In the movie "1776" which I love, Dickinson cautions the Congress to reject Virginia's proposal on Independence because it "....reeks of Adams, Adams and more Adams!" Well that's ok by me. We need Adams wisdom more than ever lately.
"National defense is one of the cardinal duties of a statesman." John Adams
H/T Patriot Post
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Phibian's FBF.....My Bad Boyfriend
The Phibian is away. But he doesn't want us to be lonely or bored so he has put up a bunch of posts using Blogger's new feature Scheduler. That way they pop up everyday. Friday's usually feature "Fullbore Friday" and today, thanks to "Scheduler" is no different.
The subject? My Bad Boyfriend!
Fullbore Friday
This comes from a US News 1973 Special Report- so let's just say it isn't "tainted" 2008.Just a story about a LCDR...... if you're running short of time - just go to the last line of the post. I'm copying it all.
Read the post here.
Needless to say, Princess Crabby is never short on time when it comes to this Sailor! Ok, any Sailor.
The subject? My Bad Boyfriend!
Fullbore Friday
This comes from a US News 1973 Special Report- so let's just say it isn't "tainted" 2008.Just a story about a LCDR...... if you're running short of time - just go to the last line of the post. I'm copying it all.
Read the post here.
Needless to say, Princess Crabby is never short on time when it comes to this Sailor! Ok, any Sailor.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
USS New Hampshire SSN 778
Navy Announces Christening of Submarine New Hampshire
The Navy’s newest attack submarine New Hampshire (SSN 778) will be christened Saturday, June 21, during an 11:00 a.m. EDT ceremony at Electric Boat in Groton, Conn.
Director of Naval Reactors, Adm. Kirkland Donald, will deliver the ceremony’s principal address. Cheryl McGuinness of Portsmouth, N.H., will serve as New Hampshire’s sponsor. Ms. McGuinness is the widow of Thomas McGuiness, co-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11 which was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The highlight of the ceremony will be Ms. McGuinness christening the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine over the submarine, a time honored Navy tradition.
The fifth Virginia-class submarine, New Hampshire is the third ship to honor the Granite State. The first USS New Hampshire was in service from 1846-1921, including service during the Civil War. Later, she was renamed Granite State following decommissioning and was used as a training ship for the New York State Militia. The second USS New Hampshire (1908-1921) was a battleship used for convoy escort duty during World War I and also served as a training ship.
Along with her sister ships, New Hampshire, will provide the Navy with the capabilities required to maintain the nation's undersea supremacy well into the 21st century.
Cmdr. Mike Stevens will become the ship’s first commanding officer and will lead a crew of approximately 134 officers and enlisted personnel.
The 7,800-ton New Hampshire is built under a teaming arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat (Connecticut) and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding - Newport News (Virginia). She is 337 feet in length, has a beam of 34 feet, and can operate at more than 25 knots submerged.
Additional information about this class of submarine is available online at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4100&tid=100&ct=4 .
***************************
H/T Chapomatic
The Navy’s newest attack submarine New Hampshire (SSN 778) will be christened Saturday, June 21, during an 11:00 a.m. EDT ceremony at Electric Boat in Groton, Conn.
Director of Naval Reactors, Adm. Kirkland Donald, will deliver the ceremony’s principal address. Cheryl McGuinness of Portsmouth, N.H., will serve as New Hampshire’s sponsor. Ms. McGuinness is the widow of Thomas McGuiness, co-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11 which was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The highlight of the ceremony will be Ms. McGuinness christening the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine over the submarine, a time honored Navy tradition.
The fifth Virginia-class submarine, New Hampshire is the third ship to honor the Granite State. The first USS New Hampshire was in service from 1846-1921, including service during the Civil War. Later, she was renamed Granite State following decommissioning and was used as a training ship for the New York State Militia. The second USS New Hampshire (1908-1921) was a battleship used for convoy escort duty during World War I and also served as a training ship.
Along with her sister ships, New Hampshire, will provide the Navy with the capabilities required to maintain the nation's undersea supremacy well into the 21st century.
Cmdr. Mike Stevens will become the ship’s first commanding officer and will lead a crew of approximately 134 officers and enlisted personnel.
The 7,800-ton New Hampshire is built under a teaming arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat (Connecticut) and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding - Newport News (Virginia). She is 337 feet in length, has a beam of 34 feet, and can operate at more than 25 knots submerged.
Additional information about this class of submarine is available online at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4100&tid=100&ct=4 .
***************************
H/T Chapomatic
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Flight 93 Blogburst
Who broke the circle?
The Memorial Project claims to have an innocent explanation for why the central feature of the Flight 93 memorial is a giant Islamic shaped crescent. As architect Paul Murdoch has been saying since September 2005, the flight path breaks the circle, turning it into what was originally called the Crescent of Embrace.
But this isn't a memorial to an airliner. It is a memorial to human beings. So just who is it that architect Paul Murdoch is depicting as breaking the circle?
As a secular symbol, the circle signifies peace and harmony. There is no way that the heroic passengers and crew can be charged with breaking the circle. It is the terrorists who broke the peace.
Think what that means thematically. The terrorists broke our peaceful circle and turned it into a giant Islamic shaped crescent that just happens to point to Mecca . You could not come up with a more blatant depiction of al Qaeda victory.
This is what the Park Service is claiming as an innocent explanation: that they are depicting a circle-breaking crescent-creating action that logically can only be attributed to the terrorists. Are they really too dumb to figure out what that means?
Take action
How about a couple hundred of us call up the Memorial Project (814 443-4557) and ask them just who is being depicted as "breaking the circle"? If they try to say "Flight 93 broke it," we can ask for clarification. Do they really mean to include our forty heroes amongst those who broke the peace?
They might even admit that it can only be the terrorists who are depicted as turning the circle into a crescent, and they might even realize: "oops."
Maybe we should send a few emails as well, and cc the local press, who might be prompted to ask Memorial Project spokesmen how they are answering our pointed questions. (Click link for addressed email form. Feel free to cut and paste text from above. Sincerely, your name and state.)
