Monthly Archives: April 2007

National Insecurity

Donk Copperhead Strikes Again!

Reid Offers Bleak Assessment of Iraq War

One generally thinks of the Nevada desert and rattlesnakes, but Donk Senate majority leader Reid is showing his copperhead tendencies with this move even more solidly into the Murtha(-f’er), MoveOn, Kasich appeasement at any price wing of the Donk party.

“I believe myself that the secretary of state, secretary of defense and – you have to make your own decisions as to what the president knows – (know) this war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything as indicated by the extreme violence in Iraq yesterday,” said Reid, D-Nev.

So much for “supporting the troops”.

China Watch

Chinese Cooking, OK; Chicom Food Not so Hot!

China’s Food Exports Spark Fears

Now the Chief enjoys an occasional meal in a Chinese restaurant as much as anyone, but this article tells a whole different story – the bad wheat germ in pet food is just one instance of a major problem.

The list of Chinese food exports rejected at American ports reads like a chef’s nightmare: pesticide-laden pea pods, drug-laced catfish, filthy plums and crawfish contaminated with salmonella.

But wait…there’s more:

Pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used in excess to boost yields, and harmful antibiotics are widely administered to control disease in seafood and livestock. Rampant industrial pollution risks introducing heavy metals into the food chain.

Farmers have used the cancer-causing industrial dye Sudan Red to boost the value of their eggs and fed an asthma medication to pigs to produce leaner meat. In a case that galvanized the public’s and government’s attention, shoddy infant formula with little or no nutritional value has been blamed for causing severe malnutrition in hundreds of babies and killing at least 12.

Read the label folks. Just this week Mrs. Chief was unpleasantly surprised to discover that chicken jerky strips procured for our Welsh Corgi were from China.

This after we had recalled cat food and dog biscuits from the ChiCom wheat gluten contamination.

They say they’re trying to imoprove it…but general poor practices and the use of virtual slave labor would not make one optimistic on a big improvement any time soon.

H/T to a fellow retired Chief, Seaspook who also posted on this article.

Uncategorized

A BIG Idea!

Russia Plans World’s Longest Tunnel, a Link to Alaska

How cool is THIS? Well, pretty cool since it’s between Siberia and Alaska, but also way cool otherwise too.

Russia plans to build the world’s longest tunnel, a transport and pipeline link under the Bering Strait to Alaska, as part of a $65 billion project to supply the U.S. with oil, natural gas and electricity from Siberia.

The project, which Russia is coordinating with the U.S. and Canada, would take 10 to 15 years to complete, Viktor Razbegin, deputy head of industrial research at the Russian Economy Ministry, told reporters in Moscow today. State organizations and private companies in partnership would build and control the route, known as TKM-World Link, he said.

A 6,000-kilometer (3,700-mile) transport corridor from Siberia into the U.S. will feed into the tunnel, which at 64 miles will be more than twice as long as the underwater section of the Channel Tunnel between the U.K. and France, according to the plan. The tunnel would run in three sections to link the two islands in the Bering Strait between Russia and the U.S.

This would include pipelines for Siberian oil and gas, as well as electrical transmission lines (to feed gigawatts of power from Russian tidal power plants into the US), as well as a high-speed rail and highway connection.

Talk about possibilites for a road trip – DRIVE to Siberia, and then on to Europe, etc? That will be cool! This is only win-win project, and will have economic impact comparable at least to the US transcontinental rail system.

Culture Wars

A Blow Against Baby-killing!

Supreme Court Upholds Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act

In 2000, the Supremes threw out Nebraska’s ban on partial-birth infanticide. Now they affirmed a nation-wide ban. Who says Dubya’s appointments arn’t making a difference?

The Supreme Court upheld the nationwide ban on a controversial abortion procedure Wednesday, handing abortion opponents the long-awaited victory they expected from a more conservative bench. The Supreme Court upheld the nationwide ban on a controversial abortion procedure Wednesday, handing abortion opponents the long-awaited victory they expected from a more conservative bench. The 5-4 ruling said the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act that Congress passed and President Bush signed into law in 2003 does not violate a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion.

