Arrived yesterday evening just as dusk was setting in - the place is pretty big and the mountains that surround it are impressive...kinda looks like they could have shot a Coors commercial here.....Just got to check in, get some chow and find my new home away from home.....Place is congested, and that's saying quite a bit as I thought KAF and other places over here were so but Bagram takes it hands down...packed in real tight
Qtrs are very basic - B-huts which are plywood - Everything is within walking distance (showers, chowhall, MWR ctr.) - I'll get a chance to tour around the base later on as the day get going......it is early here (330 AM) and I couldn't sleep (still on east coast time) so I headed down to the MWR
Hope all is well stateside......more later on - glad to see the Boston Red Sox have won three in a row....there may be hope for these guys yet.....
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Calls it like it is......
Article in the CSM pretty much sums it up.......POTUS' approval rating is lower than whale snot at the bottom of the ocean.....and rightly so.....he spent trillions and we are WORSE off than before.......
Obstacles to Obama's reelection, starting with low public opinion
By Brad Knickerbocker – Sun Apr 17, Christian Science Monitor
As he launches into a week of town hall meetings, freshly invigorated by his tougher talk on a political vision that includes more taxes for the wealthy and protection for progressive programs, President Obama faces a tough political reality.
He’s as low as he’s ever been in the eyes of the public – particularly among the independent voters he’ll need to win reelection next year.
In that sense, he’s in at least some good company. Among recent presidents, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton faced a similar obstacle in their first term. Reagan and Clinton survived; Carter was shown the door.
The latest Gallup Daily tracking three-day average shows 41 percent of Americans (and only 35 percent of independents) approving of the job Obama is doing as president. That ties his low, registered three times previously – twice in August 2010 and once in October 2010.
“President Obama is now as unpopular as he has been at any time since he became president,” Jeffrey Jones writes in a Gallup analysis of the most recent polling.
The bump-along economy and high gas prices at the pump are among major factor, Gallup finds, plus the tea party-fueled House of Representatives now run by Republicans.
“His ability to navigate these challenges will help determine whether he will be elected to a second term as president,” Jones writes.
Winning that second term now becomes virtually a full-time job, since everything a president does has a political dimension testing his ability to communicate his specific position as well as broader vision.
How well can he be expected to do? At this point, two prominent conservative columnists come to very different conclusions.
“It doesn’t take a genius to see that Obama is very likely to be reelected,” writes David Brooks of the New York Times, who notes that Obama “hit the political sweet spot with his speech” at George Washington University last Wednesday.
“Every few years, Republicans try to reform the welfare delivery systems to make them more marketlike.” Brooks writes. “Every few years, voters, even Republican voters, reject this. The situation today is slightly less hostile to these ideas, but not much.”
Peggy Noonan at the Wall Street Journal begs to differ.
“Barack Obama can be taken, and his adversaries haven't even noticed,” she wrote Saturday. “In fact, he will likely lose in 2012.”
Her reasoning?
“Internationally, he's involved in a confused effort that involves bombing Libyan government troops and sometimes their rebel opponents, leaving the latter scattered and scurrying…. Domestically, the president's opponents seized the high ground on the great issue of the day, spending and debt, and held it after the president's speech this week. In last week's budget duel, the president was outgunned by Republicans in the House and outclassed by Paul Ryan, who offered seriousness and substance as a unique approach to solving our fiscal problems.”
Noonan points to other polls bringing bad news for Obama: An Ipsos survey with 69 percent of Americans believing the country is on the wrong track; a Zogby poll with just 38 percent of respondents saying Obama deserves reelection.
The White House and Obama’s reelection brain trust in Chicago are reading the same polls, of course.
Obama’s strength in 2008 was his ability to rouse and inspire not only his younger, more liberal base but independents and many moderate Republicans as well. The differences with John McCain – in style even more so than in substance – made all the difference. Obama was much better at connecting with individuals, small groups, and mass rallies. And of course, he was so totally new in terms of age, race, and background.
He’s not new anymore.
So this week Obama will conduct three town hall meetings – one in northern Virginia, one in Reno, Nev., and one streamed live on Facebook from company headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. He’ll also attend political fund raisers in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The Obama campaign is expected to spend upwards of $1 billion getting him reelected. Given the way things are going – at least in the polls – he may need every bit of that.
Obstacles to Obama's reelection, starting with low public opinion
By Brad Knickerbocker – Sun Apr 17, Christian Science Monitor
As he launches into a week of town hall meetings, freshly invigorated by his tougher talk on a political vision that includes more taxes for the wealthy and protection for progressive programs, President Obama faces a tough political reality.
He’s as low as he’s ever been in the eyes of the public – particularly among the independent voters he’ll need to win reelection next year.
In that sense, he’s in at least some good company. Among recent presidents, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton faced a similar obstacle in their first term. Reagan and Clinton survived; Carter was shown the door.
The latest Gallup Daily tracking three-day average shows 41 percent of Americans (and only 35 percent of independents) approving of the job Obama is doing as president. That ties his low, registered three times previously – twice in August 2010 and once in October 2010.
“President Obama is now as unpopular as he has been at any time since he became president,” Jeffrey Jones writes in a Gallup analysis of the most recent polling.
The bump-along economy and high gas prices at the pump are among major factor, Gallup finds, plus the tea party-fueled House of Representatives now run by Republicans.
“His ability to navigate these challenges will help determine whether he will be elected to a second term as president,” Jones writes.
Winning that second term now becomes virtually a full-time job, since everything a president does has a political dimension testing his ability to communicate his specific position as well as broader vision.
How well can he be expected to do? At this point, two prominent conservative columnists come to very different conclusions.
