US, NATO and Israel Deploy Nukes directed against Iran

Just found the seeds of a new conspiracy theory tonight.  None of this has been talked about in the news or in the usual blogs I read, so maybe I found a nugget of gold for the latest developing nutroot Truthers.

Global Research is claiming that the recent flight of military aircraft with nuclear weapons was actually destined for the potential use against Iran!

In recent developments, Wayne Madsen (September 27) has suggested, based on US and foreign intelligence sources, that the B-52 carrying the advanced cruise missiles with bunker buster nuclear warheads was in fact destined for the Middle East. 

Is the B-52 Barksdale incident in any way related to US plans to use nuclear weapons against Iran?

The article, written by Michel Chossudovsky is fairly alarmist; he asks the following for his readers.

Note: Readers are welcome to cross-post this article with a view to spreading the word and warning people of the dangers of a broader Middle East war. Please indicate the source and copyright note.

Who is Michel?  Oh, just a Canadian Economic Professor.  Oh, and he wrote a book on Globalization.  But, what does an Economic Professor know of global politics?  Scott Loughrey of the The Baltimore Chronicle and The Sentinel seems to think the guy knows something.

US, NATO and Israel Deploy Nukes directed against Iran

Filed under: Military, Nutroots

Find Your Candidate for the 2008 Election – VAJoe.com

Not sure who you are going to vote for?  Follow the link below, answer the questions and have someone automatically tell you which candidate matches your choices…  I’d love to know the algorithms behind the scenes.

I don’t know much about Fred yet (only read his web page), but if this survey is accurate, then I may have found my candidate…

Your Top Match

You planned to vote for Undecided. Based on your responses, your top candidate for 2008 is below.

Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson (R)

85.00% match

Find Your Candidate for the 2008 Election – VAJoe.com – Where the Military Matters Most

Filed under: Religion, Republicans

A Truther finds the real truth

Credit Hot Air for posting an interesting tidbit about a “Truther” who’s disavowed his association with the 9/11 conspiracy theorists.

Letter of Resignation

My name is Mike Metzger, MikeyMetz for short, co-founder of 9/11 Truth UAlbany. I will not go on about my past accomplishments in the “truth” movement, but I invite you to check out the official site and our stuff on GoogleVideo if you’re that interested in my background.

I figure the best way to start this all out is by reposting a Facebook note that explains my “sudden change of heart” to anyone who was interested.

Mike finally realized what I had been thinking all along.  It’s very easy to argue a point by exposing all the weakness without providing any factually supported rebuttals.  If you ever watched the movie “Loose Change” or read the web sites, you soon come to realize that they never provide any substantial and accepted research to back their claims.

There are no facts in the 9/11 Truth Movement. Just a lot of theories, which eventually break down to “hey, we’re just asking questions” if someone questions the validity of such. No structural, civil, or any engineers agree with the truthers. Yet, most of my friends will try to explain the hard physics involved in structural collapses. None of these people are engineers, physicists, or even in a scientific field, for that matter. Someone’s supposed to take their word over an expert’s?

Truthers rely on emotional arguments and simple anecdotal evidence.  They look at still pictures and can tell you “exactly what happened”.  Or they conduct elementary school level experiments trying to duplicate the immense complexities of a building collapse and claim they prove it couldn’t happen. Below is an example of how they accuse, but offer no evidence to support the claim…

YouTube: Fake “Witness” to 9/11 Government Killings Of Its Citizens

I’m no structural engineer, but when I saw the towers fall, I assumed it was from “structural damage” (yes, I talk like that) from the debris and fire.  Truthers, here’s something to learn, not everyone screams and panics in times of distress, some folks have incredible clarity of mind and action.

When empirical data is presented, such as with the History Channel, Truthers claim the experts are part of the conspiracy.  I love the concept put forth by the History Channel about the “hyper-effectiveness” of our government to conduct such an orchestrated event.  I ask, how could so many hold so much “secret” for so long?

