Today's Bird HERE
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
QUR'AN BURNING: Contextualization is Important
An effort to "enlighten" the crowd . . . -S.L.
An Afghan shows a copy of the holy Koran - allegedly burnt by US soldiers - in Bagram, about 60 km north of Kabul, Afghanistan, 21 Feb 2012(EPA)
In light of everything which has transpired over the past couple of days in Afghanistan, I thought I’d share my limited knowledge of Islam, the Kor’an, and the Muslimculture, in an effort to add a bit of context and background to what is really turning into a regionally destabilizing flashpoint.
I am sure some are aware of the history of the Qur'an. It was the words spoken by Muhammad to scribes, who wrote down these incremental revelations that occurredover a fairly long period of time. Its origin as the Word of God was declared though whether this meant that God spoke to Muhammad in Arabic or whether Godspoke through inspiration is unclear. Nonetheless the result was considered the Word of God as provided by Muhammad.
Muhammad was illiterate. Arabic is based on a three consonant root system which at the time of the recitation of the passages by Muhammad, and the inscribing of these passages, were written down without diacritical marks, on many different objects, from paper to rocks, leather, bone and anything else that could beused as a writing surface.
In order to consolidate all the various writings (which often conflicted), and present one authoritative guide, the third Caliph, Uthman, ordered a review would begin to determine what the original words actually were. This proceeded after Muhammad's death so there is no way of knowing whether the result of this effort was actually on target. The Hadith talks about these conflicts, but notthe quality of the result of the effort. For instance, the three consonant system (again, without diacritical marks) allowed for words as various as “book” (Kitab) and “library” (Kitub) to be written exactly the same way in Arabic.
So Uthman ordered that all copies of the Qur'an, all fragments of the Qur'an be collected and analyzed to determine the true one Word of God. This effort undoubtedly inserted fallible man into the process. The result of his efforts produced a singular unmarked text. All other copies of the Qur'an and fragments (stones, paper, leather, wood etc.) were destroyed. This solved the political problem of differing opinions in a world where the divine word is everything.
When the task was complete, all the fragments and whole copies of the Qur'an wereordered destroyed by Uthman. Anything that could be burned was burned. It would be quite easy to argue that the defacing of the Qur'an by people writing messages over the divine Word were committing blasphemy and that burning the Qur'ans so marked is the appropriate solution, so that they may never infect the minds of mortals again.
So . . . there is in fact a tradition of book burning as an acceptable method of destroying defaced copies of the Qur'an.
We Americans are simply failing to share this narrative with the world. We are once again allowing our enemies to pigeonhole us on what is really a rather logical and simplistic defense.
I'd offer something along the lines of:
"The prisoners (your Muslim brothers) defaced your most Holy book, and in an effort to remove that which is impure - according to the Islamic religion - we properly disposed of them in a respectful manner consistent with your culture's history and traditions."
The author was on the ground in Afghanistan early in the game, September of '01 . . . his life reads like a book . . . he led a battalion at the height of the madness in Iraq, and then went back as an advisor to Iraqi forces - S.L.
An Afghan shows a copy of the holy Koran - allegedly burnt by US soldiers - in Bagram, about 60 km north of Kabul, Afghanistan, 21 Feb 2012(EPA)
In light of everything which has transpired over the past couple of days in Afghanistan, I thought I’d share my limited knowledge of Islam, the Kor’an, and the Muslimculture, in an effort to add a bit of context and background to what is really turning into a regionally destabilizing flashpoint.
I am sure some are aware of the history of the Qur'an. It was the words spoken by Muhammad to scribes, who wrote down these incremental revelations that occurredover a fairly long period of time. Its origin as the Word of God was declared though whether this meant that God spoke to Muhammad in Arabic or whether Godspoke through inspiration is unclear. Nonetheless the result was considered the Word of God as provided by Muhammad.
Muhammad was illiterate. Arabic is based on a three consonant root system which at the time of the recitation of the passages by Muhammad, and the inscribing of these passages, were written down without diacritical marks, on many different objects, from paper to rocks, leather, bone and anything else that could beused as a writing surface.
In order to consolidate all the various writings (which often conflicted), and present one authoritative guide, the third Caliph, Uthman, ordered a review would begin to determine what the original words actually were. This proceeded after Muhammad's death so there is no way of knowing whether the result of this effort was actually on target. The Hadith talks about these conflicts, but notthe quality of the result of the effort. For instance, the three consonant system (again, without diacritical marks) allowed for words as various as “book” (Kitab) and “library” (Kitub) to be written exactly the same way in Arabic.
So Uthman ordered that all copies of the Qur'an, all fragments of the Qur'an be collected and analyzed to determine the true one Word of God. This effort undoubtedly inserted fallible man into the process. The result of his efforts produced a singular unmarked text. All other copies of the Qur'an and fragments (stones, paper, leather, wood etc.) were destroyed. This solved the political problem of differing opinions in a world where the divine word is everything.
When the task was complete, all the fragments and whole copies of the Qur'an wereordered destroyed by Uthman. Anything that could be burned was burned. It would be quite easy to argue that the defacing of the Qur'an by people writing messages over the divine Word were committing blasphemy and that burning the Qur'ans so marked is the appropriate solution, so that they may never infect the minds of mortals again.
So . . . there is in fact a tradition of book burning as an acceptable method of destroying defaced copies of the Qur'an.
We Americans are simply failing to share this narrative with the world. We are once again allowing our enemies to pigeonhole us on what is really a rather logical and simplistic defense.
I'd offer something along the lines of:
"The prisoners (your Muslim brothers) defaced your most Holy book, and in an effort to remove that which is impure - according to the Islamic religion - we properly disposed of them in a respectful manner consistent with your culture's history and traditions."
The author was on the ground in Afghanistan early in the game, September of '01 . . . his life reads like a book . . . he led a battalion at the height of the madness in Iraq, and then went back as an advisor to Iraqi forces - S.L.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
"FORMER GREEN BERET HONORED WITH MEDALS"
OLEAN – A former Green Beret who served for two tours in the U.S. Army was honored on Thursday with long overdue awards he never received.
Sgt. Mark Close of Olean was surrounded by friends and family at a special ceremony held at Senator Catharine Young’s office where he received the Korea Defense Service Medal, the New York State Medal For Merit, and the Cold War Recognition Certificate.
From 1978 until 1979, he served at Camp Casey in Korea with the Second Infantry Division on the Korean Demilitarized Zone, a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea.
After leaving Korea, Sgt. Close initially was attached and later assigned to Special Forces as a supply sergeant.
Some clarification is in order here:
1) First of all, there is no such thing as a "former" Green Beret - you either are one, or you aren't. If Special Forces status was withdrawn for whatever reason - then you are not a Green Beret and you never were one.
2) This gentleman is not a Green Beret; he is a support soldier - a supply sergeant assigned to a Special Forces unit. I'm not taking anything away from what he did - he served overseas and in this country with honor, he re-enlisted and volunteered for Jump School. There is much honor here, but let us not bestow upon him extraordinary status which in fact he did not earn.
Sgt. Close also was presented with the New York State Medal For Merit. This decoration is given to current New York State residents, or those who were New York State citizens at the time of their service, who served honorably in the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard or Merchant Marines, and whose service was in direct support of combat operations.
Direct support of combat operations??? We're talking 1976-1982 here - Vietnam officially ended in 1973; 1975 if you push it, and Grenada wasn't until 1983. Maybe they're looking at that one year up by the DMZ in Korea - admittedly things were pretty hot there in the seventies and even into the eighties. U.S. Army Special Forces presence in Lebanon is not considered combat - even though combat was happening all around them; even still we're talking "direct support".
Whatever . . . today's Bird HERE
.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGE
GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON
First President of the United States
22 Feb 1732 – 14 Dec 1799
First President of the United States
22 Feb 1732 – 14 Dec 1799
Appropriately enough, today the U.S. Supreme Court will be hearing the case of Xavier Alvarez who falsely claimed to be a wounded war veteran and a Medal of Honor recipient, and will review the Stolen Valor Act.
The primary mission of Blog STORMBRINGER is to honor valorous warriors, and over the years we have participated in exposing several of phony wannabes:
HOW TO SPOT A FAKE VETERAN
ANOTHER PATHETIC PHONEY WANNABE
PHONY SF COLONEL PLEADS GUILTY
If I live to be a million I will never understand what it is that motivates these kind of losers. I am not a hero, I never did anything heroic; but I served next to heroes. That is good enough - it was an honor just to be included within the ranks. What is almost even more incredulous is that there are people out there who claim that the Stolen Valor Act - a bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to enhance protections relating to the reputation and meaning of the Medal of Honor and other military decorations and awards, and for other purposes - somehow impedes Free Speech.
In other words, it is fraudulent and criminal to wear the medals and to use false claims of such decorations for profit or gain, but the act of merely claiming to have recieved the medals is not a crime - HUH ? ? ?