“It doesn’t take a genius to see that Obama is very likely to be reelected,” writes David Brooks of the New York Times, who notes that Obama “hit the political sweet spot with his speech” at George Washington University last Wednesday.
“Every few years, Republicans try to reform the welfare delivery systems to make them more marketlike.” Brooks writes. “Every few years, voters, even Republican voters, reject this. The situation today is slightly less hostile to these ideas, but not much.”
Peggy Noonan at the Wall Street Journal begs to differ.
“Barack Obama can be taken, and his adversaries haven't even noticed,” she wrote Saturday. “In fact, he will likely lose in 2012.”
Her reasoning?
“Internationally, he's involved in a confused effort that involves bombing Libyan government troops and sometimes their rebel opponents, leaving the latter scattered and scurrying…. Domestically, the president's opponents seized the high ground on the great issue of the day, spending and debt, and held it after the president's speech this week. In last week's budget duel, the president was outgunned by Republicans in the House and outclassed by Paul Ryan, who offered seriousness and substance as a unique approach to solving our fiscal problems.”
Noonan points to other polls bringing bad news for Obama: An Ipsos survey with 69 percent of Americans believing the country is on the wrong track; a Zogby poll with just 38 percent of respondents saying Obama deserves reelection.
The White House and Obama’s reelection brain trust in Chicago are reading the same polls, of course.
Obama’s strength in 2008 was his ability to rouse and inspire not only his younger, more liberal base but independents and many moderate Republicans as well. The differences with John McCain – in style even more so than in substance – made all the difference. Obama was much better at connecting with individuals, small groups, and mass rallies. And of course, he was so totally new in terms of age, race, and background.
He’s not new anymore.
So this week Obama will conduct three town hall meetings – one in northern Virginia, one in Reno, Nev., and one streamed live on Facebook from company headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. He’ll also attend political fund raisers in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The Obama campaign is expected to spend upwards of $1 billion getting him reelected. Given the way things are going – at least in the polls – he may need every bit of that.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Brave Sir Barack (with apologies to Monty Python)
He's a poser that's for sure - This rerminds me of a Monty Python song called "Brave Sir Robin" which we will retitle to "Brave Sir Barack" (with apologies to all the Monty Pyton Fans out there)
Brave Sir Barack ran away
Bravely, ran away...away...
When danger reared its ugly head
He bravely turned his tail and fled
Yes, brave Sir Barack turned about
And gallantly he chickened out
Bravely taking to his feet
He beat a very brave retreat
Bravest of the brave, Sir Barack
He is packing it in and packing it up
And sneaking away and buggering off
And chickening out and pissing off home,
Yes, bravely he is throwing in the sponge.
And the hits just keep on coming.....Higher Gas Prices for you while POTUS stands by...
Gas prices are sky high again.....when the "Idjit-in-charge " was elected, the average price for gas was $ 1.83 p/gallon....Today, the average is over DOUBLE that figure.......
There's the "Change" the empty suit promised us.....with the 2012 election coming up soon, I fall back to the words of another candidate for the Presidency, and ask you to think about this as the upcoming election cycle approaches,
" ARE YOU BETTER OFF THAN YOU WERE 4 YEARS AGO????"
And with that answer, you now know what should be done, and throw the bum out.
GAS PRICES APPROACH RECORD HIGH
(Fox 25/MyFoxBoston.com) - Gas prices rise again in Massachusetts but experts say the pain at the pump may get much worse.
AAA reports Bay State drivers saw gasoline climb by another 5 cents a gallon this week.
Experts predict that gas could hit 5 dollars a gallon by Memorial Day if the turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa continues.
There's the "Change" the empty suit promised us.....with the 2012 election coming up soon, I fall back to the words of another candidate for the Presidency, and ask you to think about this as the upcoming election cycle approaches,
" ARE YOU BETTER OFF THAN YOU WERE 4 YEARS AGO????"
And with that answer, you now know what should be done, and throw the bum out.
GAS PRICES APPROACH RECORD HIGH
(Fox 25/MyFoxBoston.com) - Gas prices rise again in Massachusetts but experts say the pain at the pump may get much worse.
AAA reports Bay State drivers saw gasoline climb by another 5 cents a gallon this week.
Experts predict that gas could hit 5 dollars a gallon by Memorial Day if the turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa continues.
Greetings from Qatar
Hanging out here in Qatar with the USAF......in transit and awaiting a ride to AFGHN via MILAIR. I got here via Qatari Airways and the service was awesome......If you have to travel overseas, I highly recommend Qatari Airways....
The base here is not too bad and the troops have most of the comforts of home.....PX, 24 hour a day DFAC, Subway, Pizza Hut, access to WIFI, etc. The weather has been cloudy and we were greeted with at thunderstorm upon arrival late on Saturday.
All is well and the accommodations are basic.....sharing a large tent with about 20 others but one makes the best of what is provided.
Hope all is well where you are. I'm able to report that America's finest, your military, are here and doing an awesome job. The separation from home is the toughest part for all but we'll make the best of it until we can get some R&R.
More later on from AFGHN once I get there......standing by to stand by.
The base here is not too bad and the troops have most of the comforts of home.....PX, 24 hour a day DFAC, Subway, Pizza Hut, access to WIFI, etc. The weather has been cloudy and we were greeted with at thunderstorm upon arrival late on Saturday.
All is well and the accommodations are basic.....sharing a large tent with about 20 others but one makes the best of what is provided.
Hope all is well where you are. I'm able to report that America's finest, your military, are here and doing an awesome job. The separation from home is the toughest part for all but we'll make the best of it until we can get some R&R.
