What ISIS wants…

Before I start this, I’d ask you go read this outstanding article by Graeme Wood in this month’s Atlantic Magazine- Link HERE.

Mr. Wood has obviously done a LOT of quality research, and has nailed down many of the salient points in this article. The truth is, they ARE Islamic and they ARE trying to enforce Sharia world-wide, that is their goal, a Caliphate is just the start.

Sadly, many organizations/institutions/governments have failed to recognize the depths that ISIS is willing to go to actually make that happen.

This map has been in various articles, and one thing this points out is…

ISIS map

 

ISIS does have, under the Mohammedan version of Islam, a Caliphate… That is the first step.

But lets take a closer look at the map… Look at the area in black versus the areas in grey- Controlled areas are very small and string like, and trace the major highways in Iraq and Syria. The support zones are much larger, and are in a lot of places nothing more than open desert, and in those areas there is no permanent presence. This makes one wonder how much enforcement of ‘pure’ Sharia is occurring there.

But these two quotes really caught my eye…

But Zarqawi and the state he spawned take the position that many other acts can remove a Muslim from Islam. These include, in certain cases, selling alcohol or drugs, wearing Western clothes or shaving one’s beard, voting in an election—even for a Muslim candidate.

So too are the heads of state of every Muslim country, who have elevated man-made law above Sharia by running for office or enforcing laws not made by God.

Now the interesting question is this; conjecture is that Obama is muslim. If so, according to the two quotes above, he is apostate even if he is a muslim. The penalty for apostate is beheading… So???

One can only wonder if this is why he keeps tap dancing around the radical Islam statement, trying to find a way to ingratiate himself back into the faith…

Especially in light of the latest statements out of the administration even after ISIS has called for attacks on the Mall of the Americas- DHS came out with an intelligence assessment circulated this month focuses on the threat of right-wing sovereign citizen extremist groups in the U.S.  Full article HERE.

Really??? Are we down to that again?

 

TBT…

Getting down low…

It was part of our job, especially during rigging operations- That was getting the upright sequences of the ships, the names off them, and anything ‘strange’ that the crew might notice.

Low passThis wasn’t us, he’s probably right at 100 feet… We were ‘supposed’ to stay at least 200 feet…

But occasionally the weather wasn’t real good, and you had a mission to do… It did usually get real quiet when you got down low, as you didn’t want to distract the pilots… 🙂

But these guys,,,

JMSDF p2V

Gave a whole new meaning to the word low… I got one flight with them out of Hachinohe, Japan back in the day. and they got down in the WEEDS…

There is a seat in the nose, which was the magnetic anomaly detector was, along with being the camera station. You can slide that seat forward until you’re looking straight out and dang near straight up or down. They were rigging some ships north of Hokkaido, and asked if I’l like to go up to the nose. I’d been sitting in the back with the operators, and ‘thought’ we were low on a couple of passes…

So I climb over the wing, weave my way down into the seat, and grabbed the camera as I saw we were inbound to another “Rust Maru”… It was probably a coastal freighter, so not real big…

Normal rig was down one side, 270 turn, stern pass, 270 turn and up the other side. I thought we were pretty low on the first pass, as I got a good shot of the name plate on the bridge wing, but when we did the 270 and came by the stern, I KNEW we were low, because I was looking straight out at the name on the stern…

Probably 50 feet off the water… Sigh… and we rolled into a 270 turn to the right.

At about 40 degrees angle of bank…

And I’m trying to remember what the wingspan is (it is 103 feet)…

And hoping we didn’t get a big wave…

Sigh… Fun times…

And the hair on the back of my neck just stood up remembering that flight…

 

 

AR-15 ammo ban…

They are out to take our 855 away…

StopBATFE-1500x1500

Oppose BATFE’s Expansion of the Federal “Armor Piercing” Ammo Ban and Tell Congress to Act

President Obama insisted that if Congress would not enact his gun control agenda, he would do so on his own, through executive action. Whatever else can be said of the president’s track record, he is doing his utmost to keep that promise. Having failed to enact a federal ban on the AR-15, America’s most popular rifle, he’s now using the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) to do the next best thing. BATFE is now proposing to ban a whole class of common rifle ammunition used in that overwhelmingly popular firearm. Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning of BATFE’s latest move.

The ‘comments’ need to be in by March 16th. As others have said, please be polite and give them a cogent comment…

Write the BATFE and your members of Congress using the link below and express your opposition to the BATFE proposal to ban common rifle ammunition used by millions of gun owners.You may call your members of Congress at 202-224-3121.

