Hey, I took a little break, but am back with more lame commentary about current events. Don't forget to keep all Stryker soldiers, cavalrymen, and patrons of St George the Dragonslayer in your nightly prayers!
1. "Don't Tase me Bro" (HT Drudge): This is about the aggressive student at UF that got hit with a stun gun while trying to make an ass out of himself at a John Kerry Q&A session. I love stories about hippies getting the smack down. Really they're not so much hippies, but really the weird assortment of anarchist/activists that predominate the progressive movement. To keep things short, I find it very amusing that the same people that say violence is never the answer, are the ones that seem to use coersion, disruption, and force to make their points. How completely hypocritical. Anyway, said student will not relinquich microphone after being asked to. He uses force to continue the debate on his own terms. Local law enforcement asserts applied voltage, bringing the balance of force back into equilibrium. Check out the picture on the link. The look on his face says it all. I think the fiesty female cop was the one that took him out too, sweet! I love lady's that know how to dish out pain.
2. Fired Boeing engineer says 787 Dreamliner unsafe (HT Drudge): No shit buddy? I guess you didn't get that severance package you were looking for. Don't worry, now that they replaced you with somebody a little better, I'm sure they'll get all your mistakes ironed out. What I find funny, is that CBS seems to be all over this story, with Dan Rather (my hero) getting involved. What I can't figure out is how they beat NBC to the scoop on this. Oh, nevermind, GE owns NBC and also happens to be one of two prime suppliers of aircraft engines to the Dreamliner program (GENX is the engine for those interested).
3. 50 Basis Points: Big Ben surprised everybody it seems. I actually made a little money in my investments, if for only a day. I am dying on NTAP and CRDN. I am pondering maybe getting a little bit back into financials. We'll see.
4. Barry Manilow and the View (HT Drudge): OMG!! Barry Manilow is not going to be on the View for his third ineterview. It's like so draconian and stuff. The show has like so gone down hill since Rosie left. Nevermid that Israel just bombed Syria last week, President I'mNeedofJihad is going to be speaking at the UN next week, and oil is at over $81 a barrel. This is big stuff. Next thing you know, Danny Devito might actually start having to show up sober when he does The View.
5. Quiet Agression: For those that missed it (and almost everybody did), Israel launched a major air operation in Syria last week. Strangely, nobody is talking much about it. Word among defense analysts are that they took out some kind of nuclear facility. The Isrealli's are keeping mum because they don't want the bad press and operational details to come out, while the Syrians are just plain embarrassed. Of course, a few days later, Iran's most eloquent President, Mr I'mInNeedofJihad made a very blustery comment that if Iran or Syria was attacked, then 600 missile would be launched at Israel and a few dozen at US targets in Iraq. What a little bitch. Your ally just did get attacked, dumbass. Threatening everybody two days after the incident only says one thing, "punk bitch." Good job IDF!!
6. World Could Live with a Nuclear Iran (HT Drudge): Of course it could, I mean, scientists showed that at least cock roaches will survive a major nuclear war. Whatever Gen Abizaid has to say about the issue though, my hat goes off to the French on this one. I am starting to like Mr Sarkozy more and more, and I see the French having are backs (and us theirs) much more in the future.
7. OJ: Had to mention it. Pathetic. That's all I have to say.
8. California Greenhouse Gas Lawsuit Dismissed (HT Drudge): My favorite quote from the presiding judge, "The Court finds that injecting itself into the global warming thicket at this juncture would require an initial policy determination of the type reserved for the political branches of government." What, a federal judge that refuses to legistlate from the bench? Maybe the governator will learn a little bit about the judicial system from this. Then again, maybe he new the case was DOA anyway, pushing it forward to appease CA liberals while knowing full well it was useless. Quite Macheavellian.
9. State Senator Suing God (HT Drudge): I guess this is a stunt to make a point. Senator Ernie Chambers is from Nebraska, so maybe he can get re-elected. Still, I don't see him doing too well in the South Carolina primaries if he ever makes it big time.
10. Another Annapolis Scandal! (HT OPFOR): Part 1 of 4 of an investigative report from the Columbia Spectator, where a female reporter comes to the startling revelation that the US Service Academies actually are military institiutions that train young men and women to be combat leaders. Her personal account of her brother's brainwashing during plebe summer is gripping in its implications. My prediction is that she will come to accept her brother, graduate with her journalism degree, go to work at a Chile's after graduation, go out visit her brother at the Academy, fall in love with one of his dashing friends (suave aviator, gruff marine, or dour nuclear engineer, she'll have a lot to chose from), get married, and end up pushing a baby carriage with her LT in tow to Navy formal parades and football at Navy-Marine Corps stadium within the next ten years.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
My Iraq Strategy
I really wish things would move along faster in our current struggle against the insurgents and Al Qaeda thugs in Iraq. Based on that, I have a few humble suggestions that should be considered.
1. Body Armor: As our valiant Democratic leadership has pointed out, the current administration just doesn't care how well protected our troops are. The current Interceptor Body Armor with ESAPI plates only covers about 30% of the vital areas of our soldiers. Luckily, the current armor does have back plates, which helps with the Democratic leadership because it ensures our forces stay safe while retreating. We really need a new body armor solution that provides plate coverage over 100% of their bodies. That way, Nancy Pelosi can rest assured that our forces are 100% protected, even when kneeling and groveling while apologizing for our unnecessary war of aggression. In addition, recent Al Qaeda terrorist attacks have included the use of chlorine gas, so a fully encapsulated helmet with a built in gas mask would be ideal. To save money on procurement, we should not produce this armor in sizes for short troopers.
2. Camouflage: The Army has moved to the ACU pattern, which seems to be only effective if our soldiers try to hide inside discount fabric stores or retail furniture outlets. In all honesty though, fratricide is often as big a killer as anything else, so we should just give up on camouflage altogether, and ensure our new battle armor comes with a glossy white finish. That way, it will be obvious where our guys are at, so we don’t accidentally drop some JDAMS on them. This will also help the press and Iraqi stringers working for Rueters/Al Qaeda more easily identify our troops so we can get maximum press coverage for the rest of the war.
3. Weapons: Our current force uses M-4's and M-16/A4's. While moderately decent, they are not near bad ass enough to inspire instant fear in our foes. Many want to move back to a 7.62mm round, but that makes for much higher ammo bulk (much better stopping power though). What is really needed is a rifle capable of hurling bolts of plasma thousands of times (say the length of 3-6 full cinema length movies) without ever needing to be reloaded. These weapons should also be small, in case our special forces ever need to establish a counter insurgency in an area populated by boreal 3 foot tall teddy bear looking critters. For max shock and awe, their beams should be either red or blue, depending on which side they are being used by (we should establish a Geneva convention process for determining who gets each color in any conflict). Finally, these "blaster" rifles should be fully capable of being "set for stun," so that National Guard units will be capable of state mobilizations to slap down hippies in any major future protests.
4. Vehicles: Our vehicles are simply too close to the ground, which makes IED's and EFP's much too effective. We need to develop a method to eliminate this threat, by creating armored transports that actually use giant mechanical legs to walk above the ground. We could have little two legged ones for the cavalry scouts and big huge four legged ones to replace the bradleys in our heavy mechanized units. We should set up a test range in Antarctica for these new systems, so we can ensure they can be tested in the toughest conditions on Earth, someplace where the odds of survival for a lone human at night is like 260,000:1, depending on which R2 unit you ask.
5. Respect: Like or not, our front line commanders in Iraq are looked at as sheiks by the local community. Unfortunately, fear is a very important motivator in the Arab world, and to be honest, when a battalion commander goes to a meeting with the locals, he needs to be feared and respected. "Lieutenant Colonel" or "Red Devil-6" just don't cut it folks. From now on, the US Army needs to replace the name of the rank 0-5, "Lieutenant Colonel," with the new rank "Darth."
6. Naval Power Projection: While most would agree that the Nimitz class aircraft carrier is 90,000 tons of American diplomacy, nobody in Iran or Pakistan seems to be listening to our F/A-18 laced entendre. What is really needed is a fully functional battle station, capable of destroying worlds. Say, something that would look like a small moon to a burned out cultist in brown robes. In addition, the contracts to produce this "Death Star" should be an exclusive non-foreign bid, with extra care to make sure that Boskans are NEVER allowed work on the contract, PERIOD.
7. National Command Authority: Unlike most, I don't have a lot of beef with President Bush. However, I am getting tired of him get beat to a pulp by his "loyal" opposition and the way, way, way too conservative National Press. He keeps getting roughed up bad, and simply shrugs with that "golly gee, shucks, I still ain't gonna leave Iraq" look on his face. Once more, I'm down with that, but the chummy, down home Mr Nice Guy shit needs to end. Our president needs to embrace the dark side, become a Sith Lord, and be able to hurl blue lightning bolts while choking out Senator Harry Reed from across the room. When some French diplomat or Palestinian envoy tries talking some crap about the Middle East Peace process, he can always retort, "you don't realize the power of the dark side. Now release your anger!" If he could replace the Vice President with an acrobatic, dual sword wielding demon with an 8th dan in Tae Kwon Do, then that would be an added bonus.
… or we could buck up and decide to win, realizing that soldiers win wars, not gadgets, and our soldiers are true warriors that WILL win.
1. Body Armor: As our valiant Democratic leadership has pointed out, the current administration just doesn't care how well protected our troops are. The current Interceptor Body Armor with ESAPI plates only covers about 30% of the vital areas of our soldiers. Luckily, the current armor does have back plates, which helps with the Democratic leadership because it ensures our forces stay safe while retreating. We really need a new body armor solution that provides plate coverage over 100% of their bodies. That way, Nancy Pelosi can rest assured that our forces are 100% protected, even when kneeling and groveling while apologizing for our unnecessary war of aggression. In addition, recent Al Qaeda terrorist attacks have included the use of chlorine gas, so a fully encapsulated helmet with a built in gas mask would be ideal. To save money on procurement, we should not produce this armor in sizes for short troopers.
2. Camouflage: The Army has moved to the ACU pattern, which seems to be only effective if our soldiers try to hide inside discount fabric stores or retail furniture outlets. In all honesty though, fratricide is often as big a killer as anything else, so we should just give up on camouflage altogether, and ensure our new battle armor comes with a glossy white finish. That way, it will be obvious where our guys are at, so we don’t accidentally drop some JDAMS on them. This will also help the press and Iraqi stringers working for Rueters/Al Qaeda more easily identify our troops so we can get maximum press coverage for the rest of the war.
3. Weapons: Our current force uses M-4's and M-16/A4's. While moderately decent, they are not near bad ass enough to inspire instant fear in our foes. Many want to move back to a 7.62mm round, but that makes for much higher ammo bulk (much better stopping power though). What is really needed is a rifle capable of hurling bolts of plasma thousands of times (say the length of 3-6 full cinema length movies) without ever needing to be reloaded. These weapons should also be small, in case our special forces ever need to establish a counter insurgency in an area populated by boreal 3 foot tall teddy bear looking critters. For max shock and awe, their beams should be either red or blue, depending on which side they are being used by (we should establish a Geneva convention process for determining who gets each color in any conflict). Finally, these "blaster" rifles should be fully capable of being "set for stun," so that National Guard units will be capable of state mobilizations to slap down hippies in any major future protests.
4. Vehicles: Our vehicles are simply too close to the ground, which makes IED's and EFP's much too effective. We need to develop a method to eliminate this threat, by creating armored transports that actually use giant mechanical legs to walk above the ground. We could have little two legged ones for the cavalry scouts and big huge four legged ones to replace the bradleys in our heavy mechanized units. We should set up a test range in Antarctica for these new systems, so we can ensure they can be tested in the toughest conditions on Earth, someplace where the odds of survival for a lone human at night is like 260,000:1, depending on which R2 unit you ask.
5. Respect: Like or not, our front line commanders in Iraq are looked at as sheiks by the local community. Unfortunately, fear is a very important motivator in the Arab world, and to be honest, when a battalion commander goes to a meeting with the locals, he needs to be feared and respected. "Lieutenant Colonel" or "Red Devil-6" just don't cut it folks. From now on, the US Army needs to replace the name of the rank 0-5, "Lieutenant Colonel," with the new rank "Darth."
6. Naval Power Projection: While most would agree that the Nimitz class aircraft carrier is 90,000 tons of American diplomacy, nobody in Iran or Pakistan seems to be listening to our F/A-18 laced entendre. What is really needed is a fully functional battle station, capable of destroying worlds. Say, something that would look like a small moon to a burned out cultist in brown robes. In addition, the contracts to produce this "Death Star" should be an exclusive non-foreign bid, with extra care to make sure that Boskans are NEVER allowed work on the contract, PERIOD.