More later on from AFGHN once I get there......standing by to stand by.
Friday, April 15, 2011
The Hard........Back to Afghanistan
The day has come and I will be leaving for Afghanistan later today....The process of getting from "here" to " there" is not easy as you are flying for a long time and crossing way too many time zones.
The mission is to assist the military and the people of Afghanistan. The difference each of us makes in other's lives is how we leave a legacy behind as we pass through our time here of God's good Earth. I am glad to have contributed to the success of our war fighters and the citizen of Afghanistan. The payoff will come in the generations to come who will see a peaceful future for Afghanistan.
I will also look forward to catching up with friends that are still there working hard each day.
The work is hard, the hours are long and the location is inherently dangerous. My wife will also have to deal with running the home front on her own which is no small task.....I am glad to have her there and we both acknowledge each other's efforts in the partnership we have shared for almost 23 years....She is the best thing in my life.
I'll be offline until I arrive over there...no worries.....Middleboro Jones will be able to update you on a regular basis.....
The situation is in line with a discussion between Tom Hank's character, Jimmy Dugan and Geena Davis's character Dottie Hinson regarding the challenges we all face in life :
Jimmy Dugan: Taking a little day trip?
Dottie Hinson: No, Bob and I are driving home. To Oregon.
Jimmy Dugan: [long pause] You know, I really thought you were a ballplayer.
Dottie Hinson: Well, you were wrong.
Jimmy Dugan: Was I?
Dottie Hinson: Yeah. It is only a game, Jimmy. It's only a game, and, and, I don't need this. I have Bob; I don't need this. At all.
Jimmy Dugan: I, I gave away five years at the end my career to drink. Five years. And now there isn't anything I wouldn't give to get back any one day of it.
Dottie Hinson: Well, we're different.
Jimmy Dugan: Shit, Dottie, if you want to go back to Oregon and make a hundred babies, great, I'm in no position to tell anyone how to live. But sneaking out like this, quitting, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Baseball is what gets inside you. It's what lights you up, you can't deny that.
Dottie Hinson: It just got too hard.
Jimmy Dugan: It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great.
The mission is to assist the military and the people of Afghanistan. The difference each of us makes in other's lives is how we leave a legacy behind as we pass through our time here of God's good Earth. I am glad to have contributed to the success of our war fighters and the citizen of Afghanistan. The payoff will come in the generations to come who will see a peaceful future for Afghanistan.
I will also look forward to catching up with friends that are still there working hard each day.
The work is hard, the hours are long and the location is inherently dangerous. My wife will also have to deal with running the home front on her own which is no small task.....I am glad to have her there and we both acknowledge each other's efforts in the partnership we have shared for almost 23 years....She is the best thing in my life.
I'll be offline until I arrive over there...no worries.....Middleboro Jones will be able to update you on a regular basis.....
The situation is in line with a discussion between Tom Hank's character, Jimmy Dugan and Geena Davis's character Dottie Hinson regarding the challenges we all face in life :
Jimmy Dugan: Taking a little day trip?
Dottie Hinson: No, Bob and I are driving home. To Oregon.
Jimmy Dugan: [long pause] You know, I really thought you were a ballplayer.
Dottie Hinson: Well, you were wrong.
Jimmy Dugan: Was I?
Dottie Hinson: Yeah. It is only a game, Jimmy. It's only a game, and, and, I don't need this. I have Bob; I don't need this. At all.
Jimmy Dugan: I, I gave away five years at the end my career to drink. Five years. And now there isn't anything I wouldn't give to get back any one day of it.
Dottie Hinson: Well, we're different.
Jimmy Dugan: Shit, Dottie, if you want to go back to Oregon and make a hundred babies, great, I'm in no position to tell anyone how to live. But sneaking out like this, quitting, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Baseball is what gets inside you. It's what lights you up, you can't deny that.
Dottie Hinson: It just got too hard.
Jimmy Dugan: It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The Mighty Pen......
The pen is mightier than the sword......and it also appears that the pen was able enough to make sure Apollo 11 got home from the Moon....True history is always more interesting than anything the writers can dream up......
Apollo 11 — One Small Switch, One Giant Problem
Published: Thursday, 14 Apr 2011 | 1:01 PM ET Text Size
By: Jane Wells
CNBC Correspondent
Twitter LinkedInMore Share
The world is celebrating 50 years of humans in space, considered by many to be our species' greatest achievement. Nothing may be more spectacular than Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the Moon. What makes it especially amazing is how much of that feat was done with slide rules and basic engineering.
And circuit breakers.
Which broke.
In what may be one of the most fascinating pieces of space history, two sheets from the checklist Armstrong and Aldrin had on the Moon is up for auction next month at Bonhams. The sheets include handwritten notes by Aldrin scribbled as the two astronauts were on the lunar surface, shortly before Aldrin discovers a potentially fatal development (this after they'd almost run out of fuel landing).
Source: Bonhams.com
The checklist, expected to fetch $30,000 to $40,000, looks almost primitive.
My father used to test the Mark 46 torpedo electrical systems when he worked for Bendix back in the same era, and it looks like something he'd work off of.
The list starts with steps the two astronauts were supposed to go through "after completing our rest period."
You've gotta be made of tough stuff to "rest" while being the first men on the Moon.
I would be a little amped up.
The scribbled notes on the checklist were written by Aldrin, detailing instructions from Mission Control on what to do if they had trouble with computer programs tracking the orbiting Columbia command ship, where Michael Collins waited for the Eagle to return.
"This is one of the few sheets that actually has some mission notes made during our lunar surface stay," Aldrin says in a letter that comes with the items. "They were written just hours before leaving the Moon after history's first manned lunar surface exploration."
