Right Ascension of Aries; Part Deux

Good Bye and Good Riddance

2012-01-01T16:45:00.000-08:00

2011 is now in then rear view mirror of life. As years in my life go, not one of the worst but not one to put in the I want to ride again category. Years ending in 1 don't tend to work out well, and the further in the year I get the more down hill things seem to go.

So, Today was a fresh start so to speak and not too bad for a new year's start. Spent the day stowing the Christmas decorations away and tiding up around the garage.

I intend to blog more in the coming year, the past year apathy overcame any attempt at writing.

Off to dinner with friends

Happy New year.

How I feel about our current Goverment and Tax day

2011-04-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

H/T Theo Sparks for the pic

Do the Puyallup

2010-09-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday the family went to the Puyallup Fair. ( Spoken pew all up) Here in Western Washington it is the largest fair in the area. I am from New Mexico and it is as large as the New Mexico State fair in Albuquerque. The Better half had freebie tickets for the family because she is a teacher so really it was just the cost of gas and food.
The weather was absolutely gorgeous! Couldn't have asked for better. The Sun shined all day ( a rare sight in this area during the fall) with the temp in the mid 70's to upper 70's.

I always liked the going to fairs for the food, exhibits and all the crap that the merchants are hawking in sales halls. You rarely see most of these products outside of the Fair. I am still upset that the Better half wouldn't let me have a velvet that the "artist" would paint a likeness of me at the same poker table as Tony Montana (Scar Face), Don Vito(The Godfather), Henry Hill, Jimmy "The Gent" Conway and Tommy DeVito(Goodfellas). I got the same answer for the Mexican Lucha Libre mask. We passed all the cures for all the ails in the world and I am sure that every chiopractor in the greater Seattle/Olympia area had a booth and would do a "Free spinal evaluation"

The food was the usual scrumptious array of BBQ, burgers, dogs on a stick, fries, elephant ears, and the Belle of the Puyallup fair, the scone.
The Scone booths had lines wrapped around them all day long. People were buying them by the dozen. And the closer the the end of the day the longer the lines were because most folks are stocking up to take them home.
The best deal of the fair was the Mountian mist bottled water co. They had 1qt cold water bottles for about 3 bucks and you could refill them at the other M.M. booths that were located all around the fair.
Of course the draw back to this is that the prices for most things (except the scones and water) were a bit high to down right breath taking
The rides were along the lines of 4-6 dollars a ride, The young daughter was a bit crestfallen about not going on rides, but she got a few visits to other amusement parks this summer. The past few years the fair had a "dizzy pass" 20 bucks for a wrist band and you could ride all day. But I guess in the current economic situation everyone is scrapping for all the money they can get.
If any readers get a chance to be in the Seattle/Olympia are in September, Do the Puyallup. There is plenty to see and do, even if you are a total tightwad like me.

Refit and stores load

2010-09-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

Well once again I am going to make take a stab at blogging. I have spent several months enjoying to efforts of others but not putting my thoughts out for others to share. Several blogs I read on a daily or weekly basis have atrophied and died. I think this is due to the shift to the current 500 lb gorilla of the internet and that is Facebook. Been there, not too impressed. I enjoy spouting my opinion behind a nome de plume. People can still feel butt hurt if they don't agree but it won't trail back to my occupation, church or other day to day activity. Facebook to me smacks of high school. More thoughts on that later.

For now. I am trying to get back to writing, I don't know how long the muse will stick. Probably until the next crisis here at home or until the better half finds something better she wants done with the time.

Savvy Advise

2010-02-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

Lesson 1:

A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.

The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.

When she opens the door, there stands Bob , the next-door neighbor.

Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.'

After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob. After a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.

The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.

When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?'

'It was Bob the next door neighbor', she replies.

'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?'

Moral of the story:

If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders, in time you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Lesson 2:

A priest offered a Nun a lift.

She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg.

The priest nearly had an accident.

After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.

The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'

The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again.

The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'

The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.'

Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.

On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'

Moral of the story:

If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

Lesson 3:

A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.

They rub it, and out comes a Genie.

The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'

'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.'

Puff! She's gone.

'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.'

Puff! He's gone.

'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager.

The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after
lunch.'

Moral of the story:

Always let your boss have the first say.

Lesson 4

An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.

A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?'

The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.'

So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story:

To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

Lesson 5

A turkey was chatting with a bull.

'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.'

'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.'

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.

The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.

Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.

He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story:

Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

Lesson 6

A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field.

While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.

As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was.

The dung was actually thawing him out!

He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.

A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.

Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Morals of the story:

(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.

(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.

(3) And, when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!

THUS ENDS THE FIVE MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE!

Hero's and Zero's

2010-01-21T10:58:00.000-08:00

Here in the Northwest there is a family who took matters into their own hands and made what I am sure will be a world of difference to two Haitian children. This guy has to be commended for having the balls to fly into a disaster ravaged country, navigate from his airplane to the children, rescue said children and then get them all back to the Northwest in 3 days.
This is a prime example of what average American brain, brawn and balls can do in the world if it isn't being over regulated or marginalized by sectors of America who lack the backbone and stamina to get things done.

Excerpts from the story:

The Schlenbakers had adopted two children, 8-year-old Dejennika and 6-year-old Djouvensky, but the two kids were still in an orphanage in Port-au-Price when the quake hit.

The couple had been working for three years to bring the kids home to Bellingham.

Brett decided he couldn't wait for someone else to help. He grabbed a backpack with supplies and jumped on a plane over the weekend to go find his children.

"I just did what any other parent would do -- go get your kids," Brett said.

With little more than his own determination, Brett found the two children and took them to the U.S. embassy Tuesday morning to get visas and passports before securing a flight out of Haiti on a C-130 transport plane.

Mmm mmmm mmm.... What a bit of intestinal fortitude and the sack to try it will do in this world. Too bad Congress critters and the rest in the other Washington can't catch a bit of this attitude. The country and our world can be a better place.

Too bad the Supreme court justices just allowed for the fire sale of the century on the remaining shred of our democracy.

Sweeping aside a century-old understanding and overruling two important precedents, a bitterly divided Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the government may not ban political spending by corporations in candidate elections.

The ruling was a vindication, the majority said, of the First Amendment’s most basic free speech principle — that the government has no business regulating political speech. The dissenters said allowing corporate money to flood the political marketplace will corrupt democracy.

The 5-to-4 decision was a doctrinal earthquake but also a political and practical one. Specialists in campaign finance law said they expected the decision, which also applies to labor unions and other organizations, to reshape the way elections are conducted.

“If the First Amendment has any force,” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the majority, which included the four members of its conservative wing, “it prohibits Congress from fining or jailing citizens, or associations of citizens, for simply engaging in political speech.”

Justice John Paul Stevens read a long dissent from the bench. He said the majority had committed a grave error in treating corporate speech the same as that of human beings. His decision was joined by the other three members of the court’s liberal wing.

Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, an author of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, called the ruling “a terrible mistake.”

“Ignoring important principles of judicial restraint and respect for precedent, the Court has given corporate money a breathtaking new role in federal campaigns,” said Mr. Feingold, a Democrat.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader and a longtime opponent of that law, praised the Court’s decision as “an important step in the direction of restoring the First Amendment rights of these groups by ruling that the Constitution protects their right to express themselves about political candidates and issues up until Election Day.” The case had unlikely origins. It involved a documentary called “Hillary: The Movie,” a 90-minute stew of caustic political commentary and advocacy journalism. It was produced by Citizens United, a conservative nonprofit corporation, and was released during the Democratic presidential primaries in 2008.

With the Supreme court decision today, I think the price of Congress and the White House just went well into the stratosphere; I guess like those restaurants that have menus but no price.. If you gotta ask you can't afford it. Treating Corporations like citizens is about as dumb as a bucket of gravel.

Just when I thought things were turning around ala Massachusetts, the Supreme Court puts the whole process up for sale, lock stock and barrel.

Pulling a Brett Favre

2010-01-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

After drinking some coffee and reading the comment section of yesterday’s post, I have decided to keep posting. Thanks Sonarman , Buck, Blunoz, Red dog and Sandy Salt for stopping by and commenting.

Red Dog, I guess I fall in the geek category. Buck, sorry I didn’t hyperlink your blog because ever time I tried to open it IE would freak out and crash.

After contemplating the opinions over some java and considering the fact that there really isn’t another forum that a person can have an open opinion under a Nome de plume. I will keep my soap box to rail and rant against the absurdity and ignorance of our society.

My main reason for quitting the blog was the fact that I am striving to follow through on my projects. There have been way too many projects that I have fallen short on because of time or budget and I am trying to discipline myself to not start an endeavor that I will only take to a half ass status. So my personal critique of my blog was that I wasn’t making any difference. Thus, I was going for closure. I did feel more than a ting of regret for hitting the publish post yesterday. I guess the upside is that I didn't go to the blogger dashboard and delet the entire blog.

I enjoy writing when the muse hits, but there are only 24 hrs in a day and most of the time all the waking ones are booked with the responsibilities of being a father, husband, and employee. I miss being in the Navy, it was a rich source of blogging material.
Where I am currently employed, not so much. I really enjoy my job, but what I do is both classified and proprietary to my employer; so nuff said about that. But a large part of the day I spend is unbloggable.

So, stay tuned I will post again soon. I am sure that the popular culture, political and economic arena of our society will provide fodder.
Nereus

Strike the colors, Secure the watch

2010-01-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

I have decided to decomm the blog.

I don't really have a unique hobby or occupation to blog about. My personal life is well, personal so I don't blog about that.

I've been retired from the navy for a while so that isn't an irritant to blog about any longer.

I hold views on our current political and economic situation. But there is already a myriad of bloggers and pundits out there and adding my opinion is like taking a piss in a typhoon... I just don't have an interesting enough point of view to try and rise above that background noise.

So there ya are. A retired, reclusive, shift working Submariner without enough personal time to write.

"Attention to Quarters"

"Report"

"All secure about the decks. The running lights have been extinguished, the cannonballs have been removed and the cannon has been spiked."

"Strike eight bells,"

"Haul down the colors."

"Secure the watch."

Some Cool Monkey buisness

2009-12-21T12:02:00.000-08:00

A cool clip that has nothing to do with, Chistmas, Congress, or any other things that raise the blood pressure.

Enjoy!!

They didn't fail to disappoint

2009-11-08T21:45:00.000-08:00

The Crooks in the House on the Hill

The weekend session, the endless prattle on the house floor on an amendment that has no substance and was nothing but whitewash to spin any accusation of supporting abortion with fed dollars. The fact that the entire bill was a massive steaming pile of crap, un-reviewed by the public, drafted behind closed doors, and then crammed down our throat in the middle of the night after a cursory debate. No regard for the opinion of the public that they were elected to represent.

I am now a PISSED off American. I support the idea that the basic health care should be something that all WORKING Americans should be able to obtain. But the skulduggery that the House cobbled together to steal from the citizens and support themselves and their special interests is TREASON.

What part of NO we don't want this, didn't they grasp from their constituents? The town hall's, the marches, the letters Phone calls and Emails.

We need to clean the place out.. No incumbent, Democrate or Republican should be re-elected from 2010 forward until anyone who was present in this congress is out of office.

The upside of this, The Senate hasn't touched this third rail yet, and they have a very different bill outlined.

As I read on a comment this morning on this subject; We aren't fucked, But we can see fucked from here.

USS New York reaches Namesake City

2009-11-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

A few pics that I swiped of the Internet of the USS New York pulling into Manhattan.

We will take a Slushy and some oats

2009-09-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

BOHICA

2009-09-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

Yes ladies and Gent's,

Another beachhead for GIGA Government intervention in our lives and the way we are doing business.

The Zero, exactly one year too late, delivered on Wall Street, a speech on the dealings of Banks and financial firms.

"We will not go back to the days of reckless behavior and unchecked excess at the heart of this crisis, where too many were motivated only by the appetite for quick kills and bloated bonuses," the president said. "Those on Wall Street cannot resume taking risks without regard for consequences, and expect that next time, American taxpayers will be there to break their fall."

I don't think for a moment that the Firms and the Banks on Wall St haven't continued to operate under the same rules and behavior. Their reason for existence it to make MONEY, the more the better, and SCREW the average investor or banking customer. They are where profits are derived.

He was chiding the Wall St leaders that they need to think of the little guy, the people that are hurting because of the current recession.

Right, The collective sympathy from these guys will que the worlds tiniest fiddle to play my heart bleeds for you..

Then, here it comes.

ANOTHER GOVT Agency.

new rules to protect consumers and a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency to enforce those rules and closure of regulator loopholes and overlap that "were at the heart of the crisis" because it left key officials without "the authority to take action."

Sen. Chris Dodd, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, is leading the push for those new rules and his aides hope to have legislation together before the year's end. Already they have conducted hearings on the source of the problem and how best to prevent another.

We are going to create another agency?? Last time I looked, It was under the responsibility of the Federal Trade Commission, Plus, the rules are being drafted by this Guy?

In his role as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee Dodd proposed a program in June 2008 that would assist troubled subprime mortgage lenders such as Countrywide Financial in the wake of the United States housing bubble's collapse. Condé Nast Portfolio reported allegations that in 2003 Dodd had refinanced the mortgages on his homes in Washington, D.C. and Connecticut through Countrywide Financial and had received favorable terms due to being placed in a "Friends of Angelo" program. Dodd received mortgages from Countrywide at allegedly below-market rates on his Washington, D.C. and Connecticut homes. Dodd had not disclosed the below-market mortgages in any of six financial disclosure statements he filed with the Senate or Office of Government Ethics since obtaining the mortgages in 2003.

Of course his Fellow Peers found that he “did not break any Senate Ethics Rule”. But when your buddies are on the jury, how hard is it??

Fun times ahead. And to note, This is the a reason I don't blog on political topics often, I get a raging foaming at the mouth feeling for ALL the crooks in Washington DC. That includes Democrats, Republicans, Lobbyist, Unions, and the despotic bureaucratic dictators. They are all wasting our national resources, talent, and the future. I feel that every day that our nation is being indoctrinated to accept mediocrity by our schools, government and the worst offender of all, Television.

Now if you will excuse me, I am going to fold my Jiffy Pop container into a hat to keep out those evil rays...

Goodbye to summer

2009-09-13T20:24:00.001-07:00

Today the family had it's annual open house and BBQ.
We invite all our friends and acquaintances in the area to come over and have a sit, visit and enjoy some food. I grilled 8 lbs of pork loin, 10 lbs of pork ribs, a 14 lbs turkey, 5 lbs of Zucchini and squash coated with olive oil and garlic, Hot Dogs, and Burgers.
We also had baked beans, apple pie, Rhubarb apple pie, Pasta salad (3 varieties, Cold Slaw, Cheese cake, and a half sheet cake from Costco. Add Ice tea, sodas, and the Ball game on the radio combined with a sunny 80 degree day in the Northwest.
It couldn't have been a better end to the season and getting reacquainted with old friends.

Something funny to enjoy

2009-09-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

I still have my arm caught in the corn combine of life. So at the end of any given day I don't have the time or mental energy to blog on the world around me. This might be a blessing because with the state of current affairs in this country and the world, I would quite possibly rant myself into the village grouch category.

So, seeing how the world needs a laugh in hard times. Enjoy these village idiots.

EMBED-Awesome Internet Fails Compilation - Watch more free videos

Taking a much earned Vacation

2009-08-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today I am taking the wife and kiddo off to adventure at an amusment park/water park and then catch various and sundry attratctions on the way back home.

So here are a few lists of fact/fun for your amusment.
Sayings for Sunday...............

1. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you’re a mile away and you have their shoes.
2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire.
3. It’s always darkest before dawn. So if you’re going to steal your neighbor’s newspaper, that’s the time to do it.
4. Don’t be irreplaceable. If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.
5. Always remember that you’re unique. Just like everyone else.
6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
7. If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of car payments.
8. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me the hell alone.
9. If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.
10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
11. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
12. If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.
13. Some days you’re the bug; some days you’re the windshield.
14. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
15. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.
16. A closed mouth gathers no foot.
17. Duct tape is like ‘The Force’. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
18. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.
19. Generally speaking, you aren’t learning much when your lips are moving.
20. Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.
21. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

Seen on Marine Corps Bumper Stickers

" U.S. Marines -- Travel Agents To Allah"

"Stop Global Whining"

"When In Doubt, Empty The Magazine" Naval Corollary; Dead men don't testify.

"The Marine Corps -- When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be Destroyed Overnight"

"Death Smiles At Everyone -- Marines Smile Back"

"Marine Sniper - You can run, but you'll just die tired!"

"What Do I Feel When I Kill A Terrorist? .... A little Recoil"

"Marines -- Providing Enemies of America an Opportunity To Die For their Country Since 1775"*

"Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Anyone Who Threatens It"

"Happiness Is A Belt-Fed Weapon"

"It's God's Job to Forgive Bin Laden -- It's Our Job To Arrange The Meeting"

"Artillery Brings Dignity to What Would Otherwise Be Just A Brawl"

"One Shot, Twelve Kills -- USN Gun Fire Support"

"Do draft dodgers Have Reunions? If So, What Do They Talk About?"

"My kid fought in Iraq so your kid can party in college"

"Machine Gunners -- Accuracy by Volume"

"A Dead Enemy Is A Peaceful Enemy -- Blessed Be The Peacemakers"

"If You Can Read, Thank A Teacher. If You Can Read It In English, Thank A Veteran"

"Except For Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism, and Communism, WAR has Never Solved Anything.*

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." - Ronald Reagan

H/T Theo Spark

Sometimes things just don't work out as intended

2009-07-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

June unemployment numbers ( A solution)

2009-07-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

Plagiarized thought on current Pop Culture

2009-06-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

Reading through blogs for the morning entertainment and amusment, I ran across this comment that sums up the death of Farrah and Micheal.

Well, we lost two pop culture icons. One, a whole generation of young
boys wanted to diddle. The other wanted to diddle a whole generation of young
boys

I just had to share...

CSI MIAMI The Chicken Choked Back!

2009-06-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

H/T to Curmudgeonly and Skeptical

Navy initiates catch-and-release program for Gitmo prisoners

2009-06-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

With plans to shutter Gitmo, the U.S. Navy has announced its new "catch-and-release" program for terrorists captured on the battlefield.

Yesterday, Navy officials announced that -- consistent with President Obama's directives -- it has released a senior Al Qaeda Terrorist after questioning him extensively for 27 days while being held prisoner aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.

As a humanitarian gesture, the terrorist was given $50 US and a White 1962 Ford Fairlane automobile upon being released from Custody.The attached photo shows the terrorist on his way home moments after being released by the Navy.

Hiatus over

2009-06-04T22:14:00.001-07:00

Looks like Cookie was just taking some personal time off from blogging. He's back and posting again.

Blogger on a Milk Carton

2009-05-26T09:27:00.004-07:00

I have been a regular reader of Cookie over at The Cookshack. But about a month ago, he abruptly quite posting and hasn't some much as published comments on his blog. I'm sure that it isn't due to the lack of funny material or a sudden healthy love of the current Congress or the O administration. I figured that I would use the collective knowledge of the Internets and it's users to collect some information.

So, If you have seen this blogger,

or know what has happend to him, leave me a comment.

Maybe he has just defected to Myspace or Facebook and called his blog quits.

Remember those who gave all

2009-05-24T17:03:00.003-07:00

Take some time today or tommorrow to pause and remember those who made the ultimate sacrificed for the freedom we all enjoy.

And nothing will come of it.

2009-05-17T11:14:00.004-07:00

All the time I was in the Navy, I was entrusted with a variety of jobs that involved classified information. It was a routine part of the job, yet is was never treated as routine. It was NEVER something you used as bragging rights to impress the boys over a beer or to gain status at a meeting of a "We wear silly hats or Weird suits" club. It was just something you didn't talk about.

But apparently, the VP, being "Above the law" has seen fit to disclose classified information to schmooze the crowds and gain a laugh.

According to a report, while recently attending the Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, an annual event where powerful politicians and media elite get a chance to cozy up to one another, Biden told his dinner mates about the existence of a secret bunker under the old U.S. Naval Observatory, which is now the home of the vice president.

The bunker is believed to be the secure, undisclosed location former Vice President Dick Cheney remained under protection in secret after the 9/11 attacks.

Eleanor Clift, Newsweek magazine's Washington contributing editor, said Biden revealed the location while filling in for President Obama at the dinner.

Good old Joe, Once again filling his pie hole with his foot. Sadly, he has broken the law. Like all the other elitist in this administration, he puts himself above having to actually obey the laws that govern the "rest of us" and won't be censured or penalized in any way for this security breach.

I guess the upside is that it was the secure area designated for him, So he really has only screwed himself. Too bad that there are military and secret service personnel who are required to go in there with him in times of crisis.

Why?

2009-05-16T16:40:00.002-07:00

There are some things in this world that just confound me on the level of sheer stupidity of the human race. Reality Shows, American Idol, Claims of serving sizes for any package of cookies or ice cream, current debate on the floor of congress that claims to be in the best interest of our nation or it's citizens.

Small things, little things when compared in the Big scheme of the cosmos.

Most are no more or no less harmful to the human condition than what we have been doing to ourselves since we were fighting with stick and stones trying to make the totem payment and keep mastodon steaks on the fire.

But alas, There are a few ingenious tool users amongst the rest of those of us with opposable thumbs that add a new wrinkle to the possibilities of our existence. Some of these have relieve us of a burden that has hindered our ascent to more time of leisure or that have just plain bedeviled us with suffering and long calls to help centers located in India. Everything from indoor plumbing to Hulu.Com.

Then there are inventions that cause you to ask yourself "Why?".

I am not talking about anything that Billy Mays screams at you about as you retreat to the kitchen for another cold frosty one, or that you would find on the shelf next to the cash register at Christmas time in the Men's dept of Macy's pre-wrapped for that last minute gift.
These are the inventions can clearly be used further enslave the human race to the will of a few. I guess you could include movable type, Radio and television among these. But, the first two have actually provided more to the greater good than the enslavement; and in my opinion the jury is still out television.
Back to my rant..

There is an inventor in Saudi Arabia, a country known for it's stalwart principles promoting freedom of thought and pursuit of liberty, that has invented a "Killer Chip".

The basic model would consist of a tiny GPS transceiver placed in a capsule and inserted under a person's skin, so that authorities could track him easily.

Model B would have an extra function — a dose of cyanide to remotely kill the wearer without muss or fuss if authorities deemed he'd become a public threat.

This is SCARY on the order of waking up in a Vegas hotel in an ice bath, your back hurts and there is a note taped to your chest with medical tape.

Why would a person even conceive of such a brutal tool that can only be used for the purpose of tyranny.

BTW, Nancy P.and Harry R. were delighted when briefed by the CIA on this new invention. I wouldn't look to them blaming the Bush administration for this Saudi tool of terror, but to announce a "National Flu Vaccination Program". Rumors are that Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are going to be the first two recipients.

A thought to ponder

2009-05-16T06:46:00.001-07:00

"Christians aren't people who believe they are without sin; they're people who know they're sinners and are awestruck by God's grace in sending his only Son to take the punishment they deserve.

"This is in contradistinction to liberals, all of whom believe they're on a fast track to heaven on the basis of being 'basically good' people -- and also believe that anyone who disagrees with that theological view is evil."

Another reason our republic is in peril

2009-05-10T20:18:00.002-07:00

I was perusing the latest online it bleeds/it leads from the Main Stream media.

Golf Analyst Feherty Sorry for Pelosi Joke in Dallas Magazine

CBS Sports golf analyst David Feherty apologized Sunday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for a morbid joke that went bad in a Dallas magazine.

Yeah, it has gotten to the point in this country that the thought police are even trying to control satire and humor.

The joke is actually quit funny because like all good humor that is sarcastic.

"Despite how the conflict has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you
gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an
elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Osama bin Laden, there's a good
chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden
would be strangled to death."

The liberal windbags are so thin skinned that they are unable to tolerate a joke that they are the subject. His Employer, a MSM outlet that is a major distributor of the Zero's Koolaid and the brain washing for the Democratic socialistic agenda released the following KowTow to appease the Liberal overlords.

