Friday Hot: Memorial Day Weekend

Love the Queen and her court. Click the pic and study their faces. I always like to study faces. They are marching on Veterans Day, but: shhhh. Included the photo anyway.





The ladies in blue belong to "Women Veterans United". They are shown during their Memorial Day Weekend 2008 trip to Washington D.C., to participate in a candlelight ceremony at the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial.








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Repost from Dec 08:

U.S. action outside Baghdad in Nov of 2006. It's a fast read: link.

After a helicopter crash, U.S. forces were trapped in desert as flat as Lubbock: outmanned, outgunned, and without cover. U.S. forces carried only infantry weapons which could not reach the more powerfully armed enemy at distance. Supporting Air Force F-16s could not make out, from altitude, enemy from friendly. The only hope was a solitary AH 16 attack helicopter, whose pilots - without regard for their personal safety - conducted repeated attacks straight into the face of disciplined and heavily armed enemy:

After 12 to 15 minutes, Cooper was running low on ammunition, and landed back beside the crashed aircraft. He and his co-pilot stared at each other wide-eyed.

“Neither of us really expected to get out of this fight alive,” Cooper said.

He paid tribute to the four MH-6 pilots on the ground, who all later received Bronze Stars with “V” devices. “Those guys were off-loading unstable rockets off of the downed aircraft and loading them into my aircraft when I landed,” he said. “That’s not a recommended procedure in the book, [and] they were doing that all the time under fire and in plain view of the enemy.”

After no more than five minutes, Cooper and his copilot took off again. “We weren’t ordered to go back up,” he said. “I’m a gun pilot, and my duty is to support the ground forces.”

After another 15 minutes of fighting against a hail of insurgent fire, Cooper was running out of fuel and ammo and had to put down again. “I was going through ammunition at a fairly rapid clip,” he said.

The MH-6 pilots used a Leatherman tool to remove the crashed Little Bird’s auxiliary fuel tank and use it to refuel Cooper’s aircraft.

And Cooper fought on. Wow. What volunteer U.S. forces have done in Afghan and Iraq is just amazing. Someday, I hope, their true stories will be told.

The AH 16 is a very agile helicopter. It would be something to read about their aerial evasive maneuvers as they fought right in the enemies' faces. They had rounds ricocheting off their helicopter during the fight.

During this battle, an F-16 pilot(and father of 5), Maj. Troy Gilbert, in an effort to identify enemies and help save endangered American forces, flew runs far lower than is standard operating procedure, exposing his F-16 to enemy fire. Maj. Gilbert helped turn the tide of battle, then tragically crashed on one of his runs.

In Sept of 2007, American media widely disseminated a propaganda video of the enemy desecrating Maj. Gilbert's corpse. American media used the video - of enemy desecrating a hero's corpse - to delegitimize the Iraq War effort. Maj. Gilbert's widow, Ginger, spoke out strongly and effectively against the actions of American media.




Ginger Gilbert and
Major Troy Gilbert

Widow: "Press... serves to degrade the moral integrity my husband possessed"

Scott Wong
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 18, 2007 04:02 PM

Days after an al-Qaida-linked group released a video showing the body of a Luke Air Force Base fighter pilot killed in Iraq last year, his widow lashed out at the national media, accusing it of politicizing and using the images to erode public support for the war.

Ginger Gilbert, making her first public comments since the video emerged last week, said Tuesday that she couldn't remain silent after watching media coverage of a "disturbing video" of the corpse, identification card and crash site of her husband, Maj. Troy Gilbert.

"When media chooses to use Troy's plane crash as a political catalyst to generate anti-war sentiment, it only serves to degrade the moral integrity my husband possessed and the morale of those still selflessly serving," Gilbert said at news conference at Glendale's Falcon Dunes Golf Course, across from Luke.

"Every time the press lends credibility and significance to terrorist propaganda clearly designed to erode public support or questions the validity of our brave soldiers' selfless acts of service and the war itself," she added, "it only serves to damage our country from within its own borders and embolden those who would do us harm."

