The Laughing Wolf

I mentioned that a hammer was in each kit. In fact, using tools and small kits picked up at trade shows and the like, I have several tools in each kit. The tools are so that you can drive nails, pry, screw, unscrew, and do general work. Why are they in each kit? Simple.

When an emergency happens, it is not the time to begin wondering “Now where did I leave the hammer?” If you need it, you are probably going to need it fast. Hammers are cheap if you don’t go fancy, and the same holds true for most basic tools. You don’t need a mechanic’s tool set in each kit, just a hammer, a flat-head screw driver and maybe a Phillips-head as well. If you can come up with other good tools for cheap or for free, grab them and include them. You can’t have too much in there, especially if you can get it for free.

The same holds true for medicines. I have allergies and am highly allergic to bee stings. For that reason, I have Benadryl in each kit because if I need it I will need it fast. Think about things that you and your family might need in that regard, and take the appropriate precautions. The nice thing about modern blister packs is that they are sealed, and there are usually several in a package. Get a package, and distribute the contents.

Lighting is something to think about a bit. Flashlights are good, and I highly recommend the Hubble flashlights in all sizes. They no longer come with the “Do not look into laser with remaining eyeball-type warning any more, but they might should. Bright, light, and useful in some truly nasty environments.

If there is gas in the area, or some other problem that could blow up in your face, you may not want to use a flashlight no matter what disaster it is rated for. Then you want to have a chemical light stick. These are moderately priced, come in colours, last for hours, produce no heat or spark, and have even more redeeming features. They also have a multi-year shelf life, so can be stored. I keep one or two around in each kit just in case.

Remember also that batteries can go dead, both in storage and in use. That is another good reason to keep some chemical lights around, and to have some candles. I have candles in the emergency kits, inside candle lanterns. If you hike or camp, candle lanterns are quite nice to have. They also work well for emergencies, since they can be hung or stood in place, and they shield the candle from the wind and the surroundings from the candle. Some even come with nifty reflectors, which aid in illumination. Any good camping or hiking store should have them, though I got mine at REI.

I love REI and get a lot of my camping and hiking supplies there. If you hike or camp, remember that your supplies for that make dandy emergency supplies as well. At a good store, you can get food, containers, candle lanterns, rope, and much more.

Tape is another issue of note. No, it does not have to be duct tape. What you want is a good tape, not cheap, that will stick and seal – and stay stuck. You want a good shipping tape, good duct tape, etc. My kits contain a variety, depending on what was on sale and/or what I bought bulk for the office. This means I have duct tape, high-quality packing tape, strapping tape, double sided tape, scotch tape, etc. Not everything is in every kit, but I do have some means of sealing things up in each one.

There is also usually a pencil, a marker, and a pen in each kit as well. This is not for writing farewell notes, but for marking things to be cut, where to place things, and leaving notes as needed. A pencil is in there because they really can’t go bad and can be sharpened with the utility knife or some such if needed. Pens and markers are there because they can and will mark about anything. Make sure both have waterproof ink. Just a hint.

Take a few minutes right now to think about food and water. If there is a bad emergency, you really don’t want to have to think about cooking. You will also probably want to think in terms of calories rather than a truly balanced meal. Keep it simple, and things are easy.

One of the things I do is keep some of the lunch box stuff on hand. These meals-in-one make dandy emergency food, are ready to eat, require no cooking, and have the advantage of being able to be used rather than thrown out as expiration dates approach. Keep things like that on hand, enough for each person to eat 1,500 or so calories each day for up to a week. If you build up, it is not expensive or hard, and they don’t really taste bad at all.

Water is the key, however. I approach it in two ways. My refrigerator has a large Brita tank and a large Brita pitcher. Between them, they have enough water to keep me going for 2-4 days on emergency rations. I also keep bottled water around. If you drink bottled water, just up what you normally buy a bit and then rotate your stock. That makes it easy to keep .5 to 1-litre a day per person on hand.

The advantage to the Brita is that you can also take semi-potable water and make it potable. This means you can pull from a variety of sources and get clean water. For pulling from non-potable water, however, you will need to get a water purification system. If you do either of the above methods, you should not need to do this. If you want to be safe, get a good purification system for camping and it will work well.
In your planning, remember that what goes in must also go out. Either plan for water to flush the toilets once a day or have an emergency potty ready to hand. You can make them real easily with garbage bags and some cardboard, or you can get more creative if you like. Plan ahead, and have lots of extra toilet paper on hand. Aside from the obvious use, it is an excellent filter material and has many other uses as well.

A book I highly recommend is Dean Ing’s “Pulling Through.” While written for a nuclear disaster, most of the preparations are rational and good for ANY emergency. A lot of good skull sweat went into what Dean wrote, so make use of it so you don’t have to sweat.

Remember, you don’t have to do everything at once. Start small, and build. Rational preparedness can help you through everything, from day-to-day emergencies to a true disaster. Be Prepared. Then, really honk people off and survive in style.

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« ...howl's done

Of course, this removal has nothing to do with the limitations placed on us in Saudi. The insults that our female service personnel have had to bear, from dress requirements to not being allowed to drive. The fact that Saudi nationals have allegedly been major financiers of terrorism has nothing to do with it. The fact that Saudi’s were the largest part of the 9-11 crews had nothing to do with it either. The fact that the Saudi’s have mastered perfidy in a way to make France proud has absolutely nothing to do with it either. Honest.

Of course we will still be friends, just from across the border. Where our money and resources will go, and where our protection and efforts are appreciated. Where we can do more and act without kowtowing to a bunch of ridiculous restrictions and insults from people who have demonstrated their gratitude and love in so many ways.

Now, I think we need to take such a step further. Given the fact that Belgium is playing lapdog to France in so many ways, has failed to honor its sworn obligations (Turkey, anyone?), has the gall (Gaul?) to try and charge Gen. Franks and the U.S. with war crimes, and wants to join with France to create a new military organization separate from NATO, then I think we need to take the Saudi move and apply it elsewhere.

If France, Belgium, and Germany want to go play by themselves, then let them. Let’s move NATO headquarters to a more central location and into a country that will appreciate it in every way. A country that has demonstrated its honor and courage many times over. Warsaw anyone? Why keep bases in Germany if they don’t want them or appreciate them. Wonder what will happen to the wonderful and thriving German economy if our bases were to move east and/or west. Poland and some of the former Eastern European countries would be most appreciative I think, and the Netherlands have also honored their obligations and more.

Author John Ringo proposed a few weeks ago a new NAFTA: The North Atlantic Free Trade Association. I liked the idea. It is a great way to reward those who are true allies, who have not failed of honor to the point that they have and are actively working against the U.S. and other allied nations. It is a great way to boost the economies of countries, and teach some good lessons about capitalism, free trade, fair markets, and more.

It is time to jettison the dead baggage of the past, and embrace our true friends and allies. Let’s see how well we and our allies can do with free economies and free trade. I bet that we will all do very well for it, and spread freedom in the best way possible.

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« ...howl's done

I can think of several possibilities for this right off the bat. First, we assume that the victim did not talk with anyone or leave any messages because such are not explicitly mentioned in the Reuters story. That is a dangerous assumption given the dearth of facts. It may well be that the person told all to someone if and when he requested help. It may be that some other form of communication was responsible for that detail.

It could also be very true that this was done in a disingenuous fashion to point away from a major problem area in Brazil. It would not be the first time a government has done such. This possibility, too, must not be discounted.

Another possibility to consider is that this detail was part of a counter-intelligence operation. It may be something intended to spook someone, or someones, into action or movement so they can be tracked, apprehended, or taken out.

