No, it is not some masochistic proposal to increase the production of American industry...it is simply the "work week" I have just had here in Afghanistan.
After 106 days filled with combat skills training, trans-oceanic flights, 4 countries, and a non-stop run of 15-18 hour days....I have finally taken a day off. It may only be a one day "weekend", but it has felt good.
Now, only one more "week" to go, and I can get back to my family for the holidays....
CF out....
9/01/2008
8/12/2008
Foresight is 20/200
After getting off shift today, I went over to the US morale area to poke around, and see what might be on AFN.
I happened upon a copy of the 2007 'Man of the Year' edition of Time Magazine. Given the events this week, perhaps this would be a good time to review that decision.
Now Time does throw out the caveat that "TIME's Person of the Year is a clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is and of the most powerful individuals and forces shaping that world—for better or for worse", but I remind people once again that they had a chance to pick this man.
Maybe this year he will get recognized for his actions in 2007.
Other notable items from a look back at the Putin spread:
- The title of the Putin article "Choosing Order Before Freedom". Hmmmmm, I guess Time was right on this one. The Georgians chose freedom instead of the order of their former Russian masters, and they ended up getting the Budapest treatment.
- "Russia needs Putin -- His firm hand will smooth the transition to democracy..." - Mikail Gorbachev. Good call Gorby....Vlad is doing wonders for the democratic ideal this week.
Maybe Putin is just flexing his muscles this week as he has realized that he is far behind Barack Obama in this year's MoTY race. Because of this, if I were Obama, I'd be wary of getting the Litvinenko treatment. When Putin wants something...he takes it.
I happened upon a copy of the 2007 'Man of the Year' edition of Time Magazine. Given the events this week, perhaps this would be a good time to review that decision.
Now Time does throw out the caveat that "TIME's Person of the Year is a clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is and of the most powerful individuals and forces shaping that world—for better or for worse", but I remind people once again that they had a chance to pick this man.
Maybe this year he will get recognized for his actions in 2007.
Other notable items from a look back at the Putin spread:
- The title of the Putin article "Choosing Order Before Freedom". Hmmmmm, I guess Time was right on this one. The Georgians chose freedom instead of the order of their former Russian masters, and they ended up getting the Budapest treatment.
- "Russia needs Putin -- His firm hand will smooth the transition to democracy..." - Mikail Gorbachev. Good call Gorby....Vlad is doing wonders for the democratic ideal this week.
Maybe Putin is just flexing his muscles this week as he has realized that he is far behind Barack Obama in this year's MoTY race. Because of this, if I were Obama, I'd be wary of getting the Litvinenko treatment. When Putin wants something...he takes it.
8/09/2008
Finally a War to Protest
Naked Imperialist aggression? Check!
Indiscriminate bombing and killing of civilians? Check!
Designs on another nation's energy resources? Check!
Remember all those breathless, and wholly incorrect, charges leveled at he U.S. at numerous "peace" protests concerning the war in Iraq? Well now all those charges are *actually* happening in South Ossetia.....so where are the calls for vast marches on the National Mall, or in Paris or Berlin, to protest this *actual* imperialist aggression?? Nowhere to be seen....
I guess all the leftists are on their summer holiday along with Obama, and can't be bothered to answer this 3am phone call.....
UPDATES: JustOneMinute notes that we have now moved on to the 4am phone call. Also, Ed Morrisey at HotAir notes how certain Presidential candidates who might have shown outrage at accidental U.S. incidents in Afghanistan, now can't summon the will to interrupt a vacation long enough to discern between aggressor and victim in this conflict.
UPDATES: JustOneMinute notes that we have now moved on to the 4am phone call. Also, Ed Morrisey at HotAir notes how certain Presidential candidates who might have shown outrage at accidental U.S. incidents in Afghanistan, now can't summon the will to interrupt a vacation long enough to discern between aggressor and victim in this conflict.
8/08/2008
Choking on Hope & Change
Apparently the Obamacons have a new 'sign' in order to express their unifying experience in the church of Hope & Change.
When I saw it, I immediately thought of something very different.
This is the campaign poster I envision....
This is not the hope and change *I* have been waiting for....
When I saw it, I immediately thought of something very different.
This is the campaign poster I envision....
This is not the hope and change *I* have been waiting for....