This is one guaranteed to drive the feminazi left crazy – but as far as the Chief is concerned this decision marks the end of a hideous practice that never should have been allowed in the first place.

Culture Wars

Something to think about.:

Image173.jpg
Image174.jpg

In the same vein:

Are you a Democrat, Republican or Redneck?

Here is a little test that will help you decide. The answer can be found by posing the following question:

You’re walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children.

Suddenly, an Islamic Terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges at you. You are carrying a Colt M1911 with 7 shot magazine and you are an expert shot. You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family.

What do you do? …………….

Democrat’s reaction:

“Well, that’s not enough information to answer the question! Does the man look poor or oppressed? Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack? Could we run away? What does my wife think? What about the kids?! Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand? What does the law say about this situation? Does the Colt have appropriate safety built into it? Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society and to my children?”

“Is it possible he’d be happy with just killing me? Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me? If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me?”

“Should I call 9-1-1? Why is this street so deserted? We need to raise taxes, have paint and weed day and make this happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior. This is all so confusing! I need to discuss this with some friends for few days and try to come to a consensus.+

Republican’s reaction: BANG!

And the Redneck’s reaction: BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
(Sound of empty magazine being dropped and spare mag being inserted)
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
(A short period of silence………….)
Daughter: “Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those the Winchester Silver Tips or Remington Hollow Points?”
Son: “Can I shoot the next one Pa?!!”
Wife: “No Honey, you ain’t taking that to the Taxidermist!”

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

The Chief just might be a redneck!

(All of the above was received via e-mail from a correspondent & neighbor. H/T to you Bill!)

Culture Wars

Random Thought on the Random Shooting

The massacre at Virgina Tech is obviously a horrible event that obviously generates a number of thoughts and questions for the Chief, as I’m sure it does also for a whole lot of other people. My thoughts may or may not run n the same direction as yours do, but these are some things that have struck me.

‘Question Mark’ Killer Quietly Seethed With Rage

He apparently had scrawled the words “ISMAIL AX” on the inside of one arm, according to the Chicago Tribune, which may be a reference to the Islamic account of the Biblical sacrifice of Abraham.

A possible Islamic connection? Ismail is the Arabic version of Ishmael – Abraham’s son by Hagar, who Biblically is considered as being the progenitor of the Arab people, which the Arabs themselves believe. The ax part relates to an Islamic version of the Abrahamic sacrifice where an axe was to be used. Also, of COURSE the Moslems can’t give priority of place to Isaac – THEY claim that Ishmael was the commanded sacrifice. Oh well. The Chief, as a Christian, doesn’t buy their version, but that’s neither here nor there…the question remains as to what a KOREAN is doing with at least SOME involvement with the Islamic version of this?

Other items heard reported from various media sources during the course of the day:
item: serial #’s filed off guns. WTF? That’s really weird, since the perp apparently bought the guns legally and was going to be using them himself.
item: VaTech President noted that there really wasn’t a previous domestic involvement between the perp and the initial victims…in that case it would be a wholly random selection of victims – sort of like last month’s Salt Lake City Trolley Square mall shootings (done by a Bosnian Moslem).
item: who were the other guys photographed being taken down by police:
VTECH_asian_on_the_ground.jpg
and this one too:
VTECH_other_on_the_ground.jpg

item: It’s probably worth noting that the perp was apparently taking anti-depressant drugs. After Columbine and other incidents of extreme violence with drugged up perps, who can be surprised.

Finally, the real hero is the Lithuanian born holocaust survivor Liviu Librescu who held the door to his classroom closed to give his students a chance to jump out the window and escape while he was shot to death through the door. What to say? I can add nothing to this:
John 15:13 – Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Amen.