Flanked by friends and family members clasping hands, Gilbert thanked Arizonans, the Air Force and her Desert Springs Community Church in Litchfield Park for serving as a "shield of protection for my family's welfare and betterment over the last 10 months."

Troy Gilbert, 34, a father of five, was killed Nov. 27, 2006, when his F-16 crashed about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad. Officials concluded that Gilbert crashed because he was so focused on saving friendly troops from attacking insurgents that he flew too low.

This is a widow, a mother, a friend to the military, and a patriot standing up for her husband, for her kids, for everyone she loves, and for the nation and for the cause she believes in. We can see that Major Gilbert had moral integrity partially because Ginger Gilbert helped him along the way.

Everyone involved in this episode is covered in glory - from the men who died risking their lives right down to the widow standing in front of the microphones. May God bless them all.

Hugh Hewitt:

Mrs. Gilbert's message should be distributed in every newsroom in the county.

Video of Ginger Gilbert's full statement.

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Reminded of this:

Dustoff Three-Zero confirms three heroes on board

Former WH Press Sec Dana Perino

blogging at NRO's Corner:

I wish the Democrats would put half as much energy into fighting terrorists as they do in fighting Dick Cheney.

I also saw that the White House floated the idea of defending preemption today. Pause a moment to think about that.

Komodo Dragon Thursday

because I am horrified by Komodo Dragons. They are vicious car wrecks which I stare at.

New species info: Komodo Dragons shoot venom from glands which run along the jawline on the insides of their mouths. The venom is an anticoagulant. Their victims suffer lowered blood pressure, eventually going into shock (whereupon the Komodo Dragon and his Komodo friends eat them alive). Via Instapunk:

Scientists always believed that because Komodos also fed on carrion, their mouths must teem with bacteria and that the germs infected their victims, killing them slowly.

Magnetic resonance imaging scans have shown, however, that Komodos have glands in their mouths that produce venom similar to that of many snakes.

The lizard’s sharp, serrated teeth open up wounds into which the venom flows from the gland that runs along the jawline. The venom acts as an anticoagulant, increasing the blood flow and reducing blood pressure, sending the victim into shock. The victim’s blood cannot clot and it bleeds to death....

Despite the dragon’s venom gland running visibly along its jawline, scientists had not realised until now that it was poisonous.

“That’s because no one bothered to look,” said Dr Fry, who noted the gland during his work with captive Komodos at Singapore zoo.

I can't tell you how many nature shows I've watched over the decades in which highly credentialed zoologists stared straight into the camera and informed me that Komodo dragons kill by infecting their prey with the godawful bacteria in their mouths. A whole new dimension in halitosis. I believed them. Why wouldn't I? But they were wrong.

The End Zone is clearly about:

• Happy Slip videos (1, 2) 
• Fort Worth cartoon videos about my parents
• Cousin Tate
• Texas Rangers baseball 
• future POTUS Piper Palin
• Megyn Kelly, and 
• horrifying Komodo Dragon info (1, 2)
  

There you go:  all the insight you will ever need into my personality.

Curve

via Rocio Ponce 

and Debauchette

Interview with Jake Rademacher, Director of "Brothers at War"

Interview.  The movie trailer is also embedded at the link.

Just and Unjust Accusation

Update:  Have deleted some yuck from this post.  

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Preparing this for an email to "Lefty", in continuance of a blog comments section fight about when it's justified to cry "racist!"  Kinda sitting with it for a few days, until the weekend. 

I.  Common ground

We both stand for justice and moral behavior.

II. Lefty: Racial accusation against conservatives cannot be unjust, as being accused of racism is positive for a conservative's image, power, and wealth.

Greg: An accusation might be harmful to an accused, and/or might lead to unforeseen harmful consequences. Outcome is not absolutely knowable.

