Part-Time Dilletante

Quarantine Planning: Necessary commodities

2006-01-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

List of things we should purchase or have on hand prior to the outbreak of a disaster or bird flu outbreak. Again, such an outbreak may last up to a year, so think "quantity."

Toilet paper (may even become a tradable commodity if things get really bad up here.)
Feminine products
Cash (phone lines may be down and credit cards wouldn't work)
Gasoline (keep vehicle tanks full, and fill up gas cans if an outbreak occurs)
Oil
Clothing (especially for growing children)

Shoes, boots, jackets in next size up from the kid's current sizes.
Probably should have extra pair of boots for each adult too

Cigarettes? Or just tobacco & papers? Or both? Or just figure on quitting?
Batteries & radio (internet may not be available)
Ammunition & Arrow heads
Kerosene lanterns & lamp oil or kerosene

Shampoo, detergent, dish soap, and lots of lysol disinfectant
medical gloves
medical masks

Quarantine Planning: Medicine

2006-01-01T15:23:00.000-08:00

We ARE talking about a flu pandemic, so of course we should stock up on cold/flu remedies. Especially since even the government's plans state that we'll probably be left to fend for ourselves. Don't want to wait to get these until the point that store shelves are empty.

Should check with everyone to see what prescriptions they need, and try to get as much as possible of them.

Check the status of the first aid kit, and maybe beef it up with some heavier duty items such as splints, large trauma gauze, etc.

Other stuff: Pain pills, aspirin, Rid, prep h, milk of magnesia, toothache gel, hydrogen peroxide, cough medicine,

Quarantine Planning: Water

2005-12-31T19:00:00.000-08:00

Water should be available for us given that the power should be operable except during extreme/prolonged outbreaks of the bird flu, and that we can use the generator for short periods to run the well, and that the creek is nearby. Nevertheless, upon indications of an outbreak we should fill up the two water tanks we have and place one by the horses and one near the main house. At the least, these could be used to flush toilets, while water from the creek could be boiled for use.

Quarantine Planning: Food

2005-12-31T18:10:00.000-08:00

This section requires more thought than the shelter section.

ON THE PLUS SIDE:

We have a large pantry already fairly full (enough for 2 months?)
We have 2 freezers of food, including nearly a whole cow.
Deer are plentiful
Blackberries grow free and wild, and we may have fruit trees soon
6 chickens
3 cows
Plenty of room for garden
Cooking can be done on wood stove

ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE:

We'll probably need more than 2 months of food
Power for the freezers can only be depended upon during low severity outbreaks
No roosters, and we haven't seen any eggs
Garden is not deer proof
Needing to butcher the cows assumes we haven't power for freezers. Which means that if we do butcher one, we still need to preserve it somehow, or waste the majority of it.
No oven if we have no power

NEEDED:

6 months or more supply of hay for horses & cows

Dog & cat food

Chicken coop, with rooster, for egg collection & chicken replenishment

Greenhouse, for year round veggies

Deer proof fence around garden

More fruit trees (with deer proof enclosures)

Purchase veggie seeds

Corn, Tomatoes, lettuce, squash, beans, peas, watermellon, cantelope,

Stock up pantry

Dried beans
Rice
Sugar
Salt
Cooking Oil
Canned veggies
Canned hams, tuna, & other meat
Flour & yeast for bread? (No oven possibly, but could we do flatbread or tortillas? - Note that yeast doesn't last forever. Perhaps we should begin sourdough starter)
Fruit juices

Quarantine Planning: Shelter

2005-12-31T15:52:00.000-08:00

We have shelter, so this is the easiest section. The only real consideration is how to continue receiving enough income to make mortgage payments while discontinuing any contact with others outside of our property. Fortunately, more than half of our income comes from the internet. So timing becomes important. We'll have to stop doing construction work when its obvious that an outbreak of bird flu has occurred, but can continue internet sales so long as that is up and running. Unfortunately, this still means trips to the post office. Precautions would have to be taken for this (gloves, masks, disinfectant of parcels/mail/checks received, etc.)

If it gets to the point that the internet is down, or business is so affected that no one is purchasing insurance any longer, then we can probably stop worrying about making the mortgage payment. If things are that bad, then millions will have stopped paying by that point. We're unlikely to be thrown out of the house immediately, and could likely expect some sort of governmental relief in the long run.

We'll simply become squatters.

Heat

No difference from normal, since our primary heat even now is a wood stove, even if we lose power & services (except for Mom's office, which is heated by a propane heater).

