Saturday Geek Check

So the Tall Ships were down in Newport last weekend and one of the local radio stations, WADK had some great coverage. They had one of the stations regular guys, Bobb Angell with a Coastie doing commentary from Fort Adams and they had a Brit and a Navy guy doing color from the Officer's Club at the Naval Station. There was lots of interesting commentary. For instance, the Coastie noted that the Friendship is the only mobile national park in the national park system. A little later when Bobb & the Coastie, Eric Shaw hand off to the two down at the Officer's Club, the Brit tosses in this casual remark.........

"The Friendship's predecessor was taken as a prize of war by the Royal Navy on return voyage from Russia back in 1812. You guys didn't mention that. I wonder why? Anyway...." and he launches into talk about various other ships. But the other guy doing color with him is Navy. The Navy guy says "You did have to bring up the prize issue, didn't you? Well.....how did that work out for you in the long run, though?"

I burst out laughing. What can I say? Go Navy!

I tell the girls in work....blank look.......

I tell Jennifer, she laughs.......

I tell my sons, Tommy laughs immediately, Frank hesitates and says "Is that funny because.....?", I say yes, then he laughs.

Speaking of geek checks, 20 years ago today Ollie North began testifying before Congress on the Iran-Contra matter.....I watched every minute. I loved Brendan Sullivan “What am I, a potted plant? I'm here as a lawyer. That's my job.”

The CNO Pool

10/01/07******WE HAVE A WINNAH!*******
07/26/07*******CNO UPDATE HERE******SecDef Gates Recomends Roughead***
07/11/07*****Well this is getting to be the biggest post ever....lol! Some comments here and elsewhere have questioned Admiral Nathman's candidacy and status. I found this and it definitely says *retired*. But then, others would know better than me if *retired* rules you out as CNO. Would they bring him back? Is there precedent?

07/08/07****Welcome CDR Salamandar visitors.....there are a lot of you, but you are not voting, humph! I told Jen about this avalanche. She asked who the Phibian was voting for. I told her anyone but Ulrich. She asked who SB was voting for, I said right now (since he waffles, you never know), Ulrich. Jen made a face and said "nevermind his link, who needs him, he's out. Salamandar-whatevermander." Yikes! Is she a loyal SBer or what? You can't even have a different opinion!"

07/06/07 Bumped and Updated ***** NEW STUFF BELOW *****

News on Stufflebeam
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced today that the President has made the following nominations:
Navy Rear Adm. (Selectee) Adam M. Robinson Jr. has been nominated for appointment to the grade of vice admiral and assignment as chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and Surgeon General, Washington, D.C. Robinson is currently serving as commander, Navy Medicine Capital Area/commander, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.
Navy Vice Adm. John D. Stufflebeem has been nominated for reappointment to the grade of vice admiral and assignment as director, Navy Staff, N09B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Stufflebeem is currently serving as commander, Sixth Fleet/commander, Striking and Support Forces NATO/commander, Joint Headquarters Lisbon, Portugal.
***************************
Princess Crabby & The Ogre!!!! - Admiral Roughead (can someone send me a pronunciation? Ruffhead? Rowhead? Rawhead?) Question answered. SJS informs me that it is *ruffhead*. Remember, for the record I had Roughead on Friday, June 8th.

SB - Admiral Keating ******* 06/12/07 - The waffling has begun!! SB is now saying that it has been brought to his attention that Keating is a 3 Star (can't keep track of your own Flags, sir?) and now he favors Admiral Henry G. "Harry" Ulrich, III.

Citizen Deux - Admiral Giambistani

Skippy-San - Wants Vice Admiral John Stufflebeem, likes Keating, but bottom line - anybody but Willard (not an uncommon refrain).

Steeljaw Scribe - Thinks it will be Roughead, would like Keating and gives us a dark horse for those who are looking to hit big.........Admiral James Stavridis

BullNav - "Maggie - sorry, off the computer for a couple of days... Anyway, I think I would like to see ADM Keating as CNO, but I don't think that will happen (see SJS' comment above). ADM Roughead is a well-known name, but I can't help but wonder if Nathman has a chance..." (Bull, is of course, responding to my badgering. He was forgiven, sailors are my weakness.)

