Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Can you smell the bacon?
An update on an earlier post. The identity of the Senator who put the secret hold was revealed. The ass covering by various politico’s and the senator himself is enough to put one off their feed for the day.
Quote:
"He does have a hold on the bill," Stevens' spokesperson Aaron Saunders told CNN. "At the time he placed the hold he notified Sen. [Tom] Coburn and his staff and identified several questions we had with the bill. Two weeks ago Sen. Coburn named Stevens as having a hold on the bill, so we don't consider it a secret."
“Saunders said Stevens did not attempt to keep his hold anonymous.
"Sen. Stevens has a series of concerns and questions about the bill. He wants a cost benefit analysis to make sure it doesn't create an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy and not meet its purpose," Saunders said.”
Yeah I’m sure this guy really doesn’t want John Beer drinkin Public to interfere with the manner that he is recklessly spending the cash on various PORK projects. Note the “unnecessary layer of bureaucracy”
"He prefers to handle things at the member to member level or at the staff level," Saunders said. "That's the way Sen. Stevens has always operated."
"This wasn't in any way secretive," Saunders said. "We're baffled as to why it's been called a secret hold."
This ass monkey has a reputation for earmarks for various pork barrel projects that don’t benefit Americans beyond a select few cronies. Example:
"Last year a proposed $223 million for a "bridge to nowhere" connecting Alaska's Gravina Island -- population 50 -- to the mainland caused a nationwide furor. The allocation was backed by Stevens and fellow Republican Rep. Don Young of Alaska, the powerful chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The earmarked funding for the bridge was later rescinded by Congress. However, Alaska's overall allocation of federal transportation funds was not decreased, and the state is free to spend the federal dollars to build the bridge if it wishes.
When Coburn tried to block funds for the bridge, he was heavily denounced by Stevens on the Senate floor"
You can read it here:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/08/30/secret.senators/index.html
And what’s really weird, I pulled the “Bridge from nowhere” as an example off the top of my head.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Another Case for the Left to Cry Torture?
I found this cruising the news sources on the ‘net.
“Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein is being made to watch his appearance in cult cartoon South Park while he is behind bars.
The deposed leader on trial in Iraq was featured in the movie spin-off as the lover of the devil. South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut featured Hussein and Satan attempting to take over the world together.
Speaking at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone said US Marines guarding the former dictator during his trial for genocide were making him watch the movie "repeatedly".
"I have it on pretty good information from the Marines on detail in Iraq that they showed him the movie last year. That's really adding insult to injury. I bet that made him really happy," Stone said. “
While this is funny to most anyone with a sense of humor or irony, and I personally think it’s hilarious. We all know there are those out there whom would make a issue of torture or some other convoluted /distorted blown out of proportion point to further discredit those who are working their ass off to get the job done in Iraq. I am sure that there really isn’t a great deal of “evidence” to support this, How ever with the witch hunt mentality of the media and other supporters of the anti war, I would hate to be the OIC and rest of the chain of command above that would have to gather the evidence to discredit the claim.
Oh well, I guess the movie went well with the Doritos he has such a love for.
“Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein is being made to watch his appearance in cult cartoon South Park while he is behind bars.
The deposed leader on trial in Iraq was featured in the movie spin-off as the lover of the devil. South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut featured Hussein and Satan attempting to take over the world together.
Speaking at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone said US Marines guarding the former dictator during his trial for genocide were making him watch the movie "repeatedly".
"I have it on pretty good information from the Marines on detail in Iraq that they showed him the movie last year. That's really adding insult to injury. I bet that made him really happy," Stone said. “
While this is funny to most anyone with a sense of humor or irony, and I personally think it’s hilarious. We all know there are those out there whom would make a issue of torture or some other convoluted /distorted blown out of proportion point to further discredit those who are working their ass off to get the job done in Iraq. I am sure that there really isn’t a great deal of “evidence” to support this, How ever with the witch hunt mentality of the media and other supporters of the anti war, I would hate to be the OIC and rest of the chain of command above that would have to gather the evidence to discredit the claim.
Oh well, I guess the movie went well with the Doritos he has such a love for.
Sea Story #1
Tonight my television is being held hostage by my significant other who is watching another one of those Hollywood circle jerk award shows. There is more butt sniffing going on than a sunny Saturday at a pet park. Not that there really is anything of quality on the one eyed monster at any given time anyway. So, with the loss of the electronic lobotomy and the lack of anything in the news worthy of note here is a no sh#tter for your amusement.