CBS Sports distanced itself from Feherty's writing, saying it was "an
unacceptable attempt at humor and is not in any way condoned, endorsed or
approved" by the network. The PGA Tour also criticized him for an attempt at
humor that "went over the line."

We are reaching the tipping point where the those who are elected are unable to tolerate the opinion or humor of those who they represent. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are so full of themselves it is sickening.

These boys are tough

2009-05-01T11:36:00.006-07:00

I found this article oddly enough on the MSN website. It is actually a NYT article which makes it even more of a deviation.

Anyway, The two devil dogs in the article have a pair so big it is lucky they can walk.

From the article,

This is Firebase Vimoto, named for Pfc. Timothy R. Vimoto, an American
soldier killed in the valley two years ago. If all goes according to the
Pentagon’s plan, this tiny perimeter — home to an Afghan platoon and two
Marine Corps infantrymen — contains the future of Afghanistan....

There are nearly 30 Afghan soldiers here. Their
senior mentor, Cpl. Sean P. Conroy, of Carmel, N.Y., is 25 years old. His
assistant, Lance Cpl. Brandon J.Murray, of Fort Myers, Fla., is 21.

Each day they organize and walk Afghan Army patrols in the
valley below,some of the most dangerous acreage in the world. Each night
they participate inradio meetings with the American posts along the ridges,
exchanging plans and intelligence, and plotting the counterinsurgency effort
in the ancient villages below.
In Corporal Conroy’s war, two Marines train Afghans in weapons,
tactics, first aid, hygiene and leadership. They keep the firebase supplied with
ammunition, water, batteries and food. Theydefecate in a rusting barrel and
urinate in a tube that slopes off a roof and drains into the air. Fly strips
surround them. They have no running water; their sleeping bunker stinks of
filthy clothes and sweat.
The corporal has tied a flea collar through his belt loops; he needs it like a
dog. He served two tours in Iraq. His four-year enlistment ended last month,
but he extended for nine months when promised hewould be assigned to a
combat outpost in Afghanistan.

He does not hide that he likes his life here: the senior man in an isolated
post, surrounded by the Taliban, waking to a new patrol every day and drilling
what he calls the Alamo Plan, to be executed if the firebase is overrun.
“This is the sweetest deal ever,” he said one evening between firefights.
“There is no other place I could get a job like this — not at this rank.”

He woke the next daybefore 4 a.m. for a patrol. As he slipped into his ammunition vest, he
groused that back home, when conversations drift to the war,the infantry too often is misunderstood.
“You know what I don’t like about America?” he said, in the chill beneath lingering stars. “If you do what I do, then theythink either you should have PTSD or you are some sort of psychopath.”

He exhaled cigarette smoke. “This is my job,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with it.”

Amen Brother..

The can-do attitudes and sacrifies of men like these should be required studies in high schools and colleges all across this land.

Full article HERE

End of an era

2009-04-25T12:49:00.007-07:00

Another casualty of the recession.

General Motors has announced that they are going to discontinue the Pontiac brand.

My father has owned a Pontiac up until a few years ago when he let them all go and went with a Toyota Sequoia for size and comfort.

Pontiac GTO, Trans Am and Catalina's from the 60's and the 70's are the zenith of Muscle cars. Too bad another chapter in Detroit iron is going to the bone yard.

Here is the First muscle car I grew up with a 1961 Pontiac Ventura with a Tri-Power 389 Super Duty Engine.

I spent many an evening helping the old man tinker with the engine and was fascinated with the 3 two barrel carburetor setup. It was one of those motors that required the old school "premium" gas due to the compression ratio. And it could smoke the tires all the way to 4th gear.

It is THAT day again

2009-04-15T18:49:00.003-07:00

You Still have a few hours to fill out those forms and even up with the Govt. This year I did Ok, It was almost a dead even push. So I have my withholdings calculated right so that the clown's in Washington can't earn interest on my money that in the end they would owe me. Now another date (tommorrow) to look forward to... TAX freedom Day. That is the date that your labor no longer pays for for the common "Good" (and current nonsense) and your money is your own. Soon this day may loom in the distant end of the year around the yuletide season at the rate the congess critters are spending.

Tax Freedom Day by State, 2009

State
Days Spent Working to Pay Taxes
Tax Freedom Day
Rank

Washington
106
April 16
8

Liar

2009-04-13T17:40:00.002-07:00

This video was recorded on January 12, 2009 before the stimulus (porkulus) bill was passed.
Pelosi said, “I can pledge to you that no earmark or any of that, any description you want to make of it will be in the bill that passes the House.”

Most people would call that perjury. In the Navy we called it falsifying official statements, I think She and Congress should be held accountable. How can you hold up your right hand and make a statement and not follow through. Unless that is you were either a pathological liar, or part of a group of people who are view themselves above the laws of our country. They feel that they are anointed to rule over the rest of us and don't need to be subject to the rules, laws and regulations they pass for the rest of the unwashed. We are only here to fund their salary, staff, travel and retirement.

These are the fools who are pissing away the treasury and doing their level best to destroy the credibility of our country both home and abroad. It isn't a party problem either, Republicans are paving the road to hell as fast as the Democrats. It is just a contest who can push their way in front of the camera to brag about it and stroke their overinflated ego first.

Mess with the bull, get the horns

2009-04-12T13:51:00.004-07:00

The Seals were able to take the shot that all Sailors out there know that they were capable of and I am sure more than willing to do.

U.S. naval forces rescued cargo ship captain Richard Phillips from captivity at
the hands of Somali pirates in a dramatic shootout that ended a five-day
standoff, the U.S. Navy said on Sunday.
The U.S. Navy said Phillips was freed
unharmed and that naval forces killed three of four pirates who had held him
hostage on a lifeboat after trying to seize his vessel. It said a fourth pirate
was in custody.

Initial reports from CNN said Phillips, who first tried to escape on Friday, jumped overboard just before a shootout between his captors and U.S. Navy Seals.

Scub three ass hats. Now we have one in custody that the liberal media I am sure will parade around as a martyr because the bad ole military somehow infringed on his rights. Never mind he was holding an AMERICAN citizen hostage. I just wish that they were able to snuff the fourth and tied up all loose ends. The television is currently spewing that Justice will be served when the "pirate" has his day in court. Personally I think that Justice was served and the laws of the sea were followed in taking these guys out with no mercy.

BZ to the operators for the difficult shot taken on a bobbing target at sea. BZ to the Banbridge and her crew for keeping station and not letting these nimrods slip off into the night. Our Navy should take down all pirates who choose to interfere with an American ship or an American crew.

Kicking Butt

2009-04-07T22:16:00.004-07:00

I have made the choice to rid myself of a nasty habit. Today was day two of no cigarettes. I am staging my own small tax rebellion. The clowns in congress decided to raise the tax on smokes by a dollar a pack. While it is easy to pass legislation to tax a behavior that most find offensive, it is also a choice whether to pay the tax. So, I have decided to quit the smokes in a similar manner that the founders of our country found to avoid the oppression of unfair taxes levied on them. They quit consuming the goods that the taxes were levied on.

Yeah there are health benefits, but that isn't what is truly driving the deep seated hate for what I see as a start of unfair and unrepresented taxation. Having a Stiff Drink and a smoke is part of my character, but due to the taxation because these are easy habits to pick on, I have ceased to further fund the liberal agenda.

More proof the Elitist don't care

2009-04-01T08:50:00.005-07:00

Obama Orders Chevrolet and Dodge Out Of NASCAR

I have Quoted a few lines from the article found Here

In a move sure to spark outrage, the White House announced today
that GM and Chrysler must cease participation in NASCAR at the end of the 2009
season if they hope to receive any additional financial aid from the government.
Companies around the globe—Honda and Audi, to name two—have drawn down racing
operations, and NASCAR itself has already felt the pinch in the form of reduced
team spending. A complete withdrawal from America’s premier racing series is
expected to save more than $250 million between GM and Chrysler, a substantial
amount considering the drastic measures being implemented elsewhere.

NASCAR officials remain tight-lipped about the call, but sources
say series president Mike Helton and team managers are exploring several
options, including other manufacturers to fill Chevrolet and Dodge’s vacated
positions. Given the company’s recent interest in motorsport and the steady
cash-flow and V-8 engine provided by its new Genisis Sedan, sources indicate
that NASCAR is pinging Hyundai to gauge the Korean company’s interest in
occupying a spot in NASCAR. “Toyota was not well-received their first year in
the sport, nor was their first season an easy one,” the source says. “But they
learned, they applied the lessons, and they have proven very competitive this
year.”

If Hyundai does indeed join the series, there will no doubt be a steep learning
curve, and the move would leave Ford the lone domestic battling a pair of Asian
makes in America’s most popular racing series. We wonder, however, how long
NASCAR could hold that title without two of its most storied participants

April Fool

We are from the Goverment and are here to help

2009-03-31T10:00:00.002-07:00

Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.
-Alexis de Tocqueville

Found this article today in the Drudge report

It was nearly two weeks ago that the House of Representatives, acting in a
near-frenzy after the disclosure of bonuses paid to executives of AIG, passed a
bill that would impose a 90 percent retroactive tax on those bonuses. Despite
the overwhelming 328-93 vote, support for the measure began to collapse almost
immediately. Within days, the Obama White House backed away from it, as did the
Senate Democratic leadership. The bill stalled, and the populist storm that
spawned it seemed to pass.
But now, in a little-noticed move, the House
Financial Services Committee, led by chairman Barney Frank, has approved a
measure that would, in some key ways, go beyond the most draconian features of
the original AIG bill. The new legislation, the "Pay for Performance Act of
2009," would impose government controls on the pay of all employees -- not just
top executives -- of companies that have received a capital investment from the
U.S. government. It would, like the tax measure, be retroactive, changing the
terms of compensation agreements already in place. And it would give Treasury
Secretary Timothy Geithner extraordinary power to determine the pay of thousands of employees of American companies.

When will those in Congress drop the Lynch mob mentality and start doing something for the GOOD our nation instead of grandstanding that will only lead us down a road we don't want to go.

They had the chance to regulate these companies when they started to use our 401k's and Wall Street as a slot machine. They then had another chance to regulate the use of OUR tax dollars that were used to prop up companies deemed "too big" to fail.

In all accounts they failed to act in the best interest of the republic. Instead they turned a blind eye to the Mortgage Markets that were running amok with fraud.

Rep. Alan Grayson, the Florida Democrat who wrote the bill, told me its
basic message is "you should not get rich off public money, and you should not
get rich off of abject failure."

Yeah Dude, there are 535 Congress Critters who need to look in the mirror on that one.

Very cool and very scary at the same time

2009-03-29T17:15:00.002-07:00

Sunday funny

2009-03-29T11:40:00.005-07:00

This is a good one...submariners and the Air Force...

After 9/11 an old Submarine Chief asked the CNO to return him to

active duty and send him to the middle east. Of course the CNO

refused, and told the old submariner he had served his time on

patrol and should relax and enjoy his golden years. The 'ole Chief wasn't

at all pleased, so he wrote the Secretary of the Navy with the same

request. Back came the reply for him to enjoy his golden years,

because this war was a young man's war and there was no place for

him.

That really pissed him off, so he wrote his congressman a long,

heart wrenching letter explaining in great detail just why he felt he

should be returned to active duty. Back came the reply almost word for

word, the same as the SecNav response....... The 'ole Chief was livid.

He went down to the beach in Norfolk Virginia, bought a rowboat, and

vowing to get to the Persian Gulf one way or the other, he set out

rowing his boat and singing the Anchors away my boys, Anchors away

"........... and off he rowed for the gulf.

Saint Peter had been watching this grizzled 'ole CPO all the while,

and was at first amused by it all but had grown increasingly

concerned as the Chief displayed his commitment to his objective. Saint

Peter finally turned to God for advice on how to deal with this unwavering

old salt. After hearing the saga unfold, God advised Saint Peter to be

merciful and take the Chief's brain, since that was the center of

thought, and he would simply abandon the idea about getting to the

Persian Gulf. Now, having taken God's advice and removing the

Chief's brain, St. Peter observed little if any change in the CPO's

behavior. He continued to row his boat and sing at the top of his voice

"Anchors away my boys, anchors away ".......

A little frustrated at the lack of results of his efforts, St.

Peter turned again to his God and asked, "Now what?" God said,

"Well OK, take his heart, because not even an old sewer pipe sailor can

function without a heart. So, that should end it." But when St. Peter had

completed his task, and removed the Chief's heart, he was again

amazed that little if any change could be observed in the Chief's behavior

as he continued to row his boat and sing "Anchors away my boys,

anchors away "....... at-the-top-of-his-voice.

Once again, St. Peter asked God for assistance with this unusual

situation for which there seemed to be no solution.

This time God responded by suggesting that St. Peter should remove

the old boat sailor's testicles, since it's a well known fact that

steely eyed killers of the deep can't function without their testicles.

Otherwise, what would be the reason for submariners having the

worldwide reputation of having the balls to do the impossible?

Convinced this was the answer, St. Peter went to work and removed

the 'ole Chief's balls. Again, St. Peter observed the submariner, this

time with his balls, brains and heart removed, rowing in a never

ending circle singing, "Off we go, into the wild blue yonder."

Yeah Right...

2009-03-08T18:16:00.002-07:00

After the Inauguration, I took a break from blogging and even the news in general for the sake of my dentist and blood pressure. The buffoons, swindlers, and elitist crooks that have managed to pass themselves as American citizens holding office in the congress and executive branch of our government were causing me to grit my teeth so bad that I had to take a break from the breathless and enthusiastic reporting of the evisceration of our republic.

Just today on CNN, Peter Orszag, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, was quoted saying: “This president will bring a halt to pork-laden bills.
He says it is too late to cut earmarks from the spending bill inherited from the Bush administration.
"[Such bills] will not happen when the president has the full legislative and appropriations process in place,"

He argued that the White House had little choice but to support the $410 billion omnibus spending bill, which it inherited from the previous administration. The bill would keep the government running through 2009.

"This is like your relief pitcher coming into the ninth inning and wanting to redo the whole game," Orszag said. "Next year we're going to be the starting pitcher, and the game's going to be completely different."

But House Minority Whip Eric Cantor rejected the argument and noted that President Obama had vowed to take action against earmarks during the presidential campaign.
"If you make a promise, people expect that you live up to it. And that's why this administration's refusal to go in and change this bill, I think, is a false position," Cantor told "State of the Union."
"There is no way anyone could take what Mr. Orszag has said with any credibility," Cantor said
Both Parties have Completely lost credibility. Mainly due to the following:
The spending bill contains nearly $8 billion in earmarks, which are pet projects of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The Senate postponed a planned vote on the bill Thursday after Democratic leaders came up short of the support they needed to pass it.
While many lawmakers consider at least some of the pet projects worthy, most openly reject the system of slipping earmarks into the bill to try to bring home as much "pork" as possible. But many of those who have complained about earmarks also have earmarks in the bill. They argue that until everyone is prevented from taking part in the process, their states or districts should not lose out

In a debate last September against Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, Obama discussed earmarks and vowed to go "line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely."

Obama has vowed to sign the spending bill.

"Would we have written this thing differently? Absolutely," Orszag told King. "But we face a basic choice here. ... Is it uglier than we'd like? Yes. But again, this was negotiated last year. We think we should just move on. When we are engaged in the fiscal year 2010 appropriations process, it's going to look a lot different."

But Cantor, R-Virginia, said "people are expecting this administration to live up to the promises made."

Asked whether his argument is undermined by the earmarks from Republicans, Cantor responded that he and House Minority Leader John Boehner had asked their party to adopt a moratorium on the practice. Indeed, some lawmakers from both parties have
called for a moratorium.

"There is no question that we've got to change this entire process. It is a system gone bad," Cantor said.

Here's a news flash.

We don't have an economic problem. We don't have a Social Security insolvency problem, either.
Nor do we have a world image problem, a taxation problem, a national debt problem, or spending, policy, infrastructure, housing, banking, farming, poverty, unemployment, trade, fuel, commerce, or energy problems.

What we do have is a parochial, childish, corrupt, partisan, egotistical, tenure-driven, "me-based," out-of-touch, deceitful, reactive-versus-proactive, pork-laden, elitist Congress problem.

Any 535 randomly selected American citizens can do as good as or as bad as the current House and Senate.

Frankly, they can probably do better. These elected so-called "leaders" bathe in their own high self-image, mindless of what real America thinks of them.

Fix Congress and we can then start getting down to repairing the issues and challenges of our society.

Comms Check

2009-03-08T12:32:00.003-07:00

I have tried to post the past few days and the blogger posting page has had errors that have prevented posting.

If I could have been in Washington DC yesterday..

2009-01-21T18:01:00.010-08:00

a comment by a reader got me to thinking... I would have loved to have been able to attend the inauguration yesterday, just for the history of attending such an event.

Even better, I would have enjoyed taking my 10yr old daughter to D.C. a week before and showed her some of the sites honoring Americans who have made our nation what it is today to give her a prospective.

I would explain that if it were not for these memorials honoring Americans who sacrificed for our country, we wouldn't have the luxury to see this...

My fellow americans never cease to "impress' me

2009-01-21T16:39:00.003-08:00

Democrats, and Obama supporters, they are the first to spew abut the damage to our environment, pollution, ad nasum. They can talk to the talk, Too bad they can't walk the walk.

This a a photo of the D.C. Mall after the inauguration.. Too Bad they couldn't have policed up after themselves.

The pictures speak pretty loud about the feelings of our country

2009-01-20T19:24:00.005-08:00

This is the D.C. Mall when R.Regan was inaugurated back in 81. I look for other pics from roughly the same vantage point but not luck

Here is the D.C. Mall today for our current President B. Obama today

Quite a stark contrast with the participation from regular Joes.

I found his speech today interesting. We will see if he can fill the shoes that have been set out for him

He is now MY president, so I will support him to the fullest extent of the law and constitution. I don't believe in taking the liberal path and spend my time trying to tear him down because I don't fully agree with his views. He was elected by the majority of the people in this country and that is what should happen when you live in a democracy, sometimes you are not in the majority of the opinion.

Can I Help support this kind of Bailout???

2009-01-09T15:41:00.004-08:00

Just helping out a Shipmate

2009-01-08T18:15:00.003-08:00

Joel, our beloved author of The Stupid Shall be Punished (the blog title I enviously wish I had for my blog. ) is in the running for some kind of Internet popularity contest. SOOO.. being a shipmate I am quoting an excerpt of his blog

Coming Up On The Weekend Push!

Remember, you can (and should) vote for The Stupid Shall Be Punished every 24 hours, from every computer to which you have access, for "Best Up And Coming Blog" on the 2008 Weblog Awards. We haven't been able to close the ~50 vote gap by which Savage Politics is ahead of me for the lead, but thanks to all your dedicated voting I'm about 100 votes clear of 3rd place. (I currently have 576 votes - thanks much!) Looks like it'll be an exciting race through the weekend until voting ends on Monday.

If you're having a hard time deciding who to vote for, please consider these endorsements I picked up from 4 random people I ran across:

"Bubblehead is getting no special snuggling unless he wins this thing!" -- SubBasket

"Ewww, Mom... Gross!" -- Adult Daughter

"Vote for Cancer Guy!" -- Sean Kennedy, noted film critic

"You want an endorsement, old man? How 'bout you put some gas in my truck, and then we'll talk endorsements." -- Robert Kennedy, standardized test expert

Click here to vote!

Click and Vote for Joel.

Fuck, now I have to move to Timbucktu

2009-01-05T16:18:00.002-08:00

There is now empirical evidence that our country, and fellow country men and women have truly lost it in their reach for the lost age of Aquarius and the whole country is gone to hell in a hand basket.

Democrat Al Franken declared victory in the hotly contested Minnesota Senate race Monday saying the win is "incredibly humbling."

A Minnesota board says Al Franken won his U.S. Senate race against Norm Coleman by 225 votes.

The Minnesota State Canvassing Board on Monday certified the results of the recount of Republican Sen. Norm Coleman's fight to retain his seat against Franken. The results showed Franken with a 225-vote lead.

"I am proud to stand before you as the next senator from Minnesota," Franken told reporters Monday night. "It's clear that we have a lot of important work to do ... I'm ready to go to Washington and get to work as soon as possible

I know that most elections are crooked, but this one takes the cake. They counted, rejected, included, moved, found, lost, and other wise maneuver the count until they had the line up that they wanted to further support the shift to the left.

People of Minnesota, Be ashamed! How could you have possibly elected this clown to represent you in the senate?

I mean there were so many other choices, The Republican opponent, a rock, a tub of cool whip, a round of cheese, my pet gold fish for crying out loud.

Better start packing,

Adieu, adios, bye-bye, cheerio, ciao, 2008

2009-01-01T09:28:00.003-08:00

At the stroke of midnight,(allowing for the 1 second update of UTC) 2008 became 2009.

The rocky, wet, oblate spheroid—a rounded shape with a bulge around the equator—although the precise shape (the geoid) varies from this by up to 100 meters that we wake up to with the star we orbit rising to the east each day has completed yet another orbit of the Sun, a yellow dwarf star, spectral type G2.

The Sun lies close to the inner rim of the Milky Way Galaxy's Orion Arm, in the Local Fluff or the Gould Belt, at a hypothesized distance of 7.62±0.32 kpc (24,800 light years) from the Galactic Center.
The distance between the local arm and the next arm out, the Perseus Arm, is about 6,500 light-years. The Sun, and thus the Solar System, is found in what scientists call the galactic habitable zone.

The Apex of the Sun's Way, or the solar apex, is the direction that the Sun travels through space in the Milky Way. The general direction of the Sun's galactic motion is towards the star Vega near the constellation of Hercules, at an angle of roughly 60 sky degrees to the direction of the Galactic Center. The Sun's orbit around the Galaxy is expected to be roughly elliptical with the addition of perturbations due to the galactic spiral arms and non-uniform mass distributions. In addition the Sun oscillates up and down relative to the galactic plane approximately 2.7 times per orbit. This is very similar to how a simple harmonic oscillator works with no drag force (damping) term. It has been argued that the Sun's passage through the higher density spiral arms often coincides with mass extinctions on Earth, perhaps due to increased impact events.

It takes the Solar System about 225–250 million years to complete one orbit of the galaxy.

So, In the big scheme of things, 2008 as we are counting wasn't all that significant unless you account for the impact we have had on each other

War, poverty and hunger still scourge our planet due to the greed and ego of our fellow man.

Our technological advances have both connected us closer and further isolated us from every day reality.

Our country is on the cusp of either a great change or we will continue in the death spiral of self centered, feeding of the collective national id (The id acts as a pleasure principle: if not compelled by reality it seeks immediate enjoyment. It is focused on selfishness and instant self-gratification.) that will ultimately lower the standard of living here and ultimately the entire world.

With the hope that things will be better, Happy New year.

Close to the truth

2008-12-30T18:32:00.001-08:00

Quotes from my favorite Amercian President and greatest patriot

2008-12-21T11:38:00.000-08:00

*
Thomas Jefferson: When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.
*
Thomas Jefferson: The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
*
Thomas Jefferson: It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.
*
Thomas Jefferson: I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
*
Thomas Jefferson: My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.
*
Thomas Jefferson: No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.
*
Thomas Jefferson: The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
*
Thomas Jefferson: The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
*
Thomas Jefferson: To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.
*
Thomas Jefferson: I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.

Submarine Christmas

2008-12-11T17:43:00.005-08:00

Blunoz had an entry the other day that reminded me of "Christmas" on the boat.
One of the memorable underway Holidays on "Ustafish" was when the Chief stew burner brought the required artifical christmas tree for the underway but somewhere, somehow forgot ALL other holiday decorations.
So, the tree was un-boxed and placed on a table in the mess decks with it's lone naked glory.
The enterprising Submariners that we were; proceeded to "Decorate" it with a wide variety of material at hand. The red baloney rings from Mid-Rats, the Green cover, cotter pin and lanyard from OBA canisters expended from Drills, Various broken pieces of sound powered phones, and Misc drill props from both forward and aft. It was the sadder than that tree in Charlie brown's Christmas. And unlike the Charlie Brown Cartoon, there was no redemption at the holiday. It just got sadder and sadder with each addition by the smart asses on board until it was deemed a health Hazard by the DOC and stripped of it's "Ornaments" (The straw that snapped the camels back was the tightie whitie's fished out of the Chunky pump (cam sewage pump) and put in a plastic bag and attached to the tree).