Anthony (The Army guy who thinks he will have to come in and mop up when Navy fails to save the world.......hold your breath, baby!) - Takes Roughead.

Bobby, my favorite IS1, has "no clue" in his words..........ummmm.......you might have to drop the "I", hunnybunny.

SmadaNek - Agrees, grudgingly, that it will be Roughead.

06/21/07 - There is guy in the comments who is being non-compliant with the wishes of the Princess. I discussed this with SB (at the crack of fucking dawn!!) while he was shaving. I told him of the commenter and my answers. "Yeah, yeah," he says "It's only important to win, right Maggie? Nevermind things like qualifications." Bastid! He knows down right well that I read up on Roughead before I picked him! Who is SB to even insinuate that I would not be looking to pick the best CNO? Especially before I allow my tiny atrophied heart to be tucked away in a seabag and carted of to the Persian Gulf! HUMPH! Oh, and by the way, you misspelled Roughead in the comments.........smartass!

Someone at the Pentagon got my memo

You Know What It's Time For?

A little Major General Rick Lynch, the Princess' favorite Army guy. He's over there, commanding the 3rd ID, working the surge.

Hamilton native commands multinational division in Iraq
By Joshua Rinaldi
Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
"Everyday, I can look in the mirror and feel like I'm doing something important," Lynch said in a phone interview from Baghdad on Thursday.

Three months into his unit's deployment, Lynch said his days start at 5:30 a.m. and can go as late as 10 p.m. He exercises for two hours a day to keep himself physically fit.

"It's 111 degrees with 60 pounds of body armor. You've got to be in good shape to do that," Lynch said.

Lynch has previously served in Operation Desert Storm and spent a year in Kosovo. He was promoted to major general in January 2005 and assumed command of the 3rd Infantry Division the following January.

The division includes soldiers from across the country and coalition forces from Ukraine, Kazakhstan and El Salvador. Lynch said he relies on the battalion commanders, who speak fluent English, and translators for communication.

"We have the same language challenge in Iraq. We deal with Iraqis all the time. We have to speak their language," Lynch said.

Despite being a general, Lynch said he doesn't get many special privileges to make the next year in Iraq more comfortable. He gets a two-week leave to visit family at some point during his 15-month deployment, the same as every other soldier. He does make sure to call his wife daily and his parents weekly.

"Every Sunday," said his dad Calvin Lynch of Hamilton. "He never misses a Sunday."

The elder Lynch also spent time in the Army. However, he said he was drafted in and didn't have the zeal for it that his son does.

Lynch puts it another way: "He was the world's worst soldier and was very proud of that fact."

Calvin Lynch said he and his wife do worry about their son, but they know he's well protected.

Earlier in the campaign, Lynch served as a press liaison when working for General George Casey, who was the commander of U.S. Forces in Iraq until February. Consequently, he spent a lot of time in front of cameras.

Lynch believes that the people back in the United States should know about operations in Iraq.

However, he's concerned that the national media doesn't adequately cover the good progress the U.S. forces are making.

"For every bad thing that happens over here, there's hundreds of good stories that never get told," he said.

Still, Lynch knows the darker side of war. He said his division has lost 60 people since it has been deployed. Generally, if the unit loses a soldier, Lynch is notified within 30 minutes of their death. Each soldier lost receives a memorial service, which Lynch is sure to attend.

"Everybody's crying. I'm crying. We're mourning the loss of our fallen comrade," he said.

Lynch expects to return stateside in June of 2008. He'll likely give up his command of the Third Division because commands traditionally last for about two years.

However, retirement is not on Lynch's mind as he just expects to move on to his next assignment.

For those of you who are like me and can't get enough of MG Rick Lynch, NPR's Morning Edition had him on the other day..................I got to listen in bed!

More Filching From Military Motivators

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

I love these guys. This poster has my favorite part of the Declaration. When I read those words, I just get chills. I was over at Blackfive, he has some great posts and some great commenters......but he also gets a lot a whackjobs. There are wingnuts posting crap about Libby, Bush, the was, etc.......and you just know they don't even get the concept of "sacred honor".

Happy Independence Day!

I have had the best day already!!!!!!