Needed:

Unleaded fuel for chain saws.
Oil for fuel mixture in chain saws
Bar Oil (though we currently have over 2 gallons)
Extra chain saw blades
Blade files
Axe

Cooling

Last year we did without our swamp cooler, even though we went through a record heat spell. Though Mom had an air conditioner going in her office. Other than the office, I guess we could do it again. Not much choice, since this would requrie power. But at our location & elevation, we don't need to take drastic measures.

Needed:

Nothing

Planning: Bird Flu

2005-12-31T15:16:00.000-08:00

Avoiding the flu

Improve health and immune system now
Get flu shots
Purchase Tamiflu
If possible outbreak occurs:
Disinfect phones, doorknobs, lightswitches, refridgerator handles, bathrooms
Limit contact with others
Consider wearing gloves, masks

If definite outbreak occurs:

Disinfect even UPS packages received before opening
Discontinue contact with others (quarantine ourselves)
Quarantine may have to last up to 18 months

Quarantine Planning

Major factors to consider:

Shelter
Food
Water
Medicine
Security
Power
Necessary commodities (Clothing [especially for growing kids], toilet paper, tampons, ammunition, etc)
Desirable commodities (beer)
Tradable commodities (liquor, toilet paper, more?)
Income
Communication

Bird Flu Disaster Background Material

2005-12-31T10:22:00.000-08:00

Some thoughts on surviving a long term disaster. I'm not talking about losing power for 3 days, or suffering the effects of a major earthquake for a week or two, but trying to live for 12 to 18 months during an outbreak of the bird flu.

Up to this point I've pooh-poohed the hype on this flu, since only a handful of people have actually died, and since its not even known yet if it can or will mutate to the point where it can be transmitted from human to human (though recent reports indicate that there may have been at least one case where this occurred). Yet, given the likely severity, all encompassing range, and devasting speed with which the disease would strike, I believe its important to begin thinking and planning about how to keep my family alive.

State & Federal Government Assistance? (From the US Dept of Health & Human Services Strategic Plan for a Flu Pandemic
"If efforts to contain isolated outbreaks within the U.S. were unsuccessful and influenza spread quickly to affect many more communities either simultaneously or in quick succession—the hallmark of a pandemic—response assets at all levels of government and the private sector would be taxed severely. Communities would need to direct all their influenza response assets to their own needs and would have little to spare for the needs of others. Moreover, as the number of affected communities grows, their collective need would spread the response assets of states and the federal government ever thinner. In the extreme, until a vaccine against the pandemic virus would become available in sufficient quantity to have a significant impact on protecting public health [ME - Likely to take 3 to 6 months to produce, and longer to distribute], thousands of communities could be countering influenza simultaneously with little or no assistance from adjacent communities, the state, or the federal government. Preparedness planning for pandemic influenza response must take this prospect into account."

In other words, "Don't expect any help from the government."

Speed and Scope: (from: http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/12/05/051206001434.cz1ycjxs.html )
"the epidemic will turn into a pandemic in just several weeks, spreading first in Asia before reaching Europe and the American continent 50 days later.
At the end of week six, Americans will see 722,000 pandemic cases in the United States, by week nine -- 37.4 million, by week 12 -- 90.8 million, and by the end of week 16, 92.2 million cases"

From the US Dept of Health & Human Services Strategic Plan for a Flu Pandemic
"The 1957 pandemic, during an era with much less globalization, spread to the U.S. within 4-5 months of its detection in China, and the 1968 pandemic spread to the U.S. from Hong Kong within 2-3 months. As was amply demonstrated by the SARS outbreak, modern travel patterns may significantly reduce the time needed for pandemic influenza viruses to spread globally to a few months or even weeks. "

A word on how long the flu might last: (From http://j.b5z.net/i/u/2148243/i/comingpandemicrevised.pdf)
"A feature of influenza pandemics not well appreciated generally is that they occur in waves.

The 1918 Spanish flu (H1N1) was associated with three waves while the 1958 Asian flu (H2N2) and 1968 Hong Kong flu (H3N2) pandemics have two distinct waves each. The reason for this wave behavior is not known but some have speculated that it is due to a change in the season of the year. The timing of a wave may also be related to a genetic change or mutation in the new strain of influenza virus. In past pandemics, the time between two waves was 3 to 9 months. A point to keep in mind about pandemic waves is that the second wave can be much more severe than the first or third wave of the series. During the 1918 pandemic, the deadly second wave was responsible for > 90% of the deaths for the entire pandemic.