But it turns out the pen was mightier than the checklist. After scribbling the notes, as he and Armstrong prepared to leave the Moon, Aldrin writes, "I noticed that the ascent engine arming breaker push/pull switch was broken. Apparently during movement wearing our large space suit 'backpacks,' either Neil or I bumped into this panel and broke off that particular switch."
This was not good.
"Mission Control verified that the switch was open, meaning that the engine was currently unarmed. If we could not get the engine armed, we could be stranded on the Moon."
One small switch. One giant problem.
So Aldrin quickly started thinking of a solution. He didn't need help from a complex computer analysis, because the situation did not involve a complex computer. It was a simple switch. "As it turned, out," Aldrin says, "the very pen I used to record these notes was the perfect tool to engage this circuit breaker." Which is exactly what happened.
Who says modern technology is necessarily better?
© 2011 CNBC.com
Apollo 11 — One Small Switch, One Giant Problem
Published: Thursday, 14 Apr 2011 | 1:01 PM ET Text Size
By: Jane Wells
CNBC Correspondent
Twitter LinkedInMore Share
The world is celebrating 50 years of humans in space, considered by many to be our species' greatest achievement. Nothing may be more spectacular than Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the Moon. What makes it especially amazing is how much of that feat was done with slide rules and basic engineering.
And circuit breakers.
Which broke.
In what may be one of the most fascinating pieces of space history, two sheets from the checklist Armstrong and Aldrin had on the Moon is up for auction next month at Bonhams. The sheets include handwritten notes by Aldrin scribbled as the two astronauts were on the lunar surface, shortly before Aldrin discovers a potentially fatal development (this after they'd almost run out of fuel landing).
Source: Bonhams.com
The checklist, expected to fetch $30,000 to $40,000, looks almost primitive.
My father used to test the Mark 46 torpedo electrical systems when he worked for Bendix back in the same era, and it looks like something he'd work off of.
The list starts with steps the two astronauts were supposed to go through "after completing our rest period."
You've gotta be made of tough stuff to "rest" while being the first men on the Moon.
I would be a little amped up.
The scribbled notes on the checklist were written by Aldrin, detailing instructions from Mission Control on what to do if they had trouble with computer programs tracking the orbiting Columbia command ship, where Michael Collins waited for the Eagle to return.
"This is one of the few sheets that actually has some mission notes made during our lunar surface stay," Aldrin says in a letter that comes with the items. "They were written just hours before leaving the Moon after history's first manned lunar surface exploration."
But it turns out the pen was mightier than the checklist. After scribbling the notes, as he and Armstrong prepared to leave the Moon, Aldrin writes, "I noticed that the ascent engine arming breaker push/pull switch was broken. Apparently during movement wearing our large space suit 'backpacks,' either Neil or I bumped into this panel and broke off that particular switch."
This was not good.
"Mission Control verified that the switch was open, meaning that the engine was currently unarmed. If we could not get the engine armed, we could be stranded on the Moon."
One small switch. One giant problem.
So Aldrin quickly started thinking of a solution. He didn't need help from a complex computer analysis, because the situation did not involve a complex computer. It was a simple switch. "As it turned, out," Aldrin says, "the very pen I used to record these notes was the perfect tool to engage this circuit breaker." Which is exactly what happened.
Who says modern technology is necessarily better?
© 2011 CNBC.com
Unemployment numbers spike again...another sign that the present Administration hasn't got a clue about how tough it is for American Workers
Wow....The unemployment numbers spiked last week while the feckless fools in the Administration were bleating and braying about how things are sooooooo much better....IN THE REAL WORLD, ( a place they don't live in, unlike the rest of us) people are still dealing with a morbid economy, higher prices for oil, groceries, and everything else.....
Is it any wonder why people are eager to change out the present resident of the White House for someone who can truly lead the nation?? The only issue comes back to who will the other side present??? Presently, the field of potential candidates is not offering anyone much "HOPE" for real " CHANGE ".....they really have no one to offer up.....and that's a big problem if we have hope of sending "Barry" back to Chicago where he belongs.
New unemployment claims surge to 412,000
By Hibah Yousuf, staff reporterApril 14, 2011: 9:25 AM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits rose last week, a sign that the job market's road to recovery remains bumpy.
The number of initial claims increased to 412,000 in the week ended Apr. 9, up 27,000 from the week before, the Labor Department said Thursday. The figure was the highest in two months and surprised economists, who were expecting 385,000 new claims.
The spike disrupted the downhill move in jobless claims, which had been coming in below the 400,000-mark for four consecutive weeks.
"Given the underlying downward trend, we are inclined to see it as a one-time fluke," said Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics.
Shepherdson added that the Labor Department cited unusually large layoffs at the end of the quarter as a factor pushing claims higher.
Still, the 4-week moving average of initial filings-- a number that tries to smooth out week-to-week volatility -- remained below that threshold at 395,750, up 5,500 from the previous week.
Record number of Americans get government help
Meanwhile, the number of Americans filing for ongoing claims decreased 58,000 to 3,680,000 in the week ended Apr .2, the latest data available. That's the lowest figure since September 2008, and below economists' estimates for 3,700,000 continuing claims.
Is it any wonder why people are eager to change out the present resident of the White House for someone who can truly lead the nation?? The only issue comes back to who will the other side present??? Presently, the field of potential candidates is not offering anyone much "HOPE" for real " CHANGE ".....they really have no one to offer up.....and that's a big problem if we have hope of sending "Barry" back to Chicago where he belongs.
New unemployment claims surge to 412,000
By Hibah Yousuf, staff reporterApril 14, 2011: 9:25 AM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits rose last week, a sign that the job market's road to recovery remains bumpy.
