The Next Commandant

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COMDTNOTE 1426
SUBJ: PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION OF COMMANDANT
1. PRESIDENT BUSH HAS APPROVED AND WILL FORWARD TO THE SENATE THE
NOMINATION OF VADM THAD W. ALLEN AS COMMANDANT OF THE UNITED STATES
COAST GUARD TO RELIEVE ADMIRAL THOMAS H. COLLINS EFFECTIVE 25 MAY
2006.
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STATEMENT BY HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY MICHAEL CHERTOFF ON THE NOMINATION OF VICE ADMIRAL THAD W. ALLEN AS COMMANDANT OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD

President Bush has announced his intention to nominate an exceptional leader and public servant as Commandant of the Coast Guard in Thad Allen. Thad has my complete confidence and full support, and if confirmed, he will play a major role in shaping the future of this department.

Most Americans came to know and respect Thad for his work overseeing the federal government’s recovery efforts following the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. Thad is a highly-accomplished Coast Guard veteran who has served our nation in several key positions since his graduation from the Coast Guard Academy in 1971. His service includes Chief of Staff and Commanding Officer at headquarters; Commander of the Atlantic Area, Fifth Coast Guard District; Commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District; Director of Resources; and Commander of the cutter Citrus. In response to 9/11, Thad led Coast Guard operations to re-position the Atlantic fleet in support of local port commanders and to establish critical command and control capability.

If confirmed, Vice Admiral Allen will follow a distinguished Commandant in Admiral Thomas H. Collins, at a scheduled change of command in May. Admiral Collins has led the Coast Guard during one of the more challenging periods in its history. He helped to ensure a seamless transition into the department and introduced emerging technologies and innovative programs that have enhanced overall mission performance. I thank Admiral Collins for his continued service and commend his dedication to country.

Bloggers on GOP Leadership Race

I've signed my name to this statement from many center-right bloggers about the House Republican leadership race:

We are bloggers with boatloads of opinions, and none of us come close to agreeing with any other one of us all of the time. But we do agree on this: The new leadership in the House of Representatives needs to be thoroughly and transparently free of the taint of the Jack Abramoff scandals, and beyond that, of undue influence of K Street.

We are not naive about lobbying, and we know it can and has in fact advanced crucial issues and has often served to inform rather than simply influence Members.

But we are certain that the public is disgusted with excess and with privilege. We hope the Hastert-Dreier effort leads to sweeping reforms including the end of subsidized travel and other obvious influence operations. Just as importantly, we call for major changes to increase openness, transparency and accountability in Congressional operations and in the appropriations process.

As for the Republican leadership elections, we hope to see more candidates who will support these goals, and we therefore welcome the entry of Congressman John Shadegg to the race for Majority Leader. We hope every Congressman who is committed to ethical and transparent conduct supports a reform agenda and a reform candidate. And we hope all would-be members of the leadership make themselves available to new media to answer questions now and on a regular basis in the future.

Signed,

N.Z. Bear, The Truth Laid Bear
Hugh Hewitt, HughHewitt.com
Glenn Reynolds, Instapundit.com
Kevin Aylward, Wizbang!
La Shawn Barber, La Shawn Barber’s Corner
Beth, MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
Lorie Byrd, Polipundit
Jeff Goldstein, Protein Wisdom
Stephen Green, Vodkapundit
John Hawkins, Right Wing News
John Hinderaker, Power Line
Jon Henke / McQ / Dale Franks, QandO
James Joyner, Outside The Beltway
Mike Krempasky, Redstate.org
Michelle Malkin, MichelleMalkin.com
Ed Morrissey, Captain’s Quarters
Scott Ott, Scrappleface
John Donovan / Bill Tuttle, Castle Argghhh!!!

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Check it out and sign on if you agree at N.Z. Bear's.

This is too much

The General Assembly is in town! Huzzah!
I have been using the Legislation Information System to see what bills the GA will be working on this year. I came across HB 187. The short title of the bill is; Prohibition on the provision of certain intervening medical technology to unmarried women. The gist of the bill is;

No individual licensed by a health regulatory board shall assist with or perform any intervening medical technology, whether in vivo or in vitro, for or on an unmarried woman that completely or partially replaces sexual intercourse as the means of conception, including, but not limited to, artificial insemination by donor, cryopreservation of gametes and embryos, invitro fertilization, embryo transfer, gamete intrafallopian tube transfer, and low tubal ovum transfer.

In other words, if this becomes law, unmarried women couldn't be artificially inseminated. It seems that this would prohibit surrogate mothers. Now I too am distressed by the unimportance placed on fathers by the left and decline in the strength of the traditional family. This is none of the government's business.

The bill's patron is Robert G. Marshall (R-Manassas). Tellingly, there are no co-patrons. I see this bill dying a quick death in committee. It won't be a quiet death if the Dems can help it. They will use this bill as a bully pulpit for them to say how mean Republicans are. Just what we need.

Chicken Cobbler Casserole

My wife subscribes to Southern Living Magazine. We love the recipes. As soon as my wife puts it down, my first question is, "any good recipes?" There was a winner in this month's edition. The next time we make it, we are going to add more butter to the bread and add garlic when we saute the veggies.

Chicken Cobbler Casserole

Prep: 10 min., Cook: 25 min., Bake: 15 min.

6 tablespoons melted butter, divided
4 cups cubed sourdough rolls
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 medium-size sweet onions, sliced
1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup white wine
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup drained and chopped jarred roasted red bell peppers
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Toss 4 tablespoons melted butter with next 3 ingredients; set aside.
Sauté onions in remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat 15 minutes or until golden brown. Add mushrooms, and sauté 5 minutes.

Stir in wine and next 3 ingredients; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until bubbly. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 9-inch square baking dish; top evenly with bread mixture.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Southern Living, JANUARY 2006

Put Two in the Plus Column

I had a good day today. We received a distress beacon alert 1400 nautical miles south east of Bermuda. It was for the Atlantic Challenge, a 7 meter rowboat taking part in a race across the Atlantic. The boat had two Irishmen on board. We diverted an AMVER vessel to assist. She was 50 nautical miles away. That far out, 50 NM is a mere stone's throw. As the vessel approached the area they saw a flare. When they got on scene, both men were found alive in their liferaft. Instead of rowing to Antigua, they're getting a ride to Spain. Case Closed.
You can read about the case
here, here, here, and here.
I'll post more about it later. Before I go to bed though, I have to ask, why would you row across the Atlantic?
UPDATE: The last article by the Irish Times is here..
There is one error in the story, we didn't have a boat on standby in Clearwater. We launched a second C-130 from there to assist.

People of the Year

This is kind of cool. ABC News has declared Coasties as their "People of the Year."

Dec. 28, 2005 — Many Americans were unaware of who they were or what they did until this year. But when Hurricane Katrina hit and the waters began to rise, U.S. Coast Guard members moved in by air and by sea, risking their lives to save thousands of others.
[snip]
It was a mission for which they had never trained. Normally, the Coast Guard saves an average of 5,500 people a year. Within two weeks of Katrina, it had rescued or evacuated more than 33,000 people under the most difficult circumstances imaginable.

I've been in the Coast Guard for 14 years. The past few years (since 9/11) the public's awareness of what we do has grown expotentially. I have always been proud to be a part of this organization.

Semper Paratus!

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Hat tip to Tidewater Musings

Ominous Start for 2006

New Year's Eve night found me standing Search and Rescue (SAR) watch. By 1900, all reliefs had been made and we were ready for what we hoped would be an uneventful night. Well, at 1930 my phone rang and it was Virginia Beach 911. They had received a report of a truck or van running off of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. I looked at the clock to log the time and it was 0033Z. SAR cases are run in Zulu or Greenwich Mean Time. So this case was starting on January 1, 2006. The first case of the year.