Joe Katzman calls for truth, full and immediate, so that we can evaluate and make good decisions in the days ahead. I agree with this with one caveat: if there is a counter op going on, then I can wait a bit for the full and complete truth. If some delay is the price of rolling up a major threat, I will be glad to live with it.

What I will not be able to live with is if this is something else. If Brazil is doing like Canada, which has also been disingenuous in terms of “no threat to Canada” routine, and it places people in danger, then that is not acceptable. In that case, the governments and people involved will be as guilty of the terroristic act as those who actually do it. In that case, they should all be dealt with as terrorists. Nothing less will be acceptable.

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« ...howl's done

By keeping to strict rules, and acknowledging when there is even the slightest potential for, or appearance of, conflict of interest, the public benefits. It provides you with the knowledge and framework to evaluate and interpret the news.

I bring this up because of an outstanding article at Winds of Change entitled Saddam's Archives: Iraq's Media War. It was an article that caused me to go “I wish I had written that.” But it also pointed out to me the difference between journalism as it is supposed to be in the West, and how it is in the rest of the world. It also points out a double, or even triple, standard by The Media.

In short, the article documents how Iraq bought and paid for favorable coverage in Middle Eastern media. This may well have extended beyond the Middle East, since not even all Western nations subscribe to the strict rules of journalism. This means that the news that got out was biased, and that the people who got it at home and abroad had no way of knowing that they, and the news, were being manipulated.

This gave Iraq, and Saddam’s regime an unfair advantage. They were able to control and manipulate the news in ways that those playing by the rules, like the Coalition, could not. It means that members of the media, lied in ways that go beyond mere bias.

This should not be a surprise to anyone, but it is not something I expect to see covered in the U.S. by The Media. For it hits too close to home to be truly covered. Not only would it force an assessment of their own coverage and potential biases, it would force them to examine how they get the news from the rest of the world.

The Media tends to publicly posture that all journalists the world over are the same, adhere to the same ideals and goals, and follow the same rules of the game. This despite decades of proof otherwise. This double standard has resulted in some of the worst reporting to be seen.

During the cold war, The Media took reports from “media” in the Soviet Union and satellite countries and ran it as straight news, or, worse yet, stating that information from the U.S. Government was on the same level or even below. There has been the same unquestioning, indeed eager, acceptance of reports from sources and media in the Middle East and elsewhere despite readily apparent bias. It was accepted even though The Media had to know that most of the rest of the world does not play the game the way they do.

Indeed, if you go talk to other media people around the world, citizens in other countries, and sources in other governments, they will tell you that they are not playing by the rules. That only a fool would play by them and give up such an advantage. They will even tell you that we do it to, and that obviously we put up the rules as a sham, a polite fiction just like a lot of treaties hide things nicely so people can do what they want.

On some level, members of The Media know this, even if it is not acknowledged. While I doubt that many of them would refer to foreign media as Wogs, that is exactly the attitude many have towards them. That they don’t understand, they don’t live up, but that is not their fault. They can’t help it. This triple standard is why media elsewhere is not likely to change anytime soon. It may also be why The Media is not in full hue and cry over the recent jailings in Cuba by Castro of journalists and others. It may be why others elsewhere do not get the push they should. They can’t help it, after all, they are just wogs reacting in a justifiable manner to the imperialism of the U.S.

What is needed is the elimination of the different standards. If we are to uphold some noble and needed goals, then we need to uphold them. We need to force the introspection in The Media; and they, in turn, need to force other media around the world to uphold the same standards. If those people do not, then all their information needs to be presented with notices so that it can be judged for what it is, not what we want it to be.

A free and honest press is essential for the preservation of freedom and liberty for all. Not just here, but abroad. Make it so.

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« ...howl's done

Transportation security is mostly window dressing. By putting passengers through a process designed more to show that "something is being done" than anything else, a mental sop is created. What makes this a sop is that it is not random. The PC crowd and The Media have guaranteed that anyone who is remotely Middle Eastern is not touched for fear of lawsuits and tons of bad news coverage over the flagrant violation of their rights based solely on ethnicity. Nevermind that the people who did all the bad things on 9-11 were Arabic males of a certain age and other common characteristics; never mind that there are females that now fall into this same category; never mind that there are a number of other factors that can and will give a good indication of whom to search and/or detain. That would never do, as all profiling is e-ville.

Instead, we harass 90-year-old grandmothers, we make student athletes disrobe and remove artificial limbs in public for no good reason, we do things in an intrusive manner rather than in an effective manner because it shows that something is being done. Even if that which is being done is idiotic.

Anyone who cares to carefully go back and review everything that has come out on 9-11, from early coverage on, will note one critical detail: No one has ever said that all the box cutters and reported explosive devices (Yes, check the reports, at least one group of terrorists did claim to have a device) came through passenger security. In fact, it is pretty well acknowledged that they did not do so, that many believe they were planted by people who serviced the planes. This is one reason why flight crews have searched planes after servicing and before boarding ever sense. It is not 100 percent, but it is still being done.

Now, these service people are now being checked out and such, but it is a slow process. It did not happen nearly as early as it should. It is still, in my opinion, not all it could or should be thanks to the guardians of PC.

What we have now is a brand new bureaucracy. One that is concentrating on window dressing rather than what is effective. The new and the old have got the old mentalities, the 9-5 syndrome, and power that they wield when it suits them. We could have had so much more.

In response to 9-11, suggestion lines were set up and they got good business. Most of the suggestions appear to have been file 13'd. I know mine was, and it was a way to quickly and easily surge the number of armed travelers to augment the air marshalls. Every day, thousands of people travel on government business. Many of these are former military, security police, etc. Why not put together a program like the MP and SP augmenters and qualify them to carry on flights? They are already trained in basics, and you could do a quick course on law and use of force, and train them for air travel. Great increase in security at low cost, using already available resources. This went in both officially and unofficially, and was met with deafening silence. Despite being effective, doable, etc., politics ruled the day. Nor is mine the only such story.

There are means and methods to do effective security without tearing up the Constitution and without compromising individual liberty. Fear the bureaucracy. Fear the so-called Patriot Act. For crying out loud, you really need to take a look at the Patriot Act II and be really scared. What will all this get you? Ineffective and inefficient operations, and the death of individual liberty.

Benjamin Franklin made a good quote about those who would give up freedom for the illusion of security. The illusion of security is indeed what we have, and individual freedom and liberty is under strong attack. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

But do not let fear paralyze you. You can act and you can make a difference. Let your elected officials know how you feel and hold them accountable for their actions. We are the government, We, The People. Remember that, and do accordingly.

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« ...howl's done

Actually, life made sure that I did, throwing a few interesting things my way. With good preparations I learned from my parents, from scouting, and from elsewhere, I did much more than survive: I got through it in style. The nice thing is, so can you.

There are all sorts of nasty things out there, and you can spend a small fortune preparing for each and every one of you. There are people selling all sorts of things at very high prices, from anti-terrorism planning kits to full MOPP gear. There is just so much out there and, yes, you can go buy it. Why? You can let all the different types of disasters possible overwhelm you. Why?

Why do it? Why spend the money? Why worry? Instead of loosing yourself this way, let’s look at things a bit differently. What are the things that are likely to happen to you? No, not the type of disaster that could befall, but rather what are the likely results of any of them? What are the common denominators of storms, earthquakes, explosions, and other natural or man-made fun?

They all boil down to five basic types of damage: personal injury, structural damage, consumables, wire systems, and infrastructure. Five things that are relatively easy to cope with, especially since many of them call for the same basic supplies.