  1. Via email at [email protected] (follow the instructions at the link for submitting comments).
  2. Via fax at (202) 648-9741.
  3. Via mail to Denise Brown, Mailstop 6N-602, Office of Regulatory Affairs, Enforcement Programs and Services, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 99 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20226: ATTN: AP Ammo Comments.

Finally, please contact your U.S. Senators and Member of Congress. Urge them to oppose BATFE’s attempt to ban M855 handgun ammunition and other rifle cartridges that are overwhelmingly used by law-abiding Americans for self-defense, sport shooting and other legitimate purposes as “armor piercing.” Use the Write Your Lawmakers” feature on our website or call the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 225-3121.

Thank you for your time and attention to this.

Veterans…

We are losing too many to suicide, it’s now estimated that 22 per day are killing themselves. ONE is too many. If you know a vet having problems, please take the time to help him or her, and get them help from the services available…

Please…

This video is a few years old, but as I was reminded, it does pretty much say it all..

There is no shame in reaching out for help. The Veterans Crisis Line is one option- HERE.

Edit- Yuri pointed out that Capt Tightpants put a post up on this Sunday. It is HERE. He links to another organization that is trying to help folks…

Edit 2- LL also has a post up from Sunday that I missed HERE

h/t JP for the video

Husar’s Laws, part 7…

  • Long ago, when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it’s called golf.
  • Many people are alive only because it’s illegal to shoot them.
  • Money cannot buy happiness but it’s more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than on a bicycle.
  • You only need two tools in life: WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn’t move and should, use WD-40. If it shouldn’t move and it does, use duct tape.
  • If you can’t fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem.
  • Some people are like slinkies – not really good for anything but they bring a smile to you’re face when they’re pushed down the stairs.
  • Rust never sleeps.
  • Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can’t change, the courage to change the things I can change and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people I had to kill because they pissed me off.
  • There’s only one endeavor in which you can start at the top, and that’s digging a hole.
  • Forgive your enemy but remember the bastard’s name.
  • Help someone when they are in trouble and they will remember you
    when they’re in trouble again.
  • Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure you are not, in fact, merely surrounded by assholes.
  • God answers knee mail!
  • Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.
  • Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live
  • When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane
  • The second mouse gets the cheese.
  • Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late
  • Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then
    you won’t have a leg to stand on.
  • Never buy a car you can’t push

Edumacation…

Sarah Hoyt had a post up yesterday that started off like this…

Yesterday I took a shashay down to Otherwhere Gazette, where someone in the comments of the posts was asking what the difference was between us and the SJWs, except they had a college degree and we didn’t.

Go read the whole thing HERE and bring your BP meds (or the duct tape of your choice)!

I’m not going to rehash what Sarah said, as she’s much more erudite than I, but I do want to add my perspective, FWIW…

We all know that Larry Correia has been branded the International Lord of Hate for his fisking of the SJWs and the whole Hugo nomination and voting scheme, along with Brad Torgerson.

So anyway, about the edumacation thingie…

A few of the authors I know that are on the ‘right’ side of the equation (take that any way you want), are in fact degree holding individuals. But the thing that I think really separates us from the SJWs is real world experience and skills. Brad Torgerson, Mike Kupari, Tom Kratman, Tom Rogneby and John Ringo all US Army veterans; Peter Grant South African Army veteran, Marko Kloos West German Army veteran. Michael Z Williamson and JD Kinman USAF veterans; I’m a US Navy veteran. Kelly Grayson is a paramedic and nationally certified ALS instructor. Larry Correia didn’t serve as far as I know, but did work as an accountant and ran a business for a number of years. Most of the ladies, like Sarah, LB Johnson, and others I read have at least one degree too…

But to me the real separator is real world experience. Making payroll, serving your country in various parts of the world, teaching, flying, WORKING FOR A PAYCHECK, and a myriad of experiences that most SJWs never do. They seldom leave their ‘hallowed ivory towers’ to actually DO anything, preferring instead to continue their ‘education’, ensconced in a safe and comfortable environment of like individuals as they catalog the ‘damage’ people like us who are out there working do to the world everyday.

There is also, IMHO, a significant difference in the old farts of my generation and the younger, in that educated or not, they are not able to fix the simplest things… A leaking faucet, a light switch, change a tire, change the oil…

They have always had one of those ‘service people’ to do it for them, and I’m betting 90% of the follow on generations don’t even have a basic set of tools either in the car or in the house.

