Actually, they do now. The British (and I've read elsewhere that we, the Americans, have this technology as well) have invented a cloaking device for military vehicles - and possibly - for the soldiers themselves. Apparently, individuals who witnessed the demonstration were absolutely awestruck. They couldn't believe their eyes. Check out the link here. And James Bond, look out...
No, I'm not talking about the Pelosi twins. I'm talking about Rep. Jim "Moronic" Moran (D-VA) and Rep. Jim "McDorkus" McDermott (D-WA). And, if the United States loses in its next major war, I'm blaming these two idiots (and their ilk) for the loss.
In an effort to oppose everything related to our national defense, these two yokels on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee decided that they will vote against the recommended $88 million that it will cost to upgrade our B-2 bombers for 21st century warfare. Specifically, the upgrade would allow the B-2 to have increased payload capacity to accommodate a bomb that is in development called the MOP (Massive Ordinance Penetrator) - the soon-to-be largest non-nuclear bomb in the arsenal. So, naturally, in all their grandstanding glory, Moronic and McDorkus claim that this money is really Bush's way of funding his future war with Iran. Therefore, they must oppose it! Wow, what tremendous vision these men have... all 3 inches of it.
James P. Moran, D-Va., a senior member of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, said he did not believe the MOP could be used in Iraq or Afghanistan and cited Iran as the potential target for the bomb. He said he would oppose the funding.Do these idiots even know anything about the defense issue for which they write the checks? The MOP is currently under development. And as Spook86 points out:
“That’s a clear red flag,” Moran said.
Jim McDermott, D-Wash., an outspoken critic of Bush’s war policies, said the funding request was the latest of many signs that indicated Bush was contemplating an attack on Iran. McDermott said such a scenario was his “biggest fear between now and the election.”
“We are not authorizing Bush to use a 30,000-pound bunker buster,” he said. “They’ve been banging the drums the same way as they did in 2002 with Iraq.”
Modifying B-2s to carry the MOP is hardly an indicator of a pending attack on Iran. As the CQ report notes, the weapon is still under development, and it's unclear when it might be ready for operational use. If the MOP follows a "typical" developmental cycle, then figure two or three years--at a minimum--for finalizing the design and testing prototypes. In other words, the massive ordnance penetrator won't be available until the next President is in the White House. So much for next year's "October surprise."What kind of fools oppose a legitimate military upgrade that will help us counter threats against other states such as China and Syria - both of which have a penchant for hiding things deep underground? As if Iran is the only possible threat. But even if it was, this upgrade would still be a smart move for the military and any Commander in Chief.
We decided to dig our old award-winning costumes out from last year and recycle for a party last night. People that know us still freak out when we make our entrance. All night long it becomes, "Let me see the teeth! Let's see the butt again!" So, again for your viewing pleasure...
It's hard to evacuate from a firestorm when the source of the flames come from your elected officials. I know it's hard to imagine, but can you believe that politicians are actually trying to use one of the worst natural disasters in the nation's history to score points?? I know, I could hardly believe it either.
Leading the way is Barbara Boxer and the rest of the radical left. As if we weren't already hearing enough dubious connections between these fires and "cause-of-everything" global warming, we now get to hear Senator Boxer and her ilk tell us that Bush's 'War in Iraq' is the reason the fires were so bad. I guess since the fires didn't effect her home-utopia of San Francisco, the rest of the state's woes were fair game to score political points against President Bush. Does she really think this kind of thing resonates with people? Especially her own constituent victims? It doesn't. Maybe we should be used to this kind of despicable opportunism from the left. It does, after all, happen with increasing regularity.
Another example: George Carlin. According to this comedian-turned-moron, the people who lost everything deserved what they got for building homes in a fire-zone. Really, George? Where were you when the victims were poor and living in the worst flood-zone in the country? Was that their fault, too? Even when they re-elected the same criminally negligent mayor who led them to disaster in the fist place? Oh, right... in that case it was Bush's climate policies that caused the disaster, Katrina. Now, it's the affluent people of San Diego County who are to blame for this disaster. What impeccable logic.