Let’s start with the easiest one: personal injury. Do you have a first aid kit? If no, why not? If you don’t then your family obviously has much better coordination than most of mine, and you clearly don’t have small children. A first aid kit doesn’t have to be a big, expensive item. It can be a disposable storage container that has band-aids, ointment, and other such supplies in it. Making your own can be inexpensive, and can even be a fun home-schooling project.

The basics that I would recommend are: band-aids, gauze, tape, and ointment. If you have to take medicine on a regular basis, or suffer from allergies, make sure you put some of these medicines aside in the kits just in case. If you don’t want to make your own, you can find some very good basic, small kits for sale at very reasonable prices and add to them. I found some good deals at the K-Marts that were being closed down in my area. I have also picked up some good (and some not-so-good) kits as give-aways at trade shows. Look around, there is a lot of good stuff available for cheap or for free.

Now, I have both the small kits and some larger ones as well. Given all that I do, from shooting to hiking, I tend to keep a fairly good kit in the vehicle(s), and have my true disaster kits at home. The larger kits have things like hemostats, burn treatments, all sizes of pads, eye care, and a lot more. The thing to remember here is that you do not have to start big. Start small, and then work your way up as needed. That is what I did.

The main thing is, make it work for you. Have the basics, have some basic medicines that you need, make sure it will work for you for 1-5 days. Simple, and inexpensive to do.

Another good investment of time and money is in first aid books and training. CPR and emergency first aid classes are often taught for free, just call the local Red Cross or emergency response company and inquire. Your company may offer these courses as well, and you can get some kudos for attending. Make use of the cheap or free resources. Also, use the instructors and others to get ideas on really good first aid books and such. One of my favorites is still my old Boy Scout handbook, which while it does have some outdated information, the basics have not changed all that much. Add to it some of the more recent pamphlets and books, and you are set.

Think about things just a bit more, though. Aside from cuts and scrapes, the need for medicines, is there anything else particular to your situation that you need to consider? Any health problems? Do you wear glasses or contacts? You may want to think about keeping an old pair of glasses, or some cheap disposable contacts, in the first aid kit(s) just in case. Remember also that you don’t have to do it all at once, start small and then build up.

Keep in mind also that many things can serve dual uses. A good t-shirt doubled over your mouth and nose can make an excellent “gas mask” that will keep out dust and even many biological agents. Feminine pads and tampons can be used for first aid purposes. A cook I used to love to watch used the catchphrase “Make do with what you got” and he had the right of it. Use your head and there are a lot of resources available to you.

Structural damage is another area where you can begin making some preparations. Long before Tom Ridge developed his duct tape and plastic fetish, I had mine. Where I currently reside, we get thunderstorms, tornados, hurricanes or tail end of same, earthquakes, and other delights. It has been a target area for years for people as well. So, looking at likely damage, I came up with a basic kit that is now in each room of the house.

The kit is a simple latch-top storage unit, that contains: a hammer, brads (small nails), tacks, plastic sheeting, tape of various types, a small first aid kit and/or basic supplies, nylon twine, utility knife, scissors, a church key (bottle/can opener), a couple of decks of cards, candles, matches, lighter, cylumes, and a flashlight. Now each kit may have additional items in it, but this is the basic load out.

The rational is simple. In an emergency, I don’t want to spend 10 minutes trying to remember where I put something, esp. as it may not be in the same place anymore. So, I have plastic and the means to put it firmly in place over a broken window, hole in the wall, or other breach. I can also throw the plastic over room contents while I deal with the breach. I have the means to see what I am doing, I can cut not only plastic but other items as needed. I even have entertainment. Everything I can need for a quick response is right there, so I can do the quick and then go get what is needed to do the rest.

Now, these kits did not happen overnight. They have been built up over years, so don’t think you have to do one for each room. Start with just one basic kit, and then work your way up.

In addition to the basic kits, I do have emergency food and water tucked away. The food is mostly my camping/hiking food, along with Textured Vegetable Protein that is vacuum sealed. In a really bad emergency, I can use this food and my camping gear to cook, and do quite well. Given that I also have lanterns and the like, I have gone for a few days without power in winter without much discomfort.

One point on flashlights is to get a good one. They don’t cost that much more and, believe me, they pay for themselves in real life as well as in emergencies. My flashlight of choice now is a Hubble Light. These are brighter than most Mags, lighter, still can be used in some/most hazardous conditions, and won’t roll. Between the “sides” and built-in clips and such, they are extremely versatile.

I will finish for today by saying that you should also have spare batteries and battery-operated radios or TV’s around as well. They are not expensive, and are good to have.

Stay tuned for the next installment of rational preparedness.

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« ...howl's done

It was and was not surprising. The Southeast experiences earthquakes quite frequently. The Brevard Fault in Georgia is reported to be responsible for hundreds of microquakes each year, and there are a number of ancient fault systems in the region. The one everyone watches, of course, is the New Madrid fault over along the Mississippi. The last time it got truly cranky, portions of the Mississippi flowed backwards for a time, Reelfoot Lake was created, cemeteries came up and towns went down in the liquifaction, and all was felt as far away as New York.

This all flashed through my head fairly quickly, and I listend for any sounds of major trauma in the area. If this was the New Madrid or some such, there was little I could do and would get called soon enough. There being no immediate danger or problem in my area, I followed training and ancient dictum and went back to sleep to sleep while I could.

The good news is that while seven states were shaken, nothing was terribly stirred. The epicenter was in Mentone, Alabama, and the event was 4.9. Not terribly big, but exciting in a region that in a region used to microquakes that are never even felt.

This event, along with the disturbing Reuter's story yesterday, have caused me to revamp some of my plans. I am posting today the first in a series of essays on rational preparedness. It will try to teach some basics, and a better way of looking at emergency preparations. May it be useful food for thought, and never have to be used.

« ...howl's done

I called the credit onion and after making it through the Skinner voice-mail maze, finally talk with a real human who informed me that since the deposit had been made at an ATM – because the credit onion had already closed – that it could not be made available for two business days. The reason being that they don’t service the ATMs everyday, even those in the drive-up lanes. This notice is supposed to be on the ATMs, but I sure did not see it and did see where bored or simply destructive people had peeled off a lot of labels and such. General attitude was too bad, so sad, nothing he or his supervisor could do. Oh, and any check written against the deposit would be bounced. Too bad, so sad, nothing anyone can do.

The irony is that I had started to put the check in the night depository, but the onion has been encouraging people to use the ATMs instead, both directly and indirectly. The latest redesign of the branch I use most often makes it less than easy, and less than safe, to use the night depository, in my not so humble opinion. Had I done so, the check would be available right now.

Needless to say, I was less than happy. The customer service representative finally promised to see what he could do, which is mainly to try and let me know when and if the onion ever gets around to servicing the machine. With luck, it might be by this afternoon, but even if they could do * anything * it will really be tomorrow morning. They will, as a courtesy, refund any fee they charge me for a returned check. How gracious of them. This does not appear to cover any fees I may be charged by vendor, however. Thank goodness I only wrote one check against this payment.

Not being the type to sit back and wait, I called up the main office of the credit onion and actually was put through to the executive offices. I apprised them of the situation, briefly, and asked if the apparent effort to move things to the ATM was deliberate or not. To my surprise, I was put through to the president. And, yes, the encouragement of the use of the ATMS was deliberate. He took the time to explain the reasons for the two-day hold (fraud) and what they were doing to improve the situation all around. He then also agreed to deal with my situation in person. As a result, I should have my funds available shortly.

