat as I call it). I've read and heard many comments about "His Emminence's" interview. Such things as Tim Russert and George Stephonopoulous feeding him talking points. Nobody fisks it better than Hinderacker though. Here is a taste:

AFP reports:

Breaking with tradition under which US presidents mute criticisms of their
successors, Clinton said the Bush administration had decided to invade Iraq
"virtually alone and before UN inspections were completed, with no real urgency,
no evidence that there were weapons of mass destruction."
This attack was false in every respect. The invasion of Iraq had the support of dozens of nations. The UN's inspections could never be "completed," but the UN itself had reported that large quantities of WMDs remained unaccounted for. On the other hand, Clinton's suggestion that there was "no real urgency" about the situation in Iraq was probably sincere, as it typified Clinton's approach to terrorism: he perceived no urgency after the first bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, or after al Qaeda's attempt to simultaneously destroy a dozen American airplanes over the Pacific in 1995; or after the attacks on American embassies in Africa in 1998; or after Saddam's attempt to assassinate former President Bush; or after Saddam repeatedly tried to shoot down American aircraft; or after the Cole bombing in 2000; or after the Taliban took over Afghanistan and converted it into a training ground for anti-American mass murderers; or after any number of other provocations. So, naturally, Clinton saw no urgency with respect to dealing with Saddam's regime. Of course, had Saddam facilitated a post-9/11 attack on the U.S. using chemical or biological weapons, you can imagine how harshly Clinton would have criticized Bush for his lack of foresight.

Bravo!

2005-09-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

I just took the political test at OK Cupid to see where their test fit me in politically. I'm listening to the band sing "the Weight". Here's the result. Put on some music from "The Last Waltz" and take it yourself.

You are a
Social Liberal
(68% permissive)

and an...
Economic Conservative
(66% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Libertarian

Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid

Heroism or Talk is Cheap

2005-09-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Kevin Baker has a great post that I've seen bits and pieces of since last week. It's a story of a man who did more than send money (send money) or talk about help. He loaded up his Vietnam era truck with food and water and went to Mississipi to help as many as he could. It's a great story and an inspiration to me. If anyone ever finds out who he is and where we can send something to say thanks, let me know. I want to say my thanks to someone who did what I could not or would not do.

Family is okay

2005-09-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

My family seems to be okay. My mom is from Lake Charles and we have cousins and uncles and aunts all over southeastern Louisiana. There was no phone service for several days to Lafayette. That seems to have changed. My cousins in Houma are ok too. The damage is minimal for them. Surprising considering Houma's location relative to the storm.

Donate to your charity of choice to help those in our backyard that need help. The Red Cross is taking donations here. My prayers are with those in trouble.

Live Blogging from New Orleans

2005-09-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this, you're missing some incredible live blogging. I can't really tell where he is but he is in New Orleans and watching the looting and lawlessness occur while protecting his own. God bless those who are in trouble.

Donna Frye and the moonbats

2005-08-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

Da Goddess has a post regarding an appearance by Donna Frye, mayoral candidate for San Diego, at a speech being given by Maxine Waters M-LA (Moonbat-Los Angeles). Da Goddess points out that this type of support by a mayoral candidate in a military town is political suicide. I'm sure her core supporters will "forgive" her. The rest of us are wondering what she's been smoking down there in Ocean Beach. By associating with these people, Donna has shown her spots. No, not the ones from too much sun. So much for running as a moderate Ms Frye.

Michael Yon Again

2005-08-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

Riveting reading about a battle in Mosul. Hugh Hewitt is reading this post over the radio right now. I read it before lunch and got in trouble for being late. It was too good to stop. Thanks to the men of Deuce Four and their leader LTC Kurilla. Your sacrafice is appreciated by the silent majority. Heal quickly. May all of the terrorist/insurgents become eunichs like this one. The sad thing about this story is that the guy that shot LTC Kurilla was a prisoner of the coalition that had been recently released.

Didn't know about this

2005-08-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

Thoughts by Seawitch is posting about a plot by Al Qeada to poison the UK parliment with Sarin gas. British intelligence picked up on it via email messages between the plotters. Interesting... I'm glad the Brits are on top of things. I hope our team in on their A game as well.