[See this map/movie for an illustration of how fast that second wave spread througout the USA]

While the typical flu season predictably occurs from November through March, during pandemics, flu can vary from this script. The first wave of the 1918 flu occurred in the spring of that year ending in March. That flu was very severe by usual standards but the second wave beginning 6 months later in September was the most fatal. The third wave occurred during the following winter/spring and was the mildest of all. It is of note that pandemics end simply because all or most susceptible persons within the population have contracted the infection and have either died or developed immunity. "

Tamiflu (From: http://j.b5z.net/i/u/2148243/i/comingpandemicrevised.pdf )
"Over the course of the pandemic, predictions are that 25% to 50% of the population will become sick. There is an anti-viral antibiotic tablet, Tamiflu®, oseltamivir, manufactured by Roche Pharmaceuticals that is effective against Avian Influenza H5N1. The World Health Organization has recommended that every country establish a stockpile of enough drugs to treat 20% of its citizens in preparation for a possible Avian Influenza pandemic. Most of the developed nations have begun to do so.

The wholesale cost of Tamiflu is about $25 for a 5-day treatment course (10 tablets), a price that places it out of reach for the less developed nations to establish a Tamiflu stockpile. Manufacturing capacity for Tamiflu is also limited and manufacture of this Roche product takes place almost entirely in Europe. Most of the G8 countries have already placed their orders with Roche and governmental demand has been so great that this product was unavailable for a while in the spring of 2005 but as of June 2005, some Tamiflu has begun to trickle back into the retail chain but supplies remain tight.

Tamiflu works best if it is taken early in the course of the disease symptoms (within the first 48 hours of the illness). It might be useful even if started later but this is not established. I plan to administer it to very sick patients no matter how long they have had symptoms as long as there is hope they can survive.

It is also possible to prevent the flu by taking Tamiflu tablets at or immediately after exposure to the flu. While this strategy works, it requires the continuous use of the one tablet daily until the pandemic is past.

Under conditions of severe shortage of Tamiflu that we are likely to face during a pandemic, using the drug in this way is unwise. The strategy I plan to follow is to wait until flu symptoms are present before beginning Tamiflu treatment.

The recommended does is one tablet twice daily for 5 days. A worrisome US National Institute of Health study published in the July 2005 issue of the Journal of Infectious Disease reported that mice experimentally infected with the H5N1 avian flu strain required 10 days of Tamiflu treatment to prevent relapse and death instead of the currently recommended 5 day course of treatment. If this proves true for the pandemic virus it means that treatment for 10 instead of 5 days with Tamiflu would be needed which is a problem since the current stock of this drug would go only half as far thought initially.

Since half the population who contract influenza have no or only few symptoms of the disease, even if you don’t take Tamiflu in the preventive regimen you still have a 50% chance of not getting sick. By reserving the drug for those who become ill with flu, you will be able to effectively treat a much larger number of patients than if the drug is used in its preventive mode.

One recent development reported in May 2005 is the detection of some strains of H5N1 avian influenza that have crossed over from birds to humans in South East Asia that are developing resistance to Tamiflu.

While this is a disturbing observation, it does not mean that when pandemic flu arrives here it will be totally resistant to Tamiflu treatment. This is unlikely to be the case. It is likely however that some strains of the virus will carry this resistance factor meaning that some patients infected by those strains will not respond as well to Tamiflu treatment as expected. "

Early Warning

Your Small Mind Just Can't Comprehend It

2005-01-06T07:06:00.000-08:00

Why did the movie Alexander flop? Oliver Stone says its because of 'raging fundamentalism' which caused folks to stay away from the film -- or even to read the reviews, because "the media was using the words: 'Alex is Gay.'

Additionally, the rubes in red America are too stupid to get it anyway, according to Stone. Its simply "too complex for 'conventional minds'. "

Thanks for your service, Matt.

2004-12-24T04:33:00.000-08:00

Opportunities to help someone out during Christmas time often seem to pop up unexpectedly in ways that don't seem to happen during the rest of the year.

This year a young Navy kid crossed my path, and it was my good fortune to be able to assist him.

