Trend Nemesis

14FEB2012 AK State HB 251, seriously flawed...

2012-02-14T13:34:00.000-09:00

Normally I'm all for de-regulation of some practices... However, in this case, I'm opposed to it. While the AK State House Bill 251 has good intentions in regard to getting rural residents veterinary care at low to no monetary cost (gratis) it de-regulates so much so that the Veterinary Board of Examiners has no ability to act if a 'doctor' should do something that is far below the standard of care required of State Licensed Doctors of Veterinary Medicine.

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/PDF/27/Bills/HB0251B.PDF

I encourage you to read the bill first before forming your own opinions obviously.

However, I want to also post Dr. Delker's letter from the Alaska State Veterinary Medical Association in opposition to the bill as it is now written. First however, I'm going to post what I believe Dr. Delker's chief concern, and indeed what stood out as the most serious flaw in HB 251 that the letter he wrote points out:

Section 4- Complaints, Investigations, Hearings… We do not believe it is proper or ethical to take away the right of a citizen to report misconduct by a professional. Additionally, to provide an effective “statute of limitations” of 6 months is somewhat reprehensible. In my practice experience (in another state), I had a client present me with an animal ~9 months after it had surgery elsewhere. I performed a second surgery to correct the improperly performed first procedure. Under this bill I would have no right or responsibility to report this to any board and the owner would have no recourse as their “6 month” window had expired. Another scenario presented by this bill -- A “veterinarian” can come up from Mexico under the banner of “gratis medicine” and potentially cause harm to an animal. As long as the owner/caretaker doesn’t complain--it’s ok. Let us suppose the owner/caretaker is concerned. When we are talking about a rural community, what are the chances this owner will have the resources and finances necessary to track down this professional and pursue litigation - even just weeks after he/she has gone? Remember in this bill we have already stripped the Veterinary Examining board from any oversight. We fail to see how this section of HB251 protects Alaskans. (emphasis mine)

There is indeed a purpose to some State Government agencies. This is indeed one of the areas reserved to the States to regulate as they see fit. Alaska established a Veterinary Board of Examiners for a good reason, and they serve to address grievances and establish a good Alaskan Standard of Care for our animals (for which they routinely draw fire from animal rights activists...). They also act on behalf of the citizens to strip mal practicing Veterinarians of their licenses to practice in this state. Many cases DON'T tie up the Civil and Criminal Court system as a result of agencies like this, as well as the actions of private institutions like the American Veterinary Medical Association and various professional liability insurance agencies that compensate owners and fine doctors (or remove a doctor and/or clinics accreditation and rating within their organization). They also ensure that pharmaceuticals and medical equipment are kept to specific standards as well, without always going to the USDA and FDA to do so.

Honestly, I think with some serious revisions, this bill could be a better product and assit with providing rural Alaskans with better services without eliminating the oversight that provides them with redress without always having to file a civil lawsuit or seek criminal charges for fraudulent services.

February 10, 2012

Chairman Kurt Olson
House Labor & Commerce Committee
Rm. 24, State Capitol
Juneau, Alaska 99811

Dear Chairman Olson:

As licensed veterinarians and members of the AKVMA Executive Committee, we have been following HB251 as sponsored by Representative Dick. Although we understand and support his effort to increase the availability of veterinary health care in rural/bush communities, we have some significant concerns with the bill as drafted.

The purpose of the Veterinary Board of Examiners is to protect the citizens of Alaska. HB251 strips the Veterinary Examining Board of any oversight or recourse for certain individuals who want to practice gratis medicine in our state. The bill also proposes to give equivalent rights and privileges to animal health care professionals who may originate in other countries where the
standard of training and health care is far below what we would consider acceptable anywhere in our state or country. Furthermore, the bill removes the rights of citizens to report harmful activity to animals simply because they do not own them.

The intent of this bill is honorable – enhance veterinarian services in rural Alaska. But, as written, this measure fails to protect the citizens and pets of Alaska adequately; lowering the standards of medical care not just in rural communities but statewide. As veterinarians we understand “field medicine” is not the same as that which can be undertaken in a clinic/hospital structure.
There is no statute that presently prohibits veterinarians from providing gratis veterinary care in Alaska. These veterinarians are expected, however, to provide competent veterinary services, within a basic standard of care, to the best of their ability given the circumstances under which they provide them. For example: A veterinarian spaying an animal in Bethel is not expected to have a completely sterile operatory setting. But he or she is expected to have as clean an environment as possible, with properly sanitized instruments, using appropriate anesthetics and pain management. Under current statutes only a veterinarian performing grossly substandard medicine would be investigated by the Examining Board or prosecuted with criminal animal abuse statutes.

Some additional inherent concerns we see with HB251 are outlined below:

Section 1- Persons practicing without compensation… Persons licensed in the United States and most Canadian Provinces have graduated with an AVMA accredited degree. A veterinary degree from another “country,” as proposed in the bill, is not necessarily equivalent to an AVMA accredited veterinary degree. In fact there are vast differences in standards of teaching and care. I
refer to an article from JAVMA that evaluated veterinary education in Mexico and other developing countries--“The accreditation system is poor or nonexistent in other developing nations. (JAVMA 2004) Just because an individual is licensed in another country, does not mean he or she is competent to practice medicine in our country, no matter what the cost. Accepting a lower
standard of veterinary care in the bush, just because it is free, does not protect our rural residents.
In part (c) of this section there is reference to compensation. We would all agree that “actual expenses incurred” should include costs of travel, lodging, and supplies. But allowing all “other nonmonetary consideration” is a bit ambiguous and open to abuse. Shouldn’t there be a clearer definition or limits on nonmonetary compensation? Present regulations do not prohibit a veterinarian from receiving shelter, a warm bed, and complimentary meals.

Section 2- Surrender and reinstatement of a license… We are somewhat ambivalent on this provision, but we don’t see the need for this section. We are wondering what the intent or purpose of this section is? Presently a veterinarian can surrender his or her license and leave the state with no questions asked. If you plan to return to practice you simply continue to pay a nominal Biennial fee and the license will remain active (as long as you meet minimum CE requirements and are not under investigation or prosecution in another state). In certain states (i.e. MN) you can pay a lesser fee for an “Inactive License.” This license stipulates you are either absent the state or not practicing more than 2 weeks a year in the state. This “inactive” status allows personal leave from the state while not requiring re-licensure upon return. Again this process assumes you have maintained minimum CE requirements upon reactivation. If this scenario is the intent of the section above, we would recommend the collaboration with Veterinary Examining Board for recommendations.

Section 3- (7)(A) Professional incompetence… We believe the proposed language is vague and dangerous. Allowing any veterinarian to practice “unconventional” and “experimental” medicine without any liability would be reckless. What if the “unconventional medicine” does not immediately harm a pet but places a family member in danger? Suppose a veterinarian uses an
unlicensed homeopathic rabies vaccine that he or she believes to be effective against the rabies virus. The pet was not harmed by the vaccine, but this scenario would place the pet and family at risk by allowing “experimental” medicine. Further, who or what defines “unconventional or experimental,”? There is significant risk for abuse due to this section; a veterinarian could cite this section as an excuse for negligent or improper medicine. We believe all practitioners, whether providing paid or free services, should have to provide care within a minimum safe standard, regardless of where they practice in the state.

Section 4- Complaints, Investigations, Hearings… We do not believe it is proper or ethical to take away the right of a citizen to report misconduct by a professional. Additionally, to provide an effective “statute of limitations” of 6 months is somewhat reprehensible. In my practice experience (in another state), I had a client present me with an animal ~9 months after it had surgery elsewhere.
I performed a second surgery to correct the improperly performed first procedure. Under this bill I would have no right or responsibility to report this to any board and the owner would have no recourse as their “6 month” window had expired. Another scenario presented by this bill -- A “veterinarian” can come up from Mexico under the banner of “gratis medicine” and potentially cause harm to an animal. As long as the owner/caretaker doesn’t complain--it’s ok. Let us suppose the owner/caretaker is concerned. When we are talking about a rural community, what are the chances this owner will have the resources and finances necessary to track down this professional and pursue litigation - even just weeks after he/she has gone? Remember in this bill we have already stripped the Veterinary Examining board from any oversight. We fail to see how this section of HB251 protects Alaskans.

We truly applaud Rep. Dick for attempting to increase access to veterinary care in rural /bush communities. We don’t know of any veterinarian in the state who would complain about or argue with someone willing to go into these rural communities and provide needed care. But the care provided needs to meet basic standards and not harm those being helped. HB251, as written, does not
protect the constituents in rural communities from substandard care. We support the intent of this bill but cannot endorse it as written.

We agree to support legislation that improves access to proper veterinary care without lowering the standards of healthcare in the state.

Regards,
Dr. Jim Delker
Alaska Veterinary Medical Association Executive Committee

04JAN12 Book Review

2012-01-04T12:26:00.000-09:00

Book: STARSHIP TROOPERS
A great explanation of why Citizenship and the Voting Franchiseshouldn't be handed out just for having a pulse and being born inyour home country... After all, TANSTAFL! Of course, youneed to read the short story 'Who are the Heirs of Patrick Henry?'(more specifically the Afterward) from EXPANDED UNIVERSE afterwordand you'll get it.... Ah what the heck, here are the mainpoints I love bout the Afterward (In Heinlein’s own words) :
"The criticisms are usually based on a failure to understandsimple indicative English sentences, couched in simplewords-especially when the critics are professors of English, as theyoften are."
"Their failures to understand English are usually these:
"Veteran" does not mean in English dictionaries or inthis novel solely a person who has served in military forces. Iconcede that in the commonest usage today it means a war veteran... but no one hesitates to speak of a veteran fireman or a veteranschool teacher. In STARSHIP TROOPERS it is stated flatly andmore than once that nineteen out of twenty veterans are not militaryveterans. Instead 95% of voters are what we call today "formermembers of federal civil service."

He/she an resign at any time other thanduring combat- i.e., 100% of the time for 19 out of 20; 99% of thetime for those in the military branches of Federal service.

There is no conscription.

Criticism: “The government inSTARSHIP TROOPERS is militaristic.” “Militaristic” is theadjective for the noun “militarism,” a word of severaldefinitions but not one of the them that can be correctly applied tothe government described in this novel. No military or civil servantcan vote or hold office until after he is discharged and is again acivilian. The military tend to be despised by most civilians andthis is made explicit. A career military man is most unlikely tohold office; hes is more likely to be dead- and if he does livethrough it, he'll vote for the first time at 40 or older.”

He goes on to explain beautifully abouthow its a tribute to the PBI, the Poor Bloody Infantry.

Finally, the last point he makes isindeed perfect:

“I think I know what offends most ofmy critics the most about STARSHIP TROOPERS: It is the dismaying ideathat a voice in governing the state should be earned instead of beinghanded to anyone who is 18 years old and has a body temperature near37°C.

But there ain't no such thing as a freelunch.

Democracies usually collapse not longafter the plebs discover that they can vote themselves bread andcircuses... for a while. Either read history or watch the dailypapers; it is happening here. Let's stipulate for discustion thatsome stabilizing qualification is needed (in addition to the bodybeing warm) for a voter to vote responsibly with proper considerationfor the future of his children and grandchildren- and yours. TheFounding Fathers never intended to extend the franchise to everyone;their debates and early laws show it. A man had to be a stablefigure in the community through woning land or employing others orengaged in a journeyman trad or something.”

Yet every time I bring this up I getaccused of being Fascist or Nationalist to a fault... By the verysame people trying to say that America is falling apart like Romewith bread and circuses. But then, most of the people who accuse meof this when I call in (on KFAR) never served a day in the military,much less any other public service and I suspect are more offended atthe notion that their franchise would be threatened by such asystem... Denying them the power they do truly for themselves seemto be seeking.

Honestly, I do indeed believe in a formof earned Citizenship as opposed to leaving it to just coming of age. Its a fact that it always leads to our present situation. STARSHIPTROOPERS was written in the 1950's and drew sharp criticism no onlyfor presenting such a system, but also for the notion thatConscription in war or peace is a bad, and immoral idea. WhileConscription has been replaced with an all volunteer military (with.45% of our population answering the call guarding 99.55% of thepopulation...); we continue to allow people to vote just forbreathing and being 18 while starting to declare the requirement toprove citizenship (in the face of having massive amounts of illegalaliens in our borders) un-Constitutional.

Personally, I like the idea of grantingresidency at 18 as opposed to automatic citizenship... After all, ifyou cannot serve the public truly, without being able to voteyourself more benefits as civil servant... An earned citizenshipalmost always produces more informed and involved citizens. Just askanyone who spent 7 years EARNING their citizenship after coming herefrom abroad. I know that I never fully appreciated my Citizenshipuntil I came back from Kuwait in 2002... I very nearly kissed andhugged the ICE Agent at Customs in Boston...

03JAN12 Remember you are dust, to dust you shall return...

2012-01-03T10:46:00.000-09:00

Sadly I have no picture of my Grandfather who passed away this morning, today, I remember two men who have died this day. 0005 EST 03JAN2012 Howard Sutherland, my grandfather passed away. My father was able to speak with him, and he left this world in peace. Keep my father and his sisters in your thoughts and prayers.This day, two years ago, we lost a brother ROMAD and JTAC SrA Bradley Smith.Please keep his Widow and daughter in your prayers.

22DEC11 Creepier and Creepier...

2011-12-22T09:47:00.000-09:00

Things continue to get creepier andcreepier in the United States since September 11, 2001. Honestly,I'd love to go back to the days where we only had metal detectors andfully armed men (and I must say, National Guard soldiers areprofessionals compared to the run of the mill screener) at theairports instead of these rent-a-cop wannabes in the TSA uniformworking for an $80 billion waste of tax payer money known as theDept. of Homeland Security (multiple redundant bureaucracy that hasFAILED to communicate across to other agencies like the Dept. ofJustice... http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/26/napolitano-cross-examined-over-fast-and-furious/ Which is one of the justifications for DHS in the first place...). For Airline travel we now get two choices, regardless of the factthat they have failed to prove that there is probable cause forsearching every single American who flies, we either can have ournude picture taken at a scanner equipped airport or submit to anintimate pat down. While they claim that because they only partneryou up with a person of like sex, with the current tolerance ofhomosexuals (indeed, actual deliberate recruitment in some cases) inthe Federal Government it still begs to question if someone doing thepat down isn't some perverted freak getting his or her kicks on yourtaxpayer dollar. Then there is whom they choose... They can'tprofile, oh heavens no. So, Grandma, six year old girls, and AlaskaState Representativeshttp://www.newsminer.com/pages/full_story/push?blog-entry-State+lawmakers+warn+Alaskans+about+TSA+body+scanners+&id=16859474&instance=blogs_editors_desk) who have had breast cancer get flagged instead of Islamic malesbetween the ages of 16 and 30 who have attended Madrassas in Pakistanor Afghanistan (notice that I didn't put race in there as there areplenty of white and black Muslim converts in our country that havegone off the deep end...). Of course, perhaps the Airport PoliceOfficer and former co-worker with a violent ex-boyfriend are not tobe believed when they express concern over the employment of nearcriminals by the TSA... Namely, the Airport PD Officer pointing outwhich screeners couldn't join a real police force due to criminalrecords as well as lack of competency identifying suspicious personsneeding apprehending during TSA audits of local TSA checkpoints. Don't even get me started on the violent man who purchased ammo whomI almost took down because his ex-girlfriend worked where I did (wesell ammo) in spite of being told to keep away... He very nearlyskirted a restraining order that would have cost him his job (andreally, she should have still filed IMO... buying ammo where your exworks? When other places sell ammo in town? Creepy... But then,this is the TSA's finest!).

DHS and the TSA is just the tip of theiceburg these days. Since the election of President Barack Obamathings have only gotten worse faster. I can't blame him completelyas the TSA and DHS were indeed creations of the previous BushAdministration with body scanners in the R&D phase during Bush'ssecond term. However, former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano wasplaced in charge of DHS by Obama. Whats her experience with'homeland security'? Well, she was Governor of a border state andsupported Obama's rather ludicrous immigration policy and SouthernBorder plan (which is sit and do about nothing). So, while Americansmust be scanned, swiped, and groped; Mexicans pass north virtuallywithout so much as being asked why... Not that I mind the actualworkers coming, so long as they pass through the gate and get a cardand pay our payroll taxes in order to assist in funding the benefitsthose taxes pay for that they receive... Its just the massive amountof drugs, and yes even now terrorists, that get smuggled in with theworkers. Its the human trafficking that bothers me more than the potand the cocaine (but that gets my goat too...). Of course, with thiskind of problem, who is targeted by DHS as a potential threat? Theguys trying to blow themselves up (all of whom, or most of whom, if Irecall correctly originated in European airports by the way...) inthe name of Allah? The shady Mexican with the gang tattoos? One ofthe thousands of OTM's that actually gets snagged by the few BorderPatrol catches? Nope, the Pro-Life, Pro-Gun, white, Conservative,GWOT Veteran, who has a Gadsden Culpeper Flag that says “Don'tTread on Me”. Twice in 2009 we had reports from the DHS, FBI, andother LEA's working closely with the Federal Government brand peoplelike myself who have crazy notions of Liberty as terrorists(http://trendnemesis.blogspot.com/2009/04/14apr09-we-are-being-profiled-again.html)... Despite the damage control that had to be exercised from these twoFUBARs, DHS still continues to follow this line of thought (which isthe agenda of the Southern Poverty Law Center by the way, while theyhave some great information they are slaves to a Left Wing agendathat slams anything they deem as 'Right Wing'; for example I wouldprobably be labeled as a potential hate threat due to my stances onimmigration and homosexuality, and believe it or not my affiliationwith the American Legion) without question.

To top this all off, we have seen a newtrend in the manner in which the FBI operates. Dangerously close to,or actual, Entrapment. FBI informants finding people of a specificprofile that is vulnerable and easily manipulated, and then pushingthem into plotting acts of violence. Its a convoluted trail tofollow, and not all cases run the risk of Entrapment honestlyspeaking (locally the domestic threat presented by Schaffer Cox is anexample where FBI informants were pushing violence, but we also haveCox and his disciples stating in no uncertain terms to policeofficers and State Troopers that they knew where they lived and thatthey could kill them; all while standing in a COURT HOUSE,regardless, its interesting to connect this to other FBI cases withthe same tactic: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/schaeffer_cox_fbi_informants_basically_kidnapped_m.php). While there are 20 plots the FBI brags about, we find out 17 wereFBI produced, bank rolled, and supplied to individuals targeted byinformants with some bad records (not too dissimilar to Olson in theabove article). Not only do we have Muslims being entrapped andpushed over the edge to violence (makes you wonder if someone workingfor the FBI didn't push Maj. Hassan over the edge at Ft. Hood andeveryone is keeping quiet about it...)http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/16/fbi-entrapment-fake-terror-plotsbut also it seems like its happening to Americans that fall under thenew definitions of domestic terrorists (albeit Cox certainly wasleaning heavy that way without the FBI when I look back at whom hechose to surround himself about the time I did some art for him inearly 2009...). Of course, whats also interesting is how theytreated a Material Witness in the case against Schaeffer Cox:http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/16673344/article-Anderson-brought-in-under-material-witness-warrant-in-Schaeffer-Cox-case?instance=home_news_window_left_top_2andhttp://patriotslament.blogspot.com/2011/12/it-wont-happen-in-america-yeah-well-it.html. With this kind of treatment of a material witness, one wonders whyagents have shown up to cuff Eric Holder with his refusal tocooperate in the Fast and Furious investigation (the gun smuggling bythe BATFE which resulted in the death of a Border Patrol Agent... Killed by a gun provided to a cartel by courtesy of the agencyresponsible for busting illegal firearm transfers and smuggling...).

So there you go folks. Creepier andcreepier. Try to enjoy the Holidays, maybe someone in Washingtonwill wake up and pull their head out of their ass finally and pullthe plug on this travesty of a Department known as Homeland Securityand end the multiple redundant security apparatus that is only makingmatters worse in the US by trampling our Bill of Rights (particularlythat Fourth Amendment) every time we go to the airport... Makes mewonder if my fellow Veterans and I aren't going to have to bear aScarlet Letter at some point in time and submit to a bit moreextensive procedures to be allowed to travel around the country if wealso happen to hold certain political view points based on some ofthe reports flying out of DHS, DOJ, and other Federal agencies.

13DEC11 Skepticism pays off... Sometimes...

2011-12-13T10:46:00.000-09:00

Why I'm a skeptic about Conspiracy Theories...

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/did-federal-agents-really-raid-a-mormon-food-storage-facility/

...and yet keep a wary eye on government intrusion regardless.

'As of late Monday, Oath Keepers had pulled the food storage raid story from their website, and gave an explanation that stated:

“We have pulled this story about the Mormon cannery being visited by federal agents because the source of the information at the cannery is now denying that he ever told us that event occurred.” '

However, the poking around does lead to some questions, though indeed if its the county asking 'are you prepared' its completely different from the Federal government knocking on the door demanding an inventory and searching without a warrant like the alarmists are screaming (A certain local 'tactical' store owner comes to mind...).

"But the full context to the story does not seem to end there. It turns out authorities have been poking around and asking Tennesseans about their emergency preparations, even going door-to-door with questionnaires.

Local Nashville news broadcasters at WTVF-TV reported on house-by-house Metro Public Health department efforts to check on citizens’ emergency preparedness, including the off-putting line that ”The county still wants to know exactly what you are doing to start thinking ahead:”

As it stands, the Surplus Store alert from BJA still has yet to be debunked...

"The Blaze called one of the phone numbers listed on the flyer, and it is in fact a direct line to a joint terrorism analysis fusion center in Colorado. When asked for an official comment on the distribution of the flyer, a fusion center officer declined to comment and stated that any request would have to be made in writing."

Nor do I think it will be. In light of MIAC and the 2009 DHS 'Right Wing' Extremism report targeting GWOT veterans as potential domestic terrorist threats... Of course, my excessive skepticism about all things coming from the Prison Planet crowd back in '08 did bite me when I stated here on this blog that I thought the MIAC report was joke.

That taken in context with Senate Bill 1867 still leaves that lovely creepy feeling in the back of my mind....

The Blaze Article:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/can-the-indefinite-detention-bill-send-americans-to-military-prison-without-trial/

Lets not forget the 10DEC11 use of an RQ-9B Predator by the Air Force in support of a local police agency... Yes, it gets creepier and creepier, and people wonder why stories like the one from Oath Keepers grab hold and never let themselves go from the national conscience... Never mind the kernels of truth to these sensationalized stories that are in fact very real oversteps by our Federal Government these days.

12DEC11 UAVs and local Sheriffs...

2011-12-12T16:03:00.000-09:00

Since this is eating my afternoon, I figure its a worthy blog posting. Heck, its been too long since I took the time to blog...

I just finished reading an article about the Air Force using an RQ-9B in support of a North Dakota Sheriffs Department... And found it disturbing. Well, not the use of a UAV so much (as its just like police helicopters which I'm not against either), but because WHAT THE HELL IS AN ACTIVE DUTY AIR FORCE UAV DOING IN SUPPORT OF POLICING THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY?

So I wrote my Alaska Senators and Representative in the Swamp:

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Dear (Insert Senator and Reps name here),

I am deeply disturbed by a 10DEC11 LATimes article about the use of an RQ-9B Predator UAV (or RPV as theAir Force now calls them, but since I'm of the 'older' crowd and gotout in '07 I still refer to them as UAV...) in the state of NorthDakota. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-drone-arrest-20111211,0,324348.story

I'm not at all shocked about thevehicle used. An RQ-9 is an incredible tool, and is a worthysuccessor to the manned helicopters that do the same mission in manyplaces, its sensors are more acute than the old FLIR systems on manypolice department helicopters. It makes perfect sense to use them inthis capacity. Since RQ-9s can be equipped with AGM-114 Hellfiremissiles, they should however be utilized rather sparingly as thiscauses no end of speculation about what who is controlling themdesires in the United States.

What disturbs me most however hasnothing to do with the airframe involved, but who is controlling theairframe and the mission. I don't have a completely accurate pictureof who called for what when or who was in charge of the mission, butI do understand Title 10 and Title 32 rather well; and I dounderstand that the US Military (in this case Active Duty Air Force)have no authority to police within the United States under Title 10and the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. There are exceptions forEXTREME circumstances, and on Federal land. However, it seems thatnone of the conditions were properly met.

There is a very simple solution to thismatter, to prevent further breaches of the Posse Comitatus Act of1878 and potential violations of Title 10, Title 32, and Title 18. First off, it starts with the State (North Dakota in this case)having RQ-9s under its Air National Guard. This way, under Title 32orders from the Governor, they can use the RQ-9 in their state whenneeded. Second, encourage North Dakota to equip its Army NationalGuard with the RQ-7 Shadow UAV, again under Title 32 orders it wouldbe very simple for the Army National Guard to act under the Governorsorders. Third, perhaps the state of North Dakota should seek to hireUAV contractors like ISR Group or Insitu if they desire UAV supportfor these incidents instead of immediately asking DHS or the Federalgovernment for such assistance.

Its apparent to me that these solutionsmust be implemented at a state level, but weren't. So the US AirForce was called in... This is a very slippery slope to move down,and its up to you our Federal policy makers to prevent this fromhappening and establishing a precedent that could indeed endangerCivil Liberties. When they called the Air Force for a UAV, theanswer should have been a distinct “NO, we aren't authorized to dothat.” Instead, since the UAVs have supported the FBI during drugraids (which on Federal land such as National Parks and BLM landISN'T an issue...), and along the border (which again, being aHomeland Security mission and a Constitutional mandate to protectthat International Border isn't an issue), the complacency resultedin the US Air Force giving support to LOCAL police, thereby policing,within the United States. I'm sorry, but that sticks out to me as ablatant violation of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, as well as aviolation of several other US Codes. Perhaps I could be wrong, butsince I just knocked out the FEMA EMI IS 800 b. course that statedquite clearly that US military is LIMITED as to what they can perform(but Title 32 forces are not) within the United States...

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Should be interesting to see what kind of response I get back... One thing I can say for my Alaska delegation, every single one of them is pretty good about getting back with constituents even if they disagree with my ranting!

04OCT11 FNSB Elections!

2011-10-04T15:13:00.001-08:00

Here are my election predictions forthe Fairbanks Northstar Borough. Its about 2:50 PM, and I'm aboutready to head out to the North Pole traffic circles with my kids forsome good ol' fashioned sign waving!

Assembly:

Michael Dukes is likely to win his bidfor re-election. But then, since I'm a dedicated listener of his,and I haven't seen his opponents ads or signs everywhere... I'mbiased.

Here is where it gets tricky. Betweenthe Bennett Brothers in their two races (Josh and Aaron) I suspectneither will win their bid this election cycle. In fact, I'mpositive both will lose their races, as well as Joe Blanchard and GuySattley. The fallout will certainly be more whining on their partwith David Gissel that its proof positive that voting doesn't work. Let us hope they learned from Schaeffer's past going down that paththat forming a 'gang' erroneously labeled 'citizens militia' is a badway to go; and that going back to the drawing board and planning fornext election is the way to go. Both Aaron and Josh seem much moreorganized this time, and getting a radio show on Saturday morningswill likely get them more votes and support. I suspect their losswon't be as great, I'll even venture to say that one of them mighteven pull off an upset. I'm no expert, there are no real polls onthat, after all its a local election. Got to give them both creditfor giving it a shot and trying, and with the incumbents being at adisadvantage due to past decisions, anything can happen. Sadlythough, I think the Unions are going to be able to get their boys(Davies at least) in because that segment of the population will onlyhave one candidate out on top verses the current split conservativevote.