I immediately launched the closest station and got a helicopter from Elizabeth City, NC. Virginia Beach Fire, Portsmouth Fire, Virginia Marine Police all responded. The VA Beach boat located the vehicle and the dive team went down to investigate. They found what we feared, the driver never made it out of the vehicle.

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WAVY-TV 10 has this story.
Daily Press too.

Yeah, what he said!

Humorist Dave Barry has his review of 2005 up. He gets some good jabs in on the left and the right. I thought that this was one of the best though;

In a strongly worded rebuttal, angry congressional Democrats state that, because of a scheduling mixup, they missed the President's speech, but whatever he said, they totally disagree with it, and if they once voted in favor of it, they did so only because the President lied to them.

Yep. That's about right.

ODBA

I am now a member of the Old Dominion Blog Alliance. The blogroll is on the left hand column. So please visit the finest offerings in the Commonwealth's Blogosphere.

ANWR

ImNotEmeril has used his AutoCAD skills to put the ANWR drilling proposal into perspective. He uses a football field to represent ANWR. The drilling area is smaller than a tic-tac mint. Go here to see the whole presentation.

Here's a teaser;

Geography Test

Think you know your US Geography? Take a test here.
My score was 90% 11 Miles average error.

"Enough Said"

From the Richmond Times Dispatch Editorial Page;

Republican Delegate Jack Reid of Henrico, on illegal immigration: "People who come here illegally and are not willing to go through the process [of becoming citizens] are not welcome, and I don't want them here."

Early Christmas Present

Christmas came early for me this year. Here's what I got!

Four Words

I have four words for you; "How 'bout them Redskins!"

I was at the game with my dad and it was great! I've never felt the stands shake like they did. The mood in the crowd was electric from the opening kickoff to the end. This is what the fans have been waiting for since Joe Gibbs left.

Duck Hunt

I went duck hunting with a buddy of mine in Chincoteague, VA yesterday. We met up with guide Andy Linton. He took us and two other parties to blinds across from the Assateague Island wildlife refuge. Our blind was in the marsh on the edge of a small cove. As soon as we got into the blind, three black ducks flew overhead. I was standing up on a bench and I just knew that they had seen me. I hopped down disappointed that I had blown that opportunity when I saw them swing wide and land right in our decoys. We were stunned that they hadn't flared we just stared at them for a second. We returned to our senses and scrambled for our guns. They must have heard us because they were well up by the time we shouldered the guns and fired three futile shots. We would replay that over and over in our minds all day.

After about 2 hours, the other parties in their blinds had gotten off some shots but nothing was coming to our blind. Andy radioed us and asked if we wanted to move. We told hime yes and he came and took us out to a open water blind. It was a 4X8 blind with safe shooting all around. We weren't going to get any puddle ducks in this spot but the buffleheads were out in force. They would buzz by in ones and twos. After about 90 minutes, we ended up with 7 between the two of us. The daily limit is 5 per man so we asked Andy to move us back to the other blind so we could try to limit out on puddle ducks.

It was only 2:00 and sunset was around 5:00, so we not in a rush. We just decided to sit low in the blind and wait for Andy to radio us if he saw ducks in our area. The temperature had gotten up to 40 and there was a slight breeze and no clouds in the sky. Not the best conditions for duck hunting but just fine for catching up with a friend. We didn't get any more ducks that day but we're already planning on doing it again next year.

A Good Idea

Kevin McCullough at Crosswalk has started a campaign to send Christmas (not "Happy Holidays") Cards to the ACLU. You can get more info here.

The address to send the cards is;

ACLU
"Wishing You Merry Christmas"
125 Broad Street
18th Floor
New York, NY 10004

Virginia Welcomes You

VDOT has an online poll to help choose the new design for Virginia welcome signs. You can vote here.

It's Duck Season!

Today was the first day of duck season in Virginia. So I got up at 5:00, got into my long underwear and waders and headed out to a area of flooded timber to try my luck. Since I was going to be hunting on pulic land, I was worried that someone would already be set up in the spot that I had been looking at. Fortunately, nobody was there when I arrived at 5:45.

It was below freezing when I started out to find the perfect spot. I broke through a thin skin of ice on the water as I tramped through. This would be the first time I had used waders and I was surprised when I would sink to my knee in the mud and leaves. I stayed dry and warm and that's the whole point of waders.

I found what looked like a good spot. A small point of land about 3 feet above the water with plenty of brush for me to hide in. I got out my decoys and started to set up my spread.

After setting up a few, I heard a loud snort and cough behind me. It scared me to death. I looked around and didn't see a thing since it was still dark. I hopped back up on top of the point where my shotgun was. Not that I could see anything to shoot at but I felt better about being closer to it.

Then I started to hear more snorts and coughs coming from several sources. There was a lot swishing coming from the water. I got out my flashlight and shined it over the water and saw 6 sets of eyes shining back at me. They were otters and they were curious about what I was doing. I relaxed considerably as I watched them swim about.

I watched them for about five minutes and it started to lighten up. Then I heard a buzzing of wings coming up from behind me. I froze as they came nearer. Suddenly, about 8 wood ducks flew right over me and turned to head down the water. It was neat to see them. I was amazed at how loud they were flying through the air. I looked at my watch, it was 6:05. Fifteen more minutes to shooting time. I set out the last of my dekes and settled into the brush.

Then another flight of woodies crossed in front of me from left to right and put in the water near the road. I couldn't see them because of the brush and I didn't want to stand up and scare them off. Hopefully, they'll get curious and swim up to me.

It was now 6:20. I heard several shots off in the distance as other duck hunters tried to get the ducks in their decoys. Minutes passed as I waited for the woodies to come my way. The otters were still playing around. The woodies made a loud splash and protest as an otter got too close. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a duck moving through my spread. I slowly turned to look and realized that it was one of my dekes and it was moving on it's own! Suddenly, a head popped up in front of it. An otter had gotten tangled up in the deke's line. He quickly got himself free and moved on.

I hadn't heard the woodies in awhile. I decided to try and sneak up on them and hopefully get a shot off when they got up off the water. I walked in a crouch over to where they had been and saw nothing. They were gone. I have no idea how they got out of there without me hearing. Then a black duck hen buzzed my dekes and headed on down the pond. I was too far away to get off a shot.

That was incentive enough to get back in my spot and see if anything else came. There had been more shooting in the distance and I hoped that the ducks would get stirred up enough and come my way. Sure enough, a group of what looked like pintails flew just out of range and land about 75 yards from me. They had landed just past another point. As I looked at it, I decided that I could walk all the way to that point and they wouldn't be able to see me.

I made my way to them. When I got to the point, I realized that the water didn't go back as far on the other side and I spooked the ducks. I put my gun up and quickly squeezed off three shots which I knew were futile. They were too far away.

In my excitement, I left my extra shells back on the bank. So, I headed back. As I tramped back to my spot, my boot pressed up against a stick stuck in the mud. I looked down and it had punctured my brand new waders. Watertight integrity had been compromised. My day was done.

I got back to my spot and started to pack up. Then I turned my attention to my dekes. I had to wade to get them. This was not going to be fun. I took a step into the water and felt nothing. Maybe my waders have some sort of self sealing feature. I continued to pick up my dekes and then I felt it. A slow, cold feeling taking over my right foot. There was a leak. It didn't feel like it was flooding, just a trickle. I had all the deks in the bag but two. One appeared to have drifted away from where I placed it. I picked it up and saw that the line had been chewed through, presumably by an otter. I then headed for the deke who had taken an otter ride. As I waded out to it, the water got higher and higher until I could go no further without flooding out. I tried to reach it with a stick with no luck. I shrugged, nothing I could do about it, I'd have to leave it.

I loaded my stuff in the truck and headed home. On the way, I passed a field with about 30 Canada geese feeding 20 feet from the road. I pulled over to look at them. They put a few more feet between us but there must have been too much good stuff to eat since they stayed put. As I scanned the gaggle, I saw a red collar on one of the geese. My mind raced, goose is in season, isn't it? I fumbled for my book of regs to check. Then I stopped. They were on private land and I couldn't tell whose it was. So I headed on down the road to home and dry socks.