We were at the beginning of a REFTRA period getting ready for the impending ORSE that loomed in the boat’s not too distant future. We had all the arrays and antenna stowed so it was an excellent opportunity for the crew get a full-on flooding drill complete with the high angles. The crew was awoken to the 1MC report of “Flooding in the Engine Room” “Flooding in the Engine room” and the eye opening shriek of the Flooding alarm. As the crew struggled to get themselves out of their racks and into their poopie suits ,shoes and get themselves to their DC stations, the Dive was enthusiastically getting the ship in a hard 20 degrees up to minimize the depth. Seconds after the First report, a 1 MC of “Secure the drill, Corpsman lay to the engine room, EMAT team lay to the Engine room” was passed and the angle suddenly leveled. Now everyone doubled their efforts to get dressed and laying aft to see if we could help our injured shipmate.
The COB was at the Engine room water tight door keeping the crew from crowding in to “Help” and Rubberneck. Well, a few minutes of waiting revealed that the victim was our XO. It seems that his enthusiastic race to get to the casualty, coupled with the freshly waxed RC tunnel and the up angle caused him to loose his footing and pile head first into the 1S switchboard. The doc and the EMAT guys had staunched to bleeding from his forehead, neck braced him and got him on the backboard. We hauled him to Doc’s office on Second level and let Doc do what IDC‘s do best.
A few hours later Doc escorted the XO to his state room to get some rest in his rack and heal up a bit. It looked like the XO had only suffered a mild concussion and a nasty cut. The Aux Forward and Aux electrician Forward were tasked as part of their round to go into the XO‘s state room and ask him a few simple questions to ensure that his brain wasn‘t swelling and that he was still with us. A few hourly rounds the guys alternately entered, woke the XO up from his sleep and asked him some simple questions that would demonstrate that he was aware of his surroundings and environment. “ What day is it?” What is your position?” “What is your Rank?”. Each time the XO would mumble the correct reply and fall back into slumber. A couple of turnovers put one very smart assed “A” ganger on the rounds at Aux forward. When it was his turn to check on the XO, he quietly entered the state room and woke him for another round of questioning. “What day is it?” “Tuesday” What is your Rank?” “Lieutenant Commander.” What is the Square root of your Social Security Number?” At that point the XO’s eyes popped open, he sat straight up on his rack and told the MM3 to get the f##k out of his stateroom. The checks by the roving watches terminated immediately and the MM3 took his butt chewing with a smirk on his face from the Chief of the Watch and Doc for agitating the XO in his delicate state. The Next morning when the Plan of the day was posted around the ship, the last item of note was the square root of the XO’s social security number. He did have a sense of humor.
Which was a good thing. The day or so following the XO’s collision, the ship ran the flooding drill complete with angles to exercise the crew prior to embarking the riders for a pre ORSE evaluation. Greeting the XO and all crew members as they passed the RC and entered the engine room was 1S. It had been transformed by the Mid watch into a wall of pillows taped to the switch board and a prominently displayed Bulls Eye in the center.
We were at the beginning of a REFTRA period getting ready for the impending ORSE that loomed in the boat’s not too distant future. We had all the arrays and antenna stowed so it was an excellent opportunity for the crew get a full-on flooding drill complete with the high angles. The crew was awoken to the 1MC report of “Flooding in the Engine Room” “Flooding in the Engine room” and the eye opening shriek of the Flooding alarm. As the crew struggled to get themselves out of their racks and into their poopie suits ,shoes and get themselves to their DC stations, the Dive was enthusiastically getting the ship in a hard 20 degrees up to minimize the depth. Seconds after the First report, a 1 MC of “Secure the drill, Corpsman lay to the engine room, EMAT team lay to the Engine room” was passed and the angle suddenly leveled. Now everyone doubled their efforts to get dressed and laying aft to see if we could help our injured shipmate.
The COB was at the Engine room water tight door keeping the crew from crowding in to “Help” and Rubberneck. Well, a few minutes of waiting revealed that the victim was our XO. It seems that his enthusiastic race to get to the casualty, coupled with the freshly waxed RC tunnel and the up angle caused him to loose his footing and pile head first into the 1S switchboard. The doc and the EMAT guys had staunched to bleeding from his forehead, neck braced him and got him on the backboard. We hauled him to Doc’s office on Second level and let Doc do what IDC‘s do best.