I got to be with SB at an official Navy function this morning. Now, let me just say, everytime I am with SB I am happy and proud. That said...........this morning, I thought my heart would burst! It was a picture perfect morning full of American tradition. The 4th is SB's favorite holiday, hands down. Standing there, in that place of history, feeling part of something so much bigger than the both of us.............watching him walk towards me in his summer whites...........I was stupified. When it was his turn to be acknowledged, I was overwhelmed. My hands shook so hard, I have no pics! LOL

Now I am off the the family cook-out.

This is as good a time as any to acknowledge.........I am very lucky.

In keeping with the day, this link takes you to a recording of President Kennedy reading the Declaration of Independence.

An Early Independence Day Present

I know he's a Brit...........but we were rooting for him anyway, weren't we? I know I was. What a great thing to celebrate his freedom with the rest of the free world.

BBC's Gaza correspondent released
BBC correspondent Alan Johnston has been freed by his captors in Gaza after his abduction nearly four months ago.

Television pictures showed Mr Johnston, 45, leaving a building and entering a white car, accompanied by armed men. He said he was tired but in good health.

During his time as a hostage, three videos were released featuring images of Mr Johnston or of his belongings.

Calls were made for his release in rallies worldwide and in an online petition signed by some 200,000 people.

Mr Johnston was handed over to officials of the Hamas administration.

Gunmen from the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement overran Gaza last month, expelling their rivals from the Fatah faction.

Hamas' military wing had said it would spare no effort to secure the BBC reporter's release.

A previously little-known militant group, the Army of Islam, claimed it was holding Mr Johnston and had released videos demanding the release of Muslim prisoners in British custody.

25,000

Some stranger popped by today, stayed a minute and left. Their visit sent sitemeter over 25,000. I will relate this to my sisters tomorrow and they will shake their heads. 25,000 people have made the effort to read my nonsense!

Unknown IP Address
72.237.174.# (Unknown Organization)

Time of Visit Jul 3 2007 12:43:04 pm

Page Views 1

Referring URL
http://www.google.co...r&btnG=Google Search
Search Engine google.com
Search Words arnheiter affair

Visit Entry Page
http://bostonmaggie....rnheiter-affair.html
Visit Exit Page
http://bostonmaggie....rnheiter-affair.html
Out Click

Time Zone UTC-6:00

Visitor's Time Jul 3 2007 11:43:04 am

Visit Number 25,000

Merry Fitzmas!

Bush Spares Libby 30-Month Jail Term

President Bush spared I. Lewis Libby Jr. from prison Monday, commuting his two-and-a-half year sentence while leaving intact his conviction for perjury and obstruction of justice in the C.I.A. leak case.

So far the most fun has been in the comments at Ace Of Spades.

OK, This Was Painful...........

I have a had a lovely weekend of family and friends and parties and treats and M&Ms...........

Then Anthony threw me into reverse so I hard, I almost stripped my gears. He made me think.

His post is about "one of those times when faith and the military cross paths". I've heard/read the story of the Centurion and Jesus many times. I've never thought that much about the Centurion, what it took for him to ask for that favor. I never thought about where his faith came from and what it could have cost him.

Let's Get Some Things Out Of The Way

I'm a bitch. I am mean and cruel...............some have referred to me as despotic. I'm fine with that. However, sometimes I say something that's just factual and if someone else doesn't want to hear it. Or doesn't want to admit that it's true, I get the bitch thing.

Whatever.

I think Elizabeth Edwards is playing to the cancer.

Disclaimer (in case you just popped in here because you googled Edwards or something), I am a completely heartless, conservative, pro-military, hawkish Republican. Even though I am only 46, I was a Goldwater girl. The day after I turned 18 I went up to the local branch for City Hall business on Pearl Street and registered to vote as a Republican. So that's the first thing. Second, of all the Dems, I find Edwards the most useless. Both as a man and as a politician. Last, I have blogged about Mrs. Edwards before when she talked smack about her neighbor.

Is that up front enough?

