Mach 7

From the Military Times:

Navy breaks record with railgun test-shot
DAHLGREN, VA. — The Navy set a new world record for the most powerful electromagnetic railgun when it fired a test shot here Thursday morning.

The gun fired an aluminum projectile at 10.68 megajoules. A joule is the work needed to produce one watt of energy for one second. A megajoule is 1 million joules.

Watch video of the test

Guests including Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead and Rear Adm. William Landay, head of the Office of Naval Research, witnessed the shot via a live video feed at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren. The gun was launched from a control center after approximately four minutes of charging the electromagnetic rails. After the charge, the gun fired and witnesses saw a quick burst of flame as the projectile, traveling at 2,500 meters per second, or Mach 7, hit its target.

What does Mach 7 mean? For this discussion, mach is the speed of sound at sea level at a temperature of 15 degrees celsius which is 761.2 mph or 1115 feet per second.

To bring some perspsctive, 2500 meters/second is 1.553 miles per second or 5,591 mph. That is 8200 feet per second. Compare that to a high powered rifle at 3200-3600 f/s. Most jet fighters have a speed limit below Mach 2. Escape velocity from the earth's gravitational field is about 6.95 miles per second (25,000 mph) or 11,200 meters per second.

Roughead called the gun a “revolutionary approach to naval warfare.” He acknowledged the Navy is “a ways from seeing this in the fleet,” but said it is important that the service “never loses sight of the next big thing.”

The previous railgun record of 9 megajoules was held by the Center for Electromagnetic Materials and Devices at the University of Texas, according to the Office of Naval Research. The Institute for Advanced Technology, also at the university, certifies electromagnetic railgun launches.

An EM railgun is powered by electricity rather than gunpowder. A shell is launched at Mach 7 through the electromagnetic rails into the atmosphere for about one minute, flies out of the atmosphere for four minutes, and then descends to Earth toward its target at Mach 5 in approximately one minute. The projectile is guided using the Global Positioning System.

This is so cool. I wonder if they will ever come out with a hand held version?

The Navy hopes an EM railgun onboard a ship could increase ship design options because the gun weighs less and requires less infrastructure than traditional guns that use gunpowder and magazines.

Traditional fire-protection and ammunition-handling requirements are not necessary using an electromagnetic-pulse power system. Potentially, this could change the way the service thinks about naval gunnery, Landay, the head of ONR, told reporters after the test firing.

The Navy plans to have an EM railgun onboard a ship, potentially its next-generation cruiser CG(X), between 2020 and 2025. Officials declined to say what ship would be a good candidate for the gun.

“The gun can fit on any electric ship,” said Elizabeth D’Andrea, the EM railgun program manager at ONR.

Now It's Uranium

I can't even dream up a title for this post, I'm so disgusted. Once again our faces are rubbed in the corrupt droppings of the Clintons. That thieving, conniving pair of dissolute grifters treat the entire nation like a cocker spaniel that just crapped on the livingroom carpet. I for one am sick to death of it and have been for quite some time.

This latest escapade as reported in the NY Times, involves the peddling of influence in uranium mining and a $130 million bribe to Billy Jeff.

Late on Sept. 6, 2005, a private plane carrying the Canadian mining financier Frank Giustra touched down in Almaty, a ruggedly picturesque city in southeast Kazakhstan.

Several hundred miles to the west a fortune awaited: highly coveted deposits of uranium that could fuel nuclear reactors around the world. And Mr. Giustra was in hot pursuit of an exclusive deal to tap them.

Unlike more established competitors, Mr. Giustra was a newcomer to uranium mining in Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic. But what his fledgling company lacked in experience, it made up for in connections. Accompanying Mr. Giustra on his luxuriously appointed MD-87 jet that day was a former president of the United States, Bill Clinton.

Upon landing on the first stop of a three-country philanthropic tour, the two men were whisked off to share a sumptuous midnight banquet with Kazakhstan’s president, Nursultan A. Nazarbayev, whose 19-year stranglehold on the country has all but quashed political dissent.

Mr. Nazarbayev walked away from the table with a propaganda coup, after Mr. Clinton expressed enthusiastic support for the Kazakh leader’s bid to head an international organization that monitors elections and supports democracy. Mr. Clinton’s public declaration undercut both American foreign policy and sharp criticism of Kazakhstan’s poor human rights record by, among others, Mr. Clinton’s wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

There exists no level low enough to which this creature will not slither even lower. He would have endorsed Adolph Eichmann as executive director of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League.

Within two days, corporate records show that Mr. Giustra also came up a winner when his company signed preliminary agreements giving it the right to buy into three uranium projects controlled by Kazakhstan’s state-owned uranium agency, Kazatomprom.

The monster deal stunned the mining industry, turning an unknown shell company into one of the world’s largest uranium producers in a transaction ultimately worth tens of millions of dollars to Mr. Giustra, analysts said.

