Why We Won't Win

Until idiots start to realize that it's not a "War On Iraq" and a "War In Afghanistan", but rather an Global War on Terror, we can't win.
Story

I don't support McCain, but at least he gets it.

The United States Postal Service Can Kiss My Ass

If you work for the post office, sorry.

I ordered a CD last Tuesday, the 19th. It shipped, via UPS, the next day. It arrived in Austin, TX on the 21st. From there it was shipped to a city, we'll call it City A, 23 miles from my home city, City B, and turned over to the USPS. That was Saturday the 23rd. And it was there for four days. It finally shipped out today, Wednesday, to another city, City C, 41 miles away from City A, 18 miles away from my city, City B. Now, to get from City A to City C, it has to go right by my city, City B. Now here's my question. Why couldn't City A ship it directly to my city, City C? Why did they have to go an extra 23 miles first? Government efficiency at it's best.

And Hillary and Obama want the government to take care of our health care? Ah, didn't think I could work politics into this post. Did you?

Wednesday Hero

Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Michael E. Koch
29 years old from State College, Pennsylvania
East Coast-based SEAL team
February 4, 2008


"There are only approximately 2,500 SEALs in the Navy and they really are a brotherhood," said Naval Special Warfare spokesman Lt. David Luckett. "This is another unfortunate reminder of the risks and sacrifices these amazing warriors and their families make on a daily basis."

Koch leaves behind his parents and a fiancee. He enlisted in July 1998 and entered SEAL training in January 1999, according to The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk. He received the Bronze Star, Joint Service Commendation Medal and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

Navy SEAL Michael E. Koch died Feb. 4 after being wounded by small-arms fire during combat operations in Iraq alongside fellow SEAL Nathan Hardy, who was profiled last week.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Proof Of Global Cooling?

Over the past year, anecdotal evidence for a cooling planet has exploded. China has its coldest winter in 100 years. Baghdad sees its first snow in all recorded history. North America has the most snowcover in 50 years... No more than anecdotal evidence, to be sure. But now, that evidence has been supplanted by hard scientific fact. All four major global temperature tracking outlets (Hadley, NASA's GISS, UAH, RSS) have released updated data. All show that over the past year, global temperatures have dropped precipitously.

It seems that despite what Al Gore and his followers say, the debate isn't over.
Story

Iraqis In Charge

This journalist, Michael Totten, is in Iraq covering the war. He wrote this piece about find a cache of buried weapons.

Most of the American troops in the Fallujah area are Marines, but these were regular Army soldiers and Military Police officers culled from the Texas National Guard. They and the Iraqi Police officers have forged a straightforward agreement with the civilians in the area: we'll protect you from insurgents if you'll identify them and lead us to their IEDs and weapons caches. Someone from the nearby village of Al Bahuri had just called in a tip to the Iraqis. Their job was to find the cache and destroy it in a controlled detonation. No one had a metal detector, though, and they weren't sure where, exactly, the cache was buried.

But here's an interesting line from the piece

I walked over to Sergeant Guerrero.

"Are you going to ask the locals what they know?" I said.

"Nah," he said. "That's their deal. The Iraqi Police have their sources. We're their liaisons, their trainers. We're not in charge anymore. We're just here to help them become police officers instead of paramilitaries."

This is the kind of stuff you're not going to get in the MSM. It's long, but it's worth reading.

Put The Gun Down, Fluffy. Everything's Going To Be Okay

PETS at risk of self-harm are increasingly being prescribed anti-depressants because they cannot discuss problems in their lives with others, a leading veterinarian says.
Zoo and wildlife medicine specialist with the UK’s Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Romain Pizzi, told the Telegraph that more pets were being prescribed Prozac.

People all over the world are starving to death, and animals are getting Prozac. Anyone else see a problem here?
Click For Full Size
Boy, that cat had good penmanship.

A Valid Question?

While the media has been engrossed with the prospect that many Republicans won't vote for McCain come this November they've, for some reason, been ignoring a similar question about Democrats. Democrats are about evenly split between Clinton and Obama. So whichever one wins the nomination, will the other candidate's supporters go over and vote for them? Many Clinton supporters don't like Obama and vice versa. Some will, but I think many won't.