This was the same Christmas that I was a member of the FSA (Crank)Div, and had moved, kicked, abused and other wise folded, spindled, stapled and mutilated the thirty odd fruit cakes that had been in the reefer since our underway prior to Halloween. Needless to say, didn't sample any of the survivors due to first hand knowledge of their care.

And this Christmas was one where our Division had a "gift exchange". Each member bought a gift for another via a name drawn from a hat prior to underway. The two most memorable gifts, 1. the ring that an ET2 filed out of a NICU bolt. He was either a cheap bastard or just lazy and procrastinated like the rest of us prior to underway and didn't buy the gift for his exchange. To his credit, I actually thought it was a cool ring once he was done. It was several days of filing on watch and off watch and then polishing with emery cloth. 2. the Phallic "Wife Pleaser"; again, designed and filed and polished by another ET2 from a broken shorting Probe. It wasn't actually part of the gift exchange, he kept it for personal reasons. But still the OOOHH and AHH's from the division when he lit off the red lights he rigged in the end of the handle that caused the clear plastic shaft and end he filed to glow in red glory..

Share your underway Christmas Stories,

While we are throwing Billions to bail them out.....

2008-12-11T08:58:00.000-08:00

I was wondering why the sun rose in the west today...

2008-12-01T11:39:00.002-08:00

Wow, After years of trashing her, He is happy with the appointment. I was wondering why the slant of light looked wrong when I was drinking my coffee..

Rush Limbaugh endorses Clinton for Obama's cabinet

NEW YORK (AP) -- Rush Limbaugh has seldom been a fan of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. But the conservative radio pundit has given his blessing to her selection as the next secretary of state.

He calls it "a brilliant stroke" by President-elect Barack Obama, who opposed Clinton for the Democratic nomination.

Limbaugh weighs in on the new administration as one of Barbara Walters' "10 Most Fascinating People of 2008," which airs Thursday on ABC.

Says Limbaugh: "You know the old phrase, 'You keep your friends close and your enemies closer?' How can she run for president in 2012? She'd have to run against the incumbent and be critical of him - the one who made her secretary of state."

On Monday, Obama announced Clinton as his nominee for secretary of state

Head Cheese

2008-11-19T10:17:00.003-08:00

Today's post, Just bits and pieces congealed in a fatty gelatinous amalgamation

I hear that it is great fried..

Poor Uncle Ted, He might have to go to jail..

I have had a bone in my teeth about Ted Stevens,
Because... Well quite frankly as a Constitutional conservative, I can put up and even admire a rouge character that plays on the outside fringes. Our country is founded and has flourished because we have these types in our midst because they were the mover and shakers who made a change.
But this A$$hole was a Holier than Thou, I deserve it because of who I am, self appointed demigod who helped pave the path for the current administration and political environment.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican in Senate history, narrowly lost his re-election bid Tuesday, marking the downfall of a Washington political power and Alaska icon who couldn't survive a conviction on federal corruption charges. His defeat to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich moves Senate Democrats closer to a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority.

Stevens' ouster on his 85th birthday marks an abrupt realignment in Alaska politics and will alter the power structure in the Senate, where he has served since the days of the Johnson administration while holding seats on some of the most influential committees in Congress.

The crotchety octogenarian built like a birch sapling likes to encourage comparisons with the Incredible Hulk, but he occupies an outsized place in Alaska history. His involvement in politics dates to the days before Alaska statehood, and he is esteemed for his ability to secure billions of dollars in federal aid for transportation and military projects. The Anchorage airport bears his name; in Alaska, it's simply "Uncle Ted."

Tuesday's tally of just over 24,000 absentee and other ballots gave Begich 146,286, or 47.56 percent, to 143,912, or 46.76 percent, for Stevens.

Stevens' loss was another slap for Republicans in a year that has seen the party lose control of the White House, as well as seats in the House and Senate. It also moves Democrats one step closer to the 60 votes needed to overcome filibusters in the Senate. Democrats now hold 58 seats, when two independents who align with Democrats are included, with undecided races in Minnesota and Georgia where two Republicans are trying to hang onto their seats.

It is a testament to Stevens' popularity -- he was once named "Alaskan of the Century" -- that he won nearly half the votes, even after his conviction. He routinely brought home the highest number of government dollars per capita in the nation -- more than $9 billion in 2006 alone, according to one estimate.

With Stevens gone "it's a big gap in dollars -- billions of dollars -- that none of the other members of the delegation, Begich, whoever, could fill," said Gerald McBeath, chair of the political science department at University of Alaska Fairbanks. "There is no immediate replacement for him."

Following the trial Stevens said he wanted another term "because I love this land and its people" and vowed to press on with an appeal. Professing his innocence, he blamed his legal problems on his former friend Bill Allen, the founder and former chairman of VECO Corp., the government's star witness.

In a state where oil and politics have always mixed, the conviction came as part of a long-running investigation into government corruption centered around VECO.

Stevens refused pleas from his own party leaders to step down after the verdict, including Sen. John McCain, the GOP presidential nominee who said the Alaska senator had "broken his trust with the people."

My poor heart is pumping panther piss due to the loss of pork to the Grand state of Alaska and the Oil interests. I am not happy that the Democrats and that Summer of 68 in Berkeley reject N Pelosie are a step closer to turning the house and senate into a shit through a goose institution. But I am glad that the people of Alaska were smart enough to vote for the least corrupt of the competition.

Speaking of Ass Hats,

Another close race that is yet undecided, R. Norm Colman against one of the most Flaming Liberal piss poor excuse of human flesh D. Al Franken.
(Not quite mad enough to say that the best part of him dripped down his momma's leg) Oops; was that my outside voice??

Well it looks like there are things afoot at the Circle K with that race, Found ballots, judges, Should be interesting.

With only 206 votes out of 2.9 million total ballots separating Republican Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota from his Democratic opponent Al Franken, every vote counts -- including the elusive 32 absentee ballots first reported to be found in a state official's car three days after the election.

And Finally,

4 Reasons that Detroit and the makers of American iron are hearing a chisel tap out the epitaph on the headstones.

This was ripped off from Campbell Brown on the CNN website, she stated what I was thinking but in plain English without the potty mouth.

The heads of Detroit's car companies -- Ford, Chrysler, GM -- bumper to bumper, are begging Congress for a bailout. Let's start by cutting through the bull and look at how the automobile companies got into this mess.

1. Americans are finally starting to turn their backs on those 12 mile-per-gallon SUVs.

Yes, it took us long enough, but we are finally starting to get it. I know, gas prices have fallen back into the $2-per-gallon range, but we all remember what it cost to fill up last summer, when gas was $4 per gallon. And we all know those days will come again.

2. Why isn't Detroit making what we want to buy now?

Where are the hybrids? Where are the batteries? Where are cars that get 70 miles per gallon? For years automakers fought tooth and nail against improving fuel efficiency standards. You say they're in the pipeline? You say we'll get 40-mile-per-gallon cars in 2020? Americans need them now.

3. Ignoring the competition.

It has seemed at times like American car makers think car buyers are so blindly loyal that they will keep coming back -- despite the sticker shock -- for crummy cars that guzzle gas, fall apart too soon, and cost too much to repair. Lots of other companies have figured out how to build better quality, more fuel-efficient cars, and even do it right here in the United States.

4. Greed.

GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner earns almost $9 million a year. Some union workers in the automotive industry earn $30 or $40 an hour plus benefits. Retirees get pensions and health benefits that would make anyone jealous. You guys spend millions of dollars a year lobbying to keep everything the same and now you're asking us, the taxpayers, for $25 billion.

Now, I don't know if a government bailout will rescue America's auto industry but I do know that if there is a bailout, it better come with a big, bright stop sign and lots of strings attached.

I need a Vacation from the Vacation

2008-11-17T11:09:00.003-08:00

Wheew,

I have returned home to my comfortable chair, Unruly pets who missed us, and a bed that has that "form fit" on my side. Should have taken a few more days to just relax here and unwind.
After a rather challenging TWO days, with an unexpected overnight in Salt Lake City thanks to the ineptitude of the airline we chose, we managed to get to our destination.

It was good to go and see all the friends and relations down in the Southwest, but boy, did we spend all day, every day commuting from one place to another.

I didn't get much of a chance to see anything of the home town other than transiting from place to place. Overall, it has turned into the same homogeneous series of Starbuck's/Dollar store strip malls around the outer edges with down town dying a slow death as any other town in America.

Most of the "mom and pop" businesses and restaurants I remember are long gone. The City has made some nice parks/open areas in the down town core instead of empty and decaying buildings.

But I will miss the eclectic shopping and the great meals that you could find in the independent owned businesses.

It is anti climatic to go to "Chilies" or IHOP when there used to be some great small restaurants and diners. The quality of Mexican cuisine has dropped off to the Wal Mart/ Target blandness. I was served a green Chili enchilada that the green sauce was made of chopped green chili in cream of chicken soup. UN BELIEVABLE. There was only one place that they were still making fresh tortillas. That used to be the pride of almost any Mexican restaurant in town, But either it is cheaper to buy them or the knowlege of how to do it is gone.

What I found striking, the Super Walmart/ Sam's club and one Albertson's are about the only grocery shopping. All the small and medium competitors have closed shop. This really leaves the folks there with a limited choice of goods.

Well, I was again faced with a universal truth of life;

"You Can't Go Home Again ".

The title of a Thomas Wolfe novel and a Moody Blues song, it bears more than just a pearl of truth.

A small public Service announcment

2008-11-05T23:00:00.003-08:00

Before BT and going offline, I thought I would turn some of my readers on to Matt C at Twelve Fluid ounces, He is out there doing the job and has recently resurfaced with a good bit of reading that will make one remember "that's why I retired/Got out..."

Going Sinkers

2008-11-05T21:43:00.004-08:00

After a wild year in life, including the last sea tour, retirement from the Canoe Club, Post Navy Employment, and getting reacquainted with Better half and young daughter.
Now Throw in the Epic election cycle with the outcome that the Republican party paved with golden bricks with their "Holier than thou" attitude to the common man in the past 4-6 yrs, a never ending war on two fronts and an economic meltdown that has kept the privileged few with their wealth, property and retirement enact while the rest are worried about our homes, jobs and quite possibly putting supper on the table.

SO....

I am taking a Snooze, a Siesta, a break, a noon er, Vacation, or just a sabbatical so to speak for about a week to make a run to the southwest, have me some green chile Enchiladas, cold margaritas with plenty of tequila, lime, salt and ice, go out to the desert, build a fire and get (more) drunk, howl at the moon with friends and family who are above the dirt and to remember those who have gone before us.

Hopefully, All good for the soul stuff.

When I get back, hopefully the brain housing group will be refitted and reset; ready to resume caustic commentary on the idiotic and just plain stupid that dominates our world.

Dolphin Three Three
Dolphin Three Seven

Nereus

Will your vote truly count???????

2008-11-02T08:30:00.003-08:00

Today, I carefully filled in my mail-in ballot and signed and deposited in it in a mail box.

but will my Vote truly reflect count and truly effect the popular ( what the people want) Vote or will I lose out to the Electoral College??

The process of the highest office in our country is actually a complex process.

Quoted from Wikipedia

The Electoral College consists of 538 popularly elected representatives who formally select the President and Vice President of the United States.[1] In 2008, it will make this selection on December 15. The Electoral College is an example of an indirect election.

Rather than directly voting for the President and Vice President, United States citizens cast votes for electors. Electors are technically free to vote for anyone eligible to be President, but in practice pledge to vote for specific candidates[2] and voters cast ballots for favored presidential and vice presidential candidates by voting for correspondingly pledged electors.[3] Most states allow voters to choose between statewide slates of electors pledged to vote for the presidential and vice presidential tickets of various parties; the ticket that receives the most votes statewide 'wins' all of the votes cast by electors from that state. U.S. presidential campaigns concentrate on winning the popular vote in a combination of states that choose a majority of the electors, rather than campaigning to win the most votes nationally.

Each state has a number of electors equal to the number of its Senators and Representatives in the United States Congress. Additionally, Washington, D.C. is given a number of electors equal to the number held by the "least populous" state.[4] U.S. territories are not represented in the Electoral College.

Each elector casts one vote for President and one vote for Vice President. In order to be elected, a candidate must have a majority (at least 270) of the electoral votes cast for that office. Should no candidate for President win a majority of the electoral votes, the choice is referred to the House of Representatives.[5] Should no candidate for Vice President possess a majority of the electoral votes, the choice is given to the Senate.[6]

The Constitution allows each state legislature to designate a method of choosing electors. Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have adopted a winner-take-all popular vote rule where voters choose between statewide slates of electors pledged to vote for a specific presidential and vice presidential candidate. The candidate that wins the most votes in the state wins the support of all of that state’s electors. The two other states, Maine and Nebraska, use a tiered system where a single elector is chosen within each Congressional district and two electors are chosen by statewide popular vote. U.S. presidential elections are effectively an amalgamation of 51 separate and simultaneous elections (50 states plus the District of Columbia), rather than a single national election.

Candidates can fail to get the most votes in the nationwide popular vote in a presidential election and still win that election. This occurred in 1876, 1888 and 2000. Critics argue the Electoral College is inherently undemocratic and gives certain swing states disproportionate clout in selecting the President and Vice President. Adherents argue that the Electoral College is an important and distinguishing feature of the federal system, and protects the rights of smaller states. Numerous constitutional amendments have been introduced in Congress seeking a replacement of the Electoral College with a direct popular vote; however, no proposal has ever successfully passed both houses.

I know that living in one of the most liberal states (Washington, Just left of San Fransisco California, Cause all the hippies who couldn't afford to stay in the Silicon Vally, they all moved here) My rather conservative views may not make the differnce of a fart in a whirlwind.

However, Being a Card carrying America Citizen who thinks that the Constitution actually means something, I would rather see the leader of our nation elected by what the PEOPLE *THOSE WHO VOTE and are ELIGIBLE to VOTE* actually want to be in office.

The Past few elections have exposed that the Electoral college is more than likely a Corrupt part of the "Good Ole Boy" system that is undermining our republic and the Democracy of our nation, I foresee that the upcoming election will challenge this system to the up most.

What ever your political Views,

Be an AMERICAN Citizen,

Get out, Vote,

Be the a good neighbor and Help those who need it to Get out and Vote.

Our country needs all of us to make a decision on where we are going in the future

Moron Clause

2008-10-24T23:18:00.004-07:00

You can take the following as you will. I am personally a constitutionalist and feel that our goverment should basically abide by the rules and regulations laid down by the founding fathers of our country. But If I could have a way back machine,(from the Bullwinkle and Rocky show) I would have urged the august body of gentlemen who drafted our constitution to specifically EXCLUDE lawyers from any position of service than the Supreme court.

Hubris

2008-10-23T09:57:00.006-07:00

Today I have a few spare minutes to convey my observation on some of the worst offenders of the elitist attitude that has become the norm of our elected officials.
Sen. Stevens of Alaska have been standing trial federal government charges that the 84-year-old Republican accepted and concealed more than $250,000 worth of free home renovations and gifts from Bill Allen, the head of Veco Corp., a now-defunct oil-services company, and other friends.
The Trial is now in Jury Deliberation, But I am highlighting some of the elitist above the law attitude that the senator has shown during the trial.

The senator's testimony was the most dramatic -- and puzzling -- of the trial. He said Veco played no role in the extensive renovation of his once-modest A-frame Alaska cabin, which now has a new first floor, a wraparound deck and other amenities.

Mr. Allen, Sen. Stevens said, was a trusted friend who was supposed to find workers for the project and keep an eye on things, nothing more

Yet under a barrage of questions from prosecutors, Sen. Stevens acknowledged that multiple Veco builders spent time on the renovation, while a Veco engineer drew up the architectural plans. Sen. Stevens and his wife, Catherine, testified that they asked to be billed for everything and had no idea that Mr. Allen hadn't passed along tens of thousands of dollars of project costs.

"I can't pay a bill until I get it," Sen. Stevens said.

Yeah about all that.. When you have home renovation is only (i can't find the number)K, you have had dozens of workers, an engineer plus material (Keep in mind in Alaska,) You have to know that you are getting a GOOD DEAL from a buddy.

Now If you are an working class dirty blue shirt, that is one thing to get a good deal from a buddy. But if you are trusted as an official of the United States Senate, you need to be above and beyond the question and reproach and keep this at arms length

BUT Sen. Stevens and his wife, both lawyers, allowed the renovation to proceed without written contracts, estimates or checks on the workers.

Sen. Stevens said it was "the Alaska way" of doing business. He also struggled to explain other gifts, including a gas grill and a $2,700 Brookstone massage chair he received from a friend. The chair was just a loan, he said.

Yeah, Right, No paper, jut the "Alaskan Way"

This guy is nauseating in his disdain for the fact that he is being called on the carpet for what is probably not the first nor the last soft shoe bribe.

Personally, I hope the Jury finds him Guilty. At the very least, the people of Alaska should have rendered him ineligible to further represent them as a member of the senate.

Now here is the kick in the ass..

If U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska is found guilty of falsifying Senate financial disclosure forms over seven years but wins re-election, he could still serve in the Senate until that body votes to expel him.

Article 1, Section 5 of the U.S. Constitution provides, "Each House may determine the Rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member."

According to the U.S. Senate Web site, "since 1789, the Senate has expelled only fifteen of its entire membership. Of that number, fourteen were charged with support of the Confederacy during the Civil War. In several other cases, the Senate considered expulsion proceedings but either found the member not guilty or failed to act before the member left office. In those cases, corruption was the primary cause of complaint.

So, let's see, Judged by a jury of Peers, Not good enough, now you have to be so vile that the other politicians don't want you around. And it seems that you have to betray the republic in a time that someone cared about betrayal.

Next post Murtha

Just freekin speechless

2008-10-21T08:25:00.002-07:00

I haven't blogged much as of late, The combination of living life, working and the never ending cascade of buffoonery in Washington DC, and Wall ST have left me in the dust to get up on my internet soap box and shake my fist at the absurdity.

We are a mere two weeks away from the Day that every American who is eligible should go and exercise their duty to the country and constitution and VOTE.

Get that few readers, learn the Facts on the Local, State and National levels and participate to elect the best choice to guide our country in the near term. Just because "Good Ole Boy" Congress man Billy Bob has held that seat for the last Twenty freakin years isn't the correct answer to the needs of our republic today.

I am not endorsing either party or candidate here.. I am not really a fan of either's overall vision or overall policy. They have all sold the American soul down the river to special interest in the name of Money and to Keep their position of elitism in the beltway.

Our Country needs Men and Women who are willing to serve and put aside thier Ego for the greater good of our republic. Unfortunately the ballots in the nation are far short of these.

Now, for something completely different...

2008-10-02T20:57:00.003-07:00

This is an actual account as relayed to paramedics at a chili cook-off in New Mexico.

Note: Please take time to read this slowly. If you pay attention to the first two judges, the reaction of the third judge is even better.

For those of you who have lived in New Mexico , you know how true this is.

They actually have a Chile Cook-off about the time Halloween comes around.
It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the Santa Fe Plaza .
Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chile taster named Frank, who was visiting from Springfield, IL.
Frank: 'Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off.The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table, asking for directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Native New Mexicans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy; and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted and became Judge 3.' Here are the scorecard notes from the event:

CHILE # 1 - MIKE'S MANIAC MONSTER CHILE

Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.

Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.

Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy crap, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These New Mexicans are crazy

CHILE # 2 - EL RANCHO'S AFTERBURNER CHILE

Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.

Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.

CHILE # 3 - ALFREDO'S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILE

Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick.

Judge # 2 -- A bit salty, good use of peppers.

Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. The Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting sh*t-faced from all of the beer.

CHILI # 4 - BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC

Judge # 1 -- Black bean chile with almost no spice. Disappointing

Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chile.

Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beer maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. This 300 lb.woman is starting to look HOT .. just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chile an aphrodisiac?

CHILE # 5 - LISA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER

Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chile. Jalapeno peppers freshly ground,adding considerable kick. Very impressive.

Judge # 2 -- Chile using shredded beef,could use more tomato. Must admit the jalapeno peppers make a strong statement

Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no
longer focus my eyes. I farted, and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chile had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off. It really ticks me of that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw them.

CHILE # 6 -VARGA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY

Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chile. Good balance of spices and peppers.

Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, garlic. Superb.

Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I crapped on myself when I farted, and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone

.CHILE # 7 - SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILE

Judge # 1 --A mediocre chile with too much reliance on canned peppers.

Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chile peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about judge number 3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably

.Judge # 3 --
You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chile, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing. It's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.

CHILE # 8 - BIG TOM'S TOENAIL CURLING CHILE

Judge# 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chile. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.

Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chile. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the chile pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor feller, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot chile?

Judge # 3 -- No report.

BOHICA

2008-10-02T20:13:00.002-07:00

Well our esteemed leaders in Washington DC feel that American voters have the attention span of carp.

There was an overwhelming response by the public to the first bill that the house attempted to pass to bail out the Wall St and banking greed heads. This caused a majority of members to show restraint and voted NO to indebting American Taxpayers for the next generation to save the Paycheck of Good ole boys.

Now the August body of the Senate is now doing one better.
Not only are they throwing a kings ransom at a financial fiasco that is entirely due to loose lending practices, greed, shortsightedness, greed, failure of the government to properly regulate banking and real estate practices, Greed, and oh did I mention Greed.
They are just ramming the Same Fiasco down our throats, (cause we were only mad about it on Monday, It is now Thursday and at night. So this won't count)

To make the Bill "Sweeter" here is a tidbit of what is included to fleece the taxpayer

# Creation of a seven-year cost recovery period for construction of a motorsports racetrack: Track owners currently follow a seven-year depreciation schedule and write each year's depreciation off their taxes. The IRS wanted to increase the depreciation timetable to 15 years, which would mean the track owner's depreciation would be cut in half. The measure in the keeps the seven-year depreciation schedule for two years and would cost taxpayers $100 million.

# A refund of excise taxes to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands for rum: A $13.50 per gallon excise tax is placed on rum imported into the United States. The measure extends to December 31, 2009, a refund of $13.25 per gallon tax back to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, which are both U.S. territories. The refund has been in place since the early '90s. The measure would cost taxpayers $192 million.

# Income averaging for amounts received in connection with the Exxon Valdez litigation: The measure would allow the plaintiffs who won damages from Exxon Mobile for the oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez to average the award over three years rather than treating it as income in a single year. The measure was backed by Alaska Rep. Don Young and would cost taxpayers $49 million.

# Secure rural schools and community self-determination program: The program replaces revenue rural communities used to enjoy from the sale of federal forest land. The measure is sponsored by lawmakers from Oregon and Idaho. The program would cost taxpayers $3.3 billion.

# Deduction of state and local sales taxes: The measure allows citizens who do not pay state income taxes to deduct the amount of sales tax they pay over a year from their federal income tax for two additional years. States that benefit include Texas, Nevada, Florida, Washington and Wyoming. The measure would cost taxpayers $3.3 billion.

# Provisions related to film and television productions: In order to keep movie production in the U.S., production companies would be allowed to deduct the cost of producing the films from their taxes. Rep. Diane Watson, D-California, has been one of the program's biggest supporters. The measure would cost taxpayers $478 million over 10 years.

# Extension and modification of duty suspension on wool products, wool research fund and wool duty refunds: The measure helps U.S. worsted wool fabric makers and clothing manufacturers. The bill extends provisions through 2014 or 2015 that were originally sponsored by Reps. Louise Slaughter, D-New York, and Melissa Bean, D-Illinois, in 2007. The measure would cost taxpayers $148 million.
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# Extension of economic development credit for American Samoa: The measure would extend for two years provisions meant to help economic development in the U.S. territory of American Samoa. The measure would cost taxpayers $33 million.

# Transportation fringe benefit to bicycle commuters: The measure would allow employers to provide benefits to employees who commute to work via bicycle, such as help purchasing and maintaining a bicycle. The measure would cost taxpayers $10 million.

It seems these clowns are in a race to sell it all out to the highest bidder.
Makes you hang your head in shame, We should have done better at the voting booth.

Keep this in mind when you vote. Not only for the Prez, but all levels of the govt.