Just months after the Kazakh pact was finalized, Mr. Clinton’s charitable foundation received its own windfall: a $31.3 million donation from Mr. Giustra that had remained a secret until he acknowledged it last month. The gift, combined with Mr. Giustra’s more recent and public pledge to give the William J. Clinton Foundation an additional $100 million, secured Mr. Giustra a place in Mr. Clinton’s inner circle, an exclusive club of wealthy entrepreneurs in which friendship with the former president has its privileges.

Mr. Giustra was invited to accompany the former president to Almaty just as the financier was trying to seal a deal he had been negotiating for months.

As yet there is no word on how much cash ended up in President Nazarbayev's pockets.

A spokesman for Mr. Clinton said the former president knew that Mr. Giustra had mining interests in Kazakhstan but was unaware of “any particular efforts” and did nothing to help. Mr. Giustra said he was there as an “observer only” and there was “no discussion” of the deal with Mr. Nazarbayev or Mr. Clinton.

[...] Mr. Clinton’s Kazakhstan visit, the only one of his post-presidency, appears to have been arranged hastily. The United States Embassy got last-minute notice that the president would be making “a private visit,” said a State Department official, who said he was not authorized to speak on the record.

The publicly stated reason for the visit was to announce a Clinton Foundation agreement that enabled the government to buy discounted AIDS drugs. But during a news conference, Mr. Clinton wandered into delicate territory by commending Mr. Nazarbayev for “opening up the social and political life of your country.”

The only deals this SOB gets involved in are those where a thong or a dollar bill is attached. "Social and political life" my ass.

Lipstick in School

According to a news report, a certain private school in Washington was recently
faced with a unique problem. A number of 12-year-old girls were beginning to use
lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom. That was fine, but after they put
on their lipstick, they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of
little lip prints. Every night the maintenance man would remove them, and the
next day the girls would put them back.

Finally the principal decided that something had to be done. She called all the
girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man. She explained
that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had
to clean the mirrors every night (you can just imagine
the yawns from the little princesses).

To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the
maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required.

He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and
cleaned the mirror with it. Since then, there have been no lip prints on the
mirror.

There are teachers ... and then there are educators!

H/T to Charlie the Cop

A New *gasp* Fragrance

I nearly fell out of my chair when I watched this one.




A big H/T to Charlie the Cop.

Cats

You don't have to own a cat to appreciate this one.

You don't even have to like 'em!

We were dressed and ready to go out for the New Years Eve Party. We turned on a night light, turned the answering machine on, covered our pet parakeet and put the cat in the backyard. We phoned the local cab company and requested a taxi.

The taxi arrived and we opened the front door to leave the house. The cat we put out in the yard, scoots back into the house. We didn't want the cat shut in the house because she always tries to eat the bird.

I go out to the taxi, while my husband went inside to get the cat. The cat runs upstairs, with my husband in hot pursuit. Waiting in the cab, I don't want the driver to know that the house will be empty for the night. So, I explain to the taxi driver that he will be out soon, 'He's
just going upstairs to say goodbye to my mother.'

A few minutes later, he gets into the cab.

'Sorry I took so long,' he said, as we drove away. 'That stupid bitch was hiding under the bed. I had To poke her with a coat hanger to get her to come out! She tried to take off, so I grabbed her by the neck. Then, I had to wrap her in a blanket to keep her from scratching me. But it worked! I hauled her fat ass downstairs and threw her out into the back yard!'

The cab driver hit a parked car


H/T t my brother Bob.

A Lesson in Forensics

This is why we take samples from a shooting suspect's hands and clothing.

Look at the cloud surrounding the hands of the shooter. This cloud is comprised of gunpowder and primer residue. In gunshot residue tests, certain elements are sought to indicate that residue from a gunshot is present on the hands, gloves or shirt cuffs of the suspect. One of the components of pistol/rifle primers is barium and it turns up in these residue tests.

Gunshot residue can also be found on the clothing of the victim if he is close enough to the shooter. I have had cases where someone claimed to be shot from a distance but the gunshot residue deposited on his clothing indicated that the shot was fired from a distance of only a few feet or less. In one investigation I examined the clothing of an alleged victim who reported that he had been shot from a passing car. It isn't rocket science - the powder residue was thickly disturbed right around the bullet hole in his jeans He had actually shot himself in the leg with an illegal handgun.

Also notice the shock waves. There are two sources - the muzzle of the barrel and the front of the revolver's cylinder. The "nipple" at the left end of the shock wave is actually the bullet leaving the barrel.

H/T to Paul C for this great photograph.

April 15th Approachs

The taxman doth beckon. Time to pull together all those W-2's and 1099's and hope you get it all straight on your 1040 and your Schedule A, B, C and form 4562.

But just in case in the midst of all this preparation you lose heart, please keep in mind the following people who depend upon you for your prompt payment of taxes to support them in a manner far, far beyond what they could provide for themselves in their own countries. And they thank you for it...