For all the people out there who say that a single individual can do nothing, can change nothing, especially if it involves a bureaucracy: THHHHHHHPPPPPPPPPPPPPTTTTT! Yes, an individual can if they remain calm, deal in a (fairly) rational manner, and go find the person who can make things work. If that person is an individual of honor and good faith, things can be changed. It doesn’t hurt to mention you are writing a story about the experience, but I honestly feel that this did not factor into the president’s decision too much.

He knew that there was a problem, and that my problem was a part of it. He had the courage and integrity, and the good business sense, to do something about it. Finding such people, and rewarding them, is good for business and for each and every one of us.

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« ...howl's done

Let’s see. France and Belgium have clearly violated their sworn oaths as part of the NATO treaty to come to the aid of other members. Not just the U.S., but Turkey really is the primary example. We should in no way have expected them to deal fairly with us, after protecting them during the cold war, but Turkey deserved better.

Now examples of France actively conspiring with an enemy of the U.S. have come to light. More than merely sharing information – spying – for them, France would also appear from reports coming out to have also provided advice and counsel to Iraq on how to proceed in dealing with the U.S. Never mind that the U.S. has been in a state of declared war since just after 9-11. Never mind that the U.S. has twice directly acted to keep France free in the last century and indirectly for more than 40 years. Merde.

While I doubt it will be done, a very good case for declaring France to be in violation of treaty exists. They have violated the agreements of participation in NATO, even to the limited extent that French honor demanded. Twice over. They have actively engaged in providing an enemy with diplomatic and military intelligence, in violation of sworn oaths of mutual defense. They have also done this in the face of a history of being saved by the U.S. and Great Britain.

Then again, that is part of the problem here. In the simplest possible terms, it is ego. France’s ego can not accept its position in the world, and has hives over acknowledging its debts to others for remaining free. France has done it all itself, don’t you know. Sigh. The corruption in terms of artwork, oil, money and such is merely the manifestation of the deeper issue. Then again, as it turns out, none of it is terribly deep. The toddler France did not bury its own dealings deep enough in the global sandbox playground.

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« ...howl's done

Cauldron dealt with an unholy alliance between Germany and France, that resulted in yet a third European/World War. In it, corrupt and venal French politicians and the shadowy French intelligence services – the same ones that sank the Rainbow Warrior (see March 18 for a good play on this) to silence protest and show French might – plunge the world into war as a part of a power grab with partner Germany. Germany, and Russia, really might want to read the book as France does screw over its partner(s) for its own gain and interest.

Red Phoenix deals with a North Korea led by a megalomaniac with little or no understanding of the world outside of his borders, who embarks on a desperate plan to shore up his regime and secure critically needed resources by any means possible. The results are not good.

Both books deal well with technical and political realities. Both explore some points that are not getting a lot of consideration right now in public, and should. The role of the French intelligence services is one, and the inner workings of North Korea are another. I am going to have to write more this week, as this touches on some points I have previously promised to discuss and have yet to do so. I know, I know, but I do try to have a life and work and things like that…

In the interest of candor, fairness, and all the other doctrines that The Media harp upon, I do have to admit that I know Larry Bond. As with some in The Media, it is also a way to brag. I met Tom Clancy and Larry Bond at a convention where we were all guests/speakers. I was there because of my work analyzing and reporting on the former Soviet Union. Mr. Clancy was a gracious host, but Larry and I ended up seriously talking and I was later very pleased to visit him at his home. Larry feels that I know way more about some things than I should, and I never could explain to him why you need rudders to do a flight game/aviation war game properly. Yes, we are both geeks. While we have not talked in many years, I have fond memories of those times and visits, and highly commend his books to you.

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« ...howl's done

The drawback to this is that any action of any type requires that everyone stop what they are doing, debate the topic, and vote. Such necessity, however, means that an awful lot of needed work, like tending the fields and flocks, guarding the borders, and such, does not get done because you are continually in debate.

For this reason, representative democracy was developed. In this form of government, the people chose leaders to represent them, hold the debates, seek advice, and make decisions. Good decisions meant that the city/state and or other beneficiaries of the social compact prospered. Bad decisions meant hardship at best, and total annihilation at worst. Leaders who failed this ultimate test were removed or paid with their lives, fortunes and sacred honor.

If those words sound familiar, you probably had a good American history course somewhere along the way. In ancient Greece, where most modern forms of governance had their development and testing phase, it was the literal truth. The leaders knew that they could and would be held to the ultimate accountability, and under the rules of the day that their immediate families would share that burden. If they did well, all prospered including their families. If they did not do well, then their families could, would, and did die; their fortunes and those of their immediate families would be lost; and, it might be generations before people would trust members of that family again with anything.

The founding fathers were not just a bunch of wild-haired radicals hep with the latest thought, art, and music fads from Europe. They were also well educated in what constituted the classics, including history and political science that covered the glory days of ancient Greece and Rome, and in the things that happened to destroy both civilizations.

So, when they decided that the time had come to bounce King George, they – unlike most extremists today who want to bounce President George – had a plan. Indeed, it was a fairly well thought out plan for which at least some limited-scale testing had been done. They knew that it simply wasn’t enough to throw out the bad, they had to replace it with something better.

The lessons of history were clear. A true democracy simply would not work. A representative democracy – a republican form of government – was needed. This much they could all agree on, though the particulars were subject to lively and even forceful debate. Nor was the republic we now have the first thing that was tried.

The one thing that did get the unanimous approval of the original founding fathers, however, was the need for accountability. Again, unlike most modern extremists and even most politicians, they recognized that they as individuals had to take responsibility for their actions and inactions. They knew that they and their families, just as in days of old, would pay a price for what they did and that it would be an even heavier price if they failed.

Their decision reverberates loudly today. For they all signed a document in which they swore oaths bound by their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. These ancient words were chosen with deliberation. They accepted that responsibility, and intended that all who followed them do the same. They served and they led not to gain fame, fortune, and honor; but, to sacrifice it as needed in service to those who joined the compact.

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« ...howl's done

This concept is often defined as meaning that a group of individuals have agreed to work together for mutual benefit, and that in the course of same each has given up something as part of that contribution. Most often, this is some form or degree of freedom.

When one does enter into a societal compact, you do indeed give up ultimate freedom. As a general rule, you agree to give up murder, rape, robbery, arson, and other acts that diminish the greater good. In fact, while the concept of greater good is what is most often taught, that is an artificial construct that has no realistic basis.

What truly happens is that each individual is assured that their life and their property will be safe from everyone else. As a participant in the contract, you agree to give up ultimate freedom in order to maintain the safety of your own property – your body and other physical possessions – and guarantee the safety of the property of others in the compact. The result is the intangible concept known as the greater good.

The reality is, however, that as an individual you truly have not given up ultimate freedom. You do have the right to decide not to abide by the terms of the compact, either by withdrawing from the community or by taking actions against the compact while in said community.

As with freedom of speech, you are not free of the consequences of your actions. If you choose to leave, you must bear the responsibility for moving, establishing a new home, starting or taking part in a new social contract, and for every action you take. If you stay, there will be consequences from your actions. You will have to pay some form of restitution for the damage to the property you have damaged or destroyed by your actions.

As with society, social compacts are easiest to deal with on the smaller scale. In small groups, be it a village, clan, or some similar structure, it is easy to define and adhere to either a tacit or formalized agreement. Because of the small size, such agreements tend to be rather basic.

As the size of the group grows, however, it becomes harder and harder to keep things simple. There will always be those who want to add in additions, to codify each and every possible action and reaction. In large societies, social compacts tend to loose meaning simply because agreement is lost between all parties on what makes up said compact. Unless a deliberate effort is made to keep it simple and keep it from being undermined, the concept can and will be lost.