Finally, a lick of common sense on the "Hill"

2008-09-29T17:00:00.003-07:00

Here is the truth..

If your representative is present in the YEA column, you need to start that petition to THROW the freakin BUM OUT..
They are in the back pocket of all the corruption and greed that has taken us to this level.

On a special Note.. Nancy Pelosi from me as an American Citizen who has done the right thing and stood tall and served: You F**cking cunt.

You can kiss my unshaven unwashed Scrotum.

As the "Speaker of the House" you are American Citizen NUMERO UNO who should have taken the tempo and tact to find a way to guide our country out of a mess.

Instead, you found a way to twist this into another "wish I was at Berkley in 68 to bomb the establishment".

The Roll Call: (those who had the Intestinal Fortitude to Vote (the Freaking GUTS, for those Moral cowards)

DEMOCRATS

YEA

Ala. - Cramer, Davis

Ariz. - Berry, Ross, Snyder

Calif. - Berman, Capps, Cardoza, Costa, Davis, Eshoo, Farr, Harmon, Honda, Lofgren, Matsui, McNerney, Miller (G.), Pelosi, Richardson, Speier, Taushcer, Waters, Waxman, CO-DeGette, Perlmutter

Conn. - DeLauro, Laron, Murphy, FL-Boyd, Brown, Hastings, Klein, Mahoney, Meek, Wasserman, Schultz, Wexler

Ga. - Bishop, Marshall

Ill. - Bean, Davis, Emanuel, Foster, Gutierrez, Hare, Schakowsky

Ind. - Donnelly, Ellsworth

Iowa - Boswell, Loebsack

Kan. - Moore

La. - Melancon

Maine - Allen

Md. - Hoyer, Ruppersberger, Sarbanes, Van Hollen

Mass.- Capuano, Frank, Markey, McGovern, Neal, Oliver, Tsongas

Mich. - Dingell, Kildee, Levin, MN-Ellison, McCollum, Oberstar

Mo.- Carnahan, Skelton

N.J. - Andrews, Holt, Pallone, Sires

N.Y. - Ackerman, Arcuri, Bishop, Clarke, Crowley, Engel, Hall, Higgins, Israel, Lowey, Maloney, McCarthy, McNulty, Meeks, Nadler, Rangel, Slaughter, Towns, Velazquez, Weiner

N.C. - Etheridge, Miller, Price, Watt

N.D. - Pomeroy

Ohio - Ryan, Space, Wilson

Okla. - Boren

Ore. - Hooley

Pa. - Brady, Doyle, Fattah, Kanjorksi, Murphy (P.), Murtha, Schwartz, Sestak

R.I. - Kennedy, Langevin

S.C. - Clyburn, Spratt

Tenn. - Cohen, Cooper, Gordon, Tanner

Texas - Edwards, Gonzalez, Hinojosa, Johnson, Reyes

Va. - Boucher, Moran

Wash. - Baird, Dicks, Larsen, McDermott, Smith

W.Va - Mollohan, Rahall

Wis. - Baldwin, Kind, Moore, Obey,

DEMOCRATS

NAY

Ariz. - Giffords, Grijalva, Mitchell, Paster,

Calif - Baca, Becerra, Filner, Zee, Napolitano, Roybal (Allard), Sanchez (Linda), Sanchez (Loretta), Schiff, Sherman, Solis, Stark, Thompson, Watson, Woolsey

Colo. - Salazar, Udall

Conn. - Courtney

Fla. - Caster

Ga. - Barrow, Johnson, Lewis, Scott,

Hawaii - Abercrombie, Hirono

Ill. - Costello, Jackson, Lipinski, Rush

Ind. - Carson, Hill, Visclosky

Iowa - Braley

Kan. - Boyda

Ky. - Chandler, Yarmuth

La. - Cazayoux, Jefferson

Maine - Michaud

Md. - Cummings, Edwards

Mass. - Delahunt, Lynch, Tierney

Mich. - Coyners, Kilpatrick, Stupak

Minn. - Peterson, Walz

Miss. - Childers, Taylor, Thompson

Mo. - Clay, Cleaver

Nev. - Berkley

N.H. - Hodes, Shea-Porter

N.J. - Pascrell, Payne, Rothman

N.M. - Udall

N.Y. - Gillibrand, Hinchey, Serrano

N.C. - Butterfield, McIntyre, Shuler

Ohio - Kaptur, Kucinich, Sutten

Ore. - Blumenauer, DeFazio, Wu

Pa. - Altmire, Carney, Holden

S.D. - Hurseth, Sandlin

Tenn. - Davis, Lincoln

Texas - Cuellar, Doggett, Green (Al), Green (Gene), Jackson (Lee), Lampson, Ortiz, Rodriguez

Utah - Matheson

Vt.- Welch

Va. - Scott

Wash. - Inslee

Wis. - Kagen

REPUBLICANS

YEA

Ala. - Bachus, Bonner, Everett, Rogers

Ariz. - Boozman

Calif. - Bono (Mack), Valvert, Campbell, Dreier, Herger, Lewis, Lungren, McKeon, Miller (G), Radanovich

Colo. - Tancredo

Conn. - Shays

Del. - Castle

Fla. - Crenshaw, Putnam, Weldon

Idaho - Simpson

Ill. - Krik, LaHood

Ind. - Souder

Ky. - Lewis, Rogers

La. - McCrery

Md. - Gilchrest

Mich. - Camp, Ehlers, Upton

Minn. - Kline

Miss. - Pickering

Mo. - Blunt, Emerson

Nev. - Porter

N.J. - Ferguson, Saxton

N.M. - Wilson

N.Y. - Fossella, King, McHugh, Reynolds, Walsh

Ohio - Boehner, Hobson, Pryce, Regula

Okla. - Cole

Ore. - Walden

Pa. - Peterson

S.C. - Brown, Inglis, Wilson

Texas - Brady, Granger, Sessions, Smith

Utah - Cannon

Va - Cantor, Davis, Wolf

Wis.- Ryan

Wyo. - Cubin

REPUBLICANS

NAY

Ala - Aderhold

Alaska - Young

Ariz. - Flake, Franks, Renzi, Shadegg

Calif. - Bilbray, Doolittle, Gallegly, Hunter, Issa, McCarthy, Nunes, Rohrabacher, Royce

Colo. - Lamborn, Musgrave

Fla. - Bilirakis, Brown-Waite, Ginny, Buchanan, Diaz-Balart (L), Diaz-Balart (M), Feeney, Keller, Mack, Mica, Miller, Ros-Lehtinen, Stearns, Young

Georgia - Brown, Deal, Gingrey, Kingsten, Linder, Price, Westmoreland

Idaho - Sali

Ill. - Biggert, Johnson, Manzullo, Raskam, Shimkus

Ind. - Burton, Buyer, Pence

Iowa - King, Latham

Kan. - Moran, Tiahrt

Ky. - Davis, Whitfield

La. - Alexander, Bustany, Scalise

Md. - Bartlett

Mich. - Hoekstra, Knollenberg, McCotter, Miller, Rogers, Walberg

Minn. - Bachmann, Ramstad

Mo. - Akin, Graves, Hulshof

Mont. - Mehberg

Neb. - Portenberrym, Smith, Terry

Nev. - Heller

N.J. - Frelinghuysen, Garrett, LoBiondo, Smith

N.M. - Pearce

N.Y. - Kuhl

N.C. - Coble, Foxx, Hayes, Jones, McHenry, Myrick

Ohio - Chabot, Jordan, LaTourette, Latta, Schmidt, Tiberi, Turner

Olka. - Fallin, Lucas, Sullivan

Pa. - Dent, English, Gerlach, Murphy, Pitts, Platts, Shuster

S.C. - Barrett

Tenn. - Blackburn, Davis, Duncan, Wamp

Texas - Barton, Burgess, Carter, Conway, Culberson, Gohmert, Hall, Hensarling, Johnson (S), Marchant, McCaul, Neugbauer, Paul, Poe, Thornberry

Utah - Bishop

Va. - Drake, Forbes, Goode, Goodlatte, Wittman

Wa. - Hastings, McMorris, Rodgers, Reighert

W.Va. - Capito

Wisc. - Petri, Sensenbrenner

A shipmate who served in and out of uniform

2008-09-27T10:57:00.004-07:00

Paul Newman, died today at the age of 83.

Newman was sent to the Navy V-12 program at Yale, with hopes of being accepted for pilot training. But this plan was foiled when a flight physical revealed him to be color-blind. So he was sent instead to boot camp and then on to further training as a radioman and gunner.

TBM-3E "Avenger" torpedo bombers in formation over Mt. Fugi, Japan, during the final weeks of World WarII. (Naval Historical Center) Qualifying as a rear-seat radioman and gunner in torpedo bombers, in 1944 Aviation Radioman Third Class Newman was sent to Barber's Point, Hawaii, and subsequently assigned to Pacific-based replacement torpedo squadrons (VT-98, VT-99, and VT-100). These torpedo squadrons were responsible primarily for training replacement pilots and combat aircrewmen, placing particular importance on carrier landings.

During his two years in the Pacific the Newman luck held, especially on one occasion when his pilot fell ill and their aircraft was grounded. The rest of the squadron was transferred to an aircraft carrier operating off the coast of Japan, where a kamikaze hit the carrier, inflicting heavy casualties on the men and aircraft of Newman's squadron.

While he was with VT-99, training personnel in TBM-1Cs, TBM-3s, and TBF-1cs, the squadron moved to Eniwetok, then to Guam, and in January 1945 on to Saipan. This remained its base of operations until its decommissioning nine months later. A VT-99 contingent including Newman was aboard the aircraft carrier Hollandia (CVE-97), which was operating about five hundred miles off Japan when the Enola Gay dropped its atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

Finally, Paul Newman served with Carrier Aircraft Service Unit 7, one of many shore-based carrier air-group support units. CASUs operated the facilities, serviced and rearmed, made repairs, and handled routine upkeep and administrative duties. Newman's CASU was based in Seattle, conveniently located for his discharge at Bremerton, Washington State, on 21 January 1946. He was decorated with the American Area Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.

What he gave back
The Hole in the Wall Gang

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, in collaboration with its associated camps in the United States and abroad, provides children with cancer and other serious illnesses and conditions a camping experience of the highest quality, while extending year-round support to their families and health care providers. Through our Camp programs, on-going outreach to hospitals and clinics, and other services for children, families and caregivers, the Camp serves more than 15,000 annually. All of our services are provided free of charge.

Summer Program
Each summer more than 1,000 children between the ages of seven and fifteen from across the country and abroad attend The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp free of charge.

Year-round Programs
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp provides year-round activities for campers and other seriously ill children and their siblings at Camp and in their own communities. Camp sponsored programs provide health care professionals and social workers with support and training. Retreats are organized for the children’s parents at resorts around the country offering respite, counseling, mutual support and positive activities, free of charge. For hospitalized children with serious illnesses, the Camp’s Hospital Outreach program takes “Camp-in-a-Suitcase” programs to New England hospitals and clinics, where it provides a bedside experience to raise the spirits and help sustain youngsters for the road ahead.

Support of Other Camps
The Hole in the Wall Gang Fund has helped to found other camps with missions similar to that of The Hole in the Gang Camp by providing medical, programmatic, architectural, accounting, and fund raising advice and financial support. For more information about these camps, please visit The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps.

My favoite movies Cool Hand Luke(1967) Ft Apache the Bronx (1981) The Color of Money (1986) and Nobody's Fool (1994)

Thank you for serving,

Rest your oars Shipmate

One reason we are trying to spend Billions in a day

2008-09-27T09:19:00.001-07:00

Here be monsters

2008-09-25T11:43:00.006-07:00

This is what was on the edge of the charts of ancient mariners when they didn't have an understanding of what was over the horizon.

This is where we are going with the bail out plan. I don't agree with the hair on fire approach to spending HUNDREDS of BILLIONS of hard working American taxpayers dollars.

This is on top of the fact the keeper of the purse is a "Good Ole boy" of the system that is currently suffering from the hangover from their Dionysus like running of mortgage loans, credit and other general stupidity under the guise of businesslike practices.

Really, they need to start pulling some of these clowns( the CEO's and Board members of these corporations) in and reviewing they way they are operating under the RICO Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. That is before they issue one single Lincoln penny. If these guys have defrauded people, then they need to suffer the consequences. This makes Enron look like a popcorn fart compared to a hurricane.

I don't claim in any shape of form to be a financial expert or even thoroughly comprehend the complexities of our national economic engine. But I do have the good sense to know that you cannot continue to throw money at the problem that is being created by people who have ZERO interest in the American public other than fleecing them of their hard earned wages as craftily as possible.

Congress has not released the details of the bail out as of this post.. It will be interesting to see if there is what the checks and balances are, who is going to be screwed. Other than the taxpayers for the next 2 generations and our country in general.

Found a New submariner Blogger

2008-09-23T11:36:00.002-07:00

Navy Blue Cougar

Retired Bubble head, Going to school in Pullman WA.

Started posting Saturday Stop by and leave a comment.

Simply astounding....

2008-09-22T09:27:00.002-07:00

While I won't even claim to be a financial expert, The following is something I found while trying to educate myself on the mess that is going on in Washington DC and Wall St.

This seems to amount to a big fat blank check for Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, former CEO for Goldman Sachs. And with no oversight or policing powers for Congress. (Note Section 8)

As an Working/tax paying American, I say Hell NO.. These geed heads dug the hole, let them find a way out.

The following is the text of a legislative proposal to give the Treasury department authority to purchase mortgage-related assets.

Section 1. Short Title.

This Act may be cited as ____________________.

Sec. 2. Purchases of Mortgage-Related Assets.

(a) Authority to Purchase.–The Secretary is authorized to purchase, and to make and fund commitments to purchase, on such terms and conditions as determined by the Secretary, mortgage-related assets from any financial institution having its headquarters in the United States.

(b) Necessary Actions.–The Secretary is authorized to take such actions as the Secretary deems necessary to carry out the authorities in this Act, including, without limitation:

(1) appointing such employees as may be required to carry out the authorities in this Act and defining their duties;

(2) entering into contracts, including contracts for services authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, without regard to any other provision of law regarding public contracts;

(3) designating financial institutions as financial agents of the Government, and they shall perform all such reasonable duties related to this Act as financial agents of the Government as may be required of them;

(4) establishing vehicles that are authorized, subject to supervision by the Secretary, to purchase mortgage-related assets and issue obligations; and

(5) issuing such regulations and other guidance as may be necessary or appropriate to define terms or carry out the authorities of this Act.

Sec. 3. Considerations.

In exercising the authorities granted in this Act, the Secretary shall take into consideration means for–

(1) providing stability or preventing disruption to the financial markets or banking system; and

(2) protecting the taxpayer.

Sec. 4. Reports to Congress.

Within three months of the first exercise of the authority granted in section 2(a), and semiannually thereafter, the Secretary shall report to the Committees on the Budget, Financial Services, and Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committees on the Budget, Finance, and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate with respect to the authorities exercised under this Act and the considerations required by section 3.

Sec. 5. Rights; Management; Sale of Mortgage-Related Assets.

(a) Exercise of Rights.–The Secretary may, at any time, exercise any rights received in connection with mortgage-related assets purchased under this Act.

(b) Management of Mortgage-Related Assets.–The Secretary shall have authority to manage mortgage-related assets purchased under this Act, including revenues and portfolio risks therefrom.

(c) Sale of Mortgage-Related Assets.–The Secretary may, at any time, upon terms and conditions and at prices determined by the Secretary, sell, or enter into securities loans, repurchase transactions or other financial transactions in regard to, any mortgage-related asset purchased under this Act.

(d) Application of Sunset to Mortgage-Related Assets.–The authority of the Secretary to hold any mortgage-related asset purchased under this Act before the termination date in section 9, or to purchase or fund the purchase of a mortgage-related asset under a commitment entered into before the termination date in section 9, is not subject to the provisions of section 9.

Sec. 6. Maximum Amount of Authorized Purchases.

The Secretary’s authority to purchase mortgage-related assets under this Act shall be limited to $700,000,000,000 outstanding at any one time

Sec. 7. Funding.

For the purpose of the authorities granted in this Act, and for the costs of administering those authorities, the Secretary may use the proceeds of the sale of any securities issued under chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code, and the purposes for which securities may be issued under chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code, are extended to include actions authorized by this Act, including the payment of administrative expenses. Any funds expended for actions authorized by this Act, including the payment of administrative expenses, shall be deemed appropriated at the time of such expenditure.

Sec. 8. Review.

Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.

Sec. 9. Termination of Authority.

The authorities under this Act, with the exception of authorities granted in sections 2(b)(5), 5 and 7, shall terminate two years from the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 10. Increase in Statutory Limit on the Public Debt.

Subsection (b) of section 3101 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking out the dollar limitation contained in such subsection and inserting in lieu thereof $11,315,000,000,000.

Sec. 11. Credit Reform.

The costs of purchases of mortgage-related assets made under section 2(a) of this Act shall be determined as provided under the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990, as applicable.

Sec. 12. Definitions.

For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) Mortgage-Related Assets.–The term "mortgage-related assets" means residential or commercial mortgages and any securities, obligations, or other instruments that are based on or related to such mortgages, that in each case was originated or issued on or before September 17, 2008.

(2) Secretary.–The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Treasury.

(3) United States.–The term "United States" means the States, territories, and possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia.

Never Forget

2008-09-11T09:01:00.004-07:00

Today,

We must never forget

The brave men and women who are standing tall for our freedom

The brave men and women who are there to aid us in the time of crisis

and that there are men and women who want nothing more than to do harm and bring down our nation

Goodbye Shipmate

2008-09-09T21:35:00.003-07:00

Man, Found out some news today that was like a kick in the stomach after a Google search and finding out it was true.

Found out a mentor and good friend of mine passed on after a long battle with leukemia. Last I had hear he had beat it. But I guess it came back.

Here is his Obituary

ETCM(SS) Kevin Walter Page
Published: Thursday, September 4, 2008 8:06 AM CDT
Master Chief Electronics Technician Kevin Page, 39, of Casper, Wyo., died Aug. 27, 2008, in Honolulu on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, after a long and grueling battle with leukemia.

Kevin was born in Port Angeles, Wash., Aug. 10, 1969. Early in his childhood, Kevin moved to Casper and attended Natrona County High School. His hobbies included playing cribbage, backpacking, traveling, golf and scuba diving. Kevin’s proudest moments were serving in Bosnia and as Chief of the Boat of USS Cheyenne (SSN 773).

Kevin joined the U.S. Navy on Sept. 22, 1987. Upon completion of Basic Training, he was enrolled into submarine training at Naval Submarine School, Groton, Conn. Upon completion of submarine school on Jan. 21, 1988, he commenced a one-year training pipeline which included various trade schools for designation as an Electronics Technician, where he was advanced to Petty Officer Third Class.
In February, 1989, he was assigned to his first submarine, USS James K. Polk, (SSBN 645) (BLUE). During this tour Kevin met and was married to Lisa, the love of his life. Upon completion of his tour onboard James K. Polk, in May 1993, he was assigned to the Head Quarters Allied Joint Forces (AFSOUTH) Command in Naples, Italy. During his tour in Naples he provided direct, real world contribution to NATO Commanders during regional and theater conflicts. As a

result of his persistent support and involvement during theater engagement, he was advanced to Petty Officer First Class and was awarded a Joint Service Achievement Medal. Additionally, he was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for his professionalism and dedication to duty while conducting NATO operations in the former Republic of Yugoslavia.

In October 1997, he was assigned to his second submarine, USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN 730) (BLUE) in Bangor, Wash., where he served as the Navigation Division Leading Petty Officer and Command Career Counselor. His tour onboard Henry M. Jackson was culminated with his advancement to Chief Petty Officer with follow-on assignment as Division Leading Chief Petty Officer. In December, 2001, he was assigned to the PERS-403 branch at the Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tenn., where he served as Navigation and Communications Electronics Technician detailer. In this capacity, he provided insightful recommendations to the highest levels of leadership in order to appropriately refine manning policies in order to shape the future of the Navy. Due to his immutable efforts, he was selected for promotion to Senior Chief Petty Officer.

Following his assignment in Millington, Kevin was assigned to his third submarine, USS Tucson (SSN 770), homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where he was assigned as the Navigation Operations Enlisted Advisor and reached the highest enlisted rank in Navy, that of Master Chief Petty Officer. During his tour onboard Tucson, Kevin completed qualifications as a Chief of the Boat and served in this capacity onboard USS Cheyenne (SSN 773).

Kevin is survived by his wife, Analisa Gail Page of Las Cruces, N.M., his parents Robert Page, Judy Steffens, Karen Page and Frank Lyman; his siblings, which include sisters Heidi, Stephanie, and Linda as well as brothers Dennis, Benjamin, and Mike; his father- and mother-in-law, Troy and Bettie Evans of Lake Brownwood; and many special aunts, uncles and other family members. He also leaves behind many friends and co-workers too numerous to list. Kevin was an extraordinarily outstanding husband, son, brother, friend, Sailor and shipmate, and will be sorely missed by all.

Don't have a lot more to say right now.. Will write about the good times soon

Rest your oars shipmate

Rig ship for Dirty blue shirt work

2008-09-06T09:07:00.002-07:00

I haven't been able to post to my blog as much as I would like recently.
Mainly due to:

1. I have a job and it takes up a lot of time.
2. I have a Better Half and daughter who take up most of the remainder of that time that I am not...
a. unconscious with sleep to restart item 1. or 2.
b. have some actual down time and can enjoy a malted beverage that never leads into a good blog entry.

There are so many national and international items on my dance ticket..

1. The Rep National Convention
2. The Rebuttal of that convention
3. The chill of the cold war that is looming out of the Black Sea and the Republic of Georgia.
4. I still need to blog on the Democratic National Convnetion
5. Man, I missed the Olympics??
6. Plus there are Comments on China, Host nation to 5. and the 500 lb gorilla that no one in the U.S. Govt wants to adress.

Oh yeah, then there are the bail outs, and other gross misuse of tax dollars

Busy busy busy..
Well I gotta jet, Better half has a garden plan and I have the pick ax and Shovel.

Go figure

Hey lookie here... I had an anniversary

2008-08-31T17:19:00.003-07:00

Well, I have just realized that I have been Beating on the keys of this computer at an irregular interval for the past 2 yrs blogging about what ever has tickled my fancy enough to put forth the effort to post. I am still quasi amused with my first post and what I think is still my mission statement on my overall view of the world.
Free Box with every Pizza.

Well, I hope to continue to entertain and amuse the approx 3.5 folks who read this blog. (that includes the nice neighbor lady and my mom)

Well you can put away the party hats and noise makers. It ain't that important!

Recirculate

2008-08-31T11:29:00.006-07:00

I am doing a re-post of this because I found ultimately what I want to do when I grow up.. (it is the last in the pick of Jobs I want to do)

In the Twenty years I wore the “dirty blue shirt” there was always the give and take of the rate that you chose before you enlisted.

Coner’s would always give the Nuke’s the “chose your Rate-Chose your fate you SRB getting SOB’s”Sh#t when the 1MJ would power whine 2 minutes after watch relief on the mess decks.

Then, there was the same attitude from everyone for MT’s, whom during the first week of pulling in and the last week of pulling out of port would have to work like rabid monkeys to get all the maintenance done on the missile and other related systems.

Same held true with my rate when we would have to hydro ourselves to get the ship out of port and in deep blue water; then in and out again for each port/medivac/humivac and liberty call.

On a Submarine, Each rating had a skate time and a period of time that was just horrible.
I think the only Rate I never envied were the Yeomen.
Those poor devils had bad hours no matter where we were in a deployment period. And if they weren’t supporting the XO/CO for some major paperwork evolution, they were hosed with the 3MC/EDEA putting them on Drill weenie hours.

So there was always an envy factor between rates on the boat. No matter what rate you were,, you had some degree of envy for the other guy because he wasn't in your situation.

Now that I have transitioned to the Civilian side, I still have job envy.

I caught a nice brass ring getting out of the navy and found a great, well paying, satisfying way to make a living that I didn’t have to move, my commute is the same if not shorter than when I was in the Navy and I work with a great bunch of men who have the same twisted sense of humor I do.