¡Muchas gracias culero!

Fly Canadian

You've got to love the Canadian sense of humour. West Jet is based in Calgary , Alberta . It's flight attendants are famous for trying to make the in-flight safety lecture and pre-flight announcements more entertaining. Here are recent examples:

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On a flight featuring a senior crew of attendants, the pilot announced,"Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude. We'll be turning down the lights both for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of the cabin crew."

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On landing, an attendant said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings with you. If you're going to leave anything, make sure it's something we'd like to have."

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"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane."
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"Thank you for flying West Jet Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."

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As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at the Vancouver airport, alone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"

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After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in Ontario , a flight attendant on a West Jet flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments. After a landing like that, everything sure as heck shifted."

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From a West Jet employee: "Welcome aboard West Jet Flight 245 to Calgary .To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle and pull it tight. You'll find that it works just like every other seat belt.However, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."
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"In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face.If you're traveling with a small child, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you're traveling with more than one child, pick your favorite."

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"The weather at our destination is 50 degrees with broken clouds. We'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Remember, nobody loves you or your money more than West Jet Airlines."

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"Your seat cushions can be used for flotation. In the event of an emergency landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."

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"As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings.Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses."

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And from the pilot during his welcome message: "West Jet Airlines is pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"

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Heard on West Jet Airlines just after a very hard landing in Edmonton: The flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bump,and I know what you all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt."

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Overheard on a West Jet Airlines flight into Regina on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain was really having to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Regina . Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!"

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Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."

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An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the Passengers exited,smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline." He said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye,thinking that someone would have a smart comment. Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said,"Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?""Why, no, Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it?"The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"
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After a real crusher of a landing in Halifax , the attendant came on with, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced,we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal."

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Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of West Jet Airways."

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Heard on a West Jet Airline flight. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing. If you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em."

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A plane was taking off from the Winnipeg airport. After it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made this announcement."Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Flight Number 293, nonstop from Winnipeg to Montreal . The weather ahead is good and we should have a smooth and uneventful flight. Now sit back and relax... OH, MY GOD!!" Silence followed. Moments later, the captain returned to the radio and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm sorry if I scared you earlier. While I was talking to you, the flight attendant spilled hot coffee on my lap. You should see the front of my pants!"A passenger yelled, "That's nothing! You should see the back of mine."

H/T to my brother.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Boobies

All of you can remember wanting something from a very early age. As we grow older our wants, desires and needs change. But I never associated something I wanted with a right to have it. Either you buy it, inherit it, find it, steal it or whatever. Somethings you work for and other things, well, you just look at the catalogue and dream.

I can remember wanting toy construction trucks, BB guns, bicycles, a girl friend, cars, better jobs, etc. etc. But I never wanted tittyboombooms. At least none of my own. Enter Charlene Hastings, a transgender changling who has a need, a need for mammaries that God in His wisdom never gave him/her/it in the first place.

A transgender woman in California has gone to court, claiming that a Catholic-affiliated hospital discriminated against her when it denied her request for breast augmentation surgery.

The man-turned-woman, Charlene Hastings, filed the complaint in December and said she wants to have the surgery because it will make her look more feminine, but the hospital has refused to operate because she was not born a woman.

Hastings, who already has had one major sex-change surgery, claims that Seton Medical Center in Daly City, Calif., would not allow her plastic surgeon to operate on a transgender person.

I can only imagine what the first major sex-change surgery was. But I can't imagine how anyone can believe that they have a right to non-critical surgery. Too bad, self esteem just doesn't fit the bill.

This is like going to an auto mechanic and stating that you want your perfectly good engine replaced with another. He may or may not agree to do it. If he is honest, he will tell you that your engine is fine and no replacement is needed. Nothing is violated, you just have to find another provider who will agree to do it. Someone will always be available to do what you want for a price.

"I honestly believe that God has plans for me to have this surgery," Hastings told FOXNews.com.

"I felt simply less than equal," she said. "Here I am, a woman. I had the reassignment surgery, and not to allow me this right, I felt violated."

Hastings, who was raised Catholic and says she attends church every Sunday, said the hospital told her that the surgery was not part of God's plan for her. She filed the complaint in San Francisco Superior Court alleging harassment and discrimination on the basis of gender.

That explains a lot. They must be pouring pixie dust and nut juice in the water system.

Hastings completed gender reassignment surgery in fall 2006 to become female at another hospital.

I don't think that having this surgery will make you a woman. It will take a psychologically screwed up man and give him a horribily mutilated willy. Other than that, nothing has changed.

Gender reassignment surgery (warning, this is nasty graphic stuff) is when the male sex organs are "reassigned" as castanets or door stops, what have you...

Shortly after, she requested the breast augmentation surgery be performed at Seton Medical Center because her surgeon was affiliated with the hospital. The hospital denied her request and an official told her that "God made you a man," according to the complaint.