The morality of an action is not dependent upon a future outcome; is not dependent upon the righteousness of an outcome. It cannot be, as humans cannot predict the full consequences (Butterfly Effect) of our actions.

Instead, the morality of an action is necessarily dependent upon everything known at the moment an action is taken. Future outcomes or consequences do not change the morality or immorality of a past action.

Therefore, specifically on topic: moral and just accusation is about everything known at the moment of accusation. It cannot be about righteousness of outcome, as full consequences cannot be known by humans (either in advance, or ever).

III.  Deleted

IV.  Lefty: unexplicated evidence is "all we can do"

Expanded Lefty: accusation based upon unexplicated personal experience, and cultural and historical understanding, is "all we can do"

Greg:  If an accuser understands the evidence (aka the personal experience and understanding) which informs accusation: how difficult can it be to share pertinent detail? Even if difficult, doesn't the accuser have responsibility to share pertinent detail?

If an accuser does not understand the evidence which informs accusation: why is public accusation justified?

Sometimes, shortcut references might serve their true purpose of pointing an understanding audience towards appropriate justifying evidence. However, imo, in instances of racial accusation: shortcut references are usually employed - not to inform - but to obscure a dearth of evidence.



V. Ethic of reciprocity

Wikipedia:

The ethic of reciprocity (also known as the Golden Rule) is an ethical code that states one has a right to just treatment, and a responsibility to ensure justice for others.

A key element of the golden rule is that a person attempting to live by this rule treats all people, not just members of his or her in-group, with consideration. The golden rule has its roots in a wide range of world cultures, and is a standard which different cultures use to resolve conflicts. Principal philosophers and religious figures have stated it in different ways.
[...]
The Sage Hillel formulated the Silver rule in order to illustrate the underlying principles of Jewish moral law:

That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.

Rabbi Akiba emphasized the importance of Leviticus 19:18.

Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Rangers: Omar Vizquel and Elvis Andrus

Update: Mike Hindman has a quick interview with Elvis.

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Omar Vizquel is hitting .360. Yesterday (game photos), at the plate during a hit and run, Vizquel spoiled a fastball off the plate which would have gotten Saltalamacchia thrown out at second base. With the count then 2-1, Vizquel twice prepared to bunt, both times backing his bat away and taking close fastballs for balls, thus drawing a walk. Winning stuff. Rangers players have messed up these types of small plays for years. When Showalter managed, his batters were more likely to "Win a Free Suit" than to lay down a bunt in fair territory. It's a pleasure, now, to see a Rangers batter execute small winning plays.

Vizquel (L) and Andrus (R), photo USA Today
Vizquel could easily be a full time starter this season. His physical conditioning is exceptional. His skills remain formidable. He tripled leading off the 8th inning of a one run game, missing a home run by 4 feet. He is still fast enough to steal bases, and has done so a couple of times. He is a winning player.

For Elvis, it's a mental advantage to sit every 4th day or so. Elvis benefits from some mental relaxation; from some downtime away from the pressure. Elvis also benefits from some quiet time to just observe a major league game: quietly, reflectively, without pressure, as a child observes his parents. The whole situation for Elvis could not be better:

1. Vizquel is super smart (a future manager), mature enough to not be jealous, generous enough to share info with Elvis
2. Vizquel is Elvis' hero, and therefore Elvis is eager to listen
3. Frequent mental rest and quiet observation time allow Elvis to more effectively handle major league pressure.

I say Hamilton could also benefit from more mental rest. Chris Davis, also. These are young players. Hamilton and Davis have tendencies to swing at bad pitches. I suspect, when Hamilton and Davis are mentally or physically fatigued, this tendency is exacerbated and leads to slumps. Therefore, Hamilton and Davis benefit from being fresh.

Kinsler needs no mental rest, as Kinsler really never thinks when he plays, and Kinsler does not often swing at bad pitches. Kinsler is like a good dog who just keeps working, keeps working: the more the dog works, the better he likes it. It's what the dog was born for. You can, during a season, run Kinsler into the ground: he seemingly only gets better.