But still, there are days I sigh and dream....

WHAT IF???

First, If I could do anything in the whole world over again, I would choose the Job of Mark Reid.

I grew up in New Mexico with Mark. Actually he was more like an uncle to me than a peer. He is a man of many talents and a great overall guy.
He is a Master Body Painter

Here are some Examples of his work

And Those aren't Blue Jeans,, Those babies are painted on.

This is his specialty in the buisness.

Working with some of these women, I guess you could see the Envy factor.

I am sure that there are day’s Mark asks himself “ Why don’t I do Something Else” like every man can and I am sure does. But I am sure that the are far less frequent than most of us.

And

To airbrush those girls.

WOW

His website Mark Reid Art

And if I couldn’t be a Master Body Painter like Mark,

I would chose this Guy's Job

He has such a Kick ass set of tools, I don’t know if it’s job envy or tool envy that drives me to want to take his place.

Cabinets, tables, Dado’s, Mortis bits…. The ENTIRE collection of Porter Tools, and Delta Tools. Plus a really cool workshop that seems to never have a wife messing with the stuff.

He can take a pallet that has been run over by a Semi and turn it into a French Colonial Cuckoo clock or some other way cool yet useless piece of furniture.

And Finally, Here is the job I really want.

Paid to be like Statler and Waldorf.
I would love to have a job where I have nothing to do other than have an unlimited license to insult,mock and belittle all foolishness in the world.

Well there you have it.

I chosen my first rate after the Navy. But there is still the things I still dream of being when the job I have is boring and mundane.

I like her

2008-08-31T11:23:00.003-07:00

The McCain staff and John made a brilliant political move with this girl.

To quote SUBVET over at Blowing SAN #1,
Religious, home school er, 2nd Amendment supporter, athlete, corruption fighter, hunter, fisher, political outsider, five kids, oldest son in the military, husband a championship athlete, she won the title of Miss Congeniality in a beauty contest some years back. Favorite meal is moose stew.

What's not to like?

With any sort of luck she'll be the GOP candidate for President in 2012 after McCain decides not to run for re election.

and I stole this from Cookie over at the Cook shack.

Sarah Louise Heath Palin (born February 11, 1964) is the current Governor of Alaska, and the presumptive 2008 Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States.[1] She will be the second female Vice Presidential nominee representing one of the two major American political parties.[2]

Born in Idaho and raised in Alaska, Palin played point guard on her high school's championship basketball team. She was the 1984 runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant, receiving a scholarship that allowed her to attend the University of Idaho, where she received a degree in journalism. After working as a sports reporter at an Anchorage television station, Palin served two terms on the Wasilla, Alaska, City Council from 1992 to 1996, was elected mayor of Wasilla (population 5,470 in 2000) in 1996, and ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor in 2002. After charging ethical violations by state Republican Party leaders,[3] she won election in 2006 by first defeating incumbent governor Frank Murkowski in the Republican primary, then former Democratic Alaskan governor Tony Knowles in the general election.

On August 29, 2008, presumptive GOP nominee John McCain chose Palin as his nominee for vice president.

Family and personal background

Palin was born in Sandpoint, Idaho, the daughter of Charles and Sally (Sheeran) Heath.[4] Her family moved to Alaska when she was an infant.[5] Charles Heath was a science teacher and track coach.[5] The Heaths were avid outdoors enthusiasts; Sarah and her father would sometimes wake at 3 a.m. to hunt moose before school, and the family regularly ran 5k and 10k races.[5]

Palin was the point guard and captain for the Wasilla High School Warriors, in Wasilla, Alaska, when they won the Alaska small-school basketball championship in 1982; she earned the nickname "Sarah Barracuda" because of her intense play.[5] She played the championship game despite a stress fracture in her ankle, hitting a critical free throw in the last seconds.[5] Palin, who was also the head of the school Fellowship of Christian Athletes, would lead the team in prayer before games.[5]

In 1984, after winning the Miss Wasilla contest earlier that year, Palin finished second in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant which won her a scholarship to help pay her way through college.[5] In the Wasilla pageant, she played the flute and also won Miss Congeniality.

Palin holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Idaho where she also minored in politics.

Her husband, Todd, is a Native Yup'ik Eskimo.[5] Outside the fishing season, Todd works for BP at an oil field on Alaska's North Slope[6] and is a champion snowmobiler, winning the 2000-mile "Iron Dog" race four times.[5] The two eloped shortly after Palin graduated from college; when they learned they needed witnesses for the civil ceremony, they recruited two residents from the old-age home down the street.[5] The Palin family lives in Wasilla, about 40 miles (64 km) north of Anchorage.[7]

She briefly worked as a sports reporter for local Anchorage television stations while also working as a commercial fisherman with her husband, Todd, her high school sweetheart.[5] One summer when she was working on Todd's fishing boat, the boat collided with a tender while she was holding onto the railing; Palin broke several fingers.[5]

On September 11, 2007, the Palins' eighteen-year-old son Track, eldest of five, joined the Army.[7] He now serves in an infantry brigade and will be deployed to Iraq in September 2008. She also has three daughters: Bristol, 17; Willow, 13; and Piper, 7.[8] On April 18, 2008, Palin gave birth to her second son, Trig Paxson Van Palin, who has Down syndrome.[9] She returned to the office three days after giving birth.[10] Palin refused to let the results of prenatal genetic testing change her decision to have the baby. "I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection," Palin said. "Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?"[10]

Details of Palin's personal life have contributed to her political image. She hunts, eats moose hamburger, ice fishes, rides snowmobiles, and owns a float plane.[11][12] Palin holds a lifetime membership with the National Rifle Association. She admits that she used marijuana when it was legal in Alaska, but says that she did not like it.[13]

Pre-gubernatorial political experience

Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council from 1992 to 1996. In 1996, she challenged the incumbent mayor, criticizing wasteful spending and high taxes.[5] The ex-mayor and sheriff tried to organize a recall campaign, but failed.[5] Palin kept her campaign promises, reducing her own salary, as well as reducing property taxes by 60%.[5] She ran for reelection against the former mayor in 1999, winning by an even larger margin.[5][14] Palin was also elected president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.[8]

In 2002, Palin made an unsuccessful bid for Lieutenant Governor, coming in second to Loren Leman in a four-way race. After Frank Murkowski resigned from his long-held U.S. Senate seat in mid-term to become governor, Palin interviewed to be his possible successor. Instead, Murkowski appointed his daughter, then-Alaska State Representative Lisa Murkowski.[5]

Governor Murkowski appointed Palin Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission,[15] where she served from 2003 to 2004 until resigning in protest over what she called the "lack of ethics" of fellow Alaskan Republican leaders, who ignored her whistleblowing complaints of legal violations and conflicts of interest.[5] After she resigned, she exposed the state Republican party's chairman, Randy Ruedrich, one of her fellow Oil & Gas commissioners, who was accused of doing work for the party on public time, and supplying a lobbyist with a sensitive e-mail.[16] Palin filed formal complaints against both Ruedrich and former Alaska Attorney General Gregg Renkes, who both resigned; Ruedrich paid a record $12,000 fine.[5]

Governorship

Governor Palin visits a wounded soldier in Landstuhl, Germany, July 2007In 2006, Palin, running on a clean-government campaign, executed an upset victory over then-Gov. Murkowski in the Republican gubernatorial primary.[5] Despite the lack of support from party leaders and being outspent by her Democratic opponent, she went on to win the general election in November 2006, defeating former Governor Tony Knowles.[5] Palin said in 2006 that education, public safety, and transportation would be three cornerstones of her administration.[13]

When elected, Palin became the first woman to be Alaska's governor, and the youngest governor in Alaskan history at 42 years of age upon taking office. Palin was also the first Alaskan governor born after Alaska achieved U.S. statehood. She was also the first Alaskan governor not to be inaugurated in Juneau, instead choosing to hold her inauguration ceremony in Fairbanks. She took office on December 4, 2006.

Highlights of Governor Palin's tenure include a successful push for an ethics bill, and also shelving pork-barrel projects supported by fellow Republicans. Palin successfully killed the Bridge to Nowhere project that had become a nationwide symbol of wasteful earmark spending.[10][17] "Alaska needs to be self-sufficient, she says, instead of relying heavily on 'federal dollars,' as the state does today."[11]

She has challenged the state's Republican leaders, helping to launch a campaign by Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell to unseat U.S. Congressman Don Young[18] and publicly challenging Senator Ted Stevens to come clean about the federal investigation into his financial dealings.[10]

In 2007, Palin had an approval rating often in the 90s.[11] A poll published by Hays Research on July 28, 2008 showed Palin's approval rating at 80%.[19]

Energy policies

Palin's tenure is noted for her independence from big oil companies, while still promoting resource development.[11][10] Palin has announced plans to create a new sub-cabinet group of advisors, to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within Alaska.[20]

Shortly after taking office, Palin rescinded thirty-five appointments made by Murkowski in the last hour of his administration, including the appointment by Murkowski of his former chief of staff Jim Clark to the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority.[21][22] Clark later pled guilty to conspiring with a defunct oil-field-services company to channel money into Frank Murkowski's re-election campaign.[23]

In March 2007, Palin presented the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) as the new legal vehicle for building a natural gas pipeline from the state's North Slope.[24] Only one legislator, Representative Ralph Samuels, voted against the measure,[25] and in June Palin signed it into law.[26][27] On January 5, 2008, Palin announced that a Canadian company, Transcanada, was the sole AGIA-compliant applicant.[28][29]

In response to high oil and gas prices, and in response to the resulting state government budget surplus, Palin proposed giving Alaskans $100-a-month energy debit cards. She also proposed providing grants to electrical utilities so that they would reduce customers' rates.[30] She subsequently dropped the debit card proposal, and in its place she proposed to send Alaskans $1,200 directly and eliminate the gas tax.[31][32]

Social issues

Palin is strongly pro-life, a supporter of capital punishment[www.palinforgovernor.com, "Issues" Nov 7, 2006], and belongs to Feminists for Life.[13]

She opposes same-sex marriage, but she has stated that she has gay friends and is receptive to gay and lesbian concerns about discrimination.[13] While the previous administration did not implement same-sex benefits, Palin complied with a state Supreme Court order and signed them into law.[33] She disagreed with the Supreme Court ruling[34] and supported a democratic advisory vote from the public on whether there should be a constitutional amendment on the matter.[35] Alaska was one of the first U.S. states to pass a constitutional ban on gay marriage, in 1998, along with Hawaii.[36] Palin has stated that she supported the 1998 constitutional amendment.[13]

Palin's first veto was used to block legislation that would have barred the state from granting benefits to the partners of gay state employees. In effect, her veto granted State of Alaska benefits to same-sex couples. The veto occurred after Palin consulted with Alaska's attorney general on the constitutionality of the legislation.[34]

Matanuska Maid Dairy closure

When the Alaska Creamery Board recommended closing Matanuska Maid Dairy, an unprofitable state-owned business, Palin objected, citing concern for the impact on dairy farmers and the fact that the dairy had just received $600,000 in state money. When Palin learned that only the Board of Agriculture and Conservation could appoint Creamery Board members, she simply replaced the entire membership of the Board of Agriculture and Conservation.[11][37] The new board, led by businesswoman Kristan Cole, reversed the decision to close the dairy.[37] The new board approved milk price increases offered by the dairy in an attempt to control fiscal losses, even though milk from Washington was already offered in Alaskan stores at lower prices.[38] In the end, the dairy was forced to close, and the state tried to sell the assets to pay off its debts but received no bids.[39][40]

Budget

In the first days of her administration, Palin followed through on a campaign promise to sell the Westwind II jet purchased (on a state government credit account) by the Murkowski administration. The state placed the jet for sale on eBay three times. In August 2007, the jet was sold for $2.7 million.[41]

Shortly after becoming governor, Palin canceled a contract for construction on an 11-mile (18-kilometer) gravel road outside of Juneau to a mine. This reversed a decision made in the closing days or hours of the Murkowski Administration.[42]

In June 2007, Palin signed into law a $6.6 billion operating budget—the largest in Alaska's history.[43] At the same time, she used her veto power to make the second-largest cuts of the construction budget in state history. The $237 million in cuts represented over 300 local projects, and reduced the construction budget to nearly $1.6 billion.[44]

While waiting for your wife at Wal-Mart

2008-08-17T19:52:00.002-07:00

1. Take 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they aren't looking.

2. Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

3. Make a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the rest rooms.

4. Walk up to an employee and tell them in an official tone, "Code 3 in housewares!" ..... and watched what happens.

5. Go to the Service Desk and ask to put a bag of M&Ms on lay-away.

6. Move a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. Set up a tent in the camping department and invite shoppers in if they will bring pillows from the bedding department.

8. When a clerk asked if they could help you, throw yourself down on the floor,and began to cry and wail, "Why can't you people just leave me alone?'

9. Looked right into the security camera; used it as a mirror, and picked your nose.

10. While handling guns in the hunting department, ask the clerk if he knows where the antidepressants are.

11.Dart around the store, looking around suspiciously while loudly humming the "Mission Impossible" theme.

12. Hide in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yell, "PICK ME! — PICK ME!"

13. When an announcement comes over the loud speaker, assume the fetal position and scream, "NO! NO! NO! It's those voices again!!!!"

14. Go into a fitting room, shut the door and wait a while; then yell very loudly, "Hey, Somebody! I need some toilet paper in here!"

Submarine Blogger Roundup for August 08

2008-08-17T08:32:00.006-07:00

Here is another roundup of all the Submarine Bloggers I could find on the Internet.

I am posting in a different format this time, I didn't include my interpretation of the blog postings, You will have to just go and read them yourself.

I have also categorized them by who has been blogging frequently, and those who have all together abandoned blogging but still have a few good sea stories to read.

If I have missed a blog, or there is a new Submarine blogger out there who hasn't been identified, Please post a comment so I can include it.

Conducting operations (Active Bloggers)
Sandy Salt
Beebsblog
A Geezer’s corner
The Stupid Shall Be punished
Chapomatic
Unconsidered Trifles
Submandave
Robs Blog
Photios
The Cook Shack
Molten Eagle
Gus Van Horn
Doc MacDonald
USS Dolphin
Right Mind
Musings of an old man
Da fox hole
Aloha Dump
Reality Frame
Twelve Fluid Ounces
Submarines Forever
USS Boston Sail and Rudder CO LTD
The Old Coot
DCS Security
Ramblinboy
USS Augusta
Midwatch Cowboy
Blowing San #1
In Through The Out Door
Blunoz random ramblings
Sleepy Eyed Whiners of the Deep
Emergency Blow
Checks with Chart
Decks Awash!
No Slack, Fast Attack
Myron’s Random Thoughts
One of the better stories ever told
Boomer Rider

Drydock (6 months to 10 months since the last post)

None

Reserve Fleet (Greater than 10 months in posting)

Hundreds of Fathoms
Zero Bubble
Discomfort of Thought
Snapshot tube 2
Submarine Sailor
WTFO
Desert Periscope
Lazrambles
Torpedo in the Water
Adventures of the Professor Lieutenant
Run Aground

Missing and presumed lost

The EM Log

Submarine Forums

Rontini’s BBS

Submarine News

The Sub Report

Again if I missed a Blog, Please let me know, I have done enough cut and paste that there are URL's Stuck on the the ceiling, my chair, It's just a mess around here...

God Bless Texas

2008-08-16T09:01:00.002-07:00

I gleaned this off of the CNN website this morning

HARROLD, Texas (AP) -- A tiny Texas school district will allow teachers and staff members to carry concealed firearms to protect against school shootings, provided the gun-toting employees follow certain requirements.

The small community of Harrold in north Texas is a 30-minute drive from the Wilbarger County Sheriff's Office, leaving students and teachers without protection, said David Thweatt, superintendent of the Harrold Independent School District. The lone campus of the 110-student district sits near a heavily traveled highway, which could make it a target, he argued.

"When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones, that's when all of these shootings started. Why would you put it out there that a group of people can't defend themselves? That's like saying 'sic 'em' to a dog," Thweatt said in a story published Friday on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Web site.

Barbara Williams, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association of School Boards, said her organization did not know of another district with such a policy. Ken Trump, a Cleveland, Ohio-based school security expert who advises districts nationwide, said Harrold is the first district with such a policy.

Trustees approved the policy change last year, and it takes effect when classes begin this month. For employees to carry a pistol, they must have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun, must be authorized to carry by the district, must receive training in crisis management and hostile situations and must use ammunition designed to minimize the risk of ricocheting bullets.

Officials researched the policy and considered other options for about a year before approving the policy change, Thweatt said. The district also has other measures in place to prevent a school shooting, he said.

"The naysayers think [a shooting] won't happen here. If something were to happen here, I'd much rather be calling a parent to tell them that their child is OK because we were able to protect them," Thweatt said.

Texas law outlaws firearms at schools unless specific institutions allow them.

It isn't clear how many of the 50 or so teachers and staff members will be armed this fall, because Thweatt did not disclose that information, to keep it from students or potential attackers.

I am sure this will have liberals running around like their hair was on fire over this one. It has all the ingredients of a Greek tragedy to them, Teachers, Children, Class room and Nasty Nasty guns.
But if there had been some well armed citizens who have the intestinal fortitude to take the initiative in some of the other public places that gun wielding crazies have created news headline tragedies, I am certain that the body count would have amounted to the deranged criminal.

There are some things I still miss about living in the Southwest.

The right to bear arms in a responsible manner is one of them.

For employees to carry a pistol, they must have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun, must be authorized to carry by the district, must receive training in crisis management and hostile situations and must use ammunition designed to minimize the risk of ricocheting bullets.

Emphasis mine, They can't just go to Joe's Guns and get a .38 to pack to work with their sandwich..

Site Meter problems

2008-08-03T08:46:00.003-07:00

Friday, various blogger sites were unaccessible.

This was due to the Site meter software. It is used on blog pages to try and track page views and visitors. I only used it to verify the fact that other than my mom and a friendly neighbor, someone actually visits my page and reads what I write.

After a bit of troubleshooting on the blogger "help"(as in not much help) site, I figured out what was causing the error and deleted the offending element off my page.

So, If you use Site meter, (*I don't know if they have straightened out their problems, but I don't give crappy software a second chance,*) This was the reason anyone using IE7 couldn't load your Blog.

Submarine Blogger Roundup for July 2008

2008-07-19T10:11:00.004-07:00

Here is a synopsis of the Facts, opinions, and other fun published by fellow bubble head bloggers for the month of July or earlier.
So, In Alpha numerical order(By blog address ) so no one is deemed a “Golden boy” here they are:

Trickish Knave, First put his Blog in Hot Wet Layup, and then Reconsidered after he found the political climate of upcoming elections too irresistible.

Molten Eagle writes of a Submarine mafia, weighs in on the Capital of Submarines debate, Stew burner’s and the PBS special on those large easy targets, a bird farm, Carrier.

Blunoz and family are getting off Island and on to new destinations with their life and career. He has orders back to the beltway and all the headaches that go with such a move.

Bothnook took a few days of fly fishing with family and then started to lay in supplies for the holiday baking. Finally, he offers insight on the alternative energy debate and global warming

Chap has some posts that link to rather long political discussions

Midwatch Cowboy has everything from a Google “find an Iranian Nuclear facility to Kursk photos.

Mike Lief has cats, dogs, political commentary. He muses over the current political debate in our country and some other subjects.

Myron has been in and out of Surgery for what has become a pretty common ailment that causes a lot of pain and suffering Best of luck on the recovery

Redneck Nerdboy, Well, with a title of Hamsters, dogs and horses... oh my! What more can I say???

Rich is still serving in the “Sand Box” in the reserves. Posts vary from CPO leadership (From a PO1’s opinion) to the fun of serving in a far away place that is not home.

Right Mind, Ranked as Idaho's #1 Political Blog. Need I say more.

Jay has done some traveling, posts about the up coming Virginia class boats and the up coming national elections.

Submandave has recently surfaced again with political commentary

Sonarman,has posting on deck div days, the commercialism of Independence day and the demise of FTN’s blog.

Cookie, well he keeps us entertained daily with his blog. Full of humor and jokes. He has also been a major contributor to getting something done for our troops with the Gregory J Harris Military Courtesy Room at the Syracuse International Airport.

FTN is now offline. The full reason may never be known. Bloggers will miss the postings.

Joel is still leading Submariners to breaking news for the Submarine force, PT uniforms, Movie reviews and continuing to Mock and Belittle general foolishness.

Matt at Twelve Fluid ounces has has resurfaced after doing the job and has numerous posts. ( I need to catch up on him)

Zerobubble has articles an the HMS Astute and USS Lagarto.

There you have it. If I missed you, Drop me a comment and I will update the list.

Update 21 July 2008,

Since this is the first time I tried to do the Roundup, here are those I missed (So Far)
If you know of a Submariner blog, Please leave me a comment and I will do my best to add them.

RM1 has postings on Lance Corporal Katrina Hodge who competed in the Miss England Competition, RIMPAC memories, Medal of Honor recipients and recipients of the Victorian Cross

Spearfish has a really comprehensive British Navy and Submarine Site

Megamunch and a few friends had 120 oz (SEVEN and a half POUNDS) of steak EACH!! You have to see the photos to believe it

Ted has postings on the Glasgow Scottish Festival.

Checks with Chart has a RIMPAC post, and the controversial topic of UFO’s and Nuclear Missiles. Worth checking out.

Willyshake posts on the next James Bond movie and the USAA’s car purchasing services.

Jay has a posting on Smokers who sneak around to support their hasbit and the one’s who still defy the Politically Correct WE KNOW better than you crowd.

And with that I will now go have a smoke.

Job Envy

2008-07-15T16:28:00.008-07:00

In the Twenty years I wore the “dirty blue shirt” there was always the give and take of the rate that you chose before you enlisted. Coner’s would always give the Nuke’s the “chose your Rate-Chose your fate you SRB getting SOB’s” when the 1MJ would power whine 2 minutes after watch relief on the mess decks. Then, there was the same attitude from everyone for MT’s during the first week of pulling in and the last week of pulling out of port when they would have to work like rabid monkeys to get all the maintenance done on the missile and other systems. Same held true with my rate when we would hydro ourselves to get the ship out of port and in deep blue water then in and out again for each port/medivac/humivac and liberty call. On a Submarine, Each rating had a skate time and a period that was just horrible. I think the only one’s I never envied were the Yeomen. Those poor devils had bad hours no matter where we were in a deployment period. And if they weren’t supporting the XO/CO for some major paperwork evolution, they were hosed with the 3MC/EDEA putting them on Drill weenie hours.
Now that I have transitioned to the Civilian side, I still have job envy. I caught a nice brass ring getting out and found a great, well paying, satisfying way to make a living that I didn’t have to move, my commute is the same if not shorter than when I was in the Navy and I work with a great bunch of men who have the same twisted sense of humor I do. But still, there are days I sigh and dream

WHAT IF???

First, If I could do anything in the whole world over again, I would choose the Job of Mark Reid.

I grew up in New Mexico with Mark. Actually he was more like an uncle to me than a peer. He is a man of many talents and a great overall guy.
He is a Master Body Painter

Here are some Examples of his work

And Those aren't Blue Jeans,, Those babies are painted on.

This is his specialty in the buisness.

Working with some of these women, I guess you could see the Envy factor.

I am sure that there are day’s Mark asks himself “ Why don’t I do Something Else” like every man can and I am sure does. But I am sure that the are far less frequent than most of us.

And

To airbrush those girls.

WOW

His website Mark Reid Art

And if I couldn’t be a Master Body Painter like Mark,

I would chose this Guy's Job

He has such a Kick ass set of tools, I don’t know if it’s job envy or tool envy that drives me to want to take his place.

Cabinets, tables, Dado’s, Mortis bits…. The ENTIRE collection of Porter Tools, and Delta Tools. Plus a really cool workshop that seems to never have a wife messing with the stuff.

He can take a pallet that has been run over by a Semi and turn it into a French Colonial Cuckoo clock or some other way cool yet useless piece of furniture.

Well there you have it.

I chose my first rate after the Navy and then, there is what I still dream of being when it is boring and mundane.

