Well, 75% done with my testing and 8/16 was an easier
day—got the tube out of the nose and gullet! Friday, the grand finale, the
heart cath. If the doc isn’t hung over and has a steady hand, I’ll report after
I’m finished. Thanks to all who held non-essential e-mail. Down to 200 a day,
including work, so have been able to keep up.
48 years ago today on August 17th, I met my Drill
instructors, Sgt. W.H. Harris, Sgt. M. P. Martin, and Sgt. E. Owens, Jr. It was
a great blessing, though it took a while to know that, because they gave me
self-discipline—a pearl beyond price. ~Bob
Well, this is a revolting development. I haven’t finished
Kratman’s excellent A Desert Called Peace
series, but got turned on to his Countdown
series, of which this is book one. Though I have both a very good military
history and an excellent political book started, this came when I needed a
little escapism. And make no mistake, this adventure fantasy is escapism. So I
started it—and finished it without taking up the others. I’ll now have to order
the next two. Sigh. If only books came with the extra time to enjoy them.
I know, and have recommended, Kratman as a writer of
wonderful military science fiction. This book is more of a thriller, set in the
too-near future to really be called SF. It is a future that is easily
discernable from the converging lines of our deteriorating civilization today.
More and more, Kratman reminds me of my favorite escapist novel writer, W.E.B.
Griffin, in his terrific characterization of people you’d like to know well,
and people you’d stand in a long line in the hot sun to get a shot at. But his
plotting and presentation, especially about planning and executing military
operations are, if anything, more detailed and authentic than Griffin ’s. If Griffin can be called a historical novelist,
Kratman is a future=history novelist. He understands how warriors talk, think
and act. Kratman is a retired Army LtCol, but has a terrific grasp of all
aspects of war: air, land and sea. If you want to see what an unpleasant future
will look like, and what men and women of courage will have to do to cope with
the brave new world that’s, alas, coming, you can hardly do better than to
enjoy one of Kratman’s novels.
7 Americans troops
die in Afghan helicopter crash
Excerpt: The international military force in Afghanistan
says seven American troops are among the 11 people who died in a Blackhawk
helicopter crash in the country's south. A Taliban spokesman says the
insurgents shot down the aircraft but the NATO-led force said it is still
investigating the cause. (While we were complaining about trivial things—such
as my medical tests and condition—they were sacrificing their lives to protect
us from Islamist terror. Remember that, every day. ~Bob.)
Syrian Conflict
Crosses Border Into Lebanon
Excerpt: Spillover from the Syrian conflict hit Lebanon in a frightening new way on Wednesday
with the abduction of more than 30 Syrians inside Lebanese territory, which
their captors called revenge for the kidnapping of a relative inside Syria. Members of a
powerful Lebanese Shiite family who captured the Syrians, displayed in a video
shown on Lebanese television, threatened to cause havoc in the streets and
conduct an extended kidnapping spree in Lebanon until their family member,
taken hostage by Syrian rebels, was set free. (Only a rosy-viewed transnational
progressive multiculturalist could find any “good guys” in this—or any intra-Muslim
conflict in the Middle East . See next article.
~Bob.)
Syrian government
forces, rebels committing war crimes: U.N.
Excerpt: Syrian government forces and allied militia have
committed war crimes including murder and torture of civilians in what appears
to be state-directed policy, U.N. investigators said on Wednesday.
Syrian Rebels Said to
Be Holding Elite Fighters From Iran
Excerpt: American officials said
Wednesday that they had obtained credible information that at least some of the
48 Iranians captured in Damascus this month
by Syrian rebels were members of Iran’s elite Islamic
Revolutionary Guards Corps, not the pilgrims described by the government in
Tehran.
Excerpt: Israel
would be willing to strike Iran ’s
nuclear facilities, even if doing so only delayed its ability to produce
nuclear weapons for a few years, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren said.
Excerpt: Israel is
prepared for a 30-day war on multiple fronts should it decide to strike Iran , and is
"ready as never before" for such a clash, the outgoing home front
defence minister said Wednesday.
Hindus from Pakistan
flee to India, citing religious persecution
Excerpt: More than 250 Pakistani Hindus have arrived in India over
the past two weeks bearing tales of religious persecution, according to Indian
border officials, fueling perceptions of growing discrimination against
minorities in Pakistan .
(Silly Hindus—nothing to be afraid of from members of a “religion of peace.”
~Bob.)
Worth Reading
Excerpt: The difference sounds fundamental, but actually it
is a mirage. Surprisingly, there's very little difference between the two
plans. There is no important difference in Medicare spending — even when the
estimates of the president's budget are made by his own Office of Management
and Budget and the costs of the Ryan plan are projected by Ryan himself. … The president's approach is inflexible.
Ryan's approach has the advantage of making the cuts less painful by allowing
market-based reforms instead of suppressing provider fees. (Doesn’t matter. The
media will be delighted to assist the Obama campaign in frightening seniors,
regardless of the facts. ~Bob.)