European Security Level Update

The British are feeling the pinch in relation to recent bombings and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorised from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666.

Also, the French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Surrender" and "Collaborate." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country's military capability.

It's not only the English and French that are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "shout loudly and excitedly" to "elaborate military posturing". Two more levels remain, "ineffective combat operations" and "change sides".

The Germans also increased their alert state from "disdainful arrogance" to "dress in uniform and sing marching songs". They also have two higher levels: "invade a neighbour" and "lose".

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual and the only threat they worry about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

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Hat tip to The Corner.
John at Castle Arrghh! has it too.

Veteran's Day Message

I normally skip over these messages but I'm glad that I read this one.

QQQQ
SUBJ: VETERANS DAY MESSAGE FROM THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS
UNCLASSIFIED//
ALMAR 054/05
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC CMC//
SUBJ/VETERANS DAY MESSAGE FROM THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. ORIGINALLY COMMEMORATED AS ARMISTICE DAY TO MARK
THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES KNOWN AS "THE GREAT WAR," VETERANS DAY
IS A CELEBRATION OF THE SERVICE AND SELFLESSNESS OF OUR NATION'S
VETERANS. THE TITLE OF VETERAN IS A TERM OF GREAT RESPECT DUE TO THE
PATRIOTISM, WILLINGNESS TO SERVE, AND DEDICATION TO A LARGER CAUSE
DISPLAYED BY THOSE WHO HAVE WORN THE CLOTH OF THE NATION THROUGHOUT
OUR HISTORY. WHETHER SERVING FOR A FEW YEARS OR FOR MANY, THESE MEN
AND WOMEN HAVE GARNERED THE ENDURING SUPPORT OF A GRATEFUL NATION.
OUR WARS HAVE TAKEN SOME OF OUR FINEST COUNTRYMEN IN THE HEYDAY OF
THEIR LIVES, AND IT IS RIGHT THAT WE REFLECT ON THEIR SACRIFICES
THIS DAY.
2. WE COME TO THIS VETERANS DAY A MARINE CORPS AT WAR. ALONG WITH
OUR SISTER SERVICES, WE CONTINUE TO NOBLY MEET THE LATEST CHALLENGE
TO THE FREEDOMS WE AS AMERICANS HOLD DEAR. JUST AS OUR FOREFATHERS
DID, MARINES TODAY ARE SETTING ASIDE THEIR INTERESTS, COMFORTS, AND
WELL-BEING TO SAFEGUARD THE SAME FOR OUR FELLOW AMERICANS AND
OTHERS. STANDING VIGILANTLY AROUND THE GLOBE TO THWART THOSE WHO
WOULD VISIT FURTHER VIOLENCE ON OUR HOMELAND, WE HAVE ALSO SHOWN
UNRIVALED BENEVOLENCE AND COMPASSION TO OTHERS WHO LONG FOR LIBERTY.
OUR HERITAGE IS ONE OF HELPING TO BRING FREEDOM TO MILLIONS AROUND
THE WORLD, AND WE CONTINUE THIS TRADITION TODAY AS WE PROSECUTE THE
GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR.
3. AS WE PAUSE TO COMMEMORATE THIS VETERANS DAY, KEEP IN MIND THE
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WHO HAVE SERVED IN OUR ARMED FORCES. KNOW THAT
YOUR SERVICE IS A SOURCE OF GREAT PRIDE TO OUR NATION, AND I ASK YOU
CONTINUE YOUR VALIANT EFFORTS TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. SEMPER
FIDELIS, M. W. HAGEE, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE
MARINE CORPS.//
BT
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Bush and Kilgore Part II

From the Richmond T-D;
"Pesident Bush is expected to visit Virginia Monday to campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jerry W. Kilgore, sources said this morning."

What was that talk about Kilgore running away from the President?

Alito Poll

Hugh Hewitt has a poll up on the Alito nomination.

Kilgore and Bush

Many seem to feel that Jerry Kilgore made a mistake by not being with President Bush yesterday in Norfolk. I disagree. This event was a policy speech and a foreign policy one to boot. Also, the vast majority of the audience was active-duty military most of whom are not Virginia voters. Why would Kilgore want to spend half of a valuable day this close to the election in front of a crowd discussing issues that don't affect the governor's office and who couldn't vote for him anyway?

It's been suggested that he passed up the opportunity to have access to all of the Hampton Roads media outlets. Well, the coverage that I saw on the news that night and in the Daily Press today gave more coverage to the protestors than to the President or his remarks.

If this speech had been about funding for port security in Hampton Roads then Kilgore should have attended but it wasn't. Kilgore made the right call.

Wireless Phone Discounts

This was in my recent Reserve Officers Association (ROA) newsletter.

Cell Phone Discounts for Military/Federal Employees
A member recently sent us this note (edited for length and style):

Did you know that military and federal employees can receive discounts on their cell phone service, according to the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996? Well, it's true.

Federal employees and military personnel are entitled to a discount on their cell phone service according to the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. You have to call and ask for the discount by calling the following cell phone companies and referring to the Act, and they will implement on the spot:

1. CINGULAR - 19% Discount - (800) 319-6393
2. T MOBILE - 22% Discount - (866) 646-4688
You will need to request a migration form by e-mail.
3. SPRINT - 15% Discount - (888) 788-4727
This will transfer your account into a corporate account.
4. NEXTEL - 18% Discount - (800) 639-6111
5. VERIZON - 17% - (866) 456-7892


You will be asked to fill out a form and to fax it back. Just think, the more you save on your cell phone bill, the more gas you can buy!

No more catch and release

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said his department aims without exception to expel all those who enter the United States illegally.

"Our goal at DHS (Homeland Security) is to completely eliminate the 'catch and release' enforcement problem, and return every single illegal entrant, no exceptions."

I hate to be skeptical but I'll believe it when I see it.

Gubernatorial Debate

I must admit that I was glued to my seat watching the Redskins put up a good fight against the Broncos last night. So, I only watched the last 15 minutes of the debate between Kilgore and Kaine. The lasting impression that I'll have is of Kaine's creepy left eyebrow. It freaked out my wife too. I've got to find a picture of it.

For some analysis of substance, though they mention the eyebrow too, start at Bacon's Rebellion.

Latest Photo

Here's the latest photo of my daughter. It's hard to believe that she is just a few days shy of 5 months old.

NRA Endorses a Democrat

Creigh Deeds, the Democrat candidate for attorney general, has been endorsed by the NRA. After my initial surprise, I realized that it's not that surprising. Deeds is from the moutains of Virginia and McDonnell is from Virginia Beach. Want to guess which area has more hunters?

Larry Sabato has another take on the endorsement;

They want to endorse some Democrats because you never can tell when the minority party is going to take over Congress or the state legislature or the governorship," Sabato said. "They want to have a voice like any other interest group.

I'm always amused how the ads for attorney general always feature cops and talk about locking bad guys up. The office doesn't prosecute anyone. The AG is basically the Commonwealth's lawyer. He's nowhere near as harmless as the Lieutenant Governor though. That's why the AG traditionally resigns from office to run for Governor and the LT Governor does not.

Sheehan

Ed Koch takes Cindy Sheehan to the woodshed.

Here's a good quote,

Many Americans, myself included, now see her as a person who has come to enjoy the celebratory status accorded to her by the radicals on the extreme left who see America as the outlaw of the world. These radicals are not content to be constructive critics. They are bent on destroying this country.

Here's another,

Those who rail against the United States have simply failed to sell their message to the public at large. They keep losing elections, local as well as national. Rather than broadening their appeal, they have narrowed it.