Look at her pics. Please do not tell me that is her illness. Cancer doesn't make you hair look "unbrushed". Her lips. Cancer doesn't cause you to forget lipstick. As a matter of fact, in the puff piece the NYT did on her, they say her color is good and her hair is full. So....what's the deal? He's getting $400 haircuts.....is there no money left for a hairbrush for her?Another disclaimer. I am sitting here (wearing yesterday's clothes, lol) in my favorite "shortalls" (shorts with the bib and straps) and my favorite Navy shirt that SB gave me. I am no fashionplate. But I know if I was going to be in the medias eye, I would put a little effort into it. Mrs. Edwards dresses like her husband's grandmother.

My point? I think it's deliberate and I wanted to say it. Call me a bitch, I could care less. I read the NYT article and saw the photo and I wanted to say it. It's my blog and my opinion and I can.

Some of you who are saying it's petty and mean are thinking the same thing.

That said, it's a brilliant tactic. She looked like "David" to Ann Coulter's "Goliath". It's deceptive, but it's smart.

Owwwww

While I can not reveal too many details about last night...they involve people who could get in trouble if someone else reads the blog, lol....................I can say.............

I am too old for this shit.

Jennifer has this lovely sitting area in the front part of her house. There are windows looking out onto the ocean that are nearly floor to ceiling. There is pretty furniture made of rattan with sunny cushions. Last night we sat comfortably and watched the full moon rise over the water. We had cocktails and snacks and surprise visitors. Although, there was a fruitless search for someone to bring us pizza at 2300 hours. Both my sons and my extras were roundly cursed. Can I just tell you that Jennifer is so orderly that there is literally a file folder labeled "Take Out" with local menus in it? I shudder.

Then I started to think about going home and I remember my room. I order for the living room to look neat and orderly..........I took everything from the living room and put it in my room. Well after the other night, that includes the parts for my new bed. It also includes some new "electronica" Frankie acquired that he needs some assistance hooking up to the TV. So around midnight, I am thinking how I can't go to bed until I dig it out! Then I was thinking that I was pretty comfortable in that chair with it's matching ottoman. Other people were falling asleep. People who needed to leave, left.

The first problem. Can you imagine what happens in the lovely sitting area where you watched the moon rise a few hours earlier? Yeah, that's right and I didn't have to get up early this morning. My niece Kelly's party isn't until 2ish.

Well I finally decide I can't take the light or the heat anymore. I can feel the AC on my hand which is over my head, hanging over the back of the chair, but the rest of me is roasting. That's when I discovered that the lovely rattan chair with the sunny cushions had given me scoliosis. I limped to Jen's kitchen....her cool, dim kitchen and wondered why I was limping. Fortunately, from my bent position, I could see that I was missing a sneaker......or that I had one sneaker too many.

I thought about a cup of tea. Too much work. I have a can of Fresca and some of the chocolate cake thing that Rachael from work made for the party yesterday.

If I ever straighten out there is a Coop clean-up up the hill. Although Jennifer has already made my family's contribution! Yesterday while I was cleaning my house and pulling together food....she marshaled all the kids for sweeping and weeding one of the bocce courts.

Frankie

Was very happy with his party today..................now we are drinking at Jen's.

Drunken blogging later.......maybe.

People Interfering With My Plans

So.....you know I live with these creepy, disgusting boys, right? I figure there is no point to cleaning early, they will just wreck it. So I started a little last night, planned on more tonight, then finish Saturday morning. I told them to sleep elsewhere. But Jennifer had other plans. She invited our nieces for a Girl's Weekend..........what! She kept saying "What are we going to do with the girls?" I kept telling her that I didn't know what *she* was going to do, but I'd be home cleaning. Then she announced she wanted to go to breakfast Saturday morning. I kept telling her I am "occupado". I relay all this to SB. His reply was along the lines that had better get up early Saturday and get it all done so you can go to breakfast. I asked if he realized how early that was. Bastid.

So.............did I stick to my guns? Did I clean? LOL Give me a break! We took the girls to Stop&Shop and bought them an incredible amount of choclate and snackage. I am terribly grateful that I am not on stomach ache watch tonight. We watched "Stranger Than Fiction", which we all liked.

Now I have to go to bed and get up at the friggin' crack of dawn!

Happy Birthday, Citizen Deux!