The circle is a Christian symbol
In addition to being a secular symbol of harmony, the circle is also a Christian symbol, as referenced in the country-gospel line: "may the circle be unbroken, bye and bye, Lord bye and bye." (Hat tip, No Compromise.)
The origin of the circle as a Christian symbol is the rising sun, which is today seen as the primary reason why many Christian churches conduct their liturgies facing east. (For some early churches, this was also the direction to Jerusalem .)
As Pope Benedict explained (back when he was Cardinal Ratzinger):
Nobody knows exactly what Saint Patrick had in mind, but the circle is thought to represent the sun.
Given that architect Paul Murdoch clearly has religious symbolism in mind (the repeated Mecca orientations in his design prove that), it is reasonable to infer that he is aware that the circle is a Christian symbol, and that the circle remaining unbroken is a Christian ideal.
Thus the Islamic victory symbolized in the crescent memorial is not just over the secular west, but in particular signifies the smashing of Christianity, and the triumph of Islam in its stead.
Just the fact that the crescent design CAN be interpreted in these ways is enough to make the design inappropriate, but these are not just POSSIBLE interpretations. They are the only logical interpretations. The breaking of the circle can only be attributed to the terrorists.
The drag lines were removed because they did not fit with Paul Murdoch's circle-breaking, crescent-creating theme
Last week's blogburst explained why architect Paul Murdoch was determined to get rid of the gigantic strip-mining derricks that were just up the slope from the impact crater. They were infidel artifacts, obstructing the view towards Mecca from within Murdoch's giant Mecca pointing crescent:
Can't have that majestic American flag interrupting the view towards Mecca !
Amazingly, the Park Service's official explanation for the removal of the drag lines is that they don't fit with Paul Murdoch's circle-breaking theme:
Where did Newlin ever get the idea that the direction of the flight path somehow trumps the point of impact? He got it from Paul Murdoch, whose design is all about orientations. He positions his circle just right so that a "break" at the point where the flight path crosses the circle (together with another break 2/3rds of the way around the circle) will create the giant Mecca oriented crescent.
Now here we have Newlin asserting that it isn't the crash site that matters, but these Mecca orienting angles!
For the memorialization of OUR heroes, the drag lines were an ideal marker: an actual manifestation of the dramatic achievements of ordinary citizens, saluting the towering achievement of the citizens of Flight 93.
The only "understanding" they didn't fit was the narrative of Islamic victory that architect Paul Murdoch is trying to impose, where our American circle gets supplanted by a giant Islamic crescent.
To join our blogbursts, just send your blog's url.
hasEML = false;
The Memorial Project claims to have an innocent explanation for why the central feature of the Flight 93 memorial is a giant Islamic shaped crescent. As architect Paul Murdoch has been saying since September 2005, the flight path breaks the circle, turning it into what was originally called the Crescent of Embrace.
But this isn't a memorial to an airliner. It is a memorial to human beings. So just who is it that architect Paul Murdoch is depicting as breaking the circle?
As a secular symbol, the circle signifies peace and harmony. There is no way that the heroic passengers and crew can be charged with breaking the circle. It is the terrorists who broke the peace.
Think what that means thematically. The terrorists broke our peaceful circle and turned it into a giant Islamic shaped crescent that just happens to point to Mecca . You could not come up with a more blatant depiction of al Qaeda victory.
This is what the Park Service is claiming as an innocent explanation: that they are depicting a circle-breaking crescent-creating action that logically can only be attributed to the terrorists. Are they really too dumb to figure out what that means?
Take action
How about a couple hundred of us call up the Memorial Project (814 443-4557) and ask them just who is being depicted as "breaking the circle"? If they try to say "Flight 93 broke it," we can ask for clarification. Do they really mean to include our forty heroes amongst those who broke the peace?
They might even admit that it can only be the terrorists who are depicted as turning the circle into a crescent, and they might even realize: "oops."
Maybe we should send a few emails as well, and cc the local press, who might be prompted to ask Memorial Project spokesmen how they are answering our pointed questions. (Click link for addressed email form. Feel free to cut and paste text from above. Sincerely, your name and state.)
The circle is a Christian symbol
In addition to being a secular symbol of harmony, the circle is also a Christian symbol, as referenced in the country-gospel line: "may the circle be unbroken, bye and bye, Lord bye and bye." (Hat tip, No Compromise.)
The origin of the circle as a Christian symbol is the rising sun, which is today seen as the primary reason why many Christian churches conduct their liturgies facing east. (For some early churches, this was also the direction to Jerusalem .)
As Pope Benedict explained (back when he was Cardinal Ratzinger):
The cosmic symbol of the rising sun expresses the universality of God above all particular places and yet maintains the concreteness of Divine Revelation.The circle and cross are seen together in the Celtic cross, thought to have been introduced to Ireland by Saint Patrick in the 5th century:
Nobody knows exactly what Saint Patrick had in mind, but the circle is thought to represent the sun.
Given that architect Paul Murdoch clearly has religious symbolism in mind (the repeated Mecca orientations in his design prove that), it is reasonable to infer that he is aware that the circle is a Christian symbol, and that the circle remaining unbroken is a Christian ideal.
Thus the Islamic victory symbolized in the crescent memorial is not just over the secular west, but in particular signifies the smashing of Christianity, and the triumph of Islam in its stead.
Just the fact that the crescent design CAN be interpreted in these ways is enough to make the design inappropriate, but these are not just POSSIBLE interpretations. They are the only logical interpretations. The breaking of the circle can only be attributed to the terrorists.
The drag lines were removed because they did not fit with Paul Murdoch's circle-breaking, crescent-creating theme
Last week's blogburst explained why architect Paul Murdoch was determined to get rid of the gigantic strip-mining derricks that were just up the slope from the impact crater. They were infidel artifacts, obstructing the view towards Mecca from within Murdoch's giant Mecca pointing crescent:
Can't have that majestic American flag interrupting the view towards Mecca !
