Reality Check

The Trans-Asian Axis

Well.. haven’t posted here in some time either.

So… updates.

I’m working on preparing the office for a new podcast, same show, same old host (me) - Looks like I am missing show number 8 at the moment. It was on Olav’s machines, and… well, old news we won’t revisit. I’ll look for it on my personal archives though and get that online.

Several new items here.

I’m working with a local talk show host who’s rather well known, his name is “Chuck” - that’s all I’ll say for now, to assist him in getting set up to do a live, real-time streaming internet show. I’m trying to convince him to podcast his daily live radio show for now, and get the streaming going later… but, oh well.

I’ve sent him a couple large messages with information on “how-to” and offered my assistance. He listened to some of my shows and told me they were good, he was impressed. Coming from him, that makes me feel good about what I did.

A few days ago, my wife asked me why I wasn’t doing podcasts any more… since I’ve been busy doing other things I didn’t have time, and just didn’t feel like it. I barely blog these days, except about my boat, and I’ve never even sailed it yet so… this winter is coming on, no boat work, and I guess that I can put together a show a week over the course of the next few months.

Last weekend I rebuilt my laptop, and I’m installing my necessary software, setting up some archives to hold past and future shows so they won’t get lost like number 8 did.

With the new Administration coming in, I’ve decided to get my feet back in the Freedom of Speech Door before someone slams it shut so they will have a harder time shutting down Conservative Talk Radio using the so-called “Fairness Doctrine”.

So, now… my requests.

I’m asking for the Staff here on TAA to give me ideas, format ideas, show ideas, voice overs, whatever. And for the posters here, who’ve not had a chance to be involved…. now is your chance.

I need some people who want to participate and help in creating the programs.

I can do all the work myself, I can do the research, set up the show, do the technical aspects, do the talking, and put it all together at the end… but could use some people that would like to assist.

Voice overs, ads for the site (to help get us some people) - I’d like a nice, deep voice announcer - like a regular talk show has, some music that isn’t copyrighted, a show intro theme song, outro-them song… things like that. Perhaps some graphics for the mp3 podcast “album covers” and so on.

Credits to those who help go into the show information.

Any one interested, contact me here by PM, or send me an email at rickdonaldson [at] earthlink.net (OBVIOUSLY you need to replace the @ symbol in that address!)

Alternatively you can write to “taarealitycheck @ gmail.com” - but I don’t check that as often at present. If I can figure out how to have Thunderbird check it, it’ll be more frequent in the near future.

Three cold and boring months of winter is coming - let’s use it wisely, efficiently and make sure we keep our American Freedoms IN PLACE, not lose them, and not have to fight the impossible to get them back!

Wake up America!

The time to fight is NOW - not after it’s all gone.

Rick Donaldson
Reality Check

Http://www.transasianaxis.com

FrontPage Magazine
America in Ashes?
By Christopher S. Carson
FrontPageMagazine.com | Friday, May 23, 2008

The latest audio message from al-Qaeda, reportedly from Osama bin Laden himself, is only the most recent confirmation that the jihadist threat to the West remains real and deadly serious. But the fact that it could take the form of nuclear terrorism should be most worrying to citizens and policy makers alike.

Folks… the time is coming when this won’t be a joke among some people, it will affect them directly and what will they do? Whine that the “US Government didn’t do enough to stop it” - or worse, “We deserved it, surrender”.

I’ll never surrender or think of terrorism as a joke, and I’ll not put down pen and paper, computer or my weapons until these terrorists are wiped from the face of the Earth.

‘Report on Sept. 6 strike to show Saddam transferred WMDs to Syria’ | Jerusalem Post

n upcoming joint US-Israel report on the September 6 IAF strike on a Syrian facility will claim that former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein transferred weapons of mass destruction to the country, Channel 2 stated Monday.

Furthermore, according to a report leaked to the TV channel, Syria has arrested 10 intelligence officials following the assassination of Hizbullah terror chief Imad Mughniyeh.

It would seem that all of the Left’s crowing and blowing about “no connection to terrorists” and “Bush lied, there were no weapons of mass destruction” is finally, once and for all going to be answered somehow.

Furthermore, it appears we might finally have some sort of an answer on exactly what was bombed in Syria a few months back, by the Israelis.

There has been speculation, based on the secretiveness of the mission and the closed mouths on all sides of the issue after the air raid on the site in Syria about everything from nuclear weapons, to nuclear reactors, to WMD. Perhaps we will finally know the answer when all of this comes out.

I think we will wait and see the outcome.

Comments are welcomed, please.

SPACE.com — Asteroid With Chance of Hitting Earth in 2029 Now Being Watched ‘Very Carefully’

This article:

Asteroid With Chance of Hitting Earth in 2029 Now Being Watched ‘Very Carefully’
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 24 December 2004
09:58 am ET

States that the risk of impact from 2004 MN4, an asteroid known as “Apophis” now has an increased chance of hitting Earth, and is now roughly 1-in-45.

Update, Dec. 25, 9:47 p.m. ET: The risk of an impact by asteroid 2004 MN4 went up slightly on Saturday, Dec. 25. It is now pegged at having a 1-in -45 chance of striking the planet on April 13, 2029. That’s up from 1-in-63 late on Dec. 24, and 1-in-300 early on Dec. 24.