New York Times bias again

2005-08-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

Mustang 09 of Six More Months has a good post on how he would report the same story that the NY times headlined. He admits int the post that his headline is biased but at least he discloses it. My lovable liberal in-laws (you know who you are) take the NY Times as gospel. It fits within their worldview. Anyway, read the post. The guy has a great blog.

Here is an excerpt:
"This headline in the NYTimes caught my eye : U.S. Struggling to Get Soldiers Updated Armor. This is the opening sentence:For the second time since the Iraq war began, the Pentagon is struggling to replace body armor that is failing to protect American troops from the most lethal attacks by insurgents.Now I would hate to accuse the “newspaper of record” of displaying bias in it’s reporting, but it would have been equally as accurate to say this: U.S. upgrading Body Armor to protect servicemembers. For the second time since the Iraq war began, the Pentagon is upgrading what is already the best body armor in the world to further protect American troops. The current armor, which has saved countless soldiers lives, is being upgraded with better protective inserts, in response to the increased lethality of insurgent attacks, primarily from weapons being provided to the insurgents by Iran."

Michael Yon Update

2005-08-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

Michael Yon has bad news from Iraq. Lt Col Kurilla, a real hero, has been wounded. I don't have more information than that at this time. Michael has promised updates as he can release them. These guys go into harms way for a mission that they believe in. I support them and their mission. They bleed and die for us and our freedom. My prayers are with 4 Duece. Send some their way.

Update: Blackfive has an update on Lt Col Kurilla's condition. It looks like he's going to be okay. I know he wants to get back to his men so I wish him a speedy recovery.

Captain V - New Blogger

2005-08-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

Captain V is a new blogger from the intelligence community. He only has two posts but there is some substance there. Check it out. (h/t Roger L Simon).

Update: Captain V is not a new blogger but has a new blog. His old blog is here. I apologize for my confusion but both names are similar and there are only two posts on his new blog. I guess the new blog is a more serious commentary on the Intelligence Community (IC has he calls it).

Update II: Captian V is shutting down the taciturncommentary.blogspot.com. He says that it's too difficult to run two blogs. I understand. It's diffucult enough to have one and keep it current.

Russian Sub Crew Safe

2005-08-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

SMASH is reporting that the Russian sub crew that was stuck at 600 feet off of the coast of Russia has surfaced and that the crew of 7 is safe and sound. I've been following this story since it was reported on Friday. I have a few friends that are former submariners and know what a finger nail biter this was. I'm happy that they're safe. They were very lucky. Their comrades on the Kursk were not so lucky.

Froggy Turns 1

2005-08-05T21:03:00.000-07:00

Froggy Ruminations turns 1 tomorrow. Stop by and say Happy Birthday... Blogday? Anyway, congratulations Froggy.

Me and My M1A - Range Report

2005-08-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

I went with my brother to the club that I joined two years ago up in Escondido, CA. I wanted to try out my M1A/M14 and some "new" Argentine Surplus 7.62 ammo. I also wanted to sight in my Eotech 552. Both were great. The Argentine ammo was excellent and seemed to be more accurate than the Australian surplus that's been going around, at least from the bench. I shot consistently low and to the right with the Eotech at 50 yards. Time ran out and I could not calibrate it out completely. The groups were 2 to 3 inches consistently at 50 yards.

We also shot with iron sites out at 100 yards. I'm always amazed how accurate the rifle is when I can barely see the target. I'll take my camera out next time and get some pics.

I'm an American

2005-07-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hmm. My mother is from Louisianna. Her parents were Cajun French and German. My fathers family had Revolutionary War heroes on both sides but came from England and Belgium. There was an introduction of Scottish and Cherokee Indian between the War of Independence and GWOT. Yup, I'm an American.

You Are 87% American

You're as American as red meat and shooting ranges.
Tough and independent, you think big.
You love everything about the US, wrong or right.
And anyone who criticizes your home better not do it in front of you!

How American Are You?