The number of initial claims increased to 412,000 in the week ended Apr. 9, up 27,000 from the week before, the Labor Department said Thursday. The figure was the highest in two months and surprised economists, who were expecting 385,000 new claims.
The spike disrupted the downhill move in jobless claims, which had been coming in below the 400,000-mark for four consecutive weeks.
"Given the underlying downward trend, we are inclined to see it as a one-time fluke," said Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics.
Shepherdson added that the Labor Department cited unusually large layoffs at the end of the quarter as a factor pushing claims higher.
Still, the 4-week moving average of initial filings-- a number that tries to smooth out week-to-week volatility -- remained below that threshold at 395,750, up 5,500 from the previous week.
Record number of Americans get government help
Meanwhile, the number of Americans filing for ongoing claims decreased 58,000 to 3,680,000 in the week ended Apr .2, the latest data available. That's the lowest figure since September 2008, and below economists' estimates for 3,700,000 continuing claims.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Cain and Abel in Afghanistan...From the Washington Post
Brothers take side in Afghanistan and worry about meeting each other on the field of battle...a story in Modern Times but as old as the ages....Brother against Brother
Cain and Abel in Afghanistan By Joshua Partlow, Washington Post
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - For most of their lives, Gul and Razziq slept under the same dusty blankets on the same dirt floors. They toiled side by side in the same potato fields and prayed in the same mosque, two poor brothers in a forgotten corner of the Afghanistan war.
Gul, the elder brother, was the first to choose. With no gun or money, he walked out of his home one summer day and into the ranks of the Taliban. Razziq soon followed, but down a different road: to the barracks of the U.S.-backed Afghan national police. The brothers' decisions have transformed them into enemies and forced them to consider a day they had never imagined.
"I don't know when I will face my brother on the battlefield, but it's only a matter of time," Gul said. And when it happens, Razziq said, "I will have no choice but to fight him back."
In Afghanistan, personal choice is often all that separates America's friends from its enemies. Combatants share the same religion, land, language, even blood. "Upset brothers" is how President Hamid Karzai describes the Taliban....
The rest of the story is here :
http://www.canada.com/Cain+Abel+Afghanistan/4594926/story.html#ixzz1JFwHCsh9
Cain and Abel in Afghanistan By Joshua Partlow, Washington Post
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - For most of their lives, Gul and Razziq slept under the same dusty blankets on the same dirt floors. They toiled side by side in the same potato fields and prayed in the same mosque, two poor brothers in a forgotten corner of the Afghanistan war.
Gul, the elder brother, was the first to choose. With no gun or money, he walked out of his home one summer day and into the ranks of the Taliban. Razziq soon followed, but down a different road: to the barracks of the U.S.-backed Afghan national police. The brothers' decisions have transformed them into enemies and forced them to consider a day they had never imagined.
"I don't know when I will face my brother on the battlefield, but it's only a matter of time," Gul said. And when it happens, Razziq said, "I will have no choice but to fight him back."
In Afghanistan, personal choice is often all that separates America's friends from its enemies. Combatants share the same religion, land, language, even blood. "Upset brothers" is how President Hamid Karzai describes the Taliban....
The rest of the story is here :
http://www.canada.com/Cain+Abel+Afghanistan/4594926/story.html#ixzz1JFwHCsh9
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Just when you thought you had problems.....perspective is provided
Greetings all from lovely Camp Run-a-muck....I'm here on training/INDOC and found they allow us access to the Web....The tales of us being isolated like GITMO were greatly exaggerated.
Just when you thought your own problems were a burden, you are reminded about how bad things can get. I am not thrilled with the state of the economy (Who is?)- When the best place for a degreed, seasoned HR professional to do his work and get compensated as he should is in a "war zone", it can make one doubt the words from the "empty suits" who bleat about the recovery.yeah, "Recovery"....rriiigggghhhtttt
That brings me back to the issue at hand....just when you feel your own issues are daunting, you get a reminder from the "Big Guy" upstairs that others have issues that are more serious and will challenge them even more than you can imagine.
Here's a piece of the missive I got from a good friend of mine Jim, regarding his wife Mary (they are my daughter's God Parents along with being life-long friends)-
OK, friends, here's the scoop on Mary.
She has a tumor (cancer) in her pancreas. It has constricted the bile duct and invaded some other parts of her upper digestive area.
The doctor at the hospital is one of the foremost in this field...he only does pancreatic tumor removal...two per week for a number of years now. He thinks Mary has a very good chance of surviving the removal...honest, he said it exactly that way...the surgery will take place shortly
After that, she'll be in the hospital for a week and then confined to bed for another 2-3 weeks, depending on how quickly her body recovers from the surgery. The doctor says it is one of the most involved, complicated, and serious surgeries done these days - including open heart and brain surgery, which I asked for a relative comparision to and he obliged, saying, '...this is right up there with those procedures - only a bit more difficult...lengthy, too...4-6 hours...if all goes well.'
Once Mary has recovered sufficiently from the tumor removal, then chemo and radiation treatment begin, most likely within 8-10 weeks of the removal procedure.
He was quite direct in asking me - yes, me, not her - if I was ready for the challenge...'This is only the beginning,' he said, 'You're in for a battle but I think we will win.'
Kinda puts things in perspective, eh? The broken car, the late credit card payment or your Boss acting like a jerk sseemed like large issues until you walked a mile in Jim & Mary's mocassins, eh? And I was worried because I have to go back to AFGHANISTAN...what the hell was I thinking?