Astronomers still stress that it is very likely the risk will be reduced to zero with further observations. And even as it stands with present knowledge, the chances are 97.8 percent the rock will miss Earth.

A 97.8 percent chance of missing the Earth is good news. The odds of it hitting are the bad news. Basically, you have a 1-in-300,000 chance of being hit by lightning, and yet roughly 67 people are killed each year by lightning, and another 300 are seriously injured.

Lightning strikes and kills many more people in any given year than, for example tornadoes do, however, in the last couple of years many people have been killed by tornadoes. In 2008, so far, at least 54 people have been killed by tornadoes to day (this number might be higher, I couldn’t find good statistics on this yet).

The article goes on to say the following:

The asteroid’s risk rating a possible impact scenario on April 13, 2029 has now been categorized as a 4 on the Torino Scale. The level 4 rating — never before issued — is reserved for “events meriting concern.”

For those of you unfamiliar with the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, it is a 0-10 rating scale, with 4 being the top of the “yellow scale”. Basically it means “be on alert”. The next number up, 5 is in the orange scale.

Scientists have yet to make a determination that this is a ‘dangerous’ interaction, and yet, they will say in “scientific terms” that if this particular asteroid hits a certain “space keyhole” the asteroid has a 100% chance of hitting us on the next go-around, about 2036.

Essentially, this asteroid is a smaller rock, and probably won’t cause a global disaster, but will certainly “rock the planet” - to coin a phrase. Localized damage could be significant in the region struck. At this point, I don’t know of anyone that has publicly accomplished the calculations on exact time it “could strike” or where, simply because most are writing this off as a “near miss”.

At this point, I won’t predict anything, since I have not personally run the numbers yet, but I will be doing that within a couple of years as data comes in.

But, I will say this, IF the asteroid hits the “keyhole” it will most definitely be upgraded to an 8 on the Torino scale. My gut feeling is that this will probably happen, but we can’t base predictions of objects affected by gravity on “gut feelings”, and need to stick to science. I’ll leave it at that, for now.

But, I strongly suggest everyone begin learning about the Torino Scale, this asteroid and the possible impact implications for Planet Earth, since you have just about 21 years left to be in a safe location!

The Wobbly Nomad

It appears the Wobbly Nomad has managed to get himself noticed. He has threatened people, and made it clear he would like to see “The Gathering of Eagles” kill, murdered or at least just see them dripping in blood.

It also seems that he is aptly named, since he’s apparently on heavy medication, hence “wobbly” and perhaps even a nomad because he’s really a homeless, uneducated Liberal who feels that the world owes him something.

Well, the world doesn’t owe you jack-shit sonny.

You’re the sort of thing that the Military has fought to protect - your so-called “Freedom of Speech”.

Well, sonny, let me give you some facts. With freedom of speech comes responsibility and you’re going to have to, sooner or later, take responsibility for your actions. I personally have “flagged” your pathetic little bog as having objectionable material. I think I will make a few phone calls to some buddies in some of the various agencies around the country so this jerk can see what it’s really like to be “hounded by the Government” for a change….

So that folks can see what this assclown is about, I’ve gone ahead and made sure there’s a link and here’s a little taste of what this asswipe is saying… He’s no more an Iraqi Veteran than I am a Korean War Vet.

Since when did the Wobbly Nomad become such a big hit? I didn’t know radical revolutionary ideas could be so … powerful! I didn’t know that one Iraq Veteran could be so … effective!

So here’s the scoop. Gathering of Eagles is bunch of bullshit, and as far as I am concerned, they all need to either go eat an IED in Iraq, or go drink some dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (agent orange, assholes) and suck it the fuck up for Big Brother.

Michele Malkin is George Bush’s groupie [ideological] slut. She needs to pull her head out of W’s asscrack, and start asking the real HARD questions. Questions like: Why did Chris Hill assault and batter Carlos Arredondo? Like: Who the fuck are you to call me crazy, bitch? I fought in Iraq.

I really really really hope that someday Malkin and her counterpart, Ann “Fucking” Coulter end up laying hog-tied with electrical wire in an Iraqi ditch, looking up at an American-armed death-squad of oppressed and equipped Sunnis who will then procede to show them nice and slow exactly how they came to their viewpoints about the bullshit that is American Fascism.

So ladies and gentlemen, this is the sort of short-sighted, ignorant elitist, scum-sucking, Liberal, American Hating children the Left of this country is raising.

My bet is this is some rich kid who came from a rich family who has bought into the “The world owes me everything” bullshit and now he’s upset with everyone in the world because he got his money cut off.

Or more likely he’s a fat, retard who can’t get out of mama’s basement because he eats too much pizza and plays the “Sims” too much. His real-world reality is a darkened room, with two computers and a high speed connection, while trying to make virtual money in a game that’s just pissing him off because some other fat guy in another basement just jilted him (You know, pretending to be a hot internet chick) and nomad figured it out finally. (Probably the first thing he has gotten right in his life….)

Sad sad sad.

Wobbly Nomad - I dare you to prove you’re an Iraq veteran, you won’t because you can’t. I think you’re “Pizza boy” myself.