"Hastings said that they would not allow her to receive the services because they felt that she was born a man, so they would not assist her in this procedure that they offer," Dolan said.

Hastings said she doesn't plan to seek the surgery elsewhere because of her fear of being denied again.

Seton Medical Center, a member of the Daughters of Charity Health System — a regional health care system of five hospitals — is not commenting on the lawsuit. But system spokeswoman Elizabeth Nikels said in a written statement that the organization follows hospital policy according to Catholic teaching: "Vincentian and Catholic values form the basis of our identity and set the parameters for our ethics and standards of behavior in health care."

The Catholic hospital does not allow transgender surgery, the statement says.

"Seton Medical Center, a Catholic hospital and a member of the Daughters of Charity Health System, provides services to all individuals. However, the hospital does not perform surgical procedures contrary to Catholic teaching; for example, abortion, direct euthanasia, transgender surgery or any of its related components."

This sounds more and more like Hastings is looking for a lawsuit to pay for the rest of his/its surgeries. And of course it decides to bring in the rest fo the perverts.

Shannon Minter, legal director for the Center for Lesbian Rights and an expert on transgender rights, said California law protects Hastings.

"It's against California law, and it's wrong," Minter said. "They should be ashamed of themselves for turning away anybody because of their identity." Minter said the Unruh Civil Rights Act protects Hastings against discrimination based on gender identity, adding that there is no exception for religious-affiliated businesses.

The act "provides protection from discrimination by all business establishments in California, including housing and public accommodations, because of age, ancestry, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex and sexual orientation."

This is nothing more than a targeted attack on a decent, God fearing institution to force it to comply with the desires of perverts.

The Catholic League, the nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization, supports the hospital's position.

"Catholic hospitals are not required to perform abortions, and neither should they be forced to perform transgender operations," said Catholic League President Bill Donohue.

Anita Silvers, a professor at San Francisco State University, said a hospital can determine what elective surgery can be done at its facility and can refuse to do transgender surgery if it’s too risky, the facility isn’t equipped to do it or the hospital doesn’t have enough resources.

Silvers said the case will test the Unruh Act and determine if the issue is about not allowing the surgery to Hastings based on other factors at the facility, or if the refusal is about Hastings alone.

"The Unruh Act created transgendered people as a protected class who cannot be refused service based on their being transgendered," Silvers wrote in an e-mail. "The issue is whether the refusal is about the surgery itself or about the patient herself."

I feel sometimes that there is a race as to who can get this country to go down the tubes the fastest. Perverts feel that no one can challenge their need to degrade themselves and now demand that they be able to force others to do it for them. This is disgusting.

Hail Hillary, Full of Grace

"Where is the G-dam f***ing flag? I want the G-dam f***ing flag up every f***ing morning at f***ing sunrise."--From the book "Inside The White House" by Ronald Kessler, p. 244 (Hillary to the staff at the Arkansas Governor's mansion on Labor Day, 1991)
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"You sold out, you m***er f***er! You sold out!" -From the book "Inside" by Joseph Califano, p. 213 - (Hillary yelling at a Democrat lawyer.)
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"F*** off! It's enough that I have to see you sh**-kickers every day, I'm not going to talk to you too!! Just do your G*dam job and keep your mouth shut."-From the book "American Evita" by Christopher Ande rson, p. 90 - (Hillary to her State Trooper bodyguards after one of them greeted her with "Good Morning.")
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"You f** *ing idiot"-From the book "Crossfire" p. 84 - (Hillary to a State Trooper who was driving her to an event.)
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"If you want to remain on this detail, get your f***ing ass over here and grab those bags!"--From the book "The First Partner" p. 259 - (Hillary to a Secret Service Agent who was reluctant to carry her luggage because he wanted to keep his hands free in case of an incident.)
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"Get f***ed! Get the f*** out of my way!!! Get out of my face!!!"--From the book "Hillary's Scheme" p. 89 - (Hillary's various comments to her Secret Service detail agents.)
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"Stay the f*** back, stay the f*** away from me! Don't come within ten yards of me, or else! Just f***ing do as I say, Okay!!!?"-From the book "Unlimited Access", by Clinton FBI Agent in Charge, Gary Aldrige, p. 139 - (Hillary screaming at her Secret Service detail.)
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"Where's the miserable c**k sucker?"-From the book "The Truth About Hillary" by Edward Klein, p. 5 - (Hillary shouting at a Secret Service officer.)
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"Put this on the ground! I left my sunglasses in the limo. I need those sunglasses. We need to go back!"-From the book "Dereliction of Duty" p. 71-72 - (Hillary to Marine One helicopter pilot to turn back while en route to Air Force One.)
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"Son of a bitch." -From the book "American Evita" by Christopher Anderson, p. 259 - (Hillary's opinion of President George W. Bush when she found out he secretly visited Iraq just days before her highly publicized trip to Iraq.)
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"What are you doing inviting these people into my home? These people are our enemies! They are trying to destroy us!"-From the book "The Survivor" by John Harris, p. 99 - (Hillary screaming to an aide, when she found out that some Republicans had been invited to the Clinton White House.)
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"Come on Bill, put your d**k up! You can't f*** her here!!"-From the book "Inside The White House" by Ronald Kessler, p. 243 - (Hillary to Gov. Clinton when she spots him talking with an attractive female at an Arkansas political rally.)
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"You know, I'm going to start thanking the woman who cleans the restroom in the building I work in. I'm going to start thinking of her as a human being" --- Hillary Clinton-From the book "The Case Against Hillary Clinton" by Peggy Noonan, p. 55
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"We just can't trust the American people to make those types of choices.... Government has to make those choices for people "-From the book "I've Always Been A Yankee Fan" by Thomas D. Kuiper, p. 20 - (Hillary to Rep. Dennis Hasert in 1993 discussing her expensive, disastrous taxpayer-funded health care plan.)
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"I am a fan of the social policies that you find in Europe" ---Hillary in 1996" -From the book "I've Always Been A Yankee Fan" by Thomas D. Kuiper, p.6
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This ill-tempered, violent, foul- mouthed, hateful, abusive, beastly woman wants to be your president and have total control, as your Commander-in-chief of our Military, the very Military for which she has shown incredible contempt & disdain throughout her public life. Surely we the people of the The United States can easily do better than this.The references given for these quotes have been confirmed by Snopes. Check out this site: (http://www.snopes.com/politics/clintons/hildabeast.asp )
but the publications do not always give the source of the quotes.