I suppose, though, some people are just bitter no matter what happens. I work for an association that represents first responders, and we, upon hearing of the President's disaster declaration, immediately sent a letter to our members explaining how they can get in contact with the federal government to receive financial aid, resources and information. Pretty basic stuff. Only, I get a reply accusing me of "blatant pandering" in the face of this disaster. Sigh. Honestly. I don't know, maybe some people are just a-holes. So instead of trying to make sense of such lunacy, I'll just lump Boxer, Carlin and the rest of the lyin' left into that group until they can show me otherwise. I'll likely be waiting a long, long time.
The number of evacuees has reached 500,000 - including many family members and friends of mine. The picture below was taken by a friend as he drove on I-15 (the shot is facing north) in San Diego. Below that picture are AP shots of Spring Valley (another area in San Diego). They are incredible photos.
Since San Diego is my hometown, I have been following these fires with increasing alarm. Looks like a few of my aunts, uncles and friends are under a mandatory evacuation alert. An evacuation of this size is unprecedented for San Diego. In fact, they've opened up Qualcomm Stadium as a shelter (another first). So far (luckily), my Mom and siblings have not been directly affected (they're closer to the coast).
I should be getting a few pictures from family shortly, once they're out of harm's way (the picture to the left is from the San Diego Union-Tribune). Once I do. I'll post them here. In the meantime, please keep the folks in San Diego, and indeed, the rest of Southern California, in your prayers.
Here are a few pictures from my mountain biking adventure/campout a few weeks back. These are lame screenshot pictures of the video (which I’m hoping to edit and put on YouTube for your viewing pleasure) and aren’t very clear. And yes, that’s my tongue!
I’m so hardcore.
He's almost a fully-fledged prophet, now! The ever-swelling braggart now has an Academy Award and a Nobel Peace Prize. A peace prize, you say? I know. I was confused, too. I thought maybe he had formally announced that he would be dropping the notion of man-induced global warming... that might bring some peace to his duplicitous soul. But nope, that wasn't it. He pulled off a miracle (of sorts)... the guy won a peace prize because of his work on climate change.
What?
Yeah, it confuses the heck out of everyone else, too. Can one come to the conclusion that this award is anything but politically motivated? As the UK Daily Telegraph spells out for those who still don't get it:
Climate change is a threat to the environment, not to "peace" and international order. The prize has gone to some sleazy recipients in the past, but at least you can make a case that their actions staved off bloodshed.Wow. I think I might be qualified for this prize based on my work in finger painting. It's very good. It's so good, in fact, that I'm sure it could stop a war. Well, maybe a fist-fight between a couple of monkeys, at least.
Thank goodness the states I've visited are in red (I kid, I kid...)... Only 6 more to go.
Make your own map HERE.
I wish I could attribute my broken toe to a cool mountain bike accident… but I can't. Nope. This time, it was the preparation for a mountain bike ride that did me in. I know, sometimes it is just better to lie about our injuries.
To gain perspective on this, we'll have to go back a week. As all of you who live on Earth know, when the fall comes, the days get shorter (unless you live in the southern hemisphere... stupid rotational axis). Because of this phenomenon, I have been unable to ride some of my favorite trails (Wakefield, Accotink, etc.) after work because it simply gets dark too soon. So in the run up to Columbus Day, I have been talking non-stop about how I'm gonna "ride all day long" and have the best day ever on that upcoming day off work. I had been continually checking the weather for rain (there was none), and loaded up my hydration pack with food (and water) the night before for my day of adventure. It was all going according to plan.
So yesterday, in the final minutes of preparation before for my "epic ride," I had this great idea to wash my bike. After all, I had a bunch of mud and crap on there from my previous rides, and I didn't want anything to hamper the ride on which I was about to embark. I wanted a well-oiled machine. But washing a bike isn't as easy at it seems. At our condo, we have a large, private enclosed outdoor patio in the front yard, but we don't have a hose. So to wash my bike, I have to fill a large bucket of water in our kitchen sink and drag it outside. You can see where this is going.