Right about now, my buddy Jim would likely walk single-handed into Taliban Country with an old .22 caliber squirrel rifle than take this on but he will take on this battle and win. Jim doesn't know the meaning of the word " QUIT"....it ain't in his dictionary.
So tonight, when you hit your knees, tell GOD to love Mary & Jim...tell him to take care of her and heal her. Please.
I love Mary & Jim and I hope that you can say a prayer for her. When you are done, hug your loved ones and tell them that you love them. No one but the Almighty knows how much time we have and I just want to make sure you don't miss the chance to tell those you love how much they mean to you. We never know if we will get the chance later on.
Thanks and God Bless.
Just when you thought your own problems were a burden, you are reminded about how bad things can get. I am not thrilled with the state of the economy (Who is?)- When the best place for a degreed, seasoned HR professional to do his work and get compensated as he should is in a "war zone", it can make one doubt the words from the "empty suits" who bleat about the recovery.yeah, "Recovery"....rriiigggghhhtttt
That brings me back to the issue at hand....just when you feel your own issues are daunting, you get a reminder from the "Big Guy" upstairs that others have issues that are more serious and will challenge them even more than you can imagine.
Here's a piece of the missive I got from a good friend of mine Jim, regarding his wife Mary (they are my daughter's God Parents along with being life-long friends)-
OK, friends, here's the scoop on Mary.
She has a tumor (cancer) in her pancreas. It has constricted the bile duct and invaded some other parts of her upper digestive area.
The doctor at the hospital is one of the foremost in this field...he only does pancreatic tumor removal...two per week for a number of years now. He thinks Mary has a very good chance of surviving the removal...honest, he said it exactly that way...the surgery will take place shortly
After that, she'll be in the hospital for a week and then confined to bed for another 2-3 weeks, depending on how quickly her body recovers from the surgery. The doctor says it is one of the most involved, complicated, and serious surgeries done these days - including open heart and brain surgery, which I asked for a relative comparision to and he obliged, saying, '...this is right up there with those procedures - only a bit more difficult...lengthy, too...4-6 hours...if all goes well.'
Once Mary has recovered sufficiently from the tumor removal, then chemo and radiation treatment begin, most likely within 8-10 weeks of the removal procedure.
He was quite direct in asking me - yes, me, not her - if I was ready for the challenge...'This is only the beginning,' he said, 'You're in for a battle but I think we will win.'
Kinda puts things in perspective, eh? The broken car, the late credit card payment or your Boss acting like a jerk sseemed like large issues until you walked a mile in Jim & Mary's mocassins, eh? And I was worried because I have to go back to AFGHANISTAN...what the hell was I thinking?
Right about now, my buddy Jim would likely walk single-handed into Taliban Country with an old .22 caliber squirrel rifle than take this on but he will take on this battle and win. Jim doesn't know the meaning of the word " QUIT"....it ain't in his dictionary.
So tonight, when you hit your knees, tell GOD to love Mary & Jim...tell him to take care of her and heal her. Please.
I love Mary & Jim and I hope that you can say a prayer for her. When you are done, hug your loved ones and tell them that you love them. No one but the Almighty knows how much time we have and I just want to make sure you don't miss the chance to tell those you love how much they mean to you. We never know if we will get the chance later on.
Thanks and God Bless.
Friday, April 8, 2011
"Always on the move".....Leadership and why those in charge are failing epicly on the basics
My favorite character in Star Wars has always been Obi Wan Kenobi. His honor and dedication to duty were signs of his leadership ability. I strive to model what I do in line with those who demonstrate true leadership, unlike those who say they are Leaders but only pay it lip service. At one point when Obi Wan and Annikan are in the middle of a battle, Obi Wan remarks that things constantly change by making the off the cuff statement, " Always on the move.." - Such is my present status and that will keep things interesting as usual.
We are beset by those who are supposed to be Leaders (Our present Poltical, Business and others in supposed leadership positions fail the basics of that task). We need Leadership but are given a series of "Empty Suits" who are only capable of daily demonstration of their inability to handle the tasks that should be prerequisite for their positions. There are exceptions, and I have made note of those who do meet the requirements, but sadly they are few and far between.
I'll be off-line for the next 5-6 days as I will be attending a training evolution that will take me "off the grid". This will make it impossible for me to post a dailly missive. It pains me to not be able to write a few notes here but it is part of the deal.
Hopefully, by late next week, when I get back from this small diversion, the news out of Washington DC will be better and those charged with managing the business of our country will stop the political games and get down to the business of taking care of our country.
In the meantime, I want to post this questions and I invite you to comment - " How can the troops be on the list of government groups that will not get paid in the course of a shutdown???? If they don't rate the title of "essential services", who does??" and the follow-up statement that if any of the 535 Elected officials have any honor or integrity, they should refuse to accept any salary until the Troops get paid FIRST.
There it is, plain & simple - LEADERSHIP Law #1 is " Take care of the Troops as they take care of the mission." - It doesn't matter if you are in the military or running your own business, large or small, you need to take care of your people FIRST. To do otherwise is a failure of leadership.
So please comment as I am interested in what you think. Obviously, those is our Federal, State & Local governments don't get this basic principle. They have FAILED EPICLY. That is why we are in this mess at present.
Hailing frequencies are open.....I'll get back to you when I am back on the grid next week.
You have my thanks for reading and I'll be interested in reading your opinions on what you think is right and/or wrong with our so-called Leaders.
We are beset by those who are supposed to be Leaders (Our present Poltical, Business and others in supposed leadership positions fail the basics of that task). We need Leadership but are given a series of "Empty Suits" who are only capable of daily demonstration of their inability to handle the tasks that should be prerequisite for their positions. There are exceptions, and I have made note of those who do meet the requirements, but sadly they are few and far between.