UPDATE! Wobbly Nomad is NO MO’. Site is offline now. Clicking on the link to the site gives you this:

Blog has been removed

Sorry, the blog at wobblynomad.blogspot.com has been removed. This address is not available for new blogs.

Good Job all who helped shut him down. At least for now. I suspect he is somewhere else now.

Al Jazeera English - News - China ‘On Alert’ Over Us Space Hit
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B9E96F00-5FB9-4121-86DE-0D309AD99D51.htm

NEWS AMERICAS
China ‘on alert’ over US space hit
China has suggested that the US strike was a cover to test anti-satellite weapons [EPA]

China has called on the US to provide more information about its shooting down of a crippled US spy satellite, voicing concern about the potential international impact of the operation.

A foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday: “China is continuing to closely follow the possible harm caused by the US action to outer space security.”

A foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday: “China is continuing to closely follow the possible harm caused by the US action to outer space security.”

Hours earlier, the US military confirmed that a missile fired from a ship in the Pacific had hit the satellite more than 200km above Earth.

The US had said it needed to shoot the satellite down to prevent highly toxic hydrazine propellant falling on populated areas.

But China and Russia have both criticised the strike, saying that it could be a cover for a test of US anti-satellite weapons and could fuel an arms race in space.

Rogue satellite

Satellite code name USA-193 launched in December 2006 on a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California

Top secret military reconnaissance mission - otherwise known as a spy satellite

Controllers lost contact with satellite hours after it entered orbit

Carrying approximately 450kg of toxic hydrazine rocket fuel

Satellite itself weighs about two tonnes and is about the size of a bus

On Monday, ahead of the mission, China said it was “highly concerned” over the proposed US strike, calling on Washington to take steps to “ensure that the security of outer space and relevant countries will not be undermined”.

But on Thursday, after the hit was confirmed, the foreign ministry spokesman appeared to take a less confrontational approach.

“China further requests that the US fulfil its international obligations in earnest and promptly provide to the international community the necessary information and relevant data… so that relevant countries can take precautions,” Jianchao Liu said.

China itself was criticised by the US and its allies over an exercise last year in which it destroyed one of its own obsolete weather satellites using a ground-launched ballistic missile.

The test, which destroyed a satellite in a much higher orbit than the crippled US spacecraft, was also heavily condemned for creating thousands of new pieces of space debris, posing a danger to other satellites in orbit.

China and Russia have both recently expressed concern over what they say are US moves towards the militarisation of space.

Earlier this month, Russia’s foreign minister put forward a joint Russian-Chinese proposal to the UN for an international treaty banning weapons from space.

On Thursday, Admiral Timothy Keating, head of the US Pacific command, acknowledged similarities between the US strike and China’s destruction of its own satellite last year, but he said the US action was significantly different because the US gave public notice first.

“They just shot, they didn’t tell anybody about it,” he said

China accuses US of double standards over satellite strike | Science | guardian.co.uk

Well, OF COURSE they think it is a double standard. We asked them to not do this, they said they would, so we said, “Ok, then we will too… there, how’s that?”

Duh… China… STFU.

China accuses US of double standards over satellite strike

* James Randerson in Washington and Mark Tran

This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Thursday February 21 2008. It was last updated at 14:05 on February 21 2008.
A US warship test-fires a Standard-3 missile

A US warship test-fires a Standard Missile-3, the same model used to shoot down a spy satellite. Photograph: AP/US Navy

China today accused Washington of double standards after the US navy fired a missile to destroy a failed satellite 150 miles above the Pacific.

Beijing - which was criticised by the US and others when it shot down one of its own satellites last year - turned the tables on the Bush administration after the satellite was shot down today.

“The United States, the world’s top space power, has often accused other countries of vigorously developing military space technology,” the People’s Daily, the ruling Communist party’s newspaper, said.

“But faced with the Chinese-Russian proposal to restrict space armaments, it runs in fear from what it claimed to love.”

Earlier this month, Russia and China proposed a treaty to ban weapons in space and the use or threat of force against satellites and other spacecraft.

Washington rejected the proposal as unworkable, saying it favoured confidence-building efforts, US reports said.

At a regular news conference, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said: “The Chinese side is continuing to closely follow the US action, which may influence the security of outer space and may harm other countries.”

US defence officials said they were confident that a missile, fired from the USS Lake Erie, had hit its target, destroying a tank of toxic fuel on the satellite, which failed soon after being launched in 2006.

Video footage released by the Pentagon showed a fireball when the missile struck the satellite, indicating that the fuel tank - containing hydrazine - had exploded.

“All indications are that it was a successful intercept,” General James Cartwright said. The official added that it could take another 24-48 hours to know for certain whether the tank had been destroyed.

The missile was fired at 3.26am GMT, despite earlier reports that the operation would be postponed because of bad weather in the Pacific.

The modified tactical standard missile 3 (SM-3) hit the satellite at an altitude of 150 miles (247km) while it was travelling at approximately 17,000mph.

Two other ships, the USS Decatur and the USS Russell, were close by, and part of the task force, run by the Army Space and Missile Defence Command in Colorado Springs. If the initial shot had missed the satellite, they could have provided back up missiles.

