Inside a U.S. hostage rescue mission
American businessman rescued in Afghanistan

US Supreme Court allows sonar use
US Navy can practice again

General Dynamics Awarded F-35 Lightning II Gun System Contracts
The F-35A will carry an internal 25mm gatling gun. The B and C models will need to carry an external gun pod.

Norway Chooses F-35 To Replace F-16s
Taking Lightnings instead of the Swedish-built Gripen

Skittish Israel Pares F-35I Extras
Customized Lightning model came in at $200 million per copy

AKLightning Bolt
Videos of left-side charging handle for AK clones

Pakistan army practices shooting drone aircraft
Wish they’d spend more time actually shooting bad guys

(more…)

Iran Test Fires New Medium-Range Missile
Reportedly a new 2-stage missile called the Sejil.

‘Extra UK troops’ for Afghanistan
Up to 2,000 extra British troops are likely to be sent to Afghanistan next year, the BBC has learned.
but then
Government denies 2,000 extra soldiers will be sent to Afghanistan
The Government has quashed reports that it is sending more troops to Afghanistan

Worldwide temperatures spiked in October–if you use some of September’s readings
Odd that the error wasn’t immediately noticed by the researchers and publishers. Or maybe not. After all, it fit the narrative.

Screwtape Loves Guns
My dear Wormwood: Guns are the work of the Devil.

Russian navy: Poison kills 20 in sub accident
They claim someone inadvertently activated the halon fire suppression system. Of course, there’s no way there would ever be a fire aboard a Rooskie sub.

New Lease on Life for the Beloved M-14
Who doesn’t love the M-14?

Gay rights group claims responsibility for church protest
If an anti-gay group interrupted a LGBT service and acted out, every one in America would know about it in ten minutes. When it’s the other way around? Not so much. Why no media?

Early exposure to peanuts may prevent allergy
Contrary to widespread recommendations.

Dilbert 2.0: 20 Years of Dilbert by Scott Adams
Murdoc has always been a big Dilbert fan. Includes a disc with every strip to date that can be updated as new cartoons are released.

150th Carnival of Homeschooling
Round-up of homeschooling and educational links.

AR15.com’s .22 AR
AR15.com’s annual Special Edition Black Rifle.

Recycling Myths: PM Debunks 5 Half Truths about Recycling
I wish it didn’t cost so much to get our waste taken to the recyclers here. But it does and we don’t do it for that reason.

Kalashnikitty Clothing
Oh, how cute. Plus never needs cleaning.

Obama Following Teacher Practices Indoctrination, Intimidation and Ridicule in the Classroom
Some are wondering why this teacher would act this way when she knew the cameras were rolling. The answer is: She didn’t think it was wrong. In fact, she probably thought she was doing good.

Obama’s Russia Test
The missile thing wasn’t a ‘test.’ It was a trial balloon. The test is yet to come.

Much-hyped Turnout Record Fails to Materialize (PDF)
1% increase, at most.

Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle: November 2008 update
It’s almost like there was a plan for this, or something.

On Concerns Over Gun Control, Gun Sales Are Up
One part of the economy is humming along.

Demilitarized Boats For Sale, Cheap
Murdoc would like to buy one of these Whiskeys and run it in Lake Michigan. Because, come on, who doesn’t want a submarine?

US Predators strike al Qaeda camp in North Waziristan
If Pakistan doesn’t like US airstrikes in its territory, it should do something about the bad guys in its territory.

Sharing the Indians’ Lunch
I started watching this lecture on lessons learned at Red Flag about the Su-30MKI, but it was pulled. Defense Tech has it, though.

Finland Snubs Cluster Bomb Treaty
Countries that have signed up to the CCM include Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The treaty is scheduled to be signed in Oslo on Dec. 3.

Boeing Rolls Out First F-15SG to Singapore
While the Pentagon and Congress mull the end of F-22 production, F-15 production rolls on.

Iraq announces plan to expand the Air Force
They’re going to have a lot of F-16s.

North Korea photoshops stroke from Kim Jong Il
The Norkers wouldn’t lie, would they?

How to Make the Navy Bigger, Sooner, Cheaper
Hint: The proposal doesn’t include the DD(X).

Little To Show for Huge Defense Budgets
America’s defense budget is now larger in inflation-adjusted dollars than at any point since the end of World War II. However, our Army has fewer combat divisions than at any point in that period, our Navy has fewer combat ships and the Air Force has fewer combat aircraft.

Not 1976
I’m about sick of this comparison. Anyone who thinks Ronald Reagan is waiting in the wings had better look around.