Another Internet Test

You are a Social Conservative (35% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (63% permissive) You are best described as a: Republican Link: The Politics Test

Subscriptions for Soldiers

Subcriptions for Soldiers is a neat program. Here's how they describe it;

For only $10 you can send a gift subscription to active servicemen and women serving around the world right now. We have gathered thousands of requests for magazine subscriptions from our sevicemen and women and now we need your help!...For each Gift Subscription you send, Subscriptions for Soldiers will donate $2 to the Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors (TAPS).

I know that this program works because I received a subscription from someone. Thank you whoever did that, I really appreciate it.

Don't Get Stuck on Stupid

Once again, General Honore is a breath of fresh air. He was at a press conference trying to get the press to relay important evacuation information to the public. The press wanted to bring up the failures of the evacuation effort last time. He kept telling them not to get "stuck on stupid." Radio Blogger has the transcript and the mp3.

Here's the gist of the press conference:

Honore: Don't get stuck on stupid, reporters. We are moving forward. And don't confuse the people please. You are part of the public message. So help us get the message straight. And if you don't understand, maybe you'll confuse it to the people

Male reporter: General, a little bit more about why that's happening this time, though, and did not have that last time...

Honore: You are stuck on stupid. I'm not going to answer that question. We are going to deal with Rita

Wow

I just read the last situation report for the Hurricane and came across the following number; 24,068.
That's the number of lives saved by the Coast Guard in the response to Katrina.

Kilgore and NASCAR

Hermie Sadler will be driving the Kilgore for Governor car at the Nextel Cup race in Martinsville this year.
The AP picked up the story and here's a cool quote;

[Hermie Sadler] also said it's unlikely younger brother [Elliott] Sadler, who drives the No. 38 Ford, will wind up running with a competing Kaine for Governor paint scheme.

"Not if he wants to stay a Sadler," Hermie said.

My wife and I are Elliott Sadler fans. I always root that Hermie makes a good showing. I really hope that he's able to do well. I would hate for that car to get crumpled halfway through the race.

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Hat tip to the Commonwealth Conservative.

VADM Allen

VADM Thad Allen, the Coast Guard Chief of Staff, has been tapped to lead the relief efforts on the ground. I've never met him but I have heard a lot of good things. Here's his official bio.

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Vice Admiral Thad W. Allen assumed duties as Chief of Staff, U.S. Coast Guard and Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC in May 2002. Vice Admiral Allen oversees general management functions of the Coast Guard. He is also currently the Chairman of the Department of Homeland Security’s Joint Requirements Council.

Prior to this assignment he served as Commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area, Fifth Coast Guard District; and U.S. maritime Defense Zone, Atlantic where he was the operational commander for all Coast Guard activities in an area of responsibility spanning five Coast Guard Districts, over 14 million square miles, involving 26,000 military and civilian employees, and 27,900 auxiliarists. He served concurrently as Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, and Commander U.S. Maritime Defense Zone Atlantic. VADM Allen led Atlantic forces in the Coast Guard’s response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001

In his previous flag assignments he commanded the Seventh Coast Guard District and directed all Coast Guard operations in South Carolina, Georgia, most of Florida and throughout the Caribbean; and was the Coast Guard's Director of Resources, where he was responsible for formulating the Coast Guard's budget, developing long range plans, and managing the Coast Guard's performance plan.

A specialist in operations both in the coastal and offshore environments, Vice Admiral Allen has served in three Coast Guard cutters ANDROSCOGGIN and GALLATIN, and command of the medium endurance cutter CITRUS. His coastal operations command assignments include Captain of the Port / Group Long Island Sound, CT; Group Atlantic City, NJ, and LORAN Station Lampang, Thailand. Vice Admiral Allen's other assignments included a tour as search and rescue controller in the Greater Antilles Section, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Intelligence Watch Officer at DEA/INS El Paso Intelligence Center, El Paso, TX; Chief Budget Officer, Maintenance and Logistics Command, Atlantic, Governors Island, NY; Deputy Project Manager, Fleet Modernization and Rehabilitation (FRAM) Project, and Assistant Division Chief, Programs Division, Office of the Chief of Staff, Coast Guard Headquarters.

Vice Admiral Allen is a native of Tucson, AZ. He graduated from the U. S. Coast Guard Academy in 1971. He holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the George Washington University and received the 2000 Distinguished Alumni Award. He also holds a Master of Science degree from the Sloan School of Management of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2003 Vice Admiral Allen was elected a National Academy of Public Administration Fellow.

Vice Admiral Allen is married to the former Pamela A. Hess of Champaign, IL. She is the Assistant Dean for Student Services at the George Mason University School of Management. They have three grown children, Amanda, Meghan and Lucas and two grandchildren, Zachary and Andrew. Vice Admiral Allen is the son of Clyde and Wilma Allen. Clyde Allen is a retired Coast Guard Chief Damage Controlman and World War II veteran.

Fraudulent Websites for Hurricane Katrina Victims

From a recent email sent out.

BULLETIN: Relief and charity efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina began immediately after the hurricane devastated the Gulf Coast area. Shortly thereafter, web sites began to appear which were designed to defraud unsuspecting users. Some of the activities include soliciting donations for seemingly charitable purposes, attempting to collect personal information through phishing scams and also spreading malware to unsuspecting users. Over the past few days, domain names that redirect users to malicious web sites have appeared online, in addition to email scams requesting donations for those impacted by the hurricane. While some of these sites and messages may be legitimate, many are not. At the time of this bulletin, please be aware that the following domains are reported to be suspicious:

katrinahelp.com
katrinacleanup.com
katrinarelief.com.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and additional domains may continue to appear.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

We recommend that staff be advised to:
*Validate the relief fund or charity through a known reliable entity.
Please refer to the FEMA link below for a list of reputable disaster relief resources for Hurricane Katrina.
*When a message containing a request for donations for these victims appears, do not respond unless you are certain it is a valid message.
*Avoid visiting untrusted web sites.
*Avoid opening email messages and attachments that claim to contain video, photos, or other information relating to relief solicitation for Hurricane Katrina.
*Follow standard best practices for email and web browsing security.

REFERENCES:

SANS: http://isc.sans.org/diary.php?date=2005-08-31

Washington Post::http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2005/08/katrina_phishin.html

Better Business Bureau: http://www.give.org/news/disaster_pr.asp

Federal Emergency Management Agency:
http://www.fema.gov/press/2005/resources_katrina.shtm

Russ Potts Review

The writers at Red State have noticed Russ Potts. They've realized that Potts went from being a conservative Republican to liberal Democrat overnight. Check it out.

Virginia Fuels Tax Refund

I stumbled onto this at the VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries website.

"Starting July 1, 2000, gasoline and diesel motor fuel purchased and used in a recreational or pleasure boat or ship is eligible for a complete refund of the Virginia motor fuel tax that was paid. The Virginia tax is 17.5 cents per gallon and 16 cents per gallon for diesel."

Why hasn't the commonwealth been advertising this? Hmm.

This is getting ridiculous!

This morning I read in the paper that the two main pipelines to Virginia start in New Orleans and are shut down. So I decided that this would be a good time to fill up the pickup truck. I drive an V-8 F-150 with a 37 gallon tank. Lately I've had to take a BC Powder before I take it to the gas pump. I ran down the road to the gas station and filled up for $2.55 per gallon. I ran some errands and when I came back by that same gas station 6 hours later, gas was $2.99 per gallon!

We have to stop this. Alternative fuel sources are still a ways off and we need to encourage their growth. Hydrogen sounds great but I bet the machines that extract the hydrogen run off of diesel. The Canadians have several offshore oil platforms in the Grand Banks of the North Atlantic. Do we have any such operations on our East Coast? Negative! It's illegal! That's crap.

Also, why do we have so many refinery eggs in the Gulf of Mexico basket? No refineries built in 25 years is why. Everybody wants a refinery but not in their backyard. It's a vicious circle.

Fantasy Football

I've created a fantasy football league on Yahoo. Here's the link to join. This is not an ultra-serious league, it's just for fun so first-timers are welcome.

The league ID # is 558426 and the password is virginia.

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Linked to Outside the Beltway.