Worth Reading : A Survey
on the Economic Effects of Los
Angeles County
Excerpt: Stores inside the ban area reduced their employment
by more than 10 percent. Stores outside the ban area increased their employment
by 2.4 percent. … Plastic bags generate 68 percent fewer greenhouse gases than
composted paper bags, and consume 71 percent less energy during production. Reusable
bags may be the worst of all, needing to be used 104 times to be less polluting
than plastic bags; however, such bags are used only 52 times on average. (But
it’s not about the environment or about jobs, it’s about making progressives
feel all warm and fuzzy about their good intentions, rather than the results
for everyone else. ~Bob.)
Excerpt: Congress and the Administration should transform
food stamps into a program that encourages work and self-sufficiency, close
eligibility loopholes, and, after the recession ends, reduce food stamp
spending to pre-recession levels. (In 20 years, none of these programs will
exist, because there will be no money.
~Bob.)
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/08/15/britain-threatens-to-storm-embassy-to-arrest-wikileaks-assange-ecuador-says/#ixzz23iaCyzVG
Excerpt: Ecuador said Thursday that it was granting asylum to
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a decision that thrilled supporters but will
do little to defuse the standoff at the Latin American nation's London embassy,
where the Australian ex-hacker has been holed up for almost two months in an
effort to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning
on allegations of sexual misconduct.
Republican National
Convention Speaker From NRO’s Morning
Jolt. . . with Jim Geraghty
Former Democratic National Convention Speaker Artur Davis,
former Alabama congressman from the 7th
District (2003-2011) who was the first member of Congress not from Illinois to endorse
President Obama in 2008. Davis, then a Democrat, seconded the official
nomination of Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. He recently
announced he is joining the Republican Party and supporting Mitt Romney. (Morning
Jolt is worth subscribing to. ~Bob.)
Glenn Beck on Obama
-- Brilliant!!
Bob, I read your blog daily. Thanks for all the work you do
of sorting out what is worth reading. Don't know how you feel about Glenn Beck,
but this video monolog is brilliant. I am also sending this to about 50 other
Gyrenes, but figured you have a bigger distribution list. All need to see this.
Whether you are a Beck fan or not, this is well worth the 20 minutes it takes
to watch this video. Not only is it extremely informative and entertaining, it
is also downright funny. I guarantee this will be a classic. If I were the GOP,
I would buy the rights to this and air it every day until the election. Seriously,
do yourself a favor and take the time to watch and enjoy this. –Bill H.
Public Spending
http://capitalismmagazine.com/2005/02/not-yours-to-give/
With Bob away, I thought I'd pass along a little bit of history that Mr. Romney should use. Both James Madison and Davy Crockett opposed spending public money for private welfare. The believed the Constitution did not grant such powers. --Tom H.
With Bob away, I thought I'd pass along a little bit of history that Mr. Romney should use. Both James Madison and Davy Crockett opposed spending public money for private welfare. The believed the Constitution did not grant such powers. --Tom H.
There Is No
California: Palo Alto and Fresno
Excerpt: Driving across California
is like going from Mississippi to Massachusetts without
ever crossing a state line. Consider the disconnects: California’s combined
income and sales taxes are among the nation’s highest, but the state’s annual
deficit is still about $16 billion. It is estimated that more than 2,000
upper-income Californians are leaving per week to flee high taxes and costly
regulations, yet the state government wants to raise taxes even higher.
More and more gov't
agencies buying up lots of hollow point pistol ammo?
The article starts off with SS buying a bunch of .357 hollow
points, but also lists all the other gov't agencies buying up ammo in amazing
quantities. What use of all that ammo to Social Security offices, are they
anticipating a major ground assault by us oldsters some fine morning? I guess
we send in the wheelchair brigade first, then all the people carrying their
oxygen bottles, then the ones who are well into Alzheimer's or dementia, and
finally we roll all the bedridden people at them in their powered beds. By that
time the pile of bodies will block all access to the offices and they'll have
to surrender or die of
starvation. Seriously, what in hell is going on with all these major ammo buys for
departments that aren't exactly running SWAT assaults on a daily basis? –Del
starvation. Seriously, what in hell is going on with all these major ammo buys for
departments that aren't exactly running SWAT assaults on a daily basis? –
Riot engulfs troubled
French district in north
Excerpt: Months of tension between police and young people
in a troubled district of northern France exploded on Tuesday,
with dozens of youths facing off against riot officers in a night of violence.
Seventeen officers were injured, a pre-school and public gym were torched, and
at least three passing drivers in Amiens were
dragged from their cars. (Hummm. Doesn’t mention the group the “youths” belong
to. Think they could be Jews or Presbyterians rioting? ~Bob.)
Recruit George
McGovern to Speak --- at the REPUBLICAN Convention! By Larry Elder
Excerpt: Yes, that old lefty McGovern. You know the
expression, "A conservative is a liberal who has been mugged"? Well,
McGovern has been mugged.