This started about three weeks ago when my boss informed me that I must go to our main office in Philly during the week of Christmas. I wasn't thrilled to hear this, considering the likelihood of inclement weather and/or heavy holiday travel which might make for difficulties getting back home in time for Christmas. Sure enough, a blanket of 'Tooley fog' had settled into the basin that makes up most of the interior of California. Locals know this fog can last for weeks. The Saturday before I was to leave, my Sister flew into the Fresno airport around 10 PM. The pilot landed the plane on instruments, in a fog so thick that spontaneous applause broke out among the passengers when they could finally see the runway lights and the wheels touched down. The pilot came onto the intercom as they taxied to the gates and remarked wryly that, "there's not very many planes on the ground here."

In fact, her plane was one of only a few that risked landing that evening, so that as I stood in line at 6 AM the next morning to catch my flight a murmur began near the front and moved to the rear that flights were being cancelled. Sure enough, the board showed the first two flights (mine included) as cancelled, and cell phones began popping out all around. There was a family of travelers in front of me, and at about this point a clean cut young man carrying two cowboy hats in one hand, pulling a large suitcase with the other, and wearing a green duffel bag nearly as big as him on his back, walked up and strained to read the board. "The flights are cancelled?" he asked me. "I'm supposed to be in Missoura today." I figured he was probably reporting for duty, since he looked like he was about 17 - 18 tops - and he confirmed that he was in the Navy. I (misunderstood) him to say that he had orders to be back that evening.

Another young person, a young lady wearing a hikers backpack, also arrived, and it didn't take her long to determine to her poorly disguised disappointment that this handsome cowboy was engaged. By this point the line had come to a standstill, as each traveler now spent up to 20 minutes at each window trying to find alternatives. More cell phones appeared, some polite conversations broke out, and one older woman standing in line alone began loudly complaining to no one in particular, "Its always something!" I broke out "For Whom the Bell Tolls," which I'd found the day before while unpacking my library from our recent move to our new house, and couldn't believe that I'd never read it, since I've always wanted to. I'd figured it might help me to escape the tedium of the flight, but now it helped me escape the gridlock in line. Yet, something about these two young folks drew me, and I kept one ear open and occasionally joined into their conversation about his rodeo experiences, his previous tours on the aircraft carrier he was assigned to, and her seasonal job in Yosemite National Park. Nice kids, both of 'em.

Well, we'd nearly reached the front of the line when my reading was interrupted by people groaning around me.

All flights had been cancelled, people were saying, though the board continued to show just the first two.

No planes would leave for the next two days, floated back among some. There just weren't enough planes currently at the airport, and no incoming planes because of the fog.

Personally, this wasn't particularly bad news for me, and I began working out a phone mail message in my head that I'd leave to my boss explaining why I couldn't make the meeting. Yet I could see the worry in the young woman's face, who was trying to get to Dallas to see her folks, while the Navy kid heaved his duffel bag to the ground and hitched up his sharply creased blue jeans by pulling on the big rodeo buckle on his western belt and wondered aloud what it could mean that no flights would leave for days. So, I finally got my cell out and called the airlines to see about alternatives. The three of us discussed driving times to nearby airports, though neither of them had cars. If I had to go, both or either might as well go with me, I offered. After about a ten minute hold, I was able to find that I could take a flight from Burbank (about a three hour drive) and also that there was a flight there to Dallas. I offered to drive the young woman, but right at that point we'd reached the ticket windows and she found a flight on another airline. I thanked the young Navy kid, and remarked that it was his good luck that the Navy's orders had been cancelled by a higher authority, at which point he explained that he wasn't returning to base, but trying to go home on leave to see his family - - for the first time in two years.

Sighing, and mentally erasing my planned explanatory phone mail to the boss, I booked the new flight out of Burbank after we determined that he could also catch a flight there.

So, we hopped in my dirty Taurus, and over the next three hours I had the pleasure of getting to know Matt. Finding someone who, for being only 19 years old, really had his head on his shoulders. He'd joined the Navy at 17, while all his friends around him said he should take a year after High School to goof off, because "right now they're working at Macdonalds, and I'm on my way to a career, with 36 college units already completed." He'd already weighed the options and calculated that he'd remain in the Navy for the next 20 years, and planned to retire at 37 with nearly two million in savings. This factored in the differing pay amounts for his upcoming tour in the Gulf, and other areas around the world, as well as the increased pay and costs of being married - - which he planned to do without his parent's knowledge this upcoming week, I came to find out. So - Okay, he might not have his head on straight on this one issue, yet I'd seen my 18 year old daughter do exactly the same thing the day before she shipped out for her tour in the Army in Korea. You know, that's a lot of upheaval and uncertainty in a life at that age.

I'm proud of this fine serviceman, and its my joy and profit to have been able to help him get home to his family and fiance. May they have a very merry Christmas.