8/06/2008
Elitism on Parade: Ignorance Edition
Over at Townhall.com, Amanda Carpenter points us to another new and devastating elitist insult from Barack Obama:
So while McCain is a racist for calling Obama a "Celeb", I am sure that Obama will be considered 'brutally honest' for calling McCain, and by extension the right side of the political spectrum, "ignorant". Seems like a strange way to heal a divided nation.
Ultimately this is a grand case of the pot calling the kettle….errrr….anyhow…. This label of 'ignorant' comes from a man who's very own energy plan called for a major reduction in electricity consumption, AND an increase in cars the you can plug into an electrical socket and recharge. Does he even notice the conflicting goals here, or did they just quickly poll the interns for good energy ideas, and stick the list in a brochure without proof-reading it?
It seems to me that this could well be another "clinging to guns and religion" moment. He has just handed the GOP a great sound bite to hound him with until November. McCain should flood Ohio, PA and other flyover states with ads using the message: "John McCain and 75% of America are calling for more drilling here in America to lower oil prices. Barack Obama wants you to inflate your tires. And if you don't agree with him, he says you must be ignorant. [CLIP] So much for the message of hope and change…"
I guess we should re-write that now famous line to read "Clinging to their guns, religion, and gasoline..."
Barack Obama called Republicans "ignorant" for making fun of him because he encouraged Americans to properly inflate their tires to conserve gasoline. “It’s like these guys take pride in being ignorant!” Obama told an audience in Berea, Ohio on Tuesday.Whoa nelly! Them's fightin' words… Seriously, maybe the pressure has gotten to Obama, but he certainly seems to have lowered the discourse a notch. Calling someone "ignorant" is not something casually thrown about in civil conversation. Probably because it is normally, and rightly, considered an insult. Is his new message is "Vote Democrat, or Vote Ignorant"?
So while McCain is a racist for calling Obama a "Celeb", I am sure that Obama will be considered 'brutally honest' for calling McCain, and by extension the right side of the political spectrum, "ignorant". Seems like a strange way to heal a divided nation.
Ultimately this is a grand case of the pot calling the kettle….errrr….anyhow…. This label of 'ignorant' comes from a man who's very own energy plan called for a major reduction in electricity consumption, AND an increase in cars the you can plug into an electrical socket and recharge. Does he even notice the conflicting goals here, or did they just quickly poll the interns for good energy ideas, and stick the list in a brochure without proof-reading it?
It seems to me that this could well be another "clinging to guns and religion" moment. He has just handed the GOP a great sound bite to hound him with until November. McCain should flood Ohio, PA and other flyover states with ads using the message: "John McCain and 75% of America are calling for more drilling here in America to lower oil prices. Barack Obama wants you to inflate your tires. And if you don't agree with him, he says you must be ignorant. [CLIP] So much for the message of hope and change…"
I guess we should re-write that now famous line to read "Clinging to their guns, religion, and gasoline..."
8/03/2008
An Ignorant Wind Blows
Glenn Reynolds links to an interview with T. Boone Pickens in the New York Times, allegedly concerning his new wind power project.
Only the first quarter of the interview by Deborah Solomon covers actual substantive wind issues, before it devolves into politics and personal minutia. The most fascinating part of the interview has to be this exchange concerning Pickens involvement in the 2004 election:
You get the drift….
I find it jaw-droppingly honest to have a journalist (or perhaps Ms. Solomon is an aspiring HS student who's journalism class interview project accidentally ended up in the NYT) admit their bias, or their ignorance, by saying "Really? I thought it was all invented" about the Swift Boat allegations. You certainly couldn't tell by their reporting.....not.
It shows the thought process and lack of intellectual/journalist curiosity that would dismiss such things out of hand as political sabotage. No wonder the use the phrase "Swift Boating" in such a derogatory fashion….
My only question is, if this is something that is considered an "ugly chapter" worthy of obvious regret, I wonder how Ms. Solomon and the NYT feel about Rathergate and evidence that was clearly "invented"?
I suppose it is better not to ask....
Only the first quarter of the interview by Deborah Solomon covers actual substantive wind issues, before it devolves into politics and personal minutia. The most fascinating part of the interview has to be this exchange concerning Pickens involvement in the 2004 election:
You helped re-elect Bush in ’04 when you gave $3 million to the Swift Boat campaign to discredit John Kerry’s Vietnam service. Do you regret your involvement?