Inside 9/11

I watched Inside 9/11 last night on the National Geographic channel last night and it was very good. I was scared that it was going to become documentary on why we deserved to be attacked. I should have known that National Geographic wouldn't do that. It was a sobering look at the events that led up to the attack. The second half is on tonight at 9:00 Eastern time. They'll be showing the first half at 7:00. I hope that I'll be able to watch it tonight.

Just Asking

How come when a left-leaning independent candidate complains about being left out of televised debates he's portrayed in the press as being whiney but when a right-leaning independent candidate is left out, the press cries out in righteous indignation?

Is it because the first candidate, like Ralph Nader, would drain votes from Democrats and the second candidate, like Russ Potts, would drain votes from Republicans?

Hmm.

Father Jones

Father Jones was in London when the first round of bombings happened. Here's his sermon about that day.

I suggest you read the lectionary for July 17 since he refers to them.

Fuel Prices Online

AAA has a pretty cool site that tracks fuel prices nationwide. It takes the price per gallon from credit card transactions. Check it out here.

Here She Is!

Here's the first picture we had of her.

Book Review

Father Jones reviews the new book by Bishop Spong.

This is cool

Track the popularity of your name over time.

Hat tip to The Spoons Experience.

Welcome Megan

Well, she's finally here. Megan was born on May 5, 2005! I'll put up pictures as soon as I can.

UPDATE: I have lost the host I was using to store my pictures. As soon as I can locate another host, I'll put up pictures of Megan.

Liberalism and Relativism

In his homily Monday morning, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — a powerful Vatican official from Germany often mentioned as a leading candidate to become the next pope — spoke in unusually blunt terms against "a dictatorship of relativism" — the ideology that there are no absolute truths.

"Having a clear faith, based on the creed of the church, is often labeled today as a fundamentalism," Ratzinger said. "Whereas relativism, which is letting oneself be tossed and 'swept along by every wind of teaching,' looks like the only attitude acceptable to today's standards.

"We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one's own ego and one's own desires."

Addition to the Blogroll

The movers are here boxing up all of our stuff. They have left the computer up so I can surf and not go insane with boredom. I did have to navigate through a maze of boxes to get to my desk, oh well. There's an addition to the blog roll. Adventures in Nature is written by Gary Winegar who retired from the Richmond Times Dispatch as their outdoors writer. It must still be in his blood to write though. Check out the blog.

My Apologies

I apologize that the blogging has been non-existant the past few weeks. Things are hectic in the Brown Hound Household. We are preparing for our return to Virginia. The house is sold and we have our temporary lodging arranged. We've had one unsucessful house hunting trip but we're hoping that it'll be easier once we're down there full time.

One humorous note on the home sale. The buyer for our house came yesterday with the home inspector. On the first floor, he made a whole list of little things that needed to be corrected. He continued to add to the list on the second floor. Then, they preceded to the attic, which is not finished, and as they were walking around up there, the buyer mistepped and put his foot through the ceiling in our bedroom. The list of defects magically disappeared.

XM Radio

Well, after months of dithering about it, I finally broke down and ordered an XM Radio. I did find a great deal that I would like to share.

In my Redskins season ticket invoice, there was a flyer from XM Radion for 20% off of the hardware. I went to the website and ordered a Delphi Roady 2 XM Satellite Radio with the home bundle for $69. I found it on
Amazon.com for $139. They had other models available too. The catch is you have to buy three months of subscription for $29.97. Well, I was going to buy that anyway.

So, here's the way to do it. The link is http://xmradio.com/partners and the login code is SKINSXM05 The offer expires 3/31/05. I hope you find it useful.

Coasties being unfair?

Here's a good one. There is a ferry that runs between Catalina Island and Long Beach, California. As part of the post-911 security efforts, the Coast Guard occasionally puts officers on board to make sure no one tries to hi jack the ship. Well, some people aren't happy about it. Here's the best part;

Another woman, a CalState Fullerton student, said she was on her way to school when she was detained.

"I got on the boat ... and some Coast Guard (officers) asked me for my driver's license," she recalled.

The student -- afraid to show her face on camera -- said she was detained for nearly a month and then deported because she was here illegally.

Oh my goodness! She was an illegal alien and got caught. What on earth were those Coasties thinking?

Coast Guard News Roundup

Coast Guard cutter patrols Lake Huron
Crew part of Homeland Security effort
Michigan - (02/11/05)--When you think of Michigan's Great Lakes you think of summers filled with boating or hours spent on warm, sandy beaches.

Report: Trio found in Olaf's wake
(CNN) -- New Zealand and U.S. planes scouring the South Pacific near Samoa have found three people floating in the sea after "super cyclone" Olaf battered the area, rescue services say.

Coast Guard rescues three from Santa Barbara Island
SAN DIEGO - Coast Guard crews from San Diego Saturday helped rescue three people after the 29-foot sailboat they were on ran aground on Santa Barbara Island, officials said.

Coast Guard Rescues 3 Men Near Laguna Vista, Texas
HOUSTON - Three men were plucked from the Gulf of Mexico near Laguna Vista Texas, Tuesday at 7:50 p.m., by a Coast Guard rescue crew from Station South Padre Island (SPI), Texas.

Coast Guard rescues fishermen off N.C. coast
Three fishermen were rescued Saturday morning after their 72-foot boat began taking on water about 18 miles south of Oregon Inlet, the Coast Guard said.

Coast Guard rescues downed pilot from marsh near Savannah
(SAVANNAH) - A pilot from North Carolina is recovering from minor injuries after he ditched his small plane in a marsh in Georgia Sunday.

Coast Guard Rescues Boaters
Two men and a teenager are saved from the Laguna Madre by an alert resident and the Coast Guard.

Coast Guard rescues stranded kayaker near Yaquina Head
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew from the Newport air facility spotted an overturned kayak while on a routine patrol at about 2:30 Sunday afternoon.

A LIFE-AND-DEATH STRUGGLE: Coast Guard team rescues 2 fishermen stranded on ice
Cell phone call from Lake St. Clair tells a desperate story
An evening of ice fishing turned into a life-and-death struggle with the elements Tuesday on Mitchell's Bay in Lake St. Clair, as stranded anglers waited for a Coast Guard helicopter piloted by LTJG Paul LaRoche and LCDR Joe Carroll to hoist them to safety.

Dems and Social Security

Opinion Journal has a great article on why the Democrats are fighting tooth and nail to keep Social Security the way it is. It's written by former Delaware governor Pete DuPont. Here's a taste;

When you increase an individual's wealth, he becomes less dependent on government, and his attitude towards government changes. Socialists can't allow that, for it erodes their fundamental principle that social justice can only be achieved when important segments of the economy are under government control.

You can also see this in the way that each side refers to tax cuts. Those on the left say that the government can't afford to give that money away. The right see it as not taking somebody's hard earned money from them in the first place. In other words, the Democrats think that they have more right to your paycheck than you do.

Carry Me Back to Old Virginia!

Hallelujah! The Coast Guard, in it's infinite wisdom, has agreed to end our exile in Maryland and send us back to Virginia! My bride and I are just so happy about this. Our daughter will be born in Virginia. She's not due to arrive until the middle of May and I report the beginning of April. So much to do! Sell the house, find a house, move and so on!

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Pete, what is the name of that Realtor you were telling me about?

Mr. Behan, when can I join the Old Dominion Blog Alliance?

NHL Reform

A Large Regular thinks back to the XFL and wishes that McMahon of the WWF had taken on the NHL instead. Chris has some interesting ideas. I like this one the best;

Players would get 25% of the revenue off sales of their jerseys. This gives the players incentive to become fan favorites whether they be high scorers, goons or lunch bucket players who win the fans' love with their hard work.

I'm not too sure about this one though;

- Eliminate the rule prohibiting two line passes. Imagine if the NFL tried to outlaw passes over 20-yards? That's basically what the two-line pass rule in hockey does.