Proposition 2 is likely to fail. Perhaps not with the astounding 60% vote that the voters initiativeforbidding the Borough to ban heating devices had, but I think mostAlaskans when its said and done will see the ban for what it is andvote NO. Sure, it'll have the most support in the Ester Goldstreamand University voting districts, however it'll likely fail in theNorth Pole districts. Swing vote will be in Fairbanks itself. Withthe ban they've already faced, who knows; maybe they won't screw overeveryone else in the borough. If it does pass, I'm positive therewill be a lawsuit filed; I might even throw some cash to fight it ifit does pass! I'm one of those people that can't afford the oil anylonger!

Bonds, and School Board... Who knows. I give the Bonds a 50/50. The only un-opposed School Board raceshould be interesting. I've only heard Ryan Smith on the radio, andnothing about or from Sharon McConnell. So, that being the case, andat least hearing Mr. Smith on the radio at least once, I voted forhim.

Don't like what I've got to say? Wellget your arse to the polls before 1900 (7 PM) and Vote!

Don't Vote? Don't Bitch.

If you vote, you might not get thegovernment you want; but if you don't vote you always get thegovernment you deserve (to include the next dictator...).

26SEP11 Can the Ban, the big signs!

2011-09-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

Well, considering Prop 2 outright bans coal, and my outdoor boiler regardless of which fuel I use... And sets up police powers for the Borough to measure the moisture in your wood pile to ensure you have dry wood... As well as setting up opacity measurements for wood smoke (but doesn't apply to any other types of smoke even though oil boilers, wood boilers, and coal boilers all produce very opaque smoke at -30 through -50 F....) in which a 'code enforcement officer' objectively determines if you smoke is too opaque (also, never mind the lack of daylight during winter in AK, or that its banning the most economical fuel sources at this present time requiring us to burn oil or 'approved' wood stoves).All this, because the people who live in Ester literally badgered people into signing petitions at the Library and soccer practices. Yup, I can confirm that its the Ester crowd, while I running the Equinox Ultra Marathon on Ester Dome; all the Subaru's, Volkswagens, and Audis had "Yes on 2" signs and stickers as well as the properties. Obviously, its meant to get riff-raff like my family out of town so that the folks who can afford the $20,000 Volkswagens and Audi and the fuel oil to heat their hilltop homes don't have smell my wood or coal smoke regardless of the actual air quality (by they way, we have worse air quality in summer with our 1,000,000+ acre forest fires... but those don't count toward 'attainment' or 'non-attainment' of PM 2.5 standards... Which is the only reason we are non-compliant, it used to be PM 10 until we obtained compliance, funny how the number moves like that!).I borrowed the sheepskin over the Communist hammer and sickle from Antonio Prohias. It was what instigated his rather dramatic departure from Cuba, his employment with MAD, and the creation of "Spy Vs. Spy".

29JUL11 A brief History of the Crusading Military Orders...

2011-07-29T16:27:00.006-08:00

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/did-medieval-knights-templar-influence-norway-gunman-161312473.html

The amount of ignorance today regarding the old Military Orders dating back to the Crusades is astounding...

Amid the amount of speculation regarding any links between Anders Behring Breivik and the Catholic Military Orders of the Crusades, I'm going to go through a brief history of the Military Orders, with a focus on the Knights Templar and their convoluted history pose Friday the 13th 1307 (the day they were ordered arrested in France by King Phillip the Fair who'd strong armed the Pope at the time for permission). First off, I strongly recommend reading some history of the Crusades and the Knights Templar before assuming Breivik or anyone else has any viable connection to this legendary order. A few good books are “Warriors of the Lord” by Michael Walsh for a general overview of most of the military orders that came with and after the Templars; and “The Templars” by Piers Paul Reid for a good study of the Knights Templar and a brief history of the Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

One should never forget that the Crusades were also an outgrowth of the war between East and West, this time not between Greece and Persia, or Rome and Parthia, but between Christian Europe and the Islamic Middle East. After the Mohammad's death, Arab Muslims began an aggressive war of expansion and conversion (Jihad). Soon they took over and influenced most of the Middle East (essentially taking over the Sassanid Empire [formerly Parthia which was formerly Persia...], Egypt, and Arabia). Various Muslim kingdoms such as the Berbers invaded Spain and even got so far as Poitiers France before the being turned back in 732 (which is just shy of 300 years BEFORE the first Crusade). Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 800 A.D. In an attempt to unify Europe agains the threat of Islamic takeover. The First Crusade into Jerusalem wasn't the first Crusade by definition by any stretch, as the Reconquest (Reconquista) of Spain and campaigns against Pagan kingdomes in Europe occurred first.

Credited as the very first Military Order, the Knights Templar was founded in 1099 in Jerusalem by a knight who saw the need for a dedicated force to protect the pilgrims who'd come to Jerusalem for pilgrimage. Not much in that region had changed since the beginning of civilization, as thieves and raiders were a constant threat along the roads, on top of that the Crusaders had just conquered the region and obviously still faced endless military threats. There were too few Knights in the Outremer Kingdoms; and Hugh De Payn's believed it was his calling to take monastic vows and serve as a Knight of the Church itself. After approval, hundreds eventually joined, and with them they donated their belongings and brought tithes from their noble lords and families in the form of horses, swords, and armor as well as gold. Its hard to think of it these days, what a powerful gift a horse was; however think of it more as someone donating a modern main battle tank when they donated the horse, armor, sword, shield, and their son. Typically, the Knights who joined the military orders were the middle and younger sons of Lords who couldn't inherit their estates. Some were Widowers, others were Knights who were excommunicated and told they could only come back into union with the Church and receive the Sacrament (of Eucharist) if they served the Knights Templar (or other military order, or take part in a Crusade as a secular Knight).

While its easy today to call it blind hatred and religious bigotry (because of our very skewed perspective on history instigated by Secular Humanism, the Reformation, and other movements), it shouldn't be overlooked that 1099 was a major landmark in Western Military History. Not since the fall of Rome did the West have a Standing Army of professional soldiers not bound to the limits of Feudal Lords who would abandon a campaign on a whim. Its hard for Americans to imagine the idea of no standing national army, but that was the reality of Feudal Europe. Your only security came from the Lord of the estate on which you lived. The only soldiers where his Knights and Sergeants. When your Lord came and knocked on your door for taxes, you paid because you needed his protection, and he needed your resources to in turn pay his Lord... That, and at any moment, any able bodied male could be rounded up and organized by the Sergeants into a mass of peasants armed with farm equipment... But there was no national flag. You fought for your Lord, and when he decided to go home obviously you left with him. Should someone raid the land you worked, you would hope your Lord's Knights and Sergeants would be ready. Sadly, this wasn't the case... (Glad to be an armed American citizen now instead of European Peasant!). Vikings were feared for this reason. They started raiding only after Rome was crumbled and there were no standing Legions to march in a putative expeditions to crush their villages after they raided....

I'm not going into the negative aspects of the Military Orders, as you can ask anyone what they are today and you'll get all sorts of answers (and many with a modern context completely missing the context in which these Orders developed). After all, just watch the news and they will laugh them off as ignorant religious bigots that were just above the ape in intelligence (because we are so much smarter today... don't worry, someone 500 to 1000 years later will be laughing at our shortsightedness as well, especially at the stupid socialists who are bringing about another Dark Ages by collapsing capitalism for something inferior).

There is certain mythos to the Knights Templar. Post 1312 A.D. Many have claimed to have carried on the tradition in secret. Particularly the Masons. Yes, the Masons claim many things, and have even created a history of the world that revolves around them. Its no surprise they claim to have connections to the Knights Templar. During the French Revolution, the Grand Orient of France (the Parisian Masonic Order) utilized the suppression of the Knights Templar as propaganda against Royalists and the King of France. Its even rumored someone shouted “Jaques de Molay, you are avenged” when they beheaded the King during the Revolution. Enjoy The Grand Encampment of Knights Templar http://www.knightstemplar.org/ website for the Masonic claim to this order... Personally, I don't take the Masonic re-write of history centering around them very seriously, but then I don't take conspiracy theories very seriously either. Either pro-Masonic or anti-Masonic, I think the Masons feed the conspiracy crowd for public relations. Pretty ingenious!

There are also a few other groups, from drug cartels to what equates to neo-Nazi and other white supremacist groups that claim the Templar heritage and name in Europe, the US, and Mexico (the cartel).

Presently, some of the other Military Orders that weren't suppressed like the Templar with the degradation of Chivalry and the rise of Absolutist National Armies (“The Rise of Modern Warfare” by H.W. Koch is a good read about time between 1300 and 1812) continue to serve various functions today from being nothing but a Fraternal Country Club for the Noble Gentry in Europe, to being UN/IRC recognized NGO Ambulatory Agencies providing critical medical care to the disaster stricken areas of the world. After the Reformation, some of the Knights Hospitaller embraced Luther's teachings, and still retained the name Knights of St. John. In Europe today they continue the Hospital tradition and are organized in Ambulance Brigades, serving during disasters and World Cup Soccer games with stretchers at the ready (http://www.orderofstjohn.org/). On the Island of Malta, some of the Hospitallers remained, they continued not only as Knights, but also as Sailors, fighting the Islamic pirates and being pirates themselves to Islamic Kingdom shipping. Europes first standing Navy since the end of Rome... Later, Napoleon disbanded them when took over the Island of Malta and expelled the Order. However, they continued to exist in the city of Rome, and maintain their embassy there. Currently, the Order of Malta also maintains a fleet of aircraft, and they carry on the Hospital mission of their parent order. They are a sovereign order, and more can be found on their website http://www.orderofmalta.org/?lang=en

More Reading (web)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_order

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Hospitaller

http://www.allianceofstjohn.org/

http://www.orderofstjohn.org/

http://www.orderofmalta.org/?lang=en

25UN11 Debt Ceiling Speech Rant

2011-07-25T17:53:00.001-08:00

25JUL2011

After listening to President Obama's speech about the need to increase the debt ceiling today, I'm pretty flabbergasted at the stupidity of some of the things he said. Primarily the idea that money was 'spending money on tax cuts'. This is the dumbest thing I heard the President say during his speech. How do you spend money on tax cuts? What tax cuts are, is taking in less revenue to begin with, not spending said revenue. How do you spend more by taking in less income? It makes no sense to me, but then I'm not a Washington double speaker from Chicago.

A “Cuts only Approach” is certainly a solid plan. Our tax structure is fine, and if there is reform needed, its a flat tax in which 100% of the working population pays the exact same percentage of their income no matter how much they make... This has worked in European countries rife with corruption and debt to reduce both factors considerably (Estonia for example, less tax evasion as result of everyone paying the same percentage... Its honestly easier to enforce!). But I digress... I'm getting out of my own personal debt. Sure, I tried to increase my revenue by taking another job or two (part time), but that doesn't work as well, in fact I suffer more tax consequences as a result of that due to the tax bracket I'm in and how much is with-held (or not, and will be due come next April, thank you State of Alaska Dept. of Forestry for not with holding like I filled out on my paperwork for you to do...). Since that didn't work, I'm taking steps that are nothing less than that evil “Cuts Only Approach” the President so fears. For my personal debt, it makes no sense to keep spending money if I want out of debt and have the same income. The same applies to Governments. Money, unlike Diplomacy, works the exact same be it be the microscopic personal economics of my home budget; or the macroeconomic international economics of the US Government. You are only worth your Income minus Liabilities.

Currently, our nation (and sadly my personal budget) has more liabilities than income. Best way to fix the problem is get rid of the liabilities as increasing the revenue gained will result in more disasters economically. Why do we need so many redundant US government programs? Why not let the States do that much better? Why should the US bail out failed business models such as the US auto and banking industries which would be better left to go 'bust' and allow the well built companies to continue to thrive? TARP just drew out the economic pain longer. We should have let them fail, accepted the pain then, and found ourselves recovering now. Any time the government steps in to take over, whatever it touches is tainted.

Honestly, with the mission in Iraq about complete its time to get our guys out of there. In Afghanistan, we should leave a skeleton presence as any nation that has tried to 'tame' that nation has ended up collapsing... Time to just let the Afghani's determine their own fate (and sadly, its going to end up going back to the Warlords, as it has just about every time in that nations history). Another reality, is why are we even bothering with Libya? Really, our NATO allies who have all just about failed in their NATO obligation to spend at least 2% of their GDP can worry about it, or not. Other than letting CIA loose, we need our troops home from that mission as well. If any region in Africa needs our attention, its the piracy problem off the coast of Somalia (fixed by arming the US Merchant Marine Sailors, and letting the Green Berets, Rangers, SEALs and CIA have a heyday in Mogadishu again...). On top of that, the Army and Air Force don't need NASCAR vehicles running races wasting our dollars on the track for 'recruiting'. There are indeed places we could cut the military budget without compromising the current operations that are critical to our nation's security.

This along with other cuts across the board, to include all the pet projects that Congress created for their constituents... No more pork! Cut everything but the REAL essentials! Stop wasting money! Its simple stupid.

03MAY11 Osama Bin Laden is Dead

2011-05-03T09:34:00.001-08:00

03MAY11 Osama Bin Laden is Dead, thoughts on vice and virtue in the wake of this historic victory in a long running war between the Free World and the harbingers of Tyranny.

Yesterday I indulged in a bit of vice in celebration of death; albeit a bit more solemnly than I have before (I didn't forget the lesson I learned cheering the death of Saddam while I was in Iraq...). My cartoon was a bit graphic, but a clear reminder of human mortality, as any one of us could be the man with a bullet in the head lying dead in our homes. Be it a death from pointless murder, to dying on the field of war (which Osama certainly did); we are dust.

This morning, while my children were sleeping, I at the tender age of 28 finally smoked my first cigar. I don't intend to make it a habit, and its unlikely I'll do so again either. In much the same way I was happy about Bin Laden's death, it started out tasting pretty good. Then, toward the end of the cigar, I got the woozy light headed feeling (perhaps I shouldn't have drank coffee beforehand!). Wrath and smoking, two vices; one I'm more prone to out of human nature, the other a lesson learned.

What can I take away from such experiences? Well, I'm sure both Chaplains I knew during my deployments would get a chuckle out of my experience here once Confession was over. After all, I should not celebrate the death of another human being no matter how vile they may be. I think Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. best sums it up:
"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that"
— Martin Luther King Jr.

After fighting in the GWOT, you come face to face with the two sides of killing. On the one hand there is knowing that people who are trying to kill you and your countrymen are dead and no longer a threat, and it brings about the positive emotions all related to the 'job well done' after an operation, firefight, or foiled IED emplacement. On the other side, you have the “Gee, I just watched a human body cool on the FLIR” or “There was is a person somewhere in that burning car, glad there isn't much left to see or I might lose my lunch.” First the good taste, later the woozy light headed feeling and bitter taste of reality (which includes thoughts of your own mortality).

Already the pundits on both sides line up. On the one hand you have the people who are in the streets celebrating, and for the families of the 3,000+ killed in the WTC/Pentagon/Flt. 93 attacks, I'm not going to hold this against them. This is a day for closure for them. The man who was the primary suspect, and indeed confessed quite gloatingly, for masterminding and leading the men who carried out the attack is dead. A murderer faces justice, and dies by the tools of his own trade. I'm positive the SEAL or other Operator that killed Bin Laden is just as aware of how easily it could have been himself (and could be himself in the future). Then there are people lining up calling those out in the streets no better than terrorists themselves, this coming from the people who hate America anyway, so it comes as no surprise to me.

My cigar makes a good metaphor for my own emotions in this case. It started out tasting alright (it was a 'cheap' cigar after all, only $7.55, and thankfully it was a small one as well!), but by the end the taste and the smoke was getting to me a bit (yes, I just puffed at it and didn't fill my lungs with it, otherwise I'd have been puking...). The aftertaste is especially bad, and therefore makes it a habit not worth indulging in on a regular basis. I'm glad an enemy is a threat no more, but his death really isn't something to celebrate. It brings closure, but no real joy.

21MAR11, Whats up with IACC and Tin Foil Hats?

2011-03-21T12:39:00.008-08:00

I was there when IACC got started as a grass roots organization promoting Conservative ideas here in the Fairbanks area. It was shortly after the 2nd Amendment Task Force began (and before it became the Schaeffer Cox personality cult, and disintegrated as a result of Cox going over the edge with his fellow Conspiracy Nuts at the "Continental Congress 2009"...). A large part of the momentum was to get Conservatives to organize and get a better unity of effort instead of running against each other and allow the more Liberal politicians to win with less than 50% of the vote (after all, in our local elections the only reason we have Liberals is because two or three Conservatives are vying for the same seat and there are no primaries...). Those not from Alaska my wonder why I'm using the terms Conservative and Liberal versus Republican and Democrat; lets just say our Democrats are more conservative than some East Coast Republicans... Its values not politics at play here... Forget the party mold.

Thats what I liked about IACC. I did some cartoons for them, and came out to many events they organized. They are in fact our local 9/12 Project HQ, Right to Life, and many number of wonderful organizations come under their umbrella to meet at the IACC storefront. They publish a wonderful news letter called the Woodshed. To date, they have done a lot of wonderful work assisting locals here in making sure our wood and coal stoves and furnaces are protected in the face of ever skyrocketing fuel oil prices and the failure of industry and the State of Alaska (as a result of the Federal overreach) to build a Natural Gas Pipeline.

However, somethings have been starting to nag me about some folks they have chosen for certain positions in that organization. So I wrote them an email:

IACC,

I'm curious about the role played by XXX XXX in the IACC. I'm not at all a fan of conspiracy theories (and I'm not impressed with YYY YYY's rants on the radio either that border on paranoid black helicopter theories). About a week ago, he articulated he isn't involved in the Political system at all, to include not voting in elections; and yet I see he is an active member of IACC.

This concerns me as voting plays a critical role to the health of our Constitutional Republic in which the political system is based upon Representative Democracy. I believe in restoring the institution to what its supposed to be through the ballot box as our Founders intended the ballot box to be. However, it concerns me in light of what happened recently with Schaeffer Cox about the direction IACC seems to be heading with yet another person who is disillusioned by the ballot box.

I want to know XXX's plan to restore our political system from outside the realm of the ballot box. Without knowing what his idea is, my only conclusion at this point based on all the conspiracy talk I'm starting hear more and more of from the vocal members of the IACC seems to be armed revolt in the manner pursued by Cox and his acolytes (after all, we all witnessed the 2nd Amendment Task Force degrade into a very small cult of personality centered around Cox).

A detailed plan from XXX about his goals and objectives would put my mind at ease. However, right now, I'm not even sure I want to be associated with IACC with the conspiratorial chatter that seems to be gaining more and more influence in IACC. I've been quite a proud supporter, donating cartoons and such, and fully believe in the mission of the IACC to reform the local communities politics by promoting Conservative values; however I must admit I absolutely abhor the black helicopter conspiracy theories that have little to no basis in reality and believe that such people are a cancer to the credibility of our side of the argument. Talk of the Bilderberg Group, Bohemian Grove, and 9/11 'Truth' shouldn't be any part of the IACC's public discourse. None have much basis in reality, and will end up being a cancer to the credibility of the organization as a whole if it becomes the forefront of why members support certain policies.

What I observed in the case of Schaeffer Cox, and where I broke ties, was the supposed Continental Congress 2009 which became a meeting of Conspiracy nuts. Just about every document that came out of that meeting Illinois was targeting what they believed were the Powers that Be that lied about 9/11 and are working to create a New World Order; the Bilderbergs, the Tri-Lateral Commission, etc... Cox came back, and went down that dark road that now has him in jail and awaiting trial. Thus far, I've not seen a case in which belief in such things has ended well when they become the center of a political argument and organization.

If such beliefs are the motivation of IACCs work, tell me now. I want no part in promoting such ridiculous ideas. I don't care if people hold those ideas, what concerns me is when the vocal members of IACC are on the radio every week promoting such things and thats about all I see come out IACC on the air.

v/r

Michael "Sudsy" Sutherland

Lets just say, I don't believe the Conspiracies out there about 9/11, the Bilderbergs, or FEMA Camps. I've also seen these theories fuel the hatred of the Islamo-Fascists and Leftists as much as the supposed 'extreme right wing' that Napolitano and the Southern "Poverty Law Center" rant about. I'm eagerly awaiting a response.

After all, I want no part in promoting crazy ideas, I'm just too damn skeptical.

14MAR11 Citizen? Then Vote!

2011-03-14T13:58:00.001-08:00

Today I ran across an individual who believed in 'not participating' in the political system, to the point of not even voting; and yet they lead a 'Freedom Initiative' movement that is working to audit the Federal Reserve (an action I do indeed agree with very much). However, Its my opinion that not voting, this person has indeed abdicated their citizenship and indeed for me their opinions regarding the Political Landscape in the United States. Not voting is turning over and ceasing to fight (rhetorically) and surrendering to the whim of whom ever is in charge; not voting and complaining about government is not only surrendering to the whim of such government, but complaining without doing any think to positively effect said government.

As I go through the Constitution of the United States, I see the vote and participation of the Citizen a requirement for the maintenance of this Republic. In order to keep the Republic from slinking into simple “mob rule” of Athenian Democracy, the Founders established a Representative Democracy in the Legislative Branch of our Government through the House of Representatives. All bills involving revenue and its generation (taxation) must start in the House, the PEOPLEs Representatives chosen directly through the democratic process in each district based on population size in order to get the best representation possible across the land (and by no means perfect, and currently exploited in many cases sadly). In the beginning, until the 17th Amendment in 1912, our Senators were chosen by our State Legislators, this separated the democratic process from the direct democracy into the representative democracy that prevails through the rest of our government. Since we chose our State Legislators directly, they in turn would vote for the Senators based upon their obligations to their State Constituency. This created a bit more of a 'refined' wing to the Legislative Branch of government, as the Senate is where treaties and other affairs that affect Foreign Policy are decided. Now, we have more direct control over our Senators, and I can't say its the best thing as now it seems we have greater mob rule in the Senate... But I digress, voting is still critical no matter if we vote directly for the Representative, or we elect a State Legislator to chose our Senator. Ben Franklin's quote about maintaining the Republic comes to my mind on this issue.

While I find myself getting angry and blurting out “YOU DON'T VOTE? DON'T BITCH!” quickly followed by “Maybe we should remove your citizenship and turn you into a resident” I'm not going to actively seek to do that. No, the idea doesn't make me a Fascist, those that think so should compare and contrast the Fascists to the Communists and re-assess. I'm not a Fascist, I'm a Federalist, and one that believes strongly in taking responsibility for the maintenance of my beloved Republic. While I rhetorically hammer folks for failing to do so, I have NO INTEREST in actually carrying it out. In many cases such shocking language is required to get some people to stop and think about their apathy and its impact. I'm furious at the 30% turnout at the polls during elections. My point with those conversations is to indeed get folks to get off their butts and out to the polls. Those who don't believe in this cornerstone of this Republic should indeed be ashamed. Besides, when you cease to vote, no one needs to take your Rights as a citizen away from you, you just cast them aside yourself. All I do when I mention the heavy handed 'stripping' is point it out... And advocate for your protection as merely a resident.

When asked how would they would go about changing the government without voting, this person responded with the question of how can we change it with voting. What a stupid response. Its just an evasion, just like the very politicians we seek to remove from power by simply voting for someone else. Sure, voting isn't the perfect way to ensure our government remains the protector of our natural God given rights, however it sure as hell beats a bloody removal from power of a dictator that takes years to really build up for. Every two years, we overthrow by force of the ballot, sections of our government be they local, state or federal. In a lot of cases, we keep the same people. Thats part of being a Representative Democracy (and if you don't know what Representative Democracy is, you need to remove your head from your cranium and LEARN something, thereby becoming a better informed Citizen, and I daresay VOTER).

When we vote, and things don't turn out our way, we have every right to be angry, and we still have recourse to express our opposing points of view. Even when a person is elected to an office, they have obligation to protect the rights of all their Constituents, no matter if they voted for them or not; and they are accountable to them. What we have witnessed here is the failure of many politicians to realize this duty to protect the rights of all Citizens; not the failure of Representative Democracy and the ballot box. Instead we have the perfect storm of Voter apathy, corruption of Government, and failure to fulfill duty. Because the Voter participates in the system, they have every reason to experience righteous indignation and anger. The non-participant, abdicates theirs by virtue of failing to partake in the most basic, and important, office of our nations government, Citizen.

Voting is, by its very nation, the Citizen applying force against the government. Force need not be violent and deadly like we first visualize when the word 'force' is used. Force of will is what it is. If the framers of our Constitution didn't believe in the awesome responsibility of Citizenship and the power of the Ballot Box over Government, we'd have been left as peons and peasants with not ability to Vote from the get go of the Constitution. Peons and Peasants can't vote, and are required to accept their lot in life and submit to the Citizens who can vote, hold property, and carry arms. Our Founders understood this well, and unlike the Roman Republic, and those that followed up until our Constitutional Convention, they worked to ensure all Americans were Citizens (even if the final draft conspicuously left the Slaves and Native Americans out of the picture... It is interesting to note that Ben Franklin went on to be one of the leading Abolitionists of his day... It was indeed a political concession in order to get the Southern States to ratify the final draft of the Constitution, that the process of Amendments was written in to support such changes).

For me, it is utterly alien to believe that Voting is trivial and pointless. The results vary greatly, however it is my obligation to vote. I feel compelled to vote, even though I know for certain that things might not always turn out exactly my way (300 million Americans, I'm sure not everyone thinks like I do...). Too many Flags over too many graves stones for me to not vote. But then, if you don't think that American servicemen die to secure such Liberties, by all means, continue with your apathy and ignorance. If you don't vote, how do you plan to change government and secure your rights? Revolution? Thats the way it seems some folks are going right now... After all, look at what those 14 Democratic State Senators did in Wisconsin... They knew they'd be defeated and just decided not to vote, jump state, and ensure the Unions had time to gather a storm of protestors with the intention of intimidating the peoples chosen representatives and governor into changing their minds about public employee collective bargaining.

To me, not voting is a cancer to this Republic. Its motivated by apathy, or anarchy. Neither is conducive to the continued health of this Republic.

25FEB11 Social Media and Jury Duty

2011-02-25T07:34:00.003-09:00

Something tells me I won't be serving on a jury anytime soon, or maybe I won't be selected for a jury anytime soon in spite of being in the pool. Why you might ask? Well, I'm blogging and I'm all over Facebook as well... And cartooning... So, my opinions are out there, and with my views on the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Rule of Law I know some District Attorney (or even Public Defender/Defense Attorney) will likely seek to disqualify me from selection. From what I've read here in Network World News and the link to the Wall Street Journal its apparently the latest trend. Not only has the jury become rigged with Jury Consultants running around town looking at where potential jurors work, live, and even shop; now they go further by using the hacking technique called 'social engineering' (one of the oldest tricks in the book, predating computers by being around since the beginning of time).

You really can't hammer these lawyers too badly, as some people (myself included, namely because I have a public blog where I post my opinions quite openly) don't give a darn about privacy at all. Their Facebook and MySpace pages are open to the world. Lawyers, jury consultants, and even judges tend to exploit this in various ways (do read the articles...). I can't say I'm too terribly depressed about not being hit with jury duty, and likely never going to get selected due to my views... But I'm also angry because of the manner in which these attorneys have found a loophole around the Constitution and the manner specified for jury selection that has been used for centuries. But then, they are attorneys, and folks post without thinking on Facebook (or they just don't know about privacy settings and carefully picking their friends). I still find the idea of jury consultants disgusting, this doesn't even allow for a truly random jury pool from the start in my opinion. Get rid of the consultants, let the attorneys dig on the Internet when they question the jurors in the courtroom!

Then we have states like Maryland (east coast Liberals, what else do you expect?!) which allowed their Department of Corrections to demand user names and passwords in order to keep a job?! While I don't believe the ACLU really to have American Liberty at the heart of their organization, sometimes they do get things right in some cases (even a blind squirrel gets the nut sometimes...); especially in the case this case. Its one thing for an agency to have specific guidelines for social media (perhaps restricting access to it on State or Federal computer systems...), but its absolutely another to require that personnel turn over PRIVATE user names and passwords over for months at a time. Thats just pure exploitation. Thats just Big Brother Big Government right there for you (no matter the party name!).