Amazingly, the Park Service's official explanation for the removal of the drag lines is that they don't fit with Paul Murdoch's circle-breaking theme:
National Park Service Deputy General Superintendent Keith Newlin said the National Park Service has a tendency to preserve landscapes and key elements of memorial sites if it will help people understand what happened there. The draglines weren’t in the airplane’s flight path, though they have been used as a reference point to explain the plane’s trajectory to first-time visitors.The pair of giant cranes didn't mark the flight path? They marked its termination! To everybody in the area, these WERE the marker: "Up by the drag lines!"
“The draglines didn’t contribute to the overall understanding of Flight 93,” he said. “We heard comments that we should keep one as a flagpole, but when we weighed everything, we decided against it.”
Where did Newlin ever get the idea that the direction of the flight path somehow trumps the point of impact? He got it from Paul Murdoch, whose design is all about orientations. He positions his circle just right so that a "break" at the point where the flight path crosses the circle (together with another break 2/3rds of the way around the circle) will create the giant Mecca oriented crescent.
Now here we have Newlin asserting that it isn't the crash site that matters, but these Mecca orienting angles!
For the memorialization of OUR heroes, the drag lines were an ideal marker: an actual manifestation of the dramatic achievements of ordinary citizens, saluting the towering achievement of the citizens of Flight 93.
The only "understanding" they didn't fit was the narrative of Islamic victory that architect Paul Murdoch is trying to impose, where our American circle gets supplanted by a giant Islamic crescent.
To join our blogbursts, just send your blog's url.
hasEML = false;
June 18, 1812
An Act Declaring War Between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Dependencies Thereof and the United States of America and Their Territories.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That war be and the same is hereby declared to exist between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the dependencies thereof, and the United States of America and their territories; and that the President of the United States is hereby authorized to use the whole land and naval force of the United States to carry the same into effect, and to issue to private armed vessels of the United States commissions or letters of marque and general reprisal, in such form as he shall think proper, and under the seal of the United States, against the vessels, goods, and effects of the government of the said United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the subjects thereof
APPROVED, June 18, 1812
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That war be and the same is hereby declared to exist between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the dependencies thereof, and the United States of America and their territories; and that the President of the United States is hereby authorized to use the whole land and naval force of the United States to carry the same into effect, and to issue to private armed vessels of the United States commissions or letters of marque and general reprisal, in such form as he shall think proper, and under the seal of the United States, against the vessels, goods, and effects of the government of the said United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the subjects thereof
APPROVED, June 18, 1812
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Remember Al Gore's House?
Last April I had a post comparing Al "I'm-Saving-The Planet" Gore's house as compared to "W"'s house.
"Two Houses" Go have a glance. I'll be here when you get back.
Now 15 months later, how have things changed? I remember reading recently that Mr. Gore had been making improvements to his house. He and Tipper wanted us to know that it takes some time to make an older home such as their's energy efficient.
So how did that go?
Pop on over to the Castle and read Dusty's report.
"Two Houses" Go have a glance. I'll be here when you get back.
Now 15 months later, how have things changed? I remember reading recently that Mr. Gore had been making improvements to his house. He and Tipper wanted us to know that it takes some time to make an older home such as their's energy efficient.
So how did that go?
Pop on over to the Castle and read Dusty's report.
TIGR
TIGR = Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery.Today's Bloggers roundtable was Dr. James Valdes discussing the two prototype TIGRs that are operating in Iraq. The Army is looking to people like Dr. Valdes for innovative ways to fuel our military forces.
Some interesting points I'll throw out here quickly. The three biggest diesel guzzlers are stoves, generators and trucks transporting diesel. According to Dr. Valdes, this is a big logistics issue for the Army. Reducing the need for transporting fuel enhances security. Dr. Valdes quoted an officer as saying that the cost of fuel isn't measured in dollars but blood. I'm paraphrasing here, I'll get the exact quote when the transcript comes out. He referred to fuel convoys as targets. So the less we fuel we have to transport.......the fewer targets. There is also a benefit on the back end. Right now this same trash he is proposing turning into fuel has to be disposed of in other ways. One of those ways is to have it hauled away by locals. This presents an opportunity for the bad guys. Every local you let inside Camp Victory is a potential threat. Another method of trash disposal is incineration. That also uses diesel.
Right now running the size and type of generator Dr. Valdes is working with takes five (5) gallons of diesel per hour. Once his TIGR is powered up (about six hours) that amount is reduced to one (1) gallon per hour. That's a serious savings.
I'll write more about this after I decipher my own handwriting and I will post the transcipt and audio.
Monday, June 16, 2008
60,000
I'm home from ten hours at work and two and a half at the gym. I am bone weary and too tired to stay up to see who puts me over. However, I do think that thanks to Galrahn's link I've got a pretty good chance of it being a Sailor!
What The Hell Am I Supposed To Say?
THE DEATH OF GENERAL WARREN AT BUNKER HILL, by John TrumbullGalrahn, that troublemaker at Information Dissemination has come up with one of his rare frivolous posts. And who did he drag front and center to join in?
You guessed it! Galrahn's post is reposted here with my nonsense in green.
Usually not my thing, but when I get tagged by a regular reader (Historyguy99) who got tagged by someone on my blogroll (Zenpundit), I find it hard to resist.
Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
Ok, I can do that and now I have...............
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
What in Heaven's name can there be left about me that has not been discussed ad nauseum? This blog is nothing but navel (and Naval - yum Sailors) gazing. Everything that is left is X-rated. the readers you send here will have to shoot me an email for a fact that's not here in the blog already.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
I'll give this some thought.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
5. Present an image of martial discord something more relavent to my blog from whatever period or situation you’d like.
*********************
Well I can cough up one fact that you may not know, I read too fast and miss stuff. When I read this over at ID, I thought it read "marital" discord instead of "martial" discord. LOL, I left an asshat comment about not knowing what that was because I have the Rotation. LOL Oops!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Happy Bunker Hill Day!
