Monthly Archives: February 2007

Barack the Banal*

Posted on February 12, 2007 | Comments Off on Barack the Banal*

Democrat presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama (are we really ready for this guy?) kicks off his campaign by using the Left’s chickenhawk ploy to insult John Howard, the prime minister of America’s most venerable ally, suggesting Australia hasn’t done enough in Iraq.

As Wretchard notes, the Aussie’s 1,400 troops are proportionately about right for a nation of only 20 million. In any case, in addition to the chickenhawk argument being used mainly by chickens, Obama-rama is anti-war. So, apart from being politically boring with nothing new to say–at best, a black Dennis Kucinich–in my book he’s also irrelevant. Except, as Howard says, to OBL who would welcome a withdrawal from OBL’s proposed new caliphate. But perhaps I err. Even Kucinich would have more guts than to put off his proposed withdrawal from Iraq thirteen months in the future. Now who’s the chickenhawk?

*HT to Roger L. Simon 

Comments Off on Barack the Banal*

Posted in The War

Tagged , , , , ,

Sense, instead of nonsense

Posted on February 11, 2007 | Comments Off on Sense, instead of nonsense

Where are the journalists protecting us from government overreach? What? Leading the bandwagon?

"’The good news is, that it should not take long for the latest environmental scare to join the ‘ozone layer’, ‘global winter’, the Club of Rome forecasts, and many other crocks on the shard-heap of history. The bad is, it will be succeeded by more Chicken-Little expostulations, with the same propagandist theme: ‘Unless the planet is delivered immediately into the iron embrace of the environmental bureaucracies, we’re all going to die!’”

Double heh. 

Comments Off on Sense, instead of nonsense

Posted in Science/Engineering, Scribbles

Tagged , , ,

Our carrier fleet –2nd to none.

Posted on February 11, 2007 | Comments Off on Our carrier fleet –2nd to none.

When Russia’s Vladimir Putin starts whining about the USA dominating the world, you know part of it is because he’s a dictator and the world he has in mind is other dictators like the mad mullahs of Iran–and with a few, lamentable exceptions in past and current policies, we don’t like ’em. But he could also be talking about the 11 large and 12 small carriers of the US Navy, more than at any time since World War II. According to the blogger War is Boring:

"Only two other countries possess large carriers: France and Russia, each with just one. And even these “large” carriers are only 2/3 the size of our Nimitz-class ships. The other half-dozen carrier-equipped navies such as the British Royal Navy and the navies of Spain, Italy and India operate small carriers flying just Harriers. Put another way, our carrier fleet is bigger than the rest of the world’s combined, and flies more jets than most of the world’s air forces."

Worth a read. 

Comments Off on Our carrier fleet –2nd to none.

Posted in The War

Tagged

WaPo’s “anti-military” blogger

Posted on February 11, 2007 | Comments Off on WaPo’s “anti-military” blogger

William M. (Malarky) Arkin is revealed as the WaPo’s "anti-military" blogger, in this WaPo ombudsman piece, in which it is nevertheless "explained" that his work is separate from the print newspaper.

"Arkin’s column did not meet Post standards, but then, newspaper editing isn’t perfect, either. But ‘mercenary’ surely is live ammo; such an incendiary word should have popped out in flames to Post editors."

Nevertheless, he apparently was "edited," just not to the fullest extent, and he insists that he works for the newspaper. So which is it? And does it matter? An "anti-military blogger" with MSM backing. Charming. Just what America needs. But it’s good, I suppose, to have the objectivity mask off. Or, as LGF puts it:

"See, if Arkin’s hate screed had been edited, no one would have known that the Post’s ‘military analyst’ was a hard left anti-military moonbat. The editor would have come in and sanitized it, and no one would have been the wiser."

Comments Off on WaPo’s “anti-military” blogger

Posted in Troops

Tagged , ,

Elevator to space

Posted on February 11, 2007 | Comments Off on Elevator to space

I’m a month late getting this up (so to speak) but it’s worth a look: NOVA ScienceNOW’s Jan. 9 video report on the space elevator concept and last year’s New Mexico challenge. It’s more gee whiz than science, but you’ll come away from the 12-minute show with a pretty clear understanding of the idea. After that try the Spaceward Foundation’s new comprehensive FAQ on the research challenges.

Comments Off on Elevator to space

Posted in Space

Tagged ,

Those wily aliens

Posted on February 10, 2007 | Comments Off on Those wily aliens

Mr. Boy and his pals like to "hunt aliens," as they call it when camping with the other Tiger Cubs in the woods at McKinney Falls State Park. Well, here are "real" aliens, explaining the war on terrorism–with really cool pictures, for the text-challenged. A big gracias to Miriam at Miriam’s Ideas for the tip.

Comments Off on Those wily aliens

Posted in Space

Tagged , ,

Tryouts

Posted on February 10, 2007 | Comments Off on Tryouts

The baseball tryouts went well this morning, although it seemed kind of odd to be playing baseball before Valentine’s Day. But Mr. Boy and his chums turned out in their old T-ball uniforms for the new season, which will be strictly coach-pitch and probably new teams (requiring new uniforms) selected. Mr. B. got one solid infield hit and a foul tip. He ran smartly to second base. Then he stopped several grounders and had one good, straight throw lofted high enough for the coach to catch standing up. So he came home happy and now we’ll wait to hear which team he’s on. We know he needs an aluminum bat this year. He’s already picked out one with red flames on it.

Comments Off on Tryouts

Posted in Mr. Boy

Tagged ,