21FEB2011 I feel so secure...

2011-02-21T22:44:00.003-09:00

The TSA continues its invasive pat-downs and body scans under the direction of Big Sister Janet Napolitiano and the Dept. of Homeland Security! One of our Democratic State Representatives, Sharon Cissna (D-Anchorage) was returning home from Seattle when the body scan showed details of her scars from her mastectomy... So they wanted to touch her 'prosthetic device' in one of their wonderful 'enhanced patdown' searches that have no probable cause beyond your desire to fly. So, she was force to return to Alaska by sea instead because she decided to refuse to submit, AGAIN. This was her second trip through a TSA checkpoint in which the body scan still lead to an enhanced pat down. How sick can the TSA get? But then, there is no communication, or safety, in what they do.

Why no safety? Well in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, an undercover TSA agent was able to bring in a handgun on her person in her undergarments EVERY TIME she went through the checkpoints in spite of the 'enhanced pat downs' and body scanners. So, flag breast cancer survivors, yet miss firearms. Good to go TSA! Time for Napolitano to be FIRED. Two EPIC FAILURES in the same week, and its only MONDAY!

You can check the National News or Francona to see the best analysis of the latest Middle East violence, protests, and counter protests... I'm going to focus a bit on Wisconsin a bit here. What disturbs me isn't the mass protest of Government workers; this is the unelected bureaucracy protesting the actions of the democratically elected State Legislature, an elected body acting on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Tax Payer. Its almost funny, as this is the polar opposite of the TEA Parties who represent Mr. and Mrs. Tax Payer... Really, I think is great that the Unions are shutting down education and kicking Mr. and Mrs. Tax Payer's kids out the curb because they can't get the retirement pension and health plan they want for nothing anymore... Let them show their true faces, and how ugly they can be and how much they really care about the public they claim to serve. What galls me is the spineless Democratic State Senators who are working for this special interest group (SEIU, Government Employees Unions, National Educators Association, etc.) by subverting the democracy they claim to so cherish by jumping state lines and going to Illinois instead of doing their SWORN duty of representing Mr. and Mrs. Tax Payer and voting 'No' to the Governors budget. Instead, since they are hopelessly out numbered, they run. They hide, they derail the democratic process by not even showing up to vote and do their sworn duty to their constituency. Honestly, I wonder why Wisconsin puts up with this and just doesn't tell them not to come back. I personally believe this type of action should be grounds for removal of said legislators... This is nothing short of dereliction of duty.

The reality of the problem goes back to a combination of several factors. We haven't seen this kind of government debt since the end of WWII! But what else can you expect?! Post WWII we had a generation of Veterans enter college and the labor force, have LOTS of kids (future Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayers...), and exit a couple decades of lean times (Great Depression and a World War...). Between the kids, and the end of real hard times, its no wonder we saw the deficit shrink during the 1950's (in spite of increased government spending on things like Defense and the Space Program). Now, we have that generation of Baby Boomers retiring in droves sucking up all the wonderful pensions and Social Security that was set aside, and designed for the sustained population growth of the 1940's, and boosted incredibly by the Post War Baby Boom. Instead, all the kids of the Boomers fell for the Population Bomb myth, quit having kids; and now have left the next generation of kids not even born yet on the hook for untold billions of our national debt... Which leaves painful cuts to pensions, medical benefits, and yes even government jobs necessary if we are to continue to even have basic functioning governments at the local, state, and especially national level. We shouldn't wonder why the Constitution limited the Federal Government; the Liberty aspect is painfully obvious with the TSA situation, but it goes beyond that. Governments have been the biggest booming employers, those who pay taxes have become fewer and fewer; pensions got bigger and bigger with more benefits along with growing recipients, but the population of tax payers to fund such programs shrinks and shrinks.

Public employees, like their private sector counterparts, are going to have to learn to invest privately with their meager base pay or not retire at all. Cut now, or lose your job later. Your choice.

Personally, I'm trying to plan for my future, and already at 28 I know I'm going to HAVE to work past 65 just to survive. There is no Social Security for me, there will be no one I can work for who will be able pay me a pension. Thats just life, and its time for other people, especially teachers and other government employees to accept this as their reality also. Go ahead, hold that the government responsible for your unfunded liabilities, just ignore your union bosses and the 125% over funded pension plans they receive while they keep your pension only 75% funded... Just don't cry when the government you want to hold accountable slams the door shut and vanishes leaving chaos and anarchy in its wake (I won't shed a tear when you get swept away in it either, after all looking at your union rave in the Madison WI capitol, it looks like thats just what you want after all...).

Glenn Beck, Lila Rose, vs. Margaret Sanger

2011-02-20T23:16:00.001-09:00

15FEB11 More rants and raves about the news of the day!

2011-02-15T12:12:00.006-09:00

...or MRARANOD (pronounced Murrrahh-NOD)!

15FEB2011

Yet another reason to follow El Al's example of screening from the moment people show up at the airport and observing their actions up until they board instead of the screening we currently have in place now with the DHS TSA. Corruption was certainly bound to happen, and did in New Jersey.

“Michael Arato, 41, of Ewing also admitted Monday in federal court in Newark that he regularly stole from passengers who went through his checkpoint in Terminal B.
Prosecutors say Arato permitted a worker he supervised to steal between $10,000 and $30,000 in cash from travelers' bags over a 13-month period. In exchange, the subordinate would give a portion of the money to Arato. The subordinate, who was not named, cooperated with the federal investigation that led to Arato's arrest in October.”

The Middle East is definitely in the spotlight as of late with Egypt's coup d'etat. Interesting how when Egypt has turned over the reigns of power to the Military and they suspend both parliament and the Constitution nobody on the Left in this country is screaming foul (like they did in Honduras back in 2009 when the military arrested the President after he attempted to be able to become President for life... parliament actually requested the Honduran military remove him from the country if I recall). However, there is indeed good signs coming out of some of the actions of Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, largely the Parliament was run by Mubarak supporters, and parts of the Constitution worked for Mubarak to rig elections... However, its still a situation to observe closely and skeptically based on historical precedent.

While Rick Francona doesn't see the same religious undertones he saw in the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the possibility still remains for the Muslim Brotherhood to turn Egypt into an Islamic Republic. So far people are pretty positive about the Muslim Brotherhoods sincerity in creating, and allowing, other political parties; however many of us who have read about the Muslim Brotherhood and their history in the region remain skeptical. While they are all about democracy and the ballot box today, when they gain control tomorrow that remains to be seen. Democracy in its truest form is mob rule, whoever has the most votes DICTATES just as much as an autocratic dictator; this is why our country is a Constitutional Republic with a form of Representative Democracy with safeguards to protect minorities. Seeing how Islamic Republics like Iran, or the Taliban, 'respect' minorities such as Christians, Jews, tribal sects, and women; I'm remaining cautiously skeptical. Good things can certainly happen within Egypt, so long as the Muslim Brotherhoods dream of an Islamic Republic of Egypt is NOT realized. One of the primary concerns here is the Muslim Brotherhoods demands that the treaty with Israel is not recognized by any new regime... This to me is very telling that the party of reform in Egypt is also the party of war; that is the Muslim Brotherhood. I highly, highly, recommend folks read “The Looming Tower” by Lawrence Wright; the history of modern radical Islam in that book is enlightening (especially the relationship of the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Qaeda).

This movement has indeed emboldened many across the Middle East to do the same kinds of protests, and its fascinating to see whats going on in Iran. To me the silence of the American media and our current Administration is deafening. On the one hand, they covered Iran's regimes mass demonstration in support of the Egyptian protests that toppled Mubarak (because Mubarak was an American supporter), yet on the other hand when the 'chickens come to roost' in Iran the Iranian government is seeking to crush them completely? Irony. Of course, you never saw the same level of support from Obama and the American Left for Irans protesters back in 2009, nor are we going to see the same level of support they gave Egypt this time as well. I believe that the current Administration needs to come out much more strongly in favor of the protesters in Iran, and do so publicly as a clear message that we aren't going to play Iran's nuclear game any more, nor are we going to accept their actions in the form of Hizbollah. We need to send a clear message that the current Islamic Regime is unacceptable and needs to be toppled. But that would require our government to grow a pair and wield the big stick that goes with talking softly. What ever happened to the idea of a war of liberation, or at least the threat of force to ensure liberation? If we do nothing, many more are going to die soon if we do little or nothing.

Got to love Doomsday scenarios... We are now an apocalyptic people, we all see apocalypse around us in our media; be it the zombie apocalypse (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Return of the Living Dead, and a whole host of clones and remakes), post nuclear apocalypse (Mad Max, Fallout 3, etc.), or biblical apocalypse (Left Behind, End of Days, etc..). New York has finally gone ahead and published a Doomsday 'manual'! Really, its just a Public Health Legal Manual, a guide for Judges, Attorneys, and Public Health Professionals. What should be done is perhaps teaching their people how to be somewhat self sufficient... Or else when disaster hits the hordes of barbarians will raid and pillage those who have prepared and leave everyone starving. Its likely going to be a bloody mess of mobs and the Judges, Attorneys, and Public Health Professionals will likely be able to do too little to stop the chaos. It'll be up to the people outside NYC to clean up the mess, most likely a disproportionate amount of American resources will be wasted trying to recover a dead NYC should an event of apocalyptic proportions affect NYC, thats the cost of most of the population not having to leave a three mile radius most of they're lives (not to mention the proportion of welfare recipients who will suddenly cease to get any of it rather suddenly).

Perhaps what makes my head explode more is the fact that Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) wants to end the practice of US Representatives living in their Congressional offices... Apparently, 33 Representatives who don't leave the House when they are in Washington DC is 'un-ethical'. They equate it being dorm rooms and frat houses? Apparently they believe it violates House Rules and and is an unreported tax benefit?! What planet are they on? I'm happy to see Representatives practicing some fiscal sense and not paying $2,000 a month to the Watergate Hotel for a one room suite! How much you want to bet Watergate is behind CREWs investigation?

On a more positive note, Soldiers love the XM-25 25mm 'smart' grenade launcher! Nothing like 'smart' grenades that explode overhead at specific distances needed by the soldier over the heads of stupid terrorists! Ballistic trajectories just got a heck of a lot more interesting!

11FEB11 Gross Incompetence watching over National Security!

2011-02-11T10:19:00.009-09:00

Well, I just wrote my Senators and Representative... More on that in a moment.

First and foremost, lets look at the air heads running our National Security agencies, namely our civilian intelligence and Homeland Security...

First the DNI (Director of National Intelligence, the position created by President G.W. Bush to correlate all the CIA, NSA, and DIA data) James R. Clapper is attempting to back peddle from his statement that the Muslim Brother hood is a 'largely secular' organization. Anyone who has done homework on Islamo-Fascism and Radical Islam knows about the Muslim Brotherhood, they are the root of modern Radical Islam; they inspired Al-Qaeda! In fact, the top Al-Qaeda officers were all involved in the Muslim Brotherhood first, that is the group that radicalized their beliefs and instilled the supremacy of the Sharia Law and Quaran over all else in their lives; most especially the need to instill it upon the Infidel (or kill him). I recommend reading "The Looming Tower" by Lawerence Wright to dig more into the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Qaeda. In the face of this information that has been out for decades, the DNI needs to resign. That kind of ignorance is not acceptable in that particular government post.

Second, the Director of Central Intelligence Leon Panetta, made the statement yesterday that Mubarak would indeed step down and announce it during his speech to the Egyptian people. That didn't happen, the resignation just happened today... While it did indeed happen, the speculation that it would happen yesterday during the speech... It didn't. I believe Mubarak resigned today after he made his get away in order to make said get away... However, Panetta made his statement not based on Intelligence collected by the CIA he heads, but based only upon assumptions made by the media.

Finally, we have 'Big Sister' Janet Napolitano. Janet Napolitano is the Secretary of Homeland Security, the head of the Department of Homeland Security which now is in charge of a plethora of government agencies charged with the defense of the US within our borders and disaster preparedness/response. I've blogged enough about her incompetence (with the capstone being that DHS Report on 'Right Wing Extremism'...). So, as Iran and Venezuela start being buddies and discussing the placement of Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (not capable of hitting the US, but Puerto Rico and Columbia are certainly in range if that happens), we still have a porous border. Arizona is suing the US Government to cover the costs of arresting Illegal Aliens. This was a counter suit in response to the Federal suit against Arizona because of a law they had to pass that is an exact mirror to the US Immigration Enforcement policy... Why? Because the US Border Patrol and ICE have been hamstrung by Napolitano and DHS (I won't blame her completely, this type of agency incompetence dates back to the late eighties). Our Border is just about on fire with war between the cartels, Mexican Federal Government, the US Border Patrol, and US Citizens along the border. What has DHS done? Almost nothing for all the billions they've spent, and all the Predator UAV's they fly. How many OTMs have come through enroute to carry out terrorism? Yet while this is happening, if you want to fly you are essentially strip searched without a Warrant or probable cause (well, I suppose wanting to fly is now probable cause...).

So, here is my letter to my Senators and Congressman:

11FEB2011

Dear Senators Murkowski and Begich, and Representative Don Young,

In light of recent events involving the Director of Central Intelligence, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Secretary of Homeland Security all displaying blatant signs of incompetence, it is my belief all three need to fired and their agencies investigated by the Senate and the House committees appropriate to the task. When both the DCI and DNI make public statements to Congress that are absolutely erroneous and not based on real intelligence (of which they are the head of the agencies that collect such data and have NO excuse for not drawing upon those resources), but instead on open source media reports without correlation to other intelligence sources, it frankly scares me. These are the men who are responsible for heading up the agencies that are responsible for keeping track of what is going on in these foreign countries. Our DNI denied stated against 90 years worth of Muslim Brotherhood history, that they were a SECULAR organization?! Either this is a denial of fact made willfully, or gross incompetence (one just needs to study a bit about the Muslim Brotherhood in order to find such a statement moronic).

That in and of it self is cause for extreme concern. What brings the fear factor up even further is the gross incompetence of the Dept. of Homeland Security under the current Secretary Janet Napolitano. Where do we begin here? That whole 'Right Wing Extremism' report that profiled returning GWOT (wait, never mind the reality of this Global War on Terror, this administration re-named it something els entirely, yet another reason I'm beginning to fear for the survival of my country) veterans such as myself as a threat? Or perhaps the fact that our Southern Border is still as porous as ever in spite of the creation of DHS back in the Bush Administration and the placing of the US Border Patrol under DHS. Meanwhile, we have to submit ourselves to ever more invasive search procedures to board US commercial flights! Tell me there isn't something wrong the idea that anyone can sneak in from Mexico through rugged terrain, live here illegally and get a construction job under the table (or smuggle drugs), yet all everyone has to be just about stripped searched at our airports on their way to visit family? Why is Napolitano against putting more forces on the border and building fences in the face of Venezuela and Iran building closer strategic ties? This is the realm of our survival in which she can make great strides (there are great ideas for compromise on the border that indeed close it down to smugglers, increase security, yet still allow for the masses of immigrants seeking greater opportunity here in the US to come and find jobs).

This current Administration is compromising our National Security by hiring incompetents within our Intelligence community and Homeland Security; while simultaneous hiring 9/11 Truthers and Communists as 'czars' in other areas of government. This should sound the alarm in the back of your mind, and if does not you need to educate yourself on the ramifications of these facts. I can tell you that the 9/11 Truther lies are spoken as a fact in the Middle East, and I strongly believe that this movement is fed by not just the conspiracy nuts, but also our enemies; yet we have people who believe in such propaganda now running parts of our government?!

On the National level we have morons running the top three civilian agencies responsible for our National Security, and we have people who couldn't pass a background check for a Secret or Top Secret security clearance being appointed by the POTUS as 'Green Jobs Czar', or other such frivolous posts. On top of this, locally, we have nut jobs like Schaeffer Cox running around utilizing these realities to set himself up with a cult of personality rounding up disciples to help him carve a kingdom for himself in Alaska when the US Government finally falls apart?! Well, with morons on top, its no wonder where these guys get their crazy ideas.

Respectfully,

Michael J. Sutherland

10FEB11 Margaret Sanger...

2011-02-10T17:06:00.004-09:00

10FEB11

Sanger's books...

From “The Pivot of Civilization” by Margaret Sanger

Excerpt from the Introduction by H.G. Wells:
'The New Civilization is saying to the Old now: "We cannot go on making power for you to spend upon international conflict. You must stop waving flags and bandying insults. You must organize the Peace of the World; you must subdue yourselves to the Federation of all mankind. And we cannot go on giving you health, freedom, enlargement, limitless wealth, if all our gifts to you are to be swamped by an indiscriminate torrent of progeny. We want fewer and better children who can be reared up to their full possibilities in unencumbered homes, and we cannot make the social life and the world-peace we are determined to make, with the ill-bred, ill-trained swarms of inferior citizens that you inflict upon us." And there at the passionate and crucial question, this essential and fundamental question, whether procreation is still to be a superstitious and often disastrous mystery, undertaken in fear and ignorance, reluctantly and under the sway of blind desires, or whether it is to become a deliberate creative act, the two civilizations join issue now. It is a conflict from which it is almost impossible to abstain. Our acts, our way of living, our social tolerance, our very silences will count in this crucial decision between the old and the new. '

Here we see Wells express a very elitist view of the world, the idea that being born to 'inferior parents' dooms you to being eternally 'inferior'... The idea that intelligence is solely based upon your genetic code and not something you can change through self discipline and education (i.e. proper nurturing either by parents, or yourself).

Chapter IV: The Fertility of the Feeble-minded

'There is but one practical and feasible program in handling the great problem of the feeble-minded. That is, as the best authorities are agreed, to prevent the birth of those who would transmit imbecility to their descendants. Feeble-mindedness as investigations and statistics from every country indicate, is invariably associated with an abnormally high rate of fertility. Modern conditions of civilization, as we are continually being reminded, furnish the most favorable breeding-ground for the mental defective, the moron, the imbecile. "We protect the members of a weak strain," says Davenport, "up to the period of reproduction, and then let them free upon the community, and encourage them to leave a large progeny of `feeble-minded': which in turn, protected from mortality and carefully nurtured up to the reproductive period, are again set free to reproduce, and so the stupid work goes on of preserving and increasing our socially unfit strains." '

So, how do we judge 'feeble-minded'?!

'Modern studies indicate that insanity, epilepsy, criminality, prostitution, pauperism, and mental defect, are all organically bound up together and that the least intelligent and the thoroughly degenerate classes in every community are the most prolific. Feeble-mindedness in one generation becomes pauperism or insanity in the next. There is every indication that feeble-mindedness in its protean forms is on the increase, that it has leaped the barriers, and that there is truly, as some of the scientific eugenists have pointed out, a feeble-minded peril to future generations—unless the feeble-minded are prevented from reproducing their kind. To meet this emergency is the immediate and peremptory duty of every State and of all communities. '

Because, after all, your parents and where you are born are the ONLY factors that effect how intelligent you become and what a productive member of society you become, right?! Wrong... Sanger, Shaw, and Wells were into Eugenics; and their dream was only found to be a real nightmare under Hitler when he took Eugenics to its logical conclusion during the Holocaust... But then, the idea of nurturing intelligence never dawned on these people. It amazes me that post WWII, the greatest age in American Engineering and Craftsmanship resulted, must have been that GI Bill you think? You know, all those masses of illiterate babies born in the Great Depression despite Sanger's best efforts to snuff them out. Even without Sanger's dream realized in the 1970's with the legalization of genocide in the form of abortion, we had well over half the country literate... Something Eugenics didn't think possible with how the 'feeble-minded' were the most fertile... Boomers could just about all read by the time they were 18... Genetics had nothing to do with that, but then literacy is a small measure of intelligence as a whole.

'The problem of the dependent, delinquent and defective elements in modern society, we must repeat, cannot be minimized because of their alleged small numerical proportion to the rest of the population. The proportion seems small only because we accustom ourselves to the habit of looking upon feeble-mindedness as a separate and distinct calamity to the race, as a chance phenomenon unrelated to the sexual and biological customs not only condoned but even encouraged by our so-called civilization. The actual dangers can only be fully realized when we have acquired definite information concerning the financial and cultural cost of these classes to the community, when we become fully cognizant of the burden of the imbecile upon the whole human race; when we see the funds that should be available for human development, for scientific, artistic and philosophic research, being diverted annually, by hundreds of millions of dollars, to the care and segregation of men, women, and children who never should have been born. The advocate of Birth Control realizes as well as all intelligent thinkers the dangers of interfering with personal liberty. Our whole philosophy is, in fact, based upon the fundamental assumption that man is a self-conscious, self-governing creature, that he should not be treated as a domestic animal; that he must be left free, at least within certain wide limits, to follow his own wishes in the matter of mating and in the procreation of children. Nor do we believe that the community could or should send to the lethal chamber the defective progeny resulting from irresponsible and unintelligent breeding.
But modern society, which has respected the personal liberty of the individual only in regard to the unrestricted and irresponsible bringing into the world of filth and poverty an overcrowding procession of infants foredoomed to death or hereditable disease, is now confronted with the problem of protecting itself and its future generations against the inevitable consequences of this long-practised policy of LAISSER-FAIRE.
The emergency problem of segregation and sterilization must be faced immediately. Every feeble-minded girl or woman of the hereditary type, especially of the moron class, should be segregated during the reproductive period. Otherwise, she is almost certain to bear imbecile children, who in turn are just as certain to breed other defectives. The male defectives are no less dangerous. Segregation carried out for one or two generations would give us only partial control of the problem. Moreover, when we realize that each feeble-minded person is a potential source of an endless progeny of defect, we prefer the policy of immediate sterilization, of making sure that parenthood is absolutely prohibited to the feeble-minded.
This, I say, is an emergency measure. But how are we to prevent the repetition in the future of a new harvest of imbecility, the recurrence of new generations of morons and defectives, as the logical and inevitable consequence of the universal application of the traditional and widely approved command to increase and multiply?
At the present moment, we are offered three distinct and more or less mutually exclusive policies by which civilization may hope to protect itself and the generations of the future from the allied dangers of imbecility, defect and delinquency. No one can understand the necessity for Birth Control education without a complete comprehension of the dangers, the inadequacies, or the limitations of the present attempts at control, or the proposed programs for social reconstruction and racial regeneration. It is, therefore, necessary to interpret and criticize the three programs offered to meet our emergency. These may be briefly summarized as follows:
(1) Philanthropy and Charity: This is the present and traditional method of meeting the problems of human defect and dependence, of poverty and delinquency. It is emotional, altruistic, at best ameliorative, aiming to meet the individual situation as it arises and presents itself. Its effect in practise is seldom, if ever, truly preventive. Concerned with symptoms, with the allaying of acute and catastrophic miseries, it cannot, if it would, strike at the radical causes of social misery. At its worst, it is sentimental and paternalistic.
(2) Marxian Socialism: This may be considered typical of many widely varying schemes of more or less revolutionary social reconstruction, emphasizing the primary importance of environment, education, equal opportunity, and health, in the elimination of the conditions (i. e. capitalistic control of industry) which have resulted in biological chaos and human waste. I shall attempt to show that the Marxian doctrine is both too limited, too superficial and too fragmentary in its basic analysis of human nature and in its program of revolutionary reconstruction.
(3) Eugenics: Eugenics seems to me to be valuable in its critical and diagnostic aspects, in emphasizing the danger of irresponsible and uncontrolled fertility of the "unfit" and the feeble-minded establishing a progressive unbalance in human society and lowering the birth-rate among the "fit." But in its so-called "constructive" aspect, in seeking to reestablish the dominance of healthy strain over the unhealthy, by urging an increased birth-rate among the fit, the Eugenists really offer nothing more farsighted than a "cradle competition" between the fit and the unfit. They suggest in very truth, that all intelligent and respectable parents should take as their example in this grave matter of child-bearing the most irresponsible elements in the community. '
Interesting how Sanger states how much she and other intelligent people are opposed to the controlling and disposal if 'feeble-minded' individuals; yet moves on to suggest immediate segregation and emergency sterilization of such people. On the one hand, trying act like someone who values individual Liberty; but really pushing for Fascist control by suggesting 'emergency' sterilization. Sadly, I doubt stopping stupid people from having babies will prevent stupid people from entering this world... On the contrary, I think it has the greater potential to keep the future Einstein or Hawking from ever being born in the first place (I recall Einstein being considered a moron by his teachers growing up...).

There is a reason I get upset at the notion 'stupid people shouldn't breed'. Its a hold over from the days of Eugenics, the days in which the idea of 'disposing' of millions; or the forced sterilization of them, was pursued with absolute zeal. This was a part of what led George Orwell to observe (http://www.george-orwell.org/Wells,_Hitler_And_The_World_State/0.html):
“Much of what Wells has imagined and worked for is physically there in
Nazi Germany. The order, the planning, the State encouragement of
science, the steel, the concrete, the aeroplanes, are all there, but all
in the service of ideas appropriate to the Stone Age. Science is
fighting on the side of superstition. But obviously it is impossible for
Wells to accept this.”
Why quote George Orwell in an essay slamming Wells during WWII while I've been pointing out Sanger's Eugenics? Well, the book I'm quoting from Sanger had an introduction written by H.G. Wells, and “The Pivot of Civilization” was written between the World Wars... Back when Progressivism and Eugenics were near the climax of popularity.

Nothing changes, we'll never learn from history. That much is a clear fact.

03FEB11 Untold Stories from Iraq and Afghanistan OUT NOW!

2011-02-03T22:20:00.001-09:00

Check it out: http://heroesfallenstudiosinc.webs.com/

All proceeds are going to go to:

Soldiers Angels

Wounded Warrior Project

The USO

and

Fischer House

On top of where everything is going to support, this project thus far is rather unique in that Clayton Murwin, the man who worked to put this together, worked very hard to find the comic book industry talent to work pro bono while also getting them in touch with OEF/OIF Veterans willing to tell their stories. I became involved through a chance encounter with one of the Vets involved, Victor Castro, through the IAVA Community of Veterans social network. Since then, I've worked with Valerie Finnigan who did the script, and finally the illustrators. Clayton was even kind enough to take a look at a few of my cartoons that I'd drawn on a my last deployment on the back of inventory sheets that were part of our units unofficial 'morale file' and asked if he could use some! Obviously, the coffee stains, smears, and dust weren't acceptable for the final product; so I re penciled most of them and sent them to Clayton who in turn sent them to some real professionals in the comic book industry who know what they are doing with inks!

So, there you go folks! Finally, some real war comics based on real stories from real soldiers. Not the usual war comic that comes out these days, at least not anything like I've seen at my local comic shop!

01FEB11 Egypt, Obama's Carter/Iran moment?

2011-02-01T00:35:00.004-09:00

A simple analysis would be to compare the Obama Administrations reaction to Egypts crisis right now to Carters response to Iran in the late 1970's... There are some rather interesting comparisons. Namely a dictator who was supported by the West (namely the United States) for a time who became too inconvenient to support anymore (and honestly didn't warrant much support in the first place...); and a revolt lead by Islamo-fascists hardliners. Neither are really desirable to support. Democratic revolts in the face of dictators are certainly something very satisfying to see happen as the will of the people is certainly what needs to be the mandate for a government to exist. However, certain organizations, in spite of democratic covers and front organizations, can swiftly destroy such mandates. They essentially become the very evil they overthrew. We've seen this during the French Revolution, and in every Communist Revolution from Russia to Cuba.