I think that would compel weak defenses to just smack the puck out of the zone like when they are penalty killing. Or is icing a different penalty than a two line pass?

Redskins Tickets

I am a Redskins season ticket holder. Yes, it's been tough the past few years but that's not what this post is about. I get my invoice for the tickets today and it says that the only methods accepted are cash, check, money order or MasterCard. Now I don't have the cash sitting around for two seats and a parking pass and I only have a Visa Card. Originally, they were only going to accept the Redskins MasterCard for payment but according to the Washington Post, they dropped that restriction.

I decided to call the ticket office to make sure. I asked the supervisor why I could use a Visa or American Express in the stadium to buy a $7 beer but I couldn't use it to buy the ticket in the first place. He aswered that it "was a decision they made." I told him that I didn't have a MasterCard and I didn't want to pay cash. He told me that they were considering allowing people to "stretch out the payments over a 30 or 60 day period." 30 or 60 days? That's not much help.

I could just threaten to not buy the tickets this year but they don't care. The waiting list for tickets is at least long enough to fill the stadium twice. What's a fan to do?

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I linked this to the Beltway Traffic Jam in hopes of letting my plight be known! Help me Beltway Denziens!

I said that?

Being able to search archives is such a neat thing:

Last night, Senate minority leader Harry Reid likened the president’s proposal to allow Americans to divert a portion of payroll taxes into personal security investment accounts to "gambling." But in 1999, the Nevada Democrat proposed something very similar on our own "FOX News Sunday" saying, "Most of us have no problem with taking a small amount of the Social Security proceeds and putting it into the private sector."

I always wondered how politicians can get away with such things. I guess they just shrug and say, "I changed my mind."

SOTU Address summed up

I watched the State of the Union address last night. It was good. But none of the words had as much effect as this scene.

Janet Norwood, right, of Pfugerville, Texas whose son was killed in Iraq last year, hugs Safia Taleb al-Suhail, leader of the Iraqi Women's Political Council, during the State of the Union address.

Note what is in Mrs. Norwood's hand. Those are her son's dogtags.

Update your bookmarks

Tim Blair has a new address. Update accordingly.

Go Hokies!

I was flipping through the channels last night when I came across the NC State- Virginia Tech men's basketball game. There were 21 seconds left in the game and Tech was trailing 71-70. One point deficit against a major ACC opponent! The announcers go on to recount how Tech has overcome an 11 point deficit to get to this point. The clock starts and Tech has the ball. They bring it down the court and get it to Collins who is in the paint. He puts up a fade-away jumper to take the lead 71-72 with 12 seconds to go. Of course the Wolfpack call a timeout for strategy purposes. They bring the ball down and get it to Hodge who takes a shot only to have it blocked by Gordon. Washington recovers the ball only to be fouled by NC State. That's it, the Hokies won! Man I wish that I had seen the whole thing.

When Virginia Tech announced that they were leaving the Big East in favor of the ACC, I knew that the football team wouldn't have any difficulty adjusting. I did have visions of the basketball team upon seeing the news asking in a state of shock, "we're gonna have to play who?!" They mave have said that and been in a state of shock but they seemed to have gotten over it. When the game ended, my wife said, "looks like they're going to need a bigger basketball stadium now." It sure does.

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Be sure to click on the title of this post for proper Hokie background music.

Dog Haiku

I lift my leg and
Wiz on each bush. Hello, Spot -
Sniff this and weep.

How do I love thee?
The ways are numberless as
My hairs on the rug.

Today I sniffed
Many dog butts-I celebrate
By kissing your face

I lie belly-up
In the sunshine, happier than
You ever will be.

CG Clips

There's a very talented Coast Guard cook out there. I'm not talking about his culinary skills but I'm sure that they are superb as well since he is the Admiral's cook at the Academy. No, the talent I'm talking about is visual. This cook owns a video camera and pulls it out whenever he can. He's taken those clips and put them together in some great Coast Guard action sequences. He's now put them on a website. The address is; www.cgclips.com This is better than any of the stuff the recruiters have put out. Check it out!

Randy Moss Kerfuffle

A Large Regular sounds off on Randy Moss' fake mooning at Green Bay last week.

When I wrestle with my son and he gets away - sometimes he wiggles his butt at me as a way of saying "nana nana boo boo - you can't get me". Sure it's childish but there's no malicious intent. Just the same with Moss. Sure it was childish but there was no malicious intent.

Exactly. It was silly and childish. Just like the Green Bay fans tradition of mooning the visiting team's bus as they leave the stadium. How many times has Randy Moss and his teamates been mooned by them over the years? Give me a break.

On Sportscenter today the commentator was saying how Moss' actions took away from his team's victory. Well that's because the league and the sports press just wont let go! Give me a break.

Meet Sam

This is Sam. He'll be one year old in April. This picture was taken while my wife and I were engrossed in a college bowl game. Sam tried and tried to get our attention. Finally, he gave up in desperation and got our attention.



Linked to the Carnival of Cats in a shameless attempt to generate traffic.

Special UN Coordinator of Coordination of Coordinating Entities

“...[T]o avoid running into the UN, we must go out to where the quake and tsunami actually hit...”

The Diplomad continues his relentless assault on the United Nations:

Sitting VERY late for two consecutive nights in interminable meetings with UN reps, hearing them go on about "taking the lead coordination role," pledges, and the impending arrival of this or that UN big shot or assessment/coordination team, for the millionth time I realized that if not for Australia and America almost nobody in the tsunami-affected areas would have survived more than a few days. If we had waited for the UNocrats to get their act coordinated, the already massive death toll would have become astronomical. But, fortunately, thanks to "retrograde racist war-mongers " such as John Howard and George W. Bush, as we sat in air conditioned meeting rooms with these UNocrats, young Australians and Americans were at that moment "coordinating" without the UN and saving the lives of tens-of-thousands of people.

Don't just read this post. There are several more. My favorite is the suggestion of the first UN representative in the region that the US and Australian military personnel wear UN uniforms.

These entries are outstanding. The Diplomad deserves a place in your favorites folder.

Election Reform

I've been listening to the democrats in Congress moan and whine about the unfair elections in Ohio. They are challenging the electoral votes from that state. It's not going to go anywhere of course.

I do agree with them that some reforms need to be made. I wonder if we would agree beyond that.

Gerrymandering is going to be with us for a few more years I'm afraid. I had heard of Iowa's system but that is the first time I've seen a map of their districts. It looks great. This is a true bipartisan deal though. It won't change anytime soon because both parties like to draw the districts to protect their incumbants. Their favorite trick is to put two members of the opposite party in the same district.

My suggestions for election reform start with the voter rolls. First, I would require showing some form of ID at the polls when you go to vote. Virginia instituted this a few years ago and it had been a sucess. There is a safety valve that if you don't have an ID card, you can cast a provisional ballot. When I go to Blockbuster to rent a movie, I have to prove I am who I am. It doesn't seem to unreasonable to ask the same when I vote.

The next thing would be to keep the rolls current. Streamline the system to purge names off the list if they haven't voted in a certain number of years. Provide a safety by sending a postcard allowing the person to renew their registration. If the card isn't returned, off they go. Aren't you supposed to update your address with the voter registrar anyway?

Voting is a responsibility. As a responsibility, it requires a little effort on our part.

Tradition

Here's a piece of nautical tradition that may be on the wane.

The midwatch log entry for 1 Jan is traditionally written in VERSE. The NAVY TIMES used to run a contest & publish the best

Here's one from the USCGC SWEETBRIER:

BY THE CHANGE OF A SECOND, THE MIDNIGHT HOUR IS PAST
AS DOES THE OLD YEAR, FOREVER GONE, NEVER LAST.
THE WATCH IS SET AND STARTS A NEW SHEET
TO LOG THE STATUS OF THE ROSE OF THE FLEET.

