Boarding the Chase Boat

Deploying the Buoy

Another view from the bridge of the Frank Drew.

On the Bridge

Deploying on the USCGC Frank Drew.

Rescue at Sea

United States Coast Guard in Action.

On the Aircraft

Luxury accomodations.

Boarding the C130

Heading down to Yorktown to run missions with the Coast Guard.

Last Day on the Beach

Enjoying the last day in the sun... Outer Banks, NC. The annual tradition for 10 years now.

And This Man Wants to be President...

I'm sure most of you have seen the following Obama quote this morning:

"We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72
degrees at all times... and then just expect that other countries are going to
say OK... "

This is coming from a man who is running for President of the United States. Is this the much-ballyhooed "change" we keep hearing about? If so, I don't want any part of it. Since when has it become a moral crime to make life better for Americans as President? This guy is truly scaring me. And not in the, "Bill Clinton is a despicable man" way the former democratic President scared me. This is true horror. The awfulness of it rests with the fact that so many people are taken in by his message. Self-loathing, it would seem, qualifies you as a better American.

I'm not saying his statement is incorrect. Sure, I would expect others to be upset wth the fact that we use so much. But it's not like the US doesn't share back more of it's wealth with the rest of the world than all other nations combined. And heck, if they don't like it, tough luck. We're not asking them to be "OK" with it. It's not as if the rest of the world will suddenly lift itself out of poverty overnight if we start setting our thermostats at 60 degrees in the winter and 80 in the summer. Zimbabwe won't miraculously turn into a democratic state once the US stops using so much oil. If anything, there will be less American wealth in foreign markets, and things would get worse for those who already have a crappy run at life.

But none of this matters. It's the self-loathing that really gets things done. What is your oppression footprint? Can I buy credits to offset the level of third world-labor that went into making my leather Mezlans? Seriously? What does Obama expect to happen? What do the people who listen to him expect to happen? Do they even understand what he's saying, or are they swept away by his radiant grin?

I'm sorry, but I just can't believe people buy into this crap. It's frightening.

Cellphone Radiation or Bad Parenting?

I have to wonder about studies like this. Is it the use of the phones themselves that cause these children to develop emotional problems? Or is there a correlation between the disintegrating family and these same problems that are being overlooked? The study says:

They found that mothers who did use the handsets were 54 per cent more likely to
have children with behavioural problems and that the likelihood increased with
the amount of potential exposure to the radiation. And when the children also
later used the phones they were, overall, 80 per cent more likely to suffer from
difficulties with behaviour. They were 25 per cent more at risk from emotional
problems, 34 per cent more likely to suffer from difficulties relating to their
peers, 35 per cent more likely to be hyperactive, and 49 per cent more prone to
problems with conduct.

To me, this says more about the mother. Perhaps the radiation from mobile phones (note: the study even says "potential exposure" - they don't even know) is not causing the problems. Instead, could it maybe be the lack of proper attention given to the child due to the fact its mother is always on the freaking phone? I have seen some mothers who are constantly chatting (gossiping) on the phone, almost to the point of neglect of their children. Just last week I saw a kid fall from his high chair at TGIF because the mother was yakking away on the phone. Surely children raised in such a home will suffer the same problems cited in this report?

It seems that we are eager to point the finger at everything except ourselves. Not surprising given today's world without accountability... but nonetheless, very sad.

The Air Show at Andrews AFB

I love this country. I love our military. I love airplanes. These three things together make air shows one of my favorite places to visit on Earth. I love the sights, maneuvers and antics of the daredevil planes... but most of all, I love the sound. I love the roar - up close - of aircraft engines. I love hearing the sound of 60,000 lbs of thrust rattling my bones. It makes me emotional, this sound. I can't explain it. It's part pride in what we've accomplished as a nation (both technologically and militarily), and part patriotism from being so close to the mighty power that defends us.

I have compiled a few of the high-definition videos I shot for you to enjoy. Of course, in YouTube they are no longer HD... you'll have to come over to enjoy them in full glory!