Dreams
from My Real Father: Director Joel Gilbert at National Press Club, Washington
DC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jOmzTLdr_m4
Transcript excerpt: However, as shown in Dreams from My Real Father, Barack Obama in fact has a deeply disturbing family background, which he intentionally hid, in order to obscure a Marxist political foundation. While voters will overlook some fudging by politicians, promoting a false family background to hide a Marxist agenda irreconcilable with American values is a totally unacceptable manipulation of the electorate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jOmzTLdr_m4
Transcript excerpt: However, as shown in Dreams from My Real Father, Barack Obama in fact has a deeply disturbing family background, which he intentionally hid, in order to obscure a Marxist political foundation. While voters will overlook some fudging by politicians, promoting a false family background to hide a Marxist agenda irreconcilable with American values is a totally unacceptable manipulation of the electorate.
Excerpt: The August 15 shooting of a security guard at the
Washington HQ of the Family Research Council didn't spark the same hyperbolic
claims from the Old Media establishment that politics is at the root of this
violence. The shooter has ties to the gay rights community. No calls for investigations
were made, no individual politicians were accused of fostering a "violent
atmosphere," and no particular ideology was blamed as the cause of this
crime.
Obama Is
In Over His Head – Obama Cites Auto Bailout As Model.
http://www.dickmorris.com/obama-cites-auto-bailout-as-model-dick-morris-tv-lunch-alert/?utm_source=dmreports&utm_medium=dmreports&utm_campaign=dmreports
Excerpt: In this video commentary, I discuss how Obama plans to use the GM Bailout as a template for his future industrial policy in a second term. It’s called socialism... If you needed another reason to vote against Obama, that will give you one...
http://www.dickmorris.com/obama-cites-auto-bailout-as-model-dick-morris-tv-lunch-alert/?utm_source=dmreports&utm_medium=dmreports&utm_campaign=dmreports
Excerpt: In this video commentary, I discuss how Obama plans to use the GM Bailout as a template for his future industrial policy in a second term. It’s called socialism... If you needed another reason to vote against Obama, that will give you one...
Excerpt: If you thought being one of the producers of one of
the greatest anti-hate films in history, one that exposed hatred, bigotry and
anti-semitism would make you immune from being labeled a hate monger, think
again. "Schindlers List" left its mark on the world and did so by
telling the truth about man’s inhumanity to men. Yet the slings and arrows came
at me to impinge my credibility, the work of Dinesh D’Souza and to once again
use hate as their passport.
Excerpt: On his Wednesday radio show, conservative talker
Mark Levin opened by framing the upcoming
presidential election with a tough description of President Barack Obama.
According to Levin, the author of “Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America,” Obama is setting up
future generations for a tough time, earning him the title “child abuser.”
See No Jihad: U.S. Still Treating Fort Hood Jihadis as Criminals.
By Robert Spencer
Excerpt: Fort Hood U.S. military.)
….Both cases demonstrate, in different ways, the abject failure of government
and law enforcement officials to deal adequately with the challenge of Islamic
jihad terrorism.
Beard row halts trial
of Major accused of murder
The trial of a US army psychiatrist accused of killing 13
people in a shooting spree at an army base has been suspended while a court
decides whether his beard should be removed….He has been found in contempt of
court, fined $1,000, and has had to watch proceedings on closed-circuit
television from a nearby room. Lawyers for Maj Hasan say he has had a
premonition that his death is imminent and that he believes dying without a
beard would be a sin. Forcing him to remove his beard could be a violation of
his rights, they say.
Violence Erupts in France
Excerpt: Cops shot at, schools burned out, millions in
damages as "youths" riot in two French cities. Well, the
"youths" all happen to be of immigrant origin, living in concentrated
neighborhoods with sky high unemployment and minimal if any assimilation. France has been
sowing the wind for decades with their policies of immigration and tolerance,
and now the whirlwind is maybe on its way. And this is occurring with a
socialist government in power, not a Conservative or Right Wing group. But it's
a challenge to the entire idea of the French government which means pretty much
nothing to these alienated and disaffected people, so it really seems the only
direction for things to go is downhill. Meanwhile, the French Right Wing is
gaining more and more popularity as the bulk of French citizens reach their
saturation point with the problems of their militant immigrant population. If
things really blow up, as they easily can in not just two but dozens of cities,
especially including Paris ,
it could be martial law and blood in the streets. I think I'll skip the
vacation trip to Paris this Fall.....Del
Navy SEALs To Obama:
You Didn't Kill Osama— We Did
Excerpt: : A group of former U.S. intelligence and
Special Forces operatives is launching a media campaign to scold the president
for taking credit for killing Osama bin Laden and endangering lives with
self-serving leaks. (No doubt Team Obama will deride it as "son of Swift
Boat," the 2004 ad campaign that cast doubts on Democrat presidential nominee
Sen. John Kerry's claims about his service in Vietnam . But the group, the Special
Operations OPSEC Education Fund Inc., says its campaign is a necessary expose
of the exploitation by President Obama of the actions of genuine American
heroes for his political gain. (More Spec Ops complaints about the White House
policies. --Del )
Excerpt: I dare you to watch TV for an hour and not be
bombarded with at least half a dozen of those slimy personal injury lawyers. I
hate them. The gag factor is in full throttle when those ads appear. The world
would be better off with fully half of them dropping off a nice steep
cliff. We are a nation of law. We need lawyers. But today we drowning in a
cesspool of ambulance chasing lawyers who cost us untold billions in increased
costs for every facet of our economy.
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