Culture Wars

A Pathology of Conspiracy Theories

Seeing the Unseen – part 2

Bill Whittle’s latest is out on Eject! Eject! Eject!, and it is definitely in the MUST READ category.

Just a choice taste:

Recently, Rosie O’Donnell said on national television that she believes 9/11 was orchestrated by the US government.

Well, that’s why we went through the steps above. If you believe that the government lied about the moon landing, you can believe they lied about killing JFK. If they lied about JFK, then they can lie about chemtrails. And if they are willing to poison the entire population with aerial spraying, what are a few thousand people in four airliners and a couple of buildings?

Rosie O’ Donnell making such a claim on a major network is a national disgrace. The fact that much of the audience cheered and applauded is nothing less than a national catastrophe.

To her, and to her audience, it is taken as granted that the government is capable of such things. As if “the government” was operated by cyborgs grown in Haliburton vats, rather than by well-meaning and patriotic people that love this country.

“This is the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel,” she said. This is a statement of such pristine and perfect idiocy that it surely must be emblazoned in stone across the entrance to the Physics Imbecile wing of the Moron Museum of Natural History. But mastery of physics and engineering requires some intelligence, some perseverance and some discipline: none of which are in evidence in this buffoon.

Once again, the Chief repeats his humble evaluation of Whittle as being one of the best essayists the Republic has seen since Thomas Paine.

Uncategorized

President Seeks Partial Abdication

3 Generals Spurn the Position of War ‘Czar’

Other than the WaPo, the Chief hasn’t noted this anywhere else in the MSM, although radio talker Michael Savage has taken note.

The White House wants to appoint a high-powered czar to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with authority to issue directions to the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies…

This is really mind-boggling when one considers what is really happening here is a (so far) attempted effort of the President to abdicate his Constitutional responsibility to serve as Commander-in-Chief, and apparently be in a position to “take the fall” in a possible “cut-and-run” outcome.

Although the President’s motivations were (contrary to the caterwauling of the Move-on Donk left) laudable, the administrations execution of the war has been more in the order of rendering lip-service to having a war.

What has been avoided is the expressionhardness of attitude necessary to prevail in a difficult war, in favor of maintaining political correctness in a useless attempt to somehow

If you want to win a war, you do NOT have your pree-action plans and post-action reports subject to legal analysis to justify shooting bullets at the enemy. If you want to win a war, you don’t declare that the enemy can freely have certain sections of cities, and certain buildings as untouchable sanctuaries, in the interest of maintaining political correctness.

Meanwhile, the Pres has decided that he doesn’t (a)want to, or (b) know how to, be the actual Commander-in-Chief any more. So much for presidential leadership.

May the spirit of Ronaldus Magnus, the Great Gipper help us in our hour of need!

Uncategorized

Glowbull Warming Alert!

Climate change could bring new U.S. Dust Bowl

Yep, it sure COULD…but then again…if pigs had wings they COULD fly!

The wisdom, or lack thereof to build huge agricultural projects and population centers in the middle of desert areas always seemed to be counter-intuitive. Just ask the Anasazi, who developed towns in the Southwest only to lose them when things dried up around the time of the medieval warming…ooops…whose SUV’s caused THAT one?

Another interesting item in this same piece is this:

Deep waters in the North Atlantic some 125,000 years ago were warmer than they are now and may have helped melt the Antarctic ice sheets, according to researchers led by Jean-Claude Duplessy of the Laboratory of Climate and the Environment of Institute Pierre Simon Laplace outside Paris.

Dang! Sort of seems like some other process than human industrialization must have been at work to melt all that ice back then. Hmmmm. Could it be just possible that the same processes are still in play? Just maybe?

Uncategorized

Global Warming Still Not so Hot

There’s No Such Thing as a Perfect Temperature

Amazing for Newsweak Newsweek to have this…Richard Lindzen from M.I.T. ripping the Glowbull Warming claque again…based on (dare one sayit?) SCIENTIFIC REASONING! What a concept!