In Egypt, we have Mubarak instead of the Shah, and the Muslim Brotherhood instead of Islamic Revolution under Kohmeini. While the comparisons are largely superficial in regard to the exact circumstances, we shouldn't under estimate the ramifications that this will bring between the US and Egypt, and indeed the view of Middle East toward the US. I can't help but agree with Rick Francona that this isn't going to end well for us no matter whom we support. This judgment is based on his experience in the Middle East with the DoD, DIA, and State Department; and his extensive background in understanding the Middle Eastern culture in all its various forms (Egyptian culture isn't Saudi culture isn't Persian culture...).

Once again, blood will pour out while our diplomats eat caviar and drink champaign thinking they are doing a wonderful job talking to other 'diplomats' who are charged with buying time for such killing to occur more efficiently for their masters. Lets not let history repeat itself... Mark my words, our lack of backbone in the Middle East and the idea that 'engagement' is best will do more harm than good in the next couple of years!

20JAN2011 The Sick Truth Part II...

2011-01-21T00:33:00.004-09:00

My wife has downloaded the Grand Jury Report of the Philadelphia murder case of Dr. Gosnell I ranted about yesterday... Needless to say, my wife is absolutely shocked.

Go ahead, read the Grand Jury Report with your own eyes. If you cannot see the corruption in the system of both the city of Philadelphia or the state of Pennsylvania (and indeed across this entire country) regarding the excessive legal protections abortion clinics receive you truly are naive. PA Dept. of Health did not inspect Womens Medical Society (the entity Dr. Gosnell ran) from 1993 through 2010 in spite of numerous complaints... Why? Because its an abortion clinic, a political minefield viciously guarded by Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and in Dr. Gosnell's case likely the NAACP and other minority protection groups because of his 'concern' for minorities...

Here are the results:

If my wife's Veterinary clinic pulled this stunt, the city of Fairbanks and state of Alaska would have their hide; or what was left after the people of Fairbanks, ALF, ELF, and PETA got done with them...

...Its a crying shame that there is more protection, government regulation, and government for cattle at a slaughter house than for unborn children in our society. Not to mention more outrage, just think of what happens when PETA infiltrates a hen house or a slaughter house and shows how brutal humans are to animals. Yet, this shouldn't surprise us much, as most of PETAs supporters support the idea of ignoring the Dr. Gosnell's of this world and the brutal murder of our own species prior to birth...

...So while restaurants, slaughter houses, plastic surgeons, and yes the beauty parlor go through annual Health inspections (along with random inspections) Dr. Gosnell was never once inspected for over 16 years!

Thank you Planned Parenthood and American 'Civil Liberties' Union! You have done so much good for this country! Thank you all you Progressive Liberal Socialist Lawyers! Look at the wonderful fruits of all your hard work in the way of Civil Rights and the Reproductive Rights! What and advancement in society you have brought about! What were we backwards hillbilly Christian Right Wingers ever thinking about how humans should treat each other!

19JAN2010 Sick Truth!

2011-01-19T18:29:00.002-09:00

Abortion, most especially late term partial birth abortion past the point in which premature babies have been born and live normal health lives, is nothing less than pure evil and a blight on our modern society. So much for human rights when genocide happens on a grand scale these days as millions of murders occur in such a manner. Yet, its all about the rights of the mother?! One psycho goes off in Arizona and anyone outspoken about the Right to Bear Arms is targeted as a murderer, while the same people who talk of 'vitriol' and 'rabid violent speech' vigorously defend the practice of partial birth abortion.

Who performs such procedures? Dr. Kermit Gosnell in Philadelphia did... That is until his clinic was raided. Why was it raided and he charged? Murder. A 41 year old patient died under his care. So his clinic got shut down, and then raided. What did they find? Bodies, and severed limbs. The stuff of horror stories, but don't worry, they aren't human, just fetuses (unless you are like me and Pro Life...). They also found out that Herr Doktor performed LATE term abortions illegally, into the final trimester up to 8 months along (when pre-mature births at as early as 6 to 7 months have survived and now live normal healthy lives...). It should be even more infuriating to find that Herr Doktor Gosnell was assisted by UN-QUALIFIED personnel, to include a high schooler who dispensed anesthetics... Whats worse, is being an African American, he targeted minorities and the poor; he would have made Madame Margaret Sanger very proud for helping get rid of 'riff-raff' and 'inferiors' in society.

I'd better quit typing before my head explodes...

05JAN2011 Pornography, Feminism, and the Nuclear Family

2011-01-05T13:23:00.002-09:00

I'm glad I have boys (right now) and not daughters. The pressure I'd face as a father of a daughter would be incredible, as my ideas of how I should be a Dad would likely conflict with the current culture these days. After all, I intend to follow my Fathers example of how he raised us, for a daughter I'd look back to how he raised my sister and ask my wife about how her father raised her. Somehow, I expect that the advice will be very similar in nature!

One of the things I know I need to do is make sure my boys understand that Pornography is clearly wrong. Yes, it is evil. I know this very well, as I struggle with it, and have ever since opening my first porno magazine sometime when I first entered the military. Our society these days views it and the subsequent sins of Lust such as masturbation, as quite 'normal' and routine, something better than going out and exploiting men and women for real or a way of 'releasing the pressure' and 'sexual tension'. Never mind that the exploitation still occurs...

Over the years, my eyes have been opened further to this exploitation, and not only from the religious background that is the basis of my moral fiber. Pornography can be seen to be a 'gateway drug' to various criminal activities (http://www.officer.com/print/Law-Enforcement-Technology/The-problem-with-porn/1$50936) as well as destroying relationships (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,364749,00.html) along with the moral dilemma and degradation of both men and women involved in production/consumption of pornography (http://artofmanliness.com/2009/05/11/the-problem-with-porn/). Clearly, porn isn't healthy for the individual or society...

We would think that the 'Femisists' would be opposed to pornography, yet they are not. Real Feminists such as my wife or Sarah Palin on the other hand are. The 'Feminazis' that hate women like my wife on the other hand, are indeed supportive of pornography in many respects, namely the idea of women going forth and becoming porn stars and sex workers in order to earn and income and 'empower' themselves. Pardon me while I puke, but then as someone who has struggled against porn, I do indeed feel wretched due to my part in this sick cycle.

An article by Megan Fox (not the movie star mind you, but a real American Feminist) on the News Reel Blog was one of the best I'd read so far, its called the “The Squalid Truth About Pornography” (http://www.newsrealblog.com/2011/01/05/the-squalid-truth-about-pornography/) and it outlines not only the problems highlighted by many about the conditions these men and women of the industry face, but also the lies told to young women by feminazis! I don't want any of these feminazis teaching my sons, or God willing any daughters I may have in the future, anything!

Next, we find that these women who spout these lies here and in Canada who actually have children of their own are shocked to find that their daughters are acting like sluts and wanting to be used by men as objects... Cassy Fino's article “Femisogynists Shocked to Find They're Raising Slutty Daughters”. http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/08/13/femisogynists-shocked-to-find-that-theyre-raising-slutty-daughters/ The seeds they themselves planted are sprouting.

Maybe, just maybe if Dad was included in the process and they were taught what real self respect is, they'd turn out better right? After all, if Dad is there sharpening knives and cleaning guns while the boy shows up to pick the girl up... But I digress, I'm with my Dad on this. I'm a dinosaur, I'm a man from another age, I keep Chivalry alive with my existence; in spite of all my warts and failings. Considering how things of gone since the “Sexual Revolution” and the “Liberation of Women”, are women in our society truly free, or are they really just now further enslaved since men have no need to be responsible for wooing them and then taking care of the children that might result from such actions? If porn is normal, than why are we shocked at the sexual assault rates, divorce rates, single moms and dads, pregnancies, child pornography and molestation?

I see the 1960's and the “Boomers” as the first spoiled brat generation. Their parents grew up during a Great Depression, fought a World War, faced the Red Steamroller, got educated better than any previous generation, and sent Man to the Moon; then gave their kids (the Boomers) the world on a silver platter with a golden fork. “Boomers” then decided that there were “No Heros” and that their parents were just too damn prude. So they cast off the morals and beliefs of those parents and sought to engineer a new society. Part of this was the Sexual Revolution. Congratulations Boomers, this generation of selfish kids who only seek immediate gratification and exploit others is your handy work. Its but a pale reflection of your own rebellion. This is but the fruits of labor, the final results of seeds you planted. Just admit it, you were wrong. Mom and Dad of the prudish Nuclear Family were right.

28DEC10 Worse than Cuban Missile Crisis!

2010-12-28T05:34:00.002-09:00

Rick Francona has a great article "Nose Under the Tent- Iranian Missiles in Venezuela" outlining the inherent threat of Iranian intermediate range ballistic missiles in South America... Even if they don't directly threaten the United States at the moment. Our allies, and the Territory of Puerto Rico are indeed threatened. Thats not the end of it either, in fact thats just the beginning, once the door is open to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps into the Americas; with our porous Southern Border, what is going to stop them from direct action against the United States? Reading about the IRGC, they are just as capable and deadly as any state intelligence agency... Backed by Islamo-Fascist leadership, we can imagine the terror they will bring with them.

Chavez working with North Korea and Iran is our biggest enemy in this decade. Currently, Chavez is securing himself more power prior to elections by using his new decree powers to take care of flood damage, by-passing parliamentary procedure and blaming the National Assembly of not caring for the people (who elected them...). In an effort to appear to want to stop drug traffic, Chavez has had is force arrest about 12,000 people on drug charges. While on the surface this is an improvement, it is my personal feeling that these people were only arrested because they aren't part of the state sponsored traffic network supporting FARC in Columbia and Chavez's interests in that countries civil war (attacking a US ally in the region).

Nobody should be surprised by these developments, as Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea are very studious in their analysis of American politics and have smelled the blood in the water so to speak with how weak our government currently is with foreign policy. No longer do they have to fear military repercussions for taking increasingly aggressive actions; our nation only wants to 'engage in diplomacy', which means old men (and women) standing around sipping champaign and eating caviar speaking in innuendo while young men spill their blood on the field of battle treated as pawns while the hordes 'migrate' and the terrorists come through with them. The connection has been obvious since 2005 for many of us, and signs where there prior to that. North Korea and Iran have been working close together for decades, especially after the Carter Administration and the Islamic Revolution in Iran created a 'rogue' state. While Russia's support to Iran has been more tacit and more along the lines of Surface to Air Missile (SAM) systems and done so to weaken any US/Israeli response, they have also put pressure on Iran regarding their nuclear program at the same time (due the threat of another nuclear armed country in close proximity to Moscow...). However, North Korea and Iran actively share technology and work together to develop and deploy missiles, along with nuclear weapons. When one does their research, they will find Iran developing home made copies of North Korean weapon systems, and more than likely they are encouraged to do so and share some of the improvements with North Korea. Now, we have the connection with Venezuela...

Current tensions between North Korea and South Korea lead me to believe they are being instigated to test a US response to a possible Korean Ceasefire collapse. For the first time in decades, North Korea is beginning to believe, rightfully so I'm afraid, that they can win the war on the Korean Peninsula. With their allies in the Middle East and in the Americas now, its likely they can very close, especially under the Obama Administration and their obsession with a broken concept of diplomacy and United Nations 'global community' response. North and South Korea exist as two nations because of such foolish notions by Harry Truman and the world in 1953 (Truman should have listened to MacArthur!).

20DEC2010 At the Edge...

2010-12-16T23:39:00.007-09:00

Once again, our local paper the Daily News Miner here in Fairbanks Alaska is misusing the term 'militia' again in reference to a rogue gang of mis-guided citizens who erroneously claim to be the Alaska Peacemakers "Militia". How many times have we got to point out that there is only one Militia in Alaska, and its the one with officers appointed by the Governor of Alaska who serve as the Organized Militia, the core leadership, should the Governor call up the Unorganized Militia which encompasses every able bodied male Alaskan from the age of 16 to 70?! Despite the facts, both Schaeffer Cox and Chris Freiberg, along with the Daily News Miner and Southern "Poverty" Law Center continue to connect the term with privately armed mobs of angry people who espouse Conspiracy as fact. Ignorance is bliss (despite being deadly)?! Our press, and I dare say our State Government, do little to combat such ignorance.

However, I believe its part of the unity of effort of our enemies in this world that such events occur within our borders. Between threats of Al-Qaeda attacking during Christmas internally, Border Patrol Agents getting shot along the border, and looming war in the Korean Peninsula, I doubt anyone involved in securing this nation is going to have much of a Holiday season. I certainly don't want to see a nightmare of our world exploding into war during Christams, but its a possibility I cannot overlook anymore. I thought I'd come home from Iraq and live in peace, however I see that there are people in this world, I dare say my home town, who desire to bring war to my home.

It is sad to this state of things in this world. Schaeffer, believe it or not, back in early 2008 made sense before his fall into the Conspiracy laden world of Common Law and the '2nd Continental Congress' in which he came back sounding like nothing more than a Cult Leader. After the letter 5,000 of us signed was delivered to Congressman Don Young at Carl's Junior in Fairbanks, the 2nd Amendment Task Force died. Schaeffer surrounded himself with a core group of hard core 'believers' in the Redemption Movement. He had many diverse organizations infiltrated with his core, from the Oath Keepers (which I first ran across with the 2nd Amendment Task Force), to Interior Right to Life (which told him not to come back after his Domestic incident). He left egg in the face of many prominent Alaskans, from the Mayor of Wasilla, to local radio personalities in Fairbanks.

In a beautiful master stroke, the wet dream of every Liberal critic was fulfilled when Schaeffer left the reservation after his "Continental Congress". Yes, it was so beautifully executed, that I do indeed believe that more than Mr. Cox is behind his own works, in fact I believe more is behind it than even Mr. Norm Olsen and his Alaska Citizens "Militia" (formerly of the Montana Freemen, and Michigan Militia as well...). All I can say, is anyone who has been to the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin California, or the Joint Readiness Training Center at Ft. Polk Louisiana knows what might be coming next. Mostly, if you fought the old Soviet Union style conflict and trained to fight the Red Steamroller, you understand the old trick of utilizing a force behind the rear.

A force composed of 'civilians'. Those who fought in the rice patties of Vietnam know very well, as do those of us who fought in the sands and streets of Iraq and Afghanistan. Yes, we have an internal threat brewing. A disruptive force of our enemies hiding in a veil of 'Sovereign Citizens' who espouse the very same 9/11 Truther conspiracy theories that our radical Islamo-Fascist enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan (along with Iran, Venezuela and North Korea) espouse. Is it really that odd that the same people who make up Christian Identity blame the Bilderberg Group (whom they believe to be a Shadowy Cabal of Jewish Bankers) for engineering 9/11 to get the US caught up in a bankrupting war in Afghanistan and Iraq? We hear the same things being pronounced as fact by the Islamo-fascists in Iran. In fact, I remember David Duke being a guest of Iran and speaking on how fake the Holocaust was... Hmm... Do you not see the manipulation going on here? Do you not see Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea profiting from such internal disruptions?

I don't adhere to Conspiracy theories, however I personally do see an interesting connection here. I think that there is certainly, at the very least, a unity of effort by our external enemies as well as our internal enemies at work here in Fairbanks Alaska. Directly, or in-directly, Mr. Cox is doing the bidding of Kim Chong-Il
, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hugo Chavez, George Soros, and Julian Assange.

I understand that these events are not entirely connected, however it is fascinating that they all seem to hit at about the same time. All the people listed have some desire or agenda they seek at the expense of the United States of America... Some are more complex than others, others are purely self serving to establish their own power over their own spheres of influence.

All I can say, is love your family this Christmas. Family is the most important thing you have in this world; and may very well be all you have left some day...

09DEC10, Axis of Evil update...

2010-12-09T09:01:00.003-09:00

Remember when then President George Bush listed Iraq, Iran, and North Korea in the Axis of Evil shortly after 9/11/01 during his State of the Union? Well, we all know Iraq is certainly neutralized and well on their way to becoming a stable nation (as stable as it gets in the Middle East that is...). The conflict in Iraq is hardly over, but that is a fairly normal state for Mesopotamia.

Iran, and North Korea on the other hand...

DPRK (I like to think of them as "DeeP RocK, as they tunnel like crazy...) was in the news recently for committing the worst breach of the 1953 Ceasefire by targeting the a ROK village and ROK Marine base. Currently, tensions have risen (no surprise, however this is a biggie...) and the ROK government has fired cabinet members and Generals over the sluggish response as well as asking the UN to investigate war crimes due to the civilian deaths. This was planned to occur during a preplanned joint military exercise with ROK and US Forces (a once a quarter event, along with DPRK's saber rattling). Sadly, the world keeps forgetting that hundreds have died since the 1953 ceasefire in such incidents... All the result of the UN in the first place (that and Truman not allowing MacArthur to march on China and use nukes, which would have eliminated the worst Communist threat in the East... Harry Turtledove needs to write an Alternate History about this...).

Now, we have an unholy coalition of Venezuela and Iran; with Iran wanting to place missiles in Venezuela (while Iran is developing nukes). Hugo is a chip off the old Communist block of his idol Castro. Only this time, there sociopaths who believe in creating extreme chaos to bring about the Thirteenth Imam behind the button instead of a Khrushchev. Its funny how many people will point fingers at Christians for desiring the End Times and working to bring about chaos (when theologically, that would be heinous to any devout God fearing follower of Christ, if not blatantly heretical...), while showing sympathy to Iran and the other radical Muslims who follow the teachings of the Koran (of which I will with hold most of my judgment until I actually read it as I'm tired of people pulling my Bible out of context...). I go by history as a judge, and its obvious that a Communist/Islamo-Fascist alliance will certainly bring about terror on the scale the world has never known before. So, about our un-secure Southern border and the failed Mexican state run by the drug lords from South America who will work for the highest bidder (to include the FARC backed Columbian cocaine smugglers...).

Then there is PFC Manning (soon to be E-1 Prisoner Manning) who committed one of the worst acts of treason in American history since the day Benedict Arnold turned on us. Giving WikiLeaks thousands of documents, why? Because he's a political activist and homosexual who wants revenge, and likely just hates his country enough to be a hack. Between him and Julian Assange, the damage will occur for decades. I guess its time to return to the days of isolationism and let the world suffer without the United States?! By releasing this data, WikiLeaks has entered the world stage as nothing less than an activist spy agency dealing in intelligence, and therefore no longer a media outlet, but a target for any opposing intelligence agency in the countries they target. Currently, the United States is the target (because if they targeted Russia, the Russians would execute him with extreme prejudice, that and I'm sure Putin is quite happy with Assange). Don't worry, Assange has an army of Koolaide drinking Hackers at his beck and call to do his bidding and get revenge. Currently, they are getting ready to deport him back to Sweden for drummed up Sexual Assault charges (which considering the 'victim') appear dubious. I doubt the CIA to be involved, but with how the world 'thinks' they'll blame the CIA for every bad thing that happens to Assange (if he lives he wins; if he dies he wins bigger), he could get hit with a meteorite from space or a lightning bolt and it would be blamed on some conspiracy by the US Government (just like the Tsunamis in Indonesia a few years back).

So, the stage is set for World War III.

Enjoy, just keep on watching Dancing With the Stars and whining about Bristol Palin getting to the finals in spite of bad form (you think there is reality on TV?!).

07DEC1941

2010-12-07T06:48:00.000-09:00

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_19991207/ai_n9960558/

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_19991208/ai_n9962942/

We should never forget Pearl Harbor, ever. Nor should we forget 9/11. Every time those two days roll around, our schools should indeed focus on the teachable moments these days bring to our country in regards to vigilance and standing ready.

For me, these two articles are a link to speeches and faces of the survivors that I cherish. Originally, it was an honor to meet these WWII Vets who survived Pearl Harbor when I was a Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadet. I took their advice to heart in many ways, I didn't join the service purely for the college money, I didn't do it just for the trade; I did it because I largely because I wanted to be on watch for a time like my father (Cold War) and grandfather (WWII). For me, on 9/11/01, I was on duty in the right place at the right time (even if I didn't feel that way because I didn't get shipped out right away...). I looked back at these men, and what they said that day in their speeches, and the fragments sealed themselves in my mind forever. They contrast very sharply with the views of one of my very liberal English teachers who laughed at the notion that we needed a strong military to be ready for the day when terrorists would attack our nation. The very idea mad her laugh.

I believe it was Wendell Phillips who stated that "Eternal Vigilance is the price of Liberty" and Thomas Paine who stated "Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." How true they are.

2010-11-24T08:56:00.001-09:00

24NOV10 A Perfect Storm Brewing at the end of 2010...

So, at the end of 2010 we have a bit of a perfect storm brewing. But thats actually old news when you really think about it. This is just the latest news stories this week that has me a bit concerned, mostly because its the fruition of stuff I've seen develop over the last decade or so. Much of it has been brewing before my lifetime even...

North Korea shelled a South Korean island near where they sank a naval vessel earlier this year. Yet another round of aggressive saber rattling which resulted in more deaths for South Korea. This is nothing new in Korea, just the latest incidents. It should be noted however, that our President here is pretty weak in his response, and it seems that North Korea is taking full advantage of our current 'diplomacy'. After all, old men can talk diplomacy for years sipping champaign and eating caviar while young men die on the fields of battle or along a strip of Hell known as a Demilitarized Zone.

Both China and Russia are quitting on the dollar, at least for bilateral trade right now. This is certainly a sign of things to come as our dollar plummets due to poor spending polices by Washington DC, and the 'organized decline of the dollar' supported by George Soros and friends. China is far from being a friend the United States despite the billions in trade and massive finance deals between our nations... With tensions in the Korean Peninsula rising and differing opinions between Washington DC and Beijing on how to respond to Pyongyang... Russia, under Putin, is no friend of the United States either. Our interests have clashed dramatically over the last decade, not the least of which is the Arctic.

WikiLeaks is ready to leak thousands of classified US State Department documents alongside the GWOT documents from Iraq and Afghanistan they have already leaked. Again, no surprises here, just an anti-American organization using the idea of 'open society' as an excuse to seek sensitive information and publish it Online to aid the enemies of the United States. I'm all about the declassification of information at the right time as it is critical to history and a free society, however the manner in which WikiLeaks is going is clearly subversive and done in a manner that is meant to destroy the United States. Why else would they be leaking this information? Why else do they desire an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on their terms (a US defeat). I suspect they get loads of donations from Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and George Soros!

At home, on the domestic front, TSA has become a terror to passengers across the United States. Either you submit to allowing the TSO's to see you naked in the scanner, or you get molested by an aggressive pat-down search. Americans are indeed furious, yet Congress reacts by exempting themselves and other government officials?! So, your Fourth Amendment rights mean nothing to the Dept. of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration... Time to fight back and hammer your Congressman's mail box and inbox with your displeasure! Got to love that Patriot Act everyone bitched about a few years back, and the Left promised to repeal (in spite of authoring it in 1995) that ended up being renewed in the early days of the Obama Administration.

Finally, a side note, but not really because it deals with a Veteran facing stigma due to the fact he faced the reality of killing in war. Because war was his reality, his mind adjusted to the role of being a soldier and having to kill to survive. He decide to write about his experience, and his teacher encouraged him to publish in the college paper, then they off and decide he needed (yet another) psychological evaluation and told him to stay off of campus quoting the Virginia Tech shootings as an example (committed by a non-Veteran, non-citizen). I suppose I shouldn't be frank about my wartime experience and how much I miss some of it in my writing lest I get singled out and told not to go school...

22NOV10 Ice Storm in North Pole Alaska

2010-11-22T23:01:00.002-09:00

Well, today the Fairbanks, North Pole, Eielson, and Salcha area is experiencing a nice ice storm. For the next few days, the roads are best traveled on ice skates! This in fact has resulting in our community experiencing events such as school closures, lost work days, and other results of inclimate weather. You would think that Fairbanks would do better when its a gorgeous 40 degrees above outside, but wait, theres more. Freezing rain. Yup, the rain turning to a nice ice glaze on top of the snow pack and our cars!

I've been through this before, in Kansas. We have a beautiful bubble of warm air visiting us from the Pacific Ocean right now. If ever there was an excuse to take Thanksgiving and the entire week off, this is it! Great time for snow balls! This is the first wet snow I've had here where I can make a GOOD snowman! That is, of course if the rain doesn't glaze it too hard first...

My furnace works even better now that its a balmy 30 above! A few shovel fulls of coal lasts 6-8 hours instead of just 4-5 like I would have planned for 20 below or colder. Who says warming is a bad thing... But then, irregardless of the fact that this isn't that unusual (Chinook Winds are common as well, being called the Pineapple Express as they originate in the Pacific as well and bring warm weather in the dead of winter here), the Global Warming apologists are going to scream about the winter of 2010 for decades to come. Never mind the last decades worth of winters being normal, if not colder in some cases... Just keep an eye on that! It'll be interesting.

In the mean time, I'm staying at home. Too many idiots out there that don't remember (me included) or don't know how (darn Californians) to drive in this weather.

Down with the TSA? So, how about Haiti...

2010-11-20T11:15:00.003-09:00

Dept. of Homeland Security Transportation Safety Administration has taken Airport Security to new levels of insanity never before imagined except in the worst dystopian future stories by the likes of George Orwell and Ray Bradbury. Congressman John Mica (R-FL) is proposing the idea of privatization and elimination of the TSA, which Federal Law allows airports to do by the way. Of course, there are those of us like myself who have fought terrorists in the deserts, and studied Israeli security measures who agree that El Al's way of doing airport security are superior in every way to our own methods in this country. After all, Israel has faced these threats since the 1940's and we are new to the idea of terrorism by Islamo-fascists... There is something to be said when they study body language and behavior while asking questions instead of searching random children, flight attendants, nuns, and grandmothers. Where is the ACLU when you need em?

We also have Haiti still recovering from a major earthquake, now hurricane/tropical storm hit, suffering from cholera. Its a sad situation as it is preventable... However, the Haitians have taken to violence against the very people sent there to assist in their recovery. Yup, they blame the cholera on the Peacekeepers... Sadly, Haiti is a country ravaged by the worst poverty and despotic regimes (other than Cuba) in the Caribbean, this does nothing for them. If they take up violence against the infrastructure meant to help them, what can we do? Perhaps backing off and letting them deal with the consequences themselves would be better than just dumping food and medicine on them just to see them tear each other and the people we send there to pieces.

Considering the US economy, and the world opinion regarding our nation, I'm starting to take on an isolationist point of view. Time to send the United Nations Headquarters to Beijing since they are such a friendly city to the proletariat! After all, the companies that build luxury items and such have noticed that the wealth of the world is moving east to India, Singapore, and China. At this point in history, I think it would be wise for the United States to accept this fact, and reclaim the real estate in New York City that was handed over to the UN. Let the UN move to the economic center of the world with their friends, and lest stop wasting our tax dollars and the blood of our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen on the problems the UN was supposed to mobilize the world to solve (and has rarely done any good doing). Maybe while they are at it, they will realize that the only real purpose they serve is a suppository of statistical data from around the world along with being an exclusive elitists club of over-educated caviar eating champagne chugging diplomats.

10NOV2010, Missile or Contrail?

2010-11-10T20:30:00.001-09:00

10NOV2010

While I am skeptical of a missile launch going un-reported, and various very serious experts suggest the idea of an aircraft contrail from various angles depending on the perspective (with the news helicopter getting the most interesting obviously); a missile could very likely be a reality. This is a Notice to Mariners from NtM 45-2010 which is a joint publication by the National Geo Spatial Inteligence Agency, National Ocean Service, and US Coast Guard.

However, with the NTM in effect, the US Navy would at least have known of the launch, and NORAD would certainly have tracked it. Could they be denying it for some reason? Certainly, however I believe the Contrail Science Overflow blog (http://uncinus.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/4/) has one of the most researched pieces of the bunch.