7. National Command Authority: Unlike most, I don't have a lot of beef with President Bush. However, I am getting tired of him get beat to a pulp by his "loyal" opposition and the way, way, way too conservative National Press. He keeps getting roughed up bad, and simply shrugs with that "golly gee, shucks, I still ain't gonna leave Iraq" look on his face. Once more, I'm down with that, but the chummy, down home Mr Nice Guy shit needs to end. Our president needs to embrace the dark side, become a Sith Lord, and be able to hurl blue lightning bolts while choking out Senator Harry Reed from across the room. When some French diplomat or Palestinian envoy tries talking some crap about the Middle East Peace process, he can always retort, "you don't realize the power of the dark side. Now release your anger!" If he could replace the Vice President with an acrobatic, dual sword wielding demon with an 8th dan in Tae Kwon Do, then that would be an added bonus.
… or we could buck up and decide to win, realizing that soldiers win wars, not gadgets, and our soldiers are true warriors that WILL win.
Current Events, July 2007
1) I guess you learn something every day. I always knew Dennis Kucinich was not exactly my favorite politician. Reading through Drudge today, I find out not only is he a vegan (not a science fiction alien, actually a person who won't eat any animal related product, ie meat, cheese, milk, baby seal pudding, etc), but he just got checked into the hospital for food poisoning. The rich irony here, is that if one was to visit PETA's website, it is full of great reading material that insists how superior a vegan diet is. Yummy, pass me the 100% organic tofu faux bologna. Not. Sorry guys, I'll stick to my totally macked out on steroids and antibiotics chicken breasts and genetically engineered grains. It's more nutricious, actually has less chance of leading to food poisoning, and is more efficient on land use. I am green, but only where it counts, the bottom line.
2) On a related note, I am glad the Al Gore has done so well for mother Earth that he has earned the right to serve a threatened species at his daughter's wedding (that's Chilean Sea Bass). I got in a fight with wifey when I said most of the people at the live aid concert were hyprocrits and charlatans. I wonder what would make me think that way. I give up. I have three wonderful daughters though, so I am already making my plans. The oldest shall have sea turtle stew, the middlest shall have a delicious baked manatee florentine with basil and red wine sauce, and the youngest shall have rosticery bald eagle topped with a wonderful truffle and white wine reduction.
3) Sub-Prime: The market is still getting very scared about the sub-prime mortgage issue. It has definately put a crimp on the major investment banks, and my Goldman Sachs position is suffering. Funny thing is, they are still making boatloads of money. Still, perception is reality on the street.
4) My boy Hugo Chavez is using his fat petro bucks to double down on even more Russian military equipment. In this case, Kilo class subs and maybe some better air defense systems. My odd prediction for the future is a post Castro revolution that will be opposed by Chavez and we will have a nice little miniature conflict in the Carribean in five years. Don't worry though, it won't last real long.
5) Big hands for our men and women overseas. The surge is going very well militarily. You never hear that on the news. I actually read one account of Jarheads in Ramadi getting bored becuase its so quiet. The progress in Al Anbar (my old stomping grounds) is astounding. The rat lines in from Syria are now a much less important threat. Arrowhead Ripper is winding down too. Mike Yon has had some excellent coverage and predicts the next hotspot will be Mosul, as the only major area where the bad guys might regroup. Keep an eye on the Balad to Mosul corridor. Keep an eye on the Strykers too, our modern day street-fighters.
1) I guess you learn something every day. I always knew Dennis Kucinich was not exactly my favorite politician. Reading through Drudge today, I find out not only is he a vegan (not a science fiction alien, actually a person who won't eat any animal related product, ie meat, cheese, milk, baby seal pudding, etc), but he just got checked into the hospital for food poisoning. The rich irony here, is that if one was to visit PETA's website, it is full of great reading material that insists how superior a vegan diet is. Yummy, pass me the 100% organic tofu faux bologna. Not. Sorry guys, I'll stick to my totally macked out on steroids and antibiotics chicken breasts and genetically engineered grains. It's more nutricious, actually has less chance of leading to food poisoning, and is more efficient on land use. I am green, but only where it counts, the bottom line.
2) On a related note, I am glad the Al Gore has done so well for mother Earth that he has earned the right to serve a threatened species at his daughter's wedding (that's Chilean Sea Bass). I got in a fight with wifey when I said most of the people at the live aid concert were hyprocrits and charlatans. I wonder what would make me think that way. I give up. I have three wonderful daughters though, so I am already making my plans. The oldest shall have sea turtle stew, the middlest shall have a delicious baked manatee florentine with basil and red wine sauce, and the youngest shall have rosticery bald eagle topped with a wonderful truffle and white wine reduction.
3) Sub-Prime: The market is still getting very scared about the sub-prime mortgage issue. It has definately put a crimp on the major investment banks, and my Goldman Sachs position is suffering. Funny thing is, they are still making boatloads of money. Still, perception is reality on the street.
4) My boy Hugo Chavez is using his fat petro bucks to double down on even more Russian military equipment. In this case, Kilo class subs and maybe some better air defense systems. My odd prediction for the future is a post Castro revolution that will be opposed by Chavez and we will have a nice little miniature conflict in the Carribean in five years. Don't worry though, it won't last real long.
5) Big hands for our men and women overseas. The surge is going very well militarily. You never hear that on the news. I actually read one account of Jarheads in Ramadi getting bored becuase its so quiet. The progress in Al Anbar (my old stomping grounds) is astounding. The rat lines in from Syria are now a much less important threat. Arrowhead Ripper is winding down too. Mike Yon has had some excellent coverage and predicts the next hotspot will be Mosul, as the only major area where the bad guys might regroup. Keep an eye on the Balad to Mosul corridor. Keep an eye on the Strykers too, our modern day street-fighters.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Investment Update
OK, due to the requests of my vast readership, I am recommitting to posting quality opinion, analysis, and bullshit. I have been busy of late, mostly concentrating on work, military duties, and investing. Based on that, I shall take this time to give you an update on my opinion of the economy and investing.
Outlook: Wow, a lot of things are turning around. We are seemingly in a bit of a Bull Market. I am a little more in cash than I wish (about 25%), mostly because I have taken some profit and was a little slow putting money back to work. I took advantage of this week's fast bear raid on the big boards was a good chance to do some quick buying. I think we are generally in a growth cycle, however, I am very wary of discretionary spending businesses right now. It looks like the consumer is getting beat down a little, but business are using strong balance sheets and relatively low interest to start buying and there is a lot of growth overseas. I think oil will peak out in a few weeks and then sell off, unless WWIII breaks out in the Persian Gulf.
Sectors Snap: I like Oil and Gas Services, Technology (Devices, Software and Storage), Some Staples, Industrials, Investment Banking. I like defense and energy as well, but think a little caution should be shown, as they could turn pretty fast. I don't like healthcare, discretionary spending (resturants, retailers, etc), autos, or airlines.
How I have fared: First off, GSK was my big loser, getting popped with the Advnadia scare. I have lost some here and am using current strength of the broad market to get out gracefully. Big winners: UL (who woulda thunk), VZ, SLB, and CBAK. I am looking to move out of GD because of limited up side and move into CRDN. I am still trying to figure out how much I want to keep my GE stock. It's good as healthcare diagnostics, aircraft engines, and oil/gas infrastructure are big plays with a very global GE, but CAT and some other players are looking nice too and I can't lose diversification. I have recently picked up some NTAP to help ride the tech rally a bit and am also trying to start building a position with ADM, which should be very profitable with lower corn prices and higer gas prices. I am still building a position in Goldman Sachs. I am a little embarrased by my current MSFT position, and I have played around with HPT (a Hotel REIT), but have decided I don't want to do the effort to keep my analysis up on that stock so I will be selling it off. I might start a position in CVS or RAD to take over GSK funds. I am selling my oil (USO) off slowl as it rallies, having not made my mind up what to do with that cash as yet.
Overall Strategy: "Foot half in the grave" I want some strong growth by getting behind some serious momentum picks (SLB, ADM, VLO, CRDN, NTAP, GS), while keeping some of my defensive plays on the table because I still think things can turn (UL, CVS or RAD, VZ, GE). I'll keep you posted.
Outlook: Wow, a lot of things are turning around. We are seemingly in a bit of a Bull Market. I am a little more in cash than I wish (about 25%), mostly because I have taken some profit and was a little slow putting money back to work. I took advantage of this week's fast bear raid on the big boards was a good chance to do some quick buying. I think we are generally in a growth cycle, however, I am very wary of discretionary spending businesses right now. It looks like the consumer is getting beat down a little, but business are using strong balance sheets and relatively low interest to start buying and there is a lot of growth overseas. I think oil will peak out in a few weeks and then sell off, unless WWIII breaks out in the Persian Gulf.
Sectors Snap: I like Oil and Gas Services, Technology (Devices, Software and Storage), Some Staples, Industrials, Investment Banking. I like defense and energy as well, but think a little caution should be shown, as they could turn pretty fast. I don't like healthcare, discretionary spending (resturants, retailers, etc), autos, or airlines.
How I have fared: First off, GSK was my big loser, getting popped with the Advnadia scare. I have lost some here and am using current strength of the broad market to get out gracefully. Big winners: UL (who woulda thunk), VZ, SLB, and CBAK. I am looking to move out of GD because of limited up side and move into CRDN. I am still trying to figure out how much I want to keep my GE stock. It's good as healthcare diagnostics, aircraft engines, and oil/gas infrastructure are big plays with a very global GE, but CAT and some other players are looking nice too and I can't lose diversification. I have recently picked up some NTAP to help ride the tech rally a bit and am also trying to start building a position with ADM, which should be very profitable with lower corn prices and higer gas prices. I am still building a position in Goldman Sachs. I am a little embarrased by my current MSFT position, and I have played around with HPT (a Hotel REIT), but have decided I don't want to do the effort to keep my analysis up on that stock so I will be selling it off. I might start a position in CVS or RAD to take over GSK funds. I am selling my oil (USO) off slowl as it rallies, having not made my mind up what to do with that cash as yet.
Overall Strategy: "Foot half in the grave" I want some strong growth by getting behind some serious momentum picks (SLB, ADM, VLO, CRDN, NTAP, GS), while keeping some of my defensive plays on the table because I still think things can turn (UL, CVS or RAD, VZ, GE). I'll keep you posted.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Show Me the Money, Biatchh!!
It seems like Senator Clinton is on the campaign trail, and her new mantra is indeed a bit interesting. To quote the headline from Drudge, “Shared Prosperity Should Replace ‘On Your Own’ Society.” It seems we need to empower government to help improve everybody’s life. The big issues are wage disparity and wealth re-distribution. Somebody needs to look out for the little guys, and I'm hear to spread the word.
Personally, I get really pissed off every time I see some know-it-all jerk driving a fancy car. His hot wife is always hanging out at my favorite coffee shop, you know, the one I work at. I have always hated jerks like that, always all successful and stuff.
It started even back in school. While I was trying to score some buds, malt liquor, or a way to shop-lift new trucks for my mega rad skate-board of death, these bozo’s where actually studying, playing sports, or otherwise improve themselves. Their friends were all faddish and cliquish and stuff, while my boyze were just trying to pimp it out in style, old school you know, word. They was always tyring to front their wordy ass shit and be all teacher’s pet on us. We ruled them chumps. They wuz hittin’ them books and we wuz knockin’ back 40’s and getting’ funky with the Brass Monkey.
Then graduation set in. They all left off to college, to get learned up on basket weaving and stuff, while us reality playa’s had to go get them skills to pay the bills. Hard core shit like custom paint jobs, sheet rock hangin’, welding, and field expedient pharmaceutical distribution operations. It’s hard enough to get money for booze, tatts, smokes, and strip clubs and still actually buy a sweet ride, but we pulled it off. Not only that, but most of us scrounged up enough cash to actually get that sweet ride dropped down, low rider style, no shit. Of course, we was playin’ at life while our antagoniasizes waz still in school, still studyin’, punks. They might think their Daddy or ROTC waz payin their way, but come on, we all know that at least 3% of the $20 a month I waz payin’ in taxes was going towards their advanced gender studies and classics deconstructivism classes.