Only a pack of lawyers could twist shades of meaning in such a way.
I can see how this one is going to come out in the wash - they are going to relegate this to the same disgraceful category of Free Speech as flag burning.
Well this is how I read the law on that: you can burn an American flag, and you can make false claims about military experience and decorations - just don't be doing it when I'm around.
STORMBRINGER SENDS
Today's Bird HERE
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
THE CULT OF THE 1911
I first saw this story several years ago, when I was still on active duty. I like to think it's true - Snopes has nothing on it. - S.L.
"Too old to fight, too slow to run but I can still shoot pretty damn good!"
Retired Marine and former Pan Am/Delta Pilot John Lovell is Top Gun at Subway Sandwich Shop Plantation, Florida:
Last week police were called to investigate an attempted armed robbery: The 71-year-old retired Marine who opened fire on two robbers at a Plantation, Florida, Subway shop late Wednesday, killing one and critically wounding the other, is described as John Lovell, a former helicopter pilot for two presidents. He doesn't drink, he doesn't smoke, and he works out every day. Mr. Lovell was a man of action Wednesday night.
According to Plantation police, two masked gunmen came into the Subway at 1949 N. Pine Rd. just after 11 p.m. There was a lone diner, Mr. Lovell, who was finishing his meal. After robbing the cashier, the two men attempted to shove Mr. Lovell into a bathroom and rob him as well. They got his money, but then Mr. Lovell pulled his handgun and opened fire. He shot one of the thieves in the head and chest and the other in the head.
When police arrived, they found one of the men in the shop, K-9 Units found the other in the bushes of a nearby business. They also found cash strewn around the front of the sandwich shop according to Detective Robert Rettig of the Plantation Police Department.
Both men were taken to the Broward General Medical Center, where one, Donicio Arrindell, 22, of North Lauderdale died. The other, 21-year-old Frederick Gadson of Fort Lauderdale is in critical but stable condition.
Mr. Lovell was a pilot in the Marine Corps, flying former Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He later worked as a pilot for Pan Am and Delta Airlines.
He is not expected to be charged authorities said. "He was in fear for his life," Detective Rettig said, "These criminals ought to realize that most men in their 70's have military backgrounds and aren't intimidated by idiots."
Something tells me this old Marine wasn't "in fear for his life", even though his life was definitely at risk. The only thing he could be charged with is participating in an unfair fight. One 71- year young Marine against two punks. Two head shots and one center body mass shot.
Outstanding shooting! That'll teach them not to get between a Marine and his meal.
Florida law allows eligible citizens to carry a concealed weapon. Don't you just love a story with a happy ending?
I carry a .45 everywhere I go in the United States - the only trouble I ever had was with a Pennsylvania State Trooper who explained to me that A) my weapon was not registered and B) that the weapon associated with my concealed carry permit had to be registered.
At this point I should probably point out that at the time I was sitting on a bench in the cop shop with my arms behind my back because I was wearing the bracelets (pulled over for suspected DUI - things got REAL interesting when they found my M1911 locked-and-cocked so of course I get hauled down to the station to blow into the machine).
I said A) I should hope it's not registered, although you've probably gone ahead logged into some kind of nation-wide registry thanks very much and B) what, are you making the law up as you go along?
I told him that there is NO requirement for weapons registration in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
He says, "Yes there is."
I said, "No there isn't." You gotta understand - State Troopers are NOT accustomed to being spoken to this way. I was courteous, I was professional, and as soon as I figured a way to get those handcuffs off I had a plan to do a Rambo on that place, should the occasion warrant it.
The State Trooper is looking at me from behind his desk computer - big ol' nineteen nineties cathode ray tube computer monitor - with this fucked up look on his face, when all of a sudden his partner walks in the room and says, "HE'S RIGHT!!!"
A third guy comes up and says he's going to put some ankle manacles on me, to give me some relief from the handcuffs. When he finished putting on the manacles I hand him over the handcuffs and he looks at me all fucked up, "How'd you do that???"
I say, "Don't worry about it - you got me in manacles - it's not as if I can run for it or anything."
So we transition to the breathalizer station. I know I'm OK because I know how much I drank, etc. So after I blow .02 two times in a row, the cop responsible for running the breathalizer machine asks me, "Do you know what the legal limit is in Pennsylvania?" Like, what? First you didn't know the gun laws, now you don't know the legal limit?
I say, "Sure. It's .08 - it should be .05"
Breathalizer Boy says, "You're .02"
I say, "I know; I can read gauges. Can we . . . uh . . . remove the hardware now?"
Breathalizer Boy; "Well . . . uh . . . I dunno about that."
Me: "I think the magic words are: CAN I GO NOW?"
Those ARE the magic words - they can't hold you any longer if they don't have a reason - so Breathalizer Boy looks over to Desk Sgt, and Desk Sgt gives him the nod, so he kneels down to unfasten my leg irons and he can't get the fucking key to unlock the shackles because he's shaking like a leaf and he's looking up at me while he's trying to unlock the things. I tell him, "Relax - I'm not going to do anything; there's three of you and you're all armed, and my gun is over there and it's unloaded."
He finally gets the things off of me and he gets up and says, "So you were Special Forces, huh?"
"How on Earth did you know that???"
"Your lapel pin."
I was wearing a suit, and I had minature regimental crest on my lapel. "Yeah, I'm that."
So then it's "I was in the Navy. So what's it like in SF???" Like, a minute ago I was in leg irons being treated like the scum of the earth, and now that I'm free to move about the room it's Old Home Week and 'What's it like on the Teams? slobber! slobber!'.
"Well what I CAN tell you is that my worst day in Special Forces is better than your best day in the Navy, or the State Troopies even for that matter."
The guy grumbled and shuffled off. I looked over to the desk sergeant, "Can I have my pea shooter now?" He grumbled too, but he gave it to me - that surprised me because they could have been real assholes and hung on to it. I told him as a courtesy I wouldn't load it until after I left the station, and he grumbled an acknowledgment.
They got their ounce of blood out of me, though - or so they thought: a week later a letter came in the mail - two write ups for driving outside the lines and driving in an unsafe manner - written three days AFTER the event, a couple of hundred bucks in fines. I had to go down to the courthouse and get them thrown out, which was easy because they had me listed as a juvenile on one of them.
I even got the court fees reimbursed - that's something I NEVER seen before.
"That's my story and I'm sticking to it." - STORMBRINGER SENDS
Today's Bird HERE
"Too old to fight, too slow to run but I can still shoot pretty damn good!"
Retired Marine and former Pan Am/Delta Pilot John Lovell is Top Gun at Subway Sandwich Shop Plantation, Florida:
Last week police were called to investigate an attempted armed robbery: The 71-year-old retired Marine who opened fire on two robbers at a Plantation, Florida, Subway shop late Wednesday, killing one and critically wounding the other, is described as John Lovell, a former helicopter pilot for two presidents. He doesn't drink, he doesn't smoke, and he works out every day. Mr. Lovell was a man of action Wednesday night.
According to Plantation police, two masked gunmen came into the Subway at 1949 N. Pine Rd. just after 11 p.m. There was a lone diner, Mr. Lovell, who was finishing his meal. After robbing the cashier, the two men attempted to shove Mr. Lovell into a bathroom and rob him as well. They got his money, but then Mr. Lovell pulled his handgun and opened fire. He shot one of the thieves in the head and chest and the other in the head.
When police arrived, they found one of the men in the shop, K-9 Units found the other in the bushes of a nearby business. They also found cash strewn around the front of the sandwich shop according to Detective Robert Rettig of the Plantation Police Department.
Both men were taken to the Broward General Medical Center, where one, Donicio Arrindell, 22, of North Lauderdale died. The other, 21-year-old Frederick Gadson of Fort Lauderdale is in critical but stable condition.
Mr. Lovell was a pilot in the Marine Corps, flying former Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He later worked as a pilot for Pan Am and Delta Airlines.
He is not expected to be charged authorities said. "He was in fear for his life," Detective Rettig said, "These criminals ought to realize that most men in their 70's have military backgrounds and aren't intimidated by idiots."
Something tells me this old Marine wasn't "in fear for his life", even though his life was definitely at risk. The only thing he could be charged with is participating in an unfair fight. One 71- year young Marine against two punks. Two head shots and one center body mass shot.
Outstanding shooting! That'll teach them not to get between a Marine and his meal.
Florida law allows eligible citizens to carry a concealed weapon. Don't you just love a story with a happy ending?
* * *
I carry a .45 everywhere I go in the United States - the only trouble I ever had was with a Pennsylvania State Trooper who explained to me that A) my weapon was not registered and B) that the weapon associated with my concealed carry permit had to be registered.
At this point I should probably point out that at the time I was sitting on a bench in the cop shop with my arms behind my back because I was wearing the bracelets (pulled over for suspected DUI - things got REAL interesting when they found my M1911 locked-and-cocked so of course I get hauled down to the station to blow into the machine).