Earthquake in North Texas!

Tiny one, I guess:  3.3.  In Hurst-Euless-Bedford, just west of DFW Airport.  My cousin and some of her friends felt it.

Now, seeing as how I'm geologically ignorant, I'm saying:  Armageddon?  Holy whillakers!  Earthquake!  In.  North.  Texas!  This stuff just doesn't happen.  We are supposed to die by tornado.  So:  Armageddon alert!

"Sinnerman"
Nina Simone
http://blip.fm/profile/gcotharn/blip/9231502

Well I run to the river, it was boilin'
I run to the sea, it was boilin'
I run to the sea, it was boilin'
All on that day

So I ran to the Lord
I said, Lord hide me,
please hide me, please help me
All on that day

He said,
child,
where were you
when you oughta been prayin'?

I said, Lord, Lord, hear me prayin'
Lord, Lord, hear me prayin'
Lord, Lord, hear me prayin'
All on that day

Sinnerman you oughta be prayin'
Oughta be prayin', Sinnerman
Oughta be prayin',
All on that day

Barack's roadtrip: best ever parable for Barack's proposed debt

The blogger who made this: politicalmath.com, says he used every possible favorable assumption for Barack, even calculating more favorably than Barack's own assumptions, so as to not be accused of unfairness. Says, if he did it over, he would use Barack's own assumptions and show Barack's vehicle going faster than 174 mph.

A side note: GWB got out of the driver's seat about a 10 minute drive from my house.

Media reaction to President Palin's first 100 days

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Blood on her hands...

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VDH
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Friday Hot: Women of Israeli Defense Forces

Update:  Paul Gordon, in the comments, alerts to this from The Muqata:
Why no one robs convenience stores in Israel  


These ladies both: 1) got back, and 2) got your back.

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I've shown photos of IDF women before. I love healthy, active, athletic women. Several times, in past, I've made inquiries about women who turned out to be healthy, active, athletic lesbians. A danged shame!

I consider the IDF as maybe the most beautiful group of women in the world. They are willing to fight and die for Israel. They are healthy and active. They shoot. Many are devout. Very sexy combination of traits. You can have your cheerleaders and your boob job Hollywood air brushed airheads. Give me the women of the IDF.



Past End Zone:

Feb 2009 End Zone: Women of IDF


From 2006 End Zone:


Above: sea, sand, salt air, kite, girls, beer, automatic weapon, full clip. Sigh...

Do yourself a favor, and click the link

Voter ID study and info

study from heritage.org, reported  by Tom McMahon

• On April 28, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court's  Crawford v. Marion County Election Board  decision ruled that on its face Indiana's photo-ID law did not pose an unconstitutional burden on voters.
• A January 2008 Rasmussen Reports survey found that 80 percent of voters approve of photo identification requirements, while only 13 percent disapproved.
• Opponents of voter ID laws exaggerate the burden of obtaining the appropriate identification.
• Despite the popularity of voter ID laws, some claim that such laws will disenfranchise voters.
• New studies indicate that voter ID laws do not suppress voter turnout.
• The findings of the Heritage analysis suggest that voter identification requirements, such as requiring non-photo and photo identification, have virtually no suppressive effect on reported voter turnout.
  Additional research strongly suggests that voter ID laws do not suppress voter turnout.
• Professor Milyo analyzed the change in voter turnout in Indiana counties before and after the implementation of the state's photo ID law.
• Overall, statewide turnout increased by 2 percentage points.
• Voter ID laws are a common sense policy to help ensure the integrity of elections.

Ann Coulter: having fun w/liberal reaction to Carrie Prejean

Ann hasn't had this much fun in a while. And that's saying something, cause Ann likes to have fun. Link. Excerpts:

Not even Dick Cheney can incite the blood-curdling rage of liberals at the sight of a sexy Evangelical Christian.
[...]
Christians are supposed to be fat, balding sweaty little men with bad complexions. It's liberals who are supposed to be the sexy ones. (I know that from watching "The West Wing" and all movies starring Julia Roberts.)