Air Force Heritage Flight (4 generations of top Air Force fighters: P51, F4, F15E & F22)


F-22 Raptor Awesomeness


B2 Stealth Bomber

At the Airshow

something about the sound of loud jets in the service of our nation makes me emotional. This is an F22 getting ready to park.

On Uncle Sam's Errand

Leaving the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. As you can see, Plum Island is very beautiful. The island is owned by the government and houses the nation's foremost lab in animal disease detection and outbreak prevention. Think of it as the CDC for animals.

It's That Time of the Year Again

The only argument against 80 degree weather in April is 20 lbs of winter fat! Man, how am I supposed to race in June in this shape! But seriously, I missed my mountain bike!

Dan at the White House

Hangin' with the Prez!

The Firing Range

See, work can be fun.

Alternate History: 1865 through 2008 (Yes, I'm Bored)

This is a fun bit of alternate history writing I did in 5 minutes when a friend posed that age-old rhetorical question in an email, "What if Lincoln had not been killed?" Since it's my last week at my current job, and thus, I find myself with some extra time... I gave the following response. Remember, I am the Conservative Futurist... and apparently, somewhat nerdy.

Q: [Regarding the state of Secret service protection, or lack thereof in 1865] "Had someone put up a fight & said, 'Uhm, dude, half the country hates you, and there was an attempt on your life in Baltimore a while back, so you don't have a say in this anymore,' I wonder if things might have been different that nasty night in April 1865?"

A: [My silly response] Friend, I've been to that universe and it's not fun. Lincoln lived to the ripe age of 82, and in that time became a dedicated pacifist and ended up leading the "American Peace Party," which was swept into power in 1868 by landslide margins. Due to the losses of party members to the new APP, the democratic party withered away and was eventually replaced by the American Communist Party in 1912. The "Leninists" as they were first called, knocked the APP out of power in 1912. They formed a new alliance with Russia (which later became the Soviet Union), and entered into a contract with the Soviets in 1921 to buy military equipment (The US was pacifist and didn't have a military) after Germany took over western Europe in the "Great War." In 1938, a man named Hitler rose to power and invaded Moscow on a warm spring day the next year. Russia fell, and with it, support for the US military. Germany and Japan allied forces and invaded the American west coast on January 1, 1940. Washington was captured 3 months later. In 1951, The 4th Reich tested a nuclear weapon in the Nevada desert. In 1960, a young man named John Kennedy attempted to overthrow the German Prefecture in Boston. As a result, the German Pro-Consul for the American Germany was killed. In response, the new Fuhrer in Berlin, Heinrich Himmler (who acceded to the post after Hitler's death from syphilis), ordered a nuclear detonation in Boston. When Americans in Chicago and Miami rioted in protest, those cities were destroyed as well. This led to the "Great Plague of 1965" which killed millions of Americans living in the 4th Reich, and eventually spread across the world. Ironically, Himmler was killed by one of the American super-flus, which led to a power struggle. In the confusion, the German economy collapsed, leading to an attack from China and India. In the short war, Berlin was destroyed. The 4th Reich in America collapsed leaving most of North America in a 3rd world state. In 1988, a man named Ronald Reagan - the local leader of a west coast drama club - led a group of men to San Francisco where they established the Nation of Jefferson (formerly California, Oregon and Washington). There they established relations with the closed territory of Deseret (a geographic area run by Mormons in the Rocky Mountains), and begun the process of forming a new nation. In 1999, the Federated States of America was formed, with Ronald Reagan as Prime Minister. In 2008, the FSA was recovering from the war, and had a 50% illiteracy rate, and a 30% infant mortality rate. Things continued to improve with the election of Prime Minister Rice - the first black person and woman ever to be elected to high office in the Americas. She opened the borders to Indian and Chinese help in the form of advanced electronics and medical care. At last census, the FSA had a population of 92 million, and had the world's 76th largest economy.

Obamasms and the Cult of Personality

I've noticed something very peculiar when it comes to the embrace people are giving Barack Hussein Obama these days. Amid the drunken atmosphere of support that has his followers spilling the Kool-Aid all over themselves, there seems to be a sense of inevitability surrounding his candidacy that has put the blinders on most folks. His supporters have gone fanatical on us, disbelieving of the fact that anyone could possibly exist that might think the man is nothing more than an inexperienced opportunist with an agenda that will set this country down the path to ruin.