Kimber Custom II Range Report

2005-07-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

Awesome pistol! My uncle was visiting from Louisisana for my father's funeral. To pass some time, we went to the range. One of his groups at 10 yards was less than 1.5 inches. He gave me the ultimate compliment and said that this thing is one accurate gun. I love my 1911. It's much easier for me to clean and strip now after a few attempts. Now it's time for more practice, practice, practice.

Support the Troops

2005-07-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

Random Nuclear Strikes has a great post to a link at Primedia. For $10, Primedia will send a 1 year subscription for a soldier, sailor, or marine to their favorite hunting or firearm magazine. I just sent 3 subscriptions. Go with God boys (and girls). Go to the link and send a couple yourself.

Goodbye Dad

2005-07-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

My Father passed away this morning. He fought a 4 year battle against a particularly brutal form of cancer called Multiple Myeloma. I'll miss him. I won't miss his suffering. Services are Tuesday. If you have anything that you want to say to your parents, do it now before they're gone. I love you Dad.

MIchael Yon Interview

2005-07-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hugh Hewitt has an interview with one of the best blogs out there. The transcript is up on Radioblogger (the best kept secret in blogging). Michael Yon has been reporting from Iraq for the last few months. He is a former Special Forces soldier turned journalist. He has a book that is on my short list of reads and has a humble writing style that is refreshing. Michael has a new post up. Read the transcript and the post if you have time.

The Victory Vigil Returns

2005-07-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

I'll be spending an hour or so with SMASH and friends for the Victory Vigil. It's a worthwhile effort. With the recent losses in Afghanistan, we've been challenged to do something for the troops this weekend. In addition to a donation to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, the Victory Vigil is a great way to spend a couple of hours on Saturday. If you're in the San Diego area, come join the fun.

No Ideas?

2005-06-30T16:43:00.000-07:00

Roger L Simon has a great post on the fall of the Democratic party. In my mind he talks about the ideals, or lack of, that typify the Democratic leadership and intellectuals. Read the whole thing.

I was reminded of this last night while watching one of the dems best and brightest, David Corn, on the Neil Cavuto Show. The subject was Iraq and the media. Corn, clearly a smart guy and an excellent writer, had nothing of interest to say. He seemed like a sad sack trapped in a hole of someone else's making. What a position for a "liberal" to be in - hoping to be vindicated by the failure of democracy in Iraq (and the consequent success of psychotic religious misogynists and homophobes!). Corn denied this, of course, but where else is he and the Democratic Party?

He finishes.

Back in the day, this is the man who told us "It's the economy, stupid." Well, James, time's have changed. Nowadays "It's the values, stupid."

It's the economy too but the Democrats lack of values, direction and conviction are creating a sucking chestwound for their elective health. They are not part of Team America as long as they're apologists and defeatists. There's some bad people out there and nobody trusts the Democrats to protect us and get the job done.

San Diego's Homegrown ELF?

2005-06-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

SMASH has a local story that has been on my mind since it happened. A huge condominium project in University City was torched in an arson attack on August 1st of 2003. It was perpetrated by the eccoterrorist group ELF (the Earth Liberation Front). As SMASH reported, a man named Rodney Coronado, gave what looks like a how to lecture on arson the night of the fire. The FBI has subpeoned some of the people that attended. If the suspects are convicted, I hope they get the maximum penalty. ELF's local activities were getting very bold up until the August 1st fire. I believe arson is one of the only crimes in California that we can use deadly force with out having to justify our own lives being in danger.

The Supreme Court this Week or What have those crazy justices done now?

2005-06-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

Kevin's "The Smallest Minority" has an excellent take on the supreme court's travesty decision this week. Kevin's been following this case for a while now.

My own opinion is that this is one more piece of evidence that the courts in this country do not read the document that they've been sworn to uphold. I think that gun owners in this country are crazy to let any meaningful decision get in front of this group of morons. Maybe the NRA does know what it's doing.

It's time for a constitutional ammendment regarding the sanity and ability to read the Constitution by any prospective justice. This recent opinion is a road to tyranny and flys in the face of what this Republic was founded.

2005-06-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

My poor dog. I turn my back for 1 minute...