Pentagon officials insisted the operation was necessary to prevent possible deaths following the satellite’s re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. The craft, a spy satellite, was carrying around 450kg of toxic hydrazine fuel.

The successful launch proved that the US navy’s Aegis anti-missile radar system could be quickly adapted to shoot down satellites.

When China shot down a defunct weather satellite last January, there were protests from western governments.

In the aftermath of the exercise, Gordon Johndroe, a White House spokesman, said: “The US believes China’s development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of cooperation that both countries aspire to in the civil space area.

“We and other countries have expressed our concern regarding this action to the Chinese.”

Downing Street also expressed its concern at the time, condemning what it said was a “lack of consultation”.

The Chinese action was also criticised because of the millions of pieces of orbiting space junk, created by the satellite’s destruction, which could damage other satellites or the space shuttle while in orbit.

However, space junk should not be a problem from today’s space shot though. Because of the satellite’s relatively low altitude, debris began re-entering the atmosphere almost straight away, the US defence department said.

Most debris should re-enter the atmosphere within 48 hours, and the remaining pieces will leave orbit within 40 days.

Scientists and groups opposed to the militarisation of space backed China’s criticism of the US exercise.

Professor Michio Kaku, the distinguished physicist and author of Physics of the Impossible, said: “With a certain amount of justification, the Chinese claim there is a double standard … this latest move can be seen as provocative, since the US has refused to renegotiate and strengthen the 1987 outer space treaty.

“What is needed is a comprehensive ban on the militarisation of outer space … arming the heavens will only put us one step closer to a disastrous war in space that no one can win.”

US missile hits spy satellite - World - theage.com.au
US missile hits spy satellite

Washington
February 22, 2008
Advertisement

A MISSILE interceptor launched from a US Navy warship yesterday struck a dying American spy satellite orbiting 210 kilometres above the Pacific Ocean, according to the Pentagon.

“A network of … sensors confirms that the US military intercepted a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite which was in its final orbits before entering the Earth’s atmosphere,” the Pentagon said.

The USS Lake Erie, an Aegis-class cruiser, fired a single missile that hit the satellite as it traveled at more than 27,000 km/h, the statement said.

Officials cautioned that while early information indicated that the interceptor’s “kill vehicle” had hit the satellite, it would be 24 hours before it was determined whether the fuel tank with 450 kilograms of toxic hydrazine was destroyed. The navy had a firing window that lasted only seconds.

NEW YORK TIMES

DC Indymedia: Funk the War storms, trashes 14th and L military recuiter

Looks like Commie Maggots are on the streets in DC. They entered and trashed a military recruiting office.

I think that we need to stand up to these maggots and start pushing back. It’s time to take America back from these leftist maggots.

Here’s the link to their site:http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/142455/index.php

Here’s the link to all the comments BEFORE they took them offline with admissions of guilt:
http://www.transasianaxis.com/vb/showthread.php?t=4318

Here’s the Free Republic Thread that is on-going:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1973406/posts?page=26

Here’s a link at Kabukivillage: http://www.kabukivillage.typepad.com/

The Death of the GOP and the Birth of a New Political Party

I’d advocate the following.

A party of Conservatives who take the GOP BACK - Honestly, America is a “Two Party System” and to drag everyone away from the GOP to form a third, independent party is not going to be easy, nor cheap, and it will be looked at as it has in the past with “Independents”. As a rag-tag organization of “extremists”.

Logically, we should be fighting within the Republican party to bring it back on course, and forcing these idiots who “want to find an ‘electable’ candidate’ or who think one or two things is TOO conservative to leave rather than the rest of us bail out.

In truth, no, there are things I have always disagreed with, within the GOP - and some things, on occasion to me are simply MORE conservative than I truly am myself.

HOWEVER, I HAVE and will CONTINUE to stand by the principles, in action and deed, even if I don’t necessarily agree completely with them. (No, I won’t give examples).

My “loyalty” to this country is without question. And it has rarely been questioned with the GOP since I changed parties many years ago (After I voted for Carter, I realized what a dumb mistake it was - I tried to stand up for him and believe I’d made the right decision, but increasingly he showed me I was stupid for voting for him).

I’m one of the True “Reaganites” that exists. I believed in everything Mr. Reagan stood for - and one of those things was to always stand on Principles in the face of adversity and to continue to show right from wrong, and do those things which are right, and NOT do, nor tolerate those who do WRONG.

In my mind, and in common sense, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and numerous others in the political structure of this country are simply WRONG and trying to do this country WRONG. While they certainly can and do believe in themselves - they refuse to understand that Socialism and Gun Control, and Abortion is NOT RIGHT, they won’t accept those things as wrong.

Until they DO, they need US to show them and fight them politically.

Until the day comes that our society actually falls apart, and we take up arms again as happened in the Civil War for individual’s rights we have to use our system as it works now.

That means fighting WITHIN the system, not with OUT it - and if we create a new party, we are no longer in the “main stream of society” - you become a group that is largely ignored by the media, called names (like fanatic, or Right Wing Kooks) or other things. A group that is seen by the rest of society in the poor light painted by a Leftist media has little chance of succeeding in anything they attempt.