Nice to see that someone has come to their senses, now maybe we can get the rest…

YouTube – History Channel Clip

Follow the link below for Hot Air » Blog Archive » A Truther finds the real truth

Filed under: Nutroots, Science

The Story of the Year! Ahmadinejad at Columbia University.

He thinks the Holocaust is the cause of heavy catastrophes, that academic freedom and speech are to be valued, that there are no homosexuals in Iran.  I’m hitting highlights, but WaPost has the full transcripts.  If you missed it, Columbia University President Bollinger hit Mr. A pretty hard…

AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Like you, like any academic, I, too, will keep — not yet become silent until I get the answer. So I’m awaiting logical answers instead of insults.

My first question was if — given that the Holocaust is a present reality of our time, a history that occurred, why is there not sufficient research that can approach the topic from different perspectives?

Our friend referred to 1930 as the point of departure for this development. However, I believe the Holocaust from what we’ve read happened during World War II, after 1930, in the 1940s. So, you know, we have to really be able to trace the event.

Research your history a bit more Mr. “Academic”, Hitler stated his hatred for Jews in 1922, persecution started almost immediately when Hitler rose to power in January 1933.  It really started to get ugly in 1938,

My question was simple: There are researchers who want to approach the topic from a different perspective. Why are they put into prison? Right now, there are a number of European academics who have been sent to prison because they attempted to write about the Holocaust or research it from a different perspective, questioning certain aspects of it.

My question is: Why isn’t it open to all forms of research?

What exactly are you alluding too?  You mean research to supposedly point out that the Holocaust never happened?

I have been told that there’s been enough research on the topic. And I ask, well, when it comes to topics such as freedom, topics such as democracy, concepts and norms such as God, religion, physics even, or chemistry, there’s been a lot of research, but we still continue more research on those topics. We encourage it.

But, then, why don’t we encourage more research on a historical event that has become the root, the cause of many heavy catastrophes in the region in this time and age?

Wow, that’s a new spin on things…

MODERATOR: The first question is: Do you or your government seek the destruction of the state of Israel as a Jewish state?

AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We love all nations. We are friends with the Jewish people. There are many Jews in Iran, leaving peacefully, with security.

Blah, blah, blah…  President Bollinger responds.

QUESTION: Mr. President, I think many members of our audience would like to hear a clearer answer to that question. That is…

(APPLAUSE)

The question is: Do you or your government seek the destruction of the state of Israel as a Jewish state? And I think you could answer that question with a single word, either yes or no.

(APPLAUSE)

AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): You asked the question, and then you want the answer the way you want to hear it. Well, this isn’t really a free flow of information.

(APPLAUSE)

I’m just telling you what my position is. I’m asking you: Is the Palestinian issue not an international issue of prominence or not? Please tell me, yes or no?

Obviously misdirecting the conversation here.  He still hasn’t answered yes or no.

(APPLAUSE)

There’s the plight of a people.

QUESTION: The answer to your question is yes. (Bollinger responds to Ahmadinejad’s query very easy enough. ed.)

AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Well, thank you for your cooperation. We recognize there’s a problem there that’s been going on for 60 years. Everybody provides a solution. And our solution is a free referendum.

Let this referendum happen, and then you’ll see what the results are.

And to end this mess, perhaps the most brilliant observation ever.

QUESTION: Mr. President, the question isn’t about criminal and drug smugglers. The question was about sexual preference and women.

(APPLAUSE)

AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals, like in your country. (Highlight, mine. ed.)

(LAUGHTER)

We don’t have that in our country.

(AUDIENCE BOOING)

AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon. I don’t know who’s told you that we have it.

(LAUGHTER)

Yeah, right.  3 minutes in a Google search brings this up…

Filed under: History, Iran

Fake Bomb Charge an Overreaction?

Should stupidity be made a crime? Should colleges and universities be required to offer courses in Common Sense 101? Star Simpson walks into an airport wearing an electronic device on her sweatshirt in the name of art and then doesn’t understand why cops arrest her.

(AP) Massachusetts Institute of Technology sophomore Star Simpson, 19, from Hawaii is arraigned in court…

BOSTON (AP) – The MIT student who walked into Logan International Airport wearing a computer circuit board and wiring on her sweat shirt claimed it was harmless artwork. But to troopers who arrested her at gunpoint, it was a fake bomb.