Our Brothers In Dumb Across The Pond

Back in 2006, a study was done that showed many Americans couldn't find simple places such as Iraq, India and Japan on a map. But it seems we're not the only dumb ones. UKTV Gold recently did a survey that showed many Britons are somewhat confused when it comes to history and fiction. Out of 3,000 people surveyed, 65% thought that King Arthur was real, 58% thought that Sherlock Holmes was real and 23% thought that Winston Churchill was made up.

The research showed that the nation's under 20s are lacking the most when it comes to basic historical knowledge.

The study notes a marked change in how people acquire their historical knowledge. Over three quarters of the nation (77%) admitted to no longer reading history books, or watching historical programmes on television (61%). One in eight (15%) admitted they rely solely on the history that they learnt at school.

I'd like to see a survey like this done here. I wonder how many young Americans would think FDR was fake but dragons were real?

A Pondering

If Barack Obama is supposed to be the candidate of "change" and "hope", why, then, am I more afraid of the future than I've ever been?

:UPDATE:
Known racist and anti-Semite Lewis Farrakhan has thrown his support behind Obama. I wonder if Obama were to put Jews in his administration, would Farrakhan still support him?

An Illegal In America

It's sad that her parents lied to her her entire life, but all she has to do is start the process to become a legal citizen.
Story

Wednesday Hero

Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Nathan H. Hardy
29 years old from Durham, New Hampshire
East Coast-based SEAL team
February 4, 2008


It was Hardy's fourth deployment in Iraq, according to his father, Stephen Hardy, a professor of kinesiology a the University of New Hampshire. His mother, Donna Hardy, is an administrative assistant in UNH's psychology department.

Nathan Hardy grew up in Durham and was a 1997 graduate of Oyster River High School. He joined the Navy after graduation.

Other family members include his wife, Mindy, and their 7-month-old son, Parker; and a brother, Ben, of Middlebury, Vt.

Another brother, Josh, died in 1993 while a senior at Oyster River High School.

"Our hearts go out to Steve and Donna Hardy, and their son, Ben, at this incredibly difficult time," UNH President Mark Huddleston said in a statement. "We know it was Nate's dream to become a U.S. Navy SEAL when he graduated from high school, and he pursued that dream and excelled at it. His death has stunned all who knew him, and all who know his parents, who both are so much a part of the UNH community."

Navy SEAL Nathan Hardy died Feb. 4 after being wounded by small-arms fire during combat operations in Iraq.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

And I'm Proud To Be An American, Finally

So, Michelle Obama is proud to be an American for the first time in her adult life? It's a stupid statement to make, but my question is why are people so surprised she said it? These two are Socialists. They hate America the way it is and want to "Change" it. It's the central theme of Obama's campaign. They want America to be more like Europe.

Making America Less Safe

This was sent to me by Greta

Read a War On Terror Vet's take on Congress's efforts to make America less safe.

BarackOs Cereal

Part of a healthy, nutritional daily breakfast.

Click To Enlarge

Rover 2.0

South Korea is set to offer people the ability to clone their dead dogs. Hang on, didn't the FDA already approve the use of cloned food here in the States?

Interesting Stats

John K send this PDF to me. It breaks down active service military deaths by year, and subsequently by presidency, between 1980-2006. It's actually kind of surprising.

1980 .......... 2,392

1981 .......... 2,380
1982 .......... 2,319
1983 .......... 2,465
1984 .......... 1,999
1985 .......... 2,252
1986 .......... 1,984
1987 .......... 1,983
1988 .......... 1,819
Total: 17,474

1989 ...........1,636
1990 ......... 1,508
1991 .......... 1,787
1992 ...........1,293
Total: 6,224

1993 .......... 1,213
1994 .......... 1,075
1995 .......... 2,465
1996 ......... 2,318
1997 .......... 817
1998 ......... 2,252
6 Year Total: 11,353
1999 .......... 1,984
2000 ...........1,983
Total: 14,107

2001 .......... 890
2002 .......... 1,007
2003 .......... 1,410
2004 .......... 1,887
2005 .......... 919
2006........... 920
Total: 7033

Now, I may have missed a few numbers when adding these up. So if the totals don't match the numbers that's my fault. But what this tells us is that our military has gotten a hell of a lot better a what they do. But what's surprising is that there were more active duty military deaths in the same six year period of the 90's, when we weren't fighting a war, then there have been in the new millennium when we have been.