Looking back on the earth’s climate history, it’s apparent that there’s no such thing as an optimal temperature-a climate at which everything is just right. The current alarm rests on the false assumption not only that we live in a perfect world, temperaturewise, but also that our warming forecasts for the year 2040 are somehow more reliable than the weatherman’s forecast for next week.

Check it out.

Uncategorized

“No terrorist ties”

Women at Love Field ‘acting suspiciously’

Is this enough to get YOUR attention?

Dallas police and federal terrorism officials are investigating two women, both dressed in camouflage pants under their traditional Muslim robes and scarves, who were seen conducting what appeared to be surveillance and acting suspiciously at Dallas Love Field.

It sure would make ME wonder what was up!

One of the women, Kimberly “Asma” Al-Homsi, 42, of Arlington, who is on probation for a 2005 Garland road rage incident involving a fake grenade, is said to have long-range assault rifle and explosives training, according to a Dallas police intelligence bulletin issued March 5. “I’m a trained sniper and proud of it,” Ms. Al-Homsi said in an interview Thursday after first refusing to comment on whether she has any terrorism ties. She then said no.

Not to worry?

Police officials said they have no direct evidence the women have ties to terrorism.

Well…not so fast:

Law enforcement sources acknowledge that activities of both women have garnered substantial attention. “We are aware of the activities that occurred at Love Field in February and are giving it appropriate consideration,” said Lori Bailey, spokeswoman for the Dallas FBI.

Just a question here: where is it chiseled in stone that someone has to have “ties” to terrorism to plan and/or commit a terrorist act?

In the final analysis, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and has feathers…draw your own conclusions.

Space Patrol

SciFi Brought into Reality

An Introductin to Planetary Defense

Speaking of advance planning…these guys are really serious about this topic.

This book offers a serious look at defending the planet in the event of an extra-terrestrial invasion. Travis Taylor, et al, have written the definitive book on the defense of earth against a potential alien incursion. Whatever your beliefs on the subject, the book serves as an important primer on the potential future of warfare on every level. It is tightly grounded in current day realities of war and extrapolates thoughtfully but closely about future potentials. It should be on the reading list of anyone who is serious about national security and the future of war.

The authors carefully make their case from every angle beginning with the statistical probability of an alien invasion. Chapter two discusses possible weapons, tactics and strategies for defense. This is followed with a look at what might motivate such an attack. And finally, who should know about preparations for defense, what a first and subsequent responses should be, and how we should be preparing and funding our defense.

Perhaps this seems to be…a bit far out?…but perhaps it shouldn’t be.

Culture Wars

Thoughts on Rosie O, etc.

The Chief received this from an e-mail correspondent – he, and I thought it worth passing along:

Why are so many people enamored and hypnotized by the statements made by celebrities? And why do these same folks ignore or fail to seek the wisdom of people who do know what they are talking about?

They are the same kind of people who demand that their…pick one….daycare, restaurant, mechanic, physician, etc be licensed but will accept without question the statements and opinions of Jessica Lange, Rosie O’Donnell, Brad Pitt or George Clooney.

Sure, these people have a right to their opinion but do they really know what they are talking about? I might also ask this; do the four aforementioned celebrities share enough college credits between them to get an associate’s degree from your local community college? I’m just asking for I don’t know.

Let me guess. The folks who listen to celebs know the details of Brittany Spears divorce or the sad facts concerning Anna Nicole Smith’s demise but they can’t find Iraq or, perhaps, their own state on a map. Remaining ignorant is a choice.

Tom Pierett

The Chief concurs.

Sort of reminds me of a comment made by management guru W. Edward Deming: “Learning is not mandatory. But then again, neither is survival.”