Osama - another whining leftie (Chrenkoff)

2004-12-17T14:49:00.000-08:00

From http://chrenkoff.blogspot.com/

Osama's pre-American election tape already sounded like a promo for "Fahrenheit 9/11", with its carefully scripted list of MoveOn-esque grievances. Now, in his latest production aimed at the House of Saud, bin Laden is moving one step further along the path of the great ideological - or at least rhetorical - convergence between the angry left and the angry Islamofascism:

"The speaker on the tape accused the regime of 'injustices against the people'. The Saudi Royal Family had misspent public money while 'millions of people are suffering from poverty and deprivation', he said."

And thus Osama becomes yet another billionaire complaining about the growing gap between the rich and the poor, a sort of George Soros with a Closed Society Institute, and a Peter Lewis, who instead of insuring cars blows them up.

...And not that bin Laden is actually sincere, either. If you look at the Islamofascist utopia like the Taliban-era Afghanistan, one thing that strikes you is that, well, "millions of people were suffering from poverty and deprivation", and genuinely so, not the Saudi sort of poverty. In fact, in Osama's restored Caliphate, poverty and ignorance are both equally treated as virtues and are thus assiduously cultivated in place of such evil infidel concepts like growth or self-realization.

Still, it's funny (in a horrible sort of way) to watch bin Laden promote economic disadvantage as a grievance against what he considers a corrupt Muslim regime. For Osama, version 2005, poverty is the root cause of terrorism. For the rest of us, we know it's Osama.

N. Korea: "This means War"

2004-12-15T13:58:00.000-08:00

N. Korea warns Japan against sanctions - (United Press International)

"North Korea has warned Japan any sanctions against it would be regarded as a declaration of war and an "effective physical response" would result. "

14 Executed Bodies in Mosul

2004-12-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

Daily Times - Site Edition

Deadliest day in Falluja

2004-12-13T15:50:00.000-08:00

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq After the deadliest day for U-S forces in Iraq since yesterday -- commanders are making it clear that the work in Fallujah (fuh-LOO'-juh) isn't yet coming to an end.

Today, another Marine lost his life in the area around Fallujah, making this the deadliest day since three Marines lost their life yesterday. And Marines continue to confront insurgents in the city as well.

Lieutenant Lyle Gilbert with the First Marine Expeditionary Force says troops have found tunnel networks and spider holes, very much like the one in which Saddam Hussein was found one year ago today.

Light of the World was Dark in 1979

2004-12-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

Since 1923, the National Christmas Tree on the White House lawn has been lit every year except one. In 1979, (during Jimmy Carter's presidency) to honor the U.S. hostages being held in Iran, only the top ornament of the tree was lit.

Carter broke with long tradition. These lights were lit even in 1963, though the tree lighting ceremony was delayed until Dec. 22, after the 30-day mourning period for the slain President John F. Kennedy.

Support the Troops - - Really

2004-12-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

Here's two ideas of ways you can help support the troops. I'm sure there are many more. Add on to this and create a whole list of ideas, if you wish.

IDEA ONE:
__________________________________________________________
(Idea from the Hugh Hewitt blog at http://www.hughhewitt.com/ )
Part of an email from a Naval Officer:

"Yellow ribbons tied around trees and red, white and blue stickers on the backs SUVs saying "Support our Troops" are things that make civilians feel good but do nothing for the men and women actually in uniform.

So please consider the following:
The number ONE request at Walter Reed hospital is phone cards. The government doesn't pay long distance phone charges and these wounded soldiers are rationing their calls home.
Many will be there throughout the holidays.
Really support our troops --Send phone cards of any amount to:
Medical Family Assistance Center Walter Reed Medical Center 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20307-5001 They say they need an "endless" supply of these -- any amount even $5 is greatly appreciated.

IDEA TWO:
_________________________________________________________

Visit Books for Soldiers at http://www.booksforsoldiers.com/

There you'll find requests for everything from baby wipes (apparently come in quite handy dealing with the dirt and dust in Iraq and Afghanistan) and other toilettries, to new or used DVD's, to used books, from individual soldiers and/or squads. In most cases they give their addresses, so you can ship them directly.

This is a great website - - I mentioned my daughter Stephany on there once, and had probably 5 people send her letters of encouragement, and some books and magazines.

Presidential Hanukkah Party

2004-12-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

This Thursday President Bush is to host the first ever Hanukka party in the White House.