The other ‘push’ is ‘qualifications’, e.g. having a sprinkling of letters after your name saying you are certified in something. At dinner Friday night with Turin, his FIL, Stretch and I, the conversation turned to that. Turin, in a previous position, was tasked with putting together training programs for the military and one of the ‘requirements’ was an instructor classification code, and a Master Training Specialist (MTS) designator, plus X years of experience. It got a laugh out of me since I would not have qualified for the position even with a BS degree in Adult Education/curriculum development, 14 years military instructor experience, and a 9502 NEC; because I wasn’t an MTS… Because they DIDN’T HAVE that designation when I retired…

Education means many things to many people, my parents never finished high school, actually neither one made it to the 7th grade. They grew up in the Depression and had to work. They were both self taught and lifelong readers, who kept up on not only local but national and world events. My dad traveled the world drilling oil wells until he married my mother and settled down in the pipeline side of the oil business, and he was a district manager when he died. Not bad for a ‘uneducated’ Southerner… My mother, along with running rental houses, also managed a school kitchen for a number of years.

I look at the work I do now, turning PHDs ‘dreams’ into reality… That reality is by and large accomplished by folks without a ‘degree’, but who can get the job done, navigate, design a plan that works and they execute it. The have a PHD in real world…

I think the last difference is we take responsibility for what we do. We don’t try to foist blame off on others, we admit our mistakes (mistakes are experiences one lives through), and get on with life. We accept the cards we are dealt, and play the hand out win, lose or draw.

If you’re still here, thanks for reading and I’d be interested in your thoughts.

 

 

Why am I not surprised…

Cold War v2.0 technology division…

Russian researchers expose breakthrough U.S. spying program

CYBERSECURITY-USA

Read the entire story HERE on Reuters…

If you don’t think the Russians are serious about ‘reviving’ the cold war, you’re wrong. Taking the Crimea back, the Ukraine, et al.  We have AGIs off Kings Bay again, TU-95s flying off various ‘friendly’ countries (USA, Britain, France, Spain, Iceland, Norway).

They’ve put a Russian SAG into the Med for the first time in years, and they are aggressively building new submarines, including apparently new SSBN types. And lets not even start on who they are supporting with arms and ‘other’ support around the world.

Personally, I believe they are taking FULL advantage of this administration’s wishy-washy (being polite) foreign policy.

YMMV, I didn’t stay in a Holiday Inn, IANAL; but you can bet your ass I’m taking a HARD look at my hard drives on all my computers…

A great new read!!!

Peter Grant’s fourth book in the Maxwell Saga is up on Amazon!

Peter book 4

 

GO get it! It’s a great read! You can get it HERE.

And congratulations to LB Johnson, her book, The Book of Barkley is now officially an Amazon #1 best seller!!! You go lady!!!

Gah…

I hate short weeks anyway, and when we get an even SHORTER one, it only gets worse…

morning after 5

Yeah, yeah… I know it’s Friday…

But trying to cram 40 hours of work into 24 hours of work time and play the PC games and it just ain’t happening…

Tuesday stuff slid to Wednesday, which bumped some stuff to Thursday, but today is hard scheduled.

Meeting a few folks after work (hopefully I get out by the time we’re supposed to meet), and I may have to take a taxi home tonight…

I guess the most frustrating part is having to pick up the load for those who are just skating along, until the last minute then they panic and go- O.M.G, I FORGOT, we need to do X it’s due in 30 minutes (but takes 2 hours to prep).

So you help them out, and they ask YOU to submit it, and stupidly you do… Guess what, YOU get your ass chewed…

And I’m not even wanting to think about what the 4:30 Friday dump is going to be like…

Grumble…

Go read the folks on the sidebar, they’re probably in a better mood than I am…

TBT

Some things NEVER change…

The True Story
(By Colonel W C Hall, printed in the British Army Journal January 1953.)

Rome, II Calends, April CCCLX
SUBJECT: Recommendation for Senate Medal of Honor

TO: Department of War, Republic of Rome

  1. Recommend Caius Horatius, Captain of Foot, CMCMXIV, for the Senate Medal of Honor.
  2. Captain Horatius has served XVI years, all honorable.