China Watch

ChiComs’ Art of War

‘Transparency’ is not how Sun Tzu and China’s PLA approach war

Reading Lev Navrozov is like reading works of another Russian: Solzhenitsyn’s GULAG Archipelago – not cheerful, but something that you really NEED to know about to be on the lookout against.

The less the potential target of an attack knows about the attacker’s future war, the better this is for the attacker strategically. To “declare war” is the top of Western strategic absurdity. However, even Hitler was European enough to declare war on Stalin’s Russia (with some delay) and on the United States (in 1941). He also forbade the development of chemical and bacteriological weapons. In the post-Roman Western Europe the top military officers were aristocrats who did not kill their enemies as criminals did and do, but challenged them to a duel. Hence the declaration of war-the challenge to a duel.

On the other hand, Sun Tsu, the Chinese strategist of the 4th century B.C., believed that war should begin not like a European aristocrat’s challenge of another European aristocrat to a duel, but like a sudden strike (on the head) by a criminal (stealing from behind) with his bludgeon (shashou jian). The beginning of a war should be its victorious end.

The book “Unrestricted War,” written by two high-ranking officers of the “Chinese Liberation Army” and published officially by the military press in Beijing in 1999, says: “Regardless whether we are talking about Hitler, Mussolini, Truman, Johnson, or Saddam, none of them have successfully mastered war.”

Navrozov’s warnings are directly aimed at us NOW, and we had best be about our business to look to our defenses, or we could end up in deep, deep…yogurt…indeed. This analysis is complex, historically driven, and sobering. It bears some real thought.

Uncategorized

Hostage Stand-down Promised

Iran to release Brits

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran would free the 15 detained British sailors and marines Wednesday as an Easter holiday “gift” to the British people. He said the captives, who were seized while on patrol in the northern Persian Gulf on March 23, would be taken to the airport at the end of the news conference that he was addressing. An Iranian official in London said they would be handed over to British diplomats in Tehran.

Frankly the Chief thought that Ahmadinejad Ahm-mad-on-a-jihad would milk this for more than he did…especially with the nuclear issue still simmering on the stove, but apparently not.

This is a good thing, if it comes to pass…it will be interesting to hear what the Brit sailors and marines will have to say once they are out of the clutches of the Ayatollahs.

UPDATE:

This commentary on the situation hits the spot.

OK, we are told not “to look a gift horse in the mouth”: someone gives you a present, you don’t start investigating the state of its dentition to estimate is worth. So I suppose we should be simply rejoice that Iranisn President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has decided to release the 15 Britich sailors and marines his coast guard took hostage last week. How nice of him. But a doubt lingers: was he right to describe his munificence as a “gift to the British people.”

There’s more…check it out!

Culture Wars

I might be a redneck…based on this!

TAKE THE TEST

Received from an e-mail correspondent:

Are you a Democrat, Republican or Redneck?

Here is a little test that will help you decide. The answer can be found by posing the following question:

You’re walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, an Islamic Terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges at you.

You are carrying a Colt M1911 with 7 shot magazine and you are an expert shot.

You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family.

What do you do? …………….

Democrat’s reaction:
Well, that’s not enough information to answer the question!
Does the man look poor or oppressed?
Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack?
Could we run away?
What does my wife think? What about the kids?!
Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand?
What does the law say about this situation?
Does the Colt have appropriate safety built into it?
Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society and to my children?
Is it possible he’d be happy with just killing me?
Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me?
If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me?
Should I call 9-1-1?
Why is this street so deserted?
We need to raise taxes, have paint and weed day and make this happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior.
This is all so confusing! I need to debate this with some friends for few days and try to come to a consensus.

Republican’s reaction:
BANG!

And the Redneck’s reaction…………
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
(Sound of empty magazine being dropped and spare mag being inserted)
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
(A short period of silence………….)
Daughter: “Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those the Winchester Silver Tips or Remington Hollow Points?”
Son: “Can I shoot the next one Pa?!!”
Wife: “No Honey, you ain’t taking that to the Taxidermist!”