Then those cats graduated. Now look at ‘em. Now they’re all managers, project leaders, business analysts, systems engineers, and account executives. All those little freak cheerleaders that liked our chopped rides, 4 chambered bongs, and body piercing’s are settling down with them chumps, pumping out babies and moving off to suburbia. Old BushchimpHitler hooked them up with some tax breaks too. I still pay my $20 a month in taxes, while some of those cats are saving like $20,000 a month. Uncle Sam needs to start throwin’ those C Bills my way. Jim Cramer is all like "Booyah this crap, shoulda buyed some CAT at 34 you low class retard!!" Everybody seems to be doin' better, except for me and my chopped down 1976 El Camino. When is prosperity going to knock on my door (not vice doing a 'hard knock' on my door)? The bottom line, it’s not really my fault I’m such a playa. Hillary’s got it right. Uncle Sam needs to stop being a playa hater. Show me the money!!
Personally, I get really pissed off every time I see some know-it-all jerk driving a fancy car. His hot wife is always hanging out at my favorite coffee shop, you know, the one I work at. I have always hated jerks like that, always all successful and stuff.
It started even back in school. While I was trying to score some buds, malt liquor, or a way to shop-lift new trucks for my mega rad skate-board of death, these bozo’s where actually studying, playing sports, or otherwise improve themselves. Their friends were all faddish and cliquish and stuff, while my boyze were just trying to pimp it out in style, old school you know, word. They was always tyring to front their wordy ass shit and be all teacher’s pet on us. We ruled them chumps. They wuz hittin’ them books and we wuz knockin’ back 40’s and getting’ funky with the Brass Monkey.
Then graduation set in. They all left off to college, to get learned up on basket weaving and stuff, while us reality playa’s had to go get them skills to pay the bills. Hard core shit like custom paint jobs, sheet rock hangin’, welding, and field expedient pharmaceutical distribution operations. It’s hard enough to get money for booze, tatts, smokes, and strip clubs and still actually buy a sweet ride, but we pulled it off. Not only that, but most of us scrounged up enough cash to actually get that sweet ride dropped down, low rider style, no shit. Of course, we was playin’ at life while our antagoniasizes waz still in school, still studyin’, punks. They might think their Daddy or ROTC waz payin their way, but come on, we all know that at least 3% of the $20 a month I waz payin’ in taxes was going towards their advanced gender studies and classics deconstructivism classes.
Then those cats graduated. Now look at ‘em. Now they’re all managers, project leaders, business analysts, systems engineers, and account executives. All those little freak cheerleaders that liked our chopped rides, 4 chambered bongs, and body piercing’s are settling down with them chumps, pumping out babies and moving off to suburbia. Old BushchimpHitler hooked them up with some tax breaks too. I still pay my $20 a month in taxes, while some of those cats are saving like $20,000 a month. Uncle Sam needs to start throwin’ those C Bills my way. Jim Cramer is all like "Booyah this crap, shoulda buyed some CAT at 34 you low class retard!!" Everybody seems to be doin' better, except for me and my chopped down 1976 El Camino. When is prosperity going to knock on my door (not vice doing a 'hard knock' on my door)? The bottom line, it’s not really my fault I’m such a playa. Hillary’s got it right. Uncle Sam needs to stop being a playa hater. Show me the money!!
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Current Events, May 2007….
1) The economy/investing: I seem to vacillate here, but I did mention we are seemingly at an inflection point. Our economy is slowing while the housing and auto industries are getting their asses handed to them. Still, commodities, while up, are not going through the roof and unemployment is at historical lows. The dollar continues to weaken vs. the Euro, but its holding its own vs. Asian currencies. It’s a mixed bag. In the short term, I have taken some profits and am back to about 10-20% cash. I decided I had to do this, because the market has been up over 20 straight days and I was in 100% the entire time. Currently, I am about 75% in equities with 5% Bonds and will likely take some more profits in the next few weeks. I am looking for another sell off in the next few months to put some of my freed up profit back to work. I am focusing on high quality, large cap stocks that have the ability to generate cash in a weak American economy or can substantially benefit through exports as the dollar stays relatively weak. I am staying away from anything related to discretionary spending and have bought quite a bit of oil (via USO) to hedge against what I see as major geo-political risk in the Middle East. All my assets are under non-taxable accounts, so I don’t have the ability to short anything. I am considering opening up another account to change this. My current favorites are Unilever (UL/UN), Verizon (VZ), Microsoft (MSFT), General Electric (GE), General Dynamics (GD), Goldman-Sachs (GS), Slumberger (SLB), and Glaxo-Smith-Kline (GSK). I have another small cap growth play going, but am very wary, because I’m not sure if this is the right kind of asset for the current market. I may take all my small cap profits. I also have made major $$’s investing in China via FXI. Already, I have taken a ton of profits off of FXI, and am considering closing out my position in China entirely in the near future.
2) Viva Le France: Segolene Royal was a strikingly beautiful socialist candidate (sorry to sound like a chauvinist, but come on, she was pretty hot for a fifty something year old – not as hot as wordybitch, but I digress). She managed to lose her bid to become France’s first female president. My young daughters are distraught, because they wanted “the girl to win,” and were too young to grasp the concept of the European welfare state and growing immigration problems when I tried to explain French politics. Still, I am very optimistic about Nicolas Sarkozy. He seems to have a capitalist mentality and no moral hang-ups about turning out riot police, tear gas, and fire hoses on the “youths” (ie Muslim immigrant radicals) that have taken to burning, on average, 100 cars a night. He also wants to work more with America, and unlike Jaques Chirac, Sarkozy was not involved in selling a nuclear reactor to the Iraqis’ only to have it blown up by the Israelis. With that being said, France is still France. Having Sarkozy as president (backed up by Angela Merkel in Germany) will help US/European relationships, but there will still be issues. At least the disagreements will hopefully be more civil and constructive now. The bad news is that if Sarkozy can get some traction on the labor and welfare issues that plague his country, France will be much more competitive with the US economically. Almost forgot, Sarkozy looks like Rocky Balboa too, kick ass!!
3) Fuel Standards: Obama went and got all tough in a recent speech about foreign policy, stating that he wants to grow the US Military and while keeping on the offensive against terrorists. It was good stuff, enough to make me even reconsider him as a candidate, but then he had to open up his mouth about fuel standards. His speech implied that both car manufacturers and oil companies have chosen to keep America depenedent on high priced gas being guzzled by poor fuel efficiency cars. I will leave off the oil companies for now, and focus only on the auto industry. What really pisses me off, is that currently, Americans love frame science and technology debates in a legalistic rhetoric. The argument is that if required by government, auto manufacturers will simply magically build more fuel efficient cars. That is correct, but any engineer will point out that any design is a trade off of options. The biggest trade off with fuel efficiency is weight, which drives the amount of structural steel in a design. Many would say less steel is better. That works until you get into a wreck. I see absolutely nothing wrong with somebody who drives less than 100 miles a week wanting to own a big, fuel inefficient, safer vehicle to put their families in if they are willing to pay for their gas. It’s their choice, not Congress’s. Make no bones about it, higher CAFÉ standards mean poorer safety and protection for motorists. In addition, the market seems to be working out pretty well in this area. Has anybody noticed that Ford and GM are getting their asses kicked, while Honda and Toyota are running the table, mostly because they offer more fuel efficient products? Still, it’s not the real issue, because union benefits and health care are crushing the American auto industry. Obama’s big speech about getting tough with automakers is merely a pretext to create higher fuel standards in tandem with a Federal bail-out of the US automakers on pensions and health care, a crafty mix of popular environmentalist rhetoric that’s really all about union special interests. He just lost my potential vote. Anyway, all Ford needs to do is design a completely riot and fireproof car to sell in France and they can get back to profitability. At the rate the French are going, they’re on track to have about 30-40,000 cars burned by rioting “youths” a year.
4) Decision 2008: I am torn between the president I want, vs. the president I think the nation needs. I WANT Rudy Gulianni to be my next president. He has my conservative bent on many things, without the social platform that turns me off about so many GOP candidates. In my opinion, Karl Rove and the ideal of big government, “compassionate,” conservatism have seriously sundered the alliance between traditional conservatives and libertarians within the GOP. As a libertarian, I feel like the GOP no longer takes my support seriously. With that being said, I can honestly say I hate everything about the current Democratic party. That brings me to the president I think America needs, which is most likely Senator Hillary Clinton. That’s a tough choice to make, and on most of the issues, I strongly disagree with the senator. I think I will post an essay some time in future about my current thinking.
5) Tick-Tock: Hey, douschbags!! That's you Congress. My brothers and sisters at arms are still taking hostile fire while you hold hearings on Alberto Gonzales and the sub-prime mortgage industry. I want the troops home to. The easiest way to do that is win. Let's go!! And yes Hillary, even though I consider you ruthless and underhanded enough to be suberp president, I still expect you to actually work a little in the senate before your campaign gets seriously underway! Let's see some funding, folks!!
Also, I have been working on a big, mega essay about anti-Americanism. I want to finish that up in the near future. We’ll see how it goes.
2) Viva Le France: Segolene Royal was a strikingly beautiful socialist candidate (sorry to sound like a chauvinist, but come on, she was pretty hot for a fifty something year old – not as hot as wordybitch, but I digress). She managed to lose her bid to become France’s first female president. My young daughters are distraught, because they wanted “the girl to win,” and were too young to grasp the concept of the European welfare state and growing immigration problems when I tried to explain French politics. Still, I am very optimistic about Nicolas Sarkozy. He seems to have a capitalist mentality and no moral hang-ups about turning out riot police, tear gas, and fire hoses on the “youths” (ie Muslim immigrant radicals) that have taken to burning, on average, 100 cars a night. He also wants to work more with America, and unlike Jaques Chirac, Sarkozy was not involved in selling a nuclear reactor to the Iraqis’ only to have it blown up by the Israelis. With that being said, France is still France. Having Sarkozy as president (backed up by Angela Merkel in Germany) will help US/European relationships, but there will still be issues. At least the disagreements will hopefully be more civil and constructive now. The bad news is that if Sarkozy can get some traction on the labor and welfare issues that plague his country, France will be much more competitive with the US economically. Almost forgot, Sarkozy looks like Rocky Balboa too, kick ass!!
3) Fuel Standards: Obama went and got all tough in a recent speech about foreign policy, stating that he wants to grow the US Military and while keeping on the offensive against terrorists. It was good stuff, enough to make me even reconsider him as a candidate, but then he had to open up his mouth about fuel standards. His speech implied that both car manufacturers and oil companies have chosen to keep America depenedent on high priced gas being guzzled by poor fuel efficiency cars. I will leave off the oil companies for now, and focus only on the auto industry. What really pisses me off, is that currently, Americans love frame science and technology debates in a legalistic rhetoric. The argument is that if required by government, auto manufacturers will simply magically build more fuel efficient cars. That is correct, but any engineer will point out that any design is a trade off of options. The biggest trade off with fuel efficiency is weight, which drives the amount of structural steel in a design. Many would say less steel is better. That works until you get into a wreck. I see absolutely nothing wrong with somebody who drives less than 100 miles a week wanting to own a big, fuel inefficient, safer vehicle to put their families in if they are willing to pay for their gas. It’s their choice, not Congress’s. Make no bones about it, higher CAFÉ standards mean poorer safety and protection for motorists. In addition, the market seems to be working out pretty well in this area. Has anybody noticed that Ford and GM are getting their asses kicked, while Honda and Toyota are running the table, mostly because they offer more fuel efficient products? Still, it’s not the real issue, because union benefits and health care are crushing the American auto industry. Obama’s big speech about getting tough with automakers is merely a pretext to create higher fuel standards in tandem with a Federal bail-out of the US automakers on pensions and health care, a crafty mix of popular environmentalist rhetoric that’s really all about union special interests. He just lost my potential vote. Anyway, all Ford needs to do is design a completely riot and fireproof car to sell in France and they can get back to profitability. At the rate the French are going, they’re on track to have about 30-40,000 cars burned by rioting “youths” a year.
4) Decision 2008: I am torn between the president I want, vs. the president I think the nation needs. I WANT Rudy Gulianni to be my next president. He has my conservative bent on many things, without the social platform that turns me off about so many GOP candidates. In my opinion, Karl Rove and the ideal of big government, “compassionate,” conservatism have seriously sundered the alliance between traditional conservatives and libertarians within the GOP. As a libertarian, I feel like the GOP no longer takes my support seriously. With that being said, I can honestly say I hate everything about the current Democratic party. That brings me to the president I think America needs, which is most likely Senator Hillary Clinton. That’s a tough choice to make, and on most of the issues, I strongly disagree with the senator. I think I will post an essay some time in future about my current thinking.
5) Tick-Tock: Hey, douschbags!! That's you Congress. My brothers and sisters at arms are still taking hostile fire while you hold hearings on Alberto Gonzales and the sub-prime mortgage industry. I want the troops home to. The easiest way to do that is win. Let's go!! And yes Hillary, even though I consider you ruthless and underhanded enough to be suberp president, I still expect you to actually work a little in the senate before your campaign gets seriously underway! Let's see some funding, folks!!