-Why would I?
Because it’s such an ugly chapter in American political history.
-Oh, I see. Well, it was true. Everything that went into those ads was the truth.
Really? I thought it was all invented.
-I never did anything dishonest.
[…]
If not the Swift Boats, what do you regret?
You get the drift….
I find it jaw-droppingly honest to have a journalist (or perhaps Ms. Solomon is an aspiring HS student who's journalism class interview project accidentally ended up in the NYT) admit their bias, or their ignorance, by saying "Really? I thought it was all invented" about the Swift Boat allegations. You certainly couldn't tell by their reporting.....not.
It shows the thought process and lack of intellectual/journalist curiosity that would dismiss such things out of hand as political sabotage. No wonder the use the phrase "Swift Boating" in such a derogatory fashion….
My only question is, if this is something that is considered an "ugly chapter" worthy of obvious regret, I wonder how Ms. Solomon and the NYT feel about Rathergate and evidence that was clearly "invented"?
I suppose it is better not to ask....
7/23/2008
What we really meant was....
Allahpundit has an excellent takedown of Dem angst over McCain getting verbally pugilistic with their messiah candidate. Read it here.
The best bit that comes out of it is the new Dem line that Iraq can't be lost, so why are we staying?
Interesting....
Not too long ago, according to Democrats, we needed to get out of Iraq, because Iraq couldn't be won.
Now, according to Democrats, we need to get out of Iraq, because Iraq can't be lost.
Unfortunately both arguments simply demonstrate the Dems lack of understanding of reality.
You see, not too long ago, we needed to stay in Iraq, because Iraq could be won.
Now we need to stay in Iraq because Iraq can be lost.
It is their simple misunderstanding of this reality that bothers me. For a good simulation of how the Dems line of reasoning would have affected events, please also read Bob Owens great piece: The Iraq We'd Have If We'd Heeded Obama
Also read Blackfive's comments on Obama's surge contortions here.
The best bit that comes out of it is the new Dem line that Iraq can't be lost, so why are we staying?
Interesting....
Not too long ago, according to Democrats, we needed to get out of Iraq, because Iraq couldn't be won.
Now, according to Democrats, we need to get out of Iraq, because Iraq can't be lost.
Unfortunately both arguments simply demonstrate the Dems lack of understanding of reality.
You see, not too long ago, we needed to stay in Iraq, because Iraq could be won.
Now we need to stay in Iraq because Iraq can be lost.
It is their simple misunderstanding of this reality that bothers me. For a good simulation of how the Dems line of reasoning would have affected events, please also read Bob Owens great piece: The Iraq We'd Have If We'd Heeded Obama
Also read Blackfive's comments on Obama's surge contortions here.
7/18/2008
Guess what, Andy...we won
If you haven't done so already, I highly recommend perusing Greyhawk's recent series of posts at Mudville Gazette entitled "WHILE AMERICA SLEPT"
Part 1 - "But by my estimation, the Iraq War is over. We won."
Part 2 - "Afghanistan is where the war is now; it's where it always was..."
Part 3 - "...after much blood and sweat equity - the need for combat ops had fallen significantly"
Part 4 - "I'm dead. That sucks," and "I died doing a job I loved."
The title of this post is the final line from Part 4, and a statement by Greyhawk to departed milblogger Andy Olmsted to inform him that his sacrifice was not in vain.
Read on...
God bless to all of those who have given that blood and sweat equity in Iraq, and Godspeed to those who will continue to do so here in Afghanistan.
CF out....
Part 1 - "But by my estimation, the Iraq War is over. We won."
Part 2 - "Afghanistan is where the war is now; it's where it always was..."
Part 3 - "...after much blood and sweat equity - the need for combat ops had fallen significantly"
Part 4 - "I'm dead. That sucks," and "I died doing a job I loved."
The title of this post is the final line from Part 4, and a statement by Greyhawk to departed milblogger Andy Olmsted to inform him that his sacrifice was not in vain.
Read on...
God bless to all of those who have given that blood and sweat equity in Iraq, and Godspeed to those who will continue to do so here in Afghanistan.
CF out....
Energizer Al
You have to give Al Gore some credit....he doesn't quit. And he always ups the ante.