No, while I can see the extreme frustration we’re all feeling (check my Tagline please for whom I believed was the best suited) I can’t completely agree that walking away from the Republican party is the right thing to do.

Instead, while they have tried to “walk away from US”, we need to stand in front of them and redirect the traffic, force those who are NOT Conservative Republicans to come back to the party the way it SHOULD be, not the way the Leftists in America want it to be.

We need to STOP compromising.

STOP working with “the other side”.

Block them at every turn.

Stop playing “Political Correctness Games”.

Tell the truth, and expose the lies.

Fight Socialism at every turn.

We need to fight for America, as a FREE REPUBLIC and we need to continue to be an example for the world… a place where every foreigner seems to want to come. (If America is such a damned bad place as the Left makes it out to be, then why do we actually have so many illegal aliens here again??????)

No, Fellow Freepers… it’s time to take the GOP back from the Left.

I Am A RINO
Today is Super Tuesday.

I made my decision on whom I shall vote.

(We have Caucasus here in Colorado tonight at 6)

I’m staying home.

Screw it. Let’s see what the idiots here do with what they’ve got to work with.

It’s too bad Thompson didn’t stay in, because I’d be working to make him President. I don’t think he has a chance in hell even in a write-in campaign (which is being run as we speak by the way).

What I don’t get is how people can foist liberals on us and think because they have an R by their name, we’ll vote for them.

I look at it this way….

I’m 50 years old and I’ve voted in several Presidential races now, and I’ve been ALIVE for ten Presidents now. (Eisenhower through Bush). I had no influence on any of them save Reagan and the first Bush (because I knew them personally). I have little influence in the outcome of this election.

If I stay home on election day, the WORST possible thing can happen, Hillary Clinton will get elected as President.

Right now, I suspect that no matter HOW I vote, she’s going to get elected (because I think that our party has been INVADED by Liberals to destroy us… and they’ve done a good job). So, people want socialism in this country? They want Liberalism? They want this to lead to Communism?

Fine. Let them.

I’m armed. I’ll fight them when the time comes.

The Trans-Asian Axis

I’ve not really had time to write much lately, new babies coming into the family, holidays and just generally being “busy”. So, first I apologize to those of you who were regular readers and listeners to the podcast. For everyone though, today I’m going to address something that is becoming a serious issue in the world today.

The rise of a new Cold War.

America has been the only Superpower - by technical standards - for roughly thirty years. I was in the Air Force at the time Ronald Reagan told Gorbachev to “tear down this wall”. I worked as a Senior Radio Technician at the White House Communications Agency and saw Mr. Reagan as a savior to humanity in those days.

The Cold War ended during my watch - and I lived through most of it as a child, and I clearly remember the “wavering three minute tones” and alarm bells in our schools telling us to hide in our assigned fallout shelters. Throughout the early 1960s this occurred about once per week, along with fire drills and other ‘alerts’ in our school systems.

As a child I recall being terrified at the thought of a nuclear weapon being detonated in Detroit, Michigan, knowing that it would completely engulf the whole of the city and we’d all be vaporized atoms. I knew this because I watched the tests on television and as a child really had no idea how large a blast was, nor did I know that it would take many bombs to do that job. I also knew even as a six year old where the Motor City stood on Communism, and why we were in the gun sights of the Soviet Union.

My hometown, as a child was known for being able to convert every single car production line in every company in those days to “War Production” and could do so in as little as 24 hours. We could build tanks and even planes, pretty much anything the military required and every man and woman on an assembly line in those days seemed to be ready for that conversion. My father worked in a roller bearing factory in those days, and even they had plans to change production lines in the event of war.

Today we have been without the Cold War for many years, and children growing up haven’t had to deal with the scary times we did, until the day Islamic Fascists attacked the United States and the World Trade Center, Pentagon and had other targets in their own sights.

I’m completely convinced that if they had nuclear weapons, they’d have obliterated New York City and Washington DC, instead of just hitting selected buildings. Since 2001 we’ve been at war with Terror, and terrorists.

But in recent weeks the rise of the Soviet Union is evident. Oh, it’s not called the “Soviet Union”, it is called “Russia”. In the past two years we’ve sat on the side lines and watched and listened to Putin and Kim Jong Il rattling sabers. Then Hugo Chavez joined the chorus.

In time, China joined in.

It has become evident to anyone watching the daily intelligence reports - which I know most people could care less about — that America is fast becoming a lone State, standing against Communism and Fascism.

Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Argentina to name a few, are each growing louder and more raucous each making overt and covert threats against the United States, and by default the people of this country.

On this very day, Russia themselves have been making threats concerning the Missile Defense of this country. Today they are running air and sea exercises right off the coast of several NATO countries. If this is not outright provocative, I don’t know what is. Oh, sure, you say, the US runs Naval Exercises too, and yes we do. And honestly as a many-years-military man I say, fine and dandy for countries to practice their personal defense.

The difference is, the United States isn’t trying to be anyone’s enemy. In fact, everyone, even so-called Conservatives in this country are letting themselves believe that Russia is our ally, and that China is our “best trading partner”, and that these oil rich countries with mad bombers are someone with whom we should do business in spite of the fact that most people of the Muslim faith embrace the destruction of Western Civilization and a return to the middle ages.