What a fun....if confusing day. I aggravated Jen with my ADD.
It was pouring on our way to Boston. I told Jen not to worry, it would end at noon. She scoffed "They are off by days on forecasts and you think they are going to get the hour right?!?!?" Then as we approached the Liberty Tunnel and passed under South Station....the rain stopped. LOL. Jen said "Well God must be in Charlestown!" I repeated that a few minutes later for our mother and she shrugged and said she always told us that.
So Gen & Deb & I put our chairs up in our spot on Bunker. Although there was no need to worry, all the people of lesser faith stayed home and there was tons of room.
When we heard the sirens it was our cue....the whole family went up the corner. We were a few moments late and the Boston Fire Department was half past when we got there. If Chrissie's husband Billy or Father Mahoney were riding in the first few vehicles, we missed them. Next came Mayor Menino, some other people and four Navy officers. We held up our Navy flag and whooped and hollered. I could see the USS Consitution contingent just behind the American Legion trolley and was focused on them.................and missed Commander Bullard! I walked toward the rest of the Sailors. "Where's your CO?" They pointed up with the Mayor. I ran back...they were gone. Jennifer was hysterical. She was yelling at me. "He turned and started walking toward you and you were watching down the street. He winked and saluted and laughed. You really are autistic!"
That's fine, we are near the beginning of the Parade, it snakes a mile and half through the Town. there will be other chances. I missed the Grand Marshall, Bill Durette because I was talking. I missed Mike driving the Historical Society truck because I was passing out flowers to put on the back. The back was a list of all the Charlestown WWII war dead. Jennifer couldn't stop laughing "What is wrong with you! You are missing everyone."
After the entire Parade had passed I took Gen & Deb and we went up to High Street. We waited at the corner of Green, it was nearly empty. The girls held up the flag again and we cheered. This time I approached Commander Bullard and shook his hand.
"Am I in?
"In what?"
"The Sunset Parade Reception!"
He looked at me quizzically and pointed out that of course I should go, it's open to the public. I told him I meant the reception afterwards. He laughed and said there was no reception, he was having a few friends over for drinks..........but I was more than welcome!
When I went back toward the larger group of Sailors I met HMCM(SS) Donald B. Abele. We shook hands and I told him he'd be seeing me in the future!
LOL Princess Crabby has receieved faulty intelligence. I was informed that there was a reception and I should wrangle an invitation.
Hmmmmm, what to do.................
I am attending the event anyway.
But crashing his personal party?
On the other hand, he is currently living in a historic building in the Navy Yard that I have never been in.
Maybe I'll just go peek.
Too quote Scarlett O'Hara "I'll think about it tomorrow. After all tomorrow is another day."
It was pouring on our way to Boston. I told Jen not to worry, it would end at noon. She scoffed "They are off by days on forecasts and you think they are going to get the hour right?!?!?" Then as we approached the Liberty Tunnel and passed under South Station....the rain stopped. LOL. Jen said "Well God must be in Charlestown!" I repeated that a few minutes later for our mother and she shrugged and said she always told us that.
So Gen & Deb & I put our chairs up in our spot on Bunker. Although there was no need to worry, all the people of lesser faith stayed home and there was tons of room.
When we heard the sirens it was our cue....the whole family went up the corner. We were a few moments late and the Boston Fire Department was half past when we got there. If Chrissie's husband Billy or Father Mahoney were riding in the first few vehicles, we missed them. Next came Mayor Menino, some other people and four Navy officers. We held up our Navy flag and whooped and hollered. I could see the USS Consitution contingent just behind the American Legion trolley and was focused on them.................and missed Commander Bullard! I walked toward the rest of the Sailors. "Where's your CO?" They pointed up with the Mayor. I ran back...they were gone. Jennifer was hysterical. She was yelling at me. "He turned and started walking toward you and you were watching down the street. He winked and saluted and laughed. You really are autistic!"
That's fine, we are near the beginning of the Parade, it snakes a mile and half through the Town. there will be other chances. I missed the Grand Marshall, Bill Durette because I was talking. I missed Mike driving the Historical Society truck because I was passing out flowers to put on the back. The back was a list of all the Charlestown WWII war dead. Jennifer couldn't stop laughing "What is wrong with you! You are missing everyone."
After the entire Parade had passed I took Gen & Deb and we went up to High Street. We waited at the corner of Green, it was nearly empty. The girls held up the flag again and we cheered. This time I approached Commander Bullard and shook his hand.
"Am I in?
"In what?"
"The Sunset Parade Reception!"
He looked at me quizzically and pointed out that of course I should go, it's open to the public. I told him I meant the reception afterwards. He laughed and said there was no reception, he was having a few friends over for drinks..........but I was more than welcome!
When I went back toward the larger group of Sailors I met HMCM(SS) Donald B. Abele. We shook hands and I told him he'd be seeing me in the future!
LOL Princess Crabby has receieved faulty intelligence. I was informed that there was a reception and I should wrangle an invitation.
Hmmmmm, what to do.................
I am attending the event anyway.
But crashing his personal party?
On the other hand, he is currently living in a historic building in the Navy Yard that I have never been in.
Maybe I'll just go peek.
Too quote Scarlett O'Hara "I'll think about it tomorrow. After all tomorrow is another day."
Off To The Parade
Today is Bunker Hill Day.
The parade is at 1230
We will be the most raucous group the Sailors of the USS Constitution pass.
We have a Navy flag.
I want something from their CO.
Wish me luck.
The parade is at 1230
We will be the most raucous group the Sailors of the USS Constitution pass.
We have a Navy flag.
I want something from their CO.
Wish me luck.
What We Pay For A Gallon of Regular Gasoline
*****UPDATE***** Adam in the comments points out that I don't explain the profits. Sorry. i do that a lot, start a conversation in the middle. I read the stuff at the link and then only put up one graphic. So here is the other
Energy Information Administration -
7%.