A few hours later Doc escorted the XO to his state room to get some rest in his rack and heal up a bit. It looked like the XO had only suffered a mild concussion and a nasty cut. The Aux Forward and Aux electrician Forward were tasked as part of their round to go into the XO‘s state room and ask him a few simple questions to ensure that his brain wasn‘t swelling and that he was still with us. A few hourly rounds the guys alternately entered, woke the XO up from his sleep and asked him some simple questions that would demonstrate that he was aware of his surroundings and environment. “ What day is it?” What is your position?” “What is your Rank?”. Each time the XO would mumble the correct reply and fall back into slumber. A couple of turnovers put one very smart assed “A” ganger on the rounds at Aux forward. When it was his turn to check on the XO, he quietly entered the state room and woke him for another round of questioning. “What day is it?” “Tuesday” What is your Rank?” “Lieutenant Commander.” What is the Square root of your Social Security Number?” At that point the XO’s eyes popped open, he sat straight up on his rack and told the MM3 to get the f##k out of his stateroom. The checks by the roving watches terminated immediately and the MM3 took his butt chewing with a smirk on his face from the Chief of the Watch and Doc for agitating the XO in his delicate state. The Next morning when the Plan of the day was posted around the ship, the last item of note was the square root of the XO’s social security number. He did have a sense of humor.
Which was a good thing. The day or so following the XO’s collision, the ship ran the flooding drill complete with angles to exercise the crew prior to embarking the riders for a pre ORSE evaluation. Greeting the XO and all crew members as they passed the RC and entered the engine room was 1S. It had been transformed by the Mid watch into a wall of pillows taped to the switch board and a prominently displayed Bulls Eye in the center.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Ramblin Thoughts
I am working Mid watches right now so my schedule is completely screwed. I don’t mind the hours, the benefit being that you don’t have to put up with the day-walkers/regular staff and all the games to be played.
But, it makes family life a bit more challenging added to trying to get a decent 6-8 hrs of sleep while the rest of the world is busy scurrying around doing it’s thing.
Looks like the Israel’s have purchased a couple of boats from Germany. You can read the articlehere I may have actually scooped Bubblehead on some submarine news!
What is fun about this article is that the clueless writing on the difference between nuclear power and nuclear armed. “Planes are vulnerable, unlike nuclear (armed) submarines that can operate for an almost unlimited amount of time without being struck”. Hmm I always thought a diesel boat had to go home from time to time to refuel. The sentence is true in respect to the time relative to the mission time of an aircraft.
The last time I looked the Dolphin class has only Torpedo tubes, so that limit is to a cruise missile for a delivery system.
A bit late night skullduggery in Washington DC, “An unidentified senator placed a "secret hold" on legislation introduced by Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., that would create a searchable database of government contracts, grants, insurance, loans and financial assistance, worth $2.5 trillion last year. The database would bring transparency to federal spending and be as simple to use as conducting a Google search.”
Funny, our elected leaders will spend thousands of dollars to fly to the location of a natural disaster, economic depression, or otherwise adversely afflicted regions to mug for the cameras and blow hot air about the wonderful way our country will take care of it all. Then, when there is something that will actually give Americans the tool to see where the checking account is really at and where the money is going- Suddenly a change of intestinal fortitude, They have to sneak in and place a Secret Hold. If your going to be a leader, then By God, Lead.. Make a decision, a vote or a call and stand behind it and In The OPEN . We all know that our congress and executive branch are spending like drunken sailors with only the oversight of themselves. In this day and age where even the frigging toaster has a microchip, we should be able to do a searchable database on where the money is going, to whom and how much. Yes, I know that there are some items we don’t want other ‘friendly” Nations veiwing, However, Most of our budget is public and should be able to be monitored by said public. This might help some the more interesting spending bills that seem to slip through with the critical needed budget itmes to be flagged earlier by watch dog agencies or citizens before they become an after the fact news event. Yeah, they are all over it, Nice bridge to nowhere, it’s here, money wasted, Noted..
Here are some articles here, here, and here.
And finally an op-ed piece in the Honolulu Advertiser in favor of some good old Nuclear Power for the Island of Oahu. Actually I think that we should have one of these powering every metropolitan and ‘burg that has no access to either Coal or Hydroelectric. The further we as a country can free ourselves from the Hydrocarbon addiction, the sooner those nasty bastards in the middle east will suffer an economic crisis of their own attitude and making. Of course the idea probably will make all the soccer mom suburban tree hugging NIMBY’s choke on their overpriced coffee and biscotti. But If they would wise up and understand the Waste product to energy generation ratio this source of power provides in relation to oil or coal, this should be on the forefront on our efforts to reduce our reliance on Other Peoples Oil. Plus, this really should be an strategic plan on the “Long war” because the sooner we start to starve the source of cash, the sooner they will lose the resources to purchase and plan. The article is here.