China has pushed their space program to the point they are able to put men in space, which is cool, but, they also gained a lot of that technology from the Clinton Administration - and in turn a massive amount of missile technology that has gone into upgrading their missiles, and nuclear attack capabilities.

We have Chinese bases in South and Central America. Putin is pushing Russia towards Communism. Chavez is taking over various industries and threatening to take farms from the farmers if they don’t sell their goods at home only. That’s COMMUNISM folks, in case you can’t remember the details on how it works. The government takes over all industry and dictates to whom you will give your goods, sets the prices and makes sure you still work the farm.

We are at what I call a nexus in history. Many things are coming together to make a massive change, or cause a situation from which no one in the world will be able to extricate themselves.

There are times in history, if you’re a student of history, that you can recognize as many events coming to a point of no return. World War II, World War I, the Korea War, and on and on backward in time for as long as we have written history.

This is the time that George Santayana referred to when he said, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Americans by and large do not remember the Cold War - but some of us do remember it.

Personally, I see this new Cold War as the prelude to World War III. While I currently tend to think of the War on Terror as “WWIII” I know it’s not a war in the conventional sense, and the next “world war” will result in the use of nuclear weapons on large cities, and the Russians, Chinese, North Korea and Iran will be involved somehow.

No, I’m not making a prediction, or making prophecy, but I’m clearly seeing a trend in history, and in current events which can only result in a new Cold War with Communism, and an arms race that will not stop until we begin lobbing nukes back and forth.

The United States needs to stand up, stand firm and show our strength to the rest of the world - we will not and should not back down in the face of rising world tensions. A firm hand and the ability of the next President to understand this will make, or break the United States during the next Presidential term.

God forbid that someone like Hillary Clinton gets in office, or we will simply join the Communists as partners.

We’ve known Sammy for 16 years. He was sometimes a royal pain in the ass, but he was always happy to see our family. He never failed to show he cared for us, even if sometimes we got mad at him for stupid things he did.

Sammy wasn’t very tall, in fact, he was very short for his age — ever since he was very young he was a little small. He had blond hair and sometimes it would get really shaggy. But mostly it was kept nice and hung long over his ears. His ears were too big though and he constantly tripped over things with his big feet.

Sammy loved to run around with my son, Nick, and was probably one of Nick’s best friends in the entire world.

This morning, Sammy passed away.

I received the call at 11:30 my time that he was gone. My son-in-law, Daniel who is staying with us was with Sammy at the time of his passing. Sammy had apparently suffered a heart attack sometime last week while JoAnne and I were in Jamaica. There was probably very little that could have been done for him, so for the last week the family made him as comfortable as possible at our home.

Dan was sitting with him when he died. He had a short, sudden seizure, and then was gone. He probably didn’t feel anything by then, since he had remained mostly unconscious most of today I was told.

We all came home right away. When I arrived there was a lot of crying, but we transported Sammy right away to the doctor. I had checked him and knew it to be too late as soon as I saw him. The family said their good-byes and my wife and I made the arrangements.

Sammy had no other family than mine, so there was no one else to notify, no one else to tell of our loss but you folks. He’s to be cremated on Sunday. There will be only a short memorial for him tomorrow at one of my son’s home across town.

Samson the Great - the Cocker Spaniel, friend to everyone, has gone.

If there is a doggie Heaven, then I wish him Godspeed and all the love the Angels can give him for as long as Heaven exists.

Good bye, Sammy.

Tuesday morning, 11 September 2001, I’d just returned to work from a previous week out in the field with the US Air Force Reserves, training and evaluating people.

I was sitting at my desk drinking a cup of coffee, catching up on the previous week’s emails that I’d not yet answered. Our Security Administrator came through the Security Door in my area, and looked agitated. In fact, he looked down right sick.

“Rick, we need you in Security. A plane just hit a building in New York,” he said.

I looked up from the computer and said, “BullShit…”.

“No, really. It just happened, we all need to meet in the Security Conference room.”

Shocked, and confused, I got up and followed him across the hall to our security and stood there observing our only, at the time, access to the news sources outside. CNN was showing the Twin Towers and smoke was coming out of it. A few seconds later, live, we watched as another plane slammed into the second tower. I was confused.

“Was that a replay?” I asked.

No one answered. Then someone said, “No, there is smoke coming out of one of the buildings already…” and his voice trailed off.

It was the sudden realization that this was not an accident, and those planes had been directed, somehow, into the two buildings that was leaving our entire Security team stunned. A few moments later, the Director of Security appeared, shaken as the rest of us were. He glanced around the room and said…

“What is going to happen next?”

I normally do not interject my opinion at a time like this since I’m not really a “terrorism expert”, but I have been right about many things. This was certainly one of them. For years before 9-11 I’d talked about this very sort of attack, something spectacular, devastating and evil happening. No one listened, or if they did listen, it was only with “half an ear”.

I reached deep and said, “White House, Capitol Building and the Pentagon next…”.

Silence met my words, then the Director of Security said, “What? Why do you think that?”

“Easy… simple. This is a terrorist attack. They’ve hit America’s finacial center. If it were me, I’d hit the head of government, and the head of the military. The Pentagon, the White House and the Capitol Buildings are at risk. I hope someone else is thinking like me.”