I said A) I should hope it's not registered, although you've probably gone ahead logged into some kind of nation-wide registry thanks very much and B) what, are you making the law up as you go along?
I told him that there is NO requirement for weapons registration in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
He says, "Yes there is."
I said, "No there isn't." You gotta understand - State Troopers are NOT accustomed to being spoken to this way. I was courteous, I was professional, and as soon as I figured a way to get those handcuffs off I had a plan to do a Rambo on that place, should the occasion warrant it.
The State Trooper is looking at me from behind his desk computer - big ol' nineteen nineties cathode ray tube computer monitor - with this fucked up look on his face, when all of a sudden his partner walks in the room and says, "HE'S RIGHT!!!"
A third guy comes up and says he's going to put some ankle manacles on me, to give me some relief from the handcuffs. When he finished putting on the manacles I hand him over the handcuffs and he looks at me all fucked up, "How'd you do that???"
I say, "Don't worry about it - you got me in manacles - it's not as if I can run for it or anything."
So we transition to the breathalizer station. I know I'm OK because I know how much I drank, etc. So after I blow .02 two times in a row, the cop responsible for running the breathalizer machine asks me, "Do you know what the legal limit is in Pennsylvania?" Like, what? First you didn't know the gun laws, now you don't know the legal limit?
I say, "Sure. It's .08 - it should be .05"
Breathalizer Boy says, "You're .02"
I say, "I know; I can read gauges. Can we . . . uh . . . remove the hardware now?"
Breathalizer Boy; "Well . . . uh . . . I dunno about that."
Me: "I think the magic words are: CAN I GO NOW?"
Those ARE the magic words - they can't hold you any longer if they don't have a reason - so Breathalizer Boy looks over to Desk Sgt, and Desk Sgt gives him the nod, so he kneels down to unfasten my leg irons and he can't get the fucking key to unlock the shackles because he's shaking like a leaf and he's looking up at me while he's trying to unlock the things. I tell him, "Relax - I'm not going to do anything; there's three of you and you're all armed, and my gun is over there and it's unloaded."
He finally gets the things off of me and he gets up and says, "So you were Special Forces, huh?"
"How on Earth did you know that???"
"Your lapel pin."
I was wearing a suit, and I had minature regimental crest on my lapel. "Yeah, I'm that."
So then it's "I was in the Navy. So what's it like in SF???" Like, a minute ago I was in leg irons being treated like the scum of the earth, and now that I'm free to move about the room it's Old Home Week and 'What's it like on the Teams? slobber! slobber!'.
"Well what I CAN tell you is that my worst day in Special Forces is better than your best day in the Navy, or the State Troopies even for that matter."
The guy grumbled and shuffled off. I looked over to the desk sergeant, "Can I have my pea shooter now?" He grumbled too, but he gave it to me - that surprised me because they could have been real assholes and hung on to it. I told him as a courtesy I wouldn't load it until after I left the station, and he grumbled an acknowledgment.
They got their ounce of blood out of me, though - or so they thought: a week later a letter came in the mail - two write ups for driving outside the lines and driving in an unsafe manner - written three days AFTER the event, a couple of hundred bucks in fines. I had to go down to the courthouse and get them thrown out, which was easy because they had me listed as a juvenile on one of them.
I even got the court fees reimbursed - that's something I NEVER seen before.
"That's my story and I'm sticking to it." - STORMBRINGER SENDS
Today's Bird HERE
Sunday, February 19, 2012
"WE DON'T HAVE A DEFINITIVE SOLUTION . . ."
. . . we just don't like yours." - Tim Geithner to Paul Ryan
I went to school with this shitstain - International School Bangkok - Geithner was an unremarkable, nondescript kid who kept to himself and didn't stand out; a total gray man, not one of the risk takers - definitely NOT an Alpha male. Tell you what, Little Timmy: you don't have a plan? Well stand back for the STORMBRINGER man - the warrior ALWAYS has a plan:
#1) CUT SPENDING IMMEDIATELY
A ten percent across-the-board cut in Federal Spending - I'm not talking a cut in future budget increases or any of the other creative accounting tricks you knuckleheads like to pull; I'm talking a ten percent across-the-board cut for this year's budget and NO forecasted increases.
There is so much waste, fraud and sheer abuse of the public monies that ten percent will never be missed. Legions of Federal bureaucrats will have to do without a few perks and junkets. Sorry about that, guys - hard times will only get harder unless we do something about it now.
#2) REPEAL OBAMACARE
This thing is the twenty-thousand ton gorilla of Federal programs with the economic version of a hundred megaton nuclear time bomb ticking inside it's belly. Never mind the fact that according to the Constitution the Federal government cannot mandate that we buy goods or services - the United States is too big and diverse a place for a single one-size-fits-all bandaid approach to medical insurance. And besides - anybody who has been on the recieveing end of Government Healthcare - like us military veterans - will tell you that it's one step above prison medicine.
They like to call themselves "Progressives" to get away from the hated Liberal tag - how about implementing a couple of REALLY "progressive" policies: mandatory drug testing for Welfare recipients, and while we're at it; any kind of criminal record makes you immediately ineligible for any kind of Federal handout. Not all that radical when you think that we already require these standards for military servicemembers.
Getting rid of Liberal pie-in-the-sky largesse will solve 90% of future deficits right there.
#3) A FLAT 15% TAX
Replace the crazy patchwork quilt income tax thing we've got with something that's understandable and manageable. This would take care of that Liberal propaganda B.S. about how Warren Buffet pays less tax than his secretary, would put a ton more money in everybody's pocket and directly into the U.S. economy.
My plan is in accordance with the K.I.S.S. Principle - "Keep It Simple, Stupid" - the One Thirds - Two Thirds Rule of Planning, and the Common Sense Smell Test. The only problem with this plan is that it requires dynamic leadership and that quality is sorely missing in Washington these days - especially in institutions led by Democrats.
Do it. Do it NOW - the alternative is we make Greece look like a Sunday School picnic.
But the sad fact of the matter is that they'll never do it and the reason why is they'd lose so much power and control over the U.S. economy - never mind that nowhere is it mentioned in the documents of our Founding Fathers that the mission of government has anything whatsoever to do with managing prosperity of the citizenry. If you were to ask Timothy Geithner what his job is, that's EXACTLY what he'd tell you - he's a career civil servant with a civil servant mindset, and his father - a card-carrying liberal who worked for the Ford Foundation - groomed him to be a government functionary.
"That's my story and I'm sticking to it!"
STORMBRINGER SENDS
.
I went to school with this shitstain - International School Bangkok - Geithner was an unremarkable, nondescript kid who kept to himself and didn't stand out; a total gray man, not one of the risk takers - definitely NOT an Alpha male. Tell you what, Little Timmy: you don't have a plan? Well stand back for the STORMBRINGER man - the warrior ALWAYS has a plan:
#1) CUT SPENDING IMMEDIATELY
A ten percent across-the-board cut in Federal Spending - I'm not talking a cut in future budget increases or any of the other creative accounting tricks you knuckleheads like to pull; I'm talking a ten percent across-the-board cut for this year's budget and NO forecasted increases.
There is so much waste, fraud and sheer abuse of the public monies that ten percent will never be missed. Legions of Federal bureaucrats will have to do without a few perks and junkets. Sorry about that, guys - hard times will only get harder unless we do something about it now.
#2) REPEAL OBAMACARE
This thing is the twenty-thousand ton gorilla of Federal programs with the economic version of a hundred megaton nuclear time bomb ticking inside it's belly. Never mind the fact that according to the Constitution the Federal government cannot mandate that we buy goods or services - the United States is too big and diverse a place for a single one-size-fits-all bandaid approach to medical insurance. And besides - anybody who has been on the recieveing end of Government Healthcare - like us military veterans - will tell you that it's one step above prison medicine.
They like to call themselves "Progressives" to get away from the hated Liberal tag - how about implementing a couple of REALLY "progressive" policies: mandatory drug testing for Welfare recipients, and while we're at it; any kind of criminal record makes you immediately ineligible for any kind of Federal handout. Not all that radical when you think that we already require these standards for military servicemembers.
Getting rid of Liberal pie-in-the-sky largesse will solve 90% of future deficits right there.
#3) A FLAT 15% TAX
Replace the crazy patchwork quilt income tax thing we've got with something that's understandable and manageable. This would take care of that Liberal propaganda B.S. about how Warren Buffet pays less tax than his secretary, would put a ton more money in everybody's pocket and directly into the U.S. economy.
My plan is in accordance with the K.I.S.S. Principle - "Keep It Simple, Stupid" - the One Thirds - Two Thirds Rule of Planning, and the Common Sense Smell Test. The only problem with this plan is that it requires dynamic leadership and that quality is sorely missing in Washington these days - especially in institutions led by Democrats.