Once the bucket was filled, I briskly walked (although a bit off-centered due to the weight of the bucket) towards the front door. I wanted to get this done. I wanted to ride! It was then, in my haste, of course, when I slammed my bare foot into the hard, wooden leg to our sofa chaise – and I mean slammed.
You know when you smack your toe, and it hurts real bad, the pain usually subsides after a minute or two? That doesn't happen when you break the thing. It hurts like all Hades. I laid face down, on the chaise, and growled curses and yelps for about 10 minutes before I finally was coherent enough to notice that I dropped, and thus, spilled, the bucket of water on the landing by the front door. But that didn't upset me as much as the idea that I might not be able to ride did! So I waited for a few minutes. During that time, I mopped the front room while the pain settled in my middle toe (left foot).
5 years ago, I had broken the neighboring piggy on the same foot. That time I went to the hospital (not knowing that there is nothing they can do), so I knew what to look for this time. 20 minutes later there was no swelling, so I said "to heck with it," washed my bike and went on my ride. Oh, how very dumb that was. Apparently, when you break a bone – any bone – your body raises its temperature as a defense mechanism prior to the repair work it will be engaged in. Well, as many of you know, it was 90+ degrees here yesterday with matching humidity. It sure made for one "epic" ride alright. I thought I was going to die.
So I come home 3 hours later (hardly the "day of riding" I had planned), take off my sock to find a puffy (and black) toe. Of course, there is nothing I can do but "tough it out" and walk with a very pronounced limp (which is pure torture wearing dress shoes today).
I have no reason to post this. No message. No moral to the story. I just like to complain when I hurt, and this blog allows me to reach a deeper community for sympathy. And I do need sympathy. After all, my wife laughed at me for washing my bike before my ride. And she's right... what was I thinking???
With all the subtlety of a nuclear sneak attack, today's Drudge Report screams:
"GOOGLE celebrates day of Russia achievement. Sergey Brin orders search site to celebrate Sputnik's launch anniversary on web page..."(Today is the 50th anniversary of the Sputnik launch)
Wow, what a grand slogan for the consummate pragmatist. In addressing what "the people" want from their politicians, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said, "They prefer progress with messy compromise, over defeat with pristine principles" in a broadcast to British Conservatives last week. According to Arnold, we are to abandon values, principles and ideals for the sake of "getting along." What a sad state of sociological affairs we find ourselves in.
Don't get me wrong here. I've been hitched for just over 2 years and I understand that compromise is a necessary part of a good marriage. But as a society, should we be taught to aim for the status quo and accept positions that may be wrong simply for the sake of avoiding an argument?
What if the Founding Fathers accepted a compromise? Surely, if we were to live in the same alternate universe that Schwarzenegger does, Patrick Henry's inspiring phrase "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" would have gone something like, "Liberty would be super, but I'll submit to the King if we could just end this whole 'revolutionary' war thing, now." And I suppose Arnold thinks that slavery might have been best ended through compromise, rather than war?
I understand Arnold's desire to see government move along at a faster pace. After all, fighting for a cause and sticking to ideology can drag a democratic system to a crawl. But where would be be as a nation - or indeed, as a species - if we had allowed those who would do us harm a seat at the bargaining table? Where would we be if we had taught George Washington to believe in compromise over principle? Winston Churchill? Ghandi? Ronald Reagan?
While I don't enjoy war or bloodshed, I understand that in the course of human events, sometimes there are ideals worth fighting for. If we teach our children that standing their ground when defending their beliefs is wrong, we will have finally put out the driving fire of human spirit that tyrants have sought to extinguish for millennia. It is the human desire to change ourselves in the face of all opposition that has brought out the best and worst of mankind. And while we may gain some short-term peace by practicing ritual compromise, we will have given up and lost far, far more.