Also, I have been working on a big, mega essay about anti-Americanism. I want to finish that up in the near future. We’ll see how it goes.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Random Thoughts
The human mind works in mysterious ways:
1) Had to hear it to believe it: On my way home, I was listening to Kudlow and Company on CNBC ("... where we still believe free market capitalism is the best path towards prosperity") and after listening to Larry and Art Laffer dish out some economic smack-down on a few perma-bears, John Kerry came on. During the interview, Senator Kerry said two things that I found truly suprising. The first, was his support for a modifiying the current Sarbanes-Oxly regulations, which of itself, was quite surprising. Even more suprising though, he pretty flatly stated that gun control is not effective and new gun control law is not prudent in the wake of the VT Massacre. I was quite surprised.
2) New Product Idea: Somebody needs to package beans in little fruit cups like they do apple-sauce and fruit cocktail. Personally, I like making quick home-made burritos as a snack, but hate opening up a whole can of beans. Even better, it would be a very healthy side item to pack in a lunch. With the same maufacturing line, you could probably package black beans, refried beans, and even humus, all of which could find a niche market. On top of that, it would be very helpful for people on vegetarian diets (not me).
3) Bad Product Idea: Single Malt Scotch Roll-Ups. The savory taste of 18 year old single malt scotch from the highlands, in the lovable form of a fruit roll-up. Perfect for the on-the-go snacker who can't take time for an eye opener to calm the morning jitters before starting the daily commute. Also great for teaching kids to enjoy the taste of anything.
4) Tick-Tock: Our troops still remain un-funded. President Bush called congressional leaders in for a conference about the issue. Speaker Pelosi sat to hist right and looked like a pissed off little school girl after being put in time-out during the photo session that was on the news. I think the strategy is, that if Speaker Pelosi can get enough camera time looking like a completely deranged bitch, then Hillary will seem amiable enough to elect. Well, at least the first part of the plan is working.
5) Supreme Court: I am not too sad to hear that the practice of ripping fetus that would have a good chance of surviving on its own out of a womans body and then crushing its skull is now illegal. Of course, there is another procedure available for late term abortion where the fetus is dismembered inside to womb.
6) The bombing continues: Almost 200 Iraqi's perished yesterday in the worst string of bombings in a long time. Based on what I read, it seems that the current terrorists are almost completely focused on attacking civilians now. They are ghouls. The press was quick to point out that some Iraqi's blame the Americans. Thanks guys, nothing gladens a soldiers heart more, than risking your very life and sanity to try to save somebody, and then actually get told you are responsible. People that supply, plan, and execute these killings are to blame. They must be stopped.
7) Economy looking better: We seem to be at a possible inflection point. Inflation indicators have eased up a bit and economic growth seems down but positive. Our exports are up and employment figures and wages improve, but housing and planned capital spending by US Companies is down. In essence, it seems a mixed bag. My advice, concentrate on megacap multi-national corportations that can profit from a weak dollar (GE, UT, CAT, XLI etc) and have good exposure to foreign markets. Hedge your holdings with energy or energy commodities (XLE or USO), and smartly get some money into foreign markets (EFA). Be careful of tech and extremely careful with any business that profits mostly from discretionary spending.
1) Had to hear it to believe it: On my way home, I was listening to Kudlow and Company on CNBC ("... where we still believe free market capitalism is the best path towards prosperity") and after listening to Larry and Art Laffer dish out some economic smack-down on a few perma-bears, John Kerry came on. During the interview, Senator Kerry said two things that I found truly suprising. The first, was his support for a modifiying the current Sarbanes-Oxly regulations, which of itself, was quite surprising. Even more suprising though, he pretty flatly stated that gun control is not effective and new gun control law is not prudent in the wake of the VT Massacre. I was quite surprised.
2) New Product Idea: Somebody needs to package beans in little fruit cups like they do apple-sauce and fruit cocktail. Personally, I like making quick home-made burritos as a snack, but hate opening up a whole can of beans. Even better, it would be a very healthy side item to pack in a lunch. With the same maufacturing line, you could probably package black beans, refried beans, and even humus, all of which could find a niche market. On top of that, it would be very helpful for people on vegetarian diets (not me).
3) Bad Product Idea: Single Malt Scotch Roll-Ups. The savory taste of 18 year old single malt scotch from the highlands, in the lovable form of a fruit roll-up. Perfect for the on-the-go snacker who can't take time for an eye opener to calm the morning jitters before starting the daily commute. Also great for teaching kids to enjoy the taste of anything.
4) Tick-Tock: Our troops still remain un-funded. President Bush called congressional leaders in for a conference about the issue. Speaker Pelosi sat to hist right and looked like a pissed off little school girl after being put in time-out during the photo session that was on the news. I think the strategy is, that if Speaker Pelosi can get enough camera time looking like a completely deranged bitch, then Hillary will seem amiable enough to elect. Well, at least the first part of the plan is working.
5) Supreme Court: I am not too sad to hear that the practice of ripping fetus that would have a good chance of surviving on its own out of a womans body and then crushing its skull is now illegal. Of course, there is another procedure available for late term abortion where the fetus is dismembered inside to womb.
6) The bombing continues: Almost 200 Iraqi's perished yesterday in the worst string of bombings in a long time. Based on what I read, it seems that the current terrorists are almost completely focused on attacking civilians now. They are ghouls. The press was quick to point out that some Iraqi's blame the Americans. Thanks guys, nothing gladens a soldiers heart more, than risking your very life and sanity to try to save somebody, and then actually get told you are responsible. People that supply, plan, and execute these killings are to blame. They must be stopped.
7) Economy looking better: We seem to be at a possible inflection point. Inflation indicators have eased up a bit and economic growth seems down but positive. Our exports are up and employment figures and wages improve, but housing and planned capital spending by US Companies is down. In essence, it seems a mixed bag. My advice, concentrate on megacap multi-national corportations that can profit from a weak dollar (GE, UT, CAT, XLI etc) and have good exposure to foreign markets. Hedge your holdings with energy or energy commodities (XLE or USO), and smartly get some money into foreign markets (EFA). Be careful of tech and extremely careful with any business that profits mostly from discretionary spending.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Current Events - April 2007
Nobody asked me, but...
1) Imus: Who really cares about this guy? His comments where certainly racist, but then again, Chris Rock can stand up in front of 1,000 people and cut on white people and nobody blinks an eye. I’m white, and even I don’t mind an occasional dig by Chris Rock, so I think people need thicker skins. I’m not a huge John Edwards fan, but I think he strikes the right tone with his call for forgiveness. With that being said, Imus already sucked, and I think that this issue just highlights the fact that he’s not worth the trouble. I don’t see a bright future for Mr. Imus and don’t really care. Maybe somebody can pick off Mancow next. In any event, I’m tired of the media being the news. A sure sign of arrogance and overindulgence is a person who spends all their time talking about themselves, and the American media is becoming as much of their own story as what is really happening in the world. I’m tired of seeing this kind of crap making headlines.
2) Stagflation: A good way of missing all the BS in the American media is to focus on financial news. Money talks and bullshit walks, the saying goes, so CNBC doesn’t have time to devote to crap news stories because if it doesn’t impact markets, then it’s not really news. With that being said, the economy is still slowing and the four key inflation indicators (Gold, US Dollar, Commodities, and the TIPS Spread) are all showing marked signs of increasing inflation. This is the big story that most people are missing. The Fed’s statement yesterday just confirms that. Get ready for higher interest rates.
3) Anna Nicole: Once more, who cares? What a fucking goat rope. I could care less who the daddy is. Why is something that should be buried in the gossip column making front page headlines??
4) The Surge: I have family in harm’s way right now, so I sincerely want the surge to work. I am also an actively drilling member of the National Guard, so I back that up with my own personal willingness to deploy to combat again. I have been pretty pleased with the results so far, but two BIG attacks in Baghdad really concern me. One was a bomb in the Green Zone and the other was a VBIED (Car Bomb) that blew up a major bridge over the Tigris. We better get our game on better than that, because if there isn’t a marked improvement by late summer, our politicians will be falling all over themselves to see how fast we can leave. My opinion here is that the Dems want to see this fail fast, so the pull-out and bloodbath that follows are politically viewed as a final failure for George Bush and the GOP, not a sitting Democratic President. Did I mention I have family over there?? I am an independent voter, but to the politicians trying to make Iraq a failure, I offer a hearty, “fuck you.”
5) Madam Speaker: It’s pretty hard to get any lower than the likes of Ted Kennedy, who actually had links with the USSR to explore how Ronald Reagan could get defeated in his re-election campaign, but Madam Speaker Pelosi seems determined to do so. She not only visited Syria, but is now pondering the possibility of also visiting Iran. What really pisses me off, is that she could spend her political capital a lot more wisely in a way that might actually help Americans, but is instead hell bent on undermining the current administration while we are fighting a deadly counter-insurgency. My advice, “Mam, start acting more like Tip Oneil and less like George McGovern. That way, we can remember the first female speaker of the house as a woman with dignity and wisdom, not a shrill, partisan hack more interested in political advantage than the actual state of her country.” Oh, and yes, she did get submarined by Israelli PM Olmert when he called her out after her “offer of peace” with Syria. Then again, that’s why politicians shouldn’t engage in their own personal diplomacy. There is nothing sovereign about a congresswoman visiting a foreign state, which means said congresswoman takes on a lot of risk trying to do what the State Department is constitutionally empowered to do. Somebody with her tenure knows that, and the scary thing is she simply doesn’t care.
6) Rosie: Oh, yes, let’s have some more people in media talking about other people in the media. That’s great news! I always thought Rosie was a gifted comic, but when she stated something to the effect that terrorists are mommies and daddies too, I tuned her out. At this point, why bother with what she says. It’s too hard to understand anyway. She is a rabid progressive, so her job is very secure. It’s a lot easier to just vote with your personal actions and tune her out. Ellen is a much more gifted and fun lesbian comic and talk show host anyway.
7) Mrs. Edward’s gun toting republican neighbor: I find this story a bit hypocritical. If I were someone in the media, my first question to her would be, “how many armed security personnel do you normally have on duty at your home?” With a husband as a presidential contender, I can’t imagine there are no armed guards at their house. If that is the case, why is it OK for the Edwards family have armed guards, while their neighbors of lesser social accomplishment are somehow a pack of backwoods retards for wanting to defend their personal property with a gun. The gun issue aside, I sincerely hope she gets through her current bout of cancer. I might not agree with her about her neighbor (I mean c’mon, yall do live North Carolina), but she is a mother and wife that hopefully can survive her disease.
8) Duke Lax: I’m glad to see that justice seems to have prevailed over politically motivated abuse of prosecutorial power. On top of that, I watched Duke thrash Johns Hopkins pretty good last weekend, so the team itself seems to have recovered and may have pretty good odds in the national tournament this year. Lacrosse is a magical mix of speed, endurance, precision, and violence, the perfect training for young warriors (next to rugby). Arghh! Give me a double of single malt scotch, neat!
9) Hillary’s Intern: There is a video somewhere of a guy offering to be Hillary’s intern. I think that’s pretty funny. Hopefully she doesn’t have a cigar fetish like her husband, or the fellow might be in for a real shocker!
1) Imus: Who really cares about this guy? His comments where certainly racist, but then again, Chris Rock can stand up in front of 1,000 people and cut on white people and nobody blinks an eye. I’m white, and even I don’t mind an occasional dig by Chris Rock, so I think people need thicker skins. I’m not a huge John Edwards fan, but I think he strikes the right tone with his call for forgiveness. With that being said, Imus already sucked, and I think that this issue just highlights the fact that he’s not worth the trouble. I don’t see a bright future for Mr. Imus and don’t really care. Maybe somebody can pick off Mancow next. In any event, I’m tired of the media being the news. A sure sign of arrogance and overindulgence is a person who spends all their time talking about themselves, and the American media is becoming as much of their own story as what is really happening in the world. I’m tired of seeing this kind of crap making headlines.
2) Stagflation: A good way of missing all the BS in the American media is to focus on financial news. Money talks and bullshit walks, the saying goes, so CNBC doesn’t have time to devote to crap news stories because if it doesn’t impact markets, then it’s not really news. With that being said, the economy is still slowing and the four key inflation indicators (Gold, US Dollar, Commodities, and the TIPS Spread) are all showing marked signs of increasing inflation. This is the big story that most people are missing. The Fed’s statement yesterday just confirms that. Get ready for higher interest rates.