SECTION III
NM 45/10
III-1.7NM 45/10 SECTION III

433/10(19). NORTH PACIFIC. HAWAII. MISSILES. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 290130Z TO 290700Z OCT,
ALTERNATE 300200Z TO 300730Z AND 310230Z TO 310800Z OCT IN AREA BOUND BY
(221414Z OCT 2010)
(230926Z OCT 2010)
(240828Z OCT 2010)
22-00N 159-46W, 23-07N 161-49W, 29-56N 170-20W, 35-34N 164-15W, 31-30N 161-28W, 24-11N 160-10W, 22-10N 159-44W.
22-07N 160-25W, 24-25N 162-27W, 32-47N 169-47W, 36-03N 162-31W, 27-00N 162-00W, 22-39N 159-36W,
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 310900Z OCT.

434/10(18). EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC. CALIFORNIA. MISSILES.
1. INTERMITTENT MISSILE FIRING OPERATIONS 0001Z TO 2359Z
DAILY MONDAY THRU SUNDAY IN THE NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER SEA RANGE. THE MAJORITY OF MISSILE FIRINGS TAKE PLACE 1400Z TO 2359Z AND 0001Z TO 0200Z DAILY MONDAY THRU FRIDAY IN AREA BOUND BY
34-02N 119-04W, 33-52N 119-06W, 33-29N 118-37W, 33-20N 118-37W, 32-11N 120-16W, 31-54N 121-35W, 35-09N 123-39W, 35-29N 123-00W, 35-57N 121-32W, 34-04N 119-04W.
2. VESSELS MAY BE REQUESTED TO ALTER COURSE WITHIN THE ABOVE AREA DUE TO FIRING OPERATIONS AND ARE REQUESTED TO CONTACT PLEAD CONTROL ON 5081.5 MHZ (5080 KHZ) OR 3238.5 KHZ (3237 KHZ) SECONDARY OR 156.8 MHZ (CH 16) OR 127.55 MHZ BEFORE ENTERING THE ABOVE BOUNDARIES AND MAINTAIN CONTINUOUS GUARD WHILE WITHIN THE RANGE.
3. VESSELS INBOUND AND OUTBOUND FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PORTS WILL CREATE THE LEAST INTERFERENCE TO FIRING OPERATIONS DURING THE SPECIFIC PERIODS, AS WELL AS ENHANCE THE VESSEL'S SAFETY WHEN PASSING THROUGH THE VICINITY OF THE SEA RANGE IF THEY WILL TRANSIT VIA THE SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL AND WITHIN NINE MILES OFFSHORE VICINITY OF POINT MUGU OR CROSS THE AREA SOUTHWEST OF SAN NICOLAS ISLAND BETWEEN SUNSET AND SUNRISE.
4. CANCEL NAVAREA XII 427/10.

The Federation of American Scientists Blog (http://www.fas.org/blog/ssp/2010/11/mystery-missile-this-question-can-be-answered.php#more-4135) rightly points out that with only 20 seconds of the clip from the CBS helicopter, its hard for even missile experts to accurately determine what it was exactly. However John Pike (http://www.globalsecurity.org/)and other experts also point out how slow the object was moving leaving them to conclude (based on the 20 second video) that it is most likely an airplane (http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/11/mystery-missile-is-probably-a-jet/).

I'm going to go with John Pike and the Contrail Science folks here. Why didn't the military know what it was? Well, they likely didn't track anything unusual because all flights were following plan, and perhaps they didn't launch anything either. Our satellites, and those of Russia would have detected a missile launch. Russia certainly would have been on top of informing the press our Military couldn't figure out its own missiles! Obviously, it could be either considering the how short the clip is, but I'll go with 70% plane, 25% rocket, 5% something off the wall, on this one. However, with that recent power failure in our nuclear missile system (glitch, or malicious intent? Only our intelligence and nuclear forces know for certain http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?f=1001&sc=tw&storyId=130846510), and our President in Asia talking with India and the Republic of Korea; a headbutt from the Chinese and/or North Korea isn't out of the realm of possibility.

Clayton needs our help!

2010-11-07T14:14:00.002-09:00

07NOV10

Before I get too far here, here is how I came to find myself privileged to work with Clayton “Hero Maker” Murwin. Back on October 31st 2006, my wife took me to Fairbanks International Airport very late in the evening, our young son Isaiah was dressed as a little Polar Bear, and it was snowing. My beautiful wife Mary and I were on the verge of tears, as I was getting ready to spend six of my last seven months in the Air Force deployed to Iraq the second time. I was set to deploy as an augmentee from the 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron to our detachment based out of Ft. Richardson which would support the 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division Combat Team (Airborne). I was augmenting because a few months earlier, the brigade the 3rd ASOS supported had been involuntarily extended in Iraq for four additional months (the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team) and our personnel were in the mix as well. Being one of the few Airmen around, who had supported the 172nd for the first half of their planned rotation, I was back in the US and had been home a few months, and without enough personnel to support 4-25 ABCT in our Detachment, that left me and a couple other Airmen to fill in the gap.
Life felt like it really was beginning to suck badly. After all, I'd signed up for the 11 month extension when I got stationed at Ft. Wainwright while I was in Korea so I'd have enough time in my enlistment to be stationed in Alaska. So, the Air Force decided to thank me by sending me to Iraq during that extension! Like all branches, but the US Army, most Airmen deployed for only six months at a time, and I'm thankful for this. However, life as a TACP began to mean six months deployed, and a few months back, and repeat as needed... I found myself working with a brigade I'd never trained with, and was put on night shift in the Brigade Tactical Operations Center on FOB Kalsu doing radio watch at night. This meant a twelve hour shift staring at computer screens monitoring the communications networks on the Classified version of the Internet using a Chat client, and listening to the radios we had set up. Iraq had a curfew, and during the rainy winter months the locals and foreign terrorists typically kept their activities to the day time (truly, fair weather fighters!). I only really got excitement when the mortars and rockets would come in, mostly rockets due to the fact they could set them up in day to fire at night.
I had time on my hands, and I made the best of what was a bad situation personally. I did what I'd learned to do long ago in idleness while needing to be present at a location. I took paper, pencil, and pen and began to draw cartoons. I drew them about everything from international/national/state politics to local FOB politics. I believe I can truly claim to have helped instigate positive changes to midnight chow after one of my cartoons was published by the PAO in the “Spartan Sentinel” (4-25 ABCT's Brigade Newsletter)... The men and women I worked with at night encouraged me and gave me some ideas, and we maintained my cartoons in a binder at my work station by my radios and computers, and we dubbed that binder “The Morale File”. When my rotation was ending in May 2007, I left copies of my cartoons in The Morale File and brought my originals home with me. I promised the men and women I worked with that someday, some how I was going to publish these cartoons professionally in a print form. To this day, I still have the originals, dusty and coffee stained, sitting in acid free archival portfolios.
Sometime in late 2008, I joined the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Of America Community of Veterans social networking site. I'd never really been able to find an outlet for my cartoons yet, and indeed I was, and am, still working on perfecting my art and finding a solid outlet. While I was there I found a post by Victor Castro, an aspiring comic book artist and OIF/OEF veteran himself, looking for other Veterans to contribute stories to a project called “Untold Stories from Iraq and Afghanistan”. I contacted Victor, and he put me in touch with Clayton. Instantly I found a place to publish my cartoons from Iraq! So I took my old scans, and sent them to Clayton as samples. Clayton graciously accepted my work, and asked for me to pencil some cartoons so he could have comic book industry inkers finish them! On top of that, this book was meant to be a fundraiser, not a profit maker. All of it going to Wounded Warrior, Fischer House, and other organizations (Clayton was working with the USO, not sure if they were still able to receive support from this project or not...). So here was my chance to keep a promise I made to soldiers and airmen I worked with, and do so in a manner that would support the men and women who sacrificed so much for our nation, Iraq, and Afghanistan. I could honor the living and the dead, and be part of something bigger.
I've gotten to know Clayton quite well over the almost three years I've been on board with his project, and Clayton has been nothing but a passionate supporter of Veterans and their families, as well as a mentor and motivator. Since I've been on board, I've met some amazing artists, and two brother combat veteran artists. Clayton has been working hard to assist me in making one of my dreams, to be a professional cartoonist, a reality as well as giving me a good constructive direction to use my talent. One of the men who has motivated me to have the goal of publishing 52 weekly comic strips is Clayton Murwin, even if he didn't know it at the time! As a Combat Veteran Artist/Cartoonist with two tours in Iraq, I can personally vouch for Clayton's integrity and devotion to supporting Veterans and their families without desire for personal gain. I know this well, as he has done so much for me and my family.
Please, take a moment to review C.J. Grisham's (http://www.soldiersperspective.us/2010/11/06/hero-maker-under-fire/) article on what Clayton faces, and the massive obstacle put before the publication of Clayton's work, and a dream so many of us share. All of this, over a simple mis-understanding over a Memorial, and a couple of political opportunists! Please pray for Clayton and send him words of encouragement. When I calm down enough, I'll be contacting folks in Virginia on behalf of Clayton. I ain't afraid to throw around my four combat patches to do either! If I could afford to do it, I'd do it in person, I'd stand beside Clayton no matter what.

04OCT2010 EnvironMENTAL Fascsism!

2010-10-04T11:44:00.004-08:00

Tongue and cheek "No Pressure", leap toward totalitarianism? Possibly... I kinda laugh at it as its been pointed out as self defeating. It certainly is. In light of the number of suicide bombers that blow themselves up in public, this is pretty crass.

11SEP10 "Stand To"

2010-09-11T10:26:00.001-08:00

http://www.esquire.com/features/essay/ESQ0307ESSAY

I miss being in, the above essay is the best I've seen on the subject.

Currently today I serve with the Alaska State Defence Force, a Title 32 State Militia that falls under Alaska's Adjutant General (the General in charge of both the Alaska Army and Air National Guard, Alaska Military Youth Academy, and Alaska State Defence Force). I've gone from being an Airman fighting for the nation as a whole overseas to a Soldier for Alaska defending the United States from within Alaska. I'll always likely be drawn to jobs and volunteer opportunities involving security, its forever in my nature now.

I joined the Air Force 10 years ago out of feelings of patriotism and the need to be ready should something terrible happen. Nine years ago something did indeed occur that vindicated my decisions. I found myself right where I was needed when I needed to be there (even if I didn't go to war where and when I thought I should have!).

Every year this day comes, I'm haunted by two conversations from high school. First was my Creative Writing Teacher laughing at the notion that terrorist could possibly attack our nation. Apparently the 1993 WTC bombing was lost on her, and the more obvious threat was from the McVeigh crowd... She laughed... In 1999... Then there were the Pearl Harbor Survivors that I heard speak when I was a snot nosed Navy JROTC Cadet standing in formation at the US Air Force Academy honouring. I remember the old retired Navy Sailor who survived Pearl Harbor very worriedly with pain in his voice decry how our nation had forgotten the lessons and was not fully prepared... (I even found the article from this event as few of these survivors are left today: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_19991208/ai_n9962942/ it was always a special occasion in Colorado Springs).

On September 10 2001 I was loading Humvees into a KC-135 at Topeka's Airport getting ready for my first National Training Center rotation (a month of war games out at Ft. Irwin CA). I'd just achieved my Combat Mission Readiness status in JUL01 and was fully deployable. I'd just been in over a year (02AUG00 was when I went to Basic...). The next day I was supposed to have the day off after dropping one of our Airmen off at the stating point as he was part of the Advance Party going to fly with our trucks... Needless to say, it became one of the longest days in my military career. I remember walking out of our squadron break room on Ft. Riley and closing our motor pool gate and putting a holster on my TA-50 gear after watching the Pentagon getting hit. A short time later our Squadron Commander called us into the briefing room and we watched the events unfold on our projector screen, we all had that sick feeling in our guts knowing we were at war right now. As our Squadron Commander released us to go home to our families for the day, and to expect a phone call at any minute, the towers collapsed. Living in the dorms, there was no sleep for me. Just interrupted rest as we rotated who would do a building walk around each hour...

We ended up going to NTC a week later. I didn't deploy to Afghanistan, ever... However I ended up supporting Operation Enduring Freedom from Kuwait in 2002 by working at the bombing ranges and training pilots (and getting training myself...) that were flying through on their way to Afghanistan. I did go to Korea for a year, and served in the long war that never ended there (its still under the 1953 ceasefire) from 2003-2004, and finally went to Iraq twice before getting out. Now I serve locally in Alaska...

Faith, Family, Art; the Keys to My Post Military Success

2010-08-17T09:55:00.002-08:00

http://artlessonsfromgod.com/2010/08/16/artist-teaches-returning-soldiers-using-art-therapy-audio/comment-page-1/#comment-4431

Faith and Art Therapy for post deployment recovery! An interview with Gimel Peterman who teaches out of Ft. Hood.

This interview confirms what I've felt over the last few years since 01JUL07 to be the key to my success and why I've had minimal difficulty with adjustment to civilian life. Well, its been tough, but these are the keys that have kept me on track.

Faith: For me its my Roman Catholic faith where God reached out and touched me long ago. For others, it can be another denomination or different core beliefs entirely. Research has shown that faith is a key to a strong mind. Yes, even Atheists act fervently in their beliefs, and it becomes their chosen faith. Key is a strong faith, being who I am where I've been, I'm going to say the Christian path is the one where I've seen and had the most success, to include a family member experiencing miraculous healing that a Heart Surgeon couldn't even explain...

Family: Being married a few months before deploying to a woman of great faith, and coming home to having our first child brought a power focus to my life. Not only did it give give me something to come home to from deployment, it also gave me something to prepare a future for. Now, I focus on what I can do for my family, and since being away from them was one reason I got out, its also why I'm adapting my future plans to suit my family...

...which leads to Art! As an artist, I've always used it as a way to vent every frustration I have. Sometimes, I even burn the art if its a horrible frustration. Talk about release. I have a portfolio of coffe stained cartoons on the back of inventory sheets from my second rotation in Iraq where I stayed on the FOB and just about went crazy with frustration dealing with being the communications link between guys getting shot at, and the echelons above reality saying 'no, you can't use that asset to shoot back due to collateral damage estimates; we don't care that its a farm field'. I truly believe that my venting on paper helped get me through. As disturbing as some of those cartoons were and are.

So, theres my two bits on this. Enjoy the interview!

31JUL10 FInal Approach

2010-07-31T00:26:00.001-08:00

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these Airmen. Something like this doesn't happen in Alaska without touching many lives across the state.

Links to the news stories:

Air Force Link: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123215784

Anchorage Daily News: http://www.adn.com/2010/07/30/1388771/biographies-crewmen-killed-in.html

14JUN10 Interesting phone call....

2010-07-14T18:01:00.003-08:00

....I came home from work today and my wife tells me a I have a message from Senator Mark Begich. My first reaction is "You mean his office called me back?" My wife informs me "No, Senator Begich called and left a message and phone number for you to call back!" Wow, that is something different so far!

His reasons for calling were that he and his staff hadn't responded to my email (see copy in the previous blog post http://trendnemesis.blogspot.com/2010/06/02jun10-air-force-veterans-view-of-air.html ). He wanted to get back with me over this and informed me his military liaison staffer would be conducting further research into the matter.

So, while I don't agree with Senator Begich on a host issues, I know he's willing to make contact and call back. Its good to know there are actually Senators out there that will indeed call back and send personal responses to constituents. So I do appreciate that Senator Begich!

02JUN10, an Air Force Veterans view of the Air Force PT mindset...

2010-06-02T14:27:00.003-08:00

I've seen some friends of mine get Medically removed from the Air Force over the years over Physical FItness, and now I'm watching a couple more face "Force Shaping" for the same reasons. For the most part, the medical has been due to injury in a dangerous line of work (and I don't mean the flight line either...), as being a USAF TACP is spent mostly with the Army doing Army things (blowing stuff up, carrying around 200 lbs of gear up mountain and hill sides, and jumping out airplanes if so qualified...). Coming from a TACP background, we always considered physical fitness a duty requirement, and a key to battlefield survival ("The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war!") and therefore included PT in the duty day. This even ran into friction from our "Big Blue" Air Force members who were assigned to Air Support Operations Squadrons for a short part of their careers... We even had a commander at Ft. Riley cancel PT in OCT01 because he thought PT was a 'privilege', whats worse was he was an A-10 driver and ASOS commander expected to lead Airmen during a time of war alongside the Army... Needless to say, morale improved when he left or for the members TDY away from Ft. Riley to tropical paradises like Kuwait where PT was reincorporated back into the beginning of the duty day.

Sadly, our old commander there maintained the Air Force senior leaderships view on PT, and it continues to this day. I've heard all sorts of excuses as to why the Air Force believes PT shouldn't be a part of the duty day, in spite of 22,000 some odd airmen failing PT tests, ranging from the 'privilege' excuse to 'we have a 24 hour flight line to maintain'. Interesting, because I've seen the Army do the same and more, and still do unit PT every day of the week. But then, I was one them "Battlefield Airmen"... Honestly, if the Air Force senior leadership took responsibility for THEIR failure and changed Air Force policy, things would change. Over the decades they have failed their Airmen, and now we see the results.

Here is a letter I wrote my Senators and Representative:

Dear Senator

I'm witnessing another friend of mine on active duty in the Air Force go through a possible separation as a result of failing a Physical Fitness Exam. While this is mostly understood as a failure to maintain standards by the member, and is their responsibility, blame also goes to the Air Force and the senior leadership. What frustrates me most about his situation is the fact that he was able to lose weight and improve his score quite visibly and dramatically, but ended up getting hurt in the process. In fact, his injury is that of over use (knee injury) due to increased milage running. While he is accepting responsibility for his failure, as its not the first time, the Air Force should also accept the failure on their part.

I served in the United States Air Force as a 1C4X1 Tactical Air Command and Control Specialist for 6 years and 11 months (01AUG00-01JUL07), and spent most of that time stationed on US Army bases supporting US Army combat units. For our careerfield, we dispensed with US Air Force PT 'standards' in favor of US Army PT standards as that is who we needed to support. To a large degree, this was done because we needed to ensure our Airmen could keep up with the Army, if not out do the Army (it is a point of pride for us to take trophies at US Army run races like the 10-miler, I personally have a nice 3rd Place trophy from the 2004 8th Army Marathon held at Cp. Casey Korea...). In order to do this however, we had to fight with the US Air Force more than once.

At Ft. Riley Kansas in 2001, our new commander actually cancelled unit PT at the beginning of the duty day because he believed that PT was a 'privilege' like it was in the rest of the Air Force. This mindset decimated unit morale and combat readiness, not even a month after GWOT began. Our Airmen who went to the Health and Wellness Center on McConnell Air Force base would take the old USAF Ergo bike test, and routinely fail until they drank coffee to get their pulse up, yet were running Marathons and scoring a perfect “300” on the US Army PT Test. In early 2002 the USAF began 'experimenting' with push-ups and crunches along with the bike and found that 80% of Airmen failed these events (while the men of the USAF TACP, CCT, Para Rescue, and SERE Instructors blew them away...).

What is different about the way TACPs and other Air Force “Battlefield Airmen” have conducted PT? I strongly suspect its because we ignored actual “Blue” Air Force guidance about how PT should be separate from the duty day. I strongly suspect its the influence of our being around the US Army, US Marines, and US SOCOM and that established the mentality that Physical Fitness is as much a part of battlefield survival as marksmanship and technical knowledge of our weapons system. This should be the mentality the US Air Force as a WHOLE should embrace, not the current mentality where the idea is PT is 'on your own'. PT is a unit readiness issue, and should therefore be a part of the units duty day. It always amazed me to go to an Air Force base and see how out of shape my fellow Airmen were, and all under the excuse of “We have a flight line to run”, while we see our Army Aviation units that we provided JTAC and TACP support to run the same style of flight line doing PT just about every single day before going to work.

I wrote a letter to the AF.mil website, and I strongly suspect it won't be published, but it needs to be said somewhere and pointed out the Air Force senior leadership:

“As an Air Force TACP Veteran, I'd like to point out a reason behind the Air Forces systemic failure to maintain good physical fitness standards. Mainly, the senior leaderships failure to maintain a consistant PT mindset the last few decades. I only served a short time, but have witness various changes, and luckily been immune to most of the effects having been stationed with the US Army most of my career (which has greatly effected my perspective on PT).

USAF Senior leadership has failed the Air Force completely by not incorporating PT into the duty day, and indeed viewing PT as a 'privilege' to quote an old commander who took over command of my first ASOS unit when I was an Airman. PT is a battlefield survival factor as much as technical qualifications and marksmanship. Until the Air Force senior leadership admits their error, and incorporates PT into a DAILY habit as part of the duty day, the Air Force will suffer disappointment after disappointment of tens of thousands of Airmen failing PT standards. If anyone needs forced out under Force Shaping for failing PT, its the Generals and Senior Enlisted leadership who refuse to do what the US Army and US Marine Corps have done for decades (while maintaining fully functioning flight lines and operating in combat environments I might add...), and make PT the first priority of the duty day every duty day.”

It is not the enlisted men of the mid-tier (E-5 through E-7) who should suffer alone in facing Force Shaping separations without retirement benefits for failure to maintain Physical Fitness standards, it is also the Generals and Chief Master Sergeants with decades of service who established a mentality of 'PT is a privilege' who should face the same fate as their Airmen. 22,000 Airmen have failed a PT test, this isn't and individual failure by any means, this is a systemic problem and the consequences need to start with the leadership that failed these Airmen by being a poor personal example and not establishing good sound policies that the US Army and US Marine Corp have been able to accomplish. If the “Battlefield Airmen” can do it, the rest of the Air Force can, and it needs to start at the top.

Respectfully,

Michael “Sudsy” Sutherland

Veteran, Operation Iraqi Freedom, deployed with the 3rd ASOS Ft. Wainwright AK in support of:
172nd SBCT AUG05-FEB06
4-25 ABCT NOV06-MAY07

My Generation and Memorial Day

2010-05-28T03:58:00.000-08:00

0330(GMT-10)28MAY10

I won't go into the intimate details of my life and whats an undercurrent of my current frustrations, but I am awake and angry right now. No surprise there given the current state of my nation and that of the world and all! However, I'm going to delve deeply into other matters that have disturbed me for some time since my transition from the military, and especially haunt me on Memorial Day and Veterans Day every year now.
My generation isn't known for its heroes, its courage, its bravery, or patriotism for that matter. I understand this quite well, as I'm an odd creature in my generation that never really fully fit in or walked the same paths as well over 99% of my generation. We are known in some circles as the 'Dot Com Generation', or some such; better known for our addiction to all sorts of multi-media digital technologies and a aloofness to reality. I understand the viewpoint on this as I can tell you I'm not terribly impressed with my generation either in most respects. Yet whenever older folks start griping about how we are the doom of our world, I get angry with them despite how much I agree with them.
Forever in my mind and heart now is the year I spent in Iraq (and being where and what I was in the military, it was split into a couple six to seven month chunks instead of continuous...). I was with the people of my generation, the maybe 1% or less who stood up when I did (or shortly before and shortly after) who raised our right hands and joined the military. Some will scoff at those who joined when I did in the year 2000 or earlier as only being motivated by the GI Bill or a healthy enlistment bonus and tuition assistance, there is a case for this however most folks who did join for that purpose soon found new purpose in 9/11/01 or immediately sought a way out weeding them from the ranks rather quickly. Those that joined after knew what they were walking into, and if they didn't they were morons or are lying to you.
Forever in my mind now are the sacrifices made by men and women of my generation, the 1% or less who were with me and who are still serving to this day. Forever in my mind are the faces of men and women never saw past 30, and in the case of my career field (USAF 1C4X1), not even 25. Forever in my mind are the 'kids' with missing limbs, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Post Traumatic Stress and gave it all they had and were blessed with the ability to live and come back home.
So all you 40+ olds who on a daily basis knock my generation, you'll have to forgive me when I get mad when you do it to my face, I try to understand your point of view as I see it clearly, but I can't get the faces of my brothers and sisters out of my skull, nor the memories of leaving everything behind to fight a war. Perhaps instead of knocking my generation, you should see that in many ways we are a reflection of our mothers and fathers, there are those of us who have taken that to mean we should put on our combat boots and take up a rifle just like them.

24MAY10 Twenty Eight

2010-05-23T21:19:00.001-08:00

Well, its my birthday and I'm turning 28. Nothing really special really.

What I do think is interesting for me is thinking about my first decade of adulthood which was spent out of my parents home beginning here at the end of July... During my first decade of my own life I've:
-Joined and served in the US Air Force
-Watched war come to my country
-Gone to Kuwait
-Gone to Korea
-Gone to war in Iraq twice
-Gotten married
-Had two children
-Started a business
-Started a weekly web comic
-Published a handful of cartoons in various places
-Had four vehicles
-Moved about 10 times (mostly until I got out of the Air Force!)

Not too shabby for a short time out on my own!

30MAR10 Militia terminology misuse by all Media, and politicians...

2010-03-30T14:58:00.006-08:00

Fox News has fallen into the same trap as most of the mainstream media these days, and there have been more than one story like this sadly. Currently Fox News is calling the "Hutaree" gang a 'militia'. Now, as you all know from a my recent post about Militia, and Service to the State that Militia is a term that needs to be reserved for military forces that SERVE the elected body of the State in which they are organized. This is the very basis of the US National Security plan since the days when we were but Colonies of the Old World powers, and continued under the Continental Congress, Articles of Confederation, and finally the Constitution of the United States. Our nations Revolution began when Great Britain attempted to sieze the Colonial Militia's powder magazines at Lexington and Concord... The men of these colonial Militias answered to the Colonial Governments which were at odds with the Crown. This conflict is nothing really new if you care to study the English Civil War and review the conflict between the Crown and the Parliament over who had authority over the Militia. Once again, the Militia answers to the people through an elected body...

...which is why its absolutely infuriating to see news agencies mis-use and abuse the term Militia with no historical context of the term, instead they use the lexicon of modern Progressive Liberal Fascism. PLF forces have turned the term into a rubber stamp of 'right wing Christian inbred racist nuts with guns' out of shear convenience. Taken in context with the Bias Against Guns (a smashing good book by John Lott by the way), its part of the incremental effort to isolate gun owners and Soldiers who serve their states in State Guards and State Defense Forces, and a round about shot at State Sovereignty and the 10th Amendment as well as the 2nd Amendment; and a way to punch holes in the Constitution indirectly.

Here is the what the Constitution has to say about the Militia and why I'm so angry at the News Media at large for using the term in reference to what could very well be anti-government hate groups and armed mobs/gangs (they still face trial and are innocent until proven guilty folks, my point here being the term used inappropriately):

Article I, Section 8
- To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

-To provide for the organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of the them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress.

Article II, Section 2
-The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States;...

Both Congress and the President of the United States have very specific duties relating to the Militia. If an organization doesn't fall within the scope of this authority, it doesn't fall within the Constitutional definition of a Militia now does it? So why are reporters, government officials, and others mis-using the term Militia so much? I think its pretty clear here what the Militia really is and what it isn't.

21MAR10 Militia and Service to the State

2010-03-21T21:27:00.004-08:00

Take a few minutes to prepare for reading this essay by pulling up your Constitution, Bill of Rights, the Federalist Papers (in particular No. 29 by Alexander Hamilton) and the Militia Act of 1792. You might also want to take a few minutes going over the history of Posse Comitatus and gain of an understanding of both the term and the Posse Comitatus Act. The Founders intent for Militias had nothing to do with men gathering around charismatic leaders that spouted the right words, and everything to do with ensuring that the States had the ability to call up men to arms in times of crisis, and that they had a cadre of professional soldiers in the 'Organized Militia' who could train the the mass of 'Un-Organized Militia' who would be called up for service to the State during times of crisis. Clearly, a Militia is accountable to the people of the State through the Governor, State Legislature, and State and Federal Regulations (criminal code and the UCMJ) depending on the crisis.