H/T to Charley the Cop.

Good Advice

My brother sent me this today. It is a great piece of advice.

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.






STROKE IDENTIFICATION: During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall, she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .....she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.)


She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die, they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.


It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally.

He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.


RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn! Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.


Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:


S - Ask the individual to SMILE.

T - Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (coherently) i.e. "It is sunny out today."

R - Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999/911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.


New Sign of a Stroke ------- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other , that is also an indication of a stroke.


The reasons for the S -T- R tasks listed above become clearer once you read the following signs of stroke from the American Stroke Association:

1) Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, ar) m or leg, especially on one side of the body
2) Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
3) Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
4) Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
5) Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Be well.

Home Again

The conference ended today on a bit of an escapist note. I ran out of there an hour and a half prior to the end.

I couldn't take anymore. I was with a state trooper friend of mine who, after suffering with me through a particularly tedious presentation, groaned. "This is torture."

That wasn't the case yesterday and the first part of this morning.

We had excellent presentations by law enforcement professionals on a variety of subjects. Detectives from various cities across New York State displayed a wide range of PowerPoint kung foo skills as they showed an audience of well over 300 people how analysis adds value to information, thus yielding actionable intelligence. This is used to not only solve crimes but also remove some of the underlying causes. Just as important are the examples of interagency collaboration that support these efforts.

Okay, so it doesn't set my pulse apounding either but after thirty-four years in the business I welcome anything that gives us an edge; and this stuff works. Unfortunately many departments never had the resources to develop this capability.

There are 62 counties in New York. The State offered assistance to seventeen counties (all outside New York City) to hire Field Intelligence Officers and Crime Analysts and to purchase computers, software and training. These seventeen counties were selected because together they account for 80% of all crimes committed outside of NYC.

This conference was a gathering to report on their progress and to provide an opportunity for networking and the development of professional and personal relationships that otherwise would not be established.

Everything was going swimmingly until late this morning when we ran into the Speaker From Hell. I endured fifty minutes of this torture before walking out for a breather. We then ate lunch and I left before my ears began to bleed afresh.

Saratoga Springs

It is 2230 hrs. and I just drove into Saratoga Springs to attend a two day conference. This is my first time back in Saratoga since the kids bought the wife and I a weekend at a B&B for our 24th anniversary in 2006. I'll leave Wednesday afternoon to return home.

This is a violent crime conference where cops from the 17 largest counties/cities in NYS will share their experience with various crime reduction strategies, listen to research partners present findings on strategy evaluation and consume copius amounts of adult beverages. Years ago these conferences were unbelievable but they have been toned down quite a bit. As I no longer indulge, it will be an early evening for me.

I forgot to bring a sales tax exemption slip from the office so I'll have them fax one to the hotel tomorrow. I hate conferences.

Cervical Cancer

Yesterday our 20 year old daughter has surgery to remove a small part of her cervix. The doctor is very confident that there are no more lesions. We brought her home and she is up and about but has to take it easy for a week or so. She got scared just before the procedure was performed but the wife and I were there to console and comfort her. We all prayed together in the prep room and remembered that all things are in His control and that He works for our good. We await the results of the biopsy; there were pre-cancerous cells and she had a lot of them..