Red Nation

2004-11-28T08:46:00.000-08:00

Democrats may speak of a divided nation. And they may talk of 'red states.' Yet a review of where donations were made by zip code clearly shows much more Republican support within each red state than the final red state /blue state electoral map.

Even in California, the Democrats must have cause for alarm. For, the red 'zip code zones' outweighed the blue by a narrow margin. When you look at it closer, its no surprise that in San Francisco the giving was widely Democratic, with just a smattering of Republican donators. However, Los Angeles shows plenty of red. Its only in the Santa Monica, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Hollywood corridor that the Democrats managed to overwhelm the giving and turn the city as a whole to blue. Even so, you'll notice that there's no 'deep' blue anywhere in California.

Granted, this is the amount of donations, which is probably not the best indicator of actual voting. Still, it does give one another perspective on the matter.

Map of Donations by Zip Code - from Fundrace.org

General Thanksgiving

2004-11-25T11:44:00.000-08:00

By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America
A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.
(signed) G. Washington

Regarding Falluja

2004-11-22T09:43:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry, but because of what happened to CB at "MyWar" I will not post a link to this site, or identify him any more than to say that he's a Marine in Iraq. But what he has to say'll give you a better picture of Falluja than everything else you've seen in the MSM combined:

Before the invasion of Falluja:
If there is another city in the world that contains more terrorists, I would be surprised. From the last two years, I just don't see a way that we can succeed in Iraq without reducing this threat. The cost of continuing on without taking decisive action is too high to dwell on.

The enemy inside the town have come to fight and kill Americans. Nothing will sate their bloodlust and hatred other than to kill everyone of us or at least die trying. It is hard to fathom as a Westerner as rational thought would dictate that we will only be here for a relatively short blip in their history and while we are here, billions of dollars in investments will pour in and opportunity that is beyond comprehension will open up for anyone willing to work. This is not Kansas and this enemy does not think like that.

If we build a school or clinic, they destroy it. They would rather deny medical care or education for the children of the citizens who live nearby than to have any symbol of the West in general and America specifically among them. It is hard to comprehend. Frankly, we are done trying.

For eight months, we have been on our chain. The enemy has fooled itself misinterpreting our humanity and restraint for lack of will and courage. For eight months, we have watched Marines, Soldiers and Sailors maimed and killed by invisible cowards hiding behind some wall or in a canal as he detonates another IED. For eight months, we have been witness to suicidal sociopaths driving vehicles laden with explosives into crowds of Iraqis and into our own convoys.
During the invasion:
Just came out of the city and I honestly do not know where to start. I am afraid that whatever I send you will not do sufficient honor to the men who fought and took Fallujah.
There is an image burned into my brain that I hope I never forget. We came up behind 3/5 one day as the lead squads were working down the Byzantine streets of the Jolan area. An assault team of two Marines ran out from behind cover and put a rocket into a wall of an enemy strongpoint. Before the smoke cleared the squad behind them was up and moving through the hole and clearing the house. Just down the block another squad was doing the same thing. The house was cleared quickly and the Marines were running down the street to the next contact. Even in the midst of that mayhem, it was an awesome site.

The fighting has been incredibly close inside the city. The enemy is willing to die and is literally waiting until they see the whites of the eyes of the Marines before they open up. Just two days ago, as a firefight raged in close quarters, one of the interpreters yelled for the enemy in the house to surrender. The enemy yelled back that it was better to die and go to heaven than to surrender to infidels. This exchange is a graphic window into the world that the Marines and Soldiers have been fighting in these last 10 days.

I could go on and on about how the city was taken but one of the most amazing aspects to the fighting was that we saw virtually no civilians during the battle. Only after the fighting had passed did a few come out of their homes. They were provided food and water and most were evacuated out of the city. At least 90-95% of the people were gone from the city when we attacked.

I will end with a couple of stories of individual heroism that you may not have heard yet. I was told about both of these incidents shortly after they occurred. No doubt some of the facts will change slightly but I am confident that the meat is correct.
The first is a Marine from 3/5. His name is Corporal ------ [Deleted - NAS]. As the Marines cleared and apartment building, they got to the top floor and the point man kicked in the door. As he did so, an enemy grenade and a burst of gunfire came out. The explosion and enemy fire took off the point man's leg. He was then immediately shot in the arm as he lay in the doorway. Corporal ------ tossed a grenade in the room and ran into the doorway and into the enemy fire in order to pull his buddy back to cover. As he was dragging the wounded Marine to cover, his own grenade came back through the doorway. Without pausing, he reached down and threw the grenade back through the door while he heaved his buddy to safety. The grenade went off inside the room and Cpl ------ threw another in. He immediately entered the room following the second explosion. He gunned down three enemy all within three feet of where he stood and then let fly a third grenade as he backed out of the room to complete the evacuation of the wounded Marine. You have to understand that a grenade goes off within 5 seconds of having the pin pulled. Marines usually let them "cook off" for a second or two before tossing them in. Therefore, this entire episode took place in less than 30 seconds.