Do it. Do it NOW - the alternative is we make Greece look like a Sunday School picnic.
But the sad fact of the matter is that they'll never do it and the reason why is they'd lose so much power and control over the U.S. economy - never mind that nowhere is it mentioned in the documents of our Founding Fathers that the mission of government has anything whatsoever to do with managing prosperity of the citizenry. If you were to ask Timothy Geithner what his job is, that's EXACTLY what he'd tell you - he's a career civil servant with a civil servant mindset, and his father - a card-carrying liberal who worked for the Ford Foundation - groomed him to be a government functionary.
"That's my story and I'm sticking to it!"
STORMBRINGER SENDS
.
100 COMBAT VIDEOS IN 3 MINUTES / FUNKER 530
We're all paying for it so we might as kick back and enjoy . . . - S.L.
Admin Note: Even if microphones could overcome distortion and pick up the true noise of gunfire, bombs, grenades, landmines and artillery; the amplifiers and speakers simply do not exist that could transmit the overwhelming sound energy. For those who have not had the pleasure of experiencing it first hand, upclose even small arms roar like a thousand thunderbolts. Mortars sound like atom bombs, and don't even get me started about landmines.
STORMBRINGER SENDS
Admin Note: Even if microphones could overcome distortion and pick up the true noise of gunfire, bombs, grenades, landmines and artillery; the amplifiers and speakers simply do not exist that could transmit the overwhelming sound energy. For those who have not had the pleasure of experiencing it first hand, upclose even small arms roar like a thousand thunderbolts. Mortars sound like atom bombs, and don't even get me started about landmines.
STORMBRINGER SENDS
Saturday, February 18, 2012
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT THE HOLY LAND
Get the Word out - spread the Truth around - shine Light into Darkness.
These Palestinian Passports were issued by the British to Jews:
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Jordan Claimed rights to all of British Mandate Palestine:
These are Official Issue Jordanian Postage Stamps depicting false Jordanian claims to the Holy Land.
So what's a Palestinian?
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What about Muslim Arab Claims to Palestine?
The Quran states very clearly: The land was promised to ISRAEL.
5:21
يقوم ادخلوا الأرض المقدسة التي كتب الله لكم ولا ترتدوا على أدباركم فتنقلبوا خسرين
"Moses (Musa): O my people, enter the Holy Land that God has written for you, and do not turn your backs, or you will become losers."
The Quran also says that one day the Jews will return home to their land:
17:104
وقلنا من بعده لبني إسرءيل اسكنوا الأرض فإذا جاء وعد الاءخرة جئنا بكم لفيفا
And We said after him to the Children of Israel: "Dwell in the land, then, when the time of the second promise comes, We will bring you all together as a mixed crowd."
Jerusalem is the historic capital of the Jewish people & the State of Israel. The Bible refers to Jerusalem and Zion 850 times.
Jerusalem is not mentioned a single time in the Koran, nor is it even mentioned in the PLO Charter. Jews throughout the world pray facing Jerusalem; where all praying Muslims face Mecca.
Jerusalem has NEVER been the capitol of any other nation except Israel, nor has it ever been holy to Muslims
What the Palestinians do not want Jews to know:
This information is presented via our good friend DOUBLETAPPER
BUILD A BOMB SHELTER IN THE HOLY LAND
The Lent season is coming up and of course Easter (a.k.a. Passover) Here's something really cool you can contribute to:
Adam Halley is DOUBLETAPPER - the above is the link his fundraiser page on Facebook - I like the idea of supporting a temple in Israel - I REALLY LIKE this ! ! !
- STORMBRINGER SENDS
DoubleTapper
Blogging from Israel on Guns, Weapons, Militaria, Defense, and Homeland Security
Subscribe to DoubleTapper by Email
.
These Palestinian Passports were issued by the British to Jews:
Jordan Claimed rights to all of British Mandate Palestine:
So what's a Palestinian?
.
What about Muslim Arab Claims to Palestine?
The Quran states very clearly: The land was promised to ISRAEL.
5:21
يقوم ادخلوا الأرض المقدسة التي كتب الله لكم ولا ترتدوا على أدباركم فتنقلبوا خسرين
"Moses (Musa): O my people, enter the Holy Land that God has written for you, and do not turn your backs, or you will become losers."
The Quran also says that one day the Jews will return home to their land:
17:104
وقلنا من بعده لبني إسرءيل اسكنوا الأرض فإذا جاء وعد الاءخرة جئنا بكم لفيفا
And We said after him to the Children of Israel: "Dwell in the land, then, when the time of the second promise comes, We will bring you all together as a mixed crowd."
Jerusalem is the historic capital of the Jewish people & the State of Israel. The Bible refers to Jerusalem and Zion 850 times.
Jerusalem is not mentioned a single time in the Koran, nor is it even mentioned in the PLO Charter. Jews throughout the world pray facing Jerusalem; where all praying Muslims face Mecca.
Jerusalem has NEVER been the capitol of any other nation except Israel, nor has it ever been holy to Muslims
What the Palestinians do not want Jews to know:
This information is presented via our good friend DOUBLETAPPER
BUILD A BOMB SHELTER IN THE HOLY LAND
The Lent season is coming up and of course Easter (a.k.a. Passover) Here's something really cool you can contribute to:
Adam Halley is DOUBLETAPPER - the above is the link his fundraiser page on Facebook - I like the idea of supporting a temple in Israel - I REALLY LIKE this ! ! !
- STORMBRINGER SENDS
DoubleTapper
Blogging from Israel on Guns, Weapons, Militaria, Defense, and Homeland Security
Subscribe to DoubleTapper by Email
.
Friday, February 17, 2012
B-17 MID-AIR COLLISION 1943
A mid-air collision on February 1, 1943 between a B-17 and a German fighter over the Tunis dock area became the subject of one of the most famous photographs of World War II.
An enemy fighter attacking a 97th Bomb Group formation went out of control, probably with a wounded pilot then continued its crashing descent into the rear of the fuselage of a Fortress named All American, piloted by Lt. Kendrick R. Bragg, of the 414th Bomb Squadron.
When it struck, the fighter broke apart, but left some pieces in the B-17. The left horizontal stabilizer of the Fortress and left elevator were completely torn away. The two right engines were out and one on the left had a serious oil pump leak. The vertical fin and the rudder had been damaged, the fuselage had been cut almost completely through... connected only at two small parts of the frame and the radios, electrical and oxygen systems were damaged.
There was also a hole in the top that was over 16 feet long and 4 feet wide at its widest and the split in the fuselage went all the way to the top gunners turret.
Although the tail actually bounced and swayed in the wind and twisted when the plane turned and all the control cables were severed, except one single elevator cable still worked, and the aircraft still flew... miraculously!
The tail gunner was trapped because there was no floor connecting the tail to the rest of the plane. The waist and tail gunners used parts of the German fighter and their own parachute harnesses in an attempt to keep the tail from ripping off and the two sides of the fuselage from splitting apart.
While the crew was trying to keep the bomber from coming apart, the pilot continued on his bomb run and released his bombs over the target.
When the bomb bay doors were opened, the wind turbulence was so great that it blew one of the waist gunners into the broken tail section. It took several minutes and four crew members to pass him ropes from parachutes and haul him back into the forward part of the plane. When they tried to do the same for the tail gunner, the tail began flapping so hard that it began to break off. The weight of the gunner was adding some stability to the tail section, so he went back to his position.
The turn back toward England had to be very slow to keep the tail from twisting off. They actually covered almost 70 miles to make the turn home. The bomber was so badly damaged that it was losing altitude and speed and was soon alone in the sky. For a brief time, two more Me-109 German fighters attacked the All American. Despite the extensive damage, all of the machine gunners were able to respond to these attacks and soon drove off the fighters. The two waist gunners stood up with their heads sticking out through the hole in the top of the fuselage to aim and fire their machine guns. The tail gunner had to shoot in short bursts because the recoil was actually causing the plane to turn.
Allied P-51 fighters intercepted the All American as it crossed over the Channel and took one of the pictures shown. They also radioed to the base describing that the empennage was waving like a fish tail and that the plane would not make it and to send out boats to rescue the crew when they bailed out. The fighters stayed with the Fortress taking hand signals from Lt. Bragg and relaying them to the base. Lt. Bragg signaled that 5 parachutes and the spare had been "used" so five of the crew could not bail out. He made the decision that if they could not bail out safely, then he would stay with the plane and land it.
Two and a half hours after being hit, the aircraft made its final turn to line up with the runway while it was still over 40 miles away. It descended into an emergency landing and a normal roll-out on its landing gear.
When the ambulance pulled alongside, it was waved off because not a single member of the crew had been injured. No one could believe that the aircraft could still fly in such a condition. The Fortress sat placidly until the crew all exited through the door in the fuselage and the tail gunner had climbed down a ladder, at which time the entire rear section of the aircraft collapsed onto the ground. The rugged old bird had done its job.