I'll be off-line for the next 5-6 days as I will be attending a training evolution that will take me "off the grid". This will make it impossible for me to post a dailly missive. It pains me to not be able to write a few notes here but it is part of the deal.
Hopefully, by late next week, when I get back from this small diversion, the news out of Washington DC will be better and those charged with managing the business of our country will stop the political games and get down to the business of taking care of our country.
In the meantime, I want to post this questions and I invite you to comment - " How can the troops be on the list of government groups that will not get paid in the course of a shutdown???? If they don't rate the title of "essential services", who does??" and the follow-up statement that if any of the 535 Elected officials have any honor or integrity, they should refuse to accept any salary until the Troops get paid FIRST.
There it is, plain & simple - LEADERSHIP Law #1 is " Take care of the Troops as they take care of the mission." - It doesn't matter if you are in the military or running your own business, large or small, you need to take care of your people FIRST. To do otherwise is a failure of leadership.
So please comment as I am interested in what you think. Obviously, those is our Federal, State & Local governments don't get this basic principle. They have FAILED EPICLY. That is why we are in this mess at present.
Hailing frequencies are open.....I'll get back to you when I am back on the grid next week.
You have my thanks for reading and I'll be interested in reading your opinions on what you think is right and/or wrong with our so-called Leaders.
And the hits just keep on coming....Our beloved Red Sox start off 0-6....hopes for a win at the home opener
Words fail me. Worst.news.ever.
It's bad enough that we have to deal with stupid Pols who don't do what we elect them to do, inflation, high oil prices with no sign of relief, higher food prices, Libya, Japan's crisis, stupidity of display on TV on a daily basis, etc., etc. - Now we have to deal with THIS:
Our beloved Red Sox are 0-6 at the start of the season. This was NOT part of the program.
These guys were supposed to be the new "best & brightest" and the team that would provide a 100 win season.
There is time to pull this out BUT they better start out with a win at the home opener....please, we're begging you. We need some good news and something we can look forward to.....Our Red Sox taking the field and winning a game.....If we were able to see the Red Sox winning again, it would gives us something to take our minds off all the other stuff that isn't working in our world.
I have faith in our team but this terrible start is NOT what we had hoped for......the hits just keep on coming...ugh.
Dan Shaughnessy: One low point after another
04/08/11 Boston Globe
And the hits just keep on coming.
In their latest move to make friends and endear themselves to local fans, Fenway Sports Management yesterday announced it has inked Ulf Samuelsson and Matt Cooke to work on business deals worldwide.
Red Sox chairman Tom Werner termed the FSM-Samuelsson-Cooke alliance “a powerful collaboration,’’ adding, “There are few athletes who can match their global reach, appeal, and iconic status.’’
OK, I made all that up. But we’ve reached a point where Red Sox fans can’t be surprised by anything. The impossible has become the norm, and would it really surprise you if the tone-deaf folks at FSM solicit Alex Rodriguez when he reports for duty at Fenway this weekend?
The 0-6 Red Sox stagger home today for the 100th Fenway opener. This means no more safe havens in Texas and Cleveland. After a week on the road, the Sox must wallow in regional hysteria triggered by their worst start since 1945 (when all the real players were at war).
Can it get any worse?
Of course it can. The 1988 Baltimore Orioles started 0-21. President Ronald Reagan called manager Frank Robinson after 0-18 and said, “I know what you’re going through.’’
“Mr. President, you have no idea what I’m going through,’’ snapped Robinson.
Terry Francona would second that emotion. The affable skipper of this Best Team Ever has tried just about everything to coax a win out of the overstuffed local nine. Nothing has worked. Maybe it’s time for Tito to execute a five-star Jack Nicholson/Mike Milbury nutty.
Not to be negative, but the Elias Sports Bureau reports that only two teams have made the playoffs after starting 0-6 — the 1974 Pirates and the 1995 Reds. This is only the fourth Red Sox team to start 0-6, and if the Sox lose today, it’s officially the second-worst start in franchise history.
Remember those days of talking about 100 wins? How about one win? Just one.
They have lost in every way imaginable. They have been routed. They have been beaten, 1-0. They have seen bullpen blowups (Dennys Reyes in Game 5 goes down as perhaps the worst relief appearance of all time). They have failed to produce quality starts (other than Jon Lester yesterday) and they haven’t hit with runners in scoring position. Yesterday they lost because a pinch runner (good guy Darnell McDonald) was overaggressive and got tagged out diving back to second base.
It’s chaos. Daisuke Matsuzaka stills needs a translator while Jason Varitek yells at him in the dugout. Varitek neglects to tag a base runner Wednesday night, thinking the force is on, and a run scores. Carl Crawford is hanging his head, talking to himself. They’re not getting the calls. Daniel Bard has given up the winning run twice. Kevin Youkilis can’t get a hit with a man in scoring position. New pitching coach Curt Young and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia (hitting a robust .071) are under the microscope. The Sox have been outscored, 38-16.
McDonald’s stumble was symbolic. The whole team has fallen down. And now we turn our eyes to John “Let ’em in’’ Lackey, who gave up nine runs in 3 2/3 innings in Texas. Today will be Adrian Gonzalez’s first game ever at Fenway and somebody needs to explain to Yo Adrian that Sox home openers are not generally filled with so much fear and loathing.
Over the winter, Sox fans had a lot of fun at the expense of the Yankees. Citizens of Sox Nation mocked Brian Cashman and repeatedly painted the Pinstripes as old and pitching-poor. Now the Yankees are in town with a chance to take a seven-game lead over the Sox just nine games into the season.
