Archive for September, 2003
This is the Scottish coat of arms for Murdoch. Although I don’t have the ‘h’ at the end (or even a ‘k’), and I don’t have a single drop of Scottish blood in my veins, I’ll pretend I belong. The motto is “Omine Secundo” which means “Under favorable auspices.”
U.S. gives Iraqis control of border
Iraqi forces have been given the responsibility of providing security along a 210-mile stretch of the border with Iran. This is a good move in the sense that we are allowing the Iraqis to take more responsibility for their country, and it takes a little pressure off of our guys over there, who previously patrolled the area. The US will retain an advisory role.
“If this experiment is successful in Diyalia province, then it is an example for all of Iraq,” declared Lt. Col. Reggie Allen, commanding officer of the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry, standing just near the border.
I hope this works. If the Iraqis are successful, this could lead the way to much bigger and better things. More than additional troops, what we need in Iraq are Iraqi forces to provide basic security and policing.
While browsing the page of the artist who painted the USS Des Moines (below) I came across this page about the USS Kitty Hawk , upon which he served. On the page is the US Navy Jack:
And a note that says the Kitty Hawk can now fly this flag as she’s the oldest ship in the fleet. A google led me to this page with a ton of history on the Navy Jack. I highly recommend that you check it out.
Normally, only the oldest ship in the Navy flies the First Navy Jack. The Kitty Hawk became the oldest when the Independence was decommissioned in 1998. In 2002, however, all US ships were ordered to fly the First Navy Jack for the duration of the War on Terror.
UPDATE: Here’s a pic of the First Navy Jack flying on the bow of the USS Texas this spring when I visited her.
ScrappleFace: Angry Virginians Blow Up Power Substation
In its entirety:
An electrical substation near suburban Washington D.C. was blown up this morning by Virginians enraged over the failure to restore electricity to the region. Eight days ago hurricane Isabel killed power to several hundred thousand homes and businesses, and many customers are still without electricity.“We want our power back,” said a note left near the scene of the explosion. “And we want emergency workers to go home. That’s why we struck this symbol of infrastructural oppression and mismanagement.”
The note said the Virginians would continue to hit major power grid sites until electricity is restored and “the infidel power company forces have retreated from our streets.”
Spokesmen for Dominion Virginia Power and Potomac Electric Power Company denied news reports that the region has descended into a quagmire.
“But when something like this happens,” one unnamed spokesman added. “The first thing we ask is ‘what did the power company do to cause this attack? Why do customers hate us so?’ We need to address root causes, like the gnawing desperation of living in the spiritual void of suburbia.”
I was waiting for this. A few days ago I noticed that a highway project in my neck of the woods is taking YEARS, and that’s without suicide bombers and dead enders. I don’t see anyone suggesting the UN should run the recovery effort on the east coast.
In all fairness, I don’t see anyone suggesting the DoD run the recovery, either.
USS Des Moines Historic Naval Ship Project
A group in Milwaukee, WI, is trying to put the USS Des Moines, a World War II-era heavy cruiser, on permanent display as part of Milwaukee County’s Veterans Park. The great thing about the Des Moines is, although she wasn’t launched until after the end of the war, she remains as she was at that time. The other surviving heavy cruisers of that era underwent major refits as missile cruisers.
According to National Park Service
The design of the Des Moines class was influenced by the need to build a heavy cruiser with rapid firing 8″ guns that could engage and successfully sink Japanese cruisers. In repeated actions, during the early part of the war, American cruisers had found it almost impossible to hit fast Japanese ships in night actions. The navy designed USS Des Moines to solve this problem by providing her with rapid firing 8″ guns that would easily outrange Japanese cruisers that mounted 6″ rapid fire guns. The Des Moines class was also provided with extensive batteries of antiaircraft guns to provide protection for Essex class aircraft carriers then roaming the Pacific. Des Moines class cruisers were the last class of heavy cruisers designed by the United States during World War II and represent the culmination of wartime cruiser design.
I hope they get it. I know how much me and my kids enjoyed visiting the USS Texas in Texas last spring. If you ever get a chance to check out one of these ships, especially if you’ve got kids, do it. You won’t be disappointed. (via Sgt Stryker)
This off again, on again, off again deal with the National Do Not Call List is getting to be a little aggrivating. While we wait to see what happens with the latest block, here are the 8 representatives who voted IN FAVOR of people who interrupt your dinner uninvited:
- Rob Bishop (R., Utah)
- Chris Cannon (R., Utah)
- Jeff Flake (R., Ariz.)
- Kendrick Meek (D., Fla.)
- Ron Paul (R., Texas)
- Tim Ryan (D., Ohio)
- Ted Strickland (D., Ohio)
- Lee Terry (R., Neb.)
Instead of an opt-out system, why don’t we require people to opt-in to the telemarketing plan? National list. Call a number or sign up online.
(via Being American in T.O.)