Today's Bird HERE
An enemy fighter attacking a 97th Bomb Group formation went out of control, probably with a wounded pilot then continued its crashing descent into the rear of the fuselage of a Fortress named All American, piloted by Lt. Kendrick R. Bragg, of the 414th Bomb Squadron.
When it struck, the fighter broke apart, but left some pieces in the B-17. The left horizontal stabilizer of the Fortress and left elevator were completely torn away. The two right engines were out and one on the left had a serious oil pump leak. The vertical fin and the rudder had been damaged, the fuselage had been cut almost completely through... connected only at two small parts of the frame and the radios, electrical and oxygen systems were damaged.
There was also a hole in the top that was over 16 feet long and 4 feet wide at its widest and the split in the fuselage went all the way to the top gunners turret.
Although the tail actually bounced and swayed in the wind and twisted when the plane turned and all the control cables were severed, except one single elevator cable still worked, and the aircraft still flew... miraculously!
The tail gunner was trapped because there was no floor connecting the tail to the rest of the plane. The waist and tail gunners used parts of the German fighter and their own parachute harnesses in an attempt to keep the tail from ripping off and the two sides of the fuselage from splitting apart.
While the crew was trying to keep the bomber from coming apart, the pilot continued on his bomb run and released his bombs over the target.
When the bomb bay doors were opened, the wind turbulence was so great that it blew one of the waist gunners into the broken tail section. It took several minutes and four crew members to pass him ropes from parachutes and haul him back into the forward part of the plane. When they tried to do the same for the tail gunner, the tail began flapping so hard that it began to break off. The weight of the gunner was adding some stability to the tail section, so he went back to his position.
The turn back toward England had to be very slow to keep the tail from twisting off. They actually covered almost 70 miles to make the turn home. The bomber was so badly damaged that it was losing altitude and speed and was soon alone in the sky. For a brief time, two more Me-109 German fighters attacked the All American. Despite the extensive damage, all of the machine gunners were able to respond to these attacks and soon drove off the fighters. The two waist gunners stood up with their heads sticking out through the hole in the top of the fuselage to aim and fire their machine guns. The tail gunner had to shoot in short bursts because the recoil was actually causing the plane to turn.
Allied P-51 fighters intercepted the All American as it crossed over the Channel and took one of the pictures shown. They also radioed to the base describing that the empennage was waving like a fish tail and that the plane would not make it and to send out boats to rescue the crew when they bailed out. The fighters stayed with the Fortress taking hand signals from Lt. Bragg and relaying them to the base. Lt. Bragg signaled that 5 parachutes and the spare had been "used" so five of the crew could not bail out. He made the decision that if they could not bail out safely, then he would stay with the plane and land it.
Two and a half hours after being hit, the aircraft made its final turn to line up with the runway while it was still over 40 miles away. It descended into an emergency landing and a normal roll-out on its landing gear.
When the ambulance pulled alongside, it was waved off because not a single member of the crew had been injured. No one could believe that the aircraft could still fly in such a condition. The Fortress sat placidly until the crew all exited through the door in the fuselage and the tail gunner had climbed down a ladder, at which time the entire rear section of the aircraft collapsed onto the ground. The rugged old bird had done its job.
Today's Bird HERE
Thursday, February 16, 2012
GURKHAS!
It is difficult to imagine a more honorable saga in all the annals of war than the story of the Gurkha regiments of the British and Indian armies . . . I had the honor of serving with these consummate professionals in Hong Kong, 1989 -S.L.
A fellow security consultant commented, "When you work with Gurkhas, you have to be very careful what you say to them, because if you tell a Gurkha to watch this door and don't let anybody through, he'll stay there long after everybody's left for the day, even if his family has to bring him dinner. And when you come back in the morning, there'll be a pile of bodies on the other side.
This is Gurkha Sergeant Dip Prasad Pun, 31, a British Gurkha soldier who single-handedly fought off an attack by at least a dozen Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan and was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, the UK’s second highest medal for bravery.
Alone on sentry duty at a checkpoint near Babaji in Helmand province, Sergeant Pun fired more than 400 rounds, launched 17 grenades and detonated a mine to singlehandedly thwart a Taliban assault. Exhausting all of his ammunition, he resorted to using the tripod of his machine gun to repel between 15 to 30 Taliban.
Pun’s father and grandfather were also in the British Army. His grandfather Tulbahadur Pun was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in Burma, during World War II.
Pun's story is well known through the British media. What the newspapers don't know is that his brother is now serving in U.S. Army Special Forces - I know this because I participated in his training, last summer down in Camp MacKall, North Carolina.
Often the mere sight of an unsheathed kukri is enough to discourage any further action. When I was with the 10th Gurkha Rifles, I was told how they aborted a revolt before it turned into a full-fledged revolution. This was in the Sultanate of Brunei, a small enclave along the lush jungle coast of Borneo between Sarawak and Sabah.
What happened was while the Sultan was on annual holiday in England, a political uprising was attempted. British military headquarters in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, was alerted and quickly flew a company of Gurkhas the short distance up the coast.
Landing at Brunei airport, the little brown men double-timed into Bruneitown and soon came in view of the rioters.
Forming a thin khaki line across the lone main street, they unsheathed their kukris and stood facing the howling mob. Looking at that silent row of men, long knives sparkling in the sun, the insurgents had second thoughts and slowly began to disband. The troops smartly about-faced, dog-trotted back to the airfield and flew home to Kuching. Elapsed time to quell the rebellion - under two hours.
The exploits of Gurkhas during the World Wars are legendary. Masters at exploiting their own mystique, Gurkha soldiers would sneak into German barracks at night and quietly make their way through the line of beds; every other soldier would have his throat slit in his sleep. When a German soldier would wake up to see that the man on either side of him was dead, he would panic; horrified to see that he could have been killed as well.
The Gurkha war cry is "Jai Mahakali, Ayo Gorkhali" which literally translates: "Glory be to the Goddess Kali, here come the Gurkhas!"
Gurkhas are determined, if nothing else. One story tells of a Gurkha who found himself in a prisoner-of-war camp in Europe during World War II. Our man punctuated his escape with the trademark Gurkha move; he beheaded a German guard on the way out. Making his way across occupied Europe on foot and mostly at night, he linked up with the French Underground and a submarine picked him up off the coast. During his debrief back in England he was asked how he managed to navigate across the Continent. "It was easy, I had a map." Having said that, he pulled out a chart and laid it on the table. It was a transit map of the London Underground.
Gurkha veterans in London, 1999.
STORMBRINGER SENDS
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A fellow security consultant commented, "When you work with Gurkhas, you have to be very careful what you say to them, because if you tell a Gurkha to watch this door and don't let anybody through, he'll stay there long after everybody's left for the day, even if his family has to bring him dinner. And when you come back in the morning, there'll be a pile of bodies on the other side.
This is Gurkha Sergeant Dip Prasad Pun, 31, a British Gurkha soldier who single-handedly fought off an attack by at least a dozen Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan and was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, the UK’s second highest medal for bravery.
Alone on sentry duty at a checkpoint near Babaji in Helmand province, Sergeant Pun fired more than 400 rounds, launched 17 grenades and detonated a mine to singlehandedly thwart a Taliban assault. Exhausting all of his ammunition, he resorted to using the tripod of his machine gun to repel between 15 to 30 Taliban.
Pun’s father and grandfather were also in the British Army. His grandfather Tulbahadur Pun was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in Burma, during World War II.
Pun's story is well known through the British media. What the newspapers don't know is that his brother is now serving in U.S. Army Special Forces - I know this because I participated in his training, last summer down in Camp MacKall, North Carolina.
Often the mere sight of an unsheathed kukri is enough to discourage any further action. When I was with the 10th Gurkha Rifles, I was told how they aborted a revolt before it turned into a full-fledged revolution. This was in the Sultanate of Brunei, a small enclave along the lush jungle coast of Borneo between Sarawak and Sabah.
What happened was while the Sultan was on annual holiday in England, a political uprising was attempted. British military headquarters in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, was alerted and quickly flew a company of Gurkhas the short distance up the coast.
Landing at Brunei airport, the little brown men double-timed into Bruneitown and soon came in view of the rioters.
Forming a thin khaki line across the lone main street, they unsheathed their kukris and stood facing the howling mob. Looking at that silent row of men, long knives sparkling in the sun, the insurgents had second thoughts and slowly began to disband. The troops smartly about-faced, dog-trotted back to the airfield and flew home to Kuching. Elapsed time to quell the rebellion - under two hours.
The exploits of Gurkhas during the World Wars are legendary. Masters at exploiting their own mystique, Gurkha soldiers would sneak into German barracks at night and quietly make their way through the line of beds; every other soldier would have his throat slit in his sleep. When a German soldier would wake up to see that the man on either side of him was dead, he would panic; horrified to see that he could have been killed as well.