There is one other way in which it can and will be lost: the loss of trust. When the common areas of understanding between different individuals are eliminated, for whatever reason, so too is lost communications and trust. When the individual members of a society see others break the compact with impunity, trust dies.

When we bury trust, and loose the heart of the compact – the idea that individuals can agree on certain basic things – then compact is shattered, and society begins to decay.

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« ...howl's done

First, no knife, sword, pistol, or rifle woke up this morning and decided to kill or maim someone. They did not sharpen or load themselves, conceal themselves somewhere, lurk in wait until the victim appeared, and then do something evil. The evil takes a human, or something passing for same.

What has happened are indeed tragedies, but not necessarily in the way most would take it. It is indeed a tragedy that a struggling model and actress is critically wounded and in the hospital. It is a tragedy that a high school principal is dead. It is a tragedy that a teenager lies dead after being shot by another teenager after they found a gun and started playing with it. But there are other tragedies here as well.

It is a tragedy that the teenagers in question had never been taught gun safety or gun usage. From all appearances, not even basic “don’t touch” had been taught, and the gun hidden to keep it safe. Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest, and if a child – or someone child-like – gets a weapon under those circumstances, they will play with it. If they have no training at all, that play will be dangerous or deadly.

It is a tragedy that people are shot by estranged spouses, lovers, and others. It is a greater tragedy that in many jurisdictions, those potential victims are denied the right to carry a weapon of any type at all to defend themselves; that they are subject to waiting periods that keep them from timely self-defense; that they are told to let the system protect them when those in the system know full well they can’t do the job. It has never been the place of law enforcement to provide 24/7 security to every citizen. Self-defense has always been both a right and a responsibility of the citizen.

The largest tragedy of all is that in every case I fully expect to see “the weapon” or “the system” or some such take the blame. That arrant bit of mental masturbation has done more harm to society and the societal compact than almost anything else you care to name. It is easy to blame some inanimate object or some artificial construct with no basis in reality for all the tragedies that happen. It is so much better and easier to accept, to manipulate for political or other reasons, than to place the blame squarely where it belongs: with individuals.

No weapon got up this morning and decided to hurt or kill someone. Individuals did. Only individuals can accept or receive the consequences of their actions. Only individuals should be held accountable for their actions, for to claim or act in any other way is the height of hypocrisy and deceit.

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« ...howl's done

The new book is by John Ringo through Baen Books. John Ringo is an evil man *G* who writes very well and does a good Billy Idol impersonation I am told. He is evil in that he writes well and realistically in the field of combat fiction. The latter is not surprising given that he was a paratrooper and keeps current enough to be an occasional commentator for a major New York paper and a major broadcast news operation. The former is a delight, and I have enjoyed his work even when he has done nasty things to his characters, and through them to his readers. I may even forgive him one day for nuking one of my favorite areas in the U.S. in his books…

Hell’s Faire is the latest in his “Legacy of the Aldenata” series. In reality, it is the last part of his previous book “When the Devil Dances” but did not make it in on time courtesy of 9-11. Given the length of the previous book, this was not a true hardship and Hell’s Faire stands well on its own. It wraps up some of the threads and loose ends, creates many more, and is well worth the read. If you have not read “When the Devil Dances” then you are much better off starting with it. If you have never read anything of John’s before, then start with “Hymn Before Battle” and enjoy.

The other book I have read lately is “The Apocalypse Troll” by David Weber. David writes some of the best military fiction out there, along with John Ringo and David Drake, if not some of the best fiction period. He is best known for his Honor Harrington series, which can be described as taking Horatio Hornblower, setting it forward a few hundred years, making him a her, and taking the rest of us along on quite a wonderful ride in the process. The series is not merely a good story, but a prime example of what great literature should be: enjoyable, thought provoking, educational, and more.

The Apocalypse Troll is set in a different universe from Honor Harrington, and deals with an alien threat to Earth that turns out to be not so alien. In the midst of a good action yarn, the reader gets to see humanity at its best and its worst. A lighter read in many ways, but well worth the time.

Enjoy.

« ...howl's done

This one statement vividly illustrates many of the points I have made in the past, as well as the one I face this morning. Nothing could better illustrate the self-obsessed grandeur of The Media; nothing better shows how a self-selected group has anointed itself as the knower of all and protector of the masses who don’t know any better; and nothing better shows the rampant bias of The Media and its so-called elite.

It also demonstrates the dilemma of the morning. The comments, as reported by Reuters, deserve to be fisked; indeed, they beg for line-by-line rebuttal and commentary. If I do that, the real meat of the story will be missed, just as it would be if I took the time to take apart a post from The Poynter Institute published, after an interesting delay. The Poynter Institute is dedicated to journalism ethics, excellence, and improvement, yet was strangely silent for many days after Mr. Jordan’s post ignited a firestorm. A column/commentary by Bob Steele was finally published which comes across as extremely favorable to and forgiving of CNN. Indeed, I found it to be surprisingly soft ball given the normal Poynter take on ethics. More than that, I found it to be insulting on many levels, both as a former journalist and as a media consumer.

The story of the morning is not the usual arrogance by The Media and its elite. The story is the circling of the wagons and the assault on truly free press by The Media. The attack by the BBC Director General – wonder when that militaristic title will have to go to appease the PC’ers at the Beeb – was not really against the U.S. media as a whole, but rather the favorite bogeymen of the extremists and foil-beanie crowd: Fox News and Clear Channel Communications.

Blogs are coming under increasing attack as well, though few are taken on directly. The fact that the average person can have a say scares many in The Media. The fact that journalists who don’t happen to be a part of The Media can get out their reports and commentary without gatekeeping scares them. You can expect to see many more such attacks in the days ahead, because they ARE hurt and scared.

The BBC, or the Baghdad Broadcasting Corporation as it is now called in many quarters, did not distinguish itself in glory of late. When your own correspondents take you to task, resulting in a vigorous whitewash by the home office, you have problems.

CNN continues to have problems here, as more comes out. There have been revelations by a former CNN reporter Peter Collins and the most interesting exchange between Marc J. Rauch and a CNN anchor, and add in the story by Tom Marzullo and a very disturbing picture is presented. These cover the past, in a manner of speaking, while Rich Noyes is one of several raising questions about the present. I would also urge you to check out Glenn Reynolds for some great commentary and even more links.

The facts are out there, and are getting increasing coverage outside of The Media. This, in turn, is both forcing some coverage in The Media and a growing set of counter-attacks. The people behind the curtain are being exposed, and they do not like it one little bit. They don’t want a truly informed viewship, as once their dirty laundry is exposed their ability to control information and manipulate both news and the public is compromised.

As individuals, you need to be informed, so go and read some links and dig. Then, make your decisions and vote with your pocketbook. Your viewership rewards those to whom you give it, and your switching channels does indeed make a difference. Choose wisely, for a lot more than ratings rides on your decisions.

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« ...howl's done

I arrived at the range later than planned, as I had to make a stop at my favorite local gun shop before heading out. I needed some additional supplies for the trip: cleaning equipment and ammo. They are good, but opening early is not their forte.

The range I am using for the FN work is located in a beautiful spot up in the ridges with lots of birds and critters around it. The largest drawback to it is that while it is not all that far in terms of straight-line distance, there is no direct route to it. It can take 1-2 hours to reach it. It has no hygiene facilities, which requires some planning, but does have a good covered shelter and a not-too-bad bench and table arrangement. Supposedly the rifle range is set for 100 and 200 yards, but the more I use it the more I want to measure it.

Set-up did not take too long, and for the first part of the day I used the 100-yard portion of the range. The main purpose of the day was to lap the barrel of the FN. Lapping is a process of accelerating the break-in of the barrel so that it will shoot more accurately. Lapping can be done several ways, but based on the recommendation of a regular at a Tavern I frequent, I decided to do something different.