Pollsters Get Points for Accuracy This Cycle
That’s what I’ve been thinking.

Stretching: The Truth
Light jogging is the best warm-up, in my experience. No stretching at all.

Gunning for Victory
Second Amendment voter guide by Dave Kopel

Murtha’s in Trouble
Can you hear that sound? Neither can Murdoc. Even the crickets aren’t chirping on this one.

Ohio Cop Reprimanded for Making More Arrests than Tickets
Apparently, stopping crime hampered his revenue generation.

Ukrainian Bond girl is traitor to USSR, say Russian communists
As usual, the commies are missing the fact that the USSR is no more. For now.

Mountain lion scared off with gunfire
Arizona authorities agree that a hiker did everything correctly but it didn’t work, then used a gun to protect himself. Their response includes 13 safety tips, none of which mention carrying a weapon of any kid.

Land Warrior soldier-puter to get hoverbot vid hookup
Land Warrior just won’t die. Good.

Does Embedding with the Taliban Make You a Traitor?
Is journalist Nir Rosen a traitor, for telling the Taliban’s story?

House to House by David Bellavia
Was talking about this great book about the taking of Fallujah the other day so I thought I’d point it out again.

Stop Loss Struggles On
The 2007 “Surge Force” that went to Iraq, and recently returned, is now headed to Afghanistan. Thus the continued use of Stop Loss.

(more…)

House Democrats Contemplate Abolishing 401(k) Tax Breaks
Attacking a program where investors control their own destiny. Like usual.

They came, they saw, then left the Afghan war without a single mission
German KSK Special Forces performed no missions? I thought I had read otherwise.

Palin Guarantees Win in Pennsylvania
Probably just a bit of regular grandstanding, but I really do think a couple of states are closer than the press would have you believe.

Video of Police Pursuit in San Diego
The guy saved the overworked courts and the overcrowded prisons a bit of space.

Surprising Support for Unknown Candidate
I don’t generally support third-party candidates, but this one might be worth a look.

Iowa’s Ethanol Plants Create 15 Percent of its Emissions
I’m sick of listening to all this debate about alternative energy and greenhouse gas creation. They’re separate issues, for the most part.

Pizza Delivery Man Shoots, Fends Off Would-Be Robbers
C’mon guys, this was in Texas. Did they think he would be shooting back?

Chinese Boats Stalk George Washington
Chinese submarines are apparently exercising there more frequently, looking for Japanese, South Korean and American warships to play tag with.

Is China Moving Toward a Carrier?
They’ve got a lot of work to do.

Another Armor Alternative
Evolution Armor

Pakistani Army rejects Waziristan operation
Our good allies.

Humvees seized in [Georgia] still not returned
Jerks.

France And Russia Want To Play Rough
The Rooskies never seem to be terribly concerned about collateral damage.

“May Issue” also means “May Revoke”
Due to a policy change, your concealed carry permit is being revoked. Have a nice day.

Same-Day Registration, Voting, in Ohio
What could possibly go wrong with that?

Sailor Zac Sunderland endures first pirate scare
Lone 16-year-old deters pirates with a geranium and a smile. (Just kidding. He used a gun.)

Hyperion Power Nuclear Reactor
27-30 MW of electricity for only 15-20 tons. They hope to mass-produce them.

Got Ship’s Cargo? Go Fly A Kite!
Bring on the sailing ships.

Back to the big guns
The 3rd BCT of the 10th ID is looking forward to more opportunities to use the heavies. They’ll transition to the new M777 155mm from their current M119 105mm, too.

How Do the Presidential Candidates’ Tax Plans Affect Taxpayers’ Marginal Tax Rates?
Marginal rates aren’t the biggest number to watch, but they’re worth keeping an eye on.

Street View operatives object to being snapped
Google Street View crew cites privacy concerns. They’ll get over it. Or not. Who cares?

Petition going around asking educators to sign a letter in support of Bill Ayers
Yes, that Bill Ayers. The Bill Ayers that’s an unrepentant terrorist and vocally proud of it.

What happened to the Georgian navy?
Lots of pics.

Ironman competition co-founded by Navy officer in 1978
Triathlete trains for ‘Super Bowl’ of races
140.6

Ayers, Revolution and Community Organizing
I am continuously amazed by people who claim Ayers wasn’t a terrorist AND that Bush is a Nazi.

We’re All Soldiers of Fortune Now
An old article by Glenn Reynolds on the mainstreaming of survivalism.