UPDATE: My original title for this silly little post was “7.1 on the Heh-cter scale”. That was before I learned of the earthquake in Japan, which was neither silly nor little.
The proposed plan to lease 100 Boeing 767 tanker aircraft is a complete shambles. I really have trouble taking the issue seriously.
Quick Summary:
- The Air Force says it needs to get more tankers for mid-air refueling
- Boeing needs to build some 767s or it will have to shut down the production line
- Airbus was competing with Boeing to supply tanker aircraft to the Air Force
- One of the Air Force’s top procurement officials, Darleen Druyun, told Boeing the Airbus bid was $5 million to $17 million cheaper than Boeing’s 767 bid
- That gave Boeing a kick in the pants to work out a deal
- Darleen Druyun now works for Boeing in Washington
- At the end of the lease, the tankers would have to be reconverted into commercial tankers at Air Force expense before returning them to Boeing
- Leasing them will cost about $22.4 billion
- Buying them outright would cost about $22.5 billion
- Arizona Senator John McCain is all over this deal and has stalled it
- The Pentagon wants the Boeing tanker lease program to start quickly and with few modifications
- Air Force reports indicate that the exisiting tankers should be able to fly for close to 40 more years
The cry is that this is a bail-out of Boeing, who’s seriously down in the mouth since the 9/11 attacks two years ago. On the face of it, I don’t have any particular problem paying a US manufacturer slightly more than a foreign manufacturer. And, although the existing KC-135 tankers would probably be good enough for at least a couple more decades, I don’t have any problem with upgrading the refueling fleet.
But this deal plain stinks. Why would we pay as much to lease as to buy? (Never mind that many people think the lease will end up costing many billion dollars more.) So we can get them a few years earlier? It’s been established that the KC-135s are good for many years to come. A couple of years isn’t going to cripple our military. If Boeing can’t hang on, then that’s that, I guess. But if they’ve got a good government deal a couple of years out, I think they’ll find a way to hang on.
(I’m not even going to discuss how stupid it is to say that it really would take years to build and field these aircraft. And I certainly won’t bring up the fact that they’ve already been negotiating this deal for two years. And it would drive me NUTS if I thought about the fact that I’ve been paying the negotiators all that time. So have you.)
If we really need the planes, get them. If it makes more economic sense to lease than to buy, lease them. If paying more to Boeing to keep that line afloat is worth it to our country, I guess pay more. But I’m not sure that any of those three issues are clear.
Do we need the planes? Maybe. Always, the more support available, the better. And the KC-135s are old. But so are the B-52s that have been the most effective bombers in the USAF since shortly after my dad was born.
Does it make more economic sense to lease? Maybe in the short term. But when we’re talking about aircraft life measured in decades, I don’t know how important the short term is. We aren’t desperate for these planes.
Is it worth it to pay more to Boeing than to Airbus? I actually think so. How much more? I’m not so sure. But if the need is there, we should buy from Americans unless to do so is just plain stupid. I don’t think this is.
The Pentagon is doing everything it can to rush this deal through. It smells to me a little like a football team after a controversial play desperately trying to get to the line and snap the ball before the opposing coaches can decide whether they want to challenge the call and look at a replay. I think the Air Force wants this ball snapped before enough people get a close enough look at the deal. John McCain has tossed the red flag onto the field.
The answers are right there. Let’s look at this again. In slow motion. From every available angle. Let everyone see. We’ve already spent two years on the project. Why not spend another couple of weeks or months to make sure we do it right?
A woman in Ohio faked her daughter’s leukemia to make money, according to Wizbang.
According to the Kansas City Star
Teresa Milbrandt shaved her daughter’s hair and gave her sleeping pills to make it appear she was receiving chemotherapy, made her wear a protective mask and put her in counseling to prepare for death, police said. Authorities said the Milbrandts fooled 65 people and businesses into donating an estimated $31,000 for their daughter’s treatment.
For $31,000? Are you kidding me? I mean, for a couple of mil, maybe, but 31,000 stinking dollars? She’s going to jail for 6 1/2 years. Good.
So is dad. For unpardonable stupidity, I guess. He really thought his daughter had cancer!
He has said his wife handled all doctor visits and medical bills and that he believed her when she said their daughter had cancer.
I can see him not catching on initially, but he couldn’t have been involved in any meaningful way in his daughter’s life if he didn’t know the whole thing was a sham. Disgraceful.
The girl, now 8 years old, is now in a foster home.
Spacecraft has a great post on the Solar Maximum Mission. The satellite was launched in 1980 to study the effects of increased solar activity that occurs every 11 years (the “Solar Maximum“). There were serious issues with the hardware, and it took a shuttle servicing mission in 1984 to set things right. Luckily, the SMM had been designed using a modular architecture, which allowed relatively simple replacement of faulty components.
I remember reading about the problems with the SMM as a kid and following the story as it unfolded, mostly in the pages of Astronomy magazine. Check out the link-rich post. Good stuff.