3) Anna Nicole: Once more, who cares? What a fucking goat rope. I could care less who the daddy is. Why is something that should be buried in the gossip column making front page headlines??
4) The Surge: I have family in harm’s way right now, so I sincerely want the surge to work. I am also an actively drilling member of the National Guard, so I back that up with my own personal willingness to deploy to combat again. I have been pretty pleased with the results so far, but two BIG attacks in Baghdad really concern me. One was a bomb in the Green Zone and the other was a VBIED (Car Bomb) that blew up a major bridge over the Tigris. We better get our game on better than that, because if there isn’t a marked improvement by late summer, our politicians will be falling all over themselves to see how fast we can leave. My opinion here is that the Dems want to see this fail fast, so the pull-out and bloodbath that follows are politically viewed as a final failure for George Bush and the GOP, not a sitting Democratic President. Did I mention I have family over there?? I am an independent voter, but to the politicians trying to make Iraq a failure, I offer a hearty, “fuck you.”
5) Madam Speaker: It’s pretty hard to get any lower than the likes of Ted Kennedy, who actually had links with the USSR to explore how Ronald Reagan could get defeated in his re-election campaign, but Madam Speaker Pelosi seems determined to do so. She not only visited Syria, but is now pondering the possibility of also visiting Iran. What really pisses me off, is that she could spend her political capital a lot more wisely in a way that might actually help Americans, but is instead hell bent on undermining the current administration while we are fighting a deadly counter-insurgency. My advice, “Mam, start acting more like Tip Oneil and less like George McGovern. That way, we can remember the first female speaker of the house as a woman with dignity and wisdom, not a shrill, partisan hack more interested in political advantage than the actual state of her country.” Oh, and yes, she did get submarined by Israelli PM Olmert when he called her out after her “offer of peace” with Syria. Then again, that’s why politicians shouldn’t engage in their own personal diplomacy. There is nothing sovereign about a congresswoman visiting a foreign state, which means said congresswoman takes on a lot of risk trying to do what the State Department is constitutionally empowered to do. Somebody with her tenure knows that, and the scary thing is she simply doesn’t care.
6) Rosie: Oh, yes, let’s have some more people in media talking about other people in the media. That’s great news! I always thought Rosie was a gifted comic, but when she stated something to the effect that terrorists are mommies and daddies too, I tuned her out. At this point, why bother with what she says. It’s too hard to understand anyway. She is a rabid progressive, so her job is very secure. It’s a lot easier to just vote with your personal actions and tune her out. Ellen is a much more gifted and fun lesbian comic and talk show host anyway.
7) Mrs. Edward’s gun toting republican neighbor: I find this story a bit hypocritical. If I were someone in the media, my first question to her would be, “how many armed security personnel do you normally have on duty at your home?” With a husband as a presidential contender, I can’t imagine there are no armed guards at their house. If that is the case, why is it OK for the Edwards family have armed guards, while their neighbors of lesser social accomplishment are somehow a pack of backwoods retards for wanting to defend their personal property with a gun. The gun issue aside, I sincerely hope she gets through her current bout of cancer. I might not agree with her about her neighbor (I mean c’mon, yall do live North Carolina), but she is a mother and wife that hopefully can survive her disease.
8) Duke Lax: I’m glad to see that justice seems to have prevailed over politically motivated abuse of prosecutorial power. On top of that, I watched Duke thrash Johns Hopkins pretty good last weekend, so the team itself seems to have recovered and may have pretty good odds in the national tournament this year. Lacrosse is a magical mix of speed, endurance, precision, and violence, the perfect training for young warriors (next to rugby). Arghh! Give me a double of single malt scotch, neat!
9) Hillary’s Intern: There is a video somewhere of a guy offering to be Hillary’s intern. I think that’s pretty funny. Hopefully she doesn’t have a cigar fetish like her husband, or the fellow might be in for a real shocker!
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
What's your carbon footprint?
If you answer that question with a resounding, "what the f&%$ are you talking about?," you haven't been paying enough attention to your BP commercials. On a more cheerful note, Belgian officials, in a bid to save the environment from the evil, Bushchimphitler coprorate resource marauder barbeque fans, have passed a 20 euro tax on grilling outdoors. You got that right. For all you'un Jeebus types not learned up on foreign exchange rates, that about $26 every time you cook out.
http://en.rian.ru/world/20070403/62999935.html
With that being said lets do a little math. The average outdoor grilling event amounts to about 75g of CO2 emissions, cited from the article above. Conversely, burning a single gallon of gasoline releases about 8788 grams of CO2. Now, if you consider that the average Nextel Cup stock car gets about 5.5 miles per gallon fuel economy, then a car running the Daytona 500 would have to pay up about $284,000 if taxed at the same rate as our evil barbequeing Belgan friends. With that being said, I sincerely hope to see a Sierra Club lawsuit against Hendricks Motor Sports in the coming months.
Here's some more mathematical reasoning. If you consider that the Nextel Cup runs 37 events a year, along with the pre-Daytona shoot-outs, qualifying, happy hour practice with 43 cars racing and about 50 trying to qualify, you can see that the entire series burns about 115,000 gals of gas a year (not counting moving driver RV's, trucking cars & tools to the race, testing, fans driving to races etc.) which amounts to a staggering 989 MILLION GRAMS OF CO2. This also doesn't consider the thousands of innocent racing slicks that are cruelly used up during the season and the effect their manufacture has on our fragile Gaia. With 989 MILLION GRAMS of CO2, poor Europeans could grill out 13 million times, which could be a major boon to the faux meat industry. On an even more ominous note, misguided NASCAR crew chiefs routinely DEFLATE TIRE PRESSURE when their set-ups become "too loose" (think latent homosexual innuendo), and any serious Earth lover has to be seriously concerned with a sport that condones running tires at less than their manufacturer recomended pressure, a major source fuel inefficiency. Who can even fathom what putting in a "half turn of wedge" or "adding a spring rubber" might do if taken seriously by the misguided NASCAR viewing audience in their every day driving? To top it all off, the pandering, profiteering money-whores known as NASCAR team owners even prostitute the very sides of their cars to the likes of Kingsford Charcoal, which exacerbates the effects of latent penis envy NASCAR male insecurity outdoor cooking on our precious environment.
The bottom line people, Stop grilling. Stop your support for silly corporate American race car races. Trade in your Dale Jr hat or your Calvin peeing on "48" sticker for new lease on life, green style. Once everyone in America becomes a pompous, pacifist, metrosexual patron of the modern arts and worshipper of the divine earth mother, the rest of the world will come to truly respect our inner beauty and wish to be at peace with us. We can all live in a world with reduced carbon emissions and red state cultural influence.
http://en.rian.ru/world/20070403/62999935.html
With that being said lets do a little math. The average outdoor grilling event amounts to about 75g of CO2 emissions, cited from the article above. Conversely, burning a single gallon of gasoline releases about 8788 grams of CO2. Now, if you consider that the average Nextel Cup stock car gets about 5.5 miles per gallon fuel economy, then a car running the Daytona 500 would have to pay up about $284,000 if taxed at the same rate as our evil barbequeing Belgan friends. With that being said, I sincerely hope to see a Sierra Club lawsuit against Hendricks Motor Sports in the coming months.
Here's some more mathematical reasoning. If you consider that the Nextel Cup runs 37 events a year, along with the pre-Daytona shoot-outs, qualifying, happy hour practice with 43 cars racing and about 50 trying to qualify, you can see that the entire series burns about 115,000 gals of gas a year (not counting moving driver RV's, trucking cars & tools to the race, testing, fans driving to races etc.) which amounts to a staggering 989 MILLION GRAMS OF CO2. This also doesn't consider the thousands of innocent racing slicks that are cruelly used up during the season and the effect their manufacture has on our fragile Gaia. With 989 MILLION GRAMS of CO2, poor Europeans could grill out 13 million times, which could be a major boon to the faux meat industry. On an even more ominous note, misguided NASCAR crew chiefs routinely DEFLATE TIRE PRESSURE when their set-ups become "too loose" (think latent homosexual innuendo), and any serious Earth lover has to be seriously concerned with a sport that condones running tires at less than their manufacturer recomended pressure, a major source fuel inefficiency. Who can even fathom what putting in a "half turn of wedge" or "adding a spring rubber" might do if taken seriously by the misguided NASCAR viewing audience in their every day driving? To top it all off, the pandering, profiteering money-whores known as NASCAR team owners even prostitute the very sides of their cars to the likes of Kingsford Charcoal, which exacerbates the effects of latent penis envy NASCAR male insecurity outdoor cooking on our precious environment.
The bottom line people, Stop grilling. Stop your support for silly corporate American race car races. Trade in your Dale Jr hat or your Calvin peeing on "48" sticker for new lease on life, green style. Once everyone in America becomes a pompous, pacifist, metrosexual patron of the modern arts and worshipper of the divine earth mother, the rest of the world will come to truly respect our inner beauty and wish to be at peace with us. We can all live in a world with reduced carbon emissions and red state cultural influence.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Queen's Gambit, Accepted or Declined?
It is becoming ever more apparent that America cannot keep a presence in the Middle East under the current political situation. Sadly, the “loyal opposition” has made it a case to continually undermine the current administration's efforts, while the current administration has allowed a lot of tragic mistakes to compound themselves to make matters worse. At this point in time, America has met a lot of its goals in Iraq, the foremost being the near total evisceration of Al Qaeda as a meaningful political or military force in the region. However, Iraq remains unstable and the rising tide of Persian hegemony in the region remains unchecked. As the U.S. attempts to make a final effort to stabilize the region and get Iranian diplomats to make serious concessions, both houses of congress undermine such efforts by passing legislation for an Iraq pull-out. At this point, even though America might have the means, we widely broadcast that we simply have not the political will to stabilize Iraq and control the Persian path towards nuclear weaponry and regional supremacy.
With that being said, I think it is time for the President to call key leaders of congress (most importantly Madam Speak Pelosi, Senators Obama and Clinton) to the oval office along with Vice President Cheney. During the conference, he should give everyone present the best current picture based on U.S. Intelligence and state clearly our national concerns and invite candid talk from the assemblage. After the discussion, he should ask the leaders of both houses of congress to return to their chambers after which they shall introduce and pass new legislation that fully supports and funds the current effort in Iraq with no strings attached. In addition, both houses should pass non-binding resolutions declaring solidarity with the administration and willingness to pass an authorization of force against the Islamic Republic of Iran for the acts of war it has committed against the United States of America. If such legislation is not passed within a week, then the President and Vice President will resign, at which time Madam Speaker Pelosi will become the next president of the United States.
The top line concern I have is that we absolutely need solidarity at this time, because world events are turning, largely due to our internal politics. While I personally detest the political views of the current Madam Speaker, I’d rather see America speak with a unified, but flawed voice, than bicker while my brothers and sisters in arms are in harms way.
Not only that, but I think the move is a political gambit with balls, and one that the president might actually be able to use. I think the Democratic party would rather spend the next two years building strength from republican misfortune than suddenly inheriting the problem with perhaps one of it most shrill leaders in charge. Senator Clinton is one of the most ruthless ladies on the hill. What would she do to keep Nancy Pelosi from becoming the first female president? How many lobbyists have already poured funds into Democratic hopefuls casting eyes towards 2008? Even better, this gives the republicans the chance to essentially pick the DNC front runner for the 2008 election, one that has no present organization for a presidential run and a severely limited national appeal. Last, would a President Pelosi really be ready to leave the Middle East in defeat, with her credited as the engineer to the plan? I remember a very anti-military Clinton administration changing tunes just months after getting into power. Personal authority and attendant responsibility have a way of changing things up.
As a soldier, I know we can prevail if we find the will. America needs to start speaking in one voice NOW, or I fear that the world will end up in a much more tragic conflict than the current counter-insurgency in Iraq.
With that being said, I think it is time for the President to call key leaders of congress (most importantly Madam Speak Pelosi, Senators Obama and Clinton) to the oval office along with Vice President Cheney. During the conference, he should give everyone present the best current picture based on U.S. Intelligence and state clearly our national concerns and invite candid talk from the assemblage. After the discussion, he should ask the leaders of both houses of congress to return to their chambers after which they shall introduce and pass new legislation that fully supports and funds the current effort in Iraq with no strings attached. In addition, both houses should pass non-binding resolutions declaring solidarity with the administration and willingness to pass an authorization of force against the Islamic Republic of Iran for the acts of war it has committed against the United States of America. If such legislation is not passed within a week, then the President and Vice President will resign, at which time Madam Speaker Pelosi will become the next president of the United States.