The second example comes from 3/1. Cpl XXXXX [Deleted - NAS] is a squad leader. He was wounded as his squad was clearing a house when some enemy threw pineapple grenades down on top of them. As he was getting triaged, the doctor told him that he had been shot through the arm. Cpl XXXXX told the doctor that he had actually been shot "a couple of days ago" and had given himself self aide on the wound. When the doctor got on him about not coming off the line, he firmly told the doctor that he was a squad leader and did not have time to get treated as his men were still fighting. There are a number of Marines who have been wounded multiple times but refuse to leave their fellow Marines.

It is incredibly humbling to walk among such men. They fought as hard as any Marines in history and deserve to be remembered as such. The enemy they fought burrowed into houses and fired through mouse holes cut in walls, lured them into houses rigged with explosives and detonated the houses on pursuing Marines, and actually hid behind surrender flags only to engage the Marines with small arms fire once they perceived that the Marines had let their guard down. I know of several instances where near dead enemy rolled grenades out on Marines who were preparing to render them aid. It was a fight to the finish in every sense and the Marines delivered.
I have called the enemy cowards many times in the past because they have never really held their ground and fought but these guys in the city did. We can call them many things but they were not cowards.

My whole life I have read about the greatest generation and sat in wonder at their accomplishments. For the first time, as I watch these Marines and Soldiers, I am eager for the future as this is just the beginning for them. Perhaps the most amazing characteristic of all is that the morale of the men is sky high. They hurt for the wounded and the dead but they are eager to continue to attack. Further, not one of them would be comfortable with being called a hero even though they clearly are.

By now the Marines and Soldiers have killed well over a thousand enemy. These were not peasants or rabble. They were reasonably well trained and entirely fanatical. Most of the enemy we have seen have chest rigs full of ammunition and are well armed are willing to fight to the death. The Marines and Soldiers are eager to close with them and the fighting at the end is inevitably close.

I will write you more the next time I come in about what we have found inside the city. All I can say is that even with everything that I knew and expected from the last nine months, the brutality and fanaticism of the enemy surprised me. The beheadings were even more common place than we thought but so were torture and summary executions. Even though it is an exaggeration, it seems as though every block in the northern part of the city has a torture chamber or execution site. There are hundreds of tons of munitions and tens of thousands of weapons that our Regiment alone has recovered. The Marines and Soldiers of the Regiment have also found over 400 IEDs already wired and ready to detonate. No doubt these numbers will grow in the days ahead.

Scotsman.com News - Opinion - Bushwhacked: How Dubya won America

2004-11-06T22:15:00.000-08:00

Scotsman.com News - Opinion - Bushwhacked: How Dubya won America: "The idea that intelligent voters plumped for Kerry and were defeated by the overweight, god-fearing, fag-hating rubes of middle America is easy to grasp but it�s an inadequate explanation for Kerry�s failure. Exit polls showed, for example, that Bush won the support of 44% of voters who had embarked on at least some post-graduate study. Clever people can vote Republican too. "

2004-11-03T22:11:00.000-08:00

In the spotlight - and bringing us more pics? - for four more years !

Left's vs right's view of the world

2004-11-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

Just two comments about election night:

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I love watching the MSM on election nights when republicans win. They get so serious and depressed. (Did you hear Chris Mathews asking Reagan about being depressed, and each replied it was depressing?). They have completely different reactions when democrats win. On those occasions they're enervated and joyous. This was my first clue, many many years ago, as to their bias.

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The left views the world much differently. During Reagan's answer to the question on being depressed, he stated that with the repulicans in charge things like the environment, and stem cell research, would suffer. He went on to say that this is because republicans are more interested in faith than science. I wish I had recorded it, because without his exact words its hard to explain the distain in his tone and words. Its obviously his viewpoint that to be a liberal is to a member of an elite crowd: the intellectual crowd; the crowd who believes in facts, and science.