7%
Can we have no more asshattery about obscene oil company profits now?
Energy Information Administration -7%.
7%
Can we have no more asshattery about obscene oil company profits now?
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Princess Crabby sneaks Down To Foxwoods
So Friday Jen & I sneak down to Foxwoods on someone else's dime. A room from my boss. Jen's boss covered the facials in the Grand Salon. A special guest appearance by the Air Force covered dinner. Then nothing but lounging...........by the pool.........on the balcony.......in the jacuzzi........in the steam room, my hair loaded with fabulous rosemary mint hair conditioner.
But everywhere I go there's something.
I was headed down the hall to the sauna behind two of the spa employees. They joined two more who were already standing at the door of the sauna. All four were young girls, twenty years old or so.
"Maybe you should shut it off."
"What if someone wants to use it?"
They turn and look at me. "Were you going to use the sauna?"
"Well" I smiled. "Not if you broke it." No smiles in return.
"No, there a girl in there. She's passed out."
I look and indeed there is a girl, face up on the sauna bench, oblivious to the open door, cooling temperature, or the five people observing her.
"Did you call someone?" I ask as I walk past them into the sauna. They respond in the affirmative, they have contacted their supervisor. I felt for a pulse and told the girl who followed me in to get one of the iced face clothes that they keep in a bucket just outside the door. She's breathing fine and is indeed, passed out. I tap her cheeks, call to her and rub the iced cloth on her arms and dab her face. Her eyes flutter. "That's it honey, open your eyes." They flutter again. The girl on the bench mumbles that she's fine. I tell her of course she is, now sit up. She tries too quickly and I catch her coming back down. We get her to a sitting position and I hear a sigh of relief from one of the young girls behind me. Sleeping Beuaty's head goes back against the wall and the eyes close again. "I'm fine." I answer as I rub her back and urge her forward and up "You'll be much more confortable out in a nice chair, come on." She asks for her shoes and the girls tell her that they are in her locker. One girl says "Your friend is waiting for you". I think, not a very good friend since she's no where in sight. Then I realize it must be a man. Of course men aren't allowed in the ladies spa. So that means she's been in here long enough for some guy to realize it's been too long and then decide it's been so long that he's willing to go summon an employee. Then even longer while these girls look for her, find her, call for each other to come and stand at the door - lol- calling her name.
Wow - that's a long time to be in the sauna.
So, I get her up and that breaks the freeze with the staff. The move forward, taking her arms, steadying her and helping her down the hall. One takes her locker key and get her stuff.
The last girl holding the door looks shaky and thanks me. The others turn and thank me over their shoulders. I laugh and tell them they just needed someone's mother to come along.
I dump the wet cloth and the towels from the sauna for fresh ones for me. My turn. When I come out Jen is there.
"What took you so long, I thought you passed out in there!'
"Not me, someone else."
I tell her the story. She shakes her head. It's always something with me, she has ceased to be surprised.
But everywhere I go there's something.
I was headed down the hall to the sauna behind two of the spa employees. They joined two more who were already standing at the door of the sauna. All four were young girls, twenty years old or so.
"Maybe you should shut it off."
"What if someone wants to use it?"
They turn and look at me. "Were you going to use the sauna?"
"Well" I smiled. "Not if you broke it." No smiles in return.
"No, there a girl in there. She's passed out."
I look and indeed there is a girl, face up on the sauna bench, oblivious to the open door, cooling temperature, or the five people observing her.
"Did you call someone?" I ask as I walk past them into the sauna. They respond in the affirmative, they have contacted their supervisor. I felt for a pulse and told the girl who followed me in to get one of the iced face clothes that they keep in a bucket just outside the door. She's breathing fine and is indeed, passed out. I tap her cheeks, call to her and rub the iced cloth on her arms and dab her face. Her eyes flutter. "That's it honey, open your eyes." They flutter again. The girl on the bench mumbles that she's fine. I tell her of course she is, now sit up. She tries too quickly and I catch her coming back down. We get her to a sitting position and I hear a sigh of relief from one of the young girls behind me. Sleeping Beuaty's head goes back against the wall and the eyes close again. "I'm fine." I answer as I rub her back and urge her forward and up "You'll be much more confortable out in a nice chair, come on." She asks for her shoes and the girls tell her that they are in her locker. One girl says "Your friend is waiting for you". I think, not a very good friend since she's no where in sight. Then I realize it must be a man. Of course men aren't allowed in the ladies spa. So that means she's been in here long enough for some guy to realize it's been too long and then decide it's been so long that he's willing to go summon an employee. Then even longer while these girls look for her, find her, call for each other to come and stand at the door - lol- calling her name.
Wow - that's a long time to be in the sauna.
So, I get her up and that breaks the freeze with the staff. The move forward, taking her arms, steadying her and helping her down the hall. One takes her locker key and get her stuff.
The last girl holding the door looks shaky and thanks me. The others turn and thank me over their shoulders. I laugh and tell them they just needed someone's mother to come along.
I dump the wet cloth and the towels from the sauna for fresh ones for me. My turn. When I come out Jen is there.
"What took you so long, I thought you passed out in there!'
"Not me, someone else."
I tell her the story. She shakes her head. It's always something with me, she has ceased to be surprised.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Kudos to Obama's Political Strategist
On the matter of Obama's birth certificate - Well played, David Plouffe, well played!
What is the result of Obama holding his birth certificate high above his head while the press and the blogosphere jumped and yelped for it? One of three things, or a combination of them.
1. Misdirection - Something else slipped by us all while we were looking in the wrong direction.
2. Field dressing - Obama stopped some of the bleeding on the mini-scandals erupting around him. The Tony Rezko conviction. The VP vetting committee resignations, Eric Holder, Johnson. The thought that there was something juicy in that birth certificate was far more alluring than mortgage and finance scandals.