The top line concern I have is that we absolutely need solidarity at this time, because world events are turning, largely due to our internal politics. While I personally detest the political views of the current Madam Speaker, I’d rather see America speak with a unified, but flawed voice, than bicker while my brothers and sisters in arms are in harms way.
Not only that, but I think the move is a political gambit with balls, and one that the president might actually be able to use. I think the Democratic party would rather spend the next two years building strength from republican misfortune than suddenly inheriting the problem with perhaps one of it most shrill leaders in charge. Senator Clinton is one of the most ruthless ladies on the hill. What would she do to keep Nancy Pelosi from becoming the first female president? How many lobbyists have already poured funds into Democratic hopefuls casting eyes towards 2008? Even better, this gives the republicans the chance to essentially pick the DNC front runner for the 2008 election, one that has no present organization for a presidential run and a severely limited national appeal. Last, would a President Pelosi really be ready to leave the Middle East in defeat, with her credited as the engineer to the plan? I remember a very anti-military Clinton administration changing tunes just months after getting into power. Personal authority and attendant responsibility have a way of changing things up.
As a soldier, I know we can prevail if we find the will. America needs to start speaking in one voice NOW, or I fear that the world will end up in a much more tragic conflict than the current counter-insurgency in Iraq.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Godspeed to a Good Man
My apologies go out to my family members who have been waiting for me to make this post, but better late than never. In this case, I am sad to announce that apparently, the political and military leadership of our country have made a grave mistake with respect to the firing of MG Weightman, the former commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. As alluded to above, members of my family have had the ability to work with MG Weightman quite closely in the past, and from everything I can tell, he was a truly dedicated warrior and medical professional. Having served less than a year in command, he was actively trying to change things and never got the chance to make an impact before getting thrown under the political bus. The issues at WRAMC are politically made to order, as Democratics have often sought to shore up their lack of popularity with the military by trying to advance social issues cast into a military vernacular as as part of their platform. This not only helps to shift focus away from the scandalous lack of support they have given our military in combat over the last five years, but also is very consistent with the "there's a problem, you're a victim, we're the solution" mentality that prevades most of the Democratic Party's positions. With that being said, the problems at WRAMC where a huge hot potato issue, and the complete eviceration of the upper echelon of the army medical corps along with the resignation of the Scretary of the Army was done as a political expedient to get the issue out of the news, with very little thought for the reasons why the problem happened or who would be best situated to make improvements. Perhaps though, I am not putting MG Weighman's credentials to the proper light, so I am posting an open letter written by Mr. Douglas Kidd about MG Weightman. While himself a relative of the general, Mr. Kidd's letter is filled with factual information that can be cross-checked and has great insight into MG Weightman's character and background:
Dear Sir or Madame,
As someone who is close to Major General George Weightman, it may not seem appropriate to make public statements on his behalf, especially since they were not solicited either by yourself or by General Weightman. I am General Weightman's brother-in-law and have known him for almost his entire adult life.
We served in the same infantry unit in the 25th ID. George took over my platoon as I moved on to a new assignment. Since then, I left the military and George embraced it as a career. Our families are close and even though George's duties took him all over the world, we stayed as close as we could and took advantage of the times when he and his family were stationed close by to get together and share our experiences.
The theme of this letter is "the Army got the wrong guy". I am not in a position to say who the right guy is, because I am not qualified to make that assessment. I am a very practical person who knows that someone who has just recently been assigned to a position, must have some time and leeway to assess the situation, plan and execute a strategy to fix the problems identified and then to build an attitude of continuous improvement into an organization. Major General Weightman was not given this opportunity in my humble opinion.
Why do I say this? I can say this because I know him. I know him as a man, a soldier, a doctor, a father, a loving husband, and as a brother. What is it that I know? I know his career and his absolute devotion to the Army and to serving his country for over thirty four years since his graduation from West Point in 1973. No one was more qualified than he to be in the position he held for such a short time at Walter Reed AMC.
Anyone can look up his record -- something maybe the two reporters from the Washington Post should have done before making the judgments they made about his performance at WRAMC. So to should the Secretary of the Army looked closer before his knee jerk action last week. Both parties should have asked the question as to who would be better to make WRAMC better at serving our soldiers than MG Weightman. The political necessity was that the Army had to show it was doing something, so what better way than to cut off the WRAMC head as a way of playing to the baying wolves of the press.
Let me provide some highlights about MG Weightman's career. He served five years in the infantry before completing the Infantry Officer's Advanced Course. It was then that he decided that he had a higher calling to medicine. He applied to and was accepted to the University of Vermont. He and his wife and infant son moved to Burlington and lived a bare existence while he attended and later graduated as an MD. He re-entered the Army and after his residency at Ft. Gordon, he was re-assigned to West Point to run the family practice clinic there. After three years there, he was selected to become the Division Surgeon for the 82d Airborne Division. While in the 82d, he made a night-time combat jump into Panama and later was on the first plane to arrive in Saudi Arabia at the start of Operation Desert Shield.
Upon returning from Iraq in 1991 he moved to become the Chief Resident at the Army Medical Center at Ft. Bragg. One day when both the hospital commander and deputy commander were away from Ft. Bragg, a military plane crashed at nearby Pope AFB, inundating an entire Infantry Battalion of nearly 600 men with burning aviation fuel and wreckage. Then Major Weightman, took charge of the triage at the hospital and was credited with leading the heroic efforts there in saving the lives of many soldiers.
Later, he volunteered to lead a hospital deep in the jungles of Central America in support of Delta Force in clandestine operations. He returned with Delta Force respect and malaria, which he still suffers from today.
In 1997 he took command of the Army's largest tactical Medical unit, the 30th Medical Brigade supporting all of the troops in Europe. This assignment took him into Kosovo and the surrounding area many times during his two years there. He was home only a few years when he was promoted to Brigadier General and was selected to organize, train and command the Medical Support Brigade for Operation Iraqi Freedom. He spent almost a year prior to the invasion in Kuwait coordinating and later commanding the nearly 12,000 Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force medical support for the invasion effort.
In 2004 he was promoted to Major General and given Command of Ft. Sam Houston, the home of the Army Medical Corps. He commanded over 50,000 soldiers at Ft. Sam Houston and was responsible for developing a high level of performance at Brooks Army Medical Center (BAMC) and the support system located there. Ironically, many of the conditions cited by the two Washington Post reporters at Ft. Sam Houston as being superior and exemplary ways to care for and treat our returning wounded were planned and implemented while MG Weightman was the Commander there, prior to moving back to the Washington DC area as Commander of WRAMC August 29, 2006.
The practical person in me has seen that everywhere George Weightman has served, he has made those around him better and the units to which he was assigned better at achieving their mission of medical support to the soldier and his family. Rational thought would indicate that his
> background and accomplishments at his other critical assignments would directly lead to making WRAMC better at accomplishing its mission when he was done there. In fact, he already was moving forward with improvements there. However, his plan and progress were largely discounted by both the Post reporters and it seems Secretary Harvey.
His sense of duty, honor and country has permeated his family and has had direct positive impact on me and family. His two sons, one a West Point graduate is serving a second tour of duty in Baghdad as an Infantry Officer in a combat unit. The other son, a recent graduate of University of Virginia is now a Lieutenant attending the US Military Medical School at Bethesda and will become an Army Doctor on completion of his studies.
I am just sorry to see that the current leadership of the US Army has robbed itself of one of its most capable leaders in the Medical field. In the end, the soldiers and families for whom George Weightman has cared for in combat and in peacetime for 30 years are the biggest losers.
I am biased, but I am also keenly aware of just how talented a person George is and how devoted to serving his country through providing the best care possible for our soldiers wherever he has been. He has turned down job offers to run hospitals and health organizations that would have made him rich. He has remained loyal to the Army and to his own sense of purpose. It is unseemly that the Army has rewarded him by designating him as their scapegoat in this tragic situation at WRAMC when he is probably the best person in the Army to actually fix it -- if he had been given the time.
In closing, I must say that George and his wife have both asked that we in the family not speak on his behalf publicly. I, nor any of us who really know him, will not obey that request. I ask that you reserve judgment until all the facts are known, listen to what he has to say and then you need to help George get his good name back. If that is possible in this media centric environment in which we live.
Respectfully, Douglas Kidd
Sadly, all this is likely irreversible for MG Weightman. Still, honor demands that I at least do my part to help the rest of the world understand the contributions of this man as he moves on to the next part of his life. Godspeed MG Weightman!!
Dear Sir or Madame,
As someone who is close to Major General George Weightman, it may not seem appropriate to make public statements on his behalf, especially since they were not solicited either by yourself or by General Weightman. I am General Weightman's brother-in-law and have known him for almost his entire adult life.
We served in the same infantry unit in the 25th ID. George took over my platoon as I moved on to a new assignment. Since then, I left the military and George embraced it as a career. Our families are close and even though George's duties took him all over the world, we stayed as close as we could and took advantage of the times when he and his family were stationed close by to get together and share our experiences.
The theme of this letter is "the Army got the wrong guy". I am not in a position to say who the right guy is, because I am not qualified to make that assessment. I am a very practical person who knows that someone who has just recently been assigned to a position, must have some time and leeway to assess the situation, plan and execute a strategy to fix the problems identified and then to build an attitude of continuous improvement into an organization. Major General Weightman was not given this opportunity in my humble opinion.
Why do I say this? I can say this because I know him. I know him as a man, a soldier, a doctor, a father, a loving husband, and as a brother. What is it that I know? I know his career and his absolute devotion to the Army and to serving his country for over thirty four years since his graduation from West Point in 1973. No one was more qualified than he to be in the position he held for such a short time at Walter Reed AMC.
Anyone can look up his record -- something maybe the two reporters from the Washington Post should have done before making the judgments they made about his performance at WRAMC. So to should the Secretary of the Army looked closer before his knee jerk action last week. Both parties should have asked the question as to who would be better to make WRAMC better at serving our soldiers than MG Weightman. The political necessity was that the Army had to show it was doing something, so what better way than to cut off the WRAMC head as a way of playing to the baying wolves of the press.
Let me provide some highlights about MG Weightman's career. He served five years in the infantry before completing the Infantry Officer's Advanced Course. It was then that he decided that he had a higher calling to medicine. He applied to and was accepted to the University of Vermont. He and his wife and infant son moved to Burlington and lived a bare existence while he attended and later graduated as an MD. He re-entered the Army and after his residency at Ft. Gordon, he was re-assigned to West Point to run the family practice clinic there. After three years there, he was selected to become the Division Surgeon for the 82d Airborne Division. While in the 82d, he made a night-time combat jump into Panama and later was on the first plane to arrive in Saudi Arabia at the start of Operation Desert Shield.
Upon returning from Iraq in 1991 he moved to become the Chief Resident at the Army Medical Center at Ft. Bragg. One day when both the hospital commander and deputy commander were away from Ft. Bragg, a military plane crashed at nearby Pope AFB, inundating an entire Infantry Battalion of nearly 600 men with burning aviation fuel and wreckage. Then Major Weightman, took charge of the triage at the hospital and was credited with leading the heroic efforts there in saving the lives of many soldiers.
Later, he volunteered to lead a hospital deep in the jungles of Central America in support of Delta Force in clandestine operations. He returned with Delta Force respect and malaria, which he still suffers from today.
In 1997 he took command of the Army's largest tactical Medical unit, the 30th Medical Brigade supporting all of the troops in Europe. This assignment took him into Kosovo and the surrounding area many times during his two years there. He was home only a few years when he was promoted to Brigadier General and was selected to organize, train and command the Medical Support Brigade for Operation Iraqi Freedom. He spent almost a year prior to the invasion in Kuwait coordinating and later commanding the nearly 12,000 Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force medical support for the invasion effort.
In 2004 he was promoted to Major General and given Command of Ft. Sam Houston, the home of the Army Medical Corps. He commanded over 50,000 soldiers at Ft. Sam Houston and was responsible for developing a high level of performance at Brooks Army Medical Center (BAMC) and the support system located there. Ironically, many of the conditions cited by the two Washington Post reporters at Ft. Sam Houston as being superior and exemplary ways to care for and treat our returning wounded were planned and implemented while MG Weightman was the Commander there, prior to moving back to the Washington DC area as Commander of WRAMC August 29, 2006.
The practical person in me has seen that everywhere George Weightman has served, he has made those around him better and the units to which he was assigned better at achieving their mission of medical support to the soldier and his family. Rational thought would indicate that his
> background and accomplishments at his other critical assignments would directly lead to making WRAMC better at accomplishing its mission when he was done there. In fact, he already was moving forward with improvements there. However, his plan and progress were largely discounted by both the Post reporters and it seems Secretary Harvey.