Gurkhas are determined, if nothing else. One story tells of a Gurkha who found himself in a prisoner-of-war camp in Europe during World War II. Our man punctuated his escape with the trademark Gurkha move; he beheaded a German guard on the way out. Making his way across occupied Europe on foot and mostly at night, he linked up with the French Underground and a submarine picked him up off the coast. During his debrief back in England he was asked how he managed to navigate across the Continent. "It was easy, I had a map." Having said that, he pulled out a chart and laid it on the table. It was a transit map of the London Underground.
STORMBRINGER SENDS
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Tuesday, February 14, 2012
BITTER-CLINGER POLITICS
A friend - who happens to be a retired Green Beret Colonel - sent out an email on distro explaining that he's signing onto the Santorum campaign, and asking for support. There was some Santorum material attached. I hit 'Reply All', and this was my response:
Personally, I find the current crop of Republicans distateful; they are sellouts and the only reason I vote Republican is that the alternative is simply unthinkable.
I believe that we are "Taxed Enough Already", that the time is way overdue for a 15% flat tax rate, and that the debt/deficit woes of the U.S. Government could be resolved by a blanket 10% cut of ALL Federal agency budgets across the board - a REAL cut not just a cut in projected growths - and that the money would never be missed.
Everybody's got to have faith in something: I have faith in God, the United States of America, the vision of the Founding Fathers as espoused in the Constitution, the Declaration of the United States, the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers, the Bill of Rights - most especially the Second Amendment which ensures all of the OTHER Rights - the free market forces of laissez-faire capitalism, and the Judeo-Christian heritage that gave birth to our great nation.
I have faith, and I'm sticking to it:
"Sarah Palin for President of the United States"
Sean Linnane
Citizen - Taxpayer - Landowner - United States Veteran
STORMBRINGER SENDS
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FACTS REGARDING ISRAEL's RIGHT TO EXIST
NATIONHOOD AND JERUSALEM
Israel became a nation in 1312 B.C., two thousand years before the rise of Islam.
Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the modern State of Israel. Up until 1968, the Jews who lived in Israel - and before that British Palestine - did not refer to themselves as 'Israelis'. They called themselves 'Palestinian Jews'.
CORRECTION: DoubleTapper just informed me it was up until 1948 NOT 1968 when the Jews of the Holy Land referred to themselves as 'Palestinian Jews' - this makes more sense, of course, as the State of Israel was established in 1948. - S.L.
Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 B.C. the Jews have had dominion over the land for one thousand years with a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300 years. The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635 A.D. lasted no more than 22 years.
For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital,; Jerusalem has never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem, they never sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit.
Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach, the Jewish Holy Scriptures. Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran.
King David founded the city of Jerusalem. Mohammed never came to Jerusalem.
Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Muslims pray with their backs toward Jerusalem.
ARAB AND JEWISH REFUGEES
In 1948, the Arab refugees were encouraged to leave Israel by Arab leaders promising to purge the land of Jews. Sixty-eight percent left without ever seeing an Israeli soldier. The Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab lands due to Arab brutality, persecution and pogroms.
The number of Arab refugees who left Israel in 1948 is estimated to be around 630,000. The number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands is estimated to be the same.
Arab refugees were intentionally not absorbed or integrated into the Arab lands to which they fled, despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the 100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the only refugee group in the world that has never been absorbed or integrated into their own peoples' lands. Jewish refugees were completely absorbed into Israel, a country no larger than the state of New Jersey.
THE ARAB - ISRAELI CONFLICT
The Arabs are represented by 22 separate nations, not including the Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation. The Arab nations initiated all five wars and lost. Israel defended itself each time and won.
The P.L.O.'s Charter still calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.
Israel has given the Palestinians most of the West Bank land, autonomy under the Palestinian Authority, and has supplied them with weapons.
Under Jordanian rule, Jewish holy sites were desecrated and the Jews were denied access to places of worship. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and Christian sites have been preserved and made accessible to people of all faiths.
If you believe what you read in most news sources, Palestinians want a homeland and Muslims want control over sites they consider holy. Simple, right? Isn't it interesting that prior to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, there was no serious movement for a Palestinian homeland? In the Six-Day War, Israel captured Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem. But they didn't capture these territories from Yassar Arafat. They captured them from Jordan's King Hussein. I can't help but wonder why all these Palestinians suddenly discovered their national identity after Israel won the war.
The truth is that Palestine is no more real than Never-Never Land. The first time the name was used was in 70 A.D. when the Romans committed genocide against the Jews, smashed the Temple and declared the land of Israel would be no more. From then on, the Romans promised, it would be known as Palestine..
Palestine has never existed -- before or since -- as an autonomous entity. There is no language known as Palestinian. There is no distinct Palestinian culture. There has never been a land known as Palestine governed by Palestinians. Palestinians are Arabs, indistinguishable from Jordanians (another recent invention), Syrians, Lebanese, Iraqis, etc. Keep in mind that the Arabs control 99.9 percent of the Middle East lands. Israel represents one-tenth of 1 percent of the landmass.
What about Islam's holy sites? There are none in Jerusalem.
The Koran says nothing about Jerusalem. It mentions Mecca hundreds of times. It mentions Medina countless times. It never mentions Jerusalem. With good reason. There is no historical evidence to suggest Mohammed ever visited Jerusalem.
So what's the solution to the Middle East mayhem? Well, frankly, I don't think there is a man-made solution to the violence. But, if there is one, it needs to begin with truth. Pretending will only lead to more chaos. Treating a 5,000-year-old birthright backed by overwhelming historical and archaeological evidence equally with illegitimate claims, wishes and wants gives diplomacy and peace keeping a bad name.
As the old saying goes: "Where ignorance is bliss tis folly to be wise."
Monday, February 13, 2012
JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
From Spencer Ackerman at Wired's Danger Room via BlackFive: Is JSOC Out of Bounds or in the End Zone?
. . . The leader of a JSOC unit in Iraq, known as K-Bar, gets shot in the chest by insurgents. K-Bar waves away his medic until he finishes killing his assailants. His reward? Leading JSOC’s operations in Afghanistan.
Ludicrous acts of superhuman bravado are part of JSOC’s myth and mystique. That mystique is hard to penetrate: JSOC is so secretive that it instructs its members not to write down important information, lest it be vulnerable to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. But a new book reveals that killing might not even be the most important thing JSOC does . . .
They are actually clients of mine . . . S.L.
. . . The leader of a JSOC unit in Iraq, known as K-Bar, gets shot in the chest by insurgents. K-Bar waves away his medic until he finishes killing his assailants. His reward? Leading JSOC’s operations in Afghanistan.
Ludicrous acts of superhuman bravado are part of JSOC’s myth and mystique. That mystique is hard to penetrate: JSOC is so secretive that it instructs its members not to write down important information, lest it be vulnerable to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. But a new book reveals that killing might not even be the most important thing JSOC does . . .
They are actually clients of mine . . . S.L.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
OLLIE NORTH AT CPAC
A lot of material came in from the 2012 Conservative Political Action Conference - CPAC - which took place this week in DC.
I'd like to share LtCol Oliver North’s CPAC speech streamed on the NRA's Life of Duty network:
Also, here's Wayne LaPierre’s speech:
This site is starting to look like a cut-and-paste operation - sorry about that - I'm working on an original piece dedicated to intelligence organizations and covert operations, but my real-life work is piling up and Monday is coming at me like a freight train. I don't know if I can knock it out this weekend - I'll do what I can.
STORMBRINGER SENDS
I'd like to share LtCol Oliver North’s CPAC speech streamed on the NRA's Life of Duty network:
Also, here's Wayne LaPierre’s speech:
This site is starting to look like a cut-and-paste operation - sorry about that - I'm working on an original piece dedicated to intelligence organizations and covert operations, but my real-life work is piling up and Monday is coming at me like a freight train. I don't know if I can knock it out this weekend - I'll do what I can.
STORMBRINGER SENDS
NOBODY COULD GUARD HER FROM HERSELF
A barely-lit, slowly burning ember went out tonight . . . R.I.P. Whitney Houston - we will always love you . . .
I was a Private in the 82d Airborne when Whitney Houston exploded onto the scene. She was practically born into greatness; the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, cousin of 1960s diva Dionne Warwick and goddaughter of soul singer Aretha Franklin. It didn't matter if you were into the black music - we called it boots in the dryer - or if you were a rocker - the soul brothers derided our music: "Ten thousand squealing guitars" -
It didn't matter - EVERYBODY listened to her: this girl had a set of pipes and she could WAIL.
We connected, on an almost astral level, she & I. It's a personal, private story - all I can say is Life DOES imitate Art . . .