Nineteen-year-old Star Simpson was charged Friday with possessing a hoax device. Her attorney described the charge as off base and “almost paranoid,” arguing at a court hearing that she did not act in a suspicious manner and had told an airport worker that the device was art.

Okay, Mr. Attorney, had she walked into the airport with a “fake” gun, would you call the cops almost paranoid if they detained her?  After all, fakes aren’t necessarily apparent until investigated.  Are you saying that all murderers, bombers and kidnappers must act suspicious to be criminals?  Wouldn’t acting suspiciously be the last thing a bomber would want to do?

Authorities said they were amazed that someone would wear such a device eight months after a similar scare in Boston, and six years after two of the jets hijacked in the Sept. 11 attacks took off from Logan.

“I’m shocked and appalled that somebody would wear this type of device to an airport,” said State Police Maj. Scott Pare, the airport’s commanding officer.

Simpson showed “a total disregard to understand the context of the situation she is in, which is an airport of post-9/11,” prosecutor Wayne Margolis said at a hearing where a not guilty plea was entered for Simpson and she was released on $750 bail. Margolis had asked for $5,000 bail.

“She said that it was a piece of art and she wanted to stand out on career day,” Pare said. “She claims that it was just art, and that she was proud of the art and she wanted to display it.”

Yup, performance art! Meant to insult, offend and upset as many people as she could just to draw attention to herself!

(AP) The front of a sweatshirt bearing a computer circuit board and wiring worn by Massachusetts…
Full Image

Associated Press writers Mark Jewell and Glen Johnson contributed to this report.

My Way News – Lawyer: Fake Bomb Charge an Overreaction

Filed under: Ass Clowns

The Brain; A Multi-Purpose Tool.

The weather decided to cooperate with us this week, dropping below the 90’s for the first time in weeks.  It was actually beautiful weather for spending the week in the field.

Team 31 successfully completes training.

Wrapped up a reasonably successful week, but noticed a phenomenon that sometimes appears during our training.  It seems, that some soldiers get trapped in the past, unable to escape the comfort zone and muscle memory of tactical “kinetic” operations. (Yes, I know, kinetic is no longer the doctrinally correct term).  Getting our students to adapt to new techniques can be challenging, for our concepts are hardly ever right or wrong, but rather shades of gray.  They have a tendency to go back to old ways of handling new problems.

Tom and I call this the Maslow effect;

“When the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”

For example, in a previous life, if your military role was combat arms, your weapon is your tool.  But, in our world our tool is our gray matter, the ability to analyze civil vulnerabilities and creatively link resources and people to solve problems; something that can’t be done at the end of a flash suppressor.  A hammer is a single method tool. A weapon is a single method tool.  But, the brain is a multi-purpose one, capable of calculating a variety of ways to solve problems.

Filed under: Civil Affairs, Military, Thoughts

Ballistic Missile Superiority and Asymmetrical Warfare – Iranian Style

 

Thanks to MEMRI…

On September 1, 2007, in a surprise move, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appointed Mohammad Ali Aziz Jafari as top commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). [1] His predecessor, Yahya Rahim Safavi, who had held the position for a decade, is now special military advisor to Khamenei. (To view the MEMRITV webpage on Yahya Rahim Safavi, visit: http://memritv.org/subject/en/355.htm )

This new Commander has recently discussed the Iranian Military’s Strategic goals,

Throughout his military career, he has emphasized “asymmetrical warfare” and developing Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities. A Rooz article from September 4, 2007 explained that “asymmetrical warfare” refers to “attacks in enemy territory based on dispersed commando strikes rather than on traditional warfare [between two armies].

But, Iran would never develop nuclear weapons…

The IRGC is closely monitoring the enemy’s movements in the region… We discern even their most minor movements… The IRGC’s excellent defensive and ballistic [missile] capabilities [constitute] one of our present advantages, and we aim to attain superiority [in this area]… Informed response to threats, developing independent capabilities and preserving Iran’s strength – these are among the goals of the IRGC…

Read more here.