Star Trek Movie News 17

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Star Trek has been pushed back to May 2009. I was looking forward to this movie and now I have to wait more than a year. Damn.

Wednesday Hero

Cpl. Ryan J. Buckley
21 years old from Nokomis, Illinois
2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne (Air Assault)
June 26, 2006


"His platoon leaders described him as the type of soldier every leader wants: A very talented, dedicated soldier, who did everything that was asked of him." That's what Lt. Col. Greg Butts, commander of the Army's 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, said about Cpl. Ryan J. Buckley at his memorial service. "I'm glad I could come here. It was an opportunity to recognize one of my great soldiers."

Cpl. Buckley lost his life on June 26, 2006 when an IED detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad. "I held him while he died," Spc. Richard Morris, a fellow soldier who was wounded in the attack, said after the service. "He was my best friend. This nation has lost a hell of a soldier."

Ryan Buckley, a 2003 graduate of Hillsboro High School, was attending Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield in March 2004 when he left school to join the Army. He had told his mother on 9/11 that he planned to join the military to defend his country. Jennings Carter, who recently retired from the Army, was the commander of the Litchfield Army Recruiting Station when Buckley signed up. Carter said Buckley was an unusually cheerful young man. "Every time we saw him, he was always smiling," Carter said. "Before he went to Iraq, we saw him a few times. He was always happy. He would come by and tell us what he was doing."

Jean Buckley, Buckley's aunt, said he was always a responsible young man, who took his school work seriously, as well as his role in the school bands. The talented French horn player was awarded the John Philip Sousa award his senior year as the outstanding band member.

"He was always a protector," Jean Buckley said. "It's such a sad time. We're so thankful for the Ryans of the world. I appreciate all the veterans and all they've done for this country."

Cpl. Buckley was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq from Nov. 30 to June 23. Bronze Stars were presented to his wife of one year, Tina Buckley, his mother, Sally Nation, and father, Dennis Buckley.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Sick Doggy

I've talked about my dog here a few times. Well, he's been feeling kind of crappy the last couple of days. He's had rapid, labored breathing, kind of lethargic and was coughing. So I took him to the vet and it turns out he has an enlarged heart. He has Chronic Valvular Disease, which means a valve in his heart is leaking and it's having to work harder to pump blood. It's common in small breeds as they get older, he's an 11-year-old Shi-Tzu, and is usually easily treated with medication and a special diet. You know, this is my little guy here. And seeing him in pain hurts. I have to take him back to the vet in a few weeks for a check up. I'll give an update then.

Bingo

The Glenn Beck Show, February 11

Now, one of the reasons that I talk about unconventional issues on this program, like wheat prices and bond insurance -- I mean, nobody else is talking about this stuff -- is because I believe it all relates to our security. Unlike a lot of people, I don`t believe there`s a difference between our economic security and our national security. If we can`t buy bullets, if we can`t afford fuel for our jets, then fighting war kind of becomes a moot point, doesn`t it? That`s why the hair on the back of my neck stood up when I heard what Russian president Putin said over the weekend. He said, and I quote, "It is already clear that there is a new arms race being unleashed in the world. It is not our fault. We didn`t start it. But we are forced to retaliate..."

Now, to most people they`ll tell you this is simple propaganda, he`s just talking to his own people. Great. But, if you`re a student of recent history, then you might know the real story is how eerily familiar that sounds, except now it`s not coming out of the mouth of Ronald Reagan. Think about this. The Soviet Union did not collapse because we beat them with their armies, we collapsed them because we hammered them economically. Cheap oil created a mountain of debt for the Russians.

Now, while that meant we saved billions of dollars on oil, we turned that around and put it into our military. Now the tables have completely reversed. Russia is flush with so much oil money that our own national director of intelligence just admitted how worried we are about the, "financial capabilities" due to all of that oil wealth. Meanwhile, we`re the ones buried in debt. Back then it was Russia fighting Islamic radicals in Afghanistan including, what was his name, oh, yeah, Osama bin Laden.

Now we`re the ones spending billions to fight extremists led by Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. If history is repeating itself, we already know how this story ends. It is up to us. We`ve got to get more Americans to read recent history and rewrite the ending. We have got stop spending billions of dollars that we don`t have. We have got to stop enriching our enemies through oil. And most importantly, the real quick fix is stop the Socialist ideas from gaining credibility.