In as much as it is a good idea, reaching this goal by 2018 has an even chance with mankind achieving the goal of traveling at the speed of light within that same time period. It is the height of folly. Even Time Magazine is skeptical, calling it an "unrealistic plan" and "... it's hard to see how Gore's target is remotely attainable. This isn't negative thinking, or fiction put out by the oil industry. This is reality."
Al, buddy, I am all for a plan than provides clean renewable power...but let's be realistic. If you want to achieve this goal, while at the same time not ruining the U.S. economy and lowering people's standard of living, then you have to think in the longer term. Lets say 2050. You and I may not be alive by then, but that is certainly a more achievable timeframe than by the middle of Bobby Jindal's second Presidential term.
Don't ruin a fairly good idea by placing impossible deadlines on it....
Gore called on Americans to completely abandon electricity generated by fossil fuels within 10 years, and replace them with carbon-free renewables like solar, wind and geothermal.Now don't get me wrong, I actually think that such a goal is commendable, and even as a conservative would love to have an energy grid based on renewables, that would eliminate airborne pollution. But 10 years is a pipe dream. Especially if you don't even consider using Nuclear as the primary backbone for that energy grid.
In as much as it is a good idea, reaching this goal by 2018 has an even chance with mankind achieving the goal of traveling at the speed of light within that same time period. It is the height of folly. Even Time Magazine is skeptical, calling it an "unrealistic plan" and "... it's hard to see how Gore's target is remotely attainable. This isn't negative thinking, or fiction put out by the oil industry. This is reality."
Al, buddy, I am all for a plan than provides clean renewable power...but let's be realistic. If you want to achieve this goal, while at the same time not ruining the U.S. economy and lowering people's standard of living, then you have to think in the longer term. Lets say 2050. You and I may not be alive by then, but that is certainly a more achievable timeframe than by the middle of Bobby Jindal's second Presidential term.
Don't ruin a fairly good idea by placing impossible deadlines on it....
7/11/2008
Thank You America
I read with great interest a couple of weeks ago about the web-a-thon that was being held to raise money to support the troops called “From the Frontlines”, sponsored by Move America Forward, and prominent bloggers like Michelle Malkin.
This great effort was able to raise over $1 million, and will go directly to sending care packages to my compatriots on the front lines.
So imagine my surprise when a MAF care package arrived for my NCOIC. Now we may be in Afghanistan, and we may work in a high ops-tempo operations center, but we are by no means as far out on the frontlines as some of the kids out there. So it had never occurred to me that this great effort would benefit my troops and I. I assumed it would go to the kids who really deserve it, the ones to have to travel the roads and man the Combat Outposts out on the ragged frontier of this war.
For the generosity that MAF and its individual sponsors have bestowed upon this group of REMFs, we are deeply appreciative, and can never thank you enough for the items and the thoughtful words that you send along with them.
A special thanks to Millie from DuQuoin, IL, who’s donation bought the package of Beef Jerky that I got my hands on. God Bless You too Millie.
I would encourage everyone who might read this to go to MAF’s Campaign Store and sponsor a package, which start at $15. Not for me, because I have what I need, but for those troops like the 2/7 Marines, or TF Bayonet, or TF Currahee, or any of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) who spends their days on the true front lines.
I know those who receive them will greatly appreciate any generosity.
This great effort was able to raise over $1 million, and will go directly to sending care packages to my compatriots on the front lines.
So imagine my surprise when a MAF care package arrived for my NCOIC. Now we may be in Afghanistan, and we may work in a high ops-tempo operations center, but we are by no means as far out on the frontlines as some of the kids out there. So it had never occurred to me that this great effort would benefit my troops and I. I assumed it would go to the kids who really deserve it, the ones to have to travel the roads and man the Combat Outposts out on the ragged frontier of this war.
For the generosity that MAF and its individual sponsors have bestowed upon this group of REMFs, we are deeply appreciative, and can never thank you enough for the items and the thoughtful words that you send along with them.
A special thanks to Millie from DuQuoin, IL, who’s donation bought the package of Beef Jerky that I got my hands on. God Bless You too Millie.
I would encourage everyone who might read this to go to MAF’s Campaign Store and sponsor a package, which start at $15. Not for me, because I have what I need, but for those troops like the 2/7 Marines, or TF Bayonet, or TF Currahee, or any of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) who spends their days on the true front lines.
I know those who receive them will greatly appreciate any generosity.
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