He's wrong. Republicans are interested in the truth. Such as, the environment today is much better than 20 to 30 years ago, and in many respects even better than 300 years ago in some areas. We're also interested in using science morally. So when it turns out that adult stem cells are providing more than adequate research material, then there seems no reason to move into the grey area of embryonic stem cells.

Another way that the left views the world differently from the right was also pointed out last night, on Dan Rather's election eve coverage. An analyst was up at the boards after Fox had called Ohio for Bush but before CBS would (I don't have the analyst's name - another program I didn't record). He gave a good analysis of Ohio, stating that more jobs had been lost there (approximately 200,000) than in nearly any other state. And he noted that the most jobs had been lost in Harris county. Then he pointed out that Gore lost the state in 2000 by just 165,000 votes, so if everyone who lost their job voted for Kerry the state would flip blue. However, he noted, something was wrong. Because Harris county had flipped red. There must be something else at work, he said. Moving to another screen, he showed a spreadsheet of exit poll data which pointed out that 24% of the people had been motivated to vote republican not by the economy, but for good morals (recall that this is one of the states with a gay marriage item on the ballot). I can't say that the analyst was incredulous, but he definately seemed a little puzzled about these circumstances.

Because, you see, the left's worldview is that it is economics which drive behavior. If people were not poor, there would be less crime. Palestinians would stop blowing themselves up in Israel. There are "two Americas." The rich deserve to be taxed more.

This is a Marxist worldview. Not only does it often contradict itself (after all, the biggest villans in their minds are those evil, and extremely wealthy CEO's), but is also not born out by facts. For instance, why do business travellers steal hotel towels? It may seem like a little thing, but if the only reason for crime is lack of money, then how do you explain this? Why don't people in India blow themselves up? They're much more oppressed and poor than Palestinians? And perhaps most confusing to them, why does the religious poor vote republican?

The right has a different worldview. They believe that people make choices to act rightly or wrongly, irregardless of their economic situation. That simply throwing money at a situation (education, for example) will not solve every problem (and facts show this to be the case in education). Further, religion gives one a peace beyond this world, and teaches one not to envy, but be grateful for what you have. It teaches that being good is better than being rich, or even successful - - though there's nothing wrong with being both good and successful!

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PS: Did you hear Rather's explanation why they didn't call Ohio after other networks had? "We want to abide by our long standing principles, uh, we'd rather be last than wrong." Hehe. He actually said it more than once!

Thank God !

2004-11-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

I refrain from using that phrase, even though I am a strong believer in Jesus Christ. However, the election of George Bush is fairly important.

:)

Home on the strip - The Battalion - Opinion

2004-10-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

Home on the strip - The Battalion - Opinion: "By Will Llyod

Last week, Hezbollah announced the release of a new computer game in which players attempt to detonate hand grenades in Israeli towns and assassinate Israeli leaders. The game's box reads: 'Be a partner in the victory. Fight, resist and destroy your enemy in the game of force and victory.' Enemies like these, whose ruthless hatred horrifies every civilized person, have threatened Israel since its inception. Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East, and America's most loyal ally in that region, is only about 5 percent the size of California, and is surrounded by hostile dictatorships. Since 1948, Israeli leaders have sought military and diplomacy as means to survive in a region that does not welcome their existence. Unfortunately, their latest attempt at peace by withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and most of the West Bank will only exacerbate tensions and debilitate Israel's defensive capability. "

We report bad news - - even if we have to make it up

2004-10-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

"NBC News reported that on April 10, 2003, its crew was embedded with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division when troops arrived at the Al Qaqaa storage facility south of Baghdad.

While the troops found large stockpiles of conventional explosives, they did not find HMX or RDX, the types of powerful explosives that reportedly went missing, according to NBC"

This is not news, according to the MSM, which continues to tout the allegations that the material came up missing after the invasion - - despite reporters on the scene the day after!

CNN.com - Report: Explosives could not be found when U.S. troops arrived - Oct 26, 2004: "Baghdad fell on April 9, 2003. According to NBC, troops from the 101st Airborne arrived the next day and could not find the material.

At the Pentagon, officials said that the site had been repeatedly searched but the high explosives the IAEA described were never found.The Pentagon said the Al Qaqaa facility was a 'level 2' priority on a list of 500 sites to be searched and secured. U.S. officials say it was visited dozens of times by U.S. troops in the months following the invasion, and -- after searching 32 bunkers and 87 other buildings -- they never came upon the stockpile."

The claim that the explosives were missing after the war is made up - - yet you will find it displayed prominently all over the MSM.