But sadly for liberals, in real life, the fat, balding sweaty little guy with the bad complexion is Perez Hilton and the smoking-hot babe is Carrie Prejean.
[...]
(And if wearing women's underwear is a basis for being disqualified from the pageant, that's the end of Perez Hilton's judging career.)
[...]
Liberals wouldn't attack James Dobson with the amount of bile they've directed at a 21-year-old beauty contestant. It's not just Christianity -- it's women liberals hate.

From Jean-Paul Sartre, Pablo Picasso and Bertrand Russell, who treated women -- mostly their mistresses -- like dogs, to Teddy Kennedy and Bill Clinton in our own day, liberals are ferocious misogynists. They share Muslims' opinion of women, differing only to the extent that liberals also support a women's right to have an abortion and to perform lap dances.

You'd be better off in a real burqa than under the authority of a liberal American male.

I'm not sure we needed a psychological profile of Prejean to figure out why she holds the same position on gay marriage as: the president, the vice president, the secretary of state, Bill Clinton, John Kerry, John Edwards and his mistress, and the vast majority of the American people.

But what is crying out for an explanation is why every bubble-head TV news anchorette from a nice, churchgoing red state ends up adopting the political views of Karl Marx.

Honestly, Obama's lying

Reading Robert Avrech is good for what ails ya. Lunch, Hollywood, w/film producer:

“Robert, don’t be so naive. We all know Obama’s lying through his teeth.”

“About gay marriage?”

“That and being,” he claws quote marks in the air, “a good Christian. Listen, Obama’s a Christian like I’m a Hasid.”

I am floored.

“You’re saying that Democrats assume Obama is lying for political expediency?”

“To get elected, sure. Hey, welcome to the real world.”

I take a deep breath.

“So Carrie Prejean is a big fat target—”

“Not fat, my friend, did you see that slamming body?”

“Okay, so she’s a slamming beautiful target because she’s a genuine Christian and sincerely opposes gay marriage whereas Obama gets a pass because, you assume, he’s a liar and an opportunist.”

“You got it.”

Texas births another political contender: Ted Cruz

Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to 2008; now running for State Attorney General.  Jay Nordlinger of National Review is enamored.  

Cruz' father participated in the Castro Revolution; then escaped Batista prison and fled to Austin and Univ. of Texas at age 18, with $100 sewed into his underwear; then gave speeches supporting Castro; only to later return to those same social and service clubs to denounce Castro.  

Ted Cruz found The Free Enterprise Institute during high school in Houston.  They encouraged him to read Hayek, Friedman, and Bastiat.  They sponsored speech contests, and Ted won all four years in the city of Houston.  They sent him to 60+ speeches to Kiwanas and Rotary Clubs, which would be followed by Q&A from the audience.   Ted Cruz can speak and Ted Cruz can reason.  He went to Princeton and became national collegiate debate champion, as in THE national champion.  Cruz later clerked for Rehnquist, and has argued 8 cases for the State of Texas before the U.S. Supreme Court.  

Nordlinger, who met Cruz when both worked on the Bush 2000 Campaign, calls Cruz "A Great Reaganite Hope".

I love Jay Nordlinger's columns.  A Nordlinger aside, having something to do with Cruz in only a tangential way:

When the Michigan Law School admissions people were considering applicants, the question arose whether Cubans were Hispanic. (This came out in a Supreme Court case.) Someone said, “But don’t they vote Republican?”

When I look at the talented young Republicans:  Ted Cruz, Bobby Jindal, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, and more, I feel hopeful that our nation might escape the Euro Socialism which we are on course for, and which I pray to God we can miraculously shed and cast away from us in a bright future era.  

Every society crumbles.  Barack has ours on course for a speedy crumble, but we are not dead yet.  We can still save our society.  We can stand it back up.  The internet is our friend.  Truth is our friend.  Information wants to be free.