About fourty minutes later reports of “an explosion at the Pentagon” started coming through. The rest is history. Three thousand people died that day, including those who just happened to have gotten on those airplanes that day. One plane was forced to the ground by American heros who figured out what was happening and stopped it before even worse things could happen. It is a reasonable guess that the plane that was forced to the ground in Pennslyvia was destined to hit the White House. Or perhaps the Capitol Building. The latter is a very large target from the sky, as Google Earth can show you, whereas the White House is a bit less dramatic.

Even so, some things I talked about with friends and other site posters in the past actually came true and it’s horrible. People will forget what happened that day, children, those of ours who will someday be “in charge” of the future will not have lived through it and will not understand. Some Americans today want us to “get out of Iraq” and claim Iraq had no connection with terrorism.

Shame on those Americans, and if we let our children forget what happened on September 11th, 2001, or who killed them, then shame on us.

Never forget. Never Surrender.

Here’s the new blog site for just the Jamaican DXpedition 2007.

http://jamaicadxpedition2007.blogspot.com/

Just tried to get to FR from work. I’m at an undisclosed DOD installation. It’s been blocked via firewall rules from work.

How’s that for censorship? Remember, it’s only censorship if the government does it.

I do understand that there is something we’re concerned with called the “Insider threat”, but blocking news sources is dumb and ridiculous. Many of us are already “cut off” from the outside, or limited to viewing only CNN or perhaps FOX (we’re lucky enough to have FOX where I am, but that’s ALL).

Essentially, private email was cut off some months back, that is we can no longer go to earthlink, gmail, aol, or whatever from inside a DOD firewall. To some extent, I can see that, but blocking news sources is a blatant disregard for first amendment rights.

Certainly, one can find a new job if one doesn’t like the rules… but these rules are arbitrary and made up on the fly. I know, I’ve seen the results from inside.

This will likely be my only complaint at this point, and I will take it up internally, but, before they completely block the internet for good, I’m posting this here and now.

You folks out there… if they can make this decision to block certain sites from certain people (I promise you, the FBI and other non-DOD employees still have access to almost everything out there on the internet and DO abuse it) then it is censorship.

Some updates to the site this month….

Sunday was my 50th birthday. Wow. Half a century. Doesn’t seem like I’ve been around that long. It also happens that my wife and I were married thirty years ago, on my birthday so, we celebrated both my birthday and our wedding anniversary.

I bought my wife a pretty diamond ring, and made a joke about it… it is one of those three-diamond sets, with a meaning of “Past, Present, Future”. She asked me what if I knew what it meant, and I said, “Sure. One diamond for each decade,” and grinned at her. She was kind of amused.

For my Birthday though, I got a neat little radio. She let me pick it out, because she is never sure what sort of electronic gadgets I want or will use. I don’t pick her clothes out, and she doesn’t pick out radios. Even though she too, is a ham radio operator, she prefers I take the time to do the research on the electronics. That’s good with me though.

The radio is pretty cool. It’s a Yaesu VX-7RB. It has four bands one can transmit on, the 6M (50 Mhz), 1.2M (220 Mhz), 2M (144 Mhz) and the 70 cm (440) bands. The receiver is wideband and can receive from approximately 500Khz to around 1 gigahertz. Typical of idiotic laws in the United States (due to a senator being overheard breaking the law way back when) cellular frequencies are blocked.

Short of the blocked cell frequencies, I can scan a whole lot of spectrum with this radio, pick up some of the local police and fire (mostly they are on digital trunking now in my region though), weather frequencies (including an emergency alert), multiple programable channels (around 1000), and it picks up shortwave too. Cool radio.

The wife is practicing her testing this last month and is going in on Saturday to upgrade from Novice to at least Technician class. That will at least get her on 2m with me now. We’re supposed to be attending local emergency communications training in September as well, for ARES.

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Milblog guidelines relaxed?

Yesterday, I wrote about this myself because of my job and where I work, I think this is a tightening of the rules. I also think they, the military are simply trying to protect their people from bloggers who might inadvertently give out information.

On the other hand, I don’t believe this is a good idea, and I’d sure like to see Jane’s sources for myself.

BLACKFIVE: The END of Military Blogging

Somewhere in the back of someone’s little mind is the idea that even our own military can’t be properly trusted with the secrets they are already entrusted with.

A long time ago, perhaps 7 or 8 years ago, the military told several of us to “sanitize” our web sites of anything that gave our name, images, family information or anything along that line. We were asked to use personal email addresses that did not include our real names.

I was personally asked, not ordered by a Commanding Officer if I would simply remove a biography from one of my web sites, because it had information in it that said “Who I am”. I thought, at the time,”Well, that might be a good idea if I were worried about someone coming to get me or my family”.

However, if there is ONE thing I have taught my children well, it is to “be not afraid of who you are”. We each and everyone of us, in the United States are Americans. I have fought to keep and defend the freedoms we now have.

That includes my freedom of speech and the freedom of speech of all of those in this country, even those with whom I disagree completely. Even Liberals (as much as it pains me to say it). But, this goes, in my humble opinion, well beyond the pale.