You know what? Government healthcare, free college tuition and guaranteed wages did not stop the Soviet Union from collapsing, and it`s not going to stop us either, in fact, it will help it along.

Sharia Law In England

There are reports that indicate that Sharia courts have been in operation in England. I wonder how long it'll be before it starts happening here? If it hasn't already.

You Failed Before You Succeeded Before You Failed

Nancy Pelosi stated twice on Sunday that Iraq is a failure, but was quick to cover her ass stating that the troops have succeeded. There's something wrong with this. Well, there's two things wrong with this. 1) if Iraq is a failure how have the troops succeeded? We support the troops, just not what they do. And 2) too bad for NanPel al-Qaeda in Iraq doesn't agree with her.

That second document is a bitter 16-page testament written last October by a local al-Qaeda leader near Balad, north of Baghdad. “I am Abu-Tariq, emir of the al-Layin and al-Mashahdah sector,” the author begins. He goes on to describe how his force of 600 shrank to fewer than 20.

“We were mistreated, cheated and betrayed by some of our brothers,” he says. “Those people were nothing but hypocrites, liars and traitors and were waiting for the right moment to switch sides with whoever pays them most.”

Sitting This Election Out

I hereby declare that I am going to be sitting this election out. I do not like McCain, and I won't vote for him. And I sure as shit don't like Clinton or Obama and will never vote for either one of them. It's sad to see so many Republicans pulling a 180 and supporting McCain now that he's all but wrapped the nomination up because they hate him less than Clinton or Obama. It's sad to see some Republicans talking about voting for Hillary just to keep McCain out of office. Are we really willing to sell out our beliefs just to retain the White House? I'm not. And that's why I will not be voting this November.

Stealing The Election. Literally

Border Patrol agents detained four individuals in Mecca, Calif. suspected of being involved in the theft of a voter ballot box.

At approximately 10 p.m. during a vehicle traffic stop Indio Border Patrol agents encountered a male driver of a white Ford Thunderbird with three occupants. El Centro sector dispatch advised the agent that the vehicle matched the description of one suspected of being involved in a theft near Coachella as reported by the Riverside County sheriff’s office.

From what I can gather, Coachella is a heavily Republican area. Illegals? Democrats?

It Really Is The Final Frontier

I just finished watching the space shuttle Atlantis take off and it's always a breathtaking sight. I know a lot of people view this as a waste of money, but I'm not one of them. I love space flight. We've gone just about everywhere we can on this planet. Space is the future of mankind. Every time I see one of the launches it fills me with a sense of pride and hope. We're taking humans and putting them where we shouldn't be able to go. It shows there are no limits what we can do when we put our mind to something. Of course I'd like to see it done in a cheaper and safer fashion, and I think we will. In the next 5-10 the shuttle as we know it will be retired and something more efficient will take it's place.

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds...and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of...wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up, the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, nor even eagle flew.
And while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space...
...put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

Wednesday Hero

This week's hero is a good one. Robert Cone is the second Cousin of Wednesday Hero's partner in crime, Greta.

Robert S. Cone
85 years old from Delray Beach, Florida
506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division


Surrounded by family, feted by a U.S. congressman and a Veterans of Foreign Wars color guard, one of the few surviving members of the "Filthy Thirteen" was honored on October 8, 2006 in a backyard on Massapoag Avenue.

Robert S. Cone, 85, now of Delray Beach, Fla., finally received the 13 military medals he was due for his service on D-Day during World War II, including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, POW medal and Presidential Unit Citation.

"To tell you the truth, I never expected it. I'm very honored to get it and really feel good about it," Cone said.

"He's finding it an honor, and he's a little embarrassed, to be honest," said Cone's son, Edward R. Cone, 45, who hosted the family barbecue that included a visit from U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch.

Only a few members remain of the 101st Airborne Division's famed "Filthy Thirteen," an elite parachute and demolition unit that volunteered for a suicide mission on June 5, 1944, the eve of the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

The Filthy Thirteen, who shared a Quonset Hut in England, were a group of "pretty bad boys," Edward Cone said, renowned for hard-living and fierce fighting. They are believed to be the inspiration for the 1967 movie "The Dirty Dozen," although none of the Filthy Thirteen was a convict.