I should have posted this last night when I found out, but some of my computer time is restricted. The oldest son is back and there is ever more sharing (at least until I finish the work in my room and get my own computer back). Plus, I really wasn't supposed to be on the computer at all. I am supposed to be cleaning for Frank's party tomorrow.

Was that enough excuses for being late?

So, Happy Birthday, Citizen Deux!

Happy memories? LOL I know I'm a bad girl to needle you.

Go on over and wish him a happy birthday at Haze Gray and Underway!

Yahoo Weather

Dubai, United Arab Emirates at 4 pm GST

widespread dust, 95F

Hi 100, Lo 91

Smith's Right

We are not paying enough attention to this.

Pirate-Held Crew Runs Out of Food and Water [W. Thomas Smith Jr.]

It appears the world — including the Royal Danish Navy — has forgotten the pirate-seized crew of the Danica White

A Danish cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates earlier this month has run out of food and fresh water at sea, a Kenyan maritime official said on Monday.

The MV Danica White and its five Danish crew members were carrying building materials from Dubai to Kenya when it was seized off Somalia in the world's most dangerous waterway.

"The news we are getting is that food has run out in that ship and there is no water," said Andrew Mwangura, director of the Mombasa-based East African Seafarers Assistance Programme.

Follow the link in the title to Smith's post over at The Tank and there's some back and forth with my pal Steve.

John McClane Never Lets You Down

I talked Jen into going opening night. We both hate opening night and crowds. So how did I do it? Simple, I didn't tell her it was opening night. LOL I know, I'm a jerk.

Anyway, it's really late. We went to the 10:20 show because she couldn't tear herself away from work with a freakin' hours notice, so we missed the 9:55 show.

It was totally worth it. I loved it.

After the horror that was Spiderman 3, I so deserved 2 hours of smart aleck lines out of Bruce Willis' mouth and lots of shit being blown up!!!!!!!!!! After the movie I held out my two hands like scales and said John McClane......Spiderman........John McClane.....Spiderman. Even Jen had to laugh.

The kid from the Apple commercials was really good. We liked him too.

P.S. I bought my loft bed tonight!!!! It's the second thing with my new favorite thing...."Craig's List". First the lawn mower (runs like a dream), now the loft bed. I have to wait for my Dad to come put it together......I love Frankie and he's really handy, but if I am going to suspend my ass five feet off the ground.....I'd rather depend on my Dad.

You Might Want To Skip This.......

.....it's mushy. This is an excerpt from my online courtship with SB. This is part of what we were writing to each other 4 years ago today.
June 26, 2003

***********UPDATE/CORRECTION/WHATEVER**********

We interrupt your regularly scheduled glimpse into my private life for this update. In talking to SB on the phone this afternoon, I was caught completely off guard. Very unusual. SB & I are the only two peas in this pod. Hmmmmm.

I asked if he had been to the blog today. "Yes," he replied. "No comment?" I asked. "To tell you the truth, I wasn't too terribly pleased." WOW! You could have knocked me over with a feather. You know those words don't come out of his mouth too often when talking to me! We talked for a few minutes more while I came to terms with the fact that I had called his reaction totally wrong. At first I assumed he was upset because something might have given away his real identity (which I guard jealously). But no......he felt that these IMs should stay between us.

So, since I am the best damn bedwarmer ever issued by the Department of Defense (to the best damn sailor there is)........I am removing this promptly.

Yes, Princess Crabby loves to *flash*..........but sometimes I forget.......this is not *my* thing to share.........it's *our* thing. So I will draw the curtains.

****************THAT IS ALL*************
I kept as many of these as I could. We had some computer expert tell my boss in the fall of '03 that even the saved instant messages could cause viruses and one weekend when I was out, she erased them all. She was an asshat. I saw to it that we got a new computer person right after that.
But what I was able to keep, I re-read. Especially on the anniversary of the day.

Kenney & McKay Shootings

Video shows fatal shooting in N.H.
AG releases report, witness accounts

Gregory W. Floyd, 49, said he was furious and full of adrenaline after seeing 24-year-old Liko Kenney run over Franconia police officer Bruce McKay twice after shooting him. Floyd picked up the fallen officer's gun, leaned into Kenney's car , and saw Kenney trying to fix his jammed pistol.

