Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite.
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Short on time, but I do have this link to a story about Cindy Sheehan quitting the ‘anti-war business’. Laters.
--ry
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This was the weekend of looking at acreages. The two that currently top the list are a 77-acre plot far enough out of town to be safe from development for a good while, and a 65-acre heavily wooded plot up north of here, near Saint Joseph, just in the bluffs east of Atchison, in Missouri. Both are *well suited* to hosting a blog-shoot, where you could safely take 400m shots, and putting up the horses. I just have to get over sticker shock. The homes on both would need some re-working/reconfiguring as we would like them. But plenty of privacy. Nekkid partying on the deck! Eeeee. Scary thought.
What's up from the email over the weekend... lessee, Tommy S. was really impressed with this display of courage, and striking a blow for freedom, up in Orcas Island, Washington! Not. Pathetic. C'mon kids, that's the best you've got? Real social consciences there!
Bloodspite teases the Armorer. That said, he has the good sense to link to frequent commenter and capital "G" Grognard, John S, of Oldguns.net - I would note that John is sometimes disqualified from playing in our Whatziss posts - because he was the provider of the Whatziss... That said, the Armorer doesn't yet feel rich enough to spend that kind of geld on an addition to the Arsenal, when that kind of geld would fund so many *more* additions to the Arsenal!
Further expanding on the theme of the Cyborg post - Kevin provides a link to this video... mebbe FCS should consider this for some of their RPVs...
And just in case you missed it over the weekend - the Whatziss was answered here. -the Armorer
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Okay, I know it's a sample of one. Still, there's a new piece in the Middle East Quarterly, written by David Patten. Subject: Is Iraq in a Civil War?
Is Iraq in a Civil War? by David A. Patten Middle East Quarterly Summer 2007Many politicians have determined Iraq to be in a civil war. "We're not fighting terrorism in Iraq," Rep. John Murtha (Democrat-Penn.) said on January 27, 2006, "We're fighting a civil war in Iraq."[1] He is not alone. On November 27, 2006, NBC sparked media and political debate when it announced it would henceforth label the violence in Iraq a civil war. Such a designation is significant. Major-General William Nash (ret.) explains failure to acknowledge that a civil war exists "means that our counter-measures are inadequate and, therefore, dangerous to our long-term interests."[2] A March 2007 Pentagon report augmented the debate. "Some elements of the situation in Iraq are properly descriptive of a ‘civil war,' including the hardening of ethno-sectarian identities and mobilization, the changing character of the violence and population displacements," it said.[3] However, the debate should not be political. Precision matters. If Iraq is not in a civil war, using the term for U.S. domestic political reasons might undercut efforts to restore stability.
Aside from the content of the article, what's the other bit that caught my eye?
David A. Patten is a sergeant with the 3rd Infantry Division in Baghdad. He holds a doctorate in philosophy from Stony Brook University. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Army.
Emphasis mine. I don't know what that might say about the utility of a Doctorate in Philosophy... but I know what it says about that Sergeant. I'll take two, please. -the Armorer
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Heh. I forgot that I didn't *do* an H&I yesterday. The one so marked was meant to be todays. Snerk! -the Armorer
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Update to the Orcas Island vandalism of veteran's graves - Dan of Riehl World View has a person of interest for law enforcement to consider. Of course, sometimes coincidences are just that - coincidences. But LE can see if there are any dots to connect, assuming their workload allows them to devote sufficient time. As to whether or not it's worth the time - well, the locals know better than I do if it's a 'broken windows' kind of thing, or something to go after only if it falls in your lap. -the Armorer
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*A term of art from the artillery. Harassment and Interdiction Fires.
Back in the day, when you could just kill people and break things without a note from a lawyer, they were pre-planned, but to the enemy, random, fires at known gathering points, road junctions, Main Supply Routes, assembly areas, etc - to keep the bad guy nervous that the world around him might start exploding at any minute.
*Not really relevant to today's operating environment, right? But, it *is*
The UAVs (oops, can't call 'em UAVs anymore - they're now Unmanned Aerial Systems... some Colonel got his Legion of Merit for that change...), er, um UAS's we fly over Afghanistan and Pakistan looking for targets of opportunity are a form of H&I fires, if you really want to parse it finely. We just have better sensors and fire control now.
I call the post that because it's random things posted by me and people I've given posting privileges to. It's also an open trackback, so if someone has a post they're proud of, but it really isn't either Castle kind of stuff, or topical to a particular post, I've basically given blanket permission to use that post for that purpose. Another term of art that might be appropriate is "Free Fire Zone".
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