This person, who knows a thing or three about weapons, had recommended a Firelap System to break in the barrel. I called the people at Arizona Ammunition about it, and after discussing the rifle, the condition of the barrel, and some other factors, they recommended that I not go with the Firelap system but with David Tubb’s Final Finish system for barrel polishing.

This consists of 50 rounds of ammunition, broken into five groups. Each group of ten rounds has a different abrasive factor, so that they sand/polish the barrel as you fire them. You fire them in a particular order, and between each group of ten you clean the barrel – very thoroughly.

They even recommend a different way of cleaning than standard. Normally, you use a brush and patches specifically designed for the caliber of gun you are cleaning. In this case, they recommended getting a brush one size smaller, and putting a patch over it. They said that this worked better, and I am inclined to think they are right after trying it.

Now, me being me, I could not help but modify this as I went. I cleaned their way until things looked clean, then switched to a proper size brush, cleaned, and then re-did the smaller brush and patches. Using this method, while time consuming, resulted in some serious cleaning.

Upon completing the system and cleaning the gun once again, I fired a group of good ammunition and found that my groupings had indeed improved. That out of the way, I proceeded to continue the process by firing 100 rounds of full-metal-jacket military ammo. After policing the brass (you can’t re-use the polish ammo, by the way), I cleaned the still hot barrel yet again.

Then, I stopped and had lunch, consisting of the remaining smoked pork shoulder from the Iron Chef battle, a chunk of wonderful cheese from Switzerland called Vacherin-Fribourgeos (if I am reading the clerk’s writing correctly) and water. A good ale or some wine would have been even better with this, as I ate in the woods on an absolutely gorgeous day, but they are contraindicated while at a range.

After lunch, I fired another hundred rounds of the cheap cartridges, cleaned again, and then got down to serious business. Since this is still early in the process, sighting-in the system continues. I set up a standard silhouette target at 200 yards, and then put 5.5-inch Birchwood Casey Shoot N C targets on the head and the center of the X-ring. I then started firing 10 rounds at a time of Black Hills 168-grain boat-tail hollow points at the targets. I used the first 20 rounds (10 at each small target) to adjust the telescopic sight. I then put up new small targets and fired 20 rounds for effect. The first 10 were not that good: I had three rounds miss into the 9 ring of the large target. That said, I did get five of the remaining seven rounds into the 9 and 10 rings of the smaller target. The 10 head shots did a similar grouping.

For fun, I hung or stood up full bottles of water and pop in different sizes, and shot them at 200 yards. If you hit them, even the smallest ones, you do know it.

Provided that this really was at 200 yards, it is not bad for a new rifle and a triggerman who has not done serious long shooting in more than 20 years. If the range is not 200 yards, then both the rifle and I are in trouble.

There is plenty still to do. I need to finish sighting in the scope and put several hundred more rounds downrange. I need to get into better shape and get serious about the shooting. As for the rifle, a better scope would not, hurt but as noted before a good one will cost more than I paid for the rifle. The trigger needs a bit of work, and that will be easy and inexpensive. There are some other things I need to get for it, but they will come with time.

Nor did I spend all my time on the rifle range. Once I had finished with it for the day, I went over to the pistol side of the range and practiced with a pistol I had been able to take up for the day. Unlike the good indoor range I use most of the time, the outdoor range has no restrictions on rapid fire, double-taps, and the like. Need a lot of work there too, but it was fun and a great way to relax at the end of the day.

All-in-all, an outstanding day that was only improved by coming home and discovering that everything on the computer but the hard drive had indeed ended up in the trash – finally. It was then only the work of minutes to recover the files I needed, and to delete all those that I did not. Hmmmmmm. Wish there was some way to get the computer to do all the paying work while I play…

More on the FN as it happens. Enjoy your day.

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« ...howl's done

In simplest terms, society is any group of people who share common traits. This can be a society of opera fans who only share that one trait, or it can be a larger social community, such as a community club. In political debate, society is the conglomeration of all the population of a given location, from the smallest area to the entire world.

This is not terribly realistic in the global sense. For the concept as put forward in political usage, society requires a number of shared values and concepts. In smaller groups, this is very easy to obtain but becomes increasingly harder once larger numbers and larger geographical areas are brought into the mix.

At its core, society requires common language, common history, common education, common literature, etc. This common block of shared knowledge, experience, and philosophy is not the be-all and end-all, but is simply a foundation from which all members of society can build. It provides a touchstone, so that there are common references for all members.

Public schooling was never intended to try and create a race of Einsteins. One of the major philosophical points behind public education was to create this common base for society. Through schools, students/citizens were to get the same basic building blocks in terms of literature, language, etc. One of the major failings of modern public education, in my opinion, is that this point has been dismissed out of hand so that instead of lowering barriers between groups, the isolation and estrangement is increasing.

Society requires this common base or point-of-reference for a very important reason: trust. To have a society requires that all the members understand one another on as many levels as possible, so that trust exists. Without trust, all the artificial constructs of society, from banking to justice, can not exist.

It used to be taught in theory, if not in practice, that we were all Americans. Today, we are taught that we are Scottish-Americans, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Native-Americans, etc. While we should take pride in our roots, we need to drop the hyphenated bull. We are Americans, plain and simple. We need to re-discover the commonality that is real society, so that we can celebrate it as well as the diversity.

We also need to be reminded, forcefully and often, that “Society” is not a person or legal entity. It is simply an agreement between individuals to follow certain rules and conventions of behavior. It is personal agreement between individuals writ large. “Society” can’t force anyone to do anything, it can’t take responsibility for anything, and it can’t blame anything. Such things can only be done by individuals.

So, what is society, Papa? It is each and every one of us. We need to remember this, and the reality of society, and act – with honor and intelligence – accordingly.

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« ...howl's done

If this is indeed an attack of some kind, the real question is what type of toxin was used, and why. The who really does not matter. All that matters is that they are hunted down and killed. Period.

Anyone who would do this is a poisoner, plain and simple. They are poisoning their victims, and they are poisoning society. The original texts of the Christian Bible decreed Suffer not a poisoner to live. This got mistranslated -- accidentally or deliberately depending on who you talk to -- into Suffer not a witch to live. I go with the original sentiment. Anyone who does this, as a joke or for real, poisons society and needs to be removed.

We just did a spectacular demonstraton on what happens to those who support terrorism and pose a threat to the U.S. Afghanistan was one phase and Iraq another. This will be just one more phase. More on this, and some of the philosophical portions behind it, later.

« ...howl's done

Indeed, the latter is the most interesting question. It is a well established fact is that boycotts do work. They can and do have an impact. They have been a tool of politics for some time, but largely one of the liberal segment. Environmental groups, Jessie Jackson’s coalition, vegetarians, and others have used them to good effect in terms of raising money and awareness for themselves, while forcing desired changes.

Why then, when people in the center and conservative segments of the spectrum took up the same tactic, did it become something that could not work? Why did a favored and proven weapon suddenly become a joke?

The answer lies, of course, less in economics than in politics. There appear to be two facets to the problem, from the perspective of those opposed to boycotts.

The first is that boycotts do work, and having clearly lost ground and prestige in the early days of a quick war, certain segments of the left are as frantic as the UN about being marginalized and shown for the irrelevant factors that they have become. The opposition, therefore, has less to do with effectiveness than with loss of power. Anything that could give the “enemy” more power is a thing clearly to be avoided.