One thought for our friends out there. The doctor said that there is absolutely no reason whatsoever that any woman should die of cervical cancer. It is easily treatable and is caused by a virus. Women should have pap smear tests on a regular basis to check for the precursors of cervical cancer. Our daughter didn't bother getting an appointment with a GYN until her mother insisted. After this scare she is very glad she did and will religiously follow the doctor's (and ours!) instructions on future tests.

If you have a wife/daughter/niece/friend who does not have periodic testing performed, please please please drag her there and sit on her if you have to. Pap smears are inexpensive, it is crazy not to have this done.

It's A Brand New Year

This was our first Christmas where our family was without any of my wife's parents. Her mom died in 2003 and her dad died in October. But our daughter is home and she has graduated from SUNY Binghamton; she is contemplating graduate school or at least another advanced language immersion course overseas, perhaps Jordan.

We are trying to convince her to stay in the US as there are courses here that accomplish the same purpose, but the cost for them is astronomical; $8,000 for an eight week course as opposed to $3,000 (includes airfare) overseas. She is also looking into government programs where she would attend language courses in the US for a year and then another year in Syria in return for future government service. But at least she will remain home until the fall (we hope). She is working part time with my wife in a medical practice as a clerk for the time being. She just put in her application to do some interpreter work at a local agency downtown.

Our middle daughter is having a surgical procedure performed this coming Friday. Her last pap smear showed cancerous cells in her cervix. Supposedly this is not uncommon but we are concerned just the same. Cervical cancer runs in both my family and my wife's families (our grandmothers). My oldest daughter went through this same procedure for the same cause some years ago. Your prayers are appreciated.

My sister is also going through some separation anxiety. My nephew's naval reserve unit has been activated and he is now stationed in Djibouti. We don't know if or when he is going to Iraq. He is a LT jg in the Sea Bees and his unit is doing humanitarian construction work in the Horn of Africa right now.

My niece is finishing her master's and is currently teaching in the public schools in Maryland. She is very discouraged with trying to teach in the zoos they call schools and is considering working for the DOD, teaching the children of US government employees stationed overseas.

I just lost out on a significant state government posting. I won't go into details but the disappointment was tempered by the knowledge that God has a hand in all things - there is a reason for everything and I trust in His provision. A lot of high ranking law enforcement executives in different agencies were also somewhat put out by this and I was humbled that they thought that highly of me and my qualifications.

In the final analysis, life is good. I have no complaints. I wish the very best for all of you in the New Year.

Cop Thoughts

My retired cop buddy Al sent me this. He's a real good egg and one of these summer days he'll make it to Syracuse for the Nationals. This has been around for some time but it is still a decent read.

When Cops Retire:

When a good man leaves the 'job' and retires to a better life, many are jealous, some are pleased and yet others, who may have already retired, wonder. We wonder if he [she] knows what they are leaving behind, because we already know. We know, for example, that after a lifetime of camaraderie that few experience, it will remain as a longing for those past times.

We know in the law enforcement life there is a fellowship which lasts long after the uniforms are hung up in the back of the closet. We know even if he throws them away, they will be on him with every step and breath that remains in his frame. We also know how the very bearing of the man speaks of what he was and in his heart still is.

These are the burdens of the job.

You will still look at people suspiciously, still see what others do not see or choose to ignore and always will look at the rest of the law enforcement world with a respect for what they do; only grown in a lifetime of knowing. Never think for one moment you are escaping from the life. You are only escaping the 'job' and we are merely allowing you to leave 'active' duty.

So what I wish for you is that whenever you ease into retirement, in your heart you never forget for one moment that 'Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called children of God,' and you are still a member of the greatest fraternity the world has ever known.

Civilian Friends vs. Police Friends

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Get upset if you're too busy to talk to them for a week.

POLICE FRIENDS: Are glad to see you after years, and will happily carry on the same conversation you were having last time you met.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Never ask for food or alcohol.

POLICE FRIENDS: Are the reason you have no food or alcohol.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. And Mrs.

POLICE FRIENDS: Call your parents mom and dad.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Bail you out of jail and tell you what you did was wrong.

POLICE FRIENDS: Would be sitting next to you in jail saying, 'Damn...we screwed up...but man, that was fun!'

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.

POLICE FRIENDS: Cry with you.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.

POLICE FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it's yours.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.

POLICE FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.

POLICE FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds' ass that left you behind.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.

POLICE FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, 'I'm home!'

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are for a while.

POLICE FRIENDS: Are for life.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have shared a few experiences...

POLICE FRIENDS: Have shared a lifetime of experiences no civilian could ever dream of...

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you've had enough.

POLICE FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say 'You better drink the rest of that, you know we don't waste. That's alcohol abuse!!' Then carry you home safely and put you to bed.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will talk crap to the person who talks crap about you.

POLICE FRIENDS: Will knock them the hell out for using your name in vain.