Filed under: Global Threats, Iran

The Longest Walk…

 

The team has just completed its long walk and we’re in recovery day.  They all did fine, no categorical disasters…

The little piggie that stayed home sustained some minor blister damage, but Doc says they won’t have to remove the toe.  Good for me, I guess.  Postings will be light this week as I focus on the tasks at hand; keeping the team working on its deliverable.

As soon as the training week is done and I get back home, I’ll catch up on the latest news and events.  Hope it isn’t too busy a week filled with nutroots and conspiracy theorists.  See you sometime on Sunday…

Filed under: Civil Affairs

Which Star Wars Character Are You?

Okay, my closet geek has surfaced.  Found this little bit of fun tonight…

Your results:
You are R2-D2

R2-D2 81% Darth Maul 71% Yoda 70% Qui-Gon Jinn 69% Mace Windu 65% Obi-Wan Kenobi 63% Han Solo 61% Chewbacca 61% C-3PO 60% Emperor Palpatine 60%

What you lack in height and communication skills, you make up for in industriousness, technical know-how and being there when others need you most.

(This list displays the top 10 results out of a possible 21 characters)

Click here to take the Star Wars Personality Quiz

Filed under: Fun

lgf: The Taxi Jihad Continues

I’ve written about this before and am still amazed that the ADA folks haven’t caused a bigger stir.  Maybe they have, but there isn’t anything that I’ve found about how these cabbies are most probably breaking an American Disability Act somewhere by refusing to transport blind passengers. Thanks to LGF for the following:

Muslim cabbies in Milwaukee are still trying to impose shari’a law on their passengers, and refusing to pick up blind passengers with seeing-eye dogs.

Wouldn’t it make sense that these poor passengers would potentially file a lawsuit against the taxi cab companies?  Don’t the cab companies realize the potential for severe financial liability should they get sued?  As a business owner, would these picky cab drivers be considered a liability?

The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990

S.933

One Hundred First Congress of the United States of America AT THE SECOND SESSION Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the twenty-third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety.

An Act to establish a clear and comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled…

SEC. 302. PROHIBITION OF DISCRIMINATION BY PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS.

(a) General Rule.–No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation.

Oh, I forgot, you can’t hire or fire someone for their religious beliefs.  But, can’t you fire someone for refusing to perform the job as described when hired?  In fact, make it easy, during the job hiring process, make it clear that drivers cannot discriminate against perfectly valid customers, regardless of beliefs.  If they do, the are subject to termination.  If they can’t agree, they can’t work there.

lgf: The Taxi Jihad Continues

Filed under: Islam, Muslim

Petraeus and Congress…

Filed under: Military, Politics

We Will Always Remember…

So do not fear, for I am with you;  do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you;  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand

Isaiah 41:10

Filed under: Thoughts

The Borderline Sociopathic Book For Boys

Through some circuitous route, I happened upon this blog.  It was just begging to be shared.  I hope the author doesn’t mind if I share the whole article…

My son received The Dangerous Book For Boys as a gift. It’s a right smart looking tome, with its old-fashioned cloth cover, Warren G. Harding typeface, and heavyweight off-white paper inside. I got to looking around in there.

Hmmm. How to play soccer. Make a paper airplane. Marbling paper.

Marbling paper? This is beginning to sound like the Dangerous Book For Emily Dickinson. It appears to my untrained eye that perhaps the only dangerous thing in this book is nine letters between “The” and “Book.” Well, we are not our hearty and hardy forbears, are we? But perhaps we can punch this up a bit. Kick it up a notch. There are plenty of things a boy can do to get himself in real trouble these days. Here’s my outline for new version:

(Since the Dangerous Book has upped the ante by claiming that learning to play chess makes you a ninja, we’ll have to stoke the furnace of hyperbole further to get noticed at this point.)

1. Ride a bicycle without a helmet. You heard me. And no spandex spangled with lavender and chrome yellow blotches and French words. You’ll wear canvas shoes, too. You will not have anything with you that people with helmets refer to as “hydration.” Eventually, you can get a blast of rubber-tasting hot water from a garden hose.