When one reads through these documents, they gain a greater understanding of the Founders intent for the Militias that each state would maintain, and an idea that the Federal Governments standing Army would be the smaller force with the Navy and Marines representing the bulk of US Forces overseas. Our Founders were indeed concerned about the possibility of abuse by the Federal Government they created later on in history. Our Founders established a check and balance to this in the form of the Militias. In Federalist No. 29, Alexander Hamilton points out very clearly that it is virtually impossible for the common man to be a professional soldier at all times without negative impact on the existence of the State, commerce, and daily life; instead he advocates for a cadre of men who are trained and ready at all times whom the masses will fall in under for training and guidance during time of need. This core group of individuals became the very foundation of the Organized Militia that drills once a month at a minimum, or even hold full time positions as professional soldiers for the State. Should the Governor decide to exercise Posse Comitatus (power [force] of the country) during a crisis, depending on the situation the Governor had two choices based on the needs of the State. If a small force was all that was needed, his Organized Militia could be called up at a moments notice and sent do deal with a small crisis; and if the crisis was larger, the Governor could then call upon every able bodied male of the state to report to their Militia Captains for service (See the Militia Act of 1792). The President of the United States was also given authority to activate the Militia of the States during times of invasion (War of 1812, etc.).

In modern times, many State Militias became melded into a newer idea, a fusion of their traditional role as USC Title 32 State units and USC Title 10 Federal units in 1903 with the passing of the passing of the Militia Act of 1903, or Dick Act. The Dick Act created the formalized National Guard that today provides over 353,000 Soldiers for both Federal and State service across the entire US and its territories. Several states kept their State Guards, Home Guard, and State Defense Force units in tact, especially during World War I when they found their National Guard units Federalized and sent overseas and they had no one else to call upon when crisis hit. A large motivation for the Dick Act was the Spanish American war, where the US Government could only ask State Militias to volunteer for overseas service in Cuba and the Philippines; and those that did volunteer had a mix of training and equipment that proved to be a logistical strain on the Federal forces that had to supply them. In order to minimize the difficulties, what became the National Guard Bureau of the then War Department was born.

During both World Wars, National Guard units were activated and sent overseas, and States that were vulnerable were able to draw upon their own resources for personnel under the current laws and were able to utilize veterans from previous wars too old to go overseas, those who were waiting to be drafted, and those who were deemed unfit for active service in a variety of roles to secure their States, and indeed the rest of the country. Here in Alaska, the Alaska Territorial Guard, Alaskan Scouts, and Eskimo Scouts watched the coastlines and were able to secure the west coast of Alaska while the Territories National Guard was deployed to Washington State and overseas. States and the Federal Government learned the valuable lesson of what a State Guard could do to secure the State and the rest of the nation and free up critical Federal forces for the war effort in both theaters of combat. History has more than a few examples of the ATG standing guard to the Coast Guard Auxiliary engaging U-Boats off the east coast in the Atlantic that display what these forces are capable of doing. Sadly though, the lessons of history if not properly learned and passed on are all too soon forgotten.

State Guards, State Defense Forces, and Home Guards are all the same concept, citizen soldiers serving the people of their state in time of need. Each unit is the continuation of the Militias that our Founders had been a part of, and the basis for military service since the discovery and colonization of the New World. Every SG/SDF/HG unit that exists on a legal basis is the Organized Militia for their state, and is accountable to the people of that state through the Governor, State Legislature, and applicable State law (and the UCMJ during time of war). While on duty for the State, if a soldier commits a crime, he will be held accountable for his actions not only under civil law, but if it is a time of war the UCMJ as well; when you take the Oath of Enlistment, double jeopardy can indeed happen for the same crime. Typically, the unit commander will move forward on any UCMJ or Non Judicial Punishment prior to the soldier facing civilian trial (for example, a DUI will result in both NJP/Court Martial from the military, and civilian charges form the locality the crime was committed on). This also ensures that the Militia is accountable to the people through Rule of Law, and have recourse should the Militia, or members of the Militia, commit crimes against the people.

When charismatic leaders step forth saying what is exceedingly popular, and gather around themselves a mob of armed men erroneously calling themselves a 'militia' or 'peoples militia' they do the people a great disservice. First, from where do they draw their authority? From their leader? Militias draw their authority from the people and the Rule of Law of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of their State, and as such are bound to that law and held accountable to that law by their Governors and State Legislature. Militias submit to this authority by swearing or affirming an Oath to the Constitution of the United States and their State; private individuals forming an armed mob may swear an Oath, but to whom do they swear to serve? Their leader? That would be an Oath of Fealty to a Lord now wouldn't it? Such an Oath would certainly have our Founders spinning in their graves.

28FEB2010 26 Years of the Alaska State Defense Force Celebrated!

2010-02-28T18:57:00.001-09:00

Where the Alaska State Defense Force is really headed, without rumors!

On Saturday 27FEB10, the 3rd BN ASDF in Fairbanks hosted the first Alaska State Defense Force Birthday Ball, celebrating 26 years of service, at the Princess Lodge. During the duty prior to the start of the Ball, the Arctic Operations Team conducted ski maintenance and the enlisted soldiers were briefed about the next 18 months of training directives coming from the Adjutant Generals (TAG) Office and the AK Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (DMVA).

At the Birthday Ball on the evening of the 27th, we celebrated 26 years of ASDF in its current form, and honored the memory of the Alaska Territorial Guard from which we draw our heritage. Also that evening, some of the members of the Arctic Operations Team were pinned with the State Guard Association of the United States (SGAUS) Military Emergency Management (MEMS) Specialist Qualification Badge after having completed the courses with FEMA, the US Fire Service, and Dept. of Homeland Security Online courses along with a practical scenario (the running of the ATG Inc. Gun Show fund raiser, as the systems in place for National Incident Management System (NIMS)/Incident Control System (ICS) used to operate command and control during disaster are also utilized for running parades, fairs, and other community events!) and After Action Report.

On Sunday 28FEB10 LTC Holl the Brigade Commander held a question and answer session with the 3rd Battalion and passed on more information and asked for any recommendations that we had to improve our capabilities. LTC Holl was very receptive to what was suggested from our Battalion.
During this briefing we were able to completely squelch the rumors that the ASDF was on its way to being disbanded by the DMVA and TAG, instead we have been taken off the line duty and placed in a training state. Yes, we are sidelined, however this sideline serves the purpose of standardizing our organizations training with the current US Army Warrior Skills Training being conducted within the Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard components. Because State Defense Forces/State Guards (SDF/SG) follow Federal Standards, and Federal Standards have changed, we are now training to these new standards. Part of this is a transition from the Military Police role to a broader military role which focuses on more aspects of State Security, Disaster, and Emergency Response as opposed to just a focus on Law Enforcement.

26FEB2010 Jerks... and more jerks...

2010-02-26T17:10:00.000-09:00

Had a customer, JFC we'll call him... He decided to be an asshole to me while purchasing a firearm today... Almost didn't sell him one, but my manager did (and my manager was just about chuckling and wasn't angry with me, this guy has some history). Whenever we pull out a firearm we typically start talking about it, JFC told me "Don't talk, just sell me the gun." So I did. We also don't sell the ones in the case until they are last one of that model, so when I did the NICS 4473 background check I pulled a pistol that had never been handled beyond logging in and and got it ready to sell. When I brought it out to him I opened the case to show him the one from the back and he got angry and irate. He wanted the one he looked at from the case. I mentioned I opened the box so he could see the one from the back, and then he proceed to inspect it, and bitch about how the coating on the scandium frame (a S&W 360 PD in .357 Mag by the way) under the hammer was 'scratched'. Funny, since thats where the coating comes off first because of the factory test fire, and there was no imperfections beyond FACTORY wear and tear (fresh off the assembly, test fired once for safety, shell casing enclosed in box IAW Federal law...). Well, he wasn't happy with it and told me to get the one from the case for him, so I told him we needed to re do the form (as 4% paperwork errors resulted in Red's Trading Post in Idaho losing their FFL for a time), and he really got angry. I finally told him we reserve the right to refuse service and to not come back. Finally, my manager came out and dealt with him and sold him the one from the case after getting the form completed. The jerk wondered "Who the hell does he think he is" to my manager; well mer JFC, I'm a clerk selling you a firearm. You treat me sub-human and get angry and irate with, perhaps you shouldn't be handling firearms in my store as you are showing a violent tendency toward the guy behind the counter UN-PROVOKED. I started off a nice guy, and JFC became an ass...

...With the way my manager dealt with him, I think its safe to assume this guy has a history of acting in this manner to attempt to get discounts. There are those people out there trying to act offended after acting very coarse toward people in order to coerce a discount. That, and my other belief is that this guy assumed that because I'm under thirty I must be a complete and utter moron... All well...

Then there was the Borough Assembly. I didn't get to testify until very late in the evening when I was done with some of my business with the State Defense Force (Class A inspection in preparation for the units Birthday Ball this Saturday!), which was about 9:30 p.m. It was almost hilarious to me to see all the Assembly Members and the Borough Mayor Luke Hopkins sitting there bored to tears and ready to fall asleep listening to the last few people testify about their ordnance seeking to put Federal Stimulus money into a Solid Fuel burning curtailment program Mayor Hopkins promised not to impose during his election (along with the Interior Pollution Control Committee's recommendation to remove all fines and permitting from then Mayor Jim Whitaker's draft wood burn ban ordnance from about three or four months back...). I don't think a single one of them was awake completely when I left. Mrs. Nadine Winters decided to take her dogs out of her vehicle and they proceeded to wrap me up in their leashes when I made my way to my car. She apologized, but her dogs were nice dogs and it wasn't a problem, though people were still testifying. She told me she'd have left her dogs if she knew the meeting would have taken this long. I refrained from saying the first thing that came to mind... Something to the effect of "No $%#, didn't you learn that the first three times this issue came up?" and just proceeded to my car to head home.

So, there is my crappy day in a nutshell for you. So, local firearms dealers, keep an eye for Mr. JFC trying to con you into a discount by being a jerk; and everybody keep an eye on your Borough Assembly which lacks the common sense to leave their poor dogs at home when they are proposing very un-popular bans on the least expensive way people can heat their homes 9 months out of the year.

My recommendations to Oath Keepers, and any other Veterans Organization for that matter

2010-02-19T07:11:00.002-09:00

In light of some recent high profile cases of Stolen Valor (named after B.G. Burkett and Glenna Whitley's book), I believe its important to the cause of the Oath Keepers to ensure that our members who are Veterans be who they say they are. At least with leadership in local organisations. We should audit each other using the SF-180 from the National Archives in St. Louis.

Here is why.

Iraq Veterans Against the War has absolutely ZERO credibility due to the sheer overwhelming number of fakes that have joined its ranks and been spokes people, the fakes have forced the real veterans from that organisation (as a pro-OIF, and two time Iraq vet, this doesn't break my heart at all). Two examples are Jesse MacBeth (MacBeth even talks about being coached to fake by the way) and Rick "Duncan" Strandlof. These are just two of the high profile cases, there are hundreds of other smaller cases, a blog that has been reporting on the IVAW and its current internal strife and loss of status due to Stolen Valor is This Ain't Hell. Based on the pain that organisation is going through from not correctly vetting its Veteran leadership...

We need to avoid the same situation. If we are going to be a relevant force for good and reach out to our brother and sister Veterans, we need to be able to say we are Veterans beyond the shadow of a doubt. "Audit me, make my day" should be our attitude! That, or we'll lose all credibility the first fake that makes it to the top of our ranks and gets found out by some inquisitive investigative reporter (who would conveniently forget to do the same thing when talking to IVAW...).

Some other great resources for verifying Veterans and looking into the history of Stolen Valor and its impact on American society:

"Stolen Valor" by B.G. Burkett and Glenn Whitley

AMVets Report Stolen Valor

POW Network

The National Archives Personnel Archives, St. Louis MO

15FEB2010 SDI/"Star Wars" a step closer to reality

2010-02-15T11:27:00.002-09:00

LA Times article

A step closer... And some folks thought it was impossible!

13FEB10 BOLO BOLO BOLO Colorado Springs area!

2010-02-13T10:54:00.002-09:00

KKTV Channel 11 Video and Photos

Be On the Look Out (BOLO) for these F#@%ers. The bounty is now up $4,000 for any information leading up the capture of these thieves who have stolen the items SrA Bradley R. Smith had on his person, to include his dog tags, when he was killed in Afghanistan on 03JAN10. They were stolen out of a vehicle his widow and mother were using at the Golden Corral on Powers BLVD in Colorado Springs. These items are priceless to the Smith family, and there is little that could be more dishonorable than to steal from these precious memories from Bradley's widow.

If I had any money, I'd toss it in the pot also...

God have mercy on these thieves, because I know that if brother ROMAD, or another Veteran catches them they'd better hope Police get them first...

08FEB2010, Stolen Valor loser goes before the Federal Magistrate

2010-02-08T17:45:00.001-09:00

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08FEB2010 Welcome SPAM! Enjoy the "Global Warming" Washington D.C.!

2010-02-08T09:32:00.006-09:00

Lately, I've been getting interesting SPAM comments, I suggest to Blogger to fix the capita system and harden it because some bots have that thing locked down...

The East Coast is getting some lovely white stuff we all know and love called snow. Quite a shock for them because this is one of the areas in which the populace of sheepeople, with the bulk of our National Government, believes we've been going through "Global Warming" caused by our human endeavours. In fact, the Beltway Confidential editorial from the Washington Examiner points it out the best. RFK Jr. needs to get off his private jet and quit riding his limo, and make friends with normal people to find out if his statements are true...

This is a fine example of Green Fascism (like RFK Jr.'s attitude...) from Audi's Superbowl Commerical:

Climate Service Agency? Thank you President Obama... Yet another Government Agency to run every detail of our lives!

No evidence "Climate Change" caused food shortage in Africa! I always suspected strongmen dictators had more to do with this problem than any "Global Warming". So, how about some military operations to promote regime change in African Nations suffering under the thumb of dictators? Oh wait, the UN can't do that, they have to write 15-20 resolutions and impose sanctions making things much worse over the long run (killing more people) than a swift strike killing a dictator... Which will likely be carried out by the United States, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand; that will be labeled 'uni-lateral' and 'warmongering' 'expansionist' 'war for resources'.

Dutch point out errors in the UN 2007 Climate Change Report...

Climategate continues to resonate within the climate research world. Not only is God not participating in Global Warming any more (as can be evidenced by Washington D.C. being buried much to RFK Jr.'s dismay...), but Dr. Phil Jones is so embarrassed by his hubris he is contemplating suicide! Don't do it Dr. Jones, admitting your mistakes and moving on is far more important, honest, Honorable, and manly, than suicide.

King North Carolina Police Chief Paula May takes the title as Domestic Villain attacking personal freedom and the Constitution and Bill of Rights this week. She and the Mayor declared a state of emergency and forced a curfew, restrictions on purchasing alcohol, and:

"Other restrictions included a ban on the sale or purchase of any type of firearm, ammunition, explosive or any possession of such items off a person's own premises."

So, if you want to go the Red Cross shelter, you'd best leave your Constitutional Rights behind because the small town mayor and police chief just declared a state of emergency! Personally, the Governor of North Carolina needs to send in his State Guard and/or National Guard troops to arrest the Mayor and Police Chief for violations of the citizens of King Constitutional Rights during a snow storm!

Government continues to NOT experience the recession the rest of us have to deal with. Luckily, Sarah Palin is back in the forefront of our minds, speaking at a Tea Party Fundraiser! What a breath of fresh air for the little guy to have former Gov. Palin in our corner! She's far from perfect, but seems to be quite open about such things, which is vastly superior to the standard in politics these last few decades of trying to present the candidates as 'perfect people'.

So, the world is as it has been for some time. A dangerous place full of intrigue... Scientists are just political tools, and the real reformers are written off as nut jobs by the establishment! So, if you like Sarah Palin, welcome to the world of Punk!

06FEB2010 A Stolen Valor Case Closed!

2010-02-06T08:48:00.001-09:00

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Always good news!

03FEB2010 PTSD Skepticism

2010-02-03T07:16:00.002-09:00

I'm skeptical about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is a bold statement from someone who has sought counseling and was told I could receive a diagnosis to this effect if I needed to. Why would I need to? My combat experiences left me feeling incredibly lucky and blessed that I'd avoided the worst experiences Iraq could have thrown at me. Sure, we took loads of rockets and mortars; but that was more of a nuisance intended cause terror and interfere with our daily operations. To deny my enemy that, I just treated it like steel rain and got angry when it happened; there was no reason to be scared (except for the two or three times in which the rain landed sufficiently close enough to cause me actually jump into a bunker), in fact it just became a part of the background noise of life in Iraq.

I'd been fortunate enough that the only time I fired my weapon in Iraq was two warning shots into the pavement of a highway. We were the rear Stryker in the convoy, and I had the left rear hatch and therefore rear guard of our convoy, a local citizen in a hurry (do Iraqis even have speed limit?!) came flying down the highway toward us and didn't see me point my rifle and put my hand out (palm toward myself, back of hand toward him; the Middle East version of 'STOP'!), so I did what ROE (Rules Of Engagement; specifically escalation of force) required and put two warning shots into the gravel shoulder. Needless to say, he and his passenger stopped abruptly, got out and put their hands on the roof of the vehicle, and then got in and turned around and sped off back the way they came. My exact words were “SHIT, I've got to clean my rifle!” right afterwards... From what my JTAC who was in the Troop Commander's hatch facing forward, and our gunner said, the Squadron Commander (SCO) and S-3's soldiers immediately ducked into their Strykers when they heard gunfire! Then we radioed that it was just warning shots.

Our Stryker might have taken some small arms fire when we did a raid on a small village near Rawah Iraq in Al-Anbar, but then it might have been the Iraqi Army and their wonderful sense of trigger control! You can tell by the reaction of the children. When Americans man a weapon, they'll jump in front of the muzzle without thinking, when the IA mans a weapon they scatter from the direction of the muzzle... Other than that, I did come across the scene of a Suicide Vehicle Born IED (SVBIED) in Mosul that blew and Engineer Stryker off a bridge. There was so little left to of the car that I couldn't see any gore, that and I was in my hatch pulling security, I had to just about beat one of my Airmen down to keep him from climbing into my hatch and taking pictures; and I almost did in fact beat him for that. CSM Shaylor, the Command Sergeant Major of the 172nd Stryker Brigades Engineer Battalion was board that Stryker, he suffered terrible injuries to his skull but survived (as did all the crew if I recall). This incident above all else is probably one of the most memorable for me, mainly because the bridge they got hit on, our formation (the 172nd SBCT TAC) had crossed four times looking for trouble trying to draw them out, and we were on our way for a fifth crossing when we heard the explosion and got the radio call about two minutes later. 2-1 Infantry's Battalion TAC also responded to the scene to secure it as it was their Area of Operations. We had the scene very secure with two teams of JTACs with their respective TAC's and a couple of F-14 Tomcats at our command overhead doing overwatch (yet this was a bullet for the MSGT. Sitting in the Tactical Operations Center on the FOB? WTFO?!).

I sought some counseling about a year ago. Part of it had to be the stress of not having dealt with the death of a friend of mine during my time in Iraq all the way. Funerals help with closure, and when you have a friend die and you cannot partake in such things, it doesn't allow for closure for you. But thats combat. I found out my friend SSG Sutherland (no relation that I know of, maybe a very distant relation from back over the Pond in Scotland!) had died in a rollover while I was on TOC shift in Mosul. I did get the opportunity over the next couple days to catch a Staff Duty Convoy to FOB Marez and talk to my Priest Fr. Greshel. That helped incredibly, and I can't imagine what my reaction would have been like without that conversation. I thought it would be enough, but coming back stateside I was never able to talk to his widow because I could never find the words until recently.

On the other side, there were some immense assaults on Veterans coming from the US Government and various law enforcement agencies within the United States. This was the time of the MIAC Report on a resurgence of 'militias', and the Dept. of Homeland Security Report on Right Wing Extremism. Both these documents clearly targeted the Veterans who were coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan who didn't agree and were critical of the Obama Administration. Apparently, we were 'high risk' and likely to go join an armed mob of white supremacists because we had a black man for President. We were getting profiled as terrorists in the midst of a war on terror having fought real terrorists. Yes, this is rather disturbing to us. This actually was a big stressor on the ENTIRE Veteran community, not just Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans (though it certainly hit us differently than other groups, but I know for a fact many Vietnam Vets were thinking BOHICA!).

Luckily, I'd hardened myself prior to going to Iraq. Sometime shortly after I'd moved to Alaska (JUL04), I went to a fantastic local book store, Gullivers, and picked up a fantastic book called “Stolen Valor” by B.G. Burkett. Prior to reading this, I had the same notion everyone else did about PTSD and the effects of combat on Americans. After reading this book, my opinion changed incredibly. I'm going to venture to say we need to trash everything we think or thought we knew about PTSD and start over again. Why? Politics and the Anti-War movement have tainted our knowledge of PTSD. We need not start over completely however, because in 1952 when the first Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-I) was released, the experiences of WWI, WWII, and the active shooting part of the Korean War (still going on at the time) covered a “gross stress reaction” that was the result of exposure to the more gruesome aspects of combat. Some of those studies even indicated that this reaction could occur years after the battlefield, and the DSM-I described as a temporary condition caused by extreme environmental stress, which should disappear after the patient was removed from the anxiety-producing situation (I'm quoting from the book, get a copy!).

Burkett goes on to extrapolate on the political influence of the Anti-War movment and Robert Jay Lifton on the DSM-II and the creation of PTSD. Its so full of blatant politics that I scarcely can accept the idea of PTSD in the form that was created by these individuals, more specifically applied to myself. There certainly is a such thing as Combat Stress or War Neurosis; which has been observed, studied, and treated for hundreds if not thousands of years. All it takes is a good solid look at history and the improvements made by both psychology and the military are astounding. Civil War records show 20 per 1000 soldiers suffering paralysis and 6 per 1000 suffering insanity from combat. During WWII, draft boards turned away over a million men as mentally unfit for service; and during the war the Ist Army in Europe suffered from 102 psychiatric casualties per 1000 (some of these were hardened combat veterans who'd seen a few battles!). During WWI, the “Salmon Plan” was introduced to provide each unit with a psychiatrist, and in 1944, the Korean War, it was re-introduced. When Vietnam started, it was already in place, with only 5 psychiatric casualties per 1000. I wonder what the rate is today in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Burkett's study of the creation of PTSD doesn't just stop at the views of the biggest PTSD advocate Robert Jay Lifton, he has uncovered and revealed a bias that inserted itself within the VA and Vet Centers across the country during that time. Almost NONE of the Veterans which were treated by the “rap groups” started by Lifton were proud of their service. Every single group specifically sought anti-war veterans who'd supposedly committed or witnessed 'war crimes'. There was NO attempt to verify actual service in any of the armed forces, much less any tours in Vietnam. It was a rigged pool of patients that led to the creation of PTSD in the first place; a mockery of the scientific method if I ever saw it!

There in lies my skepticism. Why should I believe everything a psychiatrist or counselor tells me when the baseline study for the 'disorder' they are attempting to diagnose if flawed to begin with? I do like the folks at my local Vet Center, and having conversations with them I don't doubt that they are 100% supportive of the current Veterans and strong advocates for the older generations of Veterans. In fact, our Veterans Advocate is FEARED by the Veterans Administration and has the highest success rate of getting disabled Veterans the benefits they NEED than any other in country. Our Vet Center has exposed Stolen Valor when they've found it, and several times made sure that phony Medal of Honor holders get dealt with and exposed. Yet it seems there is still the under current of Vietnam Era anti-war politics in the Vet Centers across the rest of the country in some places. I'm a member of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) Community of Veterans (COV) social network; and in those forums I run across a lot of veterans running into problems with the VA and even some Vet Centers. Sometimes I wonder if half the problems all Veterans experience with the VA isn't caused by the sentiment and ghosts of the Vietnam Anti-War movement working in a malicious fashion within the Veterans Administration itself. Department heads my change, but the rank and file bureaucrats are union employees with secured jobs and pensions who will work for decades at a time and cause no end of problems within the bureau they serve if they choose to.

28JAN10 Rant: Why I ignored the State of the Union Address (again)

2010-01-28T10:33:00.001-09:00

I didn't listen to the State of the Union Address this year. Last one I actually listened to or cared about was the one George W. Bush gave following 9/11/01. Since then, I have a tradition of just following up on the following day to get the gist of the speech. While I respect this valuable tradition of the office of the President of the United States, ever since that one that I did care about I can only withstand the political theater so far. I was driving home from work (my one day of work this week! I'm a part timer after all) and I turned on the radio and heard President Obama talking. At that point I tuned him out by putting in a cassette tape (yup, I drive a car that old, and it gets 30 miles to the gallon...) and rocked out to the band Extol instead. I really needed that.

I just got over actual hatred of the President of the United States a few months back. Instead I now view him as he is, not as an object worthy of any form of sinful hate and wrath. Why did I hate this man until recently? Well, I'd just gotten back from Iraq when he made the statement about “air raiding villages and and killing innocent civilians”. For over a year after that comment I actually had blood shoot out of my eyes and my head felt like exploding. As I type about that, I must take a deep breath and just let go... Better! Why am I so passionate about that stupid comment from a then Senator now President? Well In my two tours in Iraq, well over a year of my life 6 months each time (179 days according to the orders, however travel vouchers reveal otherwise) from SEP05-FEB06 and NOV06-MAY07, I can count the days live ordnance from fixed wing Close Air Support (CAS) assets were used on one hand without all my fingers being used, and 2/3rds of that was Predator UAV's using Hellfire missiles, and I'm not counting the one time Army Apaches were utilized. This wasn't the result of not sending requests, which at least once a week happened! No, we would get denials three hours later based on the expert analysis of lawyers who were sitting in Qatar; this was under President Bush and during the time President Obama stated we were “air raiding villages and killing innocent civilians”. I was over there, 'air raids' were my business, and they certainly didn't happen until the 'Army of Heaven' decided to hole up in an orchard in FEB07 and start a fight with the Iraqi Army being trained by some Green Berets who had their USAF JTAC (whom was a CCT for that mission, but was relieved by a Stryker BDE TACP JTAC a few hours into the battle, talking on the radio for hours on end takes its toll in the desert!). That one incident resulted in 300 enemies destroyed, but you never heard about it on the news now did you?

So there in lies my reason for ignoring the POTUS at this juncture. I don't need the anger welling up again. I've ceased hating him because that is not conducive to my faith. I ceased listening to him because its the same old stuff re-hashed on a different day. All his problems were created by George W. Bush, only government under his guidance can fix the problem, I'm smarter than you because I got handed a Nobel Peace Prize, and America is sorry for causing all the worlds problems. I'm tired of it. When I start seeing something constructive from him, I might start taking him seriously. In the mean time, I'm going to ignore him and pick up the highlights from the news articles. I can't waste my time listening to his empty jaws flap and regurgitate whats on the teleprompter that his speech writer put up.

-Michael “Sudsy” Sutherland
North Pole AK 28JAN10

26JAN09 Hypocrite!

2010-01-26T05:35:00.003-09:00

Al Gore's Hypocrisy knows no bounds! Life Hacker Article (TIME photo)

Lets start with the three big monitors, and the large TV. All likely energy efficient, but three of them eliminates any savings of energy that he encourages and wants to force on you and myself. How many deceased tree carcasses are on that desk? Then, as Life Hacker points out, why does he use a paper sketch pad instead of a white dry erase board?

Go figure. Never mind that his house uses hundreds of times more energy than any normal home, or has a carbon footprint of a large office building. Only us mere mortals are polluting the globe and killing the rain forests of South America with our evil SUV and even worse, outdoor hydronic boilers burning wood or coal! The blasphemy of our damage to dear Mother Earth...

22JAN2010 Sex! Yes, I talk about sex... I'm a good Catholic after all!

2010-01-21T23:45:00.001-09:00

Lets talk about one of America, and indeed Humanities, greatest past times; one that is as critical to the species as eating. Sex! More specifically, procreation and the decision to have or not to have children. However, this isn't so much a political issue about abortion or contraception (well, sorta not...), this is about ending the myth and massaged story about Natural Family Planning only being 60% effective still touted by physicians to this day in our hospitals and in the halls of power (okay, so it is indeed a political issue now! What else do you expect from this blog?).