Ford feature will let parents set limits for teens
Speed governor and constant seat belt warning for teen drivers. “I wouldn’t want my parents to have that much control over how I’m driving,” says one teen. Get your own car and pay your own insurance, says Murdoc.

Dems Try to Sneak Shale Oil Ban Past Voters
Harry Reid attempted to pull a fast one.

Obama threatening the licenses of TV stations that run NRA ads
Attacking the 1st Amendment in order to attack the 2nd Amendment?

Al Qaeda-linked suspects emerge in Islamabad Marriott attacks
Qari Saifullah Akhtar, the leader of the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, and Qari Mohammad Zafar, a leader of the Laskhar-e-Jhangvi, have both been implicated as being the mastermind of the Marriott bombing

Code Pink declares victory in Berkeley… by packing up and going home
They claim to be successfully “deconstructing the U.S. military, making the world safe and secure!” by abandoning their protest outside a Marine recruiting station. The Marines remain in control of the battlespace. Like usual.

The Great New Orleans Gun Grab
A must-read for anyone interested in gun rights. In ANY rights, for that matter.

Exonerated Marine to sue Rep. Murtha
Not sure why Murtha hasn’t been vilified for his “cold-blooded murder” claims. Maybe because so many were disappointed he was wrong.

Jet Man flies across Channel on a wing
Yves Rossy made it. Cool.

Contractors Expand As Conscription Fades
Not exactly ‘trigger happy mercenaries,’ but we love ‘em anyway…

Starship Troopers Meets G.I. Joe
Finally the XM25 seems to be going somewhere.

Bush vs. Barney on the Fannie/Freddie thing
Probably should watch the video before everyone blames Bush and the evil GOP.

Passing gas is battery on a police officer?
“The gas was very odorous and created contact of an insulting or provoking nature with Patrolman Parsons,” the complaint says.

Russia Lends Venezuela $1B to Buy Arms
Start calling this the “Trans-Atlantic Rooskie Axis.”

Ford to bring six fuel-efficient European models stateside
The Lefties always seem so eager to imitate Europe, except when it comes to some energy issues. I’d like to see the US go as nuclear and diesel as Old Europe.

Living Well for Less?
Dr. Helen looks at a book about how to live on $12k a year. One suggestion is to get free medical care by volunteering to have new drugs tested on you.

6 Baffling Mistakes Every Movie Criminal Makes
Cracked.com’s lists of movie idiocy should be required reading for all wannabe screenwriters.

I’m experimenting with putting a few Linkzookery-type short posts in during the week with little in the way of excerpts or commentary, but that doesn’t mean the Linkzookery has gone the way of the tyranosaur, the dodo bird, or Ross Perot supporter.

As always, feel free to add links to this post in the comments section. Link to anything you think MO readers may enjoy, and don’t be shy about linking back to your own blog. One can never have too much linkzookery.

US strikes Taliban camp in South Waziristan
Reportedly coordinated with Pakistan.

Ultimate Basic Training Series
Be Prepared for Basic Training!

The 20 Most Obnoxious Anti-Palin Quotes So Far
The Palin shine seems to be, predictably, fading a bit. But I have little doubt that hardcore haters will keep things lively until election day.

Blame the bloggers Chapter 1,384
Apparently we’re the cause of the gasoline panic.

Photo Ticket Cameras to Track Drivers Nationwide
Private companies in the US are hoping to use red light cameras and speed cameras as the basis for a nationwide surveillance network

Ike Reveals Fort Morgan Shipwreck
Too bad it’s not a tanker full of oil.

The T-34 Forever
If it ain’t broke…

10 Scary Zombie Killing Weapons
I don’t even know why I’m encouraging you people…

UPDATE: The real world interfered with adding the rest of the zookery, so here it is a few hours late:

High-Tech ‘Batman’ Ship in Florida Drug Raid
Stiletto strikes.

NASA To Discuss Conditions On And Surrounding The Sun
The sun’s solar wind is at a 50-year low. I’m not sure when it dropped or if it has any noticeable effect on the earth’s climate, but I’m interested to learn.

American Widow Project
Designed to care for the widows of US troops.

Al Qaeda’s Defeat In Iraq
Michael Totten corrects Obama on his statement that the invasion of Iraq “gave al Qaeda time to reconstitute itself.”

Ships that Won’t Sail
The LPD 17 San Antonio-class ships are a total disaster. Shoddy workmanship seems to be a the top of the list of Major Problems.

Light Armored Vehicles & Stryker Summit
Looks like an awesome time. In Vienna, VA, November 17-20. Press passes for writers of topic-related articles. Who wants to see a 3-parter on light armored vehicles?