What all men who tinker in the garage wanted to do this Fourth of July Weekend

2008-07-06T21:15:00.005-07:00

Talk about a case of envy, This weekend this popped up in both the "Odd News" segment of the mainstream media and because I live here in the Northwest, it got a bit of airplay on the different Television news media and radio news outlet's.

Alway thought it was plausable, just how safe is still a good question. And, did he have to file that flight plan with the FAA??

Riding a green lawn chair supported by a rainbow array of more than 150 helium-filled party balloons, Kent Couch succeeded Saturday in his third bid to fly from central Oregon all the way to Idaho.

Couch kissed his wife and kids goodbye, and patted their shivering Chihuahua, Isabella, before his ground crew gave him a push so he could clear surrounding light poles and a coffee cart.

Then, clutching a big mug of coffee, Couch rose out of the parking lot of his gas station into the bright blue morning sky, cheered by a crowd of spectators.

"If I had the time and money and people, I'd do this every weekend," Couch said before getting into the chair. "Things just look different from up there. You've moving so slowly. The best thing is the peace, the serenity.

"You can hear a dog bark at 15,000 feet."

Said his wife, Susan: "He's crazy. It's never been a dull moment since I married him."

Couch, 48, rode the prevailing wind to the area of McCall, Idaho, about 230 miles east, and traveled at about 20 mph.

Each balloon attached to his chair gives four pounds of lift. The chair weighed about 400 pounds, and Couch and his parachute 200 more.

"I'd go to 30,000 feet if I didn't shoot a balloon down periodically," Couch said.

For that job he carried a Red Ryder BB gun and a blow gun equipped with steel darts. He also had a pole with a hook for pulling in balloons, Global Positioning System tracking devices, an altimeter and a satellite phone.

It was his third flight. In 2006, he had to parachute out after popping too many balloons. And last year he flew 193 miles to the sagebrush of northeastern Oregon, short of his goal.

"I'm not stopping till I get out of state," he said.

Couch had to dump some of the 45 gallons of cherry Kool-Aid he carried as ballast before he was able to disappear into the distance. "We wanted some color, and it kind of reminded me of kid days," he said of the ballast.

Couch was inspired by a TV show about the 1982 lawn chair flight over Los Angeles by truck driver Larry Walters, who gained folk hero fame but was fined $1,500 for violating air traffic rules.

Dozens of volunteers wearing fluorescent green T-shirts with the slogan "Dream Big" filled Couch's 5-foot-diameter latex balloons and fastened them to the rig carrying his chair. A few balloons popped, and one got away.

"I think it's wonderful he's got guts enough to do it," said retired commercial pilot Bob Banta. "I've owned 12 little airplanes, but I've never done anything like this."

Couch, a veteran of hang gliding and sky diving, estimated the rig cost about $6,000, mostly for helium. Costs were defrayed by corporate sponsors.

You have to admit, that is a breathtaking veiw. And I am sure the silence was serene.

American Iron: What made the USA Great; The Chance Vought F4U Corsair

2008-07-06T13:16:00.006-07:00

Name: Chance Vought F4U Corsair

DOB: When "BuAer" sent its proposal for a high performance, carrier based fighter to United Aircraft Corporation (parent company of Vought-Sikorsky) on February 1, 1938, it seemed the Navy might have pushed technology to the point of giving it a hernia. C. J. McCarthy, who was Vought’s General Manager, called in the company’s chief engineer, Rex Beisel. Rex was one of those people who lived by the old motto "The difficult we do immediately. The impossible will take a week, ten days at the most."

Occupation: longest production run of any piston-engined fighter in U.S. history (1942–1952)
Hometown: May 1, 1940 and five months later flew the 45 miles (73 km) between Stratford and Hartford, Connecticut at a speed of 405 miles per hour (651.8 kph), becoming the first production aircraft to exceed 400 mph in level flight.

Current residence: Various Collectors and other's who love this plane.

Why this is great American Iron: The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service in World War II and the Korean War (and in isolated local conflicts). Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and Brewster-built aircraft F3A. The Corsair served in some air forces until the 1960s, following the longest production run of any piston-engined fighter in U.S. history (1942–1952 Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II. The U.S. Navy counted an 11:1 kill ratio for every F4U shot down.

The Corsair was designed by Rex Beisel and Igor Sikorsky, and incorporated the largest engine available at the time, the 2,000 hp (1,490 kW) 18-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial. To extract as much power as possible, a relatively large, 13 ft, 4 inch (4.06 m) Hamilton Standard Hydromatic three-blade propeller was used. To accommodate a folding wing, the designers considered retracting the main landing gear rearward, but for the chord of wing selected, it was difficult to fit gear struts long enough to provide sufficient clearance for the large propeller. Their solution was an inverted gull wing, the same layout used as Germany's infamous Stuka dive bomber, considerably shortening the length of the main gear legs The "bend" in the wing also permitted the wing and fuselage to meet at the optimum angle for minimizing drag. Offsetting these benefits, the bent wing was more difficult to construct and would weigh more than a straight one.

The 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-8 in a Goodyear FG-1 CorsairThe Corsair's aerodynamics were an advancement over contemporary naval fighters. The F4U was the first U.S. Navy airplane to feature landing gear that retracted fully, exactly in the manner of the Curtiss P-40 in rotating through 90° during retraction with the wheel atop the lower end of the strut, leaving a completely streamlined wing. Air intakes used slots in the leading edges of the wings rather than protruding scoops. Panels were attached with flush rivets, and the design took advantage of the newly-developed technique of spot welding. While employing this new technology, the Corsair was also the last American-produced fighter aircraft to feature fabric covered control surfaces, which were used for the top and bottom of each outer wing and the elevator surfaces. (The later Boeing B-29 bomber used a fabric-covered rudder.) Even with its streamlining and high speed abilities, with full flap deployment of 60 degrees the Corsair could fly slowly enough for carrier landings.

In part because of its advances in technology and a top speed greater than existing Navy aircraft, numerous technical problems had to be solved before the Corsair would enter service. Carrier suitability was a major development issue, prompting changes to the main landing gear, tail wheel and tailhook. Early prototypes had difficulty recovering from developed spins, since the inverted gull wing's shape interfered with elevator authority. A small spoiler was added to the leading edge of the starboard wing to reduce adverse stall characteristics.

Underside of a Corsair The combination of an aft cockpit and the Corsair's long nose made landings hazardous for newly-trained pilots. The cockpit position in the prototype was 36 in (91 cm) further forward, but a desire for more powerful armament necessitated changes. Putting three 50 caliber guns in each outer wing panel eliminated fuel tanks there, and the fuselage tank above the wings was enlarged to compensate.[10] This required that the seat be moved rearward, behind the tank, an arrangement used in other piston fighters of the era. Because the more docile, and simpler to build, F6F Hellcat was coming into service, Corsair deployment aboard U.S. carriers could be delayed. Following Vought modifications to the landing gear, repositioning of the seat, addition of the stall block to the starboard wing, and after a landing technique using a curving approach was developed by the British Royal Navy that kept the LSO (landing signal officer) in view while coming aboard, Corsairs entered U.S. carrier service toward the end of 1944.

Operational history

United States Navy and Marine Corps

In February 1938, the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics published two requests for proposal, for twin-engined and single-engined fighters. For the single-engined fighter the Navy requested the maximum obtainable speed, and a stalling speed not higher than 70 mph (113 km/h). A range of 1,000 miles (1,610 km) was specified. The fighter had to carry four guns, or three with increased ammunition. Provision had to be made for anti-aircraft bombs to be carried in the wing. These small bombs would, according to thinking in the 1930s, be dropped on enemy aircraft formations.

In June 1938, the USN signed a contract for a prototype, the XF4U-1, BuNo 1443. After mock-up inspection in February 1939 construction of the XF4U-1 powered by an XR-2800-4 engine, rated at 1,805 hp (1,350 kW) went ahead quickly. The first flight of the XF4U-1 was made on 29 May 1940, with Lyman A. Bullard Jr. at the controls. The maiden flight was eventful; a hurried landing was made when the elevator trim tabs failed because of flutter.

On 1 October, the XF4U-1 made a flight from Stratford to Hartford with an average ground speed of 405 mph (650 km/h), the first U.S. fighter to fly faster than 400 mph (640 km/h). The XF4U-1 also had an excellent rate of climb. On the other hand, the testing of the XF4U-1 revealed some requirements would have to be rewritten. In full-power dive tests, speeds of up to 550 mph (885 km/h) were achieved, not without damage to the control surfaces and access panels, and, in one case, an engine failure. The spin recovery standards also had to be relaxed, as recovery from the required two-turn spin proved impossible without recourse to an anti-spin chute. The problems clearly meant delays in getting the type into production.

Reports coming back from the war in Europe indicated that an armament of two .30 caliber (7.62 mm) and two .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns was insufficient, and so when the U.S. Navy asked for production proposals in November 1940, heavier armament was specified. The Navy entered into a letter of intent on 3 March 1941, received Vought's production proposal on 2 April, and awarded Vought a contract for 584 F4U-1 fighters on 30 June of the same year. On 25 June 1942 Boone Guyton flew the production F4U-1 on its maiden flight. Brewster and Goodyear were already tooling up to join the Corsair production program, having been selected in late 1941 as additional contractors for the aircraft.

Corsair losses in World War II were as follows:

By combat: 189
By enemy anti-aircraft artillery: 349
Accidents during combat missions: 230
Accidents during non-combat flights: 692
Destroyed aboard ships or on the ground: 164

One particularly interesting kill was scored by a Marine Lieutenant R.R. Klingman of VMF-312 Checkerboards, over Okinawa. Klingman was in pursuit of a Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu ("Nick") twin engine fighter at extremely high altitude when his guns jammed due to the gun lubrication thickening from the extreme cold. He simply flew up and chopped off the Ki-45's tail with the big propeller of the Corsair. Despite missing five inches (127 mm) off the end of his propeller blades, he managed to land safely. He was awarded the Navy Cross.

Korean War

During the Korean War, the Corsair was used mostly in the close-support role. The AU-1 Corsair was a ground-attack version produced for the Korean War; its Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine, while supercharged, was not as highly "blown" as on the F4U. As the Corsair moved from its air superiority role in World War II into the close air support role in the Korean Conflict, the gull wing proved to be a useful feature. A straight, low-wing design would have blocked most of the visibility from the cockpit toward the ground while in level flight, but a Corsair pilot could look through a "notch" and get a better ground reference without having to bank one way or the other to move the wing out of the way.

The AU-1, F4U-4B, -4C, -4P, and -5N logged combat in Korea between 1950 and 1953. There were dogfights between F4Us and Soviet-built Yakovlev Yak-9 fighters early in the conflict, but when the enemy introduced the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, the Corsair was outmatched, though one Marine pilot did get lucky. On 10 September 1952, a MiG-15 made the mistake of getting into a turning contest with a Corsair piloted by Captain Jesse G. Folmar, with Folmar shooting the MiG down with his four 20 millimeter cannon. The MiG's wingmen quickly had their revenge, shooting down Folmar, though he bailed out and was swiftly rescued with little injury.

Corsair night fighters were used to an extent. The enemy adopted the tactic of using low-and-slow Polikarpov Po-2 intruders to perform night harassment strikes on American forces, and jet-powered night fighters found catching these "Bedcheck Charlies" troublesome. U.S. Navy F4U-5Ns were posted to shore bases to hunt them down, with U.S. Navy Lieutenant Guy Pierre Bordelon, Jr. becoming the Navys only ace in the conflict, as well as the only ace to not score any victories in a jet plane.

More generally, Corsairs performed attacks with cannon, napalm tanks, various iron bombs and unguided rockets. The old HVAR was a reliable standby, however sturdy Soviet-built armor proved resistant to the HVAR's punch leading to a new 6.5 in (16.5 cm) hollow-charge antitank warhead being developed. The result was called the "Anti-Tank Aircraft Rocket." The big 11.75 inch (29.8 cm) Tiny Tim was also used in combat, with two under the belly.[44] There is a story of a Corsair pilot who cut enemy communications lines by snagging them with his arresting hook.

Lieutenant Thomas J. Hudner, Jr., flying with naval squadron VF-32 off the USS Leyte, was awarded the Medal of Honor for crash landing his Corsair in an attempt to rescue his squadron mate, Ensign Jesse L. Brown, whose aircraft had been forced down by antiaircraft fire near Changjin.

Royal Navy
FAA introduced the Corsair into carrier service before the USN. British units solved the landing visibility problem by approaching the carrier in a medium left-hand turn, which allowed the pilot to keep the carrier's deck in view over the dip in the port wing, allowing safe carrier operations.

In the early days of the war, RN fighter requirements had been based on cumbersome two-seat designs, such as the Blackburn Skua, Fairey Fulmar, and Fairey Firefly, on the assumption they would only be fighting long range bombers or flying boats. The RN hurriedly adopted higher performance but less robust types derived from land based aircraft, such as the Supermarine Seafire. The Corsair was welcomed as a much more robust and versatile alternative.

In Royal Navy service, many Corsairs had their outer wings clipped to assist with carrier storage as well as benefitting its low-altitude performance Despite the clipped wings and the shorter decks of British carriers, RN aviators found landing accidents less of a problem than they had been to USN aviators due to the curved approach used. RN Corsairs saw widespread service with the British Pacific Fleet from late 1944 until the end of the war, some six carrier-based squadrons flying intensive ground attack/interdiction operations and also claiming 47.5 aircraft shot down.

The Royal Navy received 95 Corsair Mk Is and 510 Mk IIs, these being equivalent to the F4U-1 and -1A. Goodyear-built aircraft were known as Mk IIIs (equivalent to FG-1D), and Brewster-built aircraft as Mk IVs (equivalent to F3A-1D). British Corsairs had their wing tips clipped, 20 cm being removed at the tips, to allow storage of the F4U on the lower-overhead British carriers. The Royal Navy was the first to clear the F4U for carrier operations. It proved the Corsair Mk II could be operated with reasonable success even from escort carriers. It was not without problems, one being excessive wear of the arrester wires due to the weight of the Corsair and the understandable tendency of the pilots to stay well above the stalling speed.

Fleet Air Arm units were created and equipped in the US, at Quonset Point or Brunswick and then shipped to war theaters aboard escort carriers. The first FAA Corsair unit was No. 1830, created on the first of June 1943, and soon operating from HMS Illustrious. At the end of the war, 19 FAA squadrons were operating with the Corsair. British Corsairs operated both in Europe and in the Pacific. The first, and also most important, European operations were the series of attacks in April, July and August 1944 on the German battleship Tirpitz, for which Corsairs from HMS Victorious and HMS Formidable provided fighter cover. It appears the Corsairs did not encounter aerial opposition on these raids.

FAA Corsairs originally fought in a camouflage scheme with a Dark Slate Grey/Extra Dark Sea Grey disruptive pattern on top and Sky undersides, but were later painted overall dark blue. Those operating in the Pacific theater acquired a specialized British insignia - a modified blue-white roundel with white "bars" to make it look more like a U.S. than a Japanese Hinomaru insignia to prevent friendly-fire incidents. A total of 2,012 Corsairs were supplied to the United Kingdom.

In the Pacific, FAA Corsairs began to operate in April 1944, participating in an attack on Sabang, and later in the attack on oil refineries at Palembang. In July and August 1945, Corsair squadrons Nos. 1834, 1836, 1841, and 1842 took part in a series of strikes on the Japanese mainland, near Tokyo. They operated from the carriers HMS Victorious and Formidable.

At least one Corsair was captured by the Germans, this was Corsair JT404 from No. 1841 squadron (HMS Formidable). Wing Leader Lt Cdr RS Baker-Falkner made an emergency landing on 18 July 1944 in a field at Sorvag, near Bodø, Norway. The Corsair was captured intact and it is not known if it was taken to Germany.

On 9 August 1945, days before the end of the war, FAA Corsairs from Formidable were attacking Shiogama harbor on the northeast coast of Japan. Royal Canadian Navy pilot, Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray, was hit by flak but pressed home his attack on a Japanese destroyer, sinking it with a 450 kilogram (1,000 pound) bomb but crashing into the sea. He was posthumously awarded Canada's last Victoria Cross, becoming the second fighter pilot of the war to earn a VC as well as the final Canadian casualty of the Second World War.

Royal New Zealand Air Force

Equipped with obsolescent Curtiss P-40s, RNZAF squadrons in the South Pacific performed impressively compared to the American units they operated alongside, in particular in the air-to-air role. The American government accordingly decided to give New Zealand early access to the Corsair, especially as it was not initially being used from carriers. Some 424 Corsairs equipped 13 RNZAF squadrons, including No. 14 Squadron RNZAF and No. 15 Squadron RNZAF, replacing SBD Dauntless as well as P-40s.

In late 1944, the F4U equipped all twelve Pacific-based fighter units of the RNZAF The first squadrons to use the Corsair were Nos 20 and 21 Squadrons on Espiritu Santo island, operational in May 1944. In the RNZAF Corsair units, only the pilots and a small staff belonged to the squadron; aircraft and maintenance crew were grouped in a pool.

By the time the Corsairs arrived, there were virtually no Japanese aircraft left in New Zealand's allocated sectors of the Southern Pacific, and despite the RNZAF Squadrons extending their operations to more northern islands, they were primarily used for close support of American, Australian and New Zealander soldiers fighting the Japanese. New Zealander pilots were aware of the Corsair's poor forward view and tendency to ground loop, but found these drawbacks could be solved by pilot training in curved approaches before use from rough forward airbases.

The RNZAF Corsairs mainly flew close-support missions, and as a consequence did not claim a single enemy aircraft shot down. At the end of 1945, all Corsair squadrons but one (No. 14) were disbanded. That last squadron was based in Japan, until the Corsair was retired from service in 1947.

No. 14 Squadron took its Corsairs to Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. Only one airworthy example of the 424 aircraft procured survives: NZ5648/ZK-COR, owned by the Old Stick and Rudder Company at Masterton, NZ. One other mostly complete aircraft and the remains of two others were known to be held by a private collector at Ardmore, NZ, in 1996. Their current whereabouts are unknown.

French Navy
A total of 94 F4U-7s were built for the French Navy in 1952, with the last of the batch, the final Corsair built, rolled out on December 24, 1952. The F4U-7s were actually purchased by the U.S. Navy and passed on to the Aeronavale through the U.S. Military Assistance Program (MAP). The French used their F4U-7s during the end of the First Indochina War in the 1950s, where they were supplemented by at least 25 ex-USMC AU-1s passed on to the French in 1954, after the end of the Korean War.

French Corsairs also performed strikes in the Algerian War in 1955 and 1956 and assisted in the Anglo-French-Israeli seizure of the Suez Canal in October 1956, codenamed Operation Musketeer. The Corsairs were painted with yellow and black recognition stripes for this operation. In 1960, some French Corsairs were rigged to carry four SS-11 wire-guided missiles. This was a more or less experimental fit and it is hard to believe it worked well, since it required a pilot to "fly" the missile after launch with a joystick while keeping track of a flare on its tail – an exercise that could be very tricky in a single-seat aircraft under combat conditions. All French Corsairs were out of service by 1964, with some surviving for museum display or as civilian warbirds.

The "Football War"
Corsairs flew their final combat missions during the 1969 "Football War" between Honduras and El Salvador. The conflict was famously triggered, though not really caused, by a disagreement over a football (soccer) match. Both sides claimed various numbers of kills, and each side disputed the claims of the other.

Legacy
The Corsair entered service in 1942. Although designed as a carrier fighter, initial operation from carrier decks proved to be troublesome. Its low-speed handling was tricky due to the port wing stalling before the starboard wing. This factor, together with poor visibility over the long nose (leading to one of its nicknames, "The Hose Nose"), made landing a Corsair on a carrier a difficult task. For these reasons, most Corsairs initially went to Marine Corps squadrons who operated off land-based runways, with some early Goodyear built examples (designated FG-1A) being built with fixed, non-folding wings. The USMC aviators welcomed the Corsair with open arms as its performance was far superior to the contemporary Brewster Buffalo and Grumman F4F-3 and -4 Wildcat.

Moreover, the Corsair was able to outperform the primary Japanese fighter, the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero". While the Zero could out-turn the F4U at low speed, the Corsair was faster and could out-climb and out-dive the A6M. Tactics developed early in the war, such as the Thach Weave, took advantage of the Corsair's strengths.

This performance advantage, combined with the ability to take severe punishment, meant a pilot could place an enemy aircraft in the killing zone from the F4U's six .50 (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns and keep him there long enough to inflict major damage. The 2,300 rounds carried by the Corsair gave over one full minute of fire from each gun, which, fired in three to six-second bursts, made the F4U a devastating weapon against aircraft, ground targets, and even ships.

Beginning in 1943, the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) also received Corsairs and flew them successfully from Royal Navy carriers in combat with the British Pacific Fleet and in Norway. These were clipped-wing Corsairs, the wingtips shortened eight inches (20 cm) to clear the lower overhead height of RN carriers. FAA also developed a curving landing approach to overcome the F4U's deficiencies.

Corsairs served with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, Fleet Air Arm, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force, as well the French Aeronavale and other services postwar. It quickly became the most capable carrier-based fighter-bomber of World War II. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear (as the FG-1) and Brewster (as the F3A-1). From the first prototype delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1940, to final delivery in 1953 to the French, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured by Vought,in 16 separate models.

Infantrymen nicknamed the Corsair "The Sweetheart of the Marianas" and "The Angel of Okinawa" for its roles in these campaigns. Among Navy and Marine aviators, however, the aircraft was nicknamed "Ensign Eliminator" and "Bent-Wing Eliminator" because it required many more hours of flight training to master than other Navy carrier-borne aircraft. It was also called simply "U-bird" or "Bent Wing Bird". The Japanese allegedly nicknamed it "Whistling Death", for the noise made by airflow through the wing root-mounted oil cooler air intakes.

The Corsair has been named the official aircraft of Connecticut, due to its connection with Sikorsky Aircraft, in legislation sponsored by state senator George "Doc" Gunther; Gunther had also organized a Corsair Celebration and Symposium at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, Connecticut, on Memorial Day, 29 May 2006.

Independence Day

2008-07-06T09:38:00.003-07:00

The post is a bit late, earlier last week I finally got the Blue ID card and my status as a full citizen back again. I have no reservations for serving my country for 20 years. I enjoyed most times, loathed some others and generally feel that my small contribution made a difference.

Overall, I was one of the Crew..
I didn't do anything that warrant's a medal, parade, or anything above a footnote in history. Other than I was there and I served.

I gladly did the job, stood the watches and what ever was asked of me.

I take pride that I was a strand in the long line that makes up the history of our Navy and our country.

I hope all enjoy the Holiday and the price other's have paid for us to celebrate it.

Nereus.

A note for Comments by reader's

2008-07-06T08:30:00.003-07:00

I have had to turn the comment moderation on recently. This is due to recent post's that have been commented on by trolls who post "Get rich quick" schemes and other flotsam that has come to pollute the Internet.

I will post all comments made by reader's with any opinion other than adding to the cheapness and dead weight of the Internet.
So, if your comment isn't available instantly, It is because I have taken the time to filter out the bot's, tweaks, and other ilk that have raised the noise ratio of being online.

Nereus.

When a shot to center of mass just isn’t enough

2008-06-26T10:39:00.002-07:00

I was reading my “home town” newspaper the other day and I ran across an article that was a bit disturbing.
I have edited names and places for my satisfaction, Emphasis and comments are mine.
A 21-year-old Roswell man was arraigned in a Chaves County courtroom Monday after police said he was wounded by a gunshot during a home invasion attempt nearly two weeks ago.

According to court records, police arrested LXXX GXXXX, 21, on June 16 in connection with a home invasion a day earlier, at the 400 block of East SXXXXX Street.

Gxxxx was arraigned on charges of aggravated assault, attempted aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence and receiving stolen property.

About 6 a.m. on June 15, police responded to a call that a man had attempted to gain access to a home along Sxxxxt Street. The homeowner told police he shot the man in the chest, records show. Good on him, taking the initiative and not being a victim. See the 2nd amendment has a reason.

Homeowner Gxxxxxxxx Sxxxxxx told police the man was knocking on his door and ringing his doorbell early that morning.