His sense of duty, honor and country has permeated his family and has had direct positive impact on me and family. His two sons, one a West Point graduate is serving a second tour of duty in Baghdad as an Infantry Officer in a combat unit. The other son, a recent graduate of University of Virginia is now a Lieutenant attending the US Military Medical School at Bethesda and will become an Army Doctor on completion of his studies.
I am just sorry to see that the current leadership of the US Army has robbed itself of one of its most capable leaders in the Medical field. In the end, the soldiers and families for whom George Weightman has cared for in combat and in peacetime for 30 years are the biggest losers.
I am biased, but I am also keenly aware of just how talented a person George is and how devoted to serving his country through providing the best care possible for our soldiers wherever he has been. He has turned down job offers to run hospitals and health organizations that would have made him rich. He has remained loyal to the Army and to his own sense of purpose. It is unseemly that the Army has rewarded him by designating him as their scapegoat in this tragic situation at WRAMC when he is probably the best person in the Army to actually fix it -- if he had been given the time.
In closing, I must say that George and his wife have both asked that we in the family not speak on his behalf publicly. I, nor any of us who really know him, will not obey that request. I ask that you reserve judgment until all the facts are known, listen to what he has to say and then you need to help George get his good name back. If that is possible in this media centric environment in which we live.
Respectfully, Douglas Kidd
Sadly, all this is likely irreversible for MG Weightman. Still, honor demands that I at least do my part to help the rest of the world understand the contributions of this man as he moves on to the next part of his life. Godspeed MG Weightman!!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Doing a Double-Tap
OK, I normally only post about once a week, but I saw this at lunch and just had to post, along with a huge shout out to all the EOD techs I have had the pleasure of working with in the past (Good job guys!!). In the link below, an EOD team deals with a VBIED (army speak for car bomb). The driver rams a tank, and the charge doesn't blow, likely because the impact with the tank damaged the primary firing circuit. The driver is pinned inside the car, still alive. It's a tough call, but the techs have to disable the device completely, which quite sadly, means paradise for jihadist. A warning, the video is somehwhat graphic.
http://www.ifilm.com/video/2691478
Three points I'd like to make:
1) The robot appears to be a Packbot or maybe a Talon. Either way, this is a good demonstration of just what kinds of risk military robots can circumvent. Hopefully, the DoD will continue deploying this type of techology to the field.
2) Some people more sympathetic to the noble Iraqi freedom fighters have said that this is simply some poor commuter being killed in cold blood. The "proof" is that if it where a car bomb, the whole thing would have exploded. What these types of experts fail to realize, is the concept of using a limited charge to disrupt the firing mechanism completely. There was likely a good chance that the impact with the tank detsroyed the circuit, but in this case, why take that chance or bet that there might not be a secondary firing circuit that Mr Jahadi is waiting to blow when the first troops come down range? It appears the team made every attempt to use the minimum charge necessary to make the scene safe. I am pretty confident that they even hoped the jihadi would be spared, because of the intelligence value of having him captured alive. C'est le guerre. See ya, dousch-bag.
3) I hope that all the wanna be jihadi's out there see this. Scenes like this play out every day. This is the truth that so many insurgents face. Not a glorious attack that shocks the world or defeats the "Great Satan", but a scared, doped up loser sitting pinned in a failed vehicle bomb knowing he is about to end his life a complete failure. Actually, this exact scenario doesn't play out every day, but ones like. The "brave mujahadeen" are for the most part thugs, drunkards, and rapists, especially the special breed of fighter that gets selected for a mission like this. It's not glory, just deluded killing, mostly targetting normal muslims just trying to live their lives.
http://www.ifilm.com/video/2691478
Three points I'd like to make:
1) The robot appears to be a Packbot or maybe a Talon. Either way, this is a good demonstration of just what kinds of risk military robots can circumvent. Hopefully, the DoD will continue deploying this type of techology to the field.
2) Some people more sympathetic to the noble Iraqi freedom fighters have said that this is simply some poor commuter being killed in cold blood. The "proof" is that if it where a car bomb, the whole thing would have exploded. What these types of experts fail to realize, is the concept of using a limited charge to disrupt the firing mechanism completely. There was likely a good chance that the impact with the tank detsroyed the circuit, but in this case, why take that chance or bet that there might not be a secondary firing circuit that Mr Jahadi is waiting to blow when the first troops come down range? It appears the team made every attempt to use the minimum charge necessary to make the scene safe. I am pretty confident that they even hoped the jihadi would be spared, because of the intelligence value of having him captured alive. C'est le guerre. See ya, dousch-bag.
3) I hope that all the wanna be jihadi's out there see this. Scenes like this play out every day. This is the truth that so many insurgents face. Not a glorious attack that shocks the world or defeats the "Great Satan", but a scared, doped up loser sitting pinned in a failed vehicle bomb knowing he is about to end his life a complete failure. Actually, this exact scenario doesn't play out every day, but ones like. The "brave mujahadeen" are for the most part thugs, drunkards, and rapists, especially the special breed of fighter that gets selected for a mission like this. It's not glory, just deluded killing, mostly targetting normal muslims just trying to live their lives.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Beware of Iranian Cock
Found this report om Drudge this morning, it seems Iran doesn't like us nabbing all their QODS operatives:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1530527.ece
Here is my favorite quote: “We’ve got the ability to capture a nice bunch of blue-eyed blond-haired officers and feed them to our fighting cocks,” (from Reza Faker, a writer believed to have close links to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad).
Wow buddy, TMI!! Normally, I would hesitate to make sophomoric comments about somebody saying the word cock in a public forum, but the preceeding reference to a "nice bunch of blue-eyed blond-haired officers" is a little creepy, almost fetish like. I guess blondes are more fun, even in terms of Persian latent homosexual innuendo.
In more sobering terms, Iran has already demonstrated somewhat of an ability to execute tactical kidnapping operations against our forces in Iraq:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2007/01/mil-070126-afps04.htm
This operation was carried out shortly following this years State of Union address, which also followed a raid where an Iranian "diplomatic" enclave was raided. In all likelyhood, the amount of planning required to execute the raid mentioned above likely means that it was not in direct response to our captures a few days earlier, but more likely timed to roughly coincide with the State of the Union address.
While US Forces are suceptable, there are marked differences between our ability to interdict Iranian operatives and their kidnapping operations. In most cases where U.S. soldiers are abducted, they have almost all been excuted shortly after being taken, usually with no taping of the proceedings. The lack of intelligence and propaganda derived from these events, are likely not part of the plan, and thus indicate that these operations are not completely being executed as planned. Why abduct 4 U.S. soldiers, then drive them 50 klicks or so away, just to shoot them in the back of the head? What this tells me, is that while the Iranians have shown audacity and discipline in setting up these attacks, they still really don't have the infrastructure to get captives underground and sequestered once the pursuit starts. In addition, the Iranian efforts seem to focus on soft targets with little intelligence value, while we are taking prime operators.
More than anything else, this means that military personnel must redouble their efforts and realize they could be targetted for kidnapping operations at any time or place, even possibly at home. In addition, I'd like to congratulate however out there is bagging these Iranian dousch-bags. Most people will never know the scrifices being made to keep America safe, and that's fine. Good job and good hunting! PS - beware of Iranian Cock.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1530527.ece
Here is my favorite quote: “We’ve got the ability to capture a nice bunch of blue-eyed blond-haired officers and feed them to our fighting cocks,” (from Reza Faker, a writer believed to have close links to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad).
Wow buddy, TMI!! Normally, I would hesitate to make sophomoric comments about somebody saying the word cock in a public forum, but the preceeding reference to a "nice bunch of blue-eyed blond-haired officers" is a little creepy, almost fetish like. I guess blondes are more fun, even in terms of Persian latent homosexual innuendo.
In more sobering terms, Iran has already demonstrated somewhat of an ability to execute tactical kidnapping operations against our forces in Iraq:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2007/01/mil-070126-afps04.htm
This operation was carried out shortly following this years State of Union address, which also followed a raid where an Iranian "diplomatic" enclave was raided. In all likelyhood, the amount of planning required to execute the raid mentioned above likely means that it was not in direct response to our captures a few days earlier, but more likely timed to roughly coincide with the State of the Union address.
While US Forces are suceptable, there are marked differences between our ability to interdict Iranian operatives and their kidnapping operations. In most cases where U.S. soldiers are abducted, they have almost all been excuted shortly after being taken, usually with no taping of the proceedings. The lack of intelligence and propaganda derived from these events, are likely not part of the plan, and thus indicate that these operations are not completely being executed as planned. Why abduct 4 U.S. soldiers, then drive them 50 klicks or so away, just to shoot them in the back of the head? What this tells me, is that while the Iranians have shown audacity and discipline in setting up these attacks, they still really don't have the infrastructure to get captives underground and sequestered once the pursuit starts. In addition, the Iranian efforts seem to focus on soft targets with little intelligence value, while we are taking prime operators.
More than anything else, this means that military personnel must redouble their efforts and realize they could be targetted for kidnapping operations at any time or place, even possibly at home. In addition, I'd like to congratulate however out there is bagging these Iranian dousch-bags. Most people will never know the scrifices being made to keep America safe, and that's fine. Good job and good hunting! PS - beware of Iranian Cock.
Friday, March 9, 2007
Say What?
OK, I like listening to and reading different news services, I have to admit. Since I was old enough to get pissed off because my dad insisted on watching Cross-Fire (old school Pat Buchannon vs. Micheal Kinsley) instead of Jeopardy, I have had at least some awareness of the issues. Over that 20 year period, one of the most consistent issues has been America's debt. It has always been a vogue issue, with editors and anchors lamenting about "the sad state of the American Houshold and our love for consumer debt." Watch the news over the next week and you will hear the same thing, especially now that everybody is worried about sub-prime debt issues causing the financial sector to tank.
However, I saw this today on Fox News:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,257999,00.html
Should you be too lazy to follow the link, let me paraphrase. The net worth of American households has climbed to record levels. This doesn't make sense. I mean we are swimming in debt right? For the more economically challenged, net worth is what you would be worth, basically your assets (stuff you own) vs. your debt (stuff you owe). People are getting richer, surprise!
I want to make a few points here:
1) When people make an issue about debt, they talk about it in absolute terms, which isn't always beneficial. Having more debt isn't necessarily bad if you still have net worth. Take my situation. In the last two years, my family debt has more than doubled. It sounds bad, but hardly surprising, because I had to move to a more expensive area and finance a house that cost more than double from the place I moved from. In this situation, my net worth has continued to increase, even though my debt is up, so I am in a financially healthy position. People talk the same way about the Federal Budget defecit. "The Federal Deficit is at record levels, which bodes ill for our future." Very scary. No one says that as a percentage of GDP it's actually well below both our national average and most of the current deficit levels of other major economies. The bottom line is that as our economy, and even ourselves personally, grow, debt levels will increase. It's the net worth and debt vs income (or equity) that really matters. Think in terms of historical percentages and the data is much more meaningful.
2) While I think this data paints a rosy picture, I'd like to get a feel for what the distribution of the net worth increase is. Most likely, the majority of gains where in upper middle and upper class households. Many see this as proof that the American system is unfair, and families are being left behind. I agree, if poor people could actually build wealth with the only income they can afford to put towards their retirement (Social Security), instead of having it consumed by the government, then thay could build weath too. Instead, we have a system where the working poor pay relatively high taxes on the promise of future social security benefits. Try getting a small business loan with your social security statement of benefits as collateral. The American system is unfair to the poor. We need to abolish social security so the working poor can start building wealth.
However, I saw this today on Fox News:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,257999,00.html
Should you be too lazy to follow the link, let me paraphrase. The net worth of American households has climbed to record levels. This doesn't make sense. I mean we are swimming in debt right? For the more economically challenged, net worth is what you would be worth, basically your assets (stuff you own) vs. your debt (stuff you owe). People are getting richer, surprise!
I want to make a few points here:
1) When people make an issue about debt, they talk about it in absolute terms, which isn't always beneficial. Having more debt isn't necessarily bad if you still have net worth. Take my situation. In the last two years, my family debt has more than doubled. It sounds bad, but hardly surprising, because I had to move to a more expensive area and finance a house that cost more than double from the place I moved from. In this situation, my net worth has continued to increase, even though my debt is up, so I am in a financially healthy position. People talk the same way about the Federal Budget defecit. "The Federal Deficit is at record levels, which bodes ill for our future." Very scary. No one says that as a percentage of GDP it's actually well below both our national average and most of the current deficit levels of other major economies. The bottom line is that as our economy, and even ourselves personally, grow, debt levels will increase. It's the net worth and debt vs income (or equity) that really matters. Think in terms of historical percentages and the data is much more meaningful.
