H&I* Fires 1 Oct 2007

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.

You're advertising here, we should get an ad at your place...

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Heh. A new fiscal year... and we're working from last year's budget. That was usually annoying from a soldier perspective - as a blood-sucking contractor, it really bites, because all those shiny new contracts written on '08 dollars can't go into effect until the actual budget is passed. Which hampers us, but also hampers the government client - one, I might note, At War. A pox on both the Executive and Congress!

Dusty sent us this WSJ article on the "Broadband Taxman Cometh." Oddly enough, not having any service at all, it's academic for the moment. Depending on how the states approach this, there's going to be a potentially huge crunch throughout the system.

Silly debate news, via Stop the ACLU.

John Hawkins of Right Wing News sends:

Hello

Right Wing News polled the right side of the blogosphere on their favorite people on the right.

Here's are a few hints/questions about the results:

* A very prominent bloggers tied for 2nd place. Can you guess who it is?

* Can guess the top 4 Republican candidates for President and the order they were selected?

* Can you guess who finished higher: George Bush or Dick Cheney?

Click here for the results. The Armorer did not participate in this one, on purpose, because my conservative heroes tend to wear boots and carry rifles, or command those who do. That was gonna get lost in what all those polibloggers chose, and I was right. -the Armorer

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Two diametric views on PMCs in Iraq.
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Sy Hersch is at it again. You know, this guy’s been saying we’re going to war Iran, imminently, since, oh, 2004?
--ry
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It's official, Admiral Gary Roughead is the Navy's newest CNO and I (along with the Ogre, SJS and several others) have won the CNO Pool. Nearly as sweet, I bested the favorite Naval Consort and I will crow until I am silenced, lol.......Maggie
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Well, since we're all Seymour Hersch today, I'll give you this: Hersch's interview with Der Spiegel. He's continuing to beat the "US is planning to go to war with Iran" drum and talking about the "real Hitler". It's a laugh a minute. My favorite "go on and laugh, you know you want to" line was something about "if" Iran would get the bomb (best estimate he says is five years) it would be under the control of the IRGC, not Ahmadinejad. Uhhh...I might be confused, but Ahmadinejad IS the IRGC. You know, former leader, giving all the cool jobs, contracts and money to the IRGC to build up its power?

Oh...and, you know, there is only one Hitler even if the US has been quick to call everyone they disagree with "Hitleresque". Of course, it could be because the regimes he lists, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao, etc are some of the most repressive, genocidal regimes in history. Some of them may even have surpassed Hitler in their genocidal murder. But, you know, I'm not a lefty, apologizer for mass murdering totalitarians so my reading of history may be way off.

Not to spoil my update on the Iran-Syria situation, but Strategy Page gives an interesting point of view about all the "war or not to war" rhetoric going on with Iran. The long and short of it is, Iran is experiencing a "Mr. Gorbechav, tear down that wall" moment. You know "Reaganitis": Spending all your hard earned dough on weapons and people you will probably never use while your economy goes to the dogs. The "kaboom" you hear in Tehran may not be an actual war head.

In other news, we continue "mop up" operations in Iraq. The things you won't see put together on your favorite news channel or in your favorite paper: US Military deaths down and Iraqi Civilian Deaths down at the same time. All the while, there has been the usual uptick in Ramadan attacks (Al Qaida's favorite time of the year) that is no where near the last couple of years.

How bad is it? I can't find the link right this second, but a report indicates that documents found on al-Tunis, the most recent "2nd in command" of Al Qaida in Iraq recently killed, included a letter he never got to send. Basically it said, "Send help. We're surrounded and cut off with no escape."

Ya' think?

Oh..and the infamous Abu Al Qaqa, the late Zarqawi's mentor and facilitator in Syria, was assassinated on Sept 29. Depending on whose press you read, he was either assassinated by "Zionist-American" collusion with the Syrian government or a disenchanted, recently released, "Zionist-American" brain washed mujihadeen for being a traitor to Al Qaida and sending many a young wannabe jihadist to their death. I'll have more on that later.

Mmmm...and I can't get to it because it's behind the WJS wall for paying subscribers only, but some other folks are starting to jump on the "Iraq is a Win" bandwagon. The Australian says, "If it Quacks like a duck..."

Now that their losing, AQI is going into the "death spiral" of purging and blaming everyone but their stupid leaders for causing the faithful mujihadeen to be defeated.

Let's see, freedom, democracy, capitalism v. 7th century, isolationist, totalitarian, head chopping, murderous, raping, child slaughtering, "pray like we do, or else", real torture, fanatics? Touch and go for a bit there, but your average Iraqi probably doesn't "love death" more than they "love life".

Uh-Oh...AQI in Iraq may have finally figured out that Iran has been playing them like a $50 Chinese Violin. The fictitious Omar Baghdadi threatens Iran with attacks if they don't stop arming those pesky Shia death squads

More to follow on the "pesky Shia death squads", the Blackwater incident and a more recent attack on some hostile forces that are now miraculously innocent Shia civilians who were just playing a Ramadan game of "find the ring". You know, no Mahdi would be attacking US forces. Sayyid al Sadr said not to. Yes, another "go on and laugh, you know you want to" moment.
-Kat

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[Is it safe?]

Murray feels the need to share a TINS, after reading Bill's post. F-bomb warning!

Update: Heh, I've covered similar ground here... -the Armorer

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Okay, this has gone beyond lame into a whole new realm of stupid. Really, doesn’t the House of Representatives have something better to do than play this silly game? *Sigh.*

What ever happened to "Don't get stuck on stupid?'
--ry
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Can't resist posting this...it's nice to see a judge not taking himself too seriously. H/T to Mona Charen at NR's Corner

Eggsactly

Courtesy of Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld of The National Synagogue in Washington, DC I have learned of the following opinion filed by Judge James R. Muirhead of the US District Court in New Hampshire. A prisoner had filed a complaint about the kosher food he was being fed in the prison. As part of his request for a preliminary injuction, the prisoner filed a hard-boiled egg.

Judge Muirhead issued the following ruling:

No fan I am
Of the egg at hand.
Just like no ham
On the kosher plan.
This egg will rot
I kid you not.
And stink it can
This egg at hand.
There will be no eggs at court
To prove a clog in your aort.
There will be no eggs accepted.
Objections all will be rejected.
From this day forth
This court will ban
hard-boiled eggs of any brand.
And if you should not understand
The meaning of the ban at hand
Then you should contact either Dan,
the Deputy Clerk, or my clerk Jan.
I do not like eggs in the file.
I do not like them in any style.
I will not take them fried or boiled.
I will not take them poached or broiled.
I will not take them soft or scrambled
Despite an argument well-rambled.
No fan I am
Of the egg at hand.
Destroy that egg!
Today! Today!
Today I say! Without delay!
SO ORDERED (with apologies to Dr. Seuss).

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BTW...

Reference this post yesterday, I apologize for not providing a much shorter summary for those who don't have the time or inclination to watch Professor Pausch's entire lecture (almost 1.5 hours long but worth every %*#@! minute, IMHO, but still...).

Here's the WSJ article that piqued my interest.

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