Merry Christmas

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

May our Heavenly Father overwhelm you with His love.

The Debate Continues

In a News-Press opinion entitled "Plenty of scientific doubt about climate catastrophe," Wayne Holbrook gives a succinct summation that captures why I do not buy into the global warming controversy.

I am a denier, a pejorative term applied to those of us who reject the now discredited report that 99 percent of climatologists agree that we are in a period of accelerated global warming, and that the debate is over.

I am in good company. The deniers include those scientists who are directly involved in actual measurements of global temperatures, or those who base their positions on solid science, as opposed to those who base their opinion on computer modeling.

Models are like polling. For some strange reason people accept a model as scientific fact. It is not. A model is only as good as the premises that it is built on.A classic example of the latter is Dr. James Hansen of the Goddard Space Institute, whose presentation to Congress ignited the global warming frenzy and predicted double-digit warming and catastrophic consequences, based on a flawed computer model.

Dr. William Gray, a Professor Emeritus of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University is a climate expert. This is an excerpt from his paper "We Are Not in A Climate Crisis:"

These GCM models should not be relied upon to give global temperature information 50 to 100 years in the future where model verification in the lifetime of the model builders is not possible. These GCM modelers do not dare make public short-period global temperature forecasts for next season, next year, or a few years hence. This is because they know they do not have short range forecast skill. They would lose credibility if they issued forecasts that could actually be verified. These climate modelers live largely in a ‘virtual world’ of their own making where reality and model skill is determined largely by the modelers themselves. The climate models are so complicated that it takes teams of specialists to construct all of the various model components. No one person well understands any model’s complete numerical package. No independent outside person would ever know enough to realistically evaluate the model’s outputs. They are just giant black boxes telling us that humans are warming the globe at a dangerous rate. The fact that nearly all the GCMs give similar results (global warming of 2-5oC for a doubling of CO2 near the end of the 21st century) should not increase our confidence in these models. They all have similar flaws. For many modelers it appears that grant support and media coverage are more important than model reality.

[...] I believe that in the next few years the globe is going to enter a modest cooling period similar to what was experienced in the 30-years between the mid-1940s and the mid-1970s. I am convinced that in 15-20 years we will look back on this period of global warming hysteria as we now look back on other popular and trendy scientific ideas that have not stood the test of time.

Full paper can be downloaded here: Download ClimateCrisis.doc

He is referring to boutique science; research based on popular political flavors of the day. For it is the political process that determines where government funding goes. Examine this 1997 government document from the National Science Board that sets the stage for grant funding:

SECTION IV: FEDERAL SCIENCE PRIORITIES
Within the Federal budget, there should be an overall strategy for research, with areas of increased and areas of decreased emphasis. The budget as a whole should be adequate both to serve national priorities and to foster a world-class scientific and technical enterprise. To this end, Congress and the Administration need to establish a process that examines the complete Federal research budget before the total Federal budget is disaggregated. Departments and agencies should make decisions based on clearly articulated criteria that are congruent with the overall
strategy.

Within the Executive branch, the interagency NSTC, and before it the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (FCCSET), have successfully organized crosscutting research areas of national interest, such as global change, energy, transportation science, environmental science and technology, and human resources for the twenty-first century. However, in order for broader coordination and priority setting to be successful, general guidelines are required to provide clear direction.

[...] To ensure the most effective use of Federal discretionary funding it is essential that agreement be reached on which fields and which investment strategies hold the greatest promise for new knowledge that will contribute most effectively to better health, greater equity and social justice, improved living standards, a sustainable environment, a secure national defense, and to extending our understanding of nature.

This sets the stage for funding. Here are some of the grants available from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's "Climate Program Office - Understanding climate variability and change to enhance society's ability to plan and understand." This whole office is set up to disburse funds for the following project purposes that have been set up by Congress:
2075552 Abrupt Climate Change
2074483 Arctic Research Program (ARP)
2075550 Assessing Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)
2074475 Atmospheric Composition and Climate Program (ACC)
2074478 Climate Change Data and Detection (CCDD), including Paleoclimatology
2074479 Climate Dynamics and Experimental Prediction (CDEP)
2074480 Climate Prediction Program for the Americas (CPPA)
2074481 Climate Variability and Predictability (CVP)
2074477 Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA)
2074474 Sector Applications Research Program (SARP)
2074482 Scientific Data Stewardship (SDS)
2074476 Transition of Research Applications to Climate Services (TRACS)

That's just what NOAA has to offer. The US Department of Agricuture does not want to be left out either. The USDA calls their program offerings "OUR CHANGING PLANET - The U.S. Climate Change Science Program for Fiscal Year 2008. And the USDA budget for global warming? It has run over $110 million for FY 2006 ($61 mn) and 2007 ($51.4 mn). Another $57.4 mn has been requested for 2008. This funding is bundled under the federal CCSP - Climate Change Science Program.