Sxxxxxx told police he got his gun (as you should when something is afoot at the wee hours of the morning) before opening the door and the man said "someone was after him." The man said he needed to talk to Sxxxxxx inside his house.
(Nope, no one steps over the treshold unless they are know, trusted or have a warrent)
Shortly after, the situation escalated and the man tried to force his way into the home.

Sxxxxxx shot the man once through his security door. (I wonder the caliber and fire arm used. Seems that this should have been enough of a detterent to keep this A##hole out. I would have double tapped and have LARGE Calibler-High Velocity weapons for this reason)

After he fired the shot, he heard two or three gunshots outside the house, according to court records. (See Lib's, the Bad guys have them, so why not defend thyself and home?)
No one else was injured. (Good Weapons Managment on the citizen's part)

Sxxxxxx told police he noticed that the man was wearing a bullet-proof vest and holding a gun, records show.
Now the criminals are showing up with better protection than Law enforcement or citizens. I am sure that the courts will dismiss the fact that this is clearly intent to do harm and protect himself.

Sxxxxxx identified Gxxxx in a photo lineup and police arrested him on an outstanding warrant on June 16.
(Again, another scumbag that the system has turned loose because the justice system is too worried about the rights of people who have absolutely no moral compass and will kill you for their next hit of meth.)

At the time of the arrest, Gxxxx was wearing the bullet-proof vest which had a hole in the chest area.
(Lucky A##hole, now some Public Defender flunky will get him off on a reduced charge)
Police said Gxxxx also had a bruise on his chest, according to court records.

(Too bad, Should have been well veinilated in his chest and heart area for his trouble.)

Chaves County Assistant District Attorney Stephen Kovach said he didn't believe Sxxxxxx would be charged with any crime. (Well at least in the southwest they still have a bit of common sense when a homeowner defends himself)

Court records show the vest was taken during a burglary at the home of a Chaves County Sheriff's deputy on May 9.

The incident isn't the first time Gxxxx has been in trouble with the law.
NO SH#T????

In January 2006, he was arrested on charges of attempted residential burglary when police said he broke into a home at the 700 block of SherXXX Lane.

Gxxxx pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 364 days at the Chaves County Detention Center in June 2006.
Too bad, I think this P.O.S should have gotten a Looooong sentence for the agravaited part of the crime. He shows up with a Bullet Proof Vest, Gun, and trys to force his way in to a home. How can they not put him away for a very long time? IF that isn't intent I don't know what is.

New GI Bill awaiting President and Farewell to a good blog

2008-06-24T12:08:00.004-07:00

Last week the House and Senate passed the measure that will finally do something right for those who have served this country. What is sad, the only reason that the President is willing to sign this into law is because they filled the bill up with so many other items that he wants passed into law rather than do something for the men and women in uniform.

Here is a brief Run down on the benefits to come shortly..

Under the New GI Bill
Post 9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act (S.22/H.R. 2702)

This proposed benefit will cover the full cost of education at any public school in the country and many private schools. To qualify for the benefits a veteran has to have served at least 90 days of active duty service post-9/11 and have remaining entitlement. Only post 9/11 active duty service counts toward this benefit. Any remaining Chapter 30 or 1607 entitlement can be converted into this new education benefit. There is no requirement to buy-in to qualify and the benefits last for 15 years after separation.

This benefit discards the outdated benefits system and replaces it with a WWII-style GI Bill that provides upfront tuition payments directly to the school, provides a book/supply stipend of $1,000/yr and a monthly living stipend.

The tuition payments can be used at any public or private school but are capped at the cost of the most expensive public school in the state. However, more expensive private schools offering a veterans-only scholarship will see that scholarship matched dollar for dollar up to the full cost of tuition.

The monthly living stipend will be based on the Department of Defense Basic Housing Allowance (BAH) for that region. The stipend will be pegged to the E-5 with a dependent rate for the zip code of the school.

Tuition: Paid upfront to the school at the beginning of each term
Capped at the tuition cost of the most expensive public school in the state
More expensive schools offering veterans scholarships will be matched dollar for dollar
Books/Supplies: $1,000/yr. paid upfront and divided by academic term
Monthly Living: Based on DoD’s BAH rate for E-5 w/dependent
Time to Use Benefit: 15 years
Buy-in: None

Reservists will continue to receive a percentage of the active duty rate based on the length of their active duty service. However, this new benefit will allow reservists to accumulate active duty service from multiple tours (more service = higher benefits). Lastly, every reservist called to active duty will now have 15 years to use their benefits, no longer just those that do 8 years of active duty or select reserve.
90 Consecutive Days 40% (Tuition, Books, & Living Stipend)
6 Cumulative Months 50% (Tuition, Books, & Living Stipend)
12 Cumulative Months 60% (Tuition, Books, & Living Stipend)
18 Cumulative Months 70% (Tuition, Books, & Living Stipend)
24 Cumulative Months 80% (Tuition, Books, & Living Stipend)
30 Cumulative Months 90% (Tuition, Books, & Living Stipend)
36 Cumulative Months 100% (Tuition, Books, & Living Stipend)
Time to Use Benefit: 15 years (see above)
Buy-in Requirement: None

This has been long overdue from our country and congress to fund an education and future for all the men and women who have served our nation in this time of war.

And finally, a fair winds and following seas to the blog Aloha Dump. Trickish Knave has found; like I have after retiring, there isn't enough time on that clock to get everything done in the day.
So he has placed the blog in layup. I imagine that it also has something to do with the fact that, after leaving the navy, there isn't quite as much to generally piss a person off in the day and so there for, you don't really have the overwhelming need to vent on a blog.

If you haven't seen it, go to the first postings and have a read. There are some good sea stories and stories/observations of living "Aloha". Its a great read if you have ever been stationed in Hawaii.

New GI Bill media Update

2008-06-14T08:09:00.003-07:00

Here are some articles to update on the New GI bill...
Comments and insight are welcome....
New GI Bill Could Bring More College Benefits
Congress is considering proposals from Sen. Jim Webb and Sen. John McCain
By Kim Clark
Posted June 12, 2008

Sinking in education debt, Friends University freshman Amariee Collins was intrigued by Air Force ads promising to help pay tuition. So, shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attack, the Wichita, Kan., student deferred her dream of a degree and volunteered for active duty. Four years of stateside service later, she enrolled at the University of Houston and made a heartbreaking discovery: She still couldn't afford to attend college debt free. The Montgomery GI Bill would cover only about $11,000 of the school's $18,000 annual cost.
Amariee Collins (left) wants an increase in the education benefits offered to soldiers such as this group from a White House ceremony.
Amariee Collins (left) wants an increase in the education benefits offered to soldiers such as this group from a White House ceremony.
(Jeffrey MacMillan for USN&WR)
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"I could be mad," the 25-year-old pre-med major says now. But she's choosing to funnel her frustration into action. At her part-time job at the campus veterans' center, she warns would-be soldiers about the reality of the education benefits. And she's rallying support for a controversial bill in Congress that would pay nearly all costs for a local public university for post-9/11 veterans.

Americans brought up on the lore of the original GI Bill, which raised millions of World War II veterans into the middle class by offering nearly free rides to universities as expensive as Harvard, are often surprised to learn that tuition inflation has so outstripped today's benefits from the bill.

Many of those are young people like Collins, who respond to recruiting ads promising more than $70,000 to pay for college. They often fail to read the fine print or understand the impact of tuition inflation. Since 2002, for example, the government has raised the standard academic-year education payment by a total of $1,800 to cover inflation. Meanwhile, the cost of attending a public university has risen by about $4,200, and the cost of a private university has risen by more than $7,000. Even more surprising to many are the controversies and presidential politicking bubbling in Washington over a bipartisan effort to give today's 1.4 million active-duty soldiers and 500,000 post-9/11 veterans something close to a debt-free degree.

A bill overwhelmingly passed by the Senate would give post-9/11 veterans 15 years to claim four academic years' worth of payments covering tuition at their state's most expensive public university, textbooks, and rent for a two-bedroom townhouse. Students who wanted to attend a more expensive private college could collect a check for the amount of their state university's tuition and then get a one-for-one federal match for every dollar in scholarship their private school offered. The bill was spearheaded by Sen. Jim Webb, a Vietnam veteran and former secretary of the Navy, and is backed by a bipartisan group of 58 senators, a majority of representatives, most major veterans' organizations, hundreds of university officials, and a Who's Who of retired generals. "There is unanimous opinion on the Hill and in the administration that improvements are needed," says Colin Powell, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state and a backer of the bill.

Webb, a Virginia Democrat, notes that studies show the original GI Bill repaid at least $5 to taxpayers for every $1 spent on benefits. "You don't lose money when you pour it in somebody's head," he says. "The people who have been serving since 9/11 have given more than anyone in their generation. They have earned the same benefits as their grandparents."

The bill has been at least temporarily stymied, however, by a debate over just what improvements are needed and how much generosity the nation can afford. Leading the opposition: a formidable array including President Bush, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and Sen. John McCain, a Vietnam veteran and the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

Gates and other brass are lobbying against Webb's bill, arguing it is so generous that it would make it harder for the Pentagon to persuade experienced soldiers to re-enlist. The Congressional Budget Office predicted the proposal could reduce the re-enlistment rate by about 16 percent, likely forcing the military to pony up billions more in bonuses or other re-enlistment sweeteners to keep its best soldiers in the midst of a war. Bush has expressed concerns about the costs and promised a veto if the House's fiscally conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats follow through with threats to pay for the bill with a "Patriot Tax" on those with incomes over $500,000.

Counterplan. McCain and several other Republican senators drafted a lower-cost and re-enlistment-friendlier bill that would bump up the basic education benefit by almost $3,000 a year and add another $4,200 a year for soldiers who stayed in the service for at least 12 years. In response to requests from the Pentagon, the alternative bill would also allow soldiers who served at least six years to transfer some of their unused education benefits to their spouse or children.

While transferability has won widespread support, the stingier payments have attracted criticism from many of those McCain no doubt hopes will vote for him in November. McCain's proposed $14,000-a-year benefit, while covering the average tuition, fees, and room and board of a public university, is too paltry for the "crazy costs" facing many veterans hoping for a college education, says American Legion spokeswoman Ramona Joyce. Besides, Joyce notes, while the better benefits might lure 16 percent of experienced soldiers out of the service, the Congressional Budget Office also found that it would be so attractive to civilians that it would increase recruiting by 16 percent.

Some campaign analysts predict a compromise bill will likely make it into law soon. McCain is currently polling behind Obama, who is a cosponsor of the more generous bill and may be considering Webb as a vice presidential candidate. Congressional negotiators in mid-June were quietly trying to add transferability provisions to Webb's bill and make a few other tweaks. Their goal: a compromise that helps veterans and allows all sides to proclaim victory.

New GI Bill Part Deux

2008-06-08T07:29:00.002-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — After promising to veto a huge Iraq war-funding bill because it contains unrelated domestic spending, the White House now wants to boost the costs even higher by letting troops transfer ramped up GI Bill education benefits to their spouses or children.

The White House is signaling that President Bush could sign the hotly contested and long overdue war funding bill if the benefit transferability provision is added to the 10-year, $52 billion improvement to GI Bill college benefits proposed by Democrats and many Republicans.

"It's like the Yogi Berra story: 'I don't like that restaurant. Besides, the portions aren't large enough,'" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in an interview. "They don't like it, but they want more."

"It's not a bad idea," Pelosi added. "It just costs money."

A Democratic leadership aide, who was granted anonymity in order to speak freely, said Democrats were unlikely to yield to the White House demands.

"There is a great deal of reluctance to increase the cost of the bill to accommodate the president when he is otherwise complaining that we're spending too much," the aide said.

The imbroglio over the GI Bill is the biggest remaining hurdle to getting Bush's pending $178 billion war funding requests enacted. He has vowed to veto any measure exceeding his request, but the new veterans program is extraordinarily popular, and a veto might be difficult to sustain. That's one reason why White House representatives are trying to negotiate a compromise.

Democratic leaders are likely to dump most other domestic add-ons opposed by Bush, despite a sweeping vote in the Senate last month to add significant new domestic spending to the measure.

In addition, House Democratic leaders are to drop efforts to extend unemployment benefits, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Wednesday.

Under an unusual procedural setup, it's up to the House to vote next on the war funding bill, while also significantly scaling back a companion package of additional spending passed by the Senate last month.

In addition to the GI Bill benefits and an extension of unemployment insurance, the Senate added more than $10 billion for various other domestic programs, including heating subsidies for the poor, wildfire fighting, road and bridge repair, and health research. The Senate vote was a surprising 75-22, but the result dismayed House leaders, who are seeking to give Bush a bill he will sign.

The addition sought by Bush could cost $2 billion a year, or $20 billion to $25 billion over a decade, assuming the right to transfer benefits to family members involves the more generous benefits proposed by Democrats. The Democratic GI Bill, sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., is aimed at guaranteeing returning Iraq war veterans the equivalent of a four-year education at a public university.

A senior White House official said Wednesday that adding Bush's benefits transfer plan to the GI Bill provision wouldn't guarantee a presidential signature, but that it could prove to be an important element to reaching an agreement.

The two sides also are wrangling over a plan in both the House and Senate bills that would block new Bush administration rules designed to cut spending on Medicaid health care for the poor and disabled by $13 billion over the next five years.

Meanwhile, moderate to conservative Democrats continue to worry that the new veterans' benefits package will pass in violation of pay-as-you-go rules that are supposed to require that new federal benefits programs are "paid for" with new revenues or spending cuts elsewhere in the budget.

Last month, House Democrats used a one-half of a percentage point increase in tax rates on wealthy taxpayers to finance the new benefits, but the Senate rejected the idea.
New Poll: 80% Of Americans Say Student Veterans Shortchanged By Current GI Bill; 9 Out Of 10 Say Honor Current Heroes As America Did In The Past.

The overwhelmingly majority of Americans believe that veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are not getting the educational benefits they need or deserve, and an even more significant percentage support an update to the current GI Bill to give student-veterans more and better access to such benefits.

These are the major findings of a new national survey commissioned by The Campaign for a New GI Bill and conducted by Whitman Insight Strategies, the prominent New York based strategic research firm. The survey of 1,000 registered voters has a margin of error of plus/minus 3.1%.

“The current G.I. Bill is depriving far too many of our troops returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts of the same educational opportunities that I and some eight million other Americans so greatly benefited from,” said Jerome Kohlberg, legendary financier & World War II veteran who is founder and chairman of The Campaign for a New G.I. Bill. “Today’s student veterans have sacrificed so much for our country. Why should they have to sacrifice their college education when they return from the battlefield. In fact, America has a solemn obligation to them.”

Kohlberg went to college on the original “free ride” G.I. Bill, which, at the time, fully paid for a U.S. veteran’s higher educational pursuits. It allowed him to receive his bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College, a business degree from Harvard, and a law degree from Columbia. This paved the way for Mr. Kohlberg’s very successful career in which he became a pioneer in the investments industry as the senior founding partner of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.

“No matter what respondents views of the war on terror, one thing is crystal clear—American voters want our returning veterans to have the same opportunities as past veterans did,” said Matthew Boulay, Director of The Campaign for a New GI Bill.

“In a year when there have been so many candidate debates, forums, and rallies, we believe it’s time that veterans’ issues, particularly education and health care, should be a focus of our next President,” Boulay said. “After the attention paid to pastors, fundraisers, flag pins, spouses, and rhetoric, we believe it’s high time for our candidates to state clearly their position on issues affecting the men and women of the Armed Forces, Reserves and National Guard who have served our country in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each presidential candidate should tell our vets what they can expect when they return from duty.”

Among the survey’s major findings are:

- 81% of Americans say that veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are not getting enough support in transitioning back to civilian life.

- 91% of Americans support providing these veterans with a funded college education for their service.

- While 85% of Americans believe that the original GI Bill of 1944 was fair to returning World War II veterans, 67% say that the current GI Bill is not fair and 3 out of 4 say that it doesn’t do enough for veterans.

- More than 8 of 10 Americans support a comprehensive 21st Century GI Bill.

- 91% of Americans agree that the government should make good on its promise to help veterans get a college education and that we should reward current heroes like we rewarded those in the past

- 83% of Americans believe that a new 21st Century GI Bill will benefit America. (94% of Americans say that the original GI Bill was a good idea, and 91% believe it benefited America).

The Campaign for a New GI Bill is a 501-C-4 non-partisan organization set up to promote a new, fair deal for today’s veterans. For more information, go to the web site www.NewGIBill.org. For a copy of the full survey, contact Bruce Bobbins or Bill Cunningham at Dan Klores Communications, 212-685-4300.

GI Bill Falls Far Short Of Veterans' Current College Costs

Military vets who joined up in order to pay for school find their benefits barely cover cost of books.

Evan Aanerud didn't think he'd have to work full time to put himself through school. He joined the Marine Corps Reserves to fulfill two childhood dreams: to serve his country and to go to college. The 24-year-old's dad was a recruiter for the Corps, so he'd heard of the GI Bill, the program that provides money for education to veterans, and he knew from the ads he saw on television that the military would help him pay for college.

"When I came back from Iraq, I was surprised with the amount of money I ended up getting from the GI Bill," he said. That amount was $282 a month when Evan was at a community college. When he transferred to California Polytechnic State University and the rules surrounding his GI Bill benefit changed, he got $430 a month. "That's about the cost of one-quarter of the books, and that's about all that I got," he said.

New GI Bill

2008-06-01T07:41:00.003-07:00

So far in my blogging, I haven’t thrown my hat in the political arena for a variety of reasons. But, there is a bill currently waiting for the POTUS to sign off on that would benefit all the Vets and soon to be Vets that have made a substantial sacrifice for our country during the Global War on Terror.

The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2007, S.22, is designed to expand the educational benefits that our nation offers to the brave men and women who have served us so honorably since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The bill would mirror the educational benefits provided to veterans returning from World War II. A House companion bill, is H.R. 2702

What is starting to chap my ass about the law makers of our country is that the POTUS, and an un-named member who is running for the same office are publicly opposed to passing this into law.

The administration's and the un-named member running for office argument is that if a GI Bill benefit is too good, it'll reward veterans too richly for their service and draw them away from re-enlisting.

They are more worried about keeping the current boots on ground than doing the right thing and actually providing a real benefit for American men and women who have served our country.

Our country has a tradition – since World War II – of offering educational assistance to returning veterans. In the 1940s, the first “GI Bill” helped transform notions of equality in American society. The World War II GI bill paid for veterans’ tuition, books, fees, a monthly stipend, and other training costs. Approximately 7.8 million veterans used the benefits given under the original GI bill in some form, out of a wartime veteran population of 15 million. For every dollar invested in veterans, seven dollars were generated.

Over the last several decades, Congress passed a number of other GI bills that also gave educational benefits to veterans. However, benefits awarded under those subsequent bills have not been as expansive as our nation’s original GI bill. Currently, veterans’ educational benefits are administered under the Montgomery GI Bill. This program is designed for peacetime – not wartime – service.

Increased educational benefits would be available to members of the military who have served on active duty since September 11, 2001. To qualify, veterans must have served at least two years of active duty, with at least some period of active duty time served beginning on or after September 11, 2001.

The bill provides for educational benefits to be paid for a duration of time linked to time served in the military. Generally, veterans would not receive assistance for more than a total of 36 months, which equals four academic years.

Benefits provided under the bill would allow veterans pursuing an approved program of education to receive payments covering the established charges of their program, and a monthly stipend of $1,000. The bill would allow additional payments for tutorial assistance, as well as licensure and certification tests. Benefit payments would be limited to the costs of the most expensive public institution in the state in which the veteran is enrolled.

Veterans would have up to fifteen years, compared to ten years under the Montgomery GI bill, to use their educational assistance entitlement. Veterans would be barred from receiving concurrent assistance from this program and another similar program.

Currently, veterans’ educational benefits are administered under the Montgomery GI Bill—a program designed primarily for peacetime – not wartime – service. The demands placed on soldiers and sailors in this post 9/11 era are much greater than when Congress established the current program. With many of our military members serving two, three or four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is past time to enact a new veterans’ education program modeled on the World War II era GI bill.

The GI Bill of the World War II era sparked economic growth and expansion for a whole generation of Americans; a more robust GI bill holds the same potential for today’s economy. The United States has never erred when it has made sustained new investments in higher education and job training – and its veterans. Educated veterans have higher income levels, which in the long run increases tax revenues. Approximately 7.8 million veterans used the benefits in some form, out of a wartime veteran population of 15 million. For every dollar invested in WWII veterans, seven dollars were generated.

A strong and reliable GI bill will have a positive effect on military recruitment.

Better educated veterans have a more positive readjustment experience and lower levels of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The education of our nation’s veterans is a cost of war. A very small percentage of Americans have stepped forward to serve our country through military service; they have earned the right to have a bright future when they have completed their service. A GI bill that properly rewards honorable service is the right thing to do.

The estimated $2 billion a year needed for the program is a pittance compared to what we spend on Welfare, not to mention illegal immigrants who are sucking off the benefits of our country.
Welfare benefits in 2006 were $354.3 billion. This was 2.7% of GDP and this includes Medicaid, food stamps, family support assistance (AFDC), supplemental security income (SSI), child nutrition programs, refundable portions of earned income tax credits (EITC and HITC) and child tax credit, welfare contingency fund, child care entitlement to States, temporary assistance to needy families, foster care and adoption assistance

Three former Presidents, a dozen U.S. Senators, three Supreme Court Justices and fourteen Nobel Prize winners went to school on the GI Bill. Under today’s Montgomery GI Bill, these same leaders would receive only a fraction of the money necessary to get the same level of education.

I fail to see how that men and women who have done the job and paid a price should have anything less than what is pumped out to no load welfare cases.

and yes; I plagiarized like hell from multiple sources to write this post.

Old number 6

2008-05-31T11:47:00.003-07:00

This week a funny man passed on.
His body of work was mainly comedy; I remember his skits in the Carol Burnett show and of course one of my favorite movies of all time, Blazing Saddles.
I still find Blazing Saddles hysterical.
In today's society it is about the most politically incorrect piece of celluloid ever made.
But because it is so incorrect, every one should watch it and remember that you don't need to be so uptight and just laugh about it all once in a while.

My favorite scenes,

1. Old Number 6

2.Taggart, Take this down

3. Rape, arson, murder, and rape..

4.We don't need no stinking badges

Commence Field day

2008-05-31T08:47:00.003-07:00

Today, Started a bit of long overdue Blog maintenance.
I Changed the look, and updated active submarine Bloggers and other Bloggers that I frequent.

Dude, Where's my ride ???

2008-05-27T17:28:00.008-07:00

It is one thing to have a bad day...
Then there is having a bad day with the press camped out on top of you while you are getting ready for an experimental/record breaking attempt at something no other person in his right mind would attempt.

NORTH BATTLEFORD - The malfunction of a safety device is to blame for the failed attempt by French skydiver Michel Fournier's to freefall from the edge of the stratosphere, says Fornier's support staff.

A device - one of five safety fuses - was accidentally set off, separating the balloon from the capsule and parachute. In all their decades of aviation experience, his crew said, they had never seen something like this happen. As a result, Fornier has scrapped any further plans this week for a re-launch. There is a window in August in which he will try again in the North Battleford area, he said.

Fournier, 64, a retired army colonel, got off to a promising start early Tuesday. By shortly after 5 a.m., one truck honk sounded and a small helium balloon was floated into the sky. Moments later, two honks sounded, and the balloon was released from the clamp. Members of Fournier's team let out hurrahs: Launch time was finally here.

Their glee, however, lasted for just seconds. There was a pregnant pause as the balloon floated skyward and Fournier's capsule remained unmoving.

"Isn't it supposed to be attached?" someone asked.

(Yeah, That was voted the question of the day)

"No. It's not possible. It's not possible," muttered a member of Fournier's team.
(that is the sinking feeling in your gut kicking in as a member of the technical crew)

The assembled crowd of journalists and spectators watched the adventurer's $200,000 balloon float up to space, attached to nothing.

Yeah I've had bad days also, But I never had the pleasure of inviting a large group of the world's press to witness it.

This guy wants to break several records at one shot

He wants to attempt setting a world record for the highest jump and fastest, longest free fall by a man riding a balloon

Searching the Deep

2008-05-25T08:26:00.006-07:00

The discovery of the wreck HMS Titanic in the 80's was fuel to my young imagination.
I remember poring over the National Geographic images with fascination as well as reading the articles in various publications.
I was a fan of the Clive Cussler novel "Raise the Titanic." and all the "cold war
race for the ultimate weapon story" that went with it.