We miss who you were, Whitney, before the lifestyle and the drugs took you down. Nothing beautiful lasts forever, but your hot spark burned too bright, too fast, and in the end your spark burned out too soon and you crashed to earth too fast, too hard. You're in a better place now - up there in Heaven with Janice, and Jimi, and Jim Morrison, and Elvis, and Teena Marie, and of course the late, great James Brown.
Sayonara . . .
.
I was a Private in the 82d Airborne when Whitney Houston exploded onto the scene. She was practically born into greatness; the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, cousin of 1960s diva Dionne Warwick and goddaughter of soul singer Aretha Franklin. It didn't matter if you were into the black music - we called it boots in the dryer - or if you were a rocker - the soul brothers derided our music: "Ten thousand squealing guitars" -
It didn't matter - EVERYBODY listened to her: this girl had a set of pipes and she could WAIL.
We connected, on an almost astral level, she & I. It's a personal, private story - all I can say is Life DOES imitate Art . . .
We miss who you were, Whitney, before the lifestyle and the drugs took you down. Nothing beautiful lasts forever, but your hot spark burned too bright, too fast, and in the end your spark burned out too soon and you crashed to earth too fast, too hard. You're in a better place now - up there in Heaven with Janice, and Jimi, and Jim Morrison, and Elvis, and Teena Marie, and of course the late, great James Brown.
Sayonara . . .
.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
I KNOW EXACTLY HOW THIS GUY FEELS
THIS VIDEO CLIP SHOULD BE REQUIRED VIEWING MATERIAL IN ALL HOUSEHOLDS WITH TEENAGERS
I have two teenage daughters and up until watching this video, I thought I was living in Hell.
I have learned three things from this gentleman's act of class:
A) I am not alone, B) my kids aren't QUITE as E-V-I-I-I-L as I thought they were, and C) I'm not the only one who thought of putting a round through the kid's computer - must be a North Carolina thing . . . Enjoy! -S.L.
Fellow members of the Cult of the M1911 may have noticed the gentleman fired nine rounds - yes his piece is an extended mag variant; he's probably a member of Team STORMBRINGER. You may have also noticed he seems to have missed round#6 - I put that up to adrenalin and nerves; the man is in an obvious emotional state.
This vid clip was required viewing on the training schedule today here at Firebase TIGERLILY. It was pointed out that although in the past I have indicated that I would put a bullet through the youngster's electronic items, I have not done so. This was because my kids never took it as far as this fellow's daughter did, with her Facebook discrepancies.
Following the viewing of this clip, the mood around the kitchen was refreshingly mature and appreciative; what they once took for rage they now understand is actually incredible restraint. They now understand that I am not the only parent driven to near insanity by their generations' youthful misadventures.
I invite your comments below.
STORMBRINGER SENDS
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I have two teenage daughters and up until watching this video, I thought I was living in Hell.
I have learned three things from this gentleman's act of class:
A) I am not alone, B) my kids aren't QUITE as E-V-I-I-I-L as I thought they were, and C) I'm not the only one who thought of putting a round through the kid's computer - must be a North Carolina thing . . . Enjoy! -S.L.
Fellow members of the Cult of the M1911 may have noticed the gentleman fired nine rounds - yes his piece is an extended mag variant; he's probably a member of Team STORMBRINGER. You may have also noticed he seems to have missed round#6 - I put that up to adrenalin and nerves; the man is in an obvious emotional state.
This vid clip was required viewing on the training schedule today here at Firebase TIGERLILY. It was pointed out that although in the past I have indicated that I would put a bullet through the youngster's electronic items, I have not done so. This was because my kids never took it as far as this fellow's daughter did, with her Facebook discrepancies.
Following the viewing of this clip, the mood around the kitchen was refreshingly mature and appreciative; what they once took for rage they now understand is actually incredible restraint. They now understand that I am not the only parent driven to near insanity by their generations' youthful misadventures.
I invite your comments below.
STORMBRINGER SENDS
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WHERE ARE THE ARABS HAPPY?
From the worthy blog Peoples Cube
Where are the Arabs happy?
They are not happy in Gaza.
They are not happy in the West Bank.
They are not happy in Jerusalem.
They are not happy in Israel.
They are not happy in Egypt.
They are not happy in Libya.
They are not happy in Algeria.
They are not happy in Tunis.
They are not happy in Morocco.
They are not happy in Yemen.
They are not happy in Iraq.
They are not happy in Syria.
They are not happy in Lebanon.
They are not happy in Sudan.
They are not happy in Jordan.
So where are the Arabs happy?
They are happy in England.
They are happy in France.
They are happy in Italy.
They are happy in Germany.
They are happy in Sweden.
They are happy in Holland.
They are happy in Denmark.
They are happy in Belgium.
They are happy in Norway.
They are happy in the U.S.
They are happy in Canada.
They are happy in Romania.
They are happy in Hungary.
They are happy in Australia.
They are happy in New Zealand.
They are happy in any other country in the world that is NOT under Muslim rule.
And who do they blame?
Not Islam.
Not their leadership.
Not themselves.
They blame the countries in which they are happy to live.
In a democracy they can live comfortably, enjoy the high quality of life which they did not have to build and work for, they don't have to be productive and earn a living, they can be wild and break the law, exploit the social services, wear Burkas and make a mockery of our Police and Courts and generally bite the hand that feeds them.
The question is why do they always try to bring their failed system with them, why do they want to turn England, Australia & other countries into the country they left for a better life...?
Australian and English Muslims make up less than 3% of the population yet the Governments there are fixated on pandering to them . . .
. . . WHY ? ? ?
To see what REALLY makes them angry click HERE
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Friday, February 10, 2012
Eichmann Exhibit Gives Glimpse of Israel's Mossad
The "Operation Finale" exhibit, curated by a Mossad officer who can't be fully identified, displays never before seen items, names and documents that led to Eichmann's capture in Argentina. It also discloses new details, such as how forensic experts identified Eichmann by his ears . . .
The Eichmann nabbing was the quintessential intelligence operation of our time, carried out by the single most effective intelligence organization in the world: Mossad. -S.L.
Read the whole thing HERE
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OCCUPY GOLF COURSES
I am an indifferent golfer, and there's no way I could ever make it to the professional level. Never could put in the practice time to be the best. Never had the shots, skills, or mental toughness to make it in the sport. I just never felt like working all that hard at it.
However, I feel I should be paid by the top 1% of golfers for what I do. It isn't fair that those players who have worked harder, have studied the game, have better equipment and are more skilled and dedicated should make all that BIG money.
Where's my share? I'm a Victim!
The top 1% should pay for my club memberships and green fees and lessons, buy me new clubs, balls, clothes and shoes, and pay me some of their winnings. They can afford it. They are The Rich. The whole system should be changed to accommodate people like me. Let's occupy a golf course and demand that those who are better at what they do pay for us who generally suck. Whining should get us something, like the cover of Time Magazine and public sympathy! Maybe a law or two from legislators who want our votes.
p.s. Don’t mention this to tennis players. We thought of it first.
Today's Bird HERE
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Thursday, February 9, 2012
TEACH ME
Hey Team - I'm back from my travels and it's time to get this blog back up and running. They say that sex sells, so here's a Rogues Gallery to heat things up in the dead of winter - S.L.
Debra Lafave
Florida middle school teacher Debra Beasley Lafave, accused of having sex numerous times with a 14-year-old student, including once in a car while his 15-year-old cousin drove, sits at an Ocala, Florida hearing in 2006. Young, bright, and beautiful - many were baffled that the 23-year-old newlywed threw it all away for her under-age victim.
Debra Lafave was a reading teacher at Greco Middle School in Temple Terrace, Fla., a few miles north of Tampa when, in 2004, she was charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious battery on a person under 16 years old. Lafave was sentenced to three years house arrest and seven years probation. Many asked would a male teacher who had sex with a female student receive such a light sentence.
That's what I always ask when you hear about these cases. That, and where were all these hot-to-trot babe teachers when I was in high school? - S.L.
Credit: AP Photo/Chris O Meara
Now a registered sex offender, Debra Lafave wipes her forehead as she leaves a Hillsborough County probation violation hearing Dec 18, 2007. She was accused of having unsupervised contact with an underage female coworker at a restaurant where she worked. According to police the two talked about family problems, boyfriends and sex - unsupervised conversation technically not allowed by the terms of her probation.
Pamela Rogers Turner
Credit: AP Photo/Mark Humphrey
Pamela's the one on the right, wearing the bracelets -S.L.
In July 2006, Pamela Rogers was ordered by a Tennessee judge to seven years in jail for violating her probation on a sentence for having sex with a 13-year-old boy. At the hearing she said, "I am willing to do anything to rehabilitate myself."
Pamela couldn't stay away from the 13-year-old, apparently. After serving 9 months in jail, she was arrested a second time in 2006 and received an extra two years for contacting the boy and sending him sexually explicit texts, photos, and videos of herself.
Credit: AP Photo/The Southern Standard
She just didn't get enough rehabilitation the first time, that's all . . .