But, it makes family life a bit more challenging added to trying to get a decent 6-8 hrs of sleep while the rest of the world is busy scurrying around doing it’s thing.
Looks like the Israel’s have purchased a couple of boats from Germany. You can read the articlehere I may have actually scooped Bubblehead on some submarine news!
What is fun about this article is that the clueless writing on the difference between nuclear power and nuclear armed. “Planes are vulnerable, unlike nuclear (armed) submarines that can operate for an almost unlimited amount of time without being struck”. Hmm I always thought a diesel boat had to go home from time to time to refuel. The sentence is true in respect to the time relative to the mission time of an aircraft.
The last time I looked the Dolphin class has only Torpedo tubes, so that limit is to a cruise missile for a delivery system.
A bit late night skullduggery in Washington DC, “An unidentified senator placed a "secret hold" on legislation introduced by Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., that would create a searchable database of government contracts, grants, insurance, loans and financial assistance, worth $2.5 trillion last year. The database would bring transparency to federal spending and be as simple to use as conducting a Google search.”
Funny, our elected leaders will spend thousands of dollars to fly to the location of a natural disaster, economic depression, or otherwise adversely afflicted regions to mug for the cameras and blow hot air about the wonderful way our country will take care of it all. Then, when there is something that will actually give Americans the tool to see where the checking account is really at and where the money is going- Suddenly a change of intestinal fortitude, They have to sneak in and place a Secret Hold. If your going to be a leader, then By God, Lead.. Make a decision, a vote or a call and stand behind it and In The OPEN . We all know that our congress and executive branch are spending like drunken sailors with only the oversight of themselves. In this day and age where even the frigging toaster has a microchip, we should be able to do a searchable database on where the money is going, to whom and how much. Yes, I know that there are some items we don’t want other ‘friendly” Nations veiwing, However, Most of our budget is public and should be able to be monitored by said public. This might help some the more interesting spending bills that seem to slip through with the critical needed budget itmes to be flagged earlier by watch dog agencies or citizens before they become an after the fact news event. Yeah, they are all over it, Nice bridge to nowhere, it’s here, money wasted, Noted..
Here are some articles here, here, and here.
And finally an op-ed piece in the Honolulu Advertiser in favor of some good old Nuclear Power for the Island of Oahu. Actually I think that we should have one of these powering every metropolitan and ‘burg that has no access to either Coal or Hydroelectric. The further we as a country can free ourselves from the Hydrocarbon addiction, the sooner those nasty bastards in the middle east will suffer an economic crisis of their own attitude and making. Of course the idea probably will make all the soccer mom suburban tree hugging NIMBY’s choke on their overpriced coffee and biscotti. But If they would wise up and understand the Waste product to energy generation ratio this source of power provides in relation to oil or coal, this should be on the forefront on our efforts to reduce our reliance on Other Peoples Oil. Plus, this really should be an strategic plan on the “Long war” because the sooner we start to starve the source of cash, the sooner they will lose the resources to purchase and plan. The article is here.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Life in the Slow Lane
Well, my second post, I am working on getting over some of the technical details of writing in this format. The hard one being additions of links to the blog. I will flop and flail for a few more days before stopping to read the directions. Typical Bubblehead. Nothing in the world today that caused a spike in blood pressure.
38.870863N, 77.055917W Pentagon
I ran across an interesting couple of articles while reading my usual items on the Internet . It was also the lead story on the NBC nightly News. The latest is that they are recalling 2,500 inactive reserve Marine Corp personnel to active duty. I am active duty in the Navy and will always execute the lawful orders given to me. But being a Submariner, there is a part of me that question the overall planning and execution of the war in Iraq. In other words, WTFO?? While all the Marines I know are some of the most loyal individuals I have ever met, I am sure there are a vast majority of those 2,500 who felt that they have done their time honorably and are DONE. This isn't anything new, the US Army tried it a year or so ago and had tepid results at best on the actual number of people that showed back up. The Army didn’t really spend a lot of time or money trying to beat the bushes to find those who didn’t bother to be reassimalated. But still, this sounds like a plan to recirculate people to make up for the shortfall in qualified people showing up at the front door of the recruiter. Marines in their second or third years of on-call service will be tapped, because those in their first years just finished active duty and those in their fourth years have almost completed their military obligations. And I was really hoping that the people in charge of the war had more neurons making contact than what’s rattling inside my nugget. Well, I will have to see where this goes….