Natural Family Planning, NFP (contrary to popular belief, it doesn't stand for Not For Protestants), has received a terrible rating over the last half century. Honestly, when you look at its supposed abysmal record, there is truth to that statement if you've never moved beyond the 1950's and 60's... Back then it was only based on counting days between a womans menstrual cycles. It certainly was a 'one size fits all' mentality, not too dissimilar to a lot of other ideas about human health and nutrition from that era.

Much of that previous reputation still lives on today much like any other bad conspiracy theory. However, if you had the courage to go down to a good book store, and MANY Catholic book stores have the book from the Couple to Couple League (http://www.ccli.org/) “The Art of Natural Family Planning” (http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-gifts/Art-of-Natural-Family-Planning/sku/60989)
which goes into pretty exact detail what we know now actually works with about 95%-98% accuracy (which depending on the individual, beats the 'pill' or condom... both of which are known to fail due the exact same reason NFP fails today...).

Where does this type of family planning fail? Well, typically its because one of these rules was broken:
1.You MUST follow the RULES
2.You MUST exercise SELF CONTROL
3.You MUST actually check ALL signs (temperature, mucus, etc...)
4.You MUST do it EVERY DAY

Sound familiar? Well, it is. The 'pill' requires rules 1, 3, and 4 also... Interesting... Personal responsibility! Holy Smokes! NFP requires a little PERSONAL REPSONSIBILITY and DISCIPLINE on a daily basis to work correctly?! What a strange concept for our world today, well at least European and the Americans anyway. Most other areas of the world tend believe in discipline a tad better, and I suspect for the most part personal responsibility is still held in high regard...

I can go ahead and give you the story of my wife and I, but since actual details of that personal aspect of our lives is indeed private, I won't go too far into the details. Besides, you should really research it yourself and make your decision based on facts and not the fiction you get from the family physician telling you its going to fail right out the gate. Besides, we live in a world where you cannot trust everything that everyone who wears a lab coat and has a degree on the wall says every time. Doctors, like everyone else, are just as susceptible to propaganda and politics; family planning is no exception (one should take note that NFP enriches NO major pharmaceutical drug company, while the 'pill' and other methods of contraception do indeed provide a billion dollar profit stream for the 'evil big pharmaceutical corporations... Its also 100% organic... No negative side effects beyond having control your sexual activity for a short time once a month if children are not in the picture nine months later...).

I can tell you from personal experience, our boys are spaced at 18 months apart, and it was planned to be about that way... That is our desired spacing for our children right now, and believe me we are not done having children. We won't be helping kill off our population with the negative population growth, we'll keep the species going! Did you know that the 'Population Bomb' is another myth... But that is another blog entry in and of itself...

20JAN10 Eugenics and Irish Playwrights...

2010-01-20T14:11:00.002-09:00

What an 'amiable' fellow eh?

Never forget that Nazis and Communists are born from the same seed of Socialism, no matter how they try to hide the fact and bury it. I should mention Socialism was born from Progressivism, that good ol' fashioned early 20th Century Progressivism that Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama are proud of!

13JAN10 Bitter Sweet moment in History

2010-01-13T18:03:00.002-09:00

Air Force Link

Maj. Russell Goodman, KIA Vietnam, remains return home, family gets closure, MIA list is one name less...

12JAN10 History painful moments, part II

2010-01-12T18:29:00.003-09:00

05JAN10 I discussed the third combat death of a USAF TACP since Vietnam. Today, I can say he was laid to rest peacefully yesterday on 11JAN09. Its truly amazing how the internet has allowed us to participate at some small level in supporting the family of our fallen brother.

If you have Facebook, please visit the group in honor of SrA Smith.

I want to thank Rev. Tim Lewis for putting his sermon from the memorial service on the web here, along with reposting the obituary.

I was going to rant about something today, but I seem to have forgotten...

...I've been thinking of the sacrifice SrA Smith's family has made.

11JAN10 Houston Police Dept. UAV? WTFO!

2010-01-11T12:31:00.002-09:00

Adding to the surveillance society we've created since the 1980's... I can see the logic and reasoning in the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for police work, as we did so in Iraq on continuous basis. However, there is a significant difference in the legality of using UAV's in a warzone (Iraq) and stateside during peace when the Bill of Rights restricts unreasonable searches. When disaster strikes in a manner of Katrina or forest fires, and the UAV's have a payload specific to those operations, very well; and they'd better not encrypt the video feed to restrict the publics freedom of access to that information. For SWAT raids and drug busts, maybe encrypt and record, but it will be evidence to be utilized like any other police video, or it should be anyway (there I go again changing my 'tense' in the middle of a sentence).

As a veteran who used UAV feeds in combat, I find the civilian LEO use in this manner repulsive and disturbing. Not the least of which is the very 'secretive' test conducted without authorization from the FAA to use the airspace for that purpose. The Houston Police Department needs to be investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration for several violations! Not the least of which is falsely threatening action against the News Helicopter through the FAA (wasn't 'Balloon Boy' Dad hammered for attempting to influence a public official?), and NOT coordinating the FAA the launch of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in that block of airspace thereby putting a hazard to ALL aviation traffic in the airspace!

05JAN10 History is full of pain...

2010-01-05T16:52:00.003-09:00

...03JAN1010 will be a date that will be remembered as a painful date. SrA Bradley R. Smith was killed in Afghanistan by an IED, he is survived by his wife and daughter. SrA Smith is the third member of the USAF TACP to have died in combat performing his duties since the Vietnam War. He was 24 years old, and will never be forgotten here by myself or any other ROMAD. VIDEO
ROMAD Locator

04JAN10 Back to the daily grind in the new decade!

2010-01-04T18:37:00.003-09:00

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a wondrous Epiphany are all past us now! I enjoyed my hiatus from this blog enjoying my holiday time as much as I could! My only concern was my 22DEC and 29DEC cartoons on Simple Analysis and taking care of my busted Jeep Cherokee which I finally got pieced back together this morning!

I'm not going to waste time with pointless New Years Resolutions. If I'm going to give up anything this year, I save it for the real time of sacrifice for positive life changes; LENT! Which is coming up, Easter is 04APR10... Lent is the 40 days prior to that... I do indeed think Liturgically in many respects. Its a part of who I am, and its kept me going when ALL else in this life has failed!

We've all heard about the "Underwear Bomber" and the flap that is the Obama Administration and Dept. Of Homeland Security under Janet Napolitano whom should finally get a clue and resign in disgrace. Maybe if they weren't so worried about returning GWOT veterans and closing GITMO they'd have had the resources free to notice that the father of the perpetrator contacted the US Embassy in Nigeria! Wait, the CIA was contacted, the State Department, and how many other agencies associated with the Nigerian Embassy? Wasn't that Imam in Yeman, you know the one who was associated with Maj. Hasan also liked to the "Underwear Bomber"? Interesting...

Well, welcome to a new decade! Now get out there and vote in your local elections this year and start sending a message to D.C.! Get involved! Don't be silent! Speak out and get a blog (yeah, like me, if I can do this you can too!).

Michael "Sudsy" Sutherland
04JAN2010, North Pole Alaska

21DEC09 The Shortest Day of 09...

2009-12-21T08:06:00.006-09:00

...yup, just a few precious hours of sunlight. Its 8:11 in the morning in AK, and no sun yet! It'll pop up for just a bit and run.

This healthcare reform debate is really pissing me off. Especially Senators from the Costal regions like California and Rhode Island. Just listen to Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse use a broad brush to paint ALL the Presidents critics:

That, and then of course the opposition to health care 'reform' is also based on the 'Big Insurance' industry using thugs to cause bad behaviour on the Senate floor... Never mind the Senators desperate to follow the mandate of their constituents, or the ones that actually believe the Constitution still! Never mind the tens of thousands that showed up at Tea Party rallies across the US and DC clearly stating get your government hands off our health care! Never mind the angry people in the town halls, they are either Insurance Thugs or closet members of the Klan or some other paranoid 'right wing' fringe group.

I guess you and I don't exist do we? Oh wait, we are just in denial of the actual root of our opposition, we just don't want to admit we are a bunch of stupid white racists who don't know how to live our own lives and should just submit to the US Government...

18DEC09 The Milblogs fell silent....

2009-12-18T16:25:00.001-09:00

...the silence was deafening to some. Sadly I never got the WARNO!

So, a day late, here is my support C.J.! Anyone who doesn't know should go to C.J.s Blog "A Soldiers Perspective" for more details and read the Army Times "Off Duty" article. This sickens me and makes my head explode, the fact that there are people out there trying to make life hell for a fellow blogger with the sole purpose of shutting him up; to make matters worse he is a blogger who risks himself day after day to DEFEND the Constitution of the United States and its precious Bill of Right! 1SGT C.J. Grisham is a Milblogger!

I just want to the thank C.J. for all he's done for this country and most especially for his involvement in the "You Served" Blogtalk radio show in which he has vocally stood up for the soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen. When I was in Iraq in 2006/2007, C.J. was taking on Code Pink in front of Walter Reed spreading the message of victory during the darkest hours over there, letting folks know that things were indeed better off than CNN, MSNBC, and yes even FOX News portrayed the situation. Thanks C.J. from the bottom of my heart!

09DEC09 FNSB, Grandfather Rights, and the Code of the West...

2009-12-09T17:50:00.002-09:00

I'm glad I'm living in Alaska, I escape some of the insanity of government that plagues most of the nation these days (or the insanity of home owners associations that hate flag poles and WWII Medal of Honor Recipients). One thing I'll give Colorado Springs and in particular El Paso County (other than liking the Sheriff who encourages every citizen in his county to get a CCW Permit...), is the Code of the West they established as a result of heading off lawsuits against farms, industry, and people in general when new neighbors show up and demand the world to change to suit their tastes despite the fact that the pig farm that smells has been there THREE GENERATIONS.

So here it is, El Paso County Colorado's CODE OF THE WEST:

Code of the West

Based on a code by John Clarke
former Larimer County Commissioner

The Code of the West was first chronicled by the famous western writer, Zane Grey. The men and women who came to this part of the country during the westward expansion of the United States were bound by an unwritten code of conduct. The values of integrity and self reliance guided their decisions, actions and interactions. In keeping with that spirit, we offer this information to help the citizens of El Paso County who wish to follow in the footsteps of those rugged individualists by living outside city limits.

Introduction

It is important for you to know that life in the country is different from life in the city. County governments are not able to provide the same level of service that city governments provide. To that end, we are providing you with the following information to help you make an educated and informed decision to purchase rural land.

Access

The fact that you can drive to your property does not necessarily guarantee that you, your guests and emergency service vehicles can achieve that same level of access at all times. Please consider:

1.1 - Emergency response times (sheriff, fire suppression, medical care, etc.) cannot be guaranteed. Under some extreme conditions, you may find that emergency response is extremely slow and expensive.

1.2 - There can be problems with the legal aspects of access, especially if you gain access across property belonging to others. It is wise to obtain legal advice and understand the easements that may be necessary when these types of questions arise.

1.3 - You can experience problems with the maintenance and cost of maintenance of your road. El Paso County maintains nearly 2,000 miles of roads, but many rural properties are served by private and public roads which are maintained by private road associations. There are even some county roads that are not maintained by the county - no grading or snow plowing. There are even some public roads that are not maintained by anyone! Make sure you know what type of maintenance to expect and who will provide that maintenance.

1.4 - Extreme weather conditions can destroy roads. It is wise to determine whether or not your road was properly engineered and constructed.

1.5 - Many large construction vehicles cannot navigate small, narrow roads. If you plan to build, it is prudent to check out construction access.

1.6 - School buses travel only on maintained county roads that have been designated as school bus routes by the school district. You may need to drive your children to the nearest county road so they can get to school.

1.7 - In extreme weather, even county maintained roads can become impassable. You may need a four wheel drive vehicle with chains for all four wheels to travel during those episodes, which could last for several days.

1.8 - Natural disasters, especially floods, can destroy roads. El Paso County will repair and maintain county roads; however, subdivision roads are the responsibility of the landowners who use those roads. A dry creek bed can become a raging torrent and wash out roads, bridges, and culverts. Residents served by private roads and/or bridges have been hit with large bills for repairs and/or reconstruction after floods.

1.9 - Unpaved roads generate dust. When traffic levels reach specific levels, El Paso County treats county system roads to suppress the dust, but dust is still a fact of life for most rural residents.

1.10 - If your road is unpaved, it is highly unlikely that El Paso County will pave it in the foreseeable future. Check carefully with the County Department of Transportation when any statement is made by the seller of any property that indicates any unpaved roads will be paved!

1.11 - Unpaved roads are not always smooth and are often slippery when they are wet. You will experience an increase in vehicle maintenance costs when you regularly travel on rural county roads.

1.12 - Mail delivery is not available to all areas of the county. Ask the postmaster to describe the system for your area.

1.13 - Newspaper delivery is similarly not always available to rural areas. Check with the newspaper of your choice before assuming you can get delivery.

1.14 - Standard parcel and overnight package delivery can be a problem for those who live in the country. Confirm with the service providers as to your status.

1.15 - It may be more expensive and time consuming to build a rural residence due to delivery fees and the time required for inspectors to reach your site.

1.16 – Because access to your property may be blocked by weather and other factors for extended periods, you should always have on hand adequate food, medicine, and other supplies and be prepared for road closures or other access blockages.

Utility services

Water, sewer, electric, telephone and other services may be unavailable or may not operate at urban standards. Repairs can often take much longer than in towns and cities. Please review your options from the non-exhaustive list below.

2.1 - Telephone communications can be a problem, especially in the mountain areas of El Paso County. From time to time, the only phone service available has been a party line. If you have a private line, it may be difficult to obtain another line for fax or computer modem uses. Even cellular phones will not work in all areas.

2.2 - If sewer service is available to your property, it may be expensive to hook into the system. It also may be expensive to maintain the system you use.

2.3 - If sewer service is not available, you will need to use an approved septic system or other treatment process. The type of soil you have available for a leach field will be very important in determining the cost and function of your system. Have the system checked by a reliable sanitation firm and ask for assistance from the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment.

2.4 - If you have access to a supply of treated domestic water, the tap fees can be expensive. You may also find that your monthly cost of service can be costly when compared to municipal systems.

2.5 - If you do not have access to a supply of treated domestic water, you will have to locate an alternative supply. The most common method is use of a well. Permits for wells are granted by the state engineer and the cost for drilling and pumping can be considerable. The quality and quantity of well water can vary considerably from location to location and from season to season. The water level in a well may change over time, necessitating drilling a deeper or replacement well. It is strongly advised that you research this issue very carefully.

2.6 - Not all wells can be used for watering of landscaping and/or livestock. Permits from the state engineer may restrict water to use to that which is used inside of a home. If you have other needs, make certain that you have the proper approvals before you invest. It may also be difficult to find enough water to provide for your needs even if you can secure the proper permit.

2.7 - Electric service is not available to every area of El Paso County. It is important to determine the proximity of electrical power. It can be very expensive to extend power lines to remote areas.

2.8 - It may be necessary to cross property owned by others in order to extend electric service to your property in the most cost efficient manner. It is important to make sure that the proper easements are in place to allow lines to be built to your property.

2.9 - Electric power may not be available in two phase and three phase service configurations. If you have special power requirements, it is important to know what level of service can be provided to your property.

2.10 - If you are purchasing land with the plan to build at a future date, there is a possibility that electric lines (and other utilities) may not be large enough to accommodate you if others connect during the time you wait to build.

2.11 - The cost of electric service is usually divided into a fee to hook into the system and then a monthly charge for energy consumed. It is important to know both costs before making a decision to purchase a specific piece of property.

2.12 - Power outages can occur in outlying areas with more frequency than in more developed areas. A loss of electric power can also interrupt your supply of water from a well. You may also lose food in freezers or refrigerators and power outages can cause problems with computers as well. It is important to be able to survive for up to a week in severe cold with no utilities if you live in the country.

2.13 - Trash removal can be much more expensive in a rural area than in a city. In some cases, your trash dumpster may be several miles from your home. It is illegal to create your own trash dump, even on your own land. It is good to know the cost for trash removal as you make the decision to move into the country. In some cases, your only option may be to haul your trash to the landfill yourself. Recycling is more difficult because pick-up is not available in most rural areas.

The property

There are many issues that can affect your property. It is important to research these items before purchasing land.

3.1 - Not all lots are buildable. The El Paso County Assessor has many parcels that are separate for the purpose of taxation that are not legal lots in the sense that a building permit will not be issued. You must check with the El Paso County Planning Department to know that a piece of land can be built on.

3.2 - Easements may require you to allow construction of roads, power lines, water lines, sewer lines, etc. across your land. There may be easements that are not of record. Check these issues carefully.

3.3 - Many property owners do not own the mineral rights under their property. Owners of mineral rights have the ability to change the surface characteristics in order to extract their minerals. It is very important to know what minerals may be located under the land and who owns them. Much of the rural land in El Paso County can be used for mining; however a special review by the county commissioners is usually required. Be aware that adjacent mining uses can expand and cause negative impacts.

3.4 - You may be provided with a plat of your property, but unless the land has been surveyed and pins placed by a licensed surveyor, you cannot assume that the plat is accurate.

3.5 - Fences that separate properties are often misaligned with the property lines. A survey of the land is the only way to confirm the location of your property lines.

3.6 - Many subdivisions and planned unit developments have covenants that limit the use of the property. It is important to obtain a copy of the covenants (or confirm that there are none) and make sure that you can live with those rules. Also, a lack of covenants can cause problems between neighbors.

3.7 - Homeowners associations (HOAs) are required to take care of common elements, roads, open space, etc. A dysfunctional homeowners association or poor covenants can cause problems for you and even involve you in expensive litigation.

3.8 - Dues are almost always a requirement for those areas with a HOA. The by-laws of the HOA will tell you how the organization operates and how the dues are set.

3.9 - The surrounding properties will probably not remain as they are indefinitely. You can check with the El Paso County Planning Department to find out how the properties are zoned and to see what future developments may be in the planning stages. The view from your property may change.

3.10 - If you have a ditch running across your property there is a good possibility that the owners of the ditch have the right to come onto your property with heavy equipment to maintain the ditch.

3.11 - Water rights that are sold with the property may not give you the right to use the water from any ditches crossing your land without coordinating with a neighbor who also uses the water. Other users may have senior rights to the water that can limit your use or require you to pay for the over-sizing or other improving of the ditch.

3.12 - It is important to make sure that any water rights you purchase with the land will provide enough water to maintain fruit trees, pastures, gardens or livestock.

3.13 - The water flowing in irrigation ditches belongs to someone. You cannot assume that because the water flows across your property, you can use it.

3.14 - Flowing water can be a hazard, especially to young children. Before you decide to locate your home near an active ditch, consider the possible danger to your family.

Mother Nature

Residents of the country usually experience more problems when the elements and earth turn unfriendly. Here are some thoughts for you to consider.

4.1 - The physical characteristics of your property can be positive and negative. Trees are a wonderful environmental amenity, but can also involve your home in a forest fire. Building at the top of a forested draw should be considered as dangerous as building in a flash flood area. Defensible perimeters are very helpful in protecting buildings from forest fire and inversely can protect the forest from igniting if your house catches on fire. If you start a forest fire, you are responsible for paying for the cost of extinguishing that fire. For further information, you can contact the El Paso County Emergency Services Department.

4.2 - Steep slopes can slide in unusually wet weather. Large rocks can also roll down steep slopes and present a great danger to people and property.

4.3 - Expansive soils, such as Bentonite Clay (which is common in the foothills) can buckle concrete foundations and twist steel I-beams. You can know the soil conditions on your property if you have a soil test performed.

4.4 - North facing slopes or canyons rarely see direct sunlight in the winter. There is a possibility that snow will accumulate and not melt throughout the winter.

4.5 - The topography of the land can tell you where the water will go in the case of heavy precipitation. When property owners fill in ravines, they have found that the water that drained through that ravine now drains through their house.

4.6 - A flash flood can occur, especially during the summer months, and turn a dry gully into a river. It is wise to take this possibility into consideration when building.

4.7 - Spring run-off can cause a very small creek to become a major river. Many residents use sand bags to protect their homes. The county does not provide sand bags, equipment or people to protect private property from flooding.

4.8 - Nature can provide you with some wonderful neighbors. Most, such as deer and eagles are positive additions to the environment. However, even "harmless" animals like deer can cross the road unexpectedly and cause traffic accidents. Rural development encroaches on the traditional habitat of coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, prairie dogs, bears, mosquitoes and other animals that can be dangerous and you need to know how to deal with them. In general, it is best to enjoy wildlife from a distance and know that if you do not handle your pets and trash properly, it could cause problems for you and the wildlife. The Colorado Department of Wildlife and the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment are two good resources for information. They have many free publications to help educate you about living in the wild.

Agriculture

The people who tamed this wild land brought water to the barren, arid east slope of the Rockies through an ingenious system of water diversion. This water has allowed agriculture to become an important part of our environment. Owning rural land means knowing how to care for it. There are a few things you need to know:

5.1 - Farmers often work around the clock, especially during planting and harvest time. Dairy operators sometimes milk without stopping and hay is often swathed or baled at night. It is possible that adjoining agriculture uses can disturb your peace and quiet.

5.2 - Land preparation and other operations can cause dust, especially during windy and dry weather.

5.3 - Farmers occasionally burn their ditches to keep them clean of debris, weeds and other obstructions. This burning creates smoke that you may find objectionable.

5.4 - Chemicals (mainly fertilizers and herbicides) are often used in growing crops. You may be sensitive to these substances and many people actually have severe allergic reactions. Many of these chemicals are applied by airplanes that fly early in the morning.

5.5 - Animals and their manure can cause objectionable odors. What else can we say?

5.6 - Agriculture is an important business in El Paso County. If you choose to live among the farms and ranches of our rural countryside, do not expect county government to intervene in the normal day-to-day operations of your agri-business neighbors. In fact, Colorado has "Right to Farm" legislation that protects farmers and ranchers from nuisance and liability lawsuits. It enables them to continue producing food and fiber.

5.7 - Colorado has an open range law. This means if you do not want cattle, sheep or other livestock on your property, it is your responsibility to fence them out. It is not the responsibility of the rancher to keep his/her livestock off your property.

5.8 - Before buying land you should know if it has noxious weeds that may be expensive to control and you may be required to control. Some plants are poisonous to horses and other livestock.

5.9 - Animals can be dangerous. Bulls, stallions, rams, boars, etc. can attack human beings. Children need to know that it is not safe to enter pens where animals are kept.

5.10 - Much of El Paso County receives less than 15 inches (38 cm) of precipitation per year. As a result, we have a problem with overgrazing, and fugitive dust. Without irrigation, grass does not grow very well. There is a limit to the amount of grazing the land can handle. The Colorado State University Cooperative Extension can help you with these issues.

In conclusion

Even though you pay property taxes to the county, the amount of tax collected does not cover the cost of the services provided to rural residents. In general, those living in the cities and commercial and industrial properties subsidize the lifestyle of those who live in the country by making up the shortfall between the cost of services and the revenues received from rural dwellers.

This information is by no means exhaustive. There are other issues that you may encounter that we have overlooked and we encourage you to be vigilant in your duties to explore and examine those things that could cause your move to be less than you expect.
We have offered these comments in the sincere hope that it can help you enjoy your decision to reside in the country. It is not our intent to dissuade you, only inform you.

07DEC09 A day of Infamy...

2009-12-07T14:13:00.004-09:00

...check out the tribute to the men and women who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor this day in 1941.

Also, the infamous "Inconvenient Truth" of lies surrounding 'Climate Gate' continues to unfold, with some demanding Al Gore's Oscar be stripped... Expect calls for blood soon if climate change legislation gets out of hand. In fact, there should be calls for Senatorial investigations into the Universities here in the US that promoted the idea and willfully manipulated the data in order to ensure they continued to get Government grants to research this! This is huge folks! BILLIONS if not TRILLIONS of dollars since the late 1960's have been poured into 'Global Warming' prevention programs from your vehicles emissions, to the banning of refrigerants, to what may become 'Cap and Trade'. The EvironMENTALists will not cease this fight because to lose this fight would be an admission of guilt on their part and result in the biggest scientific scandal since Eugenics.

29NOV09 Battle For Terra DVD review, or 83 minutes of life I'll never get back...

2009-11-29T14:44:00.002-09:00

NOTE: If you intend to watch this movie, don't read my review first, I'm spoiling the plot!

First off, it was rather beautifully animated even if the rendering was a tad on the light side in some cases. The shadows were well executed, and CG has come a LONG way since Toy Story! However, its 2009, so yo know it was low budget because the main characters were bald, and the ones with hair still had the solid cap looking hair that was a necessity back when Toy Story was made due to the technical limitations. Now, its just a sign of not being able to (or willing to) pay for the rendering farm usage. They captured the movements and skittishness of birds quite well in their Terran (but not the Earth Terra, but an earth-like planet called Terra... yeesh! So the critique begins...) equivalent of hummingbirds and sparrows.

Downhill from there. As always, its about humans traveling across the galaxy looking for new home because we destroyed our home planet Earth, and in this case both Mars and Venus in a giant war between humanity. Someone believes Earth would have a government, that would have colonies on Mars and Venus who would be under colonial governments and declare independence from Earth's government. Typical episodic or b-grade science fiction idea (I blame Gene Roddenberry for that one mainly, but its a far too common theme in science fiction...). Of course, the beautifully rendered bird is on the earth-like planet called Terra by humans, inhabited by none other than a peace loving race of aliens who are at one with nature (anyone else seeing where this conflict is leading?).

As you can guess, the human race, having destroyed earth is desperate for a new home world, and the human government consists of the ever wise, clear thinking, and level headed Council; and the hothead, genocidal (xenocidal) maniacs of the Earth Force. They are in a space craft called the Ark, and run across the ever peaceful species of aliens whom the Earth Force (surprise, surprise) is willing to wipe out in an effort colonize the earth-like planet of Terra. Since the Council disagrees and wants to engage in diplomacy, the Earth Force does what every military force does when faced with this dilemma in Hollyweird film, and carries out a military coup.

But wait, theres more! Our Terran aliens have a wise and all knowing Council of Elders themselves that have ensured the peace and prosperity of their planet by removing all knowledge of war from the people! Gum drops and lollipops all around! They seem to have managed to eradicate violence from their species by keeping all weapons from them! In the mountains shrouded in clouds is a cave full of the knowledge of war, forbidden to the general populace, and only the Elders have access! The Terrans have pulled their advanced technology out to save their species! Of course, the protagonist has to go through the shock of learning what violence and war is, and then learn all about how the Terrans almost destroyed themselves with these weapons, which was why the survivors banned technology that wasn't approved by the Elders and hid the weapons. So, a species that is Fallen like mankind, can just suppress all thoughts and acts of violence by removing the weapons? Right... Ask a prison warden what happens with no guns or knives, ask an orderly at a mental institution about kids raised in a 'weapon free' environment and how violent they can be just based on PURE INSTINCT. Of course, such details are omitted, as this is a child's cartoon (rated PG of course...).

As to the final battle, lets just say a human who isn't bad finally decides to stop the plans of the xenocidal maniac General Hammer. Which brings me to my next point, have you ever noticed that Hollyweird always portrays military men in science fiction as being homicidal/xenocidal/genocidal maniacs (and when they can, they chomp cigars like Patton) with no mind to the consequences of violence? That, and always ready to conquer new lands and planets and enslave the populace in order to rape said planet of natural resources! I've also noticed the tendency for said generals to execute a military coup, assassination plot, or some other bull @#%* whenever the civilian government (who is ALWAYS portrayed as wise, all knowing, peace loving, and empathetic) gets in the way of the Conquest. Perhaps this negative portrayal of the military is my biggest critique of this movie (along with mindlessness of the enlisted men and officers under the General, except for the one they intend to foil the plot with whom has 'gone native'), along with the fact that all Hollyweird war heroes tend to be officers (with occassional senior enlisted men involved somewhere... anyone in the real military will tell you the countless stories of heroism involving men who wore stripes, not bars, leaves, birds or stars).