How much does the CCSP rob run the taxpayer? In 2006 it was $1.7 billion; in 2007 thus far it is a little less - $1.8 billion. In 2008 the feds want another $1.8 billion. In three years that is over $5.3 billion. You can't steal that much with a gun. To steal more than that you have to work for the UN.

The CCSP has two initiatives: the USGCRP - "US Global Change Research Program" and the CCRI - "Climate Change Research Initiative." The USGCRP was started by Clinton in 1989 and the CCRI was started by Bush 43 in 2001. The USGCRP gets the lion's share of the funding.

There are 13 federal agencies dispensing the goodies authorized by Congress.

Keep this in mind - these are discretionary funds. That means that it's up to the granting agency to determine who gets this money. It's like a line of petitioners lining up outside the door of the Grand Vizier with their hands held out, begging.

This doesn't include the non-discretionary funds authorized by Congress that goes directly to other government agencies, universities and not-for-profits.

Think about it.

No one wants to kill the goose that laid the golden egg.

Tagged Again

I got tagged by Dan Sumers and in the spirit of Christmas I'll go to the range list my Xmas preferences.

1. Wrapping or gift bags?
I wrap. There is something about a package all squared away with the edges all neat and secure.

The presents were wrapped and snug in their beds with rivers of scotch tape surrounding their heads.

2. Real or artificial tree?
I tried the real trees for a while but for the last eighteen years or so it's been artificial trees.

The kids can't stop sighing, alack and alas, they hate artificial but real ones give me gas.

3. When do you put up the tree?
For the past few years it's been right after the 4th of July. Really, the kids want it up earlier and earlier.

They want it all decorated and up in a snap; but as for me, I don't give a crap.

4. When do you take the tree down?
As soon as we get out of rehab after New Year’s Day. Actually we are all teetotalers.

As soon as the New Year is here, I demand to see nothing but air where that tree used to stand.

5. Do you like egg nog?
I love egg nog, but it no longer loves me.

Egg nog is great, it goes down nice and slick; but if I drink it too much, it just makes me sick.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
It was a train set my Dad made for my brother and I. He set it on a big board and built a Christmas village around it with lighted houses and trees and sidewalks and everything. I was eight so it had to be Christmas of 1957. It was behind some blankets and sheets hung from the floor joists in the basement.

He must have been listening to all of our prayers 'cause he built it in secret and hid it downstairs.


7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes, a Precious Moments one we keep on the mantle. My wife loves it and we have had it for years.

It really is charming, it makes quite a scene, we've had it a spell - in years 'bout fifteen.

8. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
From my mother. Horrid, simply horrid "I Hate My Sons" baggy green corduroy pants with black flecks.

I was heart broken that morning, it was not what I wished, whenever I walked the dang things went "swish."

9. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards?
Mail. But the gubmint is making this harder and harder. I can remember 3 cent stamps.

They've gone up another three cents since this summer; I hate sending letters, it's really a bummer.

10. Favorite Christmas movie?
The Great Escape. It is my favorite movie to on Christmas or any time.

Steve McQueen is the bomb, dodging ground fire; escaping the Nazis by jumping barbed wire.

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
As early as possible or whenever I can get paid. Sometimes that's a real problem - like this year.

I'm just too discouraged to bang out a rhyme, it's been two and a half months since they paid me a dime.

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Roast Turkey. Not fried. With all the fixin's.

I'd run twenty miles, all huffing and puffing, for a roast turkey dinner with potatoes and stuffing.

13. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
Clear. And colored. We have one of those trees with the fiber optic bundles that change color. It really is pretty and not gaudy at all.

It may have come on a midnight clear, but fiber optic lights are the in thing this year.

14. Favorite Christmas song?
This is a tough one. I love Christmas carols, but "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" is my fave.

Hark! The Herald Angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King."
There just ain't no improving that.

Following the tradition, I’m tagging…

Cookie

Bluto

Ten Ten
The Merry Widow

Slip, Sliding Away

I stole read this little gem over to the Six Meat Buffet. And it is tasty indeed. The full text is from Science Daily:

Scientists have discovered what they think may be another reason why Greenland's ice is melting: a thin spot in Earth's crust is enabling underground magma to heat the ice.

[...] The researchers don't yet know how warm the hotspot is. But if it is warm enough to melt the ice above it even a little, it could be lubricating the base of the ice sheet and enabling the ice to slide more rapidly out to sea.

“The behavior of the great ice sheets is an important barometer of global climate change,” said Ralph von Frese, leader of the project and a professor of earth sciences at Ohio State University. “However, to effectively separate and quantify human impacts on climate change, we must understand the natural impacts, too.

If I read this correctly, Mama Gaia is now having hot flashes that are melting her icy bonds, easing the lubricous movement of her glaciers as they slide between her soft, dewy, silky fjiords...

I gotta lay down.