"I didn't give him much time," Floyd told authorities hours later. "I'm screaming. I said, 'Put it down, leave it alone, [if] you want to live, ' whatever come into my mind . I thought he might let it go and I wouldn't have to shoot him. "

When Kenney held onto the gun, Floyd fatally shot Kenney, capping a horrifying confrontation May 11 that has shaken Franconia, a tiny ski resort town about 150 miles north of Boston.

The deadly encounter between Kenney and Floyd, who has never talked publicly about his experience that day, was described in an 80-minute recording of Floyd's interview with State Police. It was released yesterday by the attorney general's office, along with hours of other witness interviews and a 43-page report summarizing the investigation.

The office also released harrowing video footage, taken from a camera on McKay's cruiser, showing Kenney shooting the officer at least five times.

Floyd, who was an active Marine from 1976-1979, was not charged for the shooting of Kenney, after Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said she concluded that his use of deadly force was justified. Ayotte made the decision less than 24 hours after the confrontation.

Jeffery A. Strelzin, senior assistant attorney general, said yesterday that officials came to that conclusion after the interviews with witnesses and evidence was examined for hours.

"We worked upwards through the night with 50 officers," Strelzin said.

The shooting divided Franconia, where many residents knew of an ongoing feud between Kenney and McKay. The two had first clashed in 2003 when the officer asked him for his driver's license after seeing him parked in a park. An ad hoc group of citizens and local officials recently formed the Franconia Area Recovery and Reconciliation Committee to find ways to prevent such violence from happening again.

Many hailed Floyd as a hero for his actions, although others expressed reservations about his quick decision to shoot Kenney.

Throughout the interview with police, however, Floyd sounded calm and never second-guessed his decision to shoot Kenney.

"He was clearly a threat and had no remorse about running [over] that police officer," Floyd told the officers. "So why should I give him a chance? He might shoot me."

In the video, McKay pulls over Kenney, who was driving home from work with his friend, Caleb Macaulay. Police later said that Kenney fled the scene.

The video then shows that McKay followed Kenney to Route 116, where Kenney's car was parked on the side of the road. There is no audio as the video shows McKay drive in front of Kenney's car and push the vehicle back. The audio suddenly comes on as McKay gets out of the cruiser, sprays an irritant similar to Mace into Kenney's car, and walks away, out of the camera's view. Immediately, Kenney takes out a gun, leans out his window, and fires.

The wails of a siren can be heard and then what sounds like McKay groaning in pain. Kenney pulls away.

The camera did not capture the rest of the encounter, but according to Floyd, McKay staggered away, bleeding profusely from his side, as he tried to get to the road.

Floyd said he then saw Kenney hit McKay with his car, back up, and hit him again, pinning the officer under the vehicle.

"What are you supposed to do?" he told the officers. "That's pure - out torture. If you're going to kill somebody, be man enough to knock on their door and tell him to get their . . . pistol."

After shooting Kenney, Floyd then turned to Macaulay, who was sitting in the passenger seat and who told officers he was fearful the former Marine would kill him, too.

Floyd acknowledged he threatened to kill Macaulay, for fear he also had a gun. "I point the gun at his face and tell him to get out of the car and get on his knees , and if he doesn't I'm going to blow his face off," Floyd said.

There were some contradictions amid statements from witnesses. While Floyd said he warned Kenney, Macaulay said Floyd never said a word before firing. In the first part of Floyd's 80-minute interview with troopers, he told police he said nothing to Kenney before shooting him.

But, according to the report, Macaulay said he understood why Floyd shot Kenney. "He stood up for a cop, and he was doing a great job," Macaulay said. "He was doing the right thing.
****************************************************************************
OK, most of the article is about Floyd, and I have no problem with Floyd's actions. I am pleased there were no charges brough against Mr. Floyd. He reacted properly given the situation as he saw it.
However, I watched the video and I can't believe the final report states that the police officer involved, Bruce McKay acted properly. Maybe there's more video, but based on what's here, McKay comes off like a bully. If all this information was in the possession of McKay's superiors, they are to blame as well. Fellow officers and town selectmen had to know there was a problem. I seem to recall reading that Officer McKay was not supposed to stop Kenney. It definitely seems like a preventable tragedy.