IN CHARLIE SHE SITS FOR THE DAWN OF THE NEW YEAR,
MOORED PORTSIDE TO THE CORDOVA CITY PIER.
THE NORTHERNMOST HOMEPORTED U.S. SHIP IS SHE,
FOR SHE RESTS ABOVE LATITUDE 60-33.

ABOVE HER SEASONED DECKS HER ENSIGN FLIES HIGH
STIFF WINDS MOVING THROUGH HER MAST WITH A CRY.
SIXTY KNOT GUSTS WILL NOT ENDANGER HER MOOR
FOR DOUBLE-UPS ARE ON LINES ONE AND FOUR.

WAIST LINES ARE RIGGED FORE AND AFT
SO ARCTIC WINDS WILL NOT ENDANGER THIS CRAFT.
HER LATERAL POSITION WILL ALSO STAY TRUE
DUE TO QUARTER LINES THREE AND TWO.

BELOW A KEEL SET BY IRON AND SWEAT
LIES A MUDDY BOTTON TWELVE FEET WET.
WATER TWO KNOTS FAST PASSES ALONGSIDE
RANGING NINETEEN FEET THIS SPRING TIDE.

DECK AND MOORING LIGHTS DISPLAYED NIGHTLY
ARE ENERGIZED AND BURNING BRIGHTLY.
AND FOR THE SEAPLANES TO BEHOLD
ALL AIRCRAFT WARNING LIGHTS SHINE BRIGHT AND BOLD.

THE SMALL BOATS, THEY ARE QUITE STABLE
NUMBERS TWO AND THREE HELD ON DECK BY CABLE.
AND SWEETBRIER ONE IS AT THE STARBOARD LOW RAIL,
READY TO HANDLE LOCAL SAR WITHOUT FAIL.

MESSAGES ARE SENT ANYTIME WHEN,
THANKS TO LANDLINE 39-10.
AND WITH D17 WE MAINTAIN COMMUNICATION
FOR AS OPCON/ADCON THEY MUST KNOW OUR SITUATION.

ENSIGN SCHMIDT IS THE OOD
WITH DUTY SECTION TWO TO OVERSEE.
SECTION ONE, THREE AND FOUR ARE ASHORE, AS IS WISE
FOR THEIR LIBERTY IS AUTHORIZED.

0845 THIS DAY WILL EXPIRE
SECTION THREE'S LIBERTY BEFORE WE RETIRE.
AND ON JANUARY 87, THE SECOND DAY,
LIBERTY EXPIRES FOR ALL HANDS AWAY.

WE ARE THE ROSE OF THE FLEET BY NICKNAME
A MULTI-MISSION VESSEL JUST THE SAME.
WITH A CALL TO DUTY AND A COURSE TO STEER
SEMPER PARATUS THROUGHOUT THE NEW YEAR.

Isn't she beautiful?

It's a girl!

My wife is pregnant with our first child! We went this week for the comprehensive ultrasound and found out that we're having a girl. It is really neat to see that little body moving about. Before all of this when a friend showed me a printout from their ultrasound, I could usually make out a vaguely human form but not much more than that. Now I see so much more in them. I look at them and think how beautiful my daughter is. It's amazing! I can't wait to meet her.

The Real Brown Hound

Here's the lucky puppy who this blog is named in honor of. Meet Hunter;



He is a 5 year old Chocolate Lab and a very good dog. I hope that I can find him a girlfriend some day so I can have some of his progeny running around.

People's Choice Awards

Barbra Streisand is asking her fellow moonbats to vote for Farenheit 9/11 as best movie in the People's Choice Awards. Please go and vote for Spiderman 2. And then go on and vote for The Passion and Team America in the other categories. Wouldn't that make them mad?

Update:Well, they seemed to have stopped the voting on movies.

Coast Guard helicopter crashes

A Coast Guard helicopter has crashed in the Bering Sea. It was carrying crewman evacuated from a powerless freighter. Four of the ten people on board were rescued by another Coast Guard helo that was participating in the rescue. The four included 3 Coasties and one crewman from the frieghter. The search for the remaining six continues.

More info here.

Military Pogs

Greyhawk of The Mudville Gazette is currently blogging from Iraq. He has an interesting post today about the pogs that the exchanges over there are using instead of coins. I clicked on the pictures of the pogs and they each feature a military themed photo. They are pretty neat looking. As I got to the 25 cent pogs, I found the Coast Guard pog. Here it is;

Out with the Old, In with the new

The Coast Guard is retiring the Beretta M9 9mm Pistol from active use. They have chosen the Sig P229 .40 S&W. Here's a link to the specs.



Purely for nostalgic reasons, I am going to miss the M9. I've been shooting it for 13 years. I even bought one. Everyone I speak to says that the Sig is an outstanding weapon. I look forward to taking it to the range.

Church Commercials

Feddie, at Southern Appeal, has a problem with the latest ad campaign of the United Church of Christ. Check it out.

The ad shows two guys reminiscent of club bouncers screening churchgoers on Sunday morning. Some are denied entrance. The commercial implies that gays and minorities are being denied access to churches.

My problem with the ad is that it's misleading. Is anyone being denied access to churches? No. By being a member of a church, you are saying that you agree with the premises of that religion/denomination/sect, etc. That doesn't mean blind obedience to every letter of church law and theology but there are fundamental truths that are held dear. Why do you think Bishop Spong created such a furor when he questioned the divinity of Christ?

Windsor Report

Bishop Lee of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia has a well written article on the Windsor Report. A little background, in 2003, the Episcopal Church of the USA elevated an openly gay priest to the bishopric of New Hampshire. In reaction to that, the Archbishop of Canterbury convened a hearing to discuss the actions of the ECUSA and their impact on the Anglican Communion as a whole.

Pentagon to Cut Boy Scouts From Bases

The Boy Scouts seem to be under constant attack from the left. Now they've gotten to the Pentagon.

The Pentagon has agreed to warn military bases worldwide not to directly sponsor oy Scout troops, partially resolving claims that the government has engaged in religious discrimination by supporting a group that requires members to believe in God. The settlement announced last week is part of a series of legal challenges in recent years over how closely the government should be aligned with the Boy Scouts of America, a venerable organization that boasts a membership of more than 3.2 million members. Civil liberties advocates have set their sights on the organization's policies because the group bans openly gay scout leaders and compels members to swear an oath of duty to God. The ACLU believes that direct government sponsorship of such a program amounts to discrimination. The Pentagon said it has long had a rule against sponsorship of non-federal organizations and denied the rule had been violated. But it agreed to send a message to posts worldwide warning them not to sponsor Boy Scout troops or other such groups.

Goose

I bagged my first Canada Goose yesterday. I was thinking about deep frying it since I'll be cooking a turkey that way on Thursday. A coworker suggested that geese are too fatty/greasy for that. Other friends think it sounds good but haven't done it either. Has anyone else tried this?

Insult Art

From OpinionJournal's Tony and Tacky page.

Can anything top a British snub? Consider the reception planned for French President Jacques Chirac on his arrival yesterday in London: After alighting at Waterloo station, the Toronto Globe and Mail tittered earlier this week, Mr. Chirac was to watch "Les Misérables," the "musical adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel so disliked by French elites." The venue? Windsor Castle's Waterloo Chamber, "specially built by King George IV as a secular shrine to the defeat of the French, where large portraits of the Duke of Wellington and other British victors will glare down at the French President."

Arafat's Eulogy

Epitaph on the Politician

Here richly, with ridiculous display,
The Politician's corpse was laid away.
While all of his acquaintance sneered and slanged
I wept: for I had longed to see him hanged.

-Hilaire Belloc

Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day. As you are out today running errands and you see a veteran, walk up to him and say "thank you." Trust me, he will really appreciate it.

Too Much Time On Their Hands

I was a little bored today and ran across Cockeyed.com. These guys have taken on the questions that have plagued all men when they were still bachelors. Questions such as; how much gold is actually in a bottle of Goldschlager? Is Ramen a bunch of short noodles or one long one? There's also, how many solo cups can you fill with a keg?