21°18'32" N, 157°49'34" W Oahu, Hawaii
The local crime never ceases to keep me from shaking my head in wonder. On island we have had a crime wave of copper theft. Namely from the streetlamps and Freeway lights.
The theives are even brazen enough to assume the cover of DOT road workers. Quote from Honolulu Advertiser
“Police have at least three felony investigations open in
connection with the thefts, but say it is difficult to apprehend
the thieves, who may be donning orange vests and hardhats"
and portraying themselves as state Transportation Department
Employees."
Wow, a working DOT crew, That should gather a few calls to the Crimestoppers hotline.
Keep your pennies well hidden folks, you might be next.
38.870863N, 77.055917W Pentagon
I ran across an interesting couple of articles while reading my usual items on the Internet . It was also the lead story on the NBC nightly News. The latest is that they are recalling 2,500 inactive reserve Marine Corp personnel to active duty. I am active duty in the Navy and will always execute the lawful orders given to me. But being a Submariner, there is a part of me that question the overall planning and execution of the war in Iraq. In other words, WTFO?? While all the Marines I know are some of the most loyal individuals I have ever met, I am sure there are a vast majority of those 2,500 who felt that they have done their time honorably and are DONE. This isn't anything new, the US Army tried it a year or so ago and had tepid results at best on the actual number of people that showed back up. The Army didn’t really spend a lot of time or money trying to beat the bushes to find those who didn’t bother to be reassimalated. But still, this sounds like a plan to recirculate people to make up for the shortfall in qualified people showing up at the front door of the recruiter. Marines in their second or third years of on-call service will be tapped, because those in their first years just finished active duty and those in their fourth years have almost completed their military obligations. And I was really hoping that the people in charge of the war had more neurons making contact than what’s rattling inside my nugget. Well, I will have to see where this goes….
21°18'32" N, 157°49'34" W Oahu, Hawaii
The local crime never ceases to keep me from shaking my head in wonder. On island we have had a crime wave of copper theft. Namely from the streetlamps and Freeway lights.
The theives are even brazen enough to assume the cover of DOT road workers. Quote from Honolulu Advertiser
“Police have at least three felony investigations open in
connection with the thefts, but say it is difficult to apprehend
the thieves, who may be donning orange vests and hardhats"
and portraying themselves as state Transportation Department
Employees."
Wow, a working DOT crew, That should gather a few calls to the Crimestoppers hotline.
Keep your pennies well hidden folks, you might be next.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Free Box with every Pizza!!
I have been inspired to start blogging after reading some other well written blogs, Aloha Dump by Trickish Knave and The Stupid shall be punished by Bubblehead.
I don't know where to post a disclaimer because some topics will most likely rub some of the touchy feely types wrong. So for now here it is.
I am a Submariner and my sense of humor tends to go toward the gutter (actually the sewer) faster than ice water in Hell.
I have no illusions about the world being full of kittens and warm cookies because it is a tough, mean place and full of the same in people. The American education system and commercial media have brainwashed/bullshitted a large portion of American people into thinking we can all sit down, talk through our feelings, give everyone the benefit of the doubt and by sunset the world will be singing kumbya around the campfire with marsh mallows.
My take on the world is that American dream is Dead on Arrival, if it ever existed at all. Today it seems the masses are busy indenturing themselves, buying the latest in all manner of consumer merchendise that won't amount to a hill of shit a year from now and suffering from apathy toward the staggering spendfest by our leaders and undermining of the middle class by corporate america. Feel free to comment, argue, debate or agree. I just call it as I see it and man enough to retract it if I am wrong.
I don't know where to post a disclaimer because some topics will most likely rub some of the touchy feely types wrong. So for now here it is.
I am a Submariner and my sense of humor tends to go toward the gutter (actually the sewer) faster than ice water in Hell.
I have no illusions about the world being full of kittens and warm cookies because it is a tough, mean place and full of the same in people. The American education system and commercial media have brainwashed/bullshitted a large portion of American people into thinking we can all sit down, talk through our feelings, give everyone the benefit of the doubt and by sunset the world will be singing kumbya around the campfire with marsh mallows.
My take on the world is that American dream is Dead on Arrival, if it ever existed at all. Today it seems the masses are busy indenturing themselves, buying the latest in all manner of consumer merchendise that won't amount to a hill of shit a year from now and suffering from apathy toward the staggering spendfest by our leaders and undermining of the middle class by corporate america. Feel free to comment, argue, debate or agree. I just call it as I see it and man enough to retract it if I am wrong.
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