Antifreeze for high prices: Competition
Something Frank Warner wrote for Ralph Nader in 1974.

The death of OPEC
Well, “death” is overstated. But Saudi Arabia walking out of discussions about limiting production is not at all insignificant. If it holds. We’ll see.

$85.3M Order As Excalibur Production Accelerated
The 155mm GPS-guided Excalibur artillery round has been getting rave reviews from the front.

King Airs take on USAF surveillance role in Iraq and Afghanistan
I think this is a great move.

Maintaining air superiority: Congress must fund more F-22s
Is 183 Raptors enough?

This is what happens if you don’t build power plants
Britain looking at a potentially disastrous scenario.

U.S. Looks to Rediscover Hydropower as Untapped Energy Source and
Two New High-Tech Plans to Max Out Clean U.S. Hydropower
One of the biggest advantages I see in hydropower is the relative ease with which it can be produced locally. You lose economy of scale, but you also lose transmission losses and grid dependence.

Air Force Employs First Combat Use of Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition in Iraq
The GBU-54 LJDAM combines laser and GPS guidance, particularly useful against moving targets.

And what’s the status of the Affordable Moving Surface Target Engagement (AMSTE)?
AMSTE uses radar on the launch vehicle to track a moving target and continuously update the GPS coordinates of the JDAM, but I haven’t heard a word about it for years.

From the Armed Forces to the Work Force
In most cases, it is seen as an asset.

The human Buzz Lightyear… The man about to cross the Channel on a wing and a prayer
He’ll give it a go on or around September 24th.

Google Chrome’s SaaS model should worry IT
Frank Hayes: Are you ready to trust a software-as-a-service model for just about everything your users do?

The Javelin Anti-Armor Missile
Lots of great info on this all-star at Defense Industry Daily.

U.S. Army Buys Heavy-Caliber Weapons
Contracts for 4,600 Mk19 grenade launchers and 29,900 M2 machine guns will soon be awarded.

The 12 Harlots of the Dungeons & Dragons Random Harlot Table Explained
This always sort of cracked me up about the 1st ed. AD&D encounter tables. I’m not sure that I ever actually used it.

Fighting intensifies in Pakistan’s Northwest
If this isn’t out of control already, it’s close.

U.S. to Hand Over Security Duties in Anbar to Iraqi Forces
If this isn’t under control already, it’s close. We’ll see if things hold as US troops pull back.

11 headless bodies found near Mexico graveyard
Why we’re not more concerned about the escalating drug war in Mexico, I don’t know.

War a US election plot, claims Putin
Remarks made right after Russia test-fired a Topol RS-12M missile.

Putin chokes chicken supplies from U.S.
That, my friends, is a terrible headline.

Secret Space Shots’ Hidden Emblems
Secret patch for STS-38.

Pentagon Reports U.S. Airstrike Killed 5 Afghan Civilians, Not 90
I find it hard to believe that someone would inflate collateral damage numbers.

LPD 17 underway after mechanical problems
Only two days late for her first deployment. What a bust so far.

Progress on India’s Thorium Nuclear Reactor and South Africa’s Pebble Bed
Bring it on.

Calculate Your Obama Tax Cut
Includes the WaPo graph from a while back which I meant to post on but didn’t because I still can’t figure out how someone making less than $19,000 could get a $567 tax cut.

MADD - a modern Temperance Movement
Like many causes, this is a tough one because critics of MADD are portrayed as pro-dunk driving. That’s not (usually) the case.

New Climate Record Shows Century-long Droughts In Eastern North America
Who would have guessed that the sun influenced earth’s climate?

First Flight of Sikorsky X2 Demonstrator
I continue to believe that this route, and others, are better than the V-22 Osprey route. Too late.

Tanker Bid Moves Toward Endgame
Endgame. Yah. Right.

As Geothermal Energy Heats Up, 5 Next-Gen Projects Take Shape
Though I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned it before, I’ve wondered about geothermal on a larger scale. My in-laws heat and cool their house with geothermal and have been pretty happy with it. This would be a way to bring energy generation closer to the energy consumer, cutting out transmission infrastructure woes and losses over long distances.

The Palin call
My guess is that McCain gets a big boost from this choice and the fact that his convention is after Obama’s.

More Palin links and commentary
At Instapundit.

McCain Myths
Some true. Some not so much.

CIA Curtails Contract With U.S. Security Firm in Iraq
MVM, Inc. apparently didn’t provide enough security personnel to meet the Agency’s needs.