Make no mistake, I'm a fan of military science fiction, mostly in the books. Give me a book by David Drake or J.E. Pournelle any day and I'll gladly read it. Why? Because there is a far greater accuracy in their writing than what I've ever seen on the big screen. Of course, if Hollyweird tried to make a movie about one of their books, they'd screw up and come up with another 1997 movie erroneously named Starship Troopers (which honestly, they should have picked a Hammers Slammers story to do instead of Heinlein's book, they'd at least portray the back story of the mercs 'pleasure section' accurately even if they missed the rest of the story...). But then, Hollyweird is full of writers who don't have any military experience of their own, or if the do they get lost in the crowd of producers, executive producers, directors, and focus meetings done in order to target the script at the best selling segment of the audience at large. FLOP, WHY?! They scream when the movie fails...

Part of my frustration, which has led to this blog post, is the continual stereotyping I see in Hollyweird science fiction movies. If one were to judge science fiction based on movies, science fiction is in trouble! But alas, science fiction lives in literature and lives very well there. Much better than on big screen. We've seen Hollyweird come a long way in its portrayal of science fiction, from the basic 'green men invasion' low budget flick period in which only two movies really reflected science fiction literature ('The Day the Earth Stood Still', and 'The Forbidden Planet'), to classics like 'The Twilight Zone' and 'Star Trek' on TV, until where we are today with decent science fiction on the TV and big screen.

But there is a long way to go. I can see the format for the last two decades reverberated here. Its form science fiction again, what sells (sorta). We see the same common thread in 'The Abyss', the 'Fifth Element', and finally here with 'Battle for Terra'. Mankind is bad, we destroy our earth, and worst of all we fight wars. Therefore we are violent, 'un-evolved', people whom should be isolated on earth or destroyed completely. Um, sure... Some how, I'm on board with the military science fiction crowd (in literature) that believes that fighting is a fact of life (and being a spiritual man, an aspect of our Fallen existence). If we are this way, somehow I suspect alien life is that way, and will continue to be that way. Very FEW species on earth don't have any mechanism for fighting to survive, and those that were like that died off (the dodo for example, didn't fear man enough to fly away, or fight to defend nests, they just stood there while sailors shot them and stomped the eggs...). Fight or Flight, or die!

There is some irony here, as I'm going to quote some of J.E. Pournelle's Preface to the 1983 collection of military science fiction stories “There Will Be War”, as he was writing from Hollywood CA at the time! This is the best explanation of why movies like 'Battle for Terra' piss me off I've yet seen.

“Everyone desires peace; but there have been few generations free of war. Paradoxically, the few eras of peace were times when men of war had high influence. The Pax Romana was enforced by Caesar's Legions. The Pax Britannica was enforced by the Royal Navy and His Majesty's Forces. The era of (comparative) peace since 1945 has been marked by the deployment of the most powerful weapons in history.
The Swiss Republic has long enjoyed peace; but ruthlessly enforces universal manhood conscription and military training.
Historically, peace has only been bought by men of war [emphasis mine]. We may, in future, be able to change that. It may be, as some say, that we have no choice. It may be that peace can must be bought with some coin other than blood of good soldiers; but there is no evidence to show that day of jubilee has yet come.”

“History shows another strong trend: when soldiers have succeeded in eliminating war, or at least in keeping the battles far from home, small in scope, and confined largely to soldiers; when in other words, they have done what one might have thought they were supposed to do; it is then that their masters generally despise them.”

Keep in mind, this was written in 1982. Never forget, history repeats itself.

Writers, and those influencing scripts, in Hollyweird are as disconnected with America and reality as they are with history and the military. This movie is nothing more than a cheap flick made to fit the format of Hollyweird science fiction 'first contact' molds with computer animation. It just keeps perpetuating negative stereotypes of those who wear a uniform and actually risk something more than pissing someone off for peace.

So, where is the movie where aliens come to earth, visit the UN, and determine we are un-fit for galactic society because we kill our own before they are even born, seek to kill our elders when they are deemed a burden to society, and social engineer our children into little drones for the government in government run schools while using junk science to scare people into paying more for basic essentials for survival like wood, coal, oil, and natural gas?

24NOV09 CLIMATEGATE! The beginning of the fall of Global Warming BS?!

2009-11-24T13:51:00.001-09:00

Check out my little box on the bottom right of this page for my Environmental Reading List, with the exception of some of the books, the links are to blogs and journals from around the globe. Climate Gate coverage now tops the list, but other skeptical works are linked in also!

12NOV2009 Angry Veteran Ranting, part one-hundred... (well, post 219 on this blog...)

2009-11-12T20:37:00.001-09:00

More and more, as the days go by, we learn more and more about how political correctness and excessive sensitivity assisted greatly with a lack of communication between Federal law enforcement agencies and the Dept. of Defense! People weren't listening, people were looking the other way in fear of repercussions from CAIR and the ACLU or the MEO (Military Equal Opportunity) Office. President Obama is currently ordering an intelligence review (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9BU5G982&show_article=1) in regards to this incident at Ft. Hood. What is incredibly frustrating is this from that article:
“The FBI confirmed this week that the U.S. government knew about 10 to 20 e-mails between Hasan and a radical imam beginning in December 2008.”
From NPR we have an article based on their interviews with Hasan's co-workers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center which contradict the first comments from Hasan's Imam and family who said 'he was a good soldier' and 'never expressed any radical Islamic' views. In the military, its obvious that they need to take a soldiers co-workers points of view about not being in a foxhole with them much more seriously!
“One official involved in the conversations had reportedly told colleagues that he worried that if Hasan deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, he might leak secret military information to Islamic extremists. Another official reportedly wondered aloud to colleagues whether Hasan might be capable of committing fratricide, like the Muslim U.S. Army sergeant who, in 2003, killed two fellow soldiers and injured 14 others by setting off grenades at a base in Kuwait.”
(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120313570)
We can see that this is not the first time that a Muslim soldier with radical Islamic views has acted in a violent manner toward his fellow soldiers in a blatant act of betrayal and treason along with murder. When soldiers don't trust a Muslim soldier, typically there is a basis in reality; most of the Muslim soldiers that are trusted have actually earned such trust, those that aren't trusted are not trusted for good reason. I can tell you about some of the Muslim soldiers, to include Chaplains, who have done so much for us and increased our ability to interface with the local population in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those who have lost the trust of their comrades need to be removed and watched closely, there is typically reasons for this necessity. Why? Critical intelligence could be compromised along with compromising national security, and incidents like the 2003 grenade attack in Kuwait and now Ft. Hood on the 5th of November 2009.

Maj. Hasan's superiors at Walter Reed did indeed notice suspicious behavior, and I strongly suspect that they acted rather passively due to the very real fear of legal reprisal from Maj. Hasan through the MEO Office. This is no joke, whenever someone who is not a White Christian Male complains about anything, the MEO Office takes seriously and acts in a manner similar to the Spanish Inquisition (NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION!) ensuring the accused is guilty until proven innocent and sent to 'sensitivity training' and letters of reprimand through Article 15 Non-Judicial Punishment is meted out (and in some cases, especially in very real cases of sexual assault, Court Martial).

'Meanwhile, the Pentagon has found no evidence that Hasan formally sought release from the Army as a conscientious objector or for any other reason, two senior military officials told The Associated Press. Family members have said he wanted to get out of the Army and had sought legal advice, suggesting that Hasan's anxiety as a Muslim over his pending deployment overseas might have been a factor in the deadly rampage.

Hasan had complained privately to colleagues that he was harassed for his religion and that he wanted to get out of the Army. But there is no record of Hasan filing a complaint with his chain of command regarding any harassment he may have suffered for being Muslim or any record of him formally seeking release from the military, the officials told the AP.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is under investigation.
Another Army official, Lt. Col. George Wright, said Wednesday that Hasan likely would have had to commit to another year in the military when he was transferred to Fort Hood earlier this summer. It is common for an officer to incur a one-year service extension when they receive a transfer to another post.

An Army officer can request a discharge and offer to repay his education costs funded by the military, but in many instances such a request would be denied because it is difficult and takes several years to replace officers at that level.

"It's not unusual for medical officers to be funded by the government," Wright said, "and there is an active duty service obligation to repay that educational funding."'
(http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091111/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_fort_hood_shooting)

Despite opportunities to actually confront anyone harassing him, and legally resign his commission and get out of the Army, he did none of these beyond whining (yes whining or venting) to his co-workers about doing it. Instead of using the MEO Office for its intended purpose, in Hasan's case, any actual harassment about his ethnic background and faith; it seems to me that the MEO Office and Inquisitorial procedure stood in the way of actual legitimate concern about his radical Islamic leanings in his daily interaction with his fellow soldiers. Having been in the military, and having to have gone through annual MEO briefings, along with other annual briefings that are required by to deploy with similar messages (like Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Inappropriate Relationships, Homosexual Policy, and many, many more Annual Training requirements... With at least 30 Power Point Slides and guidelines from the Pentagon down to the local unit level....), soldiers were paralyzed by policy from expressing the concern of 'I don't want him in my foxhole' veto power based on the manner in which Hasan argued against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are very few units in the US Military that have that kind of authority to deny someone from deploying or serving in a unit, too bad it only seems reserved to the highly specialized units. In this case, I believe it should be considered much more seriously. Not only should a soldiers superiors rate him, but his subordinates and co-workers to some extent should have some input, after all in a team there is a matter of trust. The man on your left and right ARE truly your concern, they are going to get you out alive and you will likely get them out alive also. Obviously such a system would need be taken with a grain of salt in some cases, but should be considered to some degree.

There was always the opportunity for Maj. Hasan to be come a conscientious objector and say “Due to my Islamic faith, there is a moral conflict of interest and I am not going to bear arms against my people” and I'm sure that would send off the right flags to get him out of the Army after his Military Service Obligation ended and keep him from deploying overseas. But that would require a certain amount of moral courage that obviously he didn't have, or perhaps he was planning on carrying out an act of war against the United States in the first place inserting himself in the Army. Who knows for sure at this point. With the CIA and FBI constantly under scrutiny for 'violating' peoples rights during the Bush Administration, with endless investigations from the House and Senate with high profile members of the Democratic Majority constantly hammering down on them crushing department morale, initiative, and ingenuity; I believe an investigation should be started not only in the agencies that failed to flag and remove the threat, but into the forces pushing certain Congressmen and Congresswomen to constantly whip the CIA and FBI. What political organizations are encouraging Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid? This is a factor that should be taken into consideration in much the same way that it was investigated in the 9/11 Commission Report about how those agencies had their hands tied and communication severed by the Attorney General Janet Reno (who was assisted by the current Attorney General Robert Holder!).

Politics must not interfere with the defense of our nation. Any politician that does willfully interfere with the defense of this nation is a liability to national security and an asset to the enemies of the Constitution of the United States of America; and therefore should be investigated with an eye toward treason. If it turns out that political correctness killed 12 soldiers and 1 civilian at Ft. Hood, its time to remove politicians from office on charges of treason. We are at war, and war is an equal opportunity killer that knows no political or religious sensitivity; we need to commit to victory or work toward terms of surrender if the enemy can be negotiated with. Those are the only two aims in war, anything in the middle is a betrayal of those who fight. Surrender advocates need to make themselves known and be completely honest about it, and quit hiding behind a false face of mediocrity, political correctness, and the wasted phrase of “we support the soldiers but not the war” while delaying decisions to send more troops or pull troops out of Afghanistan costing my brothers and sisters their lives on the field of battle. Victory or Defeat, chose one, for there is no other option in war. In our case, I strongly suspect defeat will mean the end of the United States as we know it in much the same manner as the end of Rome (and the beginning of the subsequent 'Dark Ages').

“The historians can't seem to settle whether to call this one 'The Third Space War' (or the fourth), or whether 'The First Interstellar War' fits it better. We just call it 'The Bug War.' Everything up to then and still later were 'incidents,' 'patrols' or 'police actions.' However, you are just as dead if you buy the farm in an 'incident' as you are if you buy it in a declared war...”
R.A. Heinlein “Starship Troopers” (not to be mistaken for the 1997 erroneously called the same thing)

09NOV2009 Treason!

2009-11-09T10:10:00.002-09:00

Major Nidal Malik Hasan committed an act of cold hard treason and sabotage during a time of armed conflict. Irregardless of his background, religion, nationality, or any other factor that might have motivated him, he is a traitor and not a victim. Any other details, ranging from possible radicalism in his Islamic faith to being against the war are minor details that might assist in determining motivation but its all minor compared to convicting Hasan on charges of treason (and executing the traitor). Hasan is just another McVeigh and deserves the same fate, I'm just happy that he will be facing a Court Martial and face the UCMJ. In other words, he will face a death penalty with little chance of avoiding it if convicted.

If they try and say 'teasing' made him a victim, thats bull shit. In today's military, especially if you are of Hasan's background, you have a special set of rights that allows you to hammer those evil white Christian males that joke about you; the Military Equal Opportunity Office. On top of that, how many of you have dealt with worse than being called 'camel jockey'?! I lost count of how many times my co-workers refereed to my faith in a negative manner and used words like 'virgin' and 'prude' in a rather derogatory manner. I've dealt with much worse, such as someone taping a picture of Cardinal Law from Boston on my desk and a 'Recovering Catholic' picture next to it (that resulted in the vehemently anti-Catholic individual receiving a very long talk from my supervisor with his supervisor, luckily the point was noted how pin-headed such actions are and no administrative actions were necessary). Did I go nuts and shoot up people? Nope. I did what any good ROMAD does, and got a thicker skin, but then thats just whats expected of anyone who is a White Christian Heterosexual Pro-Gun Pro-Life male in this country; we can't be offended as we are just so oppressive and evil ourselves we should just take all the hate since we must pay the price for our long dead ancestors that brought all the evil to this world... Don't give me the 'teasing' bull shit excuse. If its so bad to insult Islam, they need just need to grow up like the Jews, Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus have and grow a thick skin (then again, Islam through-out Central Asia and the Middle East tends to oppress those faiths currently...). There is no religion on the face of the earth that hasn't spent some time in persecution by another religion; GET OVER IT.

November 9th, 1989; I was in 1st Grade in Religion Class at St. Terese Catholic School in Aurora Colorado (one of two years I was there), that was when I first learned of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain, the day it came down! A proud day for the world! Freedom triumphed, and the ideas of Communism crumbled with it just a few days later. You would think folks would remember what a farce system socialism is based on the past experiences of seeing over the wall... Nope, people don't remember that far back and forget the lessons of history. I thank God my father was a Cold War Veteran, he gave the context of what the world was like at that point in history.

Hugo Chavez is rattling his saber, telling his forces to get ready to go to war with Columbia. Go figure, he supports the FARC which resorted to kidnapping and drug dealing in between the time when they got money from the Soviets and Chavez. FARC is nothing more than a guerrilla force of Communists attempting to overthrow the Columbian government and force socialism on the rest of the populace. Got to love those Communists! And we wonder where our drug culture came from...

08NOV09 Mass Casualty Training

2009-11-08T20:56:00.001-09:00

We just finished Drill this month, early. Why? Well, we've been coordinating and are continuing to coordinate training on MASCAS events. Mainly, because if the State Defense Force gets called up, its likely going to be one such event. State Defense Force/State Guard units are next in line when the National Guard is swamped or deployed over seas (during Katrina, the State Guard in Louisiana and several other states like Maryland responded until the US Army and the State of LA were able to get the bulk of their National Guard units back from Iraq and other locations... Hence the purpose of a Title 32 State Guard/Defense Force... YES, the National Guard NEEDS backed up once in a while...) to respond to crisis. Our instructor (who is an active duty medic and volunteering his weekend to train us) worked with the New York State Guard during 9/11/01 and has felt the urgency in ensuring that State Guard/Defense Forces need as much training as their National Guard, Reserve, and Active duty counter parts based on that experience.

About three months ago, he approached us and expressed an interest in helping us a few weekends to get us up to speed with the likely procedures in use today, starting at the very basic level. We are still at the crawling phase in our training, but now we are thinking about how to handle the crisis. Our medics (many of whom are EMT, ranging from in EMT courses now, to full Paramedics with combat/ full time ambulance experience) were as always the center focus of training, with all the rest of us learning what we can do to back them up during a MASCAS event. Everything from initial triage, placement of each level of triage, to the roles such as site security and public affairs were discussed. Should something happen, we now are better prepared to fill in the appropriate roles!

One of the best things that folks in the public at large should learn about mass casualty events is that YOU could be a first responder. Learn basic first aid and CPR! You never know where this might come in handy. With basic first aid training you go from being just a witness or victim of an event (like an earthquake, flood, fire, or God forbid a terrorist act like 9/11) to being someone who can assist the folks in uniform in at the very least bearing a litter and holding pressure on a dressing to stabilize bleeding. You can bet that in the event of a MASCAS, that kind of assistance will be both needed and welcome. One thing that I always liked about the military, in these events, rank vanishes and anyone walking tends to automatically know that they have a role to fill (generals carrying litters and holding field dressings has happened many times throughout history...). Take that example to heart. Anyone with medical training of any variety should step up and do what they can. Citizens are the first responders in every MASCAS! Know enough to be able to be more than 'just a bystander' getting in the way! Mentally, accept the possibility of the worst possible event and you just increase your chances of survival tremendously!

I'd also encourage folks to learn a little more about what State Guard and State Defense Forces do, and why they are so important to the security and readiness of our country and states! For veterans, this is a great way to serve your country once again when you are done with Active Duty, National Guard or Reserve time! You don't deploy overseas, you might go to another state, but for most units there is no age limits (obviously, you will be assigned duties accordingly...). If anyone in Alaska is interested, just shoot me a message and I'll get you more information on the 49th Civil Affairs Brigade (SEP) Alaska State Defense Force (formerly the Alaska Territorial Guard back in WWII), and in particularly the 3rd MP Battalion here in Fairbanks.

06NOV09 Can you blame them for loss of trust?

2009-11-06T09:51:00.001-09:00

Is it a terrorist act, or just an angry Army Psychiatrist who happens to be Moslem getting mad and going of the deep end when faced with his first deployment orders to a war he opposes? His Imam is at a loss, as he never showed any radical tendencies at the mosque; his co-workers are pretty shocked that his stress led him this way; and there are many of those whom are his victims who were re-deploying home and heard the words they heard far too often “Allah Ackbar” as he began to open fire on them:

“Soldiers reported that the gunman shouted "Allahu Akbar!" — an Arabic phrase for "God is great!" — before opening fire, said Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, the base commander. He said officials had not yet confirmed that Hasan made the comment.”
(http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091106/ap_on_re_us/us_fort_hood_shooting)

As the investigation continues, I'm sure we'll get a clearer profile on the path that led Maj. Hasan to the path of violence against his fellow soldiers. Clearly, trust has been violated in an extremely grave manner here. You have a Psychiatrist entrusted with helping soldiers through times like this in their own lives; who is also Moslem and opposed to the war. This will cause further suspicion that has existed for a very long time, and honestly you can't blame the soldiers for being suspicious anymore. They've never trusted psychiatrists, and since 9/11/01 have been cautious about Islam with good reason; now they hear one of their own turned and killed 13 of their own at Ft. Hood while while allegedly screaming “Allah Akbar” like a common terrorist. Can you blame them for lack of trust?

29OCT09 Time for Coyote trapping and hunting in Canada!

2009-10-29T16:28:00.002-08:00

A 19 year old woman, Taylor Mitchell was killed in coyote attack in Canada. Some biologist are at a loss, however coyotes are canines and inherently pack animals and WILL from time to time attack humans. No matter the species, dogs are dogs! Same thing is happening in California and other states here in the US where hunting is so tightly regulated.

This causes an imbalance in nature the environMENTALists fail to realize. Humans are hunters, since the dawn of man, we hunted or got hunted. Bottom line, we now don't hunt like we used to, so I suspect animals are losing fear of our species no longer really getting acquainted with our predator side like they used to. Well, at least some of the animals near civilization where the hunting is restricted. Here in Alaska, coyotes are especially shy for good reason...

...another thing to think about, out in the wild, wild animals are wild. Go forth properly equipped!

But then, Taylor Mitchell was hiking alone, in a National Park in Nova Scotia. Her government restricts her ability to carry firearms there, and she was alone and a target. Its sad. Canadians should be up in arms about this. Time to start trapping the coyotes there and get them a reason to be nervous around humans again!

KC-130+Hellfire+laser/sensor package= Battlefield Convenience Store!

2009-10-05T15:47:00.005-08:00

Live Leak Video

Talk about a flying battlefield convenience store! I wonder if a certain Air National Guard unit in Nevada is playing with this too... I certainly believe it would be an incredible Joint asset and shouldn't just be used by any one branch! Lets get em' all doing this!

Gas up, shoot missiles! What a great combination! This is how the Spooky Gunships were born back in 'Nam; ingenuity, elbow grease, and creative thinking outside the container!

Daily News Miner, take note!

2009-10-03T16:24:00.001-08:00

Lessons from the Rocky Mountain News

Don't downplay the new media!

28MAY09 Dragnet and Obama

2009-09-28T18:40:00.001-08:00

25SEP09 Staged Arrests!

2009-09-25T09:35:00.005-08:00

EDIT 28SEP09: Being a fair man, I must make a correction! These arrests are not in fact staged, but are in fact very real arrests. However, the ones executing the arrest are NOT to my knowledge DoD personnel, but strike me as local, state, or federal LEO SWAT members who have decided that they can wear multi-cam and BDU uniforms in an urban crowd control environment. We see the result of this, now we have the paranoids screaming about Posse Comitatus, if I'm wrong on the account of them being LEO's a correction will follow. If they are National Guard acting under State orders, they are fine, if they are DoD personnel, than the Posse Comitatus is warranted.

As noted on Black Five, this is so fake. Any vet can spot the fakes. Who wears BDU's anymore? Multi-Cam isn't authorized yet... Obviously not any military or DoD organization here! Maybe its a bunch of IVAW guys working with the G-20 protestors to stage a cheesy video of G-20 protestors getting arrested to incite more violence and anti-government sentiment!

After all, the IVAW is pretty retarded at faking things and is full of fakes (I feel sorry for the real vets who associate themselves with that repugnant organization, to include a good friend of mine, I still think the real ones need to split off...).

Just check out the latest Rick "Duncan" story from the American Legion Burn Pit and the dereliction of duty of the US Attorney in the good state of Colorado. If you are as outraged as I am about the dereliction of duty of the CO US Attorney, write to them: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/co/contact_info/contact_info/index.html

16SEP09 Sitrep

2009-09-16T09:40:00.004-08:00

Hope remains for real investigative journalism! They are up to four videos exposing ACORN as a corrupt organization that assists in the exploitation of illegal aliens and the poor in the United States. Of course, on the downside, if you stand up and call the President of the United States a "Liar" you are just a racist. At least in Jimmy Carter's peanut sized brain... Time to hit the retirement home Jimmy, or at least return to the peanut farm where you belong. Your rhetoric has cost the world and the United States lots (to include the lives of many soldiers), so its time to retire.

On top of that the US House of Representatives has decided to squelch all similar outbursts against the 'dear leader' by re-writing the rules of the House (conveniently updated now, probably to be dropped when the next Republican or Conservative takes office). This is an incredibly rare occurrence, not the heckling so much as the official action taken by the House. Its going to backfire and likely destroy some members in congress, while boosting Congressman Wilson's reputation. Why? Baseless accusations, lack of coverage prior to this incident, and the above mentioned ACORN investigation and the TEA Parties. People are pissed at the lying, and when the President lied, one man boldly exclaimed the truth. Joe Wilson apologized to the President personally for being rude, not for telling the truth. Now the House continued to seek to punish him, this does not bode well for the political animals on the Republicratic/Democratin front who voted to punish him. People are getting tired of the parliamentary maneuvering going on in the face of important issues where the President did indeed lie by omission. Its good to see the committees now addressing the point Joe Wilson shouted "YOU LIE!" about, too bad it took that to open the eyes of Congress, the Senate, the President, and the American people.

On the war front of GWOT, the FBI is busting up a plot that stretched from Denver/Aurora Colorado all the way to Queens New York! People have been sleeping far too long in regards to what is going on with terrorism. If there was no other case for shutting down the border and controlling the flow of immigration to the South and indeed the North, this is one such case. Denver lies on the I-25 corridor that runs from New Mexico all the way through to Wyoming. What few people realize, is that this is MAJOR route used by the drug trade/sex slave trade/illegal aliens to get to middle America. From Denver, the drugs go either West to California or East toward Kansas City en-route to Chicago... You can imagine this is a great way for OTM's to get into the US and connect with or supply terror cells. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if the drug smugglers are working with various terrorist organizations (not much difference really). After all, both profit from the US being un-stable, no conspiracy really necessary so much as "the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so long as they pay well".

14SEP09, Left hand don't know what the Right hand....

2009-09-14T16:42:00.002-08:00

In regards to the bag tax... I think you should just leave your dog shit lying on the park grass since the same government wants to ban you from using them by taxing you for it.

9-12-2009, 9/12 Protest Fairbanks!

2009-09-14T12:02:00.004-08:00

It was small, and certainly a grass roots effort. About 25-30 folks out with signs angry about growth of government. Small, but well worth the effort!

I didn't see one reporter from the local paper. All well. I guess 9-10 anti-war protesters deserve more coverage than 25-30 normal Americans getting shafted by a big government...

Now, check out the Washington DC Protest!

10SEP09 Eight Years Ago...

2009-09-10T15:17:00.002-08:00

This day eight years ago, I was loading Humvees onto a KC-135 in preparation for air delivery to the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin (land at a field near by, off load, convoy to Ft. Irwin). Our ADVON team had already left, and we were nest part of the ADVON. 11SEP01 was to be a comp day for me for working so late into the night getting those trucks tied down to pallets on the aircraft. From 0700 until about 2000 we were on that air field.

We came home, and I was appointed driver to get our ADVON guys to the Soldiers Readiness Package processing area to get on that plane to fly with the trucks. I woke up at 0400 on 11SEP01 and drove our airmen over there and brought the van back. I sat in the office waiting to be released... Thats when the news hit. All our gear was loaded and on the way to Ft. Irwin. All except our battle rattle and carry-on items!

Right after the Pentagon got hit, I left the day room and locked the motor pool gate on my way to my equipment locker and replaced the canteen on my right side with a holster for my M-9 (you know, the good ol' TA-50 LBE). We went to the day room and watched as the towers collapsed. Our squadron commander looked at us, and told us to be ready for an early morning and that were dismissed for the day. This was about 1400 CST.

I never slept that day, until 12SEP01 early in morning, for an hour or so until we got the recall and showed up to work ready to roll. Luckily, for our unit, it would be business as usual. That meant once the skies were open again, off to the NTC for training. We were heavy armor at Ft. Riley, a round out brigade; no chance in hell of deploying to Afghanistan as a unit. At the time I didn't fully grasp that only the ETACs might deploy as augmentees.

I never regretted joining up. 11SEP2001 was what I joined to be prepared to face. Two conversations haunted me that day, and still to this day. The first a NJROTC event where my unit at Mesa Ridge High School provided an honor guard to a Pearl Harbor Ceremony at Memorial Park in Colorado Springs; a retired US Navy MCPO discussed the ramifications of an un-prepared country and that it would lead to another Pearl Harbor type event, this was in 1998 or so. The next was my Creative Writing teacher laughing at the notion that terrorists would attack the United States in 1999...