3. Innoculation - The next time there is an allegation that BHO is hiding something, people will yawn. They will say "Hey, you got us all spooled up about the birth certificate and there was nothing there. Where's the clicker? Is the game on? Where's my beer?"
What is the result of Obama holding his birth certificate high above his head while the press and the blogosphere jumped and yelped for it? One of three things, or a combination of them.
1. Misdirection - Something else slipped by us all while we were looking in the wrong direction.
2. Field dressing - Obama stopped some of the bleeding on the mini-scandals erupting around him. The Tony Rezko conviction. The VP vetting committee resignations, Eric Holder, Johnson. The thought that there was something juicy in that birth certificate was far more alluring than mortgage and finance scandals.
3. Innoculation - The next time there is an allegation that BHO is hiding something, people will yawn. They will say "Hey, you got us all spooled up about the birth certificate and there was nothing there. Where's the clicker? Is the game on? Where's my beer?"
Rick Covers All Bases
Motorcycle Refresher Required for Redeploying Infantry TroopsBy Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service
FORT STEWART, Ga., June 12, 2008 – Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch lost too many soldiers during the 3rd Infantry Division’s third and longest deployment to Iraq. But now that most of the division is finally home, Lynch told the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday he’s not willing to take a single additional casualty to a motorcycle accident.
“I refuse to think that a soldier could deploy to combat for 15 months, then come home and get killed on a motorcycle,” Lynch said during Navy Adm. Mike Mullen’s visit here yesterday.
So Lynch, an avid motorcyclist who parks his prized Harley-Davidson in front of the division headquarters, requires every single soldier under his command who rides a motorcycle to take an hour-and-a-half refresher course before hitting the road on two wheels.
“Nobody’s touching their motorcycle until they go through the refresher course,” Lynch said.
The requirement makes good sense as troops reintegrate into the garrison environment after a tough deployment as part of the surge force, he said.
Lynch, who’s been cycling for 30 years, took the refresher course himself during his first day back to Fort Stewart earlier this month.
The course includes a spin at the post’s newly acquired motorcycle simulator -- the only one of its kind, not just in the United States, but in North America, Jim McCullough, installation safety director, told Mullen yesterday.
“It’s pretty high-speed,” Col. Todd Buchs, Fort Stewart’s garrison commander, said of the full-sized device that looks like it belongs in either an arcade or amusement park. “It lets soldiers get refresher training to sharpen up those perishable skills they may have lost while they were gone before they hit the road again.”
At $143,000, Lynch said, the simulator is worth every penny.
“We don’t know how many lives we’ve saved, but we know it’s had an impact,” Buchs said.
Three division soldiers have been in motorcycle accidents since the division began redeploying in late March. In two of the three accidents, the motorist -- not the soldier -- was at fault, Buchs said.
Motorcycling has become increasingly popular Armywide, particularly in light of high gas prices. Officials report more than 33,000 motorcycles currently registered on Army posts.
At Fort Stewart, soldiers are “buying them left and right” now that they’re home from combat, Buchs said. All must undergo mandatory training offered through the post safety office in coordination with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
Post officials recognize they’re trying to buck an alarming trend. Twenty soldiers were killed in motorcycle accidents during the first six months of fiscal 2008 alone, according to Army Combat Readiness Center data. That’s more than twice the number killed during the same period last year, officials said.
Last year, the Defense Department lost nearly 100 servicemembers in motorcycle accidents.
These numbers reflect a nationwide upward trend. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show motorcycle fatalities have more than doubled during the last 10 years nationwide.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation reports that more than half of all motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle, and more often than not, the motorcyclist is not at fault.
Lynch said he’s going the extra mile to help protect his soldiers, particularly when they’re first back from a deployment. He requires all returning soldiers to wait 48 hours before driving a car and limits them to within 100 miles of Fort Stewart for a short period after that as they readjust.
“These soldiers have been through a lot and achieved a lot, but now they’re home,” he said. “And after deploying to combat for 15 months, I don’t want to lose them in an accident at home.”
*****************************************************
Rick is a great leader who sees the big picture. Everything about his soldiers is important all the time.
ConcreteBob sent me the link. If he didn't, I'm sure someone else would have. Since my huge crush on "soon-to-be-Lt.-General-Rick-Lynch" is well known in the Milblog world people sent me links. LOL My own personal Google alert. But Bob is one of the funnier ones. On another occasion where Rick did something good (there are so many this particular one escapes me) Bob called. "Your boy did good." I heistated, not knowing what he meant. After all Bob has met Tommy, so he literally knows one of my boys. But I couldn't think of anything Tommy had done recently that would merit that comment. "My boy?" I asked. "Yeah, your boy Rick Lynch!" ROMFLMAO! Oh, right my boy. Anyway.........kudos to "my boy" Rick. As always, good idea and good execution.
FORT STEWART, Ga., June 12, 2008 – Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch lost too many soldiers during the 3rd Infantry Division’s third and longest deployment to Iraq. But now that most of the division is finally home, Lynch told the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday he’s not willing to take a single additional casualty to a motorcycle accident.
“I refuse to think that a soldier could deploy to combat for 15 months, then come home and get killed on a motorcycle,” Lynch said during Navy Adm. Mike Mullen’s visit here yesterday.
So Lynch, an avid motorcyclist who parks his prized Harley-Davidson in front of the division headquarters, requires every single soldier under his command who rides a motorcycle to take an hour-and-a-half refresher course before hitting the road on two wheels.
“Nobody’s touching their motorcycle until they go through the refresher course,” Lynch said.
The requirement makes good sense as troops reintegrate into the garrison environment after a tough deployment as part of the surge force, he said.
Lynch, who’s been cycling for 30 years, took the refresher course himself during his first day back to Fort Stewart earlier this month.
The course includes a spin at the post’s newly acquired motorcycle simulator -- the only one of its kind, not just in the United States, but in North America, Jim McCullough, installation safety director, told Mullen yesterday.