The love for Barack, of course, has been due to the overwhelmingly positive media the guy has been getting. It's as if they're afraid to point out anything negative in fear that it will offend blacks, Muslims and any white liberal with a guilt-complex. Of course, maybe the lack of criticism is due to the fact that he has virtually no experience... at least not enough to garner him any kind of reputation whatsoever... to say nothing about his ability to lead the most powerful nation on Earth.

So why do people support (and dare I say, love) him? I've asked many of his supporters that very question, and I've been very surprised at the answers (or lack thereof) that I've been given. The first response is usually, "He's for change!" Changing what, exactly? Isn't any candidate elected going to amount to some form of change? His followers can't answer that question, because they don't know what he plans to change (what a perfectly vague reason to lend support, isn't it?) - let alone his method of doing it. So, once confronted with this loop in logic, his supporters will usually shift into one of three gears: Their hatred of Bush; the War in Iraq; and Global Warming. All three are emotional issues, making it nearly impossible to say anything that might change their mind about the guy. This is called brainwashing. The inability to engage them in meaningful discussion on such topics will also reaffirm their support for a man they know almost nothing about. This is called the "Cult of Personality," and it is a very dangerous mindset to be a part of.

The problems with people who emotionally stand behind a leader without knowing why is that they will do almost anything to justify their support. Tell them Obama has no experience, and they'll start pointing out such intellectual gems like the fact that he was elected to the Senate... as if merely showing up for the job he was elected to do has anything to do with his ability to lead a nation (carefully avoiding the fact that he has done nothing to effect "change" in the whole 4 years he's been in the Senate). Or they'll proudly say, "It's about time we had a Black President!" As if that somehow automatically qualifies a person. They'll reach for answers, because Obama himself hasn't been clear enough in providing them. In fact, he has only spoken in the language of platitude. He's been telling people what they want to hear, promising them wild dreams (like ending poverty, hunger and strife, and creating endless jobs, free healthcare and access for everyone to education) without so much as being called to task on what his plans are for doing so (hint: he doesn't have any). And further, I offer this... if those things were even possible, don't you think they would have been done by now? Heck, the first world leader to accomplish even a percentage of that goal would probably be elected Ruler of the Planet.

But since the promises from Barack Hussein Obama seem to originate in a world of fairy tales, it makes sense that his followers live in that magical wonderland with him... a land that obfuscates reality just enough so that they can offer rabid support to a man with no substance, no leadership ability (other than the ability to woo a crowd) and certainly no plan to keep this nation safe from from the dangers that lurk in the real world.

Please people... it's about time you wake up and see that this particular emperor is wearing no clothes. But then, that would probably be a selling point with you, too.

Virginians: Romney is Still on the Ballot!

If you're still reeling from Romney's campaign withdrawal, can't stomach voting for McCain and would like to do your part to keep Huckabee from receiving another, single, delegate vote, cast your vote for Mitt! Consider it a pre-vote for the 2012 election! Besides, Romney could choose to come back into the race at any time (technically) - although granted, that's wishful thinking on my part. But hey, a lot can happen between now and the convention... Vote for Mitt! Virginia polls close at 7pm.

American Idol Karaoke Revolution

The ladies singing in front of Simon! Ah, the glorious XBox 360! I know it's a bad pic, but what do you expect from a cellphone... in the dark... at night...?

Well, It's Not Quite Star Trek...

...but I would pay the $200,000 (if I had it) in a heartbeat to go for a ride into space - if only for 4 1/2 minutes. I'm not a huge Richard Branson fan, but he's got the right idea when it comes to seeing tourism as a means to spur development in space travel. I figure, any guy who can actually put me a step closer to the childhood promise of living on the moon someday is alright in my book.

And while I'm all for private investment in spaceflight and believe that it will be the driving force in making things cheaper, I still believe that governments are the only entities capable of providing the amount of funding necessary for large, deep-space exploration missions that will ultimately be beneficial for all of us. Just think where we'd be without NASA... I mean, no Tang? That's not a world in which I'd want to live...