I have read, and enjoy, many of the blogs by military members. I write myself from a very unique perspective of being inside looking out at times. One thing I take very seriously though, is National Security. I’ve never given information out that would affect anyone’s mission. Troop movements, and information regarding missions are completely verboten in my writing. I don’t tell what I do, exactly, and I never will since it’s no one’s business but mine, my employer and my government — and even then, anything I MIGHT say is carefully written so as not to include anything sensitive.

Most, if not all military members whose blog sites I’ve perused are also careful as well.

Military members, and civilians alike are all part of this great nation and this is, indeed a form of censorship. Why? Simply because it comes from the Government itself.

Preventing the dissemination of classified material is one thing. It’s against the law. But, preventing a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine a chance to speak his or her mind, and to, well, basically vent sometimes. Venting is… good therapy. I know, I’ve seen combat a couple of times in my life, and I’ve never spoken much about to anyone, ever, anywhere. Some friends know about my background, but I never felt the need to tell everything.

But, sometimes I wonder why I didn’t tell the stories, why I haven’t used the writing ability I have to tell what happened — mostly because, I guess, to me it was personal and sometimes sharing such things isn’t really good for the listener. But, honestly, some people find themselves in scary, dangerous situations and they handle it badly, or they handle it well. Perhaps, and I’m reaching now because I really do not know, but perhaps our Military sharing stories and having a place to “bitch” about things is a kind of help that no mental health professional could ever give them.

More importantly to me, these folks have an outlet to put down what, in effect might be the last words they ever write down. Why prevent them from sharing with the world their thoughts? If I were being sent into battle, and were to die in that battle, I damned sure would want my last thoughts recorded before that battle.

Yes, this is… tough to think about, and tougher to write, but looking at it from a perspective of having been in the military, I had a job to do, and I couldn’t think about what might be, what was going on with my family while performing my duty, and it is a very, very unique aspect of all military people.

The Mission comes first, before self, before family, before even your own life. Even, I guess before Blogging.

I will say this last thing. This is a mistake, because those of us still working in the industry who are forced eventually to stop writing our thoughts because of a bad policy will cease working with the government, because, frankly these “policies” are directly contrary to the Constitution of the United States, and contrary to all I stand for. If and when such “thought crimes” come under attack by our own government, then everything, EVERYTHING for which I worked for the past 30 years will become null and void.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I submit to you that banning blogging and personal emails to our military is wrong thinking, wrong headed and completely against all common sense. I would urge the Command to rethink this very, very carefully, and to reconsider what you’re asking of people who are already in the trenches doing the dirty work. I’d ask you to reconsider this policy change, which appears to be based completely upon what may be “urban legend” and narrow mindedness.

Otherwise, do not ask for the best, the brightest and the hope of the future to join you in your fights, because, frankly they will not come.

In his official written reply when vetoing the democrats HR 1591, President Bush called the bill “UNCONSTITUTIONAL” and wrote the following:

…. Finally, this legislation is unconstitutional because it purports to direct the conduct of the operations of the war in a way that infringes upon the powers vested in the Presidency by the Constitution, including as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. For these reasons, I must veto this bill.

Good on President Bush. God Bless the United States MILITARY.

Below is the full text of President Bush written veto:

May 1, 2007

TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

I am returning herewith without my approval H.R. 1591, the “U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007.”

This legislation is objectionable because it would set an arbitrary date for beginning the withdrawal of American troops without regard to conditions on the ground; it would micromanage the commanders in the field by restricting their ability to direct the fight in Iraq; and it contains billions of dollars of spending and other provisions completely unrelated to the war.

Precipitous withdrawal from Iraq is not a plan to bring peace to the region or to make our people safer here at home. The mandated withdrawal in this bill could embolden our enemies — and confirm their belief that America will not stand behind its commitments. It could lead to a safe haven in Iraq for terrorism that could be used to attack America and freedom-loving people around the world, and is likely to unleash chaos in Iraq that could spread across the region. Ultimately, a precipitous withdrawal could increase the probability that American troops would have to one day return to Iraq — to confront an even more dangerous enemy.

The micromanagement in this legislation is unacceptable because it would create a series of requirements that do not provide the flexibility needed to conduct the war. It would constrict how and where our Armed Forces could engage the enemy and defend the national interest, and would provide confusing guidance on which of our enemies the military could engage. The result would be a marked advantage for our enemies and greater danger for our troops, as well as an unprecedented interference with the judgments of those who are charged with commanding the military.

Beyond its direction of the operation of the war, the legislation is also unacceptable for including billions of dollars in spending and other provisions that are unrelated to the war, are not an emergency, or are not justified. The Congress should not use an emergency war supplemental to add billions in spending to avoid its own rules for budget discipline and the normal budget process. War supplemental funding bills should remain focused on the war and the needs of our men and women in uniform who are risking their lives to defend our freedoms and preserve our Nation’s security.

Finally, this legislation is unconstitutional because it purports to direct the conduct of the operations of the war in a way that infringes upon the powers vested in the Presidency by the Constitution, including as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. For these reasons, I must veto this bill.

GEORGE W. BUSH

THE WHITE HOUSE,

May 1, 2007.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070502-1.html