“It’s pretty high-speed,” Col. Todd Buchs, Fort Stewart’s garrison commander, said of the full-sized device that looks like it belongs in either an arcade or amusement park. “It lets soldiers get refresher training to sharpen up those perishable skills they may have lost while they were gone before they hit the road again.”
At $143,000, Lynch said, the simulator is worth every penny.
“We don’t know how many lives we’ve saved, but we know it’s had an impact,” Buchs said.
Three division soldiers have been in motorcycle accidents since the division began redeploying in late March. In two of the three accidents, the motorist -- not the soldier -- was at fault, Buchs said.
Motorcycling has become increasingly popular Armywide, particularly in light of high gas prices. Officials report more than 33,000 motorcycles currently registered on Army posts.
At Fort Stewart, soldiers are “buying them left and right” now that they’re home from combat, Buchs said. All must undergo mandatory training offered through the post safety office in coordination with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
Post officials recognize they’re trying to buck an alarming trend. Twenty soldiers were killed in motorcycle accidents during the first six months of fiscal 2008 alone, according to Army Combat Readiness Center data. That’s more than twice the number killed during the same period last year, officials said.
Last year, the Defense Department lost nearly 100 servicemembers in motorcycle accidents.
These numbers reflect a nationwide upward trend. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show motorcycle fatalities have more than doubled during the last 10 years nationwide.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation reports that more than half of all motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle, and more often than not, the motorcyclist is not at fault.
Lynch said he’s going the extra mile to help protect his soldiers, particularly when they’re first back from a deployment. He requires all returning soldiers to wait 48 hours before driving a car and limits them to within 100 miles of Fort Stewart for a short period after that as they readjust.
“These soldiers have been through a lot and achieved a lot, but now they’re home,” he said. “And after deploying to combat for 15 months, I don’t want to lose them in an accident at home.”
*****************************************************
Rick is a great leader who sees the big picture. Everything about his soldiers is important all the time.
ConcreteBob sent me the link. If he didn't, I'm sure someone else would have. Since my huge crush on "soon-to-be-Lt.-General-Rick-Lynch" is well known in the Milblog world people sent me links. LOL My own personal Google alert. But Bob is one of the funnier ones. On another occasion where Rick did something good (there are so many this particular one escapes me) Bob called. "Your boy did good." I heistated, not knowing what he meant. After all Bob has met Tommy, so he literally knows one of my boys. But I couldn't think of anything Tommy had done recently that would merit that comment. "My boy?" I asked. "Yeah, your boy Rick Lynch!" ROMFLMAO! Oh, right my boy. Anyway.........kudos to "my boy" Rick. As always, good idea and good execution.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
I Know It's Wrong and I Don't Care
I know it's wrong to enjoy Ann Coulter as she viciously attacks liberals and I don't care.
I know it's wrong to agree when she is crude as she savages their heroes from Clinton to Carter and I don't care.
She's overblown.............so am I.
She exaggerates to prove a point.........so do I.
I love Ann Coulter.
Bush's America: 100 Percent Al-Qaida Free Since 2001
In a conversation recently, I mentioned as an aside what a great president George Bush has been and my friend was surprised. I was surprised that he was surprised.
I generally don't write columns about the manifestly obvious, but, yes, the man responsible for keeping Americans safe from another terrorist attack on American soil for nearly seven years now will go down in history as one of America's greatest presidents.
Produce one person who believed, on Sept. 12, 2001, that there would not be another attack for seven years, and I'll consider downgrading Bush from "Great" to "Really Good."
Merely taking out Saddam Hussein and his winsome sons Uday and Qusay (Hussein family slogan: "We're the Rape Room People!") constitutes a greater humanitarian accomplishment than anything Bill Clinton ever did -- and I'm including remembering Monica's name on the sixth sexual encounter.
But unlike liberals, who are so anxious to send American troops to Rwanda or Darfur, Republicans oppose deploying U.S. troops for purely humanitarian purposes. We invaded Iraq to protect America.
It is unquestionable that Bush has made this country safe by keeping Islamic lunatics pinned down fighting our troops in Iraq. In the past few years, our brave troops have killed more than 20,000 al-Qaida and other Islamic militants in Iraq alone. That's 20,000 terrorists who will never board a plane headed for JFK -- or a landmark building, for that matter.
We are, in fact, fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them at, say, the corner of 72nd and Columbus in Manhattan -- the mere mention of which never fails to enrage liberals, which is why you should say it as often as possible.
The Iraq war has been a stunning success. The Iraqi army is "standing up" (as they say), fat Muqtada al-Sadr --the Dr. Phil of Islamofascist radicalism -- has waddled off in retreat to Iran, and Sadr City and Basra are no longer war zones. Our servicemen must be baffled by the constant nay-saying coming from their own country.
The Iraqis have a democracy -- a miracle on the order of flush toilets in that godforsaken region of the world. Despite its newness, Iraq's democracy appears to be no more dysfunctional than one that would condemn a man who has kept the nation safe for seven years while deifying a man who has accomplished absolutely nothing in his entire life except to give speeches about "change."
(Guess what Bill Clinton's campaign theme was in 1992? You are wrong if you guessed: "bringing dignity back to the White House." It was "change." In January 1992, James Carville told Steve Daley of The Chicago Tribune that it had gotten to the point that the press was complaining about Clinton's "constant talk of change.")
Monthly casualties in Iraq now come in slightly lower than a weekend with Anna Nicole Smith. According to a CNN report last week, for the entire month of May, there were only 19 troop deaths in Iraq. (Last year, five people on average were shot every day in Chicago.) With Iraqi deaths at an all-time low, Iraq is safer than Detroit -- although the Middle Eastern food is still better in Detroit.
Al-Qaida is virtually destroyed, surprising even the CIA. Two weeks ago, The Washington Post reported: "Less than a year after his agency warned of new threats from a resurgent al-Qaida, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden now portrays the terrorist movement as essentially defeated in Iraq and Saudi Arabia and on the defensive throughout much of the rest of the world, including in its presumed haven along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border."
