H & I Fires:* 16 Feb 2008

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...

Time to add a new caveat, because from email it's not clear to some folks (mind you, if you don't read this it won't matter...) Being an open post, people (collectively, the Denizens) other than I post in the H&I. They sign their work (most of the time) - keep that in mind when you want to flame someone in email please - if it doesn't say "The Armorer" or "John" then I didn't write it! And honestly - if you don't like something said or posted... leave a comment, and hash it out (within the context of The Rulez which are clearly posted on the comment form, I would add).
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Well, the folks at the AP are either the masters of tongue in cheek understatements, or they are shilling for Palestinian terrorists. The headline: Islamic Jihad activist, family killed

If this guy was an "activist", what does that make Osama Bin Laden? The reincarnation of Carry Nation? Just sayin'.

Favorite part. The other Islamic Jihad "activists" are promising retaliation against Israel for something that looks like an unfortunate "activist" "work accident".

On a serious note, if I were an actual "activist" like someone who worked for human rights watch, or animal rights or even "save the planet" types, I would be a little ticked off that the AP was labeling a guy, who led a violent organization and was responsible for many bombings, an "activist". Those type of "activists" are fair game for imprisonment and possible shooting, bombing through air raids and other methods of demise. Now that all "activists" are equal, does that mean we can finally send the Code Pink folks to Gitmo?

I'm just sayin'.
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Calling all stars! Calling all stars! The military is looking for a few good entertainers. Robin Williams and Kid Rock just completed their sixth tours to the front lines and WWE has taken it to the mat just as many. They are posting adverts for some other folks to step up and give our guys and girls "a few good laughs". .

Ollie North on the 2nd Amendment
and Kay Hutchinson's amicus to the court.

Speaking of guns, Mayor Bloomberg and a few others are at it again. They are working on a database of "illegal guns" to share amongst different organizations and cities. They did not detail to any degree exactly which "illegal guns" they were going to target. Guns used in criminal activities and subsequently inventoried in police property as evidence? Or, are we talking about whenever they decided a gun is "illegal" by some arbitrary standard they set?

The NRA makes an important statement on the subject:


"All Mayor Bloomberg and his fellow mayors seem to do is hold press conferences," said NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam. Referring to Rudy Giuliani, he added, "Mayor Bloomberg's predecessor managed to cut crime in New York simply by enforcing the laws on the books without all these press availabilities."

I guess that means the NRA would have endorsed Rudy for President if he'd gotten the nomination.

Why "two Americas" doesn't really exist any more. The buying power of the "lower fifth" is twice what they make. As one economist noted, the difference now is that everyone can own a TV, a car, washers and dryers, DVD layers, cell phones and computers.

Great Seal Secrets Revealed:


That the phrase "Novus Ordo Seculorum" below the Roman numerals for 1776 at the base of the pyramid translates as "A New Order of the Ages" that began with independence and does not imply the United States will be the lynchpin of a sinister "New World Order."

I guess that blows the entire story line of Will Smith's movie, "Wild, Wild West". and the Antonio Banderas remake of the Legend of Zoro

What will Obama do when there is no Hillary Firewall? You know, since everyone has been giving him the big "pass" on the media and acting like he's the second coming of MLK or something. And, the blogosphere hasn't really gotten around to tearing him and his policies apart beyond making fun of all the swooning that's been going on.

How about Obama as Milli Vanilli?
-Kat

*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."

11 Comments

Just found you're site (quite by accident) and LOVE it...(even if you are a "cannon cocker" There was nothing like this when I was in. Steve SFC, USA (Ret) 11B4YQ6F2 (they've probably changed this too)
 
Kat - I don't know about MilliVanilli but how about Joel Stein's column? He's got Obamaphilia
 
On a serious note, if I were an actual "activist" like someone who worked for human rights watch, or animal rights or even "save the planet" types, I would be a little ticked off that the AP was labeling a guy, who led a violent organization and was responsible for many bombings, an "activist". Unless they were your allies and you felt very warm and friendly that the conservative media had recognized the Islamic Jihad as your equal. Now that all "activists" are equal, does that mean we can finally send the Code Pink folks to Gitmo? They already think you have been doing so for awhile. Which is why they speak truth to your power, like they did at Berkley to the Marines.
 
As regards DC and their civilian pop-up target free-fire zone, er, gun control laws. I would be hard pressed to find an area, sans a military base, that should be safer for the average citizen to live in. There has to be, per capita, more armed Government personnel in the DC area than any other location in the United States. So, why all the gun violence? The gun grabbers never seem to wish to address that issue, now do they? Hmmmmm?
 
Kevin. You're being waaaaay to cryptic this morning. What are you talking about? Drugs? Poverty? Prostitutes? combination of all of that? Or, do you think they fear the criminals too much to do what needs to be done?
 
Hey, just a heads up but Tim Larkin put out a nice explanation of the difference between how some people see violence and what violence truly is. Link
 
Oh Kevin Boy, It's obvious by the shallowness of your argument, that you've never been inside the confines of I-495. Sure, the Monumental Core where, all Federal Offices are are guarded to the hilt by an ever present police presence. Sure the North West Quadrant, where all affluent residents live, are posh and gentrified. But just visit The North East and South Eastern Quadrants of the District; source of the grand majority of crime. There, the working poor live in constant fear for themselves and their loved ones; as drug dealers and other miscreants outnumber police in every corner.
 
Obviously I'm going to have to adjust the sights on my Snarker Rifle and check the condition of my tongue-in-cheek ammo... My ranging fire seems to have completely missed the target... Oh, and I am quite familiar with DC. Quantico isn't that far away... Interesting how the area around the Marine Barracks at 8th & I seems to be comparatively calm. Don't 'spose it would have anything to do with the (armed) guard mount. Don't miss the Evening Parade if you are in the area btw. As for the comment regarding DCs crime plight/blight, look no further than their own corrupt city government for some good reasons to explain their situation. They voted them in and continue to support them with re-election. Soooo... where should blame and responsibility lie? But naaaah, it can't be the gubmint' or the 'culture' of the city to blame. Must be the nasty guns coming into the district from those Confederate rednecks in ol' Virginny. Oh well, back to the range.
 
Kev. Thanks. Maybe I needed a few more cups of coffee this morning. I would agree with you that a large problem there is that people fear for their lives, don't believe the police/government can protect them and keep believing some BS that they can so they elect the same corrupt folks, like Mayor Barry with his cocaine/prostitute habit that puts him in bed with the criminals. Possibly even, in a reflection of Tammany Hall, he was helped along by some nefarious voting/intimidation programs. Just a thought. Give the people the means to defend themselves. I agree whole heartedly. Although, there have been times when I've thought that the National Guard should be called in. You can't wonder how crime just crashed after 9/11 and there were armed people everywhere looking for someone to make the wrong move.
 
I think the crime and violence in the DC/Baltimore and 95 from Richmond to Boston is drug related..sorry folks.. the ex-addicts i have treated all carried guns to protect their stash and cash!1
 
Here in Israel, where our own left wing media regularly use the news to promote their own agenda and are quoted by the press worldwide, we deal with this type of creative writing all of the time. The best thing to do, IMHO, is to find a trusted news source and read them exclusively. For news on the Middle East in English, I read http://www.israelnationalnews.com/ and http://www.debka.com/ DoubleTapper DoubleTapper@gmail.com http://doubletapper.blogspot.com