The unit's mission was to parachute behind enemy lines on the night before D-Day to blow up bridges and impede the Nazis.

Many were killed on the drop. The survivors found it difficult to reunite on the ground because the pilots had panicked when the Germans opened fire.

Cone said he spent two days in a hedgerow battle and was shot in the right arm. When he escaped to a French farmhouse, the owner turned him over to the Nazis and he became a prisoner of war.

His unit and his family thought he was dead. His mother, in Roxbury, received a telegram from the War Department saying he had been killed in action.

Cone spent 11 months in three POW camps in Germany before being liberated by the Russians near the Polish border. He fought alongside the Russians as they made their escape, his son said.

Cone walked to freedom through Poland, Russia and Romania, journeyed by ship to Egypt and was eventually flow to Italy, finally making his way home.

All the medal ceremonies had taken place without him.

Cone married Ida, now his wife of 61 years; became a postal worker and plumber; raised three children in Hull; and spoke very little about the war, Edward Cone said.

About four years ago, Edward Cone decided to find out whether any of his father's Army colleagues were still alive.

He found the Filthy Thirteen's leader, Jake McNiece, in Oklahoma, and put his father in touch by telephone. Their conversation was recorded by the BBC and played on the anniversary of D-Day.

Later, the History Channel filmed its own segment on the pair, which still airs, Edward Cone said.

The group reunited in Taccoa, Ga., the home of their jump school.

"My Dad and I drove from here to Georgia. I heard everything on that trip," Edward Cone said. "Three were alive from the unit. They talked and drank and told stories for days."

Three years ago, McNiece published a book, "The Filthy Thirteen: From the Dustbowl to Hitler's Eagle's Nest: The 101st Airborne's Most Legendary Squad of Combat Paratroopers."

It was McNiece who mentioned that Cone was due a few medals. Edward Cone and his fiance, Kate Guthrie of Leominster, who works at the Statehouse, gathered documentation and contacted Lynch.

The result was the Sunday party, also attended by Cone's daughters, Ronna Townsend of Monroe Township, N.J., and Natalie Gaudet of Hampton, N.H., and most of his seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Cone admits he never talked much about the war before.

"I really didn't," Cone said. "But they insisted I tell the grandchildren and the great grandchildren. So I talk to them. I tell them stories. I tell them true stories. They all enjoy it."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

And John McCain? You're not the second coming of Reagan.

One source told me last night that McCain is planning an all-out push at CPAC. At 3 pm tomorrow, McCain is scheduled to address the crowd expected to number over 6,000 activists. And McCain plans a very special introduction.

According to my source, McCain has prepared a video featuring President Ronald Reagan to make the introduction. If McCain uses this video, it is very likely to backfire badly.

Jihad... IN SPACE

They're 40 years late, but Iran has finally entered into the space race. Next thing you know they'll be putting Mullahs on the Moon.
Space Jihad

Back In The USSR

Last year I wrote three posts about the Democratic candidates and their desire to steer this country towards a Socialist nation.

American Socialism
New Signs Of Socialism
Socialism Rears It's Ugly Head, Again

On Sunday, Hillary Clinton once again put forth her plan for universal health care. This time, you HAVE to buy health insurance or the government will garnish your wages.

The New York senator has criticized presidential rival Barack Obama for pushing a health plan that would not require universal coverage. Clinton has not always specified the enforcement measures she would embrace, but when pressed on ABC's "This Week," she said: "I think there are a number of mechanisms" that are possible, including "going after people's wages, automatic enrollment."

"Give Me An S.. Give Me A C.. Give Me An R.. Give Me An E.. Give Me A W.. Give Me An E.. Give Me A D"

UPDATE
Sweating Through The Fog has a pretty good post up on this. Go check it out.

Who We're Dealing With

Two women suicide bombers who have killed nearly 80 people in Baghdad were Down's Syndrome victims exploited by al Qaida.

The explosives were detonated by remote control in a co-ordinated attack after the women walked into separate crowded markets, said the chief Iraqi military spokesman in Baghdad General Qassim al-Moussawi.

Other officials said the women were apparently unaware of what they were doing in what could be a new method by suspected Sunni insurgents to subvert toughened security measures.

You can't say this is a new low for these cowardly pieces of shit because northing's lower than using children.