Any way you look at it, the Sox haven’t been the same since John Henry bought Liverpool FC. Maybe this is the Curse of Roy Hodgson. It’s certainly a good time for the Sox to be petitioning the city to serve mixed drinks at Fenway. We all might need a little Jack to get through this season of great expectations.
One week ago, before the first game, I asked Francona about the burden of being everybody’s World Series favorite.
“I don’t see the harm in that,’’ he said calmly. “To be honest, expectations in our clubhouse are high.’’
Today the Sox are sinking under the weight of their own press clippings and there’s a trace of glee in some of the have-not hardball hamlets.
The first week of this baseball season has us longing for the good old days of 2010. A “bridge year’’ would look pretty good right about now.
Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at dshaughnessy@globe.com.
© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.
It's bad enough that we have to deal with stupid Pols who don't do what we elect them to do, inflation, high oil prices with no sign of relief, higher food prices, Libya, Japan's crisis, stupidity of display on TV on a daily basis, etc., etc. - Now we have to deal with THIS:
Our beloved Red Sox are 0-6 at the start of the season. This was NOT part of the program.
These guys were supposed to be the new "best & brightest" and the team that would provide a 100 win season.
There is time to pull this out BUT they better start out with a win at the home opener....please, we're begging you. We need some good news and something we can look forward to.....Our Red Sox taking the field and winning a game.....If we were able to see the Red Sox winning again, it would gives us something to take our minds off all the other stuff that isn't working in our world.
I have faith in our team but this terrible start is NOT what we had hoped for......the hits just keep on coming...ugh.
Dan Shaughnessy: One low point after another
04/08/11 Boston Globe
And the hits just keep on coming.
In their latest move to make friends and endear themselves to local fans, Fenway Sports Management yesterday announced it has inked Ulf Samuelsson and Matt Cooke to work on business deals worldwide.
Red Sox chairman Tom Werner termed the FSM-Samuelsson-Cooke alliance “a powerful collaboration,’’ adding, “There are few athletes who can match their global reach, appeal, and iconic status.’’
OK, I made all that up. But we’ve reached a point where Red Sox fans can’t be surprised by anything. The impossible has become the norm, and would it really surprise you if the tone-deaf folks at FSM solicit Alex Rodriguez when he reports for duty at Fenway this weekend?
The 0-6 Red Sox stagger home today for the 100th Fenway opener. This means no more safe havens in Texas and Cleveland. After a week on the road, the Sox must wallow in regional hysteria triggered by their worst start since 1945 (when all the real players were at war).
Can it get any worse?
Of course it can. The 1988 Baltimore Orioles started 0-21. President Ronald Reagan called manager Frank Robinson after 0-18 and said, “I know what you’re going through.’’
“Mr. President, you have no idea what I’m going through,’’ snapped Robinson.
Terry Francona would second that emotion. The affable skipper of this Best Team Ever has tried just about everything to coax a win out of the overstuffed local nine. Nothing has worked. Maybe it’s time for Tito to execute a five-star Jack Nicholson/Mike Milbury nutty.
Not to be negative, but the Elias Sports Bureau reports that only two teams have made the playoffs after starting 0-6 — the 1974 Pirates and the 1995 Reds. This is only the fourth Red Sox team to start 0-6, and if the Sox lose today, it’s officially the second-worst start in franchise history.
Remember those days of talking about 100 wins? How about one win? Just one.
They have lost in every way imaginable. They have been routed. They have been beaten, 1-0. They have seen bullpen blowups (Dennys Reyes in Game 5 goes down as perhaps the worst relief appearance of all time). They have failed to produce quality starts (other than Jon Lester yesterday) and they haven’t hit with runners in scoring position. Yesterday they lost because a pinch runner (good guy Darnell McDonald) was overaggressive and got tagged out diving back to second base.
It’s chaos. Daisuke Matsuzaka stills needs a translator while Jason Varitek yells at him in the dugout. Varitek neglects to tag a base runner Wednesday night, thinking the force is on, and a run scores. Carl Crawford is hanging his head, talking to himself. They’re not getting the calls. Daniel Bard has given up the winning run twice. Kevin Youkilis can’t get a hit with a man in scoring position. New pitching coach Curt Young and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia (hitting a robust .071) are under the microscope. The Sox have been outscored, 38-16.
McDonald’s stumble was symbolic. The whole team has fallen down. And now we turn our eyes to John “Let ’em in’’ Lackey, who gave up nine runs in 3 2/3 innings in Texas. Today will be Adrian Gonzalez’s first game ever at Fenway and somebody needs to explain to Yo Adrian that Sox home openers are not generally filled with so much fear and loathing.
Over the winter, Sox fans had a lot of fun at the expense of the Yankees. Citizens of Sox Nation mocked Brian Cashman and repeatedly painted the Pinstripes as old and pitching-poor. Now the Yankees are in town with a chance to take a seven-game lead over the Sox just nine games into the season.
Any way you look at it, the Sox haven’t been the same since John Henry bought Liverpool FC. Maybe this is the Curse of Roy Hodgson. It’s certainly a good time for the Sox to be petitioning the city to serve mixed drinks at Fenway. We all might need a little Jack to get through this season of great expectations.
One week ago, before the first game, I asked Francona about the burden of being everybody’s World Series favorite.
“I don’t see the harm in that,’’ he said calmly. “To be honest, expectations in our clubhouse are high.’’
Today the Sox are sinking under the weight of their own press clippings and there’s a trace of glee in some of the have-not hardball hamlets.
The first week of this baseball season has us longing for the good old days of 2010. A “bridge year’’ would look pretty good right about now.
Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at dshaughnessy@globe.com.
© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)