The second is that it is a reminder that boycotts are a weapon of the individual. It is a strong reminder that individuals do matter, that they can make a difference, and that they can effect change in politics and the world. This scares extremists of all types since they see the public not as individuals, but as blocks of population to be manipulated and controlled. They do not like individualism, and do everything they can to eliminate it. Sheep are always to be preferred by such people.

Worse than that, it is a reminder to all that economics is a very powerful way to fight, and one in which the individual can make a difference. It is a reminder to all of us that we have both rights and responsibilities. When we shop, we have the ability to reward those who sell good products, are good neighbors, who do the things with which we agree. When we watch television, go to a movie, and listen to music, we do the same thing. When we withhold purchases, change the channel, and do similar things to avoid someone or something that we do not feel is a good neighbor, who does not do good things, or do not agree, it also sends a message.

I personally have stopped purchasing French and Belgian products because I feel that they are oathbreakers. As an individual, I choose not to support such and I vote with my money. I therefore no longer buy French wine, cooking products, soaps, and more. I no longer watch the Sci-Fi and USA channels because they are owned by Vivendi Universal, a French company who also happens to own Universal Studios, Seagram’s, and other companies who’s products I no longer purchase. Now, the fact is that I had already started boycotting Sci-Fi and USA before the war because of the way in which Farscape was cancelled, but I have expanded it since. Belgian chocolate and other products no longer come in my door.

Admittedly, my personal efforts are going to have little effect, as has been pointed out to me in forums and in e-mails. I accept and acknowledge that, and simply state that it is my way of exercising my responsibilities to society at large, and most of all to myself and my code of honor. My honor demands that I do no less.

That others also feel this way is becoming obvious, and the French and others are feeling the heat. Let’s pour it on and show them what true heat is. As individuals, let’s exercise our power. Go to sites like Boycott French Products and take the time to do it right. Buy your gas at stations that don’t import much oil from the Middle East. Tell your gas station why you buy from them and not their competition, so that the message is heard. You can make a difference.

What scares some people right now, very badly, is that you may realize that you can and should make a difference. That you can think for yourself, that you can and do have power, and that you can and will live according to a code of honor scares some people very, very, badly. Let’s make this into their worst nightmare, and at the same time make ourselves felt in Paris and elsewhere. Let’s change the world.

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Indeed, the latter is the most interesting question. It is a well established fact is that boycotts do work. They can and do have an impact. They have been a tool of politics for some time, but largely one of the liberal segment. Environmental groups, Jessie Jackson’s coalition, vegetarians, and others have used them to good effect in terms of raising money and awareness for themselves, while forcing desired changes.

Why then, when people in the center and conservative segments of the spectrum took up the same tactic, did it become something that could not work? Why did a favored and proven weapon suddenly become a joke?

The answer lies, of course, less in economics than in politics. There appear to be two facets to the problem, from the perspective of those opposed to boycotts.

The first is that boycotts do work, and having clearly lost ground and prestige in the early days of a quick war, certain segments of the left are as frantic as the UN about being marginalized and shown for the irrelevant factors that they have become. The opposition, therefore, has less to do with effectiveness than with loss of power. Anything that could give the “enemy” more power is a thing clearly to be avoided.

The second is that it is a reminder that boycotts are a weapon of the individual. It is a strong reminder that individuals do matter, that they can make a difference, and that they can effect change in politics and the world. This scares extremists of all types since they see the public not as individuals, but as blocks of population to be manipulated and controlled. They do not like individualism, and do everything they can to eliminate it. Sheep are always to be preferred by such people.

Worse than that, it is a reminder to all that economics is a very powerful way to fight, and one in which the individual can make a difference. It is a reminder to all of us that we have both rights and responsibilities. When we shop, we have the ability to reward those who sell good products, are good neighbors, who do the things with which we agree. When we watch television, go to a movie, and listen to music, we do the same thing. When we withhold purchases, change the channel, and do similar things to avoid someone or something that we do not feel is a good neighbor, who does not do good things, or do not agree, it also sends a message.

I personally have stopped purchasing French and Belgian products because I feel that they are oathbreakers. As an individual, I choose not to support such and I vote with my money. I therefore no longer buy French wine, cooking products, soaps, and more. I no longer watch the Sci-Fi and USA channels because they are owned by Vivendi Universal, a French company who also happens to own Universal Studios, Seagram’s, and other companies who’s products I no longer purchase. Now, the fact is that I had already started boycotting Sci-Fi and USA before the war because of the way in which Farscape was cancelled, but I have expanded it since. Belgian chocolate and other products no longer come in my door.

Admittedly, my personal efforts are going to have little effect, as has been pointed out to me in forums and in e-mails. I accept and acknowledge that, and simply state that it is my way of exercising my responsibilities to society at large, and most of all to myself and my code of honor. My honor demands that I do no less.

That others also feel this way is becoming obvious, and the French and others are feeling the heat. Let’s pour it on and show them what true heat is. As individuals, let’s exercise our power. Go to sites like Boycott French Products and take the time to do it right. Buy your gas at stations that don’t import much oil from the Middle East. Tell your gas station why you buy from them and not their competition, so that the message is heard. You can make a difference.

What scares some people right now, very badly, is that you may realize that you can and should make a difference. That you can think for yourself, that you can and do have power, and that you can and will live according to a code of honor scares some people very, very, badly. Let’s make this into their worst nightmare, and at the same time make ourselves felt in Paris and elsewhere. Let’s change the world.

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« ...howl's done

In the week after 9-11, I wrote an op-ed as a pilot and former director of the Aviation/Space Writers Association. The title of the piece was the same as this: The Rules Have Changed. Given recent events, it is easy to forget the mindset of the pre-9-11 days.

For years, pilots, flightcrews, and even passengers had been trained not to resist in any active way. You cooperated, stalled, never looked them in the eye, never did anything to upset them, etc. This was drilled in at flight school, special seminars, safety lectures, and through a variety of publications.

Even had the pilots been armed, it is unlikely that they would have used said arms. All training, all standard operating procedure, all trained instincts would have been not to resist people who, according to some reports, claimed to have bombs and clearly had edged weapons of some type. You co-operated, bought time, and hoped that the SWAT teams were up to the job.

9-11 changed the rules. It changed the mindset of the bureaucracy in Washington, it changed the mindset of the suits in the corporate offices, and it re-affirmed the opinion of the rules held by many line-types in the flight community. There were a few who did change their mind, but many already had questioned the rules as they stood, especially those who actually had to deal with the public, the nuts, and the terrorists in person instead of from a comfortable distance.

Before, people were coddled and placated, and air rage and other travesties had become a serious problem. No one dared interfere, since the rules said not to do so, and in many cases those who did help the flight crews faced possible criminal charges for assault or worse. I can recall one case where when someone who apparently developed severe problems on a flight was subdued for the safety of all, and died while subdued. Never mind that a clear and present danger was presented to the aircraft (I seem to recall that the passenger wanted to open a door, among other things), the fellow passenger who responded and helped hold the “distraught” passenger down was charged with manslaughter or something similar. Today, if that had happened they would be a hero. Since it happened pre-9-11, they were a killer, named and shamed in a media that leaped on this story of vigilante justice. Cough, choke, wheeze.

Given the climate and conditioning of the times, having armed pilots would likely not have made a difference on 9-11. It can make a difference now. Passengers are now being taught that they can and should react to problems in the plane, as has been demonstrated by passengers in several planes. It works, just ask Shoebomber Reid. Air rage and other problems are down too, just check the crime statistics and talk to the flight crews. It is creeping back up as some complacency sets in and we are once again being told to let the professionals handle it, but that too can and will change.