Dr. Gene Seagram leads the top-secret Pentagon program Meta Section, which secretly attempts to leapfrog current technology by 20 to 30 years. One result: the Sicilian Project, which uses sound waves to stop incoming ballistic missiles.

The immense power needs of the Sicilian Project can be met only by an extremely rare mineral called byzanium. After satellite data pinpoints the most likely source of byzanium,
The byzanium — a chunk worth more than a quarter of a billion dollars in 1912 figures — was mined in the early part of the 20th century by a group called "The Coloradans." who book passage on the maiden voyage of the great White Star Line ship Titanic.

Well now,20 yrs later, it looks as if there was really a Cold War purpose...

Quoted from the UK Mail

A mission to find the lost wreck of the Titanic was actually a cover story for inspecting the wrecks of two nuclear submarines, the man who discovered the famous liner has revealed.

Dr Bob Ballard led a team in 1985 that pinpointed the wreckage of the enormous ship 73 years after it sank in the Atlantic. But he almost didn't succeed after his top secret mission to find two Cold War subs left him with just 12 days to find the Titanic.

The United States Navy lost two submarines during the 1960s - the USS Thresher and USS Scorpion - which had more than 200 men on board.
Titanic

Titanic

The Titanic leaves Southampton on its maiden voyage in 1912. Dr Ballard found the wreck in 1985

Officials feared at least one of them had been sunk by the USSR. When Dr Ballard approached the Navy for funding to find the Titanic using his robotic submarine craft, they asked him to discover the submarines first.

"I couldn't tell anybody," the oceanographer said.

"There was a lot of pressure on me. It was a secret mission. I felt it was a fair exchange for getting a chance to look for the Titanic."

He added: "We handed the data to the experts. They never told us what they concluded – our job was to collect the data. I can only talk about it now because it has been declassified."
scorpion

The USS Scorpion was lost in 1968

The USS Thresher (SSN-593) was the lead ship of her class of nuclear-powered attack submarines. She was lost during deep-sea diving tests in 1963 after a high-pressure pipe blew causing the vessel to lose power and implode as it sank.

However, the USS Scorpion disappeared in 1968 amid speculation that it was sunk by Soviet forces.

Dr Ballard mapped both submarine wrecks using his newly developed underwater robot craft. He concluded that the most likely cause of the Scorpion's destruction was being hit by a rogue torpedo it had fired itself.

Investigating the wrecks gave Dr Ballard the idea of finding a trail of debris that would lead him to the Titanic. Both the Thresher and Scorpion had both broken into thousands of pieces.

He criss-crossed the North Atlantic seabed and eventually found a debris trail that led him to the luxury liner's final resting-place.

He found the Titanic split in two but had little time to explore further. It was not until he returned to the site in 1986 that he was able to make a detailed study

Today 30 yrs later, the loss of the USS Scorpion is still a mystery.

The speculation of her loss due to:

1. A Torpedo accident; From Wikipidiea, the Novel; Blind Man's Bluff theory:
The concerns focused on the battery that powered the torpedoes. The battery had a thin metal-foil barrier separating two types of volatile chemicals. When mixed slowly and in a controlled fashion, the chemicals generated heat and electricity, powering the motor that pushed the torpedo through the water. But vibrations normally experienced on a nuclear submarine were found to cause the thin foil barrier to break down, allowing the chemicals to interact intensely. This interaction generated excessive heat which, in tests, could readily have caused an inadvertent torpedo explosion. The authors of Blind Man's Bluff were careful to say they could not point to this as the cause of Scorpion’s loss — only that it was a possible cause and that it was consistent with other data indicating an explosion preceded the sinking of Scorpion. Notably, the authors cite examples of hot running torpedo incidents that had occured on other US submarines prior to the loss of Scorpion. (Although none of those incidents caused the loss of a submarine.)

2. The Retaliation theory:
From Wikipedia: Red Star Rogue: The Untold Story of a Soviet Submarine's Nuclear Strike Attempt on the U.S., by former American submariner Kenneth Sewell in collaboration with journalist Clint Richmond,
claimed K-129 was sunk 300 miles (560 km) northwest of Oahu on 7 March 1968 while attempting to launch her three ballistic missiles, in a rogue attempt to destroy Pearl Harbor.

Sewell claims that the sinking of Scorpion was caused by a retaliatory strike for the sinking of K-129, which the Soviets had attributed to a collision with USS Swordfish (SSN-579).

In 1995, when Peter Huchthausen began work on a book about the Soviet underwater fleet, he interviewed former Soviet Admiral Victor Dygalo, who stated that the true history of K-129 has not been revealed because of the informal agreement between the two countries' senior naval commands. The purpose of that secrecy, he alleged, is to stop any further research into the losses of either Scorpion or K-129.

And From Wikipedia: Scorpion Down: Sunk by the Soviets, Buried by the Pentagon: The Untold Story of the USS Scorpion. In the book Offley, gathering decades of his own research, hypothesizes that the Scorpion was sunk by the Soviets, possibly in retaliation for the loss of the K-129 Golf-II ballistic missile submarine earlier that year. The book paints a picture of increasing Soviet anger at US Navy provocations (specifically close-in monitoring of Soviet naval operations by almost every US nuclear submarine). At approximately the same time, the Soviet intelligence community scored a huge boon in receiving the mechanical cryptologic devices from the USS Pueblo. These machines, combined with daily crypto keys from the John Anthony Walker spy ring, likely allowed the Soviets to monitor in real time U.S. Navy ship dispositions and communications. It is Mr. Offley's contention that the Scorpion was tracked by several Soviet Navy assets from the Mediterranean to its final operational area south of the Azores, where it was then sunk by a Soviet torpedo. Among the oral testimony relied upon by Mr. Offley are recountings of SOSUS recording documenting torpedo sounds, evasion sounds, an explosion, and eventually the sounds of implosions as the Scorpion plunged past crush depth.

The only theory that hasn't been brought forth: They exceeded the SOE (Standard Operating Envelope) for the boat.

I would either go with a weapons accident or they had a bad day when trying to get down track and get home and they exceeded the SOE Combined with an electrical or mechanical fault in the control surfaces and it proved fatal.

I personally don't think that the loss of the Scorpion was due to a Soviet retaliation for the loss of K-129.
Professional Submariners don't flood down and open outer doors unless there is a grave threat to themselves or by orders from higher authority.
Even at the pinnacle of the cold war, Neither side would have given orders to destroy a naval vessel without due provocation. True, the Soviets might have had some insight due to John Walker,and the seizure of equipment from the USS Pueblo, But I highly doubt that they would have had all the info needed to be at a specific place and time to fire a fish and take out a submarine.
The writers of Red Star Rogue and Scorpion Down are both just that; Writers, I have read both books and find that they have no real understanding of either submarines or submarine operations.
They have connected a series of dots that lead them to a best fit conclusion that has a conspiratorial overtone that places the blame on the US Government and the Military for the unfortunate loss of a Ship and her men.

This Memorial Day, Remember those who are on Eternal Patrol and who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

Rest your oars Shipmate

2008-05-23T14:38:00.004-07:00

Ironic, I was looking for something significant to blog about this Memorial day.
Fate found me.
Here was a fellow Bubble head doing a job completely different than what he was trained for and familiar with. But, as with all dolphin wearing individuals, He did what was needed of him with pride, dedication and professionalism.

Quoted below is from the Kitsap Sun

A Bremerton Navy lieutenant died Tuesday in the Aband District of Afghanistan of wounds suffered from a roadside bomb, the Department of Defense announced this morning.

Lt. Jeffrey Ammon, 37, was serving as a project payment and engineer officer with the Afghanistan Provincial Reconstruction Team in Ghazni. An individual augmentee, he had been in Afghanistan for about 14 months, having volunteered to extend his tour for a second year, said Navy Region Northwest spokesman Sean Hughes.

At Navy Region Northwest, Ammon was an operations and planning staff officer. He had transferred from the Bangor-based Trident submarine USS Alabama, where he was an engineering officer, Hughes said.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Lt. Ammon’s family and to our Navy Region Northwest family during this very difficult time,” said Rear Adm. James A. Symonds, Navy Region Northwest commander. “This is a tragic loss to Jeff’s family, friends and the entire CNRNW staff. All of Jeff’s uniformed and civilian co-workers are touched by the loss of this brave man. He was a professional who was extremely dedicated to his family, his shipmates and our nation. He will be greatly missed by all of those who loved him and worked with him. We extend our deepest sympathies to Ammon family.”

Ammon, who is survived by a wife and two children, is from Orem, Utah. He enlisted in the Navy in 1988 and went through an enlisted-to-officer program at Oregon State University. The family doesn’t want any other information released, Hughes said.

Symonds sent an internal message to region personnel Friday, notifying them of Ammon’s death. In it he asked them to reflect on and recognize the great sacrifice Ammon made while helping the Afghan people rebuild and develop their country.

“Lt. Ammon is a hero and a role model,” the message concluded. “I ask each of you to keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.”

According to the Department of Defense, 497 American service members have died in Afghanistan since the war began — 301 killed in action and 196 through non-hostile means. The Navy has 1,446 individual augmentees in Afghanistan.

Rest in Peace Shipmate.

How to properly excavate for that pool this summer

2008-05-03T16:08:00.002-07:00

Ten pounds of S##T in a five pound Bag

2008-04-26T07:29:00.003-07:00

My blog posts have been under par as of late.
The main reason is that the past month or so I have:

1. Been in Refit
2. Running around getting all the Paperwork together to Retire from the Navy. While supporting the Boat in maintenance and duty days.
3. Retiring from the Navy after 20yrs, along with family and friends from near and far joining me to celebrate. (Yahooo... No more Mid watches or Duty days)
4. Hosting all those family and friends.
5. Finding and starting my after Navy Job.( Dang... Has rotating schedule with swing shift and Mid shifts... Back to Mid watches.. BUT paid by hour and Only the mid watch !!)

So this finally being (Saturday???) I have a chance to actually write a few lines and post an outline of the most eventful month of my life since the birth of my daughter.

More to follow.....

CRS*

2008-03-26T17:32:00.003-07:00

you know what that means, Or if you don't; and are as old as I am, It stands for
I Can't Remember Sh*T

So that is the basis of this blog entry. I wanted to post a comment on a fellow blogger's site. But Because of CRS, I was unable to accomplish the task given that I fail to remember the blogger password, (Swirling round my nugget with all the other passwords and other debris that the Navy, NMCI, NKO, and Internet require to have at any given moment.)
I am still in the labor pains of getting OUT of the Navy.
Yesterday, in the TAP (Transition Assistance (Heavy Sarcasm on the Assistance part)Program) Class that I am currently attending. I happened upon a good sea Story, at most places that sea stories are born, the smoke pit/butt kit/ you fill in the blank.
A Master Chief Petty Officer of my rate and a good Friend; is speed dialing PDS, BUPERS and other agencies to get his Sh*t together to make it out of the gate in a few weeks.
He then looks at me, Puffs a smoke and states:
" If I am a Master Chief, A COB, and have been in this long and know all this, YET, I don't have everything I need to get out."
What the F**k does Seaman Snotgobbler who only has a few years in do??

My Reply
Exactly.

The System is broke.

They do everything that they can to retain a mirror fogging individual to keep the numbers and manning up and alive.
But when it is your turn to get out after HONORABLE service. No matter the length of time. You have a headache just short of a Critique.

Comments and Observations welcome.

All a matter of taste

2008-03-04T15:58:00.002-08:00

With the world of advertising saturated with slick, cool and "Too Sexy for my shirt" commercials on television. I have a weird quirk to find the lo- brow and local advertising that is something from the 20-30yrs ago. The in-your-face midnight Commercial slots that seemed to always run on the local stations where ever we lived.
In this day and age, with everything a franchise, or national business. It is hard to find something other than car-lots or RV lots that do local advertising.(BORING)
I have found a You Tube video of a guy here in the North West that is both hilarious and annoying. More than twice in a late night and you change channels. But since it is a local commercial I thought I would post it.

Slick and cool it is not. But that is the appeal.

The MR. Formal Work Package (FWP)

2008-03-03T13:32:00.005-08:00

Today, I made the decision to skin out of an afternoon of General Misuse of Time(GMT) and yet another lecture by the boat DOC on proper avoidance of crotch critters and other nastiness to make a Recon Mission to the local Personnel Support Detachment (PSD). Or; as is known by most Submariner’s, “The Nexus of the ANTI-Submarine force”. (Welcome to PSD, We will mess up your pay and leave balance long before you realize it happened to you.)
After my modest time in the Navy, I have found out that there are really 3 Navies, The Operational Navy (Those of us at the pointy end of the stick who work like rabid monkey’s day- in and day- out to deploy and get it done.) The Command Navy, those who make the Directives and grading Criteria; enforce the Directives and grading Criteria;and in accordance with said Article, Instruction, or Directive generally grade and “TRAIN” the Operational Navy in accordance with said Article, Instruction, or Directive .

Then you have the “Support” Navy. A group that is so mysterious and cryptic to a typical bubble- head that what an “Augment” does would be public news in BOLD Headlines on the front page of the New York Times by comparison.

So, I approached the counter, put my name and day/time in the appropriate sign up sheet and went out in the P-way to wait. Finally, after a couple of "Khaki" wearing personnel walk in after and are waited on, a P-“something” 2 ( a rate I haven't dealt with since Boot Camp) calls out my name. I go to the counter and explain my situation, ( In receipt of Final Fleet reserve message, Got an approved Leave chit, TDY approval chit, so on and so forth) and I want to know what I need to get the ball rolling to get ready and Get Gone.

I did this because the Executive Dept on a boat consists of usually a YN1 and a couple of underlings who are running around like the rest of us trying to smash the 10lbs of Crap in a 5lb bag sized day. So, I figured I would help them out by trying to find out what I needed to show up with to get the Retired ID and fade into the Sunset.

After the prerequisite reciting of my SSN, Rate and Last name (On my name tag no less), the guy pulled up a screen (DOS-FTP mind you) that is apparently the “Legal” me to the Navy. Scrolled through a series of screens, Looked over the items I had in hand, and questioned me on a few nuances of when I wanted to get gone.
He mumbled about entitlements, leave time ect... and then handed me a check list full of DD this and DD that, I still need to provide in triplicate and signed by everyone from my chief to the CO.

Well, I guess it was worth it to go and wait. Again, What a HEADACHE!!!. We are talking about an organization that can put warheads on foreheads half a world away, or tell you if there is so much as a gram of salt in the secondary water, yet is incapable of have a simple check list of “This is what you need to hit the gate”.

I now have my challenge to find the forms, get them routed and signed to generate the Work Package and HOPE like heck that it is all in order so I can get on with it. I would hate to have to backtrack on the last few days because I really want to be ready to get some job interviews done and be available for employment when I leave.

Plus, I really really hope that this little visit to PSD didn't screw up my pay and leave like all the other times I have been there. Seems like every time that they pull up that DOS screen, I lose money and time. Then, I have to go back and beg and plead with a 2nd or 3rd class for something that I had full rights and privileges to in the first place.

It always ends up like a scene from the movie "BeetleJuice" when they go looking for help in the afterlife.

What The F**k !!!!!!

2008-02-27T21:52:00.002-08:00

One of the stories that I have wanted to blog about and that has festered like a naugahyde boil on your posterior while on patrol has finally made it’s way into my brain enough to put to words.

The Bremerton Sun has run a series (2)of articles in regards to CMC Edward E. Scott, who was granted a OTH(or honorable, depending on where the information is gleaned) discharge following conviction for a sexual predator offense. The Boil part is that because he fulfilled the 20 plus mark in the navy and no one in his upper Chain of command had the intestinal fortitude to COURT MARTIAL this slimy P. O. S.

He walks; without losing any benefit other than not being able to make the 30 yr mark and to continue to surf for child porn on NMCI (Navy Marine Computer idiocy)or (Now My Computer’s Incapable) systems while at work. The fact that he arranged the crime while at work and on an “official” computer should have been enough to nail him and have him keel hauled.

Quoted below are the two articles from the Bremerton Sun, and the Time line of this ass hat’s crime. I just don’t understand why the Skipper didn’t have someone skin this guy and nail his hide in a public place as a warning to all others to dare not to tread.

I usually don’t go on a “Khaki” rant very often, because I have worked from some damn good men who make the Anchor’s count. But this smacks of some CYA and Good Old Boys taking care.

Read the articles, Formulate your own opinion, Post Comments; I want to hear from you.

BREMERTON
The Navy has granted an honorable discharge to a former Naval Base Kitsap command master chief who was convicted last year of attempted child rape.
Edward E. Scott, 44, once the local base's highest enlisted man, was arrested after a sting operation in which an officer posed as the mother of young twins in an online forum. Scott was met by police at a Bremerton motel where he had arranged to have sex with what he believed was the mother and both children.
Convicted and sentenced in June to nine months in jail and three years of intensive sexual deviancy treatment, Scott retired from formal service in the Navy on Jan. 31.
His rank was reduced to senior chief petty officer, but he was allowed to retire with benefits.
Discharge records are covered under the Navy's privacy act. Naval Base Kitsap spokesman Tom Danaher could not comment, but the Kitsap Sun has reviewed a report confirming Scott's status that has circulated through the criminal justice system.
The result is surprising to Kevin McDermott, a former Navy Judge Advocate who's worked in military law since 1978. He now practices in California, and has most recently defended war crimes suspects from the Iraq war.
"I don't know if I've ever heard of a serviceman being convicted of a sex crime, getting an honorable discharge," he said.
Scott, who served 25 years, chatted from his home and work computers with an undercover detective posing as a mother of twin 12-year-olds in early 2007. The detective arranged a meeting with Scott for sex at a Bremerton hotel before work March 16.
Detectives arrested him, and a month later he pleaded guilty to attempted child rape and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, both felonies. Though he faced a 90-month sentence, a Superior Court judge allowed Scott to opt for a nine-month sentence if he would undergo treatment.
The Navy wouldn't comment on what proceeded internally before his retirement was completed. But McDermott said that according to protocol Scott would have had a hearing before a commanding officer, perhaps a captain or admiral, who would have likely conducted what's known as a "mast" hearing.
Such a hearing would have given his commanding officer the authority to reduce him one rank — which did occur — and to take away a limited amount of pay as well as restrict him to a base or quarters for a limited span of time.
However, his commanding officer could have referred Scott to a court martial, where he could have faced a dishonorable discharge, or a Navy "administrative separation board," which could result in a slightly less harsh bad conduct discharge.
Ultimately, McDermott said, the Navy could have tried him again for the same crimes as were filed in the civilian Kitsap County Superior Court, as the concept of double jeopardy doesn't exist in the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
In actuality, Scott was demoted one rank, honorably discharged, and retired with the benefits of the senior chief rank. He's due to finish the sexual deviancy treatment in March 2010, according to court documents filed in Kitsap County Superior Court.
The Navy's decision sends the wrong message to servicemen and women everywhere, said Glenn Maiers, a retired Naval Base Kitsap senior chief petty officer.
"What does that tell the (lower ranks)? The higher up in pay grade you are, the more you can get away with," he said.
Part of a wider trend, McDermott contends the Navy and the armed forces have not been "coming down as hard" on service members post-September 11th. From the military's point of view, the best theory McDermott has on the rationale is simply: "We need bodies."
In Scott's case, McDermott believes his honorable discharge could be a result of "karma." His long and successful career were simply too vast to overlook.
Scott, who joined the Navy in 1982, served as command master chief of not only Naval Base Kitsap, but also the USS Camden and the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. His tour of duty has included time in Guam, Hawaii, Whidbey Island and San Diego.
He was the recipient of the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and Good Conduct Medal.
"(His command) said, 'Thank you very much for your long and hard work,'" McDermott posited. "We're going to give you one tremendous kiss when you go."
TIMELINE
Feb. 12
Edward Scott enters "fetish12" a Yahoo! chat room, and meets "navydubletruble," a detective posing as a Navy wife. The topic turns to sex, involving the "Navy Wife's" fictitious 12-year-old twin children.
March 13
Scott tells the undercover detective to get a Bremerton motel room "with two beds."
March 16
Before work, the then-Command Master Chief of Naval Base Kitsap goes to a local motel in Bremerton at 5 a.m. He is met by Bremerton Police Detectives, who arrest him and interview him downtown.
March 19 and 20
Scott makes his first appearances in court after being jailed, as prosecutors file charges against him.
April 19
Scott pleads guilty to immoral communication with a minor and attempted rape of a child in Kitsap County Superior Court.
June 18
After delays, Judge Leonard Costello sentences Scott to a nine-month jail stay and a 3-year sex offender treatment program, known as a "special sex offender sentencing alternative."
Jan. 31
After completing his jail time, Scott is allowed to retire from the Navy under an honorable discharge — with one reduction in rank and no loss of benefits.

BREMERTON
The U.S. Navy has released new information on the discharge of a former command master chief convicted of attempted child rape, indicating that his official discharge status is "other than honorable."
The new information contradicts a document from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service stating that Edward E. Scott, 44, was to receive an honorable discharge.
Both discharge statuses allow Scott to retain his full retirement benefits, which would only have been lost had he received either a bad conduct or dishonorable discharge.
The Kitsap Sun sought comment from the Navy numerous times before reporting Sunday on the information in the NCIS document. The Navy refused to comment or indicate that the NCIS document was not authoritative.
The Navy bypassed its own privacy act Thursday to release details on Scott's discharge status, and Friday allowed the Kitsap Sun to review Scott's "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," or DD 214, which the Pentagon says is the authoritative source on Scott's retirement. Earlier in the week the Pentagon had denied access to the DD214, and would not respond to questions about the information it contained. After consulting the Pentagon's lawyers, Jeff A. Davis, U.S. Navy commander and assistant chief for information at the Pentagon, said the Navy "concluded that the Scott case is of notoriety and interest and that the public's need to know outweighed his privacy interests."
There are other stipulations of his retirement, Davis said. Scott cannot be recalled to active duty for any purpose, and he is barred from most facilities on Navy Region Northwest installations. His retirement entitles him use of medical and dental offices and the commissary, or grocery store. He must also notify a commanding officer when he does go to those places.
But it is the decision to allow Scott to retain retirement benefits that has drawn strong criticism from retired Navy officers and others in online military communities in wake of the initial report.
The initial report of Scott's retirement benefits was cited in a Naval Criminal Investigative Service document obtained through a public records request and does not list the "other than honorable" discharge. Dated Feb. 1, 2008, the "report of investigation" document states that Lt. Ben Pickens, a Navy Judge Advocate General, advised that "Scott applied for his retirement and the military determined he will be given an honorable discharge as an E-8 (or senior chief) with full benefits."
Melanie Reeder, spokeswoman for Navy Region Northwest, said the NCIS documents are "internal reports" and are subject to revision. She reiterated that Scott's DD 214, which does not have a specific date listed on it along with Scott's signature, is the authority on his retirement.
The Navy was faced with an unusual and uncommon decision in Scott's case, said Kevin McDermott, a former Navy Judge Advocate who's worked in military law since 1978. How do they discharge Scott, formerly the highest enlisted man in Naval Base Kitsap and a 25-year service member, despite his sex convictions?
"What they usually do is say 'here is your resignation letter, go home, you're done,'" he said.
Scott could have been court-martialed for the crimes along the way — at his arrest, during his guilty plea, or at his release from jail — but the Navy chose not to go that route, which could have led to a bad conduct or dishonorable discharge without benefits.
That decision would have been made by his command at Navy Region Northwest, Davis said.
But, as McDermott notes, "Somebody made that call."
Scott was arrested following a Naval Criminal Investigative Service sting in which an officer posed as a mother of 12-year-old twins in an Internet chat room in February 2007. Scott requested that the undercover officer get a motel room, and when he arrived there in an early morning rendezvous last March at a Bremerton hotel, he was arrested by authorities.
He pleaded guilty to communication with a minor for immoral purposes and attempted child rape in April, and under a special sentencing alternative, was granted a nine-month jail stay in an agreement to undergo three-year intensive sexual deviancy treatment.