It's almost as if there's been some sort of "surge" going on, as strange as that sounds.
Just this week, The New York Times reported that al-Qaida and other terrorist groups in Southeast Asia have all but disappeared, starved of money and support. The U.S. and Australia have been working closely with the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, sending them counterterrorism equipment and personnel.
But no one notices when 9/11 doesn't happen. Indeed, if we had somehow stopped the 9/11 attack, we'd all be watching Mohammed Atta being interviewed on MSNBC, explaining his lawsuit against the Bush administration. Maureen Dowd would be writing columns describing Khalid Sheik Mohammed as a "wannabe" terrorist being treated like Genghis Khan by an excitable Bush administration.
We begin to forget what it was like to turn on the TV, see a tornado, a car chase or another Pamela Anderson marriage and think: Good -- another day without a terrorist attack.
But liberals have only blind hatred for Bush -- and for those brute American interrogators who do not supply extra helpings of béarnaise sauce to the little darlings at Guantanamo with sufficient alacrity.
The sheer repetition of lies about Bush is wearing people down. There is not a liberal in this country worthy of kissing Bush's rear end, but the weakest members of the herd run from Bush. Compared to the lickspittles denying and attacking him, Bush is a moral giant -- if that's not damning with faint praise. John McCain should be so lucky as to be running for Bush's third term. Then he might have a chance.
I know it's wrong to agree when she is crude as she savages their heroes from Clinton to Carter and I don't care.
She's overblown.............so am I.
She exaggerates to prove a point.........so do I.
I love Ann Coulter.
Bush's America: 100 Percent Al-Qaida Free Since 2001
In a conversation recently, I mentioned as an aside what a great president George Bush has been and my friend was surprised. I was surprised that he was surprised.
I generally don't write columns about the manifestly obvious, but, yes, the man responsible for keeping Americans safe from another terrorist attack on American soil for nearly seven years now will go down in history as one of America's greatest presidents.
Produce one person who believed, on Sept. 12, 2001, that there would not be another attack for seven years, and I'll consider downgrading Bush from "Great" to "Really Good."
Merely taking out Saddam Hussein and his winsome sons Uday and Qusay (Hussein family slogan: "We're the Rape Room People!") constitutes a greater humanitarian accomplishment than anything Bill Clinton ever did -- and I'm including remembering Monica's name on the sixth sexual encounter.
But unlike liberals, who are so anxious to send American troops to Rwanda or Darfur, Republicans oppose deploying U.S. troops for purely humanitarian purposes. We invaded Iraq to protect America.
It is unquestionable that Bush has made this country safe by keeping Islamic lunatics pinned down fighting our troops in Iraq. In the past few years, our brave troops have killed more than 20,000 al-Qaida and other Islamic militants in Iraq alone. That's 20,000 terrorists who will never board a plane headed for JFK -- or a landmark building, for that matter.
We are, in fact, fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them at, say, the corner of 72nd and Columbus in Manhattan -- the mere mention of which never fails to enrage liberals, which is why you should say it as often as possible.
The Iraq war has been a stunning success. The Iraqi army is "standing up" (as they say), fat Muqtada al-Sadr --the Dr. Phil of Islamofascist radicalism -- has waddled off in retreat to Iran, and Sadr City and Basra are no longer war zones. Our servicemen must be baffled by the constant nay-saying coming from their own country.
The Iraqis have a democracy -- a miracle on the order of flush toilets in that godforsaken region of the world. Despite its newness, Iraq's democracy appears to be no more dysfunctional than one that would condemn a man who has kept the nation safe for seven years while deifying a man who has accomplished absolutely nothing in his entire life except to give speeches about "change."
(Guess what Bill Clinton's campaign theme was in 1992? You are wrong if you guessed: "bringing dignity back to the White House." It was "change." In January 1992, James Carville told Steve Daley of The Chicago Tribune that it had gotten to the point that the press was complaining about Clinton's "constant talk of change.")
Monthly casualties in Iraq now come in slightly lower than a weekend with Anna Nicole Smith. According to a CNN report last week, for the entire month of May, there were only 19 troop deaths in Iraq. (Last year, five people on average were shot every day in Chicago.) With Iraqi deaths at an all-time low, Iraq is safer than Detroit -- although the Middle Eastern food is still better in Detroit.
Al-Qaida is virtually destroyed, surprising even the CIA. Two weeks ago, The Washington Post reported: "Less than a year after his agency warned of new threats from a resurgent al-Qaida, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden now portrays the terrorist movement as essentially defeated in Iraq and Saudi Arabia and on the defensive throughout much of the rest of the world, including in its presumed haven along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border."
It's almost as if there's been some sort of "surge" going on, as strange as that sounds.
Just this week, The New York Times reported that al-Qaida and other terrorist groups in Southeast Asia have all but disappeared, starved of money and support. The U.S. and Australia have been working closely with the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, sending them counterterrorism equipment and personnel.
But no one notices when 9/11 doesn't happen. Indeed, if we had somehow stopped the 9/11 attack, we'd all be watching Mohammed Atta being interviewed on MSNBC, explaining his lawsuit against the Bush administration. Maureen Dowd would be writing columns describing Khalid Sheik Mohammed as a "wannabe" terrorist being treated like Genghis Khan by an excitable Bush administration.
We begin to forget what it was like to turn on the TV, see a tornado, a car chase or another Pamela Anderson marriage and think: Good -- another day without a terrorist attack.
But liberals have only blind hatred for Bush -- and for those brute American interrogators who do not supply extra helpings of béarnaise sauce to the little darlings at Guantanamo with sufficient alacrity.
The sheer repetition of lies about Bush is wearing people down. There is not a liberal in this country worthy of kissing Bush's rear end, but the weakest members of the herd run from Bush. Compared to the lickspittles denying and attacking him, Bush is a moral giant -- if that's not damning with faint praise. John McCain should be so lucky as to be running for Bush's third term. Then he might have a chance.
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