Arming the pilots is a good first step, but it needs to be taken further. I put in, both officially and unofficially, a way to greatly increase the number of armed guards on flights. The fact is, there are a lot of government travelers who are ex-military or otherwise trained with weapons. There are a lot of retired military and law-enforcement people out there, or others who have specialized training. Create an auxiliary force similar to military and security police augmenters, and let them fly armed too. There is no reason not to take advantage of this trained pool to augment and expand “the proper authorities.” Of course, I was not surprised that this suggestion was rejected.

Then again, I feel that all citizens should be able to travel armed. Robert Heinlen got it so very right when he said that “An Armed Society Is A Polite Society.” I doubt that we will ever get things that far under a Justice Department that seems to take a dim view of personal liberty, but I can hope.

Go read this excellent post, and see what you think.

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The fiction and tenuous links to reality are already well documented. John Fund has a good take on this, For a good point-by-point rebuttal, check out Truth about Bowling for Columbine and be prepared to take a few minutes to read it. The fact is, there are many moore such sites and I am not even going to begin to list them all. If you want to go through as many as possible, go over to MOOREWATCH.com and be prepared to take a LOT of time to do the research.

In fact, I will suggest right now that you not take anything on these sites or the Fictitious Fat site as gospel. Go, look at the points, do the research yourself, and decide for yourself. That is, after all, the point of having an educated and knowledgeable citizenry. You have your rights, now exercise some of that responsibility that comes with it…

Once you have done this onerous homework (sorry, the teacher in me can’t help but come out at times like this) then go check out the site of the day: Revoke Michael Moore’s Oscar and read what it has to say. Then exercise your rights and responsibilities once again, and have your say pro or con. If you disagree with the revocation and the clearly demonstrated facts, then what you have is not an opinion, but a prejudice/religious belief, but that is a column for yet another day. Or even three.

As for me, I agree with the premise that the Oscar should be rescinded. From all apparent evidence and the Academy’s own rules, the so-called documentary should never have been nominated, much less given an award that is supposed to honor the best of the best. It is like giving the Nobel Peace Prize to Arafat… Oops, that happened too. Hmmm. Yet another rant one day soon on awards and honors that have become meaningless, and why.
In this case, maybe things are succeeding in a way that was unintended. It seems clear that in this case the Academy was looking to honor the politics and image of counter culture that is the Fictitious Fat Man rather than the so-called documentary. In other words, they went with style over substance.

Yet, by doing this they have caused the public to take a closer look at the situation. They have brought this love of style over substance into clear focus. They have shown a huge spotlight onto deception, misdirection, political posturing at some of its worst, and what appears to be coldly calculated propaganda. And I am not just talking about the so-called documentary.

The debate, and growing outrage, is a healthy sign and one of the best things to happen in a long time. It is likely to result in some significant changes, if not to the Academy and those it honors, then to the spending habits of the average American. Polls and pundits are great, but dollars speak louder than all. I tend to vote with my dollars, and despite all the naysayers, I can assure you my vote is both counted and felt. Why not let yours be felt as well?

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We all did last night, though I am going to concede the entrée to Baldingmoto. We all won with an afternoon of appetizers and civilized discourse, and a meal to feed royalty if not a royal army.

This is the first time that my former boss and I have been able to get together since I left. We have met for a quick beer or two, but that is not the same. So, the time limit and such had been chunked before we ever started. The afternoon was just relaxed, with him, his wife, and myself catching up and enjoying the day.

I kicked things off by taking the theme of pork and apples and making sausage-cheese balls, then going into rumaki. This provided an enjoyable backdrop for conversation, music, laughing at the dogs and teenagers, and other pleasantries. After loosing track of the time and delaying things a bit, I then prepared my entrée of pork tenderloin stuffed with goat cheese mixed with truffles, truffle powder, apples, green onion, fresh tarragon, fresh dill, salt, and pepper. The tenderloin was then placed on apple slices, wrapped in bacon, surrounded by shitake mushrooms, covered with apple slices and truffles, and baked. For the vegetable, I took fresh early pole beans, wrapped them in bacon, and put a mustard/brown sugar mixture on them. Because of oven and time limitations, I backed off from doing individual rustic apple tarts as planned.

Baldingmoto went with three dishes. He smoked a pork shoulder all day, grilled plantains, and provided dessert with apple-whoop-de-doo.

To anyone who wants to do a real, full-up Iron Chef battle, I say go for it. You will need to have, however, at least two ovens available, if not four; you will need to have at least two pressure cookers; and, you will need to have at least two grills. Then, and only then, can you have a proper battle.

We did pretty good without them, but in my case the beans suffered a bit for having to cook with the tenderloin at a higher temperature. Baldingmoto had his plantains get a bit overdone on the grill.

That said, the food was great. His pork shoulder was flavorful, moist, and a genuine treat to eat. The book he had that suggested it should have cooked another 8 hours was waaaay off. My tenderloin was not bad at all, even if I do say so. The beans were not quite what they should have been, but were still very tasty. The appetizers were very good, and dessert was fantastic. Net result, I am willing to call it a tie. Now I will spend the day recovering, and enjoying the bounty.

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Today, in my persona as Iron Chef Drivesubaru Pudgimoto, I take on my former boss Iron Chef Iflewthem Baldingmoto in battle. At least sort of a battle. I had wanted to do a full-up one hour battle, but circumstances dictate that we can’t do that today. Because of his schedule, my schedule and planned move, and more, this may well be the only day it can be done. Since we can’t do a proper Kitchen Stadium battle, we will do what we can.

Never heard of Iron Chef? Wow. That’s sad. It is a Japanese cooking show that puts two chefs against each other to cook as many dishes as possible featuring the theme ingredient in one hour. There is sports-style commentary, and a lot more. Great theatre, great fun, and great food. You can find out more at The Food Network
or any of the legion of sites dedicated to the show.

I must admit, I am looking forward to this. My former boss is being a very good sport about this, including the name I hung on him. A good enough sport that he is even making a special cocktail – a Socrates’ Surprise – just for me. For those interested, the main theme ingredient will be pork, though we may make apples and onions as secondary ingredients.

In my freezer are several items that need to get used up, having been in there for a year or more. There is even a whole fois gras and some truffles. We will see what comes of this, other than a pleasant afternoon in the company of friends. Enjoy your day and your weekend too, make the most of it in every way.

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Freedom of speech is alive and well in America today. We must remain on our guard to ensure that it remains so and that any onerous attempts to subvert same in the guise of homeland security or some such are identified, targeted and destroyed. That duty is one that never dies, and is simply the responsibility of any and every citizen of the republic. It may not be delegated to others, sold, bartered, or dissembled. Such is the cost of any freedom.

Despite the fact that we are at war, the Government has in no way enacted any laws to quell the many personal attacks on the President; members of the Administration; members of the military; or, on the Government itself. Indeed, despite what I see as clear and present acts of same, charges of sedition have not been proffered against those with whom such could be legitimately done. I would go so far as to say that charges of treason might could be brought against some, but no such charges have been filed. In a majority of the world, the opportunity to bring such charges against opponents and enemies would not be missed; yet, it has not happened in the United States of America.

One of the most beautiful sights you could ever hope to see has taken place in the last few days in Iraq. In a country where any dissent, no matter how mild, could result in arrest, torture, rape, and execution of the “guilty” party or their family and friends, we now see people shouting “Yankee Go Home.” That these people are not shot, arrested, tortured, or worse will do more than almost anything else to show the rest of the world, particularly neighboring countries, that we mean what we say about liberating Iraq.

It is often overlooked these days, or even deliberately misconstrued, that freedom of speech remains alive and well. Freedom of speech simply means that the Government shall enact no law restricting same. Freedom of speech has never meant that all speech is free