Then lengths these guys go to answer these questions it, well, disturbing. They went to the trouble though so check it out.

Just Asking

The editors at the Richmond Times-Dispatch want to know; How's that internal investigation of the ballyhooed Texas Air National Guard memos aired by CBS coming - and Dan Rather's apology to President Bush?

Fiesta Chowder

Now that it's starting to get cold, here's a great chowder to keep you warm. It makes a big batch and the leftovers can be warmed up for lunch or whatever.


Fiesta Chowder

List of Ingredients

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (1.4 ounce) package fajita seasoning mix, divided
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (15 1/4 ounce) can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chiles
3 cups water
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1 (2 1/2 ounce) can sliced ripe olives (optional)
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed nacho cheese soup*
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice


Instructions

1. Combine flour and 2 tablespoons fajita seasoning in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; add chicken. Seal and shake to coat.
2. Cook chicken in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat, stirring often, 4 minutes or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-high; add onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Stir in remaining fajita seasoning, corn, next 5 ingredients, and, if desired, olives. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove lid, and stir in nacho cheese soup, chopped cilantro, and lime juice. Garnish, if desired, and serve with breadsticks, if desired.

*If you can't find nacho cheese soup, Campbells has a pepperjack soup that works really well too.

Linked to the Beltway Traffic Jam
Linked to the Carnival of Recipes.

Supreme Work Out

Feddie at Southern Appeal got a behind the scenes tour of the Supreme Court which included the basketball court. Can anyone picture the justices in a pick up game of hoops?

W!

Bush Wins Guam!

The Guam results are in and it is safe to call Guam a Red, um, Territory!
The final talley;
Bush 17,264 63.9%
Kerry 9,540 35.3%
Nader 153 0.5%
Badnarik 53 0.2%

Kerry's Discharge

The New York Sun has an article by Thomas Lipscomb today concerning John Kerry's discharge from the Navy.

A member of the Harvard Law School admissions committee recalled that the real reason Mr. Kerry was not admitted was because the committee was concerned that because Mr. Kerry had received a less than honorable discharge they were not sure he could be admitted to any state bar.(emphasis added)

This must be why Kerry won't release his military records. If this is true, it is one more bit of evidence that Kerry has no sense of honor.

Battle History of the Coast Guard

Nov 11, at 9 p.m., the History Channel will air a two-hour Coast Guard special feature titled "History of the U.S. Coast Guard: Life Savers to the World." The poignant feature includes historical footage and photographs along with interviews with Admiral James Loy, Dr. Robert Browning, Marvin Perrett, Robert Resnick, Dr. Vince Patton, and several others. This powerful and insightful documentary contains numerous images and interviews about our rich maritime history and wartime efforts. This feature is the result of more than one year of extensive historical research, interviews and filming by Lou Reda Productions, Inc. with the grateful assistance from numerous Coast Guard offices and units across the U.S.

It's begun!

Tall Glass of Milk at Drink This has discovered that she was a victim of voter fraud. Somebody changed her address and party affiliation. Want to guess what they changed her party to? Fortunately, she went in to vote early and discovered the fraud before the soon to be felon got a chance to vote in her name.

This is the most important election of our time! Get out and vote. They can't steal it if it isn't close.

Presidential Coffee Cup Poll

We have all been inundated with poll after poll that pretty much all say the same thing. Seven Eleven is running a coffee poll. They have three types of cups at their coffee counter. One is plain and the other two say either Bush or Kerry. When you go pay, the clerk records your "vote." As of now, Bush leads 51% to 48%.

They also list the results broken down by state and metropolitan area. If you take the state results and put them on an electoral college map, you get Bush with 212 and Kerry with 191. Evidently, not every state in the US has a 7-Eleven (news to me).

Some of the results are obviously off. The results from DC are Bush 55%, Kerry 44%. That dog just doesn't hunt.

The results are interesting when you think about who gets coffee from 7-Eleven. Everybody does. It is a real cross section of society.

I regularly go to 7-Eleven for coffee and have gotten a Bush cup twice. Lately every store I've been to has been out of cups. The results are updated daily. Have fun.

Dogs for Bush

Here's why one dog is for Bush;

Ubu is fifteen years old and is for Bush because she's convinced he would throw the stick for her again if she brought it to him. She's convinced Kerry would give it to some other 'disadvantaged' dog and chastize her for unjust hoarding of sticks. (Like he's got room to talk!)

Check out the other dogs. You can add your own too. I'll have to submit the Brown Hound's picture.

Give a Pint!

There is an ongoing need for blood donors in support of the military. Through the Armed Service Blood Program (ASBP), you can give blood that could very well save the life of a Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Airman or Coastie. If the ASBP supply of blood is exhausted, the military has to buy the blood for as much as $250 per unit. That is money that could go to other military needs. To find the blood donation center closest to you, go here.

Semper Paratus

Crews from the Coast Guard Cutter Gallatin and Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron made a 4,000-pound cocaine bust Saturday afternoon, in the Colombian basin and detained four suspect smugglers from a go-fast vessel.

This bust is the first one of the new fiscal year, which began Oct. 1 and follows a record shattering year in FY 2004 with more than 240,000 pounds of cocaine seized in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean.

The 40-foot drug-smuggling go-fast was spotted by Gallatin's embarked MH-68 Sting Ray helicopter crew in international waters Saturday at about 4:45 p.m. As soon as the crew aboard the go-fast knew they had been spotted, they began throwing bales overboard and a chase ensued.

The helicopter's crew gave the go-fast multiple visual and verbal warnings to stop, but they were ignored. At about 5:30, the Sting Ray was given permission to fire warning shots and disabling fire and safely disabled all three outboard engines on the go-fast.

Bush Endorsement

Remember how the media picked up on the Crawford, TX paper endorsing Kerry? Well, now the Lowell Sun, Kerry's hometown paper, has endorsed President Bush. Why haven't the wire services picked this up? Here's a sample;

When it comes to the war on terror, President Bush means to keep our military strong and our country secure. John Kerry, on the other hand, has all the attributes of the shape of water when it comes to telling us what he believes and what he'd do for America. Like incoming and outgoing tides, Kerry is content to go with the flow. In a dangerous world infested with sharks, Kerry would be chum at America's expense.

We in Massachusetts know John Kerry. He got his first taste of politics 32 years ago in the cities and towns of Greater Lowell.

In his 20 years in the U.S. Senate, Kerry, a Navy war hero, hasn't risen above the rank of seaman for his uninspiring legislative record. He's been inconsistent on major issues. First he's for the 1991 Persian Gulf War, then he opposes it. First he's for the war in Iraq, then he's against it. First he's for a strong U.S. defense, then he votes against military weapons programs. First he's for the U.S. Patriot Act, then he opposes it.

Kerry's solution to stop terrorism? He'd go to the U.N. and build a consensus. How naive. France's Jacques Chirac, Germany's Gerhard Schroeder, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and other Iraq oil-for-food scam artists don't want America to succeed. They want us brought down to their level. And more and more, Kerry sounds just like them. In a recent campaign speech, Kerry said America was in the wrong war, in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

No doubt John Kerry sincerely wants to serve his country, but we believe he's the wrong man, in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

The whole thing is worth a read.

Link via The Corner.

Fairness In Iraq

Non PC in Latte Land has a great first post for his blog entitled, "Fairness in Iraq." It's well written and worth a read. Please check it out.

Global Test

Planning some foreign policy actaion? Well, you are going to have to take the Global Test to make sure that you will still be respected in the world community. Good Luck!

Online Polls

The moonbats at the Democratic Underground have compiled a very handy list of links to various online polls about last night's debate. Be sure to click on them and vote.

Update: I've been looking at some of these and judging by the results I'm seeing, this has caused a DU feeding frenzy.

Update 2: Southern Appeal has noticed the same thing.

Update 3: Linked to the Beltway Jam on Outside the Beltway