2) While I think this data paints a rosy picture, I'd like to get a feel for what the distribution of the net worth increase is. Most likely, the majority of gains where in upper middle and upper class households. Many see this as proof that the American system is unfair, and families are being left behind. I agree, if poor people could actually build wealth with the only income they can afford to put towards their retirement (Social Security), instead of having it consumed by the government, then thay could build weath too. Instead, we have a system where the working poor pay relatively high taxes on the promise of future social security benefits. Try getting a small business loan with your social security statement of benefits as collateral. The American system is unfair to the poor. We need to abolish social security so the working poor can start building wealth.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Word Brother
I read an article by Dr. Victor Davis Hanson:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/03/iraq_war_recalls_past_us_confl.html
As normal, I strongly agree with Dr. Hanson. American life has become so very fast paced, with everybody expecting instant results. Consider this:
1) Imagine we went to war and within the first few months, our forces where routed in a stunning defeat right outside our own border.
2) In response, we establish a beach head and land over 100,000 troops that march within artillery range of the enemy captital, only to have the commanding general lose his nerve and retreat. After being relieved of command, said general turns to politcs and becomes the Democratic party front runner. Over the three years that follow, we relieve our commanding generals about twice a year due to incompetence.
3) Our enemy assembles a force of respected and efficient leaders and manages to beat us in two out of three battles on average over the next three years, despite being outnumbered with poorer technology. Hundreds of thousands lay dead.
4) On two occasions, the enemy manages to invade us, causing crippling damage despite being replused.
5) When we do manage to win, the only way to pacify the enemy is to wantonly torch the country-side as we go.
Would we have the heart to win such a war if waged today?
We did in 1862, when the union forces went up against the Confederate high tide and won. Study the mistakes of President Lincoln and you can see just how bad things can get.
To quote from the other side (Stonewall Jackson in 'Gods and Generals')
"Hold on Mr. Pendleton, it's good to get your dander up, but it's discipline that wins the day!"
Speaking first hand, our soldiers have the discipline to win the day. It's the rest of the country that worries me.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/03/iraq_war_recalls_past_us_confl.html
As normal, I strongly agree with Dr. Hanson. American life has become so very fast paced, with everybody expecting instant results. Consider this:
1) Imagine we went to war and within the first few months, our forces where routed in a stunning defeat right outside our own border.
2) In response, we establish a beach head and land over 100,000 troops that march within artillery range of the enemy captital, only to have the commanding general lose his nerve and retreat. After being relieved of command, said general turns to politcs and becomes the Democratic party front runner. Over the three years that follow, we relieve our commanding generals about twice a year due to incompetence.
3) Our enemy assembles a force of respected and efficient leaders and manages to beat us in two out of three battles on average over the next three years, despite being outnumbered with poorer technology. Hundreds of thousands lay dead.
4) On two occasions, the enemy manages to invade us, causing crippling damage despite being replused.
5) When we do manage to win, the only way to pacify the enemy is to wantonly torch the country-side as we go.
Would we have the heart to win such a war if waged today?
We did in 1862, when the union forces went up against the Confederate high tide and won. Study the mistakes of President Lincoln and you can see just how bad things can get.
To quote from the other side (Stonewall Jackson in 'Gods and Generals')
"Hold on Mr. Pendleton, it's good to get your dander up, but it's discipline that wins the day!"
Speaking first hand, our soldiers have the discipline to win the day. It's the rest of the country that worries me.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Random Thoughts
Just a few random thoughts:
1. If you think yesterday's stock sell-off was a "little correction," then just wait until Israel nukes Iran's WMD sites later this year. I'd think about bumping up the cash percentage in your protfolio to be ready for the real sell-off.
2. Investing is a lot like driving to work through rush hour traffic, except that you win at investing when everybody tries to merge into your lane at once.
3. I could care less about Anna Nicole or Brittany Spears. I hope Brittany finds peace, but would rather she do it in private. I am sick of the media obsession with those two.
4. I love the national guard, but "one weekend a month, 2 weeks a year," is total bullshit. Even my junior enlisted guys put in more than that.
5. Cheating has always been a part of NASCAR. Just accept the rulings when you are caught and stop whining. Trying to get an edge in qualifying is in no way the same issue as steroids in other pro sports. A lot of commentators have been claiming otherwise.
6. Playboy Radio is pretty funny, but getting sex advice from porn stars and desperate second tier models is probably not really going to help much.
7. You can slide really far across a gently sloped field covered in 4" of ice, at least if you can manage to avoid any of the sparsley spaced out trees and bushes.
8. You can have some really odd conversations by reading a Dungeon's and Dragon's game book in a public place.
9. Getting slapped on the love handles can cause enough pain to make your knees buckle (thanks wifey).
10. Kids always think "I didn't mean to..." is enough to get them off. Come on little troopers, you either perform the task to standard or not!! I don't care what you meant to do, it's the results that count, now assume the front leaning rest position!
1. If you think yesterday's stock sell-off was a "little correction," then just wait until Israel nukes Iran's WMD sites later this year. I'd think about bumping up the cash percentage in your protfolio to be ready for the real sell-off.
2. Investing is a lot like driving to work through rush hour traffic, except that you win at investing when everybody tries to merge into your lane at once.
3. I could care less about Anna Nicole or Brittany Spears. I hope Brittany finds peace, but would rather she do it in private. I am sick of the media obsession with those two.
4. I love the national guard, but "one weekend a month, 2 weeks a year," is total bullshit. Even my junior enlisted guys put in more than that.
5. Cheating has always been a part of NASCAR. Just accept the rulings when you are caught and stop whining. Trying to get an edge in qualifying is in no way the same issue as steroids in other pro sports. A lot of commentators have been claiming otherwise.
6. Playboy Radio is pretty funny, but getting sex advice from porn stars and desperate second tier models is probably not really going to help much.
7. You can slide really far across a gently sloped field covered in 4" of ice, at least if you can manage to avoid any of the sparsley spaced out trees and bushes.
8. You can have some really odd conversations by reading a Dungeon's and Dragon's game book in a public place.
9. Getting slapped on the love handles can cause enough pain to make your knees buckle (thanks wifey).
10. Kids always think "I didn't mean to..." is enough to get them off. Come on little troopers, you either perform the task to standard or not!! I don't care what you meant to do, it's the results that count, now assume the front leaning rest position!
Monday, February 26, 2007
Get Rich Quick, My Ass!
OK, let's say for a minute that I was so smart that I had Wall Street totally figured out. Using my years of market experience, I create a system or software tool that allows me to reliably and efficiently set up a portfolio. The system is so easy, that anybody can use it to make money with almost no risk at all. If I had such a system, how would I chose to make money? By A: Selling the system to people like you or B: Actually managing my own hedge fund and getting rich off my market genius.
If you guessed A, then I think you need to spend some of your hard earned money on Russ Jordin's (or somebody else's) new system. They all have GREAT commercials, and after all, these guys are all so tired of making easy money, they'd rather spend the rest of their life helping you gain financial independence, for a small fee - just enough to cover the cost of materials I assure you.
If you guessed B, then I am in the same boat as you. My normal inclination is to assume that any person will work in the trade that offers the most return. It is true that such a return might very well includes more than simple wealth accumulation. Still, when I listen to somebody on CNBC Radio tell me about their new fangled system, I can't help but wonder why they are trying to make money selling it to me rather than actually putting it to use for themselves. The fact that they are trying to sell it to me speaks volumes about what their system really is all about, making them money through consultation and product fees.
Personally, I was wondering if I should set my own system up. For a small fee, I could teach you how to set up your own system, that involves helping yet others set up their own system. I wouldn't say that up front, but my 4 page instruction guide would basically say, "the quickest way to get rich is to infer that you can get others rich, and have them pay you for that advice. You better hurry up, because I am busy selling my scheme and taking your potential customer base while you tarry." Send me $1000 and I promise I'll get you in on the ground floor.
If you guessed A, then I think you need to spend some of your hard earned money on Russ Jordin's (or somebody else's) new system. They all have GREAT commercials, and after all, these guys are all so tired of making easy money, they'd rather spend the rest of their life helping you gain financial independence, for a small fee - just enough to cover the cost of materials I assure you.
If you guessed B, then I am in the same boat as you. My normal inclination is to assume that any person will work in the trade that offers the most return. It is true that such a return might very well includes more than simple wealth accumulation. Still, when I listen to somebody on CNBC Radio tell me about their new fangled system, I can't help but wonder why they are trying to make money selling it to me rather than actually putting it to use for themselves. The fact that they are trying to sell it to me speaks volumes about what their system really is all about, making them money through consultation and product fees.
Personally, I was wondering if I should set my own system up. For a small fee, I could teach you how to set up your own system, that involves helping yet others set up their own system. I wouldn't say that up front, but my 4 page instruction guide would basically say, "the quickest way to get rich is to infer that you can get others rich, and have them pay you for that advice. You better hurry up, because I am busy selling my scheme and taking your potential customer base while you tarry." Send me $1000 and I promise I'll get you in on the ground floor.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Events
A friend who got me started on blogging reminded me on recent post, to simply keep writing. I have started about 4 articles in the last month and published none. So rather than worry about coming up with my pulitzer prize winning post, here are some thoughts about a recent event.
Got Viagra?
Check out this headline:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,253959,00.html
It would seem a 70 year old U.S. Military retiree choked an armed mugger to death while on a bus during a cruise tour somewhere where in Costa Rico. All I can say is "Hooah, Hoorah, Hooyah, Up you go into the wild blue yonder," mostly because I don't know the gentleman's prior service. After 9/11, not too many Americans would seem to take the idea of sitting idly while armed men take control of them while on public transportation, not even our venerable senior citizens. Ironically, after choking the assailant out and dropping the body off at a local Red Cross, the tour group proceeded with their planned outing. The guy is probably back up on the Lido deck right now, sipping a pina colada. "Yeah babe, I'm the guy you heard about. Why don't you bring a lady friend and you two can tag team me on a little shuffle board, maybe hit the hot tub when we are done." Cyalis or Viagra? None needed. As a matter of fact, with Mark Martin no longer racing for Pfizer (been about 2 years now), they should sign this guy up as a spokeman.
Got Viagra?
Check out this headline:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,253959,00.html
It would seem a 70 year old U.S. Military retiree choked an armed mugger to death while on a bus during a cruise tour somewhere where in Costa Rico. All I can say is "Hooah, Hoorah, Hooyah, Up you go into the wild blue yonder," mostly because I don't know the gentleman's prior service. After 9/11, not too many Americans would seem to take the idea of sitting idly while armed men take control of them while on public transportation, not even our venerable senior citizens. Ironically, after choking the assailant out and dropping the body off at a local Red Cross, the tour group proceeded with their planned outing. The guy is probably back up on the Lido deck right now, sipping a pina colada. "Yeah babe, I'm the guy you heard about. Why don't you bring a lady friend and you two can tag team me on a little shuffle board, maybe hit the hot tub when we are done." Cyalis or Viagra? None needed. As a matter of fact, with Mark Martin no longer racing for Pfizer (been about 2 years now), they should sign this guy up as a spokeman.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Dog Bites Man...
Actually, not quite, but about the same thing. In an effort to find creative new negative news about the Global War on Terrorism, here tonight's story:
Soldier Returns From Iraq to Find Belongings Auctioned Off
No shit, sherlock! Wow, that hasn't happened too much in the last five years. Ironically though, there is a surprise here. It wasn't the soldier's wife! Actually the poor fellow wasn't even married, so he didn't enjoy that special brand of irony so many face when they try to get their wife thrown in jail for running off with everything just to get that pesky General Power of Attorney that they signed waved in their face.
Seriously, I don't mean to make fun of anybody in this kind of situation, and it can be heartbreaking what I have seen some soldiers and sailors go through coming back from a deployment. More than anything else, I just find it odd that this kind of story is news worthy at this particular point in time.
Soldier Returns From Iraq to Find Belongings Auctioned Off
No shit, sherlock! Wow, that hasn't happened too much in the last five years. Ironically though, there is a surprise here. It wasn't the soldier's wife! Actually the poor fellow wasn't even married, so he didn't enjoy that special brand of irony so many face when they try to get their wife thrown in jail for running off with everything just to get that pesky General Power of Attorney that they signed waved in their face.
Seriously, I don't mean to make fun of anybody in this kind of situation, and it can be heartbreaking what I have seen some soldiers and sailors go through coming back from a deployment. More than anything else, I just find it odd that this kind of story is news worthy at this particular point in time.
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