2. Tell your 5th grade teacher, when she starts in with the Vegan lecture again during a spelling lesson, that you’re going to kill and eat your supper as soon as you can get your hands on some weapons. Then inform her that if she gives you anything less than a ‘B” on any report card because you told her that, your father will have a phalanx of lawyers turn her life into a deposition purgatory. Then don’t pass in any homework for the remainder of the term. Let’s see who has the stones.

3. We’re playing FOOTBALL, without any equipment but the ball. There are no rules, so this chapter is short. Soccer is Irish step dancing with a ball introduced. We don’t want any of that.

4. We’re going out with dad on Earth Day, and we’re cutting down a tree with a chainsaw. Dad is hung over and is in a hurry and there is only one set of ear and eye protection, so one of you risks blinding, the other deafness. Solidarity is the hallmark of any male bonding ritual. The chainsaw’s guard is cheap and flimsy, but that doesn’t matter because it came out of the box broken anyway. Which leads us to…

5. Duct Tape. We’re going to use a lot of duct tape. We are going to dress our wounds, splint our shins, fix our tools, and tape our little brother’s door shut with glorious, magnificent Duct Tape. When the womenfolk complain about the gummy residue it leaves on your siblings, we will remove it with rags soaked in acetone. These will be disposed of improperly. I guess. Who reads the MSDS sheet? Girls.

6. We are not cave men, son. Electronics are a part of our world now. You will find pictures of girls on the Internet who are not clothed. You will educate yourself on the proper procedure for removing cookies and browsing history. You will leave one picture of a girl wearing only very steeply inclined shoes and a fetching pill-box hat on the hard-drive, and when it is discovered –by mom– you can deny, deny, deny. Then watch your dad squirm and sleep on the couch for a week.

7. Firecrackers.

8. You will have a sip of Dad’s beer while you watch the football game together. You will remark on the grooming, stature, or level of pneumatic charms displayed by a Baltimore Ravens cheerleader while doing so. Dad’s beer tastes awful, and dad knows it, so this isn’t all that dangerous for you. He, however, is risking a decade in the pokey over this. We’re in this dangerous thing together, son.

9. You will fight with your fists with the biggest jerk in your school. If you’re the biggest jerk in your school, you will fight with at least two classmates at a time, or any adult that rides a recumbent bicycle. You will all be in trouble, big time, with every adult involved. You will sit on the bench outside some boneless wonder’s school administration office, rubbing your shiners, and share the respect reserved only for the men in the arena. It’s the only real way to make friends with people you don’t like.

10. You will give the Dangerous Book For Boys to your little sister.

Update: Visit our Borderline Sociopathic Blog For Boys.

Sippican Cottage: The Borderline Sociopathic Book For Boys

Filed under: Thoughts

Teacher Caught Dancing for Students…

Remember the Paris burger video that brought some heat on the multi-titled hamburger chain?

Well, Hardees, aka Carl’s Jr. has upset some teachers with another video.

Nashville, TN – A new restaurant promotion in Tennessee is getting a failing grade from teachers. The commercial for the Hardee’s restaurant chain shows a teacher dancing on top of her desk while high school boys rap about her body. Tennessee Education Association president Dr. Earl Wiman says their office has been flooded by calls and emails from people

Okay, I can see why some folks would be upset.  But mostly, the video reminds me of David Lee Roth’s eternal classic, “Hot For Teacher”…

“Sit down, Waldo!”

Filed under: Thoughts

Cultural Cluelessness: Understanding Iraq.

The trouble with conservatives is that they don’t understand other cultures. Conservatives naively see the world through American eyes. On top of that, conservatives focus more on what other countries mean for America’s internal political battles than on what’s actually going on overseas. No doubt, this stereotypical complaint about American conservatives contains more than a grain of truth. Unfortunately — and counter to stereotype — American liberals have got exactly the same problem.

Read more from Stanley Kurtz on Iraq on National Review Online here.

Filed under: Iraq, Islam