Sandra Beth Geisel
Credit: AP Photo/Tom Killips
Sandra "Beth" Geisel walks past the media as she turns herself in on Aug. 2005 to police. Geisel, a former English teacher at an all-boys Catholic high school was charged with rape for allegedly having sex twice with a 16-year-old student, once in a press box above the school's football field. Some believe she was actually the victim.
Credit: Colonie Police Department
Amber Jennings
Amber Jennings, of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, is shown at her arraignment in August of 2004. The 30-year-old Shepherd Hill Regional High School teacher was accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student. She faced charges of inducing a minor under 18 "to have unlawful sexual intercourse" and sending him nude photos of herself.
photo credits: AP/The Telegram & Gazette
Amber Jennings pleaded guilty to "disseminating harmful materials to a minor," in a plea agreement with prosecutors. According to court documents, she admitted emailing a 16-year-old student nude pictures of herself under the screen name "Redsox6606whore."
NICE.
Carrie McCandless
Credit: AP Photo/Sherri Barber
Carrie McCandless, shown in this June 2007 photo during her sentencing hearing at Fort Collins, Colorado, was found guilty of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a high school student. The 29-year-old was sentenced to 45 days in jail, five years on probation and a four-year deferred sentence
The former Brighton Collegiate High School teacher and wife to the school principal, was accused of having sexual contact with a 17-year-old student while chaperoning a school camping trip. She turned herself in to authorities in Nov. 2006.
This bird's so hot she even looks good in her mug shot:
Lisa Glide
Credit: WCBS
Soap opera actress turned high school drama teacher, Lisa Glide, was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to having sex with a high school student twice off campus. But the supposed 17-year-old victim says he pursued her. According to MyCentralJersey.com, at Glide's sentencing, the victim - now a college sophomore - sent a letter on her behalf claiming "Lisa Glide was not a sexual predator."
Melissa Petro
Credit (above & below): personal photos
Melissa Petro, a New York City elementary school teacher, has been reassigned after her school discovered she was a former prostitute. According to the New York Post, the tattooed sex worker taught art at Bronx elementary school PS 70 for three years and managed to keep her past life a secret from parents and faculty.
The revelation occurred when the 30-year-old wrote an online article in The Huffington Post on Sept. 7 criticizing popular online classified Craigslist for removing its "adult services" section, which carried sex-related advertising, reports The New York Times.
Tericka Dye
Credit: CBS/KFVS
Missouri woman Tericka Dye a.k.a. Tera Myers resigned from her job as a high school science teacher after students learned that she was once porn star Rikki Andersin and appeared in X-rated films.
Do a Google search of Tericka Dye and/or Tera Myers and select images - this bird gave it her all in her porn career and I mean ALL. Science? I'm surprised she wasn't teaching GYM - S.L.
Tara Driscoll
Credit: Nassau County Police Department
The New York teacher was charged in August 2011 with having sex with an underage student at a Long Island motel. According to police, the victim's mother found out and contacted authorities. A board of education spokeswoman said Driscoll was removed from the classroom in May.
Loni Folks
Loni Marie Folks, a Missouri elementary school teacher, pleaded guilty in 2008 to having sex with a 16-year-old student. She was charged with sexual battery after she was accused of sleeping with a 16-year-old male foreign exchange student from Italy staying in the home of Folks and her husband. She was given a 12-year suspended sentence and required to register as a sex offender.
Stacy Schuler
Credit: Warren County Jail
The 33-year-old high school health and gym teacher from southwest Ohio was convicted of having sex with five students. Some of them were football players. According to The Middletown Journal newspaper, a former high school football player testified that he and a friend had sex with Schuler at her home. The student said he had sex with his teacher a total of seven times during five visits.
Today's Bird HERE
Debra Lafave
Credit: AP Photo/St. Petersburg Times
Florida middle school teacher Debra Beasley Lafave, accused of having sex numerous times with a 14-year-old student, including once in a car while his 15-year-old cousin drove, sits at an Ocala, Florida hearing in 2006. Young, bright, and beautiful - many were baffled that the 23-year-old newlywed threw it all away for her under-age victim.
Credit: AP Photo/Hillsborough County Jail
Debra Lafave was a reading teacher at Greco Middle School in Temple Terrace, Fla., a few miles north of Tampa when, in 2004, she was charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious battery on a person under 16 years old. Lafave was sentenced to three years house arrest and seven years probation. Many asked would a male teacher who had sex with a female student receive such a light sentence.
That's what I always ask when you hear about these cases. That, and where were all these hot-to-trot babe teachers when I was in high school? - S.L.
Now a registered sex offender, Debra Lafave wipes her forehead as she leaves a Hillsborough County probation violation hearing Dec 18, 2007. She was accused of having unsupervised contact with an underage female coworker at a restaurant where she worked. According to police the two talked about family problems, boyfriends and sex - unsupervised conversation technically not allowed by the terms of her probation.
Pamela Rogers Turner
Pamela's the one on the right, wearing the bracelets -S.L.
In July 2006, Pamela Rogers was ordered by a Tennessee judge to seven years in jail for violating her probation on a sentence for having sex with a 13-year-old boy. At the hearing she said, "I am willing to do anything to rehabilitate myself."
Pamela couldn't stay away from the 13-year-old, apparently. After serving 9 months in jail, she was arrested a second time in 2006 and received an extra two years for contacting the boy and sending him sexually explicit texts, photos, and videos of herself.
She just didn't get enough rehabilitation the first time, that's all . . .
Sandra Beth Geisel
Sandra "Beth" Geisel walks past the media as she turns herself in on Aug. 2005 to police. Geisel, a former English teacher at an all-boys Catholic high school was charged with rape for allegedly having sex twice with a 16-year-old student, once in a press box above the school's football field. Some believe she was actually the victim.
Amber Jennings
Amber Jennings, of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, is shown at her arraignment in August of 2004. The 30-year-old Shepherd Hill Regional High School teacher was accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student. She faced charges of inducing a minor under 18 "to have unlawful sexual intercourse" and sending him nude photos of herself.
Amber Jennings pleaded guilty to "disseminating harmful materials to a minor," in a plea agreement with prosecutors. According to court documents, she admitted emailing a 16-year-old student nude pictures of herself under the screen name "Redsox6606whore."
NICE.
Carrie McCandless
Carrie McCandless, shown in this June 2007 photo during her sentencing hearing at Fort Collins, Colorado, was found guilty of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a high school student. The 29-year-old was sentenced to 45 days in jail, five years on probation and a four-year deferred sentence
The former Brighton Collegiate High School teacher and wife to the school principal, was accused of having sexual contact with a 17-year-old student while chaperoning a school camping trip. She turned herself in to authorities in Nov. 2006.
This bird's so hot she even looks good in her mug shot:
Credit: AP Photo/Jefferson County Jail
Lisa Glide
Soap opera actress turned high school drama teacher, Lisa Glide, was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to having sex with a high school student twice off campus. But the supposed 17-year-old victim says he pursued her. According to MyCentralJersey.com, at Glide's sentencing, the victim - now a college sophomore - sent a letter on her behalf claiming "Lisa Glide was not a sexual predator."
Melissa Petro
Melissa Petro, a New York City elementary school teacher, has been reassigned after her school discovered she was a former prostitute. According to the New York Post, the tattooed sex worker taught art at Bronx elementary school PS 70 for three years and managed to keep her past life a secret from parents and faculty.
The revelation occurred when the 30-year-old wrote an online article in The Huffington Post on Sept. 7 criticizing popular online classified Craigslist for removing its "adult services" section, which carried sex-related advertising, reports The New York Times.
Tericka Dye
Missouri woman Tericka Dye a.k.a. Tera Myers resigned from her job as a high school science teacher after students learned that she was once porn star Rikki Andersin and appeared in X-rated films.
Do a Google search of Tericka Dye and/or Tera Myers and select images - this bird gave it her all in her porn career and I mean ALL. Science? I'm surprised she wasn't teaching GYM - S.L.
Tara Driscoll
The New York teacher was charged in August 2011 with having sex with an underage student at a Long Island motel. According to police, the victim's mother found out and contacted authorities. A board of education spokeswoman said Driscoll was removed from the classroom in May.
Loni Folks
Credit: Hattiesburg American
Loni Marie Folks, a Missouri elementary school teacher, pleaded guilty in 2008 to having sex with a 16-year-old student. She was charged with sexual battery after she was accused of sleeping with a 16-year-old male foreign exchange student from Italy staying in the home of Folks and her husband. She was given a 12-year suspended sentence and required to register as a sex offender.
Stacy Schuler
The 33-year-old high school health and gym teacher from southwest Ohio was convicted of having sex with five students. Some of them were football players. According to The Middletown Journal newspaper, a former high school football player testified that he and a friend had sex with Schuler at her home. The student said he had sex with his teacher a total of seven times during five visits.
Today's Bird HERE