III. On the II day of March, during the attack on the city by Lars Porsena of Clausium and his Tuscan Army of CMX men, Captain Horatius, with Sergeant Sporius Laritus and Corporal Julius Herminius, held the entire Tuscan army at the far end of the bridge, until the structure could be destroyed, thereby saving the city.

  1. Captain Horatius did valiantly fight and kill one Major Picus of Clausium in individual combat.
  2. The exemplary courage and the outstanding leadership of Captain Horatius are in the highest tradition of the Roman Army.

JULIUS ANTINOUS,
Commander, II Foot Legion
Ist, Ind, AG IV Calends, April CCCLX

TO: G-III

For comment.

G.C.
IInd Ind, G-III IX Calends, May CCC

TO: G-II

  1. For comment and forwarding.
  2. Change end of paragraph III from “saving the city” to “lessened the effectiveness of the enemy attack.” The Roman Army was well dispersed tactically; the reserve has not been committed. The phrase as written might be construed to cast aspersions on our fine army.

III. Change paragraph V from “outstanding leadership” to read “commendable initiative.” Captain Horatius’s command was II men, only I/IV of a squad.

J.D.
IIId Ind, G-II II Ides, June CCCLX

TO: G-I

  1. Omit strength of Tuscan forces in paragraph III. This information is classified.
  2. A report evaluated as B-II states that the officer was a Captain Picus of Tifernum. Recommend change to “an officer of the enemy forces.”

J.H.
IVth Ind, G-I IX Ides, January CCCLXI

TO: JAG

  1. Full name is Caius Claudius Horatius.
  2. Change service from XVI to XV years. One year in Romulus Chapter BPOE, has been given credit for military service in error.

E.J.
Vth Ind, JAG II, February CCCLXI

TO: AG

  1. The Porsena raid was not during wartime; the temple of Janus was closed.
  2. The action against the Porsena raid, ipso facto, was a police action.

III. The Senate Medal of Honor cannot be awarded in peacetime (AB/CVIII-XXV, paragraph XII, C).

  1. Suggest consideration for Soldier’s Medal.

P.B.
VIth Ind, AF IV Calends, April CCCLXI

TO: G-I

Concur in paragraph IV, Vth Ind.

L.J.
VIIth Ind, G-I I May CCCLXI

TO: AG

Soldier’s medal is given for saving lives; suggest star of bronze as appropriate.

E.J.
VIIIth Ind, JAG II Calends, June CCCLXI

TO: JAG

>For opinion.

G.C.
IXth Ind, JAG II Calends, September CCCLXI

  1. XVIII months have elapsed since event described in basic letter. Star of bronze cannot be awarded after XV months have elapsed.
  2. Officer is eligible for Papyrus Scroll with Metal Pendant.

P.B.
X Ind, AG I Calends, October CCCLXI

TO: G-I

For draft of citation for Papyrus Scroll with Metal Pendant.

P.B.
XI Ind, G-I III Calends, October CCCLXI

TO: G-II

  1. Do not concur.
  2. Our currently fine relations with Tuscany would suffer and current delicate negotiations might be jeopardized if publicity were given to Captain Horatius’ actions at this time.

T.J.
XII Ind, G-II VI November CCCLXI

TO: G-I

A report rated D-IV, partially verified, states that Lars Porsena is very sensitive about the Horatius affair.

E.T.
XIIIth Ind, G-I X November CCCLXI

TO: AG

  1. In view of information contained in preceding XI and XIII the endorsements, you will prepare immediate orders of Captain C. C. Horatius to one of our overseas stations (remote).
  2. His attention will be directed to paragraph XII, POM, which prohibits interviews or conversations with newsmen prior to arrival at final destination.

L.T.
Rome II Calends, I April CCCLXII

SUBJECT: Survey, Report of, Department of War

TO: Captain Caius Caius Horatius, III Legion, V Phalanx, APO XIX, C/O Postmaster, Rome.

  1. Your statements concerning the loss of your shield and sword in the Tiber River of III March CCCLX have been carefully considered.
  2. It is admitted that you were briefly in action against certain unfriendly elements on that day. However, Sergeant Lartius and Corporal Herminius were in the same action and did not lose any government property.

III. The Finance Officer has been directed to reduce your next pay by II-I/IV talents (I-III/IV talents cost on each sword, officers; III/IV talent cost of one each shield, M-II).

  1. You are enjoined and admonished to pay strict attention to conservation of government funds and property. The budget must be balanced next year.
  2. MARCUS AURELIUS
    Lieutenant of Horse
    Survey Officer